Games For Goalscoring

Games For Goalscoring

In this training session Mike Phelan addresses the art of goalscoring and working inside the penalty area. 

Equipment Needed:

4 x Samba Aluminium Goals

20 x Samba Training Balls

2 x Samba Flat Markers

2 x Samba Mannequins

2 x Samba Hurdles

1 x Veo Camera

Contact us for the best prices on the above products

“I see a lot of so-called finishing sessions in and around clubs as I travel and it astounds me at times how many are allowed to continue while players are spending most of their time missing. To help perhaps remedy this and pass on some of my experience I have recorded a series of games for goalscoring starting with a narrow focus and a small area. The idea of the initial narrow focus and small area is to help learn and then cement the basics and fundamentals before we can progress to the bigger field.”

Most goals in modern football are scored inside the penalty box and inside of the penalty spot, this is illustrated in the below graphic courtesy of OPTA which details Harry Kanes UEFA Champions League goalscoring, one of England’s and modern day footballs finest exponents of the art of goalscoring. 

The example training session in the enclosed youtube video would be a typical practice someone like Harry or Mikes former colleagues Wayne Rooney or Ronaldo would engage in to maintain their skills in this prime danger zone.

The first thing to focus on is the movement of the striker onto the ball, losing a marker and arriving in the danger zone, this subtle but fine detail is of paramount importance to get into goalscoring positions.


Secondly you then need a connection with your team mate who should be looking to play the assist at the right time and at the right weight and height to give their teammate maximum goalscoring conditions and opportunity. 

In the drill set up there are two small target goals for each striker and the logic to these goals being slightly offset is to promote good finishing practice and to always be diverting the ball slightly away from the trajectory of your run and arrival and to the left or right of any potential goalkeeper.

The striker should move sharply in the initial instance and then slow down and be composed upon contact, these inside the penalty spot type finishes are all about technique and the connection as opposed to power.

The game should be fun and it is also good practice to promote competition between the two teams to replicate pressure and achieve a target (maybe first to ten before the drill changes).

The training session has two further progressions to ultimately achieve a game stage and lifelike scenario.

The first progression is to bring in a defender and then the second progression is to change the drill to a two versus two attack v defence inside the penalty box competition where the opponents play to a finish or dead ball and all four goals are in use.

These progressions bring in real life cognitive scenarios, decision making, combination play and test composure under pressure in goalscoring situations in crowded penalty box situations. As the drill progresses you will also see many other fine detail skills are now being worked, composure, drag, dodge, hold the ball, movement, blind side runs, dummy runs, timing to stay onside among others, inside of the foot finish, outside of the foot, toe poke finish etc.

Further and supporting detail on striker movement can also be found here in our other youtube session with Paul McGuinness using a clockface as an example for forwards connections, a pair of players understanding each other and creating space in advanced areas in and around the danger zone. LINK HERE

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Thank you to Queen Ethelburgas Collegiate and Head of Football and Curriculum Leader Tom Newey for their facilities and players in the creation of these educational videos.

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