U14Cs draw in tight Eton encounter

By Alasdair McIntosh

After losing 4-2 to Eton College in their previous encounter, all down to two late goals, the Hampton U14Cs began the game seeking revenge. However, when the final whistle blew, Hampton were reluctant to leave the pitch at 1-1.

Unfortunately for Hampton, during the first 10 minutes of the game, a win seemed unlikely as they were never able to make good use of the ball and were constantly under pressure from Eton.

15 minutes in, Hampton seemed to be regaining some control of the game. However after a one-two, the Eton striker was on the ball with space to spare and only the Hampton keeper, Joseph Gordon, between him and the goal. The striker’s shot was low and powerful and Gordon was unable to keep it out of the net.

Despite conceding, Hampton began to make more chances for themselves yet all of these were halted by the Eton backline.

Hampton’s best chance of the game arrived when Ed Massey weaved his way through the Eton midfield and into the penalty box. The Eton defence struggled to stop him but after a tugged shirt and trip, the whistle blew. Penalty.

Hampton’s striker, Gabriel Kelly, stood up to take the penalty. It just so happened that in the previous match up between Hampton and Eton, Kelly had also scored a penalty. And just like the last time, Kelly stepped up and fired into the bottom left corner.

The time remaining in the first half lacked action and so, when the half time whistle blew, both teams were still hungry for more goals.

Throughout the second half, Hampton had a large majority of possession with agile play from wingers Jayden Oni and Henry Jackson. Unfortunately, these pieces of play did not lead to any goals.

Eton still made the most of their time on the ball, using Hampton’s high pressure on the attack to forge counter attacks.

In spite of Hampton being in control of the game, the closest chance of the half came from Eton with 10 minutes left to play. Following a Hampton attack, the opposition striker surged forward with the ball at his feet and a teammate supporting him close behind. After shielding the ball from the Hampton defender, he allowed his teammate to shoot. Fortunately, Gordon’s quick reflexes stopped the ball from going in.

The final whistle blew with the scoreline equal and the U14Cs hoping for a win in their next game.