Under 12 Holland Trip 1

What a great Trip ........

 

All the lads were a credit not just to Kirkham Juniors but to their parents as well - the parents behaviour was pretty good too!

 

The organisation was spot on and the whole trip ran like a dream, the coach journey to Hull for the ferry took 3 hours with 1 stop for a break, we were allocated cabins and boarded, once settled on board there were a couple of nerves due to the windy conditions but they were soon settled with a couple of stabalising drinks!

 

 

Most people slept well waking at 6-00am with a call over the tanoy system for breakfast, disembarking  soon commenced and it was back on the coach for a couple of hours due to a holdup on the auto route, at Dunriell we checked in but most keys wern’t available untill 3-00pm, the Dungalooes were very comfortable.

 

 

Off to the water park for a couple of hours fun on the slides (some were quite wicked) back for a pre match meeting at 3-30pm with Mike, Trevor and Allan, just to settle the lads down and get there minds on the first game, we left at 5-00pm for a hour journey to the first game against SV. Loosduinen kick off 7-00pm

 

 

1st game

 

S.V. Loosduinen v Kirkham Juniors

 

The game started quite evenly matched in the middle of the park both sides playing good football after the first ten minutes Kirkham then started to open them up, S.V. were not use to the British style and speed of play taking control across the middle of the park with powerful runs from Jack Barrow down the right & Joseph Woods down the left, Joshua Bilsborrow & James Sinnett were working hard in the middle playing good balls through, George Knott & Ben Parkinson were holding the defence strong with Dayle Beck & Liam Tillett, leaving Scott Critchley in goal with little to do, more presure was applied by Kirkham we won a free kick just outside the box, up stepped the captain of the day James Sinnett to have a crack, the keeper could only get enough on it to push it into his own goal 1 nil Kirkham the lads were buzzing!

 

More chances came and went 3 fell to Adam Robinson, 2 to Aston Monro but we couldn’t capitalise on them and went into the break 1 nil up but it should have been 5 or 6.

 

 

We rang the changes at half time Adam Saliegh coming on for Scott in goal, Adam Coles for Liam at right back, Aaron Tattersall for Josh in the centre of midfield, Daniel Masters for Joseph on the left, Jon Nuttall for Aston up front and James Wilson for Adam Robinson with Ben going up front. Again the sides were equal with chances at both ends, then S.V got an equaliser 1-1, chances fell to Jon & Ben up front, but as soon as Ben got in  the box he fell apart hence the new nick name Jig saw. S.V got an opportunity to shoot from distance with a high ball leaving Adam no chance as the ball looped in 2-1, Kirkham were ruing the missed chances but picked themselves up and came back strong, good runs from Dan on the left and Aaron through the middle & Jon chasing every thing up front, the ball broke in the S.V box for this seasons top scorer Jack Barrow to pounce 2-2 James, Jack and Ben were then replaced for Liam, Joseph & Josh, it was a good game played in an exciting manner throughout finishing 2-2

 

 

The coach ride home to Dunriell was quite a noisy one with all the lads on a high and making up new songs - some will stick for quite a time

 

 

 

 

Tuesday  was another day on the water slides and around the adventure park of Dunriell upto 5-00pm when we left for our second game

 

The reception we recieved from Duindorp was superb and their hospitality throughout was special they had a genuine warmness in there friendship as they provided drinks before & during the game, also with food for all the lads after the game, along with a key ring as a gift for each lad, presented by their players

 

 

2nd game

 

Duindorp S.V. v Kirkham Juniors

 

A changed team kicked off with Ben as captain today, our usual slow start saw James Wilson saving well at the feet of the Duindorp centre forward. Adam Coles & Joseph started to dominate there wingers & Dayle collected everything else, this allowed the midfield quintet of Aaron, Aston, Liam, Adam Sal & Dan with plenty of the ball, with the posesion we again missed some good chances, the keeper with one excellent save from a Jon Nuttall screamer. The constant energy and skill shown only needed some end product, Aston beat the keeper but srewed it wide, Adam Sal played Dan in & a goalmouth scramble ensued but the game remained goaless at Half Time 0-0

 

The changes rang around the dressing room and on came James S, George, Josh, Scott & Adam R, from the off we pressed, but once again chances were to go begging, Liam & Jack worked well down the right with a cross in the box Dan couldn’t climb high enough, Assa rounded his opponent and was brought down, James S was told pick a corner, he ignored us, thankfully as the keeper misjuged the flight & we went 1-0 up, soon after the score should have been level as George mistimed his tackle Penalty!  Scott saved Georges blushes with a fantastic save diving to his right. Kirkham pressed for a second with Josh hitting the bar & a couple of chances for Jack & Adam R going astray, late on Duindorp equalised when Scott was beaten by a wicked spinning ball, we tried & tried  with no lack of enthusiasm & skill but like on Monday we ended with a draw 1-1

 

Every one congregated in the club house for local delicacies and chips for the lads and coaches.

 

 

Wednesday started early with a trip to Ajax stadium and a good tour round, all lads receiving an Ajax shirt and the lads on another high, back on the coach to Dunriell for another afternoon of fun on the slides and rides upto 4-30pm when we departed for our final game.

 

 

3rd Game

 

S.V Die Haghe v Kirkham

 

A very tired 17 players turned up for what was our most difficult game on a very hard grassless pitch which was not suited to Kirkham's normal passing game!

 

Within 2 ½ minutes we were 1-0 down to a driven shot which Scott C got his finger tips to. After the initial siege things settled down to what was an equal game with George Knott being the pick of a stable back four of Adam Coles James Wilson and Aaron Tattersall. Following an excellent run from Jack Barrow, James Sinnett put in an acurrate cross which resulted in a goal mouth scramble with Daniel masters and Adan Robinson both having shots saved of the line. Die Haghe proved to be a very physical side but our midfield duo of Josh Bilsborrow and Adam Saliegh were equal a match for them.

 

 

Halft time so changes were made with Jon, Dayle, Ben, Joseph, Liam & Aston coming on to shore up a tiring team, and to their credit the pace of the game increased with Kirkham having the majority of possesion, George pulled off some excellent last ditch tackles when Die Haghe broke which ensured the game remained at 1-0. At the other end an excellent corner from Joseph resulted in Jon having a shot saved off the line and Die Haghe managed to scramble the ball away.

 

Jack had a number of attempts saved, one believed to have crossed the line but not given, and one a free kick which the keeper parried on to the post. The score remained as it was till the last minute thanks mainly to the Die Haghe keeper and also by our own Scott Critchley, Die Haghe snatching a late goal against the play 2-0. The support provided by the parents was agian superb, as it had been for the whole tour, as has the attitude and the behaviour of all the Kirkham players

 

 

Thursday saw a day off for Paul our driver so it was more fun and frolicks on water slides and around the adventure park of Dunriell upto 5-00pm when we had an hour of lads, Dads & Mum football prior to going out for our Gala evening which saw all 55 of us converging on the pizzeria in Wassenener, where excellent food was served, there was also a short presentation of a Trophy to each of the lads, which was kindly donated by Andrew Critchley. Plenty of  cheer and drinks flowed all the way back to the Dungalooes for a late night.

 

 

Friday check out day by 10-00am saw a lot of tired people rushing round to pack their cases and over night bags for the ferry home. We loaded the coach with our bags then ventured back on the for another day on the water slides and around the adventure park of Dunriell untill leaving at 3-30 for the ferry, which we boarded later for our calm journey back to Hull arriving Saturday morning for what was a tired journey back to Kirkham for lunch time