Another date for your diary.

I have arranged an 11 a side friendly against East Bergholt on the 21st March.
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Re-arranged Chantry Game.

The Chantry Grasshopper match has been re-arranged for the 18th April. They play at Ransomes sports and social club.
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Change of plan

The Chantry game is off. They can't get a pitch. We will now play Whitton Utd in an 11 a side friendly at Dellwood.
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Re-arranged Chantry game

We have re-arranged our match away to Chantry for the 31st January 2009.

Chantry Grasshoppers 17th January 2009

This one was a definite 6 pointer. Chantry are having a really good season and managed to beat the Hawks 2-0 in the A game and 3-0 in the B game the week before. We have played some fantastic football over the last couple of games. Today would be a very tough test.

A Game

The line up was Ollie S in goal, Connor S in defence, Freddie, Charlie B and Will in Midfield, Dash and Matty up front.

From the kick off it was end to end stuff. Both sets of midfielders started off at a furious pace and it was clear we were in for a tough time in the middle of the pitch. We won a corner after 3 minutes. This is an area we have worked on and again the training paid off. Freddie crossed into the danger area. Will got a head on it and Dash finished from close range giving the keeper no chance. 1-0.

Chantry pushed forward but we defended well. Connor again keeping his patience and holding off Attacks to let the midfield get back and help him. Charlie was flying into everything and was clearly up for the physical side to the game.

Chantry manged to equalise after Ollie had made a couple of saves and celebrated in their customary Hopping style.

They were fired up after the goal but it was us who settled into a more fluent style and began passing the ball round them. For all the passion and energy Chantry showed they couldn't get enough possession as we passed and moved in very impressive style.
Charlie was sending the ball forward but on a couple of occasions it went through to the keeper. We practise using the width of the field, we managed to get this message onto the pitch and next time he got it he played a lovely ball down the right hand side, Matty ran on to it and carried it into the box, where he played a lovely pass across to give Dash a straightforward tap in. 2-1.

Within a couple of minutes we won a throw in and for the second game in a row Will's quick delivery sent Dash through on goal. As the keeper rushed towards him he unselfishly passed to Matty to return the favour and give him a simple but well worked goal. 3-1 was the half-time score.

With only a two goal cushion the game could still go any way. Soon after half time Charlie and Freddie combined well on the left. Freddie's pass sent Dash through on goal and again he set up Matty who finished well to make it 4-1.

Chantry didn't give up and pushed forward. We defended well and forced them wide, winning a throw in almost on our own corner flag. Again Will's quick thinking paid dividends setting Charlie on his way, Charlies pass split the defence and sent Dash through. His speed was too much for the defence to deal with and the finish too good for the keeper. 5-1. By this time Chantry were a little shell shocked.

We pushed forward again and pressed for even more goals. Charlie again won the ball inside their half and passed wide on the left to Freddie. Just outside the box Freddie cut inside losing his defender and with his right foot chipped the keeper to make it 6-1.

With a couple of minutes to go we were awarded a penalty. Connor stepped up and almost burst the net. If the keeper had got to it it would have taken him with it!! 7-1 was the final score.

Of all the great performances recently this was the best and against the strongest opposition. The Chantry manager was gracious enough to come across and congratulate the lads for playing his team off the pitch. High praise indeed.
Man of the match was Charlie Bance. A return to form performance and made sure whatever happened we were not going to lose the midfield battle. This allowed the defence some breathing space and the attack plenty of ammunition. A special mention to the smallest strike force in the league. Matty and Dash have developed a great partnership and seem to enjoy setting goals up almost as well as scoring them. This type of unselfish understanding is worth dozens of goals per season.
The whole team played their part and it was great to hear the feedback from some clearly delighted parents afterwards. Me and Steve will take the rough with the smooth. We prefer the smooth!!

B Game

The line up was Harley in goal, Kyle in defence, Dan, Cammy and Ollie M across midfield, Curtis and Nat up front. Jake, Connor and Alex on the bench.

We started very brightly and seemed to carry on from where the A team left off. Kyle controlled their striker well, Dan Cam and Ollie battled well in midfield giving good supply and support to Curtis and Nat up front. Cammy in particular made an excellent start and held the midfield together well and putting in some lovely passes, either defence splitting through balls or simple passes to the flanks. We were completely in control and started to create chances. Unfortunately we just couldn't convert them. we hit the post and narrowly missed on other occasions. I counted five well created chances which on another day we would have finished easily. We did everything but score.
Chantry managed to break through on a rare attack and scored!! 0-1

At half time we well a goal down and yet had played some superb football. if we had just kept plugging away we would have got our reward. for some reason it didn't work out that way.
We started the half well. Alex took a quick throw in and caught the defence napping, allowing Jake to muscle his way through and get the equaliser.
Chantry ran forward from the kick off and immediately regained the lead. After that we struggled to put many decent moves together and seemed to lose the fluency from the first half. The more we pushed forward the more we left ourselves open at the back and Chantry killed off the game with a counter attack to make it 3-1.
There was still time to get back into the game but it just wasn't to be our day. The final score was 3-1 to Chantry.

On another day we might have been 3 or 4 up at half-time. The first half performance was superb and on par with the A game. If we keep playing like that we will score goals.
Man of the match was Cameron Dwelley. He started well and maintained it through the game, tackling well and looking better and better on the ball. A Special mention to Ollie Mac who worked tirelessly up and down the right and like Cammy is growing in confidence with every game.

Whitton Utd 3rd January 2009

We finished off 2008 with a great team performance against Trimley. Could we start the new year in the same impressive manner? I don't want to spoil the ending but the answer is yes!!

We had drawn 4-4 in the A game earlier in the season and some how scraped a 3-1 win for the B's against the run of play. Also for Freddie, Keiran and Curtis this was the equivalent of a local derby with Whitton full of schoolmates. Keiran and Curtis are also ex Whitton players so again like Dash against Trimley there was a little extra edge.

A Game

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

The game kicked off and we were immediately in attack. Freddie and Matty combined well to get the ball through to Dash, his shot was saved only as far as Keiran who blasted low into the net to give us the best possible start. 1-0

The half continued with us having the best of the play. Once again our passing and movement caused the opposition lots of problems and we extended our lead with Keiran getting the ball to Matty down the right, he passed it across for Dash to slot it home. 2-0.
The Whitton keeper was the busiest player on the pitch and did brilliantly to stop the game turning into a rout. We needed a third goal to kill off the game but couldn't get the ball past him.

Half time score 2-0.

The second half continued much the same as the first. Any Whitton attacks were dealt with by Connor and Ollie. The midfielders again put in the effort and made it difficult for Whitton to get into the game.
We work hard on getting the ball into play quickly to catch the opposition out. It paid dividends when we won a throw in on the right, Will not only put in a great throw in to Dash, but he got it in before Whitton were ready to defend sending the striker on his way. He finished superbly to make it 3-0.

A few minutes later we killed the game off when Freddie's well struck corner was flicked on by Connor and finished by Dash to complete his hat -trick.

Whitton scored a late consolation goal to make the final score 4-1. Another fantastic team performance.
Man of the match was Dash. Every player again had performed well. Dash just edged it with a hat-trick.

B Game

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

The last time we played we won 3-1. I had to admit it was against the run of play and our dogged defending kept us in the game. We only created about three chances and scored them all!! We would have to put in a better performance today. Whitton were out for revenge!!

This time it was a completely different story. We dominated every bit of the field and totally outplayed Whitton with some fantastic football.
With no Cammy it was down to Nat to step into the central midfield position. he was involved in everything and forced his way through to bang in the first of the game. 1-0.

A few minutes later Nat got his second finishing off Curtis's corner to make it 2-0.

We continued to dominate and even after making some substitutions still controlled the pitch. Nat turned provider as he and Dan combined down the left and put in a great cross to Connor who finished well, past the diving keeper. 3-0 the half-time score.

We started the second half as we finished the first, in attack. We won a corner which was well taken by Charlie W. Right into the danger area for Ollie Mac to steam in and power into the net. 4-0.

As the game went on it opened up and a clever little flick from Dan released Connor who rifled in his second of the game. 5-0.

A slight loss of concentration allowed Whitton a late consolation. 5-1.

We pushed forward and won another corner. Charlie and Ollie combined almost exactly as before and Ollie made it 6-1.

Whitton pulled another back but by then the game was virtually over. 6-2.

We got the final word when Alex got the ball through to Jake, who scored at the very death to make the final score 7-2.

Man of the match today was Nat for a powerhouse performance in midfield. He even managed to get a couple of goals into the bargain. A special mention for Curtis who battled well up front and did everything except score.

Another great day of football from both teams.

Trimley Red Devils 13th December 2008

The lads were up for this today after suffering our first A team defeat this season last week. It was bitterly cold. I couldn't feel my hands or feet after the game. Whilst the A game was being played the Trimley B Team took refuge in the warmth of the clubhouse. As Our B team had disappeared I assumed they had taken the same sensible step. Until I noticed the swing park next to the clubhouse with a little flock of red tracksuits perched on top of the climbing frame!!!

A Game

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

We had spent some time in training working on defending without jumping in and defending from the front. The two areas that cost us dearly the week before.

The game kicked off with us playing against a strong wind. As usual it started at a frantic pace with both teams flying in as you'd expect from a local derby. We settled down quickly and began to show the football we are capable off. Sam performed very well at the back and kept his patience, not allowing the striker any chance of breaking through. Freddie, Charlie and Will battled well in midfield, gave great support to Sam and looked dangerous every time they moved forward with the ball. Basically they worked their socks off( As you know we expect nothing less!) Ex Trimley player Dash and Matty have shown signs of becoming a good striking partnership in previous games. These partnerships take time to develop and today they showed what they were capable of. Individually and as an unselfish pair. Trimley struggled to get into our half, when we got the ball forward we were keeping it there. Dash was obviously desperate to put in a good performance against his old club and did everything in the first 10 minutes except score. Matty also came close. Eventually Dash won the ball and laid it off to Will on the right, he put in a great cross and Matty finished it well to give us a well deserved lead.
Soon after Sam won the ball at the back and passed it through to Dash who passed it across to Matty who made it 2-0.
By this time our heads were up and we looked like scoring every time we got the ball. Ollie was the quietest man on the pitch. Freddie won the ball on the left and passed through to Matty, this time it was him who provided the pass to Dash who banged it in to give us am important 3 goal cushion.
Just before half time we got the fourth when Charlie slid through a lovely pass to allow Dash to run on and get his second.
4-0 was the half-time score.

With the wind behind us it was all Felixstowe in the second half. Jack and Keiran joined the fray and looked dangerous, putting in some great effort. Somehow we failed to extend our lead. Freddie hit the post and the crossbar. The Trimley keeper pulled of some amazing saves from close range efforts from various players but we couldn't get the ball in the net. More importantly though we were spending the majority of the game in their half denying them any chance of getting back in the game.

The game ended 4-0 with a well deserved 3 points. Choosing a man of the match was very difficult as every player had performed well and played his part in a great team performance. We settled on a joint award to Matty and Dash. It's important that a striking partnership play as a team. Both lads set up goals for their partner and celebrated as if they had scored them themselves! Great stuff.

B Game

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

This was a much tighter affair. With both teams more evenly matched the midfield had to battle for everything and put in some great effort. Kyle was solid at the back and Harley was able to clear up and attempts on goal comfortably. Curtis battled well up front but it was little Jake who played out of his skin today and despite being possibly the smallest and youngest player on the pitch, out played and out fought the Trimley defence. Cammy performed his central role superbly and has now settled in to his game. Tackling well as he always has done but now he takes an extra bit of time and plays a nice pass rather than hoof it away at the earliest opportunity. Despite this the score remained 0-0 at half-time.

I can't remember much about our first goal except that it was a Charlie Wilson corker. Hit with power and accuracy from around the edge of the box. 1-0

The cold was now so bad I couldn't bear to take my hands out of my pockets to make any notes. Nat's goal to make it 2-0 is a complete blur to me as Hyperthermia had settled in. Having a 2 goal cushion warmed me slightly and when Trimley pulled one back the nervous energy was all that was keeping me going.
We hung on and survived a couple of scares at the end. Trimley came very close to equalising with a couple of last minute corners. We defended well and kept our concetration and won the game 2-1.

Another strong team performance with every player putting in the effort despite the bitter conditions. Man of the match was easy today. Jake battled superbly and was involved in every attacking move causing the defence all sorts of problems.

Felixstowe Hawks 6th December 2008

This was a top of the table clash between two teams who are having a great season. Something had to give and unfortunately it was us. I think the fact that it was against another local team added to the pressure on some of the boys and clearly affected their performance. We perform better when we can just enjoy the football and get on with it.

Due to work commitments and holiday over christmas I'm writing three match reports in one go. As usual my notes are sketchy at best and my memory is unreliable but I'll do my best. If I miss anything out or get something wrong please use the comments section to remedy it.

A Game

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

We started very positively and went straight into attack. Dash shot and just missed the post inside the first minute.

As the game settled down we were playing the better football in patches but the Hawks were clearly more up for the game. They tackled and defended well causing a bit of panic in our team.
unsurprisingly the Hawks took the lead. We got an equaliser when Charlies cross hit a defender and looped over the keeper.
The Hawks always looked the more dangerous on the ball. We were giving the ball away at every opportunity, especially up front leaving us exposed to the long clearance up the pitch. We like to defend from the front but today it just wasn't happening.
Connor coped well at the back but with the ball coming back everytime he got it forward it was only a matter of time before they broke through. He attampted a rash challenge allowing the striker to get past him and power on for a one on one with Ollie. He finished it of very well to restore their lead. 2-1 was the half time score.

We made a couple of changes at half time. Freddie and Sam replaced Jack and Connor. We seemed to be getting more involved in midfield and started causing a few more problems with some good runs and crosses down the wings. Charlie B was by far the stand out player and ran his legs off, being involved in everything. We were still giving the ball away too cheaply and lost two goals which were almost identical to the Hawks second. The only real difference being it was Sam at the back and not Connor. I have to sat both defenders played very well but had far too much to do for my liking.

The game ended with us losing 4-1. Not our finest hour and it's given us some areas we have to continue working on.

Man of the match was Charlie Bance by a mile. He never stopped running and raised his game battling for everything.


B Game

The line up was Harley in goal, Cammy in defence, Dan Keiran and Ollie M in midfield, Curtis and Nat up front. Connor R, Charlie W and Jake on the bench.

This game was a bit more even and pretty much end to end stuff. We battled well and Keiran seemed to have carried on where Charlie B left off in the centre of midfield and battled for everything.

The Hawks took the lead but we carried on battling and equalised when Curtis deflected Nats shot into the net.

Unfortunately the Hawks regained the lead just before half-time. 1-2 the half time score.

Just after half time the Hawks score again to make it 3-1.

To our credit we didn't let our heads down and got stuck in. harley pulled of some great saves and we battled well aginst the Hawks attacks. We managed to pull one back when a great move down the left ended with a cross to Connor who finished well to make it 3-2. We were back in the game.

A few minutes later a move down the left finished with Jake banging the ball into the roof of the net to make it 3-3.
The game stepped up to a frantic pace with both teams going for it. Then in virtually the last minute disaster struck. the Hawks striker managed to get a shot in Harley got down well to it but somehow let it squirm under his body. From my view it looked like he punched it in as he tried to grab it! Either way with the striker almost on top of him one of them was likely to score it. The game ended 3-4. After pulling back 2 goals then losing in the dying minutes the boys were devastated. They had shown fantastic spirit and i think everyone was very proud of them.

Man of the match was Keiran. He was totally drained at the end of the game.