Poulton and District League U9s:A bright but windy day out at Burn Naze saw the new look Spirit sides take on Thornton Youth. Game one started as brightly as the weather with Spirit dominating the opening five minutes. Good football helped us to create a spell of pressure that resulted in a great strike from skipper Dean W. Thornton fought back well and scored twice in quick succession to put on the back foot a little. The match turning point came with 5 minutes to go in the first half when the ref gave a third goal for Thornton when it was far from clear if the ball had crossed the line. Especially from his vantage point 40 yards away! Our heads went down at that point and we lost our shape as a result. Sadly, we couldn't regain the initiative after halftime with Thornton's size and strength (along with the ref's sometimes dubious interpretation of the laws) getting the better of us. Game two started in much the same way. Spirit saw plenty of the ball with Ryann E he usual busy self up front. We were more than a match for a much bigger Thorton side and it took a very unfortunate own goal to separate the teams after 15 minutes. Spirit were defending superbly but got caught ball watching a little just before the break which gave Thornton a 2 goal lead at the break. Some more very dodgy reffing lead to a third which effectively killed us off. Even though Nathan had both hands on the ball in a goal-mouth scramble, the ref allowed the Thornton striker to kick it clear and into path of his fellow striker who slotted into the unguarded net. To say that we were unhappy with the decision is this season's understatement! Special mentions should be given to Lloyd Jnr and Sean who won the respective man of the match awards for their tenacity and endeavour in very trying circumstances. ----The views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC. | 
