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| Football U11B Team 'Blog' |
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Match 6 - Saturday, 8th October v Papplewick Match 5 - Wednesday, 5th October v Hoe Bridge Lost 0-12 In spite of the score line and the obvious superiority of the opposition, I have been really impressed with how our squad has continued to be positive throughout the matches, never giving up, not moaning at each other and playing every minutes of the games as though it was the first. It may have been soul destroying for those watching but for the boys playing on the field the score does not seem to have affected them. They all seemed to be having fun charging around the field chasing a plastic lump full of air, and I do mean the ball by this and not any of the players nor the referee. Unfortunately the first three goals were very easily conceded as the defence were quite unsure how to cope with some determined attacks. With a change of goal keeper before the half break, due to injury, and a small change to the team, we started to put some moves together and finally broke into the opposition's half. Both Conrad and Ketak from the back were able to use their strong kicking skills to gain some territorial advantage. Joe up front with Tharoonan or Conrad, when not in goal, had some good runs into the opposition half, supported by Chris. The communication was there which was great to hear. The mid field were kept busy all afternoon and Alex looked very tired at the end of the match. Avan did wonders again charging all over the pitch when ever a danger presented itself. He blocked many a certain shot at our goal. Jack, Don and Joseph tried their best to keep up with the action and kept involved as best that they could. They made a contribution that was commensurate with their ability and it was good to see them have a go and get involved. With only a couple of matches left and with such a positive mentality "in the camp", we may yet see this team scoring a goal. We have skills and know how, we just need the confidence of everyone to give it a go! Match 4 - Wednesday, 28th September v Hall Grove Lost 0-13 "From whence cometh Summer again? Autumn, hold back thy misty feel and air of dampness! I shall not suffer the cold wrath of winter before the football seasons withers.” Thus it was on yet another beautiful afternoon that this squad took to the football field. Unfortunately Hall Grove were only able to field a team of eight players therefore it was decided that the majority of players would each play a half each rather than try to roll off and on substitutes. It was felt that such a policy could become rather complicated with five reserve players. The match began very well and it was around six minutes or so before the opening goal was conceded. Several forays were made into the opposition’s half but the lack of real penetration and support meant that these can to nothing. We do have some ability but too often our basic skills and lack of awareness of how the game is played lets us down. Joe B , Thomas and Tharoonan had some good passages of play in the opposition’s half. It was good to see Avan, Caspar and Ketak use their physical presence and strong kicking skills to kick the ball up to the front. The positioning of those three certainly broke down a few attacks of the opposition. The back line certainly had a torrid time and it was still good to see Conrad putting in 100% effort throughout the match. He made some wonderful saves. In the second half the fresh pairs of legs tried their best to cope with a superior side. Perhaps if we had used all the width we may have arrived more times in the opposition’s half. Chris T had a busy time on the left and was supported well over on that side but we must use all the space. Avan the “Duracell Battery” played his cotton socks off supporting both defence and midfield. Alex and Avan made for a good combination. One little incident that did worry me was when the opposition passed the back line of defenders, instead of turning and running back to make a tackle, a couple of players ran the other way, away from the action towards the centre circle. Very curious? I do not remember teaching the boys that skill in our training sessions. Overall this match was a pleasant event and our hosts were most gracious towards us. I know that the boys particularly enjoyed their doughnuts for match tea. I joined our very courageous and loyal band of supporter outside the pavilion and so missed that pleasure. Match report by Ivor Hope. The team Conrad Orleans-Lindsay (GK) Joe Belcher (c) Joe Fernandes Chris Thomas Don Vatanatham Thomas Williamson Avan Wright Ketak Chaudhari Caspar Talbot Chris Vonchek Alex Gladen Tharoonan Moodley Jack Small Match 3 - Wednesday, 21st September v Yateley Manor Lost 0-10 In complete contrast to the previous match when the heavens opened and the rain soaked everything possible, this, the third, was played in wonderful conditions with the sun shinning, the clouds floating by and a little touch of warmth in the air. Conditions could not have been better. Unfortunately the overall performance of the team did not match the wonderful conditions, but at least the boys tried their best. There were few differences between the teams though Yateley Manor had the slightly more sporty boys, better basic skills and a bit more bite and commitment in their play. Eagle House on the other hand had a better sense of positional play and had a better shape. Too often the opposition ran towards the ball like bees around a honey pot. Yet such pressure and an unfamiliarity with the idea of football led to such a heavy defeat. Hopefully the team will learn from this experience and build upon that. Though Yateley Manor dominated for long periods of the game and Eagle House were lucky to get into the other half of the field, there was a period of the game which showed that they could play some good football. This was midway through the second half with a couple of breaks on the left by Avan, supported by Joe B and Tharoonan. It was quite impressive and hopefully will give the lads heart. Certainly the boys have tried their best and the score line does not reflect the fact that many of the players had played their socks off. Some good saves by Conrad certainly kept the score down and with a bit more thought and calling we could have made a few good and strong passes which would have enable Eagle House to make good progress up the field. Chris T was always in his correct position and Alex and Thomas certainly had their work cut out for them. Ketak and Edward showed their big kicking skills to clear their line, passing the ball up to the midfield. It is not all bad news, but we need to learn from our experiences to become a better team. I feel that we may have the capability. We just need the drive and commitment with a bit more backbone! Let’s get stuck in! Match report by Alun Grafton The team Conrad Orleans-Lindsay (GK) Joe Belcher (c) Joe Fernandes Chris Thomas Don Vatanatham Thomas Williamson Avan Wright Ketak Chaudhari Edward McLaren Caspar Talbot Chris Vonchek Alex Gladen Tharoonan Moodley Jack Small Match 2 - Saturday, 17th September v Cranleigh Lost 0-7 What I am disappointed about is not the fact that we lost the match - because Cranleigh were by far the better side - but the fact that we made it far too easy for them. A torrential downpour notwithstanding, too many times our players stood motionless while the opposition ran past them. From the outset Cranleigh easily found a way past our defence and they had many scoring opportunities. In the second half we did venture into Cranleigh territory a couple of times through some good runs from Chris T, but we did not have any real scoring opportunities. We were indebted to Conrad, who made some fine saves, that the final score was not even higher. In our training sessions we are working hard on our movement around the field, winning the ball and above all communication between players. Hopefully we will play with much more grit and determination against Yateley Manor. Man of the match: Conrad Match report by Ben MonoThe team Conrad Orleans-Lindsay (GK) Joe Fernandes Chris Thomas Don Vatanatham Edward McLaren Caspar Talbot Chris Vonchek Alex Gladen Tharoonan Moodley Jack Small Joe Belcher (c)
Lost 0-4 The first match of any season is often a difficult match, but this one was more difficult than most as the team had to take on their first opponents after only an hour of a practice session completed in appalling weather conditions. In some respects this was a one-sided match as Feltonfleet played most of the football in the half of Eagle House. The forays into the opposition’s half could be counted on one hand. And yet with a bit more determination and drive those attacks could easily have lead to a goal or two. The Feltonfleet defence was often overwhelmed by some good kicking by Josh and the other members of the backline. The four conceded goals came from the constant pressure of Feltonfleet and the 'stand back and see what happens' attitude by too many players rather than a higher skill level of the opposition. The match was played in four quarters of 10 minutes as this was viewed as a training match. By the third quarter the Eagle House team finally realised that they were in the middle of a football match. The commitment improved, tackles were being made and the players began to show some real determination. We were being to see players holding their positions and thereby giving more width and opportunities in which to receive the decent pass. There are grounds for some optimism here and I can see the team as a whole improving over the season. One key thing that we must improve upon is not giving the ball away too easily. Man of the match: Josh Match report by Alun Grafton. The team Josh Hyttenrauch (GK) Luke Baker Joe Fernandes Chris Thomas Don Vatanatham Thomas Williamson Avan Wright Ketak Chaudhari Edward McLaren Caspar Talbot Chris Vonchek Alex Gladen Tharoonan Moodley (c) Jack Small |
