We are notoriously difficult to please when it comes to assessing performances but the wide margin of our FA Youth Cup 3rd Qualifying round victory on Thursday was testament to the quality of our play against a team not as bad as we made them look.
At times, we moved the ball very well. Our movement was good and some of our goals were first class. Add to this our threat at set pieces, the physical edge we have gained from playing - and this season competing - in the Ridgeons League, it is clear why it was such a long night for our visitors.
The gulf between the teams looked vast and it is rewarding that we are beginning to approach the level of play that we are striving for. We will keep our feet on the floor though and aim not only to maintain but improve on these standards. We know that tougher tests lie ahead. We will find out as much as we can about Hemel Hempstead and prepare accordingly but before the next round we face Newmarket Town in the Ridgeons League Cup and return to league action on Saturday against Felixstowe, both equally important fixtures.
Since our defeat at Soham last month, this group of players have lost just once in twelve fixtures, including five clean sheets from our last six Ridgeons fixtures and 41 goals in the four FA Youth Cup qualifying rounds. It is important not to lose this momentum.
Whilst it might be questionable that we should have faced four qualifying rounds bearing in mind the status of the First Team and our progress to the 4th Round Proper of this competition last season, we can only be professional and beat what is in front of us. This has been achieved apart from the first half against Wroxham.
On Thursday, we started brightly and an incisive move involving Craig Bussens and Piers Wixon was finished from close range by Robbie Willmott. The timing of the run and pass was very pleasing because we have worked on sliding balls into these holes in training and not making the runs too early to fill these spaces. Craig and Piers executed it perfectly.
The ten minutes of sloppiness that followed was the only negative of an otherwise impressive first half of football. Robbie added a second with an emphatic finish having sprung the offside trap before Rory McAuley (2) and Lewis Carr added poacher's strikes from set plays. Rory's back heel was particularly memorable but nothing like Zola's against Norwich a few years ago despite his protestations to the contrary!
The icing on the cake was delivered courtesy of Jordan Patrick with a fantastic 35 yard first time strike into the roof of the net for our sixth from a partially cleared corner. It was great technique from an exciting talent who is really coming to terms with the demands of full-time training and senior football after injury curtailed much of his pre-season. One to watch...
The second half started and finished in great style with goals scored from kick off without our opponents touching the ball. Robbie Willmott completed his hat-trick with a left footed curler into the top corner following a nine pass move just 31 seconds after the re-start. James Paterson completed the scoring from kick off following our visitor's consolation goal, with a fine header this time at the end of a 14 pass move.
In between those goals Piers Wixon scored a hat-trick of his own, the second goal being the best following an exquisite James Paterson pass, which he instantly controlled on his chest and drilled under the keeper. Piers created the chance with good movement by pulling off the shoulder of his centre back and finished in style.
Whilst we became a little careless with the ball towards the end of the game, we still played some good stuff in the second half and maintained a decent tempo. Craig Bussens continued to provide a stream of quality crosses from the right and we created chances at will. The fact that Phil Smith et al were so unhappy to concede a late goal just shows the drive and desire of these players to demand high standards from themselves and each other.
The whole squad are working very hard and are beginning to transfer the quality they show every day in training onto the pitch. We must guard against complacency but build on this confidence.
Jez George
Team:
Smith, McAuley, Kirby, Carr, Costello, Cutler (Ives 60), Bussens (Yambasu 75), Marriott, Wixon, Willmott, Patrick (Paterson 60)
Goals:
Robbie Willmott - 7, 29, 46
Rory McAuley - 26, 37
Lewis Carr - 32
Jordan Patrick - 41
Piers Wixon - 52, 70, 80
James Paterson - 89
Cambridge United will play Hemel Hempstead Town's youth team in the 1st Round Proper, to be played at the Abbey Stadium by Saturday 10th November. Date and time to be confirmed.
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