Ford make hard work of win, but are league leaders at Christmas

Bridgemary 2-4 Chandlers Ford Youth

Mid Solent Under 15 B – 20^th December 2008

Line up: Kelvin Bagot, David Kilcoyne, Josh Harrigan ©, David Smith, Liam Godfrey, Ahmed Sfagsi, Tom Ashton, Zak Pickett, David Bromhead, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge.

Match photos gallery - Here

After a couple of weeks without a game due to unplayable pitches in recent weeks, Chandlers Ford's last game came against a previously unbeaten Locks Heath Lions. Jozef Montigue grabbed two late goals that day to ensure victory and keep the fine league form running but today was a different game entirely.

Anyone thinking that playing against the bottom of the table Bridgemary, a side with no wins and just two points to their name, would be easier were very much mistaken. When the visitors arrived at the ground in Gosport, Richard and Neil's side discovered that their opponents had just ten players available. Again Chandlers Ford were to be in for a big shock in thinking that rolling over ten men would be a walk in the park.

Richard had his own selection problems with commanding centre back/centre forward Michael Sawbridge missing out through suspension, goalkeeper Kane Kellaway nursing an injury and both Jake Beattie and Daryl Winter out of the equation as well.

On a heavy pitch, Ford tried to make the best of what they had but found themselves second best in a woeful first half.

Despite the fact that Bridgemary had the majority of possession and opportunities where they looked to catch the Blues on the break, CFY came close in the 5^th minute through a well-worked move.

A superbly executed touch from Zak Pickett set Michael Wall free on the edge of the penalty area, who in turn fired just inches wide on the half volley.

Chandlers Ford took the lead in the 14^th minute through a mesmerising goal by Tom Ashton as Ford struck against the run of play. Weaving his way through a handful of defenders with unbelievably good dribbling skills, Tom left his markers in his shadow and picked out the top corner with a scorching left footed drive from 25 yards.

He may have been the smallest player on the pitch, but Bridgemary's centre forward was at the heart of everything good about the hosts play. Quick off the mark and always giving the CFY back line something to think about the tricky live wire created chance after chance for Bridgemary as Ford held on to the slender lead by the skin of their teeth.

Just three minutes after opening the scoring, Chandlers Ford were playing a risky game in failing to cope with the pace of the diminutive forward as he was in on goal again only for Kelvin to rush out of goal and get to the ball first. The keeper's clearance was weak and went straight to an opponent as Kelvin was still stranded some 30 yards out of goal when the lob came in. Thankfully the shot stopper recovered well to redeem himself and keep his side in it as he back-pedalled and just managed to keep the ball away from goal.

On the back foot once more CFY survived as a heavily wind-assisted corner kick swung dangerously into the Chandlers Ford penalty area narrowly missing the target.

It had been on the cards and was the very least Bridgemary deserved, the home side finding an equalising goal midway through the half. Kelvin was left unguarded and wide open as his defence had been outdone by movement and pace before the ball was rolled through Bagot's legs with the nutmeg and tapped into an empty goal.

Things went from bad to worse as the ten-men of Bridgemary helped themselves to a 2-1 lead. A deep free kick seven minutes before the break was headed across goal at the back post where an utterly static Chandlers Ford watched on as the ball was slammed home with a powerful volley by a completely unmarked lad in a yellow shirt.

Just wanting the half to come to an end, Ford finally got that wish as they reflected on an extremely off-colour performance and set out their plans to turn the game around in the second half to spare any further embarrassment.

HALF TIME: Bridgemary 2-1 CFY

Thankfully it was a completely different story in the second half as Chandlers Ford imposed themselves and took the game to Bridgemary at long last making good use of their numerical advantage.

Taking a much more attacking approach to the game with just three at the back and playing with three forwards most definitely gave Bridgemary a problem or two of their own as they sacrificed a second striker and sat back.

Most effective however was the way CFY passed the ball to feet along the ground as opposed to long ball tactics that were cut out so easily in the first half and led to many break away opportunities for Bridgemary.

Short, crisp passing together with a determination to put right their wrongs Ford showed great spirit to change the game right from the very start.

Tom Ashton fired narrowly over the bar early on from a short throw in on the far side, before the goalscorer struck the woodwork directly from a corner kick moments later.

The pressure eventually paid off as Liam Godfrey headed home his first goal of the season from a free kick to make it 2-2, and it was game on. This was the goal that mattered because you could just sense that should Ford draw level that they would go on and make it count from there, which proved to be exactly the case.

David Bromhead could not have come any closer as he rattled the cross bar with a shot from just outside the box, before Liam grabbed his second of the day to put his side 3-2 up. Joe challenged the goalkeeper from a ball into the box where the ball rolled through for Godfrey who was in the right place at the right time to stroke home from close range.

A relieved Chandlers Ford sealed the game with four minutes to spare as Michael Wall found himself in the clear and made no mistake with a quality chip over the goalkeeper to add to his ever-growing tally of goals – this was goal number 14 for the season!

Ryan Chinn may well have added a fifth but was denied by a good block on the line, meanwhile the defence must be praised for a perfect second half performance in stark contrast to a miserable and forgetful first 40 minutes.

The three at the back consisting of captain Josh Harrigan, David Smith and David Kilcoyne really shone and mopped up any minor threat before it could develop where they scrapped for every ball, as did the ox Ahmed Sfagsi, who was commanding in the middle of the park. The sound protection limited Bridgemary to just a handful of opportunities and bar a couple of late balls into the box, where Kelvin punched the ball clear, he didn't have a save of note to make.

Well done to all for a positive attitude in the second half. Let us learn from the first half and never take any game for granted whether our opponents are bottom of the league or have less players on the pitch. If we do not stand up and be counted ourselves things can go horribly wrong as proved by the half time score line.

Thankfully we relaxed, played with great confidence and looked much more like the team that have been winning games this season and came away with the three points, which is most important. It may not have been the goal-difference boosting result that we were initially looking for, however it does mean we have jumped to top of the table! A great achievement that you all deserve, now lets kick on and make sure we stay there come the end of the season!

FULL TIME: Bridgemary 2-4 CFY

Man of the match: Liam Godfrey

Bridgemary v CFY - Gallery

Wall wants the ball



Michael Wall sealed the win with a fourth goal



Zak gets distracted from the game!



The ever reliable David in full swing



Tom slides in but misses the challenge



Ashton put CFY ahead with a fine strike before 10-man Bridgemary stunned Ford to go 2-1 ahead

David slides in fairly to win the ball

Who is this assistant referee?!!

Man on! Wall and Pickett look to start an attack

Open your eyes Joe!

David Bromhead goes close in the second half

Zak has a rest

Liam tries to touch his toes as Michael watches on

Waller takes on two Bridgemary defenders

Liam wheels away in celebration having grabbed an all-important equaliser before going on to turn the game around with his second of the day and set Ford up for victory

Again, Joe is half asleep!

There's a happy chappy! Wall cannot hide his emotions as he seals the win and adds to his ever-growing goalscoring tally for the season.

Miles prepares for battle with manager Richard.

Ryan gets back for a spot of defending

Tom.

Smiles all round. The lads share a joke at the final whistle.

Man of the match Liam Godfrey is chuffed to bits!

CFY roar on - Montigue double tames Lions

Chandlers Ford Youth 2-1 Locks Heath Lions

Mid Solent Under 15 B – 22^nd November 2008

Line up: Kelvin Bagot, Josh Harrigan ©, Jake Beattie, Michael Sawbridge, David Kilcoyne, David Smith, Tom Ashton, Daryl Winter, Zak Pickett, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: David Bromhead, Ahmed Sfagsi, Liam Godfrey, Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge.

Continuing their fine start to the league season, Chandlers Ford beat a previously unbeaten Locks Heath Lions who were top of the table going into this match.

Chandlers Ford played with no fear and quickly found that they could be more than just a match for the visitors.

Daryl Winter and David Smith returned to the starting line up despite missing the previous two matches, whilst Kelvin replaced the injured Kane Kellaway in goal.

Winter had the ball in the back of the net early on but the attempt was ruled out for offside. Similarly at the opposite end Locks Heath were caught out by CFY's offside trap as a close range effort was correctly ruled out.

The opening stages saw Ford play the better football and peg their opponents back in their own half. Tom Ashton came close with a speculative drive from 25 yards that whistled just past the post, meanwhile Michael Sawbridge, who was in commanding form at the back where he won everything in the air, caused many problems with sublime deliveries from numerous corner kicks.

The Blues kept up the pressure but couldn't quite find the break through they were looking for, and more importantly that their play deserved.

A solid back line was the basis and foundation of such a strong team performance with Jake Beattie, Michael, David Kilcoyne and captain Josh Harrigan providing excellent protection for Kelvin who barely had a save to make as they dealt with everything thrown at them whilst keeping the usually lively, attacking threat of the Lions front line extremely quiet.

The closest the hosts came to a goal was when Montigue struck the post midway through the half with a side foot volley as Winter crossed the ball from the left.

HALF TIME: CFY 0-0 Locks Heath Lions

The second half saw more of the same with CFY again taking charge.

Both Winter and Wall were both denied by the wood work during the second half, just as Joe was earlier in the game.

Ryan Chinn forced a splendid save out of the visiting goalkeeper when played through just minutes into the second half.

Soon after, David Smith had a great opportunity to take the lead as he worked a bit of room in the penalty area before pulling the trigger and firing agonisingly over the cross bar by an inch with a well struck shot.

Locks Heath applied some good pressure for a spell of ten minutes at the beginning of the half where they came close several times for the first time in the game, though Chandlers Ford soaked it up, riding their luck a little but came out unscathed and used this to their advantage.

As the game wore on it could still have gone either way with both sides giving away free kicks just outside the box.

The deadlock was finally broken with ten minutes remaining as Locks Heath finished superbly well from a corner kick with an unstoppable volley that was turned into the top corner.

Immediately, Richard and Neil's side showed great character and determination and drew level within two minutes. Jozef Montigue showed good bravery to get his head to the ball when challenging with the keeper before finding the net, a typical poachers goal. This was exactly what was needed to give the side a lift and the confidence to continue playing their football.

Still the game was level into the last minute when with a mere 30 seconds remaining, Montigue popped up again to steal the points and seal a fantastic victory, taming the Lions and knocking them off the top of the table.

A pin point corner kick from the near side by Tom Ashton picked out Joe to perfection who left his marker and planted a powerful header through a crowd of players and into the net for a dramatic winning goal. This his second of the day, capped yet another wonderful all-round team display.

Thanks to Assistant Manager Neil Sawbridge, who despite having the opportunity to remain in Spain and watch Real Madrid play, showed his true colours and came to see an even better match!

The only negative at this moment is that Richard will be without Michael Sawbridge due to a suspension which will see him miss three games.

Well done all and keep up the good work.

FULL TIME: CFY 2-1 Locks Heath Lions

Man of the match: Jozef Montigue

East Lodge A just too strong in Hampshire Cup tie

Chandlers Ford Youth 0-8 East Lodge A

Hampshire Cup – 15^th November 2008

Line up: Kane Kellaway, Josh Harrigan ©, Jake Beattie, Michael Sawbridge, David Kilcoyne, Zak Pickett, Tom Ashton, Ahmed Sfagsi, David Bromhead, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Kelvin Bagot, Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge.

East Lodge A secured a comfortable win in the Hampshire Cup with their class proving to be just a little too much for Chandlers Ford.

The visitors, who are a division higher than Richard and Neil's CFY, were thoroughly organised and well-drilled and played an exceptional short passing game that became impossible to break down despite the best efforts of Ford.

Kane Kellaway drew the plaudits from the East Lodge management for a fine display between the sticks showing excellent handling and reaction saves throughout the morning. Their was very little he could do about the goals that did go past him as Kane kept the score to a very respectable 0-3 at the break.

A free kick from Tom Ashton was about the closest Chandlers Ford came to troubling the East Lodge keeper but the strike from around 25 yards out was wayward.

David Bromhead also threatened early on with a good, early ball in from the right to find Michael Wall who did well but couldn't quite shrug off the final defender to get a shot away.

HALF TIME: CFY 0-3 East Lodge A

The second half did not get off to the greatest of starts as Josh Harrigan conceded a penalty kick within minutes of the restart with Kane left little chance from the resulting well-taken and powerfully struck spot kick, which made it 0-4.

To Chandlers Ford's credit, they contained a very strong East Lodge side and kept them quiet for a 20-minute period through constant hassling and closing down, making their opponents work extra hard.

David Kilcoyne played particularly well at left back in nullifying the threat of the right winger using his strength to good effect in holding his marker off the ball and seeing it out to safety on numerous occasions.

Meanwhile, Jozef Montigue looked far more involved and at home as he dropped into a defensive midfield role where he broke up the play and in general made things difficult for East Lodge whilst Tom Ashton was given the chance to play in attack.

Kelvin Bagot started the second half as an outfield player but it was his introduction as a goalkeeper replacing the superb Kane, that saw his first touch between the sticks prove to be an excellent reaction save from a free kick.

Finally Chandlers Ford grew tired from non-stop chasing and trying to win back possession and East Lodge made no mistake in using this to their advantage as they pulled away late in the game with a flurry of goals that ultimately made the result look an awful lot worse than the performance.

This was only Ford's third defeat of the season, with just one coming in the league against Warsash on the opening day of the season and the other a pre-season friendly against another strong side, Ranville Rangers.

FULL TIME: CFY 0-8 East Lodge A

Man of the match: Kane Kellaway

Ford get out of jail to keep unbeaten league run in tact

Lee Rangers 4-4 Chandlers Ford Youth

Mid Solent Under 15 B – 1^st November 2008

Line up: Kane Kellaway, Josh Harrigan ©, Jake Beattie, Michael Sawbridge, David Kilcoyne, Zak Pickett, Tom Ashton, Ahmed Sfagsi, David Bromhead, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Kelvin Bagot, Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge, Liam Godfrey

On the back of some terrific wins and performances in the league, Chandlers Ford came to Lee Rangers in the miserable weather conditions upbeat and full of confidence.

This showed in their play as they were knocking the ball around extremely well and playing excellent football at times.

David Bromhead earned himself a starting place after his two goals the previous week, and didn't disappoint as he fired Ford into a 1-0 lead with a lovely finish after a good team move and a splendid pass from Tom Ashton.

Not content with this, David doubled both his and Ford's tally with the second goal soon after with another well taken goal rounding off a fine move.

Chandlers Ford went 3-0 up through leading goalscorer Michael Wall who latched on to a long through ball to lob the ball over the goalkeeper and find the net from the edge of the area.

Kane Kellaway meanwhile was in fine form making a number of brave saves more than doing his part in ensuring his side stayed in control.

The game turned however when Kane took a knock as he tried to stop a Rangers forward at the edge of his penalty box. The referee didn't see the foul as the player continued by rolling the ball into an empty net as Kane was sprawled across the floor in need of treatment.

This goal gave Rangers a way back into the game as Richard was forced into his first change with Kelvin coming on to replace Kane in between the sticks.

In a change of fortunes, Ford conceded a soft second goal as Rangers powered their way through the Blues defence to beat Kelvin.

It looked as though Ford might just have restored a two-goal cushion minutes before half time as Jozef Montigue won a penalty kick when he was brought down by the goalkeeper as he poked the ball past him.

Up-stepped Jake Beattie, but this time the usually confident penalty-taker blasted straight down the middle with power from 12 yards, but it was a straight forward save for the goalkeeper who celebrated the save wildly.

HALF TIME: Lee Rangers 2-3 CFY

The importance of the next goal in the game could not be reiterated enough, as one more slip up from Ford would see Rangers right back in it, level having been totally outplayed and out of the game at 3-0 down inside the opening 25 minutes.

Michael Sawbridge was extremely unfortunate to have a clear goal from a free kick ruled out within the opening five minutes of the second half. It was clear that things were just not going for them now, what with the injury to Kane, missing a penalty and now a disallowed goal.

Going for goal from way out, Michael picked out the top corner with a beautifully struck set piece that sailed past the keeper and into goal. A very dubious offside decision against Liam, who was anything but interfering with play, and even then the ball went straight in without touching another player – however frustrating, the decision was made.

Typically, Rangers drew level to make the ruled out 'goal' situation even more frustrating.

A drop ball 25 yards from the Ford goal was won by the Lee Rangers forward who got the ball down and struck a speculative effort towards goal catching Kelvin out with the swirling wind. The freak effort looked to be going comfortably over the cross bar, but the ball dipped wildly and ended up in the back of the net to cancel out Ford's terrific efforts when they were 3-0 up.

Just when Ford thought that things couldn't get much worse, they fell behind for the first time in the game. A strong looking challenge on Kelvin was deemed to be fair and from there it was just a case of tapping the ball into an empty, unguarded goal.

This enthralling encounter took another twist and this time it was finally in Chandlers Ford's favour as Lee Rangers were reduced to ten men for hotly protesting a decision that was awarded for yet another heavy lunge in on the goalkeeper. The tackle alone, in my view, was one that warranted a straight red.

Chandlers Ford could sense that if they were to get something from the game, that this was their best opportunity yet and went all out attack in the final five minutes to salvage a point at the very least.

Getting out of jail for their defensive mistakes and letting a 3-0 lead vanish, became a reality when Michael Sawbridge moved into attack and turned the ball home with a great strike to spare his side's blushes and keep their unbeaten streak in tact.

FULL TIME: Lee Ranger 4-4 CFY

Man of the match: Michael Sawbridge

Ensinger well beaten as dream league start continues

Chandlers Ford Youth 7-1 Ensinger

Mid Solent Under 15 B – 25^th October 2008

Line up: Kane Kellaway, David Smith, Josh Harrigan ©, Michael Sawbridge, David Kilcoyne, Zak Pickett, Jake Beattie, Tom Ashton, Daryl Winter, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Kelvin Bagot, Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge, Liam Godfrey, David Bromhead

Chandlers Ford are enjoying their best start to a season as they notched up their third straight league win to see them up to third in the table with a game in hand over second placed East Lodge, who they beat 4-1 last weekend.

Expecting a close encounter following the epic cup battle between the two sides only a fortnight ago, Ford pulled off a very convincing win and in all reality it should have been by even more than the six goal winning margin, with chances well into the double-figures.

Daryl Winter made his first league appearance of the season and continued where he left off. His last game was in a pre-season friendly where he bagged a hat trick against Winchester, and today he finished with two goals to his name for an excellent return of five in just two games in this man of the match winning performance.

Long-serving players David Bromhead and Ryan Chinn both opened their account for the season with David bagging two goals in the space of five second half minutes directly after the break for a fantastic cameo performance, whilst Ryan similarly put himself about and followed in one of his own shots to find the net from a rebound off the keeper.

Leading scorer Michael Wall now has ten goals to his name following two more today in the demolition of Ensinger, and it is shaping up to be his best year at the club to date the rate he is going.

The game started extremely well with Winter opening the scoring just three minutes into the game having been played in by the classy Tom Ashton. The pair appeared to be telepathic at times throughout the game and this move clearly demonstrated their understanding as Ashton sprayed a delightful ball through the defence and out to the left flank for Daryl who got the ball past his marker seemingly with ease, before slotting past the keeper at his near post.

Visitors Ensinger hit back out of the blue with a powerful drive from range that lofted high over Kane Kellaway and into the net. This ironically proved to be their only real shot on goal in a game that otherwise was dominated by CFY.

A fine solo effort by Michael Wall restored the lead for Ford as he shook off an opponent having been played in by Ashton once more. 'Waller' rounded off the move with the end product of a goal as he got to the byline where he then brought the ball forward unopposed and finished from a tight angle for 2-1.

Winter hit the cross bar before bagging his second of the game having powered his way through down the left hand side and slotting home minutes before the break.

HALF TIME: CFY 3-1 Ensinger

The best was yet to come and Ford, who rarely got out of second gear during the first half, certainly stepped up their game with immediate effect through a couple of inspired substitutions.

David Bromhead slammed home a pinpoint cross from Winter with what was virtually his first touch of the ball having attacked the delivery well in the penalty area and planting an unstoppable side foot volley past the keeper.

In almost identical fashion, David extended the lead to 5-1 with a carbon copy goal of the one he had scored just two minutes earlier and the question now was how many could Chandlers Ford go on and win by.

Ensinger were now completely down and out and somewhat dejected by Bromhead's quick fire double that hit them like a bombshell.

Cue the continued bombardment of attacks from Ford as the sorry visitors struggled to get out of their own half. When they did, the solid defence of David Smith, captain Josh Harrigan, Sawbridge and the ever-reliable David Kilcoyne ensured the most relaxing of halves for goalkeeper Kelvin who didn't have a save to make.

Chance after chance came and thankfully the win had already been well and truly wrapped up as missed opportunities saw Ford unable to take further advantage of their intense pressure on the Ensinger goal.

Ryan Chinn ended this brief goalless spell, by putting away his first chance and with it getting off the mark for the season as Ford now found themselves 6-1 ahead.

Michael Sawbridge switched from centre half to centre forward with twenty minutes remaining and did everything but score.

The game finished with Wall finishing the rout with his second and CFY's seventh, as he ran through and beat the keeper.

A great performance once more, long may this run continue!

FULL TIME: CFY 7-1 Ensinger

Man of the match: Daryl Winter

Zak attack! Set piece masters thump league leaders away from home

East Lodge B 1-4 Chandlers Ford Youth

Mid Solent Under 15 B – 18^th October 2008

Line up: Kane Kellaway, Jake Beattie, David Kilcoyne, Josh Harrigan ©, Michael Sawbridge, David Bromhead, Zak Pickett, Ahmed Sfagsi, David Smith, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Kelvin Bagot, Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge, Liam Godfrey, James Parsonage

With Daryl Winter and Alex Evens out with injuries and Tom Ashton unavailable, David Smith and Jake Beattie were welcomed back into the squad and indeed into the starting line up. Jake coming in at right back and David slotting into an unfamiliar position for him at centre midfield in Tom's place.

Right from the start CFY showed they were up for this game by winning early tackles and getting forward at every opportunity. They nearly went in front early on when David Smith, breaking from midfield, fired just over the bar.

CFY continued to press and were keeping East Lodge in their half.

Smith came close again this time powering a shot against the cross bar, however straight from this effort, East Lodge took the lead. A long drop kick from the keeper flew over the CFY back four who had pushed up and the East Lodge centre forward got there first and lobbed a first time shot over Kane's head and into the net.

Chandlers Ford did not hang back and feel sorry for themselves, instead they just carried on being first to the ball and looking to attack the East Lodge goal.

The equaliser came when Josh Harrigan took one of his trademark long throws and through a crowded area, David Smith fired in with a header getting his just reward for all his hard work.

This spurred Ford on even more and they continued to be good all over the park with everyone playing their part.

CFY took the lead as Michael Sawbridge delivered a pinpoint free kick from the left, which Zak Pickett met with a fine glancing header to beat the East Lodge keeper. This was a fine reward for Zak who was having his best game for the club.

Although playing wide left of midfield he was often found upfront on the left and also at left back covering for David Kilcoyne if he had surged forward, as well as doing his midfield duties.

Michael Wall and Jozef were chasing everything up front and working well together, indeed Jozef had a good volley saved early on when put through by 'Waller'.

Liam Godfrey came on for David Smith just before half time as he had picked up a knock.

HALF TIME: East Lodge B 1-2 CFY

Half time changes saw Joe and Waller have a five minute rest each as Miles played up front for ten minutes each. Ryan Chinn and James Parsonage played wide right for ten minutes each to allow David Bromhead a rest thus keeping constant pressure on East Lodge with fresh legs.

Kelvin came on in goal to replace Kane, neither keeper put a foot wrong today and must be praised for the way they are sharing the keeper duties.

David Smith came back on for Liam in midfield and later slotted in to centre back when Jake came off injured.

Liam was soon back on the pitch when Ahmed picked up a head injury. Despite a bump on his head, Ahmed was still soon back into the fray.

For CFY's third goal, Jozef found the back of the net from close range following a long throw from Josh, and Zak causing trouble in the area.

From this point it looked like CFY would close the game out at 3-1, however it was not finished.

Joe played the ball through from his midfield position, after Ryan had come back on up front for the last five minutes. Michael Wall latched on to the ball and sealed a 4-1 victory with a good finish.

The whole of the CFY team had played their part, those that started and those that were subs. Both goalkeepers were assured, the back four was solid all day, right across the midfield they ran, tackled and played balls through, covered defenders and two of them scored!

Up front Jozef and Waller continued their rich vein of form with now 16 goals between them in the last 7 games.

All played for each other as a team and fully deserved their 4-1 victory against the team that were the top of the table.

Fine performances from all players especially David Smith in midfield and Michael Sawbridge in defence were edged out by Zak Pickett for the Man of the Match award.

Well done all!

FULL TIME: East Lodge B 1-4 CFY

Man of the match: Zak Pickett

Photos by Miles Hodge

Comeback Kings! Wall bags four in terrific cup turnaround

Ensinger 4-4 Chandlers Ford Youth, (CFY win 6-4 AET)

Hampshire Cup 2^nd Round – 11^th October 2008

Line up: Kane Kellaway, Liam Godfrey, David Kilcoyne, Josh Harrigan ©, Michael Sawbridge, David Bromhead, Zak Pickett, Ahmed Sfagsi, Tom Ashton, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.

Subs: Kelvin Bagot, Ryan Chinn, Alex Evens, Miles Hodge

Chandlers Ford came back from two behind, and even then nearly went out of this Hampshire Cup match, but an inspired performance in front of goal from Michael Wall saw the striker rescue the tie once more with a late goal to force extra time. The whole team did themselves proud and gave their all to ensure victory would be theirs and finally Ford took the lead before finding themselves two goals to the good. With the score at 6-4 at the end of the first half in extra time, Ensinger had forfeited playing the second half and it was Ford who sailed through in the end with a wonderful, battling display.

The game started off badly for CFY as Ensinger went ahead early on. Kane Kellaway came a long way out of goal to try and clear the ball on the left hand side towards the corner flag, but the ball ended up right at the feet of an opponent who clipped the ball towards the empty goal and into the net.

It wasn't long however before Ford had a goal of their own to celebrate. The ball came back out to Tom Ashton from a corner kick, and in true style the midfielder scored with a wonderful strike that flew in off the under side of the cross bar.

Midway through the half, Ensinger went ahead as a cross from the right came in and Ford had allowed a striker a free header in front of goal that left Kane no chance.

CFY had chances of their own with Michael Wall coming closest as Jozef Montigue rolled the ball across for him to clip towards goal, the ball bouncing off of the post so unluckily and rolling away to safety.

HALF TIME: Ensinger 2-1 CFY

At the break Richard rung the changes bringing Miles Hodge and Ryan Chinn in as the centre forwards to replace both Montigue and Wall, in the hope that the pair would stop their bickering and come back stronger when brought back on.

Alex Evens also came on for David Bromhead down the right, and the final substitution saw Kane make way for Kelvin in goal.

The hosts helped themselves to a third goal on the counter attack, as the Ensinger forward broke the offside trap peeling off the shoulder of Liam Godfrey where he then ran through to the helpless Kelvin and lifted the ball over his head and into the goal.

Realising the need to change things around, Ford went to a highly attacking formation leaving just three at the back – Josh, David and Alex, and pushing further men forward including Michael Sawbridge who moved up front.

Both teams were reduced to ten men in an incident similar to that of the Warsash game a few weeks back, which saw David Smith sent off for retaliation. Today, it was Michael Sawbridge who was provoked by a head butt, which led to an instinctive reaction as both players tussled before being given their marching orders.

Adjusting better to the unforeseen circumstances, Ford began to play the better football and camp inside the Ensinger half for large periods of play.

A togetherness, along with a determination to get back into the game shone through from the visitors who gave their all for the cause and this is what sparked the come back.

Michael Wall continued his rich vein of form and took every chance that came his way showing clinical finishing.

After his first two goals had incredibly brought the scores level at 3-3, Ford were caught short at the back as they pressed for the winner in normal time.

A foul at one end of the field was not picked up on by the referee, which allowed play to continue as Ensinger worked the ball forward at great pace. Kelvin was left unprotected as the attack came his way and Ensinger were now 4-3 up.

It looked as though this goal would have killed off any chance surely, of Ford saving the game and that all their hard work would come undone.

Thankfully, this was not the case and Michael Wall came to the rescue once more with his hat trick goal. A great effort from the forward who had turned the game around with three goals in a blistering ten minutes. The last being the most important of all in the nick of time to keep the tie alive for CFY and force extra time.

FULL TIME: Ensinger 4-4 CFY

From here on there was only going to be one winner.

Ford now wanted it so much more than their opponents and went all out attack in search of the win, playing some excellent football.

Tom Ashton, as usual dominated the midfield and came ever so close to his second goal of the game with a fantastic run from deep that took him past a number of defenders in the process before thumping a brilliant effort so unfortunately against the wood work.

The defence, since switching to three at the back were faultless with Josh, David Kilcoyne and Alex Evens in particular who shone playing out of position with a terrific display.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Sfagsi the unsung hero continued to play out of his skin winning everything in the middle of the park and breaking up the play to win back possession whenever needed.

The team spirit was high and the mental attitude was right as everyone put in a shift for the team.

This paid off with Jozef Montigue getting the goal that put Ford ahead for the first time in the game. Putting pressure on the back line, Joe shrugged off a defender before sliding in ahead of the keeper and putting the ball through his legs. The willingness to get to the ball first, ahead of the goalkeeper was crucial and worked to great effect.

There was no stopping the Blues when CFY began to pull away with Michael Wall bagging an incredible fourth goal. Combining well with his strike partner, Joe won the ball on the right before feeding it through for the incredibly cool finisher, Michael to bring the ball into the area and blast past the keeper with great power, to cap a fantastic half.

At the break, Ensinger's manager decided enough was enough and forfeited the second half and it was Chandlers Ford who deservedly went through.

They may well have gone on to win by many more because they were playing so well, but in the end Ford were more than happy to settle for the 6-4 victory and can all be very proud of their achievements once again.

After Extra Time: Ensinger 4-6 CFY

Man of the match: Ahmed Sfagsi

Wall's last minute winner

Chandlers Ford Youth 3-2 Crofton Saints B

Mid Solent Under-15 B Division – 4^th October 2008

Lineup: Kane Kellaway, Jake Beattie, Michael Sawbridge, Josh Harrigan ©, David Kilcoyne, Michael Wall, Tom Ashton, Ahmed Sfagsi, Alex Evens, Zak Pickett, Jozef Montigue

Subs: James Parsonage, Kelvin Bagot, Miles Hodge, Ryan Chinn, Liam Godfrey

CFY moved up to fifth place in the table with games in hand, as Ford fought their way back from a goal down to go on to secure the three points with a dramatic, last minute winner.

In the first half Chandlers Ford amounted a good deal of pressure on the Crofton goal, captain Josh Harrigan coming close from a corner early on, as well as David Kilcoyne bursting forward into the box and having a left-footed shot saved.

The one way traffic continued as the Blues dominated the opening twenty five minutes, in particular in the midfield area and a tight back line that were pushed up to the half way line to ensure even more pressure on the visitors, who were camped inside their own half.

Michael Wall played a great ball through to Zak Pickett down the right hand side. Though Pickett had timed his run extremely well, he shot across the goalkeeper from the edge of the area and fired wide of the post.

Zak also came close a while later with a lobbed effort that was not all that far away.

Finally the breakthrough came with five minutes of the half to play. Quick thinking from Wall, who had done well to win the corner in the first place, saw him play the set piece short to Michael Sawbridge who had come looking for the ball to the right of goal. The centre half cut in and got the ball on to his favoured left foot where he unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner. A cracking effort from Michael and a well deserved lead after a good half of football.

HALF TIME: CFY 1-0 Crofton Saints B

Crofton, who had very rarely troubled Kane up to this point and had been mere spectators at times, came out of the blocks extremely quickly and were very fired up.

Ford conceded the equaliser just a minute in, as the Saints striker was given time and space to pull the trigger in the area and despite Kane's best efforts to keep it out there was too much power on it and the ball flew into the back of the net.

Richard and Neil's side had immediately responded negatively to this set back and let in another just two minutes later. Crofton broke quickly down the left and when the cross came in the ball was turned in at the near post.

When Kelvin came on to replace Kane, he made one absolutely brilliant stop to prevent the visitors from going further ahead. When Crofton had got in behind the CFY defence, Kelvin came to the rescue with a powerful header rushing out of his area to make a vital interception.

Now a goal behind, Ford had to raise their game to try and find their rhythm once more.

It looked as though they had started well in their response when a succession of corner kicks led to a number of attempts on goal, one in particular that saw Jozef Montigue slam the ball towards goal which sparked some debate as to whether it crossed the line.

The referee could not be 100% sure and so the 'goal' did not stand – where's the goal line technology?! Play continued, as the Crofton defender quickly scrambled it away only for Joe to follow up and hit straight into the side netting.

With this decision going against them, Ford seemed to have that greater desire to do themselves justice and played with a lot more urgency, beginning to restore some of that confidence that was shown in the first half.

It paid off as substitute Liam Godfrey whipped in a good cross for Montigue to bring down, who was then pushed in the chest with both hands leaving the referee, who was two yards away from the incident, little choice but to award the penalty kick.

Keeping a very cool head, Jake Beattie stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards firing to the keeper's right and scoring the all important equalising goal.

Just when it was looking as though the game would end in a draw, Michael Wall popped up with the winning goal as he ran through before lobbing the ball neatly over the keeper's head to wrap up a man of the match winning performance for the second week in a row and a win for the team against one of the stronger sides in this division.

FULL TIME: CFY 3-2 Crofton Saints

Man of the match: Michael Wall

Defensive errors cost CFY dear in narrow defeat

Warsash Wasps 5-4 Chandlers Ford Youth

Mid Solent Under-15 B Division – 20^th September 2008

Lineup: Kane Kellaway, James Parsonage, David Kilcoyne, Jake Beattie (c), David Smith, Ahmed Sfagsi, Michael Wall, Zak Pickett, Tom Ashton, David Bromhead, Jozef Montigue

Subs: Miles Hodge, Alex Evens, Ryan Chinn

In Chandlers Ford's first league game of the season, Richard's side went down by just a single goal in the end but really should have won the game.

The first half saw CFY dominate proceedings especially the midfield battle where Tom Ashton ran the show as usual.

In attack Jozef Montigue and Michael Wall were always looking lively and creating chances, whilst David Kilcoyne had an extremely good game at left back where he not only performed his defensive duties to a high standard but also bombed forward when the opportunity allowed him to, to add another dimension to Ford's attacking play.

Despite the positives, the defence were a little shaky in particular down the right hand side, were on a couple of occasions the ball should have been cleared. Instead the Wasps capitalised on one such mistake and punished their opponents with a goal.

Montigue put his side back on level terms after a good ball through from David Bromhead, staying on side and calmly stroking the ball past the keeper with a neat finish.

A freak goal from the Wasps followed as Kane was beaten by a high ball forward that bounced over his head and into the net as the hosts restored their lead.

Ford came back strong and were the better side for the remainder of the half, creating several chances and unfortunate not to be ahead going into the break.

Zak Pickett scored his first league goal for the club finding the net with his left foot to make it 2-2.

Ford won a couple of free kicks in quick succession and came so close, with Michael Wall seeing his 25-yard effort come back off the cross bar and Ashton also forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper.

David Bromhead can feel a little hard done by as he had a goal ruled out for a dubious offside decision towards the end of the half.

HALF TIME: Warsash Wasps 2-2 CFY

Into the second half, Ford completely lost their way, their shape and the upper hand in the game.

The Wasps immediately had the ball in the back of the net with a great header from a deep free kick, however the Blues defence stepped up well to ensure the 'goal' did not stand.

It wasn't long though before Ford found themselves a goal behind for the third time in the game when Zak, playing out of position at left back, failed to clear the ball into touch and instead turned inside and gave the ball away in a dangerous position in front of goal and was made to pay as there was no stopping the effort that followed.

Pickett's morning didn't get much better, despite his first half goal, as he let a weak ball from the left through his legs and into the box for the man at the far post to take full advantage and slam home the gift presented for him.

Now 4-2 down, Ford began to lose their heads even more as David Smith found himself in a scrap with an opponent that saw both players dismissed from the action and the remaining twenty minutes of football to be played out with ten versus ten.

Michael Wall gave CFY some hope that there might be a chance of getting back into the game after all, with another of his wonder strikes. Pulling the trigger from distance, the ball flew over the keeper's head and went in off the wood work. A great goal.

Another slip in concentration allowed Warsash to pull away again just as Ford were starting to get back into it, this time a powerful header whistled into the net, though the marking was poor to say the least.

With five minutes remaining Joe was brought back on, having been replaced by Miles midway through the half, and though it turned out to be too little too late, Montigue bagged his second of the game with another well taken goal striking across the keeper from the edge of the area and picking out the bottom corner.

A lesson to be learnt in defending from the costly mistakes that we made. That said the attacking football was a joy to watch at times and we will always create chances and score goals should we continue to play in this manner.

FULL TIME: Warsash Wasps 5-4 CFY

Man of the match: Michael Wall

CFY hit peak in extra time to seal cup win

Chandlers Ford Youth 2-2 Lee Rangers (CFY win 5-2 AET)

Hampshire Cup 1^st Round – 13^th September 2008

Lineup: Kelvin Bagot, James Parsonage, David Kilcoyne, Jake Beattie, Michael Sawbridge, Michael Wall, Zak Pickett, Tom Ashton, Alex Evens, Jozef Montigue, Ryan Chinn

Subs: Kane Kellaway, Miles Hodge

After a gruelling 110 minutes of football in the heat, Chandlers Ford eventually got the goals to see them through to the next round of the Hampshire Cup in this exciting cup tie.

Michael Sawbridge gave Chandlers Ford the lead firing home from the right flank, the power on the shot taking the ball past the Rangers goalkeeper.

Both teams were playing some impressive football and cancelling each other out for the most part.

Chandlers Ford were probably the better side, creating slightly more chances whilst the visitors were always looking dangerous on the break.

Sure enough, Lee Rangers' equalising goal came from one of their quick counter-attacking moves with the pace of their left winger just too quick to keep up with, who lobbed the ball over Kelvin to bring the scores level and that is the way it stayed at the break.

HALF TIME: CFY 1-1 Lee Rangers

The game continued in it's competitive nature with both teams going all out for victory and having a number of chances in this end-to-end encounter.

Ford eventually took the lead that their play merited and it was arguably the best goal of the game. Joe took the ball forward shrugging off his marker with good strength before bearing down on goal and rounding the keeper. Joe did extremely well to keep the ball in play to the left of the penalty area and was unselfish in playing the ball across for Michael Wall, who slammed home from close range to restore the lead.

Ford were looking slightly edgy as the game came to a close, especially vulnerable to the quick breaks down the wings and with just ten minutes remaining, Rangers had got themselves back into the cup tie with another equaliser in similar fashion to their first goal.

Kelvin was replaced in goal by Kane midway through the half, but Richard raised a few eyebrows as he chucked the goalkeeper back into the action, only this time as an outfield player!

Pleasantly surprising a fair few people, including his teammates no doubt, Kelvin came on and was a bright spark in the team. Full of energy and determination not to mention being unlucky not to have got himself on the score sheet. A great contribution.

No one could find a decisive winning goal in normal time, despite both sides coming close, and so the game went in extra time where the boys would continue their battle for a place in the next round with a further fifteen minutes each way to settle matters.

FULL TIME: CFY 2-2 Lee Rangers

Some legs started to tire, and understandably so, but the game was still fast-flowing and providing a lot of goal mouth action.

Michael Wall came close several times but couldn't quite find a way through, as did Joe, Miles and Alex who were all unlucky also.

FIRST HALF EXTRA TIME: CFY 2-2 Lee Rangers

It wasn't until the start of the second half that Ford began to really dominate and take charge for the first time in the game.

Their constant pressure on the Lee Rangers goal was more than enough to see them back on top, as Michael Sawbridge claimed his second goal of the morning directly from a corner kick with the help of a defender on the post who diverted the ball into his own net.

CFY were cruising to victory as Joe volleyed the ball home from a corner, Kelvin doing enough damage from the set piece by distracting the goalkeeper (completely legitimately) running a long the goal line and causing a diversion for the corner as it came in. Joe did all the rest however picking the ball up sweetly first time blasting the ball into the corner through a crowd of players.

Finally Tom Ashton was brought down in the penalty area by a late challenge leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty kick. Jake Beattie stepped up and made no mistake, though the goalkeeper was a little unlucky as he guessed the right way and got a hand to it. This goal well and truly wrapped up the win and deservedly put the Blues into the next round.

A great all round effort and display from the lads, which form must now be taken into their league games starting next week.

FULL TIME EXTRA TIME: CFY 5-2 Lee Rangers

Man of the match – Kelvin Bagot.

Winter hat trick inspires fight back

Chandlers Ford Youth 5-3 Winchester B

Friendly – 4^th September 2008

Lineup: Kelvin Bagot, James Parsonage, David Kilcoyne, Jake Beattie, David Smith, Michael Wall, Ahmed Sfagsi, David Bromhead, Daryl Winter, Zak Pickett, Jozef Montigue

Subs: Miles Hodge, Ryan Dennis, Ryan Chinn, Alex Evens

Chandlers Ford came from behind for the second friendly match running to complete an excellent come back in another high scoring game, just as they had done on Saturday against Itchen Tyro.

Daryl Winter was welcomed back into the team and certainly played a key role in the win netting a fine hat trick from the left of midfield.

Ford made hard work of it going down by a goal to nil early on before Winter made an excellent run from deep, into the penalty area and slotting across the keeper, into the far corner for a fine individual effort and with it, the equalising goal.

Without a number of key figures such as Josh Harrigan, Tom Ashton and Michael Sawbridge the team were by no means at their full strength and it showed as the visitors found themselves going into the break with a 2-1 lead.

HALF TIME: CFY 1-2 Winchester B

The Blues had a much better second half but only after going a further goal behind did they come alive and start playing at their best.

Now 3-1 down, Ford started showing character and determination and once Winter had grabbed his second goal of the game, it was all one way traffic with CFY taking full charge and looking not only like they would get their second equaliser of the game, but that they could go on and win it fairly comfortably.

Winter smashed one against the crossbar with a great header from a corner kick with the Winchester goalkeeper getting a great touch to keep the effort out and deny Daryl a hat trick, but only for the time-being.

With virtually the next effort of the game, Daryl had secured his hat trick with his third well-taken goal in an excellent performance from the left-sided player. Kelvin, who made some good saves at his end of the park, went route one with a long drop kick that the Winchester defender could only head back towards his own goal. Winter took full advantage racing through and putting it away.

Jozef gave Chandlers Ford the lead for the first time in the game, making it 4-3 as he slotted past the keeper following a good ball through by Alex Evens.

Making sure of the win, Michael Wall came back on the pitch having been rested for some of the second half, and scored with a fantastic strike from 25 yards that flew in off the post leaving the keeper standing. An early contender for goal of the season!

FULL TIME: CFY 5-3 Winchester B