Donside YFC v Huntly 14's

Last nights match against Donside at Alford proved that all the time consuming commitments that go with bieng involved in the coaching world, are sometimes well worth it, as tonight proved. Having drawn 1-1 with our opponents in a recent home game we knew that only our best performance would be required to take anything from the match, so we approached the game in a good positive manner but with less than 5 mins on the clock Aidan Bowie (R/May) was pushed to the ground and forced to leave the field of play with what looked like a nasty sprain to his wrist.whilst down to 10 men and before we could regroup Donside had taken the lead 1-0. Play was raging from end to end in a good open match with our lads showing good spirit and were rewarded in 15 mins when a good corner by James Brooks was met brilliantly by Aidan Bowie who bulleted an unstoppable header into the net 1-1. 5 mins later we were behind again when the Donside strikers clever first touch stole him the space to finish well past Jordan Half time 2-1.
Half time the lads were reassured that they were'nt playing badly at all ,and, if we could score the next goal we could then go on to win the match. 10 mins into the second half we did just that when the ball broke out to Ritchie Gibb whose lob over defence found Liam Ferguson whose control and cheeky lob over the keepers head was excellent to say the least 2-2. Then minutes later we could have completed our half time mission when another brilliant corner by James Brooks was met this time by the head of Jonny Buist whose header hit the crossbar and went behind to safety. The lads were well on top by now and were reducing Donside to the odd half chance thanks to well organised defending led by Jack Duncan and Jonny Buist who were excellent, but their next goal, a half chance was all that was required when their tall striker latched onto a loose ball, and from all of 30 yards hit an absolute screamer leaving Jordan with no chance 3-2. Credit to our lads though who were showing great team spirit and determination and fought ourselves level again this time Matthew Anderson firing high past the keeper 3-3.For me from here on in there was only going to be one winner due to the high level of determination on show and with 5 mins to go they got their just deserts when a good shot by the on fire Matthew Anderson was saved by the keeper only for Aidan Bowie to thunder home the rebound 3-4. The match though raged on as the last few minutes ticked down and we were dealt another cruel twist when Liam Ferguson who had been outstanding all night went down under an atrocious tackle borne out of pure frustration on the Donside players part, but still left Liam with a badly swollen ankle. Overall a performance by the lads that ranks well up there with the best yet, not only football wise but for the team spirit and determination on show from a group of lads , pieced together from a 20+ mile radius was absolutely brilliant to witness and EVERYONE of the lads listed below deserve a great deal of credit for the way they conduct themselves.
Man of the match, a tough one indeed as it could have been any one of them but Matthew Anderson was the catalyst with an outstanding performance of sheer determination and was a constant thorn on Dons-side all night , his best performance out field yet. WELL DONE LADS!
Team:-1/Jordan Ogg 2/Ritchie Gibb 3/ Muir Gregor 4/ Jack Duncan 5/ Aidan Bowie 6/ Liam Ferguson 7/ James Brooks 8/ Billy Blanchard 9/ Aidan Bowie 10/ Matthew Anderson 11/Jonny Buist 12/ Liam Robertson 14/ Liam Henderson.

P.S. On a sour note it's been confirmed this morning Rothimay's Aidan Bowie has actually broken his arm and will be out of action for the remainder of the season, an ever present in the team and who shows great attidude at all times and i'm sure i speak for everyone when i say he will be sorely missed in the run in and we all wish him a speedy recovery.

Aidan will have his plaster on for 3-6 weeks, so that rules out the rest of the season for him, which is a pity. He's hoping to be fit enough for the KK training day at the end of May (if it's still on). I think he thinks he's got bragging rights now, but I reckon he shouldnae have been so soft tae get shover o'er!!

As for the game last night: I thought the team did really well to grind out a deserved win against a tricky and equally determined squad. If memory serves me we got beat twice last season by them at U13 level.

Things I liked:

I can actually hear Jordan shouting & using his box! (Posh Becks was very impressed loon!)
Interplay up both wings was good with good simple passes or lay-offs, and chips to the corner of the 18yd box behind their defenders.
Generally good defending against a big centre forward.
The work rate of the midfield, but see below. Good at coming forward...
Three very good goals by the forwards & one by Liam!
Some good simple passing moves.

Things I didnae like:

Confusion in defence (who's ball is it?) and a lack of urgency to get forward when the ball is up the pitch.

Occasionally one or two midfielders were slow or reluctant to get back and help the defence. I counted at least four or five times when we had lost the ball and we had four forwards over the half way line and only two in midfield supporting the defence. You're making life difficult for yourselves lads. Their 3rd goal happened because you gave him acres of space because there were only a couple of midfielders back helping. Lose the ball? Get back. Win the ball? Get forward. Knackered? Tough. You have to keep running lads or you will keep leaking daft goals.

Forwards not taking half-chances. Make the keeper work, especially a wee keeper like Donside's. Stop trying to dribble the ball in to the back of the net!

Hit and hope: you seem to have gotten in to the habit of thumping the ball as high and as hard as you can like a bunch o Primary 5s. And some of you are doing it from your first touch with lots of TIME! Control the ball first, look and then pass, preferably to someones feet! Remember your triangles-keep the passes short, run on, receive & pass again. Help your mates when they are surrounded. I've seen you do it in past games, and you managed it now and again last night so you are more than capable. How many times did the ball get hoofed straight back to your defence after it had been hoofed up the pitch?

Start thinking before booting! If there's nobody within 2-3 meters of you, you've got time to contol it. Where's the shout of "Time!"? Usually from the sidelines.......it should be coming from your team-mates.

I agree with the Man of the Match-that's the best, by a long, long way, I've seen that loon play in over 3 years that I've been watching him. Talk about a player grabbing a game by the scruff o the neck and getting stuck in. Never gave up, chased and chased and took his chances well. He wasn't the only one though, but he stood out for me though. Well done Matthew-take that same attitude to your next games and you'll score. Stay on your feet though-you're no use to your team sittin doon, and the Refs are nae daft! ;-)

Never, ever give up lads. Even when you're down 3 or 4 nil. You were losing that game for 65mins and yet you walked away with all three points....
Great result lads, well done!

Jase

Wishing my former player a speedy recovery.
Theres a chance now to stick his old man in his shirt and sit him on the bench surely - they still look affa alike do they not ?

I dinna think that would work, Jase on the bench, AH cos as much as they look alike the belly hingin oot o the top would be a giveaway.

I'll take that as a compliment a.h. - I'm a young lookin 40!

As for you Mike; that's no way to talk aboot Aidan. He's nae that fat!