U13 Cougars - Bracknell Town FC Youth U13 Barracudas

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Match Report – Woking Cougars (2) v (10) Bracknell Town Youth Barracudas

A difficult day against a technically strong and physically dominant Bracknell side. We started well in possession but were far too open out of possession — failing to get compact when we lost the ball and pressing individually rather than as a unit. The game became end-to-end far too quickly, and without structure, we invited pressure and transitions that played straight into Bracknell’s strengths.

Despite this, Cougars took the lead in the 22nd minute through Rez Aslam, who drove from midfield and finished well from the edge of the box — ironically highlighting the imbalance in our play, as both CDMs were pushing too high at times. Bracknell’s pressure told soon after, and by 36 minutes the score had swung to 5–1.

The second half began poorly, conceding again within two minutes in a moment that summed up our lack of concentration and shape. At 8–1 down, we finally started to re-establish structure — Leonardo, Rory, and Ollie bringing control in midfield, while Noah and Johann worked tirelessly in the wing-back roles. Logan Pollock’s goal, assisted by Johann Dingwall, and his pace in behind gave Bracknell something to think about.

While the result was heavy, there were signs of progress late on: better compactness, clearer understanding of roles, and improved composure on the ball. The final 20 minutes showed the standard we need to reach from the start — collective effort, controlled intensity, and pride out of possession.

Five or six of Bracknell’s goals were long-range finishes of real quality, but we’ll focus on getting tighter, blocking more, and defending as a unit. The boys never stopped working — that says a lot about their character.