Elmden Rovers vs FC Clacton Under 9's

Sunday 30th October 2011 - 10.30am - Plough Corner

Fresh from our last decisive league win, the FC Clacton Under 9's travel just down the road to Plough Corner for a local derby with Elmden Rovers, and a fixture that is always important for both teams to win! So, our lads lined up on a brisk and overcast morning ready for a great match.

From the first whistle we quickly gained possession, and press into the Elmden half, but some fairly solid defenders clear the ball for our first corner, which is taken by Ryan Csaforda and just goes out wide.  We quickly win the ball from the keepers' kick out, and a nice set of passes are intercepted by their keeper at the last moment.  We continue to press, and at 3 and a half minutes in Leon Dutton runs on goal putting it just over the crossbar!  Elmden do push back, but sterling defending from Ryan Csaforda and Jake Mayes put pay to any advances.  At 6 minutes in, Elmden win a freekick on the edge of our box, but the effort goes wide by some mark.  8 minutes in Jake Mayes wins an important ball in midfield, and makes a decent run, laying the ball off to Reuben Cowler, and then on to Captain Mitchell Kill and finally in the path of Leon Dutton, who is blocked in the keepers' box at the final moment.

We continue to push on, and at 12 minutes, Mitchell Kill breaks and shoots, and once again the keeper denies us! This happens yet again at 17 minutes when Reuben Cowler takes a punt on goal, but again we are blocked!  That isn't going to stop us, and Jake Mayes makes a blistering run from our half to the edge of the Elmden box, only to be taken down, but no penality was given!  In final seconds of the first half, Elmden hit the cross bar with a credible effort, but is cleared - leaving us all square at 0-0.

The second half saw a lot of scrapping in midfield, with chances going to both sides, with various corners and throw-ins coming and going, but not being fruitful.  We are starting to turn things around by the 30 minute mark, and cracks start to show in the Elmden defences.  This is evident only 30 seconds later when Ryan Csaforda supplies a fantastic corner ball, only for us to hit the cross bar.  Are we ever going to score?

We didn't have to wait long, and at 32 minutes, we win a throw in, which Ryan Csaforda rockets into the box to land with Reuben Cowler, deflects off an Elmden player, only for Ryan Csaforda squeezing in a tight cross, and to the feet of Leon Dutton who neatly slips the ball past the keeper - putting us 1-0 up!

At 36 minutes, Patrick Graham wins an important ball and passes a neat ball over to Mitchell Kill who runs a third of the pitch, squares the ball into the box where Patrick Graham collects again, passes to Ryan Csaforda who turns and fires the ball into the net, putting us at 2-0 up.

Only 20 seconds later, from the re-start, Elmden walk through our defences and shoot, wrong footing our keeper and putting the score at 2-1.  This seemed to shake us a bit, but we then buckle down, and stand firm to the final whistle.

Thanks to Elmden Rovers for a great match.

Well done FC Clacton Under 9's - !!!UNBEATEN!!! and another 3 points!  Brilliant effort and lets roll onto the next cup match next week!!!!

Go Seasiders!!!!!