From the Touchline: Half time...

Last weekend was one of frustrations as the teams I coach had a number of ups and downs. It's never great when your team is playing in a rain storm but my first match this weekend was in ever worsening conditions and that didn't help my players

My Under 11s had a hard match against a really strong side – but with my boys passing and moving well in the slippery conditions I was pleased at half time with a 0-0 scoreline. Both teams had chances but both defences were playing well, cutting out through balls and intercepting crosses. Also both keepers made a couple of good saves so honours were even.

It was during the half time break that the heavens really opened and my players were looking like drowned rats as I tried to get a across a couple of key coaching points. I wanted the wingers to release the ball earlier rather than hitting the bylines as I felt balls coming in at an angle would be harder to defend.

However, it didn't quite work out like that because the weather hit my team harder than the opposition. Within 5 minutes of the second half starting we were 2-0 down. The boys were caught out on two breakaway goals before they got it together and picked up the long ball tactics the their opponents had employed at the start of the second half.

Concentration key to winning games

And from that we never recovered, although we created a number of chances they were not taken and we had to accept defeat. Concentration immediately after half time was key to us losing the game, and it is vital that when you are working with your teams you make sure that they are focused on the game for the start of the second half even if they have been distracted by the weather.

A game with the Under-14s

My Under 14s that I was coaching on the very next day started in bright sunlight and boy did they play well. Pressing from the off they bullied and attacked their opponents with some fantastic play, switching the ball from side to side probing for a gap they could play a through ball into.

They scored a great goal and without some brilliant saves from the opposition goalkeeper they would have been out of sight. But starting the second half with just the one goal meant they had to keep playing well.

As the game went on the midfield became more and more detached from the defence and a couple of last ditch tackles resulted in a free kick on the edge of the area. And this was where the equaliser came from. It can be difficult getting ideas across from the touchline but we had spoken at half time about how the midfield had stopped pressing and that was still the case.

A penalty disaster!

Unfortunately as the game came into the final 10 minutes our keeper fumbled the ball and in doing so knocked the opposition striker to the floor resulting in a penalty. That won the game for the opposition and we lost 2-1. Such a shame when they had played so well but the players need to listen and think about what they had stopped doing during the second half.

The result in itself isn't bad, losing by the odd goal is never a disaster and it gives us a lot to work on at the next training session.

But both games highlighted the importance of half time and the importance of making sure your players take in what you have said and that they are focused on playing the second half just as much as they were focused on playing the first half.