These are the match reports from Season Sep - Dec 05

Sunday 4th December v Bocca Juniors

A fantastic way to end the season with another great win and a superb comeback to underline what fantastic team spirit our team has got. Things started badly as we only had seven fit players with Ally still sidelined through sickness and we were soon 2-0 down. For once we had some luck with a fluke goal, their defence tried to clear the ball which hit Rhys hard in the tummy and rebounded into the net. Poor Rhys, the heroic goalscorer, had to go off injured but we were now back in the game. We started putting Bocca under more pressure and eventually drew level with a fine goal from Tom. As the game went into it’s final stages we started producing our best football and the Josh passed the ball to Tom down the wing who crossed it for Ben to to tap into the net with just seconds remaining to give us a the victory. We played really well as a team and had a lot of good shots on goal so we probably deserved our win.

The win was just what we needed to get all the boys in the party spirit as our Christmas Party was held later in the afternoon at the Brocklebank where a good time was had by all.

Sunday 27th November v Nantwich Town Diablos

After four defeats in a row it was nice to get back to winning ways especially in this vital relegation ‘six-pointer’. The game started with us under pressure during the first period and we went 1-0 down. As the game progressed we came back into it and got back on level terms with a great team goal scored by Tom. We then let Nantwich get back in the lead with a repeat of the same sort of goal we let in last week, when only Max was left at the back defending. However, we came back strongly again with Tom scoring another goal to make it 2-2. Our third, and winning, goal came after a goal mouth scramble when Ally fired the ball home after the Nantwich keeper had pulled off some fine saves. Josh very nearly made it 4-2 with a powerful free kick with their keeper only just managed to tip over the bar. A great win and our first double of the season, let’s hope we can end the season in style next week against Bocca Juniors.

Sunday 20th November v Alsager Town Panthers

As for many of our other matches this season, we started off very well and ended poorly, today was no exception as the team played really well for the first period going in at the break drawing 0-0. Unfortunately as the second period got underway we got rather carried away with attacking and poor Max was left in defence on his own and Alsager went 1-0 up. It was good to have Tom back for his first game in three weeks but, unfortunately, Josh didn’t play, so we were again left with only one sub. We went on to concede a further two goals, meaning a final score of 3-0 but overall the team again played well. Hopefully our run of bad luck will end with next week’s vital game against Nantwich Town Diablos who are currently bottom of the table.

Sunday 13th November v Shavington Wanderers

The match against the currently undefeated league leaders was lost 7-0. Good news before the start was that Tom came back early from being sidelined and was named as a sub. All our boys gave 100% effort but were just unable to keep Shavington at bay as their football was just a little too good for us. However, the scoreline did not give a fair reflection of the match, with a bit of luck (surely we are overdue for some of that!) we could have scored 3 or 4 goals as Josh and Rhys both went close and, overall, we were pleased with our performance if not the scoreline. As a note, the score will only count as 6-0 in the Soccer Centre’s records. Roll on next week when we will hopefully bounce back in style against Alsager!

Sunday 6th November v AFC Redstar

This match started so brightly but ending up disappointingly in a 3-1 defeat. We took the lead in the first period with Rhys scoring a fine goal, his first of the season and Josh also came close with a great shot on the volley. Lewis C played as an attacking full back again and also had a great shot on goal. However it was 1-1 going into the final period and for the second week running we conceded two goals in the last period. Lewis S, our goalie, feeling that for one of their goals the ball had been kicked out of his hands but the ref didn’t notice so 3-1 was the final score. Tom was cheering us on from the sidelines, following his operation, so we had to play with only one sub but although the result was disappointing we had played well again as a team. Next week sees a big test as we play Shavington Wanderers who have a 100% record so far - high time for us to bring them down to earth! 

Sunday 30th October v X Team

After our last match against X Team (when we lost 6-2), we decided to change our tactics a bit for this one. We were without Max who was away so Rhys went into defence and man-marked their top scorer. The first and second period ended goalless although we were unlucky not to take the lead when we had the ball in the net. Unfortunately the ref decided he had already blown his whistle to award a free kick to us (a shame he didn’t play the advantage), and we then promptly hit the bar from the free kick. As our luck would have it, we then conceded twice in the third period. However, overall it was a good all-round team performance, lets hope for better luck in our next match.

Sunday 23rd October v Holmes Chapel Hurricanes

Another superb win for the boys, 4-2 was the final score although we could have had a few more. After an early morning management meeting, it was decided to field a team of Lewis S in goal, Max and Lewis C in defence, Ally and Ben in midfield and Tom up front. As Josh and Rhys were on holiday we had no subs so it was decided to give Lewis C a new directive to attack whenever we had the ball, leaving Max to defend by himself - and it seems as if the tactics worked!

The game started brightly with both teams attacking but neither failed to score in the first period. The second period started with a bang with Tom smashing a long range shot against the crossbar but not long after the goals started to go in with Tom ending up with a hat-trick (his second of the season) and Ben scoring a superb goal so 4-0 up and coasting we all thought. However, before long Holmes Chapel had pulled the game back to 4-2 so for the third period we reverted to two defenders to ensure we kept our precious lead and the boys managed to hold on to notch up another victory. Well done to all the boys!

Sunday 16th October v Bocca Juniors

Although the final score was a 1-1 draw, the scoreline hides the fact that this was a superb performance by the boys, probably our best so far of the season. We went 1-0 down in the first period and then we looked to be up against it as both Ben and Josh went off injured. Fortunately though both were able to come back later in the match to help us get an equaliser. Our goal was a bit of a scramble but Tom was the last of our players to touch the ball so he’s claimed it! The result was even better as Bocca have scored four goals in their last two matches. A really good all-round team performance, well done everyone!

Sunday 9th October v Nantwich Town Diablos

Our first win of the season and what a superb result beating Nantwich 5-1. Things didn’t start too well, firstly Rhys wasn’t able to play as he was being treated to a weekend away at Legoland (hope you had a nice time Rhys) so we had only seven players to choose from and then in the first period we went a goal down. Here we go again we all thought but we hadn’t counted on the spirit of the boys who came back brilliantly in the second and third periods with a superb hat-trick from Tom and two goals from Ben. We could have scored more but 5-1 was impressive enough. Well done to all the boys for trying so hard, lets hope we can keep it up although with both Tom and Ally being birthday boys next week we’ll have to hope they don’t eat too much birthday cake between them!

Sunday 2nd October v Alsager Town Panthers

As in all our recent games against Alsager, this was a very closely fought match that could have gone either way, just a shame that luck wasn’t on our side again and Alsager grabbed that all-important goal although it was nice to see our former goalie Ellis in goal for Alsager although would have been even nicer if he’d have let us have a few goals!

We defended very well throughout the match with Max and Lewis C doing well in defence and especially at corners. Lewis S made a great triple save to deny Alsager and then we changed our tactics in the third period, in a bid to get an equaliser, with Josh playing as our sole defender and everyone else pushing up for a goal but it was not to be. Well done to Max who was named Player of the Week for his superb performance in defence.

Sunday 25th September v Shavington Wanderers

Well Shavington made it four wins from four matches this season, we didn’t play too badly but unfortunately Shavington were just a little bit too strong and experienced for us. We were 2-0 down after the first period, they scored direct from a corner (past birthday boy Lewis in goal) and then from an indirect free kick, a third goal was added in the second period and then another two goals in the third period. Ally couldn’t make it for the game so we only had one sub which didn’t help but hopefully we’ll be back to full strength for next Sunday’s match against Alsager. Well done to Ben who was named Man of the Match for his workrate and 100% effort throughout the match.

Sunday 18th September v AFC Redstar

Last week we started brightly and faded, this week it was the other way round as we struggled to find our feet in the first quarter and were 2-0 down by the first break, one of their goals being an own goal from an unlucky deflection. Josh was making his debut and added a lot more strength to our side and we pulled a goal back through Tom to bring his season total to three so far and make him our leading marksman. Lewis C played in a sweeper’s role and made some fantastic tackles and looks at home in this position. Ally and Max also made some crucial tackles during the match and Rhys did well in midfield. Ben was up and down the pitch and did a lot of good defending as well as attacking. Lewis S is settling into his new position as goalie and made a few good saves during the match. Really we deserved a point from this match but it wasn’t to be. Next week we’ll have to be on top form as we take on Shavington who have a 100% record and have scored 15 goals in their 3 games so far but records like that are there to be broken!

Sunday 11th September v X Team

The match started off very brightly, we were 2-0 up within the first period. Our first goal was a bit of a scramble but it’s been claimed by Ben! Our second goal was a fantastic shot by Ally, who was making his debut, which screamed into the back of the net. Unfortunately, things went a bit downhill for us after that, we lost our way a bit in the second and third periods and eventually went down 6-2, our former striker George inflicting most of the damage. It was still a good performance by all the boys regardless of the result.

Sunday 4th September v Holmes Chapel Hurricanes

After a week of furious activity off the pitch it was almost a relief to actually make it to the match and catch our breath for a minute! The week started badly when ‘that letter’ popped unexpectedly through our letter boxes. A meeting was hastily arranged (surprise, surprise - venue = pub) and it was great to see that everyone wanted to still carry on and was prepared to rally round. Unfortunately, all the various forms had not been completed to actually register the team with the Cheshire FA or the Soccer Centre, that was done, training was held during a torrential downpour, then we found out we were now minus a goalkeeper. Luckily Lewis stepped in to fill that hole and Max was recruited to join our now happy band.

So on to the match - a brilliant team effort all round. Every player deserves a pat on the back. In scorching temperatures, and with our squad not yet big enough to enable any substitutions, each player ran themselves into the ground. It wasn’t a good start, we were 3-1 down, Tom scored our first goal, before a great fight back with Tom scoring again, we hit the woodwork twice and then Ben equalised before Max very nearly won us the game in the last seconds. The team today was: Goalkeeper - Lewis S, Defence - Lewis C, Midfield - Max and Rhys, Forwards - Ben and Tom. Man of the Match: The Whole Team!