MATCH REPORT : Parents v Curry

Parents 14-14 Curry


What a match!  Some special mentions before we get started - Robert ran to the pre-match singing and made it on time despite being 'at swimming with Danny' 3 minutes before the kick-off.  Marie made the starting line up but a late change saw Linda drop out.  The rest of the squad looked strong but with limited vocal abilities - seems that only Neil knew the 'extra bits' in 'the one about the reindeer' - and without a full complement of soprano voices we could be struggling.


Pre-curry singing started with the "Head Beardie Folksman" warning the assembled crowds (us) that absolute quiet was required throughout the evening.  Seems that we were not actually in a public bar but The Royal Oak library.  We suffered their tuneless nonsense for half an hour before we tip-toed next door to the Mother India curry-hoose.

The menu was passed round the table - everyone excitedly looked up and down the endless lists of exotic food and drink.  However Keith was in total control - from his postion wide on the right (hand side of the table) he was ordering "...13 pints, loads of rice and a mixture of stuff, enough to feed us all...".  Inspirational stuff.  The menu was not required, simplicity was the order of the day!

Rice, various bits of meat and veg and beer arrived and were completely scoffed and quaffed.  More of everything arrived and was completely scoffed and quaffed.  Eventually the bringing of stuff stopped and we were officially full, some were strangely a little wobbly.  Where to now?  Back to the library!

The Royal Oak Library was packed by now - there must have been 4 or 5 people assembled round the Head Beardie now, strumming, hooting and tooting away.  The only person pleased to see us seemed to be the profit share bar tenderess.  "Ca-ching" she said (quietly...in her head).

Our lip reading skills had improved no end though - we managed to order a couple of rounds of drinks of various flavours without actually uttering a word.  Eventually we could suffer it no more and we had to leave.  We mouthed a good-bye to the bar tenderess and were thanked wildly by the smoking Head Beardie as we left.  Gruffalo meets Hagrid.


Where to now?  Well, by this time it was very cold and snowing hard which made underfoot conditions treacherous.  A quick midfield conference decided that we should all go home now, but be aware that if the weather closed in we may have to take refuge just along the road in The Brass Monkey - surely the only place to be discussing the weather in the pre-Christmas freeze?  Amazingly the weather closed in and we found ourselves in TBM.  Phew!

With the power of speech regained and evening turning into a morning a great finishing pint of beer was shared by all.  As the clock ticked into time added on for injuries and time wasting (see earlier attempts at silently ordering 10 pints of IPA) the team ethic finally broke down and a huge snowball fight broke out on the long march home.

A fantastic evening only slightly spoiled by the snowball injuries the next morning.  Inexplicably there were no visible marks from exploding snowballs but severe head pain was suffered by the majority of attendees.  Some snowballing sharp shooter must have ambushed them on the way home.

Keith is already taking names for the summer do.

FIXTURES : 12th December

Last week of football for 2009 :o(

No matches on Saturday, instead everyone is welcome to the P4 Fun Day.  Hot chocolate, coffee, mince pies and torn hamstrings all available from 9:30am.  Parents v Kids matches available after warm ups!

Everyone, everyone, everyone welcome to take part.  Shin guards advised, but not mandatory for the adults.  Fingers crossed it rains and we get loads of mud!

Could there be a special surprise for each player?  I wonder.

(ps Neil is a size 9, probably a 28 inch waist, large top, likes most things electronic and will have a big box to cart off his presents so feel free to bring them along on Saturday!)

(STOP PRESS : Parents Christmas Curry and Drinks, Monday 21st December, names to Keith - everyone welcome!)

MATCH REPORT : BLUE 5th December

Due to a problem with our match report we have had to copy the BBC live match updates from the BBC Sport website.  Read on...

GOAL FLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times GMT)



To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111. (Not all contributions can be used)

By Richard Shirridan ( Coll's Dad)

9.31: Game kicks off . Conditions are treacherous. Bonally start off strongly and are quickly on the attack. Blues defend well and hold off some dangerous early moves. Debut for Valdi who slips into the left back position and immediatley looks comfortable.

9.36: GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 0

9.36 Against the run off play Scienes score after a sweeping counter attack involving Jude, Aex and Murdo. Finished off clinically by Jude.

9.41: GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 1

9.41 Bonally equalize. Their tricky left wing teases and twists until virtually the whole of the Scienes defence is in hot pursuit. He then crosses to an unmarked teamate who coolly slots home.


9.41 Coll saves well at his near post when a Bonally forward shoots from a tight angle

GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 2

9.43 Bonally go in front. In an identical move as their first goal their tricky left wing teases and twists until virtually the whole of the Scienes defnece is in hot pursuit. He then crosses to an unmarked teammate who coolly slots home.

From anon, via text on 81111: "Blues have to have a look at their defending. That kid on the wing is good and is pulling them apart!"

9.46 Sciennes come back well and are very unlucky not to score in the dying seconds of the first half. Howeover, they have to content themselves with being one down. The Bonally team playing well but Sciennes have also palyed well. Defence has tackled strongly, and midefield and frontline have combined well on occasion with some good passing.


9.47 HALFTIME Scienes 1 Bonally 2


9.55 Second half kicks off . Valdi after a fine half at left back goes in goal. Coll moves to left back. Murdo and Alex take a well earned breather.

GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 3


9.57 That left winger again. Picks the ball up in midfield and fires in a speculative shot which skims of the mud and slips under the unlucky goalkeeper. One to put down to the conditions.

GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 4

9.58 Some dreadfull refereeing allows Bluesto kick off with Bonally players crouched round inches from the ball like tigers waiting to pounce. The Sciennes player is quickly robbed and a deflected shot finds the back of the net.

From anon, via text on 81111: "I think the referee will have to ask himself some questions when he sees that again.!"

GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 1 Bonally 5


10.00 Sciennes are stuggling a little at this stage but show great spirit and stick together.

10.02 Blues start playing again and have a number of really good chances. At several points it looked like they were certains to score. Joe S-H was realy unlucky to see his shot narrowly miss the goal. Murdo was coming onto a game in midfield. Joseph Bruneteaux and Alex ere making some telling tackles in midfield and Hamish was always threatening near goal.

GOALFLASH Scienes (Jude) 2 Bonally 5

10.04 The blues talisman Jude gets his second of the morning to give Sciennes a deserved reward for their efforts.

GOALFLASH Scienes (Murdo) 3 Bonally 5

10.06 Murdo gets his name on the scoresheet after picking up the ball in midfield and cracking in a great shot. 5-3 and Sciennes are back in the games.

10.08 Sciennes are playing well and look like they may cause an upset at the end.

GOALFLASH Scienes 3 Bonally 6

10.10 Maybe not. Bonally score the final goal of the game and the ref blows his whistle.

From anon, via text on 81111: "Blues were unlucky to go down 6-3. It was a closer game than the scoreline suggests. Apart from a brief spell after half-time when we conceeded a couple of very unlucky goals, competed very well with a strong Bonally team. Lots of good passing in attack and some realy good flowing moves. Everybody played a part and I'm looking forward to 2010 for the next game!"

MATCH REPORT : YELLOW 5th December

YELLOWS had a half hour training session followed by a friendly match against the P3's.  Despite the conditions we had Sasha, Matthew, Abhisar, Aiden, Owen and Roddy all eager and ready to play.

Keith takes up the story...

We only had 6 players available and were supplemented by 2 players from the P3's (Kaka and Ronaldo) to give an 8-a-side match. We didn't have a regular goalkeeper and experimented with a few boys having a spell in goal.

The P3's included some strong players and had the YELLOWS under pressure early on. Despite some good goalkeeping from Abhisar P3 raced into an early 2-0 lead. Roddy and Matthew were having to do a lot of defending and generally cleared their lines well.

Some good passing between Roddy, Aiden and Sasha led to a chance for Owen but the goalkeeper saved well. The muddy conditions were proving challenging and a corner for the P3's led to another goal when the ball stuck in the mud and didn't get cleared. Very unlucky. 0-3 P3.

A free kick led to Owen smashing the ball home to pull a goal back but the P3's then scored with a spectacular shot to extend the lead. 1-4 P3.

A further goal from the P3's was followed by a spell of end to end attacking. 1-5 P3

Sustained pressure from the YELLOWS with Abhisar, Roddy and Owen involved before Sacha forced the ball home. 2-5 P3

The game was fairly even at this stage with various players getting a spell in different positions. Unfortunately, the P3's scored a late goals to give a flattering 2-6 final score.

Well played YELLOW team in difficult circumstances, it was not an easy day for football and only having 6 made things quite tricky.

MATCH REPORT : RED 5th December

BONALY 4 - 4 RED


The red team travelled to a very wet Bonaly with the Blue team to take on a couple of really excellent Bonaly teams. REDs were looking for revenge as their opponents (Bonaly Yellow) had squeezed out the BLUE team the previous week in an exciting 5-4 game.


Once again the RED coaches wanted the RED team to make a good start to match. The pre-match warm up meant everyone had to be on their toes (literally) but in the driving rain it looked like the RED team were struggling with the conditions.

(Hector during the 'warm up'!)

Jack volunteered to start in goals, Ollie and Hector continued their defensive duties, Kjartan, Struan and a returning Danny took up the midfield places, Ali the striker (hat-trick last week) took his place upfront. Eyvindur started as a sub alongside the debutant Joseph Bartlett who looked cold, nervous and excited all at the same time!


Usual last minute instructions - goalies get out to defenders quickly, defenders take the ball forward and out wide, midfield look to help your defenders and try to get down the wing, strikers don't stand around with your hand in the air, come and get the ball and help your midfield players. Right? Yes! Good start this week? Definitely!


It took about 2 minutes for the RED team to find themselves 2-0 down! First, some poor marking from the normally sound defence saw Bonaly striker in the box with miles of space and his shot left Jack with no chance. 1-0 Bonaly.


The referee issued some strange instructions banning the goalkeepers from kicking the ball - and our defensive players were suddenly under as tremendous amount of pressure. More confusion in the box - far better defending - but with an extra player arriving from midfield Bonaly scored their second goal in a minute with a deflected drive from the edge of the area. 2-0 Bonaly.

(Ollie had his hands full in the first few minutes!)

Oh dear, same old story from the RED team. Really poor start. Jack kept things from getting worse with a series of great saves and Bonaly looked to end the game within the first 5 minutes! Slowly, slowly, slowly the RED team remembered where they were. Players started marking and tackles starting being won. Struan picked up the ball on the edge of the RED box and took off down the wing. We were out of our own half for the first time! Struan carried on running and skipping past the last defender he fired in a shot from tight angle which the goalkeeper saved well. At least we got the ball out of our half and into theirs.

(Struan gets the ball out of our half, away end looks full!)

Next it was Danny's turn to get forward. Some nice play out of defence from Ollie got the ball out wide to Danny. Danny used some great skill in midfield and was soon flying down the left. A quick pass to Kjartan brought another shot and suddenly we had a game on our hands! The away end felt a little happier.

(Danny shows great skill in midfield!)

The game was flowing from end to end now. Some great play from Hector in defence saw another Bonaly attack fizzle out. Hector (having another excellent game) then passed to Danny who took off at the Bonaly defence, Danny passed inside to Kjartan who played the ball through to Ali. Ali took a couple of touches and fired a nice shot on goal from a tight angle. Oh, just wide!


Bonaly looked dangerous in attack though. Somehow they always seemed to have an extra player breaking from midfield. After a period of RED pressure a break from Bonaly resulted in a fine shot past Jack. Disaster.  3-0 Bonaly.

Oh dear - we didn't deserve that. What we really need now was a goal or two or three. Eyvindur and Joseph were introduced to try to turn things around. Joseph looked great in midfield and really likes to tackle! Some Bonaly players will probably still remember bumping into Joseph.  Eyvindur linked midfield to attack very well indeed.

(An excellent debut from Joseph!)

A great tackle from Ollie in defence set up Struan to take the ball out and away from goal. A great run on the right from Struan was supported by Kjartan and Danny through the middle. They distracted the defenders enough to allow Struan to beat the last defender and send a great shot into the net. Great dribbling, great support play, great shot, great goal. 3-1 Bonaly.


What we really needed to do now was hold on to half time, start the second half well and an early goal would get us right back into the match. What we really didn't want to happen was for Bonaly to pour forward, swamp the defence and in a scramble force the ball over the line...which was exactly what happened. 1-4 Bonaly.

The RED team refused to give up - a couple of nice breaks from Danny set up Ali.  Ali did really well with a bit of great skill cut inside the defender and fired in a tremendous shot that hit the post.  Another break from Hector set up Ali who this time fired an excellent shot at goal.  The goalie blocks but the rebound fell nicely to Ali, little chip over the goalie...ooooh, onto the top of the bar!  So close.  Excellent play though!

Final action from the first half saw some nice wing play from Struan set up Ali.  Ali provded a great cross into the middle but just behind Kjartan.  With an excellent show of confidence Kjartan adjusted himself and attempted an unbelievable overhead kick.  Just over the bar!  Amazing.

(Nice play out wide from Struan!)

Ref blows for half time.  Dearie me, the score doesn't look good.


One thing about the RED team is that they like a challenge! At half time the coaches reminded them to mark players not just watch the ball, keep trying to pass and don't be afraid to shoot if you get the chance. Oh, and start the second half better than the first! Quick calculation from Ali declared that we only needed 3 goals to get a draw and 4 for a win. We like that spirit!


The second half started with Danny volunteering to go in goals, Ollie and Hector at the back, Jack, Kjartan and Ali in midfield and Struan up front. Joseph, who finished the first half really well (and a little wet) and Hector, who played extremely well in the first half, started on the bench.


Ali's powerful running from midfield in the second half, together with Jack's excellent positioning meant that Bonaly had a few new problems to contend with. Eyvindur was soon introduced and his all action style was also causing Bonaly some trouble. Then Joseph came on.  He was growing in confidence and continued the second half as he ended the first - some excellent tackles and great passing in very difficult conditions (did we mention it was freezing cold)?


Wave after wave of RED attacks kept the Bonaly goalkeeper busy. 1-4 down though and it was proving difficult to get the goal we needed.  Suddenly the ball fell to Struan in the box, he neatly faked a shot with his left, took the ball onto his right and fired home. 2-4 Bonaly. They couldn't - could they?


Ollie now moved into midfield and poor Hector had to cope with any Bonaly breaks on his own. To be fair Jack, Ollie and Joseph were brilliant at covering back from midfield during the second half. Danny was playing in defence as well as in goals so the RED team were able to push forward at every opportunity!


Another scramble in the box. Shot from Kjartan blocked. Shot from Struan blocked. Shot from Ollie blocked (yes Ollie was in the opposition penalty area!). Shot from Ali blocked. Ball falls to Jack - goal! 3-4 Bonaly.

(Jack grabbed the third, RED's were back in the game!)

They couldn't - could they?


By now the away end were going bonkers! Surely this RED team couldn't complete yet another memorable comeback? Constant pressure now - another couple of team changes saw Eyvindur and Joseph spend the few minutes on the bench, yelling encouragement at their team, with Hector and Ollie returning to the action! Only a couple of minutes to go but the RED team spirit and Eyvindur's enthusiasm caused hilarious confusion. Corner to the RED team. Eyvindur, the sub, ran off to get the ball back quickly and placed it by the corner flag. His team mates assumed he was taking it so all ran into the middle. Poor Eyvindur had to stand there waving his hands in the air trying to tell everyone he couldn't take it! Great enthusiasm though!


At least the delay gave Danny The Goalie the chance to run up to the edge of the opposition box as the RED team did everything to get the equaliser. The corner came to nothing but a quick scamper back from Danny saw an end to any Bonaly danger. Was there time for one final attack? Oh yes!


Throw in from Jack, some nice passing from Kjartan and Ali. A great turn and shot from Jack, blocked. Some skill from Struan, a shot, blocked. The rebound?! "Shoot! Kick it! Put it in!" shouted the entire away end. Struan shifts the ball to his right and shoots. "...get in..." we shout. The ball flies into the net despite a despairing attempted block from the defender. A hat-trick from Struan! Cue much leaping around in the away end and lots of celebratory sliding on knees on the pitch.

(Struan scored the equaliser with the last kick of the game!)

The ref has seen enough and the full time whistle goes! The RED coaches sit down, exhausted. 4-4.


What a game!  The spirit shown by the whole RED team is unbelievable. They refuse to be beaten and goodness only knows how good they would be if they could start games as well as they finish.  Outstanding debut from Joseph - brilliant!  Excellent defensive and midfield play from Hector and Ollie.  Superb midfield play from Eyvindur and Kjartan.  Amazing striking and midfield performances from Ali and Struan (hat-trick!).  What can you say about Jack and Danny?  Excellent everywhere!  Jack scored in the second half and kept us in the game in the first half.  Danny was brilliant in goals in the second half and managed to combine being goalie, defender and striker at the same time!

Well played everyone!

FIXTURES : 5th DECEMBER 2009

RED are away to Bonaly Yellow, meet at Hugo's 8:45am.

BLUE are away to Bonaly Blues, meet at Hugo's 8:45am.

YELLOW are home to South Morningside Buckstone P3 Elite, meet at Meadows 9:30am.

MATCH REPORT : BLUE 28th November

BLUE 4 - 5 BONALY YELLOW

Reporter Angus picks up the story as Blues take on the mighty Bonaly Yellows...

Bonaly started the game well with Joe being forced to make a great save in the first minute. Unfortunately he couldn’t stop the follow up and Bonaly opened the scoring. 0-1 Bonaly.


Stout defending by Roddy and then Murdo soaked up the early pressure but the opposition were playing good football and a well struck shot by the Bonaly striker lead to another goal.  0-2 Bonaly.

Blues responded with Alex, Sam and Jude working well together in midfield. Loan striker Joseph roamed and came back to add extra support and after some excellent passing it was Jude who fired a shot at the Bonaly goal which rebounded off the cross bar. Jude followed up with a strong header but the Bonaly keeper made the save. Shortly afterwards, Alex took the ball and drove up the left wing, striking the ball hard into the back of the Bonaly net.  1-2 Bonaly.

(Tremendous skills from Alex, scorer of the first BLUE goal!)

 Blues were back in the game and it was just a question of time before the next goal. Joseph and Sam linked up and made the key pass to Alex who struck the ball up into the top right corner of the Bonaly net!  2-2

(Action in the Bonaly box!)

Bonaly pressed forward but Roddy and Robert make the important tackles to hold them back. Then, the ball was moved from keeper Joe, with quick crisp passing from defence to attack before Hamish lashed the ball into the net. 3-2  BLUE.

(Hamsh puts the BLUES into the lead!)

(Sam was outstanding in the first half...and even better in the second!)

At the start of the second half, Alex moved in goal and all the running of the first half seemed to take its toll on the Blues. Bonaly had their best passage of play and despite some good tackling by the Blues, managed to score 3 times to take a commanding lead. 3-5 Bonaly.

(Robert - busy at the start of the 2nd half!)

Blues kept their composure with Murdo moving up to midfield and putting pressure on the Bonaly team but they proved difficult to break down. At that point, Hamish managed to break free down the right and passed to Jude who had moved inside for the cross and he fired the ball into the net.  4-5 Bonaly.

(Great pass from Murdo sets up Jude...)

(..Jude slots home the fourth!)

Blues continued to push hard for the equaliser but despite an onslaught on the Bonaly goal, ran out of time.  Final score 4-5 Bonaly.  Great match.

(BLUES looks for an equaliser!)

There was some great football played by the Blues in this match and with a bit more luck, could easily have won the game. Well played everyone.

(Back : Joseph B, Murdo, Robert, Alex, Roddy ; Front : Joe SH, Hamish, Jude, Sam)

What a come back!  Ref has seen enough and blows for half time.

MATCH REPORT : RED 28th November

ST PETERS 2 - 3 RED

The RED team had to make some late team changes ahead of the visit to the mighty St Peters.  With Danny being unwell poor Sasha had to gobble his breakfast and make an early start for the RED team instead of helping the YELLOWS.  Making his debut for the RED team was Keir and returning from a week away was Jack (who decided to take a turn in goals for a half).  At the back we had our fantastic Ollie and Hector combination, Kjartan, Struan and Eyvindur in midfield and Ali The Striker looking like he meant business up front.  Keir and Sasha started the game on the bench but were soon involved.

The RED team have started every single game poorly this year.  What they need to do is start well.  The coaches remind the teams of their positions, don't pass across goal, midfield help the defence, get the ball wide, get the ball going forward, strikers help the midfield.  Everyone got that?  Yes!  Everyone going to start well, start as soon as whistle goes?  Yes!  Ok, lets go play...

...St Peters hit the post in the first minute and then spent the next 5 minutes camped in the RED box.

(Ollie - busy early in the match!)

Ollie, Hector, Kjartan, Eyvindur and Jack all had to look busy.  Struan looked lonely standing out wide looking for the ball.  Ali?  He was coming nice and deep to get the ball but RED team just couldn't get the ball away.  The RED coaches could hardly look (mostly because the sun was very low and right into their eyes, local knowledge meant home crowd took their positions on the other side).

After what seemed an hour of pressure RED got the ball wide to Struan who took the ball up field and fired in a great cross.  Kjartan, supporting wonderfully from midfield, connected and force the StP goalie to make a good save.  Kjartan was working extremely hard in the middle of the field, winning some great tackles in tricky conditions.

(Struan and Kjartan, linking up well in midfield!)

StP immediately returned to their attacking ways but a great break from RED saw Kjartan and Eyvindur combine to get the ball to Ali - who was coming deep to help the midfield.  A lightening break from Ali forced the StP keeper to make another great save.  A minute later a fantastic back heel from Ali set up Eyvindur who fired just wide.  Great play from the REDs who are beginning to mount some pressure on the StP goal.  Just when the coaches are feeling happier StP break and despite Hector and Ollie making fantastic blocks the supporting StP midfielder fires the ball past a helpless Jack. 1-0 StP.

This brought on another few minutes of pressure.  Shot after shot was being fired at the RED goal. One of them was hit straight at the RED defence and hit an over worked Ollie on the hand. "Self defence?" the crowd thought but after a quick query from the referee ("Did that hit your hand Ollie?", "Yes on the side here where it is all muddy...") a penalty was awarded. "Harsh..." said the local expert patrolling the away end. Jack looked cool on the line though, we wondered if this cool confidence would put the StP striker off? It did - the penalty was fired just wide!!! Phew.

Time for changes.  Sasha and Keir were introduced and some fine play from our debutant set up Ali for another break - but the StP keeper makes another fine save.  Sasha was looking great in midfield again with excellent tracking back to help the defence and some great passing.  Kjartan and Struan were linking well in midfield, a nice turn and run from Struan resulted in a great shot hitting the base of the post.  "Ooooh" shouted the away end, but the ball fell kindly to Ali who tucked the ball away very nicely.  Great finish!  1-1.

What happened next is known in the trade as a 'purple patch'.  RED team swarmed forward at every opportunity with StP trying to do the same thing.  Another break from Struan saw another shot hit the post, StP break forward but Hector snuffs out the danger.  A quick series of passes sets Ali free again - this time he fires high into the net!  1-2 RED.

Wow.

One minute later the same trick - great midfield play from Keir and Kjartan sets up Ali through the middle.  Shot, goal, 1-3 RED.  Hat-trick hero!

(Ali, hat-trick hero scores his third goal!)

Double wow.

Half time arrives and the coach sits down, while the RED team all chatter about what a great game it is.  In the last few minutes of the first half they made it look so easy.  Everyone was comfortable on the ball, Jack was saving anything that got through to him, Ollie and Hector were magnificent, Sasha and Keir were full of energy and were passing really well.  Eyvindur was on top form and was always looking dangerous near the StP box.  Struan and Kjartan were playing really, really well, linking well in midfield and playing some nice short passes around the StP defence.  Ali?  Three goals in one half?  Sounds like a hero to me!  Only one thing left to do - put him in goals!

Second half started with Ali in goals, Ollie and Sasha in defence, Jack, Kjaratan and Eyvindur in midfield and Struan up front.  Keir, who had an outstanding first half, and Hector, magnificent in defence and midfield in the first half, started on the bench.

(Keir had a fine debut for the REDs)

RED team made a fantastic start to the second half with lots of early pressure.  A great midfield break from Jack resulted in the shot that flew just by the StP goals.  StP are, however, a fantastic team.  In defence they have some guy called Callum, who looks like he might be the best centre back this country has ever produced.  He looks elegant on the ball, knows how to defend and isn't scared to knock his best pal Struan into next week when he had the cheek to try to get past him!  RED coach wasn't pleased with this assault but the local expert (still patrolling the away end) muttered something about "...that's my boy..." in a slightly scary way.  With Callum's excellent passing from defence and some great midfield play StP look like a great team.

(Callum and Struan, still friends!!!???)

Great play in defence from Ollie, who was bringing the ball out of defence wonderfully, set up Kjartan, who passed to Jack.  Jack found Eyvindur and a cracking move ended with a great save from the StP goalkeeper.  Great play RED team, unlucky Eyvindur.

Soon the pressure began to mount again.  Sasha had to clear the ball from the line, Ollie was making some outstanding tackles, Eyvindur was tracking back to help out and made some great clearances.  Keir was back by now to help out a tired looking team and really made his mark with some great running to help out in attack - and then back to help in defence!  Hector was busy, busy, busy.  Always looking for danger and quick to get the ball out wide.

Jack was having a fine game in midfield, and really giving StP best player something to think about.  He was quick to stop any danger and then able to break forward, at speed, and deliver some great crosses.  At the end of one of these crosses Struan fired in a great shot which the StP goalkeeper did well to save.

(Jack - excellent in midfield!)

With the game nearing the end StP mounted a last charge.  The RED defence was holding - only just - but with Ali in outstanding form things were looking okay.  Suddenly a break from StP resulted in a stramash in the box - penalty StP!  "Uh-oh..." thought the RED coaches looking at imaginary watches.  One excellent penalty later it was game on! 2-3 RED.

The last few seconds were minutes.  StP raged forward now and Ali had to make a series of wonderful saves.  Ollie and Hector were outstanding, StP were a little unlucky to see the ball hit the top of the bar after a great shot from outside the area.  As injury time turned into extra time and extra time turned into a replay the ref finally remembered where his whistle was and blew for full time.  2-3 REDs and the away crowd goes wild!

(Celebrations in the away end!)

Phew!

(Teams shake hands at end of match)

What a magnificent performance from the RED team against a brilliant StP side!  Well played to everyone.

(Back row : Ollie, Jack, Struan, Ali, Eyvindur, Kjartan ; Front : Keir, Hector, Sasha)

TRAINING REPORT : YELLOW 28th November

A full fixture list at the weekend meant that the Yellow team were training at the Meadows – we need more teams to play against! Special guest coach this week was Paul (Alex’s H Dad) who kindly volunteered to take training for the week.

(Coach Paul with the squad!)

Must have been cosy in the Yellow Team hotel on Friday night because only Owen, Matthew and Valdi managed to get out of bed on time! In the end the other sleepy heads managed to get there – Joseph B, Joe R, Aiden, Alex A and Amir – no slippers or pyjamas on view. Buff™ of the week prize to Valdi. Very nice!

(Valdi and his excellent Buff!)

After a quick warm up the Yellow team were given a number of drills to get them concentrating on moving into space and dribbling with the ball. The drills are really important as it gives the players things to think about during the exciting bit – the game! The second half of the training session involved a great mini-match.

(Yellow squad demonstrate their dribbling skills!)

Owen, Valdi and Alex A were brilliant during the mini-match. They obviously picked up lots during the training drills and moved well, worked well, passed brilliantly and encouraged the others. Well played guys – players of the week!

(Alex A - one of the player of the week winners!)

Matthew (who looked very cold) was appointed captain and played well, especially in the second half. Joseph B was full of energy and enthusiasm, was very vocal and communicates really well with those around him.

(Great energy, enthusiasm and communcations from Joseph B!)

Joe R had a quiet week, but was still outstanding in defence and passing is improving every week. Aiden was here…there…and everywhere! Such energy and commitment has been noted. Looks comfortable with the ball and just needs to pass a tiny bit quicker. He is improving every week - soon he will be a top quality midfielder! Amir was his usual brilliant best in defence with some shuddering tackles that made the Coach take cover! An excellent mini-match finished with a…well, the Coach lost count of the number of great goals scored!

(What strange three legged creature is this?  A JoeValdiseph Monster!)

A couple of not very nice words were exchanged during an extremely competitive mini-match. A little reminder to everyone that red cards will be used if that is ever repeated!

FIXTURES : Saturday 28th November 2009

BLUE at home to Bonaly Yellow, kick off 9:30am at Meadows.

RED away to St Peter's, kick off 9:30am at Liberton.

YELLOW home for training and mini-matches.

MATCH REPORT : BLUE 21st November

ST PETERS 5 - 2 BLUE

Wet conditions lead to most games being cancelled but the game at St Peters went ahead as planned. A late call off meant some adjustments to the team but confidence was high having already beaten St Peters a few weeks earlier.

(Joseph Bruneteaux breaks forward!)

The game started well with an early goal for the Blues. Great play between Joseph, Jude and Hamish linking together set up Alex who fired the ball into the back of the St Peters net (1-0). The Blues were passing well and looking comfortable on the ball. A St Peters counter attack put Coll under pressure but he made a solid save and Murdo and Robert cleared the danger. The Blues then attacked again with Alex, running down the left wing before he hit a powerful shot into the St Peter goal (2-0).

(Joseph Bruneteaux is outnumbered in midfield!)

At this point, Blues made the first set of substitutions which lead to some confusion and St Peters took full advantage and scored (2-1). St Peters continued to pile forward forcing Roddy and Joe to make some great tackles to keep them at bay. Finally, after a good passing movement, St Peters levelled the score (2-2).

(Hamish and Joseph trying to stem the tide!)

(Hamish offers support to another BLUE attack!)

(BLUE coaches offer half time advice!)

In the second half there were a number of good individual moves but the Blues lost some of their shape and St Peters managed to score a couple of quick goals (2-4). Hamish and Joseph both had good runs but St Peters continued to make some excellent tackles. Alex pushed down the left before hitting the post and Coll almost scored from the rebound but the St Peters keeper made an excellent save. In the closing seconds St Peters managed to score again after a good move from their midfield (final score 5-2).

(Looks like an earthquake!)

(Great sporting behaviour at the end!)

A disappointing final result but there were plenty of good skills from the Blues team which we can build on in the weeks ahead.

(Mixed emotions from the BLUE team!)

(Back row : Joe SH, Joseph Bruneteaux, Coll, Murdo, Alex, Jude, Robert - Front : Hamish, Roddy)

FIXTURES : Saturday 21st November...

BLUE away to St Peter's, match being played at Liberton, kick off 9:30am, meet at 8:45am outside Victor Hugo's.

RED away to South Morningside City, match postponed.

YELLOW training postponed.

MATCH REPORT : YELLOW 14th November

YELLOW 1 - 8 SOUTH MORNINGSIDE UNITED

The third half (eh?) of the big derby weekend saw the Yellow team take on the might South Morningside United.  Keith takes up the story...

The Yellow team were a bit stretched on Saturday and had only 5 players at the start (Joseph, Joe, Owen, Keir and Matthew).  They were joined by Aiden just at kick-off and supplemented by Christopher from South Morningside. Keir started in goal and gamely offered to loan his strip to Christopher to avoid confusion.

(Aiden and Valdi get to work!)

SM had a strong team and the Yellows struggled to clear their lines in early exchanges. Aiden and Owen playing up front managed to go off on a few runs up front to relieve the pressure but there was a lot of defending to be done. SM broke the deadlock after 5 minutes with a strong strike. Valdi arrived soon after and took over in goal for a spell (Christopher returning to the SM ranks).

(Joseph organises the defence as Valdi chases another great pass!)

SM scored another goal midway through the half but Sciennes held out thereafter with Joe taking over in goal and some stalwart defending from Matthew, Joseph and Valdi.

(Aiden and his customised strip!)

The players started to tire in the second half. SM were using their substitutes and had some strong players - the Yellows had to play throughout without a break.

(Joe Ros makes wonder save, deflecting ball onto far post!)

(ps is that a Fiorentina strip?  I'm not keen on them...)

SM raced away early in the second half to a 5-0 lead before some nice passing in midfield between Aiden and Keir allowed Owen to break through and score with a strong drive high to the keeper's right. Despite more brave defending by Joseph, Joe, Matthew and Keir, SM stopped any chance of a Sciennes recovery by scoring 2 quick goals and a final goal, which went in and through the side netting, controversially given by the referee.

(Matthew defends against the entire SM team, Valdi looks worried!)

(Midfield battle as SM break forward!)

(Superb defending!  Valdi and Aiden ensure there is no danger as Matthew clears the ball)

(Valdi makes a great clearance!)

An 8-1 defeat against a strong SM team, but the Yellow team played fantastically well in difficult circumstances.  Well played Yellows!

MATCH REPORT : RED 14th November

RED 1 - 1 SOUTH MORNINGSIDE ROVERS

The second half of the huge derby weekend saw RED team take on the mighty South Morningside Rovers at the Meadows.  The pitch was heavy after a sprinkle of rain and with leaves making the pitch trickier the RED coaches worried that the skillful RED team might find the conditions tricky.

The RED team started with Ali in goals, Ollie and Hector in defence, Danny, Kjartan and Struan in midfield, Eyvindur as the striker.  Sasha started the game as sub, but would have a big say in the match!  (Alex A couldn't make it.)

(Free kick?  Struan in midfield while Ollie and Hector patrol the defence magnificently!)

South Morningside started the game really well, with RED team taking a bit of time to settle. Defensively though, Ollie and Hector looks superb, covering for each other and keeping the danger away from Ali. Suddenly things clicked in midfield with Kjartan nd Struan linking well and Danny making some powerful runs to support Eyvindur. Some brilliant crosses from Danny provided a couple of great chances to score but the ball couldn't be forced home.

(Great crossing from Danny)

Following a great period of play in midfield from Kjartan, Struan and Danny Sciennes forced a corner.  This was taken quickly by Kjartan, finding Struan with a nice short pass.  Struan took the ball inside and fired in a dangerous cross cum shot that was well blocked by the South Morningside defence.  The ball spun to the edge of the box where Sasha, just on to give Eyvindur a rest, took one touch and smashed the ball into the net.  A fantastic finish from a fantastic midfield player.  1-0 RED!

(Sasha - our goal hero - making his mark in midfield!)

It didn't take long for SM to bounce back.  The RED team did well to cope with a huge amount of SM pressure, but our defensive players were playing magnificently well - Ollie, Hector and Sasha all making fantastic clearing tackles and our superb keeper Ali was on top, top form.

(Great save from ATG - Ali The Goalie!  Hector and Danny help out just in case.)

In midfield Danny, Struan and Kjartan were playing magnificently well.  Danny was coming inside to help Kjartan and Struan stayed wide and was starting to cause SM some problems with some tricky wing play.  Eyvindur was being used in just about every position on the pitch (including goalkeeper later) and was playing really well.  It was a fantastic game with play swinging from end to end.  Some of the Red Coaches were getting very excited!

(Struan takes the ball for a run out wide!)

In the second half Eyvindur had a go in goals for a while and looked like he really enjoyed himself.  SM were shooting from everywhere but Eyvindur made some great saves.  Eventually a fantastic run from SM 'Archie' - who reminded me of that other Archie - broke through a packed Red defence and scored. 1-1. 

By now Reds were under lots of pressure and finding it difficult to get the ball through midfield to Ali The Striker (ATG).

Danny took over in goals, whoch allowed Eyvindur to go wide right and try to get those dangerous runs going again.  Ali moved to midfield alongside Kjartan and Struan took over up front - but told to drop deep to help midfield.  It took a few minutes for the Red team to understand their new positions and some more SM pressure followed.  However with DTG in magnificent form behind a rotating defence of Hector, Ollie and Sasha.  The Red team would not give in!

(Kjartan and DTG - Danny The Goalie - concentrate on defending a SM corner!)

Suddenly the Red team clicked!  Kjartan was inspirational in midfield, winning tackles and getting the ball out wide.  Ollie and Hector was bringing the ball out of defence really well - Red coaches like this total football thing!  Sasha was keeping things really neat in midfield - playing the game of his life.  Ali playing in midfield was seeing more of the ball and linking play with Struan really well.  Eyvindur looked really comfortable attacking from the right.

(Kjartan battles in midfield and Sasha offers support!)

Now it was time for the Red team to dominate.  Eyvindur was brilliant wide on the right and was causing the SM defence some real problems.  On one fantastic run he crossed the ball into the box and another epic stramash took place but SM defence scrambled the ball away for a corner.

It was all Reds now but SM looked dangerous on the break.  The Red defence was simply brilliant though and Danny was beginning to look cold.  In fact, he started playing as a defender for a while which allowed Hector and Sasha to really push forward and help the midfield!  The whole team were working so hard but could they get the breakthrough their play deserved?

(Great play from Eyvindur late in the game!)

Could we have a winner?  Would either defence crack?  Could SM break RED hearts again?  Could RED record a victory?

(SM were always dangerous on the break, Struan tracks back to help.)

A great move with only a couple of minutes to go very nearly brough a winner.  Ali, Kjartan and Sasha played the ball through midfield to Struan, who played the ball back to Kjartan.  A first time pass from Kjartan back to Struan gave Struan a sight of goal.  One touch, shot...oh, hit the bar.  The Red supporters were by now screaming encouragement.

(Struan shoots for glory, Kjartan thinks it is in...but it hits the bar!)

The game finishes with a flurry of goalmouth activity - and each end.  First Kjartan plays Struan in again but this time the SM goalie makes a magnificent save hit to his left.  The ball breaks forward and the SM midfield sense the last chance is coming.  A series of fantastic blocks in defence prevent a shot at goal but suddenly the ball spins to the SM striker - uh oh - who shoots into the side netting - phew!

A fantastic performance from the whole team - lots of substitutions required as we were working so hard and only had one sub.  It was great, great game!