09. Under 13 Division One - Last Update 16-12-08
Whitstable Town 2 – 2 Canterbury Youth
15-12-08 Under 13 Division One
Canterbury Youth are four points top of the league going into the Christmas break having drawn two all with Whitstable at the weekend. Canterbury had all the early territorial pressure and played some nice free flowing football creating a number of half chances all of which were dealt with by the competent Whitstable defence. Whitstable grew in confidence as the half progressed and hit Canterbury on the break on a number of occasions fortunately the away strikers inability to stay onside hindered them. However on one of the few occasions they did stay onside the Canterbury defence were caught ball watching and Whitstable found themselves one up.
With some of the home players sadly lacking drive a half time team talk seemed to pep them up in the second half and the team as a whole looked a little more eager and took the game to Whitstable who seemed content to smother the home attacks and look for the quick break themselves. The home pressure paid off when Canterbury equalised through Jack Kelley who turned home a loose ball in the area. Canterbury Youth forward Jamal really had the bit between his teeth and was a constant danger to Whitstable and after some good work wide right by Jamal he set Kelley up for an easy tap in for Canterbury to take the lead. The game flowed back and forth with both sides looking for the next goal and with only three minutes left Canterbury were made to pay for failing to get a third goal when Whitstable cleared a home free kick on the edge of their box and hit them quick on the break to score the equaliser. A draw was probably a fair result with Canterbury not quite at their collective best and Whitstable playing good compact football with a threatening quick break that Canterbury failed to deal with for much of the match.
Team: Ewart, Gransden, Wyver, Picton, Braddy, Whittaker, Clarke, Vaughan, Sandham, Annoot, Jamal, Holmberg, Kelley and Mabhula.
Red Arrow 2 – 3 Canterbury Youth
30-11-08 Under 13 Division One
Canterbury Youth put in another excellent performance away to a well organised Red Arrow side and played some free flowing football taking the game to the Thanet team and deservedly took the lead on 10 minutes when Toby Vaughan fired home from 14 yards after the ball broke back to him. They continued to have more possession and some good chances to extend the lead but were denied by the home keeper on several occasions. Red Arrow came back into it in the second half and the game was much more even. Red Arrow drew level with a good shot from just outside the area but Canterbury went back up the other end when Jamal ran from the half way line beat several defenders for pace and slipped a cross to Jack Kelley who dispatched the ball home from three yards out. Red Arrow came back for the second time and got a little lucky after a decent save from Keeper Richard Ewart fell into the path of another attacker who just about poked the ball home. Canterbury responded positively to this set-back and Jack Kelley latched onto a good through ball held of the defenders with his pace and strength and beat the advancing keeper with a cool finish. With the home side pushing for a third equaliser the Canterbury back line of Gransden, Picton, Braddy and Holmberg held firm whilst Vaughan and Jamal put in more lung bursting runs in a bid to seal the win with a fourth goal. No more goals and Canterbury were triumphant again and move six points clear at the top of the league.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Braddy, Holmberg, Whittaker, Gifford, Sandham, Vaughan, Jamal, Kelley, Clarke, Annoot and Wyver.
Deal Town 3 – 0 Canterbury Youth
16-11-08 Under 13 Cup
Football is a funny old game, Canterbury Youth put in a really good performance played some excellent football particularly in the first half outplaying Deal and lost this cup match 3-0 in the end. Having been thumped 8-2 by Deal only three weeks previously in the league Canterbury were out to prove a point and put in a better display which they certainly did and dominated the first 20-25 minutes. Canterbury created several half chances driven forward by Clarke and Vaughan in central midfield supported by the marauding wide players Sandham and Mabhula and hit the woodwork through a splendid free-kick from Jamal that left the Deal keeper rooted to the spot. The away defence also looked secure with Picton and Gransden in the middle supported by the ever reliable Whittaker and Holmberg at fullback. Sadly for Canterbury Deal fought their way back into the match and despite having been on the receiving end for the majority of the first half they scored two goals in reasonably quick succession before half time. The first resulted from a decent run by the right midfielder and a good finish at the near post, the second owed much to a large slice of good fortune when a clearance ricocheted to a Deal forward seven yards out and he could not fail to score.
Despite the set-back Canterbury Youth continued to press for a goal although in fairness Deal had more of the territory and created the better chances in the second half. Canterbury resisted well as a team when having to defend more in the second half and caused Deal trouble defensively on a number of occasions. William Annoot made a good impact first of all up front then in centre midfield prompting the excellent Jamal with some decent passes from which he troubled the Deal defence and only a last gasp tackle in the area prevented a certain goal. Canterbury should have scored at least one consolation goal but sadly a gilt edged chance went begging 3-4 minutes from the end. Deal went straight up the other end when a long punt was missed by the Canterbury defence who were pushing forward and the ball was dispatched into past Richard Ewart who had another sound game in goal.
Somewhat frustrating to lose especially given the quality of the performance put in by Canterbury who deserved a closer score line for their effort, but hats off to a quality Deal team who resisted the pressure from Canterbury in the first half and turned things around.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Holmberg, Whittaker, Gifford, Sandham, Mabhula, Vaughan, Jamal, Kelley, Clarke and Annoot.
Canterbury Youth 3 – 0 Hugin Vikings
9-11-08 Under 13 Division One
Canterbury Youth put in an excellent performance against a decent Hugin team to eventually run out comfortable winners by three goals to nil. The match was full of good football that belied the windy conditions and was helped by the extremely good St Edmunds pitch bearing in mind the rain that had soaked it for days. Canterbury were out of the traps extremely fast and within ten seconds of the start had a one on one situation with the visiting keeper who did well to thwart Jack Kelley. This set the tone for the match with Canterbury almost seeming to be able to break through the away defence at will and the Hugin keeper excelling as he made numerous fine saves particularly from Kelley, Jamal and Vaughan in the first half. Canterbury finally got the break through their play deserved when Jamal ran onto a through ball and raced clear before confidently beating the keeper. Hugin had a reasonable share of the play but could not fashion any clear cut chances themselves against a well marshalled home defence of Holmberg, Picton, Braddy and Gransden. For all their good play and having created many chances Canterbury could have gone in level at half time but ever reliable keeper Richard Ewart made a fine save of Jaaskelainen proportions to tip a fierce shot over the bar.
The second half was much of the same with Canterbury having more of the possession and territorial advantage but never having the luxury of becoming complacent against a battling Hugin team. Jamal scored his and the teams second shortly after the restart to give the home side a cushion and with the industrious midfield of Mabhula, Sandham, Clarke and Vaughan supplemented by Whittaker and Wyver winning the midfield battle they created more chances but were foiled by some good defending and goal keeping. Jamal effectively sealed the win and completed his hat-trick with around 15 minutes to go. This was a good match between two competitive teams with Canterbury putting together a good performance over the entire 70 minutes and thoroughly deserving their win.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Holmberg, Braddy, Gifford, Wyver, Sandham, Mabhula, Vaughan, Jamal, Kelley, Clarke and Whittaker.
Canterbury Youth 2 -1 Dover Rangers
2-11-08 Under 13 Division One
After the extremely wet weather on Saturday we were surprised at how playable the St Edmunds pitches were and the crowd in the main stand were treated to some good football from both sides. The old cliché of football being a game of two halves was never more appropriate than today with Dover having the best of the first half with Canterbury Youth rather sluggish to get into their stride whilst the second was completely the reverse with Canterbury bossing large periods of play. Dover deservedly took a one nil lead after some slack defending from Canterbury allowed Dover to poke the ball home from close range. And Dover continued to show the more inventive football with Canterbury on the back foot and they were indebted to some good goal keeping from Richard Ewart and some excellent defensive work from Oli Braddy to remain only one down. However Canterbury did rise from their slumber in the last 10-15 minutes of the half and were far more offensive with some probing passing and good movement causing the Dover defence problems and but for some wayward finishing Canterbury should have gone into half time all square.
A stern talking to at half time had an immediate effect with Canterbury looking altogether more lively and first to the ball a lot more and generally showing a lot more desire. With the defence looking a lot sharper and less vulnerable Canterbury probed for attacking openings with Mabhula, Clarke and Sandham providing a cutting edge in midfield the tireless running of William Annoot and Toby Vaughan began to pay dividends and it was no surprise when Canterbury got the equaliser. William Annoot making his seasonal debut made a good run onto a through ball from Jack Kelley before the centre half took him out in the area, a dead cert penalty and after a little debate between the players Annoot stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the corner. Canterbury continued to apply the pressure and created the majority of chances only to be thwarted by Dover’s keeper however one of those saves was to prove the launch pad for the eventual winner. Jack Sandham took a corner that arrowed its way across the goal getting the slightest of flicks off a Dover defender before flying into the goal. Both sides went for it right to the final whistle and there were a few anxious moments for both defences however Canterbury Youth prevailed and got another three points on the board. Well done guys an excellent display for 45-50 minutes next week hopefully we will manage it for all 70 minutes!
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Holmberg, Braddy, Kelley, Gifford, Sandham, Mabhula, Vaughan, Annoot and Clarke.
Canterbury Youth 2 – 8 Deal Town
26-10-08 Under 13 Division One
The bubble well and truly burst today as Deal Town handed out a comprehensive defeat to an under par Canterbury Youth side. Despite the appalling weather both sides played some good attacking stuff with lots of good passing and movement but it was Deal who had the superior cutting edge aided by some truly shocking defending from the home side. Deal scored a number of goals with shots from around the edge of the box when the home side failed to close the shooter down despite the best efforts of Keeper Richard Ewart who made several fine saves. The home side did actually play some good football themselves and scored consolation goals through James Whittaker and Jamal, they also missed a penalty and had an even more obvious foul in the area turned down! The final victory margin quite possibly flattered Deal but they were much the better all round side on the day and thoroughly deserved their victory. While for Canterbury several boys need to write Sunday off as a bad day at the office but as a whole they need to get back to doing the basics again and listen to their coach!
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Whittaker, Holmberg, Wyver, Vaughan, Kelley, Mabhula, Jamal and Clarke.
Hugin Vikings C 0 – 14 Canterbury Youth FC
19-10-08 Under 13 Cup
Canterbury Youth under 13’s had a morning on the coast at Ramsgate on a glorious autumnal Sunday morning and left their lower division opponents all at sea. Despite playing on a pitch that was plainly too small for under 13’s very bumpy and not conducive to playing good football Canterbury Youth overcame the conditions and in periods played some good stuff. Overall they were too powerful for a game Hugin side who tried hard until the end and in fairness could have had a goal or two themselves had it not been for the ever alert Ewart in goal who made a couple of fine saves. Canterbury got six goals in the first half and eight in the second and at times the match resembled a footballing equivalent of the Alamo with the Hugin goal besieged for long periods. Canterbury’s goals came from Dumo Mabhula with a hat-trick, Jack Kelley, Jack Clarke, Jamal and Chris Wyver with two each plus one each for Toby Vaughan, Jack Sandham and Dan Picton with his first goal for over a year.
So Canterbury Youth safely through the second round of the cup and on to face greater challenges but well done to Hugin C who gave everything throughout a typical cup encounter.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Whittaker, Holmberg, Wyver, Vaughan, Braddy, Kelley, Gifford, Sandham, Mabhula, Jamal and Clarke.
Canterbury Youth 9 – 1 Canterbury Eagles
5-10-08 Under 13 Division One
Canterbury Youth eased 5 points clear at the top of division one at his early stage of the season with a comfortable 9-1 home victory over near neighbours Canterbury Eagles. There was some quality football played in the most inclement conditions and the match was effectively over after 15 minutes as Canterbury Youth stormed into a 5-0 lead with the goals coming from Sandham, Jamal, Clarke x2 and Kelley.
Canterbury Youth continued to carve out chances with some good passing play which was often too much for Eagles but the intensity went out off their game and they often over elaborated or shot from distance also the Eagles keeper had a stunning second half display. Second half goals from Jamal and Kelley both getting their second and Mabhula and left back Holmberg from a marauding run took Youth’s goal tally to nine. Eagles never gave up and despite chasing shadows for much of the game got a deserved goal near the end from a fine move and great header from Ryan Olsen.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Whittaker, Holmberg, Wyver, Braddy, Kelley, Gifford, Sandham, Mabhula, Jamal and Clarke.
Canterbury Youth 6 – 1 Betteshangar
Molten East Kent Youth League Under 13 division one
Canterbury Youth entertained Betteshanger with both teams eager to extend their 100% record and it was Canterbury who came at on top with an excellent all round team display. Canterbury took command early on and dominated the first 20-25 minutes with Jamal scoring two goals, Betteshanger pulled one back just before half-time following a fine turn and finish from their striker.
Canterbury were again quick out of the blocks in the second half and dominated for long periods, Jack Kelley and Chris Wyver making penetrating runs down either flank with Daniel Mabhula and Toby Vaughan controlling things in midfield, Vaughan in particular had a superb match in centre midfield his best for a long time. Jack Kelley picked up the third goal finishing off a fine move and Jack Clarke scored his first goal for the team on his debut shortly afterwards. Jamal again proved a willing target man and was a real focal point for the Canterbury attack and he completed his second hat-trick of the season with a delicate left footed chip of the keeper, Chris Wyver added the sixth goal from close range late on.
This was a superb performance from a Canterbury Youth team demonstrating some truly excellent team work and passing for a team still being rebuilt.
Richard Ewart making his debut in the Canterbury goal had a fine match making some good saves and impressing with his play as auxiliary sweeper ably backed up by the excellent defensive work of Whittaker, Holmberg, Picton and Gransden giving Betteshanger very few clear cut opportunities.
Team: Ewart, Picton, Gransden, Whittaker, Holmberg, Wyver, Kelley, Vaughan, Mabhula, Jamal and Clarke.
Canterbury Youth 4 - 3 Whitstable Town
Molten East Kent Youth League Under 13 division one
Having lost 8 of their players to Valley Express Kent Youth League clubs Canterbury Youth’s new look Under 13 squad took on local rivals Whitstable Town in their first Match of the season. First blood went to Canterbury who scored after a cross was diverted in by Jamal who was making his club and league debut. On the stroke of half time Whitstable equalised and quickly took an early second half lead.
Canterbury scored their equalizer with excellent run and shot from Sam Gransden. Jamal converted a second from a Wyver cross and shortly after completed his hat-trick. At 4 - 2 Whitstable converted a penalty and pushed hard for an equaliser. Canterbury tired towards the end having only 11 players and no substitutes but strong defending from Oli Braddy, James Whittaker, Gransden & Joost Gifford kept the score at 4-3 and the 3 points for Youth, Jack Kelley also had a fine debut in midfield for the home side. An excellent all round performance by the whole team with four boys making their debuts for the team.
Team: Picton, Gransden, Whittaker, Braddy, Gifford, Wyver, Sandham, Holmberg, Kelley, Jamal and Mabhula.