Dartford FC v Buckhurst Hill u9 Championship final
Buckhurst Hill win on penalties.
5 players, Denzel, Freddie, James, Herman & Joel, in the U9s team have played together since u/4 coming through BHFC’s mini soccer program, which I coached for seven years. I have coached these players for 5 years. This is our first season in the Junior Premier League and this playoff was our second consecutive final losing to CM futsal in the last series of games on penalties.
Buckhurst Hill started the stronger team with Freddie going twice 1 on 1 with the Dartford GK in the first 7 minutes. A great save from the Dartford GK from the left foot of Leo. Finally we broke the dead lock. We have been working on cut backs during our winter hibernation on the futsal court so pleasing to see George hitting the line to cut back for Leo to slot home with his weaker foot.
George just before half time hit the bar with a thunderous right foot strike
The second was a great team goal starting with Maxim playing through the thirds with 4 passes for George to slot home 2-0 BHFC.
The second period was a lot more even Maxim making some great stops to thwart the Dartford attack. The Junior Premier League has no retreat line so I have been helping them with how to mark players so teams can’t play out from the back forcing teams to go long and as I said to them yesterday my money was on Lorken and Pani to pick up any balls into the central areas ( I believe this is now called setting traps
) 
Unfortunately on 2 occasions later in the second period we let Dartford in and they equalised with 2 good goals.
We went into the third period the stronger team and came close with 4 or 5 attempts, so penalties it was. I have to be honest I fancied our chances. Maxim is a good shot stopper the first Dartford player shot high over the bar and Denzil slotted hard and low into the bottom corner. Maxim saved the second penalty so we only had to score our second to win the game. George stepped up and casually put it low into the GKs left corner two fantastic penalties to win the tie.
Our season has had it’s challenges but as a team, players, coaches and parents we stuck together. Ben and Steve make the games every week and Leigh holds us all together.
We have had some great additions to the squad, choked for Tommy that he was on holiday and couldn’t make the game. The next stop is the Nationals an early KO 29/04/23 
Stuart Blake
