All White on the Night

This was an awesome performance and probably the best we have played for an entire match. We spoke on Monday and before the game about 7 things we were trying to work on. You did them all for 90% of the game. We also said in the changing room that we had played good hockey for halves of games but we wanted to put a whole game together.

We started off really strongly and shot past the post, forced a save and then Riley turned away to celebrate knocking in a cross before realising the ball had hit the post with the keeper well beaten. Jamie and Ethan got some good linking play going with Ed, Shak and jacob. jamie opened the scoring with a well placed shot from the left hand side of the circle. Riley made it 2-0 bundling the ball into the net from close range and Ethan added a third with a well struck effort.

The defence was working really hard and Jayson and Raj played really well to shut out their forwards and to clear our lines. Bunsi again was immense with some superbly timed tackles. Ethan got yellow carded for ten minutes for a moment of ill discipline. It is never a good idea to retaliate - even if you feel provoked.

At half time we remembered what happened last time we faced Raphael when we gave up a 2 goal lead in the first half of the season. We said that if they scored we would not let our heads go down but would try to hit straight back.

They were awarded a ludicrous penalty corner from a great tackle by Bunsi which they converted well. From the restart Jamie dribbled passed to Ethan who bustled his way forward and restored our three goal cushion 30 seconds after we had lost it. This was probably the key moment in the game. Ethan completed his hat trick with second phase possession from a PC. Jack had been doing some good passes and near the end found Rupert unmarked in their circle. Rupert showed great control, dragged it away from the keeper and tucked it beautifully into the corner. It was a really nicely taken goal and was the icing on the cake for us. Rupert will be starting on Thursday against Scots (in his more usual position). They had a number of attacks but the defence were up to the task and Tom had a great game with good saves in both halves and some fantastic clears.

You all played really well today. It was not just the result but the way you played. It was a great game to watch and the crowd were buzzing at some of your play. Their coach and players both commented on how much they thought you had improved since the last time we played them. It was great to see you stepping up, supporting each other and putting some great play together.

Players of the day were Finn who worked really hard, kept Denzel out of the game and made some incisive passes and Jamie who did a lot of work off the ball and did some clever linking. Having said that you were all stars today! I also want to make special mention of Rupert's exemplary attitude on the bench and his goal was the least he deserved today.

To come out and dominate against a team that finished second in the grading round with the biggest margin of victory in the league so far was immense. It has also helped our goal difference and more or less assured us of a place in the semi finals.
Well done team - your coaches, manager and parents are proud of you!

Match Result: Wellington College Under 15A: 6 - Raphael House 1st XI: 1

How we lost

We turned up to the usual Elsdon weather of choose any 2 from freezing temperatures, howling wind and pouring rain. We were up for the game and played really well in the first half. We got some good patterns working and Ed scored a sensational goal bursting through the inside right channel to blast a sweet strike with very little back lift.

We kept up the pressure and had a few chances but could not get a second goal. They scored an excellent breakaway goal to equalise shortly before half time. At half time we spoke about the importance of marking and movement and of keeping up the intensity.

We did not play as well in the second half and gave the ball away time and time again. Our marking got sloppy and our passing became inaccurate. Rayhan made some good clearances but we failed to stick to our pattern of play. We almost scored with two minutes to play but the ball broke to our end and we failed to clear the danger on the right side of our circle and the ball rolled across for an easy winner for them in the last second of the game.

It was frustrating that they scored after the final whistle should have gone and there were a number of strange umpiring decisions but that was not what lost us the game. We did not work hard enough, our basic skills let us down and we made too many unforced errors.

We need to work harder to support each other and to pass and move like we did in the first half if we are to avoid throwing the season away.

Match Result: Wellington College Under 15A 1 - Aotea 1st XI 2

The Finn and Ethan Show

Sunday morning we played the Wellington Under 13 Development Team. It was a good opportunity for us to get our passing game going and really show the up and coming stars what fast, attacking, passing hockey looks like.

We somewhat missed this opportunity and instead resorted to demonstrating the deficiencies of dribbling (eventually someone tackles you).

I was pleased with the defensive efforts of the Development Team and Tom reacted well to stop a couple of breakaways that could easily have conceded a goal.

We won the first third 2-0, the second 1-0 and the third (when we finally started passing a bit) 3-0.

Ethan scored 4 well taken goals (two of which should have been passes in a P3 game) and Shak knocked in the goal of the game.

Finn scored his first goal since he was about 7 years old with a cross that was so off target it tracked in at an impossible angle. Finn's other highlights included maiming a number of the Under 13s and an over head that would just about have cleared the opposition right wings head but would have struck even Shak on the chest or lower.

Rupert marking the wing in question had to be careful that he did not nip between his legs.

This was a good fun game and good to have some more turf time as a team.

Players of the day were Finn and Ethan - for being Finn and Ethan.

Thanks to Bruce for organising the team and yes I know the Umpires were a little sympathetic to the smaller boys (but they may just have been compensating for Finn) and yes I know there should have been a penalty (although based on our performance in the post match penalty shoot out competition it was perhaps as well that we did not)

Thanks for playing the game in a good spirit. I think the people watching enjoyed the game and it was a good learning experience for the Wellington team. I am sure it brought back memories for a few of you of playing Under 13 Rep.

Match Result: Wellington Under 13 Development 0 - Wellington College Under 15A 6

A good match.

Our fourth last game against Onslow was a story of valiant defending and missed opportunities. I was really pleased with the way the defence played. We marked well and closed them down when they broke forward. Finn and Bunsi played really well and Raj, Jayson and Rupert all tackled well. Tom made a number of excellent saves.

The missed opportunities were in the midfield and forwards. We took too long to get the ball moving and made too many poor decisions when we got close to their circle. They played well and closed us down quickly but we needed faster more accurate passing.

The first half we conceded three penalty corners and they scored from two of them. We were not alert to the switch of direction and stood off the shot. Finn almost stopped it on the line but it was a soft goal. The second PC was well struck. We hardly had a shot in the first half and went in 2-0 down at half time.

In the second half we played much better. Shak had a great chance which just shaved the post and Jamie put Ethan through where a slipped pass to the far post had players queuing up to score but the opportunity was wasted. We continued to defend well and Bunsi's diving clearance off the line showed the kind of commitment that turns a game.

They went in for a bit of sledging, appealing to the umpire and general back chat which we did well not to respond to. The most hilarious comment from one of their players was "If we play like this we could beat Wellington College 1st XI"

Players of the day were Jacob for some good passing and commitment and to Bunsi for a great all round performance.

Match Result: Onlsow 1st XI 2 - Wellington College Under 15A 0

So that is one game each between us and Onslow and we may meet them again in the play offs.

We are now entering the business end of the season. We have three games left and need to win two of them to secure a place in the semi finals. We need to improve every game from here on in.

Points but no prizes

This looked a bit like a team playing it's 6th game in 8 days. We were pretty surprised at the Rongotai starting line up and in the end that was what was going to get us the points. They apologised the next day for fielding an ineligible player and we accept their explanation that an honest mistake was made.

We only really came to life towards the end and Ethan knocked in the equalizer. We pressed for the winner and made several chances but left ourselves a bit exposed at the back.

We have awarded the goals to Ethan, Jayson and Rupert ( 1/2 a goal each) and Tom and Raj (1/2 a goal each).

Match Result - Wellington College U15A 3 - Rongotai 2nd XI 0

Now we approach the business end of the season and need to up our game for the next 4 games including 2 teams who beat us in the grading round and one that we drew with.

The Missin Cup

We competed in the inaugural Miskimmin Cup on Monday 26th July 2010. This brought together Under 15 boys teams from Wellington College, Hutt Valley High, Hutt International Boys School and Scots College. It was a great day of sport and was played in a very good spirit. It was unfortunate that we also had a first XI traditional against New Plymouth as it put our two 1st XI guys under more pressure.

Our first game was a closely contested match against HIBS. They had quite a few more players with 1st XI experience and we knew that they probably started as slight favourites. They did pretty much what we had expected them to do and sat back and played half court and tried to hit us on the break. We tried to get our passing game working and to push our forwards high but we could not get the ball to run for us. We had the bulk of the possession and territory but could not penetrate their circle. The first half finished 0-0 and neither team had really made a clear cut chance. In the second half they scored on an early break away. We regained our composure and deservedly equalised through Olly Logan. We were pressing for a winner when they broke away again. We just missed a tackle at the top of the circle and they scored a well taken reverse shot. We had two penalty corners after the final whistle but their goalkeeper kept the last one out with an excellent save. We played really well in sections of the game and Felix, Jacob, Finn and Olly in particular made some great passes.

Match Result: HIBS U15: 2 - Wellington College U15: 1


The next game was against Scots. We got good control from the start and it was pleasing to see our work rate and us getting to the ball first more. This again was a good competitive game and the score line at the end probably flattered us a little. Felix, Ethan and Jacob scored and it was great to see Shak and Nick working hard and combining well. I was also really pleased with the marking and commitment of Jayson and Rupert. Finn played his usual captains role and at times seemed to be everywhere.

Match Result: Scots U15: 0 - Wellington College U15: 3


The last game was against Hutt Valley High and was effectively the play off for second place. There were a few tired legs. We were always ahead in the game but we kept letting them back into it. We were 3-1 up at half time and let them back to 4-3. Our marking let us down and we gave their forwards way too much space to play. At least we kept going to the end. Nick and Ethan both scored good goals, Olly knocked in a couple and Jamie scored a hat trick. We ended up with a score that was two thirds of an aeroplane!

Match Result: Wellington College U15 15: 7 - Hutt Valley High U15: 4

Final Table



Great to have Olly and Felix with us for the day and to have Sachin, Henry and Marc contributing and getting a taste of the cup for next year. So a great first Miskimmin Cup which saw us just Missin Out on the silverware.

Really proud of the way you handled 6 matches in 8 days and won 4 of them and only lost 1. Well done team!

A Week of Two Games!

We travelled to Palmerston North to play Boys High in the Under 15 "traditional". We missed Bunsi, Rayhan and Ed from our usual line up but were bolstered by the addition of Felix and Olly. This has always been a tough fixture and we lost 6-0 last year in Wellington.

We had the best of the early exchanges but then had a nightmare ten minutes when we gave the ball away twice in dangerous positions and they took their chances to capitalise on our mistakes. The last man must not be dispossesed and we need to ensure that we don't pass to the opposition in front of our circle. Most of the goals we concede are when we get caught square at the back without any cover behind.

We kept working and trying to get our passing game going and Jamie managed to squeeze the ball home after some good work down the right. This made it feel like we more in the game and we scored our second at the critical time just before half time. Jacob found Jamie on the left and his reverse cross found Riley who pounced at the far post.

In the second half we pushed Olly into midfield and that helped with our distribution. Rupert, Jayson and Finn worked hard at the back and Shak made some great tackles on the left. Our linking improved especially when Felix got the ball going down the right and we had some good passing movements. They cleared the ball off the line twice and their goal keeper also made some good saves. Olly made a couple of good breaks and found himself with time to score our third into the bottom left corner and put us into the lead for the first time. It stayed balanced at 3-2 for most of the second half and it was the icing on the cake for Riley to score to make the game safe with a couple of minutes to go.

I was really pleased with how we kept fighting all the way to the end and did not let the umpiring affect our attitude. This was a well contested game and we played well to win it. As it turned out we were the only sporting team to win on the day - which demonstrates the calibre of the opposition. We were well hosted by Palmerston North Boys High and you did Coll proud in your behaviour on and off the pitch. I don't think I have ever seen a video on a bus stopped at a more crucial moment in the story.

Players of the day were Shak and Tom

Result: Palmerston North Boys High Under 15 - 2 Wellington College Under 15 - 4


The next day we played Wellington High 1st XI in the league. This was a very good team performance. We were sad to miss Nick being unwell just before the start but we adjusted well and got the ball moving effectively.

We were better at using our width and the midfield of Jacob, Shak and Ed really stepped up and all had excellent games. We got into their circle on numerous occassions but could not get a shot on target. The ball went across the face, went past the post, went over the bar, hit their keeper and was cleared by their defence.

There are some days that you cannot buy a goal! We have played worse than we did on Thursday and won. They had some pressure and Tom made a couple of good saves, as he had done in the second half at Palmy.

We got a penalty stroke when Jamie's shot was stopped by a foot on the line but Jamie pushed the stroke just past the post. We need to be more aggressive in the circle and take our chances.

Players of the day: Jacob and Jayson

Result Wellington High School 1st XI 0 - Wellington College Under 15A - 0

Good start to the round

I was sorry to miss the match being in Auckland but Luke and Bruce stepped into the breach and I was cheering when the goals were texted through!

Match Report by our special correspondent

It was good to see so many parents supporting the team on a chilly, Fraser evening. The game started brightly and it was good having Nick, Ethan and Jamie in the forwards pushing forward early and keeping pressure on their defense. Finn spread the ball wide from midfield and Bunsi tackled hard to maintain possession whenever they got near our 25 and again spread the ball wide for our wings to take the ball forward. The tenacity of our play played dividends when we were attacking and Shak slotted our first goal behind the keeper.
The play continued much the same throughout the first half with no less than 28 shots at goal, with three PC's being awarded. During one of the PC's we went into a second faze in the circle where Nick then placed the ball squarely into the goal for our second.

At half time we spoke about the need to continue having our wings stay high and wide, to be on the ball and continue the pressure that we exerted in the first half. Again for some reason we lost our positional play for the first 10 minutes but then regained our composure and applied pressure to their backs and goalie. Both sides had chances in the second half and our replacement goalie, Marc staved off a furious attack midway through the second half by their forwards.A great effort. The pace of the second half was fast and was played in both halves with our boys pushing ever harder into their circle in the last 10 minutes. Ethan found an opportunity to score and planted a ball high in the top right corner but the goal was disallowed.

We had many promising breaks throughout the game with the ball being passed out wide and continued pressure applied to their defenders. A great effort and pleasing to see the team back to playing their game.

Result Hibs 2nd XI 0 - Wellington College Under 15A - 2

Triumph and Disaster

Everyone has days in sport where things just do not quite go to plan. Just ask the England goalkeeper! Today we just couldn't get things going. They played half court and sat back and tried to hit us on the break. It was not pretty but it proved effective. I also understand the frustrations of playing some of these 2nd XIs where they swap players back and forth between their first team. This is not really what the starred player system is designed to do and it is not the way that we choose to do things as a college.

I am pleased that you played with good sportsmanship and did not let their on field comments get to you or retaliate to some of the aggressive behaviour with stick chopping and pushing that their referee let go. Hopefully we will get another crack at them later in the season.

We need to take our chances and to support the ball carrier better and to pass from front stick to front stick. We hit way too many passes into the area of a player rather than to them. We also need to keep improving our basic skills. We can't keep topping balls, miss traps and tackles and expect to win games. It comes down to inches and to us working hard to improve our skills, our concentration and our fitness.

They made more chances in the game and we badly missed Nick in the middle and at PCs attacking and defending. We battled well and 0-0 at half time was a fair reflection of the first half. Tom should probably have been penalised more harshly for his take out and Jamie should really have finished the break away into the circle. They tucked in a deflection on the post from a PC where we didn't defend that cleverly and their second goal near the end flattered them but we were as well pressing forward and trying to score.

Players of the day were Bunsi for some awesome cover tackling and Tom for some great saves.

Result Wellington College Under 15 A 0 Scots College 2nd XI 2


Despite the loss today and being knocked off the top of the table at the last minute I am really proud of what you have achieved in the first half of this season. It is no small thing to be competing in P3 let alone to be contending at the top of the table. You are developing and working hard and we can continue to improve. I know you were disappointed today but you have handled victory and defeat with maturity in the grading round and been excellent representatives for the school on and off the field. One of the reasons we play sport is that it builds character. Above the entrance to the centre court at Wimbledon is the inscription "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same" It is a line from the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.


If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

The message is - we may not have won today but you have done your college, your families and yourselves proud this season and we are all proud of the young men you are becoming.


See you tomorrow for the game against the 2nd XI!!

Close

Jane did not have much to do on the field of play in todays fixture but there was a fair bit of work keeping the bench and the crowd in a state of harmony. The game against Hibs 2nd XI was packed with end to end excitement and considerable incident. Ravi became so exasperated at one point that he literally tore his hair out. One or two other parents, fans and supporters were hoarse from shouting or had fingernails that showed evidence of extreme biting. The result was never in doubt!!!!


We started really well and got our passing working well. We had good early possession and field position. We won a PC which just slid past the stick on the far post and were looking composed. Ed showed great control in front of goal and fully justified his start on the right wing with a really well finished goal getting his feet round and pushing the ball past the keeper. We then had a few more shots which their keeper saved well. After ten minutes we were looking good and then it all turned to custard.

They played an aerial ball in from the left. We panicked, wafted a stick in the air and then proceeded to get tangled up in the circle and failed to clear our lines. Time stood still as they scored the simplest goal we will ever concede. This gave them confidence and they started to play much better. Although we still got forward and made a few chances we spent the next 20 minutes on the back foot. Our marking was slack, we failed to attack the ball and we did not use our width well. We gave the ball away too often and our basic skills particularly our trapping let us down badly. Hibs scored again and deserved their 2-1 lead at half time.

At half time we spoke about using a high forward to disrupt their defence and about playing with more energy and passion. We started the second half well but their keeper made some good saves and they continued to get the ball into our circle. Tom made some excellent saves and we began to clear a bit better to the sides. Finn and Bunsi made a lot of important tackles. At the other end Nick and Shak began to get our attack working but we could not put the final pass in the right place. With ten minutes to go Riley was in the right place in front of the keeper and made the chance for Ethan to score. Both sides had chances to clinch a winner but with a few minutes to go we won our second PC. Nick found Jamie in space and Jamie picked his spot and slotted it past the keeper into the corner. We were all a little relieved when the final whistle went. How you finish the game is sometimes even more important than how you start it.


There were a number of things about this performance that were very pleasing. I liked the way that you kept fighting and there was a much stronger desire to win evident. I enjoyed the way that you kept trying to encourage each other and how you believed that you could win the game. It shows how far we have come from that first game against Raphael when we took the foot of the gas in the dying minutes. This was a gutsy performance guys. It was not always pretty but you persevered. You did Wellington College proud!

Result: Wellington College Under 15A 3 Hibs 2nd XI 2

Players of the day were Tom for some fine goalkeeping and Finn for working hard and playing through the pain.


This result puts us top of the table. This is just my home made version and I guess Aotea beat Wellington High today so should be on 12 points. It shows how tight this league is. There are only 2 points separating the top 5 teams and any of the top 5 can still qualify in the top 2. We are in the position that if we win our last match next week then we will win the grading round. That would be a fantastic achievement.

A much improved second half

At training on Monday we spoke about four things we are working on.

Strength on the ball and in the tackle.
Supporting the ball carrier.
Ball speed in possession.
Keeping our structure and using our width.

We went over these things before the game and then went out in the first half and did virtually none of them!

We allowed them to dictate the tempo of the first half and once again got caught too flat in a line across the back. We have got to improve our marking and our communication. We gave away possession and allowed them way too much space to play. The first half was end to end and Rongotai made more chances than we did. Probably our best chance was Jacob's shot from the top of the circle which beat their goalie in the corner and their full back cleared off the line. We need to keep working on our movement and our support play and pass the ball round, not through, the opposition. We should have had a number of PCs including the most blatant when their defender played the ball with his foot, knee and chest but I was pleased by the way you kept your heads on the pitch and didn't let the refereeing get to you. We had the poorer of the first half and were kept in the game with tackles from Rupert, Bunsi and Finn and some good saves from Tom. We were lucky to go in level with there being no score at half time.


We changed things a little at the start of the second half with Ed going off injured and pushing the forwards up. We finally began to get some control on mid field and put them under some sustained pressure. We had a couple of shots and a couple of times the ball just ran away from us in their circle. Jamie managed to collect a rebound off the pads and reverse it past the keeper. We kept fighting and near the end Ethan put pressure on their keeper who was caught in two minds and Ethan bundled it into the net to score our second. It was a great example of determination and perseverance. Shak, Jacob and Nick got some much better passing going in the second half. Jack and Riley created some good width and could both have scored and the defence really stepped up in the second half to close them down more effectively. This was a game we could easily have lost and it was great to see us getting stronger towards the end rather than conceding as we have done a couple of times.

We need to ensure that Finn, Nick and Bunsi are aware of what each other are doing and where each other is. We cannot afford to leave a big hole in the middle like a giant doughnut!


This was our famous option 1 at what turned out to be our only PC of the match. (you may remember that's the one where we miss the stick stop, have the first shot blocked top circle then track around the top of the circle chased by the defender feinting shots till we screw it past the near post from an impossible angle). Perfectly executed!



Jamie and Ethan both took their chances well but we need to be sharper in the circle and more aggressive in winning PCs. I would like to see the midfield shooting more on sight from the top of the circle. We are converting a good percentage of our shooting chances which is great to see.


Players of the day were Tom for some great saves and clears and Jayson who worked hard and made one epic chase covering 50 metres to make a tackle just outside the circle.

Well done on a much improved second half. If we can start to put it together for a whole game we can be really dangerous. We are still on track for a top two finish with our destiny in our own hands.

Match Result Wellington College U15A 2 Rongotai 2nd XI 0

Beaten in the rain but not outclassed

It was great to see so many parents supporting on a cold, wet and windy (some might say typical) Elsdon day. The game started brightly and it was good having Nick back in the midfield. Finn and Bunsi tackled hard and we began to get some possession. We struggled to really take control and the game was evenly balanced for the first quarter. Rayhan making his first start made several excellent clearances including one diving tackle with his stick at the top of the circle. Too often we tried to pass or run through people and a number of times took the wrong option moving forward. We won three PCs. The first one just ran past Riley's stick on the post and we missed the stick stop on the second. On the third one we used option one of our variations to good effect and Nick combined well with Jamie for Jamie to score. This was pretty near the end of the first half but I felt that we deserved to be ahead at half time.

At half time we spoke about the need to get our wings moving higher and wider, to be harder on the ball and in the tackle and to not give them space up front. Both sides had chances in the second half and some of their stick tackling should have been pulled up much more than it was. They won five or 6 PCs which we successfully defended with Nick in particular making some great tackles at first runner. The defence tackled well but we need to be stronger in claiming the ball and making a good quick pass to keep possession. Our marking also let us down and we were guilty of ball watching and leaving their forwards with too much space in the circle. They had a sustained spell of pressure and should have had one penalty stroke if not two. They scored at the far post to equalise with about ten minutes to go.

We had some promising breaks but lacked penetration and too often we tried to pass or run through them rather than making good runs to help the ball carrier. Ethan made a couple of great runs to get high on the left but overall we did not make many chances and did not win a PC in the second half. Ethan had our best shot which the keeper saved well. Shortly after that they broke through to score what turned out to be the winning goal.

This was a game we could have won and did enough to draw but over the course of the two halves they probably deserved the points. Although we suffered out first loss we were by no means outclassed.

As we predicted they were well organised and had good basic skills but we can certainly beat this team if we play them again. I was impressed by the way that we kept fighting till the end and kept our heads in the face of some provocation! The attitude of the guys who spent more time than usual on the bench today was also exemplary. We are a 14 player squad and it is going to take us all pitching in through the year for us to achieve our potential. We are still very much in contention and I believe that we have the makings of an excellent team. There is no doubt that you have the ability to have success this season and for us all to improve with each game.

Players of the day were Finn for covering miles of ground and leading by example and Raj for some great tackling and passing.

Result: Aotea College 1st XI 2 Wellington College Under 15A 1

Look forward to seeing you at NHS for training on Monday. We will work on our sharpness, our shape and yes ... our basics! Let's learn from today and make sure it is our last loss for a while.

A gutsy performance.

We ground out an excellent result against Onslow College 1st XI in a gutsy team performance. The added pace and power of their players put us under pressure from the start and we made too many unforced errors in long sections of the game. We cannot afford to take a split second too long to tackle, trap, pass and shoot. It was pleasing to see everyone working hard and giving good effort. They penetrated our circle several times and there was some last ditch tackling to keep our goal intact. When we got our passing game working at pace we looked really good going forward. Jamie hit the inside of the post having done everything right. At the other end Tom made an excellent save and clear with his left pad. Jacob picked the ball up and slipped an excellent pass square to Finn who found Jamie with a straight pass into the circle and Jamie slotted the ball to put us one nil up at half time.

At half time we spoke about needing to get more pace on our passing, going to meet the ball and tightening up on our marking. Our defence improved in the second half but we still need to take responsibility and work on our marking. Bunsi, Jayson, Rupert and Raj are improving as a unit and it is good to see communication improving. The midfield worked hard all game but we gave the ball away too often and need to work on our vision and decision making. Onslow were well organised in defence and we tried to pass through them rather than around them and were not giving the ball carrier enough help. Jamie finished off another good passing move when we had won a PC but the umpire played good advantage and we capitalised.

Onslow were awarded a PC after some sloppy play from us in not clearing from the danger zone in front of our circle. They converted to make it 2-1. We will work on our angles of running on Monday and can improve our PC defence to put their striker under pressure but it was a powerful and well directed shot. Finn found Ethan with a superb clearance and Ethan controlled the ball to sprint down the left and take the ball round their keeper. It was particularly good to see Ethan getting his feet round quickly to hit a forehand shot into the goal from the left. Rayhan made some excellent clearances and was quickly off his line to close down shooting chances on several occasions. One time he dived and got to his feet rally quickly to clear the second phase. At the other end we had a couple of other opportunities to score and Riley and Jack both got into some good positions. Onslow won another PC against the run of play and used exactly the same routine to score a second. This was virtually the last play of the game.


It was very encouraging to see the team keeping going right to the final whistle. This was not the prettiest performance but it was brave and you kept working hard for each other. These are the kind of games that define seasons and we all saw how it comes down to a matter of inches. We can improve from here. It was great seeing Nick back on the sidelines and we look forward to his return. Players of the day were Jacob and Ed for some great work in mid-field. Well done on a great result. Let's keep this run going!

Result Wellington College U15A 3 Onslow College 1st XI 2

Good team performance

We approached the game against Wellington High School knowing that they had beaten us last season but wanting to record our first win in the league. We knew that we would miss Nick (who has apparently swapped his appendix for an X Box - don't anyone else get that idea please!) but were confident that Shak could step into centre midfield. We started the game with good shape and tempo and began to exert some control. Riley made some great runs forward and Jack tackled and passed very well on the left. We got into their circle many times but struggled to make clear cut chances. We needed to get the ball down our right more. We also gave their forwards too much space and Tom had to save us on a couple of occasions when they hit us on the break.


The forwards started to link better with the midfield and Jamie had some good runs in the centre with Ethan, Jacob and Riley providing better width. This resulted in Ethan scoring a well worked goal following good work from Finn and Jamie. Our first penalty corner was well saved but at the second Bunsi followed up and slammed a great shot into the corner to send us in 2-0 up at half time.


In the second half they played deeper and Raj, Jayson and Rupert were alert to keeping their wings under control. Shak and Ed got some good passing going and we began to make more and more chances. Jacob, Riley, Finn, Jamie, Ed and Ethan all came close and they resorted to increasingly negative tactics. Jamie scored our third after a strong run through the inside right channel and Ethan hit a great shot from the left in second phase from a PC. We lost a bit of width in the last ten minutes and began to look a little tired. This is going to be a tight league and we can do very well in it but a lot is going to come down to those last ten minutes. We also need to anticipate more and ball watch less.

It was a great team performance, I particularly liked the way that Bunsi, Finn and Shak worked together in the middle and Ed, Jack and Jamie were all noticably up a notch from the previous week. Tom and the defence cleared the danger well and we had some fantastic passing movements going forward. I also liked seeing some better "leading" after Monday traning. Players of the day were Jamie and Jack.

Result: Wellington College U15A 4 Wellington High School 1stXI 0

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Our first league game was a hard fought battle with Raphael House. The first half swung back and forth with few clear cut chances as both teams tackled in mid field but struggled to get the ball moving forward. It was frustrating that we tended to take too many touches and tended to dribble rather than PASS.

Buncey made some excellent tackles and Nick and Finn worked hard to contain the hard working and skillful Denzel who had a great game for Raphael. Our marking was slack and our communication has room for improvement. When we were able to get our passing game working we made some chances and Nick scored an excellent goal to give us the lead at half time.

In the second half we switched Raj and Jayson which helped contain their attacks down the wings but we need to watch out that we do not get caught square at the back. Our back three need to play as a unit and move as one not get caught watching the ball.

The first 20 minutes of the second half we stepped up a gear and they did well to keep out a penalty corner. We finally got some hard, accurate passing going and put Jamie in one on one with their keeper to knock in our second goal of the game.

The last five minutes we self destructed and gave the ball away time and time again. Our decision making was poor and we started to lose our shape. Definitely scope to work on our fitness. We missed a chance to kill the game by going three up and the last few minutes was all Raphael. Tom made some fine saves to keep us in the game but we conceded a goal with three minutes to play and then allowed them to break away and equalise with 20 seconds left on the clock.

Overall it was probably a fair result given the balance of the play but it was disappointing to draw having done all the hard work. The game was played in great spirit and raphael showed the importance of keeping going to the final whistle. There were many positives that we can build on for the season and it is good to have our first points on the board.

Result: Raphael House 2 Wellington College U15A 2.

Players of the match were Ed for some great positional play and distribution and Buncey for some excellent tackling and clearing. We hope Rayhan is recovering and look forward to Shak being back from injury for next weeks game against Wellington High at 4.00 pm at NHS. And try and keep your fingers out of doors!

Well done guys and see you on Monday for training at school turf at 3.45-5.00.

Winning Start to the Season

We had our first match of the season against Wellington College 4th XI at NHS 2.



We dominated possession from the start and spent long periods in the first half in opposition territory but could not create clear chances. We only won two penalty corners which we failed to convert but managed to score two goals from open play from Jamie and Jack.

In the second half the central axis of Bunsi, Nick and Finn began to fire and we achieved greater control in midfield. This increasingly released Ed, Jamie, Riley, Jacob and Jack to get the ball moving forward more quickly. There were two sweeping movements which stood out when the ball was moved in three passes from our 22 to their circle one of which resulted in a goal. We had set the target at half time of scoring four or five in the second half. We converted a couple of penalty corners through Nick and Ethan and added a further four from Shak, Riley, Jamie and Ethan. Jamie's shot into the top right hand corner was the goal of the game.

Raj, Rupert and Jayson tackled well and were able to snuff out any attacking threat before it got into our circle. It was pleasing to see some good distribution and intelligent positional play at the back also. Rayhan and Tom did not touch the ball but looked intimidating and helped marshall the defence. They will have plenty more to do when the league starts.


Player of the Day was Shak who had a very impressive debut at left half with some great tackling, driving into the circle and distribution. (Pictured above in a previous life.)

All in all a very promising start and we wish the 4th XI well in their promotion relegation match next week.

Thanks to Ethan's Dad and Marc's Mum for umpiring.

Result: Wellington College U15A 8 Wellington College 4th XI 0