Report

This evenings game was always going to be a ‘toughie’ contested by two good footballing sides desperate to maintain their Premiership status !

We started really strongly , aided by a pitch that had been beautifully manicured by the groundsman ( park-keeper ! ) The passing and moving was superb , and when Gabe smashed in the first you could see the confidence in all of you grow. After another fine passage of play , Joe ‘dinked’ one in from the edge of the box ( thanks for your honesty Cam ! ) , and we went in at half time two nil up .

Shep delivered one of his Clough-like pep talks , and we talked about how important the next goal would be . And it was ! Despite coming out strongly , Leafield scored a great headed goal , and following a corner ( which everyone thought was a goal kick ) , the opposition scored after we couldn’t clear our lines . All of a sudden the atmosphere changed . Leafield had their tails up , and we looked like a team who felt very sorry for themselves . However , we weathered the storm ( literally ) , with Amine finishing with aplomb after a powerful effort from Bronte .

The last couple of minutes had Shep and I screaming for all our worth , and the final whistle came as a great relief . So a 3-2 win that puts us six points above the drop zone . Highlights were:

Harry – best performance for  weeks ‘Safe Hands’

Dan – proper captain’s performance

Jake – can anyone in the world head a ball better than this lad ?

Callum – 100% effective.

Jack – won every tackle

Bodders – won tackles against lads twice his size

Shep – excellent distribution

Jamie – how does this lad cover so much ground ?

Joe – great goal

Bronte – still adapting to 11 a side , but massive potential

Amine – better than his dad  - trust me !

Gabe – bigger engine than a no. 11 bus !

Cam – won so many headers he must need aspirin ?

A big thank you to Steve ( the ref ) who was excellent ,  Dan Summers for running the line again , and to all the parents who helped with brooms , nets , poles and stuff .

And of course a massive thank you to all the parents for their support this season – we couldn’t achieve anything without your input .

There’s no training on Saturday 21^st lads , but we will be back at Damson Lane on Weds 25^th from 7-8 to prepare for a friendly on Sunday 29^th , where we hope to give some of you the chance to play in your ‘preferred’ positions .

I’ll keep you all informed about the results around us in the next week , but I’m really confident that we WILL be gracing the Prem again next year . Well done to every one of you .

Mick