The Friary U16s faced a tough challenge against Queen Mary Grammar, ultimately falling 6–3, but the scoreline tells only part of a spirited and determined performance. Despite the defeat, the team showed real progress, especially considering the circumstances leading up to the match.
With six players dropping out on the day, Friary were close to cancelling altogether. Thanks to the commitment and quick response of stand in players Osama Alashi, Elliott Trent, and Lennox Osbourne, the boys were able to field a team and compete. Their willingness to step in at the last minute made the match possible.
Coming into the game, Friary knew it would be difficult. Previous meetings had ended in a 5–0 loss, so the aim was to show improvement, and they certainly did. The team produced some excellent attacking play, created chances, and found the net three times.
Queen Mary opened the scoring early in the first half from a short corner, but Friary responded brilliantly. After several efforts from Luke Aldridge went just wide, he delivered a superb pass across the D for Noah Bowers, who fired home the equaliser to make it 1–1.
Before halftime, Queen Mary earned a series of short corners following back stick calls in the D, but they were repeatedly denied by strong defensive work and some excellent clearing saves from stand in goalkeeper Elliott Trent. Francis Shaw held the back line with his usual composure, while Fraser Neenan worked tirelessly in central midfield to win possession and drive the team forward.
Out wide, Charlie Luke and Lennox Osbourne caused real problems for the opposition, feeding clever balls through to Oli Anderson. One of these runs saw Anderson taken down in a heavy challenge, earning Friary a short corner. The team executed a well-rehearsed routine, and once again Noah Bowers delivered, smashing home his second of the match.
Friary went into halftime trailing 4–2, but with the belief that the game was still within reach.
In the second half, a few misplaced passes allowed Queen Mary to break through and add two more goals. However, Friary refused to drop their heads. From the restart, they reacted sharply, pushing immediately into the D and earning another short corner from an opposition foot. Up stepped Noah Bowers once more, completing a superb hat trick and bringing the final score to 6–3.
Team coach Ms Fallows said: “Despite the loss, the boys should be proud. Scoring three goals compared to none in the previous fixture and doing so with a team pulled together at the last minute is a real achievement. Their determination, teamwork, and resilience shone through from start to finish.”
