U12s Nottingham 3-3 York

York school boys u12 made the long difficult away trip to Nottingham in the league. Nottingham fresh from a semi-finals win against Leeds in the Michael Dale trophy and riding high in the league were always going to be a severe test for the Minster men.

Their plight wasn’t helped by injuries and sickness to several key players. York school boys had the better of the first ten minutes without really testing the home sides keeper and restricting the home side to playing on the break. It was one of these breaks down the city boys right that saw Isaac Meehan pull up with a pulled hamstring after only ten minutes.

With only one sub the Minster men now had all available players on the pitch. The away team still looked the more likely team to break the deadlock with the home side playing on the break, it was one of these breaks that the home sides striker hit the ball early midway in the minster men’s half, Ben Hudson stuck out a leg but only helped to send the ball into the top corner of the York goal, Todd Edgar the York keeper having no chance.

York carried on from where they had left off with Jack Lowe and Elliott Heath both having chances for the away team. Twenty minutes gone and the home side doubled their lead, again from a break with a low shot from the edge of the box 2-0.

The Minster men looked shell shocked having the lions share of possession and the better of the chances with nothing to show for all their efforts. York weren’t giving up yet and on the half hour Heath found Will Hollings inside the home sides box he made no mistake 2-1.

With twenty minutes left the Minster men sent up another striker to try and get something out of the game, this looked to have been a mistake when the home side put together the best move of the match to go three one up with fifteen minutes left.

The game was wide open both teams creating chances Yorks Joe Roughly was having a outstanding game as was Dan Tingle and Taylor Bell. Heath wasn’t giving up yet and when he pounced on a through ball from Lowe slotting home a low drive to give the away side a glimmer of hope at 3-2.

Just as the match had changed in one direction it changed again the other way when Tingle was carried off from what looked like a late tackle, the Minster men were now down to eight men. York although depleted weren’t going to take a backwards step so with just two at the back and ten minutes to go they went looking for a equaliser.

The odds looked to be against them now so when Taylor Bell took a nasty blow to the knee and was left hobbling but wouldn’t go off, the task looked insurmountable.

With just five minutes to go Kilvington put Heath through on a one against one with the Nottingham keeper, Heath with a coolness way beyond his years chips the advancing keeper hitting the underside of the cross bar and into an open net sending the York boys wild with delight.

From the retake Nottingham run at the city defence, York now with everyone back in their own half brought down the advancing attacker, free kick on the edge of the box. York managed to clear the ball but only give away another free kick in a similar position. The free kick was struck with power and looked to be going in until Edgar pushed the ball onto the cross bar and it dropped back into his out stretched arms, from the clearance Nottingham came straight back at the Minster men but the away side weren’t going to give up the draw that easily and give away another free kick midway inside their own half. This time the free kick beat the defenders heads and found a Nottingham player inside the box but he could only head over from three yards.

From the goal kick the referee blew for full time 3-3, with everything going against them York school boys managed to get something out of a game that looked to be way beyond them several times.

York school boys u12 will meet Nottingham again in the Michael Dale trophy final next month.

On leaving the coach in York one went to hospital two were helped to their cars and the other seven went home for a well earned rest.