By Thomas Scrimshaw
Hampton’s U15 A-team continued their 2024-25 campaign with an eagerly anticipated tour to Villareal, Spain during the October half-term.
The team were looking to maintain their highly impressive start to the new season under coach Mr D Boyes, with an uncharacteristic first loss to Eton before the break motivating the team to get back to the winning ways that they had been accustomed to for most of the season so far.
Hampton’s first game abroad came against Villareal B, the team that newly crowned Ballon D’or winner Rodri played for during his youth career.
Hampton kicked off the first half confidently under the floodlights, dominating the game physically, but being provided with the tough technical challenge attached with the style of possession-based football that Spaniards are so renowned for.
However, Hampton were able to pounce on the mistakes of the opposition at the right moments to gather some possession of their own, resulting in a handful of half chances.
After an opportunity that came from an interception in midfield, the ball was threaded through to Oliver Khaksar who finished past the keeper, opening the team’s account in Spain.
Both teams had had their respective spells of keeping the ball but only the one goal stood between the sides as of yet, until a deflection off a Villareal defender from a corner took the ball past his own keeper to give Hampton a deserved 2-0 lead.
Now that the U15s had doubled their advantage, they looked to build on th lead, capitalising on the misplaced passes by the opposition and scoring another courtesy of Alex Pollock’s mazy run into the box and sharp finish into the top corner.
Hampton came out for the second half with all guns blazing. For the first ten minutes of the half, it was certainly the team in black and gold that looked the more promising.
However, the newly introduced Villareal substitutes were soon to put an end to the Hampton dominance, starting to move the ball quicker and more accurately up the pitch to their forwards.
An interception in the Villareal back-line resulted in play being switched to Alex Pollock, who controlled the ball calmly before powerfully striking the ball beyond the helpless keeper to further extend Hampton’s lead and grab his second of the night.
Now that the lions had a more than comfortable lead, they looked to retain possession whilst also looking to add another to the goal tally at the right opportunity.
Despite being 4-0 down, the Villareal side continued to show their fight and desire, which ultimately resulted in a cleverly worked lobbed goal from the Spanish side, providing them with what was likely to be a consolation goal given Hampton’s already strong lead.
In the dying minutes, Hampton showed their determination to retain their comfortable advantage with courageous defensive efforts maintaining their three-goal advantage in a well battled 4-1 win. After the final whistle, Hampton proudly celebrated their first win overseas, however attention would soon be turned to the second game of the tour against IDA Academy Valencia.
Goals: Oliver Khaksar (1), Alex Pollock (2), OG (1)
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