1st Game
Rushall Village vs Brewood Jnrs
After that high-scoring win before the Easter break, we were really looking forward to getting back out there and keeping the momentum going. Unfortunately, even though the game felt like it was there for us, we just couldn’t find our usual attacking edge.
We struggled to get the ball moving forward with any real purpose. Early on, a tricky bouncing ball wasn’t dealt with cleanly, our defence couldn’t get back in time, and Brewood punished us to take the lead.
We tried to fight our way back into it. Tommy was probably our brightest spark — he looked sharp, made some good runs, and created a couple of decent chances. But overall we didn’t play the kind of football we know we’re capable of, and the game gradually slipped away from us.
A frustrating afternoon, especially knowing we had the quality to get something from the match if we’d played to our normal standard.
2nd Match
Rushall Village vs AFC Wolves Spartans
We knew this one was going to be a big challenge — Wolves Spartans are top of the group and have been winning their games comfortably. We’d need to be right at it from the first whistle.
Sadly, we didn’t get off to the start we wanted and didn’t really build on anything from the first game. We were too hesitant going forward, often dropping the ball backwards instead of pushing on. Dhillon tried to make things happen with some good turns, but he was quickly closed down with very little support.
We found ourselves well behind before half-time and frustration started to creep in.
The second half was a different story though. We made a few changes and finally started playing some proper football. Rio went really close with a curling shot that just whistled past the post, Koby put in some strong tackles and blocks, Freddie made a brilliant save, Adam drove us forward whenever he could, and Oscar worked his socks off.
We did concede again, but the improvement in attitude and effort was obvious for everyone to see.
A difficult week overall, but there were definitely some positives to take from that second half.
Players of the Match 🏆
Managers Player – Tommy
Tommy had a really bright, energetic game. He was always looking to go forward, showed some excellent skills and clever passes, and played with real intent. Thoroughly deserved.
Parents Player – Oscar
Oscar showed brilliant resilience all day. He kept battling, worked incredibly hard for the team, made some strong tackles, and put in a solid shift in goal during the first match. Top effort, Oscar.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a tough week for the lads. We didn’t quite show the attacking, passing football we know they can produce — the style they’ve shown plenty of times before. That cost us in both games, but there were still some good moments to pick out.
We saw flashes of decent play, some strong defending, and plenty of players showing real fight and determination when things weren’t going our way. These are the games that help the boys learn and grow.
We’re still waiting on other results, but as far as we know we’re not out of the competition yet. So we’ll dust ourselves down, work hard in training, and come back stronger next week.
Heads up boys — we go again.
