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SQUAD |
GOALS |
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Archie Ford |
1 |
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Benjamin Daniels |
6 |
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Sam Dennis |
3 |
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Aaron Gooch |
5 |
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Niall Gilbert |
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Tyler Hanks |
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Casston Chapman-Hearn |
11 |
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William Hodgson |
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Joshua Izzard |
38 |
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Fabian Nieli |
22 |
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Lewyn Pride |
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James Reid |
7 |
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Billy Smallwood |
2 |
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Jokob Woodfine |
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Jordon Young |
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Own Goal |
1 |
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Manager |
Shaun Izzard |
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Assistant |
Nino Nieli |
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Helpers |
Ron Hope & Jo Daniels |
Under 7’s Season 06/07
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Date |
Result |
Arlesey Scorer |
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5/5/07 |
Letchworth GCE(A) 1–4 Arlesey(A) |
Joshua Izzard-2 (1 Pen.) James Reid-1 Benjamin Daniels-1 |
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5/5/07 |
Letchworth GCE(B) 1–4 Arlesey(B) |
Joshua Izzard-2 Archie Ford Own Goal-1 |
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31/3/07 |
Arlesey(A) 3–0 Bassingbourn Youth |
Aaron Gooch-1 Joshua Izzard-1 (Pen.) Fabian Nieli-1 (Pen.) |
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31/3/07 |
Arlesey(B) 3–0 Bassingbourn Youth |
Sam Dennis-1 James Reid-1 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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17/3/07 |
Arlesey(A) 5–0 St. Neots (A) |
Joshua Izzard-3 Casston Chapman-Hearn-1 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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17/3/07 |
Arlesey(B) 1–2 St. Neots (B) |
Billy Smallwood-1 |
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10/3/07 |
Shefford Saints 1–4 Arlesey(A) |
James Reid-1 Casston Chapman-Hearn-1 Joshua Izzard-2 |
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10/3/07 |
Shefford Saints 0-0 Arlesey(B) |
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3/3/07 |
Arlesey(A) 4–0 Potton Colts(A) |
James Reid-1 Joshua Izzard-1 Fabian Nieli-2 |
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3/3/07 |
Arlesey(B) 0–1 Potton Colts(B) |
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24/2/07 |
Arlesey(A) 3 – 2 Royston Colts |
Fabian Nieli-1 Joshua Izzard-2 |
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24/2/07 |
Arlesey(B) 2 – 1 Royston Colts |
Benjamin Daniels-1 Joshua Izzard-1 |
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17/2/07 |
Biggleswade United(A) 0-2 Arlesey(A) |
Fabian Nieli-2 |
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17/2/07 |
Biggleswade United(B) 0–0 Arlesey (B) |
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3/2/07 |
Arlesey(A) 2-0 Letchworth Whites |
Joshua Izzard-2 |
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3/2/07 |
Arlesey(B) 0-0 Letchworth Whites |
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20/1/07 |
Arlesey(A) 1–0 Stotfold Juniors |
Joshua Izzard-1 |
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20/1/07 |
Arlesey(B) 1–0 Stotfold Juniors |
Aaron Gooch-1 |
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13/1/07 |
Arlesey(A) 3–1 Stevenage Pumas |
Fabian Nieli-1 Joshua Izzard-2 |
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13/1/07 |
Arlesey(B) 1-0 Stevenage Hawks |
Sam Dennis-1 |
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6/1/07 |
Bassingbourn Youth 0–4 Arlesey(A) |
Fabian Nieli-2 Joshua Izzard-2 |
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6/1/07 |
Bassingbourn 0–0 Arlesey(B) |
|
|
16/12/06 |
St. Neots(A) 1–1 Arlesey(A) |
Fabian Nieli-1 |
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16/12/06 |
St. Neots(B) 3–0 Arlesey(B) |
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|
9/12/06 |
Arlesey(A) 4–0 Shefford Saints(A) |
Fabian Nieli-1 Joshua Izzard-2 Benjamin Daniels-1 |
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9/12/06 |
Arlesey (B) 0–1 Shefford Saints(B) |
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|
2/12/06 |
Potton Colts 0–2 Arlesey Town |
Joshua Izzard-1 James Reid-1 |
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25/11/06 |
Arlesey(A) 1–0 Biggleswade Utd (A) Abandoned due to thunderstorm |
Joshua Izzard-1 |
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18/11/06 |
Royston Colts 0–3 Arlesey(A) |
Joshua Izzard-1 Fabian Nieli-1 Benjamin Daniels-1 |
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18/11/06 |
Royston Colts 1–0 Arlesey(B) |
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|
11/11/06 |
LGCE Whites(A) 0 – 3 Arlesey(A) |
Joshua Izzard-2 Aaron Gooch-1 |
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11/11/06 |
LGCE Whites(B) 0-0 Arlesey(B) |
|
|
11/11/06 |
LGCE Whites 0–3 Arlesey |
Aaron Gooch-1 Joshua Izzard-1 Casston Chapman-Hearn-1 |
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4/11/06 |
Arlesey(A) 3–0 Stotfold Juniors(A) |
Joshua Izzard-2 (1 Pen) Casston Chapman-Hearn-1 |
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4/11/06 |
Arlesey(B) 1–1 Stotfold Juniors (B) |
James Reid-1 |
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28/10/06 |
Stevenage Boro Blues 1–0 Arlesey(A) |
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28/10/06 |
Stevenage Boro Tigers 0-3 Arlesey(B) |
Benjamin Daniels-1 Sam Dennis-1 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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7/10/06 |
Arlesey(A) 0-1 St Neots |
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|
7/10/06 |
Arlesey(B) 1-2 St Neots |
Joshua Izzard-1 |
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30/9/06 |
Shefford Saints 0–4 Arlesey(A) |
Joshua Izzard-1 Casston Chapman-Hearn-2 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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30/9/06 |
Shefford Saints 1-2 Arlesey(B) |
Joshua Izzard-1 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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23/9/06 |
Arlesey(A) 7–0 Potton Colts |
Casston Chapman-Hearn-1 Joshua Izzard-2 James Reid-1 Fabian Nieli-3 |
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23/9/06 |
Arlesey(B) 5–0 Potton Colts |
Billy Smallwood-1 Casston Chapman-Hearn-2 Benjamin Daniels-1 Fabian Nieli-1 |
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16/9/06 |
Biggleswade(A) 0-3 Arlesey (A) |
Casston Chapman-Hearn-2 Joshua Izzard-1 |
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16/9/06 |
Biggleswade(B) 0-1 Arlesey(B) |
Aaron Gooch-1 |
|
9/9/06 |
Arlesey (A) 3 – 0 Royston (A) |
Fabian Nieli-1 Joshua Izzard-2 |
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9/9/06 |
Arlesey (B) 0 – 4 Royston (B) |
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Season 2006/07 Reports
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Letchworth GCE Under 7s (A) 1 – 4 Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (A) 5/5/07 Arlesey Scorers: Joshua-2 (1 pen), James-1, Benjamin-1 Arlesey started brightly and took the game to Letchworth. Their first attack ended with a good shot by Fabian after James and Joshua combined well to play him in. Aaron and Lewyn made sure a Letchworth attack came to nothing. Casston made sure that Letchworth couldn’t settle on the ball. The first goal came when Fabian played a free-kick into the area. The ball came to Joshua who swept it into the net. Another goal came soon after. Casston won the ball and played it to James who passed it wide to Fabian. His cross was then bundled into the net by James. Aaron and Lewyn both had to make blocking tackles as Letchworth looked to come back into the game. Arlesey scored again when Fabian was tripped as he ran into the area; Joshua fired the penalty high into the net. Half-time 0 – 3 Jakob showed great attitude from the whistle when he dispossessed the Letchworth attackers. This led directly to Benjamin sending an excellent cross over; Jordan just failed to connect. Jakob then collected the ball near the centre spot facing his own goal; he turned on the proverbial sixpence and sent an excellent pass through for Sam who just failed to connect. Sam then had a strong shot saved by the Letchworth goalkeeper. Arlesey’s came from a poor Letchworth clearance. Benjamin took possession and beat a defender before scoring with an excellent shot. Letchworth then got a goal back after Arlesey failed to clear properly. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Aaron, James, Casston, Fabian, Joshua, Benjamin, Jakob, Sam, Jordan ____________________________________________________________________________ Letchworth GCE Under 7s (B) 1– 4Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (B) 5/5/07 Arlesey Scorers Own Goal-1, Joshua-2, Archie-1 Arlesey scored three goals in quick succession at the start of the game. For the first, a cross by Joshua was turned into the net by a covering defender for an unfortunate own goal. The second goal came after Fabian ran the ball into the box and crossed for Joshua to knock the ball home. The third goal came from Joshua again after he picked up a weak kick-out. Letchworth scored an excellent goal in reply. Arlesey’s fourth goal was certainly a strange one. Archie launched one of his mammoth kick-outs straight down the middle of the pitch. There were many attempts to send the ball towards goal and to clear. However, the ball continued until it crossed the line for to give the delighted Archie his Paul Robinson moment. ATYFC: Archie, James, Aaron, Casston, Benjamin, Fabian, Joshua, Sam, Jakob, Benjamin, Reports by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (A) 3 – 0 Bassingbourn Youth Under 7s 31/3/07 Arlesey Scorers: Aaron, Joshua (pen), Fabian (pen) Arlesey can count themselves lucky to have taken anything from this match, never mind a win. It is a good job that Niall and James were on top form; they had one of their busiest games of the season and their intelligent teamwork, with Archie playing as a “sweeper-keeper” on occasion, is the reason Arlesey didn’t concede. Bassingbourn went on the attack from the kick-off and the ball had to be scrambled away for a corner by James. Niall held his position immaculately under pressure and made several clearances to thwart the Bassingbourn attackers, who were by now increasing in confidence. Arlesey had a couple of speculative shots on goal by Benjamin and then Fabian. Arlesey took the lead against the run of play. Fabian took a corner which was half-cleared and James picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and ran wide to evade the defenders. His cross was then spilled by the Bassingbourn goalkeeper who looked to have done well to cut it out. Aaron was the Arlesey player who managed to poke the ball home in the subsequent scramble. Half-time 1 – 0 The Blues played a bit better after the break but Bassingbourn still made most of the running early on. Everyone was surprised when Arlesey found themselves two goals up. Benjamin played the ball into the area and a Bassingbourn defender handled the ball needlessly. Joshua made no mistake with the penalty. Bassingbourn then forced a series of corners; Aaron had to clear the ball off the line after one of these. The visitors then hit the side-netting after James did well to force the attacking player wide. Niall then made a telling interception when Bassingbourn were on the overlap. Just when it looked like Bassingbourn could still get something from the game, they gave away another needless penalty kick, again for handball. The goalkeeper had no chance of stopping Fabian’s spot-kick. Lucky, lucky Arlesey… ATYFC: Archie, James, Niall, Benjamin, Aaron (Capt.), Fabian, Joshua ________________________________________________________________________________ Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (B) 3 – 0 Bassingbourn Youth Under 7s (B) 31/3/07 Arlesey Scorers: Sam, James, Fabian The B team thoroughly deserved this handsome win. Bassingbourn tried to attack from the kick off but Lewyn and James covered the danger well. Lewyn sent a long pass up front and Billy was unlucky to not to get the on the end of it. The Bassingbourn goalkeeper had shown great anticipation. Arlesey scored from an early corner. Sam played the ball short to Jakob who had positioned himself in front of the near post and his marker; he returned the pass and spun away leaving a gap for Sam who squeezed the ball in between the goalkeeper and the post. Jordan kept Arlesey’s attacking momentum going with some excellent throw-ins. Arlesey scored again before the break. Sam played the ball through to James who had made a great run through the centre. The defence backed off and he found himself just inside the box unchallenged, so he smacked the ball into the roof of the net. Archie then showed great anticipation to come off his line and clear a through ball. Half-time 2 – 0 Niall replaced James for the second half and was straight into action, breaking up the Bassingbourn forward moves and combining well with Lewyn. Archie had to make an excellent diving save. Sam and Jakob tried to repeat the move which led to the first goal but weren’t quite as slick this time. Billy made himself available for the ball all game; his movement was excellent and he pulled his markers all over the field. However, he suffered from a lack of support and often found himself surrounded by three defenders. He produced a beautiful angled shot just before the end when he pulled clear but it went just the wrong side of the post. The game seemed to be drawing to a close when Fabian attempted to clear a ball bouncing in the centre circle. He caught it full on, then it took a deflection off a defender and wrong-footed the goalkeeper who could only watch it sail past him into the net. This was a fortunate goal perhaps, but a score of three to nothing was no more than the Blues deserved. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, James, Jakob, Sam, Billy, Jordan Subs: Niall, Benjamin, Joshua, Fabian |
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Arlesey Town (A) 5 – 0 St. Neots (A) 17/3/07 Arlesey Scorers: Casston Joshua 3 Fabian Arlesey anticipated a close match but ran out easy winners in a contest which they dominated from first to last in every area of the pitch. James and Niall were their usual immaculate selves; their excellent positioning allowed the Saints forwards only one tame attempt at goal all game. They also did well to keep their heads in the face of some challenges which can best be described as “robust”. Archie only had to field a couple of harmless through balls but showed how well he now reads the game with his instructions to the two men in front of him. Arlesey set the tone for the game by scoring with their first attack. Fabian sent over a low corner which the unchallenged Casston expertly dispatched. Aaron then went close soon after. Joshua obviously knew he was going to score a hat-trick in this game, so he generously slammed a penalty against the post after a handball from another corner. Joshua scored soon after, however, when he latched onto a weak kick-out and fired the ball past the goalkeeper. He soon scored his second when he harried a Saints defender into losing possession on the edge of the box; he ran in on goal and applied a text-book finish. Half-time 3-0 The second half was barely a minute old when Fabian scored Arlesey’s fourth goal. He picked the ball up after a weak Saints kick-out and rifled the ball home from the edge of the area. By now, the Arlesey shots were raining in on the Saints goal with a volley by Casston from a dropping ball being the pick of the bunch. Aaron then provided one of the best moments of the match when he collected the ball on the edge of the box; rather than shooting he passed beautifully to Joshua who was closer to goal and unmarked. Joshua then swept the ball into net for his first ever hat-trick. Arlesey had scored five goals without reply. There was still time for Niall to start dribbling the ball out of his own half with a huge grin on his face and for Aaron to play some inadvertent keepie-uppie on the edge of the St. Neots penalty box. The game ended with James running the ball on the wing from level with his own box to the opposition touchline with half of the St. Neots team tackling fresh air. This was their best performance of the season so far.
ATYFC: Archie, James (Capt.), Niall, Aaron, Casston, Fabian, Joshua ________________________________________________________________________________ Arlesey Town (B) 1 – 2 St. Neots (B) 17/3/07 St. Neots scored with their first attack of the game after Arlesey failed to clear their lines. Both Jakob and Lewyn then made excellent tackles to prevent St Neots scoring again. Lewyn then made a goal-saving tackle when a Saints player was through on goal. Archie was called into action shortly after this when he made point-blank save; the ball was scrambled to safety by Jordan. Benjamin and Sam worked hard to play through midfield but were constantly being frustrated. Billy did the best he could but was only feeding off scraps. Half-time 0 – 1 Arlesey played much better in the second half. Jordan played a good flick-on to Billy after Sam and Benjamin had combined well. Archie stopped a shot on the line when a goal seemed certain. Jakob then thwarted a dangerous-looking attack when he took control of the ball on the edge of his own box. Lewyn was left as the last defender with a forward making straight for goal but did well to shepherd towards the corner flag. Unfortunately, St. Neots scored again after Arlesey failed to clear. There was still time left in the game for Billy to score the goal of the day. Fabian sent a pass through from near the centre-spot. Billy ran past two defenders onto the high-bouncing ball as the goalkeeper advanced. He timed his contact just right and the ball sailed into the top right-hand corner of the goal to great acclaim. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Benjamin (Capt.), Jakob, Sam, Jordan, Billy Sub used: Fabian |
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Shefford Saints (A) 1 – 4 Arlesey Town (A) 10/3/07 The ground staff worked ridiculously hard to make the pitch playable. A sizeable quantity of sand had to be added to one of the goal areas. The expert way in which this was administered was greatly admired by the many onlookers. Arlesey Scorers: James-1, Casston-1, Joshua 2 A strong wind blew for the entire game and Arlesey had this at their backs for the first half. Niall and Lewyn combined well in defence and dealt well with the little they had to do in this half. Arlesey went on the attack from the kick-off and forced two early corners. The first goal came from a sweeping move. Both Fabian and Joshua were involved in winning the ball on the right-hand side and the ball was played to Casston who sent a cross low across the area. The cross found James who supplied a classy finish with the outside of his right boot. Fabian then sent a corner-kick across the face of the goal which only needed the slightest of touches but there were no takers. James then beat a couple of defenders in the corner to send a cross onto the toe of Casston at the near post; his shot was agonisingly close. Fabian then had a shot stopped on the line by the goalkeeper. Joshua worked hard drawing defenders but was finding it difficult to get a clear chance on goal. Casston then made a great run onto a low cross from Fabian; he met the ball first time and sent a powerful shot past the goalkeeper. As half-time beckoned, Joshua showed why he has scored so many goals this season. The ball broke across the front of the goal after a corner and Joshua was first to react sending the ball in while surrounded by defenders. Half-time 0-3 Shefford attacked and made the most of having the wind at their backs. They scored a good goal early on. Arlesey failed to clear their lines properly and a terrific shot was sent beyond Archie. The game now looked competitive for the first time. Lewyn and Niall stood up well to the pressure and made a number of impressive clearances. Shefford now had much more possession and the Arlesey defence did well to deny them space in front of goal. Casston used his power to have a good run and shot and James sent an excellent cross across the face of goal after he somehow emerged with the ball from a crowd of Shefford defenders. The game was ended as a contest by Arlesey’s fourth goal. Fabian sent a cross over which beat the goalkeeper and came back off the far post. Joshua was again in the right place at the right time to gleefully knock the ball home. His father, Shaun “Sandy” Izzard claimed that his work on the goalmouth contributed to holding the ball up for the shot; others were less convinced. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, Lewyn, James, Casston (Capt.), Fabian, Joshua ______________________________________________________________________________ Shefford Saints (B) 0- 0 Arlesey (B) Arlesey faced a strong wind in the first half. Jordan made an important early tackle as Shefford looked to play a pass through the middle of the Blues defence. Casston then had to provide some timely cover at the back. Shefford then had a great chance with a looping shot which bounced of the top of the cross-bar. Archie was then called into action and made a good save down low to his left. The game was beset by stoppages as a number of boys took knocks. Shefford then had another excellent chance to go ahead when a forward found himself through on goal. Archie came off his line well and took the sting out of the shot. Benjamin covered well and was then able to clear the ball. Sam and Jakob began to get some joy in midfield as the half was closing, and Billy ran onto a couple of promising passes. Billy was then starting to hold the play up well and linking up well with Benjamin as he made some promising forward runs. Half-time 0 – 0 The second half saw a much better performance by Arlesey. Billy had a great opportunist shot from just outside the area which went just past the post. Jakob then turned expertly in the corner and fed the ball to Sam whose shot was blocked. The ball broke to Lewyn who shot just wide. Sam then took the ball to the by-line and sent over an inviting cross but no one could connect. Benjamin then had a good shot after receiving the ball with his back to the goal. Billy then came very close to scoring. The goalkeeper spilled the ball and Billy pounced. His shot grazed the outside of the post. Great work by Archie and Lewyn to block half a dozen close-range shots prevented Shefford snatching a win at the death. ATYFC: Archie (Capt.), Benjamin, Casston, Sam, Jakob, Jordan, Billy Subs used: Lewyn Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey (A) 4 – 0 Potton Colts(A) 3/3/07 Arlesey Scorers: James- 1, Joshua-1, Fabian-2 There was to be no repeat of last week’s lacklustre first-half performance as the boys in the light blue shirts tore into Potton from the start. Both Aaron and Casston looked dominant in midfield and they each had early shots which tested the Colts goalkeeper. Niall policed the back line immaculately all game. James was making good ground on the wing and both Fabian and Joshua were causing consternation in the box with their intelligent runs. The first goal came after Niall sent the ball forward after winning it in a tackle. Fabian took possession in a wide position and intelligently slipped the ball inside to James who shimmied past two defenders and coolly passed the ball into the net off the far post. The team than ran to the touch-line in a mass “cradling the baby” celebration in recognition of the recent arrival of Aaron’s new brother, Mitchell. Aaron, who linked the play up well all game, then had a tremendous shot which was scrambled away for a corner. His younger brother should have been impressed with his performance; however, he was asleep in his pram for the entire game. Joshua then pounced on a weak kick-out. There was only going to one outcome; Arlesey two goals ahead. Potton then had a better passage of play although they were well-contained by Arlesey. Casston showed great persistence to win possession back and then begin a sweeping move from box to box. This resulted in Fabian scoring with an inch-perfect angled shot from wide on the right when everyone else was expecting a cross. Half-time 3 – 0 Casston was unlucky not to make more headway when he collected the ball on the half-way line and made a strong run through the middle. His shot was well-held by the Potton goalkeeper who had an excellent game. Archie was then called into action twice to collect through balls. Niall played outstandingly well in the second half and was in the thick of any action in the Arlesey half. Fabian then scored with a snapshot from the edge of the box after Potton had made a weak clearance. The ball was still rising as it hit the net. There was still time for Casston and James to have shots kicked off the line before the final whistle. ATYFC: Archie, Niall (Capt.) James, Fabian, Aaron, Casston, Joshua
_______________________________________________________________________________ Arlesey (B) 0 – 1 Potton Colts (B) 23/9/06 Arlesey attacked right from the start but were finding it difficult to make any headway in the final third of the pitch. Lewyn played very well from the back and Jakob did a good job shuttling from defence to midfield. Benjamin was linking play in the midfield and released Sam wide on the left. Sam and Billy exchanged passes and the Potton defence had to look sharp to stop them run through on goal. Billy then had shot which forced the goalkeeper to make an excellent diving save. Billy then received the ball after Jordan had won possession in the middle of the pitch; his excellent pass allowed Benjamin the time and space to shoot. Potton had a good spell of play near the end of the half. Lewyn and Sam were particularly impressive here, confining Potton to just one direct shot on goal. Half-time 0 – 0 Potton continued to press at the start of the second-half. They had a succession of free-kicks and Archie was called into action to deal with these. He had a particularly good save when he hung onto a low, fast shot to his left. Arlesey then had their best move of the game when Billy made a long cross-field pass to Benjamin whose shot produced a terrific save from the Potton goalkeeper. Potton scored shortly after this when a pass through the middle left Archie too exposed. He did well to parry the initial shot but could do nothing about the rebound. Lewyn sent a strong free kick into the Potton area but it was well cleared. Jakob nearly saved a point for the Blues at the very end with a promising-looking shot from the edge of the area but the goalkeeper saved the ball with his feet and a defender cleared. ATYFC: Archie, Jakob, Lewyn, Benjamin, Jordan, Sam, Billy Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (A) 3 – 2 Royston Colts Under 7s (A) 24/2/07 Arlesey Scorers: Fabian Joshua 2 (1 pen) Arlesey did very well to come back and take all the points in a game that Royston looked to have in the bag by half-time. The first section of play was very scrappy with neither side able to impose themselves on the game. Aaron made a good clearing header and Niall had to react quickly to force a corner as a Royston forward looked to make a break. Most of Arlesey’s forward momentum was coming from Aaron and Casston. Royston scored after a period of sustained pressure. Arlesey failed to clear properly and a smart shot put the ball past Archie. Arlesey then had a better period of play. James ran the ball up the wing and played an impressive reverse pass across the area. Unfortunately there were no takers. Royston then scored with a speculative shot; the ball looked to be going well over but then dipped just under the bar. Half-time 0 – 2 Arlesey went on the attack from the kick-off and score almost immediately. Aaron carried the ball forward and the ball broke kindly for Fabian who scored from outside the box. Joshua then had a great shot which produced an excellent save from the goalkeeper. Aaron and James were combining well on the wing and created a number of openings. From one of these Arlesey won a corner. Fabian swung the corner over and it was hand-balled by a Royston defender. Joshua scored the penalty with a minimum of fuss. As the game wore on it was all Arlesey and every member of the team was relentless in their pursuit of a winner. James was carving out chances on the wing as Niall and Aaron pushed the play forward. The winning goal came when Casston flicked the ball onto Joshua in space and he thumped the ball past the goalkeeper. Everyone dug in for the last few minutes and the game was won. ATYFC: Archie, James, Niall, Aaron (Capt.), Casston, Fabian, Joshua ______________________________________________________________________________________ Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (B) 2 – 1 Royston Colts Under 7s (B)
Arlesey Scorers: Benjamin Joshua Arlesey played well throughout the game and were unlucky to go in at half-time a goal down. Billy played Sam in after Lewyn won the ball. The goalkeeper did well to hold onto Sam’s shot. Royston scored almost immediately after this. The ball was picked up on the edge of the area and an unstoppable shot sent past Archie. Archie then had to make a smart save from a similar shot only a moment later. Jakob made countless strong tackles in midfield. Benjamin made some impressive forward runs playing in Jordan who was holding the ball up well. Both Sam and Billy had good shots. Just before the half-time whistle Archie made a tremendous save from point-blank range. Half-time 0 - 1 Arlesey produced an excellent attacking move to score the equaliser early in the second half. Lewyn cleared the ball from defence and found Sam on the wing. His cross was anticipated by Benjamin who scored with a controlled finish off the outside of his boot. Arlesey then put the Royston defence under sustained pressure. Billy continued to probe and make intelligent runs. Lewyn took a number of free-kicks and Jordan, Sam and Jakob had shots on goal. Lewyn, Benjamin and Jakob then combined to make a chance; Joshua netted the rebound when the goalkeeper failed to hold Benjamin’s shot. Lewyn narrowly missed with a long-range free-kick just before the end of the game. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Benjamin, Jakob, Sam, Jordan, Billy Subs used: James, Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Biggleswade United (A) 0 - 2 Arlesey Town (A) 17/2/07 Arlesey Scorer Fabian (2) This game ended in a win for Arlesey which seemed unlikely at half-time. Arlesey enjoyed good possession through Casston and Aaron but Biggleswade made it very difficult for them to put together any sustained attacks. James and Niall were efficient and denied Biggleswade any shots on goal. James managed to have one strong run on goal which led to a corner; Casston managed to get a good shot away which went narrowly wide. Arlesey had the ball in the net just before half-time after a sweeping move involving Joshua, Casston and Aaron. However, the referee had spotted a hand-ball by Aaron and disallowed the goal. Half-time 0 - 0 The second half began with a rasping shot by Fabian which heralded an outstanding contribution in this half by him. Aaron then had a good shot on goal after a succession of corners by Biggleswade. The first goal came after a good wide run Josh; he passed the ball inside to Fabian who blasted his second shot in after the first was well-parried by the goalkeeper. Fabian then had a number of shots on goal after picking the ball up in midfield. A second goal for Fabian followed. Aaron picked the ball up on the edge of the box and played a short pass to James who then played in Fabian who then stroked the ball into the net. Niall did well to track a run at the end when a promising break was on for Biggleswade and Archie had to get down well to smother a shot at the death. ATYFC: Archie, Niall (Capt.), James, Casston, Aaron, Fabian, Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Biggleswade United (B) 0 – 0 Arlesey Town (B) 17/2/07 The game began with a series of Biggleswade attacks. Lewyn looked very calm and capable at the heart of the defence and was supported well by Fabian. Arlesey’s first attack saw a good cross by Billy deflected for a corner. Archie had to make a smart save from a Biggleswade free-kick. Jakob then had an excellent shot from the edge of the box which the Biggleswade goalkeeper did well to stop on the line. Archie then showed how well he reads the game by coming out to meet and clear a through ball. Billy then played in Benjamin who shot just wide. Benjamin then returned the compliment by going on a great run and putting over a terrific cross for Billy who was unlucky not to score. Jordan then had a shot from close range which the goalkeeper did well to save. Half-time 0 – 0 James came on for Fabian in the second half and the pair complemented each other well in defence. Jakob mange to slip the ball through to Billy whose shot went narrowly wide. Both sides had further chances with perhaps the best one falling to Biggleswade near the end. The ball broke kindly for a Biggleswade player who looked to have a clear run in on goal from the half-way line. Lewyn did well to delay the player but could not dispossess him; just as the attacker was about shoot from close range, James, who had run from the half-way line, won the ball with excellent tackle to stop what seemed like a certain goal. ATYFC: Archie (Capt.), Lewyn, Fabian, Benjamin, Jakob, Billy, Jordan. Sub used: James Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(A) 2-0 Letchworth Whites 3/2/07 Archie (GK), Aaron, Lewyn, Benjamin, Casston, Fabian, Josh (C) Arlesey kicked off in bright sunshine and had all the pressure without creating any clear-cut chances against a defensive-looking Letchworth outfit. Casston made tackle after tackle in the midfield to keep Letchworth pegged-back in their own half. A long throw by Benjamin led to a corner and Josh was unlucky not to score from Fabian’s centre. Letchworth then had their only break of the half but Aaron and Lewyn easily snuffed it out at the back. Arlesey finished the half strongly with a number of spectacular shots from Fabian and a powerful run by Aaron keeping the Letchworth goalkeeper busy. Arlesey stepped-up a gear in the second half and Benjamin made a great break but the goalkeeper just got to the ball first. Lewyn and Aaron were solid in defence and dealt with any threat from the Whites. The breakthrough finally came following a series of excellent corners by Fabian, Josh pouncing on a loose ball to score – Josh and Fabian’s celebration is also worthy of note! Moments later and the Arlesey front-two combined again. A free kick by Fabian was too hot for the Letchworth defence and Josh was on hand again to claim his brace. Report by Shaun Izzard |
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Arlesey(B) 0-0 Letchworth Whites 3/2/07 Archie, Aaron, Lewyn, Jordan, Jacob (C), Sam, Billy Arlesey will feel unlucky not to have won this one. Aaron made several runs that could easily have led to goals and Jacob and Billy were constant threats. Sam and Jordan were tackling well in midfield and reduced Letchworth to just 1 set piece in the first half, intercepted by Lewyn who ran the ball deep into Letchworth territory. Second Half: Archie, Casston, Benjamin, Jordan, Jacob (C), Sam, Billy Arlesey started the second half looking for a breakthrough with Billy inches from scoring and Casston shooting just wide. Benjamin then played a great ball through for Billy who sprinted clear of the Letchworth defence but the goalkeeper topped a fine morning by blocking Billy’s shot for a corner. From the corner, Billy was inches away again. Josh came on for Jordan and tracked back superbly to stop a Letchworth break as Arlesey pushed on for the winner. Jacob and Sam combined to give Billy a half-chance but Billy shot just wide under pressure. Letchworth finished strongly and had a series of long-range efforts but to no avail. Well played all! Report by Shaun Izzard |
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Arlesey Town Youth (A) 1– 0 Stotfold Juniors (A) 20/1/07 Arlesey Scorers Joshua 1 Arlesey faced a strong wind in the first half but took the game to Stotfold from the kick-off. Aaron and Fabian saw shots go just wide in the opening minutes. James R. and then Casston had good runs through the middle to play Joshua in but the Stotfold defence were alert and covered well. Arlesey were enjoying almost all the possession but couldn’t convert it into a goal. Half-time 0 – 0 Stotfold started the second half brightly and had a corner kick but Niall cleared well and pushed the team forward. Joshua scored after Casston rolled the ball across the face of the goal. Aaron, Niall and James made good passes through midfield. Arlesey had to withstand some concerted pressure near the end but held on to win. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James R., Aaron, Casston, Fabian (Capt.), Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth (B) 1 – 0 Stotfold Juniors (B) 20/1/07 Arlesey Scorers: Aaron Arlesey attacked straight away. Jakob played the ball forward for Billy who slid in; however, the goalkeeper smothered the ball just before he had a chance to make contact. The goal came after Aaron collected a weak kick-out and blasted the ball goalward. He came close to scoring again moments later. Benjamin made his usual intelligent use of the ball and was adept at playing his team mates into good positions. Sam had some great runs to push the play upfield. Aaron sustained an injury near the end of the first half; he was replaced by James R. Half-time: 0 – 0 The Blues faced a fierce wind in the second half and this probably helped Stotfold when they had a sustained period of attacking at the start of the second half. Lewyn and James R. coped well under the pressure. Billy had a number of shots and was unlucky not to score. Sam and Jakob had to run the ball forward as any clearances were coming straight back at them. ATYFC: Archie (Capt.), Lewyn, Aaron, Jakob, Sam, Benjamin, Billy, Subs used: James R. Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth v Stotfold Juniors 20/1/07 Friendly A friendly match between the two teams was also played to give the younger lads a run in a competitive game. The boys played well and had a 2-1 win. James B. made some good, strong runs through midfield and passed well. Dillon looked sharp and was unlucky not to score when he had a shot go just wide. Hadley scored an impressive goal which he tucked away smartly after a good run in on goal. Bradley held onto the ball well played others in on a number of occasions. Lewyn came off for the second half and was replaced by Fabian who went in goal to allow Archie a half as an outfield player. He scored! Stotfold scored an excellent goal at the end. ATYFC: Archie, Casston, Lewyn, Dillon, James B., Hadley (Capt.), Bradley. Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth (A) 3 – 1 Stevenage Borough Juniors (Pumas) 13/1/07 Arlesey Scorers: Joshua 2 Fabian 1 Arlesey can feel proud of themselves after this victory over a very competitive Stevenage side. The Blues took the game straight to the visitors from the kick-off; within a minute Aaron had cut in from the right wing and was unlucky to see his shot go just wide. Stevenage tried to attack through the middle but found little joy as Niall made a number of strong clearances. Casston was his usual combative self and made sure that his opponents had hardly any time to play the ball in midfield. After one of his many tackles he played Joshua through the middle but the forward was well-tackled. The first goal came when Arlesey counter-attacked after a Stevenage corner. The ball broke to Joshua who was joined on the gallop to goal by James. As they reached the edge of the box, Joshua looked to have played the ball too far forward and a defender took possession; he was in turn dispossessed by James who passed the ball back to Joshua who then blasted the ball past the goalkeeper. The second goal came directly from a tackle on a Borough defender by Casston. He then played in Joshua who was tackled; the ball spun to Fabian who controlled the ball with his first touch and unleashed one of his trademark rockets high into the net with his second. Arlesey looked to be cruising to victory but Stevenage had other ideas and they came back strongly. Archie was called into action for the first time and let his defence and midfield know in no uncertain terms that he thought they had taken their foot off the gas. Stevenage thought they were sure to score but Aaron made a magnificent tackle on the goal-line. They were not be resisted for too much longer, however. Arlesey had several chances to clear but didn’t and conceded from close range. Half-time 2 – 1 The first few minutes of the second half saw little controlled play with the ball being booted to and fro in midfield. This changed when Niall passed the ball half the length of the pitch to Joshua who was inches away from being through on goal. Fabian then had two shots which went just passed the post after good build-up play by the Blues. There then followed an extraordinary passage of play when Arlesey laid siege to the Stevenage goal; everyone in a pale blue shirt had a shot on goal and each of these was blocked by a Stevenage body or kicked off the line. Arlesey eventually scored their third goal to kill the game. It was worth waiting for. James took possession of the ball on the half-way line and skipped past his marker. His cross was met by Aaron who had the presence of mind to slip the ball to Joshua who was in a better position to score. He duly did. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James (Capt.), Aaron, Casston, Fabian, Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey Town Youth (B) 1-0 Stevenage Borough Juniors (Hawks) 13/1/07 Arlesey Scorer: Sam Arlesey kicked off with the wind at their backs. Aaron and Lewyn combined well in defence and had to make some good clearances early on. Arlesey’s first attack came when Sam had a good run and shot which the goalkeeper did well to hold. Jakob and Benjamin were giving Arlesey good forward momentum. Billy was showing some good centre-forward play, holding the ball up well when it was played through to him. He nearly played the Blues in on several occasions but the Stevenage back-line held firm. Arlesey had to defend a succession of corners and stood up well to prevent Stevenage from scoring. It was from one of these corners that Archie made probably his save of the season so far. The ball broke to a Stevenage player no more than three metres out. When he lashed the ball goalwards the Borough team’s arms were already up in celebration but Archie dived magnificently to his left to catch the ball on the goal line. The fact that the ball was caught was crucial as any rebound would probably have been bundled in by Stevenage. Just before half-time Sam was played in by Billy but his first-time shot went just past the post. Half-time 0 – 0 Arlesey dominated the second half and this was eventually to pay off. Jakob stayed in front of the back two and provided the link between defence and attack. Benjamin had a good run through the middle but couldn’t finish the move off as he was being crowded out by defenders. Sam then played Benjamin in; he unselfishly centred for Billy who was agonisingly close to making the crucial contact. Many times in this half Arlesey had the ball in the Stevenage box but were unable to get a shot away and it was beginning to look like Arlesey would not be properly rewarded for what was a tremendous team effort. This feeling seemed to be confirmed when Sam played the ball through from then edge of the box; Billy slid in and looked certain to score but the goalkeeper just managed to pluck the ball from off the end of his toe. The goal came from a corner. Benjamin played the kick straight to Sam who had positioned himself just inside the box. He stopped the ball dead with his first touch. His shot went straight to the goalkeeper but it was hit with such power that he couldn’t hold onto it and the ball crossed the line to great acclaim. Lewyn then showed great composure to remain strong at the back alongside Aaron in the last few minutes and make sure of the win. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn (Capt.), James, Jakob, Benjamin, Sam, Jordan Subs used: Aaron, Fabian, Niall, Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Bassingbourn Youth 7s (A) 0 – 4 Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (A) 6/1/07 Arlesey Scorers: Joshua 2 Fabian 2 This was a tremendous all-round performance by the team after their Christmas break. If anything, the score flattered the opposition who only had one attempt on goal during the entire match. Archie again did not touch the ball in open play, which is testament to the positional play, tackling and teamwork of Niall and James in defence; Casston and Aaron were first to every ball in the middle of the pitch and provided a great platform for the forwards. Arlesey had the vast majority of the play for the first few minutes without creating any real chances on goal. James then made the first of several runs down the wing and his cross found Fabian who shot just wide. Joshua then turned on the edge of the box but his shot went just wide. The first goal came when the ball was taken into the box by Casston after good work by Aaron. There was a scramble as Bassinbourn tried to clear and Joshua forced the ball over the line. A second goal came shortly after when Fabian dispossessed a defender on the right-hand side, took one touch and rifled the ball home from distance. Just before half-time Aaron found Joshua on the edge of the box with an intelligent throw-in; Joshua took his chance well and buried the ball in the net. Half-time 0 – 3 Arlesey probably played even better in the second half and it was perhaps surprising that they only scored one more goal. That goal came from Fabian who collected the ball straight from a weak kick-out and delightedly returned an unstoppable shot. Joshua then had a tremendous shot saved by the goalkeeper. James then collected the ball just inside his own half and beat three or four Bassingbourn players on his way to the by-line. His cross was met by Casston whose bullet of a shot went agonisingly wide. Before the end of the game the goalkeeper saved a shot from almost every member of the Arlesey team as they laid siege to the Bassingbourn goal. ATYFC: Archie, James, Niall, Casston (Capt.), Aaron, Fabian, Joshua Report By Alan Reid |
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Bassingbourn Youth Under 7s (B) 0 – 0 Arlesey Town Youth Under 7s (B) 6/1/07 This was a hard-fought game in which both sides made great efforts to play passing football on a pitch which was well churned up by the previous game. Bassingbourn had the better of the first half. Lewyn, Benjamin and Jakob had to combine well to repel a succession of attacks at the beginning. Lewyn looked very assured at the back and showed how much progress he has made since the summer. Sam worked like a terrier, trying to make the link between defence and attack; he almost played Billy and Jordan in on a few occasions but the ball kept being held up in the mud. Jakob played Sam in but his hot went just wide. Then Benjamin had made a strong run through the middle and Billy was centimetres away from connecting with his through ball and scoring. Bassingbourn took an excellent free-kick just before half-time which whistled past the post but Archie had it well-covered. Half-time 0 – 0 Niall came on for Jordan in the second half and put a bit of “bite” into midfield. The second half certainly belonged to Arlesey with the Blues doing well to dig the ball out of midfield and push forward. They had a number of corners and both Billy and Jakob went close but the Bassingbourn ‘keeper was equal to shot the Blues could fire at him. Just before the end Archie had to dive smartly to his right to smother a shot that was moving at pace. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn (Capt.), Benjamin, Jakob, Sam, Billy, Jordan, Niall Report by Alan Reid |
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St. Neots(A) 1–1 Arlesey(A) 16/12/06 Arlesey had to show great fighting spirit to bring a share of the points back to Bedfordshire. Their play in the second half showed great strength of character St. Neots had the best of the early exchanges but the first Arlesey attack saw Benjamin shoot just wide. James and Niall both had to cover well as St. Neots played the ball through midfield. Aaron had a strong run which came to nothing when his through ball was held up in the muddy conditions. Archie made an extremely brave save at the feet of an onrushing forward. The state of the pitch meant that Benjamin, Fabian and Joshua were finding it difficult to string passes together. St. Neots opened the scoring when the ball went in off Archie’s right-hand post after a strong run down the middle. Half-Time: 1 – 0 Arlesey came out for the second half with great determination to take charge of the game; however, it was St. Neots who had the early pressure. Aaron had a goal-saving tackle and James somehow managed to scoop the ball off the line when a second goal for the opposition looked certain. As the half moved on Arlesey began to look the stronger team with Aaron and Benjamin first to every loose ball in midfield. James and Niall started to play the ball out of defence with confidence. Joshua almost scored when played through but his shot went just past the post with the goalkeeper beaten. The equaliser came from a free-kick. James won the ball on the edge of the area after making four strong tackles in a row and was then pushed over by the defending player. When Fabian’s driving, low shot rattled the net it was no more than Arlesey deserved. If the game had gone on another five minutes it is likely that Arlesey would have won as they now had the bit well and truly between their teeth. ATYFC: Archie, James, Niall, Aaron, Benjamin, Fabian, Joshua (Capt.) Report by Alan Reid |
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St Neots(B) 3–0 Arlesey(B) 16/12/06 Arlesey had to defend right from the start of this game and Archie was called into action straight away when he did well to get his body behind a powerful shot. Billy then had a good, strong run on goal but he found it difficult to get his shot away. Aaron tackled well to force the ball out for a corner. Lewyn and Jakob combined well to clear another attack. Sam continually tried to play Billy in but he was finding himself outnumbered. The first goal came from a good turn and shot. Archie had to be quick off his line again to smother the ball at the feet of an attacker. Half-Time: 1 - 0 The second half began with Sam playing Archie in after a great run. St. Neots scored soon after with a shot from distance. Fabian got onto the end of great through ball from Lewyn but his shot went just wide. A good phase of attacking play by St. Neots led to another good goal after they had drawn the defence out. Arlesey were awarded a penalty for handball at the death but this was sent just wide. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn (Capt.), Aaron, Jakob, Sam, Jordan, Billy Subs used: Joshua, Aaron, James, Benjamin Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(A) 4–0 Shefford Saints (A) 9/12/06 Arlesey Scorers: Fabian, Joshua 2, Benjamin Shefford kicked off and immediately went on the attack; Casston and Benjamin worked hard, putting in the tackles in midfield. James ran up the wing from defence and put in a good cross but there were no takers. The match was fairly even until Fabian broke the deadlock. The ball was bobbling just inside the area when he struck a powerful shot through a crowd of players and past the keeper. Aaron had a goal-saving tackle just before half-time to deny a Shefford forward who was running in on goal. Archie kept his concentration well and was alert in fielding the ball on a couple of occasions. Half-Time: 0 – 1 The second half was dominated by Arlesey. Casston had a good shot from distance early on and James came close to scoring from just inside the area; the goalkeeper managed to wedge the ball between himself and the post. Shortly after this, Benjamin collected the ball in midfield, ran up the wing and passed to Joshua who cut inside and struck the ball into the back of the net off the outside of his foot. He scored his second goal shortly after this when he pounced on a weak kick out from the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper then did well to beat away a powerful shot from Fabian. Benjamin scored just before the end when he returned a weak clearance by the Shefford defence by burying the ball in the back of the net. ATYFC: Archie, James, Aaron, Casston (Capt.), Benjamin, Fabian, Joshua Match Report by Alan and James Reid |
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Arlesey (B) 0–1 Shefford Saints(B) 9/12/06 Arlesey attacked from the start. Fabian played Billy in and his shot almost resulted in an own goal by Shefford. Everyone was delighted to see Niall back in action as he had been feeling poorly for a few weeks; his lay-off obviously hasn’t affected his football as he was solid as a rock at the back. Jakob put in a huge number of tackles over the course of the game and combined well with Casston to break up the Shefford attacks. Jordan had a smart shot on goal which the ‘keeper had to get his body behind. Archie then had to save well down low to his right and Jakob cleared the ball. Half-Time: 0 – 0 Early on in the second half, Casston was denied a shot on goal by a tremendous tackle by a Shefford defender. Billy chased the ball aggressively and made the Shefford defence work hard. The Shefford goal came midway through the half when a pass through the Arlesey defence found a forward who finished impressively. Arlesey had their chances before the end of the game with Aaron, Casston and Billy going close but no equaliser materialized. ATYFC: Archie (Capt.), Niall, Casston, Jakob, Jordan, Billy, Fabian Subs used: Joshua, Aaron, James, Benjamin Match Report by Alan and James Reid |
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Potton Colts (A) 0–2 Arlesey Town (A) 2/12/06 Arlesey Scorers: Joshua and James ATYFC: 1st Half; Archie, James, Aaron, Casston, Benjamin (Capt.), Fabian, Joshua 2nd Half, Archie, Lewyn, Casston, Jordan, Jacob, Billy (Capt.), James (A number of substitutions were made in the 2nd half) The game consisted of two halves of 15 minutes as Potton were able to field only one team. To allow everyone to play, Shaun named different teams in the first and second half. Arlesey opened very brightly with good tackling by Aaron and Fabian ensuring that Potton had to work very hard to get any possession. Benjamin is becoming adept at finding space in midfield and he was often the link that turned defence into attack. Both Fabian and Casston had good shots early on. Fabian produced a number of floated corners which caused the Potton defence some anxiety. It was from one of these that Casston had a strong shot from inside the area which produced a very good save from the Potton goalkeeper. Indeed, the first goal came from one of these corners; the Potton defence allowed the ball to cross the face of the goal and Joshua was there to bundle the ball in from a short distance off his chest and thigh. It was not the most aesthetically pleasing goal he has ever scored but the real skill came in being in the right place at the right time…..again. Potton’s very defensive formation meant that James was able to play in a much more advanced position than normal. He had two tremendous shots from well outside the box after receiving the ball square; both of them would have given the goalkeeper no chance had they been a few inches to the left. Half-Time: 0 – 1 Potton kicked off the second half and Arlesey were about them straight away. A good run from James led to a well-taken shot from Casston. Lewyn and Casston proved a formidable barrier to the Potton attack. Jakob again made tackles in every area of the pitch and seemed to have energy to burn. Jordan continually broke up Potton attacks in the middle of the pitch. Billy fought hard to make some headway against the Potton defence and came close to being clear through on goal on a couple of occasions. The second goal came after Casston hit a long, diagonal pass out of defence. James beat the defenders for pace and met the ball just inside the area about a metre from the goal-line. As the goalkeeper advanced, he took a step to the side and side-footed the ball calmly into the bottom, left-hand corner. Potton had a number of corners after this and were unfortunate not get any reward from them. The game ended with a classy diagonal pass from Joshua through the Potton defence but there were no takers. Archie had little to do all game but had to produce one very good save and organized his team well at the corners. At one point in the second half he was spotted doing press-ups! Bruce Grobbelaar obviously has a successor. Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(A) 1–0 Biggleswade Utd (A) (Game abandoned due to thunderstorm) 25/11/06 Arlesey Scorer: Joshua A thunderstorm which would not have looked out of place in a “Hammer Horror” film put an end to this game early in the second half. A Biggleswade United team who looked much-improved from the game in September kicked off and took the game to Arlesey; they made good use of the strong wind at their backs and although they didn’t fashion any direct chances on goal they asked questions of the Arlesey defence and midfield. Most of the play happened in midfield. Arlesey came strong as the first half progressed and Benjamin hit the post with a shot from inside the area. The goal came from Joshua after a weak kick out from the goalkeeper. As the rain switched from heavy to torrential and lightning began to illuminate the huge, dark clouds overhead, Arlesey manager Shaun Izzard called for the game to be abandoned. This was met with immediate assent from all present, the safety of the children being paramount.
ATYFC: Archie, James, Aaron, Casston, Benjamin, Fabian (Capt.), Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Royston Colts 0–3 Arlesey(A) 18/11/06 Arlesey Scorers: Joshua, Fabian, Benjamin While the score was the same as last week’s away win, the story of the game could not be more different. A handsome-looking result was carved out of a battling performance against a Royston Colts team that tested the Blues all the way. James elected to attack down the considerable slope in the first half and both teams set about each other in an enthralling match and did not let up until the final whistle. Aaron was moved into defence and acquitted himself well, making a number of timely interventions, particularly in the initial stages of the game. James was his usual unflappable self and played a true captain’s part, organizing and encouraging his team throughout the game. Fabian and Casston’s battling qualities came to the fore in this game as they harried and hounded the opposition, never allowing them to settle. Benjamin fully justified his inclusion and some of his passing and movement was a joy to watch. He linked up well with Joshua who not only led the line well but also showed that sometimes defence has to start with the centre forward. Early on in the game a Royston forward found himself on the end of a pass through the middle. Archie timed his run perfectly and rushed out of his goal to smother the ball at the attacker’s feet. This was probably a turning point in the game. After this James and Aaron locked the back door and Royston had no more goal attempts. The first goal came after the ball was played forward by Casston. Benjamin played a pass across the middle of the area and Joshua turned on the proverbial sixpence to sweep the ball into the bottom corner from a narrow angle. Soon after this, Arlesey forced a corner. Fabian curled it at knee height across the face of the goal. The ball was probably net-bound when it struck a defender and so we will award the resultant goal to Fabian. The defender has not made a counter-claim. Half-time 0 – 2 Royston had the bulk of possession in the second half as they kicked down the slope. Despite this they did not have a direct shot on goal; testimony to the way the Blues dug in and played for each other. Aaron and Fabian shuttled between defence and midfield closing down space. The third goal came when Joshua chased a long clearance out of defence, dispossessed the covering defender and passed to Benjamin. When Benjamin ran back after passing the ball sweetly into the net his face was a picture of joy. The last few minutes saw James and Casston putting together a passing move to play the ball out of defence; the fact that they are so comfortable on the ball in their own half bodes well for the future. ATYFC: Archie, James (Capt.), Aaron, Benjamin, Casston, Fabian, Joshua Report by Alan Reid
Royston Colts 1–0 Arlesey(B) 18/11/06 This game could have gone either way and Arlesey were in it right up until the very end when Royston scored a late spectacular late winner. Royston attacked from the off and Lewyn did well to intercept and clear a through-ball which looked like it was going to split the Blues defence. Jordan and Fabian made timely tackles to foil emerging Royston attacks. A few moments later Jordan was had to come off after he was injured making yet another tackle; fortunately he was able to resume towards the end of the game. Jakob is becoming an extremely effective box-to-box player and much of the attacking drive in this game came from him. As the half went on Sam and Billy started to combine well. Billy had a shot that went just wide and Sam ran onto a through ball which he hit into the side-netting. Good work by Lewyn and then Jakob led to a succession of Arlesey corners. Joshua saw a shot go narrowly wide after being played in by Billy who had received a long throw from Sam. Archie had no actual shots to stop in the first half but had to display good general goalkeeping skills. Half-time 0 - 0 Arlesey had a number of attacks in the second half through James and Billy. A run by James to the right of the penalty area was stopped by a hack from a Royston defender. James took the subsequent free-kick from just outside the box and saw the ball crash off the post with the goalkeeper stranded. Billy then played James in inside the area but his shot was well parried by the goalkeeper. Archie had to be alert to save a long-range shot down at the bottom right-hand corner of his goal; he did well to get his body behind the ball as the shot was struck with tremendous power. Royston’s goal came after they had forced a series of corners. The ball was played along the face of the goal and was struck high into the roof of the net from the narrowest of angles leaving the Archie with no chance. The scorer will be reliving that particular goal in the playground for weeks to come.
ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Fabian, Jakob (Capt.), Jordan, Sam, Billy Subs used: Joshua, James, Casston, Aaron Report by Alan Reid |
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LGCE Whites 0–3 Arlesey(A) 11/11/06 A minute of silence was held before the game. Both teams observed this impeccably; the boys were a credit to their clubs. “A Game of Three Halves” This game consisted of a single period of play lasting fifteen minutes. Arlesey started brightly and took the game to Letchworth. Both Fabian and Casston refused to let their opponents settle. James and Niall each made important early clearances and were solid when called on. They kept their concentration well in a game where they saw little real action. Archie did not touch the ball for the entire game. Fabian sent an excellent corner kick across the face of the goal which only needed the slightest touch for a goal to be scored. Aaron then went close with a good shot from distance; moments later Casston went close from a similar range. The fist goal came when Joshua latched onto a weak kick out and ran the ball in before shooting beyond the goalkeeper’s reach. A second goal for Joshua came soon after this when Casston made a tremendous tackle on the edge of the area and the ball broke to Joshua; he made no mistake. The third goal came after an intelligent throw from an impressive passing movement involving Fabian, Josh and Aaron who shot high into the roof of the net after the ball had spun out of the goalkeeper’s hands. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James, Aaron (Capt.), Casston, Fabian, Joshua
Letchworth GCE Whites 0–0 Arlesey(B) 11/11/06
This game also consisted of a single period of play lasting fifteen minutes. This was a good battling performance by Arlesey. Letchworth attacked from the start and struck a powerful free-kick which looked bound for the back of the net. Archie had to make a very impressive diving save, pushing the ball out for a corner. Lewyn and Benjamin remained solid at the back and broke a large number of attacks. Jakob made some tremendous tackles in the middle of the pitch and continually drove the team forward. Arlesey had a number of attacks; one particular sweeping move started with Sam on the wing and involved Jordan and Billy. However, the team was finding it difficult to get a clear shot on goal. Letchworth then had a number of attacks and went close to scoring. Archie made at least four crucial saves. The pick of these was when he smothered the ball at the feet of an attacker who was through on goal and looked certain to score. Near the end of the game Jordan made a good, solid tackle in midfield, the ball broke to Benjamin who fed Sam on the wing; he crossed to Billy who had a tremendous shot which was deflected off a defender. Lewyn and Jakob then combined well to thwart Letchworth’s final attack. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Benjamin, Jakob, Jordan (Capt.), Sam, Billy “The Third Half” 3-0 to Arlesey In the third period of play, Arlesey scored a further three goals without reply. The scorers were: Aaron, who followed up a weak goal-kick; Joshua after a sweeping movement which also involved Fabian and Casston; and Casston, who followed up a rebound after a strong shot by Fabian. By the end of this game all of the Arlesey squad had played some part. Other highlights included a clearance by Lewyn which traveled most of the length of the pitch and a powerful shot by Jakob; James played Billy in in front of goal a number of times but he was unlucky not to convert any of these. Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(A) 3–0 Stotfold Juniors 4/11/06 The A team came back firing on cylinders after last week’s disappointing performance. There was a structure to their play which you don’t necessarily expect to see at under 7 level. Even though all of the goals were scored in the second half, Arlesey dictated the play from start to finish. Stotfold were confined to one shot in the entire game and Archie did not touch the ball in play once. Niall and James showed excellent concentration and discipline to mark the Stotfold attackers out of the game. This, coupled with the quality of the tackling in midfield by Casston, Aaron and Fabian, meant that Stotfold found it near impossible to put any attacking moves together. At times in both halves the team was stringing together moves of up to five consecutive passes which was greatly enjoyed by some of the parents on the touchline. Joshua led the line magnificently in what was a particularly interesting fixture for him as he was playing against a number of his school friends. Half-time 0 – 0 Arlesey continued to attack as Fabian dispossessed Stotfold straight from the kick off. Joshua played Casston in after being fed by Aaron but the Stotfold goalkeeper made an outstanding save to deny him a goal. The first goal came from a penalty for hand ball. Joshua slotted the ball home, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way in the process. Fabian again dispossessed Stotfold straight from the kick off and passed to Casston whose shot was again saved by the very impressive Stotfold goalkeeper when a goal seemed certain. Joshua scored his and Arlesey’s second when he dispossessed the goalkeeper, who had the ball at his feet outside his area and passed the ball into the net. Casston rounded off a polished Arlesey performance when he cut inside after receiving an intelligent line ball from Aaron; there was so much power in his shot that even the excellent Stotfold goalkeeper could not stop it. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James, Aaron, Casston, Fabian (Capt.), Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(B) 1–1 Stotfold Juniors (B) 4/11/06 This was yet another impressive performance from the B team. Although a draw was probably a fair result given the overall balance of play, Arlesey were within a whisker of winning. Stotfold attacked straight away and put Arlesey under great pressure; however, Lewyn and Jakob were equal to anything that Stotfold could throw at them. Arlesey were finding it difficult to mount any sustained attacks and were getting bogged down in midfield. Sam and Jordan were constantly in the thick of it and showed why they are so highly regarded by their team mates. Billy ran tirelessly but was feeding on scraps. Arlesey went close to scoring through one of Benjamin’s characteristic free-kicks which went just wide of the left-hand post. The half ended with a succession of Stotfold corners. Jakob saved a goal by clearing the ball off the line and Billy and Jordan turned defender to help ensure that Arlesey reached half time on level terms. Archie had to make a tremendous point blank save at the very end of the half. Half-time 0 – 0 An unchanged Arlesey kicked off the second half eager to take the game more to their opponents. Sam and Jordan were straight into action and began to run at the defenders. A cross by Benjamin after some strong running was just cut out by the goalkeeper when Billy was waiting to pounce. The goal came shortly after James had come on to replace Jordan in attack. A throw from Benjamin from the right bounced in the middle of the area; James turned and shot and produced a magnificent save from the Stotfold goalkeeper; as the ball rolled out of his hands, however, James reacted first and poked the ball over the line a fraction of a second before the goalkeeper could get to it. Just when it looked like Arlesey had won the game, Stotfold came back. After some strong running from the Stotfold forwards, the Arlesey defence failed to clear strongly enough and an impressive rising drive from just inside the area hit the back of the Arlesey net. ATYFC: Archie (Capt.), Lewyn, Jakob, Sam, Benjamin, Jordan, Billy Subs used: James Report by Alan Reid |
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Stevenage Borough Blues 1–0 Arlesey(A) 28/10/06 Arlesey created a surprising number of goal chances despite the disjointed nature of most of their play. The earliest impression was of two good teams cancelling each other out. Stevenage had two early attacks. The first of these was stopped by a good covering tackle by James. Then, an excellent shot from just inside the Arlesey area looked net-bound until Archie dived to his right at waist height to push it onto the post; he then recovered to smother the ball as it rolled back along the line to complete a top class save. Casston and Aaron worked hard to break through the in midfield but often found themselves outnumbered. Niall saw a dipping shot from distance go just over the bar after a Stevenage kick-out went straight to him. Fabian then went close after Joshua crossed the ball from the goal-line. Half-time 0 – 0 Arlesey started the second half brightly. Joshua hit the side-netting after being put through by Aaron. Casston then forced a good save from the Stevenage goalkeeper after a series of Arlesey shots were blocked by a resolute Stevenage defence and midfield. The goal came after Arlesey failed to clear their lines and a Stevenage forward thumped the ball home from close range. Arlesey’s best move of the game came just before full time when Aaron shot just past after an attack which swept from one side of the pitch to the other. ATYFC: Archie, Niall (Capt.), James, Aaron, Casston, Fabian, Joshua Report by Alan Reid |
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Stevenage Boro Tigers 0-3 Arlesey(B) 28/10/06 This was probably the B team’s best display of the season so far. Lewyn received the ball from the kick-off and played in Sam who had the ball snatched from his feet by the Stevenage goalkeeper. Stevenage then had a number of attacks which were neutralised confidently by James, playing as a sweeper, in combination with Lewyn and Jakob. Jakob was then unlucky to see a shot go just wide after Jordan had combined well with Benjamin. The first goal came from Benjamin after he collected the ball on the edge on the area and shot low and hard in off the left-hand post. Benjamin then had a free-kick from the edge of the box go just wide. Half-time 1 – 0 Arlesey attacked straight from the restart. Benjamin received the ball from a clearance by James; after carrying the ball down the wing he played in Sam who coolly stroked it beyond the goalkeeper’s reach and into the back of the net. Lewyn continued to be a strong presence and combined well with Jakob to make a number of openings for the forwards. Archie then had an excellent save to deny Stevenage from their first real chance of the half. The third goal came directly from a Stevenage corner. With the entire Stevenage team, save the goalkeeper, in the Arlesey box, James launched the ball down the middle of the pitch for the waiting Fabian to run onto; after beating the onrushing goalkeeper to the ball and jinking past him he then rolled the ball into the empty net. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn (Capt.), James, Jakob, Benjamin, Sam, Jordan Subs used: Aaron, Fabian, Niall, Joshua Report By Alan Reid |
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Arlesey(A) 0-1 St Neots 7/10/06 Arlesey deserved more from an open game against a dangerous and confident St Neots side and were on the attack straight from the kick – off as Josh stole the ball and ran at the St Neots defence. It wasn’t long before saints were applying pressure though and it took good tackling from Niall, Aaron and Casston to keep the visitors out. But a good cross from St Neots’ right needed Archie to dive at the feet of the attackers to save a certain goal. St Neots were looking the most likely to score but Arlesey dug – in and stayed in the game. Casston was running everywhere in midfield and his pass to Fabian saw Arlesey on the attack. Neat interplay between Fabian and josh resulted in along range shot from Fabian saved by the saints’ keeper. Arlesey hadn’t finished though and another long – range effort, this time from Josh, flashed just wide. Half time: 0 – 0 Archie was soon called into action at the start of the second period and he produced a fine block as St Neots attacked. Arlesey began to find their rhythm and Fabian tried another long – range effort – saved by the keeper. Challenges were flying – in midfield from Casston and Fabian, and Arlesey won a throw - in. a good long throw by Lewyn created a chance for Josh but his shot was just wide. Saints then had a sustained spell of pressure and forced a corner despite stubborn defence by Niall and Aaron. As the ball centred, Arlesey failed to clear their lines and a deflected shot from the middle of the box gave St Neots the lead: 0 – 1. Arlesey, under constant pressure, battled to keep St Neots at bay. Archie produced a series of great saves to keep arlesey in the game. Niall and Aaron, with help from Lewyn, Fabian and Casston, were defending like tigers and Arlesey were still fighting to find a goal. A good clearance by Lewyn was just cutout by the saints’ defence to deny Josh a chance of a deserved last – gasp equaliser – unlucky boys! Archie Niall Aaron Lewyn Casston Fabian Josh(c) |
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Arlesey(B) 1-2 St Neots 7/10/06 Another strong St Neots team but the early pressure was by Arlesey. Sam won a corner, taken by Casston but Arlesey couldn’t convert. Benjamin, Aaron and Tyler were in action at the back but the St Neots keeper was kept busy as Sam and Billy made several great runs. Against the runoff play, St Neots broke away and Archie produced a brave save which left him injured, allowing St Neots to put the ball into an unguarded net: 0-1 Arlesey contained St Neots for the rest of the half through tenacious tackling by Benjamin, Aaron, Casston and Tyler, who was replaced by Niall just before the break having suffered an injury. Arlesey finished the half the stronger with Sam and Billy terrorising the Saints’ defence, but without reward! Half time: 0-1 In the second half Arlesey were on the attack form the whistle and Casston and Billy combined to win a throw deep in the saints’ territory. Great skill and a fine pass from Benjamin put Sam in on goal and his efforts deserved more than the corner he won. St Neots immediately cleared and earned a corner. The ball was well played into the danger area and the saints’ struck high into the net, giving Archie no chance-2. Arlesey made some changes: Tyler came back for Niall whilst Fabian and josh replaced Sam and Billy up front. Casston, Benjamin, Fabian and josh all came close to scoring before josh finally got Arlesey on the score sheet with the last kick of the match: 1-2. Arlesey really did deserve more but it was St Neots who returned up the a1 with the spoils! A great effort from all of the player! Archie Aaron Tyler (Niall) Benjamin Casston Sam(C)(josh) Billy (Fabian) |
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Shefford Saints 0–4 Arlesey(A) 30/9/06 Arlesey were frustrated by a hard-working Shefford side for the entire first half. The ball spent most of the time in midfield and strong tackles were made by both sides. Aaron was the only Arlesey player who seemed capable of putting his foot on the ball but his attempts to put some guile into his team’s frenetic football were constantly frustrated. Archie was called into action a number of times and was not found wanting; his hard work in training has obviously helped him maintain his form. Niall had to make at least two “saving” tackles. Half-time 0 – 0 The same players came out for the second half and dominated the opposition from start to finish. Niall and James had changed back into the “Telepathic Brothers” and showed why they are yet to concede a league goal this season. With that platform, the forward players went on to score four goals that left the opposition reeling. The first came when Joshua nicked in front of defender and ‘keeper from a corner to score a real striker’s goal. Casston was then first to pounce on a weak kick out by the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Fabian then turned and shot after he received the ball on the edge of the area; the ball struck the cross-bar and appeared to bounce over the line, at least to those of a light and dark blue persuasion. While everyone else was looking for a Russian linesman, Casston latched onto the defensive clearance, ran forward and fired in a shot that made the net bulge. The final goal came after the ‘keeper fumbled a drive across the face of goal by Joshua; Fabian was quick to react to put the ball in from close range. As the game went on Aaron continued to use his skills to dig the ball out of midfield. It was the same player who dropped into defence to allow James to go on his customary late-game run from his own half. Shefford were very relieved to knock his cross out for a corner. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James, Aaron, Casston, Fabian (Capt.), Joshua |
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Shefford Saints 1-2 Arlesey(B) 30/9/06 Shefford went on the attack straight away and Tyler and Lewyn combined well to prevent them from scoring straight away. Benjamin did well to block a goal-bound free-kick and Jakob cleared a Shefford corner with a forward about to connect. Billy and Sam were finding it hard to get into the game although they did combine well when Billy played in Sam whose run and shot almost gave Arlesey a lead against the run of play. Benjamin then had a shot from distance which hit the post. Just as it looked like Arlesey were beginning to get a grip of the game, Shefford scored. The centre forward ran onto a pass played down the middle and finished admirably. Archie made a fantastic save from the same player in a similar situation seconds later. Tyler then had to make well-timed tackle to prevent what seemed like a certain goal. Half-time 1 – 0 Arlesey came out with a new attitude in the second half. Tyler and Jakob swept behind the play and smothered the Shefford attacks. Benjamin several times played in Lewyn whose passes began to find Billy and Sam. Sam looked certain to score when he was played in by Jordan but was denied by a terrific save by the Shefford ‘keeper. Billy then had two shots from distance, one of which bounced in front of the ‘keeper and had to be scrambled clear. Benjamin then shot into the side netting when everyone thought he had scored. Casston came on and hit the post with a speculative shot. Both of Arlesey’s goals came very late in the game and were very similar. The first came when Fabian turned in the box after receiving a throw-in from Benjamin. It was a throw from Benjamin again, which found Joshua waiting in the box; the ball was duly thumped into the net. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn (Capt.), Tyler, Jakob, Benjamin, Sam, Billy Subs used: Jordan, Casston, Joshua, Fabian, James, Aaron |
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Arlesey(A) 7–0 Potton Colts 23/9/06 The first few minutes of this match gave little indication of what was to come as most of the play was in the centre of the pitch. Both Niall and Aaron started strongly, neutralising the Potton attacks and urging the team forward. Eventually, Arlesey took a grip of the game. James began to give the Arlesey play more shape by finding his team mates with intelligent passes into forward spaces. After a succession of attacks, Casston scored after a weak kick out by the Potton ‘keeper. Arlesey then scored directly from the restart. Casston ruthlessly dispossessed a Potton midfielder and unselfishly passed to Joshua who bore down on goal and finished clinically. The third goal came after the ‘keeper did well to parry a shot by Fabian out to the edge of the box; James was first to the ball and skillfully chipped the ball over a crowd of players and the ‘keeper with his supposedly weaker left foot. After Joshua had shot into the side netting from distance he added a second goal to his tally. The ‘keeper failed to hold onto a cross by Casston and Joshua showed his striker’s instincts by being in the right place at the right time to take advantage. Half-time 4 – 0 Potton deserve great credit for the attitude with which they started the second half and Archie showed great awareness when he had to sprint from his area to field a tremendous forward pass from Potton; to be fair, though, Niall had anticipated the problem and had covered the space behind his ‘keeper. Shortly after this, Fabian scored the first goal of his second half hat-trick. Potton failed to properly clear a free-kick and he struck an unstoppable shot home. The second goal of this rare genuine hat-trick came when he pounced on a weak goal-kick. Joshua then came close when he almost curled a shot in from an acute angle. Lewyn then almost scored when he shot narrowly wide after a corner by James found him on the edge of the box. As Fabian turned away after scoring his thoroughly deserved third goal he was mobbed by his team-mates who were obviously delighted for him. ATYFC: Archie, Niall (Capt.) James, Fabian, Aaron, Casston, Joshua Subs used: Lewyn |
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Arlesey(B) 5–0 Potton Colts 23/9/06 Arlesey looked the team most likely to score right from the start. Jordan played a forward pass to Sam whose shot from outside the area went narrowly wide. Immediately after this, a low cross across the face of the goal by Billy was smothered by a grateful Potton ‘keeper. Potton then attacked in numbers but were crowded out by Aaron, Benjamin and Jordan. Aaron was not beaten in a challenge all game and Benjamin was a constant menace to the opposition forwards. The breakthrough came after Benjamin took a long throw into the area. Billy then left his marker standing and stroked the ball coolly past the stranded ‘keeper to the obvious delight of the entire Arlesey contingent. A strong, sustained run through the middle by Tyler led up the fourth goal; his pass found Casston who ran between two defenders and smashed the ball into the net. The end of the first half saw another period of sustained attacking play by Arlesey with Sam and Tyler taking it in turns to create havoc by running the ball at defenders. Half-time 2 – 0 Benjamin had every right to be delighted with the goal he scored soon after the restart. Casston ran down the right wing after receiving the ball from Aaron and his cross was struck sweetly by Benjamin running at full tilt. Jordan continued to look lively and Sam was unlucky again not to get on the scoresheet. Arlesey were then awarded a free-kick wide on the left in line with the edge of the penalty area. Casston scored directly from this with a shot that can only be described as ferocious. Arlesey were obviously not content with only scoring four goals and went looking for more. A series of corners were desperately defended and Billy twice came very close to scoring his second goal. Niall and James then had a foray up the field and yet another corner was conceded. The fifth and final goal came when Joshua raced away from the defence and crossed for Fabian to thump the ball past the onrushing ‘keeper to make it a day of a dozen goals without reply for Arlesey Town Under 7s. ATYFC: Archie, Aaron, Benjamin, Sam (Capt.), Tyler, Jordan, Billy Subs used: Casston, Niall, James, Joshua, Fabian |
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Biggleswade (A) 0 - 3 Arlesey (A) 16/9/06 The one-sided nature of this game is illustrated by the fact that Archie did not touch the ball until the last thirty seconds of the second half. Arlesey immediately dispossessed Biggleswade after they had kicked off and carried on in that vein until the final whistle. The team played as a unit; excellent positional play by Niall and James meant that they were able to deal with the few forays that Biggleswade made up field quickly and efficiently. The first half saw Arlesey making a succession of chances and being denied by a combination of tenacious Biggleswade defending and a home ‘keeper who was their man of the match. The passing from midfield by Casston and Aaron was the best we have seen from them yet and both players showed the ability to carry the play to the opposition. Fabian and Joshua both showed great intelligence and patience in trying to open up the Biggleswade defence and more than once turned after receiving a pass to be faced with two or three defenders. The opening goal came at the end of the first half when Casston received a pass in space and drove a low shot just over the line to the delight and relief of the away support. Half-time 0 - 1 The first few minutes of the second half contained a great passage of play. A defensive free kick was played and every member of the team was involved in a sweeping attacking move before Joshua shot narrowly wide. Shortly after that, Joshua pounced on a weak kick out by the Biggleswade ‘keeper to finish with great aplomb and make it 2 – 0. Casston scored a terrific third goal after what can only be described as a “mazy run” across the penalty area from left to right. ATYFC: Archie, Niall, James (Capt.), Casston, Aaron, Fabian, Joshua Subs used: Lewyn, Benjamin, Billy |
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Biggleswade (B) 0 – 1 Arlesey (B) 16/9/06 The scoreline makes this game look much closer than it actually was. Lewyn and Jakob were solid in defence and midfield, respectively. Both of them made a number of crucial tackles to break down emerging Biggleswade attacks. Aaron and Benjamin drove Arlesey forward and caused the Biggleswade defence constant problems; their play deserved more than a victory by a single goal. Sam was a revelation up front, especially in wide areas and Billy showed a great knack of running between defenders into scoring positions. He had several chances that on another day would have gone in. Perhaps surprisingly, given the great team play by Arlesey, the goal was a “Roy of the Rovers” individual effort by Aaron. He ran from his own half, and with the defence backing off, unleashed a tremendous shot which gave the ‘keeper no chance. Benjamin had a similar run in the second half which he was unlucky to see go just wide. Half-time 0 - 1 Aaron and Benjamin continued to make surging runs in on goal in the second half; at least two of these were stopped on the line by the home ‘keeper who was in fine form. Both Billy and Sam were denied by excellent saves when a goal seemed certain. The latter part of this half saw Biggleswade’s best period and Arlesey were forced to defend a succession of corners; Archie was called into action for the first time. Arlesey then broke up field and enjoyed another spell of good attacking football before Casston was tripped in the penalty area. Casston took the resultant penalty kick which was saved on the line by the ‘keeper. This was a great save rather than a miss and Casston should be delighted with the way he played for ATYFC today. ATYFC: Archie, Lewyn, Aaron, Jakob (Capt.), Benjamin, Sam, Billy Subs used: Jordan, Casston, James, Niall |
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Arlesey (A) 3 – 0 Royston (A) 9/9/06 The first half saw Arlesey taking the game to Royston straight away. Casston and Aaron were at the centre of some excellent passing moves. Royston responded with some strong counter-attacks. Niall and James played well to prevent Royston getting too much of a sight of goal but Archie, who looked assured and confident, had to produce an excellent save on 5 mins. to stop Royston taking the lead. Arlesey took the lead just before half-time with a thumping shot from just inside the area by Fabian which gave the ‘keeper no chance. Half-time 1 - 0 Despite playing against a strong breeze for the entire second half, Arlesey completely dominated the rest of the match. Midfield and forwards combined well and attacked at pace. The defenders also made their contributions to the attack with James making a surging run down the left wing, beating three Royston players in the process. Niall sent a rasping shot from distance just over the bar. Arlesey extended their lead when Joshua applied a deadly finish to a fine attacking move involving Casston, Fabian and Aaron. Joshua made the game safe shortly after when he drove a penalty kick home off the underside of the bar; he had been brought down by the Royston ‘keeper. ATYFC: Archie, James, Niall, Aaron, Casston, Fabian, Joshua |
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Arlesey (B) 0 – 4 Royston (B) 9/9/06 Arlesey attacked from the first whistle and the first half saw an even share of the play. Lewyn and William stood strong in the Arlesey defence to limit the number of chances that Royston had on goal. A run on goal by a Royston forward was foiled by Archie’s good anticipation. Benjamin and Jakob worked hard to supply Billy and Tyler in the Arlesey forward line. Royston opened the scoring after a run up the right wing and an excellent pass inside to the forward. Benjamin came very close to equalising when he ran onto a diagonal pass; he beat the Royston ‘keeper to the ball but his shot agonisingly hit the outside of the post. Half-time 0 – 1 Royston dominated the second half and ran out as 4-0 winners but Arlesey continued to fight until the end. Royston scored with their first attack of the half. Billy was unlucky not to score from an excellent shot after a ball through the middle from Jakob. Arlesey were unable to prevent Royston from scoring a further two goals, the last coming just before the final whistle. ATYFC: Archie, William, Lewyn, Benjamin, Jakob, Tyler, Billy Subs used: Casston, Niall, Fabian, Joshua |