U10's win to tie Divison 1 title - play off to look forward to next

21 April 2009

There have been many points in this season when one was not entirely sure that Albion would finish the season top of the league . Tonight was no exception but Albion ground out a good win securing three points against a spirited Ashton Mersey .

The conditions were not ideal with the grass long and the surface hard . With the sun low in the sky it was troublesome at the start of the game . In addition the team are now much taller and seem to be outgrowing the size of the playing surface . This therefore produced a somewhat frenetic encounter with the ball bouncing awkwardly and passing proving to be difficuilt .

Fenton and Boyd started with their preferred line-up with Patrick , Sam and Braden sitting out the first period . Indeed all seemed on track with Miles making it one nil from the penalty spot albeit the referee could have allowed Alex's clinical finish which immediately followed the infringement inside the box .

Ashton seemed resigned to their fate leaving one man upfront and showed little imagination in the opening exchanges with just a few hopeful long range punts . This allowed Alex to make a number of telling runs with Tom , Ian and Nathan very comfortable at the back .

Indeed it was Alex and Miles causing the defence the most problems with Will and Calvin off to a quiet start . Miles did add a quality second goal however Albion's football lacked its normal composure and nobody seemed capable of putting their name on the ball when it mattered most .

Albion finished the period two goals to the good . Will had started to show some good touches , Alex was looking strong going forward and nothin' was getting past Tom or Ian . Midfield however was an area where Albion would need to improve .

Albion seemed lulled in to a false sense of security and the second period started with Ashton very much seizing the initiative. Patrick on for Nathan was quickly called upon to make a good save diving to his left .

Perhaps Ashton sensed a degree of over confidence in the Albion team , they were now making it an even contest and very soon pulled a goal back after previously striking the woodwork .

Sam came on for Will and Braden for Calvin to add fresh legs and the game started to open up with both teams creating scoring chances . Braden made some good touches in midfield and Sam was working hard upfront against the Ashton defence .

However Albion were looking vulnerable at the back with the back three caught out of position a number of times and the second period ended giving Fenton and Boyd plenty to think about .

Braden switched to left back with Sam back to centre back and Alex on the right for the final period . Will was back up front and began to make life difficuilt for Ashton . He made a number of telling runs and held the ball up well for Miles in midfield and Alex who continued to press forward . Will went very close with an acrobatic attempt and Braden cleared from defence in similar fashion .

The team did look more organised and Sam and Braden showed great discipline with Kalvin showing a lot of maturity sitting in front of the back three . Nathan back between the sticks looked very confident indeed . He has grown in confidence throughout the season and is indeed a safe pair of hands . Therefore although Ashton were still pressing Albion seemed the more likely team to score . However the Ashton keeper is also very useful and Albion would have scored at least two more goals against a weeker opponent .

The tension of this important fixture was proving a test for coaches and parents . Fred the ref received some helpful advice on one goalmouth incident which looked very much like a third goal for Albion . The team grew in confidence from the encouragement of the home supporters and a good contest ended with a deserved victory 2-1 .

Nominating man of the match was not an easy call as each player had played a key part in his own way . It was a team performance deservedly grinding out a very important victory and it was hard to call the stand-out player. It was not a game of glamorous highlights but Will caught the eye and won the acolade of those anxiously biting their nails on the touchline .

Well but one fixture remains and at this stage coming second would not seem the right result for a team that on balance has played the best football . However Urmston are a strong well organised team and Albion will need to find their best form to claim the league as there's for a second year running .

There is therefore , as always , much to look forward to .

It will regrettably too soon all be over so take the time to think up at least one more complement for he of the flag which never wilts . For he has been there ,with very little thanks from each of us , all season . And too those in charge of the important touchline refreshments - the " famille Finney " . Also for those who at times bellow uncontrollably - and we know who we are .

However I suggest to you that this is a great team of ten year olds ! They are a great team for many reasons but specific thanks to Fenton and Boyd for getting them this far . They have but one more game to play and I am confident we will celebrate the result in appropriate fashion , whatever that result may be .

Source: D Jackson

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