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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Goring Robins
(Chiltern Minor Football League Lafarge Aggregates Trophy Final for Under 10's played at AWE Aldermaston, kick-off 11:30, Referee: Alex Jarratt )
Report:
A mild day, overcast with the occasional few drops of rain made this an ideal day for the players but not exactly what the supporters would have preferred. If you look at the pictures (which are usually posted with the report) you'll notice that one picture has Rovers in their white strip and the other pictures shows them in their normal black/red hoops. To explain: Rovers played the match in the white strip but swapped into the red/black for the pictures to promote their sponsors - and well deserved too!
1 st Half: Rovers started the match and both teams showed quickly how keen they were to impress themselves upon the other. Quick closing down, crisp tackles and little space for anyone kept the opening couple of minutes really tight. A good tackle by Goring saw Rovers get a throw down the right. A quick take by Partridge found Rose and he showed good skill and awareness, beat his man and sent a low drive past the Goring keeper to give Rovers the early lead.
Goring fought back after the restart and a break down their right-hand side saw a good shot which was in turn well saved by Watkins. Moving out from defence Dyer played a good ball up-field to Rose, he crossed to find Sheldon and he turned and fired from close range only to see his shot blocked by an alert Goring keeper but he could not hold onto the ball. Following in Sheldon managed to get another shot from even closer range but again the keeper made a good stop.
Continuing to look for an equaliser Goring started to press but Davies covered well, to shield the ball and allow Watkins to collect easily. Watkins, showing good presence of mind, then sent a long clearance up-field to Rose. He collected the ball well, controlled it and carried it forwards to slip it past the Goring keeper giving Rovers a two goal lead.
A couple of minutes later and Sheldon worked himself some room and fired a good shot towards goal only to see it blocked and ricochet back towards midfield. Here it was picked up by Partridge and he launched a long looping effort which cleared the keeper to put Rovers three goals to the good.
After the restart the game played backwards and forwards mainly in the middle of the pitch for a while with neither team able to gain any kind of advantage for long. Eventually a promising move by Goring was broken up by Ellis and, playing across the back, he picked out Partridge. Another good ball forwards by him found Sheldon, this time the keeper couldn't block the shot and Rovers got their fourth.
A couple of minutes later a long clearance by Watkins found Sheldon lurking again, this time the keeper tipped the shot around the post for a corner which was duly taken by Rose. As if to make up for the shot Sheldon met the corner well and headed home for Rovers fifth.
Goring worked a good move down the right-hand side from the restart. Good pressure by Dyer forced the attack wide, making the angle tight, and the shot was collected cleanly by Watkins. Another attack by Goring was smothered by Ellis, Dyer and Davies converging quickly. The ball out of defence found Partridge, he in turn played a superb ball forwards to Sheldon and he beat the keeper to net himself a hat-trick and take Rovers into the break with a six goal advantage.
2 nd Half: A change around at half time saw Davies and Ellis make room for Hinsley and Robbins respectively and both were straight into action. A fast move early in the second half saw Hinsley break well down the left-hand side and strike a good shot which went just over the bar. Robbins found himself working hard, but effectively, in defence.
Goring fought hard to carry the game to Rovers in the second half but it was Rovers who were first to make the better chance. Pressing forwards again, Rose tried to play a through ball to Sheldon. The defence blocked the pass but didn't clear their lines properly. Picked up by Hinsley he played a square ball to Partridge. His through-ball found Sheldon and, without any hesitation, he slipped the ball into the net for Rovers seventh.
Rovers had several further good attempts on goal over the next few minutes. A cracking long range effort from Dyer which went just over the bar, a well worked move ending with Partridge firing into the side netting and, from a long throw by Ellis, a great header by Robbins which went just past the wrong side of the post.
Goring too then had a brief spell of play which produced a couple of well worked efforts. A good run down the left resulting in a belter of a shot which skimmed the outside of the post and a quick break which looked dangerous but the shot was blocked and cleared.
With a couple of minutes left on the clock Ellis picked up a loose ball on the right-hand side of mid-field and started a looping run across to the left wing. He beat one man to get there and another as he closed on goal. His left foot struck a low drive and, with the slightest of deflections, the ball was in the net for another goal for Rovers.
Time was nearly up. Davies made a cross-field run out of defence for Rovers and found Ellis ahead of him. Again Ellis pressed forward, again he struck a cracking shot which, this time, was well saved by the keeper. A clearance by Goring into the Rovers half, a chase to collect and the final whistle is blown.
The final score was eight - nil to Rovers, a fantastic score line for them! An excellent finish to the season, third in the league and cup-winners too!
MOTM: This week the competition was as strong ever but outshining the rest, scoring no less than four goals, the award went to Brandon Sheldon. A massive well done to you Brandon, a fantastic achievement in what was a great result for the team! In fact I think an enormous 'well done to everyone' is in order this week: players, coaching staff, parents and supporters alike. The turnout at the final was superb, the support was vocal and positive all through the match and the team did the club and themselves proud.
The officials: I think a quick thanks to Alex Jarratt (the bloke in black...) is in order. He refereed a good clean game without a hitch (in my opinion at least) and when decisions were made they were concise and clearly explained - well done Alex. Also to the organisers, a big thanks to a well organised day, the weather may not have been what everyone wanted but hey, we can't have everything...
Barton Rovers U10B 8 vs 0 Goring Robins
Harry Rose (2,6)
Brandon Sheldon (16,18,20,28)
Ben Partridge (8)
Sam Ellis (39)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Nick Dyer
Ben Partridge (Captain)
Harry Rose
Sam Ellis
Brandon Sheldon (Man of the Match)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Benjamin Hinsley (Ellis 21)
Charlie Robbins (Davies 21)
Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Goring Robins
(South Chiltern Minor Football League Division 2 match for Under 10's played at Turnhams Farm, kick-off 12:00, Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: Another mild day, a little overcast and a gentle breeze, with soft ground from yesterday's rain giving ideal conditions for the game. Goring started brightly but Rovers pushed back, hoping to gain an early advantage. Neither team where able to better the other though and a good tactical battle began.
An early long range effort from Partridge, for Rovers, was well stopped by the Goring keeper. Several quick breaks by Goring ensured that Davies, Dyer and Watkins stayed alert in the Rovers defence. About mid-way through the first half Goring had a promising move with some good approach work but the final effort went wide.
At the other end Hinsley made a good run, coming in from the left. He struck an excellent shot which was well matched by the Goring keeper. Coming back through midfield Goring broke down their left and when trying to win back the ball Dyer took a knock on the ankle, causing his substitution, while his ankle was checked out.
A lot of work was put in by both teams through the centre of the pitch but as half time approached Rovers applied a spell of pressure. A break out of defence started with Watkins finding Davies on the right. A good ball down the wing to Sheldon allowed Rovers to gain ground and he in turn played a good through ball to Partridge. Beating his marker Partridge hit a powerful shot on target but the Goring keeper blocked well.
A minute later a long clearance by Watkins found Robbins who played a nice flick across to Hinsley. He too put a good shot on target but once again the Goring keeper blocked the shot to keep the scores level. From the clearance Goring had a chance but the through ball was just over hit and the ball ran harmlessly out of play. Half time and no score.
2 nd Half: As the game restarted Rovers battled a little harder and won more possession than they'd had in the first half. More importantly they started to move the ball around a lot more and created several good chances.
Dyer, moving out from defence, found Ellis on the left and he broke quickly passing his marker at speed. His shot looked good but was deflected wide at the last minute. A minute later Hinsley and Ellis combined well on the left and Ellis was frustrated to see his effort beat the keeper but bounce back off the post.
A long clearance by Watkins again found Ellis wide on the left. This time he beat his man and hit another powerful shot - this time over the bar. Keeping up the pressure Dyer, pressing forwards, found Ellis lurking wide. He in turn put in a great cross which Partridge reached well to knock in a great header and give Rovers the lead.
Rovers actually kept pressing forwards at every opportunity and Partridge was unlucky a few minutes later when, after a long throw from Ellis, he saw his effort bounce harmlessly away off the bar. But this was a game with two teams and Goring also showed that they could also find the back of the net. A good break by them left the Rovers defence at sixes and sevens and, with several men over, Joselyn shepherded the ball in to equalise with only a few minutes left to go in the match.
Rovers though bounced back quickly. A break from the back saw Davies make a good run down the right and his final ball across the area found Sheldon and he made no mistake to put Rovers back in front.
Goring pressed forwards from the restart and a poor Rovers clearance fell to Joselyn for Goring. He struck a good low shot which beat everyone and equalised for the second time in the game!
The game had moved into additional time and the pace had picked up too. Rovers won the ball in their own half and Sheldon took it forwards into the Goring half. He looked up and picked out Partridge who pressed forwards, hit a shot and beat the keeper to give Rovers the lead for the third time in the match.
While Goring pressed again to try and get on equal terms time was against them. For a minute or so there was more hard work by both teams to try and get the upper hand but the referee blew his whistle to leave the final score at 3 - 2 to Rovers. Four goals in the last four minutes - what a finish!
MOTM: This week competition was strong again - with the team putting in a good performance votes went to several different players. However, after counting all of the fingers, the vote went in favour of Ben Partridge. Well done Ben - Captain, winning goal-scorer and MOTM all in the same day!
Barton Rovers U10B 3 vs 2 Goring Robins
Ben Partridge (27,40) Joe Joselyn (37,39)
Brandon Sheldon (38)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Nick Dyer
Brandon Sheldon
Ben Partridge (Captain, Man of the Match)
Benjamin Hinsley
Charlie Robbins
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Sam Ellis (Dyer 15)
Unavailable:
Harry Rose
Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Newbury AFC
(Chiltern Minor Football League Lafarge Trophy sem-final match for Under 10’s played at Henwick Worthy, kick-off 13:30, Referee: Rob Davies)
Report:
1st Half: Weather wise, bright and sunny with a steady breeze which was much milder than we’ve had for the last several weeks – almost perfect conditions really. As the Newbury kit clashes with the normal Rovers kit, and Newbury had home advantage, Rovers today played in the away kit.
Newbury kicked off and found Rovers challenging them hard immediately. Quickly dispossessing Newbury in midfield Rovers had an early effort from Partridge but it wasn’t well struck and didn’t trouble the keeper.
For the first ten minutes or so Newbury found themselves pressed back inside their own half as Rovers tried, in vain, to fashion an opening. Several efforts were well worked in this time but none found the back of the net. Sheldon in particular worked tirelessly and he made sure that the Newbury defence had little rest.
Newbury too worked hard and eventually they managed to get quick break going. It was looking very dangerous until Dyer put in a superb blocking tackle to break things up. Coming out from their defence Rovers then had a nice move which started with Davies going forward and playing the ball down the line to Partridge. He in turn played through midfield to Rose and a nice lay-off from him came out to Ellis on the left. Ellis carried the ball inside the Newbury area and drove a fierce drive which could only be pushed out for a corner by the keeper.
Newbury replied with another quick break. It culminated in a great strike and was matched by a superb stop by Watkins in the Rovers goal. As half time approached Rovers had the upper hand but, try as they might, they could not get the goal they were looking for.
2nd Half: After the restart it was Newbury who pressed for possession and, having won the ball, they began a promising move which was smothered by an alert Rovers defence. Collecting deep within his own half, Dyer cleared well to Rose in midfield. Rose turned and saw Sheldon ahead of him, he picked him out with a well weighted pass and Sheldon slipped it past the Newbury keeper to give Rovers the lead.
Newbury restarted and tried valiantly to break through the Rovers defence but it held well. There were several minutes of action in the midfield area with neither team gaining any advantage and then around five minutes into the second half Hinsley came on for Ellis. As play restarted and Hinsley pressed forward down the left Rose, coming down the right from midfield, made a great cross which picked out Hinsley perfectly. He took the briefest of touches and launched a powerful shot which really left the keeper no chance whatsoever, his first touch and 2 – 0 Rovers.
For the ensuing few minutes Rovers kept the pressure up looking for a third. From a throw Sheldon found Robbins, he played a delicate pass back to Sheldon who sent a looping effort just wide.
Once again Newbury broke quickly from the back. Pushing forward in numbers they threatened to overwhelm the Rovers defenders but good covering by Dyer forced the ensuing shot to be rushed, in fairness it still forced a good save from Watkins though.
As the time ran down tired legs left more spaces. A long clearance by Rovers found Robbins lurking deep in the Newbury half. His touch was good and he let fly with a powerful shot which skimmed the outside of the post. The ball was still moving when the referee blew for time.
MOTM: This week’s winner was, I believe, unanimous amongst the spectators. Brandon Sheldon richly deserved the award this week after tremendous performance topped with the first goal. Throughout the match his performance and commitment where truly excellent – a big ‘Well Done’ to you Brandon – keep up the good work. Overall it was an excellent performance by the team this week, now everyone can look forward to the final on April 23rd (if memory serves).
Barton Rovers U10B 2 vs 0 Newbury AFC
Brandon Sheldon (21)
Benjamin Hinsley (25)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Nick Dyer
Ben Partridge
Harry Rose (Captain)
Sam Ellis
Brandon Sheldon (Man of the Match)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Benjamin Hinsley (Ellis 25)
Charlie Robbins (Partridge 30)
Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Kennet Valley Swords
(Chiltern Minor Football League Division Two for Under 10's Mini Soccer match played at Turnhams Farm, kick-off 11:00, Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: The temperature didn't look too bad and the sun was shining but the wind made it really cold this morning. This was going to be a big game for both teams, the Swords were looking to sew up the Division 2 title and Rovers were hoping to keep their hopes - albeit mathematically - alive too.
Swords started and both teams got going very quickly. Swords fashioned the first chance but the final shot ran out of strength and was easily picked up by Rovers keeper. At the opposite end of the park the story was the same, a well crafted chance but the shot didn't carry enough power to bother the Swords keeper.
Hard work by everyone saw the ball largely in the middle of the park or wide down the flanks - both defences held well. A harmless looking throw from Swords came into Rovers box and looked to be no threat but the clearance was not good. The ball fell to Holder-Charles who slotted past the Rovers defence to give Swords an early lead.
This galvanised Rovers some more and they pressed hard to get back on even terms but Swords defence coped and they kept breaking quickly when the opportunities arose. From a goal kick after one such Swords attack broke down Watkins rolled the ball out to Rose. He carried the ball through midfield and he picked out Partridge with a good cross-field ball. Partridge set himself well and struck a fierce effort which was well blocked by Swords defence but the ball came back to him, giving him another chance. This time he struck it sweetly and the ball sailed into the back of the net to level up the scores.
Rovers continued to have a good spell after the restart with an excellent save forced out of the Swords keeper by Ellis. From the resulting corner both Davies and Partridge tried for the header but neither could get enough on the ball to steer it in for another goal.
It was never going to all one way though and Swords ensured that Davies, Dyer and Watkins were kept busy at the back with Swords able to break very quickly through midfield. Robbins busied himself up front and made some good runs to pull defenders wide, but, in the run up to half time a series of efforts from Rovers were all seen to go just wide.
2 nd Half: Almost immediately after the second half kicked off Rovers had Ellis make a break down his customary left-hand side. He put in an excellent cross which beat the Swords defence and went right across the face of the goal narrowly missing the far post. So close! Minutes later more pressing forward by Rovers resulted in a goalmouth scramble which Swords again managed to work clear.
Swords then applied pressure of their own. Several good moves saw efforts go wide of each post. One of their breaks saw them win a free kick just outside Rovers area but the shot was not cleanly hit and Watkins collected easily for Rovers. More attacking saw Swords win a corner after some good covering by Dyer. The corner was not a good one and from it we saw probably the best move of the match.
Davies collected the corner and started bringing the ball out of Rovers box. He looked up and picked out Partridge with a good pass up field. Breaking quickly Partridge picked out Rose with another good pass to the opposite side of the pitch. Rose continued forward and, with everyone streaming into the Swords half, picked out Hinsley with another great pass. Hinsley's control was good, he turned and made himself room, he shot and it looped over the Swords keeper only to ricochet off the post! A fantastic move with some great football.
Minutes later Rovers again started from the back, this time Sheldon found Dyer in midfield. He in turn passed wide to Hinsely who, from wide on the left, floated a cross right into the middle of the Swords area. Partridge had already made up a lot of ground and flung himself forward but was unable to connect and the ball skidded away to safety.
Time was short for both teams and while tired legs where in evidence all over the pitch both sides still looked dangerous on the break. With only a minute to go, of normal time, Swords made a quick break wide down their right. From close to the corner flag a cross came in and just made it over the top of Rovers keeper. Davies ran in to try to clear but the ball trickled across the line to give Swords a late winner.
MOTM: This weeks winner is Ben Partridge, a great goal by him and a hard working performance throughout the game made him stand out many, many times. Well done to you Ben! A great team performance this week, it's obviously a shame to come out of the game losing but you all know how close the result was and there's always next week...
Barton Rovers U10B 1 vs 2 Kennet Valley Swords
Ben Partridge (9) Terrel Holder-Charles (4)
Unknown (39)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Nick Dyer
Ben Partridge (Man of the Match)
Harry Rose (Captain)
Sam Ellis
Charlie Robbins
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Benjamin Hinsley (Robbins 24)
Brandon Sheldon (Ellis 35)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Wrightchoice CSA
(South Chiltern Minor Football League Division Two for Under 10's Mini Soccer match played at Edenham Crescent, kick-off 13:45, Referee: Javies Catlyn )
Report:
1 st Half: The weather was bright and sunny with a gentle breeze - ideal conditions for the game - and both teams looked ready for action well before the referee blew to start the match. The league positions suggested that this should be a good game so when the ref blew to start the game everyone hoped it would turn out that way.
The opening exchanges in midfield showed that both teams had skill and ability to move the ball around and that the individuals were prepared to take other players on. In one of these exchanges Partridge came away with the ball for Rovers and looked up to find Dyer pushing forward. He played the ball through to him and seeing that he was clear on goal Dyer struck a belter of a shot which gave the keeper absolutely no chance. For Rovers this was just the kind of start they wanted, 1 - 0 up early in the match.
Wrightchoice did exactly what you'd expect and came back strongly. Some good work at the back by Davies and some excellent covering across by Sheldon closed down the Wrightchoice attack and the game settled down to some midfield battling with no advantage until Ellis won the ball on the left for Rovers. He made a good run and struck a fierce shot on target only to see an excellent save from the Wrightchoice keeper. Rovers pressed again and from a corner, whipped in by Rose, Partridge saw his header flash just past the post.
Straight back to the opposite end of the pitch and Wrightchoice, breaking quickly from a throw, were unlucky to see an effort hit just wide of the post too. Minutes later another effort from Wrightchoice was well caught by Watkins, in the Rovers goal, and he released Davies from the back. He went on a solo run down the right and was only stopped when he was fouled approaching the Wrightchoice penalty area. Rose took the free-kick and struck it extremely well. It had good pace, bend and height - and it cleared the wall as well as the keeper to put Rovers two goals up!
Wrightchoice restarted and put together several good attacks over the next few minutes one of which culminated in an excellent stop by Watkins in the Rovers goal. But as half-time approached another move for Rovers, starting from the back with a throw by Sheldon, would give Rovers just what they needed before the whistle. Ellis picked up from the throw and went on a familiar run down the left. He did well to push the ball past his marker and closed on goal. With defenders closing in on him quickly he picked his spot and fired across the keeper to the far post giving Rovers a three goal advantage at the break.
2 nd Half: Wrightchoice really pressed hard after the restart and they had several efforts which were either really well stopped by Watkins or missed by the smallest of margins. In the middle of this good spell for Wrightchoice Rovers did still threaten though, Rose picking up on the right also drew an excellent save from the Wrightchoice keeper.
But Wrightchoice kept the pressure up and in the 28 th minute Corbin-Chandler got away on the right and put an excellent strike past Watkins to bring his team truly back into the game. The impact of the goal actually galvanised Rovers back into life, they stepped up their game a little and for some minutes there was a lot of action in the middle of the field with little advantage to either team.
After one exchange Rose picked up a ball from a throw on the right and started down the wing. He was clipped by a defender and awarded a free kick. He took the kick himself and floated in a good cross which fell eventually to Dyer, he fired at goal but his shot was blocked and a corner was given. Ellis went to take and he in turn floated in a good centre which fell to Rose. He hammered home a great shot which put Rovers 4 - 1 up.
The game went backwards and forwards from end to end and Robbins (on for Dyer) showed great skill, collecting, and then passing out to Ellis to try and get another goal scoring chance for Rovers. Hinsley made himself busy trying to get in on the act and he combined well down the left with Ellis only for his shot to go wide.
But it was the relentless attacks which Wrightchoice put together which looked the more threatening. Rovers defence worked overtime to try and shut down attack after attack but they could not stop some efforts getting through. It was then that Rovers were grateful for Watkins in goal. In the last quarter of the match he made some outstanding saves - one pushed over the bar, another superb one-handed push around the post - to maintain the three goal cushion through to the final whistle. While the result is what Rovers wanted it does flatter them today.
MOTM: Having had a steady first half but an excellent second there was little doubt about this weeks' man of the match: Aaron Watkins. He made some fantastic saves today which maintained the lead for the team and he ensured that they got the result that they wanted. Not the best overall team performance of the season but well done to everyone for grinding out the result.
Barton Rovers U10B 4 vs 1 Wrightchoice CSA
Nick Dyer (2), Devante Corbin-Chandler (28)
Harry Rose (11,32)
Sam Ellis (20),
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper, Man of the Match)
Jonathon Davies
Brandon Sheldon
Ben Partridge
Nick Dyer
Sam Ellis
Harry Rose (Captain)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Benjamin Hinsley (Partridge 19)
Charlie Robbins (Dyer 21)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Burghfield Bullets
(Lafarge Trophy match played at Mortimer West End Cricket Club, kick-off 10:00 , Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: The weather was threatening snow but both teams seemed oblivious as the kick-off for this Lafarge Trophy quarter final game loomed. Rovers made a good start in what proved to be a fantastic cup-tie - from a spectators' point of view. Rose breaking down the right pulled back a great ball to Partridge in the middle. He made no mistake to give Rovers just the start they wanted in the second minute.
Bullets looked momentarily stunned but restarted with gritty determination, contesting every ball and putting Rovers under pressure at every opportunity. Good work by the Bullets saw a good move down the right result in a cross but Davies cut out the danger for Rovers, clearing with a solid header.
Rovers took the game to Bullets too. Pressing down their left they won a throw, Ellis put the ball into the Bullets area and Bullets defence tried to clear but the header was misdirected. Rose latched onto the ball quickly and was unlucky to see his shot flash right across the goal and past the wrong side of the post. More Rovers pressure again saw Bullets unable to clear. This time Hinsley stepped forward and fired a great shot which also finished just wide.
But Bullets fought hard to clear their lines and after pressing forward again they found themselves with several players in the Rovers box and this time it was Rovers who were unable to clear their lines. After a bit of a goal mouth scramble it was McTaggart for Bullets who got the touch which levelled the game.
Bullets tried to keep their momentum going by pressing forward after Rovers restarted but Dyer and Davies covered well and started Ellis on a run down Rovers left. He made a super solo run but was unable to get the final shot on target.
Rovers pressed to get back the lead and a super through ball from Partridge found Hinsley, he struck a great shot which was equally well saved. The rebound fell to Rose who, following in quickly, also struck a good shot on target but again the Bullets keeper saved well.
With half time fast approaching Rovers found themselves starting from the back. Watkins playing in his more familiar goalkeeping role played the ball out to Davies who started down the right wing. He pushed the ball through midfield to Rose and he in turn found Partridge, he made himself room and hammered a shot which was well blocked by Bullets defence. The rebound fell to Hinsley - he too fired a cracking shot towards goal but again it was well blocked by the defence.
Wrapping up it was an excellent first half with both teams trying to get the upper hand. With the scores level the spectators looked forward to the second half...
2 nd Half: Can't be sure what was said at half time but Rovers came out for the second half raring to go. From the kick-off they looked hungry to get the lead back and it didn't take long. Ellis broke down the left, beat one man and sent in a looping shot which gave Bullets keeper no chance, 2 - 1 to Rovers with nearly a full half left to play.
Rovers followed up with a good spell which saw Rose work a good little run down the right, play the ball inside to Dyer, who made a good run to collect, but he was unable to get his shot on target. Minutes later Rose was again pushing forwards, this time through the middle. He played the ball out to Ellis on the left and he returned the ball to Rose, with a great cross, but once again the final shot went wide.
Sheldon, having subbed on at half time, covered well in defence, and won a throw. He took it quickly and found Ellis, he turned, beat a defender and struck another shot only to see a Bullets defender block it.
From return pressure by Bullets, Sheldon again found himself winning the ball deep in his own half. He took a touch, looked up and played the ball down the line to Ellis. He broke the tackle that came in on him and played a superb ball into Rose, he fired in a shot which gave the keeper little chance. 3 - 1 to Rovers with plenty of time remaining.
Bullets restarted and, with plenty of encouragement from their supporters, pressed back on Rovers. Their efforts quickly gave them the reward they where looking for when, with a long range effort from the left, a looping shot from McTaggart, went over the Rovers keeper to bring back the scores to 3 - 2.
This time it was Rovers who restarted and had their supporters screaming them on. It worked for a while as another good spell ensued. Rose played a good square ball to Partridge, he in turn put Ellis through nut he couldn't get his shot on target. More pressure followed, Rose floated in a good dipping corner from the right, Davies came in to meet it and was unfortunate to see his header flash wide.
Bullets returned the compliment. A good break by them down their left and a great cross to the back post. Luckily for Rovers the flick went wide. A long clearance by Rovers was collected by Robbins, he controlled well, turned and beat his man. His pass found Ellis steaming in from the left and he cracked another shot - just wide.
As the game drew to a close Rovers applied more pressure. Robbins made himself some room in front of the bullets goal, he shot, Bullets blocked. The clearance only got as far as Rose, he hammered it back at goal, 4 - 2 to Rovers.
And that was the final score.
MOTM: It was back to split decisions again this week. The whole team again played really well and after much deliberation the award went to Jonathon Davies. Well done to you Jon! Keep playing the good passing game guys, when you move the ball around as you did today you'll always make lots of chances. When you make lots of chances some of them are bound to go in...
Barton Rovers U10B 4 vs 2 Burghfield Bullets
Ben Partridge (2), Rory McTaggart (11,32)
Sam Ellis (10),
Harry Rose (30,40)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies (Man of the Match)
Sam Ellis
Ben Partridge
Nick Dyer
Benjamin Hinsley
Harry Rose (Captain)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Charlie Robbins (Dyer 27)
Brandon Sheldon (Hinsley 21)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Goring Robins
(League game played at Sheepcot Field, Goring, kick-off 10:30 , Referee: Ian Deverill )
Report:
1 st Half: A cool overcast morning with a much colder feeling breeze saw Rovers in Goring to play them for the first time this season - the first game having been postponed back in October last year if I remember correctly. An interesting pitch at Sheepcot Field with both teams playing across a slope.
Goring kicked off and Rovers forwards immediately pounced and won the ball. A good take and knock forward by Rose found Partridge who was through on goal. He fired home past a stunned Robins' keeper to give Rovers the lead in only 12 seconds.
A restart found both teams fighting in the mid-field areas to gain control of the game and for the next couple of minutes there was nothing between them. It was a good tackle by Rose that made the difference though, he came away with the ball and, once again, played a great through-ball to Partridge. He in turn showed no hesitation whatsoever as he slotted home his second of the day.
Robins restarted and showed a lot of determination to get back into the game. A spell of pressure by them, starting on their right hand side, saw Dyer and Ellis working hard in defence causing Robins attacker to shoot wide. The next Robins attack was more central and it was Davies' turn to close down the attacker, forcing him to shoot over the bar. They came again, this time down the left, and it was Watkins in goal who saved well to maintain Rovers' two goal advantage.
Rovers did not allow themselves to be overwhelmed. They came back into the game with a good move starting from defence. Davies started a break down the right-hand side, he passed the ball down the line to Partridge. He cut the ball inside to Rose and he sidestepped his marker and struck a powerful shot on target - which was matched by a great save as the Goring keeper pushed the ball out for a corner.
Both teams resumed their attempts to control the game. Rovers broke down the right but an intercept saw Goring put the ball into touch. Partridge took a quick throw, into the Goring box, and found Rose. He turned, beat his man and fired another cracking shot towards goal. The Goring keeper dived and blocked well but could not control where the ball went. Hinsley followed in for Rovers, he gave the keeper no chance to put Rovers three goals up.
Goring kept their heads up and came straight back at Rovers. Winning control in midfield they pressed forwards. They played the ball through and their lone attacker collected, he turned, broke a tackle and was through on goal - an excellent shot beat the Rovers keeper to put Goring back in the game.
Rovers then had an excellent spell of pressure. From a corner Partridges' header went just past the post - denying him his hat-trick. A minute later a throw-in by Ellis found Partridge again lurking in the Goring area. This time he made no mistake with his shot, giving him his hat-trick and restoring the three goal advantage again.
Moving closer to half-time a Goring attack broke down and Davies again played the ball out of defence to Partridge. He carried the ball forward into the Goring half and cut inside playing a good pass through to Dyer. Dyer took a touch and made space for the shot - a really cracking effort which drew an excellent save from the Goring keeper.
2 nd Half: After the break Rovers pressed forward at every opportunity. A break down the left by Hinsley saw him beat his man well and deliver an excellent cross, equally well matched by the Goring keeper. Again on the left, a quick throw by Hinsley gave Dyer another chance on goal, another great shot - another excellent save.
Goring worked hard to prevent Rovers coming through the midfield and both teams found it harder to make chances throughout the second half - but it didn't stop all of them. A great ball by Partridge found Rose, good control and a ball on to Dyer, a touch by him and another shot just wide. Goring too surged forward but a great interception by Sheldon, and a great lay-off to Rose, kept them at bay.
The game still had plenty of time to run and another break down the left by Goring saw Rovers defence pushing the attackers wide, this in turn forced the shot to be taken from long distance and as a result it flew wide.
Rovers came back from defence again, Davies up to Rose, then to Partridge another shot - blocked, Ellis following in for the rebound but shot wide. More pressure from Rovers, Ellis wide to Davies then knocked through to Rose - he turns and shoots but it's blocked. Ellis, following in again, shoots on target only to see a great stop - pushed around the post for a corner.
Rose takes the corner and Goring put the ball out for another. Rose takes it again, this time his cross finds Partridge - no mistake from him as he nets his fourth of the day.
With time running out Goring tried again to put Rovers under pressure. Some good covering by Davies and Sheldon was not enough to stop a shot and Watkins was forced to make a good save. As time continued to run out for Goring, Rovers finished strongly. Pressing forwards again another corner by Rose found Robbins at the near post but he was unable to put his shot into the net.
From the resulting clearance there was no more action as the referee blew for time. A fantastic result for Rovers B team, finishing 5-1 winners.
MOTM: A very sharp shooting Ben Partridge took this weeks' award. He showed great ability and determination with each of his goals as well as being everywhere on the pitch to get involved in all aspects of the game. A fantastic game from you today Ben, see if you can do better next time maybe? All joking aside, the whole team showed how well they can play by putting together some great passing again today. Keep in mind how the great passes split open the opposition - and remember how easy passes can be to play!
Barton Rovers U10B 5 vs 1 Goring Robins
Ben Partridge (1,3,15,35), Unknown (12)
Benjamin Hinsley (10)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Sam Ellis
Ben Partridge (Man of the Match)
Nick Dyer
Benjamin Hinsley
Harry Rose (Captain)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Charlie Robbins (Dyer 27)
Brandon Sheldon (Hinsley 23)
Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Barton Rovers U10C
(League game played at Turnhams Farm, kick-off 11:30 , Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report: 1 st Half: Both teams started off fighting hard to impose themselves on the game and gain an early advantage but it was the C team who pressed hardest in the early moments. Good pressure by them ensured that Dyer and Ellis, in the B team defence, were kept on their toes and Watkins, in goal, also had to stay alert to the dangers.
The B team were not held under pressure very long though and they quickly turned the tables to put on some pressure of their own. A corner by Rose saw Partridge take the ball early only to see his effort go wide. Another corner, this time by Ellis, fell towards Robbins - he turned and hit a volley but it went just wide too. A long throw by Rose almost found Robbins again but, stretch as he might, he couldn't quite connect. Another corner by Rose, this time finding Partridge in the middle, rapidly being closed down he passed to Hinsley - he struck a good shot but the keeper was equal to the effort and saved well.
It was a good period of pressure by the B team and, unsurprisingly, something had to give. Another corner, Ellis takes. A good in-swinger seemed to take the goalkeeper a little by surprise and while he tried to keep the ball out his touch was not strong enough and the ball was in the back of the net, 1-0 to the B team.
After the restart the C team tried hard to break back for an equaliser but the B team worked harder and started applying pressure again. Yet another corner, taken this time by Rose, was attacked early by Partridge but his header flashed wide. Another long throw, by Ellis, came back to him from a defender - he made himself some space and struck a shot which also went wide.
From a clearance Rose collected in midfield he moved forward into space, he hit a good shot which beat the keeper to put the B team two goals to the good. Minutes later another clearance was picked up by Rose. This time he drew a defender and then played a good through ball to Partridge. He in turn made no mistake and hammered home a third.
From the restart the C team upped their game. In the run into half time they had several good breaks which the B team defence coped well with. On their first break it was Ellis who covered well in defence dropping back quickly to snuff out danger. A minute later a break down the right-hand side saw a cross well cut out by Watkins. Almost immediately another break down the left saw Dyer forcing his attacker wide but he still managed to get in a shot and Watkins once again stopped well.
In response the B team broke down their left. Rose played a long ball to Hinsley. He cut inside his man and, unfortunately, shot wide. Another quick long ball found Rose. He turned and played a lovely one-two with Robbins only to see his shot well blocked by the defence. The half time whistle went and both teams quickly gathered for drinks.
2 nd Half: The game restarted exactly as you'd expect with the C team redoubling their efforts to get back into the game. A good break down the right-hand side by them and a good effort, which was only just wide, made it obvious they were still in the game.
The B team had ideas of their own though and they weren't easily going to give ground or advantage. They too pressed forward and from another corner, by Ellis, Partridge again took an early header and was again unlucky to see the ball just go wide.
After another C team break was broken up Dyer found himself with the ball deep in his own half. With space in front of him he started forward and made an excellent run - his final shot just passing around the wrong side of the post.
A minute later Davies, on for Hinsley at half-time, sidestepped a defender and saw his shot pushed out by the keeper for a corner. From the corner some nice passing stopped at Partridge - he fired in a good shot which finished in the back of the net to make the score 4-0 to the B team.
The C team came straight back looking to close the gap and a good effort by them drew an equally good save from Watkins in the B team goal. Minutes later at the opposite end of the pitch Ellis took a good long throw which fell into the middle of a crowd of players. Several players from both teams tried to get a foot on the ball but it was Rose who connected and he forced the ball into the net for his second of the day to bring the score up to 5-0.
As the game entered it's final 10 minutes the B team kept pressing forwards. A corner by Rose was well met by Ellis but his header went wide. Another attack saw Rose put an excellent ball through to Partridge whose shot was well struck but blocked. Following in though was Davies, he made no mistake with his shot and set the score at 6-0.
There were more attempts by both sides in the final few minutes and the C team efforts saw some great work in defence by Robbins and a couple of good diving takes by Watkins. At the other end the C team made good stops from Davies and Hinsley but there would be no more goals today.
MOTM: Another great B team performance with excellent work put in by all players - as usual - but we have to have a winner and this week the voters selected Nick Dyer. Very well done Nick! Good games were had by all and the hard work is paying off. Keep up the good work - all of you.
Apologies for my camera this week, I thought I'd charged the battery (maybe I had...) but I did get a MOTM photograph of Nick a little later in the day - after the battery was recharged of course - and that is why he is not in his match kit.
Barton Rovers U10B 6 vs 0 Barton Rovers U10C
Sam Ellis (8),
Harry Rose (13,28),
Ben Partridge (16,24),
Jonathon Davies (33)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Nick Dyer (Man of the Match)
Sam Ellis
Ben Partridge
Harry Rose (Captain)
Benjamin Hinsley
Charlie Robbins
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Jonathon Davies (Hinsley 20)
Unavailable this week:
Brandon Sheldon
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Caversham, AFC Cobras
(League game played at Highdown School , kick-off 11:00 , Referee: Atul Patel )
Report:
1 st Half: A nice cool morning with the sun shining to brighten things up a little saw both teams lined up and looking ready for the game. A prompt start saw early attempts by both teams to take control of the midfield area but it was five minutes into the match before we saw the first real attempt on goal.
A break by Rovers down the right - started by Partridge, he passed inside to Robbins, a lovely flick-on found Rose in space and his snap shot flashed just wide. In reply Cobras broke quickly down their left, a quick move inside saw them shoot wide too - game on!
The game livened up from this point and Rovers pressed again. This time it was Hinsley, wide on the left, who put in a great cross which just drifted out of play. Cobras countered again. This time down their right and good covering in defence, by Davies and Sheldon for Rovers, made sure that Ellis stayed untroubled in goal.
The game kept rolling and Rose moved over to the right, he collected a clearance and made a solo run on the Cobras goal, he struck a strong shot which looked to have gone in but it had hit the side netting. Some good pressure by Rovers followed.
Partridge had a good effort well blocked by Cobras keeper, Robbins followed in on the rebound but his effort was also well stopped by the keeper but the ball rolled towards Hinsley and he was unlucky to see his shot go just over the bar.
Once again Cobras responded well. A quick break by them saw a long range effort from the left hand side also go over the bar. The game had certainly livened up with some really good end to end football. Cobras pressed again, good defending by Davies, who won the ball, and he started a Rovers counter attack down the right. He played the ball up-field to Partridge who in turn passed to Rose. He closed on the Cobras goal and struck a hard shot which screamed past the keeper to give Rovers the lead.
Good work after the restart saw Rovers again in possession. A fantastic intercept by Robbins and he played a good through ball to Rose, he closed quickly on the Cobras goal again and loosed another good shot but this time it curved - with a touch - past the wrong side of the post. Keeping up the pressure Rovers won a corner. Rose centred the ball and Davies connected with a thundering header which skirted just over the bar.
Cobras took the goal kick but it wasn't a good clearance. The ball was collected by Partridge, he took a touch and shot the ball back towards goal but not with a lot of power. The Cobras keeper misjudged the run of the ball and must of thought the ball was going wide - so he left it to run out - but to Rovers delight the ball crept inside the post to give them a two goal advantage going into half-time.
2 nd Half: Cobras started well in the second half pressing Rovers early to get back into the game but without any luck. Breaking out of defence after one such Cobras attack broke down Ellis (who had played the first half in goal and hardly had a thing to do) picked up a clearance from Dyer - he made a typical run down the left and got in a shot which just skimmed wide into the side netting.
Sheldon picked up well from one long clearance by the Cobras defence, he showed great control and played a great ball out to Ellis who was tackled and awarded a throw. Ellis took the throw himself, he put in a long throw which found Rose, he made a superb turn, striking the ball at the same time, and was unlucky to see the ball go wide of the post.
From the opposite side of the pitch Dyer took a throw in which found Rose, this time he turned and played the ball into the path of Ellis who hit another good shot but it lifted over the bar for a Cobras goal kick. Watkins, playing in an attacking midfield role, harried the Cobras relentlessly but wasn't able to get the space he needed to get a strike on goal.
Cobras still pressed to get back into the game and a break down the right saw an excellent cross missed by three Rovers defenders, their goalkeeper and two attackers to run out for a goal kick to the relief of Rovers supporters and the dismay of the Cobras supporters.
Rovers also kept pressing. Ellis beat his marker and centred an excellent cross which Rose took on the volley - the keeper really had no chance with this one - three-nil to Rovers and not long to go.
The game played out with some more good attempts by Rovers. The first was started by a good pick-up at the back by Davies. He put a good ball through to Rose who closed quickly on goal and his well struck shot was well saved - and held by the keeper. A minute or so later and another Ellis throw-in found Partridge, he made himself room for a shot and Cobras keeper made another fine save.
Both teams worked hard in the run up to the final whistle but there were to be no more goals this week. Final score Rovers 3, Cobras 0.
MOTM: Choosing a 'Man of the Match' has become the most difficult thing for supporters. It seems that every week there are excellent performances from everyone. After much deliberation the award went to Sam Ellis - and it was richly deserved. Not only did Sam have a good first half in goal he played in his more usual left hand side role in the second half and worked tirelessly right up to the final whistle.
Barton Rovers U10B 3 vs 0 Caversham AFC Cobras
Harry Rose (18, 33)
Ben Partridge (20)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Sam Ellis (Goalkeeper 1 st half and Man of the Match)
Jonathon Davies
Brandon Sheldon (Goalkeeper 2 nd half)
Ben Partridge
Harry Rose (Captain)
Benjamin Hinsley
Charlie Robbins
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Aaron Watkins (Robbins 23)
Nick Dyer (Hinsley 21)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Eastern Rangers
(League game played at Turnhams Farm, kick-off 11:30 , Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: Rangers kicked off and Rovers immediately started applying pressure to get the ball. Early to-ing and fro-ing saw both teams looking to impress but it was Rovers who got the break. Winning the ball in midfield Dyer played a good pass to Robbins, he in turn made space and fired a good shot which was blocked but not cleared. Hinsley, following in, snapped in a quick shot which beat the keeper to give Rovers an early lead.
Rangers came straight back and pressed for an equalizer, working down their right-hand side it took covering work by Davies, Ellis and Watkins to force the ball out for a corner. From the goal kick Sheldon (playing in goal this week) played a short ball to Davies. He set Watkins away down the right wing and his strong shot on the Rangers goal saw the ball pushed out for a corner too.
Rangers cleared the corner and started another fast break down the left. A great effort by their striker was greeted by huge sighs of relief by Rovers as the shot went wide. The game once again was flowing from end to end. Wonderful for the spectators and everyone shouted loud encouragement to their respective teams.
Another break by Rangers down the left saw Sheldon push the final shot around the post to give Rangers another corner. The corner was a good one and was not cleared by the Rovers defence. The ball fell to Towell, for Rangers, and he made no mistake, drilling a low shot past both the defenders and keeper to level the match.
From the restart the game flowed back and forth again. Watkins pressed again down the right for Rovers and yet again saw a good save by the Rangers keeper win only a corner. Ellis floated a deep cross into the box and it found Dyer. He had time, space and he used both to hammer in another goal for Rovers and retake the lead.
After collecting from another attempt by Rangers, Sheldon made a long clearance which found Robbins. In a promising move he beat his man and played a wide ball out to Dyer, he in turn mad space and crossed the ball where Hinsley collected, turned and was unlucky to see his shot well saved by the Rangers keeper. Moments later Hinsley and Robbins again combined well to set up another chance, this time it was left to Watkins to put the ball over the line and give Rovers a 3-1 advantage.
More great action by both sides ensued. A good move through the middle by Rangers resulted in a shot just wide of the left-hand post. A response by Rovers saw Dyer start down the left and pass down the line to Hinsley. He passed inside to Watkins and with no room to work ha passed to Robbins. His shot looked good but was tipped round the post for a corner as the Rangers keeper made another fine save.
Rangers again threatened down the left but good work by Davies and equally good covering by Ellis saw off the danger. Ellis in fact mounted a great solo effort down the left and was unlucky to have the ball 'bobble-up' as he struck it and he had to watch it drift wide. Covering in defence again Ellis took a knock a few seconds later and he was substituted off to be replaced by Rose.
Although it was near enough half-time Rose found himself quickly involved in the action. Defensive cover by him ensured that Rovers maintained their two goal advantage as the referee blew the whistle to finish what was an extremely exciting first half.
2 nd Half: The restart picked up where the previous half finished. Lots of hard work put in by both teams, each trying to work openings from which to score.
A good run by Watkins down the right led to a well weighted cross which found Dyer in the middle, he hit a good shot on target but Rangers keeper saved well to maintain the scores. Minutes later another move started but this time Dyer passed to Watkins, he in turn found Robbins and Robbins slotted home to put Rovers 4-1 ahead.
Rangers pressed hard but Rovers defence made it difficult for them. Shepherding the ball out and winning a goal kick on one occasion, Sheldon took and picked out Robbins - he made himself some space and closed on goal, his shot was good but the Rangers keeper, once again, saved well.
A minute later Rose collected the ball in front of his own goal and moved up-field. His long pass picked out Partridge, in space, and he took advantage of the time this gave him to fire home a great shot which left the keeper no chance, 5-1 to Rovers.
Rangers worked hard and they were rewarded a few minutes later when a good clearance by them found Spence with room ahead of him. He needed no second invitation and his run resulted in a goal that pulled the score back to 5-2.
Rovers continued to have to work hard in defence and a good interception by Davies started him on a run down the right. He saw Rose ahead of him and played a solid pass up the wing. Rose collected, controlled well and hit a vicious shot which dipped around the keeper leaving no opportunity for a save, 6-2 Rovers.
With around five minutes left to play one or two players looked a little tired. Ellis took full advantage and moving in from the left he struck a fierce shot which gave Rovers an unassailable lead at 7-2. Davies almost emulated him the following minute when after a great run out of defence his shot was deflected wide.
With the clock ticking down Robbins collected in midfield, he made a great little touch out to Dyer who closed on goal and he made the score 8-2. After the restart more end to end work by both teams kept the interest levels high for the spectators.
After another late effort was pushed out for a corner Rose stepped up. His corner floated into the middle of a mass of players and in the scramble that followed it was Ellis, for Rovers, who nailed the ball into the net. This made the final score 9-2 to Rovers.
MOTM: The decision for the supporters 'Man of the Match' was very difficult again. There were excellent performances from everyone but the decision went in favour of Charlie Robbins. Charlie was really at the top of his game, making some excellent flicks and passes as well as scoring and having a number of other attempts on goal.
Barton Rovers U10B 9 vs 2 Eastern Rangers
Benjamin Hinsley (2), Sam Towell (9)
Nick Dyer (12,37), Kyle Spence (28)
Aaron Watkins (17),
Charlie Robbins (23),
Ben Partridge (26),
Harry Rose (32),
Sam Ellis (35,40)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Brandon Sheldon (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Sam Ellis
Aaron Watkins
Nick Dyer (Captain)
Benjamin Hinsley
Charlie Robbins (Man of the Match)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Harry Rose (Ellis 19)
Ben Partridge (Watkins 24)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Thatcham Tornadoes
(First round cup-tie played at Douai Abbey Field, kick-off 11:30 , Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: Tornadoes started the game in cold foggy conditions. Rovers immediately won the ball though and an early link up with Hinsley, Rose and Dyer resulted in an excellent cross. Unfortunately for Rovers it was early in the game and no one was able to get on the end of it...
Tornadoes cleared and pushed back with an attempted through ball collected by Davies and passed directly up to Partridge. He played through to Rose who took a touch and struck a good shot which the keeper could only parry. Dyer followed in quickly but the keeper managed to collect the ball before he could get a telling touch.
A quick clearance saw a good through-ball to the Tornadoes attack and Watkins, Rovers keeper, moved quickly to put his body in front of the shot and make a good save. In a similar vein Rovers took their turn to break quickly down the right. Partridge made up ground and passed down the wing to Rose. He moved in on goal, with a tight angle, and drilled a low hard shot which crept past the Tornadoes keeper to put Rovers one goal up.
From the restart Tornadoes tried to redress the balance but good defensive work by Davies saw him make a good clearance which ultimately resulted in a corner for Rovers. Rose floated across a good cross which the keeper was unable to hold and the ball fell to Partridge. He slotted past the defence to put Rovers two-nil up.
Rovers fought hard to win the ball at every opportunity and after some good battling by Hinsley he played the ball forward to Dyer. Continuing to push forward Dyer passed to Partridge and he made himself some space only to see his shot blocked by the keeper. Rose was following up though and he reacted quickest to net himself another goal and put Rovers three up.
Ellis found himself breaking out of defence, down the left, and he was awarded a free kick after the referee blew for a foul. The free kick was taken by Watkins and it found Rose in the Tornadoes area, he shot, Tornadoes keeper dropped the ball and Dyer held his head as his shot went wide.
The remainder of the half was all action too. Some great link up play by Hinsley, Dyer and Ellis on the left was closed down by good work by Tornadoes defence. Davies, Rose and Dyer tried again down the right but this time the final touch went wide. Seconds later Ellis picked up the Tornadoes clearance and he made a great solo run, beating two defenders he was unfortunate to see his shot go just wide.
2 nd Half: The second half started with a repeating pattern from the end of the first. Davies made a good run out of defence and played an intelligent ball between the Tornadoes defenders. Dyer sprinted and stretched to reach it but didn't manage to connect.
On the left a long throw in by Ellis created something of a goal mouth scramble with several players from both sides swinging kicks but missing the bobbling ball. Eventually Hinsley connected with a strong shot which looked good but cannoned back off the post!
Quick changes saw Dyer and Rose take well earned breathers with Sheldon and Robbins replacing them. Both substitutes were quickly involved in the thick of things, Sheldon covering and winning back the ball and then playing a good pass up the field where Robbins collected, controlled well and was unlucky not to get his shot on target as Tornadoes closed him down quickly.
Tornadoes too fought back though and they had another good break. Quick thinking by Ellis and fast tracking by Davies saw the danger pushed to a tight angle and, although the shot was powerful, Rovers were happy to see it hit the side netting.
Watkins did not have too many saves to make today but he made his presence known by quick thinking on a number of occasions. A long clearance by him late in the game found Robbins. He spun off his marker and passed the ball out to Hinsley. He in turn beat his man and crossed where Partridge hit another shot just wide of the target.
More late pressure by Rovers saw Davies pressing forward and beating players before passing to team mates. On one of the last moves of the game Hinsley collected and showed good skills to make himself room for a shot. He struck the ball very well, and on target, but the keeper saved well - only just avoiding the ball going underneath him.
MOTM: Competition for the supporters 'Man of the Match' this week was once again really fierce. In the end there was a split decision with a joint award to Benjamin Hinsley and Jonathon Davies. The overall team performance was a credit to the hard work that the coaching staff and the boys have put in during training. The crisper passing with good one and two touch moves really is a joy to watch. Keep up the hard work guys - and don't forget training!
Barton Rovers U10B 3 vs 0 Thatcham Tornadoes
Harry Rose (4,8)
Ben Partridge (6)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies (Joint Man of the Match)
Sam Ellis
Ben Partridge
Nick Dyer
Benjamin Hinsley (Joint Man of the Match)
Harry Rose (Captain)
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Brandon Sheldon (Dyer 27)
Charlie Robbins (Rose 29)
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Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs Burghfield Bullets
(Match played at Mortimer West End Cricket Club, kick-off 10:00 , Referee: Gary Huntley )
Report:
1 st Half: A cold wind today but at least it wasn't raining, softer ground after the rain yesterday gave ideal conditions for the match. After the toss Rovers kicked off and pressed forward looking for an early lead. Rose got a long range strike on target but it was collected safely by the Bullets keeper.
Bullets responded by breaking quickly and looked to be through on goal until some hard running by Sheldon broke up the attack. Bullets worked hard though and quickly fashioned another good break. Slipping through the defence Watkins was forced to come out and he bravely slid in front of the oncoming attacker to clear the ball into touch.
Bullets continued a good early spell and just when it looked like Davies had broken up another of their attacks Bullets put a good ball through to their front man and he launched a good strong shot on target which, to the relief of Rovers supporters, was brilliantly saved by Watkins.
Within minutes and more pressure from Bullets another good save by Watkins. From the resulting corner Rovers struggled to clear and Bullets had a shot which cannoned off the post! There followed some good work by both sides in midfield resulting in Rovers staring to apply pressure of their own.
A good break down the left by Ellis was stopped when a foul gave Rovers a free kick. Rose stepped up and hit a low drive goalwards, everyone seemed to stand still and the slightest of deflections saw the ball in the Bullets net to give Rovers the lead.
Within a couple of minutes of the restart Robbins was making himself a nuisance for the Bullets defence and this resulted in a poor clearance being picked up by Rose. He sidestepped a marker and hit a good shot on target which the keeper could not hold. Partridge was following up though and he made no mistake slotting past the Bullets keeper to give Rovers a 2-0 lead.
Bullets tried to come straight back and this time it was good covering by Davies in defence who cleared into touch. More midfield battles resulted and in the run up to half time Partridge found himself in a little space and he pressed forwards on his own. Some good skill gave him room for a shot, which he struck well, but the Bullets keeper saved well and Rovers went into half time with a two goal advantage.
2 nd Half: After the break Rose had a couple of good successive efforts, the first one was blocked and came back to him, the second was well pushed out by the Bullets keeper for a corner. This was followed quite quickly by substitutions for Rovers and a bit of a shuffle of players and positions.
Bullets again started to press forward but good work in midfield by Dyer allowed Ellis to pick up and move forward into space. He looked up and played a good ball through to Rose who made no mistake, netting for his second of the day and the third for Rovers.
Rovers seemed to pick up a gear and after dispossessing Bullets a great move was started by Dyer. He put a good ball wide to Rose who in turn played a great pass across to Partridge. He made himself some space and struck a good dipping shot which was very well saved by Bullets keeper. Minutes later another through-ball found Partridge closing on goal, this time his low drive found the mark to give him his second goal and Rovers fourth.
Some good work to win back the ball in midfield by Rovers set up another good passing move which in turn left Bullets defence hard pressed and conceding a corner. From the corner the half clearance fell to Dyer, he fired a very strong shot in on goal but was frustrated to see yet another great save by the Bullets keeper.
Bullets broke quickly though but fast feet allowed Hinlsey to prevent any damage from being done. He returned the ball up into the Bullets half where they tried another quick clearance which was equally well covered by Davies on the opposite flank. He cleared to Ellis with a good pass into midfield. Ellis beat a man and moved forward into space, looked up and played a ball through to Rose. He had room a time and although he hit a good shot on target it was kept out by yet another great save by the Bullets keeper.
With the last couple of minutes to go Bullets continued to push forward at every opportunity. Another fast break by them split the Rovers defence and only a good save by Watkins prevented Bullets getting a consolation goal. He cleared up the field and the resulting attack saw the ball put out for a Rovers corner. Rose took the corner and it kept low and looked to be covered by Bullets defence but a deflection by one of them saw the ball trickle over the line for Rovers fifth.
The parents Man of the Match this week went to Ben Partridge, well done Ben - competition for this week was fierce with everyone playing well. Once again the overall team performance was excellent - at least from the supporters point of view. Let's carry this form through to the Cup game next week!
Barton Rovers U10B 5 vs 0 Burgfield Bullets
Harry Rose (9,25)
Ben Partridge (12,29)
OG (39)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Brandon Sheldon
Harry Rose (Captain)
Ben Partridge (Man of the Match)
Sam Ellis
Charlie Robbins
John Partridge (Manager)
Subs:
Nick Dyer (Robbins 24)
Benjamin Hinsley (Sheldon 24)
Barton Rovers U10B (Manager J. Partridge) vs AFC Newbury
(Match played at Tunrhams Farm, kick-off 12:30 , Referee: Simon Hinsley )
Report:
1 st Half: Newbury started the match and immediately Rovers closed in and won the ball. A good move followed, through the centre, and the ball came to Partridge who was unlucky, pushing his effort just wide. Robbins, back after his pre-Christmas injury, worked hard up front but could not work his way through some tight defending by Newbury.
Settling quickly both teams fought hard to win the ball and the football was fast and furious. One break by Newbury down the right saw a looping shot go just over the bar. Almost immediately Rovers stormed back down their left with Rose who played in a great cross. Sheldon collected, controlled well and struck a strong shot which drifted wide for a goal kick. From the kick the ball came to Rose who returned a shot which the keeper did well to save.
Newbury came back at Rovers again, a goods break by them saw a good through-ball split the Rovers defence and Watkins was forced to make a good save. Pushing back Rovers won a corner. Rose crossed and Partridge had a great flick which just went past the post.
A good spell by Newbury saw the defence under strong pressure. Dyer and Davies covered a lot of ground but could not stop everything. Watkins showed how good he is in goal with a couple of top class saves to keep Newbury at bay.
Rovers finished the half with successive efforts from Rose and Partridge but when the referee blew his whistle the score remained nil-nil.
2 nd Half: The start of the second saw Ellis on for Robbins and he went to work down the left. A good early cross by him found Partridge in the middle and his effort was well saved by the Newbury keeper. Newbury responded in kind and a two on one situation was well defended by Davies.
A good spell from Rovers started with Rose crossing from the right to find Ellis who in turn was unlucky to see his shot hit the side netting. From the opposite side of the field Ellis put in a great throw which found Rose. He also watched disbelieving as his shot went wide too.
Newbury defended well against more pressure with efforts from Partridge and Hinsley being both saved and pushed wide respectively. Another run down the left saw Ellis put in another ball into the danger area but he went over awkwardly, twisting his ankle, and Sheldon came back on to take his place.
Newbury then seemed to wake up again and a good break by them down their left saw a wonderful cross which was drilled wide to the relief of Rovers. A couple of minutes later a high ball aimed at the Roves goal was stopped but not cleared and following a bit of a scramble it finished in the back of the Rovers net. One-nil to Newbury and five minutes or so left to play.
Rovers tried to respond straight away. Good pressure followed and Rovers left a one man defence. A through-ball found Partridge but the Newbury keeper made a good stop. Rose made a good run and he found Hinsley, Ben sidestepped his marker and watched as his shot drifted wide.
With Rovers pressing forward it meant tired legs could not get back in time and good moves by Newbury saw them clinch the game in the final minute with two more goals to set the final score at three-nil.
The parents Man of the Match this week went to Harry Rose, well done Harry. Everyone worked hard again - the overall team performance was really good from the supporters point of view. Heads up everyone, lets look forward to the next game and learn what we can from this one - experience builds slowly - and there are a lot of positives to take away from this game.
Barton Rovers U10B 0 vs 3 AFC Newbury
Unknown (36, 40, 40)
Barton Rovers B lineup:
Aaron Watkins (Goalkeeper)
Jonathon Davies
Nick Dyer
Brandon Sheldon
Harry Rose (Captain and Man of the Match)
Ben Partridge
Charlie Robbins
Subs:
Sam Ellis (Robbins 20)
Benjamin Hinsley (Sheldon 25)
John Partridge (Manager)
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