Under 13's. Tameside & District League. Division 1.
Home v Wythenshawe

  Result - Reddish North End 2 Wythenshawe 6

 
Our new home pitch at South Reddish park

Match Report: James Emmerson

A really disappointing result which I am afraid told no lies, as Reddish followed up an encouraging beginning to life in the top division with a display a long way short of what they are capable of.

On such a beautiful morning we were all hopeful of another stirring effort against last season’s runners-up, but Reddish made life very difficult for themselves with an error-strewn display. Poor passing, some lethargy, and once again a lack of communication between the players, meant that Wythenshawe dominated the first half. Reddish tried hard enough but forgot the basics we have been working on, and you can only play in the same vein for so long before something goes wrong.

The two goals we conceded were, frustratingly, entirely avoidable. When teams pass around you, move, pass, and score, well that’s fair enough, but to firstly allow a player to dance through a defence with four players all missing tackles, then allow another player to whack home a loose ball from a corner despite seven defenders being between ball and goal – it is hard to take.

And while we are on the subject of pointing out mistakes, I must have given the worst half time team talk of all time, so my apologies for that everyone. In trying to say too much I felt I ended up saying nothing of any value – there was so much I wanted to put right.
The boys, really feeling the heat, actually played better for a while despite my half time ramblings. There was a little more desire, and some evidence of better communicating. We held Wythenshawe – by now full of confidence – at bay for a while but then conceded two quick goals. Again, both of these could have been defended better.

Just as a real depression was engulfing the Reddish team and parents, suddenly we snapped into life and put some passes together. Sam went close once, then twice, before cracking home a 25 yarder. Two minutes later Callum played Sam through and he left the defence for dead before finishing well. It was a much needed fillip I can tell you, 4-2 had an air of respectability and had given the boys a boost. However, Wythenshawe came back and scored twice more, carbon copies of earlier goals, and it was a deflating end for us.

Credit to Wythenshawe who deserved their victory today. I feel we made it too easy for them but they took full advantage and gave us a lesson in composure, passing, and work rate.
As for Reddish, we will have to rethink one or two things, and all the boys will have to decide if they want to feel like this again after a match – I know I don’t.  Nobody minds losing but the manner of defeat is what causes everyone pain.

But we mustn’t forget that in the five or ten minutes that we played somewhere near our best, we scored twice, created other chances, and didn’t concede. Now, if we can do that against a top side, there are still grounds for some optimism that we can record some wins this year and avoid reoccurrences of today.

Next game is at home at South Reddish Park against Haughton Rangers on Saturday.

Scorers :  Sam (2)

Man of the match : Callum Williams