U15A
3-2 Win
The 15A team managed to win a scrappy game in which they did not play their best hockey. However, that is the trademark of all sides that are successful across a season. The team got off to a good start going one nil up when Frank finished off an excellent team goal. Caterham were constantly under the hammer from Eltham, who just lacked the final pass. In their first entry into the circle Caterham were able to score a nice spin shot and level the scores. Caterham packed their half and their D in order to cope with the pressure Eltham were applying. Eltham went 2-1 up after some good stick work from defender turned forward Luke, who picked up a rebound and calmly rounded the keeper, only for Frank to steal the goal just centimetres from the line. The team added a third goal to gain a two goal cushion but could just not put the game to bed despite being the best team by a good distance. Ollie stepping in for Jack made a few good saves in goal and proved a more than worth deputy. Caterham won a short corner on the final whistle, which was heading way wide before hitting a Caterham player and deflecting in to end the game 3-2. Lessons were learned and grit combined with determination won the match against a side who did well to keep the score line as close as it was.
U15B
1-0 Win
The U15B team were back at College Meadow for the first time this season on Saturday against Caterham in a game which showed all the qualities the side possess. The boys started very strongly, with a 10 pass move resulting in the first chance of the game straight from the push back. We continued to apply the pressure and Joe slotted home what was a scrappy finish by his standards but another goal to add to his season tally nonetheless. Caterham worked their way back into the game and a few nervy moments saw us put under pressure. The boys came through this and continued to play the best hockey they have played all season. Four consecutive short corners on the stroke of half time should have seen us double our lead. It wasn’t meant to be and we went into the break 1-0 up. A change of tactic from Caterham in the second half saw them press high with a lot of intensity. At times we struggled to cope with this, giving the ball away cheaply in our own half. Despite this our defence remained solid and there was still no way through. We had our own glimpses of goal in the second half to really put the game to bed with Tim striking the post on the break. As the minutes went by the boys were holding on, Yuxuan’s heroics denying Caterham the elusive goal they were searching for. One last defensive effort and the whistle went. A hard fought, nerve wracking win for the lads who are turning into a really tight unit. Very hard to pick out individuals, a true team performance.
U14A
1-0 Win
Under 14A continued their impressive run and preparation for regionals on Saturday morning as they travelled to Caterham, a school they had struggled to beat in previous years. Eltham were faced with something they were yet to come across this season, as Caterham forced them to play their most direct hockey of the year so far. Eltham successfully defended four short corners in the first half, before Thomas put us ahead just before the break. Thomas continues an impressive scoring run which comes on the back of continued hard work and effort in hockey sessions. Eltham continued to problem solve in the second half resulting in them attacking Caterham at will. The game ended 1-0 and was a fantastic preparation for regionals in Woking on Tuesday.
U14B
5-5 Draw
Mad March in Caterham. For the defence, something of a horror show; for the forwards, a glorious exhibition of free flowing attacking hockey; either way, the crowd loved it! The match was a thoroughly committed affair between two well matched sides. Coach Giles’ analysis was spot on – if you get into scoring positions then you score goals! Oles led the line well to pick up a couple of well taken finishes, the other goals being shared around the squad. On reflection, we were possibly a bit naive in defence putting ourselves under unnecessary pressure. However, we can be proud of our resourcefulness going forwards. All in all, it was an entertaining start to the weekend.
U13A
0-1 Loss
The under 13A started off with good ball possession, mostly attacking down the left hand side with Jake and Harry combining well to get the ball into the opponents D. There were quite a lot of chances in the first half but Caterham’s goalkeeper did well to go into the break with a goalless half. In the second half Caterham entered the D with a decent move and a good shot from a tight angle went in to give them a lead. The Eltham boys didn’t expect to concede with the amount of possession and shot at goals they had at the other end. After Caterham went one up the boys tried even harder to score, resulting in four short corners and three clear chances at the goal mouth that went unconverted from the forwards.
U13B
2-2 Draw
It was an untidy 1st half from the U131B team who struggled to keep formation and allowed Caterham to score an easy goal. There were a few opportunities at our end but we struggled to find the net. The half time chat was simple, pass the ball early and play for each other, be a strong unit and keep formation. In the second half that’s what happened. Some fabulous play opened up all over the pitch. Defensively Toby was impenetrable and some strong passing opened up even more attacks. We tied up the game with a well built up team goal. Unfortunately not long after scoring, a little lapse in concentration meant we let a second goal in. But this only proved to make the Eltham boys work harder and every 50-50 was won. After a brilliant team play Xavier scored a goal, a goal that will go down as one of the best goals I’ve ever seen and tied the game 2-2. 13B’s remain undefeated after this draw.
U13C
3-0 Win
The under 13Cs played solid in the defense from the first whistle giving nothing for the Caterham’s forwards by making some good tackles outside the D by Daniel and Genta, the midfield and the forwards combined quite well as Dylan made some fine passes into the D to Max who did very well to convert them into the goal, the boys pressed quite well for the goal in the second half through fine midfield play from Rex and Dylan to help Max convert two more goals to complete a hat trick which was well deserved for his off the ball movement . Eltham finished strong with a 3-0 win
U13D
5-1 Win
The U13Ds has a fantastic game against a good Caterham side. The boys went 1-0 up early thanks to a Tom goal and were looking like dominating proceedings before a break away goal saw Caterham draw level. 1-1 at half time we needed to summon up a big second half performance to get a result. And that we did! A couple of great passing moves almost always involving Benedict and Tobias saw us snatch two more quickly. Alex was very good in the right hand side and turned provider for another, this time for Benedict. We rounded it off with a fifth goal on the stroke of the whistle. A superb second half display saw the boys run riot. Credit to all the lads for their performances. Tom was clinical up top whilst Joe, Hugo and Dylan were very solid at the back. 5-1 the final score.
U12A
0-2 Loss vs Manchester Grammar
1-0 Win vs Caterham School
The U12 sides played in a triangular fixture with Caterham School and Manchester Grammar School (MGS). The A team were first up against MGS and having rushed to get to the first game they had little time to prepare. This showed losing 2-0. They conceded two very good goals that no amount of preparation would have prevented. Daanish and Arthur at the back did provide some stability although their efforts were in vein. The second game against Caterham brought the team to life and normal service resumed. Sam had perhaps one of his best games to date causing the opposition lots of problems. It was Matthew with a clean strike that separated the two sides.
U12B
1-0 Win vs Manchester Grammar
5-0 Win vs Caterham School
The U12B team started of their first game against MGS with a lot of ball possession but not a lot of shots at goal, as most of the possession was in the middle of the pitch which didn’t allow them to have space in the D to score. Once we started to get the players high we got a lot more shots on goal and converted one such attempt through a fine shot from George to lead the game 1-0. The boys held onto the lead well, created a few more chances from good runs coming in from Ethan and Jermaine and the game finished 1-0 to Eltham.
In the second game against Caterham the boys started off at a very good pace , converting a fine goal from William. At this stage the boys started to realise the benefits of using the width more and started scoring goals in a hurry with Henry and Darius scoring two good goals. Caterham had a few chances to attack but it was well defended and Bertie made two good saves to keep a clean sheet. Eltham continued to combine well upfront and through the midfield to finish a well played 5-0 win
U12C
1-0 Win vs Manchester Grammar
7-0 Win vs Caterham School
The U12C team put in a very good performance to win against MGS with a solitary goal by Ed. In their second game against Caterham they got off to a flyer with two goals in quick succession from Ivan. This set the tone for the rest of the game as Eltham dominated. Fine performances from Ed, Sen and Kai helped the team to an emphatic 7-0 win. Well done everyone who played.
U12D
1-0 Win vs Manchester Grammar
2-0 Win vs Caterham School
The U12D team started off decently but tried to over dribble through players which actually made defending easier for MGS. Eltham did have the majority of the possession and had a few tries at the goal but their goalkeeper made some good saves to deny Eltham the lead. The boys pushed more in attack which ended up in Fahim scoring off a first time shot inside the D to give Eltham the lead. We could have scored more but MGS defended well to just keep the lead to 1-0 in favour of Eltham College.
The team did well in the second game with a lot more passing than the previous one, good play by Elliot in the midfield lead to a lot of chances up front and Eltham were better at scoring this time, as George converted two chances to give Eltham a formidable 2-0 lead. Some good all round play from the players lead to some fine moves involving the midfield and forwards but Caterham’s goalkeeper did well to just keep the score to 2-0.
