Team News – Over the summer, Joshua Hazelwood, Lee Davenport and Joe Bartram left the team and we now welcome 2 new players – Joshua Evans and Tony Watkins – and 2 players who have re-joined – Sebastian Ibarra and Elliott Barham.

Played: Ben Wells, Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves, Stefan Sime,Joe Clarke (C), Steven Sutcliffe, David Powley, James Capon, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins, Joshua Evans.

First Half – Colts started this season’s campaign in slow motion. A defensive collapse resulted in an early goal for SPR 1-0. There was little battling for the ball and chances were not converted whereas SPR successfully attacked and the score was soon 2-0 when they scored from a direct free kick. Stuart managed one of the few early shots on goal. However, during the latter half, things improved as the boys began to link up their play and have positive attempts at scoring. Eventually, Jon opened the score-sheet from a corner to make it 2-1. Conal made some good runs down the wing, Josh tackled hard, Tony started making an impact and Joe found his midfield niche. SPR hit the bar again, but Colts quickly passed the ball down the other end and Jon managed to get on the end of the pass to score again 2-2 to level things up. There was further positive team play and Tony scored, only to have his goal disallowed as the ball had gone out of play. His next shot sailed over the bar. Ryan coped well as goalie and blocked several SPR attacks. Stuart came off temporarily with a pulled hamstring (Steven for Stuart). After a bad start, Colts had pulled the game back with a whole team effort.

Second Half – Dale had made it clear at half-time that he was keen to give every player a chance to play whilst balancing his strategy against the opposition. (Stuart for Conal). Stuart went into goal and the team re-shuffled. Tony and Jon proved themselves adept at long runs, Ryan made an immediate impact in midfield and Stefan covered well, staying with his marker. (Seb for Joe). Ben took charge of the defence and both he and Elliott provided big kicks down the field. Jon, Seb, Tony and Steven started to link up well. Jon chased the ball hard and passed it to Seb who shot just wide of the goal. This was an encouraging effort and evened out the end-to-end action. (Matt for Jon). (Leo for James). Colts managed to keep their “supporters” on their toes as SPR almost scored again, but Colts kept their defending tight. (David for Josh). Matt tackled hard and linked up with Stefan, and Leo settled down in defence and contributed several strong headers. In fact, each substitute made his mark and there was good movement up and down the pitch. David tried hard to increase the score-line and Seb and Matt had several shots that were not far off target. Unfortunately, concentration suddenly lapsed in all areas and when the ball was not cleared out quickly enough, SPR took advantage to make it 3-2. (Josh for Steven) (Joe for David). Finding themselves behind once more, Colts rallied and several attacks were made, including Ben who came through with a shot. The game had an exciting finish when Tony made an excellent run through and scored to make it 3-3 right on the whistle to earn the team a well deserved point.

FINAL SCORE: 3-3.

Man of the Match: Not Awarded

Post Mortem – It was agreed that everyone must be positive in their play and work hard with maximum effort in order to win these matches. Today showed that when the boys work as a team, the goals come, but 100% effort must be given throughout the whole match. As soon as concentration and work ethics diminish, the opposition score and Colts are punished. However, they showed today that they can score goals and a point was earned to kick off their 2006-07 campaign. Well done boys! (No MOM was awarded this week as Dale has not decided whether to give it out this season).

Played: Ben Wells, Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves (C), Stefan Sime,Joe Clarke, Steven Sutcliffe, David Powley, James Capon, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins, Joshua Evans.

First Half – For the first 5 minutes, play was quite evenly spread between the 2 teams, although Colts were by far the more positive players. Josh had the first serious shot on goal from outfield and this was a sign of events to come, as it was quickly followed by a cracking shot from Ryan, which hit the cross bar, re-bounded out and Tony hit the re-bound into the net 1-0. Colts rapidly gathered momentum and executed a tight build up to their play, with the defence, midfield and attack linking up. Ryan’s shooting continued to be on target as he struck the ball hard from midfield into the back of the goal 2-0. Next up was Josh, who headed in the next goal 3-0. By then, Colts had found their true rhythm and taken command of the game. Ryan, Matt, Jon and Joe worked hard in midfield, and James, Leo, Elliott and Stefan held the defence solid, giving Stuart little to do in goal. Josh and Ryan almost scored another goal apiece. Matt would have joined the score-sheet at that point too, but the BGC keeper saved his shot. The keeper also denied Jon’s attempt to get past him. Excellent balls were fed from the defence and midfield to the attackers, enabling them to forcibly attack the goal. James intercepted well, Jon hit the side netting, Tony and Matt tackled decisively, and Leo and Elliott acted as mobile walls in the centre. Suddenly, Jon then passed to Joe, who left-footed a hard shot into the goal to make it 4-0, and soon after, Joe had another go, which hit the cross bar, went straight down and out, and was just cleared by BGC. On the whistle, Stefan covered well to keep a rare BGC shot out and Colts ended the half on top of the game.

Second Half – (Ryan and Stuart swapped positions), (Ben for Elliott), (Seb for Jon), (Steven for Joe), (Conal for Matt). The substitutes soon settled into the flow of the game as Colts continued to dictate the pace. Seb quickly linked up with Tony, whose well taken shot was saved. Stuart’s first effort flew just over the bar and Steven won some hard headers as he battled for the ball. Everyone kept up the pressure. Soon, Colts won another corner, which Tony took and the ball flew fast over towards the goal and straight into the back of the net 5-0. Ben had joined Leo, James and Stefan in holding a firm defensive line and as confidence increased, the defence moved forward up the pitch to assist the attack. Colts kept up the pressure, did not become complacent, nor did they lessen the pace, as they did themselves proud by continuing to dominate the game. Stefan, Seb and Tony linked up well, and the latter 2 boys continually closed in on the goal, when suddenly, Josh provided an excellent finish to a pass to increase the score to 6-0. Stuart kept moving closer to the target and after a scramble in the goal mouth, he produced a superb header to make it 7-0. (David for Leo). David came into the midfield and Conal dropped back into defence. Josh and Conal tackled hard and then Conal controlled a pass from Ben and chipped in his shot 8-0. David battled hard and got himself into a position to score, but his shot was just wide. Everyone clearly wanted a piece of the action! Seb struck an accurate cross into the box and found Stuart’s head and the spinning header again landed just wide. However, the next time Seb sent a cross in, Stuart headed home 9-0. Could Colts make it into double figures? That question was answered a few minutes later when Stefan and Tony passed down the wing to Seb, who struck accurately 10-0. Ryan had little to do in goal, but he was ready when BGC broke through and produced a fine save to deny them a small consolation prize of a goal. Colts responded to that minor concentration lapse by sending the ball straight down their end where Tony made it 11-0, quickly followed by another fine Tony corner to Stuart who met the volley and in went the ball 12-0. Finally, Steven joined the score-sheet, during this exciting match, on the final whistle, with a good finish 13-0.

 FINAL SCORE: 13-0!!!

Man of the Match: Everyone!

Post Mortem – This was an excellent performance from each of the 16 players. They had executed the strategies learned in training, dictated the pace of the game and done everything that Dale had asked of them. Result: a feast of goals and a clean sheet. The team had done themselves proud. Each player deserved to be MOM today. Excellent play boys!

Played: Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves, Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Joe Clarke, Steven Sutcliffe, James Capon, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, Elliott Barham, Joshua Evans N/A: Tony Watkins and David Powley

First Half – everyone knew that this game was going to be a tough, physical match. Holtwood immediately dictated the pace and had the first shot, but Stuart made the correct decision to come out of his goal to successfully block it. Holtwood then sent another good strike in and only missed the target because Stuart tipped the ball over the bar. Colts knew that they had serious defending to do against this team of big kickers and large physical presence. Stefan, Leo, Elliott and James held firm together from the outset. However, Colts suffered a blow when a penalty was awarded against them and so it went in 1-0 to Holtwood despite Stuart’s valiant effort to save it.

Play was suspended when a Holtwood defender unfortunately suffered a broken ankle during a 50:50 tackle and we waited for an ambulance to take him to hospital. Play resumed and Colts resolve strengthened to win this match. They knew that if they did not make more effort to fight for the ball, Holtwood would simply burst, or blast their way down the pitch. Leo proved good with his head and Josh and Ryan tackled well. Steven, Seb, Joe and Jon battled hard against their much larger opponents, often being knocked to the ground because of their weight disadvantage. Stuart continued to gather the ball confidently and executed a terrific punch to thwart another attack. Joe and Steven fought hard to break through Holtwood’s defence to give themselves a chance to shoot.

Despite their size disadvantage, Colts did not make it easy for this hard, physical side and had a good first half. The match was very even, with each player determined to reach the ball first. Second Half – (Ben for Leo) and (Conal for Steven). The boys came out fired up and things started well when they too were awarded a penalty. This was well struck by Stuart 1-1. Confidence grew and determination shone through as Ben led the defence to effective cover and Stuart took an excellent catch from an accurate Holtwood free kick. (Matt for Seb). Conal and Matt got “stuck in”.

This was an exciting contest. Ryan’s corner cracked against the side bar and then Holtwood hit a close shot just over. Jon ran tirelessly up and down chasing the ball and Josh was simply everywhere making his presence felt. Matt, Conal, Joe, Jon and Josh intercepted and tackled hard. If they did not win the ball, they at least wrong-footed their markers to enable another Colt to take it. Holtwood shot again and this time, Stefan cleared it, quickly followed by a strong header as the ball came back towards him. James and Matt intercepted strongly and Ben and Elliott held firm and showed that they are big kickers too. All the boys battled to keep the game back on their terms and kept pushing forward. Suddenly, Conal won a tackle, ran through several Holtwood players and struck a great shot into the top right hand corner of the net. Yes! 1-2. The action then became really tight as Colts battled to retain their lead. (Seb for Jon). Jon epitomised the physical effort each player was making as he was substituted because he was so exhausted. With rested legs, Seb tackled hard against his physically stronger opponent and managed to retain his ground. Then there was a heart-stopping moment for the spectators when there was a huge goal mouth scramble at Coxheath’s end with at least 5 players from each side endeavouring to make contact with the ball.

Finally, Josh kicked it hard away towards the centre line. Stefan, James, Ben and Elliott managed to repel any further Holtwood attempts, with Stuart remaining on his toes just in case. Josh, Matt, Seb and Conal in midfield, with Ryan and Joe up front kept on pushing right until the end. In fact, the final whistle just seemed a long time in coming as the tension mounted and Colts battled to keep possession. Towards the end, Stefan made another strong clearance and Stuart made himself into a mobile ball blocker as Holtwood also did not want to give up.

FINAL SCORE: 1-2.

Man of the Match: Everyone!

Post Mortem – this was a brilliant game and probably the best that the boys have ever played. Dale and everyone were so proud of their achievement today. Again, every player gave 100% effort and did not give up. The team believed that they could win and they did it. Result: an unbeaten run of 3 games, a healthy goal difference and first position at the top of the table. Each player deserved to be MOM again today. Keep it up boys! Congratulations.

Played: Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves, Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins, David Powley N/A: Joe Clarke, James Capon, Joshua Evans

First Half - this game lived up to expectations that it would be a hard match. Loose were very lively from the outset, with 2 early shots on goal, which Stefan and then Ben cleared away. Unfortunately, a large gap appeared in the defensive line up and Loose soon put one past 0-1. This was the shock that our boys needed to start to play as a team. Conal had the first shot, which was stopped by the keeper, then Matt passed another long ball to Conal, who instantly chipped it sweetly over the goalie to make it 1-1. Tony made himself available all over the pitch, Stefan chased back, Elliott and Ben blocked well, Leo covered, and Seb and Ryan battled to win the tackles. However, Loose soon scored again because although Colts defence cleared the ball twice, Loose hit it back in, third time lucky, on target 1-2. Colts battled each time to level the score – as soon as Loose scored, Colts responded by upping their effort. Stuart made some effective decisions in goal and both Jon and Tony dodged through. Tony then struck a shot which turned into a slow motion rolling goal past the keeper 2-2 and if the ball had not had enough pace, Conal was in position to finish off the task. Seb and Ryan tried to get stuck in, but they could not secure their tackles and passes. In fact, the midfield often proved lack lustre and did not get to the ball first and the defence were plain erratic – sometimes holding firm; at other times in disarray. As a result, Loose broke through and scored again 2-3. Conal had the most breaks during this half, but Loose defended well and their goalie stopped several shots. Jon then shot from the side after another run down the wing and the keeper parried the ball, but Conal was there to pick up the rebound and in it went 3-3. (Steven for Seb). Steven battled to find space as Loose immediately closed in on him. Stuart made a fine save just before the whistle sounded. The verdict from the boys was that they were not doing particularly well because although they had scored 3 goals, they had come from behind each time. The defence and midfield often kept swiping at the ball, without looking up, and there was too much indecision resulting in negative passing. Everyone needed to find space and call for the ball.

Second Half – Colts went out knowing that the defence needed to stand firm, the midfield needed to battle, and the forwards must remember the offside rule. Everyone must stay alert. A confident start was made when Tony dribbled and passed the ball to Conal who hit it hard on target 4-3. Jon then had a shot blocked, but came straight back by striking the ball over the top of the keeper and into the net 5-3. Loose quickly strengthened their attack and followed with another goal, but it was disallowed as the whistle had gone for off side. Jon made another positive run down the wing and through the Loose defence, only to have his shot saved. A goal mouth scramble with the ball going in/out several times was halted when Conal kicked the ball back out to safety. It was like watching a clock pendulum as the action alternated up and down the field. Loose caught up again when Colts conceded a free kick, which sailed over into the top half of the net 5-4. Tony and Matt seemed to renew effort and tackled hard. Steven tackled and tried to muscle in on his larger opponent. Ben and Elliott provided big kicks and Leo continued to cover back. Stefan tried hard to link down the wing and Matt read the game well. Ryan played a lot harder this half and his corner kicks landed in the box each time, but no one could finish them off. Suddenly, Loose equalised as Colts disintegrated to make it 5-5, quickly followed by another near miss when the shot went across the goal face. Colts definitely seemed to stop/start their game, with things either progressing well, or becoming static, allowing Loose to break through. The game often felt like it was slipping away. However, Jon suddenly burst down the wing again, but the keeper denied him. It looked very much as if this would be a hard fought draw and one point apiece, but Conal hit a great ball down to Tony who made it 6-5. Colts had another couple of scares as Loose continued to attack for another equaliser, but Stuart guessed well to come out of goal to retrieve the ball and Stefan cleared it out right at the end, and then on the final whistle, there was a close call as Loose had the last shot of the game, which Stuart saved. Phew! Relief!

FINAL SCORE: 6-5.

Man of the Match: Conal O’Hara

Post Mortem – the boys knew their faults: the defence did not hold firm nor did they block effectively; the midfield did not fight nor were they hungry for the ball and first to it; the goalie needed to concentrate more. However, the forwards all had a great game and delivered the goals. This was a hard game with 5 goals conceded, but 6 scored. However, Colts collected all 3 points and remain at the top of the table and unbeaten after 4 games. Earlier, it had been agreed that the supporters will vote for the MOM. Today, the selection was difficult because there were several clear candidates who had played consistently well throughout. Today’s vote went to MOM Conal. Well done Conal.

Now, keep it together boys so that you can maintain your momentum and that unbeaten run!

Played: Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves, Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, James Capon

N/A: Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins, Joe Clarke

First Half – this was expected to be a hard game as Hartley are a Division 2 team. Colts rose to the challenge and battled for the ball from the start. Seb really got stuck in this week and worked hard to win the ball. Things looked particularly promising when Steven struck the ball hard off the far post and in. 1-0 to Colts. The boys were on top of their game at this point and were clearly keeping the opposition at bay. Conal made a great pass to Jon who shot centrally, but he could not beat the Hartley goalie. Ryan had a crack, again the keeper saved the shot. Stefan worked hard, with some good covering and marking, and timely interceptions up and down the wing. Colts were very lively, with Seb often at the heart of the action, and Josh tackling hard in his customary manner. Hartley then had a shot, which struck the corner of the far post and came back out. Ben marshalled the defence and Stuart was confident in goal and made several strong saves. Stefan kept applying pressure and staying with his marker. Seb kept operations going in the right direction in midfield. Suddenly, a Hartley attacker broke free and emerged unmarked to score. 1-1. This was quickly followed by another goal 1-2 due to another lapse in concentration from Colts. Several blocks and knocks later, Colts rallied together and Conal almost scored from a knock-on. (David for Jon). James intercepted down his wing and Leo chased back well. David pushed forward into scoring positions, but unfortunately, the ball just did not come through. It was clear at times that the boys were just kicking the ball without precision and Hartley benefited twice from these errors as the goals went in because their 2 attackers were unmarked. Our goal was a well worked one, but everyone came off the pitch knowing that they need to think where they are passing and to call for the ball.

Second Half – Colts knew that the game could be won. Stuart went out on pitch and Ryan took charge in goal. Josh and Conal made some hard tackles and Steven produced several notable headers. Ben and Leo held a firmer line in the centre, releasing Stefan and James further down the wings. (Matt for Josh). David put some good balls through and also continued to move into positions to score several times by losing his marker. Seb continued to play hard and battled for the ball. Despite this positive activity, Hartley soon made it 1-3. (Jon for David). Matt got stuck in and when Jon came back on, he joined Matt pushing forward and linking up and down the wing, connecting well with Stefan. Conal had a shot just go wide, Stuart won a corner and then there was good play from Matt and Steven. (David for Conal). David got himself into clear space again and chased down his markers, Seb continued to battle hard in midfield and tried to thread the balls through, and Jon was very unlucky that his corner did not go in as it went very close across the goal. Ryan was solid in goal and captaining from behind, shouting at his team to tighten up. (Josh for Steven). Stefan and Jon continued to connect well, often, at this stage, including Seb in their link up. There was a solid build up of play initiated by the rested Josh, enabling Jon to hit a ball across to Stuart, who volleyed the shot accurately into the net. 2-3. The spectators felt the equaliser was imminent as more shots followed, but each time, unfortunately for us, Hartley scrambled them out. This then happened down the other end - a case of vice versa - when Hartley endeavoured to increase their safety margin, but Ben and Leo managed to scramble the ball out, and James cleared it down his wing. The boys fought hard to get the elusive equaliser, but alas, today, it was not to be.

FINAL SCORE: 2-3.

Man of the Match: Seb Ibarra

Post Mortem – this was an exciting match, which Colts only just lost. They gave Hartley a good game and most of the time, everyone played well. After all, they only lost by a small margin to this 2nd Division team. A few mistakes were made, but on the whole, the team acquitted themselves well. Again, there were a couple of contenders for MOM, but today, MOM was awarded to Seb, who battled in midfield all over the pitch throughout the duration of the match. Well done Seb! Back to the League next week chaps!

Played: Ryan Morrissey (C), Stuart Geeves, Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, James Capon, Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins N/A: Joe Clarke

1st Half – Colts went out determined to win this match and their positive attitude showed from the outset. Once they had all realised that they had to release the ball quicker, it was passed accurately and there was a lot of movement from all areas of play. This positive play was quickly rewarded when the ball came out to Jon on the wing. He had a strike and sent it into the top corner of the net 0-1. Josh was dominant in midfield and Seb and Ryan battled in support. Josh fed through to Jon, but the Hollingbourne keeper saved the shot. Ryan used his head well and James intercepted down his side. In fact, James and Stefan are both improving in their ability and confidence to come forward and then to chase and cover back in defence. Another shot followed, which the Hollingbourne keeper dropped, and predator Tony collected the ball and shot it in 0-2. Conal had a shot, which went just wide. Seb had a shot, which the keeper saved. Colts tails were up with the midfield and forwards attacking the goal. Josh was like a continual steam roller pushing through and past his markers. Elliott and Leo held the central defence firm. Suddenly, Stefan had a “moment” when his studs got stuck in the turf near the box and as he raised his arm to balance, he committed handball, but he was relieved when Hollingbourne did not use their free kick chance and he and Leo were able to clear the ball easily between them. Stuart had very little to do this half. Colts displayed excellent build up of play and another goal soon resulted from Josh 0-3. Stefan and Jon linked down the wing then Conal soon made it 0-4 after an accurate clearance down pitch from Elliott. Colts dominated play, although 10 man (and often 9 man) Hollingbourne put up a spirited defence. Conal then passed to Ryan who found Tony - bang 0-5. Seb kept battling and sent the ball into the box and there was a scramble from Hollingbourne. The result: one of their defenders scored an own goal 0-6. Stuart managed to keep alert to produce a fine save at the end of the half. There was excellent football from the midfield and up front. The defence just need to tighten up to make things properly secure.

2nd Half – Ryan went in goal, allowing Stuart out on pitch. All substitutes were used, with Dale making the point that no player had performed badly. He simply wished to allow everyone to play and the boys understood this. (Steven for Jon). (Matt for Seb). (David for Tony). (Ben for Leo). Colts maintained pressure and dictated the pace. Play soon opened up as Stuart flicked onto Conal who scored 0-7. Elliott showed that he is developing into a good free kick taker. Josh continued to steam through and Ben marshalled the defence. Matt took up from where Seb had left off and Steven and David muscled into their positions. Josh caused gasps of admiration with an excellent lob over the goalie from a far distance out 0-8. Colts were rocking and rolling! Stefan, who had linked up with Jon, now linked effectively with Matt, and James provided a strong link up point down his wing. Ben tightened up the defence when necessary. David’s tackling became stronger and he had several attempts on goal. Josh had another go. In fact, Josh kept appearing all over the pitch. Colts did slacken their effort and pace for a while and as a result, less goals came this half and also Hollingbourne broke through twice, only to be denied by Ryan who saved well and James who cleared the ball out to midfield. Ryan had more to do in the 2nd half goal. Matt, Stuart and Conal each had a shot, which kept the Hollingbourne keeper busy. (Tony for Conal). Tony provided fresh legs and impetus. Josh kept firing right till the end when the team were playing together again. Stuart scored to finish the game 0-9.

FINAL SCORE: 0-9.

Man of the Match: Josh Evans

Post Mortem: The 2nd half definitely did not have the momentum of the 1st half, but this was still another good match and result for the boys. Their unbeaten run continues, they remain at the top of Division 3, and they scored 9 goals without conceding any. They now know what they are capable of and they must all perform well as a team every match. If they do this, they will win the league this year. MOM today is Josh for his sterling efforts in midfield and for blasting onto the score sheet. Well done Josh. No match next week, but training will continue during the school autumn break.

Played: Stuart Geeves (C), Ryan Morrissey, Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, James Capon, Elliott Barham N/A: Joe Clarke, Tony Watkins

1st Half – Colts started well in their attempts to take immediate charge of the game. Matt sent a corner in and Steven had an early chance, but his shot was not quite hard enough to trouble the Lions goalie. Stefan made some effective tackles and Josh made a strong threatening run through the midfield and released the ball, which was blocked by Lions defence in the penalty area. The team battled well and were rewarded when Conal struck home 1-0. Unfortunately, Leo then knocked the ball towards Stuart who tried to gather it, but Lions pounced and equalised 1-1. However, Colts went straight back in. Conal pushed through, but his shot lofted over the bar. Buoyed up by their goal, Lions mounted several attacks and were soon outplaying Colts. Play tightened up to counter this and Leo blocked a shot with his chest and Elliott forced another Lions shot wide. Josh made 2 accurate sliding tackles and slid the ball to Jon, and after a goalmouth scramble amongst players of both sides, Jon scored 2-1. Action then switched down the other end as Lions sought another equaliser. Matt, Seb and Steven battled, but generally, Colts lacked cohesion in their play and often there was no one upfront to take the chances to score. James chased back when Lions attackers broke through and Steven and Josh had several shots either saved, or hit wide, but the only consistent link up in play was between Stefan and Jon. Stuart made several decisive calls and grabs, although he needed to make himself much “bigger” in the goal. Lions equalised again as a result of a distinct lack of concentration in defence 2-2 and when James throw-ins, unfortunately, landed short. Colts made life difficult for themselves as for the majority of the half, the forwards did not get stuck in; indeed, they kept shying away from the ball and displayed little hunger to score; the midfield did not work together or link up; and the defence did not hold up as a solid line.

2nd Half – (Ben for Leo), (David for Steven), (Ryan for Matt). The team started strongly with Ben straightaway organising the defence, Stefan continuing to link up effectively with Jon and then David got on the end of a Josh volley and just missed the target. The action moved down to the other end for a while then Ben and Stefan blocked, Seb secured the pass to Ryan, who hit hard, and the ball came off Josh, the keeper dropped it and David curled it just over the bar from an awkward angle. Stefan continued to intercept and Jon ran hard down the wing, but again team play was fragmented. Colts just seemed to kick the ball without purpose and negativity crept in. As a result, Lions soon scored another easy goal 2-3, quickly followed by a penalty 2-4, despite best effort from Stuart who jumped the right way and as high as he could, but the strike was too strong for him to tip over. Seb, Ryan and Conal tried to lift the midfield, but some Colts heads went down and shoulders dropped. Play just disintegrated, even though this team have come back from 2 goals down in the past. In defence, Stefan continued to pump the ball down and chase down Lions attackers, Elliott achieved some strong headers, Ben drove the defence forward more consistently, and James charged down Lions attacks, but general link up was poor and there was no thrust to the game at this point. Suddenly, Josh regained his composure and he and David had another shot each saved by Lions goalie. Then a lifeline was offered as Colts won a penalty. Stuart struck the ball hard to make it 3-4. The final minutes ticked by. There were several more attempts to score, with Seb and Ryan pushing forward, but no more goals came Colts way.

FINAL SCORE: 3-4.

Man of the Match: Stefan Sime

Post Mortem: the boys let in 3 easy goals and did not play as a team. Only 2 players seemed intent on winning the ball throughout the match; the rest of the team simply sparked and fizzled out. As a result, this was a game lost which they should have won, and won by a healthy margin. Complacency? Too many late nights? Excesses of the autumn school break? The boys must sort themselves out and play well every week if they seriously want to win the league. They know they are capable of doing this and doing it well. Training will address the issues tomorrow evening. However, despite the negative display, the supporters had agreed on a MOM and it was awarded to Stefan for consistent effort over the course of the whole game. Well done Stefan. Come on team – you all know that you can do much better than this!

Played: Stuart Geeves, Ryan Morrissey (C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, James Capon, Elliott Barham, Tony Watkins N/A: Joe Clarke, Matt Tring

1st Half – the boys were much more fired up this week and launched themselves straight into the game, linking up their play. This approach paid off almost immediately when Tony opened the scoring 1-0. The back 4 gelled together, with Stefan and James tackling well, and Ben and Elliott clearing decisively. Behind them, Stuart read the game and confidently gathered any loose balls. Seb fought hard for the ball then hung on to it, went forward and had a shot, the ball came out and then he hit it again right into the back of the net 2-0. Stefan and Jon continued their established link up and Conal had several strikes. Paddock Wood also went on the attack and the defence battled to clear the ball and finally the shot sailed over the bar. Ben kept a keen watch on the defensive line. Down the other end, Conal then had another go, but could not quite finish off the attempt. Josh tackled hard and Ryan kept finding space to push through. Their determination showed as they dominated play and another productive build up ended with Jon getting on the end of a long ball down and scoring 3-0. Paddock Wood then attacked again, but Josh kept the ball out. When the visitors next had a corner, Stefan cleared it off the line. Another fine link up of play from Colts resulted in another well taken goal: Ben sent the ball down, Conal gathered it, ran through and then passed to Tony who made it 4-0. James protected his side and Seb and Ryan chased tirelessly in an endeavour to add to the tally. Ben and Elliott coped with the pressure in central defence, which allowed the 2 wing backs freedom to move forward into midfield. Stuart continued to concentrate and ensure he was well placed to collect the free-ranging balls. Josh pumped great balls through and Tony sent a strong header down to Jon who forced a corner. A little while later under pressure, Stefan sent a confident pass back to Stuart who kicked the ball hard back down into central midfield. Jon kept attacking and then Conal finally hit target 5-0. After last week’s poor performance, Colts had got their high level of play back and the result was a healthy accumulation of goals and a well played half.

2nd Half – (Ryan in goal; Stuart on pitch). The pace of the game continued to be fast, with both teams attempting to move forward. The difference was Colts converted their chances to goals and were much more spirited in their approach. The defence held up well against the Paddock Wood attackers under the guidance of Ben. However, as the minutes ticked by, Colts did slacken their grip several times and it showed as Paddock Wood had more shots on goal this half and they had raised their game. They almost scored early on, but the ball landed on top of the net. Our boys woke up and responded with some good thinking and ideas coming into their play. Jon almost added to his tally, but the ball ran just wide. James produced some stronger and more positive throw-ins and Josh was hard with his tackles. Seb provided able support to the forwards and Tony continued to be fast and nimble, nibbling around the legs of his opponents. When Colts “watched” again, Paddock Wood broke through, then the game swung back and there were several challenges forcing the visitor’s goalie to leap into action. He kicked the ball hard down the pitch whereby Stuart won the ball, sent it down and then Jon pounced to make it 6-0. (Leo for James). Action swung from end to end. Ryan was knocked down at one point, but Stefan managed to clear the ball away from danger. Paddock Wood kept getting closer, forcing Leo to chase back several times and then it was Ben’s turn to clear the ball off the line. Play had fragmented momentarily before Seb got things back under control and Tony almost had another goal, and then another, but the opposing goalie foiled both attempts. Colts had the breaks and used them, but they also tended to slacken off, perform, drop off and then rally round. Suddenly, Paddock Wood broke their “duck” when they scored an unstoppable consolation goal 6-1. (Steven for Stuart). (David for Jon). Steven and David provided fresh legs and soon got stuck into the flow of the game. Paddock Wood secured another corner, which Conal cleared to Tony and away. Ben continued to effectively marshal the defence and there was a lot of calling between them to prevent last week’s confused display. Leo blocked and Elliott was able to go down to join the attack on occasions. In fact, Elliott tried an ambitious header, which was not far off target. Ryan concentrated well and made a couple of good saves and collection of the ball. Despite their lead, Colts did not give up trying to score more goals. Steven and David kept trying to push through and Josh made a late great run through, hit the ball hard, but the Paddock Wood keeper saved the shot.

FINAL SCORE: 6-1.

Man of the Match: Ben Wells

Post Mortem: none required. The 1st half was excellent; the 2nd half performance dipped, but the boys were aware and responded to it, leading to a well played match by everyone. Congratulations boys! It was difficult to choose MOM because of the good individual performances, but this week, MOM was awarded to Ben for decisive play and for holding the defence firm and strong throughout the match.

Played: Stuart Geeves, Ryan Morrissey(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, Elliott Barham N/A: Joe Clarke, Matt Tring, James Capon, Tony Watkins

1st Half – the game started in a promising manner for Colts when Ryan took the first corner of the match, albeit he struck the ball into the side netting. This was followed by an early strike by Conal, which went just wide, quickly followed by another effort from Conal, provided from a lay off by Stefan. Elliott also had a strike, but the Roseacre goalie caught it. Colts were definitely on the attack. Another sound build up in play resulted in a shot from Jon, but unfortunately, he lofted the ball over the bar. Roseacre then responded to this early pressure and tried to make the most of their chances. Leo and Elliott retaliated by heading well back into midfield. However, shortly after this point, Colts play simply collapsed and clear chances on goal were squandered. There was no link up, or purpose to their play; instead the boys seemed to be static, just watching the ball, or passing it blindly around, with no calling, or looking up. Stefan laid the ball weakly to the side instead of kicking it ahead from the half way line and Roseacre seized this chance to forge ahead, but luckily, Stefan realised what he had done and kept up with his opponent, intercepted and recovered the dodgy situation he had created. There was another defensive scramble between Ben and Leo that brought Stuart a long way out of his area to deny the Roseacre attacker as he recovered the ball. Ben then made a timely interception and Stuart made several excellent saves with his feet as Roseacre took the opportunity to dominate play. Josh made some good headers count, but there was no one running ahead to collect them up. (David for Jon). On his first touch, David almost scored following a good one-two from Seb, who launched the ball to David on the edge of the box. However, in the main, play continued to be loose, with no shape and no apparent hunger or bite to it. There was very little use of the wings and most players appeared out of position. Stefan took a hard whack to the cheekbone from an errant elbow, but he recovered quickly. Shortly afterwards, the defence scattered again. However, Ben managed to cover and Stuart gathered the ball. Steven battled hard, Conal, Seb and Ryan often pushed through, but there was no finish to the movement and no rhythm to their play. This was a very disappointing display, with only Stuart playing a solid, consistent game.

2nd Half – both as individuals and as a team, each player knew where they had gone wrong, so with Dale’s analysis and some honest talking whistling in their ears, the boys embarked on the 2nd half determined to make amends for a negative 1st half and their lack of creativity. David and Steven started to hassle their opponents. Play became positive with a free kick awarded and then a corner was won, which Ryan hit sweetly into the net from a terrific angle 0-1. Josh quickly followed up with a hard shot straight into the corner to make it 0-2. Colts did mean business after all! Seb intercepted, Ryan marshalled the team, Josh found his tackling form, Ben got the defence organised and Stuart was very confident in his calls and catches. (Jon for Steven). Play built up well and it was as if everyone had woken up from a slumber. Seb made an excellent flick on to Jon, which David just failed to connect with. Roseacre then took a punt, but Stuart saved it with his legs and then quickly used his legs again to save the next attempt. Stuart really read the game well and made no errors. Another goal beckoned and sure enough, Leo blocked and kicked the ball down to Jon, who passed to Ryan, who chested the ball down towards Seb, who side-footed it into the net 0-3. Conal kept charging through, only to be denied at the last minute. Down the other end, Ben continued holding the defence firm and Elliott took the goal kicks with strength and accuracy, and both Elliott and Leo used their heads to good advantage on several occasions. Stefan continued to intercept Roseacre’s attackers and cleared well into the midfield. Josh injured his leg and had to retire (Steven for Josh), but this allowed Steven to return with fresh bite and the momentum of the game kept going to the final whistle.

FINAL SCORE: 0-3.

Man of the Match: Stuart Geeves

Post Mortem: Well done boys for turning the game around and achieving the result that you deserved. The 2nd half was much more dynamic and cohesive. MOM today was an easy choice. It was awarded to Stuart for using all his natural goalie skills to maximum advantage, producing solid goalkeeping throughout the match.

Played: Stuart Geeves, Ryan Morrissey(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Matt Tring, James Capon N/A: Tony Watkins

1st Half – Kestrels play in Division 2 so Colts knew that this game would be tough and fast. As anticipated, the opposition attacked from the 1st ball. Stuart came out of his goal, fumbled for the ball, but then bravely laid his body across to secure the save. Stefan, Ben, James and Elliott were under continual pressure to maintain the solid line in front of Stuart. Steven, Seb and Josh produced some hard tackles, but Kestrels were soon 1-0 up. They proved difficult to contain, were fast on the ball and outplayed Colts. James often showed good clearance technique, Ryan and Stefan blocked several shots between them and Stuart frequently sprung into action, but this game proved to be hard work. It was virtually all defensive, with James and Stefan intercepting the wings, and Ben and Elliott continually blocking. Jon, Conal and Seb did have some chances to attack the ball, along with Josh, but Kestrels kept hitting long balls up the field and eventually the score reached 2-0. Jon got himself into several good positions, only to be denied by Kestrels tall defenders. Stuart had to stay alert and he pushed the ball over the bar at full stretch – great save. (Joe for Steven). Joe had recovered from his broken foot and Colts welcomed him back and he soon got stuck in. Colts found it impossible to penetrate Kestrels defence and as before, the link up in play all but disappeared. Joe pushed forward, but again, the defence stopped him. However, towards the end of the half, Colts did start waking up, realising that they must pass accurately and not stay too long on the ball otherwise it was taken off them by their faster opponents. (Matt for Seb). Kestrels scored again 3-0. Matt joined Josh with some crunching tackles and helped Ryan battle in midfield. However, in the main, Colts did not read what was going to happen and as a result, Kestrels kept running straight through.

2nd Half – Colts knew that they were capable of a better display and that they must stand firmer. Dale changed tactics and put Ben in as defensive sweeper, with Leo coming on in the central defence. (Leo for Jon). However, Colts still did not settle and Kestrels were soon 4-0 up. Ryan and Joe tried hard and Joe headed strongly, only to be denied by the Kestrels goalie catching the shot. Leo and Stefan intercepted, Elliott hit long balls down and Josh won the ball and sent it on, but no one got on the end of it as Colts did not create many chances to score. Kestrels hit another in 5-0. (David for Ryan). Matt tackled well and got through, only to be denied by the last man, and David picked out sound positioning. Still no goals came Colts way. Stuart made 2 fine saves in quick succession, but Kestrels again found the back of the net, only for the goal to be judged off side. Leo used his head well, but the ball just ran loose in midfield. (Steven for Joe). Matt and Conal attempted to link up and eventually Conal got the prize of a consolation goal by hitting a lovely lob over the Kestrels keeper 5-1. Steven and David tried hard; alas nothing else was forthcoming. James was unlucky to score an own goal as he tried to clear a shot and the pesky ball hit the end of his foot and went in. Bad luck to a plucky defender! 6-1. (Jon for Josh). The team played much better during the 2nd half. Unfortunately, only one goal was scored and 3 more conceded, plus they experienced some bad luck, despite several good individual performances.

FINAL SCORE: 6-1.

Man of the Match: Matt Tring

Post Mortem: it was concluded that Stuart did a mix of excellent saves and a few errors, and the defence, midfield and forwards were not good in the 1st half, but played better in the 2nd half. However, the boys were not too down-hearted because with their Cup run ended, they can now concentrate on the league. MOM was a close tie between 2 players, but this week, it was awarded to Matt for his sterling efforts in midfield and up front.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Ryan Morrissey(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Leo Bates, Sebastian Ibarra, David Powley, Joshua Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Matt Tring, James Capon N/A: Tony Watkins

1st Half – this game promised to be a lively fixture. An early attack by Colts showed promise, but the rewards would only materialise if they kept movement tight and dictated the pace of the game. As is quite common, the air of optimism for Colts did not prevail for long as there was a goalmouth scramble and a defensive misunderstanding that almost resulted in an early BGC goal. Thankfully, Colts woke up! Joe, now back to full fitness, made his mark early on and Jon had the first shot of the game for the visitors. Link up between Joe, Jon, Josh and then Conal led to Conal scoring Colts first goal 0-1. Matt provided several lobs to the attackers into the goal area, Jon toed the ball just over the bar and (Seb for Josh) Seb got stuck in immediately. BGC then suddenly sparked into action, leading to a good save from Ryan. Stefan blocked well and used the wings. Elliott hit an accurate free kick into the goal area, which Stuart managed to head. It was a good effort that went just over. (Josh for Jon). Josh had recovered from his knock and he re-joined the battle in midfield with his hard tackles. Seb and Conal battled and Stuart had another crack on goal. Josh hit another long free kick just wide of the mark. BGC provided counter-attacks on a regular basis and this game was by no means as one sided as the previous encounter. Stefan charged down the wing and went all the way and crossed the ball into the box. Joe just failed to connect. Josh also steamed through, but any shots nearer the target foundered, and then, unfortunately, but as is a regular occurrence with Colts, play temporarily “went to pot” and maximum effort seemed lacking in some players. However, just as Conal did before him, Stuart got his reward for plugging away when he stormed through and laid in an easy shot that rolled past the BGC keeper 0-2. Good link up occurred with Stefan, Seb and Conal, and Ben and Leo kept things tight in defence. Matt and Joe made themselves available up front, but often the balls were too long, or they just could not connect, but they kept trying though. The last 5 minutes saw proper link up, thought and accuracy, whereas prior to that, Colts did not play to their usual standard and opportunities to score were not converted. The defenders (except for Stefan) were not always doing their jobs, the midfielders were often lapse and the attackers’ attempts on goal fizzled out.

2nd Half: Colts went out knowing that each player must display more hunger to win both the ball and the match. The whole team galvanised and started to connect well. Conal flicked onto Matt who had an open goal, but unfortunately, he did not strike the ball hard enough and it rolled into the keeper’s arms. Leo got stuck in and Ben proved effective at holding the defensive line. This renewed vigour soon paid a dividend when Stuart went all the way from the centre line to score 0-3. (Steven for Matt). Ben, Elliott and Leo kept holding firm, allowing Stefan to run his wing when required. (David for Seb). (James for Leo). The substitutes kept up the momentum and the boys started to push outwards rather than continually playing central. Joe hit the bar and David joined the affray in attack. Ben found his kicking form to join Elliott in planting deep kicks back down the field. James covered his wing well running in parallel with Stefan on the other side. Suddenly, there was a scramble and Joe won a penalty, which Stuart aimed well into the back of the net 0-4. (Jon for Stuart). Conal and Steven tackled well, not letting their bigger opponents muscle them off the ball. Josh set up Joe, but the ball went just over. Jon and Conal ran tirelessly, then Steven had another go and so did David. It was so close. James intercepted, with Elliott covering, and back the ball went. However, Ryan stayed on his toes alert to the ever present threat of BGC coming through as they too did not want to give up. A momentary lapse of cohesion from Colts resulted in BGC scoring a consolation goal 1-4, but Ryan was determined that they should not progress further and made several good calls, and the lapse provided the impetus for everyone to tighten up and keep possession.

FINAL SCORE: 1-4.

Man of the Match: Conal O’Hara

Post Mortem: Although Colts won this game, it was not a consistent, overall effort. The boys know they need to raise their profile and to translate what they accomplish in training to the pitch. There were glimpses of good football and intelligent play today, but neither was sustained. However, it was still a win and that is the important thing: 3 more points. MOM today was Conal for his tireless efforts in midfield throughout the match.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, James Capon, Tony Watkins, David Powley, Leo Bates N/A: Ryan Morrissey, Matt Tring

1st Half – Due to the fact that these 2 teams currently lead Division 3, this was anticipated to be a tough and physical encounter, with neither side wishing to give the other any form of advantage. Both teams were expected to fight hard to win the game and collect the maximum 3 points. Against this background, the match did not disappoint the 2 bands of supporters. As predicted, play started evenly as the boys got stuck in and fought to stay on the ball. James, Stefan, Ben and Elliott produced solid and consistent defending to counter Holtwood’s attackers. Josh tackled hard, Joe and Tony pushed up front, and Conal, Seb and Jon battled in midfield. Holtwood did manage to break through at one point, but Stefan put the attacker off his stride enough to enable Stuart to comfortably gather the shot. Ben did a firm block and also demonstrated accurate control on the ball. This was a positive start, with some hard tackles going in and Colts kept pressurising the Holtwood defence and goalie. Joe tried hard to continually give himself space to break free into a position to score. James intercepted down his wing and Stefan foiled another attack down his side. Conal moved fast to clear the next Holtwood shot. Jon quickly retaliated down the other end, but his shot slipped just wide. Like before, Holtwood showed that they are big kickers and Colts had to watch the bounce and get in first. (Steven for Jon). Steven held position despite Holtwood’s attempts to knock him off the ball. Elliott followed Ben’s example by covering well in the centre. Seb, in turn, confidently intercepted the ball before it could reach the defence. Holtwood landed a deep free kick into the box, but Stuart saved it easily. This was a tight game with no player wishing to give anything away. Then suddenly, disaster struck for Colts when Holtwood charged through and went all the way to score 0-1. Basically, the defence were left flat-footed as the Holtwood forward ran through them, took the ball round Stuart in goal and scored.  However, Colts immediately responded with a counter attack from the centre circle, but unfortunately, Josh’s shot went wide by centimetres. It was immensely frustrating for Colts to come in a goal down after such a brave display.

2nd Half: The boys knew that they had to maintain their standards, dictate the game, and score. The shots had been close, but not close enough. Colts felt that they were the better team, yet Holtwood had scored because of one lapse. If they lapsed for another minute then Holtwood would punish them again. There was an immediate scramble in the goal mouth as Holtwood came close to scoring their 2nd goal, but thankfully the 4 defenders closed the attacker down along with Stuart to save the situation. Each Colt had to read the game and be first to the ball. (Jon for Joe). Conal and Josh kept tackling hard. Seb stayed with his larger opponent all the time, as did Steven. Colts mounted several attacks and again, it was Jon who came closest with a long run, but with a shot just wide. Colts were maintaining all the pressure and the upper hand, but still could not score. Joe tried again, then Tony hit an ambitious lob over the keeper. He was not far off target. Worth an attempt! Seb operated well down the wing and won some hard fought tackles, despite a weight/strength disadvantage. Tony had another go, and so did Steven, then Jon, but all 3 shots ended up just wide again! The hard battled for goal just would not come for them. Stefan and James continued to push forward down their wings whilst Elliott and Ben maintained control in central defence. Seb, Conal and Jon produced consistent pace, with Steven and Josh consolidating their tackles to best advantage. (Joe for Steven). Stuart continued to stay alert in goal - he came out several times and confidently gathered up, or fisted the ball out. The ball swung like a clock pendulum, first one way then the other, back again, and again. Everyone was trying extremely hard to win this match. Colts built up play so well that their supporters felt a goal must come soon. Tony almost turned the ball in from a difficult angle and Josh and Joe both shot just wide again. Come on – go in!!! Even Elliott had a go, but he then had to scamper quickly back to execute a timely clearance down the field. Stuart even managed to save a Holtwood shot by using his back as a block! Ouch! Colts tried different strategies with their corners, but again, the back of the net eluded them. Holtwood almost scored towards the end. However, Stefan, Ben, Elliott and James held firm and enabled Stuart to stop the subsequently misfired ball. This intense activity continued right up to the whistle. No one went down with a whimper.

FINAL SCORE: 0-1.

Man of the Match: Everyone.

Post Mortem: All agreed that Colts did not deserve to lose today. This was probably their best game of the season and it was played with tremendous spirit by both sides. Dale told them that they should each be proud of their performance. (Apologies to Leo and David for not using them today). It was impossible to select MOM today because each player had a great match, therefore, MOM was awarded to Everyone. Well done boys! Take these standards and maximum effort to your next match.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke,Tony Watkins, David Powley, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Ryan Morrissey N/A: James Capon

1st Half – this was another “must win” game as Loose Lions are very capable of winning the league this season. Josh had an early shot that rolled just wide. A frantic goal mouth scramble followed with 4 Colts players attempting to shoot, but the ball failed to cross the line! However, Seb succeeded at the next attempt and made it 0-1. The situation looked promising. Colts quickly sought to build on this when Tony passed a great ball down to Joe and he was very unlucky to shoot just wide. Ben and Elliott were effective blocks in central defence and defended well. Stuart came out confidently to gather the ball away from any danger. Josh, Ryan and Conal tackled hard and Elliott soon started kicking deep goal kicks and also came forward for a shot. Lions earned a direct free kick, but although it was a forceful strike, Stuart saved it comfortably. Leo found he had to stand firm as Lions kept attacking and were physical and hard on the ball. At this stage, Colts fought to maintain the pressure on their physical opponents and did enough to put the attackers off their stride. Tony had another go at setting Seb up, but Seb’s outstretched legs were not long enough to reach the ball. Conal also kept trying, but he was either just wide, or beaten by the goalie. However, Seb continued plugging away as he had found his running form and produced some good runs. Tony had another shot, but was stopped by Lions keeper. Josh, Joe and Tony kept pushing together. Elliott continued to clear well. Suddenly, the game simply slipped from Colts grasp and Stefan and Leo had to continually chase back when Colts made it too easy and let Lions into the game. Lions soon equalised with an unmarked header 1-1. Ryan and Stefan continued to chase back, but Loose then put in another hard shot, which beat Ben and Stuart 2-1. Colts then lost their confidence and Loose scored another easy goal 3-1. Several other shots were well defended by Ben and saved by Stuart, but despite Conal and Joe tackling well and getting forward, nothing else came Colts way. They had played so well initially, yet conceded 3 silly goals: the 1st one from a completely unmarked header; the 2nd from poor tackling; and the 3rd one from another unmarked header, all basic errors that Colts should not be continually making now at this stage in their football careers.

2nd Half - the line up remained the same for a while. Elliott took a direct free kick, but it was deflected by the Lions defence. Colts still did not get stuck in. Result: Lions scored another goal 4-1. The game was slipping out of reach. (Steven for Seb) (Jon for Joe). Steven and Jon provided fresh impetus, but play was quiet as the boys did not call each other, unlike their opposition. Josh kept tackling and Tony continually battled to get through his larger opponents and he shot just off the bar. Things went from bad to worse when Lions lobbed all the defenders and Stuart 5-1. Still there was little resistance offered. Further errors made it 6-1. What was going on? (David for Ryan) (Matt for Leo). Colts continued to slash at the ball and not link up their play. They left themselves too much to achieve in too short a time span. However, the substitutes did make an impact. Matt linked up with Conal, and enabled Tony to strike, just wide. Both David and Matt tried hard to get stuck in and Jon worked his wing well. Lions continued to be physical and Steven had to really shove with all his might to win any tackles. Then some hope returned when Lions conceded a penalty for handball. Stuart hit the ball hard into the back of the net 6-2. This provided the impetus Colts needed, as Tony soon made it 6-3 with a well taken run and goal. Then Tony broke through again and passed to David, who scored bang 6-4. Back the ball swung, and Elliott cleared a header off the line and then off the post. Unfortunately, Colts revival ran out of time, and although the score line was a bit more respectable, that was how the match ended.

FINAL SCORE: 6-4.

Man of the Match: Tony Watkins

Post Mortem: The boys knew they had given this important game away in the 1st half with elementary mistakes in their play when they had let Lions run all over them. The beginning and end were good, but the middle of the game was awful and embarrassing. Whether this has repercussions later on will remain to be seen. MOM today went to Tony who did not give up and who went on to create 3 goals and score one of his own.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Ben Wells, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Ryan Morrissey© N/A: David Powley, Jonathan Stamp, Tony Watkins James Capon has left the team

1st Half – because of the 3 absences and the unexpected departure of James, Dale was forced to radically change the line up. The boys had to get used to their different positions very quickly to minimise any errors as they knew that they must keep this game tight because it was imperative to win to keep their league challenge alive. It was noted that Hollingbourne were livelier during this second fixture. The defence soon became confident enough to come up, but also managed to chase back each time on the breaks. Ryan had the first shot, then Joe and Conal were next up, followed by Seb and Steven. Stefan tackled well, Ben was in fine blocking form and Seb produced good turns on the ball to keep his marker trailing in his wake. Conal and Josh kept popping up everywhere and they linked up well with Seb, but the ball simply would not bounce right for them in the mud. The muddy conditions favoured more of a heavy thud than a bounce and slow passing often prevailed. However, Stuart judged the conditions well as he gathered the often slow moving ball, or the faster, higher shots. Matt was adept at producing accurate “chips” into the box. Play linked up and the attacks looked promising, albeit they failed to hit the target. Elliott proved effective in midfield and Steven was able to get forward, but his shot slammed into the side netting and Ryan’s header went just over. Hollingbourne had definitely improved as they mounted their own attacks, but Stefan, Josh, Conal and Ben held firm or chased back and covered each other. Stuart continued to produce solid and reliable goal keeping. Elliott had a go, but the Hollingbourne keeper saved it. Eventually, after many efforts, Josh got onto the score sheet with a canny header down into the net 1-0. Colts were on their way. This lifted their game, but it also lifted Hollingbourne’s resolve too. (Leo for Seb). Leo came on, which released Josh forward. Matt kept threatening and Ryan hit a sweet pass to Joe, who just missed. Ryan took 2 free kicks: he put one just over the bar and Conal got on the end of the other one, but it went just wide. Despite the fact that many of the team were playing out of position, the boys gelled quickly and were doing well.

2nd Half – (Seb for Stuart). Ryan went in goal and put on the captain’s armband. Matt continued to run the wing and hit accurate passes either up front or into the centre to be picked up by the attackers, or whoever had lost his marker. Leo settled down in central defence with Ben, and Stefan and Conal continued to marshal their wings. Stefan did some decisive slide tackles as the defence raced to clear the ball. Suddenly, Colts lapsed for several minutes, which allowed Hollingbourne to gain a reward for their industry as they scored 1-1. Colts encouraged each other and it paid dividends when soon after, Steven landed a hard shot on target 2-1. It was a well taken goal as he won the tackle, gave himself time and took aim. Seb, Josh and Joe pushed up together. There was another moment of confusion – classic Colts – when a back pass slowed the ball in the mud, but Ryan just reached it in time and cleared it before the opposing player arrived. There were sighs of relief from Dale and the spectators! Joe then won a penalty and Josh stepped up to hit it and it rolled in on its muddy road 3-1. (Stuart for Joe). Josh produced some hard tackles and he hit another shot that rolled past the post. Then another lapse of play occurred when no one tackled and this allowed a Hollingbourne player to go all the way down the pitch and in 3-2. Leo, Ben and Stefan gathered themselves and got on with the job, whilst Elliott dropped back into defence and Stuart went forward. Matt and Steven continued to run tirelessly at the Hollingbourne defence. Matt continued to feed through, Elliott took the free kicks with definite aim, but it was Josh who secured his hat-trick with an excellent goal 4-2. However, Hollingbourne did not give up the battle and they won a free kick, which was taken twice as Colts wall moved. Josh, however, was not content with 3 goals. He wanted another – his hard shot hit the bar, went back across the other side of the goal, hit that bar and then came out. Colts had not finished yet! Seb had threatened several times and he suddenly took aim. His shot rose over the keeper and crunched into the back of the net 5-2. Down the other end, Conal cleared the ball, and then the final shot of the game, quite aptly, went to Josh.

FINAL SCORE: 5-2.

Man of the Match: Josh Evans

Post Mortem: Well done boys! This win kept them on top of the table (just). Everyone played consistently well and there was a healthy tally of goals. MOM today went to Josh for his solid tackling all over the pitch and, of course, his hat-trick.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Ryan Morrissey, David Powley, Jonathan Stamp N/A: Tony Watkins, Ben Wells

1st Half – High expectations were dashed when Colts made a very poor start. No one was sure whether it was the cold weather, the biting wind, the low position of the sun, or whether the boys were simply not “up” for this game, but there was little marking up or tackling. Within 5 minutes, the defence failed miserably to contain Sittingbourne and the home side scored 1-0. Soon afterwards, both the midfield and defence faded again to allow Sittingbourne to make it 2-0. Josh had Colts’ first shot and Steven had a go, but they both landed wide of the mark. Conal, Ryan and Josh provided strong headers, and Matt crossed the ball in several times, but there was no one to pick the ball up. Colts gave themselves a mountain to climb as Sittingbourne came through again to score 3-0, having sensed the visitors’ disarray. The hole in the defence remained and Stuart had to save several other attempts. Joe tried to get stuck in and Steven had another shot, but there was a lot of swinging at the ball and no link up. Where was the will to win? This was not the quality football that we have come to expect from the top team. Elliott cleared well and hit some deep blocking kicks and Conal, in defence, kept active down his wing, but essentially, no balls were going forward. Stefan missed a tackle, although he managed to keep up with his opponent and put him off sufficiently to hit a softer shot, which Stuart easily gathered. Sittingbourne continually managed to get in behind and the defence often played them back on side. Steven and Matt could not get the ball down and although Seb got stuck in, he gave the impression of giving up too easily, as did most of the players this half. (David for Ryan). David tried to beat his marker, but Sittingbourne attacked again and rattled the bar. Elliott mistimed a block, managed to rectify his error by not giving up and got the ball out. Leo took a while to settle down. However, he gradually got into the flow and the defence tightened up. Seb then rallied and started pushing up and he had the last shot of the half on the whistle. It was disappointing as no one was consistent with their tackles and everyone seemed to be watching the bounce and “playing statues” for most of the first 35 minutes.

2nd Half – Dale reinforced the message to Stefan that he wanted him to sort out the defence. The midfield and the defence were not getting the ball up to the attackers and the body language of some players displayed negative vibes ie little effort. (Jon for Steven). Hope returned as transformation occurred both in attitude and play as Colts came out attacking the ball. Jon won a corner, Josh took it with aplomb and then Joe met the volley and whack, what a goal! 3-1. David and Seb continued to battle their heavier opponents and Matt continued to cross the ball well. In defence, Stefan could be heard shouting and seemed to have got to grips with organising them as well as himself, Elliott blocked well, Conal made contributions all over the pitch and remembered to get back and Leo found his head and became more decisive. Josh and Seb linked up and Jon used the wing well to drive the ball down. It seemed possible that at the very least, a draw could be achieved, or even a win. Matt linked through to Jon who made a lovely run, which Joe finished 3-2. All the boys were now hungry for the ball. Josh did a cross that landed just into the side netting and Seb followed his passes through. Ouch - at one point, both Jon and Elliott blocked with their backs! Stuart continued to be alert and lively in goal, calling and making the correct decisions, including 2 decisive punches out. David battled to get up front. (Ryan for David). Ryan put much more effort into his performance, helping Matt and Joe to push up. Leo managed to get back quicker and Josh let the opposition know he was there. However, another collapse of play let Sittingbourne in again 4-2, just as it seemed possible that Colts could earn a point. Sittingbourne then hit the bar, Conal blocked and Stefan chased back to intercept, as did Conal again on the other side. Stuart was kept busy throughout. Jon almost had a goal as he took the ball forward, but his left-footed shot went to the side of the post. Ryan hit a corner into the net and he had the last shot of the game for Colts.

FINAL SCORE: 4-2.

Man of the Match: Not Awarded

Post Mortem: Again, this game was lost in the first half, especially a hopeless first 20 minutes. Play was much better in the second half, when Jon set up and Joe scored 2 good goals. However, Colts did not deserve to win and now they will not be top of the table on this performance. No MOM was awarded because whilst it was acknowledged that each player did some good work and played some decent football, no individual displayed consistency and total effort throughout the whole game.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Ben Wells, Ryan Morrissey, David Powley, Jonathan Stamp N/A: Tony Watkins

1st Half – It was vital that Colts won today to keep any promotion hopes alive, but another lack lustre performance and resultant defeat ended any hopes of a “finish with a flourish”. The first half of the season saw a lively side, capable of comfortably winning this league; today epitomised the current dismal nature of their game and mediocre attitude. The game started well enough and promised much. Ben was back in charge of the defence and Steven had the first shot of the game. Jon ran the wing and sent the ball up closer to the attackers each time he got it, and on the third attempt, he sent the ball to Joe who then flicked it back to Jon who made it 0-1. Stefan and Conal managed to set up their wings, Elliott and Ben cleared solidly and Josh – this half in goal – either saved or parried the shots away from danger. David, on from the start, endeavoured to get to grips in midfield. Suddenly, Paddock Wood got through and levelled 1-1. However, there did not appear to be any problems as Colts continued to plug away. Jon had another shot saved, Matt, Steven and David continued to push up and Steven did an excellent block. It was at this point that Paddock Wood improved, dominated and did not really look back as Colts failed to respond. Stefan found himself alone in defence surrounded by 5 opponents and the score hit 2-1. No one seemed prepared to put their tackles in and the ball did not find its way up front. Paddock Wood scored again 3-1. What’s going on? The defence scattered and the midfield failed to collect. This scenario had a familiar ring to it. Josh managed to save several more shots. All in all, it was not a good display by any means - there was little effort, no link up, fight or hunger, enormous holes in play and very few tackles going in, let alone being won.

2nd Half – (Leo for Conal) (Seb for Joe) (Ryan for Steven). Could the substitutes lift the game? Stuart went back in goal, Josh went forward and the team shuffled. Alas, any renewed vigour and resolve evaporated within 5 minutes. Unlike last week’s much improved second half, there was no rising to the challenge. The writer acknowledges the individual moments, but no team effort meant that those “moments” were not seized and were not enough to hold back the home team. Stuart had to make several saves under constant attack. Leo stayed back, but was unable to stop the charges from the opposition. There was a huge scramble as Paddock Wood endeavoured to score again and the ball got lost amidst all the bodies, but somehow between them, Stuart, Stefan and Leo got the ball back out down the pitch. Ryan and Elliott had a couple of shots that went wide, or over the bar. Seb, Matt and Ryan linked up to provide hope, but there was nothing on the end of it. All attempts seemed to fizzle out like a dump firework! Paddock Wood scored another goal 4-1. Colts now needed a miracle of maximum team effort, not mere individual sparks. (Joe for Matt) (Conal for David). Joe was very unlucky not to score soon after he came back on. Seb, Joe and Ryan linked up for another strong attempt, but the keeper saved it. Josh had a real thumper from long range that went just out and Conal took the final shot. However, another goal just was not forthcoming for Colts.

FINAL SCORE: 4-1.

Man of the Match: Not Awarded

Post Mortem: Another poor team performance despite the occasional flashes of sound individual football. 0 points. No MOM was awarded again this week.

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Steven Sutcliffe, Conal O’Hara, Ryan Morrissey, David Powley, Jonathan Stamp, Tony Watkins N/A: Ben Wells

1st Half – Colts enjoyed the flourish of an early goal, exquisitively scored by Tony. In the lead up, Josh had kept cool as he demolished Roseacre’s defence and passed the ball unselfishly to Tony who equally coolly, did a “keep me up” and an overhead kick into the goal 1-0. Excellent! Unfortunately, this lead did not last long as Roseacre equalised over Stuart’s head 1-1. “Game on”: Conal, Stefan, Elliott and Leo held a tight line, with timely blocks, interceptions and covering. Josh, Tony and Conal were “everywhere”. However, Roseacre scored again as a result of a defensive blunder and Stuart could not get his body on the ball to stop it 1-2. Steven and Matt battled, but could not use the wings as the game concentrated down the centre of the pitch. “Use the wings” was a constant cry from the touchline! Joe – being Joe – had several scraps, and true to his style, received an elbow in the face for his endeavours. David tried hard and battled to get the ball through. Stefan showed the determination of the defence as each defender battled to keep the ball out and he could be heard shouting at his team-mates to hold position and then to push up. Play was quite even at this point. David did an excellent flick on, Leo stood firm in the centre, and the team pushed up, but the shots were either too soft to trouble the opposition, or too opportunist. Tony was unlucky when his corner hit the post, and his next effort was then cleared off the line. Josh headed in the next corner, but somehow the ball was cleared back out. Elliott had a go, then Conal and then Josh sent an accurate ball in, but again, it just failed to find the net. Tony sent another clear chance in, but although David was there, the ball was just too far ahead for him to tap in. Matt suddenly found his form and started turning on the ball to good effect and Conal tackled hard. More pressure was being applied to Roseacre, with Steven, Joe and Josh battling towards them. Josh often steamed through and got close to target, as did Conal, only for their efforts to be parried or saved by the Roseacre keeper. Tony let rip a great effort, which just whizzed over the bar. Colts were playing much better this week after the recent poor performances. However, there was still a tendency to hang onto the ball for too long instead of looking up and passing. Often, the ball was kicked high, with no particular chosen route, and the wings were redundant in the first half.

2nd Half – (Jon for Matt) (Seb for Steven). Part 2 of this entertaining encounter saw Tony and Conal linking up, with Stefan and Jon doing the same on the other side. Seb and Jon applied consistent pressure whilst Conal pushed up and David hassled. Tony’s corners went into the box each time. Why couldn’t a Colts player get on the end of them to score again? There was still a tendency to take too much time and also to continually play Roseacre on side. Stuart produced 3 good saves, the latter which he just managed to hold onto from a difficult angle. However, the score was soon 1-3 as Stuart then misjudged the bobble. Suddenly, Seb broke through and closed the gap the other end by scoring a well taken goal – long run, kept calm, used the available time and executed a perfect lob over the keeper 2-3. These 2 special goals from Tony and Seb boosted the team and its supporters. A free kick followed and Josh was so unlucky, just wide. (Ryan for David). Tony had the next shot, but it ended up in the goalie’s arms. Jon took a cross, flicked over to Ryan, who passed to Tony, who just missed, and then to Joe, and just wide again. Luck was not with Colts. Suddenly, Jon got his chance, went on a run, through the melee and yes, another excellent goal, 3-3. Jubilation was felt as this match remained in reach. 3 points beckoned as Colts linked up, put in the effort and pressured. Conal continued to inspire and Josh continued to hassle. Stefan tackled, Elliott blocked and Leo chased back. All 3 managed to push up and get back when necessary. Stuart recovered his composure and saved well. Ryan then hit the bar. Neither side wanted to concede. One point was not enough. Conal landed the ball in the keeper’s midriff and then Jon hit it just over. Frustratingly and sadly for Colts, right on the whistle, everything evaporated and devastation occurred when another soft goal was conceded 3-4. There was no time left for Colts to reply.

FINAL SCORE: 3-4.

Man of the Match: Conal O’Hara

Post Mortem: Everyone agreed that Colts were really unlucky to lose this game. Even a draw would have been a much fairer result. They had played well, the game had flowed and 3 excellent goals had been scored. However, once again, the whole team must give 100% effort for the duration of the game to plug the gaps that appear and through which the opposition score. MOM today went to Conal for his tireless running, hard tackling and effort. Well done Conal!

Played: Stuart Geeves(C), Stefan Sime, Seb Ibarra, Josh Evans, Elliott Barham, Joe Clarke, Ben Wells, Leo Bates, Matt Tring, Conal O’Hara, Jonathan Stamp, Tony Watkins N/A: Steven Sutcliffe, David Powley (Ryan Morrissey has left the team)

1st Half – this was the final game of the season for Colts so it was important for everyone to go flat out and give 100% to complete the season on a positive note. Josh made the first break and laid the ball over for Jon to run, but the SPR keeper was wise to the move and skidded onto the ball to save it. Colts were then caught completely unawares as a SPR player charged through and scored 0-1. However, they responded quickly with a good build up of play. Conal missed, but Joe did a great header on target 1-1. Stuart saved the next shots, Joe got knocked off the ball in front of the goal, Tony tackled well and Leo did a timely tackle and block. Then there was another obstacle as Colts conceded a penalty, which SPR converted successfully to make it 1-2. However, Colts were literally “on the ball” (excuse the pun), working well together to achieve the next equaliser. Josh, Tony and Jon were lively in possession, Elliott and Leo covered well, Stefan produced some good turns, Conal and Matt tackled effectively, Ben used his wing to push the ball up, and Joe took aim as well as getting squashed off the ball by the SPR defence. There was relief when SPR’s next shot went over the bar. Play was evenly balanced. Josh hit a hard shot that rebounded off the bar and Tony hit the re-bound just over! Jon, Matt and Conal also each missed. Stuart saved several tricky shots and Leo covered a lot of ground and did well this week. The defence pushed up together, with Elliott blocking and sending the goal kicks out towards the wings and Ben and Stefan were covering their wings. Josh had the final shot of the half saved by the SPR keeper. This was a much better performance, with all the boys battling. Dale had no complaints at half time other than get the shots on target!

2nd Half – Colts kept play tight at the back. Matt continually charged down the SPR defence. On one attempt, he sent an accurate ball to Elliott who got his foot under it, but it sailed over the bar. It was well worth a try though. SPR then pulled ahead with another good goal 1-3. Play remained even and both sides operated at a fast pace. The difference was that Colts still did not make the most of their chances in the box. (Seb for Joe). Seb made an immediate impact by winning his tackles and linking in with Josh and whoever freed himself of his marker. Stuart kept the SPR shots out, Ben held the defence firm and Matt tackled hard. Jon just missed the target after a wonderful run in. Suddenly, super-sub Seb pushed the ball through to Josh who stayed cool and headed the ball down into the goal 2-3. Two headed goals in one match! Unfortunately, this gain was cancelled out when SPR responded 2-4. Colts again rose to the challenge and fought back for every ball. Conal then won a penalty, which Stuart converted well 3-4. Ben, Elliott and Stefan sent long balls down and Leo covered back. Conal scored the next goal on the rebound from the keeper 4-4. It was like watching a clock pendulum as the attacks switched from end to end. Then SPR won a penalty after the ball caught Conal’s arm, although it had actually already gone over the line for a goal. SPR scored 4-5. It was still possible for Colts to win. Neither side would give up the ball. Josh went on a break, but the ball ran just too long for Matt to toe in. Stefan, Ben, Elliott and Leo all provided good cover. Seb made an impact in midfield with his consistent turns on the ball and feeding through. Alas, SPR whacked in goal no 6. 4-6. The minutes ticked by and watches were checked as Colts tried desperately to respond. Tony had another go, but the SPR keeper made an excellent save for his team. In the last 5 minutes, all the shots came from Colts, including 3 in a row on the final whistle, when Elliott shot just wide, Jon whacked the bar and Seb positively rattled it. Why did the ball smack the bar and come out rather than go down and in? This was real bad luck, although it did end the game with a rush of adrenalin coursing through the veins.

FINAL SCORE: 4-6.

Man of the Match: Everyone.

Post Mortem: This was an excellent match. Everyone played well and gave a polished and much improved performance today. It was a shame to lose and also for it to be the last game of the season, which had promised so much. The boys played today as an effective team, which was how they played before Christmas/at the start of the year when they were top of the table for weeks. However, all in all, it was good to end the season with a creditable performance. There was no individual MOM awarded today because there was no player who was particularly outstanding. Equally, each player had contributed a level of hard work and commitment today, so the MOM was dedicated to Everyone! 3 cheers for Coxheath Colts Under-14S!!! Here endeth the season 2006-07.