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Under 11 North East Norfolk Home Page |
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Manager: Phil Weston |
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| Team Photos |
Sponsored by: Kingswood Windows & First Selfdrive |
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| Match Reports | |||
| Sun 20 Jan 08 East Coast Warriors v Taverham | |||
| Sun 2 Mar 08 Colt Jags v Taverham | |||
| Sun 30 Mar 08 Taverham v North Walsham | |||
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A beautiful sunny day saw the first match of
the season for the North East Norfolk under 11’s against Cromer Youth.
All the boys were excited and raring to get on the pitch and once kicked
off it wasn’t long before all their energy was released in a flurry of
activity. Straight away we started to take the game to the visitors and were soon in front when our very own ‘Fox in the Box’ Dean pounced to make it 1-0. This was shortly followed by his second after a great move through the middle of the pitch. Central midfielder and Captain, Brad, who put in a strong and commanding performance throughout the whole match, found himself in the box after a surging run to net the 3rd. All this in the first 15 minutes! Another great move down the right involving Reece saw a great ball for Josh to run onto and literally thump home number 4 from the corner of the box. Everything was going to plan, there were smiles all round. An unfortunate tackle from a Cromer defender in the box led to our first penalty of the day and when the manager selected the one lad who wasn’t looking at him begging to take it, Ben stepped up and rifled a stunning shot into the top left corner for 5-0. Moving into the last 10 mins of the first half a great move down the left from George saw Dean net his hat trick from close range. This was closely followed by a quick break from the visitors (one of only few attacks in this half) where a lovely through ball to the centre forward saw him calmly slot in their first, 6-1. However we did the right thing by going straight back down the other end and a penalty area scramble and poor defending allowed Chris to get his first of the campaign. Half time 7-1. Unfortunately, in the second half, the lads started to get a bit carried away and a feeling of perhaps ‘I want to score’ meant that a lot of our discipline went astray, good job we had a comfortable lead!! We started strongly however and were rewarded with another penalty, the managers choice this time was Jake as his first half performance warranted an opportunity to get on the score-sheet, however it wasn’t to be on this occasion, next time Jakey! Poor defending on our part allowed their attack to be in wide open spaces too many times in this half (which I am sure we will rectify) as poor Tom in goal was left high and dry and before long their goal scorer had notched up his hat trick, 7-3. After listening to the Boss at half time though, Reece, wide on the right, became far more involved and his great run laid on an opportunity for Josh to smash home a long range effort that, although coming off Brad’s back, it has to go down to him. Then we got yet another penalty, and as his confidence was sky high, the eventual Man of the Match, Dean, blasted home his 4th and our 9th. Cromer were not finished though and yet again our defence were caught out as they scored their 5th (and their centre forward’s 4th) It really was end to end stuff but we eventually sealed the win with a another good run and turn from Reece who then calmly buried it into the far corner to make a hugely entertaining match and a good day for the strikers. Possibly the strangest moment of the match was when Cromer were through and had flicked the ball passed the out-coming Tom in goal, it rolled towards the goal line, but their players all appeared to stop, standing still to watch it?? Not needing an invitation, the nippy Jack sped across the area and, inches from the line cleared it for a corner, great awareness, well done Jack. A great start and good confidence builder but like my old school report said – could do better in some areas!!
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Today saw the visit of the league leaders, a
strong North Walsham side. So it was going to be a tough challenge and a
real test of where we were as a team, even though it’s only our second
league game!! True enough the visitors began strongly and put us under a lot of pressure from the whistle. However we stuck well to our 4-4-2 structure and coped admirably and could have even gone ahead on two occasions when both Dean and Josh had opportunities, but unfortunately put wide. This had all the signs of being a great end to end game and it was Walsham who took the lead after 20 minutes with a good strike from inside the box after some indecisive defending on our part. However heads didn’t drop and we continued to battle on with great performances from everyone. Tom stood his ground well and stopped numerous efforts with strong hands and good positioning. It was an unfortunate bounce after making a great save that meant the visitors went two up shortly before the break, but again we still had the belief and the determination not to let our heads drop. So 2-0 down at half time meant a switch of personnel and positions. Josh came back into the middle of midfield from the right, Reece’s sore foot allowed George to come on in left midfield and Yousef pushed out to the right. Ben also suffering with a sore foot gave way to Liam at left back. The desire during the break to win was immense and after a really positive team talk we went out to take the game to Walsham. It wasn’t long before we got back in the game when a great drop kick from Tom was headed on by Bradley for Dean to run onto and not only beat the defender he had the presence of mind to take it round the keeper and slot it in with his left foot, no, that’s not a misprint, his left foot!! A great goal. Now the confidence was brimming over and I was so impressed with the way our forwards held the line and only got caught offside once or twice. They waited for a big kick from Tom to run onto, timing the runs superbly, great to watch. The same happened for our equalizer, this time it broke for George down the left who went on a run and found Dean who again placed his shot superbly, he really is on fire at the moment. It was nail biting stuff and still from end to end and Tom was stopping everything and from the pressure they put on us they had plenty of corners all going into Tom’s positive hands, a well deserved winner of the Player of the Day trophy. Five minutes to go and we were in their box, a loose ball and George was tackled from behind and went over – penalty. Everyone wanted to take it but it had to be the one whose confidence was sky high, Dean, and sure enough he delivered, bottom corner, 3-2 and a hat trick (again). Hopefully I can say that a lot this year!! Final whistle and we had beaten one of the strongest teams in the league. A truly great performance to come from 2-0 down. Their coach said afterwards ‘well at least we’ll have some competition this year’. Too right you will mate, bring on Catton!
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Our first away game of the season was greeted with glorious sunshine (I wonder how long that will last!!) and everyone was in a buoyant mood after last weeks heroics against North Walsham. A full strength squad turned out again, as everyone seems keen to keep the momentum going and stake their place in the team. Today also welcomed two times player of the year, Joe into the ranks as goalkeeper. Well it didn't take us long to get back into the swing of things against this strong Catton side and after about 5 minutes great pressure on the keeper from Sean saw the keepers clearance cannon of him into the bottom corner, 1-0 and we were off. Shortly after that a great ball from George saw Dean in the clear and his shot was parried by the keeper straight into the path of captain Bradley who calmly stroked in number 2. The slippery surface was causing all sorts of problems for their keeper and his miserable start was compounded when he fumbled Sean's shot to give us a 3-0 lead after just 15 mins. However this didn't last long and a lovely through ball saw their number 10 (Ethan I think - a great player, quick and strong, must watch out for him next time) run on and take it round the on coming keeper and slot it in, 3-1. Taverham heads dropped a little as Catton pressured every ball and perhaps showed a little more determination than we did to win the ball. In pushing out to catch them offside we were left open when a ball over the top saw the number 10 this time chip it over Joe as he rushed out to close him for 3-2. Very soon after that it was 3-3 as a great corner saw their midfield man completely unmarked (again) and he just smashed it home. It really was good stuff to watch (as a neutral!) and the football was competitive and frantic. Dean just couldn't find those scoring boots today as he found himself in the clear a couple of times but just missed, hit the post, went over, you name it the lad worked so hard again today but it wasn't to be. Just before the break however, Josh let fly from just inside the box after some great pressure and we went in at half time 4-3 up. The second half was all Catton really and a free kick ten minutes in, wide on their left saw an absolutely superb strike from their little left winger go straight in the far corner, 4-4. We kept going and as we pushed forward we were caught out at the back again and their lad got his hat trick as again our advancing keeper saw it go over him, 5-4. Still we pressured them for the elusive equalizer but today just wasn't our day as they broke away after our corner, down the right and a good cross saw them net their sixth. A great game played with a great attitude and plenty of commitment saw superb performances from Yousef, Dean, another from Bradley but for his sheer work rate and commitment, Joshua won the Man of the Match award for his tireless work in all areas of the pitch, well done. So on to the next game with our heads held high, ready to bounce straight back with a win!
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This week we were
away to one of the form sides of this league (they have always done well
in this league, at 6 & 7 a-side) and this year I am sure will be no
different, they are already close on the heels of leaders North Walsham.
So a difficult task lay ahead, a challenge, and it was a day where
everyone needed to be on their game, to bounce back from the defeat last
week and to take the game to the home side. Sadly however it was not be to our day. Missing Jake at the centre of defence meant a bit of a re-structure with Bradley moving back in to that role and Sean dropping back into the centre of midfield, allowing Chris T to join Dean up front. A busy first couple of minutes lead to a Wendene corner, where poor marking and an in ability to put a header on the ball, coupled with an indecisive keeper allowed a near post header to go in, 1-0 down. The team however tried to battle back but unfortunately were second to every ball and too many of the boys were bystanders and watched the game rather than got involved. Subsequently, we found ourselves on the backfoot and an attempted clearance by Ollie came back off the post and left our stranded keeper with no chance as their in form striker was much quicker to the rebound than any defender, 2-0. The remainder of the half was spent defending and we went in 2-0 down. A couple of changes were made and Liam and Reece joined the action, replacing George and Sean. However we were still not tackling, heading or passing at all well and with the exception of Bradley, who yet again put in a very strong performance to win the Man of the match trophy, and Joshua, who just didn’t stop running, we were always playing second fiddle to what can only be described as an average team. A lack of communication was very apparent throughout the team today but especially in defence, as players were left unmarked too often as we were ball watching too much. A disallowed goal for offside and a missed penalty helped to keep the score down and we finished up a disappointing 5-0 down at full time. Let’s hope we have got our ‘bad day at the office’ out of our system and learn from the mistakes made so that we improve for our next match and regain that buzz and level of enjoyment we had after the first 2 games.
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Another beautiful
autumnal day saw our old rivals Acle Rangers visit Taverham for our first
meeting at 11–a-side. We have had some cracking encounters at 6 and 7-a-side and we knew this would be a tough contest as they are already chasing the top spot, and knowing they have at least 3 PDC players meant we were going to have our work cut out. This definitely proved to be the case as within the first 20 mins we were 2 -0 down. This could only be put down to a lack of communication (again) and not putting in a strong enough tackle when needed, as the goals were quite sloppy ones to concede. Joe was putting in a fine performance in goal and was unlucky to be on the wrong end of the score line at this stage as his handling and distribution were excellent. It was at this point that Jordan was introduced to the match for his first appearance at centre back after really impressing in training (he also recently made the school team), well done Jordan. Straight away he was involved with some good solid challenges, calling for the ball and even getting the defence organised, a real show of leadership and confidence. Unfortunately though, we went in at half time 3-0 down as Joe made probably his only error in the match by parrying a shot into the path of the attacker for an easy finish. There seemed to be a lack of confidence in the team and the manager tried to lift them, made a few changes and hoped things may improve for the second half. However and disappointingly, there are a couple of players who seem to be not giving it their all at the moment which is putting unnecessary pressure on other team members and Josh thoroughly deserved his second MOM award for his tireless running, he must have covered every position during this game. We lost Jake at the back to an injury for a while and without Joe pulling off some great saves and being quick off his line to clear the score could have spiralled. As it was, we found ourselves, for the second time running 5-0 down. However with 20 mins to go we really started to play well. Jake came back on to partner the impressive Jordan and a special mention needs to go to Jack D who (and this is no lie) was marking a lad twice his height and twice his width but got him every time, a total mis-match but one that was dealt with well be the little fella! We continued to press all over the pitch and Bradley continues to shine in the centre of midfield, never giving up. Finally and after a great challenge and a lovely ball from Jack D over the defence Josh was able to run on and blast an effort that the keeper could only parry to Dean whose shot struck a defender and it fell to Chris T to score probably his easiest tap in ever! So it finished 5-1, which maybe flattered them a bit, if only we had played like the last 20, throughout. Never mind though, onwards and upwards, we will remain positive and try and turn things around at Colt Jags next week. |
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Well the change in the weather brought with it a mixed bag as far as we were concerned today. The new gazebo went down well with the supporters (and the younger brothers and sisters), and we also sought the added shelter of a large oak tree and umbrellas for what was to be a truly awful first half. The pouring rain was non stop from the first whistle and must have affected the mindset of the players as we were quite simply all over the place. The long grass didn’t help much either, but excuses aside we just didn’t turn up in that first half an hour. A slip from a goal kick from Joe allowed the ball to go straight to their man and even though Joe recovered he found himself twisting the wrong way trying to save the inevitable and subsequently injured his leg in the process. So, five minutes gone and 1-0 down. However it must be said Joe picked himself up from the mistake and injury to put in an excellent performance in the slippery conditions, coming out well, smothering well and once again his distribution, handling and communication were very good. A worthy winner of the MOM award. However, back to the horror show of the first half. We were playing like a team who didn’t know what a football was and what to do with our feet as well as not knowing who the other lads in blue shirts were. This may sound harsh but it was a fact and one which the manager let the lads know about in no uncertain terms at half time (breaking his own rules in the process). However it needed to be said, as after less than 10 minutes had gone by and we were 2-0 down due to a great finish from our very own Jake who was trying to clear the ball but instead buried it sweetly passed a dumbstruck keeper. One word could describe this half – embarrassing. Josh continued to work exceptionally hard and found himself playing as a sweeper (behind the back four for those unfamiliar with the term) most of the time. Brad kept the motivation going and again continued to work hard both of which seem to be the same comments in every report, so well done again to those two. One who did stand out more than in recent weeks was George who overall put in a very strong performance and worked really hard. Dean kept trying as well and had a penalty appeal turned down after what appeared to be a poor tackle and was also given offside when he clearly wasn’t. So after a bit of a rant from the boss at half time it was time to regroup and show some of the ability, passion, desire and effort we all know we can produce. It seemed to work. A couple of changes were also made; Dean, Ben and Jake had a rest while Liam, Yousef and Ollie replaced them. We quickly got some corners in succession and from the second, some poor defending allowed Brad to hit a good shot which took a deflection and went into the net, 2-1. Game on. We continued to pressure and everyone stepped up their game, working much harder for each other. George continued to impress with some good runs. But it was break down the right that again caused confusion in the box and somehow a reasonably soft shot (hey, but they all count!!) from Ollie went under the keeper for 2-2. This really got the boys going and we defended well as they began to pressure us a bit, but we in turn continued to heap pressure on them, and following a real goalmouth scramble the ball broke to Reece on the right of the goal just inside the box who let fly with a stunning strike to win the game with basically the last kick of the game. This really was the game of two halves and it was the second time we have come from back from 2-0 at half time to win 3-2. I therefore applaud everyone for their effort and commitment in that second half. It just proves we can do it and I hope we just apply ourselves like that again in the next few matches and don’t repeat the first half. Well done boys.
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Due to his commitments with his U14 squad our normal Referee Mark Swaby could not be at the school today for the visit of last weeks opponents Colt Jags. This unfortunately meant that the manager had to take on the responsibility and therefore was not available to bark his encouragement / instructions from the side. Instead he had to keep his mouth shut (really hard to do I must say!) and let the team do the motivating and encouraging between them, which they did exceptionally well, from Joe at the back through Jake and Jordan and Bradley in the middle. A very positive sign and one worth mentioning. So to the game. After dominating the first 10 - 15mins with some very good football and movement it was a shock to fall behind with only their first attack on our goal. Proving that possession means nothing unless you do something with it. A good shot from their very nippy and talented No 9, was saved well by Joe but he only parried it into the path of another striker who tapped in from close range. A shame, but Joe knows he has to do better in those situations, but boy did he make up for it!! One on one with their striker after about 20 mins and he waited and waited before snatching the ball away and a quick clearance up field saw a flick on from Bradley fall into Chris T's path who ran on and thumped home the equaliser. A great goal and each team member applauded the keeper’s great work in creating it. The first half was very evenly matched and the boys were definitely carrying on from last week's second half performance. Having been practising using our strength to win the ball it was pleasing to see so many of the boys getting to the ball first. However the importance of having men on the posts at corners was highlighted again as Jack D stood his ground and cleared off the line from a late corner, well done the big man. 1-1 at half time. A couple of changes were made at the break with Ollie replacing George who again did well this time out, Sean coming back after his holiday to change with Chris and Liam swapping with Ben. We began well and the confidence was high, Josh, Reece and Brad all battling well in midfield and Jake and Jordan beginning to form a good partnership at the back. Jack D was solid again and his positional play, throw ins, tackling and occasional runs down the wing earned him a well deserved player of the day award. The (excellent) referee awarded a penalty to us when Sean was pulled down by their otherwise excellent skipper who had a great game by the way. Before I could nominate anyone, the lad with all the confidence in front of goal at the moment, yes 'The Fox' had grabbed the ball placed it and was lining up!! He duly slotted it away and we 2-1 up. They continued to pressure us and to be fair do not represent a team who are second from bottom at the moment, and a lovely struck corner was met with a great header into the top corner 2-2. We need to be a bit tighter and braver with our marking at corners guys! Joe continued to dominate his area however and pulled off some great saves, some good punches from corners and was receiving plaudits from all areas of the sidelines as well as team mates. A long clearance from our keeper was controlled well and a great ball over the top saw Dean and Sean chase it Sean’s effort came back off the keeper and somehow from about 3 yards out Dean managed to hit the bar, got to the rebound and put it over - amazing, but hey, you have to be in the position to score and that he was, and it wasn't long before he got his second from another great move down the left involving Liam, Ollie and Brad and Dean smashed it in to the far corner, 3-2 up with about 5 to play. We continued to dominate the game now as I think they were tired and slightly deflated and another good move from Ollie saw a ball from Dean this time to Brad who from just inside the box calmly stroked in number 4. A great performance from everyone, again but we will definitely be working on a few things in training! Well done again guys.
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When the Cromer manager suggested to me that we wrap up warm as it might be a bit chilly at the coast, he wasn't kidding!! The pitch was situated on a cliff top a stones throw away from a very boisterous looking sea and was subsequently being pounded by some very strong and swirling winds. Couple that with the fact that the pitch sloped from right to left quite drastically and the grass looked long enough to feed a herd of cows for a year, the thought was it was going to be a tough day! Oh and not to mention that they were playing us a week after their first ever win (a 5-2 thumping of Catton A!! yep you read right they beat Catton) so were on a real high and as we had conceded 5 to them in the first match this season, this really was going to be a test. However we started well as the ball bobbled around and the nerves were settled after a couple of minutes when the fox pounced on a through ball in the box and neatly jabbed it wide of the keeper, 1-0. A few minutes went by and when Liam took his eye of the game to pass a ball back to our subs keeping warm on the next pitch, the game passed him by and they centre forward broke free smashed a shot which Joe parried well, but unfortunately straight into the path of another striker who tucked it away, 1-1. Concentration guys!! That is why we say it so much at training; you must concentrate on what you are doing. One thing we do well though is picking our heads up and getting straight back at them, which we did again with a good run from George who found Sean in space and his chip went in after the keeper just got his fingertips to it, but couldn't stop it, a cool finish, well done Sean. Another good move starting from Josh in midfield who then found Sean and a lovely interchange between him and Chris T got us into the box and a defender under great pressure poked it into the goal for us (I guess Chris would have buried it anyway but hey!), 3-1 up and all going okay. Another great through ball from Josh saw Chris T run on and put away a smart finish for 4-1 and half time. After the minutes silence we kicked off the second half and the defence were holding out well, Liam was having a cracking game at the back, clearing his lines well, calling for the ball and tackling hard, so he made up for his earlier error and deserved his MOM award. We have all been practising using our strength and leaning in with our shoulder so that we can be first to the ball but unfortunately again today we were too easily shrugged off the ball. Jordan got caught once but also showed that he is becoming a great asset to the team with another strong performance throughout, and Jake was battling one on one with their striker but came off worse as the lad chipped the out coming Joe to make it 4-2. Lets not be frightened to use some aggression guys, everyone else does so why not us!! Josh Marshall continued to cover pretty much every blade of grass and his persistence paid off from a good through ball by Ollie, as he found himself inside the penalty area on the left and he let fly with a great strike into the roof of the net, 5-2. This was followed by a great move which saw Reece, who had a great half, play a superb ball over the defence for Dean to run on to, on this occasion though it went over the bar. Cromer kept pressing though and from a corner we just didn't clear our lines well enough and although Joe got his hands to it with a great stop it went up and back down just over the line and Jake's great effort to clear it couldn't save it from becoming 5-3. This really was a great game considering the conditions. Up the other end and a great shot from Josh hit the bar and their defender handled it to prevent a certain goal as it dropped down, so a penalty. The fox wanted it again, which shows great confidence, but as he had taken a knock on his foot earlier Chris T stepped up to smash home his second of the day and our 6th. Cromer broke quickly after the restart and Joe found himself one v one again and once again his growing confidence saw him close the angle and produce a text book piece of goalkeeping, well done fella! But it wasn't over yet Cromer got another corner and again we didn't clear it and too many players were waving their foot at thin air instead of a big hoof up the field, so it was inevitable when they crashed home their 4th. Full time 6-4. If only we didn't concede so many silly goals!!! Never mind though a great win (that's 3 on the bounce) and considering all the elements mentioned earlier and the fact it was Remembrance Sunday, a well fought battle. Bring on the Warriors!!
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A bitterly cold and very windy day welcomed the visiting team of East Coast Warriors to the middle school for our first meeting with them, as our earlier scheduled fixture was postponed. They are without doubt the form team of the league at present with good wins against all our rivals under their belt and only 2 losses. This was definitely going to be a good test today. Jack D was missing due to ill health, and Yousef was also absent so we had 13 to use, which an hour or so before kick off, was nearly 12, as Joe was close to pulling out, because a heavy cold nearly got the better of him. Fortunately he battled through it and put in one of his best performances so far and one real positive was the strength of his goal kicks into the wind, all were excellent, I wonder if good old Nurofen had anything to do with it!! So Wayne and I set about getting the gazebo up to try and protect people from the wind, but it was to no avail as it nearly took off twice so it was agreed early in the first half to get it packed away, so thanks to everyone for all for your help with that. On to the game and it was a very even first half with both keepers being tested, but as we thought the wind was playing the biggest part, and as we were with the wind in this half all our clearances were going long and unfortunately in to their keeper, so trying to take advantage of it just wasn't working. Then the inevitable happened when after some indecisive defending we allowed them to break down the right and although Joe stopped the first effort they managed to cross it to two unmarked forwards and one just tapped in for a sloppy 1-0 lead. Still we battled back in true style and pressured them well, mainly through the middle where yet again Brad and Josh were having an excellent game. However it was another strong and persistent run from George down the left that got us a corner, he really has grown in confidence over the last few weeks and thoroughly deserved his Player of the Day award today. Reece took the corner with a lovely strike of the ball, it was in swinging and the wind caught it nicely which took it straight in at the far post. No more than we deserved, 1-1. We were lucky though not to go in 2-1 down as again through not clearing the ball out of defence they struck the bar with Joe well beaten. As it was we went in at 1-1, very evenly matched, but knowing they had the wind in the next half. They started the strongest and really wanted to benefit from this wind, which they did, 2 goals in a matter of about 5 mins which effectively killed us off and they also hit the post to boot. We struggled into the wind and barely got into their half during the second period as it was all attack from the Warriors, they chased everything and were first to everything with us standing and watching and letting the ball bounce too many times!! What were we doing at training last week guys!! So in the end they deserved their win, 3-1. (I can't wait to do heading at training, as we really do need to practice!) I have always said that if we lose and we have played well, then we were just up against a better team and we move on to the next match. This is exactly what happened today, everyone played really well and tried their best which is all anyone can ask for. If only we could be more decisive in defence and not be frightened be give it a big hoof away from danger, I am sure we would not have conceded as many goals as we have so far this season. We must be more positive in this area fellas if we want to win more matches. Next week North Walsham away - Come on!!
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Having beaten the league leaders earlier in
the season we were in buoyant mood about our prospects today. Sure, they
have lost only one other game since and our season has fluctuated
somewhat, but the belief was there and the manager tried to instil a
positive approach to the game, ensuring that positivity was carried
through. On arrival, the pitch seemed huge, very wide and the goals much bigger than what we are used to (I guess though at a High School the pitch will be bigger). Still it was the same for them, so it was going to be down to who used the space the best. This was the message from the boss, use the space and work very hard for each other, try and get the ball wide and not go down the middle as this would give us the opportunities. We started very positively indeed and everyone seemed really up for it and the first 10 minutes or so were very evenly matched and we were playing some really good football. We started a great break down the right (using the width - well done) and after some great skill, Reece played a lovely ball in to Sean on the edge of the box, his superb first touch took him into the box and away from his marker and he rifled a low shot into the far corner, a superb finish to a great move. However after a few minutes we fell into the 'ball watching' trap again and while 3 players ran across our box to deal with a ball that one could have dealt with, they still managed to cross and there was a big hole in the middle of defence and this allowed them an easy finish from the middle of the area. Still heads did not drop and we continued to pressure them (this I must say is very pleasing to see as I seem to say it every week, an attribute we must not lose). But then we committed our usual and most frequent of errors, we didn't deal with the ball in our own area and were not quick enough to get rid of it and push out and were punished with a deflected shot that would have been saved. So 2-1 down but still showing great effort and this continued with a great move down the left where George broke free, cut inside and shot well. The rebound fell to Dean whose shot was saved by the keeper, but that rebound fell to Brad who somehow managed to lift it over the bar from six yards out. Still never mind, at least we were creating the opportunities. This move was followed by virtually the same again as George and Dean both had efforts that fell to Brad in the box, but this time the ball seemed to take an age to settle and they managed to clear it. They then broke down their right and a great shot seemed like it was going in but a cruel bounce meant it hit the post and rolled free (Phew!) Half time saw us go in 2-1 down but it had been a great half. Sadly we could not maintain the same level of momentum in the second half even after a chat about belief and pressure etc. We struggled to get the ball wide and got ourselves into difficulty with the congested middle of the pitch too many times. However it was a mad few minutes where yet again we were too indecisive in clearing the ball. We really do have a problem with players not booting the ball as hard as they can away from danger. Too many times it either goes up, back wards or we tap it into a danger area and this cost us yet again today as they scored 2 very quickly and made it 4-1. Josh came close at the other end with a good effort, but after we failed to capitalise on a free kick in the middle of their half they broke away and made it 5-1. Then more poor defending put us 6-1 down. With about 10 mins to go we really began to pile on the pressure which for me was great to see, even at 6-1 down the belief was still there that we could score a goal. Chris T showed some sublime skill to get past 2 defenders and head for goal, however after doing the hard part his effort (by his standards) was poor and went wide. Josh was then clean through cutting in from the left and he too dragged his shot wide. He then turned provider and set Reece up on the edge of the box but he too sliced one wide. Great pressure, but the shooting boots were definitely not on today, and too cap it all they got a corner after a great save from Joe and yet again we failed to clear our lines and they netted their 7th. A shame really as they are definitely not a team who are that much better than us and this score line flattered them. Jake won the Player of the Day today (after also picking up the award training) so well done to him. He showed great strength in his challenging, pace, even heading the ball and had listened to the manager last week with regard to laying a ball back for the keeper to clear. Thoroughly deserved. We showed some really great play today and I am proud of the way the lads continued to put pressure on, showing a great 'never give up' attitude. But we do desperately need to work on getting power behind our kicks to help relieve the pressure on us. Revenge could be had quicker than thought as we are back there again next week for a Cup Quarter Final. Will they be thinking we'll be a pushover? Come on Lads lets show 'em, we know we can do it!!!
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Our last two matches have been thumpings at the mercy of the league leaders so today needed to be a little different in our approach. We needed a new spark and therefore a move around was in order. One of the biggest problems we have (as we all know) is clearing the ball from defence, getting it away from danger. This is not a swipe at the defenders, no way, all players are guilty, across the pitch of not getting our foot through the ball and easing the unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves. Therefore today saw a new line up and new responsibilities. Jake went to right back (mainly to keep an eye on their speedy left winger), Bradley came into the centre of defence with Jordan to add some extra strength in the tackle and to keep an eye on their talented centre forward, George swapped left midfield with Ben and went to left back. This allowed Sean to drop into centre midfield with Josh and Reece stayed wide right, therefore leaving Chris and Dean up front. The aim was to try and add some bite into our defending and allow good distribution from the back so we can play our way up the pitch. The final instruction was to communicate to each other better, as there was no manager on the side (due to refereeing duties) shouting guidance, it was over to the team to work for each other and help and motivate. Well all this seemed to work, what a match! Please forgive me if any of this wrong but obviously it was difficult to keep account of all the goings on from the middle of the pitch!! An early goal from Reece (his 4th of the season), a great strike from the edge of the box (which was a little fortunate going through the keepers legs), settled the nerves and things started to improve for us. The changes were making a difference and confidence seemed high and we went two up with a superb strike from Chris just inside the box (no idea how long had passed at this point!). For once we were in the ascendancy and were getting first to the ball with the midfield working hard to close things down. Our third came from Ben (his 2nd of the season) with an absolutely superb hit from the edge of the box high into the goal, a really good goal. We could have had a couple more if it wasn't for some great saves from their keepers feet. So we went in at half time 3-0 up, a great half. No changes were made during the break, as we let a 3-0 lead slip against this lot last time. So more of the same please was the request, and boy did we get it. An early strike from Josh after some more great work down the left made it 4-0 and after a few minutes it was 5, as Dean netted another (I knew his lean spell would end soon). We certainly had the momentum but Catton are a strong team and can easily catch us on the break, however Joe was in fine form again today and although he didn't have too much to do in the game what he did do was very accomplished. Subs were brought on after Dean had got his second of the day and his 12th of season, making it 6-0, Sean made way in midfield for Yousef, Dean went off injured so Reece pushed up front and Jack came into right midfield. Ben also made way for Liam who went to left back with player of the day George moving into left midfield. Still we pressured them as we had the bit between our teeth and another finish from close range from Josh, (taking his tally to 6 for the season) followed by a real centre forwards finish from Chris after a superb corner (again) from Reece, a sweet header from close range into the top of the net, leaving the keeper with no chance, fantastic. That's 7 for Chris now this season, keep it up mate, the Fox is looking over his shoulder!! Could we get our first clean sheet in 15 matches???? Catton kept going to the end and Joe pulled off a great save palming it wide and then probably the scariest but also most impressive moment of the match saw them one on one with Joe on the right of the box, the lad shot and it was going in at the far post but Jake and Brad somehow stopped it and their player from putting in any rebound. Awesome defending. So what more is there to say, 8-0, a truly excellent performance from everyone today, including those who came on late in the game, it takes a lot to have to wait to come on but everyone played their part today in a superb match. Their left winger was out of it, well done Jake, their centre forward didn't get a sniff, well done Brad and Jordan. The plan worked!! Well done George for getting the player of the day and well done all of you for a great team performance. Wendene next, so lets carry this on guys and let them have it big style as well !!
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Today we welcomed
Wendene to the school and after last weeks superb performance
against Catton the plan was to carry the momentum on to today and
seek some revenge from the last time we played these guys (a 5-0
thumping on a day when we really didn’t turn up as the corresponding
report will tell you). They are definitely not a team that are that
better than us, we simply didn’t do anything that day, so it was
hoped that we would show them exactly how good we are today.
Only one change was made from last weeks heroics as it was George’s turn to miss a game allowing his brother Ollie to replace him at left back. Therefore we had Jake and Ollie at the back with Jordan and Bradley in the middle, Reece and Ben wide midfield and Josh and Sean in the middle with our in form striking partnership of Chris and Dean up front and of course Joe in goal. This was such a captivating game, real end to end stuff with great excitement throughout that not many notes were written about the actual detail of the match as it was so enjoyable to watch!! Both teams were playing good football and it really was a joy to see. Our confidence was high and our support as usual was superb however this was always going to be harder than last week, but the 4-4-2 system was working well and players seemed comfortable with their new responsibilities. We dominated the first 15 minutes and had quite a few chances to take the lead with Chris, Josh and Dean coming close but we just lacked that little bit of composure in front of goal when taking aim and deciding what type of finish to go for, so we’ll work on that in training. However their keeper was in good form today and certainly kept them in it at this stage with some good saves. So it was a bit of a shock to go one down after such a period of domination to a real mix up on our part. They broke down the right and the lad let fly with a good shot that was well saved by Joe who when quickly moving his body to make the second save and having one hand on it saw it kicked from his grasp by Bradley who also reacted quickly to clear what he felt was a rebound. The subsequent ‘scuffed’ clearance fell to their striker who finished from close range. Communication guys!!! Anyway we did what we do best and that is bounce back, the heads never dropped and the pressure we applied was constant. We were awarded a free kick mid way in our half and Wendene held the line very well and virtually on the half way line, so a great kick from Joe fell into open space for Chris to run on to and he calmly placed it wide of the out coming keeper, a good finish and 1-1 was how it finished at half time. A positive team talk was greeted with some real passion and desire to win and we again took the game to them at the start of the second half. But they in turn were keeping the pressure on us, it was a really tight game. Joe was in fine form again today and thoroughly deserved the Player of the Day trophy after some superb saves from shots and corners and showing some real speed, confidence and bravery to come off his line and clear the ball as well as smother it at the feet of the strikers. The finest save came towards the end from a free kick when at full stretch he pushed it clear and wide away from danger, excellent stuff. Josh was causing havoc with his pace and sheer tenacity as once again he was covering all areas of the pitch and on another day could have had 3 or 4 but just lost his balance or the angle at the final moment. The last 15 mins was all us and we came close when Brad (who had another excellent game) was clear but he lifted his effort over the bar. Then Jack D who had come on for Ben found himself in the area and his effort also went agonisingly just over the bar. It was all getting very tense but then the break through came when again they defended very high up and a ball over the top allowed Chris to run on to it and poke it past the keeper, it then rolled, bobbled and seemed to take an age to reach the net. 2-1. However there was still enough time for one last scare from a corner when a great cross meant Brad was at full stretch to clear it but thankfully he did, a great volleyed clearance (remember guys get your foot behind it and get it clear from danger). 2-1 is how it ended, a great game played in a great spirit and really enjoyable to watch. Well done to everyone. Jordan was once again solid at the back, Jake had a great game with some superb throw-ins, Reece once again did well with corners and Liam, Yousef and Jack came on and did well again. It shows great strength of character and self belief to come from behind and win matches and we currently have it in abundance. Having great support and help from parents and family plays a huge part in the development of the team and individuals and it is a pleasure to be part of such a great group of people. This was highlighted when the manager was presented with some early Xmas presents as a thank you for his contribution thus far, a gesture which speaks volumes of the type of people concerned. Although 40 bottles of beer and big tin of Chocolates speaks volumes about the type of the person the manager is !! Hugely appreciated, thank you and let’s look forward to a great New Year and see how much more we can grow and develop as a team. Merry Xmas.
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To coin the favourite phrase from football
at any level - ' We Was Robbed !!!!! '
A beautiful morning saw us visit the
current league leaders (and in my view the favourites for the title) at
Acle High School. Last time we met they managed a 5-1 rout but I never
really thought that they were that much better than us and today we
proved it.
We started with the same formation that has
been working so well for us over the last couple of matches, Jake,
Jordan, Brad and George across the back, Reece, Sean, Josh and Ben in
the midfield with Chris and Dean up front, leaving Yousef, Ollie and
Jack as subs.
The game was superb throughout and we were
matching them in every position and in the first fifteen minutes there
was nothing between us, even their key players were finding it difficult
to break us down. The back five were great today, Joe was on top form
with some great saves and was so quick off his line he'd give Josh a
good race!! Jordan was immense all match and worked tirelessly to
keep them out as did Jake and George but it was captain Bradley who gave
the most heroic performance of the day, challenging for everything,
throwing himself in front of every ball and leading the team superbly. A
well deserved winner of the Player of the Day trophy.
So after 20 mins we went one down as a
lovely through ball from their midfield saw their excellent No 8 rifle
one in from the edge of the box. The only thing was, he was a good 10
yds offside and everyone could see it, but hey, you have to go with the
decisions and it was our linesman, so we cannot complain. After
personally refereeing a Veterans Cup game recently and being the
recipient of some real abuse throughout the match, I have every sympathy
with anyone who puts themselves forward as a ref, it is a thankless task
and todays ref was a 14 year old who has taken the exams and is keen to
progress his knowledge. I wish him well.
So it was against the run of play and they
really didn't deserve to be in front and we therefore kept battling, and
our persistence paid off just before half time. Reece put in another
superb corner which Brad flicked on and it fell at the feet of Chris who
could only stab at it and Josh followed in with a 'poke' from about the
penalty spot that went through everyone. Then the whistle, so a great
time to score - 1-1 at half time.
No changes were made as it was really
tight, and they pressured us right from the start of the 2nd half. We
need to work on our strength though, not just in the tackle but overall
as we seem to pull out of challenges, not even go in to them or we let
players muscle us off the ball. Actually it's probably more of a
confidence thing, so come on guys believe in yourselves, you know you
can do it!! Midway through the second half a great tackle from Jordan a
few yards outside the box was deemed to be a foul (even the Acle coach
who was with me at the time agreed it wasn't) by the ref and the
subsequent kick was superbly taken and curled into the top right corner.
Even though Joe had stopped pretty much everything else today he had no
chance with that one, an excellent goal, 2-1.
We kept going though and heads didn't drop
as we still believed we could score. However they broke down the left
and we fell into the trap of ball watching and four defenders went
across to block, leaving their midfielder free in the middle to tap in
from about 5 yds, 3-1. It could have been 4-1 as well if it wasn't for a
superb goal line clearance from Jordan, well done that man.
We didn't deserve to lose this match, there
were great performances from everyone again today and their manager and
assistant coach both were quick to comment on and congratulate our
efforts. They actually thought we had drafted in new players!! Well done
again everyone lets continue our development next week against Cromer
and as far as training goes we still need to work that pass and move as
I didn't see as much of it today as I would have liked !!
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A very windy but dry morning saw Cromer
visit Hinks Meadow this time, for our 3rd and final meeting with them
this season. They are a bit like us, they have some good days (where
they beat Catton and Wendene) and they have bad ones (11-2 to Nth
Walsham for example) so this was going to be another test for us. I say
that because the teams above us do beat these guys quite heavily but we
concede alot to them and don't score enough so seem to make it harder on
ourselves. Maybe we think they're a pushover and we don't have to work
too hard??
With an number of absentees today, namely
Ben (away), Jack (fell off bike) and Liam (??) Ollie came into left
midfield in place of Ben and Yousef remained the only substitute.
Therefore the formation was the same that had played for the last 3
matches and done execeptionally well - Joe, Jake, Brad Jordan and George
at the back, Reece, Josh, Sean and Ollie in the middle with Chris and
Dean up front in our favoured 4-4-2.
Well even after a thorough briefing from
the manager and a lengthy discussion about the wind and the part that it
would play today, we started off dismally. Although we agreed to kick
into the wind for the first half I don't think anyone expected what was
to unfold. Within the first minute we were 1-0 down as their lad seemed
to go right through everyone without being challenged and he calmly put
it into the corner past Joe, far too easy - and it was our kick off!!!
The pre match chat was keep it down and pass and move and we began to
improve on this but the highlight of the first half was a superb mazy
run by Dean that even had their supporters applauding, round three
players from just inside our half into their box but his effort went
over the bar. Really unlucky, a great bit of individual skill.
Our biggest problem in this half seemed to
be - panic, simply kicking the ball straight away without thinking and
looking. Maybe the wind affected everyone psychologically, as it was
really strange to watch. We also were not tackling again and this was a
major issue in this first half. One tackle did go in hard from Bradley
but it was late and from behind and in our penalty area and so we were
2-0 down after a great spot kick was buried deep into the corner. Not
good at all. However the flicker of hope came when after a well defended
corner from Reece the ball fell to Sean who cleverly laid an easy ball
back to Bradley who crossed for Dean to stick one away from close
range. The half ended at 2-1 to Cromer so it was time for the hair drier
treatment from the boss (who had the backing of the parents to go for
it!).
All I will say, is that we discussed the
tackling issue, not using the width, aimlessly kicking it anywhere and
a overall lack of urgency. Generally, pick it up guys or we will lose!
Well this seemed to work, as this half we
had the wind with us and a new air of confidence. Finally we started to
see the ball played wide and players beginning to get into space. George
did some great overlapping runs on the left, Sean took the time to play
some clever passes as did Josh. Chris was turning the defenders well and
getting into space and Brad and Jordan were tidying everything up at the
back. I will also commend Jake and George for some excellent throw ins
throughout the game. The equaliser came from a corner from Reece (again
- well done) as Sean caught the kick on the volley and it sailed over
the keepers head, 2-2.
Then we started to play and kept them in
their half, so much so that Joe hardly touched the ball in the second
half. Our 3rd came from Dean, wait for this, after Chris turned well,
got into the box and shot with his left foot. The keeper saved
and Dean followed in with his left foot ! Amazing!! 3-2.
A great move down the left from George saw
him cut in and lay it off for Dean who ran in from the left side and
shot against the post, fortunately the rebound fell to the edge of box
to Josh whose shot was going wide until Sean stuck his head on it and
redirected it into the goal, an instinctive goal, superb, 4-2.
Chris came close to opening his account on
the day after Josh had scuffed a free kick into his path, but it just
wasn't to be for him today. Yousef then replaced Ollie and did a superb
job at left back, well done and thanks for being patient that man!
George again battled well down the left and following an almighty
goalmouth scramble Dean managed to poke one in for his hat trick. It was
great tenacity from George though that made it possible.
So it finished 5-2, a much better second
half and we eventually got the result we needed, however we will need to
work on tackling and (again) getting a good connection with the ball.
Good performances from everyone again in the second half and special
mention goes to Sean, Josh and Dean who had very good games but it was
Jordan who walked away with the Player of the Day trophy as he commanded
the back line well and stopped just about everything. He's been building
up to it as his performances over the last few weeks have been great.
Well done.
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| Sun 20 Jan 08 East Coast Warriors v Taverham | |||
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A very windy day, a very poor pitch and
even the 12.30 kick off didn't stop us from being part of an
absolutely cracking game of football today.
The team was the usual set up, Joe, Jake, Brad, Jordan and George
across the back, Ben, Josh, Sean and Reece across the middle and
Dean & Chris up front. Yousef, Ollie and Liam as subs. Jack D is
still out due to injury.
We knew this would be tough today, East Coast are currently in 3rd place, 7points in front of us but hot on the heels of the top two and are in with a good shout of upsetting things come the end of the season.
However as we have found just recently
(since people moved positions) we are really beginning to match these
teams and are playing some great battling football. Three wins out of
four and what should have been a draw against Acle have shown we can
perform really well when we want to. So we needed to be positive today
and try and use the wind where possible, we had it with us in the
first half and really needed to make more of that advantage than we
did, especially when their keeper was so small. Use the width and keep
Reece and Ben busy. Unfortunately, though we seemed scared of the wind
(again) and played panic football far too much in this half and when
we did get the chances we took many touches rather than smacking one
and using the wind to lift it towards goal. Therefore it was
inevitable when they broke away and scored. Yet again we let ourselves
down after playing so well to compete with them, by not clearing the
ball and gifting them an easy goal. On this occasion it was Jake who
failed to connect with the ball (not blaming you at all though mate,
you were so close to the POD award today) and after such a great half
from him with some great skill and movement, good turns and excellent
throws, it was a real shame. Shortly after that, when taking a free
kick Joe jarred his leg (down to one of the many big pot holes on the
pitch) and was in some dis-comfort, however he managed to carry on
until the break. So, half time and 1-0 down and with the Warriors
playing with the wind in the second half, we needed to re group and
really dig in, which we all know we can do.
Joe lasted about 5 minutes of the half
and couldn't continue, so Sean went in goal for the remainder of the
match with Yousef coming into centre midfield. It was real end
to end stuff, really enjoyable to watch, and very exciting, and yet
again we pulled it back level after a great move involving most of the
midfield but started by a great clearing header from the half way line
from Jordan. It was Dean that pounced and although the keeper got his
hands to it it went over him and in. The pressure had paid off, 1-1.
What a great game.
With about 10 mins to go though they
broke down the right and a superb strike from their striker was
parried by Sean but the power took it in, again a real shame, we
didn't deserve it, but Sean had made some great saves and come out
well to block things so it was in no way his fault. And after a good
strong performance from him in the first half he thoroughly deserved
the Player of the Day trophy. So we had to push forward the equalizer,
therefore Brad moved into midfield and left us with three at the back
for the last 6 or 7 minutes - all or nothing.
Well, like Acle a couple of weeks ago a
major decision went against us. Some great pressure from Josh and
Yousef in the middle ended with a great ball out to Reece and from his
cross Dean got a flick, Brad got a touch (I think) and it fell to the
keeper, who from where we were all standing appeared to fumble it and
Chris pounced to poke home from 2 yards. However their linesman and
then the ref decided that the keeper had it in his hands and Chris had
kicked it out of them, harsh to say the least especially as their
linesman was this side of the pitch looking through a crowd of
players???? So the celebrations were short lived and after the ball
came back in to play the ref blew the whistle, 2-1 Warriors. A draw
would have the been the best result but there you go, we just pick
ourselves up and move on the next game. The thing is guys, we are
improving game by game and that's what matters.
Some great performances today from
everyone, stay positive guys and keep the belief, cos it's Walsham at
home next week!!
Some were saying though the best move of
the game was when on retreating from the edge of the pitch to get out
of the way the manager stepped backwards and realising he had stepped
on the drinks holder began a very graceful backward somersault,
bouncing back to an upright position in a matter of milliseconds. A
move to grace any gymnastics arena!! And in Olympic year, Lord Coe has
only to pick up the phone!!
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| Sun 10 Feb 08 Taverham v Old Catton | |||
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Today was one of the best matches I have
seen all season, so much so that no notes | |||
