This week the u12As were home to top of the table Folkestone Invicta colts who had not lost a game yet this season. The team knew this was going to be a tough game but went into it in a positive mood and worked hard which showed throughout the game.

Whitstable started the game with determination but were unfortunately 2-0 down within in the first 4 minutes. However, they did not give up. They kept their heads up, kept marking well, closing down and continued to be solid in defence for the remainder of the first half - the repeat focus on defending in training paying dividends in this respect. Whitstable’s hard work and determination was also rewarded in the 9th minute when Bradley put the ball in Folkestone’s net following a lovely corner from George. For the next 20 minutes Whitstable made more runs and had a number of good chances on goal from excellent team counter attacks, only being denied by a good performance from the home teams keeper. The half ended 2-1 to Folkestone with the boys aware that they had it all to play for- they left the pitch buzzing, pleased with their performance and feeling they had a real prospect they could get a result from the game.

Folkestone came out strong in the second half and scored in the 36th, 44th and 50th minutes, utilising their speed and capitalising on some minor lapses in concentration from the home team. The Whitstable team showed great resilience through out though, refusing to give in and keeping their heads up until the very end- Working hard to get the ball and press until the dying seconds of the game. The match finished with the score 5-1 to Folkestone, which was unfortunate and not a true reflection of the performance given by the team on the day.

Every player in the team worked hard and many could have been in contention for player of the match. Jasper was dogged in midfield (and a spell in defence when Jake was off the pitch injured), making strong tackles, distributing the ball well and running non-stop when on the pitch. Ollie had arguably his best game of the season so far one the left wing, making tackles and runs with determination, weaving the ball around the Folkestone defence to create chances for others on the team despite being on the receiving end of some strong tackles from the opposition. George worked hard up front, holding the ball well and creating a number of chances only to be hampered by the conditions of the pitch or dented by the opposition keeper. Josh worked tirelessly in central defence. He was solid (as usual) controlled the back line well, being rewarded with a number of offside calls against the opposition. He also made a number of outstanding covering runs when opposition players found themselves onside and through on goal. Captain Charlie could again not be faulted, putting in 100% in midfield and running great distances to both press forward and return to support in defence- regularly dis-possessing the opposition much to their frustration. Bradley worked really hard on the right wing, putting in some great tackles and running with the ball when he had the chance, being rewarded with his first goal of the season. Tyler worked hard in defence as well and made some brilliant defensive blocks and headers, showing great improvement in his defensive positioning despite lacking game experience. Richard made some good tackles, clearances and showed some real quality with the ball at his feet. New player Jake has also slotted in so well, showing real creative flair and proving to be a real asset to the team in defence. However, our player of the match today was Tom the keeper, who made some outstanding diving saves, showed excellent decision making throughout the game and whose distribution was also good, despite the eventual score line.

The Whitstable coaches were really pleased with the strong performance and team spirit shown by everybody today. Hopefully , despite the result, this will give the team confidence going into their game away to Ramsgate FC Orange next Sunday.