Saturday 26th September 2015 @ The Priory School, Edgbaston

Harborne 0 – 9 Erdington and Saltley

Team: Rob, Sam, Diago, Taylor, Kye, Rio, Kane, Oakley, Cameron E and Jakeel

Goals: Kane x 4, Cameron E x 2, Rio x 2 and OG

Man of the Match: Kane

Following the amazing victories in the Bath International Cup and the BPSFA 6-a-side Championship we were left wondering if our start to the season could get any better. An hour after kicking off yesterday morning we had our answer…YES. A resounding YES!

The game couldn’t have started any better for The Ton, as an unfortunate Harborne defender put the ball into his own next shortly after two minutes. Following that piece of fortune, the boys continued to push their opponents and were rewarded with two further goals, one from captain Kane and another for Cameron E who was making his debut for the u11s after playing for the u10s this season. In fact it’s worth noting that this is Cameron’s first season of playing football. Prior to this season he hadn’t played for a team, although now he is playing for a incredibly talented Phoenix u10s team and the district u11s team!

If the first third was all Erdington and Saltley, the second third was a much more even affair. Our fluid attacking football from the first third had been replaced by scrappier play and the second 20 minutes ended 0-0. At times we were over playing and missing opportunities to play in team mates who were in better positions.

Determined to right this wrong, the team was switched around a little with Rio dropping in to the centre of defence, Sam moving into midfield and Cameron going back up front. These changes re-energised the boys and they once again dominated the game, so much so that they scored six more goals to win 9-0. Kane grabbed himself tree more goals to make it four for the game, whilst Cameron netted a second and Rio, who now found himself on the right wing, scored a truly stunning brace! The first came immediately after moving to the right wing, when the Birches Green winger burst down the right, skipped past three players, cut into the box and rifled the ball into the roof of the net! His second was equally as stunning, as he and Kane linked up to take a short free kick before Rio blasted it in from outside of the box.

What a morning! Every time we asked the boys for something extra they reacted positively. The feel about the team is brilliant and the sense of team spirit is unlike anything I’ve ever known. This could be a great season BUT only if we continue to work our socks off and make the most of every opportunity. This is something that I’m convinced we are capable of doing!

It would be wrong of me to sign off without mentioning the defence and Rob. A clean sheet is always a fantastic achievement and something to shout about, so that’s exactly what I’m doing! A special mention to Taylor, who like Cameron E, is an u10s and made his debut for the u11s yesterday. The future is bright!

Thank you Harborne for your warm welcome and thank you to the boys for your great attitude. Good luck ahead of the season.

Up The Ton!

Wednesday 16th September 2015 @ Jaffray Road

Erdington and Saltley 1 – 0 Phoenix United

Erdington and Saltley 3 – 0 Sutton United

Phoenix United 2 – 2 Sutton United

Teams:

One: Brad, Carter, Tiarno, Eddie, Bradley, Danny, Kian and Che

Two: Gerard, Taylor, Danny, Cameron, Ilani, William and Blessing

Scorers: Bradley, Blessing

Following Friday’s game there were one or two glum faces. The boys openly stated that they weren’t happy with how they had played on that night, despite earning a 1-1 draw against a very talented Sutton side. Therefore prior to yesterday’s match we discussed the need to be more energetic and aggressive, before earning the right to play attacking football.

This is exactly what we did against a Phoenix team over flowing with talent, including three of our very own district boys! We were brave in the tackle and energetic in our pressing.Even though we were a little scrappy in possession, our work rate was nothing short of brilliant! Every one of the players put in a real shift and the goal was a little piece of magic from wing wizard Bradley. A perfect way to start the evening!

The second game saw a new starting seven but the same high work rate. Furthermore, when in possession the boys played some exciting football that had the fans loving it! The most pleasing thing about the second game was the way in which we held on to the ball, even when there was no attacking option open to us. We didn’t panic and played intelligently.

This was arguably our best evening so far as a squad, which is brilliant when you consider the fact that Reece and Resharne are due to come back. Very exciting indeed!

Thank you to both Phoenix and Sutton who were great opponents. Good luck for the season and no doubt we’ll see you very soon.

Up The Ton!

Friday 11th September 2015 @ Rectory Park, Sutton Coldfield

Sutton United 1 – 1 Erdington and Saltley U10s

Team: Gerard, Taylor, Ilani, Resharne, Cameron, William, Danny, Bradley, Kian, Tiarno and Reece

Scorer: Danny

Settling back into the real world following the six weeks holidays is hard work, especially when the six weeks holidays is actually seven  weeks! However the lads did a fine job trying to get over their first week back at school by taking the game to Sutton United from the first whistle to the last.

The first half started with The Ton on the attack, with Resharne and Cameron linking up superbly down the left hand side of the pitch, and William pulling the strings in the centre of the pitch. Chances came and went, although nothing seemed to go our way as shots went wide and crossed landed in the arms of the keeper. Nevertheless the boys continued to play inventive football, even if the finishing touch wasn’t there. Sutton scored, very much against the run of play, as we failed to clear a corner, instead allowing it to bounce in the box. This was a blow to the lads, who had been on top for the whole half and didn’t deserve to be behind, although full credit to Sutton for their determination and perseverance.

The second half saw a few changes to personnel, although the game plan stayed the same – one defender and positive attacking play. Once again we created more chances than our opponents during the opening stages of the half, but like the first half, we couldn’t find our shooting boots. Rather than get frustrated, the boys continued to plug away and got the equaliser that their play deserved, thanks to a close range finish from Brookvale winger Danny.

At the end of the game there were a few sad and sombre faces, even though there was no need to be! The boys have only played together on a couple of occasions and are still effectively strangers. As they grow as a team, their game will grow too. Right now they’re ahead of schedule and should be exceptionally proud of their efforts. We certainly are!

Well done boys! Keep smiling and roll on Wednesday!

Finally, thanks to Paul and Steve and everyone else involved with Sutton United. Your hospitality was great and we’ll certainly return the favour later in the season. Good luck tomorrow!

Man of the Match – Cameron: outstanding work rate matched with unbelievable skill.

Up The Ton!

Saturday 29th August 2015 and Sunday 30th August 2015 @ Odd Down, Bath

Bath International Cup 2015

Team: Harvey, Sam, Brandon, Kye, Ilani, Harvey, Rio, Samim, Tion, Jermaine, Cameron, Blessing, Pharelle and Diago

Saturday results:

D 0-0 North Somerset

L 1-0 Everton

L 1-0 Rayo Vallecano

D 0-0 B93

L 4-0 Chelsea

Sunday results:

D 0-0 North Somerset

D 0-0 B93

W 5-1 Mastshuggets BK

W 4-0 FC Vilnius

W 2-0 Bath

First of all I must start by thanking everyone involved in this weekend – BWB03, the Premier League, our parents and our kids – because without them none of this would have been possible. Also before you ask Bath, yes we would love to come again next season! In fact, we insist on it!

Prior to the weekend we were heading into the unknown – we’d never been away as a team on an overnight stay and actually hadn’t played together as an under 11s team before! So to say we were excited is an under statement!

Saturday:

The inaugural Bath International Cup opened on Saturday with 12 teams from across Europe competing for the title

Chelsea, Everton and Swansea from the Premier League were joined by BWB, Erdington and Saltley and North Somerset from the ESFA, whilst B93, Rayo Vallecano and BK Skjold and BK Masthugget flew on the day before from Scandinavia and Spain.

The teams were split into two groups with 5 games each to be played.  The teams finishing first would progress to Sunday’s Champions League, and the other 3 would go through to the Europa League.

The main thing to characterise Saturday’s efforts was the amazing team spirit and unrivalled work rate. We couldn’t have asked the lads to battle any more. At times it wasn’t pretty , but the calibre of the opposition meant we were up against it from the first whistle. Nevertheless the lads showed commitment, bravery and determination during each game and walked away with their heads held high and reputation as a team enhanced.

Sunday:

Saturday’s results meant we found ourselves in the Europa League and up against five teams from four different countries.

The morning started slowly for us, with the lads looking tired from the previous day’s efforts. Despite the lack of zest, we still kept clean sheets in both games, although by this point our goal drought stretched back seven games and 140 minutes.

In the third game of the morning the boys found their shooting boots, putting five past their Swedish opponents, although as a team we were still not reaching the heights that we’d achieved the previous day. Honest words were exchanged between the lads and a promise was made to “smash it” during the final two games of the day.

Like any athlete at the top of his or her game, the boys peaked at the right moment! Game four saw us square up to FC Vilnius of Lithuania and win 4-0, with the urgency and fluidity once again returning to our game.

That meant we went into the final game of the day knowing it was effectively a final. The winner of the game would lift the cup, although a draw would also have been enough for Bath. From the first whistle the boys looked completely focused and united in their determination to win the game. Two goals from two Birches Green boys (Rio and Samim) was enough to claim the victory needed to lift our first piece of silverware as a team.

More important than the win was everything else that we got from the weekend. The lads bonded as a group, got to experience other cultures and languages, visited a university and made new friends, particularly with the Chelsea boys who they struck up a bond with during meal times.

Tim, Dean and everyone connected with Bath and the Premier League deserve a huge amount of credit for their efforts. What a weekend! Thank you so much!

Now roll on Saturday 19th September and the start of the Birmingham season!

Goals:

Samim x 3

Tion x 2

Cameron x 2

Kye x 1

Rio x 1

Harvey x 1

Jermaine x 1

Man of the Weekend: It has to go to Harvey (GK). He pulled off a number of world class saves and kept us in games on the Saturday, particularly against Rayo Vallecano and Chelsea.

Up The Ton!