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Match Reports

20th September 2003

Div 9A Littleport 1 - 3 Bottisham

First game of the season, a few new faces and a team raring to go. Bottisham got off to an excellent start with some fast, attractive, football. A great example came after five minutes when Chris, looking very assured in goal, took a quick goal-kick. James received the ball on the right flank and quickly switched play to Josiah on the left, who pushed the ball through to Eddie with a defence-splitting pass. The speed of the move took Littleport by surprise but they recovered well. The Littleport 'keeper made several crucial saves to keep the score 0-0 at the close of the first 15 minutes of play.
The second 15 minutes saw the breakthrough that Bottisham were looking for. Connor collected a quick throw-in from Josiah and crossed it to Ben, who calmly dragged it past one defender and found the net with a low, angled shot. 1-0 to Bottisham. Minutes later, Brad forced a great save from their busy keeper who had to dive full-stretch to keep the ball out.
Littleport then had a great attacking spell, only two defensive blocks from Connor, followed by his clearance prevented Littleport from levelling the score. More pressure from Bottisham followed - a goalmouth scramble, the ball rolled out to William, who took his chance well and squeezed the ball through the players to collect a goal on his debut. 2-0 to Bottisham.
Bottisham lost their shape in the last 15 minutes, and the play was more even with few clear chances falling to either team. James capped a very solid performance with a lovely, curled left foot shot to make it 3-0 to Bottisham. The team relaxed a bit then and forgot their defensive duties to allow Littleport back in the game, which ended 3-1 to Bottisham. All the boys played well, played for each other and moved the ball quickly, but a special mention to Lewis for his performance today - always in the right place at the right time. A good game played in good spirit by both teams on a well-kept pitch. Well done boys!
- Daryl

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27th September 2003

Div 9A Bottisham 2 - 8 Burwell Swallows

Bottisham started the game well and went ahead with a great solo effort from Josiah, which stung a very good Burwell side into action. Burwell equalised when an excellent cross was whipped into the area.The first session finished with Burwell leading 3-1.In the second session Burwell continued to dominate and added a further two goals without reply.
The third session opened with a terrific corner from Burwell curling into the top corner giving Chris no chance in goal. Burwell added two further goals to go into the last session leading 8-1.
The fourth session saw Bottisham score the goal of the game, Chris did a long throw down the line to James who ran with the ball before shooting in the top corner. Bottisham deserved to score in the last session. The main difference between the two sides were two excellent players on the Burwell side and their overall awareness and movement into spaces.
For Bottisham, Josiah was outstanding covering every blade of grass many times over and always looked dangerous in attack and helping out at the back. To compete against the better sides our players must move into spaces when we have the ball and track back and want to get the ball when the opposition have the ball. All the boys must accept the positions they are told to play and play there with commitment. A team with 6 forwards and no defenders will lose every week.
- Graham

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4th October 2003

Div 9A Burwell Tigers 2 - 0 Bottisham

This was an evenly fought game in which Bottisham put up an excellent team performance. The first period saw chances at both ends; a great run from Ben forced a save from the Burwell goalkeeper. Burwell scored when the Bottisham side lost its shape and allowed two forwards to go through unchallenged to score.
The second period was much the same with end to end play, a good save from Chris denied Burwell a second goal when their forward was through on goal. The second Burwell goal was a soft one -Chris failed to find a Bottisham player with his throw and this resulted in the goal.
In the third session Bottisham were very unlucky not to score. An excellent move resulted in a shot from Eddie being saved and the rebound falling to James, who hit the post. In the fourth session Bottisham continued to press, but failed to score the goal their overall play deserved.
This was an excellent team performance where every player should take credit, we are now a team who are competing and improving week by week. I wish to mention three individuals for their performances. Firstly, Ben who worked extremely hard up front and proved a constant threat. Chris who is beginning to look confident in goal and starting to distribute the ball quickly, and this is being helped by players starting to look for spaces. Finally, Conner had a very good game at the back and read the game well- it was the best I have seen him play.
Keep up the good work everyone and the results will follow.
- Graham

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18th October 2003

Div 9A Bottisham 2 - 7 Ely Crusaders

This was an excellent game which was evenly fought and played in a very good spirit. Ely started very strongly and went into a two goal lead before Bottisham managed to get organised. The remaining ten minutes of the session were very evenly fought, with chances at both ends.
The second session was goalless with Bottisham unfortunate not to score. In the third session Ben scored to make it 2-1 and it was very much game on until sloppy defending allowed Ely to score.
The fourth session was the decider and Ely scored 4 quick goals to kill the Bottisham challenge off. Bottisham kept battling away and were rewarded with a late goal from Ben.
The last part of this game gave a distorted score line as Bottisham played very well, and with a little bit more discipline the game could have been very close. We are now starting to come together as a team and supporting each other.
There were some very good performances, in particular, William and Lewis at the back and a strong performance from Bradley. Overall the team played well.
- Graham

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25th October 2003

Div 9A Histon Hornets 6-1 Bottisham (FRIENDLY)

Apart from the last period, what a terrific performance! In the first period Histon were the strongest side and put a lot of pressure on the Bottisham goal, but Chris pulled off two great saves to keep the score to 1-0.
The second period made going out in the cold on a Saturday morning for training and matches worthwhile. Bottisham dominated this period with some excellent passing moves and created chance after chance- but unfortunately the ball was kept out of the net. Eddie however scored a well deserved equaliser for Bottisham.
The third period was evenly fought and the score remained 1-1. Going in to the last period we all thought we had every chance of a victory, but once again the wheels fell off and we conceded 5 goals in 5 minutes to leave the score 6-1.
This didn't truly reflect on either the match or our performance. This game produced some very good performances and some excellent passing moves- forget the result we are making good progress.
I must mention Ben's performance, tackling, running and passing and 100% effort- brilliant! Don't worry a win is not far away!
- Graham

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1st November 2003

Div 9A Mepal 5-5 Bottisham

This was a game in which we were down to the bare bones due to the half term holiday- 6 players and no subs. What a great performance the boys put up, they all ran their hearts out. I bet they all slept well on Saturday night!
In the first period we started strongly and went ahead with a goal curled in direct from the corner by James. The goal seemed to inspire Mepal and they hit the post shortly after, but they weren't to be denied and equalised shortly after. The next goal was scored by Ben to make it 2-1, but Mepal went straight on the attack and made it 2-2 at the end of the first period.
In the second period Eddie scored two good goals and Mepal also scored twice to make it 4-4. In the third period James once again curled one in from the corner (he couldn't have learned that at Cambridge United!). Mepal once again equalised.
The fourth period was very well fought and Bottisham kept going well despite being tired. Bradley did a headed goal line clearance and Lewis made a strong run from the back before firing over. It would have been a well deserved goal for Lewis after a very good performance.
The draw was a fair reflection on a game neither side deserved to lose; we managed some very good passing movements and battled well. As the season progresses we must learn to be tighter at the back and not allow ourselves to be caught on the break. All players are important not just the goal scorers.
- Graham

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15th November 2003

Div 9A Bottisham 2-9 Soham Town

Five minutes to kick off and still 4 boys had not arrived. What chance of a warm up or any preparation for the game! Having arrived nearly an hour before kick off to put the goals up, myself and Robert found this incredibly frustrating.
Not surprisingly, this resulted in the dreadful performance in the first 15 minutes which finished 7-0 down and with Bottisham hardly having an attack. The five minutes break then made all the difference and we started to compete and play football.
In the second period we matched Soham and drew the period 1-1 with an excellent goal from Ben.
In the third period we put up a strong and spirited performance and lost the period by the odd goal.
In the final period we were the better side and played some excellent football. We were rewarded by another goal from Ben, who is at present our best player by a long way. If you take out the first period we drew this game 2-2 and Soham are regarded as the best team in the league.
There were some good performances from several players but for me the morning was spoilt by the late arrival of players. Everyone must decide whether they want to play football on a Saturday morning or stay up late on a Friday night and just turn up on Saturdays. If it's the latter, just let me know and I will go and play golf!
- Graham

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29th November 2003

Div 9A Stretham 7-3 Bottisham

Stretham had won all of their games so far, so this was going to be our toughest test yet. The toughest test brought out our best performance of the season and we competed with Stretham throughout the game.
The first session started evenly with both sides having chances, but after 10 minutes Stretham scored twice to lead 2-0. Bottisham pulled a goal back scored by Josiah. Stretham made it 3-1 just before the break.
In the second period Bottisham started strongly and had several good chances before Ben made it 3-2 and it was definitely game on. Stretham had a strong wind at their backs in this period, scored directly from a corner and added a further goal before the end of the period to make it 5-2.
The third period was a very good period for Bottisham which produced a well deserved goal for Brad to make the score 5-3.
In the fourth period Stretham scored 2 goals, but the Bottisham players never gave up and competed until the end. This was an excellent game with sound performances from all the players. Chris played well in goal. James, Lewis, and William all played well in defence. In midfield and attack Brad, Connor, Josiah, Eddie and Ben all had commendable games. It was good to see Josiah back to his best, working hard and covering miles of ground. We are now starting to make excellent progress and playing as a team.
Not once did I hear any of the players criticise or moan at their team mates and everyone enjoyed themselves. Keep it up and I promise the next game will bring us a victory.
- Graham

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13th December 2003

Div 9A Bottisham 5-1 Sutton Stirling

A nice way to go into the Christmas break with a well deserved victory. This is a just reward for the last few weeks' efforts. The first period of the game was very scrappy, which in many ways was due to the difficult conditions. We went ahead with a goal from Ben following a goalmouth scramble. Brad added a second before the break.
The second period followed the same pattern, with Bottisham being very solid at the back but not creating many chances. The third goal was an unfortunate own goal following good work from Josiah.
The third period produced the best football of the match as we suddenly decided to pass the ball, and this produced the goal of the game. This followed an excellent through ball from Lewis to enable Josiah to slide the ball past the keeper. A further goal from Eddie followed.
The fourth period saw Sutton score a well deserved consolation goal.
There were several good performances, but I must mention William who was outstanding at the back.
Happy Christmas and good luck for the New Year.
- Graham

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10th January 2004

Div 9A Witchford 5-3 Bottisham

This was the game of the season, end to end football and non stop excitement. The game could have gone either way in a dramatic finish. The first session didn't produce any goals, but both sides hit the post and James was unlucky when his free kick hit the cross bar.
The second session produced most of the goals. Bottisham went into the lead with a goal scored by Eddie. Witchford equalised with an excellent long range shot and continued to press, but Bottisham took the lead when James scored direct from a corner. Bottisham then surrendered their advantage in a weak five minutes finishing the period losing 3-2.
The third period was another even period in which Bottisham had many narrow misses, but Witchford were next to score with a brilliant move which wrong footed the defence. Not to be outdone Bradley scored a terrific solo goal to make it 4-3 with one session to go.
In the last session Bottisham pressed hard for an equaliser and did everything apart from scoring. Following a goal mouth scramble Witchford broke and scored a decider with virtually the last kick of the game.
This was a terrific game which neither side deserved to lose; the Bottisham performance was the best of the season with everyone working for each other. All the players had good games- a promising debut from Edward who I am sure will become an asset to the side. I must however give special praise to James who produced the great form I know him to be capable of. It was good to see players getting back and helping the defence.
Burwell Swallows next game. No problem!
- Graham

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24th January 2004

Div 9A Burwell Swallows 5-1 Bottisham

In the early part of the season Burwell Swallows came to Bottisham and overran us 8-2. The return match was therefore going to be a test of character and a good test to see how much we have improved over the season. The ground conditions were very wet and muddy which was a test for the boy's stamina in itself.
The first period was an excellent period for Bottisham matching their high flying opponents and taking the lead from a long range effort from William where Eddie did a good job in distracting the keeper. We managed to hold on to our lead up until the break.
In the second period Burwell brought on all their big guns and played some excellent attacking football which we found hard to cope with. There was a period of about 5 minutes where we completely lost our shape until William came on to steady the ship at the back. The second period finished with Burwell leading 4-1.
The next two sessions we held on well and didn't allow Burwell to run away with the game despite playing much of the game in our half. The final score of 5-1 was a big improvement on the early season game. The team are now starting to play as a unit with a good team spirit. All the boys played well in this game, but the star of the show was William who was solid at the back, holding his position and being strong in the tackle.
Keep up the improvement
- Graham

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7th February 2004

Div 9A Bottisham 3-3 Littleport

This game was played in very cold and windy conditions, which made playing football very difficult.
The first session was disappointing as far as Bottisham were concerned. We allowed Littleport to have too much of the game and take a 2-1 lead into the break. During this first session however we scored an excellent goal- a great run from Josiah finished well by Bradley.
The second session produced a much better performance, with Bottisham pushing forward and being rewarded with an equaliser. The goal was an excellent lob by Connor, producing the celebration of the season. The score was 2-2 with the two small periods remaining and the game could have gone either way.
It was Littleport who took the lead in the third period with a very fortunate goal. Bottisham fought their way back into the game and equalised through Bradley.
The final session produced lots of excitement as Bottisham dominated and should have gone on and won the game. A terrific free kick from James was saved on the line and we couldn't finish the game off. A draw was probably a fair result in a game which was spoilt by the conditions. Josiah had an excellent game and never stopped running. Bradley scored two good goals and it was good to see Conner getting involved and scoring a goal.
Overall it was a slightly disappointing performance which I hope can be improved upon.
- Graham

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21st February 2004

Div 9A Ely Crusaders 7- 4 Bottisham

The game started with Ely going straight onto the attack and they created many early chances, scoring twice from two corners within the first five minutes. It wasn't looking good for Bottisham and a very heavy defeat looked to be in the offing. We then however produced the best ten minutes of football that we have played all season. There were excellent passing movements from Ben, Josiah and James. James made the score 2-1 following excellent work from Ben and Josiah. We continued to attack and that produced the equaliser from Josiah, and we should in fact have taken the lead just before the break, with an excellent chance going begging.
The second period was one sided with Ely showing what a good side they are. They scored four goals in this period and were dominated by the excellent play of Ely's Tyler Phillips.
The next two periods saw us battle our way back into the game and we were rewarded for some good football with two goals. The first followed excellent work from Josiah who crossed for Brad to score. Brad also scored our fourth goal. The defence and Chris in goal managed to stop Ely scoring further goals.
This was an excellent performance with several players reaching a high standard. Josiah and Lewis both had fantastic games with excellent support from the rest of the team. The team is improving with every game and we no longer need to dread playing the top sides.
- Graham

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6th March 2004

Div 9A Bottisham 2 - 4 Burwell Tigers

This was a game which we should have won! We led 1-0 deep into the second period and missed many chances to increase this lead before running out of steam, allowing Burwell to win the game.
The first period ended 1-0 to Bottisham following a good goal from James. In the second period we should have increased our lead with James hitting the post. A great goal from Burwell proved the turning point and the second period finished level at 1-1.
The third period proved crucial with Burwell scoring twice to go into a 3-1 lead.
The fourth period was evenly fought with both sides scoring, Bradley scoring for Bottisham.
We must take our chances when we are on top and battle harder when under pressure.

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20th March 2004

Div 9A Soham Town 8- 0 Bottisham

For the last few games the team have been playing with more and more confidence and they probably feel very disappointed with this result. In the first quarter the play was fairly even, the strong wind at Bottisham's back helping us play into the home teams half, but we didn't create any real goal-scoring opportunities and the quarter finished at 2-0 to Soham, who took their chances well.
The second quarter showed the difference between the teams. Soham really did play some fine football - passing the ball well, intercepting stray passes and picking up the loose ball. Bottisham dug in well but were missing their midfield dynamo Josiah. More goals for Soham inevitably followed. In the last two sessions, the boys did better, James almost scoring from a tremendous free-kick and Brad forcing a save from their 'keeper.
Despite the scoreline, Chris had a great game in goal, with some great handling in the air. Lewis too, was a revelation, making crucial defensive tackles and running the ball out of defence with confidence. This was the heaviest defeat of our season against arguably the best team in the league so the worst is over lads, let's get back on track against Mepal in a couple of weeks.
- Daryl

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3rd April 2004

Div 9A Bottisham 4 - 3 Mepal

Bottisham started this game strongly creating several good chances, before Josiah scored a terrific solo goal. Mepal responded strongly and Chris produced an excellent save to maintain the Bottisham lead. Edward G then scored his first goal for the club with an excellent long range effort.
The first period finished 2-0 to Bottisham and confidence was high. The start of the second period saw Mepal hit back strongly and reduced the deficit almost immediately; the remainder of this period was evenly fought. Josiah scored his second goal direct from a corner to take the score 3-1 at the end of the period.
The third period saw Mepal dominate and score two goals to bring the scores level. I think most of the spectators expected Mepal to go on and win the game. The final period was evenly fought, with Josiah completing his hat-trick following a corner from James. Chris produced a couple of good saves to give Bottisham a well deserved 4-3 victory. This victory had been coming for a while.
Josiah capped an excellent performance with a hat-trick and Chris had an excellent game in goal. (Many thanks to Paul H M for helping with goalkeeping coaching). Let's finish the season with a flourish.
Be positive and never give up.
- Graham

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17th April 2004

Div 9A Bottisham 4 - 1 Witchford
The second win on the trot for Bottisham following a closely fought game. In the first period there was very little goal mouth action, with both sides solid at the back. The second period was very poor from Bottisham's point of view, with virtually the whole team failing to play as a group or team. It finished with Witchford leading 1-0, but it could have been much worse for Bottisham.
The third period saw Bottisham pick themselves up and they started to play well, producing some good attacking play. We were rewarded with a goal following an excellent corner from Brad, scrambled in by Ben. Brad also hit the post from another great corner. It was all level going into the final period of the match and it could have gone either way. Bottisham totally dominated this period and scored 3 goals from a string of chances. James scoring two and Josiah the other.
Overall, this was a good performance apart from a dreadful second period when we were very poor. There were several good performances notably from Josiah, Conner, Brad and Ben. James took his chances well and the look on his face when he scored made it all worthwhile.
Well done, lets see if we can make it three in a row next week!
- Graham

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24th April 2004

Div 9A Sutton 0 - 5 Bottisham
Bottisham had their third win on the trot, producing the best football they have played all season. The game started with Sutton straight on the attack with a shot at goal which Chris touched onto the post. This early shock kicked Bottisham into action with some good link play between Ben, Brad and James. We broke the deadlock following a great ball from Ben to James, with James then running from the half way line to score.
The first period ended with us leading 1-0. In the second period we continued to play some very good football and a surging run from Lewis produced a near miss from Ben. Bottisham made the score 2-0 following a great goal from Eddie F, which was created by a good pass from Josiah.
The third goal was an absolute peach, resulting from a good corner from Brad and then a fantastic turn with a shot from Josiah. The third period saw Bottisham growing in confidence with Brad having a terrific period showing great skills, taking players on and creating several chances. A good ball from Eddie F put Josiah through to score goal number 4. The final period was much of the same and a move between Ben and Eddie F followed up by a James volley would have been the goal of the season. The fifth goal was scored by James following a goal kick.
This was a fantastic team performance from everybody and all players deserve praise. How many parents thought we would win three on the trot in the early part of the season? Well played, the last game of the season is against Stretham. They have only had one defeat this season but I am sure we will give our best.
Good luck.
- Graham

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