Haven't we met before...?

Rumour has it winter is on its way, but those hardened souls that stand the sidelines think nothing of freezing temperatures & laugh at the prospect of sideways rain!! (In truth, we'd all be happily commited to the local loony-bin if only they hadn't built rather swish 3/4/5 bedroom houses on it a few years back!)

....I digress, not too unusual in fairness.... Another home game this week, a back-to-back against Chiltern Athletic Colts. Now I quite like it when fixtures do this, like changes at half-time anything different stands out fresh in your memory (& with a memory like mine I need all the help I can get). It made me smile to see the most obvious change to the opposition. Moved from right-forward (Ollie Raabe) had been shuffled across the pitch on to the left. With James Marsh getting all over what should have been their goal scorer last week it looked like an attack from the left was going to be more favourable...
....Out of the frying pan & into....
....I'd love to know what was going through the strikers heads when they came up against the other three; Jordan Murphy, Chris Pope & Scott Turner...

Anway to the game...

Under 16’s – Division 2

Hale Leys Youth 4 – Chiltern Athletic Colts 0

Hale Leys Youth took a resounding win yesterday (Sunday) at home against last week’s opposition Chiltern Athletic Colts.

Opening with the same strength as last week, Leys took control of the game; Luca Forchione sending a warning blast just wide across goal in the first 5 minutes. Three minutes later and an incident that brought Forchione down in the area gave away a penalty for the home side; and he made no effort in converting it to the score sheet.
With the pressure being piled on the visitors, any errors were capitalized upon & when they were unable to take advantage of a throw deep in the Leys Half the break forward was beyond them to halt. Pat Hurst running through centre knocked on to Forchione, a superb one-touch ball across & forward-runner Chris Hawes slotted it away without hesitation past the reach of Callum Harris.
The Colts gave away a second penalty before the end of the half after a handball in the box & Forchione buried it again.

The half-time team discussion gave a new approach for the Colts & a little complacency from Hale Leys saw two quick breaks only scuppered by a lack of finish in front of goal; but it was enough to wake Leys up to the oppositions capabilities.
Strengthened again, the Leys squad pushed hard to increase their lead & at the 55-minute mark Forchione slid another past the substitute keeper, Andre Dahlgren.
Immediately after the restart Colts made a break from a long lob over midfield. With only keeper Gary Bidgway to beat the shot from the onward running Charlie Kirby was skied over the bar & the threat ended.
In an almost final push for Leys, left forward Nathan Scarfe turned & gave himself a space to target the top left corner of goal; outstretched Dahlgren managed to push the ball wide for a corner, which Colts defended well.
Keeping the momentum to the final whistle Leys held the game without any drama & add another 3 points to their top of the table position.