Painswick Pick Pocket...

Painswick Youth (1) v (0) LRFC Cougars
King George V Playing Field, Bisley.

We have not played as well as we did in this match in a long time.
That we didn't get the result is typical of our season. We pass the
ball beautifully, have a defence that is settled and working well
together, a tenacious and technical midfield, have a keeper that can
make tremendous saves and we create chances. What we need to do is
start taking them.

We lined up in a 4-5-1 formation the back 4 having been the same for
the last few matches, Sam on the right, George and Lewis the centre
backs and Freddie on the left. The midfield was set out with 2 wingers
and 3 central. Will T was on the right, Louis on the left. The
instruction was for Louis to stay really wide as an outlet and for
Will T to tuck in and try to get up alongside Dan, up front, and help
the attack when possible. In the middle Jacob, Ben and Luca. The
latter deployed to man-mark the influential Painswick midfielder. To
stick to him and shut him out of the game. Ben and Jacob to pick up
loose balls and drive forward from deep. Dan up front to latch onto
through balls and drive at the defence.

On the bench, Jorge, Callum and Dan G. This was a difficult game for
substitutes as with the game so finely balanced for so long it meant
that making changes for rotation purposes was not feasible. The way
the team was playing, and for so long at 0-0, changes were only made
when players succumbed to injury or fatigue.

With Painswick taking kick-off the lads were instructed to start fast
and strong. To win the ball within 5 seconds. This was as much with
making sure we started the game awake and didn't make it really hard
for ourselves by conceding early which we have done on more than one
occasion this season.

Painswick did come at us, as expected, but we matched them. We were
defending deep as Painswick came down the right. Freddie was in action
immediately and showed great strength and quick feet on more than one
occasion to thwart attacks.

In the centre Lewis and George were solid and with Lewis behind him
George was able to stretch his legs and drive through into midfield
and beyond on more than one occasion. This was a battering ram
performance from, to quote from Hong Kong Phooey, a very outwardly
"mild mannered" boy. Sam on the right did not see as much action with
Painswick not really using that wing but whenever play was switched he
was equal to the threat and as the game progressed was able to push
forward more in support of midfield.

The midfield today were out-standing. Jacob was as good as we have
seen. He was his disruptive best but also able to, with Ben and Luca
doing more defensive jobs, able to push on drive into the attack. In
the second half he made a brilliant run from deep, evading tackles and
slaloming into the penalty area to see his shot fly just wide of the
upright. Alongside Jacob, Ben was a steady hand, providing the
defensive platform for Jacob to push on. Ben is so economical in
possession and makes excellent decisions of who to pass to. This was
another assured performance. Has there been a member of this squad who
has had a more consistent season?

The midfield trio was completed with Luca starting in this position
for the third week. We used a tactic we have not used before with a
man-marking job. The Painswick midfielder, number 7, has been a strong
player whenever we have played them before. We needed to mark him out
of the game. Luca was put in this role to use his pace, energy and
improving physicality. He did a sterling job shutting down the supply
and keeping close when he was on the ball. The time he did lose him
saw a shot crash off our bar with Will alive to the rebound. A
warning.

As the game continued Luca was able to get on the ball more and link
with the wide men and strikers, a more orthodox central midfield role.
This was an MotM performance capped by finishing the game as the
striker. With Dan picking up a thigh injury we switched Luca to the
point of attack. At 1-0 down and late in the game he made a surging
run under pressure from the defence into the penalty area to see his
shot deflected out to the right wing. Not giving up he chased it and
crossed the ball for Jacob, who had made up a huge amount of ground,
to head just wide. An excellent performance full of energy and
discipline today.

The two wingers; Louis on the left and Will T on the right. Louis
instructed to stay wide as a real out-and-out winger and Will to
support the attack as much as possible. With our early attacks coming
down the right Will was very involved. Linking well with Dan up front
and Jacob and Ben centrally he was pushing into the box at every
opportunity. A real bustling performance and one where he was unlucky
not to score himself. Louis had a particularly good second half as the
game stretched, his skill and technique seeing him get into great
crossing positions and deliver. He also took the corners and this is
something that he should do more. Consistent quality delivery.

We made two changes in this match, due to injury and fatigue rather
than for rotation purposes. This is difficult in this division
particularly when games are so close. We lost Dan to a thigh issue,
replacing him with Jorge. A different striker but one who knits the
midfield and wingers together. Jorge had a fantastic chance that, if
anything, he connected too well with. We were awarded a free kick
outside the area of the right. Jacob flights the ball high into the
area towards the back post. Jorge struck it on the volley to see the
ball whistle narrowly over the cross bar. Of only he had shinned it!
We then lost Will T, also to thigh issues. This saw Sam push into
midfield and Dan G come on at right back. Callum was an unused
substitute today, this is difficult as all the lads want to play but
when games are this close decisions taken need to be for the team and
not in interest of pure rotation.

Dan, starting as the striker, had very little to feed on. Picking up
the ball deep was leaving him too much to do to take it on himself and
when he did break from the defence our midfield was unable to match
his pace to support him. It is very frustrating being the striker in
matches that play like this.

Will T, similar to the last time we played Painswick, had another,
"it's only a flesh wound" moment. Before the game he had rubbed what
smelled like an entire tube of deep heat into his quads to help loosen
them up (either that or to ward off evil spirits). Shortly after half
time he had to come off as the stiffness finally caught up with him.
After 10 minutes rest he asked if he could come back on, standing up
and unable to bend his legs or walk properly he said that he would be
alright. Great to see such commitment but there was no way he was
going to be able to come back on.

Will, in goal, did not have many saves to make. He marshalled his area
well and performed a sweeper role again to good effect. With the team
pressing the opposition he was called to make clearances outside his
box on more than one occasion and rather than just thumping it long
was playing long passes to team mates. He made a good save from the
Painswick shot that hit the bar and then early in the second half kept
us in the game with another great save.

But we lost.

Painswick scored from the right wing and a thunder bolt of a shot. The
ball struck on the volley and flying into the opposite corner. No
chance for Will in goal. 1-0 and how the game would finish. There was
still 15 minutes to play and we did create further chances, Jorges
volley, Luca's run and shot, Jacobs header all while we were
trailing. What we were unable to do was get that final touch. That bit
of luck.

At the final whistle it felt, more than in any other game, that we
lost points that were ours for the taking. This is a very good
Painswick team, we have never beaten them, they are in the cup final
and up there in the league and for the majority of yesterday we bossed
the game.

We know that we can pass the ball, what we did yesterday was compete.
We were challenging for headers and winning them. Freddie, Jacob, Ben,
George and Luca all won headers that only a couple of weeks ago we
would not have been going for. George and Lewis winning headers from
goal kicks and putting us immediately on the front foot. We were
getting onto the ball from corners and free kicks.

There was even.......... Communication. Early in the match there were
a couple of occasions where we gave the ball away cheaply as two of
our players were going for the same ball and then leaving it for the
other. Far too polite. Put a name on it and take it. Be decisive. That
improved as did the communication. Freddie and George taking a lead in
talking to the midfield.

This was an excellent game of football and one where we finally saw
the improvement that we knew was in there. The game was played with
intensity from the start and but for better finishing would have been
a different outcome.

To play like that and lose is tough but to play like that was brilliant!

It was a lovely sunny afternoon with a brisk breeze coming from across
the open fields. The sky was blue with barely a cloud in the sky.
Birds sang, cows mooed and sheep baa'd.