Date Comp Venue Opposition Res. Score Scorers 11/09/10 Lge Away Deanshanger Colts L 4-1 Adam 25/9/10 Cup R1 Away Willen Athletic W 2-3 Adam, Marcus, Daniel 2/10/10 Lge Home Southside Utd Stars D 1-1 Adam 23/10/10 Lge Away Southside Utd Rockets L 5-1 Daniel 30/10/10 Cup R2 Home Woodside Rovers L 1-4   11/12/10 Lge Home Tattenhoe Reds W 3-2 Gus, Matthew, Daniel 22/01/11 Lge Home MK Wanderers L 2-3 Adam, Daniel 12/02/11 Shield R1 Away Delapre Dragons W 1-8 Adam (4), Matthew (2), Matty, Gus 19/02/11 Lge Home Deanshanger Colts W 3-2 Matthew (2), Daniel 05/03/11 Shield R2 Away Newport Pagnell Town Lions L 3-2 Adam, Marcus 12/03/11 Lge Away MK Wanderers Hawks L 4-2 Adam, Marcus 02/04/11 Lge Away Southside Utd Stars D 3-3 Evan, Marcus, Adam 09/04/11 Lge Away Scot Youth W 0-4 Daniel, Marcus, Evan, Tom 16/04/11 Lge Away Tattenhoe Reds L 3-1 Daniel 30/04/11 Lge Home Southside Utd Rockets L 1-2 Matthew 07/05/11 Lge Home Scot Youth L 2-7 Adam, Marcus 14/05/11 Lge Away Newport Pagnell Town Lions L 3-2 Adam (2) 21/05/11 Lge Home Newport Pagnell Town Lions L 1-4 Evan

21/05/11 League
Great Horwood Ravens 1 Newport Pagnell Town Lions 4
Scorers:- Adam Graham (2)

U11’s beaten by the wind

The U11’s ended the season with another loss with the wind playing a major part.

The U11’s started the match very positively with a goal in the first few minutes. Daniel’s long throw set-up Adam who knocked it through to Evan who finished well at the far post. Marcus went very close to making it 2-0 but his shot hit the crossbar. Newport Pagnell got a goal back with a great shot/cross which flew into the net.

At half-time the wind suddenly picked up which gave Newport a huge advantage. The Ravens struggled to cope playing into the wind and Newport scored from long distance with the aid of the wind. They went on to score twice more, winning the game 1-4.

The Ravens season ended with a disappointing run of form. Hopefully they will have more luck in the summer tournaments.

Team

• Tom Sherwood (Keeper)
• James Rooney (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Striker)
• Evan Carter (Striker)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

14/05/11 League
Newport Pagnell Town Lions 3 Great Horwood Ravens 2
Scorers:- Adam Graham (2)

U11’s unlucky run continues.

The U11’s again played well and were unlucky to lose.

The first half was quite even but the Ravens always looked the more likely to score. Marcus went close on a couple of occasions and Daniel’s hit from long distance almost went in. However the Ravens went behind to a fluke goal when Matthew cleared the ball from the edge of the box and it ricocheted off another player and into the net. The Ravens however got back in it when Adam scored a great looping goal from the edge of the box and over the keeper. The first half finished 1-1.

The Ravens started the second half really well with a well worked goal. Daniel did well on the wing to get past the defenders and chip in a great cross which Adam finished off at the far post to make it 2-1 to the Ravens. The boys should have gone on to comfortably win from here but a lack of concentration at the back led to a very weak penalty being given which put the Lions back in the game at 2-2. As the Ravens pushed forward to try and get the winner, the Lions broke quickly and their striker finished well to make it 3-2 to Newport Pagnell. The Ravens had more chances at the end but the ball just wouldn’t go in.

This game was typical of the U11’s season, with lots of good chances but somehow coming away with no points. The boys however have a chance to even things up next weekend as we have Newport Pagnell again in the return fixture.

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Striker/Midfield)
• Evan Carter (Striker/Defence)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

07/05/11 League
Great Horwood Ravens 2 Scot Youth 7
Scorer:- Adam Graham, Marcus Bounds

Well I’m not sure what happened today – nothing went right for the boys. Scot Youth played well but the Ravens weren’t with it.

The game actually started really well with a goal by Adam in the first minute and at that stage it looked like a repeat of the 4-0 win against Scot Youth from a couple of weeks ago was on the cards. However from then on in it all went wrong as Scot Youth scored three first half goals. Late on in the half however Marcus scored from a great shot from the edge of box (on his birthday ) to make it 3-2 and it looked like our luck was changing.

However nothing went right in the second half. The Ravens had chances including a missed penalty by Adam and two close shots by Evan but the boys were sloppy at the back and let in another four goals.

The game was actually much closer than the score line implies but Scot Youth put away their chances and the Ravens didn’t. The team really missed Matthew Taylor today who was off at Scout Camp but they’ll need to do much better if they are to win their final two games of the season. 

Team

• Tom Sherwood (Keeper)
• James Rooney (Defence/keeper)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Midfield/Defence)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield - Captain)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield)
• Evan Carter (Striker)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

30/04/11 League
Great Horwood Ravens 1 Southside Utd Rockets 2
Scorer:- Matthew Taylor

U11’s lead at half time but lose to two late goals

The under 11’s played really well today and deservedly led 1-0 at half time. However a strong second half display by Southside saw them take home all three points.

The Ravens were the better side in the first half and showed some great passing football. The Ravens goal was a great example as Daniel hit a great pass to Marcus who set-up Matthew to score. Tom pulled off some great saves and James was awesome in defence.

Southside came out strong in the second half and Great Horwood probably gave them too much respect and played too deep. However the boys defended well with some great work from James and Matthew in particular and some more good saves by Tom. With ten minutes to go it looked like the Ravens would hold out but Southside scored two late goals. The Ravens almost equalised in the last minute when Daniel’s close range shot was cleared off the line by a Southside defender.

This was another good display by the U11’s, but for the fifth time this season they dropped points from a game they could have won.

Team

• Tom Sherwood (Keeper)
• James Rooney (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Striker)
• Evan Carter (Striker/Defence)
• Matty Hodges (Striker/Defence)

16/04/11 League
Tattenhoe Reds 3 Great Horwood Ravens 1
Scorer:- Daniel Springall

U11’s lose with man down.

The U11’s played well today but lost after playing half of the match with a man down after Tom fell ill.

Both teams started the match without any subs but Tattenhoe made the best start pressing forward from the whistle and scoring an early goal. The Ravens however got back into the match and had a number of chances at the other end. Daniel finally got the Ravens equaliser after some good passing by Adam and Gus put Daniel through to score with his left foot. At the other end James made a number of good saves. The half finished 1-1.

At half time Tom was clearly not well and it was decided to continue the match with only eight players. This meant everyone worked incredibly hard to make up the extra ground but ultimately it was too big a task on a hot sunny day. Tattenhoe scored early on which meant the Ravens had to push forward to try and get the equaliser. The Ravens had two great chances in the second half to score – the best followed a great dribbling run by Evan who got past 3 defenders to leave himself and Adam clear against the keeper. Unfortunately the keeper was able to deflect Evan’s shot out for a corner. Tattenhoe scored again on the break to end the match 3-1.

All the boys played well today but special mention should go to both Matthew for a formidable captains performance and James for another great display in goal.

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Midfield)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Striker/Midfield)
• Evan Carter (Striker)

09/04/11 League
Scot Youth 0 Great Horwood Ravens 4
Scorers:- Daniel Springall, Marcus Bounds, Evan Carter, Tom Sherwood

U11’s comfortably win.

The U11’s started this game in style with 3 goals in the first 15 minutes. Daniel scored the first from a free kick in the first minute of the match – the ball curled in and bounced just before the near post and over the keeper. The Ravens scored again five minutes later after a nice attack by Adam, Daniel and Evan and the ball fell nicely for Marcus to fire home. Evan scored the third, knocking in the ball after Adam’s shot. The Ravens could have scored 3 or 4 more in the first half with the best chance falling to Gus but his shot hit the crossbar from 2 meters out. The Ravens defence of Kieran, Tom, George and latterly James all played well to stop any Scot Youth attacks. Matthew also pulled off some good saves in goal.

The second half was much harder as the boys played up hill in hot weather. Scot Youth had a number of chances but the Ravens defence worked hard to clear the ball. Tom, who played striker in the second half, had a couple of close chances on goal, and he was finally rewarded with his first goal for the Ravens tapping in from close distance after Adam’s shot.

All the boys played well today and thoroughly deserved their 4-0 win.

Team

• Matthew Taylor (Keeper)
• James Rooney (Defence)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence/Striker)
• George Edwards (Defence/Midfield)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Striker/Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence/Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

02/04/11 League
Southside Utd Stars 3 Great Horwood Ravens 3
Scorers:- Evan Carter, Adam Graham, Marcus Bounds

U11’s draw away from home.

The Ravens were the better team today and left the match feeling they should have won. The U11’s went ahead on three occasions scoring 3 good goals - but then let in 3 sloppy goals at the other end.

The first half started well for the Ravens with a great pass by Daniel into the box and Evan finished neatly into the corner of the goal. Southside however equalised after poor defending let in the Southside striker. Marcus finished the half with a great finish after Matty crossed into the box to make it 2-1.

By contrast the second half started disastrously when Southside hit in a long ball into the box and Tom failed to catch the ball after it bounced awkwardly on the bumpy pitch and into the back of the net. The Ravens however got back into the match and were unlucky to score on a number of occasions. Adam finally got the Ravens third after Daniel’s shot deflected off the keeper and Adam calmly scored the rebound. Having been the better team the Ravens should have gone on to win this match but poor communication at the back led to a third goal for Southside to level the match.

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper/Defence)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence/Keeper)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Striker/Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence/Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield/Striker)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

12/03/11 League
MK Wanderers 4 Great Horwood Ravens 2
Scorers:- Adam Graham, Marcus Bounds

The U11’s played well today but ultimately lost to a bizarre penalty decision which killed the game following what looked to be a perfectly legal tackle.

Both Adam and Marcus were both on the score sheet again but the Ravens man of the match was undoubtedly James who was brilliant in goal making a number of outstanding saves.

The Wanderers scored first but the Ravens didn’t give up and Adam got the Ravens equaliser early in the second half. The Wanderers went ahead again with an excellent headed goal but the Ravens hit straight back with a great finish by Marcus following a super long throw by Daniel into the Wanderers box. The Wanderers scored again but the Ravens didn’t stop and it looked like the Ravens would yet again get an equaliser until the bizarre penalty decision.

This was yet another close game that could have gone either way.

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Defence, Striker and Midfield!)
• Gus Nash (Defence/Midfield)
• George Edwards (Defence/Midfield)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield/Striker)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

05/03/11 Shield R2
Newport Pagnell Town Lions 3 Great Horwood Ravens 2
Scorers:- Adam Graham, Marcus Bounds

U11’s comeback too late.

The U11’s were unlikely not to take this 2^nd round shield match to penalties after a great comeback after being 3-0 down.

The team played well in the first half but the ball just wouldn’t go in the net. The Ravens created a number of good chances – the best being a shot by Adam which hit the post, Marcus was there for the rebound but he couldn’t get his shot in on time before the defence were on him. Great Horwood were really unlikely to go behind when a tame shot, which Tom had covered in goal, bounced high off Matthews head and into the top of the net for an own goal. This gave Newport confidence and they scored a very well taken goal to make it 2-0 at half time.

The Ravens stepped up their game in the second half and really pressured the Newport Pagnell goal. Newport Pagnell however broke well on the counter attack to make it 3-0. With about 20 minutes to go, the ball finally fell right for the Ravens and they deservedly scored with a good shot by Adam. It was all Great Horwood from this moment in as everyone pushed up to try and get the two goals back. With eight minutes remaining the Ravens got their second from a good corner by Daniel which hit either the post, or the defender on the post, and fell nicely for Marcus to fire it home. This set-up a great last five minutes as the boys fought valiantly to get the goal back. Evan was left as the sole defender and did brilliantly as the Lions broke twice looking to kill the game. Despite a number of close chances the third goal however evaded the Ravens and the match ended 3-2.

Team

• Tom Sherwood (Keeper)
• James Rooney (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence/Midfield)
• George Edwards (Defence/Midfield)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Daniel Springall (Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield/Striker)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

1902/11 League
Great Horwood Ravens 3 Deanshanger Colts 2
Scorers:- Matthew Taylor (2), og (from Daniel’s shot)

U11’s come from behind to beat league leaders!

What a game! The U11’s thoroughly deserved to win this game against a Deanshanger team that hadn’t lost in the league for a year. Playing without any subs, the boys were up for this match and they worked as a team throughout.

Right on schedule the rain stopped for the kick-off but both teams had to contend with a very muddy pitch. The Ravens started the match in a confident manner with a number of attacks on the Colts goal. The Colts however were also strong on the counter attack but Evan, Gus and Kieran all tracked back well to clear the ball. Tom looked strong in goal, catching a number of long shots / crosses. About halfway through the half the Ravens went ahead following a throw-in. Daniel’s long throw was passed back to him by Adam. Daniel’s subsequent cross, come shot, hit both the keeper and defender and into the back of the net. It wasn’t long however before Deanshanger went level as their striker got passed the Ravens defence and his shot crawled over the line after getting stuck in the mud. In the final few minutes the Ravens should have scored again as Marcus and Matty broke free but Deanshanger got back to clear and leave it 1-1 at half time.

Both teams came out at half time looking to win the match and it was Deanshanger who went ahead with a well taken goal from a tight angle. The Ravens however hit straight back with an equaliser by Matthew. This set up a tense end but as the half progressed the Ravens clearly looked like the stronger team and had three or four chances to win the match. Matthew finally got the winner after Daniel crossed into the box. Matthew hit the ball well but it ricocheted off the post back to him and he reacted well to knock the ball into the net. Adam came very close to settling the match with a good strike but his shot was cleared off the line. The Colts still could have scored but the whole team defended well and deservedly celebrated a great win.

Team

• Tom Sherwood (Keeper)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Daniel Springall (Striker/Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

• 12/02/11 Shield R1
  Delapre Dragons 1 Great Horwood Ravens 8
  Scorers:- Adam Graham (4), Matthew Taylor (2), Matty Hodges, Gus Nash

U11’s score 8 and storm into next round of the shield.

The Ravens put on a great team performance today to storm into the next round of the shield. Adam scored four and Matthew scored a brace.

The match couldn’t have started better with the Ravens going 3-0 up within the first ten minutes. Adam scored the first after breaking free from the Dragons defence. Matthew got the second with a left foot shot. Matty scored the third with an excellent half volley from the edge of the box. Five minutes later Adam scored again to make it 4-0. After this initial onslaught Delapre started to defend better and scored from a corner to end the half 4-1.

The Ravens continued to play well in the second half with four more goals – two more from Adam, a second from Matthew and a well taken goal by Gus. The Ravens could have scored three or four more but the Dragons keeper quickly came off his line on each occasion, making critical saves. Delapre did have their chances in the second half but they were neatly dealt with by Kieran, George and James.

Overall this was a great performance by the U11’s which is bound to give the boys confidence for the rest of the season. Special mention should go to Marcus and Matthew who both had great games in midfield and Adam for his four goals. 

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper / Defence)
• Tom Sherwood (Striker / Keeper)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Evan Carter (Defence / Striker)
• Gus Nash (Midfield)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Daniel Springall (Striker/Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)

22/01/11 League
Great Horwood Ravens 2 MK Wanderers 3
Scorers:- Adam Graham, Daniel Springall

The U11’s lose after going 2-0 up

The old football adage, “a game of two halves”, couldn’t have been more appropriate today. In the first half the Ravens played a fast passing game, dominated midfield and deservedly led 2-0 at half time. In the second half they were sluggish, found it difficult to win the ball and let in three relatively tame goals to lose the match.

Both of the Ravens goals were worked well from midfield with Adam playing a key part in both. The first followed a good break down the left wing with Marcus and Daniel feeding the ball through to Adam who went on a great run and placed the ball into the corner of the net. The second goal was again created in midfield and passed up to Adam. Adam’s shot however was going wide but Daniel reacted quickly and deflected it into the net.

Both Matthew and George had some great long distance efforts and Matty a couple from within the box but the scored stayed 2-0 at half time. James had a great half in goal.

The second half started terribly for the U11’s who gave away a soft penalty in the first minute. This gave the Wanderers an extra boost and seemed to zap the energy from the Ravens. As the half wore on the Wanderers looked more and more likely to score again and they levelled the scores about mid-way through the half to set-up a tense last ten minutes. The Ravens had their chances to win it but it was the Wanderers who broke with a few minutes remaining to score and win the match.

The boys would have learnt a lot from losing this match – they all know they should have won it and with a bit more second half determination they would have.

Team

• James Rooney (Keeper / Defence)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence / Keeper)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• Gus Nash (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Adam Graham (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)
• Daniel Springall (Striker)
• Lewis Richardson (Striker)

• 11/12/10 League
  Great Horwood Ravens 3 Tattenhoe Reds 2
  Scorers:- Gus Nash, Daniel Springall, Matthew Taylor

U11’s win with great performance

After five weeks without a match the U11’s had a great game today played in good spirits by both teams.

The Ravens had the better of the early play. They controlled midfield and had a number of chances to go in front. However with 15 minutes of the match gone it was Tattenhoe who scored first after the Ravens defence failed to clear the ball. The Ravens however were determined to get back in the game and scored an equaliser within 30 seconds. Marcus and Matthew charged forward with the ball, pressuring the Tattenhoe defence. The resulting shot could only be parried by the keeper and Gus followed through to score. The rest of the half was very even.

Tattenhoe started the second half more aggressively and the Ravens seemed to lose their shape during the opening 10 minutes. However the Ravens started to get back in the match and pulled together a series of great attacks. The Ravens finally scored their second with a great left foot shot by Daniel, on the turn, from the edge of the box. The ball flew into the top corner of the net and the keeper didn’t stand a chance. Two minutes later the Ravens got their 3^rd with another shot from the edge of the box by Matthew which again looped over the keeper and into the roof of the net. The U11’s had a series of further chances to extend the lead but in the final minute Tattenhoe scored to make it 3-2.

Overall this was a great performance with some nice first touches, great passes, and three brilliant goals. Well done the Ravens!

Team

• Daniel Springall (Keeper / Striker)
• Evan Carter (Defence)
• Kieran Craig (Defence)
• George Edwards (Defence)
• James Rooney (Defender / Keeper)
• Tom Sherwood (Defence/Striker)
• Matthew Taylor (Midfield - Captain)
• Gus Nash (Midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (Midfield)
• Matty Hodges (Striker)
• Lewis Richardson (Striker)

• 02/10/10 League
  Great Horwood 1 Southside United Stars 1
  Scorers:- Adam Graham

U11’s held at home

Playing again with no subs, the U11’s put in a strong performance at home to Southside Utd Stars.

The Ravens dominated the early play and should have gone two goals up with Marcus hitting the crossbar with a long range shot and Adam forcing a good save by the Southside keeper.  Matthew and Marcus controlled midfield as the Ravens got in some great tackles and passed the ball neatly up the field.  Southside however seemed strong on the break but the Ravens defence of James, Kieran and George played very well and Matty made a couple of great saves in goal.  Despite the pressure from both teams the half ended 0-0.

The U11’s continued to pressure the Southside goal from the restart and it wasn’t long before they went 1-0 up with a good ball to George who selflessly passed to Adam who scored into the far corner.  The goal spurred Southside on and the rest of the game was very even with chances at both ends. James, Gus, Tom, Matthew and Kieran all made some great tackles but Southside got their goal after the Ravens defence failed to clear the ball. The Ravens came close to winning the game when George was one on one with the keeper but was stopped by a good save.  Adam also had a couple of shots saved.  Southside almost scored at the death but Matty managed to clear the ball on the line.

Team

• Matty Hodges (keeper)
• James Rooney (defender)
• Kieran Craig (defender)
• George Edwards (defender / striker)
• Matthew Taylor (midfield and captain)
• Gus Nash (midfield)
• Adam Graham (midfield / striker)
• Marcus Bounds (striker / midfield)
• Tom Sherwood (striker / defender)

25/09/10 Cup Round 1
Willen Athletic 2 Great Horwood 3
Scorers:- Adam Graham, Marcus Bounds, Daniel Springall

U11’s win in round 1 of cup

The U11’s celebrated a good win in the first round of the cup against a strong Willen Athletic team.

The Ravens should have been 3 goals up in the first half but luck was against them.  Firstly Daniel hit a great shot from a high bouncing ball but it rattled the crossbar and went clear.  Matty then almost scored when he chipped the keeper but the ball spun on the line rather than going in.  Finally the Ravens got their goal after the Willen defender hand-balled in the box and Adam scored the penalty into the bottom right hand corner.  It wasn’t all one way however as Willen broke strongly on the counter attack.  The Ravens defence did very well and Matthew had a brilliant half in goal as he made a number of crucial saves.  The half ended 1-0 to the Ravens.

Willen came out in the second half with a lot more determination and got a goal back within the first few minutes - the Ravens failed to clear the ball in the box and it landed nicely for the Willen striker to score. The Ravens however hit straight back with a strong attack from the kick-off and Marcus scored with a good shot from just inside the box.  The rest of the game was very even as both teams had more chances.  With 15 minutes of the match remaining Willen draw level again setting the game up for a tense finish.   The Ravens continued to push forward and were rewarded following a good break on the wing by Marcus and George.  George crossed the ball into the box and Daniel chipped the keeper to make it 3-2.  A few minutes later the Ravens could have finished the game off with another good move down the left and cross by Marcus.  Unfortunately Daniel couldn’t get enough on the ball and it spun off away from the goal.  The last few minutes saw some good defending by Kieran, James and George to give the Ravens the victory.

Special mention should go to Tom who had an excellent first game for the team, making some great tackles and passes.

Team

• Matthew Taylor (keeper and captain)
• James Rooney (defender)
• Kieran Craig (defender)
• Tom Sherwood (defence)
• Evan Carter (defence / midfield)
• George Edwards (midfield / defender)
• Gus Nash (midfield)
• Marcus Bounds (midfield)
• Adam Graham (midfield / striker)
• Daniel Springall (striker)
• Matty Hodges (striker)

11/09/10 League

Deanshanger Colts 4 Great Horwood 1

Scorers:- Adam Graham

U11’s put in strong performance

The U11’s put in an good performance in their first competitive match playing 9-a-side with the bigger pitch and goals and were unfortunate to lose.  The game was played against familiar opposition, Deanshanger Colts, who were promoted with us last season and we played in the fun day last week.  Unfortunately Evan couldn’t play so we played the match with no subs.

The Ravens started the match really well and controlled the game for the first 10 minutes.  The Great Horwood midfield of Matthew, Marcus and Gus closed down Deanshanger quickly, releasing the ball wide to Daniel and Adam up front.  The Ravens probably should have been 2 up but were stopped by some last minute clearances.  The Ravens defence of Kieran, James and George handled the Deanshanger attacks well and Matty had little to do in goal during this early spell.  Against the run of play however Deanshanger scored first with a good finish following a break.  They quickly scored a second but the Ravens continued to push on and came close with a series of corners.  Matthew Taylor, who put in a great captains performance, also almost scored with a long range shot. Disappointingly the half finished with two sloppy goals being conceded which the boys should have been cleared much earlier.  The half ended 4-0 to Deanshanger which wasn’t a fair reflection of the first half.

Despite the score-line the Ravens knew they were playing well as a team and they started the second half in the same way as the first.  Matthew dropped back into goal and Matty went up front.  The Ravens soon got a goal back with some good tackling by Daniel on the edge of the Deanshanger box and his pass set up Adam to score from a tight angle.  Two minutes later the Ravens should have got a second with another break down the right but Adam’s shot ricocheted off the post.  The Ravens had plenty of further chances, with some good breaks by Matty, Daniel and Adam, but the ball never seemed to fall right for them.  George got a knock half way through the half but battled on with no substitutes to bring on.  Kieran and James did well in defence with some good clearances and Marcus and Gus battled hard in midfield.  The match ended with the Ravens winning the second half 1-0 but they lost the match.

Team

• Matty Hodges
• James Rooney
• Kieran Craig
• George Edwards
• Gus Nash
• Matthew Taylor (captain)
• Marcus Bounds
• Daniel Springall

• Adam Graham