Badgers Vs KIngswinford

Yardley Badgers  .v.  Kingswinford.

Score:   2-2  

Before the match, both captains  agreed to play to the  old Badgers rules with three adults allowed and they can enter the opponents “D” (but not allowed score). Also due to school holidays both teams were missing keepers so played with kicking backs.

Our three adults were all seventeen and were positioned across the back. This left our youngsters the chance to shine in the middle of the pitch. Straight from the start the home team played positive hockey. Unfortunately individual play started to overcome the whole team. Many players trying to dribble past three or four opponents. This was to the detriment of good inter-passing play in the midfield. It was like a virus and more and more players tried to dribble through the whole of the Kingswinford team. Frustratingly the Coach was the Umpire so couldn't enforce the wrong decisions his players were making. The adults on the visitors team were very experienced with their adult Captain dominating the midfield, winning possession and bringing his players into the game. The experience was the difference between the teams and stopped our talented youngsters from winning the game by a big margin. Yardley took the lead early on through Ahyesha Dean  and got into the “D” on many other occasions. The visitors equalised near the end of the first half but Yardley soon regained the lead before the half time whistle. Our new player, Zak Sulayman got the goal.  For short periods the home team did start to pass quickly and brake away on mass as a team passing and moving. Unfortunately the team lost the shape a lot this half and were defending for long periods with the visitors hitting the post twice and having shots going narrowly wide. The home team defended well but the pressure eventually told and the equaliser came with five minutes left to play. Individuals again tried to do too much to get the winner by going on solo runs which was admirable  but again resulted in lost possession, Going past three to four opponents then getting tackled in the “D”!!

Badgers please can we play as a team next week as the tougher opponents will punish us.