Post by redway on May 17, 2011 14:28:20 GMT
CYFL League Match
Sunday the 15th May
Squad: Dan Shaw, Johnny Harman, Eben Darko, Luke Parker, Brandon Banda, Jack Croxford, Matty Cullis, Liam Scott, Steve Blood, Alex Collard, Tom Blake.
Goal Scorers: Eben Darko & Matty Cullis
The final game of the season, and the final game at youth level for this set of players and this Newport side. And if you started at U7 level then that’s 10 years of youth & nursery football, what now for the future?
Well I think for most a decent level of football beckons not least with development from within the club to Senior level, many, if not all, have sampled some of that already.
Yesterdays game was not the greatest show on earth, but teams were down to the 11 for one reason or another, it was the deadest of rubbers, with nothing to play for from a competitive level, it was something of a slow burner for the first 10 minutes or so, and then we, well some, started to get into the game, there were times, as with other games this season when we played some lovely mature football, but other times it was grim.
We definitely had the beating of Leighton at set pieces, and after yet another corner we managed to convert a header into the net, Eben rose at the back post like lump of tinned tuna, and in it went.
Some more ebbing and flowing (I've written a lot about ebbing and flowing over the years) think in editorial terms it’s called a bit of a filler for not much happening.
Yet more now characteristic long ball lobs over the top for there front men to run onto caused us some problems, with a defender goal keeper mix up the ball was lifted into the net. Not sure of the analysis of the 20 conceded goals this year, but I bet there are a few like that one, just a result of not playing together much I guess. Anyhow they had equalised, the halftime break came and a cup of tea, maybe a piece of orange and quick rub down with the sporting life beckoned.
The second half kicked off and it was more of the same really, we looked to have the better of it, but only just, I think.
A mid pitch header challenge saw Blakey and a Leighton lad go up and when Blakey came down, he had a re-occurrence of an ankle injury that has dogged his season, and off he hobbled, for yet another rub down of the sporting life, luckily we had several copies to hand.
A good attacking spell saw the ball passed along the edge of the Leighton box, it then fell to Matt just inside the box and struck it hard across the keeper and in the goal to take us back into the lead, we had just the 10 men on the field.
Leighton then had a bit of a shuffle about with there keeper now on pitch and up front and yes he did score the second goal, we tried hard and apart from a near post effort from Crox we just couldn’t make any more in roads into that Leighton goal.
The game petered out, and that signalled the end of the game and the end of youth football for the lads. In terms of a successful season, perhaps not as far as league and County Cup honours were concerned, but it was a season that saw some of the lads emerge and start to make that transformation from Youth to Senior football and accredited themselves well in that regard, its good for the lads, and good for the club, the development of the lads over the years will hopefully, for those that really want to push on and continue to make a contribution to Newport as a club.
I have been coaching and watching some of these lads for the best part of 10 years now, and we’ve had some great games, some fantastic play, the ups and the downs, but that’s football and sport, it makes you what you are sometimes
It was great to see them take those early steps at 5 and 6 years of age, and then to see them at the other end of the process as young men and folks that we can all be proud of, and satisfying to any coach that you have played hopefully a small part and made a bit of a difference in all that.
Some thanks from me, and we’ll say more perhaps at the presentation night. But thanks to my match report-writing friends, they added some much needed perspective, and not to say, some much grammar at a time when I’d run out of things to say (like ebbing and flowing)
Thanks also to all of you that have helped put nets up taken them down respect barriers etc. We have always had a well-supported squad of parents that are for the most part able to get to every game and support the youngsters that has been vital to both players and coaches. But there has always been a real sense of support from most to enable the coaches to do just that, so thanks.
And if I may indulge for a moment, a special thanks to my lad Matt who decided he wanted to take up the game of football at 4 or 5 years old, that then got me engaged, and was always with me in the early years up at the club on cold frosty Saturday mornings an hour before everyone else, desperately wanting me to kick a ball about with him, whilst for me at least, struggled to put up a Samba goal
for the first time, and with no instructions. Like him I have only missed one game out of all that time, but have enjoyed it all enormously, so thanks Matt.
Well that’s it, the last report from me, good luck to you all and all the best for the future.
Onwards & Upwards
Ian
Sunday the 15th May
Squad: Dan Shaw, Johnny Harman, Eben Darko, Luke Parker, Brandon Banda, Jack Croxford, Matty Cullis, Liam Scott, Steve Blood, Alex Collard, Tom Blake.
Goal Scorers: Eben Darko & Matty Cullis
The final game of the season, and the final game at youth level for this set of players and this Newport side. And if you started at U7 level then that’s 10 years of youth & nursery football, what now for the future?
Well I think for most a decent level of football beckons not least with development from within the club to Senior level, many, if not all, have sampled some of that already.
Yesterdays game was not the greatest show on earth, but teams were down to the 11 for one reason or another, it was the deadest of rubbers, with nothing to play for from a competitive level, it was something of a slow burner for the first 10 minutes or so, and then we, well some, started to get into the game, there were times, as with other games this season when we played some lovely mature football, but other times it was grim.
We definitely had the beating of Leighton at set pieces, and after yet another corner we managed to convert a header into the net, Eben rose at the back post like lump of tinned tuna, and in it went.
Some more ebbing and flowing (I've written a lot about ebbing and flowing over the years) think in editorial terms it’s called a bit of a filler for not much happening.
Yet more now characteristic long ball lobs over the top for there front men to run onto caused us some problems, with a defender goal keeper mix up the ball was lifted into the net. Not sure of the analysis of the 20 conceded goals this year, but I bet there are a few like that one, just a result of not playing together much I guess. Anyhow they had equalised, the halftime break came and a cup of tea, maybe a piece of orange and quick rub down with the sporting life beckoned.
The second half kicked off and it was more of the same really, we looked to have the better of it, but only just, I think.
A mid pitch header challenge saw Blakey and a Leighton lad go up and when Blakey came down, he had a re-occurrence of an ankle injury that has dogged his season, and off he hobbled, for yet another rub down of the sporting life, luckily we had several copies to hand.
A good attacking spell saw the ball passed along the edge of the Leighton box, it then fell to Matt just inside the box and struck it hard across the keeper and in the goal to take us back into the lead, we had just the 10 men on the field.
Leighton then had a bit of a shuffle about with there keeper now on pitch and up front and yes he did score the second goal, we tried hard and apart from a near post effort from Crox we just couldn’t make any more in roads into that Leighton goal.
The game petered out, and that signalled the end of the game and the end of youth football for the lads. In terms of a successful season, perhaps not as far as league and County Cup honours were concerned, but it was a season that saw some of the lads emerge and start to make that transformation from Youth to Senior football and accredited themselves well in that regard, its good for the lads, and good for the club, the development of the lads over the years will hopefully, for those that really want to push on and continue to make a contribution to Newport as a club.
I have been coaching and watching some of these lads for the best part of 10 years now, and we’ve had some great games, some fantastic play, the ups and the downs, but that’s football and sport, it makes you what you are sometimes
It was great to see them take those early steps at 5 and 6 years of age, and then to see them at the other end of the process as young men and folks that we can all be proud of, and satisfying to any coach that you have played hopefully a small part and made a bit of a difference in all that.
Some thanks from me, and we’ll say more perhaps at the presentation night. But thanks to my match report-writing friends, they added some much needed perspective, and not to say, some much grammar at a time when I’d run out of things to say (like ebbing and flowing)
Thanks also to all of you that have helped put nets up taken them down respect barriers etc. We have always had a well-supported squad of parents that are for the most part able to get to every game and support the youngsters that has been vital to both players and coaches. But there has always been a real sense of support from most to enable the coaches to do just that, so thanks.
And if I may indulge for a moment, a special thanks to my lad Matt who decided he wanted to take up the game of football at 4 or 5 years old, that then got me engaged, and was always with me in the early years up at the club on cold frosty Saturday mornings an hour before everyone else, desperately wanting me to kick a ball about with him, whilst for me at least, struggled to put up a Samba goal
for the first time, and with no instructions. Like him I have only missed one game out of all that time, but have enjoyed it all enormously, so thanks Matt.
Well that’s it, the last report from me, good luck to you all and all the best for the future.
Onwards & Upwards
Ian