| U9 Red Division: Trowbridge Tn Panthers 1 CCCFC Blacks 4 |
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| Season 12/13 - Under 9 Black & White |
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The warmth from the low morning sun was starting to come through as the Colts lined up for their first league game of the season. The assembled crowd at Woodmarsh could almost feel the combination of excitement and pre-match nerves that hung in the air as both teams took to the field. The referee checked both keepers were ready, put his whistle to his lips and blew. The season was off! Strong passing from the Colts meant they had good early possession, helping the boys settle well. Suddenly some classy footwork from Josh, a quick pass from Luca and James was in on goal, one powerful shot later and the Colts were 1-0 up. Shortly after the restart a foul just outside the box meant a free-kick to the visitors and James stepped up to strike the ball high and long. It dipped just in time to fly in under the crossbar to make it 2-0. Trowbridge had settled now but a couple of strong tackles from Alex, Sam and Caleb kept their advances at bay. A battle of tackles and tricks from both teams now ensued in midfield. Soon the Trowbridge captain won the ball and played a good slide pass to their striker to put him one-on-one with Colts keeper Rowan. Despite his earlier saves this shot was just too strong and the Panthers pulled one back. More solid passing and movement from Dylan and Sam put the ball out to the wing and James crossed it in for Luca to strike it home just before half-time, giving the Colts a 3-1 interval lead. Starting the second half, the Panthers were playing a lot higher up the pitch but Alex, Caleb and Rowan took their defensive roles seriously and marked and tackled well to nullify the threat. Soon after yet another great ball, this time from Luca, into the Trowbridge box saw Josh connect well to make it 4-1. However, the scoreline seemed to inspire the Panthers and their best passage of play followed but a strong, often brave goalkeeping performance from Kyron kept the shots out and the score remained the same. More solid football from the Colts across the pitch saw the team safely through to the final whistle. Tired but with the knowledge of a job well done, by the whole team the boys came off to huge applause from the crowd. |