The Wood's juniors wrapped up 2024 this weekend with some sparkling football that big Santa appreciated very much before setting out on his important journeys!
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As the year comes to a close, Borehamwood 2000 U10 Girls has truly captured hearts and made waves in the world of U10 football. This remarkable group of young players has not only transitioned seamlessly from 5-a-side to 7-a-side football but has also set a shining example of teamwork, skill, and determination.
At the start of the season, moving to a larger squad and adapting to a more complex game could have been a daunting challenge. Yet, Borehamwood 2000 embraced it with open arms, proving that their talent and passion are unmatched. The leap to 7-a-side football has not just been smooth, it’s been spectacular. This team has evolved, becoming more tactically aware with every match. Their passing game, once promising, has blossomed into a true spectacle of precision and collaboration, showcasing the incredible bond that ties these players together.
Playing Your Part: Strength in Every Position
Defensively, Borehamwood 2000 has been a fortress. Opponents have often found themselves frustrated, unable to crack the wall of strength that stands tall and resolute. The backline is a testament to the girls’ grit, discipline, and unwavering focus.
In midfield, the team has shown what it takes to dominate the heart of the pitch. Their relentless energy and fine-tuned “engines” ensure that they control the game’s tempo, linking defense to attack with seamless precision. These midfield maestros embody the perfect balance of work rate and creativity, proving that success in football often begins in the center of the field.
Upfront, Borehamwood 2000’s strike-force has been nothing short of sensational. Scoring an astonishing 55 goals in just 12 games, these forwards have a hunger for the back of the net that rivals some of the best teams. Their ability to convert chances into goals has left fans in awe and opposition defenders in disarray.
Meanwhile, between the posts, the team’s brave goalkeepers have been nothing less than heroic. The courage it takes to stand as the last line of defense, knowing the weight of the game can rest on your shoulders, is immense. Borehamwood 2000’s keepers have risen to the occasion time and again, embodying resilience and composure.
More Than Just Football
While the accolades and victories are worth celebrating, what truly sets Borehamwood 2000 apart is the spirit of camaraderie that defines this team. The friendships built on and off the pitch are as strong as their defensive line, and their infectious love for the game is evident in the huge smiles they wear during every match. The joy and passion these girls bring to football are a reminder of why we all love this team.
A crucial part of this journey has been the unwavering support from parents, grandparents, and friends—the ever-enthusiastic ‘Wood Army.’ Your cheers from the sidelines and belief in these girls have been a huge factor in their success, driving them to give their all in every game.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we look to 2025, the momentum of Borehamwood 2000 shows no signs of slowing. This team is on a path to succeed both as individuals and as a team. With their determination, skill, and unity, there’s no doubt that even greater achievements lie ahead.
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And it’s a wrap! Before heading off for our Winter break and the wrapping and unwrapping of Christmas presents and Ferrero Rochers, the Wood’s U15 Girls had one last fixture in the County Cup to get through.
On paper it was a fixture we were always likely to win, against a Goffs Oak side two divisions below us, so it was a great opportunity for us to play with confidence and get into some good habits for tougher games that lie ahead.
The team were warned about being complacent and respecting the opposition and the competition, but also urged to go out and enjoy and express themselves and they duly delivered on both fronts.
Goffs could not cope with our attacking play and we raced into a 3-0 lead inside 15 mins with goals from Louella, Lilly VT and Scarlett. Gabriella notched her second goal of the season on 20 mins and a barnstorming run and calm finish from centre back Amy on the stroke of half time made it 5-0. It could have been plenty more as well.
A few changes were made at half time to freshen up the attack and the result was plenty more of the same attacking threat. A nice solo goal from Milly, a second of the match for Scarlett and a second half hatrick from Louella (making it 4 for the game) made it 11-0. There was still time for Louella to turn provider and assist Yasmin with a nice goal to finish the game.
Across the whole match Nisa in goal was rarely troubled but was always available for the defence to play back to and trust her with the ball. The back four of Leni, Amy, Lily and Annie were dominant throughout and denied Goffs any early Christmas joy from an attacking threat, and all of them managed to get forward and support our own attacks at times as well.
In the middle of the park, Jess and Lilly VT were excellent along with POM Hollie who was pulling the strings and moving the ball around brilliantly. Our attacking play was excellent with Milly, Yas, Louella, Scarlett and Gabs all getting goals and wing wizard Amie chipped in with 5 assists. A special mention to Louella who has now reached 20 goals for the season and we are only half way through!
At the midway point of our first ever season, the girls have performed superbly. We currently sit joint top in the league with the title and promotion very much up for grabs. We are also now into the quarter final of the county game and will fancy our chances against a strong Berkhamsted Raiders side in the new year.
We have competed well against everybody we have played so far, including a few division 1 sides, but perhaps more importantly we are receiving great credit from opposition coaches and referees alike for the style and quality of football that we play. If we continue to work hard and continue to gel well as a group then the future is very bright for this squad.
A very big thank you and well done to the team’s staff – Manager Joe and assistants Kristi and David – who have taken to juniors’ management so naturally and efficiently. They, the girls and a keen and wonderfully supportive parent base have fitted into the club like the pieces in a jigsaw and we can’t wait to see what they can all achieve in 2025!
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U16 Boys faced Omonia White in the league knowing another hard test was coming. The Omonia team were gunning to go second in the league and arrived at Pursley with many of their guys looking like they were wearing stilts such was their prodigious height! However, the Wood were ready all the same and are slowly gaining a confidence in their ability to play the game on the deck, controlling matches and opponents in this manner regardless of their physical profile.
Though it’s not easy at an advanced level where all teams possess excellent individual players, the boys have conceded far too many soft goals this season, averaging two a game at present. Today’s game saw more of the same with the Wood falling behind quickly after its left side failed to deal with a long ball, and its right side failed to make any challenge on the Omonia attacker, his long shot finding the net when a slightly deeper position may have resulted in a quite routine save?
However, the Wood don’t lack for character and, undaunted, began knocking the ball around beautifully, putting Omonia to the sword and dominating the half with football of the highest order. The first action came when Makamian, enjoying a strong end to the year and a very good match on the left wing, was hacked down centrally. Manning, another who exudes total calm and class on the ball, strolled up to fire the resultant free kick narrowly over the bar.
Between the sticks, keeper Elboukhari was brilliantly barking out orders like a parade ground sergeant, showing so much leadership and character, and his quick thinking fed Makamian, who did the same with a slide rule pass for Da Silva, a player who is a constant threat to defences everywhere and had just missed the target after a mesmerising mazy dribble. This time, he produced a sublime through ball to release top scorer Silva, his shot perfect but, for the height which allowed the keeper to save. Three passes from one end to the other in less than 10 seconds, proving the Wood’s quality and chosen style of play.
MoM Green has been getting back to his very best and was dominating at the point of the Wood’s midfield triangle, given a freedom created by consistently excellent performances from Crucefix and Zefi in the holding roles. Da Silva fed Green who picked out Silva with a sharp early pass, his super low shot just failing to find the far post.
Makamian and Da Silva combined again shortly after to feed Green whose long curling effort flew inches past the right hand post. Thereafter, a quality Makamian corner seemed destined to be dispatched into the net as it dropped into the 6 yard box, but, static players saw the chance squandered and Omonia break full length at pace. Proving what it takes to perform as a Wood winger, Song, another player ending the year very strongly, sprinted fully 80 yards to make an incredible last ditch sliding tackle, denying a certain goal!
The Wood piled on, Zefi crashing a header from midfield into Silva, who showed a lovely touch to control and then hit a fierce volley that was parried by the away keeper for a corner. Makamian stroked it in again and this time the Wood actually moved, with Hones, playing a very solid half, stooping bravely to win a key header and find Silva, slamming home the ball for his 12th of the season!
After the re-start, Da Silva curled in another tremendous ball that just evaded Silva, while Elboukhari used all his frame to dive full length to brilliantly keep out an Omonia strike. Then the goal of the game, Zefi again winning the ball in midfield and simply but, crucially finding Song on the right. He strode forward and exchanged delightful passes with Silva, before curling a stunner that fell for Green to power forward totally in position, dispatching a perfectly struck low pass into the bottom left corner, the away keeper absolutely helpless to stop it.
Fan now entered the fray and set about harassing the away defence effectively, while Crucefix became more and more influential, winning the ball and playing it so intelligently into the areas that most benefited the Wood and most hurt the opposition. Da Silva sent away Green with another great pass and his snap shot was parried for yet another corner. This time, however, Omonia cleared and a series of basic Wood mistakes – failing to stay marked, a block missed and a deflected shot that might have been palmed away – saw a one-man Omonia counter end with the ball in the home net.
The Wood ringed the changes - bringing on Collier, McGuinness, Pop and Marshall – and the team continued its good play, testament to how well these boys adapted to the speed of the game. The half ended 2-2 and re-started soon after with Pop soaring like a condor to send a powerful header goalwards that was blocked on the line. McGuinness was menacing the Omonia defence, getting the ball out of his feet and sprinting hard and with purpose. Collier was continuing his recent excellent form, hard in the tackle and calm in possession, while Marshall decided attack was the best defence and threw himself into the action, totally committed and almost firing home his first Wood goal!
Crucefix sent a ball over the top to Fan, whose effort beat the keeper but, just failed to find the net. Boshjaku and Manning were calmness personified at the back and stroking the ball around beautifully, the foundation for so much of the Wood’s good play further forward. From this, Green struck yet another goal bound shot, palmed wide for a corner. Fan’s excellent delivery was cleared to McGuinness who flashed a fierce shot from distance just wide.
Despite all this good play and more, the next goal went to Omonia with a ball that should have been simply cleared, staying in play to the delight of the opposition and being buried shortly after. Somehow 2-3 down, the boys had to dig deep again so they got on with it, continuing to play in triangles and use possession effectively.
As the game wound up, Zefi, oozing class with every touch, produced a world class cross for Da Silva, always the live wire, to wriggle free. The away defender could only bring him down and a penalty was awarded. After missing countless, consecutive spot kicks previously, the Wood broke this run recently and this time, Silva stepped up to take on the responsibility and fire home, making the final score 3-3 and giving the Wood a well deserved point. After a pre-season spent in hospital, it seemed fitting that this Wood stalwart should end the action in 2024 so successfully and provide the inspiration for two of the Wood’s founding brothers - Montgomery and Ifeacho - to battle back from their own recent setbacks, which we know they will do, tough and determined as they are.
As the calendar year closes out, we thank coaches Manning, Montgomery and Silva for all their hard work and support, without which the team could not function. Likewise, we are so grateful for the support of Mary, a woman of incredible organisation and talent, and genuinely, a one in a million.
2024 is almost done and we’ve learnt much. Today’s performance exemplifies where we have improved with fluid, effective passing and movement, and also where we need to improve, with better decision making and execution in our defensive duties across the board. However, every one of the boys is on the up, getting better fast and their old manager thanks them for putting up with his hissy fits and reminds them that he is really very proud of them all indeed.
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Our U15 Boys have enjoyed a great year and today took the long trek over to Bishops Stortford for the last 16 game in the prestigious County Cup. BSFC were decent opponents, sitting 3rd, 3 divisions above Borehamwood in the Mid Herts Prem.
The Wood started brightly and went close with long range efforts firstly from McGregor and then from Lennard, the latter forcing the Stortford keeper to just tip the ball around the post.
Down the other end Torshakani pulled off a run of saves that wouldn’t have looked out of place in any stadium across the land. Stortford pushed forward and started to take control of the game in midfield, scoring a couple of well-worked efforts to head in at half time 2-0.
The Wood were still in the game though and knew they had to start the half well to put the opposition under pressure. The Wood didn’t quite manage this and just 10 seconds into the half went 3-0 down. The players though battled to the end and although the game ended 6-0, every player did the team proud and worked hard to the end with special mentions to Torshakani, Smith, Murphy and Sheppard who really impressed today. Overall, not the result we were looking for but the Wood have bigger fish to fry in the coming new year.
The team this season has gone from strength to strength and are sitting well placed moving into the second half of the season, 2nd in the league and still in both league cups. With the right amount of effort, the boys have the ability to go on and make the second half of the season their most successful yet.
Massive thanks go to Craig and Matt who are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to train and improve the boys. The results are obvious and impressive and the hard work of these guys is both very well noted and greatly appreciated! With the incomparable Rita doing the business in the tea hut every week, we have a great team on and off the pitch!!
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Unfortunately, our U14 Girls' match in the Junior League Cup against Bury was postponed due to reasons outside their control, while their opposition were unable to field a side last weekend in the County Cup, the Wood progressing into the next round via a walkover. This was a great shame as the players and staff just want to play football matches but, these hiccups haven't diminished what has been a tremendous campaign thus far, with the girls amassing an impressive 11 wins and just 2 losses in all competitons.
From the onset, the staff knew this was always going to be a bit of a transitional season with some tough days to be expected. With only 10 signed up pre-season due to one reason or another, we needed to add new players quickly and did so from a wealth of strong applicants, with 7 tremendous new signings adding to what was already a very richly talented and welcoming squad. The new girls integrated fantastically well and in double quick time all adding their personalities and skills to the pot, even helping to reinvigorate their vastly experienced manager after 6 long seasons of football!
These new arrivals: Poppy S, Yvie D, Pheidi F, Aanya R, Lola P, Poppy N & Isabella C, arrived with fire in their bellies, with a point to prove and their hearts and minds open wide. The girls and their parents all threw themselves fully behind the Wood’s cause, falling in love with this amazing little team and club, and in return we all love them back just as dearly!
We worked very hard as a squad over the summer, helping the new girls understand and get to grips with how we like to play as a team, with the ball on the ground and everyone expected to want and to cherish possession of the ball. The hard work from the existing squad and our new signings has been paying off and is making not only good footballers but fantastic individuals and young people to be proud of.
The team is now challenging on three fronts for the League, the Junior League Cup and the blue riband County Cup too. The future looks very bright and is even more so as we have made a further new signing, with a very exciting new player - Sophie K – joining our ranks. Sophie is a top class striker with a fearsome shot and eye for goal, and will hopefully be the cherry on the cake for this excellent young side.
However, this team would be nothing without the Wood stalwarts of old and the girls who have fought with us for the last 6 years! These heroines: Annie J, Kara E, Hazel C, Emily H, Theaya P, Lucy W, Elsie J, Ava S, Riss E-B and Gabby U – continue to improve rapidly and together we’re building something special; the players can feel it, as can the coaches and parents, with a bond and togetherness that we haven’t felt in a while. Captain fantastic - Annie J - said she has never been more excited for a season with the Wood as she has this year and that says it all! A huge thank you from the staff to all of our amazing girls; you make our weekends so much more fun and here’s to an excellent 2025!
Finally, a massive thank you to the team’s staff – Manager Dave and coaches Richard and Pete. It’s so easy to forget these guys are volunteers giving up huge amounts of their precious time for the benefit of the next generation. In this team, they are also hugely generous sponsors allowing the club to provide value for money and ensure all our children can play regardless of their financial background. Take a bow, gents, and truly, thank you for everything that you do.
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