09/02/2025
The boys were back at home today after a good performance away from home last week. Athersley Rec were the visitors, and despite their league position, we knew they would pose a physical threat at the very least with a number of good players on the pitch. We started with our normal formation and asked for the right attitude from the start and no complacency, given these are games that we need to take 3 points from if we want to stay in the title race.
We started well and in the first couple of minutes Leyts found Leo Heathcote on the right of the box who tested the keeper early on. As the game settled it was clear their game plan was to go direct and look to cause a physical threat and at times, they looked dangerous through their big number 9, but our defence held firm with Cass putting in a number of strong challenges early in the game. We looked to play football to counter that threat but were guilty of going too direct ourselves and were often wasteful in possession. We did create a number of chances though, George, who was becoming a danger down the left as their defence backed off, found himself through on goal after a great forward run but his chance went over the bar. A well delivered corner from Ethan went through everyone when it looked like someone would get a simple finish and numerous shots at goal were either straight at the keeper or flashed wide. Leyton eventually opened the scoring around 25 minutes in with a customary stylish finish into the roof of the net from the edge of the box on his left foot, but shortly after it was 1-1 when some lax play in the middle of the pitch gave their big central midfielder a clear shot on goal which he took on leaving Caleb no chance in goal. 1-1 at half time and it was no more than we and Athersley deserved.
At half time we asked for calmness in possession and much less direct passing as we were being dragged into an unnecessarily physical and scrappy game when we were clearly by far the better footballing side. The second half performance was then arguably some of the best football we’ve played and we created chance after chance through some great combination play and it was pretty much one way traffic with Caleb in goal a passenger for long spells. Leo H and Jack were causing problems from wide positions, Ethan and Charlie were controlling the midfield and building well and Sam and Noah T looked dangerous running in behind.
After some great trickery and combination play between Jack and Charlie down the left, Charlie found himself with a 1v1 and squeezed the ball through the keeper, with Sam then finishing from a yard out, only for the goal to be harshly ruled out for offside. A Will Maguire corner was then met by Ethan at the back post but his header found the side netting. It was only a matter of time though and our second came when Sam Proctor found himself in space around 25 yards out and hit a great strike into the roof of the net, 2-1, and we asked for more of the same. Chances continued to come, Noah T fired a ball across the box which we just couldn’t get on the end of and Leo H was unlucky with a couple of efforts. Our third came though when Noah T was released down the right and did brilliantly to beat his man, get to the byline and then pull back for Leo H to finish calmly from inside the area.
The game finished 3-1 but the performance and response in the second half perhaps deserved more and in reality, on another day, it could have been 7 or 8.
A number of good performances today, Leo H was a constant threat down the right and Jack equally so down the left, Charlie is starting to get back to his best after injury, Ethan controlled the game from CDM and helped us keep possession for long spells and our entire defence held firm and matched them physically throughout, but MotM this week went to captain Leo Cassidy for a solid performance, continually driving the team forward and keeping their dangerous number 9 quiet!
Well done boys!
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