Wendover 3 Prestwood Colts 4 (LEAGUE CUP FINAL)

Well here we are Chesham United Football Club for the League Cup Final against Prestwood. Since the under 6's Prestwood have always been the team to beat and the boys all did so well in this final. The line up was only missing Max and all the boys were pumped up for this game. It was all so professional and the welcome from the staff at Chesham was fantastic and such a life experience for all of the boys. The roar from the many Wendover fans when the boys emerged from the dressing room was incredible and could only have been so loud because many of the colts boys and families turned up to watch so many thanks for that boys - you certainly cheered on your friends!!! Nick Collier looked nervous before the game but everyone had a hidden confidence of achieving in what would be a very hard final.

Adam and Georgi took up their positions on the bench and it was then game on!

From the start both teams were ready for their usual battle. It couldnt have started any worse, within 2 minutes Prestwood take the lead from a corner which Jack had no chance of saving, 0-1. The boys just dont put their heads down when they lose a goal they seem to gain a fire in their bellies that could make any team stand back in fear. A few minutes after conceding Ed managed to get the ball from a great knock from Ben S and shoot with inch perfect precision beating the keeper to his left. Then followed a good 20 minutes with no score - the midfield Ben W, Dan, Alex, Ed doing such a sterling job - with Ed covering up and down his line and being involved in everything that was good about Wendovers play.

The second half started exactly the same as the first. Within 2 minutes of the start a harsh penalty was given against Wendover and Prestwood JUST got the ball in with Jack making a fantastic attempt of saving it. 1-2. Yet again within minutes Wendover were level, and another superb move got its rewards. Ed won the ball on the right and after beating one player passed a long ball down the line to land at Ben S feet. After beating the defender, looked up and saw Josh running in as ever but before it got to Josh the defender put in his own net - it was bad luck for the Prestwood boy but no more than Wendover deserved. 2-2.

It wasnt long after this that Prestwood came back at us again, with a very quick attack, the defenders beaten. The Prestwood striker shot across the keeper and Jack was great stretching full length and pushing the ball wide, only to see Prestwood follow up and put the ball in the back of the net. 2-3. Jack was extremely lucky - after a collision in the box with our brave keeper going for a ball only to meet a set of studs coming the other way. St Johns Ambulance were on in a flash and after a bit of a check Jack got up and carried on - so brave - well done Jack! How possibly could Wendover lift their heads up for a 3rd time and draw level, well, lift their heads up they did. Adam put in a tackle winning the ball and knocking to Dan who played a superb pass into Josh who found himself 1 on 1 with the keeper and shot beautifully into the net. 3-3. EVERY player on the pitch was playing a part and surely after 58 minutes of an exhilerating game nothing else could happen?!? Unfortunately it did!! A tired Wendover heroically tried to keep the ball out of a goal mouth scramble but Prestwood got the last touch and with 2 minutes to go they scored. 3-4!

After all of the hard work and effort it was Prestwood who ended up victors! The performance by the boys was beyond belief and all of us as parents can be so proud of such a game. All of the boys committed themselves for the full 60 minutes and on another day would have won. We have so many learnings from this game that we can now take on to our next cup final in 2 weeks.
SQUAD & LEARNINGS

Jack - solid, strong and brave

Adam - consistent, stood up well

Brandon - kept the midfield of Prestwood out, good job!

Jake - a captains part played, very strong performance

Luke - solid at the back, great headers to clear

Rory - great performance, great forward moves

Alex - great forward runs, excellent passing

Ed - best 1st half of football he has played, tracking everywhere

Ben W - Everywhere - worked his socks off! Strong and solid!

Dan - covered a lot of ground excellent passing great tackles

Georgi - quick, worked well on the left, played some great balls forward

Josh - as ever, reliable, QUICK!, so good in front of goal

Ben S - tricky and NEVER gave up - worked so hard

WELL DONE BOYS! LETS GO INTO THE GEOFF SPRINGHALL CUP AT BURNHAM NOW AND TAKE A TROPHY HOME!!!!

TO ALL PARENTS WHEN YOU GET TO THE GAME REMEMBER;

BE LOUD BE PROUD AND BACK THE BOYS AND MAKE SOME NOISE

Wendover 4 Marlow 4

How many times are we going to have huge scoring games!!! This was a great game and Wendover yet again found themselves 0-1 down very early on. It seemed as though a our players were on holiday for the first 10 minutes in fact they may as well have stayed in the dressing room as we went down 0-3 very quickly. If it wasnt again for some great work by Jack we could have been 5 or 6 down. At 0-3 you still could not write off Wendover and being realistic they did not deserve to be in this position but we all now know never to write them off because it soon changed. The first goal for Wendover came from a complete scramble in the box with almost everyone, with the exception of the parents and the ref, in the Marlow box with eventually Max getting to the ball and getting it over the line. The second was the start of some serious controversy, Andrew Howarth was the ref and I must say no-one could ever believe he was 14 years old. He made such a strong and correct decision that could have really changed Wendovers fortunes. The parent who was linesman for Marlow decided to flag anything that moved and Ben S was 5 yards offside but as Ben W played the ball through the centre to Josh he was onside and as you expect from him he buried it, no keeper could have stopped that. Andrew then overruled the linesmans decision and gave the goal. 2-3. The game was soon level with a great assist from Ben W and an equally great finish by Ben S. 3-3. Marlow started coming back at us and very close to the end of the game and took advantage of a slip by Jack and made it 3-4. BUT never count Wendover out - Ben S (MAN OF THE MATCH) was outstanding. He ran from the half way line towards the goal dodging past many a player and finally putting in a shot which was saved but bounced out towards the touchline. Ben S never gives up and won the ball back and with a tricky flick of the feet beat the keeper and sent the ball into the net to make it a very well deserved 4-4!!! WELL DONE BOYS

Penn 1 Wendover 2

Another Victory, although this one was much harder fought than our previous game. Penn were strong and really wanted the game from the start. Their pressure and fight paid off and they took an early lead! Wendover have certainly become the team that know how to comeback from being a goal or two behind! Jack was also a key player in this game making some first class saves that David James would have been proud of. One save was so good that i believe it turned the game for us and was similar to the on on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXlHS5v-NEA. Luckily Wendover started to realise that they needed to work harder and soon enough the hard work paid off. Ben W took the ball from the midfield and went wide beating 3 players and eventually putting a great cross in for Josh to attack the ball and slot it past the keeper. 1-1. The second half was still a really tough game but the chances if they had been put away could have sealed it much earlier. Max worked extremely hard in the middle and a lovely flick on saw Josh just put the ball wide. Josh again worked so hard and a beuatiful solo effort won the game - fantastic stuff. The defenders played a huge part in the fame and Rory was superb winning every tackle and pushing forward when needed a great all round battle. This game was all about the defence and everyone played their part in a hard fought victory.

Risborough 0 Wendover Junior 6

Unfortunately I was unable to attend this but thankfully Lesley Coggins managed to get in some video footage which you can see. It shows the talk by Martin and Nick after the game and from what a hear a very well deserved Man of the Match for Max Wilkinson. WELL DONE BOYS!