Good performance in Catholic Tournament

Forest Glade Under 15 season got off to a good start in this warm up tournament hosted by Catholic United Minors FC. They finished third in their pool and were unlucky not to finish second.

In the first match the team who only had the flat 11 due to holidays and other commitments, were further hindered by a back and shoulder injury sustained by James Simpson. However the boys played very well with good passing and movement being demonstrated all over the park. It was 0-0 at half time. With about 3 minutes to go a ball was played through the midfield and the referee spotted a handball by Matthew Fryer about 25 yards out. The resulting free kick gave the Forest keeper David Pratt no chance, going in the top left corner, giving Shore a lucky 1-0 win. Worthy of note were the performances of the back 4 of Jamie Simons, Charlie Simmons, Lewis Fisher and Chris Rowland who limited Shore Athletics chances with some excellent tackles and interceptions.

The second match against Rayleigh Boys was a fairly one sided event with several opportunities being squandered in front of goal by the Forest Glade strikers and midfield. It felt that it was just a matter of time before the ball would in the back of the net. Again there was some excellent passing and movement throughout the team. Unfortunately throughout the 20 minutes none of the opportunities were snapped up leaving a feeling of disappointment in only achieving a 0-0 draw. However as stated earlier in this report the standard of football displayed by the team is a good omen for the forthcoming season.

The third match was against Dons Academy. This was a tough physical affair with some good football being played. It was nearing half time when James Simpson made a strong run down the right side, beating 3 players and then sending a low hard cross, that was superbly met by Ryan Seagroatt who stroked the ball passed the stranded keeper for a well deserved goal. Leading 1-0 at half time the boys took heart from the 1st half performance and put in a good second half stint. This was rewarded when Jimi Bude cut the Dons defence in two with a superbly timed pass for Jack Walker to run through and coolly finish for another excellent goal.

The fourth match was possibly a match too far for the Forest Glade 11. With top spot already guaranteed for Shore Athletic, this was the play off for second place, with both the Host Team Catholic and Forest Glade with identical records. The Forest Glade boys lacked concentration and looked tired. Catholic won this game easily running out 4-0 winners. Forest Glades best chance came when the Captain for the day Jimi Bude fired a shot over the cross bar.

Overall though this was a promising start to the season and a worthwhile exercise in blowing away the cobwebs of the summer.

Squad: David Pratt, Jamie Simons, Charlie Simmons, Lewis Fisher, Chris Rowland, James Simpson, Arran Webster, Ryan Seagroatt, Matthew Fryer, Jack Walker, Jimi Bude (capt)