Before the match Steve Wheeler from OMBL took some photographs as these will be in the Oxford Mail on Wednesday this week with a match report. I will see if we can get hold of an official copy of the photo. In the meantime a snap from the phone!
After the fun of the photos we then a had the job in hand which was against a team we have played in friendlies and tournaments but never in anger!
The managers have thought long and hard about this game, which culminated in over an hour long conversation on Sunday evening.
Before the match we appeared to lack some concentration on the game and were full of general chit chat, which in past experiences is not a good sign on concentrating on the job in hand.
We started well enough and early on from a throw from Elliot in their half Flynn picked up the ball dribbled and without any real support from other players, shot across goal on the ground for a good 1st goal. Clearly Flynn and Elliott were concentrating.
From then on this seemed to alert Radley to a problem and they picked up their game and started to build some attacks. They used their lone front man to hold the ball up, he delivered it out to the right wing as a centre midfielder sprinted to the right hand side with the right midfielder joining in. Sometimes we were up to this attack and others we were left with one against two on the left back. Luckily we seemed to deal with this through luck and a fair wind.
Then the 1st Radley goal, a careful and considered ball over the top picked up by the Radley player and charged down by our defender, we failed to get the ball out and we had a second opportunity that was not cleared. Unfortunately we did not get three chances and they scored when the ball bobbled in our penalty area!
The third goal was much the same in that it was an attack that hung around the penalty area, we unfortunately did not get a challenge in on the attacker, he shot Adam almost parried in out and it slipped in the top corner. When we go one down we must not let our heads drop and feel sorry for ourselves we need to pick ourselves up and try again!
The SLIGHTLY controversial incident was were Harry was brought down 2-3 metres inside the Radley penalty area from a tackle when dribbling the ball in from a player tackling from in front of him, so by no imagination was the free kick not a penalty. The referee called for a free kick outside the box! Even the Radley subs could not believe it and I will say neither could I. HT 1-2
The second half was more of the same except Radley confirmed their strong but fair physical presence all over the pitch, this will be a continuing theme as the boys get older and we need to get used to it. Unfortnately us as a team did not have any answers to this and the game ran out after several shots and excellent saves by Adam. FT 1-2
I will say they deserved the win, their first in over 1 year. We were so close and yet so far.
We need to concentrate more on passing the ball, not just kicking it.
We passed so little and due to this failed to retain possession, also due to their pressure.
We could not get the ball forward due to the strength of their midfield.
I personally blame the coaches with these things resolved we would have perservered. So lets hope they pull their finger out for the next game. The team can only do what they are asked to do and they do their best to deliver!
So plenty for all of us to get our teeth into for the next training session. Man of the match this week sponsored by short football coaches with big mouths goes to Adam Bradley for some great saves well done.
Please can all parents return their subs please - many thanks
After the fun of the photos we then a had the job in hand which was against a team we have played in friendlies and tournaments but never in anger!
The managers have thought long and hard about this game, which culminated in over an hour long conversation on Sunday evening.
Before the match we appeared to lack some concentration on the game and were full of general chit chat, which in past experiences is not a good sign on concentrating on the job in hand.
We started well enough and early on from a throw from Elliot in their half Flynn picked up the ball dribbled and without any real support from other players, shot across goal on the ground for a good 1st goal. Clearly Flynn and Elliott were concentrating.
From then on this seemed to alert Radley to a problem and they picked up their game and started to build some attacks. They used their lone front man to hold the ball up, he delivered it out to the right wing as a centre midfielder sprinted to the right hand side with the right midfielder joining in. Sometimes we were up to this attack and others we were left with one against two on the left back. Luckily we seemed to deal with this through luck and a fair wind.
Then the 1st Radley goal, a careful and considered ball over the top picked up by the Radley player and charged down by our defender, we failed to get the ball out and we had a second opportunity that was not cleared. Unfortunately we did not get three chances and they scored when the ball bobbled in our penalty area!
The third goal was much the same in that it was an attack that hung around the penalty area, we unfortunately did not get a challenge in on the attacker, he shot Adam almost parried in out and it slipped in the top corner. When we go one down we must not let our heads drop and feel sorry for ourselves we need to pick ourselves up and try again!
The SLIGHTLY controversial incident was were Harry was brought down 2-3 metres inside the Radley penalty area from a tackle when dribbling the ball in from a player tackling from in front of him, so by no imagination was the free kick not a penalty. The referee called for a free kick outside the box! Even the Radley subs could not believe it and I will say neither could I. HT 1-2
The second half was more of the same except Radley confirmed their strong but fair physical presence all over the pitch, this will be a continuing theme as the boys get older and we need to get used to it. Unfortnately us as a team did not have any answers to this and the game ran out after several shots and excellent saves by Adam. FT 1-2
I will say they deserved the win, their first in over 1 year. We were so close and yet so far.
We need to concentrate more on passing the ball, not just kicking it.
We passed so little and due to this failed to retain possession, also due to their pressure.
We could not get the ball forward due to the strength of their midfield.
I personally blame the coaches with these things resolved we would have perservered. So lets hope they pull their finger out for the next game. The team can only do what they are asked to do and they do their best to deliver!
So plenty for all of us to get our teeth into for the next training session. Man of the match this week sponsored by short football coaches with big mouths goes to Adam Bradley for some great saves well done.
Please can all parents return their subs please - many thanks
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