20/09/2026
Retford FC U14s 1 - 1 Warmsworth U14s
A point apiece as Retford are made to work in game two of the season.
Retford FC U14s returned for their second game of the season on a lovely sunny afternoon, albeit with a bit of wind to contend with.
Del, Lee and Paul made up the management team in the dugout, with Tom once again taking the flag on the line.
After being without a few players for the opening game, Retford had a full squad available, with Harley, Jenson and Charlie all returning.
Jacko started in goal, with Teddy, Ronnie, Will and Sam forming the back four. Charlie, Zach, Oscar and Harley lined up across midfield, with Hugo and Marcus leading the attack. Louis, Jenson and Flynn provided plenty of options from the bench.
Retford started the game really brightly.
There was plenty of battle in the middle of the park, particularly from Zach and Oscar, who competed for everything and helped Retford get a foothold in the game. More encouragingly, there were some really nice passages of football too, with the midfield and attack linking through some sharp, short passing.
Marcus was heavily involved in the early attacking play and had a number of opportunities, including one effort that crashed against the crossbar.
At the other end, Ronnie and Will commanded the centre of defence well, while Sam and Teddy worked relentlessly on either side, getting up and down the pitch and contributing at both ends.
Eventually, Retford’s pressure told.
Marcus’s perseverance was rewarded when the ball fell his way around 10 yards from goal. This time there was no crossbar to deny him as he hammered the ball home to give Retford a deserved 1-0 lead.
Jacko had looked assured in goal, collecting well and distributing the ball confidently, but Warmsworth found their equaliser from very little.
A long ball forward took an awkward bounce and caught Retford out. The Warmsworth attacker reacted quickest, latching onto it and managing to head the ball over Jacko and into the net.
1-1 and very much against the run of play.
A different game after the break
Warmsworth made adjustments defensively at half-time, while Retford also tinkered with their side and introduced Flynn, Louis and Jenson.
Jenson immediately gave Retford another dimension with his pace, while Flynn produced some excellent moments on the ball. He twisted and turned away from challenges, drove forward into dangerous areas and looked to release Louis into the channels.
As the half developed, though, the game became increasingly tight.
It began to feel like a match that neither side wanted to lose, but equally, neither could quite find that extra bit of quality needed to score the decisive goal without leaving themselves vulnerable at the other end.
There was certainly no shortage of commitment. Challenges flew in, Retford continued to battle and Jacko produced some important saves when called upon.
Hugo looked to get Retford moving quickly, playing some sharp early passes to start attacks, but the final breakthrough just wouldn’t come.
The whistle eventually brought an evenly contested second half to an end, with both teams taking a point.
Plenty to learn from
On balance, probably a fair result although Retford will feel there was an opportunity to build on what was a very promising opening to the game.
But that’s part of the challenge this season.
There are going to be ups and downs, particularly as the boys continue adapting to 11-a-side football and the challenges that come with it. As Paul explained afterwards, what mattered was that when the game became difficult, the boys dug in.
Another competitive 70 minutes, another point on the board and plenty to take into the next one.
Man of the Match: Sam
