Colts ease through to round two
With Ollie away, Richard almost back from injury and Frank added to the injury list it did mean we were stretched this week. However, we were still too strong for our C division opponents today as we have a great squad of players.
We knew the boys were confident today when the whistle blew and the ball was worked from the front to the back line, then across it and back forward again before a shot was put in which went just wide. Almost everyone touched the ball in a 15-pass lesson to Stanhope. Wonderful football.
Playing 4-3-3 was the right thing today as Nathan, Stuart and James had the making of a high defending back line. The first goal was a direct result of James heading a clearance back into Stuart’s feet. Stuart then ran down the left and crossed the ball back into the box for James to poke it through the keeper’s legs. 0-1 (9 minutes). James has now scored in all four opening games of this season. Superb start.
The very next Colts move also came from winning a header again and resulted in another goal. This time it was JJ who headed the ball after a goal kick. It fell to James who fed Stuart for a classic far post shot and finish 0-2 (11). Very simple football really, win the headers and all sorts of things happen for you!
Stanhope pulled one back with a good effort from outside the box. (18) Before Nathan picked up a pass form JJ, skipped past five defenders into the box before finishing with a growing maturity. 1-3. (31). HALF TIME and the Colts had their two-goal cushion back thanks to JJ’s winning attitude to each tackle
The second half started a bit scrappy with neither keeper having much to do until a speculative shot flicked up and under Rhys’s dive and dribbled over the line, unlucky. 2-3 (56). As it happened the goal reignighted the Colts team who went straight up the other end and regained our two-goal advantage. Stuart once again set up James with a defence splitting pass. 2-4 (58) and we were rocking again.
In recent weeks we have trained on corners, both defending and attacking them. So it was nice to see a Jack flick on, bundled in by Remy at the near post. 2-5 (62). Game over and into the second round.
MOM nominations. Jack, Ben, Stuart but JJ was the clear winner this week.