Under 10s - Juniors
| Mark Young | Mob: 07792945497 markyoung0181@btinternet.com |
| Robbie Tidmarsh | Mob: 07856444179 tidmarsh60@live.co.uk |
Match Reports
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Alvis
19th Feb 2012 at Woodlands
Result: 6 - 1
Scorers: Alex K 2, Joel, Ben, Joe, Jayden
Man of the Match: Harvey Sutton-Nash
With the boys not playing or training for three weeks due to the weather, we woke up with a little snow on the ground and didn't know if the game would go ahead. Mark informed
us the game would be played.
So Alvis won the toss and kicked off. In the first few minutes it was a battle in the midfield with Joel, Alex K and Alex I working very hard to break the Alvis attacks down. As having Joe for captain for todays game he was talking to the other boys and telling them who to mark. Alvis kept pressing forward. Harvey and Joe were strong in defence. Harvey winning the ball in the tackles, he was on his game today. The game went on , Carl took a kick of the ball out of his hands that was met by Alex I who took it down the wing and crossed it, with Jayden having a shot but going narrowly wide. From the goal kick the ball went over the heads of the midfields and Alvis picked the ball up and scored. Mark made a fews subs bringing Teigue on for Harvey and Ben on for Alex I. Joe cleared the ball up to Jayden who turned his marker and played it out to Joel who crossed it in and Alex K slotted it passed the keeper and into the goal. It wasn't long before Firefighters got a second goal with Joel going on a run taking it passed the Alvis defence and scoring a good solo goal. There was a few minutes left in the first half. Ben picked the ball up from outside of the Alvis box and had a shot, it screamed past the keeper. Half time 3 - 1 to Firefighters.
A few changes at half time with Dan T and Danny Y coming on. Firefighters want to put the game to bed, with Dan T in the middle of the pitch working hard he played the ball to Joe who took a shot and scored. Firefighters started to play some nice football with Alex I using his pace down the wing crossed it and Alex K finished it off. With Jayden hard at work holding the front line all game it payed off, Joel played the ball to Jayden inside the box shot and scored. Final score 6 - 1.
Great game to watch, well done boys lets take it into the next game.
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. longfored park
29th Jan 2012 at woodlands
Result: 4 - 1
Scorers: jayden 2 ,alex k , ben
Man of the Match: jayden whitefield
Today we welcomed Longford park rangers to a cold , frosty woodlands and like us they also have had some good results lately and been climbing the table so this was going to be another tough task made even harder with the absence of Joe and Daniel ,so mark opted to played Carl in goal for the full game so Danny young had a chance to display his talents outfield
So straight from the off firefighters put Longford on the back foot with some excellent midfield play from Joel and Ben feeding jayden who was unlucky not to convert the first chance off the game by just glancing the post , but the first goal soon came with Ben picking up the ball in midfield and finding Jayden who skilfully turned the defender to create another one on one and this time he made no mistake to make it 1-0 and minutes later Joel went on one of his trademark runs down the wing cutting inside and his shot beat the goalie but not the post but Jayden got into a good position to pick up the rebound to make it 2-0 and the chances continued with ben , Alex and Joel all coming close , Longford though were not sitting back and with a strong midfield they were creating chances but with tiegue , Danny y and Harvey keeping solid at the back and Carl displaying some excellent goal keeping firefighters managed to keep the score at 2-0 at half time .
Second half and the boys kept going and they had to work hard to combat longfords midfield but with the strength , skill and speed of Alex I , Joel and ben they were no match and with alex k now leading the charge up front a third goal was inevitable and from another well worked move , alex k got the better of the Longford defence to bury the ball in the bottom corner 3-0 , then Longford made a quick counterattack and broke through our defence to make it 3-1 but any thought that longford had of getting back into the game were soon quashed when the ball was cleared out of defence by Harvey and was picked up by alex I who using his pace got away from the defender and laid it of to Jayden who with a first time pass found ben who was bearing down on goal , and from 10 yards out ben was never going to miss and made it 4-1 and thats how it remained until the final whistle .
So another great result which sees us putting more pressure on the top three , so well done to mark , Robbie and the boys .
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Leamington Hibernian (Colts)
22nd Jan 2012 at Newbold Comyn
Result: 1 - 0
Scorers: Alex Kinley
Man of the Match: Joel Heeley
We need to start this match report with a word on our opposition. This Leamington Hibs team (the colts) represented a formidable challenge, having won all 13 of their previous games. However, the game nearly didn’t happen, as Leamington had only 6 players in attendance. Mark sportingly offered them one of our squad to allow the fixture to take place, and Harvey took up the challenge and switched into the unfamiliar green shirt. This was looking like a very bad move for Firefighters in the opening minutes, as Harvey put himself about all over the pitch, winning tackles, taking throw ins and set pieces and generally putting his back into the Hibs cause.
Firefighters had the best of the opening minutes, with some useful moves, including some piercing passes from Ben picking out Jayden, who looked full of running. The defensive qualities of Hibs became apparent, though, with their tackling keeping out most of our boys’ advances. We had to work hard to get through to goal, as Dan T did when chasing down the ball and managing to dig out a shot.
Leamington were strong in attack too; well organised and with plenty of speed and flair. They began to mount pressure, and Firefighters were forced into some desperate rearguard action, occasionally attracting the attention of the referee. Our lads did well at defending from free kicks and corners, though, and when Hibs did break through they found Danny in fine form in goal.
Our defenders were playing well too, with Joe as solid as ever, and Tiegue’s long throw proving particularly effective at turning defence into attack. Joel now started to get into the game, evading tackles on some surging runs, and when Alex I came on, Firefighters had two players with pace and skill that made life very difficult for the Leamington defenders. Alex had an excellent game, getting tackles and passes in, but it was the other Alex (Kinley) who opened the scoring. A shot from Joel was blocked in the penalty area and the ball fell to Alex K, who stroked it into the bottom corner, the ball seeming to take an age to cross the line. The first half finished with Firefighters worthy of their one-nil lead.
The second half was just as tight. Joel was now starting to get around the outside of the Hibs defence and get crosses in. Leamington continued to defend well and Firefighters’ chances weren’t clear cut. Jayden was showing strength and balance up front, and came close with an acrobatic shot over his shoulder.
The Hibs attackers continued to be a menace, and the midfield was having to use every bit of energy to track back and help out the defence. Ben and Dan provided their usual solid wall, helped out by Danny and Joel also having to get back and make key tackles. As the end of the game neared, the defence was breached and the Leamington strikers bore down on the Firefighters’ goal. An equaliser looked certain, until Karl produced a match winning piece of bravery to spring off his line to smother the ball. He was injured and had to go off, replaced by Danny, and had his back slapped by just about every Firefighters player, recognising his contribution.
The last few minutes were agonisingly tense as the Hibs refused to give up, but Firefighters dug deep too and held firm until the end. An excellent victory over quality opposition, who have never been beaten – until they came up against the in-form Firefighters!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Leamington Hibs (warriors)
8th Jan 2012 at Newbold Comyn
Result: 2 - 3
Scorers: Joel Healey, Ben Barwick
Man of the Match: Teigue Bambrick
You couldn't help but draw the parallels from todays match to the other big game of the day which was taking place at the same time at the Etihad Stadium!
Both teams were in top 4 places in the league, and the talk before the match was not so much about Paul Scholes's return to Man Utd, but Teigue's return to Firefighters from an injury layoff.
The first 10 minutes saw exciting end to end action with Firefighters looking to press home the advantage of kicking with the slope. However, Leamington created one or two good chances in the opening exchanges but the scores were kept level with some brave goal keeping by Carl. Unfortunately one of those saves meant Carl had to leave the game early through injury and he was replaced by Danny Young.
With chances at both ends, you could easily see why both sides were in the positions they are in the league. There were good chances for Alex, Joel and Ben but the Leamington goal seemed to be living a charmed life.
Eventually the deadlock was broken when Leamington hit Firefighters on the break and fired a goal into the bottom corner of the net. Before Firefighters could recover their composure, Leamington scored again from a scruffy corner.
Firefighters now found themselves in a position that they had not been in for weeks, and they responded well. Almost straight from the kick off, Joel went on one of his mazy runs, played a clever one-two with Jayden on the edge of the box and managed to squeeze home the goal.
The score at half time was 2 -1 to Leamington.
The second half saw Firefighters pushing for the equaliser. The midfield needed to put in a huge amount of work, with Dan and Joel making some crucial tackles, while Joe, Harvey and Teigue marshalled the defence excellently and even when Leamington managed to create chances, Danny Young was playing brilliantly in goal.
Once again, against the run of play, Leamington scored to make it 3-1 and it looked as though Firefighters chances were done. But once again, the team showed great spirit to fight back.
With 10 minutes left, Ben lined up a long range free kick and finally managed to sting the goalies hands and make it 3-2. The team were now just fighting against time to get the well deserved equaliser.
Chance after chance passed, Jayden went close and at the end Alex narrowly missed but unfortunately this time it was not to be and the final whistle blew with Firefighters pushing hard for the elusive 3rd goal.
So despite losing the team certainly deserved to get something out of the game. Uncannily, we learned afterwards that even the scoreline mirrored that in Manchester and some even said that even Alex Ferguson was closely following the Firefighters score on his i-phone!
A tough way to start the new year, but lots of positives to take from the performance and lots to look forward to in the second half of the season.
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Chapelfilelds Colts
18th Dec 2011 at Woodlands
Result: 6 - 1
Scorers: Alex K, Danny Y, Jayden, Joel, Ben, Dan T
Man of the Match: Harvey
With the end of the year upon us the Firefighters wanted to see the year out with a good win, after last weeks win and performance against Hawkesmill their spirits were high.
Firefighters kicked the game off with both teams having chances, our defence was strong with Joe and Harvey clearing loose balls and crunching tackles. With Chaps pressing forward Joe tackled and played the ball to Joel then Joel making a great pass to Alex K resulting in a goal for the Firefighters. A few minutes later Chaps had a goal kick that was played to midfield which was met by Harvey who played the ball over the top with Alex K running onto the ball then passed it through to Joel taking a shot with a good save by Chaps keeper, Danny Y then took the rebound and scored in the bottom corner. With 5 minutes left Chaps came back with a goal making it 2-1 at half time.
The second half kicked off with a good start and after a few minutes and some great passing from front to back with Joe, Ben, Dan T then a wide ball to Alex I he crossed it to Jayden unmarked in the box smashed it past the keeper and another goal for the Firefighters. Chaps attack was broke down when Joe who played the ball to jayden, he turned his marker and passed to Joel, the keeper came out of the goal to close him down but Joel slid the ball past him and into the goal. With pressure on the Chaps goal poor Carl was left out in the cold (literally).The corners had been working well all game when Ben got his reward by floating the ball into the goal making it 5-1. There was not long left of the game when Alex K had a shot at the goal, the keeper palmed it and Dan T took the rebound putting it into the net. The final whistle went and the Firefighters cheered for a great 6-1 win.
Well done lads a well deserved win. Have a great xmas and can't wait to see what 2012 brings for us.
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Hawkesmill Eagles
11th Dec 2011 at Woodlands School
Result: 2 - 1
Scorers: Alex Kinley, Jayden Whitehead
Man of the Match: Danny Young
Recent results had continued to favour Firefighters with strong performances. Last week had been a good test against Stratford - an equally matched team, but what about this weeks opponants. Until recently Hawkesmill had topped the table with only 1 loss. Indeed they would be formidable opposition
The first half had started evenly. Danny Young in goal forced to make a well timed running clearance whilst at the other end Firefighters pressure had resulted in two early corners. The home team were unlucky not to score when the ball was driven in low and hard from one such corner by Ben Barwick. The ball bobbled dangerously at the feet of defenders before being scrambled clear
Defensively we looked strong with good perfonamces and teamwork by Dan T, Joe and Harvey (Super Harv)
Strong goal kicks make great in roads into the Hawkesmill half and pressure eventually paid dividends. A through ball by Ben came to the feet of Alex. After taking a good first touch he cooly stoked the ball into the bottom corner leaving the keeper no chance at all.
The home croud were extactic and as the first half began to close superb pressure from Joel and Jaydens strikers instinct combined to scramble the ball into the net to make it 2 - 0
The home croud were again in raptures to the point that Jaydens dad nearly offered to get a round in at the forthcoming Christmas Party.
Hawkesmill were sure to start the second half throwing everything at Firefighters and indeed they did. Although the home team started strongly persistant pressure brought the goal the away team had deserved. Karl had now taken up goal duties but stood no chance as an opposition striker lost his defender and powered the ball home
We were now set for a thrilling last 15 minutes. Karl was called into action with a brilliant diving save which turned a shot around the post. Resolute defending and superb passing saw Firefighters get stonger and stronger.
Alex I made a very welcome and hard working stint up front before changes to see out the remainder of time. The defence now reverted to a tried and tested combination of Joe and Dan T to snub out Hawkemill pressure
Danny Young had been deployed into midfield and did a stirling job chasing down the opposition. As the opposition again pressed Danny slid in to make a crutial tackle on a player twice his size cleanly winning the ball which was then passed to Jayden who was unlucky not to fire home a well deserved third goal for the team
As the man in the middle blew for full time a huge cheer greeting the hard working Firefighters who looked exhausted as the came off the pitch to a hero's welcome.
Their hard work and determination really paid off today.
All players should be very proud of their hard work. A great result from a great bunch of lads. Well done boys.
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Stratford Town Colts
4th Dec 2011 at Woodlands
Result: 3 - 2
Scorers: Dan T, Jayden, Joel
Man of the Match: Joel
After last week’s match against Santos in their Brazilian colours of yellow and blue, today saw the visit of Stratford, kitted out all in the orange of Holland. Although Firefighters’ great current run of form began at home, it then continued with four great away results, so it would be interesting to see how the team would fare back on their home pitch against quality opposition. Mark was certainly confident, his pre-match team talk boiling down to “get muddy boys!”
And what a thrilling match it was! Stratford brought their own version of Dutch total football, with their passing and running making it difficult even for the tough tackling Harvey and Joe at the back. In the early stages Firefighters were restricted to attacking on the break, relying on the mobility of Jayden and Alex K, and the home fans quickly realised that they were in for a nervous 50 minutes. The opening goal did fall to Firefighters, though, with the Stratford keeper parrying a diagonal shot from Joel and Dan T following up to stroke the ball home.
In previous weeks, this had been the signal for the nerves to settle and Firefighters to take control. It looked like this was going to come to pass when more home team pressure led to Jayden hitting the bar. Stratford were having nothing of it, though, and their flowing football eventually told, with a Cruyff like run (kids, ask your dads) through our defence bringing a deserved equaliser.
The final minutes of the first half were very even, with Ben rattling the woodwork, before more Stratford pressure brought a string of excellent saves from Carl. Both sets of fans were probably relieved when the half time whistle went at 1 – 1.
Early in the second half, something happened which had not happened in the previous five games – Firefighters fell behind. Stratford recalled another classic moment of Dutch football, with an Arie Haan like screamer (kids, look it up on You Tube) leaving Carl with no chance.
It was now backs to the wall time, and with Mark’s “get muddy boys” ringing in their ears, Firefighters realised they had to battle hard to get anything out of the game. The midfield trio of Ben, Joel and Dan started to close down the Stratford players more tightly, with some crunching tackles coming in. Joe and Harvey were now winning more of the ball, now supported by Danny Y in goal.
When the equaliser came, it was stunning, a wonderful volley from Jayden direct from a Ben corner. Pressure started to build on the Stratford goal, with Firefighters hitting the bar for an extraordinary third time – this time from Joel. It was still anyone’s game, with the nervous parents realising that the next goal would probably be the winner.
And it went to Firefighters – Joel forcing the ball home following an attacking run from Ben. As Stratford pushed forward to try and equalise, the home team found space to attack on the break, with Alex now providing the pacy runs up front.
It was still a relief when the final whistle came, with Firefighters 3 – 2 up. An amazing game and an excellent win, which will continue the boys’ march up the league table. Thank you to Stratford for a great game, and Firefighters – please don’t do this to us again as our nerves can’t stand it!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Santos
27th Nov 2011 at Richard Lee School
Result: 7 - 1
Scorers: Joel - 3, Ben - 2, Alex K - 1, Jayden - 1
Man of the Match: Joe
Before the game Firefighters were full of confidence having had a series of excellent results.
After Santos kicked off they appeared the stronger team and took the game to the Firefighters. They had a strong spell of 5 minutes when the ball stayed in in Firefighters half. However Joe and Harvey performed expertly in dealing with every attack assisted by midfielders Dan and Ben. Then against the run of play the defenders got the ball out to Ben who played a great ball through to Joel who dealt with a couple of Santos defenders and slotted the ball in to the back of the net – 0:1.
The goal changed the character of the game with Firefighters dominating the play. Solid defensive play meant Santos never got in a decent shot with Danny in goal having little to do in the whole of the first half. The midfield team of Ben, Dan and Joel combined expertly to feed balls through to Jayden and mount attack after attack. The inevitable second goal soon came with Alex K hitting an unstoppable shot to make it 0:2. The Santos goal continued to come under sustained pressure, but half time came with the score remaining 0:2.
The second half started as the first ended, with Firefighters playing superbly as a team. Every pass found its mark, the Santos attacks were rendered ineffective by solid defending, and the resultant through balls to the midfielders were so accurate that the attackers’ shots rained in to the Santos goal. The pressure paid off with Joel’s second goal soon coming – 0:3.
Against the run of play Santos brought the score back to 1:3. This simply made the Firefighters work harder, with the superb passing throughout the team resulting in a further goal from Ben - 1:4.
There then came a glimmer of light for Santos when Joe handled the ball in the area – though he denied it strongly after the game! No matter, the strong shot was superbly dealt with by Carl who gathered the ball up safely after stopping the shot. A rhythm then developed, with every Santos attack coming to nothing and great runs through the defence from Joel bringing a deserved hat trick – 1:5.
Confidence was obviously extremely high and everyone thought they were in with a chance of boosting their goal tally. Ben was playing to his usual high standard, possibly slowed down a little by the excessive partying in the Barwick household – a 40th birthday apparently! But he shook of the effects of the Birthday cake and slotted home his second - 1:6.
Danny, having had a quiet time in goal in the first half saw some action on the right wing pushing balls expertly in to the forwards in the box. Jayden had a couple of excellent runs, dribbling around several defenders, only for the final pass or shot to miss its target. But he didn’t have to wait long for the goal to come after some great link up play with Alex who deftly pushed the ball to Jayden for a well worked goal – 1:7.
And that’s the way the game ended. A superb result, superb team play, some very happy parents and a coach who thought Christmas had come early with all his hard work paying off!
Well done boys, a very entertaining game and a great result – keep it up!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. whitley
20th Nov 2011 at whitley
Result: 7 - 3
Scorers: ben 3 , jayden 2 , alex k 1, joel 1
Man of the Match: jayden whitefield
Away to whitley juniors today a side only a few places below us in the league ,so with confidence running high and dare I say expectations raised after recent results the team and travelling fans were hoping for a second consecutive league victory .
And straight from the whistle the firefighters didn’t disappoint with attack after attack and it wasn’t long before we made the break through with a counter attack started with a block from Harvey in defence and a pass from ben to joel who made a great run towards goal and his shot was too strong for the goalie and it was 1-0 , but whitley responded quickly to make 1-1 but firefighters didn’t lose heart they just continued to push forward which resulted in a goal mouth scramble with jayden in the heart of it and he made the decisive touch to make it 2-1 , and then Joe made a crucial tackle on the halfway line and made a charging run down the right wing and crossed the ball for jayden to finish and make it 3-1 at half time .
Second half and the firefighters continued to put pressure on whitley with a strong midfield of Dan , alex I , ben and joel all working well which resulted in countless chances for joel an alex k , but it was whitley that scored next making it 3-2 but ben soon changed that with his first of the day to make it 4-2 , then whitley fought back and despite some great defending from tiegue , Harvey and joe and some excellent goal keeping from danny , whitley made it 4-3 , but then alex k scored a well deserved goal after coolly slotting home a one on one chance , 5-3 , now deep into the second half whitley started to tire but firefighters kept strong and once again some important clearances from Harvey and tiegue , and with Dan and Joe helping out in defence and a great save from Danny young allowed the midfield to play some good football with alex I making some important tackles and ben and joel linking up well to create plenty of chances for jayden and alex k who were both unlucky not to add to their tally , so it was only a matter of time until we scored again with ben claiming his second of the game to make it 6-3 and then in the last couple of minutes jayden turned their centre half inside out only to be denied by their goalie but ben was on hand to claim his well earned hat-trick ( and don’t forget ben £10 off your dad ) and made the score a well deserved 7-3 victory
So well done to all the lads and mark and keep up the good work and at this rate you never know we could even qualify for Europe next season !!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Alvis
13th Nov 2011 at Alvis
Result: 4 - 2
Scorers: Ben 2, Joe 1, Alex 1
Man of the Match: Daniel Thompson
Confidence was running high this week as the fire fighters spirit continued to grow with recent success, never the less they knew this could be a tough match.
Let the best team win!
The game started with Alvis taking fire fighters by surprise they tackled hard and their efforts were rewarded when they took an early lead. The raging reds retaliated by coming back stronger than ever. The boys found their stride and midfielders Jayden and Dan fed the ball through to Ben who blasted the ball home beautifully. The following minutes where tense with the supporters unusually quiet. The defenders stayed strong led by Joe, Teigue and Birthday Boy Karl and kept Avlis quiet until a well deserved break.
After the break..... what a start! Fire fighters were untouchable the sheer skill of Joel supported yet another fantastic goal by Ben. Alvis left wilted after the strong start didn't have a chance to gather their thoughts before Joe seized the opportunity of his first goal of the season.
The supporters stirred with anticipation would this performance last...? Alvis had a surge of strength despite being battle weary made a break up the wing and scored in the right hand corner.
The tensions mounted with chances at both ends but Danny made some fantastic saves feeding the ball back into midfield. The following minutes seen chances at both ends yet the reds still remained dominant. Harvey made some crunching tackles which kept Alvis at bay. Dan chipped through to Alex who secured the Fire Fighters victory with a slamming goal.
Is this a new era for Fire Fighters? Congratulations Boys all your hard work is paying off.
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Southam United Minor (yellow)
30th Oct 2011 at Woodlands
Result: 6 - 0
Scorers: Ben 2, Jayden 2, Alex 1, Dan 1
Man of the Match: Ben Barwick
And so Firefighters started the game, winless in the league after 5 attempts, but buoyed by the performances from the last 2 weeks, a little more luck and you never know!
The game started with Firefighters playing the more attacking football and they were rewarded with the 1st goal of the game after Ben bustled through two tackles and smacked the ball home from the edge of the box. Southam were showing some neat touches, but just as they looked like getting a foothold in the game a swift counter attack by Firefighters ended with Dan sweeping the ball home. The confidence was visibly surging through the home team and they made it 3-0 when Jayden picked up a knockdown from a goal kick and with the Southam keeper out of position, slid the ball home from 20 yards to send the home supporters into raptures.... Could this be the 1st win of the season? HT and 3-0 to Firefighters.
Southam came out for the second half and matched Firefighters stride for stride for the 1st 10 minutes, Karl in goal making some super saves to keep a clean sheet, with the defence well marshalled by Dan and Harvey. The game was now end to end and was being refereed to an exceptionally high standard by the man in the middle, playing advantage whenever possible and ensuring both teams provided a good spectacle for both sets of supporters. The Firefighters midfield of Alex, Joe and Alex started to gain control of the game, allowing some good passing moves to create chances for the home team. With just under 20 minutes to go and on the end of another good passage of play, up popped Alex to increase the lead to 4-0. Everyone now wanted to push forward and Southam were unlucky not to break their duck, some excellent keeping by Karl again ensured that he would keep his clean sheet. A break down the right wing and a neat one-two saw Ben shoot from the edge of the area, his shot hitting the post before nestling in the back of the net. The game was nearly at an end, but there was more to come, with a move involving, Joe, Alex and Ben, which was finished of by Jayden with a 1st time volley into the bottom corner.
A 1st win of the season for the team and one that should provide them with the confidence to continue to play some good football ...... Well Done Lads !!!!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Leamington Hibs
23rd Oct 2011 at Woodlands
Result: 1 - 3
Scorers: Alex
Man of the Match: Joe
After a well earned draw the last time out and a good training session on Wednesday, hopes were high today for a good result.
The game started well with Firefighters dominating possession and keeping Hibs in their half. So when the Hibs goal came it was against the run of play. Danny had made some excellent saves but, after the initial cross was cleared, firefighters didn't push out quickly enough and the ball came back in for an easy goal.
Firefighters kept their heads up and were rewarded with a free kick on the half way line. Ben took responsibility for the kick and sent a long shot in which was defelected by the keeper on to the bar - Unlucky!!
A few moments later Dan got the ball througgh to Jayden who was in a great position, but under pressure from the defenders - the shot went just wide. Substitute, Alex came on for Harvey in defence and Firefighters kept the score at 0-1 until half time.
After the break Hibs had the best of the first few minutes and were soon 0-2 up having converted a rebounded shot. Firefighters did not loose heart and kept pushing for that illusive first goal. Harvey and Joe were strong in defence with some good tackles and clearances sending midfielders Dan and Ben up the pitch. Firefighters were unlucky not to score with some sustained pressure from Alex K, Jayden, Joe and Ben. However Hibs broke away with Firefighters out of position. The chase back was not successful and Hibs were 0-3 up.
Firefighters restarted with a look of determination about them. This was soon rewarded after Harvey tackled the Hibs forward and released Ben who took the ball down the left wing and did a neat one-two with Joe. Ben then shot for the rebound to be picked up by Joe who headed the ball to Jayden. With a clever overhead knee shot he set Alex up for Firefighters well deserved first goal.
Firefghters continued to put pressure on, but the deserved second goal never came and the ref blew for full time.
The coach, Mark was pleased with the performance as were the parents. The players and the fans all knew that with a little more luck the result could have been very different - WELL PLAYED EVERYONE!
Fixture: Under 10s - Juniors vs. Leamington Hibs
9th Oct 2011 at Woodlands School
Result: 1 - 4
Scorers: Ben Barwick
Man of the Match: Teigue Bambrick
Bouyed from last week's dramatic fightback against Mount Nod, Firefighters went into this encounter brimming with confidence.
A fast start lead to a tense first ten minutes with chances at both ends. Danny Young (in goal for the first half) made some fantastic saves to keep the scores level.
The deadlock was eventually broken when Leamington took advantage of some defensive confusion and scored 2 goals in quick succession. Another goal before half time, almost put the game beyond Firefighters at the break.
However, once again in the second half, Firefighters displayed their new found fighting spirit. This time it was the Leamington goalkeepers turn to keep them in the game, making great saves from Jayden Whitefield, and Alex Ioannou.
Firefighters needed to be on their guard and were excellently marshalled at the back by Dan Thompson who partnered the tough tackling Teigue Bambrick. In the end, despite another breakaway Leamington goal, Firefighters did get a deserved goal when Ben Barwick fired a rocket into the top right hand corner.
A 4-1 loss, but lots to be positive about at this early stage of the season.