PRESTBURY COUGARS MATCH REPORTS
(All matches reported are League unless stated otherwise)
2011/12 reports
Reports to follow
2010/11 reports
No reports submitted
2009/10 reports
15th November, 2009
Prestbury Cougars 14 – 1 Chapel Town Juniors
MOM – Calum Ritson &
Danny G
Scorers – Ad’s 8, Ash 2, Branny 1, James 1, Dan 1, Nathan 1
Cougars seem to have found their collective feet after a somewhat cagey start to
the season
and are now clicking through the gears. Ad’s is playing the best
attacking football I’ve ever
seen him play and is simply unstoppable when in
full stride. 8 goals against any opposition
takes some doing and although
Chapel aren’t the best team around they were no mugs and
competed fully from
start to finish. Mentions too for Calum Ritson who has settled well into
a
decent defence and looks like he’s been around for ever and Danny G who moved
into
midfield for the 2nd half and reminded us all what a
dangerous player he can be with the
ball at his feet, one move saw him beat
3 challenges and stab the ball home from 20 yards
with a toe poker.. the Foz
was highly amused !!
Frosty is doing a great job offering width to the
left and although he wasn’t on the score
sheet today he did create havoc
with his pace and willingness to run at his fullback. Nathan
had a good day
in midfield once again putting in the mileage and doing the ugly stuff without
complaint. This then frees Branny up to weave his magic up the pitch where
he’s a real
menace to opposition defenders and Ash to bomb on with his all
action style being rewarded
with a couple of goals today. James Allan looks
as though he’s over his knee injury and he
put in a good 50 min spell
showing decent movement to get on the score sheet from the
move of the game.
OK lads it’s looking much better. From Sam keeps in the sticks
right through to the front line
there’s much more composure on the ball and
a real awareness of space starting to show
in your performances. A bit more
talking and trust in each other to deal with the odd threat
when it appears
is the next target.
Sean
1st November, 2009
Prestbury Cougars 8 – 2 Great Moor B
MOM – Ad’s
Scorers – Ad’s
4, Ash 1, Branny 2, James 1
At last, the Cougars turned up to a match and put in a performance to write home
about.
Great Moor must have wondered what was going on when we hit the bar
within 60 seconds
and continued to batter away at them for the whole match.
MOM Adam was simply
unstoppable today with mazy runs tying his defender in
knots then awesome power and
accuracy when the opportunity to shoot was
there. It would be great to think Ad’s can get
on a run of performances like
this for a few games and with Frosty starting to show us what
he’s capable
of down the left our attack will worry even the best defences.
Sam keeps
will be the first to admit he’s not been at his best so far this season but step
by
step he’s getting there. One point blank block save in the 1st
half was top drawer.. well done
mate !! The defence were well organised and
kept Great Moor guessing with good movement,
tough tackling and good use of
the ball well when they had time. Dan and James looked
awesome as a central
partnership. New fullback Calum deserves a mention after a battling
performance and he too looks like he could be a really decent player with a bit
of work on the
training ground. Our midfield worked their socks off with
for every
ball. This enabled playmaker Branny to weave his magic up in the final 3rd
of the
pitch and he took full advantage with 2 goals and a number of
assists.
A great team performance from the Cougars with MOM going to
Adam. Great Moor are a
quality side and he took them to pieces with 4
brilliant goals
25th October, 2009
Spurley Hey 4 – 1 Prestbury Cougars
Spurley are top of the table with a goal average of 8 per game so this was going
to be the acid
test to see where the Cougars are this season. The scoreline
suggests we’re somewhat behind
Spurley however I would beg to differ. You
can learn a lot about your side when listening to the
opposition management
and despite the result the Cougars were right in this game and had the
Spurley management somewhat concerned.
Spurley were 2 up inside 15 mins after the 2 defensive lapses. We
must learn this lesson quickly
lads. If we allow a corner to travel across
the 6 yard line without getting something on it then I’m
afraid good sides
will stick it in the net. The same goes for the keeper dropping a cross into the
path of an onrushing forward !! Our mistakes aside they didn’t create much
after that and we
had our fair share of chances to notch a score before half
time. Ad’s looked sharp and is capable
of unsettling the meanest of defences
when in the right mood. Ash, Branny and Woody can live
with the best of
midfielders as can Nathan when he has had a nights sleep !!
Half time
came with the game at 2-0 to Spurley but the lads went out for the 2nd
half with a
renewed belief and put in a 20 minute shift that had our
trademark qualities all over it. The
Cougars took the game to Spurley by
outfighting them for the ball and then outplaying them with
the ball once we
had it. Ad’s smashed 2 shots just wide and nearly lobbed the keeper from 25
yards.
Woody scored with a lovely chipped effort after beating 2 men with
excellent pass and move football
and then skilfully evading 2 tackles before
pulling the trigger.
The next 10 mins were one way traffic with the
Cougars throwing everything at it. Tom blazed an
effort just over the bar
and Ad’s beat the keeper but smacked the bar which would have turned the
game in our favour. Had we managed to get that equaliser I have no doubt we’d
have gone on and
possibly won the tie however we then handed the game back
to Spurley with a simple error from a
long punt downfield to make it 3-1..
it’s cruel game this football lark. The heads dropped and Spurley
took the
tie with a 4th goal to put some gloss on their morning's work.
OK boys we’ve played the best team in the league, if we didn’t gift them 3
simple goals and we put
away 2 or 3 of the 6 or so chances that we created
then we’re coming home with the points.
11th October, 2009
Lostock 1 – 1 Prestbury Cougars
In a bright start where the lads played some lovely
pass and move football to open Lostock up on at least
three occasions
our usually composed strikers were off target when the goal was gaping.
Both teams seemed
to be up for a tussle on a big pitch where lots of hard
running and competition for the ball but the game never
really got going and
no flow developed which in truth hurt the Cougars more than the Lostock lads who
seemed
to cope much better with the stop start nature of the game. Half time
came and went with no goals for either
team although the Lostock goal had
led a charmed life.
The 2nd half got underway and both teams
got stuck into the task. Cougars pass and move game created an
opportunity
on 45 mins where a lovely 1st time pass from Ad’s set James Holden
free in the box to neatly slot
past the helpless keeper for 0-1. The next 15
mins saw the Cougars defence on top restricting Lostock to the
odd run on
goal from their lone striker. Our midfield worked hard to find space for the
runners but even though
chances were created the score line remained 0-1. On
60 mins a free kick was awarded although watching both
teams automatically
back off assuming guilt was comical. In the end Lostock won the award and lobbed
Sam keeps
rom 25 yards out with a lovely left foot effort.
At 1-1
with 10 to go meant that both teams sensed the win and inevitably went at it
straight from the whistle. Having
said that the Cougars smacked the post and
the crossbar, had an effort cleared off the line and saw another run just
wide of the upright in the last min. All in all a good team performance but some
nice football from the lads went
unrewarded today.
4th October, 2009
Prestbury Cougars 3 – 2 Marple Athletic
Cougars
with no game this week took the opportunity to face a team from the 2nd
division in readiness for the
Poynton cup game later in the month. Who
better than current Div 2 leaders Marple to show them what it’s all
about.
Marple started with confidence and played some lovely pass and move football to
take control of the game.
The Cougars although not as accomplished with the ball were resolute and
organised making life difficult for Marple
whenever they threatened. On 20
mins Marple took the lead after some excellent wing play left 2 Cougars players
tackling fresh air and the ball in the net from a 20 yard screamer.
The lads regrouped and started to get a foothold in the game playing some good
pass and move stuff of their own.
Frosty was growing in confidence and
started to unsettle his marker. Ad’s sparked into life and soon had the Marple
back four concerned with his pace and skill. As the game approached half
time Cougars did everything but put the
ball in the net so Marple showed
them the way scoring a lovely 2nd goal after a superb move down our right flank.
0-2 at half time against a team
that were in truth playing with much more authority than us is new ground for
the
team. The next goal was going to be crucial, they score and they’re
away.. we score and we’re right back in it.
Cougars went straight for the jugular from the whistle, upped the tempo by 100%
and ran Marple down at every
opportunity to force mistakes and create
openings for the forwards. The defence were superb and won every single
tackle In front of them the midfield
hunted as a pack and took control of the ball to deny Marples tricky players
room to hurt us. Our forwards took the game to their back four and were starting
to get into good scoring positions.
The lads swung the game with 3 scruffy
goals that resulted from sheer team persistence rather than individual
brilliance.
Marple certainly had the more skilful players today but the Cougars team ethic
and hard graft saw them through.
Our thanks to Marple Athletic for making the trip over and playing their part in
an excellent game
Well done boys.. keep it going !!
27th September, 2009
Apollo Hawks 1 – 5 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – Nathan Foster
Scorer’s – Ad’s 2 / Branny 2 / Ash 1
Cougars had to tackle the Apollo Hawks this weekend after a nervous opening to
the season against the Vikings.
The early exchanges were tense with Cougars
controlling the ball and Apollo seemingly happy to sit on the 18
yard line
and defend their goal. The lads started to find the gaps with neat passing and
movement and it wasn’t
too long before the ball was in the net from Ad’s who
had a much better day today with a real willingness to
work hard paying
dividends.
The team had been given a rocket after the Vikings game for trying to walk the
ball into the net when shooting
opportunities were plentiful so Branny led
the way with 2 screamers to give his team mates confidence.
Ash
was back to his best with a battling midfield performance that
constantly pushed Apollo backwards when they
did break out and he too was
rewarded with a goal. Frosty and Sam are working out nicely down the left and
were a real threat when running the flank with the ball.
MOM was awarded to Nathan who never stopped running and niggling away at Apollo
all morning. He must be
the most annoying opponent but he’s worth his weight
in gold to the Cougars so well done mate.
Mention for Sam keeps and his defence who but for a momentary lapse just before
half time were back to their
meanest giving away nothing all morning and
showing a real hunger to protect their goal.
Much better this week lads so let's build on this performance
Sean & Graeme
2008/9 reports to follow
SOUTHPORT TOURNAMENT 2nd -4th May 2009
Returning from the tour this
time last year with our lads wearing winners medals and carrying a trophy was
one of the best moments of my time in football both as a player and a parent
coach however this old hack has been around long enough to know that those
moments are rare and unless you play for Man Utd, almost impossible to repeat.
The Cougars went on tour full of confidence after another unbeaten league season
and a good cup run but came up against some very high class opposition from all
over the UK. Our lads gave it everything, some gave it more than
everything.. they can hold their heads high after standing toe to toe with
some of the teams present
Immaculata (Belfast) 1 - 0 Cougars
A tight game played at a
furious pace as both teams went straight for the jugular to get that all
important 1st win
The tackles were flying in with the ball being contested across every blade of
grass
Possession came in short spells and it was Immaculata that seemed to be able to
get the ball into area's where they could hurt us
One rash challenge saw the ref award a free kick which was superbly despatched
into the top right corner by the Belfast team
A football match broke out and the Cougars layed seige to the Immaculata goal
but when the one good chance came our shot went just wide of the mark
Marchviel 1 - 1 Cougars
Champions of the Wrexham league and boasting a Wrexham Town reserve team member who stood nearly 6 foot " I tell not a lie" our boys were somewhat hesitant to take to the field. The ref pulled the two teams together and the Cougars mum's hearts must have sank as they watched their heroes stand eyeball to chest plate against this mighty opponent. Graeme's last words to our warriors were "the bigger they are the harder they fall" and Ash Wright made it his personal mission in the next 24 mins of his life to stop this giant of a 12 year old from getting into our back four.. Well done young man !!
With the ball we were the better team and our pass and move game started to push them back but if we lost possession it was fed straight to this Goliath who was firing shots in from 40 yards. One of them nearly took Sam Keeps head off but he lived to tell the tale.. just !!
Ash broke from his marking duties to score a peach of a goal after great build up play but the mighty Marchviel machine was just too strong in the end and they scored in the last few mins to level the tie
Coleshill Uts 1 - 0 Cougars
This lot were a totally
different team altogether with lots of very fast skilful possession footballers
Again as champions of their top division back home it was clear we were going to
have to come up with a real performance to get a sniff of a result
We conceded early after some sloppy defending let them in and limped home to
half time with a backs to the wall display
The 2nd half was a different story with the Cougars putting up a real fight and
so nearly levelling the tie with a few good efforts..
Much better performance here but still not quite enough to get a point
Marsh Town 3 – 2 Cougars
This was a winnable game and
we shot any slim chances of competing for a place in the final down here
The team played well to start with, solid defending, good play through midfield
and a busy approach up front keeping them penned in
Branny brilliantly headed in twice from corners to give us a 2-1 lead
With 2 mins to go we collapsed and gave away 2 soft goals that were hard to
stomach.. not like us at all lads !!
Southport Jnrs 3 - 0 Cougars
The less said about this game the better as Cougars capitulated to a team that were no better than them but had everything to play for
Washington 1 - 2 Cougars
At last a win to brighten
the mood in camp and return those smiles
Washington weren’t a great side but proved stubborn.. our lads were low on
confidence and lacked belief
Ad's sparked into life and volleyed home a spectacular goal before sealing the
game with a 2nd
The mood lightened and all was well in the world again
Medlock Rangers 3 - 1 Cougars
This was the crack outfit of
the tournament.. a local Stockport team that had stuffed the mighty Reddish
Vulcans twice this season rattling in 17 goals
They knew about us through local contacts and the tie had the buzz of a local
derby match
A change of pitch for us meant we were now playing on a far more exposed piece
of ground and the wind was howling in
Medlock won the toss and chose to kick with the wind at their backs
Again we were opened up too easily with slick pass and move footy reaping reward
against our heavy legged defenders who had been under the cosh for 2 days
3 goals were rattled in.. a couple of them were unstoppable with the conditions
but non the less we were hanging on at half time
Graeme again picked the Cougars up and sent them out with the message that this
was the last 12 mins of the tournament for them
What a difference.. James Holden became a one man wrecking crew battling his way
through the Medlock midfield with menace
The rest of the lads upped the anti and joined him in defiant response
Cougars were up for a scrap now and looked like they wanted to end the weekend
on a high
James was hacked down 30 yards out and Ad's cooly lobbed the keeper from the
resulting free kick for a 3-1 final result
Not a win but a winning half to lift the lads and regain some pride
Medlock went on to beat Coleshill in the final.. both teams we'd played well against and matched for periods of each game
To summarise the tour it was
a massive step up in class for us and was always going to be tough..
Games we needed to win early on when our spirit's were high were just out of
reach
Missed open nets, shots going the wrong side of the posts and headers arcing
over crossbars were our downfall
The 2 middle games were a disappointment with our lads conceding the games too
easily.. our team spirit was for once broken
Finally the lads picked themselves up and finished strongly.. showing
togetherness, guts and determination
Stick at it lads, it's not the end of the road.. just the beginning of a new one where the challengers get stronger
See you all at the SML presentation.. Remember you are still champions!!
Sean
Sunday April 26th 2009
Stockport Vikings A 0 – 6 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – The whole team
The Cougars last game of a great season saw top Vs 2nd in what was always going to be a real humdinger.
Vikings knocked us out of the cup earlier in the season so we knew that they could play, add to this the fact that they had to get something from this game to make sure of promotion and we had all the makings of a cracking game.
From the 1st whistle both teams went at it with all guns blazing and a watching crowd of 50+ parents backed their teams every move to make the atmosphere electric. 10 mins in and although still all square it was the Cougars who had a steely determination in every single aspect of play. Superbly organised from the back by skipper Danny G the shape of the team was fantastic and slowly but surely Cougars turned the screw with phase after phase of quality pass and move play backed up with mean defending and hard running in midfield. The 1st goal came on 15 mins with Nathan smashing in from 10 yards after severe Cougars pressure. Branny then got his bonce on another lovely corner delivered by Ad’s for a 2-0 half time lead.
Vikings are not a team that lie down and they came out of the blocks like Usain Bolt for the 2nd half with a determined shove to try and haul themselves back into this tie. The control of the game that the Cougars kept during this period shows what a class act they have become. Branny was awesome controlling midfield, Ash and Sam down our left flank oozed quality, James and Jordan had a vice like grip of the Vikings danger men and Adam caused mayhem linking up with Woody on the right. Sam in the sticks and Big Tom were also bang in form to compliment a very capable team and Nathan was pulling the strings in midfield with some superb passes into the danger zone. Ad’s slotted home a couple of goals to keep his tally ticking over. Big Tom smashed in a bullet header from another corner and Matt Davis scored a 25 yard screamer to round off a perfect performance. Jacob and Jacko got into the action midway through the 2nd half and again both were excellent.
Today’s game was never about the score but all about what sort a performance we could put together in the face of a severe test from a very good Vikings side. The answer was emphatic with an excellent display played in the right spirit.
Sunday April 5th 2009
Prestbury Cougars 2 – 2 West End Boys
MOM – Sam Broughton ( Kept the lads in the game with some excellent saves and neat box work )
Clubmans – Jonny Pine ( Neat touches, simple passing and great reading of the game earn JP the honours )
Cougars last home game of a great season had all the signs of being a stroll in the park with a superb playing surface, bright sunshine and a fixture against the bottom of the table team. WEB however had other ideas and without being too unkind to the Cougars.. kicked their backsides. With only 11 boys turning in for training on Friday the team picked itself and even though we were a couple of regulars short at the first whistle we should have had too much for WEB. Cougars created good opportunities early on and should have had the ball in the net inside 5 mins but wayward shooting let us down. Minutes later a good chance fell to Jacko that he would normally have tucked away but today it was lets blast it anywhere but in the net day so 0-0 it remained. Another chance to take the lead came our way after neat interplay down the right and we somehow managed to hit the bar and post 4 times throughout finishing the play off.. It seemed from that point on it was going to be one of those days and WEB confidence was getting higher by the minute. The teams turned around at half time all square.
On went Ad’s and Sam P in the 2nd half but by then WEB tails were up and it was them who were having the lions share of the game. Our goal was living a charmed life and Sam B had one 10 min spell where even the opposing management were cheering a string of excellent saves to keep the scores level. The football being played was not the prettiest but it was supremely entertaining to watch with normally cool ball players making basic errors now. In the end something had to give and it was the WEB attack that drew 1st blood with a superb effort that was fully deserved. The Cougars arn’t used to chasing games so composure and skill were swapped for kick and rush until we got a little bit of luck. Ad’s chased down a long clearance and was shoved off the ball fairly.. instead of sulking he chased down the defender and shoved back, fairly again.. something Graeme and I have been waiting to see for a while, the defender went over and Ad’s was clear to slot home.. lets have more of this please Mr Clulow. Suddenly all was well in the Cougars world, the confidence flooded back into play and a string of chances came our way, we even managed to miss an open net Mr Davis..
With 5 to go the Cougars thought
they’d snatched it when Ad’s again turned his markers and finished with a lovely
shot under the keeper for 2-1 but WEB pressurised our back four and a handball
in the box was spotted to give them a last min penalty which was smashed under
Sam’s dive for a final score of 2-2.
A point apiece was a fair result on balance
Sunday 29th March 2009
Hale Utd 1 – 5 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – Ash Wright ( Ash would have run through brick walls for the team today.. top player with a top attitude )
Clubmans – Danny Gooding ( The skipper looked superb at the back today reading the game perfectly.. top quality )
The Cougars were away to Hale today and after battling through the marathon traffic to get to the venue then had to battle through a resilient Hale side to make it 14 wins from 14 played. The lads continued from Friday’s training with slick pass and move football that had us building pressure on a gutsy Hale side early on. Branny was pulling the strings in midfield and again looked impressive with great ball control and great vision in his passing. Woody was up to his usual trickery out on the right and put in a superb display to create chances galore for our forwards to make use of. Ad’s fired in a couple of snap shots to test the keeper but it was MOM Ash who got us started with a typical neat finish after battling his way into the box for 1-0. More good passing footy through the middle involving Nate, Woody and Ad’s found Sam Pugh in space and he looped a ball into the box that bounced over the keeper and straight in for 2-0. The back four were looking mean with Sam, Jimmy and Danny G mopping up any threat and playing their way out of trouble with excellent passing football turning defence into attack.. keep this up lads !!
We turned round at 2-0 and put in a strong 2nd half despite conceding a sloppy goal early on that lifted Hale’s spirit. Our use of the ball was excellent, keeping possession and keeping the pressure in the right half of the pitch. MOM Ash tortured his marker with an all action display and another goal to cap off a brilliant afternoons work. Ad’s then planted a header in the onion bag to cap off a classy performance full of 1st time passing and great use of his team mates and it’s also good to see Big Tom is getting back to his awesome best, being rewarded for a strong performance with a lovely strike that had goal written all over it from the moment he laced it. Birthday boy Nathan, Jordan and Jacko all played their part with neat footy and hard work giving our midfield the upper hand throughout the game. Sam B looked in great nick doing everything he needed to with complete authority and JP put in a good half with quality passing off his cultured left foot.
Well done all on a top class showing and happy birthday to Nathan, I hope you have a great year mate !!
See you Friday
Sunday 22nd March
Juno Utd 1 – 4 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – James H ( Brilliant athlete and team player who’s adding real class to his game week by week )
Clubmans – Jacob ( The little maestro scored a peach of a goal and played it neat and tidy to earn Clubmans )
The Cougars made it 13 wins from 13 played today and wrapped up the division title in the process.
Juno proved to be a much tougher opponent on their own pitch and gave the lads a real test throughout this game
Cougars had the territory and controlled the ball very well but the Juno goal remained in tact for 20 mins until Nathan blasted home from 6 yards with a superb volley.
Nathan has made excellent progress with his passing and movement recently so well done mate.
Sam B, Danny G, Will Smith and Sam P were controlling matters on the half way line but it was James H in particular catching the eye with timely interventions and great vision with his passing into midfield.
Branny was again at the centre of everything good in midfield and seems to be revelling in his new role
Matt D took a while to get going but once fired up started to create havoc with neat flicks and link play.. well done again
Our forwards were well marshalled by a couple of decent Juno defenders but Ash and Adam are proving to be a superb combination so it was no surprise that Ash crashed in 2 goals in quick succession.
Jordan came on as a blood replacement for Nathan and is starting to show us all what a good player he can be with neat and simple football to keep opponents pegged back .
Jacko, Jacob, Tom D and Tom W were sent in to the fray for the 2nd half and all were quickly involved
Woody played some neat footy and was unlucky not to be on the score sheet and Jacko was at his outrageous best for a 10 min spell when he had his marker on toast with nutmegs and flicks all over the shop.
Clubman Jacob was let loose in the Juno box on 50 mins and when he was found with a lovely slide rule pass he simply moved the ball out of his feet and passed a lovely shot into bottom right corner for 1 – 4..
Great build up play and a great goal !!
Top Gun Ad’s was left wondering what he had to do to get a goal with chance after chance either being cleared off the line or just going wide of the post.. never mind mate you’ll have games like that every now and again but you just have to play through them and help your team mates get the result
Juno came back at us for the last 10 mins and gave it real go so the Cougars defence had to earn their corn and see the game out.
So this years title is in the bag but lets keep working hard lads, we have 3 league games left then a friendly against Macc Boys to help us prepare for this years Southport tournament.
All roads lead to Southport
See you Friday
Sunday 15th March
Away to Blue Star
Result – won 6 – 1
Man of the match – Adam Clulow – 4 goals and 2 assists not a bad afternoons work.
Clubman – Matt Davis – solid 2nd half showing with meaty tackles and great forward surges.
We travelled down to Didsbury minus S.G. who was
sunning himself in gay Paris and several other squad members as well.
The pitch was enormous and on a beautiful spring afternoon the Cougars were on top form. Adams skill and pace were giving the Blue Star defence all kinds of problems and it was no surprise when after a fine through ball from Nathan, Adam fired home into the corner for 1-0.The defence were looking solid Will and Sam at fullback didn`t give the Blue Star wingers any space and if the ball ever came down the centre towards our goal Dan and James were at their imperious best.
Jonny, Bran and Nathan had the ascendancy in
midfield and Ash and Jack were causing problems for the overworked Blue Star
defence.
Twice more towards the end of the first half Adam broke clear and finished
clinically for 3-0.
Blue Stars best player – no11 – wriggled clear down
the left and sent in a high cross that bounced over Sam keeps head and was
bundled over the line from 6 inches by the Blue Star no6.
3-1 at the break.
Cougars came out fired up for the second half with Matt replacing Will who was off to Lords to practice his googlies!!
Jordan came on to give Jonny a breather and both subs performed really well.
Matt surging up and down the right flank like Usain Bolt and Jordan playing the holding midfield role to the letter – top stuff fellas!
There then followed 2 fantastic Cougars goals to light up the day.
First Jordan released Adam up the right wing and after skinning his marker he whipped in a peach of a cross that Ash met with a bullet header for 4-1.
This was soon followed by Brannys swinging cross that Nathan flicked on with his noogin, into Ash's path who strode forward and finished with aplomb.
Adam grabbed his fourth direct from a corner for a final score of 6-1.
A fine afternoons work boys.
Juno away next Sunday.
Training Friday as usual.
Graeme
Sunday 8th March 2009
Woodley Albion 1 - 2 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – Branny ( Looked absolutely superb at the heart of midfield, a shining diamond amongst a sea of mud )
Clubmans – Sam Pugh ( Brilliant 2nd half performance with well timed tackles and neat passing)
Woodley were clearly up for this one but it was the Cougars who went for the jugular from the off.
Cougars passed the ball well and did well to keep Woodley penned in for the first half but Adam was being superbly marshalled by Woodley’s big centre half. When Woodley did break out Sam, Will, James H and DG ably supported by Sam in the sticks were ready and waiting to snuff the danger out
Danny G had the first opportunity on goal after Ad’s had been hauled down just outside the box but his free kick was chipped too near to the keeper.
Ash was then bundled over in the box accidentally but pea rolled the resulting penalty straight at the keeper.. muppet !!
Half time came with the teams locked at 0-0 and the game there for either team to win
The 2nd half got off to a flier with the Cougars making good use of possession and setting Ash off down the left
After luckily escaping his marker he coolly lobbed the keeper from 18 yards as he rushed out off his line for 0-1
Confidence rose as Branny was controlling the game from deep midfield.. a role that clearly suits his silky skills
JP and Matt Davis went on for Woody and Jacko, both competed well and made excellent use of the ball down the flanks
The game reached the final 5 mins, Cougars being well on top with the ball but Woodley sensed they could get something from the game and upped the tempo by playing some neat passing football of their own to force a corner
Woodley’s best player on the day who had a storming game sent in a peach of a ball which Cougars struggled to clear and the ball ended up headed in for 1-1 with one minute of play left to go… Gutted !!
There’s a belief in this Cougars team packed with players that only do winning
To their credit they went at the Woodley back line straight from the off and forced them into panic defending
The long clearance was intercepted by Danny who neatly passed into space for Matt D to control and turn his man
Matt then played the perfect pass for Adam to run onto and he steamed in on goal then placed his shot into the bottom corner before being mobbed by team mates for scoring the match winner.. great to see after being superbly marshalled for most of the morning.. well done Ad’s again !!
There was a lot of good quality football played by both teams throughout the whole game today so well done all !!
Keep working hard in training lads..
See you Friday
Sunday 1st March 2009
Juno 0 – 6 Prestbury Cougars
MOM – Jack Moss ( Jacko jinked and jived his way through a superb 1st half and was at the heart of every attack)
Clubmans – Jordan Wisedale ( Neat and tidy 2nd half with some gutsy tackles and neat passing.. welcome aboard )
The Cougars are finishing the season strongly with a 10th straight victory in the league from 10 played
Juno played with heart from start to finish and deserve credit for their considerable efforts this morning
Cougars just had too much class and outright speed to be held back
The team looked solid with a reliable defence giving the midfield huge confidence to attack and play
Nathan in the heart of midfield looked in great nick with some neat play and surges into Juno territory paying off
Jacko looked immense on his left flank and tore his markers to pieces with tasty tricks and inter play with Ash
Ad’s had a field day smashing in 5 goals and getting through a ton of running to open up Juno time after time
Every player on the squad took part this morning for at least half a game and you can all be pleased with the effort
Our control of the ball was excellent at times and the intention to pass and play football is showing through at a good time for us with the season run in and the Southport Cup looming fast.
Lets keep working hard in training lads.. See you Friday
Sunday 22nd February 2009
Prestbury Cougars 4 – 2 Hazel Grove Utd
MOM – Danny Gooding ( The skipper is looking back on top form with a solid 50 min display and a tasty goal )
Clubmans – Woody ( Did the business on the right flank and weighed in with another neat finish )
It was top Vs 2nd this week when the Cougars took on the Grove in the league at home on Becks Lane
Grove have
some tasty players with a solid rearguard and a livewire attack so this was
never going to be a stroll in the park.
It was the Grove who took the lead after some dodgy marking let in their jet
heeled forward who gave Sam Keeps no chance with a belting strike.
Cougars responded well and piled on the pressure which resulted in a nice slot
home from Woody after neat pass and move footy carved out the opportunity.
Grove again proved why they are up there in the league as they bludgeoned the
ball back up the pitch and through a jelly legged back line to score a 2nd
goal on approx 10 mins.
At this point some home truths were blasted out at our usually superb back four
as the game was restarted
Cougars responded well with another perfect Ad’s corner that Branny met with a
bullet header for 2-2
Jack Moss was showing up well on the left flank with some sunshine football and
has got the X factor back in his game
More quick passing football from the midfield lured in a late challenge just
outside the 18 yard box
Danny G stepped up and curled in a cracking free kick that nestled in the top
left corner to give us the lead at half time.
The second
half was more of a dust up than a cultured football display so Rich was sent in
to bolster the ranks
James Holden made up for his early “dodgyness” at the back with a tough tackling
and hard running 2nd half
Danny G backed his troops up with timely interceptions and one wasp like tackle
to keep the lads noses in front.
Slowly the Grove tired and Cougars sense for the kill was awakened as the game
rolled into the final 10 mins
Tom Dean smashed in one shot that had it been a foot to the left would have
ripped the nets out
Ad’s who had a quiet game by his usual high standards nearly nipped in to beat
the keeper on another effort
Like a cruel assassin Ash Wright put the game to bed with a typically gutsy
finish when the boots were flying in.
It wasn’t the prettiest football match to watch but 4-2 against our nearest opponents will certainly do on the day
Sunday 15th February 2009
SML Cup Qtr Final
Prestbury Cougars 2 – 3 Stockport Vikings A
MOM - Ash Wright ( Battled for every single minute of the game and so nearly dragged the game out of the fire )
Clubman - James Holden ( Had his hands full with a real terrier of a centre forward and never let his head drop )
If ever there was a game of two halves this was it
The Cougars never got going during a one sided 1st half despite taking the lead against the run of play
Adam Clulow latched onto a long punt and lashed in a superb strike from 25 yards to give the Cougars false hope
The Vikings roar could be heard as far away as Bollington as they battered us with everything but the kitchen sink
Bish – Vikings smashed in an equally superb equaliser from their jet heeled forward for 1-1
Bash – Again he lost his markers and lashed in a ferocious shot across goal for 1-2
Bosh – A shove on Sam whilst collecting a routine high ball from a corner was not spotted by the ref.
The Cougars stopped expecting the whistle so the Vikings slotted home to leave themselves with a mountain to climb.
At this point the Cougars decided to get a shove on themselves and the rest of the game was a real treat to watch
Our control of the ball was better, the passes were more telling and the lads soon had the Vikings on the ropes
Ash slotted home following up an Adam Clulow effort that the keeper could not hold on to for 2-3 – Game on !!
With 10 mins left to play and the Cougars fast flowing football fashioned at least 5 gilt edged chances.
Ash saw 2 great 1st time shots sail just over the bar after crashing into the box at the right time – unlucky mate !!
Sam Pugh saw one effort sail across goal from 20 yards out.. another good game from Sam
Ad’s chipped a free kick over the bar after the pressure built up on an overworked Vikings defence
The clock ticked down agonisingly slowly for the Vikings and just a touch too quickly for the Cougars
On the day Vikings deserved the win after a real blood and thunder 1st half performance so we wish them luck in the next round
Sunday 25th January 2009
Prestbury Cougars 7 – 3 Didsbury Villa
MOM –
Rich Greatorex
( Another superb display as the holding player showing discipline
and an eye for a pass )
Clubmans – Sam Pugh
( Top class performance from Sam both in defence and attack )
The Cougars
were at home again and luckily the weather was kind to the pitch despite a
terrible forecast
Didsbury have some big lads amongst the ranks but the Cougars quickly cut them
down to size
Ad’s seized onto a loose ball, rounded the fullback and lobbed the keeper on 10
mins for 1-0
The next 20 mins were one way traffic, with the Cougars playing some terrific
possession football
3 more goals from Branny, Ash and another from Adam before young Smiffy smashed
in number 5
Most pleasing was the lads ability to keep the pressure on and create chance
after chance for our goal hungry forwards
The second half was a slightly
crazy football show but everybody got a good slice of the game
Matt and Jacob worked well down the right and Woody made up for his recent
shenanigans with a lung busting performance
Rich G played a blinder in the centre picking up loose ball and playing it neat
and simple to turn the Didsbury rearguard
Sam B did the biz between the sticks again and is putting in some brilliant
stints to make that spot his own
Adam neatly finished a smart move for number 6 and Jacob was in the right place
to poke home number 7
The management then replaced most of the back four to give some of the other
lads a taste of playing defence
Didsbury scored 3 late goals which show’s us what a superb job our usual back
four do in keeping teams out
Next week we’re at home again to West End Boys.. keep it going lads that’s 8 wins from 8 played
Sunday 18th January 2009
Sunday 11th January 2009
Metro Cup Round 2
Sunday 23rd November 2008
Metro Cup Round 1
Sunday 9th November 2008
Sunday 2nd November 2008
Sunday 12th October 2008
Sunday 28th September 2008
Sunday 21st September 2008
Sunday 14th September 2008