Barry Comprehensive School

‘Can the Year 11 Football team become national champions’ is the question on everyone’s lips at Barry Comprehensive School this week after the team dispatched Llanishen High school at the semi-final stage of the Welsh Schools National Competition with a resounding 5-1 victory.

Sam Adamson holds off a challenge

Jordan Prosser evades a challenge

2 goal hero Tom Moffat unleashes a shot

Photos by Matt Moore

The team will travel to North Wales on the 9 th of May to play Ysgol Brynrefail and find out whether they can claim the ultimate prize in school football in their final ever game for the school.

Although the score line suggests a comfortable game for the home side, for 55 minutes it was an edgy, tense affair which had all the skill of a Premiership encounter and all the blood and thunder of a lower league clash.

There is no doubt that the early exchanges were dominated by Barry who passed the ball well and settled the quicker of the two sides and dictated the tempo of the game. It was therefore no surprise when they opened the scoring with a well taken finish from Tom Moffat after a scramble in the area. This goal rattled Lllanishen and Barry immediately grew in confidence, hitting a quality second soon after. Seon Shakespeare played on when the Llanishen defence stopped and put his deep cross onto the head of Jordan Prosser to make it 2-0 with only 20 minutes gone.

However, if Barry thought they would cruise to an easy victory they were mistaken and the second goal only seemed to galvanise Llanishen. The away team became more of a force in the game and Barry became pinned back in their own half. This pressure brought a free kick just outside the box and Barry’s hesitance was punished as the Llanishen striker curled his shot into the bottom corner of the net: 2-1.

The half time whistle couldn’t come quickly enough for Barry the message from Mr Hutton at half time was clear ‘let’s get back to basics’.

With that in mind, the team quickly set about reasserting their dominance in possession and created numerous chances. Although there was still the threat of a breakaway goal, Barry became more confident and when Chad Clarke rose to nod home a Sam Adamson free kick, the home team were firmly in the driving seat.

Understandably Llanishen began to takes chances with only 20 minutes remaining but gaps began to appear in the away defence. Opportunities were coming thick and fast and Barry killed the tie with two almost identical goals, Seon Shakespeare and Tom Moffat both latching onto long through balls to calmly slot home to make the final score 5-1.

So an outstanding squad effort by every single player and as soon as the final whistle went the celebrations began, but thoughts quickly turned to the final and whether National success is now within grasp…can they do it? (MH)

AC 2009-04-23