FREDS SUFFER SETBACK AGAINST DIDCOT TOWN AT ALFREDIAN PARK

THE FREDS in recent months, since their impressive championship winning campaign in the Oxford Mail Youth C League, have struggled to get back into their best groove. On paper, the green and white hoops have lost three of their opening four B League fixtures, but have created enough opportunities to have reversed all the results.

Sunday, against Didcot Town at Alfredian Park, it was much of the same, although not without a glimmer of hope. The Under 13's slipped back into a favourable flow in the opening 15 minutes of the game, bringing an impressive feed and follow vibe and the occasional switch. It was great to see the endeavour and intelligence to execute both. It takes vision, quick thinking and good technique aligned with intent, to look for opportunities to thread the ball to feet and support at speed, but at just the right time. Saturday morning was spent playing feed and follow simulations for the most part and the evidence was there to see for all. With a sharper end product, THE FREDS might have been out of sight before the interval.

Luis Hill was looking to get forward in the channel, full of feed and follow promise. Stan Herbert gave intelligent cover in defence. The midfield trio of Matthew Lambe, Matty Goodman and Harry Howard in turn, looked for feet in the final third and probed relentlessly to find or create angles and spaces to exploit. It was excellent, for a time.

The opener was a goal of stark simplicity, following two feed and follow exchanges, Jonny Hall stretched clear in the inside-right channel and squared across the face of the goal to Joe George, who arrived in the right place at the right time to deliver a close range punch. Didcot had their rearguard ripped open and were on the ropes, although not out. Wantage had several opportunities to replicate the opener, but then seemed to lose their way.

The wingers narrowed, making it easier to defend and harder to penetrate. Looking to receive, hold-up play, and disciplined link up along the front line deteriorated into detachment, casual flicks and a single-mindedness that didn't serve. Meadnering away from method slowly undermined the effort and expectancy.

Against all the odds, Didcot struck a leveller right on the stroke of half-time with a cross from the right that seemed to find its way into the far corner unopposed. It was a disappointment, to say the least. It was the reds only significant threat to the Wantage goal in thirty-five minutes.

Wantage made changes after the interval but couldn't get their mojo back, and the frustration was compounded when they conceded a penalty for a challenge in the box. A growing trend. Three penalties in four games, all damaging. It was a penalty that proved to be decisive.

THE FREDS have created a solution framework with which to self-appraise and diagnose and will have a group think tank next weekend. The players will have to determine if there are common denominators in any failings, and to what extent opponents should be given credit for good play. THE FREDS will be scrutinising the five phases of play, employing THE FREDS own F A U L T finding acronym in recognising reasons: F is for fitness; A is for application (attitude, discipline); U is for understanding; L is for logic (thinking, decision-making) and T is for technique (ability). Identifying areas to improve, THE FREDS will then help design games that teach, condition and shape improvement.

Although it was a disappointing scoreline against Didcot, there was a pleasing snapshot of things to come.

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