MATCH SUMMARY : Hook Youth (05 November 2016)

<p>Premier league match, but this time the derby, with 24 players on the<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />pitch today attending RMS... It was pleasing that game was played in a<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />competitive but very good spirit, with boys chatting to each other<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />before and after game.<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />Phantoms started brightly first 5 mins, but then had their customary<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />wobble, giving away cheap corners and possession when a bit of<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />composure would have helped. Hook attacked well, applying 'direct'<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />pressure over a 10 minute period and we were fortunate to be level.<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />15-20 mins into the game we got our passing game going and was I able<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />to click away on the pass counter device that kept me busy. After a<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />few really good spells of play phantoms got the first goal with a neat<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />shot into the corner of the goal as our players remained calm on the<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />edge of box looking to set one of our players.<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />Half time. Boys agreed that the passing game with the switch passes<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />were proving very effective, whereas the panicked play was not helping<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />our game.<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />Second half and Phantoms were the stronger team, playing mature<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />football with the ball player having so many support options. One<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />particular move, the ball went backwards and forwards on a couple of<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />occasions, before the ball was switched and they created a goal<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />scoring opportunity from it. Defence was strong better covering<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />options than last week. Phantoms continued to push for second goal,<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />but conscious that we needed to play the game out. Last 10 mins we<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />were looking susceptible to the counter attack, with their very clever<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />central striker playing in front of the back four, looking to play in<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />the wide man with the ball between CB and FB. Without silent weekend<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />we may have had less players going forward ;-)