Andy took charge of the Juniors for the first time, integrating some of the Colts in so the the new players could learn how it was done.  At least that was the idea…

Game 1 - The line up was:

Jamie G

Callum P     Luke G

Luke A     Sam P     Jack B

Dan C

Jayne Churches kindly took the mic, on a cold and rainy morning.  Saints attacked straight away but Jamie was on hand to make a good save.  They attacked again and Dan had to be alert to clear with a header.  We attacked and Luke G crossed the ball but it was headed clear.  St Aldhelms then scored their first goal 1-0.  Pretty soon they were at it again as most of our team watched the ball 2-0.  Jamie was forced to clear a Saints attack and he followed it up with a fantastic save.  He was left isolated again however and the Saints got two more, 3-0 and 4-0.  Callum was being dragged everywhere and at times was the only defender getting back.  Luke G did make a good tackle and played the ball down the line to Jack and his attack was halted with a foul.

HALF-TIME: ST ALDHELMS   4     FRYS   0

St Aldhelms attacked from the start and a goal was disallowed and went out for corner after a great clearance on the line from Callum.  The corner was taken and this time they made no mistake 5-0.  Jamie made another great save but this was getting more and more one way traffic as our players just seemed to stop playing and soon there was another 6-0.  Callum and Dan combined well to make a good clearance, but pretty soon it was back in the net 7-0, followed by 8-0.  Sam P was injured making a challenge and the game had to be stopped.  The ref’ mercifully decided to end it there.

FULL-TIME : ST ALDHELMS   8   FRYS   0

Game 2 - The line up was:

Jamie G

James M     Haydn     Callum M

Pat     Dan W

Madison

Andy took over on the Mic for the second game dreading what was to come after seeing the first game.  How wrong he was.  Right from the start there was some good defending from the Juniors as they sought to stop a big Saints team.  Callum, Haydn & James were all involved in a good passing move and it was exciting end to end stuff.  Saints attacked but Dan was on hand with a great goal line clearance.  Pat then showed some skills with a neat flick on.  Pat then played a crossfield ball backwards but behind Jamie, luckily James came across to clear the line.  St Aldhelms had a corner cleared, Dan chased and ran the whole length of field, the ‘keeper came out and the ball was hit past him but just wide of left post.  They attacked and we watched the ball hit from 20 yards hard and low past an unsighted Jamie and into the goal 1-0.  James won the ball in defence, ran the whole field, just as Dan had, but he was tackled by their goal.  Callum then played a great ball to Pat who shot, but it was saved.

HALF-TIME: ST ALDHELMS   1   FRYS   0

We attacked from the kick off.  Pat ran with the ball but he was tackled for a corner.  They broke with two and James ran all way back to get the ball to Jamie.  We attacked then they did the same again and this time Haydn ran the whole field to get the ball to Jamie.  Jamie’s kick was won by their little player (their manager admitted that he should have played in the first game but had arrived late!), he turned three ways, sending our players left and right and then shot towards goal 2-0.  Pat got the ball, shot, but the ‘keeper got his hand to it. 

Haydn then put in some excellent work and got the ball to Pat, but his shot was blocked and spun high and bounced up in front of Dan with an open goal!  If he headed it, it was in!  But he let it drop and the keeper just recovered to save it.  We then made some excellent defending but a block cleared the wrong way and the little Saints player made no mistake 3-0.  They attacked, Jamie came out to grab but sort of spilled it (kicked out of Jamie’s hands!) and the ref’, unsighted, let it go 4-0.  They broke, Callum passed back but they nicked in and shot.  Jamie caught it but under pressure dropped into the goal 5-0.  They broke again, Jamie came out quickly but the ball went under him.  Luckily, Dan made a great sliding tackle to clear it.

FULL-TIME : ST ALDHELMS  5   FRYS  0

OVERALL RESULT : ST ALDHELMS  13 FRYS  0

Afterthoughts………………………………………………………………

If the Colts in the first game had shown even half the effort and determination that the Juniors did in the second game it would have been a much different result.  Where the Juniors were quick and enthusiastic, the Colts players, with one or two notable exceptions, were slow and uninterested.  It is to the credit of the Juniors how well they played and the mistakes that were made will go in time to leave a top quality group of players.