Winchmore Hill 7s vs Norseman 6s
SAL Junior Div 4 North
28 September
Won 5-2 v Norseman 6’s
Well first things first. IT’S A DERBY. 4th game in, with a new system in place and honestly looking good. I’m sitting here thinking where to start as the game itself had so much going on that I myself missed sometimes. So let’s make it simple, they came up the club giving it large and apparently saying to another captain an easy 3-0. Maybe last season but not this one.
Straight from the go we were on the front foot showing discipline and playing like a team and not a bunch of individuals. Working hard for each other and clearing up the rubbish that was in front of us.
Then it happened goal of the day Pete Cooper picked up a loose ball in the middle of the pitch at the half way line, then just decided to go and with the mentality that no one was going to stop him, and they didn’t. He had ran through 5 players got to the end 1v1 with the keeper and missed the first chance but got the rebound. Amazing effort.
That inspired us I believe to do what we did on the day. From then we started to try and keep the ball but moving forward with it, a bit sloppy at times but we didn’t stop trying then the second came 10 minutes later with a piercing assist from Muñoz seeing Cooper through the channels down the right and with 3 touches he was making sure there was no chance for the keeper ripping it past him.
Then both our strikers got injured and this is when it could of turned bad for us, only 35 minutes into the game and we had to make the subs due to one having pulled his hamstring and the other felt his groin. But the team was not going to quit and we held out till half time with a 2-0 lead.
So half time’s team talk was about making sacrifices for the good of the team, knowing we only had 11 fit players I had to push Raheem (HERO) to come on and play hurt just to give others a breather every now and then to give us a chance.
Then the 2nd half began with a 2-0 lead 2 injured players on the pitch we were passing the ball around the pitch. From left to right and backwards if the option wasn’t there playing for each other and making sacrifices, stretching the opposition open and then all of a sudden 3-0.
Debutant Younas Muluwerk played an amazing ball between 2 players and Muñoz finding the space 1v1 with the keeper making the keeper commit early then slotting it to the opposite side.
Then all of sudden with fatigue kicking in we conceded 2 sloppy goals but the positive side of this was that players had put there hands up and apologised for their error in the build up. I know this is a team game but last season we had players blaming others and not being man enough to take responsibility themselves.
Then 3 minutes after conceding the 2nd we composed ourselves and again our hero (raheem ) had to come on as Aren Hassan got serious cramp from all the running he was doing for the team.
Raheem unable to run then managed somehow to get to the edge of the box and a beautiful cross from Younas landed on his head and he glided it onto the opposite side netting making it 4-2 to us. This was a very proud moment for me seeing someone who is new to the team and making those sacrifices for HIS TEAM, that is what team mates do.
Then another new player in Graeme Gillies who had tormented the oppo at times with his direct dribbling then decided to play a piercing ball through. Which Charles Bettes got on the end of but only for the keeper to completely take him out for his chance on goal.
PENALTY!! So Muñoz steps up as the designated penalty taker but he looks over and his looking for the man of the match... Younas Muluwerk hands over the penalty and said to him that he deserved to take the pen and get his goal.
His heart pounding when given the news then all of a sudden cool as ice and he runs straight on at the ball with no one knowing is he going to take it with his left or right. Then it was the left foot and he put the ball in the top corner and I don’t mean side netting, it was the top corner. No chance for most keepers.
This was the best debut I’ve seen made by anyone In this team and his 43 years old and an absolute legend. Well deserving of the M.O.T.M
But a lot of players could of easily got that today, but the most important thing and most satisfying was that the team are close to playing the way we want to play. We are not there yet but the season has just begun and we are making positive strides to achieving our goal of playing football the way it should and having fun.
Hard work..... dedication