Sunday 20th March vs. Costello Cougars

No complaints with the weather today - probably the best weather & conditions we've had since the autumn. Both Kieran & Peter were otherwise engaged, so we had a squad of ten on show today, which meant every player would have to work that bit harder than normal.

Unfortunately Benson injured his thumb in the warm-up, so Dylan generously stepped forward & volunteered to be the keeper for the first match.

Match 1

Straight from the kick-off it was clear we were up against a good team as they pinned us in our own half for the first few minutes. As it proved throughout the morning, good defending was the key to success & we managed to keep their attacks at bay. Benson, JoshL & Taylor all put in calm, assured performances & Dylan put in a great display when their attackers broke through.

After a goalless first half, both teams pressed hard to break the deadlock & it always seemed it would take some good play or a great strike to open the score. Thankfully for us, we scored first when Joel smashed the ball into the back of the net from just inside the penalty area.

Undeterred, the Cougars came back at us & at times it took all our outfield players to keep them at bay. Just as we thought we'd done enough to hold on for a win, after a clearance by our defence one of their players made a pass that went all the way through to their lone forward who scored with what proved to be the last kick of the game. Although it was a bit disappointing to lose such a late goal, on balance 1-1 was probably a fair result.

Match 2

Determined to win the second match, we kicked off at a high temp & immediately carried on with the great passing we'd showed in the first game. We were unlucky not to score on several occasions but (as has happened in several matches this year) we were thwarted by a goalkeeper who was on top form.

Despite our pressure, Costello had plenty of chances themselves & William put in another fine performance, stopping them from scoring including a couple of point blank saves. Ewan was outstanding for us, putting in a very accomplished performance all over the field.

Again the first-half was goalless & into the second-half it seemed both defences were going to dominate & prevent any goals. However, we managed to go one-nil up when Ben broke away from the half-way line & selflessly played a great through-ball to Harry who ran on & poked the ball past the keeper into the corner of the net.

The boys were obviously delighted to go ahead late in the game & almost immediately doubled the lead when some great team play was finished off when JoshC's shot was too strong for the Costello keeper.

Now, full of confidence we had no problems keeping the opposition at bay & held on for a well deserved 2-0 win. From where I was standing, these were probably two of the most enjoyable matches I've seen us be part of this season - it was really great to see us compete so well against a really good team & to see all the boys playing so well as a unit.

The penalty competition was dominated by the penalty-takers - there wasn't a penalty spot & the penalty area seemed a bit smaller than what we are used to, so the keepers were hard pressed to keep shots out.

This week's Man-of-the-Match title was deservedly awarded to Benson who put in a great all round performance, including some of his trademark solid tackles.

I also ought to pay tribute to our fantastic supporters who, week after week, provide the boys with great encouragement & support. From the opposite side of the field, it was a delight to hear our supporters cheering & applauding the great play on show. And the supporters are also quite a persuasive bunch - apparently one of our more "persuasive" supporters almost convinced John to award us a penalty - nice work Ian :-)

Sunday 13th March vs Tickton Sharks

Despite leaden skies overhead, our pitch was in as good condition as its been this year & it was another good morning for a bit of footie. The Tickton manager had forewarned me that they may be short of players (in which case I'd offered to loan them some players), but they turned up with seven players & decided to play on.

Match 1

We started at a high tempo & from early on rediscovered the passing moves that had deserted us last week. Taylor & JoshL formed a formidable defensive partnership, which allowed our midfield & attack to put early pressure on the opposition. Our attacks were rewarded by an early goal from JoshC, who later in the half was unlucky not to double the lead when he fired a spot-kick wide of the post.

Into the second-half our confidence grew & we quickly went 2-0 with a goal from Ben. Although Benson wasn't troubled often in goal, whenever he was called on his handling was confident & his kicking was decisive. By now we were continually threatening the opposition goal & went further ahead following a fine strike by Dylan. We could easily have scored several more goals through William & Ewan but were thwarted by some outstanding goalkeeping by the Tickton keeper.

Peter showed that he has quickly settled into the team by putting in a great display in midfield.

Not long before the end, harry scored after a fine run from his own half, out-sprinting the opposition defenders & stroking the ball into the net. Final score was 4-0.

Match 2

Before the start of the second match the Tickton manager mentioned that one his players had pulled his groin & asked to borrow a player. Just after we'd squeezed Harry into one of their tops (which was several sizes too small), Tickton decided to put the injured player in goal & so carried on with their original squad of seven. However, it became evident that the effort of playing four consecutive halves might take its toll.

Boosted by the result in the first match we were pretty much continually in the opposition half. Everyone was playing well but there's no doubt that the first half belonged to Joel who scored the first hat-trick for our team. He was well supported by Benson & Kieran who was playing on despite having pulled up with an injury in the first game.

Into the second half & the goalfest continued as the opposition tired. JoshC scored a couple, followed by one for Dylan & then JoshC completed his own hat-trick for this half. This was probably our best match all season & we were unlucky the final score wasn't more, but again the substitute goalkeeper played out of his skin. However, we were delighted to finish 7-0 winners.

Although there were a lot of tired legs on both sides, there was just enough energy left to have a closely fought penalty competition.

Recognising that hat-tricks are a rarity & should be celebrated, we decided to award the Man of the Match to both Joel & JoshC who both deserved the honour.

Sunday 6th March 2011 vs Hessle Rangers

The weather has continued to improve from previous weeks & although cold, the pitch was in decent condition. Again, we had a full turnout of 12 boys raring to go

Match 1

From early on it was evident that Hessle had some good individual players & also played well as a team. As a result we had our work cut out to keep them at bay. It proved to be a fairly even match but the difference was probably the better all round play from the opposition. Our passing wasnt quite as fluent as it had been in previous weeks & eventually we lost the first match 1-0

Match 2

Into the second match we started with more attacks which were rewarded with Dylan opening the scoring. Unfortunately we weren't able to keep the opposition at bay & they quickly equalised & took the lead to go 3-1 ahead. Our defence wasn't as watertight as it had been in previous matches this year as we pressed forward looking for goals.

However, we came back strongly & Ben hammered one in to bring the score back to 3-2. Unfortunately, pushing on to find the equaliser, we left the back door open & Hessle scored again to run out 4-2 winners.

There's no doubt Hessle were one of the strongest teams we've come up against this season & they proved to be a good test for us. It was also useful in our development as a team to see areas we can improve when we come across better teams.

After the obligatory penalty competition, Dylan was awarded Man of the Match for his all round display.

Sunday 27th February 2011 vs St Andrews Strikers

Despite lots of rain earlier in the week, we managed to play our matches. It had been touch & go even up until late on the Saturday evening, but we woke to bright, sunny but chilly conditions. There were patches on the pitch that were soggy, but I reckon the players on the pitch fared better than the hardy spectators who had to endure standing in a quagmire. (But at least the hot coffee & Kristoff's legendary bacon butties kept them warm!)

This was the first weekend Peter was in our team so it was great to see him running out in the famous blue & yellow stripes.

Match 1

After a very even first few minutes, the boys settled in well & continued to show the good passing that had been such a feature of the previous matches. It was also noticeable that we had a height advantage against most of the opposition.

The good play soon paid off & William opened the score with a thumping strike. And we had soon doubled our lead with a crisp strike by JoshC. Although St Andrews had plenty of possession their attacks were well contained by the midfield & defence superbly marshalled by Kieran & supported by Joel & Dylan.

We continued to dominate in the second-half & managed to go further ahead after great team play which led to Will scoring his second goal of the match. For his first competitive half, Peter played really well & was ably supported by Ewan & Taylor, who both played some excellent long passes which helped set up our attacks. We finally ran out 4-0 winners after a final goal which might have made contact with an opposition player on the way into the net, but which I credited to JoshL for his debut goal.

Match 2

This proved to be a much more even affair, as St Andrews put together several promising attacks. After a solid performance in goal in the first match, Benson showed his all round ability by putting in some great defensive tackles. will also demonstrated his versatility by keeping a clean sheet in goal. As the defenses dominated, there were no goals in the first-half.

The second half was an equally tight affair, but we finally broke the deadlock after a great attack led by Ben & converted by Harry. We managed to protect our lead & ran out 1-0 winners.

The penalty competition gave us ample opportunity to show how our shooting has improved in recent weeks & Will put in another first rate performance in goal.

Choosing the Man of the Match doesn't get any easier, but after a very accomplished all round performance, it was well deserved by Kieran, who's proving to be a real terrier in defence.

2011 Fixtures

Here's the list of fixtures for the second half of our first season. All matches are scheduled for Sunday's with kick-off for 10.30am

20th February Away Bridlington Cobras

27th February Home St Andrews Strikers

6th March Away Hessle Rangers

13th March Home Tickton Sharks

20th March Away Costello Cougars

27th March Home Withernsea

3rd April Away Hedon Rangers Royals

10th April Home Shiptonthorpe United

17th April Away Hall Road Rangers

8th May Home North Ferriby United

15th May Home Longhill Ravens

Sunday 20th February 2011 vs Bridlington

It was touch & go whether our first league match of the year would go ahead, after lots of rain in previous days. However, Bridlington had done a great job keeping the pitch in good condition. So, we travelled to the sea-side to play the team we'd also played earlier in the season.
Bridlington have a great location for their matches & their cosy clubhouse (serving hot drinks & bacon butties) was very welcome by all supporters on what proved to be a chilly morning.
Match 1
It proved to be a very evenly fought first half in sticky conditions. Although we had plenty of possession, Bridlington were very unlucky not to score on several occasions. We were grateful for some solid defending from Kieran, Josh L & Harry & in particular some outstanding saves from Benson. By half-time we'd managed to sneak a 1-0 lead after a shot from Dylan had been deflected by a defender past the Brid keeper.
The second half proved to be a bit more straightforward for us, as the boys started putting together some great passing moves & laid siege to the opposition goal for long periods. We went 2-0 up after Dylan's shot was unluckily handled by a defender & Dylan expertly converted the spot-kick. As the pressure continued, the next goal came when Joel scored after one of his trademark mazy runs. The final goal came after some more great play ending with JoshC thumping the ball into the net. Despite the goals, Bridlington had plenty of opportunities to break away, but any chances were snuffed out by some superb defending from Taylor. So, we were very pleased to run out 4-0 winners.
Match 2
The second match proved to be a much tighter affair, as the sticky pitch started to take it's toll & both sides started to tire. After some great defensive displays in the first match, Taylor & Harry formed a formidable striking partnership in the first half. Taylor was first to score with a lovely strike & Harry made it 2-0 before half-time. Despite the goals there was still a need for good defending & both Ewan & JoshC kept the opposition at bay.
The second half proved to be a close contest, with both teams going close. William put in another very accomplished performance in goal. There were no more goals so the final score was 2-0.
We finished with a penalty competition which showed that both teams have plenty of hot-shots in their team. Afterwards we appreciated the Bridlington hospitality & the warmth of the clubhouse (& their bacon sandwiches) was very welcome.

Sunday 6th February - Winter friendlies

Ahead of the start of the second half of the season, we arranged some friendly matches for both our teams. We invited North Ferriby United & Costello Wildcats down to play. As there had been quite a bit of rain in the days ahead, the pitches needed a bit of work beforehand. There was some frantic sweeping of the waterlogged parts, which although left the ground very sticky, meant we were able to play.

It was arranged that we'd all play each other, meaning that all teams played three games. All the three teams we played were ranked to play in leagues above us for the second part of the season, so we knew it would be a tough test. Undaunted, all our eleven players were on parade & by the end of the morning had played out of their skins.

We were delighted to record three wins, but more importantly, there were great performances by all players. All the boys put into practice the passing skills they have been practicing during the off season. By the end of the day, there were some very tired legs, but everyone was pleased with their performances. It was almost impossible to pick out one player, but after some sterling performances in all areas of the pitch, Josh L was chosen as man-of-the-match

Friendly vs Hessle Rangers - Sunday 30th January 2011

In readiness for the second-half of the season, we played a friendly against Hessle Rangers. I'd met their manager Paul at a coaching session very early in the season & has been a great help to us, so it was great to be able play against his team. Despite some frosty mornings recently, the pitch was is great condition for this time of year.


Match 1
Kicking off, the pitch looked enormous compared to our training venue, so it seemed there might be some tired legs by the end of the day. But the players started with their trademark enthusiasm & it seemed from the start both teams were well matched.

It was evident that the winter training focusing on passing had paid off & we were very unlucky to go one-nil down at half-time. Playing in midfield, Benson put in some great tackles & passes.


In the second-half we equalised with a great strike from Taylor & were kept in the game by a series of fantastic saves from JoshC. And we were very unlucky to go 2-1 down after a ricochet off the post following a corner. We battled back & were unlucky not to get a deserved equaliser.


Match 2
Encouraged by the performance in the first match, we started the second game determined to play even better.


Again, the passing on show was terrific with Ewan, Dylan, Kieran & Harry playing some great balls. The great play was rewarded with a goal from Joel in the first-half.


Into the second-half we were determined to prevent our opponents from scoring, whilst also pushing on for another goal. The defence was rock-solid with a particulalrly outstanding performance from JoshL. William almost doubled the lead with a stunning long-range shot that hit the post, but the teams effort was rewarded by a well-taken breakaway goal scored by Ben. So, in the end, a 2-0 win was a great result.


The penalty competition was tightly contested as always, but we just edged it through some great spot-kicks & some top-class saves from Benson.

Hull Boys 5-a-side & Futsal competitions

In the absence of any league matches over the winter, we took the opportunity to play in the January 5-a-side competition at the Bonus Arena. Not having played the 5-a-side format before - including the ball not going over head height & not encroaching into the penalty areas - it was a steep learning curve, but the boys quickly picked it up & had great fun. It was fast & furious, with us getting chance to play 4 other teams.

After a nil-nil draw & & losing 3-2 (after being 2-0 up) , we hit our stride with a 6-1 win with goals flying in from all corners of the pitch. The final match was a very creditable 1-1 draw against Westella & Willerby who are recognised as one of the most competent teams.

At the end of the night, all the teams were presented with a ball. With everyone playing their part it was tough choosing a Man of the Match, but Dylan just edged it after a fine display in goal.

The following week we played another new format when we entered the Futsal competition at Warners. Futsal is similar to 5-a-side but the goals are bigger & uses a heavier ball which encourages more passing.

This involved playing 4 matches of 5 minutes duration - again it was very high speed & energetic. After a couple of draws & a loss, we finished off in great style with a tightly fought win against St Andrews. This time Ewan took the honours as Man of the Match after another super performance between the goalposts

The smartest team in town

After the cancellation of the last league match at the end of November, we had no more Sunday matches to play until after the end of the winter break. That meant the next competitive Sunday match would be on the 20th February 2011 when the second-half of the season starts. In the meantime the League is assessing the results for the first-half of the season & re-arranging the divisions for the second-half. We are looking forward to the next round of matches whoever we play.

In the meantime, as a Christmas treat we arranged for the boys to have a hoodie for Christmas, complete with the Cottingham Rangers badge & their initials. Not only do they look great, but it's now easy to identify the owner after they get scattered on the floor during training!

And our Christmas party at Laserquest went ahead despite the snowy conditions & was enjoyed by everyone. Thanks to Lisa for all her hard work in arranging it & the hoodies.

Snow, snow & more snow.............................

Unfortunately we were never able to play our final match of the first-half of the season. We were due to play Sproatley at home on the 30th November but a few days before we were hit by a deluge of snow which made travelling difficult, let alone playing football.

On several occasions we tried to re-arrange the match & even looked at playing it on an all-weather pitch, but to no avail. The unseasonably cold weather stayed around for several weeks & at it's worst meant that travel around the village was only safe on foot. We even had to cancel a couple of indoor training sessions because the venue was closed.

Fingers crossed we'll be able to play Sproatley in the New Year.