U13 Blacks 26/27 - Pontefract Collieries

Scoreline aside, this was a massively improved performance from the lads away from home!

We were really up against it for the first two quarters, with Pontefract playing most of the game in our half. While we relied on a bit of luck on a few occasions with them missing a couple of gilt-edged chances, the boys truly defended for their lives—their attitude to put bodies on the line and stop the opposition was commendable. A special mention goes to Fred, who stepped up to fill in as goalkeeper. Despite it not being his regular position, his confidence and quality with the ball at his feet provided a wonderfully reassuring presence for the whole team.

After a tight first quarter, the message to the boys was to be more aggressive in their 1v1 duels, stay connected and compact, and for our wing-backs to join the forward play when the ball was on their side. The team responded brilliantly in the second quarter and really stepped up to the challenge. Ruben's performance in his 1v1 battle was a great example of this, holding his own against arguably their most technical and tricky winger.

In the second half, the lads played some brilliant football building out from the back and playing cleanly through the lines. Our bravery and confidence in those moments resulted in some of the best football produced by either team on the day.

All three of the opposition’s goals came in similar moments—during the transition phase right after we won the ball back and started expanding to go forward, only to turn it over quickly and leave ourselves exposed. It's a key tactical learning point for the boys as we work on managing those turnover moments.

Going into the final quarter trailing 3–0, the boys showed brilliant character. They dug in and won the last quarter. The high press forced a misplaced pass outside their box, which Fabio intercepted before firing a rocket into the back of the net! We just lacked that final finishing touch to get even closer, but we kept the pressure on right to the final whistle, with Archie coming close and Munib seeing a brilliant strike crash off the crossbar.

A really encouraging display filled with grit, determination, and positive takeaways! We keep going 🙌🏻