No Shame to Lose this Game

Buttsbury’s Year 6 boys football team lost a final but won great praise playing for the first time in a five-a-side competition.  While the rest of Buttsbury were enjoying the last weekend of the Easter break, the Year 6 team were battling it out against older and stronger opposition in the tournament organised by the district Rotary clubs.

The boys travelled away to South Woodham Ferrers Sports Centre to compete in this Under 12’s tournament.  Understandably, playing under five-a-side rules for the first time, the boys took a little time to settle into the mind-set of this new format.

First match up was against a club team from Maldon. In a fast-paced and exciting opening match. Buttsbury took an early lead and then absorbed several minutes of pressure where they held their nerve and kept a clean sheet. In the second half Buttsbury scored two further goals to win 3-0.

Rule Problem

The second match saw Woodham play Maldon. It was evenly contested until Woodham broke the deadlock with two closely timed goals to win 2-0.

Buttsbury were then up against the home team of Year 7 boys and suffered through unfamiliarity with the rules despite a fast and frantic end-to-end game. They were penalised for entering the penalty area, conceded a direct kick and then gave away another goal two minutes later to lose 2-0.

Final Twist of Fate

By a quirk of the points system, the boys from Buttsbury faced this same Year 7 Woodham team in the final. Despite battling hard, Buttsbury conceded a direct free kick just before half time, which the more experienced boys quickly converted into a goal. By the final whistle, Buttsbury had narrowly lost 1-0.

Teacher-in-charge Debbie Marshall was full of praise for the boys on their outstanding performance against such tough opposition and thanked the parents for giving up their Saturday to transport the boys, especially when there was a venue and time change at the last minute!