Headstone Manor YFC

Match Report - 30th May 2007

The Bs final tour match was the 3rd/4th place match against an Academy team Fisher Athletic. The Bs first opponents Penya Solera had been disqualified from the tournament due to the behaviour of one of their teams. So the Bs were awarded the points for their first match and faced Fisher who had finished second in their group with a win and a draw.

The Bs had just eleven players for this match as Jordan Coleman was injured. But they included two players from the year above, Conor Duffy and Ethan D’Cruz.

This turned out to be a much tighter game than we expected and the Bs produced a very good first half performance where they matched their opponents. They created some good passing moves, had more possession than in the previous games and got forward more often. Butr they were unable to create the chances they required. Thomas Green, who had played his best football of the season on this tour, came the closest.

Fisher pushed forwards more towards the end of the half and, but for a superb clearing header by Josh Street, may have taken the lead. Coming off 0-0 at half time the Bs were not only right in the game but looked as though they could win it.

Fisher had more of the play and chances in the second half though the Bs continued to play well. But on corners the Bs weren’t quick enough to organise and mark up and were caught out when Fisher scored with a simple header from a corner five minutes after the break.

The goal gave Fisher the confidence to push forward and on a couple of occasions looked certain to score but were denied by brilliant recovery tackles and blocks by Josh, Russell Butlin and Carl Power. Daniel Lynch also came to their rescue with a fantastic point blank save.

With seven minutes to go Fisher made it 0-2 with a smart, accurate shot into the corner. The Bs countered with a good attack down the left by George Moriarty but their best chance came when they were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Russell stepped up and produced a great curling shot that just missed the far post. That was as close as they could manage and they finished the tour in 4th place.

They may have lost all three games but came out of the tour with a lot of pride and glowing praise fro their supporters. They had been pitched against three quality teams. In the Harrow Youth League these would have been Premier or Division 1 level teams yet the Bs weren’t outclassed or taken apart in any of the matches. All the players put in a huge effeort and turned in good performances. They came into the tour with the thinnest of squads (only in game two did they have a sub) which made it especially hard in the heat.

The high points were the three superb goals they scored. Luis Menses Zerpa’s battling run and fierce shot, Shomari Bridgewater’s solo run and calm finish and Russell Butlin’s great free kick.

The player of the tour was undoubtedly the captain Russell Butlin, who not only produced three great displays at the heart of the defence but showed fantastic leadership to the team.

Special thanks to Shomari Bridgewater and Carl Power who switched from the As for the tour and to Conor Duffy, Ethan D’Cruz and Reece Goodman, our temporary Under 13s. They gave it their all and their contribution to the team was fantastic.