13/11/24: Falcs 6-1 UEA III
On a beautiful day for football, the Falcs took to the pitch against East Anglia with one goal in mind: high pressure from the start. The boys pressed relentlessly, winning every loose ball and pushing East Anglia deep into their own half. It was only a matter of time before the pressure paid off, and sure enough, Loftsy rose to nod both the ball and the keeper into the UEA net after a well-executed corner.
But the Falcs weren’t content with just one goal. The relentless pressure continued, frustrating UEA, who began giving away fouls. A free kick 25 yards out gave Benton his moment; brimming with confidence, he struck a stunning shot into the top right corner, setting the bench off in cheers.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Falcs kept testing the keeper. A golden chance fell to Mylo, whose shot initially seemed saved. However, in one of the most anticlimactic moments in CUAFC history, it took the team about 30 seconds to realize that the ball had actually slipped through – leading to a delayed, almost confused celebration as the Falcs extended their lead.
As the first half wound down, the infamous “Carl-ball” strategy had UEA panicking. Amid a flurry of tiki-taka in the box and some questionable finishing, a couple of DotD nominees emerged. First, George found himself facing an open goal but, perhaps inspired by Mylo’s miss from last week, decided to pass it wide instead of shooting. Not to be outdone, Captain Bozza, possibly fed up with the forwards’ finishing, found himself in the 6-yard box. Unfortunately, when the ball fell to him, he sent it… for a throw-in.
With a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the second half, the Falcs were flying. It wasn’t long before Loftsy was back on the scoresheet, nodding in yet another goal from a corner. The Dani Sanchez corner tactics were clearly proving worthy. Down the left flank, things only got worse for UEA. After being nutmegged for the fourth time, their right-back was promptly switched to the left, only to be replaced moments later by a “well-rounded” center-back. The pressure mounted, and soon enough, some fluid counter-attacking play led to a cutback that Max tucked away with precision.
The Falcs weren’t done yet. Mylo and Dom broke through the UEA defense and rounded the keeper, leaving the ball trickling towards the goal. Ever the team player, Dom tapped it in on the line, generously adding to Mylo’s assist tally.
With a solid 6-goal haul and a flawless defensive display, the Falcs were ready to call it a day. However, a desperate 45-yard attempt from a UEA substitute perhaps sparked some sympathy in BBL, making it 6-1 and adding to the DotD contenders list.
All in all, it was the perfect day for football, with more flashes of Carl-ball brilliance beginning to shine through. UTFF! 🦅
Goals: Dan Lofts (2), Harry Benton, Mylo Michael, Max Cowan, Dom Watts
Assists: ?, Mylo Michael
✍️ Mylo Michael
