13/09/2009 v Dosthill Away
Supporters Man of The Match - Will 'Destroyer' Doherty
Will absolutely ran himself in to the ground during the game. I can't ever remember seeing him that tired! Wether playing at the back or in centre midfield Will battled for everything and won an incredible amount of tackles.
Managers Man of The Match - 'Blazing' Brandon Rees
Brandon made a most impressive debut; capped by scoring the only Lions goal of the game. He also showed great skill and pace when taking players on. Well done Brandon.
The lions started the game with Tom, Riley and Brandon all making their debuts for the team. Although the result turned out to be a bit of a thrashing the boys could be very proud of the their performance against a very good and confident Dosthill side. Although there was no doubt that Dosthill deserved a good win the final score did not do our lads justice.
Reiss, Riley and Oliver all brought good saves from keeper in the first half. Determined defending from Will, Ben & Tom and some great keeping by Kian was making life difficult for our opponents. Tom was really showing what a great asset he is going to be to the team. The pace of Brandon and Reiss was making us look dangerous on the counter attack. Riley was also doing some excellent tracking back to support his team mates.
The boys kept up their performance in the second half with Riley, Will, Reiss and Brandon all showing good skill when taking players on. I was chuffed when the lads got the goal they so richly deserved. Great work by Will led to the ball falling to Oliver who hit the post with a left foot volley for Brandon to tuck the rebound nicely into the net.
The other real positives of the game were the great debuts of Riley, Tom & Brandon and Oliver's versatility in playing in every outfield position during the course of the game.
Well done to all the boys!
20/09/2009 Bromford Lions 3 Alvechurch Lions 2
Supporters Man of the Match - Kian 'The Cat' Bateman
Kian got his award for some outstanding keeping throughout the game. He was brave, decisive, agile and really responded to the responsibility of being Captain for the day.
Managers Man of the Match - Oscar 'Tiny' Malt
Tiny was solid as a rock at the back, consistently being in the right place at the right time and winning countless important tackles. He used all the experience he has gained from the last 2 years to great affect.
This game saw the Lions first ever adventure into cup football. With Will enjoying his Birthday celebrations (Happy Birthday Will) the Lions lined up with no subs on what was a very warm and tiring day. The lads started the game well with Brandon particularly influential down the left and Oliver playing the ball about in midfield.
Bromford soon began to get a grip on the game and were seeing more of the ball than the Lions. However, solid defending from Ossie & Tom combined with some excellent saves from Kian was keeping the game even. Although Bromford were having more of the ball, the Lions looked the most likely to break the deadlock with Riley, Reiss and Brandon all looking dangerous. Riley was unlucky to see a shot go wide and was also tracking back & carrying the ball well. Shortly before half-time we were dealt a blow when a foul on Brandon was not given and Bromford broke up the pitch to score.
At the start of the second half Bromford started brightly and soon added a second. An unlucky ricochet off Toms nose extended their lead to 3. Despite being hurt in the incident, Tom in now typical fashion braved on and continued with his great defending.
A lot of teams from this point would have collapsed & got thrashed but not the Lions. They came charging back with Reiss becoming more and more of a danger. The Bromford keeper making 3 excellent saves to keep him from scoring. The Lions were now dominant and good work by Reiss down the right led to Brandon calmly heading in our first. The boys kept piling forward and a great volley from Riley hit the crossbar. Soon after we got our second. This time Oliver found space in the box to tuck home. Despite constant pressure the boys could not sneak an equaliser.
The lads were very unlucky in this game, but their attitude and character was fabulous. Rob and I were very proud of all the team.....Well done lads keep up the good work.
27/09/09 Woodbourne Sports 5 Alvechurch Lions 3
Supporters Man of The Match - 'Tiger' Tom McFall
I was chuffed that the supporters recognised Tom's performance. Tom's hardwork and determination were excellent throughout the game and even had the uneviable task of playing on his own at the back for the last 10 minutes! His enthusiasm is so refreshing!!
Managers Men of The Match - 'Rambo' Reiss Taylor-Randle & Will 'The Destroyer' Doherty.
Hat-trick hero Reiss was superb and blasted the opposition with tremendous pace and exceleration. On another day he could have had 6 goals!! Although I'm still not sure what was the best .....his goals or his celebrations!
Will was again awesome but not just in his strength and tackling. His teamwork was incredible and matched by his comfort and skill on the ball. Again showed versatility; playing at the back and in midfield.
As well as the men of the match I also want to give a special mention to ‘Rocket’ Riley. Riley really impressed me in this game with his readiness to learn from what Rob and I were telling him. He worked hard to apply what he had been told even though it isn’t natural for him to play that way. Well done Riley.
The game was played on great pitch, which helped both sides play good entertaining football. The Lions were a little slow off the mark and despite the best dogged defending of ‘Tiger’ Tom soon found themselves goals down. As the half wore on we stepped up the pace and began to win the midfield battle, with Will and Reiss getting more involved. An excellent cross field through ball from Ollie set Reiss free who was only denied by a great save from the keeper. Unfortunately, poor defending from the Lions led to Woodbourne extending their lead further.
By this time Brandon had entered the fray and was looking sharp down the left, creating another opportunity for Reiss, which fizzed just wide. The pace of Reiss was causing the opposition load of trouble and he saw 2 further opportunities just miss the net. Ossie and Tom were tightening things up at the back but the Lions were thankful for great covering from Ollie when the dangerous number 4 had rounded Kian and looked like scoring a fourth. Shortly before half-time Kian produced an unbelievable save to keep the boys in the game.
The boys produced a stunning second half performance to really make a match of it. Reiss again showing what a great asset his pace is to create richly deserved quick goals for himself. Unfortunately, at the other end as is so often the case when chasing the game in cup games, Woodbourne hit us with well taken breakaway goals. Only a breathtaking tackle after tracking back the length of the pitch from Will prevented another. An excellent turn and run from Riley then created the chance for Reiss to get his first hat-trick for the club. Riley was now firing on all cylinders and only a great save stopped him from getting his first goal.
Despite the lads best efforts they could not finds any further goals. However, it was a testament to how well they were playing that Woodbourne played 3 at the back for last 10 minutes. Well played boys.
As a footnote the match was refereed by the League Secretary Nigel. I am delighted to say that Nigel was very impressed with how the boys played and how they conducted themselves……… Yet another reason why we are all very proud of the lads. They are a credit to the Club!
04/10/09 Alvechurch Lions 4 Rubery 3
Supporters Man of the Match - 'Blazing' Brandon Rees
Brandon was superb throughout game, putting in a complete midfielders performance - workrate, determination, great passing, tackling and positional sense. What really impressed me was how Brandon obviously took note of the pre-match team talk and how he showed great maturity. With Will unavailable he took over the 'ball winning' role without even being asked to.
Manager's Men of the Match - Kian 'The Cat' Bateman & 'Rocket' Riley Hughes-Kerr
Kian got his award for the huge affect he had on the game. A string of excellent saves particulary in the second half when we were under pressure really kept us in the game and pathed the way for us to nick the win. I keep mentioning the 'D' word...determination but it is vital incredient in any team and Kian showed it in abundance. What a great keeper he is!
Riley - I was so delighted that Riley got his first goal for us in this game...and not just because I had predicted he would score! The goal capped what was a great all round game for Riley. He worked incredibly hard and is really now showing everyone what a great player he can be. The highlight of his performance for me was how calmly and cleverly he took his goal.
This was a great result and great team performance by all the boys, with each of them playing an important part. Congratulations to 'Big' Ollie on a very solid debut for the team. Credit to Rubery as well, whose positive approach to try and win the game helped produce what was a very entertaining match.
Well done Boys! So much can be achieved by sticking together, working as team and enjoying our football.
18/10/09 Alvechurch Lions 3 Knowle 5
Supporters Man of the Match - 'Rocket' Riley Hughes-Kerr
A much deserved award for Riley. With players leaving Riley really responded to the extra goalscoring responsibility brilliantly, scoring a tremendous hat-trick. The highlight of which was a cool left foot finish for the third. 'Rocket' is just getting better and better each game and is showing a real desire to listen and learn. He really impressed me with his judgement of when he was needed to track back & when he was to stay up front. Keep it up Riley ...you're doing great.
Managers Man of the Match - Oliver '3 Lungs' Draper
Oliver had a cracking game, making countless important blocks. Oliver showed great vision and passing quality to put Riley in for his first goal. He also kept the Knowle captain very quiet in the first half and it was only really showed what a great job he had done when Oliver had to move position leaving their captain to play a crucial role in the last 3 Knowle goals. Well done '3 Lungs'.
01/11/09 v Redditch
Supporters Man of the Match - Oliver '3 Lungs' Draper
Oliver continued his recent excellent form with another fine all round performance. As usual his workrate, passing and movement were great, but he combined this with a willingness to take players, winning several dangerous freekicks. What really stood out for me was his decision making.. when to hold the ball, when to pass, when to run with the ball. Keep it up Ollie.
Managers Men of the Match - 'Big' Ollie Marsh & Chad 'The Power' Powell
Big Ollie again showed an excellent attitude to his football, which is something he has consistently done since he joined the team. He battled away for everything he could and showed great character in keeping his head up even when things were not going our way. It was also great to seeing him using the things I had showed him in training during the game. Good lad Ollie
Chad was playing in his first ever match and like Big Ollie he showed a marvellous attitude. He ran his socks off so much that he was absolutely shattered....the lad gave his all. In training Chad has shown real ability to get hold of the ball, see and play a good pass and it was great to see him take this into a match. Well done Chad on good debut.
08/11/09 Alvechurch Lions 1 Rubery 2
Supporter's Man of The Match - Kian 'The Cat' Bateman
Kian got overwhelming support in the voting this week. 'The Cat' made some great saves (as usual) and was brave and decisive when coming off his line. He was very unlucky with a nasty bobble for the second goal. Well Done Kian
Manager's Man of The Match - Will 'The Destoyer' Doherty
As you would expect Will was solid as a rock at the back, defending with strength and determination. In the first half especially I was delighted to see Will taking real responsibility both vocally and in bringing the ball out of defence. Good stuff Will.
I also want to make a special mention to 'Big' Ollie Marsh, who was very unlucky not to have more time on pitch. The circumstances of trying to chase the game meant we needed our more attacking players on the pitch than originally planned. However, Ollie proved what a real 'Team Player' he is giving his all with some great defending when he was on the pitch and backing his team mates all the way from the sidelines. It's a pleasure to have a lad like this in the team......thank you Ollie.
As a team this may not have been one of our best performances but we are not far away from being a very very good side. However, we must remember to keep our heads up and use our passing ability to work together to create more goals.
The other positives of the game were
- The very successful experiment of trying Chad in defence
- A stunning solo goal from Brandon - think the back of the net is still shaking now!!!
- OJ's (new Oliver) very promising and skillful debut
- Riley's superb movement off the ball & workrate
- 3 Lungs tireless running and enthusiasm
Believe, work hard and pass and the good times are around the corner.
15/11/09 Alvechurch Lions 3 Woodbourne 2
Supporter's Man of The Match - Chad 'The Power' Powell
Chad has come on leaps and bounds since recently joining the team and it is marvellous that the supporters gave him this award. He was very quick into tackle, not giving the oppositon any time on the ball and showed a determination to win every tackle. As usual he showed great calmness in controlling and passing the ball. Well done Chad.
Manager's Man of The Match - 'Blazing' Brandon Rees
Brandon was once again tireless in his workrate up and down the left hand side. His covering for his defenders was again excellent; as was his willingness to win the ball. Also, yet another goal - four goals in eight games for a midfielder is a great return. Good work Brandon.
Unfortunately, both the manager and the skipper were unavailable for this game so thanks to Rob and Will for stepping in to the roles for the day. Also a special thanks to Clive for taking on the unenviable job of Reffing in the absence of Craig.
Having got a full run down from Rob; it is obvious that the lads not only played very well but put in a real team effort. Each player played an important role in what was a tremendous win for the team.
As well as the men of the match, Kian made his almost customery stunning save and dominated his box. 'Big' Ollie Marsh was solid as rock, showing a non-shall-pass attitude. Tom never stopped battling (as usual) despite picking up a knock. Will was the 'Destroyer' supreme in the middle of the park, leading by example. OJ was skillful and a real danger, scoring his first goal for the team. Riley was again on the scoresheet, with another fine performance. It was also great to hear how Riley worked really hard and conscientously when asked to play in a new position for him.
Well done lads we are really proud of you. Now watch us go!!!!
22/11/09 Lions 3 Coldlands 7
Supporter's Man of the Match - Will 'The Destroyer' Doherty
Will won this award with an absolute landslide of votes ….and rightly so. Such quotes as ‘He was everywhere’ ‘All over the place; like a rash’ summed it up nicely. ‘The Destroyer, again showed great versatility; looking excellent both in midfield and at the back. His comfort on the ball, was a joy to watch. As a manager, though I would also like to commend Will’s attitude as he kept his head up and battled until the final whistle. Great effort Will.
Manager's Man of the Match - Oliver 'OJ' Hough
OJ may have been an obvious choice due to two excellently taken goals, but I also wanted to acknowledge other parts of his game too. OJ has joined our team from a team that has a very different style of play. However, he is adapting well and linked up very well going forward. He is also putting in a big effort to apply the more defensive side of his game that Rob and I are working on with him. Marvellous stuff OJ; keep up the good work.
Following last weeks great win, the returning skipper had to settle for a place on the bench. Although, Tom was also missing, the side still looked a strong starting seven. However, the cold, wet weather and a boggy pitch meant the game was going to be hard for both teams.
Unfortunately, for the boys we got off to a slow start. The combination of good passing and movement from Coldlands and uncharacteristic defending from our lads meant that we 2-0 down before we had even started. As the half wore on, we came more into the game, with Brandon becoming more of an influence and Riley causing the opposition defence problems. However, just as we were looking better another Coldlands goal left the lads with a mountain to climb.
Tactical changes were made, with Ollie Draper introduced in to midfield, Brandon switching to centre-mid and Will pushed in to defence. We were beginning to look more disciplined but more lax defending and now 4-0 down. But, in now typical fashion the boys came battling straight back with lovely goal from OJ. Cutting in from the right, he drilled a left footed shot low in to the far bottom corner.
The second half was a much better performance with the boys moving the ball quicker. The attacking quartet of Riley, OJ, Ollie D & Brandon were all looking dangerous. The big lads at the back Will, Ollie M and Chad were looking more organised. Coldlands scored another 2 goals, which would have lead to a lot of teams giving up…….but not our lads. They came battling back, with Will driving things from the back. Riley and Ollie D both came close to scoring before OJ scored with another great finish, this time with his right foot.
Shortly after Coldlands got a penalty, which was brilliantly saved by Kian diving to his right. Unfortunately, Kian could do nothing about the follow-up. Again the character of the team shone through when Riley intercepted a goal kick before battling his way to the edge of box and smashing home a well deserved goal.
Although this was in some ways a disappointing loss, there were a lot of positives too and nothing that cannot be sorted out in training and future games. The character and team spirit amongst the lads is superb and makes it a pleasure to work with them.
With 6 new players from last season, the team is still in a development process and we are working hard to get the right balance. However, I see huge potential in all the players and the team as a whole. In different ways they are learning and improving in every game and I honestly believe they have the potential to be our best team yet.
24/01/2010 Lions 0 Woodbourne 3
Supporter’s Man of the Match – Chad ‘The Power’ Powell
Chad rightly got the award for an excellent and determined performance. He was strong in the tackle and excellent positionally. What really stood out though was how well Chad when asked to play on his own at the back for the last 10 minutes. How he played during this time was outstanding, especially when you consider that he is our least experienced player. Well done Chad!
Manager’s Man of the Match – Oliver ‘OJ’ Hough
OJ had a tremendous game and absolutely worked his socks off. It was his best all round game for the team, combining his usual great attacking play with a great work rate and some meaty tackling. It was also very pleasing that he had obviously taken note of the pre-match team talk to make intelligent decisions with the ball. Good stuff OJ.
31/01/2010 Lions 0 Hampton Sports 2
Supporter’s Man of the Match – Kian ‘The Cat’ Bateman
Kian performance was truly outstanding. It shows just how well he played when even the opposition coaches and supporters were congratulating him. Excellent shot stopping, communication and command of his area. It was the performance of a great player on top of his form.
Manager’s Man of the Match – ‘Blazing’ Brandon Rees & ‘Tiger’ Tom McFall
Brandon was excellent for the whole match. He covered so much of pitch of I was amazing he could still move at the end of the game. His covering of his defence, tackling and work rate were all excellent. Brandon is a tremendous all round midfielder.
Tom was solid as a rock at the back, showing his customary determination and battling spirit. He used his pace to great affect on numerous occasions to break up opposition attacks. The Tiger has that great attitude that he never gives up on anything and always gives 110%.
Despite the losing this game, I was delighted with the performance of the whole team. With having no subs it was always going to be difficult and it only really took a late goal from Hampton to kill off the game.
07/02/2010 Lions 2 Catshill 0
Supporter’s Man of the Match – Oliver ‘OJ’ Hough
The experiment of moving OJ back into centre midfield paid off dividends as he put in an incredible performance, capped with 2 great goals. He obviously enjoyed seeing more of the ball playing in this position and combined his great attacking play with the responsibility of winning the midfield battle.
Manager’s Man of the Match – ‘Rocket’ Riley Hughes-Kerr
Riley played a great game and was unlucky in a few occasions not to hit the net. He’s movement off the ball and willingness to make runs (even when those runs are not being picked out by his team mates) are excellent. Rocket really deserves credit for tireless running and hard work, which so often take the pressure off the rest team.
On paper this was always going to be a difficult game against a team towards the top end of the table. Catshill offer a great threat and pace on the break so it was vital that we were strong in defence and hard working across the middle. Will and Tom gave us that strength and pace at the back for the midfield trio of Brandon, OJ & Ollie to build on and support Riley.
Defensively we were great, and this really gave OJ & Brandon in particular the opportunity to start to dominate the midfield. Riley was tireless upfront not letting Catshill build from the back. Chad came on for Ollie, who was still struggling with injury from previous week and did an excellent marking job. Ollie Marsh also entered the fray and was showing his usual dogged defending.
As the half wore on the Lions were looking more and more dangerous and got our reward with a great strike from OJ. A tremendous long range right foot strike which was too hot for the keeper to handle.
For the second half Will was pushed in to the holding midfield role to protect us from their breakaways & Ollie returned to the field, only to have to leave with another injury shortly after. We looked solid and despite some half chances for Catshill, Kian was not going to give up his clean sheet. As things looked like they may peter out to a 1-0 win up popped OJ with an almost carbon copy of his first goal…..awesome strike again.
With the defence holding firm and Will dominating the bit & pieces in midfield, the Lions held on for an impressive win.
14/02/2010 Lions 4 Ulverley Hawks 6
Supporter’s Man of the Match – Kian ‘The Cat’ Bateman
I am rapidly running out of superlatives for Kian. Yet again he put in another awesome performance, again recognised by the opposition. The pace and bravery he shows when coming off his line for a lad of his age is amazing. Combine this with his athletic shot stopping he is a joy to watch. It is a testament to him that he is so level headed.
Manager’s Man of the Match – Oliver ‘3 Lungs’ Draper
Oliver is one of the real unsung heroes of the team. For the last 2 matches Oliver has carried a groin injury and against Hampton was feeling very unwell but was determined to play and give his all for the team. In this game it was great to have him back fully fit and putting in a true Captain’s performance, in which he literally gave blood and sweat for the team. He showed great work rate, determination, tackling and leadership. On top of that, we were delighted with the vision, creativity and execution of his passing.
Games do not come any harder than this…..away against the undefeated top of the table team. Added to that the fact we had no subs as Will and Tom were unavailable, the lads, or should I call them the Magnificent Seven, were fabulous. As well as the men of the match I think they all the other lads deserve a special mention too:-
‘Big’ Ollie – Ollie was strong and determined throughout and won numerous important tackles. Swapped to his un-natural side on the left to counter the oppositions pace down that side.
Chad – Chad worked his socks off at the back, tackling like a demon and made 2 crucial goal-line clearances. He was also unlucky to see a goal bound shot blocked.
OJ – OJ scored a great hat-trick, including a breathtaking volleyed lob for the 3rd goal. He was also unlucky with another shot that came back off the post. He is really revelling in the centre-mid position.
Brandon – Brandon was again tireless up & down the left….he makes me tired just watching! Despite picking up a couple of knocks he battled away all game and provided valuable support to the defence.
Riley – Riley got through an awesome amount of work. He showed the striker’s instinct by being the first to react to a bobbling ball to fire home a much deserved goal.
Well done lads; you can all be very very proud of your performance!
Lions 2 Blossomfield 6
Supporter’s Man of the Match – ‘Blazing’ Brandon Rees
Another all action, determined performance by Brandon was appropriately recognised by the supporters. He was an example to some of his team mates of the kind of work rate that is needed if you are going to reach your potential. Brandon was also very unlucky a great long range volley that just fizzed wide.
Manager’s Man of the Match – ‘Big’ Ollie Marsh
Big Ollie again showed a first class attitude to his defending despite being under great pressure from the pace and movement of Bloss’s attacking play. Determination to win his tackles, excellent positional play and sound decision making were the highlights of his performance.
The goal scorers were OJ and Oliver D, who maintained his great goal scoring record against Bloss.
Lions v Catshill
Supporter’s Man of the Match – ‘Rocket’ Riley Hughes-Kerr
Riley really responded to the halt-time team talk to put in a great second half. The Rocket scored what has got to be a contender for goal of the season with an unstoppable bullet header from a corner. Credit must also go to him for his great attitude in playing in an unfamiliar position.
Manager’s Man of the Match - Connor ‘Wonderkid’ Walsh
Connor had an excellent debut, combining great skill and movement with hard graft. His performance was all the more impressive considering how poor the team were in the first half! A great bit of play and run set up our second goal. The ‘Wonderkid’ is obviously going to be a great addition to the side.
The less said about this match the better! Goals from Riley and Brandon.
Lions 2 Blossomfield 6
Supporter’s Man of the Match – Tom ‘TJ’ Johnstone
It was hard to believe this was only Tom’s second game with how well he played. Despite being briefed before the game to play in midfield, Tom had to be pushed into defence at the last minute. Both his attitude at switching to defence and his performance were a credit to him. His tackling was clean, hard and consistently excellent. On this evidence TJ has the potential to be a terrific player.
Manager’s Man of the Match – Kian ‘The Cat’ Bateman
There’s not a lot a can say that has not already been said about Kian but he was again awesome making a string of superb saves, especially in the second half. His distribution and kicking were both great to, which helped take the pressure off the team at crucial moments. Lead the team by example.
If we can forget the first 10 minutes, this was a lot better performance. The goals came from Riley (reaching double figures or the season) and Connor (congratulations on your first goal for the club….I am sure it will be the first of many).
02/05/10 Lions 1 Hampton 2
The lads really bounced back from recent heavy defeats with an excellent performance. We were all really proud of how well they played. They did everything we asked them to do and applied everything we worked on in training. Well done lads. There were 7 Men of the Match out there: -
Chad 'The Power' Powell - Chad was awesome; playing in a new position he looked liked he'd been playing there for years. Great positional play, combined with tackling and first class distribution made a huge difference to the whole team.
'Tiger' Tom McFall - Tom was excellent at the back never giving the Hampton strikers a second on the ball. Used his pace very well to cover for team mates and even had time to show some good ball skills bringing the ball out of defence. Even more impressive considering he was carrying a knock.
Kian 'The Cat' Bateman - Kian was back to his best. Sharp, alert and very agile; he was Mr Dependable! His kicking was also first class, especially in the first half when he was kicking uphill and against the wind.
'Big' Ollie Marsh - The big fella was an absolute beast at the back. Strong, determined and fierce in the tackle...brilliant stuff. A good old centre half performance. It was great to see Ollie looking more comfortable on the ball and passing it out.
'Blazing' Brandon Rees - Yet another fine goal and performance from Brandon. Excellent workrate up and down the left as well as his usual super determined tackling. His decision making on when to realise the ball helped to create chances for others.
Oliver '3 Lungs' Draper - Back to a more familiar position Oliver covered every blade of grass and battled his man out of the game. Showed great comfort on the ball, with his usual good passing. It was also good to see him showing skill to take players on.
Tom 'TJ' Johnstone - Tom worked his socks off upfront and again showed a great attitude to being asked to play a different position. Tom is rapidly becoming a very versatile team player. TJ can very close to scoring his first goal for the club with a great long range shot.
Well done lads. Keep up the good work.
