Match Report
Match Report - 07 Feb 2010, HARVESTERS FOOTBALL CLUB BOYS U14 NORTH lost to Hadley Rangers U14
WFL – White Division
7th February 2010
Harvesters U14 North 2-3 Hadley Rangers U14
Half time 2-1
Match report by Tony Zacaroli
A cold and misty Sunday in February. It must be Smallford for a Harvesters home game.
With a squad bursting at the seams (4 substitutes for the first time in living memory!), and fresh from the magnificent defeat in the county cup, the home crowd’s hopes were high.
For the opening minutes, however, it was the visitors who were doing most of the pressing, and putting together most of the fluid passing. Oscar, playing his first game of the New Year, showed no signs of rustiness as he dived to his right hand post to keep out a goal bound shot. The defence seemed to have weathered the early storm, when a corner, dropped plum in the 6 yard box, was only scrappily half-cleared, and Rangers punted it into the back of the net. 5 minutes gone, and 1-0 down.
But this was the wakeup call the team were looking for. Just 3 minutes later, a goal kick from Oscar was floating out towards the left touchline. Jack was there to meet it. With one skilful move he kept the ball in touch and slipped it past a defender. Running into the penalty area, he muscled past two more defenders and slipped the ball past the outstretched arms of the tall Rangers keeper. 1-1.
Ten minutes later, the home side went ahead. Ryan H, with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, met the ball on the right wing, and played over a superb cross that, with pinpoint accuracy, flew into the top left corner of the net. 2-1 on 18 minutes.
The home side were now playing some good one touch passing football, and matching their opponents for strength in the tackle. The defence (particularly Aaron, whose timing in the tackle was superb throughout the game) held firm, putting in some very important blocks at crucial moments. The Rangers forwards were fast, strong and skilful, but were limited to some long ranger shots, and a free kick which sailed over the bar. The two midfields were evenly matched, and there were some good passes over the top for the Harvesters forwards, Nicky and Ryan O, to run on to.
At half time, the score remained 2-1 to Harvesters.
The home side started the second half much the brighter. Joe, working tirelessly in midfield, worked a ball through to Ryan H on the right wing. He gave two defenders the slip, and forced a good save into the side netting from their keeper. A free kick from Jack went just over the bar. But on 10 minutes, from another set piece, a half-hearted clearance from defence fell to one of their players on the edge of the area, and he placed it accurately into the goal. 2-2. Just three minutes later, Oscar dealt well with a deceiving high ball, but he could not hold on to it and, again, from the rebound the ball ended up in the back of the net. 3-2 to the visitors.
For much of the rest of the game, the visitors were on the up. As time went on, the home side were less sure in the tackle, and less able to pass their way into the opposition half. The result was that the game was played mostly inside the Harvesters’ half – each clearance as far as the half way line rebounding back into our penalty area. The defensive lines held firm, nevertheless. In an effort to get that equaliser, the forward line was strengthened by moving Jack up from midfield. The ploy failed, however, as we were unable to get the ball to the forwards to let them make anything of it. The home side continued battling to the end, and in the last two minutes were once more pressing the visitor’s goal, but without result.
Man of the match went to Jack, for a terrific display of strength and skill throughout the game, capped by a contender for goal of the season. In the end, though, a disappointing result, as Harvesters deserved at least to get something from this game.
HARVESTERS FOOTBALL CLUB BOYS U14 NORTH 2 - 3 Hadley Rangers U14