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Bow School 1-1 Knights Academy
4-3 to Bow on penalties
April 2009
Year 8 Football – London Cup, Semi Final
After an excellent victory in the quarter finals against a skilful and very well organised team, Bow school were up against the very best around – Knights Academy. As we arrived at the ground we saw facilities and a pitch befitting a semi-final game. The boys look impressed and excited by the challenge ahead!
There was an immediate feeling that this was going to be a tough game and the opening exchanges did nothing to dispel that. Knights started very confidently, stroking the ball around with composure and good skill, everything starting with the excellent Knight’s centre-back. Gradually, Paul and Tom started to get a stranglehold of the game from the centre of midfield and make things happen. Just as Bow were starting to get a firm grip on the game, Knights Academy produced the sucker punch – a long ball over the top that caught the defense flat and the impressive Knight’s number 9 was on hand for the coolest of finishes.
1-0 Knights Academy
Bow were rocked by the goal and started to get overrun; it was time for the players to step up to the occasion, and that they did. As the second half passed the new defense of Jay, Darien, Tyrone and Callum started to settle down. They increased in confidence against the dangerous Knights’ attack. It was about five minutes until half time and Bow made their first change, James Holland Malcolm replaced the industrious Oli Cox, purely to increase the size of the Bow team in the hope of combating their lofty opponents. James had an immediate impact, latching onto a through ball and looking like he had more pace than the defenders. As he ran clear, the ball ran onto Mohammed who instinctively took the ball on and calmly finished it! Unfortunately, Mohammed was clearly offside, no goal.
The last few minutes of the first half were a little disjointed, with several Knights Academy players picking up injuries and a number of subs having to be made. Knights lost several players, including their keeper; in fact they had to put their injured right-back in goal. Could Bow take advantage?
Half time, 1-0 Knights Academy
At half time the Bow boys were feeling the effects of a blistering first half They knew that a continuation of high tempo and hard work was their best chance, and there was an injured player in goal for Knights! As the second half got underway, Knights started to dominate the ball but Bow’s defense now looked rock solid, and Jamie was in great form supporting them from in goal.
It was clear that the Knights team was starting to tire and looked ready to settle for their one goal. Just before half-time Knights had brought on a sub to man-mark Thomas and he was proving to be effective in reducing the space and time for Thomas to control the game; he was however, still looking the most dangerous player for Bow. Ten minutes had passed with no chances. Bow made two changes, bringing on the match winner of the third round, Franco and the match winner of the quarter final, Kayn. Bow continued to work hard but for all their endeavor they could not get a clean shot at the auxiliary keeper. Mohammed’s incredible work rate upfront was causing plenty of problems but still Bow could not get into a genuine shooting position. Ten minutes left, time was running out! Bow made their last change, Paul was dropped into a defensive midfield role, freeing Tom to get away from his marker and Harry replaced Franco.
Almost immediately there was a chance for Knights to seal it, the ball came into the box and for the first time it wasn’t cleared, it looked set to be 2-0 until Jamie acted quickly to deny Knights. Was this the shot in the arm Bow needed? Bow boys had to find one more push, and they did! Bow pressed down the left, where Kayn was starting to have an impact, the ball went forward to James who got a shove in the back resulting in a free kick. There were five minutes left; the ball was placed on the left hand edge of the box about 20 yards out. We were all watching from the sideline hoping Thomas would just hit the target – force this keeper into a save! Thomas stepped up and hit it – GOAL! A well struck free kick, straight into the roof of the net. It looks like extra time, again!
Full time 1-1
Extra time
For the third match running Bow went into extra time. In the last couple of minutes after their equalizer it looked like Bow were going to win it, Knights were all over the place. However, after a chance to regroup, both teams looked composed and ready for action. The first half of extra time saw a clear decision in the Bow team to ‘shoot on sight’. However, if this tactic was going to work they were going to have to adjust their sights; lots of effort and no action.
Half time
The second half continued like the first – no real action. Both teams looked nervous as they knew one mistake could cost them a place in the final; penalties looked inevitable. That was until, with two minutes left, the very dangerous number 9 for Knights went clean through. As much as Darien tried, he was not going to catch him; it looked like game over. The boy hit a lovely shot bottom corner and everyone stopped… except Jamie, who pulled out a right hand and tipped it round the post, a great save! Surely, now it would be penalties? With thirty seconds on the clock Mohammed was hauled down on the edge of the box, the exact same place where Thomas scored his goal… surely this would save us the drama of penalties?! Thomas stepped up, hit it and… it rolled through to the keeper.
Full time – penalties
Five boys stepped up confidently to take a penalty: Thomas, Callum, Harry, Mohammed and Tyrone.
Paul Reader won the toss and decided to put the pressure on Knights. Bow to take the first penalty. This was possibly Paul’s best decision of the game!
| Bow, penalty 1: Thomas – calmly puts it away | Goal 1-0 |
| Knights, penalty 1: Knight’s best player on the day | Miss 1-0 |
| Bow, penalty 2: Callum – good strike | Goal 2-0 |
| Knights, penalty 2 | Goal 2-1 |
| Bow, penalty 3: Harry – picked his spot and struck well | Goal 3-1 |
| Knights, penalty 3 | Goal 3-2 |
| Bow, penalty 4: Mohammed - this to win the match | Miss 3-2 |
| Knights, penalty 4 | Goal 3-3 |
| Bow, penalty 5: Tyrone – this to win it! | Goal 4-3 |
Tyrone capped a Man of the Match performance with a penalty that proved he was the calmest player on the pitch.
Well done to all the Bow school boys, we are now looking forward to a great final!
Star Man: Tyrone Auguste (a rock in his first game as centre back and calmest man on the pitch when it came to the final winning penalty!)