Boys U16 (2010) Major 1 - Kildare Town
This was the first time we’d been on grass since our last game in November.
In the warmup we did passing drills and a rondo to get the lads used to the ball moving slower, and to running and turning on grass. It was a reminder though that the intensity of the game is often decided long before the first whistle. Some of them weren’t switched on during the warmup and it translated onto the pitch.
Just prior to kickoff we noticed our lads commenting on how big the Kildare team were. The next time we play a big team we’ll remind them that the best player in the world is Messi and that the way to play big guys is to pass the ball round them. Make them turn, run, and face their own goals.
As it was, some of the lads looked like they’d just fell out of bed for most of the first half and we went 2-0 down. Just before half-time it was like a flip was switched and the lads came alive. The pressing was faster. The tackles were harder. They started passing like we know they're capable of.
Only 3 minutes into this renewed attitude Conor got the ball up on the left and passed to Ryan Parletti, who drilled the ball so low and hard it rattled the goal's ground frame and rocketed straight back out of the net.
We went in at half-time 2-1 down. I thought we’d come back. Shane worried their heads would drop.
In our half-time talk we tried to convince them they were still in it and they did come out fighting, but then it started to unravel.
Once Kildare went 3-1 up, the physical and mental fatigue started to show. We could see the fight go out of some of them. Heart was lost, and we stopped sticking to the fundamentals like tracking back or committing fully to the tackle.
It’s not an issue with skill. They’re well able to pass the ball about, take people on, compete for second balls, and defend set pieces. They still communicated with each other, and they still worked hard.
It’s just that we have to collectively learn to play the full 70 minutes and not let our heads drop if we go a goal or two behind. Because then a goal or two turns into a handful and we end up with a score like we did on Saturday.
Kildare weren't technically 6-1 better than us. The scoreline didn't show how close we were in skill, but it did show what happens when we lose our heart and our grit. We stopped believing, and that turned into the result we got.
It’s not even about the results. As Shane told them at the end of the match, he'd be proud if they came off 6-1 down if they gave it their all and played to the best of their ability.
Yes, it’s tough for 14 and 15 year olds to get and keep the belief and mental resilience. We’ll work on that in training, and help them understand that success isn’t about the scoreline, but about being proud of their performance on the drive home.
