From
the first game of the season right through till May, performances by the team
have been of a very high standard. Everyone has stepped up a level this year;
both in consistency of availability & performance, we’ve coped with
injuries even before the start of the season & all our new players have had
a big impact to the quality & depth of the team.
Thanks – I have to start by paying a big
thanks to both Ali & Jamie for all their help again this year in running
the club. In their roles as secretary & treasurer they do a lot of the work
that goes unseen in running the club & filling out lots of forms, looking
after equipment that is easy to forget but nonetheless vital. With both of them
starting to step down from their roles it will not quite be the same without
their help, so I along with the club owe them a great deal of thanks. It will
be good to have them still involved in some capacity, although I’m sure they
will appreciate me not clogging up their email inbox quite so much.
New
players—The players
that have joined this year have all made a positive & significant impact on
the club. Since his first game in December Gareth has been solid &
consistent, & saved me from a major headache with Steve missing a number of
games due to work & also being needed to play outfield. At the back Ant
had a brilliant start to his time for the club, making left back his own in the
first half the season. Before he disappeared off to Australia, he was on a
great run of goals & motm awards. Rob B has continued to improve as
the season has progressed & provided much needed competition to the back
four. In the centre of the midfield both Ivan & Laurence have
been exceptional. Ivan has been a standout performer in every game, brining a
steely determination to go with his quality on the ball. Laurence has been a
calming influence in the centre of the park with his composure & canny
knack of being in the right place at the right time. Despite only playing 4
games, Matt added a great quality to the midfield & scored what
turned out be a crucial goal against Unity in Mission. Upfront Nick has
come in & scored an important number of goals throughout the season. As
well, his performance has had an ever increasing influence on the team’s
overall success.
League—YCFL
Division 2 Champions. We
finished the season as clear winners, with a record of 12 wins, 3 draws & a
single defeat, scoring 76 goals & conceding only 16 in 16 games.
Throughout the team there have been standout
performances from the seasoned players as well as our new guns. Dave G has been
a rock at the heart of the defence & stepped up to the role of captain in
Jamie’s absence, leading by example. The Donkin brothers have both, time &
again put in match winning performances with their goals & tireless work
out wide. Rob Y has been a creative force in the middle of the park & again
chipped in some vital goals. Alex has yet again led the line with distinction
& walks away with the golden boot for the first time.
Looking back over the season there are a number of games & moments that stand out. The win away to Sowerby Bridge in February was a huge win & would perhaps be noted down as the performance of the season if it wasn’t for the fact that I managed to miss the game. The two games for me that really demonstrate the quality of the team, both in the performance & character, was our win against UiM in March & draw away to Huddersfield in April. Both games saw us having to pick ourselves up from some debateable referring decisions, strong comebacks from the opposition & score two late goals of exceptional quality that in the end earned us the points that clinched the title. Youngy’s cool finish from Yates’ through ball was admired by both teams (& even had its own illustration), but for me Scott’s quality 30 yard volley to get the draw against Huddersfield goes down as my goal of the season.
Cup—In the cup there were some exciting
games, especially in the early group stage, most notably the 11-4 win at home
to UiM; a game that saw Nick, Jonny & Ali all grab hattricks— the most
goals we saw in one game during the season. We made progression again into the
knockout stages of the cup proper, & went one round further than last
season, making it the quarter-finals. Despite getting knocked out to FC
Gateway, we managed to outplay one of the top Premiership teams for large parts
of the game.
It’s
been a real pleasure managing the team again this year. I’ve continued to learn
in my role & look forward to next season & seeing us make our mark on
Division 1.
The
gaffer.
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