Walking In A TD Wonderland!

Last game of the year and last game before Christmas the boys wanted to make sure that they finished with a bang and boy did they!

After a few weeks without a game due to the weather, the boys came into todays game against Withdean knowing that it was going to be a difficult match. Once again, these boys are just brilliant and didn't let that get to them!

Within the first few minutes, we had created some clear cut chances but ultimately it was a clever ball over the top from Withdean that won them a corner around 3 mins. From the corner, the number 3 CM for Withdean walked clear at the back post and finished well to give them the lead.

The boys didnt let their heads drop at all and from Kick off went back up the other end to get back into the game. Lewis went close several times with some fantastic efforts, with 2 coming off the post and another tipped wide by the Withdean keeper!

Cam and Dorian were linking up really well down the right and getting Sam and Jack involved too. This is where out first goal came from as the ball was won in the Right back position by Cam and played into Jack who laid it into the path of Dorian. Dorian picked it up, beat his player and then played a quick 1-2 with Sam before holding off the defender and finishing calmly into the far left, low corner! Great way to get back into the game and some brilliant team football!

Shortly from the kick off the boys were back on the front foot and took the game to Withdean with Both Stan and Stephen causing issues down the left hand side too!

Creating chances was never going to be an issue with the players we had on and From a clearance from Ethan, it dropped to Stephen who won a corner on the left hand side. Lewis whipped in a delightful delivery right ontop of the keeper who could only parry it into the feet of Sam who placed it into the back of the net! A well deserved goal and the lead was ours!

From here we really stepped up our game and started dominating across the Pitch! From Mase, Ethan and Cam To Dean, Lewis and Stan we were causing issues all over for Withdean!

It took another 10 minutes for us to get the 3rd and then there was no looking back from there. Another close shot, this time from Jack gave us the corner and Lewis, looking like the lad of last year, put in another fantastic delivery. In what could of been a copy and paste job of the last Goal, Sam rose highest to meet the ball and finished well into the back of the net!

The boys continued to keep the ball and create chance after chance with Withdean putting a strong defensive performance, especially from their Number 3 who was all over the pitch at this point.

Dean, Ethan and Cam were holding well in the back 3 and it was a great tackle from Dean in the Middle that won the ball and played it out to Cam. Cam drove forward with the ball before dinking a lovely little pass into the Run of Sam who finished beautifully for his first half Hat Trick!

Not to be outdone, right from Kick off, Dorian picked up the ball off Cam on the right and drove at the Withdean defence, dancing, dribbling deftly past the tackles before sitting the keeper down and rolling the ball into the empty net!

The pressure didnt stop there and right before half time, Lewis whipped another fantastic corner into the middle which was met with a strong head by Dean! Another brilliant goal!

HT - TD -6 - Withdean -1

At the half, the boys were not happy with the performance at all. They knew that there was another couple of levels they could go up and wanted to do that in the second half. Jack wanted more talk and Nigel reiterated this to them to make sure that they kept talking no matter the scoreline or game.

Nigel made some changes at the half, bringing on Charlie for Stan up top, Harry slotting into the CM role for Lewis and George coming on for Mase which meant that Dean moved up into the LM role.

It was another strong start from the boys, Causing issues down both wings with D&D (Dean and Dorian) running wild!

Within 4 minutes of the restart, Harry won the ball in the middle before playing a quick 1-2 with Charlie and then switching the ball out wide to Dorian. Big D drove at the Withdean left back causing nightmares before whipping in a beauty of a ball into the back post for Stephen to meet with a tap in.

Again, less than 2 minutes later, a very similar situation with Harry winning the ball in the midfield, playing it out wide to Dorian who laid it into the path of Sam. Sam danced around 3 players before looking up and delivering a wonderful cross into the middle to be met by Stephen, who opened his body and finished calmly into far corner!

There was a bit of a quite period where we were creating opportunities but were doing our best just to control the game and see it out. A few more changes were made and places switch but the back 3 of George, Cam and Ethan did so well to hold strong and make sure that Oliver didnt have much to do.

With just under 10 to go, Mase did well and won the ball on the left before playing it over to George. George played it into Lewis, who played it over to Harry, back to Ethan who switched it wide to Dorian who then went wild and run at the LB and beat them once, twice, three times before cutting back in towards the goal, beating the center back and then sitting the keeper down before rolling the ball into the empty net again.

FT- TD- 9 - Withdean - 1

A wonderful performance from every single one of the boys from the first whistle, made it such a delight to watch for all of us! A well deserved win!

MOTM- BIG D! what a performance today, A hat trick and a couple assists too, will be in the defenders nightmares for the next few days!

Thank you all for your support this year, we, the coaches & the players appreciate it a lot! Merry Christmas and we will see you again in 2024!