U10 Blacks 26/27 - FSC

A tough opposition to play against with their aggressive intensity, but I thought the boys grew into the game and showed some really positive signs throughout.

The first third was a challenge, particularly with the physicality of some of their players, which we struggled to match. I also thought we made their goals a little too easy, with a few coming from us not recognising danger early enough or being proactive defensively.

The second third was brilliant. As mentioned to the boys, the response was fantastic! We created some half-chances, competed much better and really started matching the opposition. Only conceding one goal in that phase says a lot about how well the boys responded. I was really pleased with what I saw, and every single player gave everything.

Although more goals were scored in the last third, I actually thought this was our best phase. The tackles, desire, recovery runs and willingness to outwork the opposition were brilliant. We also created chances that could have changed the game.

Overall, a tough test, but the biggest positive for me was the reaction and response from the boys as a collective.

That’s what I want them to take into next Saturday’s game. If we approach it with the same attitude, desire and intensity shown in the second and third phases, I’m confident we’ll see consistent positive performance.

Plenty to learn from, but lots to be encouraged by! 👏⚽️

https://app.veo.co/matches/20261031-academy-vs-psc-u10s-v2dfe81d