Football Anyone?

U15's Saturday Division One Notts Youth League

Dunkirk Colts 3 Hucknall Sports 1

30/3/14

Hucknall Sports travelled to Lenton Lane for their first meeting of the season with high flying Dunkirk Colts. Earlier in the week Dunkirk had progressed to the final of the Cup with a comfortable 3-0 over table-toppers Greenwood Meadow so Sports were expecting a tough game.

Dunkirk kicked-off in a style more reminiscent of a rugby match than a football game and booted the ball sky high and 40 yards up to the far corner.  Sports resisted the temptation to copy the opposition and decided to play a more cultured style of football. Their midfield quartet of Tom Eastwood, Mitch Davies, Dante Diriso and Ryan Towle grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle and made sure that their team took control midfield.  Ellis Evans continued his terrific season and cleverly found space in the ‘hole’ to bring Sports wide players and strikers into the play. James Hallam started as the lone-striker but such was his determination and drive Dunkirk assigned four defenders to mark him. Even with such close attention he still managed to find a way through on goal and refused to give up on any through balls from his team mates. The combination of Evans and Hallam opened up the Colts defence to wonderful effect after only 10mins when Evans threaded a delightful ball in between Dunkirks defensive line for Hallam to sprint clear and clip the ball cleverly into the far corner. Dunkirk were stunned and the coaching volume was cranked up to the max in a desperate attempt to get their boys back into the game. Still Sports created the gaps and Dante Diriso sprinted clear of his marker to put in a brilliant cross with his ‘wrong’ foot only for it to evade the onrushing Hallam. Twenty minutes in Sports introduced five changes including the return of the mercurial Charlie Blatherwick. Danny Darlow continued his strong partnership with Matt Leivers and opened up the Dunkirk left back position with more clever Sports play. Tom Eastwood confidently took the ball from a short-corner and jinked his way into the box and was just about to ‘pull the trigger’ when a defender nicked the ball away. Another attack saw Sports smash the woodwork and a good opportunity for a shot on goal was blasted into the wall. Sports Keeper Orton produced a couple of terrific saves and Colts normally deadly strike force were wasteful at times and even contrived to miss an open goal.

Half-Time: Dunkirk 0 Hucknall Sports 1

With games coming quick and fast over the next few weeks Sports shuffled the deck once more at half-time and partnered Darlow with Ellis up front. Dunkirk re-entered the pitch with their managers instructions ‘ringing’ in their ears after an abject first half performance that belied there recent form. His instructions were clear to all and the long punt up field was used repeatedly. Sports backline of Jarrod Davies and James Stenson looked strong but were powerless to do anything about the equaliser after 20mins when a neat swivel and shot in the box found the back of the net. Dunkirk adopted a more physical approach and Sports players soon started dropping like flies after some brutal challenges. In the last 20mins of the game Hucknall lost three players to injury and unfortunately conceded two further goals, albeit one after a blatant push on Dylan Smith and the other with a shot that took a cruel deflection off Kieran Green into the net. Still time for Ryan Towle to hit the cross-bar from a terrific inswinging corner but in the end it was Dunkirk who walked away with all three points.

Full-Time: Dunkirk Colts 3 Hucknall Sports 1

With only 20mins left to play it looked like Sports would grab a famous victory but unfortunately the combative style of football from Dunkirk finally won out. However, much credit has to go to all 15 Hucknall boys for giving Colts one hell of a scare. Our football was terrific, particularly in the first half.

Kal Orton MOM

Sports Man of the Match today was Kal ‘the cat’ Orton for an unbelievable display of goalkeeping. The opposition players and management had their heads in their hands and looked on in sheer disbelief at some of the saves that he made. I doubt there was a better performance all weekend from any goalkeeper in the country. Well done Kal – simply outstanding.

I can’t finish this report without commenting on the contrast in styles of play. On the one hand Dunkirk punted the ball diagonally long to the corners to try and create their openings on goal. Whereas Sports on the other hand weaved a series of intricate passes to create their own openings. The result suggests that long balls are the most effective, but please shoot me if we EVER start to play like that - Brian Clough would be turning in his grave!