Canterbury U18 X1 – 2

Old Bordenian Under-18 X1 - 1

A very young, spirited but determined Old Bordenian side took on the might of Canterbury at Polo Farm on Sunday. Knowing that the game was going to be tough, Captain Elkin rallied the troops with an inspiring pre match team talk. The surface was very bouncy and took some getting used to for the Old Boys however, for the first five minutes, the Old Boys' defence held strongly with Canterbury not managing many shots near the goal and those on target were easily dealt with by goalkeeper Sunjit Atwal. Bordenians began to assert themselves better, with Glazier marshalling the defence and Neame in midfield doing the same. Old Boys, always looking strong on the counter-attack, were finally gifted the first goal of the game, Dale being hit high, took the ball around two defenders and the 'keeper, slotted home with a confident finish.

Half-time came and the Old boys were looking very pleased with themselves and so they should. Canterbury’s coach had a few choice words with his players and it was clear that the second half would not be as easy. Canterbury came out as expected, fired up, and put pressure on the Bordenians immediately. The Bordenian defence still held firm, due to commitment and determination. Canterbury lacked the team ethic and tactics which the Old Boys displayed and therefore failed to capitalise on chances. Bordenians went down to ten men due to some back chat to the umpire by Hopkins but still the defence held firm. Restored to eleven, the Bordenians were looking to seal the game but could not make the most of the few counter-attacks they had. Canterbury finally drew level with ten minutes to go with a deflection. The final ten minutes was very even with pressure in both teams' Ds, but it was Canterbury who grasped the winner with three minutes to go with a soft goal from the back post.

Bordenians continued to press but to no avail. There were notable performances by Bond and Willis whose commitment in the tackles was something to behold. The final result was 2-1 to a strong Canterbury side in a game which was competitive but played in good spirit by both teams. Bordenians can take many positive points from this game, especially the positive team ethic which they displayed throughout the game.