10 v 11 Boys Football

On Wednesday 15 March 30 boys from years 10 and 11 met for an intra-school friendly football fixture. This has become an annual event on the calendar and was originally born out of a frustrating series of cancelled year 11 football fixtures. Once again this year the talk had been big between the rival year groups and it was time to settle the disputes once and for all on the pitch. It was fantastic to see so many boys in attendance and the weather was absolutely glorious – the first real signs of spring!

Jason ALDOM, Brendan BENNETT, Gabriel BROWN, Max CONROY, Danny CONWAY, Matthew CRUTCHLEY, Ciaran DUNFORD-HENNESSY, Tom GREEN, Ali HASSAN-MURPHY, Jacob LEBO, Lewis MASON, Ryan MEACHAM, Dexter MOTT, Jude NOON, Samuel OLIVER, Matthew PARSONS, Kieran PAYNE, Caolan PEARCE, Edward POWELL, Matteo PRIME, Paul RICKARDS, Samuel SANDERS, Mason SMART, Finley SMITH, Kai STEPHENS, Louis STRATTON, Mickey TRENEAR-CHITTEM, Kai WEST, Daniel YOUNG, Hao Hao ZHANG

The fixture is always a hotly contested affair and prior to kick off there was a lot of talk about the result & individual battles on the pitch. When you are playing for bragging rights there can often be so much more at stake! The game is a must win for year 11 and a great opportunity for an upset for year 10. With so much at stake the standard of football can quickly deteriorate and the game can suffer. If the first few minutes were anything to go by this was going to be a feast of high quality football as neither side was prepared to resort to anything short of their best play.

The opening minutes were tense as players from both sides looked to find their feet in the game. The 11s almost had the dream start when after 4 minutes Kieran Payne unleashed a venomous strike with his cultured left that rattled the crossbar just as hard as it rattled the year 10 boys! The pressure was soon rewarded after a ball was lashed across the box and a helpless year 10 defender had little choice but to turn the ball into his own net while attempting to get it to safety. Year 11 weren’t done there and were being bombarded down both wings. Payne had hit the bar early from the left while just moments after their first goal, right winger Ciaran Dunford-Hennessy also found the woodwork.

Year 11 were all over their younger counterparts who had their backs to the wall defending for their lives! In recent weeks Mason Smart has developed a bit of a reputation for the audacious and certainly didn’t refuse the invitation for an overhead kick when the opportunity presented itself after 14 minutes. Incredibly the ball found the back of the net but not before it had found Smart offside – much to the relief of the year 10 boys who didn’t want to go 2 behind. They were resolute in their efforts to keep the year 11 lead at a single goal and sacrificed all of their midfield in order to do so. This just invited the pressure on and year 11 were only too happy to oblige having almost complete creative freedom. The sheer amount of pressure had to result on goals and when Danny Conway found himself in the penalty area with the ball at his feet he was able to knock it passed keeper Powell for a two goal lead. In the last few minutes of the half the year 11 boys came agonisingly close on 2 more occasions. The first was a long range effort from Mason Smart who could only watch as his effort missed the upright by a matter of inches. The second was a header from Ryan Meacham who made a superb run & athletic jump only to head over. On the stroke of half time Danny Conway managed what Ryan was unable to when he headed home for his teams’ third goal after being picked out with a pinpoint pass from midfielder Finley Smith.

At half time the 10s were down by 3 but certainly not out of the game. Captain Caolan Pearce rallied his troops and got his team up and ready for the challenge of the second half. The younger boys were gutted when the first play of the second half resulted in them conceding another goal. An excellent move saw Noon pick the ball up on the left cutting back onto his right foot. Jude played a diagonal pass to Meacham who knocked the ball down with his shoulder into the path of Mason Smart. Mason struck the ball first time and with pinpoint accuracy right into the bottom corner – a cruel blow leaving keeper Powell no chance at all.

Year 10 were definitely on the back foot but didn’t deserve to be four goals down – they were in real need of something positive to pick up their spirits. Some positional complacency from the year 11 boys gifted their opponents with an opportunity for a counter attack which they seized. The outcome was that Gabe Brown was forced into a professional foul on the edge of the area for a shirt pull meaning he was now skating on thin ice. Caolan stood over the set piece before striking it cleanly and powerfully towards Lewis Mason’s goal forcing an excellent tip over the bar.

You couldn’t help but feel the boys just needed a bit of luck to get back into the game but there didn’t seem to be any signs! Year 11 were galvanised by the save of their goalkeeper and just a minute later found themselves enjoyed a team pile on as they celebrated the goal of debutant Sam Oliver. Sam was in the right place at the right time for his goal but perhaps not for the resulting celebration! The pile on wasn’t pretty and neither was the next year 11 goal. Lewis Mason shamefully claimed the assist, Smart with the finish yet again. Things were running away from the year 10 boys as Mason Smart cleared up a real defensive mess to round off his hatrick.

Shortly after Mason’s goal Matty Crutchley found himself in possession with some space in front to attack. Matty had spent the majority of the game on defensive duties up until this point so it was great to see him unleash a real cracker from range to bring out a great save from Lewis Mason. Year 10 had enjoyed a couple of half chances but were going to have to come up with better in order to get on the scoresheet. Better what exactly was Dan Young was able to demonstrate when he was introduced into a position favoured by all school boy footballers and affectionately known as CAM. Dan took down a pass brilliantly on his chest to lay-off a team mate and continue his run. Moments later Dan slid in for a ball that was flashed across the six yard box and missed it by a matter of inches. Dan was quickly directed back to centre back but didn’t seem to mind – I thought it was a little harsh!

Eventually year 10 were in luck after cousins Crutchley and Pearce teamed up for their first goal. Caolan hit a lovely diagonal ball for Matty to head passed Lewis Mason much to the delight of their team mates. Caolan went close himself shortly after only to be denied by the woodwork on this occasion. Goals kept coming for the year 11 boys and this time in was the turn of keeper turned striker Lewis Mason who headed in from close range. Fatigue was setting in for both teams and cautions soon followed. Gabe Brown was first into the book after one too many pulls of the shirt. Jacob Lebo was unlucky to avoid a straight red in the dying minutes of the game which gifted the year 11 boys one final set piece as they went in search of their ninth goal. The look on Lewis’ face was priceless after he put the ball in the net before the whistle had sounded for his first attempt and then hit the bar on the retake!

The final score 8-1 really wasn’t a fair reflection of the difference between these two year groups. Year 10 had played in a tough game just the day before and so the year 11 boys were really grateful to them for getting out a team so that they could have a game. The boot was on the other foot last year as the then year 10s were beaten 5 goals to 2 by a good year 11 team.

I can honestly say that these two year groups in particular are packed full of fantastic young men who are an absolute pleasure to work with. The game was played in such a great sporting spirit and this is testament to the characters from both teams who were involved. I thoroughly enjoyed the match, it was a joy to referee and I don’t often say that about football!

Mr Cook