Season Review: 2nd XI Football
By Josh Hood
The 2023-24 season was certainly a memorable one for the Second XI, characterised by courageous comebacks, captivating cup campaigns and 19 victories in all competitions.
Amongst the most prominent of these came in the very first match, in the form of a well earned 1-0 win over RGS Guildford’s First XI on the 3G. Having arrived back at school a few days before, and with a successful preseason tour to Loughborough University under their belt, the seconds got off to winning ways thanks to an Ed Knott goal. Knott, who made an intelligent run from midfield and in behind the defensive line to get on the end of a through ball, slotted it home at the near post to give the side their first goal of an eventual 91 scored over the course of the season.
The start of October brought some resounding victories for Mr Leafe and Mr Ritchie’s squad as a 16-1 win and a 4-1 score line came against Kew House School and Bradfield College respectively. The former of these two kicked off the second’s ESFA campaign, in what would go on to be a highly exciting cup run for the squad. The game also marked a notable debut for Michael Azoo, bringing five goals to his personal tally for the season.
Likewise, the latter stages of November featured statement performances from the 2nd XI. An away day at Harrodian School’s 1st XI looked all but lost as the boys faced a 2-0 deficit heading into the last five minutes of the game. However, in the dying moments, and testament to the squad’s remarkable resilience throughout the season, Savan Soni and Jacques Huet popped up with goals to even the score line and earn a draw for the away side. This was followed up by a 5-0 win in ESFA Round 3 only a few days later as Tom Tabor, Ed Joyce and Gabriel Fouché accompanied Huet on the scoresheet.
Having subsequently seen off Glyn School in the ESFA Last-16 thanks to a strong team performance, but namely the efforts of super sub Jago Doherty and work horse James Queen, the 2s faced their biggest game yet in the national quarter-final. An away fixture at Southend High School looked to be slipping away again until a screamer from the left boot of Knott evened the score line and sent the game into extra time.
Having capitalised upon their momentum and dominated the final stages of the game, Hampton couldn’t find a way past the opposition defence. As the clock ran down, the referee blew his whistle to signal the arrival of a penalty shootout. Looking as though they were down and out again, and with 8 penalties taken, goalkeeper Sam Ellis was faced with the bleak prospect of having to score his penalty and then save the next to keep his team in the ESFA Cup. Having blasted his home, Ellis stepped up and saved the next, hooking it away with his foot to keep the game alive.
Three penalties later, and with the score poised at 6-5, Ellis faced another penalty, this time with the potential reward of shootout heroics and earning his team a spot in the semi final. As the attacker stepped up, he guessed right (in both senses) and pushed the ball away, only to be greeted by the ecstatic arrival of his teammates who had sprinted to celebrate with him from the halfway line.
The semi final brought, unfortunately, the end of the second’s ESFA Cup campaign as they lost 2-0 away to Millfield School despite a hard fought performance.
As the squad await their London IS Cup Final against Dulwich College, we would like to thank the irreplaceable efforts of Mr Leafe and Mr Ritchie, alongside all of the parents and fans, who stayed by our side throughout the year. It’s undoubtedly been a season to remember, and a great way to mark, for some players, their last ever in a Hampton shirt.
