Collated by Nick Syrett

The Fireworks weren’t just limited to the squidgy Hardy farm battle grounds this weekend… There were plots to bring down oppositions, rockets were fired in from all over the park and the games were littered with sparkling performances… Who was on fire and who just didn’t go off this weekend?

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Down to the bare bones, the U9 Hawks travelled to Sale this weekend. The Magnificent Seven started brightly with the three ’B’s: Ben, Bertie C and Bertie E causing mayhem in the Sale rearguard. They were soon rewarded with our first, a clinical near-post strike from Bertie C. Slippery Sam (more tricks than Paul Daniels that lad) was running the game and aimed a sneaky corner in off a defender for our second. A seven-pass move was then finished off in style by Bertie E and we were 3 -1 up at the break.  Noah and Joe, who had held the defence with their solid tackling, now switched positions. Noah began bossing the midfield and Joe slipped in between the sticks. This unleashed Hotshot-Ollie out of goal onto an unsuspecting Sale defence, his first two touches saw him fall flat on his face but then the magic returned. He followed his comedy start with a series of netbusters with the cat-like reflexes of the Sale keeper keeping all but three out. A hatrick for the Hotshot mainly assisted by the Xavi-like passes of Ben and the crosses of the Berties (best assistance since Debbie McGee).

Final score: Sale 2 v  U9 WD&C Hawks  6

Mars bar man of the match ‘Hotshot’ Ollie Breed

WD&C U9 Harriers 9 v  Sale Communities Harriers 7

All the early action was from Chorlton with the team scoring five unanswered – all from good team play. The early success encouraged the boys to bomb forward at will which left a chasm of space at the back for sale’s proficient attackers to exploit. Theo and Lucas did some great passing and Ruben, who initially looked a bit leggy after a couple of weeks away, kept on it and was hunting the ball down like a terrier by the end. Another good team performance but some lessons to learn with lack of discipline leading to most of the 7  goals coming the other way.

Goals for Chorlton from Max H (2), Max P (2), Olly S (2), Tyler (2), and Vaughn.

Ashton on Mersey U10 panthers 6 v WD&C U10 Eagles 4

Scorers: Jake X2, Isaac & Sacha.

Pom: Frankie

Hale Utd São Paulo 7  v U12’s 2  

The annual trip to see how the “other half lives” turned into the proverbial game of two halves with West crashing to defeat.

As parents and players took in the sights of Bowden Cricket Club – “Is that really one house?” “There’s a Bentley!”  “Yes, those are Chanel wellies!” – Hale concentrated on playing football and raced into a 5-0 lead.

West’s defence struggled to cope with Hale’s pacy wingers, but there was still good fortune about some of the goals.

It looked like it was going to be really difficult day even after Kenta scored his first goal for the club – bundling in a corner despite the heroic efforts of the home keeper. But a Churchillian speech from the coaching team at half time saw West inspired at the start of the second half.

Chance after chance was created – but a combination of the woodwork, inspired goalkeeping, poor finishing and luck kept West out.  And of course as West stormed forward they left themselves open to fast counter attacks and after a couple of alarms Hale grabbed two more goals.

Alfie then saved a penalty – comfortably smothering the effort from the spot as the Hale player attempted a Pogba-esque stuttering run up (it never works son!!).  The chances continued to come for West but it became clear it was going to be “one of those days”. 

Isaac was rewarded for his efforts, grabbing a consolation with the last kick of the game.

Plenty of positives from the second half display – and another year for parents to wait for the next bout of house, car and wellie envy.

Goals

Kenta Brannon

Isaac Marshall

POTM Kofi Malik

U14 Badgers

Division 5

Urmston meadowside Roma (h)

Won 5-2

Scorers: Teddy (3), Kayden and Jai

PoM: Jai

Half time: @ 0-2 down stern words were had, the coach took his anger of the locked gate debacle out in his team talk. The Lads responded!! The badgers are clawing their way up the league nicely.

U15s away vs Sale Utd Vulcans.

Won 3-4.

Goals:-

Zak Gardner 

Salvador Ray

Oliver Lloyd

Helal Sarwari ( pen)

Thankfully by k/o the fog had lifted so we could see the goal we were supposed to be attacking. Zak duly obliged & put us 0-1 up after 7 mins .

We conceded a poor goal after some sloppy defending 2 mins later. 1-1. Some good end to end play from both sides followed & Sal put us 1-2 up & we had seemed to get our act together at the back . Again Sale came back to 2-2. & so it was at half time.

We looked sluggish & bit weary. Quick pep talk, walking wounded patched up & a couple of team positional switches & we came out looking more assured.

A good spell of good footy followed where neither side could manage to hit the target.Fortunately, Oli L did which put us 2-3 up which was then shortly followed by a pen won & dispatched nicely by Helal. 2-4.

8 mins to go…

A fairly dubious handball decision  gave them a pen. Scored. 3-4.

4 mins to go..

We dug in, defended well & time was up.

Man of Match: Olly Rowlands.

Excellent Left back play, defensively & also going forward.

Also special mentions to Alex Cooke-Parkes & Paddy Langston. For very good performances also today.

Well done Lads. Back to Hardy Farm next week .

U16s V FC Bluestar 

Won 7-3

West Under 16s, sitting second in the table played Local rivals fC Bluestar of Didsbury in a 2nd v 3rd almost top of the table clash. On a misty murky Hardy Farm that was just about playable extra stress was added by broken locks and changing pitches at the last minute meant we feared starting slightly undercooked. None of it as we sped into a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes. Our second goal and the defiant continued complaints from their keeper led to our first experience of the ‘sin bin’ as Bluestar went down to 10 and had to hand the gloves to the big centre half. Bizarrely the 10 men then had their best spell of the game. Scored 1 and then hit the post from a pen as West struggled to adjust to their new found enthusiasm and energy from their sense of injustice. A booking for last man foul for West could have been worse and we were rocking. Fortunately second half control returned and despite some nervy moments and 2 more conceded we ran out 7-3 winners. At 6-3 the ref ‘lost’ one of our goals and claimed it was only 5 meaning it felt tighter than it was but order and correct score was restored. 6 goals from the strikers including a hat trick from Nicquille was satisfying and MOTM was Midfield general Matty. West travel to Didsbury next week looking to ensure we do the double over our neighbours.