Match Reports 2011/2012

Manager Jez Hicks

Sunday 20th November 2011

League Cup Match Against Bushmead Rovers

We were drawn against Bushmead who play in division 1, they are the most improved team in that league this season.

Toddington came out looking strong and focused, something we had been missing in previous weeks. Dominik was in goal to start with.

Dominik had some keeping to do when Bushmead made some good passing and threatened our goal, Dom made a great save. For somebody who had not played in goal for us at all this season he was doing a remarkable job. Tom played a lovely ball across to Eddie who then got it up towards the other half,the ball was looking good for Scott but we lost possession and Bushmead came on the attack. Tom made a super move across the pitch to clear the ball away,excellent work as usual from Tom.

Luke was playing right mid at the start and although he had not played this position before today he tried very hard to do the job, he made a great run down the wing and was looking to cross the ball when Bushmead tackled him, good effort from Luke. He did manage to get the tackles in at times and put some pressure on bushmead, nice work from Luke..  Pj was playing right back at the start and did some great defensive work, he was looking very confident and tackled well, saved the ball from going further into our area than we would have wanted,lovely work from him.

The first goal came when Tom played a lovely pass to Sam who then just blasted the ball over the keepers head, cracking goal from Sam. I have been told by Harry that Sam 'LOBBED THE KEEPER', if you read this Harry that quote is for you!

With the score being 1-0 the lads could have got complacent but they  remained focused

 Michael was like a one man machine today with his constant headers, at one point it looked like he was having a game of head ball with Bushmead!  Michael was running around in defence winning so many balls and making terrific clearances, he was superb today.  Jack M was seeing a lot of the ball and was very strong on the wing, he would go for every ball that came his way and it was so good to see him getting so involved. Jack M put a lot of pressure on Bushmead, at one point he had 3 players on him and got away from all 3, what skill that boy has!

Jack G played a great role in defence, very focused and played some nice balls from defence to mid, he also did a super run down the wing aiming to cross it when it was put out of play by Bushmead, excellent run from Jack G. Lewis B had a good game, strong in position and with his great touch of the ball he saved the day on several occasions, got the ball up and away from danger, also passed well to help get the ball into the opponents half, lovely work from him.

Dom came off and Kaine went in goal, he settled well and had to make a save very soon after coming on, he saved it like a pro and even when Bushmead got their first goal Kaine did not get downhearted, he remained strong and composed,very nice to see Kaine back to his usual self. Kaine made a terrific save when the ball seemed to be going in, he knocked it over the bar, excellent keeping.

Eddie was doing good in the mid, he was having a great game and  was very accurate with his stops of the ball and his headers. He was constantly going for the ball and would boot it up as far as he could out of our half,nice work from Eddie.

Luke went off and Harry came on. Great to see Harry back today, he settled quickly into position and made lovely tackles to win the ball. He was working very hard and his clearance of the ball was nice, good pressure from Harry.  Lewis M came on and there was a super piece of passing between him and Scott, Scott had passed the ball to Lewis M who took a shot, very unlucky for the ball to go wide. Excellent to see Toddy have another attempt.

With  Pj now back in the mid he had a chance to show us what he could do, a terrific ball played to him by tom led him to have a crack at goal, super attempt but so unlucky not to have scored. 

Michael had a shot at goal which narrowly missed, such a super attempt from him. Just before the end and with the score 4-1 to Bushmead it looked like the might nab a 5th..this was not to be as Michael made a fantastic block of the ball and knocked it away,excellent work!

Final score 4-1

Man Of The Match Michael

Champagne Moment Michael ( for the clearance of the ball which stopped Bushmead getting a goal )

This game was full of action from start to finish, excellent to see all the boys play so well and for them to be so focused. If they play like this next week in the league match they should see great rewards.

Sunday 13th November 2011

Away Match To Lewsey Park

With us having beaten Lewsey a couple of weeks ago we expected this to be a very close match. Lewsey netted the first goal within a minute from kick off and this seemed to unsettle our boys.  Michael was excellent in defence and was blocking superbly as was Lewis B. Luke worked very hard and managed to get the ball out of danger many times,great play. Jack G had a great game,kept position and worked hard to win the ball from Lewsey

Lewsey netted their 2nd goal but the boys kept their heads up and it wasn't long before we got a goal back,Eddie was on the ball and did a superb kick which ended up with the ball going over the keepers head, fantastic goal from Eddie. This goal should have got our boys wanting to fight back for a second but they just did not seem there today... 

Kaine was put under a lot of pressure in this game,he kept to the job in hand and proved he is great in where he plays. Lewis M and Pj played a nice bit of passing between each other,even though no goal came of it they showed determination. Sam took a great corner,perfectly placed ball but nobody could convert it,shame as it was a super ball in.

Lewis S had a couple of attempts at goal,2 great headers  that sadly went over the bar,good to see him having a go. Jack M seemed to have  so many Lewsey players on him it was difficult for him to play the ball how he usually does,he did however make great effort to get the ball and did some super tackles.

Tom was having to be almost everywhere on the pitch,he would run from one end to the other and make great runs in took gain the ball,excellent work from Tom.

There was a moment when Kaine had made a great save but the ball was still in play, with Kaine just to the side of goal Lewsey looked like they were going to shoot again. Luke took the initiative to stand in goal and blasted a dangerous Lewsey ball away,terrific defending from Luke.

There was a cracking bit of passing between Tom,Lewis S and Sam,no goal came but the boys showed a nice bit of team work. Jack G played a great ball down the line which landed for Jack M, he took a shot which missed but excellent to see somebody have a go.

Lewsey seemed to be much more focused and awake than us, they took every chance they got and made so many more attempts at goal. They got goal after goal and soon the score was 6-1

Dominik had a good game,he was trying to win all the balls he could and he never gave up. Kaine was replaced in goal by Pj and Pj did a very good job,well done for taking over. Lewis B had good movement across the pitch to stop the ball going near our area,lovely work.He worked so hard today and never gave up. Scott could have netted a few balls but for some reason he didn't seem on top form today. Eddie was super playing in different positions,excellent in the mid and lucky he was their to get us our goal.

Final Score 7-1

Man Of The Match Tom

Champagne Moment Luke ( for his fantastic clearance of the line )

This score was very disappointing but Lewsey deserved to win. Toddington need to remember that this is a team game and all the boys have to work together,they need to support each other and all play to the best of their ability. With so many players now each lad has to work hard for their position. Let's hope today was a blip and we come out meaning business next week 

Sunday 6th November 2011

Bedfordshire Fa County Cup

We were drawn against Crawley green Foxes who play in division 1.

The games was a great match with every boy playing great football. Although we got beat we showed just how much of a team we are,each lad helped out when they needed and nobody was left to fend alone. Sam got a terrific goal which i think should be down as one of our best this season. Tom played a great game, reliable as always as excellent pressure from him, fantastic running around the pitch to guide the ball to safety on many occasions. Lewis B was defending excellently and covered well. Michael yet again showed why he plays the place he does, terrific long balls out up towards the other area relieving the pressure. Jack M fought very well for the ball and showed great skills in his tackling and passing ability.

There was a super bit of passing between Lewis M and Lewis B, they set the ball up nicely for Jack M who took a shot, very unlucky miss but great team work. Pj was set up for goal by a great piece of play from Lewis B and Jack M, the ball went wide but lovely work from the 3 of them.

Luke was playing well, each week he seems to become a tad more confident which is nice to see, he was having to battle against some big lads but he did his best and when he did get the ball he was quick to move it along towards our mid. Eddie played a blinding game, super balls up field and played a nice ball onto Lewis B who had a head at goal, very unlucky to miss but super effort.

Dominik tackled well and when he won the ball he was accurate in where he wanted it to go, nice play from Dominik. Kaine is an excellent goalie and when he is on form he plays a terrific game, today he had lots of work to do and made so many saves, he should be proud of how he did, we are.

Jack G worked his socks off in defence, he made great strides to gain the ball and was there to knock it away when needed,well done Jack.

Our second and final goal came from a well timed and accurate kick from Michael, the ball was going in but it just clipped Lewis S on the way through so he claimed it, very jammy!! haha

The final score was 7-2

Man Of The Match Tom

Champagne Moment Sam ( for his goal )

This match was very exciting and although we lost all the boys played excellent football.  Rob said each boy should have got man of the match in todays game for the way they all played. Great words of encouragement from Rob.

Sunday 30th October 2011

Home Match To Lewsey Park

Having met Lewsey Park several times in the past season and not having beat them, it looked like today could be one of our toughest matches yet.

We were without Harry and Lewis S. We were hoping Eddie would make it in time for the second half as he was due back from holiday.

Lewsey started pressurising us from the off but with Lewis B,Michael,Jack G and Luke in defence we were a force to be reckoned with. Luke fought to win the ball and played a nice pass to Scott who then passed to Sam, Sam was making great strides until Lewsey gained the ball from him. They  took a shot but Kaine saved it easily,good keeper work.

Michael and Lewis B both showed their great defensive work,excellent tackles from Lewis B and super running across the pitch to get away any dangerous balls. Michael was superb and was really into the game,he banged the ball away as soon as it came,great accuracy. Jack G was running across trying to gain the ball, great well timed tackling from him.  Jack G passed a lovely ball to Scott who was trying to make his way towards Lewsey half, he got tackled and Lewsey won a corner.

With one of the opponents players making a fast run up towards our area, he managed to get a foot on the ball and scored, 1-0 to Lewsey.

Could this be yet another meeting between the 2 sides where the score went against against us?  Time would tell....

Sam was out on the wing and the play between him and Dominik was really good, both boys were playing their positions well and going for the ball whenever they could. Sam won a tackle, and passed over to Jack M, who ran with it. Jack  tried to make as much progress up field as he could.  We were awarded a free kick which Michael took, such a powerful shot that looked to be going in, but just went over the bar,so unlucky.  Back in defence, Lewis B got his foot to the ball and make a great stop. Michael got his head to a ball, had it gone past him we would be in trouble!! Cracking header from Michael. Kaine was looking strong in goal and did a fantastic goal kick.  Dominik got on the end of it and ran with it, he beat the keeper and equalised the score to 1-1.  It seemed that by us levelling the score it put Lewsey under pressure, could we improve on the score line before half time....

Tom made an excellent run across and put pressure on Lewsey, very well timed tackle from Tom. Scott was off; welcome back to Lewis M who had now recovered from injury.  Lewis M settled in well and played the ball nicely through to Pj.   Pj took a shot and although it went wide it was good to see the attempt.

Jack M was still working hard out on the wing, he was like a dog with a bone and just would not let up.  He was determined to get the ball.  When he did get it he played it great,either through to the mid or down the wing. Either way, Lewsey had a lot of work to do to regain it.  Superb football by Jack M.

With half time approaching we noticed Eddie arrive on his bike. The supporters chanted Eddie Eddie Eddie, Oi Oi Oi! Something tells me that everybody was very pleased to see Eddie today.

2ND HALF

Luke was keeping position well and made a great block. Lewis B was still as strong as in the first half, terrific tackling from him. We were awarded another free kick and Michael made a super strike,very bad luck to miss. Lovely ball across the Lewsey goal from Scott, shame we didn't have anybody there to pick it up and take it into the goal though.

Lewis M worked hard in the mid, not afraid to tackle and when he got the ball he quickly passed to his team mates. Michael headed away a dangerous ball and Jack M was there to receive it, he played a great pass to Scott who took a shot, missed target but good effort.

Edie came on for Lewis M and straightaway he got down to business. Great head work by Eddie who was able to direct the ball up towards Lewsey half. Pj was there to receive the ball, had a few attempts at goal.  We were awarded another free kick which Eddie stepped up to take, so so close but they score remained 1-1.

Jack M was running through with the ball and took a shot, super effort from him. Very pleased to see the boys shooting from distance. With Lewsey hand balling we we given a penalty. Scott took to the spot and with great accuracy he netted the ball, lovely neat goal which put us 2-1 up.

We could not afford to lessen the pressure on Lewsey. With not long to go until the whistle the boys carried on playing great football. We did come under attack once more but Kaine saved the ball, fantastic work from Kaine.

Final whistle blew and the cheers from the sidelines said it all, excellent game and a well deserved win.

FINAL SCORE 2-1

Man Of The Match Micheal

 Champagne Moment Lewis B ( perfectly timed tackle which denied Lewsey from an opportunity to score )

Sunday 16th October 2011

Home Match To Shefford Saints

With Shefford sitting mid table and also recently beating us  3-0 in a recent tournament  it would certainly be a test for the boys.

The teams started well but Shefford looked stronger with them having the first chance at goal, excellent cover from Michael ensured the ball got away. Tom was covering lots of ground and getting the tackles in. There was a super ball played in by Eddie who passed to Scott who took a shot, missed the target but great to see him have the attempt.

Shefford hit back with a long ball over Toddington heads but Kaine made the save. When the goal kick went out Shefford got their head to it first but  Tom battled and passed a great ball up to Scott,Shefford knocked the ball out of play and we got a corner. The corner was a super one and the ball landed for Pj, nice little strike and we were 1-0 up. We won the ball from the goal kick and a lovely pass from Pj led to Scott having a dig, missed the goal but great effort.

Shefford fought on and leveled the score.

Lewis B got his head to the ball and it went up towards Sam, Sam chased the ball and kept it in play. Tom took a shot, off target but again good to see the attempts coming. Jack M was out on the wing looking for the passes, he saw a chance and fought for the ball, lovely pass to Scott who then passed back to Jack M who made a nice flick on to Tom, Tom shot again but still the target was elusive.

Luke was having his work cut out for him but made great effort to keep tracking his player,he got his head to the ball and got it away, he and Lewis B were working well together, always helping to cover each other when needed.  Sam was calling for the ball and when he got it he ran with it and made nice passes.

With the score 1-1 both teams were trying to find their second, it was not long before Pj had a shot and scored his second, score was now 2-1

Eddie played a fantastic ball in towards Pj who had a crack at goal, looking for his 3rd but the whistle blew for half time.

2ND Half

Almost as soon as the whistle was blown Shefford took control, they made a lovely ball through and scored. Now it was 2-2

Lewis S was on the pitch and had an excellent run, the ball went back to Shefford who were looking to take the leads but Jack G got the ball out of danger,nice work. Michael was having loads to do in defence and pretty much won all the balls that came to him,was great to see him having such a good game.

Pj scored his 3rd when he played a blinding ball into the net,terrific shot, he was now on a hat trick score 3-2

Shefford were fighting back and Lewis B diverted the ball from our area,and got it back to the mid. A lovely pass from Lewis S played onto Pj set him up for his 4th of the match. . score 4-2

With Eddie playing in mid he seemed to capture most of the goal kicks from Shefford, he got his head to many of them and led the ball upwards towards our front runners,great work by Eddie.

Harry was working hard in defence, made a great little block and got the ball away, nice play from Harry. Scott came back on the pitch and within seconds he got his head to the ball and scores our 5th of the game,fantastic header.

With the score at 5-2 the boys seemed to turn up the heat on Shefford and set about trying to improve more on the score line. Tom played a great flick onto Lewis S who took a shot,no goal but good attempt.

With the action being played in Shefford half the pressure on Kaine had been lifted a bit,not for long though as Shefford played a great passing game and took a shot, super save by Kaine.

Pj had a fluky back kick and scored his 5th of the match,no idea how the ball got in the net but it did and seemed to seal the fate of Shefford.The score was now 6-2 The Shefford team were looking very downhearted and after another cracking ball played between Scott and Pj we got our 7th of the match and it was now a double hat trick for Pj,my what a striker he is.

The boys did not ease of and Lewis S got his first of the match and our 8th, he played the ball across the face of the goal and it rolled in.

FINAL SCORE 8-2

The match was a thrilling to watch and what a wonderful score for the boys,it goes to show that hard work and determination can have great rewards.

Man Of The Match Pj

Champagne Moment Scott

Sunday 9th October 2011

Home Match To Crawley Green Thistles

We were still without Lewis M due to his injury a few weeks back, also without Harry.  We did however have 2 new signings, Eddie and Dominik,  big welcome to the boys.

We had heard that Crawley were a very good side and had some fast runners so we expected a hard game.  After suffering defeats in our first four games we needed to win this game if we could...

From the off we were put under pressure from Crawley but Tom and Sam both made great blocks and got the ball to safety.  We won a free kick which Eddie took, lovely strike through the wall and so close to the goal,excellent kick and very close to getting a goal.  Lewis B made a long run from defence, ran with it down the wing and got the ball up towards Crawleys half, lovely running from Lewis B.

Jack M was making great strides to win the ball and got some nice tackles in, along with putting pressure on the boy marking him due to Jacks fast speed. Crawley were running up to defence when Luke got a nice tackle in from which we won a corner, Eddie was there to shoot but the keeper saved it.  Kaines goal came under threat when Crawley had a shot, well saved by Kaine. Shortly after Crawley tried again to score, fantastic header clearance from Jack G.

With Pj up front he was working hard trying to break away, he had a great run with the ball but lost out at the last moment, great energy. Sam was looking for the ball and got a great pass from Jack M, Sam took a shot but it was saved.  Dominik also had shots which were either saved or just off target, was great seeing the boys take chances and shoot when they could.

Michael in defence was looking like his usual self, great headers and some good tackling along with it, nice play to get the ball up field. Lewis B was excellent in aiding Luke when he was being pressured, great to see such nice team work between them. More excellent runs from Pj and Sam came just before half time, both boys got close to the area but the keeper got the ball first.

With still no goal from either side it was 0-0 at half time.

2ND Half

Scott in mid won the ball from a nice tackle, good pressure, passed to Dominik who then passed to Lewis S who lost out to Crawley when they took control of the ball. Eddie was looking very good and play some great football, his passing was accurate, Sam was passed a great ball and then passed back to Eddie who took a shot, so close but so far. Somebody had to score soon...

Lewis S took a shot, keeper saved, good effort. Kaine came under fire again when Crawley played a blinding ball, he got his hands to it and excellent save. We were awarded a corner, Jack G took it, super ball into the box and Michael was in the right place to put it in the net, neat goal and put us 1-0 up. With the boys leading they seemed to turn up the heat a notch, they knew that they needed to capitalise on the 1 goal lead.

The boys won another corner and Jack G took it, the ball was played into the goal area but it came back out into play, Michael did a terrific over head kick and the keeper got his hands to it but the ball came back into play and Jack M was there to get it,super goal and put us now at 2-0.  Crawley did get back into the game and when we had a momentary lapse in concentration they took advantage of it and scored their first goal, score stood at 2-1. With only a few minutes left we needed to keep the ball in Crawley half and just defend,defend,defend, we could not risk letting Crawley get another break. Defence did what they had to do and the ball was kept well out of our area. The final whistle blew and the boys had won their first game of the season.

Such an exciting match to have watched and the Toddington supporters were overjoyed with the result, every boy played great football and if they work like this in future games they should hopefully see more winning results. 

FINAL SCORE 2-1

Man Of The Match Eddie

Champagne Moment Jack G ( for defending off the line )

Sunday 2nd October 2011

Away Match To Brickhill Wanderers Tornadoes

Today was one of the best days weather wise that we have had so far this season,very warm and the boys managed to get quite a few drinks breaks during the game.

Both teams came out looking like they meant business, Brickhill were aiming to gain pace but Sam got a terrific tackle in and managed to get the ball out, super pressure from Sam. Jack M was passed a great through ball which he ran down the wing with and passed to Scott, Scott took a shot which escaped the target but nice effort. Luke was having a good game and deflected a pass from Brickhill which was looking to threaten our area,good pressure from Luke.

Michael was blocking the ball and with his powerful kicks and lovely headers he was getting the ball down into our mid, one of the best moves was great overlapping by Jack G and Jack M down the wing. Our goal was under attack but Kaine pulled off some super saves just as always,very difficult pressure but he handled it well. Harry made an excellent run with the ball and tackled well, he won his fair share of the ball and made some great passes upfield.  Brickhill went 1 - 0 up when they managed to pick the ball from just outside the area.

Lewis S had a good run and took a shot, missed target but good attempt. Lewis B in defence was making great strides to defend, he tackled well and although he was sometimes being beaten to the ball he kept battling away,excellent work by him.  Tom was superb in his role too,very strong and won a lot of tackles, made nice passes to the mid. Sam was passed a great ball from Lewis S but the ball missed the target once again, surely the ball would fine the net soon...

Brickhill got their 2nd of the game but we quickly challenged back and with a super shot from Scott which rebound, Lewis S headed it into the net, lovely goal and took the score to 2-1 just on half time.

2ND Half

PJ came on, he settled in very quickly and made a good run on the outside,he had an attempt on goal which narrowly missed,great effort. Jack M worked like a power house running for every ball he could, he got round 2 Brickhill players and played a lovely ball up the wing. Lewis B got a threatening ball away and Tom played it to Jack G, Jack M picked the ball and took a shot,no goal for them yet in this half.

Lewis S made a nice run and passed to Tom who took a shot,nice strike but no reward.  Brickhill got their 3rd goal shorty afterwards and with us being 2 goals down we needed to regroup and find a way through.

Lewis B got injured when making a charge for the ball, he had a great game until that point. Kaine took a decision to take  along run out which was great thinking, the ball was played up towards Brickhill half, with so many players in their area it was difficult to know where the ball would go. Brickhill made a good run through from mid and towards our goal, they shot and scored their 4th of the match.

FINAL SCORE 4-1

Man Of The Match Scott

Champagne Moment Jack G and Jack M ( for overlap play down the wing )

Toddington played a good game but they need to have faith in themselves and not get disheartened.

Must say huge thank you to Harvey for providing water for us all on this very warm day

Sunday 25th September 2011

Home Match against Langford

In the first half we were playing with the wind with us which could have been an advantage. Both teams had settled in well and had chances to take the lead. Defence were as strong as ever and Langford found it very difficult to break through. Jack M was was doing what he does best,gaining the ball from the mid and travelling down the wing with it,great passing to Pj and Sam,Scott was also in the mix. Pj  had chance to score but with the wind taking the ball he just could not reach it before the Langford keeper,excellent running in for the ball though.

In defence Lewis B was looking good,great pressure from him to stop Langford from moving further up field. Luke was also doing a great job,nice blocks and he also made a great pass to Scott who took the ball passed mid,he passed to Jack M who was on for a goal but it went wide,great attempt. Tom was running fantastically and winning loads of balls and making great challenges,super work by him. When Langford shot a ball up towards our defence Michael was ready with his head determined to get that ball to safety,well done.

Kaine had a lot of balls to contend with and did some of the best keeper work we have seen from him so far this season. I think even some premiership goalies would have been proud of some of his saves.

Harry was having a good game,he was up against some  bigger lads but that didn't faze him,he went out and defended the ball well,got some nice moves going which was lovely to see . Jack G worked like a trooper,very strong and focused,showed great determination during the game. Jack M had been passed a ball from which he kept 3 Langford players at bay so he could find his way up the wing towards Sam, lovely pass to Sam who was so unlucky to not have scored.

Langford were playing a good game and broke though just before half time and make the half time score 1-0

2ND Half

Luke went off shortly before end of first half and was replaced with Lewis S,at the start of this half the boys knew they had to get a goal back. They seemed a bit stronger than the first half and got stuck in. Superb challenge from Lewis B,more pressure on Langford from him which was great to see. Sam was working hard up front,getting the ball passed from the mid and running nicely up the wing with it,made some great crosses and also had some good attempts at goal,surely it was only a matter of time before we equalised. We didn't have to wait long for that time as Sam was passed a great ball which he banged into the net,no hesitation just a very confident kick which made the score 1-1

Our goal was under threat when Langford won a free kick,they took a shot which Kaine saved but almost as quick as he saved it they shot again,Kaine saved that one too,a great double save and such a pleasure to see such wonderful goal keeping.

Luke made a super challenge when Langford were on the edge of scoring,he went it and got the ball away, lovely work. Lewis S had a few good runs,he was doing his best to win the ball and got some good tackles in. Scott,Pj and Sam were trying so hard to get us a second goal, loads of great work from defence in making challenges to gain the ball and work it down to midfield. Langford got a break when a ball that looked out of play was not blown up for and they scored taking it to 2-1.

Our boys tried to remain focused but you could see that they were looking a bit disheartened but  did not give up and tried to regain position,  Langford came at them again and after winning a free kick they scored their 3rd.

FINAL SCORE 3-1

Man Of The Match Kaine

Champagne Moment Jack G ( for heading a ball off the line )

Sunday 18th September 2011

Home Match against Eastcotts Dragons

We played at our home ground Parkfields.

The team we were up against today finished 3rd in Division 2 last year so we were expecting a tough match.

We were without Lewis M today due to him breaking his elbow,hope he gets fit soon.

Both teams started off strong,our defence had their work cut out for them but kept to them job in hand and between them they defended very well. Michael was stopping the ball and booting it back up field,Lewis B and Jack G were both chasing the ball and making very strong tackles which won us the ball. Jack G kicked up towards the mid and got us out of trouble,but Eastcotts soon won the ball and took a shot, Kaine made a terrific save,well done. Luke was working very hard and looked strong in defence, he made a lovely stop of the ball and banged it back up the other end. Lewis B worked very hard and was once again running like a Whippet,he won nearly every ball he went for and was so exciting to watch. We were awarded a free kick for which Michael stepped up to take,he has a lovely powerful kick and you could see it was aiming for target but just went off,unlucky. Pj made an excellent run to try and keep the ball in play,which it did. Eastcotts soon scored their 1st goal.

With Eastcotts 1 nil up they were looking stronger at one point but our boys did not flag, with Tom in the mid winning the ball he was able to find Jack M who from  made some super runs down the wing,and the passing between him,Sam and Pj was super,each boy had shots at goal but unluckily none of them went in. They did not give up and kept battling hard as did the rest our the boys.

Eastcotts were coming forward and there was a moment of danger when they could have scored but Michael made a terrific tackle and cleared the ball. Luke seemed very focused on the game and kept working hard,not afraid to chase the ball or tackle,lovely passes and great stops of the ball. Harry was looking good and played a very good game, there were times he couldn't quite get the ball but he never gave up,he made some nice passes and kept focused on what he needed to do.

The next goal from Eastcotts came and we were now 2 down, didn't make the boys lose concentration though,they kept their heads up which was really nice to see. Harry went off and was replaced by Lewis S,he settled into the game winning the ball and making some nice passes to his team mates. Eastcotts won a corner and looked threatening but Lewis B covered it well, the ball was still in play and Eastcotts had a shot but good old Kaine saved it once again. Scott battled very hard for the ball and he was working well with Pj and Lewis S, they were trying to get the ball nearer to Eastcotts area,great working partnership.

We won another free kick,Michael was so so close but the ball went to the side of the goal,very unlucky but won't be long until he scores. Jack G defended very well and made a great header to clear the ball.

2nd HALF

The boys started this half looking so much stronger than the first half,Scott played a great block and we won a corner,Tom took the corner and Lewis S shot,hit the side netting but great attempt. Jack M was determined to get the ball and tackled very well, passed the ball and Pj ran but unlucky for him the goalie beat him to it. Our goal was under threat when Eastcotts took a powerful shot but Kaine made a great dive and got his fingers to the ball, should be very proud of that save. Jack G won the ball from Eastcotts mid and made a cracking pass to Jack M who kept the ball in play, the ball was passed to Tom who kept it in play,Lewis S and Sam both had shots at goal but neither went in,great attempts from both.

Soon after we were 3 nil down, the hopes did not fade for the boys and they remained focused. Defence didn't let up and continued to work hard, Lewis B made so many important wins of the ball, superb and accurate tackles with great running and passing. Luke kept his head and although he was up against some strong opponents he didn't lose sight of what his role was. Tom was chasing and stopped many balls from finding their way up towards our goal,great to see the boys remaining focused.  Lewis S got the ball and ran down the wing and into the Eastcotts area,took a shot but was just off target. Pj looking determined to get a goal  made a lovely chase and won the ball,he took a shot but it was saved,the ball rebounded and was won by Scott who struck it into the back of the net,lovely goal and well deserved.

FINAL SCORE 3-1

MAN OF THE MATCH Lewis B

Champagne Moment Michael ( this was for the great tackle in the first half which helped stopped Eastcotts from scoring )

The match was very exciting to watch,full of thrills and a pleasure to have seen the boys work so hard and remain strong throughout.

Sunday 11th September 2011

Away match against AFC Kempston Colts

Today saw the season kick off and our first match was away to AFC Kempston Colts,the game was played at Hillgrounds.

Before the kick off we held a minutes silence for the events of 9/11 We started the match playing uphill and into the wind which put us at a disadvantage in the first half but we set off very well with Harry making a long kick up field towards the opponents half,Colts gained possession of the ball but it went out of play allowing us our first throw in. Jack G took the throw in,we narrowly missed obtaining the ball which enabled Colts to run with it,Sam was intent on trying to recover the ball and he battled very hard and made a pass to Tom who headed it back up towards Colts half,Colts were looking strong and passed a great ball down the midfield and scored their first goal.

 Kaine took a lovely well placed goal kick down the left side which Jack M won,he ran with it making some lovely moves and great passing between him,Tom and Lewis M who took a shot,very good attempt but sadly just missed the goal. Michael was excellent in defence he cleared many balls and with his long shot it enabled the ball to get further up towards Colts end,he made a lovely pass up field which Scott ran with,he had a shot at goal which again for us marginally missed the goal. Lewis B was phenomenal in defence he ran like a Whippet chasing a rabbit,made some superb clearances.

Sam and Pj played some great football up front,receiving the ball from midfield and both boys had shots which just escaped the goal,surely a goal would be heading for one of them soon. Colts threatened our goal again but Kaine made a terrific save,excellent goal keeping.

Lewis M passed a super ball onto Sam who was unlucky to not have scored for us. Colts hit us again with their 2nd goal of the match but we did not lose heart,the boys kept their heads up and remained focused. Harry went off and was replaced by Luke who straightaway got into the game,making some nice blocks and passes The boys were playing very well but got a bit unlucky when a Colts player took possession of the ball which led to them netting their 3rd of the game just seconds from the halftime whistle.

2nd HALF

Toddington came out this half looking focused and stronger .We were awarded a free kick which Michael took,super accuracy over the heads of Colts players and the ball looked like it was going in but amazingly it clipped the crossbar and went over,such bad luck from a fantastic free kick.

Luke was up against a very tough player but he kept battling,he read the ball very well and got it away to the midfield,Lewis M picked the ball and passed to Tom who shot it a far distance up towards Jack M who took a shot,that goal was still evading us though.

Colts put us under pressure once again but Sam made a terrific tackle which stopped them from scoring. Kaine had a few more threatening balls to save which he did,lovely keeper work by Kaine. Jack G and Lewis B were working hard in defence to try and get the ball away,lovely work between them both which got us out of trouble on more than one occasion.

Luke and Scott worked well together on the other side of the pitch,gaining the ball from Colts and heading it back up field. Lewis B had to come off due to injury. Michael made some great clearances and we won another free kick outside the area,Michael once again stepped up to take it and unbelievably this one also hit the crossbar,so unlucky but terrific powerful shot.

Just before the final whistle Colts had a lucky break and got their 4th goal of the game.

Final score 4-0

Man Of The Match Lewis B

Champagne Moment Jack G and Jack M (This was for some quick thinking and great 1 2 play between them after a free kick which almost led to a goal)

The boys played a good game and should be proud of the hard work they put in today.