U9 Kestrels Team
After having a few weeks away from tournaments I decided to enter the Kestrels into the Ashridge Park FC Tournament, but with a few of our regular Kestrels unavailable due to other commitments we were in fear of having to pull out. A last minute push for players saw a couple of Hawks, Jason and Joseph, and Edwin (a year younger than our boys) step up and help us out. Many thanks to them and their parents for getting them there at such short notice.
With Eversley & California, Ashridge Park & Finchampstead FC in our group we knew it was going to be difficult. But with two convincing wins (2-0, 4-1) and a draw (1-1) we had started well and we progressed into the Cup knockout stages!
Binfield Rockets in the quarter finals, a strong team who showed why they were in the knockout stage with some good football. But with resolute performance from our boys we eventually took the lead with a goal from Archie. We looked like we would hold out for the win with some outstanding defending from Henry and Jason but with the pressure mounting and with nothing to lose Binfield Rockets pushed forward and managed an equaliser sending it to penalties and then the panic set in amongst our boys as they’d never won a penalty shootout at a tournament!
Trying hard to settle them and get their heads straight for their penalties the advice was keep them low and hard. With two perfectly executed penalties from Archie and Josh and two great saves from Jake, we were though to the semi final. Next up was Binfield Vikings another team proving their worth. With both teams pushing hard for a winner but cancelling each other out, a second penalty shootout awaited. Again the advice was the same low and hard not giving the keeper time to react. With Archie, Harvey and Josh burying their penalties with confidence and Jake doing his best to intimidate their takers into making a mistake with their final penalty brushing the post and going wide, into the final we went!
Winklebury Wizards were the team that stood between us and the Cup and have always been a very strong, well organised team and proved that by comfortably beating a strong Sandhurst Town in their semi final.
With both teams playing some good football but tiredness starting to set in it made for a riveting match that was end to end stuff, both having chances to take the lead or win the game but with neither team able to break the deadlock a third penalty shootout loomed for our boys! Surely we couldn’t pull off a third successful spot kick victory!
Wizards up first with a well taken shot that Jake managed to get a hand to but unable to keep out 1-0. Up stepped Harvey with the confidence of already scoring from the spot in a previous shootout, had the net bulging before the keeper had chance to react 1-1! With Jake preparing himself for their second he was obviously hoping he’d have to try to better his effort from the first, sure enough he’d did and kept it out giving his team mates the advantage, still 1-1! Now it was Archie’s turn, could he make it 3 out of 3 penalties and heap the pressure on Winklebury, of course he could burying his penalty with ease 1-2! The Wizards now knowing that they needed to score their third to keep them in it and any hope of winning alive, their third taker stepped up and thought the only way of beating Jake would be to put into the bottom corner but put it a little too wide hitting the post and away sending our lads charging to each other for victory hugs! Well done boys great performances from each and everyone of you!
Thanks again to Jason, Joseph and Edwin we couldn’t have done it without you too!
Craig.