U14C team fall to strong Eton outfit
By Joseph Gordon
Eton travelled to Hampton to play the last fixture of the half term, with Hampton having recently succumbed to their first loss of the year and hoping to bounce back.
Many new players had arrived in the C team, bringing some B team experience and some desire from the D team.
With ten subs on the bench, Hampton kicked off, but immediately fell to the pressure and intensity of Eton, forcing some excellent blocks and tackles from captain Alasdair McIntosh. On one occasion, a corner was conceded, and after the ball reached the box, a header was guided wide, however it took an unlucky deflection of a Hampton player at the back post, richocheting in.
A couple of Hampton attacks followed, but no goals accompanied them. Just before half time, a breakaway from Etton punished the attacking fullbacks, and a goal followed, with McIntosh being centimetres away from clearing the ball off the line.
The half-time whistle came, and the squad was fully refreshed with eager players.
It was a much brighter start for Hampton, and shortly after the restart, Ed Massey sprinted through the Eton defense and finished clinically.
Morale was now high, and this sudden burst of spirit increased as striker Gabriel Kelly was brought down inside the box. Kelly took the penalty, and even though the Eton keeper dived the correct side, the powerful shot found its way to the bottom corner.
Eton picked themselves up, and a couple of attacks challenged the Hampton defense. Hampton stood their ground and didn’t give anything away to Eton except a couple of free kicks, which called on goalkeeper Joseph Gordon to tip the ball onto the cross bar and pounce on the ball.
This all sadly came to an end when, with five minutes left, an Eton corner led to a powerful header, bringing the score to 2-3.
To end of the game, a failed shot from the opposition team ended up being a key pass, because the Eton striker was quick to take control, and hit the ball on a half-volley to leave the final scoreline 2-4.
