Under 12 Youth
NEHYL Premier Division
Match Reports 2009/10

9 May 10 - Cove 2 Curley Park Rangers 6
Once again we played reasonably well for a while and had a few chances and in a few brief patches played a few nice moves. But once behind it became an uphill struggle. For a brief spell before half time we raised our game and put them under a bit of pressure which resulted in Ben Jenkins getting his first goal for Cove. 2-1 at half time wasn’t too bad but the second half we made a series of errors allowing CPR to score 4 more. We managed to get a consolation goal when Kailan Loveday nodded home at the far post.

MOM Bradley Evans for doing the job he was asked to.

25 Apr 10 - Pinewood 4 Cove 0

The game started well for us and we matched them in the early stages but as with most of our games this season once they got their first we seemed to have no way back, heads dropped and more goals were easily conceded.

18 Apr 10 - Lihook v Cove Doubler header

Liphook 2 Cove 0

In the first game of our double header some of the boys played as if they wished they weren’t there! 2-0 flatters us as they could have won by a lot more! If it hadn’t been for the effort of a few the score line would have been a lot worse.

MOM Alex Stratton & Kailan Loveday for their commitment in midfield.

Cove 3 Liphook 2

After a ‘big chat’ between the two games the lads put in a completely different performance for the second game. Some good football was played and all the boys put in 100% effort. We took a 2-0 lead with goals from Kyle Kisko and Tom Parish but Liphook pulled one back just before half time. Jordan Swain increased our lead in the second half and we created a few good scoring chances. A late goal from lip hook made the score look closer than it really was.

Mom was the whole team for the effort they put in and for getting our first win for sometime.

1 Apr 10 - Cove Youth 1 Manor Colts 4
The game started as quite a close contest and even after Manor took the lead we kept battling and Kailan Loveday scored a good equaliser. Manor had sportingly only played with 10 as we were a player short. They began to get on top of the game in the second half and deserved their win.

20 Mar 10 - Manor Colts 7 Cove Youth 3
Despite only having 10 players Cove took a surprise 2-0 lead with goals from Jordan Swain and Kyle Kisko. Once Manor got back into the game their numerical advantage started to show and with the luxury of brining on substitutes soon overran our tired boys. A late consolation goal came from Bradley Evans. Well done to all the boys who once again gave their all in difficult circumstances.
MoM: Ben Jenkins.

14 Mar 10 - Aldershot Town Whites 2 Cove Youth 0
Today's game followed a similar pattern to a lot of our games this season. For the first 20 minutes it was one way traffic and we had all the play, but we failed to create or take many goal scoring chances. Then a defensive error allowed Aldershot to score a scrappy goal and from that moment on we were pretty much out of the game.
MoM: Luke Lawrence-Hunte.

7 Mar 10 - Cove Youth 1 Wey Valley Wildcats 2 (aet) (League Cup Quarter Final)

14 Feb 10 - Cove Youth 0 Fleet Spurs Boca 4
Two goals in each half gave a well organised Fleet Spurs side a deserved win. In the early stages of the game the match was fairly even and didn't look like a top V bottom encounter, but after Fleet's superb opening goal it started to look like only one team were going to get goals! Fleet had shots at goal at every opportunity while we simply didn't! On the whole we didn't perform as we know we can and today for probably the first time this season we were well beaten. With the results we have had this season confidence is low, but we soon have a run of fixtures where a good win should lift the boys and help us pick up some much needed points.

7 Feb 10 - Cove Youth 2 Pinewood Pumas 3
Today was a strange game against opposition that we had never played before, but they came to Cove having a solitary loss in there first season in the premier division.

The flow of the game was even throughout and there certainly was very little between the teams!

Now this is a familiar story for the season so far and without wanting to sound like a scratched record we did deserve something from the game. We started brightly but conceded a very soft goal when hesitant defending allowed their nippy forward to get between two cove defenders and finish well. We hit back almost immediately after a good through ball from Alex Stratton allowed Tom Parish to race through and finish really well.

Pinewood went 3-1 up and for a period it was clear the boys confidence had been hit. Credit to the boys though because again in the last 10 minutes they rolled there sleeves up and put up a fight!  Kailan Loveday scored a confidence boosting second having been played through by Scotty and the game was turned on its head!

The relief on the Pinewood players faces and screams of delight at the final whistle said everything as the boys deserved something from the game!

At the end of the day defensive errors cost us today and that’s something to work on for Thursday!

24 Jan 10 - Wey Valley Wildcats 3 Cove Youth 1
Wey Valley started stronger and it took a while for Cove to get into the game. It was no surprise when Wey Valley took the lead and for a time looked as if they would increase their lead. We lifted our game for the last 5 minues of the first half and thankfully carried on and played some better football in the second half. The home team extended their lead when we failed to clear the ball. It was then Cove's turn to have a good spell of play and we were unlucky with a couple of chances. Our goal game when a good free kick from Harry Rivers gave Alex Stratton a ball to run on to and he calmly put it past the keeper. We then had chances to equalise but it was Wey Valley who got their third with almost the last kick of the game and sealed the three points.
MoM: Jamie O'Connor.

13 Dec 09 - United Services Portsmouth 2 Cove Youth 0 (Hampshire Cup)
The build up for this game was not good, with goalie Jordan ill, stand-in keeper and defender Luke ill and central defender Harry ill we went down to Portsmouth with a bare 11, including a stand-in keeper! Matters got worse when Tom Parish was sick before kick-off and only managed 2 minutes on the pitch, then captain Scott Butcher was injured and off for 10 minutes - so for a lot of the first half we had only 9 players on the pitch! BUT the boys pulled their socks up and gave an outstanding performance; for a lot of the game we matched our opponents and went in 0-0 at half-time.
Portsmouth scored two early goals in the second half but we continued to have a lot of the play. Alhtough outnumbered on the pitch our boys made up for it with their effort and a strong battling performance. On another day with our full squad fit we think it would have been a different story. All the boys should be proud of their performance, but MoM went to Ben Jenkins whose performance epitomised everything the boys were asked to do today.
Thanks to USP for their hospitality after the game and to Billy Neal who helped us out at the last minute and who was a credit to the U11s!

22 Nov 09 - Manor Colts Vultures 1 Cove Youth 4 (League Cup)
Another good performance from the boys sent us through to the league Cup quater final with relative ease. We started with an attacking line up and we didn't have to wait long for our first goal; a break down the left saw Alex Stratton play a ball through to Tom Parish who hit a left foot shot beating the keeper at his near post. More good football followed and it was another great through ball, this time from Scott Butcher, which saw Tom free again and another confident finish got Tom his second goal. It wasn't all one way traffic and when Manor attacked the defence had to be on their toes, Bradley Evans, Kyle Kisko and Harry Rivers were all strong against a couple of big strikers. Luke Lawrence Hunt came into the game and was again solid at left back and Jordan Withall in goal was coming out well today, collecting any loose balls. Manor pulled a goal back in the second half but we responded immediately when Adam Bond was alert to knock the ball over the line after their keeper couldn't hold onto a shot. In midfield Jamie O'Connor, Scott Butcher, Jordan Swain and Ben Jenkins all worked hard and were needed to get up and down the field. Our fourth was a bit of a scramble - Alex headed goalward from a corner, this was cleared off the line and the we think the ball hit Kailan Loveday and just went over the line!
Now we need to take our confidence in cup matches forward into our league games - well done boys.
MoM: Tom Parish

15 Nov 09 - Cove Youth 4 Bashley Southampton Youth 0 (Hampshire Cup)
We went into the game knowing nothing about Bashley and in the opening minutes their play suggested that they would give us a hard game. They attacked from the start gaining a couple of early corners but most of their attackks were dealt with by Scott Butcher who had an outstanding first half playing as centre back. As we started to settle we started to gain control of the play, the boys played with great confidence and played some good football. We got the breakhtrough when Jamie O’Connor burst through the middle and poked the ball past the oncoming keeper. Bashley continued to have chances and even after Jamie got his second with a very similar goal Bashley were still very much in the game. Kyle Kisko almost extended our lead when he just failed by inches to reach a good corner, Kyle pushed forward all game, playing a great wingback role. Two nill up at half time was a pleasing scorline as it had been a tight first half but the second half was a different story and we pretty much ran the game, creating numerous scoring chances. Two more goals followed, one a great far post header by Adam Bond from a superb Kyle Kisco cross and the other was a clinical finish from Tom Parish who kept his composure in front of goal. With a goal disallowed and a few goalmouth scrambles the score could have been more but 4-0 is a good result as we progress to the next round of the Hampshire Cup.

MoM Jamie O’Connor for a great all-round performance.

8 Nov 09 - Haslemere Town 5 Cove Youth 3
This was an entertaining game to watch as the play swept from end to end. From the start we pushed forward and a back pass to their keeper gave us a free kick in the box which Alex Stratton put away well. Within five minutes Haslemere had equalised but we continued to push forward and were awarded a penalty; Kailan Loveday put his shot low and in the corner to give us the lead again. We had most of the possession and at this stage it looked as only one team could win but again Haslemere pulled a goal back before half time. Haslemere’s fast skillful forward was causing our defence no end of problems and was instrumental in all of their goals. They scored a third shortly followed by a fourth. But we kept pushing forward and Kailan was rewarded for his efforts with the goal of the game, he ran into the box and hit a great shot over the keeper and just under the bar. Chances for us to get an equaliser followed which was the very least we deserved. We couldn’t score and Haslemere settled it late on with their fifth. Spirits were high after the game with players and parents which was good as the lads played well.

25 Oct 09 - Cove Youth 0 Wey Valley Wildcats 2
The less said about today the better! An enforced two-week break seemed to knock the boys back and we showed none of the team awareness and play that had been present in our previous games. Bar one or two, everyone seemed to be on an off day, and in this division we can't let this happen. We changed our pattern of play slightly to give extra cover for Luke who did an excellent job as stand-in keeper; but at the end of the day we were second best in all areas and the extra battling spirit that Wey Valley showed earned them the 3 points. Both of their goals came from our errors, which will hopefully be ironed out by our next game.
MoM: Luke Lawrence-Hunte.

4 Oct 09 - Cove Youth 5 Camberley Boys 0 (League Cup)
It’s said that the Cup is a great leveller and in the early stages of this game that certainly seemed to be the case. Camberley Boys let us know early that they had turned up to give us a real challenge! From the start there was a real battle to get control of midfield and it took a while for the game to settle and create any scoring chances, as we started to push forward Camberley relied on their very fast striker to give them an advantage on the break, this very much became the pattern of the game with their only real chances coming with the fast lad on the break. After what seemed an age we finally got our break through when Alex Stratton connected well with a shot from outside the area and the ball went in just under the crossbar giving their keeper no chance. The goal spurred us on and a superb run down the right from Jamie O’Connor saw him put over a great cross which was met by Kailan Loveday at the near post for our second.
The second half saw Camberley have their best chance; ‘the fast lad’ on the break broke free of our defenders but Jordan Withall managed to stretch out a leg and ‘toed’ the shot past the post. It took a while for our third to come when a cross bounced around before Alex pushed it past the keeper with a header. From then on we created numerous chances, our fourth saw Tom Parish send a lovely ball into the box which was met by Adam Bond with a clever header just reaching the ball before the keeper. Chances were missed in goal mouth scrambles and frustratingly from a number of good corners. At last we did score from a corner when Kyle Kisko got in front of the defender just getting his head to the ball to score our fifth. The second half saw us play some nice football and gave us a deserved scoreline.
MoM was captain Scott Butcher who today made midfield his own with a commanding performance.

27 Sep 09 - Fleet Spurs 2 Cove Youth 2
The game started at a furious pace with both teams eager to get control of the ball, we settled quicker and were slightly on top in the early stages. But as Fleet got more into the game we started to lose composure and they started to boss midfield. With their first real attack they scored a scrappy goal with a wicked deflection and it wasn't long before a second went in after a nasty bounce left our defence stranded and their striker lifted the ball over Jordan and into the net! We didn't deserve to be behind especially by two goals in what ended up being a fairly even first half. The boys came out determined in the second half and they kept their shape better - no more gaping holes in midfield - and a lot more passion and determination to keep and win the ball. Jamie O'Connor making his debut played with confidence and both Ben Jenkins and Alex Stratton showed real battling qualities both giving their best performances of the season so far. The whole team rallied together and took solid control of the game, but it took a while to get the goal our play deserved, a good run from Jamie put their defence under pressure leading to a defender putting the ball into his own net. It was the slice of luck we needed and deserved. We kept pressing forward leading to some strong challenges from both teams, after one stoppage a 'proper' drop ball was given on the edge of their penalty box, Alex won the ball and slid a pass through to Adam Bond who coolly rolled the ball past the advancing keeper and into the goal. We celebrated but it was no more than we deserved. We pushed forward right to the end and had a few chances but at the final whistle I think the draw was a fair result. Good team performance with all boys giving 100%. MoM went to Jamie O'Connor for a committed performance on his debut.

20 Sep 09 - Cove Youth 0 Haslemere Town 0
A tight battle today brought about an almost inevitable stalemate! Both teams seemed more concerned about not conceeding than getting that all important one goal that would certainly have won the match. Our starting line up didn't last long as throughout the game we lost key players with various injuries, this only helped to unsettle the team and our formation. Our first big chance came when a ball crossed into the box was missed by the front two who on another day would have put the chance away. Jordan Withall made a save with his legs to stop what looked a certain goal and with good handling and command of his area Jordan never looked in danger. Up front we snatched at chances when taking a touch and getting the ball under control could have got us the breakthrough. For most of the game we were slightly ontop but towards the end of the game Haslemere started to put us under pressure and a lob over Jordan looked goalbound, only for Jack Rielly to make a great goal line clearance; the ball was judged not to have completely crossed the line much to our relief. Our defence is strong but our midfield need to start creating chances and our forwards need to get their scoring boots on. We're sure this will happen and our performances will get better as the team gels.
All in all not a pretty game to watch, but let's remind ourselves - we have four new players settling into our now bigger squad, it takes time to settle (remember our start last season!?) and our opening two league games have seen us get draws against strong opposition.
MoM: Jack Rielly

13 Sep 09 - Fleet Town Colts 0 Cove Youth 2 (Hampshire Cup)
A closely contested first half against a well organised Fleet Town team saw the half pass with very few goal scoring chances. Our defence were solid and let very little through, but we were unable to get into advanced positions, just failing to get the killer ball up front. We used today's game as an opportunity to try out some new formations and we are learning the capabilities of the team.
In the second half we reverted to using wide attacking players which opened the game up a little bit and we started to get on top and create chances. Our first goal came from a corner, a flick header from Kailan Loveday found the back of the net, much to our relief as nobody wanted extra time or penalties! We pushed on from that first goal and started to find gaps in the Fleet defence; our second goal came when Kailan kept his composure to place the ball into an unguarded net. 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game, which we dominated for most of the second half.
Generally a good all round performance from the boys, particularly from Harry Rivers who is settling well into central defence.
MoM: Harry Rivers

6 Sep 09 - Curley Park Rangers Fire 1 Cove Youth 1
After our slow starts to the season in previous years, it was good to get a point away to the current league champions. The game was even from the start with both teams trying to play a passing game. We started the game with four new players; they all contributed to the game and played well. Luke Lawrence-Hunte was strong at left back and Harry Rivers slotted in well alongside Bradley Evans in the centre. Ben Jenkins ran his heart out in midfield and it was Adam Bond who scored our goal with a well taken strike. Having a bigger squad is already working, giving us good cover in all positions.
We threatened down the right with Tom Parish in good form, but for most of the game Curley Park defended well and there were very few clear cut chances. It was the same for Curley Park, whose best chances came from shots from distance, these were handled well by Jordan Withall in goal. We felt we didn't deserve to go a goal behind, but it was no surprise that CPR's goal came from a shot from the edge of the box that we failed to block; what was pleasing was the boys' response - they didn't let their heads drop and got straight back on the attack, some nice passing led to Jordan Swain playing the ball through to Adam for his goal.
At half time we felt confident we could go on and get something from the game, but the second half seemed to go quickly and we created only a few chances mostly on the break. Curley Park got stronger as the game went on, but our players responded well and gave little away. A good all-round team performance.
MoM Kyle Kisko.