Woodbridge Town Under 11s (Sunday) v Woodland Colts - Away

Sunday 24th February 2008

Team: Burgoyne; Baldwin; Thurlow; Hopkins (captain); Wickson; Stephenson; Read; Tripp; Dimuccio; Hayward; Christie. Subs: Archer; Aveston; Marshall; Taylor. Half-time 2-0 Full-time 11-1 Goal scorers: Hopkins (3); Hayward; Dimuccio; Tripp; Christie; Taylor; Aveston; Marshall; Thurlow The boys maintained their unbeaten league run with another high-scoring victory over bottom of the table Woodland Colts on a difficult pitch at Sudbury Upper School. However this was anything, but a straight-forward win and the Colts made it very difficult for the team in the first-half. The first-half was a largely forgettable, scrappy affair with Woodbridge unable to breakdown a stubborn Woodland’s defence. At times the opposition had all ten outfield players behind the ball and rather than playing the ball back to the defence in an attempt to draw the opposition out the boys tried to go through the middle and just found a wall of yellow shirts rebuffing them time and time again. On the few occasions that the team shaped an opening the opposition keeper responded well or shots were rushed and lacked either power or direction. Sam Tripp was also unlucky to see his lob cleared off the goal line. In fairness the boys were also kicking into a stiff breeze and this was not helping them. A tactical shift that saw Ashley Archer replace Aaron Thurlow at centre-back and Aaron move into midfield started to see the boys begin to stretch the Woodland’s defence and when Giorgio Dimuccio managed to weave through a crowded midfield, Harry Hayward latched onto his pass across the top of the area and he dispatched the ball into the roof of the net. Giorgio then added a second with a well taken shot. However the floodgates did not open and the Colts continued to defend in numbers with at one point all their team in their penalty area – somewhat reminiscent of Tottenham’s bus parked in front of the Chelsea goal a few years ago! At half-time the team discussed the need to be more patient and to remember that it is sometimes advisable to pass the ball back to the defence and allow them to switch play and build again. The boys took this advice on board and were a different team in the second half. Marcus Taylor was causing the Woodland’s defence difficulties and when he was cynically felled on the edge of the area, captain Ben Hopkins took responsibility to score with a well taken free-kick. However Woodland Colts scored straight from the kick off when the left-winger was allowed too much space and his well taken shot gave goalkeeper Emile Burgoyne no chance. This reversal in fortune seemed to galvanise the troops and Marcus, who was becoming more and more influential delivered a pinpoint cross that Sam Tripp steered in via a deflection of an opponent. Jack Christie then scored with a wonderful strike on the half-volley from a pinpoint pass from Ben Hopkins. Marcus added the team’s sixth with a shot from just outside the area, having been set up by Kieron Marshall, who had come on as a half-time substitute. Kieron then set up Ben to score his second of the game, before Jonathan Aveston showed great bravery sliding in at the far post to turn in Marcus’ shot that was going wide. A momentum was building and the boys were now passing the ball with greater speed and accuracy and were keeping possession playing some good football. More goals followed with Kieron tapping in at the far post when Harry had been unable to get enough on Sam’s cross from the left by-line. Aaron Thurlow then played a neat one –two with Marcus, before stroking the ball by the opposition keeper. Captain Ben Hopkins, then completed the scoring with his third, winning the ball and then driving into the box, before beating the keeper at his near post with a low shot. In the end this was a comfortable victory and hopefully one that has taught the boys the importance of keeping possession and switching play to stretch the opposition. The Woodbridge defence was rarely stretched and it was good to see Jack Baldwin get 50 minutes at right-back and help to maintain the shape of the team.