U15s unlucky not to take at least a point

The Under 15's played host to a well-drilled Horsley Allstars team and were unlucky not to come away with a well-deserved point...possibly even more.

An even first half saw Horsley get their noses in front after 30 minutes when their striker latched onto a good through ball before lifting it over Lucas Neto and into the Abbey goal. A couple of half-chances soon followed for both teams, but the ref's whistle signaled the end of the first half; 1-0 to Horsley.

At halftime, the lads were told to get the ball down and to play it to feet with more impetus. The message sunk in and Abbey started the second half brightly - with more energy, a higher tempo, and some lovely one & two-touch football. However just as we were getting going, Horsley hit us on the counter-attack again and scored with a well-hit shot from just outside the area. Although Lucas did manage to get a hand to it, he just couldn't get enough on it to tip it over the bar. 0-2.

Undeterred, Abbey kept on pushing and were rewarded 8 minutes later as Jamie Smith bullied the Horsley defence before running onto a lovely through ball, rounding the keeper and slipping it into the Horsley goal. Great play and a calm finish from Jamie. 1-2.

Buoyed by Jamie's goal, the Abbey players found an extra gear and got their reward soon after as Dawid Stetner was taken out in the Horsley penalty area after a lovely passage of play. With 63 minutes gone, up stepped Dawid to convert from the spot. 2-2.

From here on it was a 50/50 game as both teams went looking for the winner. The score only stayed at 2-2 thanks to excellent saves from both keepers, however a ball into the Abbey box came back off Charlie Izzards arm and Horsley dispatched the resulting penalty. 2-3

The next 15minutes saw Abbey players create a number of good chances, but a mixture of good defending and a lot of luck saw the ball stay out of Horsley's net. Nevertheless, it was a great match to watch and the Abbey lads really showed that we can be a match for anyone - including teams like Horsley who finish most seasons at the top of the table.

MOTM: Josh O'Neil for a brilliant individual performance. Solid, calm & reliable.

A special mention also goes to Ben Hall for his intensity and outstanding work rate... It's not often you'll see a striker make a 40-yard run just to put in a tackle, something which Ben did on at least 3 or 4 occasions.