Saturday 5th November, MCDFA Cup 2nd Round : Barnton  3  Davenham  2

 

Barnton : Ed, Matt, Sean, Michael, Will, Tom O, Danny, Callum (1), Harv, Aaron W, Rio, Paul (1), Aaron L (1), Hayden, Cian

 

The 2nd round of the District Cup gave us the chance to measure our progress against in my opinion one of the best teams around at this age group : Davenham Dynamoes.

 

Despite it being a lovely morning we took a little while to get warmed up, Davenham made the early running and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring when we missed a couple of tackles at the back allowing their striker to squeeze the ball into the corner.

Gradually the balance of the game shifted though, as we started to get our passing game going and retained possession for longer periods. And shortly before halftime we got our reward, a great passing move involving Harv, Rio, Paul and Aaron L ended up with Callum's left footed swinger deflecting past the keeper : there may have been a lot of luck in the finish, but not in the move leading up to it!

So 1-1 at half-time was probably a fair reflection of the half, but things soon got a lot more difficult for us early in the 2nd when we conceded a penalty which Davenham converted - but hats off to Ed who made a fantastic effort to keep it out and very nearly succeeded.

How would we react to going a goal down again? Well the lads answered that question emphatically : the next 15 minutes was our best period of the game, we got the equaliser when a well worked short corner between Rio and Paul led to Paul crossing from the bye-line on the left to Aaron L at the far post who supplied an excellent left footed finish. And things soon got even better when Paul latched on to a loose ball in the box to crash a great shot in.

So now we were ahead for the 1st time in the game, but we still had 10 minutes till the final whistle, and we knew Davenham would throw everything at us. And they did just that, but with bucketloads of commitment, and a fair amount of luck, we managed to hold out for full time and a fabulous 3-2 win. 

 

Overall both sides deserve great credit for the way they played, the game was played in great spirit with barely a single foul in the entire match. Fair play too for the gracious and sporting way in which the Davenham players, coaches and parents accepted the result, they were exemplary.

 

Reflecting on our performance, what pleased me most was that this was a real team effort, with all 11 starters and the 4 subs all making vital contributions. And the way we continued trying to play our football, even when we went behind. The retaining possession and Barcelona drills we've been working on in training look like they're paying off - there's always room for improvement, but we've now got more players who are comfortable on the ball and are getting their head up and looking for the right pass. Also, I know a lot of players groan when I go on about everybody practicing with their weaker foot, but look at our 3 goals today : all left-footed shots from right-footed players :-)

 

 

Boy this is tough this week!

Ed had a great game in goal, and ahead of him the defence was rock solid, superbly marshalled by Sean and Michael in the middle and with Matt, Danny, Will and Tom O all putting in great shifts at full back.

In midfield, Rio was everywhere, and Cal played very intelligently alongside him. Out wide Harv and Aaron W both had really strong games, and Hayden was unlucky with a couple of half chances when he came on.

Up front, Paul was a constant threat, Aaron L took his goal superbly, and Cian gave us a good energy boost when legs were starting to tire.

 

So rather than picking out one performance amongst so many good ones, I'm going this week for someone who responded particularly well to a bit of constructive criticism I've given him.

I've noticed Call sometimes gets caught on the ball because he takes too long to get it controlled and moved on. The fact Cal plays in central midfield, which is usually the most congested and hence pressurised part of the pitch, makes it even harder for him!

So I asked Cal to concentrate on 2 touches : 1 to control and the other to pass. He took the advice on board brilliantly, had a great game and I hardly recall him giving the ball away all day. So today's MOTM is Callum, great job Cal!

 

 

I am not sure many people noticed this,but as we kicked off in the second half, I am sure we completed 14 passes without Davenham touching the ball, that for me, and the coaching team was a great thing to see..

So straight from the kick off Rio and Paul and Aaron L, played a little triangle, then I think Tom O got involved at right-back before Rio switched it to Danny and Aaron W on the left.

So if I've remembered it right, not only was it a lot of passes but it also involved both full-backs in the same move : fantastic! and Daveham were chasing shadows..we almost looked like Arsenal..

So complements to the BOYS for bringing what we praticed in training into the Match eventhough it was a tough game against a formidable opponent.

 

A big thank you to all the parents who helped with dismantling the pitch at the end of the game, much appreciated.      

 

 

Its great to see so many parents/grand-parents/other family members and friends along the touchline, I hope you all enjoy watching the lads a s much as I do!

I had the pleasure to be standing alongside Matt's dad Ian for some of the game today, and on numerous occasions as Matt was chasing the ball, Ian was shouting "Go on Matty, like the dog does" !

So if Matty ever gets on all fours and licks his opponent's face we'll know who to blame!! 

 

 

Like last week, training this week is at Weaverham Community Centre on Thursday from 7 - 8.

 

 

We have our 1st game in the 1st Division on Saturday, at home versus Vale. Please let me know if you can't make it.

 

Well done to every single player this week, a fantastic effort!

 

Cheers,

John.