A busy afternoon for our U14 boys, playing Leehurst Swan, Moyles Court and Ballard.

The team quickly managed to adjust their game and formation to a '6-a-side' mode! We were lucky to have a strong squad of players which meant we could rotate around and keep legs fresh for the intensity of a tournament.

First up was was Moyles court. With Oli B and Oli W in defence and Lucas in goal, the team looked confident. Ben, Freddie and Joey made up the rest of the team and started to play the ball around well with some controlled one touch passing. We struggled to convert in the first half, missing some good opportunities. Archie and Felix showed some impressive defending, trying to protect Lucas in goal. Robert came on second half and instantly made an impact, pushing the team forward and playing a great cross in for Joey to finish. Text book run, being in the right place at the right time...a modern day Gary Lineker!

The second game saw us face Ballard who we knew would be strong. From the off, FSM were keen to get stuck in and were straight in, making their presence known. Ben managed to cover every part of the pitch in the first half, showing a great engine and work rate.Freddie unfortunately was carrying an injury but made his mark, showing good positional sense. FSM withstood a lot of pressure from Ballard and the work rate of Robert meant he stole 2 great opportunities to convert goals. A successful result for FSM, securing us a spot in the final.

We then played Leehurst Swan, Felix started to push in a more forward position...and we thought a goal may be on the cards for him. Archie showed a little more creativity, pushing forward with pace and strength. Oli B started to develop more of his midfield game and we created chances. Theo showed composure in defence making an important contribution. Unfortunately we conceded a goal when we left a player unmarked but he team pushed forward for the final against Ballard.

The final starting line up was Lucas in goal, Oli W and Ben in defence, Oli B and Robert in Midfield and Joey forward. Ballard certainly stepped up to the final and we conceded early on, despite and excellent save from Lucas in the build up. Oli W had an outstanding game at the back, winning tackles. Ben managed to try and push the ball forward creating half chances against a strong Ballard team. It was tough to come back from after defeating Ballard in the group stages, but Ballard's finishes were fantastic.

Well done to the squad, your work rate was excellent. Moving forward we work on being strong in the challenge and putting away those half chances!

Thank you to Moyles for a great tournament.