RESERVES TEAM

Double Match Report From Reserves Manager

On Saturday, February 25th, we suffered a 4-1 loss to Halstead away from home. With six players unavailable and only three substitutes, I knew it would be a challenging game, especially since Halstead is a tough place to secure a victory. We were looking for a positive response after our defeat to Hadleigh in another cup match, where we did not perform to our potential. Despite being in the game throughout, we made some defensive errors that cost us, and Liam Knights scored his third goal of the season. Nevertheless, we will pick ourselves up and prepare for our next match on Saturday at home against Whitton United reserves. I am confident that if we approach the game with the same attitude and dedication, we will earn the crucial three points. Lastly, I would like to wish Kieran Morley a speedy recovery from his injury while playing with the first team on Saturday. It is gratifying to see my former striker doing so well, and I commend Chris for giving my players an opportunity.

At Greens Meadow on Saturday, we hosted our local rivals, Whitton United Reserves. The game started off well for us as we put pressure on Whitton’s defense with Jack WR causing trouble. In fact, it was Jack who scored the first goal of the game, putting us 1-0 up in the second minute. Unfortunately, Whitton equalized soon after due to a defensive error on our part.

However, we were awarded a penalty in the 32nd minute, thanks to a clear handball by the Whitton full-back. Chase Holland successfully converted the penalty, putting us back in the lead. But our joy was short-lived as another defensive mix-up allowed Whitton to score their second equalizer just two minutes later.

To make matters worse, a late tackle by a Whitton forward on Ryan Capon, our returning goalkeeper, caused a gash on his shin. Despite our belief that it warranted at least a yellow card or red card, no action was taken. Nonetheless, Isaac Read, our young goalkeeper who has been performing consistently throughout the season, stepped up and was fantastic for the rest of the game.

At halftime, I encouraged the team not to let Whitton drag us down and to continue playing the same way. The team did just that, and impressive young Joel Simmons scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute, giving us a well-deserved 3 points.

There won’t be a game next Saturday, but we’ll be back at home on Saturday, March 18th, playing against Woodbridge Reserves. We hope to see a good crowd to support us in our quest for another 3 points. Jimmy up the Stow