The Huddersfield League 5A
HBS Spiders 5 (Morgan 10, Ward 28, 60, Colbert 35+1, 65)
Ossett Town Lightning 2 (Owens 33 pen, Narwal 70+2)
Two Player Points: Connor Morgan; One Point: Jacob Scott
Captain: William Ward
Lightning struck down in cracking start
The sun was shining on the new top pitch Stubb, a boiling hot
morning. However the visibly taller young spiders managed to
bottle the lightning from a spirited Ossett side and even get
stronger as the game went on, to see out a 5-2 win in the new 5A
league.
Thanks to Callum Mawby for training as the shooting and set up
practice paid off , Scott and Dawn for helping set up this week
and sort out the bigger new kit, and Steve for a 100 rated referee
performance as we had to impress the impressive support of
parents, family and friends! Nigel as well was our canine expert,
much appreciated! However, that apart, the pitch played well to
our style, and it could actually be a good home for us!
Big goals, bigger pitch and longer matches and the new 11-aside format had me slightly worried how we would adapt, but
players thrived in it. LEWIS INNES was his usual, calm handling
self, pushing the ball onto a post and blocking well with his legs
from a 1 on one when the game was more wide open. ZAC
MAWBY who seems to have grown a foot did not put a foot wrong
and was able to anticipate danger, cover the full backs when they
were doubled up against, and formed an impregnable centre back
pairing with ALEX FLANAGAN who also headed away and threaded
some good offensive passes through as well. JACOB SCOTT
tackled his way to a star player performance as did DANIEL STUTT
until he had to leave the pitch with a recurrence of a thigh injury
midway into the second half.
BILLY HOBBS continues to impress with his quick feet and passing
abilities, having the first long distance shot of our campaign, but
the keeper did well to get down to it, after the equally impressive
ALFIE PICKLES had manouvered himself some space to send in a
useful cross from the right wing.
The breakthrough came as Alfie raced onto a raking pass from
Daniel Stutt, only to be brought down unfairly. M-O-T-M
CONNOR MORGAN drew full reprisal though, sending his free kick
into the top corner from some distance to get our account off and
running!
Captain WILL WARD got more into the game, showing a Payet
back heel to get Alfie moving into space, and DANIEL FLETCHER
also started to get some of the ball on the left side, as SAM
COLBERT up front began to swarm over the Ossett defenders, not
giving them any time or space.
Ossett came back and we had to concede a few corners, but these
were headed away from danger and allowed us to counter-attack.
A second goal arrived as Alfie combined with Will and the skipper
shot high into the “top bins” as he ran in from the hill, the keeper
no chance of reaching the very top corner!
Steve had to give a penalty though, as a long ball into the area
bounced off Connor’s leg and then arm. It was clinically
dispatched, this time Lewis unable to reach it.
However, rather than dwell on it there was still time for Connor to
play through Sam in added on time, able to beat the offside trap
and the onrushing keeper to slot into the corner for a well taken
goal and re-establish a two goal cushion.
KIERAN LEWIS and REECE WEST came on to replace Will and Daniel
Fletcher for their first action of the season, Kieran doing well with
the tricky task of keeping the ball in play down the slight slope
and Reece playing through Sam, but this time in an offside
position.
We were under the cosh though, with Lewis and the defence
doing brilliantly to clear a number of dangerous corners as Ossett
put us under substantial pressure. Zac and Alex came up with
timely blocks as we weathered the storm. We managed to
gradually get a foothold back and pass really well between
ourselves, Sam on the end of a five man one touch passing move,
guiding it wide of the keeper, but marginally into the side netting
as we all thought his shot had gone in. Billy and Connor were
running the show in midfield again. Will then skilled past a player
who could only stop him by trying to pull down his shorts!
However, despite all the tidy passing, it was route one that paid
off as another long ball from the back by Connor saw Will and
Sam run from their own half past a high line of defenders, and it
was Sam who got his second with another 1 on 1 composed
finish.
Will was close behind him on the goal scoring front, also getting
his second from close range from a sublime curled through pass
by Daniel Fletcher to make it 5-1 and make sure we scored when
we were on top, which was what OSsett had failed to do at the
start of the half.
OTL never gave up though, and with after being frustrated with
the morning’s outcome did manage to hook a late, late goal into
the top corner, despite Lewis getting fingertips to the effort that
made it 5-2 in the end.
But wow! What an impressive performance by everyone, Jacob just
edging star player from Zac and Connor as M-O-T-M showing
real maturity in keeping his position, doing the important holding
role and also weighing in with an early goal and a couple of direct
assists. He will be wearing the Spiel-Fuhrer German captain’s
armband next week on the hill at Greetland.
My emergency defensive and flood the midfield formations were
not needed as the young and closer to men young men did their
jobs to perfection, hardly a misplaced pass nor a gaping hole in
their formation to appear, despite having to move it around with
Daniel’s leg strain. All the parents enjoyed the performance and
even the weather was on our side as we have that important first
win from an initially close encounter, our tactics and willingness
to shoot from distance and play it over or past defenders paying
off. A lot of good defensive work as well limiting the Lightning to
the occasional strike, but last line Lewis made our goal net seem
very small!
Next week a change to the original fixtures as we go to Greetland
to try and replicate what we did today! We are second in the
league after the first week’s fixtures, Wyke winning 7-1 to go into
first.