Welton FC Under 18 Match Reports 06-07

Sunday 29th April 2007: Horncastle 1 v 2 Welton
The last game of this season’s campaign was away to Horncastle. It turned out almost to be an introduction to ‘non-league’ football playing on the first team pitch with a fair-sized crowd, many of whom had experienced the benefit of a pint or two over lunch. Horncastle are an enigmatic side, always capable of a good footballing performance yet never having much luck in the ‘winning’ department. The first half was a fairly even affair, a strong cross-wind and a hard, bobbling surface not helping the flowing football. Welton created a few chances but most were wide or well over. When the shots were on target, Horncastle’s keeper displayed a safe pair of hands. Nash was tested too and made a couple of excellent saves justifying the Horncastle managers view: ‘best keeper in the league’. 0-0 at half-time, still all to play for.

Today’s instructions were to simply enjoy it but for goodness sake keep it tight just after half-time. That at least went to plan and the second-half got well under way. The wind shifted slightly to favour the home team and Welton found it slightly more difficult to make progress. It looked like the game was heading towards a goalless draw, but Horncastle managed to break the deadlock after 65 minutes. Frankly the Welton coaching staff’s heads went down at that point, but the team rallied and forced an equaliser shortly afterwards, the persistent and committed Sherry forcing the ball home from close range. That lifted the team significantly and despite some unscheduled reorganisation of Griffin into the back-four following an injury to Goode (second heading for A&E in two weeks) the tempo of the game improved significantly. Van Bergen showed increasing confidence with some strong challenges disconcerting the Horncastle defence and an excellent cross creating a good chance. Particularly rewarding were a series of moves starting with Lester whose piercing through balls sent Campbell through down the right flank creating the most dangerous moments for the Horncastle defence ending with several shots just wide. At the end of one such run to the bye-line with 5 minutes to go, Campbell opted for a far post cross to which Harlow rose well to meet under pressure and to head home for the winner.

Several of the team chose this last game to give their best performances of the season; Hayselden was excellent in the air and in building moves from the back; Goode was dominant in the middle of the back-four; Griffin was thoroughly committed in mid-field then solid at the back for the last 20 minutes; Brooks defended robustly and also built searching moves from the back; Cartwright controlled, encouraged and organised throughout. An outstanding finish to the season!

Sunday 22nd April 2007: Welton 0 v 3 Boston
Boston have risen up the table this year on the back of some good signings and have lately been contending for runners-up. Welton, without medal opportunities but plenty of honour still to play for, lined up against a typically robust Boston team. The first half was evenly fought on a very hard and ‘bobbly’ pitch at Dunholme. Boston made most chances but these were competently fielded by Nash in the Welton goal. Boston looked very strong and secure at the back and were perhaps the best team in the air that we’ve seen this season; it was always going to be difficult for Welton to score. Just before half-time a Welton attack met a swift reversal and Boston broke very quickly. There was a good claim for handball, however, as the striker ‘chested’ the ball down on his way through, but the ref was reasonably well placed and let it go. The final finish was a good one, 1-0 down at half-time, not the best time to fall behind.

It was by no means over but to have a real chance of winning Welton needed to keep it tight after half-time. Unfortunately Boston came out pressing and the first 10 minutes was entirely fought in the Welton half. A second went in, a poorly defended loose ball in the box poked home, no chance for the keeper. Boston showed signs of flagging and, for a few minutes at least, Welton began to get back into the game. The Boston manager was wondering why there was an apparent gulf in fitness between the teams. One could venture that the amount of smoking among the Boston team before and after the game might be playing a part. Nevertheless, the Boston level of commitment to recovering lost possession and generally will-to-win was always going to leave them on top. They added a third, a well-placed shot which lacked pace but somehow dribbled in through a crowded box; the game was already not in any doubt at 2-0. Welton made a number of good chances, occasionally looking good coming through but the final finishing was grim, perhaps one shot on target all afternoon, a poor return.

All things considered, a disappointing performance and result. Let’s hope that we can end the season on a better note in the final game next week.

Sunday 25th March 2007: Retford 1 v 1 Welton
A rather depleted U16B squad squared-up to the aspiring league runners-up on a bright but windy day at Retford, Welton with just 11 and carrying a couple of injuries too. A slight alteration in the line-up moved Harlow into mid-field and van Bergen up front, retaining 4-4-2. It looked a well-balanced side, just lacking in reserve. The pitch was bumpy in places but well-drained, the ref was of exceptional standard for our league, a regular on the line in the Premiership.

Retford won the toss and took the advantage of the wind but failed to capitalise and Welton more than held their own from the start. Sherry was an early casualty, irritating a hip injury obtained in training after 10 minutes, but he bravely played on maintaining last week’s recent good form, characteristic of today’s team performance. Attempts on goal were fairly rare but after 20 minutes Retford were awarded a corner. The ball hugged the byline as it floated in and Nash was unable to hold under pressure in an overcrowded 6-yard box. In the ensuing melee the ball was toe-poked over the line to give Retford the lead. Welton’s heads didn’t drop and the game was evenly contested to the interval.

1-0 didn’t look enough under the circumstances and Welton actually started the second half with both points in mind. The whole team really gave its all and Griffin was again outstanding in mid-field, Cartwright and Goode kept it tight and well organised at the back. Welton were well on top as the time ebbed away and, despite good chances as Buckley put their keeper under pressure forcing fumbling and raising tension on the Retford bench, Welton were never quite able to level the scores, Harlow coming close 5 minutes from time from a free kick which just cleared the bar. Almost with the last gasp, van Bergen won the ball on the edge of the Retford box and forced his way through the next challenge, then the ball ran into Buckley’s path and he lashed it home to secure the point.

Welton’s performance was outstanding, an increment on from last week against similarly good opposition but this time requiring full application of 11 on to 14, Retford making full use of their full squad.

Sunday 18th March 2007: Greenbank 2 v 2 Welton
Away to the league leaders Greenbank, the U16Bs encountered a strong crosswind and some bizarre weather, snowing one minute and sunshine the next. The game looked an uphill struggle looking at Greenbank’s recent form, but the weather can be a leveller. Greenbank had the first chance, a well-struck shot going over the bar but minutes later Welton came closer as Harlow pounced on a poor clearance from the Greenbank keeper and struck first-time with the left foot and hit the bar from 20 yards. It was Greenbank who went ahead after 15 minutes, however, as a cross proved hard for Nash to hold firmly and a following-up forward bundled the ball and keeper over the line but the goal stood. Heads didn’t drop and the equaliser came 10 minutes later, again from a poor clearance by the Greenbank keeper, straight to Griffin who drove straight back past the stunned keeper from a good 30 yards. Thompson had a good shot well-saved; honours even at the break.

The second half brought no respite from the weather and Greenbank recovered the lead about 8 minutes in, breaking out purposefully after a Welton attack broke down. The majority of the rest of the half was evenly fought, some fine performances from Goode and Cartwright at the back who looked secure under difficult conditions, and from Sherry who chased and tackled tirelessly in mid-field alongside Griffin. Buckley and Harlow created chances, the former coming close twice with one disallowed (a marginal off-side) and a second which looked to be heading in just slipping past the far post. Greenbank created chances too, but with 5 minutes to go a long throw eventually fell at the feet of Harlow who drove home to bring the scores level. The last few minutes of normal time and 4 minutes added were tense as Greenbank had corner after corner, each scrambled away by Welton who held on to a very well deserved point.

Welton’s performance was very pleasing, great spirit and application against nominally tough opposition and in miserable conditions. The loyal followers must have gone home well-pleased!

Sunday 4th March 2007: Washingborough 1 v 4 Welton
Finally the run of good luck with the weather came to an end and the game against Washingborough was played in miserable, cold conditions of driving rain and a strong wind along the length of the exposed pitch. A good toss to win then and Welton had the advantage of wind and weather to add to a slight gradient along the pitch. Welton lost no time in slipping 1-0 down, however, when a clearance from the keeper wasn’t fielded in mid-field and the ball came straight back catching the defence off-balance, not really warmed-up. A swift response was needed and happily this was forthcoming moments later with a very well taken goal under pressure from Campbell, revelling in his mid-field role. Today’s plan was to try to reproduce form routinely displayed on the training pitch and this went very well, some excellent sharp passing exchanges thrilling the small, damp crowd. Welton began to dominate and a goal from Harlow was eventually disallowed for offside after the Washingborough linesman held the pose for what seemed minutes, the decision somewhat against the ref’s better judgement, one suspects. Harlow tucked away the second a short while later, then Buckley headed the third. It could easily have been more, a sweet shot from Thompson which hit the bar came closest though several other chances were made and squandered. Just before the interval a goal-bound corner from Griffin was nodded over the line at the last moment by a predatory Goode to make it 4-1.

The second half presented a challenge still against a lively Washingborough team, always capable of scoring a few and now with the elements on their side. Welton defended their lead really competently and, though Washingborough had a couple of chances, Welton still looked most likely to add to their first half total. Despite several goalmouth melees, and one almost open goal when Buckley shrugged off a challenge from the Washingborough keeper about 40 yards from the goal, the scoreline remained 4-1.

This was an excellent performance by Welton, many excellent individual performances but also as a demonstration of team spirit which was great to see.

Sunday 4th February 2007: Welton 0 v 2 Lowlands
Home to Lowlands for a mid-table ‘four-pointer’ on a bright, crisp day. The pitch was ‘tacky’ which doesn’t promote the flowing football to which the U16Bs are aspiring, but it was the same for both sides of course. The game kicked-off late with the home manager stepping in for the ref, a no-show at 2:15. Happily the ref did arrive 5 minutes into the game and control was gratefully handed over. The U16Bs didn’t quite manage the early domination which has been a feature of other games recently and it was Lowlands who created the early chances. Fortunately none were converted. The first-half seemed ultimately to be a toe-to-toe battle in mid-field and the half ended all-square at 0-0 but with Lowlands slightly ahead on points.

The second-half looked like being a case of ‘more of the same’. Welton never really looked like creating any convincing goal-scoring opportunities, worrying when the game always had a look of ‘first to score will win’ about it. To criticise the home team a little; there was too much urgency at times to get rid of the ball - anywhere will do – when, of course, those hopeful punts almost always land at the feet of the opposition and all too quickly we’re back under pressure. With 15 minutes to go it was Lowlands who got the lucky break, a ricocheting clearance falling right on the path of the centre forward when it could have gone anywhere. He tucked the ball away and that was, in effect, the winning goal. Welton lifted their game a little in response but never troubled the Lowlands keeper. Almost with the last kick of the game Lowlands added a second when Welton’s attention was turned to last-ditch efforts to gain an equaliser.

The boys went home tired so there are no complaints about effort. Lowlands deserved the points, however; they played fair and made their own luck in the end. Welton have more to do to protect their mid-table status.

Sunday 21st January 2007: Heckington 2 v 2 Welton
South to Heckington for the return game and both sides were relieved to find relatively benign weather after the high winds earlier in the week. The pitch was sticky, Welton had the benefit of the gentle slope in the first half and ‘chill’ was supplied by a cross-wind. From the kick-off, Welton started purposefully. An intelligent ball from a quickly taken free-kick by Griffin put Buckley through and he continued his scoring habit to give Welton an early lead. After 10 minutes, a chip through from Goode was volleyed home by Buckley, this time having the confidence to use his right foot; 2-0 and looking good. Welton were well in control at this point, playing good football despite the sticky surface. The last 10 minutes of the first-half saw a couple of enforced substitutions through illness rather than injury and the subsequent reorganisation had a negative impact on the fluency.

The second-half started with the teams looking more evenly matched, Welton having lost their ‘spring’ and, to their credit, Heckington scenting that something might be salvageable. 10 minutes into the half and Heckington recovered a goal, an unchecked short run through with an in-off-the post finish well outside Nash’s grasp. Unfortunately this didn’t bring a return to Welton’s first-half sharpness and Heckington maintained their edge, coming close on a couple of occasions; one or two goalmouth melees adding to the stress of the Welton supporters. With 10 minutes to go Heckington drew level and only at this point did Welton pick-up the challenge. The closing minutes saw some exciting and end-to-end activity, both sides could easily have snatched victory, desperate stuff dampened only by a heavy and Wintry shower.

Heckington are a bit of an enigma; at the bottom of the league despite being the only team to thrash table-topping Retford (4-1). They seemed pleased with the point and in the end Welton were relieved but disappointed to come away with only one point, having started with the ambition and expectation of collecting both. Some tireless performances: from Griffin in mid-field; Brooks and Cartwright at the back and from Goode in both zones at various times. More of a collective, team performance was needed and some belief in their ability to play the game well. These aspects will need to improve along with developing the ‘will-to-win’ to protect our mid-table position.

Sunday 14th January 2007: Welton 1 v 2 FC Kirton
First game after the Christmas break was the return fixture against FC Kirton, still second in the table. Having had an element of the unknown in the December fixture, the two sides never having met, Welton expected FC Kirton to produce more of a table-topping performance this time out. In fact, the game was almost exactly a rerun of the earlier fixture. Welton again started strongly, this time with the benefit of the breeze behind them, and dominated the first half, taking the lead after about 20 minutes through Buckley, once again causing no end of unrest in the Kirton defence, shaking off his marker and finishing confidently. Welton maintained the advantage throughout the first half and went in ahead. Kirton didn’t look particularly dangerous in the first half and created few chances. To put it another way, Welton defended their lead well and the back-four looked solid and organised. Yet another good first-half performance against nominally strong opposition.

For a while after the break Welton endured some sustained pressure as Kirton gained the advantage of the breeze and (presumably) a stiff talking-to at the interval. Although a goal looked more likely than before the interval, Welton defended gamely. The equaliser came after Welton conceded a free-kick midway into their own half. With perhaps their most inspired move of the game, Kirton took the kick quickly before Welton had really registered the need to defend and the resulting shot gave Nash no chance. The next 15 minutes was an evenly matched battle with both sides looking capable of snatching a winner. Welton’s mid-field again worked tirelessly and the defence also continued to keep the potentially vociferous Kirton strikers at bay. The game was finally settled with a penalty in the 75th minute. The Welton defender appeared to play the ball but the man went down too. The home fans felt it was a harsh decision, but these can cut either way. This time the penalty was well placed and it proved to be the winner. It seems fair to say that Kirton looked relieved to hang-on at that point and turned their attention to ‘stalling’ for the remainder of the game.

Welton again gave an excellent account of themselves in an even, well-contested game where the casual observer would have had difficulty in guessing the respective league positions of the two teams. Going into the game, Welton would have been happy with a point, at the end they seemed unlucky to leave without one.

Sunday 17th December 2006: FC Kirton 3 v 1 Welton
Welton made the longest away trip of the season only to find that reports of Kirton’s extended and professional warm-up routine had not been over exaggerated. Second in the table, the home side started favourites, but Welton adopted ‘Plan A’ aiming to start sharply and to deny Kirton time on the ball. It worked more than a treat and after 3 minutes a Griffin through-ball put Buckley through and he slipped it past the keeper, 1-0. Welton built on the early success and had Kirton on the back foot for the first 20 minutes, looking the stronger side in fact. As the first half wore on, possession evened out and Kirton began to create the odd chance, nothing too threatening, that is apart from a floating shot which clipped the bar and happily returned back into play. Buckley is enjoying a good run of form and his pace gave the Kirton back-four no end of trouble, they looked a little slow and the defending had a look of desperation about it. Almost on the stroke of half-time, however, a ‘rookie’ error let Kirton back in; a possible hand-ball, the Welton hands went up in unison, a fine appeal but a moments hesitation and 1-1 at the break.

The Welton team, already depleted by injury and operating with just 12 on the day, lost full back Campbell to injury and Griffin, already playing a key role in mid-field had to fill-in in the back-four. That kept the defence tight but Kirton began to push harder and it proved a struggle for Welton to clear the ball effectively. A locking of feet in the corner of the Welton box on the goal line resulted in the Kirton player going down like the proverbial sack of potatoes and the ref had no hesitation in awarding the penalty. It was firmly struck but excellently saved by Nash who also pounced on the rebound. Moments later, a good shot from Kirton brought another fine save from Nash, tipped over the bar at full stretch. After about 60 minutes, Welton looked to be tiring and a Kirton forward threaded through the defence and nobody quite managed to get a foot in and Kirton went ahead 2-1.

Welton bounced back and looked likely to get back into the game, Buckley coming closest, rattling the woodwork. There was a hint of gamesmanship creeping in as one or two if the Kirton players began to stay down with injuries, one occasion costing a great chance as the ref stopped the play with Welton in possession 2 on 1 heading for the box. Play restarted back in the centre circle with a dropped ball, cheers! Further excitement ensued when a goal bound shot was cleared off the line by Haselden, not for the first time either this season.

Somewhere along the way, Kirton added a third but Welton gave an excellent account of themselves in an even, well-contested game. Several players played well despite being out of position and nursing a few injuries, a sound team effort. A moral victory in fact!

Sunday 10th December 2006: Welton 4 v 2 Horncastle
Horncastle have been something of an enigma over the past couple of seasons, despite a lower-quartile league position they play the game technically well and during this season they have had some creditable results against strong opposition. Welton were lucky to be handed the advantage of a stiff breeze for the first half having lost the toss. The opening period of the game saw the home side making good use of this to pressurise Horncastle and, better still, a superbly struck shot from Griffin 25 yards out gave Welton the lead after 10 minutes. The Horncastle keeper was actually well positioned to save it but the wind-assisted pace beat him, the ball clipping the underside of the bar on its way in.

Horncastle recovered, however, ‘tacking’ their way into the Welton half against the breeze and also managing a few shots on target, none troubling Nash in goal. A long clearance from Nash over the Horncastle defence was chased down well by Harlow who was able to beat the keeper to increase the Welton lead. The conditions were far from ideal with the wind increasing in strength and the surface fairly sticky, but Welton gave a good display of skill and commitment, none more so than Thompson, whose control and passing continues to impress, even under difficult conditions. Indeed, a neat through ball from Thompson found Harlow with space in the box and a confident finish with his left foot gave the home team a 3-0 advantage at half-time.

The lead, though welcome, seemed marginal with the wind playing an important part. The second half did find Welton having to defend for long periods of sustained pressure, certainly a test of character. Horncastle managed to pull back to 3-1 eventually with a well-taken goal mid-way through the half - on another occasion hitting the bar - but Welton absorbed, keeping possession rather than resorting to the desperate clearances, which might have characterised their performances in past seasons. They still found opportunities to test the Horncastle defence and a crisp near-post cross from Griffin was clipped away by Buckley, who certainly deserved his goal having created many chances through his combination of tenacity in the challenge followed by explosive pace. The second stunning 25-yard strike of the day gave Nash no chance and Horncastle a consolation goal during injury time (and there were a number of injuries). This gave the visitors renewed vigour in the closing moments but the game ended 4-2 to Welton.

There were a string of outstanding performances in today’s game, including heroic defending from Cartwright in the centre of the back four. A number of players had to adapt to play out of position as the injury list lengthened. Another great all-round display from Welton, a real ‘team effort’. Outstanding!

Sunday 19th November 2006: Welton 1 v 1 Greenbank
Home to Greenbank; much fancied for the league title with their 100% successful start to the season and a strongly positive goal difference. The U16B’s best chance was to play their best ‘football’ while in possession and then to deny Greenbank time on the ball in any counter attack, that was the plan. It worked really well from the kick-off and Welton found themselves on top, having more of the ball and Greenbank seemed off-balance. After 10 minutes, the persistent Buckley chased and harried, finally winning the ball and sending Harlow into the box with a great opportunity that was well taken, 1-0. The pattern continued more or less through the first half, both sides created some opportunities forcing some good saves from the two keepers. The whole team excelled, solid tackling at the back, tireless working in the mid-field and pressure applied from the forwards, forcing errors and creating chances.

Greenbank started the second half with a bit more composure and forced the home team onto the back foot. Nevertheless, the application and effort was forthcoming and the game was very evenly balanced. A sustained period of Greenbank pressure resulted in some nail-biting moments and last-ditch tackles and clearances. Eventually they equalised. Rather than being a turning point, this was a further opportunity for Welton to display some character and the final result could easily have gone either way but ended all square at 1-1. A great game, also benefiting from the best refereeing performance of the season.

This was the best all-round display from the team over the past couple of seasons. As they have shown on other occasions against strong opposition, Welton can compete on equal terms when they play their natural game. Excellent, well done lads!

Sunday 29th October 2006: Boston Pilgrims 2 v 3 Welton
The U16Bs usually face Boston with a mixture of optimism, we’d hope to win, but with a touch of trepidation, they are a physical team and in the past they’ve gone down fighting. This season they have turned in some improved results and they seem to be better organised and technically stronger. The pitch can be a bit sticky but today looked good to firm on a beautiful Autumn day.

Shortly after the kick-off Welton were unlucky to be awarded a free kick on the edge of the Boston box when ‘play-on’ would have been favourite with three on two and a great opportunity. A well hit free kick took a deflection and grazed the bar. Moments later, a counter attack from Boston caught Welton flat-footed and they slipped 1- 0 behind. Heads didn’t drop and the game progressed fairly evenly and in good spirit on both sides. After 25mins, Welton won a corner and the ball fell to Goode in the box who stunned his marker and thrilled the crowds with a ‘Cruyff’ turn before calmly placing the ball out of the keeper’s reach to level the scores. Welton started to get the upper hand and went further ahead when the keeper parried a crisp shot from Buckley; following-up, Harlow was first to the ball and competently eased Welton ahead. A foul just outside the Boston box on the right flank provided a final opportunity in the first half. Not previously noted for his dead-ball ability, Buckley confidently stepped-up and perfectly placed the ball just inside the cross-bar and near-post to push Welton 3-1 ahead.

The ref took a fairly intrusive role throughout and was regularly blowing-up and chastising. Both sides began to find this irritating; unusually Welton attracted more attention and despite warnings at half-time continued to give away silly free-kicks to turn fairly benign moments into difficult to defend set-pieces. Boston clearly had their eye on the points and the tempo of the game increased as the time ebbed away. The quality of the football did degenerate for the last quarter and Welton began to fall-in with the hustling, rushing Boston game, not the best plan. Boston pulled a goal back with 10 minutes to go and looked capable of adding more, increasing tension on the Welton bench. Welton hung on to the lead, however, and a well-deserved two points. The first win in recent memory after first going behind, was underpinned by excellent performances from the tireless Griffin in mid-field and Cartwright in the middle of the back four. No shortage of effort but common sense was a bit thin on the ground at times, players attracting the attention of the ref with careless challenges and then entering into inexcusable, pointless discussion.

Sunday 8th October 2006: Lowlands 1 v 0 Welton
Off to Waddington once more, this time for the league fixture against Lowlands, now buoyed up with a quarter of last year’s Washingborough squad and inheriting a new assistant manager into the bargain. Clearly times have changed and the sporting ethos is unfortunately tainted.
Lowlands enjoyed the benefit of a brisk breeze in the first half and made the early running. Despite some pressure, shots on target were relatively sparse and Nash wasn’t troubled in the Welton goal. The game was largely fought in the middle third of the pitch, fairly physical but essentially fairly on both sides, 0-0 at half-time.

In the second half the dissent became more vociferous and colourful, most decisions being challenged by the home side, some even in their favour; it had become a habit. A couple were on the receiving end of stern words from the ref and can’t have been too far from receipt of the yellow card, a bit sad really when the game itself was quite fairly contested. Some robust tackling, perhaps; some heavy leaning, certainly, but it is a physical game after all. The play was again quite even, both sides breaking well after sustained pressure, but the final finishing was generally lacking. Lowlands broke the deadlock and went ahead with a well-taken goal mid-way through the second half. Welton heads didn’t drop, the team fought on, almost drawing level with an excellent long range and dipping shot from Griffin, somehow kept out by a retreating Lowlands keeper.

Welton were disappointed in the end to come away with nothing, perhaps an error was to get caught-up in the kick-and-hope, hustling game played by Lowlands rather than to play their own game. Lack of confidence probably accounts for this, which once developed will complement the effort and commitment which is already present.

Sunday 17th September 2006: Welton 0 v 4 Retford United
One week on and with fairly identical weather, an exceptionally hot afternoon, Welton met Retford United, recently relegated from the ‘B’ league. The game was keenly contested from the kick-off and Welton almost opened the scoring in the first five minutes with an attack from the productive right side resulting in a shot just creeping wide of the far post. Welton challenged well in mid-field and it was good to see more balls won on the first touch than lost, especially in the air, a healthy improvement over past performances. Slightly against the run of play Retford went ahead after 25 minutes, making the most of a momentary lapse in concentration from the Welton defence. That would have been an acceptable deficit, anticipating the advantages of breeze and sun in the second half, but a second goal leaked in on the stroke of half-time, this time a crisp finish.

In the second half Welton continued to rise to the challenge but hopes were eventually dashed with a decent long shot from Retford relatively early in the second half, 3-0 down. Retford were a fairly physical side throughout and vociferous in their demands of the referee, who generally went along and lacked consistency at times, penalising ball-to-hand against Welton but turning down a fairly obvious penalty in the home-team’s favour for an identical incident. It wouldn’t have turned the game but it would have restored a degree of fairness to the score. Retford managed a fourth late in the second half giving them a flattering 4-0 win but Welton were in no way disgraced and gave 100% effort, we can ask for no more.

Sunday 10th September 2006: Welton 1 v 0 Heckington
The U16Bs were home to Heckington for the first league game of the season on an exceptionally hot afternoon at Dunholme. The game got underway slightly late after the non-appearance of the allocated ref, one of the Heckington parents was qualified to stand in. The two teams seemed fairly evenly matched, the heat subduing both to some degree. Welton had a numerical advantage, Heckington fielding only 12 while the home team had the full complement of subs, increasingly helpful as the afternoon went on. Welton created the best chance of the first half, Harlow hitting the bar after a neat move stringing together a few passes. Heckington made a few opportunities too, but the final finishes didn’t trouble Nash in the Welton goals.

So 0-0 at half-time. No panic though, just plenty of sweat, as Welton stuck well to the task, but so did Heckington. The quality of the football wasn’t of the highest, the heat taking its toll perhaps. The midfield duo of Lester and Griffin worked tirelessly and Cartwright gave a very solid performance in the centre of the back four, clearing up as the full-backs were occasionally found too high up the field as Heckington counter-attacked. The best move of the game developed along the right and a number of one-touch passes resulted in an opportunity for Griffin on the edge of the box, a well-struck drive giving Welton the lead with 4 minutes to go. Heckington bounced back to keep Welton under pressure, Nash still having further work to do to earn the clean sheet.

Not the most cultured performance, but no complaints about effort and great to start the season with a win.

First outing as a team this season was to a fine but very windswept Mere Road ground in Waddington for a pre-season friendly with Lowlands, who finished just above us in the league last season. The wind gusted straight down the pitch and Welton were pleased to win the toss and take the advantage for the first half. Rather a ‘dream’ start as it turned out, 30 seconds in and Welton won the ball half way into the Lowlands half, then a neat through ball to Buckley who turned and drove cleanly into the back of the net, 1-0. The remainder of the first-half was characterised by wind-assisted pressure from Welton, Lowlands defending with some desperation at times. Lots of shots from Welton, but not enough on target, the ball proving difficult to keep down. A blatant handball in the 6-yard box provided the means for Welton to extend their lead, a penalty confidently driven wide of the keeper, but inside the post, by Harlow. 2-0 at half time; a bigger differential would have felt more comfortable.

The second half brought the anticipated increase in workload for the Welton keeper and back-four. However, the visitors handled the wind rather better than the home side and demonstrated some good skill in working the ball out from their own half along the ground with some sharp passing and good running in support. The mid-field, strengthened with new-signing Lester and Griffin working tirelessly, did well to deny Lowlands time on the ball. Some good chances were also created and Welton could easily have gone further ahead. On the other hand, Nash’s skills were fully exercised in goal as Lowlands inevitably created some scoring opportunities. A hand-ball by Lowlands was missed by the ref and a corner resulted. There was a suspicion of some pushing in the box but a Lowlands player jumped unopposed to head-home competently from the corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. Welton continued to work well without losing composure to hold on to their lead, including a clearance off the line by the ever-reliable full-back Hayselden.

A very pleasing start to the season. The team played with confidence and the benefits of practice over the Summer appears to be coming to fruition.