Our Prep VI boys’ football team travelled to Platt Lane this morning to compete in the AJIS U11 Football Plate Finals. Ten teams took part across two groups, guaranteeing at least four games in which to showcase our skills.
Our opening match was against King’s Macclesfield. The 4–1 score line did not really reflect the balance of the game. King’s managed to score directly from a corner — one that even Mr. Suter might have struggled to reach — and added a breakaway goal right at the end. In truth, we created plenty of chances ourselves, with Victor, Elijah and Carter repeatedly testing the King’s goalkeeper. Ben poked home our goal from close range, much to his own — and his watching mum’s — surprise.
There was little time to dwell on what might have been as we moved straight into our next game against St Bede’s. Once again, the scoreline didn’t fully reflect our performance. This was probably our best football of the day, as we stayed well organised and moved the ball around confidently. A little more awareness at the back when under pressure might have helped us avoid turning back into danger areas, and ultimately that proved costly. Despite a superb strike from Victor, we finished on the wrong end of a 3–1 result.
A break between games gave the boys a chance to regroup and reflect on areas for improvement before facing Kirkham. They clearly listened. We kept our shape well and took a surprise 1–0 lead thanks to a low strike from Victor. Noah nearly doubled the advantage with a thunderous effort from 30 yards, but the Kirkham goalkeeper tipped it over the bar. As time ticked down, Mr. Suter was frantically trying to prevent too many cavalry charges forward. We nearly paid the price when Kirkham broke on the counter, but a last-ditch tackle from Asa preserved our lead and secured a well-deserved victory.
Our final group game was against Bury Grammar School. From watching them earlier, we knew they were a strong side — and they eventually went on to win the tournament. We needed to stay disciplined and track their runners, but unfortunately we didn’t quite manage that. Despite going close ourselves, it took some excellent saves from William “The Cat” and strong defending from Ibrahim to keep the score down to 5–0.
Finishing fourth in our group meant we faced Abbeygate in the Plate competition, after they had placed third in theirs. Despite their bright red shirts, we seemed to struggle to pick them out on the pitch, and some loose marking allowed them to build a two-goal lead as their attackers found themselves unmarked. However, the boys showed great resilience. Two quickfire goals from Victor brought the score back to 2–2 and momentum was firmly on our side. We pushed hard for the winner, but a clearance from one of our attacks split our defence and Abbeygate raced through to restore their lead. With time running out we pressed for an equaliser that would have taken the game to penalties, but just before the final whistle as we committed players forward Abbeygate struck again on the counter to seal a 4–2 victory.
Despite the results, the boys showed determination, resilience and some excellent football throughout the tournament. They played some good football at times, were encouraging of each other, and will surely benefit from the experience when they run out for their next match. Thanks too for the parents that came to support – the boys certainly raised their game knowing you were watching!