Barca U9 were away at Olney this weekend to play against Olney Town Colts FC. Coach James had talked about the importance of being ‘switched on’ from the first whistle after recent disappointing starts, and the team didn’t let him down.

From the kick off, Barca were the more confident team, moving the ball well and attacking at speed down the wings. Olly and Heidi, taking turns up front, were excellent at using the width of the pitch, offering support to the wide players. This is something that was worked on in training Thursday night, so it was great to see it working on the pitch. Both strikers were able to get much more involved in the game, with Heidi’s impressive work rate in particular earning her player of the match.

With a smaller squad, players were asked to play in a variety of positions. Rudi and Alex took turns to put a shift in at the back, allowing Callum to move further up the pitch. Midfield is a position that’s new to Callum, but he should be really proud of his performance today, possibly his best to date.

Strong tackles from both George’s kept the home team at bay for much of the game and Barca’s attacking play caused problems throughout the game for Olney’s defence. Tyler, who had a quiet game for much of the match stayed alert and was quick on his toes, running out of his box to make several strong clearances on the rare occasions Olney did break through Barca’s defensive line.

Despite the cold temperatures, Barca remained focused throughout the 4 quarters with just a moment’s lapse of concentration late on in the game. In the dying minutes, Amber’s shot had the keeper scrambling to save the ball on the line, and she was nearly put through on goal again seconds later but was unable to get on the end of Olly’s cross. It was a hard-fought match, between two even teams and one Barca can be really pleased with.