Woodford Youth Football Club

After a defeat last week there is a commitment from Woodford right after the kick off in into the first half. Woodford managing to get the better of possession with Singh-Bassi making runs and Burgess shooting and just missing but although Woodford control possession and chances in the first half it is a tight match and its 0-0 at half time. However, Ferns do not convert possession into real threats and good defending and mid-field play holding the line. At half time its 0-0 and Woodford not converting their few chances. Our defence looks good—with Mendes, Okeniyi, Fricker and Cochrane working hard.  The second half introduces Irwin, a new signing on the right, and he immediately starts to create some extra pace and runs that threaten Ferns defence. Inter-play between Irwin and Mendes pushed Mendes ahead and a great short just wide of the top left hand corner. Then Burgess is through from a mid field ball played on and a great pass sets Constantinou through to score a great goal. Woodford are working hard and they are holding in mid-field and defence with some subs coming on and a few injuries (Warry coming on and then off after some great play on the left).Good play in the mid-field with defenders moving through –De Freitas-Sadiq, Thomas-Corridon and Ogodo and on the left from Cochrane, nice passing lads. A kick taken by Ferns goalkeeper drops to Haslam again its wide. Woodford are threatening and a free kick given. Okeniyi steps up to take this just into Ferns half. What a strike!! Over the goalkeepers head into the side netting great goals and its 3-0 to Woodford.  A great team effort but Constantinou’s finishing and Okeniyi’s free kick magic won the day.

Managers Notes; After 2 disappointing results, in games we should have won, the boys all pulled together today and produced a real battling display to take 3 points. Ferns, as always, were a tough opponent and with the game been played on a really heavy pitch the boys needed to work their socks off and they did not disappoint.  2 M.O.M’s today. Thomas-Corridon for a tireless display in midfield and for a big improvement in his use of the ball and De Freitas-Sadiq who made a great impact on the game when he came on with some great passes. More of the same next week please boys!

Match report:  CH

Woodford kick off and early on look to be ahead with possession. Thomas-Corridon making an early shot. But Woodford’s defence does not hold back a Loughton attack and they go 1-0 up. Then Woodford take possession again Singh-Bassi just missing and just after a foul to Woodford but the free kick is wide. Burgess making a run through chips to Constantinou who heads in –a great header this. Then 2 minutes later Burgess shoots and a deflection off a Loughton player and is 2-1 to Woodford. Running up to half time and Loughton again pull back to 2:2. After the kick off for second half its quite tight but just over half way through Constantinou again scores a great goal for Woodford and its 3:2 running to full time. Burgess makes a run through and slides the ball across to Singh-Bassi in front of the goalkeeper but its judged off-side by the referee. Just before full time Loughton pull it level and we are into extra time
The whistle goes for extra time but Woodford have given it all and tired legs let Loughton steal two additional goals and its 5:3 at full-time. Woodford fail again capitalize on good possession and chances. Loughton had few chances but they were all converted. A sad end to a match that Woodford should have taken –we must defend leads and take our chances.

Match report:  CH

Traffic problems and it was almost a non-starter. In contrast to the start Woodford were to make when the referee started the match.  Woodford kick off. Lots of pressure at the start with balls played through from mid-field and Constantinou missed early on. Then with more pressure, Constantinou is through and scores 1-0 to Woodford a great start. Constantinou, Burgess and Singh-Bassi are getting good through balls from Haslam and Thomas-Corridon with Burgess making trouble for Potters Bar. Burgess takes on the Potters bar defence with strong purposive runs at the start of this game. Burgess gets through, shoots and hits the right hand post. Then Singh-Bassi is through and working the ball on to his right foot slots it into the corner 2:0 to Woodford. Cochrane on the right hand side runs well and getting the ball into the box and for the first thirty minutes the defence – Okeniyi, Ogodo, Warry and Mendes not under pressure. Howlett in goal not called upon up to this stage – and then a few confident pick ups and kick outs suggesting Potters Bar have more to give. Woodford working the ball well from defence and to the forwards and Constantinou just misses and then shoots from a great through ball and its 3-0 to Woodford. A number of shots from Woodford and some very close. Then a corner won and taken by Burgess, a great header by Okeniyi into the back of the net ,4-0 now. Towards the finish of the first half Constantinou lobs and hits the bar but Potters Bar are coming back into the game.
Second half brings on the subs Scully, De Freitas-Sadiq and Fricker. De Freitas-Sadiq and Cochrane working the ball well on the right with strong tackling and consistent back up from Mendes who is quick to stop Potters Bar from breaking through. Woodford start the second half well and a great ball through sets Constantinou free and he scores another strong great goal and its 5-0 to Woodford. Potters Bar working the ball well into the box create confusion and a series of missed chances to clear and a poor tackle sets up a penalty. Howlett diving to the right not able to keep it out and a well taken penalty brings the score to 5-1. Thomas-Corridon in mid-field very strong and Ogodo working well in defence with Okeniyi to hold the line, Mendes running and chasing everything to hold the line and keep Potters Bar out of the box. Scully pushing the ball well on the left and down the line to make chances and chase down the ball. Woodford chances are thinning now but few opportunities still made, a shot from Haslam, a free kick from Burgess and a late miss by Constantinou. This was a great match with Woodford showing composure good passing.  In short a team playing really well!

Managers notes: A very pleasing win today. The boys played some fantastic football, especially in the first 20 minutes. M.O.M today went to Ogodo who won every tackle and made good use of the ball. Singh-Bassi was back to his best today and really impressed. Fricker made a welcome return from injury and Okeniyi dominated the back line and scored a great goal. Loads of positives today, Merry Christmas to all at Woodford!

Match report:  CH

Great team effort !!

Lost chances and then the wind is against Woodford.

AMEC kick off and are up against a very strong wind. Quickly Woodford take charge with a goal from Burgess at close range and its 1-0 to Woodford. Okeniyi kicks the ball through and Burgess picks it up, runs towards the goal and makes it 2-0 to Woodford with a well- taken goal. Singh-Bassi also finds a way through and strong shot hits the bar. A few minutes later Burgess again picks up a pass from Haslam that is well made by Burgess to make it 3-0 and a hat-trick for Burgess who is playing very well. Then Woodford have a few chances missed Haslam off the post after running through from a ball from Okeniyi. Then Burgess hits the bar and the ball is just over –a free kick for Woodford also missed. Lots of chances to pull away but it was not to be the case when AMEC break out and a good cross left to right and a well taken goal and its 3-1. Constantinou bravely in goal for the missing regular keeper not under too much pressure missed up front. At half-time its 3-1 to Woodford. At the start of the second-half a strong gusty wind is now against Woodford and it makes a difference because they are pinned in their own half a lot of the time and Constantinou forced to make good saves with the defence just holding. Against, the run of play, Woodford clear out the ball and Burgess makes a strong run on the left with Haslam following up in the middle he is and presented with a great pass from Burgess to take it to 4-1. Thomas-Corridon and De Freitas-Sadiq played well in mid-field and –De Freitas-Sadiq making a good pass to Haslam who shoots but misses. AMEC have the wind advantage now and they are increasing the pressure to score pulling it back to 4-2. Continued pressure and some defensive errors and AMEC pull it back to 4-3 and, a few minutes later, they have drawn level and its 4-4. With a few minutes to go some silly errors open up possibilities for AMEC and they score to make it 5-4. This was a game that could have been won in the first half but Woodford did not capitalise on the advantage of the wind and good scoring chances were lost in the first half --this meant they were always going to be vulnerable in the second half.
 
Managers Notes: Down to the bare bones again today, 3 players missing and no subs. The boys played superbly in the 1st half with the wind behind them but missed several straightforward chances to build a big lead. 3-1 at half time. Second half Amec used the wind to put Woodford under pressure and the boys were holding firm until the last 15 minutes where tired legs and hesitancy led to their undoing. Constantinou was M.O.M today for (once again) playing out of position for the good of the team. Burgess had an outstanding game with 3 goals and an assist. Haslam, De Freitas-Sadiq and Okeniyi also stood out. Well done to today’s ref who showed remarkable calmness and restraint in the face of constant criticism from Amec’s manager and players.

Match report:  CH 

A Few Missed Chances

Woodford kick off and during the first twenty minutes its’ evenly matched with both teams making chances. A free kick from Constantinou and one or two other chances are missed when Woodford do make breaks and take the ball into Flanders half. Flanders defence holding and some good tackles frustrating Woodford’s efforts. Ten minutes before the first half a break from Flanders on the right with Warry holding back or stalling many these attacks but a well placed cross from right to left is glanced in and its 1-0 Flanders. Again, Woodford with Burgess (good to see him back from injury) and Singh-Bassi are getting chances from balls through from mid-field but more often frustrated by Flanders defence. Just before half-time a corner to Flanders and messy defending Woodford let in another and its 2-0 at half-time. After half time Flanders kick off and straight away put Woodford under pressure --a strong and high shot punched up and on to the bar by George --a great effort. Again, Woodford do manage to push forward but chances created not converted in a goal -- a shot from Harry stopped by the goalkeeper coming out to the edge of his box. A stronger mid-field this week Luke tackling well for Woodford pushing the ball forward supported also by some strong runs from Jordan on the right maintaining momentum up until the end. Five minutes before the whistle - Flanders again make a break scoring a good goal to make it 3-0 at full-time. For Woodford this was a game of few chances-- not taken

Managers Notes: A second defeat in a row for the team but a much better effort than the previous game. We did not take the chances that came our way and the second and third goals we conceded were very soft. On the plus side we competed really well throughout the game especially in the midfield area. 2 M.O.M today; Cochrane for an assured game at the back and Okeniyi who showed again what an outstanding defender he is. Warry also deserves a mention, he was marking an opponent today twice his size, lightning quick and very strong, but never gave up and made some great tackles. Also good to see Burgess back after a long injury lay-off. Today’s young ref was fantastic and Flanders, although a tough physical team, played the game in the right manner and deserved their win.

Match report:  CH

A Tale of Two Halves
 
Woodford won the kick off and the initial 10 minutes were tight with both teams holding the line. Woodford then had a few chances early on maintaining good passing and strong runs through from Singh-Bassi, a good shot from Scully. Then Constantinou hitting the bar the ball ricocheted down on to the goal line and parried out by the goalkeeper (it could have easily been 1-0 to Woodford!). A few minutes later Constantinou again shooting across the goal and inches short. This was a hard first half with Woodford holding the line but in good control against physically strong team until five minutes from the end of the first half. A goal from Falcons unsettled Woodford just before half time. Starting the second half Woodford, not so settled as they had been, gave away two goals (3-0) on a pitch with the gradient against them Woodford were caught by balls that penetrated midfield, then defence and struggled to hold the line. A cross from left field headed in powerfully. Then straight from the KO Woodford lose possession and Falcons are through to take it to 5-0. Falcons, physical prowess increasing the pressure on Woodford who were not using their first half skills and ball control to hold possession in mid-field as they had done in the first half to feed the ball forward. Scrappy defending from Woodford let in another goal but, although under pressure, still creating a few chances against the run of play. Breaks from Constantinou, Singh-Bassi and a shot from Scully put some pressure back on Falcons. Falcons a strong team came back to take a final goal to make it 7-0. Woodford needed to capitalise on their strong first half when passing was fluent and energy levels high ---in the second half they lost momentum against a physically strong side and it was literally and “uphill” struggle.

Managers Notes: A tale of two halves definitely sums this game up. First half Woodford took the game to their hosts, our passing was good and we battled for every ball. Constantinou was unlucky not to give his team a goal with an amazing back foot turn and first time shot that shook Falcons cross-bar, the improvement in this boy’s game is very encouraging, and throughout the first half he gave Falcon’s back line no end of problems.  I feel we were very unlucky to end the half 1-0 down and thought we could make a real game of it in the second half, but Falcon’s dominated the rest of the game and made full use of their strength and speed, scoring 6 unanswered second half goals. No complaints, Falcons deserved their win today but I hope our boys can learn from this and also take heart from their great first half. Thomas-Corridon was M.O.M today. He worked his socks off for the entire 70 minutes and was a credit to his team. Stand out displays also from Constantinou, Haslam and Ogodo.

Match report:  CH 

Tigers won the toss. Early pressure from Woodford saw a good chance missed by Constantinou and again ten minutes later with a shot going over. A couple of minutes later Scully shoots and Tigers handball. A strong confident penalty taken by Mendes and its 1 -0. Woodford are making chances Scully shoots again and Constantinou wide. Singh-Bassi now on a break out for Woodford scores with a left foot shot into the corner 2 -0 to Woodford. Woodford’s passing is stronger Cochrane moving the ball well feeding Constantinou with a strong header 3-0 to Woodford. In the space of a few minutes Woodford are in control Singh-Bassi again scoring a left foot goal again into the corner of the net. Just a few minutes later Woodford win a corner strongly taken by Singh-Bassi which is scrambled in the box Haslam scoring from close range 5-0 to Woodford. Some careless defending and a lobbed kick pulls one back for Tigers C and it looks at though it will be 5-1 at half time. Yet just as the whistle for half time is blown, a shot from Ogodo dribbles over the line and is 6-1 to Woodford.
Woodford start the second half well but their passing is not as fluid as in the first half. Singh-Bassi again picks up the ball and makes another strong run through again slotting in a goal in with his strong left foot and its 7-1 to Woodford and Singh-Bassi has his hat trick. A couple of minutes later, and after some good passing moves De Freitas-Sadiq makes a good run down the right, cuts in and scores from outside the box with a strong righted footed shot and its 8-1. In the second half Woodford’s passing is a little untidy and Tigers manage a few breaks forward but Warry and Okeniyi strong at the back hold up a number of attacks from Tigers C and Howlett solid in goal. This time a good pass from Thomas-Corridon sets Constantinou free in the centre of the field and he unleashes and strong right foot shot hitting the top bar but still running and diving forward he manages head in and its 9-1 to Woodford. Mendes making another strong on the right generates a strong and perfectly placed cross that Constantinou glances in with a lovely header its 10-1 and a hat trick for Constantinou. F.T 10-1.

Managers Notes: The boys worked really hard throughout the game and got their rewards. The back four and goal keeper had solid games, particularly Haslam, playing his first game at centre half. Our midfield were on top for most of the game with Scully’s range of passing a constant threat. As for our strikers, a hat trick each and some great link up play. The team still have lots of room for improvement, but is was a good start to the season. M.O.M went to Warry for his continued improvement and positive attitude.

Match report:  CH