6-1 triumph to DLD Football Team!
11th November 22
POTM: Dakara W
Honourable Mention:
- Daniel T – making his debut and is the youngest member of the squad.
- Tom W – excellent throwback box-to-box midfield performance, tough in a 4-4-2.
After a wet few days leading up to this fixture it was pleasing to enjoy a dry afternoon on football with the sun even making an appearance although slightly annoying for us in the first half first as it beamed down on the players facing into it).
The surface was in excellent condition at Cobham F.C (special mention to the grounds staff) and we made a point of telling the team it deserves some good football to be played on it! After a slow start with not much to report the boys eventually started to click into gear with Tom W linking well with Dakara W and the team applying regular waves of pressure albeit with the clinical finish!
For all our good work, it was one pass into a Reeds striker that caught us out, and completely against the run of play Reeds went 1-0 up…was our recent poor form going to continue? Thankfully not!
The boys, lead excellently by Tom W and Ishaan P rallied together and got straight back into the action, equalising soon after through Dakara with a great left-footed strike from outside the box after his freekick was blocked off the wall 1-1 and right back into it!
The boys started to move the ball better and with better quality, making 3 or 4 passes and continuing to create chances through Tom finding Tanmay S on the wing and Dakara up front. This paid off with Dakara picking up the ball just outside the box on the left side of the pitch and driving past two or three players before eventually slotting the ball away into the top right corner with his right foot, DLD take the lead 1-2. Reeds worked hard to get back into the game but the resolute defending of the two in midfield (AP, S and Tom W) as well as the back four of Ishaan P, Amir H, Charlie P and Kun K who worked tirelessly throughout to make sure we weren’t going to concede again!
Half time – very simple message from the coaching staff, keep it simple, keep moving the ball and more chances will come.
The boys took this on board with Tanmay S picking the ball up from the left hand side and getting himself a yard away from his defender managed to slot the ball away bottom left with the keeper at full stretch being helpless to keep it out 1-3 DLD. Dakara hungry for a hattrick worked himself into a good position and slotted away the third from Kun’s good cutback cross, 1-4 DLD, and dominance starting to show. Changes began to be made regularly from this point onwards with Dima D, Mo H and Daniel (both making their debuts) coming in and working hard to help us maintain our dominance in the game. This soon paid off and with Tom now playing a more advanced role and after several missed chances (he’s apparently good at rugby and It did feel like he was going for a drop goal at times) finally managed to do the hardest thing in football…put the ball in the back of the net, 1-5 DLD.
More excellent work from Dakara who earned himself the POTM picked up the ball outside the box and drove into it drawing contact from one or two players before eventually being taken down consequently winning his team a penalty. Dakara was desperate for his strike partner Jeremiah C to get himself a goal (after a tough day at the office) shall we say, selflessly allowed Jeremiah to step up to the spot and take the penalty, the goalkeeper actually saved it but the football Gods were kind on Jeremiah and he coolly tucked away the rebound 1-6 to DLD!
After a tough run of form, it was fantastic to see smiling faces at the final whistle and the boys putting together a performance they can be proud of.
Sean Gallagher, Head of Co-curricular and Sport
Team:
Jeremiah, C
Amir Ali, H
Kun, K
Dima, D
Ishaan, P
Charlie, P
Abai, R
Tanmay, S
Bernard, S
Dakara, W
AP, S
Seyedmohammadhossein, H
Daniel, T
Tom, W
