Season 2006/2007 Review

Under 8’s 2006/07 Season Review

The boys opened the 2006/07 season in buoyant mood having bettered our rivals results in the Under 7’s with some style the previous season.

The opening fixture paired the team against Thorncliffe Juniors. Thorncliffe had been one of our closest challengers in the U7 season and would, over the course of the season, prove yet again to be formidable opponents. But on this occasion it was to be first blood to Brampton with a hard fought 2-1 home win in which our two goalkeepers were outstanding.

There then followed a run of 6 straight wins before a tricky looking away tie at Wickersley. The tone was set with the boys on the end of some heavy tackling in the opening few minutes. Although temporarily knocked out of their stride the boys soon regained their composure and their natural passing game came to the fore and saw them take a 4 – 3 lead before Wickersley levelled with the last kick of the game. It was the first dropped points of the season and the boys were disappointed, especially given the lateness of the equalizer – but there was no doubt that we had been in a game and the team would grow stronger for the experience.

We went on the road again in week 9 and recorded a resounding 31-1 win (which would prove to be the most goals scored by a single team during the season). The match also saw us hitting our 100th goal of the campaign and the win meant we completed the 1st half of the season has the team to catch.

Another emphatic 9 – 1 win the following week, our sixth straight home win, was the precursor to our eagerly awaited return at Thorncliffe.

And what a match it proved to be. Both teams were playing the game in a fantastic spirit. The match was marked with great passing, commitment and no shortage of skill. Both teams recognized the importance of the match, with Thorncliffe still our closest rival. The match see-sawed and for a while it looked like home advantage would tell as Thorncliffe took a 4-3 lead. But not for the first time, the boys dug deep. They played their way back in and got on top. First pulling level then taking a 5 – 4 lead with very little time to go. The cheer which greeted that 5th goal could have been heard back in Chesterfield! However there was to be a sting in the tail as Thorncliffe levelled deep into ‘added on’ time. However it would be churlish to deny them their point in what was surely the match of the season.

Three away matches, either side of the Christmas break saw three wins recorded, with 32 goals scored and none conceded. This kept the team with the best record in the division. However with both Thorncliffe and Wickersley continuing to win, competition was still fierce.

The next match would see Wickersley at Newbold. The boys were cautious but confident. They had every right to be. They quickly took control of the match, kept their shape and simply played Wickersley off the park, recording a 4 – 0 win which proved the difference between the two teams.

A harder than expected match at Bramley followed, which eventually ended in a 6 – 4 win. This was our last away match and meant we had won 7 and drawn 2 on the road.

The task was now clear. 2 matches left, both at home. Win both and we end the season undefeated with the best record in the league, for a second successive season. The way the boys were playing there was little doubt that they would do exactly that and they did not disappoint. A 15 – 0 win in the penultimate match was followed by a 24 – 0 win in our final match.

The stats for the season say it all really. The team finished the season undefeated. They recorded a perfect home record of 9 wins, no draws and no defeats. They scored a total of 201 goals with every player, including both goalkeepers, scoring! The defence was the meanest in the league losing only 22 goals. This included 9 clean sheets and another 4 matches where only a single goal was conceded.

We now look forward with confidence to the forthcoming summer tournament season and, of course, the move to Under 9’s.