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Tuesday, July 29, 2014
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Bell & Hitchin Go Down to Luton
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It was Luton Town who stole the show, as they put five goals past Tahj Bell and his Hitchen Town FC teammates.
Luton kicked-off the game and immediately played with authority, with casual passing between the defense and goalkeeper Elliot Justham showing that the team were thriving on confidence.
And it wasn't long before Luton had their first shot - Jake Howells finding space but consequently shooting well-off target.
Luton was insistent on making Hitchin work hard and they passed the ball around the pitch with ease. However, an undeterred Hitchin did just that and they pressed for the ball in search of some control of the game.
Luton's first goal came in the 12th minute. A clever back heel from Howells allowed Shaun Whalley to pick up the ball and he needed little encouragement to drive with speed across the Hitchin defense and power one past keeper Bell.
Luton then had another chance just seconds after the restart. Howells again found himself with time and space - his shot requiring Bell to make a save.
The resulting corner gave Gary Wharton an opportunity to inflict his pace on to the Luton defense. After picking up on the poor corner, he ran in to the Luton half with ease and got a shot away. The shot was an easy save for Justham but it was an inspired moment by Wharton to show that Hitchin could pose an attacking threat.
After Wharton's break in play, Luton quickly resumed their control of the game and another corner caused concern for the Hitchin defense when Luke Wilkinson was left free to head the ball - they were surely relieved to see it go wide of the post. Then, a nice piece of build-up play saw Alex Wall with the ball and in space but he powered well over.
It was Wharton again who gave Hitchin their next chance of the first-half. Using his pace once more, he made ground upfield before putting a ball across to Robbie Burns, who unfortunately just couldn't find his feet to get a shot away.
It was then in the 30th minute when Luton's dominating presence got them their second goal, courtesy of Alex Wall, who headed home from a well-taken free-kick.
The second goal somewhat injected some life in to Hitchin and both Matt Lench and Alasan Ann took opportunities to venture upfield with the ball and looked to trouble the defense. Lench's resulting shot was an easy save for the keeper and Ann won a corner for his troubles. The corner had Simon Martin heading wide.
The last piece of action from the first-half was great work from Jonny McNamara. After pressuring Luton's Mark Oneymah in to losing the ball, he ran up the right wing and whipped in a cross across the face of goal. Unfortunately Martin mistimed his run and the ball evaded all. It was Hitchin's best chance of the game.
Luton started the second-half brightly - Alex Wall having an early chance but mistiming his shot to go wide of the post as the ball came off of his knee.
Simon Martin made way for Brett Donnelly.
Alex Wall got his second goal and Luton's third in the 51st minute - a great, skilful finish leaving the Hitchin defence and Bell with no chance to prevent it.
It was then just over 10 minutes later when Luton got their fourth. This time the goal was from the penalty spot and it was Wall again who slotted home to grab a hat-trick.
The 'new' side had little intention of 'letting up' on the Canaries and they were keen to carry on the attacking mentality. Hitchin were a little subdued but nonetheless worked hard to put some pressure on to a forceful Luton Town.
After another Luton corner caused problems for the Hitchin defence, Mark Cullen eventually grabbed Luton their fifth goal in the 78th minute.
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Sunday, July 27, 2014
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Smith & Kemi Kings Win
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Kokkola faced off against Jonte Smith and his PS Kemi Kemi teammates, with Smith and his teammates getting the better of their opponents 3-2.
Kokkola were greeted by the home side's hardline stopper Felix Gustavsson, who did not lose a single header battle in the first to 20 minutes.
PS Kemi came in the match coming off a loss of Oulu and took the lead in the 15th minute when Jonathan Dollery found the back of the net.
Tommi Haanpaa doubled the lead in the 63rd minute and then six minutes later it was 3 – 0 when Haanpaa scored again.
Kokkola pulled a goal back in the 89th minute when Henry Myntti scored and then 3 minutes into stoppage time Kalala Washilly Tshibasu scored to make the final score 3-2.
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Saturday, July 26, 2014
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Wells & Huddlersfield Go Down in Pre-Season Match
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Nahki Wells and his Huddersfield Town’s teammates fell to its first defeat of the 2014/15 pre-season period at newly promoted League 1 side Scunthorpe United, with a second-half goal from Paddy Madden settling the tie.
On a compact pitch, Huddersfield – who had netted 10 goals in three pre-season fixtures beforehand – failed to properly break through an organized opponent and were made to pay at the other end.
With a fortnight still to go until the season begins against AFC Bournemouth on August 9th, the game highlighted a few bright sparks as well as areas to work on for Manager Mark Robins and his players.
Huddersfield once again started the game in a 3-5-2 formation, with summer recruit Lee Peltier playing at center back, he skippered the side on a boiling hot afternoon at Glanford Park.
Elsewhere, Joe Lolley continued to be deployed in an advanced role in the center of midfield. He had a mixed afternoon – bursts of lightening quick acceleration and direct dribbling alongside occasions where he perhaps made the incorrect decision with his final ball – but it him that came closest to opening the scoring in the first-half when a sixth minute cross turned into a useful effort that hit the crossbar.
The first-half was an even affair, with Scunthorpe trying to get the ball wide and provide quality delivery into the penalty area to little effect. They came closest to scoring when winger Jennison Myrie-Williams cut infield from the right and fired powerfully towards the near post, drawing a smart save from Alex Smithies.
With James Vaughan left out of the squad as a precautionary measure having felt tightness in his calf, it was left to former Iron player Martin Paterson and Wells to lead the line and the latter looked lively. He acrobatically volleyed an effort from Tommy Smith’s cross over the bar at the midpoint of the first-half, doing well to connect with the ball that made him check his forward momentum.
However, the Huddersfield attacks stalled a little when the ball reached the final third as their newly promoted League 1 opponents got good numbers behind the ball, with the likes of Adam Clayton, Lolley and Jonathan Hogg struggling to pick the final pass.
Clayton gave everyone a scare in the final minutes of the half when he went down under no challenge, having seemingly fallen on his right elbow. However, he walked off the pitch under his own steam after treatment and reappeared for the second half.
With no changes in personnel, it was the Iron who took the initiative in the second half and they opened the scoring just before the hour mark through former Yeovil Town forward Paddy Madden. Working an overlap to good effect down their right side, Murray Wallace got a toe to the cross but couldn’t stop it – giving the sliding striker the chance to plant the ball past Smithies at the back post.
Town had more than the lion’s share of possession after the goal, but couldn’t create any clear-cut chances despite this. The introduction of Adam Hammill and Sean Scannell gave Town a direct running threat in the final third and Wells in particular almost made contact with a Scannell cross that surely would have resulted in a goal, but it wasn’t to be.
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Friday, July 25, 2014
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Bermuda Draw in CFU U17 Second Match
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 Bascome tackled by Puerto Rico Player IslandStats.com
Bermuda remained undefeated at the Caribbean Football Union Under 17 World Cup Qualifiers in the Bahamas with a 0 – 0 draw with Puerto Rico.
Bermuda Starting Line-up: Ajai Daniels, Azende Furbert, Tahzeiko Harris, Jason Symonds, Jerome Bailey, Kacy Butterfield, Amar Lewis, Osagi Bascome, Oneko Lowe, Maquille Walker, Jahkari Furbert Substitutes: Zenawi Bowen, Ahria Simons, Llneiko Millett, William Spencer, Jomei Bean-Lindo, Nathan Trott, Aaron Burgess
Both teams begin the match conservatively in the scorching heat.
Fifteen minutes into the match Bermuda looked to take control with Lowe finding space on the left, he cut back and provided a ball to Lewis who was charged down before he can shoot as Bermuda win a free kick in the attacking 3rd.
Bascome delivered a teasing ball into the penalty spot, Jahkari Furbert got his head on it but it went wide.
From the goal kick Puerto Rico had a promising attack, they work well to get around Azende Furbert but the final shot was well wide.
With neither team looking to threaten the others goalkeeper for the remainder of the half the teams went to the break locked at 0 – 0.
Ten minutes into the second half, Coach Andrew Bascome looked to inject some energy into the team, with Ahria Simons replacing Jahkari Furbert and Jomei Bean-Lindo replaced Macquille Walker.
Azende Furbert got deep in the Puerto Rico half and skipped past two defenders but his cross was cleared, Simons is quickly in the action winning a free kick.
Puerto Rico began setting up to get a point as they set up deep, as Bermuda began mounting wave after wave of attacks but the final shot was lacking.
In the end neither goalkeeper was beaten and the teams shared a goalless draw point.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2014
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Jonte Smith and Kemi Kings Go Down
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OPS are trying to avoid relegation and helped their cause in a big way when they defeated Jonte Smith and his PS Kemi teammates 2-0.
OPS took the lead in the 42nd minute when Iiro Vandell found the back of the net, Jean Carlos Palmeira doubled the lead with a strike in the 64th minute.
Smith who played the 90 minutes and his teammates were unable to get back into the game.
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