06/06/10

Darlington 21^st Allstars Junior Football Tournament

Middleton Rangers under 13s split into two evenly matched teams for the Allstars annual 7 a side junior football tournament as usual to accommodate as many of the lads as possible with as much football as possible. Middleton A found themselves in Group A with Leven Athletic A, Mount Pleasant A, and a very formidable Spraire Lads B. The format of this group had to be changed slightly as St Francis 2000 were forced to pull out the day before and each team played three twenty minute matches with only the definite top two finishes going through to the knock out stage.

 

Middleton went through top of the group beating both Mount Pleasant and Leven Athletic comfortably 3-0 each and battling out a 1-1 draw with Spraire Lads B and found themselves up against Spraire Lads A in the quarter final who had qualified in third place from Group B.

Meanwhile, Middleton B found themselves in a group with Spraire Lads B, Mount Pleasant B, Allstars Yellow, and Nunthorpe Athletic B. After a draw with Spraire Lads and a victory over both Nunthorpe and Mount Pleasant B, Middleton qualified in second place to find themselves facing Nunthorpe A in their quarter final.

 

Middleton A qualified for the semi final with a 3-0 win over Spraire Lads A and Middleton B won their game 1-0 so it was to be another all Middleton Rangers semi final.

In a tightly contested, competitive, but good natured game of football, Middleton A came out narrow 1-0 winners and so found themselves about to face first division Greatham in the tournament final.

 

We knew that whatever happened now that this had been a great day for Middleton Rangers and some fine football had been played. However, the best was yet to come. Roared on by their Middleton B team mates, Middleton A played out of their skin to break Greatham hearts and take the final 1-0. To cap off a great day, Ranger’s Luca Dunn was named Under 13 player of the tournament by the competition organisers.

 

The Rangers  Under 13s 21^st Allstars tournament 2010 champions today were Andy Macnab, Will Hughes, George Musty, Matty Anderson, Robin Hall, Ryan Garnon,  Aaron Chapman, Nathan Stephenson, Jake Richardson, Mitch Armin, Elroy MacArthur, Cain James, Ben Simpson, Kieran Wade, Lewis MacDonald, Brad Bell, Joe Abbott, and Luca Dunn.

           

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20/06/10

Mount Pleasant Tournament

 

Rangers again split into two teams for this seven a side tournament and again both teams comfortably qualified for the knock out stages with the B team topping their group and the A team finishing a close second to first division St Francis.

 

Both sides came through the quarter finals and it was assumed that they would again meet in the semis, but this proved not to be the case. Rangers A found themselves against North Ormesby and Rangers B against Spraire Lads who they had already finished above in the earlier group stage.

 

Middleton A needed extra time to see off North Ormesby’s challenge and book their place in the final but for the B team it was not to be, as they crashed out of the tournament to a very late Spraire Lads goal.

 

So the final was to be fought out between Middleton and Spraire Lads and what a game it was. Not even extra time could separate these two teams and so the dreaded penalties ensued.

 

Unfortunately for the Middleton boys it was not to be their day as Spraire Lads took the shoot out 4-3. It was another great day for youth football with a final to grace any stage. Well done to both Middleton teams who did exceptionally well and congratulations to Spraire Lads under 13s who took the trophy home to add to their league title.

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03/07/10

Spraire Lads Annual 6 a side Tournament

 

Rangers again split into two teams for the Spraire Lads 6 a side tournament today with both sides enjoying a successful group stage campaign and qualifying comfortably for the quarter finals.

 

Middleton A had a strong start and ended up finishing second in their group while Middleton B started a little more lacklustre with a draw, a win, and a surprising defeat in the first three games when realistically they should have been well clear at the top of the group. Unfortunately, a few harsh words had to be spoken to two or three of the lads regarding the required attitude. However, this talk had the desired effect and Middleton B lads stormed into their stride to comfortably beat Total Soccer and march into a quarter final with Spraire Lads A who had won their group.

 

Unhappily, Middleton A were narrowly beaten in their quarter final but Middleton B played out of their skins to eliminate the tournament hosts and onwards into a semi final against Prissick Rovers.

 

At this point I genuinely believed that Rangers were unbeatable and were going to take the tournament trophy. The lads were playing with confidence, pride, and above all as one unit. They passed the ball around fantastically and frustrated their opponents with bursts of speed and skill, and I really did think it was going to be their day today, and if it had have been, they would have deserved nothing less.

 

Football can be cruel, we all know that and we all accept it. However, I still found it difficult to accept that an exit on penalties was how today should have ended for the lads, but that is exactly what happened. The semi final finished 0-0 despite Middleton being by far the better side and the ensuing penalty shoot out was lost 3-2.

 

Today we played some great football and I cannot emphasise enough just how pleased and proud those lads should be. On another day, and with the rub of the green, another trophy was on it’s way to our cabinet.

 

Today we demonstrated the type of football we are capable of playing when the boys focus on the job in hand. Looking around for an excuse to play poorly and throw in the towel when things do not go our way is not something I will accept from our players and I think the team today saw just what they can achieve when they knuckle down and give 100%. They turned a weak start into a brilliant tournament.

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10/07/10

Settle United Tournament

 

Middleton Rangers U10's took the long trip over the hills to compete in the Settle Utd tournament. Their first game was against Sutton Jnrs A which Rangers comfortably won 2.0 thanks to good movement off the ball from midfield and two goals from Harry Bates.

The second game was against Camforth Rangers who won 2.0. Ranger’s next game was against Ilkley Jnrs which ended 0.0. Up next were Heathwaite Phoenix which ended 1.1 with another goal from Harry Bates. The final group game was a must win for Rangers to qualify for the semis, was against Sandy Lane A; who took the lead. Rangers whoever stepped up a gear and hit back with a thunderous shot from Lucas Waller, followed just after with the match winner from James Wallis.

The semi final now beckoned with the Hosts Settle Utd, Rangers opponents. A tough game for both sides. 0.0 after normal playing time. Into extra time still not a break through from either side so seven penalties each to decide the winner.  Settle took the first one which was brilliantly saved by Callum Bainbridge in the Rangers goal. Every one else scored, so with the last penalty of the game Callum came out of goal to score the winner against the Settle Keeper. Rangers won 7.6

The Final, tired legs but with a fantastic effort Rangers could not prevent Camforth Rangers winning 3.0.Player of the tournament for Rangers went to William Hamilton. Team for Rangers Callum Bainbridge, Louis Coates, James Wallis, Aaron Kirby, Lucas Waller, Georgia Paylor, Harry Hughes, Callum Demery, Harry Bates, William Hamilton

 

                              The Middleton Rangers Under 10 Team at Settle United

            

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17/07/10

Rangers under 13s in the Middleton Rangers under 14s tournament

 

Eight Middleton under 13s entered the under 14 section of our tournament today in a bid to stretch themselves a little and gage how far they have come along in terms of development over the last season. The lads came up against some very good competition and some extremely big lads who towered above even Robin Hall and Matty Anderson, so we were all delighted that the boys reached the semi final and received an ovation from the coaches, parents, and players of the team who eventually knocked them out by the narrowest of margins, and went on to win the tournament.

 

Middleton found themselves thrown in with Seaton Carew, Mount Pleasant A and B, Rawcliffe Juniors, Richmond Juniors, and eventual winners Real Athletic under 14s and made a fantastic start by beating Seaton Carew 1-0 followed by a 0-0 draw with Mt Pleasant A and a second 1-0 win over Mt Pleasant B. Three more draws followed and Rangers found themselves in the semi finals without conceding a single goal.

 

The semi final was a tight game with Middleton battling hard against Real Athletic, and the team were unfortunate not to force the match into extra time, but a single Real goal saw the lads eliminated at the penultimate hurdle.

 

Today proved to be a very worthwhile exercise and clearly demonstrated just how far some of these players have come. Rangers pitted themselves against some very accomplished under 14s teams and so very nearly came away with a place in the final.

 

The Rangers today who so nearly defied all the odds were Andy MacNab, Matty Anderson, Robin Hall, Cain James, Brad Bell, Luca Dunn, Will Hughes, and Jake Richardson.

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18/07/10

Middleton Rangers 1^st annual tournament in association with Kajima

 

The under 13s split into 3 teams of eight for our own 1^st annual 7 a side tournament in order to maximise playing time for the lads. Middleton A and Middleton C were placed in the same group along with Spraire Lads, Prissick Rovers A, Ryhope CW , and White Leas A, while Middleton B were pitted against Spraire Lads, Prissick Rovers B, White Leas , Riverside FC  and Ryhope.

 

I am delighted to report that all 3 teams qualified for the quarter finals with Rangers A playing White Leas B, Rangers A playing White Leas A, and Rangers C against Spraire Lads. Unfortunately the White Leas teams proved a little strong but Middleton C progressed with a victory that saw them face White Leas A in the semi final.

 

In a closely fought contest White Leas came out 1-0 winners while the other White Leas team beat Ryhope in the second semi final to set up an all White Leas showdown for the final.

However, in a very sporting gesture, White Leas decided that they did not wish to play each other in the final and wanted to claim the tournament title as one club and leave the runners up spot up for grabs between the two losing semi finalists, Middleton C and Ryhope.

 

The match that followed was very closely fought indeed with both sides creating chances and defending well. The spoils eventually went to Middleton after extra time when Bradly Bell popped up to finish a quality Rangers move.

 

The Under 13 Rangers today were Will Hughes, James Young, Andy MacNab, Matty Anderson, Ryan Garnon, Robin Hall, James Wilson, Nathan Stevenson, Kyle Bruce, Mitch Armin, Ben Simpson, Jack Kirtland, Kieran Wade, Joe Abbott, Elroy Macarthur, Jake Richardson, Cain James, Brad Bell, Mitch Little, Luca Dunn, Danny Wheeler, Lewis MacDonald, Callum Bates, Jak Williams, Jack Kirtland.

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28/08/10

Redcar Town 11 a side tournament

 

A Middleton Rangers Under 14s team without both Luca Dunn and Jake Richardson found themselves in the daunting company of Marton and Boro Rangers, along with Coulby Newham in a four team group where only 1^st or 2^nd would see qualification to the semi finals.

 

Middleton’s first opponents were league champions Marton in what turned out to be a fantastic game of football that although the lads lost 3-1, it could have gone either way. The Middleton boys battled hard and rode out early Marton pressure to take the lead through Kieran Wade and were desperately unfortunate to concede an equaliser with only seconds of the first half remaining.

 

Despite a performance of pride and passion Rangers went on to concede two more goals in the second half but made sure that the TJFA champions knew they had been in a game.

Matty Anderson suffered a broken foot in the match and had to be carried from the field of play during the second half and then unfortunately to accident and emergency. We keep our fingers crossed that Matty is ok again very soon.

Middleton’s second match was against Coulby Newham and was won fairly comfortably despite only a 2-1 scoreline with goals from Cain James and Aaron Chapman. But the game was to have dire consequences to Middleton with both Robin Hall and Cain James picking up injuries that would eventually see them both sidelined.

 

So with our luck all out and Boro Rangers still to face it was certainly going to be an uphill struggle to qualify.  Both Robin and Cain were unable to play longer than a few minutes of the last game so it was left to the ten remaining Rangers to see out the remainder of the match.

Unfortunately it proved to be too much to ask of a few of our players and Boro found themselves dictating a minor demolition.  Everyone watching knew that to get anything from this match was going to be near impossible but it was disappointing to see a lot of our lads decide not to try. This was a side of some of those players I have not seen before and hope never to see again while they wear a Middleton shirt.

 

After a few blunt words from stand in Manager Kev Bruce at half time, the team put in a far better second half performance in terms of determination, effort, and above all, pride, and managed to limit Boro to far fewer chances with some determined tackling and closing down.

 

It was very pleasing to see most of the lad’s reaction to the situation and a very spirited second half team performance. At the end of the game the regret was evident and Rangers knew they could have made this game far, far harder for Boro from the first whistle if they had really wanted to, and we need this bad memory to stick in our minds in so far that it motivates us into never letting ourselves down in terms of effort again.

 

Even when staring defeat in the face it is important to conduct ourselves in the right manner. To enter the field of play without the intention of giving 100% is to let everyone around you, and yourself down, very badly. I sincerely hope that we ALL learned this valuable lesson today.

Any football player who does not feel the pain and regret of an effortless performance should ask themselves whether football really is their game and I know that this does not apply to anyone at Middleton Rangers.

 

Thanks very much to Kev Bruce who took the team today and did a fantastic job.

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