Junior summer tournaments 2011

Over the course of the summer we have entered our juniors boys into tournaments at all age groups, with some really good results:

U10 – won the Legacy tournament
U11 – runners up in the 8 a side
U12 – won the Legacy tournament
U14 – runners up in the 6 a side, and runners up in the Legacy tournament
U16 – runners up in the Legacy tournament

JUNE
The U11 played in the 8 a side tournament at Brooklands. This was the first time I had seen this group of boys play and did not really know what to expect. However, the team played well and responded to Jay’s coaching, and they deservedly reached the final of the tournament. This was against the pre-tournament favourites Stockport, who went on to win the game. This was the first time that this group of boys had played together and it was a very promising start. It shows that we will be competitive next season at U12, and with some coaching of a number of simple principles and ideas, this team will improve very quickly.

The U14 entered their 6 a side tournament at Cheadle Hulme and after a heavy first game loss to Poynton, it could have all gone very wrong. However, there is a gritty core to this team and the boys managed to get themselves to joint fourth place after the round robin stage. This lead to a golden goal play off against Mellor, which Timperley won after less than a minute of play……..into the semis them. These games are drawn out of a hat and it paired us with Cheadle Hulme which was the easier draw and we won by a couple of clear goals. On the other pitch Poynton and Rochdale hammered each other and it went to a golden goal winner for Poynton by 6-5. Timperley didn’t really get going in the final and finished comfortably beaten by a really good Poynton team.

JULY
There is now a summer tournament which is part of the legacy from the 2010 world cup. Over the weekend just gone, Timperley entered teams at all age groups into the tournament held at William Hulme’s GS.

The U10 had a total mixture of abilities, ranging from 3 boys who had never played a game before, up to an experienced A team player, so it was really interesting to see how they would play as a team. Playing Stockport first game was tough, and we lost 3-4, but from here we never looked back, and got stronger and stronger as the boys got into the tournament. We won our remaining four games (5-1 v Poynton, 8-3 v Mellor, 6-0 v HMG and 5-1 v Norbury) , and with Stockport drawing two and losing one, we ended up top of the league table, and winners of the tournament. This was an ideal tournament for the U10, played on small pitches and allowing our players to get their first taste of proper lacrosse against boys of similar age and size. To win the tournament was exceptional – I had no expectations of this at the start of the day, but Craggie and I were both very pleased with how it all turned out.

The U12 were odds on favourites to win as we had a very strong team out. It was simply a case of keeping the boys focussed on the job in hand and our lacrosse skill would win the day. They have all played and won tournaments in the last 12 months and know what is expected of them; it also helps that the opposition all know how good we are and most go onto the pitch beaten before they start.
We went through the tournament unbeaten, and only conceded one goal, and at times we played some fantastic lacrosse. We still seem to lose our aura against Brooklands, but this was the only close game of the day. The scores were 7-0 v Stockport, 8-0 v Norbury, 2-1 v Brooklands, 7-0 v Oldham, 4-0 v Cheadle Hulme and 4-0 v Poynton. Thanks to Chris for coaching; this was the end to a quite exceptional season for the U12, and they move into U14 in good shape.

The U14 performed well, losing only to Poynton, whilst winning all their other games (including a 1-0 win over Brooklands A). The final league standings was a 3 way tie on 21 points, with Brooklands winning the tournament on fewer goals conceded, leaving Timperley in a highly creditable second place.

The U16 took part in a four team tournament and got a great result in their first game with a 5-5 draw against the man sized Sheffield team. The second game was a 4-2 win over Poynton. Timperely won their third game too, which resulted in them tying with Sheffield on points, but unfortunately Sheffield had conceded fewer goals, leaving Timperley as runners up.

U12A 2010/11 with trophies

U12A 20-5 Stockport [ONONDAGA CUP WINNERS]

Here they are, the all conquering U12 of 2010/11, who have finished the season with a 100% record and four trophies, confirming itself as one of the best junior teams to have played lacrosse for a long time.

[back row] Callum Townsley, Harun Wasim, Joe Hunn, Sam Hirst, Ben Williamson, Oliver Crosby, Adam Kinghorn, Pat Sugden; [front row] Matthew Stewart, Will Callaghan, Ed Loveland, Tom Cox, Dan Walker, Lewis McCauley.

The air of expectation has been hanging over this squad for the last 12 months, as it was very obvious to the managers and coaches that we had the potential to win everything this season (and anything less would in actual fact be quite disappointing).

Going into the final we'd already won three trophies and I was extremely confident that Timperley would win the fourth - what was important to me was how we played. If the game got ugly, we would dig in and play a tough, tight game to get the win; however I was really keen that we played a top quality game of lacrosse which showed the couple of hundred spectators what this team is all about. The word is out about how good this team is, so it was nice to deliver as we played an incredibly good passing game to take Stockport down by 20 goals to 5, and in the process, win the Onondaga Cup for the second year running.

So, to the game:
No slow start today; instead we were flawless for about ten minutes and built up a five goal lead, which effectively killed the final as a competitive match. We then had a flat five minutes where Stockport scored, and we were a little bit careless in what we were doing. This gave Nelly the chance to give his last “encouraging” pep talk of the season, to which the kids really responded, and we upped our game and came out firing for the rest of the match, where we really put our opponents in their place. The quarter time scores were 5-1, 11-2, 15-3, 20-5.

Every player got good game time today and everyone did their bit towards the victory. However I’d like to pick two players out; Tom Cox got on the end of a lot of good moves and did his job clinically well – this was a really nice way for him to end his 4 years on the U12A team. The second player is Sam Hirst who took the first and last faces of the day, and a whole lot in between - his tireless attitude kept him coming back for more (and winning).

The goals / (assists) were as follows:
Cox 9(1), Hunn 5(1), Loveland 2(2), Callaghan 2(2), Crosby 1(3), Kinghorn 1(1), Walker (1), Townsley (1)


Now, as I blogged 12 months ago, let's have one more look at that trophy.......

U16s Flags Final - Sunday April 10th 2011

Ah well - it just wasn't to be, After leading 3-1 Timperley had a tough 3rd quarter with Sheffield going into the lead and despite valiant efforts from all of the team, Sheffield won the match 5-4 in a thrilling final.

Tim Nicol was on top form scoring the opening goal with the shot of the season and then later getting the important no.4. Toby and Myles scoring goals 2 & 3.

The whole team put in all the effort we could have asked for and the boys did us proud.

It has been a pleasure to manage such a good bunch of lads and James & I couldn't have wished for a stronger performance today, the only shame being - not that we lost but that what was a good team all season that showed it was an excellent team today - will now no longer play as one with the seniors moving up next season.

Anyway - thanks to all the families for their great support throughout the season and I look forward to seeing you at the awards evening next Sunday (17th).

Last game of the season U16s vs Brooklands Sat 26th March.

Well - our old rivals in the last game of the season. Brooklands were out to regain their honour after losing to Sheffield in the semi finals - no better way than to defeat Timperley - the other Flags finalists!

Timperley however had their own plans! If we could beat Brooklands we could enter the Flags final with more confidence in the belief we could beat the Yorkshire Puddings!

Jack Cox got the all important opener, followed by Alex Winton, Myles and then Jack again; 4-0 up at the end of the first quarter with Timperley playing a tight, skillful and disciplined game - the best possible start.

Quarter 2 saw Brooklands pull one back and Toby getting Timperley's 5th making the score 5-1.

The third quarter got the pulse going with Brooklands getting 2 more goals but valiantly Timperley increased their score by 3 more goals thanks to Alex, Jack and Myles. This quarter saw the goal of the game with Cameron assisting Myles in a beautiful 1 : 2 move and then Barney made the save of the game after leaving the goal and an awkward cross goal clearance which was intercepted - Barney returned to save the Brooklands shot like a bat out of hell! What a match. 8-3 the end of quarter score.

Final quarter and would Brooklands mount a come back....I think not, despite pulling 2 more back, Jack Cox added his 4th making the final triumphant score 9-5. What a win, well done lads!

Training next 2 Wednesdays and grass training next 2 Saturdays.

With this training and the improved confidence after today's match - we will enter the flags final in the best possible position - Start believing the WIN boys - you can do it!

U12A 13-5 Brooklands [26th Mar]

This was our last game before the cup final in two weeks time, and it was vital that we put in a solid performance, especially given the opposition. Brooklands (for whatever reason) still believe that they were robbed in the Nationals, so today was an ideal opportunity to show them who the best U12 team in Trafford and England is.

In what is becoming an U12A habit, we started off slowly and couldn't initially get into the game. To be honest we were pretty poor in the first quarter and it ended at 1-1; the quarter time break allowed us to sort things out and and make some suggestions to the lads, which they obviously took note of. The second quarter began much better, and we started to move the ball with more purpose, and we got the long stick midfielder into the game too. Some good goals were scored by bounce shots which got us to half time with the score at 6-2. We lost a bit of momentum in the third quarter, before running away with the game in the fourth to get to a comfortable 13-5 win.

A win against Brooklands is always nice to achieve, and the result today concluded our regular season with a 100% record. We have just the one game left now, and the expectation from everyone is that Timperley will win. However, every game starts at 0-0 and we have to make sure that we turn up and play from the first whistle of the final, instead of about 20 minutes into the game. It would be a shame to perform poorly in the final - there will be a big crowd at Rochdale, and it would be great to show the neutral fan exactly what this team is about.

Goals Loveland 4, Hirst 2, Kinghorn 2, Cox 2, Williamson 1, Sugden 1, Hunn 1

U12 "Syracuse" 13-5 Poynton [26th Mar]

U12 "Hopkins" 3-6 Boardman [26th Mar]

Timperley U16s Saturday 19th March vs Cheadle

Well I got to the match 3 minutes after the start as I went on a whistle hunt for the ref and when I got pitchside, Timperley were already 3 goals in the lead - another rout of Cheadle seemed to be on the cards.

Q1 James kept a clean sheet and Timperley were 6-0 up. Q2 11-2 / Q3 14 - 4 and Final score 23-5.

Some solid mid field and attack play and on the whole defence held tight but we must watch the fast break down the centre - this caught us out acouple of times and was the No.1 issue when we fell to Sheffield - so one to watch.

Toby & Myles top scorers with 5 / Jack & Alex 4 / Nathan 2 and Cameron, Tim & Joe 1.

We hope to be on grass for Brooklands at home next week and then we are aiming for grass extra training sessions on Saturday 2nd and 9th April before the Flags Final on Sunday 10th - more details will follow but please bring boots each week as well as trainers. Wednesday training sessions will continue as normal.

U14B 5-12 Wilmslow Plate Semi Final [19th Mar]

This was a good performance by a combined team of U14B and U12A players. Wilmslow had a couple of good strong players who we struggled to contain, which resulted in them scoring 9 of the 12 goals. Give us a rematch next week and I am sure we would manage to contain them better.
The closest we got was 3-3 midway through the second quarter; after this we fell away and struggled to put consistent pressure on our opponents.
MVP by a long way was Matthew Stewart, who drew admiring comments from all 3 of the Wilmslow coaches at the end of the game, for a string of good saves throughout the match.

Goals
Cox 2, Callaghan 1, Hirst 1, Allen 1

U12 "Syracuse" 4-6 Boardman [19th Mar]

U12 "Hopkins" 9-9 Sheffield [19th Mar]

U12A 5-1 Poynton CUP SEMI FINAL [12th Mar]

"Offense sells tickets; Defense wins championships"
[Dave Thorson - an American high school basketball coach]

Never was this more true than today. By keeping our opponents to one goal almost guaranteed the win, regardless of how we played offensively.

It was tough for the spectators today as we had our second testing match against Poynton in a week. We put in a stuttering offensive performance, but the defensive unit of Matthew Stewart, Harun Wasim, Dan Walker and Pat Sugden played an absolutely immense game of lacrosse that almost earned a shut out for Timperley, and ensured that we progressed to our second consecutive Onondaga Cup Final. After numerous games where the defence has rarely seen the ball, today they stepped up and made the semi final win possible.

Poynton had a game plan and stuck to it well - from the start they decided to go for damage limitation, and played a stifling, smothering game in which they were totally intent on stopping us from playing. Our opponents approach, which took advantage of their tiny pitch, meant that the normally free wheeling and high scoring Timperley game never got going as we struggled to find space and time to play. The team did play solidly and although it was not pretty, there was never much doubt that it was going to be the Timperley parents reaching for the sat nav for another trip to Rochdale for the final.

Well done boys - a win is a win at any level of lacrosse and we now have four weeks to prepare for the final against Stockport. It should be a good weekend as we join the U16 at the Flags Festival.

Goals
Cox 2, Callaghan 1, Robins 1, Kinghorn 1

U12 results [12th Mar]

U12B 7-6 Norbury
U12C 3-8 Heaton Mersey

Cup Semi Final: Mellor vs Timperley Sat 12th March U16s.

We have lost to Mellor at Brabyns and beaten them at TLC and now the clear challenge was to beat them on the notorious Brabyns Park pitch.

Unfortunatley, Timperley were not the first to score with the Mellor 28, one of the best players in the region, firing in the opener. However, Timperley held their nerve and it wasn't long before Timperley equalled. 1-1 remained the score for the quarter.

The second quarter was eventful with Timperley going into the lead - a lead they maintained througout the rest of game. Timperley kept scoring, Mellor fough back but never equalled. 3 - 5 second quarter score. The third quarter showed strong defensive play from Timperley holding the Mellor attack and up front Timperley advanced their lead by 2 more. Score was 3 - 8 at the end of the third quarter.

The final quarter proved to be as intense as the game so far with 3 more goals for Timperley and 2 more for Mellor resulting in an 11-5 win for Timperley.

James had his game of the season in goal making crucial saves in every quarter and we saw strong play from the whole team with everone putting in that extra bit off effort that made all the difference.

Goals:
Mr Toby Hawksley 5 goals
Mr Cameron Parks & Mr Tim Nicol 2 goals each
Mr Alex Winton & Mr Jack Cox 1 goal each

Well done lads - we were proud of your performance.

Flags Final (The War of the Roses) & the opportunity for us to seek revenge against this season's rivals - Sunday 10th April vs Sheffield (who beat Brooklands today in the other semi 10-5)

U12 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS [6th Mar]

We were two seconds from losing the final today, but a last gasp equaliser and an overtime winner changed everything and sealed the U12 National Championship with a 3-2 victory over Brooklands.
Take a bow, Matthew Stewart, Pat Sugden, Joe Hunn, Dan Walker, Harun Wasim (back row); Sam Hirst, Tom Cox, Ed Loveland, Will Callaghan, Adam Kinghorn (front row), plus Oliver Crosby (who was unable to play the final).

Today these boys played some gritty lacrosse to bring the National Championship back to Timperley for the first time in 8 years, and in doing so provided more proof that we are the best U12 team in the country.

One day tournaments throw up a random schedule of round robin matches, and it is quite possible for a lesser team to spring an upset. This happened to us last year, so we were fully focussed from the off with the aim of reaching the knock out stages with as good a record as possible. The day started well as we cruised past last year's winners Wilmslow, winning 7-0 before playing Poynton, where we won an ugly match 1-0. Next up were Cheadle Hulme (5-0) and Norbury (4-0). So far so good....we had qualified for the quarter finals in first place, but were still a long way from the final.

It came a little closer with a bazarre walkover against Wilmslow, who had apparently already headed for home, believing they had been knocked out. Strange, but we were not bothered. It saved our energy for bigger battles, and there were two coming over the horizon, firstly in the shape of a good Stockport team.

Away from the grass for the first time, saw us on the really bouncy, sandy astroturf, which initially gave us a few problems. Stockport pressed for the whole of the first half as we failed to control the game in the slightest. However, it was still 0-0 at half time and then Tom Cox then came off the bench to score a couple to get us to a 2-0 win. We were now due to face Brooklands who were into their eighth consecutive final. How do they do it? We were about to find out as the adrenaline kicked in before our most competitive game of the season.

Brooklands started well and got scored a couple of quick goals, but then showed their hand by being prepared to stall the game and run the clock down. This slowing of the game actually enabled us to get our heads together and we gradually managed to get a grip with Tom Cox scoring our first goal following a lovely passing move. 1-2 at half time then. In spite of us chasing the game, the second half was meandering to an unsatisfactory conclusion as we created chances but shot poorly.

So we arrived at 60 seconds to go in the final, Timperley were losing 1-2 and we had a man sent off. It was really looking like it was over and we'd be making our excuses all the way up the M5 and M6 back home......however, it was just not to be as this team showed it's backbone. We got our man back on and pressed the ball, won it back and moved it up the pitch. Ed Loveland had a shot but missed. 30 seconds to go. Goalie's ball back line. A bit of a scramble. My timer hit zero seconds. Surely it's gone now? Ed won the ball from somewhere and whilst being pushed to the floor laid it off to Sam Hirst. Sam drew his man and dumped the ball to Joe Hunn, who scorched one past the goalie. The equaliser, 2-2 and a whole two seconds left in the game. Cue pandemonium amongst the Timperely supporters. Out of jail? It seemed that way.
Overtime was for two minutes and there was really only going to be one winner. We were the stronger team and so it showed as Tom Cox manoevered himself into position to score our third. 60 seconds to go (again), but this time we were in front and in no mood to lose it. Possession was gained from the face, and that was that. The clock ran down with no scares giving the final score of 3-2 to Timperley. Cue more pandemonium, this time spreading to players and coaches too!


This was an incredible team effort today, with the players really working for each other and their coaches to ensure that their club won the day. Matt was only beaten twice in 6 matches; the 3 defence men of Dan, Pat and Harun interchanged seamlessly throughout the day and they all played long stick midfield when required; Will and Sam did the unglamourous hard yards in the midfield (yes we do notice!) especially at the face off; Adam provided the legs for the quick breaks; finally Tom, Ed, Joe and Oli mixed it up in attack, scoring goals and giving the opposition a variety of problems all day.

Nice effort boys!

U16s Nationals, Great Malvern Sunday 6th March

We arrived at our destination in Great Malvern to be told that the U16s were relocating to Mavern College 5 mins away - so off we went and the tournament got underway about an hour late.

Our first match was against the old rivals, Brooklands. We went 1 (JC) up but in the last minute Brooklands managed to equalise.

Next was Reading, a good 2-0 win with Alex scoring along with Jack.

Our third match was against our friends from t'other side of Pennines, Sheffield - and unfortunately they beat us 2-0 despite a stronger performance from Timperley than yesterday. Following Shutt's getting one up on the delightful Sheffield coach yesterday, Craggie added to this today, so 2-0 up to TLC for pitchside banter (however let's move this success onto the pitch next time!)

Next was a 4-0 win over SMG with Jack, Tim, Alex and Dan scoring followed by a 4-1 win over Rochdale with Jack, Tim and Dan scoring again.

As we neared the end of the tournament we came up against Welwyn and sadly lost 2-1 with Tim scoring.

This marked the end of the tournament for Timperley as Sheffield played Welwyn in the final - where Sheffield won.

Thanks to everyone for making the effort to come to Malvern and well done to the U16 players who showed improved form, better teamwork and with further work and training - the potential to achieve more this season. A big thank you to Craggie too for stepping in as coach. Cameron also did well as captain, good effort. Nathan did a cracking job in goal and Jack was top scorer and finally Tim continues to make that bit of extra commitment that makes all the difference.

Now onto next Saturday - our Semi at Mellor; let's build on the progress made today and do ourselves proud. So we need a committed training session on Wednesday followed by a strong show of us at our best on Saturday.

Sat 5th March: U16s away at Sheffield

Not good! In fact our worse match by far this season! Final Score 21-4.
Goals: Toby x1 / Alex x1 / Tim x2.

After a rally at the end of Q1, we saw an appalling Q2 and there isn't much else to report on, other than I think we were all glad when the final whistle blew.

So now to the Nationals tomorrow in Malvern.........I think the wisest thing to offer is that we should forget today, draw a line and move on!

I know we have a good team that can work effectively together and display good skills. If we can regain these for tomorrow along with a more positive mental attitude, we stand a very good chance of retaining the trophy that we won last year.

So here's to Malvern and fresh starts!

U12 retain 6 a side trophy [27th Feb]

This afternoon, in a fantastic 6 a side tournament, the U12A retained the Tuscarora Cup that they won 12 months ago. In the final they were up against the U12B, which just goes to show the strength that the club has at this level, and is a credit to all those involved in the junior and pop programmes.

The round robin nature of the competition gives it an element of luck, and the U12A were handed three easy matches and only one against a club who we would consider serious opposition. To my mind, 4 wins would be needed to guarantee a semifinal spot.
First up were Heaton Mersey Guild who were quickly seen off 11-1, which was a nice starter. The second game was against Poynton A which was, on paper, the tough game as Poynton have some good players. However, we played some very good lacrosse to win 7-1 and almost certainly eliminate them from the competition. We then beat Boardman 9-1 and finally Poynton B 6-0, with a somewhat scrappy performance.
After four games, we had qualified for the semis, along with the two other unbeaten teams, Rochdale and Timperley B. The last semi final spot went to Mellor, who had lost one but got through on goal difference. So, there was no Poynton, Stockport or Cheadle, who were all among my pre tournament threats. Looking good then.
The draw for the semi final pitted Timperley A against Mellor and Timperley B against Rochdale, which left the chance of an all Timperley final.......it couldn't happen could it?
.....but it did - the A team beat Mellor 4-0 and the B team overcame Rochdale 3-2 with a really gutsy performance.
So the final was to be an all Timperley affair, and to be honest, it was closer than I imagined it would be. The A team looked nervous and started off playing that way, whilst the B team really believed they could win as they knew the opposition inside out.
Half time was 0-0, then Joe Hunn put the B team ahead early in the second period. The two long sticks of Harun and Dan Walker then popped up with nice goals for the A team, before Ben Williamson equalised for the B on a man up for 2-2 with about two minutes to play. This was going to the wire.
In the end though, the experience of the A team won the day as Ed Loveland got on the end of some good passing to score his 18th and 19th goals of the day to put his team 4-2 up. The A team then put in a minute of really tough riding and defending to protect the lead that they had fought so hard to get. The final whistle followed, and the two teams and their coaches came together as one to congratulate and commiserate each other at the end of a really special day for the club. Patrick McGowan (B team) was thoroughly deserving to win the MVP award in the final.

The victorious A team were:
Goal: Matthew Stewart, Defenders: Harun Wasim, Dan Walker, Midfield: Oliver Crosby (capt), Adam Kinghorn, Will Callaghan, Sam Hirst, Attack: Ed Loveland.

Well done boys - this was a tremendous victory in which the team playing the best lacrosse in the tournament won the day. Every player (apart from Matt!) scored today, and the incredibly unselfish play of everyone led to some great "team goals" getting us to the victory that Nelly, Chris and I wanted us to achieve.

U12 "Hopkins" 21-2 Wacs [26th Feb]

U12 "Syracuse" 7-4 HMG [26th Feb]

U12A/B 17-5 Spencer [25th Feb]

Spencer are a team from London and are a bit of an unknown quantity - as it turned out they ended up giving a mixed A/B team a pretty competitive match.
At times the A team players were a bit sloppy but they dug deep enough to get the game won. What was most pleasing was the way the B team boys played - Messrs McGowan, Barker, Atkins, Burkinshaw and Roberts all showed good skills and it really shows how they have progressed over the course of the season.

Goals
Loveland 6, Crosby 4, Hirst 3, Williamson 2, Jamie 1, Hunn 1

Juniors clean sweep [19th Feb]

All five of the Timperley junior teams won this morning.

U12A 27-7 Wilmslow [19th Feb]

Today the A team went to work on another of the Onondaga semi finalists, and without doubt, we played our best lacrosse of the season.
The first quarter had some of the most incisive play of the day as we cut Wilmslow to shreds scoring 10 unanswered goals. We were passing the ball around the cage with a great deal of confidence and skill, which led to some really satisfying goals being scored. To be doing this at U12 is great - there are U14 teams who cannot manage to do this as competently as we were managing today.

Goals
Loveland 7, Williamson 5, Hirst 4, Crosby 3, Callaghan 2, Hunn 2, Townsley 1, Jamie 1, Walker 1, Sugden 1 (first goal of the season for Pat).

The season is now building some real momentum, with a busy period of tournaments and cup games coming up in the next 4 weeks. We have two tournaments and two cup semi finals to play - plese keep up the good attendance at training, and we'll give ourselves the best shot of some glory.

U12 "Hopkins" 8-7 Mellor [19th Feb]

This was a really good win against a competitive Mellor team.

U12 "Syracuse" 11-6 Wacs [19th Feb]

A very good win for Timperley - beating a Wacs team that had earlier this season beaten the B team.

U14 5-2 Mellor [19th Feb]

Sat 19th Feb Match Report: Timperley U16 vs Poynton

Poynton aren't a bad team and can play a good match with decent field skills - however Timperley got off to a good start with Tim Nicol getting the all important 1st goal. Dan C followed with a good 2nd and then with a Tim Nicol assist Mr Harry Mann put it into the back of the net making Q1 score 3-0.

The second quarter saw 5 more go in for Timperley and a clean sheet maintained, well played Barney & the defence.

A team reshuffle resulted in a slight rebalancing of the score line at 11-4 at the end of Q3

The final quarter saw Poynton come back with 5 more goals being scored against Timperley's 4

Final score 15-9 with the final match stats being;

Tim Nicol 5 goals & 5 assists - well done
Alex WInton 3 goals - continues to buld his scoresheet as the season progresses
Myles 2 goals & 1 assist - reliability continues
Nathan 2 goals - strong runs now consitently converting to goals
Harry & Dan C - 1 a piece from good game play
Toby 1 goal and 1 assist - vital part of our attack

Next week; Ashton / Oldham at home - remember we played well when we beat them away last time and this was supported by good self discipline and keeping our cool - let's make sure we keep it this way on Saturday 26th!

Training as normal Wednesday / Home Sat 26th Feb / England Academy U15s Sunday 27th Feb / Helpers for U14s 6 a side from 12.30pm Sunday 26th Feb / Away at Sheffield Sat 5th March / National U16s Malvern Sunday 6th March / U16s Cup Semi Final at Mellor (Brabyns) Sat 12th March.

U16s Match Report vs Norbury

Not such a tidy match - following last week's match vs Mellor (which incidently must go down as one of the team's best matches this season). Norbury were short of men so thanks to all those that sub'd for them each quarter.

Q1 Timperley trailed 1-2
Q2 Better quarter with 5 goals 6-3
Q3 2 more 8-4
Q4 & Final score 11-7

Scorers:
Myles x2 / Jack x1 / Toby x3 / Cameron x1 / Tom x1 / Alex x3

Training as normal Weds and then away at Poynton next Sat 19th - please confirm your availability as we are already a few players down (JC/CM/JP/TN).

U12A 20-0 Sheffield [12th Feb]

There was a degree of payback in this performance as it was Sheffield who beat us in the final of the community games (world cup) last July, and a lot of today's team were present that day.
To that extent, it was job done, as we put in a competent performance to come away with a good win. It was by no means all one way, but having an experienced goalkeeper makes such a difference. We were almost scoring at will, whilst Sheffield were kept to zero, in spite of them creating a number of chances. Ed Loveland led the way today with a big performance of goals, creativity and immaculate ground ball.

Goals
Loveland 9, Cox 3, Crosby 2, Callaghan 2, Hunn 2, Williamson 1, Robins 1

U12B 8-1 Oldham, U12C 2-7 Oldham [12th Feb]

U14 4-9 Rochdale [12th Feb]

U16s vs Mellor Saturday 5th February 2011

Well, our old friends Mellor - just pipped us in the final of the 6 a side tournament & beat us 13-10 earlier in the season and, following the cup redraw yesterday, our semi final cup fellow contenders (12 March).

Q1 6-3 / Q2 9-5 / Q3 13-5 / Q4 15-5

Scorers:
Tim Nicol 1 - the important opener
Cameron Parkes 3 - great midi play up front but also supporting in defence
Myles Anderson 2 - regular contributer, could have been more
Nathan Walker 2 - really showing form
Toby Hawksley 3 - almost 4 if the cheeky back shot had gone in!
Jack Cox 1 - hard worker and great game
Alex Winton 2 - good to see getting on the scoresheet again
Mellor Goalie 1 - own goal, thanks mate!

Good saves from Barney and later on, James and good defensive play - illustrated in no Mellor Goals being scored in the second half.

A good win against a solid team, with some stronger quality play from Timperley. We must not take too much for granted though as we meet them next on 12th March at their home (Brabyns Park) but here is no doubt that we should be proud of our win today and enter that match with some degree of confidence.

U12A 22-1 Rochdale [5th Feb]

This morning it rained, and rained, and then rained some more........
We could have easily cancelled the game, but both teams were willing to give it a go, and it turned out to be quite a good workout for the U12A. Playing 10 a side on half the astro (the other half being under water) was always going to be a challenge, but we certainly got some benefit from this morning's game.
Rochdale, though lacking basic ball handling skills in certain areas, were a well drilled team who set up properly and posed us some problems - the scoreline does not really reflect that they are one of the better teams we have faced this season.
Timperley scored some good goals this morning, and the whole team got good game time, with the defence and goalkeeper dealing with a lot of pressure from a couple of Rochdale's more able players.
As ever, we just need to polish our ball handling a bit more - we have the ability to win trophies this season, and we should be aiming to do that playing solid, error free lacrosse.

Goals
Cox 6, Loveland 5, Crosby 4, Callaghan 2, Hunn 2, Robins 2, Townsley 1

Sat 29th Jan Timperley U16s vs Sheffield

One of the best matches for a while - good competition from one of the best teams we play. Unfortunately we lost 5-3 but it could have easlity been a draw or even a win.
Q1 Sheffield went 2-0 up
Q2 we pulled back 2 (Ged & Nathan) but Sheffield got 2 further goals 4-2
Q3 Toby scored a belter and we were almost level 4-3
Q4 saw Sheffield pull one back resulting in final score 5-3
We failed to score a number of times, lost posession more than we should have - so we essentially gave the game away. A useful match and I have no doubt that we could beat them next time if we come across them in the cup.

Training as normal Wednesday

U12A 23-1 Stockport [29th Jan]

This was an important match for the U12. Like us, Stockport are in the semi final of the Onondaga Cup, and they have not lost for a good few weeks. It was therefore a big opportunity to show them the standards they will have to reach to remove our grip from the cup this season.
We started well, and won the first quarter 4-0. We were tentative at times on the hard pitch but managed to keep our noses in front. The key point in the game for me was towards the end of the second quarter when the score was 6-1 and Stockport were still pressing hard. Stockport called a timeout, which allowed us to reorganise. Adam Kinghorn then led an inspired charge by setting up or scoring 3 goals in the next 2 minutes, which really finished the game. Half time at 9-1 was a nice place to be.
We scored a further 7 goals in each of the next two quarters to run out 23-1 winners.
Thanks to Patrick Sugden for deputising in goal, and well done to the rest of the boys for putting in a really strong performance today.

Goals
Hunn 7, Loveland 6, Cox 3, Crosby 3, Kinghorn 3, Hirst 1

U12 "Syracuse" 4-7 Heaton Mersey [29th Jan]

The U12 "Syracuse" team took the field against Heaton Mersey, and lost a close game. It is all good experience for the youngest boys on the U12 and great that we are able to field three teams for the second week running.

U12A 22-1 Mellor [22nd Jan] CUP

This was a game that was more competitive than the scoreline suggests, and the U12A played really well to win their second round match in the Onondaga Cup. There was no messing around and we did a good job to record another comprehensive win.
The conditions were not easy, with the pitch barely taking a stud, and the temperature not rising above freezing for the whole game. Mellor competed well and made it especially hard on the groundball; however the defence remained tight, the midfield won an awful lot of ball, and the attack scored the goals to put us into the semi final for the second year running. A really good team effort.

Goals
Cox 11, Hunn 4, Crosby 3, Loveland 2, Kinghorn 2

U12B 7-16 Stockport [22nd Jan] CUP

U12C 9-3 Poynton [22nd Jan]

U14 14-7 Brooklands B [22nd Jan]

2nd Round Cup away vs Oldham / Ashton Sat 22 January 2011

After 2 easy-going 'friendlies' over the last 2 weeks the cup round was finally here. Off we went to Ashton with the anticipation of a competitive game that would put us more to the test.

As things turned out, it was more a test of self discipline and restraint rather than skilled lacrosse.

Before we took to the field, it was clear that this hybrid opposition side was taller and chunkier than us - how would this size advantage manifest itself?

Well it was soon apparent that it wasn't going to be much of a challenge with regard to lacrosse but perhaps our temprament would be more than tested?!

We made a steady start, initially defending and then moving onto the attack and it wasn't long before we scored. The Ashton No 15 seemed to steamroller his way into the heart of the action and it was soon clear it was going to be a physical game! Q1 ended 3-0 up to Timperley.

Q2 saw the lead extend to 7-0 with James Smethurst making a good save when Ashton made a rare break. Ashton continued to employ questionable tactics including deliberate trips, pushes from behind and uncontrolled slashing. So far Timperley were holding their cool against the odds!

Q3 sadly saw things turn nasty with an exclusion penatly being award to Ashton's No. 9 after fists were thrown at Nathan. Nathan managed to hold back (well done!) and the No. 9 got his dues with a 3 match ban. Timperley extended their score to 11 with Barney making an important save maintaining our clean sheet.

4 more Timperley goals took the final score to 15-0 and true to form, Ashton managed a second exclusion penalty when their No.8 player launched his lacrosse stick towards an unsupecting Timperley player!

Facts:
Myles was top scorer x6 goals with x3 assists from Cameron & x2 from Tim and 1 from Jack
Tim was runner up with x3 goals with x1 assisted by Toby
Jack got x2 goals with x1 assisted by Joe
Toby got x2 goals
Harry and Nathan got x1 goal a piece with Toby assisting Harry

A good performance from Timperley against an opposition team who didn't perform well and exhibited poor discipline and manners that spoiled the game. Well done to the Timperley team for keeping their cool, focussing on the lacrosse and secured a solid victory. Shame on Ashton/Oldham!

Saturday 15th U16s Away @ Wilmslow WIN

A resounding victory 17 - 1.
Q1 8-1 / Q2 9-1/ Q3 13 - 1 / Q4 17-1

Top scorer Alex Winton - really getting into his stride x4
Cameron Parks & Tim Nicol getting 3 each
Myles, Jack & Toby 2 goals each and Charlie Edwards x1.

The 'practice' of the last 2 weeks ends now and we need a good win on Saturday against Ashton in the second round of the Cup.

U12A 21-1 Oldham [15th Jan]

Nice to get a game played, after the enforced break for Christmas and the snow.
Scorers
Loveland 7, Cox 3, Hunn 3, Hirst 3, Williamson 2, Wasim 2, Callaghan 1

Onondaga Cup second round next week - continuing the defence of the trophy.

U12B 19-5 Heaton Mersey Guild [15th Jan] CUP

A really good win for the U12B team today, as they won their first round Onondaga Cup match against Heaton Mersey Guild. They now progress into the second round, which should be played next week.

U14B 0-13 Rochdale [8th Jan] CUP

First round cup matches don’t really come much harder than this. Rochdale are one of the best U14 teams in the country, and a physically intimidating bunch into the bargain.

Looking at the scoreline (0-13), this was quite a one sided game but, for a team containing nine U12 players and 5 of the newer U14, this was a great effort.

The defence had a real workout today, and the almost constant pressure highlighted some areas for us to work on in training. Matthew Stewart was solid (only conceding 5 goals in the 2 quarters he played) and Pat Sugden played his best game of the season today.

We struggled for possession (no free clears in the cup) so the midfield and attack never really had too many opportunities to pressurise Rochdale. We did handle the ball nicely when given the chance but struggled to break down the big Rochdale defence – it was always going to be a tough ask but they never gave up.

We now drop into the U14 plate competition (all first round losing teams go into this). This will be on 5th Feb, and I would like to think that after our baptism of fire today we can give another club a bit of a fright, or even manage to win a game, which would be a tremendous achievement.

U14A 14-5 Stockport Mersey Guild [8th Jan] CUP

A good win for the U14A in the first round of the Centurion Cup.

Heaton Mersey vs Timperley U16 Sat 8th January

After a long absence due to the arctic weather through December, it was good to be playing lacrosse again. The boys took to the field eager to play and it wasn't long before the goals started to come.

Q1:6-2 / Q2: 11-2 /Q3: 22-2 / Q4: 26-2 Final Score.

Scorers:

Myles 4 / Dan C 1 (Toby assist) / Jack 2 (Nathan & Myles assist) / Toby 4
/ Tim 5 (Myles assist) / Cameron 4 (Tim assist)/ Gerard 1 / Nathan 1
Alex 4

A strong win 26-2 vs a weak HM side. Wilmslow next week for a friendly and then it's the next round of the cup.