I have today received the new fixture lists for the U9 Falcons and U9 Eagles. The delay was because the League could not finalise the regrouped (seeded really) divisions until all the pre-Christmas games were completed, which has of course been delayed by all the bad weather.

You will see from the fixture lists that there are several dates when the Falcons and Eagles are both due to play at home. This will necessitate one game starting at the usual time, but one earlier in the afternoon. Coaches will advise further on this at training sessions once details have been finalised.

I’m sure all the players will be itching to get playing again and I hope they enjoy all the games coming up.

Best wishes, Tony Day LAYFC Co-chairman

The Falcons have received a home draw in the next round of the League Cup, against Trowbridge Wanderers A. The game will take place on Saturday, 9 February at The Royal High School (KO 2:30).

The full draw, for what is Round 4 or the quarter-finals of the competition, is as follows:

AFC Corsham Leopards v Melksham Town Youth Saints

Dilton Rovers v Melksham Park Youth A

Trowbridge Town Youth A v Chippenham Town Youth White

Larkhall Athletic v Trowbridge Wanderers A

Best wishes, Tony Day Co-chairman LAYFC

As parents/carers may have seen from an earlier post I put on the club website, I raised concerns with Ralph Allen School last week about the gaps between the guard rails on the balcony in the sportshall, as it seemed to me that a young child could easily fall through them, causing serious injury.

The school’s initial reaction was that they would lock the door leading to the balcony to prevent access and so avoid the possible risks. I argued that it would be better to just make safe the guard rails as the balcony was a very useful facility and shutting it off would create other difficulties with more young children in the sportshall during training.

The school agreed to look into things and get back to me.They have now done that and have decided that, initially at least, the balcony will be closed off. They do intend to look further into making the guard rails safer for young children (they were apparently designed to be safe for children of 11+) , but this will have to be done in such a way that properly meets relevant health and safety regulations. Denial of access to the balcony and to the boys toilet there is a nuisance, but I really think it is a case of better safe than sorry. (There is still a toilet available for use in the Girls’ changing room downstairs. However, as this will now need to be used by males and females on training nights, would everyone please do so with discretion!)

If or when the school decides to reopen the balcony to us, parents/carers will be advised. In the meantime, if the siblings of U8s and U9s players are brought to the sportshall while training is going on, would parents/carers please ensure that they are closely supervised, so as to avoid any accidents and also avoid any disruption to training. Thank you for your assistance.

Best wishes, Tony Day Co-chairman LAYFC

Many congratulations to our U9 Falcons and Eagles for very creditable
performances in their League matches to date.
The Falcons have won their pre-Christmas Division with a record of Played 10, Won 8, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 (see table)! The boys also scored most goals in the League and let in fewest. Most importantly, all the boys played some fantastic passing football and their teamwork and team spirit have really devloped as the season has gone on.
The Eagles have also done very well to win four of their games and currently stand third in their Division.

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Royal School, Saturday 1st December kick off 2.30

"MY VERDICT"

Charles Dickens began ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ with – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. He could have been at the match yesterday because that just about summed up the game, except he would have added – “and then it was the best of times again. “
We started brightly, unlike the weather and under difficult conditions took control of the game from early on. We looked safe at the back, controlled in midfield and dangerous up front, so when the first goal came it was a matter of when rather than if. Tom found himself in space on the right and when the ball was moved out to him he took a touch before releasing a well measured shot from the edge of the area that beat the goalkeeper and struck the inside of the post before hitting the net. Eight minutes gone and it was “one-nil” as David Coleman used to say with that air of inevitability. Seven minutes later it became 2-0 when Jamie turned in a pass from Freddie who had just completed one of his mazey runs past two or three defenders. Just three minutes later, Joe burst through on the left following some neat inter passing with Dan in midfield and fired in a fierce low shot into the far corner to make it 3-0. We had several more chances during the first half which included a good shot from Charlie that went just wide and a free kick from Freddie after a late trip on him. By half time we had completely dominated the game and some of the Mere Town players had become visibly rattled. If there was any evidence of how the match had gone up to this point it could have been gained by just looking at the two goalkeepers. Robbie’s top was still bright yellow whilst the Mere Town goalie was brown from head to foot.
One minute into the second half, we lost possession at the back and one of their attackers took advantage. He raced towards our goal before hitting an unstoppable shot past Robbie into the corner of the net. 3-1. Four minutes later, a mix up in our penalty area gifted them a second and then just one minute after that, horror of horrors, we conceded another one. It was a nervous last quarter of an hour during which Mere Town struck the foot of the post and Drew, Alex and Charlie had to keep us in the game with well timed, last-ditch tackles.
Although we had several chances in extra time, the game could easily have gone the other way, especially towards the end when Robbie came rushing off the line to block what looked like a certain goal. With less than a minute left before the game was due to go to penalties Charlie picked up the ball in his own half on the right, dribbled down the wing and passed it to Joe who took the ball into their area and poked the ball through to Jamie who did the rest. 4-3!! That goal did two things – won us the match and made us forget or just not care just how wet we all were. Well done Jamie!
So that’s it. We are now through to the quarter finals. It wouldn’t be appropriate to pick out any player for “man of the match” because everyone gave their best, but if I could single out any one moment that typified the spirit within the team it would have to be a determined run that Drew made, towards the end of extra time, from one end of the pitch to the other that, in the blink of an eye, turned defence into attack and this from a boy who was suffering with a cold.

Well played everyone, enjoy the break, you’ve earned it!

Cheers, Rus Morley Under 9s Coach

(Royal School Saturday 17th November kick off 2.30)
 
My Verdict (Title cribbed from Arsene Wenger’s Match Reports)

It’s Sunday morning and I’m still on a high after watching the most exciting match of the season. It was billed as the top of the table clash and it lived up to everybody’s expectations.
We knew this was going to be a tough game and Castle Combe were definitely up for it. After all, they had beaten us earlier in the season, albeit by only one goal scored in the final minute. We felt that we lost that game as opposed to them winning it and we were in no mood to let that happen again. However, they did look quite formidable at the kick off in their black and white striped shirts, black shorts and socks.
We settled very quickly and started putting some good passing moves together. Freddie looked dangerous from the beginning and gave their defence the run-around before scoring the opener. It was a cracking shot from outside the box that left the goalkeeper with no chance. There was a split second delay while the crowd took in what had happened. It was like a silent WOW before they erupted on the sidelines with the soon-to-be-famous “Larkhall Roar”. If I had been stood next to a bucket of water I’d have probably kicked it. After we scored, we kept our shape and focused on the game. Castle Combe did give us a couple of scary moments – one when Robbie came rushing off his line to shut out a one on one chance and another when he dived at full stretch to turn a shot around the post. Both saves were applauded by Castle Combe’s coaches and supporters. At the other end, we continued to put their defence under pressure and were unlucky not to go further ahead on three or four occasions. Then, with a couple of minutes to go in the first half,  Drew dribbled through their defence to find himself with just the keeper to beat. He just calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right hand corner to make it 2-0.
The second half picked up where the first one ended. At one end we were unlucky not to have scored several more goals. Joe and Freddie were denied by their goalkeeper and Joe narrowly missed with a header from Freddie’s corner. Our defence stayed solid and gave the Castle Combe attack very little space. Special mention must go to Alex, Drew and Jamie who played very responsibly in defence. It can be a thankless job at the back but they stuck at what they had to do and it won us the game.
Everybody put in maximum effort and played well. It was a real team performance. It can be a problem when you have nine outfield players and only six can play at one time but what pleased me most about yesterday’s performance was that it didn’t make any difference who was on the pitch. We kept our shape, discipline and played exciting football from start to finish.
Well done Robbie, Alex, Drew, Jamie, Ryan, Dan, Charlie, Tom, Freddie and Joe  - you were all brilliant. Well refereed Rog. And finally well done to our fans (parents, grandparents, siblings and friends). Your support has given the team so much encouragement and confidence. If we carry on playing like this we may need to think about building a stand.

Next week: Royal School, Saturday 24th November, 2.30 Kick Off  - Larkhall Falcons vs Trowbridge 

Be there!!

Cheers, Rus Morley  Under 9s coach

This was the third time the Eagles have faced this very strong Derry Hill side this season and, quite simply, we will pleased to see the back of them! Not only have they been playing together for a couple of years, but they have only one team and a large squad of players - physically as well as numerically!

The Eagles tried extremely hard as they always do always trying to find a way through a strong Derry defence but time and time again were met with either a quick counter-attack either by their smooth and effective passing game or by their no nonsense clearances upfield that turned defence into attack in one kick.

While our efforts and running deserved at least a goal, maybe we can learn a little from today’s opponents? They were always first to the ball; they knew who they were going to pass to; they rarely gave the ball away or lost possession; and they were a little more determined than we were in most areas of the field.

There are, however, some very positive things that shone out in this match:

Lucas’ ball control and great vision with some wonderful long passes; Jack Day’s enthusiasm and battling runs against bigger and rougher defenders; Ben’s growing confidence and incredibly brave tackling; Harry’s ever-athletic and reliability as a sound shot-stopper in goal; Rathlin’s determined and very skilful dribbling runs; Jack Witty-Smith’s passion, positional play and promising runs up front; Nick’s tremendous shooting ability from free kicks as well as some telling and very astute passing; and Charlie’s no-nonsense tackling, determination to get to the ball first and tireless defending.

Even the best teams have ‘off days’ and now and again come up against better sides. The Eagles are still getting to know each, learning the basics of playing together as a team and introducing new and young players for the first time. We are very much ‘a work in progress’.

Let’s move on from this, work on our ball-winning, our passing to each other (…and not the opposition!), keeping our shape as a team all through the match (…and not just at kick offs!) and begin to believe that we can win games when we play with each other and for each other…just like we did at Trowbridge a couple of weeks ago.

Great effort against difficult opponents. Let’s do better next time!

See you at training on Wednesday…

Best wishes, Otto - Under 9s Coach

On a pitch whose long grass more resembled a rugby pitch, and facing a brisk wind in the first half, this rousing match needed every ounce of energy, strength and commitment from each and every Falcon to achieve the desired result and maintain our excellent position at the top of the division.

The match was a tale of two goalkeepers essentially, with Robbie Cashel outstanding in the first half and somehow managing to block shot after scrambled shot in one memorable goalmouth incident when we were under severe pressure. Thank you Robbie!

At the other end, their goalkeeper - a new addition to their team since we last played them at home - was outstanding also, saving bravely at the feet of our forwards on countless occasions and memorably pushing a superb free kick from Joe Han Hauser over the crossbar when it seemed destined for the far corner.

Captain for the day was Jamie Hall, who had a commanding game in midfield, always aware of opposition and the need to mark and running from end to end, one moment launching an attack, the next moment covering back to prevent Warminster scoring.

Ryan White is a welcome addition to the team, and his dribbling skills will shine more on a better pitch such as at The Royal High School, but today he had a really solid team game, passing well, tackling doggedly and frequently just a bounce away from scoring.

At the back Alex Pippard again had a storming game, not just keeping a closed shop in defence, but making several surging runs up the field and looking particularly dangerous.

Tom Walker had his best game yet, showing more endeavour, determination and passing skills with every game. The improvement in his performances over the last three matches have been hugely pleasing to behold.

Charlie Aldred again covered every blade of grass on the pitch, searched constantly for an opening at goal and defended impressively.

Freddie Isaksen also produced his usual skilful display, turning opponents very cleverly and looking to bring his team mates into the game with some much improved passing. Freddie’s defensive awareness has improved dramatically over the last 2 or 3 games and now he is a much more complete player - a team player.

Joe Han Hauser, nominated by the independent referee as Man of the Match, played a very sensible match, linking play all the time and trying to involve players, spread the play and cut through the strong Warminster defence. His pinpoint free kick needed a fine save to stop it going in.

For me, however, the revelation of the day was Daniel Mobley. His determination to tackle was superb; his skilful runs upfield surprised and delighted the watching supporters; and his really positive attacking play won us the ball and created danger for Warminster on several occasions. Not content with hitting the crossbar with one blistering shot, he went one better a couple of minutes later with a superb match winning long range strike. Well done Dan! An excellent individual performance.

It has to be said though, this was a difficult match which required all the players to dig deep and show real character. The long grass not just made passing more difficult, but sapped the energy of the players more quickly and because the game was one of non-stop running, players on both sides quickly became understandably tired.

Well done all of you for the enormous effort you put in to securing these valuable points. You ran your hearts out tirelessly and never stopped pushing forward, always looking for another goal. A really heartening and deserved win.

Very well done!

Best wishes, Otto Hauser - Under 9s coach

         The U9s pictured before their game with Derry Hill

An interesting Cup draw saw the Eagles facing a Derry Hill side that had comprehensively beaten them 6-1 away earlier in the season when we were only just beginning to put a team together.

However, despite missing the goalscoring prowess of Ryan White, the Eagles put up a brave, battling performance in a match that constantly swung from end to end and which, given a little more luck, should have seen the Eagles draw level after 40 minutes.

Man of the Match was - without question - Harry Williams, who not only led by example as captain on the day, but who pulled off a series of truly breathtaking saves to thwart Derry Hill’s front men time and time again. Harry’s athleticism and sheer bravery sometimes defied belief and certainly kept the Eagles in the match. Harry’s efforts alone dererved a win!

Sam Evans and Joseph Bateman put in two sterling performances at the back, never shirking a challenge and frequently finding team mates with timely and telling passes to turn defence into attack.

Ben Noad and Lucas Ojolo again showed growing confidence and enthusiasm, fitting comfortably into the side after only a couple of games. Their attitude, effort and application were first class. Lucas showed great composure with some fine long passes and Ben’s enthusiasm and marking was really pleasing.

Jack Day was his usual lively self up in attack, but despite playing as a lone striker for much of the game, he became an ever increasing threat especially in the second half. On any other day (…forgive the pun!) he would surely have hit the back of the net. His dribbling is exciting to watch… a real crowd pleaser!

                 Jack D beats a defender on another dribble

Nick Atwell held the midfield together, threading some great passes through to the attack and scoring an absolute beauty from a free kick on the edge of the Derry Hill box after Jack Day, on one of his mazy, searching runs had been brought down. Even Elano would have been chuffed with that strike! Nick’s eye for an incisive pass is becoming more evident with each match and will be a valuable tool in future games.

               Nick crashes in his goal from a free kick

Jack Witty Smith looked especially dangerous in the first half, creating constant danger with his speed down the wing. His goal was richly deserved, but when he went off the boil a little in the second half, so did the team. 

                         Jack W-S gets his deserved goal

Last, and by no means least, Rathlin Scott, making a hugely impressive and determined debut, not only proved a wall in defence with some resolute tackling and good positional awareness, but weighed in with a fine solo goal, placing the ball perfectly wide of the keeper and into the corner of the net. A great first performance from both Rathlin and Sam.

The Eagles once again faced a strong Derry Hill team who have played together for a while now. Considering that our players are still ‘finding their match day feet’ , still very much getting to know one another and each other’s styles of play, this was a really creditable performance. The boys showed just how much the team has come on in a relatively short period of time.

Next up is Derry Hill in the league by sheer coincidence and with the benefit of a little more time training and getting to know each other, the value of this experience and the return of Ryan and Charlie, we should be well fired up to go one better and get a morale boosting result!

Well played Eagles…

Best wishes, Otto Under 9s Coach

The good news:

On an absolutely gorgeous autumn morning eight Falcons gathered on a good away pitch to just about come out on top against a defensively strong Bradford side who, more than once, threatened to take hold of the game. It was a battling performance from everybody, a thoroughly well earned win and, more importantly, a game from which we can learn for the future and improve as a team. But at the end of the morning the Falcons had won again and the boys can be proud of that!

The honest facts:

We have - and can - play better. We battled gamely to play our usual passing game, but to be perfectly fair, there were several circumstances acting against us. Although my dear mother used to tell me not to spoil a perfectly good apology with an excuse, if you can’t make excuses in victory, when can you???!!!!

Tom Walker and Joe Han-Hauser’s strength and stamina were clearly still suffering from a bug that has caused them both to be ill during the previous 12 hours; Freddie Isaksen was carrying an niggling ankle injury; Jamie Hall had not trained or played in the past 10 days and was clearly worried by a stud bruise to his leg; Robbie Cashel took a nasty ball to the face only minutes before kick off that rocked his confidence for a few moments; and the pitch, despite looking good, was decidedly bumpy and uneven in places.

The opposition:

The above factors were added to by the simple truth that Bradford were a good side: excellent in defence, strong in the tackle, ever ready to intercept the ball and win possession and always keeping a good shape to their team right across the pitch. We should not be afraid to learn from what they were good at and try to copy it ourselves! Take note.

The players:

Man of the match was Alex Pippard, who was frequently left alone to cover the defence and prevent Robbie Cashel being left to face two or three attackers. Alex had an excellent game. His tackling, passing and defending couldn’t be faulted and at home he can be a real attacking threat, too.

Robbie also had another great game in goal, making some very important saves. While not as spectacular as some saves we know he can make, each was vital to our final win. His kicking was good too, especially when we took the advantage of surprise and bypassed the opposition attack and midfield which had pushed up a tad too far to supply our forwards directly. A useful counter-attacking ploy we can use effectively in the future, but sparingly please.

Jamie Hall was asked to play much deeper than he usually does and while he had a solid, hard working game, he didn’t have the opportunity to make some of his trademark runs and dribbles which he is so good at. His supporting play and defending were excellent though and given an evening’s training and our flat pitch at The Royal High School, he will soon be back on the scoring trail.

On the other side of defence, Drew Retford ran his socks off as usual, frequently turning defence into attack and making some fine surges up the wing. Drew was ever aware of other players, but it needed us to make more runs to benefit from Drew’s vision and accurate passing. Drew is a real all rounder, able to shoot, pass, tackle and direct play.

Captain for the day was Charlie Aldred, who played his typically tireless self, battling, tackling, defending, linking play and charging forward. He led by example and his breaks following Bradford’s equaliser tipped the balance of play in our favour and led to us sneaking a winner courtesy of an own goal after a wicked and unplayable cross by Jamie. A great team response to an equaliser that was always on the cards when we failed to pick up players or cover back when they attacked.

Tom Walker, despite being unwell played a much stronger game in the second half as he moved further up front. His defensive clearances were much more powerful and direct; his passing was well-judged and incisive; and his overall play once again improved on the previous weeks display - itself a good one!

Freddie Isaksen had a great game. His all-round play better than we have seen all season. We know what a deadly striker he can be, but at times in the past his defensive cover has been lacking sometimes. Not today! He was always aware of unmarked opponents, ever ready to cover back; his tackling was determined; and he involved his team mates much more. A much stronger all round performance.

Finally, to our goalscorer, Joe Han-Hauser. Joe had been sick only two hours before the game and was again ill on his return home, yet despite this he launched the Falcons on their way with a cracking strike only a minute into the game, a hugely important base which kept us ahead for most of the match and gave us something to cling on to when under pressure. While his energy and chasing game was understandably not at its usual peak, he more than compensated with intelligent positional play, close marking of opponents and clever link up play bringing his team mates into a move. His goal alone merits a deserved pat on the back!

The verdict:

Our passing wasn’t at its best today, our defending at times slackened off and our communication was not as loud as we need it to be. Being up against a tough team defensively as Bradford were, none of our players got their usual chances to shoot from long range. Chances were few and far between, but we kept battling to create them. That is something to be very pleased about!

Professional managers often say that a sign of a good team is one that wins while not playing particularly well. We did that today and deserve to be pleased because we are still in the cup.

Well done everybody. Lets learn from this and hopefully tummy bugs will leave us alone to get back to winning ways in style with our away game at Warminster next weekend.

Have a good week and see you on Wednesday…

Best wishes, Otto - Under 9s coach