Kensington Dragons U14 Eagles 2 – 4 YAC Star Ealing
The great Andres Iniesta has tried to suggest there is only one way to play football. As the mighty Eagles have discovered to their cost over the past fortnight, that simply isn’t so. Playing attractive, thoughtful football requires time to think, and when you face a team full of running, urgency and only-just contained aggression, you¹re never going to get it. While last week we blamed the comedy conditions, this Sunday the truth was as sharp and clear as the cold blue sky that crowned St Mark’s.
Again they went one up and again we fought back to see the tie drawn at half-time. And at the restart once again they pressed and ran and pushed until our over-worked defence began to leak. Quicker in the box, harder in the tackle, and luckier in a key decision or two, they worked their way to 1-4 up before they began to tire.
That we pulled another back and finished the stronger side is some consolation, a tribute to a deep resilience and a steely confidence in our own game. But after the past two matches one thing is now certain: YAC are favourites for the title. The Eagles have been brought back down to the cold and crusty Earth.
Though all is not lost. YAC are far from faultless. We maintain considerable strengths. And as the man in the pub once unerringly observed, football is a funny old game. These Eagles may yet reach number one.