Cougars Under 9’s Blues took on Plantation Youth at the Bury in a fast-flowing encounter. Cougars operated a high intensity pressing game which had Plantation pinned back for most of the first half. Some wonderful passing between Rylee Kitteringham, Dan Fone, Adam Sleath and Ben Lewis kept on carving openings leading to Fone and Lewis both with efforts hitting the post. Chances came in rapid succession but a mixture of fantastic goalkeeping and a seemingly impregnable force field in the Plantation net kept Cougars out. Finally the first goal arrived with Fone getting on the end of a clever pass from Myles Woolford, then just like waiting for a bus the goals kept on coming. Fone got his second with a silky dribble from halfway ghosting past the Plantation defence. Oscar Kay hadn’t been on the pitch long before his dynamic bursts from midfield enabled him to add two more before the break. Cougars kept a clean sheet for half time thanks to a brilliant double save from Lui LoConte.
After the break LoConte and Kitteringham swapped goalkeeping and striker duties with both performing well in their new roles. The lead was extended when Lewis notched his first of the day before Plantation pulled one back. Fraser Finlay on a marauding run from the back launched a howitzer from just over halfway into the corner of the net, before Plantation ended the scoring. A highly satisfactory performance underpinned by a solid defensive display by Bear Wennington, Finlay Wood and Fraser Finlay.
