AFC Totton
U18s Fight Back To Earn A Respectable Draw
Sunday saw the U18s take on Winchester Castle in the League and come up against a team they have played twice already this season. The previous two games saw Winchester put 6 goals past the team each time, so it was always going to be a tough match for the young Stags.
Today’s match was away and the team knew from their previous encounter in November that the pitch is very small and not particularly smooth and Winchester generally play it to their advantage.
After a short silence to pay respects to the players lost in the South American plane crash, it appeared that Winchester Castle had the upper hand again, passing the ball and using their better players well and it appeared that it was going to be another repeat of the previous two outings as the first goal was conceded by Totton within the first 10 minutes. A slow start from the team appeared to be giving Winchester the advantage and after another 10 minutes Winchester struck again and it was 2-0.
Shortly afterwards a substitution for Totton saw Tom Rose move from the Central Midfield Defensive (CDM) role to take the captains arm band and replace George Ockwell at Centre Back, who has been carrying an injury, allowing Alex Haynes to come on in the CDM role.
This move sparked a little lift into the team with Alex, who is currently going through trials for the England College Boys, getting the ball down and out to his team mates and generating a little more width to the teams play.
For the next 25 minutes the Totton U18’s looked a different side and pushed the Winchester team back into their half with wave after wave of attack, down the wings and through the centre, causing the Winchester defence some real issues and their keeper to make a number of saves. Lots of cynical fouls from the Winchester team were being rewarded by free kicks and it felt like game on.
Despite the relentlessness of the Totton pressure, goals were missing and although Joe Murray had the ball in the back of the net, it was ruled offside. Winchester must have been relieved to get to half time with their 2 goal lead intact.
With the winter light fading fast and a chill in the air, the 2nd half got under way and Winchester came out with some intent, but the Totton defensive team of Tom Rose, Ryan Gill, Mitchell Wood and Jack Webb cut out most of the play before it got to Konard Szymaniak in goal.
Today’s game saw Jack and Mitchell progress up the wings a little, helping to push the Winchester team back and it wasn’t too long before we were back to the way the 1st half had ended, with the Winchester team being pegged back in their half.
Some real solid midfield work from Alex Haynes, Harry Prisk, Charlie Hennen and Morgan Callaway, chasing down balls and making some important tackles, meant that Joe and Calum Hellyar, playing together up front, could make their runs.
Winchester again seemed to be giving away foul after foul and not dealing with the pressure too well and eventually Totton got their just rewards from a corner when Alex Haynes poked home a ball bouncing around in the danger area, bring the score to 2-1.
Totton continued the pressure, spreading the ball well and working for hard to close down Winchester when they were in possession and about 15 minutes from the end some excellent work in midfield saw Harry pass to Charlie, who put an excellent ball through to Calum to run onto and slip it past the Winchester keeper to level the game.
The remainder of the game was going to be tense; with Winchester pushing for a 3rd, but the Totton defence stood sound and repelled the attacks getting ball out to a midfield that got it forward once again.
One more substitution with James Bennett coming on for Alex and the pressure continued. Using the wings well and once again Totton had the ball in the back of the net, courtesy of Harry, who picked up the scraps after the Winchester keeper flapped at a cross and failed to clear it, however, he was deemed to have been fouled in the process.
A few more chances again presented themselves at both ends, but at the final whistle that’s how the game finished, 2-2.
Better shape to the team today with more attacks coming down the wings and a real desire to take the fight to Winchester gave the team a point. Perhaps it should have been more, but against a team, who are sitting towards the top of the table and have many 2nd year U18’s, this was a positive result for the young Stags.
Starting Line Up: (Keeper) Konard Szymaniak, (Defence) Jack Webb, George Ockwell (C), Ryan Gill, Mitchell Wood (Midfield) Tom Rose, Harry Prisk, Charlie Hennen, Morgan Callaway, (Strikers) Joe Murray, Calum Hellyar
Subs: Nathan Jones, James Bennett (on for Alex), Alex Haynes (on for George), Jordan Keeling, Tom Lycett, Bradley Taylor
