Our weekly round-up from collated ever excellent Nick Syrett – after last week’s shortened schedule, we’re back to full strength with a bang this time out.
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On a weekend that featured plenty of Derby day action in the Premiership, West’s Junior section had plenty of local matchups themselves. Would any of our managers use the wind as a scape goat…?
U9’s Eagles
Europa League (game 3)
Broadheath Sparta (a)
Lost 2 – 6
Scorers: Alex, Bailey
PoM: Isaac
“We battled well today and our long winning run from 17th Nov came to a crunching end”. The Eagles took heart from the vast improvement from the reverse fixture which saw them lose 3-12 in September.
Meanwhile, it was a painful double as the U9 Owls were also taken down, this time 5-2 to Mobberley.
Goal scorers for West were Oliver and Blake. Pom Jude Pinson for some excellent goal keeping.
The Under 11s won 4-1 against Stretford Vics in the first Spring cup game. Scorers Kofi Malik, George Roskell and 2 for Jacob William. POTM George Roskell.
Whether it was the Caffeine free zone this sunday, or the pressure of knockout football I’m not sure, but there were a few twitchy Chorltonites this sunday on the sidelines at Hardy Farm.
With a transfer deadline signing in the bag and a new Romanian coach parachuted in to re-boot their season, the U13 Badgers shuffled towards their cup semi final V Unicorn Athletic Lightning with just a hint of the big time about their gait. Proving that there is nothing better than a cup distraction from a painful league season, they only went and Won 2-1 !!
Scorers: Kayden, Isaak H
PoM Teddy.
Cup Final: Sunday 31st March @ Trafford FC v Ashton on mersey Titans. Ko 11am if anyone wants to come down and see how the badgers roll..
Meanwhile, the U13 Magpies; Seemingly bolstered by the recent warm weather training camp continued their “Continental” experience of the Europa cup by hosting Brooklands Dragons Roma at hardy Farm.
The pre match non caffeinated chat on the sidelines was all about Whacky Aki’s staunch denial that a gagging order was taken out in the media to suppress his “wild times” on his tropical island over half term. Reports that his tan lines continued way past his short cycle shorts were rife.
On the pitch, the Magpies started well but crucially didn’t snaffle the early morsels that were on offer. Despite a disallowed goal for a Maradonna style handball /yellow card combo for the Roma dragons, they ratcheted up the pressure on their feathered rivals and took the lead with a speculative shot that looped over our unfortunate keeper.
The first half was littered with acrid moments of back chat, moaning and dark arts both on and off the pitch. The strong ref did at least have a few words with various Roma players to watch their attitude. Those dragons really were breathing fire.
Whether it was the Caribbean jet lag or 2 weeks of ring rust, we were almost out of the game at HT: 0-4.
Fortified by some stirring speeches from the 3 wise men at half time the boys came flying out of the traps and bossed the 2nd half. We tried as best we could to play a slick passing game on a pitch that was fading faster than the management’s hair line. The dynamic duo of Ioanniesta and The Hitman combined well again today and gave us a sniff at 2-4. Both combined twice to assist and score each, but the Dragons formerly “unreliable “ keeper made a string of top saves to keep us at wings length. We continued to bang on their door, but just couldn’t find a route to glory.
We lost a late goal chasing the game with a maverick tactical switch. We may have lost the game, but comfortably won the second half and the moral high ground. That game had all of the joy of a dark night in Roma versus the Ultras. The warm and cuddly demeanor was even extended to our mud splattered keeper Fin, who had a great game in tough conditions. He was tapped up in the car park after the game!. The young, chocolate Labrador like stopper, who seems to love nothing more than a muddy puddle, was ushered away by his agent uttering something that apparently featured a few choice words as well as “freezing” , “over” and “hell”.
Magpie dignity remains in tact, but European dreams are in tatters. That’s Played 3 lost 3 in the less fashionable round robin cup competition. July qualification in Uzbekistan beckons…
Potm Rudie Spearing. Sent a message to the coaches that he’s up for a challenge.
U15 got back to winning ways with a win against local rivals St John’s Thunder on a blustery and wet Turn Moss. Lots of Local pride was at stake with many players sharing a cricketing or scouting connection. West were out to revenge a first game defeat when 10 brave West men had battled to a 3-2 defeat. West started brightly but were stung by a goal on the break. One was pulled back leaving us 1-1 at half time. Inspirational words from the coaching team (!) and much better play led to a much improved second half as West stretched the play and used their wingers to great effect and we scored 4 without reply to run out 5-1 winners. Goals from Nicquille Clifton (3), Daniel Eaton and MoTM Oli Carter who terrified the boys in green with rangy runs down the wing.
Local Derby fever was all the rage once again as the unfortunate U17s lost 6-3 at home to St Johns U18s. “With a little more luck we could have got something out of the game – We hit the woodwork twice!”
