Sunday September 2 2007 - Charnock Richard Away. Kick Off 10AM. Lost 1 0.

Our first Under 9s game and how encouraging.

A team comprised mainly of Under 8s put in a battling display in which we ended up one nil losers. With several players playing out of position including Max, a forward, who played in goals we were always going to find maintaining our shape difficult. After some fine early saves from our stand in goalie we conceded a soft goal but the way we fought back in the second half was a credit to every player. Man of the match Jack, saved us time and again with help from Luke whilst Aidan was a revelation in defence. Captain Declan never stopped working whilst Lee, Morgan and Daniel all caused plenty of problems in the second half. Well done everyone!

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Wednesday September 5 2007. Aspull away. Kick Off 630PM. Lost 5 - 1.

Disappointing result. With some players away and others joining we again had to introduce the players to each other 30 minutes before kick off. Again we struggled to maintain our shape but managed to keep the game goaless for the majority of the first half thanks partially to debutant Jake and a wonder penalty save. We then conceded a couple of quick goals and seemed to lose concentration. Against a very good side we trailed 4 - 0 at half time but drew the second half 1 - 1 to lose 5 - 1 at the final whistle. Lee and Luke were fantastic and it was fitting that Man of the Match Luke scored Ribbles first ever Under 9s goal.

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Sunday September 9 2007 - Penwortham Reds Away. Kick Off 10AM. Won 3 - 1.

Ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole. Our first victory.

With kick off time changed, a pitch which you needed satelite navigation to find, a hammering four days earlier, only seven players and a substitute who arrived at half time wearing Spider Man pyjamas we had plenty going against us. We started brightly but conceded an early goal and always seemed to have the measure of a side as new as us. Soon after Max scored to bring us level and added a second from near the touchline with his wrong foot before most of our large away support had arrived. It was no surprise to anyone when Spider Man came off the bench and added a third and we had plenty of late chances to add to our tally from Lee, Luke, Max and Declan. Aidan was a rock again, Daniel twice went close and Liam will open his account soon. A solid performance which we deserved to win. The Referee singled out Max as Man of the Match. 

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Wednesday September 12 2007. Penwortham St Teresas. Away. Kick Off 615pm  Lost 3 - 1.

This was always going to be a difficult game against a side which won 7 - 0 on Sunday. We played with a similar team to our victory against Pen Town Reds but are still juggling our forwards, it seems at present that a forward that plays well one week has a quiet game next time. With Jack absent we reverted to 2,2,2 formation with Luke and Aidan solid at the back, Max and Lee covering miles in midfield and Declan and Daniel up front, who never really had chance to shine as we were penned back in our own half for the first 25 minutes. We managed to keep the game at 1-0 at HT thanks mainly to Jake who seems to make great saves look easy and easy saves look difficult. Within two minutes of the second half we were 2-0 down and the game seemed beyond us but another fine goal from Max, this time a lob from fully 20 yards, put us back in the game. After creating and missing a string of chances to level we let in a soft goal in the last minute which flattered the scoreline. This was a fine and more organised display particularly re marking and defending, Liam improved on last week, Morgan had his best game but Man of the Match was awarded, by the referee to Jake.

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Sunday September 16 2007. Leyland Albion Blue Away. Kick off 12pm. Won 2 0.

A good result but not our best performance. Bizzarely, we had 11 players today and therefore 8 players were either subbed or subs, which is always going to disrupt any teams rythym. We went in front mid way through the first half after a fine strike from Liam who was a completely different player to recent weeks and caused the opposition constant problems with some direct runs. The game was over as a contest after Lee`s excellent shot was paried by the keeper only for Max to convert from close range for his fourth goal in three games. Four substitutions were made at the start of the second half and all coped well with new positions, particularly Declan T who was making his debut. A great move involving Max and Liam almost brought a third as we dominated the game playing with the hill and the wind. Special praise for Jake, for his first clean sheet and Liam who is striving to make the centre forward position his own but Man of the Match by some way was Luke who was fantastic as an attacking wing back causing their defence no end of trouble, particularly in the second half. Well done all.

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Sunday 23 September 2007. Red Rose Away. Kick Off 2pm Lost 6 - 1.

Very disappointed. With our goalkeeper arriving later than your girlfriend on your first date and playing a side who score goals for fun this was an uphill battle. Unable to name a side until five minutes before kick off we struggled to again maintain shape and played Max, our top scorer in goals. We should have been three one up after 20 minutes as after conceeding a thunder bolt and then equalising through Luke, who had another fine game, Lee managed to miss two one on ones. Second half subs Declan T and Jake who replaced Max in goals tried hard but by now we had become disorganised and caved in in the last 15 minutes. A game to forget although I thought Liam, Luke and Aidan all played well, the referee awarded MOM to Lee. Croston away next week, I shall be praying Saturday night.

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Sunday 30 September 2007. Croston away. Lost 8 - 2.

A score that does us no favours whatsoever. A cunning plan to play Max in goals for the first half back fired in spectacular fashion as the Croston strikers took advantage of Max`s diminutive stature by blasting four quick goals in top corners. The second half was a different story and we did not deserve to be on the receiving end of an 8 2. New signing Jack Bramley was sensational and capped a fantastic debut with two stunning goals, he was claerly man of the match and my only concern is keeping him as a Ribble player before bigger clubs come calling. We are becoming a decent outfit and I am confident we will beat some of the sides currently above us.

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Sunday 7th October.Home 10 oclock ko. Peston Pirates won 5 - 1.

First game at home, new kit and what a display. A parent said that he had never seen a side as young try and pass the ball like we did. A performance like this makes me feel Saturday mornings are totally worthwhile. With throw ins, corners, centres and marking all covered and a strong and reasonably settled starting line up I was confident of a good display. We fell behind against the run of play but we always looked like scoring and it was no shock when Liam bundled the ball over the line for a deserved equaliser. The rest of the game was a complete joy, pass and move play by Declan T, Liam, Max and Lee resulted in many chances and some goals as well. Jack B was fantastic again, he scored a hat trick and could have had more, his first was smashed into the roof of the net after another mazy dribble, his second was like watching John Barnes at his peak beating three players before rounding the keeper and his third, from the penalty spot was drilled into the bottom right corner. Lee capped a fine second half display with the other but this was a quality team display with all players contributing. Max was different class to any of The Pirates strikers and deserved his MOM award, he does not know the meaning of defeat and is a great example to the rest of his team. Well done all.

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Sunday 14 October 2007. Gregson Lane Away. (Played at home) KO 10am.

A frustrating match. Gregson Lane are a good team but with a more settled side, a new signing and some effort I really thought we could win this. We started brightly enough but could not score and looked at ease in the defence with all three players playing better football than at anytime in the past few weeks, Jake is a completely new player than the one that started with us and looked frightened to death and Aidan and Luke look very solid without really seeming to play as a unit. Midfield is now beginning to come together although Bings and I have had long discussions about where to get the best out of Jack. Brilliant for two weeks but absent for large parts of the game yesterday, I think a free roll behind the front two may work as long as Max is willing to sacrifice his desire for goal to play as a more defensive player.

Declan T had his best game and may have cemented a midfield birth, Liam showed glimpses of quality but needs to be stronger both mentally and physically whereas Lee and Declan B both have to continue to work hard, lift their head up and sometimes play an easy ball.

I dont really want to talk too much about the game itself as I was very dissapointed with parts of our play, however, Max was outstanding again with both the referee and their manager naming him as Man of the Match but I gave the award to Jake who would appear to have the heart of a lion after a brave display. Jack notched another stunner and I am positive we will wallop Brinscall next week.

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Sunday 28 October 2007. Red Rose, Home, Kick Off 930am. Lost 7-3.

A game I am really trying to put behind me for more than one reason. We worked hard at training the day before to perfect our set plays and each players positioning. This worked quite well throughout the match but we still need to remember to try and pass the ball rather than playing first time passes to the opposition.

The game itself was mainly disappointing with several of our players playing below par, Liam was very quiet, Max not at his best, Jake conceded a couple of soft goals, I could go on. On the positive side I thought the free role I gave Jack worked well and Declan T taking goal kicks also helped. Jack scored another couple of screamers and Lee R was a power house when he came on at the start of the second half. We could have got something from this game after falling behind we fought back and at 5-3 Jack had a great chance that hit the bar, if that had gone in I think we would have won but a couple of soft late goals gave the score a depressing look.

I am looking forward to the next few weeks and know we can and will improve

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Sunday 11 November 2007. Home Aspull 10 oclock ko. Won 2-1.

What a game and what a result. This was possibly our first game when EVERY player can hold their head up high and be proud of their contribution. We played our usual starting six of Jake, Luke, Aidan, Max, Jack, Declan with Lee starting up front after an impressive display two weeks ago. It was end to end from the first whistle but we deserved the lead after great work from Jack with the keeper not able to prevent his shot from reaching the goal line and Lee bundled over from close range. A speculative shot by Aspull threaded its way through a maze of defenders and took a bad bounce over Jakes foot. 1-1. The second half was backs to the wall stuff with Max, who had become our third defender, simply magnificent with tackle after tackle, Aidan did the same with help from a solid and determined Luke. A dubious penalty was awarded to Aspull and I feared the worst but a unbelievable double save from Jake kept the scores level. A quick break, poor tackle, our penalty, "Go on Jack, YES!" 2-1.

This could be the start of a good run we have two more tough games then we play some of the weaker sides, I may play 3, (Aidan, Luke,Max), 2 (Declan, Jack) 1, (Lee) for next few weeks, Max seems a natural defender and Jack likes the middle / front role, this system really needs Declan, Lee, Jack and Max to cover a lot of ground and I may revert to 2, 2, 2 when I expect us to win easily.

A great display, proud parents and manager, well done all. For the record the team voted Jake MOM but it could have been any of them. Going to the pub! 

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Sunday 18 November 2007. Croston Home KO 10 o clock. Result 3-3.

Another great result in a peculiar game. We only had seven players after Declan Berry went AWOL and Liam went down with man flu, but the seven we had are now a fairly well settled starting line up and I dont have the headache of substituting players who are playing well.

It was cold, really cold, the pitch was very heavy and the grass too long playing against a side who have been in the top three all season it was always going to be hard and we soon fell behind and then conceeded a second direct from our own centre - I am going to work on this at training and goal kicks (not Declan T`s fault at all but where we stand to recieve the ball) and also when Jake kicks the ball out of his hands, at present he kicks too early. Jack kept us in the game with another fantastic solo goal smashed into the top corner, he has seven contenders now for goal of the season and I think he enjoys his free roll. At 3-1 down however, kicking up hill and into the wind it I feared the worse but Lee produced another quality finish and Jack bundled home from close range to tie the scores. Amazing performance and we could have won it when Lee had his shot blocked on the line. The effort of all the players is a tribute to them and after a tough game next week we play two of the easier sides and could start to climb the table.

For the record, Aidan, Jack and Lee were outstanding but MOM went to Declan T who had his best game by a mile. Well done all.

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Sunday December 16 2007. Penwortham Town Reds. Home Kick off 10am. Won 9 0!

An outstanding result against depleted opposition. A no show from Declan T was a disappointment but a late sub performed heroics to help us to a wide margin victory. The biggest plus point for me was the teams attempt to pass the ball and I think this will leave us in a good position against a better team. Liam captained the team as our usual captain, Max, had to keep goal as Jake was on holiday and he certainly did a fine job. Lee was magnificent again, Jack scored another hat trick and it was nice to see Liam score on his first game as skipper, Max also got on the score sheet but it was the attitude of the whole team that was most pleasing. Aidan was a dream to manage as usual and collected his first Man of the Match award. Luke played with great pace and attacking intent in the first half but capped this with a double penalty save towards the end of the match as we collected only our second clean sheet, I think Jake will be concerened about his position! We are climbing the table and building a reputation as the most improved team in the league. I intend to make a new signing in the January transfer window and am in negotiations with his agents. Bacon sandwiches taste so much nicer after a win and I intend to have a pint for each of our goals. Well done everyone. Happy Christmas. Training resumes on January 5th 2008. Thanks for all your hard work, players, parents and our growing army of supporters.

Sunday January 6 2008 Penwortham St Teresas Home Kick Off 10 am. Won 6 - 3.

As the form side in the league against a side that have only lost twice all season, we lost twice in August, this was a tough game and a true test of our improvement. Trying to select 7 players from 9 is easily my biggest headache and today I was shocked that I started with Declan and Lee as subs who have both been in good form recently. Ben Milnes made his debut today and was absolutely sensational. He is a natural goalscorer but it wasnt that that most impressed me, his work, effort, tackling, skill and willingness to work for his team mates was a joy to watch, add in the fact that he scored 5 fantastic goals including a bullet from 20 yards in the top corner a penalty box to penalty box solo effort and his first a superb example of "pass and move," made MOM decision easy. Well done Ben. His mother also deserves special praise by turning up at HT with an ample supply of Jaffa Cakes and repeating the same sterling service at FT. This was a delight to watch we are moving swiftly up the table and Chipping from The Premier league are next to visit fortress Manor Road. For the record Lee scored a great individual goal, Declan and Jack were both outstanding but everyone should be proud of their performance. Well Done.

Sunday 10 February 2008. New Longton Away 1230ko Lost 6 -4.

A game I seem to have took worse than everybody else I have spoken to. Losing is one thing but I feel like we can do a whole lot better and I am frantically searching for our best formation. We rely very heavily on Ben and Jack producing incredible goals, they must have scored 20 goals of the season between them but yet we concede more goals than almost any other side in the league except the bottom three. I like the idea of playing a holding player in front of the back two and behind the midfield but am still unsure who can best do this for me, the Max or Jake situation rumbles on as does where best to play Lee and Jack. I feel this Sundays game is more about my sanity, drive and belief than it is about our performance. For the record Aidan was solid but must understand his role, Jack worked hard and has great ability but where should he play? Ben was awesome but for Max, Daniel and Declan I feel its a little like throwing players up in the air and seeing where they land. I have been giving this weekends game plenty of thought and there may be some surprises. Thanks to all for your support and players efforts. Not everyone can be upbeat,positve and motivational all of the time otherwise we would all look like Lorraine Kelly.

NB The key must be to mark players in zones and instill in each player their role and more importantly the zone in which they operate. We are doing well but I believe we can do much better.

Sunday 9th March 2008. Home Lostock Hall Won 4 - 2.

An excellent performance and a disappointing scoreline. 4 0 up after 20 mins and should have been more but we concedede two late goals to give the score a non flattering look. The way we pass the ball now is sensational with ALL our players contributing. Individually Aidan was as solid as ever, Luke did well in the second half, Max played a intelligent role in centre midfield whilst Daniel and particularly Jack seem to improve week by week. We must take our chances and will work on this in training, this should have been a cricket score but I am satisfied with the three points. Our first goal was a great pass and move example finished by Lee, Ben added a second and Jack completed a fine individual performance with two cool goals which showed class and a growing understanding of what it takes to be a footballer. Daniel was singled out by the ref as MOM but I gave it to Aidan who is a rock at the back and never has a bad game. Well done all. No training next week but away to Lostock next week 12 oclock KO meet 1130 Mercer Rd.

Sunday 16 March 2008. Lostock Hall Away KO 12 o clock. Won 10 - 1.

We have been threatening to do this for sometime now. A scoreline that reflects our superority and shows what we are capable of. We were coasting after 15 mins with four quick fire goals. Pass and move seems to have got through to all the players with Daniels first as good as weve scored all season. I cant mention each goal bue Bens return of 5 was no more than he deserved,  Jack impresses me each week with his understanding, Aidan was solid and poorly, Lee was tenacious, Max great in goals and mature as captain and midfielder, Jake is learning but MOM was Luke for consistent displays each week and he nearly scored - he needs to concentrate positionally but he has been fantastic all season. We have some tough games left and can really start to climb the table. The referee mentioned our ability to pass as something to be proud of. We are now, I believe, a good team. Training Saturday, no game but Easter Bingo on Sunday , Ley Inn at four. well done all.

Wednesday 9th April 2008. Charnock Richard Home 3 - 1.

Apologies for the late match report due to hols etc.

This was a good result but we can do better. Charnock are above us in the table and this was a much needed result. Goals from Jack (2) and Ben were enough to seal victory but it was Declans performance that was most encouraging. Nothing seperates 4th to 8th in the table and we need to win our remaining games to clinch a high finishing position.

Man of the Match Declan. 

Sunday April 27th 2008. Preston Pirates Away Won 7 - 1.

This was men against boys stuff. We look a very useful side now and are starting line up looks settled. We would have beaten most teams in the league with a performance like this. Every player was quality although Aidan, Jake and Declan had very little to do as the game was played almost entirely in their last 20 yards. Max, back after a broken arm, is starting to look classy in his role as provider for Jack and Ben. Daniel and Ben are both quality players, Declan is solid and is my utility player, Luke never lets me down, Lee is tenacious and Aidan a rock but Jack was simply unplayable. His goals were mainly individual brilliance but he also passed, created and worked tirelessly. The referee selected him as a great talent at half time and I am convinced he has a bright future. We have some tough matches left, including New Longton, but we can win them all.

Man of Match Jack who scored 5, Ben 1 plus 1 og.

Wednesday 30 April 2008. Leyland Albion Blue Home Lost 1 - 0.

I can hardly bare to write this report and it will be brief. Apparently we were exceptionally unlucky but this result should not have happened. We are a TEAM and play as a TEAM if we dont I will change our playing staff until I find a combination that will. Ben and Jack should be best mates on the pitch, tearing defences apart together and scoring bag fulls between them. Because of how Dan and Max play this allows Ben to push forward and score goals, we have to understand we all want the same thing. Lets move on - 3 big games left and no awards for top goalscorer as there is no award for top tackler or passer. Man of Match ??????????? 

Sunday 4 May 2008. Brinscall Blue Away. Won 8 - 0.

What a difference. Had a "motivational," meeting with several players that may have sharpened the mind. 8 0 was a fair reflection we played well, passed the ball, seemed to want to win and Jack and Ben scored all 8 between them. Plenty of quality goals but the pick was a fantastic run by Ben down the right before cutting the ball back for Jack who calmly rammed the ball home from 5 yards, exactly what we have worked on, Ben is unplayable when beating people and then passing square and thats what he did. Man of Match was easily Ben and would have been even without his three goals because he was willing to listen - he can become much, much better. Jack scored 5 and looked to find it easy with Ben helping to supply chances. Next game New Longton, a big test but we are a good TEAM.

Wednesday May 7 2008. New Longton Home Won 5 - 2.

The best compliment I can pay the TEAM is that this was not that unexpected. We are a very good team and getting better. The league table is disappointing as we are likely to finish around half way although we are only a couple of points behind fourth. Anyway back to this game, our normal starting line up again, something I really like to do, with Luke an excellent and willing replacement around half time. I gave the players a verbal prior to the match and split them into their natural sub groups i.e Max and Daniel, Ben and Jack, Aidan, Dec and Luke and gave them fairly specific instructions although to be honest only Ben and Jack really need to adapt to our formation as the rest blend neatly into their roles. 1 - 0 up after 7 minutes through a trademark Ben thunderbolt from 25 yards, two more quick goals followed from Max, who has been due one - this a neat finish after a quality piece of skill - and Jack who chested the ball in after another Milne missile, 3 0 at HT. Their danger player came on after the break and Max man to manned him out of the game, Dec sneaked up from the back to grad a fourth and Jack ended the rout with a goal out of nothing when he out battled three of their players.

Individually Jake, Aidan and Jack had very little to do, Luke was very comfortable when he came on playing on the right and is certainly not out of his depth, Dan is so consistent and had another fine game, Dec won plenty of tackles and notched, Ben still has plenty to learn but is a real raw talent but MOM was Max who works, tackles, passes and gives everything for his team - he is the definition of a club captain and has to put up with being rollocked at home seven days a week for any mistakes he made in the previous game. His famous jump in the air "ballet," tackle is on its way out! Well done all. No training this week or next but game week on Sunday at home. MEET 930.

Sunday May 18 2008. Gregson Lane Home Kick off 10am Won 5 - 1.

A mixed bag to say the least. We were simply awful in the first half, no passing, no talking, poor control, missed chances etc but we did lead 1 -0 at HT thanks to a simple finish from Max. The second half was a lot better, Jack scored another wonder goal and was helped by Ben who is a real talent but must learn when to pass and when to shoot, I am conviced he will be one of the best players in the league next season and we should be one of the best teams in the league. Lee made a real difference after HT because he tackles, controls and passes and older players should look and learn. It looks likely that we will finish a point behind third place which is a great achievement and with new kit on the way, a couple of tournaments to play in and presentation evening on Thursday 5 June we have a few exciting weeks ahead. For the record, Aidan was solid again and played centre forward for the last 5 mins, Daniel, Max and Jake were ok but MOM was Declan.

Tournament at Euxton Villa Sunday June 1st - times to follow.