Egerton Pumas 8-0 Sandbach Utd
FORGET TONY TIGER, IT’S THE PUMAS THAT ARE GRRRR-EIGHT
Having secured qualification a week earlier, the Pumas were aware that only a big win would be sufficient to put them top of the table on goal difference in the final standings.
The drama of the Panthers game boosted morale and the boys flew out of the traps. The new “all-out attack” formation put Sandbach under an immediate and heavy bombardment. A heat seeking missile corner from Braderz caused chaos and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
The boys could now smell blood and like great white sharks heading towards the beach on a tidal wave of pressure, they would not be denied. Two more goals followed in quick succession.
Perhaps sensing that the job was done, the Pumas backed off in the last 10 minutes of the half and drifted to the break 3-0 up. A packet of Jaffas, a reminder of the task in hand and a prophetic prediction of 5 more goals from the Colonel and we were back underway. In this half there would be no mercy.
Matt, enjoying a quiet morning, did his job with the assurance of a player at the top of his form. He’s had a fine tournament so far.
Tom is growing into a giant defender and he used his size and presence to control the defence single handedly, turning defence into attack whenever possible.
Freddie and Braderz stretched the play from touchline to touchline. Both wingers provided trickery as well as quality delivery into the box. Freddie unluckily hit the frame of the goal and Braderz hit the back of the net from wide positions. Braderz kept up his phenomenal record of scoring in every Albert Steele match so far.
Ben again showed his versatility by playing midfield, attack and then defence. He excelled when asked to switch to attack and grabbed a hat-trick with some well-timed movement in the box.
Isaac, sporting a new look, once again showed that he is a fox in the box and justified his place in the starting line up by weighing in with 2 goals to add to his big assist from last week.
Stan worked as hard as ever despite a nasty knock to the ankle which restricted his movement. The ball just wouldn’t drop for him this time but he will add to his tally before this competition is over.
Jack put in another astonishing shift both in attack and midfield. His work rate drove the team forward. He rounded off another big performance with a goal.
By the end, the Pumas had chalked up their biggest win of the season. It proved to be enough to take them to the top of the table and guarantee a home tie in the quarter finals. On this showing none of the other 7 teams will relish a trip to Mereheath Lane.
Final score Egerton Pumas 8 Sandbach United 0.
Team Matt-Tom-Stan-Bradley-Ben Hen-Isaac-Jack-Freddie
Monday, March 28, 2011
Albert Steele Game 5
Egerton Panthers 1-1 Sandbach Utd
Buckley Fires Panthers into Quarter Finals
The Panthers new before kick off that avoiding defeat would see them through to the knock out stages, the pre match talk all about enjoying yourself aimed at easing the pressure, but when the whistle went for the start of the game, both teams seemed nervous, if anything Sandbach were on top. Simple balls were being miss controlled and possession was given away too easily.
As the half continued the panthers began to find their feet, a cross field ball by Leo picked out Luke in space who sprinted towards the goal, the parents and managers willing the ball to hit the back of the net, however quick tracking back and a cut inside too many resulted in the attack coming to nothing. Sandbach had thier share of possession, testing Ben and Andy at the back, who considering the pressure were dealing really well. Mitch was playing a blinder in net, keeping hold of any shots, talking to his defenders and distributing the ball quickly when necessary. The midfield definitely had their work cut out with both teams refusing to give an inch. Ollie was chasing everything down up front even charging back into his own half to make a tackling before giving out a roar of "come on" to get the team going. The latter stages of the first half saw the Panthers come into their own, however with so much at stake, very little was created in the way of chances. HT 0-0.
The second half seemed to spark the parents and players into life, the clock was ticking down and they desperately wanted to be in the next round and almost started perfectly when Luke found himself in space and smashed a shot goalwards only for it to fly narrowly wide, then the unthinkable then happened. The ball broke to a Sandbach midfielder whose combination of chest then hand controlling the ball went unpunished, he then played a thru ball between our defenders for their striker to run onto and slot under the on rushing Mitch. 0-1. The look of surprise on our parents faces said it all, but following the "Respect" campaign the referee was left to get on with his job. The panthers could have let their heads drop, but they didn't. A change of personnel saw Luke replaced by Adam down the left whose injection of pace seemed to spark the Panthers back to life. Leo was unlucky a few minutes later when his angled effort hit the corner of post and bar which saw the ball cannon off out of play. With the clock ticking down the Panthers had to go for it and Alex was brought on as an extra striker, leaving Ben at the back on his own, it was now all or nothing. With 5 minutes left on the clock a quick thinking throw by Adam saw the ball loop over the Sandbach defence into the path of Leo, who somehow managed to swing his right foot at the ball, the game seemed to turn to slow motion as the keeper dived to his right, defenders blocking the view of where the ball was heading until the corner of the net bulged!!! Cue the mad scenes of celebration, all the Panthers running and jumping on the goal scorer, most notably Mitch who ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the rest of the team, parents and coaching staff equally pleased. 1-1. Now all we had to do was see out the last 4 minutes, captain Ed took up defensive duties as the Panthers reverted back to two defenders. The lads then threw themselves at everything, winning headers/tackles anything to ensure they went through. When the final whistle blew the subs and Pumas steamed onto the pitch and a huge roar went up as the lads celebrated. They had proved they could go behind and come back, showed a never say die attitude in the tensest of occasions and when asked at the end of the game how it felt to score the goal to send your team through to the knock out stages, Leo simply replied "best day of my life" which i think echoed the feeling throughout the squad. FT 1-1. See you all in the quarters.
Team: Mitch-Andy-Ben Has-Luke-Ed-Leo-Ollie-Alex-Adam-Oliver.
Buckley Fires Panthers into Quarter Finals
The Panthers new before kick off that avoiding defeat would see them through to the knock out stages, the pre match talk all about enjoying yourself aimed at easing the pressure, but when the whistle went for the start of the game, both teams seemed nervous, if anything Sandbach were on top. Simple balls were being miss controlled and possession was given away too easily.
As the half continued the panthers began to find their feet, a cross field ball by Leo picked out Luke in space who sprinted towards the goal, the parents and managers willing the ball to hit the back of the net, however quick tracking back and a cut inside too many resulted in the attack coming to nothing. Sandbach had thier share of possession, testing Ben and Andy at the back, who considering the pressure were dealing really well. Mitch was playing a blinder in net, keeping hold of any shots, talking to his defenders and distributing the ball quickly when necessary. The midfield definitely had their work cut out with both teams refusing to give an inch. Ollie was chasing everything down up front even charging back into his own half to make a tackling before giving out a roar of "come on" to get the team going. The latter stages of the first half saw the Panthers come into their own, however with so much at stake, very little was created in the way of chances. HT 0-0.
The second half seemed to spark the parents and players into life, the clock was ticking down and they desperately wanted to be in the next round and almost started perfectly when Luke found himself in space and smashed a shot goalwards only for it to fly narrowly wide, then the unthinkable then happened. The ball broke to a Sandbach midfielder whose combination of chest then hand controlling the ball went unpunished, he then played a thru ball between our defenders for their striker to run onto and slot under the on rushing Mitch. 0-1. The look of surprise on our parents faces said it all, but following the "Respect" campaign the referee was left to get on with his job. The panthers could have let their heads drop, but they didn't. A change of personnel saw Luke replaced by Adam down the left whose injection of pace seemed to spark the Panthers back to life. Leo was unlucky a few minutes later when his angled effort hit the corner of post and bar which saw the ball cannon off out of play. With the clock ticking down the Panthers had to go for it and Alex was brought on as an extra striker, leaving Ben at the back on his own, it was now all or nothing. With 5 minutes left on the clock a quick thinking throw by Adam saw the ball loop over the Sandbach defence into the path of Leo, who somehow managed to swing his right foot at the ball, the game seemed to turn to slow motion as the keeper dived to his right, defenders blocking the view of where the ball was heading until the corner of the net bulged!!! Cue the mad scenes of celebration, all the Panthers running and jumping on the goal scorer, most notably Mitch who ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the rest of the team, parents and coaching staff equally pleased. 1-1. Now all we had to do was see out the last 4 minutes, captain Ed took up defensive duties as the Panthers reverted back to two defenders. The lads then threw themselves at everything, winning headers/tackles anything to ensure they went through. When the final whistle blew the subs and Pumas steamed onto the pitch and a huge roar went up as the lads celebrated. They had proved they could go behind and come back, showed a never say die attitude in the tensest of occasions and when asked at the end of the game how it felt to score the goal to send your team through to the knock out stages, Leo simply replied "best day of my life" which i think echoed the feeling throughout the squad. FT 1-1. See you all in the quarters.
Team: Mitch-Andy-Ben Has-Luke-Ed-Leo-Ollie-Alex-Adam-Oliver.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Albert Steele Game 4
Albert Steele Game 4
Barnton B 0-7 Egerton Panthers
5 Star Oldbury Smashed Barnton
With the memory of the high scoring result from the previous week still in the mind of the Panthers, they set about their work of gaining another three points like a steam train. Adam Lee looked lively early on, running and snapping at the heels of the Barnton midfield, forcing them into mistakes. Early chances fell to lethal predator Ollie Oldbury who was finding his range, testing the keeper with a few half chances that were well saved. It was all Egerton in the opening stages and the break through finally came when a long ball out of defence looped over the Barnton back line, Ollie reacted quickest to race onto the ball and neatly curl it around the on rushing keeper 1-0. The Panthers didn't stop there, the Barnton heads seem to drop and for the second week running Egerton smelt blood and went for the kill. The second came in spectacular fashion, following being awarded a corner, man of the moment Ollie Oldbury took the corner and somehow found the far corner of the net! The look of surprise on everyone's face was quickly followed by cheers and celebration. Defensive due Andy and Ben seemed to be having another quiet morning but still had to be on their guard as the Panthers pushed too far up the field trying to increase the score. A third goal was coming and it did courtesy of the bravery of Adam Lee, Ollie whipped a corner to the far post for Adam to attack and fire into the goal. 3-0. Luke and Alex then replaced Leo and Ollie 5 mins before half time to continue the pressure on the Barnton goal but to no avail as the whistle blew for half time with the score 3-0 HT
The second half started slowly, with the pitch playing its part in a bitty first 5 mins, Ed was his usual outstanding self, finding acres of space in midfield to dictate the play however he saw fit. The re-introduction of Ollie and Leo 12 minutes from time seemed to spark the Panthers back into life, but the main man causing all the problems in the second half was Oliver Howarth, twisting and turning his way down the right wing and firing a few nice crosses toward the penalty spot. The Panthers lead was extended shortly after. Leo found space in the box to get his toe to the ball and poke the ball past the keeper 4-0. Mitch was looking uninterested in goal having spent most of the game as a spectator so was more than happy when asked to play centre mid for the last 10. His snapping tackles were all Barnton needed and he could have had his name on the score sheet had his long range effort been either side of the keeper. The lead was increased shortly after when Leo hit a long range shot which the keeper spilled to ollie to the left of the goal. Finding himself with his back to goal he improvised and back heeled the ball past the keeper 5-0. The game was over as a contest but the Panther kept pushing and were rewarded late on when Ollie found space not once but twice to fire past the keeper and take his tally in the game to 5 and the overall score to 7-0. The boys were pleased with their performance at the final whistle and a few red faces showed that everyone had put a shift in. Avoid defeat in the last group game and its quarter finals here we come. FT 7-0.
Team Mitch-Ben Has-Luke-Leo-Ed-Andy-Adam-Ollie-Oliver-Alex
Barnton A 1-1 Egerton Pumas
Hargreaves Bags Late Leveller
This top of the table clash would indicate who would qualify as winners of the group and both teams looked up for a battle, and a battle it was. Both teams began strongly, Jacko chasing everything down that went near their defence, Bradley and Ben working like animals in midfield, trying to get the passing game going that has seen them win 3 of their last 3 games. The pitch was poor and the Pumas were understandably struggling to zip the ball about, the ball bobbling over divots making it impossible in some cases to know where the ball was heading. Matt had to be in fine form today, making a few telling saves in the first half. Stan was showing some nice turns and was linking with Jacko successfully up front, but everything that was thrown at Barnton was repelled by their towering defender Conner, sticking out a leg here and there when it looked like we might be in on goal. The battle was heating up and a stud on the knee of Bradley seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. You could see by looking at both teams the reason they were deadlocked at the top of green group A, every position filled with talented footballers, none of whom though could break the deadlock before half time 0-0.
With an injury to his knee, Bradley was replaced at half time by Isaac, who helped with what was becoming a tense match. Matt stepped up once again when a neat turn by the Barnton striker saw him through 1 on 1, Matt kept himself big until the last moment before deflecting the ball wide of his outstretched leg, he didn't know much about it, but the best keepers never do. With playmaker Hargreaves off the pitch, Barnton took advantage and following a clever pass in the box, the Barnton striker could do nothing more than slot the ball into the bottom corner 1-0 advantage Barnton. With the clock ticking down and no "fit" players on the bench Bradley chirped up that he wanted to come back on, after making sure he was ok, the gaffer threw him back into the mixer. This looked to re-energise the Pumas and they began to put Barnton under pressure. A long ball from the Pumas defence seemed destined for a goal kick when Isaac somehow managed to race onto it and strike it towards goal from a near impossible angle before it could go out, simply save for the keeper? No, the effort must have caught him by surprise and the ball squirmed underneath him, as the Pumas looked up, racing onto the loose ball was Bradley to tap the ball into an empty net and send the parents into raptures, all the boys celebrating what could prove to be a huge goal in the race for the Albert Steele. Both teams managed to continue the battle for the last couple of minutes but when the final whistle blew everyone who witnessed this tough match were of the same opinion, fair result FT 1-1
Team Matt-Isaac-Tom-Freddie-Bradley-Jack-Ben Hen-Stan.
Barnton B 0-7 Egerton Panthers
5 Star Oldbury Smashed Barnton
With the memory of the high scoring result from the previous week still in the mind of the Panthers, they set about their work of gaining another three points like a steam train. Adam Lee looked lively early on, running and snapping at the heels of the Barnton midfield, forcing them into mistakes. Early chances fell to lethal predator Ollie Oldbury who was finding his range, testing the keeper with a few half chances that were well saved. It was all Egerton in the opening stages and the break through finally came when a long ball out of defence looped over the Barnton back line, Ollie reacted quickest to race onto the ball and neatly curl it around the on rushing keeper 1-0. The Panthers didn't stop there, the Barnton heads seem to drop and for the second week running Egerton smelt blood and went for the kill. The second came in spectacular fashion, following being awarded a corner, man of the moment Ollie Oldbury took the corner and somehow found the far corner of the net! The look of surprise on everyone's face was quickly followed by cheers and celebration. Defensive due Andy and Ben seemed to be having another quiet morning but still had to be on their guard as the Panthers pushed too far up the field trying to increase the score. A third goal was coming and it did courtesy of the bravery of Adam Lee, Ollie whipped a corner to the far post for Adam to attack and fire into the goal. 3-0. Luke and Alex then replaced Leo and Ollie 5 mins before half time to continue the pressure on the Barnton goal but to no avail as the whistle blew for half time with the score 3-0 HT
The second half started slowly, with the pitch playing its part in a bitty first 5 mins, Ed was his usual outstanding self, finding acres of space in midfield to dictate the play however he saw fit. The re-introduction of Ollie and Leo 12 minutes from time seemed to spark the Panthers back into life, but the main man causing all the problems in the second half was Oliver Howarth, twisting and turning his way down the right wing and firing a few nice crosses toward the penalty spot. The Panthers lead was extended shortly after. Leo found space in the box to get his toe to the ball and poke the ball past the keeper 4-0. Mitch was looking uninterested in goal having spent most of the game as a spectator so was more than happy when asked to play centre mid for the last 10. His snapping tackles were all Barnton needed and he could have had his name on the score sheet had his long range effort been either side of the keeper. The lead was increased shortly after when Leo hit a long range shot which the keeper spilled to ollie to the left of the goal. Finding himself with his back to goal he improvised and back heeled the ball past the keeper 5-0. The game was over as a contest but the Panther kept pushing and were rewarded late on when Ollie found space not once but twice to fire past the keeper and take his tally in the game to 5 and the overall score to 7-0. The boys were pleased with their performance at the final whistle and a few red faces showed that everyone had put a shift in. Avoid defeat in the last group game and its quarter finals here we come. FT 7-0.
Team Mitch-Ben Has-Luke-Leo-Ed-Andy-Adam-Ollie-Oliver-Alex
Barnton A 1-1 Egerton Pumas
Hargreaves Bags Late Leveller
This top of the table clash would indicate who would qualify as winners of the group and both teams looked up for a battle, and a battle it was. Both teams began strongly, Jacko chasing everything down that went near their defence, Bradley and Ben working like animals in midfield, trying to get the passing game going that has seen them win 3 of their last 3 games. The pitch was poor and the Pumas were understandably struggling to zip the ball about, the ball bobbling over divots making it impossible in some cases to know where the ball was heading. Matt had to be in fine form today, making a few telling saves in the first half. Stan was showing some nice turns and was linking with Jacko successfully up front, but everything that was thrown at Barnton was repelled by their towering defender Conner, sticking out a leg here and there when it looked like we might be in on goal. The battle was heating up and a stud on the knee of Bradley seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. You could see by looking at both teams the reason they were deadlocked at the top of green group A, every position filled with talented footballers, none of whom though could break the deadlock before half time 0-0.
With an injury to his knee, Bradley was replaced at half time by Isaac, who helped with what was becoming a tense match. Matt stepped up once again when a neat turn by the Barnton striker saw him through 1 on 1, Matt kept himself big until the last moment before deflecting the ball wide of his outstretched leg, he didn't know much about it, but the best keepers never do. With playmaker Hargreaves off the pitch, Barnton took advantage and following a clever pass in the box, the Barnton striker could do nothing more than slot the ball into the bottom corner 1-0 advantage Barnton. With the clock ticking down and no "fit" players on the bench Bradley chirped up that he wanted to come back on, after making sure he was ok, the gaffer threw him back into the mixer. This looked to re-energise the Pumas and they began to put Barnton under pressure. A long ball from the Pumas defence seemed destined for a goal kick when Isaac somehow managed to race onto it and strike it towards goal from a near impossible angle before it could go out, simply save for the keeper? No, the effort must have caught him by surprise and the ball squirmed underneath him, as the Pumas looked up, racing onto the loose ball was Bradley to tap the ball into an empty net and send the parents into raptures, all the boys celebrating what could prove to be a huge goal in the race for the Albert Steele. Both teams managed to continue the battle for the last couple of minutes but when the final whistle blew everyone who witnessed this tough match were of the same opinion, fair result FT 1-1
Team Matt-Isaac-Tom-Freddie-Bradley-Jack-Ben Hen-Stan.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Grappenhall v Egerton 12/3/2011
Grappenhall B 2-8 Egerton Panthers
Franklin and Co Hammer Grappenhall
Near perfect conditions greeted Egerton on their arrival at Grappenhall and a change in formation saw the Panthers opt for an all out attack philosophy, with them looking to bounce back from the previous weekends uncommon result. Alex was drafted in as a second striker whilst the manager opted for Ben to hold the fort on his own in defence. From the first whilst, the Panthers threw everything at Grappenhall and almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Ollie's shot was well saved by their keeper. The barrage of shots kept coming with the keeper saving well from both Leo and Alex. How long could Grappenhall hold out?
The deadlock was finally broken on 5 minutes when Ollie saw an opportunity and took it, poking the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0. They smelt blood and continued to attack in waves, putting together some neat passing moves combined with fine individual skill. The second came courtesy of the same player, running onto a fine through ball by Ed, Ollie slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 2-0. The 3rd came moments later and was a goal straight from the training ground; following being awarded a corner, Luke signalled to play it short, Leo received it and laid a return ball into his path for Luke to run onto and smash past the keeper from the edge of the area, great move, great goal. 3-0. It should have been 4-0 minutes later but somehow the Grappenhall keeper managed to save four point blank shots. Grappenhall were putting the Panthers under very little pressure, so it came as a surprise when they pegged a goal back, a fumbled catch by Mitch fell to the feet of their striker who rolled the ball into the back of the net. 3-1. This seemed to have no effect on the Panthers confidence and they soon extended their lead when Ed smashed home a volley from a corner to make it 4-1. With the half time whistle about to go, Ollie found himself in space in the box to crash home the 5th and earn himself a hatrick. HT 5-1.
The second half saw the introduction of Andy, taking up the sweeper role that Ben had successfully commanded in the first half. Within a few minutes, he was on the score sheet, Luke laid the ball back to him 20 yards out for him to hammer home a screamer that almost burst the net, take a bow son....take a bow!! The panthers then began to play as individuals, forgetting the passing game the team was built on, resulting in a few frustrated shouts of "you need to release it & pass the ball quicker" from the sidelines. With everyone pushing up, trying to get their name on the score sheet, Grappenhall broke and slotted a well placed shot past an on rushing Mitch. 6-2. Order was restored moments later when Leo managed to stumble his way into the box after a good run, before smashing a shot across the keeper into the bottom corner 7-2. He could have had a second moments later but his shot came back off the post. The Panthers weren't finished there as Andy pushed up front to find space to turn and strike the ball past the keeper 8-2. Mitch fancied a goal and came rushing out of his net to sprint the full length of the pitch for a corner only for him to narrowly miss the ball as it was swung in. When the final whistle blew, the Panthers had increased their goal difference and regained second spot in the league, however had it not been for a great display by their keeper and the post saving them 4 times, the Panthers could have had a hatful more. FT 8-2.
Team: Mitch-Ben Has-Andy-Luke-Leo-Ed-Ollie-Adam-Oliver-Alex
Grappenhall A 0-5 Egerton Pumas
Pumas March On
Having witnessed the previous game, the Pumas were eager to get going and build on the performance displayed by the Panthers. With the wind in their faces, the Pumas struggled to settle, taking time to get their passing game going. Some energetic closing down by Jack stopped Grappenhall from settling as the Pumas began to find their feet. Both keepers seemed relatively quiet in the opening stages as the midfield battled it out. The Pumas were rewarded for their hard work when a shot from Jack went through the legs of the keeper "a la" Suarez, rolled across the line to be tapped home by Bradley 1-0, the deadlock was broken!
The pumas began to build on their lead and started to dominate possession without really threatening the goal, the wind playing a major part in the lack of chances. Ben was battling away in midfield and a few nice touches from Stan had the Grappenhall defence on their heels. Having been away on a school trip the previous week, questions were asked before the game about Tom's fitness, but on today's performance you would never have known as he held the back line and distributed the ball accurately to the midfield, the always running Freddie helping him with his defensive duties.
The second half couldn't come quick enough and a murmur from assistant Jim of "we'll batter these second half" was about to come true HT 1-0.
With the wind now behind them the Pumas came flying out of the traps, playing some great football on their way to increasing their lead. Jacko found space in the box to turn and shoot, his shot cannoned of a defender, sending the keeper the wrong way and into the back of the net 2-0. The introduction of battering ram Isaac began to put more pressure on the Grappenhall defence and his hard work paid off when he slotted home, 3-0. That lead was to be extended further when Ben, from an impossible angle, somehow managed to hit a shot at goal. This seemed to catch the keeper off guard as he seemed to slap the ball into his own net. Ben seemed more surprised than anyone he'd scored but they all count 4-0. Bradley was his usual tricky self, a quick turn and flick saw the ball roll through a defenders legs, the shout of "megs" from the sideline brought a smile to his face. That smile was almost made bigger when he struck a free kick towards the top corner, only for it to be well saved by the keeper. Matt was in equally good form at the other end, keeping out anything the grappenhall strike force could throw at him. The Pumas would extend there lead late on when ben found room to shoot and beat the keeper to make it 5-0. At the final whistle, the pumas almost broke into smiles as they maintained their 100% record in the Albert Steele and remain in the qualifying places. FT 5-0.
Team Matt-Brad-Tom-Freddie-Stan-Isaac-Ben Hen-Jack
Franklin and Co Hammer Grappenhall
Near perfect conditions greeted Egerton on their arrival at Grappenhall and a change in formation saw the Panthers opt for an all out attack philosophy, with them looking to bounce back from the previous weekends uncommon result. Alex was drafted in as a second striker whilst the manager opted for Ben to hold the fort on his own in defence. From the first whilst, the Panthers threw everything at Grappenhall and almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Ollie's shot was well saved by their keeper. The barrage of shots kept coming with the keeper saving well from both Leo and Alex. How long could Grappenhall hold out?
The deadlock was finally broken on 5 minutes when Ollie saw an opportunity and took it, poking the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0. They smelt blood and continued to attack in waves, putting together some neat passing moves combined with fine individual skill. The second came courtesy of the same player, running onto a fine through ball by Ed, Ollie slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 2-0. The 3rd came moments later and was a goal straight from the training ground; following being awarded a corner, Luke signalled to play it short, Leo received it and laid a return ball into his path for Luke to run onto and smash past the keeper from the edge of the area, great move, great goal. 3-0. It should have been 4-0 minutes later but somehow the Grappenhall keeper managed to save four point blank shots. Grappenhall were putting the Panthers under very little pressure, so it came as a surprise when they pegged a goal back, a fumbled catch by Mitch fell to the feet of their striker who rolled the ball into the back of the net. 3-1. This seemed to have no effect on the Panthers confidence and they soon extended their lead when Ed smashed home a volley from a corner to make it 4-1. With the half time whistle about to go, Ollie found himself in space in the box to crash home the 5th and earn himself a hatrick. HT 5-1.
The second half saw the introduction of Andy, taking up the sweeper role that Ben had successfully commanded in the first half. Within a few minutes, he was on the score sheet, Luke laid the ball back to him 20 yards out for him to hammer home a screamer that almost burst the net, take a bow son....take a bow!! The panthers then began to play as individuals, forgetting the passing game the team was built on, resulting in a few frustrated shouts of "you need to release it & pass the ball quicker" from the sidelines. With everyone pushing up, trying to get their name on the score sheet, Grappenhall broke and slotted a well placed shot past an on rushing Mitch. 6-2. Order was restored moments later when Leo managed to stumble his way into the box after a good run, before smashing a shot across the keeper into the bottom corner 7-2. He could have had a second moments later but his shot came back off the post. The Panthers weren't finished there as Andy pushed up front to find space to turn and strike the ball past the keeper 8-2. Mitch fancied a goal and came rushing out of his net to sprint the full length of the pitch for a corner only for him to narrowly miss the ball as it was swung in. When the final whistle blew, the Panthers had increased their goal difference and regained second spot in the league, however had it not been for a great display by their keeper and the post saving them 4 times, the Panthers could have had a hatful more. FT 8-2.
Team: Mitch-Ben Has-Andy-Luke-Leo-Ed-Ollie-Adam-Oliver-Alex
Grappenhall A 0-5 Egerton Pumas
Pumas March On
Having witnessed the previous game, the Pumas were eager to get going and build on the performance displayed by the Panthers. With the wind in their faces, the Pumas struggled to settle, taking time to get their passing game going. Some energetic closing down by Jack stopped Grappenhall from settling as the Pumas began to find their feet. Both keepers seemed relatively quiet in the opening stages as the midfield battled it out. The Pumas were rewarded for their hard work when a shot from Jack went through the legs of the keeper "a la" Suarez, rolled across the line to be tapped home by Bradley 1-0, the deadlock was broken!
The pumas began to build on their lead and started to dominate possession without really threatening the goal, the wind playing a major part in the lack of chances. Ben was battling away in midfield and a few nice touches from Stan had the Grappenhall defence on their heels. Having been away on a school trip the previous week, questions were asked before the game about Tom's fitness, but on today's performance you would never have known as he held the back line and distributed the ball accurately to the midfield, the always running Freddie helping him with his defensive duties.
The second half couldn't come quick enough and a murmur from assistant Jim of "we'll batter these second half" was about to come true HT 1-0.
With the wind now behind them the Pumas came flying out of the traps, playing some great football on their way to increasing their lead. Jacko found space in the box to turn and shoot, his shot cannoned of a defender, sending the keeper the wrong way and into the back of the net 2-0. The introduction of battering ram Isaac began to put more pressure on the Grappenhall defence and his hard work paid off when he slotted home, 3-0. That lead was to be extended further when Ben, from an impossible angle, somehow managed to hit a shot at goal. This seemed to catch the keeper off guard as he seemed to slap the ball into his own net. Ben seemed more surprised than anyone he'd scored but they all count 4-0. Bradley was his usual tricky self, a quick turn and flick saw the ball roll through a defenders legs, the shout of "megs" from the sideline brought a smile to his face. That smile was almost made bigger when he struck a free kick towards the top corner, only for it to be well saved by the keeper. Matt was in equally good form at the other end, keeping out anything the grappenhall strike force could throw at him. The Pumas would extend there lead late on when ben found room to shoot and beat the keeper to make it 5-0. At the final whistle, the pumas almost broke into smiles as they maintained their 100% record in the Albert Steele and remain in the qualifying places. FT 5-0.
Team Matt-Brad-Tom-Freddie-Stan-Isaac-Ben Hen-Jack
Monday, March 7, 2011
Egerton Vs Hartford
Albert Steele Game 2
Egerton Panthers 0-3 Hartford Boys A
Panthers fail to convert possession into goals
This was billed as a top of the table clash following wins for both teams in the first round of games in the Albert Steele. The Panthers seemed to settle quicker and an early opportunity could have been pounced on after a strong run by Luke down the right, only for his through ball to be intercepted. The panthers began to keep the ball well, but the tactics of Hartford of sit deep and hit the panthers on the break was putting defensive duo Andy and Ben under pressure, however both seemed in dominant mood and powerful clearing headers were dispelling everything Hartford through at them. Both teams were battling hard in midfield, with the majority of possession being with the panthers. They could have been 1-0 up mid way through the first half but Leo failed to connect with an in-swinging corner. Hartford then scored against the run of play, they floated a corner over, which was punched clear by Mitch, only for him to see the ball hit the Hartford striker and bounce into the net. 0-1. The Panthers didn't let their heads drop and continued to press for an equaliser until an uncharacteristic miss placed pass by Leo saw the Hartford striker run onto the ball, having caught the defence flat footed, he raced through to slot the ball past Mitch 0-2. The Panthers continued to battle but couldn't pull one back before half time. HT 0-2.
The second half saw the panthers start strongly, keeping hold of the ball well, with captain Ed Franklin all over the pitch, but once again failed to capitalise on all the possession they had. The game began to get bitty with neither side creating chances so changes were made, with the introduction of Ollie, Alex and Adam to see if they could spark the Panthers into clawing a goal back. Ollie made some great runs down the right, having replaced Luke, but once again they failed to turn the opportunities into goal. A half chance fell to Leo just inside the area, but his powerful shot hit the side netting.
Hartford then put the game to bed, with a flowing move that ended with a great finish that Mitch could do nothing about.
The game then became scrappy with both sides losing possession as the clock ticked down. As the ref blew the final whistle, the look on the Panthers faces showed how disappointed they were, but there is always next week boys and as history proves, we always bounce back. FT 0-3.
Egerton Pumas 4-1 Hartford Boys B
Pumas march on after comfortable win
The Pumas started this game in confident mood, looking to build on the hard fought victory over Tytherington in the first game of the cup. They flew out of the traps, breaking up any Hartford attacks and playing some great passes of their own. Jack was his usual all action self, chasing down defenders and making them feel uneasy. It seemed it was only a matter of time before an opening goal came and with 10 minutes gone it arrived courtesy of a back heel flick from Bradley. Stan whipped in the cross for the Bradster to stick out a shiny orange boot and flick past the keeper, the hands cupped to his ears celebration said it all. 1-0. The Pumas continued to dominate, Ben seemed to be controlling the centre of the park comfortably, spreading and switching the play when necessary. The second goal came just before half time and was thanks to the hard work and battling of Isaac, his persistence in his own box disposed their striker, looking up he had acres of room in front of him down the right hand side, he ran 40 yards before playing a through ball to Jack who raced onto, put the keeper under pressure who somehow fumbled to the feet of Jack for him to roll the ball into the empty net 2-0 HT.
The second half got off to a flyer, with only a couple of minutes on the clock, Stan picked the ball up on the edge of the box, looked up and saw Ben steaming in, he rolled the ball into his path for Ben to smash the ball into the back of the net 3-0 great goal. As in the first game, this game then became bitty, few chances were created as the Pumas seemed to take their foot of the gas instead of trying to increase the goal difference. This resulted in a shock goal, Hartford managed to put a good move together before slotting the ball past Matt 3-1. This seemed to breath life into the Hartford team as they pressed for a second, however Ben had other ideas as he met a corner with the full force of his head to slam the ball past the Hartford keeper 4-1.
The remaining minutes saw few chances and when the final whistle blew there were oddly no celebrations from the Pumas on a well deserved victory, maybe they thought they could have scored more but they will be happy knowing they remain in the top two in the league. FT 4-1.
Egerton Panthers 0-3 Hartford Boys A
Panthers fail to convert possession into goals
This was billed as a top of the table clash following wins for both teams in the first round of games in the Albert Steele. The Panthers seemed to settle quicker and an early opportunity could have been pounced on after a strong run by Luke down the right, only for his through ball to be intercepted. The panthers began to keep the ball well, but the tactics of Hartford of sit deep and hit the panthers on the break was putting defensive duo Andy and Ben under pressure, however both seemed in dominant mood and powerful clearing headers were dispelling everything Hartford through at them. Both teams were battling hard in midfield, with the majority of possession being with the panthers. They could have been 1-0 up mid way through the first half but Leo failed to connect with an in-swinging corner. Hartford then scored against the run of play, they floated a corner over, which was punched clear by Mitch, only for him to see the ball hit the Hartford striker and bounce into the net. 0-1. The Panthers didn't let their heads drop and continued to press for an equaliser until an uncharacteristic miss placed pass by Leo saw the Hartford striker run onto the ball, having caught the defence flat footed, he raced through to slot the ball past Mitch 0-2. The Panthers continued to battle but couldn't pull one back before half time. HT 0-2.
The second half saw the panthers start strongly, keeping hold of the ball well, with captain Ed Franklin all over the pitch, but once again failed to capitalise on all the possession they had. The game began to get bitty with neither side creating chances so changes were made, with the introduction of Ollie, Alex and Adam to see if they could spark the Panthers into clawing a goal back. Ollie made some great runs down the right, having replaced Luke, but once again they failed to turn the opportunities into goal. A half chance fell to Leo just inside the area, but his powerful shot hit the side netting.
Hartford then put the game to bed, with a flowing move that ended with a great finish that Mitch could do nothing about.
The game then became scrappy with both sides losing possession as the clock ticked down. As the ref blew the final whistle, the look on the Panthers faces showed how disappointed they were, but there is always next week boys and as history proves, we always bounce back. FT 0-3.
Egerton Pumas 4-1 Hartford Boys B
Pumas march on after comfortable win
The Pumas started this game in confident mood, looking to build on the hard fought victory over Tytherington in the first game of the cup. They flew out of the traps, breaking up any Hartford attacks and playing some great passes of their own. Jack was his usual all action self, chasing down defenders and making them feel uneasy. It seemed it was only a matter of time before an opening goal came and with 10 minutes gone it arrived courtesy of a back heel flick from Bradley. Stan whipped in the cross for the Bradster to stick out a shiny orange boot and flick past the keeper, the hands cupped to his ears celebration said it all. 1-0. The Pumas continued to dominate, Ben seemed to be controlling the centre of the park comfortably, spreading and switching the play when necessary. The second goal came just before half time and was thanks to the hard work and battling of Isaac, his persistence in his own box disposed their striker, looking up he had acres of room in front of him down the right hand side, he ran 40 yards before playing a through ball to Jack who raced onto, put the keeper under pressure who somehow fumbled to the feet of Jack for him to roll the ball into the empty net 2-0 HT.
The second half got off to a flyer, with only a couple of minutes on the clock, Stan picked the ball up on the edge of the box, looked up and saw Ben steaming in, he rolled the ball into his path for Ben to smash the ball into the back of the net 3-0 great goal. As in the first game, this game then became bitty, few chances were created as the Pumas seemed to take their foot of the gas instead of trying to increase the goal difference. This resulted in a shock goal, Hartford managed to put a good move together before slotting the ball past Matt 3-1. This seemed to breath life into the Hartford team as they pressed for a second, however Ben had other ideas as he met a corner with the full force of his head to slam the ball past the Hartford keeper 4-1.
The remaining minutes saw few chances and when the final whistle blew there were oddly no celebrations from the Pumas on a well deserved victory, maybe they thought they could have scored more but they will be happy knowing they remain in the top two in the league. FT 4-1.
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