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12/05/12 League With both teams limited to nine players and no subs this match was always going to be a hard fought game. The Ravens played well in the first half but they couldn’t convert possession into goals and the half ended 0-0. Tom played well in goal making a couple of good saves and the Ravens defence of George, Kieran and Gus had things under control. The second half was much more exciting. Moretonville started well and grabbed the first goal with a long bouncing shot. This spurred the Ravens on and for much of the half they pressured the Moretonville goal. This included one attack where the Ravens had five or six shots on target but the ball ricocheted off defenders and was eventually cleared. Matty almost scored from close range but somehow the Moretonville keeper pushed the shot over the bar. With ten minutes remaining and with the Ravens pressing players forward, Moretonville grabbed a second on the break to make it 2-0. The Ravens were not giving up though and Adam scored immediately from the kick-off with a good run and finish. The last five minutes of the match were intense as the Ravens piled on the pressure, and with only 30 seconds of the match remaining Great Horwood finally got the equaliser with Daniel finishing well from a tight angle to make it 2-2. This draw confirms that the U12’s will finish the season in 3rd place in the league. Team
31/03/12 Friendly This was probably the best game the boys have played throughout the six years they’ve been together. They played as a team, passing the ball, defending as a unit, and attacking with speed and determination. In arranging this friendly I wanted to test the boys against stronger, higher league opposition. Preston Gawcott are top of division 2 and have won all eight of their games this season - so this was always going to be a tough match! But the Ravens rose to the occasion, with 7 great goals including a hat-trick by Daniel and a brace apiece for Chris and Adam. This wasn’t however just about the goal-scorers – all the boys played well, from an outstanding performance in goal by Tom to the battling and confident play of all the outfield players. Despite the concerns of playing a higher league team, the Ravens started the match with pace, pressuring the Pumas goal from the kick-off. It wasn’t long before Daniel got the opener with a well struck shot which ricocheted off the post and into the net. This early goal gave the Ravens confidence and they dominated play for the next 20 minutes with Chris scoring the Ravens second after a great dribbling run and shot into the far corner. Preston Gawcott however came back into the game and the Ravens goal was under constant pressure during the last ten minutes of the half. Tom pulled off some great saves before Gawcott finally got their goal to make it 2-1 at half time. The boys knew that Gawcott would come out strong in the second half and therefore needed to up their game further to stop them playing. Again this confidence from the whistle paid off when Daniel received the ball at the edge of the box and placed a great shot into the bottom right corner of the net, past the diving keeper to make it 3-1. Preston Gawcott also pushed forward looking for their second but the Ravens defence repeatedly closed their attacks down. Adam soon got another to make it 4-1 with another good dribbling run and shot. This seemed to knock the spirit from the Pumas and the boys instinctively increased the pressure again, passing the ball between them with confidence. Chris got his second with a well taken shot, before Daniel completed his hat-trick with a strike at the near post following Matthew’s corner kick. Preston Gawcott got a goal-back late on but Adam wrapped the game up with his second goal to make it 7-2! Team
10/03/12 League Another strong game by the U12’s, with Matty scoring four in a comfortable win. From the kick-off Great Horwood piled on the pressure and scored an early goal - Adam hit the post with his shot and then followed through with a great cross into the box which Matty knocked in from close range. Five minutes later Matty scored his second after some good work by Evan and again he finished well from the edge of the six yard box. By this stage the Ravens were dominating possession and Daniel, Adam, Matthew and Evan all came close to extending the lead. Adam finally got the Ravens third with a good shot from the edge of the penalty area. Matty finished the first half with his hat-trick after Evan selflessly played a neat one-two and Matty scored with confidence. The half ended 4-0 to the Ravens. The Ravens were too complacent in the second half and Silverstone scored two early goals to make it 4-2. This seemed to wake the boys up a bit and Gus scored a great goal from the edge of the box with a looping shot over the keeper. Silverstone scored again on the break before Matty finished the game off with powerful shot into the top of net. Tom played very well again in goal and came out well to block an almost certain goal in the dying seconds to keep the score at 6-3. After some recent unlucky results, this game should set the boys up for a strong finish to the season. Matty certainly went home feeling very happy with his four goals. Team
03/03/12 League The Ravens played exceptionally well today against unbeaten league leaders Bedford. With no subs and a few niggling minor injuries, the boys battled hard and with 20 minutes to go were deservedly 3-1 up. Eventually tiredness caught up with the boys, conceding 3 late goals. Bedford started the first half brightly and went a goal back in the first five minutes. But the Ravens got into the game and put some good moves together, pressuring the Bedford goal. It wasn’t long before the pressure paid off with a Bedford defender handling in the area and Matthew finished well to score the penalty. The Ravens continued to play well and with ten minutes of the first half remaining, Adam scored the goal of the game with a great looping shot from the edge of the box which flew into the top of the net. Bedford fought hard to get the goal back but Tom made some great saves in goal. The first half ended 2-1 to the Ravens. The second half started well for Great Horwood with a few more good chances on goal. The Ravens third goal came from a huge kick from Tom in goal which bounced high into the Bedford penalty area and Matthew nodded it in to score his second. By this stage in the game the boys were beginning to struggle with tiredness and a few injuries. Bedford used their subs well to get back into the game scoring three goals in quick succession. The Ravens weren’t out of it though and Matthew came incredibly close to getting his hat-trick when he hit the cross-bar from a free kick. The match however ended 4-3 to Bedford. The U12’s played really well today and all the boys deserve praise to take this game to the league leaders, without any subs, and come so close to winning. The Bedford manager at the end of the match said it was the toughest game they’ve had this season which is a good testament to the effort and determination of all the boys. Well done. Team
21/01/12 League For the second game in a row the Ravens were unlucky not to have beaten Olney. Great Horwood dominated the game in the first half and if it wasn’t for the Olney keeper would have gone in at half time with a much bigger lead. The boys played great in the first half. The Ravens defence, particularly Jake, looked very strong and in command. The midfield passed the ball around beautifully, setting up a number of chances for Evan up front. However the Olney keeper was really on form and made a series of last minute saves. Daniel went close with a header at the far post and Jake tried a couple of long range shots. With the end of the first half approaching the Ravens changed things round a bit bringing both George and Matty on and they instantly made a difference with a superb goal - George controlled the ball well midway into the Olney half and slotted a great ball through to Matty who nudged it past the keeper. The first half ended 1-0 to the Ravens. Olney came out much stronger in the second half and fought their way back into the game. However the Ravens defence was holding strong and Tom made some great saves. It didn’t look like Olney would score but with 10 minutes remaining Olney hit a long range shot which Tom saved, but the ball fell to the Olney striker who headed it home. The Ravens then stepped up a gear and it looked like Adam would get the winner as he broke free - but again the Olney keeper came to their rescue with a good save. Team
17/12/11 League The Ravens were unlucky today and could have won this match against 2nd place Olney. Despite having 2 key players out, the U12’s started the match very positively and had much of the early possession. It wasn’t long before the Ravens went 1-0 up with a good attack and Matty finished neatly. 10 minutes later Evan made it 2-0 to the Ravens and the boys looked confident and in control. However, right at the end of the half, the Ravens let in two soft goals – the first was down to poor marking at the back and the second was a bizarre own goal by George who fired into his own net. The first half ended 2-2. The two late first half goals gave Olney confidence and they scored a good goal on the break early in the half. They were then awarded a penalty which they converted to make it 4-2. Unfortunately Tom was injured in making the penalty save and had to come off – so Matty went into goal. The boys fought on and deservedly got an equaliser with a great run by Adam who went on to score after a one-two with George. The Ravens dominated the last ten minutes and came close to equalising on a number of occasions but the goal didn’t come. All the boys played exceptionally well today and were unluckly to lose having been 2-0 up. Of particular note however was the Ravens defence of Kieran, Jake and Gus who played very well as a team, and Daniel playing in the defensive midfield position for the first time. Team
12/11/11 League The U12’s came up against league leaders, Bedford Panthers, today and with a couple of players out the Ravens struggled to compete at times. From the kick-off it looked like it was going to be a high scoring match with both teams scoring in the first minute. Bedford scored first with a long, high ball which looped over Matthew’s head in goal. Chris got the Ravens back in it straight from the kick-off, connecting with the ball nicely at the back-post to make it 1-1. A combination of great finishes and poor defending led to four more Bedford goals in the first 15 minutes and a decision was made to bring Matthew out of goal and into a defensive midfield role to strengthen the outfield. This made a big difference and the Ravens held their own for the remainder of the first half. Bedford however did score two more goals in the first half but Chris got a second for the Ravens to make it 7-2 at half time. The Ravens played the second half much better. Jake was excellent in defence and both Daniel and Matthew fought hard in midfield, getting some great tackles in. Chris was unlucky not to get his hat-trick and Adam, Evan and Matthew all had opportunities to score. Matty also played really well in goal making some great saves, but Bedford scored three more goals to end the match 10-2. The score-line probably flattered Bedford today but they were a good team and deserved to keep their top spot in the table. Team
15/10/11 League U12’s nearly pull off cup upset against Division 1 opposition The U12’s yet again put in a fabulous performance and were only 8 minutes away from putting Division 1 Westoning out of the cup. From the whistle the boys fought for every ball and repeatedly broke down the Westoning attack. In every position on the pitch the boys got their tackles in early and then having won the ball broke fast on the counter. The best chance of the first half fell to Matthew who struck a great volley from distance which the Westoning keeper had to tip over the crossbar. At the other end Tom made some great saves and the Ravens defence of Kieran, James and Jake cleared the ball on each occasion. The Great Horwood midfield of Matthew, Gus, Daniel, Adam and Chris all put in incredible amounts of work to keep the score goal-less at half time. In the 2nd half, the Ravens decided to come out strong from the kick-off and went 1-0 up within the first minute. Daniel and Matty got the ball quickly out to Adam who dribbled through a couple of Westoning defenders and scrambled the ball over the line. One minute later the Ravens had a second chance as Adam’s shot was saved and Daniel was just wide with the rebound. Again the boys dug in and held off the Westoning attack until the 62 minute when Tom made his only mistake in the whole match, allowing a bouncing ball to slip through his legs. With one minute of the match remaining it looked destined for another penalty shoot-out but Westoning made some great passes in the Ravens box and scored a well taken goal to make it 2-1. The boys were all proud of how they played today against a Division 1 team who haven’t lost so far this season. A great team effort which showed they can match any team at this age group! Team
08/10/11 League The Ravens put in an impressive performance today with 10 goals including two hat-tricks from Matty and Chris. The first half was a bit scrappy with lots of missed chances in front of goal. Daniel opened the scoring with a well taken goal at the back post from Adam’s cross. Evan got the second, finding the corner of the net and Adam fired in the third. The Ravens dominated the half but Adam, Chris and Matty all missed a number of clear chances in front of goal. Tom made two great saves and the Ravens defence of James and Gus was strong through the half. However late-on Bromham got two goals back. The first was down to the Ravens midfield not getting back and the second was a questionable penalty which Tom almost saved. The half ended 3-2. The second half was very different with some first class finishing. Matty started the rout with a tap-in from close range. This was quickly followed by a good strike by Matthew from the centre of the box to make it 5-2. Chris then scored two great goals in less than a minute. The first was a spectacular volley which might challenge Evan’s great goal from last week for goal of the season. The second was a shot from distance through a crowd of players which found the corner of the net. Matty then scored two more to get his hat-trick - the first was an excellent header into the roof of the net and the second from short distance. Chris finished the match with a well taken goal to get his hat-trick and end the match 10-2 to the Ravens! The team put in a good performance today including new signing Jake who got some great tackles in and seemed to fit into the side straight away. Hopefully the goals will continue to flow in our cup match next weekend. Team
This was one of the most exciting games the boys have ever played – going 3-0 down, coming back to 3-3, both teams having chances to win the game before a gripping penalty shoot-out which saw the Ravens go through to the next round. The Ravens played well in the first half with Matthew, Chris, Daniel and Adam all having long range shots which narrowly missed. Olney however were also playing well and they took their best two chances on the break to lead 2-0 at half time. The boys knew they had the benefit of the sun on their backs in the second half and pushed forward from the start. Things however didn’t quite go to plan as Olney scored again on the break to make it 3-0. The boys didn’t give up and despite the heat worked exceptionally hard to fight for every ball. Tom in particular should be highlighted for some great saves in goal which kept the Ravens in the match. The Ravens finally got their first goal from a perfectly placed curving corner kick by Daniel which Adam knocked home at the far corner. Five minutes later the Ravens had another corner and Daniel again hit the ball in the same place for Adam to score to make it 3-2. The U12’s knew they could draw level and with around five minutes left Evan scored an absolutely fabulous goal on the half volley from outside the box which will certainly be up there for goal of the season. Daniel had a chance to win it with a sublime free-kick which looked destined for the top corner but somehow the Olney keeper got a finger to it to knock it over. At the other end Olney almost scored but Tom yet again made some vital saves to keep the score at 3-3 at full-time. Penalties! After an exhausting match played in exceptionally hot weather the prospect of penalties was daunting. After a team talk it was decided that Chris would take the first one, followed by Adam, Daniel, Tom and Matthew. The boys won the toss and decided to take the first penalty which Chris confidently scored. Tom almost saved the first Olney penalty but it crept in to make it 1-1. Adam was unfortunate with the second and the Olney keeper saved to the right. Tom then made a great save to keep it at 1-1. Daniel struck his penalty well, scoring into the bottom left of the net and then the Olney player missed his to give the advantage to the Ravens. Tom then took one himself blasting it into the roof of the net to make it 3-1 before making another great save to deny the Olney player and winning the match! Team
10/09/11 League What a great start to the season with a strong win against Silverstone Racers. The score could have easily gone into double figures as the Ravens dominated the game. The U12’s started the attack from the kick-off but it took around ten minutes for them to score the first goal. The goal came from a good run down the wing by Adam. Daniel controlled the cross well and knocked it down for Matty to score. New signing, Chris Bailey, played a great first game for the team and scored two fabulous goals from the edge of the box. The Ravens could have scored a few more first half goals but the ball just wouldn’t go in. Silverstone scored a good goal near the end of the half to make it 1-3 at half time. The second half was equally impressive with some great passing football being played. Evan was really unfortunate - on four separate occasions he did everything right to score but the keeper saved each time. In another move both Adam and Chris hit the crossbar with consecutive shots. The U12’s finally got their fourth goal about half way through the half. Daniel charged down a clearance from the Silverstone defence and scored with a great half volley. As the end of the match approached the Ravens scored two more goals. The first was a well taken goal by Adam into the corner of the net. The second was scored by Matthew into the roof of the net after Adam’s shot was charged down. The match finished 1-6 to the Ravens. All the team played well today, from Tom in goal who made some strong saves, Kieran, James and Gus in defence, George and Evan in midfield and the five goal-scorers Matty, Chris (2), Daniel, Adam and Matthew. A fabulous team performance! Team
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