Hallam's Double keeps Sports Second

Belmar Services sponsor this season waterproof jackets

U13's Saturday Division 2

Hucknall Sports  2 Cotgrave Colts 0

7/1/ 12   

Hucknall Sports returned to league action after the Christmas break with a game against Cotgrave Colts, a team who had recently beaten Sports 3-1.

Hucknall continued with their measured and controlled approach to football that saw them beat Gedling Southbank 5-2 in the last outing. Good team attitude and patience were in abundance as Sports totally dominated possession from the off. Cotgrave's keeper proved to be a strong last line of defence and did well to deny Ollie Bowley and James Hallam early on. Injury to Ellis Evans meant that Hucknall had to change formation and Ryan Towle slotted in as temporary left-back. The hard working Jacob Barlow was replaced by Dante Diriso and it was his persistence that created the opening for Hallam to calmly place the ball into the net to move his team into the lead. Injury to Bowley saw Sports change formation once more with Towle moving into right midfield and Owen Everton to left back. Towle made the most of the right-wing space to provide a couple of great crosses but despite various opportunities for a second goal that their play deserved Sports just would not find the back of the net.

Half time:  Hucknall Sports  1 Cotgrave Colts 0

Further changes to Sports formation saw Harry Saxton take on the left back position with Everton replacing Charlie Blatherwick in midfield. Saxton locked up the left side with some fantastic defending and drove his team forward with really clever use of the ball and overlapping runs. Diriso, playing wide left, showed great speed and battling to force his way to the by-line to deliver really dangerous crosses time and again. But still the Colts keeper continue his display of brave goalkeeping and he pulled off a fantastic save to deny Tom Eastwood. Barlow returned to the left wing and showed great determination of his own to get to the by-line and put in his own telling crosses but Sports just could not capitalise. Finally the important second goal came when Mitch (Captain Fantastic) Davies gathered the ball in midfield and played a slide-rule pass to James (Super-Striker) Hallam. Still with work to do Hallam showed great composure to skip wide of the keeper and score his and the teams second goal. Towle was robbed of a goal of his own when the ball took a cruel last minute bobble just as he was about to 'pull the trigger'. In the final quarter Sports changed formation once more with Blatherwick and Bowley returning in the place of Towle and Davies to help  Hucknall see out the game with a great display of keeping possession.

Full time: Hucknall Sports  2 Cotgrave Colts 0 

If the possession statistics for this game had been available then Sports would have been out of sight. The whole team showed a maturity beyond their years to play a really great game of football.

At times it was a bit like musical chairs for Sports with some many changes having to be made, but it is no exaggeration to say that every boy made a claim for the Man of the Match award today. However the winner was the outstanding Joe Newton. Playing with his equally brilliant partner James Stenson at the heart of defence Joe put in an awesome performance that had him voted the unanimous winner by coaches, parents and team mates.

Cotgrave were restricted to not a single clear-cut opening on goal thanks to a wonderful displayed by Sports defence lead by Newton - well done Joe.