Hazlemere Boys Under 15s - Friendly (04/04/2004)
2003 - 2004 Season, Hithercroft Under 16s



This friendly between two Division 1 teams took place at the Hazlemere Recreation Ground on a windy but initially sunny morning. The pitch was slightly muddy. Hazlemere had subs available but Hithercroft were without Dan Davy, Adam Cadle and Sam Vaughey but were able to field a team of ten which included Simon Mines, the disbanded Youth team goalkeeper, playing in midfield.

The game began at 10.38am, Des having been asked to run the line for 5 minutes until the usual Hithercroft linesman arrived (but by the final whistle there was still no sign of the expected linesman). After 11 minutes of play Hithercroft were awarded a free-kick and Dan Biggs floated the ball into the goal area but the final shot was hit over the crossbar. However, two minutes later, Hithercroft had taken the lead when a long ball went down the middle to Tyrone Francis and he made no mistake with his finish, putting the ball into the Hazlemere net. At 10.58 the visitors went further ahead when Tyrone, with his back to the Hazlemere goal, received a long, high ball and hit it over his head into the back of the net. Two minutes later Hazlemere struck back when their No10 hit an angled shot from outside the 18-yard box into the far side of the net, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Paul Morgan received a knee injury five minutes later and had to be carried from the pitch for treatment, leaving Hithercroft temporarily with 9 players for the remainder of the first half, which ended at 11.17 with no further score.

At 11.22am the game resumed with the wind becoming stronger and blowing with the Hazlemere team. Four minutes into the half the Hazlemere No15 took the ball down the right wing and sent it across the goal where it hit a Hithercroft player, standing on the goal-line, and was turned into the net to level the score at 2-2. At 11.33 Hazlemere were awarded a free-kick inside the Hithercroft half and there followed two or three shots before the ball was finally scrambled out of danger. Hazlemere attacked again but this time sent their shot wide of the post. The sun then disappeared behind clouds and rain began to fall, gradually building up into a heavy downpour. At 11.38 Hithercroft played the ball down the left to Tyrone and he fired it past the Hazlemere keeper to put the visitors back into a 3-2 lead. Two minutes later Hazlemere made the first of three substitutions as the rain turned into sleet, making conditions rather unpleasant. At 11.46 Frank Smith took the ball down the wing and crossed the ball to Luke Tadgell, Luke sent it on to Tyrone but Tyrone’s shot went wide. Six minutes later Hazlemere took the ball down their left and, as Dan Reading the Hithercroft keeper came out the ball was crossed inside for the No10 to slide the ball into the net to level the score once again. At 11.56 a throw-in for Hithercroft went to Tyrone, who hit the ball from 20 yards out into the top left hand corner of the goal to put the Under 16 side into a 4-3 lead. Hithercroft again went on the attack, Tyrone taking the ball down the left but saw his shot pushed back to him by the advancing goalkeeper. His second attempt was put out of play by a defender and the resulting corner was then cleared. Hazlemere took a free-kick from about 35 yards out but sent the ball straight to the goalkeeper. The final whistle blew at 12.01pm with Hithercroft emerging as 4-3 winners from what had been a very exciting game.