Senacre Dolphins(A)11/09/05 (1-6)
D-Day had arrived, (and very grey and bleak it was), our first league game of 11 a side football was away at Senacre Dolphins. Senacre were newly promoted from Division 1 and would be keen to show that they had the skills to compete in the Premier division. No easy opener but then no game is easy.
As we waited for the whistle to start we wondered if the training we had completed, the friendlies that we had played, combined with the Aylesford tournament would be sufficient to be competitive.
As soon as the whistle blew we saw how Senacre would play, very competitively, Senacre's attack had our defence back tracking rapidly on occasions, gradually our midfield got to grips with the game and chances started coming our way.
Midway through the first half one of our new boys, Harry, took the chance that came his way and thumped the ball home, 1-0 and our nerves started to settle. Shortly before half time Nathan got his head onto a cross from Kieran and looped the ball over the keeper, 2-0 and that was how it stayed until half time.
The second period saw us take control, Ryan B chipped in with his trademark poachers goal, Callum stunned Senacre when he converted a free kick from 25 yards to make it 4-0. Then our defence went to sleep and allowed Senacre to waltz through and shoot, although Alex stopped the shot he could not hold onto the ball and Senacre gleefully put the ball into the net, 4-1.
Our response was great, one touch football sent Mitchel free down the left and he finished in style to make it 5-1. Josh was next to get his name onto the score sheet as he fired home from close range to give us a five-goal lead.
Further chances came but were not converted, tiredness was creeping in. When the final whistle went we had secured a 6-1 victory, a nice way to start our campaign.
Adam and Glynn were pleased with the result, and the way the boys had played. The only blot on the landscape was the soft goal we had conceded, but this was out weighed by the commitment and skill shown by the boys in defeating a stubborn Senacre team. Six goals scored, six different goal scorers and good linking play from the rest of the team contributed to a very good performance for the first game.
Man of the Match medals went to Callum for his excellent controlled performance at the back combined with his awesome free kick and Ryan B for turning in his best performance for some weeks and for pinching another goal. Well done to both of them.
Away v Bearsted won 5-1
The venue for this game was nothing short of arresting; it was the Police Training Centre on the outskirts of Maidstone.
After last week's poor performance Adam and Glynn were keen to see an improvement from the team and they got one.
An early strike by Noah, getting on the end of Josh's cross, settled our nerves and saw us go on to play some attractive football but Bearsted were dogged in their defence and kept us out for much of the first half.
The battle was very much in midfield Bearsted's 4 v Larkfield's 5 and gradually our extra number told and we went 2-0 up as Josh scored. With the half drawing to a close Nathan added a third, and with the clock well into stoppage time we went four up when Josh hit his second of the game.
The half time team talk was about being disciplined; playing the way we had played and not letting Bearsted get back into the game. Treat the game as Nil - Nil and forget that you are 4-0 up were Adam's final words.
Almost straight from the start Nathan added his second of the match and our fifth, we were cruising, playing good football and looking like a well-drilled side. Alex in our goal had hardly been troubled.
Then we went to sleep, passes started to go astray, our dominance was fading. Alex was forced to clear a probing pass just outside his area as Bearsted started to get on top. Eventually the pressure paid off, Bearsted raided down their left, went past our defenders and fired the ball across our goal where their striker calmly slotted the ball home.
Although that was Bearsted's only clear chance we never regained the supremacy that we had in the first half. The match ended with a 5-1 victory but it should have been more.
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Home game v Barming Blues - 18/09/05 won
Our opponents for our first home game at Brookfield School were newly promoted Barming Blues.
With clear blue sky and nice warm sunshine the conditions were perfect for some quality football as we aimed to continue our winning start to the season.
Barming however had different ideas, they came looking for a result and had a game plan to back it up, and from the start they made our life very difficult.
Barming were quick to smother our attacks, quick to close us down in open play and as a result we spent far to much time on the ball, taking too many touches and not releasing the ball quick enough.
As the first half progressed Barming matched us all the way and had a number of opportunities to take the lead, it took some good defending from Gareth, Mitchel, Jordan and Calum and some crucial saves from Alex to keep them out.
Whilst at the other end we were starting to create chances but they were always half chances that went wide of the target. We were not making the Barming keeper work.
Half time arrived with neither team seaming to have the wherewithal to break the deadlock.
The second period saw much of the same, however, Larkfield started to stretch Barming, Luke on the right was finding his touch and putting balls through the gaps for the strikers to run onto causing problems for the Barming defence.
Eventually we got the goal we had been searching for, Barming for once failed to clear and Daniel thumped the ball home. Cue lots of cheering from the touchline.
Barming however were not beaten, with their heads still held high they came back at us and pushed us back, we failed to get a head to a ball floated into the box and stood and watched as a Barming player looped the ball over Alex and into the net. Oh how Barming cheered.
Fearing the worst we pushed forward, still we could not get the final ball right and we were still taking too many touches but credit to the boys they kept trying.
As the minutes ticked by and a draw looked to be the only possible result Nathan popped up with the winner firing home from close range, cue more cheering from Larkfield supporters.
Barming pressed but the final whistle came to our aid and gave us the win we were looking for. Our performance had not been great; in fact poor might be considered a generous compliment.
Noah was awarded Man of the Match for his overall work rate and never give up attitude.
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Ditton Minors 02/10/05 won 9-1
Challenge Cup Preliminary Round - Away at Ditton
The opening fixture of our campaign in this year's Challenge Cup was a trip to local rivals Ditton Minors. As we had won the Challenge Cup last year we were keen not to slip up at the first hurdle and a local derby would not be an easy task.
Our initial play was poor, we looked out of sorts, and it was as though we had never played together. Gradually we clicked and started to make chances. After a good move Mitchel found himself in space and thumped home the opening goal.
Then we went to sleep, our defence went walkabout Ryan C was left on his own against 4 Ditton forwards, they pushed the ball forward Alex called for it and then dropped it, Ditton's striker gleefully stroked the ball home. One apiece.
Thankfully this was the wake-up call we needed, Josh started to run the right flank, cutting in and causing mayhem, one such run ended with a well struck shot disappearing over the Ditton keeper's head and into the back of the net.
Josh replicated the move a few moments later and scored his second, Nathan then added our fourth latching on to Bunter's fine through pass and firing the ball home.
In the second half we maintained our shape and our discipline, Mitchel added number five and his second and then moments later completed his hat-trick firing in goal number six. Josh matched this by lofting his third and our seventh into the roof of the net.
Bunter then got his reward for his hard work when he scored goal number eight and Calum finished the scoring with a well-taken effort to get us our ninth goal.
This had been a good team performance; we had maintained our shape throughout the game, been disciplined and rewarded with a 9-1 victory.
Nathan was Man of the Match for an excellent all round performance topped off with a fine goal.
A possible banana skin had been avoided and we go through to the first round proper of the Challenge Cup.
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