ISACK U13 Girls Netball Squad: Champions

TES 16 v 10 NES

Well what an end to the season! Undoubtedly, the best and most intense netball final this academic year. Both squads threw everything into the game, and until the final 8 minutes of the match, it really could have gone either way. 4 weeks prior to the final, NES came out out as the victors, after getting the better of our girls nerves. But today, TES were in control and came away the champions after playing superbly!

The opening quarter was scrappy from both squads, setting the bar for an intense affair for the next 40 minutes. To begin with, it was goal for goal, neither team relenting. But as before, it was NES who finished the first quarter in the lead, as they were 5-3 up after 10 minutes of play. But the game was far from over. As we moved into the second quarter, it was all TES. The girls mounted the pressure defensively, putting the NES squad under all sorts of pressure, forcing them to panic and give the ball away. TES did a fantastic job of keeping NES out of their shooting circle, with credit going to Lucy and Yara for making the NES shooters’ life difficult. They were well supported by Zara and Melanie, who did an excellent job defensively, leaving no room for error. Nourhan, Aubrey and Thalia made sure that we capitalised on our defensive onslaught, as they dominated in our attacking third. Grit and determination, brought the scores level, as at half time, it was 7-7. The third quarter was where we really gained momentum. Despite NES’ best efforts to repeat their win, TES fought hard to stop them. Some superb movement, defense and passing from all seven girls, meant that we ended the third quarter one goal ahead. The score stood at 10-9 in favour of TES; we just needed to hang on for 10 minutes. Azariah was welcomed to the court for the final 10 minutes of play, adding fresh legs and height in our defensive third. Combined with Lucy and Yara’s superb efforts today, the three of them limited NES to scoring only one goal. The remaining four girls also did a brilliant job of marking and pressuring their opponent, capitalising on every error NES made. We were not without fault, but on the day, our girls were the more determined. TES never relented and did not slow down once, taking the game to a 16-10 victory! What a moment for these girls. A relatively inexperienced and new team, to have come away as ISACK champions really is a superb achievement. Olivia, Talya, Ruby and Alice, your contributions were also invaluable throughout the season! Well done to all 12 girls- it has been a pleasure coaching you!

ISACK U13 Boys Football Squad

TES 1 v 0 KES

TES started their semi-final against KES very confidently. The boys played with a lot of control and composure and controlled the game from the very start. We very nearly scored in the opening minutes when Sam brought down the ball brilliantly and fired a shot at goal from 20 yards out, which the KES keeper saved. Within 5 minutes the TES boys took the lead. Maxwell demonstrated some excellent footwork, beating a couple of defenders and then fired a rocket of a shot into the top right corner of the goal from 25 yards out. For the next 5 minutes the KES team were on the rocks, with TES controlling possession and Chad, Sam and Maxwell all coming close to scoring. Ciaran was dominant in centre midfield, winning every ball and setting up our attacks well. Ciaran went close to adding a second for us, when he hit the crossbar from a free kick. Despite the control that TES had over the game, we couldn't add to our lead and KES worked their way back into the game in the second part of the first half. KES were limited to playing long balls, which Chad, Dexter and Sverre dealt with well overall. As well as long balls, the KES team were restricted to shooting from long distance, none of which went on target, so Jad only touched the ball when taking goal kicks. The second half was very similar to the first, with TES working hard and controlling the game but unable to score a second goal. Truman looked like adding a second goal when he cut inside on his left foot but unfortunately he placed his shot just wide of the net. TES looked destined to add to the lead when Sam delivered a great corner which flashed across the faces of 3 TES players, who didn't quite attack the ball well enough. The crosses from Sam and Truman were good all game and Maxwell and Ciaran controlled the middle of the pitch. In defence, Patrick came on on the left and worked well with Sverre and Dexter to protect Jad in goal. In the second half, the KES team continued to play long ball but it was dealt with well and Jads only meaningful save was from 20 yards out and he handled it easily. Whether it was Chad or Patrick at left back, TES were able to play the ball down the left and Sam continually got in behind the KES right back and put some excellent crosses in which were so close to producing goals. Towards the end of the game, Ciaran drove forward from midfield beating a handful of players before playing a pass to Truman who then smashed his shot into the side netting. The more the game went on without TES adding to the lead, the more pressure you could see on the team, KES push forward towards the end of the match and caused a few problems but the TES boys came through. The performance was very good and the scoreline should perhaps been more, but the boys played well and look good going into the final against BSK. Great effort to all the boys in the squad! One more game to go- let’s bring that trophy home!

KFSAC Year 5/6 Boys Football Squad

A Squad: TES 1 v 0 DBS

TES finished the KFSAC season on a high, with a hard fought 1-0 win against DBS. The boys started the game slowly with DBS having lots of possession and winning most tackles. The DBS side looked bigger and quicker in the game and won most challenges but the TES boys kept battling and showed true grit. Despite the physicality of the DBS team, the TES boys looked well organised and showed some great determination to prevent any shots from the opposition. The boys did a very good job of staying goal side of their players and really limited the chances of DBS. Carl, Andrew and Taylor worked incredibly hard in midfield closing down the opposition and Muhammad, Tristan and Adam made some great tackles to protect a clean sheet and give Sam in goal very little to do. TES then started to perform better with a well organised team and were playing to a very quick tempo which DBS were not prepared for. Once TES got the ball forward, they kept the pressure on and did not let the opposing defence advance the ball. This resulted in a goal for Taylor, when he closed down well, winning the ball and scoring what was to be, our winning goal. Quick play from the boys created chances for Taylor, Andrew and Carl but we could not convert our chances to increase the lead. Joshua also entered the game, running with the ball well and added extra energy to the defensive effort. In the second half the TES team looked the better side creating numerous chances and really limiting DBS to long range shots. Sam made a couple of good saves in goal and DBS did hit the crossbar from a free kick. The only chances that DBS created were from TES errors, by playing the ball overhead height the boys were giving chances to a quality team who could have scored from the free kicks. Some brave defending and closing down, particularly from Andrew, did stop the hard hit shots. Overall, the TES boys deserved the win and could have won by more. 3 wins and 2 defeats for the season with a couple of very good performances. Well done boys!

B squad: TES 0 - 2 DBS

The B squad were looking to build on last weeks victory but were unable to do so against a good DBS side. The boys started the game well and had good chances to score. Tarik and Gonzague both worked the goalkeeper in the early stages but were unable to score. The defence of Matt, Sean and Ali had little to do in the early stages but did tackle hard when required. At times, TES looked well organised and moved the ball quickly but couldn’t capitalise on opportunities they were creating. Senai also had chances to shoot, but the final shot and pass was not on target. DBS had some talented players but lacked the discipline of the TES squad, which led to our boys having the better chances and Seb not having much to do in goal. Unfortunately TES did not keep up the organisation and discipline, as the defenders started to lose concentration and were letting attackers in behind them. It was only a matter of time before one team scored, unfortunately it was DBS, when another player was left unmarked and they went 1-0 up, leaving Seb no chance in goal from such close range. For the second half, Muhammad and Kabir entered the game and it was equally scrappy with both teams lacking the quality needed to change the game. DBS had skillful players but the TES boys outworked them and were more organised, knowing their roles and playing quickly. The second half was end to end with both teams taking shots, but again, the TES boys were unable to take advantage of the attacking positions they were in. Gonzague hit a couple of very good shots but the DBS keeper did well to save them. TES being unable to score was their ultimate downfall and late in the game we had a corner, which was misplaced. DBS countered quickly and outnumbered the defence. They worked the ball close in and fired it past Seb who again, had no chance to save it. The final score was 2-0 to DBS and the TES boys were clearly disappointed to not add another win. Overall, it’s been a good season. Well done, boys!