Badgers Vs Finchfied

Finchfield Badgers 2 v1 Yardley Badgers

Goal scorer:   Jarhead

 After our home fixture with Finchfield when we loaned two players and drew 1-1 we were expecting an easy morning away trip to The Royal Wolverhampton School. We were fielding a stronger than normal squad with some players returning from Second team duties to help out their old team. We had a full eleven with two adults as did Finchfield.

The first half was a frantic affair with both teams battling to get the upper hand. It was end to end stuff and both keepers were called to make saves throughout the half. Yardley’s speed on and off the ball, combined with excellent pressure when the opposition had the ball was the difference, but Yardley getting one goal was disappointing after so much hard work produced many chance but failed to put in.

 The home team used their adults all over the pitch, pushing high into the Yardley defence to drive the killer ball into the waiting strikers. The Yardley defence dealt with these forays easily and they also linked up to their midfield to start counterattacking moves. The Yardley Badger’s goal was a well drilled “pass and move” display “letting the ball do the work”. From our own 16m line John Ballard passed to our left back Edan who passed it back to John who then returned the pass to Edan, he ran a ten yards forward and passed it to our left winger Kyle. He ran into the “D” and crossed to our waiting man on the back post Jarhead to shoot and score. Many more chances came Yardley’s way this half but unfortunately they either went wide or the keeper saved the efforts.

 The Yardley half time talk tried to focus the team on more composure and “to let the ball to do all the work”.

 Unfortunately, within the first four minutes of the second half the home team got two quick goals. Both were half-hearted efforts, but with a lapse in concentration from the visitors and poor judgment from the Yardley keeper (Paul Jarvis) who was high off his line, it gifted them the lead. A bit shell shocked Yardley tried to steady the rocking ship and went back to basics. This rapidly returned Yardley Badgers composure and to their credit they again got chances to score. Actually more chances than in the first half.

But the high tempo work rate eventually told on the midfielders and the defence was left on many occasions to fend off the home teams attacks. The defenders of Jack, Edan and John worked brilliantly together and held the line strong for the rest of the game. Jack actually made a run, the length of the whole pitch after tackling the Finchfield player on our own 16m back line. After the tackle he drove into space and at the half way line went past an opponent, and then continued into the attacking 23m and crossed into the “D”. No goal but it inspired the team to work even harder and they dug deep. They pressured the adults more, running around them, passing around them and flooding the “D” to get an equaliser.  It was a great game of hockey, frantic, fast and free flowing. Both teams came off the pitch tired but happy about the whole performance. The Finchfield adults were especially tired and said “this first half was the toughest half  they have experienced this season”. Next week a home game against Barford Tigers.