Lads Club Juniors U12 Edge Narrow Win Over Orleton Youth Wasps

On a crisp Sunday morning at Hereford City Sports, Lads Club Juniors U12 hosted Orleton Youth U12 Wasps in a tightly contested league fixture that kicked off at 10:30am. The 9-a-side encounter ended 1-0 in favour of the home side after a competitive 60-minute match.

Lads Club Juniors lined up in a 3-4-1 formation, deploying three defenders at the back with Charlie Clueit on the right, Archie Rigby centrally, and Louis Howells on the left. The midfield quartet consisted of Flyn Watkins on the right wing, Flynn Gething and Zayn Prosser occupying the central midfield roles, and Finn Jones on the left flank. Up front, Oscar Jones led the line as the sole striker, supported just behind by the midfielders. This setup was designed to provide defensive solidity with three at the back, while the four midfielders were expected to control possession and supply the lone striker with opportunities. Lucas Price guarded the goal, tasked with organising the defence and keeping a clean sheet. On the bench, the substitutes named were Thomi Scoular, Joseph Lee, and Charlie Arnold.

The match began with early signs of defensive resilience from Lads Club Juniors, as goalkeeper Lucas Price made two confident catches within the opening three minutes, setting the tone for a disciplined defensive display. Oscar Jones played off a neat key pass in the sixth minute, hinting at the attacking intent of the home side. Orleton's Then Teddy Hogan beat the Lads Club defender to only see his long range strike so wide of the far post. Lads Club defensive unit was soon called into action, with Charlie Clueit making a crucial tackle on Teddy Hogan in the eighth minute to stop a run down the wing, quickly followed by Louis Howells and Flyn Watkins both executing important defensive interventions to block and tackle in the ninth minute. Oscar Jones was put through one on one against Jamie Stinton in the Orleton goal, but Jamie stood strong and his quick reactions deflected the shot past the post.

Lads Club Juniors’ attacking threat was evident when Finn Jones tested the opposition goalkeeper with a shot saved in the tenth minute. Then Orleton's midfielder Russ Cresswell had to be substituted due to taking a knock. Charlie Clueit continued to battle defensively with Teddy Hogan on the left side with another well-timed tackle in the 13th minute, these two showed great strength and determination with thier duals. Russ Cresswell returned to the pitch in the 14th after recovering from the knock. Alex Jones of Orleton made a crucial tackle to stop the Lads Club winger in his tracks, As Lads Club switched to push through the middle Harry Williams of Orleton showed his strength with two strong tackles in the 17th thwarting the pressure from Lads Club. Teddy Hogan also showed his defective abilities by intercepting a cross from deep in Orleton's half. The first substitutions for Lads Club came in the 18th minute when Thomi Scoular replaced Oscar Jones up front, and Joseph Lee came on for Finn Jones on the left of midfield. However, Joseph Lee was caught offside immediately after coming on, an early indication of his eagerness to make an impact.

The players where zoned into keeping it tight at the back and Charlie Clueit gave away a free kick for a late tackle in the 22nd minute, not allowingthe striker to progress past him. Russ Cresswell picked the ball up on the right hand side of the pitch and made a tantalising run across the box but was tasked just a he looked to cross it. Joseph Lee of Lads Club was again flagged offside in the 25th minute due to a mistimed run, showing some frustration in breaking through the Wasps’ defensive lines. Lads Clubbing Keeper Lucas Price was called upon again in the 28th minute to make a sharp dive at the feet of an attacker, maintaining the clean sheet. Thomi Scoular then had a shot saved in the same minute, demonstrating the home side’s growing attacking threat.

The first half concluded at the 30-minute mark with Lads Club Juniors maintaining a goalless but promising stance. Archie Rigby attempted a shot from a free kick that sailed high over the bar just before the break. Early in the second half, Thomi Scoular was caught offside due to a lapse in concentration. The home side made further changes at the 31st minute, bringing Finn Jones back on for Flyn Watkins and Charlie Arnold replacing Charlie Clueit in defence, refreshing the squad’s energy.

Lucas Price remained a pivotal figure in goal, producing another impressive dive at the feet of an attacker in the 33rd minute. An Orleton corner kick was met with a good volley from Joner which whistled past they're far post but the breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Zayn Prosser played a short, incisive pass inside the box to Thomi Scoular, who calmly finished with his right foot to give Lads Club Juniors the lead. The goal lifted the home crowd and intensified the match’s tempo.

Lucas Price was again tested with a point-blank reaction save in the 40th minute, followed by a secure catch in the 41st, keeping the Wasps at bay. Shortly after, in the 42nd minute, Oscar Jones returned to the pitch replacing the goal scorer Thomi Scoular, who had to come off due to injury. At the other end of the pitch Jamie Stinton was also called into action with a dive at Oscars feet to stop him capitalising on the lead. Archie Rigby maintained defensive composure with a strong tackle in the 43rd minute.

Oscar Jones was lively in the closing stages, twice seeing his efforts saved in the 46th minute and then providing a key pass a minute later that created a clear chance,

but Zayn Prosser’s attempt went agonisingly wide in the 47th minute, as the home side pushed to extend their advantage. At the 50th minute, Flyn Watkins returned to the field for Finn Jones, while Joseph Lee’s shot went wide in the 51st minute. Archie Rigby also had a wide effort in the 53rd minute. Rhys Ball intercepted another left wing attack and cleared the ball to safety.

In the 54th minute, Oscar Jones was winded from a 50/50 tackle and was substituted to recover, Thomi Scoular returned to the field. The final minutes saw Thomi Scoular caught offside twice, once in the 58th and again in the 59th minute due to a mistimed run, as Lads Club Juniors sought to hold onto their slender lead.

Throughout the match, Lucas Price’s goalkeeping was instrumental in preserving the clean sheet, making several crucial saves at key moments. The defensive unit, led by Archie Rigby and supported by the full-backs and midfielders, showed great discipline and resilience. The midfielders, all contributed both defensively and offensively, culminating in the decisive assist for the winning goal.

Lads Club Juniors U12 secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Orleton Youth U12 Wasps, a result that reflected their defensive organisation and timely attacking moments at Hereford City Sports.

Due to his efforts in thwarting the forward pressure from the Orleton Wasps, Archie Rigby earnt player of the match ??