Woodbridge Town 6 Woolpit 0

Sunday 18th November 2007

Half-time: 2-0 Full-Time: 6-0 Scorers: Taylor (2); Thurlow; Paternoster; Marshall; Tripp In very gusty conditions at Melton the Under 11 Sunday team put in an impressive performance to beat a well-organised Woolpit team 6-0. After a lacklustre win against Needham Phoenix, the week before, the manner of this victory was very encouraging and the boys were sharper from the start and more importantly passed the ball to create openings and keep possession. The game began with the boys dominating possession and having the territorial advantage without troubling the Woolpit keeper. At this stage there was still a tendency to try to drive through the middle without getting the ball wide and with the Woolpit captain in excellent form in the centre of defence Marcus Taylor and Jack Christie were kept in check. However, gradually the boys started to work the ball to the wings with both full backs coming more into the game and Ewan Wickson again made a number of overlapping runs that started to stretch the Woolpit defence. However the momentum began to build more down the right with Ashley Archer beginning to see more of the ball and it was from a period of pressure here that the first goal was scored and what a goal it was. Aaron Thurlow playing at centre-half, in the absence of Khaled Abdel-Aziz, came onto a ball and struck it with power and great technique to give the opposition keeper no chance. The second goal followed soon after and some good work by Kieron Marshall created an opening for Marcus Taylor, who got in front of his defender and made the time and space to place the ball by the advancing goalkeeper. However Woolpit didn’t give up and in the closing stages of the half the opposition threatened our goal and were unlucky to see a half-volley rebound of the Woodbridge crossbar. Apart from this shot and a free-kick that drifted wide, Emile Burgoyne was not called on to make a save, he dominated his area and came off his line well to gather the ball or sweep behind the defence. Woodbridge also had some chances and Harry Hayward and Marcus somehow contrived to put a ball across the face of goal after some good work by Jack Christie, who was all the time looking to create openings for those around him. The second-half began with the boys knowing that the third goal was going to be critical in determining the shape of the half and it was heartening to see them come out and want to dominate play. Sam Tripp and Laurence Portaluri were outstanding in the centre of midfield, winning possession time and time again and working the ball wide to set up a wave of attacks. This domination of the game resulted in Emile becoming redundant in our goal and it was not long before more chances were created and Ashley Paternoster scored his first of the season and was then unlucky to see a rasping drive well saved by the Woolpit keeper. Marcus Taylor added his second and was unfortunate to see a superb shot that beat the keeper headed over the crossbar by a covering defender. Kieron Marshall then scored his first of the season with a well hit shot from the edge of the area and Sam Tripp completed the victory with a powerful drive into the top corner. Laurence went close on two occasions and Ewan had a goal bound strike deflected wide for a corner, while Robbie Stephenson started to see more of the ball late on and created a number of opportunities for others. Gus Cooney came on at right-back at half-time and had a steady game covering well on a number of occasions and captain Ben Hopkins directed proceedings well. This was an excellent team performance, in which every boy contributed to an impressive performance against a team that competed well, but were not allowed to settle. The team now has 25 points , which is three more than the team achieved in the whole of last season, and has scored 80 goals in the league and 99 in all matches this season. It was also the team’s fourth clean sheet in the last six games.