Report: U13NW vs Kennington 1-Feb-2009 (Cup)

So it’s 1/4 final weekend of the Berks and Bucks Cup and Wickham entertained Kennington again, the same as last year. This time Kennington are stronger and running away with the Oxford Mail League so a tough game is expected. Ben fails to make the game as the car broke down and James has a suspect back after being injured in Saturday’s St Barts. school game so only 4 subs, with Jordan there as the reserve keeper.

The first 5 minutes were all Wickham pressure with the first clear chance going from a cross shot by Jesse. With 10 minutes gone and the snow coming down Duncan was fouled out wide on the edge of the Kennington box but the free kick was played into the side netting, A minute latter and Iggy chased a ball down the right, cutting back inside but his cross shot just went past the far post. Kennington won their first corning in the 15^th minute but Wickham cleared breaking quickly down the left as Karl feed Charlie and then onto Duncan. Eventually the ball came back to Charlie in the middle but his snap shot went just wide. In the 17^th minute Charlie was put though again but the keeper made two good saves to deny him. A minute later following a scramble on the edge of the Kennington box the ball fell to Iggy but he was tackled just as he got his shot away and the keeper again saved it. Kennington’s second corner came in the 20th minute which was taken short but Wickham pushed out quickly so that the player was offside when receiving the return pass. In the 24^th minute the ball was worked down the left wing with Albie switching it to Iggy. He played it back to Jack whose cross was a little bit to heavy for Charlie and Albie, however Duncan fired in a fierce drive which the keeper did well to parry but Charlie was arriving at the back post seemingly only having to tap it in but Albie got there first and knocked the ball wide of the goal. Two minutes later the gaol arrived, as Jesse chipped the ball into the box for Charlie to head the ball goal bound. This was scrambled clear but only out to Marcus, who from 25 yards out, hit the ball high over the keeper and just under the bar for 1-0. Almost straight from the centre Kennington lofted the ball forwards but the forward was well offside, with the whistle going a long time before he hit the ball into the net. Jesse has a similar chance to Marcus’ just before the end of the half but his shot just cleared the bar landing on the net.

Within a minute of the restart Wickham had scored again as the ball was played through the middle before being sent out wide to Iggy. He got an early cross in and Jesse duly put the ball into the net. In the 3^rd minute Bert, who had come on for Jack, knocked the ball forwards which Charlie battled for. His little pass to Albie in the “D” saw him spin round and put the ball into the top corner for 3-0. In the 6^th minute Wickham worked the ball down the right with Marcus clipping the ball forward to Albie. He got past his man before laying it into Charlie’s path to score. Wickham’s first corner of the game came in the 7^th minute but Marcus hit it over the bar. Wickham conceded a free kick from the resulting goal kick which was pumped into the Wickham half. Karl played it back up field and again Charlie won the ball flicking it over the defender for Albie to volley past the keeper. The Kennington players were now getting frustrated as they had still not tested James in goal. All he had been called on to do was to come rushing out of his goal area twice to clear. With 15 minute of the half gone the no.8 totally lost it and walked off the pitch towards the changing room after an exchange of words with the ref and took no further part in the game. From the resulting free kick the ball was quickly played into the Kennington box for Charlie to make it 6-0. Two minutes later the ref had to have a word with the no.2 who was also removed from the game. The game now became rather flat with both sides knowing what the eventual result would be. Wickham didn’t create another clear cut chance but James was called upon to make one good save, which he duly did, to ensure that he kept a clean sheet.

Next week is another cup quarter-final this time in the League cup against Stratton Juniors. A good solid display at the back was noticed by the parents despite the score line so The Player of the Day Award went to Karl.

James Davis

Jack Bolton, William Herrington, Karl Admans, Olly Sopp

Iggy Ilott, Jesse Bowers, Marcus Guest, Duncan Lorrain

Albie Oakman, Charlie de Fraine.

Subs:- Max Nicholls, Bert Cherrill, Jordan Shaw, Fraser Roberts.

Report: U13NW vs. Pewsham Youth 18-Jan-2009

Pewsham, who had apparently watched the lads play over the last two weekends, were the latest visitors to the Triangle Field. They had hoped that seeing how the boys played would help them get a result but the squad was now up to full strength with Callum and Bert back. Jon however kept the same side as last week, and they therefore started on the bench alongside Jack Wild.

In the first minute Albie got a cross in that Charlie went for, but their keeper was just tall enough to gather the ball in. In the 4^th minute some interplay between Fraser and Duncan on the left hand side eventually saw Duncan get to the by-line. He pulled it back to Albie who took a touch before flicking it over the keeper for 1-0. The lads then played some lovely one- and two-touch football. Pewsham’s plan seemed to be press for everything but the neat little triangles that Wickham were playing meant Pewsham were playing “catch up” football. The 8^th minute saw Albie’s corner headed by William, their keeper parried this clear. Duncan’s follow-up shot was blocked on the line and then Olly hit the rebound over. Wickham’s pressure eventually told in the 13^th minute as a corner was cleared to Duncan on the edge of the box for him to drill in just inside the far post. Two minutes later, a long throw towards Charlie could only be headed up in the air. The headed clearance came out to Jesse who bent his shot towards the far post. The keeper did brilliantly to get down and stop it from nestling in the corner of the net but Olly was there to tap in the rebound. A minute later and it seemed that Duncan had caught the scoring bug but his shot from the edge of the area came cannoning back off the post. Bert and Callum came on for Aiden and Fraser but Wickham kept on going forwards. In the 21^st minute an Albie corner just skimmed off Charlie’s head and wide of the back post. A minute latter Callum hit a drive just over the bar from an intercepted goal kick. With three minutes left Albie latched onto a through ball and knocked it past the keeper and into the net before colliding with him. However, the goal did not stand. In the last minute another cross was met by both Bert and the keeper. William put the ball in the back of the net but again a foul on the keeper was given.

Straight from the centre Albie whipped a cross into the area which just cleared Charlie. Fraser was at the back post but his shot came back off the post. The resulting goal kick was intercepted by Charlie but he dragged his left footed shot just wide. In the 8^th minute Wickham scored again. A goal kick found Karl and he played it up to Charlie. He turned and slipped the ball through for Callum to run onto and score. With 12 minutes gone a heavy challenge from Bert conceded a free kick some 25 yards out. Despite the wall being lined up the kick went directly into the far corner. Straight after this Wickham seemed to have scored again. Callum got around the keeper pulled the ball back for Charlie to tap in but for some reason Charlie was given offside. With 14 minutes gone a corner to the near post was played back to Albie and his little chip into the box was tucked away by Fraser for 5-1. In the 16^th minute a Pewsham goal kick was headed back by Duncan on the half way line towards Charlie. He held the ball up and laid it back to Karl, who hit a dipping shot over the keeper and into the net. Albie had taken a knock which saw Jack Wild came on for 5 minutes so Albie could receive some attention - this did not stop the flowing football. The 20^th minute saw Karl hit a deep corner to Olly at the back. He knocked it into the box where Callum hit a volley straight at the keeper, who made the save. Almost immediately afterwards Charlie became the third person to hit the post from a fierce shot. The final goal, with 5 minutes remaining, was a lovely sweeping move with a bit of danger at the start. Karl stopped a Pewsham attack down the left by clearing the ball across the back to Jack Bolton on the right hand side. Jack played the ball up the line to Albie, who had just returned, who in turn played the ball inside to Charlie. He ran onto the ball before smashing it inside the keeper’s nearside post.

A good victory with a number of contenders for Player of the Day but following an excellent defensive display, controlled attacking down the left and for scoring, the Player of the Day Award went to Olly.

James Davies

Aiden Weeks, Jack Bolton, William Herrington, Olly Sopp

Jesse Bowers, Karl Admans, Duncan Lorrain, Fraser Roberts

Albie Oakman

Charlie de Fraine

Sub:- Bert Cherrill, Jack Wild, Callum Johnson

Report: U13NW vs. Highworth Town J (Coleshill) 25-Jan-2009

Having received a call on Friday night to cancel the fixture due to a waterlogged school pitch, the Triangle was offered as a venue. However, pitch availability was found at Elms Rec. so this Sunday it was off to Highworth for a 12.15 kick off.

Wickham went straight onto the attack winning a corner. Albie played it into the near post but William’s header went just wide. In the 2^nd minute Max won a Coleshill throw playing it inside to Karl who then moved the ball onto Marcus. Marcus played the ball through the channel for Albie to flick into Charlie’s path to calmly slot the ball away for 1-0. In the 6^th minute, Coleshill had a corner which was cleared into midfield. Some quick interplay got Max free on the left and his cross was met by Albie to score with a header. The 11^th minute saw a Wickham corner swung into Charlie at the near post who directed his header into the back of the net for 3-0. Following more Wickham pressure the 4^th goal arrived in the 16^th minute. The ball was played out of defence by Ben to Olly. He knocked it into Charlie who in turn played it onto Albie who sent Max through. His shot was well saved by the keeper but Charlie was following in to complete his hat trick. Wickham seemed to switch into attacking mode often just leaving two defenders at the back. An attack down the Coleshill left saw the ball fired across the box beating both Karl and Ben but fortunately it went out of a throw on the far side. This warning was not heeded and in the 26^th minute a high ball through the middle was missed by Bert and the winger was away. Karl came across but before he could get there the ball was centred to an unmarked player who had the easy task of slipping the ball into the net. In the 33^rd minute a similar attack with Karl missing the take saw Ben against two forwards. Fortunately this time when the second forward was passed to he was quite wide and his shot across James evaded the far post.

Iggy replace Max and Jack replaced Ben at the start of the second half which saw Wickham going down the slope. Straight from the centre Iggy got a cross in but it missed everyone and went off of a goal kick. The ball was won back from the goal kick and again switch to Iggy who found Charlie with his cross but his shot scrapped the outside of the post. In the 6^th minute a Coleshill throw was won by William who knocked it side to Jesse. He in turn gave it to Charlie who sent Albie away to tuck the ball inside the near post for 5-1. Jesse seemed destined to score in the 8^th minute but from 8 yards out his shot was deflected over the bar. Four minutes later Jesse hit a long range effort which squeezed under the keeper but he just managed to dive back to gather the ball before it crossed the line. In the 14^th minute Marcus tried to go through the middle of the defence but was brought down some 25 yards out. Albie duly smashed the free kick into the top right corner completing his hat trick. Wickham then gained three corners in succession the 3^rd of which saw Bart flash a shot just wide of the post. Olly and Bert now came off with Max now playing on the left and Ben left back. Another free kick from a similar distance this time saw Albie’s shot clear the bar. In the 21^st minute a ball into the box saw Iggy and the keeper clash when both going for the ball and despite Charlie tucking the ball away a free kick was awarded for a foul on the keeper. The next 8 minutes belonged to Jesse. In the 22^nd minute Charlie won the ball from a goal kick, knocked it sideways for Jesse to hit into the top corner. In the 26^th minute Wickham passed the ball around in defence before a ball was played over Marcus’ head for him to run onto. It was played into Albie who set up Jesse on the edge of the box to place the ball into the bottom left hand corner. In the 28^th minute Iggy hit a shot on the turn but the keeper saved well. Coleshill then broke away in numbers but Karl was able to make the saving tackle. A minute later Wickham again went down the right with a deep cross finding Olly. He played it into Jesse’s path and he again drilled it into the back of the next to complete his first League hat trick for the club. Bert now came back on to play in midfield and in the 34^th minute he took a corner which caused a scramble in the box but Albie eventually tucked the ball away to complete the scoring for the day.

Having played well in midfield for a good number of weeks now plus scoring a second half hat trick, Jesse was awarded both The Player of the Day Award and the opposition coaches award as well.

James Davis

William Herrington, Bert Cherrill, Karl Admans, Ben Finch

Max Nicholls, Jesse Bowers, Marcus Guest, Olly Sopp

Albie Oakman, Charlie de Fraine.

Subs:- Iggy Ilott, Jack Bolton, Jordan Shaw.