U9 Calcio Talent and Select - Selby Town

U9 Azzuri produced a brilliant all-round performance this weekend, earning a deserved 7–3 win against Selby Town. (who are known to be one of the strongest teams at Cas)

Pre-game, I asked the players what we focused on in training and they mentioned defending from behind, being aggressive in 1v1 duels, and the boys put that into practice, exactly what we mentioned in training and delivered that superbly from start to finish today.

In the first period, the team pressed together, protected the middle of the pitch, and won their defensive duels well. We took the lead after 12 minutes when new player Arlo played a perfectly weighted through ball into Alex, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner. Selby responded quickly on the counter to make it 1–1, but overall our structure and intensity in the first period were exactly what we asked for.

At the break, I reminded the boys about pressing as a unit and being brave on the ball to link up with teammates and find the free player. The second period was our strongest spell of the game, scoring five goals without reply and taking full control. Alex scored four well-taken goals — including a great finish from a superb weaker-foot cross by Francis, and another created by outstanding skill from Theo Khela, who wriggled between two defenders before assisting the hat-trick goal. Theo Khela also added a composed finish of his own after a fantastic through ball from new player Ethan, while Ralph’s brilliant front-foot defending led to him squaring for Alex to convert his fourth.

Going into the final period, the message was to keep the same energy and intensity, while also highlighting why the second period was so successful. The boys started fast again, scoring early through Theo Marshall, who smashed home a deserved goal after a strong display. Selby became more direct and we initially struggled to adjust, conceding two quick goals through second balls and slow reactions. But the boys regrouped excellently, stayed professional, and took control again — dominating possession, showing bravery on the ball, and managing the game well to see out a confident performance.

My MOTM today goes to Alex, who was ruthless in front of goal with five excellent finishes. A special mention also goes to Arlo and Ethan, who both made fantastic contributions on their debuts and fitted into the team seamlessly.

Onto the next one

Veo Link ➡️ https://app.veo.co/matches/20251129-match-bardsey-warriors-fc-aec01d9b/