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Under 12 Cougars
Match ReportsBritish Summer Time
Springs Cougars into Action!!Sunday 25 March 2012
North Shields Cougars 6 v Forest Hall 2
Playing at the glorious Collingwood, the Cougars arrived wearing their white and black strips so as not to clash with the opposition and looked fresh and well up for the game ahead. They knew that they had a point to prove to the visiting Forest Hall after a 3 - 0 defeat by them earlier in the season when we did not do ourselves justice. The sun was beating down on this, the first day of B.S.T. Surely Gary did not have to remind everyone that the clocks had gone forward an hour during the night for this 12 noon kick off......! The sunshine even brought out two Cougars of old. Great to see Graham and Matthew 'Frog' Adamson supporting the Cougars. Hear your coming next week also Graham, you'll have to now as you must be our new lucky mascot after watching the last victory! Bring a pen and paper.!!!
Birthday Boy and captain for the day was Nathan Young starting on the left. Gary went for a 4 - 5 - 1 formation from the start with Kieron Aplin leading the front line by himself, a midfield of Joe Knighting, Jairo Simao and Matthew Wilson, Nathan on the left and Brandon Carr on the right. This was the mismatch of the day, Brandon was dwarfed by the Forest left wing but by the end of the game I'm sure he wished he had never met Brandon after being cut down to size on a number of occasions during the first half. The new look back four of Leon Snowdon and Andrew Mitcheson in the centre, Thomas Patterson on the right and Anthony Hardy on the left looked calm and assured all game. Sam Terrance played in goal and was much more positive this week with an outstanding save in the first half from range reaching his top left corner to parry the ball out for a corner.
I wasn't taking notes so some details might be a bit vague.
1 - 0. Kieron Aplin pounces on a Forest Hall defensive error and with still a lot of work to do out-sprints the defence and cool as you like slots the ball past the sprawling keeper. Being 1 nil up with just a few minutes gone I think really settled the Cougars nerves, and mine! From then on to be honest the Cougars were the better side and proceeded to play some good football on the excellent Collingwood surface.
2 - 0. A goal only Jairo Simao could score to be honest! Jairo picks the ball up inside his own half on the left and puts his afterburners on leaving Forest Hall would be tacklers in his scorch marks. We all think the chance is over as he runs close to the bye line surrounded by Forest Hall players, somehow he manages to get the ball back and score from what looked like an impossible angle. Jairo turns and points to Gary and is heard saying 'that's why I don't want to play in defence!'
The half time whistle blew and the heat was taking its toll. Ann had to deliver extra drinks for the panting Cougars who had all entertained us in the first half with some of their best football all season. 2 - 0 up at half time, we've been in the position before so nothing was taken for granted!
Changes at half time were, I think, Kieran Barnes on for Thomas Patterson who had played his best half this season so far. Harry Clark came on for Anthony Hardy who had looked assured all half and launched some huge goal kicks. Callum Wandless came on for Joe. Brandon Carr requested to be subbed after 110% effort in the first half, “NO Brandon, give us 10 more minutes” was the reply! Joe Knighting (Ex - Forest Hall) came off to allow us to play a 4 - 4 - 2 formation, Joe had again put in another hard shift battling in midfield to secure possession. Tom Craig came on to partner Kieron Aplin up front.
3 - 0. A great start from Thomas Craig as he scores to settle the nerves a bit. A lovely pass from Kieron Aplin sends Thomas on his way out sprinting the centre half and with the keeper not yet set strokes the ball into the bottom right from outside the box. Thomas turns and points to his father and is heard saying "that's why you should of got me here on time Dad" kissing his North Shields badge.
3 - 1. Forest Hall score with one of their few chances. Indeed it was a superbly taken chance, the little Forest Hall striker lobs Sam Terrance from a good 25 yards leaving Sam with no chance. The Cougars faithful gave each other a knowing glance thinking, here we go again!
4 - 1. Faith restored almost straight away. Kieran Barnes remains in a forward position in the right corner and produces a lovely chipped cross for Thomas Craig to volley in from close range leaving the keeper no chance. Again Thomas turns to his.......you know the rest!
5 - 1. The Cougars are really on top now playing some lovely attacking football which leads to a corner. I think Kieron Aplin takes it and after some ping pong in the box a half clearance lands to Matthew Wilson lurking on the edge of the box, with head down Matthew strikes it well, hard and low into the right corner leaving the keeper no chance.
Harry was straight into the thick of it in the second half after a lengthy spell off school with sickness and sent some lovely balls up the line. At some point Nathan Young came back on, as well as Thomas Patterson, I think for Kieron A and Brandon , well played lads, you all deserved a rest after great effort shown.
5 - 2. Forest Hall get a consolation goal with five minutes to go, surely there is not enough time for them to make a comeback?
6 - 2. No was the answer as Nathan Young and Callum Wandless worked well down the left together to leave Callum on the edge of the box with three Forest Hall players bearing down on him. With the blink of an eye Callum had dazzled the defenders and went past them like they weren't there to coolly slot the ball past the keeper into the bottom right. That was Callum's first league goal for the Cougars and the rest of the team, managers and parents knew it as everyone congratulated him. Well done Callum, lets have some more next week!
The final whistle blew. Revenge is sweet! Best performance this year by all the Cougars. If the same effort, determination, discipline and skill are shown against West Denton this weekend I'm sure we will have too much for them at home surely. Fingers crossed, well done Cougars, still top of the league!
Coooooouuuuuuggggggaaaaarrrrrrsssss! - Johnny Wilson.
Cougars cause cup upset of the day!
Sunday 27 November 2011
Mann Broadbent NFA Cubs Cup Round 3
Newcastle East End 5 v North Shields Cougars 7
MOM Jairo Simoa
Goals - Kieron Aplin 4, Joe Knighting 2, Callum Wandless 1The Cougars were drawn against Newcastle East End in the Mann Broadbent NFA Cubs Cup,the question was which Cougars were going to turn up today?!
NEE are currently in the 1st Division but rock bottom having not won a game in the league, but nonetheless a 1st division side. The Cougars were coming off a surprise 3 - 0 loss away to Forest Hall in the league last week and they needed to be up for it today if they were going to progress into the next round, and up for it they were I’m pleased to say.
The Cougars made a good start, everyone was there on time, even Paul Craig! This meant we could get straight to work and try and get the lads up for the battle ahead. After an explosive warm up the Cougars were told what was expected of them and without exception they did not disappoint.
Within the first 5 mins we could tell the Cougars were up for this one. Starting with a 4-4-1-1 formation, Kieron Aplin was left up front on his own to terrorize the opposition centre halves. His pressure led to our first goal, causing panic at the back with his presence, somehow one of their defenders tries to clear and it bounces back off another defender into the goal. Great start and the Cougars tails are up.
Gary Clark made changes in the back four to start, pairing Jairo with Andrew Mitcheson in the centre, got to be the quickest set of center halves in the North East. Thomas Patterson at right back, who was indeed back to his no nonsense best and Harry Clark at left back, he too showing us his steely determination in the tackle. Also Anthony Hardy started bravely in goal giving Sam Terrance a chance to collect his thoughts for the second half performance. The midfield looked full of bite and determination straight from the start. Joe Knighting and Matthew Wilson filled the center of the park, Callum Wandless on the right and the increasingly tenacious Nathan Young on the left. Leon Snowdon filled the gap between midfield and striker and linked up well to give Kieron Aplin plenty of first half chances.
The next 20 mins saw NEE score three goals! One was from a dreaded corner kick where the ball was allowed to run across our six yard box without challenge or movement and the NEE striker accepted the gift with no mistake. The other two to be fair were well worked goals and typical of a 1st Division outfit. Only criticism being our back four were probably playing a bit too deep allowing lots of space for their strikers to roam. But then came a life line. Joe Knighting just before half time placed the ball into the net after a parried shot from Kieron Aplin. To be fair the Cougars didn’t deserve to be losing at half time, they were playing the far better football even against a strong wind. Half time came and this was still anyone’s game and the Cougars could smell blood.
Indeed the Cougars started the second half really well, Thomas Craig came on to partner Kieron Aplin up front as Gary changed the formation to a straight 4 - 4 - 2. Jamie Balding came on to partner Jairo in the centre of defense. Jamie was straight into the action, winning some tackles and distributing well to his midfield. Brandon Carr came on to replace Callum Wandless who had shown good pace all half and lovely touches. Brandon wasted no time getting involved and was straight up to speed with the game. For the next fifteen minutes we played our best football of the match, keeping possession and creating chance after chance, using the whole pitch and playing some really good attractive football.
In this period we went from losing 3 - 2 down to winning 4 - 2. This was indeed reward for some good football. Thomas Craig and Kieron Aplin were causing the NEE defense all sorts of problems and that together with some excellent service from the whole of the mid field led to the two goals that put us in the lead. Both scored by Kieron Aplin who was indeed on fire this afternoon. Captain for the day, Kieron never stopped encouraging his whole team all the way through the match. In fact the whole team encouraged each other all over the pitch which was particularly pleasing to witness.The sense of team spirit was again evident when Sam Terrance collected an easy through ball and then was bowled over by the massive NEE striker with a ridiculous late challenge. Harry Clark was quick to defend his keeper with some eye balling and some verbals, which the NEE player took exception to and stupidly, raised his hands to Harry. With credit to the referee who was a NEE man, he told the player to leave the pitch and was not allowed back on, even when their coach tried to. Also Gary Clark took Harry off as well as a sporting gesture with a cheeky wink for his son!
So Cougars 4 - 3 up, playing the best football and cruising to a well earned cup upset. I wish, that wouldn’t be the Cougars we know and love! Totally against the run of play NEE score two to put them 5 -4 in front with seconds to play. They thought the job was done but the Cougars had other ideas, they weren’t going to take this lying down. Remember the Cougars had come from behind in both Corbridge games to be victorious. From the kick off Matthew Wilson received the ball and drove up the pitch leaving the NEE midfielders in his wake, I really did lose track off what happened next but the ball ended up being superbly taken on the chest by Kieron Aplin and volleyed over the imposing NEE keeper. The Cougars parents went wild, some people were on the pitch, they thought it was all over. 5 - 5, the whistle blew for full time. What a game and what a fight back by the Cougars.
EXTRA TIME - 5 mins each way, could the spectators take any more?!! I knew I was on the edge but was in a confident mood, we knew the Cougars were fitter than them and we had the talent to finish the job.
The next ten minutes were a bit of a blur but my confidence in the Cougars fitness and talent was not mistaken. Indeed again we played the best football, a great flowing move from defense into attack ended up with Joe Knighting making a lung busting run into the box to put the ball into the back of the net with a powerful natural finish. Again the Cougars parents and coaches went ballistic and again certain individuals went on to the pitch.!
6 - 5 up, half time, 5 mins to play and hold on for a great cup up set.
But this was not the Cougars plan. Again, the Cougars drove forward and to be honest I can’t remember Kieron Aplin’s last goal to make it 5 - 7 but this capped an outstanding display from the captain of the day. Of course the drama was not over! With a couple of minute’s still to play the referee awarded NEE a penalty! Still don’t know what it was for but to be fair this was the first contentious decision he had made and on the whole refereed the game in a good and fair spirit. Anyway the penalty stood and Sam Terrance stood between a nail biting last couple of minutes or hero status. HERO it was as he dived to his right to make a tremendous save and was congratulated by the whole squad.
FINAL WHISTLE BLEW, COUGARS 7 - N.E.E 5. WHAT A GAME, WHAT ENTERTAINMENT, WHAT DRAMA……
I’ll concentrate on the positives, I’ll let Gary be the bad guy!
Great start before match and on the pitch.
Great team spirit and encouragement for fellow players
Proved to ourselves how good we can be.
Superb fitness levels.
Never say die attitude. (It’s not over till the fat lady sings!).See you on Thursday for training! Keep it up lads.
Cougarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssssssss………………….!
Walk In The Park For Table Toppers
Sunday 13th November 2011
Pinpoint Recruitment Junior Football League
Grainger Town Juniors 0 v North Shields Cougars 5Opponents MOM – Kieron Aplin
Goal scorers - Kieron Aplin (1), Tom Craig (2), Brandon Carr (1), Leon Snowdon (1)
Gary’s Player of week at training 9 Nov - Nathan Young (for scoring with his left and right foot)Another away trip for the Cougars visiting Grainger Town Jnrs. in what was to be their best performance yet!!. On this cold & drizzly early morning kick off we saw plenty of the lads suffering from “bed hair”.
On previous early morning encounters the Cougars would have been slow out of the blocks & suffering after a late night playing MW3!!! But not today! They were up for it from the off. Unfortunately one of our main linchpins Andrew Mitcheson was unable to play after scouting duties, and a rigorous warm up for the lads from Johnny lead to Harry Clark rupturing a leg muscle leaving his playing future in doubt! (But I’m sure plenty of TLC will solve the problem & we can only hope for a speedy recovery).Gary got the lads together early on and set out another re-jiggled line up, which saw man of the moment Jairo Simao slot into the heart of defence, where I must say he has found his calling. The rest of the back four, Kieran Barnes, Jamie Balding & Anthony Hardy were hardly troubled, but when they were, they mopped up everything, led by Jairo’s stunning pace & tackling abilities.
The midfield was filled with overwhelming talent. Matthew Wilson, who was again in tremendous form and Brandon Carr who paired up extremely well with Callum Wandless, surely a match made in heaven? and the ever dependable Joe Knighting who came into his own with Anthony in the second half, leaving the pacey duo of Nathan Young & Thomas Craig to strike home with powerful shots & runs towards the oppositions goal.Before kick off the lads did there bit & showed their respects holding a minutes silence. The first half got underway and playing on a pitch that was slick and obviously modelled on Mount Everest! Attacking uphill would prove to be decisive as the opposition would tire late on in the second half and what ended up 5-0 could well have been 10 or 11-0 if it wasn’t for their academy trained keeper who pulled of several stunning saves. (Their man of the match for me). But the first 15mins was quite intense as both sides had made good efforts to break the dead lock before eventually Brandon Carr’s shot was deflected off the oppositions defender and nestled into the net. A goal I’m sure he will claim. Only 5 mins. later & Thomas Craig would get in on the act, finding his shooting form once again. Callum Wandless & Brandon Carr were pairing up well with some lovely passing moves, this was often helped out by Joe Knighting & Matthew Wilson who nullified any of the oppositions attacks. The first half was soon over and the Cougars led 2-0
The second half got under way & Gary once again rang in a few changes seeing the introduction of Kieron Aplin for Nathan Young who had worked tirelessly in the first half & Leon Snowdon coming on for Brandon Carr who had also played some excellent football. Thomas Patterson came on for Kieran Barnes & put in some superb tackles & ran down the right wing time & time again & placed some excellent passes for Leon to run onto.
We weren’t waiting long before a rocket shot from Thomas Craig found the net & this was to set the tone for the rest of the game. Playing down the 30% gradient suited the boys well & the oppositions net was bombarded with shot after shot and Kieron Aplin in his rich form would fire one home. The majestic saves from the Grainger Town keeper stopped a cricket score & kept us waiting for a while before Leon produced a stunning goal after beating three..four..five..defenders & shooting low & hard. (Paul hope that little sentence is to your satisfaction?). The Cougars would never look back after that and a 5-0 score line flattered Grainger Town. Joe Knighting & Anthony Harding showed some excellent link up play, which was a pleasure to watch. Sam Terrance was a rock in goal & it was pleasing to see him keep a clean sheet, pulling out a few fine saves (about two, which he did well). The whole back four played their part although they were not called into action very often & the big boot of Jamie Balding ensured the ball was cleared well into Grainger towns half.Well Done Boys, excellent All Round Performance!
1st Half Highlights
7mins - Brandon & Callum link up well setting up Mathew who shoots wide.
9mins - Granger Town shoot & Sam saves well.
11mins - Once again Matthew Wilson bears in on goal & shoots wide.
15mins - Nathan earns Cougars their first corner with a great run on goal only to be thwarted by “that” keeper.
18mins - Brandon picks up ball from Callum, passes two defenders & shoots, ball is deflected and drops into the net. GOAL!!!! 0-1 Cougars
23mins - Tom Craig picks ball up 30yds out, runs towards the goal & beats the keeper well. GOAL!!!! 0-2 Cougars
30mins - Joe Knighting fires in a pile driver that the keeper parries onto the crossbar
2nd Half Highlights
3 mins - Kieron Aplin picks ball up on half way line, runs to the edge of the oppositions box and lays up a pass just in front of Tom to hit hard and drive home. GOAL!!!!0-3 Cougars
5 mins - Joe & Kieron Aplin combine well leaving Keiron to place a beauty shot into the side of the net. GOAL!!!! 0-4 Cougars
8mins - Leon beats several players & shoots into keepers hands
22mins - Leon finally gets onto the score sheet as he beats two defenders & shoots. GOAL!!!! 0-5 Cougars
Positives:
All played extremely well.
Some fantastic passing & link up play
No words can say how well we played today ”Superb”
Negatives: NONE!!!!!
Managers RantBefore the game even kicked off, I was very proud of the boys for their impeccable minute’s silence on remembrance Sunday where they all showed their respect and maturity.
We have worked hard all season to get the lads to try and relax on the ball and not to be overly focused on driving forward and forcing the game but to pass the ball sideways and backwards which spreads the game and eventually gaps will appear. Straight from the kickoff when we passed the ball to left wing then back along the whole back 4 up right wing and ended up with a shot (off target ) without Park getting a touch was very pleasing indeed !!! Even though Grainger Park are bottom of the league I didn’t think they were a poor side we were just too strong. I thought the passing and link up play down both wings was excellent and nobody hung onto the ball too long, which caused Park all kinds of problems.I always ask the players to give their all in the 1st half instead of trying to pace themselves for 60mins as we always have fresh legs on the bench. So when Brandon asked to come off at half time as he was “ done in “ this showed to me he had gave his all and listened to what he’d been told. I thought all the players that were involved were fantastic and we played some excellent football.
Our new players Kieron , Joe , Thomas P , Anthony, Sam and Callum all seem to have settled in well and this can only hold well for the rest of our season. I don’t like to single anyone out but Jairo is having a fantastic season so far. He’s not particularly happy playing center half but is doing an outstanding job for us there. For any new parents Jairo has played for the Cougars as a striker, left & right wing, center mid, defensive midfield, goal keeper, probably both full backs and now center half !!! So well done Jairo and keep up the good work. We normally start the season well and fall away but let's keep it going this year and see where it takes us.Come on the Cougars !!!! Gary
Roller Coaster Ride For Tenacious Cougars!
Sunday 6th November 2011
Pinpoint Recruitment Junior Football League
Corbridge 4 v North Shields Cougars 6
Goal scorers - Kieron Aplin (2), Nathan Young (2), Brandon Carr (1), Joe Knighting (1)
Opponents MOM – Jairo Samao
Gary’s Player of week at training - Matthew WilsonThe Cougars travelled to picturesque Corbridge for the re-match of last weeks fantastic bum squeaky game! It was a lovely Autumn lunchtime kick off & as their last encounter with Corbridge went to the wire, then we all could be in for another treat.
The team was at full strength for this hard tie. Gary (Manager /Head Coach) would need to use all of his subs to the best of his ability to keep hard battling Corbridge at bay. That, coinciding with Johnny Wilson (Assistant Coach), who was Mr Grumpy! (apparently he had no sleep) who kept bellowing out instruction from the sidelines kept the Cougars pushing forward & attacking well.
Straight from the off we could see that Gary had jumbled the pack starting with a confident rear guard of Harry Clark, Andrew Mitcheson, Jamie Balding & Thomas Paterson, leaving Jairo Samao sat in front of the back four. Brandon Carr & Joe Knighting were out on the wings with the ever-dependable Matthew Wilson & Leon Snowdon to hold the midfield together. Tom Craig would need to be at his best & help hold the ball up for the onward running midfielders and he did a sterling job.
This game would ebb & flow, with one side getting the upper hand & then the other. If you were a neutral this would lead to a very entertaining game. But it wasn’t really until the last 15 minutes, when the Cougars dug deep & showed their willingness & determination to pass the finishing line with flying colours. All lads did their bit, with some great tackles being made from our defence & midfield, with Jairo Samao showing his rear guard attributes by thwarting the Corbridge strikers time & time again. Joe Knighting made some superb runs & passes from midfield backed up by Leon who had his best match so far for the Cougars. Anthony Hardy & Callum Wandless came on in the second half to give the Cougars a well needed boost in midfield & their presence seemed to pay off in the latter stages of the game. Nathan Young took his goals well & spear headed a formidable attack force along with Kieron Aplin and Tom Craig who was un-fortunate not to get on the goal scoring sheet!1st Half Highlights
4mins- Brandon takes a mazy run down the wing & shoots but the keeper saves well.
5mins-Corbridge press the back four hard & shoot wide.
8mins-Once again Corbridge push forward & with some penetration to beat the back line
shooting high & wide.11mins- Corbridge earn a free kick which thankfully comes to nothing.
14mins- Cougars first real attack on goal as Nathan put a stunning ball through for Tom C who shoots inches wide.
15mins- First corner of the match goes to the Cougars. We all jump as Jairo hits one from the edge of the box but....the ball flies high over the Corbridge cross bar.
16mins-As a Corbridge striker bears down onto the Cougars goal Harry appears from nowhere & puts in a blinding tackle!!
18mins-The dead lock is finally broken, Tom C picks up the ball on the edge of the box & like a well rehearsed ballerina swivels & puts the ball onto the end of Nathans toe who slots the ball into the net GOAL! (0-1 Cougars).
22mins-Cougars double their lead. Joe picks the ball up on the edge of the Corbridge box & with a superb lob finds the back of the net GOAL!! (0-2 Cougars).
23mins- Sam pushes a speculative shot onto the cross bar-Great save Sam!
25mins-Penalty!!!!. Leon was running in on goal & gets bundled over.......come on ref!
But it wasn’t to be!30mins-Corbridge given a life line as a shot is deflected high over Sam’s head and nestles into the net. (1-2 Cougars).
2nd Half Highlights
1 min- Sam pulls out a stunning save.
3rd min- On form Nathan puts a ball threw for Kieron Aplin to run onto and he dispatches the ball of the inside of the cross bar & the net ripples, GOAL! (1-3 Cougars).
10mins-Corbridge back into the fight as a long shot bounces of Sam’s chest & falls to a Corbridge player who pops the ball into the net (2-3 Cougars).
16mins-Kieran Barnes puts in a good tackle to defy an on running Corbridge winger. But from the resulting corner Corbridge are level with a stunning header into the net. (3-3).
18mins-It’s all going wrong…..Corbridge awarded a free kick on the edge of the box & a sweetly hit shot leaves Sam with no chance. (4-3)
20 mins - Anthony combines well with Matthew in midfield, excellent interplay between the pair.
21mins - We are back in it as a loose ball bounces around the Corbridge box, Brandon leaps like a coiled snake & heads the ball with torpedo like force GOAL! (4-4).
22mins-Game on! Nathan runs onto the ball like a ravaged dog & leaves the Corbridge keeper with no chance! GOAL! (4-5 Cougars).
24mins-Callum takes on several defenders & plays a neat ball across the box, which leads to a goalmouth scramble & the ball is cleared
28mins-Matthew Wilson takes on and beats three players before pile driving a shot into the side netting.
29mins-With hardly time to draw breath…that lad again puts in a stunning shot, Kieron Aplin finds the net with a well worked run onto goal.
30mins-As time is nearly called Sam again saves well!
Cougars win 6-4 and at last Johnny starts to smile……….or was it just wind?Positives:
Cougars kept their heads up as always and never gave in (a spirit that Gary, Johnny & Paul have instilled in them)
Excellent & well taken goals
Cougars have a level of fitness other teams don’t seem to have, we kept going & Corbridge looked tired & leggy.
Johnny’s bad mood kept the lads on their toes!Negatives:
Once again the dreaded corner lead to another goal!
Team switched off again for ten minutes mid way through second half, allowing the opposition to get their heads up & back into the game.All in all an excellent result, couldn’t fault any of the lads especially with some having their best game yet in a Cougars shirt!
Well done lads, let’s keep it going just like the Magpies!! Still unbeaten in the league!!
Cougars turn up this week to get the job done!
Sunday 9 October 2011
Pinpoint Recruitment Junior Football League
Ashington 3 v North Shields Cougars 5Opponents MOM - Kieron Aplin
Goal scorers - Matthew Wilson (2) Harry Clark (1) Kieron Aplin (1). + own goal.The Cougars travelled to Ashington for an early kick off in the first encounter with them this season, but being Ashington we knew we were in for a battle from the start.
The team was rocked by the news that defending lynch pins Jamie Balding and Kieran Barnes were unavailable. Anthony was also unavailable ! Hope they make a swift recovery for Coast Soccer next week!
After a more intensive warm up this week we could tell the lads were up for the battle ahead and everyone bar none gave 100% all game. From the kick off it was good to see that both teams were trying to play passing football on what was a lovely surface. A big thanks to both Jairo Simao and Leon Snowdon for playing out of position and helping the team without complaint! Leon at right back and Jairo partnering Andrew Mitcheson in the centre of defence. From the start there were some nice partnerships being made around the field. Joe Knighting and Brandon Carr were looking for each other all game. Nathan Young was linking well and passing to Kieron Aplin up front in confident style. Sam Terrace marshalled his central defenders really well and was in good voice claiming the ball all game and often being a sweeper. Anyway that's enough waffling on, let’s get to the facts.
On 10 mins some great build up play and passing on the left leads to Matthew Wilson getting the ball in space just outside the box and he unleashes an unstoppable low drive into the bottom right corner. 0 - 1. Nice to see the Cougars actually start a game well and show the opposition what we can do before they get the chance to! The Cougars were passing the ball around really well, 100% improvement from last week. Most pleasing was the fact the Cougars were using the full pitch and players were keeping their positions to allow this to happen. Using the full width of the pitch lead to our second goal, a great cross in from the left into the danger area lead to the Ashington central defender back heeling it into his own goal over the keepers head. 0 - 2. (sorry missed who crossed the ball) After this the Cougars went off the boil slightly and lack of concentration just for a few minutes allowed Ashington's centre forward in from a throw in. Sam Terrace had no chance as the Ashington player lobbed him from the left hand corner of the box to score a cracking goal. Not long after that the half time whistle blew. A good positive start from the Cougars.Changes at half time - Leon moved from right back to partner Kieron Aplin up front. Late comer Thomas Patterson came on at right back. Thomas Craig was given a well deserved rest having worked tirelessly up front all half linking up well with midfield and his strike partner.
The 2nd half kicked off with Ashington having the advantage of the wind on their backs which was a worry with only a one goal lead. Thomas Patterson soon made his presence felt with his no nonsense approach letting the Ashington players know exactly what he is all about with some hard but fair tackles. Harry Clark soon settled the nerves for a short period with his first goal of the season. An inspired call from the opposite touchline from Johnny Wilson asked Gary Clark if Harry could take the free kick knowing his sweet left foot would cause problems for the Ashington defence and keeper and so it was proved. Harry struck the ball as sweetly as you like and the ball sailed through a busy box into the left corner . 1 - 3. However Ashington quickly responded to this with a superb strike from outside the box which left Sam no chance as the balled rocketed into the top right corner. 2 - 3.
It was indeed squeaky bum time with a good 20 mins still to play and Ashington now had their tails up. Now it was time for Kieron Aplin to get the goal that he deserved and relieve some pressure for a while. To be fair Kieron could have had a hatrick by now having the measure of the Ashington right back going past him with ease on many occasions and either shooting himself or looking for player with a better opportunity. I lost count but I think he hit the posts on at least two occasions. His goal was sweetly taken with the outside of his boot into the bottom right after leaving the Ashington full back for dead again. 2 - 4. Pressure back on after Ashington win a corner, the ball is whipped in on the near post and a missed header from Matthew Wilson allows Ashington to squeeze the ball over the line 3 - 4 and still another 10 mins to play! The next 10 mins were nail biting stuff and the Cougars had many chances to finish off the game. Kieron Aplin and Nathan Young came close. Thomas Craig came off the bench for Leon who had given his all this game. He too had a chance to seal the win early with a lovely ball though to run on to and with only the keeper to beat Tom but hit the left post and the ball was cleared. Ashington have one final chance, a scramble in our box leads to an Ashington player bearing down on goal only to be thwarted by Jairo with an unbelievable last ditch tackle to deny Ashington a lucky draw. Outstanding! Awesome!
The Cougars should have had this game put to bed with all the chances we created in the 2nd half but there was still only one goal in it and only seconds remaining. With Ashington going for the equaliser, this left space at the back, Matthew Wilson picked up the ball in his own half and carried it forward looking for the pass to the screaming Kieron and Tom which acted as a decoy as the defenders back off to cover the runners. Matthew launched it from 25 yards with a sweet strike into the left corner and the Cougars went wild as well as all the Muthas and Fathas and coaches. Job done! 3 -5.Positives:
100% improvement from last week - makeshift defence of Leon, Andrew, Jairo, Harry and Thomas were outstanding - players playing out of position for the team without complaint.
Best performances of the season so far for Nathan Young and Brandon Carr - whole team kept disciplined when the bad tackles started - good start to game for a change, 100% commitment from the word go - still undefeated in league!!Negatives:
Conceded from a corner - opposition goal kicks midfield standing too close, ball going over their heads, best lie deeper and have players behind the ball rather than out the game - more headers required from kick offs. Can't think off anymore!Well done boys, keep up the good work!
Johnny Wilson - See you all Wednesday.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC!
25th September 2011 Ryton & Crawcrook 1 v North Shields Cougars 10
H/T 1-3Goal Scorer’s: Jairo 3, Kieron Aplin 3, Thomas Craig 2, Brandon Carr 1, Leon Snowdon 1.
MOM: Jairo
It was once again a glorious day both on & off the pitch. Jairo was to be captain today (as it was his birthday) & how well he played & showed the cougars the way to be cut thrust & ruthless. Playing out of his skin & well deserving of the man of match performance along with his well taken goals.
The Cougars still undefeated made a difficult & sloppy start to the game as it looked as though they had all been up till the early hours of the morning playing on their x-boxes & play stations. But after a lot of bellowing & shouting from Gary, Johnny & Paul they slowly eased their way into the game. Gary had almost a full squad to choose from with the only absentee being Sam Terrance who was sunning himself in other climates. Deciding to leave the powerhouse of Leon, the dynamic & skilful Nathan & the hard tackling Thomas Patterson on the bench. None of the coaches seemed too impressed at half time although we were winning 3-1. So a stern dressing down of several players & a change to the substitutes bringing off Jamie & later on Thomas Craig (for a well deserved rest) & introducing Leon, Nathan & Thomas Patterson who proved to be too much for Ryton to handle as the goals flowed in the second half & put the game well beyond doubt. Infact they flowed so regularly even I couldn’t keep up with the scorers & almost ran out of Ink.
The Back four of Jamie, Andrew, Kieran & Harry were rarely troubled & mopped up what few chances the opposition had & hats off to Anthony making his debut goal appearance and shone with some excellent goal kicks & clearances. The usual workhouse of Matthew, Joe, Brandon & Jairo played well to interrupt the oppositions’ play. Thomas Craig & Kieron Aplin held the ball up well & took their goals neatly.
First Half:
3mins: Anthony pulls of a great save as Ryton push hard
8mins: Joe runs onto a loose ball & is taken out by the opposition’s defender & needs urgent medical treatment, Leon bursts onto the pitch to replace Joe.
9mins: Kieron Aplin receives the ball & makes a maizy run into the box & shoots! Just too high
10mins: Jairo runs down the left wing leaving Ryton players in his wake & puts in a great cross which falls to Tom who shoots & the ball is deflected wide.
12mins: Kieron Aplin runs onto a through ball from Matthew & finally slots the ball past the hapless keeper Goooaaal! 1-0
13mins: Ryton try to hit straight back & a great save from Anthony who pushes the ball onto the post.
18mins: Jairo comes through three hard tackles & puts a sweet pass through to Tom Craig who shoots & puts the ball into the Ryton net. 2-0
22mins: Jairo turns on the style, beats one, two, three players as he passes the half way line, edges towards the goal, takes on & beats the keeper to score a fantastic goal & worthy of being on Sky sports goal of the week 3-0.
25mins: Ryton break through our tough defense to slot the ball past Anthony. 3-1
27mins: Tom Craig through again but the Ryton keeper spoils his day with a fine save.
3-1 Half Time.
Second Half
4mins: Joe finds himself through on goal & tries to lob the keeper who pulls of a fine save.
5mins: Tom Craig manages to find Kieron Aplin who slots the ball home. 4-1
6mins: Kieron Aplin floats a great cross towards goal, Ryton keeper flaps at it & Tom Craig Hit’s a hard shot that comes of the post which falls to Jairo who hits high & wide.
10mins. Thomas Patterson puts in a good tackle & comes away with the ball, feeds it through to Matthew who feeds Tom who then lays the ball into Brandon’s path and he lobs the keeper from 20yrds. 5-1
15 mins: scramble in the Ryton goal mouth & the ball falls to Kieron Aplin who slots the ball home, 6-1 & his hat trick - Subsequently substituted for Nathan.
17 mins: Thomas Patterson saves the day with an excellent goal line clearance when our keeper was well beaten.
19 mins: Jairo runs onto a through ball & beats the offside trap to slot the ball home.
7-120 mins: Brandon & Matthew combine well down the wing, leaving the ball for Joe to shoot just wide
22mins: Jairo gets his hat-trick as he bungles the ball of a stuttering Ryton defense & scores easily. 8-1
26mins: Tom C gets a well deserved second goal as he bursts past two players & shoots hard into the left hand side of the net. 9-1
28mins: Leon bursts onto the scene & with a well taken shoot nearly split’s the Ryton net & gets his first goal of the season. 10-1
Full Time 10-1
A well deserved win & once again we remain unbeaten & top the table.
Well done lads & long may it continue as a promise from Gary to take us all to his Gaff in Cyprus if we win the league?! Come on The Cougars!Positives: Lads played & tackled hard which disrupted the Ryton players. Well taken goals.
Negatives: First 10 mins could have left us with a difficult hill to climb & Jairo only has one birthday a year!
Quote of the day: “if a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead”
Erma Bombeck
Defeated But Not Disgraced!
17th September 2011
North Shields Juniors 2 v North Shields Cougars 1 (Friendly)
Half time 0-0Goal Scorer: Joe Knighting
Assist : Matthew WilsonMOM: Kieron Aplin
POW: Kieran BarnesUndefeated Cougars offered to entertain the mighty Juniors after all the other Shields teams reject the opportunity to this season’s early bragging rights! Gary & Johnny un-fazed by their opposition tried to keep the same line up as our previous successful outings, but unfortunately Brandon Carr had an emergency hair appointment (which could not be missed!!!!) and our present top goal scorer Thomas Craig was recovering from champions league commitments, and it turned out he was sorely missed.
It was the usual bright & sunny John Spence playing fields…….NOT!…..rainy as usual, which I am sure we will get used to as the days & weeks roll on. Not to worry though, the supporters had our trusty red Gazebo to keep us dry!
Gary & Johnny prepared the team with a well-rehearsed team talk & the Cougars looked well up for taking on the fight of the opposition and boy o boy they dug deep!
Straight away at the off, our powerful midfield thwarted the Juniors and they just couldn’t seem to find a way through to our rear guard of Andrew Mitchenson, Jamie Balding, Harry Clark & Kieran Barnes, all of whom battled hard & nullified any chance of the Juniors getting a decent effort on goal. Andrew on several occasions seemed to have the reactions & speed of a gazelle & put in some spectacular tackles. The midfield of Jairo, Matthew, Joe & Leon worked tirelessly in the first half, tracking back well to aid their defense & it wasn’t long before Matthew made the first real chance of the game. He opened up the Juniors defense like a tin of Sardines & placed a fantastic pass for Kieron Aplin to run onto, only for the Juniors keeper to come racing of his line in a blind panic & collect the ball. The Cougars kept on pressing hard & it wasn’t long before we were rewarded with the first corner of the game which unfortunately came to nothing, but we were passing the ball around neatly & with confidence.
Nathan Young & Kieron Aplin worked hard to get possession & break up the Juniors rhythm as well as tracking back well to help out in defense & midfield. As the first half wore on the Junior started to come into the game more & with Sam in goal (who was rarely troubled so far) guarded it well & mopped up any loose or long balls. The final 10 minutes of the match approached & the Juniors finally breached our rear guard & thankfully their striker squandered a golden opportunity.
5 Minutes before half time & Harry must have total confidence in the rest of his team mates as he had time to relax & tie his shoe laces on the half way line as the match continued to bustle on around him, totally oblivious.
0-0 Half TimeThe Second half forced the Juniors head coach to ring the changes & save his blushes, this led to Gary to also show his hand and make some inspired substitutions bringing on Anthony Hardy & Thomas Patterson replacing Kieran Barnes & Nathan Young.
But it was the Juniors who seemed to start the better of the two teams & it wasn’t long before they threatened the Cougars goal with a blistering shot hitting the post, which Sam had well covered.
The Juniors eventually went ahead, as the Cougars dozed off for a brief second & a goal mouth scramble led to the Junior scuffing a shot that trickled into the goal. The Cougars didn’t give in and dug deep which led to a corner that was fizzed in & the ball seemed to go everywhere but the back of the Junior net as it first hit the post & then the cross bar before eventually being cleared away by the panicking Juniors defenders. This was the turning point of the game as the Junior went further ahead with a well hit shot that left Sam helpless in goal & the cougars went 2-0 down. If only it could have been 1-1, I am sure we would have had a different out come. Once again the cougars showed their fighting spirit as they increased the pressure on the Juniors defense which finally crumbled & with a goal mouth Melee the ball fell nicely for Joe who calmly & neatly chipped the keeper GOAL!!!! 2-1 & Game On!Kieron Aplin ran & ran until he could run no more, but Johnny shouted “Kieron come on keep pressing, get back, help defend, push forward” The poor lad didn’t know what to do. Gary then decided to mix things up a little & took of keeper Sam replacing him with Anthony & Kieran B was put onto the left wing. The inspired move was a success to some degree as Anthony pulled of a dramatic save by pushing a speculative shot onto the post & out for a corner. The Juniors obviously thought that attack was the best form of defense as they battered the Cougars goal towards the end of the match & some superb goal line clearances from Jairo & Jamie kept the score at 2-1.
Well done lads, ALL played well again & at no time did we look out of place against the first division side of the Juniors.
Positives: Never let their heads drop & battled to the end.
Negatives: None to comment on except the loss of our tall lanky striker whom I’m sure would have loved this battle & helped hold the ball up.Quotation of the day:
”Individual commitment to a group effort---that’s what makes a team work”
(Vince Lombardi)
Cougars 4 are Top Drawer!
11 September 2011
Newcastle Westgate 0 – 4 North Shields CougarsGoal Scorers: Tom Craig 2, Jamie Balding 1, Brandon Carr 1
After last weekends great result it was important that the Cougars weren’t complacent, especially as Westgate had won midweek. After the boys relieved themselves (classy!) it was time to get down to business. Westgate showed straight away that they had turned up for a game and pressed the back four of Thomas Patterson, Jamie Balding, Andrew Mitcheson and Anthony Hardy, but were unable to find a way through. Harry Clark did a sterling job helping out the defense and making runs forward when required. Matthew Wilson’s shot went over the bar and Tom Craig’s shot hit the post, drawing several “ooohs” from the Mams and despite some lovely passes from Ant and Joe in midfield and determined tackling from Leon Snowdon it was still 0-0. Some super goalkeeping from Sam Terrance made sure the Cougars were still in the game.
A lovely pass from Jairo Simao found Tom Craig’s boot and it was 1-0. Kieron Aplin came on for Anthony just before half time and straight away made a super run with the ball.Half time 0-1 Cougars.
Second half and Kieran Barnes and Brandon Carr replaced Thomas Patterson and Leon Snowdon. The Cougars come to life in this half with some solid defending as well as great passing from the midfield, AND THEN from deep and what could end up being hot contender for goal of the season, a stupendous right foot hammer from Jamie!! 20-30-40 yards who cares, 2-0! Shortly after a great pass through from Kieran B to Joe who sets up Tom in front of goal as he continues his super start to the season and slots in as cool as you like, 3-0. As a reward he goes for a rest and a chat and on comes Nathan Young, pairing up well down the left-hand side with Brandon who is running after everything. Leon (when did he come on?) who has replaced Matthew runs after Nathan’s pass and puts it into the box. There is then a goalmouth scramble and eventually Brandon scores, 4-0. A last gasp shot from Kieron A goes just wide and its full -time.
During the game the younger Cougar fans have been enjoying themselves playing ‘slideys’ down the slope and now Brandon’s Auntie Clare who had been tempted throughout, gets so excited she celebrates the Cougars win by joining in! Wheeeeeee! (wedgies all round!!)
A super second-half performance from the boys and we remain unbeaten. I now give up note-taking duties to my husband!!!
Man-of-the-match - Brandon Carr
Quote of the Week - “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” Vince Lombardi.
Word from the Manager
A late fitness test on Matthew Wilson - only a glued heed and a fat bruised toe!! (hard to beat) Matthews desire to play through injury emphasises the Cougars desire and commitment to the team. Keep up the good work lads!!
07 September 2011
Blyth Spartans 1 North Shields Cougars 1Half Time 0-0
Goal scorer - Tom Craig
Assists - Harry Clark & Jairo Simao
Man of the Match - Tom CraigTop of the table Cougars traveled up the coast to face the famous “Blyth Spartans”
The boys were fired up for this game, as Spartans are one of the teams tipped to do well this season. The Spartans kicked off into the wind and as soon as the 1st full blooded tackle went in we could tell it was going to be a midfield battle.
Our midfield diamond of Jairo (Captain) Joe and Matty scrapped and closed down everything in a Green shirt which resulted in Blyth playing quick balls over the top for their No 9 to chase. But our back four of Kieran Barnes, Jamie, Andrew and Harry plus Sam acting as sweeper coped well enough. Nathan and Kieron Aplin both worked well down the flanks slipping some lovely passes through for “Big Tom”, who was also well shepherded by Spartans GIANT center half (not sure what his Mutha feeds him!) who could easily toe punt the ball 80 yards to safety! Both teams had chances in the first half without hitting the target and it looked like one goal would nick it, but ended 0-0.
We gathered the boys in at half time to review and make our subs. Brandon on for Nathan and Leon for Kieron Aplin, who had both worked themselves into the ground. We started the first 5 minutes slowly but after some kind words from the line we took the game by the scruff of the neck. New signing Joe Knighting had an outstanding game in the middle, and with our third midfield General Matthew Wilson smashing a Leon corner against the post we definitely look strong centrally.
Jamie was dealing with everything face on and Andrew was fantastic sweeping up any balls that made it through. We had several corners in succession with Brandon and Leon whipping in some great balls but we just couldn’t convert. Thomas Patterson came on for Barnsey and again did a sterling job with some strong challenges. The game looked like finishing goaless but would still have been a great contest untill against the run of play, a Blyth cross shot evaded the impressive Sam, hit the post and fell straight to the No 9 to poke home from 2 yards. With 5 minutes to full time this would have been a travesty as we didn’t deserve to leave Blyth with nowt! We quickly pushed Jairo up front to help Tom and try and pull it back. To be fair, lesser teams would have let their heads go down but not the ever battling Cougars! Blyth conceded a free kick on the halfway line which Harry full of determination floated into the box, Jairo flicked on to Tom Craig who beat the defender with an exquisite flick and turn and smashed a right foot, unstoppable volley passed the helpless Blyth Keeper GOAL!! The Cougars parent’s screams could be heard all the way back to Shields!!
The game ended 1 - 1 which was a fair result. Tom Craig received MOM, but I thought every single one of the lads played their part in a truly fantastic game and all of them with a brilliant attitude! I would also like to mention the referee who had a great game (could do with more like him!).
Well done lads - I’m well proud!! Gary Clark
Cougars off to Flying Start!!
04 September 2011
North Shields Cougars (7) Newcastle Westgate (1)Half Time 4-1
Man of the Match - Jairo SimaoWell it’s the start of another season and everyone is raring to go and enjoying the unheard-of sub-tropical temperatures at John Spence. Prior to kick-off all the players gather for a photo-call with new team sponsor “Astryan”. A big thank you to them for providing the team with their smart new red strips.
Following Manager Gary Clark’s pre-match briefing, the team quickly show off some “Barcelonaesque” moves. Jairo, playing just off the back four makes some stunning runs and its not long before Matthew Wilson scores the first goal of the season. This is quickly followed by a well-deserved hat-trick from the ever-running Tom Craig who is assisted by some lovely passes from Nathan Young and Joe Knighting. Towards the end of the first half Newcastle Westgate begin to push forwards only to be thwarted by some stout defending from Jamie Balding, Thomas Patterson, Andrew Mitchinson and Kieran Barnes. Keeper Sam Terrance makes a couple of solid saves, then an unfortunate penalty is conceded by Kieran B and the first half ends an encouraging 4-1.
The second half begins with Harry Clark, Leon Snowdon and Brandon Carr replacing Tom, Thomas and Nathan. Newcastle Westgate are pressing hard and some hard fought challenges from Brandon and Harry keep them at bay. Brandon makes some great runs down the left side and is eventually rewarded with a goal making it 5-1. He then creates a great chance for Joe to pop it in the back of the net, 6-1. The Cougars are now flying (literally at times!) with some great attacking play from Leon, Harry and Jairo who has not stopped all match. Harry breaks out of defense and takes the ball the length of the pitch and puts in a great right cross to Jairo who just places it wide. After challenging throughout the game Kieron Aplin is finally rewarded with a stunning 30 yard goal which draws gasps from the crowd! Final score 7-1
The Cougars are looking good for the season, barring injury, tantrums and transfer requests (and that’s just the coaches). “I LOVE IT!!!”
Apologies for the sketchiness of this report but I was only harangued into it at full-time and not even provided with a pen and paper.
