Garstang FC | U16's News

After six long years eight players received special recognition for their 'dedication and commitment' to the Juniors 2004 - 2010. Les Taylor, Garstang FC Commercial Manager, presented each player with his award - Alex Schultz, Josh Heap, Tom Winstanley, Elliot Cooper, Philip Roskell (BOOOOOOO!), Jack Salisbury, Callum Thompson and Ryan Crouch.

Retiring Secretary, Peter Lonsdale, presented all the players with a trophy for representing the club this season, including Roskell (BOOOOOO).

The following individual awards were presented by Garstang FC chairman, Adrian Wilding:

Leading Goalscorer - Ryan Crouch
Merit Award for most improved player - Elliot Cooper
Players' Player of the Year - Oscar Panepinto
Manager's Player of the Year - Oscar Panepinto

Manager Lee Baker presented Tom Winstanley with the Terry Crouch award for 'outstanding achievement in Junior football' and Retiring Chairman, Stuart Preston, presented Lee Baker with an engraved glass trophy as thanks from the club for his dedication and commitment to junior football over six years.

Special thanks on the night to Sarah and the new Mrs Baker (Charlotte) for preparing the food and organising the room for our return. Also to Alec and Trevor for manning the bar. Lee and I would like to congratulate Philip Roskell (BOOOOO) who moved on from the Juniors mid season and joined Fleetwood Town where he has had a successful start to his time with the Cods. We wish him all the very best for the future. We would just like to point out that since he left, we went on a fantastic run and picked up fifteen points!

Garstang Juniors are dead: long live the Youth team. We would like to thank all the players and parents for their continued support and look forward to putting you all through this again next season! Training starts in June.

In 2008 at the conclusion of the season (07/08) Amelia Jackson of AVJ Design & Print, Longirdge was approach in relation to sponsoring Garstang Juniors remaining team. Fortunately for us she agreed to support us and not only did she provide the club with a new kit but she also designed the club logo. This logo has adorned training sweatshirts, tee shirts, kit and stationary. This season the logo was also used on trophies. AVJ Design liked the colour of the kit so much that the company has changed its corporate colours to match!

Without the support of Amelia and her company the club would have struggled and would more than likely have folded. Had this happened the plans for a youth team next season may never have come to fruition. Both Lee and I cannot thank Amelia enough for all she did for us and her help in keeping the club going. As a thank you from the team Amelia, who was unable to attend the presentation evening, was presented with a signed 'keepers' shirt from all the players, which will hang alongside her Garstang Juniors 'team' shirt and photograph in the company offices, situated on Shay Lane, Longridge.

On behalf of the team, present and past, I would like to wish Amelia and her company all the very best for the future.

Fulwood Juniors 1 Garstang Juniors 3:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Ryan Crouch 2, Declan Wilding 1
MoM: Elliot Cooper
May 14th 6:30 pm
Report May 17th

Friday14th May 2010 saw the final representative match by a Garstang Junior side. Fulwood Juniors had secured second in the table but wanted to play their final match after a recent postponement would have meant a 'drawn' but unplayed fixture. As the match coincided with our presentation evening it seemed only fair that we host Fulwood for our grand finale. Over the years we have had some entertaining fixtures with our rivals from down the A6 and Friday didn't disappoint!

Garstang knew that a win would elevate them one more place in the league and put them fourth and so we did have something to play for. Panepinto set the tone for the night with a bone crunching tackle in the first few minutes and didn't give up throughout the night. He lead by example and the others followed. Chance after chance was created, some failing with the final ball, but the majority with the finishing. If Winstanley had showed more self belief he would have scored from two of the succession of corners. Cooper tried his best to gift the league runners up with the opening goal but was bailed out by Fox; Cooper was to return the favour later in the match though. It would have been more of a pleasure to watch had some of our chances been buried but.........Thompson, Assalone, Schultz, Panepinto may all have scored before Wilding's cross shot finally hit the net, 1-0 and all was looking good.

Fulwood offered little and without the assistance of Mr Morley, the referee, we would have kept another clean sheet. In a strange twist, Ports flagged for what he, being in line, considered to be an offside decision against the Fulwood striker who went on to score, 1-1, Ports' flag having been overruled by the official who has adopted his own system for borderline decisions, he uses his ears! Apparently the sound of the ball being kicked when the striker makes his run is the easy solution to resolve such controversy. Anyone from Fifa reading this? Problem solved!

Half time 1-1 and not really any problems. The back four were in control, midfield was ours and all it needed was some clinical finishing. The second half started and we were either thinking of the warming hotpot, or who was going to collect a trophy, because minds had drifted. For the first ten minutes it looked like we would return to same old, same old as Fulwood started to get a grip of the game, that is until one moment of.....clinical finishing! Fast, incisive inter play down the right saw the ball played to Crouch who teased and tormented his marker until he beat him with a drop of the shoulder and a switch to his left foot to strike a sweet cross shot into the keepers right hand corner, brilliant, 2-1.

Could this be it? Another win? Bakers 15 point target was in sight. The lads believed it as they pushed forward having saved some of their best football for their last match. Even Cooper got in on the act and hit a screamer from the right channel that was heading for the top corner but the keeper tipped it wide. Never mind Cooper there's always next season. More good play down the right channel saw Crouch collect another accurate pass, step ahead of his marker and his shot travelled goal-bound with Hey bearing down on it from an offside position. Up went the flag. What would happen next? Would Hey touch the ball? Would the official have heard anything? Nope relax, Hey at 6' 4" couldn't get to the ball and in it went, 3-1, game over or so you thought.

As time was running out a Cooper clearance ricocheted back off his own player and Bennett got down to his right to smother the shot. Cooper was gutted, with a big fat nil on the goalscoring chart this season, surely that was going in! With the final whistle came a brief, sad moment, the end of Garstang Juniors.

Anyway enough of that emotional stuff. The hotpot was ready and Trevor and Alec were manning the bar back at the Riverside.

Garstang: Bennett, Schultz, Heap, Fox, Winstanley, Cooper, Panepinto, Thompson, Crouch, Wilding and Assalone
Substitutes: Brooks (Assalone), Hey (Thompson) and Salisbury (Heap).

The presentation evening will now start at 8.30pm and once everybody has made the short journey to Riverside, hot pot will be served at 9pm (ish), the presentations will then follow. This may cause a small amount of inconvenience to some parents for which we apologise but every cloud has a silver lining and so speeches by Peter Lonsdale, Lee Baker and Adrian Wilding will have to be shortened!!

It will be good for both teams to conclude their existence by actually playing their final match rather than the anti-climax of a cancelled fixture. We have competed alongside Fulwood for years now and they have had a successful season by coming second in our league, something for which they should be congratulated. We could climb one place and finish fourth if we win so there is still something for us to play for.

Garstang U 16's 3 - 0 Mid Calder Colts

Other than the pitch being a bit hard the day was perfect for football and with the facilities of the senior club on offer to the two teams all was set for an entertaining match. Mid Calder were an unknown entity to Garstang and vice versa. As the match got underway there didn't seem to be much between the two teams. After last Sunday's disappointing result and the alleged 'harsh' words used in the post match report it was going to be interesting to see how certain players responded to the criticism. Heap and Sutcliffe looked good as a pairing down the left and this was the same with Cooper and Schultz down the right. Panepinto started as he clearly meant to go on with strong tackling and strong words with the ref. (Some things may never change!!) Thompson and Baker were a threat up front and all looked good as pressure built on the Mid Calder goal. The first clear chance fell to Winstanley but he missed out and the high ball fell to a defensive foot and was cleared. Sutcliffe tried a few shots before launching a cross shot which was tipped onto the post. Mid Calder threatened with a few breaks but Fox and Winstanley dealt well and cleared when pressured although a loose clearance from Bennett was well controlled by a Mid Calder midfielder who returned his shot goal-bound but Bennett had got back in position to catch the shot. As half time approached Cooper took a sore one to his foot and was replaced by O'Brien at right back. As another Garstang attack seemed to have been thwarted Schultz drove the clearance back at goal and hit the left hand corner of the net, 1-0. Half time and not bad all round but the match was still too close to call.

A few changes by Lee Baker during the interval didn't seem to upset the pattern of Garstang's play but Mid Calder then launched a quick attack down the Garstang right and Curwen, who replaced Bennett in goal had to be at his very best to tip a fierce shot onto his bar and away for a corner, that was close! Minutes later and Panepinto fired hard and low and as the keeper stooped at his right hand post to collect the spinning ball it escaped his grasp and ricocheted cruelly along the goal line and there was Assalone to stab home for 2-0. Proving to him that all he has to do is chase things down and he will get his reward. From the kick off Mid Calder took a shot direct at goal and almost caught Curwen out and he was fortunate not to carry the ball over the line. A let off for Gahan who was running the line and caught out by the shot. Three independent and two not so neutral (Curwen & Curwen Snr!) views of the shot, assured him that he hadn't missed anything as the ball hadn't crossed the line. Almost as if this was the warning that the result wasn't safe Garstang went up the other end and Baker latched onto Curwen's long clearance and fired home, two goals in as many minutes and that put the game out Mid Calder's reach. The Mid Calder keeper made two further saves that kept the score down to 3 and the match was played out and a 3-0 win for Garstang.

Paul Gahan: "After last week that was a much better performance, players looked far more interested and responded well to the criticisms made. The outstanding moment for me was Curwens save early in the second half. Panepinto was rightly awarded man of the match by the opposition and the haggis they presented him looks about the right size for his mouth, he needs to learn to control his frustrations!!

NOTE TO ALL PLAYERS:

MATCH PREVIEW:
Monday 3 May At The Riverside - Friendly v Mid Calder Colts U 16s

Kick Off will be 12:30pm subject to there being no travel delays. There will be a post match buffet for the players in the clubhouse before the visitors move on to Ewood Pak at about 3pm.

Mid Calder Colts: (http://www.mid-calder-colts.org/) The club were formed in 2003 and are based in the village of Mid Calder near Livingston in West Lothian. They were formed to enable local kids to participate and enjoy football within their local community.

Their U16s/1994s (the oldest age group within the club) still have 8 players from within the village who have been with the team since they formed in 2003 as have Russell Moore and Chris McArthur who have coached them throughout.

The team started with the boys at under 10s playing soccer 7s until U13s when they moved to the competitive West Lothian Association of Youth Football Club league playing 11 a side.

The Colts have had some good seasons without a trophy but this year they will be playing in their first cup final, which is reported to be just rewards for their efforts this season. Next year they hope to keep the current squad together and move on to U17s as a better team.

Coach Russell Moore said, "The theory is, if we keep the team together the coaches will soon be getting plenty beer bought for us down at the local pub! We are looking forward to Monday even though it will be a long day"

Penwortham St Teresas 4 - 2 Garstang

A football pitch is a large and open rectangular space with nowhere to hide but for some reason a number of players tried just that on Sunday!

After the recent run the team has been on this performance was a disappointment and a serious let down to many of those watching.

Had we been outplayed because of the opposition's superior abilities this report may be worded more positively but that is not what happened and so the report is as follows....

In the preview for this fixture, mention was made of our naivety when dealing with a certain player and our passage of play around our own penalty area. Previews are written for a reason, in the hope that the content will raise a response from those that read it and they will improve. What has become only too clear is that none of the players seem to have read the Penwortham preview!!

Sunday was a perfect day for football although the overnight rain had failed to soften the pitch. The moist surface was designed for slick passing something which we have managed of late, so what happened?! Penwortham have a number of strong players in their side and play to their strengths, we knew this but failed to act against it. We started off lethargically but more worryingly, scared of our opponents. Too many players failed to respond to the simple challenge that is a 'football match'. We stood back from the second ball having looked like second best in any attempts for the first!

Panepinto has been solid all season and stood out in this match as he covered so much ground that those who weren't interested just skulked in his shadow. Those players know who they are and were a let down to him, the rest of the team, me and Ports but more importantly to Lee, who wasn't here because of being on his stag weekend. One match was all he wanted you to win and it was this one, to prove to YOURSELVES, not anyone else, that you are good enough.

Jack Dillon, who could be seen limping in the warm up is far and away Penwortham's best player and we knew it. Did we do anything about it? Yes we gave him two goals to make the match so comfortable that they had the luxury of taking him off midway through the first half! Basic personal errors allowed the ball to bounce from a high kick, the ball should never be allowed to bounce by the two central defenders but they let it, Dillon stole in 1-0. An unchallenged header in our right midfield dropped to Dillon who charged through toward a hesitant keeper, unsure of his starting position leaving him helpless as the ball was lobbed over him into the empty net. 2.0

Heads down at this stage and Ports had a battle on to get them lifted before this turned into a rout. Sadly the style of play by the opposition didn't lend itself to our passing game and so we were limited to resorting to long through balls or poor shots from distance. When challenged about his time wasting taking goal kicks the Penwortham keeper was quite right in his response "Tell your players to shoot on target then!" Why should he rush, two up and cruising, having just won the league, only one winner in that argument!!

Penwortham were confident and up against a team looking lost, not talking and too many disinterested faces, no wonder then that a neat move down our 'right back' channel ended with a third goal conceded against the advancing Bennett.

The half ended with the score at 3-0 and Ports in need of some inspiration to fire the team up. To be fair the set pieces weren't bad but when unchallenged in front of goal you have to at least hit the target but three glorious oppotunities fell to Winstanley but never troubled the keeper.

Cooper was having a good game at Left back, playing out of position from his usual right back slot. Panepinto had called for a change in the formation and to his credit it was a good move. Wilding was never in the game in the first half and Brooks was in the defenders pockets from the first whistle. So a few positional changes and we were ready for the second half.

Five minutes into the second half, everyone still asleep and Ports heard to shout at the team "Er hello, good morning everyone!" This was an unbelievable turn around on previous weeks performances and its a good job coach Lee Baker wasn't there to witness it, it would have been enough to drive him to drink had he not probably already downed a dozen San Miguel's by then anyway! Finally the penny dropped as Ports started losing his voice. Enough members of the team woke up, smelt the coffee and realised they were actually meant to be taking part in a match. Gradually pressure started to mount and apart from a few long balls which Bennett mopped up we were holding our own and offering some belated resistance. Assalone came closest with a cross shot from the left which was well saved but then back to personal errors. Brooks gave a away a cheap free kick and from the resulting long ball Bennett lost his positioning, misread the flight and more importantly the bounce as the ball sailed over his head into a vacant goal! game over 4-0.

One of the positives to come from such a negative report is that we didn't give up, once we'd actually got going that is, then Panepinto had his ankles tapped in the penalty area and referee, Ken Williams awarded Garstang a penalty. Panepinto strangely seemed to offer the ball to Crouch before taking the penalty himself, 4-1, some pride restored. The Juniors continued playing well and if we had started like this who knows but the old saying was ringing out "If my aunty had balls...etc." The back four had become a back three and Schultz had pushed forward into midfield, the impressive Cooper moved into his favoured right side of the defence and Thompson had made way for Hey who was now up front with Crouch and Assalone. Pressure built again as the resurgent Garstang pushed again. After good play by Assalone, Schultz tried a shot only to have it blocked and the ricochet fell to Hey who's shot was parried by the keeper at close range but it again fell to Hey who struck home a low shot into the net, 4-2 with two minutes left. Sadly that was that but a little pride had been restored no matter how late in the day.

Team: Bennett, Schultz, Fox, Winstanley, Cooper, Wilding, Crouch, Brooks, Thompson, Panepinto, Assalone, Sub - Hey(Thompson)

Garny - I'm glad Lee wasn't here to witness that as he would have been gutted. A number of players need to realise that they can't get away with those performances and stay in the team. Our small squad helps them keep their place at the moment but those who do get into next years youth team had better sort themselves out quickly. Harsh words possibly but at 16 its time the players heard such things and learn to handle criticism by using it constructively. Panepinto was outstanding today and Cooper played well, out of position at left back.

**Update: Penwortham won the league on Wednesday, beating Hoole 1-0 and putting themselves out of reach of Fulwood. We can now take third place, at best, but still need to win both matches to achieve this and oust Gregson Lane into fourth.
St Teresa's no longer play at Penwortham Holme playing fields so players should meet at Catterall for 09:45am, or ring Paul to get directions.

In the build up to this penultimate fixture for Garstang Juniors, we too have been hit by the Icelandic volcano saga. We have two players stranded in Europe and with little chance of them returning prior to Sunday's fixture with table topping Penwortham St Teresas.

Our earlier fixture was one of those 'what might have been' matches. Glorious chances not seized upon and unable to unsettle the opposition early on, we ended up suffering a 2-4 'home' defeat. Some of the play that day was naive and we played right into their hands. We always have a good battle with Penwortham, resulting in memorable matches like last season's 4-4 'away' draw, which saw a tremendous comeback in the second half. Penwortham are a good side who battle hard and have a player, Jack Dillon, with what is probably the best shooting ability in the league. Keeper Bennett knows that only too well, as did Morgan in the seasons before him! Our naivety when dealing with such a player needs addressing, as does our play around our own penalty area to prevent giving him unnecessary opportunities. This season Dillon has achieved his 100th goal for the club and clearly helped them to top spot, something that will make their manager and his father, Declan Dillon extremely proud.

They are not, however, a 'one man' team - but he was the difference in the first meeting this season. Our finishing is improving. If we take our chances, we are a match for anyone in our league and defensively, with the clean sheets building up, we should fear nobody.

Penwortham will win the league if they beat Hoole on today, Wednesday, but if they fall at that hurdle, they will need to beat us on Sunday. Let's not make it easy for them. They will still have another match in which to achieve the title of champions, so let's make it our aim to reach our goal and get into second place by making them wait another few days. Declan won't mind!

Those following the recent results will see that Gregson Lane have bottled it for the second season in a row and, with us and Fulwood (our final opponents), breathing down their necks they may well lose out all together, again! We can still achieve something from a season where our football has shown that we have deserved reward. Let's stick to our principles, play for each other, enjoy the final two matches and, who knows, we might just sneak it!!

"You have to have confidence in your ability, then be tough enough to follow through"

PS. Poor research and a wrong assumption by our undercover reporter has discovered that Jack Dillon has been out injured since striking his 99th club goal, so watch out Jonny Bennett!!

**We are in the process of arranging a friendly against Scottish side Mid Calder Colts for Monday May 3rd. The game will be played at The Riverside. More when we have it.

Although the date is yet to be confirmed we will be playing one final match, followed by beer and a BBQ. June 6 or 13 are possible dates to avoid any conflict with the World Cup so please check your diaries and your son's GCSE schedule, although it could be a welcome break for them, instead of sitting staring into space in their rooms claiming to be revising!

After a resounding 4-0 victory over Myerscough, and another clean sheet, we can now boast the second best defensive record and the second best goal difference in our league. This is a proud achievement at this stage of the season with two games remaining.

The goal difference shows how close many of those early matches were and, but for some poor finishing, we could have been a few places higher, but as I often tell you "If my auntie had balls, she'd be my uncle!" We didn't score and so don't sit higher but should feel a great sense of pride in our achievement. We have played great football in every match except Myerscough [A] and have stuck to our footballing principles rather than adopt any other form of the game.

Penwortham St Teresas have pretty much clinched top spot and are now out of our reach but, how good would it feel to snatch second place after the disappointments of the first few weeks of the season? Mathematically second spot is still attainable and we should aim for it, especially as Gregson Lane hold that spot, for now! It is out of our hands but we still have to play Fulwood who are up there fighting for that spot too. We can make our own luck, as it deserted us in early weeks, so lets keep the winning run going and put in the extra effort to push for second.

This weekend is free due to Fulwood playing a CLJFL cup semi final and so expect to be put through your paces at training as table topping Penwortham are next up! Two matches remain and with six points on offer, a clean sweep would finish off the season in style and beat Lee's 15 point target from the remaining 18 available. We have already seen that there isn't a team in our league that is better than us when we play to our full potential, but this has to be to the final whistle. As a team lets help each other to march on and achieve our final goal. "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises!"

Training this week - Thursday 15 April, 5-6pm at The Beeches, any problems contact Lee or Paul.

Reminder - We still require replies for the two presentation evenings. Please bring to training this week or be prepared to bring a packed lunch on the evening as you won't be fed!!!

Garstang Juniors 4 Myerscough Juniors 0:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Sam Assalone 2, Declan Wilding 2
MoM: Declan Wilding
April 11th 10:30 am
Report April 21st

Yes, I know, it has been over a week since we played this fixture so I have had plenty of time to contemplate and analyse the game in depth. I have come to one early conclusion; I should have written the match report straigth after the game! So, apologies to all players, parents, readers and fans for the delay. I know its a feeble excuse, but I have been that damn busy that there are just not enough hours in the day. Anyway lets get on with it.....

With this being the final game for the U16 Juniors at home, ever, the we all thought it would be appropriate that the game should be played 'down at The Riverside'. Many thanks to Adrian Wilding and Steve Baker, who were down there at the crack of dawn setting up and making sure everything was as good as it could be for the lads final home fixture. It was very much appreciated. The team met an hour before kick off to prepare for a game they had no intention of losing; and this was evident straight from kick off.

With good movement, concentration and positioning, the shape of the team seems to be getting better and better each week with each player knowing where they should be, without being reminded from the bench. It was made even better when Assalone latched onto two good through balls and finished them both. Over the past few weeks, he seems to have found a new confidence, as have all the team, although his fitness does need to improve over the next few months.

Although we were well in control of the game, we were still getting frustrated with each other, and some of the referee's decisions. That is something that some of the lads need to cut out of their game. Declan Wilding on the left, who has been having a good spell of form recently, was continually beating his man and putting pressure on the Myerscough back four, getting in the box and getting on the end of an Assalone flick to make it 3-0 at half time.

The second half continued to be all Garstang with Myerscough finding it difficult to contain the Garstang attack. Saying that, Bennet had to be on his toes in the Garstang goal to clear up anything that his ever reliable back four had missed. Ryan Crouch thought he had made it 4-0 midway through the second half, only for it to be dissalowed for off side. The referee booked Crouchy for returning to the field of play without his permission after he was told to remove his necklace and then, not to be done out of a little glory, was immediatly sent off for disent when Ryan questioned him on the booking. Although I believe it to be a harsh decision, the referee was within his rights to deal with it the way he did. Again I must stress to the players that we are no longer playing U9's football. Everyone knows the laws of the game and over the last few weeks I have seen too many Garstang players booked or spoken to by the referee for disent or mouthing off. This is not acceptable. It is hard enough winning games; it's even harder when the ref is against you as well. Think about it!

With the game coming to a close, Wilding ghosted into the box and got onto a Schultz cross, which everyone thought was going out of play, and finished expertly. 4-0. Job done.

Since the game I have had several people speak to me on how well they thought the lads had played and how much they enjoyed the game. Thanks also to all the lads who came to watch the Reserves on Monday and helped to bring in the boards after the match. Although I did not see it myself, these small things are noticed, so well done. I would also like to thank Adrian and the Committee for Sunday, and also the players and management of the senior teams for coming to watch us.

Garstang: Bennett, Heap, Cooper, Fox, Winstanley, Schultz, Wilding, Panepinto, Crouch

, Assalone and Thompson.
Substitutes: Brooks (Thompson) and Hey (Assalone).

Just a gentle reminder, if the feature in this week's Courier ain't enough(!), of the significance of Sunday's game at The Riverside, our last home fixture as a junior football team. We should have a good crowd coming along to see us and so, if nothing else, make sure that you enjoy the game.

Looking to the future, Dave Porter's post-match briefing is intended to answer all your, and your parents, questions about our plans for next season and so you do need to be there. If you are not a current player or parent (players need to be over 16 and under 18 on September 1st), but you would like to know more, then the briefing is also for you. You will be welcomed.

Dave has an information sheet for distribution at the meeting so, even if you don't get all your questions answered at the time, you will have our 'road map' and contact details. The infosheet will be available for download from here later.

Next Sunday will be our final home match of the season, and our final home match as Garstang Juniors U16's. Myerscough are the visitors for this fixture which is being played at The Riverside, as opposed to The Beeches.

The last time the two teams met, Garstang were seventh in the league sitting just above bottom placed Myerscough. Since that match, which ended in a draw, we have picked up a further nine points with three wins out of three and are unbeaten in four! If we are honest, we didn't deserve anything from the previous meeting and 'picked their pockets' in true Artful Dodger style, denying them all three points. They are a team going through a transition but outfought Garstang in that game and, having been two up with no more than five minutes to go, must fancy their chances again on Sunday.

What we have to show this week is that the previous match was merely a 'bad day at the office'. We should, however, know exactly how Myerscough felt at the final whistle as, prior to the prolonged winter break, we suffered in similar circumstances in the majority of our matches, having outplayed a number of teams only to end up with nothing to show for our endeavours. Confidence is a marvellous feeling, but complacency is its dangerous rival.

Since March 7th, we have comfortably outplayed and outfought Gregson Lane, who at the time topped the league, and beaten Poulton Town twice, scoring ten goals and only conceding one. There is an air of confidence running throughout the team, which is good as the players believe they can win, but we have to guard against expecting to win. We have three tough fixtures before the season's end and have to maintain our current mind-set, taking it one match at a time. Myerscough will provide a tough test as they only need one win to raise themselves off bottom spot. None of those that were present at the previous fixture can forget just how torturous that morning was and, but for the own goal in the last minute, we would have lost and snatched bottom spot off our local rivals!

Last Thursday's training was a good session, with clear signs that fitness levels are good, and our finishing is starting to improve, although at 44 the keeper wasn't too much of an obstacle! What was established was that ,without pressure, the ball went in a few times, Cooper claiming a questionable six but, when it became a competition, Schultz hitting the post was the closest anyone came. Food for thought? We need to think more in front of goal.

Training this week will be Thursday 5-6pm at The Beeches and everyone should attend. There are situations that need working on and this cannot be done without a full squad. Remember that 'failing to prepare is preparing to fail'. With Riverside as our stage, let's go out on Sunday and put on a performance for which all those connected with the club can feel proud and not want the final whistle to come!

Details of the Under 16s 'End of Season' Presentation Evening have now been finalised.

We will be holding the evening at the clubhouse, Riverside on Friday 14th May 2010 from 7.30pm onwards. Garstang FC club Chairman, Adrian Wilding, and our sponsor, Amelia Jackson, will both be present.

The bar will be open, as the Roskells are coming, and there will also be a hotpot supper provided. All players will receive written confirmation with further information about the evening, and also that of Garstang FC's presentation evening, which will be held a day later, Saturday 15th May at The Crofters Hotel. All players and parents have been invited to this event, also.

At a meeting held earlier this week, the management structure for the 2010/11 Garstang FC Youth Team was formally agreed.

Lee Baker will be taking the reins as Manager/Coach with Paul Gahan acting as his assistant whilst also performing the role of Team Secretary. Dave Porter , Garstang FC Youth Development Officer, will provide the important link between community based projects and the progression of the younger players towards Garstang's senior teams, and represent the Youth Team's interests on the Garstang FC Management Committee. We are also happy to, formally, welcome Alec Curwen to the team with responsibility for the pitch and facilities, and to assist Lee and Paul where necessary. Alec has previously been successful in Junior football seeing his Garstang Juniors team promoted three years ago. All four members of this team have local connections, having played and/or managed in the Garstang area.

In line with Garstang Football Club's vision, we aim to build a team of younger players to supplement the Reserve and First teams with a view to carrying the club forward 'as one', towards a higher league status. Lee and his management team share a passion and desire to help young players achieve their aims. This will be accomplished by continuing with a professional and disciplined approach ensuring a positive and strong team spirit throughout. Once established the team will become a continual feeder to the senior teams as the players mature, develop and progress through the ranks.

Garstang FC Youth Team, who will play in the same strip as the senior teams, have applied to play in the Lancashire Evening Post Sunday Football League Youth Division, and we would hope to have news of our application towards the end of April. The LEPSFL website is here.

The development of The Beeches remains a 'work in progress', but with an assurance from Chairman Adrian Wilding and his committee, that the facilities will be in place for next season. There are discussions underway to develop The Beeches further but, as they say, 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and, as we grow in stature, so too will the facilities. Just last month Garstang FC received the FA Charter Standard and, together with this development of the Youth Team, are making giant strides forward, enhancing the clubs status.

As you will know, on April 11th 2010, Garstang Juniors U16's host Myerscough Juniors in a local derby match that will now be played on Garstang FC's home pitch at The Riverside. The kick off for this, the last Garstang Juniors home game, will be 10:30 am and, post match, there will be a briefing in the clubhouse for all current and prospective new players, and their parents.

Adrian Wilding, Dave Porter and Lee Baker will all be present to project the club's intentions and give further insight. They will be accompanied by the senior team managers and other management committee members. This will be an 'open' meeting and so, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to those present, either during or after the meeting.

All players who would consider themselves eligible for playing at this level, ie. aged under 18 on September 1st 2010, are more than welcome to attend and we would like to see you there. In fact, if you would like to be part of the new Garstang Youth, you should be there!

Information sheets will be available at the briefing, or you will be able to download a copy from here after the meeting. In the meantime, if you have any queries at all, you can email Youth Development Officer Dave Porter here.

Poulton Town 0 Garstang Juniors 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Oscar Panepinto, Callum Thompson
MoM: Elliot Cooper
March 28th 11:00 am
Report March 31st

With the sun shining and everything looking good, Garstang Juniors travelled to Poulton for the away fixture. A week ago, Garstang had beaten Poulton 6–1 down at The Beeches but, if they thought it was going to be a walk in the park this week, they were mistaken.

Both teams started reasonably well with Garstang looking more comfortable on the ball than their opponent,s although the Poulton centre half did test Bennett a couple of times with long range efforts which, in weeks gone by, have proved to be costly. Not today, as in the last three weeks we have seen that we now have a keeper who is concentrating and believing in his own ability, and this is showing in his game.

With half time approaching the Poulton team were matching us in all departments on the pitch and there was a fear that a little laziness and complacency was showing in the Garstang team which, in the past, has seen us go behind, let our heads drop and loose a game that we should comfortably win. Panepinto was doing his usual workman-like role in the centre of the park, Cooper at right back was getting forward as often as he could and getting involved in the midfield play causing problems for the poulton midfield, and Schultz Crouch and Salisbury were playing reasonably well, as was Fox, Winstanley and Heap. There weren’t any real good points to report, or bad. It was just enough, but that was all.

Half time arrived and a word of warning from Baker that 'It wasn’t enough'. More work was needed and a change of personnel would happen if we continued to play the way we were. Salisbury took on board what had been said at half time, catching a Poulton defender a little late which warranted a word from the referee and, with the booking he had received in the first half for a late challenge on the keeper, who did seem to make rather a meal out of it, it was decided that he should be substituted for Thompson to save him from a red card. Rob Brooks was then subbed by Hey, who was part of a three man attack with Thompson and Ryan Crouch.

With the pitch being very narrow, a change in formation was required and, with word from Baker to go to a 4-3-3, Garstang began to press a little harder. This brought mistakes from the Poulton defence and Garstang's first corner from Wilding who, so far, had been having a quiet game. After two more corners, neither of which caused the Poulton defence any real trouble, he then decided a new tactic, getting out the pitching wedge, clearing all surface mud from around the corner flag, and delivering, once again, the great corner we have seen him do on several occasions this season, right on to Panepinto's head. He made no mistake. 0-1.

Poulton suddenly found themselves playing against a team who wanted more goals. Garstang had finally woken up with some good direct football going forward, and the back four were winning everything on the half way line. Garstang were looking strong, then a little bit magic from Callum Thompson finished Poulton off. He received the ball from a throw-in and a great first touch flicked it over his own and the centre half’s head. Beating two more Poulton defenders, he smashed the ball in the top left corner from the edge of the box for possibly the best individual goal I have seen at any level in quite a while. 0-2 and job done.

We had made it more difficult than it needed to be and, with some of the teams above us in the league still to play, a performance like we put out in the first half, although not bad, won't be good enough to take all the points. With three games left, let's finish strong, be properly prepared and take maximum points.

Garstang: Bennett, Cooper, Heap, Fox, Winstanley, Panepinto

, Salisbury

, Schultz, Wilding, Crouch and Brooks.
Substitutes: Hey (Brooks) and Thompson (Salisbury).

**Fulwood Juniors are now involved in the CLJFL Cup semi-final on April 18th and so we have no fixture that day. A rearranged date for the visit to Fulwood is awaited.

With only four matches remaining Lee Baker's target of 15 points from the final six fixtures has been chipped away with six points in two. The maths are easy enough and, with nine to achieve things are looking good, so why not aim for the full 18?

Since the debacle at Myerscough, form has improved beyond belief. Although confident, we can't afford to become complacent: that could be our biggest problem next Sunday in the away fixture with Poulton Town. Having just put six past them on Sunday, we have to be sure that we have the correct mindset to challenge them again. Poulton are a good side with a number of good players, so we have to concentrate and approach the match as professionally as we did this week. The early setback, conceding a goal, served as a catalyst and, as long as the response is the same, we can look forward to another good match. The players need to remember that if they push themselves that little bit harder, they will be rewarded, as they have in the last two matches. Completing this season with the same desire shown over the previous two Sundays can only serve to benefit them in the future.

The chase is on for leading goalscorer and player of the year, not forgetting the Terry Crouch award for outstanding achievement, so, with only four matches remaining, lets see you push yourselves to the limit, climb the table, and be proud of your achievements.

Directions: Poulton Town [A], Wyre Civic Centre, FU6 7PU. From Garstang, travel through Great Eccleston to Singleton lights. Take the right fork toward Fleetwood and at The River Wyre Hotel turn left at the roundabout. Travel half a mile and the civic centre is situated on the right at the traffic lights. The pitches and changing rooms are accessible via the rear of the car park.

**There will be no meet at Catterall this week so can you please organise lifts between yourselves prior to Sunday morning!! If there are any travel issues please bring them to our attention at training on Thursday.

Well, it's been a long journey, but we intend to make our last home game as a junior football team a bit special by playing it at The Riverside ground. The game, against Myerscough Juniors, will kick off at 10:30 am. Garny and Lee hope that all of our parents and friends will be able to get to the game.

At the end of the current season, of course, the U16's will cease to be as the Garstang FC Youth Team, catering for players aged over 16 but under 18 before the first of September 2010, is born. The Garstang Youth Team Manager will be Lee Baker.

Following the game, Lee and Garstang FC Youth Liaison Officer Dave Porter, right, will host a briefing meeting, in the Clubhouse, setting out the plans and aspirations for the GFC Youth Team to players and their parents. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and meet some of the Garstang Management Committee, so please make every effort to attend.

Invitations to the briefing will also be extended to any young players, and their parents, not currently playing for the current U16 team.

If you are unable to make the game and/or would like more information, email Dave Porter here.

Garstang Juniors 6 Poulton Town 1:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Ryan Crouch 2, Oscar Panepinto, Sam Assalone 2, Tom Winstanley
MoM: Wilding
March 21st 11:00 am
Report March 22nd

The Juniors made it back to back wins with a six goal romp! Garstang hosted Poulton Town in the first meeting of the two teams scheduled for consecutive weekends. The recently rolled pitch was in good condition and, on a sunny Sunday morning, all was set for a decent match between the sides. Poulton turned Garstang around after the toss, to have the sun shining right down their throats.

Garstang started brightly and created the first chance without reward. There is no coincidence that training outside and away from the confines of the leisure centre adds an extra dimension to the team allowing for improved passing, and an ability for Lee Baker to work on set pieces. But no amount of training can eradicate personal errors and poor positioning allowed two quick breaks by Poulton. The first effort was well saved by Bennett, but the second effort from Birchard found its way into the bottom right corner of his net. 0-1, but not same old, same old!! This early setback failed to deter Garstang from their ever improving passing game and, with overlaps left and right, the pressure began to build on the Town defence. Thompson was even seen with a bead of sweat on his brow as he, and Assalone, continued chasing everything down, ensuring the Town defence creaked.

A deflected shot spun high across the Poulton goal and, as it landed, Assalone put in the extra effort and pressurised the keeper and his defender, who somehow managed to collide, allowing Assalone to put the ball into the back of the net, 1-1. The Poulton keeper had taken a blow to the head and was temporarily substituted. Garstang, motivated by the equaliser, now pushed for a second and, after a succession of superbly taken and well placed corners from Wilding, Tom Winstanley guided his free header into the Poulton net, 2-1, and nothing less than the Juniors deserved.

Panepinto was controlling the middle of the pitch and inspirationally vocal. He was well supported by Wilding,, who played a more supporting role. Heap and Cooper were working hard, getting forward from full back and supporting attacking moves, but also disciplined enough to manage their defensive responsibilities too. One disappointing moment from the first half was Assalone's booking for failing to retreat ten yards.

Half time, 2-1, and all appeared to be going to plan, but the Juniors needed to build on the lead in the second half to ensure the three points. The second half started brightly with two more goals in the first five minutes. Poulton's keeper returned to the fray, but was helpless as Panepinto scored with a header from an excellently placed Wilding corner and Assalone was rewarded for his hard work with a second as he manufactured an opening for himself amongst three defenders and fired hard and low into the keepers left corner, 4-1.

For a period the game evened out with chances falling to both teams without further successes. Salisbury, Brooks and Hey all came on, but without disrupting the pattern of play. There were further opportunities but, due to some awful and at times comical finishing, the match seemed to be heading for the final whistle without adjusting the goalscoring charts. Panepinto picked up a booking for kicking the ball away, not his brightest decision of the day!

Crouch then worked an opening and a Poulton defender, well placed on the line dived to make the save of the day, touching the shot round the post with a strong right hand! The referee, Kevin Roberts, was left with no option but to produce a red card and Poulton were reduced to ten men. Crouch and Panepinto discussed the penalty and Crouch stepped up and fired it to the keepers right, 5-1. A generous decision by Panepinto who slotted home a penalty last week and after today's goal is closing in on the leading scorer, Crouch...!

Not happy with his one goal, Crouch was presented with another opportunity and volleyed his shot into the top right corner, from inside the box, 6-1, and game over.

Garstang: Bennett, Heap, Cooper, Fox, Winstanley, Panepinto

, Wilding, Schultz, Crouch, Thompson and Assalone

.
Substitutes: Brooks (Schultz), Salisbury (Thompson) and Hey (Assalone).

Lee Baker: 'That was a good performance and the set piece training paid off with two goals. Every one of the lads should be proud of themselves'.
Ian Blezard: 'I was impressed by the way they got themselves back in the game after a sloppy start, and by both the fitness and the form. Bring on the red shirts!'
Paul Gahan: ' We kept saying that it would only be a matter of time until we put a few goals past someone. I had hoped the 'matter of time' would have been a little bit shorter! That was a good team performance and, on the back of last weeks victory, the lads confidence is clear to see. The back four deserve a special mention as they have been fantastic over the last two matches.'

Back to back fixtures with Poulton Town are next up for the Juniors and this Sunday will be the penultimate home match of the season at The Beeches.

Last season saw two tight matches, Garstang securing a 0-2 away win with two goals from Heap. The return match at The Beeches was a different story all together with Poulton being the better side overall, but a Joe Sellers strike salvaged a last minute 3-3 draw.

I don't believe that the next two matches will be anything other than close with both clubs sat next to each other in the table - where neither should really be. Here's hoping that Garstang can build on last Sunday's tremendous performance and raise themselves up the table.

Gregson Lane 0 Garstang Juniors 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Ryan Crouch, Oscar Panepinto (pen)
Joint MoM: Fox and Winstanley
March 14th 2:00 pm
Report March 15th

Garstang Juniors restored pride today with a spirited performance to beat top of the league.

A strong, disciplined and professional team performance guided them to all three points against Gregson Lane. Goals from Crouch and Panepinto were enough to see the Juniors home and it was nothing less that they deserved. It was an amazing turn around from last week.

After last weeks performance against Myerscough the only way forward for the Juniors was 'up'. What was the most lacklustre performance could not be accepted again and I am proud to say today was one of the most, if not the most, pleasing performances I have witnessed in six years. Having been beaten by Gregson Lane under the most frustrating of circumstances in our previous meeting, this was a most satisfying victory against the team holding top spot in the league.

However, the best thing about today wasn't the result, but more the performance. Lee Baker selected a 4-5-1 formation with Thompson holding the sole striker role whilst, Assalone and Brooks took a position on the bench. Disruptive and unsporting tactics employed by the opposition failed to unnerve Garstang and the match started with the Juniors on the front foot with Gregson Lane strolling about as if this would be a formality; little did they know how keen Garstang were to take the points.

Chances came and went for Garstang, but they kept their composure, even though this has been the story of the season so far. Eventually a smart move down the right resulted in Schultz picking up the overlap ball and crossing to Crouch, who fired across the keeper, and his shot found its way into the far corner. The keeper may think that he should have done better. 0-1 to Garstang and there didn't seem to be any real problems dealing with the opposition. Panepinto ran the midfield with his usual confidence and control, and he is rapidly becoming the most consistent player of the season. The back four, Heap, Cooper, Fox and Winstanley were controlling and assertive in repelling anything the opposition had to offer, which was limited to a few poor shots, although Bennett, having dived to smother a shot, spilled his save and the fumbled rebound was put into Garstang's net only to be ruled offside. A let off, but if we hadn't given them the chance Gregson Lane wouldn't have had a sniff.

Half time 0-1 but this was the story back in September. The second half started slowly, niether side really taking control. The referee, Paul Mountain, was controlling what was becoming a feisty fixture. The indiscipline of some of the opposition may have contributed to their poor second half performance. Garstang are a well disciplined outfit, finally realising that all that has been instilled into them would realise itself. As the opposition lost their discipline, our lads maintained a level of self control and chased the victory which meant so much to them and the watching parents.

Bennett played well, commanding his box and sweeping up the long balls as the opposition's desperation became predictable. Assalone and Brooks came on to replace the hardworking Thompson and Salisbury, respectively. Wilding moved back to his favoured position wide left and Assalone took up the lone striker role. Constant pressure began to build and as Garstang pushed forward, neat interplay on the left wing saw Panepinto receive a high ball in the box and as he neatly controlled the ball on his chest, he was clattered from behind and the referee correctly awarded a penalty. Panepinto picked himself up and calmly sent the keeper the wrong way, 0-2.

On occasion Gregson Lane tried, but failed, to breach the Garstang defence. Crouch picked up a ball wide on the right and shot across the keeper, but a questionable linesman's flag prevented him boosting his tally as the offside flag was acknowledged by the referee, goal disallowed! Full time whistle and it's a victory for Garstang 0-2. This was by far the best performance since November when Garstang put Hoole to the sword. As a team performance we could ask no more and the lads should be proud. After months of not playing they showed a resilience and professionalism that exceeds their age but one which Lee Baker has tried to instill in the team. The lack of sportsmanship shown by the opposition failed to distract the Garstang team and they responded by giving Gregson Lane exactly what they deserved.

Garstang: Bennett, Heap, Schultz, Fox, Winstanley, Cooper, Panepinto, Thompson, Crouch, Salisbury and Wilding.
Substitutes: Assalone (Thompson) and Brooks (Salisbury).

Paul Gahan: "This was the most satisfying result so far, we were far better than the opposition and if they are top of the league, then it is upside down!!"
Lee Baker: "Have it"

In our last meeting with Gregson lane, we took an early lead but, as has been the case all season, we failed to finish them off. They fought back in the second half to take a 1-2 lead only for Garstang to level. Due to a serious time keeping error, however, the referee played just long enough for the opposition to steal all three points!

If we only win one more match all season, it has to be this one and, after last weeks performance at Myerscough, nothing but three points will do!!

Directions:
Gregson Lane Playing Fields, PR5 0FD
Follow A6 through Preston and onto London Road. Then join A675 Walton Road towards Higher Walton/Hoghton. Then turn right into Gregson Lane and the playing fields are approx. 1 mile on the left.
Garny will be at Catterall with a few maps and to assist with a lift if anyone is stuck. Meet there at 12:30 pm.

Paul Gahan has, this week, announced his resignation from the position of Manager, citing 'personal reasons'.

Paul, with the assistance of Coach Lee Baker, has been instumental in keeping Garstang Juniors alive for the last four years or so. 'Garny' had indicated his wish to retire from the manager's position at the end of the season, the team's final year in the junior ranks, but his early departure has still come as a shock.

Lee Baker will run the team until the end of the season, assisted by Dave Porter.

Myerscough Juniors 2 Garstang Juniors 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Oscar Panepinto, o/g
Garstang MoM: Oscar Panepinto
March 7th 11:00 am
Report March 12th

This was a very lacklustre and poor performance from which Garstang deserved nothing.

Despite dominating the first half, Garstang only created one clear cut chance when Thompson failed to finish his free header from a corner. Stern words at half time failed to generate any interest or motivation in a number of the players although Panepinto stood out as the motivational captain' and Fox stood proud marshalling the defence.

Having gone 2-0 down there seemed no way back for Garstang and heads dropped. Panepinto, continued to lead by example and fired home to make it 2-1 with five minutes remaining. With time running out, Crouch chased a lost cause and proved that, if you put in a little bit of effort you will get rewarded, as his cross was turned in by Myerscough's unlucky defender. 2-2.

Overall this was the worst performance all season and, without the extra effort of a small number of players, things could have been far worse. Myerscough however battled and, as a team fixed to the bottom of the league, they deserve credit for working hard and fighting to the final whistle. They showed the character and spirit that their manager should be proud of, they fought for everything, and would have deserved the three points.

Garstang: Bennett, Schultz, Heap, Fox, Cooper, Brooks, Wilding, Crouch, Panepinto, Thompson and Assalone.
Substitute: Hey (Assalone)

This Sunday we head for Myerscough Juniors. Kick off is at 11:00 am; please meet at 10:15 am in the college car park, behind residential block.

Getting beat by the odd goal in our last couple of outings is frustrating, particularly as we played some of the best football. We will be attempting to put that right at training tonight as there is no way we want a similar outcome in Sunday's 'six pointer'.

Myerscough are clearly finding it tough going this season, after losing a number of key players last summer, but they fight on, and I will guarantee that they won't need motivating when Garstang come to town!

Garstang Juniors 1 Deepdale Juniors 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goal: Oscar Panepinto
Garstang MoM: Sam Assalone
February 28th 11:00 am
Report March 4th

The first game for three weeks saw Deepdale Juniors at The Beeches to play a return fixture after Garstang had beaten them 2-1 in a hard fought game earlier in the season.

The first 15 minutes were fairly even, apart from a mistake from Tommo at the back, but the Deepdale striker wasted his chance firing high and wide from the edge of the box. This seemed to kick start Garstang and they played some good direct football all of which, I must say, had been drilled into them by Coach Baker. With Garstang playing a 4-3-3 formation, the opposition were finding it hard to contain them but, with Oscar doing some great surging runs through the centre, it was inevitable that sometimes we may get caught out being a little light in middle of the park. It was one of these occasions, along with some disappointing refereeing, that saw Garstang go one down. With the visitors struggling to clear their lines, a long clearance somehow found their striker who then was brought down in the box by Luke, but only after the ball had, I thought, gone out of play for a goal kick. Admittedly it was a late and clumsy tackle from the Garstang player, but no way was it a penalty in my eyes.

Garstang heads did not drop as in other games, which was pleasing to see, with MoM Sam Assalone linking up well with midfield and Oscar winning everything in the centre along with Dec Wilding, who I thought had his best game I have seen him play this season with some great passing and movement. He also put in some great corners, all of which were crying out for someone to put them in the back of the net. Eliot and Josh were getting forward as well, from full back, and getting involved which we haven’t seen for a while due to the lack of games. It was during this spell that Garstang's persistence paid off and Oscar fired them level.

Halftime was a welcome relief, for the Deepdale rear guard, from the Garstang onslaught. The second half started much as the first had finished, with Garstang attacking at will, and Deepdale hanging on for their lives. Ryan Crouch started to play as we know he can, after a few words from Baker at half time, and he started making good runs making time for himself and opening the game up for Oscar and Lee Schultz, who had replaced Rob Brooks in the centre of the park. It was from one of these spells that Lee Schultz unleashed a ferocious shot that easily beat the keeper, but unfortunately not the crossbar.

With the inclusion of Alex for Callum and Jack Salisbury for Ryan Crouch , Garstang continued to press for another goal but, with 15 minutes to go, the ball dropped to a Deepdale player just inside the Garstang half, he put his foot through the ball and the speculative shot caught Jonny of his line to make it 1-2 for Deepdale. As hard as Garstang tried to reduce the defeat this is how it was to finish.

I’m sure that, after having so much of the ball, lots of chances, and still losing, it is difficult for some of the lads to take. There are issues we have to work on as a team, both on and off the pitch, but some things can't be coached and it is down to each individual player to prepare himself for the game, with strength, stamina, concentration, and the will to do that bit more than their opposite number - and the results will go right for us.

Garstang: Bennett, Heap, Fox, Winstanley, Cooper, Panepinto, Brooks, Wilding, Assalone, Crouch and Thompson.
Substitutes: Schultz (Brooks), Salisbury (Crouch) and Hey (Thompson).

Garstang Juniors will now play Deepdale Juniors at The Beeches on Sunday.
Kick off is 11:00 am; be there at 10:15 am!

The pitch remains frozen, with a covering of snow obliterating the pitch markings - game off!

Fixtures are now available for the first three Sundays of March; details of the fourth Sunday are awaited.

**The Deepdale game was called off on Sunday morning as the rutted and frozen pitch was deemed 'too dangerous to play'.

Weather permitting, and with no further interruptions for the cup we are due to play Deepdale Juniors this Sunday. As previously stated prior to our away fixture against them, Deepdale have 'fight' ingrained in them and they play with a passion that flows from Colin Wilkes, their manager. We always have close fought matches with Deepdale and I don't expect this week to be any different.

We have eight matches remaining to restore some pride and elevate our position to a respectable height and I expect the right response from all the players. I don't want to labour the point of Sunday's dismal performance but, if we play with the same lethargy, then Deepdale are the type of team to make us pay a heavy price. Yes, it's about enjoying your football at this age, but some of the lads need to toughen up, accept constructive criticism when it is levelled at them and get on with it instead of sulking or shrinking into their shells. After al,l it's about learning too!

I noticed a few different faces watching the Juniors at The Beeches this week and hope that you were there to support the lads. If you choose to give them one more chance, I hope you see an improved performance this weekend.

Garstang Juniors 1 Fulwood Juniors 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goal: Declan Wilding
Garstang MoM: Josh Heap
February 7th 11:00 am
Report February 8th

As the players turned up at intervals, and late, for the 10:15 am meet, the writing already appeared to be on the wall. From their initial response during the warm up and an ensuing disinterested attitude there was no way Garstang were going to win this one.

And so it unfolded, a game much like the previous league games so far this season as Garstang passed the ball, created some opportunities, but failed to take them. Fulwood looked to counter attack after each opportunity was spurned, but didn't cause too many issues in the first half. The one bright point of the first 40 minutes was a cross from Wilding that crept over the keeper and into the far corner for 1-0, but the coach and manager failed to celebrate as they have been there so many times before and knew what was coming.

Too many Garstang players were walking around the pitch hoping that other players would do their work for them. Heap was doing his best from left back, but with little support from around him. Panepinto was winning the midfield battle, on his own, whilst others tried to hide! The fact that so many players were not giving anything to the performance and needed to improve was delivered at half time but clearly fell on deaf ears as Fulwood scored two goals in quick succession early in the second half. 1-2. You would expect that Garstang would suddenly wake up and pull their fingers out but, instead, they gave up and put in such a lacklustre performance for the remainder of the match that, against a better team, would have seen them thrashed.

Luke Fox bailed the defence out on numerous occasions but, man of the match was Heap. Panepinto finally connected with a shot having made two glorious 'air shots' but the keeper parried it away. Thompson, Salisbury and Hey all came on at varying times of the second half. Salisbury battled for everything as usual, and Hey came close to an equaliser when he met the ball with a solid header.

Garstang: Bennett, Cooper, Heap, Winstanley, Fox, Brooks, Panepinto, Schultz, Wilding, Crouch and Assalone.
Substitutes: Thompson (Brooks), Wilding (Salisbury) and Hey (Assalone)

Paul Gahan: "I was disappointed today, not with the result, but with a number of the players. From the moment they turned up late they showed a 'can't be bothered attitude' and got what they deserved. The problem with that is there are those in the team who do want to try and do want to win, but they weren't supported by others. I don't understand the mentality, having played one match since the second week of November I would have expected to see a hunger and eagerness to play today; instead we have players who walked around cheating on their team mates. Dave Porter and Paul Bailey were there today to see what could be offered to the youth team and/or reserves but, on this showing, they too must be shocked".
Spectating Parent: "I thought Garstang played quite well in the first half and most of the play was in Fulwood's half of the pitch, but they just gave up in the second half, even though they started it a goal up! Josh had a good game and is improving every week"
Dave Porter: "@*!$&+@!" (censored as this is Junior football!)

Due to Poulton's cup match becoming victim to the weather, again, we have a rearranged fixture on Sunday as they try again this week. We are now at home to Fulwood Juniors; 11am kick off.

A thrilling 4-4 draw on the final day of last season, and Fulwood's recent victory over high flying Gregson Lane, means that this week's rearranged fixture will be entertaining and full of goals. Lets just hope they don't all fly past Bennett!

The lads are eager to play again as they have only managed two matches in three months due to the weather. They can expect a decent training session on Thursday though, just to keep them keen!

With the Garstang Reserves having no fixture and the U16's short on training sessions, other than the Leisure Centre, the decision was made that the two teams should get together and have a match. This would, hopefully, be a good run out for the Reserves and good experience for the U16's. With the Reserves having a good turnout, with 15 or 16 players, and the U16's with a bare eleven, due to work committments and injury, we still had enough players for a good match.

The match was played in three, 30 min sessions. The first period was played much as we expected, fast and furious, with the Reserves, fielding an almost full strength team, having most of the ball and playing some neat, fast football and leaving some of the U16's a little overawed by the pace of the game. At the end of the first 30 minute period, as the lads were walking off, it was clear by the look on some of their faces, that they thought that this probably wasn’t for them!

The second period started as fast as the first but, after making a few changes - Aidy Hunt for Crouchy, Kelvin Bardsley for Jack Sailsbury, Andy Ireland for Rob Brooks and Jonny Baldwin for Tommo, the game became a lot more even with the U16's starting to play some good football, in patches, and becoming a little more confident, only conceding once in the second period and having four quality players from the Reserves, who all helped their younger team mates through with talking and experience, seemed to lift the spirits of the U16's and a few smiles were visible.

The final period again had lots of changes and saw Sam Assalone and Dan Sutcliffe playing for the Reserves, who both proved their worth and didn’t look out of place. The final 15 minutes saw all players going back to their original teams. Unfortunately the U16's did concede a couple of times, but the final score didn’t matter to either team it was a good run out for the Reserves and a good test for the U16's, who I think did themselves proud.

Thanks to Bails and the Reserves, especially to the four guys who switched teams, for which I thought was a good session. Also to all the parents who came to support and offered nothing but positives throughout.

Team Notes:
1. Jonny had a good game, spilt a couple of crosses, but made up for them with a great tip over the bar late in the game.
2. Cooper needs a little more composure on the ball, but looked good when he got forward, supported and did everything simple.
3. Josh playing out of position did well and played even better when he relaxed and concentrated.
4. Tommo had a good steady game, just a little more belief in his own ability needed.
5. Dan filled in at centre half, had a good game, and should be playing for his home town team! Well done.
6. Oscar came into his own in the second half of the match being a major part in most of the play for the U16's.
7. Rob never gave up the whole game but more belief and aggression needed - plenty to work with though.
8. Schultsy - a steady game on the right and when moved into centre showed quality and skill - good football.
9. Sam, U16's MoM, had a good game, made some good intelligent runs and was unlucky not to score.
10. Crouchy never gave up on any ball, good feet and also unlucky not to score.
11. Jack - a fantastic effort the whole game and, when he lost the ball, he didn’t give up, he got back and got a foot in. Well done.

Quote of the day: 'Can’t believe you're letting that lad play in tights Ports.' Mark Salthouse senior player.

With both Garstang Juniors and Garstang Reserves fixtureless, the last thing the respective managers wanted after the 'long lay off' was another blank weekend so, it's Juniors v Reserves at The Beeches on Saturday morning.

Poulton Town are still involved in the CLJFL Cup next Sunday and so, as this takes prescedence over our league game, Sunday's fixture is postponed. Hoole are the only other team without a fixture and we've already played them twice so no sustitute fixture is available to us.

Training has been arranged at the Leisure Centre on Thursday evenings, between 5 and 6:00 pm, for the next four weeks.

Cadley JFC 7 Garstang 0:
Central Lancs JFL Cup
Garstang MoM: Heap
January 24th 14:00 hrs

Not wishing to upstage the Seniors and the Reserves, Garstang Juniors succumbed to a defeat away at Premier league outfit, Cadley. The Juniors battled well and held the opposition to a 1-0 lead at half time. Garstang spent lengthy periods in the Cadley half but failed to capitalise and, when called upon, Bennett was having a blinder in the Juniors goal.

The second half started with a confident Garstang, but a long range effort saw Cadley extend their lead within minutes and the lower league team then realised that the hill was now even steeper at 2-0. The Juniors battled hard and contained Cadley inside the box but couldn't fend off the long range efforts and conceded another from outside the box 3-0. Schultz's effort from near to the half way line was close but not close enough, flying wide. Garstang then conceded again, 4-0.

Having fought for every ball, and made the watching parents proud, Garstang didn't manage to score and eventually lost 7-0, six of the seven goals having been scored from outside the box; and the one from inside was a defensive mix up!

Panepinto played well and cemented his role as Captain, Winstanley and Cooper left the field injured, and Brooks received a yellow card as the Juniors tried their hardest to get a foothold in the match. If Garstang take anything from this defeat it should be the ability to hit a ball from distance with accuracy - not that it hasn't been mentioned before - barn doors and banjo's spring to mind!

Lee Baker: "If the lads played like this every week then we would have no problems in our league. Fox had a great game at the back, Oscar (Panepinto) was solid as usual and vocal in his support of the team, but Heap took man of the match for his positive response. The team played well and should be confident going into next weeks match.
Julia Schultz (No1 Supporter): We played really well and at times they (Cadley) couldn't get out of their own half. The score did not reflect the possession but Jonny (Bennett) played really well in goal. We never let our heads drop and we are proud of the lads for battling to the end There were five fantastic shots from outside the box.
Paul Gahan: "Having been kept in touch, almost minute by minute, I am proud of the way the lads performed. We had nothing to lose and this was a good training exercise for the lads. Once we get back to the league, we can be a little more concerned about things. I can't wait for our next match to see how well we are progressing, especially having had no fixture for months. Clearly our finishing remains an issue. I'm glad Oscar played well and handled his extra responsibilities as Captain, and also that Heap showed maturity in his response. Jonny Bennett will learn from the experience and this will only enhance his knowledge and abilities through the season"

Garstang: Bennett, Cooper, Winstanley, Fox, Heap, Schultz, Brooks

, Panepinto, Wilding, Assalone and Crouch.
Substitutes: Heys, Salisbury, Thompson (All used)
MOM: Heap

Sunday's game has been switched in order to get the CLJFL Cup tie v Cadley JFC played. The venue will be at Conway Drive, Fulwood, Postcode PR2 3EQ. Please be there by 1:15pm.

We go into the match having trained hard over the last couple of weeks, so fitness shouldn't be a problem. As mentioned previously we have nothing to lose on Sunday as nobody outside of our team believes that we will progress any further, and we are happy with that. Whatever happens, I can guarantee that the lads will be looking to cause an upset and give a good account of themselves. A special good luck to Panepinto, playing his first match as captain.

Training this week will be on Thursday 21st at the Leisure Centre, 5pm-6pm. Apologies for last weeks error with the booking, but that wasn't our fault.

Next Sunday we host Myerscough in the league, for the first time in a number of years, since they formed and were promoted in their first season before returning after relegation in 2008/09. We played them once in the CLJFL cup prior to relegation, losing out to a James Buer strike in the last minute, 3-2. It was difficult to tell who was in the higher league position on the day and we were proud of the team performance. Myerscough now find themselves bottom of the league, but still fielding a team after losing a number of players in the close season. Even so, with not having played for so long, we will have to fight for a result.

I expect that we will have a full squad, with Alex Hay still waiting to make his weather delayed debut. Winstanley and Fox will have to forge their new partnership quickly and as Panepinto will start his first match as captain, we expect him to lead from the front and control the match against his former team.

Training resumed last night, Thursday, at the Garstang Leisure Centre. There was a good turn out with only three players missing, two with school commitments and the other having a lucky escape! Three weeks away from physical activities has clearly taken its toll and didn't it show! A few sprint exercises and a bit of upper body work and that was it. Too much Stella? Turkey? Xbox?

This was never going to be an easy session but I never expected the lads to suffer like they did. Two casualties to the 'chunk blowing', Thompson and Wilding, although Wilding did a very good job of juggling his until he got outside! ennett looked like he'd seen a ghost and needed time to recover. Luckily the remainder struggled on, Brooks and Heap pushing out the press ups but, boy, did they struggle. Italian import Assalone struggled too; one Peroni too many?

All in all this was the toughest session I have put them through but, prior to Christmas, their fitness could not be questioned. After a couple more of these they'll be right back up there!

Anyway the good news for Assalone is that training next week is on Friday, 5 to 6pm, and not Thursday. So he can make the Blackburn Rovers semi final and doesn't need to worry about missing out on training!

Now that Phil Roskell has left the club we have a new Captain, Oscar Panepinto. Oscar joined us last season from Myerscough and has established himself in the centre of midfield. He is having a great season and is the ideal replacement for Phil.

We have reached the Christmas break having played only six matches, four home and two away, although the demise of Brinscall Village meant that this match has been erased from the season's records. This benefits us as other teams have played more and, therefore, lost more leaving us in a better league position.

At this stage last season we were comfortable in second place but our confidence was low and never really picked up from the weather assisted break! This season has been totally different as our football has been outstanding and our confidence is infectious, even getting some parents excited. This confidence is not misplaced as our style of play has earned plaudits from the opposition and officials alike.

The Under 16's should be proud of this season's achievements, even at this early stage. We have suffered the loss of Luke Fox from the centre of the defence but Tom Winstanley has stepped up and it's like he has never been away as he has teamed up well with Phil Roskell forming a solid partnership in the middle, well supported by fullbacks Heap and Cooper. Cooper has improved as he becomes more familiar in this role, having fallen back from a midfield role, switching with Sulksy, who it has to be said is a different player down the right flank but dropping back as cover when he's paying attention!

These positional changes have helped the team develop as seen initially against Brinscall and Penwortham, two games that we lost but not without playing some breathtaking football, without finding the final touch to compliment the excellent build up play. Gregson Lane was another game where, by rights, we should have been out of sight by half time but the inability to finish cost us heavily. The unexplained eight minutes added on didn't help as we had fought back to 2-2 only to have it cruelly snatched away with the final kick of the game! A battling 1-2 win away at Deepdale Juniors was nothing less than the lads deserved after this hard fought match up, Deepdale are a solid outfit who never give up and are a credit to their management team of Colin Wilkes and Bill Oddy, can't wait for the home fixture!

Having turned out at The Beeches with only ten men to face Hoole United, Garstang played well and fought hard only to lose out to the odd goal of five in an exciting match from which they deserved far more. Three weeks later the Under 16's played Hoole again and on a perfect pitch at Preston Sports Arena they ran out comfortable 0-3 winners. A clean sheet was important too, it had been a long time coming but was well deserved and can only boost confidence especially for keeper, Bennett.

Panepinto has been outstanding in the centre of midfield and his domination of the central area whilst supporting the front line has been inspirational to those around him, Wilding, the ever improving Brooks and Salisbury. I have written to Santa and asked that he bring some goals next year so Crouch, Thompson and our second Italian import Assalone, I hope you were sleeping when he turned up!

With nine matches remaining the post Christmas period is one which we should be looking forward to. We kick off 2010 against premier league opposition in the Central Lancs Junior League Cup away at Cadley. This will be a great opportunity to gauge our improvement although it will come after a long break so the lads will have to watch the beer and chocolates over Christmas! We have nothing to fear and likewise we have nothing to lose as nobody will expect us to progress except me, Lee and the lads themselves as we all believe in each others ability and are enjoying the relaxed approach this season.

On behalf of Lee Baker our former manager, and now coach, the team and all the parents I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2010. Should you find yourself at a loose end on a Sunday morning why don't you get yourselves down to watch the Under 16's, they really are quite good.

The Beeches remains unfit and so Sunday's fixture is switched to Ashton Park; kick off 11:00 am.

All players should be at Catterall no later than 10:00 am - or contact Garny if you are going directly there.

Thanks to all those that supported the U-16's quiz night and 'fundraiser on Monday.

A grand total of £220 was raised and will go towards the final season and subsequent celebrations, come May next year. A special thank you from the club must go to Gary and Vicki Heap who organised the event and liaised with the Church Inn to ensure the evening went well.

There was a very good turnout and, as is becoming the norm, the 'Pool Table' team won - so congratulations to them, again!!

Training this week is Thursday 5pm-6pm at the leisure centre and is £2.50 each. (Don't forget Sulksy, its double this week!!) If the weather remains as it has today, there may be a chance of actually playing this weekend: watch this space and your mobiles for further information.

The Beeches will not be playable on Sunday and we were attempting to switch the match to Poulton, but they are under water as well.

The Fulwood game on December 13th will be the last of the year, then we break until January 10th.

Training will be at the Leisure Centre, Windsor Road again this week; on Thursday December 3rd between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. Remember, the cost is £2.50 each.

Remember too that we have our Quiz night at The Church Inn next Monday evening, December 7th, at 8:00 pm. The limited number of tickets, at £3.50 including supper, are going fast so contact Garny on 07729 529618 as soon as you can!

The Leisure centre has been booked for training on Thursday this week, November 26th, between 5 and 6 pm. The cost is £2.50 each; don't forget your money as 'no pay no play'!!

Sunday's game is postponed due to the current waterlogged state of The Beeches; with more bad weather to come. All the Preston Park games are postponed as well, so we have no options to switch venues.

Lee and Ports are still keen to get in a training session, but the weather may defeat us. A final decision will be made on Saturday - those involved will receive a text.

*Update: Training is cancelled for the weekend as the venue remains waterlogged.

Quiz Night Tickets go on sale from Tuesday November 23rd - book yours with Paul Gahan on 07729 529618. Spaces are limited, so please book early to be sure of a place.

Be there at 8:00 pm for an 8:30 pm start: tickets cost £3.50 and include a hot pot supper.

Next Sunday's visit to Penwortham is postponed. We now have Deepdale Juniors at The Beeches; 11:00 am kick off......weather permitting!

Hoole United 0 Garstang 3:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Thompson, Salisbury and Brooks
Garstang MoM: The Team!
November 15th 11:00 hrs

After all the poor weather the pitch at Preston Sports Arena was in fantastic condition and although the grass was a little long everything was perfect for this match up. In the previous fixture, the last one played, on 18 October and with only ten men Garstang were narrowly beaten by Hoole and the feeling was that they deserved at least a point. This was going to be a good close game and so it proved. With Luke Fox still injured and new signing Alex Hey's registration not being passed in time Garstang had the luxury of two substitutes! Those positions were filled by Salisbury and Assalone, this was a tough decision for the manager to make but its nice for him to have the problem!

Garstang started the brighter and the four week break had clearly made them hungry as they were first to the ball and the passing game that they have been playing so well hadn't deserted them. The passing and movement was a touch rusty but after the first few minutes Garstang started to open gaps throughout Hoole's midfield which Panepinto was dominating, well supported by Brooks. Cooper and Heap were flying forward from their full back postions allowing Wilding and Schultz extra freedom down the channels. Hoole's play maker, Procter tried to dig in and inspire his team but Garstang were playing better flowing football. Panepinto was breaking tackles and breaking forward constantly looking for a way through from 18 yards. Good passing throughout the team found Panepinto cutting in from the right and his shot was goal bound until the Hoole keeper reacted instinctively to push his shot away.

The pressure was building as Crouch was clattered on the edge of the box but the free kick came to nothing. A number of corners came and went with great delivery by Wilding and Schultz. Eventually the deadlock was broken. Garstang won a throw down their right and as the ball fell to Thompson he took on and beat two defenders before drilling his right foot shot hard and low across the keeper and into the far corner. 0-1 and things looking good. Winstanley continued to control Procter and Roskell swept well. Bennett wasn't troubled in goal until a hard cross shot came his way and as he went down to his left the ball spilled but he recovered well to scoop up the loose ball before anyone could react. It was a solid first half performance and Garstang were well worth the lead as the the whistle blew.

The second half started as the first had ended, Garstang in the ascendancy but still without the luxury of a second goal. Hoole became more of a threat with Procter being their motivator with good strong runs but if one defender couldn't get there another did. Roskell was back to his best and his three team mates in defence were performing equally as well. Hoole are a free scoring team averaging four goals a game and it is clear to see why but today strong defending was shutting them out. Procter cut in from Heap's left back position and shot but Bennett pushed his effort round the post. Garstang have had a season of near misses and close games that they should have won and today was looking oh so familiar. Their resolve was admirable today as they soaked up pressure from Hoole protecting the one goal but always threatening the elusive second.

Assalone was on for Thompson and Salisbury for Crouch and once Assaolone got into his stride he posed a threat to Hoole. Brooks and Panepinto still bossed the midfield and Salisbury chased down everything. Garstang broke and yet another attack was thwarted although they maintained possession. The ball back to Heap who in turn passed back to Winstanley, indecision and the ball was lost with Garstang struggling to get back from the earlier attack, more good defending and superb recovery play meant that the 'error' was rectified and from that point Garstang took a stranglehold until they scored the second. Brooks found himself breaking through from the Garstang left and as he shot from an acute angle the power forced the ball home past the keeper, 0-2 and minutes to go.

Hoole appeared to realise that they weren't going to take anything from this one. Assalone hassled the left back, out muscling him and he stole the ball, took it on and crossed perfectly for Salisbury to bury the ball, game over 0 - 3. Moments later the final whistle came and Garstang had the points after an excellent performance against third in the league.

Lee Baker - "The lads should be proud of themselves. They never gave up and kept a clean sheet against the top scorers in the league"
Paul Gahan - "I'm was so proud today, the team deserved everything they got out of this game. They are maturing with every match and earning plaudits from opposition spectators for their style of play. I couldn't single out any one individual for man of the match as it was such a great team performance, so they all got the award!"

Garstang: Bennett, Cooper, Heap, Winstanley, Roskell, Wilding, Schultz, Brooks, Panepinto, Thompson and Crouch.
Substitutes: Assalone (Thompson), Salisbury (Crouch)

In the first half during another Garstang attack there was confusion in the Hoole 18 yard box. Panepinto and Brooks added to this confusion with poor communication but the ball fell to the feet of Schultz, cutting in from the right. As Schultz took aim and despatched a drive with his left foot (without falling over!) the curling shot, seen late by the keeper, hit the inside of the post and ricocheted into the keepers face and out for a corner. How unlucky was that!! Had the shot gone in Schultz would now be level with Salisbury in the goal scoring charts, still there's always next week!

Preston Sports Arena, Sunday's venue, don't normally make a pitch inspection until 09:00am on the morning of the game, so whether we play or not is out of our hands until then. You will know the decision just as soon as we do!

Please meet at Catterall at 10:00am in case we receive late notice of a postponement, and will Alex H please keep up the rain dance!

Sunday's cup game at Cadley has been called off already due to the waterlogged pitch, as has tomorrow's training session at The Beeches. We meet again for training on Saturday November 14th at 10:30 am.

Brinscall Village have dropped out of the league and so all points gained, goals scored and conceded, etc., have been scrubbed from the records. For that reason we now find ourselves second bottom!

Please note that training will be on Saturday morning at The beeches; 10:30 am until 12:00.

If the Cadley cup tie survives the weather on Sunday, it will be a 12:45pm meet at Catterall playing fields for a 2:00pm kick off at Conway Drive, Fulwood.

Our longer term plan is to compile a Garstang Juniors history on the website where it will be available for future generations to see. Here is one old photo of the U13's (?) unearthed by Garny. If you have anything to add to our collection, please get in touch with Paul.

As we have another free Sunday, our next training session will be on Sunday November 1st at The Beeches, 11:00am - 12:30pm.

In the meantime Garny, Lee and Ports will discuss our options for future training sessions, whilst the evenings are out, and let you know.

Our next fixture is the CLJFL Cuptie away at Cadley. We don't know a great deal about Cadley FC, other than that they draw players from across Preston and its surrounding towns and villages. This obviously gives them an advantage over smaller clubs and, whilst others may not expect us to win, our confidence is sky high and our team decision to take ths cup seriously this season means that we will be competitive.

Garny believes that we can beat Cadley if we set out with the right attitude and approach. Cup competitions are designed for shocks, so who knows!

Garstang 2 Hoole United 3:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Crouch and Wilding
Garstang MoM: Brooks
October 18th 11:00 hrs

A ten man Garstang started well with Crouch and Thompson both having early chances but Hoole United, a strong side with strong running players up front, got back into the game when a missed clearance presented them with their first goal. Perhaps the Garstang lads then felt the 'mountain' was looking a bit steep at that point as Hoole, finding and using the space down the flanks, added two more to go in three up at half time.

Coach Lee Baker used the half time interval wisely and the team responded with a gritty display, full of character, that saw them right back in the game with goals from Ryan Crouch, slotting into the far corner past the keeper, and Declan Wilding, a long shot over the keeper's head.

Hoole continued to threaten on breakaways as Garstang pushed on for the equaliser and, as the final whistle blew, it was the home team who finished the stronger.

Garstang were worthy of at least a point today and, based on the second half performance, their attitude and football will continue to earn them plaudits.

Garstang:Bennett, Cooper, Wilding, Roskell, Winstanley, Salisbury, Thompson, Crouch, Brooks and Schlutz

**With more players away on holiday next week, the Myerscough fixture is postponed.

Just four matches into the season and it's time to try and bolster the squad. With Joe Sellers out long term, and Luke Fox suffering a knee injury that means no football for at least a month, the situation leaves us with minimal numbers and limited options.

We are playing the best football since the team was formed at Under 11, although our current league position doesn't yet reflect that fact. We are now in search of two more outfield players to boost the squad. Training will continue at The Beeches and, once we lose the evening training sessions, we will move to Saturday mornings.

Garstang FC has great plans to take Youth football forward into the next decade, developing players en-route ready for a launch into senior football and I am very pleased that we now have Dave Porter with us in his new Youth Development role. Reserve team players have regularly featured in the First Team squad this season, and the club needs a solid nucleus of young players prepared to demonstrate commitment to its future. The natural process of Juniors taking the next step up to the Youth team, and then maturing to the Senior squad would be the success story we would all strive for.

So watch the website for training times and matches, get off your Xbox's, and get yourselves down there!

Deepdale Juniors 1 Garstang 2:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Crouch and Schultz
Garstang MoM: Cooper

The Under 16's finally got their first points of the season on the board in their fourth game with a hard fought victory over Deepdale Juniors. It was predicted to be a tough match and so it proved, but the weather also played its part. After the recent rain the pitch was surprisingly firm and, with a strong wind blowing from one end to the other, it took some time for both teams to adapt.

Garstang started well with Crouch and Assalone playing together up front, well supported by Wilding and Schultz down the left and right flanks, respectively. Brooks was making a nuisance of himself in midfield, breaking up Deepdale's play, whilst Panepinto was free to push further forward. Initially, chances were few and far between as both teams struggled to take control, but Garstang settled the quickest and started to create opportunities. Eventually the pressure paid off and, with some quick passing between Schultz and Panepinto, the latter fired in a cross for Crouch, making a run across the defender towards the near post, who connected with the cross and stuck the ball away, 0-1.

The usual pattern then followed with chances coming and going. Assalone shot tamely, as did Brooks, Wilding and Crouch. The back four were playing well as a solid unit and dealt admirably with the ball hanging or slowing in the strong wind. Heap broke out well, as did Cooper, who hit a 30 yarder which would have sailed into the top corner had the keeper not been alert to his effort. Half Time 0-1.

The second half started with the Juniors staring into the sun, with the wind blowing straight at them too. As expected, Deepdale threw on Wilks, their tall, physical centre forward. Panepinto came into the game more, enjoying the match up with his opponent. Roskell and Winstanley seemed comfortable with any long balls down the middle, and Cooper had Wilks in his pocket! Bennett was also adapting his game to suit as the threat of long shots played on his mind. Some slick play in midfield saw a through ball land perfectly for Crouch to increase the lead but, as they prepared to put his name up in lights, he fluffed it and fired high over the bar. Missed chances are what have cost Garstang in the previous three games and the signs were ominous! Minutes later, a flat through ball from Deepdale seemed to generate hesitation in the Garstang defence and, as Roskell looked at Bennett and Bennettt looked at Roskell, Deepdale stole in and equalised. It couldn't happen again, could it? Not this week!

The resolve of the Juniors seems to be building by the week and they fought hard, nullifying the expected threat from Deepdale. Wilding, Heap, Schultz twice, and Assalone all had and missed further chances before an error by the Deepdale keeper saw the ball break loose and Schultz drilled in from a tight angle for 1-2. Surprisingly this seemed to knock the wind from Deepdale's sails and, although they battled, they did it without any real threat to Bennetts goal. The final whistle blew with Garstang in the ascendency and with some relief that their hard work had finally been rewarded.

Garstang: Bennett, Schultz, Heap, Winstanley, Roskell, Cooper, Panepinto, Brooks, Wilding, Crouch and Assalone.
Substitutes: Thompson (Brooks) and Salisbury (Assalone).

Alex Schultz: "It was fortunate how the ball fell for my winning goal but didn't I take it well! I also thought our defence was solid"
Lee Baker: "It was a well deserved and hard fought three points. The lads should be proud that they only conceded the one goal. We need to carry that forward into the next match".
Paul Gahan: "I'm really proud of the lads. It has been a tough few weeks, playing so well without getting a result. Today they worked hard and probably didn't play as much football, but got that elusive win. Cooper had Wilks under control from the start of the second half and fully deserved to be man of the match. I still can't believe Schultz was the match winner! Well done to all thirteen players".

Garstang 2 Gregson Lane 3:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Garstang Goals: Crouch 2
Gregson Goals: Bryce 2
Garstang MoM: Heap

When will we learn as these match reports are getting a little boring now! This was another fantastic performance, but we lost again, in a fashion more horrible than any other. We had slick and incisive passing and we dominated the opposition but, yet again, the inability to take the chances created, cost Garstang Juniors heavily.

Many of the team have suffered recently with a flu bug but they started at an electrifying pace that Gregson Lane couldn't handle. Quick passing and great support play, down both flanks, had the home support in raptures as the Juniors played in a fashion worthy of a far higher standard. The system adopted by Garstang thwarted the direct approach of Gregson Lane and limited them to two half chances in the first period, both errors by the home defence.

Roskell marshalled the Garstang defence, and Panepinto ran the midfield, making it look so easy too. Assalone had a twenty yarder tipped over the bar and shots screamed across the goal from both the left and the right without being turned in. The Manager was heard to comment "Haven't we been here before?", making reference to the previous two matches when chances weren't taken and the points lost. Heap and Wilding were linking well down the left with Schultz and Thompson doing the same down the right. Eventually the pressure paid off for Garstang as Assalone shot and the rebound found Crouch who fired the ball into the corner, 1-0. It was 'same old, same old' from then on as Garstang passed well and created chances, without taking them. Half time and still 1-0.

The team talk was easy, "Keep playing as you are but you have to take your chances".

The second half started with Garstang standing off the opposition and allowing them straight back into the game. The ball over the top was beginning to reap rewards as the pressure from Gregson Lane built up. Bennett made two good saves before a long ball got through and Bennett was powerless to prevent the equaliser, 1-1. This seemed to wake Garstang and suddenly the passing game, that had been missing in this half, returned. The Juniors were all over Gregson Lane and, after a mix up with a back pass, the Gregson Lane keeper travelled well out of his area only to fail to win the ball. He fouled Schultz, but the ball to dropped at Assalone's feet with the goal gaping. As he lined up to shoot at the empty net, the referee blew his whistle without allowing the advantage to develop! Garstang continued with their wonderful football but, as Gregson Lane broke down Garstang's left, a missed tackle just on the corner of the box opened up an opportunity for Bryce who fired in Gregson Lane's second, 1-2.

Assalone, Panepinto, Winstanley, Brooks, Crouch all failed to make the best of chances as Cooper, a half time replacement for Thompson, linked well with Schultz down the right and all still looked on as Garstang continued to overrun the opposition. With the direct approach of the opposition, however, the Juniors were always susceptible to a breakaway goal. However, the continued pressure paid off as Panepinto worked well along the right and the ball fell to Crouch who placed the ball into the net, 2-2 and with only seconds to go. But this is where things became horrible as the referee must have made an error in timekeeping and played on for an extra eight minutes. Gregson Lane broke again and as the shot was released, Bennett failed to get his body behind the ball, and Gregson Lane stole the lead and the points, 2-3!

Paul Gahan: "This is the third match where we have played superbly. Me and Lee have waited years to see the lads produce this kind of quality football. It is a bitter pill to not even take one point and , with refereeing decisions, we have to learn to take the rough with the smooth! Had we taken our chances we would have been out of sight and none of that would have mattered. It will be difficult for the lads to take as they played so well but they are going to have to learn and do it quickly. I'm really proud of them and find it hard to criticise them. Anyway, the only way is up, Roll on next week!"
Ryan Crouch: "It was really good, we played great football and I thought me and Sam Assalone played well together"
Oscar Panepinto: "We played well but didn't stop their runs down the channels, we stood off them too much"

Garstang: Bennett, Schultz, Heap, Winstanley, Roskell, Panepinto, Thompson, Crouch, Wilding, Assalone and Brooks. Substitute: Cooper (Thompson)

Tomorrow's game at Poulton has been postponed due to concerns about Swine 'Flu at Poulton School.

Unfortunately, there will be no training this week.
Meet at Catterall Playing Fields at 9:45 am on Sunday for the trip to Poulton.

The Gregson Lane game has been postponed, so our next game will be at Poulton Town on September 27th; 11:00 am kick off.

Match Report:
GJFC 2 Penwortham St Teresa's 4
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Assalone, Wilding
MoM: Fox
13th September 2009 ko 11:00
Report September 13th

A fantastic day for a match with a soft, freshly cut pitch, glorious sunshine, and last weeks good football to build on. So what went wrong? A slow start, misplaced passing and panic football seemed to be order of the day. 'Out muscled' and 'out played' at times by Penwortham, against who we always enjoy close fixtures. Garstang seemed like they had never played together and some, as if they were still in bed!

The calm, assured passing game of last week deserted them and the lack of control in midfield started to take its toll. Bennett kept out a long range effort with a quality full length dive to his left and was called upon again minutes later as he made a tremendous point blank save, but the rebound fell to a St Teresas striker (Chamberlain) and although Bennett made another stunning save it wasn't quite enough as the ball stumbled over the line. 0-1 and, much like last week, heads dropped and within minutes Penwortham benefited from a mistimed challenge in midfield and were awarded a free kick. Dillon, of St Teresas has a powerful and painfully accurate shot on him and clearly fancied his chances from thirty yards. Bennett knows Dillon's ability only too well after conceding from a similar distance last season. Unfortunately Bennett didn't learn from last season and saw the shot fly right over him into the net. A fantastic strike and, let's hope, a fantastic lesson learned before our visit to Penwortham! 0-2.

For a brief spell this seemed to wake Garstang from their slumber and with some good work down the left and some real effort being put into challenges and pressure placed on the St Teresas defence, the ball finally fell to Assalone who buried the ball into the net. 1-2 and Garstang back in the game as half time approached. Some refereeing decisions began to frustrate Garstang and the interval came just at the right time.

The second half opened with Garstang flying at St Teresas with the passing and wing play of previous games. This was more like it as Schultz burst down the right and forced a corner. Relax, this must be the comeback.... if only. After the first five minutes of Garstang pressure the defence got drawn to the right leaving acres on their left flank and St Teresas played the ball into the space and Chamberlain fired across Bennett, 1-3. Debateable refereeing decisions seemed to upset any tempo that either team generated and began to frustrate players, managers and spectators alike! St Teresas pushed down the left and Dillon took on Roskell. Roskell wasn't strong enough and Dillon took him into the penalty area along the touchline before Roskell fell for it and the nudge was all Dillon needed to go down. Chamberlain stepped up for his hat trick but fired wide to Bennet's right. This should have fired Garstang up and as they launched another attack with one of the few sets of passes put together, the ball fell to Wilding on the left and he drilled it back into the right hand corner, 2-3.

Surely the let off from the spot kick and grabbing one back would be enough but no, the same old story. Failing to take or make the most of chances reared its head as Dillon took the ball to Garstang's right corner and Fox stood with him but only briefly before allowing him to turn him inside and head into the box. Fox followed and was too tempted to stick a challenge in and brought him down, another penalty. This time Dillon took the penalty and drilled it into the top right of Bennett's goal, with power and precision, sadly on this occasion a great penalty! 2-4 and time to change it a bit.

The back four became a back three with Cooper coming off for Brooks and then Salisbury on up front for Thompson. There was more effort from Garstang but more disappointment in a booking for a poorly timed challenge from Assalone, his first real challenge all day. Panepinto then fell into the trap of speaking out and found himself with a booking for comments made. Those are the first two bookings ever issued to Garstang players in this team and, although the manager fully understands the frustration that players can suffer, he will not condone dissent towards the referee. Panepinto will be paying his own fine! At this stage, Garstang still looked most likely to score the next goal as Heap hit a hard drive from 25 yards that was well saved by St Teresas keeper, diving to his left. A few corners were forced, but without success, and game over 2-4.

Paul Gahan: "It's a poor result but the poor performance is more upsetting. After the match the lads said they enjoyed it and that is what counts at this age. They are learning every week but need to learn quickly. We have to be more physical and be able to play football or pay the price. Today we did neither and so paid heavily"
Josh Heap: "When we passed the ball about we played well but as soon as we lost concentration we made mistakes and gave away goals"
Elliot Cooper: "It was a tough game but we knew it would be difficult as they are a physical side. We managed to grab two goals back but we never quite got back into it"

PS: A massive thank you to Alec Curwen, who was up with the larks cutting the pitch for us, and to Dan Curwen for running the line.

Garstang: Bennett, Cooper, Heap, Roskell, Winstanley, Wilding, Schultz, Panepinto

, Fox, Assalone

and Thompson. Substitutes: Brooks and Salisbury

Sunday's game v Penwortham St Teresa's has now been switched to The Beeches. Kick off is at 11:00 am; players meet at the ground at 10:15 am.

Match Report:
GJFC 3 Brinscall Village 5:
Central Lancs JFL U16's B Division
Goals: Brooks, Roskell, Panepinto
MoM: Panepinto
6th September 2009 ko 11:00
Report September 7th

This was a great exhibition of football to open the season, just not the required result.

Garstang continued where they left off in midweek, passing swiftly and accurately with control and confidence. They dominated the opening fifteen minutes but couldn't beat the Brinscall keeper who started with an outstanding point blank save and went on with awesome saves as Garstang fired chance after chance at the Brinscall goal. Finally Garstang were rewarded when Declan Wilding swung in a perfect corner, met by Brooks who found the centre of the net.

More chances were missed by Garstang but Brinscall showed that they were still capable of spoiling the day with some quick breaks. The pressure mounted and after another two outstanding saves from the Brisncall keeper, Panepinto fired in a second. Things looked good and Garstang were in total control. Another save from the Brinscall keeper, but a goal pulled back by Brinscall and a scoreline of 2-1 moments later making the Garstang management jittery. It might be one of 'those days', like Deepdale in early August. Roskell moved forward, picked up the ball, went one way, then the other and set himself for a rasping right footed shot into the corner. 3-1 Would this settle the nerves? 'No' was the answer as Brinscall broke away and snatched another back, keeping them in easy reach of the home side, 3-2.

Half time and, by rights, the scoreline should have seen Garstang out of sight but 'if buts and maybes' dont win matches! The half time team talk was one of support for more of the same in the second half and lets finish the game off early. Brinscall still battled and the competition evened itself out more in the second half but still the Brinscall keeper was perfoming heroics and keeping his side in the match. The longer this game went on the more it looked ominous that the bag full of missed chances and great saves would be significant - and they were.

Garstang substituted Wilding for Salisbury but this seemed to upset the balance and, after a loose ball was not seized upon in midfield, Brinscall broke and scored the equaliser. Confidence rose in the Brinscall team as their number 11 played the ball through Brook's legs with a resounding 'Megs' as he ran off with the ball! Brinscall sensed that they could pinch the points when a low ball bobbled up and over Fox's foot as he went to clear. This fell to the opposition and 3-4; the fear came to fruition as Garstang stared defeat full in the face. Minutes to go and all the effort and hard work was wasted, much like the numerous chances, as Brinscall ran in a fifth. There was no way back and it showed in the Garstang faces and body language.

The final whistle blew and the despondancy was clear to see. As mentioned earlier, 'Ifs, buts and maybes' don't win matches, inspirational goalkeeping does. Having kept Brinscall Village in the game their keeper inspired hope and the effort, committment and tenacity of his team mates deserves to be recognised. Meanwhile, hard to take as the defeat is, Garstang should be congratulated on their performance. At times the football was fantastic to watch and the best they have ever played, without exaggeration. At Under 16 level you are learning and the big lesson to be learnt from this defeat is that you must take your chances when they present themselves or suffer the disappointment you feel after today!

Paul Gahan said 'I can't quite believe we lost that match but we have suffered like this so many times before, we just don't seem to learn from it. I thought Panepinto was outstanding in our midfield but the Brinscall keeper should also be congratulated. He was their match winner."

Garstang Captain Phil Roskell said "An excellent performance by Garstang but we must keep on top of it, keep our heads up until the game is over" Callum Thompson said "We should have had it finished by half time" Panepinto also received high praise from the referee, John Whittaker who described his performance as 'outstanding'

Garstang Team: 1 Bennett, 2 Schultz, 3 Heap, 4 Fox, 6 Roskell (c), 7 Cooper, 8 Panepinto,
10 Thompson, 14 Wilding, 15 Assalone, 16 Brooks, Sub. 12 Salisbury (Wilding)

After four hard fought pre-season friendlies, Garstang Juniors Under 16's head into their final season in the Central Lancs Junior League full of confidence - and with two new signings enhancing last seasons small squad of local lads, they are eager to bow out in style.

Over the last few years Garstang Juniors have thrived on parental support but, as they look ahead to the Garstang Youth Team, we hope for more support from the whole community of Garstang. The players are all local and are proud to represent their home town; something for which they should be commended. We have already succeeded by keeping this set of lads together from the start but lets 'Dare to Dream' and inspire our team on to achieve something more personal to each of them.

Our first game is scheduled for next Sunday morning, kick off 11:00 am, against Brinscall Village. We wil, of course,l bring you full details of their progress via this website, but please keep your eye on the fixture list and get yourselves down to support your team!

Match Report:
Cockerham Juniors 1 GJFC 5:
Pre-Season Friendly:
Goals: Crouch 3, Thompson, Schultz
MoM: Schultz
2nd September 2009 ko 18:30
Report September 3rd

A miserable night for the final pre season friendly. Heavy rain was set in for the evening having poured down for much of the afternoon. Garstang were missing Winstanley and Salisbury and so kicked off with a standard 4-4-2 formation leaving Brooks as substitute.

An early corner to Garstang resulted in a near post header from Schultz and, within five minutes, Garstang had the lead, 0-1. Questions were asked but not by the Cockerham defence, by Garstang "How did Schultz score with his head? Prior to tonight he thought it was just for scratching"!!

The early goal gave Garstang confidence and they played some excellent, passing and incisve football, especially down the right channel. Cooper and Schultz linking up well. The back four of Heap, Cooper, Roskell and Fox were solid and repelled anything placed in front of them. But not without the support of Bennett who flew high to his right and clawed away a goal bound 'flick on'. Panepinto, improving every match was impressive, controlling the centre of the pitch using easy passes to thread the ball in all directions. His tackling wasn't bad either!

Midway through the first half Roskell launched a free kick which came down off the Cockerham crossbar only to miss the Garstang follow up. Minutes later Thompson took a pass from Wilding down the left and, with a mind boggling turn of speed, he burst through to the goal line and squared for Crouch to score, 2-0.

Half time and a satisfactory scoreline. Cockerham, who had a number of players from a younger age group, had played well without really threatening but had battled well in midfield. The second half got underway with Brooks replacing Assalone in the supporting midfield role and Assalone pushed further forward. The back four dropped to a three as Heap rested. The change in formation took some time to settle and Cockerham capitalised on the uncertainty at the back. Osborne and Gibbins, former Garstang players, both tried hard to break through, Gibbins posing a greater threat. Eventually the creaky back three saw a through ball split the line and a hesitant Bennett in the Garstang goal got caught in two minds and Cockerham pulled goal back, 1-2.

Crouch was then moved back into midfield and Assalone moved to striker, giving more pace centrally. Assalone's ability to hold the ball up immediately benefited Garstang as a lay back to Brooks was sent goal bound only to hit the post but Crouch followed up and scored, 1-3. Cooper gave way for Heap to return and, with Roskell moving to the right of the back three, the link with Schultz picked up. With Wilding involving himself more on the left and Schultz down the right the pressure mounted on Cockerham. Thompson picked up on loose ball and fired it home, 1-4.

Cockerham still battled and a cross was gathered by Bennett but he spilled it in the wet conditions and what happened next was quite remarkable. The loose ball was fired goalwards only to be saved by Bennett, redeeming himself for the spilled ball but this was returned, Bennett made another great save, his parry was returned yet again only for him to twist and save a third attempt, brilliant! Garstang went down the other end and after good work by Assalone the ball fell to Crouch on the edge of the box and he buried it in the corner, 1-5 game over.

A good performance and congratulations to Cockerham for a well fought match. Manager Paul Gahan said "It was an excellent performance and a well deserved result. Some of the football was fantastic" Elliot Cooper gave the standard Kevin & Perry response when asked how he thought it went, he said "Yeah, it was good!" Ryan Crouch said "Can I have the matchball"

Match Report:
GJFC 0 Kirkham Juniors 9:
Pre-Season Friendly:
MoM: Roskell
20th August 2009 ko 18:45
Report August 24th

A depleted Garstang squad, supported by a guest goalkeeper, suffered a heavy defeat in this pre-season friendly. Kirkham’s quality was clear to see and the score line tells the story. After a good performance last Sunday, this result was disappointing. However, nobody performed badly and Roskell was man of the match for Garstang, closely followed by Panepinto who continued in his solid central midfield role.

Kirkham were a well-organised squad with a style of play that was quick from back to front with a solid physical presence. Enough said and we must put that one behind us and move forward.

Manager Paul Gahan said, “For periods of the game, we held our own, but in others we crumbled. We have tested different formations and styles of play in the two friendlies so far, so reading too much into this result gives a false perception. Roll on next week!!

Match Report:
GJFC 2 Deepdale Juniors 2:
Pre-Season Friendly:
Goals: Crouch, Thompson
MoM: Panepinto
16th August 2009 ko 14:00
Report August 24th

Deepdale Juniors have continued to be challenging rivals in the Central Lancs League and today proved to be no different. With the weather set fair but windy, both sides started brightly with Garstang taking control in the early exchanges. Testing a new ‘back 3’ formation, with Roskell, Fox and Cooper, Garstang easily controlled Deepdale’s front two. Curwen, who was guest in the Garstang goal, swept well behind the high defensive line making it look like Garstang had played this formation many times before. Oscar Panepinto commanded the centre of midfield audibly and with a determined, physical presence and was well supported by Schultz, Salisbury and Dec Wilding, making his debut for Garstang.

Chances came and went with Schultz and Thompson combining well down the right wing to get the ball in to Crouch, Heap and Salisbury. Deepdale’s keeper suffered an early injury but battled on without being seriously tested. A breakaway by Deepdale saw the closest effort on goal as a strike from outside the box rattled Curwen’s bar before being cleared. Roskell was dominant at the back and, as Captain, called out for a goal before half time and, right on cue, Crouch obliged crashing his shot past the diving keeper's left hand into the top right hand corner.

Half time and 1.0 up. Rob Brooks replaced the injured Josh Heap during the break and Salisbury then dropped to left full back, to return to a back four. The second half started slowly for Garstang as Deepdale, well known for their fighting spirit, set about pulling the a goal back. Panepinto remained in control of the centre of the pitch and realising this Deepdale started missing out the middle as they moved the ball forward quickly. This caused problems as the wind held the ball up awkwardly for Fox and Roskell to clear. As Schultz and Thompson continued to combine well down the right more chances came and went for Cooper, Panepinto, Crouch and Shultz himself. Crouch was then ‘in’ getting himself on the end of a quality through ball only for the keeper to dive bravely at his feet and clear. The fear of conceding, having missed so many chances, was realised as Roskell went close having been on another mazy run, and the clearance left Garstang short at the back. A long through ball passed Fox but was met by Curwen who’s clearance was cut out and returned into his unguarded net with Fox trying desperately to get back to cover.

1-1 and as usual the Deepdale comeback was gathering pace. Garstang continued to create down the right and Wilding, whilst solid in midfield also delivered some great crosses from deep but Deepdale fended them off and surged forward themselves. Another long, ‘high ball’ caused confusion and as it dropped between the retreating Fox and the advancing keeper Curwen who swept up, yet again but his headed clearance that was sent back down the pitch was returned, unbelievably into his unguarded net, again!

1-2 down, ten minutes to go and undeserved on the home team. Still with their heads up and enjoying the challenge Garstang pushed forward seeking the equaliser. A series of corners followed and another goal bound shot from Panepinto was cleared by a great defensive header. The ball fizzed across the front of goal on two successive attacks by Garstang but without anyone managing to get even a toe to, to deflect them in. Was the equaliser ever going to come? Three minutes remaining and Deepdale failed to clear their lines. The ball fell to Thompson who’s shot travelled goal bound almost in slow motion as it cleared the keepers ‘clawing’ right hand and rolled over the line, 2-2. There was just enough time for one corner each before the final whistle and having been so close to defeat Garstang had to be satisfied with a draw.

Manager Paul Gahan said “I was extremely happy with the whole team's performance today. We should have been out of sight by half time but our finishing needs a bit more work. Oscar Panepinto was outstanding and Dec Wilding had a great first game for us. I owe a special thanks to Dan Curwen for turning out in goal. It was an entertaining match and we are looking forward to two more matches with Deepdale this season”

GJFC: Curwen, Cooper, Roskell, Fox, Schultz, Panepinto, Salisbury, Wilding, Heap, Crouch, Thompson, Brooks

Training this week is on Thursday August 13th, 5:00 to 6:30 pm, ahead of our first pre-season friendly against Deepdale Juniors on Sunday at The Beeches - 2:00 pm kick off.

***The Septmber 2nd pre-season friendly v Cockerham Juniors is now confirmed. The game will be played at Prospect Farm, Lancaster Road, Out Rawcliffe PR3 6BP.

Directions: from The Flag (A6), follow Longmoor Lane, through Nateby on to Skitham Lane. At the T-junction, turn right towards Pilling on to Lancaster Road. The ground is 0.4 miles on the right, up a farm track. If you get to BWA fabrications you have gone too far! You will see a flag at the end of the road.

Subject to confirmation, Garstang Juniors will play Cockerham Juniors on Wednesday September 2nd, kicking off at 6:30 pm on the Out Rawcliffe pitch. Full details when the fixture is finalised.

Players who have yet to complete their 'Signing On' forms are requested to bring them to training next week. Training is scheduled for Thursday August 6th, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm, and, with Paul Gahan away, players should contact Lee Baker if they have any problems.

**New PsF v Kirkham Juniors on Thursday August 20th - 7:00 pm kick off at The Beeches

The second of our pre-season friendlies, against Penwortham Town, is now confirmed for Thursday August 27th, kicking off at 7:00 pm on The Beeches.

Training this week will be held on Wednesday July 29th, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at The Beeches.

The CLJFL Under 16's B Division will comprise of the following nine teams for the coming season:

With so many on holiday, there will be no training this week. Check back here for next weeks date and time.

Our new training equipment has been received and is already being used. This includes parachutes for resistance running, a headers/volley skills net, medicine balls for the keeper and upper body development for throws .... to name but a few. Your next opportunity to use them is on Thursday this week, July 16th, at The Beeches from 5:00 pm.

The Deepdale Juniors pre-season game is now confirmed for Sunday August 16th, at The Beeches, kicking off at 2:00 pm. A second PsF, against Penwortham, is also being arranged.

Heavy showers failed to put a dampener on the 'Seniors' continued winning streak as Sunday July 5th saw the latest instalment of Garstang Juniors Under 16's attempts to beat their dad's, brothers, and the management team on Catterall playing field.

On a sunny afternoon, interrupted by two prolonged periods of showers the 'Senior' players adapted well to the heat and pace of this annual fixture. Unbeaten going into today's fixture, the dad's were hindered by injuries to most of the team! Nic Panepinto, right, making his debut in goal, produced a calm and assured performance with plenty of instructing toward his defensive line. John Gale was solid in the centre of the back three. Lee Baker decided that, as coach, he should teach the youngsters exactly how to play the game and was supported in his midfield role by Martin Roskell.

The first half was competitive and there were few clear chances. Oscar Panepinto tried all he could to beat his dad, but his shot was easily saved. Josh Heap, Philip Roskell and Callum Thompson all went close, but Panepinto Snr was up to everything the youngsters could throw at him. Both senior Roskells and Baker came close but failed to test Bennett in the Juniors goal. Dan Sutcliff made a guest appearance for the under 16's and was solid at the back with some terrific clearing headers, relieving the pressure on the creaky Junior defensive line. One contentious decision in the first half came when Gahan made an instinctive challenge on Panepinto Jnr and fell onto the ball, the youngsters believed they were in with a shout, so they tried and all called for 'Handball' but the manager, doubling up as referee, waved away their claims calling accidental contact!

Amber coloured liquid refreshment was the main intake by the Seniors during the short break and then the second half burst into action with Bennett making a terrific save to his left and stopping Baker from opening the scoring. The youngsters pushed forward increasing their front line to four, relying on their youth. But youth can't beat a wise old head and the dad's continued to soak up the pressure, looking for the breakthrough. Good Pressure form Ed Bennett forced a corner for the Seniors, also called 'CPR FC', 'ER FC' and 'Arthritis United' by the youthful foe. How they wish they had kept quiet as the corner drifted to the far post, 8 yards out and Lee Baker rose unchallenged, like the proverbial salmon and met the ball with finesse and powered it into the back of the net. Where was young Roskell, his marker? Nowhere! Even though Baker told him he was going, he stood in awe!

All the old boys needed to do was baton down the hatches and fend off chances from Thompson and Cooper, who skied their shots. One shot, which was expertly left by Panepinto Snr skimmed the crossbar but that's as close as the lads got to equalising. Paul Gahan, the competent official and limping left back kept a cool head in the light of increasing dissent from the Juniors, but kept his card in his pocket and blew the whistle on proceedings with yet another victory to the dad's.

Our grateful thanks for the following BBQ, well marshalled by Social Secretaries, Vicki and Gary Heap, left, and the char-coaling was kept to a minimum; perhaps we need rain every year, Gary! A big thank you to Debbie Croston of Catterall Village Hall committee for their support in allowing use of the hall's facilities.

All in all it was a great day, with rain before and after the match, but not causing major disruption to our day. A massive thank you to all the parents for their continued support and especially the dad's who will remember this match for weeks to come! It's their last chance next season so lets not get complacent............

Post match interviews: "We worked well as a team and showed that there is no substitue for knowledge and experience!", Michael Roskell, Dad's XI. "It wasn't the best the lads have played but we held it together in the face of some dodgy refereeing decisions", Elliot Cooper U16's. "The lads were far more competitive this year, which bodes well for the new season. Lee Baker scored an outstanding goal and showed some neat footwork, leading by example", Paul Gahan.

A quick reminder about the BBQ at Caterall after the Dads v Lads football match. Don't forget to bring your own food for cooking and your own drink. The game will kick off at 2:00 pm prompt.

Please note that our next training session at The Beeches is booked for next Wednesday, July 8th, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

Just a one hour training session, in the rain, this week and then a week off with most of the lads out on work placements. The session did, however, allow manager Paul Gahan to finalise his squad - listed on the profiles page. Disappointing news for Joe Sellers though; a shoulder injury looks like it will keep him out for most of the first half of the season.

So, next up is the Dads/Lads match at 2pm on Sunday July 5th at Catterall. Bring beer, meat for charcoaling, and bread to wrap it in!

A very good turnout of players for the first training session at The Beeches last night augurs well for the new season. With five new or returning faces joining last term's squad, Manager Paul Gahan is assured of stiff competition for places.

Garstang Juniors are looking to make their first season back with the Garstang senior sides a good one as they return to training early on June 18th at the Beeches - 5:00 pm start. Manager Paul Gahan and Coach Lee Baker, with next season's youth team needs also in mind, are looking to add new players to their squad. Maybe you are a young player, but you've stayed clear of your local team because of some uncertainty about its future? Well, you can be certain now, can't you! Email Paul Gahan here, right now! And spread the word.....

Welcome to the new Garstang Juniors website directed at enhancing the club's profile and promoting junior football within our community.

With the help and support of Garstang FC and their site administrator it is our intention to keep everyone up to date with the progress of our Under 16's in their final season in the Central Lancs Junior League. The site will inform you of fixtures, results, match reports and squad details.

To those of you not familiar with our team, the Under 16's were initially formed in 2004 and a number of the squad have remained together ever since. "They're are great bunch of lads who are friends on and off the pitch, says coach Lee Baker, "and I am looking forward to another season working with them and our new signings". Elliot Cooper, who has been with the club since the very first match said "I'm proud to play for Garstang. Lee has taught us a lot. We have fun, but we have to work hard too."

So, please come back and see us. There will be lots of news once the new season gets underway. If you are a player and maybe you would like to know a little more about us, then check here.

Garstang U 16's 3 - 0 Mid Calder Colts

NOTE TO ALL PLAYERS:

MATCH PREVIEW: Monday 3 May At The Riverside - Friendly v Mid Calder Colts U 16s

Penwortham St Teresas 4 - 2 Garstang

MATCH PREVIEW:
Monday 3 May At The Riverside - Friendly v Mid Calder Colts U 16s