MK Wanderers

Thursday 15th May 2008
Southside United Scorpions 4 V 3 MK Wanderers A
Sometimes there’s no justice!!!

After last week’s excellent win over City Colts Stallions, the boys were back in action against the Division leaders and having drawn with them in the first game of the season, the coaching staff were hoping to go one better and secure a win.

Turning up at the ground, the team found a pitch that hadn’t been mown for a long while and the warm-up had to work more on the power of the passing to get the ball to move through the grass than it did on actually getting the players fully ready for the game. From the off, the boys tried to play the ball on the deck and it soon became apparent that this wasn’t going to be much of an issue for the opposition who were primarily looking to get it to their primary weapon of Dan Nti up front with huge long balls over the top of the defence. The Wanderers however enjoyed a good deal of possession early on and with Dan being man marked by Dan Hassell the Scorpions were contained and Wanderers pressed hard for the opening goal. This came on 18 minutes when some great work up the left saw Jake Green play the ball in to the feet of Pius Ofori and he then played Jake through who then finished with aplomb to make it 0 – 1 to Wanderers. The boys continued to press and Pius was unlucky not to get on the score sheet with only a great save denying him, but unfortunately on a rare Scorpions attack, the long ball cleared the defenders and even a great initial save from Sam in goal couldn’t stop the equaliser as the ball was forced across the line and on 26 minutes it was 1 – 1. Now the Scorpions had their tails up and they pumped everything they could forward quickly and on 34 minutes the tactics worked again and the Scorpions scored to make it 2 – 1. The Wanderers picked themselves up from this and carried on with the ball on the deck and playing from the back and on 39 minutes a crisp ball from Joe Hooper was slid through to Pius and his turn and pace took him clear of the defence and he calmly slotted home to make it 2 – 2.

The second half saw the Wanderers enjoying a significant amount of ball and Luke Fisher at right back and Charlie Fisher on the right wing in particular had lots of space. A couple of great balls in to Pius saw him bring a couple of good saves from the opposition keeper and he also saw an effort slip past the right hand post. As the half wore on the Wanderers must have had 75% of the possession and play in the opposition half and more and more, the opposition would simply thump it long when they did win the ball and unfortunately this is a tactic that works for them, when on 30 minutes, Dan won a corner and this was headed home at the near post to make it 3 – 2 to the Scorpions. The Wanderers still continued to press with their brand of football and on 35 minutes another great run by Pius Ofori saw him play a lovely cross-field ball in to acres of space for Charlie Fisher who kept his nerve and slotted it home to the left of the keeper, 3 – 3. The game looked to be heading for a draw but in the dying minutes of the game another long ball saw Scorpions get it out wide and when it was crossed in, heartbreakingly it was turned in to the net and the Scorpions secured the win 4 – 3.

This was another great team performance that deserved more, but the Scorpions didn’t give up and grabbed a win that inches them nearer the league title.

Man of the match went to Luke Fisher for his performance and calmness out wide.

Sunday 4th May 2008
MK Wanderers A 6 V 1 City Colts Stallions

That’s more like it!!!

After last week’s poor performance away at City Colts Stallions, the coaching staff were looking for a significantly improved performance from the players. Being at home meant the boys would be able to play with their customary width and if they could put the performance in, with their slick passing and movement.

The game could not have got off to a better start as within 22 seconds they were a goal up. Some quick interplay saw Pius Ofori through on goal and he calmly slotted home to make the score 1 – 0 within a minute. On 6 minutes the Wanderers doubled their lead when a great through ball from Dan Hassell saw Derrick control on his chest, turn the defender and thump home the ball 2 – 0. Two soon became three when on 15 minutes a sublime pass from Jamie Cox fell to Pius who bent his shot around the keeper 3 – 0. The Wanderers then fell in to the bad habit they have picked up of trying to hit the strikers to early and from to deep and although they kept turning the Stallions defence it was easy for them to make some good cover tackles and deny the chances. Defensively the Wanderers contained the Stallions well and Dale Marlow in defence was having a great game, as was Tom Thornton out wide on the left. Dan and Jason were solid at Centre backs and Sam didn’t really need to make a save, however the Stallions showed how dangerous they can be when on 27 minutes they broke hard out wide right and when the ball wasn’t cleared, it was thumped in to the box and bounced unluckily off a Wanderers player to make the score 3 – 1.

The second half saw the Kestrels playing down the slope and the Stallions really pressing to further reduce the deficit. However the Wanderers defence held firm and from the front they kept their shape and restricted the Stallions to long-range efforts or corners. When they did threaten in the box, Sam in goal was in no mood to be beaten again and he pulled off a couple of excellent saves, one double save in particular being superb. The Wanderers soaked up this pressure and gradually started to impose themselves again and on 21 minutes Pius broke free of the defence and the only way to stop him getting away his shot was a tackle from behind and the referee had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick. With regular penalty taker Jamie Cox off the pitch with an injury, Dan Hassell stepped up to slot the ball home calmly and make the score 4 – 1. Four then became five when Joe Hooper hit a great long range shot right of the keeper and the scoring was wrapped up by Derrick MacDonald who grabbed his second with a calmly taken effort in the box.

This was a great team performance and proved that when they play football, the team is a match for anyone.

Man of the match as chosen by Club Chairman Aitch White, went to Sam Jay for his great display in goal.

Sunday 29th March to 27th April 2008
Scot Youth 6 V 2 MK Wanderers A
A Woeful Second Half!!!

This was the first fixture of three that would see the Wanderers face Scot’s away and at home in the league and at home in the League Cup. The game was played on a blustery Saturday morning due to the MK Dons Johnston Paint Trophy Final at Wembley on the Sunday.

Wanderers started off strongly and had Scot’s on the back foot for the first 15 minutes, playing some nice football on the floor and lots of movement off the ball. However the first goal went to Scot Youth after the referee completely bought an obvious dive from the Scot’s striker (he was even bragging about it the following day at the Finals) and against the run of play Scot’s were 1 – 0 to the good. One quickly became two when a thundering shot found the back off the net and now the Wanderers were really up against it. However a goal from Derrick MacDonald got the Wanderers back in to the game and continued pressure saw Pius Ofori also get on the score sheet to make it 2 – 2 at half time.

The coaching staff were confident that the boys would go on in the second half and secure a good away win, but unfortunately this was not to be. A couple of contentious decisions went against the team and rather than concentrate on the game, the boys began to argue between themselves. Scot’s now started to dominate in the middle of the park, won everything and scored four unanswered goals in the process, giving them a comfortable 6 – 2 win. This was a poor second half performance from the boys and if they do not pick themselves up for the league cup semi finals next weekend, Scot’s will also see themselves in the finals at the Stadium MK.

MK Wanderers A 1 V 2 Scot Youth

Gutted!!!

After last week’s capitulation away to Scot Youth, the boys knew they had to put in a significantly improved display to stand any chance of winning this Cup Semi Final.

Starting with a 4-5-1 formation with Pius dropping to an attacking Centre Midfield role, the Wanderers started off well and quickly got in to their passing football. Both sides worked hard to cancel each other out and the defences in the early part of the game dominated for both teams. When the Wanderers did win the ball, Derrick’s hard work offered outlets to play the ball forwards but to frequently Scot’s were able to put two markers on him and negate his pace. Scot’s got the ball quickly to there two front men with good raking balls but both were well marshalled by Dan Hassell and Jason King, but Scot’s showed on 18 minutes why they are such a dangerous team and with one of the strikers finding space for the first time in the game, he controlled and shot quickly and with that they were 0 – 1 up. Unlike last week, Wanderers did not let their heads drop and they continued to pressure. Pius moved upfront in to a traditional 4 – 4 – 2 formation and this gave Scot’s a lot more to worry about defensively. A great through ball from Joe Hooper in central midfield saw Derrick outpace the defence and all the keeper could do was bring him down in the area and a penalty was duly awarded. Jamie Cox stepped up to thump the ball home and the scores were level. Wanderers could then have had a second when another foul outside the area saw Joe Hooper hit it to the top right corner, but the keeper made a great save to deny him.

The second half could not have started worse for the Wanderers as within a minute Scot’s had restored the lead when a ball was not dealt with and it was thumped home despite the best efforts of Sam in goal and Tom on the line. Try as they might, the Wanderers threw everything at Scot’s but could not get the equalising goal and in the end they went out of the cup, but with their heads help high.

Man of the match went to Tom Thornton for a great display in defence.

Bromham Youth 3 – 7 MK Wanderers A

Back to Winning Ways!!!

After the disappointment of going out in the League Cup Semi Finals the week before, the boys were back in league action away to Bromham.

The game was edgy to start with, with both teams working hard to close each other down on a pitch that is smaller than the ones the Wanderers play on at home. However on 18 minutes a great run by Derrick MacDonald saw him lose his marker and control the ball on the turn and hit a great shot which only the crossbar stopped from going in. However a couple of minutes later a sublime shot by Jamie Cox saw him chipped the keeper and give the team a 0 – 1 lead. On 35 minutes another great ball from Joe Hooper saw Pius through on goal and he slotted home to make the half time score 0 – 2 to the Wanderers.

The second half saw the Wanderers start slowly and on 10 and 11 minutes they conceded two goals to see their comfortable half time lead evaporate. Previous games have seen the Wanderers blow chances to win, but not today. On 14 minutes Pius grabbed his second after a good through ball from Luke Fisher 2 - 3 and on 26 minutes Jason Cohen got his first of the season with a fantastic effort from out side the box 2 – 4. Charlie Fisher then got on the end of a Jamie Cox cross to make it 2 – 5 and Pius soon completed his hatrick with a great jinking run and finish 2 – 6. Wanderers completed the scoring tally with a great-poached goal from Jak Rosser to make it 2 – 7. Bromham did score a late consolation goal after the Wanderers took their foot of the gas but overall it was a fantastic 7 – 3 away win.

Man of the match went to two players with Dan and Joe both picking up the accolade for great individual displays.

MK Wanderers A 2 V 2 Scot Youth

Third Time Lucky???

This was the Wanderers third game against Scot’s in three weeks, this time at home in the league.

Desperate to get a win to consolidate their position in the top half of the table, the Wanderers started off well and played some good passing football. The game was end to end with both teams breaking quickly whenever the ball was won in their half. However it was Scot’s who got the first goal on 11 minutes from a well worked corner and they soon took a two goal lead when on 15 minutes another corner was poorly cleared and the ball was neatly tucked away to make the score 0 – 2 to Scot’s. To their credit, the Wanderers never gave up and Derrick was unlucky to not halve the deficit when his effort drifted narrowly wide after a great run took him clear of the defence. However on 30 minutes nothing could stop Pius from getting his and the teams first of the game with a neat finish 1 – 2. The Wanderers then levelled the score after a great ball from Charlie Fisher, found Pius out wide and his cross was controlled by Derrick who then turned and shot wide to the left of the keeper 2 – 2.

The second half saw both teams pressing for the win, but the Wanderers defended magnificently and restricted Scot’s to long-range efforts only. Jake Green then looked to have been fouled in the area, but he kept his feet and tried to finish and the penalty was not given. In the final 5 minutes, Jak Rosser had a chance to seal the win but his effort shaved the outside of the post and went behind and then a bad line call denied Jak again when he went clear of the defence but was called back for a very dubious offside.

In the end a credible 2 – 2 draw which really hot’s things up at the top of the table.

Man of the match went to Pius Ofori for his fantastic effort up front and exemplary work rate and effort.

City Colts Stallions 2 V 1 MK Wanderers A

The world’s smallest pitch!!!

With both teams at the end of the respective seasons, they were yet to play each other and found themselves with back-to-back fixtures, the first at City Colts ground.

Due to the U16’s being at home as well, the game was played on a pitch that most have been at the low end of the league requirements for pith sizes. The Wanderers found it very difficult to play with any width and both teams closed each other down very quickly. It was the Stallions who got the scoring underway with a good solo effort from their central midfielder on 11 minutes and only a great save by Sam in goal denied the Stallions on 15 minutes. On 21 minutes a good through ball from Joe Hooper saw Pius Ofori through on goal and he slotted the ball past the Stallions keeper to bring the scores level.

The second half saw both teams working hard to close each other down, but to often the Wanderers gave the ball away cheaply and only last ditch defending by Jason King and Dan Hassell in the centre of defence and Tom Thornton and Kwame Adom out wide stopped them, Sam also pulled off a couple of great saves to keep the scores level but on 18 minutes a mix up in defence saw the Stallions nip the ball past Sam and take a 2 – 1 lead, a lead they defended to secure the win. This was a poor performance from the Wanderers, they can complain about the size of the pitch, but in the end, poor ball retention and a lack of vision in passing is what really cost the team, they need to significantly improve to get anything out of the Stallions next week at home.

Man of the match went to Sam Jay for some great saves and good all round performance.

Sunday 9th March 2008
MK&BCYFL - Div 1
Two Mile Ash 1 V 3 MK Wanderers A

The calm before the storm!!!

After a glorious morning there was little indication that the storms forecasted to hit the area would materialise, but as soon as the team arrived at Two Mile Ash’s venue the hail started to fall and the wind picked up to a half decent gale that was blowing straight down the pitch.

Playing in to the wind, the Kestrels couldn’t have got off to a better start when on 2 minutes some great work by Pius Ofori saw him cross the ball in to the box and Derrick was on hand to slot the ball home against his old club and give the Wanderers a 0 – 1 lead. The game then settled down a fraction but the Wanderers still looked to play their football on the ground and negate the blustery conditions. A number of good chances saw both Derrick and Pius test the keeper but whenever he did get the ball in his hands his monstrous kick was thumped down the pitch looking for flick on’s and breaks to the big striker up front. Mostly these kicks went through to Sam in goal but on a couple of occasions the ball stuck and only good defending by Dan Hassell and Jason King denied them. On 25 minutes another good break by the Wanderers saw Joe work his way out wide and hit a good shot which deceived the keeper and found it’s way in to the net 0 – 2. This seemed to be the spur that TMA needed and they picked up the game and only three great saves by Sam saw then denied. With half time looming, it looked like the Wanderers would protect their two goal lead, but on 37 minutes, another long ball from the keeper saw their big striker through on goal and there was little Sam could do and he slotted home to make the score 1 – 2.

The second half saw the Kestrels playing with the wind at their backs and with Joe Hooper dropping to centre back, the Wanderers looked really solid in defence and coped well with the attacking threat of TMA. The wind seemed to be the winner of the second half and to often the ball raced through to the TMA keeper or the final pass overran its intended recipient. However, the team never gave up trying and on 24 minutes some good work by Jake Green saw his cross come shot loop over the keeper and give the Wanderers a well deserved 1 – 3 win.

Next week sees the team without a game due to the U15 Representative fixture. Man of the match went to Jason Cohen for a great display in midfield.

Sunday 2nd March 2008
MK&BCYFL - Div 1
Brackley Town 2 V 3 MK Wanderers A

What A Venue!!!

After the team’s win in the fourth round last week against City Colts Colts, the boys were away to Brackley in the Quarter Finals and upon turning up at their ground, the boys realised they were in for a real treat as Brackley play their home games at St James Park Ground, Brackley and what a venue it is. The pitch was in fantastic condition without a divot in view and the stand down one side was full of MK Wanderers noisy fans (well there were at least a dozen of them anyway).

If you can’t play passing football on this pitch, you can never play it and the players were chomping at the bit to get started. And how they did, from the start the boys were playing great passing football and really using the width of the pitch well. Whenever the ball ended up with the Wanderers defence they recycled it across the back and probed for opening forward and on 7 minutes a great through ball to Pius saw him bring a good save out of the keeper. It didn’t take long for the Wanderers to get the opening goal and after some great work by Charlie Fisher and Joe Hooper out wide, a Joe Hooper cross was met perfectly by Derrick MacDonald and he slipped the ball past the keeper to make it 0 – 1 on 10 minutes. One then became two and after some great pressure from Pius Ofori the ball was played wide to Derrick who then became the provider and his cross was meet by Harry Melhuish who fired it home with his weaker foot to make it 0 – 2. The Wanderers continued to press and only good tackling and discipline by Brackley saw them denied and the half ended 0 – 2 to the Wanderers.

Having been in this position earlier this season with a 0 – 2 half time lead which they let slip to give Brackley a draw, the half time team talk was about discipline and structure but at some point in the first half, the boys must have upset the referee because he made a couple of contentious decisions that conspired to get Brackley back in the game. The first saw a free kick awarded to Brackley when Dan Hassell turned to protect his face and the ball cannoned off his shoulder. From just outside the area, only a great save from Sam Jay in goal denied Brackley but this saw them get really fired up and shortly thereafter a long ball down the right saw Jason King seemly make up the ground and get his foot to the ball and clear before the Brackley forward took a couple more steps and went down and to the amazement of nearly all there, the referee awarded a penalty which was duly converted 1 – 2 and the game was back in the balance. Now the Wanderers started to drop to deep and the lively left midfielder of Brackley took full advantage by ghosting in to the area and converting a cross to bring the scores level. To there credit, Wanderers picked themselves up and started to apply more pressure themselves and good efforts from Pius, Derrick and Harry all tested the keeper but time didn’t look on the Wanderers side as full time ended and the game entered added time. Derrick however, didn’t give up and another great run saw him send in a fantastic back post cross and Joe was on hand to thump the ball home and give the team a well deserved win 2 – 3.

This result means the team will now play Scot Youth in the Semi finals. Man of the match went to Sam for some great saves and all round distribution and team play.

Sunday 24th February 2008
MK&BCYFL Div 1
MK Wanderers A 5 V 0 City colts Colts

A Potential Banana Skin!!!

After the team’s exploits in the County Cup, this week saw the boys back in League Cup action at home to City Colts Colts. Both teams know each other very well due to many previous encounters and the fact that a lot of the boys go to school together and the coaching staff were very aware that if they did not play well, this had the potential to be a big banana skin for the team to slip up on.

The Colts are a good passing team and like to keep the ball on the deck and from the off they showed their intentions with some good passing phases of play. Both teams were cagey in the opening exchanges and it wasn’t until the 11th minute that the first effort at goal came. A foul on the edge of the box saw Captain Jamie Cox step up and narrowly send his effort wide of the top left corner. On 12 minutes, Jamie was again in the thick of it when his cross was met with a deft flick from Harry that just went over the bar. The Wanderers continued to apply pressure and on 15 minutes this was rewarded, a quick kick from Sam Jay in goal found Derrick MacDonald and his run took him left of the defence and he then sent in a great cross. Jak Rosser playing out wide made a cracking run in to the box and meet the cross perfectly to beat the Colts keeper down to his right and give the Wanderers a well deserved 1 – 0 lead. The Wanderers kept applying pressure and were seeing a lot of ball and on 22 minutes a great run by Joe Hooper saw him thump home a great shot to make the score 2 – 0, he then added his second and the teams third on 30 minutes when he rifled home a pile driver of a shot high to the left of the keeper to make the half time score 3 – 0 to the Wanderers.

The second half saw the Wanderers with a slightly different shape, Joe dropped to a holding position, Dan Hassell moved to midfield and the team adopted a three man defensive set-up. This gave the team a really attacking formation and Derrick MacDonald took full advantage of the space out wide to make a great run and cross down the left. Jake Green looked plum to get his first of the game but his headed effort cannoned off the crossbar, however Kwame Adom was on hand to head home the rebound and give the team a 4 – 0 lead. The boys continued to press and they went close on a number of occasions, firstly from Dan Hassell, then Jamie and Joe also saw a couple of efforts fizz past the post as he looked for his hatrick. The scoring was wrapped up by Harry Melhuish whose deft chip of the keeper took the score to 5 – 0 and gave the boys a deserved win.

This result means the team will now play Brackley in the Quarterfinals. Man of the match went to Joe for his brace of goals and all round effort levels.

Sunday 27th January 2008
St Edmunds 0 V 0 MK Wanderers A (0 - 4 AET)

A Cracking Cup Tie!!!

This fixture had been postponed twice due to poor weather, but finally on a calm sunny afternoon following a week of dry days, the game could go ahead. St Edmunds had posted some good results to get through to this fourth round, in their last game the comprehensively beat New City Saints 12 – 1 and both the boys and the coaching staff knew this was going to be a tough game.

From the off, it was obvious that St Eds were well up for this game with some solid tackling and stout defending and the Wanderers were going to have to work hard if they wanted a victory. Wanderers soon got to grips with this and started to put some good passages of play together and move the ball on before the tackles could come in. However it took until the 21st minute for the first real effort of the game, a great cross by Jake Green was flicked on by Harry Melhuish and Charlie Fisher hit a cracking volley only for the keeper to pull off a great save to deny him. On 23 minutes Charlie had another good effort, which went just wide, he again latched on to a cross, this one from Pius Ofori. On 27 minutes it seemed that the Wanderers would score their first when a great through ball from Jason Cohen released Pius but the keeper came out quickly and Pius couldn't force his effort through. The Wanderers continued to press and see a lot of the ball and from a Jake Green corner Harry saw his shot clip the cross bar and fly over. St Eds from their side looked to feed their very pacey front two, but excellent defending by the back four and with Jason King and Dan Hassell having immense games in the centre of defence, the threat was contained and every time the ball did come through to Sam in goal, his quick distribution saw the team on the attack again, but do what they may, the Wanderers just couldn't open the scoring account.

The second half saw the Wanderers come under pressure from the off, but still the defence held firm and denied St Eds any efforts at goal. A couple of early corners were the closest they could come to opening their scoring but solid defending cleared the danger and on 4 minutes the Wanderers had their first effort of the half when Joe Hooper saw his shot well saved by the keeper. The St Eds centre backs were also having good games and only a number of excellent cover tackles denied Pius and Harry from getting through on goal. Joe then had another good effort at goal on 11 minutes from a Pius cross but this one drifted over the bar. The Wanderers continued to see a lot of the ball and pressed well, when the ball was lost Kwame Adom and Tom Thornton defended well out wide and Jason and Dan well still solid in midfield. The game seemed destined to go to extra time but it could have all been wrapped up in the 38th minute when a cross from Charlie Fisher was meet with a thumping header from Harry only for the effort to crash in to the crossbar, even then Pius looked as though he would slot home the rebound, but a solid block saw the effort cleared and the game went in to extra time.

The boys knew they really needed to keep their concentration levels up and keep pressing for the first goal and within 30 seconds it came. A great lobbed ball from Harry found Jake Green out wide and his cross was met perfectly by Charlie who clipped finish beat the keeper 0 – 1 to the Wanderers. One soon became two when Harry latched on to a through ball from Charlie Fisher and he coolly chipped the keeper to make it 0 – 2. The second half of extra time saw the boys really pushing for the win, and they soon scored their third when a poorly cleared corner saw Luke Fisher the first to react and he whipped the ball home 0 – 3. With two minutes to go, a great run from Jamie Cox, saw his ball deftly clipped through to Pius from Jak Rosser and Pius calmly lobbed the keeper to make the final score 0 – 4.

Men of the match went to Jake Green for a great display out wide and Jason King for a great display in the centre of defence.

Sunday 9th December 2007
MK Wanderers 7 V 0 Aylesbury Town Youth

A Tale of two match reports!!!

After last weeks poor showing against Southside Strikers, the team had a chance to redeem itself in the second round of the County Cup. Playing for only the second time in four years at home in this competition, many thanks must go to the parents of the team for all their efforts to get the pitch playable, lots of water moving and sweeping meant the referee was happy for the game to start and fingers were crossed that more rain did come to stop the match. The boys were also very aware that Aylesbury had not lost for over 10 games and were currently top of their division and pushing for promotion to Division 1.

Recently, the boys have got off to sluggish starts, but not today and almost from the kick-off a perfect ball from Luke was taken on the run by Jake who then crossed in to the box for Derrick to head home, 1 – 0 and not even a minute on the clock. From the kick off the ball was won by Jamie who played it through to Jake and his shot bounced just in front of the keeper and with the slippery conditions, it somehow found its way in to the net 2 – 0. Then again almost from the restart a great ball by Charlie found Derrick on the edge of the area and his control and shot were enough to beat both the defenders and the keeper and in under 3 minutes, the Wanderers were 3 – 0 to the good and the start could not have been better. Aylesbury much to their enormous credit did not buckle and slowly got themselves back in to the game and had some periods of good possession. However, the defence of Dan and Jason at centre back kept their striker at bay and Dale and Luke at fullback both defended with composure and confidence and also gave us good attacking options whenever the ball was won. A succession of quick throws and great distribution from Sam meant whenever the ball found its way through to our keeper, the team was immediately on the attack and turning the Aylesbury defence quickly. With the conditions slowly getting more and more boggy and sliding tackles galore coming in from the opposition, the Wanderers were a credit to the club by maintaining their composure and not reacting. As the half wore on, only some great saves by the oppositions keeper kept the score line at 3 – 0 and having played up the slope in the first half, the coaching staff were confident that if we defended as well in the second half as they had in the first, the boys would get the result they deserved.

Hoping that the second half might start the way of the first, the coaching team instead saw an Aylesbury team that were fired up and looking to reduce the deficit, but again the defence looked solid and it became a battle of attrition in the very wet and muddy central areas of the pitch. Jason and Joe both worked hard and with Harry and Derrick up front, they found two willing outlets for the ball. The tackles were really flying in now and it must be said that both sides gave as good as they got, frequently the Aylesbury tackle was just that little bit behind the speed of play and frequently, the Wanderers tackles were crunching in return. The fourth goal if it came was always going to kill the game and when a determined run by Derrick saw him beat the keeper to the ball only for the keeper to take him down as the ball was played looked from the home teams side of the pitch to be a cast iron penalty and after due time to think about it, the referee awarded the spot kick. Derrick, keen to grab his hatrick took responsibility and placed it high and unstoppably into the top left of the goal 4 – 0. This incensed the opposition's supporters and cries of penalty could be heard whenever a decision went to the Wanderers and unfortunately this may have had a hand in increasing the temperature on the pitch and a really unsavoury incident then happened. A coming together of a player from each side resulted in both being yellow carded, but Aylesbury, please before you talk about sendings off for a clashing of heads, ask your player involved what he said to provoke such a reaction!!! The Wanderers continued to press and from a corner, Luke bagged himself a goal when the ball fell to him in the penalty area and soon thereafter, Jak got on the score sheet with a classy finish and the scoring was wrapped up with a debut goal of the season for Tom who was on hand to slot home the seventh after some good work by Pius.

Man of the match went to Jake for his fantastic effort out wide with a mention to Sam for his performance in goal and all-round concentration and distribution. Next week sees the team at home to Wootton.

Sunday 11th November 2007
Two Mile Ash 2 V 4 MK Wanderers A

Teamwork won us the game!!!

After last week's extremely disappointing result and the team meeting in the week, both Jackie and Simon were keen to see how the boys would react.

From he start this was a different Wanderers team, Two Mile Ash still had the threat of their big strong striker, but Dan and Jason worked hard to contain him. The midfield was functioning as a unit and the strikers working hard off of and for each other. However one lapse in concentration was all it needed for TMA to take an early lead. This time however, the boys didn’t look for a culprit but worked twice as hard to get back in the game. Jake was having a great game out on the left and caused their right back all manner of problems, Harry up front was revitalised and working with Derrick they started to fashion a number of chances. Soon Harry brought the scores level when a through ball from Jamie Cox allowed Harry to thump home he shot 1 – 1. Not to be outdone, Pius then went on to add the second after another great through ball from Jamie and the lead was now with the Wanderers. Pius nearly added a second but saw his rasping shot canon back off the crossbar and the Wanderers really had the opposition on the ropes, enjoying most of the possession and creating all the chances.

The second half saw the boys looking to secure the game with a telling third goal, but Tom who was stamped on in his own area, retaliated by pushing the defender in the back and a penalty was given. Sam went the right way, but couldn't keep the shot out and it was 2 – 2, game on. Jamie who was having a much better game this week then restored the lead with a great free kick which he curled over the keeper and into the top right corner 2 – 3. Derrick then put the game beyond doubt when he latched on to another great through ball and calmly slotted home to make the final score 2 – 4 to the Wanderers. With the chances they created, on another day the score could have been greater, but Two Mile Ash were again worthy opposition and pushed the boys all the way.

Man of the match went to both Pius and Kwame for great performances, Pius upfront and Kwame in defence.

Sunday 4th November 2007
MK Wanderers A 4 V 5 Two Mile Ash

Teamwork let us down!!!

The team has been getting some good results without really hitting the form the coaching staff was looking for and it was difficult to understand why. Today's game gave an insight in to the problems.

Games against Two Mile Ash have always been fun for the boys with many of them going to school together and this always adds an edge. Today it was Two Mile Ash who really waned it and from the start they played with gusto and determination. Within 10 minutes they were 2 – 0 to the good and the only real effort the Wanderers had was a great shot by Jamie Cox that thundered off the post. Too often the strikers were in position to play each other in, but two often the pass wasn't seen, so at half time 0 – 2 to the opposition.

The second half couldn’t have started worse and on 4 minutes, it was 0 – 3 and all was lost, or was it? Jak Rosser pretty much single handedly decided to win the game himself and after Pius got a goal back, Jak then went on to score two more and all of a sudden it was 3 – 3, could we snatch an unlikely win? A confusing decision saw Dan physically dumped on the floor, surely a free kick? Not given and the striker through on goal 3 – 4. Dale then got another back and 4 – 4, but with second remaining an own goal gave TMA the win. However, from all of this the mist cleared for the coaching staff – too much squabbling, criticising and blame apportioning was the reason behind an inability to perform to their full potential and after a full and frank team meeting later in the week, it will be interesting to see how the boys perform as a team next week. Full credit must go to Two Mile Ash who played some good strong football and really got in to the Wanderers boys.

Man of the match went to Jak for the second week running for a great team player performance.

Sunday 27th October 2007
Wootton Rangers 1 V 3 MK Wanderers A

A horrid day to be playing football!!!

After the disappointment of losing to Newport in their last game, the team were keen to secure a win against Wootton who have been struggling to date in the league. The coaching staff was keen to see how the team would react to the Newport loss and the boys were all raring to go.

On the walk over to the pitch it soon became apparent that there would be little shelter from a strong buffeting wind that was howling down the pitch and with the slope also going in the same direction as the wind, this definitely had the feel of a game of two halves. Losing the toss, the Wanderers had the elements and the slope with them in the first half and they enjoyed the majority of the ball in the opening exchanges. With Harry back in the side following his long absence with a knee injury and both Pius and Derrick full of goals, the Wanderers strike force was back up to full strength, but to often the ball ran away from the strikers on both the wind and the slope and attacking chances were not taken. Indeed, it was Wootton who opened the scoring when a rare foray in to the Wanderers half saw their striker outpace the defence and Sam's first touch of the ball in goal was to pick it out of the net. This did not upset the team and they continued to press hard, playing some nice attractive football and getting the ball wide at every opportunity. Derrick was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when a strong run saw him bundled off the ball when in front of goal and both Charlie and Pius saw efforts well saved by the Wootton keeper. With halftime approaching, the boys really started to press but even a series of corners did not result in a goal and at half time the team was still a goal down.

Having had the lions share of possession and the majority of chances, the team was confident that the goals would come, but they were also very aware of the oppositions threat from long range and the midfield were given the job of stopping any such efforts. The ball often found its way through to Sam in goal and he constantly got the team on the attack again with quick throws and excellent distribution. Building from the back and playing the ball on the ground, the Wanderers continued to apply pressure to the Wootton defence and within 5 minutes of the restart, the teams were back on level terms. One such quick throw from Sam, saw Dan drive in to space in the middle and a great ball to Pius was controlled well and he fired home low to the left of the keeper to make the score 1 – 1. Jak who started the game on the right of midfield, before he had a breather towards the end of the first half was reintroduced and no sooner had he made his first run in to the Wootton half when Charlie picked him out with a great pass and Jak coolly chipped the keeper from out side the penalty area to give the Wanderers the lead 1 – 2. Having scored the goal of the season so far, Jak then did his own impression of West Ham's Nolberto Solano from the day before and managed to head over from a meter out after great work from Pius down the left flank. The Wanderers continued to control the game and eventually after 33 minutes they put the result beyond doubt when Pius scored his second after some great interplay between Joe and Jak saw Pius stab the ball home off the foot of Harry who was setting himself to finish, 1 – 3 which in the end was the final result.

This was a good win against a determined team played in horrible conditions. Full credit must go to Wootton who never gave up and played with gusto and determination. Man of the match went to Jak Rosser for a great goal and even better personal contribution. Next week sees the team begin their double header against Two Mile Ash, firstly at home in the league and the week after away in the County Cup.

Sunday 14th October 2007
Newport Pagnell Town 2 v 1 MK Wanderers A

They took their chances!!!

After last weeks good win at home to Brackley, the Wanderers had there first away game of the season at Newport Pagnell, a team that have finished first and then second in the league over the last couple of seasons, so everyone knew this would be a tough game.

Newport have an impressive strike force with pace, power and a high degree of skill and with the game being played on a big wide pitch, it was imperative that the Wanderers didn't give the opposition too much time and space. For the first 10 minutes, the Wanderers gave Newport too much respect and the opposition took heart from this and pressed hard and on a couple of early occasions chances went closely by the Wanderers goal, but slowly the boys got in to the game and began to impose themselves well. With this increase in possession, chances began to appear and it wasn't too long before both Pius and Derrick found themselves through on goal, but the shots either went wide or were well saved by the opposition keeper. Dan and Jason at Centre back started to impose themselves on the Newport strikers and chances were limited now for Newport and with Jake and Charlie out wide seeing a lot of ball, Wanderers really started to press for the first goal. Jak who had replaced Derrick up front soon had a great chance to score, but his effort was again well saved by the keeper and with only a couple of minutes remaining it looked like the half would end scoreless, however a great break by the Newport central midfielder saw him cover a lot of ground before he hit the ball through to one of his strikers, who in turn laid it off to the other and from 6 yards out, there was nothing Sam could do to stop shot and Newport went in to the break a goal to the good.

With the words of the coaching staff ringing in their ears, the Wanderers came out in the second half and applied some early pressure and within a couple of minutes of the restart, they were level. A great through ball found Derrick on the edge of the area and looking up, he saw the keeper of his line and calmly chipped the ball over him 1 – 1 and game on. This should have been the point which spurred the team on to go and win the game, but all that followed were a catalogue of missed opportunities. Through the course of the next 20 minutes, chance after chance went begging with either the keeper making some great saves or the Wanderers players simply not hitting the right part of the target. Then from one glorious chance to go a goal up, the ball was played to far ahead and the Newport keeper gather, quickly played it up field and before they new it the cross was in the box. An initial great save from Sam only saw the ball fall to one of the Newport Strikers and he volleyed home to give an unlikely 2 – 1 lead to the home team. Even then, the Wanderers still kept creating chances and not finishing and with more players attacking the back door was left open for the speedy Newport striker to break free of the defence and when through one on one with Sam, the Newport management must have thought 3 – 1, game over, but a fantastic save from Sam denied him and the Wanderers were still in the game. With Dan pushed forward to offer a greater threat and only seconds remaining, he found himself one on one with the keeper, but in keeping with the whole team finishing performance, his effort went inches wide and in the end a really disappointing lose for the team.

This was a game the Wanderers could and should have won, the chances they created were many and poor finishing cost them dear, but to Newport's credit, they may not have had as many chances, but they finished one more than the Wanderers. Man of the match went to Dan Hassell for a good defensive display. Next week sees the teams with a free weekend.

Sunday 7th October 2007
MK Wanderers A 3 V 1 Brackley Town

A top of the table clash!!!

After last weeks emphatic win in the County Cup, the Wanderers were back to league action and back at home to Brackley Town. Both teams have made good starts to their league campaigns and were tied in top place at this early stage of the season. In their last few games, the Wanderers have begun to show their true form and it was imperative that this continues in what was always going to be a hard fought game. With Jackie away doing charity work in Africa, no assigned referee and the normal "parent referee" having become a granddad over the weekend (all our best wishes to Sarah, baby Grace and Grandma and Granddad Cox) panic buttons were being pressed as to who could officiate, but at the last minute Chairman Aitch stepped in, saved the day and did a splendid job.

From the off, Brackley set out their stall with a compact midfield, good defensive structure and a big pacey striker upfront and whenever ball was won, they looked to play it in to their striker and make runs off of him. Over the last few games, Jason and Dan have been forming a formidable partnership at centre back and with Sam in goal and Luke and Tom at fullback, the Wanderers have conceded the lowest amount of goals in the league this season and between them, they made it really difficult for Brackley to break them down. When ball was won, it was worked forwards with great control and patience, if it wasn't on, the ball was recycled and fed in again. The first real effort on goal came from Pius, who by his own high standards has been a bit off the boil recently, but his shot carried real venom and was well saved low down by the keeper for a corner. The Wanderers continued to press and Pius soon had another chance well saved and then Jak came close, his shot was well blocked and his follow up header cleared from the line. The Wanderers weren’t getting it all their own way though and from a couple of free kicks, Brackley came close with back post efforts, but in the end the half finished goalless.

The second half saw the Wanderers come out really fired up and within a minute they took the lead. A great piece of control by Joe then saw him release Pius who out paced the defenders and he coolly slotted home his and the teams first goal. On 15 minutes, another great pass from Joe released Derrick out wide and with some great skills, he turned his defender outside then in and hit a cracking shot past the keeper to make it 2 – 0. Derrick could have added his second, when he outpaced the defence, but his shot cannoned off of the angle of the cross bar and post and went behind. Brackley still continued to press hard and only a couple of great saves by Sam in goal kept them scoreless and whenever Sam did get the ball in his hands, some quick distribution meant the Wanderers could quickly attack again. With Brackley looking to press and score, the game became a lot more open and from one such quick throw from Sam, Luke played a great ball in to Charlie, who turned and played out wide to Joe, who in turn played a pinpoint accurate pass to Pius and through on goal, he didn’t miss getting his second and the teams third. Just as the coaching staff were urging on the defence to ensure Sam kept the clean sheet he fully deserved, a ball in to the Wanderers area resulted in a three-man challenge on their striker and a penalty being awarded. Even a fantastic initial save by Sam couldn't keep Brackley off of the score sheet, as they were first to the ball and their was nothing Sam could do to stop the rebound. In the end a well deserved 3 – 1 win, but all credit to Brackley, they pushed the Wanderers really hard.

Man of the match went to Jason King for an outstanding display at centre back with accolades to Sam, Dan and Jason Cohen as well who all had great games. Next week sees the team's first away game to Newport Pagnell Town, last seasons Division 1 runners up.

Bedgrove Athletic 0 V 16 MK Wanderers A
To their credit, they never gave up!!!

This was the Wanderers first trip away this season and they had been drawn in the County Cup to play Bedgrove Athletic from Aylesbury. The preliminary round can often throw up a mis-matched fixture and with Bedgrove plying their trade in their leagues lower division, the coaching staff were keen to ensure that they boys did not go in to this game with a lax attitude. It was stressed to all the players that this was a great opportunity to work on some patterns of play and for the team as a whole to put in a solid, controlled performance.

From the off, Bedgrove let the Wanderers know that they weren’t simply going to roll over and some solid defending and good structure meant the Wanderers had to play controlled football. The opposition's defensive line worked well in the first few phases and they caught both Pius and Derrick offside on a number of occasions. Playing the ball quickly forward from these free kicks, the defensive trio of Dan, Jason and Luke needed to be aware of the threat and they did a great job in containing this threat and then playing out with control. After 10 minutes, the Wanderers finally broke down the Bedgrove defensive shape and a great through run from Derrick saw him calmly slot the ball past the keeper, 0 – 1. One then became two with Derrick again out pacing the defence to get his and the teams second. Joe then got in on the act and his good finish saw the boys get their third goal and a fourth followed from a great Charlie Fisher corner which almost went directly in, but an unlucky defender got the final touch. Charlie however did soon get his goal and a great shot bent around the keeper made it five. Pius then got in on the scoring act and he got the six and final goal of the half.

The second half saw the Wanderers with a slightly different shape, Tom replaced Sam in goal, Jason took a breather from centre back and Kwame and Charlie made way. Within a few minutes, the seventh goal was scored, with Pius adding his second and then Derrick completed his hatrick and also added a fourth for goals 8 and 9. This saw Derrick drop to right back, but Pius not to be outdone got his hatrick and then a fourth before he moved to centre back. Joe soon added his second and Dan Hassell got in on the act with a fine shot for his first of the season. Luke who had moved to a strikers position soon got a goal to make it 14 – 0 and then a great headed goal by Jason King from a Tom Thornton cross made it 15 – 0. Jamie Cox wrapped up the scoring with a thunderbolt of a shot which gave the unlucky Bedgrove keeper no chance and in the end, a comfortable 16 – 0 win. To their immense credit, the Bedgrove team never gave up, never moaned or argued and kept trying all afternoon, well-done lads, you’re a credit to your club!

Man of the match went to Jake Green for a great display and he is nearly back to his best form. Next week sees the team at home to Brackley in an early top of the table clash.

Sunday 23rd September 2007
MK Wanderers A 1 V 0 Southside United Strikers

A Good Start to the Season so Far!!!

This was the Wanderers third home game of the season and they were again playing a team they have never beaten is previous matches. Southside Strikers finished fourth last season and gave the Wanderers a couple of good thumpings, so the coaching staff were looking for a better result this time round. Again a benign Saturday was replaced by a windy Sunday, but a small amount of rain had softened the pitch slightly and the sky was clear.

Playing down the slope, and in to the wind, the Wanderers started to show glimpses of the type of play the coaches know they are capable of. They were comfortable on the ball and started to play it around and make it difficult for the Strikers to get time on the ball. The Strikers did not however look like a team that had conceded 10 goals in their first two games and they made it hard for the Wanderers to create some real scoring opportunities and with their pacey and shall we say, feisty striker up front, they also looked dangerous on the attack. One such attack up their left flank saw a great cross sent in and the resulting shot clipped the top of the Wanderers cross bar, this was a warning to the team to keep their shape. To their credit, the Wanderers defence did not let this unsettle them and both Dan and Jason in the middle mopped up a lot of ball and played some great passes in to the midfield. Jamie Cox took one such ball and played a great ball in to Derrick MacDonald who then saw his effort well saved by the keeper. However on 18 minutes there was nothing the Strikers keeper could do to deny Derrick and he coolly slotted home to make the score 1 – 0 to the Wanderers. Pius who had also upped his performance, then went agonizingly close on 22 minutes and the Wanderers were putting real pressure on the Strikers. However, they held out and they went in at half time 0 – 1 down.

The second half saw the Wanderers with the wind at their backs and they were hungry to go out and get more goals. Jake playing his first game of the season, was seeing more and more of the ball and having a good game out on the left and Charlie Fisher who has been consistently good this season was also doing well on the right. The Wanderers really started to apply pressure now and a great through ball from Jason Cohen saw Derrick sprint clear of the defence but his shot went wide of the goal when he looked certain to score. Pius then had a chance to kill the game off, but a great save by the keeper denied him as well. At the other end, Sam in goal had little to do, other than ignore the abuse from the Strikers forward and with solid work from the back four, the Strikers were contained to a few corners and long-range efforts. With only a few minutes left and speculative ball into the Wanderers half saw Sam bravely save in front of the onrushing striker who couldn't avoid crashing in to Sam afterwards, but enough was done to put the striker off and the ball was away safely. With only the one goal lead, it was a nervous end for the coaching staff and it looked like this pressure would be relieved when Pius was again through on goal after some great footwork, but his shot just drifted past the right hand post, but in the end the miss did not matter as the Wanderers defended manfully and secured another great home win. In truth the score could have and should have been more, but to grind out a win like this showed great spirit and commitment from the whole team.

Man of the match went to Derrick MacDonald for his great finish and match-winning goal, next week sees the team away to Bedgrove Athletic in the first round of the county cup.

Sunday 16th September 2007
MK Wanderers A 3 V 2 Bromham Youth

It can be a cruel game!!!

After last weeks disappointing performance, the coaching staff was looking for a better performance against a Bromham side which had got their first win against last seasons runners up, Newport Pagnell. The previous day, 5 players had taken part in Luton Town FC trials on a beautiful sunny day without a breath of wind, come the Sunday the sky was clear but a howling wind was blowing down the pitch.

Playing down the slope, and in to the wind, the Wanderers got off to a bright start. With an attacking formation, Bromham were put under pressure, but with less than 10 minutes gone, a nasty injury to Harry saw the ambulance service called and a 45 minute delay to the game. All at Wanderers would like to say a massive thank-you to Bromham who were very patient and understanding during this incident and very sporting in their send off of Harry. Fortunately, hospital test showed no long-term damage and he will be back playing soon. Once the game resumed, it seemed the break had had an adverse effect on the boys, as the passing game dried up and to many players seemed to take too many touches before releasing the ball and the Wanderers play became scrappy and ineffective. Bromham, who were now winning lots of ball in the middle, released the striker quickly and from one break, a complete breakdown in structure at the back, saw Tom completely out of position and he managed to slice a Bromham cross straight in to his own goal, 0 – 1 to the opposition. Jak who was one of the few shining lights in the team was making some great runs out wide on the right and from a Pius through ball, Jak saw his effort well saved, but the keeper could do nothing when it fell to Derrick and he coolly converted to bring the Wanderers back level 1 – 1. For the rest of the half, the score stayed the same, with both teams doing enough to cancel each other out.

The second half saw the Wanderers with the wind at their backs and a strong half time talk saw the boys come out in a much more determined mood, but within a minute the team talk had gone out of the window, as Bromham broke from the kick off, poor defending and an uncharacteristic slip by Sam in goal saw the opposition retake the lead and it was back to square one. The Wanderers started to see more and more of the ball and there was very few attacks in to the Wanderers half, but they could not break down the determined Bromham defence. Pius did make one great break, but what must have been an exceptionally tight call, saw the opposition's assistant referees flag go up and the goal was disallowed. The Wanderers continued to see most of the possession and eventually this told, with Derrick making a great run on to a Pius pass and he slotted home his and the team second to bring the scores level again. Bromham continued to defend manfully and wave after wave of pressure broke on the opposition's defensive line. A great save by the keeper saw Derrick denied his hatrick and Jak Rosser who broke clear in the penalty area saw his shot smothered by the keeper also. With the clock ticking away and less than a minute of regulation time remaining, Charlie gathered the ball just inside the oppositions half. With a quick look he either tried to lob the ball in to the danger area, or he tried a shot of Beckham-esk proportions (he claims the second, but it was probably the first!!!) but the result was a ball that went high to the keeper and he could only get his palms to the ball and push it back in to his own net and the Wanderers scored a goal which gave them the win. This was hard on the opposition, as a draw looked likely, as is said above, "it can be a cruel game".

Man of the match went to Luke Fisher for an all-round controlled game, next week sees the team at home again to Southside Strikers.

Sunday 9th September 2007
MK Wanderers A 2 V 2 Southside United Scorpions

It isn't over, until it's over!!!

After some good performances in pre-season friendlies, the U15A's were looking forwards to finally getting their league campaign underway. They were up against a strong Southside team that is all previous seasons at both 7 and 11 a-side they had never beaten, but with some new faces in the side, they boys went in to the game quietly confident.

Playing down the slope, the opening exchanges set the tone for the game with the Southside team making their physical presence felt, but with the Wanderers dominating possession. Both sides worked hard to cancel each other out and whenever the Wanderers tried to play the ball behind the defence, Southside worked hard to clear the danger. For all their possession, Wanderers could not find a breakthrough and indeed it was Southside who took the lead, when a clever move down the left flank resulted in a great cross to the back post. The big Southside striker headed down low and only a great save from Sam denied him, but unfortunately the ball fell back in to the path of the striker and he didn't waste his second opportunity. The Wanderers continued to press, but went in at half time a goal down.

A change in formation saw Pius and Harry upfront with both Joe and Charlie out wide, and Jason C and Jamie in the middle. The Wanderers started to find a much more fluent passing game and applied continuous pressure to the opposition penalty area. Eventually this pressure told and Pius Ofori got his first league goal of the season with a left footed finish into the bottom left of the goal. It was now all Wanderers pressure and shortly came the first of a couple of contentious decisions, a strong run by Harry saw the ball crossed in and it was clearly handled by the defender, but this was waved away by the referee, even thought and very much to his credit, the away assistant referee was frantically flagging for the penalty. However shortly thereafter Pius won the team a penalty when he made a great run to take him clean through the defence, only for him to be chopped down in the penalty area. Taking the kick himself, Pius then tried to fool the keeper with his run, but the keeper kept his head to coolly save the spot kick. The Wanderers were then given a couple of warnings of how dangerous the Scorpions can be on the attack and only one great save from Sam denied their speedy striker and shortly afterwards he was in again and only another brave save saw Sam flattened in the area and the ball rebounded goal wards. The challenge was perfectly legal from the striker and just when it looked like the ball would cross the line, Dan Hassell came from nowhere to clear the ball off the line. Soon however the pressure being applied by the Wanderers told, however only after another highly controversial decision. A great ball from Jason C saw Derrick sprint clear of two defenders and coolly chip the keeper to give the team the lead, but the assistant had his flag raised in the air and was signalling an offside decision, which was then ruled out by the referee who insisted he came from an onside position, 2 – 1 to the Wanderers. With only a couple of minutes left, it looked like the win was in the bag, but a loss of shape from the Wanderers and a massive kick from the Southside keeper saw the opposition striker beat two defenders to the ball and this time there was nothing Sam to do to stop him scoring and after all their hard work, the Wanderers had to be contented with a draw.

This wasn't vintage football from the Wanderers and they could have and probably should have taken all the points, but they did take a point off of a team they failed to ever get a point from before and they battled well in the second half. Man of the match went to Charlie Fisher for his great passing and effort. Next week sees the team in league action, at home to Bromham.

MK Wanderers Kestrels 8 V 0 MK Wanderers Hawks

A good run out for both teams.

With both the Hawks and the Kestrels having tough games coming up and both with a free weekend, the opportunity was taken to give the boys a run out and try some new combinations and formations.

Playing up the slope in the first half, the Kestrels started well and began to play some flowing football. The Hawks have an abundance of speed on both flanks and through the middle with their pacey striker and both Tom and Scott on the flanks needed to be aware of their opposing players and Jake and Reece playing wide for the Kestrels knew they needed to back up the fullbacks when they were not in possession. Dan and Jason in the middle of defence are building a very good understanding and as a unit the defence worked really well. For 15 minutes both teams worked hard to cancel each other out, but upfront Pius and Harry were becoming more and more of a nuisance for the Hawks defence and when Pius hit a great shot at goal, Jack the Hawks keeper could only parry the shot and Jake was on hand to chip the covering defender and make the score 1 – 0. Almost from the restart, Pius worked himself some more space for a shot and Jak who had come on to replace Harry was on hand to divert it past the keeper 2 – 0. Two soon became three when Pius again was the instigator

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