Cougars U8s Blues hosted FC Biggleswade Youth Warrior on Saturday with Oliver Tallis in goal, Ronnie Hennessy at the back, a midfield trio of Thomas Deane, Tom Flanagan and Sebbie Ivison and Charlie Wick up top.
The Blues started brightly and never let up. Opportunities a plenty in the first half with the open space suited to the Blues’ passing game and lots of options for running. Deane had a run from deep in midfield putting Wick in on goal who shot just wide. A battling run from Flanagan but the keeper saved from his left foot effort. Ivison from distance but saved and Wick on the rebound…. just wide. With so much room in midfield, Flanagan even had the opportunity to bust out a Cruyff turn in the centre circle!
The opener arrived as Wick ran on to a Deane pass and tucked in the corner. Then from a great left wing cross from Ivison, a wicked flicked Wick finish with the outside of his right boot.
Deane was in goal for second half and tested about as much as Tallis in the first half. At the other end, Ivison’s great work rate throughout the entire game was rewarded with a strike just evading the keepers grasp. Wick almost got his hattrick with a fierce shot cannoning off a defender’s head for a corner. At this point the Blues set up camp as they proceeded to have corner after corner. In fact, the corner count was only just lower than the number of spectators in the capacity crowd. Coach Ivison counted about 20!
From one of the multitude of corners Wick did secure his hattrick – a volleyed flick finish from a Tallis cross, himself unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. As the clock ticked down there was still time for a Wick fourth as he volleyed in from 35 yards and then a 20 yard pot shot from Flanagan wrapped it all up.
Despite all the attacking, it would be very remiss to not mention Hennessy’s performance who seemed to take it as a personal affront that any Biggleswade player could get anywhere near the box. He harried, hassled and tackled anything in sight. On another day he could have had man of the match but that went to Wick for his 4 goal salvo.
Excellent performance.
