Team Profile, Information and Match reports 14/15

Under 7’s Reds

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Managers Profile:

Name: Justin Carl

How long have you been involved with Pennine Juniors?

2 years

How long have you been managing a team?

Since the summer, 2014

What is your football background?

Diehard City fan and devoted to grass roots football

What do you find challenging when managing a team?

Not kicking every ball myself!

What do you like most about managing a team?

Seeing the kids enjoy the camaraderie and teamwork

What has been your funniest/best/most memorable moment?

Our first match. 3-3 with just 4 players against a team of 5 with 5 subs. Utter commitment and some

great passing and movement. It will be hard to beat!

Describe your team:

They love to pass and are totally uncompromising

What are you focusing on in training at the moment?

Passing and movement off the ball. And a bit of concentration!

Tell us about your best game to date and why it was the best:

As above!

What advice/tips would you give to young, up and coming footballers?

Play, enjoy, listen to the coaches, and enjoy more!

Contact details: justincarl@hotmail.co.uk

07919 556896

Training times and details: Fridays Cardinal Langley, 6.30

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Results at a glance: Pennine Juniors Under 7’s Reds 2014 / 2015 Season W 9 D 2 L 4

Date

Home Away Scorers MOM

06.09.14 Walshaw 3 Pennine Reds 3 George Carl; Zac O’Reilly (2); Zac O’Reilly

14.09.14 Chadderton Phoenix 1 Pennine Reds 5 Zac O’Rielly (2); Fin Young; Devon Bradburn(2)

Adam Sanderson

20.09.14 Pennine Reds 2 Bridge Hawks 0 Fin Young (2) Fin Young

27.09.14 Chadderton Lions 7 Pennine Reds 3 Zac O’Reilly; Devon Bradburn; Fin Young

George Carl

04.10.14 Unsworth 2 Pennine Reds 3 Fin Young (2); Devon Bradburn

Devon Bradburn

11.10.14 Pennine Reds 6 Ramsbottom Merinos

2 Devon Bradburn (3); Fin Young; Zak O’Reilly; George Carl

Devon Bradburn

18.10.14 Pennine Reds 0 Radcliffe Borough Aces

8 George Carl

25.10.14 Pennine Reds 2 Rossendale Valley Tigers

7 Adam Sanderson; Devon Bradburn

Fin Young

01.11.14 Cheetham Hill 3 Pennine Reds 4 Adam Sanderson (2), Devon Bradburn, Zac O’Reilly

Adam Sanderson

15.11.14 Bridge Hawks 2 Pennine Reds 2 Fin Young; Adam Sanderson Adam Sanderson

29.11.14 Littleborough Yellows 0 Pennine Reds 3 Arrun Hamid, Fin Young, Devon Bradburn

Arrun Hamid

02.12.15 Pennine Reds 12 Woodbank Blacks 4 Devon Bradburn (3); George Carl (3); Adam Sanderson (3); Fin Young; Zak O’Reilly; Oli Kirkby (2)

George Carl

10.01.15 Milnrow Juniors 17 Pennine Reds 7 George Carl (4); Brogan; Zak O’Reilly; Devon Bradburn

Devon Bradburn

11.01.15 Pennine Reds 8 Walshaw Jaguars 2 Adam Sanderson (5); Brogan; Fin Young; Arrun Hamid

Adam Sanderson

31.01.15 Bury Amateurs 3 Pennine Reds 4 Devon Bradburn (2); Zak O’Reilly (2)

Zak O’Reilly

07.02.15 Prestwich Marauders Hawks

4 Pennine Reds 4 Devon Bradburn (3); Zak O’Reilly

Brogan Brierley

21.02.15 Pennine Reds 9 Walshaw Sports Club 5 Devon Bradburn (4); Brogan Brierley; Adam Sanderson (4)

Fin Young

28.02.15 Pennine Reds 3 Rossendale Valley Tigers

3 Zak O’Reilly, Devon Bradburn, Own Goal

George Carl

07.03.15 Pennine Reds 1 Woodbank Reds 8 Adam Sanderson Adam Sanderson

14.03.14 Chadderton Lions 4 Pennine Reds 1 Brogan Brierley Brogan Brierley

21.03.15 Pennine Reds 5 Radcliffe Juniors 2 Devon Bradburn; Adam Sanderson (2); Zak O’Reilly; Fin Young

Arrun Hamid

28.03.14 Pennine Blacks 6 Pennine Reds 2 Devon Bradburn (2) Devon Bradburn

18.04.15 Pennine Reds 4 Prestwich Marauder Hawks

2 Devon Bradburn; Fin Young; Brogan Brierley; Zak O’Reilly

George Carl

25.04.15 Pennine Reds 7 Prestwich Marauder Hawks

3 Zak O’Reilly (4); Devon Bradburn (3)

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Goal Scorers Man Of The Match Awards

Fin Young 13 Fin Young 3

Adam Sanderson 19 Adam Sanderson 5

Zac O’Reilly 19 Zac O’Reilly 3

George Carl 9 George Carl 5

Devon Bradburn 31 Devon Bradburn 4

Arrun Hamid 2 Arrun Hamid 2

Brogan Brierley 5 Brogan Brierley 2

Match reports: Opponent: Walshaw Sports Club Date: 6th Sept 2014 Venue: Away Result: 3-3 Match report: The day promised to be a challenge. With just 4 players, Zac O’Reilly, Adam Sanderson, Devon

Bradburn and George Carl we were always going to be underdogs in a 5 a side match!

Walshaw SC were very welcoming. We could not help notice that they had 10 players to choose

from and the Manager made a point of informing me 3 were on Premiership Club books.

However you cannot bet against an underdog. And it quickly became apparent that the Pennine

boys were not in any way worried about being outnumbered and took the game by the scruff of the

neck with Devon and Zac running the Walshaw defence ragged with superb skills and some very

clever passing. George did what he does best and ensured that we were defensively sound and a few

marauding runs (like a small, blond YaYa Toure). Vitally Adam performed heroics in goal, keeping out

some sharp shooting and made sure a succession of corners were all handled perfectly. He also

made a superb sweeper when needed.

Soon Pennine took the lead, George prodded it towards goal and it agonisingly crept over the line

after a Walshaw player only helped it on its way in. 1-0. Happy days.

Inevitably the extra boy counted and Walshaw drew level but Pennines response was swift with Zac

prodding in after another great run from him and Devon kept the Walshaw players pinned back.

They could not cope with our high energy and determination. Walshaw had some quality and scored

an excellent 2nd to draw level just before half time.

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The Pennine boys started the 2nd half like they started the first (except George was now

keeper/sweeper and Adam was patrolling defence like an energetic Pablo Zabaleta!), full of energy

and great passing moves. It soon paid off with a stunning 3rd from Zac from fully 12 yards. It was now

a game of attrition as Walshaw were making 4 substitutions at a time, nonetheless the Pennine boys

kept running. Devon had to go into goal after picking up an injury with 5 minutes remaining; he had

run himself into the ground. The whole team were defending now as fatigue set in but they looked

solid. With 30 seconds to go Walshaw attacked down the right and Adam made what seemed like a

great tackle but the referee blew for a penalty that was despatched. 3-3. The final whistle blew

almost immediately.

The great thing is the team were not down hearted. They knew they had played brilliantly as a team

and had really enjoyed it. The best praise came from the Walshaw Manager and Coaches (proper

gents), they were glad we only had 4 players!

The whole team were fantastic. Man of the match is hard to pick after such heroics but Zac was

fabulous, scored 2 and just kept running and running and was never overawed by players who, in

most cases were older and far bigger so well done Zac O’Reilly. The best of a brilliant bunch!

Opponent: Chadderton Date: 11th Sept 2014 Venue: Away Result: Won 1-5 Match report: A second away match to start the season. This week at Chadderton. The good news is we had a full

team to put out now Finlay Young had returned from holiday.

We started the match, on a pitch with grass well over the boy’s ankles, oddly the unused pitch next

to us was mowed, marked out but used for practice! Nonetheless with Adam Sanderson in goals for

the first half, in front of him we played our diamond formation with George Carl at the back, Devon

Bradburn on the right, Zac O’Reilly patrolling the left and Fin Young up front.

The first half was tight with both teams seeing good chances cleared off the line and posts saving the

day. Adam once again was superb in goal, making two great saves, just before half time Pennine

pressure told and Zac prodded in, and Fin quickly following up with a second. The second half saw

Fin drop into goals and Adam replace George in defence with George moving out to the right.

The 3rd goal was a peach. George broke up a Chadderton attack and found Devon with a short pass.

Devon took it on, beating another flying tackle and passed to Adam on the right. He played a superb

ball to Zac whose shot was unstoppable. 3-0. 4 goals in 2 games for our left footed midfield maestro

Zac was a decent return, especially on a pitch where passes often fell short due to the length of the

grass.

Devon quickly added a fourth before Chadderton pulled one back to the relief of their Manager

before Pennine wrapped it up with a 5th from Devon.

A great result after last week’s heroics with just 4 players and if we can get the lads improving the

accuracy of their passing the formation and commitment bodes well.

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Man of the match went to Adam after his brilliant display between the sticks, great running in the

second half and in particular for the great pass setting up the 3rd.

Opponent: Bridge Hawks Date: 20th Sept 2014 Venue: Home Result: Won 2-0 Match report: Our first home match was against Bridge Hawks, by far the biggest team we have come up against.

We started with a full squad of Adam Sanderson, George Carl, Zac O’Reilly, Devon Bradburn and our

newest recruit, Arrun Hamid. We had agreed that our focus was going to be all about team work,

movement off the ball, positional sense and as always, utter commitment.

Straight from kick off the teams the Pennine boys showed they had taken on board all we had

agreed with George immediately making a great tackle and surging forward before a passing to

Devon for our first effort. Nonetheless, Bridge were a solid team and there were some strong tackles

all over the pitch. The great news is the boys took it all in their stride and 8 minutes in got their

reward. Zac made a neat pass into Fin, playing up front in our now familiar diamond formation, and

he expertly despatched our first goal.

Bridge almost hit back immediately with a shot from their useful No7 into the side netting.

Undeterred, the Pennine boys kept passing it and Devon almost added a second after a great run

down the right.

The pressure on Bridge was mounting and Zac won a free kick on the left. He took it himself and his

expertly crafted left foot out swinger was hit by Fin with a wicked right foot shot that flew into the

net. 2-0 and some wild celebrations from the Pennine boys.

The 2nd half saw Arrun take up defensive duties, Zac into goal and George moving into midfield with

Adam and Fin leading the attack.

Arrun’s positional sense really snuffed out much of Bridges attacking threat and George was making

some barnstorming runs down the right and was twice through on goal only to be thwarted by some

heroic last ditch tackles from the Bridge No7.

Bridge, with more substitutes, were gradually clawing their way back into the game but they had not

reckoned on Zac, not the tallest player on the pitch, being an absolute rock between the

sticks with several crucial saves. He, and the post, managed to keep Bridge at bay.

The last ten minutes saw Fin rested and Devon moved up front, his energy, backed up by great runs

from Adam and George and Arrun snuffing out most threats meant Pennine finished the match the

stronger of the two teams. George was close to adding a 3rd after another surging run, only to be

tackled by the Bridge No7 just as he was about to shoot!

A great display all round and played with a smile on their faces. Arrun fitted in like he had been

playing with the team for months; Fin scored two great goals; Devon was everywhere and really

unselfish, as always; Adam was once again assured in goal in the first half and a rock in defence in

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the 2nd; George had a superb game in both defence and on the right and finally Zac was awesome

as a goalkeeper and terrorised their defence on the left on the 1st half.

Man of the match was a tough decision, but because of his 2 goals and disciplined performance Fin

took the award. Well done boys.

Opponent: Chadderton Lions Date: 27th Sept 2014 Venue: Away Result: Lost 7-3 Match report:

Back to Chadderton for the 2nd time in 3 weeks for our first early kick off. Again we had a full team

and our starting line-up saw Arrun Hamid in goal, Adam Sanderson defending aided by George Carl

on the right and Zac O’Reilly out left and Fin Young up front. The omens were not necessarily good,

with Zac stopping a pile driver from George in the warm up. With his face.

Nonetheless the boys started strongly with Fin darted onto a pass from George only to be fouled in

the box. Penalty! Zac stepped up and hammered it home with his cultured left foot.

However the early start seemed to affect some of the boys at times and despite trying to pass our

way out of trouble at the back we only managed to quickly concede an equalizer. Without falling

into football cliché’s, a hoof into row z might have been the best solution!

The Chadderton boys, although not full of sick passing (like Pennine), were certainly big, strong, well

organised and had at least 4 players who had the ability to hit a ball from distance with real venom

and they soon took the ascendancy with 4 quick goals. Half time could not come soon enough with

the score at 5-1.

Again, avoiding all those over used and dull cliché’s, this was a game of two halves. Arrun took up

defensive duties with Adam dropping into goal, George continued out on the right supporting Devon

and Fin up front.

Arrun broke up another Chadderton attack superbly, fed the ball to George, who, continuing the

good form shown last week took it forward, passed to Devon who was through on goal before being

hacked down in the box. Devon dusted himself down and hammered home the resulting penalty to

make it 5-2.

All of a sudden the Pennine boys were on top and after another great run from Devon, George kept

the ball alive in the Chadderton penalty area and Fin, always with a striker’s eye for goal, scrambled

it in for his 4th goal in 3 games. 5-3 and game on. No clichés here!

Adam was once again superb in goal, keeping out a stinging shot from the left with a save Joe Hart

would be proud of. From the resulting corner Chadderton managed to scramble the ball in and 5

minutes before the final whistle they scored a 7th as the Pennine boys looked a little tired.

Nonetheless they had by far the better of the second half, Adam was superb in goal, Arrun read the

game like Vincent Kompany, Devon and Zac were always a threat with the ball at their feet and Fin

was always looking for goal. Man of the match George was the standout player today, he kept a cool

head, kept running at Chadderton and made sure he never neglected his defensive duties.

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If football is a metaphor for life then this was a good lesson for us all after the superb start to the

season. You cannot win them all and its early days in a long season.

Good job we haven’t fallen into any clichéd football speak!

Opponent: Unsworth Date: 4th October 2014 Venue: Away Result: Won 2-3 Match report:

A noun that sums up this group of boys:

Teamwork: Cooperation; collaboration; unity; harmony; fellowship.

An adjective that perfectly describes their approach:

Uncompromising: Decided; firm; tough; stubborn; die-hard; inexorable; steadfast; unyielding;

relentless.

We were again away and the rain was teeming down, the pitch was a bit boggy and the grass was

too long. The opposition were the biggest set of U7’s we’d ever seen. Just the sort of conditions this

team of lions seem to relish!

With our regular line-up of Adam Sanderson in goal, George Carl in defence/midfield, Arrun Hamid in

defence (he was sub at kick off), Zac O’Reilly out left, Devon Bradburn out right and Fin Young up

front we started the game with some excellent passing and dribbling. The huge Unsworth team,

although physically strong, were immediately pressed back into defensive duties.

Five minutes in George Carl tackled their centre forward, turned a challenge and passed a great ball

fully 20 yards to Fin. Fin, by far the smallest player on the pitch, but as usual, brave as a lion, skipped

a challenge and shot in. 1-0. The perfect start.

Shortly afterwards Zac made a great run (the first of many), down the left, passed to Devon and he

popped in the second.

After 10 minutes, George was substituted (after once again calmly patrolling defence) and Arrun

came on. At the same time Unsworth, perhaps thinking they would never outpass us, decided to get

physical. Devon was tackled from behind and immediately afterwards Arrun, whose defensive

positional sense is a revelation, was hacked down in front of his own goal. His match was over after

just 8 minutes with his ankle injured. To make matters worse Unsworth got one back which was hard

on Adam who was once again superb in goal.

The second half kicked off with the weather improving and with Unsworth using their size and

strength to try and outmuscle Pennine. Unsworth pulled a second back, against the run of play, a

superb strike from 12 yards.

Thankfully the noun and adjective previously mentioned came to the fore and Pennine, now with

Devon in goals making some crucial saves, George back in defence, Adam out left, Zac on the right

and Fin up front kept passing and tackling like their lives depended on it.

With 5 minutes to go Adam passed a brilliant ball to Fin, he turned the defence and hit the ball

through the long grass, leaves and mud….it just made it over the line. 3-2. The final whistle went and

the boys were delighted!

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Our best performance as a full team, great passing, great positional play, tough tackling, some

excellent dribbling and shooting and best of all total teamwork.

Man of the match was a tough decision, Adam had a great game (as usual) despite starting injured,

Arrun was superb in defence, George defended expertly and made his trademark marauding runs,

Zac was a constant menace on the left and Fin just keeps scoring. However Devon stood out, his

selfless running and passing, great goal and heroics in goal meant he was a well-deserved man of the

match.

Opponent: Ramsbottom Utd Merino’s Date: 11th October 2014 Venue: Home Result: Won 6-2 Match report: After last week’s battle it was great to see Arrun Hamid back (his Mum said he had ‘manned up’)

fully fit and Adam Sanderson after a week of hospital enforced rest with sprained ligaments.

Mere flesh wounds.

The Ramsbottom team were largely huge and like many opponents had at least 5 subs. Not that any

of this ever seems to faze the boys, just the Manager and Coaches. We checked their ID just to be

sure. Apparently they don’t carry birth certificates but some were taller than me! Their coach, not

actually bragging, dropped into conversation they were unbeaten and averaged 10 goals a game. So

no worries then!

We started with Zak up front supported by Devon and George, with Arrun once again defending like

a lion and Fin in goal – what he lacks in height, he makes up for in bravery!

Unfortunately the Ramsbottom boys started very brightly (it is clear Pennine do not like early kick

offs) and took an early lead with their 6ft central midfielder shooting past Fin’s excellent effort to

save. But never underestimate thes Pennine boys. Far from being downhearted George made a

superb pass down the channel to Devon, he passed first time to Zak who returned the favour and

Devon slotted home. Fabulous stuff.

Unfortunately the early start meant a few sleepy heads were shocked awake by Ramsbottom’s quick

equalizer, borne out of Pennine mistakes being quickly punished. This was no easy match and there

were some crunching tackles to ensure there could be no complacency. Thankfully, the ever so

lenient Ref started to get a grip. Most notably our diminutive goalkeeper Fin made a very brave save.

With his face. But it shows the team spirit and he quickly recovered and got on with the game.

Inspiring.

Soon Pennines passing game made the difference with Devon latching onto a pass from Zak to add a

second and even up the scores.

Half time came and the boys seemed confident, despite Ramsbottom being fresher with their

enormous squad. What we lack in numbers we make up for in teamwork and understanding. George

took up position in goal quickly saved the teams blushes from kick off with a decent block and

quickly fed the ball to Adam. He made a sublime pass to Devon who was running riot in midfield and

kept fed a great ball to Zak who made it 3-2.

We made an enforced change with Adam dropping into goal (not only injured all week but poorly

the night before – awesome effort!) and George moving onto the right. He and Devon kept passing

down the channel and Fin was causing havoc with the Ramsbottom defence. Soon the pressure told

and Devon latched onto a great pass to make it 4-2. Now we were on a roll. Hatrick Devon.

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The last two goals were just about the best. Goal number 5 started with a great kick out from

Adam, Arrun helped it on and Devon put George through. Despite two defenders and a goalkeeper

all challenging George kept going and prodded it home. Happy days.

If that was good the 6th was simply fantastic. Zac won a freekick 18 yards out on the left and sent in a

perfect left foot cross, Fin took one touch and rifled home. 6-2. Sublime.

Great game, good opponents, and MOTM had to be Devon for his hat-trick, tireless running and

great passing but to be fair they were all once again superb. Happy days.

Happy days.

Opponent: Radcliffe Borough Aces Date: 18th October 2014 Venue: Home Result: Lost 0-8

While we all love to win, winning is not everything. Winning only tells us that on that particular day

we were better than whoever we played. And while we all work hard to win, winning is a tricky

thing. It tends to hide any weaknesses we have since we overlook them and simply notice that

“we won”.

But losing is a whole different ball game. When you lose, it is possible to get emotional about it.

On the day Southampton beat Sunderland 8-0 we witnessed millionaire Premiership footballers

blaming each other, being downhearted and essentially giving up.

None of these things happened with the Pennine boys! Losing today will help us get better for 3

very simple reasons:

1. When we play teams that are better than we are we learn about our weaknesses so we can

work on improving them. If we won 8-0 every week against weaker teams we will not

improve. We would simply get complacent. Losing makes us stronger and will help us in

training – we know what we need to work on.

2. Losing 2-1 in a tight game hurts far more than getting beaten 8-0. By the time today’s

game finished the boys had already come to grips with the outcome so it wasn’t as painful

as a close game that they had chances to win, but didn’t. The boys will develop mental

toughness as well as physical toughness.

3. Playing football, in a team, is not just about skills on the pitch, it is about preparation for

life. The boys did not enjoy being beaten, nor were they at any point complacent, but

every one of them, in our post match chat, expressed their desire to learn the lessons and

get back to winning ways as quickly as possible. Most adults don’t show such maturity. In

life you lose as often as you win.

The match itself was as you would expect from the score line. Radcliffe were a very, very good team.

Big, strong, organised and very skilful.

Nonetheless Pennine did us proud. Both Adam in the first half and Zac in the second made a string of

superb saves in goals and both put in a real shift when playing outfield.

Devon, as always, ran his socks off, made some superb passes and kept the Radcliffe defence busy,

right up until the final whistle.

Arrun made some vital interceptions in defence and never gave up. As always.

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Fin made the pass of the match to Adam, fully 20 yards into the channel, and Adam only just shot

wide. Fin never stopped looking for a goal and deserved more from his efforts.

George swept up so many times at the back we lost count and continued to maraud down the right

wing to alleviate pressure as well as nearly scoring a great goal after another one of those runs. A

well-deserved man of the match.

A tough day, but ultimately one that will improve all of those involved with the team.

Opponent: Rossendale Valley Tigers Date: 25th October 2014 Venue: Home Result: Lost 2-7 Match report:

I’m not one for excuses.

However here are some!

A difficult match following on from last week’s defeat. Rossendale, another club with just one Under

7 team and therefore a very large squad looked confident on arrival. The Pennine squad of 5 (Zac

was on holiday), looked tiny compared to their 12.

That and another 9.30am kick off – a time that certainly does the Pennine boys no favours. They are

usually slow out of the blocks in the early kick offs. Today was no different!

Rossendale soon went 3-0 up but credit the five Pennine boys, they buckled down and kept running.

Unfortunately their usually accurate and confident passing was just not happening so it was down to

graft. The boy’s character helped pull it back to 4-2 with excellent goals from Devon and Adam,

however Rossendale, with fresher legs due to their abundant substitutes seemed to get stronger in

the 2nd half.

Fin, Adam, George and Dev all took turns in goal (we don’t have a regular keeper) and to be fair kept

the score-line down with a number of superb saves. Arrun worked hard at the back aided by a

revolving midfield of George, Adam and Devon and Fin, as ever, terrorised their defence.

As we have come to expect the boys were not downhearted and will bounce back.

Man of the match Fin did a great job in goals in the first half with some terrific saves and sensible

distribution and then ran his socks off in the 2nd half. Well done little fella!

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Opponent: Cheetham Hill Date: 1st November 2014 Venue: Away Result: Won 4-3 Match report:

Things were looking good. The sun was out. We had a full squad. Everyone was early. We had a

10.30am kick off. The opposition were the friendliest bunch.

And then we went 1-0 down.

However the boys knuckled down and a quick pass from George to Devon on the right split their

defence and Devon found Adam running through. A superb finish from young Mr Sanderson put

Pennine on a level footing. A couple of minutes later Devon through on goal after one of his

barnstorming runs saw him brought down in the box. A clear penalty which Devon slotted in to the

keepers right whilst the keeper dived left. This was more like it.

The 3rd quarter started much the same with Pennine dominating possession and Zac O’Reilly and Fin

Young causing havoc with their quick feet and never say die attitude. The fact the Cheetham Hill

team were all approximately 3 foot taller than either of them made not a bit of difference. Zac soon

made it 3-1 with another cool finish and Adam popped up for a brilliant 4th. We were flying now.

Arrun, our 3rs goalkeeper, made a couple of superb saves to keep to us in it and we looked

comfortable. Or so we thought.

Again, Cheetham had a far larger squad and Pennine legs started to tire. Before we knew it they had

pulled 2 goals back.. Nail biting stuff but in truth Pennine were a class above this week. George had

what he thought a certain goal nicked of his toes by a last gasp clearance and Adam and Fin both

producing saves from the overworked Cheetham Hill keeper. The final whistle went and we were

back to winning ways!

Every one of the boys excelled themselves. Arrun had his best match, resolute in defence, superb up

front, and despite his protests great in goal! Zac showed that on his day he is a fantastically skilful

player and carried the ball down the left time after time. Devon cannot stop scoring and can run for

3 weeks without stopping. George was everywhere, attacking, tackling, bossing the game. Fin, a

constant buzzing presence, pinned Cheetham back over and over again, helping create our goals.

Finally Adam, superb in goal, uncompromising in defence and marauding forward. Oh and he scored

2. Man of the match when in truth, on any other day, any of the other 5 would have won.

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Opponent: Bridge Hawks Date: 15th November 2014 Venue: Away Result: Drew 2-2 Match report:

Away in our local ‘derby’ match with Bridge looking to avenge their early season loss to our Pennine

heroes. The fact that both teams knew one another from their various schools added to the

expectancy. A week of rain saw a very heavy pitch, not helped by ankle high grass. Our slick passing

game was going to be sorely tested. As was the boys composure in the face of some pretty tough

challenges early on from Bridge. A real derby! The early exchanges were all in the Pennine half as

Bridge started strongly with Zac, starting in goals making a couple of brave saves.

Consequently the Pennine boys did what they do best. Adam made a jinking run up the left, ‘skilled’

their defence (the boys term for dribbling past defenders with no little skill!) and laid a perfect ball

into the path of Fin who did what he does best, scoring neatly to the keepers right.

However, the heavy pitch was not to our liking with passes stopping 5 yards short of where they

should have gone and Devon, George, Adam and Fin seemingly running through treacle, or so it felt

to them! Bridge pulled a goal back – their pressure was telling and just before half time they won a

free kick on the edge of our box. Up stepped their number 7 who hit it hard past Adam who had

done a brilliant job in goal for the 2nd quarter.

In the 2nd half Pennine got better and better. The coaches, given the state of the pitch, decided route

one was the way forward and asked the boys to move the ball up front far more quickly (as opposed

to our usual, City/Barcelona style ticka tacka!). To their credit the boys did it superbly. With Fin now

in goal making a number of brave saves, Arrun kept us in it with timely interceptions, Zac was

constantly ‘skilling’ their defence and Adam, George and Devon between them just kept getting the

ball forward, either with long passes or simple, hard running. All of a sudden there was only one

team in it.

Still 2-1 down with 5 minutes to go George took the ball up half the length of the pitch, got it to

Adam who slotted home to make it 2-2 at the final whistle.

A great effort in the conditions and a fair result against a good team. Once again Man of the Match

could have gone to any one of the team, but one player stood out with great athleticism in goals,

tireless running and the crucial goal. Well done Adam!

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Opponent: Littleborough Yellows Date: 29th November 2014 Venue: Away Result: Won 3-0 Match report:

A quagmire of a pitch awaited us and Littleborough, like so many other teams had 10 players to

choose from and add fresh legs. And a 9.30am kick off (the boys have been rather sleepy in the first

half of most early kick offs). And we had only played one match in the last 4 weeks. The omens were

perhaps not good.

So it was fabulous to see the team start so well, with good movement and pleasingly, given the clear

instructions from Coach Mr Darren Sanderson, getting the ball forward quickly. Littleborough were

having to work hard to keep Pennine from taking and early lead and their giant goalkeeper was

forced into 3 good saves from Adam, George and Devon.

After 10 minutes, the pressure told, George made a run, found Adam who made a great pass to

Arrun who hammered it into the bottom corner. 1-0 and no more than the boys deserved.

The second half started with Devon in goals and he proceeded to make a number of fine saves to

maintain our lead. Unfortunately Arrun was sick during half time and unable to re-enter the fray so

we had to stick to five players. It was hard work on such a muddy pitch but the boy’s energy levels

were superb and they all kept tackling, sprinting, passing and creating chances. It was as well as we

had played all season.

Another trademark run from deep from George saw defence turned to attack, he found Adam with a

pass who laid it on perfectly for Fin to slot home expertly. A great team goal.

The final set of substitutions saw Fin drop into goal and he made two brilliant saves, the first from a

dubious free-kick on the edge of our box after Adam had made an excellent challenge.

From that save Fin gave the ball to George who ran forward, found Zak, who showing some clever

skills and passed to Adam, he rolled it into Devon’s path who rifled it home (as he does!).

The best part of this team is their desire to keep trying, and with Devon and Zak terrorising their

defence and Adam and George interchanging positions in midfield and defence we were really

playing as a unit. The boys kept pressing and only the woodwork and the giant goalkeeper kept the

score respectable for Littleborough.

All in all, probably our best all round performance of the season. The boys were all superb; Devon

just keeps scoring, is great in goals and runs and runs; Zak has a peach of a left foot and continues to

show great skill, defences are scared to death of him; George had a cracker, turning defence into

attack, contunually snuffing out attacks and running like Forest Gump; Adam was superb, he set up 3

goals and was a rock in defence and brilliant in goal; Fin just keeps getting better and must have the

biggest heart of any player in the U7 league, oh and he just keeps scoring. But this week there could

only be one man of the match; Arrun, despite being very poorly, scored a cracker, was tenacious up

front and ran his socks off, well done little fella.

Page | 15

Opponent: Woodbank Blacks Date: 2nd January 2015 Venue: Bury College Result: Won 12-4 Match report:

The New Year saw the Reds lined up on a crystal clear but freezing morning against Woodbank

Blacks on the 3G pitches at Bury College. We had our team bolstered by Oli Kirkby from our Blacks to

make up a squad of 7.

The boys started slowly – it was a long time since they had all played together and Woodbank

managed an early goal slotting past Adam Sanderson in goal who had no chance and had already

kept out another great effort from the opposition. However once the boys warmed up they took

control with Arrun Hamid outstanding in defence, breaking up another Woodbank attack, he quickly

passed to Zak who shot, the ball bounced up off their goalkeeper and Devon bravely put his face

onto the ball and it flew into the goal. 1-1 but Devon paid a heavy price with a terrible nosebleed

from the goal. George came on in replacement and charging down the right shot and quickly got

Pennine in front. From this point the boys simple took control. Oli was selfless and passed the ball

superbly. Zak was full of running and tricks (nice ‘Ronaldo’ stepovers!). Adam was as ever great in

goal and when playing out was everywhere. Fin buzzed around up front causing havoc. Arrun had

another superb game in defence and George was obviously enjoying his role in midfield.

The game stayed tight with goals at both ends but another 2 from George and one from Zak meant

half time came with the boys 5-4 up.

The second half was completely one sided. The Pennine boys were everywhere, Devon came back on

and scored 2 more. Adam, playing apparently in defence got a superb hat trick and Fin and Oli got in

on the scoring action. They played some of the best football of the season, which after such a long

break was brilliant for everyone involved.

We finished comfortable 12-4 winners! Man of the match went to George – a great hat trick set the

team up for a great 2nd half. Brave man of the match was Devon who played on despite looking like

Terry Butcher v Sweden in 1989 (look it up!).

Special thanks to Darren Sanderson for patching up Devon and Tom Bradburn for a great refereeing

performance (very fair I might add!).

Happy New Year!

Page | 16

Opponent: Milnrow Juniors Date: 10th January 2015 Venue: Milnrow Indoor 3G Result: Lost 17-7 Match report:

With the home fixture called off due to waterlogged pitches at Hopwood we switched to playing

Milnrow at their home ground – an indoor 3G pitch.

Our first week with Brogan in the team but Fin was missing and so was our concentration as Milnrow

scored pretty well from the kick off!

The overall scoreline did not really represent a fair reflection of the match. The Milnrow Manager

asked if it was okay that the teams utilised the walls on the tight indoor pitch. I agreed. That was a

major mistake! The home team clearly having practiced on the pitch dozens of times knew how to

make the walls their extra man. 12 of their goals came about after one of their players deliberately

shot at a wall for the rebound to come flying out to one of their forwards. The Pennine boys playing

their usual passing and hard tackling game never really came to terms with the Milnrow tactic.

On the upside Brogan did brilliantly on his debut, hard tackling, two great feet, a willingness to run,

pass and shoot marked him out. He even got a goal!

Additionally George was delighted with his 4 goals after his hat trick last week – he worked out that

shooting from distance on the tight indoor pitch was a great tactic.

Devon ran like he has three lungs again; Arrun was excellent and solid in defence, Adam his usual

tenacious and hard tackling self, mixed in with some great skill and Zak was full of fancy step overs

combined with the best left foot in the league (a fact!).

The fact we scored 7, without once resorting to the ‘rebound off the walls 5 a side tactic’, says a

great deal and we look forward to the return fixture on a proper outdoor and full size pitch. I do

honestly think then it will be a very close game.

Page | 17

Opponent: Walshaw Jaguars Date: 11th January 2015 Venue: Bury College 3G Result: Won 8-2 Match report:

Our second fixture of the weekend saw us once again on 3G but this time with no walls coming into

play!

We were back to full strength with Fin back in the team. We started with George in goal and Arrun in

defence with Fin, Brogan and Zac up front. What these three lack in height they made up for in sheer

skill. Our opener involved every player! George passed his goal kick to Arrun who smartly passed to

Brogan, he tricked two of their team and passed out to Zak on the left, a smart run into the box saw

it passed to Fin lurking on the right who finished superbly. Probably our best goal of the season and

just the start we needed after the previous days result. The boys then went onto completely

dominate the game with some of the best team work of the season in terms of passing and finishing.

Arrun had a splendid game, again great in defence, causing an on-goal with a clever lob that carried

20 yards, but also during his stint in goal stopping 2 certain goals with very brave dives into throngs

of kicking boots!

Brogan played superbly again, and always with a smile on his face. His dribbling is set to become a

feature of our team as is his courage, and he also looks to be a nifty keeper, despite him not being

the tallest player on the league! Oh, and he scored, again!

Fin had one of his best games playing in goal, defence, midfield and attack. Wherever he was asked

to play he did it to a really high level and got on the scoresheet again.

Devon again ran and ran, but there is a great deal more to his game than that, he is a terrific passer

of the ball and completely fearless in the tackle as well as super skilful. He is our very own James

Milner (please forgive the City comparisons!).

George, although injured in the warm up, again worked his socks off and like Fin played in every

position. He had a great first quarter in goals making 2 sharp saves and when playing out broke up

Walshaw attacks and set up chances for Pennine.

Zak had a good game, the Walshaw team just could not shake him off the ball and some of his step-

overs and tricks were fantastic.

Young Mr Sanderson had a decent day. Completely dominating midfield, tackling like a tiger. And he

scored a mere 5 goals. Not bad. Not bad at all. In fact an absolutely brilliant man of the match. Well

done fella.

Page | 18

Opponent: Bury Amateurs Date: 31st January 2015 Venue: Salford Sports Village 3G Result: Won 4-3 Match report:

Another unofficial match after the league called off every fixture due to a light dusting of snow and a

mild frost. As a result we managed to book a full sized 3G pitch and kept the original fixture v Bury.

Due to the larger than usual playing area we played 6 a side, it also meant we had one less freezing

sub!

The continued policy of every player knowing they will play in every position over a couple of games

means we now actually have volunteers for the role of goalkeeper instead of 7 wanting to be ‘up

front’. Each game will have 2 keepers, rotated from week to week and we will also rotate attack,

midfield and defence so from week to week the boys get to play and enjoy every role in the team.

Back to the match, George started in goal for the first half and given his pre match statement of “I

want to play in goal even though I am rubbish at it” he played a blinder! At the other end things

were also going rather well. Two minutes in, Zac played a beautiful left footed pass into Devon who

nonchalantly knocked it in against what proved to be a superb goalkeeper in the Bury net. 1-0 and

we were on our way.

Devon quickly followed this with one of his unstoppable runs and a neat finish saw us comfortably in

the lead. Bury were not to be completely outplayed and they pulled one back and started to get on

top with some decent passing moves, we were two well matched teams.

Thankfully George pulled out a great save just before half time and our confidence grew. In front of

him Arrun was having his best game in a Pennine shirt in defence, stopping virtually every Bury

attacking move with some fabulously timed tackles and then calmly finding a team mate with

accurate passes.

Brogan was a terrier, two footed, ultra skilful and playing again with a big smile on his face. We was

everywhere. Sure enough he was involved in our third goal, passing to Fin who was buzzing around

the Bury box with his usual high energy. He found Zak with a clever pass and it was 3-1 at the break.

Arrun volunteered for goalkeeper in the 2nd half and like his teammate of the first belied his lack of

confidence in that position with a series of brilliant saves. He has no reason not to be super

confident next time he goes in.

The 2nd half started with Adam out left and George on the right feeding Fin and Devon with Zak

defending. We started the half superbly with some great runs and crosses from the boys out wide

and only the Bury keeper stopped us racking up a high score – he made at least 4 stunning/heart-

breaking (delete as appropriate) saves.

Against the runoff play Bury broke and closed the gap to just one goal but Fin and Zak combined well

for Zak to prod home. Not bad for a defender!

With the clock running down Bury pulled one back and to be fair they gave us a good game but we

were well deserved winners.

Man of the match was Zak. His left foot corners and crosses are things of beauty, he scored 2 and

played in 3 positions. Well done little fella!

Page | 19

Opponent: Prestwich Marauders Hawks Date: 7th February 2015 Venue: Away Result: Drew 4-4 Match report:

At last, an ‘official’ fixture on grass. Well, there was a little bit of grass amongst the rutted mud on a

rather small pitch but beggars cannot be choosers!

The match kicked off slightly late (dog poo alert – nice of the owner to let it do that on a kids football

pitch) and as has often been the case our boys, although hyperactive pre-match were half asleep for

the first few minutes and were 2-0 down before they knew it.

However they soon woke up and Zak pulled one back after Arrun had made an amazing tackle to

stop the score line getting away from us and passed it up to Brogan who found Zak on the left who

rifled home.

It was certainly a ‘physical’ game and we brought on Adam and George to add a bit of height and

physicality of our own. As usual Devon was running his socks off and a great pass from Adam saw

him level the score.

He quickly added a 3rd and Pennine looked in complete control as we finished the first half.

The 2nd half kicked off with Zak replacing Fin in goal who had done a great job in the first half with at

least 3 excellent saves in the first few minutes to keep the score respectable before his team mates

woke up!

Zak continued the theme in the 2nd half with a superb save tipping over a rocket of a shot from the

rather excellent Prestwich No7. Unfortunately he could do nothing about their equalizer which was

an unstoppable, looping sot from 12 yards, which is a long way for 6-7 year olds!

Nonetheless we maintained our excellent shape with Brogan running midfield and Arrun, George

and Adam tackling everything. Fin up front was buzzing around creating opportunities and from one

of his efforts Dev picked up the pieces to make it 4-3 and to secure his hat-trick.

However Prestwich got one back with just about the last kick and it ended 4-4 which was a fair result

in a hard, physical game.

Man of the match was Brogan. Two footed, playing in every position with a smile on his face and a

real creative force. Well done new fella!

Page | 20

Opponent: Walshaw Sports Club Date: 21st February 2015 Venue: Home Result: Won 9-5 Match report:

Our opponents were the first team we ever played and were looking to avenge the 3-3 draw we

managed with just 4 players v their squad of 10.

The weather for this return fixture was foul, cold, wet and snowing and once again we had a

depleted squad with just 5 players so it was going to be tough going on a heavy pitch.

We started with Adam in goal for the first half, shielded by George in defence and Devon, Brogan

and Fin up front. And we started well with Devon picking up a good pass from Fin to finish with his

left foot. He quickly followed up with a second, again off his left foot (not his stronger foot, although

you’d never know) after one of his barnstorming runs at the heart of the Walshaw defence.

Not to be outdone Brogan was causing all sorts of problems with his trickery and got his just rewards

after hitting the post with a neat finish after George had broken up a Walshaw attack and found Fin

on the right who selflessly passed to Brogan who dodged a tackle to fire home.

We soon made it 4-0. Again a great passing move involving the whole team. George played it out of

defence after Adam had made a terrific save and found Brogan who tricked passed a defender, Fin

dragged another defender wide and passed to Dev who coolly got his hat-trick. Probably our best

goal of the season.

Walshaw however were not to be outdone and pulled one back after we got caught up-field.

Nonetheless the Pennine boys were on song today and George ran the length of the pitch, played a

1-2 with Fin and popped the ball over the line. Or so we thought. The Ref, one Darren Sanderson,

missed the rare George goal and waved play on as the keeper cutely kicked the ball back into play.

Even big Alex, coaching the whites 50 meters away saw the goal. Time for goal line technology or a

trip to the opticians for Mr Sanderson, who otherwise did a great job keeping the game flowing!

Thankfully the boys kept pouring forward and the Walshaw lads were chasing shadows. Fin had a

great shot saved and Dev quickly followed up with his 4th.

The 2nd half saw Walshaw fight back with a quick (an excellent) goal but Adam marauded down the

left and fired in an unstoppable shot to make it 6-2.

And then we went to sleep for 5 mins and Walshaw got 3 quick goals back. From being 4 goals up it

was now 6-5. Were we about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

Not a chance. Adam decided it was time to act, and with Fin, Devon, Brogan and George all

persistently running at the Walshaw defence, passing like pros and Adam in no mood to lose he

knocked in 3 quick goals. Game over. Our best performance all season with some fabulous passing

and as ever our usual hard work mixed in with clinical finishing. Well done little fellas. Man of the

Match could have gone to anyone of them as they all played superbly. It was Fin this week. Ran his

socks off, made some great passes and never stopped trying. To be fair they were all heroes.

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Opponent: Rossendale Valley Tigers Date: 28th February 2015 Venue: Home Result: Drew 3-3 Match report:

Our first Cup Match of the season saw us drawn in the top ‘league’ along with the other 7 best clubs

season to date. A clear sign that our results and performances set us out as a decent team.

We were at home again, on a pretty muddy pitch playing a team that beat us 7-2 earlier in the

season. It would be a good test as to how far we have progressed in the intervening 4 months.

Safe to say we had progressed very nicely indeed! The game started at breakneck speed and Zak

utilised his rather excellent left foot to put Pennine into the lead after some neat build up play from

Devon and Brogan. The boys were certainly up for it and continued to pass the ball around with

aplomb and were running the Rossendale team ragged.

However, as we knew from earlier in the season, Rossendale are a decent unit and they were only

kept at bay with some stunning saves from Adam in goal.

The pressure was telling however and Rossendale scored a pretty spectacular own goal when one of

their boys unfortunately (for them) forgot which way he was playing and rifled home an unstoppable

shot into his own net. Not to be out-done Pennine returned the favour when we too put the ball into

our own net to make the score 2-1 at the break.

We became a little gung ho in the 2nd half and committed too many bodies forward and Rossendale

pulled the score level with another long range, and I have to say, excellent shot over Brogans head

who had taken up goalkeeping duties. This only seemed to inspire him and he went onto make a

number of simply excellent, and often brave saves. Very impressive from the smallest chap on the

pitch.

George and Arrun started to dominate Rossendale defensively freeing up Devon, Zak, Fin and Adam

to launch a number of lightening attacks. From an excellent through ball from Arrun, Devon ran

down the right channel and was fouled about 8 yards from goal. He took the resulting free kick and

hammered it into the goal. 3-2 with less than minute to go!

However, Rossendale weren’t giving up and they soon had their best player racing through with only

Brogan to beat to draw level. George, Fin and Adam had other ideas and turning on the turbos raced

back to clear the danger. And cleared out the attacker! A tough call but the Ref gave a penalty

(perhaps he was intimidated??!!) and the score was 3-3. The final whistle blew and that was that. A

really hard game against a good team and probably a fair result.

Man of the Match was George; hard running, selfless passing and tackle after tackle are his

trademark and he did them all really well today.

Page | 22

Opponent: Woodbank Reds Date: 7th March 2015 Venue: Home Result: Lost 1-8 Match report:

An early kick off. Never good. Playing one of the best teams in the league who turned up in the same

kit as ours and insisted we wear bibs and play 2x20 mins instead of our usual 4 x 10 mins. And their

team were huge (maybe next time I’ll ask for birth certificates!). The omens were not great.

Unfortunately the omens were correct and before we knew it we were 3-0 down as their slick

passing, clever movement, and physical strength threatened to blow us away. The team however

buckled down and started to really compete with Zak, Fin and Devon all trying to get things moving

with some decent passing moves. Defensively Adam, Brogan and Arrun really started to impose

themselves breaking up waves of attacks with some well-timed challenges.

It was Georges turn in goal, a role he claims he is not great at but after some excellent coaching

from Mr Darren Sanderson prior to the game he pulled of 6 good saves and bravely made sure their

attackers didn’t get any rebounds – good work coach!

Adam, as indomitable as ever pulled a good goal back after a dogged run. Perhaps we may get back

in it!

The omens however continues to conspire against us. George had to go off after an accidental

collision left him with a bloodied nose and Rossendale soon racked up another couple of goals. They

were by far the best team we’ve played all season.

Credit to the Pennine boys, they kept battling but the final score-line of 8-1 was probably fair.

Man of the match was Adam, superb in defence, midfield or attack. Mr Versatile. Well done!

Page | 23

Opponent: Chadderton Lions Date: 14th March 2015 Venue: Away Result: Lost 4-1 Match report:

Another Cup match v one of the better teams in the league. We are the only ‘2nd stream’ team to

make the top pool so another real test (they beat us 7-3 earlier this season).

For those of you that read these reports regularly you know we don’t like early kick offs so the

league cleverly decided to give Chadderton 7 home games on their 3 pitches today so we end up

with a 9am kick off to accommodate all the matches. On top of that the pitch was a muddy

nightmare, not great for our usual running game.

And the ref was a real ‘homer’, we remembered him from the last 2 times we played there.

So there are the excuses and I am sticking to them!

The match started with our boys pinned back in their own half with Arrun and George our valiant

regular defenders working harder than ever to keep the score down. With Adam as ever brilliant in

goal (some awesome saves and a couple of pitch length kicks!) Chadderton were frustrated despite

their domination of play. In midfield Dev and Zak kept plugging away and Zak, back to his best was

placing clever passes for the rotating, diminutive forward line of Fin and Brogan to keep the

Chadderton defence wary.

Nonetheless Chadderton were on top and their outstanding No 7 hit a cracking shot, low and hard

and destined for the bottom right hand corner. That is until Devon made a fabulous, diving save with

2 hands to push the ball out. Unfortunately Adam was still our goalkeeper and Dev was supposed to

be right midfield! Up stepped their No7 to take the penalty. Which he ballooned over the bar. Phew!

Soon after, Brogan picked up a great pass from Zak and took off down the left, skipped a tackle,

coolly looked up and looped in an exquisite goal from 12 yards with his right foot into the top right

hand corner. Simply brilliant and we were 1-0 up.

This sublime goal seemed to galvanise Chadderton, who had 2-3 cracking players and before we

knew it we were 2-1 down at half time.

Fin, always willing volunteered to go in goals in the 2nd half (thank you little fella!) and made at least

4 dramatic saves and his distribution was superb.

Adam, Arrun and George kept running, tackling and bring the ball forward and up front Devon and

Zak worked immensely hard on a rubbish surface. Zaks corners and free kicks were things of beauty.

But one player stood out. I counted 3 goal saving defensive headers (from the smallest player on the

pitch), 6 tackles, a stunning freekick (with his left this time) that hit the bar and constant running

Page | 24

(has he 3 lungs?) and passing. The best player on the pitch. Of either team. Brogan. Possibly the

easiest man of the match decision all season.

We lost 4-1. But so what. We are playing very, very good teams at present and definitely punching

above our weight so the boys should be proud.

And the referee was biased. It was ball to hand I reckon….

Opponent: Radcliffe Juniors Date: 21st March 2015 Venue: Home Result: Won 5-2 Match report:

Home this week and a delayed kick off after the super staff at Hopwood forgot to wake up and open

the gates/nets!

Radcliffe looked confident and were a team of giants (I need to start checking birth certificates, most

were taller than me, I know, I’m not exactly Peter Crouch but still..).

Nonetheless we started full of confidence and 1 minute in we had a corner. Zak swung it in with his

brilliant left foot, it came to Devon who played a neat 1-2 with Brogan and smacked it home. 1-0, the

perfect start. Radcliffe pulled a goal back with a decent shot, the only thing that got past George in

goals in the first half, but we soon re-established the lead. We were passing it around superbly and

all the boys were running into space superbly. Great to see the coaching paying off (good work Tom

and Darren). A great pass from Arrun, who was having a storming game, found Adam in midfield,

back to goal. A clever turn left his marker for dead and he hammered it in.

Confidence was now high and all the boys were clearly enjoying it. Despite being physically smaller

our boys were strong in the tackle and full of running (goes to prove the small guys are superior!),

and one of our diminutive players, Zak curled home number 3 with a peach of a left foot shot.

The 2nd half saw Devon in goals and we started just like the end of the first. Arrun was tackling

everything and making some great passes, Adam was a complete handful for the Radcliffe defence,

George was full of running and selfless passing and Zak, Fin and Brogan caught the eye with skills,

balance and great movement.

It was soon 4-1, Adam again latching onto a pass from Fin and although Radcliffe pulled a goal back,

Fin completed the victory with a typical poachers finish.

Man of the match was Arrun. His best performance all season, clever passing, great running and

thundering, but clean, tackles. Top work Mr Hamid.

Great result after recent tough matches and proof that the hard work in training really pays off.

Page | 25

Opponent: Pennine Blacks Date: 28th March 2015 Venue: Away/Home Result: Lost 6-2 Match report:

So this was it. The real test. Could we really play in a monsoon? Could we survive freezing

temperatures with just a thin layer of nylon to keep the elements at bay? Would anyone be able to

kick a ball more than 3 feet on the world’s wettest and muddiest pitch? Every other game was called

off. But we carried on….why (really, why??). Because we were playing the Blacks. That’s why!

With Darren banished to the stands (home that is) it was down to the intrepid Tom and myself to get

the boys ready for the clash of the season. Our pre-match motivational talk was inspired; “okay

boys, it’s freezing and horrible and they are likely to hammer us so keep your chins up…” in its

Churchillian tone. Thankfully the boys did what they always do. They completely ignored us.

We had just 6 players, which given the conditions was a good thing, as no-one wanted to stand on

the side-lines too long!

Good job the boys ignored the talk. Yes, we fell a couple of goals down quite quickly (the Blacks to

be fair were by far the best set of players we have come across all season), but the boys had been

listening in training. They were finding space, getting their heads up and passing it confidently. It was

honestly simply superb, and given the conditions, probably the best performance of the season.

Zak made some great saves in goal; Arrun was once again superb, surely the most improved player

over the last couple of months; George ran himself ragged (Dad prepared him well for the weather

with just a thin shirt) and kept forward passing; Adam was a rock, tackling everything and marauding

forward and hit the post; Brogan was a box of tricks and really worried the Blacks defence and was a

brave keeper in the 2nd half; Devon was awesome. He cracked in 2 goals and kept plugging away in a

pitch that resembled a WW1 battlefield. A very worth Man of the match.

Well done boys. Tom, Darren and I are hugely proud of you all. We have come a long way and to see

training routines being carried out expertly on match day is magnificent.

A special word for all the parents. Thank you. Standing there for an hour in appalling weather, up to

your knees in mud, was above and beyond. The boys really appreciate it as I do.

Page | 26

Opponent: Prestwich Marauder Hawks Date: 18th April 2015 Venue: Home Result: Won 4-2

The sun was shining but there was a strong breeze. We were without our intrepid leader Justin Carl

for this clash so the caretaker manager team of charge with Mr Bradburn and Sanderson to stepped

in. We had played them earlier in the cup and drew 4-4. They are probably the team equally

matched so it was going to be tough. There was a feeling that it was going to be an unusual day as

there were volunteers to play in goal!

We setup with Adam in goal, Arrun in defence, George on the right, Devon on the left and Fin up

front. The 9.30 kick-off is usually the nemesis of the boys but this day was different. The kick off took

place and a couple of passes and Devon raced clear, only to be up ended by their defender. Devon

got up, dusted himself down, and dispatched the ball into the top corner.

Prestwich didn’t roll over though. From the kick off the reds pressed, and exerted pressure on the

opposition and gained the upper hand. The pressure told when George took the ball off a player

midway in his own half and set off up the wing like Gareth Bale leaving the Prestwich player in his

wake. George crossed into the centre and Fin arrived to place the ball into the net. 2-0 within 8

minutes.

Substitutions took place with Brogan and Zac coming on to replace Fin and Arrun. George moved

back to defence and Zac was a straight replacement for Fin upfront. With the reds pressing hard for

a third, the ball was hoofed out by Prestwich. George picked it up in his own half and went forward,

drew the defender and slipped the pass to Brogan who placed the ball in the corner. 3-0 and the

boys were cruising. There was no sitting back and wave after wave of attacks came and went

without any end product. Prestwich cleared the ball but unfortunately Adam was a little

disorientated and picked the ball up outside his area. A free kick to Prestwich in a very dangerous

position! The shot was taken and Devon put his head in taking one for the team.

Prestwich started to fight back with Adam pulling off a string of saves and releasing our front man at

every opportunity. Prestwich then got the break they were looking for, one on one with the keeper

they shot, saved by Adam another shot, saved, another shot saved and again saved again then the

fourth shot took a wicked deflection to roll into the net. 3-1 and Prestwich had got a foothold in the

game.

Halftime and a change of keeper, George our second volunteer placed himself between the sticks.

Adam went to the left Arrun returned to defence. The Prestwich boys were now exerting the

pressure with George pulling off a string of exceptional saves and good honest goalkeeping. Pennine

not to be out done were ‘skillin’ the opposition with drag backs, step overs and other tricks not

known to the older generation. Zac pulled a couple of tricks out of his magic bag and bang it was 4-1.

Brogan then hit the post and numerous chances went begging. The game was end to end, and as the

Page | 27

boys tired after giving their all. As the game was coming to a close a shot from their star man from

distance hit the post and rolled over the line. A minute later the final whistle went.

Well done to all the boys, this is one of the best displays this season against a very good team. The

goals shared amongst the team and a work ethic that is second to none you did us proud once again.

One player stood out today and George was an easy choice as Man of the Match, with 2 assists,

strong display in the first half and world class keeping in the second.

Thank you for all for the support, it is appreciated.

Opponent: Prestwich Marauder Hawks Date: 25th April 2015 Venue: Radcliffe (Cup Competition) Result: Won 7-3. So here we are. The last official match of the season in our Cup play off game pitted, once again, against Prestwich. We were getting rather familiar with them. The match kicked off in a spring monsoon but the boys were really up for this one and quickly romped into a 2-0 lead with two absolute corkers from the sweet left foot of young Zak O’Reilly who was absolutely on song. The best bit was the boys have come on so far this season, with great passing, good movement and a real team ethic. And the ability not to cave in when under pressure. Prestwich are a good team and pulled an excellent goal back but Arrun was having none of it. He played a superb ball out of defence finding George who quickly moved down the right and found Devon flying into their penalty area. 3-1. Prestwich pulled another goal back but the boys had found a potent new weapon, the quick throw down the line. Ads was quite fabulous at this and from a throw in his own half he found George who quickly found Devon, who, as usual, was flying into the opposition box and rifled it home. Adam repeated the feat a minute later, this time finding Devon with another superb throw and young Mr Bradburn made the match safe with another strong finish with his lethal right foot. A scrappy third for Prestwich just seemed to fire the boys up. Zak decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck with some sublime skills, tenacious running and screaming shots. Arrun, again, reading the game with aplomb made a peach of a pass for Zak who rifled in our 6th from fully 15 yards before he completed a stunning performance running at the heart of the beleaguered Prestwich defence, who could get nowhere near him to make it 7. A cracking end of the season game. Every one of the boys who played today, Adam, Arrun, Zak, George and Devon, ran their socks off and best of all played with a smile on their face. Great team effort, great result. Stand out player? Tough one but Zak as simply irrepressible today.