Friday 14th July 2017 @ Hollyfields Club
Erdington and Saltley ‘Gold’ 2-1 Phoenix Rangers u12s
Erdington and Saltley ‘Gold’ 3 – 0 Erdington and Saltley ‘Black’
Erdington and Saltley ‘Black’ 1 – 5 Phoenix Rangers u12s
Black Team: Padraig, Buster, Bobby, Angelo, Liam, Neil, Mason, Enoch and Jamie
Goal: Liam
Man of the Match: Angelo
Gold Team: Padraig, James, Klechai, Toby, Aidan. Resharne, Reece, Cian S and Cian L
Goals: Cian S, Resharne x 2, Reece and Cian L
Man of the Match: Resharne
Once again it was an evening of mixed fortunes, albeit of an overly positive nature. As has been the case throughout June and July, 18 boys were picked for the match day squad, allowing for two completely different teams to be picked, meaning everyone was given ample game time to impress ahead of the new schools’ football season starting in September.
The first match was an all Erdington and Saltley affair, with the Gold team once again winning, just as they did a few weeks ago at Wast Hills.
The game started evenly, with both teams fully committed in a balanced midfield battle. Yet five minutes into the game the deadlock was broken when Resharne struck a stunning free kick, looping the ball high and over the Padraig. A second goal soon came and once again it was courtesy of the captain’s boot, making it a brace of goals for the evening for Resharne. Soon the game was sewn up when Cian S unleashed a rocket-like shot from close range – after all it is best to be safe than sorry! Despite the one sided look to the scoreline, there were a number of positives to take from the performance of the Black team, not least the resilient showing from Angelo at the back.
The second game of the evening saw the black team take on Phoenix Rangers from Stud Lane, Stechford. A goal behind early on, the boys equalised immediately after Callam went on a mesmerising run before putting the ball on a plate for Liam to slot away. Now on level terms, the boys unfortunately failed to push on and soon found themselves on the wrong end of a four goal deficit. Phoenix Rangers were good value for their victory and we must take lessons from defeat. Just like against Phoenix United a few weeks ago, we have to work as hard as possible for the entirety of a game, chasing every ball and fighting for every tackle. District football is unforgiving but I know we have the potential to make a success of it during the next academic year.
The third and final game of the evening provided the gold team with an opportunity to put into practice the lessons learned from the previous game and the defeat suffered by the black team. Once again we found ourselves trailing to a Phoenix Rangers goal but the boys refused to roll over and simply got on with things, dragging themselves back into the game. The equalising goal was stunning – a fierce shot from out wide via the foot of Reece. With momentum now turned, The Ton almost took the lead immediately after equalising, yet it wasn’t mean to be. However the boys didn’t have to wait long before taking the lead, when Cian L got the goal that his brilliant performance deserved. All evening his link-up play had been a delight to watch, as he teamed up superbly with Aidan and Resharne. The performance of the gold team was characterised by Toby’s drive and energy, something that was lacking in the first Phoenix Ranger encounter. More importantly this was a sign that we had learned from the lessons dished out earlier in the evening in the first Phoenix Rangers game – brilliant!
Thank you to Nobby, Jason and the Phoenix boys for such an enjoyable evening of football. The positive atmosphere throughout the evening allowed for both sets of players to play some really good football! Thank you.
Well done lads!
Up The Ton!
Erdington and Saltley Primary Schools' FA 