Match report

Match report

It was Woodside V Woodside for the local Derby at the Warriors’ Fortress. And both sides were primed for a classic, with bragging rights up well and truly for grabs.

Both sides jumped out of the blocks hard with impressive passages at both ends of the ground. If either side had the early edge, it was Woodside Red, who were controlling the ball and dominating territory. But Blue snatched the early goal after just seven minutes, as Red afforded them time and space just outside the box. And with the right foot from hell, Blue’s striker didn’t need to be asked twice, driving one from 22 yards out to stretch the back of the net. After a tough couple of weeks, this gave his mates the lift they needed, and belief was blossoming amongst the newly-formed group! The remainder of the first half was an arm-wrestle. Again, Red looked good, controlling the ball and sharing possession neatly around the group, but they couldn’t deliver the final kick, finding the keepers gloves with a number of fine, if ambitious, shots and several ill-directed crosses.

The second term was a carbon copy of the first with Woodside Red taking the points on possession and territory but unable to trouble the scorer as Blue scrambled well and their keeper put in a truly classy performance with the mitts! If anything was lacking from Red’s game it was front-half pressure. Time and again they gave their opponents time and space to play easily out from the back to relinquish the territorial advantage that they had fought for. At their defensive end they were applying solid pressure, but a momentary lapse ten minutes into the second half gave Blue a two-goal lead as their striker bagged a brace with another clean strike into the top corner from 22 yards out. This deficit was almost cut back by Woodside Red twice, first when a beautifully timed free-kick sailed inches wide from 25 yards out, and then when a beautifully struck corner curled in and hit the cross bar. But near misses aren’t recorded on the scoreboard and Blue were able to run the game out without conceding.

With a win on the cards and the team starting to gel, Woodside Warriors Blue look set for a fine season. Woodside Red also look primed for a great season and could easily have taken the choccies on this occasion if a few things had gone their way. And if the young lads and lasses from both Woodside outfits stick with the game, we can look forward to many enthralling derbies in the coming years. Bring It On!