Report

Oh the delights of introducing children to competitive non competitive football. So many things to teach them and so many things for them to learn and learning at different paces as well. The tuition and frustrations of ball control, positioning, throw ins, shooting and the understanding that controlled aggression is acceptable. As a club we are getting there with all that but today was the first day that most of the boys had played in biting wind and rain but more of that later.

With Chairman/Manager Mark Cross absent it was left to Coach Neil Swann to formulate the master plan of action and it was good to see Ian ‘Wings’ Simmons and first team keeper /Youth Coach Dale Watling ‘helping’ Swann on the touchline.

The first game saw a bright performance from Kyle Potter. His energy and effort were rewarded with a well taken goal as he slotted in a right foot effort with his instep low past the keepers left hand. A couple of the lads were subdued in their performances and Max Moye didn’t look the threat he could be and was replaced by last weeks ‘penalty bait’ Josh Cobbold. However the Army were unable to capitalise on their one goal lead and Shotley grabbed an equaliser. Immediately after that the Army attacked and Potter had the goal at his mercy but was unable to shape his body and steered his shot wide. It would have been a fitting finish if Kyle had scored as his performance deserved a win if the result was officially recorded, which it wasn’t.

The second game saw the Army put in a very strong performance and were quite simply the better team from the start. As a squad the Army are fortunate to have a very useful nucleus spreading that talent over the two teams and so after some heavy pressure Luke Davies-Stokes rifled in a shot from the edge of the box for the Army to take the lead.

As the first half neared its end the heavens opened up and the wind provided an unwelcome chill factor. Connor Cobbold was incredulous at the thought of playing in these conditions and asked Coach Swann if someone was going to ‘have a word’ with the referee as it was raining and shouldn’t we all go home because of it!?

A valuable lesson learnt there young master Cobbold. This isn’t school. This is real football played in all kinds of weather. We’ll have no fair-weather talk in this club!  

Indeed the second half saw the Army with more appetite for the game and Archie Sayer extended the lead and the woolly hatted and gloved Sam Palmer scored the third with his right foot! Shotley didn’t manage to score at all.

At this point can I ask our parents to seriously consider their childs footballing attire? I appreciate that snoods are banned by FIFA and woolly hats, I think, are allowed but we want to toughen our boys up. ‘Jessie’ shirts, under shirts, are acceptable but woolly hats?! Whatever next?! We don’t want our chaps following the former keeper of the Faroe Islands, Jens Knudsen, as their role model.  (Click on the picture below for a close up).

Let the education continue.

Photos

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