Author name: Daniel Young

Oundle were back on the road to face todays opponents who had the misfortune to suffer relegation from the league above last season. Both sides were eager to build on their wins last week. Loughborough overcoming newly promoted Melton 2s 3-0 away from home while Oundle saw off Beeston 6-1. Oundle were buoyed with a strong selection of 18 players available for this match, unheard of in recent years. As we would see during the game this squad depth was instrumental in keeping the energy levels up today. This included the much anticipated return of former vice captain Pete ‘I like Tractors’ Allett who decided that he wished to play today. With no previous meetings between the two sides and only one result from Loughborough Town 3s to go on, Oundle were unsure what to expect from the team that lined up against them. With the pre-match team talks having taken place and an inspiring shout of ‘Oundle’ the match started with a Loughborough push back. The early stages of the game were not dominated by either team. Loughborough did have a couple of promising attacks, but these fizzled out almost as quickly as they started. Some excellent tackling and sloppy passing contributing to this. Oundle quickly managed to establish a foothold in the game with the defensive shape holding firm not giving anything away. Oundle started to mount some offensive of their own, with the tried and trusted aerial from the centre back partnership of Captain Edis and Vice Captain Millan. Despite Loughborough’s best efforts they were more often than not unable to stop the aerial balls from finding their intended targets. This tactic, so long used by Oundle, started to bear fruit with multiple shots on goal from the team in black and white. The best of these falling to current top gun George Martin who was through 1 on 1 with the Loughborough Town keeper, doing his trademark of shifting the ball onto his reverse and aiming high George looked to have scored, sending the keeper down early. Unfortunately for Oundle it was not to be, the Loughborough goalie managing to hold himself just long enough to stick out his left arm to make the save. The Loughborough keeper was in inspired form, being alert and managing to snuff out any danger quickly. The breakthrough however came from Loughborough, breaking down Oundles right hand side. The Loughborough winger with a reverse hit at head height across the face of Oundles goal. Looks were thrown at the umpire whose demeanour suggested ‘nothing doing’. Despite a couple of the defenders having to take emergency evasive action throwing themselves away from the hurtling projectile. It was Loughborough who were quickest to react the opposite winger picking the ball up at the side line and quickly ran to the base line, putting a cross, along the floor this time into the D. Youngys attempted clearance was unfortunately aimed straight at Phil R, catching his foot as he attempted to get out the way. This deflected the ball straight to one of the Loughborough forwards who found himself with some time to coolly slot into the near post giving Loughborough Town the lead. As it turned out, despite the amazing facilities at Loughborough University, VAR had not yet been installed on the pitch where Oundle were playing. Half time was blown shortly after with Oundle disappointed to be behind at the break. The half time team talks came from Coach Ellis and Captain Edis. The message was clear, Oundle were punished for switching off at the wrong moment and not playing to the whistle. But strangely for an Ellis team talk, there was a message of hope, Oundle had arguably been the better side up until the goal, and that this game was there for the taking. The second half started with Oundle on the front foot. Coach and Captains words having a visible effect on the team. Oundle started to press much higher up, turning the ball over in the Loughborough half of the pitch. Loughborough were unable to cope with this rejuvenated Oundle side with an increasing number of passes going astray. It was not long before Oundle got their rewards for their high press and persistence, with a number of short corners being awarded. The first couple being strikes from Martin, forcing the Loughborough keeper into very good saves to keep his side in the lead. As the saying goes however, 3rd time lucky, and on Oundles 3rd short corner, Vice Captain Millan pulled rank and demanded an injection to his castle. P.Wilson (Phil) obliged and after an expert stop Millans drag flick was inch perfect into the right corner. As Millan was about to turn around and celebrate, a split second before the ball crossed the line, Tristan came steaming in, getting the faintest touch ‘Just to make sure’. Oundle however were unable to find a second breakthrough with Loughborough’s keeper continuing his heroics in goal. Oundle having numerous chances, their high work rate coupled with some excellent passing and running causing mayhem for Loughborough. Loughborough in return only managed one attack of note in the entire 2nd half. Playing a hopeful ball forward finding one of their forwards, his heavy touch was deflected straight into the path of Young who managed to clear the ball, under pressure from the Loughborough forward. Unable to cope with Oundles superb passing, Loughborough turned to physicality, most notably Rich C and P.Wilson (Pete/Willow) being in the wars, the latter taking a hockey stick to the face. The culprit was the same and appeared he thought he was trying out for the WWE. Oundle did have a couple of scares late on in the second half, the first coming from Captain Edis who seemed to have picked up a knock or wanted a rest. The other centre back, Vice Captain Millan either forgot he was playing hockey, or also wanted a rest, received a green card for a deliberate foot while

After a disappointing result last week in which Oundle will feel aggrieved coming away with a 2-1 loss in Derby which saw them lose the opening game of the season twice on the bounce at the same venue. However it was time to go again in more familiar surroundings back at home, Pavilion Drive which was a fortress throughout last season with teams not relishing the visit or early start time. Todays visitors came in the form of a very youthful Beeston 5th team who were on a high from their 2-0 home victory over newly promoted Melton 2s last week. The Beeston team was also well supported from the sidelines with a number of parents making the journey to Pavilion Drive. Oundle in comparison boasted a very experienced side, with utility man John ‘JB’ Brown making his millionth appearance throughout a playing career which has spanned many centuries. Oundle were however without Peter ‘Plays when he wants’ Allett and current top goalscorer Allan ‘Al’ Simpson. With a rousing pre match speech from both coach and captain Oundle were fired up for what promised to be an exciting match. Vice Captain Adrian Millan however was nowhere to be found, as it turned out he had to return to his car to retrieve his shin pads. Oundle could take confidence from the knowledge that they had managed to do the double over these same opponents last year putting 5 past the opposition keeper on both occasions and keeping a clean sheet at home in the process. With the team taking the field for the first home game of the season Oundle lined up with their famous 4-4-2 diamond formation. Oundle had pushback and again stayed with their tried and trusted method of passing into the midfield before launching an aerial over the top of their defence to the ever willing runners of Martin and Willow (Peter Wilson), this immediately caused problems for the Beeston back line who throughout the game seemed mostly unable to deal with the high ball. However this first attack came to naught. The games early stages were not dominated by either team, both sides trying to retain possession, any attacks that were started were either quickly snuffed out by the opposition defence or passes not finding their intended target. Once Beeston had settled and found their feet their wingers started to cause some problems for the Oundle full backs, despite some good defending from the Oundle defensive unit it was only a matter of time before Beeston found a foot in Oundles D for the first short corner of the game. This was well defended by Oundle however and the result was a 16. Seeing that a short corner looked like fun for the attackers, Oundle decided it was time they win one of their own and that is just what they did after some good play from the attackers found a Beeston foot for Oundles first short corner of the game. Both castles were loaded, with new player Tristan Ashby on the left castle and Adrian Millan on the right. Phil ‘I Get All The Assists’ Wilson on the injection spot. The push out was stopped on the left hand castle by Dan Phillips before being smashed home to the Beeston keepers right hand side by Tristan Ashby, the loss of captaincy giving him the anger for the venomous strike. The goal changed the game with Oundle starting to look the much better team of the two. Some brilliant tricky play by Martin allowed him to play a pass across the face of the goal to find Pickstone, who came charging into the Beeston D like a South African flying rhino. With just the keeper to beat and the majority of the goal to aim at, Pickstone fluffed his lines and shot wide. The play leading to the shot however was a sign of things to come with Oundle stepping up across the pitch to put pressure on the Beeston players who were unable to cope. A brilliant defensive tackle on the edge of his own D by Jimmy Moore left him with some space to drive into, he decided that now was the perfect time to go on an adventure and proceeded to beat no less than 4 Beeston players before playing a defence splitting pass to find Ellis up front who was left 1 on 1 with the Beeston keeper. Under pressure Ellis was only able to find the side netting with his shot. With Oundle pushing higher up it was the turn of Beeston to throw an aerial which looped over the heads of the Oundle centre backs. Fortunately Youngy was on hand at the edge of the D to do something very weird for an Oundle player, and clear the ball left to find an open Dan Phillips. Jimmy Moore was quoted as saying ‘Youngy that is the best thing I have ever seen you do’ The whistle was blown for half time with the score at Oundle 1 – 0 Beeston with Oundle having had the better of the play and could possibly have been 3 or 4 nil up with some better luck. It was the turn of Peter ‘Coach’ Ellis to take the half time team talk, apart from his standard motivational techniques he appeared to want blood and at least 3 or 4 more goals in this half. The 2nd half started with Beeston to start, it appeared they must have received a stern talking to from their coach at half time as they started quickly and when they lost the ball were quick to put the Oundle players under pressure in their attempts to get it back. Some of these attempts ended with stick tackles which broke the game up, not allowing Beeston to get any momentum. It was not long though before George found himself with the ball on the edge of the Beeston D, cleverly mis hitting his shot so that it managed to