An action-packed tournament in Edgbaston saw a young U12 squad play some excellent hockey in their first competitive encounter of the season. Early season availability issues saw Sils call up two U10s (Matthew Bowley & James Wilson) at short notice, but both played key roles as Sils acquitted themselves well in the 4 x 20 minute games.
The whole squad worked hard, and with only one substitute, there was little time to rest as the four games came back-to-back throughout the morning.
The results will tell you little about the performance, or indeed the potential of the players, but they are listed at the foot of this report "for the record".
Key reflections on the morning :
GKs : Jonnie Carter & Josh Bowley - both very capable stoppers who pulled off some vital saves during the games. Good positional awareness when clearing the ball, and growing in confidence when directing the defence. Remember guys, the D is your backyard, no one else's !
Defence : James Coppin & Dominic Higgins - a solid pairing who grew in understanding as the tournament progressed. Injuries to both during the morning allowed the opposition to take advantage when they were sidelined. Both were very brave when closing down shots, particularly Dominic, who went home via A&E - all fine after a check.
Midfield : James Wilson, Alex Delaney, Matthew Bowley - worked their socks off and showed growing awareness on the ball, meaning that we were able to feed Matthew Hulbert well from both open play and dead balls. Great first time finish from MB in the game against Bournville ! That James & Matthew (U10s) competed so well at this level is a great reflection on their potential.
Forward : Matthew Hulbert - the Lone Ranger at times, but a great workrate meant that he came back to collect the ball when needed. Faced a keeper in supreme form when playing Bournville (Stourport keeper doubled up) otherwise he would have scored six or seven.
Results (1) 2-5 v Stourport (2) 3-0 v Bournville (3) 2-5 v Edgbaston/KH (4) 0-5 v Bromsgrove