20/09/2026
✍️ U12 Match Report
U12: NORFOLK COUNTY CUP – FIRST ROUND 🏆
Back at home this Sunday, we welcomed Gorleston Rangers Eagles to the King George playing field for the first round of the Norfolk County Cup.
The message before kick-off was simple: start quickly, take the positives from our second-half performances over the last couple of weeks, and play with that same intensity from the very first whistle.
That proved to be the case, as the opening exchanges were shoulder-to-shoulder, with both teams battling hard and neither side willing to give an inch.
Within just five minutes, a great start saw some excellent teamwork from midfield down the left, with a well-timed cutback from Fin H finding Jensen, who finished from close range to open the scoring and give us an early lead.
The game remained evenly contested, with both sides fully committed in the challenges, making it a cracking cup tie. With around ten minutes remaining before half-time, Gorleston found an equaliser. After block after block from the defence, unfortunately the ball eventually fell kindly to an opposition player, who tapped home to bring the game level at 1-1 going into the break.
The second half continued to be a cracking cup tie, with both sides playing with pressure and attacking intent, making it an exciting end-to-end battle. Although clear-cut chances were limited for both teams, the intensity and commitment from both sides made it a fantastic game to watch.
Defensively, we were excellent today and looked really solid at the back, with Grayson standing out with a composed and assured performance reading any through balls and covering for others around him. He looked calm throughout and seemed to have everything under control.
In midfield, we constantly rotated the players to keep them fresh, with everyone giving absolutely everything whenever they were on the pitch, some fantastic performances by Jacob looking strong on the ball and trying to make us tick, Max battling every ball and driving forwards with the ball, Fin M getting into the game and calm on the ball. Going forward, we looked lively and continued to threaten with the pace of Rhys, George dropping off to pick up great spaces, but we just couldn't quite create as many clear-cut opportunities as our overall play deserved.
With ten minutes remaining, we changed formation to a 2-3-3 as we looked to really go for the win in normal time. The change gave us more attacking intent, and the final few minutes were absolutely pulsating as we pushed for that decisive goal.
Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, we just couldn't find the winner, with the opposition goalkeeper producing some excellent saves to keep us at bay. After a thrilling cup tie, the game finished 1-1, meaning the tie would be decided by penalties.
Into the shootout, and the drama continued. It was a tense penalty competition that eventually saw us at 3-3 after 5 penalties apiece with Jake producing two excellent saves from the spot to keep us in the tie.
Then, with the shootout going into sudden death, the sixth penalty and up stepped Grayson, who fired the ball into the roof of the net to seal our place in the next round and a moment for him to remember after just joining the club.
What followed were fantastic scenes of togetherness from this great group of players. A brilliant team effort, a thrilling cup tie, and a fantastic moment for the players to celebrate together as we progressed into the 2nd round of the Norfolk County Cup.
Shouldham & Marham Utd 1
Gorleston Rangers Eagles 1
Goal:
Jenson ⚽️
Shouldham & Marham Utd win 4-3 on penalties 👏🏻
🏆 PLAYER OF THE MATCH: JAKE
A fantastic performance from Jake, who made a couple of excellent saves during normal time and looked commanding when dealing with corners into his box.
Then, when it came to the shootout, Jake showed how to do it, saving two penalties and playing a huge part in helping us progress in dramatic fashion.
A thoroughly deserved Player of the Match award!
