01/11/2026
Dragons Match Report – 1/11/26
⚽️ Opponents: Breaston Park
🏟️ Venue: Soldiers & Sailors Field
⏰ Kick-off time: 10.00am
🐉 Matchday Squad: Harry Wills, Edward, Oli, Fred, Harry Wards, Max (GK) & Rupert.
We weren’t too sure what to expect today, as there were strong rumours that the Dragons had been out on an all-dayer yesterday celebrating Max’s birthday, topped off with a team trick-or-treating session and copious amounts of sweets.
But they showed up on time and ready to go, with last night’s sugar rush still in their veins. The setting was misty and the ground was moist – perfect conditions for some under-9 football!!
We lined up with Max between the sticks, Fred at the back, Edward and Harry Wills in midfield & Rupert up front. The first quarter was a very cagey affair, with both sides feeling each other out. There wasn’t much in terms of chances, but when they came for the home side, Max stood tall and made the saves required.
At the other end, we plugged away but didn’t create too many meaningful chances. We battled hard in midfield, with Edward’s customary graft and Harry Wills’ running forcing turnovers, but the ball wouldn’t quite break for Rupert up front on a fast pitch. We brought on Harry Wards & Oli halfway through to add a bit of chaos to the affair, but the quarter fizzled out goalless as both sides’ work rates seemingly cancelled each other out.
Second quarter, and we remained unchanged, sending the lads back out there to plug away once more. Within minutes, the deadlock was finally broken, with Edward taking a quick throw-in and playing Harry Wills through on goal, whose first touch set him up perfectly to caress the ball home like he was prime Frédéric Kanouté.
It remained a tight affair, though. The Dragons couldn’t sit on their slender lead, and the home side put us under some pressure. Rupert led by example, both vocally and through his work rate and committed tackling. The Dragons followed his lead, and all mucked in.
It was unfortunate, however, that with minutes left in the quarter, we unnecessarily played ourselves into trouble as Fred delayed clearing the ball and was pressured into passing it back to Max in goal. The ball didn’t carry, and Breaston took advantage to equalise.
Level at half-time, then. On the balance of play, probably a fair outcome. We made a change in goal, with Edward taking the gloves for a quarter & Max slotting into defence. Rupert anchored the midfield alongside Harry Wills, with Harry Wards up front. It was very much more of the same, a well-contested, back-and-forth match with a lot of the play in midfield.
It was Breaston who struck next, though, poking home through a melee of bodies to take the lead for the first time. The Dragons continued to play their game, and after being wasteful in possession in the first half, they were starting to find yellow shirts more often this half, passing the ball well to try and work openings and get level.
And they got level before the quarter was done, as Max turned the tide with a thumping tackle at the back. He then played the ball forward & found Harry Wills in space, who calmly slotted the ball home for his second and the Dragons’ second of the game. This once more sent us in for another break level as the third quarter came to a close.
We needed another rotation of the goalkeeper gloves, and when asking for a volunteer, it was Oli who put his hand up for the team. With the goalkeeper shirt down to his ankles, he was ready for action. Rupert slotted back into defence, with Edward & Harry Wills in midfield and Max now up front.
But the quarter got off to a bad start, as Breaston won a corner early on and whipped it in to the near post, where it clipped off a Dragons defender for an unfortunate own goal. It seemed to deflate the Dragons somewhat & Breaston had their tails up as they looked to kill the game. Soon after, they scrambled home another to give themselves some daylight with only five minutes remaining.
But the Dragons weren’t going to go down without a fight, and the game seemed to turn on a moment. Breaston looked destined to score again, but Oli Wards pounced out of his goal to thwart the striker with his feet, then took the rebound to the face before bravely throwing his body back in the way to block the third attempt – extremely brave goalkeeping!!
And the Dragons seemed to feed off it. Max drove forward, determined and direct, & as he was about to pull the trigger, the defender tracking back dived in at his feet and turned the ball home instead. The Dragons were alive, and there was only a goal in it now!!
From the kick-off, we won back possession and Rupert cleared the ball forward towards Edward, who, with two defenders around him, harassed and harried them and won a ball that he had no right to win. With the keeper bearing down on him, he slotted home – Equaliser!!! Seconds still ticking on the clock.
They couldn’t, could they?
Kick-off, same passion and determination from Rupert, Max & Harry Wills to once again press high and turn over the ball. Gegenpressing at its finest. They worked the ball out wide to Edward, who decided it was time to finish it. He weaved between two defenders and bore down on goal. With the keeper narrowing the angle, he struck low and hard and found the net at the far post – the comeback was completed!!! Wild scenes!!!
There was just enough time for Breaston to take the kick-off and have one last surge forward, but there was no getting past the resilient Dragons at this point as they saw the game out!
What a comeback! Two goals down with five minutes to go, and we walked away with a victory. What an effort and show of commitment, courage and determination. These boys helped deliver a classic, with Breaston playing their part too in a fun & competitive barnstormer. Credit to everybody 👏🏻
We won’t gloss over it and say this was a perfect performance. The boys have played better in the past and, on reflection, will know the manner of the goals conceded was sloppy and they should have used the ball better in possession on occasions – but they still had the right character and mindset to get things going when it mattered.
Max in goal had another strong showing. He’s turning into a really mature and seasoned goalkeeper. And outfield, he was ferocious. If something moved, he was slide-tackling it.
Freddie never lets us down defensively and put in some crunchers too, but it’s his development on the ball this season and the way he plays out from the back that continue to be his highlights on a weekly basis.
Harry Wills was up and down the pitch in his usual style and took his goals well, with an air of composure to his finishing like he was a 20-year veteran of the game.
Edward overcame a quiet start to grow into the game and, after his spell in goal, came out in the fourth quarter and delivered two moments of magic to level the game and find the winner.
Rupert continues to grow as a leader. He was vocal, supportive and influential in what we did, dropping deeper for large parts of the game and dictating the play alongside some full-blooded defending.
Harry Wards plugged away, stuck to his task and remained determined to help his teammates throughout.
But man of the match today goes to Oli, who, for the final quarter, put his hand up when asked and delivered a brave and courageous showing in goal that proved to be a catalyst for the momentum we needed to stage the comeback. Without his bravery, we probably fall short today.
What a win, what a performance!! A classic encounter that we will talk about for years. The Dragons showed all sides of their game today, and as coaches, we are proud of them for sticking at it and showing the determination to get something out of it. Well done, lads!!
And next week, we get to do it all over again as we travel to Breaston once more!! We look forward to more of the same. Popcorn at the ready!!
Until then… up the Dragons!!! 🐉
