TAFC Report Archive

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB
Match reports archive 2008/9 - scroll down to find your team

SQUAD: U10S
Friendly	TAFC Tigers U10s	7/9/2008	1-1
With plastic cones for goals and touchlines and a group of real stags to cheer us on, the new season started with an excellent friendly display by the Stags against the Tigers on the summer training ground near Teddington Gate. On a big pitch, the Stags struggled to start with as the Tigers pressed hard from the kick off, but stout defence from Deco and Edward and a couple of saves from James keep the Tigers at bay. With boys on both sides showing some sings of early season fatigue, the match switched to 8-a-side midway through the first half with Samuel coming on to play a holding midfield role. ‘You mean like Makelele for Chelsea?’ asked William, dispelling any fear that the boys wouldn’t know what a holding midfield role was. Unfortunately, the introduction of an eighth player caused some confusion for the Stags for a short while, during which the Tigers snuck in an opening goal, but from the re-start the extra man seemed to steady the ship and for the rest of the match the Stags matched the Tigers attack for attack. The first half work rate was evidenced at half time by the complete obliteration of all Jammy Dodgers & Jaffa Cakes, and with the introduction of William to join Samuel in defence for the second half the Stags set about levelling the match. George, Milo, Matthew & Tom took turns running the length of the pitch in midfield, creating chances that the Tigers’ keeper always seemed to be able to snuff out. Ross also made a series of brave saves at the other end to keep us in the hunt, and late on a pass from George was given the slightest touch by James past the Tigers keeper, onto the cone post, from where the ball managed to roll the right way just over the line – at least that’s what the excellent ref Mr. Green thought ! An excellent performance against a team that won division 6 at a canter last season and great preparation for the coming matches against Spelthorne & Hart Royals over the next 2 weekends – come on you Stags (and good luck to the Tigers too).

SQUAD: U10S
League	Spelthorne Sports	14/9/2008	1-4
Much like last week we started slowly and picked up momentum the longer the match went on. Spelthorne took the lead early on after one of their corners dropped in the centre of our six yard area and our entire defence politely stood and watched ( They're such well mannered boys! A Credit to their parents ) as it was stabbed home . This seemed to galvanise The Stags into action and we dominated the rest of the first half. Ross looked confident between the sticks, Wills and Declan were getting to grips with our new sweeper system and the midfield of George, Tom and Milo were gradually wresting control from Spelthorne. James worked tirelessly up front and we started to create chances, only to be thwarted by the woodwork or their excellent goalie. Surely it was only a matter of time before a goal arrived. Unfortunately it was at the wrong end as a Spelthorne break away attack ended in them scoring on the stroke of half time. Matt and Sam replaced George and James for the second half as we continued where we left off. Spelthorne chances were few and far between as we pressed forward. After a fine piece of passing between Tom, Matt and Wills the ball ran loose in their area and Milo finished nicely at the far post. We continued to press for the equaliser but their keeper made some good saves and a goal just wouldn't come. In the last few minutes Spelthorne came back into the game, scoring twice in quick succession. Overall they probably deserved their victory, but the 4-1 score line was on the flattering side. Perhaps if we'd started to play straight from the kick-off rather than halfway through the first half, the result could have been different. Man of the match - Milo. Yet another all-action performance from our midfield dynamo.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Hart Royals	21/9/2008	2-4
Hart Royals 4 – 2 Teddington Athletic Stags A glorious Sunday morning: bright sunshine and sparkling dew on a carpet of green grass. Unfortunately, that sunshine was in our eyes in the first half and I think that, plus the skiddy surface, might account for the goals we conceded. Like last week, we started hesitantly and we were 2-0 down after ten minutes. However, after that, things picked up considerably. Robert made some superb runs down the wing; George and Edward battled hard in midfield; Declan and Tom did very well at the back – great tackling and covering. Jonty always looked a threat and, using his pace and strength, he burst through on goal and whacked the ball past the keeper. Unfortunately the Royals scored another before half time – a tricky looping shot – and added to that, Ross injured his hand when he bravely claimed a ball, but got a boot in return. A tough way to enter the second half – 3-1 down and losing your goalie – so positions were hastily shuffled. Many thanks to Tom, who found himself unexpectedly in goal, and likewise Milo who moved to left back. Both played well in their new positions. The tide turned. Robert continued to play exceptionally well on the right wing, and there were some great passing moves between the midfielders. Samuel came on at right back and was as effective as ever. George never stopped battling, and it was through his dogged chasing of a lost cause that he scored, finally cutting the ball across the goalkeeper to slot into the left-hand corner of the goal. Unfortunately, a little after that we conceded a goal through a goal-mouth mix up, making the final score 4-2. For much of the match the Stags played extremely well, but once again we were punished for our hesitancy at crucial moments. In Division 6, there will be no easy games.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Walton & Hersham	28/9/2008	1-1
A close match, full of controvesy, which we could have won but in the end a draw was a fair result. The Stags started well, but were under pressure from the kick off as Walton had a number of attacks, but without creating any real chances. Samuel & Wills defended well & James in goal didn't have any real saves to make. As the half developed, the Stags found their form and pressed forward, creating shooting chances for Matt & Jonty. Ross worked hard in midfield, but when the goal came, it came from the excellent again Milo, who shot from distance only for the keeper to fumble and not be able to reclaim the ball before it had crossed the line. 1-0 the Stags. With their tails up, the boys pressed for a second, and did manage to get the ball to cross the line again, however the Walton keeper was injured in the process hence the goal was disallowed. Shortly afterwards Walton hit the bar but the ball bounced down & forwards & we were able to clear hence we went into half time with a narrow lead. The start of the second half saw the Stags press on from where they left off at the end of the first half, but found it hard to create chances. Robert, Jonty, Milo & James pressed forward but without any real shots on goal, and after Walton had scored an excellent goal on the break to draw level, we had to rely on the defence of Samuel & Edward to hang on for the last few minutes, with Ross playing solidly in goal. Disappointing to lose the lead, but a fair result in the end & we now have points on the board !

SQUAD: U10S
League	Mayford Orange	5/10/2008	3-3
Today saw the first wintry day of this season and the best performance so far from The Stags. Both teams started brightly, without either dominating the opening minutes, but gradually the Stags started to exert some control. Samuel and Ross in defence were mopping up Mayford's attacks whilst Edward, Tom and Matt were starting to create chances at the other end. For probably the first time this season we were passing the ball around quickly as Mayford struggled to keep up. Will worked tirelessly up front and had a couple of shots blocked, Tom had two good shots in quick succession, hitting the post with the second, and Matt had two attempts sail just wide. All this attacking play came to nothing though as shortly before half-time Mayford broke away to take the lead. Almost straight from the restart some persistent work down the right hand side was rewarded when Matthew lashed his shot in at the near post. 1-1 at half-time was the least that we deserved. The second half started with an onslaught by the Stags as James got the birthday present he'd hoped for - two goals in as many minutes. Mayford hit back immediately with a long shot which skidded under Matthew but the Stags continued to make chance after chance. At this point my notebook dissolved in the rain so I apologise if I've forgotten anything, but as far as I remember Milo, George, Samuel, James, and Edward all came close to scoring the goal that would have made the game safe. As the match entered its closing stages we seemed to run out of steam in the heavy conditions and Mayford began to look dangerous once again, finally scoring the equaliser with a couple of minutes to go. We should probably have won today, but a draw wasn't a totally unfair result. It would be hard to fault the boys for their effort, and some of the football played was a reminder of the attractive passing football we played at the end of last season. Overall, a great team effort. Everyone had their best game of the season so far. Well done.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Guildford Saints Utd	12/10/2008	3-3
TAFC Stags 3 - 3 Guildford Saints United Another heart-stopping encounter. The Stags led 3-1 and looked in control, but once again they squandered their advantage. First, the goals. No.1 was an own goal: Milo delivered a beautiful corner kick and a Saints defender headed backwards into his own net. Goal no.2 was a well-worked move on the left, Ross passing through to Jonty who struck home. No.3 was classic Stags: great passing from the back, Robert took it down the right wing, crossed low, and Ross was perfectly positioned at the back of the box to slot in. Sadly, at 3-1, the team lost concentration and our defence was poor. I can't fault the energy everyone put in, but I felt it was misdirected. Everyone moved too far forward. The midfield and defence were often deserted so that when the ball did break through our lines, we were stranded. Having said that, I should mention a couple of excellent defensive performances (against the odds): George's tackling was excellent and he blocked a shot on the line. Matt played well in goal. He managed to tip over a shot from the halfway line and that will be a candidate for save of the season. On the plus side, the Stags passed well going forward and tackled hard. On the downside, we left massive gaps at the back. Next time...

SQUAD: U10S
League	Staines Lammas Whites	19/10/2008	5-0
At last, at the seventh attempt, our first victory of the season, achieved in emphatic style to match our best performances from last season. With 3 leads lost in the last 3 matches, the Stags were looking to the tried & tested defensive combination of Samuel & Deco to keep things tight this time around, with James & then Ross mopping up anything in goal that got past the defence. The match was pretty even to start with, Stains pressing hard but with counter attacking chances for our midfield of George, Matt & Edward with Robert leading the line up front. Slowly, as the half progressed, the Stags gained confidence & began threading some excellent passing moves together, and eventually George superbly gave us the lead with a deft flick over the keepers head. With the score at 1-0 at half time, Ross & Jonty came on for Edward & Matt, and from the kick off the Stags took the game by the scruff of the neck. George quickly put us 2-0 up, then James playing up front added a third before the game was sealed with a fourth & fifth from Jonty & James respectievly. We could have scored more, but that would have been greedy. Despite the scoreline, Stains were still a useful team, and without the sterling defensive commitment from Deco & Samuel not deserting their positions for the whole of the game, the result may well have been different. Special priase too for the boys playing in midfield who ran back to help defend time & time again. A fantastic team performance, well played boys.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Guildford FC2000	9/11/2008	1-3
The Stags started brightly today and deservedly took an early lead after some good work from the midfield led to Tom, who had a fine game, coolly slotting the ball into the top corner. Matthew in goal had very little to do as Robert, who had an excellent game at left back, and Deco were mopping up everything in defence, the midfield of Tom, Milo and Jonty were combining well and Wills was playing well up front. We created a succession of chances in the first half but were unable to take them. Guildford made some excellent last ditch tackles and at half time everything was looking rosy. Our customary half-time reshuffle led to Ross and George entering the fray and we continued where we left off. Guildford also made substitutions and their new forward line started to cause us problems in defence, eventually scoring with a back heel after a goalmouth scramble. The Stags pushed forward again, creating several chances but unfortunately failing to convert any. As the game went on we started to fall into our old habit of forgetting to pass the ball and trying to dribble through the entire opposition defence and each time we lost the ball Guildford looked more and more threatening on the counter attack. Ross made one fantastic double save but eventually Guildford took the lead. This led to us passing the ball even less and pushing further forward in search of an equaliser which just wouldn't come despite us creating several good chances and in the final minute we conceded again from another counter attack. Much of our play was very good today but our failure to convert our chances cost us dearly. The boys need to learn to trust in their ability to pass the ball and to continue to play as a team when we go behind. We have a tendency when we're losing to change to a group of individuals who take it in turns to try and dribble the ball into the opposition goal when if we continued with our often excellent passing game we'd be much more likely to win. On a more positive note I felt that everyone gave good individual performances and our effort was faultless right until the end. Better luck next week everyone.

SQUAD: U10S
League Cup	Walton & Hersham	16/11/2008	0-6
A very tough day for the Stags against an excellent Walton & Hersham team who passed the ball, tackled and generally wanted to compete more than we did. The Stags started under pressure from wave after wave of attack from Walton, but some excellent saves from James kept the score level. Tom looked dangerous when breaking into the Walton half, but was often isolated, which was to become one of the themes of the game. Eventually, Walton got their breakthrough with a hard shot into the top right hand corner that, despite getting hands to, James could not again keep out. The Stags continued to work hard individually, but as the half progressed, Walton's class began to show, especially at corners where their headers where raining down on goal, which is how the second goal was scored, with a fantastic glancing header into the far corner. The Stags then had perhaps their best spell, with Tom going close twice, one well saved by the legs of the Walton keeper, but that was to be as close as we would come to scoring. The second half saw Walton pile on the pressure with excellent team work, passing and competitive tackling, and gradually the Stags started to run out of steam, and again revert back to playing as individuals and not as a team when going forward & waiting for someone else to tackle when defending. Notable exceptions were Jonty who towards the end started to really get stuck in & George doing a good job in defence, having come on for the solid as ever Samuel near the end. Matt also made an excellent save from a long range free kick and Wills managed our only shot of the half having swapped his first half left back role for striker. Deco & Robert also worked hard, but as a team we were second best. There was certainly no disgrace in losing to such a good Walton team today, and being in the plate this year should give us a better chance of progressing into the quarter finals & beyond, however as a team we must go back to the basics of teamwork, i.e. passing, talking to each other & tackling. Better luck next week boys.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Haslemere	23/11/2008	3-2
Haslemere 2 TAFC Stags 3 Tough conditions today: steady rain and a muddy pitch, but the lads battled through to a deserved victory. For me, the most pleasing part of the performance was that everyone worked so hard. In the past we have often been tentative when the weather turns, but that was not the case today. Tellingly, our best moves – and goals – came when the team passed the ball. Matt: good in goal in the first half, worked so hard in the second half on the pitch covering back. Edward: tidied up well and stuck to his defensive task. Samuel: tackled and passed well for the whole match. Ross: passed superbly throughout the match. Milo: my man of the match. Never stopped chasing and tackling in the centre of the pitch and scored a great goal. Tom: good tackling and always dangerous going forward. James: scored the first goal and was brilliant in goal in the second half. Deco: good tackling in defence. Wills: excellent goal and battled and passed well up front. Well done everyone. Today we played as a team.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Spelthorne Sports	30/11/2008	0-3
Teddington Athletic Stags 0 Spelthorne Sports 3 This was a closely contested match. I thought we played well, in particular our passing was far better than in previous games. Unfortunately we paid the price for a few defensive mistakes and Spelthorne pounced on us and took their chances. Let’s have a look at Spelthorne’s strengths. They passed well (we did that too). They got stuck into tackles and chased down the ball (we were still a bit hesitant). They covered back well. They cleared the ball decisively if the ball broke loose in their penalty area. It’s this last area we need to work on. Specifically, we are still weak at our own goal kicks: we need more players to cover in our half in case the ball breaks to one of the opposition. Having said all that, if we had been playing a weaker team, our performance would have been good enough to win. Keep up the passing.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Hart Royals	7/12/2008	1-5
A beautiful sunny winters day was tarnished by another comprehensive defeat. Hart Royals were strong, committed, disciplined and played as a team. They were also aggressive in the tackle and first to every loose ball and this was what gave them the platform for their victory. Once again we were far too tentative and allowed the opposition to play rather than closing them down and imposing ourselves on the match. Various combinations of James, Tom, Milo and Jonty combined to play some decent football at times and keep us in with a chance until the last quarter, but it was never going to be enough because Hart Royals were more of a team. Goalscorer - James Men of the Match Declan for keeping going despite taking several painful knocks. Wills for volunteering to play in goal for the second half after we were unexpectedly left without a keeper. Robert for not complaining when asked to play out of position (again).

SQUAD: U10S
League	Walton & Hersham	14/12/2008	0-4
After our 6-0 defeat in the cup against what has become an excellent Walton & Hersham team, Sunday was always going to be a tough game and so it proved, however for the first half the Stags were equal to the task, going behind only to a fantastically taken goal from the dangerous Walton #2, who again scored a hatrick against us despite being man marked for most of the game. What was different about this match from the cup defeat was the passion shown by the boys, particularly the running & tackling in midfield which this time round was excellent. We struggled to make many chances of our own against a well organised Walton team, and slowly Walton's class began to dominate in the second half. What was most impressive in Sunday's match was the boys commitment to the team, which we must build on for the rest of the season.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Mayford Orange	21/12/2008	4-0
TAFC Stags 4–0 Mayford Orange We all feel better when we win! But what pleased me today was the attitude: everyone was there for the warm-up at 9.30, and the team was far more disciplined in the team talks. That meant we had more time to practise our drills, in particular working on goal-kicks, which were noticeably better than in previous matches. We also have to think of the effect on the opposition: it is worrying for them when they see that we are a well-organised and disciplined team. We mean business. Let’s keep it up. Everyone looked lively, putting pressure on the opposition when we didn’t have the ball and inducing mistakes – in particular, well done Ross. We often pounced on mistakes after the opposition had to make hurried passes. At half time we were deservedly 2-0 ahead with goals from James and George. At the break we shuffled positions a bit, and it took a little time for the team to settle, but we were never in trouble. Tom always looked dangerous up front and he scored a beautiful goal slotting in from the right past the goalkeeper. Ross came on the pitch again at the end of the second half and knocked one in from a corner. At the other end, Mayford had no really clear-cut chances – the defence of George and Declan played much better in the second half and James had little to do in goal. As usual, when we passed, we created chances; when we played as individuals, forgetting to look up to find a player, we usually lost the ball. Thanks to Robert (nice crosses) for stepping in at the last minute after William and Samuel had to drop out through illness – we wish them speedy recoveries. Let’s keep up the pace and the discipline. Well played everyone…and Happy Christmas.

SQUAD: U10S
League Cup	Staines Lammas Whites	11/1/2009	5-3
TAFC 5 – Staines Lammas 3 What an enjoyable game. I loved the commitment and energy that everyone showed. Passing was good, tackling strong, and there was real team work. It was great to see (and hear) everyone encouraging each other, especially on the occasions when things didn’t quite work in our favour. My only criticism today was that sometimes, when defending a corner, we tried to dribble the ball out and got caught a couple of times, leading to goals. But it is difficult to know when to keep the ball and when to hoof. Staines scored first – a brilliant goal. Their striker got onto a long ball and looped it into the far corner. Unstoppable. But heads didn’t go down. Our first goal was a text- book example of pass and move, the whole team linking up and playing their part. James crowned the move by slotting in on the left-hand side after the ball had been worked down the right. The score was one all at half time – probably a fair reflection as Staines had noticeably improved on their last visit here and were far more physical. Somehow everything clicked at the start of the second half. Wills was really energetic up front, hassling and chasing down the ball, and he was rewarded with a goal. He also passed well to Tom who scored a hat trick. How deadly is Tom in front of the goal! Declan also played his part on the right wing, running fast and passing, and getting stuck into tackles. A special mention for the defence of Jonty, Ed and Sam. Jonty gathered the ball very coolly and was a safe pair of hands in goal. His reactions were sharp when he needed to dash out and cover. Sam and Ed made a great team together at the back, one running out to meet an attacker, the other covering well in the middle. They also passed out to their team-mates efficiently and safely. What was great today was that everyone played their part and I didn't know who to substitute – Robert and George, that was no reflection on how you played. We were going to start having a man-of-the-match for each game, but I find it too difficult to single anyone out. Well played everyone.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Staines Lammas Whites	25/1/2009	2-0
An excellent team performance again, especially in the first half when the Stags could have scored a hat full, but had to be content with the 2 goals that ultimately won the game. The Stags got off to a bright start with Tom slotting home the opening goal soon after the kick off, after which strong tackling from Milo & George and some good passing moves involving Ross, Milo, George & Tom saw the Stags have numerous close quarter shorts, all of which seemed to go frustratingly close the their keeper. James had very little to do in goal, and Samuel & Edward were both excellent in defence, working well as a team and both having long range shots that went very close. When the second goal did come, it started in defence, broke down the right wing where Ross & Tom interchanged many passes before Tom crossed from the byline for Milo to tap into an empty net, a goal of real class involving the whole team and the whole length of the pitch and showing just how good the Stags can be when we play as a team & pass to each other. Half time saw Robert, Matthew & Jonty come on from Edward, Tom & George, with Ross replacing James in goal, and despite not being quite as dangerous as in the first half, the Stags gave Staines few, if any, real clear cut chances. What was particularly good to see was the practice put into set pieces really coming to fruition, and the general high level of team work and covering for each other that was apparent throughout the whole match. Immediately after the game, it was hard to choose a Man of the Match, so well had so many boys played, but on reflection for keeping only our 3rd clean sheet of the season, the Man of the Match goes to Samuel.

SQUAD: U10S
League Cup	Feltham Predators	8/2/2009	5-3
The underdogs coming back from 2 goals down at half time to beat a team 2 divisions higher was surely the Stags best team performance so far, with every one of the 9 squad members playing their part to the full. The Stags started a little slowly, and were under some pressure from the Predators early on, but held their own until the achilles heel of a ball bouncing around our area after a corner struck again, with the Predators getting to the ball first & poking the ball home for the lead. Samuel & Deco then kept things tight, and Tom, Milo, George & Matt started to create some chances, with Matthew going close with a long range shot, but to no avail. The Stags were unlucky to go in 2 down at half time after a mistake by James in goal was capitalised on by the Predators with an excellent finish from a tight angle. In the second half the Stags took control, with Matt hardly touching the ball in goal, Edward joining Samuel in a solid defence & Tom, Milo, George & James chasing down every ball & playing some excellent passing football. Numerous chances came, and after some nail biting moments (more of those later) the Stags were level with goals from Milo & Tom. Just as it seemed that we had the game under control, the Predators broke free & scored an excellent third goal, but that was to be their last. William, who had now replaced Edward in defence, continued the excellent support given to Samuel by all 3 subs today, allowing the front four to press on for the equaliser, and sure enough after lots of pressure, George closed down a clearance in the penalty area and was delighted to see the rebound go straight into the Predators net for a well deserved third. The Stags won the game in the first period of extra time, scoring twice against an opposition becoming rapidly demoralised, and throughout Milo, George, James & Tom kept fighting for every ball, showing great stamina, whilst Samuel, Edward & Deco kept their concentration at the back. As a team performance, the Stags were faultless, and showed just how good they can be when they play collectively as a team, which bodes very well for the future. Man of the match today was George, very closely followed by Milo, both of whom ran their hearts out for the team today. Come on you Stags !

SQUAD: U10S
League	Guildford FC2000	15/2/2009	1-5
Guildford FC 2000 5 - TAFC Stags 1 The first half went fairly well – some good passing, for example – and although we were 2-1 down, the two sides were roughly even. For our goal, Robert got the final touch after good interplay. We lost our poise in the second half – the passing was not as good. There was plenty of energy, but it was often misplaced: too often players were doubling up, fighting over the same ball. I would not say that any individual played particularly badly, but we simply did not play as a team. Discipline and concentration were not as good. The team’s set pieces - kick offs, goal kicks and corner kicks - were more ragged than in previous weeks. I am not going to try to name everyone – everyone did okay, but collectively we did not click. I would like to mention just three players: George for his tremendous energy; and two players who I think jointly earned ‘man of the match’ this week: Samuel and Edward for their hard work in defence throughout.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Haslemere	1/3/2009	2-1
TAFC 2 Haslemere 1 Back to winning ways. I was impressed by everyone’s attitude today: there was more discipline. This showed on the pitch at set pieces such as corners (both attacking and defending), goal kicks and the kick off itself. Passing was good, and we created so many chances it would be impossible to list them all. If it weren’t for a superb performance by Haslemere’s goalkeeper, we could have scored a stack more. Our first goal was a thumping free kick from Milo. The second came from one of our many breaks, Tom skilfully chipping the goalkeeper as he ran out. Well done to everyone today for their contribution to the team. And special thanks to Tim Highmoor for an excellent performance as referee in spite of pressure from the touch line. Man of the match – a tough one as there were many strong performances, but I’ll give it to Milo for his energy on the pitch.

SQUAD: U10S
League Cup	Worplesdon Hurricanes	8/3/2009	1-4
The Stags played very well today against a very good Division 4 team who showed few weaknesses, and should be proud of the way they played & battled, especially in the second half against the wind & up the slope. Having lost the toss, the Stags had the advantage of the slope first half, and looked good early on, generating pressure & some chances, however the Worplesdon defence was well organised and as the half went on, Worplesdon began pressing, however our defence of Samuel & particularly Edward covered everything fantastically. Matthew didn't have too much to do in goal, and our front four of Tom, Milo, George & James worked hard up & down the slope. Half time came at 0 - 0, a great performance but we then faced a second half up the slope, with Robert & Deco coming on to give us some fresh legs. Worplesdon pressed hard again, but still Samuel & Edward helped by Deco playing a holding midfield role keep things even until a mis-kick gifted Worplesdon a good chance that they put away to go 1 up. The Stags continued to battle until the first of 2 poor refereeing decisions gave Worplesdon a penalty after Samuel had raised his hands to try to stop the ball hitting him in the face from close range - once it was clear that Samuel was ok, I could not believe a penalty had been given, which Matthew fantastically saved only for the rebound to fall straight to the feet of the penalty taker to tap home. At 2 - 0 down & time running out, it was time to go for broke, with Deco & Edward coming off after both defending well & then playing James & Tom up front with just Samuel at the back - within a minute, the Stags had scored, James slotting the ball past the keeper after an excellent passing move. At 2 - 1 down, the second poor decision, quite some time after a foul on the Stags near the half way line with advantage presumably being played, Robert was closing into the penalty area with no defenders between him & the keeper when the ref blows his whistle to go back for the free kick. This decision more so than the penalty was very suspect due to the time between offence & the whistle being blown. Milo came close with the free kick, but it was still 2 - 1. In the last few minutes pressing for an equaliser the Stags were caught again, following some excellent saves Matthew couldn't hang onto one shot & again it was the Worplesdon forward who pounced first to tap in. Right at the death, Milo seemed to forget which way he was playing and blasted a fantastic shot which if Matthew had caught I think would have taken him into the net with him. So all in all, a disappointing game, but one in which the boys did themselves proud & showed that they can compete with an excellent team 2 divisions higher. With a little more luck, some different decisions & possibly some different substitions the result could have been different, but overall the best team won, but only just. Man of the match today - Edward. fyi - for what it is worth, I have complained about the ref's 2 decisions - 3 complaints & the ref is no longer allowed to officiate.

SQUAD: U10S
League	Guildford Saints Utd	15/3/2009	4-4
Guildford Saints United 4 TAFC 4 A fantastic end to our 7-a-side season – a gloriously sunny day out in the country, heart-stopping entertainment, and a superb performance from the team. The goals rained in at both ends right from the beginning. Tom scored twice, first from a corner at the near post after a great delivery from George – a training ground move that finally worked on the pitch! The second was slotted past the goal-keeper after Tom picked up the ball in the middle. Meanwhile, at the other end…we had had a change of plan right at the beginning as Jonty had picked up an injury at rugby yesterday; so to give him a game I put him in goal. He spilled a couple of looping shots as the sun was in his eyes, but it was clear that his hobbling was cramping his style, so it was time for a substitution. Edward stepped forward and offered to go in goal, and did a great job. One shot in particular that looked destined for the top corner was brilliantly saved. So Ed stayed on in the second half and continued to play safely and competently. Our attacking line up of George on the left, James in the middle, Tom on the right and Wills up front, always looked threatening. We scored a third goal after a Saints defender headed in a cross from George. And we conceded after one of our standard goal-mouth mix ups. Score at half time: 3-3 and all to play for. I thought we looked even better in the second half. The team’s passing was superb: George, Tom, James and Ross putting together some great moves. The Stags took the lead with a great touch past the goal-keeper from George who had hustled his way into the penalty area. The lead didn’t last long as a Guildford long ball wasn’t quite mopped up and suddenly Edward was facing three strikers on his own. Two he could have coped with, but this time the ball was in the back of the net. 4-4. In fact the unpredictable long ball looked like Guildford’s only decent weapon. Using his pace, Declan hassled and tackled effectively, breaking up attacks; while Samuel was skilled with his feet, tackled well, and passed out beautifully. We looked the better side and had so much pressure, but a fine performance from the opposition goal-keeper denied us the winner, and time finally ran out. Everyone played so well today, but I’m going to mention two players in particular: Edward, who volunteered to go in goal; and James – my man of the match – for his effort throughout the game, creating attacking moves, but also helping out in defence.

SQUAD: U10S
Friendly	Walton Casual Wanderers	29/3/2009	2-4
A great start to The Stags 11 a side career, with all the boys getting a chance to get used to the bigger pitch & goals & play in some different positions - I am expecting boys to carry on changing positions as they develop & we get used to playing 11 a side & learn who plays best where for the team. We appreciate this may not be every boys favourite position, but we believe the principle that the team comes first is important, ensuring that all the boys feel part of the team & get regular pitch time. Today also marked the debuts of Matthew in goal, Alex, Owen & James A, all of whom played excellently & each will be an asset to the team going forwards I am sure. Owen crowned off his debut with a very well taken goal, using his considerable pace & strength to burst into the area & calmly slot past the Walton keeper, who had a good game. Our new keeper Matthew also played well, making some brave saves & generally being a safe pair of hands. Alex & James A both worked hard, in particular James A who played the whole game in midfield or attack & looked pretty tired by the end ! George was everywhere today, showing great stamina & deservedly got a goal back for The Stags immediately after we had gone 3 - 1 down - I even spotted George in defence when he was suppossed to be up front, so desperate was he to get the ball ! Ross worked hard today, particularly when playing right back, looking to join in with attacks but then running back hard. Edward cleared one off the line, almost scored at the other end and played well again particularly in defence, where Samuel as ever was very solid. Robert had numerous runs whilst playing up front & was unlucky to have a goal disallowed after play was brought back for an earlier foul on lightning fast Owen, and Deco did well in both defence & midfield, hassling for the ball as did Wills, particularly in the second half when playing in defence. James M worked hard again, tracking back well & making lots of tackles. The real plus points today were the way the boys played as a team, in particular their passing which was very good until the legs begain to tire, when the long clearances & trying to win the game singlehandedly crept in, but overall a very encouraging team performance. Man of the match today a bit tricky as so much was going on - a close run thing between our 4 new players, but for his overall work rate, passing & that cross that Edward almost nodded in at the near post, Alex is today's man of the match.

SQUAD: U10S
Friendly	TAFC Tigers	5/4/2009	1-9
TAFC Stags 1-9 TAFC Tigers A tough defeat, but we can learn much from it, two things particularly: we need to ensure that goal kicks are taken safely; and we are still standing off from the ball watching the other team - at corners, for example, where we need to push out, chasing the ball and catching the opposition off-side. Nevertheless, there were many good things about the performance today. Everyone worked hard, and there were times when our passing brought us into good positions. 11-a-side is a very different game to 7-a-side, and we have much to learn!

SQUAD: U10T
Friendly	Goldsworth Park Rangers	14/9/2008	2-2
A warm day to start the season off and a friendly game as well. The first half started off well for both sides with chances at either end. Some of our chances were created from some good individual play and we could have been 1-0 up when Harry sliced a shot on goal which went only for a goal kick. Later in the half some constant pressure paid off for GPR and after chances to clear the ball were not taken we went 1-0 down. Second half and a few subs later we seemed to be a more balanced outfit and our passing game improved. However that did not stop us going 2-0 down. Within 5 minutes Some good attacking play down the left wing by Alex, he passed to Harry who cooley drove the ball past the goalie. A very good goal. Jake came on the pitch and played up front and this paid off when he scored with a fine shot after being found again by Alex who had a very good half. Both teams had more chances to win the game but in hind sight 2-2 result was good for both teams. A note to remember for all the players this year is the opposition is going to be alot tougher and we will need to play as a team even more than we did last year.

SQUAD: U10T
League	WORPLESDON HURRICANES	21/9/2008	4-2
WORPLEDON HURRICANES 2 TEDDINGTON TIGERS 4 A really good match to watch from our point of view with some good passing and commitment from all the boys. A outstanding performance from every single player. The boys started well from the start with some good possession football. Lots of pressure put on their defense which paid off with a early goal scored by Tom O'Reilly after the ball ran loose on the right. More chances were created but we could not convert them. One attack from Worplesdon down the right led to a dynamic save from Jake (in goal 1st half) low down to his right after a good shot from the attacking player. Soon after with Harry, Alex and Tom controlling midfield for much of the 1st half some good inter play found Jack Sice who slotted the ball home to make 2-0. Second half Oliver went in goal after having a great first half playing right back and Danny came on in that role. Sam came on into right midfield late in the first half after Tom O got a stitch and continued there for the rest of the game. Even with a few changes of subs the team looked very good playing together. So well were the boys playing even the left back Tom Ackland had a suttle lob tipped over the bar from long range. Soon after we were 3-0 up with Harry scoring after a good move from all the team. Alex and Jack came off and Tom O'Reilly and Jake came back on. Within 5 minutes we were 4-0 up with Jake scoring a long range shot. Worplesdon soon got back in the game after some loose passing and took full advantage. A well taken second goal for Worplesdon ended the scoring for the day. Some of the best football I've seen from the Tigers since they started playing together. Well done to everyone.

SQUAD: U10T
League	ELM GROVE	28/9/2008	2-1
2nd game of the season and the boys are already learning that the opposition are going to be tougher this season. First half was a tense affair with both sides having chances missed and having good passes cut out by defenders playing well on both sides. Harry had a few chances saved by a inform goalkeeper. The half finished 0-0. Second half started as the first finished, a tight affair with some end to end football. Frankie however broke the dead lock with a fine goal after a good cross by Harry. We held the lead for only 5 minutes due to a defensive error which lead to a 1-1 score line. However a very good goal was soon scored by the Tigers after a good move down the left wing by Frankie who cut the ball back into the path of Tyler Kerr who with a excellent first time shot found the back of the net. A very well worked goal bought about by hard work and team effort, a joy to watch. Elm grove gave us a few more scares before the half was over, one such chance was superbly tipped around the post by Oliver in goal second half. Saves like that can be turning points in the game and the differance between winning and losing the game. The game finished Tigers 2 - Elm Grove 1. To sum up, a pleasing game to watch with chances for both sides. Either side could of won. A tense exciting game. I look forward to the away fixture. A good performance by every member of the team. Well done. Teddington Tigers 2 Elm Grove 1

SQUAD: U10T
League	HASLEMERE	5/10/2008	5-1
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC TIGERS 5 HASELMERE 1 A heavy overnight downpour and more rain as they played seemed to suit us today as all the boys played beyound their years in both skill and commitement to the hard work necessary to bring about this very good result. Haselmere from the off came at us with some good play and attacks, but after a few early touches for Oliver in goal we settled down to playing some good passing football. However we went 1-0 down athough we did have chances to clear it. Whithin 5 mins we were back level after a good run down the left by Frankie who crossed well and after a few defenders trying to clear the ball Tom O'Reilly coolly aplied leather to the ball and scored with a good shot to make it 1-1. Instantly we took the initiative and were soon 2-1 up when Jack Sice took control of a loose ball in midfield and ran toward goal and ignoring my constant loud shouting for him to pass the ball, he shot from 20 yards and scored a great goal which screemed passed the diving goalkeeper. (shows what I know). First half finished 2-1. Frankie, Tom O and Jack were subbed for Alex, Tyler and Sam in the second half and we carried on as we left off with some good passing and general team play. Alex scored our third with a good solo run down the left and Sam the fourth after a rebound from Harry's freekick. Haselmere still tried to get back into it with some good attacks but were stopped in their tracks with fine defensive displays from Daniel and Andrew and also from Oliver in goal who took the Man of the Match award for some great saves and distribution of the ball in tricky conditions. Harry also worked and played hard and controlled the midfield for long periods of the game. Alex's 2nd goal finished our goals for the day. He even managed this whilst laying on the floor. All round great team performance from everyone. Well done boys.

SQUAD: U10T
League	ABBEY RANGERS COLTS	12/10/2008	2-5
Abbey Rangers Colts 5 Tigers 2 Today we started well and fell away poorly late in the second half. First half we started well with some good passing moves which should have got us early goals. However we let Abbey get in to the game and 2 mistakes by Jake in goal gave them a 2-0 head start. The first half finished at that score. Second half again we started well and this time it paid off when after a intense goal mouth scramble Tom O'Reilly smashed the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-1. Soon after Jake came on for Jack up front and with his first touch he stuck out his leg from Harry's corner and the ball drifted into the back of the net. to make it all square at 2-2. This is where the game is won or lost as we pushed forward we came close to scoring when Alex only just missing from close range. But with the game so finally balanced something had to give. Defensive errors played their part and we were soon 3-2 down. Towards the end of the game we conceded two more soft goals as our head dropped further and further. The game finished 5-2 to Abbey. Hopefully long term the boys will learn they can't win every game they play. Next week will be a different game and may be a different result.

SQUAD: U10T
League	POTLEY & FROGMORE	19/10/2008	1-2
Teddington Tigers 1 - Potley and Frogmore 2. A very poor game from the Tigers point of view today. Potley started the game looking very keen and to be honest for much of the game were the better side. Jake playing in goal first half was far to busy and had to make some good saves and lucky ones to try to keep the score at 0-0. Potley found their way through our midfield and defense far to easy. We did have some chances ourselves but most came to nothing. Potley eventually got the opening goal which was deserved and we went into half time 1-0 down. Second half we had to make a few changes but could not stop Potley's constant attacks. Again our goalkeeper Oliver this time was far to busy, but we did at least put some good passing moves together and one lead to our equaliser with a sweet strike by Frankie Oldham to make it 1-1. He ran most of the pitch arms aloft celebrating. Potley however said we're not having that and stuck the ball in the back of our net to make it 1-2. Again we had chances to clear the ball but did not take them. We did come close to level it late on when Alex's fine effort flashed past the post. Overall Potley deserved their win today and we need to bounce back and get back to our passing game and put in the hard work from ALL the players.

SQUAD: U10T
League	CHERTSEY WHITES	2/11/2008	2-2
A much better game all round today with a fair result after a couple of defeats. Tigers started well today with some good passing moves and some fine individual play. Our first goal came from a good move down the right wing involving Danny, Tyler, Jack and Harry which was finished of well with a good strike by Harry. The half was quite a tight affair with both teams creating chances. Some good inter play between Alex, Harry and Jack produced some good chances on goal. Another strong performance from Tom Ackland kept the defensive line tight at the back. Jake in goal pulled off a great save on the goal line to keep the score at 1-0 at half time. Andrew at the back helped keep the defense tight and made a few decisive tackles, one of which found a pass out to the left wing which Alex picked up and with some good triangle moves created a good chance for Jack who just fired wide. Our second goal came from a sharp angled shot from Alex which rebounded to Sam who stuck it very well with his left foot and scored a very good goal. We were 2-0 up and cruising but to our cost we let Chertsey back into the game with some defensive indecision and they scored to make 2-1. Soon after a long goal kick found their forward unmarked against the run of play and on the break they scored a good goal to make it 2-2. That's how it finished. We should have come away with all the points today but Chertsey did well to get back into the game. From our point of view we should have finished of the game earlier. Overall a much better game by the Tigers who passed well and worked hard for each other. Well done everyone.

SQUAD: U10T
League	FELTHAM PREDATORS (REDS)	9/11/2008	2-1
Teddington Tigers 2 Feltham Reds 1 A good team display from all the boys on a windy day. First half the Tigers had the wind behind them and in the first ten minutes we had ample chances to score. Good passing both at close range and when called for the long pass. Frankie had a few shots saved and was unlucky not to score. Our first goal for the day was again created from good team play and finished off well by Harry Vegting with a fine strike. Feltham to their credit tried to get back into the game with some fine moves of their own but Tom Ackland and Oliver Fletcher were fantastic in defying them any clear shots on goal exept for one which Jake (in goal) made a good save low down to his right. Sam and Alex in midfield both helped create chances in the first half but we had to settle for a 1-0 score. Second half and against the wind the Tigers played well keeping the ball on the floor and passing well. Some good through balls toward Frankie who had good shots on goal well saved by a inform Feltham goalkeeper. Oliver now in goal made a good save from a long range effort and from that and with Jake now up front and Tom O'Rielly on the right the ball was passed to Alex who put Harry in with a good little pass for him to score his second of the day. Feltham pushed forward and put our defense under intense pressure. Man of the match Tom Ackland and Andrew Fearn tried their up most to help keep a clean sheet but Feltham eventually scored after a good run down the right wing to make it 2-1 late in the game. Credit to both teams for playing some good attractive football.

SQUAD: U10T
League Cup	STAINES TOWN JRS	16/11/2008	2-1
Staines Town Juniors 1 Tigers 2 First half the Tigers started well with a good all round play and movement. All the boys played their part in trying to create chances and at times we put Staines under some good substained pressure. Either the final ball was not quite good enough or just not converted. This was to cost us late in the half when from a high cross from the left was allowed to be converted by Staines when it should of been cleared earlier. Second half and 2 substitutions later we continued to apply good pressure and at times played some attractive and creative football. Some good wing play down the right paid off when Tom O'Reilly was pushed off the ball in the penalty box and the Tigers were awarded their first penalty of the season. Frankie stepped up and coolly slotted home with a firm left foot strike to make it 1-1. The game then ebbed and flowed and both sides went for the win. Then Harry took control of the ball in midfield and ran forward and striked the ball toward the goal and it fell to Jack Sice who tapped in from close range to score and make it 1-2 with only a couple of minutes on the clock. That's how it finished. A superp all round performance from all the boys today and may be a taster for next weeks home league match against the same opposition.

SQUAD: U10T
League	BADSHOT LEA ROYALS	30/11/2008	3-6
We lost 6-3 today to a very good side .A very wet day and muddy pitch. We were 4-0 down before we knew it, but only then did we get back into the game. But with a big goal head start we were always going to play catch up. The tigers did try to play some good football and overall it was a good game to watch. To sum up the whole day we lost fair and square but feel we will do better when we play them at home. Well done to all the boys for playing in very cold and wet conditions and that goes to the parents who watched as well. Better luck next week.

SQUAD: U10T
League	WORPLESDON HURRICANES	7/12/2008	2-4
Frosty conditions delayed the start of the game today. First half started well for the Tigers with a double save from Jake in goal and a good through ball from Harry to find Alex and a one on one effort to open the scoring to make it 1-0. Against the run of play Worplesdon got their equaliser and it was a even game. Their goalkeeper played well and stopped some long range efforts from both Harry and Alex. 1-1 at half time. Some good play from the Tigers which was good to watch at times but also some poor judgement which we must improve on. We soon found ourselves at first 1-2 and then 1-3 down in quick succession to some soft goals that we gave away. However we got back into the game with a fine strike from Harry from outside of the box to make it 2-3. The Tigers created more chances to score but did not take them and then paid the price when Worplesdon scored again to make it 2-4. That's how it finished. The Tigers need to start playing as a team again and soon. When things don't go well they need to react quicker and learn from their mistakes. Next week we will try to put that in to practice.

SQUAD: U10T
League	ELM GROVE	14/12/2008	9-2
ELM GROVE 2 TEDDINGTON TIGERS 9. A good goal tally today which will vastly improve our goal differance. The goals started straight from the whistle when Jack scored from a pass from Frankie. Frankie then within a few minutes scored himself with a fine strike to make it 0-2. Constant pressure from the Tigers created a corner which Frankie took and Jack scored his second of the day to make it 0-3. Frankie who seemed to be involved in everything put Harry through with a great pass and Harry finished well to make it 0-4. Goals were flowing thick and fast now and Frankie made it 0-5 after a good pass from Harry. Frankie after a long solo run scored his hatrick to make it 0-6. With all these goals going in Elm Grove kept battling on and deserved their goal after a goal mouth scramble to make it 1-6. Then just before half time Harry scored after a good dribble and made it 1-7. Second half we started a little slow and conceaded soon after which make it 2-7. Frankie's long range shot was well saved just before a good pass from Tyler to Jack to make it 2-8. Later in the game Jack finished the goals for the day to make it 2-9. As you can tell only 3 of the boys scored all the goals but they could only do that because of good defending by Alex and Danny, good midfield work by Sam, Tom (who went off injured at half time)Tyler and Jake in goal who pulled off some good saves earlier in the game. Overall a good all round performance. Well done.

SQUAD: U10T
League	Windlesham Wolves	21/12/2008	3-2
The Tigers last game before xmas and no subs to choose from, the boys went about their business in a cool and steady manner which resulted in some early pressure being applied namely by Tyler with a good shot which was well saved and also Sam having a long shot saved. Jake in goal also had to make a few early crucial saves. Frankie who playing left midfield made a good dribbling run and found Sam with a good pass and Sam scored to make it 0-1. Soon after the Tigers were 2-0 up after good play down near Windleshams goal line by Harry which resulted in a og to make it 0-2. Not long after the restart Jake made a crucial save after finding himself one on one with a Windlesham forward . Second half Sam went in goal and Jake played up front and suddenly we had let Windlesham back in the game as they scored almost from the kick off to make the score 1-2. Eventually after some more good attacks by Windlesham our nerves were settled a little bit when Frankie found Harry with a good pass and he passed to Jake and he scored with a good tap in to make it 1-3. Tom and Alex both playing at the back helped stem the flow of the ever increasing Windlesham attacks and both found themselves going on good solo runs forward and even having shots on goal. However our luck did not hold out much longer and the Tigers conceeded again to make it 2-3. Soon after Jake went back in goal and Sam up front. This decision paid off as then Jake made a good save to keep all 3 points for the Tigers. The game now was over. Man of the Match was Harry Vegting. Well done to all the boys and Merry Xmas.

SQUAD: U10T
League Cup	Woking FC	18/1/2009	1-2
WOKING TOWN WANDERERS 2 TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC TIGERS 1. A good tough game was played out today with both team trying their best to win the game. End to end football with both teams having chances. Jake in goal first half pulled off 2 good saves to keep our chances alive. Some good play down the right late in the first half nearly paid off with a fine passing moves between Harry and Jack which finished with a good strike on goal by Jack and was well saved by Woking goalie. The half finished 0-0. Second half was the same story with both team going for a result. Some fine defensive play by Daniel and Man of the Match Tom Ackland gave us a good spring board to go forward. With our midfield also working hard suddenly Tom O'Reilly found himself clear on the left after a good through pass and he ran 25 yards and one on one with the goalie smashed it into the back of the net for the Tigers to lead 1-0. A great goal for Tom himself and just what the Tigers deserved. However within a few minutes Harry found himself clear and away but Woking's goalie denied us with a fine save. That might of sealed it for us but it was'nt to be and soon after Woking were back in it after they scored to make it 1-1. Now very late in the game who ever scored next would win, but today it was'nt going to be us because a penalty was awarded against us after a some what dubious decision but that's football. Woking's player stepped forward and struck the ball low and hard and Oliver (in goal second half) was unlucky not to save it. It finished soon after. Woking Town sit at the top of Division 2 and have been scoring at will but the Tigers matched them in every department. The boys played some outstanding football today and worked extremely hard for each other. If they play like that every week then we should obtain a very good league position this year.

SQUAD: U10T
League	POTLEY & FROGMORE	31/1/2009	4-0
Potley and Frogmore 0 Teddington Athletic Tigers 4 A great result for the Tigers today. A good passing game from the start. A quick early break from the Tigers found Frankie running from midfield and after looking up he found Harry with a great through pass and Harry finished well to make it 1-0. The Tigers second goal came from a good passing move down the left wing and Harry reaches the byeline and pulls the ball back into Frankie's path who shoots low to the right of the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. A very pleasing goal on the eye. Some more great passing especially from the defense and midfield set up lots of chances but it was a wayward goal clearance which led to Harry controlling the ball and racing toward goal before unleashing a long shot which the goalie nearly saved but the power in the shot was decisive and we were 3-0 in the lead at half time. Danny who played all the first half was subbed and played no further part due to a pain in his lower back. However he still gave a good performance and played very well. Pressure was applied by the Tigers for most of the second half and one more goal came from Jack who tapped the ball home after a failed clearance. However the way the Tigers were playing I was very surprised we did'nt score a lot more. Jake played in goal the whole game and really only had to make two saves all day. Tom Ackland was once again outstanding in the defense. Alex played in the defense all the second half and Tom O'Reilly was great in the right midfield position. Player of the Match was Frankie who created chances all day both for himself and the rest of the team. Some of the best football I have seen all season has come in the last two games. Keep it up TIGERS.

SQUAD: U10T
League	CHERTSEY WHITES	1/2/2009	2-1
Teddington Tigers 2 Chertsey Whites 1 All parents were treated to a intertaining game to day with either side coming out the winner. First half was a tight affair with both team s going close We created lots of chances but either the final pass or shot was not quite up to it. Second half was at the start similiar to the first. Then Chertsey took the lead and that seemed just the incentive we needed. Within 5 minutes we were back in it when Alex ccontrolled the ball and then slotted the ball home whilst he was on the floor. After more good pressure and some great corners from Frankie , Jake seemed to stick out a leg and we were 2-1 up. Jake was unlucky not to score again when after a good run down the left wing he cut back inside and hit a shot from 25 yards which just graised the crossbar. We should have finished the game with more but we will settle for the result. Overall a good team performance and a good result.

SQUAD: U10T
league	Staines Town Juniors	8/2/2009	6-3
Teddington Tigers 6 Staines Town Juniors 3. Alex from the start looked eager to score and thats' what he did after a Tyler pull back and Harry's through ball and Alex calmly put his shot away for a early start to make 1-0. Some great inter play came through out the half and at times the Tigers looked very very good. Frankie was next to score and did it well by slipping the ball under the goalie's body. Jake in first half dropped kicked his clearance, scuffed it and the ball tricked into the path of Alex who finished well to score his second of the day. Alex for his third finished well with his left foot after a good cross by Harry. We finished the half 4-0 up and playing well. Second half early chances were made and just missed after some good early pressure. The goal of the game to make it 5-0 came after some good passes and triangles and every Tiger player involved and Frankie finished the move which got a round of appluse from everyone who saw it. Frankie's corner into the danger area ran loose into Harry's path and he scored well to make it 6-0 . Staines however would not lie down and soon scored a good goal to make it 6-1. Errors and mistakes and oppertunities taken led to the score being 6-3 soon after. Subs made earlier were changed again which stedded the ship and the game ebbed away. First half and early second half was when this game was won and lost. All Tiger players must learn quickly they are in a team. Overall a good win.

SQUAD: U10T
League	FELTHAM PREDATORS (REDS)	15/2/2009	3-2
Feltham Predators 2 Teddington Athletic Tigers 3 A game of two halfs today. First half the Tigers were outstanding. From the off passing was very good and after two mins Frankie's left foot strike made it 0-1 after a good build up. Chances came and went but after 10 mins Jack finished off Frankie's shot after another good breakout from defense. Alex had a chance from a good corner but the ball screamed over the bar. He did however make amends after some smart work from a throw in turned and finished well to make it 0-3 . Second half at times we went to sleep and allowed Feltham to get back into the game. Long periods of lucklustre play and loss of shape led to Feltham to score.1-3. We did at times try to play but all to often got caught in possession and paid the price after failing to clear from a corner. The score was now 2-3. The final 10 mins to be fair to Feltham was theirs for the taking, but somehow we held on. The points we needed, the second half we did not. Lets hope next week we can put in a good performance for the whole game.

SQUAD: U10T
League	STAINES TOWN	1/3/2009	4-1
Staines Town Juniors 1 Teddington Athletic Tigers 4. Today the Tigers contiuned their winning streak with a excellant performance which started from the first whistle. Good passing moves and running off the ball were all evident today. Playing the way their facing and wanting the ball all the time were all markers for the way the game progressed. Alex was the first to score today with a good goal, he also saw alot of the ball today and was a constant threat to Staines. After a few more chances that came and went Frankie scored with a good individual goal to make it 0-2. The Tigers were now playing some attractive football, Very pleasing on the eye. Tom and Daniel in defense kept a tight ship from which we could spring forward and mount attack after attack. This constant pressure allowed Tom O'Reilly to have at least 3 strikes on goal, and Frankie to score his second for the day after some good midfield passing which released Frankie away and his shot swepped past Staines diving goalkepper to make it 0-3 at half time. Second half Staines tried to hit back but once again the pairing of Tom and Daniel held firm and we could create more chances. Sam playing on the right worked hard and later in the half had a very good shot on goal which was saved by a outstanding and brave Staines goalie. Jack playing up front worked very hard and created some chances for others to score. Approx half way through the second half we were awarded a free kick just outside Staines penalty area. Harry placed the ball stepped back a few yards and then struck the ball so hard it screamed into the back of the net to make it 0-4. Staines did not give up and late in the half they got one back. Oliver playing in goal all the game made at least 4 good saves and Daniel won Man of the Match. Well done.

SQUAD: U10T
League	BADSHOT LEA ROYALS	15/3/2009	8-2
Teddington Tigers 8 Badshot Lea Royals 2 Lots of chances made and then wasted were the order of play at the start of this game for which we paid the price and went 0-1 down after some defensive errors. This seemed to wake us up a bit and soon had a equaliser when Harry poached a goal. We then again created lots of chances but did not score. At the start of the 2nd half we conceeded to a poor goal to make it 1-2. Tom Ackland's solo run down the left wing soon changed that and suddenly it was 2-2. Alex was next to do the solo thing and made it 3-2. A chase by Harry down the right wing and a good inch perfect pass to Alex for him to score his second and make it 4-2. Harry was next to score with a fine strike which went in of the post 5-2. A good one two between Frankie and Jake led to Jake scoring after a good strike which went in low to the keepers right 6-2. Frankie's corner from the left was impressively met on the volley by Tom Ackland to make it 7-2. To finish the Tigers scoring for the day Tom Ackland scored his hat trick with a great strike from just inside the box to make it 8-2. In the end a good day at the office.

SQUAD: U10T
League	WINDLESHAM	22/3/2009	3-2
Teddington Tigers 3 Windlesham Wolves 2. A very good game took place today in Bushy Park against a very good talented side. First half the Tigers had chances early on but Windlesham got more into the game as the half progressed and at times had us pinned firmly in our own half. Windlesham were the first to score with a blistering long range effort which screamed into the back of the net to make it 0-1. Jake in goal had to make a series of good saves and kept the score line down. Some good play down the left wing late in the first half by Frankie nearly paid off as chances were created but were not taken. Second half was a different story and now with Alex playing in Midfield the game seemed to open up a bit. Following a good move down the right wing a intended cross ball came of a lunging defenders leg and diverting into the net to make it 1-1. The Tiger's sniffed victory and pushed forward and within a few minutes it paid off when the ball was passed at pace on the floor between Harry and Alex which allowed him to run down the right wing and cross the ball over the goalkeeper's head and in to make it 2-1 A very good goal by Alex. However a few minutes later Jake was again called on to make a series of good saves both on the floor and high above his head. Windlesham did make it 2-2 late on. A poor goal for us to concede as we did have two chances to clear our lines. Now both teams were going for the win and it took a very good Tigers goal to do it. Frankie swung a good cross from the left and Harry jumped the highest and scored his and the Tigers first headed goal in open play this season to make it 3-2 and a Tiger's win. Two very good sides played out a entertaining end to end game. Well done to all those involved. Man of the match was Jake Oram. He made the Saves that really mattered.

SQUAD: U10T
league	Abbey Rangers	29/3/2009	1-2
Teddington Tigers 1 Abbey Rangers 2. Chances came early for us in the first half but were not taken but at times we were playing some very good football. The game ebbed and flowed as both sides tried to take advantage of each others mistakes and it was Abbey who took their chance after a defensive mix up and they were 0-1 up. Second half and only a few miutes in and the Tigers found themselves 0-2 down after a long kick by Abbey's goalkeeper and one bounce later the ball was in the back of the net. Now it was a up hill struggle and although again we made lots of chances we could only manage 1 goal scored by Harry. As the half came to the close it was constant pressure and we had at least four corners but the Tigers kept trying to get a equaliser but it just would not happen. A good game to watch.

SQUAD: U11C
Friendly	Egham Town Whites	14/9/2008	8-1
Egham Town 1: Teddington 8 The team clicked into gear from the start - setting the pattern of play which persisted pretty much throughout the game - with core midfielders Tom Ashley, Alec Thomson and Dylan Rubini dominating possession and keeping the ball in the Egham half whilst various combinations of David Bevan, Charlie Ottway, Joe Shanks, Oliver Arnold, Finlay Coles and Fergus Laurie were quick to find space to receive and move the ball. The goal rush began five minutes after the start when Teddington turned penalty area possession into a penalty, tucked neatly into the bottom left corner of the goal by Tom. 5 minutes of continuous pressure later the boys were awarded a second penalty, converted equally comfortably by Stefan Hales. Another 10 minutes later and Dylan collected the ball just inside the penalty area and took a well-aimed snap shot for the Cobra's third goal. To give Egham credit, the game evened-up slightly for the last 10 minutes of the first half and more accurate finishing from at least one clear chance might have brought the scores closer at half time. Egham's revival survived the half-time break and it was they who scored first in the second half. But, as in the first half, the defence of Timothy Davidson, Stefan and Alex White, supported strongly by Alec and Dylan quickly controlled any dangerous situations and left little room for Egham to make a concerted comeback. Sam Dukes was hardly troubled in goal, and any slight fears that the game might slip away quickly disappeared in a flurry of five Teddington goals in ten minutes (two more from Tom, one from David Bevan, one from Charlie Ottway and an Egham own-goal); and the remainder of the second half passed without any significant challenge So far, so good for the new-look 11-a-side Cobras. This was a commanding performance against the team which comfortably topped the under-10 division below ours last season. ( A reasonable match-up, you'd have thought, which is presumably why the league set it up. But clearly last year's 7-a-side history is a less than perfect guide to how the teams have emerged from the 11-a-side expansion.) The players from last year have clearly benefited from a whole season's experience of playing together, whilst new recruits Tom, Timothy, Stefan, Joe Shanks and Oliver Arnold have fitted-in quickly and impressively into the side. There will clearly harder tests to come. In particular our defending has been barely tested over the past two games, and the boys will no doubt have to learn some hard lessons in learning to cope with the off-side rule and developing the organisation and discipline needed against more players on larger pitches. But for now, it's hard to see how the things could be any better. So well done to all the boys for making such a terrific start. Teddington Player of the Match: Charlie Ottway

SQUAD: U11C
Friendly	AFC Brooklands Hawks	21/9/2008	0-5
Seeding match: Teddington 0; Brooklands 5 This game always looked like the toughest challenge of t5he season so far, against a side which finished high in Division 4 last season. And so it turned out. Although we started the better of the two teams and dominated the first five minutes, the game turned around quickly after that. The pattern was set quickly and barely changed for the next 50 minutes: relentless pressure from Brooklands relieved occasionally with Teddington counter-attacks. The boys resisted well during the first half, holding the score to 1-0 until a soft goal two minutes before the half-time break. More of the same pattern of play in the 2nd half saw Brooklands steadily adding to their lead without ever producing the rush of goals that we might have feared. I think we're going to have to get used to bigger scores this season. Looking at the under-11 league results from last season, it's clear that the move to bigger pitches and goals that dwarf the goalkeepers means a jump in the number of goals per game, at least early in the season. We just have to aim to be on the right side of the scoring! Although the boys were slightly off the pace today, they were also unlucky to be playing a strong side on a pitch much too big for 11-year-olds - which magnified Brooklands' edge in power and organisation. Our big problem was putting together the forward movement to take us out of the vast acreage of our own half and into theirs (not helped by some slightly under-powered passing and a tendency to run the ball into trouble rather than pass the ball out of it). It would have been a closer fought game on a smaller pitch. Also positive was the quality of defending. For all their pressure, Brooklands had surprisingly few scoring chances. Compacted into the last third of the field for almost the whole game, Teddington defended well, staying calm and holding a shape which enabled them to kill off most of the attacks before they turned into goal threats. A lot of credit to the team for that. And for the rare attacking moments. When they got the chance the boys' forward play was neat and sometimes penetrating, with Oliver's speed and skill on the ball standing out and creating a couple of chances which could easily have led to a more even scoreline. So , even though the scoreline was a reasonable reflection of the balance of play, there was still plenty of positives to take from the game, and the boys still seem to me to be shaping up well to the challenges of the new format. Teddington Player of the Week: Alec Thomson

SQUAD: U11C
League	Feltham Reds	28/9/2008	8-1
Teddington 8 - Feltham 1 Wow, what a great start to the new league season - making hay while the sun shines. Last week's difficult seeding match was quickly forgotten as the boys pushed forward strongly right from the kick-off. The reward came quickly, via a terrific solo run and a well-taken goal from Oliver Arnold within 5 minutes. The pattern of the match settled quickly, dominated by Teddington's strong midfield play and well-judged passing. It didn't take long for Oliver to add a second goal, and Tom Ashley a third, to give Teddington a strong grip on the game within twenty minutes. A short spell of Feltham pressure just before half time threatened briefly, but was snuffed-out by Teddington's 4th goal, scored by David Bevan a minute or two before the break. Playing down the hill in the second half, the boys got off to a flying start with a quick goal from Dylan Rubini who collected the ball in midfield, and put in a strong, direct run into the Feltham penalty area before beating their keeper comfortably low into the right hand corner. Tom reiterated Teddington's control of the game with his second goal a couple of minutes later. David and Jake Pryor both took scoring opportunities to complete Teddington's scoring ten minutes before the final whistle. Down, but not quite out, Feltham put together their longest attacking spell of the game towards the end of the half, and were rewarded with a late goal from a penalty area scramble and lobbed ball floating way over the heads of the defenders and Sam Dukes in goal. So, all-in-all, an excellent morning's work for the boys and a fantastic start to their career in the new division. Well done. On the walk home, I suggested to Alex that he should hope that not all the games are quite as one-sided as this one. He looked at me as if I was utterly mad. And maybe he has a point. Teddington Player of the Match: Oliver Arnold

SQUAD: U11C
League	Staines Lammas Colts	5/10/2008	4-1
Staines 1; Teddington 4 (Tom 3; Oliver) At last, proper football conditions. And more tangible proof than we really needed that the team's success so far is not simply a fair-weather phenomenon. the first five minutes of the game pointed to a tougher challenge than the boys have faced in some other games so far as Staines took a fair share of possession and territory. But Teddington increasingly disturbed the balance with some powerful midfield play, and within 15 minutes the boys were clearly on top. Though Staines made some forward pushes, the bulk of the first half was played nearer to their goal than ours, and the best scoring opportunities followed the same pattern: Oliver, David, Finlay and Tom each came close to opening the scoring, prevented only by luck, some terrific goalkeeping and an occasional lapse in finishing. Even without goals, the quality of the attacking was the best I have seen the boys produce - really excellent passing, running and making space. 0:0 at half time seemed like an injustice. But it was quickly righted. Within a couple of minutes of the restart, Tom collected the ball in the penalty area, made himself some space and lobbed the advancing Staines keeper. A coolly-taken and truly classy goal. He soon added a second, and Oliver chipped-in with the team's third to wipe out any fears that the game might turn against them. Teddington began to tire and surrender some of their dominance as the half went on - not surprising given the weather and the boys' effort. Not long before the final whistle, a slight defensive muddle allowed Staines to open their scoring and get some reward for their attempts to keep the game alive. But another cool finish from Tom quickly restored the three-goal cushion, as well as giving him a hat-trick. Teddington Player of the Match: David Bevan

SQUAD: U11C
League	Farncombe Dynamos	19/10/2008	3-0
Farncombe 0, Teddington 3 (Finlay, Tom, David) This was much tenser than the score suggests. But it needn't have been. Teddington had significantly the better of the first half, attacking immediately from the kick-off and hold the bulk of possession and territory. Farncombe produced more effective opposition than we have faced in the league this season, but for at least the first 20 minutes, Teddington looked well in control. All that was missing was goals. Several good chances came and went without any score. Under pressure, Farncombe's defence - and especially their goalkeeper - did a good job of holding Teddington at bay. And they had enough attacks of their own to suggest that this game was unlikely to be completely one-sided. Sam Dukes in goal was kept busier than in some recent matches, and made two or three confident, excellent saves to ensure that Farcombe did not turn their first-half attacks into goals. Just as it began too look certain that the first half would finish frustratingly still 0-0, Finlay Coles popped up in the penalty area to tuck a loose ball into the net from close range and give us a slim advantage at the break. The second half quickly seemed to promise a different story. Farncombe came out more strongly and - without the option of substitutions - our boys began to tire slightly. For twenty minutes the Farncombe pressure was relentless, and it took some heroics from Sam and Timothy, Alex and Charlie - supported by Dylan and Alec - in defence, as well as a good slice of luck, to hold onto our one goal lead. All very tense. it would be difficult to deny that a Farncombe goal or two would have been undeserved. But it was Teddington who managed to score first, via Tom Ashley's neatly taken shot from inside the penalty area twenty minutes into the half. The goal seemed to settle the game a bit and give our boys a second wind. Farncombe stayed strong, but we matched them more effectively until David Bevan caught the goalkeeper off his line with a well-judged strike five minutes before the end, to put the result completely beyond doubt. Overall an exciting game. Farncombe will feel hard done by - not unreasonably - for leaving the game without even a goal for all their effort. But kudos to all the boys for surviving such a tough test. And wild enthusiastic cheering for Sam, without whom the game would most likely have slipped away. One second half save in particular was completely fantastic. (Of course, I failed to get a photo of it, sadly.) Teddington Player of the Match: Sam Dukes

SQUAD: U11C
League	Bedfont Green Saints	2/11/2008	2-3
Teddington 2: Bedfont Green Saints 3 (Finlay, Oliver) Oh well. It won't do the boys much harm to be reminded of how it feels to lose a close. This one was very close. For the first twenty minutes, Bedfont looked strong. Looking stronger and more competitive in midfield, they had the better of possession and territory without creating much threat on our well-defended goal until a long shot evaded Sam Dukes's grip. from that point Teddington redressed some of the imbalance in play and creating chances of their own. A goal from Finlay Coles shortly before half time was a deserved reward for the way they had played themselves back into into the game. The even balance of the game was preserved in the after half time, with both sides creating good scoring chances. Teddington broke the game open after 10 minutes when Oliver Arnold finished a neat run into the penalty area by poking the ball low past the Bedfont goalie. The goal energised Bedfont and from that point the game turned in their favour. For a while, Teddington held them out with solid defending, but eventually Bedfont capitalised on their strength in midfield to even the scores. For a while itt looked like the game was heading for a draw, and it would have been hard to argue with that result. Sadly, in the dying moments of the Bedfont scrambled a goal from close range to seal the game and take all the points.

SQUAD: U11C
League	Walton Casuals Vandals	9/11/2008	12-0
Walton 0: Teddington 12 (David, Oliver 4, Dylan 3, Alec, Cameron, Tom, Fergus) Sometimes in football the final scoreline doesn't fairly reflect the balance of a game. But this was not one of those games. 12-0 really does say everything anybody needs to know about how the game went. It's hard to know what to write that those two numbers and the list of scorers don't already say. Teddington dominated from the start, and never relinquished their near-total grip on the match. The first goal came from a tap-in by David after about 6 minutes, and the rest followed at regular intervals throughout the game. Up five goals by half time, the boys accelerated their scoring to add another seven in the second half. Strikers Oliver and David rampaged through the Walton defence at regular intervals, supported really well by the usual display of close control and calm, controlled passing from Tom and Dylan running strongly from midfield through the holes in Walton's back line.The midfield and defence were quick to tackle, gather possession and move the ball forward Our defence was rarely tested, but held its ground comfortably when necessary, breaking up most of Walton's attacks before they became a threat. Sam was not very busy. Give credit to Walton. despite the mounting score, they kept going, and stayed motivated until the end. Impressive. They attacked when they got the opportunity, and were unlucky not to take at least one goal from the game after a rash tackle gave them a penalty. And so we move on to a cup game net week, and an altogether tougher prospect against Meadow Boys in a fortnight. For now, 3 points and an extra +12 on our goal difference should keep the boys very close to the top of the table. Teddington Player of the Match: Joe Shanks

SQUAD: U11C
Cup	Abbey Rangers Reserves	16/11/2008	13-0
Abbey Rangers 0; Teddington 13 (Jake, Finlay 2, Oliver 3, Tom, David, Joe 2, Stefan 2, Fergus - I think this is right, but it was hard to keep track after a while) I'm not sure what to say about this game. Really, I could just cut and paste the report from last week ( http://www.teddingtonathleticfc.com/readreport.php?fixid=204 ). Would anybody notice? If anything, this game was even more one-sided. The first goal came within five minutes, and the boys kept on scoring until the last minute. Half time: five- nil. Then eight goals in the second half. End of story, really. Actually it could have been even more one-sided without some really excellent saves form the Abbey Rangers stopper. (Sam didn't touch the ball all game - literally.) And the Teddington boys' passing and moving was terrific, though they could still stand to learn a bit more about staying onside and playing the other team offside. Oh, and Abbey Rangers' clubhouse serves fantastic bacon butties. And, um... that's all I can think of to say. except: fantastic performance again. Well played to everybody. And get ready for Meadow Boys. Teddington Player of the Match: Finlay

SQUAD: U11C
League	Meadow Boys	23/11/2008	8-0
Teddington 8: Meadow Boys 0 (Tom 4, Finlay, Oliver, Dylan, David) This game wasn't supposed to be easy. We had two hard battles against the same team last year, and with a game in hand at the start of the day they trailed us in the table only because of a marginally inferior goal difference. So this looked liked a tough and very important game. And then there was the weather. Yuk! Overnight snow left the pitch surface soaking, and persistent horizontal rain threatened a chilling experience for all the boys (and those parents brave enough to leave the clubhouse). The game started out much as might be expected with two good teams battling hard in midfield for possession and territory under difficult playing conditions. The one good scoring chance in this first phase of the game went to Teddington, but without result. But gradually the boys began to take the better of the play, and - 15 minutes in - Tom Ashley made himself some shooting space in the penalty area and found the net with a well-placed shot. The goal didn't change the pattern of the game radically. Meadow Boys continued to play strongly, but without offering much of a goal threat against tough, determined defending and some of Dylan's spectacular sliding tackles. Without dominating the game, Teddington continued to hold the balance of power in midfield and create occasional openings. They were rewarded after about twenty minutes when Finlay Coles scored our second goal and gave the boys more of a breathing space. Teddington's third goal - just before half time - was an amazing curling shot from the wide left edge of the Meadow Boys penalty area. 3:0 at half time promised a more comfortable second half. And so it turned out. My guess is that the weather played it's part here. However cold and uncomfortable our boys were, it must have felt many times worse for the team on the wrong end of that scoreline. And so it turned out. Teddington dominated possession and territory much more thoroughly in the second half than in the first, and were rewarded with more frequent scoring chances and a steady flow of goals. They looked like comfortable winners long before the final whistle: Meadow Boys increasingly struggled to make an impact on the game - though two excellent saves from Sam late on (virtually his first tests of the game) showed that the away team continued to fight the demotivating effects of the weather and the scoreline. So, a terrific performance against one of the strongest teams in the division. Whilst we have been racking-up big scores against apparently weaker teams, we needed to see how the boys compared against their likely end-of-season rivals. And today we got a pretty good answer. The confidence, organisation and awareness which they have built up over their games so far stood up fantastically well in a potentially difficult game. Well done. Teddington Player of the Match - all of them! (oh, and no photos this week, sorry. The conditions were just too ghastly. But I still have to get around to loading up last week's - which I'll do shortly).

SQUAD: U11C
League	Send Galaxy	30/11/2008	6-1
Send 1: Teddington 6 (David 3, Tom, Oliver, Dylan) Another cold, wet, deeply gloomy day. This time at a slope-y, muddy field somewhere outside the M25. And once again, the boys adaptedto th conditions rather better than the parents, to put in a strong performance and a good win. Interestingly, despite the final scoreline, Send had plenty of the possession and territory - at least in the first half. From the start, their first 5 minutes of pressure was broken up by a quick Teddington counterattack and some slick passing in the penalty area to give David his first goal. Five minutes later the pattern repeated itself - this time with Tom supplying the finish. And so it carried on for most of the first half, though with Teddington. Send kept on seeing plenty of the ball without making too much impression or threatening the goal, thanks to solid Teddington defending. Breaking out of defence, our boys showed some excellent quick, clever passing to move the ball upfield and create scoring chances whenever the opportunity arose. Their reward was two more goals before half time - with plenty of other chances left untaken or frustrated by Send's goalkeeper - who played really well for the whole game. In terms of possession, the second half was more one-sided. Playing downhill, our boys had th laws of physics on their side, and the forward tide was relentless. The scoring chances came thick and fast. And yet the flow of goals reduced as the weather and tired legs took their toll and the boys lost some of the precision of passing and finishing which they showed in the first half. And too often, they took speculative shots on goal instead of looking for the passes to better positioned players. Again the Send goalkeeper did brilliantly to help keep the score down. So instead of adding another five or six goals, which would have been well within reach given the number of chances, they added two. Admittedly two great goals: one a terrific shot by Dylan which went up and over the defence before dropping neatly into the bottom left hand corner of the send goal, and the second a 15 yard blast by Oliver, which rounded off the Teddington scoring. Before the final whistle Send retrieved some consolation for all their effort with a late goal permitted by a moment of inattentive defending. So, another good win, and clear daylight at the top of the table. Very pleasing - though with Elmgrove only three points behind with two games in hand, there's little room for complacency. And one important learning point: to keep looking for the best passing and scoring options. It could make a big diffrence in tighter games than this. Teddington Player of the Match: Stefan (And thanks to the conditions, no photos again this week. Sorry. Sooner or later we'll play a game in dry, brighter conditions!)

SQUAD: U11C
League	AFC Brooklands Falcons	7/12/2008	6-3
Brooklands 3: Teddington 6 (Oliver 3, Dylan 2, Finlay) At half time, this game looked finished, with Teddington 3-0 up and very little by way of a meaningful threat coming from Brooklands in the whole half. Oliver opened the scoring early with Teddington's first attack of the game, and a super long shot from the end of the penalty area. Dylan added another 10 minutes into the game with an even longer shot which looped over the closing defenders and into the bottom corner. A third from Oliver after about 15 minutes made the game look safe. Meanwhile, Brooklands had seen plenty of the ball, without anything to show but a couple of long range attempts, easily gathered in by Sam, as our defence and midfield denied their opponents any space in and around the Teddington area. After the third goal, Brooklands found a way of tightening their defence and the rest of the half was played out without any additions to the score. The second half started in much the same way. Good possession for both sides, but with Teddington the only team that looked like scoring. ten minutes into the half, Oliver found a way through with another long shot over the keeper's head and into the roof of the goal to give himself a hat trick. And that really should have been game over. But some inattentive defending 15 minutes from time allowed Brooklands a glimpse of goal which they converted. The goal gave them more drive, whilst our defending continued to go off the boil - prompting two more Brooklands goals with ten minute left. At that point, the momentum was with Brooklands, and it seemed like we were in for a nervy final ten minutes. Happily, our boys rediscovered their concentration and Brooklands' attacks once again started to break down against some confident midfield play. Three minutes from the end the pressure eased further after a long forward pass found Finlay in space. Holding off the one Brooklands defender who had stayed with him, he ran strongly into the box and beat the keeper comfortably to give Teddington a two goal cushion. That extended to three a minute before time with an outstanding run and lob from Dylan which found the Brooklands keeper off his line and helpless as the ball rose over his head and into the top of the net. So, in the end, lots of credit to Brooklands for holding the game close when they were under pressure and seriously threatening to turn around a four goal deficit. And credit to Teddington for holding their nerve and stabilising the game when they were threatened. Now, with only a cup game next week, we are guaranteed to top the division over Christmas, carrying 21 points and a goal difference of plus 40 into the holiday break. Outstanding. Well done, boys. Teddington Player of the Match: Alex White

SQUAD: U11C
Cup	St Francis Sports	14/12/2008	9-0
Teddington 9: St Francis 0 (Oliver 2, Tom 4, David 2, Finlay) Another excellent performance - this time against a team one division higher. it's getting hard to know what else to say about this kind of game. St Francis arrived without a full side. But that hardly diminishes the quality of the achievement as the Teddington players agreed to reduce their own numbers to preserve only a single player advantage (it could have been three as the opposition started with only eight players). As with other comfortable wins this season, Teddington scored first and early, and kept on scoring at regular intervals until the end. This week it was Tom's turn to get a hat trick+ with some outstanding control and shooting. And only some wayward shooting (mentioning no names!) and truly excellent goalkeeping from the St Francis keeper kept the score in single figures. Tom's efforts were complemented by strong play from Oliver, David and Finlay up front, robust, well-organised midfield and defensive play, and confident ball handling from Sam on the rare occasions when he needed to get involved. It's getting easy to take these wins for granted. We shouldn't, of course, but it's a credit to the team's quality and spirit this year that we have to avoid becoming complacent. That would have seemed like an unthinkable luxury at this time last season. And yet here they are - going into the Christmas top of the table with a goal difference of plus 40 - and still in the cup, having scored 22 goals in two games. Wow. Merry Christmas boys. You've earned it.

SQUAD: U11C
League	Elmgrove	11/1/2009	2-1
Elmgrove 1; Teddington 2 (Oliver, David) Really hard games have been few and far between this season. But this was definitely one. At the start of the match Elmgrove were unbeaten and only three points behind with two games in hand. So the scene was set for one of the key matches of the new year. And like a lot of really important games, this one started grittily as both midfields battled to establish control. It wasn't pretty, and sometimes it was frustrating that Teddington couldn't find the clean possession and space to play that have fuelled so many of their big wins this season. Elmgrove showed that they were fast, strong and committed in closing down the space and making Teddington work for every scrap of possession. Our boys responded in kind worked hard to deny their opponents time and playing space. The result, of course, was as close to a midfield stalemate as we have seen all season. Out-and-out attacks were rare, and clear cut scoring chances even rarer as both defences swept up whatever loose balls the midfield players missed. Throughout much of the first half Elmgrove held a very slight edge. They just seemed to be marginally quicker to the loose balls and to spot the passing and running opportunities, and be more aggressive when they lost possession. And it was they who first broke the game open after fifteen minutes when a deflected shot evaded Sam's dive. The goal didn't change the pattern of the game noticeably as midfield hostilities resumed without either team establishing a conclusive superiority before the half-time break. The second half was fantastic. Whatever Michel said at half time did the trick. Teddington immediately showed an extra level of commitment, aggression and concentration, and quickly turned on its head Elmgrove's slight superiority of the first half. All of sudden they were making tackles that they might have missed earlier in the game, getting to loose balls that might have been grabbed by their opponents, and finding the forward passes which were going astray earlier. The reward came quickly. Within 10 minutes of the restart, a through pass from Tom found Oliver in space in the penalty area and able to beat the goalkeeper with an efficient low shot to level the score. From there, Teddington held a thin, but clear, advantage, taking the balance of possession and territory. They were unlucky not to go into the lead from an excellently-judged high, curling shot from Tom, which looked set to find it's way into the goal before an athletic leap enabled their keeper to turn the ball round the post. Other Teddington chances came and went without changing the score. Scarily on several occasions, Elmgrove breaks found the Teddington defence outnumbered as the boys pushed forward more and more to find their second goal. But some excellent defensive tackling and cover, and two terrific saves from Sam ensured that Elmgrove could not take a goal against the run of play. Special mention here to Charlie for what I think will be the tackle of the season - a perfectly-timed, do-or-die slide which won the ball fairly and flattened the opposing captain to the extent that he was withdrawn from the remainder of the game. Finally, five minutes from time, Teddington turned their pressure into a decisive lead when David capitalised on a spell of Teddington possession by turning the ball into the Elmgrove goal from close range. And after a few minutes of holding their concentration to prevent any last minute scares, that was that. All round, perhaps the best game we have seen from the boys - especially the second half after they adjusted to the lack of time and space which made this game so different from most this season. Their response was outstanding. And, even though the game was tight, well-balanced and very tense throughout, they thoroughly deserved to take the points and establish an unambiguous lead in the division. Well done. Teddington Player of the Match: Charlie

SQUAD: U11C
League	AFC Brooklands Falcons	18/1/2009	5-1
Teddington 5; AFC Brooklands 1 (Tom 2, Oliver, Fergus, Cameron) The form book suggested that this would be a routine win for Teddington. But real life doesn't always follow form, and for the first half Brooklands looked like they had a better than even chance of taking the game. They started the stronger of the two teams and were quickly pushing Teddington back into their own half and smothering any counter-attacks in midfield before our boys could mount a credible threat on the Brooklands goal. One early chance came our way when a terrific long ball from Tom (I think) found Oliver clear on goal, and only a super piece of goalkeeping prevented Teddington taking an early lead against the the run of play. Soon afterwards, Brooklands opened the scoring with a shot from space inside the penalty area, and for much of the rest of the first half, they looked comfortable defending their lead, and more than capable of extending it. For once, our midfield was slow to pick up loose balls and when they had possession they struggled to find time and space against tightly organised defending and strong running and tackling from Brooklands. Fortunately, our defending looked as robust as usual, and despite their dominance, Brooklands had few clear sights of goal. And then, after 25 minutes, Tom scored - a neat finish from close. Definitely against the run of play, but very welcome relief to put the scores equal at half time. Football, so the cliche says, is a game of two halves. And in this case the second half belonged completely to Teddington. Maybe another robust team talk from Michel (I wasn't close enough to hear), but something definitely spurred the boys into a different gear as their lackadaisical first half style was replaced by their more customary commitment and intelligent running and passing. This renewed drive quickly brought rewards in the form a nicely-taken goal from Oliver within a couple of minutes of the restart. After that, whilst Brooklands played hard to stay in touch, the game had turned decisively against them and evenly spaced goals from Fergus, Tom, and finally Cameron were a fair reflection of the new balance in Teddington's favour, as the match became the routine win which it should have been all along. So, for the second game in a row, the boys came from behind with a strong second half performance to win after a slow start, which is a real credit to them - and to Michel's half-time team talks. It will, nonetheless, be a relief when they can get back into the habit of starting games more strongly again. Teddington Player of the Match: Fergus

SQUAD: U11C
League	Staines Lammas Colts	1/2/2009	14-0
Teddington 14; Staines 0 (Dylan 2, Tom 3, David 2, Finlay 2, Oliver 4, Alex 1) Some games barely need any description. (Hint: the clue's in the score.) A most one-sided encounter, played in biting, cold wind. The pattern of the game emerged quickly. From the outset, Staines allowed Teddington space to play in, and the boys took full advantage. The scoring started early with a fine long shot from Dylan within the first five minutes, and it continued steadily and frequently throughout the rest of the game. Our midfield and strikers were in excellent form, winning the ball when necessary, passing and moving, and creating time and space for scoring opportunities - which they converted into goals less wastefully than in some games we have seen this season. Everybody contributed to the performance The strikers - obviously (hint: the clue's in the score). The midfield dominated the game, keeping the ball almost continuously in the Staines half. And when occasionally called upon, the defence did an excellent job closing down Staines attacks before they presented much threat to our goal. A couple of Dylan-special sliding tackles, and one or two hard challenges from Charlie were enough to see off most of the attacks. Confident ball-handling and two or three well-judged saves from Sam finished the job and ensured the clean sheet. And - because I'm biased - a special mention for Alex's first goal of the season - a nicely struck penalty, after going close to scoring several times earlier in the game. This was more than a routine win against a team playing under par. There's a football cliche to the effect that you're only as good as your opponents allow you to be. Judged by this, Staines must have been feeling very generous today, because Teddington were very good, despite a continuing tendency for our strikers to go for goal when passing would clearly be a better option. Not a problem today, of course, but in tighter games, a few intelligent passes in and around the penalty area may easily be the difference between winning and losing. And so, replete with goal, th boys move on to next week's cup game. Which looks like a much tougher challenge. Teddington Player of the Match: Timothy

SQUAD: U11C
Cup	Mayford	8/2/2009	1-4
Teddington 1; Mayford 4 (Tom) This promised to be a very tough match, with Mayford unbeaten and leading the division above ours. It was obvious from the start that they were going to be difficult opponents - a team of tall, strong players with good speed and ball skills. Fears of being outclassed grew as Mayford started quickly and scored after a couple of minutes, but Teddington settled down from the disappointment and gradually began to make an impression against the best organised defence they had seen all season. Doing exceptionally well to at least match Mayford, and maybe even hold the edge, in midfield, our players found routes to goal and were unlucky not to score on two or three occasions during the first half. So it was a significant knock-back when Mayford extended their lead just before half time. The second half started with the same fine balance, with both teams struggling to make an impression on determined, well-organised defending, and promising moves were stifled before anything could come of them. Again it was Mayford who managed to break the pattern with a penalty 15 minutes into the half. So, without ever being obviously second-best, the boys found themselves 3-0 down - which could easily have been demoralising, but to their credit they maintained their commitment and morale and continued to keep the balance of play close and create occasional scoring chances, even if the scoreline seemed to tell another story. Mayford put the game to bed with their final goal some 10 minutes before the end, before Tom finally managed a break-through to give Teddington a well-deserved consolation goal. Overall, a much closer game than the scoreline suggests, and an excellent, tough performance from the boys. In the end, the only siginificant difference was that Mayford took the chances that came their way, and we didn't. It's always disappointing to lose, but this was still a performance which did credit to the team. Teddington Player of the Match: Timothy

SQUAD: U11C
League	Cove	22/2/2009	6-4
Cove 4: Teddington 6 (Tom 2, Oliver 2, Alec, David) In some matches the pattern of play gets established early and varies little as the game goes on. This was not one of those games. From the start the momentum moved back and forth. Both teams started strongly, but the early chances went to Teddington thanks to some pacy passing and running. And good chances they were too. The boys could easily have been 3-0 up within 10 minutes. Helpfully, Cove also seemed to have lost their shooting boots, and for a while neither team could make the breakthrough despite a steady flow of excellent opportunities. Finally, after 15 minutes of running the game from midfield with great style, Tom stepped up a gear with an outstanding solo run half the length of the field through the Cove defence - and his finely judged finish gave the advantage to Teddington. Briefly after the goal, the who-can-miss-the-simplest-chances competition resumed before Cove finally found their range against some unusually tentative defending from the boys and evened up the score, slightly against the run of play. With both teams gradually managing to tighten up their play, it looked like the half would finish all square, but once again Tom broke the play open with a super winding run and goal from inside the penalty area. The second half began exceptionally well for Teddington, as Oliver took advantage of generous space from the Cove defence, for his first goal and then Alec turned the ball into the Cove goal from close range, to give Teddington a 4-1 lead. If that looked comfortable, then a brilliant combination on the break from David and Oliver increased the lead and should have put the game beyond doubt at 5-1 - with 20 minutes left to play and Cove looking demoralised. But sometimes things aren't so simple. With the boys beginning to tire and without any substitutes, gaps again began to show in Teddington's defence, and several times Cove came close to scoring, before they clawed back a goal from an exceptional free-kick which dipped just under the bar. A couple of times this season we've seen the boys lose their way from a winning position, and so it seemed today, as two more goals in quick succession reduced Teddington's advantage to a single goal. Just in time, the boys woke up again, and stabilised the game before David extended the lead 5 minutes before the end. And with that additional breathing space, the boys comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to take all three points. Phew. Teddington Player of the Match: Tom

SQUAD: U11C
League	Walton Casuals Vandals	15/3/2009	11-1
Teddington 11: Walton 1 (Oliver, Dylan 2, David 2, Fergus, Tom, Cameron, o.g. 2 + one other which I missed - sorry) Although there have been quite a few games like this over the course of the season, it was nice finally to be able to watch an unstressful win played out on a pleasant, sunny spring day. This was a very comfortable win. Teddington's first goal - an own goal deflected in from a cross by Oliver - took about 30 seconds from the kick off - and from there it was largely one-way traffic. 10 Minutes later, Oliver got one in his own name, and score continued to monut regularly over the course of the game. The boys were in good form, running and tackling hard, passing thoughtfully and moving quickly into space to collect possession. Walton worked hard, but they had no consistent response and spent long periods of the match in their own half of the field. To their credit they managed to hold out the score steady against relentless Teddington pressure for a few 10 minute spells at various points in the game. And they did well to take one goal against the run of play part way through the second half, and Sam made at least one terrific save to deny them a second. But over the course of the match, Teddington kept up a regular flow of goals which saw the game safe from well before half time, with very few scares at the other end of the pitch to disturb the impression of Teddington's comfortable superiority. Well done, boys.

SQUAD: U11C
League	Send Galaxy	29/3/2009	7-1
Teddington 7; Send Galaxy 1 (Oliver 3, Dylan, David, Tom 2) The scoreline makes this look like another routine win. In the end it was. But that's not the whole story. A quick flurry of 4 or 5 good chances for Teddington straight after the kick off seemed to promise that the boys could quickly pull out a lead - even if some dodgy finishing kept the scores even until Oliver planted the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net after two or three minutes. But then an odd thing happened: instead of taking a firm grip on the game and extending their lead, they seemed to lose their way a bit, with uncharacteristically sluggish and shapeless play which repeatedly gave Send opportunities to retain possession and put Teddington under pressure. Whilst never wholly outplayed, Teddington left openings at one end and unconverted scoring chances at the other. The result was 15-20 minutes of stalemate: both teams had chances. Neither could make them count - until Send finally found an opening from a corner to level the scores with less than 10 minutes left of the first half. Fortunately, this was exactly what was needed to spark a bit more urgency and commitment. Oliver quickly restored Teddington's single goal lead, and five minutes later he executed a terrific lob which dropped neatly over the goalkeeper's head and into the goal to complete his hat-trick. The second half had a more familiar pattern to it as the boys regained at least some of the drive and organisation which has been so impressive all season. Oliver and David starting finding the spaces between the Send defenders and running off Tom who increasingly dominated the midfield with quick-footed possession and intelligent passing. The game began to assume a familiar, one-sided, pattern. Within 10 minutes of the start of the half, goals from Dylan and David effectively put the win beyond doubt, before Tom capped his performance with a couple of goals in the final 10 minutes. It's a football cliche that the best teams win when they're not playing well. By that measure, Teddington did pretty well today - even if they were fortunate to be up against a side which couldn't take full advantage of the boys' slow first half. Teddington Players of the Match: Cameron and Sam

SQUAD: U11C
League	Elmgrove	5/4/2009	1-5
Teddington 1: Elmgrove 5 (Oliver) A game of two halves? Not really. Only the first mattered here - and Elmgrove won it. Despite both teams playing well, they had the edge in ideas, organisation and, crucially, finishing. And early goal, following some inattentive defending and a penalty area scramble, gave Elmgrove the momentum. Despite some well-created chances, Teddington couldn't even the score before Elmgrove extended their lead a further two times. A superbly worked combination from Tom and Oliver after 20 minutes pulled the score back to 3-1 and offered some prospect that the game could be turned round. Sadly, that began to look unlikely when Elmgrove got their fourth just before half time. The second half seemed more representative of how this game should have played out: two strong teams playing well and fighting for the slight advantage that would probably settle the league. But by then it was too late. Teddington started strongly with a couple of scoring chances. But, despite plenty of endeavour and skill on both sides, the remainder of the half quickly became a hard fought midfield stalemate, with neither side able to make much impression near their opponent's goal. This is in itself a credit to the boys, who sustained the motivation and commitment to nullify Elmgrove's first half superiority. The difference was noticable all over the pitch. But the damage had been done, and an even balance of play was not enough So, a disappointing result despite an effective and committed performance. A credit to both sides.

SQUAD: U11C
League	Guildford City Panthers	25/4/2009	8-4
Guildford City Panthers 4: Teddington 8 (Dylan 2, Oliver 3, Tom 2, Alex) Probably the last game of the season, and guaranteed promotion. Excellent! After three weeks and several pounds per player of Easter chocolate, the boys showed some signs of end-of-season lethargy and made this game harder work than necessary. On top form, this could have been another double figure game. When Dylan opened the scoring after only a couple of minutes, the team had already had two or three presentable chances, and looked likely to create many more, with the midfield and attack holding the bulk of possession and running strongly at the Guildford defence. And chances came regularly. But a combination of shaky finishing and decent defending meant that it was Guildford who scored next, to even up the game after ten minutes. A few minutes later minutes later, after similarly unproductive Teddington attacking, they did it again. It was surprising to be 2-1 down, but it seemed to galvanise the boys, as they began to turn their consistent pressure into regular goals. Oliver took two with strong, direct running and classy finishing, and Dylan took his second goal of the game, to ensure that Teddington entered the break strongly on top, despite Oliver suffering from a clumsy, late tackle which prematurely ended his half. The Boys started the second half as they finished the first, with Tom and then Oliver quickly extending the Teddington lead and giving Oliver his hat-trick. From there the game should have been safe, but despite continuing Teddington pressure, Guildford managed a nerve-inducing rally to score two breakaway goals and reduce their deficit to two. With boosted morale and 15 minutes left to turn the game around, Guildford looked keen, but found it hard to make any further impression, except via another episode of GBH on Oliver, before Alec and Tom put the result beyond doubt. Certainly not the best performance of the season, but a great result to ensure well-deserved promotion. Congratulations.

SQUAD: U11S
Friendly	Fleet Town Kestrels	7/9/2008	1-3
Our goal came from a Conor penalty.

SQUAD: U11S
Seeding	Haslemere Reds	14/9/2008	5-0
Goals: Zach from a Louis corner on the right. Ivan from edge of box after a Louis corner on the right. Matt from a long range free kick that eluded everyone. Charlie from close range. Zach a cool run and finish. Great performance by all.

SQUAD: U11S
Seeding	Claygate Swans	21/9/2008	3-2
Simon was in charge for this one which produced a great all-round team performance with everyone giving it everything to defend a well-worked 3-0 lead and hold out till the death. 2-0 at half time through a beautifully worked goal from Conor after a cross from Sam who had been put through by Matt. Second goal was route one wirh Conor latching on to a goal kick from Thomas and bearing down on the keeper, slipped it past him for 2-0. 3-0 early in 2nd half, Sam converting from a great run and cross from Ben. Claygate then got one back from a lucky break off a dubious free kick, then they made it 3-2 after a slick passing move. Then it was backs to the wall, some great saves from Thomas and relief at the final whistle. Phew. Woody.

SQUAD: U11S
Friendly	Chertsey Town	28/9/2008	3-1
A very pleasing performance, coming from a goal down to win by 3-1, a fair score against determined opposition. We took the opportunity to field several players in unfamiliar positions and learnt alot from the various experiments. Guy and Conor acquiited themselves very well in goal, and Guy was unlucky to concede after just 2 mins to a goal that had more than a suspicion of offside about it. But the boys showed great character to come back from that and after sustained pressure Matts corner was met at the near post by Dyl's header for 1-1 on 27 mins. Then deep into 1st half stoppage time, from another TAFC corner that was only half cleared, Alasdair unleashed a wonderful 'Giovanni' to give us a deserved 2-1 lead at the interval. The 2nd half we rang the changes once more, giving Danny S a run up front which he capped with a fine solo run and finish, having been put through by Alain on his debut. 3-1. We then shut up shop effectively and played out comfortably to the final whistle, winning ball, pressurising opponents and keeping our shape. Well done. Woody

SQUAD: U11S
League	Lyne Vapours	5/10/2008	2-5
LYNE VAPOURS VS TEDDINGTON STAGS U11 In incredibly wet conditions the Stags started the season with a very disappointing defeat at the hands of Lyne Vapours 2-5. With Thomas absent, Connor (1st half) and Guy (2nd) bravely volunteered to man the goal. We also welcomed Alain for his Stag debut. The boys were alert and full of energy from kick off. Teddington Stags attacked and attacked but got suckered into over committing and Lyne scored from a super fast break. Lyne’s number 11 was fleet of foot and a quality striker. Picking up the long ball on his right wing, he cut inside and drilled the ball passed an on-rushing Connor. Teddington responded by launching wave after wave of attacks, long shots and crosses but were thwarted by a very good (and at times lucky) goalkeeper. However, after much pressure Harry pounced and we finally equalised. Tails were up but once again as Teddington surged forward we were caught on the break and again a defence-splitting pass saw No.11 race away and finish beautifully. 1-2. Teddington responded again, these boys are not quitters, and after much attacking Harry popped up to score 2-2. It was a breathless 2-2 at half-time. The boys had played really well, good passing but just the final shot was missing. The second half started in the same manner. Teddington attacked and Lyne put 10 men behind the ball. We passed, we crossed, Matt and Dylan struck long range efforts but their defence held true and the goalie managed to push every shot wide, or land on top of it! As we pressed, their lone striker found space and in the end we conceded three more goals against the run of play. Remember Wembley, England vs Poland, 74 World Cup? It was not our day, we controlled 90% of the game but just could not finish. They had a quality striker and resolute defence. ALL the boys played with 100% effort and we could not have asked for more. I look forward to the return match and better luck next week! Manager Simon Crowe

SQUAD: U11S
League	Bedfont Green Royals	12/10/2008	5-2
Under 11 Stags’ first home league match of the season in Bushy Park. And this got off to a flying start with three goals in the first five minutes. First, Alain passed through to Charlie, who took a fine goal on the run. Then, almost a carbon copy of the first, a through ball from Sam after a pass from Louis, set Charlie free to score the second with a composed finish. And third, a ball across midfield from Conor, after good work on the left by Alasdair and Zach, found Matt, who scored from long range. Ten minutes later, and this time a pin-point accurate pass from Louis set up Charlie who completed his hat-trick. Now 4 – 0 to Teddington. But then Teddington lost their way a little and Bedfont, clearly not beaten yet, pulled back a goal, crucially just before half time. After the restart, Bedfont continued to press and Teddington struggled. Bedfont pulled another goal back. Thomas was called on to make two tricky saves to keep them from scoring further. A score direct from a free kick by Matt steadied the nerves, and Teddington ran out winners by 5 – 2. Full squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Conor, Daniel, Danny, Guy, Harry, Louis, Matt, Sam, Thomas, and Zach. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
Middx Cup	Pinner Utd	19/10/2008	0-4
TEDDINGTON PINNED DOWN BY PINNER (Lost 4 - 0) Under 11 Stags’ cup match against Pinner United in Bushy Park. Pinner from the highly competitive Harrow & District League arrived at Bushy Park, coming off the back of a 15 – 0 win in the previous round. This was going to require hard graft from Teddington. Pinned down very much in their own half from early in the game, Teddington found it very difficult to clear their lines and mount a counter attack. Despite some stalwart defending – and saves from Thomas in goal – the pressure was bound to tell. Pinner had to work hard for it, but midway through the half the inevitable goal came. But there was to be no flood of goals. Teddington knuckled down and began to create chances against the stronger side. However, another goal from Pinner on the stroke of half time sent the Stags in two goals down. In the second half, Teddington began to challenge Pinner, with Harry in defence and Matt in midfield being particularly effective. But they still found it difficult to create chances, with a shot from Louis just pushed wide as the best effort. Pinner’s strength told and they scored a further two goals. But Teddington could take from the game that they were not overwhelmed by a well organised, skilful and physical team, and they never gave up the attempt to push forward. Good experience for future games this season. Full squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Danny, Guy, Harry, Louis, Matt, Ryan, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Claygate Swans	26/10/2008	7-4
26 Oct 2008 against Claygate Royals Swans TEDDINGTON COME-BACK KINGS AGAINST CLAYGATE (WON 7 - 4) The boys had narrowly beaten this Claygate Swans team in a pre-season seeding game, but here they were, back at Bushy Park, top of the league and where they had turned us over 6-1 in a friendly last season. Game on. And Claygate came running out of the blocks from the start, catching a barely awake Teddington on the break - twice. We were 2 – 0 down in barely five minutes. Help was at hand from Matthew who pulled one back direct from a free kick. Alasdair was particularly firm in defence and Teddington managed some further shots. But Claygate seemed unstoppable – with a further two goals in a wet, miserable half ending with Teddington 4 – 1 down at the break. Appeals for offside, handball and the ball being out for a throw were all ignored by the ref. Play to the whistle, boys. Prospects looked bleak at the start of the second half, but a little tactical re-jigging with Harry strong now in midfield, Danny restored to central defence alongside the resolute Dylan and Sam up front paid instant dividends. Soon Louis passed a sweet through ball for Sam to strike home. 4 – 2, Teddington were back in it. Teddington’s defence now had the measure of Claygate’s swift attack, with a brave dive from Thomas at the feet of their striker keeping them at bay. Before Claygate could settle, Matthew snatched possession on the edge of the box and struck home – 4 – 3. With great determination Teddington were controlling midfield, and a through ball from Sam set up Alain to score the equaliser, 4 - 4. Teddington seemed set to secure one of their greatest escapes. But what’s this, an inspired Guy controlling a loose ball to set himself up to score with a cool finish into the top corner, to take the lead. And now Ben collecting a ball from the confused Claygate defence after good work from Charlie, to fire home Teddington’s sixth. And finally, Teddington’s continued pressure forced a penalty for a hand-ball, which Matt slotted home for his hat-trick to make it 7 – 4 to Teddington. Phew! So football really is a game of two halves! Full squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Louis, Matt, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Goldsworth Park Rangers	9/11/2008	2-1
TEDDINGTON STRIKE GOLD AGAINST GOLDSWORTH (WON 2 - 1) After last week’s 7-4 goal-fest, the team had high hopes off success against the Rangers. But in cold, blowy conditions, the Stags made their all-too-familiar slow start. GPR had a good deal of possession in the first half, with the wind behind them. And the Stags struggled to put their passing game together. Towards the end of a hard-fought half, GPR scored – to go into the break one goal up. In the second half, the advantage of the wind gave the come-back kings renewed energy. Matthew soon levelled the scores with a run from mid-filed and a well-struck goal, having taken a pass from the alert Zach. Game on. But GPR were not going to fade away and it took a diving save from Thomas off a free kick to keep the scores level. Finally, the Stags put their passes together and several of the boys had chances to score. At last it fell to Louis – from a well-judged cross from Matthew – to swivel and fire home in one swift move, to open his scoring for the season and to send the Stags home 2 -1 winners. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Charlie, Daniel, Dylan, Harry, Louis, Matt, Ryan, Sam, Thomas, and Zach. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League Cup	Bedfont Green Colts	16/11/2008	0-6
TEDDINGTON BESTED BY BEDFONT (LOST 6 - 0)B> Off the back of two come-back wins, the Stags were looking forward to their cup clash with Premier Division team Bedfont. And, on the day – at times - Teddington showed that they had the skills and vision to match the higher division side. But oh dear! If it could go wrong – it did go wrong. Not playing to the whistle – one goal down. Confusion in the penalty area – another goal down. Miss-kicks in the goal area – and another. And so on. And an own goal thrown in to complete the set! Oh well – what doesn’t kill them will make them stronger! Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Dylan, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matt, Ryan, Sam, Thomas, and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	AFC Brooklands Hawks	23/11/2008	2-6
Teddington Stags 2, Brooklands Hawks 6 It was a very cold, wet and wintry Bushy Park. But the Stags and Hawks were determined to play on. The Stags started brightly, and within minutes a great passing move between Harry and Louis set up Ben to score- a text book tracker-backer goal (Woody, who had chosen a good match to miss, would have been proud!). This only appeared to encourage Brooklands. Their swift passing and strong tackling enabled them to get back into the game. After one battle in our defence Alistair was injured and had to be taken off. Connor shortly followed with another foot injury. With a disrupted defence Brooklands attacked the Stag’s goal and duly got their rewards. At half time Brooklands were 3-1 ahead. Half time team talk was about digging in, and trying to get a quick goal to get back on level terms. After the restart, the Stags put together some good football but the ball would not run their way. Brooklands were able to score three more and it may have been more, but for the great defending of Harry and goalkeeping of Thomas. However, a brilliant late goal from Sam – headed in from a cross from Charlie restored some pride . Match squad = Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Sam, Thomas, and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting PS The conditions were terrible, and I’d like to say a big thank you to all the boys for trying their best, to the parents for their support, to Tony for refereeing at short notice, Jack for linesman, and Patrick (and team) for taking down the goals at the end. Simon Crowe (Manager for a very chilly morrning!)

SQUAD: U11S
League	Knaphill Spartans	30/11/2008	1-4
TEDDINGTON CAUGHT NAPPING IN KNAPHILL (LOST 4 - 1)B> Under 11 Stags’ league match against Knaphill Spartans at Knaphill. On a heavy, wet pitch the first half showed two well matched, competitive sides. The play ebbed and flowed the length of the pitch. Knaphill scored first but Teddington battled through to equalise from an individual effort by Matthew. However, the second half found Teddington losing their way a little. A quirky penalty allowed Knaphill to take the lead again. And pretty much straight from the restart they scored another. Teddington remained committed but couldn’t make good on their chances. Finally, Knaphill scored another late goal making it 4 -1. Teddington would have to wait for another day to try to break their run of losses. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Ivan, Matthew, Sam, Thomas, and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Claygate Griffins	7/12/2008	2-1
7 Dec 2008 against Claygate Griffins TEDDINGTON GREAT AGAINST THE GRIFFINS (WON 2 - 1) Under 11 Stags’ league match against Claygate Griffins at Bushy Park. Teddington were playing off the back of three defeats in a row. So it was a brave manager willing to ring the changes with Thomas making one of his occasional forays outfield. This was a free flowing game with a lot of good football. True to his past record outfield, Thomas duly scored with a clean strike off a clever pass from Ivan. The second half contained similar thoughtful football. It was Thomas’s through pass that led to Zac scoring Teddington’s second. Claygate were not beaten yet, and managed to pull a goal back. But Sam guesting in goal for the whole game pulled off several agile saves to keep the final score 2 -1 to Teddington. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Charlie, Connor, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas, and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Windlesham Hawks	4/1/2009	2-2
TEDDINGTON WONDERFUL AGAINST WINDLESHAM (Drew 2 - 2 ) Under 11 Stags’ league match against Windlesham Hawks at Bushy Park.< br> Teddington met the Division leaders buoyed up after breaking their run of losses only the week before. But Windlesham had only conceded 2 points and 2 goals all season – so this was going to be tough. Teddington’s heads were up from the beginning and the teams seemed evenly matched in the first half. They were matched for strength and Teddington opened the scoring following a strong run from midfield by Harry, leading to Matthew putting away a loose ball. However, Windlesham were able to equalise before half time. Windlesham started the second half very strongly creating many chances. Connor cleared off the line. Thomas made a season best finger tip save from a lobbed shot, just as the away supporters were beginning to celebrate a goal. In the end the pressure told and Windlesham took the lead. It looked like the flood gates might open for them. But none of it. Dylan was resolute in the tackle. And Danny was tireless in providing cover. Teddington’s legendary defence was back. The team grew in confidence and made progress on the break, leading to Sam’s late equaliser. And in the last minute Harry had a shot that flew just wide but ultimately Windlesham were certainly worthy of at least the point that they took away with them. But well done boys for ending the Hawks 100% league record. Match squad = Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas, and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Claygate Griffins	18/1/2009	1-1
TEDDINGTON COME CLOSE AT CLAYGATE Claygate started the stronger team and created many chances but - lucky for Teddington – failed to capitalise on them, with Thomas making several good saves and Ivan a goal line clearance. Teddington were creative on the break with Matt coming close on a couple of occasions. But in the end it was Claygate who came closest, hitting the bar before they opened the scoring - a corner eluded the whole Teddington defence and their striker popped it in. It was only Charlie’s pace covering back to clear off the line again that kept the score to only one before half time. Teddington were the stronger in the second half. Their pressure eventually told with Danny S reacting quickly to a loose ball to score after a high free kick had been pumped into the box by Matt. However, the match now became somewhat frantic, with neither side able to press home an advantage. Final score 1 – 1. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Ivan, Matthew, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Badshot Lea	25/1/2009	3-1
TEDDINGTON BOUNCE BACK AT BADSHOT (Won 3 - 1) Under 11 Stags’ league match away against Badshot Lea at Farnham. A slow start from Teddington, with Badshot the keener side. Soon Teddington conceded from a Badshot corner, with everyone standing around inviting their striker to stab in from 4 yards. But Teddington picked themselves up. And from an accurate passing move involving Harry and Matt, Sam beat the offside and calmly beat the keeper one on one to make it 1 – 1 at half time. After the restart, Teddington showed themselves to be the more skilful side, putting together a good passing game and dominating possession. Eventually the pressure paid off with two late goals – first Ben setting up Matt (although Zach was also on hand) and then Charlie who capped a great game full of skill and endeavour with an individual goal at the death. Teddington winners 3 – 1. Match squad = Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zach Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Lyne Vapours	1/2/2009	2-0
TEDDINGTON VANQUISH THE VAPOURS (Won 2 - 0) Under 11 Stags’ league match at home against Lyne Vapours in Bushy Park. One of the bogey teams for Teddington, Lyne had previously beaten them well. But today was Teddington’s. A hard fought game with Lyne equalling Teddington for effort. However, some finger tip saves from Thomas prevented Lyne from taking the lead. And Teddington were able to make the most of the chances they created, with Zach scoring early in the 2nd half after a great short corner routine involving Charlie and Conor, and then Ivan making it 2 – 0 finishing off a fluent passing move that also involved Matt, Dylan and Charlie. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
Plate QF	Windlesham Hawks	8/2/2009	0-2
TEDDINGTON HIT BY THE HAWKS (Lost 0 - 2) Under 11 Stags’ cup match at home against Windlesham Hawks in Bushy Park. Teddington went into the fixture knowing that they had held the division leaders to a draw in a previous league match. However, Windlesham proved the stronger side on the day. They were good on the break, but in no way overwhelmed Teddington, who spent long periods in the Windlesham half. Going 1 – 0 down in the first half did not undermine Teddington’s confidence. But ultimately Teddington were not able to capitalise on the chances they created. Louis in particular had some narrow misses, and put in some strong corners. Windlesham scored again in the second half. But fine saves from Thomas prevented them from building a big win. In the end, 2-0 to Windlesham was a fair result. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Charlie, Connor, Danny, Dylan, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Badshot Lea	15/2/2009	8-0
TEDDINGTON BLAST BADSHOT (Won 8 - 0) Under 11 Stags’ league match at home against Badshot Lea Rays in Bushy Park. After the disappointment of last week’s cup loss, Teddington were hoping to return to winning ways against a side they had beaten earlier in the season. Despite Teddington showing early dominance, Badshot created chances, forcing a diving saves from Thomas, and a goal mouth clearance by Dylan. Teddington’s pressure then began to tell, with several shots on target desperately saved or deflected by Badshot. The breakthrough came late in the half from a typically swaggering run from Charlie, a sublime cross, driven into the goal by Sam. Within five minutes Sam had pounced on a loose ball in the Badshot area – 2 – 0. But Badshot were not finished, forcing another save from Thomas to keep a clean sheet as half time came. Within 2 minutes of the restart, Ivan had increased Teddington’s lead with a textbook volley after Harry’s shot had been deflected into his path. Ten minutes later, a run by Harry followed by a perfectly weighted pass, put Matthew through to score. Next it was a through pass from Matthew that set up Sam to score his hat trick. Ivan running from midfield then set up Matthew to score his second. Another opportunistic shot from Sam gained his fourth. Then finally as the clock ran down, Louis made it 8 – 0 with a long range shot after Conor had put him through. Teddington winners 8 – 0. Match squad = Alasdair, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Dylan, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Bedfont Green Royals	22/2/2009	6-2
TEDDINGTON BEST BEDFONT (Won 6 - 2) Under 11 Stags’ league match away against Bedfont Green Royals at Bedfont. The teams seemed evenly matched at the start. Teddington opened the scoring from a well judged through ball by Louis allowing Sam to score. But in short order Bedfont were able to equalise. Matthew gave Teddington the lead again, from a strong individual run through the middle of the pitch to score. Again, Bedfont equalised. Saves from Thomas prevented further Bedfont scores. And in the dying moments of the half Danny made a goal line clearance to keep the scores level. Teddington seemed on the back foot going into the break. However, soon after the restart Louis picked up a loose ball in the Bedfont area, and struck home. Next Matthew scored from a well placed free kick. Then Thomas was forced to make a diving save in what was to be Bedfont’s last serious attempt on Teddington’s goal. A penalty strike from Matthew made it 5 – 2. And finally, from a long shot, Ivan made it Teddington winners by 6 – 2. Match squad = Alain, Ben, Charlie, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Worplesdon Sharks	1/3/2009	2-1
TEDDINGTON TIE AT WORPLESDON (Double header - Won 2 – 1; lost 0 -1) Under 11 Stags’ league match double header against Worplesdon Sharks at Worplesdon. Fixture congestion meant that Teddington would have to play both league matches against Worplesdon on the same day at their ground. Two evenly matched teams fought hard over both matches. In the first match, Teddington had the edge. In the first half, an assist from Thomas (one of his occasional outfield matches) set up Guy to score. Both Alain and Charlie also came close to scoring. In the second half, a deft headed flick on from Thomas set up Matthew for an individual run down the centre of the field to make it 2 – 0. Worplesdon pulled one back with a clever chip, but Harry completed a fine game in goal to save later from a lofted ball, to claim the win for Teddington. In the second match, Worplesdon seemed the stronger team. Saves from Thomas, and several dramatic goal line clearances from Conor kept Worplesdon at bay for most of the match. But eventually the home team claimed a goal to win 1 – 0; with the six points being shared on the day. Match squad = Alain, Ben, Charlie, Conor, Danny, Daniel, Guy, Harry, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Worplesdon Sharks	1/3/2009	0-1
TEDDINGTON TIE AT WORPLESDON (Double header - Won 2 – 1; lost 0 -1) Under 11 Stags’ league match double header against Worplesdon Sharks at Worplesdon. Fixture congestion meant that Teddington would have to play both league matches against Worplesdon on the same day at their ground. Two evenly matched teams fought hard over both matches. In the first match, Teddington had the edge. In the first half, an assist from Thomas (one of his occasional outfield matches) set up Guy to score. Both Alain and Charlie also came close to scoring. In the second half, a deft headed flick on from Thomas set up Matthew for an individual run down the centre of the field to make it 2 – 0. Worplesdon pulled one back with a clever chip, but Harry completed a fine game in goal to save later from a lofted ball, to claim the win for Teddington. In the second match, Worplesdon seemed the stronger team. Saves from Thomas, and several dramatic goal line clearances from Conor kept Worplesdon at bay for most of the match. But eventually the home team claimed a goal to win 1 – 0; with the six points being shared on the day. Match squad = Alain, Ben, Charlie, Conor, Danny, Daniel, Guy, Harry, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Claygate Swans	8/3/2009	1-3
TEDDINGTON SLIP UP AGAINST THE SWANS (Lost 1 - 3) Under 11 Stags’ league match away against Claygate Swans at Long Ditton. On a windy and bumpy pitch Teddington struggled to find their form. Two quick goals in the first 7 mins gave Claygate the edge. And another soon after the restart direct from a free kick, denied Teddington the scope for a strong fight back. However, Teddington stuck at it. Alasdair’s efforts were rewarded with a goal from a wind assisted speculative long shot. And both Dylan (defending) and Thomas (in goal) displayed heroics in the goal mouth to prevent a glut of goals for Claygate. Match squad = Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Danny, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zach. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Goldsworth Park Rangers	15/3/2009	3-1
TEDDINGTON GET A GRIP AGAINST GOLDSWORTH PARK RANGERS (Won 3 - 1) Under 11 Stags’ league match at home against Goldsworth Park Rangers in Bushy Park. Back on home territory again, Teddington aimed to get back to winning ways. Early in the half, Louis came close for Teddington with a shot from distance – just wide. However, for much of the first half the two evenly matched teams managed to cancel each other out. Teddington’s break came from an individual effort from Matt, with a well struck cross shot from a tight angle 1 – 0 at half time. Early in the second half Thomas was forced to tip a long ball over the bar, while Zach had a near miss with a header at the other end. Then Teddington began to put pressure on. A great passing move put Louis free, who then finished with style – 2 – 0. But Goldsworth then pulled a goal back, and it seemed they might get back into the game. However, a powerful run down the wing by Charlie, then a perfectly weighted cross, allowed Sam to shoot home – 3 – 1. Just before the final whistle Ivan made a tremendous strike only to be denied by the cross bar. Final score 3 – 1 to Teddington. Match squad = Alain, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Daniel, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zach. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	AFC Brooklands Hawks	22/3/2009	3-1
TEDDINGTON GET THE BETTER OF BROOKLANDS (Won 3 - 1) Under 11 Stags’ league match away against AFC Brooklands at St George’s college. This was always going to be a tough match – with Teddington unable to field any substitutes - against one of the Division’s stronger sides. It would certainly test Teddington’s resolve. And so it was that Brooklands had much of the possession in the first half, pretty much camped in Teddington’s territory. A goal line clearance – no surprise that Conor was the player tracking back. Then a diving save from Thomas. But Teddington stuck to the basics, with Danny in particular covering a lot of ground in defence. Shortly before half time, a well placed throw from Alasdair put Matthew away down the left wing. Matthew’s well-judged cross found Sam – who struck it first time into the goal. The elegant simplicity of the play stunned Brooklands, as Teddington went into the break 1 – 0 up. The second half followed the form of the first – Brooklands trying to break Teddington down; Teddington staying calm and dogged in their resistance. And then another breakaway by Matthew latching onto another quick throw, this time from Guy, the resultant cross found Ivan, who shook the crossbar with a powerful shot – and this time the ball went in – 2 – 0 to Teddington. Despite a goal line save from Thomas, Brooklands’ pressure eventually told as they made it 2 – 1. And with almost ten minutes to go, they still fancied their chances. However, Teddington’s team work paid off and another persistent run my Matthew harried their goalie and defender and led to him making it 3 – 1. The home crowd were silenced as Teddington finished worthy winners. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Connor, Daniel, Danny, Guy, Ivan, Matthew, Sam, Thomas and Zac. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Knaphill Spartans	29/3/2009	3-3
29 Mar 2009 against Knaphill Spartans TEDDINGTON TIE WITH THE SPARTANS (Drew 3 - 3) Under 11 Stags’ league match at home against Knaphill Spartans at Bushy Park. Teddington got off to a slow start with Knaphill showing the greater commitment. Teddington conceded a sloppy goal from a goal kick, and then Knaphill pressed home their advantage with two further, fine goals. With much of the first half already over, Teddington were trailing 0 – 3. And it seemed possible a heavy loss was on the cards. However, heads still up, Teddington began to battle back. A spirited run from Louis set up Conor to score from the edge of the box. Then Guy scored from distance with a well struck goal following a half clearance from a corner. Teddington had stopped the rot. Teddington started the second half with a wobble, requiring a goal line clearance by Alasdair. But with some well-placed kicks out from Thomas, Teddington began to get the upper hand. Ivan had a shot pushed just wide. Conor narrowly missed from a free kick. Finally, Alain found the equaliser, squeezing a long shot just past Knaphill’s keeper. Teddington continued to press until the finally whistle and might have won it. However, a well-deserved draw after a brave fightback – 3 – 3. Match squad = Alain, Alasdair, Ben, Charlie, Connor, Danny S, Dylan, Guy, Harry, Ivan, Louis, Sam, and Thomas. Nick Dexter reporting.

SQUAD: U11S
League	Bisley Sports	5/4/2009	0-2
Never really got going in this one - Bisley scored early in each half and whilst they did not create many other chances, they remained alert, competitive, organised and kept their shape. Sam, Guy and Ben all had chances which on another day....but then again we were indebted to the returning Charlie for a great tip-over save in the 1st half. As usual, we managers ruminate longer over the defeats than we do the victories. And the boys have been called in for extra training on Sat 18th April to complement the regular Fri training on 17th before we travel to the league leaders Windlesham on the 19th. Woody

SQUAD: U11S
League	Windlesham Hawks	19/4/2009	0-3
Outplayed by a couple of wonder strikes and a dearth of attempts at goal. Thanks very much to our 2 sub keepers, Harry & Alasdair who did very well - certainly not at fault for any of the goals. We played a little too deep and only when I belatedly put Sam up in support of Ivan did we look the stronger side. But actually the boys played pretty well, there were some neat passages of play at times and they all stayed committed and enthusiastic till the final whistle. Woody

SQUAD: U11S
League	Bisley	10/5/2009	3-2
Good to end the season with a win and the manner in which the boys played was also very rewarding. The committment that we sought and obtained from the latter part of the tour was still evident and the boys harried the oppostion throughout, did not let them settle and played some fluent football going forward. All our goals were good footballing goals. Two involved neat build up play with Ivan, Charlie, Matt involved, using the wings and Alain & Dylan converting the crosses with first time strikes. Sam's goal was a testiment to his persistence as he got between the defender and his goalie to steer the ball home. In defence we looked solid and the goals conceeded owed alot to the extra bounce afforded by the slope that Bisley exploited in the 2nd half to lob balls over Thomas. But he more than made up for any positional hesitancy with some great saves and quick lengthy kicks out. Its been another rewarding season and we are now well established in the third tier of the SPL (we will finish 4th or 5th out of 12) and look to push on next season. Well done to all. Woody

SQUAD: U12C
League	Byfleet Village Whites	21/9/2008	16-1
Teddington Athletic Colts 16 (James Hoppe (4), Dan Faber (3), Michael Thomas (3), Cameron Kindley (6)) Byfleet Village Whites 1 The Colts gained their first win at 11 aside with an impressive all round team performance. The boys will gain confidence from this performance and result although Mayford are likely to provide sterner opposition next Sunday.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Mayford Mavericks	28/9/2008	5-2
Mayford Mavericks 2 Teddington Athletic Colts 5 (Duncan Green, Cameron Kindley, Jonathan Darcey, Robert Hanby (2)) Having conceded a freakish goal early on, Teddington battled back to win comfortably. Duncan Green grabbed the all important equaliser and Cameron Kindley soon put Teddington in front. Jonathan Darcey scored a goal on his debut and Robert Hanby's first goal was a superb effort. Teddington played some great football today and showed great commitment and determination. Another good team performance, strong in all areas.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Worplesdon Phoenix	5/10/2008	0-0
Teddington Athletic v Worplesdon Phoenix Worplesdon could not field a side. Points awarded to Teddington.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Fleet Vikings	12/10/2008	8-0
Teddington Athletic 8 (James Hoppe (2), Duncan Green, Cameron Kindley, Jamie Robertson, Michael Thomas, Jonathan Darcey and an own goal) Fleet Vikings 0 Another win, comfortable without maybe reaching the level of the first two games. Two headed goals by Duncan Green and Michael Thomas was encouraging and it was good to see Jamie Robertson getting forward for a rare goal.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Aldershot Warriors	19/10/2008	5-0
Aldershot Warriors 0 Teddington Athletic 5 (Michael Thomas (2), Cameron Kindley (2), own goal) With six players away, Teddington were pleased to have Chris Dandie available for this game. Teddington put in a good first half performance and were 4-0 up at the break but the second half rather drifted away and several goalscoring opportunities were squandered. Duncan Green, deputising in goal, was hardly troubled all afternoon.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Burpham Colts	26/10/2008	4-2
Teddington Athletic 4 (Cameron Kindley (2), Robert Hanby, Michael Thomas) Burpham Colts 2 The best performance and result of the season so far. Both teams came into the game with 100% records and it was Burpham that took an early lead. Teddington fought back well though and were 2-1 up by half time. Johnny McMullan made a fantastic save to preserve the lead before Teddington pulled away to in the end win comfortably against good opposition. This was an outstanding team display. Great goalkeeping, determined tackling in defence, good passing and battling in midfield and dangerous attacking and wing play. Lovely to watch and played in great spirit by both teams.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Walton & Hersham Swans	2/11/2008	3-3
Teddington Athletic Colts 3 (Danilo Faber (2), Cameron Kindley) Walton & Hersham Swans 3 The first dropped points of the season but this was certainly one gained rather than two lost. With several players out either unavailable or ill Teddington were on the ropes at 0-2 down at half time against strong opponents. A spirited second half fightback saw Teddington level through two goals from Danilo Faber before they went behind again. A late Cameron Kindley equaliser ensured a hard earned point.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Burpham Colts	9/11/2008	0-4
Burpham Colts 4 Teddington Athletic 0 The first defeat of the season. A goal down at half time, Teddington were caught pushing players forward in an attempt to pull the game back in the second half.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Abbey Rangers Colts	16/11/2008	3-1
Abbey Rangers Colts 1 Teddington Athletic 3 (Mitchell Evans, Cameron Kindley (pen), Fin Flack) The Colts returned to form with a fine away win. Having fallen behind to a penalty, the Colts equalised when Mitchell Evans pounced on a goalkeeping error. Cameron Kindley coolly put the Colts ahead from the penalty spot before Fin Flack sealed it with his first goal for the club following good work by Danilo Faber.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Walton & Hersham Swans	30/11/2008	1-0
Walton & Hersham Swans 0 Teddington Athletic 1 (Danilo Faber) Arguably the performance of the season so far. On a mudbath of a pitch the Colts took a first half lead through Danilo Faber's well taken finish then, in a display of shear determination and no little ability, held on to the lead through a combination of terrific defending, with Ben Dummett and Jamie Millbank outstanding, and ever dangerous counter attacking play. A performance to be proud of and a delight for all the parents there to watch.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Guildford Saints Scorchers	7/12/2008	8-0
Teddington Athletic 8 (Jonathan Darcey, James Hoppe, Cameron Kindley (2), Michael Thomas, Robert Hanby, Danilo Faber (2)) Guildford Saints Scorchers 0 Another great team performance against uncompromising opposition. The boys played their way to a well deserved win with some outstanding football. The passing and movement was great to watch and the boys stood up strong when they had to. It would unfair to pick out individual performances today as all the boys played their positions so well. Its a team game and they should all be proud of themselves and each other after a game like this.

SQUAD: U12C
League Cup	Walton & Hersham Swans	4/1/2009	4-2
Teddington Athletic 4 (Robert Hanby, own goal, James Hoppe, Danilo Faber) Walton & Hersham Swans 2 Teddington had to really dig deep to win this one. Having fallen behind to an unlucky own goal, Teddington equalised when Robert Hanby struck a screamer from the edge of the box before Walton regained the lead just before half time. The second half saw both teams pushing for the next goal which would probably prove to be crucial and it was Teddington that got it, again through an own goal. Teddington's tails were now up and James Hoppe soon put them ahead with a superb chip before Danilo Faber made the tie safe.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Mayford Mavericks	18/1/2009	1-3
Teddington Athletic 1 (Cameron Kindley) Mayford Mavericks 3 Teddington fell behind to two first half goals but despite a strong second half performance they were unable to get the elusive equaliser and conceded a late goal on the break.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Worplesdon Phoenix	1/2/2009	2-3
Worplesdon Phoenix 3 Teddington Athletic Colts 2 (Danilo Faber, Fin Flack) Teddington lost four players and their influential coach Peter Hanby to flu today in a game, played with 10 players a-side, that was switched to Teddington's home game where there was a bitiing cold wind in Bushy Park . Teddington scored early and were 2-1 up at half time but they missed several good goalscoring opportunities to make the game safe and were made to pay when Worplesdon broke away for two late goals. A frustrating result as this was a game that should have been won.

SQUAD: U12C
League Cup	Worplesdon Phoenix	8/2/2009	4-3
Teddington Athletic Colts 4 (James Hoppe, Jonathan Darcey (2), Jamie Millbank) Worplesdon Phoenix 3 What a game. A passionate cup tie in which the Colts really had to dig deep. Three times they fell behind, three times they fought back before piling on late pressure and grabbing a thrilling victory with Jamie Millbank's beautifully struck late winner. Jonathan Darcey fully deserved his two goals and Ben Dummett was outstanding in midfield but all the boys on show today take great credit for their battling performance and desire to play football the right way.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Abbey Rangers Colts	22/2/2009	6-0
Teddington Athletic Colts 6 (Milan Agrawal, Cameron Kindley (2), James Hoppe, Jonathan Darcey, Danilo Faber) Abbey Rangers Colts 0 Teddington started slowly against nine man opposition but eased to a comfortable win once Milan Agrawal had put them ahead with his first goal for the Club.

SQUAD: U12C
League Cup	Windlesham Royals	8/3/2009	1-2
Teddington Athletic Colts 1 (own goal) Windlesham Royals 2 This was probably the best performance we've ever seem from the Colts as, for large parts of the game, they outplayed opponents from the Division above them. Playing into a strong wind, the Colts scored first but were 1-2 down at half time. They piled forward in the second half and almost got a richly deserved equaliser when Robert Hanby rattled the crossbar but this was not to be their day.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Aldershot Warriors	15/3/2009	0-0
Teddington Athletic v Aldershot Warriors Aldershot could not field a side. Points awarded to Teddington.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Guildford Saints Scorchers	22/3/2009	7-0
Guildford Saints Scorchers 0 Teddington Athletic Colts 7 (Jamie Robertson, Cameron Kindley (pen), Michael Thomas (3), James Hoppe (2)) A comfortable win for the Colts. Jamie Robertson put them ahead before Cameron Kindley thumped home a well-taken penalty to make it 2-0 at half time. The Colts eased clear in the second half with Michael Thomas grabbing a hat-trick and James Hoppe netting a brace. Finlay Flack worked tirelessly up front and the defence was rarely troubled.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Fleet Vikings	29/3/2009	5-1
Fleet Vikings 1 Teddington Athletic Colts 5 (Cameron Kindley, Michael Thomas (2), Robert Hanby, Mitchell Evans) Not a classic but once Cameron Kindley put the Colts ahead following a deft layoff from Michael Thomas the game was never in doubt.

SQUAD: U12C
League	Byfleet Village Whites	19/4/2009	10-0
Byfleet Village Whites 0 Teddington Athletic Colts 10 (og, Danilo Faber (3), Jonathan Darcey (3), James Hoppe, Cameron Kindley, Miles Butler) The Colts completed their first season at 11 aside with an emphatic win to finish runners up to Burpham by just one point.

SQUAD: U12S
League	Knaphill Dynamites	5/10/2008	6-2
Another roller coaster match with Knaphill needing to score 2 goals before we even woke up! We were lucky to keep it to 2 as they missed an open goal thanks to a late challenge by Teddy Edison Gradually we came back into the game and Max Jackson pulled a crucial goal back before 1/2 time . After a few changes in the second half we started playing the way we have most of the season. Great flowing passing movement and suddenly we started to get on top of the Game. Henry scored the equaliser 5 mins into the second half followed quickly by 2 goals from man of the match Pierre to make it 4-2. After that Henry Hodgeson took centre stage with 2 more coolly taken goals to make his hat trick and the final score 6-2

SQUAD: U12S
League	Chertsey Town	12/10/2008	20-2
A really faultless display- goals from Henry Hodgeson (4) Charlie Ackland (4) Joe Darby (3) Ben Kurtaran (3) and one each for Pierre Hallien, Stan Kearney ,George McKillop, Abrahim Shebana, and Max Jackson and 1 O.G. It was a joy to watch the passing and movement from the kick off to the final whistle.

SQUAD: U12S
League	Woking Athletic	9/11/2008	4-0
A Solid performance against a 10 man best very well organised team saw 2 goals from Abrahim Shebana and Joe Darby keeping the Stags unbeaten so far this season.

SQUAD: U12S
League	Molesey Juniors	23/11/2008	1-2
It was a borderline decision whether this match was going to be played. In the end we suffered our first league defeat with key players missing and everyone wearing the pitch by the end of the game. It was a tight battle and I am pleased to say that our passing game still looked good even in the conditions. The first half was goalless but we had the better of it by a long way and just the final ball was lacking. Molesey packed out their penalty area and although they did not 'park the bus' they defended brilliantly thoughout and their keeper pulled off a great save from Stan Kearney after a great corner from Charlie Ackland was volleyed toward thier goal. We started the second half just as brightly and finally we got our reward with Pierre Hallien scoring after prolonged pressure but after the goal Molesey seemed to find hidden depths of strength and eventually equalised. In the last minute they scored a second and there was not time for the stags to rally , it was a cruel blow which ended our great unbeaten run in the league. Arthur King was our man of the match as he did not stop running and was causing the defence problems throughout. Despite the conditions and the result its rare to see games like this and the boys loved it. Onward and upward to next week.

SQUAD: U12S
League	Manorcroft Pumas	30/11/2008	6-1
After a slow start on a heavy pitch, the Stags bounced back to form with a thumping 6-1 win against Manorcroft. Stan Kearney opened the scoring mid way through the first half after some great work from Joe Darby. The second was bundled in after a goal mouth Scramble form a corner. Joe Darby getting the final touch for his 14th of the season. In the First minute if the second half it was 3-0 with a neatly worked goal ending up with Charlie ackland slotting home. The Stags than had a period where they had to soak up some pressure from Manorcroft during which they scored. But with a change around in midfield the Stags started to dominate and Stan Kearney scored his second tucking away a great though ball from Henry Hodgeson and then his hat trick after the Manorcroft defence failed to deal with another Henry Hodgeson through ball. We capped off the game with a great strike from Harry Baker which was too hot to handle from the Manorcroft keeper. Man of the match was Henry Hodgeson who deserved at least a goal for his performance in Midfield and then up front in the second half.

SQUAD: U12S
League Cup	Manorcroft Pumas	14/12/2008	3-2
What a match ! After playing Manorcroft and beating Manorcroft twice already this season we would never had expected the battling performance they gave with only 10 men. The Stags were not at their best with some players obviously suffering with colds,but we managed to shade the first half and scored a great breakaway goal when Joe Darby released Abrahin Shebana who kept his cool after a long run to be one on one with their keeper. We started the second half brightly and Stan Kearney popped up on the right to coolly slot home a second and all seemed pretty straight forward. However Manorcroft rallied and the 10 men started to put pressure on our back four who rarely put a foot wrong. George and man of the match Olliver got in the way of every attack untill finally they deservedly broke through and scored after failing to clear a corner. After that Manorcroft played their hearts out and with about 5 minutes to spare equalised and everyone thought extra time was imminent. Step up Stan Kearney with his 10th and easily his best goal of the season after a Teddy Edison through ball was cut out, it broke to Stan just outside the box, who looked up and calmly blasted it in the top corner with a minute to spare. Cue wild celebrations on and off the pitch!.

SQUAD: U12S
League	ELM GROVE	11/1/2009	2-1
A reversed fixture and despite the weather this was a really thrilling game and the Stags kept up the great seasons prefomance with a 2-1 vistory over Elm Grove . We started very slowly and were cought sleeping when Elm Grtove scored early in the first half. But as the game progressed we started playing our usual passing game and we eventually got our reward when Man of the Match Abrahim Shebana chased half the length of the pitch to put the Elm Grove defender under pressure and cross the ball to Joe Darby who slotted home his 15th of the season . The Second half was end to end action and the midifeld worked hard in difficult conditions, Midway to the second half 'super sub' Harry Baker ran on to a though ball from Abrahim and just got there in front of the keeper to put away the second. An important Victory which leaves us second in the table.

SQUAD: U12S
League	Feltham Youth	25/1/2009	2-2
This was without doubt our best preformance so far this season against a Feltham side who are unbeaten. The Fisrst half was really tight and both sides having opportunities to go ahead. Mid way through the first half Stan Kearney picked up on a loose ball and passed it through to Joe Darby who beat the Keeper for his 16th of the season. With virtually the last kick of the half Feltham scored an equaliser which was assisted by the wind and Hugo Sawer , who played a solid half in goal could do little to stop. Second Half and the Stags came out looking strong and passing the ball around in midfield brilliantly, we were rewarded when Henry Hodgson scored his 11th of the season when the ball broke loose in the box. The half seem to drag on for ages and a strong fightback by Feltham was snuffed out , the last 2 minutes saw what looked like a penalty denied by the ref when Joe rounded the keeper and colided with him. The back four led brilliantly by Oliver Goodwin and Man of the Match George McKillop had snuffed out their attack for all of the game only for a last gasp equaliser coming with seconds remaining. The result was a little harsh on the Stags but all in all this was a great team performance and shows that we are definately in contention for winning the league if we can keep this up. Well done to all.

SQUAD: U12S
Cup Final	Elm Grove	26/4/2009	2-1
The Stags played their first cup final against a very good Elm Grove team and went on to win their first of hopefully many trophies. The game was played in great spirit and both teams had threats in the first half. After 15 minutes the Stags took the lead after our super striker Joe Darby battled to win possesion from a through ball by Stan Kearney to make it 1- 0. As the half progressed the Stags were beginning to get the upper hand and just before half time Charlie Ackland passed out to Stan Kearney who went on a run passing two players, all seemed lost but he managed to push the ball past the last defender to cut back to Joe Darby to score his second on the day and 36th of the season. The Second half saw Elm Grove coming back strongly and the back 4 lead by George McKillop and Oliver Goodwin coped brilliantly with the pressure , Teddy Edison and Mathew Bamforth both contributing to the closing off of the Elm grove threat. The midfield and front 2 also worked really hard to keep the Stags in the game and even though Elm Grove got a goal back . The Stags kept their nerve to win the cup for the first time in their history. Captain Charlie Ackland lifted the trophy with pride and all parents and the manager were filled with pride that we won a trophy after such a magnificent season. Come on you Stags!!

SQUAD: U13
Friendly	Feltham Youth	31/8/2008	1-6
Sunday 31st August 2008 Pre-Season Friendly Teddington Athletic 1 Feltham Youth 6 After almost 4 months away from football, Teddington u13s got back together for a friendly game against local neighbours Feltham. Edward Gent and James Elway were welcomed as debutants, but the weather was not so welcoming with rain intermittently throughout. The game was played in a good competitive spirit throughout and Teddington held their own against a larger more physical side for most of the first half before falling behind just a minute before the interval to the fast, strong Feltham striker. The second half was a different affair with Feltham dominating and scoring a further 5 goals - the number 16 scoring 4 in total. Teddington kept going and were rewarded with a consolation goal from James Manson right at the end. Things could have been very different if a Josh Lee effort had gone in instead of hitting the post when the score was only 0-2, 10 minutes into the second half, but that is football. For many of the Teddington boys, this was their first taste of football for months, so they will definitely benefit from the fitness side. Next week we have another friendly at Molesey, which will give the boys another chance to stretch their legs. Scorer for Teddington: James Manson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Friendly	Molesey Dynamoes	7/9/2008	6-1
Sunday 7th September 2008 Pre-Season Friendly Molesey Dynamoes 1 Teddington Athletic 6 This was an altogether different affair to last week, with Teddington gaining a confidence boosting victory in a game they completely dominated. To be fair, the opposition were quite inexperienced, but nevertheless, Teddington played some lovely passing football which is something their fans would like to see more of as the season progresses. As well as the 6 goals they scored, 5 of them going to Joe Evans (nice one Joe!), they also created a hatful of chances and could quite easily have doubled their score. Next week the league campaign commences, so things will get tougher, but hopefully the boys will have found their match feet by now whilst still working on their fitness levels. Goals for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 1; Joe Evans 5.

SQUAD: U13
Friendly	Walton Saxons	14/9/2008	6-3
Sunday 14th September 2008 Pre-season Friendly Walton Saxons 3 Teddington Athletic 6 Sunshine and long grass greeted the boys on the short trip across the river to Walton in this hastily arranged friendly match following the intended league opposition folding. Walton Casuals will also be in our division this season, so this would be quite a good yard-stick of what was to come - although they had come bottom of the division last season, they had picked up 3-4 boys from the 'A' team. This was a game of two quite different halves. The first was closely fought with little given away by either side and few opportunities; the second a much more open game with lots of chances at both ends. Teddington played all the good football in the first half, but lacked that final pass to create clear-cult chances, whilst Walton resorted mostly to the long ball to their strikers who were often caught offside. Walton scored first, against the run of play, scrambling the ball in from a corner 10 minutes before the interval. This galvanised Teddington and pretty soon afterwards they were level following a sweeping move involving Matt Kidd, Tom Hodgson and James Manson allowing Joe Evans to score at the far post. The second half began with Walton in rampant form cutting through the Teddington defence twice in the first 5 minutes to make it 1-3. It looked ike Teddington were going to be completely over-run, but unlike last season when they may have capitulated, they dug deep to steady the ship and 10 minutes into the second half were thrown a lifeline by Daniel McGlade who cut in from left back to thump the ball from 35 yards high towards the Walton goalie who could only parry it into the net. From this point onwards, Teddington took control: Joe Evans equalising from a corner and then further goals from James Manson, Josh Lee and Tom Hodgson making the game safe at 6-3. This was a really good performance that the boys should be proud of as Walton were not a push-over having only lost 1-2 to division 2 Perrywood last week. If they can keep their passing game going and their heads up throughout, they should move confidently into the league season which starts next weekend. Goals for Teddington Athletic: Joe Evans 2; Daniel McGlade 1; James Manson 1; Josh Lee 1; Tom Hodgson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Bedfont Green	21/9/2008	6-4
21st September 2008 SPL u13s Division 3 Bedfont Green 4 Teddington Athletic 6 On a glorious autumn day, Teddington made the short trip to Bedfont Green to play their first league game of the season. Bedfont had just joined the SPL playing all their previous football in the more competitive Surrey Youth League, so Teddington knew they were in for a tough game. And that is what they ultimately got. The first half was probably the best half of passing football that Teddington Athletic have played against very good opposition. Solid defending from DanileeMcGlade, Isaac Jones, Harry Dillamore and Seb Bray lay the foundations and industrious play in midfield by Tom Hodgson and James Manson allowed the wide players of Edward Gent and Oli King to get into the game. For the first time in a long time the strikers of Josh Lee and Joe Evans had decent ball to feed from which made all the difference. The goals began after 10 mins following a foul on Edward as he ran down the left wing. Up stepped James Manson to curl the ball directly into the goal. Within a minute a sweeping move down the right side released Josh who scored with aplomb. He went on to score a further 3 goals in the first half against a shakey looking Bedfont defence. The teams turned around with Teddington 5-0 up, but the second half was quite different with Bedfont putting in a spirited performance. They scored 2 goals within 10 minutes of the re-start and had their tails up, before James Manson extended the Teddington lead to 6-2 following up a Tom Hodgson effort. However, Bedfont managed to score a further two goals against George Reynolds in the Teddington goal to keep the spectators on the edge of their seats. It was not all one way traffic though as Teddington hit the post 4 times in the second half, twice within seconds of each other! The second half was a good lesson in keeping concentration (or not) and continuing to play football despite the score line. However, the boys should be proud of this excellent result moving on with the season with confidence. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 2; Josh Lee 4.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Chertsey Town	28/9/2008	3-5
Sunday 28th September 2008 u13s SPL Div 3 Teddington Athletic 3 Chertsey Town 5 Fog clearing to glorious sunshine greeted Teddington for their first home game of the season as they hosted free-scoring Chertsey Town. Teddington were slightly depleted with a few injuries, but they did well to keep up with an excellent passing team that were Chertsey. In fact they could have taken the lead when Edward Gent crossed to Josh Lee whose neat turn and shot crashed against the bar. Midway through the half, Chertsey went ahead when a high speculative shot in the sun could only be parried into the net by George Reynolds in the Teddington goal. However, within 5 minutes poacher Joe Evans had equalised for Teddington when an Oli King shot from the right was tipped onto the bar and the Chertsey defence were slow to clear. The game was nip and tuck after that until a couple of minutes before the interval when a simple Chertsey ball split the Teddington defence allowing them to go in 2-1 up. After such a close first half, it was somewhat disappointing that Teddington gave away three similar goals within 15 minutes of the restart to go 1-5 down. Chertsey were certainly playing the more confident football whilst Teddington seemed to be rushing their clearances and passes. However they kept going and two late well taken goals by Josh Lee meant that Teddington finished on a positive note giving the score some respectability at 3-5. Chertsey look the team to beat in this division and should give something for the Teddington boys to aim at. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Joe Evans 1; Josh Lee 2.

SQUAD: U13
Friendly	Oxshott Royals	5/10/2008	0-3
Sunday 5th October 2008 u13s Friendly match Teddington Athletic 0 Oxshott Royals 3 A miserable wet and windy day in Bushy Park led to an injury hit Teddington side putting in a rather miserable performance. Let's hope for better weather and football when the league recommences next weekend!

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Staines Town	12/10/2008	1-10
Sunday 12th October 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Staines Town 10 Teddington Athletic 1 This was a woeful result for Teddington – their worst result ever. Who was to blame? Perhaps the manager – when Digger told them to go out and play like a Premiership team, he didn’t mean Tottenham!! No, the fact is that Teddington were outplayed, outrun and outmanoeuvred by the top of the table Staines team, who harried throughout for every ball and left Teddington unable to break through. Within a couple of minutes of the start, Staines were 1-0 up, the defence being unlucky not to clear a dangerous ball across the face of the goal. A few minutes later, it was 2-0 when a well-taken corner was headed into the net. A further dangerous attack shortly afterwards was thwarted by George Reynolds, running out of his area to whack the ball clear, and minutes later Harry Dillamore cleared the ball off the line – another close shave. However, half way through the first half, Staines added a third goal, after a goalmouth scramble where Teddington could not get the ball clear, and then a fourth – George was able to parry the first shot, but the Staines attacker making no mistake on the rebound. Forays towards goal were made by Tom Hodgson, supported by Harry Woods and Isaac Jones, but generally the action in the first half was all at the wrong end. On one of Teddington’s rare attacks, James Manson had the ball in the net, but was judged offside – a questionable decision in the view of the Teddington players. To make matters worse, a Staines corner just before half time was not cleared and the forward netted the ball again – 5-0 at the interval. Within a couple of minutes of the re-start, Josh Lee scored a fine individual goal, reducing the deficit and leading to the Teddington supporters hoping that this was the start of a dramatic fightback. But it was not to be – Staines attacked again from the kick-off, George blocking a shot, but after some juggling in the area, the ball fell to a midfielder outside the box, whose powerful shot put Staines 6-1 up. Teddington had a little more of the play in the second half than in the first, a header from Josh from a Teddington free kick was saved, then an Alex O’Mahoney ball put Josh through for another dangerous attack, after which Tom’s free kick was headed just over the bar by Josh again. But a quick counter-attack gave Staines yet another goal – 7-1, quickly followed by goals number 8 and 9, Teddington having lost heart and direction at this stage. The Staines goalkeeper was substituted – spectators wondered why, he couldn’t have been tired! Tom had a good attempt saved after a corner, but Staines heaped on more misery, taking the score into double figures – amid indignant claims for offside from some of the Teddington players, but these were not supported by the linesman or referee. Even in the closing minutes, Teddington still showed some spirit, with James hitting wide towards the end, and Josh having a shot, but all in all they did not compete with the passion and desire to win every ball which was shown by their Staines opponents. Scorer for Teddington Athletic: Josh Lee 1.

SQUAD: U13
County Cup	St Andrews Youth	19/10/2008	0-7
Sunday 19th October 2008 Middlesex County Cup u13s St Andrews Youth 7 Teddington Athletic 0 A tough draw away near Wembley Stadium awaited the boys from Teddington in the County Cup. They faced a strong, well drilled St Andrews team from the Harrow Youth League. Although it was clear they up against, Teddington did well to hold the score to 0-0 until 15 minutes before the interval. George Reynolds in goal was particularly commanding and had his best game of the season with good handling. Teddington had few chances themselves with Harry Woods just having a half chance following a defensive error. However, 2 further goals went in and the teams turned around with St Andrews 3-0 up. The second half was more of the same and although they conceded 4 further goals, Teddington had more of the play, forcing a number of corners. The best chance fell to Oli Davison, who made a strong run into the box clipping the ball to the left hand post. However, the goalie pulled off an excellent save tipping the ball around the post. These encounters against much stronger opposition should prove valuable as the Teddington team move back to league action in a couple of weeks after half-term.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Walton Saxons	9/11/2008	6-1
Sunday 9th November 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 6 Walton Saxons 1 Teddington got back to winning ways against their local neighbours from Walton with a solid all round team performance. Despite missing some players through illness and commitments, Teddington had good shape throughout this game against opposition that rarely threatened the goal of George Reynolds. This was a game where they won most of the 50:50 balls which made life a lot easier. Harry Dillamore marshalled his defence of Isaac Jones, Oli King, Daniel McGlade and Seb Bray well which provided the platform for Matt Kidd and Oli Davison to dominate midfield, particularly in the first half. The first goal after 10 minutes exemplified the excellent team play, with the ball cleared from defence to James Manson on the left wing. He whipped in a low cross which Joe Evans turned in gleefully from the edge of the 6 yard box. Five minutes later Teddington won a penalty when Jamie Craddock, who worked hard down the right side, was tripped - Matt Kidd cooly slotted the ball home. Other chances came and went for Teddington before James Manson made it 3-0 just before half-time. The second half saw the play a little disjointed, but was dominated by James Manson who scored a further 3 well taken goals. The first of these followed some neat play by Harry Woods down the right wing putting James in the clear. Walton did score a soft consolation goal when the score was 4-0, but there was always going to be one winner in this game. So well done boys - let's keep this up for the next game! Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Joe Evans 1; Matt Kidd 1 (pen); James Manson 4.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Dunsfold Youth	16/11/2008	8-0
Sunday 16th November 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 8 Dunsfold Youth 0 It is hard to know where to begin to describe this game. This was the largest margin of victory that Teddington have had in their 4 years together as a squad and this was also their first clean sheet in two seasons! And yet it would be unfair to say that they dominated this game as Dunfold played some very neat passing football, particularly in the middle of the park. They also had 4 extremely tall players that dwarfed most of the Teddington team. The difference between the teams was up front where James Manson took every opportunity that came his way to score 6 terrific goals, whilst George Reynolds was hardly troubled in the Teddington goal. As well as James's double hat-trick, Joe Evans weighed in with a brace, the first of which was a clever lob from the edge of the box. In addition to the eight goals, Teddington could afford to have a penalty well saved by the lanky Dunsfold goalie and a further goal disallowed for offside. They also had a couple of other golden opportunities that somehow stayed out of the Dunsfold goal. So all in all a terrific performance by Teddington - the boys are starting to make their mark in this division. Let's keep the momentum going at Onslow next week! Goals for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 6; Joe Evans 2.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Onslow FC	23/11/2008	3-7
23rd November 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Onslow FC 7 Teddington Athletic 3 This was always going to be a critical fixture against 3rd place Onslow. TAFC’s recent performances have been very encouraging, suggesting a good match against Onslow. The last time the teams met in the U11 2006/7 season Teddington won away and drew at home. Both were competitive and close matches. If we could beat them this time it would send a message through the division. On this freezing morning Teddington started brightly with an immediate attack featuring good passing between Hodgson, Manson and Evans. However, Onslow counter attacked immediately forcing a defensive error, which resulted in them scoring their first goal within the three minutes of the start. Teddington responded positively but Onslow’s defence was well organised snuffing out Teddington’s repeated attacks. At the other end Onslow attacked with pace and in numbers often appearing to overwhelm the Teddington defence. This was to be a feature of the match. George Reynold’s goal was kept busy but he soaked up the pressure and handled the greasy ball with confidence. However, the pressure finally told and Onslow’s 2nd and 3rd goals duly followed. Nevertheless, Teddington was still in the match and in the 28th minute James Manson finally found the net. 3:1 at half time. Teddington started the second half in the same positive manner. Manson broke away, ran directly for the goal and dummied the keeper to make it 3:2 in the first minute. Onslow were looking distinctly rattled, could Teddington do it? The short answer was no. Onslow’s attack proved too hard to handle and slipped another 4 past (2 within 2 minutes). The freezing rain fell harder and Teddington’s heads started to drop. However, a goal mouth scramble saw Oli King net his first goal of the season (having earlier just narrowly missed a header into goal) to bring it back to 7:3. Soon after, bizarrely, the Ref. blew the final whistle at 31 minutes (which should have been 37 minutes due to injury and the Onslow booking). Despite the score line, Teddington remained competitive throughout and continued to pass the ball around with confidence. In particular, Hodgson, Kidd, Bray, King and Davison kept the Teddington attack well supplied. Nevertheless, Teddington can learn from sides like Onslow. Fast attacks, in numbers, with lots of running off the ball rattling defenders and providing options in the box. All too often Teddington players spectate, expecting others to put the run into the box, make the vital tackle or track back to help the defence. Finally, if in doubt whack it out! Don’t dither or lose the ball in front of your own goal just hoof it away. It's not big, it's not clever…...but it works. Scorers for Teddington: James Manson 2; Oli King 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Horsley FC	30/11/2008	3-3
Sunday 30th November 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 3 Horsley FC 3 Rather than a closely fought battle of two teams with only a point between them in the league, this was more of a ‘game of two halves’ with Teddington winning the first half 3-0 and Horsley doing the same in the second. The shouted instructions from managers during the game created some confusion as both sides seemed to have boys with the same names – there was an abundance of Georges, Harrys, Jameses and Alexes on the pitch. There was very little action in the Horsley half of the pitch during the opening quarter of the game; in the first few minutes Josh Lee had a shot saved and James Manson, busy in the centre of the action all match, had a couple of early attacks. A good through pass from Ollie Davison came to James, whose shot was saved and a period of intense pressure from Teddington also saw Jamie Craddock having a shot. After 10 minutes all the pressure paid off and Matt Kidd’s shot dribbled home making the score 1-0. Alex O’Mahoney started a couple of good moves from defence, with strong passes to Seb Bray, who had a good game in midfield. A long through ball from Alex then started a great run for Josh Lee, who slotted the ball home to make the score 2-0. The deficit spurred Horsley into action and we saw a couple of attacks at the other end, one of their shots going wide, the other parried by George Reynolds, who handled the ball reliably throughout the game. Back at the Teddington end, a strong free kick from Matt just failed to make it to the back of the net, then a counter attack from Horsley saw the goalie beaten, but Alex managed a spectacular goal-line clearance to stop Horsley scoring. Ollie D had a shot saved after an individual run and Alex came out of defence to feed James with another chance, this time the shot going wide. Just on the half hour, James took a free kick from the left hand side of the pitch, 30 yards out and the Horsley defence could only watch as it floated into the top of the net – a shot reminiscent of David Beckham in his younger days. 3-0 to Teddington. Minutes later, a free kick at the other end of the pitch was well saved under pressure by George. Just before half time, Josh Lee shot just wide from a Teddington corner, Ollie D also had a shot, and a final attacking move starting with Harry Dillamore in defence was also foiled. So, whilst Horsley did have some chances in the first half, it was very much a dominant performance from Teddington. The second half started in a very different manner, though, with Horsley netting in the first minute, a good individual goal. They took confidence from this and harried Teddington relentlessly, preventing the home side from settling down. Josh had a chance to put Teddington further ahead, but his shot was saved and, 10 minutes into the half one of the Horsley forwards had a speculative lob towards goal, which dipped into the top of the net – George jumped to reach it but couldn’t keep it out. 3-2, Teddington’s lead was looking vulnerable now. Shortly afterwards, Horsley almost equalised with a shot which hit the inside of the post, but George stopped it going into the net. More Horsley pressure saw a corner well blocked by Teddington, but then the defence was unable to counter a free kick taken by Horsley just outside the area – another goal bringing the score to 3-3 a few minutes from time. Teddington kept battling to the end, Tom Hodgson and Harry Woods featuring in attempts to get the ball upfield to the Teddington forwards, but the fourth goal did not come. The last few minutes were tense and full of action, and either side could have pinched a win, but the score remained at 3-3, probably a fair result on the balance of the play. You have got to admire the Horsley team who did not let their heads drop despite the half time scoreline and kept battling to the end. Teddington did have much to be proud of in today’s game, with lots of attacking play in the first half and a fluid team performance. Scorers for Teddington: Matt Kidd 1; Josh Lee 1; James Manson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Ashford Rovers	7/12/2008	4-0
Sunday 7th December 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Ashford Rovers 0 Teddington Athletic 4 Although technically an away match for Teddington, this match was switched to our Bushy Park ground due to the poor condition of the pitch at Ashford. It was a beautiful sunny day – though frosty and crisp underfoot at the start of the match. The Teddington side was depleted by injury and illness, so with only 11 players available, there was not even the luxury of a substitute. In a way, this made for a more flowing performance, allowing the boys to settle into their roles for the match, though there were a few sets of tired legs at the end. The first half saw a good deal of Teddington pressure, James Manson (captain for the day in the absence of skipper Harry Dillamore) led from the front and was active in many of the early forays on goal, interacting well with Ollie Davison, and nearly scoring from a Matt Kidd cross. After 15 minutes the Teddington pressure paid off when a through ball from Alex O’Mahoney was picked up by James and sent flying into the net – 1-0 to Teddington. Matt Kidd had a good game in midfield, almost adding another goal following a free kick from James shortly before half time, and putting in many key tackles. Daniel McGlade, Alex O’Mahoney, Will Paterson and James Elway formed a disciplined and solid back four throughout the game, proving themselves equal to thwarting Ashford, on the relatively rare occasions when the ball came into Teddington’s half. The sides turned around with the score at 1-0, but shortly after the interval Teddington increased the margin, Ollie D still harrying tirelessly in midfield, managed to break clear and take a long shot towards the goal, which dipped into the net – 2-0 to Teddington – Ollie scoring his first goal for the club since joining Teddington Athletic last season, just reward for all his energy throughout this game. On one of the few occasions when the Teddington defence was beaten, George Reynolds pulled off a spectacular save, getting his fingers to the Ashford shot, forcing it up to the crossbar – even though the whistle had gone for offside, the psychological advantage remained with Teddington. Teddington kept up the pressure, with Edward Gent putting James Manson through, though the shot was saved at the expense of a corner; Daniel sent some key passes up the line towards the forwards, and Seb Bray and Jamie Craddock continued to battle away in midfield. Ollie D was again involved Teddington’s third goal, sending through a great pass for James to convert, taking the score to 3-0 half way through the second half. After another good move involving Edward and James, Ollie nearly scored his second goal, but the shot went just over the bar. Seb also came close with a shot which was saved by the Ashford goalie. The victory was sealed with another goal from James, following a great pass through from Matt – a hat trick for James and a comfortable victory for a hardworking and coherent Teddington team, in which each of the eleven players played a key part. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 3; Ollie Davison 1.

SQUAD: U13
League Cup 1st rnd	Frensham Boys	14/12/2008	2-3
Sunday 14th December 2008 1st Round u13s Senior Cup Teddington Athletic 2 Frensham Boys 3 Teddington entertained Division 1 Frensham Boys following a day of solid rain. Despite this, the pitch was in perfect condition apart from a large puddle in the middle of the pitch, probably due to a leaking irrigation pipe. However, both teams and the referee were happy for the game to go ahead and once the boys got used to it, the puddle caused few problems during the match. The game began with Frensham playing all the neat football, but little to show for their efforts. Indeed, Teddington had the best of the early chances when James Manson broke clear but his shot was well blocked by the ever efficient Frensham goalie. Harry Woods also had a great opportunity, but his shot went just wide. This set the trend for the half, with Frensham having most of the possession but they were unable to get past the impressively solid George Reynolds in the Teddington goal - definitely George's best game of the season so far. He was helped by excellent performances from the two full backs, Alex O'Mahoney and James Ellway, neither of whom were afraid to get in the tackles and clear the ball. Eventually Frensham's pressure told and they scored midway through the first half to make it 0-1. 5 minutes later, James Manson won a free-kick 30 yards out on the left edge of the box and he hit an unstoppable corker into the top right-hand corner to make it 1-1. It looked like Teddington would hold out for half-time, but Frensham went further ahead with two goals in the last five minutes - the first from a quickly taken corner; the second from a hasty Teddington clearance. So although 1-3 down, Teddington were not out of the game. The second half began in the worst possible way with Frensham winning a penalty inside two minutes when their nippy right winger was brought down. However, Teddington were given a life-line when the kick missed the left hand post. After that, Teddington worked very hard to get control of the game with Matt Kidd and Oli Davison battling well in midfield. Any chances that Frensham created were either thwarted by great saves from George or squandered by themselves. Seb Bray fought extremely well down the right wing to try to create some chances and with 5 minutes left on the clock, the grandstand finish was produced when James charged down a clearance from the Frensham goalie to prod the ball home to make it 2-3. However, it was not to be and Frensham hung on for the victory. The Teddington boys should be proud of their valiant effort against talented opposition and should take heart from the progress they have made over the past few weeks. Scorer for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 2.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Onslow FC	21/12/2008	1-6
21st December 2008 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 1 Onslow FC 6 Teddington welcomed high-flying Onslow for the return league match on a windy but mild morning. They were beleaguered by injuries and illness but managed to have one substitute available. The game began with Onslow playing neat passing fottball, but this was managed by Teddington breaking up their play and protecting George Reynolds in goal. After 15 minutes, Teddington took the lead when James Manson scored one of his trade-mark free-kicks from 25 yards out. However, the lead only lasted 3 minutes when a sloppy clearance from defence gave the Onslow midfielder the space to score from just outside the box. The rest of the half was keenly fought and Teddington were unlucky not to take the lead when two shots from Josh Lee just failed to find the net with the goalie well beaten - the first just taken by the wind; the second hitting the left-hand upright. Then with a couple of minutes to go before the interval, Onslow broke fast from a Teddington corner to score a well worked goal. So the teams turned around with Onslow ahead 2-1, but with the wind behind them Teddington were hopeful of a positive result. However, it was not to be as Onslow dominated most of the second half with their close passing and fast breakaways. They went further ahead within a couple of minutes after a break away down the left side and then scored a fourth within 10 minutes to make it 4-1. After that, Teddington heads went down and it seemed like every time they cleared the ball it fell to Onslow feet who continued to push forward in numbers. Slack marking and poor clearances led to two further goals conceded, but having said that there were some good performances for Teddington with George Reynolds being solid once more in goal and Alex O'Mahoney playing strongly as centre back. Oli King made his return after illness and fought fiercely in the left back position. Seb Bray also put in his usual abrasive performance on the wing. So Teddington finish the year with defeat, but they now only have two stronger teams left to play in the league, so hopefully they will be able to hold their place in the upper regions of mid-table. Festive greetings to all players and parents! Scorer for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Friendly	Tennison Youth	18/1/2009	2-3
Sunday 18th January 2009 u13s Friendly Game Teddington Athletic 2 Tennison Youth 3 Teddington u13s managed to eventually play their first game of the year in a friendly against Tennison Youth (formerly Whitton Town). After overnight rain the pitch was in good condition apart from a wet patch in the centre field. The weather was generally sunny if a little breezey and fresh. However, this did not liven up the boys and the first half was rather quiet with little goal mouth action. There were periods when Teddington passed the ball very nicely, but they were unable to create on clear cut opportunities apart from when Joe Evans had a shot headed off the line shortly after a corner. Unfortunately, a couple of defensive lapses in the last 10 minutes of the half gave Tennsion 2 goals: the first when the ball was not cleared despite two chances to do so; the second following a slip by one of the centre backs. So the teams turned round with Teddington 0-2 down and now playing into the stiffening breeze. But with James Manson and Tom Hodgson on upfront, and Alex O'Mahoney shoring up the defence, the team looked much more solid and threatening. They were many more chances created which were thwarted by the Tennison goalie and the tall centre back who saved them on many an occasion. Matt Kidd had a tremendous shot tipped onto the bar and Tom Hodgson had a couple of great opportunities. With 10 minutes to go, Joe Evans pulled one back thumping in the ball from a corner. And then with just a couple of minutes left of normal time, James Manson managed to shake off the defenders to equalise, 2-2. It looked like the game was heading for a draw, or even a Teddington win, but in injury time, Tennison broke down the left and managed to score the winner with virtually the last kick of the game. In all in all, this was a good work out for the boys and a draw would have been a fair result - they still need to show more determination in the 50:50 tackles, as well as trying to keep possession better. Next week it is back to the league against Bedfont Green... Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Joe Evans 1; James Manson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Dunsfold Youth	1/2/2009	5-2
Sunday 1st February 2009 SPL u13s Div 3 Dunsfold Youth 2 Teddington Athletic 5 The long tip down to Dunsfold saw Teddington play their first league match of the year on a bitterly cold morning. They had to contend with not only the weather, but also a hard, rutted pitch that made any passing extremely difficult. I am sure the boys appreciate the wonderful Bushy Park surface after this experience! Despite the local conditions, Teddington adapted the best and for the first 15 minutes had all of the play with Isaac Jones in the Teddington goal having nothing to do. During this period, James Manson scored two excellent goals to put them onto a 2-0 lead. The second goal has to be the goal of the season so far with Joe Evans playing a neat ball down the left wing to Tom Hodgson who crossed the ball into the box for James to turn and swivel, hitting the ball first time into the left hand corner of the net. Teddington were cruising, but mid way through the half an unfortunate hand ball in the box (which looked like ball to hand) was given as a penalty and Dunsfold duly pulled a goal back. This could potentially have changed the course of the game and indeed Dunsfold had their best spell for the next 10 minutes. However, Teddington weathered the storm and were unfortunate not to extend their lead with Oli Davidson hitting a thunderous shot from outside the box against the cross-bar. With a minute of the half left, their dominance was rewarded when somehow Tom Hodgson managed to loop the ball into the top right-hand corner to make it 3-1. The second half saw quite disjointed play by both teams as snow flurries swept across the pitch and the bumpy surface took its toll. Harry Dillamore marshalled his defence of Will Paterson, Oli King and Daniel McGlade well, but a failed clearance allowed Dunsfold to score a rather soft goal with 15 minutes left on the clock to make it 3-2 and put the pressure back on Teddington. However, this only seemed to spur Teddington on and they resumed their control with Harry Woods and Seb Bray making some strong tackles on the wings. James Manson added two further well taken goals and Matt Kidd was unlucky not to score when his left foot shot hit the underside of the cross-bar but failed to go in. So Teddington finished with a well deserved 5-2 victory that sees them consolidate their 4th position in the division. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 4; Tom Hodgson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Senior Plate Quarter	Laleham Youth	8/2/2009	7-2
Sunday 8th February 2009 Senior u13s Plate Quarter Final Teddington Athletic 7 Laleham Youth 2 After all the snow during the week, a minor miracle occurred and the weather cleared up completely to allow this much awaited Plate Quarter Final against Laleham Youth. It was even sunny during the second half! Hopes were high as although Laleham had beaten Teddington twice last season, they had not won a game this season, languishing at the bottom of division 2. Teddington began brightly and were ahead within 2 minutes when James Manson cracked in a free ball with his usual aplomb. The Laleham defence never coped with his strong runs throughout the match and he went on to score a further 4 goals. The Teddington midfield of Oli Davison, Tom Hodgson and Matt Kidd dominated for most of the game never letting the opposition settle. The defence of James Ellway, Harry Dillamore, Will Paterson and Oli King were rarely troubled and protected George Reynolds in the Teddington goal very well. Edward Gent and Joe Evans worked hard down the wings doing their fair share of defensive work too. Teddington scored 4 goals in the first half with Matt Kidd getting on the end of a rebound and Laleham scored a penalty after a hand ball on the edge of the box to make it 4-1 at half-time. The second half was a fairly bad-tempered affair as Laleham could see the inevitable defeat looming. Teddington scored a further 3 goals with Josh Lee scoring the last from close range. Laleham scored another consolation goal but never really looked like making a game of it. This was a solid, confident performance from Teddington. However, the boys must learn not to get drawn into arguments with the opposition as this will ultimately affect their performance. They are now just one match away from a Plate final... Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 5; Matt Kidd 1; Josh Lee 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Bedfont Green	22/2/2009	2-1
Sunday 22nd February 2009 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 2 Bedfont Green 1 In a hastily re-arranged game, Teddington entertained local neighbours Bedfont Green for the return match of their first league game of the season. After a difficult start, Bedfont have had some good recent results, so it was likely to be a close game. The cold weather of late relented to a relatively mild, overcast day and a a pitch in immaculate condition. Both teams began quite brightly and it was clear that this game was going to be won, or not, in the midfield as that is where most of the play took place. After 10 minutes, Teddington took the lead with a lovely flowing move as the ball was swung down the left side by Matt Kidd, before being moved over to the right wing where Harry Woods got in a dangerous cross. This was flicked on by Josh Lee to James Manson who finished emphatically. This gave confidence to Teddington, but they were unable to capitalise on their lead with great opportunities falling to Harry Dillamore and Matt Kidd from corners. Bedfont kept battling away and were rewarded after 25 minutes when a poor Teddington clearance was volleyed past goalie Isaac Jones into the goal. Apart from this, Isaac otherwise had an excellent game, showing safe hands and good clearances. The teams turned around all square, but Teddington had the wind behind them giving them a slight advantage. The second half had them completely dominating as far as territory was concerned with Bedfont playing with a 5 man defence. This proved difficult to break down and very few opportunities were created at either end. Teddington's defence of Daniel McGlade, Harry Dillamore, Alex O'Mahoney and Oli King were little troubled. Oli Davison, Mat Kidd and Seb Bray fought hard in midfield, but despite numerous corners, it looked like Teddington were not going to get that elusive goal. Then with 5 minutes left on the clock, another Teddington corner from the left was scrambled into the goal by Tom Hodgson, who had his usual industrious game, to win the match. The victory was much deserved, but Teddington did make heavy weather of a game they could have won more comfortably. The next two Sundays see them entertaining high-flying Staines Town in both the league and then the Plate, so they will have to be on top of their game. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 1; Tom Hodgson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Staines Town	1/3/2009	1-5
Who can forget the last time both sides met, when Teddington was thumped 10:1 in a match described as “a woeful result…. the worst result ever”? The latest 1:5 score line just doesn’t begin to reflect Teddington’s superb performance against league leaders, Staines Town. All of the boys should be proud of their contribution, commitment and spirit. The first half saw lively performances by both sides. Josh Lee just missing out in a couple of sprints to the ball against the Staines goalie. Jamie Craddock also had a good first half, competing strongly in the middle, breaking free in front of goal but just lacking the final finish. Staines gave a master class in fast, attacking football with short passes and strong running off the ball, constantly threatening the Teddington goal. However, the Teddington defence (Will Paterson, Harry Dillamore, Oli King, Alex O’Mahoney and Isaac Jones) continues to display growing assurance and always made the critical tackle or clearance. Staines’ corners and free kicks were consistently dangerous and impressive throughout the match. Hovering at the edge of the box, rushing in en-masse to connect with the ball. The defence and George Reynolds performed magnificently to keep them down to just 2 goals in the first half. Then, Teddington struck back just before the interval and what a strike it was. The human hurricane, Tom Hodgson, attacked down the right wing on a solo mission, using his skills to beat the Staines defence and thunder the ball into their net to make it 2:1. At least goal of the month. You could sense Staines’ jaws dropping and the question marks hanging over their spectators. Was this the same team they had walloped only a few months ago? The “audacity of hope” (ahem!), the possibility of an upset. Play resumed with Teddington losing a quick goal to make it 3:1. Previously the team might have crumbled but this time they showed real character. The midfield of Seb Bray, Jamie Craddock, Edward Gent, Oli Davison, and Matt Kidd competed vigorously in the middle as the play ebbed and flowed and George Reynolds remained unflappable in goal. Teddington somehow managed not to score from a couple of corners involving goalmouth scrambles, where both Isaac Jones and Seb Bray almost poked it over the line. Tom Hodgson netted his second but was adjudged offside, then James Manson broke free to net another, which was yet again deemed offside (a recurring theme if you read the last match report). Nevertheless, Staines always threatened and scored with a superb free kick taken just outside the area, followed by another that clinched the game. A great game for the spectators, which was played in a good, competitive spirit that was a credit to both sides. Teddington are in with a great chance for the Plate next week. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Hodgson 1

SQUAD: U13
Senior Plate Semi Fi	Staines Town	8/3/2009	1-4
Sunday 8th March 2009 SPL Senior Plate Semi-final Teddington Athletic 1 Staines Town 4 Teddington and Staines reconvened on a bright and blustery spring day. This was always going to be a tough match, but after last week’s performance Teddington were looking forward to a Plate upset. The first half saw Teddington playing with the wind behind their backs. They had much the better first half and pinned Staines back in their half of the pitch for the majority of the time. Teddington, keeping up a brisk pace, were not intimidated by Staines and very little separated both sides. However, less than 10 minutes in and against the run of play, Staines punished Teddington from a goalkick. Their goalie heaved the ball into the wind over everyone’s heads straight to a Staines player who caught Teddington’s defence flat and shot home to make it one nil. Nevertheless, Teddington’s players maintained their resolve but were unable to convert possession into goals. All Teddington attacks were either snuffed out by Staines’ defence or saved by their goalie. The one time James Manson broke free, the offside decision sparked furious controversy. At the other end, Teddington playing 4 in defence (Isaac Jones, Harry Dillamore, Alex O’Mahoney and Daniel McGlade) and 5 in midfield (variously Tom Hodgson, Oli King, Seb Bray, Oli Davison, Matt Kidd, Joe Evans and Harry Woods), were able to absorb counter attacks and protect George Reynolds’s goal from any further raids. The sides went in at half time with only one goal separating the teams and the game finely balanced with everything to play for. However, Teddington would be facing the wind making life harder, particularly against a fast attacking side such as Staines. Shortly after the re-start Teddington made an attack and Tom Hodgson’s shot was saved. There was then a period of sustained pressure at the wrong end of the pitch, as Staines forced several corners, preventing Teddington from settling down and finding their feet. Only five minutes into the half Staines doubled their lead to 2-0, after failure to clear another corner. A minute later, whilst Teddington were still trying to find their composure, the margin nearly increased further, as a dangerous Staines shot went wide, and two further corners followed. Teddington did well to keep the ball out of the net and looked more confident as they forged upfield in a counter-attack which saw Oli King’s shot going dangerously close, being cleared off the woodwork. In further Teddington attacks James Manson came close a couple of times and Matt Kidd had a shot at goal, which was just wide. Halfway through the second half, Staines increased their lead to 3-0, after a goalmouth scramble saw the ball go in off the post, George Reynolds picking up an injury in the process of this, so the ever-versatile Isaac Jones took over in goal for the remainder of the match; he handled confidently and at one time kept out a high ball which looked like it was bouncing dangerously into the net. Teddington maintained their spirit and kept trying to push forward, with good passing and shots from Oli King, Matt Kidd and James Manson all frustratingly kept out. With only a few minutes to go, Staines scored their fourth goal, putting the game beyond Teddington’s reach, but still the team did not give up and a fine consolation goal from James Manson’s strong shot just before full time gave the supporting crowd something to cheer about. Another good performance for a Teddington team who deserve more credit than the scoreline might suggest. Scorer for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Walton Saxons	15/3/2009	5-3
Sunday 15th March 2009 SPL u13s Division 3 Walton Saxons 3 Teddington Athletic 5 For what seemed like the first day of Spring, Teddington Athletic had a new manager for the day, Ian Manson, who generously and purposefully stepped into the breech to play old local friends at Walton Casuals. A glorious morning, a good looking pitch and two friendly set of supporters - what more could you ask for? The game got off to a lively start with 2 goals in the first 5 minutes. Teddington took the lead when Seb Bray stormed into the box to despatch a neat through ball after just a minute; but a few moments later, Walton equalised when a fumble at the back allowed the striker a free shot at goal. It was likely that more goals would come but despite a number of chances at both ends this was not the case. Josh Lee created a few chances for James Manson which could not be converted. Alex O'Mahoney, Will Paterson, James Ellway and Isaac Jones swept up the loose balls at the back to protect George Reynolds in goal. Teddington gradually started to take control with Oli Davison, Matt Kidd and Tom Hodgson working hard in midfield and they were rewarded 10 minutes before the interval when Seb, who had a terrific all round game, was tripped in the box. James converted the penalty comfortably to make it 2-1. Teddington looked like they were going to increase their lead but opportunities were spurned. In the 3rd minute of injury time, Walton somehow were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty box which they blasted home to make it 2-2. The second half was a strange affair with Walton, clearly encouraged by their equaliser, creating a hatful of clear-cut scoring chances which they somehow endeavoured to miss. They were able to pour through the Teddington defence, it seemed at will, yet just could not score. Then, midway through the half, Teddington were awarded their second penalty following a handball in the Walton box and James Manson duly scored, rather against the run of play. This lifted Teddington and Walton heads dropped. Tom Hodgson had a terrific run down the right side releasing James to score the goal of the game and James's 4th with 10 minutes to go essentially wrapped up the game at 5-2. Walton kept going to score a consolation goal with a couple of minutes left. So a good three points which should perhaps have been a bit more comfortable than it once, allowed Teddington to cement their position in 4th place in the division. Well done to Ian for all his hard work, although we could all see the grey hairs sprouting during the game! Next week, the boys have a crucial match against Staines Albion which will be key to their final position. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Seb Bray 1; James Manson 4 (2 pens).

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Staines Albion	21/3/2009	1-0
Saturday 21st March 2009 SPL u13s Division 3 Teddington Athletic 1 Staines Albion 0 Well, this was the crucial game with both teams vying for 4th place in the division. Staines Albion had won the initial fixture in a close run game 4-3, so Teddington were out for revenge. Both teams had perfect conditions in which to play, although there was a breeze blowing down the pitch throughout. Perhaps the occasion got to both teams, as neither really got control of the ball with little creative play on either side. The midfield was packed by both teams and this was where most of the battles took place. Staines had the majority of territory in the first half and Teddington were able to dominate in the second half with the wind playing a significant part in this. George Reynolds in the Teddington goal did not have a single save to make all game, and the Staines goalie was rarely troubled but looked secure when required. Seb Bray had the best chances for Teddington in the first half with a shot just flying over the bar and a header glancing wide. In the second half, most of the play was in the Staines' half, but Teddington were missing that final ball. Isaac Jones, coming up from defence, had a great chance to score from a corner 15 minutes from the end but blasted over from 4 yards. Then with 7 minutes left, the crucial moment occurred when Teddington were awarded a free-kick 5 yards inside the Staines' half. James Manson smashed the ball towards the goal but straight at the goalie who unfortunately could not hold it, allowing the ever-alert Tom Hodgson to nip in to score. Staines fought hard to get back into the game, but in fact Teddington had further chances to score with James Manson and Josh Lee just missing. So 3 points to Teddington means they have a great chance of finishing in 4th place this season, as long as they continue to play to their potential in the remaining games. Scorer for Teddington Athletic: Tom Hodgson 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Ashford Rovers	22/3/2009	3-1
Sunday 29th March 2009 SPL u13s Div 3 Teddington Athletic 3 Ashford Rovers 1 For their last home match of the season, Teddington entertained Ashford Rovers on another bright sunny day in Bushy Park. After the tense battle of the day before, a number of players were rested so the spectators were likely in for another close game. And so it proved as Ashford took an early lead after a couple of minutes when a long throw caused disruption in the Teddington defence. Despite playing with the wind and having most of the territory, Teddington struggled to make any clear-cut chances and the Ashford goalie was rarely troubled. Oli Davison and Seb Bray battled well in midfield, but just could not find that final ball. The defence managed to stave off the Ashford forays with Jame Ellway, Edward Gent, Harry Dillamore and Alex O'Mahoney all working hard. About 5 minutes before the break, Teddington got the luck their efforts deserved when an Ashford defender, in his attempts to clear a cross, blasted it into his own net. So the team turned around, level at 1-1. After a bit of a re-shuffle, with Isaac Jones coming into the defence and Harry Dillamore moving into midfield, Teddington played into the breeze in the second half and had it all to do. However, two very well taken goals by Josh Lee in the first 10 minutes changed the game: for the first he cut in from the right side to score with his left foot; for the second he smashed in the loose ball from a corner. After that, Teddington looked much more comfortable and played at a much higher level winning most of the 50:50 balls. George Reynolds was rarely troubled in goal, and James Manson was unlucky not to extend the lead when shooting against the post. A few other half chances went begging at both ends, but all in all the second half performance from Teddington meant they deserved the three points. Just 4 matches to go until the end of the season... Scorers for Teddington Athletic: Own Goal 1; Josh Lee 2.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Chertsey Town	28/3/2009	4-5
Saturday 28th March 2009 SPL U 13s League division 3 Chertsey 5 Teddington Athletic 4 This away fixture saw Teddington visiting second place Chertsey, a team with only one league loss and snapping at the heels of the league leaders Staines Town. This was never going to be an easy fixture even without the return of blustery wintry weather. However, once again Teddington tore up the script and thoroughly rattled Chertsey. The game kicked off with a slow pace but the omens did not look good when Teddington’s defence was caught napping to find themselves 1:0 down within 5 minutes. Followed five minutes later with a heart stopping goal line clearance by Oli King. Suddenly, however, Teddington sparked into life with a long ball counter attack that saw Harry Dillamore calmly chipping the Chertsey goalie like a veteran, to make it 1:1. Chertsey responded with continuous pressure, which George Reynolds soaked up with calm assurance throughout the match, assisted by the stalwart defence of Isaac Jones, Will Paterson, James Elway and Edward Gent who contained Chertsey throughout the first half. Will Paterson had a particularly good game with a goal line clearance, a series of solid tackles, forays up field and long ball clearances that put Chertsey on the back foot. Oli Davison was also effective in midfield, repeatedly winning possession and feeding the strikers with long balls to chase. After 19 minutes, one of Oli Davison’s passes set up James Manson who made it 1:2 to Teddington. Chertsey maintained the pressure but George Reynolds and Teddington’s defence held firm. Yet again, Teddington counter attacked with fluid passing between Oli King and James Manson, which allowed James to lob the goalie and make it 1:3 at half time. Teddington began the second half with the wind in their faces. A period of inconclusive end to end play ensued, during which Teddington missed a good chance and Chertsey hit Teddington’s crossbar. Teddington’s midfield of Oli Davidson, Jamie Craddock, Matt Kidd and Harry Woods more than held their own, which allowed James Manson and Oli King to threaten Chertsey’s goal. Unfortunately, it was during this period that Teddington failed to convert a couple of good opportunities, which might have put the game beyond Chertsey’s reach. From that point onwards Chertsey piled on the pressure, camping in the Teddington half and forcing repeated corners one of which allowed them to claw back a goal to make it 2:3. Chertsey then hit the post before levelling the score to 3:3 from yet another corner (possibly dubious). Chertseys’ tails were up and George Reynolds was even required to stop a one on one attack on his goal. Finally, yet another Chertsey corner was headed in like a bullet to make it 4:3. Quickly compounded by a defensive slip that allowed Chertsey to make it 5:3 with 5 minutes to go. However, Teddington still refused to follow the script. The play was breaking up slightly as the referee struggled to maintain control following a few contentious decisions and heavy challenges. A particularly strong challenge on the ever-versatile Matt Kidd presented Teddington with a free kick 20-25 yards to the left in front of Chertseys’ goal. Chertsey placed a three-man wall in front of the goal but James Manson was able to bend his shot between the wall and the post to make it 5:4. Chertsey then promptly fouled Jamie Craddock, which offered Teddington a final chance to win a well-deserved point. Sadly, we were standing in Chertsey and not Hollywood and the last kick came to nothing. Chertsey breathed a collective sigh of relief as the final whistle blew and, yet again, Teddington were left reflecting on the “what ifs…..….”. Great value for money for the spectators if tough on the players. At least the players can take consolation from the fact that the league leaders now know Teddington is team to be reckoned with. Goals for Teddington Athletic: Harry Dillamore 1; James Manson 3.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Horsley FC	29/3/2009	5-0
Sunday, 29th March 2009 SPL U13s League Division 3 Horsley FC 0 Teddington Athletic 5 The second double header weekend found Teddington travelling down the A3 to Horsley's excellent facilities. Andrew King was acting manager while Digger resolves his contractual issues with the club chairman. Andrew worked wonders with a depleted team of 11 players and a couple of those feeling unwell too. Teddington had drawn 3:3 with Horsley before Christmas but have shown a tendency to make heavy weather of middle ranking teams. The sight of Horsley's 6 foot+ striker made the spectators wonder what they were in for today! Fortunately, the whole game was played in a slightly more relaxed fashion than yesterday's game and, in the event, Teddington clinically despatched a team that rarely posed any problems. Their relaxed style allowed Teddington to pass the ball, play some great football and create plenty of opportunities. Teddington started brightly with good passing between midfield, Oli King, Joe Evans and James Manson. Within 5 minutes James Manson's trick shot bounced off one Horsley upright travelled under the crossbar to bounce off the other post. No goal was given. Two minutes later Joe Evans shot was saved by the competent and busy Horsley goalkeeper. A few minutes later Seb Bray cleared the ball to Matt Kidd whose superb pass to James Manson allowed him to break through the Horsley defence to make it 0:1. At 14 minutes Seb Bray passed to James Manson who broke free again to make it 0:2. Horsley's defence struggled to cope with Teddington's midfield passes that allowed the strikers to burst through repeatedly. Teddington could have had a sackful apart from slightly wayward shooting compounded by Horsley's small goals (as wide as usual but slightly lower) and some tight offside decisions. Notable events in the first half included Isaac Jones's goal line clearance at 30 minutes and a beautiful flowing move starting from Harry Dillamore in defence, to Harry Woods to James Manson while Joe Evans pulled the defence wide allowing a shot that just went off target. Then, just on half time, Horsley's giant striker (No.18) shot point blank at George Reynolds whose instant reactions saved the day. So, with a two nil lead Teddington appeared well placed, although seasoned Teddington supporters normally prefer a 7 goal cushion before relaxing too much. The second half started quite quietly as Horsley didn't seem to inject any urgency into their game. So, Teddington continued to dominate in most areas. The defence of Isaac Jones, Harry Dillamore, Daniel McGlade and Seb Bray remained sure footed much of the match. While Teddington's midfield was dominant with Matt Kidd and Oli Davison covering huge amounts of ground while Harry Woods' laser guided passes and Oli King's surging runs helped wear down Horsley. After 10 minutes Matt Kidd's hard work set up Oli Davison who thundered the ball into the net to make it 0:3. A well deserved reward for a player who worked selflessly throughout. A few minutes later Oli Davison's efforts set James Manson free to make it 0:4. Horsley went up half a gear and Isaac Jones was forced to make another goal mouth clearance. Then Matt Kidd burst forwards, turned and cracked in a left-footed shot that just went wide. Shortly after that Oli King sprinted after the ball into the Horsley corner, stopped it going off, turned and crossed the ball across the goal mouth for Joe Evans who pounced on the perfectly weighted ball to make it 0:5. Around this point in the game the temporary manager was in raptures about "gorgeous balls". Horsley almost struck back, but after an extended goal mouth scramble, they somehow managed not to score. So, the game ended with a clean sheet for Teddington that we hope will see Teddington safely into a well-deserved 4th place in the league. Scorers for Teddington Athletic: James Manson 3; Oli Davison 1: Joe Evans 1.

SQUAD: U13
Div 3	Rushmoor Saints	19/4/2009	0-1
Sunday 19th April 2009 SPL u13s Div 3 Double header Teddington Athletic 1 Rushmoor Saints 0 Rushmoor Saints 1 Teddington Athletic 0 For the last games of the season, Teddington Athletic made the long journey down to Aldershot, 'the home of the British Army', to play Rushmoor Saints in a double header - 2 games of 40 minutes each. Rushmoor had been relegated from division 2 and with the poor weather over the winter have struggled to catch up their fixtures. Perhaps as a result of that, they have been languishing at the foot of the table, although with games in hand if they can play them. On the other hand, Teddington needed just one point to confirm their position in 4th place. However, they were not taking things for granted as memories of last seasons 1-7 defeat in dreadful conditions were still fresh in the mind. On this occasion, the sun shone and everyone enjoyed the daisies on the lush pitch! The first game with Teddington 'at home' was a fairly balanced affair with few clear-cut chances created by either side in the first half. However, Teddington had most of the play in the second half with Tom Hodgson, Oli Davison and Josh Lee creating great opportunities for Joe Evans, but the Rushmoor keeper was up to the task. Rushmoor produced very little in attack although they did have one chance which hit the outside of George Reynolds' post. It took a little bit of magic from Oli Davison in the last minute of the game to steal the points as he forced his way through 3 tackles in the box to slot the ball home. They was just time to re-start the game, but that was all. The second, 'away', game began after a short break and this time Teddington had their tails up and dominated completely for the first 8 minutes. The best chance fell to Matt Kidd whose effort was tipped onto the bar by the Rushmoor keeper, but there were other chances which were not taken. Then with their first attack of this period, the Rushmoor right winger broke through a couple of tackles and somehow managed to squeeze the ball into the goal. After that the game was fairly even with very few chances created as perhaps the heat and season took its toll. The game ended rather farcically with the young referee mistakenly blowing the final whistle 3 minutes early. After both managers agreed, the game re-started and Teddington threw all 11 players up to try to get the equaliser, but to no avail. So all in all, a job well done. Teddington have competed very well in a good division and have deserved their place in 4th position - the top three teams were clearly the best, but we were the best of the rest! The spectators have seen plenty of entertainment and the progress made should bode well for a further successful season next year... Enjoy the summer break, everyone! Scorer for Teddington Athletic: Oli Davison 1.

SQUAD: U14
League	Staines Town	21/9/2008	3-1
The sun shone for a change and so did our players, despite only being able to muster a 10 man team (which strangely enough always seems to make us raise our game!). It was a game of two halves and many corners, with Staines Town kicking fourteen! None of which they were able to convert into a goal. br> The extra numbers allowed Staines to keep the pressure on, but Teddington managed to break away to threaten their goal. The first occasion in the 9th minute when Haluna made a great run down the right hand side to cross into the box and repeated this a minute later with Joe taking a shot that slid wide. In the 28th minute Haluna took it all the way but rolled the ball wide of the goal. TAFC were rewarded for all their hard work in the 33rd minute when Haluna ran round the Staines goalie and stroked the ball into the net - 1:0. The second half saw more early pressure from Staines with one long shot landing on the top of our Net, and a scramble in the box from a corner kick. We nearly scored in the 15th minute after Haluna beat his man twice, but again the ball slid wide. A period of heavy pressure from Staines followed but Teddington broke away in the 23rd minute and Jack Congdon put the ball away - 2:0. One minute later and Haluna scores - 3:0. Staines manged a late consolation goal from a free kick which caught our defence un-prepared and the final score was 3:1 A great effort from every single player on the team - all of whom contributed to an excellent result - well done!

SQUAD: U14
League	St Francis Sports	28/9/2008	12-0
Another beautiful day and our greatest victory margin to date! 12:0. 5 minutes into the game and John Nunn on the break, draws out their goalie and crosses to Haluna - 1:0. 6 minutes in, Haluna takes the ball into the box beats a defender - 2:0. TAFC continue to display great skill with Jack Butler producing some great moves - St Francis get a shot on goal but Nick heads it!? away for a corner. 15 minutes in Jack Butler takes a free kick and finds Haluna who completes his hat-trick - 3:0. TAFC continues the relentless pressure with everyone contributing to some great football including a long shot on goal from JB a save from Nick and another great shot from JN just over the bar. 27 minutes gone Haluna passes to JN - 4:0. 32 minutes and JB starts a great play and ends with another goal for Haluna - 5:0, and two minutes later (too fast for me to take proper notes) he strikes again 6:0. Half Time. Ting and Dan come off to give Adam and Karanvir a game. 5 minutes in and JN smacks a huge shot from way out and beats the goalie - 7:0 a few minutes later Vin launches a shot that appeared on air traffic control radars before just going over the top of their goal. Then everyone was having a go! Alex shooting just wide and Adam over the bar. 15 minutes into the second half and Alex comes off and Ting returns followed a little later by Dan coming back on for Joe Dolan. 18 minutes of 2nd half gone and Alex sets up Haluna - 8:0. Soon after Jack C sets up JN - 9:0. HAlf an hour of the second half gone and Vin smacks the ball through, Dan gets behind their defence and deftly lobs their goalie - 10:0. Ting is next onto the score sheet from a great delivery by Jack C - 11:0. Close to full time and Haluna goes for one last goal - 12:0. Another boring game for Goalie Nick who treated us to a display of step overs as he dribbled across his own box, but what a great performance and a real team effort - everyone deserves mention, but it all just happened too fast for me to get it down on paper!

SQUAD: U14
League Cup	Perrywood Tornados	16/11/2008	3-1
A day of high drama ended in a great result for TAFC. On a heavy and slippery pitch Perrywood applied continuous pressure in the first half utilising their downhill advantage. We had six close escapes including a shot off the post and a header over the bar, but counterattacked with some great chasing and crossing from John Nunn and skillful play from Alex and a shot at goal from Jack Mcguire. The first goal of the game came 20 minutes into the match when Joe slotted home a cross from John and the score remained at 1:0 at half time after some great defending. Into the second half and Haluna put in a great run and cross but the shot went wide, Perrywood kept the pressure on and were rewarded with an equalizer 20 minutes into the half - 1:1. Then disaster struck when Ting went into a crunching tackle and wrecked his knee. Play was suspended for 50 minutes whilst the ambulance was called. Play resumed with the lads determined to win it for Ting and after ten minutes a long punt from Nick was fed through to Haluna who deftly chipped their goalie - 2:1. Four minutes later John Nunn fires in a beautiful looping cross from the wing which Joe H volleys into the net -what a spectacular goal! 3:1. Perrywood showed great spirit and continued to fight hard with a last minute corner producing a great header which went just wide, but the score remained the same at full time. A very fine team effort from TAFC with great performances from every member of the team - well done!

SQUAD: U14
League	Knaphill Lions	14/12/2008	2-3
This was the big one! Rumour had it that Knaphill had premiership players in their squad, but TAFC weren't impressed. Early action saw the T's applying pressure, but 5 minutes in Adam was injured and one minute later Knaphill latched onto a moments indecision and scored an opportunistic goal -0:1 T's came right back and a strike from Louie was deflected for a corner from which a shot went wide. T's kept up the pressure with some great tackling and a great shot from Jon Nunn going just wide and several corners taken. 20 minutes into the first half and Knaphill pounced on a clearance across the middle and rifled in a long shot - 0:2 T's kept their heads up and continued to hang on to the lion's share of posession gave chances to Jack who shot just wide across the goal and then Joe D who had one tipped over the bar by the excellent Knaphill goalie. All the hard work and great passing finally paid dividends when Haluna slotted the ball home after 30 minutes (felt like much longer!) - 2:1 and this was the score at half time T's came out fighting at the beginning of the second half with a shot from Jack C saved and a great one from Alex W glancing off the bar after a superb run. The pressure had to tell and 11 minutes in Joe D put it away - 2:2 what a great fight back! Knaphill began to respond earning several corners but some great defending and goal keeping kept the ball out of the net until the 32 minute of the second half when they broke through and scored - 2:3. That's the way it stayed with the action raging up and down the pitch - Jack M had a shot just wide, Nick made a great save from a jet propelled Knaphill free kick, Jack B shot just wide and in the last moments Haluna put in a cross which produced a cracking header from Joe D - just wide! It was a great game to watch - although nerve wracking - and the T's did themselves proud and were very unlucky not to come away with at least a draw against a fine and tough opposition team. Well done lads.

SQUAD: U14
League	Send United	1/3/2009	2-3
Send only turned up with ten players, but it never showed from their performance as Nick was forced to make a save within the first five minutes of the game. However not long after Teddington broke through their defence and Haluna scored with a deft touch off his left foot - 1:0. Send fought back hard and scored two goals within a ten minute period of play to leave the score 1:2. Haluna struck back to equal the score and then Send cranked up the pressure some more forcing a great save from Nick 15 minutes into the second half and then putting one over the bar a few minutes later. the pressure finally told when they scored the last goal of the game - 2:3. Not the best of performances from teddington in the second half, but Send were great opponents and came away with the win.

SQUAD: U14
League	Knaphill Lions	8/3/2009	6-5
Our third outing versus Knaphill Lions (top of the league) who had beaten ud 3:2 in the league and forced us to endure a drubbing in the Cup, so we had something to prove! The pace was fast and furious from the start, within 3 minutes we could have had a goal but were offside. One minute later Knaphill had a shot which was headed away by Vin for a corner. From the corner kick one of Knaphill's strikers raced in to hit a fantastic header which cannoned of the cross-bar. Tafc struck back immediately with Haluna deftly getting a ball just past their goalie 1:0 We just had time to draw breath and re-start when TAFC attacked again and Jack Butler struck a magnificent shot off his left foot from way outside the penalty area - 2:0 This really stung Knaphill and there followed even more frenetic play with Ting making a great save to keep them out, then Halunah deftly got round their goalie on the counter attack 3:0 and all within the first 12 minutes! Knaphill threw everything into the attack, Ting made another save, then they shot one over the bar, we broke back through but were offside, they broke back, put a long ball through (looked off-side) and scored 3:1. This goal really perked Knaphill up and three minutes later they headed in from a corner to make the score 3:2. TAFC were not going to give up their lead lightly, Halunah had a shot wide, then Nunny fired off a great strike from his right foot - 4:2 and not long sfter scored agian to leave the score 5:2 at half time. I don't know what their coach said to them at half time, but Knaphill came out all guns blazing - Ting saved one shot, a second went wide and a third over the bar, but we fought back and a cross from Halunah found Jack C who slotted it home 6:2. soon after Knaphill fired in a long ball and managed to lob Ting who just couldn't reach it 6:3. More sustained pressure with Knaphill breaking through our defence leading to a diving save from Ting followed by a great block but eventually the presssure told and Knaphill clawed back another 6:4. Five minutes later they scored again 6:5! 14 minutes to go, TAFC attack and break through and beat the goalie - but couldn't convert - aaargh! Knaphill attack again, take the shot, Ting gives a great juggling display just to give us all a heart attack, but saves. 11:19 (a little late by my watch) the ref blows his final whistle and we all can start breathing again! What a fantastic team effort and proof that if we give of our best, we can beat anyone - well done T's.

SQUAD: U14
League	Milford Pumas	14/3/2009	1-1
This was never going to be an easy game as Milford are a very strong team, but buoyed by their success aginst Knaphill, T's started strongly with Halunah making a great run down the wing but the cross failed to find one of our players. 10 minutes in and Milford turned up the heat with a series of three corners followed soon after by no less than three shots over our bar! It was not all one way as Halunah had a shot saved on the half hour, and another 4 minutes later. Milford shot over the bar once more before the half time whistle 0:0. Milford attacked straight away in the second half with two corners followed by yet another shot over our bar (perhaps they should take up rugby!)but the pressure was unrelenting with two shots wide before they finally found the goal 15 minutes into the second half 0:1. They kept on coming and shot over the bar again quickly followed by a shot on target that produced a great save by Ting. Over our bar again, and then T's mounted a counter attack leading to two corners culminating in a fantastic header from Karanveer 1:1. Six minutes left and the game went from end to end culminating in a Milford Free kick, but our doughty defence held and the full time whistle blew and we had a draw, which was a great result over such determined opposition - well done all.

SQUAD: U14
League	Staines Albion Bees	15/3/2009	0-0
Two matches in two days was a challenge, and we were closely matched in the first half with only two chances in - Joe D off the bar and Nunny's shot saved by the goalie. Staines probably had slightly more posession than us and looked sharper, but there were no goals at half time. T's attacked from the start of the second half forcing a save from their goalie and soon after he was forced to save from a shot by Halunah. T's kept up good pressure and had much more of the ball in this half but Staines still looked threatening although our defence worked well (Nick's height proving decisive when tthe ball was in the air) and Ting had to make a good save to keep the score sheet clean. 30 minutes into the half Jack made a great cross to Halunah but the shot went wide. The final whistle blew leaving the score at a dissapointing 0:0 we had spent most of the second half up their end of the pitch but hadn't really troubled their goalie as much as we should have. I am sure if we hadn't had such a hard game the day before, the result might have been different.

SQUAD: U14
League	Frimley Green Utd	22/3/2009	1-1
This was not a game of two halves, but two halves that were games! With a double header against Frimley Frimley had motorway trouble and the first game did not get underway until 1:35 with Frimley fielding 9 men and TAFC sportingly leaving one man off the pitch until they could get up to full strength. T's attacked with Halunah having a shot saved followed by a corner for us and John N shooting over the bar. seven minutes in and Halunah put one away to make it 1:0. Unfortunately 3 minutes later Frimley put in a long ball that got behind our defence and they had an easy equaliser.1:1 That was how it ended, despite having most of the possesion and seven attempts on goal, we just couldn't find a finish. The second game started with Halunah getting a shot but it went wide, Frimley countered and Ting saved, Halunah with another shot but across the goal mouth, Ting forced to make a great save, Halunah through but pushes the ball just too far, Frimley take a great shot and score 0:1. T's come back and Nick scores to level the game 1:1 after that Frimley had a lot of possesion, they had five shots to our four, but none went in and the second game ended with the same score as the first. A disappointing day, when we should have buried them in the first game and our finishing really cost us dear!

SQUAD: U14
League	Staines Town	26/4/2009	2-3
Final game of the season played in Old Deer Park as the only pitch available. Staines had improved since our last meeting and were the first to get a shot at goal, but it went wide. T's responded with a shot from Nunny and a good header from Joe D which went over the bar. 14 minutes into the ganme and Staines scored 0:1. They had another shot wide two minutes later but soon after Halunah levelled the scores at 1:1. The play was fast and furious with chances for both sides - Halunah had a shot cleared off the line and put another over the bar, eventually the pressure produced results with a score from JM 2:1. and this was the score at half time. The second half went off at a furious pace but ten minutes in Staines were awarded a penalty for a needless push in the box. 2:2 and two minutes later their strikers amazing speed took him through for another goal 2:3. The game went on with many chances for both teams, but at the whistle the score remained the same. Bad luck guys, but you played with spirit and we can now look forward to next season.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Warrensmead	13/9/2008	4-1
What a start to the season. In the early morning, pre-match warm up there were plenty of nerves and lots of discussion (with a bit of Krypton Factor goal making for the adults) but, most of all, anticipation. It was debuts all round for the new Teddington Athletic Panthers. The game started cautiously but then after only three minutes, Josh M found himself with the ball out on the right of the penalty area, he calmed himself before placing the ball beyond the goalie. 1-0 to Teddington. Josh M had scored the first goal ever for Teddington Athletic Panthers. It was the start the manager Rupert had been dreaming of all week. Teddington then settled well and after 5 minutes, some great battling by Joe in right midfield led to Jake playing a long ball out of defence, Ted ran onto the pass and found himself clean through with only the goalie to beat. Ted took his chance and slotted the ball down to the keeper's left. 2-0 Teddington. A few moments later it could have been three. Ted again found some space, this time on the right wing, but shot just wide into the side netting. Following some quick substitutions (Josh P, William and Thomas on for Jake, Angus and Joe) Warrenmead struck back. The ball came over from their left and one of their players found himself a few feet out with only our goalie to beat. Oli made a great attempt but the shot was too good. 2-1. Unlucky Oli. However, just before half-time Teddington's lead was once again extended to two goals. The Warrenmead keeper made an unlucky clearance which led to William being through on goal. He took his chance superbly to make it 3-1. Teddington then saw out the rest of the half with some determined play by the midfielders Josh M, Josh P and Ted and disciplined defending from Thomas and Ben. After another set of substitutions at half time (Oli, Angus, Joe on for Ted, Josh M and Ben) and a new goalie (Jake in for Oli) the second half started at a slower pace than the first. Teddington had the best chance with a ball from Angus to Josh P who saw his shot saved on the line by the Warrenmead goalie. Then disaster struck for the home team. The ref gave a harsh penalty to Teddington for a hand ball which in all honesty the defender could do little about. Thomas stepped up and blasted the ball into the net. 4-1 to Teddington. Jake in goal hardly had a shot to save in the second half. Ben and Josh P were giving Ted plenty of support on the left wing, Thomas looked solid in defense, while William, Angus, Joe and Josh M looked good pushing forward from the right. 4-1 was the final score and a great start to the season.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Caterham Pumas B	20/9/2008	7-0
The Teddington Panthers Roll On! The sun was shining, the bacon butties were plentiful, there was tea and the mighty Panthers won 7-0.....it doesn't get much better. The starting line up looked a strong one with Ali and Fin coming in for their first match of the season, and after only 3 minutes so it proved with Teddington going 1 - 0 up. Angus finishing of nicely after some slick inter passing. There followed a 10 minute spell of pressure with the game being played almost exclusively in their half. But despite some good play by Ted down the wing we just couldn't force the ball home until after 12 minutes a fine shot by Fin proved too much for their goalie - 2-0 to the Panthers. More pressure from the team in the final minutes of the half led to two smartly taken goals by Fin and Ali. Our back three, Jo, Jake, William and Josh ( I know thats four but....William came on as a first half sub!!) in goal were rarely troubled but dealt effectively with the rare Caterham attacks. With Thomas and Ben also joing the action Teddington finished the half 4-0 ahead. Following a rousing team talk from Lester the plucky Panthers were sent out for the second half. William took over in goal with Josh now in midfield. The team carried on pressing forward. With Ben down the right and Thomas in midfield the fifth goal looked inevitable. After 26 minutes Ted took his opportunity well, finishing of a smart move involving Jake, Thomas and Ben. Fin, Ali and Jo came back on for the final ten minutes with Fin completing his hat trick almost immediatly with a great shot from wide left. Again more pressure led to a good effort by Joseph narrowly missing to the left. The final goal was a 'screamer' from Jake, well cleverly taken with the help of his knee! The crowds were cheering, the boys were rejoicing..... a superb 7-0 victory. A great effort from all the team and now on to NPL where we will be welcoming back Oli and Josh M

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	NPL Youth B	27/9/2008	9-0
Through the thick Teddington fog The Panthers met NPL for the much awaited local derby. In the openong moments they looked a formidable opposition, our defence were immediately called upon to keep their nifty mid-field from scoring. The boys settled into their stride, keeping their positions well and applied pressure which culminated in a ball to Ted, who opened The Panthers account. The play continued to be even in th first half with Josh M making some superb saves. Joseph and william battled hard with a number of fine attempts on goal but the NPL defence worked tirelessly to keep the ball out of the net. The score at the end of the first half was 2-0 after Alis cross swerved in for goal number 2. "The Management" "Had a word" at half time and The Panthers came out all guns blazing for the second half. Five minutes in and great team work from Joseph, William, Tom and Jake combined with Josh M's instinct for goal scoring increased the Panthers lead to 5. Josh had a well earned rest only to be replaced by Fin, who was on fire and with in minutes, in his favourite strike position, had found the back of the net with his strong left foot. The defence work hard to thwart any designs on our goal, with Ben, Oli and Tom calmly and maturely executing their duties to ensure a clean score sheet for a second week running. Their efforts resulted in a final flurry of goals from Ali, Jake and Ted to make the final score 9-0 to the Prowling Panthers. A fantastic team effort ... well done

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Epsom and Ewell Colts B	4/10/2008	7-1
Panthers in seven goal heaven in their first home fixture The Panthers first home fixture bought out the crowds who cheered them on to another spectacular win. The match started with great pace and a great save from Joseph in the first 5 minutes. This spurred Ali on, who took a shot with a piercing drive from 15 yards and scored the Panthers first goal. Just 4 minutes later Fin made it 2 as he scored in a goal mouth melee in the 10th minute. There was a determined series of clever short passes between Josh M, Oli and Ben resluting in a clinical finish - goal number 3 from Ali. The Epson and Ewell keeper made a great save in the 13th minute. Their determination bore fruit with a great goal from their number 3 making the score 3-1. Josh P had a great long range shot which missed the goal by just a few inches just before the whistle was blown for half time. The second half was barely underway before Thomas made a great save. A few minutes later Fin shot home the Panthers fourth goal as he twisted and turned through the defenders with the help of Oli W, Joseph and Ted. There was then some fantastic team work between Oli W and Ted resulting in a fine finish by Ted for the 5th goal. Thomas demonstrated safe hands a number of times making it very hard for Epsom and Ewell to make a come back. A free kick led to another great goal from Ali making it 6-1.Some determined and strong defending from Angus and Ben kept them out before Ali broke away to score one last goal making the final score 7-1. Another top performance from the whole team and a big thanks to Cathy and team for the teas.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Roundshaw Colts	11/10/2008	3-2
ROUNDSHAW COLTS 2-3 TEDDINGTON PANTHERS RESTED Ted James, Joseph Bishop ILL Tom Winch It was a crisp, sunny morning and optimism was high. This was going to be a close game with two unbeaten teams facing each other for the first time. First half- Fin in goal. From kick off the boys were in a "real" match. Lot's of competitive tackling and passing, this was a tight game. Then Ali broke with the ball, passed it down the line to Josh Million who dribbled the ball passed three defenders and slotted the ball in the corner of the net. Rooney would have been proud of that one! Teddington jumped for joy but Roundshaw soon broke back. A long free kick took a wicked deflection and flew into the roof of the Teddington net. 1-1 at half time, a fair result and the boys couldn't wait for the second half to start. Second Half- Angus in goal. Unfortunately it was Roundshaw who broke from kick off to score 1-2 and we needed an immediate response. As Teddington attacked the keeper pulled off a number of good saves. Finally Fin broke the deadlock with a shot saved by the keeper,but following up bundled it into the net. 2-2 and all to play for. Both teams went in search of the winner and Angus pulled off a number of great saves, and William made an amazing goal line clearance. However, it was left to Ali to finish off Roundshaw. He latched on to a through ball and finished with aplomb. 3-2 and a well deserved, hard fought victory. A big well done to all the boys. Roll on next weekend.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	AFC Ewell A	8/11/2008	3-1
What a game - a proper football match and a great result. It looked like this was going to be a tough one - unbeaten opposition, a miserable day and a windswept pitch. But Teddington got stuck in from the whistle. With Oli looking commanding in goal and really committed defending from Ali, Thomas and Angus in particular we were able to keep them out as they surged forward in the first 10 minutes. Against the run of play and following a great pass from Teddy, Josh took on their defence and scored with a fantastic strike. Not surprisingly the second half started with Ewell throwing people forward in a bid for an equaliser. With Josh P now in goal and Ben and Angus resolute in defence we managed to keep them out for 5 minutes until the inevitable equaliser. With the supporters getting into the game we were on for a treat in the last 10 minutes - we weren't disappointed. With plenty of commitment and some clever football we took the game to them. A big effort from all with William strong in the middle of the pitch and Joseph like a little dynamo on the right we were looking dangerous. And so it proved another smartly taken goal by Josh M. But there was more to come. With the best move of the game, a pass up the wing from Ted, a great cross from Thomas and a simple tap in for Ali the score was 3-1. They were jumping on the sideline as they waited for the ref to blow his whistle. Game over 3-1 to us and a top team effort from all the boys. I'm off for a lie down - there's only so much excitement an old man can take!!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Bookham Colts C	15/11/2008	6-0
Another leafy suburb and a very welcoming team awaited us in Bookham. The game started very competitively with little between the teams. Thomas, Joseph and Josh weren't letting anything past them in defence. That, and a battle in midfield, took up much of the first 10 minutes with little goalmouth action which was just as well as Jake was standing in a puddle! After 15 mins Teddington took the lead. From a well earned corner, a goal mouth scramble followed and Oli poked the ball home for his first of the season. A few moments later Teddington had another chance but the ball whistled past the post from Ali. Then just before half-time there was a fantastic move down the Teddington left, superb one and two touch passing which led to a great cross with Fin sliding in at the far post. Unfortunately the ball was just beyond Fin's toe and went out for a goal kick. 1-0 at half time. The team had done well, to pass rather than force their way through a tall and powerful opposition. The second half started brightly for Teddington who now had the slight slope in their favour. After 6 mins, Angus took a shot and was delighted to see the ball fly in. A minute later Angus had another opportunity from the right of the penalty box and shot well inside the goalkeeper's near post. 3-0 to Teddington and two goals in two minutes for Angus. Fin was playing well in defence alongside Oli and Benjamin, Thomas moved from defence to midfield to take over from Jake and Josh was running tirelessly on the left wing. Josh's enthusiasm then saw him in front of goal with the ball at his feet and only a few yards out but it wasn't to be his day and the ball just slipped away in the mud. Teddington then had a big piece of luck. As the ball flew towards the Bookham goalkeeper, he had just lost concentration for a moment. Nobody was quite sure if it was a backpass or a shot but the luckless 'keeper saw the ball roll into the goal. 4-0 to Teddington. Ted then came on up front for the last 10 minutes and he was on fire. After a great piece of instant control he shot from the edge of the box to the keeper's left and the keeper had no chance. A moment later Ted was free in the box and as the ball came over from the left Ted shot first time high to the keeper's right. 6-0 to Teddington but the game wasn't over. Fin ran from defence all the way down the left and shot strongly but was unlucky to see the ball hit the woodwork. Then with a minute to go, Teddington had pushed up and left a Bookham player free. A ball out of defence saw the Bookham player run the whole length of the pitch, with only Joseph to beat in goal. Benjamin and Fin were chasing back and just as the Bookham player went to shoot a great defensive tackle was made. 6-0 was the final score. Well done to all and a great result after a tight first half.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	NPL	29/11/2008	1-5
A big test against a strong NPL A team And so it proved. But a spirited start from all the boys with some committed tackling and stubborn defending with Oli and Thomas outstanding. Ali was all over the pitch, with Ted relieving the pressure down the left. We broke up field with good work from Fin and after a bit of a goalmouth scramble Ali stuck the ball away to stun the crowd on the sidelines. Despite good work in goal from Josh M and a decent contribution from the first half subs Josh P, Benjamin and Angus we couldn't stop NPL scoring just before the break. The second half started in much the same way with all the pressure on our goal as NPL stepped it up a gear. Our team stuck to the task admirably and Thomas was strong in goal. Benjamin put in some good work in defence but we couldn't get hold of the ball for any length of time. NPL peppered our goal and managed to score 3 times in fairly quick succession. A late re-organisation of the defence with Jake adding some extra grit kept them out for a while. And the boys had their best passage of play - Josh M working hard up front, Ali being busy and Ted putting in some good touches. But despite this NPL grabbed a late goal to make it 5-1. A great effort from all the team and a lot to be proud of. Ultimately we were beaten by a better team but we will have learnt a lot. Looking forward to next week already!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	AFC Ewell A	6/12/2008	6-2
This was the re-match we were all looking forward to. In the previous game Teddington had edged a hard game, in the driving rain, 3-1. The game started well for Teddington. Straight from kick-off the midfield of Oli, Ali and Josh M moved forward with Ted sprinting ahead. Then after a missed tackle Ali shot. 1-0 to Teddington. The opposition had hardly kicked the ball and William and Joseph in defence hadn't moved! A few moments later. a great ball to Oli down the right wing followed by a great cross from Oli, left the Ewell defence nervously trying to clear the ball when a sliced clearance led to the ball flying into the net. 2-0 to Teddington and only 5 minutes gone. What a start. Then it was Ewell's turn to attack. The forced themselves into the penalty area where their player was tripped. Could Fin save the penalty? Unfortunately not, despite a brave dive the right way the ball flew in. However, it wasn't long before Teddington re-established their two goal lead. A great run from Ted down the left wing found him on the by-line, he pulled a great cross back hard and low in front of goal. Another deflection, 3-1, 11 minutes played. Then followed the best move of the half. A drag back from Angus on the right, a simple ball into Ali, a through ball to Ted, great finish. Simple placement into the corner down to the 'keeper's right. There was still time for Ali to make it 5-1 before half time with another great piece of skill and fierce shot. Great play and an excellent half from a team we were fearing. William and Joseph stopped everything in defence and Fin played flawlesly in goal. Ewell were keen to get back into the match in the second half. They started brightly and were in our half for a long period. Josh M was getting tackles in all over the pitch, Joseph was everywhere in midfield and Jake and Oli were stretched in defence. Fin and Josh M were making the most of the rare balls out of defence but the pressure told eventually with yet another deflection. Angus has no chance. 5-2 after 30 mins. Teddington were not going to allow Ewell back into the match though. From a ball out of defence Josh M made a great run down the right and beat a couple of defenders before putting in a great cross for Ted. Ted was only a yard out and with a deft back heel/flick/side foot (how did he do it?) the ball was in the net again. Hatrick for Ted James, and the 50th goal of the season for Teddington Athletic. 6-2 was the final score and back to winning ways. A great game, well done again to all the boys.

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	AFC Wimbledon	31/1/2009	3-1
We finally got to play....and what a game! Right from the whistle it looked like it was going to be a competitive match. With William looking confident in goal and Thomas and Josh P organised in defence we got off to a solid start. A tight struggled ensued which was only broken following good work by Fin and Ali and a thunderous shot form Thomas...1-0. Teddington managed to keep the pressure on with Josh M and Angus busy up front and Benjamin industrious down the right. It looked like another goal would come and shortly before half time Ali kept his cool and scored a smartly taken goal. 2-0 The second half kicked off with Angus having taken over in goal. Joseph put in some strong runs on the right and William made some crucial tackles on the left. But following some good play from Wimbledon and despite the best efforts of Oli and Ben in defence they managed to score on a follow up to a decent shot. They piled forward putting pressure on our goal but Angus stood firm between the sticks. Teddingtons confidence grew and some clever passing moves were put together with one leading to a strong run and strike by Fin. 3-1. There was time left for a few more surges forward with Thomas having a couple of cracks at goal and a great corner from Ali with the header going just wide. But the whistle went and a well contested 3-1 win. A top effort from all the boys. It's good to see them all working so hard for each other and putting together some decent passes. We are looking like a very tidy team!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Bookham Colts B	28/2/2009	6-1
Well played to the boys this week against Bookham who were short of a couple of their best players. Captain Ben saw his first half side get ahead early with a well taken goal by Josh M after a great break down the right wing from Thomas who crossed well. Josh M scored the second goal as well with a well finished individual effort. Bookham got a goal back from a free kick just outside the area. A well hit free kick left Ben with no chance at all. Tom got his name on the score card soon after to put us 3-1 ahead at half time. A new team came out for the second half and got control of the game even though Bookham fought well to keep the Panthers at Bay. Ali, combining well with Fin & Ted took the game to Bookham and a tussel ensued. Ali got his first hattick of the season to take the score to 6-1. Not a fair reflection of a decent game where both sides enjoyed a hard fought battle. Thanks again to Bookham for a very good game and we look forward to getting out there again next week. Thanks to Woody for reff'ing a good clean game. Also thanks to the parents who laid on tea & coffees for us all. Tim

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Worcester Park Colts	21/3/2009	2-1
We pinched one! Worcester Park looked a handy side from the off and so it proved. They played some neat football and it took a while for us to get going. But thanks to some confident goalkeeping from Ted and inspired defending from Oli we kept in the game until half time. Then early in the second half we had a comedy moment.....Josh almost scored his first of the season (albeit in the wrong net!) as an attempted clearance hit the post, Jake then tried to clear it and hit the other post, Joseph was left standing bemused as their centre forward then stuck it in the net! 0-1. The fight back then started as the whole team started to get into them. Some great wing play from Ted changed the game for us as he took them on on the left and an intelligent cross only left Fin to stroke it home 1-1. With our midfield of Angus, Ben, Ali and Thomas starting to take control the momentum was with us. Josh M started to show his usual trickery up front and a winner was looking like a possibility. And it came courtesy of a strong shot from Thomas that their goalkeeper was only able to help in the net. 2-1. A fine fighting victory with the team showing real character and desire. Well done boys a great way to start the weekend...another win on a sunny day in the park!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Ashtead Colts A	28/3/2009	4-3
It felt like winter had returned. It was a cold, blustery day and it was going to be we tough as we only had eight players. Ashtead started well. They were a tall side and dominated possession in the first few minutes until Ted broke away and finished nicely with the first Teddington shot of the day. 1-0 to Teddington. Ashtead continued to press forward and some great defensive work by Josh, Jake and Thomas kept them out until Ashtead's pressure led to a corner. The ball came in from the right and fell to an unmarked player on the edge of the box. He hammered it home, Ali had no chance. 1-1. Teddington then started to get back into the match as the midfield of William, Joseph, Benjamin and Josh P found their form. After an Ashtead goal kick William robbed their defender and kept a cool head to slot home a great goal. 2-1 to Teddington and two minutes to half-time. Almost immediately more bad luck in the Teddington defence led to an equaliser. There was a scramble in the goalmouth and it fell kindly to an Ashtead attacker. 2-2 at half-time. Teddington were much brighter in the second half. Ali was everywhere in midfield and Ted was working hard as a lone striker. The Teddington pressure didn't lead to a goal though and against the run of play Ashtead broke away and scored a well taken goal. Soon afterwards the attacking speed of Teddington told when a great run by Jake followed by a good pass to Ali saw him shoot hard to equalise. 3-3. Almost immediately, it was 4-3 to Teddington. Ted crossed superbly to force the keeper into a save but unfortunately for him it went into the net. Great cross Ted, unlucky keeper, 4-3 to Teddington. The last 7 minutes were frantic. William in goal made an amazing save with his finger tips to keep Ashtead out and there was lots of great work in defence and the midfield were sprinting everywhere. At last the whistle went. 4-3 to Teddington. What a match!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Epsom and Ewell Colts A	11/4/2009	1-4
It had to end....... Finally our unbeaten run in the league came to an end with a battling but ultimately losing 4- 1 defeat by Epsom & Ewell A's. It was a brave effort by the boys who managed to keep it to 1-1 until half way through the second half but gradually a decent side and tiredness were our undoing. The game started brightly and looked like it was going to be a good competitive match. They sneaked a goal from a corner that we couldn't clear which went in off Josh, our goalies, shins. But the team battled back, driven by Jake in midfield and some tantalising runs from Teddy on the left we started to look the better team. However we couldn't get the goal back before the half time whistle. We started the second half as we ended the first and a good run down the left and a neat cross by Teddy met with a well timed run into the box by Fin and it was 1-1. With Thomas and Oli looking solid in defence, Jake still running all over the pitch and Josh having swapped with Benjamin on the right it was set up nicely for a rousing finish. Unfortunately following an attack from E&E which we couldn't deal with well enough their centre forward scored from a cute back heel 1-2. Our heads dropped a little and tiredness seaped in and they began to gain control. Two more quick goals followed despite our best efforts giving a final score line of 1-4. Disappointing I know as the boys battled hard to protect their unbeaten run but having ridden our luck a bit over the last few weeks perhaps it caught up with us. Never the less if we keep playing like we have we'll win many more than we lose - well done. And with that I sign off as a Saturday team co-manager - I've really enjoyed this season and a big thank you to the boys for making my Saturday mornings such fun. I hope they have all enjoyed it. Apologies if I've embarrassed myself...but hey I get excited! Looking forward to a match next season against you with our new Sunday side!

SQUAD: U8P
Friendly	Old Coulsdon Colts B	18/4/2009	2-2
Another warm welcome was received by Teddington, this time from the Old Coulsdon kitchen, which more than made up for the disappearance of the white lines, rather long grass and a noticeable slope! This was football as I remembered it - none of your cricket pitch stuff here boys! It was a classic game of two halves. In the first period Fin had a tough time in goal as Old Coulsdon were playing downhill but he made some great stops. Jake and Ben in defence were solid, Ali, Josh P and Oli everywhere in midfield and Josh M back to his best upfront. After 10 minutes or so, the slope made the difference when Old Coulsdon went ahead. A good goal leading from a break down the right. Teddington didn't lose their heads and kept battling uphill, forcing some desperate tackles in the Old Coulsdon box. Unfortunately, Old Coulsdon hit back with a second just before half time. Nothing Fin could do about it. 2-0. We knew we could do better with the slope in our favour and so it proved. Oli replaced Fin who was now playing up front. Fin shoots, Fin scores! 2-1 and time still for more goals. Jake pushed out of defence for the last 10 minutes and right near the end managed to score one of his knee. It really was football just as I remembered it. 2-2 final score and the first season over. It has been a great season and the players all wished Josh P luck for the future as he won't be back next year. See you on tour!

SQUAD: U9
League	Feltham Youth Blues	14/9/2008	3-2
First game of a new season and some excellent passing throughout the team saw the boys come away with a 3-2 win against Feltham Youth Blues. Jacques started in goal with Ross and Johan in defence, Manny, Eddie and Gabe in midfield and Etienne up-front. Tom was our only substitute. Straight from the kick-off Teddington passed the ball well between defence, midfield and were certainly on-top. After 5 minutes the pressure paid off with Gabe, Etienne and Manny linking well for Manny to dribble through the defence and shoot low and hard to make it 1-0. Jacques was untroubled in goal as the combination of Johan and Ross worked well to win and clear the ball cleverly from defence. Eddie worked hard on the left wing as did Manny on the right. The game continued to be played mostly in Feltham's half with Teddington's second goal coming after about 15 mins following a very nice drag back to beat the man on the wing from Manny and pass to Etienne who put the ball away cleanly for 2-0. Tom came on for Etienne as Teddington took control of the game. The second half looked like being more of the same albeit with Johan in goal, Jacques in midfield, Gabe in defence and Manny on the bench. After about 5 minutes Eddie went off and Manny came on and after another couple of minutes a combination of Gabe and Etienne got the ball wide to Manny who crossed well to the far-post for Tom to score (dubiuos goal panel awarding to Tom although Manny may feel he had a strong claim). But then calamity, Johan injured his finger and was replaced in goal by Ross, which required a shuffling round of the team. Our concentration was lost and we conceded 2 quick goals to make it 3-2. However, we showed good determination and whilst a lot of the boys were tiring in the heat we hung on to come out winners. A good game for the first of the season, a good win but overall some very good passing and teamwork. Well done boys!

SQUAD: U9
League	Worplesdon Rangers Lions	21/9/2008	4-3
A second consecutive hard fought away win as the boys come away 4-3 to the good against a strong Worplesden team. We started with Jacques in goal, Louie and Harry F in defence, Tom in central midfield with Eddie and Harry O on either side and Gabe up front. After last weeks heroics, Etienne, Johan and Manny all started on the sidelines. Worplesden started well and went 1-0 up after we failed to clear a ball in front of goal. We came back strong with Tom, Eddie, Harry O and Gabe all having a number of good shots with their goalie making some good saves. After a couple of substitutions we settled again into a good passing rhythm with Harry F, Etienne and Manny linking well for Manny to see the goalie again save well. The breakthrough wasn't far away though with Tom passing well for Etienne to run clear, see the goalie an inch off his line and lob expertly. 1-1 and game on! We continued to pass well with all players looking to make space to receive and then pass the ball. Worplesden had some good individual players but lacked our all-round team play. Some four passes involving Tom, Et and Manny led to Manny scoring the second and at half-time we went in 2-1 up. There were a few changes at the start of the second half although Jacques stayed in goal where he was to make some excellent saves. We kept our 2-3-1 formation (more on that later) but where unable to stop 2 corners being converted to see us 2-3 down with 10 minutes to go. Perhaps we'll have to name the under-9s the vampire XI seeing as how they're so afraid of crosses!! So formation wise...as we pushed to get back in the game we went to a less orthodox 3-0-3 and more worryingly it paid off! With Johan, Tom and Louie staying back to defend well and break quickly. We had chance after chance as the boys surged forward looking for the equaliser. And it came after Manny took a short pass from the middle to run down the wing and cross to the far post where Harry O slid in bravely to score! 3-3 and 5 mins left. We kept passing and passing with some really good football being played. Chance after chance came and went before Gabe blocked a goalkick to pass to Etienne who passed on for Manny to score with nearly the last kick of the game! We took the lead twice, went behind once, drew level and won in a thrilling game. But, most importantly we kept passing and supporting each other as a team. As ever we win as team and lose as a team..well done boys.

SQUAD: U9
League	Potley Lions	28/9/2008	3-4
You get your money's worth with the Under-9s. A great game against our old friends Potley which saw us scoring 5 goals and still losing 3-4! We started well with Louie in goal, Johan and Ross in defence, Tom, Harry O and Gabe in midfield and Etienne up-front. Harry F, Eddie and Jacques made up the rest of the squad. Manny sat out the game although he did turn up to support – good effort Manny! We looked strong from the start, passed the ball well, supporting each other and playing as a team. However, two quick goals by Potley put us behind early on. We had more than our fair share of the first half with some excellent team-play and were very unlucky with a number of shots that went narrowly wide or were well saved by the Potley keeper. Eddie was taking up great positions wide on the right, Harry F and Johan were strong in defence, Tom and Jacques were busy in the midfield. Gabe even hit the inside of the post only to see the ball roll across the line before going out for a goal kick! We didn't let our heads drop and we were playing well but an own goal from a corner put us in a somewhat undeserved 3-0 down. Then came the fight back. A great through ball from Harry O released Etienne who came inside the defender and scored well to make it 1-3. And the half wasn't up yet. Another great bit of passing ended with Jacques thundering the ball in off the cross bar. 2-3 down at half-time. Second half we changed around a bit and started with Gabe upfront supported by Eddie, Johan and Jacques in midfield, Louie and Harry F in defence and Harry O in goal. However, the aversion to crosses hit us again with another ball from the Potley wing ending up as another own goal. 4-2 down. Was another fight back on the cards? We made a good go of it, sticking with our passing game with Johan in particular coming into his own. Some great strength in midfield, some great passes (especially the ball up the line to Gabe) and a much deserved goal…a well placed left foot drive into the bottom corner. Louie was tenacious at the back, with good support from Ross. Harry O was strong in goal. However, time was up. A 4-3 loss. So 5 goals scored (albeit 2 OGs), some great teamwork, defensive play and strong support from the midfield to both defence and attack. A great effort that the boys should be proud of!

SQUAD: U9
League	Farnham Dragons	5/10/2008	6-4
Another fantastic team performance, battling to a 6-4 victory against a strong Farnham team and the incredibly wet conditions. We started with Louie in goal...Johan and Harry F in defence...Eddie, Harry O (captain) and Jacques in midfield...with Manny returning to the team as a lone striker. Tom, Etienne and Ross started on the bench. We started Ok, but quickly went two goals down, with the Farnham midfield taking control. We kept our heads though and began to put some pressure on of our own, and were rewarded with a goal from Manny, popping up at the back post for a neat finish. Louie, Harry F and Johan were strong at the back, Harry O and Jacques battled tirelessly...and further reward came from a great goal from Eddie, striking home into the bottom corner. 2-2 at half time. Game on. Soon into the second half, we nudged into the lead. A good run and a fantastic cross from Etienne was met by Tom who came forward from midfield to place it cooly past the Farnham goaly. 3-2. Suddenly it was all Teddington and a fourth goal came after the ball rebounded out of the box from a Manny run and shot, with Etienne slamming home. 4-2. Importantly, the boys kept their shape and concentrated well. Jacques looked good in goal, making some great saves. Louie, Ross and Harry F tackled hard (and brought the ball out of defence well), making it very difficult for the Farnham strikers. But Farnham came good again and scored two goals in quick succession. 4-4 and all the hard work was looking like it might come to nothing. But yet again, the boys came on. Louie had some good runs forward. Harry O, Johan and Tom got up and down the pitch. More good passing moves going forwards and Etienne made it 5-4...in the dying seconds Manny got his just rewards with his second goal of the game. 6-4 and a well deserved victory on the final whistle. Well done boys - another great team performance...we stuck to our guns and passed it well, supporting each other throughout the whole game. Keep it up. Well done. (The above may be completely wrong - I had to take my glasses off half way through the first half due to the conditions!)

SQUAD: U9
League	Abbey Rangers B	12/10/2008	1-1
A hard fought 1-1 draw against Abbey Rangers in a top of the table clash! In the first half Etienne went in goal were he made some excellent stops but really excelled with his kicking which sent Manny off towards goal on a number of occasions. Louie and Ross were in defence and again worked hard to defend well, close-down space and clear to our midfield and attack. The midfield three were Tom, Jacques and Gabe and all three worked hard to construct some great passing moves with Manny who was up-front. Eddie started on the bench (probably best given who the ref was!) with Harry OG and Johan. Harry F was rested. Again we worked hard and passed the ball whenever we could. Jacques, Tom and Gabe had to work hard against a good Abbey midfield. Jacques playing some nice short passes to Tom and Manny in particular. Ross again tackled well in defence, passing when he could and playing the ball out when needed. We went 0-1 down against the play but came back when Tom tackled well to win the ball on the right before passing to Manny who played a one-two with Harry O and slotted it in to the bottom corner to make it 1-1. Johan nearly made it 2-1 with a great run down the left and shot across goal and I think we hit the bar as well! All in a good half against a good Abbey team who have won all their games so far this season. We came out in the second half with Harry O in goal and an unchanged defence. Etienne went up front with Eddie, Gabe and Johan in the middle. The play was very evenly matched with Abbey having a number of chances one of which Harry did very well to save low to his left. But we had our fair share, with Eddie for example, showing some great skill to win the ball in a tackle before setting off down the line, "shimmying" round a defender and crossing low and hard into the middle. Louie had a great shot from a corner that went narrowly wide and Johan and Gabe both had good attempts from free-kicks. We very nearly won it at the last following a good interchange between Gabe and Manny but in the end 1-1 was a fair result. Both teams played well and neither really deserved to lose.

SQUAD: U9
League	Knaphill Vultures	19/10/2008	7-3
A 7-3 win as Teddington fly higher than the vultures. First half we started with Eddie in goal, Johan and Ross in defence, Manny,Harrrys O anf F in midfiled in Etienne up-front. Gabe, Jacques and Louie where subs. Knaphill looked dangerous early on with a central midfield that literally towered over us (and the ref!) and we were 1-0 down within 5 minutes. But our "Champagne football" (copyright Yannick and Phil) paid off as we passed and moved excellently (as in all our game's this season to be fair). All the boys looked to bring the ball down and pass, especially down the wings where we again made use of space, played 1-2s, supported the man on the ball, looked for the pass....in fact all the things we know we should do! Within a few minutes we were 1-1 then 1-2, then 1-3 with Harrys F and O, Manny and Etienne combining well with Johan and Ross again bringing the ball out of defence and passing to the midfield. So Half time from 1-0 down to 1-3 in front and Etienne with a Hat-trick. Second half the team changed around but the style of our play didn't - we conceded an early goal! Manny was in the nets, Johan and Louie started in defence with Gabe, Jacques and Eddie in midfield and Harry F up front. So 2-3 and Knaphill back in it. But we plugged away to make it 2-4 from a corner before the move of the match (and there were lots of contenders!) Knaphill corner, we broke straight from defence with Gabe winning the ball on the edge of our box, running to the half-way line before releasing Etienne who'd "peeled" off to the left, one touch and bang 2-5 and what a goal! Like watching Arsenal........reserves! Then Eddie capped another great game with a shot from outside the box that took a slight deflection to make it 2-6. Etianned popped up to make it 2-7 - Etienne's 6th goal of the game. Knaphill pulled one back to make it 3-7 before the ref blew for full-time. A great game, excellent passing and teamplay. We took a number of knocks, kept playing our game and ran out winners. Well done Boys!

SQUAD: U9
League	Farncombe Gladiators	2/11/2008	2-2
Not much of a report this week as all my notes got wet! We had only 8 players today for the trip to Farncombe: Louie (in goal for 1st half), Manny, Jacques, Ross, Gabe, Harry OG, Harry F and Etienne. The game went ahead on a very muddy and waterlogged pitch with our boys initally trying to play the Champagne Football of late...however, it was more brown ale football on a real muck n nettles pitch! For those of you who remember Neville Southall, the great Wales n Everton keeper of the 80s you'll know that after warming up he was covered head to toe in mud...even on a bright sunny day! Well it was a bit like that today, the boys were covered in mud......and that was before the game began! So to the football...we went ahead when Etienne linked up well with the midfield to put us 1-0 up after c10mins. We held on in the first half although the boys where visibally tired on a very heavy pitch. We tried to play football but soon realised it was more a game of kick it out of the mud and hope it managed to find its way to one of our team. Half-time 1-0. Gabe went in goal for the second half when Farncombe really came on strong and deservedly took a 2-1 lead with some good play. We battled hard with Louie and Ross making some great challenges at the back and Jacques, Manny, Harry OG and F working hard in the middle and Etienne running hard upfront. It was looking like a 1-2 defeat when with about 30 seconds left Gabe launched a goal kick into Farncombe's half, towards Manny who battled well with the defender, saw the ball stick in the water before turning inside and putting the ball away to make it 2-2! A very good performance when we had to dig deep and work hard on an energy draining pitch. A well deserved 2-2 draw!

SQUAD: U9
League	Guildford Saints United B	9/11/2008	2-0
This week, not a match report, but notes from the referee! “A 2-0 win at home to Guildford Saints. I thought I'd try and write a note as the referee...which in hindsight is quite hard to do but here goes in terms of what I can remember of the highlights... • We won 2-0 with a goal in each half from Gabe • Ross was a great goalie in the first half, Jacques equally great in the second half. • Tom, Louie, Gabe, Etienne, Manny, Harry O and F all played well with special mentions for Eddie, who liked his shimmy on the wing so much he went back and did it again, and Louie & Ross for some tenacious defending throughout the second half • Laces come undone a lot • Girls make good footballers and fast too!” Well done all (again).

SQUAD: U9
Cup - R1	Abbey Rangers B	16/11/2008	3-2
Cup thriller goes to penalties as goalie make heroic saves to put Tedington in the hat for round 2!! In the end we won 3-2 on penalties with a big thanks to Harry OG who saved 3 of the Abbey spot-kicks but it was a very tight and evenly balanced match filled with energy and excitement. We started with Johan in goal, Harry F and Louie in defence, Jacques, Tom and Manny in midfield and Harry OG up-front. Gabe, Eddie and Ross where subs. In the first ten minutes or so we played some really great stuff with lots of hard-running, quick passing and energy. We gave each other great support and always looked first to the ball and first to the rebound. We were very unlucky not to be 1 or 2 up after the first 15 minutes and I think we gave Abbey a bit of a shock as we were really playing very well. All the boys were putting their all into it with Harry OG playing really well up-front, Manny and Jacques working really hard on either wing (I think it was the best I've seen Jacques play so far this season - really good stuff!!) and Tom holding the centre-middle position, tackling hard and playing nice neat passes. Louie and Harry F were playing well in defence with Harry working hard to close down Abbey when they had the ball and Louie playing his usual game of excellent tackling as well as increasingly calm distribution (for those of who remember Alan Hansen when he played rather than sat on comfy sofas, the resemblance was remarkable - except for the age, height, accent and long blonde hair!). But the goal wouldn't come and we started to flag a little which was inevitable given the tempo we were playing at. Phil and Yannick (who came to help even after being sick all week and with Et being rested - whattta trouper!) changed things around after 15 or so minutes with Eddie, Gabe and Ross coming on and Manny, Jacques and Harry F taking a well earned break. It wasn't enough to break the deadlock and we went in 0-0 at HT. Second half Tom went in goal. Johan and Ross started in defence, Harry F, Harry OG and Gabe in midfield and Eddie up-front. Johan was his normal calm self and Ross played out of his skin with some great tackles and blocks. Harry F, Harry OG and Gabe again worked hard in midfield and Eddie (THE SHIMMY)gave them something to think about up-front. We went behind from an unfortunate free-kick on the edge of our area but came on strong again with some great play: Eddie hit the bar with a looping shot and Gabe hit the post. Manny, Louie and Tom all came on ('fraid I can't remember who went off) and eventually we got the equaliser. Gabe shot from the edge of the box, it was going wide before Harry OG slid in to score the equaliser. But little did we know of the excitement to follow!!! FT and 1-1 so into extra time of 5 mins each way when both teams had chances to win it but it wasn't to be. I don't know if our boys actually wanted penalties or not but the chant of "we want pens" from some of them probably gave the game away!!! Harry OG went in goal and we won 3-2 (I can't remember who scored/didn't for Teddington but the boys all stayed in the centre-circle as a team and helped and encouraged each other ...which was great). Harry made 3 great/marvellous/fantastic (pick your superlative!) saves and especially when we were 3-2 up and Abbey stepped up to take their final pen, Harry kept his nerve and saved well to his left. Well done boys, some great passing especially in the first half, great strength and energy, we kept going and (I think) probably deserved to win on the balance of play. So on to the next round!!

SQUAD: U9
League	Fleet Town Spartans	23/11/2008	4-1
A great 4-1 win away at Fleet Town. What a day..rain coming straight into your face, brollies getting blown everywhere, and that was after the snow had thawed! But the boys seemed to thrive. Who'd have thought it eh, that 8 boys could enjoy running around a muddy pitch so much. We were 3 players down today (HarryOG, Ross and Jacques) so started with Manny in goal, Johan and Harry F in defence, Tom, Eddie and Gabe in midfield and Etienne up-front. Louie was sub. Fleet Town looked very good and in the first 15 mins things were evenly balanced: both teams passed well and worked hard. But after about 15 mins came "maybe the goal of the season"...according to Et. Fleet took a goal kick which came straight to Gabe about a yard inside our half, he hit it first time with his left foot and it flew straight back into the goal...1-0 . We played very well for the rest of the half, Manny made some fingertip saves, Johan and Harry worked hard against a good Fleet attack and Eddie, Tom and Gabe kept passing amongst themselves and getting forward to Et when they could. Good stuff. So half-time and 1-0 up. Then straight from the kick-off, Manny to Et and on to Gabe, little run down the wing, cross back over the pitch to Manny in the box, little pass back to Et and 2-0. Four passes and a goal straight from KO. Great stuff. I think Fleet lost a little bit of impetus at this point whilst our confidence was up. We used the width of the pitch really well as Louie came back into defence alongside Johan. Eddie went in goal and Gabe, Tom and Manny played midfield. We scored our third in a similar way to some of our other goals this season - straight from defending a free-kick. Gabe intercepted the ball, ran forward as Et ran down the left-wing, a long ball through, Et cut into the middle and scored to make it 3-0. It was 4-0 soon after when Gabe turned inside the box and hit a left-footed shot that looped over the goalie. Fleet came back strongly and showed their spirit when they made it 4-1 with a couple of mins to go. But in the end another good away win against strong opposition. And now for a report on each boy: Manny - great first half saves and second half runs and crosses. Unlucky not to score but Fleet's goalie saved well from a couple of string shots. Harry F - very strong defending, good use of his body to win the ball and pass it out of defence. Johan - some unlucky headers at goal from good positions, in the second half when he went into midfield and calm defending (as ever) in the first half Tom - probably the best I've seen him play in midfield, held his position well, won and passed the ball very well. Someone said "Makele" and they weren't far wrong Eddie - the Shimmy lives on....I hear he does "street dancing" which probably accounts for the hips! Gabe - 2 great goals and some excellent passing and runs. One of his best games yet and a great 1st goal. Etienne - brilliant passing and running, worked very well with the wingers and two well taken goals Louie - what can you say. You don't get passed Louie in this form. Great tackling and passing. Well done boys and well done Mums n Dads who will have come home dripping wet but happy!!

SQUAD: U9
League	Farncombe Gladiators	30/11/2008	3-5
This was a top of the table clash between 2 teams who before the game had only been beaten once each. In the end we ended up losing 3-5 but what a game! 5-0 down early in the second half, 3 penalties (2 for us and 1 for them) and a final flourish to come back strongly and be unlucky to lose! I'm glad I wasn't reffing!!!! We started with Et in goal, Louie and Johan in defence, Jacques, Manny and Tom in midfield and Harry OG up-front. Gabe and Eddie were subs. We were unlucky to go 0-1 down following a looping shot from Farncombe which went over Et and snuck in by the far post, we went 0-2 down following a penalty for handball and then after coming back strongly we lost a third goal on a breakaway. To be fair we didn't really play to our best in the first half and Farncombe are a good little team who pass and play very well. So 0-3 down a HT. Second half and Harry went in goal, Jacques and Louie defence, Gabe, Tom and Eddie in midfield and Johan up-front. But the luck stayed with Farncombe who made it 0-4 and 0-5 in quick succession. Gabe had some trademark long shots and a cross into Johan was cleverly flicked goalwards. Eddie ran his heart out and Jacques and Tom worked hard to close Farmconbe down in the middle but the breakthrough wouldn't come and to be fair we were losing heart a little. But then a second-wind and the fightback began...Manny weaved through the Farncombe defence to make it 1-5 followed by winning a penalty which the Farncombe goalie saved well from Harry OG. With time against us we continued to work hard and try to make the scoreline more reflective of the overall game. Some more shots, a second for Manny, some unlucky breaks and a good opposition meant we justn't couldn't do enough. Then a 3rd pen for obstruction which Manny buried for his hat-trick. To be fair Farncombe played very well whilst we had a bit of an off-day! But never mind there's always next week. Only 2 defeats in 11 games is a fantastic record and should keep us up at the top end of the table.

SQUAD: U9
League	Staines Lammas Blues	7/12/2008	0-4
Another unlucky defeat and the first time we failed to score in a game this season - but I think there was a god reason for that and it wasn't for lack of trying. We started with only 8 players following a number of drop-outs with Gabe in goal, Ross and Johan in defence, Jacques, Tom and Harry O (birthday boy and captain) in midfield and Manny up-front. Et started as sub. A bit like last week we started slowly and gave away an early goal - a short goalkick was hit straight back to make it 0-1 after about a minutes play! We start so slowly we should be called the Teddington Reliants (after Del-Boy Trotters famous car!). We then played quite well with Tom battling hard in midfield, but unluckily for us Staines broke away against the run of play, to make it 0-2 before half-time. We didn't really have much luck in the first half, although we had a good shout for a pen (perhaps I shouted too much!) and some great passing moves but we couldn't beat the Staines keeper - more to come on that one! Second half Gabe swapped for Tom who went in goal and Et started up-front. Johan made some important tackles in the second half, Ross swepped-up well behind him and Manny, Jacques, Harry and Gabe all played hard in midfield. But again no luck. We were awarded a penalty after the Staines keeper brought Etienne down, Et stepped up to take it but hit the topside of the bar and away for a goal-kick! Gabe had some trade-mark longshots that the keeper saved well, Et and Manny got free a number of times but were again thwarted by some excellent saves and Johan and Jacques had good shots saved well. I don't think i've seen a keeper make so many saves in one game! We pressed well but Staines broke away twice more to make it 0-4. We lost heart a little as the second half went on which was understandable but we kept going to the end. All in all we must have had 20 shots of which the keeper saved everyone that went on target, he came out well to save on the ground (and at our attackers feet - very brave!) and pushed strong shots over and wide. He was the best keeper i've seen at that age and unlucky for us he played to his best today.

SQUAD: U9
Cup - R2	Hart Harriers	14/12/2008	3-1
A great 3-1 Cup win against Hart Harriers After the thrilling penalty shoot-out of the last round match against Abbey Ranger we started the game against higher league (Div 3) oppositions with some trepidation but in the end we ran out deserved winners against strong opponents. We started with Ross in goal, Louie and Harry F in defence, Harry OG, Gabe and Eddie in midfield and Manny up-front. Tom started as sub. We got off to a strong start, which after our last couple of games when we conceded early goals, was a surprise! The boys passed it round well and played some nice football with a number of shots at goal. But it was pretty even as expected with Hart showing some good touches and passing. We may not have conceded early but we did give away a pen at 0-0! Lucky for us Hart hit it narrowly wide and it stayed at 0-0 until Gabe hit a long pass for Manny to run on to. Manny did excellently to hold off the defender and calmly go round the keeper to put it away and make it 1-0. Soon after a similar "breakaway" goal from a lovely long ball from Harry OG, Manny again raced clear, using his body to hold off the defender and put it past the keeper to make it 2-0. The defence and midfield battled hard to keep Hart at bay…Louie and Harry F with some great tackling, some great covering midfield work from Tom , Eddie., Harry O and Gabe…and some fine keeping from Ross. We did concede just before half-time though to go in at the "oranges" 2-1 up. Second half and Manny went in goal with Eddie switching to attack. The second half was pretty similar to the first with two evenly matched teams playing some nice football, battling hard and playing fairly - the ref didn't have much to do, which makes you wonder why he was so out-of-breath at the end?!? We made it safe at 3-1 when Gabe picked up the ball in our half and set off on a run to goal. At the very end it looked like he'd taken it a little wide of the keeper but he put it away with his left foot to finish the game....and on to the next round! Finally, as there were only 8 boys today it makes a player by player round-up a little easier, so here goes.... Ross: excellent defending with a cry of "Alan Hansen" going up from teh crowd when he slid into a clearing tackle in the second half...it's the long legs! Louie: Mr Consistent!! Some game again from our feared defender, great tackling, lovely timing and distribution to match! Harry F: great running and tackling with lovely use of the body to win and play the ball out of defence. Improving with every game! Tom: everywhere today! Makele lives-on! Just very very neat and tidy, wins the ball, passes quickly, supports attack and defence equally well. Another great game! Harry OG: a peach of a pass for the second goal and tireless running, great skill and energy. Well done HOG! Gabe: watch the drag-back! Great stuff again and a fantastic third goal to clinch the win Manny: scored two excellent goals when one-on-one with the defender, going round the goalie for one and slotting it in from further out for the other! Neat feet! And good keeping in the second half Eddie: The "shimmy" is here to stay! Energy and passion, good feet to wriggle his way through a couple of times and a cracking shot at the very end of the game which shaved the bar. Unlucky not to score!

SQUAD: U9
League	Potley Lions	18/1/2009	7-4
A 7-4 win against Potley but again the final score doesn't tell the whole story. 1-0 down at half-time then 4-1 down after 5 mins of the second half, we came back to win 7-4 after scoring 6 goals in about 15 mins! We started with Johan in goal, Louie & Tom in defence, Eddie, Gabe and Jacques in midfield and Etienne up-front. Manny started as sub. There was a pronounced slope to the pitch and we played up it and against the wind in the first half. This was our first game for a month and it showed as we rarely got our passing game together and when we did Potley's defence did well to close down and shut us out. There was lots of action and effort and the boys enjoyed it! We went 1-0 down after losing concentration a little following Manny taking a knock whilst baring down on goal but we were playing well and with the wind and slope in our favour we had high hopes for the second half...little did we know so did Potley. We equalised straight from the KO as Manny, Etienne and Tom played smart one-touch stuff to open Potley's defence up...but then quickly went 4-1 down as Potley made use of space on our right to score three in quick succession. But our boys are nothing if not resilient. We settled down a bit after this and made it 4-2 when Eddie cleverly followed in a long shot to pounce on the rebound and slot it past the keeper. Then a mazy run from Manny and strong shot made it 4-3, we could smell an equaliser! It came from a pen when Manny made it 4-4. Et made it 5-4 and 6-4 following good work from the midfield on both occasions and then a chipped corner from Gabe was controlled well by Manny to make it 7-4. The boys were over-joyed but you had to feel a bit for Potley who thought they'd won it only to lose their way a little. Potley were a good, strong team who passed well but were unlucky at times. They were also playing in the Cup the next day so hopefully their confidence wasn't too bruised. Back to TAFC who showed great character and perseverance. Tom had another good, solid game in midfield, Manny and Et both scored hat-tricks, Eddie worked hard for his goal, and didn't he deserve it! Jacques and Johan shared goalkeeping duties and worked hard throughout. Gabe and the Potley left-wing had a good old tussle (cancelling each other out alog the way) and Louie had another great game in defence, winning and passing the ball very well indeed. Harry F was as dependable as ever. We kept playing as a team and the Ref came over to say what good character the team had. All round good stuff and back to winning ways! Well done Boys!

SQUAD: U9
League	Abbey Rangers B	1/2/2009	2-0
Another excellent team performance and a well deserved 2-0 victory against high flying Abbey Rangers. It was great to see the boys sticking to their passing game, depsite the very cold conditions, and to see the amount of commitment given by everyone for the whole game. This really was a great team performance...goalkeepers, defence, midfield and attack all played their part in a very good win. Our second clean sheet of the season as we beat Abbey Rangers 2-0, We started with Gabe in goal, Ross and Louie in defence, Tom, Manny and Harry OG in midfield and Et up front. Jacques, Harry and Johan were subs. Boy was it cold - goodness knows how the boys kept playing/warm but they did. For the first ten to fifteen minutes we looked born-again. Some lovely passing, jinking runs (Harry OG down the wing - obviously watching the Villans too much) and excellent midfield and defensive play. There were sharp interchanges between Manny, Et, Tom and Harry OG especially with Ross and Louie making great tackles along the way. 18 mins in we went 1-0 up after a low Manny corner was turned in by Et. I couldn't take notes as it was so cold! Jacques had a great chnace and Johan and Harry F came on to keep the tempo going HT and 1-0 up. Second half we changed things around putting Louie in goal, Johan and Ross at the back, Harry F, Gabe and Manny in the middle and Et up-front. If anything it got colder in the second half. We defended more as Abbey fought back strongly. A good through ball disguised as a shot from Gabe (ahem), saw Et convert to make it 2-0. There were planty of chances and we hit the post a couple of time and the Abbey goalie made a couple of good saves. Saying that Louie make some good fingertip saves and it certainly wasn't all one way! But well done to the boys for playing well, passing well and not complainign as much as the parnets about HOW COLD IT WAS!!!! Well done boys. An excellent effort.

SQUAD: U9
Cup - QF	Staines Lammas Blues	8/2/2009	4-3
A storming team performance to end 4-3 against a team who beat us 0-4 in the league just a short while ago. We started with Ross in goal, Johan & Harry F in defense, Manny, Harry O-G & Jacques in midfield and Eddie running up front. Etienne & Gabe started on the bench, but Gabe was soon in the game as Manny bravely blocked with the back of his head, cutting out the cross well, but unfortunately also cutting his lip. Gabe made his presence felt immediately and Eddie was unlucky not to convert the volley after Gabe picked him out with a powerful cross. The team was playing well, with Harry O-G & Jacques working very hard in midfield, backed up with intelligent defending from Johan & Harry F. Ross was playing brilliantly in goal, stopping a number of testing low shots and a huge looper that would have troubled Van de Sar. Staines were playing well too though and with the the game very tight, they managed to break through with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Ross did well to get a hand to a low shot from the edge of the box, but he couldn’t push it wide; 0-1. Heads stayed up and, with Manny’s lip repaired, he and Etienne played some fantastic attacking football, only to be denied by a spectacular performance from the Staines keeper (remember him?). Harry O-G & Gabe provided superb service from the midfield and both were unlucky not to score on a number of occasions during a first half of great football from both teams. The second half began with Harry O-G in goal, Jacques & Ross in defense, Manny up front and Eddie, Gabe & Harry F in the midfield. The tone was set immediately as Eddie put Manny through with a smart pass behind the defense. Manny couldn’t convert that one, but we spotted the weakness in Staines defense and the team moved up a gear. Incisive passing and great running from Gabe, Jacques, Ross, Eddie & Manny were foiled again and again by solid goalkeeping. Midway through the second period and Etienne came on for Harry F. Jacques & Ross had neutralised the Staines attack very well, but with the momentary distraction someone slipped through. No need to panic though, as Harry O-G threw himself at the feet of the oncoming blue shirt to make the save of the season so far. We were back on the attack quickly and Manny played a magic ball to put Etienne free behind the Staines defense. Nothing the keeper could do about this one as Et calmly slipped the ball inside the left post to level at 1-1. Both sides played out the second half well, the best chance coming as Gabe dribbled the ball while lying down in the Staines area on the stroke of full time. With the score level at 1-1, extra time was a tense affair, especially when Staines rattled the woodwork early in the first period. Unruffled, Manny, Eddie, Etienne & Gabe continued to create chances up front while Johan & Harry F kept the backline solid. It looked like we were headed for penalties. Moments from the end of the second period, Ross took a throw on the left, but the ball was unexpectedly won by Staines. With Ross forward, there was a moment of confusion in the defense. Gabe charged back to help, but Staines stormed into the box. Harry O-G was off his line in a flash and did well to push the attacker wide, but they were still coming and it fell to Jacques to finish the job with a top class sliding tackle, denying Staines their best chance of a winner. There were some nerves on the sidelines going into the shoot-out - the Staines goalie had played well through the whole 70 minutes, keeping Staines in the game despite a barrage of shots from the Teddington strike force. The players never looked concerned though. Harry O-G reprised his performance as cup-match hero, saving 2 penalties, while Johan, Gabe & Manny clinically converted their spot kicks to finish 3-2. Our best team performance to date, well done to all the players - superb passing, solid tackling and, above all, real spirit.

SQUAD: U9
League	Fleet Town Spartans	15/2/2009	2-4
A 4-2 loss to Fleet Our good run came to an end against Fleet who ran out 4-2 winners after going 4-0 up. We started with a strong team of Tom in goal, Ross, Jacques, Gabe, Harry OG, Manny and Eddie with Harry F sub but we just didn't get going. Fleet passed the ball well and in truth we struggled to get into our normal rhythm. We had some good passages of play with Harry OG hitting the post after good play from Manny but we seemed to spend most of the first half trying to pass to each other but things just wouldn't go for us. In truth I think it was just one of those days which after playing well over a consistent period was bound to come. We went in 0-3 down at half time which on the balance of play seemed unfair but Fleet took their chances and we didn't. We played better in the second half with Ross in goal, and Gabe, Harrys F and OG, Eddie, Tom, Jacques and Manny playing outfield. We came alive a little towards the middle of the second half with Tom, Manny and Jacques in particular linking well to create a chance for Gabe to make it 1-4. Manny then scored a well deserved second to make it 2-4 and whilst Fleet wobbled we ran out of steam and couldn't press home our advantage. We kept plugging away until the final whistle but ran of time. Maybe we should get up earlier, start later or feed the boys raw meat before matches. Whatever we do we'll have to come back strong again in the semis of the Cup.....

SQUAD: U9
League	Guildford Saints United B	1/3/2009	4-3
A 4-3 win against Guildford Saints. This was the first game I watched whilst looking out for Sophia so I spent most of the match about 300 yards from the action! You certainly get a different perspective on things. We started (I think) with Johan in goal, Louie and Ross in defence, Tom, Manny and Eddie in midfield and Et up-front. Gabe and Harry OG were subs. In fairness we played quite well as did Guildford, although I suspect our confidence levels were a little higher given our recent performances. We were passing and moving well, playing as a team and looking to support each other as we could ---- I think, as I was standing near the kids playground with one eye on Sophia as she navigated the climbing frame and the other on the match. I do know our first goal was well worked with Et and Manny playing a short corner that Manny took inside the defender before scoring from a tight angle to make it 1-0 after 5 mins. Guildford were also playing well and they scored a deserved equaliser after 10 mins to make it 1-1. Gabe and Harry OG came on half-way through the half and Gabe made it 2-1 after cutting in from the left and lashing a long-shot past the keeper. Again it could have been a scramble followed by a lucky deflection (Gabe and Et convinced me otherwise post-match) as I was trying to find Sophia's stuffed cat at the exact moment the goal went in!! We finished the first-half 2-1 up with Jo playing well in goal, making some important saves, Louie and Ross working well in defence, Tom and the rest of the midfield working hard to win and pass. Et had some good chances as did Manny. One thing I did notice we started to do was to play the ball in behind the defender for our forwards to run onto which is a big improvement! Second half and Eddie went in the onion bag, Johan and Ross played our zonal defence, Harry, Gabe and Manny strung across the middle and Et ran the line up-front. After 5 mins we went 3-1 up after Gabe passed to Et to hit it across the keeper. From a throw-in after 17 mins Manny played it to Harry who scored well to make it 4-1. I'm putting the times in cos at this point we switched to a novel 0-0-6 formation as everyone thought they could get on the scoresheet! We lost our shape a little and Guildford took advantage to make it 4-2 and 4-3 but luckily for us time ran out before Guildford could equalise. Just goes to show the problem with to much confidence. So, we played very very well in parts, kept our shape (for most of the game), saw some great defending from Johan, Ross and Louie and some very neat 'n' tidy midfield play from Manny, Tom, Harry, Gabe and Eddie and clinical finishing from the goal-scoring machine that is Et and ran out 4-3 winners....but beware....0-0-6 is not the most effective formation to play! Well done boys...and lets enjoy the Cup game next Sunday.

SQUAD: U9
Cup - SF	Worplesden Rangers Tigers	8/3/2009	1-2
A fantastic game to mark the Semi Final of the cup. Against higher league opposition we played with great commitment and confidence and were very much on an equal footing with the Tigers from Worplesden. So much so, that the Tigers manager came over after the game and spoke to the boys about how well they had played and that it had been their hardest match of the season! (Let's hope we can generate that level of commitment in the remaining league games). Battling up hill and into the wind in the first half, everyone played their part in keeping the score to 0-0. Could we make the hill and wind count to our advantage in the 2nd half? ...unfortunately not. A fantastic volley and a break away goal put Worplesden 2-0 ahead. But to our credit, heads didn't drop and the effort levels remained as high. Manny pulled a goal back with a few minutes remaining to set up a grandstand finish, but unfortunately the equaliser didn't come. A great team effort and probably one of our best matches since the team was set up. A very well done to everyone.

SQUAD: U9
League	Worplesden Rangers Lions	15/3/2009	1-2
A disappointing result, which has cost us in the league table and was not representative of the match. It was, admittedly, a game of 2 halves for Teddington, with the team asleep (“wondering around as if they were drunk” was heard from the sidelines in an uncharacteristically emotive display) for much of the first half, but coming alive to play fantastically well in the last 20 minutes. So 1-2 the final score, but, with many, many Teddington chances that somehow stayed out of goal, we deserved better. We started with Ross in goal, Eddie & Louis in defense, Manny, Harry O-G & Jacques in midfield and Etienne up front. The coaches were spoiled for choice with the whole team fit and a world-class bench of resting talent included Johan, Gabe &Tom. The defense were in action pretty quickly with Eddie skillfully tackling to end a well coordinated offensive from Worplesdon. We were quickly on the counter-attack, with Harry O-G and Manny combining well to put Etienne in the box. Good fancy footwork, but the ball was eventually wrested from his feet by a blue shirt (well, actually the player in it – but you know what I mean). Worplesdon turned defense into attack quickly and only some phenomenal running & tackling from Jaques stopped them from lining up on goal. And this is how it went for most of the first half – attack, counter, attack. There was lots of running and effort, but somehow the passes weren’t connecting and our strike force never really got a chance. On the other side, Worplesdon were looking more and more dangerous as they started to settle into their game. The introduction of Johan, Gabe & Tom brought some fresh legs and big long shots, but we were still not able to play with our usual fluency. The last 5 minutes of the first period were all in our half. The swarm of blue shirts was repelled for a while, with Eddie and Louis working hard at the back, but inevitably Worplesdon eventually managed a good pass and put an attacker behind our defensive line. Ross had a great game in goal and was unlucky to come up against Ronaldo-like skills as the ball was slipped into the bottom corner just beyond his diving hand. So into the interval at 0-1, with it all to play for. The second half started with a sneaky goal from Worplesdon, but with the sun now behind us, the ref playing a blinder and the coaching encouragement increasing in volume, we finally started to come alive. The revised line-up, which started with Louis in goal, Jo & Ross in defense, Tom, Gabe & Manny in the middle & Etienne up front, and evolved as Eddie, Harry & Jacques re-joined the game, brought some much needed inspiration and our game rose gradually until a great corner from Manny was slotted home by Jo. With the crowd on their feet, the goal really rallied the team and all of a sudden it was all Teddington. Gabe was unlucky not to score from the half-way line at least twice. Jo took the lead and came close from the same distance, the ball passing millimeters over the bar and the stranded ‘keeper. Etienne chased a hospital pass from the midfield and got to it a fraction of a second too late to guide it in. Harry O-G hit the inside of the post. Eddie was in there, Jacques couldn’t quite convert from a huge goal-line scramble. Manny missed by centimeters at least twice, and was denied by the ‘keeper many more times. It just felt like the ball would not cross the line, and unfortunately the whistle put an end to our hopes, leaving us disappointed to finish 1-2. So, a hard match, against a good side, but we have to play 50mins like those last 20 if we are going to make an impression on the top of the division this season. Get stuck in!

SQUAD: U9
League	Meadow Sports Youth	22/3/2009	4-6
A 4-6 defeat to Meadow Sports. We started with Johan in goal, Louie and Ross in defence and Tom, Gabe and Harry F in midfield with Manny up-front. Jacques, Eddie and Harry O-G (in his last game before heading off for 3 months to the USA/Canada) were subs. We started very brightly and within 2 mins were 1-0 up as Gabe and Manny linked well down the right. The same combination again worked well after 6 mins when Gabe crossed for Manny to get his and TAFC's second to make it 2-0. At this point we were very much in control with Tom doing his normal hard-working job in centre mid supported by Ross and Louie in defence who were winning most of the balls they had to deal with from Meadow and distributing well. Harry F played the best I've seen him play all season with some great blocks and passes. The game was looking set for half-time when we slipped up to make it 1-2 and then 2-2 before the break. We had lots of chances and the Meadow keeper made some great saves as we kept Meadow pegged back but it wasn't to be and we went in at half-time evens. In the second half Harry F went in goal with Johan and Ross in defence, Tom, Eddie and Harry O-G in the middle and Manny up-front. We gave away an unfortunate third to make it 2-3 and from then on were always chasing the match. Eddie scored an absolute beauty of a volley from a Manny cross to make it 3-4 after Meadow had gone 2-4 ahead. We kept plugging away with some neat passing and running but again went behind from a long shot to make it 3-5. Harry O-G pulled it back to 4-5 ( a going away present?) but Meadow then made it 4-6 before Lauren blew-up for full-time. An unfortunate loss against an even-strength Meadow. Better luck next time boys!

SQUAD: U9
League	Farnham Dragons	29/3/2009	2-4
A 4-2 loss.

SQUAD: U9
League	Meadow Sports Youth	19/4/2009	3-7
A 7-3 lose against a very good Meadow Sports team. We looked a little rusty after a longish break, and Meadow deserved the victory. Both team had good periods in the match, but unfortunately overall Meadow took more advantage of theirs. Some good passing and some great effort, but the defense was too often overrun by the marauding Meadow team. Never mind. Here's to the tour!!!! A special mention must go to William for a great debut in goal. Some very good saves throughout. Well done William.

SQUAD: U9
League	Staines Lammas Blues	9/5/2009	3-3
A fantastic game against a strong Staines team to end the season. 1-0 up, 3-1 down, and a grandstand come back to finish a deserved 3-3. All in all a good season, depsite a dip in league form since the New Year. A great Cup run and a good tour was nothing less than the boys deserved. For the most part, we've payed some very good passing football, although dips in concentration have cost us hard over the past month or so. Some big steps forward this year though, some great team play, and a few things to work on in the summer. Well done boys. Enjoy the summer and come back fighting fit for next year. Many thanks to all parents. supporters, bacon makers, referees, report writers and players. It's been a lot of fun. Here's to next season! Cheers!!