Archive for March, 2010

Kingslynn U11’s Tournament 27 February 2010

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Letchworth V Cambridge

Cambridge have been playing in this league for 2 seasons now, which was evident in the way and speed that they started the game.
We started slowly a little shell shocked, conceded quite quickly and didn’t seem to wake up until late on in the first half when we had already conceded 4 goals. Kai was playing a really excellent half in goal, pulling off great saves, but with some little defensive errors and quick counter attacks from Cambridge, he was left a bit isolated, but without him playing so well the score could have been a lot more.
We finally got into our stride in the latter stages of the half passing and moving into spaces well, George made his club debut in this half and played with great composure, tackling solidly and holding the defensive position well allowing Marco, Chay and Youcef freedom to attack the goal keeping their keeper very busy. With this sustained pressure we finally got our reward, as it lead to Chay scoring our first goal. The first half finished with us 6-1 down.

Mia came on in goal in the second half for Kai after his excellent 1st half performance. The half started with a much better tempo from us, our passing was good and we created more goal scoring opportunities. Jacob had a shot just tipped over the bar, Leon and Rieff both hit one just wide and had another came off the underside of the bar and go just over, respectively. We defended much better and Mia made some good saves before Bradley finished off a good attack scoring a fine goal on his debut, which was well deserved. We just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net enough. The half finished 1-1. This finished the game on a 7-2 loss.

Cambridge deserved the win, but if we had played all game in the same manner as the second half it could have been a very different score line. All the players contributed to our 2 goals which were both well worked team efforts. As they say you learn from your mistakes, we learnt plenty.

Letchworth V Kingslynn B

This was our turn to come out of the stocks flying! We scored our first goal in under a minute finished emphatically by Rieff. Our first encounter with Kingslynn B ended with a 2-2 draw, it was very evident from the start that our players had got so much better as a team, that this was never going to end as a draw. We soon went 2 up after Chay’s pass through to Bradley saw him score another high-quality goal, then went 3 up within minutes again after Jacob put some pressure on a Kingslynn player, making him do a quick pass, which Rieff intercepted, going on a solo run from the half way line and scored his second goal. Our defending was so much better in this game and this meant that Kai didn’t have a great deal to do for the entire half. He was only called on a hand full of times and made some very comfortable saves. For the most part they all defended really well, unfortunately, after a good save by Kai, one of the Kingslynn players managed to get hold of the ball as it dropped, in a bit of a goal mouth scramble and stuck it in the net before our defenders could react. But from that centre Chay passed into the space behind the Kingslynn defence and Rieff went straight through and got his hat trick. The half finished 4-1.

All the players sub on and off to give them all as much experience as they can get through every game in every tournament and this game was no exception. Mia again kept goal for the second half and the rink players went on and came off playing their parts well. Youcef and George held the defence nicely and were both aware enough to stay back when they could see that the rest of the team were ahead of them, which is very impressive for their ages. We had some really positive moves, passing and shooting in this game. With the passing getting better and better, Leon again released our top goal scorer on the day, Rieff, who sprang into action and scored his fourth goal of the game, but this could not have been achieved if it hadn’t been for a excellent movement off the ball by Youcef drawing a defender away and creating the space. The players kept changing but the quality in the teams play remained, Mia made a brilliant save to her right, taking the ball out of the air which was heading for the top corner, George then took it out to the side and passed up line to Marco, who saw Leon in space and with a superb pass between 2 players got it to him, which he dutifully stuck it in the back of the net. A perfect counter attacking team goal. The game went end to end for a few minutes before we got the ball again and held the possession, then through a good interchange of passes between Marco and Bradley we split the opposition defence and Bradley scored his second goal of the game and his hat trick on the day. In the latter stages of the game we were practically camped out in Kingslynn’s half and just before the end Jacob scored a great backhand slap shot. The final score 8-1 to Letchworth.

Letchworth V Kingslynn A

Our last game of the day and we were against the team that had played the best hockey that I had seen in this tournament.
I had spoken to the boys and tried to get across what to expect, except it didn’t seem to sink in as they were all still feeling invincible after their last match. So after the highs of the previous game we were brought crashing back down to earth with a bump as Kingslynn looked for a bit of revenge on us for stomping on their B team. It seemed like déjà-vu from our first game against Cambridge, as we were put under immediate pressure and found ourselves 2 down in as many minutes, but then the team talk seemed to kick in and the squad pulsed into gear and found some control of the game. Unfortunately Kingslynn played some of the best hockey of the day at this point and due to some really good skating and moving, then very unselfish passing to the far post waiting players, we dropped more goals. Our strengths all day had been evident all over the rink, in goal, in defence and in attack, but we couldn’t link any of them together for the first ten minutes and that put us 7 goals behind. Then a ray of light came on and we started to hold the ball and pass quicker. We were getting to Kingslynn who couldn’t get the ball and were getting frustrated. We had 2 or 3 shots from Rieff and Jacob but their keeper was having a good day and saved our efforts. Marco and Bradley again showed experience beyond their years, losing their respective markers and finding space behind the Kingslynn’s defence to receive passes, but again having their shots saved, while Chay and Youcef worked really hard defending and trying to counter attack, but most of all they kept Kingslynn away from our goal and Kai. He had made so many saves, he looked like he had been in a training session rather than a match due to the amount of diving, side to side movement across his goal and overall effort he had to put into a ten minute long barrage of shots. Considering Kai is only 7 and Mia 8, they do very well saving shots from players anything up to 4 years older.

Then ,we suffered a really terrible blow. Bradley and one of the taller Kingslynn players were both skating into towards the corner after the ball and somehow the taller players stick hit Bradley in the mouth. He had been hit straight in his front teeth, one of which was broken in half and there were cuts to the inside of his top lip. It is always shocking to see anyone get hurt playing any sport, but especially when you consider that this was Bradleys first tournament and he is so young. We were all very concerned for him and we all look forward to seeing him back at training. He went from the rink to first aid, then to A&E where they cleaned him up a bit and then home. Kevin has told me that Bradley has now had some temporary dental work done bonding the tooth back together and he is ok. A tough little man!

After, the game resumed in a bit of a subdued manner until half time and ended with us losing the half by 9 goals to 0.

In the second half Kingslynn resumed the game with a good tempo and we matched it. Mia was now in goal and Kai was having a well earned rest after his first half heroics. Our man to man defence that had been torn apart due to lack of concentration in the first half was now doing its job well. Youcef and George again showing calmness while tackling hard and dispossessing the opposition. After one such tackle Marco passed to Leon and he counter attacked, heading for goal only to be tackled by being chopped unfairly. The referee gave the offending Kingslynn player a blue card and sent him off for 2 minutes, which awarded us a penalty. Even though Leon had never taken a penalty before (we haven’t even practised any yet at training, my fault I know), he was brave enough to take it and was up against the oldest and the biggest keeper there on the day, she is also in the national training scheme under Carlos Amaral, so pretty good. However, I need to explain a bit here with the new rules this season. The referee no longer blows his/her whistle to indicate the time to shoot, he/she merely counts out 5 seconds indicated by his/her arm in which the player can shoot at any time. Also with the new rules, all the other players on rink have to be within the opposite end penalty area and cannot skate out of it until the ball is played. If any opposition player moves before the ball is played, he/she is also sent off, blue carded for 2 minutes. (Very important hope you got that) ! So Leon is standing there waiting for a whistle (like football) but which is not going to blow, with all the other dad’s and me shouting shoot, shoot!! No pressure on him then! So, he shoots and scores an exceptional backhand slap shot in the top corner! GOOOOAAAALLLL…. not! Unfortunately even though he scored one of the Kingslynn players went before the ball was touched, he was blue carded and also sent off for 2 minutes and poor old Leon had to take his penalty again. At least this time he knew what to do this time and he did, he put it in exactly the same corner past the keeper who had no chance of getting anywhere near it! GOOOOAAALLLL! Finally and a really well taken shot. The half finished just about when I could have done with another ten minutes, as the team were playing well and looking likely to break through on goal again at any second, We conceded only one goal this half and deserved more out of the game but the whistle went and so did our hopes of scoring any more. We drew that half 1-1 and I say again, if we had played the whole game in the same manner as the second half it could have been a very different score line. The game finished 10-1.

The Letchworth Team
Goals
1. Kai Hayward
2. Marco Giancola
3. Leon Clawson 2
4. Rieff Hayward 4
5. Chay Westrop 1
6. Youcef Soloman
7. Jacob Howard (Captain) 1
8. George Birch
9. Bradley Allinson 3
10. Mia Allen

My Thoughts.

There are so many positives to take away from these tournaments, head up passing, movement into space, defending well, tackling solidly, scoring good goals and team spirit, not forgetting of course, spreading the cheese on the butter! (you had to be there).The score lines in this season are not so important to me. Yes it is always nice to win and we have had our successes, but it is the experience gained in every game by all the players that will help them get better and become a fantastic team.

Although we are not winning as many as we would like, we have to take into account that the teams we are playing have been together for 2 seasons. We have the two smallest, youngest goalkeepers in the league and we are beating some of them already and hopefully learning a lot from playing the ones who beat us.

I say to all the parents, that this season is for learning, not only for the players, but for me as well. And I stand by that. Because if we all continue to develop as a team at the speed we are through these games, we will be right up there next season.

Well done all. I am one very proud coach.

Also thank you to Chris for sorting the kit out for me and to the other parents for keeping me in caffeine while I juggled coaching, refereeing and being a dad!

Thanks again.

See you all at training Wednesday.

Andrew

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »