U10s 'Bls' REPORTS

Blues 1-4 Westexe
U10s Cup 1^st Round

So Blues first defeat of the season ends up in a 1-4 shocker at home to Westexe in the first round of the U10 Cup on a wonderfully sunny morning at St Peters.

It was Westexe who came storming out of the blocks as they put Blues under pressure right from the kick-off, however in the third minute it Blues who nearly took the lead against the run of play. A long Ben Berkhout punt was collected by Josh Mingo who laid the ball off to Ed Doble. He sent Josh scampering towards goal, but he dragged his shot narrowly wide.

After five minutes Westexe’s superior play was rewarded in a somewhat scrappy fashion when the ball broke to a player on the edge of the box after a bit of a scramble as Blues failed to deal with an innocuous looking cross, who proceeded to rifle the ball gleefully into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 to Westexe.

Blues continued to struggle, so manager Bush decided to try and liven things up with the substitution of Sam Smith for Cameron Deighton, then a minute later it was 2-0 to Westexe as the ball was passed out to the corner of Blues box and thumped high into the top corner of the net.  

A further minute elapsed before the enforced substitution of the injured Josh Mingo for Cameron Deighton was made, and the returning Cameron almost immediately reduced the arrears with a stinging drive from a tight angle that narrowly beat the cross bar.  

In the second half it was more of the same with Blues continuing to chase Westexe shadows, and after five minutes Ed Doble was withdrawn to be replaced by Josh Mingo.  

Things went from bad to worse in the tenth minute when Westexe went 3-0 up. The ball was crossed from deep to a striker on the edge of the area, and although his ferocious drive was palmed up in the air with a good save by Ben, unfortunately he took too much sting out of the ball and it dropped just underneath the bar.  

In the 15^th minute Ed and Josh swapped places on the bench, then a minute later a quick break from Westexe saw them go 4-0 up with a low drive into the far corner.  

In the final minute Blues got a consolation with their best – and only – move of the game. Cameron showed great strength and determination battling for the ball and turned his man superbly before firing home from the edge of the box to reduce the arrears to 4-1. But it was too little, too late and thankfully the referee soon bought the game to a welcome end.  

So lets hope today was just a bad day at the office and that it can all be ironed out in training on Thursday night. Then we can look forward to getting the season back on track next weekend. No doubt you’ll be there too, keen to put today’s debacle behind you as well. See you there, come on you Blues, let’s get back to playing winning ways as quickly as possible.   

Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, George Catcher; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble, Cameron Deighton; Josh Mingo.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Blues 3-0 Beacon Knights  

So the first game of 2008 and it was business as usual with a 3-0 win against a very good Beacon Knights side at St Peter’s on a fresh morning perfect for football.

For once Blues didn’t dominate the opening exchanges as both sides took a few minutes to try and get the measure of each other. It was, however, Blues who had the first meaningful attempt on goal in the eighth minute. Josh Mingo played the ball to midfielder Ed Doble who immediately sent a first time defence splitter through for Josh to run on to. Unfortunately the move didn’t get the result it deserved as the alert keeper saved well from Josh’s well hit drive.

Two minutes later Josh was involved further feeding the ball to jet heeled wide man Cameron Deighton who scampered down the right before sending in a peach of a cross that was well collected by the keeper.  

A minute later and Blues came the closest yet to breaking the deadlock. The ball was played down the left to captain Glen Davison who crossed to Josh lurking centrally. His clever flick evaded the keeper, but he got enough on it to take the sting out of the shot and recover just as the ball was about to trickle over the line.  

However on 14 minutes sustained Blues pressure eventually bought its reward. Once again Glen had the ball on the left where he crossed to Josh near the penalty spot. Showing glorious nonchalance, Josh showed the keeper one way whilst rolling the ball into the opposite corner for a goal of sublime quality to make it 1-0 to Blues.  

For much of the rest of the half the game was played out in midfield or the Knights’ half, without really testing the keeper as Blues sought to conserve energy and possession and Knights looked for a way back in, and thus it was a further ten minutes before the final action of note in a pulsating first half. Defender George Catcher unleashed a low driven snapshot towards the far corner through a sea of players that the keeper did well to parry at the last minute. Glen followed up the rebound, but the excellent Knights keeper saved again pushing the ball round the post for a corner.  

After a brief pause it was soon time for the second half, and straight from the kick off Blues almost increased their lead. The ball was played out wide to Cameron who hit a great cross to Josh stationed on the penalty spot. He had time to control ball before unleashing a powerful drive that just drifted wide of the far post.  

However, after exchanging possessions a couple of times, the inevitable happened and Blues did indeed increase their lead. Josh was invited to scamper after a delicious through ball, but was tackled off the ball. The loose ball fell to Ed Doble lying deep who hit a first time drive straight back into the mix. The ball deflected to Josh who slid the ball home from close range to make it 2-0 Blues. 

Two became three two minutes later in the 11^th minute with the best goal of the game and a strong contender for goal of the season. The ball was played through to Josh centrally where he held it up superbly while support arrived in the shape of Glen down the left and Cameron down the right, pulling defenders the full width of the pitch. Josh played the ball out wide to Glen who then exchanged a sumptuous one two with Josh before coolly guiding home at the far post to make it 3-0 Blues.  

As Knights tired visibly – the match was 25 minutes each way – Blues sought to turn their superior fitness into further goals, but alas Knights’ defence stayed resolute such that at the final whistle the score remained unchanged.  

But what a great work out ahead of the rearranged cup first round game against Westexe next weekend. Knights were no pushover, and Blues had to work hard for their victor. Indeed, this was Knights’ first defeat of the season. However, prevail Blues did, and this due to their desire to play the ball on the ground with some quite wonderful pass and move football combined with an equal desire to win the ball back if possession was lost with tough – but fair – tackling and relentless running.  

In goal, for once, Ben Berkhout was given a decent test, but one that he passed with flying colours, particularly when coming out to block a Knights forward who burst through one on one with Ben. His distribution was good too, with both throws and kicks made with accuracy, together with good handling and shot stopping.  

However, he was still the less busy of the two keepers by a country mile, and this was due to the fine work in front of him by defenders George Catcher and Ewan Anderson, the perfect combination of strength and finesse respectively.  

In midfield, when playing eight a side instead of the usual seven, Blues play a diamond formation with Glen wide left and Cameron wide right. Harry Moxey plays deep in front of the back two whilst Ed sits just behind the striker. Both Glen and Cam terrorised Knights’ full backs, with Cam in particular surging past players at will down the touchline before delivering a series of killer crosses. Harry Moxey had a fine game too, supporting the attack whilst at the same time covering for defenders getting forward. He also won virtually every ball in the air in midfield, and in particular was imperious in dealing with Knights’ keeper’s long punts down field.  

Up front Josh showed why he’s one of the best natural finishers in the league, showing a deft touch boys many years his senior would be proud to possess. His two goals were of no little quality, and as well as playing a huge part in setting up Glen for the third goal of the game held the ball up well playing the lone striker role.  

Which all bodes well for next week. The biggest game of the season so far undoubtedly, but the boys go into the game in fine form. So far this season Blues have only dropped points once in 15 attempts, a draw away at Central way back at the beginning of September. If they play with the determination and skill that they undoubtedly possess, then surely a place in round two beckons. However, Westexe are no mugs and victory will not be easy by any stretch.  

So why not come along and see how it turns out? This could well be the game of the season between the division’s two stand out teams. Dare you miss such a titanic encounter? Of course not, see you there.  

Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, George Catcher; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble, Cameron Deighton; Josh Mingo.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Blues 5-0 Sidmouth Town Vikings

So the first competitive game in six weeks meant the boys were well up for this one winning in impressive style 5-0 against a keen Sidmouth Vikings side at St Peters on a fresh winter’s morning.

As is the norm this season, it was Blues who came out the blocks the quickest and had the first proper chance of the game in the first minute. A through ball from captain Glen Davison found Josh Mingo central with his back to goal. A sharp turn and shot looked good, but unfortunately it was straight at the keeper who had an easy collect.

A minute later it was Cameron Deighton’s turn to test the keeper with a sharp run and shot that was well saved, but a further minute later Blues took the lead that they’d been threatening since kick off. Harry Moxey hit a fierce low drive from fully 15 yards that the keeper could only parry. Josh Mingo showed great awareness in following up, and poked home comfortably from about a yard out to make it 1-0 Blues.

Immediately following the restart it was nearly two with Harry once again launching a ferocious drive towards the top corner that the keeper palmed over in spectacular fashion, but soon enough the second goal arrived.

In the fifth minute persistent work from Cameron, Harry and Ed Doble saw the ball played back to Ed on the edge of the area, whereby Ed smashed low into the far corner for a 2-0 scoreline.

With manager Bush mindful of a second game later on, he was keen to keep the squad fresh so on the eighth minute Harry was sacrificed as Sam Smith made a welcome return having recently recovered from a nasty toe injury. Three minutes later, again keeping the boys fresh, Harry returned at the expense of Josh, and that was it for the half.

But soon enough it was time for the second half with George Catcher making way for Josh. The effect was almost immediate with Josh collecting a through ball and bustling his way through two defenders before showing the keeper one way and casually rolling the ball the other into the back of the net to make it 3-0 Blues.

In the fourth minute it was four. A Blues corner was smashed into a crowd of players by Ed Doble and it somehow found it’s way right through everyone until it ended up catching a poor defender completely unawares on the far post where it cannoned of his shin and into the back of the net for an unfortunate own goal and a 4-0 scoreline to Blues.

In the ninth minute came possibly the best move of the game when Cameron set off on a storming run down the right touchline. He dodged a couple of tackles before reaching the byline and sending in an achingly glorious low driven cross to Josh Mingo lurking around the penalty spot. In a single movement Josh shaped to shoot and guided the ball towards the far post but looked on in agony as it squirmed just the wrong side.

Quick fire substitutions of George on for Ewan Anderson then two minutes later Ewan returning in place of Cam then three minutes later Glen being rested so that Cam could return to the action didn’t disrupt Blues’ flow and this was shown when Blues notched a fifth in the final minute of the game. Josh once again broke through the middle and charged towards goal from the half way line. As before, with cool nonchalance he showed the keeper one way then rolled the ball the other into the net to complete the scoring and end the game with a 5-0 win for Blues.

And what an emphatic win it was. All over the park the boys were in good form from start to finish. In goal Ben Berkhout had little to do, but his distribution was precise and his kicking good. It gave confidence to defenders Ewan Anderson and George Catcher in front of him to be able to push forward and support the attack if necessary.

In midfield the formation was changed slightly with captain Glen Davison patrolling the left flank and Cameron Deighton the right. Centrally you had Harry Moxey playing deep covering the defence with Ed Doble more advanced in the hole behind striker Josh Mingo. But there’s enough flexibility that anyone can come on or off without disrupting the team, as was shown when sub Sam Smith slotted in either in defence or up front.

But there was no time to rest on their laurels, as soon the second game of the morning would be underway.

Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, George Catcher; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble; Cameron Deighton, Josh Mingo.

Blues 8-1 Sidmouth Town Warriors

So Blues pick up their second win of the morning with a more emphatic 8-1 defeat of Sidmouth Warriors.

Once again it was Blues who were quickest to get into their stride, and inevitably it was they who opened the scoring in only the second minute of the game – Cameron Deighton exploding down the right touchline before firing an arrow straight rocket high into the roof of the net at the near post from an impossibly tight angle to make it 1-0 Blues.

Ed Doble was introduced off the bench for Josh Mingo carrying a slight knock in the fifth minute, and then a further five minutes elapsed before Blues doubled their lead. Good work from Ewan Anderson saw the ball through to fellow defensive partner and newly converted striker Sam Smith who buried the ball past the Warriors’ keeper with some aplomb from five yards out for a 2-0 score line.

A minute later Cameron crossed a deep ball from the right to the rushing Glen Davison at the far post where he guided the ball home with ease to make it 3-0, then carrying a knock of his own Glen was rested as Josh returned to the action.

In the final minute of the half it was four when Josh Mingo spadework enabled Cameron to burst through into the box where he was clattered to the turf as he shaped to shoot. Keeper Ben Berkhout stepped up to take the resulting penalty, and although his opposite number saved well, he could do little to prevent Sam following up to poke home the rebound from point blank range to give a 4-0 half time score.

The second half was underway soon enough, with Blues losing their way a bit with passes going astray and tackles being missed a little too often for manager Bush’s liking. He mixed it up a little in the fifth minute substituting Glen for Josh, but seconds later Blues’ lack of urgency was punished with a deserved goal for Warriors.

Gaining a free kick just inside Blues’ half, up stepped Warriors’ giant midfielder to give the ball an almighty wallop. It sailed high and long and beat everyone all ends up including Ben in goal crashing just inside the near post to make it 4-1 to Blues.

Harry was rested this time with Josh returning, and in the tenth minute order was restored with Blues’ fifth. A corner from the right wasn’t cleared properly by Warriors’ defence and Sam was on hand at the far post to stab the ball home from close range to make it 5-1 Blues.

Five became six seconds later with Blues’ next attack. Cameron setting off on a surging run into the heart of the opposition defence with Sam once again lurking to fire home from close range to make it 6-1 to Blues with his fourth goal of the game.

Two minutes later, with Warriors tiring visibly, Blues pressed on and Cam showed great vision taking a throw in quickly and spotting Glen in space. Glen turned and seeing the keeper off his line cheekily chipped the ball into the far corner from a tight angle to make it 7-1 Blues.

In the final minute of the game Cameron surged down the right again and hit a powerful cross-shot high into the roof of the net from out wide to complete the scoring and finish the game at 8-1 to Blues.

But funnily enough, despite the score line, this was a far from complete performance, and certainly not on a par with that of the first game. The second half particularly was somewhat lacklustre, with tackles being missed and possession given away sloppily. Also, too often players tried to beat one man too many or shoot from ridiculous angles or distances instead of passing to better placed team mates.

Warriors’ goal was exactly what Blues deserved as they plodded through the game, content to rest on their first half performance. The goal shook them back to life a bit, and they proceeded to notch a further four goals in reply, but it has to be said this wasn’t a vintage Blues performance and I doubt they’d get away with that against stronger teams.

But even so a win is a win at the end of the day and scoring 13 goals with one in reply is not to be sneezed at, and there were times today when the passing and movement were simply not what you’d expect from nine year olds.

Bodes well for the rest of the season that in 14 games so far points have only been dropped once – away to Central when a defensive mix up right at the end of the game gifted them an equaliser – so with that in mind we can look forward to the visit of Beacon Knights and Stoke Hill in a fortnight with justified confidence, and hopefully take that on to Westexe the following week for the rescheduled Cup first round game.

Team:- Ben Berkhout; George Catcher, Ewan Anderson; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Josh Mingo; Cameron Deighton, Sam Smith.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Cullompton Hurricanes 0-8 Blues

So the third long trip on the bounce, this time to Cullompton, although the distance didn’t seem to affect the boys running up their biggest score of the season so far, a mighty 8-0 against Cullompton Hurricanes.

It was Blues who got off to the best start, immediately putting Cully under terrific pressure, and this was highlighted by Ed Doble’s wonderful first time snapshot in the first minute that sailed narrowly over the bar.

Hurricanes’ relief was short lived however, as a mere four minutes later Blues were in front – Cameron Deighton powering his way into the box before driving into the far corner to make it 1-0 Blues.

A couple of minutes later a couple of quick fire blasts nearly increased the lead, but in the tenth minute Cameron added his and Blues second. Harry played the ball wide to Glen who crossed to Cameron on the edge of box where he slid home left footed to make it 2-0.

A couple of quick substitutions with Cameron being replaced by Josh Mingo, and then Glen with Cameron and it wasn’t long before Blues scored a third. With three minutes of the half remaining, Cameron played a long ball through to Josh who burst into the Cully area before confidently slotting low into the far corner to give Blues a half time lead of 3-0.

The final action of any note was to replace the hard working Harry Moxey with Glen Davison.

Soon enough it was time for the second half, but with the unfortunately enforced substitution of Ben Berkhout for Harry Moxey with Ben suffering from hay fever and Cameron replacing him in goal.

Also soon enough Blues scored a fourth, and it came from a quite wonderful passing move. The whole team were involved and eventually it ended up at the feet of Glen who guided home with aplomb at the near post to make it 4-0.

After five minutes it was five when a long Cameron clearance was seized upon by Josh. Intelligently he slid the ball wide to Glen who smashed it back across goal into the far corner for a 5-0 scoreline to Blues.

Midway through the half Harry played a glorious cross field ball to Glen who swept home on the half volley from five yards out to make it 6-0 with an eight minute hat trick.

In the 10th minute Cam and Josh swapped gloves with Josh taking over in goal, and two minutes later Cameron was again in the goals matching Glen with a hat trick of his own. Ewan broke down the right and set Cameron on his way. Cameron hit a low driven cross to the far post where Glen burst through to slide home, but the ball was already marginally over the line when Glen connected so it was Cam’s goal.

With minutes remaining Ben had recovered sufficiently he returned to the fray at the expense of Ed, but not in goal – up front! He was soon involved in the final goal of the game, battling to ensure a corner was only cleared as far as Ewan lurking on the edge of the box. In one swift movement, he looked up before crashing the ball high into the roof of the net at the near post to finish the scoring at 8-0.

But more important than the scoreline was the performance today. At times they simply outclassed the opposition with a fine display of passing, and some strong tackling and powerful running.

In goal Ben had an easy time of it, with very little to do other than regulation stuff. In front of him both Ewan and George made sure very little got through, whilst in midfield Harry held it all together and ensured both Glen and Ed on either flank saw plenty of the ball.

Indeed, it was good to see Glen back in the goals again, and his hat trick was of no little quality. Also of quality was the work of Cameron and Josh up front. Both looked confident and both looked assured on the ball.

This was Blues football at its best, and the scoreline reflected this. However, there wasn’t time to rest on their laurels, as soon enough it would be time for the second game of the morning.  

Scorers:-
Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, George Catcher; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble; Cameron Deighton.

Cullompton Tornadoes 0-3 Blues

So Blues pick up their second win of the morning with a more tricky 3-0 defeat of Cullompton Tornadoes.

A stuttering start by Blues was quickly recognised by manager Bush, and it didn’t take long for a couple of very early substitutions to be made to try and shake things up a bit with Cameron Deighton being withdrawn for Ewan Anderson and then Cameron returning at the expense of Ed Doble.

It still took a while for Blues to get into their stride, and it wasn’t until three quarters of the way through the half that they edged in front. Cameron controlled a clearance wonderfully before playing in Josh to guide the ball home low to make it 1-0 to Blues.

Soon after Ed was reintroduced at Glen’s expense and that was about it for a lacklustre first half.

The second half brightened slightly, but manager Bush wasn’t satisfied and further substitutions of Glen for Harry and then Harry for Ben, who was suffering from hay fever once again, were made to try and up the tempo a bit.

Yet despite not reaching the heights of the first game, a second goal always looked on the cards, and as it was in the 10th minute Blues made the game safe with a cracker. A corner was only cleared as far as Ed out wide who crossed back in to Glen patrolling the edge of the box. In a single movement he turned and smashed the ball gleefully into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 to Blues.

Then as the final whistle approached Ed scored a quite wonderful goal that his effervescent running – especially in the first game – deserved. He collected the ball a long way out on the right hand side, and after cutting in crashed an unstoppable arrow straight rocket high into the top corner via the slightest of deflections off of a defender’s head to end the game at 3-0 to Blues.

But what a contrast to the first game. To be fair Blues never looked in trouble, especially with Ewan and George comfortably dealing with all the Cully front line had to offer. The midfield worked hard to try and create opportunities for Cameron and Josh, but the cohesion and fluency just wasn’t there from the first game, and not for the first time this season.

Still, it gives manager Bush something to work on training as the biggest game of the season looms large in a couple of weeks when we entertain Westexe and Alphington. No doubt the boys will be up for that one, and plotting sweet revenge for the penalty shoot out defeat in the cup last season at the quarter final stage.

So we’ll see you all there in a fortnight no doubt, to see if the lads can continue their splendid start to the season. You know it’s a game you can’t afford to miss.

Scorers:-
Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ed Doble, George Catcher; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Josh Mingo; Cameron Deighton.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Culm Utd. 0-5 Blues

So a long trip to Hemyock’s Longmead headquarters saw Blues triumph 5-0 against a spirited Culm United side.

Blues were down to the bare bones today with top striker Cameron Deighton away and midfielder George Catcher injured. However, it was Blues who made the early running and had the first shot on goal after four minutes; spadework by Glen Davison, Edward Doble and Sam Smith in midfield giving Harry Moxey the opportunity to let fly with a 15 yard snap shot that drifted narrowly wide.

A minute later though Harry made no mistake. This time floating a ball in towards the far post from miles out that everyone, including the poor Culm goalie, missed that dropped into the net to make it 1-0 Blues.

It was nearly two midway through the half when Davison and Mingo combined well with some neat one twos, but this time the keeper was more alert and smothered Davison’s shot at source. But it was two soon enough though. After ten minutes Davison set off on a powerful run down the left before cutting the ball back to centrally placed Josh Mingo who side footed confidently under the keeper from six yards out to make it 2-0.

On thirteen minutes two became three when once again Davison and Mingo combined, this time Mingo turning provider for Davison to slide home for a 3-0 score line. Blues weren’t finished however, and on the stroke of half time there was a big scramble in the Culm goalmouth. The ball eventually fell to Moxey lurking deep who crashed a 20 yard howitzer into the top corner nearly breaking the net in the process for his second and Blues fourth.

Soon enough it was time for the second half, and immediately Blues continued where they left off in the first. Only a minute had expired when good work down the left saw Moxey take the ball to the by-line before driving a low cross into the middle for Doble to slot home from five yards to make it 5-0.

Chances came and went for much the remainder of the half but Mingo had the best chance in the ninth minute. A terrific combination once more with Davison through the heart of the Culm defence ended with a good save after Mingo stabbed goalward.

But five was enough for the first game and what a great performance it was from Blues, especially in the first half with some real measured passing and clever controlled football.

In goal Ben Berkhout had a comfortable game. No shots of note to deal with, but confident with his collects and good with his distribution, especially his kicking.

In front of him defenders Ewan Anderson and Sam Smith were equally as comfortable, and both mopped up anything that came towards them with ease.

In midfield captain Glen Davison had one of his best games of the season marauding down the left flank and showing no little skill with his passing and strength with his tackles. The same as with Edward Doble on the right flank, and it was just rewards for their hard work that both boys scored. Also on the score sheet was central midfielder Harry Moxey once again, netting twice. Four goals so far for Moxey this season, which betters his total for the whole of last, with none more sweetly struck than the screamer at the end of the first half.

Up front Josh Mingo battled manfully on his own, not used to having a full thirty minutes under his belt. But nevertheless he held the ball up well and encouraged his midfield team mates into the attack at every opportunity. His link up play was good to watch, especially with Davison, and his industry was rewarded with a well taken goal.

But with match days being double headers, there was no time to rest on their laurels as the boys had to ready themselves for the tough test Hemyock would surely provide.

Scorers:- Moxey 2; Mingo;Davidson; Doble:
Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, Sam Smith; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble; Josh Mingo.

Hemyock 1-2 Blues

So in the predicted tougher second game, Blues again prevailed with a storming 2-1 win to keep their unbeaten start to the season going.

Blues began in much the same way as they had in the first game, enjoying the lion’s share of the opening exchanges. Once again it was Blues who created the first chance to open the scoring when Edward Doble’s effort from range was well collected in the second minute. After five minutes Doble was at it again from range, this time smashing Harry Moxey’s lay off onto the bar and away to safety.

But a minute later disaster struck when Hemyock’s striker went barrelling through Blues’ defence to power the ball past Berkhout in goal from six yards out to give them an against the run of play 1-0 lead.

Blues didn’t let their heads drop though, and a minute further on had a chance to level up when Josh Mingo and Glen Davison combined well before Davison poked wide when one on one with the keeper.

The final action of the half came right on the whistle when Doble, Moxey and Mingo played the ball diagonally across the pitch to Davidson who blasted his first time snapshot wide.

The second half began in much more even fashion, with neither side creating much as deep midfield and defences were well on top. Blues pushed hard for an equaliser though, and Ed Doble’s snapshot towards the top corner was spectacularly tipped round the post for a corner by an athletic Hemyock keeper.

But with five minutes remaining Blues relentless pressure eventually paid off. A corner was only cleared as far as Sam Smith, lying deep ready to mop up. From a mere five yards inside the Hemyock half, Smith looked up and launched a crashing dipping drive high into the roof of the net that gave the keeper no chance and levelled the scores at 1-1.

Blues’ tails were up, and they were hungry for a winner. In the eleventh minute a terrific Anderson run down the right skipping past challenges deftly saw him deliver a cross into the middle that was only cleared as far as Doble. Unfortunately it caught Doble a little unawares and he could only guide his first time volley wide.

With a minute left Doble and Mingo combined to knock the ball back to Moxey twenty yards out, but as with Doble earlier, had to look on in despair as his arrow straight drive was again tipped round the post from under the angle of post and bar.

However, Blues were still not finished, and in the second minute of stoppage time, after seeing defensive partner Sam Smith’s wonderful effort earlier, Anderson decided to chance his arm with a strike of his own from distance. The keeper could only parry Anderson’s powerful drive, but it fell right at the feet of Doble rushing in to follow up, who gleefully smashed into the back of the net from point blank range to give Blues a much deserved 2-1 win with the final action of a pulsating half.

And what a win it was. Hemyock have some big strong lads in their side, plus subs too, and with Blues down to the bare minimum it was no little task to keep both their strength and discipline to record their second win of the morning.

Once again Berkhout was pretty assured in goal, and had little chance with a good strike that gave Hemyock the lead. His distribution was measured and accurate, and he claimed most balls comfortably.

In front of him it was the defenders’ day, with both testing the keeper fully from range. Anderson’s strike set up the winner, and Smith’s miracle strike from about 30-odd yards bought a much deserved equaliser and set the boys on the way to finding the winner.

In midfield all three had their hands full containing Hemyock’s strong centre of the park, but they kept their heads up, kept their strength and kept looking to pass their way through to Mingo up front. Hats off to Doble too, the delight at getting the winner was plain to see, but it was sharp work and great awareness to be in the right place at the right time to capitalise on the keeper’s spill.

Once again up front Mingo linked up play well and provided a good out for the midfield. Not much fell for him in the way of opportunities, but nevertheless, he led the line well and bought others into the attack.

Next up it’s another away game, this time to Crediton in a fortnight to play them and Moors. Crediton are an unknown quantity being new to this league, but given the way Blues have started the season with seven wins and a draw from their opening eight games they’ve proved they need fear no-one.

Hopefully everyone will be available again then too, so see you all there when the boys look to carry on their impressive current form and unbeaten start to the season.

Scorers:- Smith:Doble:
Team:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, Sam Smith; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble; Josh Mingo.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Blues 7-0 Newton Town

So for the first time this season all nine squad members were available, and it showed in a superb 7-0 demolition of a willing Newton Town side on the wide open St Peters pitch.

Blues were determined to put the disappointment of their capitulation at Central last weekend behind them, and as such came storming out of the blocks straight from the off. In the first minute some good work by Josh Mingo down the left battling a couple of defenders resulted in the ball being laid off to striker Cameron Deighton who had the simplest task of side footing home from two yards out to put Blues 1-0 up.

After five minutes a great run down the left by George Catcher ended with a cross to Edward Doble who flashed wide, then two minutes later defender Sam Smith went on a lung bursting run down the right before crossing to Deighton who’s chance for a shot was thwarted by a quick thinking keeper who was out sharply to smother.

Five minutes later a cross to Catcher out wide on the left was knocked in to Deighton who lofted a chip marginally too high, then in the thirteenth minute Blues domination finally paid off with a second goal. Deighton supplied willing run Catcher who shrugged off the attentions of two defenders before slotting coolly into the far corner under the keeper’s body for 2-0.

Two minutes later, with the final action of a stirring first half, it was 3-0 when once again Catcher drove home low at the far post after Ed Doble’s low corner managed to evade the attentions of the entire Newton defence.

The second half began with the introduction of usual midfield starters Harry Moxey and Glen Davison at the expense of Deighton and Mingo. Their inclusion was immediate as the first attack of the game saw Doble invite Moxey to chase a long ball down the right. His inch perfect low cross was drilled across the goal to Catcher rushing in at the far post to side foot home for his hat trick and Blues fourth.  

Five minutes later the effervescent George earned himself a rest with Mingo taking over – manager Bush mindful the boys had yet to play last season’s early pace setters St. Martins next – and soon after it was 5-0. Good pressure out wide from Sam Smith saw him lay the ball off expertly to defensive partner Ewan Anderson central on the edge of the box. Ewan had time to pick his spot and did it with no little quality smashing an arrow straight screamer into the top corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.

Doble was immediately withdrawn for Deighton, then five minutes later one of the moves of the game saw Blues go six up. Smith played the ball across to Anderson who in turn squared for Moxey. Spotting Davison lurking at the far post, Moxey threaded a delicious ball through the eye of a needle right into Glen’s path for him to gleefully crash an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net from point blank range.

With the game over as a contest Bushy swapped things about a bit – Ben went up front, Cam in goal, Sam and Ewan in midfield, Josh and Harry in defence – but it made little difference to the relentlessness of the attack. A minute after scoring the sixth, it was 7-0. Unlikely strike partnership Smith and Anderson knew each other well from normal defensive duties, and good battling from Ewan saw him unselfishly put in Sam to calmly guide the ball home from two yards out to complete the scoring.

The final action of the game was the well earned rests for Sam and Ewan with Ed and George replacing them.

But what a contrast to the turgid fare served up against Central last week. The passing, especially in the first half, was of the highest quality, and the all round play was so much more pleasing on the eye. From midfielders chasing the ball wide and whipping in crosses to strikers playing little give and go’s, Newton simply didn’t have an answer to the ball pinging about all over the place, and under control too. This was Blues football at its best.

In goal it’s a bit of a double edged sword for poor Ben. Do you want him involved making great saves, or should he basically be a passenger untroubled for the game? As it was, he didn’t get a single touch of the ball in the first half, but converted to a striker in the second nearly scored with his first attack – a venomous strike beaten away by the opposing keeper.

The two defenders, restored to their normal starting berths, made sure Ben was largely untroubled, and it was good to see both Sam and Ewan on the score sheet. Their strong performances at the back certainly deserved it.

In midfield Harry, Glen and Ed today had to play second fiddle to the George Catcher show – his hat trick was taken with some aplomb - but equally it wouldn’t be fair not to note the contributions his fellow midfielders made to help him achieve it. These boys play as a team and their range of passing and running has to be seen to be believed.

Up front Cameron battled manfully in the face of some determined defending, and got things underway with a good early goal. However his pace and strength frightens defenders, and whilst dealing with him they left wide open spaces behind for the midfielders, including part time midfielder, part time striker Josh Mingo to exploit.

And exploit it they did. As I said, this was Blues football at its best, and they simply tore Newton apart. But they’d need to maintain such a high standard for the second game of the morning against St. Martins coming up shortly.

Scorers:- Catcher 3; Deighton; Anderson; Davison; Smith:
Blues:- Ben Berkhout; Ewan Anderson, Sam Smith; George Catcher, Josh Mingo, Edward Doble; Cameron Deighton

Blues 1-0 St Martins

So it was soon time for the second game of the morning against tough opponents St Martins, but Blues out-toughed them to win a close encounter 1-0 as the morning began to warm up and dry out.

The game got off to somewhat a stuttering start with neither side imposing themselves on the other, just as it should be when two teams appear as well matched as these. The boys were clearly up for it and keen to keep their impressive start to the season going. This was emphasised in the fifth minute when skipper Glen Davison caught a boot full in the face stooping to nod forward and create an attack. The challenge was entirely accidental as the defender only had eyes for the ball, but unfortunately it meant the end of Glen’s participation in the match with hopefully nothing worse than a couple of shiners to impress his mates with at school on Monday.

Replacement Josh Mingo was involved less than two minutes later combining well with Moxey and Deighton to square to the unmarked Catcher stationed centrally, but unfortunately the thought of a fourth goal of the morning went to his head and he screwed the ball horribly wide.

A minute later Ed Doble was introduced at the expense of Catcher, and two minutes later Blues earned a free kick right on the edge of the St. Martins box. Some 20 yards out, up stepped Harry Moxey to launch a fierce drive in through a crowd of players. Somehow the ball evaded everyone and flew low into the far corner to give Blues, just, a deserved 1-0 lead.

Order was maintained for the remainder of the half with neither side able to mount any meaningful pressure on the opposite goal.

Soon enough though it was time for the second half, and soon enough Catcher replaced Mingo as manager Bush rotated the boys to keep them fresh and for much of it the two sides cancelled each other out as the two midfields went hammer and tongs in a hugely enjoyable, and physical, titanic midfield battle. Maybe Blues slightly edged it with the only goalmouth action being a Doble shot pulled wide after good work from Deighton and Catcher had set him up.

But for the remaining ten minutes of the game it stayed as you were with neither able to break down the opposition defence nor break out from that fierce midfield scrap.

But that doesn’t matter as it was Blues who scored the all important goal. This was a stern test for the boys and they passed with flying colours. St Martins have some big powerful boys in their side, but they reckoned against the physical prowess of Blues, who, combining that with no little skill and electric speed, provide opponents with so much to think about.

In goal, surprisingly, Ben had even less to do than in the first game, and this is down to the excellent and resolute defending of both Ewan and Sam in front of him. In turn in front of them Harry Moxey made sure they weren’t over run, and he ensured fellow midfielders George Catcher, Ed Doble and Josh Mingo each saw plenty of the ball. Best wishes go to captain Glen Davison after a nasty looking injury, but hopefully it is no more than nasty looking.

Up front Cameron Deighton was looking more like the menacing Cameron we know and love, with strong running and relentless chasing, giving defenders little to no chance of settling on the ball and making the easy pass. Also, the way he linked with the midfield with little give and go passes was great to watch.

As was the whole game really, so much better and also so much better on the eye too than the Central game. This was a huge improvement all ends up today, with two well deserved wins.

Keep it up lads; next up is a tricky trip to Hemyock to visit them and Culm Utd in a fortnight. Play like you did today and hopefully it will be maximum points under your belts again.

Scorers:- Moxey:
Blues:- Berkhout; Anderson, Smith; Davison, Moxey, Catcher; Deighton

Report by Antony Moxey  

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Countess Wear 0-3 Blues

So Blues first venture away from their St Peters headquarters of the season sees the boys romp home 3-0 in fine fashion on a surprisingly hot and sunny morning at Countess Wear’s 100 Club home.

Buoyed by last week’s impressive 5-0 and 2-1 demolitions of the two West Hill sides, Blues were keen to keep the performance level up against a strong Countess Wear side that had given them such a battle last season. As it was, it was Blues who were quickest out of the blocks with Josh Mingo, Cameron Deighton and captain Glen Davison combining well to set up Harry Moxey for a 20 yard snapshot that drifted wide in the second minute.

Dynamos countered a minute later with a one on one break, but keeper Ben Berkhout was alert to the danger and rushed out to block at the striker’s feet. He was busy again moments later when the ball was smashed through a crowded area and Ben dived low to turn the ball around the post for a corner.

Two minutes later it was back up the other end when Mingo pushed the ball through for Deighton to chase, but the keeper smothered as Cam shaped to shoot. Keeping the lads fresh manager Andy Bush swapped Josh for Edward Doble in the tenth minute, and moments later Blues were attacking again, this time Davison seeing his follow up collected comfortably from Deighton’s long range piledriver.

In the thirteenth minute confusion reigned in the Countess Wear box when first Davison and Deighton combined to set up Doble who blasted wastefully over before Doble turned provider setting up Deighton who did the same.

Unusually for U10s, both managers agreed to play 20 minutes each way instead of the more normal 15, and it was in the 18^th minute that Blues next chance came when Moxey’s 10 yard looping snapshot was narrowly wide following spadework from Harry himself, Davison and Deighton.

The half drew to a close with Blues still on top, Deighton and Davison again combining to set up Doble who couldn’t get enough power on his shot which was hit straight at the keeper.

After a brief interlude it was time for the second half with Deighton taking a breather and Mingo rejoining the fray. He showed great persistence in the fifth minute shrugging off challenges on the right before crossing to Doble whose shot from the edge of the box was saved well. On ten minutes more good work from Mingo saw Davison with a chance, but he was thwarted by a superb double save from the excellent Dynamos keeper.

Two minutes later Mingo was rested to allow the rejuvenated Deighton to return, and three minutes later it proved a timely substitution as Blues took the lead. A long Berkhout punt was met by Davison, and as keeper and defender collided trying to clear, Davison rolled it into the path of Deighton who calmly slotted into the unguarded net to make it 1-0 Blues.

1-0 quickly became 2-0 when yet another Blues attack earned them a corner. Doble whipped the ball into the box from the right where Moxey had timed his run to perfection rising unchallenged at the near post to butt high into the roof of the net from a couple of yards out.

With time running out, and another game to play, Davison was given a breather as Mingo played out the remaining two minutes, and once again it proved to be an inspired Bush substitution as another huge Berkhout clearance was collected by Mingo who casually lofted the ball over the stranded keeper from about 15 yards to make it 3-0. The final act of an absorbing game was to reintroduce Glen and give Moxey a bit of an extra breather before the second game.

But it was a good all round performance by the boys, especially given the duration of the game and the heat of the morning. All were willing runners and all played their parts in restricting Countess Wear to few opportunities yet creating plenty for themselves.

In goal Ben Berkhout had a fairly easy game of it, with the exception of two outstanding saves keeping his team in it when it was still 0-0. In front of him Sam Smith and George Catcher – an audacious big money transfer swoop from league rivals Hemyock during the summer – ensured Ben had mostly regulation stuff to deal with, and both were equally keen to get forward if possible too.

In midfield Harry Moxey, missing from last week’s clash with the two West Hill sides, slotted back in effortlessly to his accustomed central midfield role, and scored a rare header too, paying off work done earlier on the training ground. Credit too must go to Ed Doble for his work on crossing – it really does make a big difference at set plays, especially when Blues have some big lads in the team. The third member of the midfield triumvirate is Glen Davison, the team captain, and he was unlucky to see a couple of efforts blocked after good work up and down the left.

Up front Cameron Deighton and Josh Mingo give defenders two entirely different problems to cope with. Cameron is lightning quick and powerful too, whilst Josh is just a natural finisher who sees goals where others don’t. Both scored today too, which shows how important it is to not let defenders slip into a comfort zone. There’s little time for Blues to slip into a comfort zone either, as it would all amount to nothing if they didn’t get a result against their second opponents of the day; Central.

Scorers:- Deighton; Moxey; Mingo:
Blues;- Ben Berkhout; George Catcher, Sam Smith; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Josh Mingo; Cameron Deighton.

Central 1-1 Blues

So Blues second game of the morning ends in a disappointing 1-1 draw against Central when the boys really should have done better.

The first action of a rather uninspiring second game was the early substitution of Josh Mingo for Cameron Deighton. Soon after Harry Moxey made way for Josh as manager Bush tried to inject some impetus by swapping the boys around, obviously still fatigued by their first game exertions. It took until almost half time until there was any meaningful goalmouth action, and this was at Blues’ end when George Catcher did superbly well to get back and hook off the line after keeper Ben Berkhout had been beaten at his near post.

Very little else happened other than further substitutions of Glen Davison for Harry Moxey and then Ed Doble for Glen.

But it was soon time for the second half, and with Bushy’s words of wisdom still ringing in their ears, the boys got off to a much better start. In the first minute Moxey intercepted a ball on the left and set off on a fine run only to see his cross cut out at the near post, then in the second minute with Deighton’s run blocked the ball fell to Mingo who’s clever curler towards the top corner was palmed away desperately for a corner.

Two minutes later Mingo was rested for Doble, and a minute later he had the perfect opportunity to give Blues the lead. Davison’s superb work down the right led to a whipped in cross to Deighton in the middle. Unselfishly he spotted Doble unmarked to his right and in movement helped the ball along to him. Unfortunately Ed wasn’t quite so composed and with the goal at his mercy slashed at the ball wildly and scooped the ball wide.

He made amends in the closing minutes though, a ferocious 20 yard rocket nearly broke the bar, but fortunately for Blues it cannoned back straight into the path of the lurking Deighton who casually side footed into an empty net to put Blues 1-0 up with two minutes to go.

However, the lead was short lived and in the end Blues got what they deserved when a defensive mix up between Sam Smith and Berkhout allowed a Central attacker to nip in and slot home with ease to make it 1-1. With time running out, and to preserve the point, Catcher made way for Mingo and that was that.

But what a disappointment it was, especially given the quality of the first game. Too many of the boys were off form, and too many of them believe their own press too much thinking they only have to turn up to win. Well it just doesn’t happen like that, so perhaps this was a timely reminder that wins have to be earned and opponents respected.  

In goal, once again, Ben had mainly regulation stuff to deal with. It was pure comedy the equaliser, but it’ll serve notice that you have to remain sharp and focussed for the whole 30 minutes, no matter how little you’ve had to do previously. In defence the normally reliable Sam Smith was equally as culpable as Ben for the equaliser, but other than that he was his usual rock solid self. His defensive partner George Catcher is clearly enjoying his new surroundings, and there’s none more willing to run and chase at the moment, a point highlighted by his quite brilliant clearance when a Central goal seemed a certainty.

In midfield it was a hard slog for Harry, Glen and Ed, and maybe the first game and the heat had taken its toll, but it doesn’t excuse sloppy passing and half hearted tackles.

And then there’s the front two of Josh and Cam, too often guilty of trying to bulldoze their way through a packed defence or shooting when there are clearly team mates better placed. Still, it’s something to work on during training next week, and if you’re going to have a bad game it’s perhaps better to do it when there’s time to put it right rather than too late.

Having said all that, there’s no need to be too harsh. The first game was punishing enough as it was without a second to play in quick succession. It will, however, highlight the boys’ fitness, and is a good pointer towards next season when they step up to half hour per half instead of the current fifteen minutes.

Scorers:- Deighton:
Blues:- Ben Berkhout; George Catcher, Sam Smith; Glen Davison, Harry Moxey, Edward Doble; Josh Mingo.

Report by Antony Moxey  

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