Chorleywood play in the Red Division of the West Herts league and had been on a fine run up to this match, winning their lat 7 matches (including Park Street). Looking for a challenge, their coach telephoned and the friendly was arranged. To be fair, it was an easier match then the boys have been used to and it was great to see our boys play with such confidence (and no pressure). J.Boorn had picked up an injury but after a year at Barnet FC, M.Dones returned to play, so we had 10 available. CWFC started slowly and by 10 minutes we were 3-0 up. L.Bugler kept chasing down the defender and it paid off as his perserverence saw the ball at his feet which he walloped into the top corner. This fine goal was then outdone by what has to be the goal of the season by J. Hatswell. The ball was cleared out to him about 25 yards from goal and he unleashed an absolutely beautiful right foot half volley straight into the top corner. A minute later, he was at it again as his weaving run on the right and clever cross allowed A.Catlin to slot home. CWFC picked up a bit and A.White was called into action a few times with some soild goalkeeping either side of the break. He handled securely and rolled the ball out with confidence and the CWFC coach singled him out for praise at the end of the match. After quite a few squandered chances, L.Bugler added the fourth again through good old fashioned centre forward play bundling home J.Ryan’s cross. H.Kendall and D.Heller got themselves in some good positions and on another day both could have scored hat-tricks. This was in many ways down to some great crossing from M.Dones ans J.Ryan. At the other end. C.McHale, M.Habashi and A.Catlin all defended really well and it took a fine shot which allowed CWFC to pull a goal back. With a few minutes left, C.McHale (who hasn’t scored all season) was pushed up front and within minutes had latched to a fine through ball from M.Habashi to make it 5-1. lovely way to end the season and next up a few tournaments.

After losing the previous two league matches, the lads had missed out on the chance of a last gasp title decider with champions Whetstone. Having beat Whetstone 3-1 earlier in the season, the best the boys could hope for was to complete a great double and finish two points behind the leaders. With second place already guaranteed, it really was only pride at stake. Albert and Dylan were both missing so the theory was that other 8 boys would all play. Unfortunately, the M1 closure meant some faced a nightmare journey but thankfully we managed to delay the start for 30 minutes and eventually start with 7 players, J.Ryan finally made it at half time. The first 15 minutes were even in an end to end encounter but it was Whetstone who got the breakthrough before half time. It has to be said, the boys were looking tired at half-time and after a long season struggled a bit in the first 10 minutes of the second half. As a result, we went 3-0 down and for a minute it looked like we were facing a big defeat. But, fair play to the lads they fought back and nearly snatched a consolation goal. So it finished 3-0 and Whetstone rightly celebrated but it is worth reflecting that in finishing second, the boys beat every team in our division at least once and of the 4 league defeats, this was the only one where the difference was more than one goal. Well done lads, a great season

The success of are whole season always looked set to be determined on the last game away to leaders Whetstone. However, an unfortunate 1-0 defeat away to Macabi meant Hadley was a must win game to give us a chance of winning the title at Whetstone. The boys trained really well on Saturday which finished with a really impressive 3-3 draw against the Under 11 Clarets. So, confidence was running high going into the match and in the warm up. Despite this, the boys started slowly and soon found themselves 1-0 down to an outstanding strike from way out. After 10 minutes, however, the boys settled and a close game was in progress. We still trailed at half time but all felt we could still do turn things around. Again we switched off for a few minutes at the start of the second half and nearly conceded a second. In the heat, some of the boys were beginning to struggle but as the game continued all 9 showed they wanted it and were putting in the effort. J.Boorn was simply outstanding in midfield and didn’t stop, neither did A.Catlin or L.Bugler. A.White continued his fine run of recent form handling really well when tested and C.McHale and M.Habashi were really strong at the back (as usual). J.Ryan and H.Kendall were both struggling a bit in the heat but still did some fine work and played their part but it was D.Heller who shone, particularly out left in the last 10 minutes and this earned him MOTM. So the game drew to it’s final 5 minutes with us now gaining the upper hand and literally peppering the Hadley goal. The breakthrough finally came 3 minutes from time when D.Heller headed home a fine looping cross from H to make it 1-1. The boys (and the watching parents) through everything at gaining the winner and it was looking more and more likely. Then came a harsh but probably useful lesson in the cruelties of sport when a goalmouth scramble saw L.Bugler launch himself at the ball, eventually after great persistence from D.Heller the ball fell loose and on the turn D.Heller struck the ball goal bound. Hearts were in mouths, screams put on hold but luck was against us as the ball hit the inside of the post and was cleared. With the boys still in shock at this cruel blow, Hadley broke away and scored the winner. That’s football I’m afraid but a rousing round of applause helped lift the doom and gloom and after a few minutes smiles were back on faces. Barring a 10 goal swing in favour of Macabi (their away to Everett), the boys will still finish second which is a tremendous achievement. That said, a chance for a double over Whetstone and a bit of revenge for losing the title presents itself this Sunday. Well done lads.

What can we say about this game apart from hard luck boys and does anyone know a decent referee? Knowing that Macabi play with two fast wingers, we reverted to our 2-3-1 formation and looked to play with width on the astro-turf surface. In the first half, the game was close and both sides had a limited amount of shots on goal. It was tough for L.Bugler and D.Heller up front on their own as Macabi had had two defenders back (one a sweeper) at all times. On the other hand, when we broke we had numbers as their midfield wasn’t always that quick in tracking back. Harry down the right and Dylan/Jack on the left all had some good attacks and J.Boorn was everywhere. C.McHale, A.Catlin and M.Habashi had the big Macabi forward in their pockets but to be fair Macabi did break quickly on occasion and caused a few problems.. So 0-0 at half time and a close first 10 minutes of the second half saw Macabi offered a ridiculous penalty which they converted. Less said about it the better. After the goal, we totally dominated and had a number of excellent corners from Josh, one of which was so nearly converted by a great A.Catlin header. J.Ryan came on to add a natural left footer on the left and as the game developed he looked more and more dangerous. H was also making fine runs on the right and hard work from L.Bugler who had to almost fight the defenders and J.Boorn down the middle meant we were getting closer. A.White launched a few rocket goal-kicks as the tension grew but the defining moment came in the last minute when a fine pass from H set p J.Ryan but he couldn’t quite convert and shortly after the ref blew. Anyone who watched the game would have to admit we deserved at least a draw but that’s football. MOTM went to H, although all the boys played well. The title is still in our hans, we just have to win our last two games!

Judging by Everett’s performances in the Cup, this local derby was always going to be a tough game. So it proved, as a much improved Everett scored the opener within 30 seconds. It is fair to say that the fast flowing Everett attack were proving a real handful for the boys and only for some fine defending by J..Boorn and M.Habashi coupled by some solid goalkeeping by A.White meant Everett were limited to one goal in the first half. At the other end, we woke up and the “controversial” 2-2-2 system at least meant we could attack the Everett back 3 in numbers. As it was, we failed to convert. The second half was a more even affair and it wasn’t long before L. Bugler, who worked tirelessly throughout, scored a fine equaliser following a lovely pass from D.Heller. C.McHale had by now added some composure at the back and the smaller midfield meant A.Catlin, J.Hatswell, H.Kendall and J..Ryan had to work very hard to keep control of the ball. The endless running by the forwards meant there was some width and for a period we threatened to over-run Everett. This period ended in a clear penalty but unfortunately, like A.Catlin last week, L.Bugler was unable to convert. The balance then shifted back in favour of Everett and after a few minutes pressure, the excellent number 15 slotted home from the edge of the box. Having three subs meant there were a lot of changes made but we regrouped and had a couple of good chances before the man of the match L.Bugler played a fine ball through to D.Heller who calmly slotted home the equaliser in the third minute of injury time. This result means that if we win our last three games, we’ll win the league. A brilliant season by the boys so far so lets encourage them for one final push. Well done boys

With J.Ryan taking a rest week, a squad of 9 Tigers were available to take on Hadley Wood in this Red Division top of the table clash. Following last weeks success, we stuck to our 2-2-2 formation but emphasized that the forwards had to add the width and help out in Midfield. In a really tight first half our defensive partnerships of J.Boorn and M.Habashi and later C.McHale and J.Boorn/M.Habashi were in fine form as they dealt with the speedy Hadley attackers and Midfielders. A.White was looking commanding in goal but didn’t have to make too many saves. The game was all action and although we didn’t have that many first half chances, we were well in it. With A.Catlin, J.Hatswell and H.Kendall working tirelessly in midfield, and the front two of L.Bugler and D.Heller making great runs and working hard on hold up play, it was only a matter of time before we broke through. That we did in stylr when L.Bugler controlled the ball inside the box and surrounded by two defenders hit the ball quickly on the bounce and his fine shot went over the keeper and into the top corner. Despite a number of long throws/corners from J.Boorn, we didn’t create many more openings in the half and led 1-0 at half-time. In the second half, A.White played his best half of the season with a number of strong punches on crosses and a brilliant top corner save which he tipped away with a calm authority. Despite being under pressure, a finr through ball from H.Kendall saw L.Bugler round the keeper only to be yanked back for a penalty. A.Catlin stood up to take it but unfortunately the keeper saved and parried away the rebound. A long range Hadley shot brushed the bar in the last minute but the boys held on for a fine victory. The coaches were in 100% agreement that MOTM was A.White!

After last weeks disappointment, a friendly was arranged against Red Division rivals, Harvesters North. Andy and mark told the boys to relax and go out and enjoy playing a friendly without any result pressures. We reverted to a more attacking 2-2-2, with C.McHale partnering J.Boorn at the back, A.Catlin and H.Kendall working hard in the middle and J.Ryan and L.Bugler providing the attacking options. The boys started brightly and soon went into a 1-0 lead after birthday boy L.Bugler found the net from a very tight angle. J.Hatswell was introduced for “H” and quickly scored two goals, the second following a fine run past several Harvesters defenders. Despite going in 3-0 at half time, Harvesters had threatened and A.White had to be on his toes in a busy 5 minute period. The second half, however, was something of a walkover after H.Kendall added the fourth from close range. H then got his second and celebrated his hat-trick towards the end by again scoring from close range with a real strikers pedigree. In between that the other birthday boy M.Habashi scored the 6th from long range and teed up A.Catlin for a fine header for number 7. Great to see the boys playing with so much freedom and a fine performance to take into next weeks league match.

Not much to write about this game as we lost to a sickening last minute goal. We dominated possession wise and played all the football but didn’t create enough chances and got punished for it.

After winning the home fixture 5-0 only two weeks ago, the Tigers went into this match with some confidence but with both H,Kendall and J.Boorn mssing. This meant A.Catlin assumed the Central Midfield role and J.Hatswell and D.Heller covering for “H”down the right. The boys took an early lead through a well taken finish by L.Bugler from close range. There then followed a number of threatening Bushey attacks but with A.White in inspired form, we kept them out. In fact, defensively M.Habashi and C.McHale worked really hard and it was C.McHale who outshone all to win man of the match with some strong tackling, great dribbling and visionary passing. As half time neared, D.Heller lobbed one in from the right flank and sat looking puzzled and a bit confused before realising he had put us 2-0 up. So, at half time, it is fair to say that the boys felt a bit fortunate to be two up but that feeling was to change dramatically as the boys took complete control after the break. By now, the pitch really was a mud bath and the boys ere constantly trying to shake big heavy chunks of mud from their boots in an attempt to keep running. With that in mind, it was a real credit to the boys that they played some excellent stuff. None more so then the third goal. C.McHale spraying the ball out to the excellent J.Ryan who whipped his cross to A.Catlin who slotted home calmly from the edge of the box. J.Hatswell got the 4th with a calmly taken finish from a rebound and D.Heller got his second from close range as the very good Bushey keeper lost the ball. L.Bugler finished the rout with a nice left foot shot under the keeper. A great performance in tough conditions, well done lads.

Another tough league game this week away at Harvesters, a side we had beaten well at the start of the season. In wet and windy conditions the boys were always looking to pass the ball, with many of our first half attacks started by good, sensible distribution from our keeper, A. White. Our first real chance followed a sweeping move which found H.Kendall on the right, a lovely cross was met by J.Hatswell at the far post, who unfortunately found the woodwork with his effort. Meanwhile at the back the defence stood firm denying Harvesters any chances of note. The second half started much brighter, with A. Catlin moving into the centre of midfield. His running with the ball and ppassing brought J.Ryan and J Hatswell into the game more in wide positions and we started to stretch our opponents and looked only a matter of time before we'd score. A. Catlin got the goal following up his own shot which the keeper only managed to parry. Several more chances followed with H.Kendall, J Boorn and D. Heller going close, M.Habashi seeing his Beckham like free kick well saved by their keeper. Whilst in total control, only being 1-0 up meant a edgy last 5 mins or so. Not for the first time this season C. McHale has a great game at the back and helped us to a clean sheet, meaning we've only conceded 7 goals in the league. A.Catlin was awarded the MoM for another fine all round display and that vital goal.

After a rocky start to the New Year, the Tigers got back to winning ways on Sunday with a convincing 5-0 victory over Bushey. The game was fairly one-sided although a big Bushey side did look quite dangerous On the break and A. White did have to pull off a couple of very good saves. This was the exception rather than the norm as most Bushey attacks were quashed by the excellent A.Catlin and M.Habashi at the back and also by some fine midfield tracking by J.Boorn. The breakthrough came midway through the First Half when H.Kendall, who was in fine form on the right, lobbed the keeper from outside the box to the delight of his watching grandparents. Not to be outdone, J.Boorn got in on the act with an absolute scorcher from wide out on the left which seared into the top corner. The third came when the lively J.Hatswell dribbled in from the left and slotted home number three. It was good to see J.Hatswell back to some fine form, particularly in the second half. The fourth was added by J.Ryan just before half-time as he scored an opportunist stab from a dangerous cross. L..Bugler worked tirelessly up front and caused the Bushey defense a lot of problems with his hold up play. He was unlucky to see his second half penalty saved but thankfully J.Ryan was on hand to slot home the replay. A really good performance and it was J.Ryan who was awarded man of the match for his tireless effort and incisive passing from the left of midfield.

Alamo, kitchen sink, barn door, wing and a prayer, smash and grab etc could all apply to this unbelievable 1-0 defeat. The truth, however, is that a combination of luck, poor finishing and brilliant goalkeeping meant we lost to a reasonable Edmonton team who took their chance when it came. With only 2 goals scored in four games, it’s obvious where our current issue lies but anyone who watched the game would have to agree that by and large the boys played well and on any other day would have come away with a comfortable victory. So, we suffered our first League defeat of the season but the boys are more than capable of bouncing straight back starting with our home fixture against Bushey this Sunday.

"The third round of the Challenge Cup took us to Whetstone, to play a Panthers side 2 divisions below us. However as they had an unbeaten league record, we knew we'd be in for another tough cup tie and so it proved. Whetstone started quicker and sharper and not for the first time this season we relied upon some well timed tackles from C.McHale, A Catlin and J Boorn to break up their attacks. Following some pressure of our own we earned several corners. A Whetsone clearance from one of these fell to A. Catlin on the edge of the box who hit a rocket into the roof of the net, a goal of the season contender!! The first half remained fairly even with few chances to either side. Whetstone started the second half brightly once again and deservedly drew level. This saw our boys finally up their game and play some of the passing football that we've all enjoyed watching this season. L Bugler saw a few chances well saved, whilst J.Boorn, H.Kendall and J. Hatswell tried their luck from outside the box. We just couldn't get that goal and went into extra time. D.Heller got what proved to be the winner in the first period with some lovely skill and a cool finish and the boys held on to win yet another close game.. A. Catlin was awarded MoM for another faultless defensive display and a fantastic goal. "

Lets keep this report brief as none of us want to relive the pain of going out of the County Cup, a competition we felt we had a real chance of winning. Having not lost for nearly a year, the lads have lost two close encounters in as many weeks but this time there were no excuses as on the day Crusaders played the better football and we had a rare off-day. It wasn’t all bad though and J.Boorn deservedly won the Man of the Match for his all round battling Midfield display and excellent distribution. We went 1-0 down shortly before half-time and despite having a reasonable amount of possession we never really threatened to score. That said, all the boys rallied in the last 10 minutes when we bounced back to our normal selves and looked far more dangerous. So, some lessons to be learnt for the boys and lets hope we can bounce back with a win this week. Hats off the well organized Crusaders and we wish them well in the quarter finals

After disposing of Red Division rivals Hadley Wood in Round 1, the draw wasn’t kind to us pitching us against fellow title challengers London Macacbi in Round 2. Worse still, the match was to be played on astro-turf which has not been our favoured surface so far (memories of last years defeat to Harvesters came flooding back). Despite this, and the lengthy lay-off since our last match, the boys played really well. All 10 were available and all 10 were given the chance to blow off a few cob-webs and despite a nervy first few minutes, the first half was a close fought encounter with neither team having any clear cut chances. In the second half, particularly the last 10 minutes, we took control and came really close to scoring on a number of occasions. The Macabi goalie was in fine form and we couldn’t quite take advantage of our dominance. So, it was extra time and we were now grateful we had all 10 boys with us. It was now that Macabi began to take control and A.White pulled off a fine save to keep us in the match. Shortly after, however, Macabi took the lead with a close finish after a neat build up move. The boys kept going and nearly got the breakthrough before half time but were denied by some good defensive work. In the second period, we didn’t really create any clear cut chances and it was no surprise when Macabi grabbed a second breakaway goal.. Despite the rather annoying issue of the Macabi Coach insisting on standing about 10 feet inside the pitch throughout the match, the Macabi referee was excellent and no hard feelings. We suffered our first defeat of he season to a what we no our a very good side and the boys can’t be faulted for their performance. Roll on the League, County Cup and Challenge Cup! Man of the Match was C. McHale who did really well against Jacob, the big Macabi Centre Forward.

After the weather forced the boys into a 3 week lay-off, they looked really eager in training and there was no way a bit of ground frost was going to stand in the way of this third round County Cup match at home to Knebworth. Although, the opposition play in the top division of the East Herts League, it was clear right from the start that this was going to be one way traffic. To be fair, Knebworth tackled tenantiously and tried to play the ball around in Midfield but our boys were on fire. In the opening stages, it was H.Kendall on the right and A..Catlin in the centre of Midfield who really excelled. With C.McHale excellent at the back from the word go, this also allowed M.Habashi to push up from the back and exert his athleticism all over the pitch. These combinations, helped by the skilful J.Hatswell on the left, meant the chances started to fall but the Knebworth keeper was in fine form.. That said, after 10 minutes no breakthrough had come and J.Ryan and D.Heller were introduced to spice things up a bit. Not long after, L.Bugler had broken the deadlocked after connecting well in the box and seeing it deflect over the very good Knebworth keeper. Soon after, H.Kendall who continued to impress had an absolute peach of a shot which drifted over the keeper only to hit the post. Fortunately, L.Bugler was running on to it and the ball ricocheted off him into the net. Next up came an absolutely phenomenal run from J.Ryan which saw him start in his own half, take it past three players and slot the ball home. So, 3-0 at half time and after a quiet five minutes when A.White saw his first piece of action, the second half followed a similar pattern. D.Heller who has been playing really well of late, scored the fourth after a superb through ball from J.Ryan saw him expertly round the keeper and calmly slot home. D.Heller then came close to scoring the fifth when he opened his body nicely and shot well only for it to hit the post, The fifth wasn’t long to follow when a fine shot from L.Bugler saw the ball parried to J.Hatswell who made no nonsense of his finish. Then came the hat-trick for L.Bugler as he showed good strikers instinct by slotting the ball under the keeper and into the corner. Having been unwell before the game and clearly not 100% fit, it was this hat-trick and his all round link up play that earned L.Bugler the Man of the Match. With our influential J.Boorn missing, it was great to see the 9 available all play so well. Last 16 now, alongside the Pumas who also had a great win. Well done lads.

London Macabi Lions were today’s opponents and what a tough battle we had and this hard fought 3-2 home victory. The boys were well on top in the first half and it came as no surprise when the excellent H. Kendall slotted home the opener with a fine strike from the edge of the box. At the back A.White had little to do and C.McHale and M.Habashi were well in control of the Macabi big number 9. The midfield which was made up of various mixtures of of J.Boorn, D.Heller, J.Ryan, A.Catlin and H,Kendall were playing some fine football and, as ever, L.Bugler was performing really well in his hold up play against a tough Macabi defence. So it all looked good until a rare Macabi breakaway saw them grab an equaliser after an excellent switching pass. Thankfully, after some fine play by A.Catlin on the left he delivered a peach of a cross which led to a looping header from D.Heller which put us deservedly back in front. So at half time, we were confident we could go on and win comfortably. Then came a very different opposition in the second half and helped by their excellent play-making number 8 on the left and the whippet like number 7 on the right, they had a very strong patch and were dominant. Thankfully, with 10 minutes remaining, D.Heller went one on one after an excellent through ball and belted in his second high into the top corner. It should have been plain sailing from here but after failing to get rid of the ball in our box we conceded to an amazingly clever back heel from the little number 7. \it was certainly a tense last few minutes and we were delighted to see the boys hold on to make it 11 out of 11, and 5 out of 5 in the League. Man of the Match went (not before time) to the excellent J.Boorn. Another great victory against a very strong team

Having been awarded a bye in the first round, this was our first Herts County Cup game against unknown opposition in Potters Bars Utd. The boys started slowly and the first 5 minutes were scrappy, with neither team really getting on top. We then settled and an excellent move involving D. Heller and L. Bugler saw J. Ryan in a good position in the area, but he chose to pass rather than shoot and the Potters Bar defence dealt with the danger. J. Hatswell then hit the post with a good shot shortly after coming on and we started to control the game. The second half started in the same vein, some good passing and wide play, but several good chances for L. Bugler, H Kendall and J Hatswell were met by some fantastic goalkeeping. When J.Ryan's left foot effort that was heading for the top corner was once again pushed over by the keeper we wondered if we'd ever score. Meantime M.Habashi and C.McHale kept their concentration at the back, dealing with occasional Potters Bar breakaways, with A White very commanding and confident in his area. With only 3 minutes remaining and extra time looming H. Kendall followed up D Heller's shot to finally beat the keeper for the winner and celebrated by running along the touchline high fiving the very relieved parents. The 1-0 final score doesn't reflect our dominance and the boys thoroughly deserve to be in the next round. H Kendall was awarded MOM for a great all round performance and of course getting the all important goal.

With all 10 again available, Mark and Andy had something of a selection headache for this top of the table clash with Whetstone Pumas. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to rest our only natural left footer, J.Ryan as he’s played in all games so far. So we started with A.White in goal, M.Habashi and C.McHale at the back, H.Kendall on the left J. Boorn down the middle and J.Hatswell on the right across midfield, leaving L.Bugler up front on his own with A.Catlin and D.Heller starting as subs. The first 10 minutes flew by in an end to end encounter with both teams battling really hard. Our defence in the first half were excellent with C.McHale clearing up everything that got past M.Habashi and A.White dominant and in control from the start. J.Boorn was again excellent throughout and not least in the first 10 minutes where he battled for everything going back and created loads going forward. L.Bugler had his toughest test of the season and fought really hard up front against tough defenders. J.Hatswell was immense on the right and then switched with H.Kendall to the left and belted home the opener straight into the top corner. Before long, we were 2-0 up after a lovely ball by”H” to the now up front D.Heller whose cross shot found its way to A.Catlin who playing in midfield slotted home the second from the edge of the 6 yard box. Half time and now the boys were well in control. The second half wasn’t quite so straightforward and Whetstone came out looking dangerous and playing some nice football. The boys again anchored by A.White, A.Catlin, M.Habashi, J.Boorn and C.McHale battled through though and had a few chances to snatch a third. Unfortunately, with about 5 minutes left our resolute defence was broken as we conceded. It was then nail biting stuff with long throws and corners putting us under pressure. But, we know we’re always dangerous and the battling H.Kendall and L.Bugler forced the ball through to D.Heller to prod home the decisive third. This prompted a pitch invasion from J.Ryan and a mass bundle. The boys saw out the last few minutes to secure the 3-1 victory and to see us go 6 points clear in the league and make it 9 wins out of 9. Man of the match was tough as J.Boorn has been magnificent all season but hasn’t won it yet. That said, in the end it had to go to A.White for an accomplished and calm performance between the sticks.

With all 10 available for this fixture it was the influential M.Habashi who was rested for the 2nd round Challenge Cup clash against Red Division rivals, Hadley Wood. In the first 10 minutes, the boys were a bit sleepy and, if anything, Hadley started the brighter without threatening A.White’s goal too much. Thankfully, the boys found their stride and midway through the first half, D.Heller smashed home the opener into the bottom corner. From this point, the boys were in total control and H.Kendall topped a fine central midfield performance with a class strike that the keeper could do nothing with. So, 2-0 up at half time and the boys looked comfortable after the break. J.Ryan and D.Heller on the wings set up a number of chances and both L.Bugler and J.Hatswell can count themselves unlucky not to have scored. J.Boorn had a superb game in the middle and at the back, and both C.McHale and A.Catlin were strong calm and composed at the back. Unfortunately, with about 10 minutes left and the boys in control, we gave Hadley a lifeline as they beat the wall and A.White from a long range free kick. This led to a couple of scary moments before the excellent D.Heller scored a scorcher from 25 yards out. A nice win, making it 8 out of 8 and man of the match went to C.McHale for his fine performance.

With J.Boorn and C. McHale both out, 8 Tigers made the short trip to local rivals Everett Rovers on Sunday. After two close encounters last season ending in one draw and one defeat, the boys and the coaches were intent on coming away with a victory and this was apparent from the off. Even before the warm up, the boys organized themselves into a training drill which was great to see – there aren’t many 8 year olds who would do this rather then head straight for the goal and start banging in shots. Basically, the boys were the stronger team from the first whistle to the last and had most of the of the early play before a lip injury saw L.Bugler go off and J.Ryan move into centre forward and what a fine job he did. J.Hatswell had two long range efforts go close before D.Heller made the first goal with a strong run and powerful cross from the right which J.Ryan stabbed home from close in. We then saw Everett have their best period of the game which brought A.White into action with a couple of solid saves. A.Catlin and M.Habashi were magnificent at the back and did everything they were asked in terms of man-marking etc. They were also helped massively by J.Hatswell playing on the left of midfield and H.Kendall playing down the middle. Unfortunately, though, Everett did equalize with a fine strike from outside the box so the boys needed to get their heads up and regroup. They did just that and it was H.Kendall who went on a fine solo run taking out a number of defenders before setting up J.Ryan for his second. The second half saw L.Bugler bravely return to the pitch with J.Ryan dropping back to his favoured left midfield position. By now, the boys had got used to the narrow pitch and adapted their normal passing game with width to suit. What was really pleasing was the way the boys rolled their sleves up and fought hard against some tough tackling. They were now creating all the chances and it was Man of the Match J.Ryan who crossed with his right foot to set up L.Bugler who ran into the box and headed home the third. D.Heller came close to prodding home the fourth and any late threat offered by Everett was dealt with by A.Catlin, M.Habashi and A.White. Three out of three and the boys now sit proudly top of the Red Division.

What a fantastic performance by the boys today. From start to finish throughout the team they were excellent. We started brightly and had a number of shots before L.Bugler headed home the first goal after the ball bounced high in the box. L.Bugler’s second goal was a peach as he ran on to a fine through ball from J.Ryan before unleashing a shot past the keeper and into the top corner. Harvesters are a good team and did attack but A.White was not tested until just before half time when he got down low and parried away a goal bound shot. J.Boorn then reacted brilliantly to slide in and ensure the rebound was dealth with. The trouble for Harvesters was that M.Habashi was his usual hard working self at the back and C.McHale put in a brilliant performance calmingly dealing with all that was thrown at him. J.Boorn also helped shore up at the back when M.Habashi went on the attack as well as threatening going forward and it was a shame that he had to be subbed early in the second half through illness. That said, with a midfield of D.Heller, H.Kendall and J.Ryan for the second half, we soon took control again and came close with some fine moves set up by the Midfield Trio. Unfortunately, we gave Harvesters a lifeline when A.White inadvertently picked up a back pass. From the resulting free-kick, we conceded as their biggest threat, the number 7, was left unmarked and was left to score a fine goal. We then faced a spell of pressure and A.White made some assured saves to retain our lead. Thankfully, L.Bugler got his hat-trick shortly after with one of his trademark poachers goals, this time with his left foot. C.McHale the played L.Bugler through again and he managed to prod the ball past the outrushing keeper for his and the teams fourth. J.Ryan who had a great second half, got the fifth with a superbly struck low shot from a L.Bugler lay-off. The sixth was text book stuff with C.McHale stopping the ball on the line and passing it to J.Ryan who played a fine ball down the line to H.Kendall, “H” then went on one of many weaving runs forward and looked like he was going to score but instead found D.Heller who, not for the first time this season, struck the ball really well and saw it fly into the top corner. The boys were an absolute pleasure to watch today and there were a few candidates for MOTM but L.Bugler got it as as well as the four goals, he battled hard up front throughout holding the ball up and playing others in. Well done again boys.

Having finished top of our League Cup group, we faced our first league game in the Red Division with the long trip to Edmonton Rangers. Playing on a much smaller pitch to what we are used to the boys got straight into their stride, playing some lovely passing football from the back and through midfield. J.Hatswell hit the bar with a long distance effort and both D. Heller and H. Kendall going close with efforts. The first clear chance was taken superbly by D.Heller after a break away and through ball by J. Ryan, although missed a similar effort a few mins later. A very good first half performance saw us leading 1-0 at the break. The second half started much the same and any Edmonton breaks were calmly dealt with by the excellent M.Habashi, A Catlin and C McHale in defence. J Ryan added to the scoring mid way through the half with a low shot. This spurred an Edmonton fight back and they scored, hit the post and bar. The defence however held firm with some excellent last ditch tackles from J.Boorn and brave keeping by A White. H Kendall then saw a long distance effort superbly saved by the Edmonton keeper in the last few minutes. The boys deserved their win and the league campaign is off and running!! The Edmonton coach was very impressed with the quality of our passing and team play, which the boys can certainly be proud of.

A grey and wet York Meade School was the venue for the Tigers last ceding match against a strong Croxley Green side. Due to the colour clash, the boys had to change into their away all red kit and for the first 10 minutes, it really did feel like watching another team as the boys just didn’t settle. Although we had a few chances, it was no great surprise to fall one behind as Croxley created 2 or 3 good chances which kept A.White much busier in goal then he’s been used to.. Once again, however, credit to our little fellas as they began to dominate and it was D.Heller who, having been chopped down, coverted our equaliser from the penalty spot and then planted home a fine header from a corner that he had fought so hard to win in the first place. This was probably D.Hellers best game for the Tigers and he was unlucky not to win the MOTM. So 2-1 at half time and the boys knew they were in a game as Croxley had been noticeably more physical than other teams we’ve played. In the second half, the boys really took control and after a deflected J.Ryan goal saw us go 3-1 up, there was never any real doubt about the outcome. M.Habashi and C.McHale took control at the back and began to play the wall wide to J.Hatswell/L.Bugler on the right and J.Ryan on the left. J.Boorn covered an immense amount of ground in the middle of the park both creating chances and disrupting Croxley’s flow. A.Catlin moved up to Centre Midfield and had a fantastic 10 minutes where he was at the heart of everything we did. This led to my favourite goal of the day as A.Catlin finished off a fine passing move started by M.Habashi by slotting the ball through to J.Ryan who finished superbly. At 4-1 and with the tackles getting more fierce and the Croxley Ref appearing to get more stressed by the second, there was a bit of an incident where L.Bugler made a fine attempt to get on the end of a J.Hatswell cross but collided with the goalie who unfortunately had to be carried off. Tony Rita, the Croxley Manager, was adamant it was a 50/50 and was really sporting in the way he reacted, so fair play to him and I believe the goalie is fine. Shortly after, we scored our 5th as L.Bugler controlled another fine cross and scored from a tight angle. A really pleasing result and performance and the MOTM eventually went to A.Catlin for both his defending and midfield play. Four out of four in the ceding matches so next up the League....

Another fine performance by the boys saw the Tigers make it three out of three with this 10-0 thrashing of St Albans. It was J. Hatswell who opened the scoring with a brilliant solo run starting with a turn and nutmeg in his own half and a neat finish from close range having left at least 4 St Albans players for dust. J. Hatswell followed with another belter from outside the box before L.Bugler made it 3-0 with left foot finish from yet another assist from J.Ryan. D.Heller and H.Kendall both got on the score-sheet before half time as our dominance led to a 5-0 half time lead. Credit to our boys as they still maintained their shape and passing game in the second half and were denied time and time again by an excellent St Albans goalkeeper and the woodwork. J.Boorn, who worked tirelessly in Midfield was unlucky to have his penalty saved but it was him, A.Catlin, C.McHale and M.Habashi who made sure A.Whyte had little to do in goal as it these four broke up some promising attacks with some well timed tackles. And great positional sense. The attacking players, meanwhile, soon restored order as J.Ryan who again impressed on the left slotted home the 6th before L.Bugler completed another hat-trick by smashing one in the top corner and another low shot the keeper couldn’t keep out. J.Hatswell then got his first hat-trick and out came his now trademark yell of “get in there”. Finally, a moment of comedy as C.McHale ran through the whole St Albans defence before teeing himself up for a certain goal only to shoved away by D.Heller who decided he could finish better then C.McHale. Well done D.Heller, cough cough. So, it finished 10-0 and there is no doubt the boys are ready for the much sterner test which they will face in their last ceding match against Croxley on 3rd October. MOTM was J.Hatswell for his fine work on the right and thanks to Duncan for reffing.

With M Dones still training with Barnet and goalkeeper A White away, 9 Tigers arrived at Smallford for the ceding match against Harvesters East. With no goalkeeper available, only H Kendal volunteered to play one half between the sticks so L Bugler and J Boorn were ushered into the role in the first half. We beat this team 14 -1 at the same time last season but right from the start it was clear they were much improved. They defended throughout with three at the back and to their credit, they never shyed away from a challenge and clearly could play a bit. In fact, L Bugler kept us in the game with a reaction save before D Heller slotted home his first of the season with a shot/cross from 20 yards out. Just before half time, a cross from James to Harry saw the defender panic and clip the ball into his own net. Some fine work by J Boorn in goal and A Catlin, C McHale and M Habashi at the back meant we had a hard fought 2-0 lead at the interval. The second half started brightly but after a few minutes it was clear J Boorn was feeling a bit off colour and L Bugler was struggling with a quad strain picked up in the warm up. As a result, we lost our way for a few minutes and conceded once from a free kick and very nearly shortly after but H Kendall wasn’t going to be beaten a second time. The boys then really upped their game, and both J Hatswell and J Ryan on the flanks and D Heller up front started to cause all sorts of problems to Harvesters East and it was J Ryan who eventually added the third. The fourth followed shortly after when A Catlin, who put in a fine display in Midfield, hit the bar from a corner and the two footed M Habashi belted home the rebound. A pleasing hard fought result by the boys and a unanimous decision by Mark and Andy that MOTM was M Habashi for his sound defending and excellent distribution. Well done boys.

The Tigers were in fine form at training on Saturday and in the match warm up on Sunday. Despite losing **** to Barnet and having some away, the boys looked confident they’d grab an expected win in this ceding match as Duncan blew the whistle for our first game of season 2010/2011. Wind forward 15 seconds and we’re losing 1-0 as London Colney literally walked and neatly passed their way through our midfield/defence. Normal order was restored a few minutes later when last years leading scorer L. Bugler slotted home after a fine cross from M. Habashi. A couple of minutes later and we’re trailing again with a well worked goal from London Colney. It was clear that this was going to be a tougher than expected match and thankfully the boys blew off the cobwebs and started to play as we know they can. J. Ryan equalized with a fine cross (I mean shot) and shortly after J. Boorn scored a belter from the edge of the box. H. Kendall then waded in with the fourth and the woodwork denied J. Boorn as the boys got on top. After half time we again conceded when a corner was left by the defence and A. White in goal before ghosting in. Lesson learned there, defenders never leave the ball for the keeper and unless you’re 100% sure the keeper has it covered! That said, by now the boys were well on top and chances were coming thick and thin before L. Bugler scored a fine goal after outrunning the defence and slotting home the ball from 15 yards out. J. Ryan who made the left side his own got his second and J. Hatswell got in on the act with a fine corner that was obviously going in from the moment he hit it! A. Catlin got more involved as the game went on and came close to scoring and J. Boorn hit the post again before H. Kendall added his second with a finer strike. With J. Hatswell causing all sorts of problems on the right and M. Habashi dominating more and more in the defence it was left to L. Bugler to prod home for his hat-trick and H. Kendall to gain the MOTM award for his excellent display in four different positions. One final word, A. White made his debut in goal and put in a good effort and is looking forward to extra goalkeeping practice in training.