A few bits of important information

Hi everyone,

A great result on Saturday and a lovely occasion too, was great to be able to celebrate Sam’s birthday with such a good performance.

Just looking ahead I wanted to flag up a few things.

Firstly just to confirm that there is no training this Wednesday as we are having a half term break, and also that we have no match on Saturday 31^st October.  This will come as a welcome break as I know some of the boys (Dylan and Charlie) are both nursing injuries at the moment.

So this leaves our next training session on Wednesday 4^th November and our next match on Saturday 7^th November an away match against Twford Spartans in Tiverton. 

John B is heading back to Australia for a few weeks just before Christmas so we will miss his presence on the training ground and also on the touchline for a few games.

However I am also away for a week from Friday 20^th through to Friday 27^th November.

As such I am looking for a volunteer or volunteers to take charge of the team on Saturday 21^st November for the away match at Copplestone and then run training the following Wednesday 25^th November. 

I will make sure you get all the balls and kit etc, but it would be great if someone could take this on…..mum’s or dad’s!!

If you fancy this could you drop me a text or give me a ring.

As regular observers of the blog will note I am struggling to find the time to keep the website updated with match results etc, does anyone have a spare bit of time and some basic IT skills to keep this updated?  It is not too tricky and I think is a really important place to share and look up information. 

Was also thinking about a pre-Christmas social event to get all the boys and families together, I would welcome any ideas or suggestions.  I know that previous trips to The Waterfront have always been successful but I would welcome any other ideas or suggestions if you know of anywhere.

I was thinking Saturday 5^th December after our home game as this is a nice distance from Christmas and Exeter City FC don’t have a match in the afternoon.

Again if you could let me know that would be fabulous.

Many thanks

Mark

Home and Away against Neighbours

No soaps,not at Walford or Coronation Street but the shared homeground of both City and United,KGV.A drizzly wettish day made for a quick surface as the clubs played their final league game before the international break,well half term at least.

With City kicking off left to right away from the carpark end,Charlie had to rest for the first 20 minutes due to twisting an ankle in the warm up.A brave 15 minutes first half action was curtailed 5 minutes into the second half when a tackle ended any hopes of Charlie carrying on.So,onto the easy list joining Dylan after last weeks goalkeeping heroics.

City played to their strengths,setting up with a confident Noah in goal behind the no nonsense defence of Cam,Josh and Ewan with Will P needed to drop deep from midfield for cover.The midfield engine saw plenty of the ball and used it with creativity welcoming back Sam to join Dan,Joe and Tom D.Then not forgetting Will A and Alfie up front.

Sam picked up the ball on the left,dribbled a bit,cut inside and crossed low for Alfie to stick a fast left footer into the top corner.10 minutes later the lead was doubled when Dan expertly controlled the ball and shimmied position to put a low right foot shot out of the keepers reach in the bottom right corner.This followed a good City spell when Dan had previously gone close with a backheader and Josh nearly repeated the St Martins freekick.

The second half saw more City pressure and several rewards.With Tom O on for the injured Charlie,at first it seemed that the chances were few and far between.It took a moment of inspiration from Tom D to pick up a throw in and evade several United defenders before having his shot parried,deserved of a goal.Tom O was on hand to follow up to make it 3-0.

Despite Noah needing to make several good saves with excellent handling,it was a confident City that completed the second half.Cam and Josh were increasinly finding the front players with accurate long distance balls.Captain Ewan was able to cover allowing Will P more forward midfield play and he went close from distance.City doubled this score in the final ten minutes.Alfie broke through and repeated the move 5 minutes later holding off the strong defender to secure the matchball with a fine hat trick.Sandwiched in between,Man of the Match Tom O,supersub,had seized on an Alfie throughball for a confident finish.

A great result and just a glance at Uniteds form this promotional season will reveal that City,as a team,had to be on top of their game to win this one.The return fixture,home or away,already looks one to savour.   

Blues end cup hopes at first hurdle

It was always going to be a tough game given the nature of the tough draw when City were drawn out of the hat against Bideford Blues in the first round of the leagues cup competition.A quick glance at the league results that Bideford Blues have enjoyed this season so far suggests they are well back to their very best,an elite academy standard set up.

Given that,the playing surface was somewhat disappointing,dry,hard ground,very uneven and bumpy.It would have benefitted from some irrigation though not necessarily that afforded a farmers field on the homeward bound link road detour.

So to the match:First half City played extremely well,starting very positively and forcing the Blues to review their concentration.It was a very evenly balanced half and when Alfie was hauled down in the box,the ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.Charlie stepped up to the plate (maybe also in anticipation of our next cup exploits) and dispatched a low shot close to the left post.Just like before,City found themselves ahead at Bidefords’ home ground,a position few,if any teams,could boast too often before,if at all.There was not so much an inevitability of a fairly immediate equaliser,but more a trait of failing to clear from defence and allowing the homeside space and fluency on the ball.Bad luck then intervened as Dylan,on a good goalkeeping performance,was unable to continue right on the stroke of halftime due to falling awkwardly on the hard ground.

With Tom O admirably and bravely stepping in between the sticks,the Blues led a second half onslaught that no one could contain adding five more goals to their tally.But this had quite a lot to do with the fact that City had forced the Blues Manager to warn of complacency against a side more than capable of competing.Blues supporters (Dads) were very complementary of Citys resilience and defensive quality.Tom went close towards the end and City enjoyed a consolation injury time second goal when Alfie netted,seizing on a rare Bideford mistake.

So,no disgrace in defeat for an early cup exit and a singing busload DJ’d by Will ‘scratch’Aggett on the way home reiterated the absence of any loss of team spirit-although the front of the bus could only identify “Buffalo Girls”,fortunately not going around the outside.A spirit exemplified by Man of the Match Ewans’ captaincy and example.

Let's give Bideford the Blues!!

Hello everyone

Hope that you are all having a good week and are pumped for the Cup match on Saturday away against Bideford.

 

The starting team for the match will be Dylan (GK), Charlie, Cameron and Josh in defense.  Midfield will be Joe, Dan, Tom D, Will P and Ewan (Captain), with Will A and Alfie playing upfront.  Starting subs will be Onur and Tom. 

 

This will be a tough old match against Bideford but like last time if we can start well and get an early goal then you never know!!

 

As before I have hired a 17 seater mini bus and we also have two cars full so we won’t be short of support.

 

I think we should leave at 08:15am from King George V car park so if I can ask for all players to be ready to set off at that time that would be great.  A few snacks might also be a good plan as I am guessing we will not get back to Exeter until after 13:30.

 

The subs for the bus is £3 per person if that’s okay, the club has agreed to pay for 50% of the bus hire which is great.  Can I also ask that £3 per seat applies to those going in the cars which will be driven by Andrew P and Russ to make it fair.

 

See you on Saturday morning, please do get in touch if there any problems,

 

Regards

 

Mark

The stars of Starcross

City kept up their winning ways with another convincing victory,this time away from home against St Martins.The well organised home side had delivered a footballing lesson in this fixture last year but on their new pitch,at Starcross,they came up against a City side playing with confidence and conviction following on from last weeks goalfest.

On freshly cut grass and in lovely conditions with just the colder autumn breeze a hint to the time of year,Man of the Match Josh was immediately involved with tenacious left foot play.City were forced to make an early substitution at 4 minutes as Will P was injured (able to return later for trademark corners).Dylan filled in the midfield space,a positive opening spell for City was followed by St Martins beginning to creep back into the game.Hot on the heels of a Cameron freekick that just sailed over the bar,Dylan broke from midfield and dribbled past four players before drilling a low right footer to give the visitors the lead.

St Martins levelled virtually immediately and then settled into their good game finding plenty of midfield to pass and keep the ball.A temporary onslaught followed and Dylan was called upon to head over Noahs goal to repel the danger.The tide then turned Citys way and before halftime their confident play paid real dividends.Will P dropped a corner just in front of the homeside keeper and Dan was there to restore the lead with a great header.City went further ahead when lessons learnt from last week and discussed on the training ground all came to fruition.With Ewan and Joe losing their markers and Charlie getting cover at the back when pressing forward, Will A netted twice,alert first to a rare keeper error,then on the end of an Alfie cross whose run was initially set going by a great ball from Cam.City even “scored" their ubiquitous offside goal.

The second half could not have got off to a better start.An inspired tactical vision prompted John B to call Josh over from defence to curl a blinding left foot shot into the top corner from a freekick:Unbelievable.Not to be missed.Early candidate for goal of the season.(Description needed for Mum as she may have been getting a coffee).To some extent though the game was just warming up.St Martins showed their class to persist with their gameplan and get two goals back in quick succession and it was to some relief that Joe put a great ball through for Alfie to calmly end the scoring at 3-6.Too much rugby had seen an earlier effort clear the trees.Oh,plus a fabulous lob spoilt only by the linesmans offside flag.

So,still unbeaten,lucky thirteen goals scored in the last 2 games,can it get better?.Bideford bus trip looms on a high.

Let us entertain you.....again!!

Let us entertain you again :October 3rd 2015

Citys' third match of the 2015-2016 season saw a comprehensive win over Colyton Redsocks who had been promoted themselves last season along with neighbours United.The smiles around the camp after the final whistle certainly had more than just the warm sunshine of the Indian summer as a reason to celebrate.

Colyton kicked off but City were quickly into their stride showing midfield tenacity, moving the ball around pleasingly and from a quick break,Alfie made it 1-0 within two minutes,drilling the ball into the net from the right hand side. 

Three minutes later saw the first City corner, which Will P sent over. This led immediately to a second corner following a goalmouth scramble, Will P repeating the medicine. A third, fourth and fifth corner followed for City over the next quarter hour with both Alfie and Will A going close. Tom D had two shots well saved but the fifth corner was taken before the ref had blown the whistle. In a deja vu moment,the resulting headed goal was not a goal. Fortunately Dan amended this, making it 2-0 shortly afterwards.

Despite the defence not being tested, Cameron , Charlie and Dylan, remained solid and well focused. Against the run of play the visitors got a goal back with their first attempt. It was to Citys’ credit that only a couple more serious assaults were made on Noahs’ goal. It was 25 minutes before Colyton forced their first corner but by then Alfie had made it 3-1, with a fine distance effort, and the Colyton defence were being tormented by Joe’s trickery down the right wing. The half ended with two highlights: a lovely sweeping pass showing great vision by Will P which deserved better fortune, then a magnificent individual effort by Ewan to make the half time score 4-1.

The second half saw City repeat the prescription with three further goals. Will A ran from the half way line to get on the end of a break by Alfie, Tom D made it six from outside the box and Charlie completed the rout from the penalty spot. City even had the luxury of missing several chances and could have joined the double figure scores of some of the U13 Division 1 elite seen this season.

Man of the match was Noah for several quality saves between the sticks without which,definitely would have seen the match score closer.

Mums and Dads can celebrate the best result in recent City history with a glass of champagne. Boys, you will have to stick to lemonade- we suggest the brand “SEVEN-UP”