Badgers Vs Old Silhillians

Old Sills 1 v 0 Yardley Badgers

This was an evenly balanced game with both teams playing with confidence. The home team constantly managed to pass through the visitors’ midfield to the wide players. The wide players happily ran at the Yardley defences whilst their support rapidly joined in the middle. Fortunately, the Yardley defence of Sean, Aeysha and Paul cut out most of these attacks before any danger could get to our keeper Anthony. Only four shots in the visitors’ “D” all game.

Yardley played a slower  build up style of play trying to battle through the congested central areas. Zak, Cem and Dawood worked really hard on and off the ball in these central areas. The visitors won many short corners and got away many attempts at goal throughout the game with their four forward players all pressing the home defence continuously throughout the game.

The Yardley Coach decided with fifteen minutes to go, a change of tactics was needed otherwise the game looked to be heading to a 0-0 draw. Aeysha was pushed into midfield alongside her brother Zak, to try and breakdown the stubborn Old Sils defence. This increased the visitors’ presence in the home team’s “D” for long periods. The shots at goal unfortunately were ether saved or went narrowly wide. The high press by Yardley was putting the Old Sils defence under constant pressure and many chances fell inside the final 23rd yard line. But to Old Sils credit they held firm and handled the pressure of defending for long periods.

Throughout the game the visitors constantly won penalty corners whereas Old Sils didn’t win none. But throughout the game the home team pressured the Yardley players on the ball, giving very little time to find clear passes. The home team was more comfortable running at pace with the ball and got many counter attacks down the flanks when we high pressed.

With five minutes to go Old Sils again broke down a Yardley attack in their “D” and rapidly passed the ball down their right wing. This was then passed further down the wing, exposing a two on one situation. The winger ran at the final defender and then passed across goal to the supporting left winger who had broken away from her marker. Her shot was initially saved by Anthony and then the rebound. It was now a three verses three situation as the third Yardley defender had got back into position. But to the Old Sils attacker’s credit she remained calm under the defences pressure and slotted home the winning goal as Anthony was still grounded and the Yardley defender off balance. With only minutes of the game left Yardley again pressed high to get a just reward for all the attempts on goal and hard effort they had put into the game. In the final moments Aeysha put in a cracking shot come cross and it beat the keeper, but was stopped in the line by a defender, then Zak had a shot soon afterwards in the final minute but was deflected to one of our forwards on the line who swung his stick at the ball and it looked to be going in, only for a great save by a defender stopping the equaliser on the line.

For Yardley to come away with nothing on such a strong performance feels disappointing, but tactically the Old Sils defence soaked up the pressure and got Yardley on the counter attack too often. A slightly different approach by Yardley could have changed the outcome but in the heat of a game and seeing great attacking play, the Coach didn’t want to change the positive direct approach.