At the end of each season there’s a special annual match played at the Manstone Lane home of Sidmouth Town AFC.
It’s when the club’s latest Under-16 team take on the Town junior section coaching staff.
The match is seen as a fitting ‘send-off’ to what is always the oldest age group of the club’s youth teams – the players move up into adult football after their Under-16 season.
From this year on the annual fixture will have an extra poignancy to it as it will be known as the Sam Marriott Cup, in memory of young Sam who so tragically passed away earlier this year.
This season’s contest ended in an emphatic victory for the Under-16s with the final goal count being somewhat in despite – was it 14-0 or maybe it was 15-0?
The coaches made a poor start with the Under-16s applying early pressure that resulted in a brace of quick goals to set the tone for a one-sided affair!
An impressive feature of the youth team’s performance was the way they passed the ball with pace and precision. The younger lads were always a yard faster to the ball than there more senior compatriots!
Amongst many fine goals was a brace scored by Louis Adey and there was a clinical finish from Max Peacock after terrific play with a run and a cut back from Jacob Rice.
Jack Miller rifled the ball into the top left corner of the coaches net and Louis Spalding ‘dinked’ the ball delightfully over the out-rushing goalkeeper. There were also fine finishes from Ollie Truman and Toby Garrick.
The Man of the Match award for the Under-16s went to the richly deserving Ben Goodier who must have covered every blade of grass on the pitch.
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