Sunday 2 December
Frinton and Walton 3 – Earls Colne 2
Atrocious weather, atrocious football. This was by all standards a terrible display. We have played much stronger teams and been soundly beaten, yet I have been pleased with the effort and determination of the boys. Today we gave Frinton all three goals and particularly in the second half, struggled to get the ball into their half. Always second to the ball, our passing was shocking and our control… terrible. At training a couple of weeks ago a parent commented on how much progress the boys had made – rightly so. All the more reason why I left the ground fuming at our comical display.
In the first half we dominated the game, with Luke and Harry breaking through repeatedly, however we didn’t score. Then we gave F&W their first goal, nodding the ball gently into the path of an attacker who gratefully accepted the gift and neatly scored. The goal sharpened our thinking, and moments later Louis sent Harry through again. As he hit the ball first time I started to mouth that he should have taken more time, but then I saw the ball in the net and I promptly shut up.
With new confidence we drove on. Daniel was playing well and was seeing a lot of the ball, and Harry and Luke always looked a threat. Then we won a corner, and after an initial clearance Luke picked the ball up on the extremities of the penalty area. From there he drifted a curling ball beyond the diminutive keeper. Smiles all round. Then we gave away another goal – a slippery ball, wet surface, whatever, the ball dribbled in.
Then the second half started and we stopped. We stopped thinking, competing, playing. Thomas helped keep the score down with some good work, but it was F&W’s poor finishing which was really keeping the score down. I can’t recall us fashioning a shot on goal. Suddenly the team that we beat 3-1 looked a whole league better than us. To round off a horrible day we crashed the ball into our own net from a dubious corner.
I hope my words at the end were taken in the right way. We all need supportive guidance but we sometimes also need a reality check. The game is now in the past, and on Friday we will resume training just like any other week - laughing and enjoying ourselves, but hopefully with a conviction not to let ourselves down in such a manner again.
No man of the match this week.
