U18 TIGERS SUFFER BAD BOUNCE

Tigers U18s can count themselves unlucky not to have taken anything out of this game but it is becoming a worrying crie de coeur. Having borrowed Charlie Dean from the Pumas and called Kobe Sabado and Louis Liddiard from the sick bay in order to field a team, Tigers welcomed Windsor & Eton to St. Mary's, as much in hope as expectation of a positive outcome. The teams had never met before and the visitors traveled with a victory under their belts from their one league outing, 1-0 against Rotherfield United, and a long history of playing in the age group's top division.

The early exchanges favoured the visitors. Their higher levels of physicality was a marked difference and it was the ability of their two big strikers to out-manoeuvre Tigers' defence that saw Windsor & Eton establish a two goal lead within half an hour. Tigers had caused some problems down the flanks, the pace of Davies and Sinclair stretching the Windsor defenders, but there was little to trouble the keeper down the middle. As the half came to a close, a foray by Sinclair resulted in a corner, which Charlie Dean was on hand to finish and give Tigers some hope.

The second half began with Liddiard replacing Rufus Biggs who had played well at right full-back, and Sinclair dropping into central midfield. With Lee, Carter and Ahmed showing a lot more aggression in the challenges, the Windsor goal was soon under pressure. A powerful run through the inside left channel by George Lee found Gabe Sinclair in support to head home Lee's dinked cross, and Tigers were back on level terms.

It appeared that the balance had shifted in the home team's favour. Lee and Sabado were finding space in the attacking third and Liddiard was benefitting from having Sinclair over-lapping on the right. Carter and Ahmed were winning most of the midfield battles, making it very difficult for the visitors to hold on to possession. Windsor & Eton were becoming increasingly frustrated and their keeper was becoming evermore involved. Davies, Lee and Sinclair forced a number of saves and corners, and Liddiard was unlucky with one attempt that missed the target. At the back Dean, Rustomji and Kassab were containing the few Windsor forays with comfort. With 10 minutes remaining, the Windsor midfield launched a long clearance that sailed towards Joe Wallis's penalty area. With the nearest opponent some twenty yards away, the keeper let the ball bounce over his head and roll some 12 yards into the back of the net.

Buoyed by the freak goal, Windsor & Eton fully adopted the "route 1" option. A goalmouth scramble saw the ball hit Wallis's cross bar and, with just three minutes remaining, the visitors secured all three points with another long ball down the inside right channel, clinically finished by the striker.

It was a flattering result for Windsor & Eton. Tigers were much the better side for all but 30 minutes of the game and probably contributed to three of the opponents' goals. A lack of stability in central defence has not helped the communication across the back line and the attack has yet to rediscover its clinical finishing of last season. But let's not forget that this is a huge step-up in quality for Tigers who have never risen above Division 3 in previous years; if nothing else, Tigers are learning that they do deserve their place at the top table.