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UniTed's Blog > UniTed's Blog - Season 2006-07
UniTed's Blog - Season 2006/07
Hi! I'm UniTed, mascot of the Under 11's Adders, Herne Bay United's, newest (and youngest) group of players. Join me as I report on what the team gets up to and find out what happens at this season's matches. But, before any of that, my first very important job is to introduce you to my team.
The Under 11's Adders are: Charley Bassom, Charlie Botting, Connor Botting, Michael Gregory, Brandon Thomas, Joseph Upton and Sam Whiffen. Callum Upton also played for the team in our first tournament.
Brandon and Michael are the most experienced having played lots of tournaments last season. Charlie, Connor, Callum and Joseph played a few games standing in to cover absences while Charley and Sam have not played any competitive matches. Athough the team might not be that experienced they have lots of enthusiasm and are looking forward to the matches.
My paws are crossed for an enjoyable season.
Michael was part of our under 11 team that competed in the National Cup Final at Manchester. We played Ely and dominated much of the match to win 11 - 2. The players were presented with a cup and medals making the day a very good end to a successful under 11 season.
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Following the matches played at Wymondham on Saturday 2 June I can now report that the Adders have kept their 4th place in the league. Although there are still matches to be played on 16 June the teams below us are not able to get enough points to get ahead of us so well done team - an excellent result for your first season!
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The Adders travelled to Burwell for their final tournament of the season. Our supporters grabbed an area at one end of the balcony where we had a great view of the games. I was joined today by Larry the Leprachaun from Herne Bay Junior School who had come along to find out about roller hockey.
The team had all been to the big premier league match against Bury the night before. This had meant a late night and with an early start to get to Burwell they were all a bit tired when we arrived. The team was also without Brandon today so there was only one person to swap over which didn't help their tiredness! We did have something to celebrate though as it was Michael's birthday.
Our first game was against Cambridge with Joe as captain and a starting line up of Charlie, Charley, Michael and Sam. The game started badly as Cambridge scored with just a few minutes on the clock. Possession swapped between the teams with good tackles from Charlie and Sam mixed with a good try on goal from Sam. Charley and Sam tackled well before Michael came close but it was Cambridge who managed to score again next. Now the team began pressing the Cambridge defence and Michael scored his first of the day. Michael then had another close shot straight from the restart and Sam almost made the rebound followed by a good try by Charlie. Cambridge began attacking and Charley had to make a good clearance. Back at the Cambridge end we attacked again and Michael seemed to have scored another goal but it was given as an own goal. At least we were now level! We had to defend again with good tackles from Connor and Sam. The game swung back and forth with the whole team getting shots on goal and defending well. Connor scored our third goal before Joe and Charley had to do well in defence. Michael made a great pass to Sam and he had a good shot at goal right on the hooter so we ended the half 2 - 3 up.
The second half started with Michael, Charley, Sam and Connor on the rink and we began with a goal for Michael straight from the whistle. Charley did well in defence again before we had a whole series of attempts on goal; Sam, Connor and Michael all in the box pressuring the Cambridge 'keeper. Finally it paid off and Michael scored again. Charley continued to do well in defence with the others helping out as well. Michael had two good tries; one stopped on the line and one off the post, before Sam scored his first of the day. The team then seemed to tire a bit and Joe had to make some great saves to keep our lead. Unfortunately Cambridge were inspired and clawed back two goals. They almost had another when Charley's clearance bounced off her stick and hit our goal. Despite Michael having another couple of good shots it was Cambridge who got the final goal when Michael helped Joe to clear the shot and this time it did end up in our own goal. It was a bit unlucky but we still won the match 5 - 6 and we were off to a good start.
Luckily at this tournament we had two matches between each of our games which helped the team to recover a bit more. Our second match was against Norwich with Sam as captain and Sam, Michael, Charlie and Connor beginning the game. It started much better than our first game with a goal from Michael almost straight away. The team got a bit sloppy in defence after that and had to scramble a clearance but then they seemed to settle into their game. The team were passing well and getting good tackles in to keep the ball in our possession. Michael scored a second before our defence was caught out twice and Joe managed some great saves to keep our lead. Charlie scored before Michael, Sam and Connor all had a number of attempts that just didn't want to go in! We continued pressing with the team in good positions for the rebounds but we still couldn't get another goal and it was Norwich who managed to score next. Michael hit another shot off the post before managing to score right on the half time buzzer so we led 4-1.
Michael, Connor, Charley and Sam started the second half with some good tackling from Michael and Sam mixed in with the two of them having good shots on goal - they were really working hard! Norwich had a close shot but it was Sam who added another to our score. Our defence crumbled and Joe was needed to save the day again but Norwich scored from the rebound. Michael scored three more goals with Charley tackling well in defence when Norwich tried to attack our end. Charley also managed to score our final goal of the game which was great as it meant that all of the team had scored at the tournament! We won the match 9 - 2 and it was definitely our best performance of the year with some great passing and positioning being shown by all of the team.
After a game of pool it was time for our final match against Cottenham. Michael was captain and Connor, Charlie, Charley and Michael started the game. We had a little luck to begin with as Cottenham had a good shot which Joe stopped but it bounced off him and then pinged off the bar so that it could be scrambled away. This game was played end to end with both teams getting lots of shots on goal. Their number 7 is very good and the Adders' tiredness was beginning to affect their game and they found him very hard to deal with. Cottenham scored the first goal before Joe did a number of great saves keeping us in with a chance. Michael hit one in the side netting which at first we though had gone in. Charley and Joe were doing well in defence with Michael and Charlie trying hard at the other end. Eventually Michael scored our equaliser. Joe was called on again and then Michael came close, only the 'keeper's helmet stopping him from scoring. Charley went down in our box after a collision but we were pleased to see that she was alright especially with our lack of subs! Unluckily Cottenham then scored three quick goals and we ended the half 4 - 1 down.
Charley, Charlie, Connor and Sam started the second half. Connor went down behind the Cottenham goal landing on the metal at the bottom but again we were glad to see he was uninjured. Joe made a fantastic stretching save and Charlie and Charley were also working hard in defence. The team seemed to be in defence a lot more now but Connor managed to get us another goal and this gave our team a bit more hope. Despite their tiredness they had a spell of pressure on the Cottenham goal, Michael hitting another shot off the goalie's helmet. Michael had another shot on goal which was stopped by the 'keeper. The referee signalled a goal had been scored but our space on the balcony gave us an excellent view and we knew that it hadn't gone in. Still, we weren't going to argue with the referee (not about that, anyway!) so we were now only one goal behind. Despite some more goal attempts from Michael and Connor it was Cottenham who managed to stretch their lead again but Michael managed to get us back in contention with his last of the day. Joe made a vital save at the end when the defence didn't get back in time but it wasn't quite enough and we lost the game 4 - 5. I was told after the match that Joe was trying some new goalkeeping tactics in this game. When the Cottenham players came towards him he was shouting "Boo!"at them and a lot of the time it was putting them off! This match was a friendly so we will be given a win but it would have been nice to have won all three matches on our own merit. The results today keep us in 4th place but other matches still to be played could affect our final position. I'll post an update on our final place at the end of the season.
After the match the team sang Happy Birthday to Michael and had a piece of his very tasty cake!
UniTed's Player of the Tournament was Charley - well done!
The team have worked really hard during the year and have improved a lot. It was really nice that everyone has been on the scoresheet as I know they all like scoring goals! As this was our last tournament I asked the team for their thoughts on the season and this is what they told me: "What I liked about this season was developing a team as this has been our first season together. I really enjoyed scoring my goals and getting Man of the Match. I think scoring goals and winning really has brought us into a proper team. What I disliked about this season was really only losing."
"My ups were when we win, draw and pass well and tackle well. My downs are when we lose a game or lose our good defence."
Sadly this was also the last time that the Adders will play together as Joe moves up to Under 13's next season. His goal keeping has improved so much over the year and we'd like to thank him for keeping us in with a chance in so many matches when our defence let us down! We also wish him lots of luck in his new team. The rest of the Adders will be back next season (with a new face or two) and I'm sure they will be planning to improve on this year's position.
My next report will be an update on our league position followed by the National Cup final on 14 July.
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The Adders went to Comberton for Cottenham's home tournament. The sports hall didn't have a viewing area so I perched on the bench that made the dugout or got cuddled by a supporter. All the managers, substitutes and supporters were all in the same small area so it was a bit crowded!
Our first game was against Norwich and Connor was the captain. We started with Brandon, Connor, Michael and Sam on the rink. Straight away we were getting some good passes in and Michael and Brandon got some shots on goal. Connor also had a shot on goal but it deflected off the goalie's keg, hit the bar and bounced off. We were still mostly in attack but then Joe had to make a good stop. He made another but unluckily the ball rolled under his leg and Norwich had the first goal. Michael had a few more shots at goal before Charley and Sam did some good defending. Then we were on the break and Sam hit a terrific shot from outside the box and scored his first goal. That seemed to spur Norwich on a bit and we had to defend; Sam, Charlie and Connor all tackling well, and the half ended 1 - 1.
Charlie, Charley, Connor and Sam began the second half in defence, Charley making a number of good blocks. There was a short time out after a ball bounced off Brandon's stick and hit a Norwich player on the head and the break seemed to help our players. Sam's shot hit the post and he had a couple more good tries as did Brandon, as well as a shot that went over the goal and nearly hit the people in Norwich's dugout! Then we were back to defend but Charlie broke and, with no defence to stop her, chipped the ball over the goalie's leg and scored. The game started to hot up now with both sides trying to attack and then having to defend well, but it was the Adders who made the most of their chances. Michael and Brandon both scored a goal. Norwich tried a few final attacks but Charley and Connor defend well so we won the game 4 - 1. This match was a friendly so we would have been given a win anyway but it was really good to win it from our own efforts.
We had a one match break and as it was a nice day we sat outside at some picnic tables for our lunch. After that we played our second game against EC Select. Charley was captain this time and first on the rink were Charley, Charlie, Michael and Brandon. Very quickly Michael scored our first goal so we were off to good start. Unfortunately EC Select were very strong on the attack like in our previous game against them. Charley was doing very well as our last defender and Charlie also got some good tackles in. Joe was also making some good saves. Charlie deflected a shot off the back of her legs and then EC Select shot two across the goal. With a combination of some good goal keeping and a lucky miss we finished the half 1 - 0 up.
Connor, Charlie, Sam and Michael started the second half and EC Select began strongly in attack again with another shot across the goal. Michael tried a shot but then we were back to defend. Joe made a great save, the ball rebounded high and an EC Select player hit it into the goal. We all thought it shouldn't have been given as it was above head height. The managers and supporters were shouting at the referee but he let the goal stand. All this unsettled our players and EC Select scored twice more straight from the restart. I was worried the team were giving up but we started to get some good passes in and then a penalty was awarded to us for kicking in the box. Michael took it, his shot was saved, but he was ready for the rebound and scored. EC Select then hit one off the post and we were back in defence again; Joe, Charley and Connor all working well. Unfortunately EC Select managed to get two more goals in before a timeout had to be called for Joe who had cramp. When the game restarted we had to continue defending although Michael did try a shot before the end. We lost 2 - 5 which was disppointing.
After another break in the fresh air we played Cottenham in our final game of the day. Charlie was captain and we started with Michael, Brandon, Charlie and Charley. Michael had a shot on goal, then had another claiming another quick goal at the start of the game. He continued with a few more shots before Cottenham attacked, Charlie blocking their shot. After a scrambled clearance Michael and Brandon both had good tries. The game swung between possession for both sides; Charlie and Charley both doing well in defence, and Michael and Brandon both trying hard to get another goal. This pattern continued for the rest of the half before Cottenham scored near the end.
The second half line up of Charlie, Michael, Connor and Sam started on the attack with all members of the team trying shots on goal. Cottenham went on the attack again too, Charley again providing a number of clearances and Joe stopped one ball right on the line. Our defence let us down after that and we conceded a goal but we were soon back on the attack and, among a number of good shots, Michael scored two more goals. Charley made a good clearance, then Joe blocked another shot. Unfortunately a Cottenham player was ready for the rebound and they scored again. We ended the half with some good defence from Connor and Joe. There had been such a lot happening in the game that nobody was sure of the final score but, after checking, it was a 3 - 3 draw. The team didn't play as well as at our last tournament but a win, lose and draw is not a bad result and this time we didn't give any penalties away either! We also keep our 4th posiition in the league.
UniTed's Player of the Tournament was Charlie - well done.
My next report will follow our final tournament at Burwell on 13 May.
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I've now got a passport so I travelled by Eurotunnel to St Omer in France to watch our Under 11's take part in an invitation tournament. Michael and Joe from the Adders were in the team. St Omer have their own rink in a shed-like building. It was quite strange seeing a rink with only one set of markings on it. We are so used to also having badminton, basketball and football pitches marked out as well. The other teams playing in the tournament were SCRA St Omer A and B, Valkenswaard RC from Holland, and RESG Walsum and RSC Cronenberg, both from Germany. We were in Pool B with St Omer B and Walsum. On Saturday all of the pool matches were played and Sunday saw the matches to decide the final placings.
Our first game was against St Omer B with Harry, Ashley, Alex and Lewis on the rink. We started very well with Ashley having several shots on goal. Then for quite a while, possession kept swapping between the teams. Each tried to get past the other's defence but were always stopped. Finally St Omer broke, our defence were left standing and it was thanks to a great save from Eddie that their shot didn't go in. After that Ashley and Alex nearly scored but it was St Omer who got the first goal, five minutes from the end of the half. Their lead didn't last long, just a minute later Ashley equalised and 45 seconds after that he got another! The team put together some good passes and with just under two minutes to go Michael scored with Ashley completing his hat-trick a minute later. We finished the half 4 - 1 up.
Joe played for the second half and the starting line up was Michael, Alex, Harry and Arran. Straght from the start Michael, Alex and Harry all had shots blocked but just 90 seconds into the half Alex scored his first. Joe then had to make several good saves before Alex scored again after five minutes. The game then became a bit like the first half with possession swapping between the two teams although this time both were making shots on goal so Joe was kept busy. Two minutes from the end St Omer scored again but straight from the restart Alex finished his hat-trick. Ashley tried several times to add to the score right at the end of the match, but it ended 7 - 2 to us.
There were three matches before our second game and they were all good to watch. We played Walsum in the last pool match and they had supporters with air horns. These sounded almost the whole time their team had the ball so you can imagine how noisy this game was! We had to play very defensively this time as Walsum were a big, strong team. Harry was defending very well and Eddie made some great saves but Walsum scored five minutes into the game. By this time Harry's, Lewis' and Arrans' dads were all at the barrier shouting at the team, and with Paul, Terry and Jon shouting from the far side the team were certainly being told what to do! It must have worked because Ashley had several shots on goal but then Walsum were on the attack again with one shot right across the goal and one in the side netting. Eddie finished the half with a string of good saves so we ended it 0 - 1 down.
The second half started with Michael, Alex, Ashley and Arran on the rink and the fast pace of the first half continued. Alex scooped up Walsum's opening pass and came close to scoring but then it was back to defence again, Alex losing his stick as he stopped a ball and Eddie making some good saves. Walsum scored their second at almost the same time as they had in the first half. Alex made a great pass to Ashley who managed a close shot but two minutes later Walsum had scored a third. It was unlucky for Eddie as he'd stopped it but it rolled round his foot. Joe came on halfway through and was soon having to make some good saves, with Harry and Alex also defending well. Lewis and Ashley both came close to scoring but just 30 seconds from the end Walsum scored again and we lost the match 0 - 4.
With one win and one loss we were in 2nd place in Pool B. This meant that on the Sunday we would play the winners of Pool A in a semi-final. This was St Omer A who had won both of their matches, 8 - 1 against Valkenswaard and 5 - 2 against Cronenberg. I wasn't able to watch the Sunday matches but I was told what happened. The team worked very hard against St Omer A but they are another very strong team and scored two goals in the first half. Despite the efforts of the team they were unable to score but did manage to prevent St Omer from getting any more so we finished the match losing 2 - 0. This put the team into the 3rd/4th place play off match against Cronenberg. This was a very exciting game and we had lots of support from St Omer. Cronenberg scored first but Alex got an equaliser to end the first half 1 - 1. The team performed better in the second half and some good play enabled Alex to score two more goals as well as Michael and Ashley getting one apiece as well. We won the match 5 - 1 and that gave us third place in the tournament. The team were presented with a very nice trophy at the end. Well done to everyone.
My next report will follow Cottenham's home tournament next weekend.
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We travelled to Manningtree again for our home tournament and I helped out with the timekeeping as well as keeping an eye on the team's performance.
Our first game was against Kings Lynn, our captain was Joe and the starting line up was Michael, Connor, Sam and Brandon. When we played them three weeks ago it was a very defensive game but this time it was much more open. The game started with some good work in defence and some luck as two shots from Kings Lynn pinged off the post and bar. Unfortunately they then managed to get their first from Jack Tucker and he scored a second after another set of good saves from Joe. Then Sam Clarke scored Kings Lynn's third. In his eagerness to defend Michael tripped a player in the box and Sam Clarke took it, scoring from the spot. The half ended with Kings Lynn scoring their fifth, again from Sam Clarke.
The second half started with Charlie, Charley, Sam and Brandon on the rink. Joe soon had to make an excellent save right on the line. Charley kicked the ball in the box so another penalty was awarded but this time Joe saved it. Now the team managed to get in some more attacking moves with a good try from Charley before she got back to do well in defence. Jack Tucker scored another for Kings Lynn and then Charlie and Michael both had several good tries at a goal. The team managed some good passes up the rink but were still unable to make them count. Harry Greeves and Sam Clarke scored two more goals for Kings Lynn before Michael tried some more attacking play. Harry Greeves scored Kings Lynn's last before Connor and Michael tried to get a consolation goal. Unfortunately nothing wanted to go in and we lost 0 - 9 but it had been a good game.
After a one match break we were back on the rink to play Cottenham. Sam was captain this time and he said before the match that we were going to win. The starting line up was Connor, Sam, Charley and Charlie, and Joe began the match making a couple of good saves. There was some good attacking play from Charlie but it was Cottenham who scored first by William Pembrey. Sam had a good try at goal but it was Michael who scored our first of the day. After that we had the majority of possession amd made lots of attacking play, Connor and Sam both having good shots on goal. The team kept pressing on the attack occassionally having to come back and work in defence, Joe doing some great work in his goal. Just before the first half whistle Connor went down behind the Cottenham goal and while the opposition was distracted Michael took the opportunity to score his second and we ended the first half 2 - 1 up.
Charlie, Charley, Sam and Michael began the second half and almost straight away Michael scored his third. Most of the rest of the half was spent in attack with good passes between Michael, Sam and Charlie and several good tries from Sam and Michael. Charley hit one off the post and then had another close shot but Cottenham's Nicolas Pembrey was next to score. Connor had a good try before Joe was called on to make several good saves. Brandon then scored three minutes from the end and we finished the game 4 - 2 winners. Everyone was really happy that we had won our first game and Sam's confidence as captain had been rewarded!
We had a two match break before our third match which was against the Vipers with Michael as captain and Brandon, Connor, Michael and Sam on the rink. The game started badly for us with Alex Mount, Harry Rowbotham and Ashley Barton all scoring within the first three minutes. The team never really seemed to get it together after that although they still managed to get in some attacking play. In defence they had to work hard, Joe saved a shot off his head and Charley did well blocking a shot with her legs. Harry scored another goal before we defended better again but Lewis Greenwood, Ashley and Tom Barton all scored at the end of the half.
The second half began with Michael, Charlie, Brandon and Connor and a bit of luck as Tom's shot hit the post. Our luck didn't last long though as our defence totally collapsed allowing Alex, Tom, Ashley and Alex again to score within two minutes of the restart - not a good way to begin! After that we worked a bid harder in defence, a good block by Brandon was followed by a good save from Joe which bounced off him only just missing Connor as he ducked quickly enough! Lewis scored another goal before Harry hit one off the post and then Tom scored again. Michael tripped Tom in the box and a penalty was given, Harry stepped up to take it. Joe made a great save but it wasn't long before Lewis added another to the Viper's total. Charley made another good block but Ashley managed to get another before the end and we lost 0 - 15. This was a poor result for us and the team can do much better than this. However, on the positive side, we have now played both Kings Lynn and HBU Vipers (the strongest teams) twice so we don't play them again except as a friendly match.
As it was our home tournament we had to play four games this time and, after a final one match break, our last game was against Cambridge with Brandon as captain and Brandon, Connor, Michael and Sam on the rink. The team were visibly tired but they produced their best performance of the day beginning in the best way possible with a goal from Michael just over a minute into the game. Connor and Brandon both had good attempts on goal before having to defend again. Brandon then scored our second before we had to work in defence for a while. Charlie and Michael both had good tries and Charlie was working well in defence, tackling players and winning the ball. Joe made a great save when Cambridge broke and our players were all still in the Cambridge half. Michael finished the half with four shots on goal but none would go in so it stayed at 2 - 0 for the half.
The second half began with Charlie, Brandon, Michael and Charley on the rink. Brandon and Michael both came close to scoring before Charlie and Connor both produced some great tackles to get the ball from Cambridge. We had most of the posssession now with shots on goal from Brandon, Connor and Sam before Michael managed to get one past the keeper. The game had hardly restarted again when Connor scored as well. He had another good shot as did Michael but Cambridge's William Rawlinson scored the only other goal of the match despite good tries from Charlie and Michael. We ended up 4 - 1 winners and we'd notched up our second win. This game showed how well the team can play together with some excellent passing and awareness of the other players. They also made good use of the wall to bounce the ball past the opposition and got into space to accept passes. I hope they continue this next time. Our results today have lifted the team into 4th place in the league so well done everyone.
UniTed's Player of the Tournament was Connor - well done. Medals were presented to Connor, as well as Joe and Michael, the previous winners.
My next report will follow the tournament at St Omer next weekend as Michael and Joe are playing in the Herne Bay United team.
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Instead of their usual Sunday evening training at Whitstable the Adders and Vipers had a special session this morning with Carlos Amaral, the England coach. Carlos was at the Pier to train the senior England team but he also agreed to give our youngsters some time before that sessionn.
The outfield players worked on several different exercises to practise their passing and shooting which gave the goalkeepers plenty of opportunity to try and stop them from scoring. After about half an hour the outfield players were split into three teams and the rest of the session was spent playing matches with Carlos occasionally stopping play to advise on postioning.
I think having someone different doing the training was great for the teams as they seemed to listen a bit more than usual! Everyone worked really hard and enjoyed the session, and we'd like to thank Carlos for coming to see us.
My next report will follow our home tournament next weekend.
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We travelled up to Kings Lynn for our second tournament. It was a long journey, even longer for those who ended up in Ely first! The sports centre was really nice and there was some seating erected where I could watch the matches. I wedged myself into the barriers to get the best view!
Our first game was against Ely and our captain was Connor. The starting line up was Michael, Connor, Sam and Brandon but everyone came on during the game. It turned out to be a very exciting match to watch with the play going from one end to the other. Michael and Sam both had a number of good tries but Ely scored the first goal. Joe made some good saves but then Ely scored a second. Michael and Sam worked some good passes, both having shots on goal again, but it was Ely who scored the next goal. Michael then scored our first goal after some good passing up the rink. The game continued alternating between some good defence and attacking moves which resulted in a second goal for Michael. Ely scored a fourth followed by a close try from Charlie and the half ended 4 - 2.
The second half began with Charley, Charlie, Connor and Michael on the rink. Again the game swung between attack and defence with good tries from Connor and Charley and defence from Charlie. Michael scored our third goal, Charlie and Connor defended well and allowed Michael up to score our fourth. Ely then managed to get two fairly quick goals. Charley had an almost open goal but unfortunately hit the ball over the bar. Some more great saves from Joe stopped Ely adding to their score, and Brandon and Sam tried hard to add to ours but the game ended 6 - 4. Almost all of Ely's goals had come from our defensive errors - bad positioning and careless passes, so this could have been a game that we won. However, the team really did try hard and from a specatator's point of view it was a good match to start the tournament with.
At this tournament we had two matches between each of our games so the team were able to rest well before our next match. This was against EC Select, Charlie was captain and the starting line up was Sam, Michael, Charlie and Charley. EC Select's team had three quite big players and one very big player and we found the game much harder than the first. The game started with a good try to Michael and then Sam and Charlie had to defend well. The whole team remembered their box defence and it worked well in this game, everyone making clearances. Michael had another good try before a penalty was awarded as the ball had bounced off Brandon's foot in the box. We felt it was a bit harsh as many other occasions when this happened had been overlooked. Joe stood ready in his goal but the ball was put over the bar. After some more good defending Michael scored a goal. EC Select pushed more after that and the rest of the half was spent defending. Joe made some great saves including one off his face mask and the half ended 0 -1.
The second half began with Connor, Brandon, Charlie and Charley all having to work hard in defence. Joe again kept us in the game with some great work, brilliantly deflecting one shot with his elbow. Sam got some good tackles in and the team continued to defend well. It looked like we might get our first win but three minutes from time EC Select finally managed to score. Michael and Sam tried hard to get another goal but the game ended 1 -1. We found out after the match that EC Select's biggest player was 12 so the match was deemed a friendly and we were awarded a win. The team deserved it as they worked hard and defended well for the whole game.
After our second two match break we played our final game. This was against Kings Lynn, a team that had a lot of top age players. Charley was captain for this game and Sam, Brandon, Charley and Connor were first on the rink. This game was really hard. We spent the whole first half defending, all the team working together and Joe making some great saves again. Unfortunately, with Kings Lynn being a much larger side than ours, by half time we were 5 - 0 down and we'd not managed any attempts at a goal of our own. Kings Lynn scored their fifth right on the whistle which was a bit unlucky!
The second half began with Charley, Charlie, Connor and Michael on the rink and Kings Lynn scoring their sixth goal. After that we did manage to get a few runs up the rink but the game was still a very defensive one. Joe cleared one shot with his stick so hard that it flew out of his hand and Connor had to go back and pick it up for him. Michael and Charlie made some great tackles and got the ball into the Kings Lynn half again. Michael had a couple of good tries before Brandon connected with a rebound and scored. The final score was 6 - 1 and we'd held Kings Lynn to their lowest score of the day.
The whole team came off from the last game looking completely exhausted and I'm not surprised. They had all worked so hard in each of the matches and were such a different team from how they'd played at Manningtee. All the training is paying off and I'm very pround of their performance at this tournament.
UniTed's Player of the Tournament was Michael - well done!
My next report will follow our home tournament at Manningtree on 24 February.
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Herne Bay United had teams in all age groups at the National Cup qualifiers at Peterborough and the Under 11's were the first to play. Joe from the Adders was in goal as Eddie was unable to play and Michael had also been selected for the team. Our game was against Manchester and as there were only four clubs competing for the Under 11's Cup it meant that our match was a semi-final.
The Manchester team were quite big players but it turned out to be a fairly easy game for us with most of the play. With the team defending well Joe didn't have much to do and only needed to make a couple of saves. The team piled on the goals and Michael almost added two to the score. We ended the game 13 - 0 winners but it could easily have been a bigger score. The team now goes on to play Ely who won the other semi-final.
Both Michael and Joe enjoyed the game and it's also been useful match practise for them as it's been a long time since our last tournament.
My next report will follow the Kings Lynn tournament on 3 February.
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I went along to the Pier to support Michael and Joe who were playing in the second set of matches against St Omer. Most of the other Adders players were also there along with lots of other United supporters and a very noisy group of French fans. They also had a large drum which was deafening - I'm glad I wasn't sitting too close to it!
St Omer had more of the play in the first game. Michael managed a couple of good runs up the rink. Our team had to defend a lot and we only managed a couple of shots from Ashley. St Omer scored four goals in the first half.
Joe played for the second half and made several good saves before St Omer scored their 5th. They'd got another before Ashley managed to get his shot past the French 'keeper. Joe and the rest of the team defended well again before Ashley scored his second. Joe again made some great saves but St Omer managed to get two more goals and the game finished 2 - 8.
Our team played much better in the second game. St Omer scored first but we had more possession this time and were getting more shots on target, Arran and Ashley both coming close several times. Michael had another good run up the rink before St Omer scored their second. Ashley then came close again before managing to score. Right at the end of the half a penalty was awarded against St Omer for hacking at Michael with their stick. Arran took it but unfortunately it went over the bar and the half ended 1 - 2.
As with the first game Joe played for the second half. Adam scored our second goal and then Joe had to make several good saves. St Omer scored their third which was a bit unlucky for Joe as he got his shoulder to the ball but it bounced off him and landed in the net. St Omer got two more in between some good saves and defending from our team and the game ended 2 - 5.
We all stayed to watch the senior teams play and now the French support got REALLY loud! There was plenty of action and excitement in the game with three penalties being given and several yellow cards for both teams. We know our senior team is the best in Britain but St Omer were really good and they won the match 3 - 6. It was disappointing for our supporters but the French fans were very excited, singing, waving their flags and scarves and banging that drum VERY LOUDLY!
My next update will follow the tournament at Kings Lynn on 3 February unless any of the Adders are selected to play in the National Cup Final match against Manchester on 13 January.
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Our senior team traveled to St Omer in France to play in the European Champions League against SCRA St Omer. The French club invited us to send an Under 11's team to play some friendly matches against their Under 11's team before the senior's game. Most of the United players were from the Vipers but Michael from the Adders was also selected. Unfortunately I don't have a passport so I was unable to go and watch him but I know that the team got on alright.
The first game was against St Omer's A team and it was a tough match, the French side just beating us 2 - 1. The second game was against their B team and we did much better beating them 10 - 2. Michael nearly scored in this match. If you want to see a more detailed report and some photos then check out the
news page.St Omer's A team is coming to the pier for two games before the return leg of the senior's match on 21 October. I will be there to cheer Michael and the rest of the team on, so come and join me!
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The Adders travelled to Manningtree Sports Centre in Essex for the home tournament of Herne Bay United Vipers. The sports centre was a bit in the middle of nowhere but everyone arrived in plenty of time for our first match, even those mums and dads with satellite navigation who found themselves going down country lanes.
There was a small viewing area upstairs and as you can see I was able to watch the matches and cheer my team on.
By the luck of the draw our first game was against our Vipers - a bit like Friday night training but with league points up for grabs. An Ely spectator was with me at this match and he commented that he could tell there was some rivalry between the teams! Michael was our captain for this game and our starting line up was Michael, Brandon, Charlie and Sam with the rest of the team swapping on throughout the game. The Vipers' Ashley Barton scored the first goal but then Joe had a string of good saves. Harry Rowbotham scored a second for the Vipers and this was followed by a close shot from Michael and some more good saves from Joe. Unfortunately the Vipers then got two goals, one each for Alex Mount and Harry. Brandon had a good run up the rink and the half ended with a great save from Joe.
The second half started with Charley, Michael, Connor and Brandon on for the Adders. The Vipers got the better start with a goal from Nic Roy and then Alex pinged a shot off the bar - luckily for us! Charley tripped Alex in the box, a penalty was awarded and Ashley came up to take it. Being part of the same club we know that Ashley is a big hitter but Joe stood his ground and saved the penalty. We were all delighted! Unfortunately Tom tripped in the box soon after and Joe had to face another penalty shot, again taken by Ashley. We were all really excited as Joe saved this penalty as well. A good try from Michael was followed by another goal from Harry making it 6-0. Sam did a great pass to Michael which resulted in a close shot. After that, the team seemed to falter a bit and Alex scored four goals. The match finished with the score at 10-0. Despite the result the Adders should feel proud that after all the Vipers' matches were played we had held them to their lowest score.
There was just time for something to eat and drink before the second match started. This time we were playing Norwich and Callum was captain. This game was played as a friendly as the Norwich goalkeeper was too old. Our team started with Charley, Callum, Michael and Sam on the rink. This time we had more possession in the game with several good tries from Michael, Callum and Sam. Norwich then scored a goal from Becky Browne. We thought Michael had scored our first goal but it was not allowed and unfortunately from my viewing space I could see that when the ball was stopped by the goalie's leg it hadn't crossed the line. Connor had a good try at goal which was followed by a great pass from Michael to Connor; unfortunately he wasn't able to do anything with it. Michael also had another good shot stopped.
The second half started with Michael, Charlie, Brandon and Callum playing. Michael and Charlie both got several good shots on goal and Brandon also came close. All our spectators were sure there was a goal just waiting to go in but it was another one for Norwich, Becky netting her second. There was still time for another couple of good shots from Michael and Brandon but the game ended 2-0. The team were pleased that the scoreline was closer and I think if the goalie hadn't been so big some of our shots would have gone in.
The team had another short break for a snack and team talk and then played their third game. This time we were against Ely, our captain was Brandon and the starting line up was Brandon, Charlie, Michael and Charley. Ely scored the first goal, Hattie Ford getting her shot past Joe. The team had plenty of possession in the Ely half, pressuring the goalie with a number of close attempts and finally they succeeded. A shot from Brandon landed in the net and the Adders had their first goal. Well done Brandon! This was followed by a shot from Michael that was stopped right on the the line. Then he hit one off the post followed by another off the bar. Some good saves from Joe followed and another close shot from Brandon but then Ely scored another two goals, both from Hattie, and we ended the half 3-1 down.
We started the second half with Brandon, Michael, Callum and Charley on the rink and several good shots on goal. Michael was finally able to make one of his count and a second goal was added to our total. Ely (and Hattie) then scored another, there was a great save from Joe and then another goal for Ely (Hattie again). Michael had several more good tries but the game ended 5-2.
Although a bit disappointed not to win any games the team did well and showed that they could play well together. Being a new, young, team of course they made mistakes and there were times when they forgot their positioning on the rink. However, their improvement with each game showed that they have great potential and I know they will get better as they gain experience and I'll soon be reporting their first win. It is now back to some hard work at their training sessions; in particular on their shooting as this proved to be the weak point. All the team said they had enjoyed the day and that was good to hear.
Although a member of the Vipers I thought I should give a mention to Ed. With the rest of his team piling up a huge goal tally he didn't have much to do and kept complaining that he was bored. We caught him on camera (in the middle of a game) looking very fed up! Well, Ed, the Adders hope to make you work harder next time we play the Vipers.
UniTed's Player of the Tournament goes to Joseph, simply for having the guts to face up to two penalties from Ashley. Saving them as well was just magnificent - well done Joe!
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It may have been the school holidays but that hasn't meant a break from training. As well as training at the Pier on Fridays, every Thursday evening through the summer my team traveled to Whitstable sports centre, along with the Vipers, for extra Under 11-only training sessions.
Everyone has worked hard for each hour practising their skills in passing, shooting and defending, sometimes ending with a short game. I've seen them all improve over the holiday so I hope they remember everything they've learnt. With the new season starting soon they'll be able to use all that practise in some proper matches.
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