Great Horwood FC

Under 10's 2009-10

Date

Comp

Venue

Opposition

Res.

Score

Scorers

29th Aug 09 Fun Day Home Preston Gawcott Pumas W 2-2
Adam, Daniel -

won on pens (Marcus, Daniel , Joseph)

12th Sep 09 Lge Home Wing Raiders P

19th Sep 09 Lge Away Olney Town Colts Sharks W 0-4 Adam, Daniel , Evan, og

26th Sep 09 Cup Rnd 1 Home Kempston West End W 7-0
Adam (2), Daniel, Matthew, Matty, Joseph (2)

10th Oct 09 Lge Away Two Mile Ash Tigers D 1-1 Adam

24th Oct 09 Lge Home Stony Stratford Town Scorpions P

31st Oct 09 Cup Rnd 2 Away Scot Youth L 2-1 Matty

07th Nov 09 Lge Away Brackley Athletic W 0-1 og

14th Nov 09 Lge Home MK City Eagles W 4-3
Matthew ,Joseph,Matty, Evan

21st Nov 09 Lge Away St Monicas P

28th Nov 09 Lge Home Wing Raiders L 1-2 Joseph

5th Dec 09 Lge Home Kempston West End W 4-0 Adam, Joseph(2), Daniel

12th Dec 09 Lge Away Deanshanger Colts L 3-1 Kieran

23rd Jan 10 Shield Rnd 1 Home New City Saints W 3-0 Evan, Daniel, Adam

30th Jan 10 Lge Home Deanshanger Colts P

6th Feb 10 Lge Away Wing Raiders W 1-3 Adam(2), Joseph

27th Feb 10 Shield Rnd 2 Home Southside United Rockets W 2-1 Adam, Daniel

6th Mar 10 Shield Rnd 3 Away Preston Gawcott Pumas L 5-2 Adam (2)

13th Mar 10 Lge Away Stony Stratford Town Scorpions W 1-2 Adam, Matty

20th Mar 10 Lge Home Brackley Athletic W 3-2 Adam, Joseph(2)

3rd Apr 10 Lge Home Two Mile Ash Tigers W 4-3 Adam (2), Joseph, George

10th Apr 10 Lge Away MK City Eagles D 0-0

17th Apr 10 Lge Away St Monicas L 2-1 Matthew T

24th Apr 10 Lge Home Deanshanger Colts D 1-1 Matthew T

1st May 10 Lge Home St Monicas W 4-0 Matty, Marcus, Joseph, Adam

8th May 10 Lge Away Kempston West End W 0-4 Matty (2), Joseph, Matthew

15th May 10 Lge Home Olney Town Colts Sharks D 1-1 Matty

TBA Lge Home Stony Stratford Town Scorpions

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OXFORD TOURNAMENT

U10’s reach quarter finals of Oxford Tournament

Following last weekends semi-final at the Steeple Claydon tournament the U10’s put in another good performance to reach the quarters of the Oxford Summertown tournament.

The Ravens started well with a 1-0 win against Summertown Galaxy C with Adam scoring a great goal in the final minute of the match.

The U10’s however came up against some good opposition in the second match, losing 2-0 to Chasewell Hill.

The third match saw another good performance against Summertown Galaxy A. Summertown got the first goal but Daniel finished well from a tight angle to make it 1-1.

The Ravens also drew their final league match 1-1 to get to the quarter finals. New signing Kallan got the goal after a good run.

The quarter finals saw the Ravens play out a hard fought match against Greenhouse. The Ravens had their chances but Greenhouse scored twice on the break to win 2-0.

All the boys played well today. Kieran had an excellent tournament, especially in defence where he made some crucial tackles. Matty did well in goal and also made some key tackles in defence including a goal-line clearance. Adam got his goal but was struggling a little with a blister today. Marcus as always played well in midfield and Daniel should be pleased with his goal and some vital saves. Kallan showed some good skill and pace when running with the ball and he scored a good first goal for the club. Well done.

Match Results and Scorers

Great Horwood Ravens 1 – 0 Summertown Galaxy C (Ravens scorer Adam Graham)

Chasewell Hill 2 – 0 Great Horwood Ravens

Summertown Galaxy A 1 – 1 Great Horwood Ravens (Ravens scorer Daniel Springall)

Great Horwood Ravens 1 – 1 Summertown Stars B (Ravens scorer Kallan Peshavaria)

QUARTER-FINAL

Greenhouse 2 – 0 Great Horwood Ravens

Team

1.       Daniel Springall (Captain)

2.       Adam Graham (vice Captain)

3.       Marcus Bounds

4.       Matty Hodges

5.       Kallan Peshavaria

6.       Kieran Craig

STEEPLE CLAYDON TOURNAMENT

U10’s reach Semi Final of Steeple Claydon Tournament

The U10’s continued their great season by reaching the semi-final of the Steeple Claydon tournament.

The Ravens first match was against division one team Tattenhoe and although they lost 2-0 they put in a good performance against a strong team.

The Ravens however turned on the style in the second match against Grendon Rangers Lions with two fabulous goals by Joseph. The first was a long range free kick which flew into the back of the net and the second was a curling shot from outside of the box into the top corner. The Ravens won 2-1.

The Ravens were held to a 0-0 draw in their next match against Grendon’s other team (the Tigers) despite having most of the possession.

Therefore they had to beat Bicester Town Colts (another division one team from the Witney & District league) to reach the semi’s which they did with their best performance of the day. All the boys were determined to win and they played well as a team with some fast movement and passing. It was Joseph again who got the goal with another fine strike. Bicester almost got a goal back late on but Matty made a great save and the match ended 1-0 to the Ravens.

The Ravens played the other Bicester Town team, who were winners of group A, in the semi final but unfortunately things didn’t quite go to plan. The Ravens went 1-0 down within the first minute of the match with a blistering strike and then spent most of the first half defending. Bicester then got one more before the end of the half. The second half started much better but Bicester continued to look strong on the attack and Daniel pulled off a series of great saves. Kieran also played well in defence but Bicester were too strong and they scored two more to make it 4-0 at the end.

Overall the boys should be very pleased to get to the semi’s in their first summer tournament of the season and against some very strong opposition. Well done.

Match Results and Scorers

Tattenhoe 2 – 0 Great Horwood Ravens

Great Horwood Ravens 2 – 1 Grendon Rangers Lions (Joseph scored both Ravens goals)

Grendon Rangers Tigers 0 – 0 Great Horwood Ravens

Great Horwood Ravens 1 – 0 Bicester Town Colts Bears (Joseph scored for the Ravens)

SEMI-FINAL

Bicester Town Colts Cubs 4 – 0 Great Horwood Ravens

Team

1.       Marcus Bounds (Captain)

2.       Daniel Springall (Vice Captain)

3.       Matty Hodges

4.       Joseph Phillips

5.       George Edwards

6.       Gus Nash

7.       Kieran Craig

GREAT HORWOOD 1 OLNEY TOWN COLTS SHARKS 1

15th May2010

U10’s held at home

This was a bit of a disappointing performance by the U10’s considering how tight it is at the top of the division.

The Ravens played ok in the first half but several players were a bit lack lustre in the tackling which enabled Olney to gain confidence as the half progressed. Matty came very close to scoring a cracker but his long range shot was tipped over by the keeper. On several occasions the Ravens were either one on one or two on one but couldn’t score. Just before half time and against the run of play Olney grabbed the first goal as the Ravens defence failed to clear the ball in the box and the ball was knocked in from short distance.

The second half was a better performance and the Ravens dominated midfield. It wasn’t long before the Ravens got a goal back with Matty scoring from Adam’s cross. The Ravens had plenty of chances to win the game but the last touch let them down repeatedly. Matthew was rarely challenged in goal but he was required to make a good save from a long distance shot. The game ended 1-1 with the boys knowing they should have won.

Ravens Scorers:

Matty Hodges

Team

1.       Matty Hodges

2.       Adam Graham

3.       Matthew Taylor

4.       Marcus Bounds (captain)

5.       Daniel Springall

6.       George Edwards

7.       Gus Nash

8.       Joseph Phillips

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KEMPSTON WEST END 0 GREAT HORWOOD 4

8th May2010

U10’s win again to keep up the pressure at the top of the table.

This was another good win by the Ravens which completed a hat-trick of victories against Kempston this season and another 4-0 win.

The Ravens started the match a little quiet and it probably took them ten minutes to settle down and start passing the ball. At this point the game was evenly matched with both sides having good chances on goal – the highlight for the Ravens was a great header by Matthew from a corner which the keeper saved. At the other end Daniel was having a great match in goal, denying Kempston on a number of occasions. With about 25 minutes gone the Ravens got their first goal with a fast break by Adam who passed to Matty who hit the ball into the far corner of the net. Kempston continued to push forward but Kieran and George both played well to stop most attacks. Kempston however came close to grabbing an equaliser when their striker broke past the Ravens defence and hit a power shot which looked destined for the top corner. Daniel however pulled off another fine save tipping the ball out for a corner. The Ravens got their second goal of the game just before half-time with Joseph finishing well.

The second half was a much improved performance by the Ravens who controlled the game and could have easily scored 4 or 5. Captain George played very well in a defensive midfield role which enabled the others to push forward. Both Joseph and Adam had a number of close shots and Matthew came very close with a great shot which tested the keeper from long range. The Ravens last two goals were both from corners. The first of these was scored by Matthew who got a nice touch off a low, fast delivery by Marcus. Matty scored the second, again from a great corner by Marcus which found Matty at the far end of the box and he hit the ball cleanly to score in the top of the net. Even at this stage Kempston were still a danger and Daniel pulled off another superb save after being one on one with their striker. Evan and Gus also made some vital tackles to keep the score at 4-0 to the Ravens at full-time.

Overall this was another strong performance by the Ravens. With only two matches of the season remaining it’s now getting very close at the top of the table.

Ravens Scorers:

Matty Hodges (2)

Joseph Phillips

Matthew Taylor

Team

1.       Matty Hodges

2.       Adam Graham

3.       Evan Carter

4.       Matthew Taylor

5.       Marcus Bounds

6.       Daniel Springall

7.       Kieran Craig

8.       George Edwards (captain)

9.       Gus Nash

10.   Joseph Phillips

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GREAT HORWOOD 4 St MONICAS 0

1st May 2010

U10’s return to winning ways

After two draws and a loss in recent games the U10’s were determined to win today’s match which would hopefully return them to 2^nd in the division.

After St Monica’s kicked off it didn’t take long before the Ravens scored their first goal. With four minutes played Marcus hit a strong shot from inside of the box. The keeper saved the shot but Matty was there to score from close range. The Ravens continued to push forward and Daniel went close with a shot from the right wing and Matthew had a couple of long range shots which went over. The U10’s got their second with a good break by Marcus down the left wing and his cross floated into the far corner of the goal. St Monica’s had a couple of good breaks of their own but they were easily dealt with by Kieran, Gus and George, and Joseph in goal. The half ended 2-0 to Great Horwood.

The Ravens continued to pressure the St Monicas goal in the second half with some good runs by Evan and Matthew but it took another 10 minutes before the Ravens got their third. With 40 minutes played the U10’s won a corner. Marcus played it short to Joseph who fired in a shot from a tight angle which beat everyone in the crowded area and went into the top corner of the net. Soon after however St Monica’s came close to getting a goal back. After a good break their striker hit a hard low shot from the edge of the box which curled past two Great Horwood defenders. Daniel’s vision was blocked by the defenders and he saw it late but pulled off a great save diving to his left. With a minute of the match remaining Adam made sure of the win with a superb shot from just outside the area.

All the boys should be congratulated for today’s performance which should give them the confidence to finish the season in style.

Ravens Scorers:

Matty Hodges (4 mins)

Marcus Bounds (12 mins)

Joseph Phillips (40 mins)

Adam Graham (59 mins)

Team

1.       Matty Hodges (captain)

2.       Adam Graham

3.       Evan Carter

4.       Matthew Taylor

5.       Marcus Bounds

6.       Daniel Springall

7.       Kieran Craig

8.       George Edwards

9.       Gus Nash

10.   Joseph Phillips

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GREAT HORWOOD 1 DEANSHANGER COLTS 1

24th April 2010

U10’s draw against league leaders

This was an excellent game of football with periods of the game controlled by both sides. Today’s opposition Deanshanger are currently top of the division and have had a great season. Therefore it was always going to be a tough game but the boys competed hard and deservedly got the draw.

The match started very evenly with chances at both ends but as the first half progressed Deanshanger started to control the midfield and looked more likely to score. The Raven’s defence of Kieran and George however battled through this period and the Ravens turned the game around with a strong performance in the last 10 minutes of the game. Matthew came close a couple of times with some long range shots and Daniel’s left foot shot went narrowly wide. Marcus was captain for the match and had an excellent first half, getting in some decisive tackles and making some great crosses into the box.

The Ravens pushed further forward in the second half and it wasn’t long before they took the lead. The goal came from a good run by Adam who calmly passed to Evan who was free on the edge of the box. Evan controlled the ball well and placed the ball passed the keeper to make it 1-0 to the Ravens. Deanshanger fought straight back and had a number of chances the draw level. Joseph however made a string of good saves and the Ravens defence of George and Gus handled things very well. Deanshanger however did eventually get their equaliser after the Ravens lost the ball in midfield. Deanshanger also had a penalty awarded for a push in the box but the kick went wide. The Ravens finished the half very strongly with a flurry of further chances for Matthew, Daniel and Adam but they weren’t able to score again. The game ended 1-1.

This was a good performance by the Ravens after the disappointment of last week and hopefully means we will finish the season strongly.

Ravens Scorer:

Matthew Taylor

Team

1.       Adam Graham

2.       Evan Carter

3.       Matthew Taylor

4.       Marcus Bounds (captain)

5.       Daniel Springall

6.       Kieran Craig

7.       George Edwards

8.       Gus Nash

9.       Joseph Phillips

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St Monicas 2 GREAT HORWOOD 1

17th April 2010

The joys of kids football. Less said about this performance the better as only a few of the boys played anywhere near their normal standard. Against a weaker team the Ravens had over 80% of the possession but then didn’t do anything with it. St Monicas probably only had 4 or 5 chances in the whole match and they scored from two of these and missed a penalty from a third. The first St Monicas goal started from some poor marking which let one of the midfield players free down the wing. The resulting cross didn’t go anywhere near a St Monica player but unluckily struck Evan on the back of the head and into the Ravens net. Kieran came on and along with Evan they provided some much needed energy and passion. The Ravens went narrowly wide on a dozen occasions but failed to score - on any other day we would have been 5 or 6 up at half time.

Things went from bad to worse at the start of the second half when the U10’s failed to clear the ball on a rare St Monicas break and it was scrambled in at the far post to make it 2-0. This led to a re-shuffle of the team to ensure the players that had mentally turned up were in the most affective positions and it almost paid off. We continued to dominate the possession and started to pass the ball. Daniel’s long throws also proved very effective on this narrow pitch but somehow we couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net. The Ravens finally scored when Matthew followed up from a failed clearance and the ball bounced off his back and into the goal. The last 15 minutes saw non-stop Great Horwood pressure. Adam hit a shot over the post and the Ravens had plenty of other chances but frustratingly the ball wouldn’t go in the back of the net. Near the end of the match St Monicas were awarded a very suspect penalty but their striker hit it high and wide.

Ravens Scorer:

Matthew Taylor

Team

1.       Matthew Taylor (captain)

2.       Kieran Craig

3.       Adam Graham

4.       Evan Carter

5.       Gus Nash

6.       Daniel Springall

7.       George Edwards

8.       Joseph Phillips

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MK City Eagles 0 GREAT HORWOOD 0

10th April 2010

U10’s unlucky with away draw

The Ravens were very unlucky not to win this highly entertaining game against MK City Eagles. The U10’s had a goal disallowed and hit the post 3 or 4 times in a fast paced match played in glorious sunshine.

The first half was very even with chances by both teams. Matthew made some great saves in goal and George and Raven’s captain Kieran both had great games in defence. Evan, Joseph and Marcus put in the miles in midfield. The highlight of the half was a great run by Adam who dribbled past three players but his shot went narrowly wide.

After the break however the Ravens started to control the game and had most of the possession. Daniel came close with a great chip shot on the turn which just went over the crossbar. Adam had a few chances but the ball bounced too far forward on each occasion. The Ravens hit the post twice in quick succession and then Matthew debatably should have scored but his goal was disallowed. The disallowed goal came from a great break by the Ravens but the subsequent shot hit the keeper directly in the face. The referee allowed play to continue and Matthew subsequently scored. It wasn’t until after the goal had been scored did the referee decide to bring play back and he awarded a drop ball for the injury to the keeper. The disallowed goal however spurred the boys on and shortly after Matthew should have scored again when he had three shots in a goal mouth scramble but MK City somehow got the ball away. Late on the Ravens hit the post again and it was clear they were destined not to score.

This was a good performance by the U10’s. They battled strongly against a bigger team and all the boys worked very hard in hot conditions. Kieran played exceptionally well as captain leading by example with some great tackles in defence.

Team

1.       Kieran Craig (captain)

2.       Adam Graham

3.       Evan Carter

4.       Matthew Taylor

5.       Marcus Bounds

6.       Matty Hodges

7.       Daniel Springall

8.       George Edwards

9.       Joseph Phillips

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GREAT HORWOOD 4 TWO MILE ASH TIGERS 3

27th March 2010

U10’s win 4th League game in a row

The U10’s scored 4 great goals today but in contrast also let in 3 sloppy goals at the other end.

The game started very well for the Ravens with a goal in the first few minutes. Adam finished well following a corner kick by Joe to make it 1-0. At this point the U10’s looked comfortable on the ball they should have added more to their tally. However following a corner at the other end the U10’s failed to clear the ball, which bobbled to the TMA striker and he finished well from a tight angle. TMA created a few more chances playing a long ball tactic targeting 2 players who were left permanently forward. Daniel had to make a couple of excellent saves to deny the TMA striker and Marcus, Gus and George all coped well with the long ball. At the other end the Ravens kept up the pressure and looked destined to score with every attack. Joseph had a few good shots on goal and the ball almost broke for both Kieran and Evan but the ball was blocked at the last moment. After 23 minutes Joseph put the Ravens back in front with an excellent goal from the edge of the area. Half-time finished 2-1 to Great Horwood.

The half-time biscuits seem to slow the boys down and they gave 2 poor goals away in less than 2 minutes of the restart. On both occasions the Ravens failed to clear the ball although Joe, now in goal, didn’t have much chance with the second TMA goal which came from a great cross. For the fourth time in recent weeks the Ravens were tasked with coming from behind to win the game and they did it with style with 2 great goals. The first was a well deserved goal by George who fired the ball from the edge of the box to make it 3-3. Adam got his brace with a superb strike from long distance which flew into the top of the net.

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham (2)

Joseph Phillips

George Edwards

Team

1.       Gus Nash (c)

2.       Adam Graham

3.       Evan Carter

4.       George Edwards

5.       Marcus Bounds

6.       Matty Hodges

7.       Daniel Springall

8.       Kieran Craig

9.       Joseph Phillips

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GREAT HORWOOD 3 BRACKLEY ATHLETIC 2

20th March 2010

U10’s win in the rain and mud

The U10’s scraped out a win in wet muddy conditions although it took 45 minutes for them to start to play with the passion and determination that they usually show.

The Ravens opened the scoring in the first half with a long range shot by Adam which crawled under the keeper and into the net. However the boys were a bit lacklustre in their tackling and passing and that enabled Brackley to get back into the match from close range. The half ended 1-1.

The second half started in a similar fashion but Brackley were lucky to take the lead when a long range shot took a wicked deflection off Kierans head and into the Ravens goal. This seemed to wake the boys up a bit and they had a number of good chances on the Brackley goal with some good passing by Adam, Daniel and Marcus. The Ravens soon got back into the match when Joseph scored from close range . The last 15 minutes saw nonstop pressure as the Ravens pushed forward to get the winner with a number of the boys having shots going narrowly wide. In the final few minutes the pressure paid off with Joseph scoring again to make it 3-2.

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham

Joseph Phillips (2)

Team

·         Adam (c)

·         Matthew T

·         Marcus

·         Daniel

·         Kieran

·         George

·         Gus

·         Joseph

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STONY STRATFORD SCORPIONS 1 GREAT HORWOOD 2

13th March 2010

U10’s back to winning ways

The U10’s put in a strong performance against Stony Stratford with a goal in both halves

The match started very evenly with chances at both ends. However as the first half progressed the Ravens started to use the ball well down the wings and pressure the Scorpions goal. The U10’s first goal came from a long shot by Evan which deflected off a defender and Adam followed up well to place the ball into the net. At the other end Kieran put in an exceptional display in defence making a series of crucial tackles on the edge of the box to keep the score at 0-1 to the Ravens at half time.

The Ravens started the second half very well and it wasn’t long before they went 2-0 up. This time Matty scored following a good cross by Adam over to Marcus who headed the ball into the box for Matty to calmly score. At the restart though the Scorpions were much stronger and it looked certain they would get a goal straight back. They broke quickly past the Ravens defence and their striker hit a powerful shot towards the Ravens goal. Daniel came off his line to make the save but the ball flew past him but somehow Kieran got back to make a brilliant clearance off the goal-line. It wasn’t long however before the Scorpions did score after the Ravens failed to clear the ball following a corner. At the other end the U10’s could have extended their lead with a number of good shots on goal including two long range shots by Matthew and captain Joseph which both narrowly went over the bar. Gus and Kieran continued to defend well and the game ended with a 2-1 victory. Well done Ravens!

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham

Matty Hodges

Team

·         Gus Nash

·         Matty Hodges

·         Daniel Springall

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Kieran Craig

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Adam Graham

·         Joseph Phillips (Captain)

·         Evan Carter

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PRESTON GAWCOTT PUMAS 5 GREAT HORWOOD 2

6th March 2010



U10’s narrowly lose in tough Shield match.

The score line misrepresents how close this match was – in fact it was 2-2 with 5 minutes remaining and the result could have gone either way.

The Ravens were the better side in the first half going in at half time 2-1 up. The boys controlled midfield and put together some good, strong passing moves to test the Gawcott defence. At the other end Matthew had a great half in goal marking a number of fine saves. All the boys played well, marking the Pumas close and stopping them from playing the type of football they are used to. The Ravens goal however didn’t come and it was the Pumas who took the lead with a well struck goal from the edge of the box. The Ravens captain, George, got the boys going again and for the third week running the Ravens came back from a goal down. The Ravens first goal came from a good break by Matty, Daniel and Adam. Adam using his speed to take the ball past the Pumas defence and he fired in a great shot that curled into the nearside of the goal. Three minutes later the Ravens got their second with Adam scoring again from close range. The Ravens could have scored more and ended the half well and truly on top. The half ended 2-1 to Great Horwood.

Preston Gawcott looked a different team in the second half. They came out looking for the equaliser and had most of the ball in the first 10 minutes. The pressure paid off and they scored their equaliser with a well worked goal. At 2-2 the game turned into a very even match with opportunities at both ends. The boys played well but failed to get in enough shots. Marcus played exceptionally well in midfield, chasing the ball down and making some great passes. With five minutes to go (and with the thought of penalties coming into everyone’s mind), Gawcott scored again with a looping shot over Joseph in goal to make it 3-2. The boys played valiantly in the final few minutes pushing everyone forward to find the equaliser. Unfortunately the goal didn’t come and Preston Gawcott scored two late goals on the break with the Ravens defence committed at the other end of the field.

The boys should be proud of their Shield run losing to a good team, two divisions higher in the league, who they matched for most of the game – well done!

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham (2)

Team

·         George Edwards (Captain)

·         Matty Hodges

·         Daniel Springall

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Kieran Craig

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Adam Graham

·         Joseph Phillips

·         Evan Carter

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GREAT HORWOOD RAVENS 2 SOUTHSIDE UNITED ROCKETS 1

27th February 2010



Superb Shield performance sees U10’s win against higher league opposition

The U10’s didn’t look like the lower league team as they played another great game to beat a strong and skilful Southside United team in the Shield.

The Ravens started the match really well, playing a good passing game and they controlled midfield. Adam, Marcus, Matty and Joseph worked well as a unit to challenge the Southside goal but the strong Rockets defence stopped them on each occasion. At the other end the main threat came from a series of Delap style long throw-ins which attacked the Great Horwood penalty area. Both George and Kieran handled them well to clear the ball and Matthew made a number of good saves. Daniel and Evan both came on near the end of the half and made some good contributions. George also went close to scoring with a long range power shot. Against the run of play however Southside snatched a goal on the break with the Ravens defence committed too far forward. The half ended 0-1 to Southside.

The U10’s weren’t down hearted at half time and they knew they could fight back for the second game running. It didn’t take long for the Ravens to get the equaliser when Adam broke past the Southside defence and calmly placed the ball into the corner of the net. Five minutes later the Ravens scored another with a brilliant cross by Matthew which split the Southside defence and Daniel made an impressive run from his own half to power in a left footed shot past the Rockets keeper. The Ravens could have scored 2 or 3 more goals over the next ten minutes with Daniel again going close with a free kick and some good combination play by Matty and Daniel saw Daniel’s shot narrowly going over the crossbar. Southside pushed everybody forward in the last ten minutes to get the equaliser and their pressure almost paid off on a couple of occasions. All the boys however dug in deep to stop their attacks. Particular mention should go to Marcus, Evan and Matthew who worked exceptionally hard. Matty also had a great captains performance working hard throughout the match. When the final whistle eventually went there was a huge sigh of relief around the home supporters and the players celebrated a great win.

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham

Daniel Springall

Team

·         Matty Hodges (Captain)

·         Daniel Springall

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Kieran Craig

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Adam Graham

·         Joseph Phillips

·         Evan Carter

·         George Edwards

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WING RAIDERS 1 GREAT HORWOOD RAVENS 3

6th February 2010

U10’s win in thrilling second half comeback

The U10’s demonstrated some great fight and determination to comeback in a hard fought match away at Wing.

The Raven’s started the match very positively with some good passing movements up front between Adam, Daniel, Matthew and Matty and some early pressure on the Wing goal. However as the half progressed Wing started to push forward and they probably had the better of the first half. Joseph made some good saves and both Kieran and George played exceptionally well in defence. However with around 10 minutes of the half remaining Wing broke and the Raven’s defence couldn’t get back in time. The Wing striker did well to control the ball and place it past Joseph to make it 1-0 to the Raiders. The Raven’s however finished the half well with some good play down the wing by Daniel and some great tackles and passes by Marcus but the score remained 1-0 to the Raiders at half time.

Great Horwood kept their heads high and went out for the second half in a determined mood. It wasn’t long before the Raven’s got the equaliser with Daniel breaking down the wing and playing a neat pass to Adam who dodged a defender and shot into the net from close distance. The Raven’s continued to pressure Wing and soon after scored a second. Again this came from a break down the wing with Joseph controlling the ball well and hitting a long looping shot from well outside the box. The Raiders keeper got his finger tips to the ball but he couldn’t stop the ball going into the top of the net. Wing also had their chances in the second half but they were consistently stopped by the Raven’s solid defence of Kieran and Marcus. However half way through the half they almost got an equaliser with a great long distance strike but Matthew pulled off an incredible save to tip the ball over the crossbar. The Raven’s then hit a purple patch when they could have scored three or four more. Daniel almost scored from Adam’s cross but his shot went over the cross bar. Adam himself had a number of chances and George, Marcus, Matty and Joseph all had shots on goal. The Raven’s third goal finally came from a goal mouth scrap and Adam’s shot spun into the corner of the goal.

This was a great comeback performance by the Raven’s and makes up for the home defeat by Wing earlier in the season. All the team played well but particularly mention should go to Kieran for his perfect display in defence and Daniel for a great captain’s performance and motivation.

This result keeps the U10’s in 2^nd place in the league and closes the gap at the top.

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham (2)

Joseph Phillips

Team

· Daniel Springall (Captain)

· Marcus Bounds

· Kieran Craig

· Matthew Taylor

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

· George Edwards

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GREAT HORWOOD RAVENS 3 New City Saints 0

23rd January 2010

The U10’s continued their good run of form with a comfortable first round shield win against New City Saints. 30 minutes before kick-off the match looked doubtful with lots of standing water on the pitch. However following some good work by the ground staff (the Dad’s) and a pitch inspection it was decided by both team managers to play the match.

It took a while for both teams to get used to the conditions and the run of the ball but after about 10 minutes the Ravens started to pull together some nice passing moves with Adam, Evan and Marcus combining well in attack. The Ravens scored their first goal half-way through the half after a strong run by Adam. Following a neat turn Adam’s shot was parried by the keeper but the Great Horwood captain, Evan, was there to calmly place the ball in the back of the net. The Saints however also had a few good breaks of their own but Gus, Matthew and Kieran all made some great tackles to break down their attack. Daniel had to make a few good saves in goal and on one occasion came out well to pressure the Saints striker after he went clear on goal – the resulting shot going wide. Near the end of the half George and Matty came on, both making positive contributions, but the half ended 1-0.

The Raven’s stepped up a gear in the second half with a series of attacks on goal. The U10’s second goal was created by Marcus who did some great work down the wing, dribbling past 3 defenders before releasing a great cross to Daniel who drilled the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. Daniel almost scored a second with a long range shot which hit the crossbar. Near the end of the match the Saints pushed everyone forward to try and get back into the game but George in particular played well in defence and Matthew made some fine saves to deny them. The final goal came on the break with Adam running well with the ball. Adam passed to Evan as the Saints keeper came out and his shot was deflected up in the air towards the goal. The ball took a bounce and was probably going out but Adam continued his run and made sure of the goal by tapping it over the line.

The boys finished the match covered in mud but they enjoyed the win and are looking forward to the second round draw.

Ravens Scorers:

Evan Carter

Daniel Springall

Adam Graham

Team

· Gus Nash

· Daniel Springall

· Marcus Bounds

· Kieran Craig

· Matthew Taylor

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Evan Carter - captain

· George Edwards

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INDOOR FOOTBALL FESTIVAL

16th January 2010

At last – some Footie! After an extended winter break, the Under 10s resumed their season by battling through to the semi-final of the IFF, but lost in extra time.

The first game, against Water Eaton Red was fairly even until Matthew fired home a free kick after 4 mins, and Matty rounded off the win with 30 secs left by intercepting the goalie’s throw and burying his chance.

Bromham Youth Lions, a Division 2 club, were very strong in the tackle, and had us on the back foot for long periods. Kieran converted one of our rare chances after robbing a defender on the edge of their box. Matty’s fine goalkeeping ensured a 1-0 win.

We then fought out a 0-0 draw against Newton Longville. Kieran had a cracking game in goal, and Joseph went close with a fine volley.

The fourth game, against another Bromham Youth side, was another tough game. Our first goal came after George had the vision to pass across the penalty area to Kieran, who finished first-time with his left foot. A 2-0 win was secured with George’s well-struck penalty with 10 seconds left.

Game 5 was against Two Mile Ash Tigers. The Ravens were first out of the blocks, and Matty slotted home a free kick in the first minute. This was another close game that we held out to win 1-0, with Marcus playing well in goal.

Next up were Newport Pagnell Town Tigers. In a tight match, the Ravens went ahead half-way through with a nice shot across the keeper by Marcus. Our “Catenaccio” defence was finally breached by a shot that crept into the bottom corner. The match ended 1-1.

Our final group game was against Kempston West End. We seemed a bit tired by now, and were fortunate to come away with a 0-0 draw.

We finished in the top two in the group, so progressed to a semi-final against Newton Longville. The opposition had most of the territory and possession, but the Ravens held on with some tough tackling (especially from Gus). The score was 0-0 after the allotted six minutes, so we went to two minutes of extra time. The match remained deadlocked until a speculative Newton Longville shot got a slight deflection that took it past Joseph in goal. The Ravens tried to pull it back in the 30 seconds that were left, but to no avail.

The boys were obviously disappointed, but they worked hard all day, especially getting behind the ball and working as a team to stop the (usually bigger and stronger) opposition scoring. We didn’t create a huge number of chances but had a good conversion rate.

The organisers made a point of saying how hard the Ravens worked on the pitch, and how well behaved they were off it.

Results:

Water Eaton Red 0 Ravens 2 (Matthew, Matty)

Ravens 1 (Kieran) Bromham Youth Lions 0

Newton Longville 0 Ravens 0

Ravens 2 (Kieran, George pen.) Bromham Youth 0

Two Mile Ash Tigers 0 Ravens 1 (Matty)

Ravens 1 (Marcus) Newport Pagnell Town Tigers 1

Ravens 0 Kempston West End 0

Semi-final: Ravens 0 Newton Longville 1 (aet)

Squad:

Matthew

Matty

Kieran

Gus

George

Joseph

Marcus

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DEANSHANGER 3 GREAT HORWOOD 1

12th December 2009

This was a close match against the top two teams in the division but Deanshanger just edged it.

This was an early kick-off for the U10’s, in cold, wet and muddy conditions, but they started quite brightly and probably had the majority of possession in the first half. The first 20 minutes was end to end football with some good movements by Evan, Matty and Adam, and Daniel made a number of good saves in goal. After 20 minutes play Kieran came on and instantly made a big difference in midfield and the Ravens started to control the game. It wasn’t long before Kieran’s determination gave the Raven’s the first goal with a good challenge near the edge of the box and his shot, on the turn, went under the keepers body. At this point it looked like the Raven’s would get a few more but the goals wouldn’t come. Deanshanger however kept going and with a few minutes of the half remaining they scored with a shot from midway in the Ravens half which flew into the top of the net. Unfortunately Daniel didn’t have a chance. Deanshanger then scored an almost identical goal to go into half-time with a 2-1 lead.

The two late first half goals clearly gave Deanshanger a confidence boost and they were probably the better team in the second half. At this point Matthew went into goal and made a number of excellent saves but he couldn’t stop Deanshanger’s third goal as their striker broke through the Raven’s defence. Daniel had the best two chances of the 2^nd half for the Ravens. The first followed an excellent left footed pass by Kieran into the box which Daniel tried to flip past the keeper. The second was a long range shot from a tight angle which hit the far post but stayed out. With time running out Great Horwood had a number of good attacks with some good movement and passing by George, Joseph and Kieran. Matty and Gus also played well in defence making some vital clearances but their efforts were in vain as the match ended 3-1 to Deanshanger.

The U10’s worked hard today but against a good team they didn’t win enough of their tackles and it was probably that gave Deanshanger the edge. This is something we’ll need to work at during mid-week training before the Shield match next weekend.

Ravens Scorer:

Kieran Craig

Team

· Gus Nash

· Daniel Springall

· Evan Carter

· Kieran Craig

· Matthew Taylor

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

· George Edwards

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GREAT HORWOOD 4 Kempston West End 0

5th December 2009

This was a comfortable win against top of the table Kempston and demonstrated a good team spirit following last week’s surprise defeat.

The U10’s dominated the first half and very quickly had a number of chances to score with both Adam and Evan going close. Joe played really well in the holding midfield role and Marcus made some great tackles. Adam got the Ravens first goal following a good run and then Joe quickly made it 2-0 with a great shot from the edge of the box which flew into the top right hand corner. Kieran and George played very well in defence and Daniel made a few good saves but overall the Ravens goal was rarely in danger. Matthew and Matty came on near the end of the half and both made good contributions. Joe finished the half with a simple goal between the Kempston keepers legs to make it 3-0 at half time.

The second half was a little more difficult as Kempston pulled together some good attacks and the Ravens started playing a little too deep. However the Ravens still probably had the majority of the opportunities on goal with Daniel and Matty both having chances and George made some good runs. The final Ravens goal was scored by Daniel following shot by Adam which rebounded off the keeper and Daniel made sure on the follow-up. Kempston also had their chances but Kieran and Evan did well to repeatedly break down their attacks and Matthew did well in his try out in goal.

Overall a much better performance which moves the Ravens near the top of the table.

Ravens Scorers:

Adam Graham

Joseph Phillips (2)

Daniel Springall

Team

· Gus Nash

· Daniel Springall

· Marcus Bounds

· Kieran Craig

· Matthew Taylor

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

· George Edwards

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GREAT HORWOOD 1 Wing Raiders 2

28th November 2009

The U10’s seemed out of sorts today as they missed their opportunity of going top in a close match against a good Wing team.

Great Horwood kicked off the first half into the wind and had a number of early chances with some good runs and crosses. As the half progressed however Wing pushed forward and had three of four opportunities to score but good saves and some help from the cross bar kept the score line 0-0 at half time.

The Raven’s started the second half in a more determined mood and scored within the first minute from a long range effort by Joseph. Moments later the Raven’s had a chance to increase their lead but this time the cross bar came to the rescue of Wing. One of the best moments of the half fell to George who hit a great shot on the half volley from outside the box but it went narrowly wide. Despite the new found optimism Great Horwood still weren’t playing well as a team and they kept finding themselves out of position at the wrong times. Such was the case for Wing’s first goal as the Ravens defence pushed too far forward and the Raiders punished them on the counter attack to make it 1-1. The Raven’s were also missing their normal passing game. In attack the Raven’s could have scored more but repeatedly tried to beat one too many tackles rather than passing to a player in space. In defence they started to dribble the ball out rather than passing up to midfield and this led to Wing’s last minute winning goal as the Raven’s lost the ball in a comfortable position and Wing scored with a bouncing long range ball.

The boys would have learnt a lot from this defeat to take into their next few games. There were also some positive moments in the game, most notably Kieran’s performance who consistently played well throughout the match.

Ravens Scorers:

Joseph Phillips

Team

·         Gus Nash

·         Daniel Springall

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Kieran Craig

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Matty Hodges

·         Adam Graham

·         Joseph Phillips

·         George Edwards

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GREAT HORWOOD 4 MK City Eagles 3

14th November 2009

The U10’s battled hard in driving wind and rain to clinch this victory against top of the table MK City Eagles.

The wind had a huge impact and turned this match into a game of two halves. The Ravens kicked off into the wind and MK City immediately made use of the advantage to win the ball back and score within the first minute of the match. This set the tone of the first half as the wind was so strong it was difficult to counter attack. Conversely any shot with the wind really flew and was difficult to control. The U10’s however battled hard and had a number of good chances to equalise after some strong runs by Adam, Evan and Matty. The best chance of the half for the Ravens came from a superb cross from Adam and Daniel’s shot on the half volley went narrowly wide. At the other end George, Gus, Kieran and Matthew all played brilliantly and Joseph made a number of great saves from fast bouncing balls. MK City though continued to pressure and they scored again to make it 2-0 at half time.

With the wind now in the Raven’s favour it always felt that they could make up the two goal gap. The U10’s put on the pressure from the start and it wasn’t long before Matthew Taylor got the first goal back – a long range shot which the keeper almost saved but it bounced back into the goal. Joseph got the Raven’s equaliser after he tackled an Eagles defender following a short goal kick and calmly placed the ball passed the MK City keeper. It was all one way at this stage with strong tackling by Kieran and some neat runs by Evan. With ten minutes of the match to go the Ravens were awarded a free kick just inside the MK City half. Matty struck the ball well and, assisted by the wind, it bounced twice and shot into the back of the MK City goal. The Ravens however didn’t keep their lead for long as MK City hit straight back on the break to make it 3-3. The match was not over yet and the Raven’s continued to push forward. The winner finally came after a goal mouth scramble and Evan managed to stab the ball into the net from short distance. To their credit MK City tried valiantly to get back into the match and the final few minutes were nail biting with chances at both ends. The best of these fell to MK City when their striker broke free and drilled in a hard shot from inside the penalty area. Daniel however made a great save getting behind the ball and catching it cleanly.

All the boys played really well today and showed a lot of fight and determination to come back from 2-0 down against a good team.

Ravens Scorers:

Matthew Taylor

Joseph Phillips

Matty Hodges

Evan Carter

Team

· Gus Nash

· Daniel Springall

· Evan Carter

· Kieran Craig

· Matthew Taylor

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

· George Edwards

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BRACKLEY ATHLETIC 0 GREAT HORWOOD 1

7th November 2009

The U10’s played another strong game with a 1-0 away win at Brackley Athletic. As the score-line implies this was a hard fought game between two good teams lying second and third in the league respectively.

The first half was very close with both sides having chances. The goalkeepers were the highlight of the half with firstly the Brackley keeper making a great save after Adam broke free and then Joseph made a superb finger tip save to deny the Brackley striker a goal following a powerful long range strike. The half ended 0-0.

The second half was equally good with both teams working hard in midfield. However as the half progressed the Raven’s pulled together a series of chances which resulted in a free kick at the edge of the box. Joseph struck the ball well but it deflected off a Brackley defender and into the net. The Raven’s then focused on defending their lead with Marcus in particular making some superb tackles to break down the Brackley attack. With a few minutes to go it looked like Brackley might get their equaliser as their striker broke free but Daniel came out of goal well and it was enough to make the Brackley player shoot wide.

Overall both teams should be pleased with their performance in a game which was played in a good spirit.

Ravens Scorers:

Own-goal (rebound from Joseph’s free kick)

Team

· Gus Nash

· Daniel Springall

· Evan Carter

· Kieran Craig

· Marcus Bounds

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

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SCOT YOUTH 2 GREAT HORWOOD 1

31st October 2009

U10’s superb 6 man cup performance

The U10’s team played a superb cup match with only six players and were very unlucky to go out of the cup against a team two divisions higher.

With the team decimated due to illness and the half term holidays the boys took the game to Scot Youth and had the best of the early chances. Having taken the decision to not play an out and out striker, the Ravens midfield of Matty, Marcus and Adam showed some great skills, passing and turning with the ball to break down the Scot Youth defence. The early pressure paid off when the three combined on the edge of the box and Matty shot low into the corner of the goal to make it 1-0 to the Ravens! Scot Youth also had their chances but Keiran and Gus in defence played really well to get the ball away. All five outfield players worked exceptionally hard to counteract Scot Youth’s extra man but the non-stop running was beginning to take its toll as the half progressed. Joseph however made a number of superb saves to keep the score at 1-0 at half time.

After the first half effort the boys energy was completely zapped by the break but a half-time cookie seemed to give them the right level of energy rush to get them back on the field. Matty went into goal and Joseph into midfield providing some much needed fresh legs.

At the start of the second half the Ravens continued to pressure the Scot Youth goal and Adam could of made it 2-0 when he broke free from the Scot Youth defence. Their goalkeeper though made a massive save to keep them in the match. With 20 minutes remaining Scot Youth started to really push forward and their extra man really started to show. All the boys however played defiantly to break down their attacks and it looked like they would hold-on for their 1-0 win. However with 12 minutes left on the clock Scot Youth got their equaliser following an unlucky miss-hit clearance. The boys kept their heads high and battled on and had a number of half chances to get the winner. Heartbreakingly, in the final couple of minutes, it was Scot Youth that got the winner after a well worked move.

All six boys should be very proud with how they played today – they showed skill, determination and most notably team work in what was a great cup match to watch.

Ravens Scorers:

Matty

Team

· Gus Nash

· Kieran Craig

· Marcus Bounds

· Matty Hodges

· Adam Graham

· Joseph Phillips

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TWO MILE ASH 1 GREAT HORWOOD 1

10th October 2009

The U10’s extended their unbeaten run to four games with a frustrating match against Two Mile Ash.

The Ravens started really well, pressuring the Two Mile Ash defence from the start. The pressure soon paid off when Adam hit a glorious shot from the edge of the box which sailed over the keeper and into the top of the net. The U10’s came close to extending their lead when Marcus hit a high long range shot which hit the post. As the half progressed however the boys concentration went and Two Mile Ash scored from one of their few attacks on goal. The half ended 1-1.

The second half was a much better display by the Ravens but neither side was able to score. The best moment of the half was a great header by Adam which went just over the bar.

Ravens Scorers

Adam

Team

·         George Edwards

·         Daniel Springall

·         Gus Nash

·         Evan Carter

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Matty Hodges

·         Adam Graham

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Joseph Phillips

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GREAT HORWOOD 7 KEMPSTON WEST END 0

26th September 2009

Cup

The U10’s continued their winning start to the season with a 7-0 cup victory against Kempston West End. This was a great team performance with all the boys playing well with some neat passing and excellent crosses.

Daniel scored the first goal of the match with a great strike from the edge of the box after 9 minutes play. Adam soon made it 2-0 with an accurate finish and Matthew made it 3-0 after 23 minutes with another strong shot. At the other end George and Gus in defence frustrated the Kempston attack and Joseph made an excellent finger tip save to deny what looked like a certain goal. Marcus had another strong performance in midfield and Evan made a number of good runs. Matty completed the first half goals with a very cheeky chip over the keeper. The half ended 4-0.

The Raven’s changed the team around at half time with Daniel going in goal and Joseph into midfield. Great Horwood continued to control the game but it took another 15 minutes before Joseph got the Ravens fifth goal with a superb swooping long shot. Soon after Kieran went close with a good effort. The game ended with a bit of a flurry with both Adam and Joe completing their brace to make it 7-0 to the Ravens.

Ravens Scorers

Daniel, Adam (2), Matthew, Matty, Joseph (2)

Team

·         George Edwards

·         Daniel Springall

·         Gus Nash

·         Evan Carter

·         Marcus Bounds

·         Matty Hodges

·         Kieran Craig

·         Adam Graham

·         Matthew Taylor

·         Joseph Phillips

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OLNEY TOWN COLTS METEORS 0 GREAT HORWOOD 4

19th September 2009

The U10’s kicked off their season in fine style with a 4-0 away win at Olney Town Colts Sharks.

Adam scored the only goal in a first half which the Ravens dominated from the start. Matthew and Marcus controlled midfield and created a series of chances for Adam and Matty to score and the Ravens could have been 5 or 6 up at half time. The goal finally came following a period of sustained pressure with Marcus floating in a great corner kick which Adam got on the end of. 1-0 to the Ravens at half time.

Olney got back into the match at the start of the second half and had a couple of chances of their own but Matthew played well in goal to stop the attacks. Keiran and Gus were also solid in defence. The Ravens soon settled back into their game and it wasn’t long before they went 2-0 up. The second goal came from a long looping ball by Joseph over the Olney defence and Daniel scored with a half volley into the top of the net. Evan got the Raven’s third with a well taken shot after some neat dribbling. Again the Raven’s could have scored more with Daniel, Adam and Evan all going close on multiple occasions. George also hit a great shot from the edge of the box which went narrowly wide. The Raven’s fourth goal finally came after a goal mouth scramble involving both Adam and Daniel but the Olney Town keeper was probably the player who knocked it in the net.

All the boys played really well today but Marcus should be singled out due to his non-stop energy and commitment to the team.

This was just the start to the season that the U10’s needed and after today’s performance they should be confident of a good season ahead.

Ravens Scorers

Adam, Daniel, Evan, og

Team

· George Edwards

· Daniel Springall

· Gus Nash

· Evan Carter

· Marcus Bounds

· Matty Hodges

· Kieran Craig