On Wednesday 17 September 2025, Lads Club Juniors U12 travelled to Fownhope FC to face Pheonix U12 in a 9-a-side league away fixture, kicking off at 6:15pm. The match ended in a 5-3 defeat for Lads Club Juniors after a pulsating 60 minutes of football plus added time. Despite a spirited fightback, the Juniors were unable to overturn Pheonix’s early dominance.
Lads Club Juniors lined up in a 3-4-1 formation, deploying three defenders at the back, four midfielders across the middle, and a lone striker upfront. Lucas Price took his place between the sticks as goalkeeper, with Archie Rigby operating as right defender, Louis Howells centrally, and Charlie Clueit on the left. The midfield quartet consisted of Thomi Scoular on the right wing, Charlie Swain and Zayn Prosser centrally, and Chase Bracegirdle on the left. Oscar Jones led the line as the sole striker, tasked with converting chances created by the midfield. The substitutes named were Charlie Arnold, Flynn Gething, Flyn Watkins, and Finn Jones, ready to impact the game as required.
Right from the first minute, Chase Bracegirdle tested the opposition goalkeeper with an early attempt, though it was comfortably saved. Moments later, Lucas Price demonstrated his sharp reflexes with a point-blank reaction save, setting the tone for his crucial role throughout the match. However, Pheonix U12 struck first in the fourth minute with a spectacular long-range strike from outside the box, fired in with their right foot, leaving Price with no chance.
The Juniors’ attacking hopes were dented early on when Oscar Jones was caught offside in the sixth minute due to a mistimed run. Pheonix capitalised immediately, doubling their lead with a right-footed finish just two minutes after their opener. The Lads Club’s defensive woes were compounded when central defender Louis Howells was forced off injured in the seventh minute, replaced by Charlie Arnold.
Thomi Scoular attempted to spark a response with a shot in the eighth minute, but it went wide of the target. Pheonix continued to press and extended their advantage in the 12th minute with another right-footed strike from inside the box. The Juniors made a tactical substitution in the 17th minute, bringing Flynn Gething on for the Thomi Scoular.
Lads Club Juniors found a breakthrough in the 22nd minute when Oscar Jones finally got on the scoresheet, slotting home a left-footed finish inside the box after a neat through ball from new signing Flynn Gething. The goal injected some much-needed belief into the visitors. However, Pheonix responded swiftly, restoring their three-goal cushion just two minutes later with another clinical right-footed finish inside the box.
Jones was not done yet, scoring again in the 25th minute with a right-footed finish following an assist from Charlie Swain. He then completed a remarkable hat-trick in the 26th minute with a close-range left-footed strike inside the box after the keeper had parried the shot from Flynn Gething, bringing the score to 4-3 and setting up a thrilling finale to the first half.
As the half drew to a close, Lucas Price continued to shine with another point-blank reaction save in the 30th minute, denying Pheonix a fifth goal before the break. Early in the second half, Zayn Prosser’s attempt was saved, and he was substituted shortly after in the 33rd minute for Flyn Watkins. Flynn Gething also had a chance saved in the 34th minute, showing the Juniors’ intent to fight back.
Defensively, Archie Rigby made a vital tackle in the 37th minute, while Oscar Jones continued to menace the Pheonix defence and saw a shot saved in the 38th after Charlie Arnold provided a slide-rule pass. Lucas Price remained a wall in goal, pulling off another point-blank save in the 43rd minute.
The second half saw further defensive efforts from Charlie Clueit, who made two interceptions in quick succession around the 47th minute, alongside another crucial save from Price diving at the feet of an attacker. The Juniors made a flurry of substitutions between the 48th and 51st minutes, with Finn Jones, Thomi Scoular, Zayn Prosser, and Chase Bracegirdle all coming on and off to refresh the squad.
Thomi Scoular tested the keeper again in the 49th minute but was denied, while Archie Rigby continued his defensive duties with another important tackle in the 50th minute. Zayn Prosser also contributed with a tackle in the 52nd minute, showing commitment in midfield. Lucas Price once more made a diving save at the feet of an opponent in the 54th minute.
The final substitution saw Charlie Swain return to the pitch in place of Thomi Scoular. Despite the Juniors’ efforts, Pheonix sealed the victory with a fifth goal in the 57th minute, another right-footed finish inside the box that proved decisive.
Lucas Price and Oscar Jones were standout performers for Lads Club Juniors, with Price’s goalkeeping heroics keeping the scoreline respectable and Oscar Jones’ hat-trick providing a glimmer of hope throughout the contest. Ultimately, Pheonix U12’s clinical finishing and early dominance secured them the three points in this entertaining encounter at Fownhope FC.
