Under 12 seven a side Tournament – March 28^th

 To say that the footballers and the hockey players are uneasy bedfellows would be an understatement of the highest order. Usually our complaints are that they kick our nets to pieces or use foul language in the training boxes within earshot of our young badgers. But today we had a very ugly scene when they refused to vacate the pitch for our tournament. I assured them that Roy Leeson had booked it way back in October but still they argued. The kids were brilliant. The other contestants began to stream onto the pitch, our parents gave out the shirts, hockey balls started to fly around, I set up the results board, the goals started to shift into place and at 10.15  they gave up and cleared off.  The Olton and Blossomfield parents were well amused by the proceedings asking me if it was always like this and didn’t the centre have some kind of booking system and a manager to supervise. I told them there were plenty of managers but normally when you want them – like today, they are on leave or in a meeting.

 A couple of our players were caught out by the clocks having moved forward. Owen arrived half way through the first match rubbing his eyes muttering about lack of sleep. But were we glad he did make it- just wait ‘till you hear the rest. Noah and Grace were struggling valiantly up front along with Haider who had scored after five minutes. Blossomfield put pressure on but Pradeep and Akib along with Zak in goal held them off.  Owen came on, scored a simple goal from a pass by Jeevan, did a nutmeg with Haider round the defence and Haider scored a second.

 In the second match against Olton Usamah had arrived to help Lilly and Alex up front along with Owen lurking just inside the D.  I said we were glad Owen came today and he made his mark by scoring twice, one from a great pass from Alex on the wing. We won this match so with maximum points so far we felt confident.

 In the final match against Kings Heath the tournament was in the balance. A draw would make us champions with 7 points against Kings Heath 5.  Zak was now playing in midfield as we had agreed. The opposition scored first, Owen equalised and for six minutes we were holding firm repelling the Kings Heath attacks. They knew what they had to do and with a supreme effort managed to penetrate our defence twice more winning by 3 goals to 1.

Owen scored in every game –four in all. I said we were glad he came so man of the tournament was Owen.

Thanks to the parents, Karen for collecting the money and providing the oranges. Thanks to Paul and Zach for sorting the goals and organising the team in the absence of Jonathan and Trish. Little things like Terri dishing out and collecting the shirts and Rob and Chris for umpiring not forgetting Pete Brainch for printing the certificates, all make it easy and enjoyable for everybody.

                                                                                                                                       J.S.     

Yardley  v Old Sils   -   March 14^th

 ^{After a long lay-off  due to snow, ice and rain the team were  looking forward to this match against our old rivals from Solihull .  One thing you can always be sure of is a good turn-out of visiting supporters  for this fixture.  They had brought enough players for two teams so we agreed to play four sessions of twelve minutes each.. We only  had two substitutes so tiredness was going to be a factor in the third and forth sessions as they were able to bring on “fresh horses” when we began to flag. But our team proved their fitness matching the opposition from first to last.}

^{It was Haider’s turn in goal – a position he seems to relish even though we haven’t purchased proper gloves yet.  They are coming curtesy of The John Lockwood Fund.  Noah, improving week by week, Owen up front, Callum as substitute and Alex back in his favourite right wing position constituted our attack. Holding centre midfield was the ever reliable Akib flanked by Jeevan and Lily with Usamah and Grave  as reserves.   In defence Pradeep and Kai held the line blocking and tackling to keep a clean scoresheet for the first two sessions. Akib had scored twice in the first. ten minutes without reply from Sils.}

 ^{Another team in the second period were more organised and this resulted in a 0-0 draw. But Yardley got going  again after Alan and Trish’s team talk. Jeevan got a couple of goals, Akib added another and Grace scored her first goal for the club. Meanwhile with our team tiring Sils managed a couple of goals in the third session. Haider in goal made several great saves towards the end to the disappointment of our opposition who, to be fair, played well and perhaps deserved more.   It is difficult not to award Akib man of the match for his hat-trick but scoring your first goal for your club is very special and especially as it was on  Mother’s day I gave the award to Grace – one of the youngest players in the team. So that was for you Karen.          Result 6 - 2                                               J.S.}                                               

Blossomfield v Yardley  January 31^st 2010 

A crisp, bright sunny morning and a brand new pitch at Lode Heath School what better way to spend a Sunday morning?

Some positional changes  were needed to balance the team as Kai and Lilly occupied the full back role, Alex switched to left wing and Callum, the smallest player on the pitch went into the Blossomfield D as the poacher. Jacob put on the pads and as you would expect, took command of the goal with some excellent directed kicks saving at least half a dozen attempts by a very competent opposition. Anything loose in the circle was picked up swiftly by Lilly sweeping it wide to Alex racing down the left.

Neither side could score until Usamah in the twenty eighth minute got the ball on his stick with only the goalkeeper to beat.  Blossomfield replied with a powerful shot beating Jacob in the corner.  Now it was 1-1.

     We came to the last third, the younger players Noah and Grace playing well improving with each match and Kai taking charge of the 16 yard hits with a great performance.  Usamah was winning the ball and not only that, finding a player unmarked and making an accurate pass. It was such a pass to Alex in the circle that made the score 2-1 and to put the icing on the cake Usamah scored again having an assist by Owen with four minutes to go. Owen, in midfield  had more running about than he had been used to and although he didn’t score himself made a useful contribution to the team performance. Each played their part in this excellent win and it was difficult to pick a man of the match.  Kai and Lilly were most improved at the back, Alex adapted well in his new role on the left, Jacob was brilliant in goal as Blossomfield wondered what they had to do to score.  But for his new awareness, accurate passing and two goals the Man of the Match was Usamah Iqbal.                              J.S.            

Kings Heath  v  Yardley   Dec 6^th 2009

 The heavy rain during the night had cleared. It was Zak’s turn to put on the pads, our strong veterans Jacob, Haider, Cheevan and Alex were ready to go with Owen up front on his favourite spot. Cheevan opened the scoring after two minutes slipping the ball between the keeper’s legs. Then goals from Haider and Alex put us three nil up by the end of the first session. But Kings Heath replied with two goals of their own as our team’s substitutes came off the bench taking their turn on the pitch but not before Alex added another.  We know that our younger players will be needed in January and for the rest of  the season when the veterans will be too old to be “Under 12”. We might as well get used to “the youngsters” representing Yardley and feeding them in now seems the best solution.

But as we expected, Kings Heath turned up the heat. Their “terrible twins” were getting through our defence scoring freely. Noah was battling well at right back showing a great improvement with strong pushes forward and Kai at left of midfield chased everything that Pradeep, probably in her best game yet, was able to deliver. But it’s harder on the left to centre the ball at speed.  Even little Callum played his part with Grace helping out in the midfield. These youngsters with their inexperience were no match for Kings Heath in the last session. Zak had saved as many goals as he let in playing one of the best games ever. Akib came on to stiffen the defence, Lilly with her speed went on the wing and Jacob re-appeared to score in the last five minutes. With two minutes to go the scores were level at five each and a draw would have been a fair result I suppose. But another attack by King’s Heath’s twins proved too much for Zak and the back line. The most improved players were Pradeep and Noah with “Man of the Match”  Alex, not only for his two goals but for getting up and carrying on after going down injured twice.

                                                     Kings Heath 6  Yardley 5                  J.S.

Hampton   v  Yardley   Nov 29^th  ‘09

After a night of heavy rain a bright morning gave us perfect conditions at Hampton .

From a large squad they gave us a matching opposition for our eight to twelve year olds. The first fifteen minute session was even as we sized up “the enemy”, neither . able to score but we realised that we were up against a good side with Jacob working skillfully at the back and Zak hard pressed in goal.

Five minutes into the second session Jeevan put a hard shot into the net to the goalkeeper’s right. This was almost followed up by his sister Pradeep, now playing with more confidence, putting the ball only a foot outside the Hampton post. Meanwhile Owen up front on the left supported by Lilly in midfield and Grace on his right kept the Hampton defence on their toes. Noah had unfortunately got a bump on the forehead practising before the match so he was “on the bench”. Hampton ’s strength was in defence which Haider, well supported by Jacob and Jeevan was unable to break down.

Hampton came out guns blazing in the third session as they were still one down on the score-sheet.  Our smaller players, Grace and Kai were trying hard but no match for the two hefty Hampton backs. Two minutes before the end Zak made a brilliant save putting a vicious Hampton shot round the post to his left with his pads. Haider was tireless tackling back, going forward again and again into the Hampton half with the ever-present Jacob and Jeevan in support.  It was difficult to pick out a “Man of the Match” as the whole team played so well in what we all agreed was an excellent game of hockey.  Jonathan particularly mentioned Lilly’s new determination, we mustn’t forget Jeevan’s goal which won us the match but I give the award jointly to Jacob, solid in defence and Zak in goal for that last minute brilliant save.

Result   Hampton  0, Yardley 1                                                                                J.S. 

Yardley v Sutton     Nov 22^nd ‘09

 While both teams huddled in the corridor waiting for the rain to ease Neil and I sorted the goalposts and politely asked the footballers to vacate the pitch. They had assumed that the rain would put us off but they should have known better than that with our bunch of stalwarts.

We finally got under way ten minutes into our precious hour with Jacob, solid in defence, Jeevan in midfield and Alex on the right wing dominating the game. On the few occasions when Sutton broke through Zak, whose turn it was to go in goal was easily able to cope.

After ten minutes Alex’s short corner was partially stopped by Jeevan, It went on to Jacob who promptly cracked it into the Sutton net.

The second session was more even as we brought on our young substitutes. Grace was coping well at right midfield now able to hit harder and has developed a good push. Kai and Noah did their bit but Sutton had the measure of our smaller players exploiting  the gaps but our defence held firm and there were no more goals either conceded or scored.

Tricia Jonathan and Alan decided to take Jacob Alex and Jeevan off in the last session so giving our youngsters the ultimate baptism of fire.

Lilly has come on in leaps and bounds and seemed to realise the pressure was on. Kathryn Callum Kai and Noah were up against the mighty Sutton now with all their experience and hitting power. A short corner taken well by Sutton proved too much for Zak who had made several excellent saves up to then.  In the last minute Sutton put on the pressure and scored again. When we play them in February for the return match Jacob and Jeevan will be too old for this “under 12” team so we know how difficult the task will be.              

                     The final score Yardley 1, Sutton 3                                                    J.S.

Old Sils  v Yardley  Nov 15^th 09  

In the middle of a period of heavy rain and gales, the weather on Sunday was perfect for our match with our old adversaries on their spanking new Astro.

Haider volunteered to go in goal with Jacob and Jeevan  playing in front of him. Owen took up his usual position at centre forward with Usamah on the right wing and Grace on the left., Lilly occupied a central role with Kai and Kathryn also in the midfield alternating with Noah, Grace and Callum the youngest members in our squad.

It took our opposition some time to settle down as they were completely taken aback after only three minutes with a pass from Jacob to Usamah on the right. It came in swiftly to Owen waiting in the D and bingo it was in the net. In the last minute of the first session Old Sils equalised with a shot that beat Haider in the corner.

The deadly Smith combination came into play in the second session as Owen put two more away. The first was from a perfectly weighted pass via Jacob and the second through Lilly in the midfield.

Substitutes Callum, Kai and Noah were by now taking a more active role as we moved into the last session. Despite being awarded a short corner Old Sils were unable to score as the defence held firm. Haider, Jacob and Jeevan  proved too much for the Old Sils attacks and Usamah was always there wide on the right to get us on the move. Man of the match was Owen with his hat trick.                              Result  Old Sils 1 Yardley 3  

October 18th Under 12s v Kings Heath          

 If proof was necessary that our squad enjoy playing against real opposition, no less than fourteen turned up for the first match of the new season. So trying to be fair to everyone we sorted them into three groups. Group one and two were about equal – i.e. seven plus Zak who was in goal. Group three were all those who hadn’t played the day before for the young badgers. Each group played fifteen minutes one way.

We started well with Jacob and Heider playing havoc with their defence as usual and it wasn’t long before Owen scored from his favourite spot inside the D. It was during this first session that Kings Heath were awarded a penalty stroke which was easily saved by Zak. Then Jacob added a goal to give us a winning score of  2-0.

In the second and third sessions Kings Heath moved up a gear. Despite several excellent saves by Zak our defence buckled under the strain as they levelled at 2-0 in the middle game and topped it off with a winning score of 3-0 in the last.

We knew we would be hard pressed fielding under age players like Kathryn, Grace and Noah but the team played well.  It isn’t just about winning, and just wait till those three grow up a bit.

Man of the match was Zak  making at least six excellent saves with his splendid kicks.                                                                                                J.S.             18.10.09