Lang hat-trick gets Sports season off to a flyer

U16's Saturday Division One Notts Youth League

Keyworth United 1 Hucknall Sports 5

8/9/14

Hucknall Sports travelled across the county to newly promoted Keyworth United for their first game of the season in the U16’s Division One of Notts Youth League. Keyworth had won promotion with an impressive run of just one defeat in their league campaign and boasted Division 2’s most prolific strikers. Over the summer Hucknall welcomed Ady Lang to their squad that still boast six players from mini soccer days and steady results in pre-season gave them hope for another impressive season in the top flight.

In a slight change to their normal formation Ryan Towle started at right-back and he set the tempo for the teams play in the first half. He drove the team forward at every opportunity. All the training ground moves were delivered on match day to produce a series of chances for Hucknall to score. But try as they might Sports just could not find the Keyworth goal thanks to a combination of great goalkeeping and bad luck in hitting the woodwork three times. Lang was unlucky to see his lob just drift over the bar and his strike partner James Hallam looked odds on to score from a terrific header only for the keeper to produce a magnificent reaction save. A towering far post header from Jarrod Davies smacked the cross-bar and was booted away to safety. Whilst in defence Sports were rarely troubled and built play sensibly from the back through midfield and on to the strikers. As always Danny Darlow show his classy skills but he’s now added a newfound physical side that could prove to be a lethal combination for him as the season progresses. Along with the impressive midfield quartet of Tom Eastwood, Jarrod Davies and Mitch Davies, Darlow helped Sports dominate the play and their ball retention was terrific throughout. But as Sports chances went begging you started to wonder if they would prove crucial to the final outcome of the game. Unfortunately, a momentary lapse in concentration showed the qualities that Keyworth possess and they clinically punished Sports by scrambling in a cross from close range despite the best efforts of Hucknall keeper Kal Orton.  

Half-Time: Keyworth United 1 Hucknall Sports 0

After a great first half Sports elected to keep the same line-up for the second half and got themselves back into the game when debutant Ady Lang carefully placed a well taken free-kick into the bottom corner. Ellis Evans entered the match in place of the hard working Mitch Davies and scored with is his first touch to put Sports into the lead for the first time in the game. Hucknall were rampant now and the confidence flowed through the team. Lang score his second and put Sports further ahead when a terrific right wing run saw him cut into the area and clip the ball past the keeper. With 20mins still left to go Maleek Batten got a chance for a cameo appearance and made a killer pass with his first touch to set James Hallam free to skip around the keeper and score his first goal of the season which was just reward for an awesome performance. Unfortunately, a bad looking injury to James Stenson forced Hucknall into one final substitution and Towle re-entered the game at the heart of midfield to see out the final 10 minutes. Sports scored what was probably their most satisfying goal when a wonderful move saw Skipper Kieran Green combine nicely with Evans to play Hallam into the left wing position. He drove past the Keyworth defender and unselfishly squared the ball to Lang who coolly side-footed home to celebrate a terrific hat-trick on his league debut.

Full-Time: Keyworth United 1 Hucknall Sports 5

This was such a pleasing start to the season for Sports and the manner in which they won the game drew praise from the very sporting opposition management team. Sometimes it’s easy to let your heads drop when things aren’t going your way. But today’s victory was testament to a patient approach and commitment to playing football the right way.

Jarrod Davies MOM

Finding a Man of the Match in this game was almost impossible such was the level of performance from the entire squad. A hat-trick from Ady Lang coupled with terrific play from James Hallam made them both prime candidates. Danny Darlow’s virtuoso midfield performance was total joy and in defence any of the back line of Towle, Stenson, Newton and Green could have picked up the award. But the eventual winner was Jarrod Davies who showed that there is much more to his game than just defending. Time and again he broke up play and ensured that Sports retained possession by playing simple but really effective passes. He nearly grabbed a goal and ran himself into the ground - Well done Jarrod.