Year 7 Football Match Report

The Norlington Year 7 football team continued their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Holy Family at Leyton County Ground.

With a smaller squad than last week, Norlington started brightly and showed excellent composure in possession. The work from training was beginning to show, particularly in the team’s attempts to spread the play and use the width more effectively. Norlington created several good opportunities, but it was Holy Family who took the lead with around ten minutes of the first half remaining.

A momentary lapse allowed Holy Family to create an overlap and get a shot away. The effort was almost expertly saved by the Norlington goalkeeper, who got across and made excellent contact with the ball, but there was simply too much power behind the strike and it found the net.

Norlington responded immediately. Good attacking play down the left was followed by a switch of play across to the right, creating the opportunity for Malachi Pinder to score the equaliser and send the teams into half-time at 1–1.

The second half saw Holy Family apply sustained pressure, with Norlington spending long periods defending in their own half. The team showed tremendous resilience, working hard together and refusing to give up.

With around five minutes remaining, Norlington produced a superb quick attack down the left. Mohamed Ouhadda used the width brilliantly, drawing the goalkeeper out before calmly finishing to put Norlington 2–1 ahead.

The final minutes were tense, but Norlington held firm to secure their first win of the year and maintain their unbeaten record after two games — a 0–0 draw followed by a 2–1 victory.

Man of the Match: Osman Shinwari

Osman Shinwari was deservedly named Man of the Match after showing a very mature head for his age. His composure, awareness and attitude made him a fantastic addition to the team and an important contributor to the victory.

The Norlington Year 7s kept marching on!