Charles Whitehead, Manager of our new U10 League team, provides a match report for the team’s second match.
Saturday 14 September saw matchday 2 of VPFCs inaugural season as a fully fledged league club and another milestone; our first ever home fixture.
After a 3 – 0 away defeat against seasoned opposition at Wheathampstead in our first fixture we were eager to get going again. The sun was shining, the grass freshly cut and the lines marked ready to go at Aboyne Lodge on Normandy Road, our current home.
This weeks opposition AFC Walkern U10.
The first few minutes were scrappy as both teams settled into the game with lots of possession turnover and a few wayward passes. VPFC finally settled into a good rhythm in the latter parts of the quarter putting some smart passing together and at last the breakthrough came. Pushing into the oppositions penalty area Magnus found his way past two players and an oncoming goalkeeper to slot the ball into the back of the net. 1 – 0 VPFC and our first ever league goal! The rest of the quarter was well managed with William and Callan marshalling the defence and Gabriel a tower of strength in goal while Alex worked tirelessly up and down the pitch to reinforce the defence and provide support to the forward line.
Quarter two and AFC Walkern came out all guns blazing looking for the equaliser. There was little between the teams all quarter until a rasping shot from distance. Sammy, our new goalkeeper, did a brilliant job to get to it as it sailed toward the top corner but the force of the shot saw it creep into the net 1 -1. VPFC had chances. A first time goalbound shot from Albert from a delightful cross was blocked and James menaced their defence to create more chances while our the defence and midfield kept Walkern quiet
HT VPFC 1 -1 AFC Walkern
The second half was all to play for. Quarter three was another tight affair. We were playing with more fluidity going forward but slightly susceptible at the back to fast counter attack. Reuban took over in goal and was a real positive presence managing his defence well and organising Gabriel and Daniel as they formed a new defensive partnership. Ultimately Walkern punished us for not clearing our defence with a clinical finish to make it 1 – 2. The goal seemed to wake us up as we pushed hard for an equaliser. And it came deep into the quarter as Evan and Magnus teamed up brilliantly, Magnus pushing the ball forward for Evan to control and score 2 – 2.
The final quarter saw chances at both end of the pitch, Our defence was looking more settled, well covered by the midfield and we remained a real threat at the top of the pitch. As the minutes ticked down, Walkern had a spell of pressure and a big warning as they hit the post from an attack, looking particularly dangerous from corners. And so it came to be. WIth around 3 minutes left on the clock a well struck corner was neatly turned into the goal. 2 – 3 Walkern. A huge push for an equaliser came but it wasn’t to be.
FT VPFC 2 – 3 AFC Walkern
So close to our first points of the season, but the team did us proud as we continue the learning curve of league football and gave us a bucketload of confidence that we can really compete in this league.
Stay tuned for more updates on the team’s journey in this exciting new chapter for VPFC! For those still enjoying the fun and inclusive nature of our Skills section, don’t worry – our core focus remains on developing football skills in a non-competitive, enjoyable environment.
Let’s keep cheering on the U10s and supporting all of our players across the club!
