| FA Autumn 2026 League link (Venue and other information) | Fixtures | Oxfordshire Youth Football League |
| Day and Time | 06/09/26 10:00 |
| Result | 0:0 |
More information (click to expand):
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | |
| MoM | Alan |
First Competitive 9v9 Match
Today, Cropredy FC travelled to Benson for their first competitive 9v9 match at U12 level.
It was a warm Sunday morning, and the pitch was rock hard and very bumpy. However, the main thing was that the players were excited and looking forward to getting their first competitive game underway.
As the match kicked off, you could see the nerves running through the Cropredy team. They struggled to get used to the difficult pitch conditions and, for the first 10 minutes, Benson put them under pressure. However, Cropredy handled the early pressure well and defended strongly.
As the first half went on, Cropredy started to grow in confidence. They began passing the ball better and created the best chances of the half. On another day, they could have gone into half-time with a deserved lead.
The second half started in a similar way, with Cropredy defending well for the opening 10 minutes and not really giving Benson any clear-cut chances.
Cropredy then started to push forward and created a few opportunities of their own, although nothing that was completely clear-cut. Both teams worked hard and, for large periods of the game, cancelled each other out.
In the end, the referee blew the final whistle with the match finishing as a stalemate.
Man of the Match: Alan
Alan was solid at the back throughout the game. He helped his teammates with some excellent covering when they were under pressure or made a mistake and put in a strong defensive performance.
Review
Cropredy did really well today. They battled for everything and, at times, passed the ball around very well.
We did get caught offside too many times, but that is something the players will learn from. As they continue playing 9v9 football, they will start to understand the importance of timing their runs better.
Our ball control was not at its best today, but in fairness, the bumpy and rock-hard pitch made it difficult for both teams to get the ball under control.
Overall, the players did really well. To come away with a result from their first competitive 9v9 match is a positive start, and there were plenty of encouraging signs to take from the performance.
Well done, everyone, and see you all at training! ⚽👏