Welling Wonderers U7’s Yellow VS Dulwich Hamlet
Feb 19th 2012
Match Report
Having had a 2 week break due to the adverse weather conditions we knew the lads may have been a little rusty approaching this fixture; however I think you will agree they gave a great account of themselves!
We were up against a very well established and respected football club in DHFC who have been producing players that have played at the highest level of football over the years.
Game 1
In the first five minutes we seem to ball watch a little and it wasn’t until there centre back who to be honest was there star player produced a moment of excellence that we got into gear.
A free kick was awarded to DHFC which they totally capitalised on. We arranged our wall well however the bend and power of the free kick found itself in the top corner of our net to put them ahead. We showed some great character to then react and finally WAKE UP! Some fantastic tackles by all the boys kept the score line at bay and our sheer courage and desire shone through. We started to break them down coming close when Antonio was put through but could not punish them. However we continued to muscle them on and off the ball and I must say they did not like it one bit! It was great to see players like Alfie show no fear even though he was half the size of the payer he chopped down!
In the second half we just couldn’t get the ball past there centre back and soon found ourselves on the back foot which resulted in a good finish by their striker to put them further ahead.
When you are losing it can be difficult to try and change the game be it at U’7s or senior level, well our boys showed that they still had the fire in there belly’s to try and win this game. Again Antonio dribbled well and used the flanks, however the chemistry just wasn’t there between himself and his strike partner(s) which is something we can work on in training. A good performance by everyone in our first encounters with DHFC.
Game 2
Our half time team talks are all about trying to encourage and make the boys aware of what they need to do. Myself and Dave always ask the lads how they think the game is going as it is important to make sure they learn as well as play. All the boys had a clear understanding of what was essential and showed this by the way they came out. Some great tackling by Sam, Luca, Luke, Alfie, Owen and Charlie hurt this Dulwich side! We again found ourselves pressurising there goal mouth, but unfortunately just couldn’t capitalise on our attacks which eventually went against us.
Within 10 minutes a great through ball found its way to their centre forward who coolly slotted past Max to put them ahead. However regardless of the score line we still battled like our lives depended on it! One example that stuck out in my mind was when Antonio lost the ball in there half and ran all the way to our corner flag to stop there star player from crossing the ball. Or when our midfielders and defenders were throwing their bodies in front of the ball to break down there attacks. We can’t reiterate enough to the boys that when they lose the ball they go and get it back! Myself and Dave cannot fault them for this and find it more than satisfying to see that they do actually listen.
There were some tired legs out there and understandably to, which enabled them to score for the second time. We cannot fault any of the boys for their desire and want in this fixture and they should all pat themselves on the back. We believe if they show this sort of determination and commitment in every game they will be a team to really fear!
Overall myself and Dave were very happy with the way the boys battled in this fixture. Some very good slide tackles, headers, and awareness play. What we need to do is learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them, which is something we can filter out through training.
Man of the match:Bobby Dazzler – Solid performance overall!