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Great Horwood Ravens U8s vs. Moretonville Friendly (Saturday 9th July 2005)
Match One: Great Horwood Ravens 7 (Harry Turner 4, Nicholas Bailey, James Scott 2) Moretonville 1
A slow start from the home team was punished by a deflected goal from the visitors. Daniel Bennett and Tom Foster then coped with the attack very well before James Scott burst through to equalise in a very even end-to-end first half. The second half continued the competitive nature of the game as some strong tackling on both sides and near misses contributed to an enjoyable game. A goal from Harry Turner changed the game as the Ravens then started to push on with Nick Bailey scoring an impressive goal from a Toby Heath corner making it 3-1. Daniel Bennett was becoming unemployed in goal as the defence held strong and the midfield of Nick Bailey, Liam Hall, and Harry Turner supported James Scott up front. Harry then scored a couple in quick succession; the first from distance and the second a great left foot to complete his hat trick and make it 5-1. James ‘Scotty’ Scott scored his second after a solo run and Harry again finished the scoring with his fourth and the teams 7th to finish the game 7-1. The score line didn’t reflect the game and if anything flattered the Ravens as Moretonville never gave up and were always competitive. It was however, an indication of the finishing capabilities of the squad.
Match Two: Great Horwood Ravens 3 (James Low, Charlie King-Johnson, Callum Turner) Moretonville 0
Moretonville again competed well as the Ravens had a completely different team compete in the second match. James Low opened the scoring pouncing on a goal kick from Moretonville to steer home. The Ravens rotated their goalkeeper throughout the game with Callum Turner, Robin Justice and James Low all taking a turn and performing very well. Sam Charlton had a slow start but turned it round with a storming performance. Robin Justice continued to improve throughout the game and grew in confidence as he strode forward to support the attack. Josh Greenburg was always busy tackling or getting forward and Charlie King-Johnson capped a strong performance with the second goal, shooting through a crowd of players to make it 2-0. Jack Taylor was unlucky not to add to his goal tally as several shots just went wide. The game was close until Callum Turner scored, just taking it off of Jack Taylor’s toe to make it 3-0.
Great Horwood Ravens at the Wolverton Under 8’s Tournament (Sunday 3rd July 2005)
The Ravens entered a young squad for the Wolverton tournament on 3 July. Of the squad of 8 an impressive 5 players were "playing up" a year. On a hot and barmy day Horwood struggled to score the goals unlike previous tournaments but dogged determination from all players made us difficult and stingy opponents. Despite regular team changes in goal, defence, midfield and up front only one goal was conceded in seven matches.
Match One: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Hanslope Hornets 0
A long shot from Callum Turner and a one-on-one between Nicholas Bailey and the opposing goalkeeper were the only chances at either end in this game. A tight game that we felt was slightly shaded by Horwood. Daniel Bennett and Tom Foster were comfortable at the back and Toby didn't have a touch in goal. Josh and Callum were resourceful in midfield and tackled anything with a pulse.
Match Two: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Luton Leagrave 0
A tough and physical game against an organised team. Liam Hall and Charlie King-Johnson came in to this match and got involved from the off. Chances were fewer than in the last match and goalkeeper Nicholas was called on on at least three occasions. Liam and Charlie both took big challenges in this game and bounced straight back. Toby and Tom defended strongly.
Match Three: Great Horwood Ravens 1 (Tom Foster) Waterhall Stars 0
The moment of the day was a spectacular 20 yard shot by Tom into the corner to give Horwood a late but deserved victory. A goal line save by Daniel Bennett also brought applause from the crowd. Toby came up and delivered a succession of pinpoint and threatening corners as Horwood were the strongest team.
Match Four: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Water Eaton Blue 1
A tight game against an imposing Water Eaton team. Water Eaton were well organised and physical team but still only just pipped our new and young team. A goal midway through the match was the difference but Horwood never gave up. The only defeat and the only goal conceded during the day.
Match Five: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Wolverton Tigermoths 0
Horwood were disappointed not to win this game. Toby burst through but could not quite get a shot on target. Tiredness was apparent in this game as both subs were used to combat the warm conditions.
Match Six: Great Horwood Ravens 0 MK Athletic 0
MK Athletic (I believe MK Allstars originally) gave us a tough game. There were few chances for our forward players but equally for theirs.
Match Seven: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Water Eaton Yellow 0
Horwood showed some defiance as they turned in a strong performance. Many expected this to be a game to far but Horwood defended and attacked well. Horwood were disappointed not to get all the points in this one.
Horwood battled extremely well in this tournament. Six and a half hours on a hot day is a tall task but when you have, in essence an under 7 squad and only concede one goal it is a truly magnificent performance. ALL players can feel proud of today's efforts.
Squad: Liam Hall, Nicholas Bailey, Callum Turner, Daniel Bennett, Tom Foster, Charlie King-Johnson, Toby & Josh
(Report by Mark, Photo by Kath)
Great Horwood Ravens at the Steeple Claydon Under 8’s Tournament (Sunday 12th June 2005)
The Ravens bounced back from their first defeat the day before in spectacular fashion. A series of five fixtures spread over five hours was always going to stretch the new team but they responded in an admirable way as they sought to redress their below par performance from the previous day.
 Match One: Great Horwood Ravens 2 (James Low, Harry Turner) Grendon Rangers 1
The day started with a game against Grendon Rangers and an early goal conceded. The Ravens fought back with a goal from James Low and then started to play a more expansive game as they passed the ball wide. A deflected goal from another special Harry Turner free-kick rewarded the Ravens with a deserved lead. They continued to press forward and could have gone further ahead before James Low had to come off with an injury, the game finishing 2-0.
Match Two: Great Horwood Ravens 4(Harry Turner(2), Liam Hall, Jack Taylor) Steeple Claydon 0
The next game against the home team of Steeple Claydon saw probably the best performance of the Ravens so far, leaving James Scott in goal with a very boring ten minutes. The Ravens pressured from the kick off, and after a great run and pass from Liam Hall, Harry Turner scored his second of the day. More attacking play led to a corner taken by James Low and touched in by Liam Hall for 2-0. The second half saw Jack Taylor go on a tremendous run forward, bursting through tackles to score another well deserved goal. The final goal in a 4-0 win came from a spectacular overhead kick from Harry Turner which had all the spectators roar with approval, he managed to flick it up before going for the overhead just on the edge of the box.
Match Three: Great Horwood Ravens 1(Jack Taylor) Brackley Town 0
The third game was against probably the other strongest team in the group, Brackley Town. Strong defence was required as usual from Tom Foster, Callum Turner and Sam Charlton as Brackley pushed forward. Liam Hall, now making his debut playing in goal had an outstanding performance catching and holding everything that was thrown at him. James Scott and James Low bossed the midfield as the Ravens competed for every ball and the supporters for both sides became more and more anxious. Callum Turner and Tom Foster came on to continue the assault before Jack Taylor managed to burst through yet another tackle to run on and finish clinically sparking celebrations on the touchline and greater resolve from Brackley. Tensions rose but the Ravens managed to hang on for another well deserved victory.
Match Four: Great Horwood Ravens walkover Preston Gawcott
The next game resulted in a walk over and another hour waiting as Preston Gawcott disappointingly chose to leave the tournament prematurely to attend another engagement. This led to a lot of re-organisation for the Ravens but also for the hosts as several competitions were left in limbo.
Match Five: Great Horwood Ravens 0 Garden City 2
The extended wait was a factor in the Ravens last game when they met Garden City. An early goal when the Ravens were still not quite on pace plus greater experience from the opposition leading to an opportunistic goal. From defending a Ravens corner, a long hoof up-field from Garden City found an unmarked player standing next to our goalkeeper who was then able to hammer the ball home unopposed to make it 2-0. The scoreline was difficult to recoup but the Ravens upped their game to come back but couldn’t quite manage to score. The Ravens finished the day having played 4 and won 3, another good day’s work!!
Parents awards
Best Shot – James Scott Best Assist – Callum Top Tackler – Sam Best Tackle – Jack
Best Save – Liam Best trick – Harry – Overhead Kick Best interception – Tom
Biggest clearance – James Low
(Report & picture by Steve B)
Great Horwood Ravens 0 Newport Pagnell 3 (Saturday 11th June 2005)
The Ravens second game was a mixed bag of good performances and missed chances.
The game was played in glorious sunshine in comparison to the first fixture and all players were given an even run out. This meant two completely separate teams competed in each half with one player acting as substitute and coming on in both halves.
The Ravens started slowly and paid the price by conceding an early goal. The Ravens then began to play their more familiar game as Tom Foster and Daniel Bennett started getting their tackles in and Callum Turner got more involved. Good attacking play from Jack Taylor and James Scott led to some good passing moves. Harry Turner had a great free kick just pushed onto the bar by the impressive Newport Goalkeeper and another shot hit the post. However Alfie Bradbury making his debut in goal was the busier of the keepers as the visitors pushed forward and punished slow clearances twice in quick succession to go in 3-0 up at half time.
The second half saw a complete team swap as Robin Justice made a strong debut alongside the fast and resourceful duo of Nick Bailey and Charlie King Johnson. Toby Heath in goal made the most of his strong kicking in pushing the team forward with Liam Hall and Sam Charlton pressurising the strong Newport defence and James Low being aggressive in attack as centre forward. The combination of the Newport goalkeeper and centre back proved too much for the Ravens as they sought to gain some reward for their efforts, enhanced by the addition of Joshua Greenberg coming on again in the second half. No further goals being scored the game ended 3-0, the Ravens first defeat against a very well organised side.
Special mention and well done to the referee, David Foster for an impressive debut and Chris Scott for the training activities completed by the players when not taking part in the game.
A lesson for the new Ravens, (we are beatable after all) but with a bit more work on positioning and tactics with our core players we will soon be back to our winning ways.
(Report by Steve B)
Great Horwood Ravens u8's at the Preston Gawcott Tournament (5 June 2005)
Buoyed by victory in their maiden match a fortnight earlier the Ravens took half of their squad to their very first football tournament. The under 8 Ravens will be competing in three tournaments over the summer and they got off to a flyer on an overcast but dry morning in Gawcott. Due to the withdrawal of another team the fixture list was revised to be four matches of 10 minutes total (no half times). Manager Steve Bennett entered the non-competitive spirit of the tournament and gave ALL players an equal amount of football.
Match One: Bletchley Colts 0 Great Horwood Ravens 2 (Harry Turner, James Low)
Ravens dominated this game with some terrific passing and attacking football. Early in the match Ravens struggled to turn possession into chances, equally any attacks made by Colts were thwarted by Daniel Bennett and Sam Charlton giving James Scott a quiet time between “the sticks”. Going forward Nicholas Bailey and James Low hustled and intercepted Colts passes with increasing regularity. Eventually possession paid as Harry Turner raced ahead of the defence and scored. James Low added a second after latching onto a low cross that the Colts goalkeeper missed.
 Match Two: Moretonville 0 Great Horwood Ravens 0
As the score suggests this was a tight affair. Moretonville had just completed a tough fixture against Great Linford before taking us on and they certainly made life difficult with plenty of movement. Charlie King Johnson and Jack came into this fixture and provided fresh legs and plenty of running in the middle of the park. Once again at the back we were resolute but despite a few chances we struggled to breakdown Moretonville’s defence.
Match Three: Great Horwood Ravens 1 ( Harry Turner ) Great Linford 1 
As predicted Great Linford were a strong and well drilled team, they had skill in individuals and familiarity with each other to play a passing game. The Ravens had enthusiasm and pride in abundance and narrowly missed taking the lead when a shot from Harry Turner just screamed past the post after a great run and cross from the left . The Ravens attempted and succeeded in matching GL with their passing and movement especially a one-two movement down the right between James Scott and Harry Turner which led to a shot just going wide. Great Linford took the lead midway through the game but the lead did not last long as Harry Turner equalised. This was the first goal the Ravens have conceded in a fixture and came after about 65 minutes of football. In addition to Jack Taylor’s confident goalkeeping performance James Low and Sam Charlton were rocks at the back.
Match Four: Great Horwood Ravens 1 (Jack Taylor) Preston and Gawcott 0
Another clean sheet for Ravens. The hosts probably edged the first 4-5 minutes of this match before Ravens stepped up and dominated. The turning point in this game was a Jack Taylor run and clinical finish. After this Harry Turner, Jack Taylor and Nicholas Bailey ran regularly at the defence before the latter was brought down and graciously allowed Harry to take the penalty. Unfortunately the opportunity to increase the lead was thwarted by the imposing PGFC goalkeeper. Charlie King-Johnson (gk), Daniel Bennett and Sam Charlton once again gave the opposition little opportunity to score for another clean sheet.
Parents awards
Best shot – Harry; Best Assist – James Scott; Top Tackler – Sam; Best Tackle – James Low
Best Save – Nick; Best Trick – Daniel; Best Interception – Charlie; Biggest Clearance - Jack
(Report and photos Mark)
Great Horwood Ravens 3 MK All Stars 0 (Saturday 21st May 2005)
Scorers:- James Scott (2), Harry Turner
The Ravens first game produced a fantastic performance and a great result.
The game was played in terrible weather as the traditional sunshine associated with FA Cup Final day was replaced with persistent rain.
The visitors started well and at first it looked like the Ravens would struggle against a team that have played together for a couple of seasons. However, after the first few minutes passed without conceding the Ravens grew in confidence and started to play some very good football.
A couple of promising attacks were followed by a great run from James Scott, skipping past a couple of defenders before slotting the ball past the keeper. Minutes later he repeated the feat to make the score 2-0. Changes during the first half saw all players get involved in the game and showed strength in depth. Memorable moments from attack saw Callum Turner (who had come on for the injured Daniel Bennett) have a fantastic shot from distance scream past the far post, and from defence a lovely drag back from Nick Bailey and terrific header from Tom Foster demonstrated the confidence growing in the side.
Half time saw some much needed refreshment as the rain stopped for a few minutes. The second half saw the home side now playing up the hill towards to ‘the kennel end’. A memorable run from Jack Taylor deserved a goal but the ball just squirmed past the post. The visitors never really threatened the Ravens goal with the fresh legs of the Ravens substitutes continuing to press forward. Pressure was finally rewarded when the power from Harry Turners shot was enough to beat the Allstars keeper.
The final whistle saw the Ravens record their first win in a game played in a friendly and sporting atmosphere against a good team who we look forward to meeting again.
(photo by Mark, report by Squad Manager Steve Bennett)
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