29/03/08
Kings Cliffe 0 v Deeping Clarets 12
Clarets signed off their final season as a small-sided team in style with a very one-sided victory against Kings Cliffe Red Kytes.
It didn’t take long for the away team to start the goal fest when Jacob Parker was tripped inside the Kings Cliffe penalty box within 20 seconds of the kick-off.
Captain for the day, David Thomas stepped out of his goal to slot home the penalty and his first league goal of the season and the onslaught began.
Parker, Young & Heavens scored in quick succession to put the Clarets 4 up after just 6 minutes and the team looked relaxed and carefree as they passed the ball around the pitch and barely gave the home side a sniff of the ball. Next on the score sheet was Moore who pounced on a loose ball in the box after 10 minutes and squeezed his shot under the diving keeper.
Manager Dave Dorward changed things around and unleashed the substitutes, James Dorward, Jason Lythgoe & George Hick who were itching to get in on the action and add to their individual goal tallies. Dorward was the first to take advantage of a slow home defence and after some good link up play with Moore & Hick he scored his first and the team’s 6th goal of the day on 16 minutes.
More changes in personnel were made at half time, with Lythgoe going in goal and Thomas, Wilkinson & Andrews taking a well earned rest after their excellent efforts in the first 20 minutes.
As the second half began, Clarets picked up where they left off with Dorward capping off a fine performance with 2 quick goals to score his first league hat-trick and take the score to 8-0 after just 22 minutes. Young picked up his second of the day on 30 minutes, Andrews got his name on the score sheet on 35 and then Heavens got his second on 38. On another day, Parker would have scored 5 or 6 but it seemed that every time he shot on goal the Kytes keeper pulled off tremendous saves – the best being a one handed dive to the top right of his goal to tip the ball over the bar.
Kings Cliffe did have their moments and despite the huge gulf between the 2 teams they never gave up and continued to battle away in search of a goal. Lythgoe made 3 or 4 good saves while the rest of the team put in solid tackles all over the pitch to thwart any threat. Credit must be given to Perry & his team who played with a great spirit and never looked downhearted regardless of the scoreline.
Wilkinson sealed the victory with the last kick of the game dead on 40 minutes to notch up Clarets biggest ever win in the 2 years they’ve been playing together.
This was a great end to a season that promised a lot but failed to live up to expectations with too many defeats since Christmas. With the strength of the squad, these lads should have been pushing the top sides all the way to at least a top 3 finish, but there have been too many lapses of concentration in crucial games which have cost them dear.
However, Dave Dorward and his team now look forward to preparing for the challenge of playing 11-a-side football next season when they combine forces with Deeping Blues who still have hopes of winning the Blue Zone and League Cup double in the next 2 weeks. We will also be saying goodbye to several players as the combined squads will be trimmed from 20 down to 15 or 16 players. Difficult decisions must be taken as all of the lads have played extremely good football this season. If any other local manager is looking to strengthen their squad this summer they should contact Dave via the Deeping Rangers website (www.deepingrangers.co.uk) who will be pleased to recommend all of the players who aren’t fortunate enough to make the final squad.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas (Captain), Jason Lythgoe, George Hick, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker, Jackson Andrews.
15/03/08
Deeping Clarets 1 v Bourne Red 4
Deeping put in another good 20 minutes in this tough game against Red Zone Champions Bourne Red, but when the game is 40 minutes long that just isn’t good enough.
The Bourne team were hungrier and more determined than the home side and despite going a goal down to left wing Jackson Andrews pouncing on a rare mistake from their keeper, they never looked out of the game and their self-belief paid dividends in the end as they ran out comfortable winners.
Unlike previous weeks, the Clarets actually started well in the first half and caused problems for the Bourne defence, putting the keeper under pressure 2 or 3 times and forcing an error from him which allowed Andrews to score. But even when Deeping were in the ascendancy, they never looked confident that they could finish the game off and cause a major upset by inflicting Bourne’s second defeat of the season.
So it was no surprise when the away side got back on terms just before the break, but the manner in which the goal was scored was extremely disappointing. A corner was driven into the penalty area but just like so many times this season it was not dealt with properly allowing the Bourne forward an easy tap in past a static Deeping back line.
And with the goal, came renewed energy in the Bourne camp whilst an all too familiar dark cloud settled on top of the Deeping team who may as well have surrendered there and then and saved themselves the effort and embarrassment of allowing Bourne to give them a master class in how to keep the ball and completely dominate a game. The second half was almost exhibition stuff as the away team piled on pressure with wave after wave as they searched for more goals and the league title. Deeping barely ventured out of their own half and never really looked like adding to their goal tally.
Another lacklustre home display resulted in another 4-1 drubbing and yet more scratching of heads in the Deeping camp. Surely the only way is up for this team as this is the lowest they’ve been (both in league status and morale) in 2 seasons.
With one final game of the season to go away at struggling Kings Cliffe, whilst no predictions are being made, every Deeping player MUST find the belief and determination they started the season with if they are to impress their worth on Manager Dave Dorward who will shortly be announcing next season’s 11-a-side squad. On the evidence of not only this performance, but most of this season, there are 4 or 5 players who have one last roll of the dice to push themselves into the reckoning or risk being cast aside when the Clarets and Blues are merged in 4 weeks time.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker
08/03/08
Sawtry Blue 4 v Deeping Clarets 0
Another game that should have been points on the board ended in a heavy defeat. Too many times this season the Clarets have failed to play to their potential in the first half and again they were made to pay for it today. On the other hand, Sawtry to their credit played to their strengths and ensured that every forward ball went through their number 8, a big lad with a good right foot and head. But having only played against Sawtry 3 weeks ago, Deeping should have been prepared to deal with him, but they weren’t.
Within 10 minutes the home team were 2 ahead and it could have been more with a header cleared off the line and several last minute tackles from joint man-of-the-match Jason.
The half time team talk is becoming a familiar war-cry from Dave & Dougy – get stuck in, believe in yourselves and get some shots on goal – perhaps we should have t-shirts printed or even get our foreheads tattooed!
And not for the first time, the second half was a complete opposite with 90% of the game played in the Sawtry half with attack after attack from the Clarets forwards, but alas points aren’t awarded for possession of the ball.
Jacob (the other joint man-of-the-match) played out of his skin in the second half and was involved in virtually every forward move. Sawtry were left feeding off scraps as everywhere the ball went, there was a Deeping player there ready to kick, tackle, jump, head and shoot. Rhys, Ryan, Toby, George, Jason and Fred all went close to scoring – if Rhys was 3 inches taller he’d have scored a hattrick today! Fred made some good tackles and was involved in some good forward moves – leave the boots at home again next week Fred!
After 10 minutes of constant pressure, Sawtry became frustrated and a few late and high tackles came in – most notably on Toby who did well to get out of the way just as the Sawtry 8 lunged in with both feet at knee-cap height. Toby also took an elbow in the face right in front of the referee – on another day both would have been free kicks to us.
But for all their efforts in the second half, Deeping paid the price for their poor first half display as they were hit twice in the final 3 minutes as they pressed forward.
With just 2 games left to play this season, it would be good to see the Clarets take the initiative from the very first minute and play to their full potential for the full 40 minutes. We must learn from this and ensure that we score the first goal – especially against title favourites and local bogey team, Bourne Reds, who visit Outgang Road next Saturday morning.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker, Ryan Wilkinson
01/03/08
Deeping Claret 0 v Yaxley 1
In week of earthquakes and gales, this mid table clash between 5th & 6th place didn’t really live up to expectations with neither side capable of the free-flowing football they like to play.
Yaxley took advantage of playing with the wind in their backs in the first half when they opened the scoring on 12 minutes with Aaron Wilkinson looping the ball high into the wind and over Thomas’s head.
Both sides found it difficult to keep the ball on the ground and string more than 3 or 4 passes together before a gust of wind whipped the ball out of play but Deeping showed signs of getting back into the game with Ryan Wilkinson making some decent runs up the right wing. However, they failed to test the keeper which has been the story of their season – some good passages of play but nothing to show for it.
At the turn and with the wind in their backs, Deeping went for the victory with Dave Dorward pushing his players high up the pitch into the Yaxley half. Moore & Wilkinson went close with Fred just clipping the post but again they never really troubled the Yaxley custodian. To their credit, the away side defended well considering the amount of time the ball was in their half and they held on to seal the victory.
Deeping played well, but didn’t have the killer instinct today that they found last week. They now find themselves in the bottom half of the league table for the first time this season which is a massive disappointment to Dorward and his coach Lythgoe. With 3 games of the season left to play, Deeping Clarets must dig deep to find some consistency and do their best to string some decent results (and performances) together in their attempt to leap frog Yaxley again and crawl back into the top half of the league.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker, Ryan Wilkinson
23/02/03
Northborough Blue 3 v Deeping Clarets 4
Deeping Rangers hit form again in their topsy-turvey season as they put in their performance of the season against league leaders and local rivals Northborough Blue.
Games between these two teams have historically been well balanced tough matches with both teams fighting for playground bragging rights as many of the players go to school together. And this game was no different with Northborough having one eye on their second league title in as many seasons and with Deeping looking to climb into the top 3 in their 5 remaining games.
The home side started the brightest with their two king-pins, Liam Laughton and Rob Parker-Meadows bossing the midfield, giving the Deeping players little time to settle on the ball. So it was no surprise when Northborough took an early lead when Laughton swung in one of his trade-mark corners which was met perfectly by Woodard on the far edge on the penalty area who powered home a bullet of a header, giving Deeping keeper David Thomas no chance of saving it.
Northborough had the bit between their teeth as they settled into some lovely passing football from the back to front, with the Deeping team doing all they could to clear the ball before it came back in the next wave of blue and black. Northborough then doubled their lead late in the first half with a mix up between Clarets left back Lythgoe and Thomas with neither knowing who should clear the ball, and allowed Matthew Chadwick to nip in and poke the ball over the line.
As half time beckoned, the away side showed glimpses of what was to come in the second half as they managed to get the ball to feet and string a few passes together, but without troubling the home keeper too much.
During the break, Clarets manager, Dave Dorward and assistant coach, Dougy Lythgoe reminded the lads of what they are capable of when they play to their potential and to their strengths and never has a half time team talk had such a remarkable affect on a team as the Clarets came out with a gritted determination and confidence that was missing during the first period.
And it wasn’t long before Deeping got themselves back into the game when James Dorward made a great tackle deep in his own half and picked out a lovely through ball to George Hick. Hick then took a touch and fed a superb across field pass to Ryan Wilkinson who was wide on the right. Wilkinson beat one player, looked up and saw the Northborough keeper off his line and hit a great looping shot from 15 yards which dipped just under the bar. Two minutes later the scores were level when Wilkinson scored his 5th of the season when he charged down a poor clearance from the keeper and the ball came back off his knee and again lobbed over the keepers head.
At 2-2 and with 15 minutes of the game remaining the match took on a new perspective with the away team now full of belief and the home team wobbling. Deeping took full advantage of the situation and had 3 or 4 chances to take the lead and gave Northborough very few opportunities to threaten Thomas’ goal.
Deeping managed to take the lead when Hick went on a solo run past 2 or 3 players and then stabbed in a low hard shot past an advancing keeper. Northborough then came back into the game when their man-of-the-match Laughton, made the most of an unfortunate bounce just in front of the Deeping goal which Thomas would normally have made safe. But even at 3-3 Deeping still looked more confident and more likely to score again and it was Northborough old-boy, Jacob Parker who pounced on Jason Lythgoe’s looping headed clearance from just inside his own half and in his own trade-mark style hit a thunderbolt shot which flew past the Northborough keeper.
Deeping fully deserved their win and their second half performance was without doubt their best of the season. This result has put a dent in Northborough’s title hopes but with 3 games of their season remaining they must bounce back from this result and get back to winning ways. Deeping on the other hand cannot realistically break into the top 2, but if they can reproduce this performance in their remaining 4 games there is no reason why they shouldn’t have the confidence and belief in themselves to aim for a top 3 finish.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe (Captain), George Hick, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker, Ryan Wilkinson
09/02/08
Deeping Clarets 1 v Sawtry 4
Unfortunately the Clarets couldn’t pick up from where they left off last week and came unstuck against in this battle of the mid-table.
Deeping started well enough and took the game to Sawtry with some good passages of play in the opening half giving the forwards 2 or 3 half-chances.
On 16 minutes Jacob picked the ball up wide on the right, looked up and saw the keeper off his line so he hit a peach of a shot which cleared both the defence and stranded keeper. However, king of the tap-ins, Freddie Moore did what we’ve been telling the lads all season and followed the ball in and helped it over the line with his, and our first ever “chest” shot. James then had a chance to double the lead but he put the ball over the bar from 3 yards out – again!
At half time, Clarets were happy enough with a 1-0 lead but we knew Sawtry wouldn’t lie down and give us an easy victory.
And our worst nightmares came true with 4 away goals being scored throughout the half.
Deeping had some chances but we lacked confidence once we went behind and never looked like we’d win. Unlike the previous week when we played without a care in the world, this week the lads seemed cautious and unwilling to go in for any 50/50 chances which obviously gave the majority of the possession to Sawtry.
Another harsh lesson for the Clarets, and with just 5 games left of the season we must bounce back to keep ourselves in the top half of the table. But as any premiership manager will tell you, the final league table never lies so we must get back to enjoying our football and having fun – if we can do that then we’ll get the points we need.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker
02/02/08
Deeping Clarets 9 v Glinton Amber 1
Deeping Clarets recorded their biggest score of the season with a fantastic display of attacking football on a cold and windy winter’s morning at Outgang Road against a below strength Glinton Amber side.
Deeping’s last victory came on November 24th with an 8-0 win over Kings Cliffe Red Kytes and manager Dave Dorward was beginning to think that his side wouldn’t win again as they have lost 2 and drawn 2 and only scored once since then. However they have been putting solid performances in each week and the scorelines have never reflected the effort they have put in.
So the first goal scored by Jacob Parker on 3 minutes was greeted with elation and relief by the home team and their supporters. With the Clarets given a free reign to play where they wanted on the field, all the players looked at ease and very comfortable as they constantly picked up loose balls in midfield and threaded balls through to the front men time after time. One of the performances of the day came from Jackson Andrews who shook off an injury picked up in training to show the home support some great close ball control and superb vision as he cut through the away defence with pin-point accuracy time after time.
Goal 2 was scored by Freddie Moore who powered his way through the crowded defence to tuck away a trade mark goal from inside the Glinton penalty area. Deeping’s 3rd came from another sublime pass from Andrews to the feet of Parker who used his power and skill to tuck the ball away with great coolness. On 16 minutes Jason Lythgoe picked up the ball from outside the Glinton area and smacked in a rocket of a shot which was well parried by the keeper but it landed back at Lythgoe’s feet who coolly lobbed the defence and the keeper. The celebration of Jason’s first league goal was well worth waiting for as he beamed from ear to ear and punched the air in delight.
At half time, with the game comfortably in the hands of the home side, Deeping shuffled the pack with keeper David Thomas swapping shirts with Ryan Wilkinson. And it wasn’t long before Clarets added to the scoreline with George Hick scoring two in quick succession on 23 and 25 minutes. Glinton then had a rare break forward and Cliffe scored a consolation goal when a low shot from the right wasn’t picked up by the defence and it went in off Wilkinson.
Although disappointed to have conceded a goal, Deeping remained strong in the final 10 minutes and completed the game with 3 more well taken goals. The 7th of the day was a great finish by Moore, Parker then sealed his hattrick with a looping header and then Moore claimed his first hattrick for Clarets on 38 minutes with a tap in. Other chances came throughout the game for Dorward, Young, Heavens, Andrews and Thomas and if it wasn’t for Glinton’s outstanding keeper the score could have been more than doubled.
Deeping Clarets go into their final 6 games of the season with renewed confidence and a belief in themselves and have their sights firmly placed on closing the gap between themselves and the teams above them in the red zone.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Ryan Wilkinson, Jacob Parker (Captain)
26/01/08
Wittering 0 v Deeping Clarets 0
Here we go again!
Has there ever been a more 1-sided game of football played without the best team winning by a land-slide?
Deeping completely dominated this game from start to finish and must have easily had 75% of the possession, yet failed to turn that advantage into goals and in the end had to settle for dropping 2 points.
To give them their due, Wittering defended well, with up to 6 defenders behind the ball for most of the match, leaving their intentions plain to see – defend and soak up the pressure for 40 minutes and celebrate gaining 1 point.
The highlights for Deeping were Jacob who ran and tackled superbly for 40 minutes – on another day he would have scored 5 or 6. Jason & James were solid at the back as usual and Jackson in goal had very little to do. At one point late in the second half, Wittering were being encouraged to shoot at out goal from deep in their own penalty area – that’s how attack minded they were! Toby, Rhys, George & Freddie all worked hard in the middle of the pitch with strong runs and good passing football but when you’re faced with 7 players defending in their own goal mouth it’s always going to be difficult to hit the net.
There’s little we can take away from games like these – we played superb football at times – good movement on & off the ball, plenty of shots on goal and a solid back line, but when faced with an opposition who isn’t interested in attacking or “having a go” then we just need to accept the point and move on. If we continue to play like this then the results will go our way sooner or later, so with Glinton visiting Outgang Road this Saturday, I hope we pick up where we left off last weekend and grab a bagful of goals.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker
05/01/08
Bourne Reds 1 v Deeping Clarets 0
It was a case of different year, same outcome as Deeping Clarets fought bravely for 40 minutes but came away with nothing to show for their efforts.
Games between these local rivals have historically always been close and this was no different with both defences and keepers in the ascendancy, limiting the strikers to little more than half chances for the majority of the game.
David Thomas yet again had a fantastic game as he commanded his goal area with great authority and maturity and pulled off 3 or 4 tremendous saves that by rights should have been scored and left Clarets dead and buried before half time.
But along with the back line of Lythgoe, Young, Hick & Dorward, last season’s league champs and this season’s league favourites, Bourne Reds were kept at bay until the 16th minute when possession was given away cheaply in midfield and the clarets were made to pay dearly as Bourne carved out a well taken goal by Jack Mangieri.
Both teams started the second half brightly believing there were more goals to be had, but Clarets failed to get a clear-cut shot on the home goal and therefore could not earn themselves a deserved point. Bourne did have chances towards the end of the half, but a goal line clearance by Dorward and 3 more outstanding saves by Thomas kept the new league leaders to just one goal. Clarets best opportunity came late in the game when Wilkinson and Heavens made a strong break from midfield but Bourne scrambled the ball away from danger and resigned Deeping to their 4th defeat of the campaign and left them in 5th place with just one game in hand against the teams above.
Rangers don’t need to change much to turn things around and get their season back on track – the passion and commitment is there in abundance – they just need to have more confidence and belief in themselves and take their chances when they come.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson, Jackson Andrews, Rhys Young
15/12/07
Parkside 4 v Deeping Clarets 1
Clarets signed off 2007 with a great battling display against Red Zone table toppers Parkside, but couldn’t stop the home side from taking all 3 points.
For the 3rd game in a row Deeping played some superb football but failed to capitalise and make their chances count – another story of “so near, yet so far”.
The opening 15 minutes were a flurry of good passing football from both sides – a great advert for junior football with both teams looking for the win in a keenly fought game.
Clarets came close to opening the scoring when Dorward threaded a great ball through the Parkside defence to pick out Moore who controlled and spun to strike a sweet shot low, but just wide of the left upright.
Parkside then went close with a great diagonal ball from the left wing to the right which cut open the usually tight Deeping defence, but Mr Reliable, David Thomas was on hand to dive to his right and secure the ball.
But it was almost a carbon copy move which opened the scoring on 15 minutes when again the ball was moved quickly from the left flank to the right, but this time the ball skidded off the wet ground and wormed its way under David’s body to roll agonisingly slowly just over the goal line.
A poor kick off by Deeping then gave the possession away to the Parkside right winger who teed the ball up and struck a stinging shot from just inside the Deeping half to loop high over the advancing Thomas and into the net.
The score line remained 2-0 at the interval.
The away side started the second half with a determination and hunger for the ball and Young went close 35 seconds into the half when he dribbled the ball down the left and into the Parkside area but he shot wide. Heavens, Parker and Young then combined a minute later to bring a good save from the home keeper and the signs were there that Deeping could indeed get something from the game. And it wasn’t long before the 3 forwards combined again to create a good chance, but this time Parker scrambled the ball home on 24 minutes.
A flurry of attacks on the Parkside goalmouth then ensued with Parker, Heavens, Hick, Wilkinson and Young all going close. However the wind was knocked out of the away team’s sails when a dubious penalty was awarded against Lythgoe who did nothing more than stand shoulder to shoulder with the Parkside forward in another of his gallant tackles deep in his own goal area. But the man (well, boy) in charge deemed the tackle to be a foul and awarded the penalty which was struck well and converted on 33 minutes.
Deeping heads went down at the feeling of injustice and changes were made to push players forward in an attempt to bring themselves back into the game. And man-of-the-match Lythgoe went agonisingly close with a fantastic run from his own penalty area, skipping past 4 Parkside players, but his shot was saved and his moment of glory slipped by. Deeping then pushed another player forward and paid the price in the dying seconds when Parkside hit them on the break and finished well to end up 4-1 victors.
Taking nothing away from a well organised home side, Deeping should have had at least a draw out of this game, but the penalty came at the worst possible moment as we had the upper hand and were pushing closely to make the game 2-2. If we’d have got that goal, who knows we may well have even gone on to win. However, ignoring the score, this was another gritty display by Deeping who are getting better and better as the season goes on and sooner or later the scoreline is going to reflect the effort and skill we are showing on the pitch and we will get what we deserve.
Our next game is away at Bourne on 5th January so enjoy the festive season chaps and we’ll all meet up again on Thursday 3rd January – more details nearer the time.
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson, Jackson Andrews, Rhys Young
08/12/07
Deeping Clarets 0 v Whittlesey Juniors 1
Deeping Clarets bravely bowed out of the Under 10 knockout cup in appalling conditions at Outgang Road on Saturday.
Freezing wind and icey cold rain lashed down throughout this memorable cup fixture with White Zone leaders Whittlesey Juniors.
Whittlesey’s average scoreline this season has been 5-1 so Clarets lined up in the knowledge that the defence had to be on form from the first to the last whistle.
However, nothing could have prepared Clarets for the onslaught of attack after attack from an excellent away side. Using the blustery wind to their advantage, the first half yielded 15 – 20 corners for Whittlesey who limited Clarets to just 2 ventures out of their own half. But despite the huge difference in possession, the score remained 0-0 as the home keeper, David Thomas and defensive trio of Lythgoe, Hick and Dorward made countless first class saves and clearances.
With the weather getting worse by the minute, half time was restricted to little more than a change of ends, and straight away Deeping started to benefit from the wind advantage with Parker, Heavens, Young, Wilkinson, Andrews and Moore all seeing much more of the ball and having scoring opportunities of their own. But just as in the first half it was the Deeping keeper who played out of his skin, the Whittlesey number 1 did the same in the second, with some fine saves and goal mouth scrambles to keep the scores level.
At the end of full time, Whittlesey lost a player to the weather and he had to go home and Clarets were in a similar position with 2 lads unable to carry on.
However, the match official made it very clear that the game must be played to the end, so 14 players took to the pitch in the worst conditions ever seen at Outgang Road by Dave & Dougy. By this time, both managers had agreed that the result was immaterial as the health and safety of our players was paramount, but rules are rules and the game had to be played.
The first period of extra time ended in stale-mate with fewer scoring chances as all players were suffering badly from the dreadful weather, but luckily it was only 3 minutes long.
The deadlock was broken half way through the second period when George Cousins who had been busy throughout the match for Whittlesey picked up a loose ball in the middle of the Deeping half and powered home a shot that weaved through the defence and past heroic keeper David Thomas.
In a game where no-one deserved to lose, you could say that Whittlesey just edged the game with their percentage of the possession, but this should take nothing away from the home team who stepped up to the mark in adverse conditions and battled so bravely and gave everything they possibly could for their team. We all wish Dale and his lads the very best of luck for the remainder of this season.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and looking back, this game should not have been played in these conditions; and had we been allocated a more lenient referee we may well have had an abandoned game mid-way through. But as it is, the game was played and we all learnt a lot about each other, which will be of great benefit to us as we approach some very tricky league ties either side of the Christmas break, with away trips to Parkside next Saturday and then Bourne on 5th January.
Regardless of what the rest of the season holds for Deeping Clarets we will never forget this match or the fabulous effort put in by every single Clarets player.
As the old cliché goes, we can put all of our efforts and concentration into our league form now that we don’t have the distraction of the cup anymore. And at least we still have representation in the cup in 2008 with the Deeping Blues beating Parkside 2-1. Good luck Dean & the lads from all of the Clarets.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson, Jackson Andrews, Rhys Young
01/12/07
Deeping Clarets 0 v Oundle Juniors 0
Clarets came back down to earth after last week’s high-scoring game with a 0-0 draw against Oundle.
The away team set their stall out from the first whistle with a very defensive formation and leaving just one player forward.
Deeping enjoyed the majority of the possession but found it difficult to find a way through the 5 man defence.
James, Ryan, Jacob, George and Toby all hit the woodwork but as hard as they tried, they could not get the ball in the back of the net.
At the other end, Oundle rarely troubled the Deeping goal, with David keeping yet another clean sheet – his 4th of the campaign.
All-in-all, this was a very frustrating game which the Clarets dominated and should have won, but teams are now becoming more tactically aware in this league and are finding that packing the midfield and defence can stifle the teams that like to put the ball on the ground and pass it into space.
This is a lesson that we must learn from as we approach the second half of the season. We are still in the mix for honours, but we must capitalise on games like these and seize the opportunity to kill teams off when we have so much possession and shots on goal. And on the flip-side we must learn to be patient against tougher teams and not go on an all out attack from the first whistle.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson, Rhys Young
24/11/07
Deeping Clarets 8 v Kings Cliffe Red Kites 0
On a bitterly cold late autumn morning, Deeping turned on the heat with a blistering display as they rattled up their highest competitive score against Red Zone newcomers Kings Cliffe Red Kites.
Keen to erase the disappointing display and result against Northborough Blues 3 weeks ago, Deeping lined up with an attacking formation and never looked in danger from the 1st to the last minute.
Last season’s top scorer Freddie Moore opened the scoring on 5 mins with a tenacious run into the opposition box and a decisive strike low and hard into the back of the net.
With Kings Cliffe penned back in their own half, it was only a matter of time before Clarets added to their tally, and it was new boy, Ryan Wilkinson making his full league debut that picked the ball up on the half-way line and skipped past 3 or 4 players down the right wing before coolly blasting home.
Moore then added his second and Parker made it 4 just before the break after Dorward slotted through a great ball that split the away team in half and allowed Parker time and space to hit an unstoppable shot into the top left hand corner.
The second half was much the same as the first with one-way traffic for virtually the whole period with Deepings keeper, David Thomas only touching the ball 3 times. But wave after wave of Clarets attacking soon paid off again as Heavens grabbed another traditional thunderbolt goal from outside the penalty box. Wilkinson then scored his second 7 minutes into the half with some fine build up play from Captain George Hick and left winger Jackson Andrews. Goal 7 was Heavens’ second and the goal fest was rounded off with Wilkinson sealing his hattrick with a goal mouth scramble in the dying seconds of the half.
This was a fantastic team performance by the Clarets who looked awesome on the attack and solid in defence. With 3 games left before the Christmas break, manager Dave Dorward is hopeful of 6 more league points and a victory in the second round of the cup to keep them in the chasing pack for honours.
Well done lads, this was the best I’ve seen you play this season and I hope as a squad we can keep it up over the weeks and months ahead.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Jackson Andrews, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson
03/11/07
Deeping Clarets 1 v Northborough Blues 4
Deeping failed to turn up in the first half and made life very easy for Northborough Blues.
Despite a run of good results, Clarets failed to impose themselves on the game and allowed the Northborough players, most notably Liam Laughton, far too much time and space on the ball.
Laughton opened up the scoring with a neat passage of skill down the right wing and was allowed to turn onto his favoured left foot to drill home a low mid-range effort.
And it wasn’t long before the score was first doubled and then trebled as Woodard hit 2 good strikes, giving Deeping custodian Thomas little chance.
Changes were made mid-way through the first half with Young and Wilkinson, playing his debut game for Clarets, replacing Andrews and Heavens. And straight away, they both got stuck in secured the midfield up and allowed the Deeping forwards time to move forward with the ball instead and play in the opposition half.
With a 0-3 scoreline at halftime, Deeping were always going to struggle to get back into the game against a team with a 100% start to the league.
But Clarets started well in the second period and asserted more pressure on the Blues backline and George came very close with a long range rocket that rattled the bar.
Heavens then gave the home side a lifeline when he stabbed home a goal mouth scramble on 30 minutes but almost from the kick off, Northborough restored their 3 goal advantage when Laughton added his second of the match.
Moore replaced Parker who had run tirelessly without reward but the game and Dorward and Lythgoe were also rested as Deeping brought on fresher legs in an attempt to rescue something from the game, but despite a much better second half performance, the score remained at 1-4.
This was a disappointing result as the team didn’t play to their potential and on balance deserved to lose to a much tighter and organised Northborough Blue side.
Deeping Clarets now have a 2 week break so will be back with fresh legs and minds against Kings Cliffe Kites on 24th November.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Jackson Andrews, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young, Freddie Moore, Ryan Wilkinson
13/10/07
Wittering Harriers 1 v Deeping Clarets 2
1st Round U10 Knockout Cup
Deeping made a less than convincing start to their cup campaign against Wittering Harriers.
The two teams met just 14 days ago in the league and the game finished 5-0 to Deeping, but Wittering packed the midfield and defence and made life very difficult for the away team to get into their rhythm. Parker and Heavens made some good early runs, but the home defence stood firm, not allowing the Deeping forwards a decent sight of goal, restricting them to a couple of high and wide shots which didn’t trouble the keeper at all. However, the Clarets kept plugging away and eventually the reward for their efforts came when Heavens drove in a corner which was parried out to Dorward who struck the ball sweetly into the bottom right corner.
The goal sparked a fantastic response from the Harriers who, unlike 2 weeks ago, took the ball forward straight from the kick-off and put some pressure on the away defence and got themselves back into the game when Moore scored a great individual goal. He took the ball down the right wing and caught Lythgoe napping as he failed to clear the ball away from the danger zone. Instead he hesitated and gave Moore time to get past him and go around Thomas in the Deeping goal and shoot into an empty net.
This goal gave Wittering a belief that a cup upset was on the cards as Deeping weren’t playing their normal standard of free-flowing football and were struggling to get into the game. However the advantage swung back towards the away side on 14 Minutes when Heavens fed a perfectly weighted ball through the Wittering defence for Parker to run onto and blast first time into the roof of the net from 15 yards out.
Changes to the Deeping personnel were made shortly after half time and substitutes Andrews and Moore looked lively and threatening, with Andrews literally inches away from scoring when he lunged his out-stretched foot towards a driven cross from Parker, but saw the ball go agonisingly wide of the left upright. Deeping were more composed in the second half, but never found the time or space to create another goal scoring opportunity, and it was Wittering who could have scored to take the game into extra time, but Hick and Young thwarted a good attacking run down the right wing.
A win is a win in the cup and Deeping go into the hat for the second round draw knowing that they had a lucky escape today and they’ll need to improve if they are to surpass last year’s quarter final exit.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Jackson Andrews, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young, Freddie Moore
06/10/07
Glinton Amber 1 v Deeping Clarets 4
Rangers chalked up their 4th win of the campaign against a Glinton Amber side determined not to allow another team to score 10 past them, as Northborough and Yaxley have done in recent weeks.
Deeping started brightly but failed to capitalise on their possession as they were restricted to half chances with the home team packing the midfield and defence; not allowing Deeping time to settle on the ball.
Glinton to their credit did their best to get the ball on the ground and pass it around, but never really threatened the Clarets custodian, David Thomas, as their solid back 3 of Lythgoe, Hick and Dorward stood firm and thwarted the home advances.
The deadlock was broken on 15 minutes when central midfielder Andrews threaded a perfectly weighted ball through the Glinton defence for Young to collect and ram home at the second attempt as the keeper did well to come off his line and smother his first shot.
The goal settled Deeping Clarets down who hadn’t been at their sharpest in the opening exchanges and Young doubled his tally just before the break when Heavens floated in a delightful corner for Young to meet at the far post with a powerful header.
Glinton came out in the second half with a belief that they could get something from the game and their determination nearly paid off as they brought out 3 good saves from Thomas in the Deeping goal.
But it was Deeping who scored first in the second period to take a 3-0 lead when Parker volleyed home another superb corner kick from the in-form boot of Heavens.
However, Glinton battled on and deservedly scored with 5 minutes left when the Deeping back line went to sleep and allowed Camwell room to drive home a low shot.
But it wasn’t long before Clarets scored their fourth and put the game completely beyond Glinton when some clever movement in the box from Moore allowed Dorward time and space to rise to meet another inch perfect corner from Heavens and power in a header from the penalty spot.
Another fine display from Deeping Clarets who next face table toppers Northborough Blue on November 3rd at Outgang Road as the league takes a 3 week break for the first round of the Cup and then for the half term holiday.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Jackson Andrews, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young, Freddie Moore
29/09/07
Deeping Clarets 5 v Wittering Harriers 0
Clarets kept up the pressure on the teams above them in the Red Zone with a well earned win over a battling Wittering team.
The opening 15 minutes were almost stalemate with neither team threatening to score, although the away team were bossing the midfield but couldn’t get a killer ball through the miserly Clarets defence, with Lythgoe, Hick, Dorward and Andrews in goal.
And the opening goal came with a huge dollop of good fortune as Dorward made one of his signature strong runs down the right wing and swung in a great cross which hit Young on the shoulder and deflected back across goal, beating the keeper who did well to get his fingers to it.
At halftime, with the score at just 1-0 Deeping knew they had to step up a couple of gears and take advantage of the space and possession they had in the first half and turn that into goals.
The team responded to the halftime briefing with great enthusiasm, commitment and confidence as they kept the ball on the ground and played some lovely possession football leaving the visitors chasing shadows. And it wasn’t long before the game was beyond Wittering when Heavens, Young, Parker and Moore all found the back of the net to round off a fine second half display. There were missed chances as well with Hick, Moore, Young and Parker all squandering goal scoring opportunities. But the signs are there that this Deeping Rangers side are beginning to find their stride this season, with goals coming from all over the field and with another solid defensive display as they kept their 3rd clean sheet of the season, with Andrews equal to everything that was asked of him.
Deeping Clarets are looking stronger and more confident with every game of this season and look forward to their next game against local rivals Glinton Amber on Saturday morning.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young, Freddie Moore
22/09/07
Yaxley Juniors 0 v Deeping Clarets 1
Deeping Clarets used their “get out of jail” card to good effect in this very tough battle against early league leaders Yaxley Juniors.
Yaxley, fresh from their 10-1 demolition of Glinton the previous week, were looking to add another 3 points to their 100% record, but a determined Clarets team had other ideas.
Despite early pressure and a lot of possession, the Yaxley forwards failed to find the net, hitting the woodwork a couple of times and pushing the ball wide numerous times and somehow Deeping managed to weather the storm until halftime.
Clarets came out stronger in the second half and Dorward, Young, Hick and Parker all went close, but the woodwork and some fine defending kept the scores at a deadlock. Mid-way through the second period Deeping managed to get the ball in the net with Moore making a strong run up the middle of the field and finishing well, only to have the goal disallowed for handball.
Dorward then rattled the bar from long range as Deeping became more confident to take the game to the home team and with less than 2 minutes remaining Captain George Hick picked up a loose ball in the Yaxley penalty area and blasted it high into the roof of the goal.
Deeping then went close again at the death as the Yaxley heads dropped and the away side held on for a magnificent victory against a very good footballing side.
On another day, the score could easily have been 5-4 to the home side, but a combination of poor finishing and good defending kept the goals out and tension high as this game went right to the final whistle. Clarets won’t have many harder games this season and this second win will give them the confidence to take on any side in the Red Zone and give them a hard game.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, David Thomas, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young, Freddie Moore
15/09/07
Deeping Clarets 1 v Parkside Athletic 2
Claret’s first home game of the season ended in defeat to a well drilled Parkside team, with the difference being that the away team took their chances when they came along, whereas Deeping failed to.
The game started in a high tempo with both teams having one last week and looking to keep up their 100% record.
Parker and Heavens combined well again in the middle of the park, but they lacked the killer instinct they’ve shown in previous weeks and didn’t trouble the Parkside keeper with much in the first quarter.
And it was a similar story at the other end of the field, where Claret’s keeper, David Thomas had little to do in the opening period, with Dorward, Lythgoe and Hick keeping the ball away from danger.
Parkside used the width of the Outgang Rd pitch well and number 6 made some strong runs down the left wing, although Parker and Dorward dealt with most of the pressure. Parker had a good header saved, while Andrews made a superb run only to be beaten by the last man.
The deadlock was broken midway through the second half when Parkside pushed players forward and got in behind the Deeping defence to beat Thomas. And 30 seconds later their lead was doubled when the Deeping defenders were caught napping, still reeling from the first goal and whilst Thomas made a good effort to block the shot, it fell over the line.
To their credit, The Clarets responded well and applied a lot of pressure to the Parkside defence in the dying minutes and Andrews capped off a fine display in midfield with a goal from just outside the area.
Deeping went forward straight from the kick off in search of the equaliser, but time was against them and the referee’s whistle was met with home disappointment and joy from the away team.
Deeping failed to take their chances and that was the difference between the teams. On a another day the result could have been reversed, so Deeping must put this down to a bad day at the office and get back into winning ways when they visit league leaders and high scoring Yaxley Juniors next weekend.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Rhys Young, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Jackson Andrews, Freddie Moore
08/09/07
Oundle Juniors 0 v Deeping Clarets 3
Deeping Clarets made a solid start to their season with a convincing 3-0 win over Oundle Juniors.
From the first whistle, Clarets took the game to Oundle and gave the home side no time to settle at all. Heavens, Parker and Young were too strong and too pacey for the Oundle defence who could do nothing but clear the ball and wait for the next attack.
And it wasn’t long before Clarets opened the scoring with Heavens shooting low & hard from the edge of the box on 3 minutes. Deeping were a team on a mission and everything was done with speed and precision so it was no surprise to see Dorward run from deep to take a pass from Parker and double the Deeping score on 6 minutes.
The blistering start then took its toll on the away side and they calmed down in the second period of the first half, still creating openings in the Oundle defence, but not perhaps with the hunger they showed in the opening 10 minutes. The score remained 0-2 at the interval, although Deepings Captain Hick carved out a couple of decent chances and Dorward managed to hit one over the Oundle bar from 2 feet out, while Parker looked like it was only a matter of time before he opened his 2007/08 account as he narrowly missed a couple of long range efforts.
Moore & Andrews replaced Heavens and Young at half time as Deeping looked to kill the game off with some fresh legs, but to their credit, the home side never gave in and came out in the second half and made a game of it. Thomas had a couple of saves to make and Lythgoe made some fine tackles to keep the Oundle forwards at bay.
Again, Clarets had chances to pull further away from Oundle in the second half, but they couldn’t quite find the back of the net – Andrews, Moore, Hick and Parker all with decent goal scoring opportunities. And so it went to the 39th minute before Deeping got their third with the best goal of the morning. Dorward picked up a loose ball just inside the Oundle half and swung a delightful looping cross towards the far post. Moore jumped well and headed the ball away from the keeper and Hick pounced on the loose ball and drove it home.
All in all, this was a comfortable win for Clarets who are looking to do better than last season’s 4th place finish, but with some tough teams in the Red Zone they know they will have to up their game a level or two if they are to compete at the very top.
Deeping Rangers Clarets: David Thomas, Jason Lythgoe, George Hick (Captain), James Dorward, Rhys Young, Toby Heavens, Jacob Parker, Jackson Andrews, Freddie Moore
06/09/07
Clarets 3 v Rippingale 1
Clarets ended their 7 day pre-season warm-ups with a convincing win over tough local opposition Rippingale Rovers.
This was the first time the whole Clarets squad had assembled after the summer break and they all looked lively and ready for action right from the off.
Jackson (thumb) and James (eye) were back from the treatment room and David back off his hols all looked bright and were keen to impress in this last friendly fixture before things get serious on Saturday with our opening tie away to Oundle Juniors.
The first half was evenly matched with both teams pressing forward, but the Deeping defence restricted Rippingale to mere half chances as last ditch tackles from Jason and James flew in at the feet of a rusty Rippingale forward line to deny them any decent shots on goal. In fact David only had one shot to save in the opening half, which he dealt with easily. Meanwhile, going forward Clarets looked sharp and passed the ball around very impressively. Again, George, Toby, Jacob and Rhys all looked hungry in the middle of the field and troubled the Rippingale defence and keeper on several occasions. The first half was marred slightly by a clash of heads between James & Jason, with James coming off worse and having to come off for treatment.
The score was evenly balanced at 0-0 at the interval.
Again, Clarets started well in the second half and it was George who opened the scoring with his 1st goal of the season as Deeping piled on the pressure early in the second half. Mid way through, Jacob switched to the left wing and again his pace and strength terrorised the Rippingale defence and it wasn’t long before he cleanly struck his 5th goal of the season with a cracking left foot strike that beat a defender and the keeper.
The great thing about the Clarets this season is their appetite for goals and their willingness to kill teams off – something that was definitely lacking last season as we sometimes struggled to get a second or third goal and often sat back and allowed the opposition to get back into the game.
The third goal came from David as he took the ball from wide on the right and shot low.
Clarets then became a little complacent and all powered forward looking for more, and as a result left gaps at the back. So it was disappointing to see Rippingale score a consolation goal late in the second half as we’d been solid at the back for 37 of the 40 minutes.
Mention should also go to Jackson who pulled off some great saves, as did David in the second half, and Rhys and Fred who worked well in the middle of the park.
All in all, this has been a great start to our season, and confidence amongst us all is high.
Let’s just hope we can all keep or feet on the ground, play the way we know we can and to our full potential. If we manage all that then this will be a great season for the Deeping Clarets.
02/09/07
A depleted Clarets side drove north to Grantham to play two very tough pre-season friendlies against Grantham Town & Gonerby.
Jackson (thumb & ankle), James (eye), David (holiday) and George (holiday) were all missing so two Deeping Blues (Jimmy & Zac) were drafted in for the day.
First off, Grantham played Gonerby in a fairly one-sided affair with the home team winning 7-0.
Game 1
Gonerby 1 v Clarets 3 (Friendly)
The Deeping team started brightly and it didn’t take Rhys (LM), Toby (ST) and Jimmy (RM) to start stringing some passes together and moving up the field towards the Gonerby goal. But despite their earlier defeat to Grantham, Gonerby are still a good battling team and they kept the Deeping attack at bay. However, it was Gonerby who took the lead a minute before the break when they carved open the Clarets defence of Jason (LB), Zac (CB) and Jacob (RB) and beat Freddie (GK) to his low right.
The team stayed the same for the second half (due mainly to the fact that we didn’t have any subs with us!) and again Clarets started brightly. And it wasn’t long before the scores were level when Rhys took the ball past two players and threaded in a delightful ball for Jacob to power home. From that moment on, the Clarets were in complete control and Fred was left with just a couple of half chances to deal with, which he did with great confidence and reliability.
Jacob doubled his tally 3 minutes later when Rhys made another strong run down the left and played another great pass into Jacob’s feet and he drilled a low hard shot into the bottom right hand corner of the Gonerby net. Clarets had 3 or 4 more chances which were kept out by a brave Gonerby defence but it was Jacob who put the game beyond them when he chased down what seemed to be a lost cause into their box and got his big toe on the end of a loose ball to seal his first hattrick for the Clarets and a great first victory of our pre-season friendlies.
This was a great workman-like performance by a make-shift Clarets team who battled hard and got the victory they deserved – something that perhaps didn’t happen last season when the good performances were there but the results didn’t always go our way.
Game 2
Grantham 4 v Clarets 1 (Friendly)
After a 10 minute break, Clarets were back and raring to go against Grantham Town FC. After watching them in their game against Gonerby, it was apparent that this was the best team we had come across in our age group. They passed the ball around like a team beyond their years and their vision and technical awareness was something to marvel. So we always knew we were going to have it tough, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Clarets start at a blistering pace and within 55 seconds Jacob Parker (RM) hit the by-line and hit an inch-perfect cross into Toby (ST) who hit a peach of a volley into the roof of the Grantham net to take the lead.
Clarets then settled back and looked comfortable, carving out 2 or 3 more chances, but the Grantham defence and keeper kept them at bay. However, the home team’s strength soon began to show and Rhys (GK) was kept busy with 4 or 5 saves to make in quick succession. So it wasn’t a complete shock when Grantham equalised and then took the lead with 2 goals in 4 minutes at the end of the first half.
Again, Deeping started well in the second half but tired legs soon got the better of them and Grantham’s neat give-and-go passing play soon led to their 3rd goal as second half goalie Jacob was beaten at the second attempt as he parried a shot into the path of an oncoming Grantham striker who coolly passed the ball into an empty net.
Deeping then pushed forward in the final 5 minutes and were again hit on the break as Grantham scored their 4th and final goal of the game.
The final score flattered the home side who made the most of the tired Clarets legs and of players playing out of position. Would a fully fit Clarets squad have faired any better? We’ll find out later in the season when we repay the compliment and invite Grantham back to Outgang Rd.
30/08/07
Clarets 1 v Whittlesey 1 (Friendly)
Clarets started the season with a tough opening fixture at home to Whittlesey (last year’s Nene Valley team) and earned a respectable draw.
Both teams started brightly with the midfielders having a good battle, but with Whittlesey just pipping Clarets for possession of the ball. Toby Heavens was the star of the first half, controlling the Deeping midfield and firing pin-point passes down the wings to Jacob Parker (right) and Jackson Andrews (left). However, Whittlesey have one of the best goal keepers seen at our level and he stood firm and cut down the angles like a professional, giving the Deeping forwards no clear cut chances at all.
At the back, George Hick, playing just in front of the back two, was as reliable as ever, timing his tackles to perfection and getting forward in attack as well. And with Jackson being injured and not being able to play in goal, Jason Lythgoe took charge of the gloves in the first half. His job was relatively simple as James Dorward (right) and Rhys Young (left) were resolute in defence and combined well with George to keep trouble at bay.
Whittlesey had a few half chances and mid way through the first half opened the scoring with a well taken drive from just outside the penalty area to leave Jason no chance.
A change at the back in the second half saw Jason and James swap gloves with Jason reverting to his usual left back position and Rhys switching to the right.
Again, George, Toby, Jacob, and Jackson battled well in the middle of the park and managed to carve out one or two chances which again were well dealt with by the Whittlesey number 1.
At the back, Jason demonstrated his usual no-nonsense defensive skills with absolutely nothing getting past him. But the star of the second half had to be James, playing in goal for the first time in over a year. He made 3 point blank saves and a couple of strong punches to keep the away team at bay. And the Deeping goal started from a quick clearance from James to Toby, who played yet another inch perfect pass through the Whittlesey defence for Jacob to run onto. Jacob had to be strong on the ball as he still had lots to do, but he stood tall and refused to be shaken off the ball, took it wide of the last man and shot low and hard to find the back of the net.
The only down side of this excellent opening fixture to the 2007/08 season was Jackson limping off with an injured ankle, but hopefully that will clear up in time for our first league game on Saturday 8th September against Oundle.
Clarets next travel to Grantham on Sunday 2nd September to meet Grantham Town FC & Gonerby FC in what promises to be two more tough friendly games.
More of the same please lads!