Volta FC Tigers 2 Spartak 1
 
This half term game saw the bare minimum of 7 players turn up for the game. This meant that all the boys would have to put in a full shift to ensure their unbeaten run continued.
 
The starting line up was: Liam in goal, James and Connor at the back, and then Kyle, Harry, Sam and Joe in midfield.
 
Right from the off the boys were in the thick of it, within a few minutes the midfield are working well and have the ball on the wing and it goes for a throw. The throw goes across pitch to Kyle who is fouled about 20 yards out. The team took their positions in the area and Joe shots the ball right into the top left of the goal and the keeper is nowhere. The score 1-0 after about 3 minutes. 
 
Straight from the kick off VFC are on the attack and they break down the right, Connor sweeps up at the back and it goes for a throw. From the throw VFC work the ball for a corner. From the corner the ball goes to the back post and VFC pounce and score. The score is now 1-1.
 
From the kick off the boys get a chance to try the kick off technique they learnt in training. The ball gets passed back to James who kicks it up the pitch.  Unfortunately the ball is intercepted and cleared up the pitch the ball goes to Harry who passes to Sam. Sam goes down the wing and crosses , but there is no one there. The ball breaks up the pitch and is controlled by Joe, he puts Harry up the wing and Harry crosses, but again there is no one there to knock it in.
 
Shortly after this Joe goes on a run down the right, he squares the ball across the pitch towards the back post, but Kyle just can’t make it!
 
The goal kick give VFC the chance to attack and Liam makes two great saves to keep the score at 1-1.
 
The whistle goes with the score at 1-1 and although some of the boys are in new positions they have played a good 1st half.
 
The second half sees some tactical changes from Tony and Tim, with Liam coming into the defence and James going in goal.  The second half starts with a Spartak kick off which is passed back to Liam who shoots from well inside his half and the ball goes just wide! The training almost paid off. VFC clear the ball and the ball breaks into the Spartak half Harry goes on a run, but loses the ball, the ball breaks to Kyle who runs up the wing. The ball goes out for a VFC throw and they pass to defender who ‘hoofs’ the ball up the pitch and the wind makes it hang in the air. As it drops it just goes over James to make it 2-1 to VFC. Not even the England goalie would have stopped that!
From the Spartak kick off the lads again attack with Liam and Kyle combining down the left. Harry and Sam combine in midfield and Harry passes to Joe who shoots and the ball just goes over.
 
Spartak are really pushing for an equaliser here and they get a corner with a few minutes to go as Liam crosses a fierce one, Connor rises like a salmon and heads, the header is a really brave one. The header has lots of power, but the direction not so good and the ball goes back to Liam and he jinks and crosses again and a scramble ensues, but the ball is saved by the VFC keeper.
 
VFC have a rare shot (again from long range) that ends with a shot going over, but James had it well covered. From James’s kick out the ball ends up with Joe who ends a looping shoot which just goes over. At this rate an equaliser looked imminent. Again VFC clear up the pitch, but our industrious midfield combine and Sam passes to Kyle who gets brought down about 18 yards out. Up steps Liam, but the shot goes just wide of the right post.
 
VFC clear the ball but only as far as our midfield Harry and Joe combine and Joe passes to Harry who goes to the back post and shoots, but the ball just goes wide.
 
The whistle blows for full time, overall the boys tried harder in the second half and with a few more minutes would have got an equaliser and would even have gone on to win!!
 
The half time talk from Tony and Tim obviously worked as some of the boys looked different players in the second half.
 
Well done.