Monday 21 February 2011

Year 5 vs Bishop Road, 12th February

The sun shone which made a change after the sideways rain, gale force winds and freezing cold of previous weeks. The Foxes had two sides with staggered start times which, when sleepovers, car shares and other social arrangements were taken into account, led to the sqauds picking themselves.

Team one had Archie Owen Nick Alec Jack C Jack T Jacob Raul Sonny Harri and Seb.

The first match had an elongated 20 minute first half and was end to end stuff.In the first minute BR took the lead, moving the ball well down the right and forcing a good save from Owen. Unfortunately as Owen saved, his momentum appeared to carry him over the line. So 1-0 to BR, but Foxy heads didn't drop and we started to find our way in the game leading to a great move Nick giving the ball to Alec on the right who gave it back to Nick who crossed well and Jack C scored coming in on the far post to play the ball back across the keeper. BR then countered and once again good attacking play down the right lead to another well taken goal. The Foxes engineered another well worked move, with Nick once more the provider and Jack C once more the scorer. BR then scored a third after a great cross from the left came off an unlucky Foxes player for an own goal. A couple of minutes later the same thing happened at the other end with an unlucky BR player putting the ball into his own net from a good Foxes cross. Halftime, and we all caught our breath. The second half was reduced to 8 Minutes to make up for the long first and the time flew by with good football from both sides but no more goals. 3-3

Special mention to Archie who came on for an injured Seb and who worked hard at the back and showing some fine defending and distribution.


The second match was a far cagier affair than the first and was settled by some 'route one' football from the Foxes as Archie's goal kick was latched onto by Sonny who coolly slotted home a fine goal. 1-0

Team two had Ollie K Ollie S Ollie C Danny Aidan Omar Sam L Ian and Max

Match Three saw a hard working Foxes side edging the first half with good passing play,control and eventually the cutting edge with a great goal from Omar. BR were also passing the ball well and the Foxes were thankful for smart play and a string of good saves from Danny. In the second half we lost our shape a bit and our midfield played too far forward giving BR far too much space and despite a series of good tackles from Jack T as our last line of defence BR scored a deserved equaliser. 1-1

Match Four was another close affair but a great break-away goal from Omar in the first half proved to be the difference and in the second half the Foxes 'shut up shop' with Ollie S. and Aidan at the back holding their positions and clearing up behind a hard working midfield. 1-0

The coaches were very pleased with the hard work both squads put in and with the quality of play against a very good BR team.

Saturday 12 February 2011

Y3 Girls V AEK Boco

The first outing for the Y3 girls and a trip to Hanham to take on AEK Boco. The chosen format was 4 ten minute matches, in order to give the large but young Boco squad a chance to all get some playing time. On big pitch the girls did well to keep running for so long, and with a healthy total of 8 goals scored and none conceded the Foxes were triumphant in all of the matches, winning 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 and 2-0. See below for extended match highlights......

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Y4 canter to victory away against Clifton United 5 Feb

A howling gale greeted the 18 Foxes who found their way to Clifton United’s ground at the Clifton College Sports Centre. This was the first time Clifton had enough players in our year group to fulfill a fixture, so it was a voyage into the unknown. A late start and some confusion about how many games we would play was eventually sorted and we split into two squads to play one 30-minute 8-a-side match each. On a large, sloping pitch, the wind threatened to take control of both games.

Match 1

Team: Brody, William LP, Eddie, Oskar, Stanley, Henry, Ewan, Sam and William W.

Playing downhill with the wind seemed like a good idea to begin with but it was soon obvious that the ball would run away if not kept under control. Playing against unfamiliar opposition, the Foxes were a little tentative to start but soon got into their stride. William LP began in goal with a strong defence and solid midfield in front of him. Soon Henry and Stanley were combining well up front – passing accurately to each other to create great chances. One move found Henry perfectly positioned in front of goal but he unselfishly laid it on and we were crowded out. Minutes later, William W began a lovely passing move, finding Eddie who in turn found Stanley in space out wide. Stanley slotted a pass to Henry and this time he took his chance to give us the lead.

In the second half, Oskar accepted the goalkeeping duties and produced a match-winning performance. Clifton continued to play well and as we pushed defence we were caught several times on the counter attack. Despite being outnumbered, Oskar pulled of some great saves, including one tip-over from a strong strike. Eventually continued pressure paid off. Eddie raced down the wing and delivered a lovely cross. Stanley met the ball but hit the post. He controlled the rebound to smash it beyond the keeper. Sam, William LP and Brody all troubled the opposition and Ewan came very close to scoring a third goal after finding space and latching on to a fine cross from Stanley.

Result: Foxes 2: Clifton United 0

Match 2

Team: Matthew Y, Isaac, Matthew-Jaye, Jack, Ludo, Tee-Jay, Josh, Joseph and Harrison.

A long wait in the cold, wet and windy conditions could not dampen the spirits of the second Foxes team as they took to the field. Again we began playing down hill and despite our pace, the wind and slope combined to rob us of several chances. Tee-Jay took the first stint in goal; Jack and Isaac defended with skill and determination (aided by an extraordinary defensive header from Harrison); Matthew-Jaye, Matthew Y and Josh worked tirelessly in midfield pressing forward and Harrison and Joseph gave us pace and width on both wings. Ludo was a revelation. His midfield control was all consuming – snuffing out attacks before they could develop and using his awesome ball control to round the opposition before setting our attack on its way. Our first goal originated in midfield – Matthew Jaye fed Joseph wide on the right. Harrison held his position and was rewarded with the Foxes first goal. Many more chances followed but Clifton United had their largest and best player in goal who made save after save to keep them in the game.

The second half saw Clifton change their goalkeeper - a fatal mistake. With the ball now at their feet, every one of the Foxes played attractive flowing football. Tee-Jay swapped with Matthew Y and soon established himself on the left of midfield. Cutting in, Tee-Jay hit a magnificent strike that took a deflection off a Clifton head to wrong foot the keeper. Josh got on the end of a cross from Harrison to touch it over the line for our third. Harrison then showed great individual skill to bamboozle 2 defenders before adding the fourth. Jack remained all-powerful in defence and Ludo, Tee-Jay and Matthew-Jaye were ever skillful in midfield. In a rare attack, Clifton won a corner that we failed to clear properly. Despite stopping the save, Matthew Y spilled the ball and in the scramble Clifton pounced for a consolation goal. But the Foxes were far from done. As we threatened their goal again, Harrison was brought down and awarded a free kick within range of the goal. This is Harrison’s killing zone and he did not disappoint. Going uphill and over the top of some big players, his strike hit the roof of the net - a fabulous hat trick! It was a tremendous team performance.

Result: Foxes 5: Clifton United 1

Everyone played brilliantly in extremely difficult conditions against unknown opposition and their sportsmanship was a credit to them. Fantastic stuff!

Y4 Foxes rock solid away against Bishop Road 22 Jan

21 Foxes braved a bitterly cold winter’s morning to take on Bishop Road at their ice-hardened ground. With only 1 pitch available, and engagements elsewhere pressing, we decided to split into 3 equal teams.

Match 1

Team: Brody, William LP, Billy, Ludo, Rohan, Isaac and Joseph

The Foxes started the game with a very strong defence of William LP, Brody and Isaac, which allowed the mid-field (Joseph and Rohan) and forwards (Ludo and Billy) to attack straight from the kick-off. Ludo and Joseph immediately started to create chances and the Foxes went close to scoring on several occasions. The deadlock was broken by Ludo who deservedly put the Foxes in front. This was followed shortly afterwards by a fine goal from Billy. Half time brought a change of goalkeeper with Brody replacing William LP. Based on the Foxes’ first-half display the spectators were anticipating further goals but a little bit over-confidence seemed to creep in with all players eager to push forward, resulting in the team loosing shape and the mid-field becoming very crowded. However, any threat from Bishop Road was dealt with before becoming a significant danger to the Foxes’ goal. Well done to the players from both sides who braved the very cold conditions and who played the game in a real sporting spirit.

Result: Bishop Road 0: Foxes 2

Match 2

Team: Jamie, William W, Jack, Sam, Tee-Jay, Benji and Henry

A strong Foxes team was up against a resurgent Bishop Road side. The Foxes were on fire in this match, eager to show their coaches lessons learnt from training on the Downs. Jamie started in goal, William and Jack providing a strong defensive line. Benji, Tee-Jay and Sam providing a flowing midfield with Henry our target man up front. From the ref’s first whistle it became apparent that Bishop Road were no match for the intricate passing and vision of the Foxes. Tee-Jay's first goal came quickly following a sublime pass from Henry. Great moves and strong defence didn't allow Bishop Road to threaten our goal and soon Tee-Jay showed great strength as he added 2 more goals to his tally – a Foxes hat-trick! In the second half Tee-Jay's shooting boots were rested with a turn in goal, Jamie slotting in nicely to provide strength and depth in midfield. Henry soon added a 4th goal with the keeper standing no chance. The Foxes 5th and final goal was a thing of beauty. Jack, spotting the Bishop Road keeper off his line, expertly lobbed the ball from the halfway line to drop into the net. Beckham couldn't have done it any better! A dominant, well deserved result. Every single player should be proud of the way they played in this match: great positional sense: passing when needed, and shooting when the opportunity arose. Well done lads!

Man of the match: Tee-Jay - not just for the hat trick but also his all round play.

Result: Bishop Road 0: Foxes 5

Match 3

Team: Matthew Y, Oskar, Matthew-Jaye, Josh, Ewan, Stanley and Harrison

Despite hanging around in the cold for the best part of an hour and a half, the last Foxes team was like caged tigers, waiting to get on with the match. An outbreak of extreme fair play saw Harrison in goal and several other players trying their hand (should that be boots?) in different positions. Nonetheless, the result was never in doubt. We opened our account within seconds – Stanley latching onto a killer pass from Josh to score his first goal. Oskar, both Matthews and Ewan gave us a solid defence and midfield, allowing Stanley and Josh to combine beautifully going forward. Despite crowding their own goal area, Bishop Road could not keep the Foxes out. Josh lifted a great lobbed cross over their heads to Stanley, whose deft first touch enabled him to score his second. In the second half, Harrison emerged from goal and was soon terrifying the Bishop Road defence. A wonderful cross from Oskar on the right wing was met by Harrison in full flow with only one outcome – goal number 3. Josh made it 4 after he and Harrison combine in midfield. With over-confidence again creeping in, Bishop Road scored a breakaway consolation goal as we stood and watched. However, the Foxes continued to pepper their goal – any of 4 shots against the post and crossbar could have gone in - and only a good keeping display from Bishop Road kept the score down.

Result: Bishop Road 1: Foxes 4

Man of the match; Matthew-Jaye for his tenacious midfield performance and sublime passing.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Yr 5 Boys v Clifton Utd

My, it was windy. And eventually wet. Very windy and very wet. Conditions that suited the Foxes better than our visitors but Clifton kept going to the end, grabbing a last-kick equaliser in one of the final round of games.

Two even squads and, until the weather took the edge off things a tad, high quality football. Three wins and one draw where well deserved. Highlights included: a return to the Foxes colours by Ollie Swales - marked with a well taken goal; a great defensive performance from Sam P in the first game; goals galore from Sonny; a great goal from Max; a high energy performance from Alec; etc, etc.

All played well but players of the week from each squad go to Ollie S and Sonny.

Yr 5 Boys vs Golden Hill Sonics - 29/01/11

Well that was better. After stumbling to defeat against a good Bishop Road side, the Foxes were back to winning ways against the Sonics. Phew.

The Sonics arrived unbeaten this season and brought two well-organised and competitive squads.

The Foxes split in two and from the first whistle played controlled football, supporting each other with discipline and scoring some eye catching goals.

The first squad won both of their games (6-0 and 4-0). Highlights included a fabulous strike from Ian into the roof of the net after good work from Danny, a goal which usually would have won any goal of the week award. But this time round it was pipped by a great individual goal from Joey. This taken with one of his best all-round performances for the Foxes made the man of the match award unusually easy for the coaches.

The other squad stormed to a 2-0 lead, looked comfortable, threatened to stretch the lead and then ended up drawing 2-2 as players started to drift out of position and try too much on their own. The second game, a 5-0 win, was a much more complete performance with the Foxes keeping their positions and doing the simple things well. Man of the match in this squad went to Nick for great goals and great effort throughout.

Well done all.