Reports from the last week of half term (week 6)1st XI v AldwickburyEdge Grove 2 Aldwickbury 1
A great win in a very high intensity, end to end game of football against a strong opposition. Edge Grove arrived at Aldwickbury with two substitutes, but realising that Aldwickbury had 6 subs we happily offered to play 11 a side and push our fitness levels. Edge Grove stepped up to the challenge from the first whistle and kept their intensity throughout the whole match. We moved the ball well into space, with brilliant defence splitting runs to cause them issues. When Edge Grove lost possession we were very quick to put pressure on the opposition and cause mistakes to win the ball back and create shooting opportunities. After a number of close misses and good saves from the keeper we managed to score a well worked team goal with Niccolo finding the back of the net. Unfortunately with a lapse of concentration we conceded at the halftime whistle. We did not let this dampen our spirits though and came out firing in the second half once again. With the same intensity and playmaking we managed to create even more chances and cause the Aldwickbury players to make key mistakes. Some fine saves once again kept us out but Nefe did well to squeeze through the defence and slot the ball in for our second goal. At the final whistle the Edge Grove players looked very tired but the result was thoroughly deserved and the players going on the Barcelona tour in half term look forward to taking this winning momentum with us!
2nd XI v AldwickburyEdge Grove 0 Aldwickbury 2
Yesterday's fixture, unfortunately, saw a defeat at Aldwickbury. The 2nd team started the fixture strongly, defending well against a strong Aldwickbury side. As ever, Henry M was solid in defence, flanked successfully by both Oliver and Aidan.
The team began to counter-attack effectively, with Rex and Shay cooperating well to provide some strong attempts on goal.
Despite this pressure from both teams, the first half finished 0-0.
The second half began with a short spell in which a lack of concentration allowed Aldwickbury to score twice. After this, the 2nd team rallied themselves once again, and played strongly to produce some great passages of play.
The best football from Edge Grove came at the closing moments of each half. The second half finished with a continuous onslaught in which Karsten was denied only by some excellent goalkeeping.
The game finished 2-0, but the team can hold their heads high after the performance they gave.
Colts A v AldwickburyEdge Grove 2 Aldwickbury 1
We started the match well playing a 3-3 formation with three defenders after being exposed early in the match last week in defence. Phoebe was excellent in defence as usual anticipating the attacks well and moving around the pitch to support when required. We moved the ball well and were creating opportunities but couldn't quite put the finishing touches on our play. Against the run of play after a shallow goal kick they outnumbered us in the box and poked it home to lead 1-0. We responded well and moved the ball quickly finding Noham in space who drilled it home to equalise for Edge Grove 1-1. After half time we kept pushing and created a great deal of pressure, Ben and Max making great touches and closing down space on defence. Finley was combining well with Noham and Ben and eventually from a corner a precise cross from Finley was met by a bulldozing run and header from Ben which burst the top right corner of the net. Edge Grove finished the deserved winners of a hard fought match.
Colts B v AldwickburyEdge Grove 1 Aldwickbury 10
Unfortunately not being able to practise as a team this week was transferred onto the pitch. Our defence was almost non existent. The first half was one to put behind us, in the second half Edge Grove settled down and played with far more commitment and structure. Alexander led the team very well, continually rallying his players to defend and push forward. Zak gave 100% thwarting many dangerous attacks. Imeth scored a good individual goal. Isaac K posed a constant threat to the Aldwickbury defence. Aldwickbury were comfortable victors on the day.
Colts C
This was a great match to watch and one the team should be pleased with. Even though the result was not a fair reflection of how the team played, it definitely showcased some excellent skills and abilities on the pitch. Xander put in a fantastic effort in defence, whilst Arav played some exceptional goalkeeping! We went in strong into the second half being 1-0 up. We had a couple of great chances across the goal set up by Taylor, and Joseph worked hard to put the pressure on the opposition. Another positive match, regardless of the result, and one that the team collectively should be proud of.
Colts E v AldwickburyEdge Grove 1 Aldwickbury 6
Colts F v Aldwickbury Edge Grove 1 Aldwickbury 6
Colts G v AldwickburyEdge Grove 0 Aldwickbury 10
U9 Mr Dippenaar Edge Grove 2 Kingshott 1
The team’s true character was tested today. And they passed the test. The game began at a frenetic pace, with Edge Grove enjoying a dominant period of territory and possession but were caught on a single breakout by Kingshott which resulted in a goal. After a refocus at halftime, John N and Ishaq K tightened the defence, feeding Nathaniel H, Freddie B and Ethan D a constant flow of ball to launch attacks on the Kingshott goal. The first goal came from a corner which Ishaq K was able to volley into the back of the net. Tommaso C once again showed his awareness, scoring an outstanding goal to put Edge Grove into the lead. Tommaso has now scored in every game he has played this season. Great team effort, true grit shown today.
U9 Mr WallisEdge Grove 6 Kingshott 1
A great game of football in the sunshine just before the half term break. Edge Grove showed great teamwork and vision in their passing throughout the match, with some defence splitting crosses creating multiple chances on goal. EG made sure to take these opportunities with Atlas scoring some impressive goals. Nathaniel L was always a danger with his curling corners, even managing to score directly from one. Ayush used his pace throughout the game to create space for the team, often being fed by Jamaal’s passing. Rafael used his strength and tactical awareness to snuff out any opportunities that Kingshott created, with Henry and Daniel making some great last ditch tackles alongside him. Whenever Kingshott managed to squeeze through Alex made sure to make himself big with some impressive saves to deny them. A great team effort this week with lots of positives to continue with after half term.
U8 v KingshottEdge Grove 8 Kingshott 0
Edge Grove started the match strongly with Tyler and Jack probing the defence with sharp turns and pace. We were rewarded for the hard work with 3 early goals. Confidence was high and we continued to press to win possession. Robert was strong in defence and Tommy used his pace and awareness to great effect limiting Kingshotts incursions into our half. Eliott played well and was on the ball often throughout the match. Christopher made some lovely turns and passes linking play nicely on the flank in the second half. Niam showed great awareness and made some excellent passes also. Aksh did well when on the ball and made several intercepts to break the play down. Great finishing from Tyler and Jack made the win very comfortable.
U10A Hockey v Chesham Prep Edge Grove 2 Chesham Prep 6
The girls hit the ground running on Wednesday against a very strong Chesham Prep side who scored twice against us within the first 5 minutes. It would have been easy to let heads droop, however, I was most impressed by how the team responded by tightening up their marking, spreading out across the pitch and running non stop to ensure they were in space or keeping up with their opponents. Edge Grove scored in the second quarter and were drawing by half time. Chesham responded to our improved play by toughening up their defence and making sure they had at least 3 attackers in the D when they were in possession. Our defence was no match for this on the day and we talked about the importance of being ‘goal side’ during the match breaks. Excellent play in the mid field by Alexis assisted another goal for Edge Grove but on the day the stronger team won. I repeated a favourite saying….We do not lose. We win or we learn. This could not have been more true this week. The Edge Grove team rose to the challenge, improved their game and worked extremely hard. They also came away knowing what we need to improve on. Well done to ALL players.
U10B v Chesham PrepEdge Grove 5 Chesham Prep 2
The U 10B team had their first indoor hockey match on Wednesday which I think was a bit of a shock to the system. With the ball travelling quickly along the smooth floor as well as no side lines, they all stepped up and played an excellent game. Julia was our captain this week and did an excellent job, she led her team well and demonstrated great leadership skills. With 5 goals in total from us it was a great team effort. Excellent defending from Essie and Sophie and exceptional attacking from Eva and Miriam. A great game of hockey from all of the girls, well done!
U9 v Chesham Prep
Edge Grove 5 Chesham Prep 1Edge Grove 3 Chesham Prep 1Edge Grove 2 Chesham Prep 2Edge Grove 6 Chesham Prep 1
A wonderful sunny afternoon of hockey at Chesham Prep for the Year 4’s. Four teams played against CP in 5 a side teams. It was a fantastic display of hockey and what we have been learning in lessons. Passing, defending, dribbling and going for goal! All four teams did their coaches proud. They gave their all, working tirelessly at trying to get the ball in the D to shoot. Each team scored several goals and defended well resulting in a very pleasing round of final scores. Well done everyone.
The Barcelona Football trip was the most fun I have had out of all the trips in Edge Grove so far. That is because in addition to playing football and taking part in proper tournaments with local teams, we actually had the opportunity to enjoy the beach and explore Barcelona. My highlight was visiting Camp Nou and the Cathedral in Barcelona. I also liked the high ropes Adventure Park and it was definitely a nice bonus managing to be undefeated throughout the tournament!
Year 7 and 8 had a fantastic trip to Barcelona. We had training sessions with football coaches and played matches against English and Spanish sides, winning all our matches. During our time in Salou we relaxed at the beach, played pool and had many activities in the evening, On our final day we went to the Camp Nou where we toured around the stadium and went through the FC Barcelona museum. We then took a trip to the city centre where we saw some famous landmarks like La Sagrada Familia and the Olympic Park before making our way back to England.
