Cumnor Minors U11s

Cup Run Continues

2012-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Eynsham, going well in the division below us, fancied an upset. And, when they saw us turn up with 11 players and saw Ben bloodied and Adam crocked in the warm up, they were rubbing their hands with glee. But, this is Braveheart Cumnor, bold Cumnor, slick passing high tempo Cumnor, set up to break quickly and score.

A game of two halves? Only if you look at the 4-1 score. True we did the damage in the first half through a Will drive and top corner free kick, a nice Ben strike and a neat piece of following up by Toby, but we were unlucky not to add to the score in the second half. Rory, rampaging through the midfield, almost scored a screamer, we hit the post and James E had one stopped on the line. True, we conceded but Ben could barely run and Toby was carrying a knock. We re-jiggled, re-structured and still kept control despite the best efforts of a committed Eynsham.

We're looking good and focussed, we have a plan. Here's to taking the spoils at Deddington next Sunday.

Player of the Week: Rob lavished praise on all 11 but the decision was unanimous, and the award went to Ed for playing exceptionally well on the left wing.

Blown Away

2012-01-21T11:12:00.001-08:00

That's the only way to describe it; blown away by a performance of skill, guts and passion when all seemed lost. What a game, full of dazzling interlinking play, tough tackling, lots of tinkering and a gale force wind.

We knew we'd have to make the wind advantage pay in the first half and we had about 90% of the territory. It took a while but Fyn opened the scoring with a neat finish. Rory got the second with a powerful drive before a clever pass by Adam saw Will in for the third and a half-time lead of 3-0.

We tinkered, we re-shaped, we brought Ben into the centre, pushed Will wide, brought Joe on and placed Josh in the heart of defence with Rory. We knew we'd be under the cosh due to the trying conditions but didn't expect to go two down quite so quickly. All the insecurities, all the bad luck that's dogged us this season came flooding back and suddenly, Chippy were level. We tweaked again, pulling Will central and pushing James E and Lucas wide. Then the penny dropped and Cumnor started playing football. Will found Fyn who nodded it to Adam to slam in the fourth. All the fear and insecurity slipped away and Cumnor played like the Cumnor of old and it was fitting that Fyn scored two awesome goals to complete his hat-trick... and show the crowd his 'Sleepover Celebration'. 3-0 up, 3-3 and then a 6-3 win... there's never been a game like it.

Player of the Week: James S, Josh and Rory... Matt in the first-half, Will and Ben in midfield but it came down to Adam and Fyn. Adam set up 4 of the 6 goals and scored a beauty but in the end, Fyn for taking his chances so brilliantly

Gutted

2012-01-09T01:40:00.000-08:00

It's hard to remain positive when events seem plain wrong but that's what we have to do after another sickening defeat, this time against Bardwell. From the sidelines the decisions that went against us (penalty conceded, penalty denied, hand ball missed) seemed harsh but the boys reacted with dignity and class and got on with the game.

As a spectacle, it was a bit kick and miss but Cumnor did play some lovely stuff in the second half forcing the Bardwell keeper two make a series of very fine saves. Will controlled the tempo of the match when he moved into midfield and Ben capped a fine display out right with a truly excellent goal. Our defending improved as the game wore on with Josh and Rory combining well and James S having a quite excellent game at right back. And, it was great to see Lucas make a lively debut.

Well done to Barwdell, unlucky Cumnor... here's hoping we get a decision soon.

Player of the Week: James S for his staunch defending

Undone

2011-12-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

Bad luck to the the boys who lose 7-1 to an excellent Middleton Cheney. We battled hard and went close early on but MC are disciplined, organised and have a strong squad. They deserved their win but our morning was lit up by a lovely lifted finish by Fyn and Henry S' spectacular save.

Player of the Week: attitude, commitment, stamina... the man for a fight: Matt

Please, Please, Please Let Us Get What We Want

2011-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

3 points? A little bit of luck? A penalty!

What cannot be faulted is the performance of the boys. Since we last lost to Ducklington we've re-booted our set up, our tactics and our attitude. The boys have been tremendous, they've taken on board our instruction and delivered where it matters... on the pitch. On Saturday, the football gods were against us because that's the only way to explain what happened. 3-1 was impossibly harsh. On a small pitch, sticky with mud, it wasn't pretty but it was compelling. Here's the view from the sideleines:

Henry: it takes a brave boy to go in goal... and Henry's been a lion this season
James S: called in last minute to replace injured Joe and was a revelation... great attitude too
Josh: has been unshackled in the last few weeks, defends with confidence and dangerous going forward
Will: only his 3rd game at the back... incredible
Rory: the rock... always on top form
Matt: runs and runs and runs... he never gives up and frightens the opposition out wide
Toby: loving the creative freedom in the middle
Ed: made the Duck no.5 cry... inspired in the fight
Adam: apparently, he's injured. Doesn't play like it
Ben: every tackle, every pass counts
Fyn: audacious flick, lovely finish... Fyn is purring once more
James E: came on, got stuck in and did his bit for the team

That's just our view. The Ducklington coaches, parents and referee all thought Cumnor were hard done by. We were, but there are so many positives now to take into the Middleton Cheney game next Saturday. Come on boys, this time is ours!

Player of the Week: James S for filling in at right back and playing so well

Cumnor On A Cup Run

2011-11-21T05:06:00.000-08:00

It's all kicking off, in a good way.

The boys put in another exceptional performance to beat a dogged Easington and book a place in the next round of the cup. With a full squad to chose from, we set up as we did against Deddington... and the system worked again.

Cumnor built steady from the start with the defence holding a high line and ensuring most of the play was in the Easington half. Ben made a great break towards the goal and found Fyn, who spun beautifully on the spot and found the net. 1-0. However, the plan had to change earlier than the coaches hoped with Toby taking a nasty knock to be replaced by James S. More Cumnor pressure saw a corner which Matt bravely met with his head but couldn't convert. The ball spun wide left to Josh who nicely found Ed to set up Will for a fantastic edge of the box strike. 2-0.

Cumnor were motoring with the defence looking untroubled and Matt and Adam chasing everything down. Fyn was making a nuisance of himself and James S was stroking the ball about nicely. Adam latched on to a loose ball out wide and hit a clever looping shot into the goal. 3-0. With Cumnor well on top now, Ed was applying muscle in midfield. James picked up a stray pass and moved forward. With options both side, he decided to shoot. Somehow, the ball slipped through the keeper and into the net. 4-0.

In the second-half, we rang the changes with Henry M and James S joining the action and Henry S leaving his goal behind for a well-deserved run. He was unlucky not to score and rattled the bar with one effort. But goals did come, two more. Our fifth showed some great anticipation by Josh to race onto Joe's pass and our sixth and final goal saw James E smash home Rory's saved shot. 6-0.

Fantastic result, lovely to see six different scorers on the sheet and we were delighted to give all the boys plenty of football. Let's stay focussed and put what we've learnt about ourselves during the last two weeks into practice against Ducklington.

Player of the Week: another difficult decision but Josh stood out for his confidence, positional play and desire to get forward.

Remember: anticipate where the ball might go and get there first

Back On Track

2011-11-14T02:29:00.000-08:00

On a grey and dismal November day, the U11s lit up the gloom with a sparkling performance against bogey team Deddington. All the listening and hard work in training was finally taken on to the pitch as the boys brought passion, determination and guts to their already considerable skills.

There was some tinkering too. Josh was pushed out to left back, Fyn played lone striker and Ben dropped into the hole between midfield and attack. The biggest tactical switch however, was bringing Ed into central midfield to terrorise the opposition, and slotting Will into central defence. For too long this season Will has been isolated out wide, bringing him back to pair up with the formidable Rory, strengthened the spine of the team. There were other little changes that helped, taking the boys into the changing rooms for clear and concise tactical instruction (which Ed followed to the letter) and stirring them up with a little rousing speech. So did the minutes silence which helped focus their minds that football, is after all, a game to be enjoyed.

From the whistle, the boys got at Deddington. Rory and Will held a high line which pushed the midfield on and allowed us to play in Deddington's half. The passing was crisp and slick, Ed and Toby linking especially well and giving Ben plenty of time on the ball. A nice move saw the ball break for Adam but his effort was blocked only for Toby to jump on the rebound and slide it home for his second Cumnor goal. 1-0.

Cumnor were on the attack, sniffing more opportunities. Fyn almost got in but just over ran the ball, Matt and Adam were burning up the flanks and Joe - along with Rory our most consistent player this year - played a lovely ball to put Adam through to win a free kick about 25 yards out. Up stepped Will and smashed it high towards the goal, the keeper got a hand to it but carried it over the line. 2-0.

This was the Cumnor of old... but with 11 confident boys, trusting one another with the ball, talking to each other, fighting for the team. And nothing personified this new attitude than the full blooded challenge made by Matt which could be heard in Middleton Cheney. More attacks came, Josh looking very accomplished in his new role, itching to use his speed and get forward. Toby and Ed got stuck into everything and Ben just refused to be dominated. Deddignton were not done yet and a quick piece of thinking by their striker saw him sprint clear and knock a corner in at the near post. 2-1. Game on.

In recent matches, our heads might have dropped, but this tough re-booted Cumnor would not bow down again. Great work by Matt saw Ben on a twinkle-toe run into the box before chipping the goalie with the deftest of touches only to see the ball go inches wide. Deddington applied the pressure but our twin rocks at the back were winning every header. Then just before half-time, super alert Henry S put a monster kick in which found Fyn. With ground to cover and defenders breathing down his neck, Fyn raced clear and cheekily played it inside the far post for a lovely finish. 3-1.

In the second-half, Cumnor didn't let up despite a ferocious fight back by Deddington. In some ways, this was more pleasing because it showed we were able to protect a lead and still push forward. James S came on and was full of intelligent play. Ed went close and Will put a testing ball in on the keeper which might have beaten a smaller goalie. Admittedly, we played it a little more direct than in recent games but at least we had the ball. With the ball, we're as good as anyone in the league; getting the ball has been our problem. Never at any time in the second-half did we look likely to lose and that shows what a terrific all round performance it was by all 12 players. Here's hoping we've turned the corner and put a slow start to the season behind us.

Player of the Week: shared between Toby (for his midfield generalship) and Will (for taking to a new position so well)

Remember: We can't play lovely without the ball

Ducklington Disaster

2011-10-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

The same old story, Cumnor were undone by a team who just wanted that ball more than we did. We started well and moved the ball nicely around the pitch but credit to Ducklington, they fought for the ball, linked nicely between midfield and attack and relied on their clever no.11 to sprint clear and finish well.

4-0 might seem harsh but we can't look for excuses. Cumnor upped the aggression and intensity in the final quarter and might have challenged for the win if we had started the game in that manner. But we didn't, and we lost. Again.

Player of the Week: Joe

Bardwell Blitz

2011-10-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, 6-1 is a bit of a thrashing but the result hardly justified the performance. The boys played with passion and style and were exceptionally unlucky. Ben took his goal beautifully and put in a real skipper's performance. Rory was superb in midfield and Will and Ben linked beautifully. We were desperately unlucky to lose Adam to a knee injury but all the boys certainly improved on last week's disappointing effort against Banbury. One thing Bardwell did do extremely well was get their shots away: high, hard and handsome.

Player of the Week: big heart, lovely technique...Ben

Lesson: get those shots in early

The Heat Is On

2011-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Shocking performance against Banbury as we crashed to a 3-1 defeat. No fight, no thought, no desire... here's hoping there's a big improvement in attitude and aptitude very soon.

Player of the Week: Not awarded this week

Middleton Meltdown

2011-09-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

A big well done to the boys who played with spirit up at MC and, although defeat hurt, there were no tears or recriminations. It's fair to say MC deserved their win and showed they were strong in every position (and the bench). Their movement and passing is something we can aspire to and we look forward too seeing them at The Closes later this season.

No excuses but it's worth noting we were 3 boys down, Will was three-quarters fit and James E was carrying a groin strain. Also, the two own goals were harsh and the ball never seemed to roll our way. Okay then, some excuses... but 4 - 0 could have been a lot worse but for the splendid antics of the returning Ollie in goal, and the best player on the pitch by a mile, Rory.

Player of the Week: Rory the Rock

Remember: There's no such thing as a 50/50 ball. It's yours!

The Big Kick Off

2011-09-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

With the move upto 11-a-side and playing on the big pitch, the U11s knew this year, we'd be facing different challenges. The coaches were keen to point out that all we expected from the boys was that they had fun and did their best. And on Saturday they did exactly that... and came away with an excellent 3-1 win.

There was some worry before kick off as Will turned up on crutches but one player's disappointment is another's opportunity and, playing wide left starting his first match for Cumnor, Matt took his. We lined up with Henry S in goal; a back four of Joe, Toby, Josh, Ed; Matt, Kyle, Rory and Adam across the middle and Ben and Fyn up front. We were at it from the kick off, looking to control the play, hold positions and, most importantly of all, tackle. The recent training time spent on committing to the tackle and showing correct technique set the tone of our performance.

Adam launched our first attack forcing a good save from the keeper. More insightful play and excellent off the ball running saw Ben play Fyn in to score the season's opener. The flood gates would have opened with Cumnor getting chance after chance forcing save and goaline clearances by the plucky Swifts. Rory and Kyle were controlling the tempo and Adam and Matt were running themselves ragged down the wings. At the back, Josh and Toby stayed focussed and together. With Ed and Joe rattling into every challenge, the coaches were delighted with the first half. A fine performance was sealed when Henry made a strong save to keep the lead and Fyn scored a beautifully taken 2nd. 2-0.

In the second-half we started ringing the changes getting James E and James S on. The Cumnor attacks were fast and fluid with Ben going close and James E hitting the bar with a dipping half volley. With the boys blowing a bit - and a few knocks picked up - the rotation policy was working well. James E became increasingly more influential and played nicely of the solid midfield base behind him. With the game moving into the final quarter, Adam broke free and sent a thunderous shot home from out wide to make the score 3-0. Job done, despite Chippy scoring a late consolation. 3-1.

Player of the Week: it could have been anyone because they all played brilliantly but in the end it came down to our new boys Josh and Kyle with Kyle just getting the nod.

Remember: want that ball, win those tackles.

New Season Start

2011-09-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

The new season begins on Sat Sept 10th as we host Chipping Norton Swifts. New kits, new players, new pitch... this season is all about FUN and IMPROVEMENT. Enjoy yourself boys, show everyone what you can do!

Award Winners 2010/11

2011-05-17T05:37:00.001-07:00

Players' Player: OLLIE
Parents' Player: TOBY
Coaches' Player: MATT
Most Improved: ED
Golden Boot: WILL

Congratulations!

Tournaments

2011-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sun May 8th Tower Hill (2 teams)
Sun June 5th Crowmarsh (2 teams)
Sun June 19th Summertown (2 teams)

Brackley Bounceback

2011-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

A team of seven, a pitch full of daisies, 4 crocked ankles, one bang in the face... yep, the Brackley game was a fitting way to end our season. In the first game, we took the lead through a Ben strike, failed to close down well enough to concede the equalizer and lost to a soft winner. The boys fought but were outmuscled by a strong Brackley bunch who were protected by a novice (his words) ref. Final score: 2-1

We didn't plan on playing a second game but we did, albeit a shortened one. With the coaches leaving it to the boys to sort positions, they went on to put in one of the best performances of the season. Will and Adam defended well, Rory tore up the midfield, Toby and Ben raided the flanks and Fyn kept a clean sheet in goal. But the real revelation was Henry who was Andy Carrol-esque in the way he terrorized the Brackley back line... scoring 2 goals and setting up a beauty for Ben off Will's good run. Other goals from Rory and a rocket from Adam sealed a 5-0 thrashing and made Tim and Dave redundant.

Player of the Week: Muller!

End of Season Update

2011-04-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

With one game left to play (Brackley April 30th) our season is drawing to a close. But there's still plenty to focus on. We are entered into 3 tournaments (Tower Hill, Crowmarsh and Summertown - please see Tim's emails for details) and we're trying to arrange an 11-a-side fixture. We're also hosting our presentation ceremony at The Closes on May 14th so get your votes in for Players' Player and Parents' Player.

Finally, the new kit has arrived courtesy of RCM Roofing Abingdon. Thanks to Russell for agreeing to be our new sponsor and to Laurinda for arranging everything. The kit will be handed out at an upcoming tournament. Boys will be allocated their existing number and if they wish to swap, they'll have to arrange it themselves. Josh and Lucas (our new boys) will be allocated one of the spare numbers.

I'd also like to thank Paul Carter and WG Carter for their sponsorship over the last 3 years. It was originally a 2 year deal but we squeezed an extra year out due to the size of the shirts!

David

Double Whammy Disappointment

2011-03-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

Two matches, two defeats, two teams conceding 5 goals. In many ways, Saturday's match against Middleton Cheney summed up what's been going wrong with the 'A' team this season: no noise, no desire in the tackle, no care of the ball. Time and again we stood and watched and waited whilst a skillful - and committed - MC, cut us apart. The reality is this: we've gone from league champions to hovering just about the relegation zone. Our reputation meant we became a prize scalp and that tag has given other teams an incentive to beat us.

However, there were some genuine glimmers of hope (and not just Henry S' goal kick goal!). The 'A' team were energized by the arrival of Henry M and Ed and at least James S took care with the ball rather than just knocking out a hopeful pass. The use of subs showed we have game changers now competing for a place. Most pleasing of all was the guts, determination and grit displayed by the whole 'B' team... led magnificently by an inspired Joe. Football isn't just about skill, it's about bravery... being brave in the tackle, being brave enough to take ownership of the ball.

We did deserve to lose both games although 5-0 and 5-2 flattered MC. But as coaches, we know what we have to do and that's blend skill with spirit. Let's start against Brackley.

Player of the Week: for a barnstorming back two partnership with a bloodied Rory, Henry M.

Fun in the Sun

2011-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

A much better day for everyone saw two tight games with Kingston. Game 1 resulted in a 0-0 draw but was packed with incident. Cumnor showed some great build up play on a number of occasions, with Adam, Fyn, Ben and will all linking up nicely, however they were either thwarted by the Kingston goalie or took too long to shoot and ended up being. At the other end, Rory and Toby had good games in defence, Pricey made a number of great saves and Will put in a strong block with his face. When Ollie was beaten we were saved by the crossbar and an out of position referee. The question of goal line technology will be raised at the next committee. Overall a solid performance rather than a great one, and 0-0 was a fair result.

Game 2 saw a spirited fightback from 3-0 down to 3-2, however we just couldn't put the finishing touches on a number of great moves. Will and Rory took turns in goal, and will's goal kicks were a vast improvement on the one seen at Bardwell! Defence was breached too easily in the first half, but saw a much stronger display in the second half, with a combination of Laurie, Joe and Ben keeping Kingston at bay. Everyone else just seemed to play up front! Matt worked hard (and won player of the week), James S and Henry S kept trying their luck and James E linked up play nicely. Overall, a good effort, the last goal proving elusive even with the injury time the ref allowed.

Friendly Fire

2011-03-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

We want to Bardwell, some of us with hangovers (the Dads, that is) and got beated twice, scoring 3 own goals in the process. We've a real fight til the end of the season. Let's win that ball and use it well.

Woodwork Woe

2011-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Fantastic display by both Cumnor teams this weekend. Unfortunately, our cup run ended thanks to a gritty display by Garden City and the cursed woodwork. Six times. Six times! The ball was crashing in from all angles but we only managed to breach the line once thanks to Ben's second-half scramble. We were desperately unlucky to lose 2-1 and have to accept, it was just one of those days.

Better news from match two with Cumnor holding out to secure an excellent 1-0 win. Poacher supreme James E snuck one in but it was a tribute to the boys battling ways that helped claim the victory. We're certainly on the up and competition for places is growing.

Player of the Week: perhaps the closest one yey but the spoils went to James S for his cultured midfield play.

Blues Turn Blue

2011-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

It was cold. Really cold. Bitterly, finger freezing, cheek chaffing cold. Poor Henry M turned an entirely new shade of blue and was only saved by immersing himself in Phil's curry splattered coat. Luckily, a few dads had their old internal engines running on overdrive thanks to the previous night's feast.

To Eynsham then, and a chance to try and get some just rewards from the New Year. We set up positively with Adam playing the lone striker role and Rory and Toby forming a stronger bond at the back. Anyway, the action was full on from the start with Cumnor zipping passes across the perma-frost pitch. All the shooting practice paid off as Adam forced a fancy save from the keeper. Soon though, Fyn and Adam combined with a little bit of wizardry for Adam to hit the opener. 1.0.

With Will the winged wonder weaving up and down the pitch and Ben bossing the midfield, Cumnor were playing with all their accustomed verve. Suddenly, the ball broke to Ben and he hit a stunning 30 yard crossfield pass, right against the grain, into the path of Will. Taking it in his stride, he skipped past the defender and slid a beaut in with his right foot. 2-0. Everyone was stunned by the finish and the vision of Ben who saw an unseeable pass.

In then second- half, Rory and Toby remained rock solid at the back and Muller, fighting off penguins and polar bears, was ever alert. Pre-match, we worked on our corners and halfway through the half, we had a chance to try and make it real. Adam hit the danger spot where a waiting Will timed a perfect header into the roof of the net. 3-0.

With the game all but win Cumnor rand the changes with James E and Ollie joining the fray. In fact Ollie almost scored with his first touch. There were other chances too (Will hit the post) but a 3-0 win accomplished in style, warmed the hearts (and other parts) of the Cumnor faithful.

In match two, Cumnor started with Ed in goal, Adam and James S in defence, with a midfield quartet of Matt, Laurie, Ollie and Joe with James E up front. Like most games this season, the second match was a helter-skelter, thrills and spills encounter. Cumnor were aggressive, quick, strong and determined to get some good luck for a change. It didn't come our way but not from lack of trying.

Ed made a series of fine stops, Adam added a different dynamic at the back with James S ably supporting, the fab four midflield quartet made surrender impossible and James 'Turns On A Sixpence' E was balletic and poised. Okay, we went 1-0 down but we scored another terrific goal. The ball broke to James E who looked up and dinked a little ball into Mat. Showing real ice in his veins (and on his legs) Matt took the ball on and found the corner. 1-1. Well done, Matt... for working so hard on your finishing in training.

In the second-half Will came on for Adam and led the offensive. Ed swapped with Ollie and added a certain bullishness to our open play. But unfortunately, Eynsham grabbed a late winner. Undone again. Harsh. 2-1.

Player of the Week: praise to Will, Adam and Fyn in game one and Matt, James E and Joe in game two but for his tackling, his running, his leadership and above all, his precision passing and decision making: Ben.

Unducky!

2011-01-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Two matches full of spills, thrills and rotten luck. But what performances, what a morning, what a way to kiss our chances of retaining the League trophy goodbye.

In match one, Cumnor raced from the blocks and played some lovely one touch football in truly dire conditions. And so did Ducklington, matching Cumnor in ambition and execution. The boys were on fire and the chances were coming. However, it took a piece of individual glory from the twisty turny Fyn to dance through the defence and poke home a startling opener. Game on, glory beckoned... even Will's unfortunate own goal on the stroke of half-time didn't deflect the good mood.

In the second-half, playing with a strong breeze we genuinely felt our time had come. Despite some heroic work from Rory, Ben, Will, Adam, Fyn, Toby and Pricey in goal we couldn't break through. Then, with seconds left, Ducklington broke free and slid a last minute heartbreaking winner in. Oh, foul and fiendish football gods, how can you treat us this way?!? Again.

In match two, the muscle brothers: Joe, Muller, Laurie and Steinsberg took to the field... charging and clashing and bashing and bothering. Matt was snakey out wide, twisting on the wind and James S calmeness itself in the centre of the storm. Freed from the shackles of the yellow shirt (bravely worn instead by a wounded Will) Ollie showed glimpses of midfield maestro Xavi Alonso. But the win, could Cumnor claim a win? No. Despite the many chances (including a 3 minute goal line scramble led by Joe) a mad jack Muller lunge (we think it was Muller, the evidence points to Muller, but we could be wrong) gave Ducklington a penalty and the chance to snatch a 1 - 0 win.

Again, the match was a rollercoaster ride, in fact... the ref was having so much fun he played 45 minutes in the second-half(!) but we still couldn't pull level.

Beaten, not broken. Down, not out. Kind words from the Ducklington manager who paid glowing tribute to our spirit and our football. And we salute Ducklington too... they know, both games this season could have gone either way. For now, the spoils are theirs. Next time, who knows?

Player of the Week: done and dusted by the end of match one - El Fynio for a goal conjured from thin air.

New Year Nailbiter

2011-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

It takes a brave boy to go in goal and Cumnor saw two impressively brave performances by keepers' Henry and Ollie in the first match(es) of the New Year against Deddington.

Deddington are an interesting bunch; they are strong and physical, play effective and exciting football, have the loveliest management team in the League... and always beat us. So, the Cumnor coaches said to our boys: 'relax, lads... you're the underdogs.' Our attempts at reverse psychology soon backfired as Deddington took a match one 2-0 lead by half-time. Henry was out of position for the first goal and made a mistake but he was unlucky for the second. However, what a test of character, what a giant to come back in the second half and make three spectacular saves.

The boys went into the second-half knowing they had to put Christmas lethargy behind them and battle. And battle they did... like wounded warriors slowly turning Deddington on the rack. Will ran his lungs out down the flank, Ben grew in the captain's shirt, Fyn started telling his teammates about the amazing space he was finding, Rory rocked up and rattled a few big boys, Toby was the terrier we know and Adam, well Adam grabbed both goals. First, leaping onto Will's awesome whipped in cross to head in and then, forcing half a chance across the line. Just.

True, we had a chance to win it but the 2-2 draw against our bogey team felt like a mighty win.

Sometimes football just isn't fair and match two saw one of the season's great injustices: how could Ollie pull off so many incredible saves and still finish on the losing side? Maybe the penalty area is cursed? Perhaps a Kingston shirt was buried under the spot over Christmas damning Cumnor to dastardly ill luck?

Put it another way, there was no way we deserved to lose 4-1, especially after two goals came from some Priceless parries. In defence, Joe and Laurie were lions unleashed. Across midfield, Binky sparkled and shone, Matt thundered up and down the line (and hit a rocket free kick), James E was the classiest player in both matches, Ed the most imposing in the tackle and on the burst and as for Henry S, he took his goal brilliantly after latching onto Binky's smartly headed flick from Pricey's punt.

We may have lost but at both ends - thanks to Henry S and Ollie - we produced the highlights of the game. The clash would have been top of the bill on 'Match of the Day'

Player of the Week: generous applause for both goalies, thumbs up for Binky and Henry S but for leading the charge in the first game, Will

The Cup Run Begins

2010-11-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

Well, we got further than last year despite making hard work of getting past Bloxham. It was the same story as last week with Cumnor making all the running but again failing to beat a very good goalie. True, we hit the bar and the post but the goal, when it came was a fumbled cross from Ben. Never mind, we're on the way. 1-0.

The second game was a different story with the boys starting to gel nicely. Mat had a stormer, scoring a lovely individual goal, setting up Henry S ( who should have grabbed a hat full) and then having the nous to follow in on a block and grab his second and our third. Special mention to for Ed who made a brilliant goal saving tackle and James S, who finished nicely in the corner. Team 2 are looking veer good. 4-0

Player of the Week: easy choice, Mat

What Happened There?

2010-11-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

367 shots on target, 360 saves by Super Sam the Kingston goalie, one bar, one post, 2wide and 2 goals. I don't think Cumnor will ever experience a match like that again. In the first half of match one, we ripped Kingston apart playing with terrific pace and posession. Adam was like a man on fire and put his newly learnt block tackling technique to good use. But despite all those efforts, ALL THOSE EFFORTS, we couldn't breakthrough.

Typically, we started slowly in the second-half and suddenly, Cumnor were one down. Never mind, Cumnor were still in the fight with Rory shutting dangerous Tommy out of the game. Then, a rebound and a quick pounce and Will brought us level. But hang on, Cumnor wanted to throw this game away and gifted Kingston and second. The last 10 minutes were fast, furious and totally frantic. Bang, crash, wallop... it was all one way traffic before Will grabbed an equalizer. Could we do it, would we? Well, despite a brave and committed display, we couldn't. Kingston celebrated like they won and it was hard to begrudge them their moment of semi-triumph. For Cumnor? Well, it was just one of those days.

In match two, a twisty/turny run from Matt saw James E pounce with the first strike of the game. 1-0. Matt was flying down the wing, James S and Ollie composed in the middle and Ben & Will looked like an effective defensive partnership of the future! Rory had little to do in goal and Toby seemed recovered from the earlier blow to the peanuts. Matt again, found the killer ball and James E slid it in. Will rounded the half off with a neat little header.

The second half saw more of the same but with Fyn and Adam on at the back. Rory let a goal in and then made a brilliant save. Ben came on and scored a quick goal before Will's audacious little chip was nudged over the line by Ollie's head. 5-1: job done.

Player of the Week: lot's of slick play with special mentions to Ben (who always plays well at Kingston), Matt on the wing, but for bouncing back with guts and guile, Adam.

Winning Ways Continue

2010-11-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

Two matches, two wins and three (limping, creaking) coaches going grey under the pressure.

Match One
Bicester looked strong from the off and Cumnor's decision to let multi-tasking Rory mark the main Bicester danger man saw him play in an unusually wide area. This meant Cumnor were slightly off balance with Ben left to do a lot of the dog work in central midfield. But he still found time to make some lovely linking moves with Fyn, Adam and Will. Speaking of Will, up he popped in the right hand corner to take Ben's smart pass, cut inside and smash a left foot drive inside the near post. 1-0.

Cumnor found their rhythm and started to put some slick passing moves together. Ollie looked assured in goal and Toby was ever watchful at the back. With half-time approaching Cumnor went close to getting a second.

As in recent weeks, Cumnor were asleep at the start of the second half. However, against the run of play, Will skipped past a few tacklers and found Ben. With Fyn free in front of goal, Ben took the shot on and slipped the ball past the goalie. 2-0.

Ben and Will continued to combine nicely and both should have grabbed their seconds and Cumnor's third. Seconds later, their efforts were rewarded as Ben played a lovely through ball to Will who raced through and passed the ball past the advancing goalie. 3-0.

And then, it all went horribly, horribly wrong. Cumnor started dropping off tackles and mis-hitting their passes and soon, Bicester picked up on a defensive error to score. 3-1. Minutes later, they grabbed a second despite the valiant efforts of Ollie in goal.

It was backs to the wall stuff with the coaches chopping and changing with the positions to try and stem the Bicester attacks. Injury saw Toby replaced by Joe who endured the longest 90 seconds ever in the maelstrom of defence. Finally, the ref blew and Cumnor were deservedly (just) 3-2 winners... and back on touch of the league.

In match two, a strong Cumnor team played with intelligence and aggression to secure their second successive win. Joe and James E formed a strong central midfield partnership with Laurie and James S ably supporting out wide, and the big Henry boys solid at the back. But it was Matt - playing up front - who made the breakthrough with a lovely finish after being put in by James S. We weren't finished there, Henry S used his strength to get the ball through to James S who scored our second. 2-0.

Cumnor were looking good and heading into half-time well in control. Then came a Bicester attack and a moment of Muller madness when he forgot he wasn't in goal and caught the ball in the area. In all fairness, it was a good catch. Could Ed stand up tall and save the penalty? Of course he could!

In the second-half, Ed and Matt swapped and Bicester attacked from the off. Karate kid Muller was throwing himself into every tackle and both James boys were showing some nice touches. But like the first match, Cumnor wobbled and pretty soon - despite valiant efforts by Matt - the scores were level. It needed something magical, something sublime to sneak the win... and it came after a clever tackle and run by Laurie, followed by a goalward charge and netbuster by Ed. 3-2.

With time running out and Bicester throwing everything at the Cumnor goal, the boys battled to the very end and managed to secure an excellent win.

Player of the Week: Ben and Rory were highly effective in match one, Will scored his 7th goal in three games, Henry S & M were magnificent in defence, Joe captained with authority and both James S and Matt scored very nice goals. However, POTW goes to Ed... after all, how many players have ever saved a penalty at one end and scored the winner at other?

Cumnor Finally Do The Double

2010-11-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's finally happened. Two Cumnor teams went out to face Eynsham and two victories secured.

Match One
With Awseome Ollie and Magic Muller sharing stick duties, Cumnor took their radical new formation into the Eynsham tie. Radical means Rory boulstering central midfield and Will playing up front. This dynamic new shape, built on super solid Toby sweeping at the back, gives us more attacking options in within minutes from the start, Cumnor were in the hunt for goals. Some smart distribution from Toby found Fyn who cut in and lashed a sharp shot wide. Minutes later, Ben found Will whose speculative effort went through the keeper's hands and into the net. 1-0. The rest of the first half saw more Cumnor pressure and we should have gone into the break 3 up. But after recent squeaky encounters, we weren't complaining.

In the second-half, Eynsham came flying out of the traps and for 10 minutes had Cumnor on the back foot. Adam made a cracking box tackle and broke free to set Ben up. Cumnor were battling to get into the game and a quick throw in by the ever alert Rory put Will in who raced in to score a sweetly taken second. 2-0.

Suddenly, Cumnor found their zest. Toby was playing a blinder at the back and Rory and Ben were dovetailing nicely. Will zipped down the left and just managed to whip a cross in for Ben to score. 3-0. Minutes later, Cumnor produced the moment of the match, possibly the season. Ben picked the ball up in midfield, saw Fyn in space and played a lovely pass down the channel. Fyn skinned his defender and hit an inch perfect cross for Will to finish 4-0.

With Joe on for Adam it was left for Will to find the net again with his fourth and Cumnor's fifth. Great team effort and a lovely win. 5-0.

Match Two
What a goal fest... and what a turnaround after recent disappointments. With Ed in goal, skipper Joe in defence, Matt, Ollie, Adam and Rory in midfield and Henry M up front, Cumnor fancied their chances from the off. Smart running by Matt saw Rory go close before Adam deservedly opened the scoring 1-0. Soon, it was Muller time. Now Henry is famed for his all action approach but the big man played some delightful little touches and made an excellent target man, grabbing our second. 2-0.

Pricey was having a field day in midfield and bossing the action, allowing Adam to charge straight at the Eynsham ranks. Seconds later, Adam grabbed his second. 3-0. Then came a moment of pure individual brilliance as sub Toby hurdled a scything tackle, beat half the Eynsham team and found the corner of the net. 4-0.

In the second-half, Will went into goal allowing Cumnor to field a monster front two with Ed and Muller together. And it wasn't long before they combined to set up Henry's second and Cumnor's fifth goal. There was no stopping us now - well there was because Ollie hit a lovely free kick only to have it knocked away from goal by Fyn! But the goals kept coming with Ed grabbing a sixth before setting up Matt for a very nicely taken seventh.

Two matches, two wins. The U10s are truly up and running.

Player of the Week: Will grabbed four, Ben held the midfield, Joe was strong as ever, Ollie played beautifully in goal and midfield and Henry showed some lovely deft touches in the box. But, deserving the accolades this week for a lovely solo goal and a quite brilliant defensive display, Toby.

Ducklington Deadlock

2010-10-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get much better than this. Cumnor stormed back from their Deddington defeat to take top-of-the-table Ducklington to within a minute of their first defeat of the season. With a new shape - and a return to an older, fiestier attitude - we put in our best performance of the season. Ollie had a cracker in goal showing fantastic handling and great decision making. Toby was unflappable at the back and distributed the ball well. In central midfield, the new partnership of Ben and Rory showed real promise with Rory's superb man-marking allowing Ben the time and space to be the team playmaker. Out right, Fyn was a constant threat and Adam got into some excellent scoring positions. Will - playing up front - was a revelation adding strength and determination to his accustomed skill and guile... qualities which helped him grab our goal in the first half.

We can't praise the boys enough for the way they took the game to Ducklington. We played scintillating football and should have buried the game in the second-half. However, fair play to Ducklington, they kept battling and scored moments before the end. We'll take a lot from this display.

In the second match, Cumnor showed more signs of improvement. There is a balance and harmony forming, driven on by the scowling, growling Joe... marshalled by the ever elegant James S and inspired by the tireless Matt. Laurie is improving with each outing and is becoming a very difficult player to deal with. Henry S - carrying the effects of his flu jab - made many dangerous sorties into enemy territory. Binky ploughed a lonely furrow up front but never let his head drop and James E showed his killer instinct in front of goal to score. 2-1 was an unfortunate result, but it might have been worse if it wasn't for the Mighty Ed in goal.

It's coming, it's getting closer... that illusive win is just around the corner. All we need is a little bit of luck and we'll be on our winning way.

Player of the Week: Rory was close but for his outstanding striker play, Will

Sharkbitten

2010-10-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

If Cumnor have a bogey team then it's Deddington Sharks. Just like last season (when they beat us twice in a cup tie) Deddington did another double rollover(2-5 and 2-4). In all fairness, they deserved their victories. According to Dave 'Statto' O'Shea, this is the first time Cumnor has been beaten in the league in 20 games. No-one would dare dispute Dave's grasp of the stats but it does prove what an incredibly tight league this is going to be. On the plus side, Adam took his two goals nicely and Ollie played valiantly between the sticks. We also played some lovely one touch football but on a tight pitch against a physical side, we were often second to the ball and suffered as a consequence. That's not taking anything away from Deddington because they took their chances exceptionally well. However, we must heed the warning and add steel to our silkiness.

The second match was much better. Cumnor were well organized with James E playing the playmaker in midfield and Binky scampering on to score two lovely goals. By keeping our shape and allowing the ball to do more of the work, we almost made the win breakthrough we've been searching for all season. One thing we didn't lack was heart, especially with Joe playing like a man possessed. He missed one tackle during the entire match and was an inspiration - and example - to all his watching Cumnor teammates.

It's Ducklington next and we know what they're all about. They are skillful, committed and probably view Cumnor as the local team they love to beat. Let's re-group, man up and show the doubters that there is more to Cumnor than pretty passing.

Player of the Week: special mention to Ollie but the undoubted winner was the mighty Joe.

Tower Toppled Once, But Not Twice

2010-10-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

A glorious day at The Closes saw two hard fought matches between two strong squads. Improved second half performances by Cumnor in both matches meant we came away with one win, one defeat and our heads held high.

The first game saw the usual seven battle it out with a skilful Tower Hill side, both teams displaying some excellent passing skills. From the kick-off this looked like it would be a tight game, and so it proved. The first half saw chances for both teams but some great defending kept everyone at bay. Henry was resolute in goal and both Toby and Rory were strong in the tackle, negating the Tower Hill threat. Cumnor were less threatening going forward for the first ten minutes, but then found some rhythm and started to attack the Tower Hill goal. The highlight came when Adam smashed in a shot from 20 yards, which somehow hit the cross bar twice before Fyn poked the rebound wide.

The second half followed a similar pattern, two good teams playing good football. Tower Hill eventually broke the deadlock, counter attacking after Will had had a great free kick well saved. Henry could do nothing about the fine strike from the Tower Hill winger. 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go. The boys did not let there heads drop and battled hard to get back on level terms. Finally the break through came – Will picked the ball up deep in his own half, beat his marker, before playing a neat ball inside to an unmarked Fyn. One on one with the goalie, everyone shouting “shoot” and he cleverly drew the goalie before squaring the ball for an onrushing Ben who slotted home neatly. Cumnor grew in confidence and were convinced they could win – so much so even Rory started marauding forward. With Adam, Rory and Toby locking up the defence and preventing any Tower Hill threat, Ben, Will and Fyn went about securing a winner. With 10 seconds to go, Ben played a neat one-two with Fyn on the edge of the area before stroking the ball in off the post for the winner. Pandemonium (almost). The team saw out the win and now sit at the top of the league – 3 wins from 3 games.

The second match, like in both previous weeks, saw our boys up against a second team that included a number of players that had played in the first game, so it was always going to be a tough encounter. With James S as Captain trying hard in centre midfield, a solid pairing of Joe and Matt at the back, and Will in goal, the team looked strong and prevented Tower Hill creating too many chances. Binky and Henry S worked tirelessly on the wings and tried to feed James E up front to create an opening. This was done on a number of occasions, only for some last ditch tackles by Tower Hill preventing Cumnor from getting the vital shot away. Tower Hill then started to pass the ball well and created some chances, scoring two quick goals. The boys responded well and fought back, with Joe making brave tackles, Matt running tirelessly and James E almost grabbing a goal. Unfortunately, just before half time, Tower Hill broke twice and scored twice – 4-0 down. A lack of communication across the team was costing us.

The second half was a much stronger performance by Cumnor. James S and Matt swapped positions and the whole team started to make some more noise. Will made some great saves in goal, athletic dives followed by brave stops as the big Tower Hill centre forward broke through. Cumnor created a lot more chances in this half, with Henry S in particular making strong runs down the left. One such run saw the ball break to Binky who smashed it against the post. Further chances came and went and it looked like only a matter of time before we scored. Unfortunately, luck didn’t go our way and Tower Hill eventually grabbed another to make it 5-0.

The second matches this season are clearly going to be tougher than previous years – we are up against smaller squads and the boys are going to have to fight really hard to secure victories. That said, if they stick at it and work as a unit, victories will come and they will learn a lot along the way.

The player of the week trophy was a tough decision. Every player made a strong contribution. In the first match Toby had another outstanding game and Ben scored two well taken goals. Joe was as brave as ever in the second match, Will was outstanding in goal and Henry S created many chances. However, for creating both goals in the opening game and running as hard as ever even though he was clearly unwell, Player of the Week was Fyn.

Cumnor Go Toe-to-Toe With Brackley

2010-09-27T04:24:00.000-07:00

Two tough games with two different outcomes. In the first match, a strong Cumnor team had to dig in to win, securing a 2-1 victory after a tense last few minutes. Brackley played extremely well but didn't quite have enough bite to get past the Cumnor braves. Will and Adam worked tirelessly down the flanks, with both going close to scoring. Ben held the midfield and endured a tough physical battle with the Brackley number 8. Rory and Toby stayed organized and strong and Magic Muller in goal made three terrific saves. But El Fyn-io up front looked sharpest of all pouncing on one half chance to score and then producing a moment of trickery in the box to seal the 2-1 win.

In the second match, Brackley practically fielded the same side and were determined to leave The Closes with something. Cumnor again showed tremendous determination and grit with Joe grunting and growling away, Matt having his own personal war with the number 6, James S and Henry making mazy runs and James E showing more touches of class. With Binky beating out the shots it was left to Matt to score an early equalizer with a crisp finish. Unfortunately, Brackley stretched away in the second half despite some big performances from our boys... boys like Laurie who seems to grow in strength and character with each match.

Well done to both teams.

Player of the Week: special mentions to Muller and Fyn but the glory goes to the every gutsy Laurie.

The Big Kick Off

2010-09-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

An all-action start to the new season (and not just getting the pitch prepped in time) as Cumnor welcomed highly-rated Middleton Cheney to The Closes for the first time. In match one, Henry started in goal, Toby and Rory at the back, Ben, Will & Adam in midfield and Fyn up front.

For a team built on slick passing, we struggled to cope with the extra length on the grass and soon, MC had us on the back foot. Much of the pre-season was focused on strong tackling and being more physical and it was pleasing to see all the boys bringing their training onto the pitch. Toby was rock solid and managed to control the dangerous MC 8. Adam, ploughing unfamiliar territory wide left, also pulled off a stunning slide tackle. However, MC held their pitch positions and managed to take the lead. Cumnor needed to get into the game and did through a nicely taken Will goal. 1-1. With both teams fighting hard, MC went into the break 2-1 up after a great solo goal.

In the second-half, Adam and Will switched wings, Ben stayed more central and the boys managed to find the pace of the pitch. If MC deserved the first-half, we deserved the second. Adam forced a corner which Will dinked in for a sliding Ben to hammer home. 2-1. Cumnor wanted the win and started playing in the way we are used to seeing. Fyn went close twice, with one effort leading to a corner. Quick thinking by Ben drew a defender out for Will to cross into the space for Adam to knock home. 3-2.

With the coaches relieved to be ahead, Dave O shaking the stopwatch to make the seconds pass faster, and Steve M nursing one in the stomach... everyone was feeling tense. It took a last piece of Muller Magic to secure the win with Henry making a full length wonder save - much to the delight of a watching Chris. 3-2.

In match two, Matt started in goal, Laurie and Joe at the back, Binky, Henry and Ollie midfield and James E up front. Playing pretty much the same MC team, this was an intense physical encounter with Joe and Laurie forming the most lethal partnership since Jean Claude Van-Damme and Steven Segal joined forces to take some rogue Russian gangsters down.

Most of the early action was in and around our goal mouth and despite Matt's heroics, MC went ahead. But this was the Cumnor Braveheart 7 captain Binky pounced for the equalizer. 1-1. With the boys at the back blocking everything and the midfield gelling well, Cumnor took control. An uncharacteristic miss by James S let Henry S in for the second and he soon doubled his individual tally taking the boys into a 3-1 half-time lead... and Henry into poll position for golden boot.

In the second-half Binky replaced Matt in goal and the boys knew they would have to fight hard to protect their lead. And fight they did, every single one of them battled to the very end but MC rode their luck and started getting some deserved goals back. With Cumnor out on their knees, the match ended 5-3 to MC. Sure, the boys were disappointed but rightly proud for not taking a single backward step. We can take heart from this impressive squad start and go into the season unafraid of anyone.

Player of the Week: special mentions to Laurie and Joe but for his strength, determination and growing awareness on the ball, Toby

2010/11

2010-07-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

Please note: there are no vacancies in the U10 squad. For details of the current waiting list, please email u10squad@cumnorfc.co.uk

Awards 2009/10

2010-05-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone enjoyed themselves at the Presentation Day (Rob, Dave, Tim and Rich certainly did and thank you once again to our incredibly generous parents). The boys have had a fantastic season and it was fitting that each one recieved a club trophy and a moment in the spotlight where we celebrated their highpoints. However, award ceremonies must have winners and here are ours.

Golden Boot (29 goals each): Fyn & Will

Parents' Player: Ben

Players' Player: Will

Most Improved Player: James E & James S

Coaches Player: Joe

Well done, boys. Here's to a successful series of Summer tournaments.

2010-04-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

End of Season Celebration

2010-04-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

Our last training session of the season saw the Cup and medals presented, followed by some 'champagne' (of the non-alcoholic variety), chocolates and a hard fought parents v kids match. It was a draw. I think.

The Magnificent Seven

2010-04-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

We arrived at our last game of the season with only 7 of our 16 available - but what a 7 - a whole hearted performance in temperatures of 80+ degrees saw us triumph in both games and become the only WDYFL club to win 100% of its league matches in 2009/10.

The first match saw Ollie take the GK bib (does anybody know where the shirt is?), with Rory and Joe forming the central defence partnership, Toby wide right, Adam wide left, Ben in the centre and Fyn in his accustomed place up front. In the first half yarnton played some good football and were strong defensivley, keeping us to a few half chances. One of these finally squeaked in, via a defender and their goalkeeper. The second half was a different story, with Cumnor kicking down hill and taking full control. Ben won a strong challenge, fed the ball to Fyn who put in a great cross for Adam to neatly volley home. The third was not long in coming, with Toby smashing in a left foot shot from outside the box. Cumnor dominated for the rest of the game, and could have added a few more goals, however we ended up with a comfortable 3-0 win and our 100% record.

The second game saw the same 7 players take to the field. Ollie started as captain and right midfielder, with Rory in the centre, Joe and Adam at the back, Toby on the left and Ben in goal. Fyn stayed up front and proved that, as a striker it doesn't matter how many you miss, as long as you keep popping up in teh right place you will eventually score. He grabbed a hatrick in this match, with all 3 of them being neat finishes. Ben, who swapped with Adam at half time, is also claiming a hatrick, though the dubious goals panel may need to adjudicate on one of his efforts. The match ended 6-0 and we could have doubled this score. Ollie went close on a number of occasions and his bravery with his head created one of Ben's goals. Rory tried hard to stay in the middle of the park (though it is obvious he is a natural defender), Toby recovered from a few knocks to make a strong contribution and Adam kindly did a stint in goal, playing even though he was not 100% well. Star turn in the second match though was Joe - he sat alone in defence for the second half and marshalled Yarnton very well. Not only was his tackling strong, but he was timing his interceptions well and then passing the ball to his midfielders - it was great to see this development in his play.

At the end of the second match we had 7 very red-faced boys (Rory showing his Aussie roots by claiming not to be hot even though the bright red face suggested something to the contrary). Everyone had made a fantastic contribution and we can all look back on a very successful season. Player of the week was a close run thing, with Joe and Rory in particular having great games, however, for the way he drove the team forward in the first match and for a cheeky hatrick in the second, Ben received the trophy.

CHAMPIONS!

2010-03-29T04:38:00.000-07:00

Under-9's 'Green' League Pl W D L GF GA Pts
Cumnor Minors 15 15 0 0 80 9 45
Kingston Colts 16 13 1 2 62 23 40
Hook Norton 16 11 0 5 67 23 33
Combe Junior Sports 16 8 2 6 39 28 26
Garden City 16 7 1 8 40 53 22
Enstone Sports 16 6 0 10 46 44 18
Yarnton Blues 15 4 2 9 28 59 14
Chadlington 16 3 0 13 23 69 9
Stonesfield Strikers 16 1 0 15 19 96 3

A fantastic squad performance by both teams to overcome an excellent Kingston challenge 2-1 and 2-0. The passing, commitment, drive and determination to win was superb. Fyn ran his heart out on the right and set up Will's delightful glancing header and Ben's midfield rocket. Rory and James were measured and controlled against a very tricky Kingston team and Henry too, despite being unwell, gave his all. Ben tackled everything that moved and Adam was a constant threat playing in the unfamiliar striker role.

In match two, Ed was brave and strong in midfield, Mat showed great hunger and heart. Will looked surprisingly composed in defence and James E demonstrated why he has the silkiest touch in the squad. Toby was quite magnificent, scoring one and forcing an own goal.

Well done to the boys, they remain unbeaten and are now deserved champions!

The Winning Run Continues

2010-03-22T04:10:00.000-07:00

Two excellent team performances saw Garden City cut down to size on Saturday. This means we're unbeaten since Christmas and looking in good shape for the make or break title decider against Kingston this week. Well done to all the boys, 5-1 and 3-1 are scores to be proud of.

Hook Norton Hoodwinked

2010-03-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was a tie that had everything: goals, blocks, penalties, mistakes and chances but finally Cumnor overcame the ever tough Hook Norton unbeaten, leaving the field with a 3-1 and o-o result. Congratulations to the boys who dug in from start to finish: to Fyn and Will who bagged the goals, Ben and Joe who tackled like demons, Laurie, Rory, James S and Mat who were big and brave at the back, Henry S, Adam and Ed who never stopped running, Toby and Binky who always chose the right ball to play, James E for threatening up front and most of all Ollie 'Elasticman' price who overcame a dodgy moment to save a penalty. We're unbeaten since Christmas, the only unbeaten U9 team in the Witney league and the title is in our hands. If we keep working hard on our passing and our tackling we'll be fine.

Player of the Week: Pricey the Penalty King

Enstone Squeezed Out

2010-03-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

A biting wind and a narrow pitch couldn't stop the boys delivering a polished performance. In parts, we were sublime... moving the ball quickly and cleverly but our tackling wasn't as strong as it could have been and quite a few passes went astray. But on the whole, we won both matches (5-1 and 4-2)and we're going well into the last few weeks of the season.

Henry M
Made some important saves stretching his long frame out to parry the ball away. Played up front in the second half of the second game, scored a lovely goal and should have had a penalty... and would have if the ref had been wearing his proper glasses.

James S
Another assured performance at the back and almost scored with a lovely long range effort. Starting to work well with Rory.

Rory
Rock solid and dependable as ever. Never looks hurried or uncomfortable. Also took advantage of his midfield role in the second game by scoring a nice goal.

Ben
Kept our shape, snapped away, turned a training ground corner move into a goal and was always in the thick of it.

Adam
Full of drive and determination as he ran his heart out up and down the right hand side. Unlucky not to score but was a constant threat.

Will
Some lovely touches and set up 7 of Cumnor's 9 goals. Claimed to have scored from a corner in the second match but the "blind idiot referee" (his Dad) missed it.

Fyn
The Fox in The Box was at his pouncing best scoring 3 second-half goals in the first match. Also produced a lovely dummy in a sweeping first half move. Defended well in the second match.

James E
The Boy With The Golden Boots strikes again. Two lovely goals (one in each match) and showed again why he's dangerous off the bench. Unlucky to concede a dubious goal from a corner (that idiot ref again!)

Toby
Full of fight and fury, Toby made it uncomfortable for the Enstone back line.

Matt
Strong and brave in midfield, responded well to wearing the captain's armband and scored a beauty from the edge of the box.

Player of the Week: special mentions for Fyn, Will and Ben but for his leadership - and stunning goal - Matt.

Carterton Cliffhanger

2010-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

We finally got a game in against Carterton and it was nice to leave with 2 wins under our belt.

In the first match, a new defensive pairing of James S and Rory gave the boys a solid base on which to play an expansive passing game. Will skipped past a few challenges and put a cross in for Ollie to open the scoring. Then lovely interplay between Ben, Fyn and Will forced an own goal from Will's cross.

With Adam working hard down the flank and Ben snapping away in midfield, Cumnor were well in control. Fyn took a beautiful touch and slid in the fourth before netting again to take a 4-0 lead into half time.

We reshaped for the second half with Fyn and Ollie going wide, Will and Adam central and Ben up front. The reorganization effected our rhythm but James and Rory were totally at ease. Will shimmied past a defender and shot low for our fifth (which he dedicated to his Grandad on his birthday). Henry was slowly freezing his unmentionables off in goal but he did make a great save. Seconds later, a rocket went past him for a Carterton consolation goal. Rory went close in the final seconds but the victory was ours.

In the second match, Toby took the armband and lined up in midfield with Mat. Binky and Henry S went wide, Laurie and Joe in defence, Adam in goal and James S striker. This was a much closer game with the midfield a combat zone. Carterton laid siege to our goal and it took a few telltale Joe crunchers to keep them at bay. Pressure, eventually, paid off and Carterton took the lead. But a moment of magic saw us draw level. Henry S played a superb inside pass to James E who spun and found the bottom corner. 1-1.

Second half changes saw Binky and Toby swap and Matt put on their dangerous number 3 and Laurie take the captain's armband. The battle was on with tackles flying in and shots ricocheting here, there and everywhere. Adam made a good save and Joe was throwing himself into everything. Binky was enjoying a better half in the middle of the action and Toby threatened out wide. Mat broke up a few dangerous attacks but it was another Henry/James combo which saw James hit the eventual winner. 2-1.

With the tension growing towards the end, Laurie grew in stature and made a brilliant clearing header just as Carterton looked set to draw level.

Player of the Week: James S looked assured in the first game, James E and Fyn took their goals well but the deserved player of the week for his strong leadership and bravery was Laurie.

We're Off Again

2010-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, we weren't on Saturday. At least in the 'off' to rain, ice and snow sense... but off to a flying start to the second half of our season. Two games, two wins (6-1 and 5-0), great goals, fine tackles, lovely passes, mazy runs (trying to follow Dave O's line work) and lots and lots of missed chances. We hit the bar, the post, each other but most of all, the brave Stonesfield keeper. Well done everyone, it's nice to be back.

Player of the Week: it could have been Ollie for his outrageous back-heel goal or Ed for resisting the urge to rugby tackle but in the end, it went to James S for a beautifully composed performance at centre-half.

Who Are The Daddies?

2009-12-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

In a hard fought festive clash the Cumnor parents showed the U9s a thing or two about football with a thrilling 5-4 win. Here's a player report on the oldies:

Laurinda H
Strong at the back and held the defensive line whilst all crumbled around here. Excellent distribution skills too... especially with the wine and chocolates.

Steve E
Fancy tricks and showboating flicks... like son like father, Steve was an excellent target man and ever willing for his teammates to do his running for him.

Will L
Out wide, up against the twin threats of Matthew and Henry S, Will did well not to deploy his rugby tackling instincts and therefore avoid any pre-Christmas trip to Abingdon Minor Injuries Unit.

Tim C
Hung back supposedly in goal. Got down (eventually) to make a save and used the high ball whenever he could, which is quite an effective tactic against 8 and 9 year olds.

Phil M
Opened the scoring with a rasper when his shot beat the three U9 keepers. Did well to stay off his backside.

Graham S
All energy and effort... worked hard but couldn't replicate his Peter Barnes-esque display of last year.

Dave O'S
Frustrated somewhat, especially when nutmegged by Henry S. Looked a little cold and maybe should consider wearing (support) tights next year?

Andrew P
Hung around in front of the goal and scored two. There was a rumour that he passed the ball but no-one was sure when?

Steve H
Another two goal hero. The first was a beautiful lob, the second a desperate reposte to the threat of substitution.

Richard S
Fuelled by Mojitos and Red Bull, Richard left a trail of carnage behind him. Ploughed the right channel well and set up 4 goals.

Rob H
Like Mark Hughes he had an eye for the spectacular scissor kick. Unlike Mark Hughes, he still has a manager's job. Bad luck, Rob.

David R
Vision, control, execution... it was like watching Jari Litmanen with a fridge on his back.

Player of the Week: Steve H's first goal, Dave O'S' embarrassment, Rob H's trouser-splitting triple salco... but PoW for the way he absolutely terrorised a group of young boys, Richard S.

2009: The Story So Far

2009-12-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

With the Christmas break upon us and our next game not until January 9th, I thought I'd share a few stats with you. In the Witney Leauge, we're currently unbeaten in our division (Green) and together with Brackley, we're the only team with maximum points.

Our stats read:
Played 10
Won 10
Lost 0
Drawn 0
Goals F 59
Goals A 4
Points 30

The League only take account of the first match, so our second match stats read:
Played 10
Won 6
Lost 2
Drawn 2
Goals F 39
Goals A 18

Add in four friendly wins and the Cup losses and overall we've:

Played 26
Won 19
Lost 4
Drawn 3
Goals F 116
Goals A 37

The Golden Boot is interestingly poised too with four boys already scoring over 10 goals this season.

The most impressive stat of all though is the fact that we still have 16 fantastic boys giving everything they have to the badge and each other. Here's to a very enjoyable 2010.

Clear Heads at Combe

2009-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

From the kids, at least. The Management team - and most of the dads - we're looking a little green around the edges. The boys, however, produced a supremely confident display overturning an aggregate defeat from earlier in the season.

Match One
Great passing and movement and plenty of chances. Cumnor turned on the style from the kick-off after Ben reversed the teams to take advantage of the considerable slope. In a one-sided affair, the team functioned smoothly and clinically. Will grabbed a perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot and nose) and set up Fyn for another. Rory and Toby were ever watchful and an unkind bobble denied Adam the goal of the season after sparkling interplay between Ben and Fyn. Henry didn't have too much to do made two vital saves towards the end of the game. 4-0.

Match Two
Another entertaining and exciting encounter. The boys had a point to prove and battled hard to take control of the midfield with Binky doing much of the graft. Joe and Matt were energetic and busy and Ollie a willing link man with James S up front. James E looked happier out than in and we certainly displayed better shape in the second half. Henry S was assured and athletic in goal and Ed caused lots of problems with his aggressive running. The team scored four well-taken goals with Ollie, Binky, James E and Ed getting on the scoresheet. 4-1.

Player of the Week: mentions for Toby, Ollie and Ed but for his wide play and goals, Will.

Back To Winning Ways

2009-12-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

The return leg against Chadlington saw normal service resumed by both Cumnor teams. There were some great examples of clever thinking, nice touches and excellent finishes. In the first match, Adam showed terrific awareness and discipline and scored 4 far post crackers. Fyn - wearing his go faster tights - slotted in two, Will got one with the assistance of a Chad defender and there was an own goal from a corner. Ben, Toby and Rory battled hard and showed plenty of bite in the tackle and composure on the ball. Henry was alert and his new goalkicking routine worked a treat. 8-0.

In the second match, Cumnor worked hard for the win. Matt made a real nuisance of himself and never stopped working. Joe frightened the life out of a player three times his size and Ollie and James E combined well and deserved their goals. Laurie worked hard too. Henry looked threatening up front and James S scored two lovely goals and hit some effective passes. 4-0.

Player of the Week: James S for his finishing and intelligent midfield play.

Cup Woe at Deddington

2009-11-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

We lost. Twice.

Stonesfield Shotfest

2009-11-23T00:28:00.000-08:00

A trip to Stonesfield meant a chance to mix things up a little. With Richard losing sleep over substitutions and team formations, the encounter was never going to be as straight forward as our respective league positions implied.

It's always difficult playing on a smaller pitch and the horrible weather conditions didn't help, but Cumnor dug in and stuck to their task. A solid first match performance saw goals from James E, Ollie and two lovely strikes from James S. All the boys played their part admirably but we looked better in the second half when Ollie and Binky gave us a little more shape in midfield. 5-0.

In the second match, it was difficult keeping track of the scorers. Will grabbed a rapid-fire hat trick and was banished into goal. Rory, Binky, Ollie and Toby netted too but the match really belonged to Matt and Henry who opened their goal accounts for the season with a brace each. Fyn was on his toes in readiness but didn't touch the ball in goal and Adam put in a strong defensive display marking the very tricky No8. And as for Laurie, he had one of those days when the ball just wouldn't run for him... a great effort, though. Final score: 11-0.

A round of applause too, for Stonesfield. It's their first year as a competitive squad and they battled hard til the end. They'll learn a lot from their experiences this season.

That's it then; 7 played, 7 won. We're half way through the league and we know what has to be done to win the title. It's not going to be easy but it's certainly achievable.

Player of the Week: Skillful, composed and a goalscorer too... Ollie

Kingston Classic

2009-11-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Two matches: one win, one defeat but all in all a highly enjoyable encounter with our local rivals.

Henry M
Was alert when he needed to be and it was good to have him back barking orders between the sticks.

Ollie
Didn't touch the ball in goal but played with poise and precision in central midfield.

Rory
Next time we'll get the RFU to delay their kick off so we can get Rory away in time. Strong, controlled and unbeatable.

Toby
Quicksilver clearances and rock hard tackles. The bionic blocker at the back.

Ben
Captain Fantastic. Played the game of his life against his former classmates and bossed the central areas.

Adam
The right man in the right place with two brilliant finishes to cement the win.

Will
Tricky out wide and played an integral part in setting up Cumnor's classic second goal.

Fyn
Took his goal beautifully and fed Adam cleverly to score our second. Always on the prowl up front.

James S
Showed nerves of steel to score a John Barnes-esque solo goal.

Henry S
Looked at home in the central areas and cracked in a left foot beauty from a tight angle.

Matt
Ran his heart out and made it almost impossible for the Kingston playmakers to find space. A midfield dynamo.

Binky
Determined, committed and dangerous with the ball at his feet. Played the wide role very well.

Joe
Kept fighting, kept battling and was the heartbeat of a very spirited side.

Ed
Unlucky in goal but still made some great saves. Worked very hard in defence and made it tough for Kingston.

James E
Linked well with the midfield and did his share of tracking back. Unlucky not get any clear chances.

We were very proud of all the boys. In the first match we linked well and played as a unit. The passing and precision was spot on. In the second match, the boys were unlucky to go behind. They never stopped fighting and gave all they had against a very good side.

Player of the Week: Easy choice this week, performance of the season so far... Ben.

Cumnor Off The Hook

2009-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

A hardy band of Cumnor warriors set off across many international time zones and headed north for a meeting with Hook Norton. Illness and half-term hi-jinx depleted the squad but we still managed to negotiate the slope and thwart the valiant hosts.

In the first match, Ollie had a cracker in goal and pulled off a series of shot-stoppers. We didn't have too many chances - and missed Adam's shoot on sight policy - but took the lead through an own goal and then extended it to two when Binky finished nicely. In the second-half, Hook Norton peppered the goal with shots but Ollie was alert enough to keep a clean sheet.

In the second match, Will played a blinder in goal using every part of his body to protect his line. Henry S and James E brought real vision to the pitch, Matt crunched his way from box to box and James S showed some nice little touches. But the star player was Ollie who dragged Cumnor level with a great shot which meant we could hit the road undefeated.

Player of the Week: Hook Norton didn't score with Joe on the field, Fyn troubled their defence, Ben kept it smart and simple, Will showed we might have another goalie in the making but the award went to Ollie for his safe hands, quick eye and mighty right foot.

Tough Nuts Cracked

2009-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Cumnor went to Eynsham looking for a stern test... and we got one! Two games played, two victories won (2-1 and 6-1). It was difficult to write match notes in the pouring rain so here's a review of those involved.

Ed
Brilliant between the sticks, overcame the dissapointment of the firts goal mix up to put in two matchwinning saves. Received a deserved a round of applause from his grateful teammates at the end.

Rory
The Rock was solid... despite his first half mix up with Ed. Ran the game from the back, won every challenge, dealth with the very good no.9 and got his usual goal. It's official; Rory is better than Rio Ferdinand.

Ben
Took a whack on his ankle but refused to be beaten. Rose to every physical challenge and was brave and committed. Ben thrived in the mud and took his goal well in the second match. Could have got a second if he'd been a bit greedier.

Adam
Quiet in the first half but then found his confidence in the second. Worked hard up and down the flank and was unlucky not to score. Part of an amazing goaline scramble when the ball hit the post twice and was cleared off the line.

Will
He's certainly no defender and spent most of his time in the second match sprinting back into position. But we'll forgive him if he keeps playing out wide like he does. Scored a wonder goal winner, beating most of the Eynsham team before coolly sliding it in.

Fyn
Three goals again and back to his razor sharp best. Showed wonderful awareness in the tight spaces and took his first goal beautifully. He enjoyed playing wide in the second match and terrorized the Eynsham defence with his pace.

James E
Did a season's worth of running in one game. Hit some lovely little passes and flicks and took his goal well. Nice little celebration,too!

Toby
Made a telling contribution by bricking up the back with Rory. Took the captain's armband for the second game and relished the responsibility. Scored a nice goal and was unlucky not to get a second.

Matt
Loved the all-action mud and guts encounter. Broke up Eynsham attacks and looked composed on the ball. His new improved kicking technique saw him play some excellent passes.

Joe
Threw his body into every challenge and did not take a backward step. Battled hard out wide and held his position throughout. Another excellent display.

Player of the Week: for dealing with the Eynsham raiders... Rory

Everything Rosy in Garden City

2009-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

A rather typical Cumnor performance: a one-sided win and a gutsy fightback.

Match One
Luckily, the boys didn't follow Dave's example of how to pass and managed to keep the ball out of some poor unsuspecting resident's cornflakes. A little pre-match riot act was read instructing our midfield to think slicker and find Fyn. They responded well.

Rory, pushed up into midfield fed Ben who found Will out wide. Will skipped past a challenge, dinked it into Fyn to score the opening goal. More good midfield work saw Rory grab the second before Will spun and knocked in the third.

Cumnor were well in control with Joe (deputising for the injured Toby) rock solid at the back. Ben, enjoying his more advanced role, still had the energy to track back and make vital tackles. Adam threatened constantly down the right and scored a cracker inside the near post. Henry could be forgiven for losing concentration but made a stunning save backpedalling and tipping the ball over.

Fyn scored his second after more midfield pressing and then a poacher's third when the goalie dropped the ball at his feet. Normal service resumed for our star striker who made way for James E. Garden City hit a consolation goal (although Henry insists it hit a Cumnor defender - or a beachball - on the way in.) With seconds left, Will knocked in Adam's cross. 7-1.

Lovely stuff Cumnor... beautiful fluid passing, a real joy to watch.

In the second match, Cumnor started well with James E linking up with Binky. However, we did start to look a bit laboured and decided tackling wasn't something we fancied doing. We won a free-kick just outside the box and there was some deliberation whether James 'Gerrard' S or James 'Ronaldo' E would take it. 'Ronaldo' got in first and sent the shot wide. With Cumnor stretched, Garden City scored and we reached half-time 1-0 down.

Second-half, changes. James S went wide right and Super Ed came into midfield to boss the game. Just like last week, he thundered forward terrifying the opposition. Suddenly, we were back in the game (thanks also to the heroics of Joe and Laurie who threw themselves into every challenge.) The game was turning into a cracker but we could have gone further behind if Ollie hadn't made a couple of spectacular saves. Then, the ball broke to James S who twisted away and fed Ed who slipped a ball to Binky to score. 1-1.

With the crowd chomping at the bit, the GC coach about to explode, Dave wondering if his ball had been returned... the ref blew the whistle. A shame, a thoroughly entertaining contest brought to an early end.

Yet again, a slow start redeemed by a gutsy fightback. Maybe next time, we'll get those early tackles in and take the lead for a change? Quicker passing, stronger tackles... the challenge has been laid down.

Player of the Week: mentions for Joe, Henry S, Ed but the unanimous winner, Fyn.

The Winning Run Continues

2009-10-12T02:51:00.000-07:00

After a week away, Cumnor got back into competitive action against Enstone. The game started slowly with both teams probing down the flanks. We've concentrated recently on tackling and it was pleasing to see Binky contest every ball in midfield. Cumnor slowly got on top and forced a couple of corners. Fyn hit a low drive which the Enstone goalie saved. Moments later, Will burst into the box and was brought down by the keeper. Penalty. After an agonizing wait to see who would actually take the thing, Ben stepped up and smashed it into the roof of the net. 1-0.

Enstone got back into the game and were unlucky to go two down after conceding an own goal from a corner. Moments later, Enstone scored after a wicked shot bounced past the unlucky Ollie. From the re-start, Ben spread the ball wide Will who knocked in a great cross for Adam to score. 3-1. Rory then made it four just before half-time.

In the second-half, Henry replaced Ollie in goal. An early Cumnor attack forced a corner which just went wide. From the goal kick, the Enstone keeper hit it straight to Will who took a touch, looked up and sent a Xabi Alonso-style special in from 25 yards out. 5-1.

With the game as good as won, everyone wanted to get on the score sheet and several good positions (and chances) were wasted. When we played the 'Cumnor Way' we played well... evident in the move which saw Ben feed Will who chipped in to Fyn to just head wide. Another own goal took the Cumnor score to 6 before Fyn nabbed our 7th. With shots flying in from all angles, Will squeezed one into the top corner from the edge of the box. Enstone nearly got a second but Henry was alert and made a solid save.

A decent performance but one that could have been better if we'd remembered to play like a team.

The second game was 8-a-side on the small pitch so it was difficult to get any fluidity into the game. James S was composed at the back and made some lovely runs forward. Matt and Toby tackled hard and Henry S and Ollie marshalled the midfield well. Joe was his typically brave self and James E showed some lovely delicate touches. With Enstone driving forward Ed was kept busy in goal and was unlucky to see a shot fly past him into the net.

In the second-half, Henry went in and Ed into midfield. Suddenly, Cumnor found a more direct style and started to win the midfield battle. Toby's tackling and Ed's barrelling runs set up a chance for James E to slot the ball home. 1-1.

More pressure brought more chances and a Cumnor corner was spectacularly headed home by an Enstone defender 2-1. With time almost up, Toby unleashed a ferocious drive from 20 yards out which rattled the crossbar.

Another good win for Cumnor. We showed drive and determination and did very well to come back from a goal down.

Player of the Week: special mention to Binky, Ben and Ed but for his tackling and his attitude to his teammates, Toby.

The Boys Take Control

2009-09-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

A friendly is a good time to experiment and our old friends at Ducklington always provide stiff opposition. Saturday was time to let the boys decide what to do and when to do it. With little vocal support from the sidelines (except the occasional yelp of excitement) both Cumnor teams proved they could think for themselves.

We took time to settle down and in the first half of the first match, Ducklington made most of the running. We were second in the tackle and a little ponderous in our decision making but the more the match wore on, the more we applied ourselves. With a solid base of Ollie, Toby and Rory busy at the back... Cumnor got the breakthrough. Will plucked the ball down, spun and hit a long-range speculative shot which eluded the keeper. Ducklington dug in and forced Ollie to make a good save. More Cumnor pressure saw Will take a quick throw in to Fyn who slid the ball home. 2-0.

Changes were made at half time with Ben playing the holding role and Adam pushing forward in a midfield diamond. Suddenly, we found our shape and our edge. The boys were challenged to out tackle one another and set about their task with relish. Will tormented the Ducklington defence, Adam always ready to break and Fyn back to his poaching best. Ben collected a loose ball, found Fyn who played Adam in to score. Minutes later, Fyn benefitted from more good Adam and Will interplay to race onto the ball and claim his second. 4-0.

Ducklington got two late consolation goals but overall, we were good value for the win.

In the second game, Cumnor played with a real sense of togetherness. Henry was unbeatable in goal and had the Ducklington coach purring in admiration. James S was a revelation at the back, coming forward with the confidence and style of a young Alan Hansen (ask your dad!). Matt was a willing worker, hassling and tackling his heart out. In midfield, Ollie, Binky and Henry S stroked the ball about and James E made a superb target man up front.

We opened the scoring through James S' wonderful solo effort, beating two players on the edge of the box before finding the top corner. There was lots of pressure from Cumnor and really positive decision making too. James E hit a low shot which the goalie parried to the feet of Henry S who nabbed our second.

In the second-half, Matt came into midfield and made a real nuisance of himself. It was a timely change because Matt managed to thwart the advancing Ducklington. In fact, they got a goal back and put us on our guard. It took something special to wrestle the initiative back and it came from James E who scored a beauty with the outside of his foot. James E got his second and our 4th before the opposition scored a second. Another well deserved win: 4-2.

Well done to everyone. The boys held their nerve and played for one another. Special mentions to our goalies Ollie and Henry M, Ben who played the unglamorous anchor role and James S for doing so well orchestrating everthing from the back. But the player of the week goes to Matt who has made an impressive start to his Cumnor career.

Combe Cracker

2009-09-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

Match One
Cumnor finally faced the test we needed to see how good we are in this year's league. And the truth is, we are well placed to do well if we remember to bring what we do at training to match day.

With Will away, the starting line up was re-jigged with Adam going left, Toby pushing wide right and Joe coming into defence. The players knew from last season's encounters that Combe love to attack and they did from the start. The sparky 9 went very close after a surging run. But it wasn't all Combe and Rory set up a lovely move which Adam almost finished.

It was end-to-end stuff and Ollie - making his first start of the season in goal - parried the ball out for a corner. In went the ball, up it bobbled and into a Cumnor hand. Penalty. Ollie made himself big and dived the right way but luckily the ball flew past the post. The miss was the wake-up call we needed and the boys added purpose to their play. Joe was like a terrier snapping away and Toby good at getting forward. Ben sat a little deeper protecting the back two. Then came the goal. Fyn sensed the Combe goal kicks weren't making any real distance and pounced on a loose one. His first touch was impeccable, he looked up and fed Adam on the left who smashed it into the net. 1-0.

With half-time approaching we tried to protect the lead but needed Ollie to make a spectacular back peddling tip over to keep our noses in front. Changes were made at the break with Ben dropping back, Adam going central, Fyn left, Binky right and James E up front. Suddenly, we came alive and the fluidity was back in our game. Fyn, James and Adam combined well. Fyn chipped in a lovely cross which James reached well but just pushed over (too much hair gel, perhaps?)

Combe refused to give in and Rory - who wasn't feeling well - and Ben were kept busy. Ollie caught everything that came his way and made a brilliant full length one-handed save. The game went right down to the wire with both teams giving everything they had in the morning heat. Ben, hurt on the ground with tears in his eyes, leapt to his feet and made a blockbusting tackle. Binky, out wide, was an ever-willing runner and Rory - playing at 70% - was unbeatable.

An excellent battling, gutsy 1-0 win against a team who came to Cumnor to win. Forget the goal gluts, today showed how good we are.

Match Two
Combe played pretty much the same seven in match two and were already in the zone against our fresher players. Binky started in goal, Matt & James S in defence, Toby/Ollie/Ed midfield and Henry S up front.

It was an all-action up and at 'em encounter with the ball pinging up and down the pitch. James S was excellent at the back (ably supported by Matt) tackling well and finding Toby and Ed on the flanks. Ollie, enjoying the run of midfield, broke free and almost scored. Ed, too went close, just pushing the ball wide. However, Combe were determined to get something from the day and whilst we missed our chances, they took theirs well. Henry S threatened in the box but at half-time, Combe were 3-0 up.

James E and Joe joined the action in the second half and James S and Matt pushed up into midfield. Cumnor played tighter and kept hold of the ball but the chances were drying up at both ends. The boys never stopped trying and were unlucky not to get any reward for their efforts.

Player of the Week: Ollie did brilliantly in goal, Fyn excelled wide left, Ben brave and disciplined and Joe did all that was asked of him but player of the week was Adam for his wonderful midfield work.

Goal Glut Goes On

2009-09-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

Small pitch, hot day, friendly hosts and lots of goals.

Match One
Cumnor started at a cracking pace with Adam powering into the box and forcing a penalty. Our first penalty in three seasons and up stepped Ben to fire home. An early goal always helps and the boys relaxed and started passing the ball with confidence. Rory went close twice and Adam almost finished off a slick move after great work by Will and Fyn. But we didn't have it all our own way; luckily Ed was on hand to make a super save. Most of the action was directed at the Chadlington goal and we got a deserved second after Will's quick throw-in set Fyn up to squeeze the ball inside the near post.

2-0 up and the match turned into the Adam show. Loving the freedom to run (and shoot) Adam terrified the opposition. His first goal was a exocet from wide out right, his second quick-thinking following Ben's attempt and his hat-trick bagged by another perfectly struck shot. But it wasn't just Adam breaking the goalie's heart; Ben got his second and Rory chipped in to take Cumnor to a 7-0 half-time lead.

Changes at half-time saw Toby and Adam subbed (to give the hosts a chance)with Binky and Joe stepping in. Fyn dropped back into defence and Rory went up front. It wasn't long before the scoring resumed. Will - hugging the touchline - sprinted down the flank and clipped in a great cross to Binky who scored with his first touch. With the scorekeeper getting writers' cramp, all the Cumnor boys fancied their chances. Joe charged up from the back struck the post. Rory got his second and our 9th before Binky played a sublime pass into Will who chipped it over the goalie's hand. Chadlington stuck with it admirably and got their deserved goal. But there was no great escape on the cards as Will got his second moments later. 11-1. Changes were made with Henry S slotting into left wing. Over on the touchline Tony Hobbs started sweating fearing he'd be owing his son £10 for scoring a hat-trick. Seconds later, his hand was in his pocket as the towering Rory claimed his third. Chadlington grabbed a late second but the whistle blew with Cumnor emerging triumphant 12-2 winners.

Match Two
Henry S started in goal with newboy Matt and James S in defence. Our midfield three consisted of Laurie, Toby and Adam with James E up front. Chadlington - horrified to see Adam back on the pitch - tried to triple mark him but it didn't work. After almost putting Laurie in Adam scored his fourth of the day. 1-0.

Chadlington were a lot more organized and James S (proudly wearing the captain's armband) and Toby had to pull off some ferocious tackles. As well as being tenacious in the tackle, Toby also has a mean finish and put Cumnor 2-0 up. This match was more competitive with both Henry S and the Chadlington keeper pulling off terrific saves. Chadlington pressure saw them breach the Cumnor line and get right back into the match. Adam sensed the game might be getting away from Cumnor and wrestled the initiative back, setting Toby's second up with a perfectly weighted crossfield pass. Toby was our third hat-trick hero of the day after chesting in our 4th. Matt almost scored two on his debut and would have but for some brave keeping.

More changes and tinkering for the second-half with Matt going in, James E and James S swapping, Henry S going outfield for Adam and Binky coming into the centre. The boys treated us to some lovely play with Joe and Laurie threading delightful passes through a crowded midfield. Joe grabbed a goal, followed quickly by James S. Henry S went on a twisting, turning run (using both feet!)and scored a fine solo effort. James E was unlucky not to get on the score sheet but showed some classy touches at the back. Then, arguably, came the goal of the day. The ball bounced towards Binky who looked up, saw the keeper off the line, and produced an inch perfect lob from 25 yards out. 8-2.

Still, we weren't finished. Joe scored again, James S got another... and another (more hat-trick heroics), and Henry claimed a second after a penalty box scramble. Final whistle: 12-2.

All in all, another very assured squad display. It wasn't easy playing on such a tight pitch, especially as we are such an accomplished passing team. But the boys loved scoring lots of goals so well done. Tougher challenges lie ahead but we're sure we have the attitude, skills and camaraderie to overcome all opposition. And, as the boys proved, in the kickabout with the Chadlington U10/11s... we're up for anything!

Player of the Week: tough one with all those hat-tricks but it came down to Adam and Binky with Binky sneaking it thanks to his cheeky lob.

Great Start to the New Season

2009-09-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

With the grass cut and the lines re-marked, Cumnor produced a superb passing display and emerged unbeaten on match day one.

Match One
We couldn't have wished for a better start to our first season playing in the competitive League. Cumnor played with discipline, skill and pace... scoring 9 goals and conceeding none. All the boys contributed but special mention must go to Henry, Rory and Toby who remained focussed despite having little to do. Captain Ben marshalled the team beautifully from the middle with Adam relishing the open spaces of the bigger pitch. Will was full of his usual tricks and turns and Fyn a constant threat around the box. James S and James E slotted in well when they came on and demonstrated we have plenty of talent in our squad.

As for the goals, Will opened our account for the season, followed by Fyn, Will, Ben, Rory, Will (hat trick), two for James E and one for Adam right on the final whistle. Yes, the goals flowed but the team oozed class throughout stroking the ball around the pitch, looking for space and playing as a team.

Match Two
Where match one was one-way traffic, match two had us all on the edge of our seats. Considering the boys swapped pitches half way through, they did well to produce such an entertaining game. Cumnor went behind to a well-taken Yarnton goal despite Laurie making a brave save (without gloves too!). Cumnor pushed forward and there followed a bizarre piece of action where the ball pinged around the box before James S hit the post. The near miss gave Cumnor heart and good work from Henry S saw James E score the equalizer. 1-1.

Yarnton were determined to get something from the day and despite Joe's heroic tackling, soon went 2-1 ahead. But Cumnor weren't going to take this lying down, Binky burst through and sent James E in to score his second of the match and - with 4 goals - go into an early lead in the race for this year's golden boot. There was more drama just before half-time when captain Henry suffered a knee problem and had to go off for Ben.

In the second-half (on the smaller pitch) Joe went in goal and produced a brilliant display of shot-stopping. However, Yarnton pressure saw them go two clear. With defeat in sight, a little shuffling of the personnel saw Rory and Fyn make an appearance and their impact was instant. Ben hammered home Cumnor's third and then the imperious Rory scored the 4th. 4-4... a fair result.

We're delighted with the start to the season. Here's to more slick passing, stout defending and smart finishing.

Player of the Week: for taking his chances, James E

The New Season

2009-08-19T01:27:00.000-07:00

The fixture list is out. Please visit www.wdyfl.org/2009-10/downloads to find out more. We're in the Under-9s Green League

Cumnor Stars Shine At Summertown

2009-06-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Nine matches, nine wins, 22 goals for, 1 against... in our last outing as U8s, there was no doubt which club stole the show at the Summertown tournament. Congratulations to all the boys who played their part in a memorable morning's entertainment. Considering we haven't played together for a while, the coaches felt we dazzled our opponents with skill, pace, precision passing, solid tackling and brilliant finishing. Will and Adam got 6 goals including a pile driver free-kick from Adam and a dribbling masterpiece from Will. Fyn got 5 and his leaping header was arguably the goal of the day. Rory and Ben grabbed a couple and James chipped in with a poacher's special. But you can't score goals without your teammates and we saw some outstanding midfield work by Joe, James S, Henry S and some heroic defending by Toby. Our goalies too, played their part with Henry M and Ed making superb saves. Ed was also used as a blitz attacker which seemed to frighten the life out of the opposition.

Well done everyone, we're very proud of you and you were right when you said the Cumnor v Cumnor game was the toughest game of the day. Have a great summer and we'll see you next season as we begin our quest for silverware.

Presentation Night

2009-05-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

On a cold and blustery Bank Holiday Monday, the U8s gathered to celebrate an excellent season. Players, coaches and parents have given their all so thank you to all involved. After a nail-biting count, the awards were given as follows:
Players' Player: Will
Parents' Player: Rory
Coaches' Player: Henry M
Most Improved: Toby
Golden Boot: Fyn

Well done everyone and congratulations to Ben C who was named as next season's captain.

2008-09 Results

2009-05-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

6/9/08 Eynsham (h) 5-3 3-0 win win

13/9/08 Tower Hill (a) 2-3 7-0 win loss

20/9/08 Tower Hill Stars (h) 6-1 - win -

27/09/08 Bamptom (a) 3-2 0-3 loss win

4/10/08 Carterton (h) 3-1 2-1 win win

11/10/08 Charlbury (a) 0-5 2-2 win draw

18/10/08 Combe (h) 5-1 3-0 win win

01/11/08 Witney Vikings (a) 2-2 0-5 draw win

08/11/08 Ducklington (a) 1-1 1-1 draw draw

15/11/08 Eynsham (a) 1-1 1-1 draw draw

22/11/08 Tower Hill (h) 3-2 0-2 win loss

29/11/08 Tower Hill Stars (a) 0-4 0-4 win win

17/01/09 Carterton (h) 0-4 2-2 loss draw

31/01/09 Carterton (a) 1-4 0-6 win win

21/02/09 Charlbury (h) 2-1 4-1 win win

28/02/09 Combe (a) 0-0 0-1 draw win

7/03/09 Witney Vikings (h) 0-0 8-0 draw win

14/03/09 Ducklington (h) 1-2 0-1 loss loss

04/04/09 Bampton (h) 4-4 4-2 draw loss

18/04/09 Ducklington (h) 4-1 4-4 win draw

30/04/09 Kingston (h) 3-1 0-3 win loss

Golden Boot 2008/09

2009-04-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Fantasic effort everyone and congratulations Fyn, who beat his own 2007/08 goal tally.

Fyn 21
Will 16
Adam M/James S 11
Ollie 9
Ben Mc 8
Ben C 7
Binky/James E 6
Rory 4
Henry S/Edward 3
Toby/Joe/
Laurie/Henry M 2
Liam 1

Cumnor's Big Finish

2009-04-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

We've had some terrific encounters with Ducklington and the last game of the season was perhaps the best. We played with passion and intelligence and all the hard work we've put in in training paid off.

Match One
Playing with two at the back allowed Will, Ben C and Binky freedom to push on and support Fyn safe in the knowledge that Rory and Toby offered excellent protection for Ollie in goal. The game started in cracking fashion with Cumnor determined to play quickly and keep the ball moving. Binky held the right superbly and linked beautifully with Ben C. Will was a constant threat with his surging runs down the left and Ben orchestrated everything through the middle. But Toby and Rory's dilligence kept us solid. It wasn't long before Cumnor took the lead after Fyn smartly converted Will's cross. Ben went very close with a long range left footer and Will shot over after beating a couple of players. He also almost scored with a header (we're getting good at headers!). Fyn nearly got a second with an outrageously cheeky back heeled volley. Cumnor looked good value for a half-time lead and needed Ollie to make a dramatic save to guarantee the advantage.

In the second-half, Binky dropped back and Toby came into midfield. His impact was immediate aiming a fierce shot at the goal. As the rebound looped out, Ben steadied himself and hit a cracking first time effort into the net. 2-0. But it wasn't all going our way and we failed to deal with a bouncing ball (yet again) which inevitably meant goal for Ducklington. 2-1.

In recent games, we've panicked after conceeding but our new steely attitude saw us tighten our play. Another bouncing ball was this time claimed by Ollie who unleashed a Reina-esque kick to Fyn. With the Ducklington goalie charging forward, Fyn put out a foot and flicked it with the deftest of glances into the goal. 3-1.

As the game neared its conclusion, Cumnor were in control. More smart attacking work saw the ball fall to Rory. He looked up and hit a dipping shot from 2o yards out. What a stunning goal to cap an all round stunning team performance. 4-1.

Match Two
Another end-to-end encounter with Cumnor and Ducklington enjoying a real dogfight. Cumnor lined up with Rory/Fyn in goal, Laurie and Henry M in defence, Henry S, Ollie and James S in midfield and James E up front.

In a very physical game where there was lots of pulling and pushing (and a few x-rated challenges) Cumnor showed what strength and determination the boys have. A scramble in the home goalmouth saw Laurie unfortunately concede a penalty. Rory was unlucky not to keep it out. 0-1.

Against the run of play, Ducklington squeezed another past Rory (0-2) but Cumnor weren't solely defending. Both James' were combining well and Ollie and Henry S showed some lovely touches in midfield. Laurie was working hard in defence and demonstrated what a terrific headerer of the ball he is. And with him, barnstorming Muller was proving Cumnor would not do down without a fight. Guts, bulldog spirit... Cumnor got a corner and Henry's shot eventually found the back of the net. 1-2: game on. Ollie played a delightful little pass into James S who stopped, shimmied and found the bottom corner. 2-2.

The second-half proved a fitting finale to an excellent season with the lead going back and forth. James E tried a sneaky little back heel but had better luck moments later when his goal nabbed Cumnor the lead. 3-2. But Ducklington weren't to be denied and equalized. With time running out, James S grabbed a beauty with the outside of his boot. We were there... we were going to beat Ducklington again but no, a scrambled shot hit the post, then Fyn's head and went in. 4-4.

Both matches had everything and the Cumnor boys can head into the Summer tournaments knowing they've had a terrific season. Hold your heads up high lads, you've done yourselves proud!

Player of the Week: Toby for adding bite to our defence and midfield.

Bampton Goal Blitz

2009-04-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

Two games and 14 goals... the Bampton clash was certainly one of the most thrilling ties of the season.

Match One
Cumnor got off to a sluggish start but took control of the game once we got our passing together. With Toby coming into the wide right position, Fyn up front and Ben C and Adam M alternating between the holding/attacking midfield role... Cumnor showed great balance. But it was Bampton who opened the scoring by finding Cumnor's one weakness: our inability to deal with the high through ball.

It took a goal to force us into life and halfway into the 1st half, Fyn did something no Cumnor player has done all season: he scored with his head. Will played a lovely corner into the danger area and our star striker was there to bang it home. With Rory powering up from the back and Ben cleverly sweeping, Cumnor pushed higher and higher up field. Will took the ball on the edge of the area, went wide and then swung a left foot to send the ball crashing into the corner of the net. 2-1.

Cumnor kept pressing and more good work from Adam set up Will who played a delightful pass into Fyn. Timing his run to perfection, Fyn took Cumnor to a comfortable 3-1 lead. With Cumnor in control, a Bampton long shot fell awkwardly out of the sun and just beat Ed's jump. 3-2.

In the second-half, Bampton tested us with the long ball from the kick-off. Hesitance in midfield saw the ball fall for the Bampton 8 who squeezed it past Ed. 3-3. Cumnor were making hard work of winning the game but kept putting together some lovely moves. Our persistence paid off and Ben's corner was met by a towering Rory header: 4-3.

With long shots, flicks and overhead kicks Cumnor almost had it in the bag before one more speculative Bampton thump forward found their dangerous 8 who completed a well-deserved hat-trick 4-4.

Both teams looked disappointed at the end but everyone at The Closes cheered the boys (and girl) off because we knew every single player had given his - and her - all.

Match Two was just as entertaining. Ben Mc started in goal with Binky at the back. Laurie, Adam M, Henry S and Ed played midfield and James E captained from the front. Unlike the first match, Cumnor dealt with the bouncing ball with more determination (despite Adam using his hand... twice!) Ed relished the freedom of playing out and made some strong, surging runs. Laurie was difficult to handle out wide and his determination saw him break through to score the first goal. 1-0. Cumnor almost got a second moments later after James made a lovely, twinkle-toed run complete with a Ronaldo/Muller-esque stepover.

In the second-half, Adam replaced Ben in goal. With Ben and Ed powering through the middle, a second was on the cards. Ed ran the length of the pitch and was about to fire home before Ben snapped it off his toe and found the net. Ed's shocked look was a sight to behold! 2-0.

Bampton got a goal back before James E showed what a natural goalscorer he is by taking a difficult chance. 3-1. Ed and Ben kept charging forward (thanks to the solid platform provided by Binky's magnificent defensive work) and Ed deserved to get his goal. 4-1. A late effort from Bampton ended the match 4-2 and again, both sets of of players left the field to rapturous applause.

Great stuff... now, if only we can learn to deal with that bouncing ball!

Player of the Week: plaudits for Ed and Binky but it had to go to our header heroes: Fyn and Rory

2009-03-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Cumnor Slip Up Against Ducklington

2009-03-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

We've played worse this season and won so let's not be too disappointed by a double defeat against Ducklington. Both teams battled hard against a very good passing team and if the bounce of the ball had gone our way, we might have emerged with two victories instead of 1-2 and 0-1 defeats.

There were terrific performances by the Cumnor boys with some great tackling and approach play. Adam M scored an excellent goal, it was just a shame we didn't convert our other chances. Never mind, lots of positives can be taken from the game.

Player of the Week: Joe for being brave, energetic and totally committed

Another Mighty Performance

2009-03-08T00:59:00.000-08:00

Recent matches have shown how close tough the Witney league has become. They've also shown what a strong position we are in regarding the strength of our squad. With that in mind, the coaches decided to mix the teams up to see how we would cope with the visit of Witney Vikings.

Match One
Ed started in goal, with Toby in defence, a midfield four of Joe, Will, Ben C and Henry S leaving Binky and James E as strikers. If ever there was a game of two halves then this was surely it. Both teams struggled to get the ball down on the ground and play. With a stream of throw-ins and missed chances the early highlight was Ben C smashing the ball into a neighbouring garden. Both teams did get some shots away with Henry S going close. Binky and James S showed some nice touches in attack and Toby tackled forcefully at the back. But it all felt very dis-jointed until the end of the half when the game suddenly burst into life. First, Witney forced a great save from Ed. Then Will picked up the rebound in our area and ran the length of the field leaving defenders in his wake to set up a good chance for our forwards.

The second-half was electric. Cumnor and Witney stood toe-to-toe and produced some superb passages of play. Joe was excellent out wide and kept a close eye on Witney's dangerous number 14. Ben C played a captain's role, anchored the midfield and allowed Will to set off on a series of dazzling runs down the left. Time and again he skipped to the byline and James and Binky were within millimetres away from converting one of his pinpoint crosses. But it wasn't all Cumnor, Witney kept coming back and Toby had his work cut out to keep the Viking hoards back. Week by week Toby has grown into a defender of true class. Yet the real star of the show was Ed who made a number of incredible saves, throwing himself down at the feet of the Witney attackers, fending off fearsome shotes and keeping a clean sheet for the second week running.

In the end, 0-0 was the right result. Considering it was a 'new' Cumnor mix playing against a well-established side, the boys did brilliantly.

Match Two
In the second game, Ollie went in goal, Ben C & Adam W defence, Laurie, Adam M and Fyn across midfield and Will and James S up front.

From the whistle Cumnor were up and at them determined there would be no repeat deadlock. Storming Adam M gave the team real drive from midfield. Will made the goalie work hard and then hit the post. James S also hit the post and incredible, moments later Fyn hit it with a volley for the second week running! With Adam W and Ben brave and solid at the back and Ollie wondering if he'd get to touch the ball, it was only a matter of time before Cumnor scored. And what a goal it was! Picking up the ball out right, Adam M cut inside then unleashed a ferocious right-footed rocket which almost ripped the net apart. There was no stopping us now. Laurie spotted James S in a good wide right position and threaded the perfect pass through to him. James looked up and played a gorgeous first time cross into the box for storming Adam to smash it home with his left foot. 2-0. Will got the next, beating a couple of players on the edge of the area before curling one in and capping off another good all-round display. 3-0.

In the second-half, Ollie went up front with James S, Henry S came into goal and Binky replaced an exhausted (yet reluctant to leave) Ben C at the back. Ollie showed some delightful touches and clever thinking, playing a quick short corner to Adam who blasted a shot just over the bar. James S and Ollie worked nicely together with Ollie setting up a chance for James to coolly finish. 4-0. Moments later, the same two boys combined to score another. 5-0.

With a goal glut looming, Cumnor resisted the temptation to flood forward and kept playing football. Laurie was disappointed to miss from a few yards out but kept his chin up, beat his man beautifully and played the pass of the day into Ollie to score our sixth.

With the goals flying in, Fyn - our ace goalscorer - continued playing a noble part out wide for his team. Then, we set him free up front and predictably, scored our 7th and 8th within minutes. To Witney's credit, they kept battling and sturdy work and brave headers from Binky and Adam W - and solid commands from Henry S - meant we kept another clean sheet. Final score 8-0.

It's not easy playing in a new team but what the matches proved was how quickly we can adapt and find our rhythm. It also proves we have a strong squad full of talented players who can play all over the pitch.

Player of the Week: plaudits for Toby and Ollie but the unanimous choice was Ed for his immense goalkeeping.

Honours Even at Combe

2009-03-03T02:39:00.000-08:00

What a tie! Cumnor versus Combe was one of the most enthralling and exciting fixtures we've seen this season. Both matches were incredibly even with the outcome of both clashes in doubt right up until the final whistle.

Match One
A strong Cumnor team started well with Will firing in an early effort from out on the left. Combe were quick to counter attack and Ben C showed all his strength and determination in the tackle. With Adam M pressing from midfleid and James E holding the ball up front, Cumnor seemed well set to take the lead. The best chance of the first-half fell to Fyn who somehow got his foot around the ball and volleyed Will's corner into the post.

Yet we weren't having it all our own way. Combe made some excellent breaks and their lively no.8 twisted, turned and tormented. Other teams would have fallen under his spell. But other teams don't have Rory! Time and again this season, Rory has been magnificent at the back. And behind Rory, there was Ed who grew and grew into his goalkeeping role making a series of early saves and commanding his area with real authority.

The game opened up even more in the second half with both teams feeling the pace. Will was causing problems running down the hill and hitting searing crosses into the box. Ben was showing wonderful touches in midfield and he and Adam started to control the tempo of the game. Adam surged forward, blistering through the Combe defence but hit his shot wide. Another chance fell to James but he couldn't quite get a killer pass into Will. There would be no breakthrough and as the ref blew his whistle the exhausted boys left the field to deserved cheers.

Match Two
As in previous weeks, the boys in match two played as a slightly tighter unit but it does help having Henry M bossing everyone about. He and Toby continued their impressive defensive partnership: Henry all energy and strength, Toby cool and ruthless in the tackle. In front of them, Ben Mc ran his heart out leading the startled Combe midfield a merry dance all across the field. Joe showed his neat collection of clever short passes and little touches. Binky seemed to relish being involved in the midfield battle rather than being left isolated up front. James S was a clever target man, showing wonderful awareness in tight spaces to play his teammates in. And in goal, covered in mud but loving every second, Ed.

Both teams had their chances and Combe even hit the post but Cumnor, driven on by Henry and Ben Mc were the slightly stronger team. Ben set out on one of his trademark runs and got a shot in but the ball was parried away by the keeper. Then, appearing from nowhere with all the coolness of an expert poacher, came Binky who calmly rolled the ball into the bottom corner. 1-0.

Cumnor didn't sit on their lead and moved confidently forward, knowing that Henry, Toby and Ed would be almost impossible to beat. On the one occasion when a Combe player did get the better of Henry, he was happy to try and rugby tackle him! Wrong day, Henry!

With Cumnor pressing, Joe played some lovely little passes through the midfield and the ball broke to James. With the goal open in front of him... and a glimpse of glory ahead, James just failed to connect. If he'd been a centimetre taller he would have bagged our deserved second.

Final whistle: 0-1 and another round of applause for a committed team performance.

Player of the Week: very close between Ben Mc and Ed but in the end, the coaches chose Will for his scintillating wing play.

Fun in the Sun

2009-02-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

A welcome burst of sunshine made Saturday's games the most enjoyable for a while - particularly for the parents. With both the Cumnor and Charlbury squads depleted by half-term activities, Cumnor secured two hard-earned victories.

Game 1 was just 10 seconds old when Rory made an excellent run into the Charlbury penalty area and squared the ball for Ben to slot home from close range (though the dubious goals panel may need to ajudicate on the possibility of the final touch coming from a Charlbury player). Cumnor continued to pressurise the Charlbury goal, with Ben and Adam both going close with long range shots. At the other end Henry M and Henry S marshalled the Charlbury forwards well with some well-timed tackles. Another peice of good play from Adam and Toby saw the ball fall to Rory and he rifled home his first goal of the season. Charlbury responded well after half-time and quickly pulled a goal back. Cumnor had to defend much more in the second half and Ollie finally saw some action in goal - making one great diving save to thwart Charlbury. This half was much more balanced, with both teams creating chances, winning corners and generally going for it. When the final whistle came, Cumnor had hung on for the 2-1 victory.

The second game saw some change of personnel, with Joe, Binky and Adam W coming into the starting line up. A tight first half finally opened up when Henry S ran on to a clever pass from Binky to score the opening goal. Charlbury fought back quickly and made the game 1-1. Towards the end of the half though, Ollie and Binky combined well and Binky slotted home Cumnor's second goal. Henry M and Adam W then joined forces at the back, leading to Henry making a good save to keep Cumnor in the lead. The second half saw Ben come on in goal and Rory and Toby into defence, giving Adam W a chance to play up front. However it was the wide midfielders who shone in this half, with both Joe and Ollie making some great contributions. Ollie ran onto a long goal kick and calmly scored Cumnor's third. Charlbuty continued to fight, and Ben was forced to make a brave save at the feet of the forward. Cumnor held on well, and then with alomost the last kick of the match Ollie shot from long distance and claimed his second goal of the day. 4-1 final score.

Well-played everyone, a great effort, with many players playing more than one match. Player of the week for some great midfield and defence work, and for his first goal of the season, was Rory.

Thanks again to all the parents that helped out with nets, pitch marking etc - it was much appreciated.

Cumnor Back To Their Best

2009-02-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

An early start on a bitterly cold morning didn't stop the U8s producing one of their best performances of the season.

Match One
A strong seven took to the field keen to reverse the recent defeat by Carterton. The match started at a furious pace with the disciplined Cumnor midfield of Adam M, Will, Ben C and Binky able to take advantage of Rory's solid defensive play. Cumnor quickly got into their stride with all the boys playing crucial roles. James E was superb upfront showing great strength and awareness to hold the ball up and play his rampaging midfield teammates in. Cumnor had quite a few chances and Will, Adam M and two strikes from James put us four goals up. Carterton got one back with an unstoppable long range shot.

The second half was scoreless but Cumnor controlled the match well. Ollie made an excellent save and possibly sacrificed a lung in the process. Great stuff!

Match Two
An even better team performance with Cumnor running out convincing 6-0 winners. Toby and Henry M were rock solid and didn't let Carterton get a sniff. Joe was quick, energetic, lively and showed real awareness. Ed battled valiantly up and down the left flank and scored two beautifully taken goals. Ollie - freed from his goalkeeping duties - orchestrated everything magnificently and was involved in all Cumnor's incisive play. And up front, the warrior, the finisher: James S... scorer of an ice-cool hat-trick and playmaker in one of the best goals of the season. Run tape: Toby snuffed out a Carterton attack, passed upfield to James who muscled into his defender, swivelled and played the pass of the season to Ed who ran on and scored the kind of goal we all dream of scoring. Cue wild celebrations on the touchline.

Wonderful effort by all involved... a real team performance. It's not just about the goalscorers, it's about each and every boy playing for one another. We pass, we tackle, we fight and we think. On mornings such as this, football is a joy.

Player of the Week: for his Berbatov awareness and assassin touch... James E.

Tough Start to the New Year

2009-01-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

With the mid-winter break finally over, the U8s were itching to get out on the field and face a fired-up Carterton.

Match One
Despite missing some key players, Cumnor put in a spirited display and were unlucky to let in 4 answered goals. Ed made a series of cracking saves in goal and Fyn and James E went close on several occasions. There was some great link play between Adam M and Ben Mc and Toby made a number of heroic tackles. Rory was his usual commanding self at the back but had his work cut out to contain an on-form Carterton.

Match Two
A much better team performance with Henry M barking orders from between the sticks, Joe and Adam W rottweiler like at the back and excellent midfield/forward play between James S, Laurie, Binky and a lively Henry S. Cumnor were desperately unlucky to concede a last minute equalizer and deserved the win. Congratulations to James S and birthday boy Laurie who both bagged their debut goals. Well done.

Player of the Week: For taking charge and non-stop bravery Henry M

Cumnor Shine Away At Tower Hill Stars

2008-11-30T06:12:00.000-08:00

A great way to end the year with two excellent 4-0 wins.

In freezing conditions, Cumnor put in two excellent team performances. Credit must go to the boys for staying focussed in difficult circumstances. It's not easy playing half a match, then going off, then coming back and playing another half. Well done too, for staying warm: something the coaches were in their new training tops!

We passed the ball nicely through midfield with James S putting in some lovely touches. Will scored two goals, Adam M 3 and both boys hit the woodwork on numerous occasions. Ollie and Ben Mc also got a goal each and Joe too, snuck one in at the end of the second match. James S will eventually open his account for the season and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

Binky and Henry M were outstanding in defence and Henry S made some excellent breaks. Toby tackled hard, so did James E and Ed. Rory was given the freedom to attack but still tracked back and covered well. Fyn was lively on the wing despite being unwell.

Fantastic effort to go into our mid=season break with two comprehensive wins. We're a great passing team with excellent defenders and great finishers. If we work hard on our calling, tackling and positional play there's no reason why we can't enjoy a successful 2009.

Player of the week: for his passing and shooting, James S.

Mixed Fortunes Against Tower Hill

2008-11-25T06:27:00.000-08:00

Cumnor ended their sequence of drawn matches with a home victory and defeat against Tower Hill. Although the results don't truly explain what happened.

In match one, Cumnor were made to work hard to stay with a slick Tower Hill. At times, we struggled in the tackle and taking control of the game. There were some notable performances however, Ed did very well in goal and Rory was his usual reliable self despite carrying an ankle injury.

When Cumnor broke, they did so at speed with both Bens, Will and Adam getting the ball forward to Fyn. Cumnor took the lead through (who else) Fyn when he smashed the ball in from 15 yards. Tower Hill got an equalizer just before half-time with an unstoppable shot powering past Ed.

In the second-half, Cumnor got off to the worst possible start when Rory unluckily conceded a penalty. 1-1. Cumnor started to play with more urgency as the match entered a nail biting stage. Will made a lovely turn and pass to feed Fyn who chanced his luck from way outside the box. It paid off. 2-2. in the closing minutes, both teams could have snatched victory but it was left to Liam (making a very promising debut) to smash home the winner with seconds left. 3-2.

In the second match, Cumnor put on a better performance and were extremely unlucky to lose 2-0. Henry S made several great charges in the first half, ably supported by James S. Joe and Toby were strong and quick in midfield and Adam W made some very important challenges. Laurie continued roaring up and down the wing and Binky did well in goal. But our star player was Henry M who took all he's learnt in training onto the match pitch. He was strong, bold and commanded the players around him. Excellent work, Henry.

In the second-half, Binky came out of goal and almost scored a great goal, forcing a smart save from the Tower Hill goalie. Cumnor fought for every single ball and were desperately unlucky to go behind. We could have drawn level in the last seconds but unfortunately, luck wasn't with us and Tower Hill scored their second with the last kick of the game.

A strange day then, where the winning Cumnor team were a little lucky to get the victory and the losing team unlucky to lose. The players from match one need to work on their calling and their tackling. The players from the second game need some more passing work.

Player of the Week: easy choice this week, someone who is taking on board what the coaches are saying - Henry M.

Draws all round (again!)

2008-11-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

After two nailbiting games, Cumnor U8s enhanced their reputation as a favourite with the pools punters - 5 score draws in six games.

Game 1 saw some great play by both sides. Fyn looked sharp up front for Cumnor but was well marshalled (and tackled) by Eynsham's defence. Ben Mc and Ollie both played with good energy as the two wide midfielders - great runs creating chances and great tracking back to prevent chances. The now steady partnership of Adam M and Ben C in the centre of midfield was its usual pivotal self - tackles won, passes made and encouragement given. It was Adam M who gave Cumnor the lead mid-way through the first half with a driving run and shot that squeezed into the far corner.

After the break Eynsham pushed hard to equalise however Rory's rock like defence held firm, and even when it was breached Ed made some great stops to help his team out. Ed's ability to judge when to come off his line is improving game by game and twice he came out to challenge the dangerouse number 9 of Eynsham, who ended up shooting wide on both occassions. A goal was finally conceded with an unstoppable shot. After that Cumnor pushed for a winner but to no avail - the Eynsham tackling was as good as ours and a draw was a fair result.

Game 2 took on a rather unusual 9-a-side format, however on a big pitch this worked reasonably well. James S and Toby shared the goalkeeper / striker roles whilst James E took on the role of sweeper - a job he did very well, reading the play and make great interceptions and tackles when neccessary. Henry S supported in defence and made his usual hard-charging runs, whilst Henry M played everywhere and enjoyed utilising his very own back-heel tackle. Cumnor held the advantage early on and through some good interplay an opportunity opened up for Binky to put Cumnor into the lead. A few minutes later, Joe ran forward from midfiled and smashed a right foot volley goalward only to see the keeper make a great save. Later in the half though Eynsham came into the game and eventually squeezed the ball past Toby to level things up.

The second half was more even, both side creating chances. Adam W made some important tackles in midfiled and debutant Liam got more involved on the left wing - making some good runs as well as some brave headers to clear well-taken Eynsham corners. Unfortunately we were unable to convert the chances that did come our way and the game ended 1-1.

Both games were played in great spirit - some hefty but fair challenges were made by both sides and this led to the odd injury or two, but everyone battled on bravely.

There were some great individual performances, with Rory and Ed outstanding in game 1, however player of the week, for marshalling the troops, making tackles and reading the game, all whilst making his debut in defence, was James E. On behalf of his father, Sam C presented the award to James.

All Square at Ducklington

2008-11-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Two excellent games and two fair results.

In the first match, Cumnor fielded a strong team with players reverting back to arguably their best positions. Ben C struck the first effort wide followed by a long range shot from Will. Early on, Cumnor dominated but it was Ducklington who went ahead with a miss-hit shot just squeezing past an unlucky Ollie. However, as in recent weeks, Cumnor proved that going behind is not a problem. Ben Mc picked the ball up from Rory and set off on a mazy run before feeding Will. The Cumnor No.4 hugged the left touchline, skipping past a defender before whipping the cross in. It looked as if the goalie had it covered but a cruel bounce saw the ball spin into the net. 1-1. Cumnor maintained the momentun til half-time and saw more good efforts by Ben Mc, Adam and Will.

In the second-half, James E came on for Ben Mc but went up front with Fyn moving across to the right flank. We were very unlucky not to score because the boys played some of the best football of the season. We looked organised in all areas with Ollie assured in goal, Rory magnificent in defence, Adam and Ben controlling play from midfield, Will & Fyn causing problems out wide and James ready to poach the winner. Lovely slick passing, where Cumnor moved the ball fluently left to right saw Ben draw Fyn in to almost score with two cross/shots.

The final whistle drew applause from parents and coaches with everyone appreaciating the quality of the game.

In the second match, Henry M started in goal, with Edward in defence, Henry S, Toby, Ben Mc, Laurie in midfield and Binky up front. Again, both teams threatened and tested one another with tricky runs and hard challenges. Edward made several excellent tackles and linked nicely with Toby and Henry S in midfield. Ben Mc showed his close control skills and put Ducklington on the back foot. It wasn't long before Ben found himself in the box with his back to the goal. Turning sharply to the left, Ben spun away and hit a sweet shot into the bottom right corner. 1-0. Cumnor almost increased the lead when Laurie's long-range shot crept inches wide.

In the second-half, Henry M and Edward swapped places and suddenly, the noise level increased! Laurie went into central midfield and started blocking and breaking up Ducklington attacks. Toby got further forward on the right wing and Henry S made more impressive runs. Binky kept finding himself in dangerous positions and was unlucky not to score. James E played his trademark lovely passes and despite some truly brave saves by Edward, Ducklington scored. 1-1.

Cumnor got stronger as the match wore on with Henry M thundering forward but everyone felt the draw was the right result.

Well played everyone! Contenders for player of the week included Ben Mc for his goal, Rory for his brilliant defending, Ed for his defensive play and goalkeeping exploits and Fyn for his wing work. However, the winner was Ben C for his passing, tackling and imaginative play.

A brave performance in tough conditions:

2008-11-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

On a wet & windy Saturday morning Cumnor battled their way to a win and a draw at Witney Vikings. Only 11 players were available, so everyone had to put in extra effort, with many playing a game and a half.

Game 1
Cumnor 2-2 Witney Vikings
Cumnor tried players in different positions for the first game, with Ben C and Fyn sharing the defence and striker roles and Adam M and Ben Mc sharing midfield and goalie roles. The first action of the game saw Adam make a great save from the Witney striker to keep the scores level. The Cumnor midfield then started to combine well with Rory, Toby, Binky and Ben Mc exchanging some neat passes. This eventually led to a Cumnor goal, inevitably scored by Fyn. Cumnor continued to battle and came close on a number of other occasions, whilst some strong defending by Ben C meant Adam remained untroubled in goal.

The second half saw Witney improve and they scored a goal to make the score level. Cumnor bounced back well in the second half, with Binky and Toby making some good runs down the wing, one of which led to Ben C scoring from close range to give Cumnor the edge again. As time wore on Witney kept trying to force an equaliser and this eventually came late in the game.

Overall, a good battling performance.

Game 2
Cumnor 5-0 Witney Vikings
An all together different game to game 1, with Cumnor dominating from the outset. Adam M played very well in the centre of midfield and, after a surging run, struck the ball into the Witney net. Henry S spent the first half as striker and his continual threat eventually paid off with a neatly taken second goal.

The second half was more of the same. Henry S swapped with Adam W for goalkeeper duties and was rarely troubled, primarily due to some great defending by Henry M. Adam W moved into midfield and disrupted much of Witney’s play through good tackling. The rest of the midfield combined well. Joe made an excellent midfield debut on the right, showing that he is not just a defender. He cleverly followed in a powerful shot from Ben C to score his very first goal for Cumnor. Some good interplay by Fyn and Ben C led to the latter adding a fourth goal. The game was well and truly wrapped up when Henry M made a run from his own half and smashed home a fifth goal.

Some great performances on the day, with Adam M, Henry M and Ben C particularly impressive, however, for showing that he can play somewhere other than defence and for scoring his first ever Cumnor goal, the player of the week trophy went to Joe.

Goalmouth action against Combe

2008-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Teamwork Key To Combe Wins

2008-10-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Two tough matches, two excellent performances. Cumnor battled hard to claim deserved wins against a previously unbeaten Combe.

In the first match, Fyn and Rory shared goalkeeping/wide right duties, Will and Ben C alternated between defence and attack, Adam M, Ben Mc and Ollie made up the midfield with Edward (playing his first outfield game for the club) at the back.

Cumnor clicked from the start with Rory making some lovely passes from out wide. Ben C and Edward put in countless sturdy tackles and Ben Mc played with great awareness. Fyn prevented Combe from taking the lead with a brilliant diving save. With Cumnor pressing forward, Will went for the gap and crossed to Ollie who scored the opener with a great instinctive finish.

The goal gave Cumnor increased confidence and good passing set Adam up 15 yard out. Looking up he saw his chance an unleashed a ferocious shot which found the back of the net. Great goal. Seconds later, Will tried to emulate Adam but hit the post from 20 yards out.

The second-half started with Combe on the attack. They scored a deserved goal and put Cumnor on the on the back foot. But the lads dug deep, tackled strongly and passed their way out of trouble. Ben Mc - producing yet another swashbuckling performance - got Cumnor's third. Toby (on for Adam) ran strongly at the Combe defence. More good play from Ben set Ben C up who scored with a lovely left foot shot. With time running out, Ben Mc scored his second - and Cumnor's fifth - and cemented the win.

In the second match, Binky and Laurie played in goal/wide right, Henry & Joe continued their deadly defensive double act, Adam W, James E and Henry S were in midfield with James S up front.

Another strong Cumnor performance was built on full-blooded tackling. Henry and Joe - our blonde bulldozers - were kept busy all match and worked hard to stop Combe scoring. Laurie came close to opening his scoring account with a shot from 20 yards which forced a smart save from the Combe goalie. Scoreless and evenly poised at half-time, the crowd anticipated a cracking send-half.

With James E carrying a knock on his knee, we swapped him and James S in attack/midfield. It proved the turning point. James S exploded into life, breaking up Combe attacks, running strongly and passing sensibly out of trouble. Toby came on and added an increased threat to our attacks and it was his thunderous run which set up our first goal. James E was about to be subbed, but he latched onto Toby's cross with a typically well-timed run, to score.

Slowly, Cumnor increased the pressure but we weren't having it all our own way. Combe forced a couple of great saves from Laurie and their corners proved difficult to deal with. Adam W - who'd been in the wars but bravely decided to continue - made a fantastic header and stopped a certain goal. With James S pulling the strings from midfield, Cumnor broke away and put Binky in for the second.

With time running out, Henry S - who once more impressed out wide - snaffled the ball from the re-start, charged through the heart of the Combe defence and coolly slotted his first goal for the club. 3 - 0.

Terrific all-round display. There were whacks and bangs and balls in faces, but despite the tears, we all pulled together and fought on. Once again, the opposition coach was full of praise for the boys. We proved, by digging in and trying to play properly, that we could claim yet another win.

Lots of contenders for player of the week. Fyn did well in goal and out wide, Ben C tackled his heart out, Adam W was strong and brave but ultimately, the choice came down to our two newest players. Edward excelled playing outfield and was very assured on the ball. However, player of the week, for his clever runs, great passing and superbly taken goal, Henry S.

Fixtures

2008-10-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

1st November Witney Vikings AWAY
8th November Ducklington AWAY
15th November Eynsham AWAY
22nd November Tower Hill HOME
29th November Tower Hill Stars AWAY
7th February Bampton HOME
14th February Carterton AWAY
21st February Charlbury HOME
28th February Combe AWAY
7th March Witney Vikings HOME
14th March Ducklington HOME

Cumnor Rediscover Passing Game

2008-10-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

Two excellent team performances against Charlbury showed Cumnor's patience and poise.

In match one, Cumnor almost got off to a dream start with a series of slick passes putting Adam M in. Fyn proved his footballing versatility playing in defence and threading some lovely passes through to our midfield quartet of Rory, Ollie, James and Adam M. Ben looked lively up front and was unlucky not to score. With chances falling to our players, it was left to Ollie to open the scoring with a terrific low drive. Ollie was then involved in another great move with Fyn which led to another one of Ben's dangerous corners.

In the second-half, Will came out of goal and went up front in place of Ben, and Toby came on for James. Ollie, threatening down the left, hit an awkward cross/shot which the goalie knocked away into the path of Will. 2-0. Cumnor kept the ball and maintained momentum with more clever passes. Our movement too, was excellent. Will got his second - and Cumnor's third - with a smart right foot finish. Fyn's long range shot was just over. Will got his deserved hat-trick (three goals in under 10 minutes! after a strong run in the box, unleashing a ferocious shot into the corner.

However, it wasn't all Cumnor. Charlbury threatened and nearly got a goal back before Ben made an excellent save. Ollie and Adam combined well to set up Toby who finished well. 5-0.

In match two, Toby started in goal with Joe in defence; Rory, Henry M, Fyn and James S in midfield and James E up front. Charlbury threatened more in this game and Cumnor had to work together as a team to wrestle control of the match. James E almost got the opener but was thwarted on the line. Cumnor did score first however, through Fyn who made a storming Gerrard-like run from midfield to bury the loose ball. 1-0. James S was strong in the challenge and made a fantastic run which almost set up our second. It wasn't to be, with Charlbury snatching an equalizer. Against the run of play, Charlbury would have gone into the lead but for a smart save from Toby. James E made a powerful surge into the box, had his shot blocked on the line and so too, did James S who came close to opening his account for the season. James E and Fyn both went close (Fyn with a Lampard-like miss) just before half-time.

In the second-half, Will and Ben came on for Rory and Fyn, and James E went in goal. Henry led by example making some ferocious tackles and bellowing for the ball. Ben too, was at his rotweiller best, securing the ball in midfield. Will tried 'a Fyn' and almost scored from 30 yards out. James S continued making dangerous runs down the wing and set up Ben to score Cumnor's second. Cumnor led but never had total control and despite excellent goalkeeping by James E, Charlbury got the equalizer. A fair result for a fantastic game.

All the Cumnor players performed brilliantly. Our passing, movement and tackling was exactly what we've been striving for in training. The referee was impressed with the boys and said some lovely things about our play at the end.

Player of the Week for his controlled performance out wide - and his excellent goal - Ollie.

Well Fought Wins Against Carteron

2008-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Two excellent performances against a solid tackling Carteron saw Cumnor emerge victors.

In the first match, Edward performed heroics in goal. Rory was his usual solid, intelligent self. Adam M showed great versatility playing in defence and then in his more natural position, midfield. James E struck the ball well and went close a few times. Ben C showed clever movement and great determination to get into dangerous positions. Will made some telling passes and good runs and up front, Binky and Fyn proved a very useful strike partnership.

Fyn scored two cracking goals to take his tally for the season to an incredible 11. He would have got a third if the Carterton goalie hadn't turned his stunning shot over the bar with a great save. Will got the other, curling one in off the goalie from a corner (which he is claiming, by the way).

In match two Ollie and James S shared goalkeeping duties and both had to make very smart saves. Joe overcame illness to perform heroics in defence and played some lovely passes. Henry M gave the loudest performance of the season, thankfully someone finally taking on the coaches' advice to make more noise. Laurie played another barnstorming game, raiding up and down the wing. Henry S proved equally effective on the left with his mazy runs. Up front, Toby looked fast and hungry for goals. And, coming on from the bench, Adam W was big and brave at the back clearing one corner with a fantastic header.

After going 1-0 down to a dubious refereeing decision (sorry boys... but that's not an excuse to argue with me, Toby!) the boys showed tremendous fight and spirit to claw back the win. The star man was Ben Mc who continued his fine start to the season. His goal, beautifully set up by Ollie, was an example of cool finishing under pressure. Ollie got the winner, calmly turning in the box and finishing from a tight angle.

It was rough, tough and very enjoyable. Top marks all around. Player of the Week: Ben Mc for his work rate, passing and terrific goal.

Honours Even At Foggy Bampton

2008-09-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

Sleepovers, mist, goal-line clearances, fightbacks and great goals.... it was all going on at Bampton.

Match One
With the teams mixed up, it was time for the U8s to experiment with some new combinations. In the first game, Henry M went in goal with Ben C & Henry S at the back. Rory pushed up into central midfield to partner Ben Mc with Will and James S out wide. Ollie was given the starting striker slot.

It's fair to say that Cumnor got off to a slow start despite Ollie hitting the post after some great work by Ben Mc. Bampton were tough to break down, keeping three defenders back and relying on some excellent counter attacking. They deservedly scored the opening goal and Cumnor were obviously shaken. Henry made some brave saves but minutes later, we were 2-0 down. Ollie and Will linked well to put Rory through who shot wide. With seconds to go before half-time, the clever Bampton 8 bagged his third of the match to leave Cumnor with an uphill task in the second half.

The coaches knew Cumnor had it in them to get back in the game; we just needed to concentrate, call, pass.... and put Rory in defence. And, as in previous matches, Rory took the danger man out of the game. Our midfield started linking well and we suddenly got in the game. Great work from Ollie in the tackle set Will up at the edge of the box who scored in the left-hand corner. Game on. Cumnor started to dominate and more goals looked likely. Good Bampton defending kept us at bay. Eventually, more Cumnor pressure forced a corner which Ben C managed to curl into the the top left hand corner. Brilliant. With the clock ticking down and the ball zipping up and down the field, Bampton were through before Will put in a last minute tackle. Henry S made another surging run and it seemed that we might get the draw. We didn't. Never mind; it was a superb second-half performance with lots of guts and energy and the coaches were delighted with the way the boys dug in and fought back.

Match Two
Different combinations for the second match with Edward in goal, Adam W & Toby in defence, Laurie, James E, Fyn and Binky in midfield and Adam M up front.

Cumnor dominated from the start and put in an excellent team performance. A quick breakaway saw Adam M's shot fall to the ever dangerous Fyn whose own shot hit the post. Laurie played possibly his best game for Cumnor, running hard down the wing, threading lovely passes through to Adam and man-marking his opposite number out of the game. However, Cumnor weren't having it all their own way and Edward was forced to make a brilliant save, flinging himself full stretch to the right to tip the ball over the bar.

James E - playing at his best in central midfield - started to run the game. His vision, tenacity and passing was exceptional. And with Toby and Adam W forming a strong defensive partnership behind him, Cumnor had great shape. The first goal however, fell to guess who? Fyn. Picking up a quick throw from Laurie, Fyn kept his nerve and slipped the ball past the goalie. Cumnor almost strecthed their lead just before half-time when James E hit a shot from close to the half-way line.

In the second-half, Henry M came on for Adam W and Adam M was given 7 minutes to score. He was unlucky not to. Toby was becoming more influential with his tackling and passing and was itching to be set free up front. With both teams going close, and Binky and Laurie dangerous out wide, Cumnor moved into top gear. Adam M & Toby swapped and Adam made some crunching tackles which stopped Bampton in their tracks. Toby then picked up the ball on the edge of the Cumnor area, powered through the midfield, passed to Fyn who had the awareness to pick out Toby's run, who finished the move in style. A fantastic goal. 2-0.

Bampton weren't finished. Edward, Henry and Fyn combined to make some goal-line clearances. With the seconds running out, Fyn capped another superb performance with another beautifully taken goal. Well done.

So, lots of good things. A couple of bad things to work on in training. Many names figured for player of the week but in the end, it went to our midfield maestro, James E.

Solid All-Round Performance Against Tower Hill Stars

2008-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

A different kind of match experience for the U8s. With Tower Hill Stars having a slightly smaller squad than other teams we have faced, Cumnor agreed to play one team in one half, with the other in the second-half.

The first half team - led magnificently by Henry S playing at the back with Joe - were straight into the attack with Binky & Toby threatening from the start. In fact, it was Binky who scored the first goal, squeezing the ball over the line. Tower Hill Stars re-organized and threatened going close before a shot crept past Will in goal. With deadlock looming, and Joe in the wars once more, it was left for James S to set up Toby. Running wide, Toby got the ball into the box and Ben Mc crashed it home. An excellent start, considering the tired eyes of Adam W, Binky and Joe who willingly sacrificed their pre-match preparation for a sleepover!

In the second half, Cumnor were straight into the action with new captain, Ben Mc scoring his second. In fact, Ben almost bagged a hat-trick moments later. There were more goals on the cards and James E scored a beauty, volleying home Will's excellent cross (the pre-game training worked). Cumnor controlled the game through Rory, Adam M and Ben C who fed Will's dangerous runs down the left wing. Adam M capped another top performance with a cracking goal. With seconds left, Ben C went agonizingly close before Will finished the game with another good team goal. Fyn was on hand to send it over the line but his dad told him not to claim the goal; a first surely, for a striker and the O'Sheas!

With a number of strong performances to choose from, manager Steve had a difficult choice to make for Player of the Week but in the end, chose wisely and picked Ben Mc.

Mixed Fortunes At Tower Hill

2008-09-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

The U8s challenging start to the season continued in Witney with a tough encounter against Tower Hill.

Match One
Both teams were equally matched and Cumnor dug in well to claim a well-deserved victory. Ollie was outstanding in goal making several excellent reflex saves. James E made a number of lovely breaks down the left hand side and tackled well. Rory was his usual on the ball self snuffing out Tower Hill attacks and calmly setting up Cumnor moves. Adam M threatened from midfield and linked well with Ben C and Will. Speaking of which, Ben & Will produced several excellent corners, swinging right into the danger areas. In fact, the Tower Hill coach said they were the best corners he had seen at this age group! Fyn pounced on the first to give Cumnor a lead of 1-0 at half-time.

Almost straight from the re-start red-hot Fyn struck again and Cumnor appeared to be home and dry. But, like last week, we allowed the opposition to get back into the game. We were unlucky not to go ahead with numerous efforts blocked on the line or just going wide. The pressure began to tell and it was left yet again to Fyn to pivot and smash his third - and our winning goal - into the back of the net.

Match Two
Despite a very valiant display, where each player gave an excellent account of themselves, Tower Hill proved too strong for Cumnor in the second match. Edward was unlucky in goal with the ball being struck home after he had made a series of fantastic saves. Joe, carrying the bruise of his usual pre-match knock, delivered another ferocious performance at the back. In midfield, James S played many intelligent balls through to a hard-working, and slightly unlucky Binky, whose goal-scoring touch is bound to return. It was great to see Toby flying free once more down the wing and Ollie capped off his goalkeeping heroics with a another assured outfield performance. The highlight for Cumnor however, was Henry S' electrifying break down the wing which almost set up a goal.

The boys showed terrific determination and guts to stick in the game and kept trying their best. Better luck next time.

Stunning Start to the New Season

2008-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

The U8s got off to a winning start with two excellent performances against a well-organized and talented Eynsham. In the first match, livewire striker Fyn was at his Torres-like best with four superbly taken goals. He was banging them in from all angles including one from the corner flag! Cross or shot, Fyn? Let us know.

Will got the other goal which capped off a full-blooded display playing just in front of the midfield. Two boys bagged the goals but it was the team around them that earnt the victory. Adam M once more was our midfield engine powering through the central areas. Either side of him, the two Bens showed energy, industry and great touches on a tricky playing surface. But if we want to pinpoint two exceptional performances, we have to look further back at Rory and Henry M. Last season, the dynamic Eynsham No.9 was instrumental in our defeat but on Saturday, Rory gave a masterclass in man-to-man marking. He almost sealed his brilliant display with a stunning goal after taking the ball the whole length of the pitch.

In goal, Henry M (playing his first match since injury) was strong, committed and a little bit mad (no bad thing for a goalie). He gave a penalty away (and yes it was a penalty) but he then produced an absolutely monumental save, forcing a well struck shot over the bar!

Great stuff, it looked as if we might run away with the game but Eynsham proved a tough team, hitting the post twice and coming back to 4-3 before Fyn sealed it with his outrageous goal.

A special mention also for Henry S who made a very promising debut down the left hand side.

The second match was just as exciting with Cumnor flooding forward in waves. Ollie opened his account for the season with two goals including a peach from outside the box. Binky got one and would have had a few more if the grass had been cut before the match! In midfield, Laurie was once again the team action man, taking various hits and knocks to the body but still getting up and ploughing on. James E was unlucky not to get a goal and played his usual game: intelligent passing/kamikaze tackling. James S had his best game for Cumnor, breaking up loads of Eynsham moves and playing lovely little passes to set up fresh attacks. But yet again, the real hero of the day was at the back where Joe 'Iron Man' H tackled and blocked his heart out. It was such a big performance, it made his kit seem too small. Another new boy, Edward, made an excellent debut in goal playing with bravery and confidence. After struggling to find a goalie all last season, we now seem to be blessed with two! And coming on in the second-half and getting straight into the action, well done Adam W.

So, the new kit might be a bit big... but it looks good and we're unbeaten in it. Roll on next Saturday!

2007/08 Season

2008-08-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

The new season starts with a midweek training session on Tuesday September 2nd. The venue details will be confirmed shortly via email but the session will last an hour from 6.15 to 7.15. We'll also be handing out the new kit.

Our first game (again, to be confirmed) is at home against Eynsham on Saturday the 6th.

Don't forget, this season we'll playing friendly fixtures again (in accordance with new FA U8 guidelines) so it's all about getting involved, trying hard and enjoying the football. Midweek training will be held on Tuesday evenings. Home Saturday sessions/matches at The Closes (please park by the Cricket Clubhouse).

A full fixture list will be sent out soon. We won't play every fixture but we will play more games than last year. We want to try and give the children as much football as possible on a match days so we plan to take a smaller squad to away games. This means some players will be asked to sit out certain weeks. This will be decided on a rota basis unless you and your children are likely to be away. Let us know in advance and we'll factor that into selection.

We'll also be welcoming two new players to our squad but please note, we're now full. If anyone asks you about joining us, say we're full but they are welcome to join the waiting list.

Here's to another exciting season.

David, Tim, Richard & Steve

Cumnor Win At Charlbury

2008-06-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

The U7s played our first ever tournament on Sunday June 8th and finished the day unbeaten. On a sweltering morning, after a long drive through the rolling Oxfordshire countryside, 8 players took the field in a 4 match tournament. Playing six-a-side, each boy played 3 games and sat out 1. Our opponents, Charlbury and Chase, provided stern opposition but Cumnor controlled all four games (playing each team twice).

Final stats: played 4, won 4, scored 9, conceeded 0. Scores were: 2-0, 1-0, 2-0 & 4-0

So well done: Adam M, Ben C, Ben Mc, Fyn, James E, James S, Joe and Will. Highlights include: Adam M's midfield play and leadership, Ben C's superbly taken hat-trick, Ben Mc's non-stop running and bravery, Fyn's 4 breathtaking goals, James E's passing, clever movement and goalkeeping, James S' sturdy tackling and goalkeeping, Joe's super tough defending and Will's incisive passing and crossing.

Considering we haven't played together for over a month, this was a fantastic example of skill, teamwork and commitment. Our quick passing, strong running and excellent finishing was a joy to see.

Brilliant work, boys!

Eynsham Too Strong For Valiant Cumnor

2008-04-06T06:24:00.001-07:00

Well it had to happen eventually and no bad thing it happened towards the end of the season but Cumnor were beaten in both matches. Both Cumnor teams battled hard but found the strength and touch of certain Eynsham players difficult to deal with. Despite losing 2-1 and 6-0, particular praise must go to Ben C and Joe for their brave defending, Ben Mc for man-marking the excellent Cumnor No.9 and Rory for a very gutsy and determined display both in goal and in midfield. James Earl scored a nicely taken goal and made a brilliant goal-line clearance and James S saved a penalty! Ollie played some nice balls, Adam M showed his leadership qualities and Will, Fyn and Binky all went close. Adam W made some great tackles and Laurie was his usual gung-ho self. Fantastic.

Highlight of the day however, was seeing Henry (and his crutches) on the touchline.

Well done everyone... Eynsham have improved greatly since we last played them and today was very much a blip in what's been a brilliant debut season.

Player of the Week: Rory for his energy and drive.

No training next week.

Parents: don't forget to get your Parents' Player of the Year form back to Tim.

Eynsham match this Saturday. Please be at The Closes by 9.30

2008-03-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

U6 & U7 Training is ON this Saturday (22nd) at Cumnor School

2008-03-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Cumnor U7s v Carterton U7s (friendly) Sat 15th March

2008-03-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Battling Cumnor Unbeaten At Carterton

On a momentous day for sport, Wales secured a thrilling Grand Slam at a pulsating Millennium Sta.. oh, hang on. Sorry.

Cumnor went out to Carterton to face, what many of us believe, to be the toughest team we've faced this year. With the season winding down, it would have been easy to protect our excellent record but no, Cumnor love a challenge. And what a challenge it was (and I'm not just talking about finding the ground!)

In the first match, Laurie started in goal with Joe in defence, a midfield four of Henry, Toby, James S and Ben Mc, and upfront the in-form goal machine that is Binky.

The game started at a frantic pace with both Cumnor and Carterton wrestling for control of the ball. Joe was quick and brave and tackled manfully at the back. His distribution play was excellent too. With Henry's physical presence unsettling Carterton and James S scrapping for every loose ball, Cumnor slowly gained the upper hand. The breakthrough wasn't long coming and it took some smart instinctive play from Toby to look up and thread a pass through to Binky. With nerves of steel Binky took on the excellent Carterton goalie and scored a wonderful individual goal. 1-0.

Carterton reacted well to going one down and pressed hard on the Cumnor goal. They would have got their equalizer if it wasn't for a stunning save by Laurie. Inspired by Laurie's keeping, Cumnor pushed forward and the impressive Ben Mc almost put Binky in for his second. More Cumnor pressure saw us get a corner but the Carterton goalie was difficult to beat. However, just before half-time, we got a second from guess who? Yes, Binky. Was it a cross? Was it a shot? It didn't matter because it pinged in the back of the net. 2-0.

In the second-half, Ben Mc replaced Laurie in goal. We actually dominated the second-half more than the first and if it wasn't for some goalkeeping heroics we might have got a hat full. Henry made some surging runs, James S was a real terrier in midfield, Laurie made some fantastic covering tackles and Joe was unbeatable. But the most pleasing aspect from the first game was the intricate link play between Toby and Binky. The hardworking defence and midfield gave Toby and Binky the platform to attack. Final whistle: 2-0 Cumnor and one of our best displays of the year.

In the second-match, Cumnor had to re-organize to compensate for Rory's absence (who'd gone to Twickenham to see 6 Nations runners-up, England). We started with two at the back (Adam M and Ben C) with Will, Ollie and James E in midfield and Fyn up front.

From the off it was obvious that this match would be tight. Will forced an early corner with a fierce shot and Adam M put in a strong tackle to snuff out Carterton's first attack. Cumnor were linking well through midfield and trying to get Fyn through on goal. Our passing was slick and effective but if anything, we were guilty over being a little over elaborate. It was real end-to-end stuff with corners and near misses at both ends. Henry made a smart save and Ben and Adam had to be alert. Occasionally one (or even both) defenders got stranded up the field as Carterton raided our goal. Carterton went very close and hit the post. Cumnor counter-attacked with some good wing-play from Will setting up a chance for Fyn. But, as in the first game, the Carterton goalie seemed ready for anything.

With Cumnor anxious to take the lead, we started losing our shape and looked a little ragged. More Carterton pressure saw the ball break for their striker. Henry could do nothing.0-1.

The coaches changed it around in the second-half with Ben asked to take sole defensive responsibilities and Adam pushed into central midfield. Lovely interplay between Ollie, Fyn and Adam from the kick-off saw Adam's superb shot go inches wide. With James and Ollie holding their shape in the midfield and Adam able to charge forward, Cumnor looked more threatening. A Carteron goalkick fell to Fyn who reacted instinctively and sent a long looping shot over the Carterton goalie and into the net. 1-1.

The game was now finely balanced with neither team dominating. Ollie and Adam combined nicely to put Will in but again the goalkeeper saved Carteron. Ben kept an eye on the dangerous Carterton striker but it was a speculative shot from midfield that almost sailed past Henry. Cumnor made a change bringing on Toby for James who was feeling the effects of an earlier illness. As the minutes ticked down both teams were firing in the shots from all angles but neither goal line was breached. Cumnor went closest of all with the very last kick of the game as Ben saw his thunderbolt pushed wide. There was no time for the corner as the final whistle signalled the end of a terrific match.

A fantastic effort by both teams. We haven't played for a few weeks and maybe it showed but our attitude and determination was spot on. Well done!

Player of the Week: Ben C for filling the big boots of Rory, staying disciplined at the back, getting up after a nasty knock and almost scoring with the last kick of the game.

Training for U6s & U7s at Cumnor School on Saturday March 1st

2008-02-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Cumnor U7s v Summertown Stars (friendly) Sat 16th Feb

2008-02-16T08:49:00.001-08:00

Cumnor Firepower Gives Summertown the Winter Blues

A beautiful, bitterly cold morning greeted Cumnor's first trip to Cutteslowe Park. With key players Adam, Ben Mc and Binky absent, Cumnor had to be at their organized best to get past a forceful Summertown.

In the first match, Cumnor began with Ollie in goal, Rory in defence, Will, Ben, James E and Adam W in midfield and sharpshooter Fyn up front. From the kick-off it was obvious that both teams were evenly matched. The game started at a frantic pace with the frost covered pitch causing problems for both sets of players. Summertown launched the first real attack of the game with Ollie saving well from flying winger, Max. As in previous weeks, Cumnor held their shape and tried to stick to the passing game that has served us well. James E was lively early on, calmly directing play from central midfield. Rory once more was rock solid at the back and his no nonsense attitude rubbed off on his teammates. Will showed terrific tenacity in midfield, stealing the ball away from a Summertown player before threading a lovely pass through to Fyn. With just the goalie to beat, Fyn made no mistake. 1-0.

Unlike previous matches, the first goal didn't open the floodgates for Cumnor with Summertown more than matching the Blues in the possession stakes. Yet Cumnor were the more threatening, with Ben and Will linking well to set up Fyn who forced a good save from the keeper.

In the second-half, tinkermen Tim and Dave put Will at the back (for a breather), pushed Rory into midfield (who'd been lobbying hard to break out of defence) and swapped Ben for Ollie in goal. James broke up another Summertown attack and sent Ollie off down the park with another great pass. Summertown pushed on in search of the equaliser and would have got it but for some match defining heroics from Ben in goal. Inspired by Ben's save, Cumnor pressed on and got the ever dangerous Fyn into a goalscoring position. Naturally, he scored. 2-0.

At the re-start, a battling Adam W made way for the all-action Henry who flew straight into the fight making a series of solid blocks. But still Summertown attacked and would have scored but for James' superb goal-line clearance. With the ball pinging up and down the pitch (and the boys becoming increasingly breathless), Will teed up Rory who just went wide with his effort. Both Will and Fyn went close before Will skipped through a gap and scored a lovely goal with his trusty left foot. 3-0.

With Cumnor in control the chances continued to come. Fyn played Rory in and our star defender turned goal poacher supreme scored. 4-0. Nice strike rate, Rory. Fyn almost got another hat-trick after a blistering run and cross from the left wing by Will.

With the game drawing to a close, James threaded a neat ball into Will who beat one man and then managed to keep his composure and hit the ball over the goalie as he fell. 5-0.

A comprehensive win in the first game put added pressure on Cumnor for the second match with Summertown determined to get their revenge. With Rory in goal, Henry & Joe in defence, James, Laurie and Ben in midfield and skipper Toby up front.

Toby set a captain's example and almost got Cumnor off to a flying start with a smart effort on goal. Both teams sought the early advantage and it took a piece of quick thinking by Rory to clear his box quickly and launch the attack which eventually set Ben up to score the first goal with a powerful shot. 1-0.

Cumnor strived to dominate the game, pouncing on the midfield scraps and turning defence into attack. Joe was alert to any threat at the back and Henry continued to make his trademark thrusting runs. The ball broke free at the edge of the Summertown box and a ferocious shot pole-axed Toby. With ref Tim about to blow so Toby could get attention, he noticed his son Ben latch onto the rebound and crash the ball home. The whistle never came. Good advantage there ref... and a great assist, Toby! 2-0.

Summertown upped the pace at this point and went close before some clever thinking by Henry saw him intercept an attack, look up and then play the pass of the day to Toby who ran on and on to score a superb goal. 3-0.

From the re-start, Summertown threw everything forward put Cumnor under tremendous pressure. A combination of Rory and his defenders kept out three goalbound chances before eventually, the ball crept in over the line. 3-1.

In the second-half, Will went in goal and Ollie came on for Ben. Despite having the two goal advantage, Cumnor started slowly and were soon under the kosh. A good Summertown move saw their dangerous striker through on goal. Unfortunately, Dave (standing behind the goal)distracted his son and Will was beaten low to his left. Sorry, son! 3-2.

With the midfield battle intensifying, Laurie and Henry came into their own. James S - growing in confidence with every touch - made some excellent tackles and his balance and flicks bamboozled the Summertown players. Good midfield work saw Toby break free and score his second with a screaming shot. 4-2.

Cumnor were almost home and dry and an arcing run by Laurie gave Ollie a chance from wide right in the box. With little time to settle himself, Ollie hit a good shot which unfortunately found the side-netting. In the last few minutes, Adam W replaced a shattered Henry who had literally run himself into the ground. Adam made a good tackle which set Laurie up on another of his bullocking runs. With options running out he just managed to squeeze the ball through to Ollie who scored with a fine shot. 5-2. Final whistle.

Another excellent squad performance by Cumnor. We saw everything today: great finishing, strong tackles, brave saves, wonderful passing. The scorelines might imply easy wins for both teams but they weren't. We were in a real match against Summertown and the players will have learnt a lot about their character, resolve and coolness under pressure. We just need to talk to each other on the pitch now...

Player of the Week: for a complete all-action performance (passing, tackling, running and goalscoring) Will.

Next week: no training (half-term)

Cumnor U7s v Summertown Stars (away) Sat Feb 16th

2008-02-12T00:35:00.001-08:00

Two friendly fixtures arranged for Saturday the 16th. First kick-off 10.30. Please be at Cutteslowe Park by 10.10.

Cumnor U7s v Tower Hill U7s (friendly) 9th Feb 2008

2008-02-09T04:21:00.000-08:00

Strength In Depth Key To Cumnor Win

Two excellent performances against a well-drilled Tower Hill saw Cumnor emerge deserved victors. For the first time this season, the Cumnor teams were mixed up and the results proved what the coaches long suspected; we have a very strong squad on our hands.

Match One

In the first game, Toby started in goal with Joe and Adam W in defence, Will, Ben C, Louis and skipper Adam M in midfield and Binky up front (yes, we did play 8-a-side). Tower Hill pressed from the start going close with an early effort. Joe and Adam had to maintain concentration to snuff out the opposition attacks. Cumnor soon got into the game, keeping their shape and passing the ball extremely well. Louis and Ben C were strong in central midfield with Will and Adam M raiding down the flanks. Cumnor took the lead when the ball broke through to Binky who calmly slotted it home. 1-0. From the re-start, Adam M made another storming run and crashed the ball against the post with Will just failing to latch onto the rebound. Minutes later, a smart piece of defending by Joe saw Louis take the ball, look up and thread a sublime pass through to Binky. Bouyed by his earlier goal, Binky kept his nerve and finished brilliantly. 2-0. Cumnor kept pushing and Will went down heavily in the box under a clumsy challenge (c'mon ref!) leaving Ben to force a save from the keeper.

In the second-half, two goal hero Binky went in goal and Toby replaced him up front. Cumnor were well on top now, controlling the game from midfield. Adam W tried to carry on bravely with an injured leg but had to make way for Rory. More Cumnor pressure saw Toby go close. Louis and Will linked up well leaving Will's cross to be smacked home by Ben C. 3-0. It would have been easy for Cumnor to ease off at this point but energetic bursts from Adam M and solid tackling by Ben, Will and Rory kept the impetus firmly with the home side. But Tower Hill kept fighting and a ball Cumnor felt was going out for a corner, hit the flag and stayed in play. We were too slow to react and a hopeful cross/shot just crept in past Binky's near post. 3-1. Cumnor kept pushing forward but with seconds left (3 according to the ref), Tower Hill broke free and scored another goal. 3-2. With the final whistle blown at kick-off, Cumnor breathed a collective sigh of relief to emerge winners: 3-2. Phew.

Match Two was even closer with Cumnor fielding Fyn, Rory, Laurie, James E, debutant James S, Ben Mc, Ollie and Henry. Cumnor started brightly with Ollie and James E driving forward from midfield. Cumnor had an early corner which Tower Hill just scrambled away. James went close with a smart shot and the ball bobbled around in the Tower Hill box. But Tower Hill soon got into their stride and strong tackling by Rory the Rock managed to keep them at bay. With both teams well matched the game started to get scrappy with all players fighting for the ball. Henry was charging around keen to be part of the action and put some excellent tackles in. Yet, for all the effort, Cumnor would have gone into half-time 2-0 down if it wasn't for two superb saves by Fyn; the first, a flying dive to his left and the second a smart block on the ground. His dad was heard to take the credit for son's goalkeeping prowess!

Cumnor re-organized in the second-half with James S volunteering (yes, volunteering!) to go in goal. With Henry desperate to be in the thick of everything he went to the back to partner Rory. Fyn leapt straight into the action up front but just over-ran the ball before he could strike. No matter, the next attack saw more good work by James E, putting a very solid tackle in before setting Fyn up to score the first goal. 1-0. As in previous matches, we needed a goal to spur us on and soon Ollie was through forcing a good save from the busy Tower Hill keeper. A second goal seemed increasingly likely and of course, it came from Fyn... calmly going through to claim his second of the match and his sixth in the last two games. Seconds later he could have had his hat-trick but for another good save. Tower Hill fought back with some dangerous attacks drawing some excellent defensive work from Henry and Rory. Ben Mc and Laurie were also getting stuck in, marauding through the midfield, breaking up attacks with some great interception play. With minutes left, a good Tower Hill attack saw the ball emerge in the Cumnor area. Despite the best efforts from James S, the ball hit a retreating Ollie and flew into the net. Don't worry Ollie, it won't count in your Golden Goal tally! The last attack of the game saw Fyn go close again but the whistle blew signalling an excellent 2-1 win. Fantastic!

Both matches prove that we have a versatile and talented squad. Tower Hill have had an excellent season and they certainly tested us to the limit. But we kept our heads, tackled, passed and held our shape. We didn't have that many chances but the ones we did, we took. Well done everyone... a great display!

Thanks also to Steve, Dave and James for helping out.

Player of the Week: arguably, the closest decision yet but we went with Binky for his superbly taken goals

Next week: Summertown All-Stars away. Details to follow.

Saturday 9th Feb, Tower Hill at The Closes

2008-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

There'll be two U7 matches against Tower Hill this Saturday. Kick-off is 10.30 but please make sure all players are at the ground by 10.10. If you're driving, please use Cumnor Cricket Club (just across the road from the Closes) to park.

There is training for U6s

Next fixture: Summertown Allstars, Saturday Feb 16th (away). Details to follow.

Cumnor U7's vs Kingston Colts U7's

2008-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Team 1

An excellent performance in the first game led to a comfortable 7-2 victory. All the players did very well, with some good passing moves and, when given the chance, some excellent shooting. Ollie and Adam shared the goal-keeping and centre midfield duties between them, doing a great job for the team.

In the first half Cumnor scored 5 goals and conceded one. Fyn was to the fore in terms of scoring, getting three in the first half and following up with a fourth in the second half. However, it was James that opened the scoring with a neat chip after a couple of minutes. Ben and Toby were a constant threat on the right and left wing respectively, creating numerous chances. An own goal wrapped up Cumnor’s first half scoring.

The second half was much closer, with Cumnor scoring twice through Fyn and Ollie. Kingston were more of a threat in this half and Cumnor had to work much harder, with the midfielders making great tackles. Unfortunately for Kingston, even when they got past the midfielders they still had to get past Rory the Rock, and as many other teams have found out this season, this is a very difficult task.

Well played all.

Team 2

The second game was more of a challenge for Cumnor, with Kingston running out 3-0 winners. Whilst Cumnor played extremely well they were up against the best Kingston had to offer. Henry had a brilliant first half in goal, making many brave saves and conceding just the one goal. Joe was his usual dependable self in defence and Ben Mc, with heart firmly on sleeve, was everywhere trying to get involved and create chances for his team.

In the second half Joe replaced Henry in goal and the positions were changed around. Laurie was excellent in defence, using his pace to good effect to make some telling interceptions. Binky created a lot of chances as a striker and Adam W worked hard to get into the game. James made his debut in centre midfield and made a good contribution for his first game. Late injuries to Binky and Adam meant Ollie and Adam M came on towards the end, however they could not prevent Kingston scoring twice more.

A good effort by everyone – well done.
Many thanks to Steve H & Steve Mc for help in setting up and Steve M and Dave O'Shea for refereeing. Despite rumours to the contrary, there is no link between Dave refereeing and Fyn scoring four goals!

Training next Saturday (2 Feb) at the school. See you then.

Eynsham Match Cancelled

2008-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

No match on Saturday the 19th due to a waterlogged pitch. Training at the School instead (weather permitting). Kingston match at The Closes is on Saturday the 26th. Don't forget it's a 9.30 kick-off.