Crash, bang, wallop

Having pasted a team last week 14-1, Aylestone were on a high and looking for a scalp. We've played them before and we thought we knew what to expect, they were much changed having lost players they had new faces and one lad was the spit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, just hope he doesn't play like him!

We had a few out with injures and COVID, the benefit of having a big squad is that you stand a chance of getting the game on. To say the the pre match warm up was starting to resemble a scene out of casualty would be an understatement, with Sy turning up covered in bruises, scrapes and aches sustained in a bike crash, meh, crack on son, we need you.

Starting 11 was - Kylan RB, Reuben LB, Joe and Ethan (Capt) centre backs, JacobE DM, Alfie and JacobE AM, Mozza RM, JB LM, Phil up front. That left us with Steven, Lewis and JoshW on the bench. Missing were Melad, Shecaniah, Ollie and Harry.

Kick off and it did all kick off, they were at us from the get go, No9 Aubameyang lookalike was bloody playing like him. OMG, this kid was a baller, he had Stevens pace with Alfies trickery and player after player were left in his wake as he went through the gears and tore us apart. Their No10 was getting way too much room mid park and No9 had a free role which made him harder to mark than Dulux tough paint. Yeah well, you can have the ball as much as you like pal, its what you do with it that counts - enter the dragon, well Mozza. He rose like a young Van Basten, he hits a left foot volley from the edge of the box that lands top bins, yes thats right, it was his left, his bloody left! Completely against the run of play and we were off!

1 nil Foxes
Goal - Mozza
Assist - ?

Back at it and Sy was keeping us in the game, but the pressure was starting to tell as they just kept coming. No9 was running rings around everyone and unfortunately the goal was coming.

1 - 1 Aylestone

No time to catch your breath as they poured forward again, we made a few changes, bringing on JoshW, Steven and Lewis as we tried to wrestle control of the game. Well that was proving to be hard work, poor JacobE's head was spinning with the runners from mid park and the lads at the back were chasing shadows, yeah it was almost inevitable.

2 - 1 Aylestone

What we needed was a morale boosting goal before halftime, thank god for the dynamic duo of Alfie and JacobK who dragged us into the break at 2 goals each and giving me a chance to sort a few things and the lads a chance to breath.

2 - 2 Foxes
Goal - JacobK
Assist - Alfie

The chat from Ethan and Kylan and how they handle No9, the midfield three and how they needed to stop No10 from running the show in mid park and the rest of them on how they needed to be more physical, get that ball into our ball players and up the tempo. We now had Reuben nursing a lovely scrape, Sy the force shield was holding up thankfully. Back out then lads, we can do this.

They came at us hard, but the lads were at it, this time it was JoshW who was having joy on the left, he goes wide, beats his mans and takes it to the byline, looks up and pulls it back for Alfie to bang it in.

3 - 2 Foxes
Goal - Alfie
Assist - JoshW

Back came Aylestone, well No9, he was still giving us hell but we had our own superstar in Sy who time and again stopped their striker either 1 on 1 or by pulling off unbelievable saves. We kept the pressure on with the lightening counter attacks, finally getting a break when JacobK weaved his way past several challenges only to be brought down by a clumsy lunge for the ball. Peno!

4 - 2 Foxes
Peno won and scored by JacobK

Now for the controversial bit, they hit straight back, the next goal was going to be crucial as this really wasn't over and could still go either way. They broke again, it was ping pong with the ball being played into No9 who finally beat Sy from about 2 yards out. The lino had her flag up and the ref (their ref) went over to speak to her. It seems that No9 was on the pitch when the ball is played into him in an offside position, no goal. They were gutted. It knocked them a bit, we got a corner and Ethan was going up, but Joe trotted up for it instead. AlfieK hit the back post where a lurking Joe was waiting to head in from close range.

5 - 2 Foxes
Goal - Joe
Assist - Alfie

Their heads had dropped, the lads in mid park had the fitness and desire to take it to the next level, Ethan and Kylan had sorted out the No9 with our skipper now dominating his defence and calling the shots. We made a few changes, switched around the wide players, but we got another injury with Lewis somehow smashing the ball into his own face and splattering his nose, there was claret everywhere. Another enforced change made we set off on the attack again, but we were not expecting a Steven screamer. The look on JoshW face was priceless, how on earth was he gonna listen to Steven go over that goal in detail on the way home?

6 - 2 Foxes
Goal - Steven

Ayelstone were now sitting deep and inviting us on, their heads had gone. We had worked on shooting in training, we pushed the lads to get their shots away early from the edge of the box as we seemed to try and walk the ball in. What we weren't expecting was Joe to stride out from the half way line with the ball, two/three strides and then unleash from 30 yards out, hitting the ball like an missile as it flew over the keeper, WOW! Phil shouting that the coaching had paid off, JoshW holding his head saying the world had gone mad.

7 - 2 Foxes
Goal, what a goal - Joe

Its been a while since Mozza has scored, he had already hit a lovely lefty volley, I was a happy dad, but you know, I'll take another please. This duly came with more great work from JoshW down the left, he is finally getting it, head down, beat the man, go to the line, look up and pick the pass. This time it was Mozza that benefited from JoshW's unselfish play as he bagged his second. Yeah, time to sub him, I can't afford a hat trick.

8 - 2 Foxes
Goal - Mozza
Assist - JoshW

With the clock ticking down, three lads on a trick and still time bag another, we weren't about to stop. Unfortunately for Alfie the ref had other ideas as his lovely strike left his boot the ref blew the whistle. His third peep on the whistle sounded as the ball hit the back of the net, so it ended 8 - 2, sorry Alfie, your efforts today deserved another but it wasn't to be.
We hit the posts, we missed one on ones and we could easily have bagged a few from corners. Thankfully we had Sy in goal as it could easily have been a different story at half time and in the second half Sy was on a one man mission to stop No9 from bagging the goals that could have seen us beaten by a lotta lotta goals. No surprise then that Man of the Match goes to Sy for some outstanding goalkeeping, it was breathtaking at times.

Thanks to;
Their chap Dan who did a great job of reffing the game fairly
Debbie for running the line
Ollie and his mum for coming along to watch