Under 11's

Season 2005/06 | Season 2006/07 (clarets) | Season 2006/07 (blues) | Season 2007/08 (clarets) | Season 2007/08 (blues)

Season 2007/08 (Clarets)

Fixtures

Date	Opposition	Score		DRFC Scorers	W/D/L
8th Sep 2007	Oundle Juniors	0	3	Heavens, Dorward, Hick	W
15th Sep 2007	Parkside Athletic	1	2	Andrews	L
22nd Sep 2007	Yaxley Juniors	0	1	Hick	W
29th Sep 2007	Wittering Harriers	5	0	Young x2, Parker, Moore, Heavens	W
6th Oct 2007	Glinton Amber	1	4	Young x2, Parker, Dorward	W
3rd Nov 2007	Northborough Blue	1	4	Heavens	L
10th Nov 2007	Sawtry Blue	P	P	Match Postponed	-
17th Nov 2007	Bourne Reds	P	P	Match Postponed	-
24th Nov 2007	Kings Cliffe Kites	8	0	Wilkinson x3, Heavens x2, Moore x2, Parker	W
1st Dec 2007	Oundle Juniors	0	0	-	D
15th Dec 2007	Parkside Athletic	4	1	Parker	L
5th Jan 2008	Bourne Reds	1	0	-	L
12th Jan 2008	Yaxley Juniors	P	P	Match Postponed	-
26th Jan 2008	Wittering Harriers	0	0	-	D
2nd Feb 2007	Glinton Amber	9	1	Parker x3, Moore x3, Hick x2, Lythgoe x1	W
9th Feb 2007	Sawtry Blue	1	4	Moore	L
23rd Feb 2008	Northborough Blue	3	4	Wilkinson x2, Hick, Parker	W
1st March 2008	Yaxley Juniors	0	1	-	L
8th Mar 2008	Sawtry Blue	4	0	-	L
15th Mar 2008	Bourne Reds	1	4	Andrews	L
29th Mar 2008	Kings Cliffe Kites	0	12	Andrews, Moore, Wilkinson, Parker, Thomas, Heavens x2, Young x2, Dorward x3	W

Scorers

Player	Appearances				Substitutions				Goals
	Lge	Cup	Fri	Total	Lge	Cup		Total	Lge	Cup	Fri	Total
Jackson Andrews	13	0	15	28	3	2		5	3		2	5
James Dorward	15	2	16	33	3	0		3	5	1	9	15
Toby Heavens	11	2	18	31	7	0		7	7		3	10
George Hick	15	2	15	32	3	0		3	5		8	13
Jason Lythgoe	15	2	17	34	3	0		3	1		1	2
Freddie Moore	9	0	16	25	9	2		11	8		8	16
Jacob Parker	14	2	17	33	3	0		3	9	1	9	19
David Thomas	16	2	13	31	0	0		0	1		5	6
Rhys Young	12	2	17	31	5	0		5	6		2	8
Ryan Wilkinson	6	0	8	14	4	1		5	6		5	11
TOTAL GOALS									51	2	52	105

Table

POS	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Bourne Reds	18	16	1	1	73	7	+64	49
2	Northborough Blue	18	13	1	4	77	18	+59	40
3	Sawtry Blue	18	12	0	6	40	23	+17	36
4	Parkside Athletic	18	10	3	5	41	26	+15	33
5	Yaxley Juniors	18	10	2	6	31	19	+12	32
6	Deeping Clarets	18	8	2	8	51	29	+22	26
7	Oundle Juniors	18	6	3	9	24	36	-12	21
8	Wittering Harriers	18	3	1	14	7	61	-54	10
9	Glinton Amber	17	2	1	14	17	85	-68	7
10	Kings Cliffe Red Kites	17	2	0	15	7	64	-57	6

TBA: Glinton v Kings Cliffe

HOME TEAM
	Bourne	Deeping	Glinton	Kings	N’boro	Oundle	Parkside	Sawtry	Wittering	Yaxley
Bourne		1-4	0-9	0-2	1-0	0-4	1-3	1-3	0-8	0-4
Deeping	1-0		1-4	0-12	3-4	0-3	4-1	4-0	0-0	0-1
Glinton	6-0	9-1		2-1	8-1	4-2	4-1	5-1	2-1	2-2
Kings	6-0	8-0			5-0	2-1	3-0	1-0	2-0	4-1
N’boro	0-0	1-4	0-10	0-9		1-5	1-5	2-0	0-8	2-1
Oundle	4-1	0-0	3-2	1-2	3-1		1-1	4-1	0-4	1-0
Parkside	4-0	1-2	0-4	2-1	1-3	1-1		4-3	1-5	0-0
Sawtry	6-2	1-4	0-3	0-3	3-0	2-1	2-1		0-1	1-0
Wittering	6-0	5-0	2-0	0-1	7-1	2-0	4-0	3-0		4-0
Yaxley	3-0	0-1	1-10	0-2	3-1	2-0	2-0	1-0	0-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match Reports

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!

 

Season 2007/08 (blues)

Fixtures

08-09-07	Crowland Juniors	Home	14-0(W)	Fountain(4),Cameron(4), Wright, Baxter, Morten, Allen, 2 O.Gs
15-09-07	Coates Yellow	Away	2-3(W)	Cameron(2), Fountain
22-09-07	Bourne Blues	Home	1-3(L)	Allen
29-09-07	Abbey Athletic	Away	2-6(W)	Fountain(3), Baxter, Wright, Cameron
06-10-07	Northboro Black	Away	3-7(W)	Cameron(2), Fountain, Baxter, Wright & 2 O.Gs
13-10-07	1st Rd Cup Parkside Athletic Yell.	Away	2-10(W)	Cameron(3), Baxter(2), Fountain, Wright, Ward-Jones, Smith & O.G.
03-11-07	Glinton Utd Blue	Home	7-0(W)	Baxter(2), Morten(2), Fountain, Smith, Cameron
10-11-07	Rippingale Rovers	Away	2-3(W)	Fountain, Baxter & Cameron
17-11-07	Boston Juniors	Home	8-0(W)	Baxter(3), Fountain(3), Morten and Smith
24-11-07	Spalding Athletic	Away	0-3(W)	Cameron(2), Baxter
01-12-07	Crowland Juniors	Away	0-5(W)	Baxter(2), Cameron, Wright and Jones
08-12-07	2nd Rd Cup Parkside Athletic Blue	Home	2-1(W)	Baxter(2)
15-12-07	Coates Yellow	Home		Match Postponed
12-01-08	Bourne Blue	Away	2-0(L)
19-01-08	Qtr Final Cup Yaxley Whites	Away	1-2(W)	Baxter(2)
26-01-08	Abbey Athletic	Home	3-0(W)	Baxter(2), Fountain
02-02-08	Northboro Black	Home	2-1(W)	Baxter, Cameron
09-02-08	Coates Yellow	Home	3-2(W)	Fountain(3)
23-02-08	Glinton Blue	Away	1-8(W)	Baxter(3), Cameron(3), Fountain and Gale
01-03-08	Semi-final Cup Oundle	Away	3-4(W)	Cameron, Baxter, Allen and Gale
08-03-08	Rippingale Rovers	Home		Match Postponed
15-03-08	Boston Juniors	Away		Boston are out of the league
29-03-08	Rippingale Rovers	Home
05-04-08	Spalding Athletic	Home
12-04-08	Cup Final

Scorers

Player	Appearances			Goals
A	League	Cup	Total	League	Cup	Total
Callum Ward-Jones	13	3	16	0	1	1
Alistair Jones	12	4	16	1		1
Tom Smith	13	4	17	2	1	3
Zachary Allen	13	4	17	2	1	3
James Morten	13	4	17	4		4
Jack Baxter	12	4	16	18	7	25
William Wright	11	4	15	4	1	5
Lewis Fountain	12	4	16	18	1	19
Joshua Cameron	13	4	17	18	4	22
Ethan Gale	12	3	15	1	1	2
Opp O.Gs				6		6

Table

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
DEEPING RANGERS BLUE	13	11	0	2	57	17	33
BOURNE TOWN BLUE	12	10	0	2	32	7	30
RIPPINGALE ROVERS	11	8	1	2	34	9	25
SPALDING ATHLETIC	12	8	0	4	39	11	24
COATES YELLOWS	11	5	2	4	27	16	17
NORTHBOROUGH	12	4	0	8	14	37	12
ABBEY ATHLETIC	13	2	1	10	13	30	7
GLINTON UNITED BLUE	12	1	4	7	12	34	7
CROWLAND JUNIORS	12	0	2	10	4	71	2

Match reports

U10s KO Cup Final    Bourne Blue 1 – Deeping Blue 0

Deeping finished their final season in mini-soccer with a defeat in a tight cup final game against local rivals Bourne Blue. Having met and lost twice to the Bourne lads this season already, Deeping were keen to make it third time lucky. Unfortunately they found the Bourne defence in their usual mean mood and near impossible to break down, especially when Bourne took a 1st half lead. Both teams understandably looked nervous early in the game, which seemed to effect the quality of the football, but it was Bourne who looked to have settled earlier then Deeping and capitalised on some indecisive defending to open the scoring and take a 1-0 lead into the break. Against most teams which Deeping have met this season, being a goal down wouldn’t be too much of a problem for the potent Deeping attack, but they all knew it would be incredibly difficult to find a second half equaliser against Bourne. Caution was thrown to the wind to find the all important Deeping goal, but to no avail, and with the Deeping team pushing forward it needed a fine performance from Deeping custodian, Callum Ward-Jones to keep his team mates in with a chance by not allowing the score against to increase. The game finished 1-0 to Bourne and completed an excellent league and cup double for them, while the Deeping lads finished the season as cup runners-up, while taking 3rd place in the league.
Deeping coach, Dean Baxter commented “Well done to Bourne this season, they have deserved their success. My own players have been fantastic this season as well as the previous 3 seasons Ive been in charge. This was my last game as a Deeping coach and I would like to thank all the players and their parents for the terrific support Ive always received and I wish the Deeping players all the best as they join up with our Clarets players and move up to the 11 aside game. Today’s cup final was a fantastic day for the players and something Im sure they will never forget. A big thank-you to the Peterborough Junior Alliance for this superb event.”

DEEPING BLUES U10s 0 – SPALDING ATHLETIC U10s 3

Deeping finished their league season by dropping out of the top 2 places with a disappointing display against a physical Spalding side. After spending the majority of the season at the league summit, the depleted home side lacked the desire and conviction to finish off what had been a excellent league campaign. The 1st half saw both defences on top, and the few chances created fell to the visitors. During the 2nd half, Spalding exposed the frailties of the rearranged Deeping defence to score 3 unopposed goals.
DEEPING BLUES U10s 1 – RIPPINGALE U10s 3
Deeping Blues title hopes took a serious dent with this defeat in an enthralling top of the league clash. Both teams have met each other a number of times, always producing close, tough, exciting games. This match didnt disappoint. With a stiff breeze in their favour, the home side had the better of the 1st half and were denied numerous times, by the goalkeeper, cross bar and brave defending, from taking an important lead. Lewis Fountain, Jack Baxter and Joshua Cameron all went close for the hosts, while the away side carved out a couple of their own chances, but the half remained goalless. The Deeping side were aware that, with the wind behind the visitors, the 2nd half was going to be extremely tough and the whole team would need to work hard to keep Rippingale at bay.
The 2nd half started as was expected with Rippingale playing some good passing football and exerting lots of pressure on the Deeping defence, which was slowly starting to creak. Callum Ward-Jones, the Deeping custodian, was called upon to produce a number of fine, brave saves but could do nothing to prevent the visitors 1st goal. Connor Durrant slotted home from close range after the hosts failed to clear the ball away from their own penalty area. Rather than let their heads drop, the Deeping side were determined to get straight back to parity, which they soon did. The equaliser, was a stunner. James Morten, whom had had a superb match, reacted 1st to a near post corner with a fantastic flying header that gave the Rippingale custodian no chance. Unfortunately for Deeping the Rippingale side were not in the mood to dwell on the equaliser and were soon looking for the lead and piling on the pressure. Their lead soon came when the ever dangerous Jon-Jo Roberts hooked a speculative shot over his shoulder and caught Deepings Ward-Jones off his goal-line. The away side added their 3rd soon after, catching out the Deeping side with a clever through ball that Zac Munton coolley slotted home. Deeping tried hard to get back into the game but couldnt find a way past the stubborn Rippingale defence and 3-1 it finished.
After the match, Deeping coach, Dean Baxter was full of praise for both teams and commented “this was a thoroughly entertaining match between 2 good sides. Until their 2nd goal went in, I couldnt tell who was to be victorious. I was extremely pleased with my teams performance, but, with the wind behind us in the 1st half, we paid for not scoring from the chances we had”. After to-days result, Bourne Blues are now favourites to win the league.

Semi-Final KO Cup   Oundle Juniors U10s 3 – Deeping Rangers Blue U10s 4

Deeping produced a battling performance away at Oundle, to come back from behind on three occasions for a place in the final of the KO Cup. This was the 1st time that Deeping Blues had met their hosts in all competitions but were aware that Oundle were a huge threat and more than capable of halting Deepings progression to the Final. This looked like ringing true when Oundle took a quick 1-0 lead from their 1st attack. If the Deeping players felt that they only needed to turn up to win, this goal was their wake up call. The away side started to put some good attacks together with Jack Baxter looking dangerous down the wings and it was from one of these attacks that the Deeping equaliser came. Baxter produced a powerful run past the Oundle defence and his low cross could only be parried out by the home side custodian into the path of Joshua Cameron, who made no mistake with his finish. Against the run of play Oundle went 2-1 up when a soft free-kick, just outside the Deeping area was powerfully driven into the roof of the net. This lead didn’t last long. With Deeping starting to find their “A” game, the equaliser just before the break was thoroughly deserved. Baxter hit a beauty of a strike into the top corner after again tormenting the Oundle defence with his pace and power. The 1st half finished 2-2 and Deeping were the team in the ascendancy.
The Deeping team went into the 2nd half with a great deal of confidence but that confidence was struck a blow when an unfortunate communication mix-up between a Deeping defender and custodian allowed the Oundle striker to nip in and score a soft goal and 3-2 to the hosts. To their credit, the away side never allowed their heads to drop and certainly had the belief that this wasn’t game over. A Deeping corner was half cleared by Oundle and the follow-up was dispatched into the net powerfully and perfectly by Deeping defender, Zachary Allen, to make the game 3-3. Both sides were looking for the winner and chances came and went, with Deeping strikers, Baxter, Fountain and Cameron all coming close to scoring. With only a few minutes left to go a Deeping substitution saw Cameron, who had had a fantastic game but looked tired, being replaced up front by Ethan Gale. His 1st touch of the game was to side foot the ball into the net for the Deeping winner. This was a fantastic end to a thoroughly entertaining, rollercoaster of a game and the result was certainly deserved for the “never say die” Deeping players. The final will be between Deeping Blues and Bourne Blues, with both teams having their eyes on a league and cup double.

Deeping Team – Ward-Jones, Allen, Smith, Morten, Jones, Fountain, Baxter, Wright, Cameron and Gale.

Glinton Blues U10s 1 - Deeping Blues U10s 8
          
Deeping produced their finest performance of the season in this possible "banana skin" away tie at Glinton. Straight from the off the away side went for the Glinton juggular and produced wave after wave of attacks. Jack Baxter opened the scoring for Deeping with a fine solo effort and soon after Glinton old boy, Joshua Cameron, made it 2-0 with a powerful long range free kick. Lewis Fountain made it 3-0 after latching onto a low cross and just before the break Cameron made it 4-0 with possibly the goal of the game. His far post header came courtesy of an excellent piece of inter-play between Baxter and left-back, Tom Smith, with the latter providing the killer cross. Glinton went into the interval looking shell-shocked, knowing that the 4-0 halftime scoreline could have easily been double that.
Three changes were made to the Deeping side to start the 2nd half and although their previous halfs momentum was lost for a little while it didnt take them long to regain their confident stride. Baxter added a fifth and his second with a blasted goal from an acute angle and his hat-trick soon followed courtesy of a slight deflection off a Glinton defender. Glinton never lost heart and managed a consolation goal from Deeping old boy, Jamie Skinner. Moment of the day belonged to Ethan Gale, who finished off another fast, flowing, Deeping attack with his 1st goal of the season and the last remaining player, other then the Deeping custodian, to score this campaign. Cameron finished the game with a fine left foot shot to give him the perfect hat trick of left foot, right foot and headed goals.
Deeping coach Dean Baxter commented after the game "The Deeping team played football of the highest quality. Everyone of my players produced intelligent, fast flowing football that was a pleasure to watch. Ive had some fantastic feedback from players parents and neutrals alike regarding this performance. Without tempting fate, we seem to have hit some good form at the right time of the season when a league and cup double is within our own hands."

Deeping Blues U10s 3 – Coates Yellows U10s 2

Deeping consolidated their position at the top of the Blue Zone league with a hard fought win at home against Coates Yellow. As was the case when both teams played the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Deeping were forced to come back from 2-1 down. The home team started the strongest and played some fantastic football, cutting open the Coates defence with some clever passing and strong runs, but were continually denied an early goal by either uncharacteristic poor finishing or solid goalkeeping. Eventually the Deeping pressure produced a deserved goal, which came courtesy of a fine left foot finish by Lewis fountain. This should have been the catalyst for more goals but it was the Coates team who equalised soon after with possibly their only chance during the 1st half. Deeping went into the half-time break wondering how they were  drawing 1-1 and not winning possibly 4-0, such was their domination.
Coates started the 2nd half with more confidence and began to play some good football themselves. The Deeping defence looked comfortable with the Coates attacks but an unfortunate mix-up between the the Deeping custodian and a defender allowed the Coates striker in to put the away side 2-1 up. Credit to Deeping for quickly bouncing  back, with Fountain popping up for the equaliser. Soon after the Deeping striker capped an awesome display with another goal for his hat-trick and what turned out to be the winner for the home side.
In summary, the Deeping players produced some excellent football but nearly paid the price for not turning early domination and pressure into goals, so allowing the opposition back into the game. 

Deeping Rangers 4  Sawtry Colts 0

After a two week break Rangers returned to action in the league against Sawtry, on a blustery day at Outgang Road. Deeping dominated the first half without really threatening the score sheet; chances went begging with the Deeping forwards taking the wrong option time after time, the game went into half time at 0-0. The second half was again all Deeping but this half saw Lewis Renwick come off the bench to make an immediate impact on the game, he forced a corner from which former Sawtry player Jamie Cashin fired home to put Rangers ahead, Deeping grew in confidence and where soon two up when Jack Davenport doubled the lead from close range. Callum Fox then fired home from the edge of the box with a sweet strike, It was left to another former Sawtry player Sam Redhead to fire home from an acute angle to finish the scoring.

Deeping Blues U10s 2 – Northborough Black U10s 1

Deeping moved back to the top of the Blue Zone with a hard fought win against a determined Northborough side. The home side started the match like a steam train, with Jack Baxter blasting the ball into the top corner of the net within 30 seconds of the opening whistle. Deeping looked to add to the tally with some lovely flowing football, but found the Northborough defence and their custodian in solid form. A rare Northborough attack produced a corner at the other end. The corner was deflected off an unfortunate Deeping player into his own net to allow Northborough back into the game. Deeping were soon back in front after Joshua Cameron pounced on to a low cross and despatched the ball into the bottom corner. Lewis Fountain found the net again for Deeping but was judged to have hand-balled and the 1st half ended 2-1 to the home side. Deeping produced a disappointing, lacklustre 2nd half display and spurned the few chances they created allowing the game to finish 2-1. Tom Smith, possibly the smallest player on the field, again produced a fine battling display for the home side in what was possibly Deepings poorest performance of the season.
Deeping Blues now have a very tough, but exciting couple of months ahead, with a semi-final place in the KO cup, as well as the chance to win the Blue Zone title which is now back in Deeping Blues hands. The double is on, but a move up the gears by the Deeping team is needed to realise what would be a fantastic achievement.

Deeping Blues U10s 3 – Abbey Athletic U10s 0

Blue Zone title hopefuls, Deeping Blue, were made to work hard for this victory by a physical, hard working Abbey side. The home side started brightly and were soon rewarded with an early goal when Jack Baxter slotted home from close range after a neat passing move with Lewis Fountain. Striker Fountain, then added a deserved 2nd not long after, which should have been the catalyst for a rampant Deeping performance. This was not to be, as the Abbey custodian and defence were putting in a solid performance, which, seemed to inspire their team mates to attempt an improbable comeback. Powerful tackling performances by the Deeping midfielders and defenders made sure that, for all their good effort, Abbey rarely troubled the Deeping goal. Baxter made the game safe for Deeping with a fine solo effort, collecting the ball on the half-way line, raced towards the Abbey goal and then lifted the ball over the advancing Abbey goalkeeper. Tom Smith put in a huge performance in midfield for Deeping with some ferocious tackling.

Yaxley Whites U10s 1 – Deeping Blues U10s 2

Deeping dug deep in the mud to produce a fine win over White Zone leaders, Yaxley Whites, to progress to the semi-final of the KO cup. Both teams produced some excellent football in very heavy conditions. Despite starting the brighter and creating the best early chances, Deeping found themselves 1-0 down when a Yaxley corner was unfortunately deflected in by the defending side for an own goal. Despite a few moments of despondency, Deeping lifted themselves up to try to get back into the game but found the Yaxley custodian in fine form. The 1st half finished 1-0 to Yaxley but the Deeping players knew they could get back into this game.
Some solid defending and goalkeeping by both sides allowed the score to stay the same, until, midway through the 2nd half, a fine through ball by Deepings Lewis Fountain fed Jack Baxter, who coolly slotted the ball past the oncoming goalkeeper and into the back of the empty net to make it 1-1. This was met with huge relief from all the travelling players and fans because an equaliser was well deseserved. Not long after Baxter made it 2-1, and game over, after firing in low and hard from a near impossible angle.
After the game, Deeping Blues Coach Dean Baxter stated “this was the perfect way to bounce back from last weeks disappointing display against Bourne. All my players showed what good strength of character they have by working their socks off and producing an excellent performance against one of the best teams (Yaxley) in this age group.”

Bourne Blue U10s 2 – Deeping Blue U10s 0

Deeping produced a disappointing 1st half performance against Bourne in this top of the league clash, which allowed the home side to move 6 points clear of 2nd placed Deeping. Both teams cancelled each other out during the early stages of the game and the 1st goal was going to be crucial. And so it proved when Bourne opened the scoring with a long range effort. The Deeping defence and goalkeeper will be disappointed at not stopping the shot that hit the back of the net for the 1st . More sloppy play allowed the 2nd to be scored just before the break, when scrappy defending allowed an unmarked Bourne player to head into an empty net. Deeping were looking ragged, not able to string any passes together and seemed to forget they were playing as a team. The halftime whistle was most welcome for Deeping and a tough team talk was needed.
Deeping played much better during the 2nd half but even under strong pressure the Bourne defence, and their superb goalkeeper, stood firm. Good passages of passing play from Deeping unfortunately didn’t produce at least a goal that they thoroughly deserved.
Deeping need to bounce back quickly from this defeat, their 1st since September 07, if they hope to be still challenging for the title.

KO Cup 2nd Rnd   Deeping Blues 2 - Parkside Blue 1

Deeping booked their place into the 3rd round draw after defeating Red Zone leaders, Parkside Athletic Blue. The two teams had met each other, in tournaments, numerous times, with Dave Setchfields Parkside team always managing to come out victorious, so a chance to reverse the usual outcome was extra motivation for the Deeping side.
The game started as a tight affair with both midfields and defences giving nothing away. It needed something special to open the scoring, and the Deeping strike pair produced it. Lewis Fountain cleverly flicked the ball over the visitors defence into the path of fellow stiker, Jack Baxter, who let it bounce once before blasting in on the second. Parkside were close to equalising before the break, but Lady Luck seemed to be smiling for Deeping.
Deeping doubled their lead not long after the break when Fountain, again fed Baxter a through ball for him to cleverly round the Parkside custodian and slot into an empty net. For the remainder of the game, Parkside threw everything and the "kitchen sink" at the Deeping defence of, Zac Allen, James Morten, Ethan Gale as well as goalkeeper, Alistair Jones,  but they all battled hard and stood firm. Eventually Parkside scored a goal to find a lifeline, but it came very late in the game and the the welcome referees whistle followed not long after. A special mention about Deeping striker, Joshua Cameron, who moved into midfield for this game and was outstanding. 

"Both teams worked extremely hard throughout, while the standard of football played was of excellent quality in the worst possible weather conditions. Best of luck to Parkside in the league"

Crowland U10s 0 - Deeping Blues U10s 5

Deeping produced a solid if not unspectactular display against a Crowland side struggling near the bottom of the Blue Zone. The visitors produced but squandered a number of chances before Jack Baxter let fly from long range to score and settle their nerves. He soon made it 2-0 after robbing the Crowland defender of possession and powering home the ensuing shot. A stubborn defensive and fine goalkeeping display by Crowland meant no more goals were conceded by the home side before half-time. A number of changes to the Deeping personnel was made for the 2nd half and this certainly paid dividends. Joshua Cameron slotted ito the net, to make it 3-0 soon after the restart while Alistair Jones was starting to make his pressence known since coming on as substitute. Jones fired a couple of good efforts just wide and then another of his fine shots was directed into the net by another half-time replacement, William Wright. Deservedly, Jones eventually added himself to the scoresheet to make it 5-0, with a fantastic long range shot that nestled into the top corner of the Crowland goal. Even though Crowland rarely produced an attack, another clean sheet means that Deeping are defensively heading in the right direction, while a little shooting practise may be needed in training for the Deeping strikers who, previously this season, have been lethal.  
                     
Deeping Blues - Ward-Jones, Smith, Allen, Morten, Gale, Jones, Cameron, Fountain, Wright and Baxter

Spalding Athletic 0 – Deeping Blues 3

Deeping produced a fine performance, against a tricky Splading team, to consolidate their position at the summit of the Blue Zone League. Both teams produced a pulsating match that just about lifted the raw, cold temperature above freezing. Deeping started brightly and were soon ahead once Baxter found his range at goal. He powerfully dispatched a loose ball to make it 1-0. The 2nd wasn’t long following. This time Baxter became the provider for Cameron to coolly tuck home a low cross. Spalding looked dangerous once they found their pacey striker, but the Blues 1st half defence of Allen and Gale worked well to snuff out the danger. Deeping went into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead.
The 2nd half saw Spalding come out strongly, but a string of terrific saves from Ward-Jones made sure Spalding were not to get back into the game. Deepings awesome midfield duo of Smith and Morten began to again boss the bigger Spalding players and a fantastic through ball from midfield allowed the hard-working Cameron to bundle home under pressure to make it 3-0 and the game safe.
This was a fantastic hard-working performance from the illness affected Blues against a much physically bigger team. Well done lads!

Deeping Rangers Blues U10s 8 – Boston Juniors U10s 0

Deeping strolled to a fine victory against a spirited Boston side, without really hitting top gear. Deeping worked hard and passed well to break down a Boston side intent on damage limitation. Baxter and Fountain scored goals 1 and 2, both finishing off some lovely passing play. Fountain made it 3-0 with a fine left foot shot into the bottom corner of the net and a tap in for his hat-trick wasn’t long following. Smith made it 5-0 just before the break with a well placed goal.
Deepings rhythm slightly lost its beat during the 2nd half when a number of changes were made at half-time. This allowed Boston to have a better period of play but the much improved Deeping defence made sure they kept another clean sheet.
Baxter hit one of his trade-mark, long range rockets to make it 6-0 and soon tapped in for his hat-trick and Deepings 7th. James Morten finally made it 8-0 to Deeping when reacting first to a superb Cameron shot that threatened to snap the bar.

Deeping Blues Team – Jones, Ward-Jones, Morten, Gale, Allen, Baxter, Fountain, Wright, Cameron and Smith

November 10th 2007 Rippingale Rovers U10s 2 – Deeping Blues U10s 3

Deeping showed real strength of character to twice come from behind to topple league leaders and reigning league champions, Rippingale. This top of the league clash was played in blustery conditions which produced a game of 2 halves. Rippingale, with the wind in their backs, piled on the pressure from the off and were rewarded with an early goal. Deeping remained positive, and they battled back to equalise soon after when Fountain blasted in from a rebound. Rippingale hit back again to make it 2-1 with a fine headed goal but still Deeping heads didn’t drop. With half-time approaching, Deeping achieved parity, when Baxter managed to force the ball home from a scrappy piece of goal-mouth action. Once the whistle blew for the interval, Deeping knew they would be taking a slight advantage into the 2nd half.
Deeping started the 2nd half strongly, making sure they were playing a tighter game, with midfielders, Fountain and Morten, producing outstanding battling performances to nullify the Rippingale midfield. The Deeping defence of Allen and Smith as well as Goalkeeper Jones, worked hard to prevent Rippingales dangerous forwards from having a sniff at goal, while the Deeping forward line of Baxter, Cameron and later on, Wright, were producing strong runs that were putting the Rippingale defence under immense pressure. Eventually this pressure told when Cameron struck a fine effort that the Rippingale custodian struggled to hold onto and spilled agonisingly over the goal line. Rippingale went looking for the equaliser, but Deeping were determined to preserve their lead and finally they inflicted Rippingales 1st league defeat for 2 seasons.
This was a good, solid, battling performance from Deeping against possibly the best U10 team in the Peterborough Junior Alliance, but will mean nothing if we do not produce the same type of performances throughout the rest of the season.

Deeping Blue U10s 7 – Glinton Blue U10s 0

Deeping returned from the half-term break still in the same goal hungry mood that they had been in before the 2 week rest. This time though, the Deeping defence were not in their normal charitable mood and gave Glinton little or nothing, so recording their 1st clean sheet since the opening day. Glinton came into this match off the back of 2 consecutive wins so were confident of giving Deeping a tough match. Baxter opened the scoring for Deeping with a scorching shot that was too hot for the Glinton custodian to handle. Cameron soon made it 2-0 against his old team mates when tapping in a low cross. He then became provider for the 3rd , when his perfect corner was superbly headed in by Fountain. Deeping piled the pressure onto the Glinton goalmouth, but some stubborn defending kept the score-line at half-time to 3-0.
A number of Deeping changes were made at half-time and two of these substitutes produced possibly the goal of the game. Wright and Smith conjured up a wonderful goal, finally finished by Smith, with some magical one touch football that left both sets of supporters applauding. Deepings 5th goal started from a Glinton corner! The corner was headed clear to Baxter, who then set off from the edge of his own area, ran the full length of the pitch and then coolly slipped it past the despairing Glinton goalkeeper. Baxter became provider for goals 6 & 7, producing the ammunition for Morten to fire home.
This was a fine Deeping performance and a real confidence booster for the defenders before next Saturdays top of the league clash with Rippingale.

Deeping Team – Ward-Jones, Gale, Allen, Smith, Morten, Baxter, Wright, Cameron and Fountain

U10s League Cup 1st Round  Parkside Athletic Yellow U10s 2 – Deeping Blues U10s 10

Deeping booked their place into the 2nd round of the League Cup with an emphatic victory away at Parkside. The Blues started brightly with 2 early goals from some alert play. The 1st was blasted into the net by Baxter after a short corner, and then Baxter became the provider for the 2nd, when his quick throw-in reached Cameron, who had made a fantastic run, to slot home from close range. This was Deeping at its best, but soon to follow was the frustrating problems that Deeping have suffered from so far all season- Defending! Parkside were allowed back into the game because of missed tackles and missed clearances. 2 Parkside goals left the away team reeling and starting to panic. Cameron eased the pressure just before half-time to make it 3-2 for Deeping with a coolly taken penalty. Stern but encouraging words were spoken at half time, which the Deeping players responded too in superb style. Baxter opened the floodgates with a long range strike, while Cameron completed his hat-trick soon after to make it 5-2. Deepings 6th goal was an unfortunate own goal. Goal 7 was a well deserved goal for Fountain after he latched onto another quick throw. Ward-Jones and Wright scored goals 8 and 9 after both reacting quickest from close range. The final goal belonged to Smith who showed great character to bounce back from an early mistake to fire in a perfectly executed penalty. Overall Deeping played some excellent football against a resilient Parkside defence and showed great character to bounce back from the earlier problems. A 2nd half clean sheet was a fantastic added bonus, so well done to all the Deeping defenders.

Deeping Blues – Jones, Ward-Jones, Smith, Allen, Gale, Morten, Wright, Cameron, Fountain and Baxter

Northborough Black U10s 3 – Deeping Blues U10s 7

Deeping produced another fine attacking performance, scoring seven goals on a small Northborough pitch. Birthday boy, Lewis Fountain, opened the scoring for Deeping with a fantastic long-range effort that looped over the Northborough custodian. Northborough seemed undeterred by the goal and hit back almost instantaneously. Jack Baxter helped put Deeping back ahead, after his low cross was put into the back of the net courtesy of a Northborough defender. Joshua Cameron increased the Deeping lead with a tremendous long-range free kick. Deeping were now in total control of the game but were soon to put pressure on themselves with some sloppy defending. The Northborough attacker was allowed to run unchallenged, straight through the middle of the static Deeping defence and then rifled in a goal to narrow the score to 3-2. Baxter eased the pressure for Deeping with a well-deserved goal, while Cameron and another Northborough O.G. just before the break, made the 6-2 scoreline more comfortable for Deeping.
The 2nd half saw Deeping pile on a huge amount of pressure but found the substitute Northborough custodian in fantastic form, producing save after save. This inspired the Northborough side to score and brought the scoreline to 6-3. Deeping, undeterred, played some lovely flowing football and were rewarded with a fine finished goal from ever improving William Wright.
Some of the supporters have likened the Deeping Blues to Tottenham Hotspurs. Fantastic going forward but allowing too many goals to be scored against them. This will have to be worked on in training if we are to have any realistic chance of challenging for the league title.

Abbey Athletic U10s 2 – Deeping Rangers Blue U10s 6

Deeping Blues bounced back, from last weeks disappointing defeat against Bourne Blue, with an emphatic 6-2 win away at Abbey Athletic. The Blues put in a much more determined display, creating plenty against a solid defensive Abbey side. Fountain hit his 2nd hat-trick of the season with 3 fine goals.  The pick of which was a excellent header from a corner. Baxter scored for Deeping with a long range free-kick, while Wright and Cameron deservedly picked up a goal apiece after some fine Deeping football. The Deeping midfield duo of Morten and Cameron worked their socks off to help with both attack and defence, while their team-mates in defence, Smith, Allen and Jones gave very little away allowing the Deeping custodian, Ward-Jones, very little to do. A couple of lapses of concentration allowed Abbey some consolation goals but the overall Deeping performance was very good

Deeping Rangers Blues U10s 14 – Crowland U10s 0

The excitement of the 1st league match of the season was tinged with a bit of disappointment for Deeping Blues, when Crowland turned up for a 7 a side match with only 5 players. Unfortunately the match had to be played. As expected, Deeping totally dominated from the off and the 1st goal, blasted in by Baxter, was scored within a couple of minutes. An own goal made it 2-0, followed very quickly by two excellent solo goals from Cameron, who was making his Deeping Rangers league debut. Fountain scored goals 5, 6 and 7. One a fine back post header and the other two from some excellent passing moves and some skilful football. Cameron scored his hat-trick for 8-0 and a second own goal made it 9-0 before the break.
Many changes were made to the Deeping personnel at half-time as well as players being allowed to play in different positions.  These changes had little impact on the Deeping team as again they exposed the space with some fine passing football. Some heroic Crowland defending and goalkeeping restricted the new look Deeping forward line from running up a rugby score. The score moved up to 12-0 after Wright poached 2 goals and also set up a goal for Allen with a fine cross. Cameron came back on the field and scored goal 13 while goal 14 was unfortunately another own goal.
This was more of a training session than a match for Deeping, but full credit to the Crowland players for playing with fantastic enthusiasm and still coming off the field with a smile on their face.

Deeping squad – Ward-Jones, Jones, Smith, Baxter, Morten, Allen, Cameron, Wright, Gale and Fountain

Season 2006/07 clarets

2 June 2007 - Deeping Rangers under 9's are taking the local tournaments by storm as the Clarets powered their way to be crowned champions of the Yaxley Festival of Football. In recent weeks, the Deeping Blues have won the Deeping Sixes tournament and were runners up in the Bourne tournament so their Deeping counterparts, the Clarets needed no more incentive to do well. They started with a 1-1 draw against Powerleague Colts, but that proved to be the only 2 points dropped of the day as they finished top of their group with 10 points from a possible 12 and only conceding 2 goals in the process. The semi-final was a nail-biter as Sawtry took the lead late in the second half, but Deeping Clarets don't know when they are beaten and straight from the kick off, George Hick sent Toby Heavens through to score his 4th of the day and bring the scores level. The extra time period was a midfield battle with no real threats on either goal so the game had to be settled by a penalty shoot out. Rangers’ keeper, Jackson Andrews was the shoot out hero when he saved Sawtry's 3rd attempt, whilst his 5 outfield players all tucked their penalties away with the precision and confidence that is rarely seen in the professional game. And so a final against the host team Yaxley Yellows beckoned for the Clarets. Again the game was tense and close - not only because of what was at stake but also because both teams had been playing football for over 6 hours in temperatures of 25+. Yellows had opportunities to get into scoring positions but the Clarets defensive duo of Dorward & Lythgoe blocked everything that was thrown at them and limited the Yaxley forwards to mere half chances. With the game at 0-0 after full time and with just 90 seconds of extra time remaining, Joshua Cameron combined with Hick and Young to score the decisive goal and send the Deeping supporters into celebration mode. And to top off a fantastic day, Deeping Rangers’ midfielder and tournament top scorer Toby Heavens was deservedly presented with the Player of the Tournament award. Afterwards, Deeping Manager Dave Dorward and Coach Doug Lythgoe were full of praise for their team's efforts.Lythgoe said of his team, "to only drop 2 points and only concede 3 goals all day is a fantastic effort by all of the boys."

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TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
BOURNE TOWN RED	16	15	0	1	73	4	45
NENE VALLEY	16	11	2	3	47	10	35
YAXLEY YELLOWS	16	9	3	4	25	11	30
DEEPING CLARETS	16	9	3	4	32	20	30
GLINTON UNITED AMBER	16	5	2	9	16	47	17
NORTHBOROUGH BLACKS	16	4	4	8	12	38	16
OUNDLE JUNIORS	16	3	4	9	14	39	13
COATES CRUSADERS YELLOW	16	2	3	11	13	41	9
WITTERING HARRIERS	16	1	5	10	5	27	8

Saturday 10th March 2007 - Deeping Clarets 2 v Yaxley Yellows 0

The Deeping Clarets signed off their debut season with a well earned victory over Yaxley Yellows. Both teams started brightly and Yaxley had the majority of possession in the first half, but Deeping contained the visitors well and soaked up the pressure created by the Yellows forwards. On 7 minutes, Clarets broke free with Toby Heavens and George Hick combining well to undo a tight Yaxley defence and they carved out an opening for Rhys Young who slotted home a left footed shot from 5 yards out on the left wing. Yaxley immediately counter attacked and again they put the home side under pressure but failed to capitalise and turn their possession into goals. Their one shot on goal in the first half was handled well by Deeping No1 Jackson Andrews as he dived low and safely claimed the ball. Deeping saw more of the ball in the second half as they got into their rhythm and passed the ball around the pitch and used the width well. Jacob Parker and James Dorward were immense at the back and also up front as they both took the ball at their feet and ran deep into the Yaxley half looking for the second goal of the game. Again, Deeping coped with the pressure Yaxley put them under and reduced the Yellows to just one shot in the second half, which was comfortably dealt with by Andrews. Hick made way for Freddie Moore mid way through the second half as Deeping looked to increase their lead and kill the game off, and once again Freddie didn’t disappoint when he picked up a loose ball in the Yaxley penalty area and banged in his 9th league goal of the season. Manager Dave Dorward is extremely proud of his entire squad for their efforts on and off the field this season and would also like to thank coach Dougie Lythgoe who’s help and knowledge have been invaluable.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 3rd March 2007 - Wittering Harriers 0 v Deeping Clarets 0

Deeping Clarets had the possession and opportunities to take all 3 points in their penultimate game of the season but a series of poor finishes from the attacking line kept the scores level. Clarets started brightly and it was James Dorward who carved out the first scoring chance of the game after sweet turn and snap shot on the edge of the are but saw the ball drift just wide of the left post. And that was to be a familiar story as they squandered another 3 chances in the first half – all just wide of the left upright. Freddie Moore, George Hick and Dorward again, all found excellent positions in the Wittering goal area but all failed to hit the net. Meanwhile, Jackson Andrews had very little to do in the Deeping goal as the away side had the majority of the ball. The home side started the second half with the belief that an upset could be on the cards and held onto the ball more and made the Deeping defence work harded than they had in the opening 15 minutes. However, it wasn’t long before Deeping took control of the game again, but as hard they tried, they couldn’t penetrate the home goal and had to settle for a 0-0 draw – their first of the season.

With one more game of the season left against Yaxley Yellows next week, the Clarets are looking forward to having a few weeks off before planning for the summer tournament season begins. Despite a couple of poor recent results this has been a successful debut season for the Clarets and manager Dave Dorward is very pleased with the progress his squad has made over the past 6 months. With 11-a-side football just 12 months away for his lads, and the Deeping Blues who have also had a successful season, the future is looking bright for Deeping Rangers.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 24th February 2007 - Oundle 3 v Deeping Clarets 2

Oundle Juniors won their second game of the season as Deeping Clarets put in a lack-lustre performance in this rearranged Red Zone game. Neither keeper saw much of the ball in the first 10 minutes as the midfield of both teams took charge and cancelled each other out in a tough but dull opening half.But the home team sprung to life on 11 minutes when Ewan Hatt took advantage of poor defensive and keeping errors by Deeping allowing him to score from close range with a weak shot. And just before the half time whistle Oundle No7 Hamish Gardner doubled their lead after another lapse of concentration in the Clarets penalty area gifted him with an easy shot on goal. During the interval wholesale changes were made to the Deeping side as the narrow pitch wasn’t conducive to their usual passing game. But despite the improvement they failed to turn their chances into goals until the 20th minute when James Dorward broke from midfield, took the ball past 2 defenders and managed to fire the ball home from an almost impossible angle along the by-line. With this life-line, Deeping suddenly woke up and created some half-chances, but try as they might, they failed time & time again to convert them. And just as Clarets thought they could get something from the game, Oundle hit them with a sucker punch with just 4 minutes remaining when James Edis scored with a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area after Deeping had committed players in more forward positions in an attempt to find an equaliser. Freddie Moore scored Deeping’s second, and his 8th league goal of the campaign, with 2 minutes remaining, but the three points were Oundle’s as they held on to keep the scoreline at 3-2.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 17th February 2007 - Deeping Clarets 2 v Coates Yellows 0

Deeping Clarets ran out comfortable winners against Coates Yellows to keep the pressure on the top 3 in the Red Zone. Clarets looked strong and determined straight from the kick off, and they only had to wait 35 seconds for their first goal. George Hick picked the ball up from the centre spot and fed the ball out right to Jacob Parker who went down the right wing before delivering a delightful cross from the by-line for James Dorward to stab home. And it wasn’t long before the Coates goal mouth was under attack again as Hick, Parker, Dorward, Moore and Young all peppered shots in from long and close range in search of Clarets second – Parker’s being the pick of the bunch as he turned and shot on the half volley, with the ball just rising above the bar. But with just 7 minutes on the clock, Hick and Dorward combined well to feed the ball into Moore’s path for his 7th league goal of the season. More chances for Deeping followed before the break but a combination of good keeping and near misses kept the score line down to 2-0, with Clarets keeper David Thomas rarely being called upon in a very one-sided half. A half time change in formation for Coates paid dividends as they managed to stem the Deeping attacks by packing out the midfield area. The second half was a more even contest with both teams having goal scoring opportunities but neither team capitalised on their chances. Clarets changed personnel in the second half with the introduction of Andrews, Heavens and Lythgoe, but this wasn’t enough to add to the Deeping’s score line, although they all contributed with fine tackles and attacking moves. And the last kick of the game went to Jackson Andrews who was awarded a penalty on the stroke of full time when he was brought down by a Coates defender. However a superb save from the Coates keeper kept the score respectable for the away team.

Clarets man of the match: George Hick

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 3rd February 2007 - Deeping Clarets 0 v Bourne Red 1

Déjà vu struck Deeping Clarets as they once again lost to Bourne – despite matching them for the vast majority of the game. When the two teams met in October, Bourne came out on top after stalemate at half time followed by a strong second half performance and exactly the same happened again this weekend. Deeping started well and settled in quickly on a beautiful spring morning at Outgang road. Parker, Young and Dorward all had early chances but Bourne stood firm and thwarted the home attacks. With both teams vying for top spot in the Red Zone there was a lot at stake and therefore the game was physical but fair with both teams competing well. At half time there was nothing between the two teams and both were raring to get into the second half, but it was Bourne who started the better. They managed to do what neither team had done in the first half and actually got hold of the ball and slowed the game down a notch to allow themselves to take control. And it was 3 minutes in that they struck the Deeping goal with a well taken corner and poor Deeping defending allowing Callum Whiteside to jab home a loose ball from a couple of feet from Jackson Andrew’s goal line. A change in personnel for Deeping saw some half chances for the home team, but Bourne were never going to surrender their lead and they held on to take all three points. The defeat see’s Deeping’s title chances almost vanish, while Bourne must now have their sights set firmly on the top spot – although they still have the second and third placed teams to play in their remaining games. Deeping Clarets must learn from this first home league defeat of the season and recover in time for their next game away at Oundle if they are to keep the pressure on the teams above them as second place remains a realistic target for them and would still represent a successful debut season together.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 27th January 2007 - Glinton Amber 1 v Deeping Claret 3

It was business as usual for Deeping Clarets as they got back to winning ways after the disappointment of being kicked out of the League Cup last weekend. Clarets were very strong in attack and could have scored within 30 seconds of the start, but Dorward couldn’t quite keep the ball under control and saw his shot go wide of the Glinton upright. Deeping adopted an attacking formation with 3 in midfield and it paid dividends as Glinton fed off scraps and barely troubled Clarets ‘keeper Thomas. Rhys Young was in tremendous form and always seemed to be in the thick of the action and it was him who opened up the scoring; finishing a great move from midfield with a strong shot past the Glinton No1. Dorward, Heavens and Hick all had good scoring opportunities but failed to hit the net in a one-sided, yet tense first half.But Young popped up in the right place again just before the interval to make it 2-0 to the visitors with another close range thunderbolt. The half time break came at the wrong time for Clarets who were completely dominating all areas of the field as they seemed to take their foot off the pedal at the start of the 2nd half and Glinton took full advantage of it. No9, Camwell was lively and made some strong attacking runs and he brought his team back into the game when he pounced on an error by the usually dependable Lythgoe and gave Thomas little chance to stop the ball. A chance in personnel saw Parker, Andrews and Moore replace Hick, Heavens and Young and it wasn’t long before Clarets restored their 2 goal advantage when Dorward picked up the ball from just inside the Glinton half and hit a peach of a lob which just clipped the underside of the bar before it hit the back of the net. Glinton had their chances late on and brought out a fantastic save from Thomas in the dying seconds of the game, but Clarets held on to take all 3 points and keep the pressure on the teams above them at the top of the Red Zone. Clarets man of the match: Rhys Young

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Toby Heavens Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 20th January 2007 - Deeping Clarets 0 v PSV Juniors 2

Deeping Clarets excellent cup run came to an end in an extremely tough battle against PSV Juniors. The conditions were more suited to wind surfing than football as the icy wind howled around the Outgang Road pitch but it was PSV who made the most of it in the first half. The game started well for both teams, but Clarets lost influential play-maker Parker after 5 minutes after a knock to the head and although substitute Lythgoe was more than up to the job, PSV took advantage to the slight reshuffle in the Deeping back line and carved out the opening goal from a strong midfield run and low shot. And a second came 5 minutes later when Deeping couldn’t get the ball out of their half as a strong PSV midfield combined well again, giving Deeping keeper Andrews little chance. Another change around at half time saw Young & Moore who hadn’t stopped running swap places with Thomas and the recovered Parker. Deeping came out and showed their true colours in the second half and pegged PSV back into their own half for long periods. Dorward had 3 excellent long range efforts saved by the keeper while Hick, Parker, Lythgoe and Thomas all had opportunities to get the home team back into the game. The pivotal part of the game came with 5 minutes left when Rangers were awarded a penalty for hand ball in the PSV area. David Thomas shot low and hard, the PSV keeper parried it out to the right, but Thomas was just a little too slow in reacting and PSV scrambled the ball away. Deeping had further chances to score, but the PSV defence kept them at bay. In the end, Clarets were just pipped by PSV who go through to the semi finals to play Yaxley Yellows. However Deeping can take strength from this defeat – their first in 11 games, and must now concentrate on a good end to their league season, starting next week away at Glinton Amber.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 16th December 2006 - Deeping Clarets 2 v Nene Valley 2

The two form teams of the Red Zone met in a crunching fixture and put on a display worthy of their positions near the top of the league. With the teams meeting just 2 weeks ago and with Deeping getting the better of Nene Valley in their League cup fixture, both managers knew that to win this game their teams would have to play the best football of the season so far – and they weren’t wrong. The early exchanges were cagey and the ball spent a lot of the time in the midfield where neither team could win good enough possession to threaten the opposition goals. But it was the Clarets who took advantage of a poorly cleared attack and a neat pass back from Freddie Moore to Toby Heavens gave him the opportunity to place a low left footed shot from just inside the penalty area into the Nene Valley net. The goal settled Deeping nerves but fired Nene Valley into attacking the Clarets goal and despite some good saves from Jackson Andrews it wasn’t long before the game was levelled when the Deeping defence were too slow to close down a short corner and gave the Nene Valley striker time to score. However, the Deeping side have belief in their game and confidence in their abilities these days, something that was missing at the beginning of the season and they kept their heads up and went looking for another goal. George Hick put in another excellent performance in midfield and once again covered every blade of grass, and James Dorward ran himself into the ground covering the back line and joining the attack when needed. And just on half time the Clarets were rewarded for their efforts after a great cross from Deeping right back Jacob Parker was headed in from close range by Freddie Moore. With the half time score at 2-1, both managers knew there was more left in the game and Nene Valley just edged the second half with Clarets pegged back in their own half for long periods. Second half substitutions for Clarets saw the fresh legs of Rhys Young, David Thomas and Jason Lythgoe introduced in an attempt to take the pressure away from Andrews’ goal mouth, but Nene Valley pressed hard and 3 minutes before time they took advantage of another poor clearance and levelled the game once again. Both teams had chances to win the game near the end but neither manager could argue with a 2-2 draw as both teams deserved something from the game. Clarets wish Nene Valley well for the rest of the season and on this display a top 3 finish at the end of the season looks very likely for both teams.

Clarets man of the match: George Hick

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 9th December 2006 - Northborough Blacks 0 v Deeping Clarets 2

Deeping Clarets moved up to 2nd place in the Red Zone after another well earned victory over local rivals Northborough Blacks. Northborough set their stall out from the start with a defensive formation and that, combined with their tightly marked out pitch limited the free-flowing game the Clarets have been playing lately. There were a couple of chances in the first 10 minutes for both sides, with the Blacks coming closest as Clarets keeper David Thomas made a goal line save. That chance aside, Northborough were feeding off scraps as Jason Lythgoe once again bossed the Clarets penalty area with finely timed tackles and powerful attacking runs, With 5 minutes of the first half left, James Dorward and Jackson Andrews combined well in the middle to feed a great ball through to Jacob Parker who scored his 5th league goals in 4 games. This settled Deeping who could have scored a 2nd before the half time whistle, but Joshua Martin, Blacks man of the match, stood fast and kept his team in the game. Clarets started the 2nd half as they finished the first and 5 minutes in Mr Reliable, Freddie Moore picked up a pass from just inside the Northborough half and added to his goal tally with his 6th goal in 5 games to take the game beyond a spirited Northborough side. Moore and Andrews then made way for substitutes Rhys Young and Toby Heavens who created more chances as Deeping went looking for a 3rd goal and had the Blacks pegged back in their own half. And right on full time Young nearly added to Deeping’s haul but he just was inches away from connecting with Jacob Parker’s cross from the right flank.

Clarets man of the match: Jason Lythgoe

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 2nd December 2006 - Deeping Clarets 1 Nene Valley 0

Clarets booked their place in the 3rd round draw after a great cup tie against their Red Zone rivals, Nene Valley. When the teams met earlier in the season Nene Valley took the points with a 3-1 victory so Deeping Manager Dave Dorward called for a big performance from his team – and they didn’t let him down. Deeping Rangers were dealt a blow in the first minute when Captain James Dorward was caught on the foot in a 50/50 challenge and had to limp off and be replaced by George Hick. However they soon settled down and played some good, yet nervy football in the middle of the field, but squandered a couple of chances to take an early lead, the best of them coming from the ever improving Rhys Young who dominated the left wing with his strong runs and close ball skills. Nene Valley are no strangers to scoring with 25 scored in 9 league games this season and they soon found their stride and put Clarets keeper Jackson Andrews and his two defenders Jacob Parker and David Thomas under pressure. In fact it was man of the match Parker who kept his team in the game with 4 fantastic first half tackles in his own penalty area – each as the last man and stopping shots on goal. And right on the stroke of half time Andrews came to the rescue when a looped header from his defence went backwards towards his own net but he stopped it on the goal line. The second half was even more exciting with the game being stretched as tired legs took over. A couple of changes for the Clarets saw Jason Lythgoe and Freddie Moore inject some pace to the attack and Moore’s first touch was to collect a through ball from midfield, run around a defender and coolly slot the ball home for his 5th goal of the season. A very nervous 5 minutes then followed with both managers anxiously looking at their watches counting every second down. Nene Valley came close in the last minute with a well taken corner but Deeping managed to scramble it away to safety. The Clarets held on to win the game, but credit should be given to Nene Valley and their manager Dale Martin who never gave up battling for the equaliser.

Man of the Match: Jacob Parker (fantastic defensive tackling and strong attacking runs)

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 25th November 2006 - Yaxley Yellows 0 v Deepings Clarets 2

Second place met fourth on a soggy Yaxley Recreation ground and a determined and gritty performance from Deeping sealed their 5th win in a row to end November with a maximum return from their 5 games. Yaxley started well and could easily have taken the lead but for some narrow misses and a couple of good saves from Clarets no1 Andrews. Looking to add to his 4 goals from the last 2 games Moore was again making a nuisance of himself in the Yaxley box and put a couple of shots just wide of the uprights. Yaxley were than handed a free kick in the box when Thomas was judged to have passed back to Andrews, but the resulting kick clipped the bar and went behind the goal to safety. Clarets were then almost immediately awarded a penalty at the other end when the ball was handled in the area but Dorward blasted the ball well wide and was left staring at the mud patch of a penalty spot in true David Beckham style. Clarets made a change at half time and Young came on for Moore with Hick being pushed into the striker’s role. And it wasn’t long before Clarets’ tenacity paid off as Dorward fed another well timed pass through to Captain Jacob Parker who coolly blasted the ball into the net from just inside the Yaxley penalty box. The goal lifted Deeping spirits and they went close 3 or 4 more times with the Yaxley keeper and defence making some good clearances to keep themselves in the game. Another substitution saw Heavens replace Hick who had run non stop in the muddy conditions. And the swap paid dividends when Clarets were awarded a corner kick 5 minutes from time. Heavens floated in a superb cross which beat the Yaxley keeper and was met by Young who powered home a header to put the game beyond the home team. The Clarets remain in 4th place in the league and are now level with Yaxley, with both teams just 2 points off the top spot.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young

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Saturday 18th November 2006 - Deeping Clarets 3 v Wittering Harriers 1

Another strong performance by Deeping Clarets and another deserved 3 points. Freddie Moore was once again star of the show with another 2 goals to take his tally to 4 goals in 2 games. The first came from solid build up play from Jacob Parker in defence who skipped his way through the Wittering midfield to thread a great ball through for Moore to slot past the advancing keeper. Parker made several runs from deep and always looked threatening, putting in chances for George Hick, Toby Heavens and a couple for himself. Jason Lythgoe ventured forward as well and created problems for the opposition defenders with his gritty determined tackling. Moore’s second came shortly after the interval when Wittering failed to clear a ball that came back off the cross-bar and Freddie was there to poke it over the line. James Dorward and Jackson Andrews then came on to add some more firepower to Clarets front line and both made immediate impacts with Dorward tricking and teasing the Wittering defence from his very first touch. And it was Dorward who made the killer pass into Parker who found the net from 15 yards out on the right wing to make it 3-0 to the home side. Clarets keeper David Thomas was a spectator for most of the game but was there when called upon. However, Wittering rallied late in the game and Benjamin White gave them a slim chance with a good goal from a low hard shot 3 minutes from time. But Deeping were in good form today and kept the opposition at bay to take all 3 points and extend their unbeaten run to 4 games.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas.

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Saturday 11th November 2006 - Coates Yellows 3 v Deeping Clarets 5

A minute’s silence for Armistice Day was followed by 15 minutes of silence by Deeping Clarets as they once again took their time to get into a game. Coates set the pace when they scored from a corner in the first few minutes. The shock momentarily woke up the sleepy Clarets who leveled the scores when Toby Heavens parried home a low Coates goal kick to make it 1-1. Coates fought back with several shots on goal but all were well cleared by keeper Jackson Andrews and Clarets captain David Thomas who cleared the ball twice from deep in his own goal area. Coates then finally took their chance to regain the lead when number 11 Bradley Chambers powered home a second just before half time. Early in the second half, Coates made Deeping pay for more poor defending at another corner and Sam Stephens made it 3-1 to the home side. But an inspired substitution by the Clarets coach, Dougie Lythgoe, completely changed the game on its head. Freddie Moore who has shown good form in recent weeks quickly found the back of the net shortly after coming on to give Deeping a glimmer of hope. Jacob Parker then stepped up and following smooth passing flow along the whole pitch from Hick and Young scored two goals in quick succession to take the score to 3-4. Stephens nearly scored his second of the game late on to earn his side a well earned draw, but defender Jason Lythgoe kept his cool and stopped the shot on goal. Moore then scored his second and Deepings 5th of the game near the end of the game to ensure the 3 points went to Deeping.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 4th November - Deeping Clarets 2 - Wittering Harriers 0

Deeping progressed into the second round of the cup thanks to 2 first half goals from Jacob Parker. The first came after 3 minutes when Captain Rhys Young and George Hick combined well in midfield to send through a perfectly weighted ball for Parker to slot home. Deeping then dominated the game and a second followed on 10 minutes after James Dorward drilled in a low powerful corner which beat everyone in the box except Parker who tapped it in from 2 yards. Wittering then came back into the game and could easily have grabbed at least one back before half time if it weren’t for a goal line scramble which was eventually cleared from danger by David Thomas. Goalkeeper Jason Lythgoe also made some important interceptions and although he had little to do for the majority of the match was there when needed. The second half was virtually a mirror of the first with Deeping dominating the first 10 mintues and Wittering rallying back in the final 5. Substitutes Toby Heavens and Freddie Moore were brought on mid way through the half, but neither was able to unlock the Wittering defence and despite some fine team and individual play no more goals were scored. Deeping Clarets move on to meet Nene Valley at home in the second round on 2nd December.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Freddie Moore, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 21st October 2006 - Deeping Clarets 2 v 1 Oundle Juniors

Clarets deservedly won their second match of the season to move up to 4th in the Red Zone league, however they were made to work for it by a very good Oundle side whose position near the bottom of the league table doesn’t reflect their tough battling abilities. In fact, it was Oundle who took the lead when Edis judged a high ball into the Clarets box to perfection and coolly slotted the ball passed the Deeping keeper, Jackson Andrews. But from then on, Clarets dominated the game and Hick scored the equalizer just before half time. Clarets then doubled their lead when Toby Heavens fed through a free kick to David Thomas who released Hick for his second. Goal mouth scrambles at both ends and a well saved penalty by the Oundle keeper ensured this game went right to the wire, but Deepings defence and midfield stood tall and kept Oundle at bay. With league games put on hold for a week, this was the perfect tonic for Deeping as they look forward to a successful cup run, starting on Saturday against Wittering Harriers.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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Saturday 14th October 2006 - Bourne Town Red 3 v 0 Deeping Clarets

Before kick off, Deeping Clarets were presented with their new training kits by Mr Darren Young of the Deepings Caravan Park. After last week’s below par display, the Deeping coaches asked for more commitment and desire from the Clarets, and that is exactly what they were given. Both sides started well and were evenly matched throughout the first half with neat, crisp passing, movement off the ball and strong attacking running. The defences were on their guard and apart from a couple of half chances for both sides, the game was evenly poised at 0-0 as the half time whistle was blown. As the second half started, Deeping were caught napping and Oliver O’Brien drove through the heart of the Clarets defence to open the scoring. That gave Bourne heart and deflated the Deeping side and the scoreline was soon doubled as Jack Mangieri again picked up on some sloppy Deeping defending. Clarets attempted a late rally, but the league leaders were solid at the back and their keeper was never really troubled. Bourne then put the game beyond Deeping’s reaches with a 3rd goal, and a second for O’Brien five minutes from time. A much improved display from the Deeping side, especially the Deeping man of the match, captain Jason Lythgoe who is growing in strength and ability week on week, but Bourne’s strength and desire to win was the difference between the two sides.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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7 October - Under 9’s – Deeping Rangers Clarets 2 V 2 Glinton Amber

Literally, a game of 2 halves! The first half was dominated by a strong Glinton Amber team, and an early run and well timed shot from Conor Bryan caught Clarets napping and opened the scoring within a couple of minutes. Deeping Clarets returned with a fast run and shot from Jacob Parker but the ball slipped wide of the upright. Moments later another good run, this time from Rowan Stansfield secured a 2-0 lead for Glinton inside 10 minutes and with Deeping not at the races, the outlook was bright for Glinton. But, just before the half time whistle, the ever dependable George Hick picked up a loose ball and ran against the strong wind to bring Deeping back into the game with another well taken goal. The second half was then dominated by Deeping, but Glinton remained resolute in defence and thwarted attack after attack from the Clarets. James Dorward, Rhys Young, Jacob Parker & Toby Heavens all had good scoring opportunities but all failed to capitalise. And just when Dave Dorward, the Deeping’s manager, had given up all hope of getting anything from the game, James Dorward whipped in a corner from the right and with more than a little help from the wind, the ball ended up in the Glinton net and both teams settled for a point each, with the final score remaining at 2-2.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Jason Lythgoe, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

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16 September Under 9’s – Nene Valley 3 v 1 Deeping Rangers Clarets

Clarets first away game of the season saw a 3-1 defeat by Nene Valley in the village of Holme. Early pressure from Nene Valley forwards brought 3 first half goals from Shinn, Brant and Redhead, but despite the setback Deeping showed strong spirit and very nearly turned things back their own way. Fast attacking runs made by Nene Valley forwards throughout the game were stopped dead in their tracks by precise and brave tackling from Jason Lythgoe and David Thomas. And first time keeper Freddie Moore made many excellent saves under pressure to keep the score line respectable. Then at 3-0, one of Jacob Parker’s nimble passes was powered into the Nene Valley goal by Toby Heavens, who tried the captain’s armband for the first time. Minutes later Rangers very nearly brought the scores level as the hastily assembled Nene Valley bar and post were made to rattle twice in quick succession. In the second half, Deeping kept things under control with James Dorward’s cool and collected midfield play and Rhys Young and George Hick’s energetic second-half running and passing. But despite their best efforts they couldn’t add to the first half score. In the end, it was Nene Valley’s day, but this was a grown up performance by Deeping Clarets and coaches Dave Dorward and Dougie Lythgoe were full of praise for the squad’s efforts against a very strong and well organized Nene Valley side.

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9 September Match Report Under 9’s – Deeping Rangers Clarets 4 V Northborough Black 0

Deeping kicked off the new season with a well earned 4-0 win at home to a well organised and hard working Northborough Black team. With 5 players making their Deeping debut and 3 making their league debuts, Deeping were solid in all positions and made the game their own. Captain James Dorward opened the scoring with a typical forceful run down the right and finished well with a powerful lob over the Blacks keeper. Jacob Parker and George covered every blade of grass between them and Hick capped off another strong performance by doubling the lead on 10 minutes. Rhys Young then added a 3rd just before half time after a jinxing run down the left and a powerful low shot into the net. Northborough started the 2nd half strongly but despite 1 or 2 half chances they failed to trouble the Deeping keeper Jackson Andrews or debutant left back Jason Lythgoe. Second half substitutes Toby Heavens, David Thomas and Freddie Moore all made positive starts to the Deeping careers and Heavens finished the game with a well taken goal to ensure Deeping took maximum points.

Deeping Rangers Clarets: Jackson Andrews, James Dorward, Toby Heavens, George Hick, Jason Lythgoe, Freddie Moore, Jacob Parker, David Thomas, Rhys Young.

 

Season 2006/07 blues

11 March - 7 aside Friendly - Woodston 1 Deeping Blue 5

A bare bones Deeping side travelled to Woodston for a friendly match on a lovely winters morning and came away with an excellent victory after a superb 7 aside performance. Fountain and Smith were unavailable, so there was a shuffle around in team positions and a chance for players to show their versatility. Alex Blades, who was forced into goalkeeping duties after an unfortunate pre-match warm-up injury, coped well with the little he had to do and distributed the ball well to his own players. Ward-Jones, Baxter and Jones defended solidly, allowing Woodston very few chances and frequently turning defence into attack with intelligent passes. James Morten produced a hard working, combative, midfield performance, continuously snapping at the Woodston players heels and never allowing them to settle on the ball. Wright, Gale and Allen took their turns as attackers, worked hard and intelligently, putting pressure on the home side defenders, but unfortunately all three didn't get the goal they deserved. The 1st half finished 3-0. Ward-Jones opened the scoring minutes into the game, striking a low, long range, pinpoint accurate shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. Baxter blasted in a long range thunderbolt, soon after, for the second and the third came courtesy of an own goal after an excellent corner and good Deeping pressure. The 2nd half continued pretty much the same as the 1st with Deeping carrying on their good work. Woodston eventually managed to create a couple of good chances but Deeping midfielder, Morten secured the victory with a deserved goal after being quickest to a loose ball from another well placed corner. Woodston managed a consolation goal but it was Deeping central defender, Baxter, who had the last word with a spectactular, long range, curling, free kick that hit the top corner, leaving the Woodston players stunned and the referee plus all the spectators applauding. The Deeping players players were applauded off the pitch by the away fans who had witnessed a fantastic performance. Well done boys.

Deeping Team - Blades, Jones, Baxter, Ward-Jones, Morten, Wright, Gale and Allen

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TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
RIPPINGALE ROVERS	14	12	2	0	40	11	38
NORTHBOROUGH BLUE	14	11	2	1	65	9	35
DEEPING RANGERS BLUE	14	8	3	3	33	14	27
SPALDING ATHLETIC	14	5	3	6	23	21	18
WOODSTON DYNAMO	14	3	3	8	17	33	12
BOURNE TOWN BLUE	14	3	1	10	12	35	10
GLINTON UNITED BLUE	14	3	1	10	12	46	10
CROWLAND JUNIORS	14	2	3	9	14	47	9

4 March - Spalding Athletic U9s 3 - Deeping Rangers Blue U9s 0

This result marked a disappointing end to a fine league season for Deeping Blue. Both teams contributed to a physical but entertaining, end to end first half that could have gone either way. Before the break, Gale, Morten and Smith, as well as goalkeeper, Ward-Jones produced an excellent display to keep Spalding out, while Baxter and Fountain came extremley close to giving Deeping the first half advantage. The pivatol point came early in the second half, when Spalding scored and two Deeping players, Fountain and Smith, both left the field with injuries. Deeping worked hard but found themselves a mountain to climb once Spalding scored their second. Spaldings third goal effectively killed off the game, leaving Deeping wishing the full time whistle would quickly blow.

The friendly game, played afterwards, ended 3-0 to Deeping and proved that Deeping will be very competitive next season at 7 aside. 2 excellent goals from Fountain and a poachers goal from Wright was just reward for the excellent passing football and hard work that the whole Deeping side produced. Deeping Blue have had an excellent 1st season together and finished third in the Peterborough Junior Alliance U9 Blue league. Congratulations to champions Rippingale.

Deeping team - Ward-Jones, Smith, Blades, Morten, Allen, Gale, Fountain, Wright and Baxter

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4 February - Glinton Blues U9s 0 - Deeping Blues U9s 5

Deeping kept up their chase of the leading two teams in the Blue Zone with a fine win against a spirited Glinton side. This week, Deeping managed to convert their superior possession and domination into goals. Deeping finished the 1st half with a 2-0 lead after excellent unstoppable strikes from Baxter and Fountain. James "Jimmy" Morten, Alex Blades and Tom Smith were instumental in the dominant 1st half display, working hard and tackling like demons. Four changes were made to the Deeping team at half time and the good work from the 1st half was carried on into the 2nd. Baxter struck for Deeping straight after the break, when his driven corner fortuitously deflected in off a defender. He then went on to get his hat-trick with a powerful run from his own half, down the left wing, cutting inside and blasting into the top right corner. William Wright made it five, when he turned the ball into net from close range after good work between Ethan Gale and new boy, Zac Allen. Glinton had some good moments of their own during a pulsating 2nd half but Deeping goalkeeper, Callum Ward-Jones, produced some fine saves and Alistair Jones made a brave goal line clearance to keep a deserved Deeping, clean sheet.

Deeping Squad - Ward-Jones, Smith, Blades, Morten, Baxter, Fountain, Gale, Jones, Allen and Wright

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27 January - Woodston U9s 1 - Deeping Blue U9s 1

Even with the loss, due to illness, of influencial player, Tom Smith, Deeping Blue were disappointed to leave Woodston with only a draw. This was a game that Deeping totally dominated but could easily have lost, due to a combination of some solid Woodston defending and excellent goalkeeping. On the sloping Woodston pitch, Deeping were literally and metaphorically facing a second half uphill battle, after they failed to capitalise on an excellent footballing, 1st half performance. Deeping continued the second half in dominant style, but, as can happen in football, they were hit by a sucker punch. Woodston scored with their only attempt on goal after hitting Deeping on the break, with most of the Deeping players committed forward. The uphill battle had become steeper and full credit to Deeping they never let their heads drop. Fountain, Morten and Baxter worked their socks off to find the equaliser that Deeping deserved and eventually it came. The ball was passed to Baxter on the half way line and he powered off down the left wing, leaving Woodston defenders in his wake before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable shot over the keepers head and into the far corner. Deeping looked for the winner in the final minutes, but despite good pressure, they were unable to find it. James "Jimmy" Morten had an huge game in midfield, winning loads of challenges, as well as skillfully beating much bigger opponents. The performance was definately more important than the result and a lesson was learnt that somedays it does'nt matter how well you play you are not always going to win.

Deeping Rangers - Jones, Ward-Jones, Blades, Baxter, Wright, Fountain, Allen, Morten and Gale

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20 January - League Cup (Quarter Finals) - Deeping Blues U9s 1 - Rippingale U9s 4

Deeping Blues bowed out of the U9s League cup at the quarter final stage, after losing 4-1 against Blue Zone leaders, Rippingale. The game was played in extremely difficult conditions, with the usual Outgang Road force 5 gale feeling more like a force 10, so it was with credit to the players from both sides for an entertaining game. Deeping started off brightly, against the wind, but an excellent set piece from a corner allowed Rippingale midfielder, Hampson, to rocket in an unstoppable shot from long range. Deeping were really under the cosh after this goal and a second wasn't long coming. Munton pounced on a horrible defensive error and made no mistake from close range. No more goals followed in the 1st half, and the half-time whistle couldnt come soon enough for the tired Deeping players. Deeping heads needed to be lifted and a reminder was made to the Deeping players that the wind was now in their favour, and they were more than capable of overturning the current scoreline. The only problem was that Rippingale came out even stronger, and even the wind seemed to move direction to compound Deepings uphill task. Deeping eventually sprang into life, with both Baxter and Fountain going extremely close, but it was Rippingale who added to the scoreline with some skillful play and an excellent finish from Jon Jo Roberts. Deeping then went on to score within seconds of the kick-off, with Baxter making a stong run down the left and pulling it back for Fountain to finish coolly from close range. It was then Rippingales turn to score from the kick-off, when a slick move through Deepings tired defence allowed Durrant to slip the ball past the Deeping custodian, Ward-Jones. Game over. Well done Rippingale and best of luck for the rest of the tournament. Deeping need to put this performance out of their minds and get back to playing the excellent football previous to this match.

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13 January 2007 - Deeping Blue U9s 3 - Crowland U9s 0

Deeping went 11 games undefeated with a hard earned win in difficult, breezy conditions against a much improved Crowland side. It was certainly a game of 2 halves, with both teams struggling to get forward when faced with the strong wind. Deeping started the match strongly and went 1-0 within a minute. James "Jimmy" Morten showed real determination and bravery when bundling in the ball after some good work from defender, Lewis Fountain. With the wind behind them, Deeping created numerous chances and the second goal wasn't long coming. Morten crossed from the right and the ball was coolly despatched into the corner of the net by the hard working and ever busy, Tom Smith. Deeping dominated the 1st half but no more goals came. Crowland came out in the 2nd half with a real passion and desire to get back into the game but strong defending from Baxter and Fountain and a man of the match performance from Goalkeeper Ward-Jones prevented Crowland from scoring a deserved goal. Deeping scored a 3rd against the run of play, when their only attack of the 2nd half produced a corner. Smith pounced on the perfectly placed corner, that was straight from the training ground, for his 2nd and an unassailable lead for Deeping. Deeping Blue have a very tough quarter-final cup match next week at home against Rippingale and will need to show the same determination, as today, to progress to the semis. Best of luck to James Roberts who has again started his trials with Peterborough Utd and will be really missed.

Deeping Team - Ward-Jones, Baxter, Fountain, Blades, Morten, Jones, Smith, Wright and Gale

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6 January 2007 - Deeping Rangers Blue U9s 4 - Glinton Blues U9s 1

Deeping continued a fine run of form and results with a battling win in this rearranged fixture against Glinton Blues. Glinton, who are surprisingly bottom of the Blue league, took a deserved lead early in the 1st half, when Deeping old boy, Jamie Skinner, raced past the Deeping defence and powered in an unstoppable shot. This was the wake-up call some of the Deeping players needed and their response was exactly what their manager was looking for. A mixture of hard work and neat passing provided Deeping with the platform needed to dominate the game and this domination soon provided the equaliser. Deeping defender, Alistar Jones, pounced on a loose ball down the right, and hit a screamer past the Glinton custodian. This was Alistars first league goal and a memorable moment for him. Deeping made it 2-1 just before half-time when striker, Lewis Fountain, desevedly fired in a goal. Deeping came out for the 2nd half determined to start this half better then they did the 1st. It wasnt long before Deeping striker, Jack Baxter, added 2 more goals to the Deeping total. Again this was a combination of good passing and determination from the Deeping players. William Wright and Ethan Gale replaced Baxter and Fountain midway through the second half, both played well and were unfortunate not to add to the Deeping scoreline, while a changed formation in defence stopped Glinton from getting back into the game. Another excellent defensive performance from Tom Smith.

Deeping Blue Squad - Ward-Jones, Smith, Roberts, Jones, Blades, Baxter, Fountain, Wright, Gale and Morten

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16 December 2006 - Rippingale Rovers U9s 1 - Deeping Blues U9s 1

It was honours even in this keenly contested and entertaining match between two in-form teams. Both teams battled hard on a heavy, energy sapping pitch, without creating too many clear-cut chances and a draw was the right result. League leaders, Rippingale, broke the deadlock at the end of the 1st half when an innocuous shot from their striker squirmmed through the hands and between the legs of the Deeping goalkeeper. Deeping went into the 2nd half still positive of getting back on level terms and again a lucky break, this time for Deeping, produced the parity they deserved. Deeping committed players forward for a corner from Baxter, that just sneaked between the Rippingale custodian and the near post. Both teams went out in search of the winner but both sets of defences stayed solid. This was Rippingales first dropped points of the season and Deeping have now gone seven games without defeat.

Deeping team - Jones, Smith, Roberts, Morten, Fountain, Baxter, Blades, Ward-Jones, Wright and Gale

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9 December - Deeping Blues U9s 2 - Bourne Blues U9s 0

Both teams entered into the match with their confidence high after good recent results, so a good, tough game ensued with Deeping having to work hard for their victory. Deeping had the lions share of the possession, but unlike previous weeks, were unable, as well as being stubbornly prevented from turning this possesssion into goals. Deeping defender, Tom Smith had a superb game against his home town, repelling the Bourne attacks as well as driving Deeping forward. Deeping took the lead just before half-time when James Roberts blasted in a free kick from the edge of the area. A couple of changes were made at half-time to the Deeping team and it was one of these substitutes, William Wright, who finished off a excellent passing move between Smith, Roberts and Fountain. This was Williams debut for Deeping and his first ever league match, so all at Deeping Blues were delighted for him. Deeping never really looked like losing a goal from then on but unfortunately didnt really create too much either. Deeping will need to get back into the groove of previous weeks to get a good result next week against league leaders Rippingale and the return of Baxter from illness should hopefully give them some extra pace up front.

Deeping Team - Ward-Jones, Smith, Blades, Jones, Roberts, Gale, Fountain, Morten and Wright

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2 December - Abbey Athletic U9s 2 - Deeping Blues U9s 8

Deeping Blues romped to a fantastic win in this 2nd round of the KO cup. The 1st half saw Deeping produce some wonderful flowing football that Abbey found impossible to deal with. The passing and movement from defence, midfield to the strikers was of the highest quality that the half-time scoreline of 5-0 could have easily been more. Lewis Fountain scored a 1st half hat-trick as well as bedazzling the opponents defenders with his superb ball skills and then James Roberts struck twice before the interval while producing his usual combative midfield display. Striker, James Morten, was involved in most of the 1st half goals but didnt get his own that he thoroughly deserved. Deeping Blue made 3 changes at half-time and it seemed as though the goal fest would continue when a fine outside of foot pass from Baxter allowed Gale through on goal and he made no mistake slipping past the Abbey keeper. Abbey came back strongly after this goal and with the help of some rare sloppy Deeping mistakes the scoreline soon became 6-2. Unfortunately for Abbey the comeback was not to be as Deeping defender, Tom Smith, bravely bundled home a corner and then finally Baxter made it eight by firing his shot into an open net. Many thanks to Will Gale from IFS who kindly donated new rain jackets to the Deeping Blue team

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25 Nov - Spalding U9s v Deeping Blues U9s - MATCH ABANDONED

A thunderstorm with heavy hail and rain brought a premature end to a highly entertaining game. Proceedings were brought to an unfortunate halt at half-time with Deeping leading 1-0. Deeping had produced some of their best passing football of the season to create numerous problems for the Spalding defence and it wasnt long before the goal came. A huge challenge in the middle of the pitch, by Deeping striker, Fountain, allowed him to thread a wonderfully timed pass to Baxter, who was powering into space, and thundered the ball past the helpless Spalding keeper. The Deeping defenders, Roberts and Smith along with goalkeeper Ward-Jones, did extremely well when called upon and along with all the other Deeping players contibuted immensly to this top quality display in such adverse conditions. James Roberts is now back with the Deeping side till early next year when he will then return to Peterborough Utd to continue his trial

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18 Nov - Deeping Blue U9s 1 - Northborough Blues 1

Deeping went into this match on the back of a excellent cup victory against high fliers Sawtry,so were feeling confident of getting a decent result against an equally tough Northborough side. Deeping flew straight out of the blocks creating numerous chances through strikers, Morten and Fountain, and midfielder, Baxter, pegging Northborough back into their own half. The pressure finally told when one of the numerous Deeping corners finally eluded the Northborough defenders leaving Fountain free to fire in from close range to giving Deeping a deserved lead. After the goal, Deeping were probably guilty of over confidence by allowing too many of their players to move forward leaving themselves exposed at the back but Deeping goalkeeper, Ward-Jones, produced two excellent one on one saves to deny Northborough a 1st half equaliser. Northborough came out for the 2nd half strong and determined to equalise but some brave, heroic defending from Baxter, Smith and Blades allowed this game to go to the wire. The dying minutes saw Northborough striker, Laughton, punish the tired Deeping defenders who gave him too much space, with a powerful long range effort that brought the scores level. Deeping made one more effort to win the game and nearly did when Baxter played a through ball to Fountain who forced a fantastic save from the Northborough goalkeeper. Well done Deeping Blues on a gritty, determined, hard working display, that squad member, James Roberts(currently on trial with Peterborough Utd U9s), would be proud of. Best of luck to James.

Deeping Blues Squad - Ward-Jones, Smith, Jones, Blades, Baxter, Gale, Fountain and Morten

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4 Nov - KO Cup - Sawtry Colts U9s 1 - Deeping Blues U9s 2

This was a well deserved cup victory for Deeping Blues against the runaway leaders of the U9s White Zone. The game started badly for Deeping after Howe, for Sawtry, headed in from a long throw leaving the Deeping players stunned. Instead of letting their heads drop, the Deeping players responded well by piling pressure on the Sawtry defence and it wasnt long before Jack Baxter fired in a poweful long range effort that poduced the parity that Deeping deserved. Deeping forwards, Baxter, Fountain and Morten, with their pace and power, were now causing lots of problems for the Sawtry defence, while the Deeping defenders, Roberts and Smith as well as goalkeeper Jones were now dealing well with the clever Sawtry set pieces. Deeping scored their 2nd just before half time when Lewis Fountain bravely bundled in a James Roberts corner. The 2nd half was frenetic end to end with Deeping pushing for a third and Sawtry looking for the equaliser but the Deeping defence repelled the Sawtry attack comfortably while Baxter and Fountain looked the more likely to extend their lead. Even after Deepings dominance the full time whistle still came as a relief.

Deeping Blues Squad - Jones, Smith, Roberts, Morten, Fountain, Baxter, Gale, Blades and Ward Jones

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28 Oct - Deeping Blues U9s 2 - Woodston Dynamos 0

This was an excellent battling performance against a well organized Woodston side. Both teams produced some exciting, end to end football which should have, but didnt, produce a 1st half goal. This was mainly down to some top quality goalkeeping from both the Woodston goalie and also Alistair Jones, the Deeping goalkeeper. Deeping came out strong for the 2nd half and the pressure finally told when James "Jimmy" Morten ghosted in to score 2 predatory goals that has now become his trademark. Morten, who only a few hours earlier had just flown in from Spain, popped up for the 1st after an excellent control and pass from Roberts while the 2nd came from close range after good work and a cross from Smith. Callum Ward-Jones, Alex Blades and Tom Smith defended stubbornly to keep a clean sheet while Baxter ran himself into the ground without getting the goal he deserved.

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14 Oct - Crowland U9s1 - Deeping Rangers Blues U9s 5

Deeping bounced back from the defeat of the previous week with an emphatic victory against Crowland. Deeping were on the attack from the start but were unable to capitalise, until mid way through the 1st half, from the pressure they had piled onto the battling Crowland defenders. Deepings 1st goal eventually came after Lewis Fountain played in a neat ball to an unmarked Jack Baxter who slipped it home from close range. This should have been the opening of the flood gates but it was Crowland who struck back just before half time, when McNabs shot deflected off a Deeping defender and over the keepers head. The start of the 2nd half saw Deeping straight onto the attack after Fountain robbed the Crowland kick-off and fed Baxter down the right, he powered past the defenders and blasted in an unstoppable shot. This did then open the floodgates and it was again Baxter, with his power and pace who was causing the problems. The 3rd Deeping goal was a copy of their second but this time it required the "fox in the box", Fountain, to turn in the rebound after the Crowland keeper had saved well from Baxter. The fourth goal came from a long clearance from Roberts that eluded the Crowland goalkeeper allowing Fountain to stab home his 2nd from close range. Baxter finally claimed his hat-trick after the ball was fed from Fountain on the edge of the area for Baxter to strike home powerfully. Alex Blades, James Roberts and Tom Smith played superbly in defence to thwart any chances that Crowland had to get back into the game, while Deeping goalkeeper, Alistair Jones, showed fantastic bravery by diving at the feet of the Crowland attackers.

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7 Oct - Deeping Blues U9s 1 - Rippingale U9s 3

This was a disappointing result for a Deeping team that had in previous weeks produced some excellent performances. Rippingale scored within seconds of the Deeping kick-off after Deeping gave away possesion far too easily allowing an umarked Munton to slot the ball past the stranded Deeping goalkeeper. The second goal for Rippingale was vitually a carbon-copy of the 1st, with Munton classily placing the ball in the same corner as before. Deeping then threw themselves a lifeline after Baxter followed up on a rebound from Fountains shot. This then spurred Deeping into life, but the half-time whistle came at a time when an equaliser looked increasingly likely. The second half saw Deeping seeking parity but a costly kicking mistake from their usually solid goalkeeper saw Munton steal in to score his and Rippingales 3rd. The Deeping players tried their hardest but unfortunately never looked liked getting back into the game.

Deeping Squad - Ward-Jones, Roberts, Baxter, Fountain, Gale, Jones, Blades and Morten

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23 Sept - Bourne Blues U9s 0 - Deeping Blues 5

Deeping came into this match full of confidence after their win the previous week and this confidence was justified with a dominant performance that saw the away goalkeeper, Alistair Jones, barely troubled. During the 1st half Deeping produced a hatfull of chances but a combination of poor finishing and excellent goakeeping kept the score down to 2-0. The 1st goal came eventually after Roberts turned and volleyed in from a tight angle and the 2nd wasnt long following. Baxter floated a lovely long ball over the top of the Bourne defence for the ever alert Fountain to run onto and produce a quality finish. Deeping made 3 changes at half-time and one of these, James Morten, stole in to score two close range goals, after good work from Baxter down the left hand side. Baxter then helped himself to a goal, after his free-kick skidded off the slippery surface and squirmed under the Bourne goalkeeper . James Roberts put in a phenomenal midfield perfomance and won every tackle and header as well as covering every blade of grass on the pitch. Well done to James Morten on scoring his 1st ever league goals and Im sure they wont be the last.

Deeping Squad - Jones, Smith, Baxter, Morten, Blades, Gale, Fountain, Ward-Jones and Roberts

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16 Sept - Deeping Rangers Blue U9s 2 - Spalding Athletic U9s 1

Deeping Blues emerged bruised and desevedly victorious from a pulsating physical game that was won in the final minute. Once Deeping had woken up after a shakey start the home side began to dominate and mounted a series of attacks. Spalding looked dangerous from corners with Plants height advantage, but defenders, Smith and Roberts, as well as goalkeeper Ward-Jones, kept solid and coped well. Deeping then opened the scoring from a set piece after Baxter floated a quick pinpoint free kick for Fountain to flick on past the despairing Spalding keeper. The 2nd half saw Spalding determined to address the balance but Deepings players stayed strong and tackled well. Spaldings equaliser, 3 minutes from time, came from Bell, after a clearance from a Deeping corner reached him on the half way line, he then powered his way towards the home goal with the Deeping defenders in hot pursuit, and then coolly slotted home. the grandstand finish followed with both teams desperate to find a winner, but it was Deeping substitute Ethan Gale who became the hero. In the final minute, Gale popped up to head in a rebound, after a fierce shot from the superb Roberts was parried by the goalie into Ethans path.

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9 September Match Report Under 9’s Northborough Blue U9s 2 - Deeping Blues U9s 1

This was a real battle between 2 strong sides and the match could easily have gone either way. Deeping, who included 3 league debutants, struck 1st, with Jack Baxter finishing well after a superb attacking run from sweeper, James Roberts. Deeping went into the interval 1-0 up and happy with their all round performance. "More of the same" was the call from Deeping Coach, Dean Baxter and the Deeping players didnt disappoint until, midway through the 2nd half, when an attempted headed clearance looped over the keepers head and dropped agonizingly into the net. Not long after the equalizer, Northborough forced home the winner after Deeping struggled to clear from defence. Deeping mounted numerous attacks after that to create an exciting finale, but couldnt find their way through the home defence. This was a good, solid Deeping performance against a side who are favourites to win the league and both managers left the field agreeing that a draw would have been the right result.

Deeping Squad - Alistair Jones, Callum Ward Jones, James Roberts, James Morten, Alex Blades, Ethan Gale, Jack Baxter and Lewis Fountain

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Season 2005/06

12 March - Deeping Rangers U8's 2 Northborough U8's 0

Champions Deeping played their final league match against Northborough Black on a bitterly cold morning. Again the Deeping players seemed to have left their shooting boots at home after spurning a hatful of chances against a spirited Northborough side. The first half ended 2 - 0 to Deeping with a well taken first time shot from Andrews finding ther back of the net as well as Baxter bundling the ball in off a defender. Amazingly, no more goals came in the second half despite Deeping palying some lovely passing football, leaving Northborough chasing shadows. George Hick, as in many matches, was involved in nearly all of the flowing football and showed his awareness of his team mates positions with some simple but effective passing, creating numerous chances for the other Deeping players.

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22 January 2006: Powerleague U8's 0 Deeping Rangers U8's 7

This match was top against bottom and the gulf between the two teams was not reflected by the scoreline. The score could quite easily have been double figures with many shots going agonisingly close and some good scoring opportunities squandered after many of the Deeping players were guilty of holding onto the ball a bit too long, when a simple pass to a team mate would have been a better option. Against better opposition Deeping will find it difficult to score if they don't play as a team. This moan alone, all the Deeping players produced solid performances and Powerleague never reallty got a sniff at goal. The writing was on the wall for Powerleague after Lewis Fountain scored within seconds of the kick off. He then completed a great hat-trick and James Roberts scored Deeping's fourth before their departures at half time. Jack Baxter and Jamie Skinner replaced the first half goalscorers and soon added three more goals between them. Baxter scored from one of his trademark power shots and Skinner scored his two goals after showing excellent skill and composure. Both Tom Smith and Callum Ward-Jones were unlucky not to be on the score sheet but both played extremely well. Rhys Young produced another solid performance in defence by quickly snuffing out any attacks Powerleague made. This was Deeping's third successive clean sheet which is as pleasing as the amount of goals Deeping have scored and hopefully this will continue until the end of the season.

Deeping: Young, Smith, Ward-Jones, Fountain, Baxter, Roberts and Skinner.

4 January:At the turn of the year the team are 1st in their league with 11 wins and a draw out of 12 games and an average of 6-1

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22 October:Deeping U8s 11 Glinton Blues U8s 0

Another fine footballing display from Deeping with goals coming from a variety of players. In the 1st half Jamie Skinner was outstanding, providing killer passes to set up Andrews and Fountain for the two opening goals and then helped himself to one with a powerful shot against his old team mates. Defender Dorward made it 4-0 with his trademark strong run and shot, while Fountain then finished the half with a hat-trick with 2 more of his skillfull solo goals. The second half continued much the same as the 1st with Jack Baxter whacking the ball in straight from the kick-off to make it 7-0. The impressive Rhys Young tapped in for his 1st and Deepings 8th and then scored the goal of the match with a thunderbolt to make it 9-0. Baxter continued the rout, reaching his hat-trick with a long range goal, and an impressive finish after good work from James Roberts. Mention must be made of Tom Smith who passed and tackled superbly in the middle of the field and deserved to score himself. Deepings keeper, Callum Ward -Jones had a quiet game but did extermely well when needed.

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14 October: Yaxley B U8s 2 - Deeping Rangers U8s 5

This was a hard fought but deserved win against a well organised and resiliant Yaxley side. Deeping gained the upper hand with the 1st goal, a thunderous shot from Jack Baxter. George Hick scored the 2nd for Deeping but then Yaxley hit back before the half time interval to make it 2-1. After the break the outstanding Hick restored Deepings 2 goal lead with his second but it wasnt to last long as Yaxley brought the score back to 3-2. Deeping then battled hard and this produced a goal each for Fountain and Dorward. Deeping coach Dean Baxter commented afterwards " This performance showed the the quality in depth the Deeping team has. Even with our 2 main strikers struggling, due to Asthmatic problems, those who stepped into their shoes did a fantastic job." Deeping Scorers - Hick(2), Baxter, Fountain, Dorward Deeping Team - Andrews, Ward-Jones, Smith, Skinner, Hick, Baxter, Fountain, Dorward and Young

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1 October 2005: SPALDING ATHLETIC U8s 1 - DEEPING U8s 4

This was a high quality game between two very good sides. In the early stages of the game both sides were equally matched but once Deeping scored the 1st goal they then took control of the game. Quality finishing from the forwards, solid defending and brave, alert goalkeeping made sure that this contest was beyond Spalding. Particularily pleasing again was Deepings passing and space awareness, as well as the ability to work hard against tough opponents. Deepings goals were scored by - Fountain(2), Baxter(1) and Skinner(1). Spaldings goal was scored by - Cooper Deeping Rangers team were; Ward-Jones, Roberts, Smith, Fountain, Dorward, Baxter, Young, Skinner and Hick.

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17 September 2005: Deeping Rangers U8s produced a great allround display of football in their 15 - 0 defeat of Coates Crusaders B U8s. Deeping Rangers passed the ball around superbly from defence, midfield to attack creating numerous chances that were impressively finished. Dorward and Ward-Jones were solid in defence, Roberts and Smith created and scored chances from midfield while Baxter, Fountain and Hick showed how lethal they are up front. Mention must be made of Andrews who showed excellent concentration in goal while having little to do. Goalscorers were Baxter (6), Fountain (3), Hick (3), Roberts (2) and Smith (1). Deeping team were - Andrews, Dorward, Ward-Jones, Roberts, Smith, Hick, Fountain and Baxter

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10 September 2005: Deeping Rangers U8s 7 - Wittering U8s 1

Deeping Rangers Under 8s made a great start in their 1st year of league football. Despite playing in torrential rain, Deeping turned in an excellent performance against Wittering Under 8s. Credit must be given to both sides for playing in such difficult conditions. Goals were scored by Fountain(4), Baxter(2) and Hicks(1). Deeping U8s team - Andrews, Roberts, Smith, Dorward, Ward-Jones, Young, Skinner, Hicks, Baxter and Fountain

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