Youth Reports 2016-17
5 February 2017
Northwood Reds Reds Under 13s 2 Borehamwood 2000 2
On a freezing wet morning, Northwood Reds U13s booked their place in the last eight of the Spring Trophy with a well-earned draw against Borehamwood 2000.
By the time the season ends we will have played Borehamwood four times, so I am hoping that we get a way of playing them that matches our first meeting, in which we won 5-1. Today we knew what to expect against a tall physical team but we did not start well, letting 2000 go 0-1 up within six minutes from our own mistake; this lead to 2000 breaking down the left cross the ball to an unmarked player at the far post, who headed in his chance gratefully. This week the boy again seemed to be making the wrong decisions on the ball turning into trouble on numerous occasions rather than looking to play the ball more quickly into our wide & forward players as we knew that 2000 were not that quick at the back and this was where we could exploit them, but 2000 did put at least two players on Ashley which did seem to nullify him a bit so we were finding it difficult to link the play.
However, after a good move that saw Sam and Lewis Reid link up well the ball was played into Ashley who finished well to make it 1-1. Northwood were now seeming to get into their stride and were playing some good passing football, but unfortunately the final pass was just not making it to the right player, and from one of these moves 2000 intercepted a loose ball and the 2000 player hit a shot from around 25 yards and it flew in to make it 1-2, 2000.
The boys came in at half time and we again told them that we needed the next goal to stay in and then win the game, we also needed to tighten up the middle of the pitch as 2000 seemed to be winning every ball in that part of the field and again try and get the ball into the forward channels more quickly. The second half started well for the boys as they did react to what we had discussed and were winning a lot more of the ball in the middle of the park as well as getting the ball forward as we were getting a lot more chances with Ashley, Sam Dec and Lewis Reid all going close.
On the 50th minute we changed the shape of the team which did seem to have a positive effect straight away with the two Lewis’s Ryan & Reid combining well on the left with Lewis Reid firing in another cross for our player of the Match Dan Jago to bundle in his first Northwood goal to make it 2-2. This score was going to be enough to see the boys go through as group winners and thankfully we saw the match out to the end though but in all honesty we could have won it with a couple of chances not being taken. Well done to all the boys for an overall for a good performance.
Line-up Daniel Davey, Rayyan, Ale George Lewis Ryan Arun, Sam, Felipe, Daniel Terry , Lewis Reid, Oliver, Ashley, Dec, Daniel Jago.
Dave Blincko
