Winning start to the season for Sports

U14's Saturday Division 2a 

Hucknall Sports 4 Bottesford 2

8/9/12   

Hucknall Sports started the new season with a home game against new boys Bottesford at Wigwam Playing Fields.

Strong sunshine greeted both sides and it was clearly a day to conserve your energy.

Hucknall started with a formation looking for early goals and after series of near misses the goal came after good work from Jacob Barlow and Tom Eastwood saw a terrific cross cleverly diverted first time into the opposition goal  by Owen Everton. Sports looked dangerous and Dante Diriso tormented the left back with some fantastic wing play. Later in the game Ollie Bowley continue the right wing assault but a number of corners went unpunished by Hucknall. Botteford worked a neat break and equalised from a penalty awarded when new skipper Joe Newton was adjudged to have felled his man. Sports grabbed the lead once more through a terrific run and shot from Tom Eastwood but a mistake by at the back let Bottesford back in again to level the game 2-2 at half time.

Half time: Hucknall Sports 2 Bottesford 2

Playing with the breeze in their faces Hucknall braced themselves for a long ball attack but all credit to Bottesford for playing a passing game instead. As is often the case for Sports they tend to play better against the breeze and uphill and so it proved to be. Good work from the hard working midfield presented an opportunity for Everton to swing a lovely cross to the far post for Hallam to convert nicely and then a second from Hallam swung the game Sports way. Hucknall could have had more goals but the Bottesford keeper saved well from Hallam and Ryan Towle was unlucky to see his tremendous free kick smash against the cross-bar.

Full time:  Hucknall Sports 4 Bottesford 2 

In draining conditions this was a great team effort by Sports. The performance wasn’t perfect, but in the end it was good enough and it’s encouraging that we can win even when not playing at our best.

Good performances from many players with Owen Everton, James Stenson and Mitch Davies catching the eye in particular.

However, today’s Man of the Match award goes to James Hallam for a terrific performance in leading the line and scoring the goals that saw his team to victory. Well done James – brilliant.