Under 9 Season Match Reports

A great start to the season for Thunder, against Yatton. 

An excellent team performance saw us run out 9-1 winners with the first 5 goals all being scored by different players. 

Hayki, opened the scoring on 4 mins, putting us 1-0 up on his debut, lashing home a first-time shot from outside the box as Yatton tried to clear a corner!

It was nice to see everyone trying to link up, passing and moving and playing with their heads up, and it was Henry's through ball that found Bobby in space and he finished clinically to make it 2-0 after just 6 mins.

Despite a couple of substitutions, Thunder maintained their dominance and on 13 mins, Kit, who had come on in place of Remy, latched on to a through-ball, beat the on-rushing defender and fired home for 3-0.

With Remy back on and playing on the left, he finished off a great team move on 18 mins, firing into the empty net after his brother, Kit, drew the Yatton keeper and played him in.

With the score at 4-0 we changed positions of several players to see how their faired. Jacob was moved onto the right side of midfield, after doing his normal job of being the 'wall' in defence; he started to enjoy bursting down the wing, and on 22 mins, Jacob went on a barnstorming run all the way through the Yatton defence and slotted home to make it 5-0 with his first goal for SVR!

After the half time break and some more changes, we came out and promptly conceded to a Yatton breakaway, when they worked the ball into space and caught our defence out of position. However, we didn't wait long to re-establish the 5 goal lead. James (who after having had nothing to do in goal during the first half) was all action playing in midfield and made a great run down the left before squaring it across goal; it looked like it had gone too far, but Henry managed to tuck it away from a narrow angle to make it 6-1.

This gave Henry the taste for goals, and on the 35 min mark he finished off a superb team goal involving some lovely interchanges of passes between James, Henry and Bobby, with the latter crossing to Henry, in space, who slotted it neatly past the Yatton keeper. Henry then completed his hat-trick on 40 mins, lobbing the keeper after James had seen his shot blocked.

With a few minutes left, everyone was delighted to see James fire home after all his hard work since coming out of goal.

So a huge Well done to them all, not forgetting Tom (for his defensive efforts and huge throw-ins) and Finley (who was so solid in defence on his debut)!

Player of the Match went to Jacob for his outstanding work in defence and his driving runs when he moved into midfield (not forgetting his excellent solo goal!).

Wow another week of tremendous progression for lightning, goals galore in this one and a dominant first 20 mins saw us play some scintillating football with some excellent link up play and teamwork topped by Oscar and Toby on the wings causing havoc to the wore back line. Ably assisted by turbo Jack and super Alex we quickly went 2-0 up with 2 great goals finished by Toby with his deadly left foot. Saturday was to be for an experiment of sorts and we decided that o bring out full squad to test out the dynamic….on came 5 new players and despite the usual grit and determination and of course effort we lost our way prior to half time with worle taking advantage of some slow play and tentative tackling  restoring the lead with 3 goals. Half time 2-3 to Worle. 

The second half we reverted again with some tweaks to the rotations and re established our shape and movement. Worle continued to push forward and scored a couple to good team goals, but heads did not go down. Henry played a MOM performance throughout he did not stop tackling and driving every player on. With the last kick of the game Peggy’s high press on the edge of the box assisted Toby to cap a wonderful hat trick! Amazing. 

Lots to take from this game, and so much more to come. We are going to look to

Rotate the side with less subs going forward to get a better balance and game time - imagine the possibilities with the development! Can’t wait and we’ll done lightning!!!!

Another superb performance by the ‘Thunder Boys’ this week, travelling away to Winscombe and completely controlling the game.

On quite a big pitch, it was vital that we kept our shape and used the space, and it wasn’t long before the Henry/Bobby combination was creating chances for Kit up front. The early pressure produced a string of corners, one of which led to the first goal, tapped in by Kit.

Remy’s pace, Bobby’s clever footwork and Henry’s range of passing were causing Winscombe all sorts of problems, and with the introduction of Cillian’s physical presence up front, it was only a matter of time before the next goal; a long ball over the top by Finley, neatly tucked away by Bobby.

Bobby then grabbed his second on 17 mins, when Henry’s pass found him in space and he rifled the ball past the keeper from close range.

Remy, Henry and Cillian all went close with shots, before Cillian netted his first for SVR on his debut, with a screamer into the top corner! 4-0 at half time.

Winscombe played with an extra player after the break, but the first half pattern continued, with Jacob moving into midfield and becoming an attacking threat down the left, and it was Jacobs battling that set up Cillian for his second, 3 mins into the 2nd half.

Bobby then slotted his hat-trick with a well placed shot a minute later to make it six.

Thunder continued to dominate and on 38 mins were awarded a free kick just outside the area, for a foul on Cillian. Henry smashed the free kick into the far corner and then got his second a minute later when he latched onto Bobby’s through ball to flick it past the onrushing keeper.

Again we mixed the team around, giving players opportunities to play in different positions, which led to the last 10 minutes being a bit more scrappy, and Winscombe managed to finally get a goal, six minutes from time.

What a superb display it was from the SVR Thunder team though. All nine players, including the subs, gave everything and played as a team; James and Kit shared goalie duties solidly but also performed really well out of goal; Tom came on and did a great job in defence; Finley was outstanding at the back, with his blocks, tackles and clearances; Jacob, who was captain for today was reliable as ever and a real threat going forward; Remy showed great control and a real turn of pace and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet; Henry was a constant supply of through-balls to the wings and forwards and weighed in with 2 goals; Bobby was the hat-trick hero, but was an ever-present threat on the right, with his trickery and crosses; Cillian played the bustling, barn-storming centre forward on his debut, scored two and could have had more.

What a great team they are turning into. Well done to every one of them!

Player of the match: Shared between Bobby and Finley.

An outstanding 7-2 win for lightning today against Worle Blacks with some of the best team goals we’ve seen. All players did tremendously and yet another hat trick for Toby. We have such a great squad this year with plenty of opportunities to come for others. We should revel in this one as been on other end of Worle last season.

In a very tight game, SVR Thunder overcame SVR Lightning 4-2 thanks to a first half strike from Remy and a second half hat-trick from Henry.

Both teams battled hard from the off, with Oscar and Toby of Lightning both forcing good saves from James in the Thunder goal.

But it was Thunder who forced an opening on 8 mins when Bobby and Cillian both had shots blocked, but the ball eventually broke for Remy who forced a good save from Thomas in goal but then followed up to scramble in the rebound.

There were chances at both ends with James and Thomas making good saves to prevent any more goals before half time.

The second half began in the same end to end style as the first, and it was Lightning who scored next, with Toby latching onto a cross from the right to smash the equaliser past Kit, who was now in goal for Thunder.

However, just a minute later and Thunder we’re back in the lead, when Henry M-J’s long range effort found it’s way into the corner of the net.

Lightning continued to threaten, putting pressure on the Thunder defence and forcing two good saves from Kit. But Thunder always looked dangerous on the break and on 35 mins, Bobby’s ball into the box was hammered into the roof of the net by Henry from close range, to make it 3-1. Henry then completed his hat-trick on 42 mins, finishing well after good work down the left by James.

With 2 mins left to play, Lightning finally got the reward their second half efforts had deserved, when Oscar fired home to leave the final score 4-2 to Thunder.

Player of the match: Henry McManus-Jones

Tough game today against a very physical Uphill team with a mixture of their A & B teams. Very proud of our Lightning squad⚡️ today showed great resilience and team spirit, never let their heads drop and fought back to score 4 great goals. Toby and Oscar bagging 2 goals each.

Thunder were absolutely brilliant again today. Everyone played really well. We got a chance to try a few things out without disrupting our flow. James was superb outfield today and scored a fantastic goal. Henry as always kept everything moving and was on the scoresheet yet again. Remy got two and Kit saved a penalty which was the last kick of the game. Finley was solid at the back alongside our skipper Jacob who also put in a stint on the wing. Hayki played across midfield and put in a really good shift. Tom West was sensational when he moved in to midfield after some solid defending and Cillian could have had a sackful on another day with some great play up top. 

Proud of every single Swiss Valley Player today.

Player of the match: James

Well done to Thunder who continued their unbeaten start to the series with a 3-3 draw with Worle Reds. Our toughest game and opponents of the season so far. We maybe didn't take all of our chances to kill the game off by half time. Bobby put us one up, converting a penalty, after Kit was hauled down in the book after a battling run into the box. Henry played a brilliant ball through to Remy on the left and he and Kit skinned the defenders for pace and Rem's ball into Kit was the perfect assist to put us comfortably in front. We should have had things wrapped up by half time. 

The second half saw Worle come back at us and despite some battling defending by Finley and Jacob we shipped two goals and got pegged back.  James made some great saves. Cerys came on and was a warrior, taking blows but never giving up. Worle Reds got a third and we had to get motivated to get back into the game. Remy and Kit combined again to get us level. Kit playing a defence splitting pass and Rem sweeping in from the left to slot home.  We had opportunities to win the game but couldn't find the net and the reds keeper made a fantastic goal line save to deny us. As always, Henry was full of running, Bobby was a dynamo before being forced off after a fierce tackle. Riley came on for his first taste of the development series and every player can be proud of themselves for putting in maximum effort and keeping us unbeaten.

Well what to say after todays game at Backwell….lightning were simply INCREDIBLE. Team performance from front to back with a new selection choice to keep the guys focused on positions and led brilliantly by captain Kache (and Henry) goals galore but the way we scored them too - crosses into box, simple forward play and interchange between midfield and  great finishing against a stubborn Backwell side who kept going…..goalkeeping superb by both Thomas and then our new no.2 Dylan in second half, assists in abundance too led by Teddy 3 and  Kache and Toby with 3 and 4. We allowed for extra players second half to Backwell and also reduced to 5 players for the last 5 mins and Backwell had some excellent chances clawing a goal back second half and causing issues for Dylan but we help firm….can I say bossing the game. Highly deserved for some of the defeats we’ve felt on recent weeks and coming together. Biggest improvement was team shape and formation and passing.

Now for scorers (I think…): Kache 3, Oscar 4, Toby 4, Herbie 2, Henry HM 1, Thomas 2, Jacob 1

Final score 17-1     GO LIGHTNING ⚡️

An excellent performance from the Thunder today, controlling the game from the off and producing a fine display of finishing, including two hat tricks, courtesy of Kit and Henry, and a fine first-time strike from Cillian.

James in goal, Finley and Jacob were solid at the back and Worle rarely troubled them. Bobby and Henry controlled the game in midfield and provided the supply for Remy and Kit who were a constant threat to Worle. The three substitutes all came on and played key roles in the game too; Tom was strong in defence and midfield, with his big boot keeping us on the front foot, Hayki played a defensive midfield role superbly, freeing up Henry and Bobby to push forward, and Cillian was his usual bustling/battling self in a centre-forward role.

Kit neatly slotted the first on 5 mins and then grabbed a second when he bravely slid in to beat the keeper to a cross, hurting himself in the act. 

Henry claimed the third when he beat an opponent on the left and his shot was deflected past the stranded Worle keeper. Henry then picked himself up after being fouled in the opposition half, and fired the free kick directly into the bottom corner on 18 mins, to make it 4-0.

Worle got one back just before half time when a shot hit a SVR hand in the box on its way to goal and the penalty was neatly converted.

Thunder started the second half in a similar fashion to the first and Kit promptly grabbed his hat-trick on 29 mins with another neat finish inside the box. Then it was Henry’s turn, firing home his third on 35 mins, to make it 6-1.

Worle then produced a superb team move to score a lovely second goal, but the scoring was not finished there. Good work from Bobby on the right allowed him the time to cross, which was met with a great first-time strike from Cillian on 44 mins to make the final result 7-2 to SVR Thunder.

A great performance from the whole squad.

Player of the Match: Henry MJ

Great to get a game today for the lightning ⚡️ a bit of a funny one today perhaps the pitch we went down 3-0 to a Yatton side (definitely not their development team) but another day think could been entirely different…..i said to the kids at end though that I was really proud of second half and also how we played much better, stuff. I also said we learn to win and lose as a team and much more important was their attitude which was spot on and was highlight for me…bar some superb saves we deserved more.

A tremendous performance from the Thunder today in our local derby against Clevedon Panthers.

It took just 5 mins to register the first goal, with Bobby finding the net to give us the lead.

Henry coming off the bench caused the strangest of 'doubles'; he took two corners which resulted in two own goals, one which cannoned off the head off a Clevedon defender into the net and one which was sliced into their own goal whilst trying to clear. This put us 3-0 up after 15 mins.

Bobby then scored an absolute screamer on 21 mins when he hooked the ball in, on the volley, from a tight angle, Van Basten style! A contender for goal of the season without doubt.

There was still time for James to neatly finish to put us 5-0 up at half time.

There were quite a few changes made at half time by both teams which resulted in a tighter second half, although we still controlled the game comfortably.

On 29 mins Cillian scored what can only be described as a real centre-forward's goal as he battled his way through three tackles and fired low into the Clevedon net.

Clevedon then scored a nice goal themselves to make in 6-1 on 44 mins.

However, just before the end, James finished off a super one-touch move, with Remy finding Cillian who laid it off for James to slot home. The game finished 7-1 to Thunder.

A superb all-round performance from the team, but I have to say the following:

Kit was very secure in goal and always a threat when he came out and played up front for a while.

Jacob and Tom as a centre-back pair gave a defensive masterclass and never gave Clevedon a sniff. Cerys, when she came on, did the same, and produced her best performance ever.

James was great playing in midfield, always a threat going forward and clinical when he had goal-scoring opportunities. Bobby was as dangerous as ever and certainly had his shooting boots on with two great goals. Henry came on and did his thing, providing plenty of through-balls and dangerous corners. Riley came off the subs bench and did a fantastic job both defensively and going forward, with loads of energy.

Remy was his usual menacing self up front, causing the Clevedon defence all sorts of problems, despite not getting a goal today. Cillian once again provided the option for Thunder to have a big, strong centre-forward, to mix things up a bit and Clevedon couldn't handle him today.

Last, but not least, there was Hayki, who was picked to play as a defensive midfielder, and what a job he did; he was all action, winning tackles and breaking up play, stopping Clevedon whenever they tried to get forward. He fully deserved to be player of the match.

No match report for this game.

A crazy game on a Thursday evening on the 3G pitch at Hutton Moor!

After a bright start where Thunder played some nice football without creating any notable chances, Uphill broke away and scored with their first attack. They soon made it 0-2 with a speculative long shot and we found ourselves up against it.

However, we suddenly found some fight despite Uphill's team being huge in comparison, with Jacob in particular putting in some decisive big tackles to keep us going forward. This seemed to kick-start our game and Henry's though ball found Remy in space, who calmly finished to pull one back.

Then, for the third time inside a week, Henry took a corner which hit a defender and flew in, to level the scores on 13 mins. Then, just two minutes later, as the ball bounced high in the area, Hayki headed us into the lead for the first time. Then on 20 mins, Henry beat a defended to the ball to squeeze it past the Uphill goalie; 4-2. But that gap lasted just one minute with Uphill hitting back again to make it 4-3.

With a minute left before half time, Henry was brought down half way between the goal and the half-way line, but the distance didn't deter him as he scored direct from the free kick, to put us 5-3 up at half time.

Uphill started the second half with greater intensity and pulled a goal back after just 3 mins. However, another foul gave Henry a second opportunity for a direct free kick, which he once again made no mistake with, on 33 mins, to make it 6-4 to Thunder.

Back came Uphill again, and with the ball pinging around in the area, they managed to deflect it towards goal and beat the stranded Kit; 6-5.

The pressure was building and Uphill were now looking more threatening, desperate to get the equaliser; a break away chance should have delivered this but for a superb cover tackle from Finley, from which he got injured and couldn't continue. Unfortunately, the resulting corner was thumped into the defenders hands and Uphill scored from the awarded penalty.

Thunder weren't done yet though, and with just four minutes left, Henry smashed home our 7th (his 4th of the game) from outside the box. There was even time for him to almost hit a fifth as his shot crashed off the crossbar with 2 mins left.

We battled to hang on for the win, but with seconds remaining we failed to clear an Uphill throw and the last shot of the game found its way into the back of the net. So, the game finished 7-7.

Disappointing not to win, but what a spectacle for all watching, and what a great attacking performance we produced up against a very big Uphill team, with a couple of their Woodspring league players in it.

Kit did so well in goal, making some great saves and Uphill had some real luck on their side with the way the ball ran, deflections, penalty etc.

Tom's clearances and throws were great and Finley made a real difference when he came on. Jacob was incredibly brave up against some big opponents; he never once shirked a tackle. Hayki is really growing into the defensive midfielder role and made some crucial tackles to break up play. Henry really enjoyed himself and Hayki's cover gave him the freedom to play a more attacking role, which he certainly made the most of. Bobby was electric and combined so well with Henry and Hayki in particular and was unlucky not to score today. Remy harried and pressed the Uphill defence, who always looked nervous and vulnerable, and deserved his goal. Cillian also came on in the second half with a delightful cameo appearance, causing havoc in the Uphill defence with some great shooting, particularly the one that crashed against the post; just like Bobby, he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet today.

Well done to the whole team in a tough away fixture.

Player of the match: Jacob T.

No match report for this game.

Well done to all Thunder players and parents today for turning out in the freezing cold on an icy pitch at Backwell. It was a tight match but we eventually ran out 5-3 winners with a hattrick from Remy and a double from Cillian. Not fun conditions to play in and some very cold bodies (and hands and feet) by the end, but everyone contributed and a solid second half display (coming back from 2-3 down at half time) was epitomised by player of the match, Cerys, who was awesome in defence. Well done everyone! 👍

Super 4-2 win today in arctic conditions with every player making an impact. Toby bagged another 2 goals.

Well done STORM (Thunder/Lightning mix) a really solid win and great performances. A hat-trick from Bobby who was awesome as always across the pitch. Two for Toby who linked in well in midfield going forward but also got the tackles in. Henry H-M slotted in brilliantly in defence and made some fantastic blocks. Remy did some great work off the ball, creating space. Jacob was commanding and dominant at the back. Kit made some wonderful and brave saves (his new GK coach @Dan Thomas can take credit for that too) Kache was his battling best and really played for the team. A massive massive shout out to Finley not only for his work for SVR but also for coming on for the opposition in the second half and keeping us at bay. Uphill asked if they could have him every week! Also a massive shout out to Henry M-J who controlled the game, pulling the strings in midfield and reducing Uphill to judo throws to get the ball from him. A really good 5-1 after Thunder's recent 7-7 against the same opposition. Excellent refereeing from @Ed Jones who handled the physicality against his own son like a boss! A solid team display, we could have doubled our goal tally but for some excellent goalkeeping from the Uphill keeper who probably just pipped Finley for Uphill’s POTM.

What a performance from Thunder this morning against Yatton. A 5-2 win that keeps the unbeaten record going.

Yatton included players in their side who normally play in one of their Woodsping league teams so it was a real test of where we are as a team, especially as we were missing Hayki and our two lynchpins, Henry and Jacob. 

Cillian opened the scoring with a sensational finish. Tom West played like prime Rudd Gullit in a sweeper role but nabbed our second goal with a finish that was prime Dennis Bergkamp. Skipper for the day Remy put us three up before halftime with a really composed and clinical finish. Kit made excellent saves in goal, Finley and Cerys were solid at the back. Riley was a midfield dynamo, James came on and really opened things up with his quick thinking and determined running and Bobby was everywhere and anchored it all with a real team driven and mature performance. 

Second half we got a little sloppy with the two we conceded but this was partly down to the constant rotation of players to give everyone game time. 

James moved into nets and made some crucial saves as Yatton edged back into it and his distribution was excellent. Big shout out to Tom for his throw-ins too, they were sensational. 

Finley was wonderful next to the brilliant Cerys at the back. Their communication really developed and Finley's decision making with the ball was excellent.

Kit, now playing outfield got our fourth and Cillian was clinical again in front of goal to get his second and our fifth of the day.

There was some really smart link up play, positioning and passing today and every player took the instructions they were given off field and delivered them on field. 

Absolutely incredible stuff and I'm delighted with how they all worked together and for each other today. Understanding and confidence in one another grew as the game went on and nobody complained when given a breather. 

I'm so proud of all of them today for their maturity on and off the pitch.

A fantastic and rollercoaster 7-6 win for lightening against Worle Reds at Hutton Moor. Every player within the team contributed to an amazing performance with perfect positional play showing grit and determination. After taking a early 2-0 lead, Worle Reds battled back to take a 4-2 advantage. Lightning didn't let their heads drop and worked hard to get back level and then took the lead again. A stubborn Worle team didn't give up and levelled it up to 6-6 with minutes to go. With parents finger nails down to the bone, In the final minute from a throw in the ball arrived to Alex at the edge of the box who smashed it in the top of the net. The crowd went wild. Kache had a fab game in net and then came out to score two important goals. Thomas played great on the field to then take up goalie duties and made some important saves. Our defence with Henry, Peggy, Herbie and Jacob worked very hard and made so many goal saving tackles. Our midfield battlers Alex and Teddy were fearless in their tackling and frustrated Worle. Left wing Toby with new boots scored 4 goals with stinging shots from the edge of the box. Finally but not least, Anna, Jack and Alex worked hard to help create chances and worry the Worle defence. 

Match report by Paul Savill…

Football, often described as a game of two halves. It was certainly that for SVR Thunder this morning. 

We started slowly and didn't look as vibrant and affective as we so often do, however we managed to get ahead twice, 1-0 and then 2-1, with Henry nabbing them both. 

Usually our nature is to try and add to the goal tally and finish the game off in the first half, but we became slow, lethargic and inaccurate with our passing, pressing and positioning and Winscombe managed to get on level terms just before half time.

In truth, that was the visitors only opportunities and with a raft of subs made on the 18th minute mark we started to get a bit more of a hold in the game. 

We started the second half with the seven who finished the first, however James and Kit switched. Kit went in goal, James to the right wing where he made all the difference. His first goal was a gorgeous finish to put us back ahead and open the floodgates. 

3-2 up and with more substitutions, we started to control the match and the tempo. Every single player was magnificent in their position, even when playing in positions they don't always play. 

The goals kept coming, James added to his tally. Remy finished off a wonderfully worked team goal, and Cillian nabbed a hat-trick in which I thought was his best game to date. *Apparently Cillian and Bobby are sharing one of them because they both kicked the ball at the same time. 

An 8-2 win and still unbeaten. A really brilliant response to a tricky first half, as we moved up through the gears Winscombe had no answer to our play. 

Every player battled, won their duels, looked to support team mates and to move the ball forward. 

A real team performance and another reminder to the players, that when we play our football, nobody gets near us.

Match report by Chris Smith…

Honours even today between Lightning and Worle Black's. A well fought 1-1 game with both teams battling hard for a winner at the end. 

The first game back on grass for a number of weeks, We took the lead early into the game from the left foot of captain Toby. We continued to work hard creating chances but Worle hung on for half time. 

The second half surrendered the equaliser from Worle but lightning battled hard towards the end and had most of the chances to win. If it wasn't for the Worle keeper it could have been 3-1. 

Kache, Jack, Peggy and Anna battled hard with Teddy making some real solids tackles breaking up the Worle attacks. 

POTM Henry with his defensive partner Herbie made some wonderful tackles stopping Worles chances to score. Super display by this defensive pairing. 

Finally but not least, our goalie Dylan commanded the box and made important saves to kill the Worle attack.

Match report by Ed Jones:

What a game today for Thunder at Portishead Jaguars. It couldn’t have been tighter, with Portishead looking like a very different team from the one we beat 4-0 at home, massive kudos to them for the progress they have made. 

It was a nervy start to the game with both sides having early chances without finding the net. James was doing a great job protecting his goal, whilst at the other end Cillian was looking the most likely to score as Portishead struggled to cope with his physicality.

Indeed, it was Cillian's powerful run and shot in off the post that got the breakthrough on 10 mins. We looked comfortable for a while and were generally controlling things, although Portishead always looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Unfortunately, a defensive mistake during one of these counter-attacks gifted them a goal on 18 mins, and we went in at half time at 1-1.

Into the second half and we made a couple of changes with Henry doing a stint in goal to allow James to play out in the second half. This made a difference as James really put himself about and won a lot of 50-50 challenges.

On 30 mins, Bobby won the ball back on the right hand side of the Portishead area and slipped it through to Riley, who squared it to Cillian to tap in his second. 

Hayki then took over from Henry in goal  and we started to put more pressure on but Portishead made us battle really hard for everything and although they lived on the break, they looked dangerous every time they attacked. We were the better footballing team though and we started to stretch the Portishead defence with cross field passes and through balls creating more chances, with Cillian and Henry both going close to extending the lead.

It was squeaky bum time at 2-1 going into the last 5 minutes, but on 45 mins James, once again, won the ball in the Portishead half and fed it through to Henry who's composed finish settled things and the game finished 3-1.

Once again, everyone gave it their all: James was solid as ever in goal in the first half, with Henry and Hayki sharing goal duties in the second half, with neither conceding a goal. Finley, Cerys and Tom (captain for the day) got stuck into their defensive duties and made numerous important tackles and clearances. Riley was tough in the tackle and a handful for Portishead when he came on, and he got an assist for Cillian's second goal. James and Henry combined really well in the 2nd half, when they were both in midfield, and linked up superbly with Bobby and Cillian to produce some really good goal-scoring opportunities, which resulted in two second half goals. Bobby worked hard on the right side and also back-tracked really well to help out in defence. Cillian led the line fantastically, particularly in the second half, putting real pressure on the Portishead defence with his physical presence and was rewarded with 2 goals. POTM though was James, who's 2nd half defensive-midfield masterclass provided the platform for us to go on and win the game!

Well done to everyone!

Match report by Ed Jones...

When we played away at Worle Reds back in November, we had a 100% winning record at the time, and found ourselves 2-0 up at half time in that game, only to be pegged back and then scrape a 3-3 draw with a late equaliser. So, going into today’s game we were determined to do a proper job this time!

Thunder started strongly and pinned Worle in their own half, with Bobby, Henry and James showing good movement and use of the flanks to set up Cillian who was clearly in the mood for shooting. Just before the 10 minute mark, Cillian bagged the first goal, giving the Worle keeper little chance with a powerful strike. At this point we were in complete control, coasting and had several chances to increase the lead.

But just when you were thinking “this should be about 4-0 by now,” Worle struck with only their second shot of the game to level matters on 15 mins. Just four minutes later and they took the lead after a defensive lapse, and the Thunder players all looked at each other in disbelief at how we were behind. We pushed on again but couldn’t find an equaliser before half time.

Cue the old 'hairdryer treatment' at half time to remind the players that this is what they did in the away match at Worle Reds and that they needed to ‘up their game’ again to put things right.

So, the second half started (despite Cillian’s interesting kick off tactic!) with raised intensity from the Thunder lads and it wasn’t long before Henry played Cillian in to level the score with his second. Henry, himself, then smashed in the third to put us in front on 32 mins.

By this time, it was all Thunder, with Bobby tormenting the Worle Reds defence out on the right wing, Henry controlling the centre of midfield, Jacob and Finley looking solid at the back and Cillian looking like he could score every time he had the ball - and on 38 mins he did again, to get his hat-trick; a bit of a scruffy one, but that didn’t matter, 4-2.

Bobby came close to adding a fifth when his shot was half-saved by the Worle keeper, and was rolling in, but the keeper just got back to push it off the line.

It was coming though, and in the 44th minute, we scored probably the best goal of the game. Jacob found Henry on the left, who beat his marker and moved on down the left wing and whipped in a left-footed cross - it looked like the Worle keeper would get there but Cillian slid in superbly, at full stretch, to prod home his 4th for the day, and make the final result 5-2.

It was a great team display, particularly in the second half, with some excellent passing, link play and pace in transition, brave tackling and support in defence, and devastating attacking from both flanks and through the middle, capped by some awesome finishing!

Kit was solid as ever in goal in the first half (and a bit of the second) and worked hard in a defensive midfield role when he came out. Jacob and Finley played as an excellent defensive partnership, covering for each other really well, and grew in confidence as the game went on. Tom came on and played his part with some solid tackles and big clearances, as always. James was full of running in midfield in the first half, worked hard and created chances; he also took over from Kit in goal in the second half and was as dependable as ever. Masa came on in either half, getting stuck in, in the defensive midfield role and showing what he is capable of. Captain for the day, Bobby, was up and down the field, running at defenders, bamboozling them with his pace and skill throughout, but also getting back to help out his defence whenever required. He showed the skills of a proper winger today. Cillian was his usual tough, battling, centre-forward self, chasing every opportunity, closing down defenders, and shooting on sight! Four goals today, quite some haul!

However, todays POTM went to Henry, who despite being tripped, kicked and pulled on multiple occasions, twisted, turned, tricked and out-thought the opposition today, spreading passes around the pitch, changing the point of attack and creating chances which led to two assists and one goal for himself.

So, a fine performance from Thunder and a super win.

Match report by Chris Smith...

A great 6-1 win for SVR Lightning today against Backwell. It could of been many more but we felt it was more about having a fair game and allowing Backwell a chance to get some confidence which to be fair they did a great job in battling back. It was a solid team performance in all areas of the pitch, putting the passing skills they learn on a Tuesday night into practice. 

Kache scored 2 power forward goals to get us ahead. Defender come right winger Henry kept his strike rate up with 2 hard fought goals. Toby with another 2 goals in the box, all gave us the breathing space we needed. Jacob and Alex at the back had a great game with Dylan shouting his orders to keep them in line. 

Teddy aka Bruno Fernad-teds battled away in midfield like he was at Old Trafford for Utd. Great effort. Thomas did some great dribbles when he came on and helped out defensively. Finally but not least Jack, who looked so confident battled hard, made some super passes at the right time and was nearly on the end of 2 or 3 chances to score. Great effort by these group of players.

Match Report by Ed Jones...

A monumental effort by Thunder today to come back from 0-4 down on a very small pitch with huge goals. Unfortunately it just wasn’t to be as Worle Blacks won it 5-6 with the very last kick of the match! We had our chances and probably should have put the game to bed at 5-4 up, but the flukey equaliser set up a very tense last couple of minutes which we couldn’t quite see out. The pitches at Hutton Moor are very tricky to play on and always lead to games with crazy amounts of goals but giving an opponent a four goal lead is never a good thing! Bobby and Henry both scored twice and an own goal from a corner pulled us to the brink of victory and a draw probably would have been a fair result due to Worle’s first half dominance, but that’s football ⚽️! Everyone worked so hard, especially in the second half to get us back into the game but I have to give Riley the POTM today; he worked tirelessly up front in the first half but was fantastic after offering to go in goal in the second half, so solid and dependable although he had no chance with the fluke goal or the goal right at the death.

Match report by Ed Jones...

A solid performance from Thunder today after losing for the first time this season, last week.

After a very even first 10 minutes, with both teams creating chances, we started to dominate the game, restricting Clevedon to occasional, breakaway forays into our half, which were dealt with well by Jacob, Finley and Kit (in goal). However, despite playing most of the final ten minutes of the first half in the Clevedon half, we just couldn’t seem to get a breakthrough and missed several good chances.

So, we went in at half time with the score at 0-0. I asked for more effort in the second half as we seemed to be making hard work of it.

Clevedon started the 2nd half brightly forcing Kit into a good save and forcing a couple of corners, which we held out and cleared. On the 30 minute mark we brought Riley back on up front and it was he who broke the deadlock, finishing really well from Henry’s pin-point through-ball. Now are tails were up and we were attacking with more purpose and determination, stringing passes together and getting crosses into the box. 

On 37 mins, Hayki worked himself into some space on the right and crossed in perfectly for Henry to fire home the second from inside the box. Five minutes later and it was 3-0, as Bobby twisted and turned past defenders in the penalty area to slot home neatly. There were several break-away efforts from Clevedon, and their left winger in particular caused us some trouble, but Thunder held firm to record just our second clean sheet of the season, with a 3-0 final score.

As far as the players were concerned: Kit was really solid in goal today and I was grateful to him for playing the entire 50 mins as goalkeeper, as we were without James. Finley grew in confidence as the game progressed and made some fine tackles, interceptions and clearances. Jacob was superb, a commanding figure at the back and he prevented Clevedon from getting many clear-cut chances. Hayki was all action, showing that he has a great ‘engine’ with his tireless work in defence and attack. Henry provided his usual range of passing, particularly in the 2nd half, setting up Riley’s goal and bagging another for himself. Bobby worked hard throughout the match, was as dangerous as ever bombing down the right wing in the first half, and showed his ability to beat defenders with skill in the second, grabbing our 3rd in doing so. Riley enjoyed himself playing centre forward and battled really hard all game, being rewarded with his first goal for Thunder. It was great to have Remy back after several games out and he put himself about, using his pace to create several chances. Well done to the whole team for their efforts today but POTM this week went to Jacob for his masterclass in defensive work!

Match report by Ed Hall...

Lightning ⚡️ U9s vs Winscombe at home today - I felt we played first half at 50% of potential - that said we scored 2 good goals and kept the ball out of our net despite Winscombe knocking on the door. Second half the shape improved with some excellent passing moves we added a couple of really nicely played goals. Winscombe battled throughout and should have had a few bar a couple of solid saves from Dylan who gets better each week as our no.1. Two opportunistic goals from our box to box midfielder Henry, a calm slotted finish from Teddy in second half and the 4th from our usual star winger (who else) Toby, capped a solid win. POTM 🏆Dylan for his attitude and clean sheet. Mentions also go to Peggy for a tremendous 20 mins at start and assist off corner for Henry, Anna for her wing play and tenacity, and Thomas for looking a real threat off the bench, up front and some excellent forward play - again attitude was brilliant to see as coach.

Match report by Ed Hall...

Fantastic performance today from Lightning ⚡️ how it ended 3-3 I will not know, against a stubborn Clevedon United side who literally threw bodies on the line throughout and rode their luck. We played some fantastic stuff peppering their goal from start to finish. A resolute back line of Kache in the emergency goalkeeper cover 1st half, Henry and Jacob at the back was complimented by a new look winger with Thomas on right, Teddy in middle and Toby on left with Jack up top. All were excellent and a tremendous strike from Thomas put us 1-1 to be pegged back by their counter at the other end - their second shot of first half. Second half more of the same their keeper was POM saving everything we threw at them Jack being denied by post and shots flying just wide. And then like things go a counter again, with flying finish top bins clevedon 2-1 up. But we were quickly back into it pressing a mistake 2-2, and then what we thought was the winner Kache with one of his mazy runs and slotted finish, surely that was it…cue fergie time from ref, a goal late on as our players pushed forward and another screamer to be fair. So yes the most one sided draw I think witnessed and fantastic effort by all players.

Match report by Ed Jones…

A great performance by Thunder in their last game in the Development Series.

We controlled the game from start to finish, with Henry opening the scoring after just 5 minutes, with a nicely taken goal after good work by Remy. Henry then returned the favour on 7 minutes, playing a long through ball which Remy latched onto to slip it past the keeper for 2-0.

Backwell then steadied the ship for a while, battling hard to keep us out, with some great goalkeeping denying Bobby on three occasions, each time after he had dribbled around half the Backwell team!

We had to wait until the 19th minute to get the third, but it was worth waiting for - Bobby and Henry combined well only for the ball to get stuck between the defenders as Bobby battled to get a shot away, but then it broke loose to the edge of the box and was thumped, first-time into the top right hand corner of the net, by Henry. 3-0 at half time.

Unfortunately, we lost Bobby at half time as he was feeling unwell, but as we had a squad of twelve for the day we had plenty of willing substitutes!

We seized the initiative early on in the second half and after just 3 mins (28th minute), Hayki finished well from a narrow angle after Jacob's great work on the left. Just two minutes later and Jacob was on the scoresheet himself, with a neat finish after a great interchange of passes with Henry, from a short corner routine. That made it 5-0.

In the 36 minute, Henry completed his hattrick, firing home confidently after a nice lay-off from Jacob.

Backwell then had a spell where they worked hard to move the ball upfield and threatened, putting our defence under some pressure, but Finley was outstanding at the back, snuffing out any threat and getting Thunder moving forward again on several occasions.

After 44 minutes, Kit finished off a well-worked move involving Henry and Remy to make it 7-0 and then just two minutes later Remy grabbed his second of the game, latching onto Finley's superb ball down the line and cutting inside to stab it home and make the final score 8-0. A super way to end the series!

It was great to be able to give all 12 squad members for the match game time, and Dan and Paul on the side had their work cut out subbing players on and off in both halves.

Kit had very little to do whilst in goal, but was solid, and got to play some of the 2nd half up front, grabbing himself a goal and combining well with Remy. Tom and Cerys were nice and solid at the back in the first half, reducing Backwell to one shot on goal. Cerys even volunteered to go in goal in the second half and did her job keeping a clean sheet. Finley was fantastic in defence when he came on and showed real awareness and pace to turn defence into attack. Masa put himself about as a defensive midfielder and made it very difficult for the Backwell midfield to get the ball forward, with several interceptions and tackles. Hayki also filled that role well when he came on and scored a good goal. Xav got more game time and battled hard and Theodore impressed on his first appearance, almost getting a goal for himself at the start of the 2nd half. It was nice to be able to give Jacob a run out in midfield and he produced a strong performance down the left side, bagging a goal and two assists. Bobby was his usual skilful self, running rings around the Backwell defence and midfield until he had to go off, and was very unlucky; on another day he'd have scored a bag full. Remy was back to his best, always a threat, and finished really well for his two goals. This week's POTM though went to Henry, who dominated in midfield, was involved in everything, and produced two assists, as well as adding 3 more to his tally for the season. Well done, everyone!

Match report by Ed Hall…

Amazing performance today against Portishead - the result was 2-1 in the end with an unlucky penalty decision - but the way we played from front to back we were all buzzing as a coaching team after that. They battled when needed, great attitude and played incredible football (Portishead fielded a few Woodspring players too..by their own admission due to a cancellation) so we should be incredibly encouraged by that and more than matched them. The weather was sunny then turgid then sunny so it really had it all. Shout outs to James in goal (on loan from Thunder) - incredible throughout and Henry who played his best game as right midfielder and libero defender turned attacker with a solo goal. Lightning ⚡️ turned up today and every player should be super proud. Great to see them all enjoy time after too with some food and fun in the clubhouse.