Youth Football: Crusaders cruise

Under-12 Knockout Cup

Fulbourn Falcons 1

Ely Crusaders 15

CRUSADERS dominated this game against 10 men with great passing and teamwork. There werefirst half there were goals from Ashley Hammersley, a hat-trick from Alfa Balde and a brace each for Cameron Robb and Alex Oxborough.

For the second half Ely changed their formation but the scoring continued with one each for Jake Hopkin, Jaques Odell-Rourke, Nick Kyndt and Alex Minall, two for Lewis Buxton and Robb completeing his hat trick. The home team did manage a consolation goal.

Crusaders: George Bannister, Joe Dalton, Jake Hopkin, Alexander Minall, Nicholas Kyndt, Lewis Buxton, Cameron Robb, Oliver Watts, Ashley Hammersley, David Moore, Joseph Smith, Jacques Odell-Rourke, Alex Oxborough, Alfa Balda.

Under-17 Division B

Brampton Spartans 1 Stretham Sporting 1

STRETHAM Sporting's recent run of good form continued when they visited Brampton Spartans.

That confidence paid off when, just before the break and having weathered early pressure, Eddy Aniskowicz pounced on a parried shot to calmly slot the ball past the home keeper. Plenty more chances fell to both sides, with goal-line clearances at both ends, but it was the home team who scored after 13 minutes in the second half.

Neither team could find an opening though and Sporting took way a well deserved point from a true team effort. Centre-back Luke Gray pipped fellow centre-back Adam Housden to the man of the match award.

Sporting: David Coulson, Daniel John, Luke Gray, Adam Housden, Matt Parish, Chris Wilkerson, Rhys Chapman, Simon Mears, Tom Parish, Edward Aniskowicz, Tom Heaps.

Gamlingay United 1

Ely Crusaders 2

ELY scraped a victory in this match, but it should have been a foregone conclusion.

Man of the match Giles Hennerbry put Ely ahead after a Matt Bage shot, but despite plenty of chances, Ely could not increase their lead and Gamlingay levelled with a penalty.

Dani Sawalhi won the match for Ely with a glancing header in the second half.

Crusaders: Fleet, Sawalhi, Waddelow, Farrow, Harrison, Bage, Murfitt, J Sizer, Hughes, Gedny, Hennerbry, M Sizer.

Under-15 Knockout Cup

Littleport Town 3 Warboys 2

THE visitors were quicker in getting into their stride and took advantage of a long ball which enabled the centre-forward to score within the first few minutes.

Mid-way through the half, however, the home side drew level. Sean Monigatti converted a penalty after a push in the box.

After the interval, the home team continued to press for the lead and missed several glaring opportunities, most notably a clear one-on-one break.

The frustration was finally alleviated when Ryan Middleton received a fine through pass and coolly drove the ball under the diving keeper.

Against the run of play, Warboys produced an equaliser following a corner. With extra time looming, Littleport pushed forward again and a well-weighted pass put Monigatti clear. He calmly steered his shot into the far corner of the net.

Littleport: Rob Wilson, Oli Pindar, Tom Evans, John Kelly, Chris Brown, Sam Males, Luke Williams, James Elliott, Dan Bell, Sean Monigatti, Adam Ellertson, Ryan Middleton, Lee Fuller, Matt Fuller.

Under-14 Division E

Cambridge Musketeers 7 Sutton Stirlling 1

A SLOW start for Sutton gave Musketeers three quick goals within 10 minutes. Then Sutton fought hard and created chances and got themselves back into the match with a strike by Conner Rogerson to make the score 3-1.

Sutton came out for the second half and missed a good chance in the first seconds of the half. A good battling performance could not stop league leaders Musketeers from scoring four more to make the final score 7-1.

Man of the match for Sutton was Chris Green.

Sutton: Jody Holden, Philip Hampshire, Ashley Gilmour, Sam Ambrose, Andrew Horsfall, Thomas Sole, Chris Green, Cathal Brown, Liam South, Jay Martin, Conner Rogerson, Jordan Keeble, Lewis Bland.

Under-13 Division B

Aztecs Juniors 0

Ely Crusaders A 0

CRUSADERS worked hard on a muddy pitch for a point away to league leaders Aztecs.

Hayden Palmer missed the best chance, his headed effort going just wide of the post.

Man of the match Jamie Clark performed well in goal to earn his team a share of the spoils.

Division C

Bar Hill 8 Ely City 1

THIS was another fixture where the score did not match City's contribution to the game.

Bar Hill scored three quick goals before Ely responded with the goal of the game when Ryan Howell laid a short pass to Matt Waites 25 yards from goal, Waites created space and sent a screamer into the top right hand corner.

City still looked dangerous after the break, but Bar Hill added five more goals.

On another day City could have made the game much closer.

City: Kez Mackender, Jamie McCarthy, Alex Newton, Codie Couzens, Sam Bryan, Will Law, Ryan Howell, Dan Beavis, Liam Heaps, Matt Waites.

Under-13 Friendly

Bluntisham Rangers 1

Soham Town Colts 4

SOHAM bounced back from a disappointing result last week to put together a much-improved team performance against Bluntisham.

After creating a number of chances, Soham were awarded a free-kick 30 yards out, which was struck superbly by Simon Murfitt in the top corner.

This was soon followed by a second goal when Elliot Drewery's shot from the edge of the box slipped through the keeper's hands.

Soon after the break, Town added a third goal when Dan Brook shot home after the keeper had just managed to push out a Joel Frey cross.

Bluntisham then caused the Soham defence a few problems. With Town pushing forward, the home side caught them on the break with a well-taken goal. Owen Grainger got the winner, after a Dan Brook shot was parried by the keeper.

Simon Murfitt was man of the match for Soham.

Soham: Charlie Wills, Owen Grainger, Dan Sadler, Simon Murfitt, Andrew Pickerill, Josh Heaps, Brian Tatay, Ryan Saban, Dan Whitwell, Ryan Brook, Elliot Drewery, Joel Frey, Dan Brook.

Under-11 Division A

Littleport Town 3

Witchford Colts 3

WITCHFORD launched wave after wave of attacks on Littleport's goal, but were unable to convert any of the numerous chances.

Mid-way through the first half Littleport's right winger broke free and crossed to nobody in the middle, but unfortunately Witchford's keeper accidentally turned it into his own goal. The goal was credited to Ashton Oakes.

Witchford started the second half strongly and within 10 minutes were leading 2-1, thanks to goals from Billy Carter and Jamie Woor. Immediately from the restart Littleport's Arron Heaps ran through the entire Witchford team to equalize. Billy Carter again gave Witchford the lead, and with five minutes remaining, another defensive mix up allowed Josh Tollett to level matters.

Port's Heaps and Thompson hit the woodwork four times.

Witchford's man of the match was Cameron James.

Newmarket Town 2

Little Downham Eagles 2

ANOTHER excellent performance from Eagles earned them a creditable draw against high flying Newmarket. Downham opened the scoring in the very first minute of the match when a low shot from Nathan Grainger inside the box beat the keeper.

The match continued fairly evenly until the twelfth minute when a long ball from Eagles was handled in the area by a Newmarket defender and the referee awarded a penalty. Aaron Canham stepped up and confidently despatched the ball into the left corner of the goal. Newmarket were rattled but battled their way back into the match and pulled a goal back just before the break.

The second half saw Newmarket really going for the equaliser, causing Eagles keeper Ezra Collins to make several top class saves. Eagles defence held firm until the fiftieth minute when Newmarket finally equalised.

Man of the match was Ezra Collins.

Eagles: Ezra Collins, Jack Ure, Daniel Mould, Dan Burdin, Thomas Bradney, Oliver Phillips, Nathan Grainger, Aaron Canham, Rachel Spurr, Courtney Pettifor, Mackenzie Chastang.

Under-10 Division E

Haddenham Rovers B 0

Ely Crusaders A 2

A SLUGGISH Ely began slowly against a good Haddenham side who forced Ely to defend well.

The game moved back and forth in the second half until Harry Beeton picked up the ball just inside his own half, took the ball around two players and unleashed a shot into the top corner.

Thomas Walker finished the game when he coolly slotted the ball home while surrounded by defenders.

Crusaders: Oscar Haines, Ryan Marston, Tom Matcham, Harry Beeton, Tyler Thurston, Scott Callaghan, Thomas Walker, Jack Rudkin.

Division F

Littleport Town 11

Lakenheath 3

GOALS galore for 'Port as they came from one down to thrash Lakenheath.

Ryan Bamber netted a hat-trick, while Colt Harvey Tommy Faulkner and Joseph Murfitt notched two each. Other goals came from Kieran Phillips and Leon Chaplin.

Morgan Coleridge, Gareth Ball and Ethan Povey all contributed without getting on the scoresheet - a fine team performance.

Under-Nine Division F

Mepal Sports 1

Newmarket Town 3

DESPITE creating plenty of opportunities, Mepal were two goals down before Hugh Lawrence got them back in the game, with a strike from close range.

Mepal continued to pressure the Town defence with an inspired Roland Dickinson thundering a shot against the bar.

Against the run of play Newmarket counter-attacked, scored to put the game beyond Mepal.

Under-Eight Division D

Soham Town 1 Ely Crusaders 4

ELY continued their unbeaten run with a great team performance against a solid Soham team.

With Ely playing well, Max Wright scored with a great run, beating three players, before Soham scored a penalty.

Wright scored another great goal after good work by Samuel Lowe. Kyle Thurston added a third in the last quarter before Wright completed his hat-trick.

Division E

Witchford 15 Bluntisham 0

WITCHFORD stared scoring early on and, but for some great goalkeeping from Bluntisham, there would have been more.

It was not until the third period more goals started to flow with six from Matthew Loades, four from Daniel Chapman, three from Ruairidh MacDonald, and one each from Sam Gulliver, man of the match Nathan Francis and a first goal of the season from Nathan Parker.

Witchford: Ruairidh MacDonald, Matthew Loades, Harry Braybrooke, Daniel Chapman, Sam Gulliver, Sam Brewer, Ben Ayscough, Nathan Francis, Nathan Parker.