Youth football - It's lucky 13 for Spartak

Spartak U-11 13 St Ives Rangers 0Spartak found 13 was their lucky number as they hammered St Ives on Sunday.The hosts started this year in the same manner as they ended the last, playing breathtakingly good football, and the way they knocked the ball around and worked for each other was great to see.Ben Start was on target four times, with James Taylor hitting three, Oly Mcrandal hit a brace, with Sam Ellalasingham, Liam Clark, Ben Vicent, George Anderson and Jamie Wright all on target.Elsenham Youth U-12 3 Epping Youth 0MITCHELL Seaman marked his 100th game for Elsenham with a second half brace to give the Green victory against perennial bogey side Epping. After doggedly defending their left hand side during the initial exchanges, the hosts finally got the ball out to the right from where Ryan Buckley delivered an inch perfect cross for Frank James to head home the simplest of chances. The home side were now knocking the ball about much more confidently and could have gone further in front when Buckley burst through but was not able to strike the ball with sufficient power to trouble the keeper.Gradually, the visitors fought their way back into the game and should have levelled when their striker was not able to get his shot on target when played through on goal. The second half saw Epping striving for an equaliser, but the Elsenham central defensive partnership of Michael Jarvis and Ed Beanland ensured that 'keeper Jon Booth did not have too much work to do in the home goal. Driven on by the excellent Adam Mace in central midfield, the Greens started to regain possession, coming close when Mitchell Seaman's close-range effort was superbly stopped by the Epping keeper midway through the half. Eventually, the pressure told as Mace strode into the penalty area and played the ball across goal for Seaman to fire home. Moments later, the lead was doubled as Seaman doubled his tally with a fierce effort that the keeper was unable to keep out. Saffron Walden Town U-14 3 Alconbury Colts 4 TWO late goals saw the young Bloods slip to defeat in a seven goal thriller.From the start, Walden were on the attack, keeping the ball in the visitors area for most of the first 20 minutes and eventually leading to a well earned goal from Sean Stock. Alconbury managed to equalise five minutes later against the general run of play only for Walden to nose ahead again just before the half time whistle through an own goal from a forced defensive error.The visitors took to the field in a more bullish frame of mind in the second half, quickly earning a penalty which was converted to bring the scores level again. Walden pulled ahead again through a great long-range shot from Tom Foxley, the high point of his day which saw him take the Walden Man of the Match award. Alconbury then began to gain some dominance in midfield and managed to find the back of the net twice more to bring them a hard won victory. Saffron Walden U-11 A 6 Huntingdon Rowdies 3DAVID Anthony's hat-trick proved the difference between the two sides in this nine-goal thriller.After a good start from the hosts, the deadlock was finally broken by Anthony's well-taken goal, snapping the ball through a crowded goalmouth at the second attempt.Rowdies replied after 25 minutes, but the Falcons regained the lead within 15 seconds with Anthony's second of the match. Harry O'Malley bought the first half to a close with a wonderful long range goal. The second half started in the same vein as the first, with sustained pressure by the Falcons. They soon scored with a fine strike by Sanjay Noonan, from a yard outside the box.A blatant penalty was well slotted home by the Rowdies number 15 and a well-taken free kick was scrambled home to bring the score to 4-3.A quickly taken free kick splitting the Rowdies defence was latched onto by Anthony who shrugged off two defenders to complete his hat-trick. This was followed by a short corner that floated into the box and led to a short range shot by Ollie Bedding to round off the scoring.Buntingford Cougars U-10 0 Manuden Juniors 1MATTHEW Carter's second half goal sealed the Crow League points, on Sunday.The win was well deserved as Manuden controlled the game with some very good passing movements and but for the very heavy condition of the pitch frustrating little legs, Manuden would have scored more goals. The foundation of the victory was a solid back line performance by William Robson, Alex Bayley and Harry Horton, well marshalled by man-of-the-match centre half Chris Bond, that resulted in goalkeeper Thomas Baiss being called upon on only one or two occasions. In form striker Carter reacted very sharply to score a rebound for the only goal of the game after his first shot was well saved by the Buntingford keeper who played very well throughout the game.- Manuden U-13s competed well against Letchworth GCE before going down 2-0.They nearly scored on several occasions but eventually lost to a better team. The Manuden goalkeeper Paul Wavell pulled off some great saves, tipping a couple of fierce shots onto the bar. - Spartak U-5s require new players to strengthen their squad, in particular a goalkeeper.Spartak are third in the B Division of the Cambridgeshire and Colts League. Players should already have league experience. Anyone interested please contact Ian O'Sullivan on 01799 501870. Spartak run sides from under-six to under-17. If you wish to join this successfully and friendly club please ring the above number.