Browny (2)
This is a much-anticipated return fixture following the tough home defeat to Kirkheaton just six weeks ago. After that game my match report included phrases like: “didn’t win our personal battles”; “didn’t close down”; “backing off and out muscled” and “lack of resilience”. Today we resolved all these issues and produced one of the best performances of the season.
Our team is down to the bare bones with 3 regulars missing. Matt is forced to play in midfield and Omar makes his Black’s debut on the right wing. We have no substitutes.
The opening stages are end to end, with our best chance falling to Browny, who’s brave left foot effort is just wide of the target. On ten minutes, Holmfirth come under sustained pressure, Ronnie makes two good saves and then a third with his feet at the near post. Kirkheaton take the subsequent corner, but it is overhit and sails out to the far touchline. There is some confusion when the referee blows and announces a penalty for Kirkheaton. The ref has seen a push off the ball.
The Kirkheaton penalty taker blasts it down the middle, Ronnie with strong wrists deflects it onto the bar, but Kirkheaton are quicker to react and score from the rebound.
This marks the high point for Kirkheaton, as Holmfirth dominate the next twenty minutes. An immediate response sees a great break involving Will, Omar and Jenson that is unlucky not to secure an equaliser. Two minutes later, Jenson plays a great through ball to Browny whose shot is blocked, Reuben strikes the rebound forcing a good save from the keeper. A couple of minutes later, the keeper makes another good save from Jozef and one more from Reuben.
With three minutes of the half remaining, the goal eventually comes. Arthur wins a tackle and plays a superb through ball for Browny, who out muscles and out paces the big centre back, before calmly slotting it into the bottom corner. A top-class finish.
We have two more great chances to take the lead but come in at half time all level at 1-1. We talk about making sure we don’t concede in the second half, because it seems inevitable that we’ll score more goals in the second half.
But the half starts in the worst possible way. From our kick-off, the ball goes back to Matt, who is immediately tackled by a Kirkheaton player who is illegally in our half, the referee waves play on. The ball ricochets around the edge of our box, we fail to clear it. It falls to a Kirkheaton player who appears offside. He miss-hits the ball which confuses Ronnie and he can only watch as it trickles into the net. The referee believes the ball came off a Holmfirth player last and so awards the goal.
It is a bizarre and unlucky goal to concede. But again, the Holmfirth boys respond well. There is only one team likely to score now, and eventually on 42 minutes Browny smashes a one on one into the roof of the net. Kirkheaton hold on desperately, conceding several free kicks for trips and pushing offences, the keeper makes a great save from Omar, but even with several corners Holmfirth are unable to find the crucial goal. The game ends 2-2.
Overall this a great performance. We won our personal battles, controlled midfield and Arthur and Will had defence in lockdown. The lads put into play the things we’d been working on, our closing down, shot blocking and tenacity are the best we’ve achieved this season.
Omar made a great debut and handled the step up to Division Three well and Matt played midfield like he’d played there all his life. Jenson was spectacular in his hold up play and pivotal to our attacking dominance. His efforts allowed the lads to reproduce the moves we had worked on in training, which we successfully achieved time after time. This is a very impressive achievement for ten- and eleven-year olds.
Next week we face Lepton, who beat us 3-1 in our last encounter, so it promises to be another close and entertaining game.
(U11 Black)
