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Under 14's
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[Last Updated: Thursday 12th November 2009]
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| Under 14 Team Match Reports |
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| :: East Grinstead Town U14's 2, Greenway U14's 2 :: |
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Bonfire night weekend saw East Grinstead U14's playing Greenway at home. Matches between these two teams have always been electric and the fireworks in this game started early!
Greenway took the kick off and very quickly built up a few strong passes to challenge the East Grinstead defence and test the keeper within two minutes. Grinstead's keeper, Harry Dalton, held firm though and denied Greenway a quick opener.
With only four minutes gone, the back four took control of the ball and quickly put together a few passes to bring the play out to the left of field. Michael Parr quickly danced round two Greenway boys and played a great ball through to Chris Newell who dropped a perfect cross right across the front of goal. EG striker, Kieron McClure was on hand as usual to slot the ball away with his left foot. 1 - 0 East Grinstead.
The next 25 minutes saw some very even football with both teams testing the keepers several times. Toward the end of the half though, Greenway started to build some momentum. After several attacks on goal they eventually finished with a great shot from a one on one with the keeper. 1 - 1 at half time.
The second half started much the same as the first, only it was the Grinstead boys doing all the work. Several attempts on goal were made in the first five minutes and Greenway looked weak at the back. More great passing play through the left wing sent Chris Newell free of the Greenway defence and he finished a great shot from the edge of the box. 2 - 1 to East Grinstead.
After that, Greenway made two quick substitutions and came on the offensive. The next fifteen minutes saw the home team battening down the hatches as Greenway surged at goal. The back four held firm for much of it and caught Greenway offside many times to thwart their attempts on goal. Of particular note was Harry Parkes who held off several attacks on goal single handed as Greenway broke. Eventually the tenacity paid off for Greenway who managed to scramble a ball over the line through a flood of shirts after a corner ball - not a pretty goal but a goal all the same. 2 - 2.
The next fifteen minutes saw both teams desperate for the winner an end to end football took over. Attacks on both goals came thick and fast and some exciting football took place - spectators were going wild and both keepers probably deserved man of the match awards for keeping everything out of the net - some fine saves and one on one challenges came from both boys.
Potential disaster struck five minutes from time when the East Grinstead defence gave away a penalty with a heavy tackle. The Greenway forward looked like he was feeling the pressure and Harry Dalton made himself big and scary in the goal mouth! The pressure was too much and the Greenway penalty was a fumble which the goalkeeper collected fairly easily.
The last effort went to Grinstead who made a break on goal in the last 30 seconds of the game. More great passing play saw Michael Parr break free with Kieron McClure in support. The shot got off but a great save denied Grinstead the win. A deserved point went to both teams after a very exciting match.
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| :: Forest Row U14's 2, East Grinstead Town U14's 3 :: |
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Wasps were away this time for a local derby against Forest Row. As most of the players in both teams go to school together, this was always going to be a crunch game! A muddy pitch and lots of rain met the boys but that didn't deter anyone - especially Forest Row who walked on to the pitch with only nine men.
The game started out with what would surely be a fairly simple win for East Grinstead. Passing play quickly made the boys look like they were walking around Forest Row and Grinstead held the ball for pretty much the whole first ten minutes. Several attempts on goal tested the Forest Row keeper, who kept his nerve.
And then disaster! Forest Row go one nil up with a fantastic run from their only forward who beat the offside trap to go one on one with the keeper and beat him. Forest Row were immediately fired up and started taking the game to Grinstead. With the Grinstead boys in disbelief, and possibly suffering from a little complacency, the back four started getting tested again and again. Fortunately the Grinstead keeper, Harry Dalton, had learnt his lesson and made several crunch saves from the Forest Row strikers' feet.
Eventually the boys started to turn the game around and great play from centre back Noah Alliston, combined with lovely passing and holding of the ball from right midfielder, Ryan Currid, saw East Grinstead get their heads together. This combination of players saw lots of movement down the right hand side, along with right back, Jack Gamon, who made some great crosses on the back of some brave pushes forward. Eventually it paid off and a ball into the middle saw a cracking strike from Darrell Cameron to make it one all.
The second half started badly for East Grinstead as Forest Row came out even more fired up than the start. Row quickly finished a second goal with another great run and an unlucky deflection for the keeper to try and deal with. On top of that, Grinstead's main striker, who had been pressuring their keeper continuously, had to leave the pitch with a knee injury after taking a crunching one on one save from the keeper.
The next twenty minutes though, was a different game. Grinstead started to pile on the pressure and the shots on goal came thick and fast. A great game form the Forest Row keeper kept the ball out of the net and the rest of the team fought bravely to keep Town from scoring.
It was starting to look as though Grinstead might go home embarrassed by the outnumbered Forest Row but the constant pressure saw Chris Newell make it two all five minutes from time. With both teams playing their hearts out, and the spectators going crazy, the last five minutes was a pitched battle. Eventually though, and unluckily for Forest Row, Chris Newell succeeded in putting another goal away with just a minute to spare.
Final score was 3 - 2 to East Grinstead, but Forest Row should certainly hold their heads up high!
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| :: East Grinstead Town U14's 3, Henfield U14's 2 :: |
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Saturday 10th October saw a late kick off for the U14s who were at home to Henfield in the first round of the Horsham & District League Plate competition. After a difficult start to the season, Grinstead had a lot to prove!
The first 15 minutes of the game saw some great play from both teams but Town took the majority of the possession with some great passing football. Attempts on goal from Kieron McClure and Michael Parr saw the Henfield keeper having to make some desperate saves to keep the ball out of the net.
After 30 minutes though, Henfield eventually seized advantage of their extremely fast centre by playing a ball over the top allowing him to break through the back four to finish a great run on the ball. Although not a true reflection of the game so far, Henfield were one up. Town immediately came back on fire though, with Ross Zimmatore finishing what was likely to be goal of the season - the ball dropped to him inside his own half, a quick look saw the keeper off his line and he smashed it home over the goalies' head.
Coming out from half time, East Grinstead immediately took control of the game and dominated Henfield for the next twenty minutes. Again, passing play broke Henfield apart and two great goals came by way of Darrell Cameron and Michael Parr, both new players to the U14 side this season.
Henfield quickly realised their only option was the long ball onto their rapid centre forward and so the Grinstead back four found themselves constantly defending the run and using the offside trap to nullify that option. A mention should go to Harry Parkes, the only player on the back line with the pace to keep up with their centre forward, who found himself man for man numerous times.
Henfield's constant use of the long ball eventually paid off with a late goal five minutes from time but it wasn't enough. Final score, 3 - 2 to East Grinstead Town.
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