Youth Football: Eaton Bray Lions

Posted on April 26, 2010

EB Lions U9 Blues - 3
Luton Borough Dragons U9 Reds - 0

Lions compounded their league win in the final game of the season with a comfortable victory over a rugged Luton side.

Play was evenly matched for the opening ten minutes but the first of a brace of goals from top scorer Joe Rabey effected a swing in momentum that favoured the hosts. There were goal chances for Toby McGee and an accomplished performance by MoM Sam Carter, alongside fellow midfielder Ollie West, ensured Lions maintained possession up to the break.

The visitors pressed back in the second, but intelligent defending by James Glover and Sam Bramston, as well as athletic stretches from Cameron Burchill effectively shut them out for the remaining twenty minutes.

A well placed delivery from Bill Moynes found Joe for the second, before Myles Frederick tapped in for a third. More goals looked set to follow as Joe Thorne maintained a corner threat until the final whistle, and Lions can take comfort in a victory that saw them end the season as emphatically as they had begun it.

Clapham Colts U12 - 11
EB Lions U12 - 7

Lions produced their most potent display of the season in a thrilling encounter which swung back and forth throughout. It was a rampant Colts side though who, in the closing ten minutes, found a rhythm and opened up with a deluge of strikes to hammer out an insurmountable lead.

Lions opened the scoring, James Hurley smashing home after a searing run at goal, but Colts hit back with three of their own, despite rigorous back line work by Aarin Johnson, Tom Horner, Chris McGee and Ben Roberts. Keeper Dan Kenell was made to run and pounce on ball after ball as the hosts upped their work rate, but Lions refused to go under and battled back to draw level with a Sean Woodhouse wonder strike, snatched from mid air and buried into the top right corner of the net, followed by a perfect Dominic Ryan finish that ended the opening frame three a piece.

The second half started as a mirror to the first, Lions scoring with another strike from James, Colts then unloading their own arsenal to retake the lead. Jake Draper stood in for an injured Dan and was forced to use hands and feet to secure the goalmouth, while good forward play by Alex Poynter and Adam Bradley retained the visitors' share of possession.

The second in a brace of fine goals by Dominic and a clattering finish from Will Juster put the game back on an even keel, and a searing strike by debut scorer Aaron Gauntlett showed a gritty resolve before Colts produced a last gasp goal rush to snatch victory.

Source: EB Lions