Under 16s News, 2008/2009

Sunday 30 November - Uxbridge Colts 2 Hendon 4

Hendon Under-16s reached the next round of the Harrow Youth League Cup with a 4-2 away victory over Uxbridge Colts on Sunday morning. Gavin Austin gave Hendon the lead after five minutes and the lead was extended by Kerrin Lataille ten minutes later. Just after the half-hour mark Kamal McEwan made it 3-0 and Hendon seemed on their way to a comfortable victory. After Hendon had made some changes in the second half Uxbridge Colts pulled a goal back after 66 minutes. Four minutes later, they were awarded a controversial penalty which they converted to make it 3-2. But Hendon held their nerve and scored just a minute later through Jurrell Thomas. From there they were able to coast home. "I am very pleased to be in the quarter final of the League Cup," said manager John Creith. "We played some excellent football in the first half. Even when they scored their two goals I wasn't too worried. My man of the match was my captain Ryan Brennan."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 23 November - Hendon 7 Actual Soccer 2

Hendon Under-16s, once again, found themselves trailing early in the game, but this time they hit back and eventually ran out comfortable 7-2 winners over Actual Soccer in the Harrow Youth League at Copthall Playing Fields on Sunday morning. Actual Soccer scored after 12 and 18 minutes, but Hendon hit back with a goal from Kamal McEwan after 25 minutes. Ten minutes later, Damilola Thomas equalised and, two minutes later, Keiron Lataille put Hendon in front. In the second half, Hendon ran away with the game adding goals from Jason Garland (following Thomas seeing his penalty saved) after 47, Ben GIBSON after 65 minutes, Gibson, again two minutes later and Thomas, seven minutes from time. Manager John Creith said, "This was a much improved performance. They showed some real character in coming back from 2-0 down and our work rate improved from recent matches. My man of the match was Ryan McKenna, who worked tirelessly in the centre of midfield."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 09 November - Pinner Albion 5 Hendon 0

Hendon Under-16s produced a euphamistically "hugely disappointing" disappointing performance in going down 5-0 away to Pinner Albion in the Harrow Youth League Premier Division on Sunday afternoon. Trailing by a single goal at half-time, things only got worse after the break and a combination of reduced effort, poor attitude and general bad play resulted in another four goals being conceded. Manager John Creith was furious after the game, saying, "That was terrible. After last week, too many players turned up with the attitude that we only had go out onto the pitch and we would win. If you don't try in football, you don't get anything and today we got what we deserved. For the first time since I have been managing this squad, I really let the players know how angry I was with them after the game. If they are going to repeat that performance and attitude, I will make changes."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 02 November - Hendon 3 Forest United 0

Hendon Under-16s, put a couple of poor results behind them as they defeated Forest United 3-0 in the Premier Division of the Harrow Youth League at Copthall Playing Fields on Sunday morning. They took the lead after 14 minutes through Kerran Lataille, but then had to wait until the final 13 minutes to finally put the game to bed. After 67 minutes, Jurell Thomas made it 2-0 and Ben Gibson completed the scoring in the final five minutes. "I gave the players a really tough training session last week," said manager John Creith. "It did the trick because we played really well today and I was delighted with the performance. But what pleased me most was the fact that we kept a clean sheet. My man of the match was John Fowora, who made his debut for us today at centre-half and he made us much more solid at the back."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 26 October - Greenford Celtic 4 Hendon 2

Hendon Under-16s left manager John Creith a very unhappy man after losing 4-2 at Greenford Celtic in the Harrow Youth Football League Premier Division on Sunday morning. They made a terrible start, conceding a goal after eight minute and then a second one a further eight minutes later. After 27 minutes Kamal McEwan pulled a goal back and the teams changed ends with the score at 2-1. Ten minutes into the second half Jurrel Thomas scored Hendon's equaliser and, on the balance of play at the time, they were strong favourites to win the match. But it didn't work out that way and Greenford Celtic took the points when they scored after 75 and 79 minutes. "I am furious," said Mr Creith. "We didn't do the basics properly. We overplayed with the ball and didn't work hard enough. At 2-2 I was sure we would go on and win the game, but only four players really worked hard enough. My man of the match was Jurrel Thomas."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 19 October - Hendon 1 Hillingdon Borough 1 (3-4 on pens)

Hendons record in the Middlesex Youth Cup - at least for John Creith's squads - has been very disappointing and this season proved to be no different as a sub-par performance led to goalless 80 minutes and eventually a sudden-death penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Hillingdon Borough at Copthall Playing Fields on Sunday morning. Very unusually for youth football, this was a defensive battle with neither team able to make the breakthrough in the opening 80 minutes. Five minutes into the first period of extra time, Hillingdon scored, but Hendon drew level in the 98th minute when Jurrel Thomas scored. A minute later Thomas was nearly Hendon's match-winner as he struck the woodwork with a good effort. The rebound didn't go Hendon's way so the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Going second, Hendon had a great chance to win with their fifth penalty, but it was missed. And, when, in sudden death, Hillingdon converted their sixth and Hendon failed, it was Borough who advanced. "This was a really bad performance," said manager John Creith, "and my record in the Middlesex Cup continues. We didn't start playing until they had scored in extra time and we nearly won it soon after we equalised. Jurrel Thomas was my man of the match, not just for his goal, but for his overall performance."

Posted at 15:00

Sunday 12 October - Hendon 3 St Andrews 2

Hendon Under-16s, for the second consecutive week, won a match 3-2 having led 1-0 at half-time. That is where the similarities ended, however, because the Greens were trailing with four minutes to go. The opening goal came from Kamal McEwan after 36 minutes and Hendon took oranges with a one-goal advantage. That disappeared seven minutes after the restart and things got even worse for Hendon on the hour mark when Jason Garland had to take over in goal following an injury to the regular keeper. After 68 minutes Garland was picking the ball out of the net and Hendon were trailing, when a deflected shot found its way past the stand-in goalkeeper. But, with four minutes of normal time to go, Damilola Thomas netted the equaliser. This set up a grandstand finish and, two minutes into stoppage time, up popped McEwan to net Hendon's winner. "There was barely time to restart," said manager John Creith. "I am so pleased with got the late winner - it made up for an earlier game when we conceded a goal in stoppage time. My man of the match was Jason Garland, who had been playing really well at left-back and then did everything we asked of him as emergency goalkeeper for the final quarter."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 05 October - Hendon 3 Headstone Manor A 2

Hendon Under-16s did just enough to reach the next round of the Harrow Youth League Cup after seeing off Headstone Manor courtesy of a goal in the last five minutes. The Greens took the lead midway through the first half with a goal from Ben Gibson and held that advantage until almost ten minutes into the second half. Just before the hour mark, Hendon regained the lead with a goal from Kamal McEwan, but they could not put the game away. Headstone Manor made Hendon pay for their profligacy in front of goal by snatching a second equaliser with eight minutes to go. However, in the 75th minute Tyrone Smith popped up to net the winner. "I am delighted that we have got through to the next round," admitted manager John Creith, "but once again our performance left a little bit to be desired. We had plenty of the ball and created many chances, but we didn't take them and the final score doesn't reflect how much we dominated the game. My man of the match Ben Gibson, who linked up play between midfield and attacked and displayed an excellent work-rate."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 28 September - Hendon 2 Park View Rangers 2

Hendon Under-16s collected a point from their clash with Park View Rangers Under-16s at Copthall Playing Fields on Sunday morning after a cracking match ended 2-2. Damilola Thomas gave Hendon the lead after ten minutes, but Park View hit back to equalise after 22 minutes. That was all the scoring in a very even first half. After the break, Hendon ramped up the pressure and took control, but it took until the 71st minute for the next goal to arrive, Thomas grabbing his second of the game. But Hendon couldn't hang on to their lead as Park View drew level in the first minute of stoppage time. "It was gutting," admitted manager John Creith, "and I consider it two points dropped. On the positive side, we were consistent in both halves, something that wasn't the case in the first two games when we were poor in the first half. My man of the match was Jurell Thomas at left back. He was very solid throughout."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 21 September - Pinnacle 3 Hendon 1

Hendon Under-16s made a bad start to this Harrow Youth League Premier Division fixture on Sunday morning and never really recovered. A bad defensive error gave Pinnacle their first goal after 15 minutes and a similar mistake saw the lead doubled just five minutes later. In the second half, Hendon's performance improved dramatically, but another defensive gaffe saw the score reach 3-0 withless than 20 minutes remaining. With 13 minutes to go Iuri Cardoso did pull a goal back and Pinnacle were on the defensive for the rest of the game as Hendon vainly went looking for further goals. "We are going to have to start playing in the first half," said manager John Creith. "We upped the tempo in the second half and were on top, but we paid for our bad defending in the first half. My man of the match was central striker Daniel Mateus who was excellent again."

Posted at 19:00

Sunday 14 September - Ruislip Rangers 3 Hendon 4

Hendon Under-16s made a winning start to the new Harrow Youth League campaign, but they did it the hard way. They went a goal down after 15 minutes and it was 2�0 just four minutes later. At half-time Hendon changed things around and within nine minutes they had reduced the deficit with a goal from Jurrell Thomas. In the 51st minute, Damilola Thomas equalised and Damilola Thomas grabbed his second midway through the second half to give Hendon the lead. With 13 minutes to go, Hendon brought on Ehad Ponxha, and the substitute scored with first touch heading in the Greens' fourth. In the last minute of normal time Ruislip Rangers pulled a goal and although there were six nerve-wracking minutes of stoppage time, Hendon held on the for the victory. Manager John Creith was not happy about the performance, saying, "We were poor in the first half and started very slowly. Three poorly defended goals were conceded but we did show great character in coming back. Two men shared the man of the match award: Damilola Thomas for his fantastic work-rate and Daniel Mateus, who came on at half-time and changed the game as a striker."

Posted at 19:00