Cumnor End 2014 On A Winning Streak

A great way to go into the Christmas break with a convincing 2 - 0 win against a strong Kidlington side. We had more depth than 2 weeks ago and rotated well, allowing the boys to play at maximum intensity. Will and Nathan were strong and forceful up front, working hard for each other and creating space. Kyle, Adam and Doddie pressed hard forcing Kidlington onto the back foot. Joseph was given the tough job of man-marking Kieran which he did exceptionally well. With Joseph dragged into defence, we re-organised pushing Tom into midfield and leaving an excellent back three of Charlie, Fyn and the returning Rory.

Good midfield work from Tom found Will who played a delicious ball into Nathan to score another excellent goal. It's great to see our centre-forward playing with such confidence. With Kidlington scrapping for everything we started subbing and instantly Ben, Harry and Finlay made telling contributions. Ben using his instincts to move the ball sweetly - as did Kyle who is growing in stature and confidence each week. Harry S and Finlay complement one another and added a new threat to the opposition. Toby entered the fray and brought all his stubbornness and determination to firm up the defence, especially with Rory flagging after his long lay off.

The second goal was another well worked piece of play through the midfield and out to Will who slipped his marker and crossed well. Harry S, as he has shown a few times this season, has an ability to be in the right place at the right time and met the cross to hammer home the winner. 2 - 0.

Of course, all this outfield play is a joy to watch but the boys can express themselves because they have confidence in the player doing the most important job of all: goalie. Harry D just gets better each week and against Kidlington he showed his full array of skills with a series of excellent saves which secured the win.

That's it until the New Year. Let's keep the momentum going into 2015 and grab a top 2 League position and a cup winners' medal or two.

Player of the Week: Nathan and Will combined well, Fyn was excellent again, Kyle and Joseph worked hard in their differing midfield roles but the award went to Harry D for being there when needed.

Cumnor Leave It Late

In a bizarre twist of fate, this week Cumnor were the full strength squad facing a battling visiting side with only 11 available players. Rotating and changing meant Cumnor never really established a pattern of play and the coaches tinkering didn't help. But, it was important to get the win and we did, 3 - 2… despite leaving it very, very late.

Starting the way we finished last week, we never quite gelled in the first-half in the way we did at Kidlington. The fight was still there but there was a carelessness to our play and a worrying lack of composure on the ball. Too many times we forced the pass and conceded possession to an organised Thatcham. Some of the boys had been ill in the week and it was taking a toll. In fairness to the boys, the pitch was cutting up badly and the ball was difficult to control. It wasn't entirely unexpected to see Thatcham go in 2 - 0 up at half-time.

After a bit of a half-time rollicking the boys picked up the tempo in the second-half. Kyle grew ever more influential in the middle and Harry S and Finlay combined nicely in attack on the right wing. A busy Ben took a knock and was forced to leave bringing Will and Nathan together up front. The pressure mounted, we went 3 at the back and pushed Fin forward as well. The chances started coming and Nathan produced a calm finish after an excellent through ball. 1 - 2. Thatcham tried to hang on, the 11 boys growing weary. Nathan burst through again and got a second. 2 -2.

We could have gone to 4 at the back and pushed for extra-time but with momentum with us, we pressed on. Will then produced the defining moment of the match tracking left and throwing himself in a full-blooded, full-bodied tackle before jumping up, beating a defender, finding the byline and floating an inch perfect cross for the unmarked Nathan to head home. 3 - 2. A quick re-jig to 4-4-2, final whistle, win. And breathe…

Player of the Week: Harry S and Fin looked sharp linking together, it was great to finally have Rory back, Will changed the course of the match, Nathan grabbed an excellent hat-trick but pow Kyle for his commanding and intelligent midfield display.

Cumnor Put The Skids Under Kidlington

If ever the boys put a 'backs to the wall' performance in, it was last Sunday when we travelled to Kidlington and beat them 3 - 2. The odds were stacked against us: we were down to a bare bones 11, Kidlington were on a high after beating Hosrpath and pushing Ducklington close in recent weeks. They had also recruited strongly over Summer and had a fit and available squad of 16 to choose from. The instruction from the sideline to our boys was simple: fight. And fight they did.

Playing with the slope in the first half Cumnor attacked and Nathan almost scored in in the opening minute. There was a speed and directness to our attacking play which put Kidlington on the back foot. Nathan relentlessly stretched their excellent centre-halves and, as instructed, looked for support inside from Adam, Ben, Kyle and Fin. The workrate paid off with an electric Adam charging a clearance down and bundling the ball over the line. 0 – 1. There was no thought of Cumnor sitting on a lead with Adam again thundering down the flank, finding space and somehow bending his cross into the goal to continue his superb run of goalscoring form. 0 - 2.

It was an all round team effort, Fyn and Tom organised enough to allow Charlie and and makeshift left-back Harry S to get forward. And all the time, Joseph and Kyle were in the middle of a dogfight. Suddenly Ben found some space just outside the box and played a perfect through ball for Nathan to calmly slot home. 0 - 3. Half-time.

The coaching team were stunned by the first-half performance and the boys took their drinks with plaudits ringing in their ears. The instruction for the second-half was simple: fight harder! Looking at the boys, exhausted, carrying knocks, struggling to get air into their lungs… they knew they’d have to play the half of their lives to secure an unlikely win.

As expected, Kidlington went straight for us unleashing the quite excellent Kieran from the bench. But our boys dug and dug and dug, finding strength and energy we didn’t think they had. Kidlington got a goal back after a legit call about the ball going out of play didn’t go our way. 1 – 3.  Still Kidlington came at us, earning a free-kick and somehow squeezing it in, 2 – 3. Looking at the wreckage of the boys there was nothing we could do from the sidelines except encourage and implore them to keep going. We switched Adam and Ben from wide to midfield, rotating to get in there and help Joseph and Kyle. Tom took a knock and started hobbling. Harry's heel was restricting his running. The pressure was intensifying. And then, it happened: the boys looked into themselves and into the eyes of each other and took a collective decision that they would not lose. They started playing football and went on the attack with Harry and Finlay linking beautifully down the left and putting the pressure back onto the home team. Harry D in goal grew more authoritative, Fyn kept looking for passes, Tom ran strongly, Kyle tried to unpick the defence with some beautiful passes. We kept hold of the ball and used it wisely. The final whistle went with Cumnor on the up again. 2 -3.

The boys were heroic, Joseph typified how shattered the boys were and his face embodied the effort all the boys had put in. There was no wild celebration just sheer exhaustion and pride at a job very well done. This is the match we will refer too when we ask the boys to show their fighting spirit. Well done lads, well done indeed!

Player of the Week: we couldn’t choose because it was a collective performance of sheer determined brilliance.

Quack Quack Oops

There's little point looking for excuses, Cumnor were handed a bit of a beating against Ducklington. 5 - 1 was a fair reflection of a match that saw us out thought, out fought, out run, out passed. We say well done to our local rivals and congratulate them on the standard they set.

But…

If we had played better we could have given them a real match. The second-half saw us restrict the goal tally to just the 1. Positives included Toby digging in, Will taking the fight to the heart of the opposition and Adam scoring again.

We'll do better next time. Won't we, boys?

Player of the Week: he took one for the team but Toby

Unflappable Cumnor Slide Past Harwell

The conditions were atrocious, the pitch slick and muddy but we were thankful to the Harwell management team for ensuring the match went ahead. In the circumstances, it was a remarkable performance from the boys at a place where we've come unstuck before.

In the recent months we've worked on the 3 P's: passing, pressing and possession. We feel as a coaching team, these three footballing principles best suit the style of football we want to play and fits the make up of our squad. Ok, we've played lower end A league opposition but when we click, as we did on Sunday, we can outplay teams who provide a sterner test. The boys are listening, the boys are thriving.

Another pleasing aspect is the strength we have in depth now. We are a squad where every player plays an integral part. Every single boy could confidently start and it is becoming increasingly difficult to select a starting 11. In fact, that 'starting 11' is a fluid concept because we have 16 boys regularly available who can easily make the starting 11. For us, it's a squad game, the boys know it it and they also know they'll get good game time.

From the off against Harwell, Cumnor held a high line with the defensive 4 of Toby, Michael, Tom and Fyn pushed on to squeeze the opposition front line by Harry, who is growing in confidence with each outing. Time and again Harwell found themselves stepping offside due to our aggressive defending, proof that the communication and awareness of our defensive unit is also improving. In midfield, Kyle and Joseph continued their excellent and instinctive partnership whilst Will and Adam sniped and threatened down the wide areas. Adam's powerful running and dangerous right - and left - boot, kept Harwell on the back foot. Just ahead of him Ben, growing in confidence in the difficult 10 role, is beginning to select his passes beautifully… and not just to Will. Nathan, buoyed by a hat-trick last week, was full of attacking threat choosing to run onto his favoured right foot.

Cumnor deservedly broke the deadlock after Adam smashed a left foot shot in from wide out. We made it 2 when Nathan jumped on a scrambled clearance and we deserving of our lead. Changes were made with Doddie, Finlay and Charlie coming off the bench and getting straight into the action. More goals followed with Doddie and Ben (thanks to Toby's nodded 'assist') both finishing off clever attacking moves.

We throughly deserved the win and played excellent, controlled football dictating the pace and protecting the ball. We should have scored more and certainly created chances, Will hitting the bar from a tight angle. Harwell too, played nice football and the game was a joy to watch despite the extremely tough conditions… and the bizarre observations of the Harwell asst manager. Congratulations to players on both sides for giving us such a wonderful spectacle.

Here's to a good outcome against old foes Ducklington and the continuation of our excellent run of form.

Player of the Week: Ben showed some lovely touches, Toby played valiantly in defence and in midfield, Adam's great form continued and Tom recovered well from his bad knock last week but POW again, is the ever excellent 'New Rory', Fyn.

Goal Glut at Lambourn

Scoring 15 goals against Lambourn was fun… but let's not get carried away. We have much tougher fixtures heading our way so it was important we played as a team and maintained our commitment to the passing game. What all those goals brought us was confidence and clinical finishing. It was also great to see some different boys get on the scoresheet. Towards the end of the match we went to 'three at the back' which was somehow interpreted as 'one at the back' (thanks Charlie!) and Lambourn were unfortunate not to score. The most pleasing aspect of the game was our playing out from the back with Harry's superb throws finding Doddie or Adam giving us great momentum going forward.

As for the goals, hat-tricks for Nathan, Finlay and Will, two for Joseph and one apiece for Adam, Doddie, Harry S and Fyn, who arguably scored the goal of the day finishing off a lovely team move with a crushing volley.

There was one unsavoury incident at the end of the match which somewhat marred the occasion when Tom was hacked down. The ref made the right call sending the opposition player off and both the Lambourn manager and the father of the boy involved, both apologised afterwards. Hopefully Tom will be ok and the matter is now in the hands of the Berks & Bucks FA.

Moving on, we now face a run of games which will define our season starting with Harwell on Sunday. Harwell out thought us last season using the ball over the top to their pacey striker to tear us apart. We must press their centre-halves and midfield hard and stop them playing. When we have possession, we need to be calm and confident. The signs from recent performances show we are very capable of achieving this and getting a positive result.

Player of the Week: easy choice, Charlie, for his effective and disciplined performance at full back.

Cumnor Advance Past Ardley

An excellent display from the boys to get past a committed Ardley. We were especially good in the midfield areas where Kyle and Joseph harried, pressed, tackled and distributed cleanly and expertly. In fact, it was probably the best 'closing down' display we've given and a number of boys had their best game of the season. Ben kept finding little pockets of space and orchestrated the attacks masterfully. Fyn, yet again, was strong and decisive at centre-half and Tom proved a towering and able partner.

We created some great opportunities as well, scoring three but it could have been more. As for the goals, Joseph showed delightful artistry before finding the roof of the net from just outside the box. Adam's free-kick came back off the wall before he smashed it in and Harry, proving yet again that he has a real knack of getting into goalscoring situations, forced the unlucky keeper into a mistake.

Tackling, passing and possession… great. Attitude, superb. The more annoyed and frustrated Ardley became, the better we played. The boys didn't react, didn't get involved in the aggro, they kept discipline and therefore, the ref.

A special mention too for Harry D in goal. He provided an extra dimension, playing on his 18 yard line and trusting his natural ball playing instincts to control and distribute.

Player of the Week
Joseph, Kyle and Toby provided energy and attitude but the pow went to Harry for his mature, all round keeping.

High Intensity at Horspath

We've had an interesting relationship with Horspath over recent seasons. They are, undoubtedly, the team to beat. We've met them at tournaments where we've won games and lost games. Last season, we went to the Marathons Ground on a nasty, blustery October morning and won 3 - 1. To many Cumnor parents it was the finest display they've seen from our boys. It was certainly the cause of a few viscous hangovers the next day. Earlier this year, confidence high in the ranks, we welcomed Horspath to Appleton and they absolutely ripped us apart. Stefan gave a masterclass in match play and Noah knocked them in for fun. But we went to Cowley confident, with a 100% record under our belts.

As usual, well laid plans were altered because of absence and injury. No matter, Finlay and Kyle stepped into the full back berths with barely a whisper of complaint. Adam joined Fyn in central defence. Doddie and Will started wide flanking Tom and Ben with Nathan up front. Joseph was given the unenviable task of stopping Stefan.

The wind blew, the ball bobbled and Horspath certainly had the best of the early exchanges playing neat little triangles and patiently hitting the right areas. Cumnor were a little disjointed and soon we fell behind. The boys may have bowed but they didn't buckle. They tried to play football but passes were mis-timed or forced and Horspath soon grabbed a second. Will, however, his magic out left getting to the byline before hitting a perfect cross into the 6 yard box for a thundering Nathan to slam home. Half time due, 2 - 1 down, game on.

The half-time talk went something like: 'right boys, get on this from the start, don't fall asleep. Predictably, Horspath scored. 3 -1. With personnel swapping and changing, Michael and Harry S heavily involved, we went three at the back. Suddenly the game opened up. Kyle came into midfield and tightened proceedings. Finlay continued to find useful pockets of space, Tom ran the hard yards and Ben battled his heart out. At the back, Harry D made some excellent saves and Adam and Fyn threw themselves at every ball. Then we started counter attacking. Will, Nathan, Doddie and Harry S raced towards the Horspath goal with pace and intent, forcing the opposition backwards. Chances kept coming. Adam struck a wonderful corner, Horspath defended the corner like we do, and Will headed home. 3 - 2.

The final quarter and it was anyone's game. Will hit the bar with a header and just failed to hit the target with a free-kick. Horspath kept coming but Joseph stayed with Stefan and manfully tried to negate his influence. The game went right down to the last kick. Unfortunately, we didn't quite do enough.

We didn't deserve the win but a draw would have been very, very sweet. The boys gave everything they had… and then some. We couldn't have been prouder. Congratulations to Horspath, you are a very good team. But we really can't wait to welcome you to our place.

Player of the Week: Captain Fantastic, Joseph. No question, he was quite superb

Not as Ole as last week!!

A hard fought victory for Cumnor over a team that played to its strengths, challenged us to defend well and kept pushing to the end.  Although Cumnor had the balance of the play and created more chances than Milton, a few missed opportunities and some fairly scrappy play meant this cup game was very tight.  

Setting up in the traditional 4-4-2 (Tim didn't have the guts to implement his ridiculous plan), we played well enough for the first 20 minutes, Finlay making some good runs on the right wing, Doddy and Will doing likewise on the left wing and Joseph putting in some eye-catching passes.  Cumnor deservedly took the lead when Fyn smashed home a bouncing ball after Milton failed to deal with a corner.  Things then got a bot scrappy, and with our control letting us down all across the pitch, Milton created a chance and the striker gave Harry no chance.  Five minutes later, a carbon copy for Cumnor as Fyn again smashed home a loose ball from a corner.  He must be the most free-scoring centre back in the league.  Unfortunately we then fell asleep, letting the Milton striker in for a gift of a goal by failing to pick up a run from a throw in.  2-2 at half time.

Fuelled by Jaffa Cakes, the performance in the second half was better.  We managed to control the ball better and started to string some good passes together.  After a break that was worked through Ben and Nathan, the ball fell to Will, who smashed home with his right foot.  Having taken the lead for a third time, we looked much more assured.  Adam and Tom were strong at the back, Joseph made his tackles count and we started spreading the ball nicely, with Harry S coming to the fore on the right wing.  James E made his first appearance of the season and did a good job alongside Joseph.

Eventually, a well-deserved win, but in Chris's words, "not as good as last week (expletives deleted)".  Player of the week came down to a choice between two - Harry D for brilliantly judging when to come off his line and snuff out the long ball, and Toby, who must be the most annoying player ever if you are a forward - there is just no getting past him.  The award went to Toby.       

Ole Cumnor

Since the start of the season we've been drumming into the boys some basic football truths.

1. Pass and move
2. Don't do too much on your own
3. Keep the ball on the grass
4. Be patient
5. Talk to each other

Yesterday, against Ardley… the boys put a big tick against 4 of those truths. Maybe (with the exception of both Harrys) the rest of the boys will use their voices next week?

In all fairness, they were superb against Ardley who were, for large sections of the game, reduced to chasing shadows. We started with Nathan and Harry S on the bench bringing Tom into centre-half to partner the reborn Fyn. Charlie and Toby offered solid, no nonsense defending at full back. Adam and Doddie instructed to torment and tease out wide whilst Joseph and Kyle told to keep the engine ticking over. Ben, nursing a bashed up knee, was joined by Finlay up front. Nathan was given a watching brief to see how he could harm the defence when he came on.

From the first whistle, Cumnor played football. There were neat little touches, triangles, lay offs, pick ups and players working the ball from side-to-side. Mostly, the boys were composed, not rushing or panicking, trusting their teammates in posession. Ardley have some excellent players, especially at the back, but Finlay was finding lots of space in dangerous areas. Growing in confidence he hit a shot from distance which the Ardley keeper unfortunately fumbled. 1-0.

The longer the half wore on the more accomplished we grew. Charlie had a great game on the flank linking up with Doddie. Tom was a real imposing presence at the back. Ben battled with his injury and would have kept going but it was wise to bring Nathan on despite finding himself with a bloodied nose minutes later. We went in 1-0 up but were completely in control.

In the second-half, Will - fresh from his rugby exploits - came on and smashed the ball into the back of the net with his first touch of the game (as he does). Then Cumnor went into overdrive. The realisation of how good these boys actually are, hit them. Whether it was Toby staying focussed and disciplined, Adam's dead-ball delivery, Joseph's desire, Kyle's neatness and work rate, the trickery of Will and Doddie… we have genuine footballing talent throughout the squad. Nathan, bloodied but not broken, terrified the Ardley defence racing at them, forcing them backwards. Twice on one raid he could have gone down but he didn't, he stayed on his feet and set up Harry S who made the perfect box run to score. 3 - 0. 

There could have been more goals… Will did something mind-boggling to make space but lashed the ball over the bar with his wrong foot. Fyn, yet again outstanding, hit the angle from 25 yards and Adam hit a screamer from even further out that just shaved the bar.

The boys were challenged as well to maintain a clean sheet for the first time in months. And they did. Despite Tom doing his best to jinx it by saying we're not going to concede just as Ash hit the bar.

We know when we've seen good football and we saw good football yesterday against a really good team. Dane said: 'it was like watching Barcelona' and even Doddie Snr was impressed. And how often does that happen?

Player of the Week: outstanding all round with special mentions to Charlie, Fyn and Fynlay but POW is Kyle for an excellent all round display.

Thatcham Re-match

We don't normally play the same team in consecutive weeks but we welcomed Thatcham to Appleton for the first time last Sunday. It could have been a bit of a banana skin with the boys from Berks on a revenge mission. Fortunately, a hot day and a squad of 14 to choose from meant we had the advantage despite going a goal behind to a lovely finish.

Cumnor dug in and went into the break 1-1 after Will, coming straight off the bench, leapt onto Nathan's corner and headed the equaliser. The boys anticipated an easier second-half, believing their passing would break Thatcham hearts. However, no-one told Thatcham of this plan and they managed to frustrate Cumnor, breaking up moves, forcing us into a long ball game, spoiling all the good work of the first 35 minutes. We had some chances but again, the Thatcham keeper made some outstanding saves. Eventually Will raced through and slid our second into the net. Final score 2-1. We need to improve for next week.

A special mention to Rory who had a great game in the unfamiliar position of left-back. We took him off because he looked tired from rugby. However, after 3 hours in A&E our sponsor informed us that it wasn't tiredness causing the problem. It was playing with a broken hand. Go on Rory…. get fit soon.

Player of the Week: Ben worked hard, Will is in terrific scoring form, Kyle battled manfully with Joseph but for the second week running, Fyn deservedly took the plaudits.

Cumnor Click At Thatcham

A beautiful Autumn day, severe traffic problems, a makeshift goalie and a clinical display of passing football…Cumnor clicked for the first time this season with a slick display of precision passing.

With Harry stuck somewhere in Berkshire, Adam bravely took the gloves and produced a faultless 10 minutes where he didn't concede a goal; a first for Cumnor. The boys spread the ball around nicely and wisely kept the play away from our goal before Harry could race on. Unfortunately, and purely down to bad luck, Harry let one slip past him and we found ourselves behind well against the run of play. Still we pressed, still we pushed with Doddie giving us plenty of width on the right and the midfield controlling the tempo and the style of the game. Finally, the ball was being switched with ease, and patience replacing the forced ball forward to Ben and Nathan. Our goal came from a likely source when Will unleashed a devastating left foot shot into the side of the net. More chances followed with Nathan going close and Adam almost finding the net from 35 yards out with one of his hammered free kicks.

One each at half-time gave us the platform to push on and produce some of the best play the coaches have seen. Joseph finally discovered his left foot, clipping two delicious passes into the feet of our wingers. Will grabbed another with a drive from the edge of the box and delivered the perfect cross to Nathan who met it too cleanly and pushed it over. Kyle scored his first competitive goal for Cumnor with a cracking long range effort capping a fine all round display. Adam hit the bar but then made amends racing onto a tap in. And Fyn too, magnificent again at the back (with the equally splendid Rory, Charlie, Michael and Toby) proved his prowess at set pieces with a headed goal.

All the boys played their part, Tom breaking manfully through midfield and Ben using his head and his vision to unlock the strong Thatcham defence. A richly deserved word of praise too for Harry who made two excellent stops deep in the second-half. The final score of 5 - 1 was a fitting end. The challenge now is not to let things slip in the rematch this Sunday.

Player of the Week: mentions for Doddie, Adam and Will but the star performer, and growing in stature every week, Fyn

Cumnor Kick Off With A Win

The new season started on an Autumnal day on the big pitch at Milton. And whilst Cumnor looked a little rusty in terms of playing style, passing and communication… credit to the boys for a battling 4-2 win.

Rotation worked, allowing fresh legs to come on for tired - and crocked - players at key times in the game. Harry D was unfortunate to let in two but showed great handling skills. Charlie and Michael were tidy, confident and assured at full back. Fyn O had a great game at centre-half and proved a threat at set pieces bagging a deserved goal. He was joined at the back at various times by Tom, Adam, Will and Joseph and all four proved worthy deputies for the missing Rory.

In midfield, especially in the second-half, the boys grew in confidence and ambition. Kyle was excellent and Joseph put in a captain's shift taking some heavy knocks for the team. Tom made a huge impact driving forward and gave Cumnor real impetus with his strong runs. Out wide, Doddie, Harry and Fin gave us speed and edge. Doddie getting close to the scoresheet setting up Nathan's 'ghost goal'. Harry S did get a goal, clipping one into the top corner. Adam's delivery too was spot on and his set pieces continuously had Milton on the back foot.

Up front, Nathan worked tirelessly and was assisted nicely by Ben - who smashed home a superb goal - Fin and Will who all offered him clever service and support.

We'll take a first game win and look to improve. Remember boys, you need to work out what's going on around you and you must keep passing the ball.

Player of the Week: Special mention for Kyle but the award goes to Tom for an excellent all-round competitive debut.

Not quite in the groove at Grove

Despite a valiant effort, Cumnor U13s couldn't quite pull off a hat trick of wins from its tournaments this year. However with both teams qualifying from the group stages and one losing in the semi final, it's fair to say we have had good value for our entry fee.

We have learnt a lot from Crowmarsh, Summertown and Grove:

• Our passing style of football works well against all types of sides;
• We can shoot from distance when we need to;
• There is an excellent team spirit; 
• Cumnor v Cumnor is always fun;
• Adam and Fyn are not the jinx(s) everyone thought they were; 
• If you want to win, get in Matt Lay's team (he'll be back next summer no doubt); 
• Dave O'Shea should really be the Manager;
• Finally, and most importantly, we have a great squad of boys:
• All those from this season that want to stay are carrying on; 
• We have some great new players joining us for next year and we hope they all feel very welcome. 

Well done to all who have participated in the tournaments, they have been great fun and on the whole very successful.   Enjoy the summer, we'll be training before you know it.  

Summertown Stars!

Cumnor took its largest tournament squad ever to Summertown, and for the second year in a row came away with the spoils.  The squad was broken into three teams, all in our view with a realistic chance of winning.  Perhaps the key difference was the assigned Manager? Congratulations to the winners, commiserations to the runners up, and "you need a new coach" to those knocked out in the Q/F.  The best we could have possibly done was three teams into the S/F and two in the finals, and perhaps only the draw stopped us achieving this.  That said, it was not an easy tournament, with Whitton, Faringdon, Grove, Chasewell and "the Purples" all providing stiff competition.  There was great excitement including a SF penalty shoot out win and a last minute goal to get out of the group.  Overall an excellent effort, super football and a terrific squad of players.

The winners:
Matt "lucky charm" Lay - 7 from 8 now for Matt, anyone would think he played football for us.  Fairly untroubled in the group stages, there when it mattered for penalties - two great saves from three pens;
Will - Usual effort and predatory instincts, got the goals that kept the team flowing, and selfless play in the final costing Dave O dear (GTA I believe);
Fyn - sniffed out a number of goals, created plenty of chances and got the all important GTA hat-trick;
Joseph - all action display, occasionally upset the opposition players and smashed home a brilliant shoot-out penalty;
Toby - the tournament defender - unbeatable at the back, and scored!;
Adam - HE WON!!
Dave O - spent the whole morning preparing, great use of "incentives", and has already polished his trophy twice.  Ably assisted by Steve M on water boy duty!

Runners-up
Harry D - last years record of conceding no goals stayed in tact right to the final - unfortunately it couldn't be maintained.  Some spectacular saves (even when the ball wasn't going in) and great distribution.
Charlie - an even better performance than Crowmarsh, very solid, no fear tackling and a Maradonna-esque goal to cap it all;
Cameron - quality play all over the pitch, strong at the back, creative in midfield and a threat upfront - shame he plays for Kingston!;
Kyle - like Charlie, a second Cumnor tournament and a second great display - a really positive addition to the squad;
Ben - all action effort, good creativity and then, under pressure, scored the goal that secured qualification to the knock-out stages;
Doddy - lovely skills, two great over-shoulder efforts, followed by a slightly more dubious over-shoulder hand-ball, on another day would have had a hat full - denied by great keeping;
Dave R - not as good as Dave O

Knocked out in the Q/F by the eventual Runners-up
Josh - uncomplaining in goal even if there wasn't much to do, however when called upon pulled of a few wonderful saves, particularly against the "purples" (zero goals conceded in qualification);
Michael - great defence, great midfield play (perhaps not a forward??), smashed a great shot into another teams gazebo (as well as a couple into the back of the net), made things happen;
Harry S - first time in a Cumnor shirt, showed great speed, both going forward and, when needed tracking back, arriving from nowhere to make a couple of important blocks;
Tom - like Harry, first Cumnor appearance, looked assured, moved the ball with confidence and a true team player;
James - filled his usual role upfront, scored when needed and almost scored the goal of the day  - width of the post away;
Nathan - seemed to get punched kicked, tripped (once by the grass?) but kept getting up, fought valiantly and nearly snatched an equaliser in the QF;
Rory - recovered from being punched in the nose by his Dad to perform in his usual assured, confident way. Even worked out how to "draw" a foul and put it to good effect.
Tim - rubbish, if he was at Tottenham he'd be gone by now.

Crowmarsh Crown Secured

Cumnor travelled with a strong squad of 14 players to Crowmarsh.  Teams were picked in the car, groups were decided by a coin toss and the boys set to work on navigating their groups.

Cumnor (Ben, Matt, Will, Charlie, Fyn, Joseph and Toby) secured 3 wins and a draw, rotating positions well and scoring plenty of goals along the way.  Matt scored (twice) on his return to Cumnor football, Will scored plenty, Ben calmly slotted another penalty (despite Joseph trying to claim he should take it), Fyn grabbed important goals, whilst Charlie, Toby and Jospeh (+Matt in goal) ensured the team exited the group without conceding.

Cumnor Blues (Adam, Harry, Sam, Kyle, James, Rory and Nathan) initially found their group tougher going, securing a couple of tough 1-0 wins (which included a wonder strike from James to beat Abingdon). In the latter stages of the group, things started to move and goals became easier to come by.   Adam scored a few (often encouraged to shoot by the other Cumnor team), James continued to find the net, and Harry, when released from between the sticks, was a revelation.  Nathan and Sam showed a family trait of tireless hard work whilst Kyle and Rory made sure no goals were conceded in the qualifying process.  Cumnor Blues finished as the highest group winner and so secured a bye in the quarter final.

Cumnor played Hinksey in the QF, knowing that a win would lead to a semi-final against Cumnor Blues. The team had perhaps its poorest game of the afternoon, struggling to breakdown a team that it had beaten 3-0 in the group stages. After a goalless 8 minutes we were in to sudden death extra time. Suddenly Hinksey broke through on Matt's goal - we thought it was all over - but Matt pulled of a great save to keep the scores level. With time running out Ben broke forward, beat three players (probably the same player 3 times?) and squared for Will who managed to bundle the ball over the line.  1-0 and into the semis.

Cumnor vs Cumnor Blues - what a match up.  Zero goals conceded by both teams - something had to give. With the referee fearing a blood bath, the boys were very restrained, polite even.  The game had few chances, however Will put Cumnor ahead on 6 minutes.  Cumnor Blues pressed for the equaliser, and with seconds to go, Kyle seemed to beat virtually the whole Cumnor team and stood up a cross to the back post - Sam charged in - and put it just wide.   Cumnor through to the final.

The delights of Oxford Irish awaited Cumnor in the final.  OI scored first through a long throw (a tactic they employed often), and had the best of the first 5 minutes, with Matt keeping Cumnor in the game.  Cumnor created more and more as time went on, and eventually Joseph found Will who banged home the equaliser. There was just time for the KO before the whistle went. Sudden death extra time ensued, which, OI's long throws apart, went without incident.  Level at full time, it was time for the penalty shoot out.  3 each initially, then sudden death.  Could Cumnor hold their nerve?  Could Matt be the hero?  Time would tell.

1. Ben - bottom left - goal
2. Will - smashed right - goal
3. Fyn - stroked right - goal

3-3 at the end, into sudden death:

1. Joseph - curled right - goal.    Matt then saves the OI 5th attempt
2. Toby - with the chance to win the cup - stroked right - goal

Pandemonium ensues, and off the team go to pick up the first tournament trophy of 2014.  Special mention for Fyn (his first ever tournament win in a Cumnor shirt after 7 years of trying), Charlie, winning on his Cumnor debut and Matt for his heroics between the sticks.     

         

Cumnor Finish 3rd

The result may have been disappointing but that shouldn't detract from a superb season. Horspath deserved to win 6 - 1, they had too much skill and intensity for us and in Stefan, arguably the best player in the league. But what about Cumnor? Well, think about this: Cumnor finish 3rd with 38 points, the two teams above us (Horspath and Didcot) in league head-to-heads we took 3 points off Horspath and 4 points of Didcot. We are a cracking team, full of pace and vision, we just need to dig in and fight a little more. That will come. Enjoy what this season brought and thank you for being such a brilliant squad.

To our leavers: Jack, Luke and Henry we wish you great success elsewhere and promise you'll always have a home at Cumnor. We are already on the lookout for new players and promise to attack the new season when it comes.

Awards
Thanks for the kind words, alcohol and soaking. It was a glorious occasion with every boy in the reckoning for an award.

Most Improved Player: Harry
Parents' Player: Michael/Ben
Players' Player: Nathan
Coaches' Player: Joseph
Golden Boot: Will/Nathan

As for the stats (competitive matches, league and 2 cup comps)
Played: 22
Won: 14 (interestingly, we had two runs of 5 wins in a row)
Lost: 6
Drawn: 2 (Oxford Irish, aaaargghhhh!)
Scored: 85
Conceded: 45
Biggest Win: Crowmarsh Tigers 13-1
Biggest Loss: Horspath 6-1

Scorers:
Nathan/Will    19 each

Adam             10

Ben                 9

Fyn                  7

Jack                 5

Luke                5

James              3

Rory                2

Josh                 2

Michael           2

Joseph             1

Cumnor Secure Top 3 Finish

Three more points after an impressive 8-0 defeat of Grove see Cumnor secure a Top 3 finish in our first Oxford Mail League season. Goals by Will x 3, Nathan x 2, Jack x 2 and Josh - based on an all round solid display take us to 38 points with one match left against champions elect, Horspath.

Overall a pleasing performance which allowed us to experiment with the formation so we could see Nathan - who has been an unparalleled goalscoring success - play in midfield and defence, Fyn/Adam continue a flirtation with centre-half and Toby push into midfield. Without wishing to disrespect Grove, these are the games where you test the mettle of the squad.

Player of the Week: some great touches by Doddie and James, solid matchplay by Ben, Harry, Michael and Rory and a cracking headed goal by Josh but pow for first time this season, Will

Cumnor Back On Top

Thursday night football on a beautiful Spring evening - with the threat of a violent rainstorm - suits us. As does the smooth grass of Appleton. Another accomplished performance saw us beat Radley 4-1. The result was perhaps a little closer than the scoreline suggests, especially after Radley scored, but there was to be no 3 goal collapse in the final minutes.

As a team we passed the ball well and tried to work openings down the wings with Jack and Will looking for the ever busy Nathan. Defensively we were strong with Rory and Fyn playing together at centre-half for the first time, ably supported by Michael, Toby, Harry and Josh. Henry continued his good form from Didcot and added an excellent array of goal kicks to his armoury. We won the game in midfield with Ben, Joseph and Adam contesting every ball and James adding a strong defensive presence in the the second-half.

The goals came from Nathan in the first-half, an own goal from a Will cross, a lovely move and finish by Ben and Adam, directly from a corner.

With two games to play we are well in the mix to finish higher than we dared imagine last September.

Player of the Week: another excellent performance from the ultra reliable Joseph.

Cumnor Roar Back Into Contention

Ok, we might not win the League but our dreams of a top 3 finish are back on with a blistering win at dangerous Didcot. Recent weeks have been difficult what with injuries, last minute collapses and a depleted squad to pick from. But whilst Jose was parking his buses at Anfield, we went for a more attack-minded approach.

The recent Radley defeat re-iterated that we play better football when we play it fast on the ground. That was the plan, 4-3-3, straight for the jugular football. We knew Didcot would be patient and well drilled, we knew they had 7 District players in their team, we knew they could go short or go long. We knew we didn't want the season to just fizzle out. But it was Martin Hunter who set us up with the suggestion of pairing Fyn and Adam at centre-half. They'd played there before, briefly. Their Saturday side certainly like them there, although not together. It was an intriguing suggestion but with our regular centre-halves playing rugby, Jack reassigned to causing midfield mischief and Will banned by his mother from heading the ball... it seemed like a brainwave.

And it was. Adam and Fyn provided the bedrock, Toby, Harry and Michael nullified the wingers and Henry got better and braver after an early wobble. In midfield, Ben again was everywhere, Joseph rock solid and Jack whippet quick and ready to strike. Up front we looked very dangerous with Will and Doddie full of purpose and ideas. And Nathan, what a season he's had. He opened the scoring early in the half after taking the ball wide and calmly slotting it in. Didcot equalised after we were caught square but Will - returning to the team and the scoresheet - banged one in.

Cumnor were up and flying but Didcot continued to threat. Adam was unlucky with a clearance which fell to a Didcot striker leaving it 2 - 2 at half time.

We re-organised slightly in the second half reverting to a 4-4-2. This gave us a more solid line but we still committed to the attack. Ben broke through and was thwarted at the near post by the Didcot keeper causing him to depart the action with a muscle pull. A new keeper, a corner, a chance... but Adam's cross was punched away, threat over. Except it wasn't. Fyn, 30 yards out, swivelled and hit the ball on the bounce into the roof of the net. The goal of the game? Not just that, the goal of the season! Didcot came back with everything but didn't reckon on James and Joseph playing a blinder as holding midfielders. We snuffed out an attack, we broke and left it once more for Nathan to smash home a wonderful fourth.

4 - 2, a great, great win. Have Cumnor rediscovered our best form? It looks like we might have.

Player of the Week: Adam and James played very well in newish positions, Nathan caused the opposition massive problems, Will added another dimension to our attacking play but the prize went to stand in skipper, centre-half and half volley maestro, Fyn.

Spirited Cumnor Rocked By Radley

Our second match in 3 days against the same opposition, another loss but in terms of attitude and adventure a whole world away from Sunday's meek capitulation. The boys were on it from the off, playing exciting ball to feet attacking football, harrying Radley and frightening them with a fluid 4-3-3 formation. The first half was a good a half as we've played this season with Ben quite magnificent pulling the strings in attack. Jack too was a boy unleashed, tormenting, teasing, tricking his way down the wing and Nathan was incredibly unlucky not to score the opener in the first few minutes. Was the keeper fouled? Not sure... but in fairness to the ref, it happened so quickly he probably felt it right to err on the side of caution.

Cumnor didn't let the early disappointment quell our attacking instincts and moved the ball with intelligence and speed. This is is football OUR way. Joseph, Adam and Jack were quick to break, Fyn offering an outlet in the channel. Whilst at the back, Harry, Josh, Rory and Michael marshalled the ball away from Henry's goal and out into the open spaces. The momentum was with us, the gauntlet hurled down. Then, disaster, Michael - so assured and accomplished at full back - came off with a pulled muscle. Luckily, Toby was on hand to bring his blocking nous to the game.

Half-time, 0-0 and we were set fair to take the game on.

However, the second-half wasn't quite as one-sided. An early injury to Joseph saw him leave the action and we had to re-organise with James coming on up front. What effected us was two boys on the bench unable to play and that meant we couldn't rest and rotate. To play the high tempo football of the first half required numbers in reserve... our boys understandably couldn't keep the pace up. This allowed Radley to come more into the game but luckily, Henry was more than a match for them. The goal came from a break and was superbly taken. We never quite threatened after that. But the cries from the home spectators to take the ball into the corner and for the ref to blow up proved we had reestablished our reputation from last Sunday. It was one heck of a game of football. And it signifies our intent for the rest of the season: we will go for it.

Player Of The Week: a collective award to all 13 players. But Ben was especially good in that first half

Cup Dreams Smashed

Well, it was a fairly one-sided affair but congratulations to Radley for ending our cup run. We lost 3-0 and on reflection, we can't complain. Radley's physical superiority made it impossible for Cumnor to make in roads. We could have played smarter, we could have used the pace and the creativity we have out wide but it wasn't to be. The boys fought valiantly but it was a day for thinking rather than fighting. And we left our football brains in bed.

Player of the Week: a gutsy midfield display from Ben was one of the few highlights

Last Minute Heartbreak Leave Cumnor Crushed

Heartbreaking. Unfathomable. Shellshocked. Call it whatever you like but there is no denying the pain and confusion we feel today as we try and figure out what actually went wrong in the closing minutes against Oxford Irish. With just under 10 minutes to go we were cruising 3 nil up. Then a corner was allowed to bounce in the box. A harsh penalty was given. A loose ball broke free to an attacker. Bang. Ref's whistle. 3 - 3. Unbelievable.

No-one saw that result coming, especially the Oxford Irish coaches and parents. The ref didn't either... in fact, he said Cumnor played the best football he'd seen at this age level this season. And we did. We played beautiful football from the start, fluid and crisp, not even a violent hail storm and 10 minute delay could spoil. Every Cumnor boy contributed to a fine all round team performance. A fully stretched Henry made the save of the season in the second-half to stop a certain goal. Josh read the game like a master and revealed genuine instinctive footballing intelligence. Rory, carrying a rugby knock, was strong, tough and always in control of his defence. Toby returned to his rotweiller best, snapping away at attackers, making the ball his. Harry's positioning again was spot on and his confidence in the air showed there was no aerial way in for Irish. Centre-half, wide right, midfield...  Jack was our go to man, just wind him up and watch him tear into the game. And Michael, well another all round excellent display, something he's been doing week in, week out up and down the right flank.

In midfield, the triumverate of Joseph, Adam and Ben bossed the game. Suddenly we have a central three blessed with power, attitude and cleverness. Joseph strolled around the field like he owned the place which is exactly what you want your rock, your CDM to do. Adam has been reborn in recent weeks and is obviously loving the rough and tumble of the central areas. Ben is a wonderstrike waiting to happen; his speed of thought and action makes our transition from defence to attack possible. And out wide, Fyn played with attitude and aggression and plenty of skill. He never stopped fighting. He hit the ball of the day. Over on the over wing, our most creative player, Doddie: our pocket Pele... what a joy it is to watch him run at defenders.

Up front, James almost scored with his first touch but his positioning and awareness adds so much to our attacking play. Then there was Nathan who was quite simply magnificent. His work rate on his own is tremendous and his linking play when partnered with Fyn or James is quick, clever and effective.

So that was us, minus Luke and Will. Let's be honest, we should have won. We played brilliant, on the ground football. Nathan's goals were coolly taken. And his supply work to get that cross in for Adam to eventually unleash his first time thunderbolt was superb. All the best things came from Cumnor: Doddie finding a way to the byline to set up the second, Fyn's visionary cross field pass, Jack throwing himself into a crush of bodies or chucking a cheeky little trick in. Joseph bullocking through the middle... the great stuff came from us. We set the standard, we set the the tempo. We were set to win the match.

But these things happen. It can't be explained, it just has to be endured. There is something we can learn from Oxford Irish and that is, never give up. Never stop trying. Full credit to them for digging in and keeping going til the very last kick. Let's hold onto the pain we felt at the final whistle and channel it into next week's cup semi-final. We shall rise again.

Player of the Week: Adam for his all-action midfield display and his beautifully taken goal.

The Cup Run Is On

A beautiful day, a lovely full-sized pitch, a stand for Richard to shout advice from, a good Ardley side and a well-constructed win which sees us in the semi-final of the cup.

After being out muscled by Harwell we set up slightly different for the first-half with Adam and Joseph playing in tandem as a protective two in front of the defence, leaving Fyn, Ben, Will and Nathan as an attacking four. As usual, plans never go to plan and it was soon apparent that Fyn was struggling with a dodgy knee and Toby (still nursing an injury) was having trouble with the ball over the top to the speedy Ardley 9. A little bit of tinkering saw Luke on for Fyn and Harry for Toby. The half continued to be an open affair with Ardley testing our defence but Cumnor applying more pressure. Continued threat saw a free-kick awarded 25 yards out which Adam - not unexpectedly - thumped into the top of the net. 1-0.

With the sun beating down and the size of the pitch taking its toll on the boys' energy reserves, we went 4-4-2 in the second-half with Adam dropping out for a breather, Will going up front to help a tireless Nathan and Doddie briefed to hug the left touchline. Ardley thought they could get to us at the back so the defence were told to play a disciplined line and squeeze Ardley deeper. We looked more comfortable and started the half the stronger but Ardley bagged an equalizer after a defensive error. 1-1.

Suddenly Cumnor went into overdrive and played the best football of the match. The midfield trio of Ben, Joseph and Adam were rotating to keep the tempo high, Luke was troubling their left back and Doddie getting behind on the other wing and making a real nuisance of himself. The best things were built came from the back with Rory maintaining order and Jack playing mature, intelligent football and setting up some good Cumnor attacks. The goal came from great decision making and execution from Michael who floated a searching cross into the box. The ever alert Will ran to the ball, saw the keeper advancing and headed the ball over him into the net. A lovely delicate finish. 2-1.

There was a slight wobble when a cross came out of the sun and hit the bar but otherwise, the game belonged to Cumnor.

Overall, the boys showed their flexibility and desire and once again proved how good we are when we play with the ball at our feet.

Player of the Week: an excellent all-round performance with particular praise for Adam in the middle, Will's attacking threat and Doddie's speed of thought but the award went to Nathan for a totally selfless display up front.

Harwell Heartbreak

It was just one of those days. That's all. We know we can play better. We know we will play better. But, a wobbly pitch and a physical team with a clear game plan meant we couldn't impose what we wanted to do on proceedings. We tried, the boys gave their all but a 5-3 defeat dents our league ambitions. However, there is still plenty to play for and we can take some positives from Sunday: including two nicely taken goals by Luke and Will and a coolly executed penalty by Ben.

Let's get back on track against Ardley.

Back On Track

Finally, after weeks of waiting, we got back on the pitch and back to winning ways. It's lovely being top of the league but the frustration at not playing, the fear the good momentum built over recent months slipping away, the boredom of Sunday afternoon's doing something else.... was proving hard to bear. So we got exactly what we needed: a cup game.

Let's get the obvious bit out of the way first, we won 13-1 with goals scored by Will, Ben, Adam, Josh, James, Luke, Fyn, Jack and Michael. But we also missed a load more and whether that's down to a bad bounce, a rubbish ball, or a slight panic in front of goal, we have to learn to be more decisive and more clinical with our finishing. We made plenty of chances and looked very good in patches. But, we rushed it a bit too much, we hoofed it forward when we should have played it square. The patience and intelligence we wanted wasn't there. Maybe it was inevitable against opposition a couple of leagues below us and a match after weeks of inaction? When the floodgates opened, all the boys wanted to rush in and score. Full credit to Crowmarsh Tigers however, for never losing heart in filthy conditions and scoring an excellent goal.

There are many positives to take forward as we enter this crucial part of the season. Will showed once again he knows where the goal is and scored two very nice individual goals and got in the right areas to finish the other two. Fyn has new scoring boots and continued to play the spaces between attack and midfield with intelligence and insight. Ben too, bagged a brace but was even more effective opening up the midfield with his slide rule passing. Michael from full back continues to dominate and threaten. Rory, Josh, Jack and Toby held a high defensive live and look an imposing four at the back. Out wide, Doddie dazzles with his touch and vision whilst Luke and Adam threaten the full backs, find space in the final third and are never afraid to go for goal. Joseph adds muscle and tempo in midfield and James brings the audacious flicks and tricks into tighter areas to make space for the runners. Add in Harry who is an able and willing deputy in goal and never flinches playing out and you have someone who offers the squad strength in depth. Throw in Henry and his excellent keeping and Nathan's goals, speed, strength and attacking nous and it soon becomes obvious: we have a chance this season, we have no reason to fear anyone, we control our own destiny.

So let's take the win and move on. Let's show the rest of the league in these remaining fixtures what we are capable of. There is not a single boy in this squad the coaches would be without. We have the talent... it's now all about the desire to play football the way we know we can.

Player of the Week: it was too cold to hang around so it went to everyone.

Cumnor Go Clear

After our excellent coverage in the Oxford Mail we had to ensure we didn't slip up against Goring and thankfully, it was business as usual and a 6 point lead at the top of the A league.

Not ideal conditions with the Appleton pitch cutting up and a freezing mist descending but Cumnor started very brightly with James almost scoring the fastest goal in Oxford Mail League history. The boys were instructed to play their football and work their openings and a new central midfield partnership of Adam and Luke certainly gave us attacking impetus. Ben and Fyn worked the wide areas and Nathan and James combined smartly up front with their understanding and link play improving with each performance.

The first half was all about making - and taking - chances and it was something Nathan did superbly. Time and again he found himself with just the goalie to beat and time and again he slotted the ball home. Four goals in one half from one player is quite some tally and it is a testament to Nathan's dedication and attitude that he felt disappointed he didn't score more (well, his dad did!) Ben got on the sheet as well, clearly enjoying the freedom of playing out wide, he forced the ball home with a powerful shot that took a little help from the defence.

With no Henry and Harry, Jack went in goal and his first touch was to pick the ball up from the back of the net. Chris just glowered. But Jack came good and despite not having too much to do, he made some good saves and was very commanding of his area. In the second-half he swapped with Rory who was equally adept, making a brilliant save with his cheek.

The goals kept coming in the second-half with Will grabbing two including a lovely first time finish and Fyn jumping on the end of a cross to score from close range. Doddie and Michael combined perfectly down the right and Toby was like Des Walker himself, as in 'you'll never beat Des Walker'. Adam started to dictate the tempo, Joseph was his usual solid self and a lively Luke always looking to latch onto a loose ball. Nathan gave the net a rest and played a very sound half at the back, allowing us to switch to a 3-5-2 formation. As we move into the business end of the season, flexibility and options are key to where we'll finish this season.

A final score of 8-2 and another win. Goring made us work hard but the boys displayed excellent discipline and patience.

Player of the Week: special mention to Michael and Adam but the decision went Nathan's way for giving us a real 'game of two halves'.

New Year Nailbiter

A 6-3 win over Harwell might not sound like a close game but the result somewhat flatters Cumnor. The tension was quite high before kick-off because we had to fight against a water-logged pitch and the threat of another downpour to make sure the match went ahead. In the end, sand, rakes, forks and a lucky freeze overnight meant that our match was the only game played in Oxfordshire.

Cumnor looked to be in the middle of the Christmas break after conceding two very early goals. Both were down to defensive lapses, the second even came from our attacking corner. What Cumnor did have was available numbers which meant David and Tim could tweak the formation and the on-field 11. Josh and Michael came on to steady the defence, Doddie pushed wide right and started feeding Will and Fyn up front. Chances were created and soon we were back in the game after Luke scrambled one in from a few yards out. Minutes later, good work from Doddie and Fyn put Adam in, 2-2. By now, Cumnor were in the ascendency with Joseph and Ben winning the battle of the midfield mud. Another pressing move down the right, another cross and there was Joseph to score his very first Cumnor goal and take us into half-time 3-2 up.

The second-half saw James and Nathan paired up front, Toby in defence, Jack wide left and a bench of Rory, Will, Fyn and Ben... something we would have never dreamed of doing last season. But we have every faith in our squad and despite Harwell getting an equaliser, we knew Cumnor would win.

Harwell played some good football and they were very strong in defence and on the right. Nathan scored an excellent individual goal tearing in from the left and finding the net. 4-1. The changes were coming quickly, Jack took a knock, Will and Ben replaced a shattered Luke and Joseph, and Rory was once more in the game. Will went down 25 yards out after a heavy challenge leaving Adam to clip home a lovely free-kick. 5-3. The match was all but over yet Henry still had to be focussed. Harry moved to wide left and gave us plenty of width, James was putting in some nice touches. The last goal from Rory was scrambled in but our skipper ensured no upstart striker would claim that goalscoring chance.

Full credit to both teams for playing excellent attacking football in very sticky conditions. Cumnor go back to the top of the A league. No slip ups now, boys!

Player of the Week: Michael was excellent, Fyn worked very hard and Josh added steel to our backline but for a really clever, skilful performance, the award went to Doddie.