The Unisun Athletic U8 team were due to be at Brunton Park as part of our Cumberland Community Ticket Scheme for the Barrow game on Saturday afternoon, but the postponement due to the cold spell means that their match day visit has been delayed.
But that didn’t stop first-team players Jayden Harris and Mick Kelly from paying them a surprise visit at their Thursday evening training session on the Harraby 3G pitches, even though temperatures were dipping below zero before a ball had been kicked.
The warm-up session included a combined sprint and control drill, with the players split into two groups, and it was Jayden and his squad who suffered the forfeit of press-ups after Mick had blatantly cheated (missed by the coaching staff) when he cheekily kicked the other team's ball away to make sure his gang crossed the line first.
A small-sided game followed, with Jayden and Mick joined by two Unisun players as they took on the remaining nine yellow and blacks. An all-action encounter ended 3-3, with some excellent keeping from the young stopper to deny both Harris and Kelly on multiple occasions.
The visit ended with the usual selfie and autograph opportunity and with a good night having been had by all.
“It was cold, but that was soon forgotten by everybody once the session started,” Jayden told us. “They all worked really hard and I was particularly impressed with the quality of the goals scored.
“I’d also like to point out that Mick missed a penalty, that should be on record. The keeper went the right way, but it’s maybe an indication as to why Mick is also a goalkeeper.
“I’d like to thank the Unisun team for inviting us and making us feel so welcome.”
“Jayden was throwing out two-footed tackles and all sorts, but the lads dealt with him well,” Mick said. “The game was really tense and I thought the draw was the fair result.
“The young players were brilliant, every one of them, and you could tell that they were really pleased when we turned up, which makes it even better for us.
“We wish them every success for their season. If they work as hard as they did on Thursday night they’re going to have a really good time.”
