16 Feb 2008 - Match Report - KHFitC U9 Falcons (S&DYFL
KHFitC Falcons 2 v 3 Meadow Park - repoprt by Matt Dalton
When the Hawks played Meadow Park at home a two months ago we stood and watched them warming up, they have a lot of players that can really strike a football well, the ease with which they were striking from outside of the box pounding the goal mouth gained our admiration but at the same time concerned us a little for what lay ahead............
Right from the off our boys failed to spring into action, Meadow Park did the opposite and for the first five minutes we were pinned in our own half. The quality of one of their players shone through on four minutes as he volleyed the ball from a short corner and rattled the top corner of the woodwork, I have not seen anyone else in division one or two with the ability to do that so well. Anyway, we hoped it was a lucky strike but changed Harry into midfield and gave Dan a rest on six minutes to try and harass them off the ball. In the ninth minute we committed a cardinal sin of kicking a goal kick straight down the middle, Meadow Park picked up the ball, ran straight through and made it one nil. We added further harassment to the midfield moving Lewis M and putting Dan back on for Anthony. We got into their half for the first time :o) Rory made a couple of saves but the defence failed to close players down on the ball and another unstoppable strike fro the edge of the box made it two.
Dan and Lewis M combined well riding tackles and supporting each other all the way down the left wing ending in a nice flick of the ball to Ben who reduced the deficit by one with a good goal from within the penalty area on seventeen minutes. Meadow Park had another strike from outside of the box, Rory had it covered and went down to his left beautifully only to see the ball bobble up and over him for their third.
The half time pep talk was based upon "if you get to the ball first, then they haven't got it, if they haven't got it then they can't score", and as usual we came out like a different team.
Meadow Park missed a penalty for handball, Rory stood up well and blocked it. We then put together a lovely move, passed out of defence by to Ben, Ben flicked it sideways over the defender for Nathan to run onto, Nathan's first time shot went just wide of the post. Anthony hit the underside of the bar with a free kick, Joel pushed it over the line with his head. We were now only one goal down and it looked possible. Tom pushed the ball to Harry who in turn found Nathan inside the six yard area to place it wide, Tom flicked a ball down the line for Nathan, Nathan made good ground and struck an early ball into the box for Harry but the keeper did enough to keep it out. Meadow Park headed against the bar from a corner which surprised us all, the rebound was struck against the post and we lived on. Meadow Park hit the post with a free kick , Anthony put the ball inches wide from a free kick for a foul on the edge of the box, and finally Harry was the target for Anthony as he pushed the ball through into the box but again the keeper denied him. We looked sharp in the second half lads, let's see if we can start the first half this week looking the same. Well done boys, next week is Red, kick off at 9.45, at the Cricket ground on Chester Road. Be there for 9 to get parked and warmed up.