Opposition Keeper foils Sports

U15's Saturday Division One Notts Youth League

Greenwood Meadows 2 Hucknall Sports 0

8/3/14

Two weeks after moving to third in the division with a great victory over Hyson Green Sports made the trip to top of the league Greenwood Meadows in confident mood.

Hucknall won the toss and elected to play into the wind on a dreadful pitch that would do nothing to encourage good football. Greenwood started the brightest and managed to get around the back of Sports defence on a number of occasions early on but no real threat on goal was generated thanks to some sound defending. Gradually, Hucknall found their passing game and the combination of Matt Leivers, Danny Darlow and Ellis Evans started to create openings to release Sports strikers. One such move saw Evans release James Hallam from his markers only to be denied by a tremendous saved from the opposition goalie. Meadows took the lead in dubious circumstances when Sports goalie and both centre half’s were bundled into the back of the net along with the ball from a wind-assisted corner, but unfortunately this was completely missed by the referee and the goal stood.

Sports introduced Ethan Barnes and Ryan Towle before half-time and Barnes looked all set to score only to be crudely tugged back as he was about to shoot. His resultant shot beat the keeper but came back off the post. The incident was unspotted by both the opposition linesman and referee.

Half-Time: Greenwood Meadows 1 Hucknall Sports 0

Sports adopted a different setup in the second half with Dante Diriso playing wide on the right hand-side and Towle moved to the left. The oppositions game plan was clearly waste as much time as they could possibly as they continually stood in front of the ball or kicked it away but alas the referee did nothing to punish this tactic. Midfield dynamo Mitch Davies had to leave the field after a kick to the head and James Stenson deputised whilst he recovered. Sports worked their socks off and the opposition goalie made a couple of terrific saves. Another appeal for a Sports penalty was waved away after Tom Eastwood was felled in a goalmouth scramble. A free-kick from Towle was plucked off of the head of Hallam and another kick from Davies was skilfully saved. With 5 minutes to go Sports pushed men forward in search of the equaliser. Jarrod Davies, who had bolstered Sports defence to be one of the best in the league when he returned to the club midway through the season, was inches from getting in on goal as he surged forward. A rapid break-away saw Sports outnumbered at the back and Greenwood’s man-mountain of a centre-forward found the back of the net to close the game out.

Full-Time: Greenwood Meadows 2 Hucknall Sports 0

Games like these leave a sour taste in the mouth and it’s very easy to find yourself getting annoyed with the antics of the opposition and poor officiating from the referee.

But let’s concentrate on the positives instead. Sports demonstrated that they are able to compete with the top teams in this division and the oppositions player of the match was clearly their keeper. There are more than enough points left to win to suggest that this league is far from finished yet.

MOM Kieran 'Greeny' Green

Man of the Match today was Kieran ‘Greeny’ Green who in truth is a contender every week for this award such is his level of performance. But this week, when playing against tough opposition, he stood out from the crowd with an assured lesson in defending and also prompting his team forward – awesome Greeny, keep it going.