U13As scrape through to the 3rd round of ESFA in a 6-goal thriller
By Theo Payne
U13As scrape through to the 3rd round of ESFA in a 6-goal thriller
On a cold Monday, the U13As faced a strong Teddington side in the second round of the ESFA cup.
The match showed early promise to be a high scorer, with Teddington getting off the mark early when a wayward pass was duly pounced on by the opposition’s striker. Momentum was with the visitors.
Hampton responded well, with regular counter attacks threatening to level the game. Hampton’s persistence soon paid off, as left winger Oscar Connel ran in behind and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper. The game was back in the balance. Hampton’s pressure continued and, despite the shaky start, they were well on top.
Hampton finally added their second after midfielder Rafi Berry received the ball just outside the penalty box, shifted the ball across to his right foot, and fired the ball past the helpless keeper into the top right corner. Hampton were in command and pressing for a third.
Against the run of play, Teddington won a penalty when their left winger was brought down in box. It was converted with inch perfection, with the ball glancing the inside bottom corner of the post and deflecting in. The match was perfectly poised going into the break at 2 apiece.
Half Time Score: Hampton 2-2 Teddington
After the break, Hampton bounced back in style, with striker Jasper Townley latching onto a precise through ball from Connel finishing into the bottom corner with ease
Hampton’s momentum was evident as they pressed for a fourth and looked to seal the game. Connel and Jack Marchant came close, with the latter being denied by a tight offside. The tension was beginning to mount and the crowd beginning to build when a late challenge by the visitor’s centre back awarded Hampton the ideal chance to seal the victory from the spot. However, Hampton did not capitalise on the chance, with the Teddington keeper making an outstanding save.
Meanwhile, down the other end of the pitch, the weary Hampton defence was clinging on desperately, with 3 of the 5 centre and full backs used having have been on for the whole match. Unfortunately, their stellar resistance was broken when a corner swung in from the left landed in the 6-yard box, causing a scuffle in front of the goalmouth, resulting in a goal for Teddington. The match was on a knife edge at 3-3.
The remaining 5 minutes of normal time played out as a stalemate, with no side wanting to give it away that late on.
The final whistle blew. Both sides felt exhausted and relieved, yet inevitably thinking ‘what more could we have done’.
With a place in the 3rd round of the U13A ESFA competition on the line, both teams settled in their positions for kick-off of the 15-minute extra time. With the crowd growing ever larger, the 11 boys wearing the yellow and black of Hampton made one more surge for victory.
Extra time was played largely in Teddington’s half. Hampton the more threatening of the two sides, but failed to create any significant chances
Extra time disappeared rapidly, with the impending reality of bittersweet penalties dawning on both the players and the spectators as the final whistle neared.
The final whistle went. Both teams huddled close, just minutes away from competing in the intimidating phenomenon of a penalty shootout. The penalty takers were named, the keepers readied, all 13 players linked arms, and hoped.
Teddington opted to take the first penalty and goalkeeper Charles Brain made a vital and potentially match winning save onto the post. A roar went up among the Hampton supporters and players.
Neil Menon stepped up to take Hampton’s first penalty and scored. Teddington responded well by scoring their second.
Hampton scored the next penalty courtesy of Berry. Teddington scored their 3rd penalty, keeping on the tails of Hampton. The home side scored their 3rd too, thanks to a clinical finish from JJ Osbourne. Teddington scored their next penalty, keeping their hopes of a path to the 3rd round alive. Connel continued his brilliant evening by cementing Hampton’s advantage. Teddington did all that they could within their power by scoring their 5th and final penalty.
The Hampton captain Thomas Young stepped up to take final spot kick. If he scored Hampton won. If he missed, it was sudden death. He placed the ball down softly on the spot. He took 1, 2, 3 steps back. The crowd was hushed by a cold wind that whistled across the pitch. He took 3 assured strides. Bang! The net rippled. The crowd erupted. The Hampton players that had been waiting in stress and uncertainty on the halfway line surged forward, a crowd of joy, triumph and jubilation, their hard work validated in one strike. The victory was sealed. The ecstatic U13As were heading off to the 3rd round of ESFA.
