Penwortham St Teresas Blues v Ladybridge Pumas

The opening fixture of the Premier League campaign saw Pumas drawn away to a very competent Penwortham team. We've watched Pumas develop over the past three years into a very capable side but could they cut it at this level? This was a bench-mark test which would tell us a lot about the relative strengths and weaknesses of the team at this new level.

With the exception of top goal scorer Elliot, who was unable to play, Pumas had a full strength squad and the initial line up was:- Conor (1) Caleb (4) Callum (15) Sam (2) Matt (5) Lewis (12) Ben (8) Tyler (14) Dion (9) Jack (11) and Eddie (3) with Robert (6) and Tom (7) ready to come on as subs.

The first 5 minutes saw Pumas dominating possession with Tyler, Lewis and Caleb all having shots at goal which the Blues keeper handled very well. The play was a bit scrappy and Pumas were not looking as fluent as usual even though they were winning all of the individual tussles. The Blues first attack came after 5mins with Conor dealing comfortably with their effort. Jack was put through on his own but the Blues' keeper came quickly off his line to save bravely. Then it was Eddie's turn again when the ball broke to him after a scramble and his shot went narrowly wide of the RH post. After 9mins Ben and Callum combined well before Callum set up another Pumas attack finished by Jack shooting over the bar. Sam was looking in full control of the Blues right wing and was timing his tackles to perfection. Matt was also prominent and was linking play together well down the left side of the pitch.
A minute later Tyler made a strong run down the right wing and delivered a good cross forcing a Blues defender to head towards his own goal which their keeper managed to save. Pumas were so dominant that there was a danger of being caught by a counter-attack and Caleb had to be quick to track back to deal with such a break. Ben was powerful in midfield winning every 50/50 ball as usual and he slipped a lovely pass to Lewis after 13mins. Lewis controlled the ball well and fed a perfect through ball to Dion who finished the move with clinical precision. 0 - 1.
Soon after Matt fed Jack who worked the ball down the left and produced a great cross for Eddie to force another good save from the Blues keeper who was keeping his side in the game. After 16mins Ben and Lewis combined in the middle before releasing a perfectly timed through ball to Dion which beat the off-side trap. Unfortunately with only the keeper to beat from 8 yards the ball 'bobbled' just as he shot and the ball went harmlessly wide. The next few minutes were a bit scrappy again and Caleb had to be sharp to deal with another Blues break and then Tyler made a good run down the right wing crossing for Eddie to make no mistake this time from short range only for his effort to be judged to have been off-side!
Tom came on for Eddie and after 22mins came the most controversial incident in the match. The Blues made a rare attack and following a bit of a scramble in the Pumas penalty area Blues hit a shot which hit the bar and came out and immediately shot again which hit the post. It seemed a fortunate escape for the Pumas but the Ref, from a position inside the centre circle and without a linesman on that side ruled that the ball had crossed the line and awarded a goal to the Blues!! 1 - 1.
After 26mins Tyler made a great run down the right wing using his skill and strength to beat 3 defenders before shooting just wide. Then Callum did some great defensive work making a last ditch tackle to break up a rare dangerous Blues attack just before half time.

Half time Blues 1 Pumas 1
The second half started with Robert coming on for Tyler and Pumas now had the advantage of a slight slope and a light breeze. It quickly became apparent that this made a big difference to the Blues' ability to clear the ball out of defence giving Pumas more attacking opportunities. Caleb, Robert and Dion combined well on the right but the final cross was miss-hit for a goal kick. Another controversial incident happened after 6mins when a Pumas attack down the right was flagged for off-side by the linesman which the ref either didn't see or chose to ignore. From the resultant scramble the ball came loose to Robert just inside the box and he coolly beat the keeper with a quick shot. 1 - 2.
Pumas were dominant without really threatening to increase their lead and with only a one goal advantage they had to be careful of being caught on the break. Lewis came forward several times and had powerful long range shots which either went wide of the target or were dealt with easily by the keeper. Robert showed good dribbling skills before setting up a shooting chance for Ben whose shot was also comfortably saved. After 17mins came a rare shot from the Blues, confidently saved by Conor who had not had a lot to do. Then he was in the thick of it as Blues won their first corner on the left which brought Conor into action a few more times. Jack, Eddie and Tyler were working well together and after 22mins Tyler crashed a beauty against the bar and Blues were glad to scramble the ball clear. 3mins later Tyler was again on the attack with a goal bound effort headed away for a corner which was taken on the right by Robert from which Tom shot just wide. Another corner on the right was taken this time by Tyler and Tom, Jack and Eddie were queuing up to knock it in but it just wouldn't fall right for them.
A minute later a quick throw was nudged on to Tyler who controlled it well near the penalty spot before beating the keeper with a fine shot. 1 - 3.

This relieved the pressure on Pumas who looked more relaxed as full time approached. Robert made a good run down the right and delivered a perfect cross for Eddie to slot it home skilfully only to be denied by the off-side flag for the second time.

Full Time Penwortham St Teresas Blues 1 Ladybridge Pumas 3

Pumas safely negotiated a potentially tricky debut in the Premier Division. This wasn't their most fluent performance and the lads were probably understandably a bit nervous with the big build up to this game and the weight of expectation on their shoulders. However, a win's a win and this is a great start to the season proper. Hopefully the lads can now relax and enjoy their football in this league in front of their ever growing band of supporters.

League Table U11 Green

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Ladybridge	3	3	0	0	19	2	9
2	Euxton Villa	3	2	0	1	12	10	6
3	Brinscall Village	3	1	0	2	11	9	3
4	Charnock	3	0	0	3	4	25	0

Ladybridge Pumas v Charnock Richard

This was the Pumas final match in the mini leagues to decide which league they would be playing in for the rest of the season. A win would surely seal a place in the Premier League, after two convincing wins against Euxton Villa & Brinscall Village.
Both teams arrived for the 11am kick off to an immaculately prepared pitch in perfect weather conditions. The Pumas lined up in a 4 - 2 - 4 formation with Conor (1), Caleb (4), Callum (15), Sam (2), Matthew (5), Lewis (12), Ben (8), Robert (6), Dion (9), Tom (10) and Tyler (14). Subs Eddie & Elliot
The game started off well for the Pumas with excellent early pressure which resulted in a shot at goal from Tyler, followed soon after by a corner taken by Robert which fell to Caleb’s feet whose shot hit the post. Pumas forced another corner shortly after, taken again by Robert, which was headed wide by Sam. Dion was looking sharp and troubled the defence on numerous occasions during these early exchanges. Charnock Richard’s first foray into the Pumas half ended in a shot wide after 5 mins. The next passage of play saw Dion make a great pass to Tom whose shot was saved brilliantly by their keeper. Another penetrating run and shot by Dion tested their keeper who made another sharp save. Pumas were dominating possession and territory at this stage with their best effort a cracking shot from Tyler which crashed against the crossbar. A corner by the Pumas after 9mins resulted in a goalmouth scramble which was somehow kept out by their keeper. The Pumas defence was dealing effectively with the few attacks Charnock mounted with Callum looking very assured at the back. After 10mins a good clearance from Conor resulted in Dion running through and shooting against the post, surely the Pumas would break the deadlock soon. Sam was as industrious as ever and was trying to get forward as often as possible without forgetting his defensive duties. Matt snuffed out another attack from the visitors and from a resulting throw in he found Dion who ran powerfully through the defence to slot a goal home off the inside of the post for a richly deserved goal. 1-0.
This opening goal seemed to relieve the pressure on the Pumas offensive efforts and two further goals from Tom and Lewis put the Pumas into a comfortable 3-o lead.
Shots from Matt and Tyler from distance were again saved well by the impressive Charnock keeper who was by far the busiest man on the pitch. Ben was marshalling the boys well in the centre of the field and was trying to cover every blade of grass as usual. A good clearance kick from Conor found a tireless Dion who ran the ball into the area and his shot found the top of the net out of the reach of their keeper. 4-0
More great pressure from the Pumas saw Matt pass to Dion who hit the crossbar, fortunately the rebound found Tyler in space who made no mistake from 5 yards out. 5-0.
Just before the end of the half a great through-ball from Robert found Dion whose attempt at goal on his weaker left foot went wide of the mark. The half closed with another smart move started by a mazy run by Tom who passed to Caleb who shot just wide from distance. Half time 5-0.
Substitutions at half time saw Elliot on for Dion and Eddie on for Robert. Another great start from the Pumas saw more excellent efforts on goal with Tom unlucky to be caught offside after finishing well. A good run and a shot from Tyler went just wide followed closely by a couple of shots from Elliot which failed to hit the target. An excellent move on the halfway line started with a pass from Sam onto Matt who found Eddie who crossed into their area for Tyler to shoot narrowly wide. Eddie looked busy and was certainly making an impact out on the right wing. A corner after 38mins from Tom found Ben in space, his shot going just over the crossbar. A further substitution took Tom off and Robert on, switching Eddie to the left and Robert to the right. After 42mins a beautiful passing move that involved Lewis and Matt linking up well for a final ball into Eddie whose fierce shot went in just under the crossbar 6-0
Substitution 45mins Dion on for Tyler. Charnock Richard battled hard in all areas of the pitch and enjoyed their best period of play in the next five minutes and a good low shot from their forward went through Conor’s legs for their only goal. 6-1. No clean sheet for the “Cat” this week!
The rest of the game was pretty much played in Charnock Richards half with their keeper pulling off some fantastic saves from Matt, Eddie, Elliot, Ben and Dion. Tom came on for Callum in our final substitution. In the final few minutes a penetrating run and powerful shot by Lewis was only pushed out by their keeper to Dion who popped it in for his hatrick. 7-1

Full time 7-1

Another satisfying win for the Pumas against a plucky Charnock Richard side that never gave up. This was epitomised by their keeper’s outstanding play that kept the Pumas score in single figures.
The new league will start on 27th September and the new league will be published here as soon as we know.

by Gordon and Lorraine (Bill is away).

Ladybridge Pumas v Brinscall Village

The pitch was in pristine condition on a bright and breezy Autumn day for Pumas first home fixture in the Central Lancs League. The starting line up was Conor (1), Caleb (4), Callum (15), Sam (2), Matthew (5), Lewis (12), Ben (8), Robert (6), Dion (9), Jack (11) and Tyler (14). They lined up in a 4 - 2 - 4 formation with Ben and Lewis in mid-field.

After an untidy first few minutes Pumas settled down and started to string their passes together and Tyler looked especially dangerous with his strength, skill and speed down the left flank. He released a lovely pass for Dion who was narrowly offside. After 4 mins Dion ran onto another fine through ball but was injured in a clash with the defender as they both challenged for the ball which ricocheted to the keeper. Robert and Dion exchanged passes down the right wing before forcing a good save from the Brinscall keeper. A high clearance was headed cleverly by Ben to Jack who controlled the ball expertly before feeding a good pass to Dion whose shot skimmed over the bar.
It was all Pumas until suddenly Brinscall broke rapidly down the left in numbers forcing Conor to come quickly off his line and Caleb had to put the ball out for a corner to relieve the pressure with the defence spread-eagled. After 10 mins came the best move of the match so far with Pumas midfield and forwards combining well to put tremendous pressure on Brinscall but the ball came clear to set up another Brinscall counter attack which was brilliantly broken up by Sam who fed a perfectly weighted pass to Jack who in turn set up Dion for yet another goal attempt which went just over. A minute later Jack gained possession again to the left of midfield and played the most beautiful pass inside the defender to Dion threatening on the right flank. He cut inside and his shot gave the keeper no chance. 1 - 0.
Pumas were dominating possession with Brinscall restricted to the occasional breakaways which were comfortably dealt with by Caleb and Sam with Callum getting into the game more and more. Matthew was also prominently involved in supporting attacks down the left. Tyler and Dion both had near misses then Jack made a brilliant dribbling run through midfield before releasing a superb through ball which unfortunately caught three Pumas forwards off-side! After 17 mins Tyler found himself in possession on the edge of the penalty area with three defenders in attendance. He powerfully shrugged off several challenges before beating the keeper from short range. 2 - 0.
After 20 mins Eddie and Tom came on for Tyler and Robert. Another dangerous break from Brinscall was snuffed out by a perfectly timed tackle from Sam on the penalty spot. Top goal scorer Elliot was brought on for Dion who had been working very hard. Another good attack from Brinscall was broken up by Caleb who was looking in full control and distributing the ball intelligently. Matthew had a good run down the left and produced a great cross into the area which frustratingly was missed by everyone when a goal looked certain. Then it was Lewis' turn to impress with good work in midfield to set up a lovely passing move involving Matthew and Tom whose shot went narrowly wide of the target. Eddie also showed good dribbling skills down the right forcing a corner which Jack delivered into the danger area. Following another Brinscall break Pumas were awarded a free kick on the half way line which Sam took feeding Matthew on the left who delivered an inch perfect cross with Pumas forwards queuing up to score but the keeper managed to bravely claim the ball. The resultant clearance came straight to Jack whose quick-thinking shot forced a good save from the keeper. Half time 2 - 0.

On the resumption Pumas were quickly on the attack again with Caleb and Elliot linking well to force a corner which Jack again delivered perfectly into the danger zone. The high partial clearance came out to Sam pressing forward with great confidence but his header was well blocked. A scrappy period lasted for a few minutes with neither side able to string together a few passes but normal service was resumed when Jack broke down the left. Sam was also working hard and looked keen to get on the scoresheet with two shots in quick succession. After 8 mins the ref mysteriously stopped the game and called the managers and coaches onto the pitch for a meeting!! It turned out that someone was taking photographs and he was worried that his theatrical poses were going to appear on YouTube! (just kidding ref)
A better period for Brinscall then ensued with some good possession. First they had a free kick which was well intercepted by Callum then another free kick from 20 yards was headed out by Sam and then Callum was again involved in foiling another attack. The ball came loose in the Pumas penalty area and Conor had to be alert to kick it clear. Brinscall substituted their keeper which must be a rarity to have two keepers. He was quickly in action and was forced to make a good save. Dion was brought back on for Ben who had worked tirelessly in midfield linking the back four to the forwards with great presence. He received a well deserved ovation. Tyler and Lewis were combining cleverly down the left with two consecutive moves causing trouble for Brinscall defence. A counter attack by Brinscall broke down when one of their forwards was inches off-side when it looked like their best chance of the game. For all their dominance of possession Pumas were only winning by a narrow two goal margin but they set up another attack and overpowered Brinscall with their weight of numbers until the ball came to Elliot to tap home after 20 mins. 3 - 0.
A timely clearance by Sam gave Dion a long range chance which was well saved then Callum joined the attack causing Brinscall to concede a corner. Jack once again produced the goods and Eddie headed home accurately for what looked like a great goal. However the ref had seen some infringement which eluded everyone else and didn't allow the 'goal'. Lewis played skilfully before releasing Dion who forced another corner on the right again delivered accurately by Jack causing panic in the Brinscall defence before Elliot was again able to tap it home. 29 mins 4 - 0.
Another corner on the right was cleared out to Callum poaching on the edge of the penalty area and with his left foot he shot powerfully only to see his shot crash against the bar in what was virtually the last of the action.

Full time Ladybridge Pumas 4 Brinscall Village 0

Another very satisfying performance from Pumas with excellent contributions from every position. The defence is looking especially strong and in 120 mins of football so far they have restricted their opponents to just one meaningful attempt at goal!

Euxton Villa v Ladybridge Pumas

This was Pumas' debut in the Central Lancs League and they had to play away at one of the most respected clubs in the district. With several new players in the squad and new rules and other factors to cope with this was a potentially difficult fixture.

Pumas 13 man squad consisted of:- Conor (1), Caleb (4), Sam (2), Tyler (16), Ben (8), Callum (15), Lewis (9), Matthew (5), Robert (6), Eddie (3), Jack (17), Dion (9), Elliot (10).

The pitch had a pronounced slope and Pumas played uphill in the first half in calm and dry weather. The early exchanges were even with Villa showing some nice passing moves and good skills. After 4 mins Pumas attacked down the right and Dion crossed accurately for Eddie to miss making contact by inches with an open goal at his mercy. After 6 mins a good shot from Dion was well saved and the ball came out to Jack who quickly fired in a high shot well out of the keeper's reach for Pumas first goal at this level. 0 - 1. On 10 mins a clever throw in from Matthew caused panic in the Villa defence and in the mad scramble one of the Villa defenders was hurt.
Pumas were dominating possession and their forwards in particular were scrapping for every 50/50 ball. During this phase they were especially dominant down the left wing with Ben, Eddie and Matthew linking well. From one of these attacks after 14 mins the ball came loose to Tyler whose long range powerful shot was well out of the keeper's reach. 0 - 2. Caleb and Sam looked in control at the back and linked up well with Ben and Callum who were dominating midfield. Lewis made a well-timed tackle to break up a rare Villa attack and then fed a lovely through ball for Dion to run on to but the move broke down with some desperate defending from Villa.
After 17 mins Villa won a throw in on the right in Pumas half. The ball was beatifully crossed for a Villa forward to head powerfully goalwards only for Conor to be brought into action with a flying full length save only for the ball to drop at a forward's feet for a tap-in goal. 1 - 2.
This set-back stung the Pumas into action and a period of Pumas dominance followed. There was a sustained attack after 20 mins with Pumas forwards queuing up to score with Villa defenders trying to scramble the ball clear. This move broke down when a Pumas forward accidentally handled. Robert and Elliot came on for Tyler and Eddie and soon after another great cross from the right by Dion just failed to find Robert in front of a gaping net. The ball came out to Caleb who was poaching upfield and fired in one of his trademark long range shots which agonisingly crashed against the post and bounced to a defender. Then it was Ben's turn to try to get on the score sheet with another long range effort which went narrowly over the bar. A minute before half time came the best move of the match so far with Robert and Ben exchanging passes before feeding the ball to Matthew who made no mistake with a powerful long range shot. 1 - 3 Half time.
Playing downhill in the 2nd half Pumas immediately attacked down the left and Ben's strong run forced a corner which was cleared. Then Dion crossed from the right setting up a long shot from Ben which the keeper managed to fumble away. Pumas persistence won another corner taken by Robert which the defence could only partially scramble away to Elliot whose snap long shot after only 2 mins found the corner of the net. 1 - 4.
After 7 mins Pumas were clearly enjoying their downhill advantage and Villa were having to work very hard to keep in the game. Jack cut in from the left and fired in a cross/shot which flew across the face of the goal then after a scrappy bout inside the left side of the Villa penalty area the ball came to Elliot who prodded it home from short range with typical poacher's instinct. 1 - 5.
2 mins later Dion broke through the defensive wall and opened up a 5 yard gap with only the keeper to beat when the ref blew his whistle late judging him to have been offside. Very close thing. Pumas weren't to be denied for long though and Tyler showed great strength and skill in his own half before releasing a lovely pass for Dion to run on to and with the keeper coming out fast he shot quickly. The ball would have missed the right hand post but Elliot was backing up to pounce and turn the ball home to complete his hat-trick. 1 - 6. The Villa keeper was hurt as he came out and had to be substituted.
Villa were only attacking rarely but when they did they looked dangerous. Callum did good work to contain these breakaways but Sam and Caleb were called into action too. After 16 mins Dion made a fantastic run down the left wing beating several defenders as he bore down on the goal only to be foiled by a brilliant last ditch tackle which would have been worthy of Sam. A minute later Caleb had to be alert to break down a Villa attack. All credit to Villa for keeping trying when they must have been shell-shocked at the beating they were getting. The ball was worked out and came to Dion who was hungry to get on the scoresheet and he made no mistake with a great shot to give the replacement keeper no chance. 1 - 7
Villa continued to be under pressure and were forced to pass back to the keeper who tried to dribble the ball out only to lose it to Jack whose good shot was well blocked. On 27 mins Pumas were awarded a free on the left edge of the Villa penalty area and Caleb strode up to take it. Pumas supporters have seen Caleb score many great goals from similar positions but on this occasion the Villa keeper made a good save from a well struck shot. Villa were not finished and made a determined attack down the right which looked dangerous for a time until the Pumas defence gained control again. Then as the clock ticked down Jack made a good run down the left then passed to Eddie who flicked it inside to Elliot who turned it just inside the post for a beautifully worked final goal.

Full time: Euxton Villa 1 Ladybridge Pumas 8

This was a brilliant team performance with every player in every position making a positive contribution. Pumas have announced their arrival in the Central Lancs League with a BANG!!