Boys U17 (2010) Major 1 - Boys U16 (2011) Major

*Match Report: Under-16 Major (Friendly)*

Date: Mon, 21-Sep-26

*Pre-Match & Warm-Up*

The earlier kick-off meant a few lads turned up late, which wasn't unexpected.

We cut our usual 60-minute warm-up down to 45 minutes so we could start a little later at 6:15 p.m., rather than 6:00 p.m.

Overall, the warm-up wasn't where it needed to be. The lads weren't fully switched on, and there was a bit of messing about.

Part of that is natural. It’s a social sport, and the lads really need 10 to 15 minutes of chatting to get it out of their system before they can lock in.

From a coaching perspective, we're still refining our pre-match routine so we can jump straight into drills without needing to stop and explain them. Repetition is going to be key there so it becomes second nature.

*First & Second Thirds*

Given the slow start, it wasn't a surprise that we let in a couple of soft goals early on. The match was split into three 25-minute periods, and after our first team talk, we made a few positional swaps. We settled down and played better football through the second third.

*Final Third: The Blueprint*

After the second period, Daniel gave the lads a brilliant talk on motivation, challenging them not to give the under-16s the bragging rights.

The reaction in that final third was outstanding.

The lads came out on the front foot, pressed high, and kept them pinned in their own half.

We created stacks of chances, including a great team goal: Tony won the ball, played a short pass to Oscar, who fed Conor up the line. Conor drove up the wing and along the touchline before laying off a great pass for Liban to finish.

The intensity was brilliant right to the end, with Ben reluctantly subbed for a few minutes after a knock, and Cameron caming off worst in a 50/50 challenge that's put him into a moon boot for a few days.

As their coach said after the whistle, that last period felt like a proper cup final with the passion and pressure on display.

Ryan O'Rourke had an outstanding game and it's clear we make more use of his strengths when we use him as a central attacking midfielder instead of a central defensive midfielder.

*Reflections & Moving Forward*

In the first period, we looked like two separate teams on the pitch, with the forwards and defenders watching each other rather than working together.

When we defend as a team, and bring our backline up to the halfway line to support the attack, the difference is night and day.

That final third is our blueprint going forward: the unity, the passion, and playing as one complete unit from front to back.