THE county’s junior football fields fell silent on Saturday as a close knit group mourned the loss of one of its most promising players in 16-year-old Marcus Powell.

But in Leominster one game had to go ahead, a match that two teams of young men made their own with a maturity and dignity that did the memory of their friend – and county football at all levels – proud.

On paper, Leominster Minors u16s versus Pegasus Youth was a local derby.

The game, though, was about much more, with the 90 minutes marked out as the celebration of a life taken too soon in a road collision a week before.

It was with Pegasus that Marcus found his feet as a footballer, and all in the “Peggy” side that lined up at Briarwood on Saturday morning knew him as a team-mate and friend.

The loss shook Leominster’s lads too but the game went on with each side taking to the field in shirts bearing the Cheltenham Town player’s name before they lined up for one minute’s applause and a shared “huddle”.

And the game that followed was exemplary as some of the county’s best young footballing talent put on a highly competitive show with no quarter offered for the occasion and none expected.

Leominster won one-nil with a looping first half header from Harry Randall, but both teams left the pitch a little wiser about life’s realities having learned – and shown – a great deal about themselves.

In that lay a tribute of which the Powell family can be proud.

A service to celebrate Marcus Powell’s life will be held at Kington’s St Mary’s Church from 2pm on Saturday.

The investigation into his death is being dealt with by the county coroner.