31st October 2009 (Cup Round 2)
Roman Rangers Blues 11 Preston Gawcott Jaguars 0
Team (Scorers): Cameron, Tom, Ben (1), Jacob, Matt R (2), Kit (3), Matt W (1), Joel (1), Jamie, Alex (2), Bradley (1), Kai
 
The U11 Blues enjoyed a good win on Saturday to move through to the last 16 of the Cup. With five divisions separating the teams, it should always have been a fairly straightforward fixture to negotiate, but we struggled more than once against lower division sides last season, in friendlies and in cup games. The Jaguars had beaten a Division 3 side in the first round, after all, and with our lads being down on luck and confidence at the moment, this was not a time to for the boys to show any complacency. The boys had to work hard in the opening stages to establish control over the game, but once the first couple of goals went in, we relaxed and played some good football, and it was a timely confidence boost for the lads.

Jaguars were a very friendly bunch and, like their clubmates the Pumas who we played a few weeks ago, were a credit to their club. On arrival the Jaguars coach told me that they only had the bare nine players available, and one of the nine was struggling with illness, so we agreed to play 25 minutes each way and also to reduce the game to 8-a-side if any of their players had to leave the field. Unfortunately I forgot about this in the last few minutes of the first half, when a Jaguars player had to leave the field! As usual, I was wrapped up in trying to sort out my own substitutions and so for a few minutes it was 9 against 8. With a Jaguars player unable to continue after half-time, we played the second half as an 8-a-side game, which had the effect of creating yet more space on the pitch, which the boys did well to exploit.

After 10 minutes or so, we got some of that aforementioned luck with the first goal, when Bradley hit a firm, high shot from about 18 yards out which went through the goalkeepers hands. Within a few minutes we were two up thanks to Matt W tapping in from a corner. The plan today was for Matt W to help solidify the defence with his pace and aerial ability, but given the amount of possession we were enjoying, Matt was able to push into a more familiar midfield position and had a very good game, and could easily have added a couple more goals to his personal tally. Kit had a fantastic game in the middle of midfield and put us in a very comfortable position before half-time with two stunning strikes from the edge of the box – again, they’re the sort of shots that have been hitting the woodwork or just flying over the bar in recent weeks, but today they went in.

With the game pretty much won by half-time, the priority in the second half was to mix things up and allow the boys to try out some different positions. This was a bit tricky once the game went to 8-a-side, as we had a squad of 12 and I wanted to make sure everyone had a fair amount of pitch time. Regardless of who was on the pitch, the lads continued to play some really good stuff. Games like this usually benefit neither side really, but one thing I was really pleased to see was how the lads looked more willing to pass the ball in the second half, when more and more space was available. It would have been tempting for the boys to hold on to the ball for too long and to look for personal glory, but the second-half passing was excellent, much if it involving Kai and Bradley up front, who both had fine games. Kai was very unlucky not to get on the score sheet but he did a great job for the team with his workrate and his intelligent one-touch passing. Bradley is a much better footballer when he keeps things simple, and he always looked dangerous throughout the game.

In the second half Kit completed his hat-trick, Alex scored twice to cap his best performance so far this season, and we added further goals through Joel, Ben and a couple from Matt R. Ben’s goal was his first for nearly three years, and it was nice to see the congratulations he received from his team mates, who knew how much it meant to him. Matt R was flawless throughout, in defence and midfield, and he too deserved his goals.

Jamie was the man of the match, even though he didn’t score. After the game, several of his colleagues were incredulous that he didn't score, which says it all really. He hit the bar in the second half but Jamie must have had a hand in seven or eight of the goals, and he was outstanding from start to finish. That said, even allowing for the fact that we had more space and time than usual, there were impressive performances from everyone in the squad. And of our 14 registered players, 11 have now got on the score sheet this season, which is a good sign.

We now enter that tricky period of the season when the school cross-country competition tends to play havoc with our squad. We have a friendly at Newport Pagnell next week, and then a free week on the 14th November (I've rearranged the Southside United league game for 5th December, but other than that I don't anticipate changing the dates for any other games). On the basis that performances are more important than results at the moment, it was good to see such a good team performance in this cup game, and I hope we can continue in that vein, even though key players will be missing at times in the next few weeks.

Finally, another word of thanks to the Jaguars, who never stopped working hard and who maintained their exemplary behaviour and attitude throughout the game when their heads could easily have dropped. This wasn't an easy game for either coach to plan for, but I think the game was contested in an atmosphere of fair play and mutual respect. I wish Roger and his team the best of luck for the rest of the season.