Mt Colah FC Under 9 Falcons Match Report – Round 11

25th June, Sacred Heart Pymble @ Friars

Score: Drew 2-2

Captain: Sam

Scorers: Julia, Kieran

Player of the Match: Sam

Goalies: Jasper, Jeremy

Today sees the Falcons actually playing an away game (shock horror) at Friars in Pymble versus Sacred Heart Pymble for the first time this year. The team had all had a lie-in this morning, the game being a relatively late one for us with the kick-off at 11:50. It was also the first time the Falcons had been a player short, with Tom unavailable for the game. However, none of the team seemed to mind playing the full 40 mins without a sub, and with the sun shining down, it was time for kick off….

The game started at a frenetic pace, with Sam and Corey both shooting towards goal in the opening minutes. The first 10 minutes or so was certainly all Falcons, with Sacred Heart pinned back in their own half as the Falcons attempted to break through their defences. Sam then had another great long-range shot that Kieran nearly finished off, but the goalie got to it just in time. Kieran also had another shot that nearly knocked the poor Sacred Heart defender out that was in the way - Kieran swiftly controlled the rebound and looped another shot off, but it flew over the bar  - they didn’t seem to be going in today! Corey and Luke both had further shots too, showing excellent ball control, but it fell to playmaker Corey to get the scoreline active, when he laid a lovely pass onto Julia in the box who ran onto it and shot through to make it 1-0 to the Falcons – what an excellent demonstration of team play! Julia had another run down the wing moments later but she just ran out of space to get the shot away.

It was only mere minutes later in the game that the second goal went in too after a monster clearance from Sam that went all the way into the box – Kieran sprinted to get on the end of it and just managed to nudge it past the goalie - 2-0 to the Falcons, and again, the result of some well-executed team play. Certainly, the Falcons had the run of play in the first half, with some excellent dribbling, shooting and passing skills on display, and as the whistle blew for halftime, the confident Falcons left the field for their refreshing oranges and water.

The second half saw Jeremy making his goalkeeping debut, and Luke, Kieran and Julia up front. Straight after the whistle, Luke was away, and let loose a rocket of a shot that just flew past the left post. Talk about stating your intentions! Kieran joined in too a few minutes later, with both of them slugging it out in the penalty box, trying to get the ball over the line, and Sam came to the party too moments later, sending a trademark Park thunderbolt all the way from left back that went over the bar by inches. In fact there were so many Falcons joining in the party to try and score that some forgot where they should have been, and all it took was a long ball down the field to one of Sacred Heart’s unmarked forwards to catch them out – with a distinct lack of Falcons to defend, Sacred Heart got in close to our goal and got a shot off – Jeremy did get a hand to it, but unluckily it slipped out of his grasp and rolled across the line…..

2:1 and Sacred Heart could smell blood!

It was as if someone had flicked a switch – all at once they were a different team, and with a large part of the half still to play, they pressed forward with new energy, trying for an equalizer. Five minutes later, it came, with the Falcons caught on the back foot once more, Jeremy made a great initial save off a shot, but when throwing the ball back out, Sacred Heart pounced and blasted a shot through at close range despite Jeremy and Corey’s best attempts to keep it out. By this time, there was five minutes left to go, and the Falcons knew they had to pull something out of the hat – though with the sun beating down and no subs available, they were really up against it. Julia and Kieran fought tooth and nail to try and steer the ball into the goal with several attempts late in the half, but the Sacred Heart goalie was determined to keep them out, and not even a cracker of a shot from Sam off a good backpass from Luke found its mark.

The final whistle blew on a 2-2 scoreline, ending an interesting game, and offering the Falcons a good lesson on what can happen when overconfidence rears it head and defensive positions are forgotten. That being said though, it was still another great game from our favourite under-9s, with some fine displays of skill on the field. Well done to Jeremy and Jasper, our goalies for the day, well done to all our midfield players for their energy and enthusiasm, and cheers to Jim for refereeing, and to all the other parents for their support.

Player of the Match: Sam, for his positional awareness throughout the game.

Special Mentions: Julia, (who came a very, very close second in the POTM votes) who run herself around the pitch trying to get a winning goal for us in the second half, as well as scoring the first one. 11/10 for effort – well done!

Trev Bowdidge

Mt Colah FC Under 9 Falcons Match Report – Round 9

11th June, Prouille Gold @ Berry Park

Score: Drew 1-1

Scorer: Luke

Player of the Match: Sam

Goalies: Luke, Corey

Captain: Jasper

And so to yet another game at Berry Park this Saturday for the Fantastic Falcons. The team is starting to wonder if we’ll ever have to travel to an away game ever again! However, no-one’s complaining, least of all the player transport managers (or should I say parents)! No rain today for the game, but it is a touch on the cold side, so the Falcons make sure they warm up well before the whistle for the first half goes. Today’s captain is Jasper, with Luke in goal for the first half, and Julia, Jasper, Jeremy and Kieran up front as our attacking midfielders.

Straight away, the Falcons are into the action, with Julia laying off a gentle pass back to Sam for him to wallop up front, and wallop it he does, unleashing one of his trademark shots that just flies inches over the bar. Phew! Prouille aren’t impressed though – they have some big players in their side and really look as though they mean business today. Quick as a flash, they return the ball to the other end, where Luke is forced to pull off a great save, This could be an interesting game!

The first half pretty much carries on as per the first 5 minutes – furious battles for possession ensue across the pitch as the Falcons valiantly try to stand up to what is increasingly looking like their toughest opposition of the year. Luke is doing a fantastic job in goal for us this morning, determined not to let anything past him, but Prouille have some powerful boots among their forward line, so it’s no easy task. Up the other end, we’re not without our forward possession, with Jeremy and Corey both having some shots on goal, but the Prouille goalie is good – really good – and its going to take a cracker of a shot to get past him today, methinks. Our best chance so far comes when Kieran breaks through and finds himself with only the goalie to beat, but he saves the shot (told you he was good!).

In the latter part of the half, Tom and Sam really started to find their feet, with the former clearing the ball well at the back and sending it back up through midfield – one such pass nearly had us one-nil  up when Kieran got on the end of it and ran onto goal – the goalie gathered but then dropped; Kieran was quick to pounce but the Prouille keeper was quicker, and managed to gather before any damage could be done. Sam was also having a cracking half too – sending most of his clearances all the way down into the box, but there were a few exceptions when he surprised everyone by receiving and making a run up on the wing through the midfield, showing excellent ball control and skills as he steered himself past players. He was a formidable opponent for Prouille to deal with, and certainly one of the reasons why he was eventually awarded player of the match. Oh and I nearly forgot to mention the three clearances he made from his left back position that just missed sailing into Prouille’s goal by inches!!

The last few minutes of the first half bought just as must action as the first, with the Falcons throwing everything they had at Prouille in an attempt to get a score on the board. Sam took a lovely corner that nearly went in of a Prouille defender, Corey took a beautiful shot that would have gone in for sure had the goalie not got a hand to it to palm it away, and Kieran had a couple more runs on goal, one of which came from a lovely strong throw-in by Julia. Note to Kieran though – you’re not allowed to slide tackle the goalie when he has already picked up the ball! The first half ended with seven weary and shellshocked Falcons trooping off the field and a nil-all scoreline.

Halftime saw a bit of nervous head-scratching and re-organisation by Coach Trev as we tried to work out what to do in the second half. The game plan went right out of the window and after a hasty bit of replanning and a hefty dose of h2o and vitamin C, the Falcons went back on for the second half, with Corey now in goal, and Luke, Julia and Kieran still up front in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Within seconds after the restart, Prouille had stated their intentions clearly though, with a high looping shot towards our goal – Corey did get a hand to it, and it bounced tantalising close to the goal line before he had to step back and gather but in doing so, he took it over the line. A lucky goal for Prouille then, and for the very first time this season, the Falcons were 1-0 down. However, they kept their heads up and didn’t give up, and if anything, their play was even more determined than before. Sam tried another one of his monster kicks that went wide, and Luke took a lovely corner that sailed beautifully into the box, but everyone just missed getting a boot to it – had a goal resulted it would have been a stunning piece of play.

With the minutes ticking down and Coach Trev’s pacing on the sidelines getting increasingly frantic, the Falcons faithful done their best to cheer the team on for an equaliser, and in the 31st minute, their prayers were answered – Luke took posession on the left wing, ducked and weaved past 2 defenders and unleashed a cracking shot on a tight angle into the goal that the Prouille goalie had no chance of saving. 1-1 and cue mass celebrations on the Falcons sidelines and lots of happy smiling Falcons – cheers Luke - we needed that one!

For the rest of the half, both side were locked in furious play to try for a decider, but we held back firm and Jasper, Tom, Jeremy and Sam all defended as if their life depended on it, with some fine displays of marking, tackling and dogged determination to keep the ball away from goal, including a game of aerial ping-pong of volleys and headers that went on for a while and kept everyone on both sides amused! There were a few more chances on both sides in the closing minutes, but the defences were locked down too tightly at both ends for anything to result, and the one-all scoreline was made final as the whistle blew – a fitting score for such a good game between two well matched teams.

So Congratulations to the Falcons today – it was a real tough one, and it wasn’t a win, but they all rose to the occasion and showed their true team spirit – well done!

Player of the Match: Sam, for his dedication and excellent use of the ball (and his right foot)!

Special Mentions: Jasper (who just missed getting Player of the Match today) & Tom for their determined work  in defence and midfield today. Thanks also to Darren for refereeing, and Lucy and Saskia for the match photography.

Trev Bowdidge

Mt Colah FC Under 9 Falcons Match Report – Round 7

28th May, Hornsby Heights @ Montview Oval

Score: Won 2-0

Scorers: Kieran, Luke

Player of the Match: Corey

Goalies: Sam, Kieran

Captain: Corey

Once again, Saturday comes around quicker than you can say falsconsstillundefeatedsofarthisyear and luckily enough for the team, the rain stayed away again for the day, with the showers that had been forecast nowhere to be seen and the sun doing its best to poke out from behind the clouds and warm things up a bit. Today the Falcons and their motley entourage were at Montview Oval to play Hornsby Heights Possums for the first time this season, with Corey as Captain, and Sam and Kieran taking care of the goalkeeping duties. Everyone else went to their normal positions – they know where they are and what to do by now!

Well the whistle blows, and Hornsby Heights waste no time in pushing forward in attack – but luckily our dependable backs - Jeremy, Julia and Jasper see them off pretty quickly so the danger passes. Luke and Tom combined well up front today, with Luke seeing plenty of the ball and desperately trying to put a score on the board early on, but his shots just fell wide of the mark. Tom too took a great shot off a lovely pass from Luke, but it rebounded off the top woodwork. Meanwhile, Sam was keeping himself busy in goal, quickly booting away or gathering any stray balls that dared to come his way. A free kick awarded to Hornsby Heights about 10 minutes into the half was also seen off efficiently, this time by Jeremy getting his boot to it and clearing to the sideline.

As the half progressed, Mt Colah continued to dominate the possession, with Corey performing wonderfully as captain, encouraging and communicating with the rest of his team regularly. Luke teamed up with him really well during this period, with a couple of near goals from throw-ins and corners. Jeremy also got stuck into the action with a fair bit of possession and one powerful shot at goal that just skimmed past the left post, but it was Kieran that managed to get through the Hornsby Heights defenders and after a team effort and a bit of a kickfest, the goal went in – 1:0 to The Falcons, and Kieran’s 6th goal of the season.

The remainder of the half was just as hard-fought, with Julia and Jasper also getting involved in the forward play; Jasper had a shot on goal from the centre line that went just wide and moments later he showed all the parents the passing skills we’d been learning at training – Jasper to Corey, then Corey to Kieran who had another shot on goal - all fast accurate passes that found their players - nice work boys! Julia fought out some ferocious battles at the back when Hornsby did get a loose ball through, earning herself the nickname of ‘No-Fear’ for the rest of the game. Again, there was lots of team play and passing on display, and some great individual talent, such as when Jeremy made a determined run up the right wing in the final few minutes of the half – there was no goal, but his blistering speed left many Hornsby players in his wake. One of the last plays of the half was a free kick awarded to us just outside the box – Kieran put a lovely ball in and Corey was just unlucky not to be able to put it in the back of the net. Halftime score: 1:0 to the Falcons.

The second half saw Kieran in goal, Sam back in midfield with Tom/Julia and Jasper, and Luke, Jeremy and Corey up front – what a combination! As with the first half, the teamwork was excellent, with lots of passing and calling for the ball. Hornsby Heights never gave up in their quest to try and equalize though, and Kieran was kept busy with a couple of saves (one of them a lovely full-stretch dive) on the rare occasion that Julia, Tom or Jasper didn’t stop the attackers dead in their tracks. The whole team was playing at such a high level that it was getting increasingly difficult for the spectators to choose who the player of the match might be – my choice changed 3 times in 5 minutes! Corey, Luke, Tom and Sam all showed moments of excellence, using their skills and power to put on a great display of football, but it was the former two that stole the show at the 15th minute of the half, when Corey crossed the ball in from the left wing and Luke ran on into it to smash the ball into the roof of the net – an excellent goal from a textbook piece of team play, and Luke’s first one of the season! The whistle blew 5 minutes later, after a few more goal attempts by us (the team obviously not satisfied with 2) and the Falcons trooped happily off. Another great game for the players, coach, manager and parents – well done to all!

Player of the Match: Corey, for his excellent control of the ball, team play, and communication skills – well done, Captain!

Special Mentions: Jeremy, Sam, Julia, Tom, Kieran, Luke and Jasper – everyone played their part 110% today – well done!

Trev Bowdidge

21st May vs St Ives Sparks at Berry Park

Score: Won 5-1

Scorers: Sam 26, Kieran 02,08,32,37 (4)

Player of the Match: Kieran

Goalies: Corey, Luke

Captain: Sam

Crikey, it’s Saturday again already and what a glorious sunny morning for football it is, albeit still a little smoky from the recent burn-offs in the Blue Mountains. Today the Formidable Falcons are playing St Ives for the first time this year, and with boots-a-taped and shirts-a-tucked they lined up eager for the first half. Tom was first sub today, having a well earned rest after his game for the under 10s, and Corey (who also played for them) was doing his resting in goal for the first half.

Peep! The whistle goes and within seconds the Falcons are caught napping badly – St Ives taking possession quickly and running into the box to be met with… oops - where are our defenders? Corey vainly tried to save it, but it was a cracking shot and he had no chance. 1-0 to St Ives within the first minute. Oh dear… this isn’t quite going to plan! However the Falcons soon remembered who was meant to be where and took their positions for the restart. Quick as a flash they were away – Julia sending a pass through to Luke who ducked and weaved his way through the defenders to put the ball around the goalie and on to Kieran, who was there to finish it off and guide it through the posts. 2 minutes in and 1-1 already – this was going to be a great game!

The pace carried on from there and swiftly turned into a fine display of attacking  - Kieran and Luke both had further shots on goal that were saved – the latter’s shot rebounded off the keeper for Luke to have another crack but it went over the bar by inches. Julia also had a beautiful shot from near the centre line – a high clearance that found its way towards goal, but again just failed to dip under the bar. Sam and Jasper were busy at the back too, with the Park Thunderbolt hunting down any ball that came his way and ferociously clearing them, one of which from way back near our goal went the distance and very nearly went in but it fell just wide of the post. Jasper meanwhile was everywhere all at once, clearing, tackling and passing up to the midfield at every opportunity, with good control and accuracy.

Not to be outdone, Jeremy then sent a lovely accurate pass through midfield to Luke who received to fire off another shot at goal, but it was saved. Poor Luke – no goals yet but it certainly wasn’t through lack of trying! They were all at it – next up was Jasper who sent a rocket of a shot from our backline which again sailed just over the bar- if only it were a few inched higher! But it was Kieran that claimed the prize - after yet another shot by Luke, he managed to get possession and put it through for his second – 2-1 to the Falcons, and after a quick counter attack by St Ives that Corey had to make a great dive to save, it was time for half-time.

The second half saw Luke in goal (the St Ives goalie must half breathed a big sigh of relief), and Kieran as a defensive midfielder (another big sigh) with Sam, Jeremy and Tom taking up duties in the midfield and forward positions. Julia performed excellently as the half kicked off, making a number of early clearances in front of goal to keep Luke well protected and things nice and secure at the back. There were also some beautiful examples of team play and skills; Sam put a wonderful through pass from right-back up to the left wing, where Tom coolly received it and laid it off into the box for Jeremy, who had a shot that was unlucky to be saved, Kieran also had a shot go just wide after a huge throw-in from Sam, and Tom showed excellent control in chesting down a high ball and laying it off to Jeremy but it was the next play that was really impressive. St Ives had a rare shot on goal that Julia forced wide, and Luke’s resulting goalkick was textbook perfect – just enough height and drive on it to send it ¾ of the way down the field and onto Sam, who caught it on the half volley and lobbed a shot over the keeper – a really well executed bit of team play: 3-1 to the Falcons!

Barely had the Falcons Fan Club finished celebrating the last goal though, than it was time to cheer again, as Kieran made a run up from the backline, skirted past 2 players and squeezed through another to send a low fast accurate shot straight under the keeper, who dived, but had no chance – a real classy determined goal, and even Coach Trev forgot about yelling at him to get back into position and decided to let him off! There was no need to worry though, as Julia was completely solid and dependable at the back, quickly seeing off any St Ives players that dared to approach the goal.

In the final 10 minutes of the half, Corey came back on for Jasper and went straight up front whilst Sam dropped back in defence. It was nearly 5-1 within minutes, with Corey and Jeremy setting up a nice one-two in front of goal, but the ball just failed to connect. Corey also had a hand in putting a perfect cross through to Jeremy after Kieran had sent the ball up from the rear, but again, it just failed to come off. It was great to see such good team play and passing on display though, with lots of communicating happening on the field. Luke was forced to make a few saves later on in the half, including a lovely dive to put a shot past the post, but the final play came from today’s pocket dynamo, who forced his way up from the rear again and just kept on going to have a shot and round his tally up to 4. Much celebration followed, and minutes later, the final whistle blew. 5:1 to the Falcons.

Looks like the Falcons HAVE been paying attention at training after all!!

Well done to all – keep it up!

Player of the Match: Kieran, for outstanding pace and accurate shooting.

Special Mentions: Corey, for his great communication and encouragement to the rest of the team, Jasper for excellent defending and passing accuracy, Luke for superb ball control, and everyone else in the team for such a strong display of teamwork and skills. Also thanks to Darren for refereeing in the first half.

Trev Bowdidge

14th May vs Hornsby RSL Youth at Berry Park

Score: Drew 0-0

Player of the Match: Luke

Goalies: Kieran, Corey

Well… what a game the Falcons had today, it started with beautiful weather and just got better and better. Coach Trev had asked me to step in and 'coach' the team today as unfortunately he had to go to work. I was lucky enough to have a trusty band of helpers though - Jeremy’s dad Darren was there to run the team through warm ups and some training drills; Kieran's mum Neen was keeping time for the interchanges and running the iPhone, Jasper’s dad Jim was refereeing and Sam's Mum Davina performed the all important task of Senior Statistician and Future Strategy Implementation Co-ordinator (she took the game notes!). Our ref for the first half, Jim, was clearly keen to get the game going, as it seemed that almost as soon as the players had hit the field the whistle had blown. This seemed to set a sense of urgency that continued for the rest of the game.

Instant action followed….

Within the first minutes Julia had a shot at goal, then shortly after it was Luke's turn to shoot and then Corey’s. It was clear to the Hornsby RSL Alligators that this would be another tough game against the Formidable Falcons. With this in mind, the opposition pushed hard to take possession, only to be shut down time after time by a strong Falcons defensive line. They would come again, and again the Falcons would take the ball from them, running it up to have another shot at goal. Luke passes to Tom, Tom to Jeremy, Jeremy shoots and just misses goal, attempt after attempt  - the Falcons just wouldn't let up.

The passing game between the attacking midfielders was well thought out, with Tom running up the left or Julia on the right passing across to Corey or Luke in the middle. The defensive midfielders were equally as tight with Jasper, Jeremy and Sam putting life and limb on the line; the comment by one Mum of "Thank Heavens they’re wearing shinguards!" summed up the playing style very well. Hornsby RSL had some good runs where they were able to get a shot in at goal, but on every occasion our first half goalie Kieran was able to either push the ball away or dive on it. Trev had requested that Sam take the goal kicks and Sam duly rose to the occasion, kicking with his legendary right foot that is now fast becoming known throughout the entire Southern Hemisphere as a dangerous weapon, sending the ball gliding over the heads of the opposition and very near to the goal face.

The Falcons continued to attack, kicking for goal at every opportunity but unable to find the back of the net. When the half time whistle blew the players welcomed the sweet re-energising oranges supplied by Jasper’s Mum, and my heart had a chance to slow down to a safer rate. After a quick change in line up and a motivational chat it was time to face the other end of the field for the final 20 minutes, with the task of refereeing taken over by the RSL coach.

The second half of the game was just as intense as the first; clearly these kids had plenty of energy left to see this game out. With Corey now in goal, and the first half attackers and defenders having swapped field space there were new dynamics at play. This time it was Julia, Tom and Luke refusing to let the RSL players take a step without being challenged hard, fast and often. Luke displayed some outstanding footwork, running circles around anyone that came near him and even returning a long ball from the opposition with a scissor kick straight back where it came from – nice skills there Luke!

Within one two minute period near the end of the half, our attacking players had set up no less than five goals with Kieran having four very near misses. Sam had a huge shot from the sideline at midfield to send the ball skimming over the bar, Jasper had several attempts, and Luke and Jeremy both had shots. The poor Hornsby RSL goalie must have been exhausted and quietly wondering when it would all stop! At the other end of the field Corey made some great saves when the opposition managed to get past the defensive line that in many ways resembled hungry green and yellow lions.

The final score may have been nil all but there were many comments made about the quality of play – as one parent said: "..the Falcons looked like they were playing for their lives!". The entire team was seen to be using the skills that they had learnt at training, they communicated well between each other, and most of all, they were good sports. I for one was extremely proud of every single Falcon player on the field today, but I had to agree with the Player of the Match choice for the week going to Luke, who played his finest game of the year. Well done to all!

Player of the Match: Luke, for excellent skills and positional play

Special Mentions: All the parents that helped out today while Trev sat at work twiddling his thumbs and pacing the room! Teamwork isn’t just for the kids – thanks everyone!

Todd Park

7th May vs Bannockburn Clarke Rd at Berry Park

Score: Won 4-1

Scorers: Jeremy 13, Corey 14, Jasper 32, Kieran 34

Player of the Match: Jeremy

Goalies: Kieran, Luke

After the Easter break and postponement of our game in Round 4 due to ground closures, the Ferocious Falcons were eager to get out onto the field and start playing again, having had nearly a month without a game. The last was our 3-3 draw against Hornsby RSL so the team were keen for a win but we knew that Bannockburn had won their last 2 games 6-0 and 7-0, so were obviously going to be no pushover. Corey had earned a goalkeepers pass to roam the freer pastures of the forward and midfield positions, so we had Kieran gloved up ready to go as goalie for the first half. The Falcons knew it could be a tough game, and seemed a serious determined bunch as they took up their positions on the familiar Berry field.

The early minutes of the game quickly saw the Falcons put under pressure by Bannockburn, with Tom and Jasper both forced to make crucial clearances near our goal, but it wasn’t long before the Falcons settled into their play – Sam made one of his trademark whopper clearances that made its way up to Corey for a shot on goal, but it went just wide. Sam was back in the action again moments later too, when an unsuspecting Bannockburn player decided to place his body between Sam and the ball – bad idea! Once the poor kid was back on his feet and a concerned Sam had made sure he was ok, and that the imprint of a size 4 Umbro on his stomach wasn’t going to leave a permanent mark, play resumed with a lovely ball through the midfield by Tom picked up by Jeremy and calmly shot past the goalie for his first of the season.1-0 to the Falcons! Two minutes later, it was Corey’s turn, with a beautiful shot that also sailed past the goalie to make it 2-0. Four or five more shots on goal then followed in quick succession before the end of the half, with Sam, Jeremy and Corey all queuing up to take turns, but none quite found the mark, although there was certainly no lack of power there. Darren duly blew the whistle for the end of the second half, and the happy Falcons trudged off Orangeward.

The team were thus pretty pleased with themselves at the halftime mark; they knew that they had all played well together, and had a good command of the game. With Kieran’s first half goal duty done, Luke put his hand up for the goalies gloves, and with Julia, Kieran and Jasper now up front, the second half kicked off. It wasn’t long before the action started again, with Bannockburn pinned back defending - Kieran had a shot off a long range goalkick from Sam, then Jeremy had a try too, but it was Jasper’s lovely strike that hit the mark - a half volley that managed to fly over the top of the keepers head and under the bar for his first of the season, making the scoreline 3-0. Bannockburn still couldn’t make any headway, and the Falcons were up and running now – it wasn’t long before there was another attack from the green and yellows, and this time it was a well orchestrated piece of team play from Julia to Jeremy then on to Kieran to finish off with a classy shot through the posts to make it 4.

However, the Falcons did get a little lesson in overconfidence towards the end of the half, as with everyone lining up to have a shot on goal, there was no-one left at the back to challenge the Bannockburn forward that managed to slip through and find himself one-on-one with Luke, who despite his best efforts, couldn’t save the close range powerful shot that ensued. A well deserved goal then for Bannockburn and a useful reminder to the Falcons about exactly why we need defenders behind the ball. The game drew to a close with some more hard fought battles in the midfield - Bannockburn weren’t about to give up - Luke was pressured to make another fantastic save, and Jeremy was kept busy chasing the ball down but we also saw Julia, Kieran, Sam and Corey at the other end all take their chances and rattle off some shots at goal as the minutes ticked down. Unfortunately two went wide and two hit the post. Final score then: 4-1 to the Falcons and the first win of the season – well done!

Player of the Match: Jeremy for his determination, excellent football skills and improved confidence,

Special Mentions: Sam and Julia for their relentless attempts at possession and clearances. Thanks also to Darren for refereeing.

Trev Bowdidge