I think today we saw that the squad is beginning to gel and our new players are integrating well into what is for them a new set-up and approach.
Some of our passing moves were excellent today, with some quality finishes to boot, well done!
Today also demonstrated how important it is to maintain concentration for the whole game. We know that goals change football matches and, had we conceded at 2-0 up, as opposed to 6-0, then the outcome would certainly have been different.
As with all things in life we need to learn from our mistakes, and the panicky 5 minutes after we allowed them to score should show you that you should never let up on the opposition, whatever the score.
However, overall a very encouraging display and a standard set for us to match in the future!!
Just a mention on the substitutions today, to avoid any misunderstandings. I offered Louis the chance to participate during the second half, but he felt that an injury he picked up recently would hamper him and did not wish to take the risk. I think Louis made the right call, particularly as we have a squad of 16 which should enable us to absorb the odd 'niggle'.
Talking of odd niggles, thanks also to Mark Partridge, for stepping into Rich Swindlehurst's shoes and running the line. There is apparently no truth in the rumour that the crowd thought it more likely that he had stepped into his wife's shoes, given the style of his running.
Looking ahead, unfortunately we do not have a fixture next week as we have a bye in the Bournemouth Cup.
We will continue training as normal, Wednesday and Saturday at the Rec. I'm not sure if it's possible but we might arrange an inter-club match for the Saturday session, however I'll confirm this if so.
On the subject of training, thanks to those of you who participated in the School trials and matches over the weekend, for keeping me informed of the situation. This is especially important if we are organising perhaps something a bit different as we need to make sure we have sufficient numbers.
Finally, I believe a good time was had by all parents who attended the 'get-together' last night? It was certainly a chance for us to get to know each other and hopefully we'll be able to repeat this during the season.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Broadstone Braves Vs Lytchett Red Triangle United
Braves 1 - Lytchett RTU 2
The second half of this game demonstrated the grit that has been associated with the Braves for the whole of the season...2 nil down at half time we came back very strong, dominating the game from the off! Unfortunately the game was marred by a dodgy decision by the referree who I think all bar none felt should have awarded a penalty to the Braves when Josh Powley was pushed and tripped from behind in their penalty box...could so easily have been a different score!
Undeterred we showed Lytchett what we were made of and had 'em run ragged for the full thirty minutes...sadly, we missed a number of opportunities at goal and the final score in no way reflected the result that should have been.
Well done to all the Braves this season finishing a respectable 6th in the league (I understand the reason Weymouth Wyke Victoria beat New Milton was because one of the New Milton dads broke down on route to their match carrying 3 of their players and the Ref wouldn't delay the game....we should have ended up 5th by rights - another dodgy ref eh!...Not to worry...there's always next season).
Man of the Match - Ben Stocker....despite being put under pressure in the first half as goalee he came out into mid-field second half and showed determination, driving the ball forward and scoring.
Season Trophies:
Players Player - Chris Birrell
Managers Player - Tristan Jalie
Next Season the Braves will be able to merge with the Colts and form a formidable team. Those of you that have expressed an interest in continuing with BFC Colts, please contact Alan Millward who will let you know training arrangements for the start of the next season.
All the Very Best for the future...
Paul.
Friday, April 30, 2010
U14 Boys finish 2009-2010 season as Runners-Up!
Well done lads!!
After starting the season with a squad of 15 we were unfortunately left with just 13 in January and, as many fellow managers will appreciate, that made several games extremely tight for personnel.
However the boys excelled themselves, gaining more points pro-rata than in previous seasons and achieving a notable Runners-Up spot in the Bournemouth League first division, their highest ever finishing position.
This compensated in some way for the boys relinquishing their hold on the Dorset Cup, where, despite reaching the final 'against all odds' having had just 11 players for the Semi-Final, they encountered a considerably strengthened Chickerell side and had to be content with being runners-up.
Team selection for the final proved just how much of a tightrope we were treading in terms of a squad, with injuries effectively leaving us with just 11 yet again.
With this in mind I sought to bolster the squad for the few remaining league fixtures and found the opportunity, with the much appreciated cooperation of their manager Alan Millward as well as their parents, to sign up Callum and Connor Corbin from the U13 Colts.
In summary, the boys have done fantastically well this season, playing adventurous football, albeit on occasions causing more than a little consternation on 'the bench', one game in particular excelling as the come-back of all come-backs, trailing by 3-0 at the break, only to turn the match on its head and triumph by 5 goals to 3 at the final whistle! This was not the only time that the boys demonstrated their character and resilience, having recovered from 1 and 2 goal deficits several times.
Meet the team:
Adam Eyres - Goalkeeper; Edd Hammond - Right Mid; Mark Newey - Left Back; Liam Kelly (Captain)- Centre Mid; Ben Wilson - Sweeper; Josh Keets - Left Back/Mid; Aidan Cuddy - Centre Half/Right Back; Andy Power - Centre Forward; Jacob Wood - Forward; Charlie Groves - Left/Right Mid/Back/Forward (yes really!); Callum Ross - Left Mid; Matt Swindlehurst (Vice-Captain) - Centre Mid; Elliott Pike - Right Back; Connor Corbin - Centre Half; Callum Corbin - Forward.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Broadstone Braves Vs Weymouth Wyke Victoria
Braves 6 - Weymouth Wyke Victoria 1
10 Players and no substitutes....what a game!
Every member of the team played their heart out today despite being reduced in number, what a fantastic effort by all the lads...
The defensive lineout from right to left of Mark Donachy, Sam Klein, Tristan Jalie and Ben Blades proved to be formidable, very rarely were Weymouth able to break through and when they did our defenders covered off each other and won back possesion. Clearing the ball forward to our wingers Ben Stocker (left) and Luke Woodhouse (right) they were assisted by Alex Sharp who played alone in mid-field and put in a brilliant performance filling in the gap.
Ben and Luke monopolised the wings and fought hard to gain ground demonstrating some superb control and passing moves...at last, control the ball, head up, look for space, pass and move; the drills came together we'd been practising in training. Working with Josh Powley and Chris Birrel our attacking force proved too much for Weymouth, some excellent through balls demonstrated by all four players meant our opportunities at goal just kept coming.
Luke Woodhouse scored 2, Josh Powley scored 2, Ben Stocker 1 and Chris Birrell 1...a great team effort by all made these opportunities at goal possible. The 'Braves' should all feel very proud of themselves.
That's three great wins in a row despite dwindling player numbers...brilliant! The final match of the season will be against Lytchett at their home ground in Upton on the 9th May 2010 ( I'll let you know the details nearer the time). It would be good to think we can get all the team together for the last match...but failing that then hopefully we can all meet up at the end of season tournament on the Saturday 8th May 2010.
Alan Millward has contacted me concerning the R&T Tournament next weekend. He has yet to receive details of the event itself and is unsure of how many he can register. It may be that he is limited as to numbers and so I have left it to him to select what will hopefully be 6 players from our team to join the Colts for the event. I shall contact the parents of those boys that he would wish to take part as and when I'm notified who he has selected...please don't be disappointed if you aren't given the opportunity because we've still got the most important match to attend to and that's against Lytchett in two weeks time!
Excellent effort...very proud!
10 Players and no substitutes....what a game!
Every member of the team played their heart out today despite being reduced in number, what a fantastic effort by all the lads...
The defensive lineout from right to left of Mark Donachy, Sam Klein, Tristan Jalie and Ben Blades proved to be formidable, very rarely were Weymouth able to break through and when they did our defenders covered off each other and won back possesion. Clearing the ball forward to our wingers Ben Stocker (left) and Luke Woodhouse (right) they were assisted by Alex Sharp who played alone in mid-field and put in a brilliant performance filling in the gap.
Ben and Luke monopolised the wings and fought hard to gain ground demonstrating some superb control and passing moves...at last, control the ball, head up, look for space, pass and move; the drills came together we'd been practising in training. Working with Josh Powley and Chris Birrel our attacking force proved too much for Weymouth, some excellent through balls demonstrated by all four players meant our opportunities at goal just kept coming.
Luke Woodhouse scored 2, Josh Powley scored 2, Ben Stocker 1 and Chris Birrell 1...a great team effort by all made these opportunities at goal possible. The 'Braves' should all feel very proud of themselves.
That's three great wins in a row despite dwindling player numbers...brilliant! The final match of the season will be against Lytchett at their home ground in Upton on the 9th May 2010 ( I'll let you know the details nearer the time). It would be good to think we can get all the team together for the last match...but failing that then hopefully we can all meet up at the end of season tournament on the Saturday 8th May 2010.
Alan Millward has contacted me concerning the R&T Tournament next weekend. He has yet to receive details of the event itself and is unsure of how many he can register. It may be that he is limited as to numbers and so I have left it to him to select what will hopefully be 6 players from our team to join the Colts for the event. I shall contact the parents of those boys that he would wish to take part as and when I'm notified who he has selected...please don't be disappointed if you aren't given the opportunity because we've still got the most important match to attend to and that's against Lytchett in two weeks time!
Excellent effort...very proud!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Broadsone Braves Vs Ringwood Town (Away)
Braves 7 - Ringwood 3
Within the first minute of the match the braves had put one in the back of Ringwoods net! One of the Ringwood parents was over heard saying "Don't worry, those that score first often lose"....how wrong they were.
Despite the end result our defence was tested by the attacking Ringwood players who monopolised on the free kicks awarded as we'd been caught off-side a handful of times. We soon realised that a hefty Ringwood free kick usually meant Alex Sharp and Matt Lonnen had to recover some ground, so a cleverly placed Tristan Jalie blocked that line of attack nicely. The defence worked hard to hold 'em back and a particular mention should be made of Tristan and his efforts..even Ringwoods Manager commented upon what a skilled defender he was.
Ben Stocker performed well in goal putting in a number of excellent saves, getting down and dirty laying hands on the ball when able and making some good 'one touch' clearances the ball having been passed back to him on a number of occasions by Matt and Alex in defence, a superb effort by all three!
All in all the first half was fairly evenly matched, with Ringwood putting in a good performance...
The boys motivation during this match really shone through in the second half...
Despite the fact that they were tired (only 11 players again meant no substitutes) and extremely hot in the soaring temperatures at Midday (what was that about mad dogs and Englishmen...?), they delivered and then some! The defence started to push out in good time when Ben cleared the ball out, on the odd occasions Ringwood one back possession in the second half Sam Klein worked well as right back to clear the ball from under them.
Josh Powley took advantage of some great forward balls from our midfielders; Luke Woodhouse and Jack Williams. Demonstrating skill and determination Josh took it around the Ringwood defence a number of times to score a well deserved hatric...excellent!
Luke Woodhouse and Chris Birrell scored two goals a piece...Luke continues to gain more and more confidence when under pressure demonstrating some excellent finishing. Chris used his unbelievable staminar and pace to great effect in order to drive up his goal score for this season...great work !
Ollie C-J and Ben Blades played on the wings and showed some real grit in the heat, battling their way down the outer field and creating numerous opportunities for our attackers...outstanding!
The team effort demonstrated by the boys today was first class. I am in no doubt that with the combined skill of Joe Jordan, Mark Donachy and Aston Wright who were unavoidably absent from todays match, the Braves can go onto win the next to matches they play against Weymouth Wyke Victoria and Lytchett Red Triangle.
Onward the Braves...!!!
Man of the Match: Ben Stocker for his 'bravery when under fire'...some real courage demonstrated today by Ben whilst playing in goal.
Within the first minute of the match the braves had put one in the back of Ringwoods net! One of the Ringwood parents was over heard saying "Don't worry, those that score first often lose"....how wrong they were.
Despite the end result our defence was tested by the attacking Ringwood players who monopolised on the free kicks awarded as we'd been caught off-side a handful of times. We soon realised that a hefty Ringwood free kick usually meant Alex Sharp and Matt Lonnen had to recover some ground, so a cleverly placed Tristan Jalie blocked that line of attack nicely. The defence worked hard to hold 'em back and a particular mention should be made of Tristan and his efforts..even Ringwoods Manager commented upon what a skilled defender he was.
Ben Stocker performed well in goal putting in a number of excellent saves, getting down and dirty laying hands on the ball when able and making some good 'one touch' clearances the ball having been passed back to him on a number of occasions by Matt and Alex in defence, a superb effort by all three!
All in all the first half was fairly evenly matched, with Ringwood putting in a good performance...
The boys motivation during this match really shone through in the second half...
Despite the fact that they were tired (only 11 players again meant no substitutes) and extremely hot in the soaring temperatures at Midday (what was that about mad dogs and Englishmen...?), they delivered and then some! The defence started to push out in good time when Ben cleared the ball out, on the odd occasions Ringwood one back possession in the second half Sam Klein worked well as right back to clear the ball from under them.
Josh Powley took advantage of some great forward balls from our midfielders; Luke Woodhouse and Jack Williams. Demonstrating skill and determination Josh took it around the Ringwood defence a number of times to score a well deserved hatric...excellent!
Luke Woodhouse and Chris Birrell scored two goals a piece...Luke continues to gain more and more confidence when under pressure demonstrating some excellent finishing. Chris used his unbelievable staminar and pace to great effect in order to drive up his goal score for this season...great work !
Ollie C-J and Ben Blades played on the wings and showed some real grit in the heat, battling their way down the outer field and creating numerous opportunities for our attackers...outstanding!
The team effort demonstrated by the boys today was first class. I am in no doubt that with the combined skill of Joe Jordan, Mark Donachy and Aston Wright who were unavoidably absent from todays match, the Braves can go onto win the next to matches they play against Weymouth Wyke Victoria and Lytchett Red Triangle.
Onward the Braves...!!!
Man of the Match: Ben Stocker for his 'bravery when under fire'...some real courage demonstrated today by Ben whilst playing in goal.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Broadstone Braves Vs Blandford United
Broadstone Braves 3 - Blandord United 1
Half time and Braves were down 1 nil to Blandford who were clearly used to performing well on their altogether dodgy home pitch...the Braves rolled up well on time and were looking forward to playing on a well groomed, flat pitch! We should have known better really. Despite the opposing team manager giving me the sat nav coordinates to the pitch were we ended up it clearly wasn't to be.
Rock hard ground, uneven playing surface and a concave bend which peaked at the centre spot so that each of the goal lines weren't visible to one another when stood in opposing goals...unbelievable but this was the pitch that we ended up on despite the fantastic pitches being a stones throw away...still, better that the under 11's played on the good pitches so that that didn't get hurt I guess!?
Blandford played a good game the first half and for some reason we struggled to get into the game...each and everyone of the Braves looked as though their durecell batteries had completely run down. Not good...The half time whistle blew and it was time for the manager to blow some steam out of his ears...the rocket was launched neatly up each of the Braves posteriours.
The second half saw a completely new team...it never ceases to amaze me...the coaches and I had flicked the 'on' button and within seconds of kick off we'd driven the ball forward, a neat one two between Ben Blades and Josh Powley led to a cross from Josh which was finished superbly by Ollie Cornellius-Jones...we were back in the game! 1 all! The pressure was piled on by Blandford who sensed that we'd decided that we had given them enough chances and now it was time for pay back...Our defence remained stead fast (albeit a little gobby to our linesman on occassion...you know who you are) and held them off, Tristan Jalie and Sam Klein working well to take back possession and clear the ball forward.
Matt Lonnenn and Jack Williams eventually decided that it'd be a good idea to join in on the game and put some good tackles in pushing the ball up and over the Blandford defence...I do wish they'd stop trying to volley the ball when its coming in from on high though, I lost count of how many times we swung a kick only to miss and give away possession! Control and pass, control and pass...Matt showed really determination taking a shot at goal with great force so that it shot off the goalees hands into a Blandford player and then into the back of the net....2-1!
The last twenty minutes were nail biting to say the least, Blandfords defence were putting in some hard tackles sensing another defeat and conceded some foolish free kicks...the Braves monopolised on this and Josh Powley slotted our final goal into the corner of their net...3-1!!!
As I said to to the boys at the end of the match...if they'd of played like they did during the last fifteen minutes for the whole of the match it'd have been another 6 - 1 Victory to the Braves...enough said.
Man of the match: Sam Klein for putting in some good tackles and waking up sooner than any other team member during the match.... :-)
Thanks to Dennis CJ for doing the line (and putting the mouthy ones in their place).
Well done 'fellas' ...we're away to Ringwood next week. Ollie, Aston, Mark and Joe can't play so we need everyone else to turn out and give 100%...see you Saturday.
Half time and Braves were down 1 nil to Blandford who were clearly used to performing well on their altogether dodgy home pitch...the Braves rolled up well on time and were looking forward to playing on a well groomed, flat pitch! We should have known better really. Despite the opposing team manager giving me the sat nav coordinates to the pitch were we ended up it clearly wasn't to be.
Rock hard ground, uneven playing surface and a concave bend which peaked at the centre spot so that each of the goal lines weren't visible to one another when stood in opposing goals...unbelievable but this was the pitch that we ended up on despite the fantastic pitches being a stones throw away...still, better that the under 11's played on the good pitches so that that didn't get hurt I guess!?
Blandford played a good game the first half and for some reason we struggled to get into the game...each and everyone of the Braves looked as though their durecell batteries had completely run down. Not good...The half time whistle blew and it was time for the manager to blow some steam out of his ears...the rocket was launched neatly up each of the Braves posteriours.
The second half saw a completely new team...it never ceases to amaze me...the coaches and I had flicked the 'on' button and within seconds of kick off we'd driven the ball forward, a neat one two between Ben Blades and Josh Powley led to a cross from Josh which was finished superbly by Ollie Cornellius-Jones...we were back in the game! 1 all! The pressure was piled on by Blandford who sensed that we'd decided that we had given them enough chances and now it was time for pay back...Our defence remained stead fast (albeit a little gobby to our linesman on occassion...you know who you are) and held them off, Tristan Jalie and Sam Klein working well to take back possession and clear the ball forward.
Matt Lonnenn and Jack Williams eventually decided that it'd be a good idea to join in on the game and put some good tackles in pushing the ball up and over the Blandford defence...I do wish they'd stop trying to volley the ball when its coming in from on high though, I lost count of how many times we swung a kick only to miss and give away possession! Control and pass, control and pass...Matt showed really determination taking a shot at goal with great force so that it shot off the goalees hands into a Blandford player and then into the back of the net....2-1!
The last twenty minutes were nail biting to say the least, Blandfords defence were putting in some hard tackles sensing another defeat and conceded some foolish free kicks...the Braves monopolised on this and Josh Powley slotted our final goal into the corner of their net...3-1!!!
As I said to to the boys at the end of the match...if they'd of played like they did during the last fifteen minutes for the whole of the match it'd have been another 6 - 1 Victory to the Braves...enough said.
Man of the match: Sam Klein for putting in some good tackles and waking up sooner than any other team member during the match.... :-)
Thanks to Dennis CJ for doing the line (and putting the mouthy ones in their place).
Well done 'fellas' ...we're away to Ringwood next week. Ollie, Aston, Mark and Joe can't play so we need everyone else to turn out and give 100%...see you Saturday.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Braves Vs Lytchett Red Triangle
Braves 1 - Lytchett RT 3
I lost count of how many times we hit the cross bar or sliced it slightly either side of the goal...the boys frustration at their missed opportunities started to creep in and, perhaps understandably, they started to 'niggle at each other' up front.
Thanks go to Steve Donachy for refereering the match at short notice and for reminding the boys on both sides that they should be respectful towards one and other...the more the boys can be reminded of this the more all of them will enjoy taking part in matches.
Chris Birrell secured a penalty goal and it was great to see the boys celebrating in style...that's what football should be all about! I had to laugh when Ben Blades mum mis-heard me shout "great to see you celebrating, now get up there and pull it back"...she thought I said "that's enough celebrating, get on with it and pull it back"...I might be a bit of an ogar on the side-lines (as my wife keeps reminding me), but I'm not that bad!
Man of the match was Ben Stocker who made some great saves and showed some real determination in diving on the ball whilst the Lytchett attackers were bearing down on him...well done Ben.
All in all an exciting game with some real skill being shown on both sides. Braves continue to go from strength to strength and with some fine tuning around positioning (especially when we're taking some free kicks) and covering of defensively we'll stand a chance of doing well in future matches.
Our defence was caught wanting a few times but generally the boys did a good job in covering off each other and marking the opposition. The fact is, albeit the Braves had more chances at goal we were unfortunate whereas Lytchett had their 'eye in' on the ball and they seized the opportunities when they could.
I lost count of how many times we hit the cross bar or sliced it slightly either side of the goal...the boys frustration at their missed opportunities started to creep in and, perhaps understandably, they started to 'niggle at each other' up front.
Thanks go to Steve Donachy for refereering the match at short notice and for reminding the boys on both sides that they should be respectful towards one and other...the more the boys can be reminded of this the more all of them will enjoy taking part in matches.
Chris Birrell secured a penalty goal and it was great to see the boys celebrating in style...that's what football should be all about! I had to laugh when Ben Blades mum mis-heard me shout "great to see you celebrating, now get up there and pull it back"...she thought I said "that's enough celebrating, get on with it and pull it back"...I might be a bit of an ogar on the side-lines (as my wife keeps reminding me), but I'm not that bad!
Man of the match was Ben Stocker who made some great saves and showed some real determination in diving on the ball whilst the Lytchett attackers were bearing down on him...well done Ben.
All in all an exciting game with some real skill being shown on both sides. Braves continue to go from strength to strength and with some fine tuning around positioning (especially when we're taking some free kicks) and covering of defensively we'll stand a chance of doing well in future matches.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Broadstone Braves Vs Blandford United Raiders
Braves 6 - Blandford 1
Despite being a bit slow to start and a bit of player to player critiscm creeping in in the first half, the match was generally well played by the Braves.
Our defenders; Mark Donachy, Sam Klein, Alex Sharp and Jack Williams, worked well together and held off a number of determined efforts by Blandford.
A team re-shuffle meant that Josh Powley and Joe Jordan were strikers and Chris Birrell and Luke Woodhouse played mid-field. The combination worked well with everyone one of them having a number of opportunities at goal.
The mid-fielders filled the gap nicely and one the majority of opposition goal kicks enabling us to drive forward, up and over the Blandford defence and creating numerous opportunities.
Jack Williams debut, having been away from the game with an injury for a number of months, was great! Well done Jack, nice to see some nifty knock forwards and your pace coming back...
Ben Blades and Ollie C-J put in a sterling effort on the wings, I lost count how many times Ollie and Luke put in a 'one two' move and drove it up the right wing...fantastic!
Goal scorers were Luke Woodhouse (2), Joe Jordan (3) and Josh Powley (1).
Man of the Match was Ollie Cornellius-Jones for his determination on the pitch, winning numerous balls despite often being out numbered and passing the ball forward so as his team mates could secure a goal...well done Ollie!
Next Sunday we play Lytchett Matravers (away), I've a feeling this will be a tough match but if we maintain our form we should do well....
Great effort today boys!!!
Thanks to John Jordan for doing the line (again) and special thanks to Steve Donachy for stepping in to be referee at the last minute...both unbiased and very professional, thanks very much!
Despite being a bit slow to start and a bit of player to player critiscm creeping in in the first half, the match was generally well played by the Braves.
Our defenders; Mark Donachy, Sam Klein, Alex Sharp and Jack Williams, worked well together and held off a number of determined efforts by Blandford.
A team re-shuffle meant that Josh Powley and Joe Jordan were strikers and Chris Birrell and Luke Woodhouse played mid-field. The combination worked well with everyone one of them having a number of opportunities at goal.
The mid-fielders filled the gap nicely and one the majority of opposition goal kicks enabling us to drive forward, up and over the Blandford defence and creating numerous opportunities.
Jack Williams debut, having been away from the game with an injury for a number of months, was great! Well done Jack, nice to see some nifty knock forwards and your pace coming back...
Ben Blades and Ollie C-J put in a sterling effort on the wings, I lost count how many times Ollie and Luke put in a 'one two' move and drove it up the right wing...fantastic!
Goal scorers were Luke Woodhouse (2), Joe Jordan (3) and Josh Powley (1).
Man of the Match was Ollie Cornellius-Jones for his determination on the pitch, winning numerous balls despite often being out numbered and passing the ball forward so as his team mates could secure a goal...well done Ollie!
Next Sunday we play Lytchett Matravers (away), I've a feeling this will be a tough match but if we maintain our form we should do well....
Great effort today boys!!!
Thanks to John Jordan for doing the line (again) and special thanks to Steve Donachy for stepping in to be referee at the last minute...both unbiased and very professional, thanks very much!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Broadstone Braves vs Bearwood United
Braves 2 - Bearwood 3
Right! What were the odds stacked against us today?
Right! What were the odds stacked against us today?
- Last minute change of pitch by Bearwood (albeit they where informed Friday night!)
- Manager who decided he had to be linesman...
- Bearwood 14 players...rolling and rolling and rollling subs (we had no subs)...
- Two of our team plaiyng despite having been ill yesterday..
- Two of our team off with injury...
- One team member unavailable due to other pressing commitment...
I could go on, but it really doesn't matter that much because despite all of this we had a brilliant game!
A change of tactics saw Tristan Jalie, Josh Powley, Alex Sharp and Mark Donachy provide a strong defensive line...some fantastic tackles by all these lads ensured Bearwood had to fight very hard for their goals and I'm convinced had they of had the same in number as us the outcome would of been different.
Luke Woodhouse and Chris Birrell worked well together up front having a number of attacking opportunities scoring one a piece....Chris Birrells goal was set up by an excellent knock forward by Mark Donachy and Luke Woodhouse put it in the top left corner from a difficult angle...superb!
Sam Klein had a number of good runs up the right wing, he did very well considering this ins't his normal position...some fantastic crosses by Sam meant that Chris and Luke could keep the pressure on.
Matt Lonnen and Joe Jordan covered the mid-field and had to work hard for the whole hour as this was very much a game played down the middle by Bearwood...Ben Blade had a good game tackling without fear and putting in some good runs down the left wing.
Last, but definately not least, our top Goalee Ben Stocker...Ben goes from strength to strength in goal and demonstrated his ability to get straight onto the ball especially during some Bearwood corner kicks...fantastic!!!
Man of the match this week was Alex Sharp. Strong tackles saw Alex win the ball on a number of occasions which he followed up by some great clearances...well done Alex!
Next Week we play Poole Town Wessex Rovers...we won last time we played them (they are now 3rd in the league and there's still not much in it).
Well Done Braves!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Braves Vs New Milton Robins...
Braves 0 - New Milton 7
Now with a score like this you'd think the Robins out classed us all the way...how wrong you'd be!
Our first half of the match was fantastic putting the Divisional leaders under pressure from the start...an unlucky slip of the ball from Ben Stockers hands meant the Robins goal hanging attacker took full advantage and tapped it in the back of the net. Unlucky Ben. Half time and we were 1 nil down having had the majority of the possession and some good attempts at goal. The Robins keeper performed extremely well and kept out our best efforts...(They changed their goalee from when we played them last..this one is bigger and better).
The second half kicked off and, to be honest, it's difficult to know what went wrong...I could go on about the Robins having the advantage of the down hill slope bla, bla, bla but the bottom line is we let ourselves down. We had a number of stoppages due to injured players, Joe Jordan received a ball in the chest which knocked the wind out of him and slowed him down for the rest of the match. In accurate passing and weak tackles saw our heads drop as the Robins took full advantage of our predicament....
Putting all this to one side we continue to show flashes of absolute brilliance and rather than brood upon the end result I want to say that the first half was superb....it's a shame we couldn't maintain it.
Man of the Match was Ben Blades (awarded for sheer determination in trying to slow down the oppositions attackers and not giving up or the whole match...well done Ben).
Next Sunday we're playing Bearwood....if we work on our midfield and central defence this coming Saturday I'm confident we can get back into our winning streak!
Take a look at the league table, there's not that much in it so we can finish in the top three if we remain determined...and get a few early nights before each match!
See you next Saturday.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Broadstone Braves Vs Dorchester Dynamoes
Braves 7 - Dynamoes 0
Dorchester may be bottom of our league and yet to win a game but that didn't stop them from applying the pressure on the Braves for two halves! Their determination was a credit to all of them and their manager, I am sure they will grow from strength to strength.
The Braves took nothing for granted and demonstrated that despite having only 10 men on the pitch (9 at one stage) they used space to good effect and communicated well.
Chris "I'll see if I can snatch as many goals from Joe Jorden as I can" Birrell performed well up front especially as he's not played for some 9 weeks and had just recovered from illness - a well deserved man of the match award Chris!
All in all a fantastic effort by all the lads who showed considerable ball control and balance on what was a hard, slippery pitch...
Next Sunday the Braves play top of the league team New Milton... you know...the ones we were hammering by half time when we played them on their home ground but who came back in the second half really strong and we ended up drawing 5 all against.
We really need a full team next Sunday (Aston can't play as he has another important commitment)....so plenty of early nights, no XBox, Playstation and plenty of carbohydrates between now and next Sunday..........yeah right! Seriously, we can beat New Milton if we continue to show the same team work as we have done thus far in the season....bring it on!
Special mention for Steve Donachy this week who ran the line despite not feeling up to it...thanks mate Paul, the boys and I appreciated it...many thanks for your continued support.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Broadstone U13 Braves Vs Weymouth Cougar Sports
Braves 5 - Weymouth CS 2
Our first game since December 13th thanks to our wonderful weather!
Not having played a match for some 8 weeks and just started training again...we were a little 'rusty' and to say our eye wasn't on the ball in the first half is probably an understatement. We missed several opportunites at goal with Luke Woodhouse and Joe Jordan looking skyward on a number of occasions...half time saw the Braves 2 - 0 down.
Needless to say....we had a little chat at half time in between slurping drinks and sucking oranges.
Reminding the midfielders that they needed to be pushing the ball forward up and over Weymouths defenders so as to allow our strikers to run onto it maximising their pace and catching the oppositions defence off guard was a tactic we hoped would work...within minutes of the second half kicking off we seemed to gather momentum.
Matt Lonnen came on as Substitute and very quickly put in a nifty chip forward and down the centre, allowing Luke Woodhouse to push the ball forward past Weymouth's defence (at this time Paul Klein and I were on our knees, hands clasped together and it was our turn to look skyward...praying for a goal)...I recon Luke put some contact lenses in or somethin' 'cause he was bang on target....Goal!!!!....The boys heads visibly lifted...they were getting back into the game.
From then on we went from strength to strength, our defensive lineout which was well managed by Tristan Jalie remained tight and kept Weymouth struggling to score. The Braves strikers, supported by both wingers kept up relentless attacking pressure. Their efforts paid off with Luke scoring another four goals and Josh Powley scoring from what seemed like an impossible angle...it was really good to see the boys celebrate every goal..football at its best...even if Luke did take the mickey out of their linesman who the Braves felt had been a little over zealous with the off-side rule during the match (I, of course, couldn't possibly comment).
Well Done Braves....fantastic effort and a really great start to 2010!
Next Sunday we play Dorchester Dynamoes away. They've yet to win a game so provided we take nothing for granted we stand to earn ourselves another 3 pionts....climbing up the league table!
Our first game since December 13th thanks to our wonderful weather!
Not having played a match for some 8 weeks and just started training again...we were a little 'rusty' and to say our eye wasn't on the ball in the first half is probably an understatement. We missed several opportunites at goal with Luke Woodhouse and Joe Jordan looking skyward on a number of occasions...half time saw the Braves 2 - 0 down.
Needless to say....we had a little chat at half time in between slurping drinks and sucking oranges.
Reminding the midfielders that they needed to be pushing the ball forward up and over Weymouths defenders so as to allow our strikers to run onto it maximising their pace and catching the oppositions defence off guard was a tactic we hoped would work...within minutes of the second half kicking off we seemed to gather momentum.
Matt Lonnen came on as Substitute and very quickly put in a nifty chip forward and down the centre, allowing Luke Woodhouse to push the ball forward past Weymouth's defence (at this time Paul Klein and I were on our knees, hands clasped together and it was our turn to look skyward...praying for a goal)...I recon Luke put some contact lenses in or somethin' 'cause he was bang on target....Goal!!!!....The boys heads visibly lifted...they were getting back into the game.
From then on we went from strength to strength, our defensive lineout which was well managed by Tristan Jalie remained tight and kept Weymouth struggling to score. The Braves strikers, supported by both wingers kept up relentless attacking pressure. Their efforts paid off with Luke scoring another four goals and Josh Powley scoring from what seemed like an impossible angle...it was really good to see the boys celebrate every goal..football at its best...even if Luke did take the mickey out of their linesman who the Braves felt had been a little over zealous with the off-side rule during the match (I, of course, couldn't possibly comment).
Well Done Braves....fantastic effort and a really great start to 2010!
Next Sunday we play Dorchester Dynamoes away. They've yet to win a game so provided we take nothing for granted we stand to earn ourselves another 3 pionts....climbing up the league table!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Broadstone Braves Vs Poole Town Wessex Rovers
Broadstone Braves 2 - Poole Town Rovers 1
Our first away match against Poole Town Wessex Rovers was held despited dreadful weather conditions over the weekend that meant the Braves training was cancelled the Saturday before the match.
Despite the down pour over the weekend the pitch held up surprisingly well...probably 'cause it all flowed into the lake at one end of Ashdowns pitch...you know...the one were we keep losing our balls. I lost count of how many match balls Poole TWR's got through during the game!
Despite the fact that Tristan and Aston were unable to play our defence performed extremely well. Ben Blades put in an excellent debut as left back, putting in some well timed tackles and knocking the ball forward in order that we could dominate the play. Well done Ben...excellent!
Mark Donachy did well in controlling the defensive line, Marks' pace and consistency in defence has stopped many an opposing attacker in his tracks...keep it up Mark!!!
Chris Birrell scored our two goals, fantastic pace together with the ability to monopolise upon the game play generated by Joe Jordan who has just returned after a number of weeks away due to injury, meant we were 2 nil up by the end of the second half....brilliant!
All in all a great effort by the Braves who once again demonstrated that with only eleven players they can take it to 'em and come out on top!
...Just imagine what we can achieve with Tristan, Jack and Aston back!
Man of the Match was Ben Blade...well done Ben.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Broadstone Braves Vs Bearwood United
Broadstone 2 - Bearwood United 2
Those that know me will know that I don't believe in making excuses and that I'm a firm believer in the thinking that 'you make your own luck'...The problem is that in order to make your luck you need to have the odds stacked for you. The Braves have got two team members off with a broken wrist and another with the lurgy...all three boys are strong players in their own ways which is making it harder for the rest of the team to 'keep the pressure on'.....despite all this they are doing exactly that!!!
With no substitutes and and two or three of the lads playing outside their normal positions we put the Bearwood United boys under pressure from the off. Bearwood are third in the league at this time and performing well...with the odds 'stacked up for us' we'll be making our own luck when we play them away and I'm confident that the Braves will deliver some winning goals.
Ben Stocker made his debut in goal this match and produced some outstanding saves...I can see why he plays in goal for the School Team, albeit he had kept that quiet up until recently...;-) well done Ben!!!
Chris Birrell scored both our goals demonstrating once again that pace counts for everything...not to mention control under pressure. Those opportunities that were maximised by Chris would not have come about had the wingers and midfield not produced some great game play...The fact that Paul, Andy and I keep telling the boys to get their heads up and look for the pass seems to be sinking in............gradually.
Luke Woodhouse was unfortunate to have missed a number of opportunities at goal...I still think that if that blummin' slope didn't exist on pitch 1 we would have had a different result today. It's hard work running up hill and even harder when you've got to do it in the second half! Never mind Luke..plenty more opportunities coming your way I'm sure. Matt Lonnen deserves a special mention today, Matt played mid-field and put in some great cross balls and clearances...well done Matt!
Whilst a little bit woolly at times I thought our defenders put in a valient effort; Sam Klein, Aston Wright, Alex Sharp and Mark Donachy had to work really hard in the second half as Bearwood dominated our half coming down hill with the wind behind 'em...well done fellas, some strong tackles being made!
Man of the Match: Chris Birrell.
Captains Comment: Ben Stocker; " Bring it on Poole Town Wessex Rovers....'aint nothin gonna get past me!"
Braves are joint 5th in the league with the fourth highest goal difference....New Milton are still top and we all know how we did against them eh! Onward and upward!!!!
All in all another good result....
Those that know me will know that I don't believe in making excuses and that I'm a firm believer in the thinking that 'you make your own luck'...The problem is that in order to make your luck you need to have the odds stacked for you. The Braves have got two team members off with a broken wrist and another with the lurgy...all three boys are strong players in their own ways which is making it harder for the rest of the team to 'keep the pressure on'.....despite all this they are doing exactly that!!!
With no substitutes and and two or three of the lads playing outside their normal positions we put the Bearwood United boys under pressure from the off. Bearwood are third in the league at this time and performing well...with the odds 'stacked up for us' we'll be making our own luck when we play them away and I'm confident that the Braves will deliver some winning goals.
Ben Stocker made his debut in goal this match and produced some outstanding saves...I can see why he plays in goal for the School Team, albeit he had kept that quiet up until recently...;-) well done Ben!!!
Chris Birrell scored both our goals demonstrating once again that pace counts for everything...not to mention control under pressure. Those opportunities that were maximised by Chris would not have come about had the wingers and midfield not produced some great game play...The fact that Paul, Andy and I keep telling the boys to get their heads up and look for the pass seems to be sinking in............gradually.
Luke Woodhouse was unfortunate to have missed a number of opportunities at goal...I still think that if that blummin' slope didn't exist on pitch 1 we would have had a different result today. It's hard work running up hill and even harder when you've got to do it in the second half! Never mind Luke..plenty more opportunities coming your way I'm sure. Matt Lonnen deserves a special mention today, Matt played mid-field and put in some great cross balls and clearances...well done Matt!
Whilst a little bit woolly at times I thought our defenders put in a valient effort; Sam Klein, Aston Wright, Alex Sharp and Mark Donachy had to work really hard in the second half as Bearwood dominated our half coming down hill with the wind behind 'em...well done fellas, some strong tackles being made!
Man of the Match: Chris Birrell.
Captains Comment: Ben Stocker; " Bring it on Poole Town Wessex Rovers....'aint nothin gonna get past me!"
Braves are joint 5th in the league with the fourth highest goal difference....New Milton are still top and we all know how we did against them eh! Onward and upward!!!!
All in all another good result....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Broadstone Braves U13's Vs New Milton Robins Broadstone Braves Away to New Milton
RobinsBraves 5 - New Milton 5.
RobinsBraves 5 - New Milton 5.
My Ticker can't take much more of this!!!!Before I go on let's just get somethin' into perspective. New Milton are 2nd in the table Division 4 at the moment, they're a strong team with reall potential to do well...
Now, onto the bit I've been waiting to talk about! At half time we had played our socks off and were 4 - 1 up!!! Bloomin' fantastico!!! New Milton clearly didn't know what had hit 'em, with Chris Birrell monopolising on a number of great clearances from Aston in goal and our mid-fielders punching (not literally) the ball forward and beyond their defence . Chris demonstrated some superb pace and control under pressure to drive three into the back of their net. Some good positioning by Ollie Cornelius-Jones afforded him the chance to score and the fact that we dominated the field meant that our defence didn't have to work too hard. That said when they were called upon they worked hard, especially on the wings.
The second half New Milton, perhaps a little embarrased, came back very hard with some good attacking play placing our defence under considerable pressure and as a consequence we conceded 4 goals...a good example of grit and determination on their part (if we were to believe the Braves spectators some dodgy decisions by their Ref)! So what did the Braves do when they were 5 - 4 down? They showed even more courage and dug deep to find that staminar, driving forward down the left wing and across to the mid-field Ben Stocker fought to maintain possesion and put in a lovely cross enabling Jack Williams to get his head to it and score the final goal of the match...excellent!Yet again the Braves put in a truly outstanding performance...and when we consider that Sam Klein and Luke Woodhouse weren't fully fit having had (and still got) the lurgy and Alex Sharp and Joe Jordan couldn't play today; it goes to show what a formidable team we really are when we're fully fit and fielding all our players and substitutes.I've said it once and I'll say it again...we're going to go from strength to strength, pushing our way further up the table.
Man of the Match went to Chris Birrel who demonstrated some great pace, good ball control, communication skills and positioning ....and there was the 3 goals which helped of course!
Well done team!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Broadstone U13 Braves...Vs Dorchester Dynamoes
Broadstone Braves U13's
Braves 10 - Dynamoes 1
Fantastic Result for the braves which will enable us to gather momentum as we move up the league table http://www.dorsetyouthfootball.co.uk/fixtures.php?season=2009&league=13&division=4 !!!!
Making it all happen were the defenders; Tristan Jalie, Sam Klein, Matt Lonnen, Mark Donachy and Alex Sharp..keepin' the defensive line tight ensured we caught Dynamoes of side on more than one occasion. Some great clearances by Tristan and Mark up the wings made for some classy game making with Sam, Matt and Alex going in hard and giving no quarter to the oppositions attackers....getting stronger by the match guys, well done!
Despite a few opportunities Dynamoes just couldn't get it past Aston Wright playing as Braves goalee - good communication with the defence by Aston ensured our defence was rock solid being unlucky to concede a goal as a consequence of being caught off guard by the Dynamoes they having been awarded a free kick not far out of the 18 yard box...nonetheless a good goal by the Dynamoes.
Luke Woodhouse's debut saw him score 3 great goals working well with right winger Ollie Cornellius-Jones who also put 2 in the back of the net!!! Excellent use of the right wing fellas with some great anticipatory play...well done!
Chris Birrell and the second newcomer to the team, Ben Blade, covered the mid-field well. We learnt from previous mistakes and ensured the opposition couldn't play into a vacant space in the mid-field...excellent pace demonstrated by both ensured the strikers and defence were well assisted throughout the match...superb! Chris even managed to squeeze in a couple of goals to assist in ensuring the dynamoes fate.
Ben Stocker and Luke were formidable as our strikers, their height and pace had the Dynamoes defence working hard...especially during the second half. Ben Stocker scored a goal..eventually...having missed a number of opportunites....I reckon he did it on purpose just to keep the crowd in suspence!!! Great stuff Ben!
Josh Powley dominated the left wing scoring a couple of long range goals the best of which was as a consequence of a free kick about 40 yards from goal...I still think if it wasn't for Astons mum challenging him to go for goal he might have missed!! Great effort Josh!
Captains comment (Josh Powley);
"Despite being a bit slow to start we progressed in our play as the game went on...eventually we 'owned' em! Lets' keep bangin' 'em in Braves!"
Well Done Team!!!
Braves 10 - Dynamoes 1
Fantastic Result for the braves which will enable us to gather momentum as we move up the league table http://www.dorsetyouthfootball.co.uk/fixtures.php?season=2009&league=13&division=4 !!!!
Making it all happen were the defenders; Tristan Jalie, Sam Klein, Matt Lonnen, Mark Donachy and Alex Sharp..keepin' the defensive line tight ensured we caught Dynamoes of side on more than one occasion. Some great clearances by Tristan and Mark up the wings made for some classy game making with Sam, Matt and Alex going in hard and giving no quarter to the oppositions attackers....getting stronger by the match guys, well done!
Despite a few opportunities Dynamoes just couldn't get it past Aston Wright playing as Braves goalee - good communication with the defence by Aston ensured our defence was rock solid being unlucky to concede a goal as a consequence of being caught off guard by the Dynamoes they having been awarded a free kick not far out of the 18 yard box...nonetheless a good goal by the Dynamoes.
Luke Woodhouse's debut saw him score 3 great goals working well with right winger Ollie Cornellius-Jones who also put 2 in the back of the net!!! Excellent use of the right wing fellas with some great anticipatory play...well done!
Chris Birrell and the second newcomer to the team, Ben Blade, covered the mid-field well. We learnt from previous mistakes and ensured the opposition couldn't play into a vacant space in the mid-field...excellent pace demonstrated by both ensured the strikers and defence were well assisted throughout the match...superb! Chris even managed to squeeze in a couple of goals to assist in ensuring the dynamoes fate.
Ben Stocker and Luke were formidable as our strikers, their height and pace had the Dynamoes defence working hard...especially during the second half. Ben Stocker scored a goal..eventually...having missed a number of opportunites....I reckon he did it on purpose just to keep the crowd in suspence!!! Great stuff Ben!
Josh Powley dominated the left wing scoring a couple of long range goals the best of which was as a consequence of a free kick about 40 yards from goal...I still think if it wasn't for Astons mum challenging him to go for goal he might have missed!! Great effort Josh!
Captains comment (Josh Powley);
"Despite being a bit slow to start we progressed in our play as the game went on...eventually we 'owned' em! Lets' keep bangin' 'em in Braves!"
Well Done Team!!!
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