Felixstowe & Walton Utd v East Bergholt

Firstly a big thank you to all of those who helped out yesterday, sorting out the goals and running the line. It was a good start to what we need to do next season. If we build on this and get as many pairs of hands on board it'll bode well for the future.

A Game

Another great performance following on from last week. The final score was 2-2 which means it all goes down to the last game against Claydon to see who gets relegated!!

The starting line up was:

Goalkeeper: Ollie
Defence: Jack & Will
Midfield: Freddie, Jake & Matty
Striker: Ryan
Subs: Charlie H & Sam

It was another warm morning with a dry, hard pitch to play on. We started very brightly and had the better of the play. I thought our passing and movement was noticably improved and made the game even better to watch. It was end to end stuff and the midfielders had their work cut out for them helping in attack then getting back to defend. Jake got our first after 8 minutes after another passing move which deserved a goal.
Will & Jack defended very strongly keeping East Bergholts chances to a minimum. They equalised with a shot through a crowded area.
As the game continued we had several chances to get back on top but just couldn't get that killer strike. It was very encouraging though to see us play the wide men into the game, as we had worked on in training. A clever pass from Jake found Freddie on a run down the left flank, he managed to get to the goal line but couldn't quite get the cross in. Again some good play down the right with Matty and Charlie didn't manage a goal but made great use of the pitch. The goals will come!
East Bergholt went 2-1 after halftime. A low shot managed to get passed Ollie which Freddie managed to clear off the line, Unfortunately one of their players was first to it and passed it back into the crowd of players where one of them found the net. We continued to play good football but again couldn't get that final finish. Jake had an effort saved low by the keeper, the ball bobbled loose and the keeper did well to block it again, it rebounded to Charlie who's shot went narrowly over the bar.
With legs tiring it was getting more and more dificult to get the final pass, especially as East Bergholt were defending in numbers. Ryan, Jack & Jake continued to try and pass it around and get it through to Charlie. Sam and Will defended superbly right to the end of the game with some great,strong tackling. We eventually got our well deserved equaliser almost on full-time with Jake's second of the day. I didn't actually see the goal as I was discussing tactics with the B team and I agree with Charlie B when he said "I wish they'd show an action replay of that!" i'm sure it'll be on Sky sports at sometime!!
The boys showed that they can play some great football, passing moving and using the space. They also worked very hard for each other and are playing more and more as a team. Every player came off the pitch exhausted.
Man of the Match this week was Jack Moss. for his tackling, passing and overall reading of the game. He put in a superb performance and thoroughly deserves the award.

B Game

Starting line up:

Goalkeeper: Aiden
Defence: Luke & Connor
Midfield: Dan F, Charlie B & Jo
Striker: Harley
Subs: None!!

Not a good day to have no subs. Brandon was ill so we hope he gets better soon and we all know that we've lost Harty for the rest of the season. There was only one change planned and that was at half time Harley and Aidan would swap back to their normal positions.

The game kicked off and we again looked the superior team. We passed and moved and from the start were creating chances. The first ten minutes was played in their half and I don't think Aidan had a touch of the ball. Charlie made a great run down the left but scuffed his final shot wide. Minutes later Frenchy went on one of his runs right up to the spot where Charlie had got to and managed to scuff his shot as well. Harley held the ball up well each time he got it but like the A team we couldn't get a goal at the end of our moves. East Bergholt got more into the game and gave Connor and Luke some work to do. Aidan had a couple of shots to save but nothing too troublesome until he found himself against three attackers, he saved the first shot but they scored with the rebound. Somehow we were 1-0 down!

At half-time we made our swap and unleashed Aiden up front. Minutes into the half an East Bergholt striker got through with only Harley to beat. Harley saved superbly at point blank range, blocked the 2nd attempt then smothered the third. A brave bit of goalkeeping that kept us in the game.
Soon after that we had another few attempt with long runs resulting in no goals. I sent on the message no more runs!! They responded brilliantly with a passing move which fully deserved the goal at the end of it. Frenchy to Bancsy, through to Aidan who cooly rounded the keeper and equalised 1-1.

East Bergholt pressed forward and Connor, Luke & Harley combined well to keep them out. On one occassion they pressed forward, the striker tried to get passed Luke and get clear on goal. Luke tackled him and won the ball, he passed it wide on the right to Joseph who controlled it and passed it forward to Frenchy, he flicked it on and Aidan was off with only the keeper to beat. He shot low into the bottom corner and made it 2-1. which was the final score.

Another good overall performance. We got better chances when we passed the ball and didn't rely on running the whole length of the pitch, expecting to score with tired legs!
The boys battled superbly and having no subs meant they had no breaks of fresh legs to come on as the opposition had.

Man of the Match was Charlie B. He was everywhere, tackling, running, shooting, even clearing one effort off the line. I'm sure I saw him being carried to the car after the game. He'd earned it as all the boys did.

We are now set up for a final showdown with Claydon. We need to win to stay up and so do they. it would be fantastic to stay in division one and build on the improvements we've made against the top teams. As the boys get older they are more able to see that this is a team game. I'm sure anyone watching can see the improvement throughout the season. Please leave a comment to let the boys know what you think!

F&W Coaches v orwell Vets

The Felixstowe and Walton coaches played a friendly match today against the Orwell Veterans. They are a bunch of has-beens who only play every 3 or 4 weeks. We on the other hand are a bunch of has-beens who play together once a year!!!

I wonder why we lost 4-1!

it was a good game under the circumstances. They played the better football which was to be expected as they all knew each others style of play etc. In our team we didn't know everyones names!! The ground also deserves a mention. Imagine playing on uneven concrete that's somehow a bit slippy! Not easy.

Unfortunately i was involved in the first goal. (theirs) Here's a tip for you. Don't call for the ball, then run away from it allowing the striker to steal it and run on and score! You make the player who passed (Namely Me!!) look foolish. I managed to find plenty of opportunities to make myself look foolish without anyones help!
It was nice to have a run out with the other coaches. next year I might even know a few more of their names.

Coaches Match

The Felixstowe and walton coaches are playing a friendly match today(Sunday 22nd) at Dellwood against the Orwell Veterans. kick off is at 4pm.

Everyone is welcome to come and cheer us on.

Witnesham Wasps v Felixstowe & Walton Utd

You may be aware we are in a bit of a relegation dog-fight this year. which gives a little extra spice to the end of the season. Today was important though for a different reason, namely the introduction of my new tactics board, with magnetic markers and everything!!! The boys were suitably impressed.

A Game

We needed to win this game to go one point above Claydon. and win it we did!! 4-1 with a terrific performance from all involved.

The starting line up was -

Goalkeeper: Ollie
Defence: Sam & Will
Midfield: Matty, Jake & Jack
Striker: Charlie H(Hitchie)
Subs: Ryan & Charlie B(Bancsy)

The game began at pace with Witnesham having a little bit more of the play. We defended well and they didn't really get any chances that would cause Ollie any problems. We broke well from midfield and some great passing play from Jake and Jack found Hitchie on the right. He managed to get a shot in and hit the post!! As the game went on we were getting more on top. A few minutes later another passing move from Jake and Matty led to Charlie beating the keeper only to see his shot hit the crossbar. I thought is this going to be one of those days.
Will and Jake came off and Bancsy went into the right back position with Ryan going into the centre of midfield.
We attacked again and after some great battling in midfield from Matty, the ball was passed to Hitchie who beat the keeper from a tight angle on the left and saw his shot go in at the back post 1-0!
A few minutes later after a very similar move down the right Charlie found himself with a defender and keeper to beat from almost on the goal line. I'm not sure how he managed to curl it in off the back post from that angle but he did. 2-0!! We were cruising.
Witnesham weren't finished by a long way and they continued to pressure when they could. Ollie pulled off a tricky top corner save from a very good shot.

Just before half time Witnesham scored with a well struck low shot which went in off the post. 2-1 at half time.

For the start of the second half Hitchie and Jack Came off. Bancsy stayed at right back, with Will having a chance in the middle of midfield. Jake went up front.

We were well on top in the second half and continues to improve throughout the match. The players who were in unfamiliar positions, Will and Bancsy, coped superbly and found their feet very quickly.
We attacked down the right and Jake had three defenders around him in the corner, he shielded it well allowing Ryan time to move into a superb supporting position, Jake played the pass and Ryan shot first time from outside the box. (This is what we have worked on at the last few training sessions, Shielding, supporting and passing. I was very pleased to see it in action and thought the move deserved a goal!)
A couple of minutes later Jake found himself in the exact same position, he played the ball to Ryan who had moved into the exact same supporting position. I thought I was watching an action replay until Ryan controlled it with his first touch the hit it low into the net from outside the box. 3-1. A goal made all the better as the work we had put in had paid off.
Jake got his goal with a shot from outside the box on the left. The keeper managed to slow it down and as it crossed the line Will sensibly followed it in to make sure no defender could clear it. luckily I had a very good view of it and saw that it had crossed the line before Will got it, so it was Jakes goal. I don't care who scores the goals, It's a team game and that's what counts. I know you players think differently(as I do when I'm playing) so I was glad to clear it up very quickly!! 4-1

Sam and Matty were the final subs with Jack going in at left back, Hitchie back up front and Jake moving to left midfield. There were no more goals but a surge forward and long range shot from Bancsy was just inches passed the post.

4-1 was a great result. We played excellent football with great passing and movement and thoroughly deserved our win. Two more performances like that and we will stay in Division 1. i'm sure of it.

B Game

Goalkeeper; Harley
Defenders: Brandon & Frenchy
Midfield: Jo, Freddie & Connor
Striker: Aiden
Sub: Luke

This time the result didn't go our way. Witnesham deserved their win but 5-0 may be slightly flattering. (I am biased remember)
Like the A game we had players trying out new positions. Brandon in defence, Freddie in the middle of midfield, Frenchy moving to left midfield when Luke came on. We also had no Dan Hart, who has had a terrific season for us in defence.

Witnesham started very brightly and played some lovely passing play. They scored very quickly and before we knew it we were 2-0 down. We rallied and started to get into the game. We had a couple of chances to get the ball into attacking positions. The important thing was we were trying to get the passes in. Unfortunately the defense had other ideas.
Freddie came off and Luke went to left back, Connor in the middle an Frenchy at left midfield.
A great ball from Connor sent Frenchy on a one on one with the keeper, Unfortunately his first touch knocked the ball too near the keeper, who scooped it up. Moments later a pass from Aiden found Frenchy in the same position again his first touch gave him too much to do against the keeper. That's the problem with playing on very hard dry ground. It's so much harder to control the ball but the passing and positioning was worth something.

At half time Freddie replaced Connor in the middle and we played most of the half in defence. soaking up a lot of pressure but unable to make too many chances. We defended very strongly with Luke putting in his best performance of the season with some very strong tackling and battling. Brandon also battled superbly and had to throw himself into tackle after tackle as we were put under pressure.
We went 3-0 behind and then 4-0 quite soon afterwards. And then 5-0!!
Aiden came off and Connor had a go up front. Soon after coming on a great long pass/punt from Freddie sent Connor on a long run towards their goal with a defender snapping at his heels. He got a shot in which the keeper managed to scramble round the post for a corner.

Aiden replaced Jo at right midfield for the remainder of the game.

Late on we won a free kick outside the box which Freddie was unable to get through the mass of players in front of him.

Even though we lost 5-0 we still battled well and managed to make enough chances that might have made a difference had they gone in. The second half performance was a huge improvement on the first, which again was down to players getting used to their new positions. Not one head went down despite the scoreline which was great to see. i think the B game is to be used for experimenting and getting players used to new positions without the pressure of an A game.

Roll on East Bergholt!!

Add a comment if you're up for it!!!!!

PARENT HELPERS NEEDED!!!

28th APRIL 2007 - HOME vs EAST BERGHOLT

Parent helpers are needed for the last game of the season against East Bergholt for the following tasks:-

• Referee - (Mums can do it too!)
• Lines Person
• Goal Erectors/Dismantlers x 4
• Pitch Clearers (to ensure it is clear of bottle tops, glass etc)

Goal erectors and dismantlers will need to be at the game a bit earlier (about 9.30) to give sufficient time to get set up.

Volunteers need to contact Tony by either of the following ways:

Phone/Text - 077177 24684 E-mail - parenthelpers@ntlworld.com

Help with these tasks will free up the Coaches to deal with the boys and run the team - let's get behind the boys and coaches by doing our little bit!

Once next seasons fixtures are known, a further post will be put on the website requesting helpers for all home games and assistance on Thursday and any Saturday training.

Remember to keep checking the website (www.theyoungseasiders.blogspot.com) for News, Updates, Match Reports and more!!!!

Witnesham Away 21st April

We are away to Witnesham on Saturday. They play at-





Witnesham Primary School, High Road, Witnesham, IPSWICH, Suffolk IP6 9EX

Can we all meet at 10am at Witnesham.

It's easiest to come into Ipswich, turn on to Westerfield road heading away from the town centre. Keep on that road through Westerfield
village. You will pass Fynn Valley golf Club, then go through Witnesham until you come to the fork in the road. Turn right here. When I tried posting the map it had a red circle showing the school but this hasn't transferred across. It was where the S in Suffolk Coastal is!! That's about as clear as mud but I'm sure we can find a school!!!

Please let me know if any player can't make it. I'll assume everyone will be there unless I hear otherwise.

Claydon lost last week so we have a chance to go above them. It should be an interesting end to the season.

Dan Hart

For Anyone not already aware, We've lost Dan Hart for the rest of the season.

Unfortunately he fell off his bike and has broken his arm!!

Get well soon Dan and get fit for next season.

Dates for the Diary - Includes Matches and Training

14th April - Training at The Grove 10am - 11.30 am
This is subject to change as Mark is trying to arrange a friendly.

19th April - Training at The Grove 6 pm - 7 pm

21st April - Witnesham - Away

22nd April - Steve and Mark playing for Felixstowe & Walton managers and coaches in a friendly.
Details to follow.

26th April - Training at The Grove 6 pm - 7 pm

28th April - East Bergholt - Home

3rd May - Training at the Grove 6 pm - 7 pm

5th May - Claydon - Away
Last league game of the season.

10th May - Training at The Grove 6 pm - 7 pm

13th May - 6 a side Tournament at Dellwood
Mark is finding out what help is required by parents on the 12th to prepare for this tournament.

19th May - Training at The Grove 10 am - 11.30 am

26th May - Training at The Grove 10 am - 11.30 am

1st June - MARKS LEAVING DO
7.30 -8pm in the Alex, everybody welcome.

3rd June - Presentation Day

9th June - Training at the Grove 10 am - 11.30 am

10th June - Ransomes Tournament

END OF SEASON