U9 Vipers
In the first game of the new year, Rotherfield played Kennet Valley despite atrocious weather conditions. Kennet Valley were unlucky not to take an early lead when a goal-bound shot came to an abrupt halt in the standing water in the United goalmouth.
Moments later, they came close again but this time a well-hit shot was brilliantly saved by the outstretched foot of Isaac Hylton in the Rotherfield goal.
United began to push forwards themselves and almost took the lead when Jack Stevens made a great run down the right-wing and fired in a low cross; this time the water in the other goalmouth slowed the ball and denied Adam Fearnside a chance to tuck it in at the far post.
Liam Ruiz and Morgan Green were working hard in midfield but the boggy ground was thwarting most of the attempts to break forward with the ball - at half-time it was still 0-0.
After the break the rain continued to fall, but eventually the deadlock was broken by Rotherfield when the ball fell to Owen Lowe who smashed in his eleventh of the season with a fine strike from well outside the penalty area. Nick Swan added a second soon after when he was well-placed to force home another ball which had come to a stop in the goal-line reservoir.
As the game came to a close, Kennet Valley pushed on in search of a goal and defenders Kalhan Shah and Jack Williams had to be at their best to keep them out. With minutes to go, it looked like Valley had finally got one back when a shot squirmed past 'keeper Hylton, but fortunately he was able to pounce on the ball as it reached the line to keep his clean-sheet.
The whole team acquitted themselves well in adverse conditions, but the fairplay award was given to Owen Lowe for a committed display.
(Apologies for any inaccuracies this week, but my pen refused to write on a dissolving notepad, so it's all from memory..)
Photos (thanks Colin!)
Squad
Isaac Hylton, Kalhan Shah, Jack Williams, Morgan Green, Nick Swan, Liam Ruiz, Owen Lowe, Jamie Hammant-Cracknell, Adam Fearnside