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v Stoneygate
Maidwell 0 Stoneygate 0
This won't go down in history as the most beautiful game ever to have graced the Maidwell Hall fields, but it was hard fought and every boy played with determination and vigour. There were some promising signs; Henry Keith's strength needs to be matched by greater self-belief - at times he took the ball down the line and just lacked that ounce of confidence to deliver the final cross that his run deserved; Alex Palmer's instincts in front of goal - a few good saves from the Stoneygate goalkeeper denied Alex at least two clear-cut chances, by taking a little more time in the future Alex should score plenty; Cassian Ferrari's positioning and thoughtful kicking - although rarely tested, Cassian showed that he has both the reactions and the alertness to be a safe pair of hands; Charlie Bygott's defending - staunch in every respect, Charlie was unflappable and kept Stoneygate well away from the Maidwell goal; Lochie Payne's engine - tireless and energetic, Lochie never gave up, he just needs to believe in himself a little more, he has far better ball skills than he believes and a less frantic approach when in possession would allow him to make greater use of the ball; Hugh Buxton's positioning - Hugh was always there for every threatening ball the opponents put through, with practice Hugh will panic less and realise that he has far more time to think about his next move; and finally, William Holborow's vision - William understands the game and played some lovely lay-offs to his wide players, with more thought about his movement and positioning he will have more opportunities to take advantage of this skill. In the end, a draw was undoubtedly a fair result, but it won't be long before this 'B' team starts putting the ball into the opposition net.
v Wellingborough
Maidwell (Colts B VII) 3 - 3 Wellingborough (A)
What a frustrating result! For 85% of this game the Maidwell boys completely controlled the play, kept their shape and were fully committed to the task; for the first 5, and the last two minutes however, they were asleep. Wellingborough shot off the starting blocks, moving the ball with speed and skill to score two goals before Maidwell had a chance to draw breath. Credit must go to the Maidwell boys' determination, however, rather than crumbling, they rose to the challenge; George Pease and Sam Boscawen were particularly noteworthy in defence, George for his positioning and persistence, Sam for his all-round skill, awareness and distribution. Their efforts were matched by Lochie "Duracell Bunny" Payne's tireless running in midfield and Toby Phillips' runs down the right flank. Maidwell fought back to lead 3-2 with just two minutes remaining; sadly, one slight positional faux-pas in defence and Wellingborough's skilful striker was through to score. The nature of the performance deserved more than a draw, but, for the spectators, this was a thrilling match with both teams proving a credit to themselves.
v Spratton
Maidwell 6 Spratton1
The Colts B played very well in this match and were competitive from start to finish. I was delighted with how we took our opportunities in front of goal where we scored some excellent goals against a decent Spratton side.
v The Grove
Maidwell 2 The Grove 0
This was the first full Bs fixture that I have seen this season and I was really impressed with the way in which they immediately set about the opposition. The Bs are a physically strong side and although they did have a tendency to drive down the centre of the pitch there were genuine attempts to play the ball into space and play attractive football. Bygott's composure at the back, distribution of the ball and incredible throw-ins were of particular note as were the tireless runs of Payne and Pease. they battled well and it wasn't long before Forsyth found the net after rounding the referee to make the score 1 - 0. There was little threat from The Grove and the second half saw Payne double the tally with a well taken header after the 'keeper was beaten by the bounce.
All in all a very good team performance and a great sense of camaraderie was evident to all. Well done the Bs for a very successful season.
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