Season 2005-06 Reports

Under 12 Colts

Kennington Colts 1 v Thanet Colts 1
27th November 2005

This was the third meeting between the two teams with Thanet beating Kennington 7-3 in the first game of the season and 4-2 in the Cup, so Kennington knew they would be in for a tough game.

The game kicked off and it wasn’t long before Kennington had their first chance with Tom Collins turning onto a through ball only to knock it wide. It was an even first 20 minutes with both teams going close. Eventually Tom Collins broke the deadlock with a chase from the halfway line which resulted in him rounding the goal keeper for an easy tap in.

Although Kennington looked like they could extend their lead, the midfield started playing too far up the field which gave Thanet chances to hit Kennington on the break. After several attacks Thanet won a corner which Kennington failed to clear, resulting in a scrappy goal to give away for the equaliser.

The second half was a much better performance which saw Kennington virtually camped in Thanet’s half. Unfortunately, Kennington were unable to extend their lead and the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

A special mention to Ben Brockwell who produced a Man of the Match display.

Kennington U12 Colts 5 v Hugin Vikings 4
20th November 2005

In a reversal of the previous week’s fixture, Kennington entertained Hugin Vikings at Ball Lane.

Good pass from Luke Parsonage to Ross Lawrie who scored in the right corner. Good save from a flying header by Tom Goodwin.

Kennington nearly scored a really good goal after Alex Hortal put through a great ball to Tom Collins but his shot went just over the bar. Another one on one with the keeper saw Tom Collins shoot just wide.

Hugin equalised after a goal ball from their midfield. A great shot from forty yards made the score 2-1 to Hugin. A looping header from them just before half time left Kennington 3-1 down.

An Alex Hortal shot from twenty yards slipped through the Hugin goalkeeper’s hands to reduce the deficit and make the score 3-2.

Good solid passing from Calum Rose set Kennington off to a great second half. Although Kennington continued to create chances, Hugin’s goalkeeper maintained their 3-2 advantage until some sloppy defending allowed Hugin to score another goal making it 4-2.

A Tom Collins shot came back off the keeper but he put the rebound in after a wicked deflection off Hugin’s defenders to make the score 4-3 to Hugin.

Alex Hortal put himself through but he put his shot wide. Some great skill from Ryan Durrant saw Kennington almost get an equaliser. Tom Collins had numerous shots on goal but their keeper was up to the task and kept them out. Another chance fell to Ross Lawrie but, again, just went agonisingly wide.

A corner from Luke Parsonage led to a looping header from a Hugin defender which crossed the line for the equaliser with six minutes to play.

A sublime through ball from Tom Collins led to Ross Lawrie scoring an easy tap in to give Kennington a well deserved 5-4 lead.

A further scramble in the Hugin box nearly made it six for Kennington but it was just wide.

The final score was 5-4 to Kennington. A really determined effort from the boys and a further very well deserved three points.

Kennington U12 Colts 5 v Hugin Vikings 2
13th November 2005

A bright opening by Kennington was followed by a good shot by Tom Collins which went just wide. An excellent lofted pass by Luke Parsonage found Tom Collins but he was just offside. A shot by Ross Lawrie came out to Alex Hortal who calmly buried the ball in the bottom corner of the net to open the scoring. An attack by Hugin was broken up by a good tackle from the tenacious Calum Rose.

Another Hugin attack saw Calum Rose desperately trying to cover but his tackle was deemed to be a foul by the referee, resulting in him awarding a penalty. This was duly converted for the equaliser.

An excellent pass by Luke Parsonage set Ryan Durrant on his way but a Hugin defender covered well. A good interchange of passes between John Burch and Tom Collins led to a shot by Luke Parsonage who was working very hard down the right hand side. A further good chance fell to Tom Collins but his shot was well saved by the Hugin keeper.

Another attack by Hugin saw a fierce shot which Tom Goodwin got his hands to but he was unable to prevent the ball from going over the line into Kennington’s net to make the score 2-1 to Hugin.

Great play in midfield by Alex Hortal released Tom Collins but, unfortunately, the move broke down.

That proved to be the final action of the first half and Kennington went into the break trailing 2-1 but very much in the game.

Immediately after the break, Tom Goodwin was called into action and he produced an excellent save to thwart the Hugin attacker. A good ball by Ben Brockwell found Tom Collins but his fierce shot went over the bar. A further break by Kennington saw Alex Hortal find Luke Parsonage and he made no mistake to bring the scores level at 2-2.

A cross by Luke Parsonage found the head of Tom Collins but his header went wide. Another excellent pass from Alex Hortal sought out Ryan Durrant but he was just unable to convert the opportunity. A superb ball over the top by Luke Parsonage saw Tom Collins race clear and he smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make the score 3-2 to Kennington.

An attack by Hugin was dealt with by great defending from Jordan Glover, Ross Lawrie and Luke Parsonage. Tom Goodwin also made another great save when called upon. The improving Kieran Hance was also defending very well and very calmly, denying the Hugin winger any space. An excellent ball by Ben Joslin sent Alex Hortal clear who hit a good shot, which was saved by the Hugin keeper.

Good play by Tom Collins saw a bouncing ball arrive at the feet of Ryan Durrant who coolly lobbed the keeper to make the score 4-2 to Kennington. An excellent run by Alex Hortal saw a good chance created but the Hugin keeper again saved well. Joseph O’Toole displayed good skill in a tight position and passed the ball to Tom Collins who forwarded it onto Ross Lawrie whose shot was gathered by the keeper. A great run near the end of the game by Tom Collins saw him score his second goal, making the final score 5-2 to Kennington.

Kennington U12 Colts 2 v Thanet Colts 4
Charles Ridge Memorial Cup – 6th November 2005

Kennington’s unbeaten run came to an end when they travelled to Margate to take on Thanet Colts (from their division) in the next round of the Charles Ridge Memorial Cup.

In difficult conditions, the game kicked off with Kennington playing into the wind.

It was an evenly matched first fifteen minutes with chances being created but not converted by both teams.

A long range effort from a Thanet midfielder saw the ball in the back of Kennington’s net to make the score 1-0 to Thanet. Kennington battled hard and within minutes were back on level terms when the industrious Tom Collins slid the ball home for the equaliser.

With fifteen minutes of the first half remaining, Kennington found themselves under pressure with a lot of long range efforts raining down on their goal. After a goal mouth scramble and a slightly dubious goal, Kennington found themselves 2-1 down. Kennington were still in the game and had chances to equalise again through Tom Collins and Luke Parsonage but things did not seem to be going their way. Kennington then found themselves 3-1 down and with injuries to Ben Joslin and John Burch, they needed the half to end in order that they could regroup.

In the second half, Kennington had every chance of coming back into the game by making full use of the wind. However, this wasn’t to be as, with Kennington piling on the pressure and Thanet defending very well, they came unstuck with a sweetly taken volley by a Thanet midfielder to make the score 4-1. Kennington then took hold of the game and pulled a goal back through Tom Brown. Alex Hortal played some good balls from midfield and Kennington looked as though they were in with a chance of evening the scores. This didn’t materialise though and despite Kennington finishing the game stronger, the game finished 4-2 in Thanet’s favour.

Well done to the lads as they displayed an all round gritty performance against a physical Thanet side.

30th October 2005
Kennington U12 Colts 7 v Herne Bay 0

With confidence running high on the back of a four match unbeaten run, Kennington took on the league’s bottom club, Herne Bay.

A long kick by Tom Goodwin saw the ball not dealt with by the Herne Bay defence and Tom Collins latched on to the loose ball. Although his first shot was saved he followed up and stuck the rebound home to open the scoring.

Shortly after this, a Herne Bay attack saw them hit the post, which served as a timely reminder against any complacency. Tom Collins then intercepted a Herne Bay goal kick and ran on to score his second. An excellent pass by John Burch sent Ryan Durrant clear but he had started his run a fraction early and the play was pulled back for offside. Searing pace by Tom Collins saw him latch on to a through ball and although he struck his shot well, the ball went wide of the post. Further good play saw Tom Collins collect the ball, turn and hit his shot into the roof of the net for his hat trick and Kennington’s third goal of the game.

Great composure in defence by Tanis Hammond-Jarvis found Josh Deane who, in turn, found Tom Collins but a defender managed to put the ball out for a corner. Excellent play by Jordan Glover found Tom Collins again and he squared the ball to Ryan Durrant who, unfortunately, was unable to convert the chance. Alex Hortal then played a superb ball up the right wing for Tom Collins to run onto and although his initial shot was saved, he put the rebound home to make the score 4-0. Kennington continued to dominate proceedings and a good shot on the turn by Ryan Durrant was well saved by the goalkeeper.

Good play by Josh Deane and Alex Hortal found Tom Collins but his cross shot drifted just wide. A good ball by Alex Hortal found Ryan Durrant and he squared for Tom Collins to score his fifth. Shortly before half time, Tom Collins broke through again and claimed his sixth goal for his double hat trick to complete a remarkable half for him personally.

The second half saw a quick ball by Tom Goodwin find Alex Hortal who passed down the line to John Burch, who then sent Tom Collins clear but his cross was just too long. To their credit, Herne Bay were starting to come into the game more and great tackling by Jordan Glover broke up one of their attacks and sent Kennington on the attack instead. A good move by Herne Bay saw Tom Goodwin block bravely at the feet of the forward and Tanis Hammond-Jarvis completed the clearance. Good control and cross by Joseph O’Toole found Ryan Durrant but his effort went over the bar. Further good play by Tom Collins released Ryan Durrant and although he managed to toe poke the ball past the keeper, there was not enough pace on it and a defender cleared off the line.

Herne Bay took the game to Kennington a bit and created a few decent openings but on the whole, the hugely impressive Jordan Glover, as well as his fellow defenders, managed to keep them out.

Towards the end of the game, a fine pass by Tom Collins sent Alex Hortal clear and he provided a quality and composed finish to make the final score 7-0 and claim another three points

23rd October 2005
Kennington U12 Colts 5 v Folkestone Invicta 3

On the back of a good run, Kennington travelled to Cheriton to take on the current league leaders.

A good, fast start saw Josh Deane go on a run followed by a fierce shot, which was parried by the goalkeeper into the path of Ross Lawrie who was following up and he slotted the ball home to open the scoring. Shortly afterward, a Luke Parsonage free kick was met with the head of Tom Collins but his header went just wide. Great play by Joe Taylor found Luke Parsonage who crossed to Tom Collins. He went round the keeper and squared the ball to Ross Lawrie who scored his second. A long ball out of defence by Tanis Hammond-Jarvis caused confusion in the Folkestone box and Ross Lawrie pounced for his hat trick and Kennington’s third.

Further good play by Ross Lawrie found Tom Collins whose shot brought a smart near post save from the Folkestone keeper. The resultant corner fell to Ross Lawrie but his shot was saved. A fantastic ball over the top then sent Tom Collins clear and he made no mistake to make the score 4-0.

Kennington’s defence comfortably dealt with sporadic attacks by Folkestone in the first half with Jordan Glover and Ben Joslin particularly impressive. However, a throw in was not cleared and a Folkestone forward poked the ball past Kennington’s stand in keeper, John Burch, to make the half time score 4-1.

The second half saw some tactical changes being made as Kennington reverted to five across the back with Tom Collins up front on his own in an effort to protect the three goal cushion.

A long ball over the top found Tom Collins who gave Kennington the perfect start to the second half by lobbing the keeper to make the score 5-1. However, after another throw in was not cleared, Folkestone pulled another goal back. A further great run by Tom Collins saw him pull the ball back to Ryan Durrant but his shot went over the bar.

Kennington continued to defend well and always looked dangerous on the break. An excellent header by Ben Brockwell found Ben Joslin who passed to Tom Collins. He then ran half the length of the pitch but his shot found the side netting.

Folkestone continued to press forward but found Kennington’s defence holding firm and when they did get through, John Burch was performing admirably in goal. A further good parry by John Burch took the sting out of a Folkestone forward’s shot and Calum Rose tidied up with an excellent clearance off the line. Although Kennington were coming under constant pressure, they showed brilliant backs to the wall defending and despite losing their influential skipper, Joe Taylor, to a head injury they refused to buckle. Neat play in midfield by Tanis Hammond-Jarvis and Ben Brockwell sent Alex Hortal clear but his lob went just past the post.

Folkestone pulled another goal back near the end to make the final score 5-3.

Another excellent team performance and a special mention to Josh Deane who had a marvellous game throughout.

16th October 2005
Charles Ridge Memorial Cup
Kennington U12 Colts 3 v Easterners 3
(Kennington won 5-4 on penalties)

Kennington U12 Colts travelled to Cheriton to take on Easterners FC in the Charles Ridge Memorial Cup.

Kennington started the game well and an early pass by Alex Hortal sent Tom Collins through but his fierce shot struck the top of the crossbar. A lot of Easterners’ play was coming down our left but Calum Rose was showing some good hard tackling as well as some quality interceptions. After good play by Joseph O’Toole, the ball arrived at the feet of Joe Taylor. He passed it to Ryan Durrant who, in turn, provided a through ball to Tom Collins who netted with a quality and composed finish to open the scoring. More excellent play in midfield by Alex Hortal and Joe Taylor saw Ryan Durrant bearing down on goal and he tucked the ball away in the bottom corner to make the score 2-0. Tom Goodwin then had to be alert in our goal as Easterners threatened but a brave dive at the feet of the forward thwarted the attack.

An excellent long pass over the top by Ben Brockwell again released the pacy Tom Collins but, unfortunately, he lifted his attempted lob just too high and it cleared the crossbar. More good interplay by Luke Parsonage and Tom Collins saw the latter find Ryan Durrant but his crisp shot brought a fine save from the Easterners keeper.

Although Kennington were coping quite comfortably whenever Easterners threatened, a defensive lapse let in their forward who duly accepted the gift and scored to pull a goal back.

An absolutely superb and sublime piece of skill by Alex Hortal in the middle of the park followed by a magnificent pass released Tom Collins who scored his second goal of the game and made the score 3-1. After further good play and following a good interchange of passes, the ball arrived at the left foot of Alex Hortal whose shot beat the keeper but rebounded back off the post and was cleared.

Kennington were still looking quite comfortable at the back and so it proved to be a bit against the run of play that Easterners pulled another goal back. A bouncing ball in our penalty area was not dealt with and Easterners had an extra man in attack who coolly lifted the ball over Tom Goodwin to make the score 3-2. Unsurprisingly, this gave the Easterners side more confidence and following a cross from the left, the ball skimmed off the head of the unfortunate Jordan Glover for an own goal to bring the scores level.

The whistle for half time then blew with the scores at 3-3.

The second half saw Kennington continue to have the lion’s share of possession and a great turn and pass by Alex Hortal to Luke Parsonage led to a deep cross which was just too far for Tom Collins to run onto. Another good run by Tom Collins saw him bearing down on goal but his shot was parried on to the post by the goalkeeper. Excellent play in midfield saw further chances created but not converted.

Ben Joslin joined the fray in midfield and immediately stamped his authority on the game with some strong tackling and crisp passing. Tenacious play by Tom Brown found Ryan Durrant who was just unable to clip the ball past the keeper.

Despite constant pressure, Kennington were unable to find the goal to regain the lead and with Easterners rarely threatening, the game finished in a 3-3 draw and proceeded to a penalty shoot out.

Kennington’s five nominated penalty takers were as follows: Alex Hortal, Luke Parsonage, Ben Brockwell, Tom Brown and Tom Collins.

Easterners went first and scored. Alex Hortal stepped up and, unfortunately, hit the post. Easterners then scored as did Luke Parsonage with a cool and confident strike. This was repeated by the next two Easterners penalties, which were matched by Ben Brockwell and Tom Brown who both confidently stroked home their penalties. Easterners then took their last penalty knowing that if they scored, they were through to the next round. This wasn’t to be though as Tom Goodwin saved the penalty to keep Kennington’s hopes alive. The pressure was then on Tom Collins who had to score, which he did.

It then went to sudden death and, surprisingly, the same penalty takers were given the responsibility. Easterners went first and Tom Goodwin pulled off a marvellous save diving to his left to keep the ball out. Alex Hortal then had a chance to redeem his earlier miss and he stroked home the winning penalty to send Kennington into the draw for the next round.

9 October 2005
Kennington Under 12 Colts 2 v Deal Town Rangers 2

Kennington Colts started this game with the same line up as the previous week with the exception of Tom Collins in place of Ryan Durrant.

The game started very evenly with most of the football being confined to the middle of the park. Luke Parsonage then sent a through ball to Tom Collins who rounded the keeper for an easy finish to put Kennington 1-0 up.

With most of the first played, Deal never really looked like breaking Kennington’s defence down with Jordan Glover, Tanis Hammond-Jarvis and Ben Smith-Davies outstanding. A few more good chances fell to Tom Collins and Ross Lawrie up front which probably should have seen Kennington 3-0 up at half time. However, this wasn’t to be the case and Kennington went into the break leading 1-0.

The second half proved to be a different story with Kennington having to defend very deep at times and although Deal had a lot of the ball, they never really looked like scoring from open play. With the best park of the second half played, Kennington gave away a free kick about 25 yards out. With a well struck effort, the ball was in the net to make the score 1-1.

Kennington picked themselves up and within no time were back in front again through neat football from an improving midfield trio of Tom Brown, Joe Taylor and Alex Hortal with the latter playing Tom Collins into a wide position. After going past several players out wide, he put in a superb cross which was met with the head of Alex Hortal.

Unfortunately, Deal equalised again and Kennington came away with a share of the points after another good all round team performance.

2nd October 2005
Kennington Under 12 Colts 2 v Tankerton 2

Kennington Colts travelled to Tankerton to take on the league leaders. Despite early pressure from the home side, Kennington defended well with each unit looking more solid as well as displaying a high work rate. After a good move, a cross into Tankerton’s box struck a defender on the arm which resulted in the referee awarding Kennington a penalty. Luke Parsonage, who had a superb game throughout, comfortably stroked home the penalty to give Kennington the lead. Both sides continued to play well and create some decent openings and Tankerton drew level midway through the first half. Kennington continued to play good football and a fine pass by Ryan Durrant released Luke Parsonage who struck the crossbar with a fierce shot. After more good passing and movement, Kennington won a corner which led to a Tankerton defender putting the ball into his own net while being put under pressure by Alex Hortal who was waiting to pounce.

Kennington went into the break leading 2-1.

The second half saw Kennington defending against a swirling wind. More resolute defending by the excellent trio of Jordan Glover, Tanis Hammond-Jarvis and Ben Smith-Davies, ably supported by Calum Rose and Ben Brockwell together with some crucial saves from Tom Goodwin as well as the woodwork, kept Kennington’s lead intact.

With the impressive Joe Taylor and Tom Brown marshalling the midfield and the tricky Josh Dean and John Birch as well as the tireless Luke Parsonage and Alex Hortal looking to release Ross Lawrie and Ryan Durrant who always looked dangerous on the counter attack, Kennington were coping admirably. However, a long ball played through led to a scrappy equaliser for Tankerton. Despite this setback, Kennington refused to let their heads drop and continued to battle. In the dying moments of the game, a rather harsh handball led to a penalty for Tankerton. Although the penalty was blazed over the bar, the referee ordered the kick to be retaken due to encroachment. Tom Goodwin pulled off an excellent save from the retake to earn Kennington a fully deserved point after an excellent team performance.

25th September 2005
Kennington Under 12 Colts 2 v Margate 6

After a reshuffle in formation and personnel, Kennington Colts entertained Margate in their first home game of the season. Employing a 4-4-2 formation, Kennington sought to improve upon last week’s performance, but by half time, were 3-1 down, Tom Collins with a quality strike for Kennington’s goal.

Although the second half saw an improvement, Kennington found themselves under more pressure and were not able to clear their lines sufficiently enough to offer any service to their strikers. Despite a second Kennington goal for Tom Collins, Margate ran out 6-2 winners.

18th September 2005
Kennington Under 12 Colts 3 v Thanet Colts 7

A full squad, resplendent in their brand new kit, was available for the first game of the season and made the trip to Margate to take on Thanet Colts.

Kennington Colts started the game using the 3-5-2 formation that was used last season. After being under some early pressure, Kennington found themselves 3-0 down but, true to form, didn’t give up and by half time had managed to pull two goals back to go in at the break 3-2 behind.

Despite being back in the game, Kennington conceded two further goals, which meant they were forced to chase the game. This, inevitably, led to gaps being left and the game finished in a 7-3 defeat.

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