Year 4 Boys' Football Triumph

On a blustery and brazen winter's day, eight- Year 4 boys represented the school in a football festival in the grounds of Kew AFC. Read here to see how they got on.

On Thursday 31st January 2019, eight Year 4 boys took part in a football festival at Kew AFC. The boys were placed in a group with Malden Manor, St Andrews and St Marks (S.A.S.M), St Matthews and Latchmere. Despite very cold conditions, the boys’ spirits were high, and they were all ready for a fun-filled afternoon of football.  

First up for the team was a strong Latchmere team. Although conceding an early goal, O.L.I. passed with accuracy and dominated possession for large periods. However, this pressure, which included striking the woodwork on a couple of occasions, did not result in any goals and the boys eventually went on to lose the match by three goals to nil. After a brief break in play, the boys were ready for their second match against Malden Manor. The team grew with confidence in attack which was shown by the boys passing forward at every opportunity and having lots of shots on target. By the half-way point in the match, O.L.I were indeed very unlucky not to be in the lead. The attacking dominance, coupled with a resolute defence, finally told with a well-worked goal to win the encounter 1-0.  

St Matthews were the team’s third opponents. By this stage of the festival, it was clear that the boys’ tactical understanding and teamwork was quickly developing. O.L.I. again had the majority of the ball and used this effectively to make dangerous crosses and shots on the opponents’ goal. After the opening minutes of the match, the boys were leading by a deserved score line of two goals to nil. Despite conceding a goal in the closing minutes of the match, O.L.I wrapped up their second consecutive victory with a lovely team goal to win the match 3-1. Following another break in play, S.A.S.M. were the team’s final match-up and the boys certainly saved their best attacking display until the end. O.L.I. controlled possession and were frequently inside the attacking third, creating chances and having shots on goal. By the end of the match, the boys came out deserved 5-0 winners. 

By the end of the festival, the boys won three out of four matches- this is an excellent achievement. Congratulations to James, William, Archie H, Ygor, Liam, Archie S, Thomas and Billy; they should be very proud of their performances. I was really impressed with the attitude and team-spirit that was on display during the festival. 

I would like to express my thanks to the parents and carers who provided transport the venue. Also, many thanks to those who braved the elements to watch the boys in action. Finally, please view the news section on the school website to see a selection of photographs taken from the afternoon.