Although we were away from home, it felt like a home game as we were playing in Cottingham. The good weather we had enjoyed in previous weeks had gone & we were again faced with wet & muddy conditions, However, the consolation for our hardy supporters was that the Pavilion was serving hot drinks & bacon butties, which must have been very tempting on such a damp morning.
Match 1
Taylor took over the captain's armband for the first half & formed a solid defensive partnership with Harry. JoshC stepped up to be goalie for the first match & did a great job in very difficult circumstances. As he showed throughout, he's a good shot stopper & has a great kick on him.
Although we had the majority of possession, East Riding proved to be a skillful team & took advantage of one of their few goalmouth opportunities to open the scoring.
In the second half, we were led by Joel who put in a storming display at the heart of our defence. Determined to get a goal back, we had plenty of chances to score, but we were thwarted by a combination of good goalkeeping & just not quite being on target. William, Ewan & Dylan all went close & it was very much against the run of play when East Riding increased their lead. Despite lots more pressure from us, we weren't able to break their defence down & East Riding ran out winners 2-0.
Match 2
As the rain came down again, we set off determined to convert our possession in the first match into goals. Unfortunately, Kieran was feeling unwell after a strong performance in midfield in the first match & wasn't able to continue. (Get well soon Kieran!)
Again in this match, we had plenty of possession & pushed forward in an attempt to take the lead. Unfortunately this left space at the back for East Riding, but thanks to some great defending by our captain JoshL & Harry, we were able to keep them at bay. Benson was back in goal for this match & again put in one of the confident displays we have become used to over the season.
In the second half we were convinced we could win & our efforts finally paid off when Ben scored a well taken goal. Despite a concerted effort by our opponents to equalise, our team held out for a thoroughly deserved 1-0 win.
The penalty competition was just as closely competed as the matches themselves & there were plenty of great shots & saves despite the sticky conditions.
There were plenty of candidates who deserved to be chosen as "Man of the Match" but it was awarded to Joel for his great defensive display.
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