Alveston in the Stratford Herald 25 Nov 2010

Humphriss hat-trick batters Brinklow

It's good to see that Alveston are back in the Herald this week dominating the football page with a large four column photo and an emphatic headline

As we know upcoming fixtures are:

Sun 28 Nov - away at Chapelfields Colts

Sun 5 Dec - No Game

Sun 12 Dec - away at Coventry Copsewood

Sun 19 Dec - away at Coventry Jaguar

Alveston v Chapelfields Colts Sunday 28 November 2010

Here are the DIRECTIONS for the next match against Chapelfields Colts (played 9, wins 4, losses 5). It's up the A46 again, off at University of Warwick, through the campus, turn left at The New Varsity Pub and ground is on the right.

Alveston 8v0 Brinklow 21 November 2010

Alveston produced another win away from home sending them to the top of the table. Next week it's Chapelfields Colts, also away from home.

Alveston Juniors under 11s continued their impressive run with an 8-0 hammering of Brinklow. Alveston's greatest scare of the day came when Alan Mackinnon collided with one of the goal posts in the warm up, which left him with concussion. He was going to deputise in goal for the injured Isaac Downes, but after another re-shuffle Matty Rickett took over in goal.

 

It was a testament to the teams spirit and resolve that they came out all guns blazing, and were soon ahead when Josh Humphriss collected the ball just outside the area, left two defenders for dead before hammering the ball into the roof of the net. Billy Dingley, Roshen Foley and Joey Barnish were controlling the midfield playing some delightful football, as Alveston continued to press. Alex Connor's fine run down the left resulted in a corner, from which Jamie Stephens was first to react to steer the ball home.

 

The score could have been in double figures by half time but from some desperate defending from the home side. Joe Vose and Dan Malone linked up well down the right, with the former sending in some terrific crosses. After more fine work down the right, Joe Vose sent in another cross for Josh Humphriss to slot past the keeper. A Jake Greaves diving header went just wide and Roshen Foley went close with a volley as Alveston continued to dominate.

 

Jamie Stephens got his second, and the team's fourth, when from a cross from Alex Connor found him at the far post, from where he made no mistake. Alveston got their fifth just before half time from another corner, when the ball was half cleared it fell to Joey Barnish, who capped a tremendous debut by lobbing the keeper from the edge of the area.

 

Alveston changed their keeper at half time, with Jake Greaves taking over in goal, and the second half continued as the first. Josh Humphriss claimed his hat trick when he rounded off a fine move, involving Roshen Foley, Matty Rickett & Billy Dingley which tore the home defence apart, leaving Josh to coolly slot the ball past the advancing keeper.

 

The tireless Joe Vose was tormenting the home defence with his mazy runs, and it was from his run and cross that Harry Coleman, who timed his run to perfection, got ahead of the defence to calmly slot the ball into the corner of the net for their seventh. Jordon Pace linked up well with Harry Spencer down the left, and from the result of some good work between the pair, Harry Spencer delivered a sublime cross to set up Matty Rickett to fire home for the eighth.    

Alveston v Brinklow Sunday 21 November 2010

Here are the directions to Wolston Leisure Centre for Brinklow v Alveston 11.00 kick off this Sunday. It's a 22 mille drive (32 mins) from the HGC. A46 again, A45 at the Coventry Airport roundabout. As you may remember, Brinklow came to the HGC on the 17 Oct where Alveston won 4-0. Brinklow have played seven league games with two wins (Coventry Copsewood and Whitley) and five losses.

Wolston's a small village, but it does have a Coop should you need any supplies. For those who are interested, there is a new PCWorld Mega Store at the airport reail park which has a working demo of the the new Xbox Kinect (the new game where it scans you and there's no need for any controllers (there are also a few 3D TVs to see as well as ipads etc).

Alveston 3v1 Coventry Sphinx U11s Sunday 14 November 10

Alveston returned to Coventry Sphinx and avenged last month’s league defeat with a well deserved 3-1 victory in the 2nd round of the Knock-out League Cup. A determined gritty attitude was evident right from the very beginning as Alveston grabbed an early initiative when Josh Humphries was able to send a fiery cross into the Sphinx box that was turned onto the post by the keeper and then poked over the line by an alert Jamie Stephens. 

Whilst every Alveston player displayed a desire to chase and close down their opponents, the key accolades would surely go to the back line of Dan Malone Jake Greaves and Jordan Pace who worked tirelessly to protect GK Isaac Downes from being tested. With the score at 1-0 Greaves and Pace could both lay claim to some important covering and interceptions and with the bold unflinching tackling of Malone the script was set for Alveston to push forward and look for a 2nd.

This duly came when Humphries again found room on the right flank and fired a screaming shot high and across the keeper into the far corner and at this point Sphinx looked beaten and disconsolate. Alex Connor began to find room on the left wing was able to stretch the defence with a some penetrating weaving runs but this endeavour went un rewarded first when Humphries screwed the pull back just wide and when Connor himself just failed to connect after some neat interplay in the penalty area.

As expected Sphinx brought more determination to the 2nd half and the game sunk into a muddy competitive mire in the middle of the park. This meant the midfield trio of Mattie Rickett, Roshen Foley and Billy Dingley had to labour hard but to their credit they sustained themselves against some crunching tackles and held the resurgent Sphinx to a stalemate. Up front Harry Spencer and Alan Mackinnon chased down every ball over the top and Sphinx found they could not settle. 

It came as somewhat surprising that with the last quarter of the game to go Sphinx were able to capitalise on a speculative ball over the defence and make the score 2-1. However Alveston’s heads never dropped. Joe Vose pushed further up the right flank to assist Humphries and Mackinnon pushed on higher up the left and it looked like Spencer would surely profit from one of these sources but the ball just never broke kindly. 

However, as the tension began to grow Mattie Rickett was to secure the game when he seized upon a poor clearance to send his hot souring over the keeper and into the net. Sphinx then came again but Alveston's tenacious defending  was underlined when Pace headed off the line. Alveston then pushed forward for a 4th goal and this looked likely when first Spencer went close after Vose drove hard into the penalty area and again when Mackinnon just failed to get his cross through to an unmarked Harry Coleman . For all this though Alveston’s tenacity and concentration was summed up when the mainly untested GK Isaac Downes was able to crown a thoroughly satisfying team performance to produce a fabulous diving save in the dying minutes to thwart the Sphinx centre forward. 

Alveston 4v1 Stratford Colts 7 Nov 2010 - Match Report

Alveston took the spoils in this eagerly awaited derby game by beating Stratford Town 4-1 at the NFU . Straight from kick off old rivalries were very apparent as the game immediately picked up to a tempo but it was Alveston who were the more comfortable and were unlucky not to take the lead on two occasions, first when from a corner Roshen Foley just failed to direct his strong header on target and then when Harry Spencer shot just wide after finding space in the penalty area. 

However, despite this promising start the game at 0-0 remained tightly contested and indeed if not for a key interception by Jake Greaves at centre back and then two diving saves by Isaac Downes at the feet of the incoming centre forward Alveston could have gone behind . Alveston’s endeavour proved to be key though and when Stratford failed to clear their lines from a corner Billy Dingley was first on hand to take advantage and lash the ball from close range high into the net to give Alveston the luxury of a 1-0 lead at half time.

Alveston started the 2nd half as they had the 1st seeking to apply early pressure and this was rewarded within the first couple of mins when Jamie Stephens raced onto an early ball over the top by Mattie Ricketts to drive the home. Stratford then responded well to this disappointment applying their own pressure but perhaps the turning point in the game came in two vital minutes when Jordan Pace was on hand to clear off the line, to then see Josh Humphries win a corner at the other end which the resulted in Alan Mackinnon reacting to confusion in the 6 yard box to steer home. 

At 3-0 the game now looked to be won. Any chance of Stratford getting near goal was consistently defended. When the ball evaded the Alveston midfield both Greaves and Dan Malone were on hand to provide some fierce competitive tackling and as a consequence Alveston looked comfortable pursuing a 4th This duly came when Stephens’ ball over the top released Humphries who calmly fired past the keeper and this gave Alveston the privilege or being able to look for more without fear.

First Alex Connor’s weaving run was denied by the keeper and Harry Coleman saw his long range shot go just wide. Joe Vose introduced on the wing  consistently made good progress down the flank keeping the right back busy but against the run of play Alveston conceded when lack of concentration enabled Stratford to profit from a corner. However, this was of little consequence and Alveston gladly finished the game as winners.

Alveston 1v4 Mount Nod Sunday 31 October 2010

Despite a valiant effort in a fast frenetic match Alveston went down 4-1 to a very accomplished Mount Nod side.

 

Straight from Kick off the hosts found themselves on the back foot as Mount Nod sought to gain an immediate advantage and this seemed to set the tone for the whole match to come. Alveston’s defence showed a fine degree of resilience and organisation in the form of Jake Greaves, Jordan Pace and Alex Connor and this was complimented well by some selfless and effective back tracking from Allan Mackinnon and Joe Vose on the flanks. In midfield there was no less a combative performance as Billy Dingley, Mattie Ricketts and Roshen Foley were forced to scrap and compete for any sight of the ball as chances to play a passing game of football became minimal.

 

This endeavour though was duly rewarded when Dingley’s long punt over the top enabled Josh Humphries to take advantage of some defensive hesitancy to shoot across the keeper and make it 1-0. This was slightly against the run of play and it was no surprise that Mount Nod came again. There was encouragement though that Alveston would take the lead into the break when goalkeeping Isaac Downes made a fabulous diving save and also when Humphries once more found himself bearing down on goal but only this time to drive his shot into the goalkeeper’s hands.

 

To put the ball over the top of the Mount Nod defence seemed the most profitable tactic to adopt but there was frustration time and time again as the Alveston midfield were denied the room to put the ball through for Jamie Stephens to run onto. This frustration was compounded when in the last minute of the half left the visitors were able to make their pressure tell and grab the equaliser.

 

Unfortunately for Alveston the disappointment of conceding so late in the first half carried through to the 2^nd and it was clear that the visitors had a renewed impetus. Tough tackling Dan Malone was introduced into defence and Harry Spencer came into midfield  to add some additional bite but it was Mount Nod that kept the upper hand and it was not long before two quick goals gave them an unassailable lead.

 

Alveston never gave up though and continued to fight and when a superb individual attempt from Ricketts saw his dipping shot from 20 yards hit the bar it was clear the points were lost. In the last minute of the game Mount Nod grabbed a 4^th leaving Alveston who were not worthy of losing 4-1 reflecting on a Halloween nightmare.