Our first game of the new season found us pitched against the newly formed Maldon Saints Pandas and although we only had a bare seven, the lads were keen to get going. We started fairly tentatively as the boys got used to their positions and responsibilities but after the first couple of goals were scored we settled down and played fairly well. We went in at half time 4 - 0 up but the manager and coach insisted on better tackling, passing and possession in the second period and we restarted with more purpose. A number of excellent passing moves ensued and as the boys self confidence increased we scored some great goals and created many opportunities.

The final score realistically reflected the difference in experience between both teams, but the passes still had to be made and the goals still had to be scored so, all in all, it was a very satisfactory result. Well done boys.

Next match Home to Tiptree Minors on 18th September.

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The first half of this game saw Tiptree give us a footballing lesson as they made good use of space, passed the ball and closed down as a team. This resulted in them scoring 3 good goals and having many other chances only to be denied by some excellent keeping by Matt in goal. At half time the manager changed the formation which produced a vastly improved performance in the second half and although we conceded one more goal, we were competitive, showed more urgency and passed the ball fairly well. If we had started the game in the same vein as we finished it, the result may have been different. At least the management learned more about the best positions for the boys and recognised that their heads don't drop even when being well beaten.

We must concentrate more on putting pressure on the opposition by not allowing them time to use the ball and putting in strong tackles to win back possession.

Special mentions this week go to Matt who was superb in goal and Jake who tackled strongly throughout the game.

Next game Home to Mayland Village Panthers in the league cup.

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This turned out to be an evenly matched game although the first half saw Heybridge very much on the back foot repelling a number of promising Panther attacks. During this period, we were very dependent on the efforts of Sam and Josh at the back and Ellis in goal, with Sam making many tackles and interceptions as first defender, Josh providing a number of goal saving tackles as last man and Ellis making some good stops between the sticks. At half time the manager was far from happy and demanded more effort from all the boys in the second half. As we restarted it soon became obvious that Heybridge were becoming the more dominant side and a number of promising attacks followed, mainly centered around Jake, but we were unable to convert the chances. Ellis was moved from goalie to centre forward and added another dimension to our attacking force but we still failed to score. We won a number of corners which were superbly taken by Robbie and we almost scored with Sam arriving at the back post but his left foot shot was narrowly wide. We did not have it all our own way in this half however, as Josh was called upon on a number of occasions to make some last ditch tackles and Matt again did well in goal. We still have to work on closing down in midfield, appreciation of space and passing the ball, but a reasonable result never the less.

Special mentions go to Josh for his excellent defensive display, Sam for his effort and determination and Jake for showing his class going forward.

Next game Away to Sporting 77 in the cup

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This was our best performance of the season by miles. From Ellis in goal to Josh up front, we played our hearts out, competed for everything and kept our positional discipline. The most satisfying thing however, was the superb passing of the team which we had been working on in training but had been missing form the previous games.

The first half couldn't have started much worse, with Sporting's first serious attack resulting in an unstoppable shot putting us one down with only minutes on the clock. After that, Sporting hardly had an attack of any note as we passed our way through their team, almost at will. Josh was a constant menace to their defence and scored a great goal before half time. In the second half we were playing up the slope and expected to come under more pressure but we carried on pressing and passing and created numerous chances to score without success.

Our defencive team of Sam and Jake, once again showed this is our best formation as Sam tackled and worked tirelessly whilst Jake cleared out anything that got past Sam, showing his class and timing of the tackle. In midfield Matt tackled and chased constantly and Thomas covered every blade of grass on the pitch. Up front, Robbie, and especially Josh, caused their defence all sorts of problems with intelligent runs and excellent ball retention.

Special mention this week goes to Thomas, who had his best game in a Heybridge shirt, tackling and closing down for the entire game. Triffic !!

Next game : League game away to Maldon Town Tigers Sunday 9th October

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Although we lost this game we played very well and continued the good work of last week. The game was played mainly in the middle of the field and there was little action in either box although Maldon most probably shaded the attacking possession. This game was, for us, about stout defending, determined battling and positive tackling and we got so close to the draw we really deserved. Maldon's goal was scored with the last kick of the game and came about due to too many Lions bodies in the box not allowing an effective clearance. Throughout the game, all the boys gave 100% commitment and were understandably dissapointed at the result but, considering the standard of the opposition, the scoreline doesn't refect how well they did.

Special mentions this week go to Jake who was outstanding as last man and Josh who started the defending from the front and was always first to recognise potential danger. We must also mention Harry who, as goalie had little to do, but made one excellent save and kicked the ball miles.

The game was only marred by some poor behaviour at the end as some of the boys dissapointment came out in unsavoury ways. We (both players and parents) must learn to keep our emotions in check to avoid these scenes which marred another superb performance.

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Sunday 16th October - Heybridge Lions 6 - 2 Sporting 77

This was a very special game for us and, in the writers opinion, was the best the Lions have ever played. The game started and straight away it was obvious that the lads were switched on and well up for it as we closed down and tackled from the off. The first of 2 goals for Matt started the scoring and was a result of some excellent passing between the forwards. This slick passing approach between all the players continued throughout the first half and lead to further goals from Gareth, Harry and Matt. Sporting replied just before half time with a well taken volley from a free kick, but our domination at this point was total.

The second half started with a slight reshuffle in defence and straight away we were under severe pressure as Sporting tried to get back into the game and they were ultimately rewarded with another well crafted goal. The manager acted quickly to address the defencive inadequacies and we again started to demonstrate our abilities and dominance. More terrific passes between Harry and Gareth gave Gareth his second of the game and the the performance was topped off with a super header by Robbie from a corner.

It would be difficult to mention any one player as, offensively, we were superb throughout, but this offensive performance was made possible by an outstanding display of defending by Sam who was first to every loose ball, tackled with determination and broke up most of Sportings attacks before they developed. Gareth's first full game in a Lions shirt went well and he has shown we now have effective centre forward options.

All in all, it was a pleasure to watch the performance and it was rewarding for the coach and manager as their hard work put in on the training pitch was demonstrated by one and all. WELL PLAYED BOYS.

Note : please add your comments on the guest book .. it shows that you are out there !!

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Sunday 30th October - Gallow United 4 - 0 Heybridge Lions

After the heroics of the last game we were brought back down to earth by Gallow United. In the first half, playing down the slope and with the wind, we looked pretty good and our forwards created a number of good scoring chances that either whistled past the wrong side of the post or were well saved by the keeper. Gallow were limited to 3 attempts, 2 of which were brilliantly saved by Ellis in goal and a third from which they scored after a defencive error. We went in to the halftime team talk one down but knew that our defencive skills would be stretched further in the second period. With the elemental assistance in Gallows favour, they pressurised from the off and we were again thankful to some excellent keeping from Ellis, but eventually we conceded a second goal after too many players were caught up field. The third Gallow goal came shortly afterwards as their best player scored a good header from a corner and the fourth came about after a superbly crafted one touch passing move that was applauded from all sides.

Although our passing has improved immeasurably, we need to be more consistent in midfield and tackle and chase with more tenacity otherwise, good passing teams like Gallow will play through us on a regular basis.

There was one shining light in this otherwise flat performance and that was Ellis who performed outstandingly in goal, pulling off some wonderful saves to prevent further scoring. Well done Ellis.

Next match - Cup game home to Tiptree minors

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Sunday 6th November Heybridge Lions 0 - 2 Tiptree Minors

This was the second visit of Tiptree to Heybridge and the result went the same way as the previous game although Tiptree did not have an easy ride. The game started fairly quietly but after 10 minutes Tiptree broke free and scored a good goal and, as the game continued, were denied further scoring opportunities by some excellent saves by Ellis. Throughout this period, we were second to most balls in midfield and we also failed to get a shot on target although Josh worked tirelessly. After the half time team talk we exhibited a bit more fight and managed to win our fair share of possession although we were still unable to create any meaningful chances. Again Tiptree's attacks were either thwarted by the defence or some brave keeping by Ellis, but eventually they scored a second after a debatable handball decision went in their favour and our players switched off for a second. We continued to push forward and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after a Tiptree defender stopped the ball with his arm but the ref did not agree. The final score was a true reflection of the game and the scoreline would have been worse without another sensational performance by Ellis in goal who, again, gets man of the match for this week.

Next match :- Away to Sporting 77 Panthers in the league

If you agree or disagree with this summary, please let us know on the discussion board.

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Another trip to Braintree saw us take on Sporting for the third time this season and this game was the most even of the lot. We started the game kicking down hill and had most of the possession but we struggled to create any meaningful attempts on goal. We did, however, get a large number of corners and we finally made one count as Thomas buried a cracking header from Gareth's pinpoint cross. There was no further scoring and we went into half time one up. The boys were told that the second half would be much more difficult without the advantage of the slope and, sure enough, Sporting scored almost straight away to make the game even. Our response was to push forward again and a shot from Josh sneaked in the corner of the goal possibly with a little help from Gareth. We were back in the lead and playing with confidence but Sporting were not finished, they scored a second after we failed to clear effectively. We then started to tackle and pass the ball better than we had done at any other time during the game and were rewarded by a nice goal from Matt and a fourth finished off by Gareth. Sporting came back once more, as they scored another after we failed to mark effectively from a throw in maknig it 4 -3. We were glad to hear the final whistle in the end but we just about deserved the result although we have played much better and lost in previous games. Special mentions this week go to Thomas, whose header started our scoring and who got stuck in when we needed some midfield steel and Matt who started slowly but woke up in the second period to make a number of effective tackles and scoring our third goal.

Next match :- League match home to Gallow United

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Sunday 20th November Heybridge Lions 0 - 1 Gallow United

An improvement on our last game against Gallow but, as in the previous game, we did not look like scoring. Gallows one and only goal came within 5 minutes of the start after a defencive mix up allowed their striker a free shot at goal. From that point onwards our defence improved and we managed to repell Gallow's attacks without too much problem as our midfield worked hard in our own half. The second period was much the same as the first and only a couple of outstanding saves by Harry in goal stood out in an otherwise fairly dour affair.

Next match :- League match TBA

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Sunday 27th November Tiptree Minors 2 - 4 Heybridge Lions

A wet and cold Sunday in Tiptree was enlightened by a second half performance from the Lions full of effort and skill. The first half however, was a different kettle of fish as we were second to everything and ambled around the pitch, only some fantastic goalkeeping from Harry and some woeful finishing prevented Tiptree scoring a hatfull. In the end they managed just one goal in the first half but were totally dominant. Whatever the coach and manager did at half time was truly miraculous and we came out for the second half a different team. Within 5 minutes of the restart Thomas tucked the ball under the keeper after some good approach play by Gareth and Josh and the second scored by Josh came shortly afterwards. The third saw Sam score his first goal for 3 years, smashing in a shot from the edge of the box that the keeper failed to hold. Tiptree started raise their game at this point but were limited to a few attacks by some good midfield effort from Thomas and especially Matt who was terrific throughout the second half but did manage a second from a corner. Our fourth came after Josh was fouled and we were awarded a free kick. Josh cracked the ball gaolwards and the keeper couldn't hold it allowing Matt to bundle the ball intro the net..

Special mentions this week could go to any of the players but Matt's second half performance in midfield was outstanding and gets my vote.

Next Match :- Away to Valley Green Sharks in the cup.

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Sunday 4th December Valley Green Sharks 5 - 0 Heybridge Lions

This game started badly and got worse. Even before we kicked off we had problems with players not prepared to take their turn in goal and we had to rely on Ellis standing in again. From the time the first ball was kicked , it was obvious that we were going to be second to every ball, Sharks showed more desire and tackled and chased continually. They scored 3 goals in the first half and all of these occurred after our defenders were left to cope with three and sometimes four Valley players. In the second half we got slightly better but were still outplayed in midfield and the only major resistance came from some spirited tackling by Sam in defence. Our positional play was also poor as midfielders pushed into the centre forward positions forcing the forward to play in midfield and leaving a huge hole when our attacks broke down. Valley scored another two goals in the second half and could have scored more but for Sam's efforts. All in all, this was a performance we need to forget quickly but we must find the secret of motivating our midfielders to chase and tackle on a regular basis.

Next Match : Home to Maldon town on 11th Dec

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Sunday 8th January Heybridge Lions 1- 1 Valley Green Sharks

The Christmas break was certainly beneficial as this was a better performance than our last effort against Valley Green. The game started well with a superb individual goal from Josh where he beat 2 defenders and coolly picked his spot past the keeper. This gave the Sharks a wake up call and they attacked our goal with gusto but were thwarted by some stout defending, especially by Jake, some poor shooting and a magnificent save from Ellis in goal. We managed to get through to almost half time but a couple of missed tackles allowed a Shark attack to get clear on goal and, although Ellis almost saved it, the ball crept over the line. The second half saw the introduction of a number of subs including Tony for his first proper game and Harry in goal but again we were on the back foot as wave after wave of Valley Green attacks were repulsed with one powerful shot tipped over the bar by Harry. Our second serious shot of the game occurred just before full time which saw a ball in from the right by Tom and a swivel shot from Gareth rebounding off the foot of the post to safety. A great result for us compared to our previous effort.

Special mentions this week go to Josh for a fantastic goal and some hard work up front and Jake for always being there and coolly clearing the danger as last man.

Next Match : Away to Maldon Pandas

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Sunday 15th January Maldon Saints Pandas 0 - 9 Heybridge Lions

This is one of our easier fixtures and the manager used it as an opportunity to give players a chance to play in different positions. As we rotated the team nearly all the players managed to get a goal and Tony was rewarded with a brace. His first goals for the team. Although the score demonstrated our superiority, we were far from fluent and we often reverted to 'chasing the ball' rather than the passing and movement game we are trying to instill into the team. Some of the goals scored in the latter stages were created via some sweet interpassing moves however, which shows that we have the ability if we concentrate. We must take this approach forward into future games and especially once we move to an 11-a-side Lions team next season..

Special mention this week goes to Tony who, with more match experience, will develop into an excellent player and become a vital part of the Lions team.

Next Match : Away to Valley Green

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Sunday 22nd January Valley Green Sharks 1 - 1 Heybridge Lions

From our last two meetings with this team it was obvious that for us to stand a chance of getting a result we had to work hard from back to front and the boys were told this in no uncertain terms. The pre-match discussions certainly seemed to work as we chased and tackled from the first minute to the last. Throughout the first half we shut down players quickly and supported each other. We won a fair share of the ball although Josh ploughed a fairly lone furrow up front but even he did his share of the work by tackling back. Matt had one of his best halves in a black and white shirt with one tackle in particular standing out as a demonstration of our commitment. The half time talk was to ask for more of the same but we were caught cold from the kickoff and the Sharks scored as we failed to close down or tackle. The second half continued in the same vein as the first with our resolve unbroken by the goal and was typified by Thomas who worked tirelessly. As the half drew to a close we started to get better possession and created a number of openings without scoring but with our last attack of the game a penalty was awarded to us after a handball in Valley Green's box. Thomas was asked to take the penalty by the coach and he strode forward to address the ball with many spectators not daring to look but he smashed the ball into the back of the net. This result was a fair reflection of the effort we put in and, although the Shark's may be more talented than us, our commitment and work ethic more than made up for it.

Special mentions this week go to Jake and Sam in defence, Ellis, who again pulled off a couple of great saves, Josh worked hard up front but the outstanding player of the day was Thomas who scored a great penalty but, more importantly, worked his socks off for the entire game.

Next Match : Away to Mayland Village Panthers

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Sunday 19th Feb Baddow Spartak 3 - 1 Heybridge Lions

A friendly game against a new team to us saw a fairly even affair in which Baddow were the more skilled but we were the more determined. We started the first half kicking up a fairly steep hill and we struggled to create too much in the oppositions defensive third, conversely, our defenders and keeper worked extremely hard to keep out many Spartak attacks. We kept a clean sheet until just before half time when a Spartak player broke down their right side evading a couple of tackles and managed to cross for a simple tap in. Although we went in one down, we were not unhappy as the advantage of the slope would be ours in the second half. Sure enough, shortly into the second half, a break by Ellis lead to a cross and a poor clearance falling to Tom who blasted the ball into the back of the net. This goal was followed by a bunch of similar opportunities but we were unable to find a final ball. Sam came closest to scoring with a powerful shot from the half way line that grazed the outside of the post with the keeper beaten. Towards the end of the game, and after a bit of a reshuffle, we let in two soft goals as we failed to clear our area and Spartak players were presented with simple chances which they duly took. All in all, it wasn't a bad performance and a few positives can be taken but we still lack midfield discipline when our attacks break down.

Special mentions go to Sam & Thomas who put in the effort at training on Saturday and again in the game today.

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Sunday 5th March Heybridge Lions 0 - 1 Mayland Village

This game was a dour affair with little goal mouth action. The first half started with a number of Heybridge attacks ending in corners but although we had five in total, we couldn't make any count as each was cleared with ease. As the half wore on, Mayland came more into the game and one of their rare attacks lead to a goalmouth scramble and the ball was poked home. One nil at half time was not an insurmountable task but required more effort from all the players, unfortunately, this effort was not forthcoming and the game petered out into a fairly poor defeat. There were a couple of good points from the game, Robbie's continued improvement and Sam's effort both stood out as positives but on the whole, this is a game we could and should have won with ease. We must get more consistency in our levels of effort and start closing the opposition down more quickly in order to win the ball and create opportunities for ourselves.

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Sunday 12th March Heybridge Lions 0 - 0 Valley Green

This was a friendly eleven a side game, our first on a full sized pitch, with the offside rule and 30 minutes each way. We conscripted a number of Tigers into the team to make up a suitably sized squad as tiredness was gonig to be a factor. We spent a small amount of time on Saturday explaning the offside rule and how we should play it defencively and offensively but were surprised at how well the boys adapted to their new roles and responsibilities. The first half saw us create four good chances as Josh W timed his runs perfectly but lacked the power and pace to significantly trouble thier keeper and at the other end Valley Green hardly had a sniff and Matt in goal had little to do. Some excellent passing in midfield also created chances for other players but the off side rule took its toll. The second half saw a number of changes and a more even game although both teams off side traps were rarely sprung although Matt did have to react quickly on one occasion to kick the ball clear. As the game neared the end there were some tired bodies and minds as our discipline in maintianing our shape slipped on occasions but some hard tackling recovered the situation. All in all it was a pleasing game played in a good spirit and seemed to be enjoyed by both sides. The linesmen were also superb by the way :-)

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Sunday 12th March Heybridge Lions 0 - 0 Maldon town

The last game of the season for the Lions saw us up against a high flying Maldon town who narrowly missed out on the league cup final. The game started fairly evenly with both sides failing to make use of good possession with the majority of the play in the middle third. Heybridge managed a few attacks during the half including the best chance of the game which fell to Josh but it was magnificently saved by a flying Maldon keeper. At half time the game could have gone either way but in the second half Maldon showed their class with a number of superb passing moves which, on another day, would have resulted in at least a couple of goals and were only thwarted by some woeful finishing and some quick thinking by Ellis in goal. We continued to huff and puff with the odd flash of quality but at the end Heybridge were the happier team with the draw.

Anyway, that is the end of competitive seven-a-side for the Lions and we must look forward to that big pitch, those huge goals and the wonderful offside rule. Come on you LIONS !!

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Sunday 23rd April Heybridge Lions 1- 1 Valley Green

This was a friendly 7 a side game involving 2 pretty well matched teams and the score reflected that. The first half was evenly contested with both teams attacking with vigour but found sound defences and some good goalkeeping thwarting their efforts. Heybridge's goal came just before the half time whistle when Sam intercepted a Valley green pass and fed in Matt on the right wing, he then got to the dead ball line and pulled across a fantastic pass for Josh to deftly nudge the ball into the net. This was a terrific goal and made the half time team talk fairly easy for the management team. The second half saw some positional changes with Ellis coming out on the pitch after a superb first half in goal and Aden taking the gloves after some stout efforts as last defender. Valley Geeen stepped up the pressure for this period and we were forced to defend even more robustly to keep them out but our resolve buckled after 15 minutes and we conceded after a goal mouth scramble following a corner. This inspired Valley to even more effort and we were required to defend for our lives. We did manage a number of threatening breaks during this period but the last pass was always just off target. In the end the draw was a fair result and we cheered the efforts of both teams. The performance of all the lads was good but two players stood out, Sam was magnificent during the whole game in defence and Thomas did not stop running. His stint as last man highlighted his strengths to their fullest with a number of superb blocks and tackles. Well played boys.

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Sunday 7th May Heybridge Lions 4- 3 Maldon Town Tigers

Another friendly but this time at 11 a side format on a full size pitch. We borrowed a couple of Heybridge Tigers for the game, namely Ryan, Jordan, Luke and Matt in goal but the majority of the team was made up of Lions. We had not practiced any of the 11 a side disciplines since we played Valley Green a month ago but most of the boys slotted into their positions well and we started the game brightly. The coach had asked for some thoughtful passing from the entire team and it could be seen that all the boys took notice as the increased time and space available at this level enabled us to pass the ball quite nicely. One defencive mistake, where 3 defenders stepped out and one didn't, lead to Maldon breaking free ands scoring easily. The score remained 0 - 1 for most of the first half until ,just before half time, Ryan broke free on the left, beating a couple of players, and bundled the ball past the onrushing keeper making it 1 -1 at half time..

In the second half we again started brightly with Jordan, who came on in the dying minutes of the first half, attacking effectively from the right hand side but we were unable to turn our pressure into goals and paid for it as another Maldon break saw them score the second. We replied shortly afterwards with a cross/shot from Ryan sailing over the keepers head into the net but this just drove Maldon on and they managed to score a third as we failed to clear effectively. As the game wore on it looked like our fitness levels were slightly higher than Maldon's and we attacked with more vigour and Ryan completed his hatttrick with a third, well taken, strike. A 3 -3 draw may have been a fair result for the game but, a free kick conceded by Maldon 20 yards, out saw Robbie step up and curl an exquisite shot into the top right hand corner, a goal that would have graced any game at any level.

In the end, all the boys played their part in an entertaining game which would have given the coaches of both sides pointers towards their best team and positions. A big thankyou to the Tigers that turned out for us and made it such a good game.

Lions man of the match is difficult as everyone contributed but, for his magnificent strike, Robbie gets the nod.

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