Have a great Summer...

... see you again in July over at www.gsfcu16.blogspot.com

Guildford Saints FC AGM

This years AGM will be held on Tuesday 18th May 2010 at St John's Church Hall, Merrow at 8.00pm. All are welcome to attend

Division Three 2009-2010 Final Table

POS		P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
1	Perrywood Sports Jets U15	18	12	2	4	57	33	38
2	Grayshott U15	18	12	2	4	52	23	38
3	Claygate Royals U15	18	12	1	5	40	23	37
4	Farncombe Dynamos U15	18	8	5	5	29	30	29
5	Guildford Saints Blues U15	18	8	3	7	27	34	27
6	Staines Town Colts U15	18	7	4	7	40	35	25
7	Badshot Lea Blades U15	18	6	6	6	26	38	24
8	Guildford City Tigers	18	3	5	10	22	38	14
9	Woking & Maybury	18	3	2	13	32	49	11
10	St Francis Sports U15	18	2	4	12	25	47	10

Premier Division 2009-2010 Final Table

POS		P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
1	Staines Town Juniors U15	18	15	2	1	61	22	47
2	Guildford City Lions U15	18	10	2	6	46	33	32
3	Staines Albion A U15	18	8	3	7	47	39	27
4	Guildford Saints U15	18	8	3	7	44	37	27
5	Leatherhead Predators U15	18	7	4	7	43	32	25
6	Mayford Athletic Oaks U15	18	6	6	6	39	41	24
7	Ascot United U15	18	5	6	7	43	56	21
8	Knaphill Wanderers Lions U15	18	5	6	7	39	52	21
9	Farnham United Flyers U15	18	6	1	11	38	61	19
10	Burpham Juniors A U15	18	2	3	13	30	57	9

End of Season Award Winners

Congratulations to the following players;

BLUES

Player of the Year - Tom Oldland

Golden Boot - Ed Davis (6 Goals)

Most Improved Player - George Collett

Player's Player of the Year - Chris Smith

SAINTS

Player of the Year - Tom Richards

Golden Boot - Tom Richards (26 Goals)

Most Improved Player - Joe Richards

Player's Player of the Year - Martin Peters

Claygate Royal Foleys 3 Guildford Saints Blues 0

My thanks to Derek for running the side for me at today's match. This is his report;

"I feel the this match was Deja-Vu, as the final score did not reflect the effort the boy’s put in to this match. First half we started off a bit slow, and there were definite signs that we had not played together for a while, this showed in the first goal, from a set piece, we gave them too much room and we got punished for it. Claygate were quick on the break, and often had our defence scrambling back to cover the long ball on a short pitch. This (and a dodgy decision by the referee!!) resulted in the second goal - in my opinion the foot was way too high in the tackle - but our boys have to learn to play to the whistle, as they paused briefly, and Claygate cashed in with their second.

In the second half we were by far the better team. We started to give as good as we got, as far as competing for the ball was concerned. We were also better at creating chances, but once again no matter how hard we tried, we just could not find the back of the net and the one time we did the linesman judged it to be offside!

The third goal came when there was a bit of hesitancy in our defence, and once again we were punished - no single blame... just two men, one ball and no clear challenge.

Towards the end Claygate were definitely fading with many of them showing signs of tired legs. We did have some more shots on goal but they just went wide or were straight at the 'keeper. The nearest we got was from a free kick in the dying moments of the game but the 'keeper pulled off the save of the match and just pushed the ball over the bar.

My praise goes to the entire team for their support and for sticking in there and for not giving up even though the score was against us - well done boys!

And thanks to the parents too for their support in a season that has had it's ups and downs. Simon, Kevin and myself hope to see you all back next season."

Man of the Match - Marcus Taylor

Guildford Saints 6 Farnham Utd 0

What a great way to finish off the season - with a resounding win full of good football and great finishing. Here's Kevin's match report;

"The last game of the season saw the Saints return to form after a rather dismal run of results. Saints scored early on when Jamie was on hand to turn in a parried Tom R shot, Julien then doubled the score before Josh pulled off a brilliant one handed save to deny Farnham a goal. With fifteen players to use for this game regular substitutions were made and one of these, Joe R, then came on and scored the third. This was a good display but we have and could have scored more with chances going begging and players straying offside too regularly. Farnham were reduced to ten through injury so we matched them by withdrawing Ben who came off with twinge in the back.

In the second half more changes were made with Ollie slotting into right back, Chris into left and Ross on the left of Midfield - and it was Ross who scored from the best move of the game with a good volley. Joe R then scored his second and Julien doubled up too before Farnham hit the crossbar from a free kick late in the match.

Overall a good display tonight but we can rue the dropped points over the season. Only one team have denied us any points in league this season (Staines Albion) so by rights we should have finished higher but overall I think all the boys have done well and I thank them all.

Man of the Match - Connor Duke

Manager's End of Season Report!! (Saints squad)

This is Kevin's end of season report for his squad;

Josh - has had a solid season and it was nice to see him keep a clean sheet in the last match. one of the best keepers in the league

Chris - solid displays throughout the season and mr dependable

Ben - good start to the season but shame he suffered injuries. reliable defender

Ross - brilliant full back always looking to overlap

Julien - good finish to the season but still not at his flying best but a reliable football player

Connor - excellent first season for us

Mike D - another superb addition and has done brilliant playing at the back

Matt - yet another very welcome addition to the squad and a versatile player

Ollie - my little utility player

Nathan - back to his best like before he left us temporarily. nice to have him back

Martin - a well deserved player's player of the year award for a very accomplished centre back

Alex M - great captain who leads by example

Jamie - the last few games Jamie has shown just what a good player he is

Seb - another fine addition to the squad quick winger and a great hat trick earlier in the season

Joe - playing a year above himself and a well deserved most improved player award

Tom - excellent striker and leader of the line, well deserved golden boot and manager's player of the year award

Goal Scorers - Tom 26, Joe 9, Alex 6, Julien 6, Ross 3, Mike 3, Seb 3, Jamie 2, Matt 1 & Martin 1

Thanks lads have a good summer!

Guildford Saints 0 Leatherhead Predators 2

More disappointment for Saints as this season - which looked so promising - fades out with a whimper. Here's Kevin's match report;

"Another lack lustre display from Saints saw them drop another three points in a "end of season" performance. In the first half we just stood off, allowing Leatherhead time and space on the ball. Our passing was extremely disjointed and it was no surprise when we went 1-0 down. Failure to make a decent challenge let a Leatherhead forward slot in on the angle passed Josh. Even then we failed to raise our game and we conceded another in similar fashion shortly before the break.

The second half saw Ben come off, after his return from injury, with Mike D moving to centre back, Matt in at right back and Joe up front and we slowly began to get back into the game. Joe just failed to get to a ball played across the goal by Julien and Julien himself was robbed just before "pulling the trigger".

The effort was better in the second half but that’s about all I can say about this game - a poor end of season display and let’s hope we can sign off the season with the kind of football with which we are capable of in our next match against Farnham on Thursday"

Man of the Match - Mike Donne

Guildford Saints 1 Ascot Utd 3

With our two centre backs already missing and the late withdrawal of Alex M due to injury we really did have to cobble together a defence on Sunday but Matt & Mike D stepped into the breach and performed very well against an organised and quick attacking opposition.

It was Saints that started brightly with Joe R, Julien, Tom & Jamie all playing their part in some sweeping attacks. Julien eventually found a way through the Ascot rearguard with a lovely looping shot to give us a 1-0 lead. We could have increased the lead but our finishing was not brilliant and as the half wore on Ascot started to see more possession and started to create chances of their own. Eventually they equalised when Matt stood off an attacking player a little to long and he was able to pass by him and strike a low shot into the corner of the net. We seemed to have weathered the storm after this but just on the stroke of half time a fantastic (if not speculative!) shot from an Ascot midfielder flew into the top corner of Josh's net giving the 'keeper no chance and the visitors a 2-1 half time lead.

In the second half we again took the game to Ascot, pulling them all over the park with some excellent running and passing, but despite this we failed to create many good chances and when we did the Ascot 'keeper made some excellent saves. Midway through the half Ascot struck with a third from a free kick that curled away from Josh and into the far corner and this goal effectively killed the match. Saints continued to try and create opportunities but quite often failed with either a poor final pass or some weak finishing and, to be fair, as we left some gaps Josh had to perform a couple of great stops to prevent Ascot adding to their lead. Eventually the game petered out to another disappointing defeat that realistically ends our hopes of a runners up spot in the Premier this season.

I thought the lads general play was OK to day. The effort was definitely there - in particular Ross, Mike D, Connor, Nathan and Tom R all worked their socks off - unfortunately the quality of our passing and finishing quite often let us down. However let's not forget that the eventual difference in the side was two "wonder" goals that we could do little about. A good effort from the lads today but a disappointing result.

Men of the Match - Mike Donne & Tom Richards

Perrywood Sports 1 Guildford Saints Blues 1

Having spent most of Saturday composing an email to parents berating the behaviour of my players I now have the happy pleasure of compiling a Match Report praising the very same players for an exemplary and disciplined performance against Perrywood... particularly in the face an appallingly inept performance from the match referee.

In a complete contrast to Friday's debacle the boys responded positively and with a great deal of passion and energy to make one of the division's leading sides look distinctly average.

When after 10 minutes the "referee" failed to give a clear foul on Joe B and Perrywood broke away and scored I feared the worst but the boys responded magnificently. Joe B was superb in the first half and seemed to be everywhere on the pitch as we dominated possession. Alex O, like a number of players playing his fourth match in eight days, also worked tirelessly, chasing down opponents and winning back possession regularly.

Despite plenty of the ball we, like Friday, seemed unable to create any clear cut scoring opportunities until right at the end of the half we thought we had achieved an equaliser but Chris Smith's brilliant free kick was well saved by the 'keeper.

In the second half we made one small change pushing Mike Bell further forward and dropping the always busy Scott G just behind him and it paid off as Mike Bell converted ten minutes in for 1-1. Mike then dropped into midfield for the remainder of the match replacing the tired Alex O and played brilliantly working his socks off to win back possession and create chances for Ed up front which unfortunately he was unable to convert.

When Perrywood did break our defence worked very well together today with Tyler & Chris getting in some timely tackles, Tom covering and supporting his team mates superbly and George, in particular, outstanding on the right.

Nathan was called into action late in the game and made a brave save at the feet of a Perrywood striker but all in all 1-1 was a deserved result.

After my disappointment Friday, I must admit that I was very proud of the boys today. Their conduct was first class. The referee was extremely poor today (for both sides) and seemed unwilling or unable to give any decisions and I thought the players handled this extremely well. As a result of this positive behaviour and because their concentration remained on the game the performance was extremely pleasing and the result very good. The team work was very evident and the willingness of the players to pull together and work for each other resulted in a job well done. My thanks to the boys for this.

Men of the Match - George Collett & Joe Barras

Staines Town 1 Guildford Saints 1

"Immense!!"

That was Kevin's view on his sides performance today. Denied a memorable victory only by a very, very late equaliser in "Added" time the Saints and their manager can be rightly proud of their efforts today against runaway league leaders Staines Town.

This is Kevin's Match Report;

"Following the last few week's poor displays today was a complete revelation in everyone’s attitude, desire and commitment. With just 11 players available the team played not the neatest football we have ever seen from the Saints but a most composed, committed and defensive display.

With Matt, Mike, Tom, Ben & Ollie all missing we had to go 4-4-2 with Alex M dropping back to centre back alongside Martin, Ross and Christian - and what a performance they gave, full of energy and desire to not let anything past them. Seb started on the right with Connor and Nathan in the middle and Jamie on the left, leaving Julien and Joe up front. Jamie, today, gave his best performance in a Saints shirt! He was closing people down, heading and laying neat passes on for Julien and Joe to feed on. Joe and Julien ran their socks off up front as we looked to close Staines down at the back and defend from the front.

Saints enjoyed the better possession in the first half and Martin was unlucky to see a free kick narrowly miss the post from a long way out. Alex M and Martin along with Chris and Ross destroyed every Staines attack and restricted them to long range efforts which either went wide or were easily dealt with by Josh. On the one occasion when a aimless ball was played over the top Josh was off his line like a greyhound out of the trap only to get clattered by the Staines forward. Luckily Josh was only winded and resumed his place in goal. Although we had the possession we really did not threaten the Staines goal and the half finished 0-0.

The boys were buzzing at half time and with plenty of reason to be so - we also knew that Staines were there for the taking if we carried on like this. With Staines wanting to wrap up the title they came straight at us but we stood up to be counted in style. Ross and Jamie were putting bodies in the way, Chris and Seb were denying time and space down the right and Alex M and Martin were dealing with everything through the middle. Finally we put the ball in the net when Nathan shot and the ball bounced in front of the 'keeper for Joe to put it away - unfortunately he was judged to have jumped at the 'keeper. Still midway through the half Joe latched onto a pass and steered the ball home for a deserved 1-0 lead. Cue a Staines onslaught!! A shot rattled our cross bar, corner after corner was defended magnificently and Ross threw his body at a goal bound shot... but despite this we still looked relatively comfortable. With 10 minutes left Seb was cruelly brought down by a cynical challenge and it looked like we would be left with 10 men but up he got and played on - a real testament to his desire and strength. Just before the end Julien had a chance but rolled the ball agonisingly the wrong side of the post. Josh gave us a heart attack when, trying to play for time, he saved the ball, put it on the ground then picked it up again conceding an indirect free kick. Staines took a quick free kick but Josh redeemed himself with a brilliant save. Moving into ‘Fergie time’ Staines were getting frustrated and we were getting tired when a hopeful ball was swung over from the right and the Staines player volleyed towards our goal - this type of shot do one of two things they either fly high, wide and handsome or fly in and unfortunately it flew in. Still the referee played more mins (46 at this point!!) but we played ourselves to a memorable point.

It just shows that when the boys are focused they can achieve almost anything. Maybe I have been harsh over the last couple of weeks as runners up spot was within their grasp and a lack of discipline and focus caused too many dropped points. They are very capable of playing like this every week and it is frustrating to watch them not play to the best of their abilities. Without doubt though this was by far and away their best performance of the season and one I and them should be very proud of. With so many excellent performances out there today it's been really hard to select one individual but in the end Jamie just edged it, a player more than capable but does not always show it.

Man of the Match - Jamie Henderson

Staines Town Colts 2 Guildford Saints Blues 0

Tonight's was surely the most disappointing game of the season - not because we lost... not because of the performance... but because of the shameful behaviour of my players particularly in the second half when energies that should have been channelled into competing and challenging our opponents were expended in arguing with our team mates, abusing the referee and arguing with our coaches. As a result a match that we could have won went away from us and a club that prides itself on our fairness and friendliness has been let down by the very players that have so superbly represented it for a number of years now.

Having written to all our players and parents about this there is no need to say more in this match report other than I expect a positive response in future matches.

As for the match itself we dominated possession in both halves but were unable to create much in the way of clear cut opportunities as frustratingly our final balls were misplaced or over hit and too often our players turned back into trouble rather than passing into space making it easy for a pedestrian Staines side to clear their decks. In the second half Staines counter attacked quickly twice and scored twice before our frustrations boiled over and we just disintegrated. We were fortunate then to keep it down to two and this was only in thanks to some resolute defending, a couple of good saves from Nathan and some poor finishing from Staines.

This really was a match thrown away. I thought Staines were very average and, although I accept that we were probably quite tired, in the end we beat ourselves with our indiscipline. A very disappointing day for me as a coach and for the players.

Man of the Match - Mike Bell

Guildford City Tigers 1 Guildford Saints Blues 2

A really battling performance from 10 man Blues saw them achieve a deserved victory against local rivals City to complete a season double over our friends from across town.

Again struggling for numbers Saints were further setback when only nine players were on the pitch for kick off. Shortly after the start Ed appeared to give us ten but we were always a man down for the remainder of the match. Things looked to be going from bad to worse when City took the lead midway through the half when an uncharacteristic fumble from Nathan allowed a flick on to drop through his hands and into the net. Unusually though this had a positive effect on our young 'keeper who then proceeded to put in one of his best performances of the season claiming all further crosses and shots with confidence and pulling out a couple of match saving saves later in the game.

Despite going behind it was clear that if we could counter City's direct style we were the better footballing side and with patience chances would - and did - come our way. An awful surface didn't help but we did try and pass the ball forward quickly and quite often we did create good space only to fail with the final ball or miss our shots. Scott had a great chance to equalise but pulled the ball just wide, while Jack had two great opportunities to score but on both occasions his shots were hit too heavily and flew over. Eventually though we did equalise when a fantastic free kick by Chris caused mass confusion in the City defence and when the ball fell from the scrambling 'keepers grasp Scott was on hand to toe poke home.

In the second half we continued to pursue the match. Ed posed a threat up front and twice Alex broke through but was unable to get a clean shot off. City also broke a couple of times but our defence was superb and rarely allowed them to get shots off and when they did Nathan was in unbeatable form. Midway through the half the outstanding Alex O ran clear from midfield and drew a fine save from the City 'keeper with a powerful shot but the rebound fell nicely to the on rushing Jack who fired home for the winner. As you would expect we "locked the door" a little after this and were able to see the match out with some fabulous defensive work from the whole team.

This was a good team performance (if not the best footballing performance!) and a fine result. The boys showed great character and put in some real hard work today and got their due reward with the win. Nathan played well as did the whole back four with George absolutely awesome in the second half. Alex Oldland had an excellent game in midfield full of energy & commitment but the star man for me was Scott who must have covered every blade of grass today and scored a valuable goal in the process. Well done to all the boys today though who all played a part in the victory.

Man of the Match - Scott Gotham

Guildford Saints Blues 1 Badshot Lea Blades 4

The Blues' season is imploding as we racked up our third home defeat in a row against a Badshot Lea side that were well organised but posed little threat from open play.

The Blues were much weakened by players away for Easter and we could only field a bare eleven. The boys did very well in the first half though and we had the best chance of the half when Scott pulled a shot just wide of the far post.

Right at the start of the second half we were caught cold at a set piece allowing Badshot a free header for 1-0. Credit to the boys though we continued to battle and Alex O was switched up front to support Scott and looked very lively. Unfortunately we were to concede two more quick goals - both again from set pieces - before we grabbed a consolation when Chris's corner was toed into his own net by a defender. Alex then had a great chance to score but his shot was saved and Jack too was clear but his half volley just went wide of the post. Badshot grabbed their fourth just before the end and against the run of play but overall they deserved their win in the end.

Marcus had a great first half dominating the game with strong heading and good clearances and Tyler gave him good support but in the second half, I'm afraid, the defensive side of our game was found wanting. We need to compete and challenge at corners and free kicks otherwise it's going to be a long, hard end of season run in for us.

Man of the Match - Chris Smith

Staines Albion 2 Guildford Saints 1

This is Kevin's take on another disappointing result for the Saints on Sunday;

"Following the poor display Friday night, Saints again started this match very slowly and gave away possession far too cheaply and it was not long before Staines took the lead when a long range shot caught Josh off his line, hit the bar and went in. We then started to look better and had much more of the ball after that but it was always going to be a struggle on pitch that was uneven and long grassed. Half time 1-0.

In the second half we were soon two behind when a speculative shot went under Josh. Still we got our act together and scored what we thought was a perfectly good goal only to have it chalked off for an offside!!! Seb then went on a run, squared to Tom whose shot was parried and Joe shot home the rebound. We were then subjected to a run of tackles that boarded on assaults but only one yellow card was shown and in the end we just ran out of steam.

Man of the Match - Tom Richards

Guildford City Lions 6 Guildford Saints 2

A disastrous evening all round really as the Saints lost out to local rivals City with possibly their worst performance of the season.

On a truly awful surface it was always going to be the team that showed the most passion and fight that was going to be victorious - unfortunately for us it was City!! Our performance in the first half can only be described as lazy. We were second to every challenge and weak in our clearances and, despite taking an early lead through Tom Richards, we were never in the game.

3-1 down at the interval some strong words were needed at half time in order to get a reaction from the players. Unfortunately the team talk was interrupted and this disruption, coupled with the continuing inability for the Saints to lift their game, resulted in a final score of 6-2 to City.

This really was a very disappointing performance and the players let themselves down today. There seems to be a "job done" attitude at the moment and as a result games we should be winning are going away from us. This was a "big game" for a number of reasons not least that City are one place below us in the league and the fact that the boys showed little fight or desire to compete is very concerning.

Man of the Match - Tom Richards

Knaphill Wanderers 2 Guildford Saints 4

After the battering we took last week we were looking for a response from the boys this week. We had already lost Christian, Seb, Martin and Ollie to other commitments and we lost Ben as well on Saturday night to injury so this meant call ups for Blues players George Collett and Tom Oldland to the Saints team and both of them had fine matches.

Only Ross started from our normal back four with the ever dependable Matt and Tom O forming a central partnership with George at right backs. Nathan, Julien, Alex M, Mike D and Joe formed the midfield and Tom R started on his usual role up front. Right from the off we were on the offensive and Tom, Joe and Nathan all had shots at goal. Alex M went close before Tom R opened the scoring judging his run perfectly onto a Matt free kick and slotting home. Knaphill had a good spell midway through the half but Tom O and Matt were extremely resolute and George added pace down the right - Ross was just back to excellent best!! Nathan was doing a great job as the holding midfielder which allowed Mike, Alex, Joe and Julien to raid forward and Tom R was looking very bright up top as we continued to look dangerous from every break - how it was only 1-0 at half time we'll never know!

Right at the start of the second half we upped our passing and it paid huge dividends when neat interchanges between Tom R, Nathan and Joe played Joe in and he very coolly slotted beneath the 'keeper. This signalled a change with George and Joe making way for Connor and Jamie, with Mike slotting in at right back. Almost immediately it paid dividends with Ross sending Tom R away and around the 'keeper he went to put away his second of the match. Saints fourth was really great with neat one touch passes between Jamie, Mike and Tom R setting up Julien who swept it home. What happened then I don’t really know!! Tom R crashed a shot home which was ruled out for a foul, Ross shot with his left when his right would have brought him a goal, Tom R went round the 'keeper again but rolled it wide, a Tom R free kick was tipped over by the 'keeper and even Tom O had one pinched off his toes when scoring would have been easier. After almost total domination it was a disappointment when we failed to clear our lines and a Knaphill forward drilled home. Josh then pulled off a great one handed save but right at the death Knaphill scored a second when we did not get out quick enough and left time and space for a Knaphill player to score.

This was a much better passing display today and a really good defensive display from George, Matt, Tom and Ross - the guys coming back may find their places are not easily given up by those players who had them today. We were certainly quicker to the tackle and must carry this kind of commitment and discipline into the last few games to get any reward.

Man of the Match - Ross Pearn

Guildford Saints Blues 0 Woking & Maybury 4

After last weekend's excellent result, today was really a case of "after the Lord Mayor's Show". A poor performance was rewarded with a truly disappointing result in our last home game at the Varsity this season.

The first half was a coach's nightmare. We were sloppy in possession, slow to the challenge, weak in the tackle and poor in our decision making. As a result we found ourselves exposed in all areas of the pitch...... in particular defence where we were regularly at sixes and sevens as we tried desperately to cope with W&Ms speed of passing and turn of pace. Despite this, we gifted W&M their first goal when Nathan fumbled a basic-looking catch into his own net. Minutes later we had our only real chance of the game when Chris Clement was put through but his shot rebounded off the crossbar. We then suffered a period of intense pressure where our defence was appalling but our goalkeeper outstanding as Nathan redeemed himself with a number of excellent saves when we left their strikers acres of time and space in our area to control the ball and pepper our goal with shots. Shortly before half time a poor clearance from Nathan was completely mis-kicked by Marcus into the path of the W&M striker who slotted home.

Strong words were said at half time - the boys have set their own standards in the last two games and these were sadly lacking today - and at the start of the second half the boys seemed to have responded. However, just when it looked like we were turning the game round, we were again undone by the quick pace of the W&M attackers who exposed gaps in our defence and then finished in style to make it 3-0. To their credit we continued to try and create chances but to little effect. W&M wrapped up the game with a fourth goal that summed up our match. The referee amazingly interpreted a full stretch, last ditch tackle as a deliberate back pass and from the subsequent free kick our wall disintegrated like a pack of cards and a pretty weak shot flew in at the near post. Scandalous refereeing and even more scandalous defending!!

This really was not good enough today. As a coach I am bitterly disappointed - as should the players be. In previous weeks we have shown the qualities in our play but today we were not undone by a better footballing team but we were guilty of carelessness, sloppiness and laziness - qualities that I do not expect to see in any of my teams and certainly not repeated for the remainder of the season. The boys must lift their heads now, put this behind them, learn the lessons and take their recent good form, this game aside, into their next match.

Man of the Match - n/a

Guildford Saints 1 Staines Town 6

They say football is a game of two halves... and this certainly was!! In the first half Saints competed all over the park and had the early chances but it was Staines that took the lead when slack marking at a corner allowed a Staines player to head home unopposed. Saints stormed up field and Tom flashed a shot wide. Joe then had a great run ended when the Staines 'keeper brought him down but Alex M’s penalty kick was saved by the Staines 'keeper. However still we kept plugging away and eventually we equalised when Tom finished a great move with a strong run and shot.

Second half and what a disaster!!!!!. We just shut down and allowed Staines to dominate the play and most of their five goals were caused by set plays that we just did not defend in any shape or form. We allowed players to get the ball under control while showing them the outside instead of making a tackle. When we did have the ball our passing was going astray and not to feet. This was not a display worthy of calling a Saints performance. There were only a handful of players that worked for the cause today. Martin, Josh, Chris, Mike D, Tom, Alex and Joe - the rest were well below the standard expected. How they played as they did in the first half and then put in a performance like that in the second is beyond me!!

It really looks like too many late nights and lack of fitness. Our chances of picking up a reward for this season are fast disappearing and will be non-existent if we carry on like this. We played 4-4-2 because the boys wanted to... maybe I should not have listened and kept our tried and trusted formation!

Man of the Match - Martin Peters

Grayshott 1 Guildford Saints Blues 2

I found myself whistling at work today... something I very rarely do especially on a Monday and even more especially on a Monday after Fulham have lost!!! Why? Well it's because the boys really did me proud on Sunday. I thought that - despite the result - the Blues had looked very good last weekend against Farncombe but this match saw us show not only good shape but also a determination and resolve to compete all over the pitch. In the end we got our just desserts with a deserved victory and the fact that we limited high fliers Grayshott to barely a couple of chances all game makes the massive improvement in our solidity even more pleasing.

Right from the off we were the team with impetus and drive. Alex O and Joe are beginning to form a great partnership in midfield and with Ellis continually dropping off to pick the ball up in space we do look dangerous. Scott worked tirelessly up front as usual but it was Chris Smith who had our first chance with a delightful free kick that hit the top of the bar. Ed was giving Grayshott continual problems down the left as well and it was only a matter of time surely before we scored. In the end it was another Smithy free kick that broke the dead lock. This time the young left back kept the ball below the cross bar and above the flailing 'keepers hands for his first goal for the club much to the joy of his delighted team mates.

Throughout the first half we continued to contain Grayshott's attacks and break quickly and it looked like we were going to take the 1-0 lead into the break. Unfortunately - just like last week - we switched off at the back right on half time with hesitation again between Nathan and his defence allowing Grayshott an equaliser.

In the second half it was more of the same. Scott and Ed switched and again Ed caused them all sorts of problems with his pace. Alex O with first Joe and then Mike P worked tirelessly in midfield to regain possession but the star man was Tom Oldland. His fierce tackling, excellent reading of the game and driving runs to bring the ball out from the back were an inspiration to his team mates especially Marcus & George who both rose to the challenge in the second half too as the defence limited previously free scoring Grayshott to only two or three half chances. The only time Grayshott did break through Nathan pulled off a fantastic save at the feet of their striker.

Just as it looked that a draw was going to be the rather unsatisfactory final result. Ellis stepped forward and grabbed the glory as he cleverly made space for himself before chipping the goalkeeper beautifully to make it 2-1. There was barely time for Grayshott to recover before the final whistle went on one of our best victories of the season.

Very, very pleased with the last two team performances. The team is picking itself at the moment and the players continue to surpass my expectations. Special mentions to Joe B - who I thought had another excellent performance, Chris - whose dead ball work is a massive plus for us and Alex O - who was really on his game today. Well done to everyone though - the whole team is playing well at the moment.

Man of the Match - Tom Oldland

Mayford Athletic Oaks 3 Guildford Saints 2

Saints threw away the points today as they suffered a rare defeat at Mayford. Starting brightly we had the ball in Mayford net early on but had it ruled out for offside. After that we lived a little dangerously at the back where Matt was standing in for Martin and a clearly injured Ben could only struggle through to half time. Both Ollie and Ross were having fine games but we were a little soft through the middle and Ollie managed somehow to smuggle one off the line before Saints took the lead. We actually got the ball on the deck strung some passes together and Tom shifted the ball out of his feet and finished well to put us into a deserved lead. Mayford came back at us and Josh pulled off a stunning save but, other than that, we withstood most of everything Mayford could throw at us in the first half.

Kicking uphill in the second half was always going to be a stretch and Alex M, who had moved in to the back four to replace Ben, was mopping up most stuff but eventually a defensive lapse, after an attack of our own broke down, left a player over on our left and - although Josh got a hand to it - he couldn’t keep the resulting shot out. We continued to go looking for goals and Tom showed brilliant strength to hold off a couple of defenders and slot in to give us the lead again. However, with only ten minutes left we once again let ourselves down by not clearing and Mayford levelled. Then disaster struck as again we were exposed on our left when Mayford had attacked and again had a player over. Ross tried twice to get his body there but everyone else was just watching and Mayford took the lead and the game was over.

We have to rid ourselves of these silly errors. Players must take responsibility to do a job and not just hope that others will do it for them. If you see it, do it! We need to recover quickly and get back to winning ways so that we retain a realistic trophy challenge.

Man of the Match - Tom Richards

Guildford Saints Blues 0 Farncombe Dynamos 2

I'm truly baffled how we lost this game!! For the second time this season we totally dominated Farncombe and for the second time this season we failed to take our chances and as a result have a net total of one point from a possible six!!

Credit to our opponents they are a very organised side and play with good commitment but today we really played well all over the pitch and I'm sure that the boys share my disappointment at the final result. Throughout the first half we were the team driving forward. Ellis & Ed both had opportunities and Scott was looking very lively up front but either our finishing was poor or their 'keeper made some good saves. Just before half time we conceded a soft free kick and when the ball was played between Nathan and our defenders there was visible hesitation and a Farncombe player reacted quickest to toe poke the ball home.

We changed a number of personnel for the second half but still we were the more attacking side and looked most likely to score. Again Ed had opportunities as did Mike B but we just couldn't score. Midway through the half Farncombe scored their second - an unstoppable shot from the right hand corner of the penalty area that Nathan had no chance with.

The re-introduction of Ellis late in the game resulted in a prolonged spell of pressure on the Farncombe goal with Mike B, Ellis & Jack combining particularly well on the right hand side but it just wasn't to be our day!

As you can probably gather I was pleased with the performance but disappointed with the result. I think that this probably puts pay to our title chances but we can still have a big say in the destination of the trophy with games against Grayshott and Claygate still to come. If we play with the same shape and attitude results will come and I was happy with the boys application this morning. Special mention for good individual displays from Chris Smith, Chris Clement, Joe Barras, George Collet and Jack Craig who all put in improved performances today.

Man of the Match - Ellis Wilcox

Leatherhead Predators 0 Guildford Saints 0

A cold morning ... and a hot start from Leatherhead but Saints coped well with Ross, Chris, Ben and Martin all standing up strongly and Josh not really having a shot worthy of note to save - mind you we didn't really trouble their 'keeper either!! The game was being fought in midfield and it was there that we failed to compete and , as a result, we failed to get play going or create any chances.

The second half was much better and we started to take the game to Leatherhead more. We hit the bar through a Martin header, Ross should have done better when trying to chip the 'keeper, Tom had a shot well saved by the keeper from a yard out and Mike had a header cleared off the line. Other than that not much else to report from this game. Leatherhead are a far stronger team than their league position suggests but we should have won this one based upon possession and the chances that we eventually had.

Men of the Match - Ross Pearn & Martin Peters

Matches Off

Both the SAINTS match at Guildford City and the BLUES match at Claygate this Sunday have been postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Guildford Saints 3 Mayford Athletic Oaks 2

They say that it's a sign of a good team when you can play badly yet still win the crucial games... well on Sunday the Saints must have been a fantastic team - because they played awfully and yet still won!!! Kevin's match report follows;

"The first half saw a really dismal display from the Saints midfield and defence. Admittedly we were missing Martin and so we started with Ben and Matt at central defence with Chris and Ross wide. The midfield line up was Alex M, Connor, Jamie, Julien and Mike - but together they produced an inept display and it was really no surprise when we failed to clear our lines and eventually fell behind midway through a forgettable first half. Although we had a couple of attempts on goal we lacked any movement and ideas and struggled to get any cohesion to our game - if it had not been for Josh in goal we could have found ourselves even further behind and for us half time could not come quickly enough. Seb had come on for Jamie but we failed to utilise his pace.

The second half started but still we did not seem to lift ourselves to the required pace although we were defending better when Alex M moved into the back after Ben suffered an injury. Nathan had come on to anchor the midfield but Mayford were still winning the second ball. Ollie replaced Chris and Joe replaced Seb and then suddenly we sparked into life. We played ourselves in to the box and the 'keeper could only parry a shot on to Julien's head which he comfortably dispatched into the back of the net. What happened next was just a calamity and a show of errors!! A harmless ball was punted through our defence. Josh came out to clear but sliced his kick. However we looked safe as the ball fell to our defence but they inexplicably slashed at it as well and Mayford were able to roll the ball into an empty net. We reverted to a 4-4-2 (although Joe was making it a 4-3-3 at times!!) and eventually we equalised again when Tom R shot in on the angle. With just minutes to play Tom R won us the match when sent through by a fine ball from Mike which he coolly slotted home.

Saints saw out the remaining time in a hail of rain to prove that good sides sometimes win even when they are not playing well. Guildford City next week and another vital game which could help keep the pressure on Staines Town at the top.

We must be more fully focused before the game starts and must compete all over the pitch throughout the 80 minutes and be solid in our tackles. The last half hour was a good display but we cannot leave it this late in crucial games."

Man of the Match - Tom Richards

Upcoming Matches

Sunday 21st February 2010

Prem Div - SAINTS v Mayford Athletic Oaks (11.30am KO)

Div 3 - Staines Town Colts v BLUES (11.45am KO)

No training this Thursday (Half Term)

Guildford Saints 1 Fleet Town Colts 1 - Fleet win 4-2 on penalties

Plate heartbreak for lack lustre Saints this weekend as they lost to Fleet in a penalty shoot out. This was Kevin's take on the game;

"Saints lost this quarter final after a totally inept first half display against a Fleet side who put a lot more effort into their game. Legs were being slashed at the ball, headers not watched and possession wasted. It was just a horrible display! Yes we had chances which we didn’t take but, overall, Fleet deserved to take the lead as once again we failed to clear and a Fleet player put the ball home off the post. A big half time talk was needed and delivered.

In fact, the second half didn’t really take off until Connor took to the field and almost immediately we scored when the ball was played wide left, Tom R crossed and Mike powered home a shot. We were camped in their area for most of the second half but just could not find a way through a packed defence. However, we nearly won it when Ben was free at the back post but the 'keeper saved. Josh pulled off a great save near the end too but 1-1 final score and in to extra time. We only played 5 minutes each way at the insistence of the Fleet manager but the only real chance was thwarted by the Fleet linesman!

This time the penalty shoot out didn’t go our way with Josh getting nowhere near their penalties and both Tom and Martin failing to convert after Alex M and Matt had scored with theirs."

Man of the Match - Connor Duke

Feltham Blues 2 Guildford Saints Blues 0

The omens for our progress in this season's Cup competition did not look good when we lost our goalkeeper and captain 24 hours before kick off. To then lose our best defender and vice-captain two hours before kick off as well left me feeling very depressed about the impending game against the previously unbeaten Division Four leaders. To our credit though the boys started very well and we were the dominant team in the first half, controlling possession and creating a number of very good chances for Ellis, Scott & Ed. However the Feltham goalkeeper was in good form and their goal led a charmed life.

In the second half it was hugely disappointing to see our performance drop away so dramatically. Although clearly still the better footballing side we look very tired and sluggish - quite often second to the challenge and allowing our opponents far too much time to control the ball and turn. Despite having discussed the need to keep the game in front of our defenders, Feltham were quite regularly able to turn us by playing a long ball over the top and it was almost inevitable that the otherwise excellent stand in 'keeper Alex O would eventually get beaten when a breakaway run and shot could only be parried straight onto the feet of an oncoming Feltham team mate who couldn't miss with the goal at his mercy. We struggled to match Feltham's effort after this and, although Jack scraped a shot just wide late on, we never really looked like scoring in the second half. When Feltham got their second with 10 minutes left - another ball over the top that left our defence standing - then there was no way back for the Saints Blues.

Despite this being an all round "bad day at the office" for the Blues I was truly alarmed by the apparent poor fitness and stamina of the players today. Our midfield were absolutely woeful in the second half after being excellent in the first... making me think that the two Mike's and Ed, in particular, need to realise that they must work on their stamina training more. As such important players to the team they must last 80 minutes not just 40! My big thanks to Alex though today for again stepping in to the breach left by the injury prone Nathan, and performing so well in goal. And to brother Tom who was the only player that could truly come of the pitch yesterday saying that he had given everything he had for the team - a colossal captains performance!

Man of the Match - Tom Oldland

Burpham 0 Guildford Saints 1

Saints took local bragging rights on Sunday with a hard earned victory over local rivals Burpham. Here is Kevin's match report;

"Another league game against our local rivals and, with the last result against Burpham still fresh in our minds, this was always going to be a big game!

Saints were focused and committed from the start - although this was no classic by any means. Burpham were full of hard work themselves, but we "bossed" the midfield with Alex M, Connor and Nathan all having fine games but, despite all our possession, we could not find the net in the early stages when a little more composure in front of goal would have seen us establish an early lead. We lost Joe R after 15 minutes as he was feeling unwell and Seb took his place. Connor then took a knock and was replaced by Mike D who came on to face his former club - he too was right on the pace. Josh was having little to do other than to see off a few long range efforts. Ben, Chris, Martin and Matt were superb in defence and Matt, in particular, marked his potentially dangerous opponent out of the game.

Eventually our dominance was rewarded when Tom R opened the scoring latching on to a through ball and nodding the ball around the defender before racing on to dispatch his shot across the 'keeper. 0-1 Saints

The second half was all about doing the ugly things and working hard - which is what we did with real discipline. Alex M stepped up his game and was all over the field urging his team mates on and they responded. Jamie came on for Nathan and played very well in front of the back four. Chances were limited but we did have some... Matt with a breakaway, Tom R with a couple of shots and Seb went close also. Other than at the end, when Matt got to the Burpham forward just as he shot and the ball deflected onto the bar, we were not really troubled defensively.

This was a really great battling performance against opposition who were always going to up their game today playing against their mates. A good 3 points won. Well done lads."

Men of the Match: Matt Burton & Alex Mattock