U10 Reds

Team Profile, Information and Match reports 12/13

Under 10’s Reds

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Managers Profile: Name: Dave Symonds What is your football background? Longstanding goalkeeper - I have played open age football for some 35 years. One of the founding members of the original Pennine AFC (the forerunner to Pennine Juniors) How long have you been involved with Pennine Juniors? 3 years How long have you been managing a team? This is my second season managing a team at Pennine Juniors. Previously I managed a team at Bridge for 7 years What do you like most about managing a team? Seeing the team improve week on week What do you find challenging when managing a team? Managing parents’ expectations What has been your funniest/best/ most memorable moment? When my eldest son stripped off to his boxer shorts on the pitch after we had lost a cup semi in the last minute of extra time Describe your team: They have the potential to do very well. However they need to improve their concentration levels and spend less time messing around at training What are you focusing on in training? Currently we are focussing on finding space and defending Tell us the best game to date and why: Prestwich Town away last year. Having lost the home game 8-2 every single player was excellent and the quality of football we played was the best of the season.

Unfortunately we came up against a goalkeeper who had the game of his life and we lost 1-0. However this was of little consequence – everyone (players, parents and coaching staff) really enjoyed the game What advice/tips would you give to young, up and coming footballers? Listen to the manager/coach; do your best at all times; have fun

Contact details: 07768427226 Training times and details: Monday 6-7, Pitch 2, Cardinal Langley

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Results at a glance: Pennine Juniors Under 10’s Red 2012 / 2013 Season Date 8/9/12

Home Radcliffe Borough Bulls

Away Pennine Juniors Reds Bury Amateurs Tigers Pennine Juniors Reds Woodbank Black Pennine Juniors Reds Syke Juniors Reds

Score 3-1

Scorers Tyler Carberry

15/9/12

Pennine Juniors Reds

4-1

Doug Poole, Will Symonds (3)

22/9/12

Middleton l&G Blue

29/9/12 06/10/12

Pennine Juniors Red Radcliffe Boro’ Crusaders

13/10/12

Pennine Juniors Red

20/10/12

Littleborough Juniors

Post

Pennine Juniors Reds

Pennine Juniors Red Pennine Juniors Reds Littleborough Radcliffe Borough Bulls Pennine Juniors Reds Pennine Juniors Reds Pennine Juniors Reds Radcliffe Boro Crusaders Pennine Juniors Reds Westbury Wolves

3/11/12

Unsworth Predators

10/11/12 17/11/12

Pennine Juniors Reds Pennine Juniors Reds

24/11/12

Middleton L&G Reds

1/12/12

Bury Amateurs Tigers

8/12/12

Woodbank Black

15/12/12

Pennine Juniors Reds

12/1/13

Littleborough Juniors

19/1/13 (Cup) 26/1/13 (Cup) 02/02/13 (Cup) 09/02/13

Pennine Juniors Reds

Westbury Wolves

Post

Pennine Juniors Reds

Westbury Wolves

Woodbank Black

Pennine Juniors Reds Elton & Walshaw Lynx Elton & Walshaw Lynx Radcliffe Boro’ Crusaders Pennine Juniors Reds Bury Amateurs Tigers Bury Amateurs Tigers

23/02/13 (Cup) 02/03/13 (Cup) 09/03/13

Pennine Juniors Red

16/3/13

Middleton L&G Blues

23/3/13 (Cup) 6/4/13 (Cup)

Pennine Juniors Reds

Pennine Juniors Red Pennine Juniors Reds

Pennine Juniors Reds

MOM Daniel Bentham Will Symonds

Post 1-5 2-1

Doug Poole Own goal

3-2

Jackson Davis-Iqbal (2), Tom Watson

7-5

Doug Poole Nathaniel Hughes Tyler Carberry

Will Symonds(2) Tyler Carberry Jackson Davis-Iqbal (2) Will Symonds Elli Clarkson, Tyler Carberry, Doug Poole (2) Doug Poole, Jackson Davis-Iqbal ,Tyler Carberry, Dan Bentham

Will Symonds

Will Symonds, Tyler Carberry

James Wynne

2-1

Elli Clarkson, Doug Poole

Doug Poole

5-1

Will Symonds

Daniel Bentham

Nathaniel Hughes, Will Symonds, Tyler Carberry (2) Tyler Carberry (2)

Tyler Carberry

1-6 4-1 0-4

Tom Watson Doug Poole Tom Watson

Post Post Post 2-2 Post

Post 4-2 2-1 6-0

Tyler Carberry Jackson DavisIqbal

Post Post

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Date 8/4/13

Home Pennine Juniors Reds

20/4/13 (Cup) 23/4/13

Pennine Juniors Reds

27/4/13

Unsworth Predators

30/4/13

Pennine Juniors Reds

4/5/13

Pennine Juniors Reds

7/5/13

Pennine Juniors Reds

18/5/13

Bury Amateur Tigers

Syke Juniors Reds

Goal Scorers Will Symonds Tyler Carberry Doug Poole Jackson Davis-Iqbal Elli Clarkson Dan Bentham Tom Watson Nathaniel Hughes

Away Littleborough Juniors Bury Amateurs Tigers Pennine Juniors Reds Pennine Juniors Reds Middleton L&G Blues Middleton L&G Reds Unsworth Predators

Pennine Junior

17 14 9 7 4 1 1 1

Score 0-3

Scorers

MOM James Wynne

2-2 (4-3 onpens) 4-1

Elli Clarksone, Will Symonds (pen), Tyler Carberry Tyler Carberry

Elli Clarkson

2-2 (4-3 on pens) 0-4

Will Symonds (2)

Will Symonds

1-2

Doug Poole

6-1

Jackson Davis-Iqbal, Doug Poole (2), Tyler Carberry (2) Will Symonds

0-7

Jackson Davis-Iqbal, Will Symonds (3), Tyler Carberry (2), Elli Clarkson

Man Of The Match Awards Doug Poole Tyler Carberry James Wynne Will Symonds Tom Watson Dan Bentham Nathaniel Hughes Jackson Davis-Iqbal Elli Clarkson

James Wynne

Nathaniel Hughes Jackson DavisIqbal The whole team

Elli Clarkson

3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

Latest Match report: 18/5/13 v Bury Amateurs Tigers (away): Pennine ended the season with a resounding win against Bury Amateurs Pennine dominated the game throughout. However it took until the 8th minute for them to create the first chance. Tyler Carberry found Jackson Davis-Iqbal whose run along the by- line saw his shot deflected for a corner In the 10th minute a Tom Watson throw saw Elli Clarkson flick the ball to Jackson Davis-Iqbal. He spread the ball wide to Tyler Carberry who was in acres of space but his shot went wide Pennine's next chance came after 12 minutes when Tyler Carberry played the ball down the line to Jackson Davis-Iqbal. He cut inside but his shot brought a good save from the Bury keeper

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In the 15th minute a Will Symonds corner saw a huge scramble in the Bury penalty area.

First Elli Clarkson's shot was blocked before Jackson Davis-Iqbal's shot was well saved by the Bury keeper Pennine's dominance was such that a goal was on the cards and it came after 17 minutes when a great ball by Will Symonds over the top of the Bury defence found Jackson Davis-Iqbal. His super touch created space and he struck the ball past the Bury keeper and into the goal Pennine were now irrepressible. A minute later Doug Poole played a sumptuous ball to put Jackson Davis-Iqbal clear but the Bury keeper was quickly off his line to smother the danger Pennine were now playing some wonderful football and in the 21st minute Dan Bentham played the ball out of defence to Will Symonds. He released Tyler Carberry down the right wing. His cross found Will Symonds, who had made a great run into the box, but his header hit the top of the bar and went for a goal kick In the 22nd minute Doug Poole found Will Symonds in the area in space but his shot brought a great save from the Bury keeper. From the resulting corner there was another scramble in the Bury area. An air shot by Will Symonds saw one chance missed before his follow up was cleared off the line Pennine were rampant and almost immediately afterwards Doug Poole won the ball in midfield. He found Tyler Carberry and he drilled the ball into the goal As half time approached there was still time for Pennine to increase their lead. Once again Doug Poole won possession in the centre of the park. He passed to Tyler Carberry whose cross left Will Symonds with a simple tap in The second half followed the same pattern. Three minutes after the break Elli Clarkson passed to Doug Poole who found Tyler Carberry in space but the Bury keeper was able to keep his shot out.

Four minutes later it was the turn of Tom Watson to play a great ball through to Tyler Carberry but his shot went wide.

More excitement came in the 34th minute when a flowing move saw Doug Poole and Tyler Carberry exchange passes, before Doug ‘s shot was parried by the Bury keeper. Will Symonds, following up, managed to win the header from the rebound but, once again, the ball hit the bar before the Bury keeper was able to grab it to end the danger Another goal looked inevitable and it came in the 36th minute when Tyler Carberry’ collected the ball from a rare Bury corner, played a great through ball to Will Symonds who beat the last Bury defender with ease and struck the ball home Will Symonds completed his second hat trick of the season against Bury 2 minutes later when a flowing move involving Tyler Carberry, Doug Poole and Will Symonds left the latter with an easy chance which he duly converted

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A strong run by Tom Watson in the 42 nd minute saw him find Tyler Carberry and although the Bury keeper got a hand to the shot he was unable to keep it out Tom Watson, who was having a fine game, nearly got on the scoresheet in the 44th minute when his freekick from some 30 yards hit the crossbar Pennine finished the scoring with 4 minutes to go and how fitting it was that the scorer should be Elli Clarkson, in her last game for Pennine before moving to Girls football. Another great move saw the ball fall to Elli just inside the area. With great aplomb she drilled it past the Bury keeper The last action of the game saw the Pennine keeper, Dan Bentham, make his first and only save of the game as, for once, Bury broke. A teasing ball was played into the Pennine area but Dan reacted quickly to claim the ball just in advance of the Bury attacker So as the Season ends the final word goes to the Pennine Manager, Dave Symonds: ‘It has been a season where the Team has made good progress, topped off by winning the Subsidiary Cup. Many thanks to the players for all their effort throughout the season, and to the parents whose support has been excellent and much appreciated’ Goal Scorers: Jackson Davis-Iqbal Will Symonds (3) Tyler Carberry (2) Elli Clarkson

Man of the match was Elli Clarkson who, in her last game in Pennine colours, showed great determination and no little skill as she worked tirelessly down the left flank for the full 50 minutes

Previous match reports: 07.05.13 v Unsworth Predators (home): An outstanding performance resulting in a resounding victory against Unsworth finally extinguished any threat of relegation for Pennine Pennine totally dominated the game from the first minute. With Doug Poole outstanding in centre midfield and Jackson Davis-Iqbal excellent up front Pennine created a number of early chances.

However, as in the Cup Final, the Unsworth keeper was in outstanding form, none more so than when he dived full length to tip a Will Symonds shot over the bar as it looked destined for the top corner of the net. However it seemed only a matter of time before Pennine scored and indeed the breakthrough finally came after 8 minutes courtesy of a fine finish by Jackson Davis-Iqbal Page | 6

Unsworth briefly got back into the match after 12 minutes when the Pennine defence failed to clear a corner. The ball dropped at the feet of an Unsworth player a yard out and he smashed the ball home Pennine were not to be denied though and they retook the lead after 15 minutes when, after a surging run, Doug Poole thumped the ball into the net A couple of minutes later neat interplay down the left wing saw the ball crossed into the Unsworth box. Unsworth struggled to clear it and Tyler Carberry was on hand to drill the ball into the goal, via the underside of the bar, from two yards out Pennine’s fourth goal came on the stroke of half time. A mazy run down the left by Will Symonds saw him get to the by-line. He crossed the ball across the face of the goal and it was deflected into his own goal by an Unsworth defender The second half followed a similar pattern with Pennine launching wave after wave of attacks. Doug Poole continued to win everything in the centre of midfield and Tyler Carberry was terrorising the Unsworth defence down the right wing. It was only a combination of excellent goalkeeping by the Unsworth keeper and a lack of composure when shooting that prevented Pennine from increasing their lead On the rare occasions that Unsworth did mount an attack they found defenders Dan Bentham, Tom Watson and Nathaniel Hughes in excellent form. So much so that Pennine keeper, James Wynne, was rarely troubled as Unsworth were left having to shoot from distance Pennine finally increased their lead after 35 minutes. A Dan Bentham free kick from just inside his own half was flicked on by Doug Poole, standing on the edge of the Unsworth box. The ball sped towards goal, deflected off an Unsworth defender and into the net Pennine completed the scoring with 7 minutes to go when a Will Symonds corner found Tyler Carberry unmarked two yards out. His header went into the net via, yet another deflection Of the many chances Pennine had in the second half the best fell to Tyler Carberry who hit the post and later saw another shot clawed from under the bar by the Unsworth keeper. Elli Clarkson also saw her clean strike from the edge of the box well saved whilst Doug Poole twice steered his shot wide when well positioned to score This was by far Pennine’s best performance of the season and showed what the Team is capable of when they are fully focussed on the game Goal scorers: Jackson Davis-Iqbal Page | 7

Doug Poole (2) Tyler Carberry (2) Will Symonds Man of the match was the whole Team. All nine players were magnificent. They all realised the importance of the game and played with real passion and commitment aswell as some great skill

04.05.13 v Middleton L&G Reds (home): Lost 2-1 A thoroughly entertaining game saw Middleton edge past Pennine to leave Pennine looking over their shoulders as they sit just above the relegation zone With both teams looking to play good passing football the first chance fell to Middleton after 4 minutes. However the Middleton striker's shot brought a good save out of Pennine keeper, James Wynne Pennine responded positively and after 7 minutes Jackson Davis-Iqbal dispossessed the Middleton defender as he received the ball from a throw-in inside his own half. He sprinted towards goal but his shot went just wide After 9 minutes a strong run down the left wing by a Middleton player saw him unleash a powerful shot which was well blocked by James Wynne in the Pennine goal The deadlock was broken in the 11th minute when a flowing move resulted in a well taken goal for Middleton Pennine, though, were well in the game and after 13 minutes Doug Poole won the ball in midfield, played a lovely ball to set Jackson Davis-Iqbal clear but his crisp shot was superbly blocked by the Middleton keeper Pennine continued to press forward and after 17 minutes they were nearly level. Will Symonds’ harassing of the Middleton defence saw him win possession. A clever piece of skill took him past the final Middleton defender. He placed his shot to the left of the Middleton keeper. It looked a goal all the way until the Middleton keeper stuck out a foot to deflect the ball wide Some neat football in the 19th minute set up the next chance for Pennine. Will Symonds passed to Elli Clarkson who fed Doug Poole who set Tyler Carberry up for a shot but the ball went wide However Pennine did not have to wait much longer for the equaliser. Doug Poole intercepted a defensive clearance and shot from some 20 yards out. It was not the sweetest shot that Doug has hit this season but somehow it squirmed through the legs of the Middleton keeper and into the net Pennine undoubtedly deserved the equaliser. However Middleton responded straight away. In the 22nd minute a Middleton shot was well saved by James Wynne in the Pennine goal. Then from the resulting corner Middleton headed wide when it looked easier to score All square at half time Page | 8

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with both sides trying to play attractive football.

Pennine looked strong in defence with Nathaniel Hughes having another outstanding game After 35 minutes Tom Watson played the ball to Jackson Davis-Iqbal. A clever piece of skill saw him lose the two defenders marking him. However he just overran the ball giving the Middleton keeper the opportunity to snuff out the danger Three minutes later Tyler Carberry found himself in acres of space on the right wing. His strong run saw him bearing down on goal but his shot was well saved Pennine's best move came in the 40th minute. Slick inter-passing between Tyler Carberry, Doug Poole and Jackson Davis-Iqbal saw the latter lay the ball off to Tyler but his well struck shot was blocked by a Middleton defender A couple of minutes later and a cross from Jackson Davis-Iqbal found Doug Poole in the area but he could only steer the ball into the arms of the Middleton keeper Both sides continued to press for the winner and, unfortunately for Pennine, it went to Middleton with less than 2 minutes remaining. A poor Pennine corner saw 4 Middleton players breaking at speed. Will Symonds made a valiant attempt to get back to avert the danger. However he could not prevent the shot which was well struck and the ball somehow managed to squeeze in past Pennine keeper James Wynne There was still time for one last Pennine attack. Jackson Davis-Iqbal laid the ball to Doug Poole who found Tyler Carberry in space in the box but his weak shot went wide This was a most frustrating defeat for Pennine. They played some lovely football, created the majority of chances but lacked the composure to convert them. They showed great endeavour as a Team and defended resolutely when they needed to. Tuesday's game against Unsworth now takes on added significance in the fight to avoid relegation Goal scorer: Doug Poole Man of the match was Jackson Davis-Iqbal. He led the line superbly, was industrious throughout and his clever link-up play helped create a number of chances for his team mates

30/4/13 v Middleton L&G Blues (home): Lost 4-0 After the euphoria of Saturday’s Cup win Pennine returned to league action against Middleton Lads & Girls Blues. Unfortunately their opponents, who are pushing for promotion, were too good for Pennine and this latest defeat leaves Pennine, with three games left, still in a relegation dogfight Pennine were bright in the early stages and after some neat interplay Will Symonds found himself with a goal scoring opportunity. Unfortunately the Middleton keeper was equal to the task and made a good save Page | 9

Further good play by Pennine created another chance for Will Symonds in the 7th minute but again the Middleton keeper kept the ball out Middleton looked threatening whenever they attacked and it was not long before their pressure forced Pennine keeper, James Wynne, into a good save. As the half wore on Middleton started to dominate but chances were limited due to excellent defending by Dan Bentham and Nathaniel Hughes Ultimately, however, Middleton’s pressure paid off and they scored after 16 minutes when, after Pennine had successfully defended a series of corners, the ball found its way straight into the net from another corner Despite the setback Pennine continued to push forward and were unlucky not to score after 20 minutes when a Doug Poole thunderbolt from 20 yards went just wide Just when it seemed that Pennine would get to half time just 1-0 down a screamer from a Middleton player from 25 yards flew into the top right hand corner of the net giving Pennine keeper, James Wynne, no chance Middleton dominated the early stages of the second half and it was no surprise when, after 32 minutes, they increased the lead. Pressure from Middleton pushed the Pennine defence deeper and deeper and when the ball came out to the edge of the area the Middleton player struck the ball past Pennine keeper, Dan Bentham (Dan having taken over the goalkeeping duties at half time) Middleton were playing some excellent football but Pennine did not yield and they continued to press forward. After 38 minutes the ball was played though to Jackson Davis-Iqbal. He took the ball to the edge of the box but, although he hit his shot sweetly, the Middleton keeper stood tall and was able to turn the ball over the bar Then, after 43 minutes the ball came back to Tom Watson following a throw in and he hit the bar with a speculative shot from 25 yards with the Middleton keeper rooted to the spot With 4 minutes remaining more Pennine pressing saw Elli Clarkson in space but her shot went straight at the Middleton keeper. He immediately hit the ball long. A delightful flick from the Middleton striker took Nathaniel Hughes out of the game and the ball fell into the path of a supporting Middleton player who drove his shot into the roof of the net leaving Pennine keeper Dan Bentham with no chance Whilst there was lots of honest endeavour from the Pennine team Middleton simply outplayed them with some beautiful passing moves and they were deserved winners Man of the match was Nathaniel Hughes who had an impressive game in defence for Pennine. He consistently won tackles when faced one on one with the Middleton attackers, made numerous timely interceptions and showed great heart in closing down the Middleton players as they shaped to shoot

27/4/13 v Unsworth Predators (neutral ground) Supplementary Cup: 2-2 Won 4-3 on penalties Page | 10

In a game that was full of drama and tension and which ended with another penalty shoot out, Pennine emerged victorious and in so doing claimed their first ever trophy Pennine started the game with real purpose and Will Symonds had two great opportunities within the first 5 minutes to give Pennine the lead. Unfortunately on both occasions he hit the ball over the bar.

On a wide, long pitch, where the playing surface was excellent, Pennine played some super football.

Doug Poole was immense in the centre of midfield and with Tyler Carberry and Will Symonds finding wide open spaces down each flank and some neat touches from Jackson Davis-Iqbal, Pennine continued to dominate territory and create numerous chances. However as happened last week they found the Unsworth goalkeeper in outstanding form Unsworth did have the occasional foray into the Pennine half, predominantly on the counter attack, and it was from one such break that they came close to opening the scoring when a shot from one of their players rifled against the Pennine cross bar before being cleared to safety It seemed that it was only a matter of time before Pennine’s dominance was rewarded and so it turned out, A throw in from the right went over the head of the Unsworth defender. Will Symonds reacted quickest and managed to poke the ball past the advancing Unsworth keeper to give Pennine a 15 th minute lead The remainder of the half saw a similar pattern as Pennine dominated possession and territory only for them to be denied a second goal by some resolute Unsworth defending and excellent goalkeeping. The best of the chances came when Will Symonds received the ball in the box just to the right of the goal.

He turned his defender and hit s clean shot that was heading for the top corner of the net only for the Unsworth keeper to fingertip it behind 1-0 to Pennine at half time and totally on top - all was looking great for Pennine. And so it continued for the first 10 minutes of the second half. Then, completely out of the blue, the Unsworth striker picked the ball up on the left wing some 30 yards from goal. He rode three flimsy challenges and hit the ball past keeper James Wynne to equalise. Worse was to come when, three minutes later, another Unsworth attack saw an Unsworth player breaking into the box from the left wing. As he struck a shotcum-cross the ball hit Will Symonds’ leg as he sought to block the ball and deflected past keeper James Wynne into the net to give Unsworth a shock 2-1 lead For the next 5 minutes Pennine sought to regain control of the game but, although they had the majority of the territory, the Unsworth defence restricted Pennine to long range shots, none of which troubled the Unsworth keeper. Then came the chance Pennine were waiting for to get back in the game. Jackson Davis-Iqbal was sent clear but his shot went just wide. Then, following a neat move down the right wing, the ball was played into the Unsworth box. Will Symonds controlled it, went outside his defender and shot with his left foot. Unfortunately for Pennine the Unsworth keeper reacted quickly, diving to his left to smother the ball

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Three minutes later a long clearance went behind the Unsworth defence. Will Symonds sprinted after it and managed to prevent it going from a goal kick. He cut in from the right, created some space for himself and struck a left foot shot. However once more the Unsworth keeper was able to push it away to safety With 4 minutes to go things were looking bleak for Pennine. Then Doug Poole played the ball forward and found Will Symonds in acres of space, back to goal. Will controlled the ball, turned and calmly struck the ball into the net, much to the joy of all those supporting the Pennine cause There was still time for Pennine to win the game and they had a wonderful opportunity to do so with 2 minutes remaining. A long ball from the back cleared the Unsworth defence. Will Symonds speed saw him reach the ball first but his volley went just wide Full time 2-2. And so, once more, to the penalty shoot out Unsworth were first up but James Wynne was equal to the challenge as he stood firm to keep out the first penalty. Will Symonds strode forward to take Pennine’s first penalty and he hit it confidently to the right of the Unsworth keeper and into the net. Pennine’s advantage was increased when James Wynne made another great save from the second Unsworth penalty. However Pennine’s joy was short lived as Doug Poole, to everyone’s great surprise hit his shot wide. Unsworth finally registered a goal when the third penalty taker hit the ball wide of James Wynne. Tom Watson was next up for Pennine but his shot was well saved by the Unsworth keeper. Unsworth scored their next penalty and so with Unsworth now in the lead the pressure was on Pennine but Nathaniel Hughes was up to the task as he converted his penalty with confidence. Unsworth converted their next penalty and so it was up to Tyler Carberry to take the shoot out into sudden death. He managed to put behind him his miss the previous week as he drilled the ball past the Unsworth keeper into the net.

And so to sudden death. The pressure proved too much for the Unsworth player and he hit his shot well wide. Dan Bentham therefore had the opportunity to win the Cup for Pennine. He strode forward and drilled the ball into the net. However the Pennine celebrations were halted when the referee blew and ordered the spot kick to be retaken as Dan had taken his penalty before the referee had blown his whistle. The tension was unbearable. Dan re-spotted the ball, ran up and hit the ball cleanly into the roof of the net The players celebrated, the supporters celebrated and manager, Dave Symonds, sighed with relief.

Pennine had been far and away the better team and it would have been a travesty if they had not won.

However penalties are a lottery and the Team cannot be commended enough for the character they showed in not giving up when they went behind and ultimately coming out on top Goal Scorer: Will Symonds (2) Man of the match was Will Symonds who was a thorn in the side of Unsworth all game. With his tireless running and some silky skills he was able to fashion a whole host of chances for himself. He

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was closely followed by skipper Doug Poole who was magnificent in the centre of midfield, constantly winning challenges and driving his Team forward

23/4/13 v Syke Juniors Reds (away): Lost 4-1 After the great Cup success on Saturday Pennine returned to league action against an impressive Syke outfit pushing for promotion. Despite a fully committed performance by all the Team ultimately Syke proved to be too strong and this latest defeat leaves Pennine hovering just above the relegation zone Syke took the initiative right from the off and dominated both possession and territory. However Nathaniel Hughes and Dan Bentham were excellent in defence and, although dwarfed by his opposite number, Will Symonds, standing in for missing skipper Doug Poole in central midfield, was a little terrier repeatedly getting a foot in to break up Syke’s attacks. Such was Syke’s dominance that Jackson Davis-Iqbal was an isolated figure up front but he worked tirelessly throughout the game harrying the Syke defenders and keeping them on their toes Inevitably with so much possession Syke began to create chances. However they found the Pennine keeper, James Wynne, in inspired form. He pulled off a string of first class saves from shots from outside the box and on the couple of occasions Syke managed to get past the Pennine defence he was equal to the challenge when one and one with the Syke striker Slowly Pennine managed to get a foothold in the game and strung together some neat passing movements. Then in the 15th minute Pennine were awarded a free kick following a foul on Will Symonds some 25 yards from goal. Tyler Carberry stepped forward and hit an absolute thunderbolt into the top right hand corner of the net with the Syke keeper rooted to the spot.

However Pennine’s lead was short lived. Syke continued to put pressure on the Pennine defence and in the end it told when, in the 18th minute, a long throw was turned into the Pennine net by a Syke player. Two minutes later Syke took the lead when a wind assisted corner found its way into the Pennine net Pennine’s problems were compounded almost immediately when Nathaniel Hughes was injured leaving Pennine with a bare seven players for the rest of the game. Tom Watson slipped into Nathaniel’s defensive role and was soon making some lusty challenges. However Syke were continuing to create a host of chances but time and again James Wynne was equal to the task of keeping them out Just as it seemed that Pennine would get to halftime just one goal down another Syke corner led to a third goal and a mountain for Pennine to climb in the second half Dan Bentham took over in goal for Pennine at half time and it was not long before he was forced into action. Pennine were still finding it difficult to mount any real pressure on the Syke goal as the Pennine midfield trio, Will Symonds, Tyler Carberry and Elli Clarkson, were fully occupied with defensive duties.

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Syke increased their lead after 35 minutes following a period of sustained pressure.

Thereafter whilst Syke created a number of further openings keeper Dan Bentham managed to keep them at bay.

At the other end Pennine did manage to threaten the Syke goal twice, both times from free kicks.

However on each occasion, firstly from Tyler Carberry and then Will Symonds, the shots were headed off the line by a Syke defender with the keeper well beaten Without doubt the best team won the game. However there was much to admire in the Pennine performance. The whole Team worked hard throughout and they never gave up. They showed great heart and spirit in their defensive duties and, in patches, some neat touches when in possession. If they can replicate the same commitment in the Cup Final on Saturday then they will have a great chance of lifting their first ever trophy Goal Scorer: Tyler Carberry Man of the match was James Wynne whose first half goalkeeping display was sensational

20/4/13 v Bury Amateurs Tigers (neutral ground) Supplementary Cup: 2-2 Won 4-3 on penalties Pennine progressed to the final of the Supplementary Cup with a gutsy performance against a physically big Bury team in a match full of tension and drama No-one could have predicted the tension or drama that would follow as Pennine made a bright start to the game dominating territory and playing some neat attractive football. However for all their dominance Pennine were unable to create any clear cut chances as the three man Bury defence and tight pitch denied them the space they craved. Instead they were restricted to long range shots only to find the Bury goalkeeper in excellent form. Defensively Pennine were rarely troubled with Nathaniel Hughes and Tom Watson coping with ease with the few forays forward Bury managed to muster The deadlock was finally broken after 16 minutes when a Will Symonds corner picked out Elli Clarkson unmarked on the far post and she nonchalantly headed the ball into the net to give Pennine a 1-0 lead Pennine continued to dominate the game and therefore it came as a shock when 4 minutes before halftime Bury equalised. A long ball from the back was only half cleared by Tom Watson. The ball broke to a Bury attacker who spun and shot. The ball took a deflection and flew into the top right hand corner of the Pennine net leaving the, until then redundant, Pennine keeper James Wynne with no chance 1-1 at half time and all to play for. However there was optimism in the Pennine camp, such was their dominance in the first half The second half started in much the same way as the first. However for all their possession and territorial domination Pennine continued to find it difficult to find their way past the resolute Bury Page | 14

defence. As is often the case in such situations as Pennine pressed forward Bury were able to exploit the spaces left and they counter attacked with greater purpose than in the first half.

One such counterattack, in the 35th minute, resulted in a corner for Bury. The ball was driven in hard, hit the back of one of the Bury players and rebounded into the net, James Wynne having no chance Pennine were stunned at going behind and for a few moments looked likely to concede another goal.

Infact it took a wonderful save from James Wynne, diving full length to his right, to prevent Bury increasing their lead and almost certainly ending the Cup dreams of Pennine Pennine, though, showed great resilience. Spurred on by their captain Doug Poole they continued to push forward but still they struggled to find a way through. Then with under 10 minutes to play Will Symonds wriggled though on the left wing, put in a sumptuous ball to Jackson Davis-Iqbal only for him to steer the ball wide from 5 yards. Pennine’s other attempts were all from long range and either went wide or fell into the safe arms of the Bury keeper.

Time was running out and the situation looked bleak for Pennine. Then, with 5 minutes to go, Pennine got the break they needed when they were awarded a penalty that was somewhat fortuitous. The ball was played into the Bury penalty area, bounced and hit a Bury player on the hand, The referee pointed immediately to the penalty spot although there was little to suggest that the handball was deliberate.

Will Symonds stepped forward to accept the responsibility for taking the spot kick and, despite the pressure of the moment, he hit the ball cleanly into the bottom right hand corner of the net to level the score at 2-2 The excitement did not end there as with 2 minutes to go a long ball evaded the Bury defence but Jackson Davis-Iqbal could only hit the bouncing ball wide of the goal Full time 2-2. And so to the penalty shoot out Will Symonds strode forward to take the first penalty and, once again, he hit it confidently to the right of the Bury keeper and into the net. After Bury had scored their first penalty Doug Poole was next up for Pennine and he blasted the ball into the net. Inexplicably Bury’s next penalty taker opted for placement rather than power and was denied as James Wynne stuck out a right boot to keep the ball out of the net. Pennine extended their advantage when Tom Watson’s penalty had just enough power to go through the Bury keeper and over the line. Even though James Wynne managed to get a hand to the ball he was unable to prevent Bury scoring their next penalty. Pennine’s advantage soon disappeared as firstly Jackson Davis-Iqbal saw his penalty saved by the Bury keeper and then Bury scored their next penalty. At 3-3 with one penalty left per team it was effectively sudden death and all looked lost for Pennine when Tyler Carberry hit his shot over the crossbar. However, once again, James Wynne came to the rescue as he stood tall and diverted the final Bury penalty away from the goal.

Now we were into sudden death real time. Nathaniel Hughes was first up for Pennine and he kept his nerve to score with some aplomb. The pressure was too much for the next Bury player to step forward and he dragged his penalty well wide

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So Pennine progress to their first Cup Final and deservedly so. They were the better Team throughout and they showed great character in fighting back to equalise in the latter stages of the game Goal Scorers: Elli Clarkson Will Symonds (pen) Man of the match was Elli Clarkson. In addition to her goal she showed great tenacity throughout, a fine example to her team mates as to how to compete against opponents who are physically bigger

8/4/13 v Littleborough Juniors: Lost 3-0 Pennine returned to League action after a three week break only to find high flying Littleborough too strong and duly fell to a second successive defeat Pennine started brightly enough and had an early chance when the ball fell to Jackson Davis-Iqbal just outside the box but his shot went wide. After 10 minutes a Pennine corner was only half cleared by the Littleborough defence. Tyler Carberry reacted quickest but his header went straight into the arms of the Littleborough keeper. As it turned out this was Pennine’s one and only shot on target of the whole game As the half wore on Littleborough started to take control led by their skipper whose quick feet and silky skills confused the Pennine players time after time. However some excellent defending by Nathaniel Hughes, Tom Watson and Elli Clarkson restricted Littleborough and on the few occasions they did create openings they found James Wynne in the Pennine goal in inspired form as he pulled of a series of excellent saves Five minutes from halftime Littleborough should have scored when their skipper broke clear but with just James Wynne to beat he shot tamely wide 0-0 at halftime was a just outcome for a Pennine team who, although somewhat toothless in attack, had stuck admirably to their task Parity was not to last for long and 5 minutes into the second half Pennine fell behind. A Littleborough throw on the Pennine right, just outside the box, saw the Littleborough skipper turn two defenders and then poke the ball past an unsighted Dan Bentham who was now in the Pennine goal Littleborough retained their 1-0 lead until 7 minutes from time although they did pass up a number of good chances to go further ahead. Then sloppy defending by Pennine saw another Littleborough throw from the Pennine right go to an unmarked Littleborough player and he drilled the ball home from just outside the box

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Littleborough completed their scoring 3 minutes from time when Tom Watson headed a Littleborough corner into his own net After a spirited first half performance the second was desperately disappointing particularly the manner in which the goals were conceded and the lack of threat Pennine displayed in attack.

Man of the match was James Wynne. An outstanding goalkeeping display in the first half ensured that Pennine went in at half time all square. He then followed this up in the second half with a tenacious performance on the right side of midfield 16/3/13 v Middleton L&G Blues (away): Lost 6-0 Pennine returned to earth with a bump as they were well beaten by a very well organised and competitive Middleton side Pennine got off to the worst possible start when, after just 3 minutes, Middleton reacted quickest to intercept a James Wynne goal kick to stroke the ball into an unguarded net Worse was to follow when, after 7 minutes. Middleton had a strike on goal which was well blocked by Tom Watson. A scramble then followed in the Pennine goal area resulting in a Middleton player steering the ball into the net Middleton continued to pile on the pressure and would have increased their lead but for a couple of great saves from James Wynne in the Pennine goal.

Finally Pennine established a foothold in the game and for the next ten minutes exerted some pressure on the Middleton goal. Firstly, in the 12th minute Doug Poole hit a screamer just over the bar and out of the ground, such was the power in the shot. Then in the 15 th minute, in what was probably Pennine’s best move of the game, Jackson Davis-Iqbal collected a Tom Watson goal kick some 20 yards out from the Middleton goal. He played a sumptuous pass directly into the path of the on rushing Tyler Carberry but his shot went, once again, over the bar. Then in the 18th minute a Tom Watson throw was headed on by Jackson Davis-Iqbal to Dan Bentham but his rasping drive was brilliantly saved by the Middleton keeper.

Almost immediately Pennine were guilty of giving away possession whilst pressing forward and Middleton were only denied a goal by another great save by James Wynne. Then, as the first half came to a close, Middleton broke quickly from a Pennine corner and it took James Wynne, coming off his line quickly, to extinguish the threat Pennine started the second half brightly and in the 30th minute a header from Tyler Carberry from a Tom Watson throw put Jackson Davis-Iqbal through but his shot was well blocked by the Middleton keeper. Middleton responded immediately and from a corner Pennine’s nemesis reappeared when a Middleton player was left unmarked yards from the goal and he headed the ball into the net.

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Middleton were now full of confidence and in the 33rd Minute a long throw found a Middleton player in space but his shot was well saved by Dan Bentham who had taken over in the Pennine goal for the second half Pennine continued to try to get back into the game and were unlucky not to get on the score sheet when, after 35 minutes, a long clearance found Jackson Davis-Iqbal clear on goal. His shot was smothered by the Middleton keeper. The rebound fell to Tyler Carberry who looked odds on to score until the Middleton keeper made a remarkable save at full stretch. Then from the ensuing corner Will Symonds found himself in space in the Middleton area but his shot went just wide As well as Pennine were playing going forward, defensively they were all at sixes and sevens and it was no great surprise when Middleton extended their lead in the 40th minute after a Middleton player was given far too much time in the Pennine area allowing him to turn and strike the ball wide of Dan Bentham into the goal Once more Pennine showed their ability going forward. Neat interplay between Will Symonds and Jackson Davis-Iqbal freed Tyler Carberry down the right but his shot went wide Middleton extended their lead further in the 43rd minute when Pennine lost the ball in midfield and Middleton took advantage to score on the break Still Pennine pressed forward and Jackson Davis-Iqbal was denied once again by the Middleton keeper after having been put through by Will Symonds. As Pennine strove to get the goal their attacking play deserved Middleton hit them once more on the counter attack. A quick break saw a Middleton player skip round James Wynne’s tackle and when Dan Bentham fumbled the ball a Middleton attacker had an easy tap in to make the score 6-0 A super save from Dan Bentham in the 48th minute from a Middleton free kick ensured the score remained the same. A minute later Doug Poole played a great ball through to Will Symonds but, once again, the Middleton keeper made an excellent save.

The final action of the game saw Middleton on the attack. Once again Dan Bentham made a great save and was then assisted as Elli Clarkson reacted quickest to the rebound to steer it clear from the on rushing Middleton player As well as Pennine played going forward, defensively they were poor giving their opponents far too much space and time in attacking areas whilst failing to show the required determination and commitment when carrying out their defensive duties. It is this aspect of their game where Pennine will have to improve if they are to have any hope of winning their Supplementary Cup semi-final next week Man of the match was Jackson Davis-Iqbal who worked tirelessly throughout the game and who was at the heart of most of what Pennine did on the day that was positive.

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9/3/13 v Radcliffe Boro’ Crusaders (home): Won 2-1 Pennine returned to winning ways in the League with a well-deserved victory against Radcliffe Boro’ Crusaders. The win leapfrogs Pennine above their opponents and away from the relegation zone Pennine made a strong start to the game dominating territory and putting the Radcliffe defence under pressure. After two good chances had been wasted Pennine took the lead in the 5 th minute. A throw from Tom Watson was headed on by Jackson Davis-Iqbal. The ball evaded everyone but Tyler Carberry reacted the quickest and swivelling he drilled the ball past the Radcliffe keeper Pennine were playing some great football at this stage and it was not long before they extended their lead. Will Symonds picked the ball up on the left, jinked his way past a couple of Radcliffe defenders and passed the ball to Jackson Davis-Iqbal. He played an exquisite ball to put Tyler Carberry in the clear and he made no mistake, thundering the ball into the net past the hapless Radcliffe keeper Pennine were rampant at this stage and should have extended their lead in the 10th minute when a corner from Tyler Carberry found Jackson Davis-Iqbal in acres of space but he headed wide Radcliffe were given a lifeline in the 18th minute when Pennine fell into the trap of trying to dribble, rather than pass, their way out of defence. Having lost the ball they compounded the error by allowing the Radcliffe player to advance too close to the Pennine goal without being closed down. His shot then squirmed under the body of the Pennine keeper, James Wynne, and into the net Pennine responded positively and straight from the kick off Doug Poole released Tyler Carberry. His ball into Will Symonds saw the latter clear on goal but the Radcliffe keeper made a brave save. Then from a rare Radcliffe attack Pennine broke quickly. Elli Clarkson passed to Will Symonds who put Tyler Carberry clear through on goal only for his shot to be well saved by the Radcliffe keeper The second half saw Radcliffe play with greater purpose and in the 30 th minute they had, what turned out to be, their best opportunity of an equaliser when a scramble in the Pennine box saw James Wynne make a great point blank save and then Doug Poole block the follow up shot.

Pennine were soon back on the offensive and following a strong run by Doug Poole he found Jackson Davis-Iqbal who, following a lovely piece of skill, created space for himself but his shot was well saved by the Radcliffe keeper For the next 10 minutes the game was highly competitive. However for the most part the battle stayed in midfield where, once again, Doug Poole, put in an impressive performance. On the few occasions Radcliffe pressed forward their attacks were repelled by Tom Watson and Nathaniel Hughes. Similarly the Radcliffe defence was resolute and strong defending restricted Pennine’s opportunity to extend their lead.

With 5 minutes to go Pennine had an opportunity to seal victory when Tyler Carberry set up Jackson Davis-Iqbal but unfortunately his shot went wide. However ultimately it did not matter as Pennine saw out the remainder of the game comfortably Page | 19

Overall this was a much more comfortable win for Pennine than the score line may suggest. Radcliffe were, by and large, restricted in their attacks to relying on long throws. However, full credit to Pennine as they defended them with real purpose and denied Radcliffe any opportunities to score. Going forward Pennine played some great football and with more composure in front of goal would (and should) have scored more goals Goal Scorer: Tyler Carberry (2) Man of the match was Tyler Carberry. In addition to his two great goals he was a constant threat to Radcliffe down the right wing, creating a number of chances for his team mates

02/03/13 v Elton & Walshaw Lynx (home) Supplementary Cup: Won 4-2 Pennine’s quest for a first ever trophy remained on track after they secured a well-deserved win against Elton & Walshaw Lynx in the quarter final of the Supplementary Cup It was nip and tuck in the early stages of the game with neither side creating any chances.

Elton’s main threat came from their striker whose power and speed caused problems for Pennine.

However Dan Bentham stuck manfully to his task in marking him to negate the threat aided by Nathaniel Hughes and Doug Poole Disaster then struck for Pennine after 15 minutes following an Elton corner. The ball was crossed in from the right, by-passed all the Elton players only for Elli Clarkson to inadvertently steer the ball into the goal. This was incredibly frustrating for the Pennine Manager as this was yet another case of Pennine failing to cope with a crossed ball from the right even though the Team have spent training session after training session practising how to defend them However Pennine responded well creating a number of chances through neat inter-passing between Doug Poole, Will Symonds and Jackson Davis-Iqbal (who was leading the line admirably) and strong running down the right flank by Tyler Carberry. Unfortunately for Pennine, on each occasion, they were denied by the Elton goalkeeper and some resolute defending Half time came with Pennine 1-0 down The early minutes of the second half replicated the first with neither side dominating the game. Then in the 25th minute Nathaniel Hughes made a strong run from the back. His through ball was cut out but came straight back to him. Instinctively he shot and from 25 yards the ball flew into the net The equaliser galvanised Pennine and for the next 5 minutes they were irrepressible. A long clearance from goalkeeper Dan Bentham (who had taken over from James Wynne at half time) found its way through to Will Symonds and he casually stroked the ball to the left of the goalkeeper into the net.

Two minutes later neat link up play between Will Symonds and Tyler Carberry put the latter clear and he drilled the ball home

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At this stage Pennine were dominant and it was not long afterwards that following more good inter-passing between Tyler Carberry and Will Symonds the latter crossed to Elli Clarkson but her shot went just wide Elton were given a lifeline almost immediately afterwards when Nathaniel Hughes made his one and only mistake of the game when, as last man, he lost possession and the ever dangerous Elton striker outpaced the Pennine defence to rifle the ball home giving keeper Dan Bentham no chance at all.

However this was the last time that the Pennine goalkeeper was to be troubled as James Wynne continued where Dan Bentham had left off in marking the Elton striker (and thus Elton’s main threat) out of the game Pennine restored their two goal lead with 10 minutes to go when Tyler Carberry cut in from the left wing and saw his shot go under the body of the Elton goalkeeper Pennine dominated the remaining minutes of the game and could have increased their advantage but for some strong defending by Elton Whilst not the best performance of the season, the whole Team deserve credit for their continued endeavour and persistence. It was particularly pleasing to see that the team tried consistently to play a passing game and that ultimately this was duly rewarded. So now it’s on to the semi-final against Bury Tigers on 23 March at Heywood Sports Centre. This is a game that the Team are more than capable of winning provided they turn up in the right frame of mind Goal Scorers: Nathaniel Hughes Will Symonds Tyler Carberry(2)

Man of the match was Tyler Carberry. Not only did he score two critical goals but he showed great industry throughout the game as well as some outstanding skill

09.02.13 Woodbank Blacks v Pennine Juniors Reds (away): Lost 5-1 Pennine’s four match unbeaten run came to a shuddering end at Nuttall Park when they were comprehensively beaten by League Leaders, Woodbank From the kick off Will Symonds broke down the right wing, cut inside the defender but his scuffed shot just rolled into the goalkeeper’s hands. For the next few minutes it was pretty much end to end until the 5th minute when Woodbank broke down the left wing and the resulting cross eluded the retreating Pennine defenders and found a Woodbank striker unmarked in the box for an easy tap in .

8 minutes gone and pressure from Woodbank resulted in a corner that led to Woodbank's second goal when a miskick in the box by Tom Watson sent the ball into Pennine's net Page | 21

It was clear at this stage that the Pennine players were missing the direction of their much respected Manager due to his flight back from USA being delayed but his stand-in, Bernard Carberry, was trying hard to motivate the Pennine team who appeared jaded. Several minutes of good football from both teams followed and in the 14th minute a great move from Pennine sent Will Symonds flying down the wing and bearing on goal, unleashing a shot that zipped past the far post and out for a goal kick.

Again, there was several minutes of end to end football with some good saves made by James Wynne.

Then in the 20th minute when some excellent passing and movement from Woodbank carved a way through the Pennine midfield and defence and resulted in Woodbank's third goal The half time whistle blew and Bernard Carberry's half time team talk must have been a good one because the Pennine team seemed more focussed and determined to get back into the game.

In the first few minutes of the 2nd half there was some good passing and movement from the Pennine players which kept Woodbank on the back foot. A great move down the right wing by Jackson DavisIqbal opened up the Woodbank defence. He passed the ball to an unmarked Elli Clarkson in the penalty area who promptly fired a shot on target forcing a super save from the Woodbank goalkeeper.

After 35 minutes more good work in midfield from a very strong Doug Poole saw him pass the ball to Will Symonds who smashed the ball into the roof of the Woodbank net to make the score 3-1.

This appeared to give some confidence to the Pennine team and there was some great football played by both teams for the next 5 minutes or so.

Unfortunately Pennine’s comeback was thwarted when in the 40th minute Pennine found themselves 4-1 down following some sloppy defending. Bernard made a team change, bringing Tyler Carberry on for Jackson Davis-Iqbal, and this had an immediate affect when Will Symonds carved his way through midfield, passed to Tyler Carberry who fired a shot on target bringing a very good save from the Woodbank goalkeeper. Pennine were piling on the pressure at this stage and within a minute the Woodbank goalkeeper was forced to pull off another good save when a throw in from Tom Watson found Will Symonds bearing down on goal. 2 minutes later Tyler Carberry forced his way through the Woodbank defence and the ball fell to Will Symonds in the penalty area who once again forced yet another excellent save from the Woodbank goalkeeper.

Within a minute Will Symonds made a great move down the right flank, rode a couple of fierce challenges and made a fine cross into the box but the ball just eluded both Tyler Carberry and Tom Watson who were running into the penalty area.

Pennine had been exerting real pressure on Woodbank in the second half but in their efforts to score a goal and get back into this game they had left themselves open to the counter attack and unfortunately in the 47th minute Woodbank found themselves flying down the right wing and the resulting cross found a Woodbank striker in the box who forced a fantastic double save from Dan

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Bentham. Unfortunately because Dan was still on the floor and with no support from his defence the Woodbank striker was given a 3rd opportunity to shoot and this time he did not miss Overall this was a most disappointing result and performance. Whilst Pennine were very positive going forward they kept getting sucked into committing challenges rather than standing and forcing the opposing players to play. This allowed the opposition to skip past the Pennine players thus putting the defence under unnecessary pressure. Plenty, therefore, for the returning Manager to work on in training prior to the Supplementary Cup Quarter Final against Elton & Walshaw Lynx on 23 February 2013 Goal Scorer: Will Symonds Man of the match was Daniel Bentham for a series of excellent saves

02.02.13 Pennine Reds v Westbury Wolves (home) Supplementary Cup: Won 2-1 At the third time of asking Pennine and Westbury Wolves finally locked horns in their Supplementary Cup game (although Pennine had to give up home advantage in order to play due to Hopwood being frozen off). Westbury Wolves, the unbeaten leaders of the Roach Division, proved to be strong (and at times overly physical) opponents but in the end they were mauled by a tenacious Pennine team Playing downhill and with the wind behind them Pennine dominated the first half territorially although chances were few and far between. After 10 minutes Dan Bentham appeared to have opened the scoring when his rasping shot from 20 yards thundered against the underside of the crossbar only for the ball to bounce out to safety. Almost immediately afterwards a rare foray by Westbury into the Pennine half saw goalkeeper James Wynne called into real action for the first (and only real time) of the half Neat play down the left hand side saw Tyler Carberry slide the ball through the Westbury defence for Jackson Davis-Iqbal but unfortunately, off balance, he was unable to beat the goalkeeper. Elli Clarkson then had a shot turned away by the Westbury keeper as it headed for the top right hand corner of the net.

The breakthrough finally came after 18 minutes when, after the Westbury keeper had made a smart save from a Will Symonds’ shot, the ball rebounded to Doug Poole who rifled it high into the roof of the net.

Westbury were left relying on set pieces as their best route to secure an equaliser but, learning from past performances, Pennine defended them resolutely. However although they continued to control the first half Pennine were unable to score again leaving them with a slender half time lead of 1-0 With the elements in their favour Westbury started the second half positively and for the first time in the game they put the Pennine defence under some pressure. Nevertheless Pennine’s defence stood strong until the 25th minute when the ball broke to a Westbury player just outside the area and his Page | 23

shot fizzed into the net giving Dan Bentham (now in goal having replaced James Wynne at half time) no chance.

Earlier in the season this would probably have signalled a capitulation by Pennine. Not now. Spurred on by the age old Pennine adage (as expounded by Steve Marrow) that it is easier playing uphill into the wind Pennine gradually regained control of the game. With Doug Poole dominating the midfield and Tom Watson and Nathaniel Hughes outstanding in defence Pennine pushed forward and were rewarded when, with 10 minutes to go, the Westbury keeper flapped at a Will Symonds’ corner and Elli Clarkson steered the ball home.

Pennine had further chances to extend their lead when firstly Jackson Davis-Iqbal was set clear of the Westbury defence but he could only shoot straight at the Westbury keeper. Will Symonds then saw his shot well saved by the Westbury keeper and finally in the dying seconds of the game Jackson DavisIqbal’s goalbound shot from just inside the Westbury half, with the goalkeeper stranded out of his goal, got caught up in the wind and drifted wide.

At the other end Westbury were restricted to one real chance but Dan Bentham was equal to the task pulling off an excellent save Overall this was an excellent performance from the whole Team. The commitment was first rate, as it needed to be in the conditions and against physical opponents, Goal Scorers: Doug Poole Elli Clarkson Man of the match was Doug Poole who was excellent throughout. Against a physical side it was important for the Team to compete and Doug set the standard. He was unflinching against some big opponents and in the end he totally dominated the midfield thus providing the platform for the Team to control the game

12.01.13 Pennine Reds v Littleborough (away): Drew 2-2 After a seven week break Pennine returned to action with a well-deserved draw against a strong Littleborough side and thus extended their unbeaten run to three games Pennine started the game slowly allowing Littleborough to dominate territorially. A series of Littleborough corners and long throws put the Pennine defence under considerable pressure but some resolute defending denied Littleborough any clear chances. However after 7 minutes a long shot from Littleborough slipped through the hands of keeper Dan Bentham and into the net As the first half progressed Pennine started to get a foothold in the game and created their first chance after 15 minutes when a sumptuous ball from James Wynne down the right hand side of the Littleborough defence put Jackson Davis-Iqbal clear. His crisp shot was well blocked by the Page | 24

Littleborough keeper and Doug Poole, following up, put the half volley rebound high over the top of the bar.

On the stroke of half time Littleborough increased their lead following a flowing move along the full length of the pitch. A Pennine corner was cleared and picked up by the Littleborough striker deep in his own half. He surged down the right wing and then crossed the ball to the back post. Although Elli Clarkson, who had tracked back with her man, managed to block the initial shot the rebound fell kindly for the Littleborough player who stroked it into the net Half time saw Pennine change keepers with James Wynne taking the gloves. He was soon called into action making three excellent saves in quick succession. By now, though, Pennine were defending better with Nathaniel Hughes and Tom Watson standing strong against the Littleborough attackers.

Chances for Pennine had been scare and then suddenly, 10 minutes into the half, two came together, both directly from the Stoke City football manual. Firstly a long clearance from keeper James Wynne evaded the last Littleborough defender and Will Symonds calmly stroked the ball home with his left foot. Almost immediately afterwards a big hoof from Nathaniel Hughes again went over the head of the last Littleborough defender but this time Will Symonds attempt to lob the bouncing ball over the keeper and into the net went narrowly wide.

Littleborough came back strongly and should have reinstated their two goal lead when, after neat inter play on the right wing, the ensuing cross found a Littleborough player three yards out with the goal wide open only for his header to hit the post and bounce into the arms of keeper James Wynne.

Pennine’s equaliser came from their best move of the game. Nathaniel Hughes brought the ball out of the defence, released it to Jackson Davis-Iqbal who passed to Tyler Carberry and he struck a thunderbolt into the net from outside the box.

With 10 minutes to go the game was there for either team to win. Littleborough finished the stronger but by this time Pennine’s defending from all the Team was excellent and James Wynne was solid when called upon and so a draw looked inevitable. Then with only seconds to go the ball broke to a Littleborough player on the edge of the box. He seemed certain to test Pennine’s keeper once again only for Doug Poole to put in the block of the game to deny him and keep the scores level This was a most pleasing result for a number of reasons. Having been well beaten by Littleborough earlier in the season 6-1 and then going 2 goals behind it would have been easy for Pennine to capitulate. Instead the players dug deep, defended with great commitment (showing that all the work they have put into this aspect of the game has paid dividends) and, when given the opportunity, played some lovely football Goal Scorers: Will Symonds Tyler Carberry

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Man of the match was James Wynne. Although Tyler Carberry was the pick of the outfield players putting in yet another solid all round performance, James played the pass of the match in the first half and then made a number of top class saves at a crucial time in the second half to keep Pennine in the game

24.11.12 Pennine Reds v Middleton L&G Reds (away): Won 4-0 Pennine’s impressive form from the previous week continued with an emphatic win over Middleton L&G Reds The game started with Middleton going immediately onto the attack and it took a fine save from Dan Bentham to deny them taking a first minute lead. Thereafter the Pennine goal was not threatened for the next 39 minutes as Pennine took complete control of the game. After going close on two occasions Pennine took the lead in the 5th minute. Quick thinking saw Will Symonds and Tyler Carberry take a short corner and although the latter’s shot was well saved by the Middleton keeper Doug Poole pounced on the rebound to strike the ball home. It was not long before Pennine extended their lead.

Jackson Davis-Iqbal cleverly turned the Middleton defender from a Doug Poole throw and then sweetly struck the ball into the net past the hapless Middleton keeper.

Pennine were rampant at this time. In the 10th minute Tyler Carberry intercepted the ball, passed to Jackson Davis-Iqbal who set up Will Symonds only for his shot to be saved. Then Tyler Carberry set up Will Symonds again only for the Middleton keeper to make another great save and for Elli Clarkson to hit the rebound wide with the goal gaping wide open. A strong run by Doug Poole in the 25 th minute led to him passing to Elli Clarkson who found Tyler Carberry in space but his shot was saved.

Throughout all this time Nathaniel Hughes and Tom Watson were having great games in defence consistently winning every ball Middleton played forward and so enabling Pennine to keep the pressure on the Middleton defence The second half started with Pennine’s dominance continuing. In the 28th minute a Tyler Carberry corner found its way into the net to extend Pennine’s lead. Elli Clarkson nearly scored but her volley went just wide and then a long range shot from Tom Watson was well saved by the Middleton keeper After 40 minutes Middleton finally found some attacking penetration and after a quick break it took a fine save by James Wynne to preserve Pennine’s lead. Moments later Middleton threatened again and this time they were denied a goal by a fabulous double save from James Wynne. Pennine responded in positive style and after a Will Symonds shot had been saved by the Middleton keeper they sealed victory with a fourth goal in the dying minutes. A header from Jackson Davis-Iqbal was well saved by the Middleton keeper but Dan Bentham was on hand to scramble the ball over the line to make the final score 4-0

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The game was, in truth, won at a canter. However, it was another outstanding performance from all 9 players and the victory moves Pennine further away from the relegation zone and on to the fringes of a top 4 place Goal Scorers: Doug Poole Jackson Davis-Iqbal Tyler Carberry Dan Bentham Man of the match was Tom Watson for an outstanding defensive display. He was positive throughout, attacking the high ball and repeatedly making timely interceptions so as to thwart Middleton’s attacks

17.11.12 Pennine Reds v Radcliffe Borough Bulls They say a week’s a long time in politics – it certainly in when it comes to the performances of Pennine Reds. After a fragile defensive performance last week Pennine bounced back with what the Manager said, was the best team performance since he took charge A tentative start by Pennine saw Radcliffe having most of the territory in the early minutes without troubling the Pennine goal as Nathaniel Hughes and Tom Watson dealt comfortably with Radcliffe’s attacks.

The game came to life after 5 minutes when James Wynne’s flick found Doug Poole 10 yards from goal.

His shot was blocked but Elli Clarkson was on hand to slam the ball home. Buoyed by the goal Pennine started to play some excellent football. Neat interplay between James Wynne and Will Symonds saw the latter strike the ball just wide after 7 minutes.

Radclffe were finding it difficult to make headway going forward and it was no surprise when Pennine extended their lead after 15 minutes. Jackson Davis-Iqbal held the ball up well in the Radcliffe box following an incisive pass by Doug Poole. He laid the ball back to Will Symonds whose shot was blocked. Jackson’s follow up hit the post but Doug Poole was on hand to hit the rebound home Three minutes later neat interplay between Doug Poole, Tom Watson and Will Symonds saw the latter cross to Jackson Davis-Iqbal but the Radcliffe keeper was quickly out to snuff out the chance Radcliffe found themselves back in the game in the 20th minute when a rare attack saw the Pennine defence fail to clear a cross from the right wing and the Radcliffe attacker was presented with the simplest of tap ins The second half followed the pattern of the first with Pennine continually making inroads whilst the Pennine defence remained strong, denying Radcliffe any clear chances. 5 minutes into the second half Doug Poole’s pass found Tyler Carberry in space on the right. He managed to find a yard round the defender and struck the ball home from 20 yards to extend Pennine’s lead

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Doug Poole was totally in control in the middle of the park winning the ball time and again and setting up more Pennine attacks. After 35 minutes he passed to Jackson Davis-Iqbal who showed great strength and tenacity to create a scoring opportunity only for him to be denied by a great save by the Radcliffe keeper. Two minutes later, following sharp passing between Doug Poole and Will Symonds, Jackson Davis-Iqbal had another great opportunity only for him to fail to make a clean connection as the ball was crossed in from the left.

Jackson Davis-Iqbal was proving to be a real thorn in Radcliffe’s side. After 35 minutes his strength once again created a scoring opportunity but he hit the ball wide. Then, following a throw in from the right he was denied when the Radcliffe keeper dived at his feet to smother the ball The victory the performance deserved was sealed after 43 minutes when a corner from the left was cleared to Doug Poole who, from 20 yards, hit an absolute thunderbolt that made the goal shudder Thereafter Pennine closed the game out with ease and were in complete control when the final whistle blew. An outstanding performance from all 9 players was duly acknowledged by the supporters Goal Scorers: Elli Clarkson Doug Poole (2) Tyler Carberry Man of the match was Doug Poole who was immense throughout. He totally dominated the midfield, created chances for his team mates, showed great energy and scored two goals. He was, however, closely challenged by Jackson Davis-Iqbal who tormented the Radcliffe defence with his controlled aggression and non-stop running

10.11.12 Pennine Reds v Littleborough This week saw a break from the relegation dog fight as Pennine welcomed high flying Littleborough for a first round cup match. Sadly there was to be no repeat of the outstanding performance seen when the last team to visit with an unblemished record came to Hopwood Hall The game started very evenly with both teams having good possession without creating any real chances. Pennine had the opportunity to take the lead when, after 5 minutes, Jackson Davis-Iqbal played an exquisite ball to set Will Symonds clear only for the Littleborough keeper to be quick off his line to save at his feet The game was effectively over in a mad three-minute spell part way through the half. Firstly Dan Bentham made a great save only for the Pennine defence not to clear the ball and when the ball was fired back towards the goal a handball by Doug Poole gave Littleborough a penalty which they duly converted. Almost immediately afterwards a Littleborough corner was headed into his own goal by Tyler Carberry. A further corner found a Littleborough player unmarked in the box and he duly headed the ball home to give Littleborough a 3-0 lead after only 12 minutes Pennine did play some attractive football going forward. Doug Poole split the Littleborough defence in the 15th minute with a superb pass only for Tyler Carberry’s shot to be blocked. Then Will Symonds dummied a corner from Tyler Carberry but unfortunately, although the keeper was beaten, there was Page | 28

no Pennine player on hand to turn the ball home. However Pennine remained were very suspect in defence and Littleborough increased their lead after 18 minutes Pennine continued to cause problems for Littleborough when they went forward and after 21 minutes Doug Poole made a storming run , crossed the ball to Jackson Davis-Iqbal whose flick was cleared off the line.

Further disaster was just round the corner, however, when on the stroke of half time another Littleborough corner was deflected into his own net by Tom Watson The half time team talk focussed solely on how to defend properly, particularly from corners and crosses and the second half saw a marked improvement Pennine managed to reduce the deficit in the 33rd minute when Jackson Davis-Iqbal was fouled in the box by the Littleborough keeper and Will Symonds coolly stroked the ball home. Pennine continued to press looking for another goal that might have triggered the most unlikely of comebacks. However hard as they tried the second goal would not come. Another forceful run from Doug Poole saw him thwarted at the last minute by a great block by a Littleborough defender and then in the 42 nd minute Will Symonds found himself in a great goal scoring position only for his shot to be blocked Almost inevitably, as Pennine pushed forward they were hit on the counter by Littleborough who extended their lead in the 46th minute and it took another great save from Dan Bentham in the last minute to spare Pennine from further pain Overall this was a most frustrating match. For long periods Pennine matched their opponents and often looked threatening on the attack. However gifting their opponents soft goals through poor defending made it difficult, if not impossible, to win the match On the brighter side we still have the Subsidiary Cup to look forward to Goal Scorer: Will Symonds Man of the match was Tom Watson for an outstanding committed defensive display in the second half. He listened to what the Manager had to say at half time and then did exactly what was asked of him

03.11.12 Pennine Reds v Unsworth Predators A real relegation six pointer saw Pennine travel to Unsworth, Pennine being just 2 points and one place above Unsworth in the League. They went home defeated and back in the bottom two despite being clearly the better team and having put in a wholehearted and most satisfying performance.

An open start saw both sides create chances before Unsworth took the lead in the 4 th minute when Tyler Carberry deflected a free kick into his own net. Pennine responded in fine style. Will Symonds went on a mazy run, saw his shot hit the post only for him to stroke the rebound smoothly into the net for the equaliser. Pennine were clearly on top and when Doug Poole passed to Will Symonds he laid the ball on a plate for Tyler Carberry to score in the 7th minute. Pennine continued to pour forward. In Page | 29

the 10th minute Jackson Davis-Iqbal sent Will Symonds free only for his shot to be deflected over the bar. The duo repeated the move a minute later. This time the Unsworth keeper made a great save and Tyler Carberry blazed the rebound over the bar It was all Pennine. 15 minutes gone and following his throw in to Jackson Davis-Iqbal, Doug Poole put in a superb cross which Tyler Carberry controlled and then laid back for Will Symonds to drill the ball home to make it 3-1 to Pennine. A flowing move then saw Tom Watson set up Tyler Carberry but again the Unsworth keeper made a great save. Pennine increased their lead after 18 minutes when Will Symonds’ pass put Jackson Davis-Iqbal in the clear. His shot was saved by the Unsworth keeper but Elli Clarkson, following up, poked the ball to Jackson and he turned the ball into the net Disaster then struck. Tyler Carberry, who was having another outstanding game, was injured and was forced to leave the field of play. Having no substitutes Pennine were forced to play on with 6 players and almost immediately afterwards Unsworth pulled a goal back. Undeterred Pennine continued to press forward and another great ball from Tom Watson created a chance for Will Symonds only for the Unsworth keeper to make yet another fine save. Just on half time Unsworth were able to exploit their man advantage once again to score to make the half time score Pennine 4 – 3 Unsworth Tyler Carberry was able to return for the second half and immediately his defence splitting pass created a chance for Will Symonds but the Unsworth keeper showed great bravery by diving at Will’s feet to snuff out the danger. A clearance from a Pennine corner in the 28th minute fell to Tom Watson whose shot from 30 yards smacked the upright with the Unsworth keeper rooted to the spot. Pennine continued to apply the pressure and another goal bound shot by Tyler Carberry was blocked by an Unsworth defender. A quick Unsworth counter attack in the 32 nd minute gave them their first chance of the half and this was duly converted by the Unsworth striker to level the scores Will Symonds, playing his first ever game in centre midfield, continued to drive Pennine forward. In the 33rd minute he hit a screamer which the Unsworth keeper deflected over the bar via a combination of his hand and head. Two minutes later a curling shot from Will Symonds from wide in the left wing position hit the crossbar and drifted to safety. Then with 12 minutes to go Unsworth took the lead following a rare example of sloppy play by Pennine. The ball was lost in midfield and Unsworth countered quickly. Pennine regrouped but as the ball fell to an Unsworth player on the edge of the box they stood off, allowing him to shoot, and he duly hit the ball into the net.

Pennine continued to create chances. Will Symonds and Jackson Davis-Iqbal (twice) found themselves in excellent scoring positions only to be denied by a combination of resolute defending by the Unsworth team and more great goalkeeping. In reply Unsworth were restricted to a couple of counter attacks. Inevitably as Pennine pressed forward for the equaliser the gaps in the Pennine defence became wider and on two occasions it took wonderful covering back by Will Symonds to prevent Unsworth from exploiting goal scoring opportunities

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In the 45th minute Doug Poole went on a marauding run through the heart of the Unsworth defence only for his shot to pass agonisingly wide of the far post. A minute later another great save denied Will Symonds once more.

Finally, with 3 minutes to go, Pennine got the break their efforts deserved when a cross by Tyler Carberry was steered home by Jackson Davis-Iqbal. A minute later saw the pivotal moment of this tremendous game. Will Symonds turned the Unsworth defender in the box and hit a sweet left footed shot. The Unsworth keeper made a wonderful one-handed save and then excelled himself by managing to scoop the ball away as it spun back towards the goal. Unsworth then broke immediately to score and then sealed the win with another in the final minute. There was still time for Pennine to create a final chance but Elli Clarkson failed to connect with a Will Symonds cross when only a couple of yards out from goal At the end of the game Pennine’s players, management team and parents were left in disbelief, wondering how they had not won a game they had totally dominated. One phrase (pinched from the Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara) sums it all up: ‘Unbelievable Jeff!!!’

Goal Scorers: Will Symonds (2) Jackson Davis-Iqbal (2) Tyler Carberry Man of the match was Will Symonds who was outstanding in centre midfield. He covered every blade of grass, defended stoutly, created chances for his team mates, scored twice and, had it not been for the brilliance of the Unsworth goalkeeper, would have had many more

13.10.12 Pennine Reds v Syke Juniors Syke arrived with an unbeaten record and with Pennine languishing in the relegation zone they were probably expecting an easy win. However the form book went right out of the window as Syke’s unbeaten run was left in tatters by an outstanding Pennine performance The game was very open from the very start. Syke created a chance in the opening minute but Dan Bentham in the Pennine goal was equal to it. A great through ball by Tyler Carberry created an opening for Will Symonds after 3 minutes but his shot went just wide. A Syke corner in the 5th minute thudded back off the crossbar from a thundering header as the game continued to flow from one end to the other. The breakthrough came for Pennine in the 8th minute from a corner of their own. Tyler Carberry and Will Symonds caught Syke out with some quick thinking taking a short corner and from Will Symonds’ ensuing quality cross Tom Watson guided the ball home. Syke came roaring back and, in the 10th minute, a long range shot was deflected onto the post by Tom Watson. At the other end the Syke keeper made a great save to deny Tyler Carberry before Syke equalised in the 14th minute when the Pennine defence failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the area. Dan Bentham’s towering clearance in the 17th minute put Jackson Davis-Iqbal in the clear but his shot was well saved by the Syke keeper.

Almost immediately afterwards Syke were denied taking the lead when another shot rebounded back off the bar. A super ball from Tom Watson created a chance for Tyler Carberry in the 21st minute but his shot went wide. A minute later Will Symonds repeated the act but this time it was Jackson DavisIqbal who shot wide. In the 22nd minute Will Symonds once again played Jackson Davis-Iqbal in and on Page | 31

this occasion there was no error as Jackson stroked the ball home. Pennine’s lead lasted barely a minute as Syke equalised once again. Syke finished the half the stronger. Dan Bentham turned a long range shot onto the bar and then produced another excellent save on the stroke of half time The entertainment continued in the second half. James Wynn (who had taken over in goal from Dan Bentham) made a great save in 31st minute as Syke continued to press forward. The Will Symonds/Jackson Davis-Iqbal partnership then sprung into life once again and having been put clear by Will, Jackson drove the ball home to give Pennine the lead once more. Pennine continued to pour forward and would have increased their lead in the 40th minute had Dan Bentham’s shot not been turned onto the post by the Syke keeper and Will Symonds’ follow up shot was blocked as it headed towards the goal. With two minutes remaining Will Symonds found himself in acres of space with only the goalkeeper to beat. All Pennine supporters thought this was the moment when victory would be secured. But it was not to be. Syke’s keeper did exceptionally well to block not only the initial shot but also the rebound. Syke were not going to give up without a fight and it took an exceptional double save by James Wynn to preserve Pennine’s lead as the game went into added time. There was still time for one last Syke attack but once again James Wynn safely collected the goalbound shot and victory was Pennine’s This was a thoroughly entertaining game played in an excellent spirit throughout. Whilst Syke were unlucky to go home empty handed the victory was no more than Pennine deserved. The quality of their football was, at times, excellent and the whole Team was fully committed throughout.

Defensively Doug Poole was a rock ably supported by Tom Watson, James Wynn and Ellie Clarkson whilst the creative talents of Will Symonds and Tyler Carberry were a delight to watch Goal Scorers: Tom Watson and Jackson Davis-Iqbal (2) Man of the match was Tyler Carberry for a super all round performance and some wonderful passing that created numerous chances for his team mates

06.10.12 Radcliffe Borough Crusaders v Pennine Reds What a difference a week makes!! After last week’s poor performance Pennine responded with full commitment and were desperately unlucky not to take something out of the game The early stages of the game saw few chances with both teams’ defences proving difficult to break down. The deadlock was broken after 15 minutes in bizarre fashion when James Wynn handled the ball as it was driven across goal. The referee blew for a penalty after which Radcliffe drilled the ball home and the goal was awarded. Spurred on by this setback Pennine began to take control. Tom Watson split the Radcliffe defence with a wonderful ball, Will Symonds struck a sweet left footed shot towards goal only to see it hit the post and bounce out. Then, on the stroke of half time, a superb through ball from James Wynn saw Will Symonds denied again, this time by a great save from the Radcliffe keeper Pennine continued to apply pressure in the second half. After 30 minutes a flick from the head of Tom Watson fell for Jackson Davis-Iqbal whose instinctive shot was again well saved by the Radcliffe keeper.

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Still Pennine pressed. 35 minutes gone and a deep cross by Tom Watson found Dan Bentham at the back post. He pulled the ball back to Jackson Davis-Iqbal but his shot went just wide.

With time running out Will Symonds intercepted a goal kick but his shot from 25 yards was tipped round the post by the Radcliffe keeper. Doug Poole then had a goal bound shot blocked before the inevitable happened. With Pennine pouring forward there was always the chance of being hit on the counterattack and with 3 minutes to go so it proved as Radcliffe scrambled the ball home from close range. Pennine refused to buckle and a minute later a Radcliffe defender headed a Will Symonds corner into his own net. There was time for one last Pennine attack. Will Symonds wriggled his way down the bi-line. Hit shot was turned onto the post by the excellent Radcliffe goalkeeper and Tom Watson’s follow up shot was blocked on the line Whilst it is always disappointing to lose this was an excellent game of football – a credit to both teams.

All the Pennine players contributed to a great performance and they can all be very proud of their efforts today Goal Scorer: Own Goal Man of the match was Nathaniel Hughes for an outstanding defensive performance

29/9/12 Pennine Reds v Woodbank Black Pennine’s rollercoaster season continued with a heavy defeat to Woodbank. Few would have seen this coming, though, as for the first 10 minutes Pennine had the majority of possession and territory and were denied from taking the lead on two occasions by excellent saves from the Woodbank goalkeeper.

Pennine then contrived to concede three goals in 5 minutes largely due to poor, uncommitted defending. A fourth goal for Woodbank on the stoke of half time seemed to have effectively sealed Pennine’s fate. A tactical change at half time saw Doug Poole pushed further forward and it had immediate effect as he went on a mazy run before burying the ball in the corner of the net. Pennine were clearly heartened and should have scored a second when Doug Poole made another surging run only for three Pennine attackers to get in each other’s way with the goal wide open and the chance was lost. In possession Pennine continued to play some good football but looked susceptible whenever Woodbank attacked and with 8 minutes left any chances of a comeback were finally ended when the Woodbank centre forward broke clear to score a fifth goal for Woodbank Goal Scorer: Doug Poole Man of the match was Doug Poole for his wholehearted performance throughout the game

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15/09/12 Pennine Reds v Bury Amateur Tigers Pennine bounced back with an emphatic victory against Bury Amateur Tigers. In control from the start of the game Pennine took the lead after 5 minutes when Doug Poole struck the ball home after a goal mouth scramble. Pennine dominated the rest of the half but were unable to convert any of the numerous chances created. A second goal was not long coming in the second half when Tom Watson split the Bury defence with a wonderful pass allowing Will Symonds to stroke the ball past the keeper.

Bury responded briefly and were awarded a penalty when Dan Bentham handled the ball in the box.

This was duly converted to make the score 2-1 with 10 minutes to go. However any nerves there may have been were calmed when after a storming run and shot by Dan Bentham Will Symonds was left with an easy tap in as the ball rebounded to him from the bar to make the score 3-1. A well deserved victory was sealed in the last minute when, following a hand ball by a Bury defender, Will Symonds drove home the penalty to claim his first hat trick of the season

08/09/12 Pennine Reds v Radcliffe Borough Bulls A disappointing start to the season as Pennine failed to overcome a resolute Radcliffe side. The first half was tight with Radcliffe having the better of the chances only to be thwarted by Dan Bentham in goal and by some solid defending. It took a wonder strike on the half volley part way through the first half for the deadlock to be broken. The second half followed a similar pattern only for the game to be decided in a couple of pivotal moments ten minutes into the half. Firstly Will Symonds pounced on a long ball from the back, knocked it over the last defender only to see his left foot volley come back off the post. Almost immediately Radcliffe went to the other end and after a series of blocked shots another wonderful strike flew into the Pennine goal. A sloppy kick off then gifted the ball to Radcliffe and they added a third. Pennine did rally in the last ten minutes and pulled a goal back from Tyler Carberry when his corner somehow crept in at the near post. Pennine did have other chances to draw level but were unable to convert them. It will take more of the spirit shown in the last 10 minutes of this game if Pennine are to have success this season Man of the match was Dan Bentham for his first half performance in goal and an excellent second half display in defence

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