An overcast and windy Vale Park hosted this game where first teamers Aidan Stone, Ryan Johnson, James Gibbons, Dennis Politic, David Amoo and Alex Hurst featured with a mix of trialists and youth team players.
At the 11 minute mark, Eden Bailey headed down a cross from the right towards Amoo who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper. Three minutes later the Valiants won a corner taken by Alex Hurst which found the head of Ryan Johnson but his header just went over the bar.
Dennis Politic had been dangerous all game on the left-hand side and with 16 minutes played he almost doubled the score. He was given all sorts of space to run towards goal and took a shot on from a tight angle which glanced off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
Two minutes later Politic was in again from the left side taking on several players, this time his shot was low but was saved well by the feet of the goal keeper and out for a corner. A controversial moment on 20 minutes at the other end of the pitch as it seemed James Gibbons had done well to win a goal-kick but the referee decided a foul had been committed.
A penalty was given and was put away to level the scores.
The Valiants were pushing to go back in front. Eden Bailey broke free of his man on a corner with 25 minutes on the clock but he could not keep the header down. Two minutes later Bailey had another chance, some good play between him and Amoo upfront gave him space for a shot but Bailey’s shot just went wide.
On 28 minutes we got back in front thanks to an own goal. Alex Hurst’s shot looked to be going just wide but a defender got in the way of the shot and it was deflected into the net. Hurst almost got a goal for himself two minutes later but his shot from inside the area went over the bar. 31 minutes played and Amoo was close to getting his second. A great ball in from the left found Amoo at the back post but his header went inches over the bar.
Politic continued to look dangerous throughout the first half, he dribbled the ball into the box and struck an effort on his left foot but it hit the far post and bounced back into play on 32 minutes. He finally got his deserved goal two minutes later as he ran straight through the middle of the defence and slotted the ball low into the bottom right corner.
Amoo got to the back post once more as the ball came in, this time he tried a volley but it just went wide of the post on 36 minutes. A minute before half-time Amoo secured his brace with a controlled header from close range past the keeper.
Bailey was keen to get on the scoresheet in the second half. Two minutes after the restart he ran onto the ball after Amoo’s original shot was saved but the keeper did well to react and produced a double save. Politic was keen to continue his excellent performance from the first half, his confidence was clearly sky high as he tried his luck from 30-yards but his effort went over the bar.
A third goal for Amoo on 56 minutes as he received the ball from close range and passed it into the net. Three minutes later and Politic was still trying for his second of the game, his freekick from 25-yards was well saved by the keeper. Hurst, down the right, got past his man with ease on 61 minutes and found himself one on one but his effort towards the front post was saved well.
The Valiants made it six after 67 minutes, Hurst’s ball from the left found a trialist in the middle who struck the ball hard on the half volley into the net. Two minutes later Amoo got his 4th goal of the afternoon to make it 7-1, a ball from the left found the forward who headed in from close range.
The majority of first teamers were replaced with ten minutes to go as the Valiants ran out 8-1 winners.