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Under 9's Reports 2008-09
Stony Stratford Scorpions 1 Great Horwood Ravens 1
9th May 2009
The under 9’s continued their good end of season form with a 1-1 draw against Stony Stratford Town Scorpions.
The first half was very close with both sides playing good passing football. Marcus, Evan and Matty combined well up front to create a few half chances for the Ravens and at the other end Matthew, Gus and George defended valiantly at times to break down the Scorpions attack. The best chances of the half probably fell to the Scorpions – both long range shots, supported by the wind, but Daniel saved both of them brilliantly. The first half finished 0-0.
The Ravens started the second half in a more determined mood and had a good 10 minute spell where they controlled midfield and played some good attacking football. Following good work by Kieran, Matthew and Marcus, Daniel had a couple of shots which narrowly missed the goal. The Ravens finally broke the deadlock when Daniel made a well timed pass over to Matthew who powered the ball into the net. Shortly afterwards the Ravens could have made it 2-0 from a great corner taken by Marcus which Daniel headed at the back post but again it went narrowly wide. The Scorpions however got back into the match after one of their players was fouled on the edge of the box. The resultant free kick was unstoppable as the ball sailed into the top of the Ravens net. The Ravens finished the game defending heavily and James making some good saves in goal. In the end a 1-1 draw was probably a fair result.
The boys should be pleased with how they’ve finished the season with three wins and a draw whilst only conceding the one goal. They’ve come on a huge way over the season, tightening up at the back, playing some neat passing football in midfield and scoring some great goals up front – in fact the team have scored almost twice as many goals as they have conceded which is an amazing improvement compared to last year. The season is not quite yet over as the team looks forward in a positive spirit to the summer tournaments.
Ravens Scorer
Matthew Taylor
Team
· George
· Daniel
· Gus
· Evan
· Marcus
· Matty H
· Kieran
· James
· Matthew T
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Harrold & Carlton Wolves 0
2nd May 2009
The under 9’s continued their good end of season form with their third straight win without conceding a goal.
A goal in each half gave the Ravens the win in a hard fought match against a strong Harrold & Carlton side.
The first half was very even with both sides having good attacks on goal. Matty had the best of the Ravens early chances and narrowly shot wide on a number of occasions – the best move coming after a great pass by Joseph up to Matty whose shot went inches past the near post. Both George and Gus played very well in defence but special mention should go to James in goal who pulled off a string of great saves including an excellent tip over the crossbar following a good Harrold free kick. Adam also played exceptionally well in midfield with some great tackles to win back possession. The Ravens finally got their goal after Adam broke from midfield and fired the ball into the back of the net. The half ended 1-0 to the Ravens.
The second half was also an even contest with Marcus going into goal and James moved up front. Kieran and Evan both worked hard in midfield and made some strong runs to pressure the Harrold goal. At the other end Marcus made some brave saves. The second Great Horwood goal came after some good passing up to James who finished well for his first goal for the Ravens!
Another good all round performance by the under 9’s who deserved their win.
Ravens Scorers
Adam, James
Team
· Adam
· Joseph
· Gus
· Evan
· Matty H
· Kieran
· George
· James
· Marcus
Central Milton Keynes Galaxy 0 Great Horwood Ravens 2
4th April 2009
The under 9’s carved out a great 2-0 win against a very good Central MK team.
The first half started very evenly with a lot of play taking place in midfield. Marcus, Adam and Matthew all played strongly and the Ravens had a few half chances with Matty having a couple of long range shots. The Ravens defence of George and Kieran closed down any Galaxy attacks neatly. Near the end of the half Daniel came on for Matty and John replaced George in defence. The Ravens started to push forward more and had their best chance of the half late on with some good play by both Daniel and Adam and Kieran going close with the shot.
The second half began in a much higher tempo with Central MK pushing forward strongly. However with 5 minutes of the 2nd half gone, Adam made a superb long pass behind the Galaxy defenders and Daniel timed his run well, collected the ball and shot low past the keeper to make it 1-0 to the Ravens. Shortly after Adam could have made it 2-0 after some great dribbling and turning but his shot went straight to the keeper. It wasn’t long however before the Ravens did get their second goal after two strong tackles by Daniel in the Galaxy box and the ball fell to Matthew who drilled it into the back of the net. Central MK had a number of late chances but they were closed down by George, John and Kieran. Matty also did great in goal, in particularly a great save late on as he punched the ball clear.
Another good all round performance by the Ravens – well done to all the boys!
Ravens Scorers
Daniel, Matthew
Team
· Adam
· George
· Joseph
· Daniel
· Marcus
· Matty H
· Kieran
· John
· Matthew T
Great Horwood Ravens 6 Cranfield Colts Cyclones 0
21st March 2009
In glorious sunshine the under 9’s put in a great team performance to get back to winning ways.
The Ravens were 2-0 up within the first two minutes during an explosive start to the match. Evan scored the first goal with a well taken shot into the corner of the Cranfield net. Matthew Taylor got the second after some great passing play by Adam and Matty before Matthew coolly finished. The Ravens midfield controlled the match with some strong tackling and quick forward passing with Evan in particular showing some great skill on the ball. Gus and Kieran in defence and Daniel in goal dealt neatly with any Cranfield attack. As the half progressed the Ravens won a series of corners which were superbly taken by Matty but couldn’t be converted. Matthew got his second goal of the day after some neat control and passing from midfield. The first half ended 3-0.
The second half saw Matty go in goal and Daniel went up front. The Ravens defence continued to play well with some strong play by Marcus and Evan. George and Daniel combined well on a number of occasions with some good runs down the wing and were unlucky not to score. The Ravens fourth goal came from Adam who controlled a high bouncing ball, beating the keeper in the process, and knocking the ball over the line. The Under 9’s finished the match as they started with two quick goals. The first was scored by Daniel with a strong shot into the far corner of the net. The second was scrambled over the line by Adam after Cranfield failed to clear the ball.
Overall a commanding performance by the Ravens where they controlled midfield and showed some great passing and dribbling skills, as well as good finishing.
Ravens Scorers
Evan, Matthew Taylor (x2), Adam (x2), Daniel
Team
· George
· Daniel
· Gus
· Evan
· Marcus
· Matty H
· Kieran
· Adam
· Matthew T
Two Mile Ash 3 Great Horwood Ravens 0
7th March 2009
The under 9’s were disappointed to lose this match and should have been 5-0 up at half time if it wasn’t for the woodwork, goal-line clearances and some excellent goal keeping.
The Ravens won the toss and decided to play down hill and had most of the possession in a first half which saw a series of certain goals somehow stay out. In the first minute the Ravens had a great opportunity with Matthew’s shot being blocked on the line and scrambled away. A few minutes later Adam’s shot hit the cross bar. Credit should also go to the Two Mile Ash keeper who made some excellent saves and was kept very busy. By comparison James, in the Ravens goal, had little to do. Frustratingly the first half finished 0-0.
The second half started in a similar vein with the Ravens pushing forward up the hill but Two Mile Ash also began to get into the match. By this stage the boys were beginning to tire and with 15 minutes of the match remaining the Ravens defence failed to clear the ball and Two Mile Ash scored. In quick succession Two Mile Ash got two further goals. The Ravens didn’t give up and all pushed forward forcing a series of great saves by the Two Mile Ash keeper. The match ended 3-0 to Two Mile Ash.
All the boys played well today but special mention should go to Evan who battled hard in midfield and had an excellent match.
Team
Adam, George, Joseph, Daniel, Gus, Evan, John, James, Matthew T
Moretonvile 2 Great Horwood Ravens 1
28th February 2009
The Under 9’s played very well again in a high tempo shield match, dominating the first half, but went out to a lucky goal in the final few minutes.
The Ravens started with huge confidence and had a series of excellent attacks during the first 15 minutes with Adam, Matthew and Matty combining really well up front to pressure the Moretonville defence. Kieran also played exceptionally well in a holding role between defence and midfield. Against the run of play however it was Moretonville who scored first with the striker finishing well after getting in behind the Ravens defence. Moretonville had a few more chances but these were well handled by Gus and James in defence and Daniel in goal. The Ravens however kept their heads high and continued to push forward. The equaliser came with about 5 minutes of the first half remaining. Daniel kicked a huge goal kick which landed near the Moretonville box. Adam got on the end of it well but his shot was cleared off the line however Matthew was there to knock it into the back of the net. The first half finished 1-1 with the Ravens playing the better football.
The second half was a different game with Moretonville making better use of their big height advantage to dominate midfield. This meant that the Ravens were defending for large parts of the second half but it never really looked like Moretonville would score with Matthew making some exceptional tackles and clearances and Joe doing well in goal. With 3 minutes of the match remaining however Moretonville crossed a hopeful ball into the Ravens box which somehow managed to bounce into the far corner of the net. The Ravens didn’t give up and pushed all their players forward to grab an equaliser. In the last minute it looked as if the Ravens had got the goal they deserved with a neat chip by Marcus over the Moretonville keeper – but the ball hit the bottom edge of the crossbar and was scrambled away.
All the boys should be proud of their performance today – they played well as a team and were unlucky to go out.
Ravens Scorers
Matthew Taylor (1)
Team
· Adam, Joseph, Daniel, Gus, Matthew T, Marcus, Matty H, Kieran, James
Great Horwood Ravens 9 Waterhall Stars 1
After being snowed off for two weeks the Under 9’s were raring to go and played some great football in a superb 9-1 win.
The first half started evenly with chances at both ends but Adam soon opened the scoring following a goal mouth scramble – his shot slightly coming off a defender on its way to the back of the goal. Adam scored his second a few minutes later with a coolly taken goal after he broke free from the Waterhall defence. At the other end Joseph made a number of fine saves and Gus and James made some decisive tackles. The Ravens midfield of Evan, Daniel and Marcus all worked hard and each of them had chances to extend the score. With 10 minutes of the first half remaining Matty came on for Adam and Kieran replaced Evan. Both made a big impact. Firstly Matty made a good run and was brought down at the edge of the box. His subsequent free kick was drilled into the goal leaving the goalkeeper standing. Kieran then had his chance with a good run with the ball from the half way line which he crossed to the far post where Daniel was waiting. Daniel made sure of the goal but the consensus was the ball had already crossed the line so the goal was given to Kieran. The first half finished 4-0 to the Ravens.
The second half was equally exciting. Daniel had a host of half chances and he finally got his goal with a strong shot at the edge of the box. By this stage the Ravens were rampant and Adam got his hat trick following some nice passing from midfield. Gus, who had been substituted at half time, was then brought back on in attack and soon got his goal with an excellent turn and shot with his left foot. Waterhall had a number of chances at the other end with James making some good saves and Evan and Marcus playing well in defence. Kieran and Matty both had strong games in midfield with some great passing and Joseph also played well frequently demonstrating his turning and dribbling skills to move the ball out of defence. With 10 minutes of the match remaining Waterhall deservedly got a goal back with some nice passing play round the Ravens defence to make it 7-1. The Ravens weren’t finished though and Adam got his fourth goal of the game after breaking free again from the Waterhall defence. The final goal of the game came from a superb corner by Joseph which bounced off the goalkeeper onto the far post and then into the net.
Overall a great team display with five different boys scoring. In fact all of the boys had chances to score and 3 or 4 of them could have had a hat trick but Adam deservedly took the limelight with his superb four goals.
Well done to the whole team.
Ravens Scorers
Adam (4), Matty (1), Kieran (1), Daniel (1), Gus (1), Own goal (1)
Team
· Adam, Joseph,Daniel, Gus, Evan, Marcus, Matty H, Kieran, James,
Newton Longville Legends 5 Great Horwood Ravens 2
The U9’s battled hard against a strong Newton Longville team in an entertaining end to end match.
The first half kicked off at a frantic pace with both teams tackling hard in mid-field. Newton Longville scored the first goal after some neat passing up to their striker who got in behind the Ravens defence but Great Horwood continued to push forward and were soon rewarded with an equaliser. A number of Ravens players including Matthew, Evan and Matty combined to get the ball to Daniel at the far post who neatly put the ball in the back of the net to make it 1-1. The Ravens continued to push forward and had a number of good chances which went wide of the goal. At the other end George, Gus and John all played well to clear the Newton Longville attacks and James made a string of good saves in goal. With the first half nearing an end Newton Longville however snatched their second goal with an excellent long range shot.
Early in the second half the Legends extended their lead with two more goals but Great Horwood continued to fight hard and Evan scored a lovely goal from the edge of the box to make it 4-2. Joseph played well up front and the boys felt they could still get back into the match but a late Newton Longville attack saw the ball ricochet around the Ravens box and high into the net. The match ended 5-2 to Newton Longville.
The boys all played well today and should be pleased with their performance despite the loss. Special praise should also go to the young referee who did an excellent job throughout this high tempo game.
Ravens Scorers
Daniel Springall, Evan Carter
Team
· George, Daniel, Gus, Evan, Matty H, Joseph, John, James, Matthew T.
MKDJ7 Indoor Football Festival 11th January 2009
Despite the early Sunday morning start, the Under 9’s came away from the IFF with a creditable playing record. In an evenly matched group we Played 6, Won 3, Drew 1, and Lost 2.
The Ravens won their first two games 1-0. In the first against Southside Utd Stars, Matthew scored with a good long shot. Marcus played well in goal, but after conceding a penalty by handling outside the area, redeemed himself by saving the spot-kick.
Joseph scored the only goal in a tight game against New City Saints, and we held out for the win with some good work by the defence and Kieran in goal.
The third game against Newport Pagnell Town Tigers was a disappointing 3-1 defeat. All the goals would have been stopped if we had played with our usual sharpness, and we were second best in many tackles. Adam scored our goal with a neat finish after George set him up nicely from a free kick.
The Ravens upped their performance in the fourth match against Two Mile Ash, and were immediately rewarded with a goal from Matthew. However we could not hold the lead and let in an equaliser after some confusion at the edge of the box. Final score of 1-1.
Another tight game against MK City Eagles could have gone either way. The Ravens worked very hard, with Matthew making some fine saves in goal, and John stopping a number of attacks. The opposing keeper was very hard to beat, and only a late penalty from Joseph separated the teams. 1-0 to the Ravens.
We lost our last game 2-0 to St. Monica’s. In another evenly balanced game, their captain made the difference by converting two half-chances.
Ravens 1 Southside Utd Stars 0,
New City Saints 0 Ravens 1,
Ravens 1 Newport Pagnell Town Tigers 3,
Two Mile Ash 1 Ravens 1,
MK City Eagles 0 Ravens 1,
St. Monica’s 2 Ravens 0.
Squad: Evan, Marcus, Kieran, Joseph, George, Matthew, John, Adam.
Cranfield Colts Cyclones 1 Great Horwood Ravens 4
SHIELD Round 1 - 13th December 2008
The U9’s powered their way into the second round of the Shield with another convincing away win against Cranfield Colts. This is the third time this season these two teams have met and it proved to be a repeat of the league match a few weeks earlier when the Ravens also won 4-1.
In cold, wet conditions, the Ravens started in a determined manner with some great tackling and quick passing in a pulsating first 10 minutes which saw the Ravens go 3-0 up. From the kick-off Daniel got some great tackles in to dispossess the ball passing wide to Adam who crossed back into the box but Daniel’s subsequent shot went narrowly wide. In the next attack Adam and Daniel again played well together passing the ball to Matty in the box who calmly scored low under the keeper. Soon after Matty scored a second after some good work by Marcus and Joseph to make it 2-0. The third goal, probably the best of the day, came from a great cross by Adam into the box and Daniel shot on the turn, chipping over the keepers head. The Ravens dominated possession for the rest of the first half but couldn’t make it count.
The second half was much closer as the Cyclones got into the match. James, John and Gus all played well in defence to stop the Cranfield attacks and Kieran made some great runs from midfield. The Ravens midfield however started to play too far forward and Cranfield capitalised on this to get a goal back on the break. Matty however soon put aside any concerns by completing his hat-trick with a well taken shot which crawled under the Cranfield keeper.
The match ended 4-1 with the boys hoping for a second round draw against Man Utd at Old Trafford.
Ravens Scorers
Matty (3), Daniel (1)
Team
Adam, Joseph, Daniel,, Gus, Marcus, Matty (Hodges), John, James, Kieran
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Wing Raiders 5
6th December 2008
After all the rain during the week the Ravens home league match versus Wing Raiders was switched to the Astro Turf at Mursley. During a frantic first half the boys struggled to come to terms with the new surface, misjudging the bounce of the ball and failing to get sufficient shots on target. Wing however were more composed and capitalised on the Ravens mistakes in defence, scoring 3 first half goals. It might have been more if Kieran hadn’t made a great defensive clearance off the line in the dying seconds of the half.
After a strong team talk at half time, the Ravens came out for the second half fighting and began to pressure the Raiders goal. The Ravens were rewarded early on with a well taken goal by Adam and a few minutes later scored a second when Matthew forced another shot by Adam over the line. The next nail biting 10 minutes saw the Ravens narrowly miss a number of chances to draw level. The best of which saw Adam one-on-one with the goalkeeper but his shot went wide of the goal. As time ticked away the Ravens pushed further forward looking for the equaliser. This left the Ravens goal exposed and Daniel had to made a couple of great saves to stop Wing on the break. However very late on Wing snatched two more goals, the first on the break with little Ravens defensive cover and the second from a great free kick which went low into the far corner of the net. The match ended 5-2 to the visitors.
A good fight back by the boys who are all looking forward to a return to grass next weekend!
Ravens Scorers
Adam Graham, Matthew Taylor
Team
1. Adam, Joseph, Daniel, Marcus,, Kieran, Matty,, John, Matthew,
Cranfield Colts Cyclones 1 Great Horwood Ravens 4
22nd November 2008
The U9’s put in an impressive performance against Cranfield Colts and more than made up for the cup exit at the hands of Cranfield a few weeks earlier.
Both sides started well and had equal share of the opening attacks but the Ravens solid tackles and swift passing began to pay off with a number of close chances. Both John and Matthew were brilliant in stopping the Cranfield attack, Marcus and Matty both played well down the wing, and Adam and Evan both had early attempts at goal. Despite the chances the score still stood at 0-0 with 20 minutes gone so it was time for a couple of changes – Daniel came on in attack and Joseph in defence. The game continued with Cranfield breaking into the Ravens penalty box but Joseph made what looked like an excellent tackle to clear the ball but the referee blew for a penalty. Cranfield scored the penalty to go 1-0 up. The Ravens however hit straight back with some good passing play up to Daniel who finished well scoring into the bottom corner of the Cranfield goal. This gave the Ravens the momentum and shortly afterwards they broke again down the right wing. Matty hit a great cross into the box which bounced passed the Cranfield keeper and into the net. The half ended 2-1 to the Ravens.
Great Horwood dominated the second half and scored two more goals. The first goal was scored by Matty with a good shot on the break. The second came from a goalkeeping fumble after Adam hit a low strike which Daniel got on the end of. The keeper appeared to stop the ball but it rolled into the net to make it 4-1. At the other end Cranfield had a number of good chances but John in particular had a great game in defence to stop their attacks. Cranfields best chance of the match came late on when they broke through the Ravens defence. James made a great save coming out of goal to block the shot and then saved again when the Cranfield striker shot on the rebound. The Ravens could have scored more following a couple of goal-mouth scrambles but the match ended 4-1.
All the boys played very well today and showed a great deal of determination in their attacking play. The boys celebrated by giving Evan the bumps for his birthday.
Ravens Scorers
Daniel (2), Matty (2)
Team
1. Adam, Joseph, Daniel, Evan, Marcus, Matty (Hodges), John, James, Matthew (Taylor),
Great Horwood Ravens 0 Newton Longville Legends 3
15th November 2008
Sometimes despite all the hard work and playing well as a team the chances don’t quite come off. On Saturday the U9’s played some of their best football of the season so far but lost in a closely fought game.
The first half started with the Ravens pushing forward and having most of the chances. James had a couple of good runs down the wing and Daniel, Matty, Marcus and Adam all played good attacking football. Gus made some excellent tackles in defence. However the Ravens pushed forward slightly too much and after 20 minutes play Newton Longville broke past the defence to score. The Ravens continued to push forward with both Evan and Kieran having good runs but the half finished 0-1.
The second half was end to end with both teams having good chances. Joe came out of goal and made some good runs in midfield and John made some decisive tackles in defence. Newton Longville also had their chances and they scored 2 more goals in the second half – the first was an excellent shot from the edge of the box and the second followed a great save by Daniel but the rebound fell nicely for the Legends striker to knock it in at the back post. The Ravens two best chances of the match came late in the game. The first came from a good run by Adam who passed to Matty in the box but the shot went just wide. The second was another good run by Adam whose shot was saved by the keeper. The rebound fell to Gus who hit the ball well but the Legends keeper made another great save to deny the goal.
The game ended 3-0 to the visitors but the U9’s should be pleased with their performance.
Team
Adam, Marcus, Joseph, Daniel, Gus, Evan, Matty (Hodges), Kieran, John, James
Great Horwood Ravens 2 MK Wanderers Hawks 5
25th October 2008
The Ravens started slowly, conceding possession and territory to MK Wanderers during the early exchanges.
After 10 minutes MK Wanderers took the lead, knocking in a secondary chance from a corner. The Ravens picked up their game, competed better, and applied a lot more pressure on to the MK Wanderers defence and goal.
James went close with a shot, then after 20 minutes Adam scored from close range to make it 1-1. After working hard to achieve parity, we then let the opposition back into the game by letting a midfielder skip through 3 tackles before passing to their striker, who had a relatively easy finish to give a half-time score of 1-2.
Early in the second half MK Wanderers scored again after hesitant tackling down our right flank. The boys had to work hard to stay in the match, especially playing up the slope. A long goal kick from MK Wanderers deceived everyone and was converted by their striker (1-4). Adam and Gus both narrowly missed chances, before MK Wanderers scored again with a rebound off a Ravens defender (1-5). Despite being tired the Ravens rallied, and were awarded a penalty after a defender controlled a bouncing ball with his arm. Joseph converted to make the final score 2-5.
Overall we were good in phases, but we have to be on top of our game at all times (concentration, hungry in the tackle, desire to win the ball back, passing) to get more out of our matches and put a smile on our faces.
Stewkley 5 Great Horwood Ravens 1
18th October 2008
The U9’s were all in the land of nod for this away friendly against Stewkley. The boys started well with a number of early chances before Adam put the Ravens 1-0 up with a well taken strike. But despite the advantage they seemed to be half asleep and let in a string of goals at the other end from unforced errors (plus one very good shot). The first half ended 4-1 to Stewkley. The second half was much better, only letting in the solitary goal, and the boys created a number of chances up front. Stewkley however deserved the win and a number of their players had a great game.
Ravens Scorer
Adam
Team
Adam, George, Joseph, Daniel, Gus, Bailey, Marcus, James, Kieran
Two Mile Ash 1 Great Horwood Ravens 2
The U9’s put in a great team performance in beautiful sunshine to get their first away win of the season.
The Ravens were the only team in it in the first half with the majority of the match being played in the Two Mile Ash half. Matty had a string of chances at the start of the match but his shots went wide on each occasion. The Ravens midfield played very well with some excellent tackling by both Kieran and Marcus. The Ravens finally made the breakthrough after the ball was handled in the Two Mile Ash penalty box. Matty calmly converted the penalty to make it 1-0 to the Ravens. A few minutes later the Ravens got their second after some great combination play from James, Marcus and Matty. James made a great run to the edge of the box and neatly passed the ball to Marcus who powered a great shot at the Two Mile Ash goal. The keeper did well to stop the shot but the rebound came to Matty who volleyed the ball into the back of the net – a great goal. At the other end George, Matthew and John all did well to stop any TMA attack – in fact Joe only touched the ball twice as keeper in the first half!
The second half was much tighter as both teams rotated players. James went in to goal and made a string of great saves. Kieran and Matthew played well in defence and Evan made a number of darting runs in midfield. Bailey played up front and had four or five long range shots at goal – one going very close. Joseph also made some good tackles in midfield. During the last ten minutes the Ravens started pushing forward to kill-off the match. They were rewarded with a series of corners – the best one being a looping ball over the TMA defence by Marcus but the Ravens attack couldn’t get on the end of it. However, with a few minutes to go Two Mile Ash got a goal back after a long shot could only be half stopped by James and the ball rolled under his body and over the line. The match ended 2-1 to the Ravens.
Overall a great team performance.
Ravens Scorers
Matty (2)
Team
1) George Edwards, 2) Joseph Phillips, 3) Evan Carter, 4) Bailey Brownlow,
5) Marcus Bounds, 6) Matty Hodges, 7) Kieran Craig , 8) James Rooney
9) John Jenkins, 10) Matthew Taylor
Great Horwood Ravens 3 Waterhall Stars 0
The U9’s fought out a scrappy game on a warm but misty morning but goals from Matthew, Daniel and Matty gave the Ravens their first league win of the season.
The Ravens didn’t seem themselves at the start of the match and started very quietly. Both sides had early chances but they were easily dealt with by the defence. Great Horwood could have got an early goal with both Adam and Matty with good shots but the Waterhall keeper did well to knock the ball over. The Ravens finally got the break through from a corner which Matthew knocked in at the near post – his first goal for the Ravens! Waterhall had their moments in the first half but Daniel dealt with them, keeping a clean sheet. The first half ended 1-0.
The mist began to lift in the second half and the Ravens became more alert and played with more purpose. Matthew continued to play well, getting in some great tackles in mid-field, and Great Horwood started to control the game. Early in the half, Daniel almost scored from a free kick but the Waterhall keeper got a fingertip to it. Soon after however Daniel did get his goal using his knee to knock the ball over the line following a goal-mouth scramble. At the other end Waterhall had a couple of breaks which were dealt with well by the Ravens defence and Bailey in goal. Great Horwood almost got a 3rd after about 40 minutes when Daniel was fouled in the box. Daniel took a well taken penalty but the Stars keeper did another finger-tip save to deny him on this occasion. Great Horwood played well during the last 10 minutes of the match with a number of the boys showing some good skill on the ball. The Ravens last goal was probably the best moment of the match with Matty curling in a shot from a tight angle into the goal at the near post to make it 3-0 to the Ravens.
A good win....
Ravens Scorers:- Matthew, Daniel, Matty
Team:-
Adam Graham, George Edwards, Joseph Phillips, Daniel Springall, Gus Nash, Evan Carter, Matty Hodges,
Matthew Taylor, Kieran Craig, John Jenkins, Bailey Brownlow.
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Cranfield Colts Cyclones 2
(Cranfield won after penalties)
What a great cup match which ended, inevitably, with a penalty shoot- out.
The Ravens played well as a team and deserved their 1-0 lead at half time. The goal came from an excellent low, hard corner kick by Marcus and Kieran knocked it in at the back-post. Earlier Adam, Evan and Marcus all had good chances but the Cranfield Colts keeper managed to turn the shots away on the goal-line. At the other end Cranfield Colts had their moments but Gus and James in defence and Daniel in goal did well to stop their attack (although there were a few hairy moments!).
The Ravens started well in the 2nd half with James going into goal and Daniel up front. James made a couple of good diving saves but soon after a defensive error let Cranfield in to level the score. A few minutes later Cranfield scored a second which could have ended the game but the Ravens didn't give up and started the fight back. Adam, James, Daniel, Marcus and Kieran all had shots on goal before Adam finally made the breakthrough with a well taken goal on the break. Both sides had opportunities in the final few nail-biting minutes but the game inevitably went to penalties.
The boys had all trained for the possibility of a penalty shoot out but it's never the same as the real thing. Great Horwood won the toss and decided to take the first penalty. Adam took the kick but the Cranfield goalkeeper made an excellent save. Cranfield then converted their first penalty to go 1-0 up. Both goalkeepers then made a series of great saves (well done Daniel) to keep it close all the way to the last man. But the Cranfield keeper was excellent, saving all of the Ravens kicks to win the match for the visitors.
Having played so well, going 1-0 up and then fighting back to take it to penalties, the boys were all desperately disappointed with the end result. But they should be proud of how they played and build from the experience for the rest of the season.
Ravens Goalscorers:
Kieran (1), Adam (1)
Team
Adam, Daniel, Gus, Marcus, Kieran, James, Bailey, Evan
Southside Utd Stars 3 Great Horwood Ravens 0
The U9's played well in their opening game of the season and were unlucky to lose.
The Ravens dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, playing with the confidence gained from their previous 10-0 friendly win but failed to capitalise on the momentum with a goal. Marcus played very well running down and winning the ball and Adam and James both had excellent runs on the wings. Joe had the best chances but failed to release the ball quick enough before the strong Southside defence closed him down.
Against the run of play Southside broke the dead-lock following a corner which hit the back of a Great Horwood player and into the goal. Matty came on and made a big impact and the Ravens had a number of further chances to level the score. Southside however scored two further goals. The first a goal mouth scramble which the Ravens failed to clear. The second followed a great save by Daniel but the rebound fell to a Southside striker who knocked it over the line.
The second half was very close with both sides defence playing exceptionally well (well done to Matthew, Gus and George). Joseph replaced Daniel in goal and made a number of superb saves and Adam made a goal-line clearance which stopped what would have certainly been a contender for goal of the season - a power shot from a long way outside of the box. The Ravens also had their chances to score including a series of corners but the tall Southside defence managed to clear the ball on each occasion.
Overall the boys should be proud of how they played and they are all eagerly awaiting their next match.
Team
Adam, George, Joseph, Daniel, Gus, Marcus, Matty (Hodges), Kieran, James, Matthew (Taylor),
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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