05-Sep-2007 by admin.

The lads began their defence of the Division 1 title away against Highworth C, who were last years Division 2 winners. The strongest 11 were all available with Fraser and Aiden taking their places on the bench.

Wickham kicked off and were immediately on the attack down the slope on this ¾ sized pitch. It only took Wickham 2 minutes to open the scoring. A corner on the left was swung in by Albie and there was Bert at the front post to firmly head the ball home. After five minutes Albie got past his marker and hit a deep cross to Callum at the back post. After controlling the ball he hit a rasping shot with his left foot which cannoned back off the post. Charlie hit a snap shot from the rebound but this was blocked on the line and then cleared. This was to be the story of the first half as Highworth mounted very few attacks on the Wickham goal and when they did the back 4 dealt with most things. Charlie, Karl, Albie and Duncan all had shots which just cleared the bar and you began to wonder if the 2nd goal would ever come. Eventually in the 29th minute it arrived. A goal kick was headed back by Duncan for Charlie to race onto. He lobbed the ball over the keeper for Albie to force the ball into an empty net.

The half time chat was all about more effort in the second half playing up the hill. We would now see if the fitness training had paid off! Wickham were still in control but Highworth were now attacking down their right hand flank giving Olly and William something to think about. However after 5 minute Wickham increased their lead. Olly broke up one of these Highworth attacks and sent Callum away down the left. He tucked the ball inside to Karl who seemed to have 3 defenders around him. Following what seemed endless turns one way then the other he threaded the ball into the box for Charlie to arrive at the back post to score. This made up for a cracking shot by Karl minutes earlier which just drifted past the right apex of the goal. This goal spurred on Highworth who now attacked in waves. After 10 minutes Albie was adjudged to have handled the ball 25 yards out. Wickham set the defensive line and as the kick was taken 3 Highworth players were in an offside position, however none of these players touched the ball as the kick went straight in and the goal was correctly allowed to stand. A little amount of belief seemed to be lost by the lads as Highworth continued to attack. There next chance came in the 18th minute again coming down their right. William tried to get across and cover but as James came out the forward clipped the ball goal wards but it hit the top of the bar and away to safety. This seemed to get Wickham going again and in the 21st minute the 3 goal advantage was restored. Albie went down the right then switched it wide left to Fraser who had just come on. He tucked the ball inside to Karl, who having gone past his man sent the ball to Charlie at the back post. His first shot was blocked on the line but he put the rebound away. Highworth hit the bar again after 25 minutes but this was their last chance. Wickham dominated the last 5 minutes and with 2 minute to go Jesse took a throw in which Albie knocked back to him. He whipped the cross into the near post where Fraser squeezed between two defenders to knock the ball home.

The Player of the day award went to Jack. He was never flustered at the back and never put a foot wrong. Overall a good first game performance by everyone.

31-May-2007 by admin.

At 16.00 on Friday 4th May the U11’s squad was assembling in the Budgin’s car park at Wash Common for the trip down to Weymouth. 18 under 11’s away on tour….what had we done?

The journey down on a bank holiday Friday was everything you could have expected it to have been. The normal hour and three quarters journey turned into almost 4 hours so the arrival at Littlesea at 19:45 was much too late for the managers meeting. Having settled into the Caravan’s it was off to the sea front for a fish and chip supper with Duncan, Jesse and Albie doing a little bit of bird spotting at the same time.

With a 9:50 kick off it was away from the camp site by 9:00 and a long drive around the back streets of Weymouth trying to find the ground….thanks Jon. The two mile journey took 20 minutes but we eventually found the ground and got parked up. It was then over to pitch 6 and prepare for the games where were 20 minutes each way.

The first opposition were BTC Kestels from Southampton who had just finished runners up in their League so this would be a good test. The side lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Olly at left back and Jesse playing on the left hand side of midfield. After 7 minutes a free kick for offside was taken by the Kestrels keeper but it was won in midfield by Jesse. He played the ball forwards to Charlie on the edge of the “D” who flicked it over the defender into Albie’s path. As the keeper came out he chipped it over him only to see the ball hit the post, but Callum was there following in to put the ball into an unguarded net. The boys struggled with this formation so at half time they went back to the usual 4-5-1. In the first minute Fraser, who had come on for Callum, knocked the ball into the middle but Jesse’s flick went over the bar. With 5 minutes gone, a goal kick from William game out to Jack Bolton on the right. He hit the ball forwards where Albie got a flick on for Karl to run onto. Using Charlie as a runner in front of him he switched the ball to the right where Jesse hit it first time into the top right hand corner. With 10 minutes gone a quick defensive throw in from Olly deap in his own half found Duncan as he advanced to the half way line Albie started a run through the middle. Duncan threaded a great ball into his path cutting out the midfield player as the ball went between the full back and centre back. Albie’s initial shot from the edge of the area was saved but he easily put the rebound away for 3-0. The final goal of the game came in the 17th minute as Fraser took a through in near the corner flag. Jesse, on the 18 yard box knocked the ball back to him then sprinted towards the goal. Fraser’s chip went straight to Jesse who this time flicked the ball over the keeper and into the net for a 4-0 victory.

There was then a long wait until 13:10 for the next game against Bessingby Park Rangers from London who had beaten croft 6-1 in their first game. London teams are always tough as Bessingby were no exception. In the second minute some lovely interplay between Charlie and Ablie seemed to have been wasted but Charlie continued his run chasing the ball down and eventually winning it just outside the box. He cut into the area and whilst running across the goal was brought down for a penalty. After a long delay Albie crashed the ball home. Wickham were now in control with James having little to do and in the 13th minute Wickham doubled their lead. Jack Bolton seemed to have sliced his clearance but the ball fell to Karl in the centre circle and he flicked the ball over the defence for Olly to run onto. Just as the ball bounced for the 3rd time Olly hit a cracking dipping volley over the keeper for 2-0. Bessingby now started to come back into the game but a bad foul on Karl was not penalised which Karl objected to having a heated discussion with the ref. Jon immediately pulled him off and this gave Bessingby even more incentive to go forwards but the score remained 2-0 at half time. Disaster then stuck within the first minute of the half as neither James of Jack Bolton claimed an innocuous cross into the box and the forwarded nipped in to score. With 5 minute gone Charlie race through and as the keeper came out he was clattered from behind as his chip went over the keeper and just wide but no penalty was awarded. Bessingby were pushing hard knowing that they needed at least a draw from the game. They were creating chances but James was equal to them. With 5 minutes left Albie was brought down in the box as he was about to shoot but again no penalty was awarded. With a minute left a ball over the midfield saw Jack Bolton in front of the forward chasing back. Just as he was about to clear it he was pulled back and then fell over in front of the forward….free kick to Bessingby. The free kick went wide of the post but with time rapidly running out the goal kick was a poor one. It came back to the edge of the area where first Bart and then William failed to clear it which allowed the forward to hit a side foot shot from the edge of the box over James into the top right hand corner. There was just time for Wickham to kick off before the final whistle went. Wickham ended the day in second place in their group with a goal difference of 1 less that Bessingly.

The afternoon and early evening was free time for the boys with some “playing football” on the camp site with others going into Weymouth and a third set spending almost 2 hours in the pool. By 20:00 everyone was in the arcades playing games and attempting to win the side a team mascot. No prizes for guessing where the coaching staff were. Since the Sunday fixtures were all in the afternoon the lads had a late night but immediately went to sleep as soon as they were in bed.

After a lazy morning, again with the group split doing a variety of things around the site it was away to the ground at 13.00. Croft were the first game today who the lads had twice beaten 16-1 in the league but you could see that the Croft boys were very much up for this game with strong tackles flying in all over the place. Wickham knew that the group winner was most likely to be decided on goal difference so they had to attack. In the first minute Charlie got clear of the defender but as the keeper came out his shot just went the wrong side of the post. In the 8th minute a sweeping move from the back saw Albie race clear but again as the keeper came out the chance went just wide. Croft the had a period of almost 2 minutes of pressure but the attacks were eventually broken up by Aiden and Jack Bolton. Jack laid the ball to Albie who hit the ball up the middle for Charlie who had timed his run perfectly. As the keeper came out of the box this time the chip was perfect and found the back of the net. In the 15th minute a throw in from Bert sent Albie racing away down the right. He got past the full back and hit a deep cross over Charlie to Olly at the back post who headed the ball back across the goal and into the net. In the final minute a lovely passing move saw Karl score but he had got in front of Jesse and was correctly given off side. In the 8th minute a throw in from Albie saw Charlie beautifully turn his man and race clear. As the covering defender came across he knocked the ball into the middle for Olly to score. Unfortunately they could not convert any more chances so had to settle for a 3-0 win. Bessingby had only won 1-0 so now Wickham were 1 goal in front on goal difference

Bessingby Park’s final game kicked off some 10 minutes before Wickham so the lads would know how many goals they needed to score to go through to the final but before Wickham started Bessingby were already 3-0 up against BTC Kestrels. Although the usually players were used Albie was pushed more upfront to partner Charlie in the hope of scorer the required goals. With 8 minute of the game gone Comet Rangers had not really created a chance but Wickham had waste theirs until William to a throw in to Duncan who then sent Albie away down the left. He got past his man and this time got the ball across to Charlie to control and tap in. In the mean time Bessingby and gone in at half time 4-0 up. With 15 minutes gone the ball was worked from the right across to Olly on the left hand side and he hit his shot first time across the keeper and into the net for 2-0. So into the second half with some believe that the lads could qualify for the final. With 6 minutes gone a through ball from Jack Bolton was help on by Bert to Charlie. His shot was well saved but Fraser was there to score. The Bessingby game had now finished with a score of 6-0 so Wickham needed two more goals with their players watching the game. With 5 minutes left Karl went through the midfield sent the ball through to Albie who smacked the ball into the net. The Bessingby players were now screaming at the Comet lads to hold out. Despite a number of chances including one when the ball seemed to have crossed the line the lads could not score again and thus ended up in the 3rd-4th match play off against Pacer of Southampton.

Pace had looked a good side during the group stages but during the first half they never created a chance at all in the first half. After 12 minutes Ablie won a drop ball and sent Charlie way. He created some space and then gave the ball back to Albie who drilled it under the keeper for a 1-0 half time lead. Within the first few minutes Bert crashed a header against the cross bar from an Albie corner but then a very nasty challenge on Jack Bolton left him rolling around in pain which saw the Pace manager immediately withdraw his player from the game. This put a damper on the rest of the game but it seemed to spur Pace on a little. With 5 minutes left a throw in for Pace was won by Karl who feed the ball to William. He hit a long ball into Charlie’s run who speed clear of the defenders to tuck the ball away for a final result of 2-0.

Sunday evening saw the lads collect their trophies from Warren Barton and then back to the games room where they successfully won the mascot for next year. By 23:00 it was back to Jon’s caravan for a chat about the weekend and the Wickham trophy awards. Olly received the award for goal of the Tournament for his header in the first game against BTC Kestels although his volley against Bessingby was a close second. Player of the Tournament went to Jack Bolton for his solid defensive display. There was also an award for the player which showed most commitment throughout all the games and this went to Charlie. The final award was the Tour Entertainer. Without a shadow of a doubt this went to Colin de Fraine for his interference with a bin which was caught on Video and can be seen on the club web site.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 11s (2006/2007) | 1 Comment »

22-May-2007 by admin.

The Wickham tournament weekend arrived with the A & B sides playing on pitches next to each other…..now how did that happen?!

The first A team game saw them up against local rivals Lambourn B. The 1^st minute of the game was all in Lambourn’s half until finally Albie got a cross in that went all the way to the opposite side. Karl sent the ball back into the box and Albie was there to tuck the ball away. Wickham were encamped in Lambourn’s half but they could not convert anymore chances. With Wickham playing up the slope the game was more even but they still could not score again, thus gaining a 1-0 victory.

Next up was Kingsclere B who played down the slope and probably just shaded the first half despite Charlie and Albie having a half chance each. The second half was all Wickham and in the 2^nd minute a goal kick was headed back by Karl over the defender for Albie to run onto and put away. Right near the end James made a cracking save giving Wickham a 1-0 win.

Theale Tigers were next up with the lads almost scoring from the kick off; but almost was the story of this game. Although dominating through individual performances, no one could put the ball into the back of the net which meant the division would probably be decided on goal difference.

The final match was against Aldermaston A. Charlie won the ball from the centre and raced through only to hit the post. Within seconds Jesse had hit the same post, would Wickham finally score? With three minutes gone Charlie volleyed in Albie’s corner to take a deserved lead. Almost immediately it was 2-0 as Albie converted Jesse’s cross, but still chances were being missed. Despite playing up the hill in the second half Wickham continued to attack and in the 2^nd minute Jesse went down the left, got his cross into Charlie who rounded the keeper to score. A 3-0 win proved to be 1 goal too few as Theale topped the group, on goal difference, by one goal. [Where has that happened before?]

The first B game against Abingdon saw the B’s dominated but just before half time a corner was swung in which Jordan punched clear. The ball was lobbed back in and despite Jordan getting a hand to it, the ball hit the bottom of the bar and went in. Right at the end of the second half Adam and Olly broke but the chance fell to Olly on his right foot and the shot just went wide.

Next came Aldermaston B and a win was needed. Playing down the hill in the first half more than half a dozen good chances were created but none were put away. Finally with almost the last kick of the half, Bert swung in a corner which went straight in. This goal gave Wickham the confidence in the second half and the lead was doubled by a great strike from Callum into the top left corner of the goal. Finally, a nicely worked goal saw a defensive throw in by Jack Bolton to Jack Wild who, when reaching the halfway line fed Callum through to score his second and secure a 3-0 win.

The 3^rd match was against Kingsclere A which the lads seemed to be dominating but a breakaway saw the ball crashed into the roof of the net giving Jordan no chance. Right on half time Callum sent Adam away. His shot was well saved but Callum following in put the rebound away. At the same time as Charlie scored for the A team against Aldermaston, the ball was swung into the box for Callum to put a header away. Some good defending and some good saves by Jordan ensured the second win.

Wickham B would qualify for the quarter finals if they avoided defeat against Lambourn A. However, a great strike from distance saw Lambourn open the scoring at the start of the second half. Wickham threw everyone forwards to get the equaliser but then, right at the end, conceded a second so they just failed to progress.

The quarter final saw Wickham A play Maidenhead. The lads were still not playing their flowing football and at half time the game was still goalless. Down the slope Wickham dominated, with James not touching the ball but still no goals, so into extra time. With 30 seconds left in the first half William took a throw in which Karl flicked onto Albie who drilled the ball into the back of the net. There were no chances for either team in the second half, so for the third year running Wickham A had made it to the semi final of this tournament.

The talk before the game was if only they would pass the ball around and work for each other someone would get a hammering….and it came! Burnham did not know what had hit them. After a minute some good interplay between Jesse and Karl saw the ball go through to Charlie. He in turn sent Albie away and, as the keeper came out, neatly slotted the ball into the net. The next minute saw Karl break up an attack and send Albie away on the right. He knocked the ball across for a simple Charlie tap in. From the centre Wickham won a throw in which William sent to Karl. He gave it back to William who then sent it out to Albie. Again Albie got past his man and sent the cross in to Charlie to get in front of the keeper to score. Burnham never recovered from this and Wickham did not press for any more goals thus they were through to the final against Kennett Valley.

As you would probably expect in a final the first half was very cagy with James making a great save in the second minute. The second half saw Kennett Valley kick off but quickly concede a throw in. Jesse took this and the ball ended up with William just outside the Wickham area. He knocked the ball forward to Albie and as the defender came across gave the ball to Charlie for him to drill in. From the centre James had to make a save which William then cleared. A minute later Jesse took a quick throw in to Karl who turned and passed it to Albie. He took a touch to control the ball before hitting a shot across the keeper into the far left corner. Again, Kennett Valley attacked from the centre and won a free kick just outside the box but this flashed wide past the far post. In the final minute Jesse won the ball on the centre spot sending the ball out right. Albie drew the final defender before playing it back into Jesse’s path for him to complete the scoring. Wickham A had finally won their own tournament and without conceding a goal, which was a great achievement.

James Davies, William Herrington, Karl Admans, Jesse Bowers, Albie Oakman, Duncan Lorrain, Charlie de Fraine, Max Nichols.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 11s (2006/2007) | 1 Comment »

20-May-2007 by admin.

Wickham Wanderers staged their annual Six a Side Tournament, sponsored by Kimera Facilities Management in much better conditions than last year.

Saturday morning kicked off with 11 U7’s sides playing in a festival format with teams from Reading, Swindon and the Basingstoke area taking part. They all to enjoyed themselves as the photo taken at the end shows.

The U9’s section saw 10 teams take part with Cannon Colts for Dorset beating Thatcham Harriers in one semi final and Feltham from London beating Manydown in the other. The final was a close match but the Londoners just came out on top as Feltham beat Cannon Colts 1-0.

The U11’s was a much bigger section with 20 side competing. There was a good number of leagues represented here including the South Chiltern, North Wilts, Peter Houseman, Oxford and South Bucks. Lambourn A, Maidenhead, Theale and Burnham Juniors all won their groups but after the quarter finals out of the way two of these remained and it was the winners and runners up of groups four and three 3 contesting the semi’s. Kennett Valley and Theale Tigers could not be split after either full time or extra time but it was Kennett Valley who held their nerve to win 3-2 on penalties. Burham had looked a very strong side in the group stages but 3 goals in the first 3 minutes from Wickham Wanderers saw them win 3-0. The final was initially even but another three goal burst from Wickham saw them win the Tournament without conceding a goal.

The afternoon saw the U8’s again play a festival format which was a great success.

16 teams fought out the Under 13’s competition with everyone qualifying for the knock out stages. Again teams came from all across the south with Eldon Celtic being defeated 3-1 by Tooting and Mitcham in the first semi final and Feltham Youth over coming Wendover Juniors 2-0 in the other semi final. So the final was set for the battle of London; the match went into extra time where Tooting scored with almost the last kick of the game.

Finally the U15’s section had 12 teams fighting it out which eventually saw Harrow St Mary over come Stratton Juniors B 2-0 in the first semi and Eldon Celtic A side defeat their B team but only 4-3 on penalties. Harrow had already beaten Eldon 3-0 in the league match but the Eldon lads raised their game and won the final 1-0.

Sunday morning saw twelve U12 sides compete in two highly competitive groups which eventually saw Wickham play Eldon Celtic in a semi final which the teams could not be split. Eventually it was down to penalties and with Jordan Shaw saving Eldon’s first, Wickham advanced into the final 3-2 winners of the shoot out. The second semi final was between Greenmeadow’s A & B sides with the B team coming out 3-1 winners, also in a penalty shoot out. The final also went to extra time but Greenmeadow scored just before half time giving the Swindon side a 1-0 victory.

The U14’s competition had 16 entries from all over the south, however the semi finals were a strictly Swindon based affair, as AFC Swindon lost 2-1 to Brunel Boys A but Ferndale Rodbourne beat Brunel Boys B 5-4 on penalties. After a close fina,l which saw both side score in extra time, Brunel came out 5-4 winners in yet another penalty shoot out.
The afternoon was the most hectic of the weekend with all 8 match play pitches in use. Sixteen under 10 sides competed in this section, with three different Leagues represented in the semi finals. Kingsclere eventually ran out 2-1 winners in a penalty shoot out against Wroughton and Ramsbury defeated Oxford City Colts 3-2 also in a shoot out. The final saw both teams play a great passing game but a simple tap in goal just before half time was enough to give Kingsclere a 1-0 victory.

The under 16’s competition also had three different Leagues represented by the semi finalists. Here Stratton Juniors beat Chichester City 4-2 and Theale Tigers overcame Kennett Valley 1-0, to set up a final between two teams who had dominated their respective Leagues this year. It was Theale Tigers who deservedly won the final 1-0.

Summary of Results.

U9’s sponsored by Wilds Sports
Feltham 1 - 0 Cannon Colts.

U10’s sponsored by Newbury Building Society
Kingsclere 1 – 0 Ramsbury

U11’s sponsored by D E Photo
Wickham 3 – 0 Kennett Valley

U12’s sponsored by Clydesdale Financial Services
Greenmeadow B 1 - 0 Wickham

U13’s sponsored by H S Pipequipment
Tooting 3 – 1 Feltham

U14’s sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland
Brunel Boys 5 – 4 (pens) Ferndale Rodbourne

U15’s sponsored by Express Vending
Eldon Celtic 1 - 0 Harrow St Mary

U16’s sponsored by Bells Engineering
Theale Tigers 1 – 0 Stratton Juniors

The U7’s and the U8’s festival competitions were sponsored by Millbrook Beds and The Newbury Weekly News respectively.

Report by Ian Herrington

Photos of the winners and runners-up are available on the Wickham Wanderers web site.

If you were at the tournament and have any comments, feedback or suggestions, please leave a comment here or email admin@wickhamwanderers.co.uk

Posted in Uncategorised | 3 Comments »

25-Apr-2007 by admin.

Having played both the “A” and the “C” sides it was Highworth Town “B’s” who were the visitors to “The Triangle” on a lovely Sunday morning. Highworth had 11 players available so a 7 a side format was played with all 9 Wickham players available this weekend. In a positional switch Harvey moved to the back this weekend with Chloe.

Highworth went on the attack straight from the start and then never left the Wickham half for the first 2 minutes. However despite this pressure Ellis, Chloe, Harvey and Devin were able to deal with everything. Wickham slowly got themselves back into the game and after a little while enjoyed their own period of pressure but again they could not get their shots in on target. A shot from Matthew did rattle the cross bar but it was easily cleared. After 9 minutes following some Highworth pressure Charlie released Devin down the left. He drew the defender and then played Mathew in who scored at the second attempt. A minute later Matthew broke towards the goal and just like last week was brought down on the edge of the area. Again just like last week the free kick was put away into the far top corner of the goal for 2-0. After 13 minutes Highworth were to get their first goal of the day from a corner which was played out to the edge of the box to an unmarked player to drill the ball past Ellis. Alex came on to replace Charlie with Wickham dominating the rest of the half. However, the lads could not convert the any of the numerous chances which they created with shots from Devin, Tom, Harvey and Matthew all being well saved blocked or just going wide.

Wickham started the second half as they had finished the first with Harvey push up much more but
always racing back to help out in defence. It was from one of his runs in the 3^rd minute that Wickham won a corner. Matthew drove the ball into the area and Devin volley it into the roof of the net. With 7 minutes gone Highworth pilled on the pressure. Three corners were well defended but then from the 4^th Devin took control of the ball and laid it up field to Matthew who outpaced the two defenders to score. However, corners were to be Wickham’s undoing as one in the 11^th minute somehow got past both Harvey and Devin at the front post and went straight into the goal for 4-2. The 3 goal advantage was restored a minute later as Devin took a throw in, which Eric flicked on to Matthew for him to drill into the back of the net from some distance. The last 3 minutes turned into a very nervy affair. A throw in near the corner was flicked on and somehow ended up in the back of the net. Highworth attacked for all they were worth and with 2 minutes left Devin seemed to have cleared the danger but his clearance hit Chloe and the forward had an easy tap in. Harvey was then injured having put the ball out for a throw with 20 seconds left. When the game restarted Highworth were clear in on goal but Ellis managed to make the save. Following his clearance the whistle went and Wickham had just squeezed home in the end 5-4 from what looked like a comfortable win with less than 5 minutes left.

The Player of the Day was given to Harvey, who despite his attacking tendency’s always managed to get back to help Chloe with the defensive duties.

Ellis Dawkins, Chloe Morgan, Harvey Tooth, Tom Butler, Devin Bowers, Charlie Saunders,

Matthew Newbrook.

Subs:- Alex Walters, Eric Barker.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 7's (2006-2007) | 1 Comment »

22-Apr-2007 by admin.

Congratulations to the Under 11’s who have been confirmed as Division champions. Second year running!

Well done to whole squad - now you can really enjoy your tour.

Posted in Under 11s (2006/2007) | 4 Comments »

22-Apr-2007 by admin.

Wickham Wanderers 5 - 2 Blunsdon Colts

After the Easter break Blunsdon Colts were the visitors to “The Triangle” on a hot morning. Blunsdon had 11 players available so a 7 a side format was played. Alex was back today but started as sub, but Eric was missing.

Wickham started off playing Chloe and Tom at the back to hopefully allow Devin to push forwards more. Blunsdon kicked off with their golden shirts were dazzling in the sun light. This can be the only reason I can give for the visitor’s forward (Jack Newton) racing between Chloe and Tom in the first minute to drive the ball into the back of the net without either of them getting a challenge in. Eventually, the two of them worked out how to play together at the back with Tom getting forward as much as he could but then racing back to cover when the ball was lost. This did give Devin the freedom to go forwards and set up a number of opportunities. A minute after Blunsdon had opened the scoring, shots came in from Charlie, Harvey, Devin and Matthew but all that resulted was a corner; from which Devin’s shot went just wide. It was constant Wickham pressure but they could not put the ball into the back of the net. In the 7^thminute Ellis made a great save and immediately sent Harvey away down the left. He tucked the ball inside to Devin who then laid it off to Matthew to drill into the net for 1-1. Wickham still attacked, creating chances which some how were stopped but Ellis, Chloe and Tom always seemed to be just in the right place to halt the counter attacks until the 17^th minute. Ellis having made some brave saves found himself drawn out of his area where he handled the ball. He saved the free kick well and immediately kicked the ball out to Matthew, who laid it back to Harvey. Harvey found Devin who then played it into Matthew’s path, who duly hit a screamer into the back of the net. Alex came on for Charlie who had done some good work down the right hand side just before the half time whistle went.

The second half kicked off with Charlie still off but Wickham almost scored from the centre as Harvey’s shot flashed across the goal. Blunsdon had changed their keeper who was getting his kicks away much better and putting Chloe and Tom under a lot of pressure. In the 4^th minute one such long kick went all the way to Ellis. He responded by kicking it back up the field where Matthew controlled it before sending out to Alex and then onto Devin who was away down the right. He managed to cut into the box and hit his cross shot under the keeper for 3-1. Three minutes later there was almost a repeat as Devin this time crossed the ball in for Matthew to volley the ball into the back of the net, with Harvey just behind him in case he missed it. Despite the score line Blunsdon kept on attacking and with Devin sensing the danger he moved to play a little deeper. After 11 minutes Wickham had a rare attack which saw 3 shots come in before the keeper gathered the ball safely. His long kick caught out the Wickham defence. Ellis made a great initial save but the ball came out to Rhys Jones who slammed the ball in. Blunsdon continued the assault on the Wickham goal but Ellis remained calm(ish) in goal making the saves when necessary. Charlie came back on replacing Alex and was helping out with defensive duties when necessary. With 17 minutes gone Matthew seemed to have been brought down in the box but a free kick was awarded on the edge. Despite a two man wall Matthew hit the ball into the top corner for 5-2. There was still time for Blunsdon to have a free kick themselves on the edge of the box but again Ellis was able to make the save. Four minutes of injury time was played but there were no more goals as Wickham ran out the winners from this very entertaining and well balanced game.

The Player of the Day was awarded by the refereeing team and it went to Devin for being an inspiration in midfield.

Ellis Dawkins, Chloe Morgan, Tom Butler, Devin Bowers, Harvey Tooth,

Matthew Newbrook, Charlie Saunders.

Subs:- Alex Walters.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 7's (2006-2007) | 1 Comment »

06-Apr-2007 by admin.

This weekend (7th April) an unprecedented 12 boys form the U11’s squad will be flying out to Jersey to represent Newbury Primary Schools FA in the annual Jersey Football Festival - 6 boys in the A squad and 6 in the B squad. The management team for the U11’s would like to wish the boys every success as they play 6 games against other district teams from within the UK plus 1 team from France. Enjoy the experience and we look forward to having you all back safely for the last League match of the season in 2 weeks time.

Posted in Under 11s (2006/2007) | 1 Comment »

04-Apr-2007 by admin.

Wickham Wanderers 9-0 Wantage Concorde

It was off to Wantage this weekend. Having turned up for a 12.30 kick off and put up the goals with the grounds man for the home team, Wantage eventually tuned up expecting a 13.00 kick off. A 7-a-side game of four, 10 minute quarters was the format this week. Alex called off ill in the morning so Charlie joined Mathew up front with Eric starting as sub.

The first quarter saw Wickham encamped in the Wantage half for most of the quarter. After two minutes Devin sent Matthew away but the defender forced him wide and his shot just went past the post. However from the resulting goal kick Matthew won the ball back and drilled the ball into the back of the net. Some other chances came and went but right on time Tom sent Matthew away and from the edge of the area smashed the ball against the bar and over the line.

Eric came on for the next section of the game in place of Charlie and it was Eric who sent Matthew through in the first minute but the keeper made a great save. Two minutes later Matthew was though hit his shot across the keeper but it came out off the post and Harvey was just beaten to the rebound. A lovely cross field play from Tom to Devin and then to Harvey saw the latter just drag his shot wide. This was the story of the half as Wickham created chance after chance but could not put the ball away. Matthew seemed to be brought down in the box but got his shot away just past the post and then Harvey put one into the side netting.

The second half kicked off with Charlie back on for Eric. Wantage were able to attack a little more now but after 2 minutes a quick throw-in from Devin sent Harvey away down the left. He got an early cross in for Matthew to fire the ball into the back of the net. The play then switched to the right hand side. This time two quick throw-ins from Tom to Devin saw the ball fired across the goal to Harvey at the back edge of the area. He controlled the ball then slotted it inside the near post for 4-0. Chloe was doing everything necessary at the back with Devin being the main midfielder getting back to help. With eight minutes gone, a goal kick was intercepted by Tom who duly placed the ball into the back of the net from some distance out.

Eric came on for the final quarter for Harvey with Charlie moving out to the left hand side. Straight from the kick off Wickham were on the attack with the ball coming to Tom at the back post but some how the ball went between his legs and off. However Eric picked up the goal kick and threaded Matthew through who hit the ball from distance to score. Lots of Wickham pressure followed and eventually Tom crossed the ball to Devin, he past it onto Eric who again slipped Matthew through for an easy tap in. Devin was again doing a good chasing back job (we really must get the other midfielders doing this as well) to help out Chloe but Ellis had very little to do in goal except to pick but the long ball. With seven minutes gone Devin drilled a corner into the box which went past four Wantage defenders for Matthew to again tap in. A hand ball near the edge of the area saw the Wantage keeper make a fantastic save high in the top right hand corner but there was still time for Matthew to add another goal making the final score 9-0.

The Player of the Day could have gone to lots of players. However, for showing a big improvement in his game from prior weeks, getting stuck into the tackles during the second half and for laying two goals on for Matthew it went to Eric.

Ellis Dawkins, Chloe Morgan, Tom Butler, Devin Bowers, Harvey Tooth,

Matthew Newbrook, Charlie Saunders.

Subs:- Eric Baker.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 7's (2006-2007) | 1 Comment »

04-Apr-2007 by admin.

Wickham Wanderers 8 - 2 Lydiard

On a windy afternoon the lads were away at Supermarine playing Lydiard Youth. Although on paper this should not be a tough match, everyone could remember the Abbey Meads game and how that draw had made things difficult. A win today would guarantee a top two finish. Adam fell ill during the morning so Max was called up for his début.

Again, changing from the tactics used against Abbey Meads, Wickham kicked with the wind in the first half. Unsurprisingly Wickham dominated the initial proceedings. With Olly back out on the left wing the majority of the initial play came down this side, as Karl tucked in more on the right. The back four were spending most of their time on the half way line feeding the balls through to the midfield runners. A lovely cross from Olly just cleared Charlie and then a few minutes later a cross, this time from Callum, was hit just wide by Duncan. Wickham were creating the chances but could not quite finish. After 12 minutes Charlie went up with the keeper and headed the ball goal bound. With Callum following in he had it kicked off his head from no more that 3 yards out. Finally, with 14 minutes gone came the breakthrough. William intercepted a Lydiard clearance and sent Callum away down the left. Despite Charlie being available in the middle he cut into the area and as the keeper came out lobbed it into an empty net. Wickham still created chances mainly from crosses but could not convert. With 24 minutes gone Jesse won the ball just outside the box and laid it back to William. He hit a shot from fully 35 yards out which the keeper could only parry, Callum picked up the rebound and played it back to Olly for him to crash into the net with his right foot. After 27 minutes Duncan won the ball and threaded the ball through to Callum to run onto for him to tuck the ball inside the far post with the outside of his boot. Finally with a minute to go, Olly played the ball from the centre circle into Charlie’s path for him to run onto and slip it past the keeper for a 4-0 half time lead.

Jon emphasised that Lydiard would attempt to hit the ball over the top and use the wind and we should keep the ball down and pass it around. Jack W, Jordan and Max came on replacing Charlie, Aiden and Duncan respectively. Wickham, on occasions struggled to get the goal kicks clear against the wind as Lydiard over hit their through passes. However, after 5 minutes Jesse drove into the Lydiard half and as no one came to meet him he hit his shot from the edge of the area. The keeper seemed to have saved it but with Jack and Max following in the ball came out of his grasp for Max to score. The game was much more even now and after 13 minutes Lydiard won their first corner. However this was well dealt with by the defence. Wickham were now creating chance after chance which everyone seemed to be missing. Charlie came back on for Callum and immediately got onto the score sheet again but even he missed some guilt edge chances after that. With 5 minutes left, as the game seemed to be drawing to a close a long Lydiard ball seemed to be going through to James but Jack Bolton decided to clear it. The clearance fell straight to a midfield player who hit it first time into an unguarded net for 6-1. Wickham went back on the attack but the ball went safely though to the Lydiard keeper. His clearance was well headed forward by Duncan and then flick on by Charlie to Max. He battled for the ball then hit a shot over the keeper and into the back of the net. With two minutes left Charlie burst through the middle and was unceremoniously upended by the keeper which earned him a yellow card. William stepped forward to put the penalty away. Finally, with almost the last kick of the game a Wickham goal kick fell into the vacant midfield area when Lydiard gathered the ball. It was then sent through the middle for their forward to just beat James to the ball and tuck it inside the post for a final score of 8-2.

Well, one game to go and only Ferndale can stop the lads from being Champions - if they win all their remaining 8 games - …..…………..and who is Wickham’s last game against………………………..…
yes you’ve guessed, it Ferndale at home.

Player of the Day was a very close run thing, with four players getting 2 votes from the parents. However, after consulting with the parents who did not vote for any of these four, it went to Jesse.

James Davies
Jack Bolton, William Herrington, Albert Cherrill, Aiden Weeks
Karl Admans, Jesse Bowers, Duncan Lorrain, Olly Sopp
Charlie de Fraine, Callum Johnson.
Subs:- Jordan Shaw, Max Nichols, Jack Wild.

Report by Ian Herrington

Posted in Under 11s (2006/2007) | 1 Comment »