Bloomsbury dominated this one from the first minute and made the game look easy, despite facing a good opponent. We took the lead through Yotam, who had a lively start to the game and converted a cut-back following magnificent one and two-touch build up. The second goal came soon after, through a similar style of play, this time with Maksym finishing the move with a first-time finish. Just before half-time, Tom intelligently took a perfectly weighted quick free kick that played Cosmas through on goal, and he finished into the top left corner. 40 of the 50 minutes had been played when Alexey made it four, finishing with confidence, before Jayden showed his ability going forward by scoring our fifth and final goal of the night. It was a professional performance from Bloomsbury, who didn’t let Stoke Newington into the game at any stage, and also enjoyed themselves on the pitch. We were able to rotate every player through the game which allowed us to see the boys in different positions. Cosmas was player of the match for his outstanding contribution on the night. Not only was he an attacking threat throughout, he also worked hard to get back and acknowledge his defensive responsibilities. This not only allowed for five goals scored, but also a clean sheet for Arteen! We worked hard at training, focusing on first-time finishing in a high intensity game. Therefore, we were delighted to see the clinical finishing on display this evening! There is always room for improvement, and we will be working on specific areas of our play to consistently produce performances as strong as this one!
Kingsley scored the all-important first goal with a great strike after coming off the bench. The combination play from Misha and Marco was great to see! Marco managed to score 3 great goals and overall played with a lot of confidence across many positions earning him player of the match. Through working on defending the 3rds we were able to win the ball high up the pitch quickly leading to getting shots away at goal. We will be more understanding when being substituted and realise that everyone needs to play and needs to experience a range of positions.
Throughout the game we used the wings a lot more than we usually do which benefited us as it was leaving a huge gap in the middle of the field that players, especially Lawrie and Robert, identified and would fill. This was the best game the boys played so far! They battled so hard and did it with confidence! Everyone tried their best which resulted in a goal by Nico in the 8th minute. By the second half, the boys were tired, and more chances were taken by the other team however, the defence were there to save the day putting in some amazing blocks! It is difficult to choose only one player of the match as the whole team were brilliant! Louay and Gustave will have to share the title! They were the rocks of the team and made some amazing choices of passing and when to beat a player. They never gave up, even when a player had got past one of them the other came to cover. They worked so well together at the back which is exactly what we needed in our squad. A solid defence! In training, we worked on defending and, as a team, they need to learn about recovery runs and if you lose the ball not to give up because quite a few times today that happened. We will make sure we understand each position and what role they bring into the team, just so we can stop leaving big gaps on the pitch and know who should press who instead of 3 people pressing one person.
The lead up to our first goal was brilliant! The boys worked from the back and made their way up the pitch and were doing it with ease. Quick two touch passing and great special awareness, looking for gaps and allowing them to make the pitch look bigger in order to help them all the way up to a goal by Louay. The best moment was when the opposition were counter attacking when we were up 2-1 and it looked like they were about to score but then Gustave sprinted and put in a clean slide tackle, getting the ball, nutmegging a player and then passing off to the wing. Player of the match was Robert. All through the game he dominated the midfield as the centre midfielder and won everything that he could. He was constantly wanting to be on the ball using his voice if necessary and his goal in the 12th minute of the game was a great one! In training, we learnt defensive based drills. The boys at times did work as a unit and shuffle together creating a barrier for the other team to make it hard to find gaps. However, we need to work on recovery runs as this is where we need the most improvement. Learning the correct positioning is crucial as the boys still drift into the middle of the pitch quite a lot or wherever the ball is. In training, we will be working on preventing the opposition getting through our defence giving the other team chances to score.
The best moment was Christian’s goal which was scored by a well worked corner kick right before the half time whistle. Christian deserves player of the match as he scored the single goal and did well playing both as a winger and then as a defender which isn’t his normal position. In training, we worked on how we were pressing which started well in the 1st half, but we weren’t able to sustain it for the 2nd half. We need to be better at pressing as a team rather than as individuals which is what started to happen throughout the 2nd half, therefore, we will be working on this.
Piper expertly threw the ball to Alex, who dribbled past multiple players to score a great goal! The goals scored were all excellent today, Mila made some great finishes too, top corners, bottom corners and even with her left foot! Lyla and Amalia were great at closing down the opposition while also making some vital passes. Poppy was great at holding the ball up and carrying the ball up the pitch. Deminy had a great game, volunteering to go in goal in the first half, and then showing her fancy footwork in midfield in the second half! When the full-time whistle blew, the girls came running over, so excited to have won a game! Their hard work paid off and everyone was super proud of them! Player of the match, Alex was an absolute star in defence, making sure players were marked while also supporting the attacks at the right time and getting a well-deserved goal! We have done some work on positional play, and some passing patterns that came out during the game which was great! We will be better next week by ensuring we maintain good attacking and defensive shape and continuing to play in the oppositions half.
Excellent goal keeping from Bakita, Mila, and Lyla but in particular Mila who also pressed their defence very well out of goal. Incredible link up play from Poppy and Noa, and Ettie did really well on the wing despite the fact she was worried about playing in attack. We were on top for most of the game so were very unlucky to concede in the very last minute as we put in a performance to be proud of! Goal of the match goes to Noa who scored a brilliant half volley that lobbed the keeper beautifully. Poppy was player of the match for some great and important goals throughout the match. The only thing that let us down in this game was just checking our shoulders. We need to work on keeping an eye on our marking instead of being drawn to the ball.
Although we weren’t able to convert any chances, we did really well stretch the pitch wide. Multiple times we had dangerous crosses coming in from Yacine and Kriztiano. The best moment was Kriztiano driving down the wing and beating opposing defenders in a 3 on 1 and having the end product of a cross. Player of the match goes to Kriztiano. After coming out of goal, he was very difficult to tackle, and created multiple scoring opportunities driving down the left side. Passing patterns meant we moved the ball well out the back more often than not. When the ball went into the fullback, we’d make a good pass down the line or retain possession in midfield. We need to be more aggressive in our tackles, as we shied away from winning the ball against larger opponents.
Lymore are a physical team, but we outclassed them with our technical ability. Despite this it was a very tight game. We had lots of chances ourselves but conceded 3 in the first half. We dug deep and even though a 4th went in, Tara fired in from the right to give us hope. Janet scored our goal and was awarded players player of the match. She played another amazing game, outfield and in goal. Esther also played very well, finding the forward passes into midfield wonderfully. We have been working on defending the 3rds and although we pressed well we need to be more aware of tracking runners in behind. Better communication well help this improve!
Despite the score line we showed excellent individual work rate and quality against a strong attacking side. We defended well but let our marker go a few times. These small lapses in concentration meant we conceded. Jet made some incredible saves as well as striking some very powerful efforts on goal. One rattling the crossbar, which is still ringing a week on! Salima has really improved defensively so played there this game and did not stop running back even when she did go forward. She was awarded player of the match for this. Emily was awarded players player of the match for excellent runs. We will be working on bettering our communication as this may have led to some of the goals conceded.
The reaction from going 3-0 down was brilliant, the boys kept fighting and brought it back to 3-2 10 minutes later.Aarons first goal was special, a brilliant cross to the back post and a first-time volley smashed past the goalkeeper! Ebenezer came on in defence, which is an unnatural position for him, and he sorted our defence out immediately! Ebby was brilliant all game and deserves Player of the Match! Low numbers may have had an impact on the slow start because players were still talking and were not prepared. This week has already shown massive improvements to the U14s. We will be more prepared and make sure everyone understands their role in the team before we get on the pitch!
From start to finish this was a very hard-fought game. We came back from behind twice, with Marwa equalising at the very end of the first half. This put us in good stead for the second half but neither team could find a way through. Shola made some incredible stops to keep us in the game and was commemorated by her teammates afterwards. Defensively we put in some vital tackles and our attacking 4 were linking up well but we couldn’t quit find the finish. Then, in the last 30 seconds of the game, Jorja took on 3 players with magic feet and slotted the ball home to win the game. Jorja won player of the match for this key moment, but it was such a well-deserved win from all the team! Point of improvement would be tracking back when we lose the ball. Having said this, Laura tracked back incredibly well multiple times to win the ball and start a counterattack!
In the second half, Bloomsbury came out more organised to match the opposition’s strategy. There was a good reaction, however, it wasn’t enough to get back into the game. Alessandro’s second goal was the highlight of the game. He gave us some hope and belief to claim back the result and deserves player of the match. He ran a lot during the first half to try and start the pressing high and contribute to few good 1 touch plays. We tried finishing drills in training but were still not able to take our shots when needed. Next week we will be focusing more on finishing and combinations.
The quick start from both halves was great to see. Jack scored within 10 minutes, and then Dylan scored within 3 minutes in the second half. The early goals allowed us to dominate the ball and the opposition. Playing with full control and composure, the victory never seemed in doubt. Dylan’s goal was definitely the key moment. A great through ball from Tom where Dylan judged the bounce perfectly as the defender missed, left a 1v1 against the keeper and a cool finish to get us 2-0 up! Player of the match goes to Oscar. Playing as the pivot, Oscar controlled and dominated the midfield battle, the ability to be effective on and off the ball was incredible see. Protecting his backline and then progressing the ball into his attackers, Oscar had a fantastic match!
This was always going to be a tough fixture, with Edmonton Rangers starting the day in 2nd place and pushing for a league title this season. The task was made more challenging with a couple of dropouts on the day, leaving the remaining 10 men to battle hard for 90 minutes. Fortunately, they were all up for the challenge! Despite going 2-0 down in the first half, we were very much in the game and knew we had the wind behind us in the second half. That small advantage made a huge difference as we won a penalty at the halfway point of the second half, which was initially saved but finished by Seyi from the rebound. With 20 minutes to go and the score at 2-1, Bloomsbury were piling on the pressure and two close calls went against us; the first was debatable as to whether the ball crossed the line and the second was a close offside call after Alexey headed home. Soon after, Edmonton managed to get a third on the counterattack, and then fired a fourth home from close range in the final minutes. That ended Bloomsbury’s hopes but the score line didn’t tell the full story today, as our opposition’s management team were keen to point out. The best moments for Bloomsbury came with the score at 2-1, as chances continued to be created and we had Edmonton struggling to cope with the pressure. There was a real fighting spirit about us, with the boys giving everything to push for that equaliser. Any of the boys on the pitch could have been named player of the match today. There were many heroic performances, and everyone gave 100% throughout, even in the face of adversity. However, Jayden put his body on the line for the team, won every header, volleyed the ball clear on several occasions, and communicated positively with his team throughout. One of many leaders on the pitch today! The frustration for those attending is that a full squad would be winning this matches, so increased commitment will make a huge difference for this squad. Huge credit to those that continue to show up and give everything for the ball and crown of Bloomsbury.
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