Match Reports
January 29 v Burnt Ash (away): Won 5-0 (conceded)
Are we ever going to play any of our League matches? .on this occasion, Burnt Ash failed to produce a team, giving us our third conceded 5-0 success.
Well played everyone !
Team (would have been): Alex Woods (goalkeeper), Ben Udy, Roy Wheeler, Hamza Begg, Theo Orpen-Palmer, Stephen Higgs, James Matthews, Ed Hobbs, Simon Glasson, Rupert Bright, Chester Campbell, Daniel Goodwin, Jack Davidson, Daniel Roper.
November 27 v Holcombe Won 5-0 (conceded)
Another wash-out as, on this occasion, Holcombe failed to raise a team. Our second resounding success, by default !
Team (would have been): Alex Woods (goalkeeper), Hamza Begg, Roy Wheeler, Ross Wheeler, Stephen Higgs, Theo Orpen-Palmer, James Matthews, Ed Hobbs, Rupert Bright, Chester Campbell, Daniel Goodwin, Jack Davidson.
November 13 v BBHC (away) "friendly" Drew 3-3
(Chester Campbell, Daniel Roper, Jack Davidson )
On a crisp November morning, a somewhat scratch side travelled to Erith for what turned out to be a most entertaining game with, at the end, honours even at 3-3.
Remembrance Sunday duties had stripped us of all our Alleyns School contingent but the (young) replacements did themselves proud, soon adapting to the pace of the game. The initial plan was for Chester Campbell and Jack Davidson to play as a holding-cum-distributing midfield, disciplining themselves to a self-imposed three touch rule, but any hopes of this happening quickly evaporated once the action began.
Seemingly treating the fixture as a fitness training exercise, Chester Campbell was soon seen flitting from one area of the pitch to another - sometimes with the ball, sometimes not; sometimes with purpose, sometimes not; and sometimes at speed, sometimes not. This manic industry all looked very impressive - albeit viewed, I have to say, with a degree of amusement and incredulity by a number of his more pedestrian teammates - and, for a while, confused even our opponents.
What it did not give us, however, was any real shape to the play, and against a stronger side we might have suffered. That we did not was almost entirely due to some fine saves by our "loaned" BBHC Under 18s Girls goalkeeper, Sarah.
Thankfully, after some twenty minutes or so, Chester 's batteries started to malfunction, the hyperactivity slowed, and he at last started to better fulfil his role at centre-midfield. Indeed, even to the extent of giving us the lead when he combined with Jack Davidson to slam home his shot from a quickly taken free-hit.
Turning round at 1-1, the second period saw more frenzied activity by both teams, much of it constructive, with play flowing from end to end and back again. They scored (1-2); we scored (=a Dan Roper short corner strike: 2-2). They scored again (2-3). With time running out, Jack Davidson set off once again on one of his catch-me-if-you-can sorties into enemy territory. Confronted, eventually, by their goalkeeper, Jack teased his man before delicately prodding the ball into an empty net (the goalkeeper - for reasons known only to himself - having covered the slip pass, somewhat stupidly imagining that Jack might pass the ball to a better placed colleague!).
A pulsating game finished 3-3. A fair result.
Man of the Match: A joint award, to Tahir Begg and Trevor Campbell (=parents): not only for providing the Team Transport and unstinting touchline support; but also for shouting encouragement and / or suitable ribaldry - as appropriate.
Team: Sarah (=BBHC Under 18s Girls goalkeeper), Hamza Begg, Roy Wheeler, Stephen Higgs, Theo Orpen-Palmer, Jack Davidson, Chester Campbell, Seamus Betts, Daniel Goodwin, Conor Bond, Daniel Roper, Gareth (=BBHC 13 year old).
October 30 v Old Bordenians Lost 1 - 6
(Jack Davidson)
Our first competitive outing of this season, and it showed...
Perhaps with memories of last year's 2-13 thumping still in some of the players' minds, we started cautiously, wary of making mistakes, and diffident in attack. As it panned out, the first thirty-five minutes were actually well-contested, albeit we gave away two softish goals to be 0-2 in arrears at halftime.
The interval team talk centred on Head Coach Peter Berman reminding the boys of what he had said at the start - namely, a style of play based on 80% passing and 20% dribbling ( rather than the other way about!); reinforcing this with a few suggestions / ideas as to how better to defend / attack in strength. The upbeat mood of the boys gave us all hope of a change in fortunes in the second period.
However, as ever, theory is fine; putting same into practice can take longer.
0-2 soon became 0-3; which, in turn, became 0-4; and then 0-5. Frustrated by what might be termed somewhat over-robust tactics employed by the Old Bordenians, the players - almost to a man - fell into the trap of holding onto the ball for far too long, and finished up either by trying to dribble their way out of trouble or, more frequently, being tackled. Despite this criticism, it was not all gloom and doom and - although still under the cosh - the boys did nevertheless keep battling on, with Jack Davidson at last putting us on the scoresheet when he slotted home from a well-worked short corner routine.
A final plea... With this season's Kent Under 18s Boys league comprising just eight teams, match opportunities are sadly all too few. To make the most of them, the boys really MUST endeavour to arrive early on Match Days, to thus be properly prepared beforehand. To arrive at 11.50am for a 12.15pm pushback is, frankly, of no use to anyone.
Team: James Milne (goalkeeper), Chester Campbell, Roy Wheeler, Ross Wheeler, Stephen Higgs, Theo Orpen-Palmer, Josh Orpen-Palmer, Jack Davidson, James Matthews, Ed Hobbs, Rupert Bright, Jake Higgins, Daniel Roper, Daniel Goodwin.
October 9 v Sevenoaks (away): Won 5-0 (conceded)
Regrettably, due to player unavailability, Sevenoaks had to forfeit this game; giving us a comfortable 5-0 success. A fine start to the season!
Team (would have been): James Milne (goalkeeper), Ben Udy, Roy Wheeler,
Ed Hobbs, Theo Orpen-Palmer, Stephen Higgs, James Matthews, Simon Glasson, Chester Campbell, Jake Higgins, Jack Davidson, Daniel Roper. |
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