Another sunny day, and the Hawks were in their red second kit. Bedford FC's goalie had also put on his red kit and there was some confusion when Brickhill attacked almost from the whistle as to who the extra player in the box was. However, it was to our advantage as Ewan powered his first goal of the season within the first two minutes. Bedford FC's goalie put on a bib.
A period of tight defending followed particularly from Sam H and Greg, with some good work in the air from Fred as Bedford upped the pressure . However, after a good move, Bedford FC evened the score after 12 minutes. This seemed to spur them on and they continued to pressurise our defence forcing Dom to make a series of spectacular saves, despite being winded by one of the assaults on goal. Eventually, one of their efforts went in - and the Hawks were 2 - 1 down.
Tense moments followed and the spectators began to feel nervous, especially when the ball went into the back of the net again. Fortunately for Brickhill, the goal was disallowed because of a handball in the area, and the score remained the same as the boys went off for halftime.
Darren focussed on the importance of talking to each other, our need to be organised and the requirement to stop panicking, emphasising the fact that the boys are perfectly capable of playing good solid football if they just settle down and think about what they're doing.
Both teams had fired up during the break and the pace picked up straight from the restart. A foul by Bedford gave us a free kick on the half way line, and we followed on with some good team play resulting in a couple of real chances on goal. The Hawks were battling well all over the pitch with some determined tackles and attacking runs. Another free kick from half way - Ewan fed the ball in to the area - it hit one of Bedford's defenders - and Elijah tucked it away. Two all and everything to play for!
Everyone was working hard as Bedford piled on the pressure again. Dom made some more great saves, both Sams, Angus and David cleared loads of balls away, Josh's "Ronaldo"skills in midfield entertained the crowd and Niall made some of his great runs. So it was hugely disappointing when Bedford managed to break through our defence and put their third away.
The Hawks kept their heads up though, and Niall took another free kick from outside the box which went just wide. Bedford were true to their reputation as a physical team and there was some hard battling for possession. The last couple of minutes were filled with Brickhill efforts but sadly the Hawks final break came to nought as the referee blew for full time.
So, 3-2 to Bedford FC, but Brickhill can take heart from an improved performance full of potential.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
10 positive things to take away from Sunday's game against Luton Borough and 3 things to work on
Positive things
1. There was some excellent link up play, particularly between Fred and Niall
2. There was a fair amount of up and down play, the ball not sticking in anybody's half for too long
3. The Hawks made good use of the full width of the pitch with work on both wings
4. Our defenders and keeper worked hard throughout the game (despite the scoreline)
5. Midfielders fed the ball through well to the forwards who made the most of their chances
6. Elijah's free kick should be on Match of the Day Goal of the Season, being better than Robinho's the day before
7. We scored three goals in ten minutes - marvellous to watch
8. It wasn't a difficult game to watch until the last 20 minutes - before that, it was well balanced
9. Every professional player has been thumped by 7 goals some time in his career
10. At least it was sunny, and the scenery was interesting
Things to work on
1. Don't rest on your laurels when you've evened things up
2. Keep your heads up and motivate each other
3. Forget about it and move on to the next game with a fresh mind set
Conclusion
Moving up a division is not a walk in the park
1. There was some excellent link up play, particularly between Fred and Niall
2. There was a fair amount of up and down play, the ball not sticking in anybody's half for too long
3. The Hawks made good use of the full width of the pitch with work on both wings
4. Our defenders and keeper worked hard throughout the game (despite the scoreline)
5. Midfielders fed the ball through well to the forwards who made the most of their chances
6. Elijah's free kick should be on Match of the Day Goal of the Season, being better than Robinho's the day before
7. We scored three goals in ten minutes - marvellous to watch
8. It wasn't a difficult game to watch until the last 20 minutes - before that, it was well balanced
9. Every professional player has been thumped by 7 goals some time in his career
10. At least it was sunny, and the scenery was interesting
Things to work on
1. Don't rest on your laurels when you've evened things up
2. Keep your heads up and motivate each other
3. Forget about it and move on to the next game with a fresh mind set
Conclusion
Moving up a division is not a walk in the park
Sunday, 7 September 2008
New division – new challenge.
Could the Hawks replicate Hull City's storming opening day?
A new home ground for the Hawks this season, Newnham Middle School providing the venue. Unfortunately the pitch could have won the prize lawn category at Kew Gardens, the grass being lush and long. Valiant attempts were made by Adrian and Sarah to rake off the cuttings and paint the lines before kick off, but there was still plenty of loose wet grass on the pitch as the boys lined up against Crawley Green for their first foray into Division 2. With Angus away, no one was under any illusions about the task ahead!
Crawley Green went on the attack straight away. David had to make a series of clearances from the defence but within the first three minutes, the visitors were awarded two corners. The attack continued and their third bid went in. Five minutes later, another corner, some confusion in defence and Crawley Green scored again. 2 – 0 down within 10 minutes – the Hawks needed to turn the game around.
With great fortitude, the boys kicked off. Hawks managed to win and retain possession well, when Niall picked up a clearance from midfield and had a shot at goal. Crawley Green were playing a physical game and did not intend to let Brickhill through too often, but undaunted, Niall broke through their defence again and scored a great goal on 13 minutes. That's more like it Hawks!
Crawley Green made their own break away attack and powered in an opportune shot from the edge of the (non existent) penalty area. Some end to end play followed with both teams breaking through the midfields. Niall and Fred had shots at goal and both teams had to work hard to defend their own nets. Shouts of “Get the tackles in!” resounded from the home supporters who by this time had woken up a bit with all the excitement!
The pitch was proving difficult to run on and players from both sides were slipping everywhere. The next few minutes was eventful – some nice line work from Ewan, brave saving from Dom and shot on target by Josh which fell to the CG keeper. Against the run of play, Sam H flicked through to Niall who ran nearly half the length of the pitch and powered the ball past the keeper. Back to even Stevens!
The end to end play continued with all players contributing well to a good team effort. Towards the half time whistle however, the Hawks' concentration slipped and CG were able to pull a goal out of nowhere. Some more forceful attacks from Brickhill with Niall, Fred and Elijah linking up well, only for a shot to go wide.
Half time....and it's raining!
The Hawks were shooting downhill for the second half and started strongly. Fred came through from midfield but the shot went over. Sam C made a stirling block at our end. Greg's ankle looked to be causing concern, but he bravely got up to carry on. Suddenly, CG broke through and scored again to increase their tally to 4.
So the boys were two down again and CG seemed buoyed up by their good fortune; another of their shots rebounded off the cross bar. However, the Hawks didn't let their heads go down. Some excellent passing saw Elijah, Niall and Fred link up to score our 3rd goal. Another eventful period after the restart, Niall ran round loads of their defenders but shot just wide, a free kick to us after Fred was brought down, another bone crushing block by Sam C and a series of brave saves by both keepers. Excitement (stress!) on the touchline was mounting to the point where Alan stood up.
Continued pressure from the Hawks resulted in a corner. Shortly after, the ball came out to the edge of the penalty area where it fell to Josh who wellied it in to the back of the net. Four all and everything to play for! More opportunities for Niall and some good link up play between Josh and Ewan meant the players and supporters thought that we could take all the points. Despite strong defending and some sharp tackles from Cameron, CG managed to score again
No football game is complete without controversy which came when Elijah went down apparently unseen by the ref during which time CG scored again. Despite protestations, the decision stood and Hawks were 4-6 down with very little time left.
True to the Hawks style, they weren't going down without a fight and Niall made a fantastic effort to score his hat-trick. Sadly, time ran away from us and the final whistle blew.
So, no points for the Hawks, but a very determined and promising start to the new season. All players put in 100% effort, looked fit and worked hard. Well done boys!
A new home ground for the Hawks this season, Newnham Middle School providing the venue. Unfortunately the pitch could have won the prize lawn category at Kew Gardens, the grass being lush and long. Valiant attempts were made by Adrian and Sarah to rake off the cuttings and paint the lines before kick off, but there was still plenty of loose wet grass on the pitch as the boys lined up against Crawley Green for their first foray into Division 2. With Angus away, no one was under any illusions about the task ahead!
Crawley Green went on the attack straight away. David had to make a series of clearances from the defence but within the first three minutes, the visitors were awarded two corners. The attack continued and their third bid went in. Five minutes later, another corner, some confusion in defence and Crawley Green scored again. 2 – 0 down within 10 minutes – the Hawks needed to turn the game around.
With great fortitude, the boys kicked off. Hawks managed to win and retain possession well, when Niall picked up a clearance from midfield and had a shot at goal. Crawley Green were playing a physical game and did not intend to let Brickhill through too often, but undaunted, Niall broke through their defence again and scored a great goal on 13 minutes. That's more like it Hawks!
Crawley Green made their own break away attack and powered in an opportune shot from the edge of the (non existent) penalty area. Some end to end play followed with both teams breaking through the midfields. Niall and Fred had shots at goal and both teams had to work hard to defend their own nets. Shouts of “Get the tackles in!” resounded from the home supporters who by this time had woken up a bit with all the excitement!
The pitch was proving difficult to run on and players from both sides were slipping everywhere. The next few minutes was eventful – some nice line work from Ewan, brave saving from Dom and shot on target by Josh which fell to the CG keeper. Against the run of play, Sam H flicked through to Niall who ran nearly half the length of the pitch and powered the ball past the keeper. Back to even Stevens!
The end to end play continued with all players contributing well to a good team effort. Towards the half time whistle however, the Hawks' concentration slipped and CG were able to pull a goal out of nowhere. Some more forceful attacks from Brickhill with Niall, Fred and Elijah linking up well, only for a shot to go wide.
Half time....and it's raining!
The Hawks were shooting downhill for the second half and started strongly. Fred came through from midfield but the shot went over. Sam C made a stirling block at our end. Greg's ankle looked to be causing concern, but he bravely got up to carry on. Suddenly, CG broke through and scored again to increase their tally to 4.
So the boys were two down again and CG seemed buoyed up by their good fortune; another of their shots rebounded off the cross bar. However, the Hawks didn't let their heads go down. Some excellent passing saw Elijah, Niall and Fred link up to score our 3rd goal. Another eventful period after the restart, Niall ran round loads of their defenders but shot just wide, a free kick to us after Fred was brought down, another bone crushing block by Sam C and a series of brave saves by both keepers. Excitement (stress!) on the touchline was mounting to the point where Alan stood up.
Continued pressure from the Hawks resulted in a corner. Shortly after, the ball came out to the edge of the penalty area where it fell to Josh who wellied it in to the back of the net. Four all and everything to play for! More opportunities for Niall and some good link up play between Josh and Ewan meant the players and supporters thought that we could take all the points. Despite strong defending and some sharp tackles from Cameron, CG managed to score again
No football game is complete without controversy which came when Elijah went down apparently unseen by the ref during which time CG scored again. Despite protestations, the decision stood and Hawks were 4-6 down with very little time left.
True to the Hawks style, they weren't going down without a fight and Niall made a fantastic effort to score his hat-trick. Sadly, time ran away from us and the final whistle blew.
So, no points for the Hawks, but a very determined and promising start to the new season. All players put in 100% effort, looked fit and worked hard. Well done boys!
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Cambridge Tournament - Sunday 31st August (Thanks to Adrian for this detailed account of the day's events)
On a dull and foggy day, the team arrived at the tournament venue and after registering we all made our way to what was nearly the furthest point away from the entrance. The first match was not until 11a.m. so the team had a fair while to get into game mode and warm up. After what seemed like an age, it was show time. On went the team with a new look defence. Short of Angus (on his hols), the team lined up with Dom in goal a new back four of Cameron, Sam H, Sam C and David slotting into the right back position. In midfield, Josh was on the left, Ewan and Greg in centre and Niall on the right - Elijah and Fred up front.
All the players seemed up for the game, some players calling out to each other ready for the kick off. Once under way it seemed that it was going to be one of those days when we needed to wake up quickly as the other team came at us from the start. After gaining the ball in midfield and quick passing to the front, a shot from Elijah went just wide of the goal. From the goal kick the ball soon found its way in front of the defence and with some quick thinking by both Sams the danger soon passed.
Within moments, the other team broke through the defence and their striker looked to be one on one against Dom who came out, making himself big, resulting in a fantastic save which was cleared by Sam H up to Ewan and away out of danger. Yet again they came at the defence and Dom made another save to keep the game all square.
Into the 2nd half the team started to play some good football, passing the ball well and creating a couple of close chances, one by Ewan and another by Fred. There were some fantastic tackles made by the whole back four, and some very creative passing from defence. David, playing in this new position, had some good tackles and covered well down the right side linking well with Niall. Another near miss by Elijah, and a shot just wide by Ewan just before the end of the game made the end result 0-0.
After what seemed an age, it was time for the 2nd match. The game started much better for the team - passing was quick and to feet with both Ewan and Elijah having good efforts on goal. The defence held its line well; Sam H using his head well and Sam C making good tackles. A clearance by Sam H was passed to Ewan, then on to Josh who ran down the wing, beating one player before passing the ball onto Elijah whose shot on goal was cleared for a corner. With Darren calling the positions from the sideline, Sam H went up for the corner while Sam C and David covered the defence, David taking a position just in front of Sam C in the centre circle.
Elijah took the corner and after a couple of snap shots, the ball fell to Fred who wellied it towards goal where it seemed to hit the top of the net and bounce down behind the line. Alas the ref declared no goal. More chances came the team's way with Greg having a shot and Josh shooting just wide. Niall made some clever runs down the right side of attack, but for some tight tackling from the other team, all chances came to nothing.
2nd half... the defence was called apon again and was soon cleared by Cameron passing the ball down the wing to Josh who went on a run passed a couple of players before losing out in a tackle. A few minutes later a free kick was awarded to us. After looking up, Sam H kicked the ball up the field making a good pass to Ewan who then fed the ball onto Fred. He ran round a couple of players before passing to Niall who then ran to the corner before crossing the ball over for Elijah to shoot - oh no! against the post and wide! Greg got stuck in with the tackles and won the ball on nearly all of them. With shots going just wide, it seemed yet again that the ball would not fall just right for us to score. Game ending yet again 0-0
After another long wait, match 3 arrived. Both Sandra and Darren gave the team talk, making the players aware of what they needed to do in the last game. Straight from the start the team passed the ball well, from the defence to midfield and on to the forward players. Elijah went on a run, passing two players before kicking the ball out to Josh who clipped the ball over for Greg to just shoot wide. Another free kick came our way - Darren shouted out for Sam H to look at his options. With that, Sam H kicked the ball up field for Ewan to control and then to pass out to Niall who ran to the corner.After beating off two tackles, he passed the ball on to Fred who flicked it over for Elijah to have a strike at goal.
After a scramble in the defence, a corner came our way. Elijah looked to take a long kick which landed at the feet of Fred who turned a couple of players before passing to Ewan whose shot went just wide. From the goal kick we managed to win back the ball, firstly by Greg and then by Josh who ran to the corner making good ground. He then passes on to Elijah who ran into some tough tackles, the ball ending up being cleared by the defence. Yet again, winning the ball in midfield through Greg and Ewan, we broke down the right side this time, Niall going on a good run but yet again the shot went wide. 2nd half...
Straight from the kick off the team were battling for the ball, tackles being made and won by the midfield and defence. Free kick again this time; Darren shouted for Ewan to take it - he chipped the ball over the defence towards Josh who shot on the volley only for it to go over the bar. After winning the ball from the goal kick and with time running out, the ball went forward, and as a result we ended up with a corner.
Darren sent Sam H up again - this time the ball was kicked to the front of the box and was headed on by Fred. Then the shot came in from Ewan but was saved by the keeper. Cleared by the keeper the ball was worked out to the wing where Josh took control, and with some fast feet ran towards the box, passed on to Elijah who managed to force yet another corner. Darren shouted for both Sams to go! Elijah took the corner and sent the ball towards the back post where it was met by Sam H, who headed it on towards goal. It bounced down on the inside of the goal post and over the line. Goal!!!! ....but no, not given and the opposition cleared their lines.
It was just not to be our day! Three games played - no goals scored, but none conceded either.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Fixtures to end of October
CHILTERN YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE - SUNDAY AM Fixtures
Under 13 *** Division Two
Date - 07/09/08 - League
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v CRAWLEY GREEN YTH FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 14/09/08 - League
LUTON BOROUGH YOUTH FC A v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ STOCKWOOD PARK JNR
Date - 21/09/08 - COUNTY CUP U13 - Rnd 2
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v LUTON UNITED FC @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 28/09/08- League
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v BEDFORD FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 05/10/08- League
BARTON ROVERS YOUTH FC A v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ BARTON 2
Date - 19/10/08- League
SACRED HEART FC v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ LOTHAIR RD 2
Date - 26/10/08 - League Cup U13 - Rnd 1
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC B v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Under 13 *** Division Two
Date - 07/09/08 - League
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v CRAWLEY GREEN YTH FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 14/09/08 - League
LUTON BOROUGH YOUTH FC A v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ STOCKWOOD PARK JNR
Date - 21/09/08 - COUNTY CUP U13 - Rnd 2
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v LUTON UNITED FC @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 28/09/08- League
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A v BEDFORD FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
Date - 05/10/08- League
BARTON ROVERS YOUTH FC A v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ BARTON 2
Date - 19/10/08- League
SACRED HEART FC v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ LOTHAIR RD 2
Date - 26/10/08 - League Cup U13 - Rnd 1
BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC B v BRICKHILL WANDERERS FC A @ NEWNHAM SCHOOL
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