AFC Totton
U18s Take on Title Chasing Portchester
This week the U18’s took on an AFC Portchester team who, if they’d won today, could go top of the table so they were not a team to be under estimated.
The last outing between these two teams saw the young stags go down 9-0 in their second game of the season, but they have come a long way since then and we have seen steady progress over the last month. They will have been feeling confident too after taking a point last week against another top of the table team, Winchester Castle.
As the home game started it was clear that it was going to be an intense affair with both teams getting the ball down and chasing every opportunity, pushing their opponents back into their own half.
The game was a little stop start with every perceived foul bringing the game to a stop rather than allowing the advantage to be played, which for both teams would have created some opportunities and a bit more free flowing football.
In the first half the football was very much centred between the two 18 yard boxes with the odd run into the corners for the appropriate cross, but it’s fair to say that neither goal keeper was particularly busy and the only notable event of the half was the fire alarm going off in the main stand.
Half time 0 – 0, a really encouraging performance against a good Portchester side.
With the sound of the fire alarm intermittently cheering the boys on, until it was finally silenced, the second half was underway and both teams came out looking for the win. It was the young stags, however, who took control 5 minutes into the second half.
An excellent ball through to Joe Murray from Charlie Hennen, allowed Joe to race forward between the Portchester defence and just as the keeper went down for the save, Joe’s chipped the ball over and into the net. 1-0 to the home side.
This situation seemed to lift both teams. Portchester, perhaps under estimating the young stags ability after the previous meeting, started to add pressure and test the Totton defence, while the home team continued to chase down opportunities looking for a 2nd goal.
The Totton defensive team of Jack Webb, George Ockwell, Ryan Gill and Mitchell Wood soaked up the pressure well, backed up by Konrad Szymaniak, in goal who, on the few occasions Portchester broke through, made some excellent saves including a one on one, where he spread himself wide and knocked the ball out for a corner. We also saw Konrad acrobatically flying through the air twice to push the ball high over his crossbar, saving certain goals.
An anxious moment saw Ryan Gill and one of the Portcester team, who were both going for the ball, clash heads hard and both players collapse on the ground. Thankfully, after the appropriate stoppage and attention, Ryan was able to continue, however, Portchester made a substitution.
The match continued with the same intensity and the midfield of Harry Prisk, Charlie Hennen, James Bennett and Tom Rose started to control the game moving the ball up and down the pitch and using width when appropriate. Joe in partnership with Calum Hellyar, continued to make their runs and causing some frustration between the Portchester back four.
Substitution for Totton saw one of the U16 players, Ethan Anders, replace Calum who appeared to take a knock and needed to come off.
As one of the Totton balls went forward over the Portchester defence it looked like their keeper would deal with it, but Joe put on a sprint and some pressure, forcing a mistake and nicking the ball off the keeper. This forced some drastic action from the keeper and Joe was brought down in the box for a penalty.
Confidently and with an air of calmness, Tom Rose spotted the ball and sent the keeper the wrong way, slipping the ball into the right hand corner of the net, 2-0.
Again both teams lifted by this goal and the remaining 20 minute was a hard fought affair with the Porchester team struggling to get into a rhythm and the Totton side calmly continuing to control the game, making the appropriate tackles and defending well as a unit, seeing the game out for their first league win of the season.
Thanks to Kris Hellyar for running the line and to Lee Bugler who stepped up and helped Jamie on the sidelines in the absence of Sam Roberts.
Starting Line Up: (Keeper) Konrad Szymaniak, (Defence) Jack Webb, George Ockwell (C), Ryan Gill, Mitchell Wood (Midfield) Tom Rose, Harry Prisk, Charlie Hennen, James Bennett, (Strikers) Joe Murray, Calum Hellyar*
Subs: Nathan Jones, Seb Szymula, Ethan Anders*
