Cheltenham Saracens manager Beckem Foley felt it “just wasn’t good enough” from his U18s side last night as they lost 2-0 at home to Gloucester City AFC U18s.
The Sarries were at home and had won their only previous league game this season. Gloucester on the other hand, didn’t have such a good record with two wins from four.
Early pressure from Saracens will have encouraged Foley, particularly the work of Aidan Williams on the left flank, carving out two chances within the opening five minutes.
That pressure, however, quickly subsided as Jan Dzonwonkowski gave away a penalty 11 minutes into the game. It was dispatched down the middle and Corey Iddon in goal could do nothing about it.
Saracens didn’t recover well from this goal and quickly fell under pressure from Gloucester, who’s midfield were dominating the game.
Sarries’ Marley Holmes, Mason Stokes and Leo Voyce were all booked within five minutes of each other in the first half for similar, counterattack-stopping challenges.
Foley said the cautions were nothing more than poor decision making,
“I think it was their poor judgment at the time, getting themselves into poor situations, to then make them fouls. I think all those yellow cards at the start, they’re all genuine yellow cards. They’re all very poor challenges.”
Foley was visibly unhappy at the halfway point and made five changes during the break.
“I could’ve probably changed the whole 11. Things weren’t going the way we expected them to, so it was up to five people to do what we’d asked of them.”
The second half started slowly, with neither side creating more than a half chance until the 63rd minute when Saracens thought they’d surely scored.
The ball ricocheted around the penalty box following a corner before seemingly crossing the line and being cleared out, but the referee said play on – ensuing much protestation from Sarries and Foley.
“The only, the only decision I can question is the potential goal that’s been chalked off for us. I don’t understand how when a player is literally holding onto the net to stay up to clear the ball, it was not a goal, how he couldn’t be over the line. And that’s at 1-0.”
Speaking on what the goal would’ve meant, Foley said: “That’s 1-1. We take the momentum, and I think we go and win the game at that point. So, you know, I feel, I think in there, we made a lot of poor decisions. I also think that decision sort of kills us as well. But we shouldn’t be in that position.”
Gloucester found a second goal shortly after. An absolute wonder of a free kick sailed over Iddon and into the top right stanchion from 35 yards out.
City closed the game out well after this, keeping their shape and just defending their penalty area, not giving Sarries as much as a sniff at goal.
The U18s manager Beckem Foley gives his thoughts following a disappointing result.#CSFC 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/vEBqcMKOdJ
— Cheltenham Saracens FC (@SaracensFC) October 10, 2024
Foley wasn’t happy with the performance at full time.
“We’ve got to look at ourselves. Why are we, you know, playing in such a way.
That’s certainly not what we want. You know, we’re meant to be football team, and we looked like a basketball team today – just turning over the ball constantly and lumping the ball forward.
We need to figure out, you know, what is it is that what we’re asking them to complicate it is, is the football that we’re asking them to play unreasonable.”
Sarries are back in league action on Thursday, with a chance to make amends and get things back on track as they host Ledbury.
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