1st
November 2003
Div
10B Balsham 1 - 8 Bottisham
The
match started well, with most of the early attacks coming from Bottisham.
Joe M and George both had shots on goal that were stopped by the
Balsham 'keeper. Balsham then came back with two shots on target
which Jamie saved well.
Bottisham went on the attack again with some good passing, resulting
in two goals for George. Balsham then broke quickly, catching out
the Bottisham defence and pulled a goal back. Then followed more
good football from both teams, Bottisham winning a corner for their
efforts. Mike took the corner, the clearance came back to him and
he curled the ball into the goal to make it 3-1.
Balsham kept the pressure up and had another two attempts at goal
saved by Jamie, who was having an excellent game.
Bottisham made a strong start to the second half with George adding
three more goals to his tally. Wes then struck a fierce shot at
goal which the 'keeper did well to stop, but he couldn't hold it
and George snapped up the rebound to collect his sixth goal.
Bottisham dominated the last few minutes with a goal for Wes and
Mike having another shot saved.
Reported by S.Smith
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15th
November 2003
Div
10B Fulbourn Falcons 1-6 Bottisham
A
later kick-off than anticipated, but once a pitch had been found...the
lines marked...the goals assembled... and the teams warmed up, it
was a bright start for Bottisham.
After two minutes in which the ball hadn't been in Bottisham's half,
Michael won possession and slipped the ball through to George. A
quick one-two with Wes and George had collected his first goal.
Minutes later, the Falcons 'keeper made a point-blank save from
Michael. The Falcons were kept at bay with a series of great tackles
from today's captain, Sam and some intelligent back-up from Paul,
who showed good positional awareness. Both defenders seem to be
developing an understanding and were providing good cover for each
other and Jamie. The game started to even out, with a spell of pressure
from Fulbourn. A corner for the home team was headed clear by Michael,
only to fall to a Falcons player. The looping shot was well saved
by Jamie. A second attack from Fulbourn saw their No. 8 turn a shot
into Jamie's arms and their next effort hit the post. This could
arguably have been the turning point of the game. Moments later,
Bottisham broke. George's shot was on target but turned away. The
resulting corner provided Wes with a simple tap in. 2-0 to Bottisham.
The lads' heads were up now, Joseph and Mike were breaking down
a succession of Falcons moves in midfield. George chased what seemed
to be a lost cause at the corner post, squeezed between two defenders
and drove his second goal home. A great solo goal. Minutes later
he was trying the same trick, but the Falcons No.10 saw the danger
and shepherded him away. The Falcons then won a corner and then
a penalty after the ball was handled in the area. Fulbourn's No.6
hit the post but coolly slotted home the rebound.
The next Bottisham goal came from the left, Wes using the outside
of his left foot to great effect from a very sharp angle. Just before
the half-time whistle Michael put Wes through on goal, but the 'keeper
was quickly out to deny him his hat-trick. The half ended 4-1 to
Bottisham.
The second half saw Rhys come on for Paul and Joe M for Joseph.
Rhys made an impact immediately, a long throw-in creating a good
chance for George. Another shot from Wes went wide. The Falcons
weren't giving up though, their No.7 started to cause our defence
some real problems and their 'keeper was reading the game well,
denying Bottisham several times. After 5 minutes, Hughes came on
for Michael. Their No.7 was still causing Bottisham some concern,
but Rhys stuck to him and did enough to put him off. A few minutes
later Joe W came on for Wes and George moved to centre midfield.
Joe W impressed everyone with the ground he covered. With the coach's
encouragement he ran half the pitch to win back possession. On the
right, Hughes released Joe M, the ball just too long for him, but
a clever pass. Hughes dazzled us all moments later with a curved
shot that was pure Ronaldinho. Was it a pass? One thing's for sure,
it was a great goal.
The Bottisham players were queuing up to take shots now, Joe M with
one attempt and George with two. With 10 minutes left Paul came
back on for Sam. Georges's corner kick, neatly turned in by Joe
M gave Bottisham their sixth and final goal and Joe's first for
Bottisham. Just before the final whistle their No.2 put in a great
challenge to stop George in his tracks, the ball spun out to Rhys,
who narrowly missed the target.
Reported by D.Smith
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6th
December 2003
Div
10B Fulbourn Institute 0-1 Bottisham
This
week saw Joe W start in defence with Sam, Wes and Mike occupying
their usual positions in midfield and George was paired with Joe
M in attack. Jamie took his familiar place between the sticks. It
was a jittery start from Bottisham, several players suffering from
colds and tummy bugs but two minutes into the game, the boys showed
what they are capable of with a nice piece of interplay, culminating
in George's hopeful shot glancing off the crossbar. Moments later,
Sam made a good clearance and followed it up, pushing the ball to
the waiting Joe M. The Institute defence recovered quickly and snuffed
out the threat, a pattern that was to to repeat itself throughout
the game.
The next few minutes saw the teams share the ball equally, neither
team getting the breakthrough they were looking for. After dealing
with another Institute attack, Mike took a throw-in by the Bottisham
corner flag. George turned his marker and took the ball the full
length of the pitch before putting in a cross that floated beautifully
across to the home teams' far-post. Wesley's header went just wide,
but the move showed promise. This near-miss seemed to spur the Institute
boys on. They broke quickly on several occasions, cleverly timed
passes from their No 7 and No 9 leaving us at sixes and sevens at
times! Joe W's speed (and a great headed clearance) and Jamie's
saves kept us in the game several times. After three swift attacks
from Fulbourn Institute, Wesley took the ball up the left wing and
hit the side-netting. It just wasn't going in today!
The half- time whistle went with the score at 0-0. The second half
saw Bottisham getting a lot more of the ball, but when the Institute
lads got past our midfield they created several chances. Fortunately
for Bottisham their No 12 was having a bad day too, with three missed
opportunities. Paul and Rhys were now in defence, and Joseph and
Hughes were in attack. Joseph got a good chance to score but elected
to pass instead, he probably wishes he hadn't now…
After a fifteen minute rest George was back and made a difference
immediately, Bottisham had a flurry of chances, one falling to Rhys
who narrowly sent the ball over the bar. About seven minutes from
time the goal finally came, a lovely strike from George that went
sailing into the top right corner of the net. After that the boys
dug in and defended well, the final whistle seeming to take an age.
It was a really enjoyable game, with very evenly matched teams.
I think both sets of supporters were impressed with the quality
of football being played and the return match should be a corker.
Well done to both teams!
Reported
by D.Smith
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13th
December 2003
Div 10B Bottisham 3-5 Haverhill United
From
the very start it was clear that Bottisham would be tested quite
severely by the visiting Haverhill United team - and we were missing
the speed of Joe W and the solid defending of Paul. In windy, rainy
conditions the visitors quickly stamped their mark on the game,
with a couple of swift attacks in the first three minutes. These
early attacks were soaked up by Sam and Joseph in defence before
a quick throw-in found a Haverhill striker in enough space to line
up a shot, straight into Jamie's arms. The next attack was at the
other end - Wes had broken clear with just the goalie to beat when
some desperate defending from Haverhill brought him down. Mike's
resulting free-kick tested the 'keeper, who kept the ball out. A
left-sided Bottisham attack followed, Wes releasing Joe M but the
move broke down and Haverhill's counter-attack resulted in a shot
from Haverhill that buried itself in the side-netting after taking
a deflection.The corner kick was well taken, a header just going
wide.
The wind conditions were affecting the goal kicks and after 10 minutes
Haverhill capitalised on a defensive error and got the goal that
had been threatened. After ten minutes of mostly defensive work
from Bottisham an unmarked Haverhill striker made it 2-0. Then a
rare foray into the Haverhill half saw some good passing and use
of space. This seemed to galvanise the Bottisham lads and they pressed
forward. Two minutes later George took the ball deep into their
penalty area and was dispossessed, but retrieved the ball when the
'keeper couldn't hold on to it and calmly tapped it in.
For the remainder of the first half Bottisham repelled Haverhill's
efforts to break them down. Joe M and George were chasing the ball
back well, Joseph put in some good tackles and there was a spectacular
diving header from Mike at one point to clear the ball to safety.
The second half saw a couple of team changes, Hughes on for Joe
M and Rhys for Joseph. With the wind at their backs Bottisham came
out with fresh commitment. Both 'keepers were making good saves,
the Haverhill 'keeper stopping a shot from George with his outstretched
legs, then Jamie making a fantastic save when two Haverhill strikers
were clear on goal.
Moments later, George hit the post - it really was end-to-end stuff.
Another excellent save from Jamie resulted in at ferocious rebound
shot at goal, stopped by Wes, who I don't think knew too much about
it.
After 12 minutes of even play Haverhill collected their third goal,
a shot that found its way through a cluster of players. Bottisham's
reply was swift. Their next attack led to a corner, George took
it and swept the returning ball into the goal from a narrow angle.
The celebrations didn't last long however as Haverhill came back
at us to make it 4-2. After a series of brave tackles, Rhys took
a knock and had to come off. Hughes took advantage of loose marking
on the right side to feed George on a couple of occasions, once
cheekily lobbing the defender. Then George was through on goal,
his pace too much for the visitors at this late stage of the game.
He stroked the ball past the 'keeper to bring the score to 4-3.
It was clear that both teams thought they could win this and in
the last five minutes it was attack after attack. Our new boy, Alex,
coped well at the back in these last few minutes. The pressure paid
off for Haverhill. In the last minute they won a free-kick and the
curling cross found an unmarked player at the far post who did well
to head the ball into the back of the net.
An exhilarating game, clearly enjoyed by both sets of spectators
despite the conditions.
Reported by D.Smith
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10th
January 2004
Div
10B NST Striker 1-2 Bottisham
This
was Bottisham's first match after the Christmas break and the boys
just didn't seem to get into the game at first. Most of the action
was in our half and we were punished after 10 minutes. 1-0 to NST
Strikers. More pressure from the home team followed - a corner drew
a good save from Jamie and another shot hit the crossbar.
Slowly, the boys found their feet and began to threaten the Strikers
goal. Next came a cross from George to Mike whose shot was blocked.
The loose ball ran to Joe M who swung it round to Wes who bundled
it in. Not the prettiest goal we've ever seen but it got us back
in the game. Another effort from George minutes later hit the woodwork.
Half time: 1-1
The second half saw more determination from the Bottisham lads although
the play was still fairly even, Jamie making some crucial saves
to keep us in the game. In the final minute Wes managed to break
from defence and slotted the ball through for George who ran onto
it, took it round the 'keeper and banged it in the net with confidence.
Well done George!
Reported
by S.Smith
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24th
January 2004
Div
10B Bottisham 7-2 Ellesmere Eagles
Bottisham
launched a flowing move right from the kick-off, a sequence of passes
showing everybody exactly what they can do. Their finishing was
letting them down at this early stage of the game though, with four
chances squandered in the first five minutes. Ellesmere began to
settle in and forced a save from Jamie with a free-kick. Mike's
massive clearance from the resulting corner put George clear on
goal at the other end, his shot whistling over the bar. More pressure
from the Eagles followed, then Mike's long throw-in down the wing
from our corner released George who made it 1-0.
Bottisham continued to dominate, especially in midfield where Joseph
was pushing up and putting in some ball-winning tackles. As 'last
defender', Paul was having a quiet game. Moments later Alex received
a cross from the left wing, took a touch to control the ball and
fired it into the goal to collect his first goal for Bottisham and
bring the score to 2-0.
Well done Alex! The Eagles then received a gift goal from a corner
- Mike's header looped high in the air and slipped between Jamie
and the corner post. This seemed to upset the boys and Ellesmere
had a good spell of pressure, Bottisham struggling to clear their
lines. Finally, the ball was cleared to George who ran the ball
in to make it 3-1.
It could so easily have been 2-2 at this stage. Within a minute
Wes had a shot on target blocked by a brave defender and Mike won
a free-kick which he duly converted. It was now 4-1 to Bottisham
and the attacks kept coming. A lovely shot from Wes on the left
flew into the net to bring the score to 5-1.
Shortly after, Mike made a tackle, won the ball and passed to Wes
who raced down the wing, crossed the ball to George who turned it
past the 'keeper for his hat-trick. Ellesmere scrambled another
shot off the line just before the whistle blew for half-time.
In the second half, The Eagles seemed like a new team. They soon
scored and were on for a third goal but for a strong challenge from
Sam. George hit the post after some good play whilst Rhys was kept
very busy in defence, time and again being in the right place at
the right time. There were less scoring opportunities for either
team this half, play being held up in the centre of the pitch for
much of the time. Bright spots included a nice one-two between Hughes
and George to get out of a tight spot and some intelligent play
from Joe M, who as striker, held the ball up and laid it back into
George's path. With about three minutes left on the clock Hughes
won the ball for Bottisham and pushed it to George. Two Eagles defenders
were drawn to George, who spotted that Joe M was making a clever
diagonal run away from the defenders. The resulting pass landed
in Joe's path and he coolly slotted the ball home. There was almost
a repeat of this move three minutes later when the whistle blew
for full-time.
Reported
by D.Smith
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14th
February 2004
Div
10B Bottisham 5-0 Balsham
On
a cold, damp morning Bottisham started brightly, a string of flowing
passes between Wes, George and Hughes resulting in a narrow miss
and a goal kick to Balsham. Bottisham continued to press hard, forcing
a fingertip save from the Balsham 'keeper, who then pulled off another
outstanding one-handed save from the resulting corner. Bottisham
were working hard, Mike showing a lot of vision in midfield and
Joseph was putting a lot of effort into tight marking, but Balsham's
'keeper was equal to everything the boys threw at him, making two
more good saves from George and Hughes.
After 15 minutes there was a tactical change with Rhys, Joe M, Joe
W, Thomas and Alex coming off the bench for Wes, Hughes, George,
Sam and Joseph. With a couple of new faces on the pitch this was
a test for the players especially as Balsham had started to come
into the game a bit more. The visiting team had a good chance after
20 minutes when the ball was crossed across the face of Jamie's
goal. When Balsham did break for goal it was good to see so many
black and red shirts running back to cover. Joe W was getting lots
of tackles in to break up the play, Joe M hit the post with a fine
effort and Alex, Rhys and Thomas were involved in some neat passing
moves that opened up the Balsham defence.
Thomas was having a great debut, popping up where it mattered, winning
the ball and laying it off to a team-mate at the right moment. At
half time the score was 0-0
The second half started with more attacks from Bottisham, Mike's
long throw finding George who turned his marker and hooked the ball
to Hughes who narrowly missed the target. An effort from Wes on
the left went wide too. Would the ball ever go in the net? A Bottisham
corner was cleared by the Balsham defence and the game began to
swing in Balsham's favour. The visitor's began pressing Bottisham
in their own half, Jamie having to come out of his area to clear
one attack, Sam doing some great defending after being troubled
very few times in the first half.
Finally, with 15 minutes of play remaining, the opportunity came.
Wes took the ball out of defence and hooked the ball to George who
clinically finished. 1-0 to Bottisham This gave the lads the confidence
that had been slowly ebbing away. Mike's quick throw-in released
Wes, whose fierce shot was pushed onto the post by the 'keeper.
Next came a simple tap-in for George after a well-taken corner to
make it 2-0.
Suddenly, all the action was in Bottisham's half, which left Balsham
a bit exposed in defence. Mike's huge clearance found George, who
cheekily nut-megged the 'keeper for his hat-trick. With five minutes
remaining George collected his fourth goal, taking advantage of
the space created by Hughes off the ball runs.
A last ditch effort by Balsham to get the goal they deserved was
thwarted by a fine save from Jamie, who seemed to hang in the air
before parrying the shot away. In the last minute, George turned
provider for Hughes who tucked away a well-earned goal to make the
final score 5-0.
Credit to Balsham, whose small squad played with great spirit throughout
the game.
Reported
by D.Smith
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21st
February 2004
Div
10B Aztecs B 0-9 Bottisham
In
cold, bright conditions, Bottisham immediately went on the attack
and were rewarded with a goal from George in the first five minutes.
Wes made it 2-0 minutes later, lashing home a good pass from George.
The traffic was mostly one-way, but a corner to Aztecs was dealt
with comfortably by the Bottisham defence. The boys were passing
the ball around nicely, George collecting his second goal and Bottisham's
third as a result.
Some pressure from the Aztecs came, but Jamie pulled out a fantastic
save to deny the home team a way in to this game. Moments later,
Michael's shot just missed the target. Next, a goalkeeping error
gave George his third hat-trick in successive games. 4-0 to Bottisham.
The Aztecs rallied and won a series of corners which kept Jamie
busy for a while. Finally, the clearance from defence came and George
scored Bottisham's fifth on the break. Bottisham put some more pressure
on the Aztec's, their 'keeper making two good saves before Alex's
precision pass gave George the opportunity to make it 6-0.
The second half began in much the same way, Wes getting his second
inside five minutes. The Aztecs forced some more saves from Jamie,
one shot hitting the crossbar. Thomas was settling in well to the
team and put a shot over the crossbar before testing the 'keeper
with a fierce shot. The 'keeper couldn't hold onto it and Hughes
popped it in to bring the score to 8-0.
To round things off, Thomas scored his first goal for Bottisham
to bring the final score to 9-0. In the final throes of the game,
Joe M put a lot of energy into chasing down the ball and won a corner
for his efforts, while Rhys was unlucky to see his strike narrowly
miss the target.
All the boys performed really well today, but a special mention
to Michael for his generosity in passing and setting up play and
our defenders, who helped Jamie to his second clean sheet in a row.
Well done lads.
Reported
by S.Smith
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6th
March 2004
Div
10B Bottisham 2-1 Ellesmere Eagles
Due
to The Eagles' waterlogged pitch Bottisham played host instead of
playing away at the Ellesmere Centre for this fixture.
The Eagles kicked off and immediately went on the attack, surprising
Bottisham with their fluent passing and awareness. Bottisham countered,
pressing back into the Eagles' half and for the first five minutes
it was a game of blistering pace. A neat through-ball split our
defence leading to a series of saves from Jamie who also saved our
defenders' blushes. The game settled down and gradually Bottisham
began to dominate. After 10 minutes Hughes had a shot saved by their
'keeper, who pushed it out for a corner. In Bottisham's next attack
Wes had his shot saved by the 'keepers legs, then George had a shot
which went wide. Some great individual skill from Mike followed,
dribbling the ball past three players before unleashing a shot which
shaved the wrong side of the crossbar. Bottisham were keeping the
visitors pegged back in their own half mostly, but the Eagles' defended
well, a quick break from them showing how dangerous they can be
when given the space to play football. Joseph and Sam worked well
in defence, Joseph's headers and Sam's solid tackling turning defence
into attack on more than one occasion. Late in the first half, the
ball came out of defence, George turned his marker and slid the
ball home to score. 1-0 to Bottisham.
A minute later, Wes picked up a clever back-heel from George, rounded
his marker and sent a fierce shot goalwards, only to be denied by
the post. There was some good work too from Hughes who terrorised
the defence, not letting them clear the ball to safety.
A change of cast for the second act followed, only Jamie in goal
providing continuity. He was soon busy, falling on the ball in a
goal-mouth scramble. Then followed a moment of great excitement
- a through ball from Joe M put Rhys on course for goal, with just
the 'keeper to beat. Unfortunately it wasn't to be, but Rhys' determination
it can only be a matter of time before he gets that elusive goal.
The Ellesmere lads were seeing a lot more of the ball now, and their
corners were giving us lots of problems. A rare fumble from Jamie
left the goal exposed and the ball at a strikers feet. Paul fearlessly
blocked the close-range shot to deny the visitors a goal. Moments
later Joe W did the same, emerging wih the ball somehow. A Bottisham
attack followed, Joe M sending the ball over the bar. This signalled
the start of some pressure from Bottisham, only a mix-up between
Thomas and Alex preventing Alex from a good shot on goal. A cross-field
ball from Rhys sent Joe M up the right wing who swung the ball back
to Thomas, who had read the play well and got into a great position.
The ball was just too long to be effective but it was a great move.
Rhys, Joe M and Thomas were passing the ball well between them and
getting the better of the defenders as a result. A foul on Rhys
won Bottisham a free-kick, which was well struck by Alex, the resultant
counter-attack leading to a a goal for the Eagles. The score was
1-1 with two minutes left on the clock. The manager made a rapid
tactical change, George and Mike back on for Alex and Joe M. Virtually
on the whistle, Mike's long throw-in found Thomas who passed to
Rhys. Rhys executed a fine pass, beating the last man and putting
George on goal with only the 'keeper left. If George was nervous
it didn't show as he slotted the ball home for his second goal.
Play continued for a further 2 minutes of 'injury time', the final
whistle being blown just as George launched the ball towards the
goal. Final score 2-1 to Bottisham.
Reported
by D.Smith
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27th
March 2004
Div
10B Bottisham 4-0 Ellesmere Eagles
The
match started with Joe M in attack, Wes, Thomas & Alex in midfield,
Paul & Joe B in defence and Jamie in goal. After just five minutes
Bottisham found themselves one goal up after a strike from Wes took
a slight deflection on the way in. Two minutes later, Thomas rounded
a Falcons defender and fed the ball to Wes, who took it past a second
defender before slamming it in the the net for 2-0. After such an
unfortunate start, the Falcons got their game underway and began
to pressurise the defence, their No.6 forcing a good save from Jamie.
Thomas and Joe M were working well together, playing a great give
'n' go to move the ball into the Falcons' half. More attacking play
from the visitors resulted in a corner which Paul headed away to
safety. Joe B's close marking rarely allowed their strikers any
clear chances however and the ball was kept in the middle of the
pitch for a long period.
After 20 minutes, Alex dragged his shot just wide of the far post.
He and Thomas were working hard, closing down the Falcon defenders
and earning a couple of corners for their efforts. The second corner
found Wes unmarked but his hat-trick was denied with a brave block
from their No.2 who was having a great game. The half ended at 2-0.
Play resumed with George, Mike, Rhys, Hughes, Sam & Joe W on the
pitch for the second half, which began to resemble the previous
half when Mike beat George to a loose ball and his long shot found
the net after less than five minutes of play. 3-0 to Bottisham.
Rhys' accurate passes are becoming a feature of the game now, whilst
Joe W's speed in covering ground and making those crucial tackles
are great to see.
With 10 minutes gone, however, the Falcons began to win every ball,
Bottisham seeming not to be able to break up their play. A half-chance
fell to George on the left wing and his shot made it 4-0, ensuring
that his record of scoring in every game was maintained. Hughes
and George were linking up well, but George's shadow - their skilful
No.2 - was making sure George's chances were kept to a minimum.
In defence, Sam showed strength, shepherding a Falcons striker out
of harm's way. A big shot from the visitors' shaved the post - a
warning as to what they could do given the opportunity. A few minutes
later their No.4 was allowed to tee up a shot at goal, our defenders
seemed to be spectators!
In the last five minutes we saw Rhys' lofted ball release George
who took it round the 'keeper only to have the ball taken off his
toe by their ever-alert No.2, who seemed to come from nowhere. Mike
then sent an excellent ball through to George off the outside of
his boot, George turned his marker, who chased back and put in a
desperate tackle. On another day it might've been a penalty - on
another day it might not be George's dad refereeing!
The match ended at 4-0, another clean sheet for Jamie and his well-organised
defence. A very enjoyable and sporting game to watch, the Falcons
were a lot better than the scoreline suggests.
Reported
by D.Smith
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24th
April 2004
Div
10B Haverhill United 7-1 Bottisham
Thomas
led the team out as captain on this occasion and straight from the
kick-off Bottisham felt the pressure from the home team. Three good
saves in quick succession prevented Haverhill from taking the lead
in these early minutes but they were having most of the ball and
it seemed inevitable that they would score. A chance fell to Wes
but the shot lacked power and was collected comfortably by the 'keeper.
United opened the scoring with a high shot that went beyond Jamie's
reach. A free-kick from Michael might have levelled the score but
it went for a corner which was cleared. A great save from Jamie
only seemed to spur the home team on - they collected a second goal
and then an own goal made it 3-0
Five minutes into the second half and Bottisham were 4-0 down. Haverhill
started to show their class with lots of slick passing moves that
our lads struggled to break down. More goals followed for the home
team. At 7-0 and with ten minutes left, George's free-kick took
a deflection and brought the score to 7-1. after this, Bottisham
began to see more of the ball and began playing with a bit more
belief, but it was too late to make a difference and the score ended
7-1.
Reported
by S.Smith
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1st
May 2004
Div
10B Bottisham 2-2 Fulbourn Institute
The
game started well, our lads keeping the ball in the visitor's half
for the first five minutes. A good bit of 'keeping from the Fulbourn
Institute goalie keeping Mike's shot out, while our boys closed
down the opposition well. A great sliding tackle from Sam on their
skilful No.11 stopped Fulbourn's first attack in its tracks. On
10 minutes George sprinted out of defence with the ball, past a
midfielder, round a defender and then lobbed the 'keeper to make
it 1-0 to Bottisham. A great individual goal.
This produced an immediate tactical response with substitutions
from Fulbourn and the game slowly became more balanced. Mike got
another shot in, testing their second goalie but the replacement
was equal to it. Then followed a scare and a let-off for Bottisham
as George and Sam chased a striker who gave up the ball and failed
to capitalise on the confusion between our two players once they'd
won it! Fulbourn were getting into the game now and a blistering
shot from their No.14 hit the corner of the crossbar. Joseph broke
down a couple of attacks with some excellent interceptions at key
moments.
After 20 minutes the pressure was building up from our visitors.
A well executed throw-in from Alex found Mike whose quick footwork
and awareness released Wes on the left wing. The shot was just off-target
but the whole move was outstanding. More good play followed with
Wes and Mike playing a little 1-2 to bypass the opposition. Alex
was doing his bit too, running back to provide cover in defence
when needed. With a few minutes remaining Wes was closed down by
a Fulbourn player, the back pass to Jamie in goal led to a poor
clearance, straight to a striker who took his chance well. Half-time
finished at 1-1.
Your reporter was absent for the first 15 minutes of the second
half as his other son was playing on the other pitch, so I missed
Bottisham's second goal of the match. I'm told it was a cracker
and George's 40th this season. Well-taken corners from Fulbourn
Institute were giving our defence headaches. Slowly but surely,
the opposition were gaining in confidence with each attack. It started
to look more likely that the next goal would come from Fulbourn
Institute who were throwing everything at us. Hughes was denied
by their alert 'keeper rushing out to smother his shot after being
set up by George, and Rhys was battling hard for every ball in midfield
despite collecting a knock early on.
The inevitable finally happened, Jamie managed to push their strikers
shot against the crossbar but the rebound was converted to make
it 2-2 at the last. A fair result as both teams played to win at
all times and matched each other in every area.
Reported
by D.Smith
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