Hucknall Sports White 3 Radcliffe Olympic 1

03/10/09Saturday U11's Division 2 - League Game
Hucknall Sports White 3 Radcliffe Olympic 1

Whites Run Continues
Blustery winds created difficult playing conditions for Hucknall Sports Whites and Radcliffe Olympic as they arrived at Newstead Recreational Ground for this League 2 clash of unbeaten teams.

Minutes into the match Hucknall strikers James Hallam and Oliver Bowley hassled the Radcliffe defence to create a goal from a deflected shot by Hallam that found its way into the back of the net. Olympic were shocked and Hucknall pushed forward with good work from wingers Dante Diriso and Jacob Barlow looking to create more openings. Olympic, playing with the wind at their backs, pushed for an equaliser but a combination of off-sides and great defending from the Hucknall back three of Mitch Davies, Harry Saxton and Joe Newton limited them to very few clear-cut chances. Whites played clever football into the wind by keeping the ball low to the ground and using their passing skills to move the ball forward.
In a flash the first half had gone and Hucknall went into the break leading by 1-0.

Half time: Hucknall Sports Whites 1 Radcliffe Olympic 0

Whites kicked-off with the wind at their backs, however it was Olympic's who broke through first with a well worked move that levelled the scores at 1-1. But Hucknall refused to let their heads drop and the midfield
combination of Jarrod Davies and Ellis Evans made sure that it was Whites who won the 50-50 challenges to stay on top of the game. Once again it was James Hallam who restored the lead with a goal of pure speed and strength that saw him take on the Olympic defence almost single handed to score from a tight angle. Whites continued to play the ball wide again rather than hoofing the ball forward and retained possession of the ball deep in the Radcliffe half to frustrate the opposition team. On the rare occasion that Olympic did get within striking distance of the Hucknall goal, Whites keeper Kal Orton provide a solid and brave last line of defence.
Five minutes from time Hucknall were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Radcliffe penalty area and up stepped Dylan Smith, who had been driven straight to the game from the airport that morning, to smash an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Final score: Hucknall Sports Whites 3 Radcliffe Olympic 1

Once again Hucknall used the entire squad to gain victory in this game and players such as Kieran Wilson and Ryan Towle ensured that energy levels were maintained throughout the entire match.

This was a great team performance, but James Hallam in particular can feel very unlucky not to be awarded the Man of the Match trophy for a great striking performance.
The eventual winner was Mitch Davies for a tireless performance in defence where he won every ball on the ground and in the air - as one of the Olympic supporters said: "an immense performance".