U16 Colts – Drew 2-2 at home to Ashridge Park – 13th November

Goalscorer Owen Smyth 2

Team was Freddie Nash in goal, Thomas Watson left back, Spencer Rigg-Hersom and Josh Ewers central defence and Lucas Taylor right back. Owen Smyth left wing, Declan Pinto right wing with Ben Thompson, Kai Enser and Jake Stanley central midfield and Rhyce O’Connor up front. Starting subs Charlie Townsend, Tejas Chahal and Hisham Nadeem.

Kick off 09.00am. Thomas to Jake. Owen corner from left. Jake ball back into box for Declan. Kai cross from left to Rhyce in the box. Kai ball forward. Jake ball to Owen on wing. Spencer cleared. Ben won ball. Josh cleared. Spencer and Thomas defended well and pass to Owen. Ben to Kai. Freddie saves. Jake cross for Rhyce but goalie got. Declan run into box. 09.14. Owen corner from right, Josh header, but saved. Kai to Declan. Declan was brought down, our free kick to right of box which Owen took. Thomas header. Spencer cleared for throw. 09.18 Subs: Jake and Kai off, Hisham and Tejas on. Ben good battling up front.

Hisham battling. Freddie collected ball. Hisham ball forward. Josh cleared. Thomas shielded ball off pitch. 09.24 Sub: Kai on in defence for Spencer. Tejas and Declan one-twos and Declan run into box. Ben to Hisham to Owen who shot. Tejas ball through their defence for Declan run. Declan run into box and cross to Ben. Kai header in defence. Declan good work up front. Kai header. Lucas and Tejas one-twos. Josh to Lucas to Kai. Owen run on left. Thomas huge ball forward and nearly lobbed keeper. Rhyce great shot but hit fence behind before bouncing into wrong side of the back of the net. Tejas to Hisham who put in a great turn. Freddie diving save. Owen corner and Rhyce header at goalie. 09.35 Their corner. Ben good battling. Tejas to Lucas to Declan whose shot hit the post and ricocheted into goalie’s hands. 09.39 Ben headed their throw off.

2nd half. Freddie in goal, Thomas left back, Kai and Josh central defence, Lucas right back, Owen left wing, Declan right wing with Ben, Tejas and Hisham central midfield with Rhyce up front. Starting subs: Charlie, Spencer and Jake.

2nd half 09.46am. Lucas good defending. Kai header. Owen ball into box with Ben running in on goalie. Thomas to Ben. Owen corner to Josh header. Ben and Hisham good passing football. Kai header forward. Owen corner from right. Rhyce shot went only just past the bottom of the post but he was ruled offside. Kai ball forward. Owen cross to Ben header. 09.55 Sub: Rhyce off and Charlie on up front. 09.56 conceded 0-1. Tejas to Lucas. Tejas to Kai. Lucas throw on right up front. Maidenhead period of good passing play. Declan shot well saved. 10.00 Sub: Kai off, Spencer on in defence.

Owen free kick. Declan way offside. Hisham great shot drew great top corner save. Freddie save. 10.07 Sub: Jake on for Tejas. 10.07 conceded 0-2 despite Freddie full length diving save where he managed to get a hand to it. Jake great passing football with Owen. Thomas header forward. 10.09 Owen scored from distance by lobbing the keeper 1-2. Freddie save. 10.13 Sub: Charlie off, Rhyce on up front. Rhyce to Declan. 10.15 Sub: Kai on, Ben off. Freddie save. Lucas to Kai to Declan. Lots of Maidenhead pressure on their goal now but goalie pulled off a series of saves. Kai shot and we thought it was definitely going in but it didn’t. Josh to Thomas to Kai. Thomas to Josh. Declan throw forward on right in our half. Jake shot went wide. Then clear penalty for us which Owen took with last kick of the game to equalize 2-2.

Man of the Match was goalscorer Owen Smyth.

This was a game we should have won but Ashridge probably had their best game of the season with the goalie in outstanding form. Before this game Ashridge didn’t have a point to their name and had conceded 34 goals in 5 games and scored 5. They were totally gutted to lose 2 points in the last minute of the game. This was not a good performance from us, though we did improve in the second half. We need to up our game for next Saturday as we then play the top team Hearts of Teddlothian Cheetahs who have a 100% record 7 wins from 7 and have scored 58 goals and conceded just 10.

SAT 02OCT

U16 BOYS – EBFA DIV 6 OF 6

AFC CHARVIL 3 – MAIDENHEAD COLTS 2

This league game was rescheduled as both teams had byes in the first round of the league cup but the home pitches were full with home cup ties so we played it as an away game instead at Berks County Sports Ground. Wayne Welch ran the team on the day.

Kick off 9am. Freddie Nash in goal. Thomas Watson left back, Spencer Rigg-Hersom centre back, Lucas Taylor right back with Noah Sturrock sweeper in front of defence. Owen Smyth left wing, Declan Pinto right wing with Ben Thompson, Jake Stanley and Kai Enser central midfield and Josh Ewers up front. Subs were Tejas Chahal and Charlie Townsend. Hisham Nadeem was out injured with an ankle sprain. Jack Clews was sub when he eventually arrived nearly 30mins after kick off!

Their shot hit our post. Declan scored 09.09 1-0. Their free kick, when referee deemed that Spencer had passed back to the keeper when he was shielding the ball for our goalie to collect when under pressure from their forward, which they equalized from 1-1 09.14. Thomas header to Ben. Spencer to Ben. Owen and Jake one-two. Noah won ball and played it to Jake. Noah header. Freddie caught shot. Freddie to Ben. Lucas run to put ball out at corner flag for throw. Kai great battling up front. 09.21 Our free kick for their handball. Lucas cleared attack. 09.23 their corner from right. 09.23 conceded 1-2. Ben great control of the ball and run. Kai foul throw. Spencer cleared for throw. Kai won ball in defence. Freddie to Declan to Jake who played the ball through their defence.

Spencer header off for throw. Noah put out for their corner, from right. Jake headed their corner away. Kai run and superb ball through their defence for Declan run and shot. Their shot. Lucas to Jake. Josh great battling up front. Ben great ball to Declan whose shot from right drew a great save. Lucas throw up front on right.

2nd half. 09.45. Kai in goal, Jack left back, Thomas and Noah central defence and Lucas right back. Ben left wing, Declan right wing and Owen, Josh and Freddie central midfield with Charlie up front. Subs: Spencer, Tejas and Jake.

Noah took free kick. Lucas great defending to close in on attacker. Josh to Declan. Kai jump to collect shot. Josh took corner from right to Freddie. Charlie header forward. Lucas cleared ball crossfield for throw. 09.53 Josh off, Tejas on. Tejas had an immediate impact in getting the ball down and passing it. 09.56 Charlie fouled in the box. Owen scored the resulting penalty 2-2. Ben header forward. Josh throw at half way to Tejas. Thomas cleared for corner.

Our free kick for foul on Freddie. Lucas throw up front. Thomas header off to clear danger. Lucas throw to Tejas, Tejas header. Declan shot went wide. 10.04 Josh on for Declan. 10.05 Their penalty for goalie Kai foul on their forward 2-3. Owen to Thomas to Tejas. Noah took free kick. Kai collected ball. Freddie won ball and played it to Thomas. 10.10 Freddie off, Jake on. Jake defensive header off for throw. Noah cleared. Jack booking for moaning to referee. 10.13 Josh off, Declan on. Kai sprawling save. Tejas flick on. Jack to Ben. Ben and Owen one twos and to Declan. Owen to Charlie to Jake.

10.20 Charlie off, Freddie on. Jack good interception and ball forward.

The team were strangely below par today given last week’s excellent performance but only lost by one goal so hopefully next time we meet this team we can do ourselves justice. Wayne chose Declan Pinto as Player of the Match.

MAIDENHEAD COLTS 3 – ARBORFIELD ACES 2

The team on Saturday was Kai Enser in goal, Thomas Watson at left back (making his debut), Spencer Rigg-Hersom and Noah Sturrock central defence and Lucas Taylor right back. Owen Smyth left wing, Hisham Nadeem right wing and Tejas Chahal, Declan Pinto and Jake Stanley in central midfield and Josh Ewers up front. Starting subs Charlie Townsend, Ben Thompson and Freddie Nash.

Kick off 09.08am. Hisham shot. Declan shot. Josh shot. Noah good defending. Josh shot. Declan cross. Jake volleyed shot. Kai good catch. Josh header. 09.20 Declan cut the ball back to Jake who scored 1-0. Jake to Hisham. Declan cross. Declan corner. 09.21 Declan scored from Owen assist 2-0. 09.27 Sub: Ben on, Owen off. Jake to Hisham who played a great ball to Declan. Hisham free kick. Noah cleared for throw. 09.30 Their corner. 09.31 Sub: Josh off, Freddie on. 09.34 Conceded 2-1. Hisham great skill and run into box. 09.37 Sub: Charlie on for Thomas at left back. Jake, Tejas, Hisham nice passing move.

Kai great diving save. Hisham and Charlie one-two. Ben ball forward. 09.43 Lucas throw on right and Hisham great touch from throw and turn and then cross into box from right. Lucas great interception in defence and pass to Tejas on to Noah. Jake to Hisham. Spencer great shielding of the ball under pressure for Kai to collect. Spencer block. Jake to Tejas. Hisham laid back to Spencer. Lucas cleared for their throw. Kai collected their free kick. Kai watched the long shot well and caught it. Charlie header. Half time 09.50.

2nd half. 09.55. We started the 2nd half with the same positions as the first half with exception of swapping goalies so Freddie Nash went in goal. Starting subs Charlie, Kai and Ben.

Hisham tried to play ball to wing but intercepted. Declan back to Hisham who played it forward towards Josh. Thomas great play in defence. Lucas ball forward to Declan. Noah took goal kick. Hisham to Declan. 10.00 Their defender scored an own goal under pressure from Josh 3-1. Thomas to Owen. Thomas great interception and run forward. Jake moved in to cover Thomas’ position and won the ball back. Freddie fly kick to Declan on wing. Tejas to Josh to Declan. Noah run forward to win ball. Hisham ball forward to Declan to Owen who played ball forward. Owen awesome skills. Hisham to Lucas.

Owen to Jake to Owen. Owen took free kick. Freddie save. Owen to Lucas to Josh. 10.08 Sub: Tejas off, Kai on. Jake shot. Josh to Kai who went on run and his shot nearly went into top right corner. Jake great play despite losing a boot! Freddie collected ball. Goalie in error passed the ball to Josh who played it to Declan. Kai corner from right. 10.14 Sub: Hisham off, Ben on. Kai great ball forward and Ben run in on goalie. Thomas to Ben to Kai to Owen. 10.19 Sub: Charlie on for Josh. They scored a thunderbolt of a shot from distance to make it 3-2. Freddie collected the ball. 10.22 Sub: Jake off, Tejas on. Tejas great ball to Kai. Freddie save. Spencer to Owen. Their shot went across the face of our goal. Sub: Declan off, Hisham on. Thomas great ball forward, with Ben running in. 10.30 Sub Charlie off, Josh on.

Ben great tackle. 10.36 Sub: Charlie on, Kai off. Freddie save. Ben run. Ben shot.

Today’s performance was a pleasure to watch with all the boys playing well. Along with their improved match fitness now that we were playing our 3rd league match of the season, the passing play had improved significantly. Also some of the skills and touches were a delight to see. In my opinion the talented Owen Smyth had his best game for us so far as on top of his undoubted skill he improved his end product with much better interplay with his team-mates. All the team played well. So much so that the subs were sometimes reluctant to come on when the team on the pitch was playing so well! However, my Man of the Match went to Thomas Watson making his debut for the team and proving himself a valuable addition to the squad.

Following our 2 consecutive wins, the Colts moved into joint 4th out of 11 teams after 3 games in Division 6.