Bradley Challis has just sent in the latest match report. As he says, “Another great performance and win for our little Geezers.”
⚽️Harold Wood Cougars vs Gatcliffe Whites⚽️
On Sunday we were still full of joy from last weeks win, but were playing our first match away and against a team eager to get their first win! We knew that the newly formed Cougar boys would bring everything, and with home advantage we would need to be at our best.
The match kicked off with Gatcliffe under a bright high sun, with the heat certainly going to play a big part in the game. Patience and unnecessary play was going to play key if we were to keep a high tempo until the final whistle. Both teams looked the part in new kit, the all red of Gatcliffe against the yellow and black stripes of the Cougars, almost wasp like, as they man marked across the pitch.
Gatcliffe were making good use of the wings using their pace and strength to work the ball towards the opposition’s goal at every opportunity. The Cougars fought back well and at the beginning it was still anybody’s game. Simple passing and moving got the ball into a shooting opportunity and with a little shift and drop of the shoulder the Gatcliffe striker soon gave us the lead with a well taken goal.
Gatcliffe repositioned themselves and went straight back to work attacking at every chance. Soon we had our second with a quick snap shot left footed low between the Cougars keepers legs.
With a two goal lead we needed to keep our heads and not get too carried away. With some hard work winning the ball in the centre of the pitch, and some great defending at the back when needed, we went into halftime two nil up.
Water, water, water. With the boys re-hydrated and we sat down for the team talk. Positivity, high fives and smiles would provide us with the tools we needed to allow us to get back on and grab another to close out the result.
With a switch of halves we were now with the sun in our eyes so we needed to get the next goal quickly and then coast our way to a second win. As with all strikers, sitting on two goals it’s easy to try a little too hard to get the all important hat trick goal. But this was made easy with some fantastic footwork, grit and determination from our centre mid, keeping the ball in play when others would have let it go out for a throw. A cheeky little pass behind the standing defenders left for a quick touch to offset the centre back and a powerful strike into the roof of the net.
Three nil and a lovely hat trick almost had the win in the bag.
With some tired legs starting to show a few subs were needed to give rest to the hardworking Gatcliffe boys.
A break from the right wing fell to our right mid who just powered passed not one but two players surging into the box and then just powering a shot that would have taken the goalies hand off had he of got to it!
Sitting in the driving seat we let off the gas and again made a couple of subs to give more boys a well deserved rest. The Cougars all though behind were still a threat trying to catch us on the counter only to be stopped in their tracks by the now buzzing defenders and the well schooled Gatcliffe keeper running the clock down.
A three kick on the edge of the box gave us a fifth goal, the powerful shot through the wall in the bottom left gave the Cougars keeper no chance.
The last goal would be a consolation for the hardworking Cougar boys who valiantly battle right up until the whistle was blown even though the result was far gone early in the second half.
All in all today we showed a different class out there, we are making great progress with every match and long may it continue.
Good luck to the Cougars for the rest of the season ?
Man of the Match – Emmanuel. Goalscorers: Ronnie x3 & Arnold x2.
Bradley Challis