U15s York v North Tyneside (Champions Cup)
23rd September 2023 York
U15 Champions Cup Fixture
North Tyneside 11 v 1 York & District Schoolboys
Team: Ben Alder, Oliver Waygood, Charlie Anderson, Luca Long, Harley Waddington, Harry Waines, Bodhi Justice, Isaac Arif, Olaf Gorczyczewski, Dara Sanusi, Ewan Daly, Finn Davis.
York & District u15s made the long journey north for their first ever game in the Champions Cup competition which was a very chastening introduction to the standards of school district football in the North East.
North Tyneside were the better team all over the park with dynamic play, keen running and lots of pace. It was clear that they played at a very high level and York did well initially to keep any chances down to mainly corners which Ben Alder in goals was dealing with really well to clear his lines. York were mainly playing on the counter and Olaf Gorczyczewski and Ewan Daly were working to chase the ball in the channels and create any type of attacking opportunity. The midfield quartet of Bodhi Justice, Harry Waines, Harley Waddington and Dara Sanusi was working overtime to keep pace with the athleticism of North Tyneside, and it was towards the end of the first quarter when the goals started to flow. A loose pass created the first key turnover and goal. Despite the best efforts of Luca Long, Oliver Waygood and Charlie Anderson they couldn’t handle the runners from midfield with Finn Davis and Isaac Arif having to work so hard tracking back.
Heads started to drop as the goals flowed. A bad knock meant Daly had to leave the field of play, ending his participation in the game early on. 6-0 at half time and words were spoken. This was a tough experience that was only going to get worse without everyone digging deep. In fairness to York they did work much harder in the second half and made North Tyneside work harder for their goals. One highlight was a fantastic pass from Sanusi into Arif who wonderfully lobbed the keeper for a consolation goal for York.
In the end the final score was a real shock but also an indicator of the standard of schoolboys football in the North East. It was a quiet drive home back to York, but there were at least a few positives to draw on from the game as York prepare for East Riding in the league next Saturday, then the visit of Newcastle in the next round of the Champions Cup the week after.
York now know the standard that they must aspire to, with commitment, dedication and no shortage of hard work.
Goal Scorer: Isaac Arif
