Worcester City FC U11s vs Warndon Villages Cobras U11s

Worcester City FC U11s hosted the Warndon Villages Cobras U11s team at Perdiswell Leisure Centre, Worcester on Saturday 4th December 2021 for a league match.

Managers Laurence Helme and Luke Morris presided over the team.

Team Sheet
Goal Keeper – Ewan
Defenders - Joel, Theo & Tom
Midfielders - Olly, Ethan, Arlo, Toby, Will, Luke & Hayden
Forwards - Fraser & Max

First Half
The majority of the first half saw few goal scoring chances for either side as both teams battled for supremacy in this evenly matched contest.

In the 23rd minute, City created a goal scoring chance. Joel had just won the ball inside the City penalty area following a Cobras attack; with lots of space available in the Cobras half he played a long through ball down the centre of the pitch. At this point, Fraser was the furthest City player forward and he was on the half way line being marked by a Cobras defender. Fraser was quickest to react to the through ball and ran to catch up with it. The Cobras goal keeper, seeing the danger, came running off his line and the pair met just outside the Cobras penalty area. However, it was Fraser who got the first touch and he attempted to play it around the keeper, but they blocked it with a foot and the ball pinged back to Fraser and ricocheted off him into space on the left side of the Cobras penalty area. Fraser was onto the ball like a flash and he took an immediate shot into, what he thought was an empty net, but unfortunately for City one of the Cobras defenders had made a recovery run to block and clear the ball.

In the 25th minute, Cobras created a goal scoring chance. One of the Cobras attackers took a shot from just outside the City penalty area; the shot struck the top of the City crossbar and out of play.

Second Half
In the 43rd minute, City created a goal scoring chance. Toby had the ball on the left wing and was cutting in towards the Cobras penalty area, as he entered the area he struck a low shot towards the bottom left corner of the goal. Unfortunately for City, the Cobras goal keeper got down and made a blocking save to deny Toby the goal.

In the 47th minute, City created a goal scoring chance. Fraser had the ball on the left wing and was cutting in towards the Cobras penalty area, as he entered the area he struck a low shot towards the goal. Unfortunately for City, the shot went just wide of the left post.

In the 56th minute, Cobras opened their scoring account in the match. City had given away a free kick for handball on the left wing and just outside the City penalty area. The direct shot from the Cobras player flew over all the players waiting in the area and went into the top right corner of the City goal.

In the 58th minute, the City defence denied Cobras a goal scoring chance. Cobras had won a corner and the initial cross was knocked back out of the penalty area by a City defender. The ball ended back with the Cobras player who took the corner kick and he crossed the ball again into the danger area in front of the City goal. A Cobras attacker was first to the ball a few metres off the City goal line and he took a first time shot towards goal, fortunately for City, Ewan the City goal keeper was in the perfect position to block the shot from close range.

In the 59th minute, Cobras scored another goal in the match. After a defensive mistake in the City penalty area, a Cobras attacker shot into the City goal.

In the 60th minute, City opened their scoring account in the match. Following a City attack, a Cobras defender had got the ball on the left corner of their packed penalty area. Arlo quickly closed down the defender and put in a tackle to win the ball back, with the ball now under his control Arlo had to make his run along the edge of the penalty area due to the number of defenders in the box. As he reached the centre of the D, Arlo turned to goal and struck an arrow like shot, which left defenders and the Cobras goal keeper stood like statues as it nestled into the top right corner of the net (that was Arlo’s third goal of the season).

On reflection, the City team were lucky to restrict the Cobras to the number of goals they scored. The City team appeared disjointed and out of sorts for long periods of the match and Cobras created many chances to score in the second half, and with better finishing, could have scored many more.

Well played Cobras and good luck for the rest of season. The match was watched by a couple of dozen respectful spectators who enjoyed a great game of football. All the City players put in great performances in the game but it was Theo who was awarded man-of-the-match.

Thanks to all the City parents for their help and support on match day.