🦅 Kestrels Run Riot to Soar Into the Semi-Finals! 🔵🟡

On a pitch that held up superbly despite the recent weather, the Kestrels produced a dominant performance to book their place in the League Cup semi-finals.

After a much stronger start than last week, the boys came out with real intent and intensity. That early pressure paid off immediately as we raced into a 2–0 lead within the first five minutes, setting the tone for the match. The tempo, movement, and confidence on the ball proved far too much for Basingstoke to handle, and by half-time the Kestrels were 5–0 ahead and very much in control.

At the break, the focus was on maintaining standards—no easing off, quicker passing, earlier release of the ball, and working our way into and around the box with purpose. The second half followed the same pattern, with the lads continuing to create chance after chance. Goals came regularly, and while the scoreline was emphatic, it could have been even greater were it not for some good goalkeeping and a lack of composure at times in front of goal.

A tactical switch to a 2-4-2 formation pushed us higher up the pitch and allowed us to dominate midfield areas. While this did carry the risk of being exposed on the counter-attack, the composure and discipline shown—particularly by Henry, Logan, Ted, Bobsy and Joseph—was excellent and ensured we remained solid at the back.

As the game moved into its latter stages, it became a real goalmouth affair, with the Kestrels piling on pressure and players queuing up to get on the scoresheet. The hunger from everyone to contribute highlighted the togetherness and positive mindset within the squad.

Ultimately, while it wasn’t the most demanding test, this was still a cup quarter-final, and the lads did exactly what was required to progress. The most pleasing aspect was the enjoyment throughout the squad—from warm-up to the final whistle, the boys looked confident, relaxed, and clearly enjoying their football.

Let’s keep building on these performances, stay grounded, and continue pushing forward in both our league and cup runs.

Final Score:
Basingstoke Colts Dragons 0 – Mytchett Athletic Kestrels 12 🦅🔥

Well done, Kestrels—keep it going! 🦅🔵🟡

🏆 Man of the Match – JESSE

A very well-earned Man of the Match for Jesse. He worked tirelessly for the team, showing a noticeable improvement in confidence both on and off the ball. Jesse used his strength superbly, competed well throughout, and capped off a strong performance by getting himself on the scoresheet. A fantastic effort and a great example of progress—well done, Jesse! 👏⚽

💭 Final Thoughts

A very positive day overall for the Kestrels. The lads approached the game in exactly the right way, showed strong habits, and maintained good focus throughout. As the match wore on and confidence grew, there were moments—particularly towards the end—where we became a little eager on the ball. That confidence is a positive thing, but it’s also a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of continuing to move the ball quickly and playing as a team, even when we’re well on top.

Keeping our passing game flowing and making the extra pass will be key as we move forward this season. It worked well today, and against stronger opposition it will be essential in helping us control games and get on top of our opponents.

That said, the attitude, work rate, and togetherness on show were excellent and give us a really strong platform to keep improving.

Enjoy what remains of the weekend and I look forward to seeing you all next week! 🔵🟡