Bawtry Juniors Football Cl 1 vs 13 Pinfold Pumas U12 Blues

Pumas Match Report

Pinfold Pumas (H) 1-13

On Sunday we faced what is undoubtedly the strongest team in the division so far, a side that has been producing some very one sided results throughout the season and has beaten the two teams who we lost our first two games too.

The final score was 1-13, but that does not tell the full story of the game.

We found ourselves 0-9 down at half-time after a difficult first half in which the opposition punished every mistake and showed why they are currently undefeated in the league. Despite all of this we still created several opportunities for ourselves.

To the team’s credit, they showed a fantastic response after the break. Rather than letting their heads continue to drop, they came out determined to compete and produced a much-improved second-half performance. We created a number of good chances, including 5 clear attempts two of which came from young Oliver who was unfortunate to not find himself on the score sheet, one of which he flashed across goal from the edge of the box, just going wide. However, we were rewarded with a goal of our own, another for H who worked tirelessly upfront and got his reward following a fine through-ball from Oliver.

For 25 minutes of the second half, we actually won that spell of the game 1-0 and matched the opposition with much greater intensity, commitment and organisation. ??

The final few minutes saw the visitors add 4 more goals, making the scoreline appear heavier than the overall second-half performance deserved and the team deserved for their renewed efforts.

We were also missing two key players, which inevitably made the challenge against such strong opposition even tougher especially with only having the one substitute to freshen things up. However, there are plenty of positives to take from the game. The players showed in the second half they can compete when they work hard for each other and created chances against an excellent side (who judging by all their results are clearly in the wrong division having just beat Finningley Harriers who are a couple of divisions higher 0-6 away in the cup).

We have now played three of the strongest teams in the division during our opening five matches, winning two and losing three. We should be encouraged rather than discouraged by where we are after five games.

Our pattern is not that we are an underperforming side. It is that we are a team whose results are heavily influenced by confidence, resilience and work rate.

The important part was not the final score. It was the contrast between the halves: * 0-9 at half-time. * Competitive throughout the majority of the second half and for a period we were effectively winning that second-half spell 1-0 before conceding late goals. * Scored and created 5 excellent chances in the second half alone

First half was a lesson. The second half demonstrated that when the team remains organised and committed, the players can compete much better than the scoreline suggests.

We have scored 24 goals in 5 games. Teams that are genuinely struggling at grassroots level do not usually score at that rate. The attacking quality and football is clearly there. The bigger challenges are: * defensive resilience, * tackling, * tracking runners, * consistent effort levels.

Do not judge this group by the 1-13 defeat. Judge them by the fact they have already scored 24 goals, won two games convincingly, and have faced most of the division's strongest teams early in the season. The foundations are there if the work rate and mentality continue to improve.

The focus remains on the teams and individuals development, working harder both with and without the ball, and building on the encouraging performances we have shown in recent weeks.

There were pockets of excellence which again showed through and this is what we must all focus on in the face of a heavy defeat like this. Ivy and Q were excellent again, Jacob was awesome playing his best game and let’s not forget he is playing a year up! Oliver who assisted and had two great efforts, but it is his work rate and effort that shines for us coaches as he continues to improve week by week!

The positives for the coaches were that second half Lewis played through an injury and was the player we all know second half. James again showed calmness, stopped being outmuscled putting up a real fight with his opponent and played several excellent passes from the back following winning tackles. Frankie, won several individual duals and played three key passes that led to chances. Harry, did not let the scoreline affect his effort and was rewarded with another goal. Joe’s passing from the back and goal kicking was exceptional and led to a couple of chances, let’s not forget how tough this position is.

Another positive (as there is no bigger critic) was that regardless of the scoreline, Seth throughout continued encouraging teammates and setting standards. In grassroots football, especially at U12s level, that sort of leadership can be worth more than another talented player who only performs when things are going well. This was followed up by Ivy and the rest of the team whose communication in the second half could be heard by all.

Thank you, as always, to all the parents and families for your continued encouragement from the sidelines. We move on to next game in a couple of weeks, with plenty to work on and plenty to be positive about.

PPotM: Jacob ??

CPotM: Oliver ??

Goals: Harry ??

Assists: Oliver ??