Match Report – Belper United Dazzlers vs [Your Team Name] (Cup Round 2)

Today saw us travel to face Belper United Dazzlers in the second round of the cup. On a pitch that felt more like a ski slope, and against a hardworking Division 5 side, there was always the potential for a classic cup upset.

The lads, however, stuck to the task brilliantly, and from the first whistle it was one-way traffic. The opposition sat deep with ten men behind the ball, determined to “park the bus.” It took us around 20 minutes to finally break the deadlock — Toby went on a mazy run before threading a perfect through ball for Theo, who did what he does best and finished calmly. 0–1.

Our second came soon after from a set piece. George delivered a delightful corner and Oli met it with a sweetly struck volley to double our lead. 0–2 at half-time.

During the break, we asked the lads to make better use of the wide areas — to stretch the play, get down the wings, and deliver quicker crosses, as the centre of the pitch was far too congested.

The message clearly got through. Just eight minutes into the second half (38th minute), Lewis launched a superb free kick from the halfway line straight into the path of Oli, who smashed it home for 0–3.

Oli was involved again soon after, showing great strength in the box to hold off a couple of defenders before poking a pinpoint pass to Theo, who finished neatly for 0–4.

Our fifth came from a moment of quick thinking — Finn took a smart short corner to Max on the edge of the box, whose strike found the net via a slight deflection. 0–5.

For the sixth, Finlay was played through on goal, rounded the keeper, and was brought down — looked a clear penalty, but the referee gave a free kick instead. Jake’s shot was saved well, but Hugo reacted quickest to tuck in the rebound. 0–6.

Number seven came when Theo produced a majestic pass to Jake, who used his strength to hold off the defenders and slotted it perfectly into the bottom corner. 0–7.

The final goal arrived when Max used his left-foot wand to find Tom in the box, and Tom did what he does best — blasting it past the keeper to round off the scoring. 0–8.

A great result overall, but we still need to work on moving the ball quicker, avoiding individual play, and shifting the opposition around to create more space.

Final Score: 0–8
Man of the Match: Jayden Badwal

Next Round: Chellaston Cheetahs await us in Round 3.