Eagles u11 Rebels

The last game of the year saw the U11 Rebels take on Hucknall Sports for the first time on a cold December morning.

The Rebels were slow to get going in an even first half but slowly started to get their game together and in the second half, played some of their best football of the season, getting the ball out to the wide players and passing the ball around the edge of the box to make chances, while the defenders were not letting anything past them.

As both teams had large squads, we played an extra 20 minute game to give the girls some extra game time and after that we had a 'Festive' penalty shoot out, which was enjoyed by all the girls.

A big Thank You to Hucknall Sports for joining in with the fun and contributing to an entertaining game.

 

Arnold Eagles First v Arnold Town

Final Score 4-1

 

We knew this game would be a tough test of our progress against an Arnold Town side that narrowly beat us 4-3 in the first game of the season.

 

Arnold Town are a competitive and physically strong side that are well organised and we knew we would have to work hard to get the win. The plan was to use our formation, mobility and pace to really take the game to them. The first 15 minutes didn’t quite go to plan we started a little tentatively and it took us a while to settle. We did create 3 chances in this period but our finishing was a bit tame and wayward, Lou had to be on her toes to save a long range shot and prevent us going behind. 

 

The breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Nat broke free on the left hand side and curled a sublime shot around the keeper and into the far corner from the narrowest of angles. Only 3 minutes later we were 2-0 up when Amy produced the pass of the game, curling a perfectly weighted ball from the right, between the opposition left-back and centre-half for Nat to run onto and slot past the keeper.

 

Arnold Town are particularly dangerous from set pieces and they pulled a goal back on 24 minutes when they were able to head in a well taken corner. This didn’t really alter the flow of our play and we created 3 more good chances before half time. The pick of which was when Hannah floated in a precision free kick putting Nat clean through but she dragged her shot agonisingly wide.

 

With the score at only 2-1 our half time talk was all about looking after the ball better and making sure we did not concede in the first fifteen minutes of the second half as we expected Arnold Town to come out very strong in search of an equaliser. They certainly did exactly that and for the first 10 minutes of the half we were largely pinned into our own half. Lou made 3 fine saves in fairly quick succession, palming 2 long range shots over the bar and then pulling off her best save of the game. A shot through a crowded box took a deflection but somehow Lou managed to change direction and go sprawling to her left to tip the shot around the post. So it was with some relief when Hannah won a vital tackle in midfield on 56 minutes to set Nat clean through to fire home and complete her hat-trick. 

 

The passion and determination from both sides was evident and sometimes the competitiveness spilled over but the referee was strongand controlled the game well. Shortly after an Arnold Town player had been booked, at the other end of the pitch Nat was brought down for the umpteenth time and showed her frustration when she didn’t get the free kick, and the ref sin binned her for 10 minutes. 

 

That 10 minutes showed me how much this team has grown in terms of mental strength and game management. Everyone stood up to be counted, the work-rate went through the roof, I estimated that the possession stats for that 10 minutes for us would have been about 80%. We worked really hard to keep the ball and kill time and when we did lose it we worked twice as hard to get it back. The opposition were clearly frustrated that they had not been able to use there player advantage. 

 

To her credit Nat returned to the action calmer and very focused and with 8 minutes to go Demi set her up to shoot past the on-rushing keeper and complete the scoring. This was a tough game and a great win for us. To both teams credit, despite the competitiveness it was all left on the pitch, with handshakes and respect shown by both sides after the final whistle.

 

Nat’s fourth goal was our 100th League goal since the team was set up at the start of last season, a fine achievement from only 24 league games. However, although the goals and goal-scorers often get the headlines we all know that this is a team game and to me the fact that we have only conceded 30 goals in those 24 games shows how hard this team works.

 

The defensive unit of Lou, Alex, Shauna, Courtney and Chloe were superb, the only goal Arnold Town scored came from a corner, they never really looked like scoring from open play. The chances that they were able to create were fewer because the midfield engine room of Shell, Jen and Hannah again produced a dominant display. This allowed the wide players, Demi and Amy to express themselves and ensure Nat got plenty of service and we know what she does when she gets that kind of service. Nat was also named Player of the Match.

 

Ellie Sims only featured late in the game due to us protecting a slight ankle knock she was carrying. Charlie and Elli G were not risked as they are in the final stages of their recovery from injury. 

 

We have more players returning from injury and there is great competition for places, those currently playing are doing so well that I will clearly have a few selection headaches after the Christmas break. It is a great problem to have and the squad is in fine shape and good spirits. Which is a good job as we look to step up our performances even more in the second half of the season and get further up the table.

 

So far so good and from all in the First Team we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2020.