Today's game was the first in the defence of the title that Herons won last season, and Archie was determined to get the team off to winning ways in the junior league cup. The boys took delivery of their new 'Joma' kit for the season. So, instead of turning out in a shabby ten year old kit as they have been so far, they looked the part. I was assigned as the match delegate for today. The first thing I thought I'd do was make sure that their number 15 was in fact a 10/11 year old and not some 15 year old ringer! Sure enough he was legit. And sure enough his job was to mark Archie! Great.
The game got under way and after the first 5 minutes, Archie was having a hard time shrugging off the giant sat on his shoulders. He had a look over to me and mouthed the words 'have you seen the size of him?' whilst rolling his eye balls!. 'Keep plugging away Arch, you'll be OK', was my reply. Archie didn't really get much, but you could see glimpses of him at his best (as he was last week). The first half was the tightest game I'd see Herons play and we went in just as the game had started, 0-0.
Herons had a lot more to offer during the second half, as did Archie who was playing a blinder and proving to be a handful for the young Arnold Schwarzenegger who was marking him. Fifteen minutes into the second half we finally broke the deadlock. Connor P and Archie beat the offside trap, the easiest pass out of the two was directed at Connor who smashed the ball home. 1-0. Kings Langley pressed a bit more than they had been and were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Herons box. The kick was converted brilliantly straight passed CC in goal. 1-1. Game on. Our captain, Liam, rallied the boys up, urging them to keep their heads up, and that's exactly what they did. Archie was unlucky on two occasions not to put us ahead again. The first was a volley from the edge of the area which went narrowly wide. The second even closer. He beat his defender and smashed the ball past the keeper, only for it to hit the side of the post, it bounce back onto the keeper who was quick enough to pounce on it just before it crossed the line... or did it?!?. The boys were in disarray and almost conceded on the counter attack. The game got a bit heated off the field with the Kings Langley assistant questioning every decision but the boys didn't let it faze them and with 2 minutes left on the clock we got the winner. Archie new best mate, James S placed the ball into the bottom right hand corner. It was the most I'd celebrated a Herons goal. It was very important that we got the 3 points as we have a very tough group. The other match saw Hemel Aces Diamonds beat Harpenden Colts Cobras 0-5.
Well done to the boys and well done to Archie who was awarded the 'Man of the Match' accolade. Next weekend we are away to Kings Langley for a league game... should be interesting.
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