George Vivian ⚽⚽, James Brown ⚽, James Christie ⚽, Luke Unwin ⚽, Martin Bickers ⚽
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Saturday 13 October 2018
Muswell Hill Sports Ground, Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP
SAL Junior Division 4 North
 
Match Report from Mark Ephgrave
Another week another match report, the 5s do it again---The hard way! This time around though it was a match of ups, downs, ifs, buts and maybes.

If only we had started with 11 men, Maybe more than a couple of decisions went our way but the mad 5 minutes before half time when we didn’t know how to kick a ball on the pitch off the pitch to a team mate.

But having said that the final result was and did feel like a win but it could have been a whole lot different.

Tansley were on the front foot from off they went for the jugular trying to push home the downhill and man less advantage but to be fair to the lads we battled we pushed them as hard as they pushed us.

Tansley took the lead and to be fair it was a scrappy goal but a goal it was, after that 11v11 was restored and vamps started to play some good football and the equalizer was a joy to watch-Game on.

Sometimes you look at the score line and you put your hands up and go ok fair enough we deserve that but not this time the only thing we deserved was the way we let them take a half time lead of 4-1 the 5s shouldn’t look like they are playing walking or blind football but half time couldn’t come quick enough.

At half time the rally call was your vamps don’t let yourself or the club down show your vamps spirit and you will get the result we want but your going to have to earn it 

And earn it they did it was a great second half performance and if it weren’t for a couple of blatant shoves, late challenges and a sin bin that seemed to last for ever we could have had the three points in the bag.

I cannot take away from the lads the effort they put in and maybe on another day it could have been different.

Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted this game proved that we can do that but you have to have the vamps spirit to do that.
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Unlucky lads but on to next week’s game COYV.

Ricky Huckle, Ben Shields, Sean Roonan, Ryan Burke, James Brown, Rory Fielding, Martin Bickers, George Vivian, Luke Unwin, Jaden Millard, Lee Graham, James Christie

SAL Junior Novets Cup | Group Stage
 
Scribe: Mark Ephgrave
A win finally, A squad finally, A clean sheet finally….

Its been a hard, the last four weeks, four games four different sides each time for the same reason players unavailable or late cry offs.

But this game more than any other was just the game the 5s needed, the reason why because it was against the 6s led by Connor Eldrett and his travelling supporters. I think it helped is because the 5s could relax and play football that over the previous games we threatened to do at times.

The game was evenly balanced for the first 10-15 mins both sides wanting to draw first blood and claim the bragging rights.

Once the lads started to grow in confidence so did the football, at times it seemed that today’s squad had played together for the last four weeks. And there was attack after attack, shots at goal, using the space talking to each other it was a pleasure to watch from the side line.

The opening two goals could have easily come from the training video of any top side around the country, having said that Mr Unwin still had a bit to do with the surface being a bit greasy and the rain pouring down which made it a bit harder for him to do his trade mark flick of his hair as part of his goal celebration.

The first half seemed to fly by which is always a good sign, during half time instructions were given and encouragement needed to those who were determined to do well against the 6s Mr Bickers in particular.

The second half kicked off and it was clear the 5s were full of confidence and there was the problem we were too confident which not only effected our play but the 6s could sense it and were unlucky not to get one back 

Everything that had been done in the first half we were opposite in the second half. A few rally cries from Roonan and Burke.J got the 5s back playing some entertaining football again and goal 3 and 4 were in the bag.

Once again I couldn’t have wished for a better game to get the squad to believe that every one of them has to work not only for their place but more importantly for each other. 

Today we did that and long may it continue.

Outside of the rain the only dampener to Saturdays game was the said news concerning Ben Shields Mum. We are THE VAMPS! Ben, we are here for you bud and this one was for you.
 
TEAM: Ricky Huckle, Chris Rowell, James Brown, John Burke, Sean Roonan, Luke Green, Tom Pidgeon, Martin Bickers, Jude Oliver, Luke Unwin ⚽⚽, Lewis Saunders ⚽, Nelson Lopes ⚽, Kieran, Rory Fielding

Heavy defeat but all not lost.
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First, thanks need to go to Dean and the players that helped the 5s out on Saturday.
So, the first league game has come and gone 3 points lost and minus 5 goals, but all is not that bad as surely, we will improve. The squad will get better, we will have more consistency and we will play much better as the season goes on.

Having said that at times on Saturday we played some good football. The day didn’t start too well with one player not turning up at all and one running late.

We set ourselves up as a make shift 4-4-2 and we worked well as a team against a Norsemen side that have played together for a while.

Norsemen where pressing for an early goal, and we were dealing with their attacks the midfield and back four were working well so their first goal was a bit of a kick in the teeth.
Norsemen had a corner which was cleared to the edge of Vamps box and it fell to a Norsemen player who hit a volley that any other week would have been blocked or it would have flown high or wide.

We had our chances with the midfield and front two linking well and Luke and Jay both had the Norsemen defence on the back foot the only thing missing at times was the final shot we need to start getting more shots away.

Then came the Norsemen second goal just a simple mistake at the back and Norsemen are 2 nil up.

Even though it looked like a long afternoon was ahead of us the lads dug deep and still tried to play as a team we were still pressing to get our first goal of the season and at this stage of the half I think we was evenly matched with Norsemen another breakaway from the quick front two which resulted in a free kick for the vamps on the edge of the Norsemen box.

John Burke who was running late was determined to have this free kick which I have to say he took very well as it curled into the back of the net YES game on.

At half time team talk was all very positive and encouraging the goal had given the players a lift can we improve on the first half performance.

Sometimes in football, Games can be one sided because the opposition are that good. Norsemen played well don’t get me wrong they weren’t that good, but we did collapse as a side due to not playing together and fitness. Unfortunately, these two reasons put a downer on the first half efforts of the lads and hit the confidence and team play at times.

After the game every player took the loss hard, but they must get and accept that you can still play well and not win but also, they have to learn that you have to play as a team for 90 plus minutes.

Was 6-1 a deserved loss probably not but unfortunately the league table will show that it is.