The weather was fine and sunny; the pitch was green and dry with plenty of bobbles that were to have an impact on the outcome of the game.

The boys started well and had the best of the opening, with two chances to score one from Tom H and one from James who was denied by the post.  The game was very physical and Ollie and Callum battled to win most of the balls in midfield.  The boys were nervous and this started to show in their play as they rushed passes.  Blades played a ball over the defense and as Jake went to clear it hit a bobble and bounced over his foot into the path of a Blades striker who opened the scoring. 

The second half started quickly as Alex and Josh S worked well to create some openings.  The Blades were camped in our half as Glenavon struggled to get going.  Jordan was busy and made some good runs supplied by Jack.  Matt H and Tom C continued to be stretched as a deflected clearance sailed past Tom U.  The team let their heads drop and seemed to give up with 15 minutes to go and were sitting too deep as a third goal went in.
Chris made a good scoring opportunity and Jordan almost converted it as another bobble took the ball away from him.   Josh H pushed on and supplied some great balls which would have given a much needed lift with Alex heading just wide, but it wasn’t to be and the lads will come back strong for the next game.  Tom U had a busy day in goal and for his hard work earned himself Man of the Match, well done…

M.O.M. – Tom Upton

Report By

Tony Morgan

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The game was played on a full size heavy pitch with thick mud patches that made the centre of pitch difficult for our passing game.

The boys started fast and strong and within minutes Jack W powered home a shot low into the corner of the goal.  Ollie quickly followed with a right foot blast to keep the pressure on Greenleas.  The ball was kept wide as the team worked hard moving the ball quickly for the supply of many crosses into the box from Josh H, James and Jack W.  The third goal came from a Josh H cross for Ollie to head a superb goal.  James then pushed on to blast home a goal the keeper could not stop as Josh H made it a 5-0 half time result with a fantastic solo effort to chip the keeper.  Callum and Matt H worked hard and made some great tackles keeping the pressure on throughout the game.

The second half was a set up as Tom U came out of goal to play up front in search of a goal!!  Jordan was determined to score and after a fine pass by Josh S he went on into the box to take his goal well.  The team was shuffled around as defenders became strikers and vice versa, this was done to test the player’s flexibility.  Tom H made a cameo appearance in goal and made a great save early on to keep a clean sheet for the team.  Tom U was unlucky not to score and Jake M had a good goal disallowed.  James scored the final goal after some great work.  His great goals and fine crosses earned him man of the match, well done.

M.O.M. – James Patterson

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A surprise layer of snow overnight could have put the game at risk, but the bright sunny weather cleared in time for the game to go ahead.  The pitch was very heavy with some wet patches and this was going to be hard on the boy’s legs today.

Colts were straight into our boys and a very physical contest started with some full on tackles.  James had lots of chances and came close to opening the scoring after some great passes from Ollie and Matt H.  Tom H was close too and his physical presence made a big difference up front.  Jake and Tom C worked hard to close down the Colts attacks as Jack W and Jordan worked well on both sides.  Glenavon took a throw and after some neat first time passing and a fine cross from Jack, Matt H opened the score with a fine header. 

The second half started quickly and the fitness of Glenavon started to show as a number of chances were created, Chris worked to close down the Colts players to fire the team to a 2-0 lead.  Josh H was supplying perfect crosses and had the beating of their full back and played a super cross for Tom H to power home a fine shot.  Tom U had to be on form with the goal area slippy and muddy, his kicking was on form and he made a quick throw out to Josh to create attack that led to the fourth goal with another superb header from Ollie.  Danny and Matt D came on and worked hard to keep the pressure and level of performance going for the team.  His hard work, great passes and a fine cross for our first goal earned Jack man of the match, well done.

M.O.M. – Jack Wildman  

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The early morning frost cleared to leave a heavy full size pitch at Higher Bebington, there were heavy patches all over the pitch and it wasn’t a surface to play passing football.

The boys started slowly and allowed their fast striker to out run our defence and score an early opener.  The team settled into a better pattern of play and using the width of the pitch as Alex and James played well on both wings.  Tom and Chris came close but the ball didn’t run well and the Rovers defence closed both down. Jack and Matt H worked hard and were first to most balls to clear the lines.  Ollie and Callum were strong in midfield and won most of the first and second balls.  The equaliser came after some great passing as James powered home an amazing goal.  There were a lot of tired legs on the pitch as more open spaces started to show and Tom C made a great headed clearance off the line for Tom U to gather up the ball.  Mattie H made another vital interception and the save of the day was by Josh S who injured himself in the process to clear the ball off the line.  Josh and Jordan worked well on the left and created many chances that on another day would have been converted.  Rovers went ahead again as their fast No.3 beat the defence for pace a second time, something that we can learn from!

The boys kept working at it and James passed a great ball to Alex who superbly chipped the ball over the keeper into the net to level the game.  A strong finish by Glenavon looked to be in vein and even a hand ball on their 18 yard line was not given as the ref blew full time and a draw was a fair result.  Well done to all the boys for showing great character coming from behind, twice whilst hard work, tackling and great passes earned Ollie man of the match, well done.

M.O.M. – Ollie Norton  

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A mild winter’s day was the setting for our game on a pitch that was heavy through the centre.  The boys were raring to get the game started and full of energy.

The game started well as Tom H was an imposing figure on the Rangers defence and he used his strength to push through for his first goal.  Great play by James led to several openings as the attacks came one after another.  The second goal came after some superb passing after Callum won the ball in midfield, passed it out to Jordan who crossed it to Josh who set up Tom H to head the ball home.  The defence needed to work hard to contain any breaks as Matt H and Jake were solid.  Josh S worked well with Alex and provided some good crosses that almost led to more goals.  The team worked hard to get the ball wide onto the better parts of the pitch that allowed their passing game to make all the difference.

Glenavon started the second half quicky with Ollie winning possession in the centre and making some excellent passes.  Chris used his pace to good advantage and chipped the keeper to score his first.  Two more goals followed from Chris after a string of fine passes and perfect through balls.  The passing and movement was good to watch and the overall fitness was visible as all of the boys never stopped running.  Tom U had a quiet time in goal but when he needed to, he held the ball well and was quick out of goal to stop and any danger!  The best and final attack of the game involved six different players as Tom H pulled the ball back from the dead ball line for Alex to fire home.  The pace and goals from Chris earned him man of the match, well done.

M.O.M. –  Chris Callister

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Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

Callum continued to work tireless for the team in heavy conditions that were difficult for both teams.  Glenavon were much the better team in the first half and should have been 3-0 up, but the old saying goes “If you don’t take your chances……” was ringing in the boys ears as against the run of play Spartans scored two goals leaving everyone in shock.

Tom U played well in goal and Jake and Matt H restricted the number of chances as Glenavon pressed their defence and when Josh H’s shot hit the post, it started to feel like it was not going to be our day!!  James and Tom H were strong up front and both deserved goals after some great supply from Alex and Jack H.  Josh S and Jack W were solid in defence and it seemed that we would pull the goals back.  James was denied two penalties.  Danny worked hard and was also denied a goal tipped just wide by their keeper and both Tom C and Jordan were in good form throughout the game.

Another physical game that was very disappointing to lose will continue to help the boys develop into a strong squad.  I want to give a special mention again to Callum who continues to impress in every game, thank you Call.  Finally his hard work and physical presence earned another man of the match award for Tom H, well done!

M.O.M. –  Tom Hughes

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The heavy down pour and blustery conditions were a big factor in this game.  There were patches on the pitch that held the ball up and others where it run well, this made reading the game difficult.  Jake opened the scoring with a right foot blast, into his own net as he tried to clear a cross into the box.  The defence was pushed more in this game than before and it showed, some basic mistakes caused a panic at the back, they will learn from this during the season.  Jack H brought the game level with a perfect header from a corner that lifted the team.

Tom H was in great form again and after a good pass by Chris almost put the team 2-1 ahead but super James made up the ground to blast the team into the lead.  This set up the second half and the next goal was going to be critical.  Callum continued to work hard and both James and Alex caused problems for the Lions defence.  The Lions striker was a complete handful and brought them level as he out-run the defence time after time.  Tom put Glenavon 3-2 up with a great strike and then the Lions came back to 3-3.  Tom H put the team 4-3 ahead and it looked like the winner, a lack of concentration and composure allowed the Lions to equalize and it was a frustrating end to the game.

The game was there to be won and all of the boys will come back stronger as the season has gone so well, expectation will continue to be high.  Tom did it again and earned his man of the match award, well done.

M.O.M. –  Tom Hughes

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

This was a game of two halves, with the Lions out battling Glenavon and showing more spirit on a full size wind swept pitch.  There was some good work from Callum who kept the fight going and made some brave tackles.  Their right winger was creating all the threats and the Lions took the lead after a period of good pressure.  Tom H and Danny worked hard to convert some limited chances created by James and Josh H.  The Lions keeper made some good saves as Glenavon worked hard to get back into the game before half time.

The second half started better, the team were first to every ball with Callum in the middle of everything and Jack H working hard in the centre.  The defence settled into a better shape with Matt H and Jacob controlling the back line.  Josh S took another kick for the cause and Jack W and Tom C battled hard.  Chris and Matt D worked hard to press their defence and this gave Josh H a perfect opportunity to equalise which gave the whole team a big lift.  Chris had the chance to score but their keeper was in good form.  Matt D put Glenavon ahead with a great right foot shot and Chris converted a fine solo effort to seal the victory and the comeback.

M.O.M. – Chris Callister

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With key players missing it was a good test for the squad to show the strength in depth.  The game started scrappy but the boys gradually got hold of the ball and their perfect passing was the difference between the teams.  Ollie played a key part in the goals and worked well with James, his touch and quick footwork was superb and he almost capped the display with a great goal which was tipped behind by their man-of-the-match keeper.

Jacob and Mattie were solid at the back as Josh S, Jordan and Jack were all comfortable on the ball, the defense are improving all the time with three clean sheets in the last three games.  Tom U made another match winning save from a one on one, he wasn’t that busy but when we needed him, he was on top form.

Callum worked tireless and we seem to take him for granted but his high level of work rate and tackling allowed Jack H to make his usual perfect passes.  James scored the first goal with a right foot blast into the net and a quick second goal by Alex settled the team down.   Josh H worked hard on the left and didn’t back out of any challenges.  Two more goals followed as Matt D and Chris took their goal well with confidence and style.  This was an overall team display, but Ollie stepped up and earned his man of the match award.  The boys have adapted to the 11-a-Side game well and with great support from the parents and family, the boys are continuing to play with confidence.

M.O.M. – Ollie Norton

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

The game took place in a field that could have resembled a meadow with long grass, weeds and mole hills.  The team’s strong passing game had no place here due to the difficult conditions so a tough game was expected against a very physical side. 

The boys started strong and could have had two goals in 5 minutes as Tom H and James went close.  A tense half full of fouls that stopped the game flowing ended 1-0 as Josh put Glenavon ahead to settle the team down. 

Jacob’s strong defensive play kept things tight as Rangers threatened to score and a goalline clearance from James typified another great display by him. 

Tom U saved a vital shot to deny an equalizer.  Callum worked tireless in midfield and Jack H created lots of opportunities for Ollie, Chris and Tom. 

Five changes were made to the team to make sure everyone got a chance as Jordan was unlucky not to score, Callum almost scored an excellent goal and Ollie was close too as it looked like we were never going to score. 

Assists by Danny and Chris allowed Tom to score two excellent goals to put the game to bed and settle nerves on the line too. 

Tom could have had a lot more goals and as the Rangers Keeper was their man of the match it showed his contribution to the final score, but Tom’s positioning and strength earned him man of the match again, well done!

M.O.M. – Tom Hughes

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All of the boys were wound up for this one as the team continued to become a strong unit together.  The game started quite scruffy with lots of hard work by birthday boy Callum and Endo in midfield to work some opportunities.  Josh cracked the bar with a super shot onto the bar as their keeper held back the constant attacking play by Glenavon.  The deadline was broken and goal kept on coming.  Ollie made the difference up front and worked hard to create lots of chances and earned a deserved hatrick.  Alex also smashed the bar to be denied and eventually took his two goal well.  This was a complete team performance and the boys are improving every game.  Tom H showed his power and pace and got a well deserved man of the match

M.O.M. – Tom Hughes

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A typical cup match with end to end action as both sides battled for every ball.  Rangers went 1-0 ahead after a shot into the corner had our keeper well beaten.  Both defences were nervous and failed to clear simple ball. 

Glenavon took control and eased into a 4-1 lead at half time with goals from James, Josh H and two from Matt D.  The team then settled and the passing improved. 

Then…in the second half and after making many changes Glenavon were found out twice as Rangers brought the game back to 4-3 to set  up a nervous last 5 minutes. 

Glenavon missed some chances and their keeper made great saves to keep us from putting the game out of reach.  It is good to get into the second round and all the boys played a part in getting us through. 

James gave a great performance today and his drive and commitment earned him man of the match.

M.O.M. – James P

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)

This was a game we had to win if we were to progress in the league this season.  Both teams battled to gain possession as Glenavon were quicker to the ball, winning tackles and creating chances.  The game was very physical and our boys were coming out on top.  A number of early chances for Tom and Ollie came close to breaking the deadlock. 

Callum and Jack H were fantastic in midfield as James and Alex continued to supply good balls into the box.  The defence held strong as Jack W came off after a kick in the leg.  The break came after some great passing and James fired Glenavon into a 1-0 lead.

Tom H continued to threaten with pace and Jack H supplied a perfect ball for Tom to push us into a 2-0 lead at half time. 

The game was going to get harder as Olympic pressed and threatened, but Tom C and Jake were able to control the back line.  Olympic made the most of a misplaced cross to get a goal back and the Glenavon boys needed to dig in to hold their lead. 

This was our best performance of the season and should give everyone confidence to take into our next games and it does prove that hard work pays off.  We done to Jack H, great vision and passing today.

M.O.M. – Jack Hendrie

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This was not for the faint hearted... so read on at your peril!!!!!

Glenavon took the game to the Saints and went into a strong 4-1 half time lead after a superbly taken hat-trick by Tom H. 

Great midfield work by Jack H and Callum gave full control to Glenavon to play some attractive football with James terrorising the Saints defence. 

Then it started…poor defensive play and positioning gave the Saints a lift as panic set in and mistakes were made.  Goals by Ollie, Matt and a clever finish by Jack H preserved our unbeaten start to the season, just…. 

This is an important lesson and I think the boys will learn from this and improve as they develop throughout the season. 

I hope all of the squad can continue to work hard as a team so we can maintain a high level of play as changes are made during the game. For his first half display Tom C was a deserved man of the match, well done, it is great to see such a keen squad of players all up for every game.

M.O.M. – Tom Corran

Report - Ian Hughes

After the lads impressive start last week expectations were high before today’s game and everyone was looking forward to our first home game at the Glen!

The lads recovered after a very shaky 10 minutes (in which Milan broke away and scored) and settled down to play some exceptional football, with some superb interlinking football from defense right through to the strikers.

Everyone played their part today and the most pleasing feature of the game was that there were 7 different goal scorers James & Mattie D, Callum, Tom H, Ollie, Alex and the goal of the game from Danny connecting superbly after some fine flowing football down the right side!

Josh Hall deserves a special mention for his intelligent work down the left as does Callum, Endo and James in midfield that held it tight and distributed the ball well.

Jack and Jordo were confident at the back but the overall effort and willingness to play attractive football by all was superb!

M.O.M. – Callum Kerr

Report - Ian Hughes

The team came together to start their first 11-a-side campaign and with competition for places at a high level this season, some difficult decisions needed to be made. A solid start from the team will give them much needed confidence to build on. 

The breakthrough came after 20 minutes when Danny fired into the corner of the goal after a scrappy opening.  Callum and Jack H worked hard to control the game on a tight pitch where space was hard to find.  The second half started with lots of pressure and there were some good opportunities to get the second goal. 

A composed Tom H hit a superb strike from outside the box leaving their keeper stranded and scored a goal of the season contender. 

A cool finish from Callum put the game beyond Manor and gave a 3-0 win to start the season. 

The whole team worked hard for all of the game with good individual performances from Jacob, James and Josh S, but the victory wouldn’t have been possible without the whole squad contributing.

M.O.M. – Tom Hughes

Report - Tony Morgan (Manager)