As we start to come out the other side of another Covid lockdown, it was great to be able to get back onto the football pitch with the lads. I sincerely hope that this lockdown is the last, and that next season has no interruptions. Youth football brings so much to so many and has been sorely missed!! This mornings game however didn't go the lads way and was not a great advert for the beautiful game!

It was a fresh April morning, the warmth of the previous midweek had been replaced by a sharp, cold bite in the air. There had been little rain recently, and the Droitwich pitch, was awful to put it mildly! The surface was rock solid, and any balls played along the ground bobbled and wobbled all over the place. It was not conducive to good passing football, which turned out to suit Droitwich's robust, long ball game.

The two sides had met earlier in the season at Horton View, ending in a 2-2 draw so we knew that it was going to be a tight contest, with very little to choose between the teams. The match started in that way, the game being played predominantly in midfield, with defences coping well with any threats.

Droitwich were hitting the ball long at every opportunity, including launching long throws down the line and into our box whenever they could. The back four of Tom, Lex, Aidan and Harry were coping well enough, even if a little jittery at times given the long break since our last game in December.

We carried the greater threat in the first half, with Toby bright and energetic down the right hand side. he was giving the left back a difficult morning. The keeper gratefully collecting a couple of dangerous crosses into the box.

Fin appeared to have released Tyra through on goal, but the linesman's flag was raised. a very very close call, but something we have become accustomed to with this opposition. Their linesman put his flag up for two disallowed goals at our place.

The pivotal moment of the game came midway through the first half. Tyra tenaciously charged down a clearance from a Droitwich defender. Raced through on goal, and just before he was about to take a shot was cleaned out by a Droitwich defender. The defender was the last man, and the tackle was cynical. A red card should of been produced, but for some reason the ref only gave a yellow card.
Tyra stepped up to take the penalty himself, the shot was hard, but too close to the keeper who saved well, and jumped on the rebound before it could be followed up. Justice hadn't been done and a glorious opportunity to take the lead had passed.

The rest of the half was quite uneventful, the pitch playing a major part in a lack of fluency. it was clear at half time that the first goal in this game was going to be crucial.

We started the second half in a sloppy manner. Ollie E was booked for a little trip, as a Droitwich midfielder threatened to get away from him. Nathan saved well and got the rebound from a long free kick hoofed into the box.

The crucial first goal came against the run of play, when the lively Droitwich right winger dispatched a shot high into the net from just inside the penalty area. It was tough on the lads, as we were the only team trying to play football. It felt like a football team, against a rugby side at times!

For the next 25 minutes, it was a mix of United missing half chances, and Droitwich wasting copious amounts of time between restarts.
Fin, George and Jack all had long range free kicks drift over the bar or wide of the post. In truth we were quite wasteful from the free kick situations we were awarded.

United's two best chances came in the last 10 minutes. Firstly Will outpaced the defence, and looked to be through on goal and ready to slot past the keeper. However the keeper was quick of his line to dive at the feet of Will just before he could get his shot away.
Ollie E then intercepted in the middle of the pitch before playing the ball through to Jake. Jake breezed clear of the defence, but once again the pitch was the nemesis, with the ball bobbling just as Jake went to strike the ball, spinning harmlessly out of play.

Tyra was also booked for a drag back/pull on the shirt, crazy really given it was the same punishment handed out to the Droitwich defender for the assault in the first half leading to the penalty.

The lads got caught with 2 late goals, as we fought to try and take the game to penalties, the ball hooked in high from the right, and headed home for 2-0. And in the final minute, Droitwich wrapped the game up from close range after a scramble, where Nathan was also injured, taking a knee to the head in the melee.

A disappointing result, and not our best performance, in what was a scrappy, horrible game.
We look forward to next week, where we hope to get back to winning ways - away at Lane Head Royals.