Match 1: Rushall Village vs Ace Bremen
Coming up against the group’s bottom side, we expected a positive outcome, but the game turned scrappy from the start. Our passing lacked its usual sharpness, and the teamwork that has been so strong in recent weeks just wasn’t clicking. It was an off day by our standards—uncharacteristic for the lads who’ve been applying their training so well lately.
We made a switch back to our regular starting team in the second half, but time ran out before we could break through. Rio came agonisingly close with a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar, and Adam had a decent chance that went just over. Defensively, we stayed solid and never looked like conceding, but we couldn’t convert our opportunities. On a better day with sharper finishing, we could easily have taken the points even without being at our peak.
Match 2: Rushall Village vs AFC Fradley Hornets
This was always going to be a bigger challenge against a strong Fradley side, and the boys knew they’d need to step up. They responded brilliantly early on—passing crisply, moving into dangerous areas, and looking much more like the team we know.
Unfortunately, a moment of poor defending allowed Fradley to draw level. The lads bounced back strongly, with quick passing and great movement leading to another well-worked team move that put us back in front—showcasing what we’re capable of when playing together.
But just before half-time, Fradley levelled again, which knocked our confidence a bit. Frustration crept in, heads dipped, and our play suffered as a result. We struggled to regain control in the second half, and Fradley added two more—one from a free-kick and another late on—to take the win.
Overall Reflections
A disappointing day by our high standards—we only showed flashes of our best football, but those moments led to big chances. Too many uncharacteristic errors and a lack of rhythm held us back.
This is our first tournament as a group, so there are valuable lessons here. We’ll head back to training, reset, work on the basics, and push hard to finish the competition strongly. We want to end it in a position we can all be proud of—plenty more to come from these boys!
Players of the Match 🏆 Parents’ Player: Rio
Incredible effort throughout—worked tirelessly up front and back, put in excellent defensive tackles, and gave everything. Fully deserved recognition!
🏆 Manager’s Player: Dhillon
Always positive, great attacking contributions, and showing constant improvement week by week. Gave everything today—brilliant attitude and performance!
Heads up, lads – we go again next week! Keep believing and working hard.
