No hangover in friendly win

Balham 4 Manorcroft 0

On the morning after an evening of celebrations, there was no hint of a hangover as Balham U16s dispatched SYL Championship side Manorcroft 4-0 with two goals in either half from four different scorers. The Whites arguably delivered their best performance of the season, playing with the confidence of a Champion team, and the scoreline didn’t flatter. It really could and should have been more.

Playing under a blue sky and sunshine, the home side took a few minutes to settle, and the early signs were that this would be a competitive match, with Manorcroft enjoying some early possession around Balham’s penalty area but without creating a clear-cut chance. The boys though scored with their first meaningful attack after only five minutes and once the first went in, there really was only likely to be one winner. The first goal was a lovely team goal. Igor, Wilbur and Jude all traded passes, moving the ball up through midfield into the final third before Igor fed Wilbur again. His first time pass put Lucas through on goal and he delivered a calm finish underneath the keeper. 1-0.

Moments later Lucas could have scored again when played through, but he couldn’t shift the ball out of his feet to get a shot away and Manorcroft cleared. This was now a very positive start and the tone for the whole match had been set.

Form the resulting corner, Alex’s inswinger travelled into a really dangerous area. Manorcroft could only clear to Jude, whose shot from outside the box was a bit too straight and the keeper saved it comfortably. Straight from the goal kick Manorcroft launched a counter attack that proved to be their most dangerous passage of the half, requiring a clearance from one of the defenders in the 6-yard box to avert the danger. It was the most work the makeshift Balham defence had to do in the first 40. George and Alex dealt with everything through the middle comfortably while Dom, at right back, and Joe at left back, dominated their players and all four were often there to launch the next Balham attack.

Balham then nearly scored what would’ve been one of them more bizarre goals of the season. The Manorcroft keeper appeared to have all the time in the world when the ball was played back to him, but Lucas put him under pressure and the keeper fired the ball into his legs and it ricocheted just wide. The second goal soon came though. Wilbur won the ball back in midfield and he played it into Jude, whose first-time beautiful through ball was taken under control by Junior, and he calmly slid it under the keeper to double the lead. Two nearly became three when Max, who was giving the right wing a torrid morning, picked up the ball in the final third, turned his man, drove in and his powerful shot just skimmed over the top of the bar.

At this point the opposition coach acknowledged that his team was on the “end of the battering”, and he was impressed with the quality of our play. Quick thinking from George after a foul on him nearly created the third. He played the free kick down the right for Max who turned his defender inside out before cutting ball back for Igor, who just put it over the top of the bar. Sadly this was the end of George’s afternoon as the late challenge on him that led to the free kick – and also led to the opposition number three receiving a warning but no card from the referee – exacerbated a back issue and he had to leave the field.

Balham made three changes at the 20-minute point with under-15 Nathan, AJ and Luke joining the game and Wilbur shifting to centre half. AJ nearly made an instant impact with an excellent counter attack and his cut-back to the advancing Max, was cleared over the bar by a returning defender before Max could pounce.

Alex nearly scored directly from the resulting corner with the wind pushing his in-swinging, powered drive into the goal but it was tipped over by the keeper.

At half-time we discussed how we should expect better from the opposition in the second half and how winning the first 5-10 minutes would see us on to another win. The boys were made to wait a while for the second period to start as Manorcroft tried to re-group with a long team talk. It didn’t work as Balham nearly scored with their first attack. The ball was moved well to Nathan on the right who fed AJ. From the right wing he pulled the ball back for Jude and his shot went over from close range, when he really should have scored. Another brilliant length of field attack was soon started by Joa, who hit AJ in the middle. He released Nathan down the right, who cut the ball back to Balham’s advancing attackers. A Manorcroft defender was spared an embarrassing moment as his outstretched foot hit the ball straight into the arms of his goalkeeper.

Balham continued to dominate in every area, with the foundations of a rock-solid defence – Igor was at centre half and Wilbur back in a dominant midfield giving the attacking players license to create. Nathan on the right reversed it to Lucas on the left and his first time shot from a tight angle was tipped over the bar. Alex’s latest inswinger went through everyone in the six-yard box and the impressive Nathan just failed to head home at the far post. The third goal finally came though, this time from AJ. Manorcroft’s goal kick was won by Wilbur, he fed Jude, who played it to Lucas, who put our striker through to tap home. Another good, team goal.

Asleep from the restart Balham came as close to conceding as we looked all morning. Manorcroft played the ball into our left channel, and their striker’s low, near-post shot was brilliantly saved by Joa, getting down quickly to his right to turn it past the post. He would not be denied another clean sheet. Goal number four was scored by Jude after he was brilliantly set up by Joe. Our most versatile player won the ball in the left back position, drove past his man into midfield, and laid it off to Jude who calmly put it home after shifting the ball onto his left foot.

Number five wouldn’t come despite a rare indirect free kick which Jude hit straight at the keeper, and direct free kicks from Luke, Dom and even Joa, all failing to add to our advantage. A second win for the Whites against higher division opposition on a beautiful Sunday morning in Roehampton was the perfect way to end a celebratory weekend.

Match report courtesy of Jamie.