The passing game sees the Vale through in u14s battle (From Barry And District News)

The passing game sees the Vale through in u14s battle

THE Vale of Glamorgan U14s representative team took on their counterparts from the Merthyr League at Jenner Park recently.

The superb pitch and weather conditions made for a fast and open game.

It was Merthyr who settled the quickest, and they had the best of the opening exchanges.

The Vale's midfield of Sully Colts players Matthew Green, Haidn Dibble, Peter Fordham and Nat Taylor-Moore, were finding it difficult against a team intent on playing them at their own game of short sharp passing.

With the top Vale teams all favouring the long ball, it took them time to adapt to a team passing through the midfield.

Just as the Vale were showing signs of getting on top, Merthyr took the lead from a corner after 15 minutes.

Fordham, together with defenders Andrew McIleney and Max Wootton, started to fight back with some solid tackling which seemed to lift their teammates.

With the Vale now winning all the "second" balls, strikers Dan Jose and Tim Dunne began to get more into the game.

When Jose was brought down 25 metres out, the Vale thought they had equalised when Dibble's superb free kick gave the keeper no chance.

Celebrations quickly turned to disappointment as the goal was ruled out after a Vale player had drifted into an offside position.

Undeterred, the Vale continued to press forward and it was only a matter of time before the equaliser came.

McIleney's strong run ended with Green putting Dibble through.

With the crowd all expecting the midfielder to take it on, he surprised everyone with an astonishing first time shot from fully 30 metres, which found the top right hand corner.

With half-time approaching the Vale looked odds-on to take the lead after Rob Gill and Fordham linked to put Green into space.

Taylor-Moore reacted the quickest and flicked Green's cross over the keeper.

It looked a certain goal until the keeper pulled off the save of the game, arching backwards and somehow tipping the ball onto the underside of the bar before seeing it scrambled away by a relieved Merthyr defence.

The second half started well for the Vale and the ball was spread wide at every occasion, allowing Gill and Sam Wooster to get forward and create space for the strikers.

A good interception by Wooster allowed Fordham the time and space to pick out Jose's channel run.

The delivery was perfect, and the striker's power and pace did the rest as he rounded the keeper before calmly slotting home.

Merthyr stepped up a gear and the game became more open, with both teams looking to get forward at every opportunity.

Although Merthyr were seeing plenty of ball they were not creating any chances as their strikers were finding it difficult against Wootton and McIleney, who were both enjoying excellent games at the heart of the Vale defence.

The Vale wondered, however, if it was going to be their day when they were twice denied by the woodwork as Nathan Whitehead's header came back off the inside of he bar and minutes later Dunne hit a post.

The all-important goal did eventually come, when Dunne was put in on goal from a lovely lay-off from Rhys Howells. The striker was taken out from behind and Dibble kept his nerve from the spot.

*eading 3-1, the Vale had keeper Lewis May to thank that they did not have to suffer an anxious last five minutes, when he pulled off an excellent save low down to his right.

At the final whistle a large crowd had been thoroughly entertained by two teams who were both committed to playing a passing game, rather than the stereotype long ball which is so often seen in junior football.