Burgoyne: Cooney; Archer; Hopkins; Wickson; Hayward; Thurlow; Read; Tripp; Stephenson; Portaluri. Subs: Kekwick

Half-time: 4-0
Full-Time: 8-1

Scorers: Portaluri (4); Thurlow (2); Hayward (2)

Having secured the league title last weekend, today provided an opportunity to try a different shape to the team and although the boys gained a comfortable victory the performance was at best patchy and the scoreline down to a virtuoso performance from Laurence Portaluri, who not only scored four goals, but was involved in all that was good about the team’s play today.

With Jack Christie and Khaled Abdel-Aziz forced to drop out through illness and injury respectively, Ashley Archer was drafted back into the squad to play at centre-half alongside Ben Hopkins and Matt Read moved off the bench to start in centre midfield. These changes saw a shift in shape and rather than the favoured 4-5-1 the team went for a diamond in midfield and Harry Hayward joining Laurence upfront. The game began with a wonderful move down the left, involving Ewan Wickson, Aaron Thurlow and Laurence playing the ball quickly and to feet and forcing a good save from the opposition keeper. However with the midfield struggling to come to terms with the new system the final ball was sometimes lacking, but a pressure was beginning to mount and when the Woolpit keeper could only parry Robbie Stephenson’s excellent low shot, Aaron reacted quickest to turn the ball in. Harry Hayward then scored a second and his tenth of the season, latching onto Laurence’s superb knockdown and Ewan had the chance to score his first of the season when he ran all of thirty yards to meet Laurence’s lay off on the edge of the area only to do what full-backs often do and snatch a first time effort wide. Ewan was getting forward more and more and played in some good balls into the area, but in the end the third goal was somewhat fortuitous when Aaron spooned a shot up and over the keeper – he did have the good grace to look somewhat embarrassed! Ben Hopkins then put in a cross from a corner that was handled at the far post and Laurence converted the penalty via the inside of the keeper’s left-hand post. The boys deservedly went into the half-time break in command of the game, but on occasions some individuals had taken too many touches and played themselves into trouble, while others needed to be prepared to take that extra touch.

The second-half began with Miles Kekwick coming on for Ewan, and Woodbridge continued to dominate, both territory and possession with Sam Tripp becoming more influential and when Robbie played a wonderful pinpoint throughball to Laurence the score sheet ticked over again. Laurence then added his thirty ninth and fortieth goals of this campaign after good work by Harry and Aaron. Laurence’s fourth of the match was also the team’s 200th in all matches this season. Woolpit then pulled a goal back after their left-wing got to the by-line and pulled the ball back and although Emile made a good reaction save from the first shot, he could do nothing with the follow up. However with Woodbridge reverting to 4-5-1 the team started stretching Woolpit’s backline and after more good work by Robbie, Aaron’s superb low cross was met by Laurence, who instead of shooting rolled the ball to Harry, who finished with his usual precision. This was another solid team performance that the crowd seemed to enjoy and it was good to see Gus Cooney involved again at right-back. Matt Read was his usual presence in the centre of midfield and was breaking up any attempts by the opposition to move the ball through the centre of midfield.

8-1 was a comfortable victory and there were moments when the team passed the ball quickly and to feet which really opened the opposition up, but there were other times when some boys tried to do too much and others lacked confidence to take that extra touch before delivering a pass or shot. However that said Ashley Archer had another good game in defence once he settled into the centre-back role, Ewan is covering a great deal of ground from left-back and Harry continued where he had left off against Honington, but the performance of the day was without doubt that of Laurence Portaluri. Others can learn a lot from Laurence’s play in that he not only creates time and space for himself and others, but that he has already thought what he is going to do with the ball before it arrives. While he scored four goals, he also created chances for others and he showed today superb judgement in when to shoot himself and when to pass to someone in a better position.