Match report by Mr Worthington
On Thursday, the boys' U11 football team played in the Lancashire Small Schools Primary County Football Finals at Poolfoot Farm. This event brought together the top 12 small schools across Lancashire to compete against each other. Having qualified for this tournament last year, narrowly going out on goal difference in the group stages, we were hopeful of progressing further in the finals this time around.
The boys got off to a confident start in the group game, securing a 4-0 win over Water Primary from Rossendale, with Josh scoring twice, Freddie and Charlie also getting on the scoresheet.
In the next game, we faced St Joseph’s from Chorley. A poor start saw the boys trailing 1-0 after 20 seconds; however, they composed themselves and rallied. Some fantastic football was played, and AKS eventually found the equaliser they deserved before taking a 2-goal lead. The opposition pulled one back late on, but AKS held on to win 3-2, with Josh, Ben, and Freddie scoring the goals.
The third game was a tough one against Whitechapel from Preston. This match was frustrating for AKS as we failed to score, though fortunately, neither did the opposition, and the game finished 0-0.
The penultimate group game was against Our Lady of Lourdes from Lancaster. This was another strong showing from AKS, as we ran out 3-1 winners, with Ben netting a hat-trick.
The final group game was first versus second, with the winner taking top spot in the group. St Joseph’s Hurst Green, representing Ribble Valley, was the opponent. It was an excellent game, with both teams playing brilliant football. AKS managed to break the deadlock and keep the game at 1-0, topping the group with Charlie scoring the all-important goal.
The quarter-finals saw AKS play Arkholme from Heysham, who had finished fourth in the other group. Another great footballing display saw AKS take the lead early on. It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, with Seb making some brilliant saves to keep AKS in the game. In the second half, we started to control the match before finding a second goal to secure the victory. Charlie scored both goals.
Semi-final time. Some nerves were apparent before the game kicked off against Newburgh from West Lancashire. However, these were soon brushed aside with two quick-fire goals. This was the most controlled game we played, and a very mature performance saw us run out 4-1 winners, with Charlie scoring all four goals.
The final was for the chance to represent Lancashire in the Northern Finals. The opponent was a familiar foe from the group stage, St Joseph’s Hurst Green. The game started fast, and nerves were definitely showing on AKS’s part. St Joseph’s took the lead through a good finish, leaving us trailing 1-0 at half-time. The second half saw the boys rally, throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, at St Joseph’s defence, but still unable to find a way through. In the last minute, a long free kick caused confusion in their box, allowing Drew to volley home the equaliser. Thirty seconds later, the game was over, and golden goal loomed. AKS took the kick-off, with Isaac playing a superb through ball over the top for Drew to burst onto and slot home the winner. AKS were Lancashire Champions!
Throughout the entire day, the boys played amazingly and represented AKS to the highest level. Qualifying for this tournament was a massive achievement in itself, but to go on and win it is truly special.
I say it every time I take these boys for a fixture – I am genuinely proud of every single one of them. They have developed, and continue to develop, so much as a team this year, and I am thrilled to see them reaping the rewards they deserve. Well done, lads!