Hucclecote 4 - Cougars 2

Cheltenham Youth League
Hucclecote Hawks U13's (4) V (2) LRFC Cougars
1800hrs kick off, Dowty Sports and Social Club

The scoreline only tells part of the story. Sure Hucclecote won 4-2, a scoreline that looks convincing but that's not the story of this match.

With a depleted squad, again, we started the game with 12 players available. Lining up with Will F in goal, again captaining the side, a back four of Sam, Willbo, George and Dan G. In front of them we started with Jacob and Freddie, then an attacking trio of Louis, Max T and Dan H. Luca the lone striker.

We started a bit slow with Hucclecote dominating the early exchanges. They were first to the ball and crisper in their passing. With both teams playing the ball on the deck the harsh winds were not really affecting play. Once settled down we started to pass the ball and gain some confidence. 

Hucclecote went 1-0 up after about 8 minutes. A break from midfield saw their striker finish with a strike that flew in over Wills head. The game evened out and was being played through midfield. In attack we had the beating, for pace, of the Hucclecote defenders and it was only wayward shooting and a fine save that denied both Luca (twice) and Daniel after Hucclecote went 1 up. There was then a second goal for Hucclecote. 2-0.

It was after the second goal that things went downhill for the Cougars. Firstly Freddy succumbed to knee injuries meaning he was unable to continue. A reshuffle saw Luca drop back into midfield alongside Jacob with Callum pushing up front. 

We continued to match Hucclecote through midfield and both teams looked dangerous on the break. Our defence held firm with George in partiuclar in imperious form. Pace to get back and take the ball of attackers toes he has added composure on the ball to bring the ball out and play excellent passes, short or long, to team mates. His performance today was excellent and deserved of the MotM award. 

With Luca playing in the engine room of midfield a heavy tackle saw him flattened, it was a free kick but unfortunately knee issues (pre-existing) meant that he was unable to continue. With 10 minutes to half time we were down to 10 men.

Dan H was pulled back into midfield with Callum moving to wide right. We were basically playing without a striker. The thinking being that one or both of either Freddie or Luca would recover to rejoin the fray. 

Half time came and injuries had not eased. We took to the field with ten players. The instruction was to keep it simple and if not sure where to play the ball to aim for the corners and turn the Hucclecote players around. Not to waste energy chasing lost causes. 

Hucclecote unsurprisingly started to dominate possession although as the half wore on their energy visibly dropped. Max T started to get on the ball more and although we did not have a striker we had Louis on the left wing as the outlet holding the ball up to then release players joining through the middle. We created a couple of half chances, first Jacob burst through but was forced too far wide seeing his left foot shot not trouble the keeper. Then Daniel, similarly, was put through only to see his shot fizz wide.

Through midfield and defence we held firm. Will D, alongside George at the heart of defence was solid and reliable as ever. Never shirking the physical challenge and showing excellent decision making with his clearances and play from the back this, more and more, looks like the best centre back partnership we have. 

Dan G at right back had, probably his best game. With limited opportunities he played the full match and showed really good improvement and confidence as the game progressed. Not getting caught out at the back, not diving in and showing that he is a genuinely two-footed player. Sam at rightback also improved as the game progressed, growing in confidence and having the energy to burst forward to support midfield when needed.

Though we were playing well Hucclecote were still the more threatening and the third goal was unlucky for us. A deflected shot looped over Wills head and dropped into the far corner of the goal. No chance for the keeper and put use 3-0 down. But still playing with 10 men we looked increasingly likely to get a goal. 

That goal when it came was after some slick and consistent passing. The ball played from the back through midfield and to the right wing where Dan H burst forward with what is now typical powerful and aggressive running a strong cross hit with Jacob bursting into the area to finish 3-1. 

We celebrated it like we had won the match!

More was to come, with Louis the outlet ball on the left he was able to buy the team time to support the front play. Max T, Jacob and Daniel all trying to get forward and link up. This left us exposed at the back and Hucclecote scored a 4th to make it 4-1 with a nice finish across the goal. 

We weren't done though and there was time for Callum to open his account for the season. The ball bouncing in the area he controlled it and then finished beyond the keepers dive. 4-2. 

The game played out with the final score 4-2. 

The lads that played the majority of the game as 10 men should be proud of how they set about the task. They played with all the attributes you want to see, desire, strength, heart and commitment. Their heads never dropped. 

But more than that they also played with composure. Passing the ball out of defence and trying to link play through to attack. With no attack in place it was about holding the ball up and trying to support play.

Maybe Hucclecote eased off a bit as they were already in the lead and in reality the victor was rarely in doubt. But that said this was a team that previously beat us 6-0 and could have racked up a significant score in this match once we were down to 10 men if we had let them. That takes nothing away from the team performance today. 

Very proud of all the lads today, there were excellent performances all round. George was MotM, Will in goal made some great saves and showed good ability in sweeping up when we were caught short in defence. For players like Callum and Dan G that don't always get a lot of game time they really grew in confidence today and showed how they can play. Louis on the left became more influential as the game wore on linking with Max t and Jacob (who simply has the best batteries) to good effect. 

When you lose a game but play like that you cannot be disappointed.