Sunday 22nd November 2009

Home Berwick Juniors NABC Division 2   Wallsend Greens 2 Berwick Juniors 1   Wallsend were looking to build on the impressive performance of the previous week. Illness and absences meant three changes to the team which had started last week. Even with these changes the players showed their adaptability and started brightly looking lively in the early exchanges however, it was always going to be difficult playing into a strong head wind in the first half. Despite having good possession Wallsend failed to create many chances although a superb point blank save from the Berwick keeper denied us a breakthrough.
Shortly before half time an incisive break away by the visitors saw an intelligent cut back from the right which found a forward in space who finished well.
The start of the second half saw a Wallsend team determined to respond positively penning Berwick back in their own half. Numerous corners and free kicks were won and wasted, a header from Sam which missed by inches being the closest we came to an equaliser until a clever blindside run from Johnaldinho from a corner allowed him to meet the ball at the back post, cut inside and dispatch a trademark curling shot into the far corner. As Wallsend pressed for the winner the Berwick keeper saved at the feet of Ryan before blocking Dans strike at goal. A tactical change saw the dependable Harry G sacrificed for Craig in order to push a third striker forward.
Within minutes of the switch Craig showed great composure as he took the ball forward from the edge of the box, held off a defender and coolly finished in the corner to give Wallsend a hard fought victory.
Further chances were created which on another day would have gone in and made the last few minutes easier to watch, Connor being unlucky to see a good run and shot under pressure go just the wrong side of the post.
Another good performance from the whole squad, a special mention to Harry G who returned after ill health and played a very sound game.

SUNDAY 15TH NOVEMBER

Away Longhoughton Rangers NABC Division 2   Following the keenly contested cup match played a few weeks earlier Wallsend travelled to Longhoughton knowing that only their very best would do. A tactical reshuffle saw James W start up front and he led the line well. The Wallsend midfield took the game by the scruff of the neck and were rewarded with two goals in the first quarter of an hour from the always dangerous Dan. A long range effort from James came back off the crossbar and this seemed to spur the home team into life as they slowly took control of the midfield. Although the Wallsend back four and keeper coped comfortably with the Longhoughton attempts to play through them the superior height of the hosts made them a real threat from corners and long throws. With the half coming to a close another corner was conceded and cleared however, instead of pushing out the back line dithered and allowed a pinpoint cross to be headed in. As soon as the ball left the strikers head it was going in until a fantastic fingertip save from James M pushed it against the post. The ball rebounded against the outstretched James who scored  a lovely diving header !
The second half was a closely fought slog on a heavy pitch. The players showed great heart and determination and battled the opposition all the way to the end with Lee putting in a real captains performance. In the dying minutes yet another corner was scrambled away and played to Ryan who held the ball up well before playing in Sam who, despite being ordered to spend the second half our side of the half way line decided to ignore this advice and drive into the opposition penalty area forcing a reckless challenge from the outpaced defenders. The resulting penalty was thumped into the top corner by David to give us the points and stop the hair of the Wallsend manager turning greyer.
Well done lads - a tremendous squad performance.
unlucky to see a good run and shot under pressure go just the wrong side of the post.
Another good performance from the whole squad, a special mention to Harry G who returned after ill health and played a very sound game.

SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

Home KYPC Tigers League Cup   Wallsend Greens 0 - 0 KYPC Tigers (KYPC won on penalties)   Despite playing in dreadful conditions which only deteriorated as the torrential rain was whipped up by a strong wind both teams played with a great deal of courage and endeavour. A game which could have gone either way in normal time was eventually decided on penalties- at least nobody was washed away by the flood.

SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER

Away Longhoughton Rangers Cubs Cup   Wallsend Greens 2 Longhoughton Rangers 1   The long trip to Longhoughton was rewarded with a great game of football played in a superb spirit. Our hosts made us very welcome and showed themselves to be a well organised outfit, both on and off the pitch. We had slightly the better of the early exchanges however, it was apparent both sides were evenly matched. The players stuck to the roles they were given in a slightly changed system of play which paid off when good approach play saw Joseph finish superbly from the edge of the area.
Longhoughton responded well and pushed us back into our own half as the interval approached. After a succession of corners which heaped the pressure on us the ball broke to a home forward who equalised with a very good finish past stand in keeper Sam, James having had to leave the pitch after colliding with the goal post.
The second half saw James bravely resume in goal and with the wind now behind us we managed to peg Longhoughton back into their own half for lengthy periods. An excellent header from Connor cleared off the line was the closest we came to scoring and as the half wore on the home team showed their quality and came back into the game. It became apparent that either a moment of brilliance or a horrible mistake was going to decide the game. Brilliance won the day when a superb diagonal through ball from Jordan released Kyle on the wing. Despite the attentions of two defenders he held the ball up and waited for the right opportunity before ignoring the obvious pass to Dan and squaring an inch perfect pass to David who struck a first time 25 yard screamer into the top corner. A truly breathtaking finish to a superb game of football. 
Both teams contributed to the enjoyable afternoon and a special mention should go the stand in referee who never put a foot wrong.

SUNDAY 11TH OCTOBER

Home WBBC Blues NABC Division 2   Wallsend Greens 2 WBBC Blues 0   Wallsend started in determined fashion; anxious to ensure they built on the fine performance of the previous week they pressed the visitors back from the kick off. Despite several good passing moves involving both wide players a goal was becoming increasingly elusive. Ironically the breakthrough came from a hopeful long ball which the visiting defence failed to deal with. Connor quickly reacted to it and drove into the opposition penalty area before neatly finishing into the bottom corner. More goals seemed sure to follow however, some excellent saves from the visiting keeper kept the score to 1 - 0 until after concerted pressure the Whitley defence failed to deal with a corner. The ball broke to Dan who fired in from close range to make the game safe. Further chances were created and saved. All in all a disciplined and professional performance, not spectacular but good enough on the day. Harry S deserves particular praise for the way he dealt with the excellent visitors centre forward.

SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER

Away Cramlington Whites NABC Division 2   Cramlington Whites 1 Wallsend Greens 2   Following the win at St. Peters three weeks earlier we knew our hosts would be anxious for revenge. Again the game was played in a very good spirit with all involved being a credit to their clubs.
It was apparent after the opening few minutes that this was going to be a tight game. Wallsend had the wind at their backs however, whether this actually gave ether side any advantage was doubtful given the fact that both teams kept the ball on the ground where it should be and played passing games.
We took the lead following a good ball from Declan which released Kyle on the right. Showing great composure and maturity Kyle opted to wait for the run of Dan before playing him in rather than simply putting his head down and running at the full back.  The Cramlington keeper made a good save but Dan squeezed the rebound home.
The goal seemed to knock the hosts out of their stride for a short while and we were able to capitalise on this when Kyle played a superb diagonal cross field pass which was met by Johnaldinho 12 yards out. Without breaking stride he rifled a volley into the bottom corner. A breathtaking goal which was appreciated by all who were watching.
The second half saw a spirited Cramlington side come out determined to get back into the game quickly and they did after 5 minutes with an excellent individual goal, the Cramlington attacker beating three defenders before coolly placing the ball in the net. Not bad defending by us - just great play by him.
This gave fresh impetus to Cramlington who put us under constant pressure. However, excellent defensive play in the centre of midfield by David and Joseph, supported by James  when he came on gave good protection to the back four who were superbly marshalled by Sam. As the half wore on we began to press them back , the direct running of Ryan and Kyle causing the home defence problems and we should really have taken one or two of the chances we created towards the end. A very good all round squad performance.

SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER

Home KYPC Tigers NABC Division 2   Wallsend Greens 3 KYPC Tigers 4   Injuries and illness meant we started the game with only 12 players including James who passed himself fit but obviously wasn’t. However, given the absentees there was little option other than to play him. A solid first half performance saw us take a two goal lead, Dan scoring at the second attempt after being played in by Joseph and Connor scoring a good volley from a corner. Midway through the second half Johnaldinho  cut in from the left and hit an unstoppable cross-shot into the top corner. Game over ? Unfortunately not.
Some casual defending gifted KYPC a goal 10 minutes from the end and this seemed to transform the visitors who put us under constant pressure. Another goal quickly followed and it became obvious that changes were required. Unfortunately by now we had 9 fit players on the pitch, 1 who was ill, 1 who was injured and no substitutes left. Take nothing away from KYPC who went on to win 4 - 3 with a brilliant long range strike in the closing minutes. They played for 60 minutes while we played for 50 and they fully deserved the points.  

SUNDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

Away North Shields Athletic Divisional Cup   Wallsend Greens 1 North Shields Athletic 0   After the crushing defeat at Hexham the coaches asked for a positive reaction from the players who responded in fine fashion being determined, focused and showing they had the appetite for the challenge. 
Some excellent passing football in the first half saw us create a number of chances, Connor scoring with a neat finish after combining well with Dan. Both Kyle  and Ryan caused the home defence problems on the wings but we could not add to the single goal lead.
The second half saw the home side up their work rate and close down more effectively and put us under almost constant pressure. The back four were outstanding in the second half with Lee and Jordan being particularly impressive and we were able to restrict North Shields to a few long range shots which never troubled James.
The football we played was not always attractive, however it was effective. An excellent win in difficult circumstances.

SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

Away Hexham Juniors NABC Division 2   Hexham Juniors 8 Wallsend Greens 0   The score line says it all really. It was obvious before the game that we were not as focused as we should have been. Hexham were superb, being physically strong , well organised and quite simply more determined than we were at times. Hopefully we will learn the lessons from this and move on. A special mention to James, without him it would have been a lot worse.

WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

Home Cramlington Whites NABC Division 2   Wallsend Greens 4 Cramlington Whites 1   An excellent evening for football saw a superb game of football between two sides who were a credit to their clubs. Cramlington started much the better of the sides and deservedly took an early lead with a very good finish. We spent the first ten minutes chasing shadows and only the superb James kept us in the game. To give the players credit they kept their nerve and battled their way back into the game. A powerful and determined run into the box from Dan saw his cross shot turned into the net by an unfortunate Cramlington defender.  The goal completely transformed Wallsend who decided to play some football and put the visitors under concerted pressure. Two goals before half time from Sam  put us in a strong position and an excellent headed goal from a corner from Dan after the break ensured the victory. A commanding performance from Lee ensured there was no way back for the visitors.
A special mention must go to Sam who played the match immediately after having been released from hospital. His courage and determination typify what is required if we are going to compete at this level. Well done to Sam, well done to all of you who played your part in a great game of football, that includes the Cramlington players, coaches and parents.

SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER

Home v Wallsend Community Divisional Cup.   Wallsend Greens 5 Wallsend Community 1   Wallsend Community started the game much brighter than we did and deservedly took an early lead when we failed to deal with a corner. After this early setback we eventually started to keep possession better and create chances.  A good first time finish from Dan  was added to by Kyle  who pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area after confusion in the visiting defence to give us a half time lead. The second half saw a more focused performance from the team who suddenly seemed to remember what they were supposed to be doing. Dan went on to complete his hat trick and Sam added another from close range.

SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST

Home v Kingston Park Raptors NABC Division 2   Wallsend Greens 6 Kingston Park Raptors 0   An excellent start to the season saw the team record a fine victory. In a tight first half with few scoring opportunities for either side only a superb save from James  kept Wallsend level. Shortly before the break a crisp finish from Sam  following a good passing movement and through ball from Craig opened the scoring.
Wallsend seemed to relax after half time and began to pass the ball much better. Sam went on to complete his hat-trick and an excellent strike from Johnaldiho  was added to by fine first time finishes by Dan and Joseph .
A superb team effort from everyone. Today was certainly our day as everything went right for us. However, the reality is that we are not that good and Kingston Park are a much better side than the score line suggests.