Year 5 Boys v Bishop Road

The year 5 Foxes had a bit of a wake up call when a strong Bishop Road squad came to the Downs and inflicted this year group's first Saturday defeat for some considerable time.

Ewan's squad (Omar, Alec, Jacob, Raul, Owen, Seb, Jack C, Jack T, Joey, Nick, Sam P) battled back strongly in their first game after falling behind to an early goal, and Jack C bagged a well deserved equaliser from close range. After that, a strong BR side edged ahead again after knocking in a rebound from their initial shot. The Foxes then played some good stuff, creating several chances, before losing a sucker punch third late on to lose 1-3.

In the second game, it looked all gloom and doom at half time. The Foxes trailed 3-0 to three slightly bizarre goals, two of them fairly soft and from defensive lapses, the third a long range lob over our unfortunate keeper. Some heads were beginning to drop and tempers fray in the freezing cold. But then... Joey, in a powerful display, swept through the BR defence to get one back early in the second half. Then it was wave after wave of Foxes attacks, with Jack C excelling down the left wing and Raul and Jacob both coming close. Joey then made the breakthrough by dribbling through the centre to slot home, then doing the same a few minutes later to complete his hat trick and level the scores. Roared on by the watching (freezing) parents, another attack came, Joey fed Nick who squared it to Jack C, and the ball was coolly slotted home for the Foxes to take the lead. A late highlight came when a BR goal attempt from point blank range was saved by goalie Omar with a 'scorpion' kick while lying face down on the ground, then hooked away by Owen. It finished 4-3, with good displays by everyone who took part, and took their turn as a sub, on a difficult and cold day.

Special mentions to Joey for his hat trick, Nick and Alec for their pace down the wings, and Jack T for his defensive bravery, but player of the squad this weekend was Jack C.

Dave's squad (Max, Danny, Archie, Harri, Ian, Sam L, Aidan, Sonny, Harry, Ollie C and Ollie K) did not have their best couple of games. They struggled to keep their positions and never really got going throughout a cold, cold morning. In the first game they were slightly lucky to be only 1-0 down at half time. This soon became 2-0 and after Danny got the final touch on a rare bright piece of play, Bishop Road finished the job with a well-deserved third goal.

The second game followed a similar pattern and only remained at 0-0 for so long due to a string of brave goal line clearances by the keeper and defence. Against the run of play Sam scored a good goal from a great through ball from Ian, but we conceded an equaliser almost immediately and never really got going in the second half as Bishop Road found the net twice more. 3-1 again.

Man of the match was Ian.

Bishop Road deserved to win 3 games to 1 on aggregate. They were better organised and did the simple things (passing, tackling, supporting each other) better than the Foxes. After some great performances this season hopefully this will only be a blip in another successful season.