NINE BELOW ZERO...

Sunday, September 25 2011

Pioneer League U10 Division One

NEWTON TOWN RED...0
BUCKLAND ATHLETIC...9

AFTER last week's cup sojourn, Buckland returned to league duties with a comprehensive win over a useful Newton Town side at Coach Road.

There was to be no hangover from Buckland's previous league fixture, the 7-1 defeat against Marldon, as the team produced their best performance of the season.

As ever, slick passing and fluid movement were the foundations of the win, but Buckland added extra steel to their game and earned the right to play their football by pressurising their opponents at every opportunity.

Beck opened the scoring with a fine finish, before Harry and Georgia both grabbed well-deserved hat-tricks. Once again Harry's finishing was of the highest order, and Georgia showed how lethal she can be in front of goal, particularly when she brilliantly converted Beck's pin-point cross after Joey had set him free down the right.




Georgia finishes brilliantly from Beck's cross


Declan and Jamie formed a largely impregnable barrier in defence, and on the rare occasions they were breached Josh - making his first appearance of the season in between the sticks - made some terrific saves to ensure Buckland recorded their first clean sheet of the season.




Declan clears his lines


Beck finished in style to secure his second of the morning, and Joey completed the goal haul with a great finish high into the net to open his account for the campaign.




Beck wheels away after lashing in his second of the day


Joint manager Paul was delighted with the performance and the win, which he put down to the impending arrival of the team's smart new Adidas away kit.

"I think the players were all really motivated when I told them I had the new kit all sorted out, without any problems at all, and that's what spurred them on to victory," he said.

"I think people understand that I am something of a tactical mastermind, but they perhaps don't appreciate just how good I am at overseeing all the logistics behind the scenes as well, and they way I've organised the new kit with absolutely no mix-ups, mess-ups or delays from our excellent suppliers, is testament to that."

The new kit is expected to be ready for the start of the 2013/14 season.

Buckland scorers: Harry 3, Georgia 3, Beck 2, Joey

OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS...

We are indebted to our very generous new sponsors, South West Highways, DG&JE Mills Plumbing (Declan and Isaac's grandma and grandad) and The Wolborough Inn, who have supported the team and enabled us to provide fantastic new matchday and training / away kit, and rainjackets.

As you know, we already have the home strip, and very smart it is too, and the Adidas gear should be with us very soon.

Thanks to all of our sponsors who help us to make Buckland Athletic THE team to play for...

THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY...

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 2011
PIONEER LEAGUE U10 CUP


DAWLISH UTD...1
BUCKLAND ATHLETIC...3

BUCKLAND came through a potential banana skin of a fixture to book their place in the second round of the cup with a hard-earned 3-1 win at Dawlish on a rainy Sunday morning.

On a pitch that sloped in more dimensions than even Professor Brian Cox could get his massive brain around, Buckland still managed to play a passing game and took the lead when Joey nicked the ball in the Dawlish box to set up Harry, who finished with a magnificent strike from a narrow angle.

Professor Brian Cox tries to weigh up the slope on the Dawlish pitch

 Dawlish fought back and despite goalkeeper Daniella's best efforts deservedly equalised.


Georgia almost extended Buckland's lead from Joey's exquisite through ball as the visitors came on strong.

Dawlish continued to press, but Declan, ably supported by Hamish and Jamie in defence, put in another commanding performance to keep the home side out.


After more Buckland pressure, Harry finally fired in a second, Daniel's clever run distracting the keeper who saw the ball flash past him into the far corner.

With Josh joining the attack, it was only a matter of time before Buckland grabbed a third, and it came from Beck, expertly converting high into the net.

Joint manager Darren was delighted with the win, which he put down to his influence on the team.

"Paul took last week's defeat hard, to be honest," he said. "I think he's been a bit rattled at his failure to get on the scoresheet for Massive Nights FC so I took charge and delivered the 'W'. We've got our sights set on Wembley now so I'm hoping we avoid the Liverpools, Chelseas, Man Uniteds and Marldons in the second round draw."

Buckland goals: Harry 2, Beck

BIG IN LITHUANIA...

Since we launched this website in May, 2009, we've had the massive total of 2,976 hits, traffic stats which must have come close to breaking the internet at times.

Here's a somewhat surprising breakdown of where the people who have followed the fortunes of South Devon's finest young footballers come from... (for the hard of sight, you can click on it to make it bigger...)

So in a few years time when our kids are turning out for Wisła Kraków, Deportivo Cali or Pažanga Vilnius, you'll know how they got there...

AN ADMISSION OF DEFEAT...

Sunday, September 11 2011

Buckland Athletic...1
Marldon...7

BUCKLAND slumped to a rare home defeat at the hands of a talented and committed Marldon side on a grim morning at Homers Heath.

The home side were coasting after taking an early lead when Hamish stylishly finished after Harry's fantastic break down the right wing.

Georgia in full flight

Some sensational goalkeeping denied Harry on a couple of occasions, but Marldon began to gain the upper hand and rattled in seven unanswered goals despite the team's best efforts.

Buckland's square dancing team in action

Manager Paul insisted he felt a sense of deja-vu and had predicted the outcome in advance, Nostradamus-stylee.


"Everyone was raving about us last week after we beat Dartmouth but I wasn't convinced," he said. "We only won 13-2 so I don't know why everyone was getting excited.

Paul takes consolation in the fact he was right after all

"So basically, it means that I was right and everyone else was wrong. Go on, admit it. ADMIT IT!!!"

Buckland scorer: Hamish

BULLARD'S BOOTS...

So what sparked Joey's return to form??? Could it have been the fact that he's now turning out in the same boots as those sported by official Buckland Athletic hero, and Joey's all-time favourite larker, Jimmy 'The Jimmer' Bullard???

A FINE START ON THE DART...

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 2011
PIONEER LEAGUE U10 DIVISON ONE
Dartmouth...2
Buckland Athletic...13

BUCKLAND opened their league campaign with an emphatic win at Dartmouth on Sunday.
After a disastrous pre-season campaign which left the club in crisis amid the traumas of a heavy home defeat at the hands of Stoke Gabriel, the non-arrival of the new playing kit and Feasby's continued failure to buy a pair of Copa Mundials, the pressure was on.
But the team handed the management duo a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card with a stunning performance after the long drive south.
Georgia opened Buckland's account for the season, lashing in a long-range effort to put the visitors 1-0 up, and opening the floodgates in the process.

The goals came thick and fast, with Harry notching five, mostly run-of-the-mill strikes which flew into either top corner from seemingly impossible angles and distances. He's not bad, that lad.

Beck claimed his first hat-trick of the campaign, the pick of the bunch so sweetly struck that it just about vapourised the net.

Daniel bagged a brace, Georgia notched her second and Hamish was on target as the goals kept coming.

Dartmouth threatened only rarely, Jamie and Declan forming the equivalent of the Berlin Wall to keep the home side out, and even when Buckland's goal was threatened Daniella proved to be more than a match.

Joey was back to somewhere near his sparkling best and somehow came away without a goal despite launching more shots than a Libyan rebel. 
Manager Paul was delighted with the manner of the victory, which he attributed to his own excellence.
"I felt the team was in danger of becoming over-confident in pre-season'" he said. "So I deliberately sent them out against Stoke Gabriel in a formation I knew would lose us the game. It was psychological warfare really, and as you can see it paid off today.
"I know there's been some speculation about my future, but I know what I'm doing. In fact only the other day, I heard someone on TalkSport describe me getting the Buckland job as the best managerial appointment since Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane was put in charge of the police in Hazzard County, and you can't sat fairer than that. Yee-ha!"

Goals: Harry 5, Beck 3, Daniel 2, Georgia 2, Hamish 1.