Match Reports

The first ever game together for the Royals as a squad followed just 2 training sessions and the team put in a superb display on one of the hottest days of the month.

The Royals took the lead with a long range bouncing effort from Dominic and held onto the lead for much of the game but were really unlucky to concede 2 late goals when the legs started to get tired. Eoghain & Lawrence both had a go in goal as well as a run out as striker. Will ran his legs off in defence helped by Matthew & Jamie. Louis & Sean went charging down the flanks and Alice combined well with Eoghain with some intelligent passes.

A very close 1st half saw the Royals have much of the possession but just lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. Lawrence opened the scoring with a solo effort having been put through by a ‘Beckham like’ pass from Will. Jamie got a bash in the face but showed true determination and bravery to get back into the action. Sean and Dominic had their time in goal. Once the Daggers were forced to stick to just 7 players in the 2nd half Eoghain started to run them ragged and the goals started flying in from all angles. Louis & Sean added to Eoghain’s 2nd half hat trick and Matthew (captain) showing amazing composure in defence whilst Alice was closing players down in midfield. FC’s goalie did really well to keep the score to just 6.

* Jamie’s bravery to get straight back into action after the bash in the face.

Probably the closest game so far but again the Royals played most of the football and had all the possession but just couldn’t get the breakthrough in the 1st half.

Louis and Matthew had their turns in goal, Alice, Lawrence, Jamie, Sean and Louis had a lot of running in midfield and Dominic was playing a blinder in defence with Will. The turning point came after a harsh penalty decision went against the Royals but Matthew pulled off an outstanding save to keep the game goalless. The injection of lightning pace from Eoghain sealed the game with 2 goals and hitting a post.

Will did well with his first time in goal in a fairly close game in the first half with one Polecat in particular causing the Royals many problems. Great teamwork from the Royals got Will, Lawrence, Louis, Sean, Eoghain & Dominic all on the score sheet.

With most of the team sniffing goals Matthew was left on his own in defence and and Eoghain was forced to pull of 2/3 excellent saves just to maintain the Royals lead.

Both Jamie & Alice came close with efforts on goal. –Its just a matter of time!

Some excellent passing moves and crosses from Louis and Sean (straight from the training ground) saw the Royals almost overrun the Tornadoes in the first half with real sustained pressure and many chances. Sean opened the scoring with a cracker from the right and after Eoghain’s overhead volley wonder goal the Royals were beginning to look comfortable.

Dominic, Will and Jamie were rock solid in defence and Lawrence injected more pace and some neat footwork into the midfield and Matthew with a little more to do in the 2nd half was able to get his kicking going. Even Alice who was not expected to being playing got off her sickbed to join the team and take part as sub in the 2nd half with some typical unselfish play in front of goal enabling Eoghain to complete his second hat-trick of the season.

A dominant first half display by the Royals knocked the stuffing out of the Snappers with some clinical finishing against yet another good goalkeeper and many chances. Lawrence in goal for the 2nd time was called on to make just the one important save with his feet as Matthew & Jamie were giving him good protection in defence. Louis was linking up well with Eoghain and was supported by Alice’s excellent passing up field also allowing Will to get forward and come close to his 2nd goal. Sean & Dominic were being rested for part of the first half but managed to get on the score sheet (Dominic with one of his trademark long range specials and Sean with close range effort. Eoghain was creating havoc in the California defence despite only playing half a game. The 2nd half saw the Snappers create problems for the Royals scoring one and calling on Louis to make a great point-black save as the defence and midfield had gone looking for more goals. Jamie had his first run out in attack and came close to his first goal with a fantastic shot that was well saved Eoghain completed his 3rd Hat-trick with an unstoppable long range effort from the right.. Some of the passing moves between Alice, Lawrence, Sean, Jamie and Will in the 2nd half were some of the best seen this season but often left Matthew all on his own in defence.

* Jamie’s superbly hit shot that was saved brilliantly by the Snappers goalie.

Probably one of the more physical games so far, this wasn’t quite the easy romp that some of the players may have expected. The huge Binfield pitch was bit of a struggle to come to terms with but the 1st half belonged to Louis scoring all the goals of the half after the Royals had played most of the game in the Bears half of the pitch.

Eoghain made one of the goals with his one kick of the half as goalie before Jamie took his first turn at the job in the 2nd half. Both Jamie & Will went close as the Bears scrambled to get the ball clear and out of their penalty area and we came up against yet another excellent goalie. Matthew and Alice looked comfortable in defence putting in strong tackles and Lawrence did well and looked lively in an unfamiliar position on the left. The larger pitch showed the importance of passing the ball as legs got tired on the heavy ground in the 2nd half and a slightly absent defence again allowed the Bears in to score their consolation goal.

* A hat trick in the 1st half for Louis followed by disciplined defence in the 2nd half.

* Great cross from Sean’s on the right met perfectly by Dominic to score 5th goal

Despite a slightly nervy first 5 minutes the Royals soon got into their stride with sustained attacks from Louis on the left (who came up against an excellent right back for the girls) and Eoghain on the right linking up nicely with Alice. Sean in goal didn’t have to touch the ball due to solid defence by Dominic and Will and Alice had to work really hard to break up the girls attacks on the left. The Royals were 4-0 up at half time and looking comfortable which allowed changes to be made to positions. Both Will and Lawrence remained alert to get on the score sheets with close range efforts and Will’s interception from a kick-off created a chance for Sean to score a belter from the edge of the box. Lawrence made some intelligent clearances in his first time in an unfamiliar defensive role and Jamie and Will started to combine well with Sean with some excellent passing moves. There were more goals for Louis and Eoghain who bagged his 4th hat-trick of the season.

* Will’s interception and Sean’s goal almost straight from the girls kick-off.

Over on a very wet pitch the Royals had to work harder to breakdown the girls on this occasion with the GK and defenders blocking Jamie’s blast. In fact there were chances at both ends as Will in goal for just the second time was put under pressure by the girls clever passing moves. Matthew and Alice were tackling hard which eventually enable the Royals to start passing the ball and protect Jamie’s in goal in the 2nd half. Dominic & Sean missed part of the 1st taking their turn as substitutes and Eoghain was still creating many chances for the team with some unselfish play in midfield. Some excellent football in the 2nd half with combinations between Sean, Will, Lawrence, Eoghain and Louis created chances for Will to score from a rebound and the following 3 memorable goals..

* Dominic blasting through with determination in the box to force a goal –pure effort!

* Final goal scored by Louis (first time hit) from Lawrence's pass – Brilliant!

This was billed to be a tough game as Earlwood seemed to have a good defence so with that in mind Royals played 2 attackers but strengthened the defence with a centre back. Sean, Louis and Eoghain combined well to create chances and the link up play from corners /throw-ins was starting to look good also enabling Dominic to push forward to strike a goal from long distance. Will and Jamie did very well in defence to stop one of the more physical sides we have come up against. 3-0 at half time and we looked comfortable but allowed ourselves to get caught out by fast breaks giving Louis in goal a chance to show off some excellence handling & kicks in the 2nd half.

Alice made some important interceptions at left back and Jamie came close to scoring yet again but was blocked.

* Great awareness from Lawrence to snatch a goal by blocking the GK’s clearance.

I think we learnt in these games the need to work on marking players at throw-ins and how to get goal side of your opponent.

A great first half performance again with the Royals outplaying the Tornadoes and 3 in defence Alice /Jamie /Dominic all kept Lawrence well protected in goal. Sean and Eoghain scored from close range but Dominic’s shot from distance was unstoppable which made it 3-0 and half time. With Sean, Dominic and Louis all now playing out of position the Tornadoes exerted some real pressure on Eoghain’s goal but some desperate saves kept another clean sheet for Eoghain. Will had to work really hard to patrol all the midfield but then found some comfort in defence in the 2nd half when the Royals finished off the Tornadoes with 2 killer strikes from Lawrence.

* More brave saves from Eoghain and a well directed goal kick to put Lawrence through to score.

It was always going to be difficult to play great football in the bitterly cold conditions but the Royals bossed the game completely for the 1st half (leaving Sean to get colder in goal). Royals reverted to a diamond formation of 2 midfielders and 1 striker to be supported by the Centre back moving up to support.

The defence was solid but up front the Royals just lacked the finish and got forced out to the corners where we couldn’t create very much. Eoghain broke the deadlock with a perfect cross for Lawrence to put in and Eoghain added a second to add comfort to the score. Matthew was very solid throughout in defence and Alice /Lawrence /Jamie and Will were making interceptions and tackling hard against a a very physically competitive Blades team. With Dominic in goal for the 2nd half Eoghain was able to boss the game by putting Louis, Jamie and Sean through for chances and Sean converted one of these to put the game safe at 3-0. There was still a more football to play with Dominic making 3 point blank saves to warm his hands up and poor Jamie getting bundled to the floor from the most blatant push in the penalty area I have seen.

*Alice’s tackling and interceptions when playing in defence to break down attacks.

* A superp cross from Eoghain to Lawrence and through ball to Sean to lay on both goals from unselfish play and good decision making.

If ever there was a scoreline that didn’t reflect the performances and effort shown by the players then this was it. A heart-breaking first half saw the Royals concede 3 goals but had it not been for a brave save from the CP goalie the Div1 side (they came 3rd) would have been 1-0 down after 5 minutes after Sean had put Louis through with a killer pass. Curley Park started to hit form and pass the ball like no side had done so against the Royals but the whole team showed true spirit and determination and matched their more experienced opponents player for player. Having made some changes at half-time the Royals then had more bad luck with a ball-to-hand incident ending up in a penalty and then a similar incident which the ref this time allowed play to continue only for Curley Park to score unopposed. Louis made a great save from an excellent header and Dominic made some important clearances with crosses coming over whilst Jamie & Will worked tirelessly in defence. Matthew and Alice has to make important tackles and interceptions whilst Curley park continued to attack but still the pace of Eoghain, Lawrence and Sean still created at least 2 goal scoring chances that couldn’t be converted in the 2nd half. Would 4-2 have been a fair result?

* Memorable moment was the effort & fighting spirit showed by the whole team throughout the full 40 minutes.

If Bracknell Town had turned up with a full team this could have been a much closer match but not for the first time the cold was more difficult to cope with than the opposition. (not helped by a late start). Despite a real numbers advantage the Royals couldn’t get their passing game flowing and ended up scoring 3 times in a fairly scrappy first half although yet again we came up against an excellent GK.

The royals had a few mix-ups with wasted corners but eventually proved to be too strong for the Tigers and the goals came easier in the 2nd half against a weaker GK. Matthew and Dominic looked strong in defence, Sean went close with a free kick, Louis picked up a brace along with Eoghain and Jamie popped up with his first goal for the club. –Well Done Jamie! Lawrence demonstrated his poacher instincts in front of goal in the first half to pick up his 8th of the season until the cold set in and Alice and Will tackled hard in midfield and defence. A clean sheet looked a dead cert until the Royals let in their customary ‘soft goal’ consolation for the Tigers who had worked so hard with just 5 players. – This tendency to letting in ‘soft goals’ is a part of the game the Royals must work on to compete in Division 2 in the new year!

Ashridge Park Royals –Under 9s - January Highlights

League (Div2) v Crusaders Kings (Won 2-0)

The Royals first game in Division 2 was against one of 2 sides promoted from Div3 and the Royals again showed how far they have come since the Ashridge tournament in June when Crusaders won 2-1. –A very heavy pitch with fresh snow was hard work for all the players but the defence put on a truly heroic display to keep a clean sheet. One Crusaders defender in particular made it tough for Sean, Louis and Eoghain to break through, meanwhile at the other end Will, Jamie and Dominic gave Lawrence in goal some excellent protection. 2 -0 up at half time more resolute defending from Matthew and Alice was required in the 2^nd half, good saves from Eoghain kept out the Crusaders onslaught during a half that seemed to last forever (24mins!).

* Eoghain’s 2^nd goal and a supreme solo effort.

* Heroic defending from Dominic, Will, Jamie, Matthew throughout the game.

* A desperately ‘off-colour’ Sean wanting to get back into the action in the 2^nd half.

League v Pinewood Predators (Won 4-2)

Eoghain put in a magnificent display in the centre of midfield not only to score all 4 goals for the Royals but to win possession so often with quick thinking and strong challenges. The defence in Dominic, Jamie and Matthew again gave Sean so much protection in the 1^st half he had nothing much to do. Having gone 3-0 up the Royals took their foot of the gas and allowed Pinewood to start passing the ball around to get themselves back in the game but the re-introduction of Eoghain into the line up enabled the midfield Will Louis, Sean & Lawrence to get forward again to force the 4^th goal with even Alice getting into a goal scoring position.

* Dominic forcing his way down the left to lay on a goal for Eoghain

* Some thunderous tackles from Matthew to make the eyes water. –Well Done!

* Eoghain desire to win the ball from so many goal kicks and loose balls.

* Lawrence always looking for the simple passing opportunity.

League v Ascot Utd Lions (Lost 1-0)

Royals came across a very physically strong side at Ascot with a lot of experience in defending. Matthew in goal this time didn’t get the right sort of support for his kicking from the defence & midfield and Ascot made good use of the space when the Royals marking went AWOL. Eoghain and Dominic were showing signs of tiredness and with one sub ( Alice absent as well) and then the injury that Will picked up in the 2^nd half things got tougher. Louis with his big kicks enable pressure to be exerted on Ascot by Eoghain, Sean and Lawrence and the one time they broke through when a goal seemed certain Ascot cleared their lines. The game was severe test of strength and fitness and provided many ideas for training sessions to come. Yet again some odd decisions from an inexperienced ref didn’t help and the best we could have hoped for was a draw.

* Louis exceptional saves in goal in the 2^nd half. –Always watching the ball.

* Goal mouth scramble that the Royals couldn’t convert to equalize.

League v Ashridge Park “ Derby” match (Draw 1-1)

Nathan was made captain for his debut for the Royals as he would be on the field for the whole game. Both sides starting with a strong line-up to gain an early advantage but the sides cancelled each other out in the 1st half despite thrilling end to end action.

Stephen had a few long range efforts and for the Royals Sean had a half chance and Eoghain had a great blast blocked.

The 2nd half saw the Park come out stronger and as substitutions ultimately had an impact the game opened out further. Mark Doran was dominating the right side but was being tracked by Alice having her best game for the Royals ever.

Disaster struck as a goal kick went straight to Stephen and it was in the back of the net immediately giving Nathan no chance. Dominic got injured and Eoghain was forced to play deeper and Jamie was then forced to play in midfield . Nathan pulled of a wonder save from Stephen again to keep the Royals in the game and then as Eoghain pushed back into midfield he then linked up with Alice ,Louis and also Sean to exert real pressure on Mat's goal but it didn’t seem that he could be beaten. – Until with about 30 seconds still to play in time added on Eoghain made one last run cutting in from the left and slid the past the excellent Mat to the sound of the crowd going wild.

Even Lawrence got off his sick-bed to watch and support the match .

* A truly magnificent game , end to end action with thrills and drama but played with real spirit between good friends -every player made a huge contribution to the match.

* Even the Reading FC Scout mentioned the game was an excellent advert for U9 football. Every player should be congratulated for making the game such a spectacle.

League v Laurel Park Hurricanes (Lost 3-2)

For the 3rd game running the Royals were 1 short and even thankful of the 10th squad member . Royals started the game really positively with shots and good passing moves but without Jamie lacked an extra defensive option which put more pressure on Will, Dominic and Matthew but again they protected Nathan well until Eoghain having scored a great goal , the luck changed completely and within 10minutes had gone 3-1 down after a fluky loopy goal, a desperately unlucky deflection for an OG and then a disputed goal line handball incident that resulted in an unstoppable penalty being converted. Alice and Lawrence had been introduced into the midfield and were getting to grips the LPH but needed just a bit more strength. Dominic powered forward where we like to see him in shooting range.

In the 2nd half the Royals came out and played so much good football, introducing Lawrence as striker had the desire effect to get the 2nd goal. Now Louis ,Sean, and Eoghain were creating trouble with the extra player up front but leaving Matthew & Dominic more exposed at the back. Louis stood in very well for Matthew at left back and Will returned to the action in the 2nd half despite looking visibly cold and uncomfortable. Nathan's kicking was excellent down the left and right flanks and started many attacks. Eoghain got squeezed into corners and wasn’t able to find the free players in better positions to make that final scoring chance to level the game.

* 2 long passes (through balls) to Eoghain from Dominic (1st half) and Sean (2nd half)

* Lawrence awareness yet again to scramble the ball over the line and tackling harder than I have ever seen before. –Well Done.

* Eoghain’s attempt in the first half that looked destined for goal but didn’t dip enough to get under the bar.

Ashridge Park Royals –Under 9s - February/March Highlights

Friendly v Whitegrove Hawks (Div3) (Won 3-1)

Despite starting the game in a bit of disarray with late arrivals and Alice/Lawrence missing through illness a much changed look to the Royals team were thankful of some good goalkeeping from Eoghain. Going forward the Royals looked dangerous and very likely to score. Sean first rattling a post and then Will coming close to converting until it took a very ‘clinical strike’ from Louis to take the lead. The Hawks pushed hard down the middle with their biggest player but again in the 2nd half Louis was looking very safe in goal. Nathan got his first chance in the outfield as more changes were made and Matthew & Jamie got their chance to push forward in H2 after defending intelligently in H1. Eoghain scored from his unusual position of left back but Will converted the best passing move of the game linking up with Sean and Jamie to make it 3. Finally Whitegrove got their consolation goal as the Royals pushed more players forward leaving Dominic as the only defender towards the end of the game. -

* Louis excellent finish to open the scoring.

* Will’s goal to finish off a great passing move involving Sean and Jamie.

League v Winnersh Rangers Rockets (Drew 1-1)

A terrible ‘bog’ of a pitch enabled the Rockets to dig in deep and defend resolutely although the Royals despite having all the possession still struggled to create clear cut goal scoring chances. Matthew was able to start some excellent passing moves down the left with Louis and Sean and Eoghain started to combine well on the right. Will & Jamie looked solid in defence and Dominic in the H2 was able to defend and also push forward as the Royals pushed on to find the winner. A lapse in concentration and a well delivered corner from Winnersh levelled the game that should have been won by the Royals. Alice & Lawrence played vital roles with the strongest tackling seen so far from them and with a bit more power Lawrence could have snatched the winner at the end of the game.

* Matthew and Louis combining very well down the left.

* Strong tackling from Alice and Lawrence (particularly on the big no.10)

* Nathan’s reflex save in the first half.

* Jamie’s perfectly timed tackle to prevent a certain goal and winner for Winnersh.

League v Ascot Utd Racing (Drew 1-1)

Just recently relegated from Div1 this game was potentially going to be the toughest test for the Royals but they all came through the match as heroes in what can be described as a tense and slightly bad tempered affair. With Nathan missing and Alice not well Louis took on the captaincy and the GK duties in the first half and did superbly well. Eoghain opened the scoring with a sublime finish from a seeming impossible angle and in fact the Royals passing moves split open the Ascot defence and a 3v1 opportunity created by Lawrence, Sean and Eoghain. Jamie was getting stuck in on the right of midfield and put a great corner across that was nearly converted by Eoghain. Meanwhile Matthew and Dominic were defending well together and backed up by some great saves from Louis. The 2nd half was tough for the Royals and with Dominic volunteering for GK duties it looked like just a matter of time that Ascot would get close enough to score. In the end they did so with a rather fortunate rebound off the post in the end but the Ascot no.8 looked menacing throughout the game.

As the Ascot team became frustrated at not taking the lead some of their supporters forgot the ‘real’ reasons why they were not having a lie-in on Saturday mornings and the players subjected to a few comments from the sidelines that we won’t want to hear again and I am confident the Ashridge parents, supporters and players will continue to show maximum respect to all our oppositions irrespective of their abilities & behaviour.

* Eoghain’s goal from such an acute angle on the right to take a deserved lead.

* Louis and Dominic showing real maturity by volunteering for GK duties and putting in great performances!

* Eoghain’s free kick just shaving the post after Sean had been up-ended by the Ascot left back when through on goal.

League v Curley Park Rangers Tornadoes (Draw 1-1)

The Royals seem to have taken over from Paul’s team as the draw specialists these days which in itself is no problem but yet again in this game the Royals had the lead but a split second lapse in concentration or hesitation in front of our own goal and we were back level. In the end the Royals were thankful to Nathan for bravely diving on the ball at the feet of a CP striker. Very cold/windy conditions and what seemed like a lightweight ball made playing good football difficult as CP were making good use of the ball over the top of our defence pushing us back with their throw-ins down the line. Playing with Lawrence as an out and out striker and just 2 in defence created chances for both sides in an open game. The introduction of Alice also up front saw some great tackling and good link-ups with Sean. Jamie ,Dominic were clearing their lines well in the first half and Will and Matthew got stuck in with their tackling in the 2nd half. With Dominic pushing forward with Sean, Eoghain and Lawrence in search of a 2nd goal the defence looked a bit shaky and hesitant to the ball over the top.

* Alice’s best game to date getting really stuck in with well timed tackles and passes.

* Dominic playing on after taking a kick to the chest in a clash with an opponent.

* Nathan’s brave save to pounce on the ball at the feet of a CPR striker.