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Under 10's Reports 2008-09
Hellands Rangers Bravos 2 Great Horwood Ravens 5
League :- 25th April 2009
The Magnificent 7 of Gt. Horwood U10s
in a 7 Goal Thriller
With a depleted team, it was with trepidation that we ventured off to Milton Keynes on Saturday morning. The forecast was for rain and blustery conditions and that was only the start of my fears, with 6 of our boys unable to play it left a squad of 7 to battle it out against a fully charged and fully complimented Heelands Rangers. No, Johnny, No William, No Rufus, Our fire power was to be truly tested, No George, No Jacob, No Hugh meant that the back and midfield were also affected.
But the 7 brave men of Gt Horwood that faced the full squad of what looked like forty thousand Heelands, were ready. In fact my spirits soared as we took warm up without the obligatory, tree climbing, mud throwing and grass sod tossing! In fact the discipline was fantastic. Stretching, shooting at goal, passing in 3s. All without back chat, running around screaming etc etc. Even Lewis set the benchmark in listening.
Was that a rainbow I just saw? Was one end of this rainbow showering us with a brilliant colourful glow? Would this prove to be a good omen? Only time would tell.
The boys took their tracksuit bottoms off and jackets and got ready to play. I write this as a point of note as this took rather longer than one would expect for one young man. Having removed his thermal tights, thermal vest, tee shirt, sweatshirt, jerkin and duffle coat, we realised it was Gareth under there!! 25 minutes later we had him on the pitch. Even then the ref asked him to remove his scarf!!! I think Trevor and Kate mistook my email when I said Heelands I think they must have read the foothills of Kilimanjaro!!
So we were on the field and the positions were settled. A new format with Piers and Lewis supporting Fraser in Goal. With Gareth and Olly out wide, Toby roaming through the middle and Liam up front we were ready.
Could wonderboots Knibbs replicate the sensational goal of last week? ......Let's wait and see.
So the referee blew his whistle, (Steve take note!!), and the game kicked off.
We settled quickly, passing well and commanding most of the play. Fraser controlled the goal and caught, threw and kicked with strength and confidence. The link play between defence, wingers and forwards was truly unbelievable. Where had this team been all season?
Heelands were taken by surprise as they are a good 4 or 5 places above us in the league. We were dominating the game. Parents were aghast, they were staring at each other in wonderment. I hadn't seen cheesy grins as big as this since Willy Wonka gave out those marvellous golden tickets.
But playing well is one thing. We have played well many times this season but have been unable to transform this into a winning result, could this be the one?
Again some fantastic play, Piers was kicking the dead ball magnificently dominating the whole pitch. Wherever and whenever there was a throw in for the Ravens, up popped Piers and kept our forward momentum going. We were in the ascendancy. Toby was strong and solid, the backbone of the team, Gareth and Olly played a sublime series of triangle passing with Toby the lynch pin. Liam troubled their defence as he loitered in their box (a leaf out of Mr Linnekers books me thinks). It was only a matter of time before the first goal came. And then......... 1.0. ...............Olly with a blinder.
We continued the onslaught. Gareth and Olly were carving the home team up. Despite some very good defending from their number 9 They couldn't keep our boys down. So just before half time up pops Olly again to make it 2.0. "COME ON RAVENS". Half of me wanted not just the half time whistle to blow but the full time one also, the other half wanted this to go on and on it was so good to watch.
When half time came, there was little to say. The boys were full of confidence, I wanted them to savour this feeling, the only advice offered was to be a bit more vocal in their support of each other, call for passes, applaud good play, be a team united in a quest for victory. We could taste it, but was it a case of premature celebration?..... We have been in good positions before and lost through a lack of concentration.
So back on the pitch and I continued to urge them to focus and support each other. It was a warm day and without any subs I knew that Gareth and Toby can overheat quite easily. However, they continued to battle like warriors and we were soon rewarded with a third from the jolly green boots of Toby. 3.0. This was too good to be true.
Heelands were really determined to get something back. Obviously some encouraging words at half time had got them motivated and soon it was 3.1. Some silly defensive errors left us watching the ball in our box rather than defending it. Fraser had no chance, having totally owned his goal up until this point a loose shot crossed the line.
No time to sulk, Heelands had the ball planted firmly on the centre spot and wanted more.... And more they got.... Of us that is. More sublime interconnecting passes, out from Fraser to Piers, to Olly, to Toby back to Olly, then back to Toby and wham...... 4.1.
I was in heaven..... This was what I was dreaming of when I said yes to taking up the role of coach!!!!
But Heelands weren't finished they pushed really hard and never gave up the fight Lewis really came into his own in the second half having had a quiet first. He shepherded the ball and their players out to the wings and kicked the ball into touch again with strength and confidence. Fraser took some fantastic saves but it was inevitable that they would score. And they did. 4.2 and again they whisked the ball back into the centre spot. They wanted something out of this game and like every winner, they weren't giving up just yet.
But we continued to be strong, we got our voices, I could actually hear the boys calling out for each other, "man on" here and "over to me Piers" there. "Great shot" followed by "good pass". And then the man who had troubled their defence all morning popped up to once again try and break the net with a scorcher. Liams second goal in as many matches.
5.2. to the Ravens. There was no coming back for Heelands and they knew it.
The whistle for full time blew, the handshakes given and then the biggest group of cheshire cats in Buckinghamshire!!!!! Yes, that was the Parents!!!!!!
You can marvel at the 5 from Rooney and Ronaldo et al. However, the 5 from our very own 'Galacticos' made sure that we were going to have a great weekend.
So the only thing left was the man of the match. It was a day like today that actually if I had 7 trophies they would have all had one.
Fraser was brilliant, Lewis was strong, Olly..... What can I say he was a vision. Gareth.... By far and away his best game to date. Toby, strong, confident and playing with a big smile on his face it was wonderful to see. Liam menacing and dangerous up front. All of them brilliant but one stood out, and before you say bias!! I did ask the parents first!!!!! Piers was simply outstanding today. He was everywhere, Kicking every deadball, chasing every throw in. Supporting Lewis and Fraser in Defence, pushing forward at any given opportunity.
So the award went home with Piers this week. But everyone, including the parents took home something far more valuable, something to be cherished all weekend. and that was that great feeling of victory.… Not just victory for victory sake, but a well earned and long awaited win.
Just the tonic I needed to restore my faith in youth football... Actually it is all worth it!!!
I'm sure everyone involved, like myself kept that cheesy grin on all weekend, Mine has reappeared as I write this!!!!
So what a magnificent 7. Well done boys.
Great Horwood Ravens 1 Brook End colts 5
League :- 18th April 2009
"A Knibbs Wondergoal for the Ravens but it was not enough to
escape defeat from a strong Brook End Colts"
Well, after a little extended break from the football updates i'm back!! Me wishing our 'award' winning sports editor to step forward and sprinkle his magic dust across some disappointing results was just too much to ask!! Alas his time has been spent circumnavigating the globe, writing on the greats of the sporting world, popping back now and again to give me some much needed support!!
So anyway back to the activities of this morning. The Easter break had disrupted the team in its preparation for the game today. Many holidays had been had and way too many Easter eggs had been consumed which meant that we had a low turn out and a slow start.
First thing, myself and Fraser prior to the match, separated out all of the cones into matching colours and proceeded to map out the pitch in a very 'organised' and visually 'pleasing' manner!! (You had to be there to see the precision of white one half, yellow the other half, with red parent/fan lines on either side. With the flags blustering in each corner we were ready to get back to the business of playing football.
To the boys annoyance this meant they had to stop playing 'king of the castle' on the mound near the tractor!!
Talking of blustery, it certainly was a brisk morning, where had the spring sunshine gone? Was it staying in till summer? Anyway, more pressing things on my mind, THE TEAM. Where were they!!!!!! Yes, 10.15 and only 4 players. Brook End were ready warmed up and with a fan base that would have put some premiership sides to shame i asked myself would I escape alive if I told them the match was off due to no players!!!! What would I say to Clare and Sarah who had got the tea ready and the chocolate muffins all warmed up!!!!!
I didn't have to worry too long as Gareth and Rufus turned up to save the day! Phew. A quick warm up and we were ready to take on one of the top teams in the Division.
Now, before I go on to the game, have I mentioned our newest recruit to the squad?
No, well let me introduce you to Stephen Adams...... Yes THE Stephen Adams........ Still none the wiser?
Rufus' dad!!
Why a new recruit? Well, seeing as he was the only male parent man enough to attend prior to kick off!!!! (did the 'whistle thrust into your hands' email scare you all off!!!!)
I handed him the whistle and he tentatively walked to the centre circle. (It's ok Kevin it wasn't your shiny, Graham Poll, limited edition, blow louder whistle.) It was my school yard whistle (Actually it was Sarah's!).
Everything was set. Stephen proceeded to engage with the captains ensuring that they played fair, shook hands and all had a jolly good chat. 10 minutes later, having had the boys chatting about the current libor and swap rates with a positive spin on the future dollar sterling rates (he had their parents on their phones to their financial advisers to hedge dollars at current rates!!). So we kicked off, in silence!! no blowing of whistle, how erie.
Things were going well, the boys were passing the ball with confidence, were sticking to positions and supporting each other in defence. Piers, Toby and Liam held up well despite some big strong boys in the Brook End attack. We played through to our midfield and wingers with Rufus and Fraser feeding well and playing off William.
However, against the run of play, (do losing managers always say that)? They sneaked one in. This seemed to trigger a switch in the boys that meant that they decided to go to sleep for a while. This resulted in a second goal to Brook End before half time and meant that we would have to work very hard in the second half if we wanted to get something out of the game.
In terms of the referee, interesting tactics from Stephen who engaged well with the boys. Not afraid to have a chat with them if he felt the need, but was a little tentative on the old 'blowing the whistle' thing!! In fact i'm not sure if I had heard it yet. Not sure if he had delicate ear drums but there was a certain lack of the old shrill pitch ringing through the air. However, he orchestrated and controlled the game impeccably, in fact I believe he covered as much ground as any of the players, (Kevin take note), popping up in both boxes on more than one occasion.
So half time came around. With orange squash and custard creams at the ready courtesy of Clare and Sarah, a team talk ensued. The boys had played well, when they had played that is, switching off all too easily. Was it the thought of school after two weeks off that had them distracted, was it the thought of all of those Easter eggs they had noshed over the weekend? who knows, but what we did know was that if we didn't concentrate and focus on keeping playing for the next 30 minutes we would run out sore losers.
On came Jacob and Gareth and we seemed revitalised. I'm not sure what Clare put in the squash but it certainly did the trick. George turned in an amazing performance. Coming out, diving, catching the ball and palming away a couple of fantastic shots he kept us in the game. But again, 10 minutes into the first half we fell asleep and once again Brook End were ready to pick up the pieces. 3.0 and we had to shake up and wake up. William our sole up front player had played some glorious football but wasn't being consistent enough. It was time for fighters, so off came Will and on came Liam and up front he went.
Yes, Liam was our sole striker, could he make a difference? only time would tell.
He took on the responsibility with professionalism and confidence. Not 5 minutes into his return to the pitch a low ball was driven down the middle and it was met with a thumping strike off the right foot of old wonder boots Knibbs. Ronaldo may have scored from 40 yards earlier on in the week but Liam hit the ball with such ferocity he nearly broke the net!!! 3.1.
Was this the beginning of something good?
Alas no, however, the boys played the remainder of the match with passion, with valour and with a certain level of pride that made me feel great about the team. They continued to pass well and work together as a team. Who cares that they got us on the break a couple more times. We did ourselves proud.
The whistle went for full time...... Did I say Whistle?..... Yes, 60 minutes of courage plucking for Stephen meant that he give it some serious wellie at the very end.
A true referees phreeeet phreeet phreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
(Kevin, I will be looking to you for some guidance on how to spell the sound of a referees whistle!)
Cheers to the winning team and a quick chat as we decided on the man of the match. It was easy really with everyone playing well for parts of the game and a little disappointing for other parts of the game there could only be one receiver of this award.....
Wonder Boots Liam!!! Yes, a scorcher of a shot, a Managers dream substitution!! I almost felt like Ferguson and his Federico Macheda substitution recently!
Well, i'm off for some well earned rest and Stephen is off for some whistle blowing practice, (note. not of the central government kind!!)
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Samba Pele 6
League :- 22nd November 2008
An icy blast came to Gt. Horwood this morning. No, not from Siberia but from Aylesbury as the boys in Blue go down 6-2
An arctic chill settled on Gt Horwood pitch 2 today and it wasn't the cold front coming in from Siberia. No, it was in the form of 7 Boys in yellow bringing their form of wintry wake up from Aylesbury.
After the heavy losses in our previous 2 games, it was with a little apprehension that we faced one of the leading teams in the Division, Samba Pele.
But with a very depleted team we knew that if we stuck to our game plan we could give them a run for their money. We know we can play well when we get off to a sprightly start and pass as a team. That we did with Oliver and Fraser linking up well with Johnny and William, there was little between the two sides.
Their goalkeeper was put to the test on a number of occasions and we were desperately unlucky not to be ahead by 2 or 3 within the first 15 minutes.
But undaunted we carried on piling on the pressure. Some swift play from the back as Piers had a fantastic start, the ball played through the middle and linking up with Johnny, BANG. ... 1-0.
What a start. We were playing like we believed in ourselves. The sub zero temperature didn't seem to bother us that much... well maybe a little. What with Toby looking like the Incredible Hulk with all his layers on and Fraser having difficulty to get his blood circulating to his extremities, I suppose it did affect us a little.
But then. Indecision, indecision.
It was to be our downfall today. the ball played into space was 99 times out of 100 picked up by Samba. All too often we watched as the ball bounced up in the air and watched... and we watched.... and we watched, until a Samba Pele player picked it up and had a whack. 1-1. Poor George had no chance the ball flew in the back of the net.
Kevin was our ref today, and what a fine job he did. I cannot make comment. No silly hat, no silly coat, no helicopters, no ray bans, not even a sloth like performance with a very loud whistle. I was so disappointed. How was I going to get through a match commentary without commenting on our illustrious Mr Garside!! Obviously not wanting to solidify in the cold he actually moved.....not just moved but actually ran!!...... a lot!!
Obviously it wasn't Mr Poll's whistle today as he didn't wake the dogs up as he blew for half time.
(Hurrah, Kevin was about to give me something... something juicy,,, something that could, no would hit the headlines today)
As we all left the field what we didn't realise was that this half time was in fact a virtual half time, a dress rehearsal for the real thing. He wanted to make sure we all got walking off the pitch down to a fine art.
So we all got back on the pitch for another five minutes of play and once again indecision. With Toby and Piers having a philosophical debate as to the virtues of kicking the ball and the effects of the depleting ozone on the height and trajectory of a bouncing spherical object our ball bounced, and bounced.... and bounced and Samba knocked it in. 2-1 and as the whistle blew again we knew it wasn't a dress rehearsal but the real thing.
Not much to say to the boys really. They had played well. Up front we needed to release the ball a little earlier and not try to take on all 7 of their players before having a go. Many times we had 2 unmarked in the box but we still wouldn't let go of the ball.
We were missing some big players but we stuck to our game plan.
Second half and we needed to get off to a crisp start. Samba set off like they were really fired up. The fought for every ball and we simply didn't have the strength. Toby was finding moving with 46 layers on a difficulty and quickly got down to 10. Much better but I think Fraser and Toby needed a bowl of ready brek this morning just to get their bits and bobs well oiled and warmed up.
Oliver was having a great game as was Piers. Running and going for everything, although Piers does like to go into a tackle.... bum first!!!! But there was a magical moment when he actually headed the ball!!!! He was dazed and confused for at least 5 minutes afterwards but it was a bona fide header!!
And for that display Piers was awarded man of the match. Well done Piers.
Fraser was struggling to cope with the cold and Jacob was sent in to do a great job of quelling the Samba attack.
But once again it wasn't to be. They were a strong team that pushed harder and harder as the game progressed.
But we had flashes of brilliance and it wasn't until one of Samba team had sent Johnny tumbling that we really began to wake up and stand shoulder to shoulder with some of their bigger players. In the last minutes Johnny gritted his teeth and decided that he wasn't going to be pushed around any longer. He picked himself up and tackled hard, lay the ball in and wham Olly was there to put it away.
Although that made it 6-2 what it did do is show us that when we push hard and play for every ball we can make a difference.
No major incidents to report, George didn't lose his cap, Kevin didn't lose his whistle, Fraser didn't lose his foot, although there was a moment there when it sounded like he had!! William didn't lose his temper... Well, I think he didn't i'll have to speak to the ref for confirmation. Most importantly I haven't lost my sense of humour!! and more importantly sense of pride as the boys once again played well.
One thing I do love is that after the game, the opposing team all warm down, big debrief disciplined and sensible wind down and discuss tactics for the next game. Our boys........ well, if you look across the field and see the trees on the boundary, you'll find the silhouettes of seven young men climbing through the tress singing and laughing... No, that's what I call enjoying the game of football.
Match Report Paul Burke.
Great Horwood Ravens 0 MK City 11
League Cup:- 15th November 2008
A Heavy Pitch left Heavy Hearts for the U10s
as we exit the Cup for 2008
Yes, although the sun was shining, it was a very heavy pitch that saw the boys in blue and black come unstuck in this second round MK cup tie.
A 7.30am pitch inspection saw that Mr Mole had been busy during the night, but instead of his usual loamy mounds it was big dollops of muddy clay that were left in his wake. It was going to be a tough match, with a heavy pitch and a strong side. Coach Burke was hoping for a little lady luck to come our way.
And it did in the form of our jet setting iconic coach from last year Kevin. He had just flown in from St Tropez for moral support, the rotor blades of his personal chopper had yet to stop turning as the first goal went in for MK. 'Keep the engine running' I heard him shout to his pilot as he prepared to be whisked away to Twickers for the international this afternoon.
But the battle continued. No sooner had he removed his aviators and put them in his top pocket, it was 3-0.
The boys slowly settled and for a while it looked like we could get back into the game. But MK City were a very well oiled machine. From their disciplined and focused warm up drills to their organisation and passing play. They came here with a determination to win and maintain the order of Division 2 teams beating Division 6 teams. And they did not disappoint
They were simply too strong. Our boys put on a valiant effort and we had moments where we were on top of the game. But they continued to break all of our attacks down quickly and then have us on the run with their counter attacking. Johnny and William worked hard to push the ball through but their midfield and defence were an impenetrable barrier. They stood strong and maintained their shape at all times. Our wingers Hugh, Olly, Jacob and Gareth struggled with the pace as they constantly kept us under pressure. Olly made some super corner kicks but their defence continued to hold firm.
Our defence, again, worked their socks off. Lewis stood up well and tried to take the ball up a number of times, Liam stood strong and Toby, again fought like a lion. Toby popped up at the front on a number of occasions and was denied only by the brilliant goalkeeping from our opponents. We tried Rufus up front but it was apparent he is our danger man when he plays up the middle and strikes from deep inside our half. He also, in the dying seconds of the game, ran the length of the pitch to deny them a final goal by flinging all 11ft of his body and size 16 boot in front of an outstretched MK City attacker. Another goal thwarted, well done Rufus.
We tried different tactics but each time they came back stronger than ever. Our heads went down a little in the 3rd quarter of the game but then we rallied and pushed hard for the last 15 minutes.
The swirling grass and the sound of rotor blades in the distance meant that Kevin was long gone, as was the final outcome of this game. The score, by this time, was insignificant, what was significant was that our boys did not let the scoreline affect their mood. Again gracious in defeat we cheered and applauded the MK City players. They were a good side and we were well beaten.
Now, there is one player I have yet to mention. By the end of the game he was definitely voted the muddiest player on the pitch, He also, I believe was the busiest player on the pitch. Without him I think the scoreline, had I printed it, could have been misinterpreted as a mis type for an international telephone call centre!!
And that one player is....... George Samways. It was an outstanding performance from George. He blocked, he held onto the ball, his kick outs were strong and he was not afraid to run in on the attacker, closing them down and putting them off at every opportunity.
He was the man of the match by far and probably the best performance from him this season. (James, more late nights and four hour sleeps please). He commanded his area and he filled the boys with so much confidence that on at least 10, or was it 20 occasions, it was often George against 4 or 5 MK City players. And more often than not George won!!
Well done George.
Great Horwood Ravens 1 New City Saints 8
(1st November 2008)
THE RAIN FELL, THE WIND BLEW BUT GREAT HORWOOD U10s SPIRITS REMAIN HIGH DESPITE WORST DEFEAT OF THE SEASON SO FAR
A cold, wintry wind blew down Great Horwood pitch 2 today as New City Saints arrived on a blustery winters day.
With the pitch marked and the team warmed up by Henry, we were ready to get back to our winning ways.
A bad pre season decision by myself to wear shorts through the season (just because the boys have to), meant that the boys couldn't hear the pre match team talk because of the din my knees made as they knocked together and my teeth chattered. There were reports of complaints of the noise over in Whaddon.
Anyway, first decision of the day, the referee!! (seeing as though no one volunteered!!)
"Please step forward who would like to referee the game ".....
At that point an eire silence swept the pitch! I'm sure I saw the dust rise and tumbleweed appear as the swirling wind blew through the supporters. The silence became deafening. So our captains of industry, leaders of our country and the super intelligencia of Great Horwood and surrounding villages were left shy, forlorn and mumbling excuses of not knowing the rules, not being fit, not being correctly attired etc etc etc. It sounded like my field management team on a Monday morning when I ask why we haven't hit sales target for the week!!
So i'm not sure whether Dominic took one step forward or the rest of the parents took one step backwards, whatever, the whistle was placed in his hands and the rabbit that was caught up in the headlights took his place in the centre circle. I'm afraid it wasn't Kevin's shiny new whistle but al least it had a pea in it!!
We were now set, the wind was bitterly cold, the rain started to fall heavily but this didn't dampen either sides spirits.
The whistle blew and we kicked off to a brisk pace. Within minutes everything that we had been practising for began to pay off. The boys were passing well, moving with pace into space and it wasn't long before Hugh played down the wing from Toby crossed in to William...... 1-0.
A FANTASTIC start..... but it wasn't to last. New City Saints got the bit between their teeth and came straight back at us. Playing super football they passed and ran into space and soon enough overpowered us to make it 1-1.
But we didn't put our heads down once. They had some really strong players, a goalkeeper that could stop Ronaldo from scoring and I'm sure it was Gary Neville who took their throw ins. Even from their own half they made every throw in feel like a corner kick, and speaking of corner kicks, they had a young man who gave our Oliver a good run for his money.
They worked hard and their No. 9 ran our Jacob into the ground. The only good thing was that they were certainly keeping him warm as he ran remorselessly up and down the pitch. As did everyone. Toby in goal stopped many a certainty, Fraser kept his shape at the back and Hugh and Oliver ran valiantly up and down the wing. William came back to pick up the ball and Rufus worked hard to support the defence.
But it wasn't to be. At 7-1 down, Dominic put the whistle to his mouth and blew with all his might.… The dogs residing at the kennels thought Kevin was back, such was its ferocity and they barked their displeasure at being awoken out of their cold slumber.
Time for some changes. Jacob put on his coat and had a nice warm cup of tea, he had run his heart out for the team, as did Hugh. With Liam, Lewis and Finlay on, Toby out of goal and Fraser taking up the challenge of goalkeeper. We were set to come back strong.
From the outset we pushed hard and tackled strong. The boys never ever gave up, not once. Charge after charge they battled well and Finlay desperate to score, found some great positions up front. Liam dug in well and Lewis revitalised the right hand side. He was everywhere today, tackling, chasing running at goal but it was going to be difficult to come back from such a first half score.
The wind continued to blow hard, Rufus although built like a 15 year old, still only has enough blood in his body for a 10 year old and it wasn't getting to his limbs quick enough!! as time went on the temperature dropped and Rufus became frozen to the spot!! Fraser was turning blue and put my sweatshirt on for the final minutes which left me not only in shorts but now in T shirt!!!! Piers came on for the last 5 minutes and again we had a resurgence as we continued to push hard to get another goal. Toby shot after shot but today wasn't to be our day.
But again we never gave up. They scored a lucky one near the end but it didn't matter, the game was won and New City Saints could pat themselves on the back for a great performance.
The scoreline didn't reflect the run of the game. They certainly deserved to win on the balance of play but we had almost as many chances to score and on another day it would have been much closer.
One thing I am very proud of today is the effort and the remorseless determination demonstrated by each and every one of the boys playing. They ran and ran and never once let their heads go down. That for me was the best game of the season. We learned to take defeat graciously, our gamesmanship was superb, the boys never once acted in a dispirited manner, they worked together, they played for each other and they never gave up.
SO WELL DONE BOYS
I'm sure you are now all off for a warm bath and a cup of hot chocolate. I think I'll do the same!
If we continue to play like we did today we will get our winning form back again I am sure. Thanks for the parents for their support and let's see what we can do on Wednesday at training.
Man of the Match today was......... Dominic, particularly for his silky skills off the ball and the artistic flair in which he blew his whistle. Like a giraffe in a tutu, he danced across the surface of the pitch effortlessly and made the whistle sing like a nightingale....
... Only Joking it was Lewis. He came on today and revitalised the team - He ran well, tackled hard and even made some great positions up front, so well done Lewis.
Paul Burke: Home Match Report:
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Cranfield Colts Cougars 3
(11th October 2008)
U10s WINNING RUN IS THWARTED BY STRONG CRANFIELD TEAM....
Another beautiful morning, the sun shining, the birds singing and Kevin looking dapper even without the hat!! However, he didn't disappoint as he had his shiny new whistle with him and he was ready to blow it... very hard!
The boys lined up against a strong side, undefeated and sitting top of the league Cranfield warmed up with a true sense of desire to win the game.
But the Ravens weren't to be put off or unnerved. The boys were also coming into this game undefeated and confidence was high.
Henry Burke took them for warm up whilst the coach and James attempted to put the goals together!! I think Quantum Physics would be easier.
11 attempts later and several trips back to the shed for more pieces we finally got there, (whoever put them in the bag wants a severe talking to).
With George out with the dreaded......... bubonic pneumonia, sorry I mean cold. It meant it was up to the coach to reshuffle the outfield players and in went a valiant, capped and gloved Fraser.
The referee sauntered into the Centre Circle (where he remained for the rest of the half), and blew his shiny, new whistle, my what a beautiful pitch it had, shrill and sharp. It made all the dogs in the nearby kennels bark with delight!! The game set off at a brisk pace. Ravens passing was crisp and decisive. We had the best of the opening session with the strong spine of Piers, Toby, Rufus and Johnny up front. This was strengthened even further with Olly and Hugh on the wings and Fraser in Goal.
It wasn't long before we took the lead, some lovely interconnecting passes through the midfield to find Rufus who zipped the ball into the back of the net.
1-0 and with all the possession the boys grew more and more confident. But alas, we let one slip with an unexpected break by Cranfield... 1.1.
We dug in and with a real determined effort Hugh laid on to Johnny who unexpectedly laid on to Rufus who almost burst the back of the net with a superb Volley.
2-1 and I think that was the sound of Kevin's new whistle to mark half time.
Exhausted from his rangey runs around the centre circle Kevin came off for a 10 minute lie down. (my how he had worked hard in that first half!!).
A few tactical changes and several slurps of energy inducing liquid into the boys tums and we were ready for the next 30 minutes.
With a wonderful array of home made cakes courtesy of Claire and Jo (Yummy), even the away squad and fans said it was the best half time refreshements they had experienced this year so far!! Thanks Sarah.
Back to the game...
Unfortunately the tactical changes didn't pay off and before Kevin had chance to put his whistle away from his half time start he had to blow again for an equaliser from Cranfield (Have I told you it was Kevins new whistle? Graham Poll gave it to him!). Oxygen was rushed on, in fact I think Simon gave Kevin a couple of puffs on Toby's inhaler. It did the trick and he was back on his feet, firmly planted on the centre spot!
Jacob in goal was a revelation as he held the ball well and Finlay and Liam came on to build our defences up.
We continued to have all of the possession, however, Cranfield were beginning to advance on the Ravens and a few well placed passes were beginning to unsettle us. With only 5 minutes to play they broke and one of those telling passes cost us dear. We continued to hold on and as much as we cheered and encouraged the boys, we were pushing hard to hold onto a draw which was the least we deserved. 20 minutes later (I know I said there was only 5 minutes left but I think Kevin by this time had fallen asleep, (guess where? Yes, the centre circle!!).
One telling pass too many and it was 3-2.
By this time I had lost my voice and we had made a couple of attempts to get back into the game but unfortunately Kevin had woken up and blew his whistle for full time.
The dogs went mad again and the Cranfield boys cheered with delight.
It wasn't to be our day and it put an end to such a fantastic start for us this season.
But we've have nothing to be ashamed of. Every boy played magnificently and it was a true show of their spirit and determination to keep on going even after 25 minutes of extra time played!!
I was personally proud of every one of the boys. Fraser, Jacob and a short spell from Toby performed magnificently in goal, Piers made some important, crunching tackles with Finlay and Liam both standing strong and keeping their positions well. Toby once again dominating the centre along with Rufus who was big across every part of the field. Hugh and Olly on the wings played like good old fashioned wingers, plenty of pace and the positions they got themselves into were tremendous. Johnny up front, well it wasn't to be a goal scoring day for Mr Wonderboots but he did play a crucial role in laying the ball off to the other front runners.
One final thing, Olly's corners were something to behold. Our positioning on the whole was brilliant, we put them under tremendous pressure every time we had a corner kick and on another day it would have been 8-3 to the Ravens.
So well done boys, I've just sent a text through to a friend of mine (Alex Ferguson - - Honestly I have). I said how proud I was of you all and that I cannot believe how bitterly disappointed I was that you didn't get what you deserved. His response?
No not the hairdryer but he text back...
"If I had a pound for every game that we should have won but didn't I'd be a millionaire, (Hang on a minute, he is a millionaire!!). He also said Paul, if you can take on board that feeling of disappointment, learn from your mistakes and build on them for the next game. the win will be all that more triumphant in the future"
So we've got to pick ourselves up, put the loss behind us and get back on the pitch this Wednesday..... with lights! and work hard on defence and shooting.
Woburn Lions Tornadoes 6 Great Horwood Ravens 6
(4th October 2008)
U10s extend their unbeaten record to 3.....But Only Just!!
A nail biting second half may have been great for the non partisan but was definitely too much pressure on the coach, players and fans alike.
Yes, it was an early start for the parents.... I mean the boys as we set out to continue on our victorious run. 1 league and 1 friendly wins behind us saw us march to Woburn feeling confident. The confidence was knocked a little when upon opening my emails I noted that Rufus was stricken with the worse known disease to man (and when I say man I mean the male of the species).......... A cold.
Fear not we gathered our strength and ploughed on.
Arriving at Woburn we were still confident that we could be a match for whoever, whatever and whenever, regardless of a shortage of strength within our defensive, midfield and attacking lines (yes Rufus is that good!!)
With a quick warm up, some of which included playing on the climbing frame and the swings. (sometimes think i'm coaching the under 6s!!), we set about taking care of business.
And that's exactly what we did as we began at a fantastic pace. Solid goalkeeping from George was matched pound fro pound by a brick wall defence of Lewis and Piers.
Toby worked hard in the centre and as the cold air gripped his lungs medication was required. Two short puffs on his inhaler and he was a different person, a lion out for the kill, strutting and striding up and down the pitch as he kicked, headed and forced his way through the opposing defence.
With Oliver and Gareth on the wings the play was sublime. And with Johnny up front it completed what was to be a dream team.
25 minutes later we were 4-1 ahead. Some fantastic passing and superb close play meant that we had split them apart with focused, incisive passing and beautiful close footwork. Oliver and Gareth on the wings was just something to behold and was rewarded with goals from both of them that would be worthy of goal of the month, or at least a replay on tonight's match of the day.
With Oliver grabbing another of Roonyiesk proportions and Johnny stealing a late first half goal we were in line for giving this side a serious drubbing.
Half time came and there was little more to say. A few tactical changes brought both William and Hugh onto the field.
Then disaster struck.
What happened? was it over confidence, a lack of concentration or even a lack of respect for the opposing team? Our defence was chatting about the weather or was it the tellitubbies, midfield and attack were playing eye spy in the opposing team's box. Whatever it was, 10 minutes into the second half and we were losing 6-4!!!!
A few more tactical changes (well actually throw everyone up into the opposing teams box!!) and we once again began to dominate.
Hugh made some 'bone crunching tackles' to really demonstrate his desire to get us back in the game. Johnny and William struggled a little as a front partnership, both wanting the ball to be glued to their boot and letting their heads dip a little, but a 'little' encouragement from the coach and respective dads soon had them up and running again!
We pushed and we pushed and were rewarded with another goal from the boot of Johnny. This was real Roy of the Rovers stuff as the crowd went wild. Ours screaming for more attack, the Woburn Lions' screaming for more defence.
6-5 and only minutes to go, up popped Oliver to put in a beautiful corner. I think at least 6 of the opposing team handled but Toby stuck it in the back of the net... YYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS 6-6 we could get another here and get what we deserve.
But no, in all the excitement, the drama, the melee, the referee had blown for a penalty. Shattered the fans settled down whilst Johnny placed the ball on the spot.
The whistle blew and Johnny delivered. At last 6 all.
With the Ravens now in the ascendancy it would be only a matter of time before we got the seventh. But alas, time is not what we were given, the whistle went and a draw it was.
The referee commented to me it was the best game of under 10s he has ever refereed, (i'm not sure if was his first, but who cared, it really was a great game).
So we continue our unbeaten run and stretch it to three in a row.
The boys all deserve a great big round of applause they certainly entertained us for over an hour, however, Kevin and that hat of his possibly entertained us a little more and for a little longer!!
We all left having thoroughly enjoyed a great game. Thanks boys.
WEDNESDAY 6PM TRAINING.
Note. I'm trying to get out of going up to Scotland next week if i'm not there...
Tips for Wednesday.
1. George some more high balls and kicking from out of your hand (great approaching and some sublime saves today) 2. Defence - Concentration Concentration Concentration - Watching your positions relative to where the play is. 3. Midfield/Wing - More passing, taking time to seek out that goal scoring opportunity 4. Attack - More shooting from afar and looking up and passing
Newport Pagnell Town 1 Great Horwood Ravens 2
(20th Sept 2008)
Newport Pagnell falter as the Ravens U10s continue to rise.
A very beautiful sunny day which hopefully kick starts the summer for us here in the UK was the welcome we received from our hosts Newport Pagnell U10s. With a meticulously marked and wonderfully cut pitch allied to a very impeccably coordinated Newport team, and that wasn't just their attire!! the scene was set for our first real challenge.
This may have been a friendly to us but it was obviously much more to them.
With Trevor doing the warm up, which will involve parent participation next time, we prepared ourselves for the next 60 minutes.
The whistle blew and we kicked off to a brisk pace. William up front taking command for the first time began the match with great gusto and was calling on his team for support. That support came quick and fast. Both Matthew and Hugh ran like lions in for the kill. Rounding their prey they pushed hard with dogged determination to ensure that we had the lions share of the ball in the first half.
But try as we did the deadlock couldn't be broken. It needed something special and something special is what came next. William with, what words can only describe as sublime, came up with a master class in dribble, touch, flair and....... a little bit of showing off!!! Yes, he Ronaldoed 1, nutmegged another and whilst the coach and all our supports were shouting to pass, he sidestepped a third to put the ball in the net through an incredible acute angle!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
The key now was to ensure we protected our goal, didn't make any silly mistakes and ensure that we could capitalise on our lead.
And that is exactly what we did. With Liam on the sidelines (hope you're back on your feet Liam), it was Piers who had to stand in at the 11th hour (phew that means we're friends again!). and with Finlay, Jacob and Gareth they all worked hard throughout the game to ensure George had little to do. However, when called upon George never let us down. quick to come out and fearless near the boot of an opposing player George commanded his area like a strutting peacock!
However, as the game progressed more and more pressure was being applied by Newport who did not want to go down at home. This left us a little wanting at the back as they created more and more spaces as we struggled to keep on top of their attackers (more training for us over the next few weeks).
We needed something special to take the pressure off, we'd already had a contender for the goal of the season so what could we possibly do. Well up pops Rufus, already a hero on the day what with his eagerness to get up there with the attackers to score, running strongly to support the midfield and then valiantly coming to our rescue on numerous occasions at the back., He is the Ian 'Beefy' Botham of our times without whom we couldn't function as effectively as we do. He gives the team confidence and an air of invincibility!!
So could we hold on? could we increase our lead? The game was on a knife edge. Then to our advantage we'd played the ball into Newport's area and managed to win a corner.
Up steps Will to take, the team remembered the positions, lots of movement close in, with Jacob at the back behind the humdrum, Gareth stepping just outside the box ready for the ball to come out and Rufus moving in as William crossed. The ball whipped in at a stinging pace, a beautiful connection by Rufus and we were 2-0 up.
2 contenders for goal of the season in one game it couldn't get any better.... and it didn't!!
Newport continued to push very hard. and they were rewarded right on the whistle as they created one space too many for us and tapped in a final goal to make the final score 2.1 to the Ravens.
So a very big well done to the team. Once again a difficult game to present a man of the match award to, however, there was one player who always shows incredible determination every minute he is out on the field. Today he ran, he tackled, he got into great positions and created open space through his incisive passing. And that was Hugh
Man of the match well deserved and well done to Hugh and the whole team.
Can this winning streak continue? More training, more listening and using the skills we are developing and the tactics we are working on on the training field and who knows.
One thing's for certain, the Ravens are up for beating everyone this season come rain or shine.
Go Ravens Go.
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Olney Town Colts Meteors 1
(6th Sept 2008)
Well, A bit chaotic to start with. The friendly on before us ending late and dismantling our goals to make up their own didn't help but Mike offered to Ref as penance!
So what about the game - Couldn't have got off to a better start me thinks. 2-1 and a rather good display from one and all. The weather held and despite the rain beforehand the pitch held up quite nicely.
I think the bigger pitch, (width was at the maximum Justin, I checked our max and U11s minimum), Really helped us to maintain our shape and probably will make it a little easier for you to get them off to sleep tonight, there were certainly a few red faces out there.
A cautious start for the new coaching staff offering up a diamond formation with 3 defenders, 2 midfield and 1 up front. This continued throughout the first half and whilst it gave us great strength at the back Johnny was often the sole attacker with no one to play off. However, some searching runs, valiant midfielding and staunch defending a break had to come our way as we continued to dominate proceedings.
Ollie Oakley came on midway through the first half and with a ranging run out to the left he let fly with a cross/shot that saw itself fly into the top left hand corner.
Half time and a tactical change. Suggestions from the back-seat made me change formation.
30 seconds into the second half they score, I'm not listening to the back seat drivers again!!
But we reconfigured our team, we pushed more upfield and played pretty close to the wind on occasions. However, the defence did not let us down and with each minute passing it was only a matter of time before we slipped one in the back of the net.
Mass defending and some tremendous saves from the Olney goalkeeper couldn't keep us down. I noted Toby commenting to his mum on the phone at half time that he'd nearly scored and that he was going to score in the second half and that's exactly what he did.
A goal mouth scramble and Big T puts us 2-1 in front.
It could have been 4 but the whistle blew for full time and a relieved new coach jumped for joy.
Well done boys, a great display for our first proper outing this season. You showed composure, discipline and most of all a great attitude to working hard for your fellow team mates.
I couldn't single out any man of the match this week so YOU ARE ALL MEN OF THE MATCH.
We will continue to focus on the basics during training this Wednesday.
1. Throwing, corners and dead ball situations. 2, I want to bring in passing on Wednesday as this will be the key to our success this season. 3. I also want to talk to you about positions and the importance of using your position on the field to open up space, 4. and of course we can't have training without a game!!
But for today
George - Some valiant saves and some very big kicks!! - more 1-2-1 with Trevor and we'll move even further forward Jacob - Continued your heroic tackles from training and ran and ran for us. Liam - Some close marking and a strong foot in at crucial times gave us the strength we needed. Finlay - Some level headed defending and good positional play today again not afraid to get stuck in Lewis - Again strong in defence, good communications with your fellow defenders and disciplined in your approach never moving out of position. Piers - Settled down when in defence. Some couragous tackles and great running all the time, you give us confidence when you defend like that. Toby - Big, strong, all over the park...... and what a goal - You promised and you delivered!! Hugh - Once again, never afraid to get right in the thick of it, great running into good positions, got to get you shouting louder and your team mates looking up. Gareth - My fault I put you out of position but you worked incredibly hard running into great positions and offering up some great goalscoring opportunities (I won't put you in defence next time!!) Oliver - A lovely touch with the ball Ollie, good footwork and smooth running skills, more of that for the future. Rufus - A giant on the pitch. Everywhere and involved with everything whether defending or attacking we know we are in safe hands with you with the ball. William - So close to the goal today, lots of goal mouth action with some great dribbling skills - we'll be calling on them this season I can assure you. Johnny - Some fantastic running Johnny, supporting your defenders, running with your midfielders and up there leading the way on your own. Super dead ball skills, just all to often swamped by Olney Town ants when in their box. More distance shots and you'll be racking up the goal tally in no time.
Well done everyone.

Great Horwood Football Club Seniors:- Firsts and Reserves Juniors:- Under 15's, 12's 11's,10's 9's, 8's 7's an for this year only Under 6's

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