Wrotham School 5 Hugh Christie School 0

Match 55/18/1648 - Wednesday, 7th November 2018 - Academies League – Kent Schools FA

Wrotham School (4) 5
Hugh Christie (0) 0
Attendance: Me!

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 36/3,418

I am sure a few readers of this blog will be thinking to themselves, schools’ football? This is really scrapping the barrel, but let me explain.

Although the matches are played under the titles of the participating schools, they are actually representing the Academies of senior clubs or private football academies. So this game was Pro Soccer Academy, who numbered ex-Angels goalkeepers Lee Worgan and Scott Chalmers-Stevens among their coaching team versus Tonbridge Angels Academy’s Development team.

I have recently been enlisted to drive the minibus to some of the games and, on this occasion, took the squad to Wrotham School. The lads were in high spirits, singing along to their tunes after been told by their gaffer, Dom Welsh, that on this occasion he wanted no depressing music as they had lost to the selections last time, personally I was quite happy when Adele was on! In fairness to the lads, they were in the same high spirits on the way back despite losing on this occasion as well.

Both of the Academy sides are experiencing a period in which they are being stretched to the limit with injuries to key personnel, for this game, Hugh Christie being forced to play without a recognised goalkeeper with the diminutive Adam Barden, an outfield player, taking the gloves.

This was one of those days where the elements ask an awful lot of you. The 3G pitch inside the dreaded cage had no available cover and the need to retreat to shelter under a tree outside of the cage was done on about half-a-dozen occasions as the rain swept down.

An early through ball saw the Wrotham goalkeeper advancing to the edge of his box to challenge Bernard who took a knock and needed to be substituted with just five minutes on the clock, such is your luck when the injury jinx is upon you.

No names are available for the Wrotham team, except for Liam McCreadie, who was with the successful Tonbridge Under-18s a couple of years ago.

After 10 minutes, Wrotham’s substantially built centre forward curled a shot in, off the far post, to open the scoring for the hosts.

The traffic was pretty much one-way and the Tonbridge lads, and Barden in particular, did well to hold out until the 27th minute when the centre forward curled a second goal into the net from the edge of the box.

McCreadie, who impressed, scored with a well placed free kick after 34 minutes and when he scored again just prior to the break, the floodgates threatened to open along with the skies.

But, great credit to the Hugh Christie lads, who dug in during a second half period in which they created a couple of chances of their own. Brad Needham forced the goalkeeper into a good save, low to his left, whilst Jem Loxton, the bus DJ, saw an effort deflected away for a corner.

Unfortunately, they were to concede a fifth as the Wrotham centre forward completed his hat trick. A deserved consolation was denied as a final minute header came back off the bar for Hugh Christie.

Hopefully, and I’m sure there will be, better days for the bus driver who at least had the satisfaction of safely reversing the vehicle back into its position at Tonbridge Baptist Church!