Brothers in Arms....

A fantastic effort put in by the whole squad yesterday. Bucks CC under 16's are a most formidable power, Division One winners for the last two seasons & runners up at under 13 level, they are highly organized & exceedingly strong. The result, at a glance, doesn't do the match justice. In fact I have to admit, on reading the report, it doesn't do the match justice. We have all come to know that the collective that make up the Hale Leys squad are highly motivated & never give up. Without doubt, a lesser side would have rolled-over & given away a double-figure deficit without a seconds thought. The HL boys are becoming men & should be proud of their achievement yesterday, a loss yes, but not an annihilation by any stretch of the imagination.


Under 16’s – Berks & Bucks Cup Round 2

Hale Leys Youth 0 – Bucks CC 8

After a bye in the 1st round of the B&B Cup the 2nd round played a local derby against a very formidable Bucks CC. It was to be an exciting match throughout the full 80 minutes.
The teams assembled on the centre circle with 2 minutes silence to mark Remembrance Day. The quiet was quickly broken as the visitors piled on the pressure & pushed hard into the Leys half, a clearance out to the halfway gave a 2nd chance to attack; as the forwards squeezed into the box Joe Pickwick turned in a cross to the bottom left corner of the Leys goal with only three minutes played.
Leys tightened up after the initial surprise & held the midfield well; but 22 minutes into the period & Sam Ward found space to deliver from just right of goal & again found the bottom left corner.
The game continued on & after a brief halt in play due to Leys injuries & Bucks’ made another attempt at goal with a header rebounding off the crossbar & the 2nd strike pushed wide.
35 minutes played & Pickwick found space in the middle to receive & deliver another on target shot. Teammate Marcus Brown joined the scoresheet seconds before the end of the half turning in a cross.

The second half opened, & despite the scoreline, Hale Leys continued to keep a spirited approach to the task at hand. An epic battle for possession just outside the Leys 18yd box & James Marsh emerged with the ball for Leys, sending it forward to safety; but it was only a brief respite, Ward was soon harrying the defence again & found enough space to get a well targeted shot off.
As in the 1st half, Leys tightened their game, which caused frustration for the visitors. Jack Welch provided another goal midway through the period & it was quickly followed up by Pickwick’s hat trick just 3 minutes later.
Hale Leys had a fantastic opportunity denied, Simon Dunne getting a break that brought him almost in front of goal. Keeper Daniel Kelly blocked his attempt & although both Nathan Scarfe & Luca Forchione supported him they were unable to get a targeted shot in before Kelly managed to cover the ball.
As the rain came descended it did little to dampen the spirit of the game, with both sides looking to make a break. Welch concluded the goal tally in the 35th minute, although a last second strike by Pickwick screamed inches over the crossbar.