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Jordan, Sixth Form Student, reports on our latest Year 7 football match vs Beths Grammar School.

On Thursday 19 October 2017, the Year 7 Harris Garrard Academy football team suffered a heavy defeat away at Beths Grammar School. What would already be a difficult game proved even more challenging as the team were without their number one goalkeeper, Frankie. The boys handled this extremely well, each taking turns in goal showing some great teamwork!

Ardous conditions

The conditions for the first half proved arduous with rain lashing down making the grass slippery. Beths got off to a great start with some neat passes and some very dangerous looking wingers who were delivering some awesome crosses into the box. The boys dealt with this early pressure very well making clearance after clearance, but ultimately five minutes into the first half, Beths broke the deadlock. The pressure seemed to intensify from this moment and without their No.1 goalkeeper, the boys were a number of goals down at half-time.

A stern team talk from Trevor at half-time seemed to galvanize the troops and they came out in the second half and got right in Beths faces. Every single one of them were closing them down, tracking back, putting tackles in and standing strong.  Five minutes into the first half came our first chance of the game. A beautiful through ball from the midfield made its way to Slavi who was one-on-one with the Beths goalkeeper who blocked the shot as it ricocheted off Slavi and out for a goal kick. This installed some new belief with the boys and some more pressure from the strikers made the Beths defence lose possession of the ball, which made its way to Michael who slotted it calmly past the Beths goalkeeper from the right-hand side of the 6-yard box.  

Battled hard

Unfortunately, Beths scored another two goals in quick succession. Despite this, the boys continued running, putting the Beths defence under a lot of pressure.  A loose ball found its way to Michael again, only for him to be dragged back by the Beths goalkeeper, resulting in a penalty.  Aaron took the shot, but his boot just got underneath it too much and over the bar the ball went. Beths then scored two more goals in what was a very good performance from them running out as eventual winners proceeding into the next round of the Kent Cup.

Despite this disappointing result, the team can hold their heads high. They were without a goalkeeper and this was only their third time of playing a game together. In the second half especially, they battled very hard and never gave up, which some professional teams find hard to do! I’m sure with time, the boys will be winning games as their confidence grows and they start to bond as a team.

Jordan