UNDER 11's MATCH REPORT: Mickleover 1 - 2 LEFC

Goals: Ryan, Kieron

Assists: Kieron, Ahmed

Man of the match: Nass

Special Skills award: Ahmed (freekick)

Substitute of the week: Anupam

Let’s hear it for LEFC’s U11 recordbreakers. The lads have now won 4 of their 7 away matches, are joint 5^th in the table and will record the highest points total recorded by any LEFC team in their first season of league football – and all of that in division 1.

When you consider that we let in 60 goals in our first 5 matches and had previously got thrashed 8-0 by Mickelover in the cup it makes the improvement all the more remarkable. Saturday’s match wasn’t pretty and our passing must improve but all over the pitch we had players who wanted a result and were winning their individual battles.

The opening whistle induced the usual panic in the LEFC ranks. Player after player slashed at the ball whenever it came within range and Mickleover could have been forgiven for thinking it was partytime. After 10 minutes of mayhem LEFC started to calm down, put together a few passes and threatened the oppostion goal. When a long distance Mickelover shot found the net, rather than fold, LEFC simply increased the pressure on the oppostion goal and got a deserved equaliser from the marauding Bancroft.

Frankly I would have been overjoyed with a draw. But the lads had other ideas. Halfway through the second half Ahmed floated a lovely free kick over the top of the Mickelover defence and Hart ran through to finish past the advancing keeper. The lads continued to battle till the final whistle.

The character that the lads showed today made me proud to be associated with them. To hear them talking to each other on the pitch was a revelation. There’s still a gulf in ability between us and the top teams but I haven’t seen a team in the league with more character than ours. Well done lads – you’ve made a knackered old manager very happy.

Thomas: A quiet game. I can’t remember Tom having to make a single diving save but he had to be alert and came off his line on a number of occasions to close down the danger.

Sajid: The big man had to play at left back for us and had a good game – one of his best of the season.

James: As tenacious as ever, James put in a solid right back performance, showing good awareness of danger.

Josh: A clam and composed performance, even when others around him were panicing. Outstanding (again).

Richard: Mr Party-Pooper didn’t disappoint. Josh’s right hand man kept alert till the end and put in his usual number of tackles and clearances.

Nass: May be short in height but he put in a man’s performance. Took responsibility for protecting the defence, allowing Bancroft and Al-jaf to make the forward runs from midfield. Never stopped talking to his teammates – a manager’s dream. Absolutely outstanding.

Ryan: The opposition struggled to contain his now customary surges into the box and it was no surprise when he scored our first goal to go joint top of our scoring charts (for 20 minutes!)

Ahmed: What can I say? Captain Marvel gave us his usual controlled box to box display.

Anupam: Managed to stop the oppostion from crossing in the second half when he took over at right back. Came close to scoring twice in the first half, playing at left wing.

Matthew: Some neat turns in the first half set up attacking opportunities and I nearly passed out with joy when he put his body on the line to block an attempted clearance in the first half. If you would do this all the time you would be a star.

Cedrick: After a dozy first half display Cedrick took a liking to the high side of the pitch and threatened on a number of occasions in the second half.

Kieron: A battering ram display by our bulldozer forward. He harassed the oppostion defence for the full 60 minutes, had the intelligence to look for the pass when he couldn’t get through himself and thoroughly deserved the goal that took him back to the top of the goalscoring charts.