Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' Reports 2007-08

Saturday 8th September 2007 - Stockport Vikings Under 10's 'C' 0-9 Poynton FC Under 10's 'A'- Stockport Metro League (Group C)

This was an outstanding performance from our boys who did eveything asked from them and more, against an improved Vikings team who have added a couple of new improved players. From the outset we set out to play our usual free-flowing attractive football and the passing was inch-perfect. There was both some outstanding individual performances as well as some great teamwork. A total of 18 goals with only 2 in reply sums both games up, but the 2nd game was evenly poised at 1-1 after 5 minutes with Vikings bringing on 3 new stronger players, and the game could have gone either way. However Poynton dug in & killed the game off with 3 quick goals. Overall this was another impeccable performance that we have come to expect from these lads. You wouldn't have thought this was the first game back after the end of season break. It was also nice to see the new lads blend in so quickly & and chip in with some well-taken goals!

Andrew O'Connor: stand-in keeper for the first game, and in the rare moments he was needed he was excellent. Also grabbed a great goal when playing outfield in the second game. Chris Williams: his usual tiger-ish display. Didn't duck out of a challenge nor lost a tackle. Jason Capper: Mr. Reliable with a combination of great passing & solid clearances when required. Arjun Takiar: used his awareness to break up numerous attacks & brilliantly linked defence & attack. Grabbed a well-taken hat-trick in second game. Marek Heath: usual tireless workrate & ran himself into the ground. Supplied his usual quota of pinpoint crosses. Nino Orton-Clark: his pace & close control constantly worried the opposition and scored 2 cracking goals. Jacob Firth: looked dangerous & showed a great poacher's instinct with 3 well taken goals. Alex Wadd: superb defensive performance. Some great passing & gave nothing away. Joe Barrowclough: played in goal in second game. 2 superb saves when we were under pressure allowed us to go on & win the game. Man of the match - Louis Davis: a breath-taking performance from the skipper. A total of 7 goals on the day, with a couple of long-distance scorchers that were simply astonishing. Louis appears to have added a new dimension to his football & was totally unstoppable. Well done.

Saturday 15th September 2007 - Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' 8-0 Queensgate Juniors Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

Saturday 22nd September 2007 - Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' 4-0 Queensgate Juniors Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

Poynton Juniors A Under 10's secured their second victory over Queensgate in a week with a comfortable 4-0 victory. Starting as they finished the previous week Poynton raced into a 3-0 lead by half time and a repeat of last weeks 8-0 drubbing looked on the cards. However through a combination of over exuberance and committed Bramhall defending Poynton lost their way a little in the second half and added only a further goal through an outstanding solo effort from Matthew. For the record the other scorers were Matthew again with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, George with a trademark slip past the keeper while one on one and Jamie with his second powerblaster in a week.

Kyle made an exceptional save in the opening minute and played with much more confidence this week well done. Jamie a deserved man of the match with a thoroughly professional performance, his reading of the game and distribution have improved so much and his form is outstanding an excellent performance Jamie. Jacob relished the more attacking position in the first half with some good vision and interplay with Liam. In the second half the more disciplined side of his game was a priceless asset as he helped repel any Bramhall offensive. Matthew another first class performance particularly in the first half when Matt seemed to be everywhere. His second goal in particular was mesmerising as he beat 4 defenders and in full flight drilled the ball low past the goalie. Liam a quieter game than usual from Liam who was effective but playing within himself. A sign of his so high standards! Tom a revelation so far this season Tom played with great energy and vigour, linking well with Matt and doing some fantastic defensive work. George clnical finish and some super link up play particularly with his back to goal, quieter in the second half as our passing game deteriorated.

Saturday 29th September 2007 - Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' 10-0 Mountfield Rovers Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

It is difficult to come up with the superlatives to describe the A teams performance this week but if you look in a Thesaurus (which I had to) some of the words that spring to mind are; magnificent, superb, unparalleled and even top dog's came up! The goals were obviously extremely pleasing but the manner in which the team played was oozing with class. The only blot on the landscape was two defensive errors that crept in, because we felt so comfortable the full backs decided to join the alamo up front. However learning to keep a discipline against the easier teams will only help us against the tougher opponents, it may be harsh to pick this out but the best teams learn from what they did well and what can be improved, even in a 10-0 trashing. Coming in at half time 7-0 up shows how much the team has progressed since last year as they did have the knack of starting slow and going one down just to keep us on the edge of our seats. That habit has well and truly gone as the lads started at top pace with one touch moves, slick balls down the wings and in the second half trying the odd trick or two. Let's hope we see this performance repeated in a few weeks.

Kyle - much quicker at releasing the ball out and also having more confidence to throw out to the wings and build from the back. A fine and patient performance and now adapting well to the needs of his new outfield team mates. Jacob - another consistent performance, showing strength to get up from a tough tackle leaving stud marks in his hip. Driving a low and tricky free kick that would confuse Mountfield's defence and knowing that one of his team mates would get a foot to it in the scramble resulted in a goal. Matt - Man of the Match - Not taking anything away from Matt's excellent display but it is getting difficult to pick out a single performance when the unit performs as it does, therefore looking at individual progression and learning is vital to reward. Not only did Matt have a fantastic performance tackling back and playing the game we know him well for, but his development this week for getting his head up and looking for a cutting pass or moving the ball into space at the right time was impossible to play against. When he dribbled it was the right time to do so and when he could not find the space he looked up and picked out a team mate. It was a classy, intelligent and selfless performance. Liam - a four goal hero whose worth is so much more than goals. Clever opposing teams will try to play around our midfield as it is difficult to move a mountain called Campbell! With his new Fernando Torres hairstyle he breezed through this game like a knife cutting through hot butter. A sublime display of how to control a game. Alfie - another classy performance from the Captain, playing the simple ball, even dropping deep to cover for defence. How can the opposition cope with a team that has so much ability and then has a Captain to bind it all together whose form is irresistible. Tom - probably the most intelligent player on the team and is always at the heart of our attacking moves, whether it is finding space to receive a ball or diverting the defence to create space for others, Tom is on top of his game. Unlucky not to be awarded the second goal, but that's strikers for you! George - another four goal hero and like Kyle his confidence has grown with his new team mates around him to add more to his game than finishing. George is adding strength to his abilities, tracking back to the half way line to dig in and win the ball was a joy to see as it displays the confidence he has in himself. A top performance.

Saturday 13th October 2007 - Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' 2-1 Richmond Rovers Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

The usual derby match atmosphere provided an different setting than the boys were used to. The first half was evenly matched with both sides battling hard in a midfield melee. Richmond took the lead with a penalty but Poynton hit back very quickly with an opportunist goal from Edward who pounced on a loose ball in the box to drive home. The second half saw Poynton take greater control and most of the game was played in the Richmond half and Kyle had much less to do. A fine piece of skill from Alfie finishing with a low shot into the corner was to prove the winner but only Edward and Liam will know how they both missed open goals which would have given the scoreline a much fairer reflection on the play. The boys must be congratulated for their discipline and focus as they all remained calm in very difficult circumstances and as they have done so often before they won through strength and determination when unable to play their normal free flowing passing game. Many thanks to Mark Hoyland for refereeing the remainder of the game in such an excellent manner.

Kyle justifiably joint man of the match Kyle had his best game this season with two superb saves in the first half .His concentration was good and kicking from hands was outstanding. Jacob so reliable Jacob didn't put a foot wrong in a controlled and disciplined performance. He curbed his natural attacking instincts to keep us tight and secure in the second half when his timing and reading of the game were impeccable. Matthew a very professional performance from Matt who as always was thoroughly committed throughout. He tackled tigerishly, covered superbly and launched many raids on the left with strong running and incisive passing. Equally pleasing was how he overcame the disappointment of a poor penalty decision to come back stronger . Liam controlled the middle of the pitch in a very congested and tightly fought area.Great strength and character when needed and unlucky not to score a couple.Just the boy you want in the heart of the battle on occasions like this. Edward a welcome return Edward added Added poise and class to the left hand side with excellent vision,strong running and determined tackling.Took his goal well and like Liam could easily have added another couple. Alfie joint man of the match, Alfie kept a cool head throughout the game proving a constant thorn in the Richmond defence as he went past them at will. His goal was a stunning piece of skill and vision as indeed was his celebration! At his imperious best today Alfie led the team superbly and was never going to do anything other than win the match. Nino played the lone strikers role and found it difficult to adapt to the pace of the game initially. With more self belief Nino would strike terror into all his opponents but seemed to get caught in the emotion of the occasion today.

Saturday 20th October 2007 - Bollington United Under 10's 'A' 2-7 Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

We are running out of superlatives for the A team's start to the season as they just keep on getting better and better. It is so pleasing to see the boys growing up into such an intelligent team that can adapt to any game plan. The boys are so used to playing fluid football on the ground that our tactics for this game could have backfired on us. On a short pitch Bollington wanted to remain with the rule that keepers can kick out of hands for goal kicks, so Kyle's instructions had him perplexed for a second when I said "aim for goal with every kick". Almost all of Kyle's kicks landed in their box and the lads then got back to business as usual, they got the ball down and played football. This meant that we continually kept Bolly's strikers and midfield out of the game and their defence got tired of a four man attack. The only blip was a managers mistake in changing to 1-3-2 for a short spell in the second half; on such a short pitch it caused congestion and actually gifted Bollington two goals. Another great performance from a team that is in sparkling form.

Kyle - Man of the Match - His performances have gone off the scale recently, with great saves, excellent distribution from throws to the wings and where is kicking was sometimes his Achilles heel it is now a deadly weapon. Kyle was man of the match for sticking to the tactics so well and causing Bollington so much hassle. Matt - A comfortable performance for this dynamo; he deserved a goal for some of the long range efforts. Matt played with real determination and was one of four outfield players that could of won man of the match. Jacob - A great first half providing a pressing defensive role where required but sometimes had to remain patient as this was probably the game where he had least touches of the ball due to it being in the other half. Ed - Came on as a sub for Tom towards the end of the first half and played as though he had been on the pitch for the whole match. When you have a sub on the bench this strong it is a pleasure to have so many attacking options. Ed was another contender for man of the match with his movement, trickery and all round determination.Tom - Another top notch performance from Mr Versatility, once again he plays with such intelligence often drawing players with him off the ball to provide space to those on the ball that can lead to a shot on goal. It was this brilliance that had him also in contention for man of the match.Liam - A fine performance from our midfield maestro and also had to remain patient with such different tactics than we are used to. Often the ball would go way past him over his head that Liam had then had to work hard to pick up the pieces, he worked tirelessly and grabbed a goal for his efforts. Alfie - What a performance! Some would say a hat-trick deserves man of the match and as you can see it was difficult to seperate so many outfield performances for so many reasons. Alfie was a true captain today and was at his imperious best never letting any of the opposition get the better of him with 3 fine goals to cap of a great team display. George - Another goal to add to the tally that could have been 5 or 6. He was sometimes guilty of playing too far into the keepers area that meant some of the balls could not reach him.

Saturday 3rd November 2007 - Great Moor County Under 10's 'A' 1-4 Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

Poynton started at a fast and furious pace racing into a three goal lead with goals from Alfie, Tom and Ed. Some of the passing and movement was sublime but most pleasing was their determination to win the ball back when not in possession as their tenacity and harrying was exceptional. A very wide pitch allowed the boys to spread the play and utilise the width offered by Alfie and Jacob on the right and Tom and Matt on the left. In the second half a further goal from George preceded by a breakaway goal from Great Moor gave a final scoreline of 4-1. Poynton played excellent football for most of the game, only the odd momentary lapse deflecting from a very dominant performance.

Kyle good concentration with only one momentary lapse when caught slightly out of position for the goal. Distribution excellent again with good roll outs to Matt and Jacob. Jacob outstanding first half in which his distribution and overlapping were exceptional.Read Mattys movements particularly well when covering in the second half in particular. Matt Man of the Match A truly exceptional performance from Matt who drew admiration from both sets of supporters and officials. He seemed to be everywhere, covering, tackling, dribbling and shooting in what goes down as one of his best performances ever for the team. Liam a quieter performance than normal from Liam, indeed it was a pleasure for his team mates to help him today as so often in the past he has covered for them . Ed an excellent performance in the centre of midfield, Ed showed strength, determination and a sublime range of passing to both wings. Tom caused terror down the left, how he did not score more we will never know. Excellent interplay with Matt and Ed, great close control and dribbling skill and killer passes. Alfie another boy on top of his game, he complimented Tom on the right causing constant distress to the home teams defence. George better movement in the second half, always seems to be in the right place and with a little more luck could have trebled his tally.

Saturday 10th November 2007 - Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' 8-1 Stockport Vikings 'C' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

A scintillating 10 minute spell early in the second half was the highlight of todays performance. Either side of this the boys played within themselves against opposition who despite previous heavy defeats battled hard and scored a good goal. Poynton raced into an early 2 goal lead with 2 excellent strikes from Jamie but then got bogged down for the remainder of the first half as they often tried to over elaborate rather than making the simple pass. Just after half time Stockport scored and at 2-1 the boys had a game. They immediately got back into their stride, passed, moved and finished in devastating style with 3 goals from Nino and further strikes from Arjun, Marek and Andrew. Typical of this period of play was their unselfish style as they would pass the ball to a team mate in a better position than themselves rather than take a shot. Heaven knows what the score would have been had they played the whole match in top gear!

Nathan growing in stature each week excellent communication and distribution with Chris and Jason along with two brave saves at the feet of onrushing strikers. Chris a confident performance with incisive tackling composed defending and good distribution , Chris now plays consistently well each week. Jason understated as always but composed as ever another good performance from Jason. Jamie a solid display from Jamie who has shown his eye for goal regularly this season, excellent work rate . Andrew looking like he has played for a lot longer than he actually has good range of passing but he will have to learn to look sometimes right rather than at his close friend on his left! Arjun a liitle rusty to start but soon back into the groove , great spell in the second half with good passing and movement culminating with his goal. Marek Man of the Match the Captain for the day had a superb spell as he galvanized the team when Stockport scored. Driving forward with purpose, speed and skill he created three goals in as many minutes and then much to his own satisfaction scored himself. Nino another boy adding consistency to his game, it was not just his 3 goals but the attitude shown when chasing back and tackling that pleased most.

Saturday 17th November 2007 - Queensgate Juniors Under 10's 'A' 0-4 Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

Poynton struggled to get their normal passing game going on a difficult pitch against opponents who were determined to limit the scoreline and improve on the previous match when Poynton won 8-0. Despite enjoying the bulk of the possession Poynton went in at half time with a single goal from Louis. A combination of over exuberance and too much dribbling/not enough passing hampered their efforts. The second half saw a much improved performance with the passing game returning and three further strikes from George, Ed and Matthew giving the scoreline a much fairer reflection.

Kyle another clean sheet showed bravery when required. Matthew a superb strike for his goal played two different positions, lone defender in the first half and attacking midfielder in the second. Tom same as Matt with two positions both played with equal distinction. Liam did everything but score, dominated the centre and conducted the play in the second half. Alfie new position behind main striker but suffered injury just after half time and unable to return. Louis Man of the Match excellent display from Louis working the right flank tirelessley, great distribution and a superb volley from a corner for the first goal. George another game another goal starting to realise the importance of off the ball work and chasing defenders when not in possession. Ed introduced a calmnes in the second half with his trademark passing bringing others into the game

Another game unbeaten. Well done boys.

Saturday 12th January 2008 - Stockport Metro Six-a-Side Tournament - WINNERS

Once again Poynton Jnrs Under 10's A team entered the Stockport Metro Jnr League's indoor tournament and went through ten games unbeaten to win the trophy in glorious fashion for the second year running! On paper Poynton thought it may be an easy group of seven other teams to play against but the lads took nothing for granted by coming out of the stocks flying, beating Lostock Rangers 3-0 in their opening 5 minute group game. They went on to win six and draw one in the group stages winning the group by a clear 4 points. The quarter finals pitted them against Apollo's A team and history had shown that they are a good team as they met them twice last year and were beaten 2-1 away and at home faced a tense game that ended 3-3. Fortunately I think the lads had forgotten these results as they cruised past Apollo's finest with a 3-0 victory that prompted fantastic comments from some of Apollo's supporters, such as "that was a different class". The semi-final was a match up they were hoping to avoid but the lads did not buckle when they found out they were to face our rivals Richmond Rovers A team. The game was extremely tense as Richmond had completed the morning slot without conceding a goal and were high on confidence, which showed as Max Henshall scored a scorcher of a goal to put them 1-0 up in the first half. Early into the second 5 minute half Liam Campbell pulled a fantastic goal back to score against his best mate in goal. Poynton created many chances and seemed to control the flow of the game but Richmond were resolute and held them to a draw in full time. The dreaded penalty shootout is were the keepers become heroes and Kyle Clapperton was outstanding, conceding only two goals out of the five penalties. Poynton were through to the final again! Deja Vous! They now faced Hale United; who came runners up in our group and who they had beaten 2-0! They could smell victory but did not get carried away or over confident with a match that was much more tense than the previous group stage for obvious reasons, however the lads continued with the good habit they have now got themselves afflicted with; winning! The final result was 3-1 to Poynton. Poynton Under 10's A team put on such a magnificent display of slick pass and move football that was also played at the highest level of sportsmanship. All they have to do now is win the treble next year! No pressure then.
Picture: (from left to right, back row) Jacob Oakley, Tom Hoyland, Kyle Clapperton, George Francis, Liam Campbell. (front row) Edward Francis, Alfie Earith, Matthew Hanson.

Saturday 26th January 2008 - Stockport Vikings 'C' 0-11 Poynton FC Under 10's 'A' - Stockport Metro League (Group C)

With such a deafening scoreline you would expect the report to be glorious and rapturing about the boys performance. However our lads did not really get out of first gear and the scoreline could easily have been double. Please do not mis-understand, the boys stuck to a game plan and played exceptionally well but even the parents on the touchline were muted as we all expected this to be easy. This just goes to show that everyone now wants a challenge to show how good they are. Stockport Vikings deserve enormous credit for being able to turn out a team against us knowing they will have to produce miracles to achieve a result. Their boys never gave up and I am sure will be ready again for next weeks fixture. The highlight of the day was testing 4 of the newer boys in the 2nd game and giving Arjun and Chris the chance to play out of position up front. Arjun bagged four and Chris a hat-trick in an 8-3 performance that was again not too difficult.

Brad - Not much to do at all in the league game, his dad could have brought his homework. In the 2nd game he even managed to play on the right wing in the 2nd half. A fine, patient performance. Chris - was allowed to push up the field from a defensive position and had a very comfortable game. Chris was asked to show his strength and awareness today and did not disappoint. Playing the "Rooney" partnership for the 2nd game, Chris revelled in his opportunity to terrorise Vikings penalty area. Arjun - another defender allowed to roam a little and was asked to show his pace today. His technique on the long ball keeps on catching teams out and it's a great quality for a full back to have. A commanding performance as "Tevez" in the 2nd game would surely see him go home with a smile on his face all weekend. Louis - a selfless Captains performance in the first half and had licence to be a little greedy in the 2nd period to grab his goal. Jacob - playing out of position in centre-midfield he commanded the space easily to grab his first hat-trick in a Poynton shirt. He knows it should have at least been 4 but by his own admission on the way home he found the game sleepy. These kids just get too cheeky. Marek - an excellent first half working for the team, looking for cutting passes. Another winger that was given licence to hog the ball for the second half and his one goal came from a winding run that seemed to go on forever. A well deserved goal. Nino - strength combined with technique and pace was what he was asked to exhibit today; 5 goals demonstrates he delivered on all counts. His 5th goal, a left footed volley was a perfect riposte to my shouts of "use that left foot". Of the newer boys:- Andrew - had a reasonably comfortable performance but more assertion is needed especially against the tougher teams we will face. Alex - nice to see his effort to stamp some authority on this game and was unlucky not to grab a goal from a perfect cross from the corner. Joe - In the first half he played in the centre of midfield and enjoyed the opportunity to get stuck in and also showed he can launch the ball in the second half as he relieved Brad the boredom of being in goal. Matt Taylor - an impressive debut and one boy to watch as he will work hard to steal a place in the starting line up. Matt has the confidence to want to play in defence or midfield and powered a shot into goal that nearly broke the net! However it was his pace, strength and aggression in defence that impressed the most.