Under 11s Fixtures/Results

Match reports -

Saturday 9th April 2009
Central 9 v 3 Countess Wear Dynamoes

The Central boys put up a fine peformance against the team that finished second in the league. We have played this team before and knew that it would be a physical encounter. They came into this match expecting to beat us and got the shock of their lives.

After an even start for the first ten minutes the Dynamoes opened the scoring only for Brandon to reply within a minute to level the score. Central pressed on and controlled the remainder of the first half with two further goals from Charlie to make the score 3-1 to Central at the break. Countess Wear did not react well to the situation and lowered the level of the game with a combination of foul play and foul language.

The second half was all Central with our boys showing the 'better team' how to play the game. The combination of excellent passing combined with the pace of our attacking play and the determination of our players to protect the goal led to a further SIX goals. Edward scored two and Tom M four in a rampant second half performance. Late in the game when the Dynamoes realised the game was lost and they started to play football again instead of a foul mouthed combat sport they scored two late consolation goals.

All the Central boys should be proud of this performance which shows what is possible with a (nearly) full strength squad and a good approach to the game. This is a rare occasion on which I would like to say that every player was on the day our man of the match.

Make no mistake regardless of who is being promoted this season - THE BETTER TEAM WON!!!

Below is a copy of the match report written by Countess Wear on the league website. It's always nice to see the opposition view of the match.

Central 9 - 3 Countess Wear Dynamoes
09/05/2009
Already promoted Dynamoe's were second best for much of this game even though getting off to a great start through Jacob Chadwick. However it was Central who's better passing and higher workrate took charge of this game, and were soon 2-1 up.

The Dynamoe's were dealt a blow shortly after when Captain Corey Jones had to come off after a knock to the Knee, Dynamoe's certainly missed his presence in defence but credit must go to Central who's passing was causing the Dynamoe's problems all over the pitch. Central extended their lead to 6-1 before Nathan got one back for the Dynamoe's.

Central bagged a further 3 before Nathan scored another to bring the game to 9-3. Both teams hit the post/bar on several occasions and Curtis in the Dynamoe's goal pulled off a string of great saves in an effort to keep the score below 10. On reflection Central were by far the better team and Countess Wear were glad to hear the final whistle.

Last game of a very long season.

Saturday 25th April
Central 2 v 5 Twyford CUP SEMI FINAL

Twyford had the wind behind them at the start of the game and an early lead through the speed of their strikers.They quickly extended their lead to three-nil but then the play became more even and Central had some chances at the other end. There was no shortage of effort from the Central boys as they pushed on trying for a goal, running hard and putting everything into the game. Shortly before the break Twyford scored a fourth.

Right at the start of the second half Twyford scored again but at this point the tide turned. For half an hour there was chance after chance for Central with successive corners and fast breaks on goal. Edward broke from the Central half and went past most of the Twyford team before netting for the first of Central's goals. Shortly after Joe struck a great shot past their keeper for the second. Weaknesses started to show in the Twyford defense as they started to get nervous. If we had been closer at this point anything could have happened but they had enough goals to feel comfortable in the end.

This was an excellent effort from all the Central boys who outplayed the higher league opposition for much of the second half. In the first half we struggled to come to terms with the physical way the Twyford players approached the match but they learned to stand up for themselves as the game went on. The second half fight back showed lots of spirit and determination. Everyone should be proud of their performance. Four teams made it this far in the competition - twenty did not.
 

Saturday 11th April 2009
Central 5 v 4 Sidmouth Warriors

With only 8 Central players available on the day Sidmouth made the sporting gesture of making the game 8 a-side. This made for an interesting first half with lots of extra space on the pitch. There were some good passing moves and Central took an early lead with couple of short range strikes from Edward and Joe before Sidmouth struck back with a goal of their own. Shortly before half time Alistair was given room on the wing to make a cross which Edward netted for (apparently) his first headed goal.

After the break we stretched the lead to 5-1 with further goals for Edward and Joe. At this point we returned the sporting gesture by reorganising our team and pulling Ed and Joe back into defence which gave the Warriors new heart and they fought back strongly with three goals despite strong and dogged defence from Central.

This was one of the most exciting and fun games I have seen this season. The sunshine helped. It was hard fought by both sides but with a good nature and both teams were on top for periods of the match. There were lots of goals and the result was in doubt until the final whistle blew. This is what we get up on a Saturday morning for.

 

Saturday 4th April 2009

Heavitree Comets 7 v 1 Central

With a full squad this would have been an even match. We won the home leg recently. Unfortunately with only nine players on Saturday this was always going to be a tough game.

Things looked good during the first half and despite pressure from the Comets the Central boys worked hard in defence. We showed a weakness in defending corners and after a couple of near attempts Heavitree took the lead with an unopposed header. We had few chances but despite this the team worked hard and Joe scored with an excellent free kick from a good distance. The small pitch was in our favour as we couldn't make any substitutions as players tired.

We had no fresh players to add at half time whereas the Comets had plenty. The second half started well with some strong defence before, ten minutes into the second half, the Comets scored twice in two minutes. Heads went down after this and we leaked goals regularly for the rest of the match. Some of their goals were well taken and unstoppable but with no substitutes tiredness was always going to be an issue.

All nine players worked hard on the day and although the result was fair the scoreline was cruel on our team after the efforts they made.

 

Saturday 28th March 2009

Central 3 v 3 Heavitree Rockets

The wind had a major part to play in this match but we did not play well!

The wind, luck, missing players, overconfidence (partly my fault) were all reasons but the main one was lack of teamwork. We didn't do any of the things that made us so successful over recent games.

First half we were not very good. Starting against the wind was really tough and made defending really hard. We were slow, passed poorly and deserved to be down at half time although three was harsh (including a horrible deflected goal). One of the few highlights of the first half was Jake working hard against the wind on the left wing and winning more that his fair share of the ball.

Second half - after the break everyone knew they needed to work harder and did. Almost immediately Oscar scored possibly his first Central goal (look for your name in the paper on Tuesday). Despite pressure we had a long wait for the next goal but eventually Edward scored before leaving it late to score his second and secure a draw.

No goals were scored by either team uphill against the wind.

Don't worry about it but hopefully we will play better that this next week.

 

Saturday 21st March 2009
Stoke Hill 0 Central 4
Cup Quarter Final

A strong team performance for Central in this cup quarter-final saw two goals each from Edward Taylor and Brandon Green to secure an excellent 4-0 win against opposition from a higher league.

Saturday 07th Mar 2009
Central 3-1 Heavitree Comets

Looking at the table beforehand you could see this was going to be an awkward match. The two teams were equal on points and on goal difference, only being separated by the fact that Central had scored more goals overall.

Heavitree used three defenders in the first half which gave Central plenty of possession and we started strongly with a number of attacks and chances on goal. The early pressure showed with Alistair scoring from close range as the Comets failed to clear the ball. Two minutes later a ball through the centre of their defence from Martin to Joe led to the second goal as Joe blasted the ball past their keeper.

Usually we would push on and score more goals from this position but there were no further goals in the first half despite chances for both teams. In many ways the teams cancelled each other out and although this was not the same as performances over recent weeks it was good enough for this opposition.

For the second half the Comets re-organised with a stronger midfield which left them open for a well finished break away goal by Edward. Our organisation was not so good in the second half and we surrendered the midfield to the Comets too easily. They had chances but could not get past our defence until late in the game when they pulled a goal back. It was too little too late for Heavitree as Central took the win and the points.

Saturday 28th Feb 2009
Honiton 0 v 0 Central

Although there were no goals in this match it was not for lack of trying by each of the teams.

Honiton were the prettier side with some lovely passing football but they struggled with the final ball and despite some good shots and some worries in the Central defence were unable to score. Equally the Central team dug deep and fought well. Playing such a good team brought the best out of the Central boys and we also had chances on the break to score through the speed of our attacking play.

The defensive efforts of Scott, Charlie and Martin together with the two goalkeepers Tom McS and Oscar was fantastic and was vital in winning us this point. Everyone had to work hard and the first half lasted over 40 minutes with stoppages. The first half midfield of Oscar, Alistair, Ben and Martin started strongly and Ben gave his best performance so far for Central with hard work and some good passes. In the second half the midfield worked just as hard with Jake and Alex S giving us fresh legs when we started to tire. Because of the quality of opposition we were facing Edward, Joe and Tom Mc S didn't have the number of chances they often do but still worried the opposition. The Honiton defense worked just as hard as ours but our strikers kept the opposition spread out and avoided the all out attack that Honiton managed when we played them last.

As a team performance this was better than last week when we won so well because of the quality of the opposition and the determination of the Central team.

On the day the ball didn't fall right for the attackers on either team but this was no dull 0-0 draw.
 

Saturday 21st February 2009

West Hill Wasps 0 v 6 Central

Now that's more like it!!! Central were back to form this week in the second round of the cup with a strong performance against the team that beat us narrowly last week.

There was far more energy in the Central performance with more effort going into winning the ball and breaking up any West Hill attacks.

It was early in the game that Edward pressured the West Hill goalie, who had been brilliant last week, into an error which led to him scoring the first goal for Central. Shortly after Martin struck an unstoppable shot with the ball well outside the box into the side of the net. At 2-0 up the teams confidence grew and Joe's speed led to the third goal before half time giving Central a strong position at the break.

Out of goal for the second half Tom McShane scored the fourth with a calmly finished goal with the outside of the boot. The fifth was scored by Tom Hart with a strong shot through a crowded goal area. Charlie finished off the scoring with a well taken goal in the last minutes of the match after having served well in defence for much of the game.

For the second time in three games we had six goals from six different goal scorers.

Both of our goalies on the day , Tom McShane and Alex Davison, deserve praise as nothing got past them on the day. There was one late clearance off the line by Martin which guaranteed the clean sheet. The first half defensive performance was far stronger this week with Alex and Harlan starting off well and Charlie coming on later. Going in at half time with a clean sheet was a real boost to all. Oscar worked hard in midfield and fell back well in the first half to help out the defence when needed. Jake made the West Hill attackers work hard to get past him and made a couple of really good passes in the second half which led to Central attacks. Alex S worked hard in the midfield and filled an unfamiliar role as a defender towards the end of the game when we restructured for some late substitutions.

The Quarter-final of the cup will be played on Saturday 21st March 2009 - we will be away to Brixington United (Currently 6th in the First Division) who beat Stoke Hill Juniors' to into the next round. It will be a hard game but on our day we could win it!!!
 

Saturday 14th Feb 2009
West Hill 2 - 1 Central

It was clear that the couple of weeks off for our players due to weather had an affect on the way the game was played. The game was untidy with both sides playing some scrappy football. All the work on tackling and passing had been forgotten and we gave the ball away too cheaply.

Despite this the game was very even with the first goal being scored from an unstoppable looping shot which went over everyone into the top corner of the Central net. Central had some chances and the West Hill goalie was their best player on the day with some excellent stops.

In the second half Central regrouped and Joe scored a great goal after dribbling the ball past the opposition goalie. The tide had turned and it looked like Central would push on for the win before a last minute goal from a deflected corner dashed all hopes for Central.

This game needs to be put behind us and next week we need to play the football we did against Alphington or even Countess Wear when we lost but were alert, quick to the ball and did the basics of tackling and passing better.

Saturday 24th Jan 2009
Central 6 - 0 Alphington

Alphington, unbeaten in the league to this point, started well against a full strength Central side and dominated for the first ten minutes of the match. Solid and occasionally fortunate defence from Central prevented any success from this early pressure and soon Central had some chances of their own. Harlan and Alex D. in defence from the start were solid and worked hard to protect Tom McS in goal for the first half.

Gradually our midfield started to win better possession and the passes through the middle to our strikers started to worry their defenders. The opening goal for Central came after Alphington failed to clear the ball and Martin made some space on the edge of the box before shooting into the bottom corner of the net. Shortly after Edward scored following a penalty which was well saved by the keeper but slotted home from the rebound. The Alphington defence struggled with the pace of the breaks by the Central forwards and the next goal came in the form of an own goal from a dangerous cross with two Central strikers waiting for the ball in the box. Again the speed of the Central front men was key for the fourth goal as just before the break Joe broke from halfway and expertly committed the keeper before sliding the ball into the net. All the midfielders in the first half Alistair, Tom H, Scott, Martin and Alex S worked really hard to win the ball and make the most of it.

Central were prepared for the early onslaught from Alphington at the start of the second half and again we rode our luck with the ball hitting the side netting of the Central goal a number of times. But again we held firm and soon started to break causing Alphington more problems. Our second half line up had less pace than the first but plenty of strength and determination and again Alphington failed to deal with the Central breaks. Ben and Oscar joined Tom McS and Alistair in the midfield with Charlie partnering Edward up front. Jake and Martin started in defence with Alex D in goal for the second half with Scott replacing Martin after ten minutes of the second period.
Tom McS did what the opposition had failed to do by scoring from a wide position with a lovely chip over the keeper. Charlie completed the Central scoring with a break through the centre of the Alphington defence before finishing well.

At times we were lucky but much of that luck came from determined defence pushing the Alphington attacks wide and making them shoot from tight angles. Defensively this was an excellent performance by all or players which despite some scares gave us our first clean sheet since Sidmouth in September. Alphington certainly had some chances they should have scored from particularly in the closing minutes of the game when the ball rolled slowly in front of the Central goal. Overall the number of shots by each team were probably about even but most of the Alphington ones were off target and the Central boys finished well with five different goal scorers (and others had chances!!!).

Saturday 10th Jan 2009
Countess Wear Dynamoes 4 v 1 Central

With our two top goal scorers so far this season unavailable this was always going to be a tough match. Despite the result there was a huge effort made by the Central players.

The first half started very even with chances at both end of the pitch. Joe Tom McS and Charlie made long breaks into the Dynamoes half and kept the pressure on the opposition. Harlan and Scott worked well together in defence crowding their players and slowing down their attacks. Despite chances for both sides in a hard fought first half the finishing of the Dynamoes was better and they held a 2-0 lead at the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern with Central again having more chances but Countess Wear scoring a third goal. Martin pulled one back for Central with a well judged first time shot from a corner crossed into the box by Tom McS.

The Dynamoes made the game safe with a fourth goal with a few minutes remaining.

Countess Wear are doing well in this league and we did very well against them even though we didn't win.

Saturday 14th December 2008
Feniton 3-6 Central

After an even start to the game Central scored twice with a break away goal from Edward Taylor followed shortly by an excellent headed goal from Martin Porter. The Hornets scored next but a long range shot from Tom Hart found the net giving Central a 3-1 lead at the break.

Central scored the next three goals with Edward Taylor scoring a second, Joe Chamberlain and Charlie Brill making the game safe. Feniton scored twice in the closing minutes but too late to affect the result.

 

Saturday 22nd November 2008
Heavitree Rockets 3-8 Central

Central started strongly on a tight pitch passing the ball about well and soon found success with a strike from Scott Bochenski giving him his first goal for Central. Martin Porter scored twice, once with each foot, stretching the lead and putting Central firmly in control. Alistair Thomson scored before the break making the score 4-0 to Central at half time.

Heavitree pulled one back early in the first half but Central responded straight away and despite some fight from the Rockets two second half goals from Alistair Thomson to complete his hat-trick and two for Brandon Green including an excellent free kick made this game safe at 8-3.

Saturday 08th November 2008
Central 7- Alphington 3

 

Saturday 25th October 2008
Central 2-6 Honiton

After a hectic first ten minutes Central had a two goal lead against an excellent Honiton team. The first a well taken breakaway by Edward from a through pass by Alex S, the second an own goal by a Honiton defender trying to clear an excellent cross again from Edward. Honiton kept up the pressure on the Central goal and were level at half time, one of the goals coming from an unstoppable deflection.

The second half was more one sided with the Central goal nearly always under attack. There were occasional breaks by Central but Honiton controlled the midfield and it needed all the Central team in defence at times to keep the total conceded down to six

There was lots of effort from the Central team which is always good to see but not the teamwork which is usually one of our best points. Our passing was not up to the usual standards with players holding onto the ball too long and getting into trouble – something for us to work on in training over the next two weeks.

 

Saturday 11th October 2008
Westhill Wasps 4 - 6 Central

The game started evenly with West Hill playing well and controlling the first ten minutes. The next ten minutes however decided the game with Central scoring three times with Brandon Green scoring twice and Alistair Thomson netting with a powerful shot from a tight angle. West Hill fought back and scored from a well taken free kick just before the break.

Central remained strong in the second half with Brandon Green completing his hat trick and Tom McShane scoring twice either side of a second for the Wasps. At 6-2 there were some late substitutions which left gaps in the Central defence. Good finishing from the Wasps saw them score twice in the last five minutes to make the final score 6-4.

Saturday 27th September 2008
Sidmouth Viking Warriors 0 - 10 Central

What a difference a week makes!

A spectacular performance from the team with 8 (EIGHT) first half goals. Edward Taylor had five, Brandon Green two and Tom Hart one at the break. It wasn't just the goals though but the way the team played. Every pass seemed perfect, every tackle was won and the goals came. We owned the middle of the pitch - it was the 'Perfect Storm' that wrecked the Viking longboat. The confidence coming from defence and the control of the midfield the made the chances which became goals.

For the second half we changed the team around with substitutions and positional changes but Tom Hart netted twice more to get his hat-trick.

This was the biggest win I know of for this team and will be a hard act to follow.

Although we have played an extra game to some teams the goal difference from this game has put Central upto second in their league. We currently hold the records for biggest away defeat and biggest away win!

Saturday 20th September 2008
Alphington 6 - 2 Central

With only eight players against the full team of Alphington this was always going to be a struggle against a team who we are usually well matched with.

Although the first half was played almost entirely in the Central goal area the score remained goaless for a long time. Alphington hit the post and bar on a number of occasions and everyone worked very hard. Alex was excellent in goal holding onto everything especially as the goals are a lot bigger this season. Scott was a confident last line of defense. Towards the end of the first half Alphington had their breakthrough and with the games being longer this year had time to get to 3-0 by half time.

Even though tired the second half for Central was much stronger. Charlie moved back into defense which helped strengthen it. Oscar made a number of his good sliding tackles to win back the ball in midfield and after another goal from Alphington Jake played a pass down the right wing which gave Edward room to break through, run half the length of the pitch before scoring. At 4-1 spirits were lifted again. Ben made some crunching tackles and Alistair never stopped trying to get the ball back from the opposition. Alphington scored again. Edward made another run into the opposition half and again scores. Although happy with the goal the Central team had no energy left to give and Alphington scored again with the last kick of the match.

With only eight players on the field and no substitutes for injury or tiredness this was a brave performance from the Central team. It is never fun to lose but all the players should be proud of the efforts they made. In the second half when we should have been at our weakest the score was 3-2 to Alphington which is fairly even. Special mention to be made for Alex Davison who was brilliant in goal and Edward Taylor who took his two goals very well. Also to Scott Bochenski who played well in defense for the whole game.

Looking back over previous years we always start slowly so this is nothing to worry about. There are no teams in our league that we can't beat.

Next week is an away game at Sidmouth. I will pass on details as soon as I have them. Last year I sent most of the team to the wrong ground!!!

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2007/8 Results here

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