Football Team Deliver the Goals

In their first competitive match of the academic year, the Abbey College Manchester boys performed terrifically well in an open and exciting 4-4 draw away at Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College in Altrincham. A squad of 16 boys from Year 11 through to Year 13 made the journey and confidence was high going into the game.

Played under the floodlights and in the rain, conditions were perfect for a game of football and both sides did not disappoint. The Abbey boys took the lead inside a minute after good work from Yusuf Yusufu on the left who fed Adil Ajmal and he fired a shot into the bottom left corner from 18 yards. The hosts quickly replied with a goal of their own after a mix up between the Abbey defence and goalkeeper. At this point both sides were looking to gain the initiative and it was Yusuf Yusufu again involved as he latched onto Thariq Shafyaz’s quick free kick to tap the ball into the goal at the near post. Abbey again surrendered the lead shortly before half time. At the break it was 2-2.

At the start of the second half it was the hosts who looked most likely to take control of the game but in a moment of pure class, Abbey broke away on the counter attack and Yusuf Yusufu hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net to make the score 3-2. It was worthy of the celebrations that followed. The visitors were then given a lesson in never losing concentration immediately after scoring a goal and soon found themselves 4-3 behind after conceding 2 goals in 4 minutes. With 15 minutes of the game to spare, the Abbey boys pushed and got the equaliser they deserved when Adil Ajmal scored his second the game with a neat finish past the onrushing goalkeeper.

In the end, 4-4 was a fair result for both sides and with so many positives to take from the game the only way is up for the Abbey College Manchester boys.