Year 9 Football Team Reach Semi-Finals of Hull Schools’ Cup!
In difficult conditions and a forceful wind blowing down one end of the pitch the Year 9 Football team started the game defending against the climate.
In such conditions you do your best to defend against any outcomes and ride your luck whenever possible and the team led by Adam Kelsey did just that.
Under the circumstances and the poor pitch conditions the whole team worked hard to keep Holtby at bay. Stephen Pougher in goal marshalled a defence of Nathan Voakes; Charlie Mariss; Callum Baker and Adam Kelsey. In midfield Josh Jarvis; Jak Langley; Dominic Litwinski and Alfie Pougher worked hard to send the ball Into the Holtby half. Martin Jude and Joe Boxhall did their best to retain the ball and make the most of limited service. Indeed on the one or two occasions Sirius ventured into the opposition goal area they squandered two really good chances!
Having been bombarded for the half the whistle went the team had done their jobs in managing to keep the score to nil and now they had every opportunity to take
advantage in the second half.
Sirius did not take long to take their chance and it was Martin Jude who broke the deadlock with a hooked shot into the top corner of the net. However, Sirius did not really build on this and found it difficult to keep the ball. Stephen Pougher made a series of fine saves to keep Sirius alive! Eventually the team succumbed with only minutes remaining and it was 1-1 and all to play for!
Sirius were holding on and were fortunate not to concede again. Substitutions were made in Jack Best; Harry Knight and Connor Hanson-Morgan during the second who did their best .
The last three minutes of the game were extraordinary! A scrambled goal from nothing from Josh Jarvis sent Sirius players into a joyous frenzy of victory! But this was to be short-lived! Seconds remaining Holtby had come straight down the pitch and equalised! Joy turned to anguish! Doom and gloom and a few chosen words which were internally relayed to myself and brain for no one to hear! Although I am sure our players guessed from the grimacing expressions.
Extra-time was on the cards but in this strange and exciting phase of play and from the kick-off the ball was hoofed up the pitch – in the swirling wind the ball was bouncing everywhere – it landed and was chased by Alfie Pougher and their keeper- but it was Alfie who got there first and he managed to steer the ball up high and it bounced and seemed to take an eternity to come down- however when it did it took another bounce and went straight up into the top of the net!
Ecstatic scenes with the whistle being blown for the end of the game! Sirius had scraped a victory and had gained a semi-final place! Some game!
Thanks to Jennie Simmons in supporting myself and the team and in running the line.
Please congratulate the team who will now play Endeavour or St.Mary’s in the semi- final.
