Cambridge & District Colts League – U12 Div E

 

Week 12: 26th November 2006

 

Spartak 78B  0 – 18  Comberton Crusaders

 

King Canute would have appreciated Spartak’s spirited attempt to hold back the Comberton tide with only nine players, but a similar fate befell the visitors as Crusaders shared out 18 goals to stretch their lead at the top of 12E to five points.

 

An experimental starting line-up saw Crusaders playing a 3-4-1-2 formation, and SamH was the first to get forward with a shot tipped over after good work by TomB. Callum then had several attempts blocked or just wide, but Crusaders unlocked the floodgates when TomB’s corner was met by Huw with a downward header to make it 1-0. At this point, somewhat appropriately, the alarm went off in the nearby pavilion, signalling the imminent danger of a solo run and shot by TomB which made it 2-0. TomB quickly added a third after a good run and cross by Huw, at which point the makeshift Spartak defence reorganised and briefly contained Crusaders, with Alex and Charlie both denied by the hardworking keeper.

 

Crusaders’ back line of Paul, James and Jamie, though largely untroubled, had to be on guard, and TomV in goal could not afford to switch off. However, following a brief Spartak foray it was Crusaders who again found the net when Huw fired a low drive through a crowded area after the keeper came out to help his defence. With Callum, Jamie and Huw making way for Joe, Peter and SamB the chances continued to flow, and when SamH took a short corner to CT, his cross was poked home at the near post by Joe. SamB was next to register with a well-placed shot inside the far post from TomB’s cross, and the midfielder nearly scored again when heading SamH’s corner just over. More good work from the Spartak keeper denied Joe after a twisting run, but the Crusaders striker responded with a fine dipping shot from 25 yards to make it 7-0. Joe then heading home TomB’s pinpoint cross but the effort was ruled marginally offside, and the half closed with Joe crossing for a similar headed effort from Peter that just drifted the wrong side of the post.

 

At half-time Teddy replaced Jamie, and Harry replaced TomV in goal, but the action was up front as Joe went past several defenders and crossed for Peter to side-foot in after Callum’s shot was parried into his path. Joe and Callum then combined but the offside flag was raised, only for Huw to intercept the Spartak free-kick and advance unchallenged before shooting unerringly past the keeper to claim the game’s first hat-trick. Charlie then took on the entire defence successfully before unluckily finding the side-netting, and Alex worked hard to prise an opening that was closed off by another offside flag. There was no such problem when Joe ran through the inside-left channel before crossing to Peter, who made no mistake for his second and Comberton’s tenth, and Callum also went close with a couple of efforts that were only just off target. With TomB and SamH on for Alex and Huw, the ball was fed out to TomB on the left, who wrong-footed the last defender with a deft flick over his shoulder before advancing into the area and shooting home clinically to make it 11-0, claiming his hat-trick in the process.

 

With TomB enjoying the open spaces on the left, Callum’s wing-play on the right was also causing Spartak problems, and his accurate near-post cross saw SamB clip the ball in to make it 12-0. Another run by Callum opened up the defence for a shot that was parried, but this time SamH was on hand to lash home the rebound. Charlie then gave way to CT, just as Joe calmly completed his hat-trick by converting another good cross from Callum. TomB was then the provider as SamH ran in behind the Spartak defence to score unchallenged, and Joe claimed his fourth goal after a strong run and cross from SamH. Now exhausted, the Spartak defence was unable to contain CT’s typical weaving run into the box, and the keeper appeared to down tools in protest as the ball rolled inside the post to register number 17 for Crusaders. The final strike was another quality move, Joe deftly controlling a high ball and passing forward to TomB, who slotted home his fourth goal with aplomb, and the game ended with SamH stretching for a TomB cross that was just out of reach.

 

At the final whistle, though the scoreline was emphatic, the Spartak boys were applauded for their Herculean efforts with only nine players, and Crusaders also deserve credit for playing quality passing football when it would have been easy to lose cohesion in the chase for goals.

 

Squad: Peter Atkin, Jamie Baker, James Biswell, Tom Blair, Sam Bradshaw, Joe Dickens, Teddy Elbourn, Huw Gordon, Paul Hardy, Sam Hills, Harry Houghton, Callum Pinner, Tom Vaudin, CT, Charlie Wetton-Smith, Alex Willis