1st Game
🟠⚫ Rushall Village vs Brewood Jnrs
Brewood usually play a group above us, so this was a great chance to see where the boys are at. Early on, you could see Brewood were well organised, passing and moving confidently. Despite that, we grew into the game and put together some nice moves of our own.
Unfortunately, one of our forward passes was intercepted, and Brewood played their striker in behind our defence. He found himself one on one with the keeper and finished well.
At half‑time we asked the boys to press harder and chase the ball more. Rio and Dhillon really took this on board, and the whole game shifted. We looked the more dangerous team, with Dhillon hitting the post and Rio going close. Brewood barely created anything in the second half.
The ball then fell to Freddie on the edge of the box, he struck it first time and it was flying in, only for it to smash into a defender’s face, which almost certainly stopped a goal. What a strike and goal that would have been. We pushed for the equaliser right to the end, Tommy getting into the wide spaces to create something, but we ran out of time.
A decent performance against a team from a higher group, but we can do better.
🟠⚫ Rushall Village vs Burntwood Dr. Lions
Another test against a team from a higher group and another chance to challenge ourselves. We rotated the starting line‑up, but the boys began poorly. Concentration was missing, and switching off allowed Burntwood to score in the first minute.
This set the tone early, and we were immediately up against it. Adam worked hard up front, being vocal and trying to organise the team, but he didn’t get many clear chances. Then came a tough moment, a Burntwood throw in was taken quickly while our players weren’t switched on, and they ran through to score again.
Dhillon, who volunteered to go in goal, made two absolutely brilliant saves to keep us in the game, huge moments that gave us a lifeline.
Just before half‑time, Adam received the ball from Freddie on the left, something Freddie did well throughout, and drove down the line. He cut inside and hit a low, powerful shot against the post. Rio reacted quickest and finished the rebound to pull one back.
The second half saw some good football from us. Oscar and Koby made strong defensive tackles, Dhillon showed great footwork, Rio looked dangerous on the break. At times we looked the better side, but Burntwood kept pushing too. Koby tracked back brilliantly to make a sliding block that prevented a certain goal.
Late on, we conceded a free‑kick in a dangerous area. It was struck really well, and the game ended before we could respond.
Players of the Match
🏆 Parents’ Player of the Match – Dhillon
Dhillon produced some brilliant moments today — quick feet, confident dribbling, good passing, and two fantastic saves when he volunteered to go in goal. Always polite, always supportive, and always improving.
Well done, mate! 👏🏆
🏆 Managers’ Player of the Match – Rio
Rio scored again today and was unlucky not to have more. He attacked well, passed nicely, and worked incredibly hard for the team. His attitude and work rate were excellent throughout.
Well done, Rio! 👏🏆
Final Thoughts 💭
Playing two sides from a higher group was always going to be a challenge, but the boys embraced it. Yes, we struggled with focus and concentration at times, and that ultimately led to goals against us, but there were plenty of positives too.
We saw good passing, strong tackling, players being vocal and supportive, and some excellent supporting runs. At times the football was really good to watch, and you could clearly see training drills being used in the games. Most importantly there were still smiles from the boys 😁
It wasn’t our day today, lads, but we go again. We’ll get back to training, keep improving, and get ready for the next Trophy Event, aiming to build on the great tournament we had last time.
Good effort, boys. 👏🟠⚫
