Victory - at last!

Tuesday 29^th May

vs. Birkdale Hawks 8-1

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Lewis, Joe H, Adam; Danny, Caleb (capt.), Jacob, Joe T; Darren, Ciarán S. Subs: Cormac, Tom.

The boys finally got their first win of the Summer League, and a big one at that against limited opponents, although they should have made it into double figures.

Josh and Matty were enjoying the sun in Spain with the school, which meant another reshuffled defence but the Hawks barely troubled them in the first half. Instead they had to defend corner after corner as the boys came forward at will.

Adam miskicked from the first corner after only 90 seconds and Lewis shot high from the edge of the box five minutes (and five corners) later. A great header against the bar by Darren in the 7^th minute showed they were getting closer and they should have taken the lead a minute later, only for Jacob to be wrongly called offside.

Darren had another chance after a mazy run on the left from Adam and a pass from Ciarán S set him up but he shot over and then Jacob and Joe T opened up the other flank only for Joe’s shot to be blocked for yet another corner. As the corner swung in, Darren’s overhead shot just cleared the crossbar.

The opener finally came in the 10^th minute with a run straight through the middle onto Jacob’s slide-rule pass and clean finish from Darren. Two minutes later and Danny was on the end of a high ball into the box from Lewis to coolly shoot home and double the lead and the third should have followed in the 14^th minute as a scramble from a corner saw the ball cleared off the line at least twice before Jacob shot just wide of the right hand post.

Darren fizzed one across the face of the goal in the 15^th minute with teammates eager for a lay back and Jacob’s pass took out the defence but ran away from the strikers after 17 minutes as the Hawks continued to struggle to escape from their half.

Danny had a shot blocked away by the keeper as he got on the end of an accurate pass from Caleb and then turned provider, popping up on the left to cut back and cross for Ciarán S, who saw his shot scrambled clear.

The third goal seemed as if it would not come, as Jacob’s 24^th minute low header from another corner, this time after a good link-up between Darren and Ciarán S, went narrowly wide. Danny picked up the goal kick and set up Darren, only for the forward to shoot wide. Joe H, who had shot from distance earlier in the half, then set up Jacob and, from the resulting corner, Danny’s shot was blocked by the keeper’s knees

Finally, the defence gave way on the stroke of half time. Darren forced the umpteenth corner of the half and from the clearance, Caleb set up Lewis who fired home to make it 3-0 at the break.

Ciarán S gave way from Tom at half time as Adam pushed forward from an untroubled defence and Joe T joined Darren in attack.

Darren had time to shoot wide after a powerful run before a 31^st minute mix-up between Ciarán B and Joe H saw the Hawks awarded a free-kick. The Crosby keeper made a point-blank save to push the ball out but could only watch as his defence reacted far too slowly and the forward’s shot trickled over the line.

The lead was restored immediately, as the boys went down the other end and Lewis met Danny’s cross to score his second. Danny was finding lots of space on the right, linking well with Caleb inside him and Joe T in front, and his cross after 36 minutes was met with a low volley from Jacob to make it 5-1.

Lewis completed his hat-trick in the 39^th minute from Joe T’s pass after Darren’s barnstorming run down the left and Danny got his reward for an excellent second half display as he had all the time in the world to score his second and his team’s seventh after 41 minutes, set up by Cormac who had replaced Jacob after his goal.

A shot that skimmed the top of the bar, after Danny and Joe T had worked to great effect on the right, was Lewis’ final action as he and Caleb were replaced by Ciarán S and Jacob with a quarter of the match left.

The defence had been largely redundant, bur Elliot’s concentration was not at fault as he cut off a potential break and set up Joe T, only for the forward to see his shot fade wide of the post. It was proving to be Joe T’s unlucky day as another shot went wide after Cormac and Jacob had linked up in the 45^th minute and a minute later the keeper fumbled Joe H’s free kick after Darren was fouled just outside the box.

The changes in midfield and the desperation of the Hawks to keep the score line respectable meant that the game degenerated into a scrappy mess towards the end but there was still time for Adam to see his shot pushed around the post with three minutes left and for Jacob to complete the scoring with a near post header as the Hawks failed to deal with the corner.

This was a great win but the boys could easily have doubled the score and the Hawks would have had no complaint. The skilful use of the ball in midfield from Jacob and Danny’s splendid second half on the right were highlights but the Man of the Match medal, if not the match ball (for which he only has himself to blame, blazing his first half shot into the wilderness of the adjacent field) went to hat-trick hero Lewis.

Another draw in tough start to summer

Wednesday 23^th May

vs. Town Green 1-1

Team: Ciarán B; Lewis, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Jacob, Josh, Caleb (capt.), Adam; Darren, Ciarán S. Subs: Cormac (unused), Danny.

In a game of contrasting halves, the boys came close to securing their first win of the Summer League but a draw was, once again, a fair result.

The boys took some time to get into this game and were pinned back for long periods of the first half. The slow defensive start from the back four and midfield saw them go a goal behind after 8 minutes.

Lewisand Tom finally began to gain some control and a barnstorming run from Darren saw him shoot narrowly wide. Caleb saw two long range shots go narrowly wide but it took a one handed save from Ciarán B and the crossbar to ensure Town Green didn’t extend their lead.

They started the second half far more positively, with Lewis pushed into midfield, as Darren got onto the end of a five-man move to force a corner from which Matty headed wide. Ciarán S turned in a Man of the Match display in the second half as the Town Green defence struggled to contain him. He gave Darren and Danny chances to score, and went wide himself but the equaliser came from the penalty spot in the 48^th minute. Caleb was fouled in the area and stepped up to once again coolly put away the spot kick.

Two minutes before the end a spectacular save denied Ciarán S the winner but there was still time for Ciarán B to push a shot wide at the other end and the forward to miss the follow-up as the game finished with the points shared.

Honours even against West End

Wednesday 16^th May

vs. Ormskirk West End 3-3

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Lewis, Caleb (capt.), Adam; Joe T, Darren, Ciarán S. Subs: Cormac, Danny, Jacob, Josh.

The boys struggled to come to terms with a speedy, determined display from the West End Under 10s team and were lucky to escape with a draw.

Joe T followed his excellent debut last week with a well taken goal from Man of the Match Caleb's ball in the 3^rd minute. West End had come close from a corner earlier but the boys did not heed the warning and the scores were level after they were again first to the corner in the 5^th minute.

Joe T, Ciarán S and debutant Darren formed a three-pronged attack but it was the pace of West End that gave the greatest threat. Darren had been forced wide on the run and Lewis had shot over before West End got yet another head to a corner to take the lead in the 21^st minute.

Darren and Jacob just failed to connect early in the second half as a reshuffle gave them more solidity. Jacob set up Darren for his first goal for the team in the 34^th minute, as the striker rifled past the keeper.

Joe T crated chances for Ciarán S and Jacob exerted greater attacking influence and the boys took the lead in the 46^th minute as Adam released Darren to shoot over the keeper for his second.

West End were level minutes later after a defensive mix-up and though they had chances late on, they were also were grateful to see headers from Jacob and Darren come to nothing as the boys pressed for the winner in a frenetic last five minutes.

Boys unable to shoot out the Stars

Tuesday 8^th May

vs. Scarisbrick Stars 2-4

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Danny, Lewis, Caleb (capt.), Adam; Joe T, Ciarán S. Subs: Cormac, Jacob, Josh.

The boys were unable to continue their recent good form as the Summer League started and went down against opponents who look as strong as when they last met 12 months ago – although the second half was full of positives.

With Joe T making his debut upfront, the boys started crisply but Scarisbrick were soon on the attack and Ciarán B punched away the early corner. It was a break down the right in the 5^th minute that gave them the lead, however. The defence were dragged out of shape and although Ciarán B pulled off the save, the ball fell at the feet of the unmarked forward to tap it home.

Joe T got in the action after 7 minutes, laying the ball back to Caleb whose shot was blocked. Danny worked hard on the right as the boys closed down on the clearance but they fell further behind after 10 minutes. Joe H had maintained his good run of displays but his fellow defenders were struggling: from a corner, Ciarán B made three saves on the trot – the third a reflex one handed block – but no blue and white shirts were getting to the ball and the fourth shot doubled the lead.

Jacob and Josh replaced Adam and Danny and the play got a bit brighter – Joe T chased down a wild shot from Jacob and the ball eventually came to Josh, only for his cross to be headed just wide by Ciarán S. In the 15^th minute, the speedy top goalscorer was almost in, as Caleb lifted it over the top, but the keeper was quickly off his line to snaffle the ball.

The boys had little control in midfield, however, and this caused the lack of discipline resulting in them going three down in the 17^th minute, as the Scarisbrick forward took full advantage of the gaps between the defenders to deceive Ciaran B.

Bearing in mind nearly all of his teammates were strangers, Joe T was playing a full part in attack, linking with Ciarán S who set up Jacob as they tried to fight back. Lewis and Caleb finally began to bring the ball down and pass it around, teeing up Ciarán S only for the Scarisbrick defence to quickly close him down, but the disastrous opening 20 minutes was complete as they conceded a fourth goal. A cross-cum-shot from an acute angle out by the left corner flag left Ciarán B grasping at air as it flew into the top corner.

To their credit, heads didn’t fall and they began the long fight back. Jacob saw his long range shot saved and Joe T again set up Ciarán S, who again was just beaten to the ball. As a corner flew through everyone to safety, the boys were increasing the pressure and Joe T almost had his first clear chance in the 25^th minute, as Jacob turned provider.

They got the goal their spirit deserved a minute before half time. After Ciarán S was shoved in the back, Caleb’s free kick was too fierce for the keeper and Ciarán S was on hand to set up Jacob for a tap-in.

Josh and Caleb were replaced by Adam and Danny as they looked to start the second period with greater pace. After a solid clearing header early on from Jacob, the boys continued where they had left off at the half time whistle. Danny was involved down the right, fighting to win the ball and linking up with Lewis in the 32^nd minute, only for his shot to go wide.

The boys were still not winning enough of the ball in midfield, even though Scarisbrick had stopped making them pay, but it was Danny again who shot wide in the 35^th minute, after Joe T and Adam had created the opening for him.

Tom got across to put the forward off and force the shot wide after 37 minutes as the rapid interplay from Scarisbrick nearly reaped dividends. The boys were trying to build from the back through Elliot and Matty, looking to pressurise their opponents in midfield more and Lewis was finally getting into his stride, as he and Jacob created space on the right only for the ball to just run away from Danny.

The midfielder with the crack shot finally scored his team’s second goal in the 42^nd minute. Danny and Joe T had harassed the Scarisbrick defence on the right and as the ball was laid back, Lewis was on hand to rifle it into the top corner.

Tom and Joe T were replaced by Josh and Caleb soon after and Josh almost set up another great chance in the 44^th minute as his ball beat the defence only for neither Jacob nor Ciarán S able to force a shot on the keeper. Joe T returned for the final five minutes, as Ciarán S came off, and the boys thought they had pulled another back a minute later as Danny’s cross was headed towards his goal by the defender. The keeper scrambled it out, with the help of the post but it was not adjudged to have crossed the line (although Danny thinks it’s about time they invested in goal line technology at Hightown).

The much improved second half performance was exemplified by the fact that Ciarán B finally made his first (and comfortable at that) save in the 53^rd minute. Cormac replaced Matty for the final two minutes but the action was still in their opponents half as the boys finished brightly. A break down the right from Jacob was cleared only for the ball to come to Danny. His cross fell invitingly for Joe T who just failed to connect and round off a excellent first game with a goal.

The boys paid the price for a really slow start to the match but were far more dangerous than their opponents in the second half and were never out of the game, despite the score line. They showed some grit to keep battling, trying to bring the ball down and pass to a teammate and playing as a team. Joe T blended in well, working hard in attack, and gave a performance that saw him take the Man of the Match award – welcome to the team!

Cup victory makes headline news

Friday 4th May

From this week's Crosby Herald: