Great Horwood Ravens 2 Samba Pele 6

League :-  22nd November 2008

An icy blast came to Gt. Horwood this morning.
No, not from Siberia but from Aylesbury
as the boys in Blue go down 6-2

 An arctic chill settled on Gt Horwood pitch 2 today and it wasn't the cold front coming in from Siberia.  No, it was in the form of 7 Boys in yellow bringing their form of wintry wake up from Aylesbury.

After the heavy losses in our previous 2 games, it was with a little apprehension that we faced one of the leading teams in the Division, Samba Pele.

But with a very depleted team we knew that if we stuck to our game plan we could give them a run for their money.  We know we can play well when we get off to a sprightly start and pass as a team.  That we did with Oliver and Fraser linking up well with Johnny and William, there was little between the two sides.

Their goalkeeper was put to the test on a number of occasions and we were desperately unlucky not to be ahead by 2 or 3 within the first 15 minutes.

But undaunted we carried on piling on the pressure.  Some swift play from the back as Piers had a fantastic start, the ball played through the middle and linking up with Johnny, BANG. ... 1-0.

What a start.  We were playing like we believed in ourselves.  The sub zero temperature didn't seem to bother us that much... well maybe a little.  What with Toby looking like the Incredible Hulk with all his layers on and Fraser having difficulty to get his blood circulating to his extremities, I suppose it did affect us a little.

But then.  Indecision, indecision.   

It was to be our downfall today.  the ball played into space was 99 times out of 100 picked up by Samba.  All too often we watched as the ball bounced up in the air and watched... and we watched.... and we watched, until a Samba Pele player picked it up and had a whack.  1-1.  Poor George had no chance the ball flew in the back of the net.

Kevin was our ref today, and what a fine job he did.  I cannot make comment.  No silly hat, no silly coat, no helicopters, no ray bans, not even a sloth like performance with a very loud whistle.  I was so disappointed.  How was I going to get through a match commentary without commenting on our illustrious Mr Garside!! Obviously not wanting to solidify in the cold he actually moved.....not just moved but actually ran!!...... a lot!!

Obviously it wasn't Mr Poll's whistle today as he didn't wake the dogs up as he blew for half time.

(Hurrah, Kevin was about to give me something... something juicy,,, something that could, no would hit the headlines today)

As we all left the field what we didn't realise was that this half time was in fact a virtual half time, a dress rehearsal for the real thing.  He wanted to make sure we all got walking off the pitch down to a fine art.

So we all got back on the pitch for another five minutes of play and once again indecision.  With Toby and Piers having a philosophical debate as to the virtues of kicking the ball and the effects of the depleting ozone on the height and trajectory of a bouncing spherical object our ball bounced, and bounced.... and bounced and Samba knocked it in. 2-1 and as the whistle blew again we knew it wasn't a dress rehearsal but the real thing.

Not much to say to the boys really.  They had played well.  Up front we needed to release the ball a little earlier and not try to take on all 7 of their players before having a go.  Many times we had 2 unmarked in the box but we still wouldn't let go of the ball.

We were missing some big players but we stuck to our game plan. 

Second half and we needed to get off to a crisp start.  Samba set off like they were really fired up.  The fought for every ball and we simply didn't have the strength.  Toby was finding moving with 46 layers on a difficulty and quickly got down to 10.  Much better but I think Fraser and Toby needed a bowl of ready brek this morning just to get their bits and bobs well oiled and warmed up.

Oliver was having a great game as was Piers.  Running and going for everything, although Piers does like to go into a tackle.... bum first!!!!  But there was a magical moment when he actually headed the ball!!!! He was dazed and confused for at least 5 minutes afterwards but it was a bona fide header!!

And for that display Piers was awarded man of the match. Well done Piers.

Fraser was struggling to cope with the cold and Jacob was sent in to do a great job of quelling the Samba attack.

But once again it wasn't to be.  They were a strong team that pushed harder and harder as the game progressed. 

But we had flashes of brilliance and it wasn't until one of Samba team had sent Johnny tumbling that we really began to wake up and stand shoulder to shoulder with some of their bigger players.  In the last minutes Johnny gritted his teeth and decided that he wasn't going to be pushed around any longer.  He picked himself up and tackled hard, lay the ball in and wham Olly was there to put it away.

Although that made it 6-2 what it did do is show us that when we push hard and play for every ball we can make a difference.

No major incidents to report, George didn't lose his cap, Kevin didn't lose his whistle, Fraser didn't lose his foot, although there was a moment there when it sounded like he had!! William didn't lose his temper... Well, I think he didn't i'll have to speak to the ref for confirmation.  Most importantly I haven't lost my sense of humour!! and more importantly sense of pride as the boys once again played well.

One thing I do love is that after the game, the opposing team all warm down, big debrief disciplined and sensible wind down and discuss tactics for the next game.  Our boys........ well, if you look across the field and see the trees on the boundary, you'll find the silhouettes of seven young men climbing through the tress singing and laughing... No, that's what I call enjoying the game of football. 

Match Report Paul Burke.

Great Horwood Ravens 0 MK City 11

League Cup:-  15th November 2008

A Heavy Pitch left Heavy Hearts for the U10s

as we exit the Cup for 2008

Yes, although the sun was shining, it was a very heavy pitch that saw the boys in blue and black come unstuck in this second round MK cup tie.

A 7.30am pitch inspection saw that Mr Mole had been busy during the night, but instead of his usual loamy mounds it was big dollops of muddy clay that were left in his wake.  It was going to be a tough match, with a heavy pitch and a strong side. Coach Burke was hoping for a little lady luck to come our way.

And it did in the form of our jet setting iconic coach from last year Kevin.  He had just flown in from St Tropez for moral support, the rotor blades of his personal chopper had yet to stop turning as the first goal went in for MK.  'Keep the engine running' I heard him shout to his pilot as he prepared to be whisked away to Twickers for the international this afternoon.

But the battle continued. No sooner had he removed his aviators and put them in his top pocket, it was 3-0.

The boys slowly settled and for a while it looked like we could get back into the game. But MK City were a very well oiled machine.  From their disciplined and focused warm up drills to their organisation and passing play.  They came here with a determination to win and maintain the order of Division 2 teams beating Division 6 teams. And they did not disappoint 

They were simply too strong.  Our boys put on a valiant effort and we had moments where we were on top of the game.  But they continued to break all of our attacks down quickly and then have us on the run with their counter attacking.  Johnny and William worked hard to push the ball through but their midfield and defence were an impenetrable barrier. They stood strong and maintained their shape at all times.  Our wingers Hugh, Olly, Jacob and Gareth struggled with the pace as they constantly kept us under pressure.  Olly made some super corner kicks but their defence continued to hold firm.

Our defence, again, worked their socks off. Lewis stood up well and tried to take the ball up a number of times, Liam stood strong and Toby, again fought like a lion. Toby popped up at the front on a number of occasions and was denied only by the brilliant goalkeeping from our opponents. We tried Rufus up front but it was apparent he is our danger man when he plays up the middle and strikes from deep inside our half. He also, in the dying seconds of the game, ran the length of the pitch to deny them a final goal by flinging all 11ft of his body and size 16 boot in front of an outstretched MK City attacker.  Another goal thwarted, well done Rufus.

We tried different tactics but each time they came back stronger than ever.  Our heads went down a little in the 3rd quarter of the game but then we rallied and pushed hard for the last 15 minutes.

The swirling grass and the sound of rotor blades in the distance meant that Kevin was long gone, as was the final outcome of this game.  The score, by this time, was insignificant, what was significant was that our boys did not let the scoreline affect their mood.  Again gracious in defeat we cheered and applauded the MK City players.  They were a good side and we were well beaten.

Now, there is one player I have yet to mention.  By the end of the game he was definitely voted the muddiest player on the pitch, He also, I believe was the busiest player on the pitch.  Without him I think the scoreline, had I printed it, could have been misinterpreted as a mis type for an international telephone call centre!!

And that one player is.......  George Samways.  It was an outstanding performance from George.  He blocked, he held onto the ball, his kick outs were strong and he was not afraid to run in on the attacker, closing them down and putting them off at every opportunity.

He was the man of the match by far and probably the best performance from him this season. (James, more late nights and four hour sleeps please). He commanded his area and he filled the boys with so much confidence that on at least 10, or was it 20 occasions, it was often George against 4 or 5 MK City players.  And more often than not George won!!

Well done George.

Great Horwood Ravens 1 New City Saints 8

(1st November 2008)

THE RAIN FELL, THE WIND BLEW BUT GREAT HORWOOD U10s SPIRITS REMAIN HIGH DESPITE WORST DEFEAT OF THE SEASON SO FAR

A cold, wintry wind blew down Great Horwood pitch 2 today as New City Saints arrived on a blustery winters day.

With the pitch marked and the team warmed up by Henry, we were ready to get back to our winning ways. 

A bad pre season decision by myself to wear shorts through the season (just because the boys have to), meant that the boys couldn't hear the pre match team talk because of the din my knees made as they knocked together and my teeth chattered.  There were reports of complaints of the noise over in Whaddon.

Anyway, first decision of the day, the referee!! (seeing as though no one volunteered!!)

"Please step forward who would like to referee the game ".....  

At that point an eire silence swept the pitch! I'm sure I saw the dust rise and tumbleweed appear as the swirling wind blew through the supporters. The silence became deafening.  So our captains of industry, leaders of our country and the super intelligencia of Great Horwood and surrounding villages were left shy, forlorn and mumbling excuses of not knowing the rules, not being fit, not being correctly attired etc etc etc.  It sounded like my field management team on a Monday morning when I ask why we haven't hit sales target for the week!!

So i'm not sure whether Dominic took one step forward or the rest of the parents took one step backwards, whatever, the whistle was placed in his hands and the rabbit that was caught up in the headlights took his place in the centre circle.  I'm afraid it wasn't Kevin's shiny new whistle but al least it had a pea in it!! 

We were now set, the wind was bitterly cold, the rain started to fall heavily but this didn't dampen either sides spirits.

The whistle blew and we kicked off to a brisk pace. Within minutes everything that we had been practising for began to pay off. The boys were passing well, moving with pace into space and it wasn't long before Hugh played down the wing from Toby crossed in to William...... 1-0.

A FANTASTIC start..... but it wasn't to last.  New City Saints got the bit between their teeth and came straight back at us.  Playing super football they passed and ran into space and soon enough overpowered us to make it 1-1.

But we didn't put our heads down once.  They had some really strong players, a goalkeeper that could stop Ronaldo from scoring and I'm sure it was Gary Neville who took their throw ins. Even from their own half they made every throw in feel like a corner kick, and speaking of corner kicks, they had a young man who gave our Oliver a good run for his money.

They worked hard and their No. 9 ran our Jacob into the ground.  The only good thing was that they were certainly keeping him warm as he ran remorselessly up and down the pitch.  As did everyone.  Toby in goal stopped many a certainty, Fraser kept his shape at the back and Hugh and Oliver ran valiantly up and down the wing.  William came back to pick up the ball and Rufus worked hard to support the defence.

But it wasn't to be.  At 7-1 down, Dominic put the whistle to his mouth and blew with all his might.… The dogs residing at the kennels thought Kevin was back, such was its ferocity and they barked their displeasure at being awoken out of their cold slumber.

Time for some changes.  Jacob put on his coat and had a nice warm cup of tea, he had run his heart out for the team, as did Hugh.  With Liam, Lewis and Finlay on, Toby out of goal and Fraser taking up the challenge of goalkeeper. We were set to come back strong.

From the outset we pushed hard and tackled strong.  The boys never ever gave up, not once.  Charge after charge they battled well and Finlay desperate to score, found some great positions up front.  Liam dug in well and Lewis revitalised the right hand side.  He was everywhere today, tackling, chasing running at goal but it was going to be difficult to come back from such a first half score.

The wind continued to blow hard, Rufus although built like a 15 year old, still only has enough blood in his body for a 10 year old and it wasn't getting to his limbs quick enough!! as time went on the temperature dropped and Rufus became frozen to the spot!!  Fraser was turning blue and put my sweatshirt on for the final minutes which left me not only in shorts but now in T shirt!!!! Piers came on for the last 5 minutes and again we had a resurgence as we continued to push hard to get another goal.  Toby shot after shot but today wasn't to be our day.

But again we never gave up.  They scored a lucky one near the end but it didn't matter, the game was won and New City Saints could pat themselves on the back for a great performance.

The scoreline didn't reflect the run of the game.  They certainly deserved to win on the balance of play but we had almost as many chances to score and on another day it would have been much closer.

One thing I am very proud of today is the effort and the remorseless determination demonstrated by each and every one of the boys playing.  They ran and ran and never once let their heads go down.  That for me was the best game of the season.  We learned to take defeat graciously, our gamesmanship was superb, the boys never once acted in a dispirited manner, they worked together, they played for each other and they never gave up.

SO WELL DONE BOYS

I'm sure you are now all off for a warm bath and a cup of hot chocolate.  I think I'll do the same!

If we continue to play like we did today we will get our winning form back again I am sure.  Thanks for the parents for their support and let's see what we can do on Wednesday at training.

Man of the Match today was......... Dominic, particularly for his silky skills off the ball and the artistic flair in which he blew his whistle. Like a giraffe in a tutu, he danced across the surface of the pitch effortlessly and made the whistle sing like a nightingale....

... Only Joking it was Lewis.  He came on today and revitalised the team - He ran well, tackled hard and even made some great positions up front, so well done Lewis.

Paul Burke:    Home Match Report:  

Great Horwood Ravens 2 Cranfield Colts Cougars 3

(11th October 2008)

U10s WINNING RUN IS THWARTED BY STRONG CRANFIELD TEAM....

Another beautiful morning, the sun shining, the birds singing and Kevin looking dapper even without the hat!! However, he didn't disappoint as he had his shiny new whistle with him and he was ready to blow it... very hard!

The boys lined up against a strong side, undefeated and sitting top of the league Cranfield warmed up with a true sense of desire to win the game.

But the Ravens weren't to be put off or unnerved. The boys were also coming into this game undefeated  and confidence was high.

Henry Burke took them for warm up whilst the coach and James attempted to put the goals together!! I think Quantum Physics would be easier.

11 attempts later and several trips back to the shed for more pieces we finally got there, (whoever put them in the bag wants a severe talking to).

With George out with the dreaded......... bubonic pneumonia, sorry I mean cold.  It meant it was up to the coach to reshuffle the outfield players and in went a valiant, capped and gloved Fraser.

The referee sauntered into the Centre Circle (where he remained for the rest of the half), and blew his shiny, new whistle, my what a beautiful pitch it had, shrill and sharp.  It made all the dogs in the nearby kennels bark with delight!!  The game set off at a brisk pace.  Ravens passing was crisp and decisive. We had the best of the opening session with the strong spine of Piers, Toby, Rufus and Johnny up front.  This was strengthened even further with Olly and Hugh on the wings and Fraser in Goal.

It wasn't long before we took the lead, some lovely interconnecting passes through the midfield to find Rufus who zipped the ball into the back of the net.

1-0 and with all the possession the boys grew more and more confident.  But alas, we let one slip with an unexpected break by Cranfield... 1.1.

We dug in and with a real determined effort Hugh laid on to Johnny who unexpectedly laid on to Rufus who almost burst the back of the net with a superb Volley.

2-1 and I think that was the sound of Kevin's new whistle to mark half time.

Exhausted from his rangey runs around the centre circle Kevin came off for a 10 minute lie down.  (my how he had worked hard in that first half!!).

A few tactical changes and several slurps of energy inducing liquid into the boys tums and we were ready for the next 30 minutes.

With a wonderful array of home made cakes courtesy of Claire and Jo (Yummy), even the away squad and fans said it was the best half time refreshements they had experienced this year so far!! Thanks Sarah.

Back to the game...

Unfortunately the tactical changes didn't pay off and before Kevin had chance to put his whistle away from his half time start he had to blow again for an equaliser from Cranfield (Have I told you it was Kevins new whistle? Graham Poll gave it to him!). Oxygen was rushed on, in fact I think Simon gave Kevin a couple of puffs on Toby's inhaler.  It did the trick and he was back on his feet, firmly planted on the centre spot!

Jacob in goal was a revelation as he held the ball well and Finlay and Liam came on to build our defences up.

We continued to have all of the possession, however, Cranfield were beginning to advance on the Ravens and a few well placed passes were beginning to unsettle us.  With only 5 minutes to play they broke and one of those telling passes cost us dear.  We continued to hold on and as much as we cheered and encouraged the boys, we were pushing hard to hold onto a draw which was the least we deserved.  20 minutes later (I know I said there was only 5 minutes left but I think Kevin by this time had fallen asleep, (guess where?  Yes, the centre circle!!).

One telling pass too many and it was 3-2.

By this time I had lost my voice and we had made a couple of attempts to get back into the game but unfortunately Kevin had woken up and blew his whistle for full time.

The dogs went mad again and the Cranfield boys cheered with delight. 

It wasn't to be our day and it put an end to such a fantastic start for us this season.

But we've have nothing to be ashamed of.  Every boy played magnificently and it was a true show of their spirit and determination to keep on going even after 25 minutes of extra time played!!

I was personally proud of every one of the boys.  Fraser, Jacob and a short spell from Toby performed magnificently in goal, Piers made some important, crunching tackles with Finlay and Liam both standing strong and keeping their positions well.  Toby once again dominating the centre along with Rufus who was big across every part of the field. Hugh and Olly on the wings played like good old fashioned wingers, plenty of pace and the positions they got themselves into were tremendous.  Johnny up front, well it wasn't to be a goal scoring day for Mr Wonderboots but he did play a crucial role in laying the ball off to the other front runners.

One final thing, Olly's corners were something to behold.  Our positioning on the whole was brilliant, we put them under tremendous pressure every time we had a corner kick and on another day it would have been 8-3 to the Ravens.

So well done boys, I've just sent a text through to a friend of mine (Alex Ferguson - - Honestly I have).  I said how proud I was of you all and that I cannot believe how bitterly disappointed I was that you didn't get what you deserved.  His response?

No not the hairdryer but he text back...

"If I had a pound for every game that we should have won but didn't I'd be a millionaire, (Hang on a minute, he is a millionaire!!).  He also said Paul, if you can take on board that feeling of disappointment, learn from your mistakes and build on them for the next game. the win will be all that more triumphant in the future"  

So we've got to pick ourselves up, put the loss behind us and get back on the pitch this Wednesday..... with lights! and work hard on defence and shooting.

Woburn Lions Tornadoes  6 Great Horwood Ravens 6

(4th October 2008)

U10s extend their unbeaten record to 3.....But Only Just!!

A nail biting second half may have been great for the non partisan but was definitely too much pressure on the coach, players and fans alike.

Yes, it was an early start for the parents.... I mean the boys as we set out to continue on our victorious run.  1 league and 1 friendly wins behind us saw us march to Woburn feeling confident.  The confidence was knocked a little when upon opening my emails I noted that Rufus was stricken with the worse known disease to man (and when I say man I mean the male of the species).......... A cold.

Fear not we gathered our strength and ploughed on. 

Arriving at Woburn we were still confident that we could be a match for whoever, whatever and whenever, regardless of a shortage of strength within our defensive, midfield and attacking lines (yes Rufus is that good!!)

With a quick warm up, some of which included playing on the climbing frame and the swings. (sometimes think i'm coaching the under 6s!!), we set about taking care of business.

And that's exactly what we did as we began at a fantastic pace.  Solid goalkeeping from George was matched pound fro pound by a brick wall defence of Lewis and Piers. 

Toby worked hard in the centre and as the cold air gripped his lungs medication was required. Two short puffs on his inhaler and he was a different person, a lion out for the kill, strutting and striding up and down the pitch as he kicked, headed and forced his way through the opposing defence.

With Oliver and Gareth on the wings the play was sublime.  And with Johnny up front it completed what was to be a dream team. 

25 minutes later we were 4-1 ahead.  Some fantastic passing and superb close play meant that we had split them apart with focused, incisive passing and beautiful close footwork.  Oliver and Gareth on the wings was just something to behold and was rewarded with goals from both of them that would be worthy of goal of the month, or at least a replay on tonight's match of the day.

With Oliver grabbing another of Roonyiesk proportions and Johnny stealing a late first half goal we were in line for giving this side a serious drubbing.

Half time came and there was little more to say.  A few tactical changes brought both William and Hugh onto the field. 

Then disaster struck.

What happened? was it over confidence, a lack of concentration or even a lack of respect for the opposing team? Our defence was chatting about the weather or was it the tellitubbies, midfield and attack were playing eye spy in the opposing team's box.  Whatever it was, 10 minutes into the second half and we were losing 6-4!!!!

A few more tactical changes (well actually throw everyone up into the opposing teams box!!) and we once again began to dominate.

Hugh made some 'bone crunching tackles' to really demonstrate his desire to get us back in the game.  Johnny and William struggled a little as a front partnership, both wanting the ball to be glued to their boot and letting their heads dip a little, but a 'little' encouragement from the coach and respective dads soon had them up and running again!

We pushed and we pushed and were rewarded with another goal from the boot of Johnny.  This was real Roy of the Rovers stuff as the crowd went wild. Ours screaming for more attack, the Woburn Lions' screaming for more defence.

6-5 and only minutes to go, up popped Oliver to put in a beautiful corner.  I think at least 6 of the opposing team handled but Toby stuck it in the back of the net... YYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS 6-6 we could get another here and get what we deserve.

But no, in all the excitement, the drama, the melee, the referee had blown for a penalty.  Shattered the fans settled down whilst Johnny placed the ball on the spot.

The whistle blew and Johnny delivered.  At last 6 all.

With the Ravens now in the ascendancy it would be only a matter of time before we got the seventh. But alas, time is not what we were given, the whistle went and a draw it was.

The referee commented to me it was the best game of under 10s he has ever refereed, (i'm not sure if was his first, but who cared, it really was a great game).

So we continue our unbeaten run and stretch it to three in a row.

The boys all deserve a great big round of applause they certainly entertained us for over an hour, however, Kevin and that hat of his possibly entertained us a little more and for a little longer!!

We all left having thoroughly enjoyed a great game.  Thanks boys.

WEDNESDAY 6PM TRAINING.

Note. I'm trying to get out of going up to Scotland next week if i'm not there...

Tips for Wednesday.

1. George some more high balls and kicking from out of your hand (great approaching and some sublime saves today)
2. Defence - Concentration Concentration Concentration - Watching your positions relative to where the play is.
3. Midfield/Wing - More passing, taking time to seek out that goal scoring opportunity
4. Attack - More shooting from afar and looking up and passing

Newport Pagnell Town 1 Great Horwood Ravens 2

(20th Sept 2008)

Newport Pagnell falter as the Ravens U10s continue to rise.


A very beautiful sunny day which hopefully kick starts the summer for us here in the UK was the welcome we received from our hosts Newport Pagnell U10s.  With a meticulously marked and wonderfully cut pitch allied to a very impeccably coordinated Newport team, and that wasn't just their attire!! the scene was set for our first real challenge.

This may have been a friendly to us but it was obviously much more to them.

With Trevor doing the warm up, which will involve parent participation next time, we prepared ourselves for the next 60 minutes.

The whistle blew and we kicked off to a brisk pace.  William up front taking command for the first time began the match with great gusto and was calling on his team for support.  That support came quick and fast.  Both Matthew and Hugh ran like lions in for the kill. Rounding their prey they pushed hard with dogged determination to ensure that we had the lions share of the ball in the first half.

But try as we did the deadlock couldn't be broken.  It needed something special and something special is what came next.  William with, what words can only describe as sublime, came up with a master class  in dribble, touch, flair and....... a little bit of showing off!!!  Yes, he Ronaldoed 1, nutmegged another and whilst the coach and all our supports were shouting to pass, he sidestepped a third to put the ball in the net through an incredible acute angle!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

The key now was to ensure we protected our goal, didn't make any silly mistakes and ensure that we could capitalise on our lead.

And that is exactly what we did.  With Liam on the sidelines (hope you're back on your feet Liam), it was Piers who had to stand in at the 11th hour (phew that means we're friends again!). and with Finlay, Jacob and Gareth they all worked hard throughout the game to ensure George had little to do.  However, when called upon George never let us down.  quick to come out and fearless near the boot of an opposing player George commanded his area like a strutting peacock!

However, as the game progressed more and more pressure was being applied by Newport who did not want to go down at home.  This left us a little wanting at the back as they created more and more spaces as we struggled to keep on top of their attackers (more training for us over the next few weeks).

We needed something special to take the pressure off, we'd already had a contender for the goal of the season so what could we possibly do.  Well up pops Rufus, already a hero on the day what with his eagerness to get up there with the attackers to score, running strongly to support the midfield and then valiantly coming to our rescue on numerous occasions at the back.,  He is the Ian 'Beefy' Botham of our times without whom we couldn't function as effectively as we do.  He gives the team confidence and an air of invincibility!!

So could we hold on?  could we increase our lead?  The game was on a knife edge.  Then to our advantage we'd played the ball into Newport's area and managed to win a corner.

Up steps Will to take, the team remembered the positions, lots of movement close in, with Jacob at the back behind the humdrum, Gareth stepping just outside the box ready for the ball to come out and Rufus moving in as William crossed.  The ball whipped in at a stinging pace, a beautiful connection by Rufus and we were 2-0 up.

2 contenders for goal of the season in one game it couldn't get any better.... and it didn't!!

Newport continued to push very hard.  and they were rewarded right on the whistle as they created one space too many for us and tapped in a final goal to make the final score 2.1 to the Ravens.


So a very big well done to the team.  Once again a difficult game to present a man of the match award to, however, there was one player who always shows incredible determination every minute he is out on the field.  Today he ran, he tackled, he got into great positions and created open space through his incisive passing.  And that was Hugh

Man of the match well deserved and well done to Hugh and the whole team.

Can this winning streak continue?  More training, more listening and using the skills we are developing and the tactics we are working on on the training field and who knows.

One thing's for certain, the Ravens are up for beating everyone this season come rain or shine.

Go Ravens Go.

Great Horwood Ravens 2 Olney Town Colts Meteors 1

(6th Sept 2008)

Well, A bit chaotic to start with. The friendly on before us ending late and dismantling our goals to make up their own didn't help but Mike offered to Ref as penance!

So what about the game - Couldn't have got off to a better start me thinks. 2-1 and a rather good display from one and all. The weather held and despite the rain beforehand the pitch held up quite nicely.

I think the bigger pitch, (width was at the maximum Justin, I checked our max and U11s minimum), Really helped us to maintain our shape and probably will make it a little easier for you to get them off to sleep tonight, there were certainly a few red faces out there.

A cautious start for the new coaching staff offering up a diamond formation with 3 defenders, 2 midfield and 1 up front. This continued throughout the first half and whilst it gave us great strength at the back Johnny was often the sole attacker with no one to play off. However, some searching runs, valiant midfielding and staunch defending a break had to come our way as we continued to dominate proceedings.

Ollie Oakley came on midway through the first half and with a ranging run out to the left he let fly with a cross/shot that saw itself fly into the top left hand corner.

Half time and a tactical change. Suggestions from the back-seat made me change formation.

30 seconds into the second half they score, I'm not listening to the back seat drivers again!!

But we reconfigured our team, we pushed more upfield and played pretty close to the wind on occasions. However, the defence did not let us down and with each minute passing it was only a matter of time before we slipped one in the back of the net.

Mass defending and some tremendous saves from the Olney goalkeeper couldn't keep us down. I noted Toby commenting to his mum on the phone at half time that he'd nearly scored and that he was going to score in the second half and that's exactly what he did.

A goal mouth scramble and Big T puts us 2-1 in front.

It could have been 4 but the whistle blew for full time and a relieved new coach jumped for joy.

Well done boys, a great display for our first proper outing this season. You showed composure, discipline and most of all a great attitude to working hard for your fellow team mates.

I couldn't single out any man of the match this week so YOU ARE ALL MEN OF THE MATCH.

We will continue to focus on the basics during training this Wednesday.

1. Throwing, corners and dead ball situations. 2, I want to bring in passing on Wednesday as this will be the key to our success this season. 3. I also want to talk to you about positions and the importance of using your position on the field to open up space, 4. and of course we can't have training without a game!!

But for today

George - Some valiant saves and some very big kicks!! - more 1-2-1 with Trevor and we'll move even further forward Jacob - Continued your heroic tackles from training and ran and ran for us. Liam - Some close marking and a strong foot in at crucial times gave us the strength we needed. Finlay - Some level headed defending and good positional play today again not afraid to get stuck in Lewis - Again strong in defence, good communications with your fellow defenders and disciplined in your approach never moving out of position. Piers - Settled down when in defence. Some couragous tackles and great running all the time, you give us confidence when you defend like that. Toby - Big, strong, all over the park...... and what a goal - You promised and you delivered!! Hugh - Once again, never afraid to get right in the thick of it, great running into good positions, got to get you shouting louder and your team mates looking up. Gareth - My fault I put you out of position but you worked incredibly hard running into great positions and offering up some great goalscoring opportunities (I won't put you in defence next time!!) Oliver - A lovely touch with the ball Ollie, good footwork and smooth running skills, more of that for the future. Rufus - A giant on the pitch. Everywhere and involved with everything whether defending or attacking we know we are in safe hands with you with the ball. William - So close to the goal today, lots of goal mouth action with some great dribbling skills - we'll be calling on them this season I can assure you. Johnny - Some fantastic running Johnny, supporting your defenders, running with your midfielders and up there leading the way on your own. Super dead ball skills, just all to often swamped by Olney Town ants when in their box. More distance shots and you'll be racking up the goal tally in no time.

Well done everyone.