There were high expectations of this Cardiff & District U15 football cup match, but it was ten minutes before the game began to settle and develop any momentum. Tremaine had worked himself into a position where he was finally able to get a shot on goal. Unfortunately, it went just over the bar.
But this was the signal for St Albans to increase the pressure. Shaun and Joe were defensively solid, cutting out Marlboro’s sporadic attacks and feeding the ball to the midfield engine room of Tyrone, Regan and Nathan.
On sixteen minutes the Buns won a corner. Nathan flighted his kick to the edge of the six yard box. Tijan got his head to it and directed downward to give the Marlboro goalie no chance. A minute later and Leigh let go a power shot from the right that drew a great diving save from the Marlboro goalie. A minute later and Dan chased back, ’ambushing’ an unsuspecting Marlboro midfielder, winning the ball and setting off on a solo run. He beat two defenders before getting off a great shot to score. St Albans 2 - 0 Marlboro Black.
The Buns pressure was building by the minute as Tremaine had a shot bounce back off the upright. A couple of minutes later and a corner from Nathan was met by Tyrone who nodded the ball down for Jake to crash home.
Ten minutes after the first goal and the Buns worked the ball down the right to Regan who fizzed the ball across the line of the penalty area. Nathan met the cross with a perfect volley to make it 4-0 on the 25th minute.
Five minutes later and Leigh went on a weaving, Messi-type run, cutting inside and going past three Marlboro defenders before being bumped off the ball just inside the box. Placing the ball on the penalty spot, Leigh gave the goalie no chance with a powerful shot to the right. In the space of just fifteen minutes, the Buns had ignited the game with five goals.
Half-time: St Albans 5 - 0 Marlboro Black.
For the start of the second half, St Albans brought on Ulrich and Aaron. After a five minute settling down period the Buns were ratcheting up the pressure again. Nathan put over a cross and this time Tremaine made no mistake, guiding the ball home with his head. With the score 6 - 0, Connor joined the field of play.
Still the Buns continued to press. A shot from Ulrich was turned around the post for a corner. Nathan dropped the ball into the box, causing chaos among the Marlboro defence: a shot from Aaron was cleared off the line, while a powerful follow-on shot from Tremaine was diverted with a saving block. On fifty minutes Louis and Will joined the action to take up position in midfield.
On the 55th minute a speculative long ball out of the Marlboro defence dropped just beyond the Buns back line. The Marlboro striker, Nick, didn't need a second invitation. He was on to the ball and coolly slotted it away to pull back a goal for Marlboro.
A minute later and St Albans restored their lead. A corner taken by Tremaine was headed home by Connor. Two minutes later and the compliment was returned - a corner by Nick headed home by Umar. St Albans 7 - 2 Marlboro Black.
Marlboro were getting a little more of the game and Abdi saw a shot turned around the post for a corner. But their short corner was lost and the Buns set up a counter attack down the left which resulted in a shot from Louis bringing out a good save by the Marlboro goalie.
For the next ten minutes Aaron gave the Marlboro defence a torrid time down the left hand side putting cross after cross into the box. It looked as though Will had got the ball over the goal line, but the referee ruled otherwise.
Will was also adding to the pressure with neat defence splitting dinks and passes into the box. But with the Buns attack starting to over complicate things and lapses in decision-making, the ball just wouldn't go into the back of the net.
Marlboro duly took advantage. Winning a corner from one of their counter attacks, Marlboro’s first shot was headed off the Buns goal line by Louis but the second shot is on target to give the Blacks their third goal and bring the game to a close.
The final score St Albans 7 - 3 Marlboro Black.
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