POINTS SHARED IN OPENER

Eagles under 14's shared the points with Faversham Strike Force in their opening Molten East Kent Youth League division one fixture on Sunday after a hard earned 2-2
draw.

Although the Canterbury side had the better of the opening 15/20 minutes they found the Strike Force keeper in good form saving on three seperate occasions from striker Tom Olson and it was the Faversham side who somewhat against the run of play took the lead when a defensive clearence landed at the feet of one of their forwards who had no hesitation in finding the corner of the net. Eagles continued to battle hard and were rewarded with an equaliser shortly after the break when Tyler Collard fought hard to win a ball in the middle of the park before laying the ball into the path of Ted Johnson who's shot from fully 20yards left the the home keeper a mere spectator as the ball hit the back of the net.

No sooner had the Eagles side scored their equaliser another lapse of concentration in defence let in Strike Force to score their second and thats how it remained until roughly 5 minutes before the final whistle, when an excellant one two between George Darby and Tom Olson split the Strike Force defence which left Darby one on one with the keeper and he calmly slotted home to rescue a well deserved point.

Eagles Man of the Match went to Michael Williams

TEAM: William Young, Michael Williams, Daniel Stevens, Jake Carver, Liam Dodd, Brandon Kerr, Callum Reynolds, Tyler Collard, Luke Small, Daniel Hussey, Tom Olson, George Darby, Shaun Lafferty, Ted Johnson.

EAGLES COMPLETE PRE-SEASON ON A HIGH

EAGLES UNDER 14'S COMPLETED THEIR PRE-SEASON RUN OF MATCHES WITH ANOTHER WIN, BEATING ASHFORD BOROUGH 5 - 1 AT VICTORIA RECREATION GROUND ON SUNDAY.

THE EAGLES SIDE LOOKED SHARP FROM THE START AND ALMOST TOOK THE LEAD WITHIN SECONDS OF THE KICK OFF WHEN TOM OLSON HASSLED THE ASHFORD DEFENCE INTO MAKING A MISTAKE AND AFTER HE ROUNDED THE VISTING KEEPER FOUND THAT HIS SHOT WASN'T QUITE STRONG ENOUGH TO CROSS THE LINE BEFORE A DEFENDER CLEARED TO SAFETY.
HE DID HOWEVER GET ON THE SCORESHEET SHORTLY AFTER WITH AN ALMOST CARBON COPY OF HIS NEAR MISS BUT THIS TIME MADE SURE THE BALL FOUND THE NET, AND THE EAGLES SIDE ADDED A SECOND WHEN TYLER COLLARD TAPPED IN FROM CLOSE RANGE AFTER THE BORO' KEEPER HAD SPILLED A SHOT FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY.
A THIRD GOAL WAS ADDED BY TED JOHNSON AFTER HE LINKED WELL WITH FELLOW STRIKER GEORGE DARBY AND OLSON COMPLETED HIS HAT-TRICK WITH THE HOME SIDES 4TH AND 5TH GOALS OF THE GAME WHICH WERE SANDWICHED BY A CONSOLATION GOAL FOR THE VISITORS.

THE SEASON STARTS PROPER FOR THE EAGLES SIDE NEXT SUNDAY WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO FAVERSHAM TO TAKE ON LOCAL SIDE STRIKE FORCE AND THEY WILL BE LOOKING TO COME AWAY WITH ALL THREE POINTS TO GET THEIR ASSAULT OF THE MOLTEN EAST KENT YOUTH LEAGUE DIVISION ONE TITLE OFF TO A WINNING START.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, BRANDON KERR, CALLUM REYNOLDS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MARK ANDERSON, TYLER COLLARD, DANIEL HUSSEY, LUKE SMALL, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TED JOHNSON, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, MATT STEWART.

CANTERBURY EAGLES UNDER 14'S CONTINUED THEIR IMPRESSIVE PRE-SEASON FORM WINNING TWO FRIENDLIES OVER THE WEEKEND.

A SECOND FRIENDLY ON SUNDAY SAW THE EAGLES SIDE TRAVEL TO SITTINGBOURNE TO TAKE ON LOCAL SIDE FULSTON ZEBRA'S WHO PLAY IN THE MEDWAY NEWS YOUTH LEAGUE AND AGAIN THEY CAME AWAY TRIUMPHANT WINNING THE MATCH BY AN IMPRESSIVE 8 - 3 SCORELINE.

THE EAGLES SIDE GOT AWAY TO A DREAM START WITH STRIKER TOM 'TANK' OLSON SCORING AFTER ONLY 20 SECONDS WHEN HE CHASED DOWN A LONG BALL PLAYED BY FULL BACK CALLUM REYNOLDS BEFORE SLOTTING HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE, HE THEN ADDED HIS AND EAGLES SECOND OF THE MATCH AFTER A NEAT EXCHANGE OF PASSES WITH FELLOW STRIKER TED JOHNSON PUT HIM CLEAR OF THE ZEBRA'S DEFENCE AND HE CALMLY SLOTTED THE BALL HOME LEAVING THE HOME KEEPER WITH LITTLE CHANCE. A THIRD FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER, THIS TIME JOHNSON GOT IN ON THE ACT AFTER HE EXCHANGED PASSES WITH SHAUN LAFFERTY ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE BOX AND HIS ANGELD SHOT ACROSS THE KEEPER FOUND THE FAR CORNER.

THE HOME SIDE WERE MAKING SOME INROADS INTO THE EAGLES DEFENCE AND MANAGED TO PULL ONE BACK WHEN WITH A GLANCING HEADER FOUND THE NET, BUT THE EAGLES SIDE RESPONDED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WHEN CONFUSION IN THE HOME DEFENCE SAW THE BALL CANNON OFF OF JOHNSON TOWARDS THE GOAL AND WITH THE KEEPER BEATEN OLSON RAN IN TO MAKE SURE AND COMPLETE HIS HAT TRICK. ALMOST ON THE STROKE OF HALF-TIME ZEBRA'S ADDED A SECOND TO KEEP THE GAME ALIVE DESPITE THE BRAVE EFFORTS OF KEEPER MATT STEWART WHO COULDN'T QUITE KEEP THE LOW SHOT OUT OF THE NET.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE HOME SIDE WEAKEN AND EAGLES WERE IN NO MOOD TO SHOW THEM ANY MERCY, OLSON ADDED HIS FOURTH AND EAGLES FIFTH AFTER MIDFIELDER DANIEL HUSSEY WON THE BALL IN THE CENTRE OF THE PARK AND LAID A GOOD BALL IN BEHIND THE ZEBRA'S DEFENCE FOR OLSON TO LOB THE KEEPER FROM 15 YARDS, BUT NO SOONER HAD EAGLES EXTENDED THEIR LEAD SOME HESITANT DEFENDING ALLOWED ZEBRA'S NOTCH THEIR THIRD AND CUT THE EAGLES LEAD. THE INTRODUCTION OF STRIKER GEORGE DARBY ADDED SOME FRESH LEGS AND HE SOON FOUND HIMSELF ON THE SCORESHEET REACTING FIRST TO A JOHNSON SHOT PARRIED BY THE HOME KEEPER TO STAB THE BALL HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE. A GOOD EXCHANGE OF PASSES BETWEEN HUSSEY AND OLSON SAW EAGLES EXTEND THEIR LEAD FURTHER WITH THE FORMER TUCKING THE BALL HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE AND THE SCORING WAS COMPLETED WHEN MARK ANDERSON LATCHED ONTO A LOOSE BALL IN THE ZEBRA'S AREA AFTER A SHOT FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY HAD BEEN BLOCKED AND RIFLED THE BALL LOW INTO THE CORNER TO COMPLETE A WELL DESERVED WIN FOR THE CANTERBURY SIDE.

TWO GOOD PERFORMANCES WITH DESERVED VICTORIES AGAINST SOME TOUGH OPPOSSITION WHICH WILL ONLY STAND THE EAGLES SIDE IN GOOD STEAD FOR THE FORTHCOMING SEASON.

TEAM: WILL YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MARK ANDERSON, BRANDON KERR, TYLER COLLARD, DANIEL HUSSEY, CALLUM REYNOLDS, LUKE SMALL, MATT STEWART, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TED JOHNSON.

TWO FRIENDLIES WERE PLAYED OVER THE WEEKEND.

THE FIRST MATCH AT UKC ON FRIDAY NIGHT SAW THEM UP AGAINST FELLOW MOLTEN EAST KENT YOUTH LEAGUE DIVISION 1 SIDE WHITSTABLE TOWN JUNIORS, AND IT WAS THE EAGLES TEAM THAT CAME OUT ON TOP WITH A VERY GOOD 3 - 0 WIN.

STARTING STRONGLY THE EAGLES SIDE TOOK THE LEAD AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN BRANDON KERR ROBBED A HESITANT TOWN DEFENDER AND FED THE BALL INTO THE PATH OF STRIKER TED JOHNSON WHO TOOK THE CHANCE WITH EASE PLACING THE BALL FIRMLY INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET LEAVING THE VISITING KEEPER WITH LITTLE CHANCE OF STOPPING IT.

THE HOME DEFENCE STOOD FIRM AS TOWN PRESSED FOR AN EQUALISER WITH KEEPER MATT STEWART PULLING OFF ONE EXCELLANT SAVE WHEN FACED ONE ON ONE BY A VISITING FORWARD, AND EAGLES ADDED A SECOND THROUGH GEORGE DARBY AFTER GOOD WORK AGAIN FROM KERR WHICH SAW HIM WIN THE BALL WIDE ON THE RIGHT BEFORE SENDING AN INCH PERFECT PASS INTO DARBY'S PATH FOR HIM TO FIRE HOME AT THE SECOND ATTEMPT, TO MAKE IT 2 - 0 AT THE BREAK.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE START TO DOMINATE PROCEEDINGS WITH LITTTLE PENETRATION BEING OFFERED BY TOWN AND IT WAS JOHNSON WHO ADDED HIS 2ND OF THE NIGHT AND EAGLES THIRD WITH A CURLING SHOT INTO THE TOP CORNER FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX TO WRAP UP THE WIN.

TEAM: WILL YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MARK ANDERSON, BRANDON KERR, TYLER COLLARD, DANIEL HUSSEY, CALLUM REYNOLDS, LUKE SMALL, MATT STEWART, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TED JOHNSON.

EAGLES OFF TO A FLYING START

CANTERBURY EAGLES UNDER 14'S PRE-SEASON PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR ASSAULT ON THE MOLTEN EAST KENT YOUTH LEAGUE DIVISION ONE TITLE GOT OFF TO A GREAT START ON SUNDAY WITH A CONVINCING 9 - 3 VICTORY OVER PARK FARM RANGERS IN A FRIENDLY MATCH PLAYED IN ASHFORD.

AS THE SCORE LINE SUGGESTS THE EAGLES SIDE WERE THE DOMINANT FORCE FROM THE OFF AND SOON TOOK THE LEAD THROUGH TOM OLSON AFTER GOOD BUILD UP PLAY FROM MARK ANDERSON AND GEORGE DARBY LEFT HIM WITH AN EASY TAP IN, OLSON THEN TURNED PROVIDER PLAYING IN DARBY TO ADD EAGLES SECOND.

THE HOME SIDE WHO PLAYED IN DIVISION ONE LAST YEAR DID HAVE THE OCCASIONAL SORTIE INTO THE EAGLES HALF BUT A WELL MARSHALLED DEFENCE LED BY JAKE CARVER AND ALERT GOAL KEEPING FROM WILLIAM YOUNG KEPT THEM AT BAY, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE EAGLES ADDED TO THEIR LEAD, AGAIN THROUGH OLSON, THIS TIME AFTER GOOD WORK BY NEW SIGNING MATT STEWART PUT HIM CLEAR THROUGH ON GOAL. AS THE HALF WAS COMING TO A CLOSE RANGERS DID PULL ONE BACK WHEN A DEFLECTED SHOT FOUND ITS WAY NTO THE NET.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE MAKE A NUMBER OF CHANGES; STEWART GOING IN GOAL, DAN STEVENS REPLACING CALLUM REYNOLDS AT RIGHT BACK AND MARK ANDERSON MAKING WAY FOR TYLER COLLARD ON THE RIGHT OF THE MIDFIELD, BUT THIS DIDN'T DISRUPT THEIR PLAY AS THEY SOON ADDED TO THEIR LEAD WHEN DARBY GOT HIS HEAD TO A CORNER FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY AND FIRMLY PLANTED THE BALL INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET.

THE HOME SIDE WERE NOT TO BE DETERED AND FOUGHT BACK BRAVELY TO GET THEIR SECOND OF THE MATCH BUT THEN A QUICK FIRE DOUBLE FROM OLSON PUT THE GAME BEYOND THEIR REACH ALTHOUGH THEY DID REGISTER A THIRD SHORTLY AFTER, TO MAKE THE SCORE A SLIGHLTY MORE RESPECTABLE 6 -3 AT THAT STAGE OF THE GAME. THE EAGLES SIDE HOWEVER WERE NOT FINISHED AND TWO WELL TAKEN GOALS FROM ANOTHER NEW BOY, TED JOHNSON INCREASED THEIR LEAD FURTHER AND PERHAPS THE MOVE OF THE MATCH PRODUCED THEIR NINTH OF THE MATCH WHEN DANIEL HUSSEY PLAYED IN COLLARD BEHIND THE RANGERS DEFENCE AND HIS PINPOINT CROSS FOUND LAFFERTY WHO HEADED HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE.

A GOOD WIN IN THEIR FIRST COMPETITIVE MATCH FOR 4 MONTHS BUT MUCH WORK IS STILL TO BE DONE BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS IN EARNEST ON 28TH SEPTEMBER.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, CALLUM REYNOLDS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, DANIEL STEVENS, MARK ANDERSON, TYLER COLLARD, BRANDON KERR, DANIEL HUSSEY, TED JOHNSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, MATT STEWART.

Eagles under 13's narrowly missed out on bringing home their 4th trophy of the season, losing at the semi final stage in the Deal Town Rangers Tournament.

Of the two teams entered the 'B' team faired the better, although the 'A' team who only managed one win and a draw from their four games in the group stages did play some excellent football and were unlucky to register two 1 nil losses when with a little bit of luck they would have been winning by the same margin. The group stages were won at a canter by the 'B' team, who drew one and won three of their four games notching an impressive 12 goals without conceding in the process, and disposing of 1st division side Kennington on the way.

The semi final saw them come up against tough opposition in Margate, who play in the Valley Express Kent Youth League which is one step up the footballing pyramid from where the Eagles side currently play and in the end the sharpness showed as they went down to two goals in the second half, to bow out of the competition.

Despite not bringing home any silverware this weekend the Eagles side have had a very impressive season; crowned champions of the Parker Steel EKYFL division 2 and of the five tournaments they have entered they have won two and been knocked out in the the semi finals of the other three and the squad is looking forward to the challenge of competing for the first division title next season.

TEAMS: 'A' Team - William Young, Liam Dodd, Michael Williams, Luke Small, Tyler Collard, Mark Anderson, Brandon Kerr, Ted Johnson

'B' Team - Matt Stewart, Callum Reynolds, Jake Carver, Dougie Ross, Dan Hussey, Shaun Lafferty, Tom Olson, George Darby

EAGLES SOAR TO MORE SUCCESS
EAGLES UNDER 13’S PICKED UP MORE SILVERWARE FOR THE SEASON BY WINNING THEIR AGE GROUP AT THEIR OWN CLUBS 6-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT PLAYED AT UKC ON SATURDAY.

ON A HOT AFTERNOON THE TWO TEAMS ENTERED MADE LIGHT WORK OF THE GROUP STAGES BOTH WINNING ALL THREE OF THEIR GAMES WITHOUT CONCEDING A GOAL, LARGELY DUE TO THE OLD ADAGE OF ‘ATTACK BEING THE BEST FORM OF DEFENCE’ AND WITH BOTH SIDES PLAYING SOME ATTRACTIVE FOOTBALL DESPITE THE HEAT THEY REAPED THEIR DESERVED REWARDS.

THE QUARTER FINAL STAGES SAW THEM COME UP AGAINST SLIGHTLY STIFFER OPPOSITION, BUT AGAIN THEY BOTH PROGRESSED, THE ‘A’ TEAM BEATING THANINGTON ‘A’ 4 -1 AND THE ‘B’ TEAM WHITSTABLE TOWN ‘A’ BY 1 GOAL TO NIL, AND SO TO THE SEMI FINALS WHERE THE DRAW KEPT THEM APART & SO THE MOUTHWATERING PROSPECT OF A REPEAT OF LAST YEARS FINAL WAS ON THE CARDS.

ALAS IT WAS NOT TO BE AS THE ‘A’ TEAM FELL ON A SUDDEN DEATH PENALTY SHOOT OUT TO PARK FARM RANGERS, AFTER THE GAME HAD FINISHED AT 1 APIECE, THE ‘B’ TEAM HOWEVER WERE IN NO MOOD TO GO OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT AT THIS STAGE AS THEY HIT 6 PAST A SOMEWHAT BEWILDERED DYNAMO UNITED SIDE WHO DIDN’T GET OUT OF THE STARTING BLOCKS AND FAILED TO MUSTER A SINGLE REPLY, LARGELY DUE TO A 4 GOAL HAUL FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY.

THE FINAL SAW THEM UP AGAINST PARK FARM RANGERS WHOM THEY HAD ALREADY BEATEN BY 1 GOAL TO NIL IN THE GROUP STAGES AND THIS TIME THEY WENT ONE BETTER WINNING BY A 2 – 0 MARGIN WITH KEEPER MATT STEWART PULLING OFF A MAGNIFICENT SAVE TO PRESERVE THE EAGLES TEAMS LEAD WHEN THEY WERE ONLY 1 IN FRONT.

THE SQUAD HAS ONE FURTHER TOURNAMENT THIS SEASON WHICH IS AT DEAL TOWN RANGERS THIS COMING WEEKEND, SATURDAY 23RD JUNE, AND WILL BE LOOKING TO PICK UP THEIR FOURTH TROPHY OF THE SEASON, HAVING ALREADY BEEN CROWNED AS CHAMPIONS OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL DIVISION TWO IN APRIL AND WINNING AT THE ST MARGARET’S TOURNAMENT IN MAY.

‘A’ TEAM – WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, LIAM DODD, BRANDON KERR, LUKE SMALL, TYLER COLLARD, MARK ANDERSON, TED JOHNSON.

‘B’ TEAM – MATT STEWART, JAKE CARVER, DAN STEVENS, DOUGLAS ROSS, SHAUN LAFFERTY, DANIEL HUSSEY, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY.

A MENTION MUST ALSO GO TO THE EAGLES UNDER 9’S AND UNDER 12’S TEAMS WHO BOTH WON THEIR RESPECTIVE AGE GROUPS AT THE SAME TOURNAMENT.

EAGLES PAY THE PENALTY

Eagles under 13's impressive season continued when they narrowly missed out on reaching the final of the Faversham Strike Force 6-a-side tournament on Sunday, losing in a sudden death penalty shoot out to eventual winners Strike Force Thunder.

Both teams made light work of the group stages which saw them finish top of their respective groups, the 'A' team winning 3 and drawing 1 of their 4 matches, with the 'B' team winning 2 and drawing 1 of their 3 matches and not conceding a goal in doing so.

The quarter finals saw the 'A' team fall by a single goal to Wye Juniors, whilst the 'B' side had a comfortable 3 - 0 victory against Strike Force Colts which took them to the semi finals.

In an evenly matched contest neither team was able to break the deadlock in regulation time and a further 2 minutes of extra time proved to be goalless as well so on to penalties it went. After the initial round of spot kicks the score remained locked at 4 apiece, and with Strike Force missing their first kick in the sudden death round it was a chance for the Eagles side to progress but sadly the ball struck the post and rebounded to safety. The next kick proved to be decisive with Strike Force scoring the goal that took them to the final and ultimately on to victory.

Despite not reaching the final both teams did not only themselves, but also the Canterbury Eagles Club proud by playing some very good football against stiff opposition which will only put them in good stead for their own tournament on Saturday June 14th, which is being played at the UKC Sports Fields and also next season when they will be playing in division 1 of the Parker Steel EKYFL.

TEAMS:
'A' Team - William Young, Liam Dodd, Michael Williams, Brandon Kerr, Luke Small, Tyler Collard, Ted Johnson, Mark Anderson

'B' Team - Matt Stewart, George Darby, Jake Carver, Dan Stevens, Dougie Ross, Daniel Hussey, Shaun Lafferty, Tom Olson

EAGLES TRIUMPH AT SAINTS TOURNAMENT

CANTERBURY EAGLES UNDER 13'S IMPRESSIVE SEASON, WHICH SAW THEM WIN PROMOTION AS CHAMPIONS TO DIVISION 1 OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL, SHOWS NO SIGNS OF STOPPING AS THEY RAN OUT WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL ST MARGARETS 7-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT ON SATURDAY.

EAGLES FIELDED TWO TEAMS, MADE UP MAINLY FROM THEIR TRIUMPHANT SQUAD MEMBERS WITH THE ADDITION OF A FEW TRIALIST LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION FOR NEXT SEASON, AND BOTH SIDES SHOWED IMPRESSIVE FORM IN THE GROUP STAGES BY NOT LOSING A GAME, WITH ONE OF THE TRIALIST, TED JOHNSON, SCORING ALL 5 GOALS IN THE 'A' TEAMS FIRST FIXTURE. THIS IMPRESSIVE FORM ENABLED BOTH OF THEM TO PROGRESS INTO THE SEMI FINALS WHERE UNFORTUNATELY THEY MET EACH OTHER AND IN A CLOSE FOUGHT ENCOUNTER IT WAS THE 'B' TEAM THAT CAME OUT ON TOP WITH A WELL TAKEN GOAL BY JAKE CARVER, AFTER A DETERMINED RUN SAW HIM PLACE HIS SHOT BENEATH THE DIVING WILL YOUNG TO SECURE A PLACE IN THE FINAL.

THE FINAL SAW THE 'B' TEAM TAKE ON FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE 'B' WHO COINCIDENTALLY HAD BEEN BEATEN BY THE 'A ' SIDE 3-1 IN THE GROUP STAGES, AND GOALS FROM TOM OLSON (2), SHAUN LAFFERTY (1) AND DANIEL HUSSEY (1) WRAPPED UP A COMFORTABLE 4 - 0 VICTORY.

TO COMPLETE A SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR THE EAGLES SQUAD, TOM OLSON WAS VOTED PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT.

THEY ARE IN ACTION AGAIN NEXT SUNDAY WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO FAVERSHAM TO TAKE PART IN THE FULSTON ZEBRAS 5-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT, AND IT WOULD BE A BRAVE MAN WHO BETS AGAINST THEM COMING HOME WITH SOME MORE SILVERWARE AGAIN.

TEAMS:
'A' TEAM - WILLIAM YOUNG, LIAM DODD, LEWIS SCOTT, BRANDON KERR, TYLER COLLARD, LUKE SMALL, JAMES BAKER, TED JOHNSON

'B' TEAM - STEVE KHOURY, GEORGE DARBY, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, DANIEL HUSSEY

EAGLES UNDER 13'S CONTINUED THEIR IMPRESSIVE RUN OF FORM DESPITE NOT PICKING UP ANY SILVERWARE AT THE FULSTON ZEBRAS 5-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT IN FAVERSHAM ON SUNDAY WITH BOTH SIDES ENTERED MAKING IT TO THE SEMI FINALS BEFORE BEING NARROWLY KNOCKED OUT.

THE GROUP STAGES WERE OVERCOME WITH RELATIVE EASE, THE 'A' TEAM NOT LOSING A GAME AND THE 'B' TEAM WINNING THREE OUT OF THE FOUR GROUP GAMES PLAYED, WHICH SAW THEM REACH THE QUARTER FINALS WHERE BOTH TEAMS TRIUMPHED AGAIN TO ENABLE THEM TO PROGRESS TO THE SEMI FINALS WHERE THEY WERE KEPT APART AND SO THE MOUTHWATERING PROSPECT OF AN ALL EAGLES FINAL BECKONED.

SADLY IT WAS NOT TO BE AS BOTH TEAMS WERE NARROWLY BEATEN, THE 'A' TEAM GOING DOWN 1 - 0 TO EVENTUAL WINNERS STRIKE FORCE LIGHTNING AND THE 'B' LOSING OUT 6 - 5 IN A PENALTY SHOOT OUT TO SEVENOAKS TOWN JUNIORS, AFTER THE GAME HAD FINISHED 1 APIECE AFTER EXTRA TIME.

DESPITE NOT REACHING THE FINAL BOTH TEAMS DID NOT ONLY THEMSELVES BUT ALSO THE CANTERBURY EAGLES CLUB PROUD BY PLAYING SOME VERY GOOD FOOTBALL AGAINST STIFF OPPOSITION WHICH WILL ONLY PUT THEM IN GOOD STEAD FOR THEIR NEXT TOURNAMENT EARLY IN JUNE AND NEXT SEASON WHEN THEY WILL BE PLAYING IN DIVISION 1 OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL.

TEAMS:
'A' TEAM - WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, BRANDON KERR, LUKE SMALL, TYLER COLLARD, TED JOHNSON, JAMES BAKER

'B' TEAM - GEORGE DARBY, JAKE CARVER, DAN STEVENS, DOUGIE ROSS, DANIEL HUSSEY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON

OLSON IN SEVENTH HEAVEN AS EAGLES TURN ON THE STYLE

EAGLES UNDER 13'S COMPLETED THEIR PARKER STEEL EKYFL DIVISION 2 TITLE WINNING SEASON WITH A 9 - 1 ROUT AWAY TO WALMER ROVERS.

IN A VERY ONE SIDED MATCH THE EAGLES SIDE WHO HAD BEEN CROWNED CHAMPIONS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET GOING, IN WHAT WAS A MEANINGLESS MATCH FOR BOTH SIDES, BUT THEY OPENED THE SCORING AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN GEORGE DARBY SCORED FROM CLOSE RANGE AFTER A GOOD BALL WAS PLAYED INTO THE BOX BY TYLER COLLARD. THEY INCREASED THEIR LEAD FURTHER WHEN TOP SCORER TOM OLSON RAN THE BALL INTO AN EMPTY NET FOR THE FIRST OF HIS 7, YES SEVEN GOALS, AFTER GOOD WORK BY SHAUN LAFFERTY PUT HIM CLEAR. A SECOND FOR OLSON AND EAGLES THIRD FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER WHEN THIS TIME MARK ANDERSON PLAYED A PERFECTLY WEIGHTED PASS IN BEHIND THE WALMER DEFENCE AND OLSON ROUNDED THE KEEPER BEFORE RUNNING THE BALL INTO THE NET TO MAKE IT 3 - 0 TO THE VISITORS AT HALF TIME.

THE SECOND HALF STARTED IN MUCH THE SAME VAIN AS THE FIRST WITH OLSON COMPLETING HIS HAT TRICK AND THEN ADDING A FOURTH WITH ASSISTS FROM JAKE CARVER & ANDERSON AGAIN, BEFORE WALMER ON A RARE SORTIE FORWARD MANAGED TO SCRAMBLE THE BALL PAST EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG TO GET WHAT WAS TO BE ONLY A CONSOLATION GOAL FOR THE HOME SIDE. THE FREE SCORING EAGLES SIDE SOON GOT BACK INTO THE GROOVE, WITH THIS TIME OLSON TURNING PROVIDER FOR ANDERSON WHO HIT A SWEET STRIKE FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX THAT FOUND THE TOP CORNER OF THE NET WITH EASE. THE EAGLES SIDE HAD FURTHER CHANCES TO INCREASE THEIR LEAD WITH BOTH BRANDON KERR & DANIEL HUSSEY HITTING THE WOODWORK AND JAMES BAKER PUTTING A SHOT AGONISINGLY WIDE BEFORE NORMAL SERVICE WAS RESUMED WITH OLSON COMPLETING HIS 2ND HAT TRICK BEFORE ADDING HIS 7TH AND EAGLES 9TH OF THE GAME TO ROUND OFF A TRULY MAGNIFICENT SEASON FOR THE TEAM.

THE TEAMS FULL LEAGUE RECORD FOR THE SEASON READS AS FOLLOWS:
PLAYED 16, WON 14, DREW 0, LOST 2, GOALS FOR 66, GOALS AGAINST 21, GOAL DIFFERENCE + 45 AND POINTS 42.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO THE ENTIRE 14 MAN SQUAD FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT OF WINNING THE TITLE THIS SEASON.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, BRANDON KERR, TYLER COLLARD, DANIEL HUSSEY, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON.

EAGLES HAVE THEIR WINGS CLIPPED

EAGLES UNDER 13'S TERRIFIC RUN IN THE MERV WILLS MEMORIAL CUP CAME TO AN END ON SUNDAY WHEN THEY WERE NARROWLY BEATEN AWAY FROM HOME BY JOINT 1ST DIVISION LEADERS RED ARROW YOUTH 4 - 3 IN THE SEMI FINAL.

THE OCCASION MAY HAVE GOT TO THE EAGLES SIDE AS THE FIRST DIVISION OUTFIT STARTED THE BETTER AND FOUND THEMSELVES 2 GOALS TO THE GOOD INSIDE THE FIRST 10 MINUTES BUT THE NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE WHICH HAS BEEN A KEY FACTOR IN THE CANTERBURY SIDES SUCCESS THIS SEASON SOON SHONE THROUGH AND STRIKER TOM OLSON WAS UNLUCKY NOT TO SCORE WHEN A POOR CLEARANCE BY THE ARROWS KEEPER LANDED AT HIS FEET AND HIS FIRST TIME SHOT NARROWLY MISSED THE TARGET. THIS BOOSTED THE EAGLES SIDE AND THEY GOT THEMSELVES BACK INTO THE TIE WHEN SHAUN LAFFERTY PLAYED A CLEVER BALL TO OLSON ON THE LEFT WING AND HIS SHEER PACE TOOK HIM CLEAR OF THE ARROWS DEFENCE AND HIS SHOT ACROSS THE KEEPER NESTLED NICELY INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET. GOOD DEFENSIVE WORK FROM THE EAGLES BACK FOUR OF DAN STEVENS, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, LIAM DODD & JAKE CARVER, ABLY ASSISTED BY KEEPER WILL YOUNG MANAGED TO KEEP THE ARROWS FORWARDS QUIET AND THEY SOON BECAME FRUSTRATED AT THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY WERE CREATING WHICH WORKED IN THE EAGLES TEAMS FAVOUR AS THEY SLOWLY TOOK CONTROL OF THE GAME AND WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO DRAW LEVEL WHEN A BALL PLAYED IN BEHIND THE ARROWS DEFENCE BY DAN HUSSEY PUT OLSON IN AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE HOME KEEPER JUST MANAGED TO WIN THE RACE FOR THE BALL, SAVING BRAVELY AT HIS FEET. IT WASN'T LONG HOWEVER BEFORE THE VISITING SIDE WERE ON LEVEL TERMS, A GOOD BALL FROM TYLER COLLARD FOUND MARK ANDERSON WHO EXCHANGED PASSES WITH OLSON AND HE SLOTTED IN HIS SHOT FROM 6 YARDS OUT TO DRAW THE SCORES LEVEL AT 2 - 2. EAGLES WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO TAKE A 3 -2 LEAD INTO THE HALF TIME BREAK, ONLY THE POST PREVENTED OLSON FROM GETTING HIS SECOND AFTER GOOD APPROACH WORK INVOLVING ANDERSON & LAFFERTY SAW OLSON'S SHOT LEAVE THE ARROWS KEEPER STRANDED.

EAGLES WERE NOW FULLY CHARGED UP AND SHORTLY AFTER THE RE-START THEY TOOK A DESERVED LEAD WHEN A BALL PLAYED DOWN THE RIGHT BY BRANDON KERR FOUND OLSON AND HE ROUNDED THE ARROWS KEEPER BEFORE PASSING THE BALL INTO THE EMPTY NET FROM AN ACUTE ANGLE. THE ARROWS TEAM WERE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MATCH THE COMMITMENT OF THE CANTERBURY SIDE WITH LUKE SMALL AND ANDERSON WINNING MORE OF THE BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK AND THEY WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO HAVE INCREASED THEIR LEAD FURTHER WHEN DAN HUSSEY SAW HIS SHOT REBOUND BACK OFF OF THE CROSS BAR INTO THE SAFETY OF THE ARROWS KEEPERS ARMS. AS EAGLES PUSHED FOR A FOURTH AND DECISIVE GOAL WHICH WOULD HAVE WON THEM THE TIE THEY WERE GUILTY OF LEAVING GAPS AT THE BACK AND ARROWS DREW LEVEL AFTER A SCRAMBLE IN THE GOAL MOUTH ENDED WITH THE BALL BEING POKED HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE. THIS DEFLATED THE EAGLES SIDE SLIGHTLY AND DESPITE THE INTRODUCTION OF FRESH LEGS IN THE SHAPE OF GEORGE DARBY AND JAMES BAKER, THE FORMER GOING CLOSE WITH A SHOT THAT WAS CLEARED OFF THE LINE IT WAS ARROWS WHO SCORED THE FINAL AND DECISIVE GOAL WHEN A WELL WORKED CROSS TO THE FAR POST WAS NODDED HOME BY AN EAGER FORWARD TO GIVE THEM A 4 -3 LEAD. EAGLES DID HAVE ONE FURTHER CHANCE BUT OLSON WAS CYNICALLY FOULED AS HE SURGED INTO THE AREA AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE ANYTHING OF THE RESULTING FREE KICK, BUT A HUGELY EXCITING GAME PLAYED OUT BY TWO VERY GOOD FOOTBALLING SIDES WHICH WILL ONLY PUT THE EAGLES SIDE IN GOOD STEAD FOR FUTURE BATTLES THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY LAY AHEAD FOR THIS VERY GOOD SQUAD OF PLAYERS.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF LOSING THE SEMI FINAL WAS SOON FORGOTTEN HOWEVER AS NEWS FILTERED THROUGH THAT DIVISION 2 TITLE RIVALS FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE HAD BEEN HELD TO A DRAW WHICH MEANT THEY COULD NO LONGER OVERHAUL THE EAGLES POINTS TOTAL, SO WITH ONE GAME STILL TO PLAY THE EAGLES SIDE WILL BE PROMOTED AS CHAMPIONS OF THE DIVISION.
EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO JAKE CARVER.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, DAN STEVENS, TYLER COLLARD, LUKE SMALL, DAN HUSSEY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, BRANDON KERR, JAMES BAKER, GEORGE DARBY, MARK ANDERSON.

EAGLES SOAR TO PROMOTION

A FOUR GOAL FIRST HALF SALVO FROM STRIKER TOM 'THE TANK' OLSON HELPED SECURE EAGLES PROMOTION TO DIVISION ONE OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL, AFTER THEY EMPHATICALLY BEAT LOCAL RIVALS AND TITLE CHALLENGERS CANTERBURY YOUTH BY 6 - 1 AT VICTORIA RECREATION GROUND ON SUNDAY.

IN A GAME WHERE A WIN FOR EITHER SIDE WOULD HAVE SECURED THEM PROMOTION IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TENSE AFFAIR AND THE OPENING EXCHANGES SHOWED THIS TO BE TRUE WITH SOME NERVY PLAY FROM BOTH TEAMS, BUT THE EAGLES SIDE APPEARED TO SETTLE THE BETTER AND ALMOST OPENED THE SCORING WHEN A GOOD BALL PLAYED IN BY SHAUN LAFFERTY PUT OLSON CLEAR INSIDE THE BOX BUT HE DRAGGED HIS SHOT JUST WIDE OF THE UPRIGHT. IT WAS THE VISITING YOUTH SIDE THAT TOOK THE LEAD WHEN A CORNER WAS MET WITH A POWERFUL HEADER INSIDE THE 6 YARD BOX WHICH THE EAGLES DEFENCE COULD DO LITTLE TO PREVENT, BUT THEY RESPONDED WELL AND DREW THEMSELVES LEVEL WHEN A SURGING RUN FROM FULL BACK MICHAEL WILLIAMS ENDED WITH AN INCH PERFECT PASS INTO THE PATH OF OLSON AND HE MADE NO MISTAKE THIS TIME IN FIRING HIS SHOT PAST THE VISITING KEEPER AND INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET FOR HIS FIRST OF THE MATCH. THIS GOAL FIRED THE EAGLES SIDE INTO ACTION AND THEY SOON FOUND THEMSELVES IN FRONT WHEN LAFFERTY THIS TIME PLAYED THE BALL INTO OLSON AND HIS STRONG RUN TOOK HIM PAST A STATIC YOUTH DEFENCE BEFORE HE BEAT THE KEEPER WITH EASE FROM 4 YARDS OUT. IT WASN'T ALL ONE WAY TRAFFIC THOUGH AS YOUTH DID HAVE OPPORTUNITIES OF THEIR OWN, BUT HOME KEEPER WILLIAM YOUNG ALONG WITH DEFENDERS DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER AND LIAM DODD WERE A MATCH FOR THE YOUTH FORWARDS AND MANAGED TO RESTRICT THEM TO A FEW LONG RANGE EFFORTS. EAGLES WERE STARTING TO DOMINATE IN THE CENTRE OF THE PARK, WITH MARK ANDERSON & LUKE SMALL AIDED WELL BY DAN HUSSEY AND BRANDON KERR ALL WORKING HARD TO BREAK DOWN ANY THREAT FROM THE VISITORS AND CREATE OPENINGS FOR THEIR OWN SIDE, AND IT WAS FROM A CROSS COME SHOT BY HUSSEY, THAT MAY WELL HAVE FOUND THE NET BY ITSELF, THAT OLSON GOT HIS HAT TRICK, HIS THIRD OF THE SEASON, WHEN HE NODDED THE BALL HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE. AS HALF TIME APPROACHED ANOTHER SURGING RUN FROM WILLIAMS IN A COPYCAT MOVE TO THAT WHICH PRODUCED THE FIRST GOAL, SAW HIM PLAY IN OLSON ONCE MORE AND HE GLADLY ACCEPTED THE CHANCE TO NOTCH HIS FOURTH OF A VERY IMPRESSIVE 35 MINUTES NOT ONLY FOR HIM BUT ALSO THE EAGLES SIDE AND GIVE THEM AN UNASSAILABLE LEAD AT THE BREAK.

AFTER ALL THE EXCITEMENT OF THE FIRST HALF THE SECOND STARTED OFF VERY SLOWLY WITH NEITHER SIDE REALLY SHOWING TOO MUCH INVENTION, BUT AFTER SUSTAINED PRESSURE FROM THE EAGLES SIDE IN WHICH THEY WON FOUR CORNERS IN QUICK SUCCESSION, THEY INCREASED THEIR LEAD FURTHER THIS TIME BRANDON KERR MEETING A CORNER FROM LAFFERTY TO SHOOT HOME FROM 6 YARDS OUT. A CHANGE OF PERSONNEL FOR THE EAGLES SIDE SAW KERR REPLACED BY TYLER COLLARD AND HIS DETERMINED ATTITUDE SOON SAW HIM CAUSING PROBLEMS DOWN THE VISITORS LEFT HAND SIDE AS HE COMBINED WELL WITH OLSON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WAS UNLUCKY NOT TO SCORE HIMSELF WHEN HE SHOT AGAINST THE BAR FROM CLOSE RANGE. THE HOME SIDE KEPT ON PRESSING FOR THEIR SIXTH OF THE MATCH AND IT DULY ARRIVED WHEN ANOTHER CORNER CAUSED CONFUSION IN THE YOUTH PENALTY AREA AND THIS TIME ANDERSON WAS ON HAND TO POKE THE BALL HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE. EAGLES COULD HAVE INCREASED THEIR LEAD EVEN FURTHER WITH BOTH GEORGE DARBY & JAMES BAKER GOING CLOSE AND ANDERSON HITTING THE BAR WITH A SHOT FROM DISTANCE IN THE LATTER STAGES AND THEY PRESERVED THEIR FIVE GOAL ADVANTAGE WHEN KEEPER YOUNG PULLED OF A TREMENDOUS SAVE IN THE DYING MINUTES TO THWART A YOUTH FORWARD.

A WELL DESERVED VICTORY FOR THE EAGLES SIDE IN A SEASON WHERE THEIR CONSISTENTLY GOOD LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE HAS NOW REAPED ITS REWARDS!

A WIN IN THEIR FINAL GAME AWAY AT WALMER ROVERS WILL ENSURE THEY GO UP AS CHAMPIONS OF THE DIVISION, BUT BEFORE THAT THEY MUST TRAVEL TO THANET FOR A CUP SEMI FINAL WHERE THEY FACE RED ARROW YOUTH, WHO ARE 2ND IN DIVISION ONE, BUT IN THE FORM THAT THEY ARE IN AT THE MOMENT I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST THE CANTERBURY SIDE CAUSING AN UPSET AND REACHING THE FINAL.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO FOUR GOAL HERO TOM OLSON.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, BRANDON KERR, JAMES BAKER, MARK ANDERSON, LUKE SMALL, DANIEL HUSSEY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, GEORGE DARBY, TOM OLSON, DAN STEVENS, TYLER COLLARD.

WHERE EAGLES DARE!!

DESPITE A BELOW PAR PERFORMANCE EAGLES UNDER 13'S PICKED UP ANOTHER 3 POINTS IN THEIR QUEST FOR THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL 2ND DIVISION TILTLE WITH A HARD FOUGHT 1- 0 VICTORY OVER THANET COLTS ON SUNDAY.

A MUCH IMPROVED THANET SIDE WHO HAD BEEN WELL BEATEN BY THE EAGLES TEAM EARLIER IN THE SEASON (7-0) HAD THE BETTER OF THE OPENING EXCHANGES, BUT STOUT DEFENDING FROM JAKE CARVER AND FELLOW CENTRE HALF BRANDON KERR ALONG WITH THE EVER ALERT WILL YOUNG IN GOAL KEPT THE VISITORS OUT. EAGLES THEMSELVES DID GO CLOSE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH MARK ANDERSON, TOM OLSON AND GEORGE DARBY DRAWING GOOD SAVES FROM THE VISITING KEEPER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A BREAKTHROUGH AMD THE GAME REMAIND GOALLESS AT HALF TIME.

THE SECOND HALF WAS AS MUCH OF A BATTLE AS THE FIRST HAD BEEN, WITH LUKE SMALL AND DANIEL HUSSEY WORKING TIRELESSLY IN MIDFIELD SUPPORTED WELL ON THE FLANKS BY SHAUN LAFFERTY AND TYLER COLLARD AND IT WAS FROM A VERY GOOD THROUGH BALL FROM LAFFERTY THAT EAGLES GOT THEIR GOAL, WHEN DARBY WAS PUSHED OVER IN THE BOX AND A PENALTY AWARDED. PROVIDER TURNED GOAL SCORER AS LAFFERTY COOLLY DESPATCHED HIS SPOT KICK PAST THE STATIC THANET KEEPER TO TAKE HIM INTO DOUBLE FIGURES FOR THE SEASON AND PUT THE HOME SIDE 1 UP. ALTHOUGH BEING A GOAL TO THE GOOD THE GAME WAS FAR FROM OVER AND EAGLES FULL BACKS, DAN STEVENS AND MICHAEL WILLIAMS HAD TO BE ALERT TO THE THREAT POSED BY A DETERMINED THANET SIDE BUT THEY STOOD THEIR GROUND TO KEEP THEM AT BAY. THE INTRODUCTION OF JAMES BAKER FOR THE TIRING LUKE SMALL SWUNG THE ADVANTAGE BACK IN EAGLES FAVOUR AS HE CONTINUALLY RAN THE BALL DIRECTLY AT THE THANET DEFENCE CAUSING THEM NO END OF PROBLEMS AND WAS UNLUCKY NOT TO GET ON THE SCORE SHEET HIMSELF WHEN HE SENT A HEADER FROM A LAFFERTY CORNER INCHES WIDE OF THE POST.

NOT THE BEST OF GAMES FROM THE EAGLE SIDE BUT ANOTHER VICTORY WHICH NOW EXTENDS THEIR LEAD AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE TO 6 POINTS.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO GEORGE DARBY FOR HIS COMMITTED AND DETERMINED DISPLAY.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, BRANDON KERR, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, SHAUN LAFFERTY, DANIEL HUSSEY, LUKE SMALL, TYLER COLLARD, TOM OLSON, MARK ANDERSON, JAMES BAKER, GEORGE DARBY.

EAGLES IN SEVENTH HEAVEN

EAGLES UNDER 13'S MAINTAINED THEIR GRIP ON TOP SPOT WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 7 - 0 VICTORY OVER HUGIN VIKINGS ON SUNDAY.

IT WAS THE VISITORS WHO STARTED THE GAME THE BETTER SIDE AND FOR THE FIRST 10/15 MINUTES THEY HAD A SLUGGISH EAGLES TEAM ON THE BACK FOOT AND WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO TAKE THE LEAD AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN A WELL STRUCK FREE KICK CLIPPED THE TOP OF THE CROSSBAR BUT WENT BEHIND FOR A GOAL KICK, MUCH TO THE RELIEF OF HOME KEEPER WILL YOUNG. EAGLES DID CREATE A COUPLE OF CHANCES THEMSELVES; SHAUN LAFFERTY PUT IN A WELL FLIGHTED CROSS FROM THE RIGHT THAT JUST EVADED BOTH GEORGE DARBY AND HIS STRIKE PARTNER JAMES BAKER WHEN THE SLIGHTEST OF TOUCHES FROM EITHER PLAYER WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEADLOCK BEING BROKEN, ANOTHER CHANCE WENT BEGGING WHEN A FREE KICK FROM JAKE CARVER JUST FAILED TO FIND THE HEAD OF LAFFERTY SO THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE MATCH REMAINED A VERY EVEN CONTEST. AN INJURY TO BAKER SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF IN-FORM STRIKER TOM OLSON AND THIS SEEMED TO TURN THE TIDE IN THE HOME SIDES FAVOUR AS HE SOON HAD THE VIKINGS DEFENCE IN PANIC WITH HIS POWERFUL RUNS INTO THE PENALTY BOX BUT WAS THWARTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BY THE ALERT VISITING KEEPER. THE DEADLOCK WAS FINALLY BROKEN WHEN THE HUGIN DEFENCE FAILED TO CLEAR A CORNER FROM LAFFERTY AND OLSON RIFLED IN A LOW SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX, THEY DOUBLED THEIR LEAD SHORTLY AFTER WHEN OLSON FED A BALL INSIDE TO DARBY WHO'S DIAGONAL RUN ACROSS THE PENALTY BOX TOOK HIM CLEAR OF THE VIKINGS DEFENCE AND HE UNLEASHED A POWERFUL SHOT INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET TO MAKE IT 2 - 0. THE EAGLES SIDE WERE NOW STARTING TO DOMINATE THE MIDFIELD WITH LUKE SMALL AND MARK ANDERSON WORKING TIRELESSLY TO WIN THE BALL AND AN EXCELLENT PASS BY ANDERSON SAW OLSON BREAK AWAY DOWN THE RIGHT HAND CHANNEL AND HIS CROSS FROM THE BYE LINE, WHICH WAS DESTINED FOR THE FEET OF DARBY, WAS UNFORTUNATELY TURNED INTO THE NET BY A HUGIN DEFENDER TO MAKE IT 3 - 0.

THE SECOND HALF FOLLOWED THE PATTERN OF THE FIRST WITH THE VISITORS HAVING THE BETTER OF THE OPENING EXCHANGES BUT WITH BOTH EAGLES FULL BACKS, DAN STEVENS AND MICHAEL WILLIAMS, CUTTING OUT ANY BALLS PLAYED DOWN THE FLANKS THE EAGLES SIDE SOON STARTED TO TAKE CONTROL. THE FRESH LEGS OF SUBSTITUTE OF BRANDON KERR, ON FOR THE TIRING TYLER COLLARD, WERE CAUSING PROBLEMS DOWN THE VISITORS LEFT HAND SIDE AND ONE IMPRESSIVE RUN SAW HIM BREAK CLEAR OF THE DEFENCE AND SQUARE THE BALL BACK TO DARBY WHO'S NEAT LAY OFF FELL NICELY INTO THE PATH OF LAFFERTY AND HIS FIRST TIME SHOT WAS FIRED LOW ACROSS THE HUGIN KEEPER AND INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER FOR EAGLES FOURTH OF THE MATCH. AN INJURY TO CENTRE HALF LIAM DODD SAW DANIEL HUSSEY ENTER THE FRAY AND HIS STOUT PERFORMANCE ALONGSIDE CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER AT THE HEART OF THE EAGLES DEFENCE HELPED KEEP THE VIKINGS FORWARDS QUIET ON THE ODD OCCASIONS THAT THEY DID BREAK FORWARD. DARBY GOT HIS SECOND OF THE MATCH WHEN HE CHASED AN OVER HIT PASS FROM LAFFERTY WHICH SAW THE THE VISITING KEEPER SPILL THE BALL AT HIS FEET FOR AN EASY TAP IN, NOT TO BE OUT DONE, LAFFERTY ADDED HIS SECOND OF THE GAME WHEN A DEFENCE SPLITTING PASS FROM OLSON PUT HIM IN BEHIND THE VIKINGS DEFENCE AND HIS CHIPPED SHOT BEAT THE OUTSTRETCHED ARMS OF THE VISITORS KEEPER AND SAILED INTO THE NET. EAGLES FINAL GOAL OF THE AFTERNOON CAME FROM OLSON WHOSE STRONG RUN TOOK HIM PAST A STATIC VIKINGS DEFENCE AND HIS POWERFULLY HIT SHOT FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET LEAVING THE VISITING KEEPER NO CHANCE.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO BIRTHDAY BOY SHAUN LAFFERTY.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TYLER COLLARD, SHAUN LAFFERTY, MARK ANDERSON, LUKE SMALL, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, TOM OLSON, BRANDON KERR, DANIEL HUSSEY.

5 STAR EAGLES PROGRESS IN CUP

ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE TEAM PERFORMANCE SAW EAGLES UNDER 13'S MOVE INTO THE SEMI FINALS OF THE MERV WILLIS MEMORIAL CUP WITH A COMFORTABLE 5-1 VICTORY OVER 3RD DIVISION LEADERS BETTESHANGER AT THE VICTORIA RECREATION GROUND.

THE EAGLES SIDE COULDN'T HAVE GOT OFF TO A BETTER START SCORING INSIDE THE FIRST MINUTE. AN INCH PERFECT THROUGH BALL FROM DANIEL HUSSEY FOUND IN-FORM STRIKER TOM OLSON WHO TIMED HIS RUN TO PERFECTION TO TAKE HIM CLEAR OF THE BETTESHANGER DEFENCE AND HE ROUNDED THE VISITORS KEEPER WITH EASE BEFORE SLOTTING IN TO THE EMPTY NET TO MAKE IT 1-0.
PLAYING WITH A 5 MAN MIDFIELD THE EAGLES SIDE REDUCED THE STRIKING IMPACT OF THEIR VISITORS WHO, ALTHOUGH THEY SAW PLENTY OF THE BALL, COULD NOT BREAK DOWN A STRONG DEFENSIVE LINE OF DAN STEVENS, LIAM DODD, & MICHAEL WILLIAMS LED WELL BY CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER, AIDED BY KEEPER WILL YOUNG WHO CAME SWIFTLY OFF OF HIS LINE ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS TO SNUFF OUT THE DANGER. USING THEIR TWO WIDE MIDFIELD MEN, SHAUN LAFFERTY AND TYLER COLLARD, EAGLES WERE CONSTANTLY PUTTING THE BETTESHANGER DEFENCE UNDER PRESSURE FORCING THEM INTO ERRORS AND COULD HAVE EXTENDED THEIR LEAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT FOR SOME DESPERATE DEFENDING. THE VISITING SIDE WERE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO COMPETE WITH THE EVER INCREASING DOMINANCE OF THE EAGLES CENTRAL MIDFIELD PAIRING OF MARK ANDERSON AND LUKE SMALL AND IT WAS THE LATTER WHO SET UP OLSON FOR HIS 2ND OF THE MATCH WITH ANOTHER PERFECTLY WEIGHTED PASS THAT TOOK HIM CLEAR OF THE BETTESHANGER DEFENCE AND AGAIN HE ROUNDED THE KEEPER BEFORE CALMLY PASSING THE BALL INTO THE EMPTY NET. A THIRD GOAL FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER, WHEN OLSON CHASED DOWN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LOST CAUSE, BUT HIS CLEVER REVERSE PASS SET UP COLLARD ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX AND HIS FIRST TIME SHOT LOOPED HIGH OVER THE KEEPERS HEAD AND DROPPED INTO THE NET. AS GOOD A GOAL AS THAT WAS, THERE WAS BETTER TO COME FROM THE EAGLES SIDE, WHEN AFTER WINNING THE BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK ANDERSON RAN IT FORWARD A COUPLE OF YARDS BEFORE HITTING AN ABSOLUTE SCREAMER FROM JUST OUTSIDE THE PENALTY BOX AND THE BALL FLEW LIKE A ROCKET INTO THE TOP CORNER TO MAKE IT 4-0 AND VIRTUALLY SEAL THE GAME FOR THE HOME SIDE.

AFTER SUCH A GOOD FIRST HALF NOT SURPRISINGLY THE 2ND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE START OFF A LITTLE SLOW AND SLUGGISH AND THEY RODE THEIR LUCK AT TIMES BUT WITH KEEPER WILL YOUNG STAYING ALERT AND USING HIS AREA WELL, THEY MANAGED TO THWART ANY DANGER. THE INTRODUCTION OF FRESH LEGS IN THE SHAPE OF BRANDON KERR & GEORGE DARBY SOON HAD THE BETTESHANGER REAR GUARD UNDER PRESSURE ONCE MORE, WITH THE LATTER DRAWING A GOOD SAVE FROM THE VISITING KEEPER. THE TIE WAS FINALLY WRAPPED UP WHEN DODD BROKE DOWN A BETTESHANGER ATTACK AND RAN THE BALL INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK BEFORE LAYING A PASS OFF INTO THE PATH OF OLSON, WHO FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE MATCH ROUNDED THE KEEPER AND ROLLED THE BALL INTO THE NET TO RECORD HIS 2ND HAT TRICK IN AS MANY WEEKS AND HIS SIDES FIFTH OF THE AFTERNOON. THE FINAL SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME SAW JAMES BAKER REPLACE SMALL AND EAGLES REVERT TO A 4-4-2 FORMATION WHICH ALMOST BROUGHT THEM A FURTHER GOAL, AS BAKERS JINKING RUN TOOK HIM PAST TWO DEFENDERS BUT HE POKED HIS SHOT JUST INCHES WIDE OF THE POST. BETTESHANGER DID MANAGE A CONSOLATION GOAL, WHEN A WELL STRUCK FREE-KICK FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX STRUCK THE BAR AND THE REFEREE WHO WAS WELL PLACED, ADJUDGED IT TO HAVE CROSSED THE LINE.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO DEFENDER DAN STEVENS WHO HAD AN OUTSTANDING GAME, NOT PUTTING A FOOT WRONG IN KEEPING THE BETTESHANGER FORWARDS QUIET.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TYLER COLLARD, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, TOM OLSON, BRANDON KERR, DANIEL HUSSEY.

EAGLES SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS

A hat-trick from striker Tom Olson was the icing on the cake as Eagles under 13s opened up a 3 point gap at the top of division 2 after beating title rivals Faversham Strike Force 4-3 on Sunday in their Parker Steel EKYFL fixture.

The game started at a fast pace with both keepers being brought into the action early but it was the visitors who took the lead when a high ball played into the Eagles box found a Faversham striker in space and he slotted the ball past the dive of Will Young in the Eagles goal to open the scoring. The home side responded well and were soon on level terms after Tyler Collard intercepted a poor clearance by the Strike Force defence, and his instant pass found Olson in space who had no hesitation in rounding the keeper and passing the ball into the empty net from fully 15 yards out. This lifted the home side and they took a deserved lead when a quick exchange of passes between Shaun Lafferty and Olson saw the front man slot home his second from a narrow angle.

The Eagles midfield trio of Daniel Hussey, Brandon Kerr and Mark Anderson, were just shading the battle for control but a failure to clear a corner by the home defence lead to Strike Force drawing level when a scrambled shot found its way through a crowded six yard box into the net, but an instant response from the Eagles side put them back in front. A clearance from centre half Jake Carver was picked up by Hussey who’s quick pass found Olson, who in turn fed the ball wide to Lafferty and his burst of pace took him past a Strike Force defender before he fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle. As half time approached the home side were again guilty of not clearing the ball properly, as a Strike Force forward pounced on a loose ball and fired home to make the scores level at 3 -3 at half time.

The second half would never quite match the first in terms of goals, but the Eagles side were full of belief that they could get something from the game and the introduction of both James Baker and George Darby nearly reaped dividends as the two combined to set Darby free but his shot was well saved by the Faversham keeper. The home side were now beginning to dominate the game but spurned a few good chances to take the lead, whilst t the other end of the field the defence of Dan Stevens, Liam Dodd, & Michael Williams marshalled well by captain Jake Carver were blunting the Strike Force attack and reducing them to a few half chances from distance. As the game wore on it looked as though the points would be shared but the Eagles side had different ideas and when Anderson and Darby combined to put Darby clear on the right hand side of the penalty box his pass found Olson in the six yard box and he tapped the ball into the net to put the home side in front once more. This fourth Eagles goal of the afternoon appeared to deflate the visitors and the home side comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to deservedly take all 3 points and remain in top spot in the division.

Man of the Match went to hat trick hero Tom Olson.

TEAM: William Young, Dan Stevens, Liam Dodd, Jake Carver, Michael Williams, Tyler Collard, Dan Hussey, Mark Anderson, Brandon Kerr, Shaun Lafferty, Tom Olson, James Baker, George Darby.

EAGLES RULE THE ROOST FOR CHRISTMAS!

A BRACE FROM STRIKER TOM OLSON AND A SINGLE STRIKE FROM MIDFIELDER DANIEL HUSSEY WERE ENOUGH TO EARN EAGLES UNDER 13'S A COMFORTABLE 3 - 0 WIN OVER TEN MAN DEAL TOWN RANGERS, AND KEEP THEM TOP OF THE TABLE OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK.

AN ABSENCE OF 4 WEEKS WITHOUT A COMPETITIVE FIXTURE SHOWED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE MATCH AS THE EAGLES SIDE TOOK A WHILE TO GET INTO THEIR STRIDE AND HAD TO THANK KEEPER WILL YOUNG ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS FOR PREVENTING THE HOME SIDE FROM SCORING. AS THE FIRST HALF PROGRESSED THE EAGLES SIDE SLOWLY CAME TO TERMS WITH THE FREEZING COLD WEATHER AND POOR PLAYING SURFACE BUT SAW THE DEAL KEEPER SAVING WELL FROM OLSON, STRIKE PARTNER GEORGE DARBY, AND A VERY WELL STRUCK FREE KICK FROM MARK ANDERSON. THE INTRODUCTION OF TYLER COLLARD SHORTLY BEFORE THE BREAK HELPED RAISE THE EAGLES GAME BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE BREAK THROUGH AND SO THE GAME REMAINED GOALLESS AT HALF TIME.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE SET UP A GEAR AND IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THEY WENT IN FRONT, WHEN A PERFECTLY WEIGHTED PASS FROM HUSSEY PUT OLSON CLEAR OF THE HOME DEFENCE AND HIS SHOT AT THE NEAR POST BEAT THE DEAL KEEPER TO MAKE IT ONE NIL. WITHIN 5 MINUTES EAGLES WERE 2 GOALS UP, THIS TIME OLSON TURNED PROVIDER AS HIS SQUARE PASS ON THE EDGE OF THE PENALTY BOX FOUND HUSSEY IN SPACE AND FIRST TIME SHOT WAS COOLLY DISPATCHED INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET GIVING THE HOME KEEPER NO CHANCE. EAGLES DID COME UNDER A LITTLE PRESSURE FROM THE HOME SIDE BUT STRONG DEFENSIVE WORK FROM JAKE CARVER, DAN STEVENS & BRANDON KERR KEPT THE DEAL FORWARDS AT BAY, AND THEIR THIRD OF THE MATCH CAME AFTER HUSSEY HEADED ON A LONG BALL INTO THE PATH OF OLSON WHO TOOK THE BALL AROUND THE KEEPER AND FIRED THROUGH THE LEGS OF AN UNLUCKY DEFENDER TO RECORD HIS SECOND OF THE MATCH.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO TYLER COLLARD.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JAKE CARVER, BRANDON KERR, DAN STEVENS, JAMES BAKER, DANIEL HUSSEY, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, GEORGE DARBY, TOM OLSON & TYLER COLLARD.

FAVERSHAM GET THE BIRD!

EAGLES UNDER 13'S RECORDED THEIR 10TH STRAIGHT VICTORY IN ALL COMPETITIONS WITH A 3 - 0 VICTORY AWAY TO FAVERSHAM TOWN JUNIORS, A WIN WHICH SEES THEM INCREASE THEIR LEAD AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE TO 6 POINTS, AS TITLE RIVALS FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE WHOM EAGLES BEAT LAST WEEK, LOST AT HOME.

IN VERY WINDY CONDITIONS THE GAME STARTED POORLY WITH NEITHER SIDE WILLING TO PUT THEIR FOOT ON THE BALL AND TRY AND PLAY SOME FOOTBALL. BOTH KEEPERS WERE BOUGHT INTO THE ACTION EARLY WITH EAGLES WILL YOUNG MAKING A COUPLE OF GOOD SAVES AS DID HIS COUNTERPART IN THE TOWN GOAL. DESPITE ATTEMPTS FROM JAMES BAKER AND GEORGE DARBY IT WASN'T UNTIL THE 20TH MINUTE THAT THE EAGLES SIDE TOOK THE LEAD WHEN A SUPERB BALL FROM LUKE SMALL FOUND TOM OLSON IN SPACE AND HIS FIERCELY STRUCK SHOT FROM JUST OUTSIDE THE BOX DIPPED OVER THE TOWN KEEPERS HEAD AND INTO THE NET. THE INTRODUCTION OF BRANDON KERR SHORTLY BEFORE HALF TIME SOON REAPED ITS REWARDS AS HE DOUBLED THE VISITORS LEAD WITH A WELL STRUCK SHOT INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET AFTER A CORNER FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY HAD FOUND HIM IN SPACE INSIDE THE PENALTY BO.x

AS POOR AS THE FIRST HALF HAD BEEN IN TERMS OF FOOTBALL BEING PLAYED, THE 2ND HALF WAS THE OPPOSITE WITH THE EAGLES SIDE DRIVEN BY DAN HUSSEY IN MIDFIELD SOON STARTING TO PASS THE BALL WITH EASE AND SO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE TOWN DEFENCE WHO SEEMED HAPPY TO CLEAR THE BALL LONG & HIGH AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. EAGLES SHOULD HAVE INCREASED THEIR LEAD FURTHER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT WITH LAFFERTY SUPPLYING SOME VERY GOOD CROSSES HIS FELLOW PLAYERS WERE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND WERE THWARTED BY SOME STOUT IF NOT AT TIMES FORTUNATE DEFENDING BY THE HOME SIDE. THE EAGLES DEFENCE OF DAN STEVENS, TYLER COLLARD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, AND LIAM DODD MARSHALED WELL BY CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER WERE RARELY TROUBLED AND ON THE ONE OCCASION THAT THEY WERE BREACHED KEEPER WILL YOUNG CAME TO THE RESCUE, SAVING WELL WITH HIS HEAD!

IT WASN'T UNTIL THE DYING MINUTES OF THE GAME THAT EAGLES HIT THEIR THIRD, A THROW FROM OLSON WAS CONTROLLED WELL ON HIS CHEST BY MARK ANDERSON AND AS THE BALL FELL HE HIT THE SWEETEST OF VOLLEYS WHICH SAILED INTO THE TOP CORNER LEAVING THE TOWN KEEPER A MERE SPECTATOR.

NOT THE BEST GAME OF THE SEASON FOR THE EAGLES SIDE BUT ANOTHER WELL DESERVED 3 POINTS, IN WHAT COULD PROVE TO BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR THE TEAM.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO JAKE CARVER.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER (C), LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, SHAUN LAFFERTY, LUKE SMALL, DANIEL HUSSEY, GEORGE DARBY, TOM OLSON, JAMES BAKER, MARK ANDERSON, TYLER COLLARD, BRANDON KERR.

EAGLES UNDER 13'S MOVED INTO THE QUARTER FINALS OF THE MERV WILLIS MEMORIAL CUP WITH A WELL DESERVED 1 - 0 VICTORY OVER FIRST DIVISION HIGHFIELD UNITED IN ASHFORD ON SUNDAY.

PLAYING INTO A BITING WIND IN THE FIRST HALF, THE EAGLES SIDE WERE THE EQUAL OF THEIR FIRST DIVISION HOSTS AND ALTHOUGH KEEPER WILL YOUNG MAY HAVE SEEN MORE OF THE BALL, IT WAS ONLY IN COLLECTING SHOTS HIT FROM LONG RANGE THAT KEPT HIM BUSY. THE EAGLES CENTRAL MIDFIELD PAIRING OF DAN HUSSEY AND LUKE SMALL WERE IN CONVINCING FORM BREAKING UP HIGHFIELD MOVES TIME AFTER TIME AND THEN GETTING BOTH OF THEIR WIDE MEN, SHAUN LAFFERTY & MARK ANDERSON, INTO THE ACTION BUT THE EAGLES FRONT MEN, JAMES BAKER, TOM OLSON & GEORGE DARBY WERE FINDING IT HARD TO BREAK DOWN A STUBBORN HOME DEFENCE. AT THE OTHER END OF THE PARK THE EAGLES DEFENCE MADE UP OF TYLER COLLARD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, LIAM DODD & JAKE CARVER WERE DOING AN EQUALLY GOOD JOB IN FRUSTRATING THE HIGHFIELD FORWARDS AND SO THE GAME WAS GOALLESS AT THE BREAK.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE TAKE THE GAME TO THE HOME SIDE AND THEY NEARLY TOOK THE LEAD WHEN MICHAEL WILLIAMS PICKED UP A LOOSE BALL OUTSIDE THE BOX AND HIT A TREMENDOUS SHOT WHICH HAD THE KEEPER BEATEN BUT UNLUCKILY FOR HIM IT GRAZED THE TOP OF THE BAR AND WENT OUT FOR A GOAL KICK. IT WASN'T LONG AFTER THAT GEORGE DARBY DID MANAGE TO HIT THE BACK OF THE NET AFTER THE KEEPER HAD PARRIED HIS FIRST SHOT BUT BIZARRELY THE GOAL WAS RULED OUT FOR AN OFFSIDE WHICH LEFT ALL OF THE EAGLES PLAYERS AND SUPPORTERS SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS. THIS DID APPEAR TO UPSET THE EAGLES SIDE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT AS HIGHFIELD HAD A GOOD CHANCE TO SNATCH THE LEAD BUT WILL YOUNG IN THE EAGLES GOAL WAS AS ALERT AS EVER TO MAKE HIS ONLY REAL SAVE OF THE MATCH AND KEEP THE GAME GOALLESS.

THE INTRODUCTION OF BOTH DAN STEVENS & BRANDON KERR GAVE THE EAGLES SIDE SOME FRESH LEGS, AND CAUSED MORE TROUBLE TO THE HOME SIDE BUT THEIR DEFENCE MANAGED TO SOMEHOW HANG ON AND KEEP EAGLES OUT. AS THE MATCH LOOKED TO BE HEADING FOR PENALTIES, LUKE SMALL PLAYED A PERFECTLY WEIGHTED BALL INTO THE PATH OF TOM OLSON WHO DESPITE THE CLOSE ATTENTIONS OF A HOME DEFENDER MANAGED TO RIFLE THE BALL PAST THE KEEPER AND INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER TO GIVE EAGLES A DESERVED LEAD, WHICH THEY HELD ONTO UNTIL THE FINAL WHISTLE.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO DEFENDER LIAM DODD WHO HAD AN OUTSTANDING GAME IN KEEPING THE HIGHFIELD FORWARDS QUIET.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, TYLER COLLARD, SHAUN LAFFERTY, DANIEL HUSSEY, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, TOM OLSON, JAMES BAKER, GEORGE DARBY, BRANDON KERR, DAN STEVENS.

BAKER HAT TRICK KEEPS EAGLES FLYING HIGH

EAGLES UNDER 13'S RETAINED TOP SPOT IN DIVISION TWO OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL THANKS LARGELY TO A HAT TRICK FROM JAMES BAKER IN THEIR EMPHATIC 7 - 0 WIN AWAY AT THANET COLTS ON SUNDAY.

THE VISITORS STARTED THE GAME STRONGLY AND WITHIN MINUTES OF THE START BOTH BAKER AND HIS STRIKE PARTNER GEORGE DARBY HAD FORCED THE HOME KEEPER INTO MAKING A NUMBER OF GOOD SAVES, BUT THEY BROKE THE DEADLOCK WHEN AN EXCELLANT THROUGH BALL FROM MARK ANDERSON FOUND BRANDON KERR IN SPACE AND HIS POWERFUL RUN AND SHOT FROM JUST INSIDE THE PENALTY BOX WAS TOO MUCH FOR THE THANET KEEPER TO HOLD AND SO THE EAGLES TEAM LED BY A GOAL TO NIL. DESPITE CONSTANT PRESSURE, THE HOME DEFENCE STOOD FIRM AND DESPITE FURTHER ATTEMPTS ON GOAL THE SCORE REMAINED AT 1 - 0 UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THE BREAK WHEN A COMBINATION OF PASSES FROM MICHAEL WILLIAMS, SHAUN LAFFERTY & ANDERSON THIS TIME PUT DARBY THROUGH ON GOAL AND HE CALMLY PLACED HIS SHOT UNDER THE DIVING KEEPER TO GIVE EAGLES A 2 GOAL CUSHION AT HALF TIME.

THE SECOND HALF CONTINUED MUCH AS THE FIRST WITH THE EAGLES CENTRAL MIDFIELD PAIRING OF DAN HUSSEY & LUKE SMALL DICTATING THE GAME AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE DARBY ASSISTED BY BAKER THIS TIME ADDED HIS SECOND AND EAGLES THIRD OF THE GAME. THE INTRODUCTION OF TOM OLSON TO PARTNER BAKER UP FRONT SOON HAD THE THANET SIDE ON THE BACK FOOT AS HIS POWERFUL RUNNING TWICE TOOK HIM CLEAR OF THE DEFENCE BUT THE HOME KEEPER CAME TO THE RESCUE ON BOTH OCCASIONS. IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE EAGLES SIDE SCORED AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT WAS BAKER GETTING HIS FIRST OF THE AFTERNOON AFTER A NICE LITTLE FLICK FROM OLSON LEFT HIM CLEAR TO ROUND THE KEEPER AND SHOOT INTO AN EMPTY NET. ANOTHER EAGLES GOAL FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER AND AGAIN IT WAS BAKER WHO FOUND THE NET, WHEN A CLEVER CHIPPED BALL FROM ANDERSON FOUND HIM IN SPACE BEHIND THE HOME DEFENCE AND AS THE KEEPER ADVANCED HE LOFTED HIS SHOT OVER HIS HEAD AND INTO THE GOAL. NOT CONTENT WITH SCORING GOALS HIMSELF, BAKER THEN TURNED PROVIDER AS HE AND HUSSEY EXCHANGED A GOOD ONE TWO TO LEAVE A DEFENDER FOR DEAD, GIVING HUSSEY THE EASY TASK OF PLACING THE BALL PAST THE KEEPER TO NOTCH EAGLES SIXTH OF THE GAME. AS THE GAME DREW TO A CLOSE BAKER COMPLETED HIS HAT TRICK CALMLY PUTTING THE BALL INTO THE CORENER OF THE NET FROM THE PENALTY SPOT AFTER HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT DOWN IN THE BOX BY A THANET DEFENDER.

A MENTION MUST GO TO THE EAGLES REAR GUARD OF; WILL YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JAKE CRAVER, LIAM DODD & TYLER COLLARD, WHO ALTHOUGH RARELY TROUBLED DURING THE AFTERNOON, DID WHEN NEEDED KEEP THE HOME SIDE AT BAY.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO HAT TRICK HERO JAMES BAKER, NOT ONLY FOR HIS THREE GOALS BUT ALSO FOR HIS OUTSTANDING UNSELFISH PLAY DURING THE ENTIRE GAME.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, TYLER COLLARD, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, BRANDON KERR, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, DANIEL HUSSEY, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, TOM OLSON & SHAUN LAFFERTY.

EAGLES UNDER 13'S REGAINED TOP SPOT IN DIVISION 2 OF THE PARKER STEEL EKYFL WITH A 3 -1 HOME VICTORY OVER KENNINGTON COLTS ON SUNDAY.

ALTHOUGH THE EAGLES SIDE WERE PLAYING INTO A STIFF BREEZE IN THE FIRST HALF THIS DIDN'T STOP THEM FROM PLAYING SOME VERY ATTRACTIVE FOOTBALL, KEEPING THE BALL ON THE FLOOR AND WITH SOME EXCELLENT PASSING AND MOVING INVOLVING THEIR TWO WIDE MEN SHAUN LAFFERTY AND MARK ANDERSON THEY WERE BREAKING THROUGH THE KENNINGTON DEFENCE WITH EVERY ATTACK AND TOOK THE LEAD AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN A FIRM SHOT FROM THE INDUSTRIOUS AND HARD WORKING JAMES BAKER WAS HELPED INTO THE NET BY THE VISITING KEEPER.

THE CENTRE MIDFIELD PAIRING OF DANIEL HUSSEY AND LUKE SMALL WERE DOMINATING THE GAME AND AFTER A GREAT EXCHANGE OF PASSES BETWEEN TOM OLSON AND ANDERSON IT WAS THE LATTER WHO FOUND THE NET AS AGAIN THE KENNINGTON KEEPER STRUGGLED TO HOLD THE BALL. SUCH WAS THE HOME SIDES DOMINANCE OF THE FIRST HALF THAT THEIR DEFENCE OF DAN STEVENS, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, STAND-IN CENTRE HALF BRANDON KERR & SKIPPER JAKE CARVER WERE RARELY TROUBLED, AND THEY REDUCED THE VISITORS TO LONG RANGE EFFORTS WHICH KEEPER WILLIAM YOUNG SAVED WITH EASE.

THE INTRODUCTION OF GEORGE DARBY AND TYLER COLLARD AS SUBSTITUTES HELPED THE EAGLES TEAM KEEP UP THE HIGH TEMPO AT WHICH THEY WERE PLAYING AND SHORTLY AFTER THE RE-START THEY ADDED A THIRD WHEN OLSON WAS PUT CLEAN THROUGH AND HE DREW THE KEEPER TOWARDS HIM BEFORE DESPATCHING HIS SHOT LOW INTO THE CORNER TO MAKE IT THREE NIL. EAGLES WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO INCREASE THIER LEAD STILL FURTHER WITH LAFFERTY, SMALL, DARBY & ANDERSON ALL GOING CLOSE BEFORE THE VISITORS SCORED A CONSOLATION CLOSE TO THE END OF THE MATCH.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO BRANDON KERR.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, BRANDON KERR, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TYLER COLLARD, MARK ANDERSON, LUKE SMALL, DANIEL HUSSEY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER.

EAGLES 'CRUISE' TO VICTORY

EAGLES UNDER 13'S TRAVELLED TO EASTRY TO TAKE ON RIVER COLTS IN THE MERV WILLS MEMORIAL CUP 2ND ROUND ON SUNDAY AND CAME AWAY WITH A DESERVED 2 - 0 VICTORY.

DUE TO HOLIDAYS AND OTHER COMMITMENTS THE EAGLES TEAM WERE LEFT WITH ONLY 11 AVAILABLE PLAYERS WHICH MEANT A FEW OF THE TEAM HAD TO PLAY IN UNFAMILIAR POSITIONS BUT THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY AFFECT ON THEIR GAME AS THEY TOOK AN EARLY LEAD AFTER A LONG THROW FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY FOUND MARK ANDERSON IN THE PENALTY BOX AND HIS QUICK TURN GAVE HIM THE SPACE HE NEEDED TO TUCK THE BALL AWAY AT THE NEAR POST. THE HOME SIDE PRESSURISED THE EAGLES DEFENCE IN SEARCH OF AN EQUALISER BUT THE QUARTET OF DAN STEVENS, TOM OLSON, BRANDON KERR & MICHAEL WILLIAMS STOOD FIRM AND KEEPER WILL YOUNG WAS RARELY TROUBLED, WHILST AT THE OTHER END BOTH GEORGE DARBY AND JAMES BAKER WENT CLOSE BUT WERE FOILED BY THE RIVER GOALIE. AS THE HALF WORE ON IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE EAGLES SIDE SCORED THEIR SECOND AND IT CAME IN RATHER ODD CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THE REFEREE ADJUDGED A RIVER DEFENDER TO HAVE HANDLED THE BALL WHEN ALL OF THE PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS ALIKE APPLAUDED THE HOME KEEPER FOR MAKING AN EXCELLENT SAVE, THE RESULTANT PENALTY WAS SMASHED HIGH INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET BY LAFFERTY. THE EAGLES SIDE ALMOST ADDED A THIRD ON THE STROKE OF HALF TIME WHEN LUKE SMALL FED A BALL OUT TO TYLER COLLARD ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX BUT HIS SHOT FLASHED ACROSS THE GOAL JUST PASSING THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FAR POST.

THE SECOND HALF WAS A BIT OF A SCRAPPY AFFAIR WITH NEITHER SIDE REALLY CREATING ANY CLEAR OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE BALL GETTING STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK, ALTHOUGH EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG DID MAKE A FANTASTIC DOUBLE SAVE, FIRST PUSHING A SHOT ONTO THE POST AND THEN SAVING AT POINT BLANK RANGE FROM THE FOLLOW UP SHOT TO KEEP HIS GOAL INTACT AND ENSURE VICTORY.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH, FOR THE SECOND WEEK RUNNING, WENT TO TOM OLSON.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TOM OLSON, BRANDON KERR, TYLER COLLARD, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER.

A DOUBLE SCOTCH IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY!

AFTER SUFFERING THEIR FIRST DEFEAT OF THE SEASON LAST WEEKEND EAGLES UNDER 13'S GOT BACK TO WINNING WAYS BEATING FAVERSHAM TOWN JUNIORS 2 - 0 IN THEIR PARKER STEEL EKYFL DIVISION 2 FIXTURE AT UKC ON SUNDAY.
THE HOME SIDE WERE NEARLY A GOAL TO THE GOOD STRAIGHT FROM THE KICK OFF, WHEN STRIKER TOM OLSON FORCED HIS WAY THROUGH A HESITANT FAVERSHAM DEFENCE ONLY TO SEE THE KEEPER HOLD HIS SHOT AT THE SECOND ATTEMPT. IT DIDN'T TAKE THE EAGLES SIDE LONG HOWEVER TO REGISTER THEIR FIRST GOAL, AFTER GOOD LINK UP PLAY IN MIDFIELD BETWEEN LUKE SMALL AND JAMES BAKER A GREAT THROUGH BALL SET YOUNG SCOTTISH LAD BRANDON KERR FREE OF THE VISITORS DEFENCE AND HIS CHIPPED SHOT FROM 15 YARDS OUT BEAT THE OUTSTRETCHED FINGERTIPS OF THE TOWN KEEPER. ALTHOUGH THE HOME SIDE CONTINUED TO PRESS FOR MORE GOALS THE VISITING KEEPER WAS IN GOOD FORM SAVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO THWART THEM, AND THEY WEREN'T HAVING IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY, BUT THE FAVERSHAM TACTIC OF A LONG BALL OVER THE TOP WAS NOT GOING TO PAY DIVIDENDS ON A DAY WHEN HOME KEEPER WILL YOUNG AND HIS DEFENCE OF LIAM DODD, DAN STEVENS, MICHAEL WILLIAMS AND JAKE CARVER WERE IN NO MOOD TO CONCEDE. EAGLES CONTINUED TO PRESS FOR ANOTHER GOAL BEFORE THE BREAK BUT AGAIN IT WAS THE TOWN KEEPER WHO ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY WAS KEEPING THEM AT BAY, SO THEY HAD TO BE SATISFIED WITH A 1 GOAL LEAD AT HALF TIME ALTHOUGH THEIR OVERALL PLAY AND POSSESSION SHOULD REALLY HAVE HAD THEM AHEAD BY MORE.

THE SECOND HALF CONTINUED IN THE SAME VAIN, WITH THE EAGLES SIDE HAVING THE LIONS SHARE OF THE POSSESSION BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO INCREASE THEIR LEAD DUE TO THE EXCELLENT DISPLAY FROM THE VISITING KEEPER, AND ON THE ONE OCCASION THAT THE VISITORS DID BREACH THE EAGLES DEFENCE THE CROSSBAR CAME TO THE RESCUE TO KEEP THEIR LEAD INTACT. A SECOND GOAL WAS SURE TO COME AND WHAT A GOAL IT WAS, A WELL WORKED BALL FROM TOM OLSON FOUND SHAUN LAFFERTY IN SPACE WIDE ON THE LEFT AND HIS PIN POINT CROSS FOUND THE UNMARKED KERR, AND THE YOUNG SCOTS FIERCE FIRST TIME VOLLEY FLEW INTO THE BACK OF THE NET TO GIVE THE EAGLES SIDE A DESERVED TWO GOAL LEAD. DESPITE CREATING SEVERAL MORE CHANCES, THE EAGLES TEAM WERE UNABLE TO EXTEND THEIR LEAD BUT IT WAS ANOTHER VERY GOOD ALL ROUND TEAM DISPLAY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY A FURTHER THREE POINTS IN THE BAG WHICH KEEPS THEM IN 2ND PLACE HOT ON THE HEELS OF LEADERS FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO TWO GOAL AND MATCH WINNING HERO BRANDON KERR.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, BRANDON KERR, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, JAMES BAKER, TYLER COLLARD, DANIEL HUSSEY, GEORGE DARBY.

EAGLES UNDER 13S IMPRESSIVE START TO THEIR PARKER STEEL EKYFL DIVISION TWO SEASON CONTINUED WITH A COMFORTABLE 6 - 1 HOME WIN AGAINST DEAL TOWN RANGERS ON SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER, A RESULT WHICH KEEPS THEM TOP OF THE TABLE.

EAGLES WERE ALMOST A GOAL TO THE GOOD STRAIGHT FROM THE KICK OFF, WHEN STRIKER TOM OLSON ROBBED A HESITANT DEAL PLAYER OF THE BALL IN THE CENTRE CIRCLE AND WALTZED HIS WAY THROUGH THE VISITORS DEFENCE ONLY TO SEE THE KEEPER SAVE AT THE FOOT OF THE POST. IT WASN'T LONG AFTER THIS THAT EAGLES TOOK THE LEAD; THE DEAL DEFENCE FAILED TO CLEAR A CORNER FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY AND MIDFIELDER MARK ANDERSON WAS ON HAND TO STEER HIS SHOT INTO THE NET FROM CLOSE RANGE. THE HOME SIDE ALMOST DOUBLED THEIR LEAD MINUTES LATER WHEN TOM OLSON WAS PUT CLEAN THROUGH BY LUKE SMALL BUT AGAIN THE GOALKEEPER CAME TO THE RESCUE FOR THE DEAL SIDE, WITH THE EAGLES SIDES STARTING TO DOMINATE THE GAME IN ALL AREAS. THEY TOOK A TWO GOAL LEAD THROUGH LUKE SMALL, WHO’S SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX SAILED HIGH OVER THE DEAL KEEPER’S HEAD AND INTO THE NET. THE EAGLES BACK FOUR OF JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, DAN STEVENS & MICHAEL WILLIAMS WERE RARELY TROUBLED BY THE DEAL FORWARDS AND THE HOME SIDE SHOULD REALLY HAVE BEEN OUT OF SIGHT BEFORE HALF TIME BUT HAD TO BE CONTENT WITH JUST ONE MORE GOAL, THIS TIME OLSON GOT ON THE SCORESHEET AFTER NEATLY TAKING THE BALL AROUND THE DEAL KEEPER TO LEAVE AN EMPTY NET FOR HIM TO ROLL THE BALL INTO, WHICH HE DID WITH EASE.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE VISITORS START WITH A LITTLE MORE PURPOSE AND THEY MANAGED TO PULL ONE GOAL BACK WHEN A CROSS WAS TURNED IN BY A DEAL FORWARD WHO MANAGED TO BEAT HOME KEEPER WILLIAM YOUNG AT THE NEAR POST, BUT THAT WAS ALL THEY WERE GOING TO GET FROM THE GAME AS EAGLES EXTENDED THEIR LEAD STRAIGHT FROM THE RE-START. LUKE SMALL FED TOM OLSON WHOSE NEAT LITTLE FLICK PUT BRANDON KERR CLEAR OF THE DEFENCE AND HE PLACED HIS SHOT UNDER THE ADVANCING KEEPER TO MAKE IT 4-1. THIS GOAL GOT THE HOME SIDE BACK INTO THEIR STRIDE AND THEY SOON ADDED TO THEIR LEAD AFTER A QUICK THROW FROM SHAUN LAFFERTY FOUND MARK ANDERSON INSIDE THE BOX AND HIS SHOT ON THE TURN BEAT THE KEEPER AT THE NEAR POST TO REGISTER HIS SECOND OF THE GAME. EAGLES WERE AWARDED A PENALTY WHEN THE HARD WORKING BRANDON KERR WAS BROUGHT DOWN INSIDE THE BOX BUT SHAUN LAFFERTY SAW HIS SPOT KICK REBOUND OFF THE BAR WITH THE KEEPER WELL BEATEN AND THE VISITORS MANAGED TO SCRAMBLE THE BALL CLEAR. LAFFERTY MADE AMENDS FOR HIS PENALTY MISS, WHEN A NEAT TOUCH FROM JAMES BAKER PUT HIM CLEAR THROUGH ON GOAL AND HIS STRONG SHOT BEAT THE KEEPER FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX.

DESPITE SEVERAL OTHER GOOD CHANCES, EAGLES WERE UNABLE TO ADD TO THEIR LEAD BUT WERE MORE THAN SATISFIED WITH THEIR WIN AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS EARNED.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO 2-GOAL MARK ANDERSON, NOT ONLY FOR HIS GOALS BUT ALSO HIS NON STOP EFFORT AND COMMITMENT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MATCH.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, BRANDON KERR, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, TYLER COLLARD.

WITHOUT ANY LEAGUE OR CUP COMMITMENTS THIS WEEKEND EAGLES UNDER 13'S TRAVELLED TO FOLKESTONE TO TAKE ON LOCAL 1ST DIVISION SIDE FOLKESTONE INVICTA YOUTH IN A FRIENDLY.

THE GAME STARTED AT A FAST PACE WITH BOTH SIDES GOING FOR AN EARLY GOAL AND DESPITE GOOD EFFORTS FROM BOTH JAMES BAKER AND FELLOW STRIKE PARTNER TOM OLSON. THE HOME KEEPER WAS UP TO THE TASK AS WAS EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG WHEN HE WAS CALLED INTO ACTION. EAGLES KEPT UP THE PRESSURE WITH BOTH WIDE MEN, SHAUN LAFFERTY AND TYLER COLLARD, BEING A CONSTANT THREAT AND IT WAS THE VISITORS WHO MANAGED TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK WHEN A CROSS FROM MARK ANDERSON WAS SIDE FOOTED INTO THE FOLKESTONE NET FROM 15 YARDS OUT BY LUKE SMALL, WITH THE HOME DEFENCE AND KEEPER MERELY SPECTATORS. THE EAGLES DEFENCE THEN CAME UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE BUT THE TWO FULL BACKS, DAN STEVENS AND MICHAEL WILLIAMS DID A GREAT JOB IN PREVENTING THE HOME SIDE FROM PENETRATING DOWN THE FLANKS, AND THIS COUPLED WITH EXCELLENT WORK FROM CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER AND FELLOW CENTRE HALF DAN HUSSEY IN THE HEART OF THE DEFENCE KEPT THE HOME SIDE OUT. MIDWAY THROUGH THE HALF HOWEVER FOLKESTONE DID FIND A WAY THROUGH THE EAGLES DEFENCE WHEN ONE OF THEIR FORWARDS BEAT EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG IN A RACE TO MEET A THROUGH BALL AND POKED THE BALL UNDER HIS DESPAIRING DIVE. SHORTLY AFTER THEY DOUBLED THEIR LEAD WITH AN ALMOST COPY CAT MOVE TO TAKE A 2 -1 LEAD. EAGLES RESPONDED WELL, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF GEORGE DARBY FOR THE INJURED JAMES BAKER SOON PAID DIVIDENDS AS HIS STRONG RUNNING WAS UNSETTLING THE HOME DEFENCE AND AFTER HE CHASED DOWN A DEFENDER THE BALL BROKE FREE TO MARK ANDERSON WHO HAD NO HESITATION IN RIFLING A SHOT INTO THE FAR CORNER TO MAKE THE SCORES LEVEL AT HALF-TIME.

EAGLES STARTED THE SECOND HALF WITH THE SAME MOMENTUM AS THEY HAD FINISHED THE FIRST AND SOON FOUND THEMSELVES A GOAL TO THE GOOD WHEN TOM OLSON'S NEAT FLICK SENT GEORGE DARBY CLEAR OF THE HOME DEFENCE AND HE SLID HIS SHOT PAST THE ADVANCING KEEPER TO REGISTER HIS SIDES THIRD OF THE MATCH. HOWEVER THE LEAD DIDN'T LAST FOR LONG AS FOLKESTONE HIT BACK ONCE AGAIN TO DRAW THE SCORES LEVEL AT 3 APIECE. THE EAGLES SIDE SHOWED TREMENDOUS SPIRIT AND WOULD NOT LIE DOWN AND AFTER GOOD WORK BY SUBSTITUTE BRANDON KERR DOWN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THEY MANAGED TO RESTORE THEIR LEAD, WHEN HIS BALL FROM THE BYE LINE FOUND OLSON IN SPACE AND HE LAID A NICE BALL BACK TO MARK ANDERSON WHO FIRED HIS SHOT ACROSS THE HOME KEEPER AND IN TO THE FAR CORNER TO REGISTER HIS SECOND OF THE GAME. IT WAS OLSON AGAIN WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE NEXT EAGLES GOAL WHEN HIS STRONG RUN AT THE FOLKESTONE DEFENCE LEFT SPACE FOR DARBY TO RUN ONTO HIS PERFECTLY WEIGHTED THROUGH BALL AND LOB THE ADVANCING KEEPER FROM 10 YARDS TO NOTCH HIS SECOND OF THE GAME AND EAGLES FIFTH. THE EAGLES SIDE WERE NOW DOMINATING THE GAME AND AS IT ENTERED THE FINAL MINUTES THEY MANAGED A SIXTH WHEN A CROSS FROM ANDERSON WAS MET BY BRANDON KERR AND HIS FIRM HEADER FLEW INTO THE NET TO ROUND OFF A GOOD DAY FOR THE EAGLES TEAM.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO TOM OLSON, FOR HIS THREE ASSISTS & TREMENDOUS WORK RATE PUT IN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE GAME.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, DAN STEVENS, DAN HUSSEY, JAKE CARVER, SHAUN LAFFERTY, LUKE SMALL, TYLER COLLARD, MARK ANDERSON, TOM OLSON, JAMES BAKER, GEORGE DARBY, BRANDON KERR.

EAGLES UNDER 13'S OPENED THEIR PARKER STEEL EKYFL DIVISION TWO SEASON WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 6 - 3 AWAY WIN AT LOCAL RIVALS CANTERBURY YOUTH ON SUNDAY.

PLAYING DOWN A SLIGHT SLOPE IN THE FIRST HALF IT WAS THE EAGLES TEAM WHO STARTED THE BETTER SIDE AND THEY SOON FORCED THE HOME KEEPER INTO ACTION BUT HE MANAGED TO SAVE WELL ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS UNDER THE CONSTANT THREAT OF EAGLES FRONT PAIRING OF TOM OLSON AND JAMES BAKER. AS THE HALF WORE ON THE HOME SIDE SLOWLY GOT THEMSELVES INTO THE GAME AND EAGLES SURVIVED A SCARE WHEN A WELL WORKED MOVE ENDED WITH A SHOT FROM A YOUTH FORWARD CRASHING BACK INTO PLAY OFF OF THE BAR. THIS SPURRED THE HOME SIDE ON AND THEY TOOK THE LEAD SOON AFTER, WHEN A LITTLE BIT OF HESITANCY IN THE EAGLES DEFENCE ALLOWED ONE OF THEIR FORWARDS TO SURGE INTO THE BOX UNOPPOSED AND SLIDE THE BALL UNDER THE DIVE OF EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG. THE EAGLES SIDE RESPONDED WELL AND WITHIN 5 MINUTES HAD DRAWN LEVEL. A GOOD THROW IN FROM TOM OLSON WAS FLICKED ON BY MARK ANDERSON TO THE UNMARKED SHAUN LAFFERTY WHO PLANTED HIS HEADER FIRMLY INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET, TO KEEP THE SCORELINE 1 APIECE AT HALF-TIME.

THE SECOND HALF WAS EVERY BIT AS GOOD, IF NOT BETTER THAN THE FIRST WITH BOTH TEAMS TRYING TO CREATE THE BREAKTHROUGH THAT WOULD GIVE THEM THE LEAD, AND IT WAS THE HOME SIDE WHO DID SO AFTER A WELL WORKED CORNER SAW THEM CONVERT FROM CLOSE RANGE AT THE NEAR POST. ONCE AGAIN THE EAGLES SIDE RESPONDED WELL AND AFTER TOM OLSON HAD SEEN HIS VICIOUS SHOT SPILLED BY THE HOME KEEPER, SUBSTITUTE GEORGE DARBY WAS ON HAND TO TAP IN A SIMPLE GOAL TO BRING THE SCORES LEVEL ONCE AGAIN. DARBY WAS ON HAND AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER TO PUT THE EAGLES SIDE IN FRONT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MATCH WHEN HE LATCHED ONTO A QUICK THROW IN FROM LAFFERTY AND HIS PACE CARRIED HIM AWAY FROM THE HOME DEFENCE AND HE CALMLY SLOTTED PAST THE ADVANCING KEEPER. THE GAME THEN SWUNG BACK IN FAVOUR OF THE HOME SIDE AS THEY MANAGED TO GET THEIR THIRD AND ONCE AGAIN BRING THE SCORES LEVEL AT 3 - 3.

MANY A TEAM WOULD HAVE CRUMBLED AT THIS POINT, BUT THE EAGLES SIDE TOOK THE LEAD ONCE MORE, THIS TIME OLSON LAID A LOVELY WEIGHTED BALL INTO THE PATH OF MARK ANDERSON ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX AND HIS FIERCE DRIVE ACROSS THE KEEPER FLEW INTO THE FAR CORNER. WITHIN MINUTES EAGLES HAD ADDED TO THEIR LEAD WHEN A COPY CAT MOVE SAW ANDERSON GRAB HIS SECOND OF THE DAY TO PUT THE EAGLES SIDE 5 - 3 AHEAD AND FINALLY BREAK THE RESISTANCE OF THE HOME SIDE. EAGLES FINISHED THE SCORING AND MADE CERTAIN OF ALL THREE POINTS WITH ARGUABLY THE BEST GOAL OF THE GAME, A GOOD EXCHANGE OF PASSES BETWEEN OLSON & ANDERSON ALLOWED LUKE SMALL TIME TO FIND SOME SPACE ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX AND HIS BEAUTIFULLY FLIGHTED SHOT DRIFTED HIGH OVER THE HOME KEEPERS HEAD AND INTO THE NET.

A TREMENDOUS TEAM EFFORT FROM THE EAGLES TEAM WITH ALL THEIR PLAYERS GIVING 110% TO THE CAUSE, WHICH IF THEY CAN CARRY INTO THE NEXT FEW GAMES WILL PUT THEM IN GOOD STEAD FOR THE SEASON. ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PICK JUST ONE PLAYER, EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO DANIEL HUSSEY FOR HIS NON STOP EFFORT, COMMITTMENT AND CONTROLLED PERFORMANCE IN THE MIDFIELD.

TEAM: YOUNG, WILLIAMS, KERR, DODD, CARVER, ANDERSON, SMALL, HUSSEY, LAFFERTY, OLSON, BAKER, DARBY.

EAGLES HAVE THEIR FEATHERS RUFFLED

Eagles under 13's lost for only the second time this season going down 3 - 0 away to Kennington Colts on Sunday.

Several of the Eagles squad were missing through illness and injury and so they took the field with only 11 fit players, but did extremely well in holding their opponents until the last quarter of the match before conceding.

Playing largely on the back foot for most of the first half the Eagles defence were kept busy, but with keeper Will Young on top form they managed to thwart the Kennington forwards time after time, Young even saving one goal bound shot with his head!

A tactical switch at half time saw the balance of play sway slightly in the visitors favour with Tom Olson going close twice, but it wasn't to be the Canterbury side's day as Kennington broke the deadlock, and with tiredness playing its part they took full advantage in the closing stages to score twice more before the final whistle.

Despite the loss, Eagles remain in top spot 5 points clear of second place and still on course for a top two finish.

Eagles Man of the Match went to Luke Small.

TEAM: William Young, Tyler Collard, Jake Carver, Daniel Hussey, Michael Williams, Shaun Lafferty, Mark Anderson, Tom Olson, Luke Small, George Darby, James Baker.

CANTERBURY EAGLES UNDER 13S CONTINUED THEIR IMPRESSIVE START TO THEIR SEASON WITH A 5 - 1 VICTORY AWAY TO HUGIN VIKINGS ON SUNDAY, A WIN WHICH KEEPS THEM FIRMLY IN 2ND PLACE JUST 3 POINTS OFF OF TOP SPOT.

ALTHOUGH THE EAGLES SIDE WERE FORCED INTO MAKING CHANGES TO THEIR NORMAL STARTING LINE UP DUE TO INJURIES, THEY SOON PUT THE HOME SIDE UNDER PRESSURE WITH BOTH JAMES BAKER AND STRIKE PARTNER GEORGE DARBY FORCING SAVES FROM THE HUGIN KEEPER, DARBY EVEN MANAGING TO BEAT THE KEEPER ON ONE OCCASION BUT A POST CAME BETWEEN HIM AND THE OPENING GOAL. A MAKE SHIFT DEFENCE SAW TOM OLSON PARTNER JAKE CARVER AT CENTRE BACK INSTEAD OF TAKING HIS CUSTOMARY ROLE UP FRONT, BUT THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON HIS GAME, AS ALONG WITH FULL BACKS DAN STEVENS AND MICHAEL WILLIAMS THEY HELD THE HUGIN STRIKERS AT BAY AND REDUCED THEM TO LONG RANGE EFFORTS WHICH KEEPER WILL YOUNG WAS MORE THAN ABLE TO COPE WITH. THE EAGLES CENTRAL MIDFIELD PAIRING OF DAN HUSSEY AND MARK ANDERSON WERE IN CONTROL OF THE GAME AND WERE AIDED WELL BY THEIR TWO WIDE MEN; SHAUN LAFFERTY AND TYLER COLLARD WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY DOWN THE FLANKS TO TRY AND CREATE AN OPENING AND IT WAS LAFFERTY WHO ALMOST OPENED THE SCORING BUT HIS SHOT STRUCK THE CROSS BAR AND BOUNCED TO SAFETY. EAGLES DID TAKE THE LEAD SHORTLY BEFORE HALF TIME WHEN A QUICK THROW FROM LAFFERTY FOUND ANDERSON IN THE BOX AND HIS CLEVER FLICK OVER A DEFENDERS HEAD LEFT HIM A CLEAR SIGHT OF GOAL AND HE MADE NO MISTAKE AT THE NEAR POST TO MAKE IT 1 -0 TO THE VISITING SIDE.

A TACTICAL CHANGE AT HALF TIME BY THE HOME SIDE, WHO WERE NOW PLAYING FIVE IN MIDFIELD, SOON PAID DIVIDENDS AS THEY DREW LEVEL WHEN A SPECULATIVE LOB JUST MANAGED TO BEAT THE DESPAIRING FINGERTIPS OF EAGLES KEEPER YOUNG AND CREEP UNDER THE CROSS BAR TO DRAW THE GAME LEVEL. NOT TO BE OUTDONE EAGLES MADE A FEW SWITCHES OF THEIR OWN, WITH OLSON REVERTING TO HIS MORE FAVOURED ROLE UPFRONT, MIDFIELDER HUSSEY DROPPING INTO THE BACK FOUR TO ALLOW LUKE SMALL TO PAIR UP WITH ANDERSON IN THE CENTRE OF THE FIELD, AND LAST WEEKS MATCH WINNER BRANDON KERR JOINED THE FRAY ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF MIDFIELD. THESE CHANGES RATHER THAN DISRUPT THE EAGLES SIDE GAVE THEM AN EXTRA BOOST AS OLSON SOON FOUND THE NET AFTER A POWERFUL RUN HAD TAKEN HIM CLEAR OF THE DEFENCE AND HE ROUNDED THE KEEPER TO CALMLY PASS THE BALL INTO THE NET TO RESTORE THE LEAD FOR THE VISITORS. AS HUGIN PUSHED FORWARD TO TRY AND FIND AN EQUALISER THEY WERE FOUND GUILTY OF LEAVING GAPS AT THE BACK WHICH THE EAGLES SIDE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF; FIRSTLY OLSON FOUND LAFFERTY IN SPACE ON THE LEFT AND HIS ANGLED SHOT WAS STRUCK TOO POWERFULLY FOR THE HOME KEEPER TO STOP AND HE NOTCHED HIS SECOND OF THE GAME, AFTER FIRST HITTING ANOTHER SHOT AGAINST THE BAR, WHEN BAKER PLAYED HIM IN AND HIS CLEVER CHIPPED SHOT SAILED OVER THE HUGIN KEEPERS HEAD AND FOUND THE FAR CORNER TO MAKE IT 4 - 1. THE GAME AND ANOTHER 3 POINTS ON THE ROAD WERE NOW SAFE BUT EAGLES HAD NOT FINISHED SCORING AS KERR TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A MOMENTS HESITANCY BETWEEN A HUGIN DEFENDER AND HIS GOALIE AS HE NIPPED IN AND TOOK THE BALL AROUND THE STATIC KEEPER AND PASSED THE BALL INTO THE EMPTY NET.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO TOM OLSON.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, TOM OLSON, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TYLER COLLARD, MARK ANDERSON, DAN HUSSEY, SHAUN LAFFERTY, GEORGE DARBY, JAMES BAKER, LUKE SMALL, BRANDON KERR.

HAVING ALREADY FINISHED THEIR LEAGUE PROGRAMME EAGLES UNDER 12'S TRAVELLED TO FAVERSHAM FOR ONE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON TAKING ON LOCAL SIDE STRIKE FORCE IN A FRIENDLY AND CAME AWAY WITH A RESOUNDING 9-1 WIN.

EAGLES STARTED THE BETTER SIDE AND OPENED THE SCORING AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES WHEN THE ALERT TOM OLSON POUNCED ON A POOR GOAL KICK AND LOBBED THE BALL OVER THE ADVANCING HOME KEEPER TO NOTCH HIS FIRST OF THE GAME, HE FOLLOWED UP WITH HIS SECOND SHORTLY AFTER WITH A NEAT TURN IN THE BOX BEFORE SMASHING THE BALL HOME. GOOD WORK FROM MIDFIELDER DANIEL HUSSEY BROUGHT THE THIRD AFTER A NEAT EXCHANGE OF PASSES WITH OLSON, HUSSEY ONLY HAD TO TAP IN FROM CLOSE RANGE WHICH HE DID WITH EASE.

EAGLES DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY AS STRIKE FORCE PULLED A GOAL BACK WHEN A WELL STRUCK SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE AREA SQUEEZED PAST THE OUT STRETCHED ARM OF KEEP WILL YOUNG AND FOUND THE NET VIA THE POST. EAGLES SOON RESTORED THEIR THREE GOAL ADVANTAGE HOWEVER, WHEN GEORGE DARBY SCORED FROM CLOSE RANGE AFTER GOOD WORK FROM MICHAEL WILLIAMS DOWN THE LEFT FLANK TO MAKE THE SCORE 4-1 AT HALF TIME.

THE SECOND HALF CONTINUED IN MUCH THE SAME VAIN AS THE FIRST WITH OLSON COMPLETING HIS HAT TRICK AFTER FINDING HIMSELF IN SPACE BEHIND THE HOME DEFENCE, TAKING HIS TIME HE CALMLY PICKED HIS SPOT AND PLACED THE BALL INTO THE NET. DARBY ADDED HIS SECOND WITH A WELL STRUCK SHOT FROM CLOSE RANGE TO MAKE IT 6 FOR THE VISITORS. NEXT ON THE SCORE SHEET WAS LUKE SMALL, WHO AFTER DRIBBLING PAST THREE OR FOUR DEFENDERS DREW THE KEEPER TOWARDS HIM AND THEN COOLLY SLOTTED THE BALL HOME UNDER HIS DESPAIRING DIVE. THE EAGLES SIDE WERE FINDING IT EASY AND A WELL DESERVED GOAL FROM MICHAEL WILLIAMS MADE IT 8 WITH JAMES BAKER ROUNDING OFF THE SCORING WITH A SHOT FROM 25 YARDS OUT AFTER A MISTAKE FROM THE HOME KEEPER LEFT HIS NET UNGUARDED.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO MICHAEL WILLIAMS.

TEAM: YOUNG, STEVENS, CARVER, KERR, LUDLOW, COLLARD, LEHEY, HUSSEY, WILLIAMS, OLSON, BAKER, DARBY, SMALL.

EAGLES UNDER 12'S FINISHED THEIR SEASON WITH ARGUABLY THEIR BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE CAMPAIGN EARNING THEMSELVES A WELL DESERVED 1-1 DRAW AGAINST TOP OF THE TABLE FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE ON SUNDAY.

IN WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY EVENLY MATCHED CONTEST IT WAS THE VISITORS WHO STARTED SLIGHTLY THE STRONGER FORCING THE EAGLES SIDE ONTO THE BACK FOOT, BUT THE HOME DEFENCE MARSHALLED WELL BY CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER OFFERED STOUT RESISTANCE AND KEPT THEM AT BAY WITH KEEPER WILL YOUNG MAKING A NUMBER OF GOOD SAVES. EAGLES SOON STARTED TO CREATE CHANCES OF THEIR OWN WITH STRIKE PARTNERS GEORGE DARBY AND JAMES BAKER BOTH GOING CLOSE AFTER BEING PLAYED IN BY MIDFIELD MAESTRO LUKE SMALL, BUT SOMEWHAT FORTUITOUSLY THE VISITORS TOOK THE LEAD WHEN A HOPEFUL LONG BALL INTO THE BOX WAS MISREAD BY THE HOME KEEPER AND THE BOUNCE ON THE DRY PITCH BEAT HIM AND THE BALL SQUEEZED IN UNDER THE BAR TO PUT STRIKE FORCE 1 UP. AS THE HALF WORE ON EAGLES CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR THE EQUALISER AND CAME VERY CLOSE AFTER TOM OLSON TRICKED HIS WAY PAST A DEFENDER ON THE BYE LINE ONLY FOR HIS SHOT FROM A TIGHT ANGLE TO BE SCRAMBLED AROUND THE POST BY THE VISITING KEEPER.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE STEP UP THE PACE AND TAKE THE GAME TO THE VISITORS, BUT SOME GOOD GOAL KEEPING AND LAST DITCH DEFENDING PREVENTED THEM FROM GETTING THE EQUALISER UNTIL AN EXCELLENT BALL PLAYED IN FROM THE LEFT BEHIND THE FAVERSHAM DEFENCE BY DANIEL HUSSEY FOUND BAKER IN A CENTRAL POSITION AND HE CALMLY CURLED HIS SHOT AROUND THE ADVANCING KEEPER TO DRAW THE SCORES LEVEL. THE EAGLES SIDE NOW HAD THE SCENT OF VICTORY IN THEIR NOSTRILS BUT STILL HAD TO BE ON THEIR TOES AS THE VISITORS CONTINUED TO TRY AND HIT THEM ON THE COUNTER ATTACK, BUT KEEPER WILL YOUNG MADE THREE OUTSTANDING ONE-ON-ONE SAVES TO KEEP HIS SIDE IN THE GAME. EAGLES CONTINUED TO CHASE A SECOND GOAL BUT DESPITE GOOD EFFORTS FROM BOTH BAKER AND OLSON THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A WAY THROUGH AND HAD TO SETTLE FOR THE DRAW.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO KEEPER WILL YOUNG.

TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, CARVER (C), KERR, WILLIAMS, HUSSEY, DORMER, SMALL, COLLARD, DARBY, BAKER, OLSON, TASOU.

A BRACE APIECE FROM JAMES BAKER AND TOM OLSON HELPED EAGLES UNDER 12'S TO A WELL DESERVED 7-2 VICTORY OVER WYE JUNIORS ON SUNDAY.

EAGLES STARTED THE GAME WELL WITH GEORGE DARBY FLASHING A SHOT JUST WIDE OF THE UPRIGHT STRAIGHT FROM THE START AND THEY DID TAKE THE LEAD SHORTLY AFTER THROUGH TYLER COLLARD, WHO AFTER WINNING THE BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK RAN THE BALL STRAIGHT AT THE VISITORS GOAL AND ONCE INSIDE THE PENALTY AREA HIT A TREMENDOUS SHOT HIGH OVER THE WYE KEEPER’S HEAD AND INTO THE NET. AN EQUALISER SOON FOLLOWED FOR WYE WHEN THE HOME DEFENCE FAILED TO CLEAR A CORNER PROPERLY AND A SHOT THROUGH THE CROWD OF PLAYERS LEFT AN UNSIGHTED WILL YOUNG IN THE EAGLES GOAL WITH LITTLE CHANCE OF STOPPING IT. THE HOME SIDE RESPONDED WELL AND WERE SOON BACK IN FRONT AFTER A JINKING RUN BY BAKER INSIDE THE BOX SAW HIM GO PAST THREE DEFENDERS BEFORE HE DISPATCHED HIS SHOT LOW INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET FOR HIS FIRST OF THE GAME. AS EAGLES CONTINUED TO PRESS IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY GOT THEIR THIRD AND WHAT A GOAL IT WAS. A SHOT FROM DANIEL HUSSEY WAS BLOCKED BY THE VISITING DEFENCE BUT THE BALL RAN KINDLY TO LUKE SMALL WHO SEEING THAT THE KEEPER WAS OFF OF HIS LINE AND SLIGHTLY OUT OF POSITION CHIPPED HIS SHOT HIGH INTO THE CORNER TO MAKE IT 3-1. THE INTRODUCTION OF SUBSTITUTE TOM OLSON SOON HAD THE WYE DEFENCE UNDER MORE PRESSURE AND HIS CROSS FROM THE RIGHT FOUND HUSSEY UNMARKED AT THE BACK POST AND HE HAD THE EASIEST OF TAP-INS TO MAKE IT 4-1 TO THE HOME TEAM. AS THE HALF DREW TO A CLOSE WYE MANAGED TO PULL ANOTHER GOAL BACK WITH A FREE HEADER FROM A CORNER, TO MAKE IT 4-2 AT THE BREAK.

THE SECOND HALF SAW LITTLE RESPITE FOR THE VISITING DEFENCE AS EAGLES CONTINUED TO PUSH FORWARD AND OLSON SCORED HIS FIRST OF THE GAME, WHEN AFTER A GOOD SURGING RUN FROM MIDFIELD HE GUIDED HIS SHOT INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET PAST THE ADVANCING WYE KEEPER. EAGLES WERE NOW DOMINATING THE GAME AND PRESSING FORWARD AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. BAKER CLAIMED HIS SECOND OF THE GAME WHEN AGAIN HE DRIBBLED THE BALL PAST THREE OR FOUR DEFENDERS BEFORE SLIDING THE BALL INTO THE NET. EAGLES HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD TO THEIR LEAD WHEN HUSSEY'S CURLING EFFORT WAS JUST TIPPED ROUND THE POST BY THE KEEPER AND DARBY'S SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX GRAZED THE CROSSBAR, BUT THEY DID ADD ONE FURTHER GOAL THROUGH OLSON WHO AFTER BEING PLAYED IN BY SMALL SMASHED HIS SHOT INTO THE BACK OF THE NET GIVING THE WYE KEEPER LITTLE CHANCE OF MAKING A SAVE.

ANOTHER 3 POINTS NEXT SUNDAY WHEN EAGLES ENTERTAIN FAVERSHAM STRIKE FORCE WILL SEE THEM FINISH JOINT THIRD IN THE DIVISION AND ROUND OFF WHAT HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD SEASON FOR THE TEAM.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO STAND-IN CENTRE HALF BRANDON KERR

TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, CARVER (C), KERR, WILLIAMS, COLLARD, SMALL, DORMER, HUSSEY, DARBY, BAKER, OLSON.

ANOTHER WIN ON THE ROAD FOR EAGLES UNDER 12'S KEEPS THEM ON COURSE FOR A THIRD PLACE FINISH AFTER THEY BEAT VICTORIA DYNAMO'S ON SUNDAY.

PLAYING ON A PITCH MORE SUITED TO MUD WRESTLING THAN FOOTBALL IT WAS THE EAGLES SIDE WHO MADE THE BETTER OF THE ATROCIOUS CONDITIONS IN RECORDING A 3-0 VICTORY.
AFTER AN EVEN FIRST 5 MINUTES IT WAS EAGLES WHO TOOK THE LEAD WHEN AN EXCELLENT THROUGH BALL FROM THE OUTSTANDING LUKE SMALL PUT JAMES BAKER IN ON GOAL AND SEEING THAT THE HOME KEEPER WAS OFF OF HIS LINE HE COOLLY LOBBED THE BALL OVER HIS HEAD INTO THE EMPTY NET.

BOTH TEAMS WERE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO PASS OR MOVE THE BALL AROUND BUT EAGLES MANAGED TO DOUBLE THEIR LEAD WHEN GEORGE DARBY CHASED DOWN A LONG BALL WHICH HELD UP IN THE MUD AND HIS SHOT WAS TOO POWERFUL FOR THE HOME KEEPER TO HOLD.

EAGLES CONTINUED TO DOMINATE AND BAKER ADDED A THIRD FROM CLOSE RANGE AFTER HESITANCY IN THE HOME DEFENCE GAVE HIM TIME TO PLACE HIS SHOT WIDE OF THE KEEPER, EAGLES ALMOST ADDED A FOURTH BEFORE THE BREAK BUT MICHAEL WILLIAMS HAD A PENALTY SAVED AFTER HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT DOWN IN THE BOX.

THE SECOND HALF TURNED INTO A REAL SCRAPPY AFFAIR AS THE PITCH CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AND IT WAS THIS AND SOME VERY HEAVY LEGS THAT PREVENTED THE EAGLES SIDE FROM ADDING TO THEIR TOTAL AS THEY CONTINUALLY PUSHED FORWARD IN SEARCH OF MORE GOALS.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO LUKE SMALL

TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, CARVER (C), KERR, LUDLOW, COLLARD, SMALL, HUSSEY, WILLIAMS, DARBY, BAKER, TASOU.

EAGLES UNDER 12'S TOOK ALL 3 POINTS WITH A 1-0 WIN OVER THANET COLTS RESERVES , WHICH KEEPS THEM ON COURSE FOR A TOP THREE FINISH THIS SEASON.

IN A VERY OPEN GAME WHICH SAW BOTH TEAMS PLAYING SOME EXCELLENT FOOTBALL IT WAS THE EAGLES SIDE WHO NEARLY TOOK THE LEAD WHEN STRIKER GEORGE DARBY'S SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX JUST CLEARED THE CROSSBAR. EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG WAS CALLED INTO ACTION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT WAS UP TO THE TASK MAKING SOME GOOD SAVES FROM THE THANET FORWARDS. EAGLES WENT CLOSE AGAIN TO BREAKING THE DEADLOCK WHEN AFTER A QUICK EXCHANGE OF PASSES BETWEEN JAMES BAKER AND DANIEL HUSSEY PUT MIDFIELDER BRANDON KERR THROUGH ON GOAL BUT HIS SHOT WAS WELL SAVED BY THE VISITING GOALIE.
SHORTLY BEFORE HALF TIME EAGLES DID TAKE THE LEAD WHEN A SURGING RUN FROM MIDFIELD BY GEORGE TREEBY SENT HIM CLEAR OF THE THANET DEFENCE AND HIS SHOT ACROSS THE KEEPER FOUND THE FAR CORNER OF THE NET.
THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE START TO DOMINATE THE GAME AND THEY WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO INCREASE THEIR LEAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THROUGH TOM OLSON, JAMES BAKER, AND GEORGE DARBY BUT THE VISITING DEFENCE MANAGED TO KEEP THEM OUT.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO BRANDON KERR.

TEAM: YOUNG, COLLARD, CARVER, DODD, WILLIAMS, TREEBY, KERR, HUSSEY, OLSON, DARBY, BAKER, SMALL, DORMER.

EAGLES RESUMED THEIR SEASON AFTER A WEATHER ENFORCED BREAK WITH A 3 -1 LOSS AWAY TO HUGIN VIKINGS.

PLAYING INTO A SWIRLING WIND EAGLES FOUND IT HARD TO GET INTO THEIR STRIDE AND IT WAS THE HOME SIDE WHO HAD THE BEST OF THE OPENING EXCHANGES BUT KEEPER WILL YOUNG MANAGED TO KEEP THEM AT BAY WITH SOME FINE GOALKEEPING. EAGLES DID MANAGE TO CREATE A FEW CHANCES OF THEIR OWN BUT NEVER REALLY TESTED THE HOME KEEPER AND WITH ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING HUGIN WENT A GOAL UP WITH A CLEVERLY EXECUTED LOB AND THEY DOUBLED THEIR LEAD JUST BEFORE HALF TIME AFTER SOME CONFUSION IN THE EAGLES DEFENCE.

THE SECOND HALF SAW THE EAGLES SIDE RESPOND WELL AND THEY MANAGED TO PULL A GOAL BACK THROUGH LUKE SMALL AFTER A GOOD EXCHANGE OF PASSES WITH TYLER COLLARD PUT HIM CLEAR THROUGH ON GOAL. DESPITE CONTINUAL PRESSURE FOR MOST OF THE SECOND PERIOD THE EAGLES TEAM WERE UNABLE TO FIND A WAY PAST THE HOME DEFENCE FOR THE EQUALISER AND IT WAS HUGIN WHO WRAPPED UP THE POINTS IN THE DYING MINUTES WITH THEIR THIRD OF THE GAME.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO JAKE CARVER.

TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, CARVER, DODD, WILLIAMS, TREEBY, HUSSEY, SMALL, COLLARD, OLSON, DARBY, BAKER, KERR, DORMER.

PLAYING UP THE SLOPE AND INTO THE SUN IN THE FIRST HALF EAGLES WERE QUICK OUT OF THE BLOCKS TAKING THE LEAD AFTER ONLY 2 MINUTES WHEN A QUICK THROW-IN FROM DANIEL HUSSEY FOUND LUKE SMALL IN SPACE BEHIND THE HOME DEFENCE AND HIS GOOD RUN AT GOAL FOLLOWED BY A CLEVER SQUARE PASS FOUND TYLER COLLARD WHO HAD AN EASY TAP-IN TO RECORD HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON AND HIS FIRST FOR THE CLUB. BETTESHANGER HIT BACK THOUGH ALMOST STRAIGHT AWAY AND AFTER A BIT OF A SCRAMBLE IN THE EAGLES GOALMOUTH THE BALL WAS POKED INTO THE FAR CORNER TO LEVEL THE SCORES. THE HOME SIDE THEN FOUND THEMSELVES IN FRONT, WHEN AFTER ANOTHER SCRAMBLE IN THE EAGLES GOALMOUTH THE BALL WAS PLAYED OUT TO AN EAGER FORWARD WAITING ON THE EDGE OF THE PENALTY BOX AND HIS LOW DRIVE FOUND THE NET TO MAKE IT 2-1.
THE EAGLES SIDE WERE FINDING IT HARD WORK PLAYING UP THE SLOPE BUT GOT THEMSELVES LEVEL, WHEN HUSSEY PLAYED A GOOD BALL INTO THE PATH OF GEORGE DARBY WHO RACED AWAY FROM THE HOME DEFENCE TO HIT A SHOT FROM 6 YARDS OUT WHICH FOUND THE ROOF OF THE NET. JUST BEFORE THE HALF-TIME BREAK EAGLES WENT IN FRONT WITH AN EXACT COPY OF THE MOVE WHICH GOT THEM THEIR FIRST, HUSSEY'S THROW FINDING SMALL AND THIS TIME IT WAS GEORGE DARBY WHO WAS ON THE END OF THE SQUARE PASS TO TAP THE BALL INTO THE EMPTY NET.
THE SECOND HALF WAS MUCH EASIER FOR THE EAGLES SIDE AS THEY PLAYED DOWN THE SLOPE AND THEY ADDED A FOURTH THROUGH MICHAEL WILLIAMS, HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON, AFTER JAMES BAKER HAD MADE A VERY GOOD RUN DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PITCH TO SET UP THE CHANCE. A FIFTH FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER WHEN DEFENDER DECLAN LUDLOW BROKE DOWN A BETTESHANGER ATTACK AND PLAYED A LOVELY BALL INTO THE PATH OF GEORGE TREEBY WHO RACED AWAY FROM THE HOME DEFENCE TO HIT AN UNSTOPPABLE SHOT INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET. THE HOME SIDE DID HAVE A CHANCE TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT IN THE DYING MINUTES WHEN THEY WERE AWARDED A PENALTY BUT THE BALL WAS PLACE WIDE OF THE UPRIGHT. EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO JAMES BAKER FOR HIS OVERALL HARD WORKING PERFORMANCE.

TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, CARVER (C), DODD, LUDLOW, HUSSEY, COLLARD, SMALL, TREEBY, TASOU, WILLIAMS, DORMER, DARBY, BAKER.

IN VERY COLD AND WINDY CONDITIONS IT WAS EAGLES WHO SETTLED INTO THEIR RHYTHM EARLY AND FOUND THEMSELVES A GOAL UP AFTER JAMES BAKER SKILFULLY TOOK THE BALL PAST TWO DEFENDERS BEFORE SLIDING IT PAST THE HOME KEEPER. A FURTHER TWO GOALS IN AS MANY MINUTES FROM LUKE SMALL GAVE THE EAGLES SIDE A GOOD CUSHION MIDWAY THROUGH THE HALF BUT AFTER FAILING TO CLEAR A CORNER PROPERLY RANGERS MANAGED TO PULL A GOAL BACK WITH A WELL TAKEN VOLLEY FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX. EAGLES ALMOST ADDED A FOURTH WHEN MAN OF THE MATCH JOE DORMER GOT HIS HEAD TO A CORNER ONLY FOR THE BALL TO FLASH INCHES WIDE OF AN UPRIGHT, BUT THEY DID MANAGE TO RESTORE THEIR 3 GOAL ADVANTAGE WHEN GEORGE TREEBY HIT AN UNSTOPPABLE SHOT HIGH INTO THE NET FROM JUST INSIDE THE PENALTY BOX TO MAKE IT 4-1 AT HALF TIME.

THE EAGLES SIDE CONTINUED TO DOMINATE IN THE SECOND HALF AND ADDED A FIFTH WHEN STRIKER GEORGE DARBY MADE A STRONG RUN AT THE HEART OF THE HOME DEFENCE WHICH PUT HIM CLEAN THROUGH ON GOAL AND HE MADE NO MISTAKE WITH THIS LOW SHOT INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET. IT WAS DARBY AGAIN WHO NEARLY GOT HIS SECOND AND EAGLES SIXTH, WHEN AFTER ANOTHER GOOD RUN HIS SHOT REBOUNDED OFF OF THE ANGLE OF CROSSBAR AND POST AND FELL KINDLY TO DANIEL HUSSEY WHO COOLLY PUT THE BALL IN THE NET. RANGERS WERE STRUGGLING TO GET THEMSELVES BACK INTO THE GAME BUT DID MANAGE A SECOND AFTER A PENALTY WAS AWARDED IN THEIR FAVOUR FOR A PUSH IN THE BOX. THIS DIDN'T DETER THE EAGLES SIDE WHO CONTINUED TO PRESS FORWARD AND HIT TWO FURTHER GOALS, ONE A PIECE FROM THE TWO GEORGE'S DARBY AND TREEBY, BUT IT WAS THE HOME SIDE WHO HAD THE LAST SAY BY NETTING THEIR THIRD OF THE DAY TO GIVE A FINAL SCORELINE OF 8-3 TO THE VISITORS.

TEAM: WOOD, LUDLOW, DODD, CARVER (C), KERR, DORMER, HUSSEY, COX, COLLARD, TASOU, WILLIAMS, TREEBY, SMALL, BAKER, DARBY.

STARTING STRONGLY EAGLES FOUND THEMSELVES A GOAL UP AFTER ONLY 3 MINUTES, WHEN AFTER A GOOD RUN AT THE HEART OF THE VISITOR’S DEFENCE AND A NEAT ONE TWO WITH JAMES BAKER ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX MIDFIELDER AND MAN OF THE MATCH DANIEL HUSSEY FOUND HIMSELF CLEAR THROUGH ON GOAL AND CLEVERLY LIFTED HIS SHOT OVER THE ADVANCING KEEPER.
EAGLES CONTINUED TO PRESS FORWARD AND WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO GO FURTHER AHEAD THROUGH STRIKES FROM BAKER AND THE IMPRESSIVE GEORGE TREEBY WHO WAS GIVING DYNAMO'S RIGHT BACK A TORRID TIME, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A WAY PAST THE VISITING KEEPER WHO WAS HAVING A VERY GOOD GAME. DYNAMOS DID TRY TO FORCE EAGLES ONTO THE BACK FOOT BUT THE HOME DEFENCE MARSHALLED WELL BY CAPTAIN JAKE CARVER STOOD FIRM AND THEIR ONLY REAL EFFORT ON GOAL WAS WELL COVERED BY EAGLES KEEPER WILL YOUNG WHO WATCHED AS IT SAILED WIDE OF THE UPRIGHT. THE EAGLES CENTRAL MIDFIELD PAIRING OF HUSSEY AND LUKE SMALL WERE DOMINATING THE GAME, AND AFTER SMALL HAD WON THE BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK HIS SHORT PASS FOUND HUSSEY WHO'S EXCELLENT THROUGH BALL PUT TREEBY IN THE CLEAR AND HIS SHOT ACROSS THE DYNAMO'S KEEPER GAVE HIM NO CHANCE AS IT FOUND THE FAR CORNER. EAGLES SHOULD HAVE INCREASED THEIR LEAD BEFORE THE HALF TIME WHISTLE WENT, BUT GEORGE DARBY WAS THWARTED ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS BY WELL EXECUTED TACKLES FROM THE DYNAMO'S DEFENCE WHEN HE WAS IN THE CLEAR.
THE SECOND HALF SAW A SPIRITED FIGHT BACK FROM THE VISITORS WHO MANAGED TO KEEP THE HOME DEFENCE UNDER PRESSURE AND DESPITE SOME EXCELLENT WORK IN KEEPING THE VISITORS OUT WERE FINALLY BREACHED WHEN A CROSS WAS HEADED BACK ACROSS THE GOAL FOR DYNAMO'S TO SCORE WITH A TAP IN. EAGLES SOON RALLIED AND BEGAN TO GET A FOOTHOLD BACK IN THE GAME, BUT AGAIN THE VISITING KEEPER WAS UP TO THE TASK UNTIL A WAYWARD GOAL KICK WAS POUNCED ON BY THE EVER ALERT DANIEL HUSSEY WHO GLADLY ACCEPTED THE CHANCE AND AGAIN LOFTED HIS SHOT INTO THE NET TO MAKE IT 3 - 1. THE HOME SIDE WERE NOW ENCAMPED IN THE VISITOR’S HALF AND SOON HAD THE GAME WRAPPED UP, WHEN GOOD WORK FROM BAKER FOUND HUSSEY ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX AND HIS THROUGH BALL PUT HARRY TASOU IN ONE ON ONE WITH THE KEEPER AND HE CALMLY SLOTTED THE BALL HOME TO MAKE IT 4-1, TO GIVE EAGLES A DESERVED WIN AND CONTINUE THEIR GOOD RUN THIS SEASON.


TEAM: YOUNG, NOBLE, DODD, CARVER (C), LUDLOW, TREEBY, HUSSEY, SMALL, COLLARD, WILLIAMS, KERR, TASOU, DARBY, BAKER.

IN A FREE FLOWING GAME THAT SAW PLENTY OF GOOD FOOTBALL BEING PLAYED BY BOTH SIDES IT WAS EAGLES WHO TOOK AN EARLY LEAD WHEN STRIKER GEORGE DARBY SQUEEZED THE BALL THROUGH THE STRIKE FORCE KEEPER’S LEGS FROM CLOSE RANGE.
THE HOME SIDE SHOULD HAVE DOUBLED THEIR LEAD SHORTLY AFTER WHEN DARBY SMASHED HIS SHOT AGAINST THE CROSSBAR, AFTER A GOOD RUN HAD TAKEN HIM CLEAR OF THE VISITOR’S DEFENCE. THE GAME EBBED AND FLOWED FROM END TO END BUT THE STRIKE FORCE FORWARDS WERE UNABLE TO FIND A WAY PAST EAGLES STAND IN KEEPER, CRAIG WOOD, WHO ALONG WITH HIS DEFENCE WERE IN SPLENDID FORM. THE INTRODUCTION OF JAMES BAKER IN A FORWARD ROLE SHORTLY BEFORE HALF TIME NEARLY PAID DIVIDENDS BUT THE VISITING KEEPER WAS UP TO THE TASK MAKING A NUMBER OF FINE SAVES.
THE SECOND HALF CONTINUED IN MUCH THE SAME VAIN, WITH EAGLES PRODUCING THE MORE CLEAR CUT CHANCES BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A WAY PAST THE VISITING KEEPER WHO CONTINUED TO DENY THEM. ON THE OCCASIONS WHEN HE WAS BEATEN; JAMES BAKER WAS VERY UNLUCKY TO SEE HIS SHOT REBOUND OFF OF A POST AND LUKE SMALL SAW HIS DELIGHTFUL CHIP SCRAPE THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST.
OVERALL A VERY ENTERTAINING GAME PLAYED BY TWO SIDES COMMITTED TO PLAYING FOOTBALL IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT OF THE GAME.

TEAM: WOOD, NOBLE, CARVER (C), DODD, LUDLOW, DORMER, KERR, COX, HUSSEY, COLLARD, SMALL, WILLIAMS, TREEBY, BAKER, DARBY.

EAGLES HAVE THEIR FEATHERS RUFFLED

EAGLES UNDER 13'S TRAVELLED TO FAVERSHAM ON SUNDAY TO TAKE ON LOCAL SIDE STRIKE FORCE IN THEIR PARKER STEEL DIVISION TWO FIXTURE AND CAME AWAY ON THE WRONG END OF A 4 - 0 SCORELINE.

THE PREVIOUSLY UNBEATEN EAGLES SIDE NEVER REALLY GOT GOING IN A FIRST HALF WHICH SAW THEM CONCEDE A GOAL AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND THEN A FURTHER TWO BEFORE THE BREAK, A LATE RALLY JUST BEFORE HALF TIME DID SEE THEM PENETRATE THE HOME DEFENCE BUT EFFORTS FROM GEORGE DARBY AND SHAUN LAFFERTY WERE WELL SAVED BY THE HOME KEEPER.

THE HALF TIME TEAM TALK OBVIOUSLY DID THE TRICK AS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE SECOND HALF THE HOME SIDE WERE ON THE BACK FOOT, BOTH MARK ANDERSON AND JAMES BAKER WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TRY AND FIND AN OPENING BUT THE EAGLES SIDE JUST COULDN'T GET PAST THE STRIKE FORCE DEFENCE, WITH BRANDON KERR GOING CLOSE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AS THE EAGLES SIDE PUSHED HARD TO GET AT LEAST A CONSOLATION GOAL FROM THE GAME THEIR DEFENCE BECAME STRETCHED AND STRIKE FORCE MANAGED TO KNOCK IN A FOURTH IN THE CLOSING MINUTES.

EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO MICHAEL WILLIAMS.

TEAM: WILLIAM YOUNG, DAN STEVENS, JAKE CARVER, LIAM DODD, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, TYLER COLLARD, LUKE SMALL, MARK ANDERSON, SHAUN LAFFERTY, TOM OLSON, GEORGE DARBY, BRANDON KERR & JAMES BAKER.