Visage v Dutch Academy

On a balmy October morning, Visage gave a performance of real discipline and no little skill, ultimately overwhelming a spirited Dutch Football Academy who never gave up.

From the first whistle, the pace and trickery of Jude and Anthony, and later on Charlie, terrorized the home defense down both flanks, leading to a succession of corners, fizzing shots and near misses that hinted at what was to follow.

The inevitable soon followed, as Joe lashed in a half clearance from a corner, following up 5 minutes later with a cracker, running half the length of the pitch with a defender in hot pursuit, before calmly slotting it in the left hand corner.

At the other end, George showed courage and excellent positioning (repeated later in midfield) in repelling all efforts from the Academy’s strikers, a feat repeated in second half by Charlie, whose charges out of goal at the sniff of danger were equally effective in shutting their opponents out.

The game still lay in the balance but in the second half, Visage’s ability to keep their shape, pass and move and sweep up all danger at the back, meant they were never in trouble. Zac and Freddie tackled and ran hard in midfield, never letting their opponents settle, and giving their all to win back possession. Freddie was rewarded for his tenacity by chasing down a ball that the goalkeeper might have won, bundling it into the net. More was to follow, with Jude (1), Anthony (2) and Joe (2) scoring excellent goals in quick succession, with only a penalty from their opponents in response.

This was a performance where the boys showed that they have been listening and learning from their coaches, with sustained periods of excellent football. Everyone contributed to a fantastic display and they should all be proud of themselves.