Terrington Hall School

Ours was the only cricket match to survive the glorious spring weather - a softer ball and shrunken outfield being the key factors.
A prolonged visit by that spherical golden mass of hydrogen and helium above our heads actually made the afternoon a very pleasant experience. So, sunglasses on, game on.
St. Martin's batted first, soon rattling off 26 runs with their opening pair. If this run rate was to continue through the order, I worried; we'd probably be in for a bit of hiding. Thankfully, no more than 10 runs were added per pair until the last two batsmen of their innings put on another 18. It would have been worse had Nat and Archie not taken a wicket each in their overs.
With 5 runs taken away for each wicket that fell, George, Josh, Nat again and James Barker, twice, removed another 25 runs with their excellent bowling. The fielding, too, played its part in keeping down the score, George and James Naylor in particular, frequently made swift and effective moves to get the ball back to the stumps.
Bobby, Harry and Olly also impressed in the field and contributed to keeping the score down with some admirable economical bowling figures. Billy too, played his part, especially with his coolly and cleanly taken catch off one of Nat's balls.
The batting, after tea, made a bit of a stumbling start as the opening bowlers showed some good skills, taking 3 early wickets. We did recover though and consistently added runs throughout the order, avoiding bad decisions and hence suffering no run outs or catches. We finished on 287 (we start on 200 in U9's cricket to avoid the potential embarrassment of a negative score!), 31 ahead of St. Martin's.
The decisive factors in our victory were the ability to avoid giving away cheap wickets and our superb bowling which gave away only half of the extras given by our opponents.
Congratulations to the boys for their exemplary teamwork; thanks to St. Martin's for their friendly and sporting hospitality and to the parents too, who came to enjoy their sons' sporting fun on what turned out to be a lovely afternoon.

St. Martin's           256

Terrington Hall      287       Won by 31 runs

Top scorers:  George Welch  10 runs           Billy Watkinson  6 runs

Best Bowling:  James Barker  5 runs for 2 wickets      Nat Esler  5 runs for 2 wickets

Minster School 2 Terrington Hall 1

It was a beautiful day in Pocklington for the U9's football tournament - I really didn't need the wellies that were a necessity at Sedbergh a few days ago - and we arrived in good spirits, hoping for some positive results.
Things didn't look great for us in the opening minutes of our first game against Read School. The boys were extremely tentative in their approach and we were 1-0 down before we'd woken up to the fact that the opposition were going to try to beat us.
Thankfully, their goal ignited a response and our sleepy heads were suddenly roused. Bobby got the equaliser, followed shortly after by Adam's blistering first strike that made it 2-1. Half time was upon us before we knew it in the 12 minute match.
Bobby netted his second, our third, from a cross from the left but we were pegged back again by a determined Read side. Adam wrapped it up for us when another of his shots took a deflection on its way into the net. Victory; 4-2.
Next up were Lyndhurst, the hosts. It was a tight game but Josh put us ahead after a good punt up the pitch by Harry in goal. After half time Adam confidently stroked the ball home when put clean through. 2-0 remained the score and we were sitting pretty.
I continued to ring the changes with the squad somewhat, bringing on subs and giving different players the chance to start. The necessity to keep things tight and for everyone to stay focused was apparent when we played Minster School, our last opponents in the group stage. They presented a tough challenge and came back at us to equalise Billy's excellent goal that came from a good cross from Josh.
We battled hard and got our noses back in front when Adam netted his fourth of the afternoon to give us a 2-1 win. With only ten players on the pitch there was plenty of space to pass and move; something the boys were doing beautifully - in their yellow shirts, it really was just like watching Brazil ...at times!
As group winners, we were given a semi-final tie against Bootham School, who had finished second in the other group.
The Bootham boys slapped our faces with the opening goal but James showed his class with a superb header from Adam's corner to bring us level. Josh then picked up the ball and set off on a strong run down the right, finishing his move with a fine shot from a narrow angle to nudge us ahead.
After the break, Bobby struck again after more good work by Josh following a throw in; 3-1. We were over the horizon and on our way to Wembley by the time Josh knocked in another after some brilliant passing through midfield, to make it 4-1. Our captain then fluffed his lines with a kick straight at the keeper from the penalty spot after a hand ball but it was immaterial - we were in the final.
Our opposition was to be Minster School again, whom we'd vanquished earlier in the afternoon but were obviously a useful side, having reached the final by knocking out the much vaunted (by our boys, at least) Dunnington ( I think), winners of the other group .
We conceded a penalty early on in the match and faced an uphill task to come from behind for a third time, when it was put away by the Minster striker. Such was the spirit being shown by our boys, though, I was reasonably confident that we'd fight our way back. When Bobby played the ball through to Adam, our anticipation was rewarded with the equaliser.
George had been making fantastic tackles and moving the ball effectively out of defence all day and had barely put a foot wrong. Having such a stalwart barrier at the back had enabled us to be so formidable in attack. Half time, and all to play for at 1-1.
A lovely looping ball from the corner by Josh dangled menacingly in mid air on the goal line after skimming the cross bar and was surprisingly caught by a Minster outfield player before it had chance to be bundled over the line by our lurking attack. Penalty. Up stepped Josh to coolly dispatch the ball to the bottom left corner. Having miscued an earlier spot kick, it would take strength of character not to bottle out of another. Josh showed his steely side and duly gave us the lead.
The team was now full of confidence and were passing the ball between one another with great aplomb. Another fabulous move culminated in the ball being worked from midfield to the right, then back across the goalmouth for James to tap in to make it 3-1.
Shortly after, the referee blew his whistle for the last time and the boys had triumphed.
What a wonderful afternoon it had been. Somewhat nerve-wracking at times but always entertaining and often thrilling. The displays of each and every one of the squad in the matches were magnificent and I was not the only coach to be immensely impressed by what we'd seen.

Thanks to the parents who came to support their boys - bet you're feeling proud - and to Lyndhurst for staging the tournament.

The Squad: Harry Lister, Nat Esler, George Welch, Billy Watkinson, Archie Hobson, Bobby James, Josh Gath (Captain), James Barker, Adam Reid.
Played: 5     Won: 5     For: 15    Against: 5

Twenty-two U13's charging around an undersized pitch that might be described as a quagmire wasn't likely to result in a beautiful game. It must have been hard work, galumphing around in that mud, trying to make meaningful use of the ball. To their credit, the lads never stopped chasing from beginning to end.
Having been put under pressure early on, we finally started to break out of our own half and were rewarded with the first goal of the match when Steven coolly slotted the ball home when put through on the edge of the box.
Poor marking at a corner kick resulted in probably Sedbergh's best player giving Jack no chance with a well placed, unstoppable shot to make it 1-1.
Another through ball, this time from Steven, gave Charlie Tannahill the chance to put us back in front before the break and he did so with aplomb.
It was Charlie T again, making the opposition goalie pick the ball from the back of the net when a corner, first cleared, then hooked back into the six yard box by the irrepressible Jones boy was headed in to make it 3-1.
A headed goal for Sedbergh, shortly after a throw in, brought them back within touching distance.
Having spent much of the game rallying the defence, Cameron finally started to get forward a little more and showed great tenacity before feeding the ever hungry Charlie T with a lovely ball that was hit beautifully from an angle for our fourth goal, putting daylight between the teams once more.
Saki and Joseph Elliott had been toiling hard to hold our opponents at bay all afternoon with some excellent interceptions and clearances but they clawed their way back yet again when given far too much time to shoot after another determined attack.
The match had been played at a frenzied pace with neither side allowed to settle on such a small pitch. It was by no means one sided and Sedbergh had had plenty of the ball, coming close a few times with good shots that either hit the post or were tipped over by our athletic man between the sticks, Jack. His goal kicks were frequently giving us a chance of getting deep into enemy territory, often helped forward by Nathan's energetic play in midfield and Steven again took advantage when hitting a looping ball into the top left corner for our fifth goal.
At 5-3 we still weren't safe but more fantastic work by Steven down the right gave Charlie Buchanan, who had been busily effective in midfield throughout, the opportunity to move the ball out to Joe Nordli on the left for a sweet shot that crept inside the post to make it 6-3.
It was a superb move for the most pleasing goal of the afternoon, rewarding Joe for his great industry. The team were worthy winners of a very entertaining match in which Sedbergh contributed much.

One more game to go - against Minster School on Wednesday.

Team: Charters, Pycock (sub. Wright), Kaitoga, Elliott, Chapman, Thompson (sub. Lodge), Buchanan, Keanurico, Jones, Nordli, Tannahill.

Result: Won 6-3

The annual Spirit of Soccer tournament at Aysgarth took place under a blue sky with casual visits from glowering dark clouds. It didn't rain.

We kicked off against Belmont Grosvenor, taking the lead about 4 minutes into the game with a thunderous shot from Albert nearly bursting through the net. It was a beauty, taken from a tricky angle. We won the match 1-0. I knew they were only 7/8 minute matches but it still came as a surprise when it ended so quickly!

A goalless draw against Aysgarth 'A' followed, adding another two points to the three we'd taken earlier - yes, there was even a point if you lost. This is Spirit of Soccer, though, and the whole point of the tournament is to celebrate participation and sportsmanship, played out by pupils who haven't had too many opportunities to play football for their schools. I applaud and fully endorse the concept... but crikey, it's darned hard not to get all competitive on the touchline when you're used to hollering at eleven U13's battling away in the blue and yellow.

We drew again against Mowden Hall, 1-1, after falling behind to an excruciating goal - one of those where the ball somehow squirms out of the grip of the keeper's hands and crawls agonisingly over the line. Thankfully, George Raines, playing outfield for a change, blasted an unstoppable cannonball past a stunned keeper, again from quite a tight angle.

We next played St Martin's, earning a 1-1 draw against probably the most skilful opponents in our group. I can picture their goal that followed some hesitation in our defence and by the goalie but, this is where I'll get into trouble, I didn't make a note of our scorer... oops, sorry. I'll update this on Thursday when I'll have been reminded in no uncertain terms, no doubt, by the equalising hero. Ha! Just remembered - it was Joe!

Our final group match was against Cundall Manor 'B' and ended 0-0 - yet another draw! We finished second in the group, behind St. Martin's - the eventual joint winners with St. Olaves. Our third place play-off match was against Bramcote/Woodleigh, the other group's runners up, which ended, yes, you've guessed it, as a 0-0 draw.

We then decided the match on penalties. George Raines made two excellent saves while Albert and Joe thumped in two goals and that was that.

It was, indeed, a positive experience for all concerned and our boys did themselves proud, remaining unbeaten throughout. Rolling substitutions meant everyone played frequently and they evidently enjoyed the day.

Thanks to Aysgarth for staging the festival and to Mrs Kobylka for keeping me company between the matches.

Squad: Albert Pollard, Joe Browne, George Raines, Alexander Kobylka, Andrew Downes, Harry Welch, Tom Matthews and Tom Combe.

Played: 6    Won: 1    Drew: 5    Lost: 0

Team: Charters, Lodge (sub. Lister), Kaitoga (Elliott), Thompson (sub. R. Jones), Pycock (sub. Wright), S. Jones, Chapman, Buchanan, Keanurico, Nordli, Tannahill.

Score: Won  5 - 0

U13 Football v. Red House School Wed. 25th Jan. ‘12

Yet another windy day for our match. Against a combined Woodleigh and Bramcote team, we were hopeful of continuing our gradual improvement. I put all eligible boys' names on the squad list and intended giving all a part to play.
We got off to a good start for a change, getting an early goal, courtesy of Edward Thompson, moving forward from midfield to put a shot between the unfortunate goalie's legs. It seemed to take an eternity to cross the line. But it did.
Cameron was playing in an advanced role today after some impressive offensive moves seen in previous games, and soon got his name on the scoresheet after skipping past a couple of challenges. His quick, confident feet and urgency in attack seems to invigorate those around him.
We were seeing some good flowing moves with crisp passing between Joe Nordli, Charlie Buchanan and Charlie Tannnahill. Steven made it 3 - 0 after another good build up, eventually receiving a back heeled ball just inside the area and delivering a languid shot, reminiscent of Le Tissier, that sailed gloriously into the top left corner.
At half time, Nathan Chapman, who'd been solid in defence and Edward Thompson, busy and effective in midfield, gave way for Harvey Wright and Tom Pycock; the latter just failing to notch his first goal when his shot crept just wide of an upright. It's a shame I haven't resisted mentioning the fact that it was an open goal. Sorry, Tom!
Steven scored his second goal after another nice move that ultimately delivered the ball to his feet inside the area. His straight, low shot beat the keeper; 4- 0.
Joe Nordli had been creative and industrious all afternoon and deservedly got a goal with peach of a half volley from the edge of the box that the goalkeeper got his fingers to but couldn't stop from dropping beneath the bar.
Saki and Joseph Elliott were replaced after their excellent hard work by Thomas Lister and Reece Jones, both making their debuts. Cameron and Charlie B had dropped back to shore up an inexperienced defence but we conceded a goal after some determined play by Woodleigh/Bramcote's boys, who to their very great credit were still competing hard. Our opponents had some useful players and their goalie had made some extremely brave saves at the feet of our attackers on numerous occasions. Their goal was certainly no fluke and was scant reward for their commendable endeavour throughout the match.
A long ball bomb from King Jack in goal was moved quickly into the danger zone by Joe's superb pass for Charlie T to fire home and make it 6 - 1. This was followed by another through ball landing kindly for Steven Jones who eluded a grounded keeper to roll it into an unguarded net for his hat-trick.
It's great for morale to win by such a score but one feels for the opposition who hadn't let their heads drop despite getting mauled and kept trying to the final whistle. It's no fun to be on the receiving end of such a scoreline - we've been there ourselves in the past - so I tip my hat to them for their sterling effort and sporting attitude.

We travel to Red House in Stockton on Wednesday for our next fixture. It'll be a tough one - they usually have a good squad of footballers and we'll need to be at the top of our game to get a result. Let's hope today's match has imbued the boys with sufficient confidence to give a good account of themselves.
Thanks once again to Mr Glen for his refereeing and to the parents who braved the blustery conditions to cheer us on. A mention too for the kitchen staff and matrons, who certainly had their hands full this afternoon with so many matches taking place. Needless to say the sports participants were well catered for.

Team: Charters, Lodge, Kaitoga (sub. Lister), Elliott (sub. R. Jones), Chapman (sub. Pycock), Buchanan, Thompson (sub. Wright), Nordli, Tannahill, S. Jones, Keanurico.

Score: Won 7 -1