Scrappy but effective: Clissold Rangers march on

So British winter time began. The previous week's Indian summer sunshine had crept into the changing room and donned itself a gloomy grey kit. Maybe it was the clocks going back and the extra hour lie in. Maybe it was the 2 o'clock kick off instead of the usual 1 o'clock start. Maybe it was the quality of the opposition. Maybe it was some players being asked to play in unfamiliar positions in a new formation style. Or maybe it's just that the Clissold Rangers U8s team have raised the expectations bar so high, with football of fluency and flair, that anything less seems somewhat strange. 

At any rate, despite the eventual 5–3 victory (mirroring the previous day's Arsenal v Chelsea scoreline) the performance was at times a little scrappy and unconvincing.

1-0 down within 5 minutes of kick off due to headless chickens' football where no one on the team, bar replacement team goalkeeper Manolo, seemed to know for sure where on the field they were meant to be playing or indeed how to pass. But they somehow found their heads and a way back into the game when Daragh found himself free in the box with an eternity to compose himself and put the ball pass the keeper.

Soon after Keiran converted a penalty and grabbed a second to make the half-time score a touch flattering. 

But in the second half with our passing game still missing, the opposition scored twice to bring the scores level at 3-all. The victory was finally sealed in our favour first when Oscar tapped in a cross from Kieran at the back post and then converted yet another penalty--one retaken due to encroachment in the box--with great composure..

It's a measure of a good side that they can scrape a win even when they are not firing on all cylinders and a sign of confidence and faith from the coach to broaden they're footballing brains in different positions.  Maybe not the best win out of the 6 played but this team just can't stop winning at the moment.