|
| 8/10/2000 |
Petersfield |
0 |
City
|
10 |
|
| 15/10/2000 |
City |
|
Reed's
School |
|
Report |
| 5/11/2000 |
City |
5 |
Haslemere |
0 |
Report |
| 19/11/2000 |
City |
13 |
Chichester |
2 |
Report |
| 17/12/2000 |
Havant |
2 |
City
|
2 |
Report |
| 14/01/2001 |
Bounrmeouth |
1 |
City
|
7 |
Report |
| 28/01/2001 |
Havant |
1 |
City |
11 |
Report |
| 11/03/2001 |
City |
2 |
Basingstoke |
3 |
Report |
| 25/3/2001 |
U12 Festival |
||||
| 8/4/2001 |
Haslemere |
|
City |
|
|
| 7/5/2001 |
Hamsphire
Cup Finals Day |
||||
-
U12 Fearless Match Reports
City
Of Portsmouth 2 - Basingstoke 3
It had to happen eventually - Fearless finally lost their season's unbeaten
record on Sunday against a lively Basingstoke side. Clearly there is a limit
to the number of players a team can lose to the U13s and U14s for the day's
cup competitions but, even so, City were more than a match for their visitors
who also proudly boasted an unbeaten tag before the weekend. City's performance
is best described as erratic - brilliant one minute and woeful the next. This
was epitomised by central defender Matt Rowe who was in total command for most
of the match but who chose to go walkabout upfield when it really mattered for
a 5 minute period in the second half when Basingstoke turned a two goal deficit
into a winning 3 - 2 margin.
City opened brightly, dominating the first half as they were first to the ball, won all the 50 - 50 balls and carved up a hesitant Basingstoke defence almost at will. They sadly lacked the killer instinct as chance after chance went begging. This meant that they had only a single goal advantage at the break, Nicky Hollington finishing a fine right wing cross from Sam Hankin after debut boy, Tom Beswick, had won the ball tenaciously on the right hand touchline. The second period started as the first had finished with the pace of Ant Shurmer and Sam Hankin causing constant problems and Mike Pratt spreading the ball around the midfield well. City deservedly doubled their lead with Hankin converting at the far post after a goalmouth scramble. This seemed to trigger City's self destruct button - with the game seemingly won they learnt a valuable lesson as the passing stopped and all the players looked to dribble and take on their opponents rather than let the ball do the work. No small wonder then that Basingstoke took control, and even though this was only for a brief spell, it was long enough for City to concede 3 goals and see both Chris Seaton and man of the match, Ross Atwal, make goal line clearances. Despite regaining their grip on the game for a hectic last quarter of an hour Basingstoke's defence, which had been so porous early on, had the confidence to hold firm.
Team: Josh Francis, Chris Seaton, Matt Rowe, Matt Jolly, Ross Atwal, Joe Murray, Steph Cleall, Mike Pratt, Mike Russell, Tom Beswick, Lauren Upson, Sam Hankin, Kyle Dunn, Anthony Shurmer, Nicky Hollington.
Havant
1 - City of Portsmouth 11
City took to the field somewhat apprehensively as last time these two sides
met, it ended in a 2 -2 draw. This time out lacking our county players City
seemingly did a much better job! Keen to prove that they were indeed a true
City side, we sportingly did not start playing until we were one nil down.
Having given Havant their head start it was time to turn on the style and
give the crowd something to cheer about. With the score being only 3 - 1
to City at the first interval, Havant were in for a battering in the following
two periods. Not much to say about the rest, except that poor Chunky in
goal was spotting aeroplanes for almost an hour, while Havant searched desperately
for a way out of their own 25. A good all round team performance with Goals
from Luke Francis (2), Stef Cleall (4), Mike Pratt (2), Nicky Hollington,
Sam Hankin, Lauren Upson.
Team: Luke Francis, Stef Cleall, Mike Pratt, Nicky Hollington, Sam Hankin. David Faucet, Mathew Rowe, Ross Atwell, Chris Seaton, Joe Murray, Lauren Upson, Kyle Dunn, Mike Russell.
Bournemouth
1 - City of Portsmouth 7
A small slice of history was made at the weekend as City's youth development
programme took another step forward. For the first time ever the club fielded
four, yes four! U12 teams at the same time. Fearless and Victory have been
running undefeated since the start of the season - they were joined by a
third side, Invincible, just before Christmas and on Sunday, a fourth -
known as Intrepid made its debut.
Fearless headed off to Bournemouth with some trepidation as they were missing three of their most experienced players due to County committments and illness. Despite an early hiccup, conceding an untidy goal as their defence were still trying to sort themselves out, they soon hit back with an equaliser by Luke Francis. By the interval they had sneaked into a narrow lead as Sam Hankin added a second. After a reorganisation of the team at the interval City went on to completely dominate proceedings as top scorer, Nicky Hollington, poached a close range effort to seal a memorable birthday. After this goals came at regular intervals with Francis scoring his second, Mike Pratt picking up a brace of well taken close range efforts and Steph Cleall sealing the match with a fine short corner strike leaving a final score of 7 - 1 in City's favour.
Havant
2 - City of Portsmouth 2
In a hastily arranged second match City sent another team up to Havant and
should have come away convincing winners as they squandered chance after
chance as they pinned the home side back in their own half. Finally Nicky
Hollington broke the deadlock with a typical poacher's goal and this was
quickly followed by the move of the match in which play was spread through
Matt Harper and Alex Thakore swept home an excellent right wing cross. Unfortunately
things then went wrong for City as, on a rare Havant raid, a cruel deflection
off the stick of the otherwise faultless Matt Rowe left Josh Francis, in
goal, stranded. As a bit of niggle entered the game Matt Harper found himself
in the sinbin for a poorly timed tackle and with less than five minutes
left on the clock Havant took their chance to level the scores. Although
hugely disappointed at the result in view of the possession and chances
squandered City have to accept that they only have themselves to blame at
losing their 100% record to a determined and skilful Havant side.
City
of Portsmouth 13 - Chichester 2
City U12s maintained their 100% record at the weekend with a crushing 13
– 2 demolition of local rivals, Chichester. City made an uncertain start
but still opened the scoring through Sam Hankin. Unfortunately they then
relaxed to allow an immediate response from Chichester who took advantage
of City's overconfidence and slack marking to fire an equaliser past an
angry Josh Francis in goal.
This spurred the side into greater efforts and, although not playing particularly
good team hockey, City still had the better individuals and
capitalised before the interval with further goals from Hankin, Steph Cleall
and their influential midfield general, Matt Harper.
After the break City clicked up a gear - a roasting from coach, Alf Wimshurst,
got the players to start to move the ball about quite sweetly.
Luke Francis started to marshal his defence more effectively and the midfield
of Harper, Cleall, who turned in an excellent all round
performance, Alex Thakore and Mike Pratt took a firm grip - switching play
from flank to flank and creating opening after opening for the lively
forward line. Goals flowed at regular intervals with Hankin eventually bagging
4 and Cleall completing her hat-trick. Other scorers in this
dominant period were Matt Harper and Alex Thakore (2). Top scorer Nick Hollington
also sniffed a close range effort and Mike Pratt finally made it on to the
scoresheet with his first ever competative goal!
This left City eagerly awaiting their next matches against local rivals,
Portsmouth and Southsea (away) and Trojans (home).
Team: Josh Francis, Luke Francis, Ross Atwal, Matt Rowe, Chris Seaton,
Matt Jolly, Joe Murray, Laura Upson, Steph Cleall (Man(?) of the Match),
Matt Harper, Alex Thakore, Mike Pratt, Kyle Dunn, Sam Hankin, Mike Russell,
Nick Hollington.
City of Portsmouth 5 - Haslemere 0
Against Haslemere City played
some fine hockey at times with Luke Francis marshalling the defence well
but also being the springboard of many attacks with his excellent distribution.
It did not take long for City to open the scoring with Mike Russell picking
up a rebound off the keepers pads to slot the ball just inside the post.
This was quickly followed by a typical poacher's goal from Nicky Hollington
who then added a second to add to the recent hat-trick scored against Petersfield.
As the match wore on a game Haslemere side were pinned back more and more
into their own half as Alex Thakore, Matt Harper and Steph Cleall kept a
firm grip on midfield. Chris Seaton had a storming game down the right flank
and it was no surprise when City wrapped up an emphatic 5 - 0 score line
with two late goals, one a fine reverse stick sweep by Russell and the other
a simple tap in by Sam Hankin.
Team: J Francis, L Francis, J Murray, R Atwal, S Cleall, M Harper,
A Thakore, L Upson, S Hankin, M Pratt, M Russell, N Hollington.
City ?
- Reeds School ?
Petersfield 0 City 10
(Nicky Holloington 3, Mike Russell
2, Matt Harper, Joe Murray, Sam Hankin, Alex Thakore, Luke Francis)
The 'away' team made the short trip to Bedales School to hand out a good
thwacking to an inexperienced Petersfield side. It proved to be a lesson
in teamwork as seven players got their name on the score sheet but poor
Rosh, in goal, barely touched the ball.
City opened the scoring with a brilliant tip in by Nicky Hollington - the
first in a debut hat-trick for our goal poacher extraordinaire - and they
were three up by the first break. Unfortunate Petersfield were unable to
get the ball out of their own half for the entire period!
Even after the first interval, with Petersfield strengthening their side
with some U14 players, the tide could not be turned. Three more goals followed
in the second third and another four in the last as City relentlessly pressed
home their superiority. What has to be remembered though is that the goal
grabbers would not have had their moment in the limelight without the build
up play of the others.
Let us hope that the next opposition prove to be a greater test.
Team:- Rosh Francis,
Chris Seaton, Matt Harper, Ross Atwal, Kyle Dunn, Matt Rowe, Sam Hankin,
Lauren Upson, Alex Thakore, Joe Murray, Steph Cleall, Mike Russell, Luke
Francis, Mike Pratt, Nicky Holloington.