Boys U16 (2010) Major 1 - Kildare Town
We played Kildare again yesterday and the progress the lads have shown in the two weeks since that 5-1 defeat is massive. After that previous match, we identified two main areas for improvement: maintaining our mental grit when things go against us and using the full width of the pitch more effectively. We had no game last weekend and spend the two weeks training specifically addressing these points. We focused on wing play, crossing, and knowing when to recycle the ball backwards or sideways to keep possession. We also worked on scanning for teammates and ensuring players were finding space and calling to receive the ball.
Prior to kick-off, our pre-match talk focused on instilling belief. We pointed out how we'd moved away from basic drills months ago because they already have the technical skill. We told them they are already good enough and it was now about putting our tactical training into practice. The goals were simple: run into space, call for the ball, make the pitch wide when we have possession, and keep it narrow when we didn't.
Knowing Kildare had a physical size advantage but no substitutes, we used the massive width of the pitch to our advantage. Unlike the last meeting where we struggled to switch on, the lads were ready from the whistle. While we went into the break 1-0 down, the mood was entirely different. We were not being bullied and our defence was immense, with the lads executing brave headers and disciplined jockeying to hold up their forwards. Our work on set pieces also paid off, as we haven't conceded from a corner since we specifically practised defending them after the Arlington game.
In the second half, Ryan O'Rourke assisted Ollie Lawlor for our first goal to get us level, but we then found ourselves 3-1 down. In the previous game, this was where the heads dropped, but this time the response was the opposite. Instead of losing heart, we exploited our pace and used fresh legs from the bench. We challenged the forwards and wingers to hold up the play rather than charging blindly into traffic. We stopped crowding the ball and finally used the space we had worked on in training.
That tactical awareness ultimately helped us break back into the game. Conor Black exploited the left wing and passed for Ryan O'Rourke to finish. The equaliser came when Cameron Fitzpatrick mirrored that effort on the right, forcing a save their keeper couldn't hold. Ryan O'Rourke was alert and followed in to nick it away and level the score at 3-3.
We looked the more likely team to find a winner in the dying minutes. As Shane noted in the talk at the end, the second half was an absolutely thrilling game of football. As always, the scoreline is secondary to being proud of their effort and performance. This time, the lads could be very proud. They managed a game, executed a plan, and showed the grit to climb out of a 3-1 hole. This is the standard we set moving forward: 70 minutes of heart and 70 minutes of shape.
