Cup & Friendly Update

Our B team have been drawn against Kirton in the cup on the 15th November. This match will now be played at Martleshams ground. Kick off will be approx 11.30. Martlesham are playing Kirton A at 10.30. Our game may be delayed if it goes to extra time and penalties.

The cup squad is-

Harley, Dan, Nat, Curtis, Cameron, Kyle, Alex, Keiran, Charlie W and Jake.

All other players will play in an 11 a side Friendly against Copdock FC Under 12's. We are drafting in a few friends of the club to make up the numbers as the cup game has clashed.

We have other 11 a side games arranged after christmas so everyone will have a go.

Directions to Wickham Market

We have played at Wickhams pitches many times. As a referesher the directions are as follows-

From the A12 take the slip road to Wickham Market and follow signs to the village. Drive through the village and turn left onto Border Cot Lane (B1078) Follow this until you reach the fields. The pitches are on the left. There is usually a sign on match days showing where the pitches are.

Friendly v Kirton Kestrels 25th October 2008

During the season we have a lot of free weeks where there are no league or cup fixtures. We've managed to fill most of these with friendlies to keep the boys match fit. They are also a lot more fun than training!!

Today we played hosts to 1st division opposition, Kirton Kestrels. They are one of our local derby teams and we always have good games against them. At Kirtons request we played the B game first.

B Game

The line up was- Alex in goal, Curtis, Cameron and Ollie M in defence, Nat and Charlie W up front. Connor R and Jake on the bench.

The game started at a frantic pace, we settled quicker and started playing the ball the way we've practised, passing and moving. Kirton defended well but I was very pleased with the performances of our lads all over the pitch. Dan is improving with every game and his tackling kept Kirtons attacks at bay. New signing Curtis is starting to find his feet with the team and had his best game for the club so far. Cammy played the central role very well and was able to get attacks started by playing simple passes. Ollie Mac battled well on the right and following on from last weeks performance managed to find his range with his passes and crosses. both Nat and Charlie W played their part by dragging the defence wide and creating space. With all this positivity all over the pitch it was inveitable that we would find ourselves 1-0 down!!! We conceded a soft corner when it would have been easier to kick it out for a throw in. The kick was well taken and met with a thunderous(Will o Maley style) header, giving Alex no chance in goal.

We continued to battle and got our reward when we were awarded a corner just before half time. Curtis somehow managed to score straight from the corner past the flapping goalkeeper. 1-1 was the half time score.

Charlie and Curtis made way for Jake and Connor.
The second half began and we pushed forward. Kirton by this time had upped their game and were causing us a few problems. Alex found himself with more to do and was coping with the attacks well. As we pushed forward the Kirton keeper got the ball and belted it up the park where the striker found himself on a one on one with Alex. He finished it well making it 2-1 to Kirton.

My recollections are notoriously sketchy at best(a bit of a hindrance if you're the one who writes the reports!!) The next phase of the game passed me in a blur. Somehow Kirton took hold of the game and scored three goals. I don't think we stopped playing they just seemed to get it right. 5-1 to Kirton.
Our heads never went down though and we continued to attack. Jake battled strongly and won the ball before putting in a great pass to Connor who banged it in at the back post. 2-5.
Kirton scored again to make it 2-6 and once again I managed to completely miss a goal as Curtis scored soon after kick off. 3-6.

This was the final score. Apart from a spell in the second half the scoreline doesn't reflect the overall play. Man of the match was Ollie Mac for his battling performance and superb distribution. A special mention goes to Dan and Cammy. Another two great performances.

A Game

The line up was Ollie S in goal, Connor S in defence, Jack, Charlie B and Will in midfield and Freddie and Keiran up front. With new signing Jordan (Dash) on the bench. Due to injuries we later had to draft Cameron into the game.

Both teams started the game very slowly. Neither team were able to find any rythm for the first 5-10 minutes. Eventually we started to impose ourselves and take control of the game. As in the first game this led to a goal for Kirton!! Connor was finding our ex player Charlie a handful at the back. He was giving him a bit too much space and Charlie looked dangerous everytime he got near the ball. However once he had scored Connor was able to up his game and played him out of the game for the rest of the match. Jack Charlie and Will worked hard across the midfield whilst Freddie and Kieran began to impose themselves up front. We dominated the last 15 minutes of the half but couldn't quite get the goal we deserved. Freddie made way for Dash who made an almost immediate impact, pouncing on a loose ball in the box and firing home from close range to make it 1-1. Just on the stroke of half-time Charlie managed to get a cross in which was finished by Jack. 2-1 was the half-time score. A well deserved lead. Freddie replaced Keiran up front.

The second half kicked off and within minutes Kirton had equalised. We had at least four opportunities to tackle and clear and were punished with a sloppy goal. 2-2.

From then on it was pretty much end to end stuff. both teams looked dangerous in attack and both defended strongly. Freddie and Dash linked well and were unlucky not to finish off one or two of the chances they were creating. The winning goal finally came from the now familiar route. Charlie Bance banged in another of his superb corners which was met by Jack moss who finished well to make it 3-2. Charlie has now set up 4 of our last 5 goals with crosses or corners. Jack has got on the end of three of them!!
Connor was given a well deserved rest with 10 minutes to go after having spent the whole game keeping Kirtons strikers in check. 30 seconds later he was back on the pitch to replace an injured Jack who had taken a stur to the foot. A minute later Connor tackled a Kirton player and stopped an attack but was also injured in the process and had to limp off. Cammy who was messing about behind the goal was summoned and found himself in the thick of the action before he knew it. Kirton attacked well in the closing stages and almost got an equaliser in the dying seconds. They couldn't get past the defence or Ollie though and we finished the game 3-2.

This was a decent team performance. We can play better than this and were prone to switching off for periods in the game. We did however grind out a result in a very competitive game so I shouldn't moan too much!!
When the team perform as a unit it makes choosing Man of the match much harder. This week it goes to Charlie Bance. Mainly for his crosses and corners. He was also up against Kirtons strongest player and performed very well. a special mention to Jack for finishing the moves and also well done to Dash. A good debut performance and a goal as well.

Framlingham Town 18th October 2008

We were back in league action away to Framlingham Town. The conditions were perfect and with so many games going on around us there was a bit of a football festival atmosphere.

A Game

The line up was: Ollie S in goal, Connor S in defence, Jack, Charlie B and Will in midfield and Freddie and Matty up front. Sam and Keiran on the bench.

The first half was a very tight affair with both teams battling well. As expected a lot of the game was played in their half but they hit us several times with long balls on the counter atack. We played a more passing game and again Jack and Freddie linked well down the left. Although we were unable to convert the crosses we were getting closer. Will and Matty worked hard down the right but the final cross was lacking. Charlie as always battled well in the middle and has matured into the central role. Always ready on the edge of the box in an opportunity arises. Connor dealt with striker well but was guilty of jumping in and letting him past on a couple of occassions. Ollie dealt well with the attacks to keep it at 0-0. Connor was replaced by Sam who went on to have his best game in that position for the team. Solid and dependable. Just how we like our defenders to be. As half-time approached Framlingham were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position!!! If you have read the previous reports you'll know that Ollie has been beaten by the last two free kicks! Could it be three in a row?(I'm trying to build the drama) The shot was superbly struck at around chest height, the crowd of players in front of Ollie seemed to part at the last second giving him virtually no time to react. He was able to get his body behind it and batted it away allowing Freddie to launch the ball back up the field. A great piece of defending and a huge sigh of releif all round! The half finished 0-0.
Matty was replaced up front by Keiran. Connor was feeling unwell and was unable to take any further part in the game.
We started the half with a superb passing move and immediately put the home team under pressure. They cleared the ball to almost the half way line where Keiran put in a great tackle and won the ball, he ran forward and passed out to the left to Freddie, who carried it forward and cut it across the edge of the box. Keiran had continued his run and fired it into the bottom corner. 1-0.
From then on we dominated the game but still needed more goals to make the point safe. Charlie took a a superb corner which Jack managed to flick in with a lovely header. 2-0.
A few minutes later Will linked well with Keiran and crossed into the box where Jack banged it in for his second of the day. 3-0.
The goal of the game was from another Superb Charlie Bance corner. It was met by Will who was bombing into the box at speed, he powered the header into the goal to make it 4-0.
This was a good win against a well organised opposition. At half time it could have gone either way. Well done to our lads. We continued to play good passing football and were rewarded in the end with four goals
Man of the match was Jack Moss. His passing and moving was superb and he worked hard up and down the flank. The two goals were just a well deserved bonus.

B Game

The line up was: Cameron in goal, Dan in defence, Curtis, Kyle and Ollie M in midfield, Nat and Charlie W up front. Alex and Jake on the bench.

This was a much more open game than the first. Framlingham had the better of the opening few minutes as our midfield struggled to establish themselves. Dan was the busier defender and had his hands full at times but dealt with it really well. Fram could have scored when they broke loose with a one on one with rookie keeper Cammy. He came flying off his line and paniced the striker into shooting wide. A few minutes later the exact same thing happened, again Cammy forcing the player wide. This seemed wake our other players up and were started to get into our own game. Curtis, Kyle and Ollie started winning tackles in the middle. Nat and Charlie had stuck to their positions well but had hardly seen the ball. Suddenly we were pushing forward. Ollie won the ball with a great tackle and was able to lay it off to Curtis. He played a lovely ball into the box where Kyle managed to control it, turn and blast it past the keeper. 1-0. Against the run of play we were ahead. We pressed forward and started creating chances. Unfortunately the final shot was either scuffed under pressure or unable to get past the mass of bodies in the box as Framlingham defended desperately. Both Nat and Charlie came close to increasing our lead but it was a frustrating day for our strikers. It was during this type of attack that Framlingham managed to punt the ball clear. Dan who had found himself with two men to mark was left stranded as the striker ran towards goal. Cammy came off his line but this time hesitated, as the striker blasted it past him to level the score. 1-1.
A minute later a very similar situation arose and we found ourselves 2-1 down. The striker finished this one high into the goal giving Cammy no chance. 2-1 was the halftime score. Alex and Jake replaced Curtis and Nat.

The second half was spent almost totally in their half. Each time they tried to break free they were met with Dan who was having his best game of the season. Dan has always been a good tackler but today he was not only winning the ball but also passing it well and starting moves giving Framlingham no rest. Framlingham did get a few corners which were struck very well. Cammy dealt with them very well. It was from a corner that Fram got their third goal. Flicked in at the near post 3-1.
After that we pushed forward but with so many men behind the ball it was another frustrating half. Ollie was imposing himself on the right winning crucial tackles and taking players on. We were by far the better team for most of the game but it's goals that count so we lost 3-1.
This was a well fought game, with a little bit of luck and a better final ball we might have got something out of this. The boys however never stopped playing and their heads never went down. This is only our first defeat of the campaign, we mustn't forget we're having a great start to the season. (And on a cup run!!)
Man of the Match today was Dan French. A great battling performance and intelligent use of the ball.
A very special mention goes to Cammy for his heroics in goal. He didn't volunteer for it but took it on the chin and got on with the job. I think he also surprised himself with his performance. I've got a sneaky feeling he enjoyed it more than he's letting on!! (I'm sure Alex hasn't mentioned his clean sheet from a previous game very much!!)

Whitton Sports Centre 11th October 2008

The sun was shining for our third league game of the season. I had a stinking cold and Steve H was even worse!! Expectations were high that we would carry on our superb league form. We made a couple of changes to the squad from last week.

A Game

The starting line up was: Ollie in goal, Jack, Keiran and Ollie Mac in midfield, Freddie and Matty up front. Connor S, Cameron and Alex on the bench.

The game started off at a frantic pace. This is the smallest pitch we have played on since we were under 8's. The lack of space meant there was not time to get the ball under control and very little width for our wide players to exploit. Most of the play seemed to be bunched across the middle of the pitch as neither side caused the goalkeepers too much problems.

Jack, Keiran and Ollie M worked extremely hard, battling well against a strong physical opposition. Sam did a good job keeping their striker quiet. If anything got through Ollie dealt with it comfortably.
Freddie and Matty worked hard to create space but were finding it tough. This lead to a couple of unsavoury tackles from their captain on Freddie. Having beaten the defender he was deliberately brought down with a full kick on the shin. Luckily his shin pads did their job. Soon after the same player slid in with both feet, studs up. This would be a straight Red card in adult football. I spoke to the ref to tell him we would not stand for this type of dangerous play and if he did it again I would insist he be taken off. This rule goes for our players as well. To be fair the boy calmed down and although continued to tackle strongly, kept it reasonably fair. Typically Freddie just got on with the game and got his revenge in the best possible way. With his back to the defender on the half way line Freddie received the ball at his feet and turned quickly leaving the other player flat footed. He ran with the ball to the edge of the box and passed to Ollie-Mac who had made a great run into the box and found himself some rare space. Ollie finished at the back post to give us a 1-0 lead. I thought with a game this tight the goals would be few and far between. Whilst noting down the goal details I heard cheer, turned round and found we had scored again!! I'm reliably informed that Ollie S kicked the ball upfield, it bounced in their box and Jack headed it in. 2-0.
This was the half time score. Jack, Keiran and Ollie M made way for Alex, Connor and Cammy. Connor went in defence and Sam moved up to the middle of midfield.
The second half was going pretty much the same as the first. Whitton managed to break through and Ollie did really well to get out of his box and clear the danger. Soon after however Connor tried a bit too hard to win the ball and allowed the striker to get past him and through on goal. Again Ollie came flying off his line but this time the striker was able to get past him and slot home to make it 2-1.
We continued to push forward but the final shot was usually off target. Eventually they got a free kick from a distance out. Normally Ollie would save these easily but for the second week running the free kick was scored. Even though the shot was well struck, I'm sure Ollie will be disappointed he didn't get anything on it. The final few minutes were again pretty frantic with very little to report from both teams. Alex had worked hard and was feeling the pace and had to be replaced. Cammy took a knock on his ankle and also limped off. The game ended a very disappointing 2-2. Having led 2-0 at half time this has got to be seen as 2 points dropped!!

There were no outstanding performances this week. All of the boys worked their socks off and should be very proud of the effort they put in. We know we can't win them all even though we want to. Man of the match this week goes to Freddie. He worked hard, set up a goal and never gave up or complained despite getting kicked from one end of the pitch to the other.


B Game

The line up was Harley in goal, Dan in defence, Curtis, Charlie B and Will in midfield, Nat and Charlie W up front. Jake Kyle and Connor R on the bench.

This game was another hard fought battle just like the first. The addition of Charlie B and Will injected a bit of pace to the team which made it difficult for the opposition. After a few minutes play we won a throw in on the right. Will took it quickly and got it over the defence sending Charlie W through on goal. He finished it superbly to give us an early lead.
Whitton came back strongly but found it hard to get past Charlie B who was on fire in the middle of the pitch, clearly relishing the challenge of a physical team. Dan was also playing well at the back and was managing to stop their attacks and frustrate their striker. Whitton did get a couple of efforts on goal which Harley dealt with well. Harley kicking has also improved greatly since last season. Whitton did fire in one shot from the edge of the box which had goal written all over it, which Harley managed to launch himself, full length and turn it round the post. The crowd from both teams went wild. A great effort with a superb save. Harley dealt with the ensuing corner with ease.
We pushed forward but were finding it tough to get past their defence. Nat and Charlie W were working hard to make space. Charlie B won the ball in midfield and played a good ball to Will. He continued his run but Will opted for a long range shot that flew in at the back post. 2-o. This was the half time score.
Curtis Nat and Charlie made way for Kyle in midfield and Connor and Jake up front.
We pushed forward knowing that a two goal cushion may not be enough. A speculative ball into the box from Jake unfortunately went straight to their defender. Fortunately he completely missed the ball and let it go through his legs. For some reason Connor was still standing at the back post and found himself with a simple tap in to make it 3-0.
The game opened up a bit more with attacks at both ends. Kyle had taken over from Dan in defence and was sticking to his task well. The pace and tackling from Will and Charlie continued to cause Whitton problems and create openings for us. Charlie B picked up the ball deep in their half, took it past the defender and hit a rocket from the edge of the box. A well deserved goal to make it 4-0.
With the game effectively over Whitton pulled one back to make the final score 4-1. Well done to the B's who have continued their 100% league record and are also in the next round of the cup.
Man of the match was Charlie Bance for his outstanding work rate, tackling and passing. The goal was just a bonus. A special mention goes to our two defenders, Kyle and Dan. Both are playing the position very well and giving the management selection headaches! In the best possible way.

Today was also the end of two scoring runs. Both Nat and Freddie had scored in every game they had played in up until today. 6 goals in 5 games for Freddie and an astonishing 10 goals in 4 games for the Goal Machine. Neither got on the scoresheet today but we look forward to normal service being resumed next week.

B Team Cup fixture

The B Team have been drawn against Kirton Kestrels in the next round of the cup. The squad will be the same 10 that played against Martlesham.
It will be played at Dellwood on the 15th November.
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Martlesham 747's 4th October 2008

This was the first round of the cup and we found ourselves drawn against 1st division opposition. We have always had close fought games against Martlesham in the past and today was to be no different.

A Game

The line up was- Ollie S in goal, Connor S in defence, Jack, Charlie B and Will across midfield, Freddie and Matty up front. Sam and Ollie Mac on the bench

From the start we knew it was going to a tough game. Our passing and movement was causing them problems and we looked the more dangerous team going forward. Connor did a superb job of stopping their striker, he didn't get passed him once and was replaced. The replacement striker had no more luck than the first. Jack and Freddie continued where they left off last week and gave them a lot of problems up the left side. We were unlucky not to score from some of the crosses being sent in. Charlie worked tirelessly in the centre breaking down attacks and starting our moves. On the right Will and Matty were linking well and all we needed was a goal to reward our superior play. The break finally came down the right hand side. Will and Matty combined brilliantly to get the ball to the goal line where Matty passed it back to the penalty spot where Freddie rifled it into the top corner. 1-0. Martlesham stepped up their game and started pushing forward more effectively. They still couldn't get close enough though to get any decent shots in. Connor and the midfielders made sure of that. Any balls lobbed over the defence were picked up by Ollie, who then got us moving with a well aimed kick or throw and set us back on the attack.
We pushed forward and created the best chance of the game. A superb through ball set Matty on a one on one with their keeper. As he reached the edge of the box he was scythed down from behind by the last defender. A straight red card if this was 11 a side. The ref could only give a free kick.
Then disaster struck!!! (No exaggeration) Martlesham were awarded a free kick reasonably far out. The shot was well struck and on target. Ollie only had to raise his hands and catch it easily. (Get ready for the disaster bit!!) He got both hands to it and somehow palmed it over the line. An absolute shocker! Who'd be a goal keeper? You make one mistake the whole game, save us on several occasions with some brilliant saves and yet you get described the by words Disaster and Shocker!! It's a cruel game. 1-1 was the half-time score.

The second half was a much tighter affair. Charlie and Matty made way for Ollie Mac and Sam. Martlesham were on a high and were more up for it than us to begin with. Ollie pulled of a couple of fantastic saves that kept us in the game. We attacked well and had a couple of crosses flash across their goal but were unable to get a foot on them to get them in.
Then disaster struck. Yes Ollie was involved again and the word Shocker is even more appropriate on this occasion. This time it's aimed at the ref. I don't normally comment on refereeing decisions, however Ollie had just made a great save and had the ball in both hands on the ground. Their player slid in and kicked it out of their hands into the net. I thought the ref had blown for a foul. When he gave the goal me and Steve went mad!!

I think on balance a draw would have been a fair result. Extra time and penalties would have been played. It was very disappointing to get knocked out of the cup with a decision like that. Even more unfair on Ollie who had redeemed himself superbly.

Man of the Match this week was Connor Savage. He has delivered time and time again in the new defensive position we play and was instrumental in keeping their attacks to a minimum.

B Game

The line up was Harley in goal, Kyle in defence, Curtis, Keiran and Cameron in midfield, Nat and Jake up front. Alex, Dan and Charlie W on the bench

Thankfully this game was less incident packed than the first. I had only just about calmed down.

The game started in a similar fashion to the first with us passing better and playing better as a team. Albeit at a slower pace. The B's are developing into a good little football playing team. if we can step up the pace we will cause teams even more problems. Good solid defending by Kyle kept Harley's involvement to a minimum. Keiran ran the game in midfield. He broke down their attacks and started our own working very hard for the team.
After 10 minutes we had to withdraw Curtis from the game. He had been struggling with illness and was unable to continue. Alex replaced him in his familiar left midfield position.
We created chance after chance getting in great shots and out playing Martlesham in every department. Their keeper however was playing a blinder. He made save after save and was the only thing keeping them in the game. Nat again was very busy up front and battled well. Jake played well but was out muscled by a much more physical team. 0-0 at half time.

Dan replaced Kyle in defence and Charlie W took over from Jake up front. We started the half well and picked up where we left off. Keiran won the ball with a crunching tackle in midfield, played a simple ball into Charlie who carried it forward and sent a superb through ball setting Nat on his way towards goal. This time he fired it low from outside the box into the bottom corner. A great finish and a well deserved goal for the team and for the Goal-Machine!!
From on it was end to end stuff. Harley made a couple of good saves. Dan carried on from where Kyle left off and played his best football of the season. Alex and Cammy worked extremely hard on the flanks and also played the best they had this season.
Then disaster struck.................well actually it didn't. Martlesham scored. It was a normal goal with no controversy!!
With 4 minutes remaining it looked like extra time would be needed. Alex took the ball down the left and got the ball across to Nat who banged it home to make the score 2-1. This was the final score. The boys are now officially on a cup run!!

Man of the match was Keiran. He was involved in everything. The only thing he hasn't got this season is a goal.