Saturday 5th January @ Braemar Road
On a beautiful winter morning, the lads from The Ton dusted off their boots for the first time in a month and took a step back from the last turkey sandwich! Still smarting from the last game they played (a 6-1 defeat to Aston) the lads were determined to set the record straight by claiming a much needed three points.
The team talk before the game had been about staying strong and not wimping out of challenges, as well as playing the ball out wide to the areas of the pitch not consumed by mud! This is exactly what we did in the first ten minutes when we played the ball into the right channel for the lightening quick Callum to latch onto. Despite their best efforts, the Aston defence just could not catch up with Callum as he sprinted clear before calmly slotting the ball away for a 1-0 lead. It was the kind of run and finish that Michael Owen would have been proud of in his prime! However, Aston refused to lie down and equalised following a run that saw their player skip past four Ton players. The lads refused to let their heads drop and regained the lead moments later when a speculative Treymaine effort somehow found a way past the unfortunate keeper. Nevertheless, Aston once again rallied and equalised when a Loic cross evaded half of The Ton before landing at the feet of an Aston player. A simple finish is all that was required and the scores were level at two each. With minutes to go before half time, Treymaine got his second of the game, rifling home from the right hand side of the area.
With a 3-2 lead to build on, we talked at half time about the need to be first to the ball and to basically ‘man-up’ and win the ball. This is exactly what we did during the second half and as a result we were able to score two goals with no reply. Firstly Karter finished into the top right hand corner following a goal mouth scramble and then Treymaine raced clear of the Aston back line to complete his hat-trick. However the most pleasing thing about the second half wasn’t the goals that we scored, but the way in which we defended as a team. Josh Subhan was absolutely immense in the centre of the park, winning every ball and throwing his body on the line in a way that very few players would even dream of. At the back, the defence was solid and compact, with Jayden dropping back following his recent efforts in midfield and adding a touch of composure to proceedings. Special mention should also go to Callum who caused Aston no end of troubles and created havoc every time he had the ball at his feet. In fact, every player deserves a special mention because it was a truly great team performance!
Man of the match I hear you say…well it was a ridiculously difficult decision to make and I could have given it to any one of four or five players. However, to score a hat-trick and not win man of the match would be pretty harsh, so Trey wins it this week. Although I genuinely mean it when I say it was an exceptionally tough decision.
I am so proud of you boys for the way in which you’ve picked yourself up following the 6-1 defeat before Christmas and the type of football that you played yesterday! What a team! What a cracking bunch of lads!
We’ve got a great experience on the horizon next week with an away game against Gloucester. A genuinely real away game! The Ton are going nationwide! The journey continues!
Enjoy your first week back at school lads and roll on next Saturday!
Team: Alex, Sam, William, Michael, Jayden, Ellis-Jay, Treymaine, Cedric, Josh S, Sahib, Callum Subs: Bailey, Zane, Karter, Ethan
Scorers: Treymaine x 3, Callum, Karter
Up the Ton!
Erdington and Saltley Primary Schools' FA 