Under 19’s County Trophy Second Round
Northallerton College 4
Harrogate Grammar 2:
GOALS – Sam Bainbridge, Tom Joel
THIS match must surely rank as the most angriest and fierce that HGS have encountered this season. Playing in front of a gloating and intimidating crowd, did not scare the team but only added anger and frustration to the equation.
After such a promising first half display, you would have thought that HGS could have hang on to that lead. However some sloppy and absurd defending cost HGS the game which has put them out of the County Trophy competition.
The team made the trip to Northallerton with plenty of cheer and spirit. Once again, Manager, Mr Hodgson made sure that an away trip into the obscurity was greeted with a pre-match trip to a supermarket. This time, it was Morrison’s with some of the team playing street football, much to the alarmism of the elderly.
This game was never going to be a joke though. The ‘fun’ pre-match banter and spirit always goes down a treat but when the going gets going, things get serious. Enter a barrage of shouting and a fistful of action that will get everyone talking on both sides of the Dales.
Grammar looked composed at the start of the match, although there were a few times, the opposition looked like scoring as they ran fluidly with the ball. Sam Bainbridge, however unleashed a 40 yard screamer for Grammar from just past the halfway line to make it 1-0 much to the delight of Manager, Mr Hodgson.
The lead sadly was not to last, as the tempers started to flare. Ben Dyason and Louis Anderson were the culprits as their vocal and tackling sides of the football park made sure, the game would be played at a fierce level.
Much to the despair for HGS, a penalty kick was awarded to Northallerton after Carey-Williams made a brutal challenge on his man. The former Crewe Alexandra youth academy player, protested against this decision with the tackle being made outside the box. However, it was to no avail as the College equalised from the spot, past Proctor. Grammar however retook the lead with a Taylor free kick unluckily hitting the post but coming right off for makeshift forward, Joel to strike the ball sweetly into the net.
There was still some ferocious slide tackles going in from both sides, but HGS were made to feel like victims from a referee which was deemed to be biased. However, these sliding tackles which left the HGS players on the deck when they made them, were to cost them the game later on.
At half time, a necessary message from the manager was made to calm down the team. This worked for a while until the players once again made the same mistake of sliding for the ball past the halfway line allowing the opposition to stride with the ball cleanly. This cost Grammar with a 40 yard screamer from Northallerton going into the top left corner of the net on a counter attack which left Proctor with no chance.
Things were to get worse for Grammar after another penalty kick was awarded to the opposition. This time, Anderson was the culprit with the latter already close to exploding due to the decision by the referee. As it was, Proctor made a fine save from the spot but couldn’t stop the rebound as Northallerton despairingly took the lead.
A fourth was soon added as the second half turned into an angry encounter. Once again, HGS dug themselves in a hole with the slide tackles. However, the challenges from the opposition became even more desperate with Holgate being completely sliced by a challenge on the touchline similar to that of Carey Williams.
As the full time whistle blew, you could sense that HGS had been unlucky but there was to be no excuses with the fact that they had gifted the game away.
Harrogate Grammar School coach, Mr Hodgson believed the team were unlucky to lose the game. " The Referee lost it at the end. I believe there were some players in our team that had a very good game. However, we can’t keep committing ourselves to the tackle past the halfway line “.
The game could well spark a debate. Was it the Northallerton players who were the vicious ones or did HGS dig themselves in the foot? The reality is, is that the team are out of both County Cup and Trophy competitions with the League now a foregone conclusion.
Only the Area Cup competition remains in store, and it will take some various tactical work on the defending and perhaps a few friendlies to give us a chance against Aidan’s.
HGS: Stuart Proctor, Sam Cox, Tobin Carey-Williams, Louis Anderson, Ed Holgate, Ben Dyason (sub: Dan Birch), Sam Bainbridge, James Taylor (sub: Tom Shiel), Henry Weemes, Tom Joel, James Auckland
Thursday 18 December 2008
Friday 12 December 2008
Fishers gun down Grammar threat
“Fishers gun down Grammar threat “
Harrogate Grammar 0-2 St John Fisher
NUS U19 Conference League
Thursday 11TH December 2008
By Daniel Birch
HARROGATE Grammar’s attacking persistence unfortunately failed to find the back of the net despite a dominative display in a 2-0 defeat.
It said much about the spirit of the team despite the fact they had gone a goal down early in the first half. This was in complete contrast to Monday nights sombre encounter with Adrian Hodgson’s men slammed out the back door of the County Cup by King James.
A typical bitter December day waited in store for Grammar who were set for yet another muddy encounter, with the pitches in a state of disrepair, particularly that of Monday night. There was some confusion pre-match about what was happening, despite a valid attempt to salvage matters with some sense of communication by the writer. However, it was clear that things would just have to wait till the day to see what would happen.
The opposition had a ‘good’ reputation within the local area game. However was this the way that outsiders can look upon these schools? They might have had good reputations, but one thing for sure was, Fishers had not had a good season and had suffered a humiliating 5-1 derby defeat against St Aidan’s. One player had quit, and the upper sixth was amounted to just a few of who had been part of a once thoroughly decent side at junior level.
As the game kicked off, Fishers provided a threat with Proctor performing a fantastic save, deflecting the shot off to the crossbar. Minutes later, the keeper saved a shot which came from outside the box with just one hand! On a general level, Proctor was a key player for HGS making many saves but also displaying a very good sign of leadership, which as of late in the battle against negativity has made him one of the key players in the School team.
Grammar’s defending was perhaps seen to be slightly desperate. However, there were some notable tackles at the back although the failure to stick on the man remained unchanged. This proved costly when the Red’s went a goal behind, in what was really the poorest of goals resulting in a deflected shot.
HGS tried to get their sting back in the tie, and for the last ten minutes they dominated. Auckland had the best opportunity of the game for Grammar when a one on one situation saw his shot despairingly go over the bar. More shots like that could have been useful, as the game was to be in the footsteps of possession for HGS but nowhere closer to a possible effort.
The second half should have been the nadir for Fisher’s in their Squad’s season as their serious team talks should have had the desired effect. Bainbridge proved once again he was the ‘key’ player in the HGS Park. Taylor occupied well into a defensive midfield position and the left flank were outplaying the Fisher full backs, with Holgate in the writers boots plus Weemes showing decent technique in this area.
The goal would not come however, with Auckland missing two chances that went wide plus Dyason and Taylor efforts horribly going off course. At the back, Carey Williams made the most important tackle of the game on the half way line thwarting the oppositions counter-attack. The man on his side, Anderson also displayed a fine attacking burst of speed into the midfield zone. It has to be said, the chances that came for Fisher’s however were easy but the players shots were the worst ever from an opposition team this season.
Fisher’s goal on the counter attack right at the death resulted in a good but unlucky effort. Thankfully no negativity was encountered as the word ‘positive’ was displayed as a squad despite this unlucky defeat. There are many lessons to be learned from a game of football. Not just on the field, but off the field as well. The frustration can come boiling in the mind but it can make you think logically about what had gone wrong. It is not just a sport, but a business and the events in trying to keep the sport to be deemed a competitive and serious affair at Grammar is still going, even though it has not been without its struggles.
Harrogate Grammar 0-2 St John Fisher
NUS U19 Conference League
Thursday 11TH December 2008
By Daniel Birch
HARROGATE Grammar’s attacking persistence unfortunately failed to find the back of the net despite a dominative display in a 2-0 defeat.
It said much about the spirit of the team despite the fact they had gone a goal down early in the first half. This was in complete contrast to Monday nights sombre encounter with Adrian Hodgson’s men slammed out the back door of the County Cup by King James.
A typical bitter December day waited in store for Grammar who were set for yet another muddy encounter, with the pitches in a state of disrepair, particularly that of Monday night. There was some confusion pre-match about what was happening, despite a valid attempt to salvage matters with some sense of communication by the writer. However, it was clear that things would just have to wait till the day to see what would happen.
The opposition had a ‘good’ reputation within the local area game. However was this the way that outsiders can look upon these schools? They might have had good reputations, but one thing for sure was, Fishers had not had a good season and had suffered a humiliating 5-1 derby defeat against St Aidan’s. One player had quit, and the upper sixth was amounted to just a few of who had been part of a once thoroughly decent side at junior level.
As the game kicked off, Fishers provided a threat with Proctor performing a fantastic save, deflecting the shot off to the crossbar. Minutes later, the keeper saved a shot which came from outside the box with just one hand! On a general level, Proctor was a key player for HGS making many saves but also displaying a very good sign of leadership, which as of late in the battle against negativity has made him one of the key players in the School team.
Grammar’s defending was perhaps seen to be slightly desperate. However, there were some notable tackles at the back although the failure to stick on the man remained unchanged. This proved costly when the Red’s went a goal behind, in what was really the poorest of goals resulting in a deflected shot.
HGS tried to get their sting back in the tie, and for the last ten minutes they dominated. Auckland had the best opportunity of the game for Grammar when a one on one situation saw his shot despairingly go over the bar. More shots like that could have been useful, as the game was to be in the footsteps of possession for HGS but nowhere closer to a possible effort.
The second half should have been the nadir for Fisher’s in their Squad’s season as their serious team talks should have had the desired effect. Bainbridge proved once again he was the ‘key’ player in the HGS Park. Taylor occupied well into a defensive midfield position and the left flank were outplaying the Fisher full backs, with Holgate in the writers boots plus Weemes showing decent technique in this area.
The goal would not come however, with Auckland missing two chances that went wide plus Dyason and Taylor efforts horribly going off course. At the back, Carey Williams made the most important tackle of the game on the half way line thwarting the oppositions counter-attack. The man on his side, Anderson also displayed a fine attacking burst of speed into the midfield zone. It has to be said, the chances that came for Fisher’s however were easy but the players shots were the worst ever from an opposition team this season.
Fisher’s goal on the counter attack right at the death resulted in a good but unlucky effort. Thankfully no negativity was encountered as the word ‘positive’ was displayed as a squad despite this unlucky defeat. There are many lessons to be learned from a game of football. Not just on the field, but off the field as well. The frustration can come boiling in the mind but it can make you think logically about what had gone wrong. It is not just a sport, but a business and the events in trying to keep the sport to be deemed a competitive and serious affair at Grammar is still going, even though it has not been without its struggles.
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