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Under 8 Home Page |
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Manager: Tim Stevens |
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| Team Photos |
Sponsored by:
CIT-REN & Paul Utting Electrical |
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Player Profiles - Here Now! Click Here |
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Dates for your Diary |
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| Match Reports | |||
| Sat 22 Sep 07 Taverham v Wendene & Stalham | |||
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Sat 20
Oct 07 Taverham v North Walsham |
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After 2 years of training and friendlies the league had finally arrived. There was great excitement throughout the Lions squad with all eleven players eager to be involved from the off. Our first games were against Aylsham A & Cromer however the coastal side had to pull out at short notice making this a double header with Aylsham. Both matches were cagey affairs with little between the two sides. Each game was eventually drawn 1-1 with Ryan and George N opening their league account. There were also some excellent performances from Cairan on the left, Kalum in defence and George T in goal.
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| Sat 15 Sep 07 Taverham v Horsford (Friendly) | |||
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We managed to
arrange some friendlies with Horsford and 3 games were played with all 11
players involved on the day. Horsford pipped the Lions in two of the
matches with a well deserved win for Taverham in the final game. Seth and
Bradley combined well in midfield both bagging a brace. Matthew also stood
out on the day with some excellent tackling and link up play.
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| Sat 22 Sep 07 Taverham v Wendene & Stalham | |||
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The
following week saw a return to league action at North Walsham. We kicked
off proceedings against a determined Stalham team led out by Vicky. Keilan
played up front throughout the match and made some promising runs however
the defence held tight, that was until Bradley latched onto a neat through
ball from midfield to open his league campaign. Stalham were quick to
equalise and move ahead with a winner in the 2nd half rounding off a solid
but disappointing first defeat in the league. Not to be downhearted the
Lions were back in action 30 mins later against Wendene Warriors. Seth and
Matthew were off to a flyer with 2 goals in the opening 3 minutes. Ben
held solid at the rear with Coach Bargemen offering solid advice
throughout. William made some good interceptions in midfield and despite a
late goal from the Bowthorpe side, Taverham deservedly held on for their
first league win coming out eventual 2-1 victors.
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Sprowston v Taverham Our 5th league match of the season threw up a re-match against our old friends Sprowston Lads A. These games had always proved exciting in the past and this game was no exception. We started with a fresh looking line up, giving Seth his first start up front. From the off we took the game to Sprowston. It didn't take long for Taverham to move ahead with a well crafted goal for Rico Ryan on 5 minutes. After the break we moved up a gear with 2 further goals for Ryan notching up his and the teams first hatrick of the season. Ben was assured at the back with time to knock the ball around when needed. Keilan stepped into replace the midfield dynamo Ciaran and kept the game flowing nicely with a neat through ball to Seth allowing him to notch up his 2nd of the season. Sprowston did manage to slot one away before the end, however this failed to take the shine off what was a comfortable and classy win for the Hinksiders. Norwich United v Taverham The Planters came into the game with a good reputation. This proved to be the case with a good test lying in wait. We re-introduced Kalum in defence and he did a super job early on with some top quality shielding of the ball to hold the opposition at bay. William started in midfield alongside Ciaran with both players again working hard. Despite the early promise we fell behind with a couple of goals coming in quick succession, however Ben was introduced to replace the tiring William and blasted a cracking strike in from outside the area, this his opening of the league campaign. Despite conceding an early 2nd half goal we maintained our pressure and started to boss the match for the first time. We got our reward when Ben tapped home a second, however as so often is the case we conceded one shortly afterwards allowing the opposition to count down the clock.
Positives - Passing was
top drawer as was the tackling and general effort showed. Man of the Match - Ryan
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| Sat 20 Oct 07 Taverham v North Walsham & East Coast Warriors | |||
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If two teams had stood out so far this season it was East Coast Warriors and North Walsham A. Both had an almost unblemished record going into today’s matches and unfortunately for us, that’s the way it stayed. North Walsham A v Taverham We kicked off proceedings against North Walsham and certainly had the better of the opening 10 mins. Passing was good early on with Ryan and Ciaran linking up well. George N tapped home the first goal of the game with a cool strike giving the North Walsham keeper little chance. We continued to push on with George, Ciaran and Ryan all going close. North Walsham managed to pull one back against the run of play with the sides going in level at the break. We struggled to maintain the momentum in the 2nd half and North Walsham took the lead midway through the half. Whilst George T and Kalum did their best to keep the opposition out, Taverham failed to create anything further up the park and the contest was over. East Coast Warriors v Taverham The opposition certainly had a head start in terms of height with several of the East Coast players dwarfing our boys. This may have affected our players with too much respect given to ECW throughout the game. We held out for 5 mins, thanks in part to some cracking saves from George T, however something had to give and the Warriors moved ahead with a simple tap in. The remainder of the half was pretty much one way traffic with two more goals to follow before half time. After the break we took it to them a little more with a couple of early chances, however, despite further heroics in goal from George T we fell further behind before the final whistle.
Positives - Good set piece defending and goalkeeping. Man of the Match - George T
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| Sat 3 Nov 07 Taverham v Stalham & Cromer | |||
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Taverham v Stalham This was our 2nd match against Stalham, the first ending in a close defeat. We put out a strong looking line up with George N heading the attack. The early stages of the match were close with little between the two sides. However on 5 mins Stalham pushed forward with some neat passing before slamming in a goal off the inside of the post. Stalham had the wind in the sails by this stage and we offered little resistance in the tackle. It was inevitable a further goal was coming and this proved to be the case on 8mins after the ball was not cleared effectively. Stalham carried on where they left off in the early stages of the 2nd half with further pressure leading to another goal off the post, giving George T no chance in goal. To our credit we upped the tempo and came into the game as the half developed. Tackling improved especially from George N who was fully committed all over the park. On 13 mins we got our reward with a penalty awarded for a hand ball within the box. George N stepped up and struck firmly only for the Stalham keeper to pull off a wonder save to his top right corner. Despite more pressure and increased work from Ben, Ryan and Ciaran we failed to open our account in the match. Taverham v Cromer This was our first meeting against the North Norfolk side following their late withdrawal on the opening day of the season. Another strong looking line up for us, this time with Keilan heading the attack. The game got off to the worst possible start with Cromer flying into the lead in the opening minute following some tidy play down the left flank. From this moment on we took the match to Cromer thanks to bucket loads of effort from the side. Matthew provided a neat lob into the box on 5 mins but we failed to finish it. Further heroics from Kalum in defence with a great interception on the edge of the box setting up a further chance. Seth threw himself into a tackle in midfield on 9 mins but yet again we failed to finish off. Seth was pushed up in the 2nd half with Keilan influencing play more from the midfield. Further chances went begging including a blasted effort from Keilan which the keeper did well to hold. Thankfully a goal came after 15 mins when Seth powered in from the box after a neat pass through from Keilan. Despite further efforts going close we failed to find the winner in the closing minutes.
Positives - Good defending over the two matches. Man of the Match - George N
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| Sat 17 Nov 07 Taverham v Sprowston Lads & Aylsham | |||
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Taverham v Sprowston Lads The temperature had dropped markedly since our last visit to Greens Road. The boys rolled up one by one with their usual enthusiasm, following a good warm up we set about our business. A squad of 8 were taken with all players involved on the day. Pre-match talk revolved around improvements in tackling, passing and who had the most Match Attax swapsies ! We started keenly. Good pressure early on lead to a corner on the left on 2 minutes. Seth swiftly placed this into the box and earned a well deserved assist with George N ready to drive home within box. This was just the boost we needed with confidence oozing through the side. Within a minute we moved further ahead. This time Ryan was the provider, leaving George N to blast in from an acute angle to claim his first brace of the league campaign. After a slight debate on the pitch as to who was the leading goal scorer, we continued to push on. Neat play from Ben on the right lead to Ryan picking up his 5th of the season with a real thumper into the top of the net, this a tidy return for the combative midfielder ! At 3-0 we still wanted it bad. The midfield held tight and knocked a sweet ball back to Ben just inside the opponents half. He looked up, picked his spot and duly lobbed the keeper with a goal Stevie G would have been proud of. Further chances came before the break with Seth nudging one just wide and a further run through the middle by Ben, this time failing to trouble the keeper ... Half time came and George T was sent for some warm ups ... Alison and Louise took care of the much needed warming refreshments with Calvin saying yes with his Del Montes. Minor changes were made with William moved into replace Ben and Keilan pushed into attack to replace George N. The game started as it left off with Taverham having further chances to push ahead. Unfortunately we conceded a goal on 15m with a mix up in defence leading to a goal. This lifted Sprowston with further chances coming their way. George T was also called into action with a great save on the line. One promising attack from the away side was snuffed out by William who not only cleared the ball off the pitch, he almost made the North Sea ! Matty was introduced midway through the 2nd half and gave the midfield the extra physical presence we needed. The game was drawing to a close when Ryan made a surge with a tidy lay off to Keilan up front. The shot had pace but crept just wide. The referee blew my whistle for the end with Taverham coming away deserved victors. Great result !! Taverham v Aylsham More of the same was asked for against the market side who held us to two 1-1 draws early on in the season. Ben moved back into defence with George N re-introduced up front. Matty held his spot within midfield with Seth alongside him. The players were warned this was likely to be a tougher test with tackling going to be key in the midfield area. We started well with a great run down the left by Seth. He passed two players before nudging onto George N in the corner. He looked up played the ball through to the waiting Matty in the box who struck inches wide. Aylsham were not deterred, they possessed the greater pace with their number 14 a real handful throughout the match. This proved to be the case on 5m when he muscled his way through the midfield, passed Ben to slot one home. Matthew continued to battle and made the tackle of his life on 8m to set up Seth, however the shot went just wide once more. Seth continued to press, however we struggled to get a foothold in the match. Halftime, came and went with Ryan introduced back into the midfield. We pushed on with Ben running the midfield and defensive areas. He managed to slot one through to George N however the fantasy league leader failed to claim his 3rd of the day after the keeper snuffed it out early doors. Keilan came back for more after replacing George N on 15m and almost notched one up, this following some tidy play by Ben in midfield. The ball didn't quite sit up for him and the shot was dragged agonisingly wide. Tired legs started to kick in and Aylsham’s extra pace took its toll. We conceded a couple of goals late on, both as a result of quality play and not errors from our boys. The final whistle was blown and handshakes were rolled out, we had been beaten fair and square but had given our all ! Positives - Enthusiasm,
improved tackling and passing. Man of the Match - Ben for all round effort, tackling and distribution.
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| Sat 1 Dec 07 Taverham v North Walsham & Norwich Utd | |||
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Taverham v North Walsham Our penultimate fixtures of 2007 were as eagerly awaited as ever. A westerly gale was cutting across the pitch with all parents and children well wrapped up. Advent calenders had been ripped apart hours earlier and this is precisely what the boys were asked to do from the off. Strong in the tackle were the buzz words pre-match and the team certainly took note .. George N started off up front with Rico and Brad making up a strong looking midfield pairing. Ben held his defensive role for the start with Seth welcomed into goal to deputise for Santas little helper. We dominated early possession with George, Brad and Rico combining well, however the shot crashed into the post and away. Ben was the provider next with George unable to take advantage with the finish. Further chances came and went with Taverham living to regret the missed opportunities. Some neat play from NW lead to their goal after the break, however our boys responded well. Brad launched one into the mix for Rico to half volley into the roof of the net, 1-1. NW responded well and came at us again. Seth made a fantastic save blocking high before scrambling the ball away. A neat through ball from NW was not dealt with by Ben and Brad and they proceeded to tap it away to regain the lead. Matty and CJ came on for Ben and Brad, Matty regaining the bite in defence with CJ injecting a little bit of pace down the flanks. Some good defending from Matty with help from CJ lead to a 1 on 1 for George. The forward was hauled down well inside the box only for the ref to place the whistle in his mouth and then remove it forthwith! Seth kept us in the game once more with another great stop. This spurred us on again and we eventually got our reward following a great throw in on the right. The ball bobbled around before George grabbed his 5th of the season. The whistle was blown straight away with a draw regarded as a good result against a strong looking NW side. Taverham v Norwich United A quick half of coffee was downed and we were off again. Changes were made with Ben pushed up front, Kalum reintroduced into defence and CJ retaining his spot on the left with Matty getting the nod on the right. Seth once again held cover between the sticks with consistent good quality kicking, ball collection and saves where needed. We went behind early on but were not out of it. Ben muscled his way through a pack what seemed like 4 defenders to grab a well deserved goal. Tackles were a flying and we certainly got the benefit of the doubt following some unorthodox efforts from CJ and Kalum! What turned out to be a fairly uneventful match slipped away despite some rallying subs involving George, Brad, Rico and Will. We held our own in the middle of the park but nothing seemed to drop our way up front. Seth once again came to the rescue with a heroic stop to his near post, however we slipped further behind after Norwich Utd broke through our adventurous 3 man midfield formation. The record attendance of 11 ebbed away after the post match press conference, the boys gave their all once again. Match highlights will be screened free to air at Penn Close in the near future ! Positives - Great goalkeeping, good tackling. Negatives - Defending was not up to our usual standard. Little more power needed in front of goal. Man of the Match - Seth - Bryan Gunn .. who are ya?
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| Sat 15 Dec 07 Taverham v Wendene & East Coast Warriors | |||
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Taverham v Wendene Warriors
A smaller squad was taken to North Walsham
for the final 2 matches of the year. Once again it was a chilly affair
with the new team coats coming into their own - Big shout to Paul Utting
for these, top electrician in Norfolk I hear !
We narrowly beat the opponents last time
out and were hoping for better on this occasion. The Lions duly stepped
up to the challenge and for the full 20 mins played the beautiful game
as it should be. George N was a man on a mission with some excellent
closing down on and off the ball. Some neat work from Seth found George
N who bagged his sixth of the season with a well taken first touch into
the bottom corner. Bradley whipped in a corner which clipped the
opposing defender before running over the line for our 2nd. This was
followed by Seth slotting in a first time effort after a tidy assist
from Bradley. Half time prompted a change with Ryan drafted into mid to
replace the hard working Seth. The game continued at a breathtaking pace
with Taverham on top throughout. Ben and George T were spectators for
most of the half but managed to send a long pass up to George N, who
with dogged determination, beat two players before slotting home. The
match was as good as over and with seconds to go Rico Ryan
unselfishly played a through ball to George N who converted it for his
first hat trick of the campaign.
Taverham v East Coast Warriors
We started this game with the same line
up as the first match. The balance looked good and this was likely to
be key against a strong looking unbeaten East Coast side. We were
under the cosh early on with Ben making some great last gasp tackles
to keep them out early doors. As the game progressed we started to
pressure ECW with George N taking a long shot from outside the box
which the opposition keeper scurried to turn round his post for a
corner. However, against the run of play EC broke away and took the
lead. The Lions refused to let their heads drop and sustained the
pressure until Brad was rewarded with a cracking goal seconds before
the half time whistle. Second half a rested Ryan was brought on to
shore up the midfield and Seth moved to replace George T in goal.
These tactical substitutions allowed Brad to take charge of the match
with some telling strikes on goal and some great link up play with
George N. With minutes left a defensive error allowed East Coast to
score a soft goal against the run of play. For the remaining time the
Lions produced their best football of the season and ran the
opposition ragged. Unfortunately none of the chances were converted
and the match slipped away from us. The Lions heads remained rightly
high after dominating a match against the strongest side in the
league.
All in all a great end to 2007 for the
Lions. The progress of the team since we started out has been amazing
with Martin, Calvin and I rightly proud!!
A good Christmas to all the players and
parents and thanks for all the running around and help given. Ho ho
ho!!
Positives - Consistency throughout both
matches and our first clean sheet!!
Negatives - No sugar in Louise's hot
chocolate!
Man of the Match - Bradley
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| Taverham v North Walsham & Wendene | |||
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It was good to get back into the swing of
things after the Christmas break with 7 players making the trip to North
Walsham. The overnight rain made the going heavy but fortunately we were
still able to get the matches on.
Taverham v North Walsham
We started poorly with all players looking
well off the pace. George N was fancied up front with Rico and CJ making
up the mid and Seth defence. George T took his usual place in goal.
North Walsham seemed to have a little more
zip about them and it wasn't long before we fell behind to a soft goal
which we should have easily dealt with. Despite chances for George and
CJ we failed to make any impression on the game. Rico brought a smile to
the watching faces with an overhead come acrobatic number, clearing the
ball in the process. Matthew and Ben stepped in at half time to replace
Seth and Rico with CJ pushed up front. This failed to make any
real impression with a further goal conceded a few minutes into the
half. We did start to pressure their goal a little towards the end of
the game, however we need to be more ruthless in front of goal when the
chances come a knocking.
All in all one to put down to experience.
Taverham V Wendene
This our third match against the Bowthorpe
outfit who appeared to have some new players in the fold! We reverted to
a tried and tested line up with Matty in defence, Seth and Ben in mid
and George up front, not forgetting the ever present goalie Mr T.
A little pre-match motivation by Martin
and I seemed to work wonders with all players well and truly up for the
contest. We started strongly with Ben looking strong in the midfield
berth. He had a couple of early shots and also a neat pass through to
George, however in true Rooney style the shot went just wide. Within
minutes the same move came off with a neat ball through from Ben falling
to George who tapped it away Tevez like for our first of the day.
Michael was a rightly proud father, however I thought the triple salko
followed by a neat double axel flip was a little over the top!!
The goal spurred us on and Matty stepped up
a gear with a great run down the left flank to find Ben, unfortunately
the shot went just wide. Some further link up play between George and
Ben came to nothing, however a short while later Ben pounced on a slip
by the goalkeeper to send his watching Nan and Grandad into raptures,
well they clapped anyway.
Half time came and went with the hard
working Seth replaced by Rico. The change had an immediate impact with
some hard work by Rico allowing Ben to pick up the ball on the outside
of the box. After casually side stepping one defender he knocked it onto
his right foot and buried the ball into the top of the net. A
great goal. The hysteria was dampened a little when Wendene's new
star broke strongly and overcame Matty in defence, however fairs fair
the goal was taken well. With Roeder like genius, a tactical switch was
made with the tiring Ben being replaced by CJ midway into the half. This
injected a little pace with two chances falling to Matty, one of which
was drilled against the post from way out - unlucky. Matty also worked
hard in defence, managing to mop up any loose balls where needed. With a
few minutes remaining the icing was well and truly piped onto the cake.
An error from the Wendene keeper allowed CJ to drill one in from
distance - this the pacy wingers first goal of the season and well and
truly deserved at that. CJ continued to move the ball well with further
chances falling to George and Rico, the latter smashing against the
upright and away. With the parents singing 'eieieio up the football
league we go' the game drew to a close. The result was a timely boost
following our first match and sent home both the players and parents
with smiles on their faces .. what more can we ask for?
Positives - Improvements in tackling as the
matches progressed.
Negatives - Sticking to positions and first
touch in front of goal.
Man of the Match - Matty - His never say
never approach shone through.
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| Sat 26 Jan 08 Taverham v Cromer & Norwich United | |||
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A few changes were made to the squad for
this weekends matches, in came Keilan, Will and Kalum with Ben, Brad,
CJ and Seth making up the balance.
Taverham v Cromer
Seth stepped into the goalkeepers shoes
for the weekend and did a great job throughout. The match started
brightly with some good early passing from both sides. It wasn't long
before the game opened up a little with both sides going close early
on. Kalum pulled off the clearance of the season with a sliding right
footed effort off the line to save our blushes. Seth proved practise
does make perfect with some neat interceptions on the edge of the box,
it is great to see training routines coming off on the pitch. Ben and
CJ worked really hard in midfield with both going close on occasions.
Keilan played up front and helped link the team with some good
movement and passing throughout, the plucky forward was unlucky when
his side footed effort hit the post after beating the keeper. A change
was made after half time with Brad replacing Keilan. This helped
strengthen the side but we still failed to take our chances with Ben
and Brad firing numerous efforts high and wide. Despite dominating the
remainder of the game we drew a blank. Whilst is was pleasing to pick
up another clean sheet the lack of composure in front of goal took the
shine off things a little.
Taverham v Norwich Utd
Having lost to the opposition on two
occasions we were determined to have a good go this time. Ben started
up front with Brad and CJ in mid. Kalum and Seth once again mopped up
in defence/goal. Norwich United had a far greater physical presence
than Cromer and it was pleasing to see the team stand up and be
counted. We started the stronger and Ben missed an early chance with
his effort from the edge of the box limping wide. Brad continued the
form with his effort blazed over from close range. CJ battled well in
defence, however the opposing forward broke through and struck a
rasper at the Taverham goal. Seth pulled off a great stop but we
failed to clear the rebound and we conceded our first of the day. We
fell further behind midway through the half with a N Utd free kick
going in after a goalmouth scramble. This failed to dampen our spirits
with both Ben and CJ making surging runs down the wings. Bens effort
was finished with a neat tap to Brad in the box, however his first
touch failed to beat the keeper .. a great move nonetheless. We were
rewarded with our first goal of the match when Ben broke passed two
defenders and slotted home within the box. Despite this we fell
further behind just before the break with our only real error in
defence costing us dearly. Will and Keilan replaced CJ and Kalum at
half time with Keilan making things happen once again with some good
link up play. Despite this we conceded our 4th of the match from a
clinical finish inside the box. This galvanised the team with a real
urgency about them. Ben received a
5.9, 5.9 and 6.0 for his dive in the opposition box, however no
penalty was given. Brad made up for this after closing down and
finishing from the sloppy goal kick .. there was still life in the
game yet ! We continued to pressurise and were rewarded when Keilan
and Ben linked up well before Ben knocked the ball home with the
outside of his right boot. Will and Seth kept the game alive with some
good clearances, however time was against us and we pulled up just
short of the line. To come so close after being 4-1 behind was
fantastic, well done to everyone.
Thanks to Junie for stepping into
Louise's shoes with the hot chocolate. Shaun Howes from the FA had
assessed both our games as part of our charter accreditation. Before
leaving with our relevant boxes ticked he made mention of the good
team spirit and attitude from the players and parents, hear, hear.
Positives - Strong defending, good
passing and great movement off the line from goalkeeper Seth.
Negatives - Once again our touch in
front of goal cost us, when we have time in front of goal we must
use it better.
Man of the Match - Keilan - Some great
passing and link up play earned the honours .. keep trying, the
goals will come !!
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| Sat 9 Feb 08 Taverham v Sprowston Wanderers & Aylsham | |||
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Have Taverham Lions finally come of age ?
... Judging on todays performances there was promise by the bucket
load. The manager switched to a 6 strong squad for the trip with
George T, Matty, Rico, Brad, CJ and George N called in. The switch in
Tuesday night training routines clearly worked wonders for the boys
with a real buzz around the place.
Taverham v Sprowston
With the sun shining the game kicked off
at a steady pace. There were good early signs with Brad breaking into
the box on 30 secs only to drive one over the bar. This was followed
shortly afterwards by a corner which was hit so well it cleared the
players, the pitch and almost hit Felmingham village hall. Sprowston
were clearly up for it too and they upped their game midway into the
half. Matty had to be alert to mop up on numerous occasions to
maintain our level status. Just before the break Taverham had a
further corner which was delivered to the near post where the waiting
George dinked one onto the post - keeper smothered, half over.
Shortly into the second half we dropped
behind to a sloppy goal. 3 Taverham players went to the ball, leaving
a Sprowston player unmarked in the box to tap home. Despite some
further good efforts from our boys we fell further behind when
goalkeeper George was caught outside the box without the ball - never
a good combination. CJ replaced Brad with the midfielder showing signs
of tiredness after some excellent battling. This definitely lifted the
team with some good movement from the youngster. There were further
good efforts to come, however we failed to break down a resilient
Sprowston side. A draw would have probably been a fair result,
however, one to put down to experience.
Taverham v Aylsham
Louise's half time chocolate break seemed
to work wonders for the boys with rumours filtering through that Fabio
was on his way to check out the talent ... who was that chap on the
other side of the pitch wearing the dark glasses and dodgy 80's
shellsuit bottoms ?
Rico was moved into a forward position
with Brad and CJ holding fort in midfield and Matty in defence. Good
early possession was rewarded when CJ broke through the midfield and
buried a left footer from outside the box. This was followed shortly
afterwards by a neat move with CJ throwing onto Rico who chased the
ball down and slid one into the bottom corner. Good pressure followed
with a number of corners and good early throws and on 5 mins
Brad slid a neat through ball to Rico who tapped it home with his
first touch. With Nanna B watching from the touchlines Rico netted his
2nd hat trick of the campaign after a further threaded ball from Brad
finding him waiting to tap home. There was better to come with CJ
finding Rico with a neat lob, who controlled the ball with his first
touch, spun to his left and buried home for his fourth of the game.
Half time, job almost done.
The second half continued in the same
fashion with heaps of Taverham pressure. Rico shot wide on a couple of
occasions, both after good work from CJ in midfield. On 13 mins George
N replaced Matty with Rico dropping back into defence and George left
to chase up front. This worked well with George finding Brad on 15
mins who buried one into the net from the edge of the box. CJ
continued his good form with a surging run down the left wing, however
the crossed ball managed to evade the waiting Taverham players. Not
only did we manage to thump six goals in we kept a clean sheet, this
just as important after the first game.
Positives - Great passing, tackling and
well taken goals
Negatives - Very few
Man of the Match - Ryan 'Rico'
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| Sat 23 Feb 08 Taverham v East Coast Warriors & Stalham | |||
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With the 7 month season entering its final
phase we faced up to two of the strongest sides in our league.
Taverham v East Coast Warriors
The game started brightly with good movement from both sides. Honours were fairly even until the ref missed a foul on Rico in open play, the resulting possession lead to a sloppy goal with our defence stranded on the goal line. This was against the run of play and we took heart from the way we responded. CJ was working hard down the left flank with George tucking back to tackle when needed. Seth helped keep the game at 1-0 with some excellent saves, all of which were smothered quickly and pumped back into open play. We went into the break in a really positive mood and our reward was a goal early on in the 2nd half. George latched onto a loose ball midway into our half and proceeded to drive the ball into the top right hand corner giving their keeper no chance. To be holding a side as strong as ECW to 1-1 after 12 mins was a real achievement for our boys, unfortunately it didn't last long ! East Coast seemed to step up a gear with a couple of well taken goals by their academy prospects finding the corners in quick succession. Senor Capello tried some sweet talking with the ref, however she was having none of it, story of his life really ! .. A further goal flattered ECW towards the end of the game with our boys battling well to the end.
Taverham v Stalham
We were under pressure from the off with 2
corners to the opposition in quick succession. Keilan was introduced for
George and had a couple of early chances, one of which crept agonisingly
wide. Despite further heroics from Seth we fell behind with 2 quick
goals midway into the half. On both occasions our defence was caught out
of position with their pace on the counter too much. CJ continued to
work tirelessly across the entire park with the game turning into quite
a scrappy affair. Rico kept up his goal scoring form with a neat finish
inside the box to give us hope. A couple of subs saw George return and
Will, eagerly cheered on by his mum, introduced into defence. Will was
straight into the action with a bold challenge seeing off the danger.
This seemed to spur on the crowd which in turn helped push our boys into
the final few minutes. Despite good possession we failed to find a goal
and the game finished with a narrow defeat.
This was our first double defeat of the season, albeit a narrow one. The fact that it has taken 6 months to come speaks volumes for the effort and commitment given by everyone ... It can be intimidating for players to stand up and be counted against bigger and stronger opponents and the boys did us proud. Positives - Tackling, effort and determination Negatives - Positioning in defence needs a little work Man of the Match - Ciaran - One of the most deserved so far this season .. keep up the good work little fella.
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| Sat 8 Mar 08 Taverham v Cromer and East Coast Warriors | |||
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7 players made the trip for these, our
penultimate set of fixtures in the 2007/2008 league season. George T,
Kalum, Seth, Brad, Matty, Rico and George N made a strong looking line
up with Matty and Seth rested for the start.
Cromer v Taverham The game got off at a good tempo with both teams looking to stamp their mark on proceedings. Taverham nudged the early share of possession with Brad and Rico looking strong in midfield. George N went close with only the cross-bar saving the North Coast side, this from a long Bradley throw-in on the right. Kalum had work to do in defence with a great tackle and clearance from a 1 on 1 deep into our half. We kept pressuring and eventually won a free kick just outside the box. Bradley was called upon to deliver one of his master blasters, however this was cleared by a clutch of Cromer players. We fell behind against the run of play after 7 mins with a long prospective effort flying in to the roof of the net. We cannot be to dispirited if we are holding teams to long punts and the boys were urged to keep their heads up. We got our reward just before the break after George N latched onto a great throw down the line by Brad. The forward turned, took one touch and piled the ball into the top right corner of the net in true Torres style - one of his best yet h/t 1-1. A minor tweak in the midfield saw the introduction of Seth for Rico. We started well and forced a series of corners, all of which failed to deliver the promise we've seen on a Tuesday evening .. keep working !! .. We continued to win the midfield and defensive battles with Kalum again clearing on a couple of occasions - much to the crowds excitement. Matty came onto replace the tiring Brad with the game appearing to be heading for a stalemate. But then .... we won a throw just into the oppositions half, George N stepped up and threw deep into the box. Brad and Seth battled for the knock down for George to run onto his own throw-in and stroke the ball into the bottom left hand corner. The ref proceeded to call time with Taverham coming out deserved victors. f/t 1-2. This was a great win for us, our first over Cromer in 3 attempts ! East Coast Warriors v Taverham Having seen a full strength East Coast side put 6 passed Cromer in the early kick off we knew we were in for a battle. Matty replaced Kalum at the back with Brad back in for Rico in mid. Pre-match talk revolved around sharp closing down, preventing the opposition from their usual passing game. This is exactly what we did, giving ECW no time on the ball to pick players or the pass. Matty cleared up very when called upon with his usual class - his improvement throughout the season cannot be underestimated. The half continued to progress with no real chances falling to either side until East Coast picked up the ball just inside our half... On the one occasion we failed to close them down they struck with ball flying past the keeper. h/t 1-0. Rico replaced George N up front with the remainder as we were. Unfortunately the chirpy forward had little service with East Coast clearing up all long balls before they reached him. Seth and Brad continued to battle well, however they were unable to break down a dogged and strong ECW side with Taverham conceding a further goal midway through the half. George T had a couple of scary moments after getting carried away chatting to the crowd, however he found his composure and managed to clear well. His kicking from the hand was excellent throughout both games with a little more work needed from the deck. We had a couple of half chances towards the end with long balls finally making their way through to the box, however these were a little too pacy and ran through for goal kicks. f/t 2-0. We must not be downhearted after this defeat. Our previous encounters against ECW have resulted in 4-0 and 4-1 defeats, this highlighting our progress throughout the season. Positives - Good closing down, good tackling, chances in front of goal well taken. Negatives - Passing was a little slack on occasions, however we can be excused a little for this due to the quality of closing down from the opposition. Man of the Match - Kalum - He kept his head in the game and got some great clearances and tackles in - job done mate ! |
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