The attached photograph shows Wayne O'Shea (Far Left) Canterbury Youth Under 10's and their Coach, Chris Sparks.
3rd February Alex Laking Memorial Cup, 2nd Round
Dover Rangers 1 – 2
Canterbury Youth
This wasn’t the sort of cup tie for the faint hearted. Every ball was fiercely contested in a fair honest to goodness sort of a way. Both sides did an excellent job of closing their opponents down. You would have had more chance of finding space in a Japanese Underground compartment than out on the pitch!
The first half finished deadlocked with
Canterbury having most of the possession, occupying the
Dover half of the pitch.
The tension however, ratcheted up a few notches in the second half as fatigue and a muddy pitch conspired to punish the unwary. Midway through the half and Hayden Chandler stepped up to take a corner: A trademark precision delivery arrived in front of Leo Carroll-Jones who cannoned home a volley from close range.
Dover responded immediately pressing the city visitors with vigour. A superb strike which riffled into the
Canterbury net was disallowed when the Ref spotted a hand being used to control the ball.
Canterbury were 1-nil up looking as if this would see them through. With ten minutes remaining,
Dover swarmed all over
Canterbury driving through their ranks. The
Canterbury defence suddenly found themselves outnumbered 3 to 1 before the unthinkable happened:
Dover equalised. Not a stunning goal but they all count.
At the re-start penalties seemed a real possibility but
Canterbury had other ideas and they pressed on with real purpose. Ed Duddigan intercepted a
Dover throw and slid a crisp pass to Shaun Black in space in the middle. Shaun turned and passed the ball between two
Dover players to Leo Carroll-Jones. Leo lit the afterburners and flew down the line before releasing a pass so perfect it should have been gift wrapped. Hayden Chandler’s first touch bought him half a yard and then he pulled the trigger. There was no doubt when the ball left his foot that it would find a home in the back of the
Dover net and it did. With
Canterbury’s lead restored it was a matter of digging in whilst the clock ran down. For
Canterbury those last few minutes seemed like an eternity. For
Dover it must have flown by in an instant.
This was an excellent game which you would have paid to see. All the players were a credit to their Clubs and the spirit of fair competition.
Player of the Match Leo Carroll-Jones for a mighty performance.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
27th January Div One Faversham Strike Force 1 – 6
Canterbury Youth
First Half
The first 15 minutes was a nervous affair with neither side distinguishing themselves. Suddenly,
Canterbury broke out in a rash of passing play: Every out field player taking their turn to thread the ball between the Faversham ranks. In the end, Leo Carroll-Jones slipped a crafty ball in front of Hayden Chandler who passed the ball over the goal line just out of reach of the diving keeper. A magnificent team goal! On the stroke of half time,
Canterbury’s midfield gladiator, Shan Black won possession and spotted Hayden Chandler lurking in space near the far post. Hayden notched up his second with ease and
Canterbury ended the half two nil up.
Second Half
Faversham gave
Canterbury an early wake up call in the second half with some brilliant counter attacking football which cut the
Canterbury ranks in half. A strike just outside the area found the net. At 2 – 1, we had a game on our hands. It might have been more but for Lewis Curry (aka Cat Curry) who pulled of some magnificent acrobatics to deny Faversham parity. Dan Sparks and Ed Duddigan made life very uncomfortable for Faversham, breaking up play and spoiling the Faversham advances.
As the tide of the game seemed to be turning against
Canterbury, Tom O’Shea entered the fray and set about terrorising the Faversham defence. A Hayden corner lofted high in the box found O’Shea rising with intent. The header was just over but it unsettled Faversham. It was O’Shea who made the next goal. His slide rule pass found Leo Carroll-Jones in fine form. A venomous strike speared through a sea of players and lifted the Faversham net to make it three.
Shaun Black embellished the score-line with a fine strike to make it four.
Sam Harris made it five with a superb solo effort which started inside his own half. He cut through the Faversham players as if jogging through mist, before a low hard strike found home.
At 5 – 1 the game was over or at least that’s what we all thought before Hayden under pressure was hurried into a snatch pass to Leo on the left. With a lot to do Leo controlled an ugly looking bounce with his first touch before turning and hitting a half turn volley shot. The ball cannoned into the top right hand corner for
Canterbury’s sixth: The last goal was the icing on the cake and a fitting conclusion to a solid
Canterbury performance.
Player of the Match Leo Carroll-Jones for his blistering pace and finish.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
20 Jan Under 10 Div One:
Canterbury Youth 1 – 0
Deal
Town Rangers 0
It was a pleasure to watch
Canterbury playing a passing game, moving the ball about with crisp efficiency. Twenty minutes in and Sam Harris collected the ball and began a drive inside the opposition area. His final shot struck the upright before bouncing out to the ever ready, Tom O’Shea. For a moment it looked like the towering keeper might keep it out but Tom’s finish was executed with panache! The home side finished the half 1 – 0 up and some tired looking legs trudged to the sidelines for a drink and some inspiration from Coach, Tim Black.
In the second half some imperious defending by Dan Sparks and Ed Duddigan frustrated the Deal attack. Lewis Curry the
Canterbury keeper had a busier time as Deal attempted to salvage something from the game. The clear chances Deal had were neutralised by the feline agility of Master Curry who kept his side in front on three occasions.
Leo Carroll-Jones entered the fray shortly into the second half. Despite carrying an injury, his penetrating runs and fleet of foot did much to ginger up his sides performance. He tore through the defence time after time to shaking the visitor’s confidence.
Shaun Black with a massive heart and sturdy engine left no square inch of the park untouched. An unrelenting, hustle and bustle of whirring legs powering his influence on the game.
The ever present threat of Hayden Chandler went unrewarded but his crafty runs proved to be a thorn in the Deal flank.
It was a massive game from Ed Duddigan though which won him Player of the match. A well ground out result by all the boys.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
6 Jan Under 10 Div One: Betteshanger 0 – 4
Canterbury Youth
This proved to be a game for the connoisseur: None of the usual kick and run, misplaced and over hit passes but an assured performance by the visiting side, secured them victory. It could have been a lot more:
Canterbury hit the post 4 times and tested the crossbar once! Unbelievable!
The green
Canterbury shirts swarmed all over the opposition from the off. Accurate crisp passing and movement provided the spectators with an uplifting spectacle. Suddenly everything that had been practiced on the training pitch was being demonstrated in earnest. The breakthrough came in the seventh minute, a precision pass from Sam Harris across the face of the goal found the ever vigilant Shaun Black poised and in space. The strike riffled past the Keeper and the visitors were 1 in front.
Canterbury began oozing class and confidence: Sam Harris was denied by the post. Hayden Chandlers followed suite striking the same spot. This time Shaun Black pounced like a starved predator striking with venom.
Canterbury were two up inside the 20 minute mark. Just before half time, Leo Carroll-Jones picked up a lose ball just inside his half. With an explosion of pace he surged forward before unleashing a fireball of a shot which rebounded off the post into the path of Sam Harris. Sam struck the ball on the volley driving the ball home, low and hard. With the half all but over and Leo Carroll-Jones fired a screamer into the post but Betteshanger managed to clear their lines.
The second half was a sedate affair by comparison but it produced the goal of the match. A
Canterbury goal kick was passed around like a pin ball. After a dozen or so passes, the ball fell to Leo Carroll-Jones on the edge of the opposition’s area with his back to goal. Three defenders began to converge on him but he was able to spin on his heel and fire home an absolute corker. A fantastic strike. 4-nil to the visitors
Player of the Match: Dan Sparks for intelligent incisive play.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
16th December Div. One
Canterbury Youth 1 – 1
Whitstable
Town Juniors
Two equally matched sides battled it out and for 32 minutes there was nothing to separate them. Shortly after the restart and Whitstable broke down the right wing, turning in a lofted cross which found an attacker un-marked on the back post. The finish was professional and
Canterbury trailed 1-0.
As the half went on
Canterbury piled on the pressure and managed to hit the post twice. Normally easily converted chances went begging as shots were scuffed or rushed. At one point a goal mouth scramble almost put
Canterbury out of the game, but some magnificent shot stopping by Lewis Curry kept his side in touch.
The tide had turned mid-way into the second half and it was only a matter of time before
Canterbury pulled one back. A
Canterbury corner fell to Shaun Black who turned, tracked across the face of goal before slotting home the equaliser. With ten minutes to go it was all
Canterbury.
Ed Duddigan and Dan Sparks were solid at the back making life extremely difficult for the Whitstable strikers. Sam Harris was in form and on fire. If anyone ever wanted a lesson on how to tackle with grit and determination, Sam’s the expert.
Leo Carroll-Jones made some penetrating runs which went unrewarded. Hayden Chandler had some fantastic chances but luck was not on his side. (Keep at it Hayden its coming and when it does, it will be an avalanche!) The game was
Canterbury’s to win but they just couldn’t find the finish. All in all, a fair result.
Player of the Match Shaun Black: The Minister for Effort, 10 out of 10.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carol-Jones, Lewis Curry, Hayden Chandler, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Dan Sparks.
18th November Div
One St Margaret’s 4 – 0
Canterbury Youth
A litany of injuries and winter bugs conspired to produce a subdued
Canterbury side without the luxury of Substitutes. In spite of these difficulties the side responded with great spirit fighting over every scrap never relenting even when down to 6 players through further injury.
At half time
Canterbury were 1 nil down to a super strike and seemed to be holding their own. They had had a number of good chances but couldn’t seem to find that killer blow.
The Canterbury Keeper, Lewis Curry had his work cut out for him in the second half. His hands had been well warmed when a stinger of a shot was deflected onto the head of a St Margaret’s player and they went two up.
The game was still poised as an even contest when a St Margaret’s strike was judged to have crossed the goal line. At 3 nil down it was a long road back but the
Canterbury boys stuck to their task. The final blow was derived from a controversial corner: A retreating
Canterbury defence afforded the St Margaret’s striker with two precious gifts- Time and space. A deadly combination in front of goal. He made no mistake and
Canterbury were 4 down.
The visitors had a couple of chances to seize a consolation goal, both from Free Kicks. Some superb goalkeeping from the home side denied
Canterbury any such satisfaction and St Margaret’s kept a clean sheet.
4 – Nil was by no means an accurate reflection of the game played by two highly spirited teams. In the end, it was
Canterbury’s inability to convert their chances that separated the two sides.
Player of the Match - Sam Harris for tenacity, adventure and just standing tall in the face of adversity. Second week running, well done.
Players: Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Brandon De Grout, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
11 November 2007 Alex Laking Memorial Cup Monkton Youth 1 – 5
Canterbury Youth
It took 20 minutes to break the deadlock between these two evenly matched sides. Leo Carroll-Jones crossed inside to Brandon De Grout who put
Canterbury in front with a slide rule finish into the bottom right corner. The lead lasted all but 2 minutes when a Faversham corner was converted to level the score.
The centre was taken whilst the Faversham crowd were still in full voice. A knock back to Hayden Chandler deep inside his own half was struck with such venom it caught the Faversham defence completely by surprise. The ball whistled past the keeper and
Canterbury were in front again within a heartbeat.
The second half started pretty much where it had left off with both sides battling for the next decisive goal. Fifteen minutes into the half and up stepped, super sub Sam Harris to score his side’s first hat trick of the season. Sam made it all look rather easy.
The final score flattered the visitors and did not truly reflect the steel shown by a worthy Faversham side.
Player of the Match: Sam Harris: Who else!
Players: Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
4th November 2007 Div. One
Canterbury Youth 2 – 3 Red Arrow Youth
Canterbury conceded a goal within 4 minutes of the start leaving themselves a mountain to climb against an accomplished Red Arrow team. Twenty minutes into the game and Leo Carroll-Jones battled himself into possession just outside the
Canterbury area. He set off on a run skilfully carving out a channel between a sea of red shirts. Twenty yards away from goal, he skipped sideways into space before unleashing a stinger of a shot which found the net. Red Arrow then swarmed all over
Canterbury forcing some breathtaking saves from their rejuvenated keeper, Lewis Curry. The pressure eventually paid off and
Canterbury ended the half 2-1 down.
This half it was
Canterbury’s turn to dominate and torment. Leo Carroll-Jones had an influential game tearing down the left flank skipping past players as if they weren’t there. A well worked, well deserved goal was scored by Tom O’Shea to level the game. His first league goal since joining the club. Brandon De Grout rained shots at the Arrows goal forcing some excellent saves. Hayden Chandler also launched a few hallmark strikes which were pushed wide at the very last instant. It seemed as if the game was all set for a draw when 3 minutes from the end Red Arrow clawed a goal back amidst some controversy. Despite some Herculean efforts on the part of
Canterbury to once again prize open the Arrows defence, it was not to be. Arrows became the first team to beat this
Canterbury side at home for almost 20 months. This was a fiercely competitive evenly matched game.
Player of the Match: Lewis Curry for an awesome goalkeeping display.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carol-Jones, Hayden Chandler , Lewis Curry, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Thomas Lavender, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
28th October Div. One Monkton Youth 1 – 5
Canterbury Youth 5
Canterbury got off to a nervous start on a very compact Monkton pitch. It took a goal from Leo Carroll-Jones half way through the first half, before
Canterbury started to look more assured in possession. Minutes later, Leo struck again from the edge of the box with a half turn volley, which wouldn’t have looked out of place on Match of the Day.
The defending trio of
Sparks, Duddigan and Curry were imperious. The Canterbury Keeper, Lewis Curry proved himself to be amongst the best in the league with some outstanding saves. Ed Duddigan and Dan Sparks had some difficult conditions to cope with, the rain and wind simply adding to the torment of an extremely greasy surface. Canterbury won a free kick deep inside their own half Ed Duddigan hit a long ball to Hayden Chandler who’s instant control allowed him time to look up before delivering a gift wrapped pass to Brandon De-Grout.
Brandon placed the ball in the bottom right corner inches wide of the Keepers’ reach. The visitors were 3 – nil up and putting on a show.
Monkton drew one back when a powerful shot beat the keeper, struck the cross bar, the inside of the post before dribbling along the line and out of play. The keen eyed referee however, saw that the ball had crossed the line and awarded the goal. 3-1.
A later
Canterbury corner was converted by a Shaun Black header ten minutes before time. Monkton took the centre and almost immediately lost it to a Hayden Chandler tackle. Hayden then passed out wide to Leo, who beat two players before placing a slow rolling ball in front of Shaun Black just outside the area. A thundering strike stretched the Monkton net ending any hopes of a comeback.
Sam Harris put in a bulldog performance with a couple of shots just wide of the mark. Tom O’Shea was unlucky not to score and his willingness to run at defenders caused a few Monkton gasps. The game ended 5-1 on a miserable wet, grey Thanet afternoon.
Player of the Match: Shaun Black, The Midfield warrior for seizing possession of every lose ball and stray pass.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carroll-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Lewis Curry, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
21st October Div. One
Canterbury Youth 3 – 2 Kennington Juniors
For much of the first half there was nothing between these closely matched sides. It was end to end stuff with both managers making substitutions and positional changes looking to break the deadlock. Right on the stroke of half time, the fearless warrior Shaun Black battled himself into possession and set off toward the Kennington end. He was soon surrounded but managed to thread a delicate ball out on the right flank to a waiting Hayden Chandler with space. A deadly combination: A brief look up to pick his spot and then he put the whip to the ball. 1-nil to the home side
Canterbury, buoyed up by success began to put the squeeze on Kennington. 5 minutes into the half and Leo Carroll-Jones found himself defending deep inside his own half. Winning possession through guts and determination he started his run, shrugging off challenge after challenge. He even managed to find the time to put his foot on the ball, look up and take a breather. With no one in a position to help he set off again before burying a thunderbolt of a shot rounding off a superb individual display.
Canterbury were 2 up.
5 minutes later a Canterbury Free kick from the half way, found the deadly combination again: Hayden Chandler and space! With laser accuracy he delivered what should have been the coup-de-grace.
Canterbury were 3 nil up and sitting pretty. Kennington hadn’t read the script and they began a spirited fight back. Lewis Curry, the talented
Canterbury keeper was forced to put on an acrobatic display of goalkeeping. Time after time he kept his side in front until finally, ten minutes from the end, Kennington pulled one back. The Kennington supporters sensing that the tide was turning turned up the volume.
Shaun Black fought for every ball and ploughed his way up and down the pitch, dominating the midfield. Such was his tenacity and industry that it was well worthy of a mention in dispatches if not the Victoria Cross! Two blocked shots and a scramble in the
Canterbury goal-mouth ended up with the ball crossing the line for a Kennington second. But it was too little, too late from Kennington.
Canterbury took all three points.
Player of the Match: Leo Carroll-Jones for sheer brilliance!
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carol-Jones, Lewis Curry, Hayden Chandler, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
30th September Div. One
Canterbury Youth 3 – 2 Faversham Strike Force
A closely contested match which hung in the balance right up to the final whistle. In the end it was the goals scored by
Canterbury in the first half which gave them the game.
Canterbury shot out of the blocks and got stuck in straight away. The first 20 minutes was all
Canterbury with Brandon De-Burg at the spear head.
Brandon unleashed a dozen shots on target in the first half. The Faversham Keeper played the game of his life and kept the score-line respectable.
As
Canterbury settled they began to put on a pass and move display which cut through the Faversham mid-field. Twelve minutes into the game and
Brandon smashed a screamer of a shot at the keeper who could only parry the ball in front of him. The ever vigilant Leo Carroll-Jones was quick to pounce and put his side 1-0 up.
Three minutes later and Hayden Chandler picked up the ball inside his own half and surged towards goal. Just as he crossed the halfway point he looked up and knocked a high looping shot which dipped under the bar at the very last instant. 2-0 to
Canterbury. On the stroke of 20 minutes Brandon De-Burg and Shaun Black linked up to play some wonderful one, two’s before Shaun buried a shot at close range to make it 3-0. It looked as if it was going to be another rout for
Canterbury . On the stroke of half time, Faversham pulled back a goal against the run of play. 3-1 at half time.
Shaun Black had a shot pushed wide by the, ‘on form’ Faversham keeper.
Brandon hit the bar and Tom O’Shea chipped the full back only to watch his shot sailing inches high over the bar.
If the first half belonged to
Canterbury, the second belonged to a spirited Faversham side. They began attacking in waves, forcing some fine saves from the Canterbury Keeper, Lewis Curry. They just kept coming!
Forty minutes in and the inevitable goal was scored by Faversham: Now we had a game on our hands. Faversham sensing that the tide was turning redoubled their efforts.
Canterbury were losing their grip on the game and needed to dig deep. Dan Sparks and Ed Duddigan the
Canterbury defenders were under siege for the rest of the game. The full time whistle finally rescued them from their torment and they limped off victors. But only just.
Player of the Match: Brandon De-Grout for incisive passing and saturation shooting.
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carol-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Thomas Lavender, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
23rd September Div. One
Deal
Town Rangers 1 – 0
Canterbury Youth
There was nothing between the two sides save for the single wind assisted goal early in the second half. It was Deal Towns keeper who kept his side in the game with some magnificent saves.
A long ball from defence found Brandon De Burg lurking outside the Deal box. He spun of his marker and unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot which smashed into the post. Minutes later, Hayden Chandler whipped in an ugly looking ball which would normally have found a home in the net. Again the Deal keeper denied
Canterbury their point.
It seemed as if it wasn’t going to be Canterbury’s day when in the dying moments Shaun Black picked up the ball and started to battle his way towards the Deal goal. On he surged through a sea of black and white shirts before he rifled a shot goal-ward. The entire crowd gasped in amazement as the Deal keeper dived to his left, pushing the ball wide for a corner.
Canterbury was unable to convert the opportunity and so it was a 1-0 home win to Deal.
Player of the Match: Brandon De Burg for silky skill and some slide rule passing
Players: Shaun Black, Hayden Chandler, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Thomas Lavender, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
9th September Div. One
Canterbury Youth 6 – 2 Betteshanger
The opening game of the season was a guts and gusto affair with solid honest to goodness tackles flying in from the off.
Canterbury used two keepers and both scored goals; something not achieved by the team previously.
Canterbury ’s new signing; Brandon De Grout opened his account with two goals within the first ten minutes. His second was the pick of the bunch: Beating one defender and with the keeper bearing down on him, he calmly sidestepped and tapped the ball home. Betteshanger stung into life by this second goal threw everything at the
Canterbury defence. Inevitably their Centre Forward pulled them a goal back by deftly redirecting a cross into the
Canterbury net. An unstoppable goal! Sam Harris restored the two goal lead through a well worked team effort just before half time. In the second half he was to take up sentry duty between the posts.
Betteshanger were awarded a penalty when the referee spotted a full blooded challenge inside the area which they were able to convert. At 3-2 the game still hung in the balance. The tide finally turned when
Canterbury was awarded a corner and Hayden Chandler stepped up to take the kick. He whipped in a wicked cross with swerve and dip which caught Betteshanger at sixes and sevens. Amid the confusion, the ball crossed the line to make it 4-2.
Canterbury were oozing confidence and starting to enjoy themselves. Brandon De Grout came close to a hat trick on his league debut but was denied by some outstanding goal keeping
Two more goals kept
Canterbury ’s three points safe: One from Tom O’Shea (1st half keeper) and the second from player of the match, Shaun Black. A great start to the season
Player of the Match: Shaun Black: For sheer guts and industry!
Players: Shaun Black, Leo Carol-Jones, Hayden Chandler, Brandon De Grout, Ed Duddigan, Sam Harris, Thomas Lavender, Tom O’Shea, Dan Sparks.
