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Match Reports 2011-12

18th Dec. 2011: Northwood Whites 6 Gadeside Rangers 0

Thank you boys for an early Christmas present! After recent weeks when we have paid the price for being too greedy, it was a wonderful sight to see Henry pass the ball up the right wing to James, who got in an early cross for Aman to fire it first time through the goalie’s legs from the penalty spot. Football can be a very easy game if we play like that. Let’s carry it on in the New Year.
Everyone played their part in a real team performance - our biggest win of the season. Matthew, Peter and Ryan were as solid as ever at the back. Our two goalies – Aman and Joe – hardly had anything to do, although Joe did make a couple of strong saves to make sure that this time, we did not throw a half-time lead away.
Ben was man of the match with a real action-man performance from midfield. He was everywhere, winning tackles and passing and he scored a great goal with a determined tackle on the goalie. Oliver scored a hat-trick and once more fired in a long-range shot which was too powerful for the goalie to hold. Just as well he decided to play after complaining it was too cold!
For once James did not score, but should be very satisfied with his performance, as he played a vital role in the team’s victory by setting up three goals – one for Ryan’s first goal since the first day of the season. Henry was also strong when he played as a striker and was unlucky not to get onto the scoresheet.
Well done again to everyone – and don’t eat too much over Christmas, or we’ll have to set up extra training session to get you back into shape!!

4th Dec. 2011: Panathaniakos Green 0 Northwood Whites 4

Well done again to Northwood Whites! Despite the bitter December wind in Palmers Green, we started off on fire, with James scoring a hat trick in the first 10 minutes. Great passes from man of the match Aman set up two goals, while another pass up the wing from Peter sent our top scorer clear and James finished clinically. Oliver finished the scoring with a shot so powerful the goalie hurt his fingers trying to keep it out and it just dropped over the line.
In the first half, our goalie Joe only touched the ball once and he looked frozen at half-time. Ryan nobly agreed to take his place in the second half and kept a clean sheet. Joe went up front and was unlucky not to score after a great cross from James. The two of them were also involved in a lovely passage of one-touch passing with Oliver and Aman which warmed my heart but unfortunately their reserve goalie did well to keep it out.
After some surging runs from midfield in the first half, Henry helped out the team by dropping back and did very well alongside Peter, who was dependable as ever in defence. Andreas probably had his best match for us so far with some strong tackles and dribbles down the right wing. He almost scored on a couple of occasions – again their stand-in goalie did well.
However, once again we became over-confident with a half-time lead and tried to score amazing individual goals, rather than setting up our team-mates. On several occasions, we had two or three attackers against just one defender but instead of looking up and making the easy pass, we tried to dribble round the last defender who managed to get the tackle in and the opportunity was missed.
Several of our opponents were just six years old and yet we were unable to build on our half-time lead. As we have seen in recent weeks, a better, more experienced team would have come back in the second half.
So well done - but we really must learn to keep on passing and playing as a team in the second half to ensure we do well in the New Year, when I think we’ll be playing against tougher opponents.

13th Nov. 2011: Borehamwood Youth Whites 2 Northwood Whites 4

Photo: Both teams observe a minute's silence before the game on Remembrance Sunday

A really strong team performance this week in the autumn sunshine! Good passing and defensive work helped us do the double over Borehamwood Youth, winning 4-2 away to follow up our 3-1 victory at home.
A couple of nice team goals from James and another from Ben following a great run meant we were 3-0 up at half-time but, as expected, it was much harder playing uphill in the second half.
Borehamwood had some skillful players and came out strongly, reducing the deficit to 3-1 just after the restart. I was worried we were going to once more let slip a half-time lead but Oliver ran through their defence and slotted in at the near post to make it safe at 4-1. He was lucky he scored, though, as James and Joe had made great runs to find space at the far post and were waiting for his pass to give them open goals.
In the absence of Matthew, one of our usual defenders, Ryan was immense in the heart of defence putting in a man-of-the-match performance with a series of covering tackles to help preserve our lead. James, our top scorer this season, also showed that it is a team game with some sterling defensive work while Ryan was having a well-earned rest for the last 10 minutes.
In his first match, Andreas was excellent, strong in the tackle and with the skills to go round their players on a few occasions. Ben should also take great credit, as he set up both of James’ goals with lovely passes and also helped out in defence when we were under pressure in the second half.
Yet again, Joe made some great runs into space and on another day could have scored a hat-trick after being played through with some lovely early passes from midfield but their keeper came out, made himself big and did very well. As usual, Peter was strong in defence and Shay was getting stuck in in midfield, with some good tackles and passes. Aman bravely volunteered to go in goal this week and made a couple of great saves but could do nothing about their goals.
But everybody did their jobs to ensure a well deserved victory for the team. Well done.

9th Oct. 2011: London Maccabi Lions Green 0 Northwood 3

Another great win from Northwood Under 8s whites – away to London Maccabi Lions Green in the swirling wind near the A1. We started off the game with some really great passing and soon went 2-0 up – thanks to Joe with a man of the match performance on his birthday. His first was a great shot after James put him through and the second a tap-in after James hit the post following a typical mazy run.
But then I think we relaxed a bit and Maccabi Lions came back into it with some neat passing play of their own. Aman and Matthew were solid in defence and Peter made a couple of good saves but in the end, one sneaked past him.
We had no substitutes and were tiring in the second half while our opponents had fresher legs and were more used to the astroturf. But everyone stuck to their task – especially Henry in midfield and Peter who got in some very solid challenges.
We finally made it safe after James got the ball in midfield, went past a couple of players and this time put a great cross into the middle. Joe had a chance for a birthday hat-trick but the ball came through for Oliver. Even though the ball came off his shin pads, it still went it.
After that, there was no way back for London Maccabi – well done boys.