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v Stoneygate
Maidwell 6 Stoneygate 2
The Colts team set off to Stoneygate with a few nerves, considering the usual strength of the opposition. However, after an initial few minutes of midfield tussling Maidwell were clearly gaining the upper hand and some terrific work from Henderson saw him craft a goal for himself. This was swiftly followed by Forsyth tapping in at the far post to make it 2-0. Stoneygate came back strongly and despite a fantastic save from Peppiatt finished it off to put the half time score at 2-1. Maidwell had evidently been the dominant team in the first half with Cleverly and Duncan in particular playing magnificently in the middle. The second half saw a strong retort from the opposition and Maidwell did well to weather the early storm although they were unlucky to concede a slightly fortuitous goal which looped high in the air over the 'keeper's head. The strength and desire was tangible and Maidwell came fighting back with goals from Henderson, Jolly and Cleverly before Henderson completed his hat-trick, to make the final score 6-2.
A fantastic start to the campaign with a lot of terrific passing, Captain Holland-Bosworth was rock-solid at the back and Pegley marked their No. 9 out of the game. A great team performance.
Man of the match: Tom Henderson.
v Bedford Prep
Maidwell 5 Bedford 0
It was a fresh and slightly damp afternoon that saw the Colts As face up to the Bedford U11 Options group. Still buoyant from their victory at Stoneygate the boys looked confident in their passing and strong in the tackle. There were soon a multitude of chances that went begging but it was evident that Maidwell were set to dominate proceedings. Bedford appeared to pose little threat to the defence and Pegley, in goal, had very little to do. It wasn't long before Ayoub had found the net after some good work from Henderson and this was swiftly followed by a Forsyth goal. Bedford rallied slightly but the Colts defence stood strong; Bygott, making his As debut, was particularly robust! Half time arrived at about the right time as Bedford started to find a little more possession and put the pressure on in midfield. The second half saw Maidwell stand tall and the midfield worked tirelessly to push the ball around. Bertie Duncan was outstanding and, as always, never shied away from the tackles. He soon weighed in with two goals seaprated by two half chances for Bedford after some sloppy defending. Henderson was unlucky to have a goal disallowed for offside but the match was finished off by Cleverly with a fully deserved goal to bring the score to a 5 - 0, which was a fair reflection of the afternoon.
Another terrific Colts performance and a few different faces showing that they could make the step up to As football. Competition for places will be fierce as we prepare for Wellingborough but if they keep moving an dpassing the ball in this manner they will do well.
Man of the Match: Bertie Duncan
v Wellingborough
Maidwell 2 Wellingborough 0
With a change of pitch Maidwell turned out to face Wellingborough, prepared for a tough afternoon. Unfortunately as the match wore on the surface cut up badly but credit to both teams who continued to try and play football across the mudbath! Maidwell came out strongly and immediately took the game to the opposition and despite the loss of Duncan they worked the ball well across the middle and onto the slightly drier channels. The pattern of the first half was significant Maidwell pressure with the occasional dangerous break from Wellingborough. Chances continued to go begging though and it took some good work from Cleverly to fashion himself a scoring opportunity which he duly dispatched. Half time arrived after a few brief scares and some pressure from Wellingborough and a series of corners with score 1 - 0.
The second half was tougher, playing up hill, but Maidwell were determined to hold onto their lead, substitutions were made and the match followed much the same pattern. Maidwell didn't seem under any real pressure and although Wellingborough found a few blistering drives they were limited to long range efforts. A breakaway goal from Palmer effectively killed the game off and the match ended 2 - 0.
A really strong and determined performance with some terrific defending from Granby in particular. Maidwell weathered the storm and managed to find the net twice, the forward line need to weigh in with a few more goals in relation to the number of chances in future.
Man of the Match: Charles Granby
v Swanbourne
Maidwell 1 Swanbourne 4
On a very cold and blustery afternoon the Colts looked to continue in their winning ways at Swanbourne. The weather certainly didn't help matters but from the start Maidwell looked a little slow off the blocks. There was a period of continued pressure from Swanbourne whose greater pace and more accurate passing was causing problems. Maidwell were being limited to breakaway attacks and inevitably the opposition soon found a chance that was blocked and then smothered in an amazing double save by Peppiatt in goal. Unfortunately it wasn't long before they found the back of the net - this was a real kick in the teeth after some fantastic defending and heads began to drop slightly. A speculative header from Ayoub came close but Maidwell were glad to reach half time just 1 - 0 down.
The second half started in much the same manner and if anything Swanbourne came out stronger. Fitness was clearly an issue for Maidwell and they struggled to match the speed of Swanbourne's front line. This resulted in a ricocheted shot being poked in at the far post followed swiftly by a rather fortuitous effort that lobbed high over the 'keeper's head. A rather dubious penalty award put the final nail in the coffin and although Palmer replied and Maidwell dominated the last five minutes the result was already beyond doubt.
The final score didn't reflect the boys' efforts, the game was lost in central midfield where we were over run by fitter opposition, who kept a better shape. Swanboune were overall the stronger team, and our toughest opponents so far, but we look forward to a return to our previous form after the half term break.
Man of the Match: Archie Cleverly
v Akeley Wood
Maidwell (Colts A & B) 0 Akeley Wood 1
Due to a rather frustrating period of weather, the Colts had had little time to practise on their pitch. The continuation of the poor conditions unfortunately led to the cancellation of the Bs fixture due to a water logged pitch and instead a combined team was put out against Akeley Wood. Inevitably it was going to be a rather disjointed afternoon with 21 boys wanting to play, but with one eye on the National Cross-Country Championships as well, the Colts fielded a slightly different team in an unaccustomed 11-a-side game.
Having said all of this, it did give a fantastic opportunity for B team boys to prove they could make the 'step up' to the A team and there were some impressive and, in some cases, quite surprising performances. The match started very evenly with a lot of midfield tussling and rushed clearances from both defences. Akeley appeared to have the upper hand and, although there were few clear cut opportunities, edged the last ten minutes leaving Maidwell feeling a little bit relieved to hear the half time whistle. With eight changes at half time Maidwell struggled to keep their shape and Akeley came out strongly creating a scoring opportunity early on. The battling spirit of Maidwell seemed to turn the tide though and they began to dominate possession although the final ball was lacking and scrambles in the penalty box frustratingly kept dropping to the Akeley defence. Maidwell were largely camped in Akeley's half for about ten minutes but as the end of the match approached you could almost predict what was going to happen...and it did. A breakaway attack and a slide rule pass from the Akeley midfield fed their striker for a one-on-one opportunity which he duly dispatched leaving Maidwell little time to reply.
Overall a battling performance from Maidwell with some terrific individual performances, team work and fluency was lacking but it is difficult to blame the boys for that. With the return of some players and some hard work in training the Colts need to raise their game for the last three matches. Judging by today there are at least four places 'up for grabs' though with some B players staking a strong claim for inclusion.
v Witham Hall
Maidwell 1 Witham 7
It's a long way to Witham Hall and after previous encounters some of the boys had concerns about the trip. Unfortunately their worst fears came true as Maidwell were on the receiving end of a good performance from a talented Witham side. This was billed as a mixed A/B fixture, which the squad reflected, but they were found wanting and with no Witham subs available there was little that could be done to even out a clear mismatch. The first half saw Maidwell 'under the cosh' for considerable periods and a headed goal from a corner soon put Witham one up. This was swiftly followed by a second goal and despite some brave attacks, Maidwell were met by a solid back line time after time and were grateful to Peppiatt in goal who pulled off some terrific saves to keep the score down.
The second half followed much the same pattern except Maidwell managed to make better headway and Cleverly managed to squeeze a shot through beating the 'keeper to bring the score to 2-1. At this stage it appeared that the Colts might get back into the match but Witham then stepped up to a gear which Maidwell couldn't match and proceeded to run the defence ragged. A dubious penalty was awarded, which seemed to knock the stuffing out of everybody, and the scoreline soon increased. A few consolation goals could possibly have been scored on another day but it was evidently not going to be today. To top it off a cross even sailed in over the 'keeper. The final score being 7 - 1.
This was certainly not a vintage Colts performance and recent results suggest that they need to find some form fast if they are to avoid a disappointing end to a season that at one stage promised so much. They can take heart from the fact that they never gave up and that they won't usually be playing against club footballers week in week out but they need to make improvements, and fast!
v Spratton Hall
Maidwell 2 Spratton 4
It always amazes me how quickly a game of football can turn around and on a bright afternoon down the road at Spratton the tables were quickly turned on the Maidwell boys. A fantastic first half with good creative play and two well taken goals from Forsyth and Henderson put the Colts well ahead and they appeared to be cruising to victory, although let off when the ball rebounded from the underside of their crossbar.
The second half was a different story though and they were quickly caught by a Spratton sucker punch, conceding two goals in quick succession which immediately put them on the back foot. Waves of attacks followed and Maidwell appeared content to weather the storm and await an opportunity to hit the opposition on the break. Chances were hard to come by though and inevitably Spratton took the lead. The last few minutes were frenetic and Maidwell, spurred into action, seemed likely to grasp an equaliser but with their final chance the close range shot found only the 'keepers midriff. A swift counter attack saw Spratton put the result beyond doubt.
A disappointing result after so much good work, Maidwell must maintain their discipline and keep their heads up but also must not waste the chances that come their way! One more match to go, it would be nice to finish on a more positive note!
v The Grove
Maidwell 2 The Grove 1
This fixture seemed to change so many times that team selections were a little difficult. Fitting players into appropriate slots, weighing up injury problems, changing formations, assessing previous performances, giving different boys new opportunities as well as judging the attitudes of the boys in training all play their part and I have begun to gain a better insight into the life of a football manager! This said we took what I considered to be our strongest A and B teams to The Grove and the boys didn't disappoint.
In a close fought first half, Holland-Bosworth stunned The Grove with a belter placed into the roof of the net from the edge of the area, this appeared to knock their confidence and Maidwell dominated. However the Colts were caught out in typical fashion by a break away goal and the pace of their left winger was difficult to handle. He was clearly their danger man and Boscawen and Duncan between them worked solidly all afternoon to ensure that he didn't get another opportunity. The second half started badly for Maidwell and there was a real sense of déjà vu, however with good work from Duncan and Henderson the ball found Cleverly who dispatched it into the net.
The result was fully deserved and finishes the A's season on a positive note. I trust that they won't abandon their endeavours to play football rather than kick and rush. Overall a good season with much of which to be proud.
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