It has felt like a busy and satisfying first half of term. Our playing record in football across 1sts, 2nds and the age group A teams has been the best since we started using SOCS in 2018. Not only that, in terms of participation, we have fielded large numbers of teams. A 100% participation record at U8, U9 and U10 is a given. Of the eight occasions we have had inter-school fixtures between U11 and U13, we have needed a Games group on four occasions for the Years 7 & 8 and on just one occasion for Year 6 Colts.
Playing record:
|
|
W
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D
|
L
|
|
1st XI
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
|
2nd XI
|
5
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0
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3
|
|
3rd IX
|
4
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2
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2
|
|
4th IX
|
5
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1
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1
|
|
Colts A
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2
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0
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4
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|
Foals A
|
4
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1
|
2
|
|
U9A
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
|
U8A
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
As I said at Wellbeing Live on Saturday morning, I’m not interested in winning the U11 World Cup, but it may be useful to illustrate our sporting achievements in a school which is widely perceived as academic and musical.
Have a good half-term.
Wednesday 11 October
ESAA Cross-Country
Pilgrims' U13A (Yr. 7 & 8) XC team took part in the ESAA XC cup (County round) against 16 other schools from across Hampshire. The event was hosted by Westgate School at the Bar End Leisure Centre on King George V playing fields. The course was relatively flat, winding and snaking around the grounds and along the perimeter of the field with one steady incline.
Pilgrims' boys raced well but the course route was different to the information provided on the map so that clearly threw off the pacing of one or two of our boys. Fraser N finished with a very respectful 7th place finish, closely followed by Olly P in 14th, Alfie L in 23rd and Ike C in 28th giving a team score of 72. Our two non-scoring runners, William S and Summer Y also both finished in the top 50, so all boys can feel very proud of their accomplishments in what was a deep and strong field of competitors. Sadly, our 4th place finish was not quite good enough to qualify for the South East England round, our score only a few places off one of the non-automatic qualifying spots, with some of the other County competitions having more teams qualify. This age group has the individual English School's and Hampshire District events to look forward to. AC
1st XI vs Thorngrove
Won 3-2 (Bryan S, Finn R, Neil C)
Another thriller! For the first ten minutes it looked like we were still on the coach: disjointed at the back, rushed in midfield, and prone to individual errors; deservedly, we found ourselves two goals down. With a little encouragement (!) from the coach on the sidelines, we managed to sort ourselves out, and a goal from Bryan S after 15 minutes gave us hope, going into half-time only one down. The second half performance was magnificent. Finn R and Zachary S controlled midfield and the back line was immense, limiting Thorngrove to a couple of long-range efforts. Dominating the ball, we pushed further and further forward, yet could not get the equaliser. With ten minutes remaining, we won a free kick 30 yards out; Finn R stepped up and floated the ball wonderfully towards goal and the ball went over the ‘keeper and into the corner of the net. The game restarted, and within a minute Neil C made one of his usual barnstorming runs; through on goal he smashed the living daylights out of the ball, finding the top corner for a high quality winner. In the last ten minutes we had chances to get more, but a 3-2 victory was enough, and well deserved. What a second half performance. With two big comebacks in the last three games, it’s sure that this team, when they fall behind, will never say never again. ASD
2nd XI vs Thorngrove / St Francis
Won 4-0/4-1
Wednesday saw new territory for us in the shape of a triangular tournament with Thorngrove and St Francis, but we arrived in good spirits, looking to improve on our performance last week and to better the result.
Our first match against Thorngrove was a little bit sloppy, particularly in the first half, where positional discipline deserted us, and we reverted to our old habits of following the ball rather than finding the space to play in. However, we had the majority of the possession, and we were much better in the second half. We ran away with it towards the end with the score at the whistle 4-0.
After a brief break, we then played St Francis. They had one player who was very, very handy, but he lacked a little support from his teammates. Once we’d managed to work out how to manage him, we wore them down through possession and territory, scoring goals regularly - including a lovely goal from Tommy Q, to end up deserved 4-1 victors.
We will have sterner tests, with the spectre of Elstree looming this weekend, but hopefully this will serve as a confidence boost at a good time in the season. A comfortable day but pleasingly dealt with. Well done to all. WD
3rd XI vs Thorngrove
Won 4 – 0 (Orlando S, Ennis Z, James P, Teddy E)
Thorngrove did not really offer that much resistance to a keen and determined Pilgrims’ 3rd XI. Nevertheless, Pilgrims’ did struggle to get organised to begin with and allowed their game to become scrappy and chaotic until they had settled down. Indeed, Thorngrove were almost camped up in Pilgrims’ 18 yard box for about half the first half, simply because Pilgrims’ did not get themselves organised and communicate about how they would get the ball upfield. Thankfully, a few of the team realised that Thorngrove were actually not doing very much in defence and simply started taking the ball up field and getting shots on target. The score could have been quite different. Thorngrove nearly scored a couple, and Pilgrims’ could have scored several more. PB
4th XI vs Thorngrove
Won 4-0 (Jayden L, William I, James H, Jerry D)
The boys were on fine form for this one, hitting the ground running in the splendid setting of Bailey. We enjoyed much of the run of play with three goals by half time. There was no solace for Thorngrove in the second half, quantum or otherwise, as Jerry Dai poked in a goalmouth scramble. AJS
5th XI vs Sherfield
Lost 5-2 (Johnnie B, OG)
The intrepid 5th team made the expedition to Palmer field for a match with Sherfield’s B side. The quality of football was immense and even drew the attention of some passing pedestrians and their dog, which briefly had a run out for the Pilgrims’ defence. The first half was a cagey affair with a lot of play taking place in the midfield, neither team seeming able to get successfully into the goal area. However, an unfortunate deflection from a clearance put the ball at the feet of Sherfield striker, and he slotted home neatly. Pilgrims’ fought back immediately and took the play to their opponents with energy, and after sustained pressure, Johnnie B managed to pull one back - only for Sherfield to reply again and make it 2-1 at half-time. The second half saw a change in tactics from Sherfield and the pressure told with four unanswered goals. The boys did not give up knowing they had more to give and, with fortune on their side, a speculative shot from 35 yards ricocheted off numerous Sherfield players and resulted in an own goal. Ready to turn it around the 5th were on it! However, the spectre of the final whistle loomed, so a fightback will have to wait for another day. SL
6th IX vs Sherfield
Won 5-2 (Benjy S 2, Antoine C 2, Donghan L)
From the get-go, it was clear this match was licensed to thrill, providing ample entertainment for the Spectre-tators. The teams were like spies in a covert operation, carefully sizing each other up, but Pilgrims’ gradually gained the upper hand, showcasing their licence to skill with remarkable territorial advantage and shots on target. However, just as the plot twist in a Bond movie, Pilgrims’ found themselves vulnerable to a counter-attack and conceded the first strike. But like a classic Bond, they bounced back swiftly, Benjy netting a goal that would make even 007 envious. It was all square at half-time, a fair exchange of blows in this high-stakes game. Sherfield, akin to a cunning villain, struck again on the break, but Pilgrims’ were not shaken, nor stirred. Instead, they activated their comeback mode, reminiscent of Bond's legendary resilience. The equalising goal at 2-2 acted like a gadget from Q, fuelling their determination and optimism to an even higher level. In the final minutes, Pilgrims’ executed a sequence of goals, leaving their opponents stirred but not shaken, as they triumphed in an exhilarating comeback. Watch out, 1st XI, for there's a new comeback team in town (or should we say City)! AA
Colts A VII vs Aldro Mini Festival
Prince’s Mead Lost 1-0
Eagle House Lost 1-0
Aldro Lost 2-1
Colts A were invited over to Aldro for an afternoon of football, against Prince’s Mead, Eagle House and Aldro. Our first game was against Prince’s Mead. Pilgrims’ looked comfortable in possession and started to carve out some chances. Despite pressure and a large amount of possession, it was Prince’s Mead who stole a goal to take the lead and, unfortunately, the win.
Sadly, the second game against Eagle House followed a similar format. Eagle House were more confident on the ball than Prince’s Mead, but for the most part our defence held firm. Patrick B and Elliot N offered some relief in attack. We just could not find that elusive goal. A couple of chances went begging, narrowly missing the target or slightly tame efforts. On another day, a couple of these efforts would have bulged the net, and we would be looking at a very different set of results. The boys were disappointed, as they knew that they did well in these fixtures, and perhaps should have taken more from them.
We faced Aldro in our third and final game. They were confident after two prior wins in the afternoon. The Colt’s A channelled their frustration into the final game. They started positively, nearly giving the hosts an early scare. Aldro grabbed the first goal, but never say never again as Archie W hit a rocket from outside the box to equalise. What a strike! This made for a cagey last 5 minutes but a real spectacle for our travelling support! Pilgrims’ came close again, after working a couple of chances, just not quite enough to find the winner. A tough day for the boys to look back on, as this really could have read differently. Great efforts all round, and well stuck at it. MTG
Colts B VII vs Aldro Mini Festival
Drew 1-1 against Prince’s Mead (Theo M)
Drew 0-0 against Eagle House
Won 1-0 against Aldro (Riku K)
It was a very exciting afternoon out at Aldro this afternoon. Pilgrims' dominated the first game against Prince’s Mead with the vast majority of possession and Theo M scored a great goal to advance the team into the lead. However, an unlucky corner deflection resulted in an own goal which levelled the score.
The second game was against a much tougher Eagle House team, which saw field positions switch back and forth throughout. Pilgrims' rose to the challenge and successfully defended their goal, resulting in a scoreless game.
The last game against Aldro was particularly entertaining. For a while it looked as if Aldro had the upper hand, but the Pilgrims' defence held strong and eventually the boys built up a bit of forward momentum. In the final play of the game, Boris H dribbled skilfully down the left wing and crossed the ball in to Riku K who proceeded to score a thunderball - an excellent way to end a very positive day of quality football! MMG
Colts C VII vs Horris Hill
Lost 3 - 0
The Colts C team had a difficult afternoon, and some simple errors paved the way for an easy Horris Hill victory. The Cs opened the scoring by heading the ball accidentally into their own net, thereby giving Horris Hill an early lead. Pilgrims’ did well to fight back for the next few minutes, but a lapse in concentration saw the ‘Living Daylights’ being kicked out of the ball by a Horris Hill player, ensuring an easy goal for them.
The second half began competitively, and it looked like Pilgrims’ would score on a number of occasions. However, some good defence from Horris Hill, and mis-timed shots at goal from our boys served to frustrate the Cs efforts. Horris Hill went on to score one more goal and keep Pilgrims’ scoreless. CXC
Colts City vs Horris Hill
Lost 3-0
A game of back and forths for our boys today, but in general a solid effort out there on the pitch from the boys. After arriving a little late due to transportation difficulties, the boys unfortunately didn't have time to warm up or get a feel for the ball before kick-off. This was probably one of the deciding factors of the game as we did start off a little slowly, which meant we had to grind ourselves into gear. The first half consisted of quite a lot of defending and playing out from the back. I applaud the boys for how well they did this. They held their shape and tracked back with a “you only live twice” sense about them, which can be especially tough against a physical team. Great to see the things we have been focusing on as a team in training come to fruition. Unfortunately, though we couldn't hold them off forever, a deflected goal from the left-hand side of the box, and a brilliant strike from their #9 saw us 2-0 down at the half.
Nevertheless, the boys kept their heads down and kept on going. At the break, I discussed with the boys how we could change our attacking set-up in the hope of creating more chances. Moving from a 3-3-1 to a 3-2-2 in an attempt to allow for some more link-up play between Alfie H and Albert F in the more attacking areas of the pitch. This did allow us to make some lee way in terms of attacking chances, with Alfie H and Ivor L creating a few chances here and there by breaking down their back line through some excellent dribbling and passing. However, once again, the Horris Hill boys were able to take advantage of a misplaced pass which saw them through on goal to make it 3-0 before the final whistle. Not the result we were hoping for today, but the sky did not fall, so we live to play again! Regardless, another great, spirited match for the boys to enjoy (with a lovely match tea at the end) ! Let's keep at it, Pilgrims! EJG
Foals A VII vs Churcher’s
Won 2-3
Possibly the game of the season in terms of quality of football. Impressive passing and possession, starting from Alex Steen at the back, was the order of the day. It was beautiful to watch. Man of the Match Lucas Lu strolled out from defence on numerous occasions to get the ball into midfield where Rio and Finlay controlled the match. The only thing that was missing was the finish in the final third. 20 minutes of possession and chances saw no reward. 1-0 down at half-time! Eye-catching passing football is not all this team is capable of! Some bone crunching tackles from all players and real grit meant Pilgrims’ got back in the game with some excellent goals and went on to win the game rather comfortably. A top performance. The Foals now have 4 wins in a row! JB
Foals B VII vs Churcher’s
Lost 4-2 (Daniel, Oscar)
Despite the scoreline, this was a tremendously close game, with some fantastic football played by the ever-improving Foals Bs. The boys made use of the larger pitches, with some excellent passing into space and playing the ball in the open. Daniel managed to sneak the ball past the opposition henchmen in the opening few minutes to take the lead, and Goldeneye Marek put in some excellent dives to protect the scoreline as we closed in on the half. Some great play from the opposition meant Churchers’ scores were able to creep above ours, with Pilgrims’ having the opportunity to level the scores with a ‘Man with the Golden Gun’ style penalty which didn’t go our way. A superb tackle-and-run by Rafe towards the end of the second half resulted in the second goal for Pilgrims’ which was neatly put away by Oscar. This was certainly a tremendous effort by the Foals Bs, and I was really impressed with how our game is developing. This is No Time To Die, we have a 'Licence to Kill' (metaphorically...)! CAL.
Foals C VII vs Churcher’s
Lost 6-5
We set off for our next fixture against Churcher’s full of optimism. Despite recent results, boys, staff, and parents could see an improvement in effort and, surely at some point, these efforts would be rewarded.
Within minutes, with ‘A View to Kill’, Ryan demonstrated his perfect ‘Goldeneye’ for the target and slotted home our first goal and a deserved lead. Would we be able to hold on or even extend the lead? The rest of the first half did not go Pilgrims’ way as Churcher’s proved an indomitable foe, scoring 5 goals and the game appeared dead and buried.
Half-time was proved a ‘Quantum of Solace’ as ‘Dr No (aka Mr Rainer) gave his blueprint for how we were to approach the second half. As this was very much ‘For your eyes only’ and a closely guarded secret, as we were ‘On Her majesty’s Secret service’. The boys set about their mission with a resolve, as this was ‘No time to die’.
Their efforts were rewarded and, despite our efforts very much going uphill, we were to be rewarded as they scored goal after goal. Ryan scored a hat-trick with a fabulous ‘Thunderball’ for the third.
The match got better and better as both teams, filled with belief, went for the jugular. In the end, Churcher’s were to win 6-5 after a hugely entertaining game.
The boys leant a huge amount and gained a lot of confidence from today’s game. Their efforts were rewarded, their individual targets realised be it ‘focussing on chasing back’, ‘running hard’, or ‘looking for a pass’. Mr Rainer left with a broad smile on his face as we had proved that we can compete well, and the boys have hugely improved in the last few weeks. Well done all. TWR
Saturday 14 October
Stroud Cross-Country
On Saturday, Pilgrims' travelled to Stroud School, Romsey to take part in their annual Cross-Country fixture. The event is well run and well-supported by parents, which is fantastic considering the absolute blinder Pilgrims' boys put on. Distance racing dominance. Twenty-seven of our athletes from Year 6 - Year 3 competed, 11 of whom came away as medallists in just seven races! The course is multi-terrain, starting with a lap or two of the top playing fields before boys disappear down into the Stroud woodlands before reappearing up over the hill (and far away) for a final hurrah around the fields and into the (controversial) finishing funnel.
George I came racing through the finish line in the first race of the day in a sprint finish which appeared to see him secure first place in the Year 3 and 4 Silver race. Later we found out that the finish was at the start of the coned funnel and not what looked like a glaringly obvious finish line (I'm not bitter). Bertie L had a great run in the same race and came 3rd having led for much of the way. In the Gold Year 3 and 4 Gold race Pilgrims' bagged a pair of Gold medals with both George B winning the Year 4 race and Tristan G winning the Year 3 race by a staggering distance. Rufus W and Oliver E just missed out on a medal, coming in 4th in the Year 3 and 4 Gold races.
The Year 5 Silver and Gold races were dominated by Pilgrims' taking first place in both events, Finlay N in the Gold race and Conor W in the Silver. Lucas L came second in the Gold event and Benjy C took the bronze in the Silver event.
The Year 6 Silver event also had a podium finisher with Leon S coming in third. Elliot N, Austin S and Theo M all finished comfortably inside the top 15 in this race too.
The Year 6 Gold race was a tightly contested affair. The lead changed a couple of times but Patrick B just missed out on 1st to take silver with Farid A hot on his heels in 3rd.
I was so impressed by the determination and enjoyment shown by all of our athletes. We look forward to the second Stroud event in March as well as fixtures at Farleigh and possibly others if the calendar allows. AC
