It was an impressive week for our Year 8 football team as they followed up a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Harris Academy in the London Cup with a dominant 10-0 win over George Green in the National Cup at Market Road.
On Tuesday, the boys travelled to Winchmore Hill Sports Club to face Harris Academy. The start couldn’t have gone much worse as a needless foul gave Harris a free kick from 30 yards out, which their centre back struck superbly into the top corner. It was a setback that tested the team’s resilience, but one they quickly overcame. Just 8 minutes later, Kurt unleashed a thunderous strike from distance which crashed against the bar, leaving Cole to react quickest and finish from close range – a proper poacher’s goal. Moments later, an excellent out-swinging corner was met on the volley by Dylan, who guided the ball into the roof of the net at the near post to complete the turnaround. Harris pushed hard in the second half and equalised with a drilled cross to the back post that their winger tapped home. The game could have gone either way from there, but up stepped George, who picked the ball up in midfield and curled a spectacular 35-yard effort into the top corner to win the game in style.
Two days later, the team returned to familiar territory at Market Road to take on George Green in the National Cup. Unlike Tuesday, this time the boys started at full throttle, pressing high up the pitch and forcing mistakes. Cole was the chief beneficiary, scoring three goals in the space of 18 minutes – the first a smart finish at the near post after good work from Konrad down the wing, the second a cool one-on-one after being slipped through by Kurt, and the third a clever header from Dylan’s pinpoint cross. Konrad then got on the scoresheet himself, firing low into the corner after intercepting a loose pass on the edge of the box. Central were relentless, and just before the half-hour mark Cole added his fourth of the game, rifling home from inside the area after a neat passing move involving Ethan and George. Ethan then capped off a fine half by arriving late into the box and finishing confidently to make it 6-0 at the break.
The second half saw the same level of control. Dylan slot home from another well-delivered set piece to make it seven before Cole showed his striker’s instincts once again to claim his fifth of the game with a sharp turn and finish. George then added his name to the scoresheet with a composed effort from the edge of the box, and Dylan rounded off the scoring with a tidy finish after linking up with Ethan. The final whistle confirmed a resounding 10-0 victory – a clean sheet, free-flowing attacking football, and goals spread throughout the team.
The Year 8s remain in the hat for all four competitions and have made a highly promising start to the season. There’s a long road ahead and plenty of hard work to come, but this week has underlined the talent and togetherness in the squad as fixtures continue to come thick and fast.