Hetton Juniors Napoli U10

A superb captain’s performance by Lewis today, from pulling off a perfect last ditch tackle in our box, to bossing the midfield, finishing it off with an assist and a cracker of a free kick, earning himself another one of Karl’s tenners 💷 😉
Today’s POTM goes to Lewis 🔵🟡⚽️

Game of two half’s today where the lads were a bit behind the pace in the first half

The lads started Robbie, Miller, Hutchy, Oscar, Xander, Lewis (c) and Jayden.

The boys struggled with the pace of the game in the first half and our opponents were the much stronger in the first half as they raced into a two goal lead, as the lads struggled to get into the game.

The boys pulled one back in the when Jayden closed down the defender who had to play it back to the keeper which he could stop finding its way into his own net.

Half time was all about being stronger, winning the ball then looking for that pass which the boys did so well in the second half.

We were quickly level when Noah received the ball and was fouled outside the box, Lewis stepped up to dispatch the ball home beautifully, straight in the top corner.

The 3rd came when Lewis returned the favour, playing in Noah who shot low and past the keeper.

The lads kept it tight at the back, but the win wasn’t to be when our opponents shot, Robbie pulled off a great save for the ball to find its way to the striker, who scored the equaliser with the last kick of the game.

On reflection a fair result, after a good game of football.

Goals
Lewis ⚽️
Noah ⚽️

Assists
Noah ➡️
Lewis ➡️

Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Wishing Oscar a big, happy 10th birthday from all your friends at Napoli! Have a great day, Oscar ⚽️🔵🟡

Tonight’s player of the session went to Joshua. He took his touch really well in the pressing drill and his closing down and interceptions were excellent. When on the attacking side, Josh looked for the easy pass with some brilliant one touch passes. Great session, Joshua 🟡🔵⚽️

Solid at the back today, building that relationship with the lads including his first stint as captain for one of the games. Harry’s challenging was great and his throw in’s were class. Growing in confidence game by game 💪🏻 Our POTM today goes to Hutchy. Well done, Harry 🔵🟡⚽️

Today the lads went into their first ever 9v9 games as we played some short games with our friends at Belmont Eagles

We had the offside rule to think about for the first time, the lads had the back had to think about the opposition being offside, goal kicks with no retreat rule, then to top off all of these changes they had to play on a bigger pitch with bigger goals.

We welcomed along Riley and Jensen today to give them some game time and they did brilliantly. The lads at the back Miller, Joshua, Hutchy and Jensen were excellent, covering each other shielding the ball and winning tackles, playing out well from the back.

Riley and Robbie were excellent between the sticks, having to manage a much bigger goal and also a much bigger box.

Lewis, Ollie, Oscar and Xander worked tirelessly in the midfield and worked well to give themselves space to allow us to move the ball. Special mention to Xander who capped off a great performance with 2 great goals. Noah and Jayden up front worked hard, managing to stay on side and battling a strong defence.

There was loads of learning for the boys, as well as for me and Steve to think about in our first preparation for next season.

Thanks to everyone for coming along today, a great experience for us and we hope you enjoyed it.

Goals
Xander ⚽️⚽️

Assists
Jensen ➡️
Ollie ➡️

Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Our very own Lewis having a kick about with a legend this week at Jermaine Defoe’s Winnrs Camp 🔴⚪️⚽️

We worked on movement in small space to receive and close the ball down tonight. Great effort and work rate tonight by Xander, he never stopped; working his space and looking for the pass. Well done, Xander, tonight’s POTS 🟡🔵⚽️

Coming on in the second half, workrate and strength on the right, taking us forward, tracking back and helping the team. A last ditch, tremendous tackle summed up the performance today for our player of the match, Harry. Great work, Harry 🔵🟡⚽️

Back to winning ways for the lads today, but we had to work for it, more than we should.

The lads started Robbie, Miller, Joshua, Lewis, Xander, Oscar and Jayden (C). First half was a game of very few chances as the struggled to hold the ball and find our pass, our opponents Willington were strong at the back and managed to limit us by holding us off the ball. The game passed us by in the first half with Robbie, Miller and Joshua excellent holding the back, limiting chances, allowing the lads to get to half time at 0-0.

Half time team talk was about stepping up and wanting to win the game, lifting our heads and picking out the pass instead of holding onto it. Noah came on up front, Ollie was on the right and Harry on the left with Hutchy moving into the back alongside Miller.

Second half started much better with the midfield working well linking up looking for their out ball.

We went ahead with a fantastic strike from Lewis, picking the ball up in the midfield driving forward seeing the opportunity and firing in an unstoppable shot from outside the box.

We had to work hard covering back and Hutchy, Miller and Robbie strong again at the back.

Work-rate in the second half was summed up when Harry tracking back saving a goal-ward bound shot that could have levelled it for the opposition.

Goals
Lewis ⚽️

We take the win as a hard fought one and look to build on the teamwork going forward. Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Tonight’s session concentrated on utilising our wide players, receiving and looking for a pass and creating space. Player of the session tonight went to Ollie whose movement was superb, his collection of the pass, then releasing the ball was excellent. Work rate and closing down was also top notch. Well done, Ollie 🔵🟡⚽️

In between the sticks today, Robbie was excellent. His calling for the ball when collecting, awareness of what was around him and most of all his shot stopping was superb today, taking a few blows for his efforts. Well done, Robbie, today’s POM 🔵🟡⚽️

Today was always going to be a hard game against Whitburn Panthers so we sent the boys out with the instruction that effort would be key, and they did so well, but it wasn’t our day.

Lads started Robbie, Miller, Joshua, Lewis, Xander, Ollie and Jayden, the boys working really well from the start. We knew Whitburn would play the ball well and we had to be equal to it everywhere. Miller and Joshua solid at the back, Lewis, Xander and Ollie and Jayden’s work rate was superb.
We went behind but that didn’t deter the lads, with Ollie getting on the scoresheet when Jayden won a battle in midfield played him in as he kept a cool head, rounding the keeper and finishing superbly.

Lads were unlucky to go in 2-1 down at half time.

Second half changes saw Oscar, Harry, Noah and Hutchy come onto the field and the same work ethic was expected.

The boys raced into a lead with 2 great goals; one brilliant individual goal from Lewis with great work from Harry on the right, then Noah played in Oscar with a great one-two for Oscar to fire us into the lead.

The boys were unlucky to be pegged back and then to narrowly lose to the odd goal in an overall 7 goal thriller.

Second half, Hutchy settled in really well at the back, looking confident stepping out and winning tackles, Harry and Oscar worked superb both forward and backwards, and Noah was unlucky seeing the keeper pull off a great save from his strike.

Throughout the game Robbie’s shot stopping was excellent today keeping the scoreline down.

Goals
Lewis ⚽️
Oscar ⚽️
Ollie ⚽️

Assists
Harry ➡️
Jayden ➡️
Noah ➡️

We go again next week as we look to get back to winning ways. We don’t want to underestimate the effort from the lads today - it was superb from every single one of them with 6 different players being involved in our 3 goals in a very tight game. Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Happy birthday Miller! 10 today! Hope you have a brilliant day from all your friends at Napoli 🥳🎂⚽️

Tonight’s session concentrated on receiving the ball, turning into space, accurate passing to our teammate and using a name. Harry’s control, movement when receiving the ball and his range of pass was excellent! Well done, Hutchy, tonight’s POTS - great work 🔵🟡⚽️

Fantastic game today in midfield today for Lewis, earning him high praise from the ref and the opposition coach, both saying, ‘Your number 4 was superb!’ 💪🏻 Great game, Lewis, covering every blade of 3G with those fast feet…our POM today 🔵🟡⚽️

Not the result the lads wanted today, in a busy game.

The lads started Robbie(C), Miller, Joshua, Xander, Lewis, Oscar and Jayden.
It was a first half where both teams nullified each other, pretty much limiting each other to very few shots on target. The lads going in 1-0 down at half time.

Second half saw Noah, Ollie, Harry and Hutchy coming on for his Napoli debut.

Half time team talk was about getting more shots off early and the lads did that, having 3 shots saved in the first 5 mins of the second half.

It wasn’t our day today, as our opponents caught us a couple of times on the break, scoring twice to make the final score 3-0.

Not one of our better days, despite some great play from the boys, as they never gave up and all the lads showed great work rate.

We go again next week to try to get back to winning ways. Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

⚽️🟡🔵NEW SIGNING⚽️🟡🔵

We are over the moon to announce Napoli’s newest signing in the January transfer window…Welcome Harry!! Great to have you in the team!

Player of the session tonight went to Jayden. On fire tonight! Chasing everything down, great skill, moving the ball well and two great finishes to complete a great session. Well done, Jayden, tonight’s POTS 🟡🔵⚽️

Some of the passing today was superb and it started from the back 💪🏻 Joshua and Miller protected Robbie superbly today and started our build from the back with some incredible passing. POTM goes to both Miller and Joshua for a commanding performance with great passing and vision out from the back. Top work lads! 🔵🟡⚽️

Early start for the lads today, which doesn’t normally bode well for us, but a slight change to the warm up routine to get them woken up hopefully helped.

Lads started Robbie, Miller, Joshua, Xander, Oscar (C), Ollie and Noah. Our opponents came at us early on creating a few chances in front of goal, but Miller and Joshua were protecting Robbie in goal, a theme that would continue for the full 50 minutes.
The boys took the lead half way through the first half when Ollie playing well on the middle of the park found Noah who shot first time giving the keeper no chance. Ollie then turned scorer after a great assist from Oscar playing out on the right found him to fire into the bottom right hand corner. First half scoring was complete when Ollie again found Noah with a ball across the pitch for Noah to bag his second with an instant strike past the keeper.

Second half Harry came on in the middle of the park for Ollie and Jayden up front for Noah and the boys got back into their scoring stride again.

Harry played a great ball over the top for Oscar to chase onto finishing in the bottom corner. Our 5th came from a great corner from Jayden which the opposition defender was unlucky to deflect it into his own goal.
Number 6 came when Oscar controlled the ball outside the box, slotting a great ball for Xander with a tidy finish past the keeper. Number 7 nearly came when the ball was cleared and Joshua hit a thunderbolt from the half way line, which hit the intersection between the upright and crossbars, incredibly unlucky!

Number 7 finally came when Harry played a great ball through and Ollie jinks past 2 players to finish in the bottom corner.
The scoring ended when Miller broke out of defence, stepped into midfield and played a great ball in for Ollie to coolly finish his hatrick.

Goals
Ollie ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Noah ⚽️⚽️
Oscar ⚽️
Xander ⚽️

Assists
Ollie ➡️➡️
Oscar ➡️➡️
Harry ➡️➡️
Miller ➡️
Jayden ➡️

Some of the passing today was superb and a pleasure to see - well done lads!

Thanks to everyone again for their great support.
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Happy birthday Robbie! Hope you have a brilliant day 🎂🔵🟡

All round performance today; chasing every ball down, head up looking for the pass with his back to goal, working back and helping out his midfield and defence, not to mention the cracking hat trick to finish it off. Must have been the Luke O’Nein touch 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️. Excellent performance, Noah, today’s POTM ⚽️🟡🔵

First win of 2024 for the boys today and a great performance to get it.

The lads started Miller in goal, Joshua, Lewis, Jayden, Xander, Harry (C) and Noah, with lads playing in some different positions they needed to be switched on from the start.

We worked hard from the first whistle with the lads playing on grass today, a few chances came our opposition way, as we tried to get used to the bobble of the surface, but we soon got into our stride.

Xander play down the left, winning his challenges were great, Jayden’s midfield presence was excellent, Lewis and Joshua solid at the back protecting Miller.

The lads forced quite a few corners in the first half, but we struggled to get a goal , hitting the post and having a shot that looked over the line ruled out, we shaded the first half on chances and were unlucky to go in level at the break.

Second half saw Harry go in between the sticks, Miller slotted back in at the back, Lewis into the centre of midfield, Ollie and Oscar out wide.

Now the boys had the measure of the surface and made their passing work to our advantage, going ahead early in the second half, when the ball found its way to Oscar for him to slide it confidently past the keeper to put us 1-0 up.

The boys piled on the pressure at that point and their ability to look up and find the pass was superb in the second half, Oscar found a great pass for Noah to control in front of goal and fire past the keeper, the lads then got a third as Ollie broke down the wing, playing a great ball in for Noah to get his second of the game.

The lads continued the pressure and again a brilliant break down the right saw Ollie put the ball back across the box for Noah to slide in, drilling it past the keeper.

Work rate and team play won the day for the lads today with everyone of them playing a significant part in a great win.

Goals
Oscar ⚽️
Noah ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Assists
Oscar ➡️
Ollie ➡️➡️

Thanks to everyone again for their great support, even we felt the cold today 🥶
Graeme & Steve 🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡

Another great session as we worked tonight on receiving the ball in a space before moving off in a different direction. Brilliant work tonight by Harry who helped me demonstrate the drill, then took his receiving and moving off to the next level. Great effort tonight, Harry. Well done 🟡🔵⚽️

Great first half performance from Oscar today, he worked really well out on the right, battling for the ball, using his body and playing some great passes. Well done, Oscar 🔵🟡⚽️