ASC Strikers u11s vs West Hove Dynamos: Sunday 14th October 2012

We are the West Hove Dynamos
Only come alive when the old moon shows
We are the West Hove
We are the West Hove
West Hove Dynamos!

One for the teenagers there - a song popular Showaddywaddy wannabes , Matchbox almost sung in 1980 but one I sing every time we play them. West Hove Dynamos that is; not Matchbox.

Today's team were all smiles again as they faced a side that was rumoured to have a 'big lad' up front. They'd beaten Forest Youth last week so we knew it wasn't going to be an easy ride. We were all chuffed to see Ryan back in the team after his pencil related dramas; above all, it was nice to have Scott back running the line! Oh - and no Rhys today as he was off having his head polished and nickel coated.

A gloriously sunny day and from the kick off ASC were having the better of the exchanges; Caldé, Fin and Reg were looking particularly sharp. Owen won the first corner of the game which was cleared by WHD. They were soon to settle in though and it wasn't long before their threat became apparent. A well worked move out on the right and a zipping drive across the goal left a few of us taking a collective sharp intake of breath.

They did indeed have a 'big lad' but it certainly wasn't all about one player today. WHD looked a very good side with a combination of deft touches and power. For some of us [me] it's quite difficult not to react every time one of our players are beaten off the ball through sheer muscle, but it's just a part of our boys growing up I suppose. And don't policemen look young these days?

Henry was looking good in the middle and swung a beautifully weighted pass out to Owen on the wing. Fin, always in the thick of things tried a speculative shot from distance and ten minutes in it had become a cagey affair with little goalmouth action. That's a euphemism for 'boring' I'm told [I couldn't possibly comment].

Matt was having a good game in defence and has obviously been watching the Spanish masters, intelligently passing his way out of defence rather than resorting to heeding that age-old British war cry from the touchline 'GET RID OF IT!'. ASC were now having to soak up a lot of pressure from a fast and skilful WHD side. Still the boys made the best of their chances with Josh nippy through the midfield and clearly causing problems. At times the boys seemed to be bunching around the ball so there weren't many yellow shirts in space when the ball broke free.

Max was once again cool at the back; never afraid to take on an approaching attacker, his close control and vision out of defence were easing the worried brows of the parents. WHD's No.4 certainly is a big chap but he had a good touch and a monster of a right foot. The first time he was able to release it  - six yards from the halfway line no less - Joe pulled off the first of a number of classy saves. Fin was getting the measure of the strong WHD tacklers and gave as good as he got, but our opponents were growing stronger as the half went on. The cross bar was our saviour after a looping cross/shot from the by-line and the WHD defenders were able to ally pace with strength in keeping our forward threat at bay.

As the half time whistle blew we were wondering where Lance Armstrong was with his special thermos.

Half time: ASC 0 WHD 0

Owen, Henry and Max made way for Fraser, Cameron and Sunny. Josh was clearly ready for action with a screaming run down the left; unfortunately, his ball into the box fell only to the feet of a boy in blue. Down the other end Joe was the saviour again with solid blocking from the WHD attack. It was getting stressful on the line as the ASC parents and relatives called out for a free kick when Caldé was hustled off the ball; no Louis Suarez that boy - his attempts to stay on his feet just too much. Henry joined in soon after with a crunching tackle which, had it been against us, we would probably have been shouting about. Fair play to the ref - he was having a good game and let things flow.

The WHD pressure was really beginning to tell and Joe was called on to keep things even once again. Josh was also realising that he needed to be strong in the tackle and was the catalyst for a brief revival in ASC midfield fortunes.

Our main threat was a break from midfield with Fin causing problems for the solid WHD defence. It was going to take something special to break them down. Owen replaced Reggie and the dynamics changed somewhat. Matt battled well out on the right and for the first time the WHD defence were left standing as he zipped a corker in towards Owen who was unlucky not to make a connection.

Back came WHD in the 42nd minute forcing a freekick wide out on the left. It was with a sense of inevitability that this time the No.4's ball found the back of the net. Sweetly struck and virtually impossible to save. ASC 0 WHD 1

A few bottom lips stuck out on the sidelines in the ASC parental ranks as WHD had achieved that essential trick of silencing the home crowd. Pressure continued and Joe was brave at the feet of an oncoming attacker. Into the 47th minute and for the first time in the game WHD lost concentration leaving Owen to exploit a gap through defence for Fin to break through. Just as it seemed he'd had one too many touches and was going to get destroyed in a WHD pincer-movement, he tapped the ball just under the keeper. Time stood still as it rolled gently over the line. Great goal. ASC 1 WHD 1

That horrible old cliché of being a bad time to score [see previous blog] came true; unable to clear their lines, the ball dropped to that No.4 again on the edge of the box. With all the time in the world he placed his shot up where the spiders live*. ASC 1 WHD 2

Two minutes later and it was all over as fast WHD movement down the right saw a ball fly across the six yard box and on to the waiting foot of the WHD attacker. ASC 1 WHD 3

ASC continued to make forays into the WHD area; Fraser and Fin had a couple of shouts for penalties waved away but the referee had made the right decision on both occasions. Joe was forced into another near post save and played a big part in keeping the score respectable. Today was just one of those days where the boys came up against a well organised side with one or two game-changers in the team. A classic case of the best side won.

The biggest plus was the return of Ryan with a MotM performance; battling and calm in equal measure. Perhaps the unexpected injection of graphite has turned him into some sort of super-hero? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO - it's PENCIL BOY!

Final Score: ASC Strikers u11s 1 West Hove Dynamos u11s 3



* copyright Mr M. Langley 2011

Hove Park Colts u11s vs ASC Strikers u11s: Sunday 30th September 2012

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run

Thus spake John Keats in 1819 in his little ditty, 'To Autumn'. And as the nights draw in [only three weeks till the clocks go back], the boys gathered for another match-up on a dreary morn against a HPC team that's battled well against us in recent times.

I think they're laughing at the word 'bosom' in the opening paragraph

The home team started strongly, passing it around well and making the most of the space available to them. Rhys was called into early action clearing a corner with that head of his and being solid in the tackle. This was big pressure to be soaking up though and HPC headed just wide - they were out like a train for the first four minutes. 

Excited by their pressure, their defenders pushed up slightly further than they ought to have done; a break from midfield and Owen was able to battle through for a goal against the run of play. A solidly struck ball into the bottom left hand corner and we'd calmed the storm. HPC 0 ASC 1

The times they were a-changin' and it was ASC's turn to put the pressure on. Caldé threaded a precision ball through to Cam - just offside. A high energy game evened out nicely with sweeping exchanges across the park. Reggie's pace was always a problem for the home team and a power run through midfield resulted in one of his trademark scorchers sneaking just wide. Inspired by his team-mate's speed, Cam embarked on a run himself forcing a great one-on-one save from the HPC keeper. He had a chance to repeat himself two minutes later but his shot was gathered nicely once again.

The second of a few controversial offsides came next as Cam broke through - surely it was only a matter of time for him to get on the scoresheet? A change of attack saw HPC break into the ASC box out on the right, resulting in a somewhat panicked tackle and our third conceded penalty in as many games. HPC 1 ASC 1

This elicited a fabulous response from the boys and within two minutes; a shot from Caldé that clattered into the body of the defender fell to Cam and this time there was no flag. HPC 1 ASC 2

Once again, tails up and ASC came a-huntin'. Reg hit a beautifully weighted cross goal shot that clipped the post and fell to the feet of Josh who was very unlucky in knocking it just over. Things were looking good as the half-time whistle blew.

Half time: HPC 1 ASC 2

Sharpy, Fraser and Henry now made an appearance and were able to give our hosts something to think about. HPC resorted to some strong-arm tactics but good refereeing enabled Sharpy to pick out Caldé with a deftly struck free-kick. HPC resumed their early power-play but the ASC defence stayed cool and kept their opponents at bay. Rhys's head should be insured for billions as he cleared his lines again and again.

An X-Ray of Rhys's bonce [probably]

Joe was gathering balls well but a loose one from a HPC corner fell to their attack on the six yard line - that's a lot of net to hit from that close in. HPC 2 ASC 2

It was HPC's turn to be buoyed by their efforts and now the attacks came in waves. The boys in yellow were all at sea, and no mistake. But this is no time for a barrage of maritme metaphors. We were struggling to not only get out of our own half, but even our own area. Owen and Reg eased things with a fine ball from the latter allowing the former to shoot. Once again, the keeper was equal to it. A short while later and Owen was through in the box; a good hard shove got him away from the ball and the whistle blew. Penalty, surely? Nope - the curvature of the Earth made for an optical illusion that made the ref think it was outside the box. To be fair to him, the push was so hard that Owen did end up outside the box - almost in a different postcode in fact. Ross's free-kick was beautifully struck and forced the Keeper into yet another fine save - the HPC sticks-man was having a great game.

Back came HPC with fantastic nippy play in front of the ASC 'D', forcing a free-kick. A well struck shot coupled with a nasty deflection made it impossible to keep out. Blinkin' flip and Crikey Moses. HPC 3 ASC 2

ASC pushed on well from kick-off; a good shout for handball went unheard and it looked odds on for an equaliser as Owen screamed through on goal in the last minute. The linesman adjudged Caldé's through ball had been struck just as Owen creeped in front of the last man. I still need to work out how to describe a low, angry seething sound emanating from the Shoreham half of the field - perhaps this will do:

The ref noticed the upset and blew up with 20 secs left on the clock but it seemed that a way back was going to be difficult. Another frustrating away-day but the boys made a good show of things and strong defending kept things respectable. Sometimes, things just don't go your way but we are certainly due a big win; I can feel it in me water.

Full time: Hove Park Colts 3 ASC Strikers 2

On a more positive note there was no Ryan today after a freak accident at school saw him impale himself on a pencil! He's ok thank goodness and we're hoping for him 2B back in a few weeks.