Its was a cold start but it definitely got better both the football and the weather …….

Today’s squad was Tom, Jack, Morgan Edonis, Joey, Charney, Louis, Faizan, Connor,Joel, Reynolds, Kevin & Gabe.

We arrived to a frozen pitch and a very disorganized home team, No nets, no Corner flags and no Ref, So our fantastic asst Coach (thats me) stepped in to ref the game.

The match started and we were attacking straight away and had the pressure. A couple of chances came Reynolds went just wide and Connor hit the post. Joel was having great joy down the right wing just needed to get the ball in a bit quicker. The best chance probably came to them after some slack play in defense allowed them to run on and shoot but Tom made a really good save. Nick ran the changes and it was Gabe who gave us the break we thoroughly deserved. The ball bounced around in the box and Gabe poked it home 1.0. We were very much controlling the game at this point and i thought Louis played well as the CDM covering the ground and pushing play forward.

After 25 mins we attacked again and Theo followed in a shot from outside the box which the keeper could only parry. 2.0 We should of been putting this team to bed but we didn’t convert our chances and kept allowing them hope with sloppy defending and gifting them the ball. Defenders should not be turning into trouble or passing to the opposition. It was from one of these defensive lapses that they got there best chance of the half. The forward was clean through Tom came out but the striker shot very early and the ball tricked wide of the post – Very lucky Half Time 2.0

Lets just say Nick was pleased that we were winning but not by the football being played and the unforced errors that crept into our game. Nick changed the defense around played a few players in different positions just to liven a few players up ! Also the pitch started to soften up after the first 35 mins and became more playable.

Second half started and very soon we got the third goal Gabe finishing well 3.0. The next chance fell to them and they should of scored, Tom made a fantastic triple save and then the player put the ball wide. Faizan took the ball forward from the half way line and unleashed a great shot from the edge of the box 4.0 The game was over but you all kept going Nick wanted to get the clean sheet and you all wanted to score, but you all kept to the rolls that you were asked to play and the chances came.

Theo followed in shot and beat their player to the ball 5.0, Reynolds got two in quick succession left foot as he drove in from the left and a right foot finish after a great through ball from Connor 7.0. With five minutes to go we had a penalty, Joel assisted by allowing himself to be smashed to the ground by the goalkeeper, With the regular penalty taker in goal, Connor was the designated taker after some banter from his OWN team he coolly slotted. 8.0

All you tails were up and straight from kick off Charney won the ball and went past one, two, three players possibly four and fired the ball home (Reminded me of John Barnes in Brazil 1984 – Ask your dads) absolutely great goal. 9.0

With two minutes to go you still had two chances Kevin hit the bar and over from a corner and Edonis curled a shot just wide of the post. after this last effort the Ref blew for full time 9.0

Well done everyone some real solid performances today and a much better second half Joey played well at left back, Theo worked hard and Louis at either center midfield or right back, but todays MoTM went to Reynolds led the line well took his goals well and worked tirelessly even put a shift in center midfield when asked to do so.

One thing to work on is cut out the silly balls and errors and better team will punish us for these.

A new defensive training is being run on Astro on Thursday 7PM to 8PM anyone interested please let Nick or myself know.

See you all training tomorrow night.As usual if you cant make it let us know.

Not the result we were hoping for but these thing happen …….

Today squad was Josh, Jack, Morgan, Edonis, Tom, Joey, Charney, Connor, Faizan, Louis, Kevin, Gabe, Theo and Reynolds

Game started after a short delay due to no corner flags and nets. It was a very wide pitch, big goals and very heavy in the middle of the park. We spoke before the game about playing into space behind the defence but unfortunately we couldn’t action the plan.

The first half was a very tight affair Faizan had a couple of chance to shoot but the ball got stuck under his feet. The best chance of the half fell to Kevin. The ball was played in from the right and Kevin was unmarked at the front post, however the ball came to at an awkward height and he hit it in his knee. The ball trickled agonizing wide of the post. The next few chances fell to the opposition who put a shot just over the top and hit the cross bar with another effort. After 25 Minutes Gabe broke down the left and cut in, the defender tripped him up in the box penalty. Tom took the penalty but it wasn’t one of his best and but it at a good height for the keeper. In the last minute we gave away a silly corner after a bit of confusion in defence and a good whipped in ball found their striker at the back post 1.0 half time blew.

Second half started but i felt we didn’t. We sat far to far back nearly all the second half and didn’t push them out enough.No real chances came about because you defended well but they kept coming back as we gave the ball away to them rather then putting it into space. “If you have no options play the ball down a wing, we may win a throw or create a throw, but either way we can push up and start from a higher position on the pitch”

You continued to battle but after 15 mins the pressure told a challenge by Morgan in the box and it was a penalty. The striker put it down the middle 2.0. From here Nick changed it to 4.4.2 to try and get some more options. We nearly broke a couple of times with Charney and Faizan, Gabe nearly profited from a mix up in there defence but it wasn’t to be. We had another shout for a penalty but the ref waved it away. Two minute to go the ball got crossed in and after a scramble they put it away 3.0 Game Over. They were a good team who had two or three good players, but on another day if we were in form in could of been different.

MoTM – No one stood out for me

I felt you all looked a bit out of sorts, I don’t think not playing and training this week has helped and we havent really got back to the football we were playing before Christmas. The pitch didn’t suit our normal passing game but we must all adapt.

I want heads back up we have four really winner-able games to come. Lets finish with 12 points, I want you all to go back to encouraging each other and work for each other !!!!!

Training tomorrow hopefully the weather will be kind. Lets take training serious and no messing around. Let Nick or myself know if you cant make it

Today Blog comes from our defensive utility player Morgan Rember as i had to go and sit in the cold watching more football

It was the first game after Christmas and it was a cold, wet and windy day

This weeks squad was Josh, Callum, Gabe, Morgan, Edonis, Theo, Louie, Faizan, Connor, Charne, Reynolds, Kevin, Tom and Joel

We started the match well and took control of the midfield very quickly and pushed them on to the back foot. However they caught us on accounted attack and they unleashed a shot over josh into the goal. 1.0. We responded well and got a corner straight away, floated into the middle there defense make a mess of it and its an own goal 1.1 The chances were coming but we weren’t finishing them. Finally we got the goal our good play deserved Connor fed Faizan who in turn fed Gabe and he finished well. 2.1 . However Josh kicks out straight to there striker and he shoots from 20 yards into the goal 2.2 just before halftime Josh makes up for his miss kick with a great reflex save to deny them and we go into halftime 2.2 . We were causing them problems all half with Theo’s, Faizan’s and Charnes pace/dribbling and Connor’s probing balls, I felt we should have been winning.

The second half was always going to be tough as it was getting colder and josh injured his leg as well. There striker goes past our entire defense and thunders it into the bottom right corner. We replied really well with Theo picks up the ball and plays it to Tom his shot hits the post and then the back of the keeper and goes in 3.3

Tom Reynolds had a long shot which looked like the keeper would hold however this was not to be as he spilt it and it rolled over the line 4.3.

There was a little scare after one of there players went through 4 of us but Morgan (thats me) tactically fouled to stop the shot and the free kick resulted to nothing.

The full time result was 4.3 and I felt we really deserved this win played much better than them.

MotM went to Tom he marshaled the defense well and took his goal very well.

Thanks again Morgan See you all training tomorrow if you are not going to make it please let Nick or myself know

We don’t have new fixtures yet but as soon as we do we will let you all know

Happy New Year and a great way to Start