West Bridgford Colts B 1 Hucknall Sports U13's 8

Saturday 15th January 2005

Welcome to the Dream Team of Hucknall Sports, this U13s side keep pushing the envelope further and further, week after week after week.  18 straight wins and 39 league points speak volumes about the sheer determination this team of fine young men has to succeed in every single game they play.  This week’s action was at West Bridgford, where a firm but undulating pitch made the football tricky for strikers and ‘keepers alike. 

Hucknall settled into a good rhythm early in the game, eagerly pressurising the home side’s goal, and it was a nervous keeper that spilled a direct shot for the poaching striker Jan Westrik to bag an easy first goal.  Just 4 minutes later a Daniel Warner early release from deep in the Hucknall defence sent Ross Lamb on a thundering assent down the left wing to loft a fine cross to the far post finding the perfectly positioned Vijay Digpal hiding behind a line of West Bridgford defenders, to tuck the ball neatly into the net.  A similar manoeuvre made it to a this time well marked Digpal, who had no alternative but to lay it back out to Lamb, who this time squared it to Adam Lynch who had made a tremendously good run up from defence.  Lynch quickly picked out Westrik in the box, who taking the ball on his left foot, performed a brilliant 180 degree turn, to bury it past the ‘keeper for his second, taking the half time score line to 0-3. 

Hucknall Sports continued to dominate after the break, taking full advantage of the scattered home defence, enabling them to make frequent attacks on the West Bridgford goal.  Sam Sims has the astonishing ability to be able to juggle a ball with his feet while travelling backwards against 2 or more defenders.  He sometimes does this down to the opponents touchline and then along towards the goal.  He then turns the ball into the box to set up yet another goal.  This talent is a joy to behold, and the strikers of Hucknall Sports love him for it.  This time it was the turn of Vijay Digpal, who rarely misses from such fine service.  3 minutes later a Shaun Holmes delivery found Digpal in the danger zone again, who somehow managed to turn and flick the ball at the same time to chip the ‘keeper (who he could not actually see at the time) to trickle the ball into the net as cool as ice, to complete yet another hat trick. 

Only 3 minutes more of the game had lapsed before the West Bridgford ‘keeper was unable to contain a powerful Lamb shot which spilled to substitute Harry Beal who was closing in for a piece of the action.  Beal was quick to take up command of the right flank, working well with Kane Barker, setting him up in the 49th minute, and also Man-of-the-Match Digpal for his 4th at a very tight angle.  The home side managed a deserved consolation goal in the final seconds of the game after a late 10 minute spell of pressure forced an error in the Hucknall defence, making the final score 1-8.