Make do and mend - U9Bs come out with great credit

28 March 2009

For today's match against Lymm, the U9Bs found themselves two players down through absence and unable to field two outfield players due to injury. Nevertheless, the boys put in a spirited performance and showed great character to nearly salvage a point in the final period.

The starting line-up saw an injured Rohan standing-in for James in goals, Harrison partnering Dan in defence, a Josh/Josh midfield and Finn alongside Nathan up-front.

The first period was a hard fought affair with both sides battling their opposite numbers and a strong wind.  Much of the action took place either side of the centre circle and scoring chances for both sides were limited.

Lymm took the lead after ten minutes from a free-kick awarded in the middle of the Albion half. The well-taken spot-kick was on target and wind-assisted, and squirmed past Rohan in goal. 1-0

Neither side managed to fashion any notable chances in the remainder of the period and Albion went into the first break a goal down but generally on par with their opponents.

15 minutes: Lymm 1 – Wilmslow Albion 0

Both sides started the second period with more purpose and direction, and as a result we started to see more play in and around the penalty areas. On a couple of occasions Albion wasted good possession as balls through to the strikers were carried by the wind and ran harmlessly away for goal kicks.

Just when Wilmslow looked to be coming to terms with the conditions and their unusual formation, Lymm struck with two well worked goals in the space of three minutes. First, a strong run down the left from the Lymm striker was finished with aplomb as two Albion defenders closed-in. 2-0  Then, good passing and movement from Lymm around the Wilmslow area and another solid finish past substitute 'keeper Sam. 3-0

Wilmslow looked shell-shocked, and were fortunate not to concede again – Dan and Harrison doing well to clear their lines and pressure opposition attackers as they came within shooting range.

As the period ended, Albion coaches could be forgiven for looking at a damage-limitation exercise for the last 15 minutes.

30 minutes: Lymm 3 – Wilmslow Albion 0

Wilmslow started the final period with two simple instructions from the sidelines – play with pride and win the period.

And for the next fifteen minutes, the boys did exactly that. They limited Lymm to a single goal scoring opportunity, created half-a-dozen decent chances – notably a great shot on the turn from Nathan that was excellently saved by the Lymm 'keeper - and put the opposition goal under pressure through a series of free-kicks and corners.

With five minutes remaining, the 3-0 score line was starting to look harsh on an Albion side that had come to terms with the weather conditions and unfortunate injury circumstances, and had competed gamely throughout the match. 

And then they got some reward. Harrison lofted the ball towards toward goal from outside the area and his shot carried over the Lymm 'keeper and into the net. 3-1

Wilmslow had played the final period with great spirit and the goal restored some missing confidence. Within two minutes they had scored again, as Nathan collected the ball on the penalty spot and fired past the 'keeper. 3-2

As unlikely as it may have seemed a couple of minutes earlier, Albion were now in with a chance of salvaging something from the game. There followed a frantic two minutes as Wilmslow pushed for the equaliser, but this proved elusive and the referee called time on an eventful fixture.

45 minutes: Lymm 3 – Wilmslow Albion 2

This was a difficult day for the U9Bs, with the challenge of injuries and absences compounded by conceding an early goal.  It would be easy to identify the errors and missed opportunities that shaped the result, however this would be very unfair under the circumstances.

So, better to look at the positives. We saw 100% contribution from every one of the boys that was fit to play. Dan was solid at the back (as usual) and came close to scoring from two dead ball situations. Harrison had his best game of the season - scoring a goal, growing into the defensive role and putting in some really strong tackles.

Josh Wheeler enjoyed the opportunity to move into midfield and covered a lot of ground as well as using his head (literally) to good effect in defence and attack. Josh Mehta completed the midfield paring with a typically combative performance.

Up front, Finn and Nathan both did well to pressure the Lymm defence, especially from goal kicks. Nathan took his goal well, had another strong effort well saved and could have scored from an intercepted goal-kick. Finn put in a lot of legwork in support of his team mates but was given limited opportunity in front of goal.

In goal, the injured duo of Sam and Rohan should be thanked for stepping (hobbling) forward to fill James's boots.

Recent performances and results have been disappointing for Albion's players and supporters. Today's match was equally frustrating, but for different reasons. Firstly, a full strength side would (in the reporter's opinion) have secured a better result. Second, personnel issues aside, the performance in the final period proved that the lads are capable of taking the game to the opposition and producing goals; unfortunately it required a three-goal wake-up call to really focus them on the task.

Today's referee had a good game, allowing play to flow while at the same time making decisions clearly and fairly. As is often the case, Wilmslow parents were asked to supply a "flag waver" for one side of the pitch, and duly obliged. However there was no corresponding flag bearer on the other side of the pitch, despite the home side being very well supported. All clubs/teams should be obliged to support the referee in this respect and thereby ensure that matches are officiated to the highest possible standard. A minor point, but something that would have prevented an incident today whereby Albion coaches were effectively doubling-up as linesmen and on one occasion found themselves in a dispute with the ref (unsighted in this instance) over a line call that was clearly incorrect.

Next week, the U9Bs are away to the AFC Meds Hounds. A win there will point to a comfortable mid-table finish, whereas defeat could suggest that the D2 season is going to the dogs.

Source: A Wheeler

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