Barking Abby School U18's 4 v1 Ursuline College U18's

[blueblood]

English Schools FA u18's Trophy last 32 game.

 

Sorry it's taken so long to get this report up (played last Monday), but today as been the first chance i have had to sit and type it. Thank you Snow.

 

We left the Ursuline at 9-30 on the morning of the match, in a mini blizzard, luckily we ran out of the bad weather between Herne Bay and Whitstable. As we left the Dartford tunnel Phil Fennel received a call to say their was going to be a pitch inspection due, to a frost the night before.

 

Arriving at Barking Abby school .(winners of last seasons English Colleges cup held at “Wellsies” beloved Goodison park) we were met by their sports team. On inspection the pitch wasn’t to bad, giving up the frost as the time passed.

 

The Referee duly arrived 10 minutes or so before kick off, the pitch having loosened more with the teams warming up on it. The official left the final decision down to the managers. As it turned out it was the correct decision, after 10 mins or so the surface had given up and a good game followed.

 

Both teams had their chances early on. Ursuline’s Chris Uden ploughing a lone furrow up front was the first to test a keeper. Uden was through one on one and forced a sound save from the Barking No1, who would prove to be a good solid keeper.

 

The home side countered, forcing a couple of corners and throw in to no avail.

 

Ursuline had another attack, this time Uden, (who was struggling all match long to get past a solid, physical no 5 twice is size. What do they feed them up there?) got to the right bye line, crossing the ball into the box. Unfortunately the ball bounced before it got to the advancing Reece Blaize. Blaize rouse one on one with the keeper but the ball beat them both and went out for a goal kick.

 

The game flowed reasonable from then, though the home side had the physical advantage. A home player burst through into the area, pulling a good save out of Billy Drinkwater in the Ursuline goal.

 

Reece Blaize charged up the right, volleying the ball at the Barking keeper who did well to parry it out. Unfortunately for him, it fell to Chris Uden who, made no mistake in burying the ball in the net to give the Ursuline side a 1-0 lead.

 

The size of the opposition forwards made life difficult for the Ursuline lads, no more so when a few minutes later the home side won a corner. A spot on cross found a home head, 1-1.

 

From then on the Barking side put Ursuline under pressure. Barking had 2 shots wide and one over before, pulling a great save out of the ever improving Drinkwater to his right.

 

Ursuline had their chances, breaking down the left to the bye line. The ball in was cleared by the Barking keeper who, patrolled his area like a lynx.

 

Martin Austin had a clear shot saved, his last moved as he tweaked a hamstring and left the field.

 

On $0 minutes the home side got a cross into the centre of the box, a sharp turn saw the ball driven into the net to make the score 2 - 1.

 

The second half saw the Ursuline come out and to the frustration of the Barking Abby coach, they kept the home side pinned in their own half.

 

Eventually though the Barking physical advantage wore the lads down and they pushed further forward . The very fast number 10(I believe he is going to Stevenage) ran at the defence down the left, burst into the box threw himself into Ursuline defender Andy Lucas and did a flip that would have made a circus tumblers proud.

 

The home side scored 2 more as the game progressed, neither giving the excellent Drinkwater a chance. Barking Abby won a penalty towards the end. For the second game in succession it pulled the best out of Drinkwater flying low to his right to hold a corner bound drive.

 

Ursuline defender Tom Peachy charged into the barking keeper and picked up a booking for himself. In the old days you would have introduced yourself to the keeper as a matter of course in the first minute or so, not at the end Tom.

 

The game ended with a score line of 4-1. There were some good performances in the Ursuline side. Alexander at the heart of the defence had a very good game and his developing well. Peachy and Merry were solid as usual in defence.

 

My M-O-M was BILLY DRINKWATER. Apart from a mistake early on, a flawless performance again.

 

A few of his team mates could learn a lot from Billy. The effort he puts in and, the want he as, would be a good start for some.

 

Team: Drinkwater, Hayden, Peachy, Lucas, Merry, Alexander, Austin, murrage, Blaize, Uden, Rye.

Subs: Afuape, Mott, Coles.

Edited December 2, 2010 by blueblood