Match Reports

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Whyke Utd
Date: 11th April 2010 

Result: - Walkover to Saints
Whyke were unable to field a team for this fixture so Saints were awarded three points for a walkover.

Match Report: Chichester City Colts vs. Highdown Saints
Date: 10th April 2010 
Result: - 4-5
Captain – George Pitt

Our larger squad came in handy this week with Liam ruled out for the remainder of the season with a fractured wrist and Max & Liam unavailable to play we were still able to take two subs to the away fixture.

 Jordan and Sam lined up in the centre of defence with Marcus at left back and James on the right side. Oliver and Lewis took up central midfield with Chris on the left wing and Matthew on the right. George and Jacob were up front.

 The opening few minutes were fairly cagey with both sides battling hard for possession. As the minutes slipped by though Saints quality began to show and George laid on the chance for Jacob to break through the Colts defence and take the ball round the keeper and shoot low into the left-hand side of the Chichester goal. In the twenty-seventh minute George flicked the ball through the middle to Jacob who then slipped Matt in for the winger to shoot low to the keepers’ right and make it two-nil to Saints.

 In the first half Colts right back had been key in stemming our attacks that had mainly been coming down his side of the pitch so at half time we bought Chris off, putting Oliver onto the left wing and bringing Matt into central midfield so he could get more of the ball and Pablo came on out on the right wing so that we could change the direction of our attacking play for the second half.

 This change proved decisive and in the third minute Matt passed to Jacob who ran through the Colts defence and shot low into the left-hand corner of the net to make it three-nil. Six minutes later Jacob was fouled in the penalty area and George stepped up to smash a penalty low to the keepers’ right to make it four-nil. Three minutes later Colts attacked down the left wing and although Mig came out to dispossess the striker on the edge of his box he was adjudged to have bought the player down and the home team scored from the resulting spot kick.

 Because they still had a good lead Saints then took their foot off the gas and paid the price on twenty one minutes as Colts pounced on a poor Saints clearance to make it four-two. A minute later Sam played a long clearance up to Jacob who rounded two defenders and scored to make it five-two. That goal should have seen the game safe but Colts had other ideas and took advantage of slack play by Saints to score twice in a six minute period to make it 5-4. With the clock ticking away Saints held on to take the points in a match that ended up much closer than it should ever have been.

 Lewis was awarded Man of the Match for his tireless effort in midfield.

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Rustington Park Youth

Date: 28th March 2010            

Result: - 1-2

Captain – George Pitt

Finally we had the eagerly awaiting return match against our local rivals, Rustington Park Youth. The away match earlier in the season had been a close affair, with Saints hampered by having to start the game with only 10 players and finish it with only 9 through an injury.

This time round we had a team at virtually full strength, with two subs to call on for the match. Mig took his usual place in goal, with Liam and Sam at centre back and Jordan in left back with James opposite in his normal right back role. Scott and Lewis lined up in the centre of midfield with Oliver on the left wing and Matthew on the right. George and Jacob completed the line up as strikers, with Marcus and Chris as subs.

The pre-match team talk centred on closing down quickly and denying Park Youth opportunities to shoot from range at the Saints goal, and this came home to haunt us in the worst fashion in the second minute when Saints cleared a corner effectively, only to stand and watch a Park Youth player run onto the rolling ball and smash a shot fully 30 yards into the roof of the Highdown net in the most spectacular fashion. Whether he meant to do it is open to debate but it was still one nil to the visitors. Park Youth do play a good passing game but they also have one or two players capable of mixing it up a bit and as the half progressed it was clear that Saints were not coping well with the physical challenge they presented. On eighteen minutes Saints conceded a penalty after Jordan fouled a Park Youth player in the box but luck was on Highdowns side as their player struck his show over the bar.

In the latter part of the half Saints began to cope better with the physical challenges with Lewis particularly effective at marking their chief protagonist. Liam was very assured at centre back, combining well with Sam to provide the necessary cover to nullify any Park Youth threats, and if the ball ever did breach the Saints back four Mig was coming out of goal at the right moment to gather the ball and end the attack. Saints posed less of an attacking threat but one move of quality in the twenty sixth minute saw the home side draw level after an initial run into the box from Jacob drew two defenders before Jacob squared the ball to George who finished well from close range with the inside of his left foot to level the tie.

At half time we bought Chris on for Oliver. The second half started as the first had left off, with both sides playing a physical frenetic game – a real derby match. As the minutes ticked by Park Youths dominance began slip and frustration grew, with Lewis and Scott in particular beginning to win the midfield battle, and this was effectively confirmed when Park Youths most combative player showed the ugly side of his game when he went through Lewis twice in the space of as many minutes, the second challenge severe enough Lewis was unable to continue, forcing us to bring Oliver back on in his place. On sixteen minutes Saints made the last substitution bringing Marcus on for Jordan. On eighteen minutes Park Youth took the lead again, with a corner that curled untouched straight into the Saints net, and although Mig managed to get a fist to it he could do little more than help it in off the underside of the crossbar. For the second time that day there was more than a hint of fortune in the Park Youth strike but they all count. Saints pushed hard in the closing stages and gave the visitors a nervous last five minutes, as they struggled to get out of their own half, but despite the possession and territory Saints could not find a way past the Park Youth defence.

There was a lot at stake for both sides, the win put Park Youth top of the table on the final run in, and Saints played out of their skins to try to keep the winning run going to protect their league position and the competitiveness of the game reflected this.

Scott Willmott was awarded Man of the Match for his battling efforts in midfield.

 Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Felpham Colts Youth

Date: 21st March 2010            

Result: - 6-3

Captain – Lewis Barclay

This week saw us entertain 8th placed Felpham Colts Youth, having beaten them 5-3 away earlier in the season we decided to rest two of our stronger players ahead of next weeks tie against Rustington Park Youth. 

We started with Liam and Sam in the centre of defence, with James at right back and Marcus on the left. Lewis and Scott lined up in the centre of midfield, with Matthew on the right wing and Chris on the left. George and Jacob completed the line up in attack, with Shaye as substitute.

The opening few minutes of the tie were quite even, with neither side really creating chances although Saints had the majority of the possession. Gradually we managed to make the possession count though and the deadlock was broken on fifteen minutes when Jacobs shot struck the bar and Matt followed in to head in the rebound. This opened the floodgates and Jacob made it two three minutes later by heading in a flick on from George that came from a quick throw in from Scott. On twenty two minutes Jacob broke through several tackles and shot low past the keeper. Saints were purring now and played the best football of the season with some flowing football and intelligent movement. On thirty minutes George made it four with a well struck left foot shot after Jacob had flicked the ball on. Two minutes into injury time Jacob got his hat-trick with another through attack on goal before finishing the fine run with a good shot low to the side of the despairing keeper.

At half time we bought Shaye on for Marcus. The visitors were determined to get back into the game and Saints assisted with sloppy play, firstly by flicking on a header towards our own goal which allowed the Felpham player to run through and score and then grab a second a minute later after we failed to clear a corner properly. This stung the home side into action and we hit back a minute later with a fine shot by Matt lofted in from an acute angle on the right which beat the Felpham keeper. As the half wore on we gradually shook the sloppiness out of our game and won a penalty on eighteen minutes. George spotted the ball and drove the shot into the net but the penalty had to be retaken as players had adjudged to have encroached the penalty box and George’s second attempt was straight at the keeper and easily saved. On twenty minutes another mistake from Saints gifted the visitors their final goal as Liam missed a clearance shot while under pressure and the following shot at goal squirmed beneath Mig as he dived to save it. 

This match really was a game of two halves – Saints played wonderfully in the first half back sat back after the break and failed to go on and capitalise on the chance to rack up a big score which would have helped our goal difference.

Matt was awarded Man of the Match for an excellent performance out on the wing which bought him a goal. He tormented the Felpham defence all match and made good use of possession.

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Worthing Town Youth B

Date: 14th March 2010            
Result: - 3-2
Captain – Liam Clack

This week saw debuts handed to Liam Clack & Pablo Barrios who recently joined the team.

Due to the new signings it was the first time this season we have actually had to stand a player down for a game, as we could only take three substitutes to the fixture.

Liam Clack came into the centre of defence as Captain next to Sam, Chris played as left back with James on the right of defence. Oliver and Jordan started in the centre of midfield with Max on the left wing and Matthew on the right. Jacob partnered George up front, with Lewis, Pablo and Shaye named as substitutes.

Town Youth began the tie very much as favourites, sitting in third place in the league with games in hand on the leaders. Both sides started brightly, but Town Youth showed why they were high in the table with some neat passing that challenged Liam and Sam in the defence, creating several early efforts that Mig had to save smartly to keep Saints in the tie. The home side created their first real effort on thirteen minutes when George broke through onto a loose ball and got his shot away, forcing a save from the Town Youth keeper.

The first goal came to the visitors three minutes later when a bouncing goal kick caught out the Saints defence and an alert striker lofted a high ball over Migs head to take the lead. Three minutes later Saints got back on terms when Oliver whipped in a perfect corner from the right for Jacob to rise like a salmon and arrow a perfect header into the Town Youth net. The goal rocked the visitors and Saints took advantage and grabbed the lead two minutes later as Jacob dispossessed a defender and brushed off another challenge to shoot low past the Town Youth keeper.

At half time we bought on Lewis for Max. Lewis went into midfield and pushed Jordan into left back, with Chris moving up onto the left wing. This change had an immediate impact as we attacked well in the second minute, Chris controlled a half cleared shot and curled a great left foot shot into the corner of the goal from the left hand edge of the penalty area. We had another great chance several minutes later when Jacob won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, Oliver placed the ball down and curled a great free kick in towards the top of the net but the Town Youth keeper pulled off a great save to deny the Saints midfielder. On eight minutes Pablo had his club debut, coming on the right wing in place of Matt. Town Youth regrouped and came back at Saints, but as the half wore on Liam got into the match to provide some much needed steel to the defence to help protect our goal.

On fifteen minutes the visitors pressed down the right wing and beat Liams challenge to squeeze in a terrific shot from the angle to make it 3-2. On eighteen minutes Saints made the final change bringing Shaye on up front, with George dropping into left back to shore up the defence so we could hold the result, with Jordan making way as sub. For the remainder of the match the play was pretty even, though Mig was called in to make several great stops in the dying seconds to hold onto the points.

Jacob was awarded Man of the Match by the spectators for his brace of goals.

Match Report: Felpham Colts FC vs. Highdown Saints (Invitation Cup Round 2)
Date: 14th Feb 2010    
Result: - 3-2
Captain – James Boltwood

Having received a by through to the second round of the cup the draw was pretty unkind for us matching us against a team from the B Division.

George dropped into centre back alongside Sam to try and add a little steel to the middle of defence. James played at right back and Jordan lined up as left back. Scott debuted in midfield alongside Lewis and Matthew played on the left wing, with Oliver down the right. Max started upfront to add a little pace next to Jacob.

Saints started brightly and created the first clear chance of the tie on nine minutes when Scott created a bit of space on the edge of the Felpham penalty area for Max to shoot, who forced a fine save from the keeper. The quality of Felpham was obvious in their neat passing and they combined well on eleven minutes to knock a long range shot into the Saints goal after a spell of pressure on the edge of our box. The goal didn’t deter the visitors though and Saints regrouped to pressure the B Division side with Jacob breaking through on goal in the eighteenth minute but the Saints striker couldn’t get his final shot on target. Two minutes later it was Max’s turn to beat the defence but again he too put his final shot wide. 

Saints defended doggedly with all four defenders called into play at various points to nullify the attacks of the home side – Jordan was particularly effective getting in a number of last ditch tackles in the Saints penalty box just when it seemed Felpham might score. The pressure eventually told though and Saints switched off on a Felpham throw in getting underneath the ball to give the home team player an easy run into the box off the loose ball which resulted in the second goal.

No changes were made at half time. Saints started the second period brightly and Jacob carved out the first opportunity to get back onto terms after he was fouled as he ran into the Felpham box. Lewis planted the ball and stepped up to strike a great penalty into the bottom left corner of the Felpham goal. The following few minutes was really close with both team competing hard for possession. On seventeen minutes Felpham put pressure onto the Saints goal and in the midst of a goalmouth scramble the referee judged the ball had crossed the line. The Saints players protested – aggrieved that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line, and a number of spectators nearby felt the boys had a point. With fifteen minutes to go we made a substitution, bringing Jacob off and putting Shaye on up front in his place.

Despite the decision Saints didn’t give up and they continued to offer a threat of a goal and this came in the twenty seventh minute when Max broke away down the right wing, finishing coolly underneath the diving keeper. This goal gave Saints a glimmer of hope at 3-2 and they attacked furiously for the next three minutes to try to equalize force extra time in the cup tie. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and the referee blew up very promptly to send Felpham through into the third round.

Jordan was named Man of the Match for his fine contribution in defending the Saints goal.

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Lancing Rangers Select

Date: 7th Feb 2010      

Result: 3-6

Captain – James Boltwood

This weekends training saw the arrival of two new players, a midfielder called Scott and a defender called Liam. Scott’s forms were submitted to the league over the weekend and its hoped he will be available to play against Felpham Colts in next weekends cup fixture.

The new faces bought a buzz to the training session and the lads were focussed on trying to get something from what would be a tough fixture against top of the table Lancing.

We lined up with the same defence as last week, with James and Sam as centre backs, and Marcus and Chris as full backs. Oliver and Lewis were in the midfield with Matt on the right wing but Jordan took Maxs usual place on the left wing. George and Jacob were upfront and this week we had Max and Shaye as subs.

The first few minutes were very even in an open game. In the eighth minute Saints got off to the best of starts as a rebounding ball fell to George on the edge of the Lancing penalty area and he smashed a shot in off the left hand post to give his side the lead. Following a goal is often a dangerous time though and Saints switched off momentarily – Lancing then took advantage and ran down the other end to equalize. This lapse typified our first half play and although there was some fine defending from all our defenders we were punished further on thirteen minutes and twenty three minutes as the Rangers skills and fine passing challenged us.

At half time we made two changes, bringing Max on in place of Jordan and Shaye on at right back in place of Marcus. The game seemed pretty even until a fine goal in the eighth minute to the visitors when a Lancing player ran onto a rebounding ball and lofted a brilliant shot over Migs head from fully thirty yards. A minute later Saints pressed at the opposite end to win a penalty after a Lancing defender tripped up Jacob in the box. Max set the ball down and with all the Saints team expecting him to score he swept the ball wide of the left post.

Saints pressed gamely though and on eighteen minutes George grabbed his second after getting to a spilled shot from the keeper before a Lancing defender and poking the loose ball into the Rangers net. A minute later it was Migs turn to make an error and he failed to clear a bobbling ball with his kick and the ball was squared by a Rangers player for a simple tap in to make it 5-2 to the visitors. Six minutes later Rangers made it six with a cleverly worked move.

With the final minutes ticking down Saints won a series of corners and Oliver whipped in a perfect cross for George to meet at the back post with a fierce left foot volley to grab his hat-trick and make the score line look more respectable.

George was awarded Man of the Match for his hat-trick in a game that was closer than the score line made it appear. 

Match Report: Whyke Utd B vs. Highdown Saints

Date: 24th Jan 2010    

Result: 2-5

Captain – James Boltwood

Following a run of cancellations due to the weather it was good to move away from the snow and get back to playing football. The team had been on a good winning streak before Christmas and it was important to try to get this going again to maintain the improved league position.

We lined up with Mig in goal with James and Sam as centre backs and Marcus and Chris as full backs. Oliver and Lewis were centre midfield with Mathew on the right wing and Max down the left. George and Jacob were in their usual positions up front.

We got off to the best of starts in the second minute after Matt slotted a clever little pass through to Max who burst into the Whyke penalty box from the right and coolly rounded the keeper before finishing from the angle. Two minutes later Saints doubled the lead after a great run down the right from Jacob who beat the last man before whipping a cross to George who was waiting to pounce and in preventing the ball from reaching George a Whyke defender turned the ball into his own net.

In the fifteenth minute Matt flicked on a Saints goal kick to Jacob, and once the diminutive Saints striker has turned the Whyke defenders there was no catching him and he drilled his shot low to the keepers right for the third goal. Five minutes later Saints got a little careless and Mig spilled a free kick on his near post and an alert Whyke striker poked the loose ball home for a half time score of 1-3.

Saints travelled with just eleven players so there were no substitutions made at the break. The second half was a little more even until the ninth minute when Saints made it 4-1 when Matt combined well with Jacob again, putting a great pass through to Jacob who beat the Whyke defenders with his pace to finish low across the keeper into the left corner of the goal.

Whkye were not giving up yet through and they got one back a minute later with a low-struck effort that somehow squirmed under Migs body as he got down to save it.

The proved to be a minor distraction though and the visitors grabbed the games last goal on fourteen minutes as Jacob latched onto a through pass and shot at goal before following up to bang in the rebound off the keeper for his hat-trick.

Jacob was awarded Man of the Match for a fine hat-trick – the defence were unable to cope with his pace all day.

Match Report: Rustington Park Youth B vs. Highdown Saints

Date: 8th Nov 2009      

Result: 4-2

Captain – Max Roger

Following last weeks cup exit it was back to the league. The late withdrawal of Oliver after training on Saturday left us with just ten players for the match against Park Youth, who were second in the league.

Miguel dropped back into goal and we played 4-4-1 with a strong back four of George and Sam at centre backs with Marcus at right back and Shaye at left back. Matt and Jacob were in the centre of midfield with Jordan on right wing and Chris on the left wing. Max played on his own up front.

Park Youth started strongly and forced us right back from the whistle. We rarely got out of our own half during the first period but Saints held firm defending more than ten corners to keep the home team out. It was desperate at times and Shaye contributed well for Saints by clearing two goals off the line and Mig pulled out a string of fine saves as Park Youth pushed for an opener.

At half time it was goalless. As the second half began Park Youth attacked hard again and were rewarded in the third minute with an opener. Saints tried hard to get back into the match but the home side added to the score with a second on ten minutes. At this stage Saints could have let their heads go down but the lads are made of sterner stuff these days and they pushed Park Youth hard from the restart, taking the play to the home team. On fourteen minutes Jacob was fouled in the box to win a penalty for Saints. Max nominated Jacob to take the kick and although the diminutive Saints player struck his shot well the Park Youth keeper dived low to his left to make a brilliant save. Bizarrely this set back spurred Saints on more and there were several mad goalmouth scrambles as the visitors looked to get back in the game. Against the run of play though Park Youth made it three nil on twenty minutes.

Saints still kept battling though and on twenty five minutes Max surged down the left wing and won a free kick, 30 yards from goal. He positioned the ball carefully and stepped up to strike a brilliant shot into the right hand side of the goal having caught the keeper out of position. On twenty seven minutes Park Youth made it four one with another goal but Saints had the final goal after Max crossed from the left and Jacob flicked an exquisite header over the keeper to end the match four two.

Sam was awarded Man of the Match for his tireless work at the heart of the defence who teamed up really well with George, using his pace to snuff out many of the Park Youth attacks. 

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Middleton Diamonds B 

Date: 1st Nov 2009      

Result: 0 - 12

Captain – Lewis Barclay

The weekend saw the 2nd round Challenge Cup fixture that was postponed from the previous week due to player illness that saw three of the team unavailable to play. This week we managed to get a full team out, but with Middleton Diamonds B romping away with the B league it was set to be a very tough ask for Saints to get a result.

We set up for the game with a 4-1-4-1 formation with Marcus employed as extra cover in front of a very strong back four which had Lewis and Mig as centre backs with James and George as full backs. Our game plan was to try to get long balls up to Jacob who was playing as a lone striker.

The weather was atrocious for the entire match, with driving rain that was causing standing water in a couple of areas of the pitch even before we had kicked off. For the first ten minutes or so both sides were fairly even, with Saints battling hard to disrupt the fluid passing game of the visitors. Class told eventually though and Diamonds opened up Saints with a good move that led to the opening goal. They made it two nil minutes later when Sam shaped to catch a high cross and the ball flew straight through his hands into the Saints net. The home side tried to fight back into the game, but Diamonds showed their true quality, looking dangerous every time they had the ball. Two more goals late in the half put the game beyond Saints.

No changes were possible at half time as we had no subs and with the rain still lashing down Middleton added three goals in the opening minutes of the second half. The body language of a few of the Saints players showed that the weather and the opposition had the better of them and Middleton exploited this, rotating their two subs to good effect, going on to route Saints 12-0. Middleton looked every inch a team capable of playing next season in the top division and had very accomplished players in every area of the pitch – on the day we tried hard but were just no match for them. 

James was awarded Man of the Match for his efforts at right back.

Match Report: Felpham Colts Youth vs. Highdown Saints 

Date: 18th Oct 2009    

Result: 3 - 5

Captain – James Boltwood

 Following the previous weeks win we had all thirteen boys at training and a full compliment available for the Sunday match. We lined up with a 4-4-2 with Shaye and Chris as subs. In the pre-match talk I asked the players to start fast and try to play a pressing game to deny Felpham time on the ball to prevent them settling into their game. We pressed them from the whistle and won a corner in the third minute from the right. Matt swung a corner in and with the ball bobbling around the six yard box Jacob was on hand to poke home the opener for the visitors. Saints continued the pressing game for the next few minutes and made it two on nine minutes with a fine move by Jacob who worked the ball out wide on the right before putting over a fine cross onto Matt’s head for the midfielder to head the ball into the Felpham goal. If Saints thought the fast start would see the tie out Felpham had other ideas and upped the tempo, taking the match to Saints. In the twelfth minute Felpham got a shot away on the edge of the Saints box, we failed to clear the second ball and one of Felphams strikers finished one on one against Sam, putting the ball low to Sams right to make it 2-1. The goal really gave the home side the impetuous they needed and two minutes later they were level following a long volley from distance after we failed again to clear the ball from just in front of our penalty area. The game then settled down again as Saints got back into our rhythm and asked questions of the home side on twenty minutes as Matt shot across the goal. On twenty three minutes Saints were back in the lead as George flicked a free kick from Max over the top of a defender to Oliver who finished the set piece with a fine half volley. A minute later Felhpam nearly conceded again after a corner from Oliver run right along the line but neither George nor Jacob could stab the ball into the net.

At half time we swapped Jordan at left back for Shaye, and Max on the left wing for Chris. Saints started the second half brightly and went 4-2 ahead after Jacob picked up the ball in midfield and beat the Felpham centre back for pace before finishing coolly low to the keepers right. Felpham were not giving the tie up though and Sam saved brilliantly jumping to tip a fierce volley over the bar on five minutes. A minute later the home team pulled the tie back to 4-3 as they poked home a corner that Saints failed to clear properly. Felpham piled a lot of pressure down the Saints left and so we made a tactical change to shore up the defence by bringing Shaye back off, switching Marcus to left back, George dropped back into defence at left back and Max took Georges place up front next to Jacob. This stronger defence helped Saints to hold the tie and as the half wore on Felpham began to leave more gaps as they pushed forward for the equalizer. Max had several chances to put the tie out of reach but Colts keeper was on fine form, parrying Maxs stinging drives on each occasion. On thirty two minutes the pressure finally told after Matt poked a through pass to Max who got ahead of his marker to drive the ball high into the Felpham net beyond the keepers reach to make it 5-3 to Saints.

Jacob was awarded Man of the Match for his two goals and all round contribution and work rate. 

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Worthing Rebels Youth B 
Date: 11th Oct 2009     
Result: 4-3
Captain – Marcus Fox

All thirteen players trained on Saturday and even the late withdrawal of Chris on Sunday morning with sickness still left us with Shaye as a substitute. The first couple of minutes were pretty open but we got caught by a huge drop kick from the Rebels keeper that bounced between the midfield and defence, before passing over the heads of Marcus and Miguel, our centre backs. Although we partly cleared the danger we weren’t quick enough to the rebounding ball and a Rebels player lofted a long volley over Sams head into the Highdown goal. As in the previous match we didn’t let this get to us and three minutes later Oliver set Matt off down the right wing, Matt beat his marker and whipped in a cross which was deflected by a Rebels defender into his own net. The next passage of play was really open with neither side creating clear-cut chances. In the twenty third minute Rebels attacked down our left side, we partially cleared the attack but didn’t close down the second ball quickly enough and a Rebels player lofted a high shot over the top of Sam in the same manner as their first goal. This stung us into life and minutes later the Rebels keeper had to be alert to save a free kick from Max just outside the area. He also produced smart saves on twenty five and thirty three minutes after our attacking moves culminated in shots on target from Matt.

At half time Shaye came on at left back, Jordan moved up to left wing and Max took Jacobs place up front, with Jacob coming off as substitute. Saints got off to the worst possible start though as Rebels made it three-one with a quick attack straight down the middle of the pitch. Following this the players settled down into the game, but struggled to test the keeper, with a number of shots going straight into the keepers arms. On twenty two minutes Jacob came back on for Max and immediately started causing Rebels problems with his pace. In the twenty eighth minute he nicked the ball of a defender and his movement into the Rebels box was too quick for his marker who tripped him to concede a penalty. Jacob spotted the ball and stepped up to place a curling shot right into the side netting on the left hand side of the goal. The goal seemed to give some belief back to Saints and we pressed urgently, and as we grew in confidence you could see the doubt creeping into Rebels play. The impetuous was all with Saints now and on thirty two minutes Rebels only partially cleared a Saints attack and the ball rebounded to James who had pushed a long way forward from his position as right back. He stepped up and lofted a perfect shot back into the Rebels goal over the keepers head. Saints were overjoyed at the equalizer and rushed over to mob James who promptly disappeared under a pile of five team mates. With the game deep in injury time all the momentum was now with the home side and Saints mounted one last attack with Matt down the right wing who beat two players before crossing low to George who finished with his right foot from close range to grab the lead. The players, spectators and coaching staff were ecstatic and this included Max who sprinted onto the pitch decked out in his subs bib to celebrate with the rest of the team. With the remaining seconds ticking away Saints defended two last corners from the restart to hold onto all three points in their first win since last season in a tie back in March.

Matt was awarded Man of the Match for his work rate and assists. 

Match Report: Middleton Diamonds C vs. Highdown Saints
Date: 4th Oct 2009      
Result: 7-3
Captain – James Boltwood

Groundhog day once again for the Saints with three players unavailable leaving us with no choice but to play the tie with only ten men, against a rampant Middleton Diamonds side who had won their game the previous week nine - one. Middleton were pressing from the off and a mistake in the second minute allowed them to attack down our left side to slot the ball past Sam as he came out to narrow the angle. The early set back didn’t deter Saints though as a minute later we were level after Matt won a corner straight from the restart. Matt swung the ball in from the right and Lewis was there to finish the move from close range. For the next few minutes Saints had the better of the play and came close to taking the lead on eighteen minutes when Matt shot across the keeper from the left hand side of the box only to see his shot bounce agonisingly off the foot of the right hand post. The pressure was still very much with Saints and on twenty two minutes Lewis grabbed his second goal of the match with a spectacular volley from thirty yards that flew into the goal over the keepers head. As we restarted the second half it was important to keep the possession and feel our way back into the play but we lost our concentration in the second minute and allowed Middleton to level the tie. Considering we had matched them while a man down it could have been the turning point of the match but Saints were not giving up so easily and George put the team back into the lead two minutes later as he latched onto a looping pass over the top of the defence from James. With just the goalie to beat the Saints striker rifled home a left foot shot under the diving keeper. Saints continued to battle hard but with the home side cycling their three substitutes the ten Saints players began to tire noticeably. Sheer will kept them in front until three quarters of the way through the tie when Middleton grabbed the crucial equaliser following a good attack down the right. The goal sucked the little remaining energy out of the Saints and it became one way traffic with the home side grabbing the lead on twenty three minutes. This was the cue for the floodgates to open and they scored a further two in the next five minutes as we gave the tie up. The game looked to be over but deep in injury time Chris mistimed a tackle in our box to concede a penalty. With Sam diving the right way to cover the shot the ball flicked up wickedly on a bump in the pitch and looped in over Sams shoulder to add insult to injury in a tie that was much closer than the score line suggested.

Lewis was awarded the Man of the Match vote for his tireless effort in the midfield.  

Match Report:  Lancing Rangers Select vs Highdown Saints
Date: 20th Sept 2009   
Result: 7-2
Captain – George Pitt

This week with three players already unavailable to play a tough away match against Lancing was made more challenging by the late withdrawal of our right winger Oliver on Saturday afternoon due to sickness. As this occurred after midday on the day preceding Sunday’s game we missed the league deadline to postpone, leaving us with a choice of conceding the tie and losing three points or playing the fixture with only ten players and try our best to salvage something from the match.

The boys started brightly enough and for the opening ten minutes play was very even with both sides creating chances. Miguel was in goal again for us this week and he pulled off several key saves against Lancings strikers to keep the tie level. The home side were probably shading the play and their pressure told on eleven minutes when they crossed from a fine run down the right for the striker to fire home the cross inside the Saints penalty area.

Saints were not out of it though and the boys fought back with a period of sustained pressure which led to an equalizer in the thirtieth minute after Matthew slipped a neat pass through to Max on the left wing who beat the last defender and shot across the on-rushing Lancing goalkeeper to nestle the ball into the far corner of the net. Although Lancing looked to counter immediately Saints looked like they were going to see injury time out to go in level at the break when a lapse in concentration from Lewis from a thirty fourth minute throw saw the ball bounce over him leaving a Lancing player to latch onto the loose ball and drive past Sams challenge before beating Miguel with a lofted shot over his left shoulder.

Coming when it did the goal knocked the stuffing out of the team and as the second half started the initiative was firmly with the home side as they used their substitutes with fresher legs to yield three goals in thirteen minutes as we tired noticeably and struggled to find our rhythm and deal with crosses into the box. Miguel was still in top form though and pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the home side down to five. Despite the score line we still looked capable of scoring though, but luck just wasn’t on our side as one of our attacks in the twenty fifth minute broke down with Max going down heavily on the edge of the Lancing box having turned his ankle and Rangers ran the ball up the other end of the pitch and scored while we were effectively down to nine players! Max had to come off then to recover and the nine Saints players held the home side for the next five minutes allowing Max time to recuperate and return to the field. It looked as though the game was set to close out with the score unchanged but Lancing had other ideas and attacked down our right before crossing to finish with a fine low shot under Miguel as he dived to his left post. Saints battled to the end though and got a consolation in the thirty third minute after Jordan made good progress down the left wing before passing to Matthew who made a fine run in from the left wing and lobbed the on-rushing keeper with a delicate chip that was simply exquisite. With seconds to go Matt nearly repeated the move from the right hand side of the pitch but this time his final shot went just wide of the near post.  

Miguel was awarded Man of the Match for his fine efforts in the Saints goal.

Match Report: Worthing Town Youth vs. Highdown Saints
Date: 13th Sept 2009    
Result:    1-1
Captain – George Pitt

Following last weeks match Saturday’s training was spent working solely on defending and clearing our lines. I also made some defensive changes bringing my first choice keeper Miguel back in and bringing Sam out into central defence. George also dropped back into defence alongside Sam to try to give us some more steel and organisation at the back. Jacob rejoined the team last week and got his league registration through in time to take Georges usual position up front.  

The training and positional changes we made showed benefit immediately as Saints started brightly against Town Youth, pressing the ball well and having the better of the play for the first quarter of the match. On seven minutes it looked like Saints were going to take an early lead as Matthew slid a pass through to Max who beat the last defender for pace but with only the keeper to beat his last touch was too heavy and the keeper smothered the ball at his feet. Town Youth were lively themselves with several quick players in their side and Sam’s pace came to the rescue on several occasions to get in vital blocks and tackles to deny them shots on our goal. Their pressure paid off eventually though as they attacked down our right flank and broke through challenges from James and then Sam before squeezing the ball past Miguel on his near post in the fifteenth minute. Despite this Saints didn’t let up the pressure and we continued to create several more clear chances before half time.

At half time Jordan came off and Chris took his place on the left wing. Matthew switched over to the right wing with Oliver switching from right wing to centre midfield. Again Saints started brightly and got back on terms in the second minute after Max whipped in a cross from the left and a defender deflected the ball into his own net. On twenty minutes Town Youth broke away and looked favourite to score when one on one but Miguel pulled off a fine save with his legs to deny the striker. Minutes later the ball was in the back of the net but the linesman flagged Town Youth offside and the goal was chalked off. It really was end to end and in the final minutes as Saints threw everything at the home side with Chris setting up a number of great passing moves with Lewis, Matthew and Oliver. Two minutes from time Matthew looked to have scored the winner to give us all three points but his goal-bound shot was tapped over the line by Jacob who was judged to be offside by the linesman so Saints had the goal disallowed. A minute later the whistle blew to end a fantastic match that left both teams with a point a piece.

Sam was awarded Man of the Match.

Match Report: Highdown Saints vs. Chichester City Colts 
Date: 6th Sept 2009    
Result:    0-5
Captain – James Boltwood

Our opening game of the new season saw us host Chichester City Colts. We started the game slowly and Colts exploited Saints indecision from a bouncing ball in our box to net in the third minute. Following this we composed ourselves and the game was fairly even until the eleventh minute when Jordan cleared a goal bound shot off our line against the crossbar but a Colts attacker followed in to latch onto the rebound for the visitors second. The second goal rattled us and before we got back into our rhythm the visitors made in three on thirteen minutes with a great piece of passing football that started deep in their own half. With only a quarter of the game gone the scoreline suggested we were set for a long day but Saints found their passing game and battled back well through to half time, creating several chances, most notable of which saw George heading a corner against the cross bar and forcing a further save from the Colts keeper when he broke through onto goal minutes later.

At half time Lucas came on in place of Marcus at right back. Unfortunately Colts settled back into their game quicker than us and we found ourselves four behind in the second minute following a sweeping move down the right from the visitors to slot low inside Sam’s left hand post. Following the goal we got into our stride and matched the visitors for effort, creating a number of chances but we found the Colts keeper in inspired form, pulling off a string of fine saves to deny Saints a goal. In our effort to score the play became increasingly stretched and Colts took advantage with our players pushed forward to rifle in a fifth two minutes from time to chalk up a score line that was not really representative of the overall match.

Matthew was awarded Man of the Match.