Our first-ever game in the Matrix Trust League saw us take on Wednesfield Academy on Tuesday this week in a rollercoaster of a match - full of goals, drama, and G Mwase taking no nonsense from absolutely anyone!
The new league has two divisions, Walsall-based and Birmingham-based, with the winners facing off in a final. So basically, it’s like the Champions League… just with worse pitches and fewer sponsorship deals.
Things didn’t start well. We conceded early from a corner to go 1-0 down, which wasn’t exactly part of the game plan.
But panic? Not us.
H Gough got us back on track with a tidy finish to make it 1-1, and before Wednesfield could catch their breath, he was at it again to put us 2-1 up. I don't know whether I'm envious of his talent or whether he just rocks a mullet better than myself.
Then C Bennett decided he wanted in on the action and slotted home to give us a 3-1 lead. Confidence was high, the football was flowing, and for a brief moment, I was relaxed on the sidelines. But of course, we can’t have nice things for long.
Towards the end of the second half - we started to lose shape, conceded silly fouls and allowed too many attempts on goal. L Durrant kept us in the game by pulling out some world class saves!
Halftime Team Talk:
Inspirational words. Tactical genius. Or maybe just, “Lads, please stop messing about with the ball - we need more goals.” Either way, we were ready to go again.
We came out in the second half looking sharp… for about five minutes. Then Wednesfield hit back to make it 3-2. No problem, we thought, until they scored again.
3-3.
Suddenly, nerves kicked in and fingernails were being chewed.
Then, when we needed it most, newcomer A Marshall produced an assist straight out of a highlights reel, setting up H Gough to complete his hat-trick and put us back in front at 4-3. Relief all around. Well, almost.
As the game neared the final whistle, we won a penalty… or should we say, J Bryant won an Oscar for Best Theatrical Dive. VAR wasn’t available, but if it was, we’d probably still be debating whether there was even a gust of wind near him.
Regardless, the ref pointed to the spot, and he dusted himself off to smash home the penalty and seal a 5-3 victory.
Final Whistle – Job Done!
A great result in our first game of the Matrix Trust League. A proper team effort, plenty of goals, and a real sense of camaraderie. The sportsmanship between both teams was outstanding - a real credit to both schools.
And as a final treat, the lads celebrated in style on the minibus home—by absolutely butchering every song they attempted to sing.
Bring on the next round!
