Great start for Cranleigh Blues
Chesworth kicked off and immediately went onto the attack, however, this was broken down by the Cranleigh defence who went on the attack down the right hand side. A lovely cross by Raul was tucked away by Arthur to make it 0-1
Within a few minutes Cranleigh earned themselves a corner keeping the pressure on the Chesworth defence and with an assist by Gwilym, Harry hit a fierce shot into the back of the net to put the Blues 2 up. Chesworth kept attacking and applying the pressure to the Cranleigh defence that was well marshalled by Elliott, Harrison and Oliver, however, they got the breakthrough 10 minutes before half-time, a save low down from Jake couldn’t prevent the ball from being struck in off the crossbar to make it 1-2.
Just before half-time the Blues worked their way back into the game dominating the midfield, and a great strike from Dom into the roof of the net made it 1-3 to Cranleigh at half-time. The second half started much the same as the first, a shot came across from Rowan, hit the back of the net to make it 4 and another powerful shot from Dom made it 1-5 leaving the stranded goalkeeper no chance. Our new debutant Rylan, from Ewhurst who got his much sort after transfer in the summer, hit the crossbar with a blistering effort, with Cranleigh applying the pressure deep in the Chesworth half. Gwilym played a lovely through ball to Arthur who slid the ball under the Chesworth keeper to make it 1-6. Somehow Chesworth needed to get back into the game, and although the deficit was already emphatic, they weren’t going down without a fight; the Chesworth number 10 started causing the Cranleigh defence a few problems and hit a powerful shot towards the bottom corner that was saved well, down to the keeper’s left hand side. From the resulting corner, their number 10 left the Cranleigh defence standing, and with a glancing header pulled another back to make it 2-6. Within a few minutes though, Cranleigh stamped their superiority on the game, a great ball from Oliver was played through the Chesworth defence, standing in an offside position Arthur left the ball alone and it arrived at Raúl’s feet, turning the Chesworth defence inside and out he played the ball to Arthur who tucked away Cranleigh’s seventh of the match.
With only five or so minutes left, there was no letting up from Cranleigh; Dom scored from outside the box to grab his hat-trick and Cranleigh’s eighth, before another blistering effort from Rylan went just past the post, with the Cranleigh attack and midfield penning the Chesworth defence in. From their resulting goal kick, Cranleigh were not finished, and won a corner down the Chesworth right hand side, taken by Raúl, Elliott rose like a salmon at the back post to glance in his first and Cranleigh’s ninth goal of the game, within the next couple of minutes the final whistle blew to make it a resounding 2-9 victory for Cranleigh U12s.
Arthur was a very well deserved man of the match, but every player played his part in a great victory for the Blues.
Report by Alan Nottridge
