U14A come-back to beat Wilson’s with second-half surge

By Josh Hood

Fortune seemed to be on the side of the Hampton U14As this week as they narrowly saw off a quick and physical Wilson’s side 2-1.

In the opening spell of the game, neither side dominated possession, and except for a few good saves at either end of the pitch, play was extremely competitive. 

However, soon enough, this stand-off came to an end when the visiting team scored a goal which involved a skilful dribble followed by a composed finish under the keeper, to give Wilson’s the lead. 

After this opening goal, more of the same followed, and in spite of a slight shift in momentum in favour of Hampton, the run up to half time was hard-fought. 

After the break, with new instructions, the Hampton team had a much more composed approach and created several chances involving strong sequences of play. 

As a result, they were rewarded with a goal that was well taken by Hayden Christian, the ball having been deflected by a scrambling defender. 

With the equaliser under their belt, Hampton’s  Zain Suterwalla stormed into the opposition box before producing an equally excellent shot past the keeper, and into the back of the net.

With one foot over the line and edging into the home straight, the home side did well to stay solid in defence for the remainder of the game, inspired by some fine saves from Conrad Knight.

Although it was a friendly, the game was important, as a lot was learned to help the team prepare for upcoming games in important competitions.