Chalgrove - Home

City Colts under 9s lost for the sixth consecutive game, 2-1 at home to Chalgrove. The visitors, who had one point but who had not scored prior to this game, took the lead midway through the first half, a goal they celebrated with natural excitement. Their lead didn't last long as City struck back. Leading scorer Jason Crowder latched onto a Willem Alexander goalkick and neatly flicked the ball over the Chalgrove keeper to level the scores.

The game was level at half-time, and City were confident that they could beat Chalgrove, who were probably the closest-matched team that the Colts had faced this season. However, City's usual second-half failings came to haunt them, as the defence was static to allow Chalgrove to score the winner in a rare attack.

This was the third successive game that the Colts had gone in level at the interval, but then collapsed in the second half, and it would seem to be a problem of concentration in the City defence. Hopefully the half-term break will allow the lads to sort it out and address whatever it is that is causing them to lose against teams that they are equal to, if not better than.

Kennington - Home

Oxford City Colts under-9s went down to their heaviest defeat of the season so far on Saturday, when they were beaten 5-0 by Kennington at Court Place Farm. As in their previous game, the lads gave a strong first-half display, but were undone by slack defending after the interval.

In the first half the City boys were arguably the better side, but they couldn't find a way through the Kennington defence, while remaining relatively untroubled themselves at the back. The game was goalless at half-time, and the Colts went into the second half full of optimism.

Unfortunately, they conceded a goal almost immediately after the break, and Kennington then scored a second pretty much straight from kick-off. That was it as far as City were concerned, and the lads' heads dropped. Kennington scored a fortuitous third, when a throw-in brushed one of their players and ended up in the City net, and two further goals completed the rout. Colts came close on a couple of occasions, but they were firing blanks and in the end were well beaten.

It was a different story in the friendly match that followed, as City registered their first win of the season, beating Kennington 2-1. The side featured a large number of new players, and it was clear in the first half that they had not played together as a team before, with lots of bunching up and little talking. City did take the lead, with a goal from new lad Joe. In the second half one or two more established Colts lads played, and it was Jason Crowder who doubled the lead with his fourth of the season. Kennington did pull a goal back shortly afterwards, but stout defending and some decent all-round play ensured that there was no danger of conceding a second.

Goring - Away

Colts lost their fourth game out of four, at Goring, and for the first time this season the under-9s failed to score. The game started with City kicking down the gentle slope, and the first half was an even affair, with neither goalkeeper being too troubled. A wayward Goring cross did loop over City keeper Dan Page, but it rebounded off the top of the bar, and the first half ended goalless.

City's run of bad luck continued right at the start of the second half, when a Goring break saw Dan make a fine full-length save, but the reboundfell kindly to a Goring player who scored easily. Colts were now on the back foot, and static defending led to Goring doubling their lead as the City boys stood around watching, instead of clearing the loose ball. There was some hope for City when Jason Crowder embarked on a couple of his typical barnstorming runs, but they both ended disappointingly. The first when Jason appeared to be pushed in the area, but the referee gave a corner, and the second when Jason's shot was well saved by the Goring keeper, although with his record perhaps Jason should have done better.

City were punished for not taking their chances, and for further defensive lapses, when Goring sealed the game at the death. There were a number of lessons that the Colts boys need to heed from this game, not least the art of tackling and of taking decent throw-ins.

City and Goring were fairly even in terms of ability, but the home side's willingness to challenge for every ball, and their greater desire to push up the field, was the difference.

Horspath - Home

City lost their third consecutive match, this time going down 5-1 to a very strong Horspath side. This was always going to be a tough fixture, and so it proved, although City would have been reasonably content with the first half, despite going in 2-0 down at the break. The Colts began to get more into the game after half time, but static defending, combined with the visitors' clinical finishing, saw Horspath double their lead.

Jason Crowder was City's main outlet up front, and he led the line well, causing some consternation in the Horspath defence with a couple of mazy dribbles. It came as no surprise that Jason eventually found his name on the scoresheet for the third match in succession. He again outpaced the Horspath defence and beat the keeper with a well-placed shot. Unfortunately it was just a consolation, and Horspath completed the scoring in the final minute from an indirect free kick needlessly conceded for obstruction, just outside the Colts' penalty area.

Despite the scoreline this was a useful display from the home side, with Jason and goalkeeper Willem Alexander both catching the eye. With a clutch of new players about to come into the side, things could soon be looking up for the Colts. The follow-up friendly was won 3-1 by Horspath, City's goal scored by Willem, playing up front.