Blakelaw FC U8 Inter

⚽️ Trainer of the Week ⚽️

No match action this weekend, however… 👀

This week’s award goes to… Joey 🏆👏

Joey did a fantastic job of sharing his knowledge with the group and, just as importantly, putting that knowledge into action during our practices 🧠⚽️

Well done Joey, keep up the great work! ⭐🔥

⚽️ Friendly v NCJ Inter ⚽️

A return to match action for our lads yesterday as they faced NCJ Inter in a post-season friendly.

As expected, it proved to be a tight contest between two evenly matched sides.

NCJ started the brighter of the two and deservedly took an early lead.
Midway through the first half, our lads really found their rhythm and clicked into gear.
A flurry of goals followed, and it was Inter who edged the half to take a narrow lead into the break.

The second half may not have produced as many goals, but the quality remained high from both teams.
Our lads continued to push forward and restored a two-goal cushion thanks to a brilliant solo effort.
They created several more chances and even saw a penalty well saved by the NCJ keeper, who produced a string of excellent stops.

To their credit, NCJ showed great resilience and composure, weathering the pressure before striking twice late on with clinical finishes to bring the game level.

Overall, a very enjoyable and competitive match between two strong footballing sides, with a draw a fair reflection of the game ⚽️👏

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Jenson:

Four goals on the day tells its own story!
A constant threat in front of goal, combined with bravery and quality in 1v1 situations 🔥⚽️

👏 Well done Jenson

👏 Well done to all the lads
Another positive team performance, full of effort, quality, and moments of brilliant football ⚽️💪

⚽️ Trainer of the Week ⚽️

This week’s award goes to… Corby 🏆👏

Corby channelled his inner Maldini this week, putting in an outstanding defensive display and excelling in 1v1 duels 🛡️⚽️

Well done Corby, keep up the fantastic work! ⭐🔥

⚽️ League 3 – Round 6 ⚽️

Our final league fixture of the season saw Inter take on Wideopen FC Comets.
A repeat of a recent friendly, so the lads knew they were in for a tough test.

Wideopen started brightly and created several early chances, but Inter weathered the storm well.
Their resilience was rewarded as they took the lead, only for the opposition to respond almost immediately to level the scores.
A frantic spell followed, with Inter quickly regaining the advantage before growing into the game and taking control.
That control showed on the scoreboard as the lads added two more goals to head into half time with a healthy lead.

At the break, the focus was on maintaining the good work from the first half while staying alert to the threat the opposition carried.

That warning proved justified as Wideopen came out strongly and reduced the deficit to just one goal within five minutes of the restart.
Rather than letting the momentum swing, Inter responded with great character by digging deep and fighting to regain control of the game.

Their efforts paid off as a well-taken goal restored a two-goal cushion.
However, the game wasn’t done yet. Wideopen struck twice in quick succession to set up a tense and dramatic final five minutes.

It became an end-to-end battle, with both sides pushing for a winner.
Inter came agonisingly close as an effort from the right-hand side flashed just wide into the side netting.

Overall, a strong result against a side who had previously beaten us convincingly.
Once again, Inter showed great character, resilience, and quality to earn a well-deserved and hard-fought point 💪⚽️

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Corby – Unplayable at times.
A constant threat with his driving runs forward and just as impressive defensively.
A complete performance 👏⚡️

👏 Well done Corby

👏 Well done lads, a fantastic way to round off the league season! ⚽️💪

⚽️ Trainer of the Week ⚽️

This week’s award goes to… Locky 🏆👏

Locky demonstrated excellent listening skills and did a great job applying coaching points throughout the session.
He also showed real determination in and out of possession during 1v1 scenarios 💪⚽️

Well done Locky, keep up the great work! ⭐👏

⚽️ League 3 – Round 5 ⚽️

Yesterday saw the lads play their penultimate league match of the season as Inter took on Whitley Bay S.C. Blues.

Whitley Bay had the better of the early exchanges and were rewarded for their bright start with an early goal.
As the half progressed, Inter began to grow into the game and created several promising chances of their own.
Unfortunately, we were unable to convert those opportunities, but a string of excellent saves from our goalkeeper ensured the opposition only held a narrow lead heading into half time.

At the break, the lads were challenged to raise their energy levels and look to gain a bit more control over the game.

The response was brilliant, with Inter starting the second half firmly on the front foot.
However, it was the opposition who managed to double their lead.
More brave goalkeeping and determined defending kept the lads in the game as the final 10 minutes approached.

Midway through the second half, our goalkeeper showed tremendous bravery when rushing out to smother an attacking move, unfortunately coming off worse in a collision and being forced off the pitch.
Not to be deterred, one of the Inter lads stepped up to put the gloves on for the remainder of the game.
This group always come out fighting when their backs are against the wall.

Late in the half, a clever run was spotted and picked out with a beautiful pass, resulting in a well-taken goal to pull Inter back within one with only minutes remaining.
The lads kept pushing for an equaliser but, on this occasion, just came up short.

Overall, a tough match against very good opposition.
The boys showed real character and resilience throughout and came agonisingly close to earning a hard-fought point.

Credit to Whitley Bay, an excellent footballing side who tested the Inter lads from start to finish.

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Grayson – Produced a number of brilliant saves before unfortunately being forced off through injury.
A huge personality within the team who continues to shine week after week.

👏 Well done Grayson

👏 Well done lads, it’s brilliant to see the continuous progress this team is making week after week ⚽️💪

⚽️ Trainer of the Week ⚽️

This week’s award goes to… Jenson 🏆👏

Jenson never seems phased by anything that comes his way.
He always goes above & beyond in our sessions, and most importantly, plays with a smile on his face 😊⚽️

Well done Jenson, keep up the fantastic work! ⭐💪

⚽️ League 3 – Round 4 ⚽️

Yesterday the lads faced Sunderland Leon in what turned out to be a brilliant advert for grassroots football, a real spectacle for any neutral watching.

The opening exchanges were tightly contested, with very little separating the sides.
Inter eventually forced an error from the opposition and showed superb quick thinking to capitalise and take the lead.
However, within a minute of the restart, Sunderland responded to level the score.

The remainder of the first half saw chances at both ends, with bodies on the line and some excellent goalkeeping denying further goals.
Inter’s persistence eventually paid off just before the break, as a neat touch inside the area fell kindly and was calmly slotted home to restore the lead heading into half time.

At the interval, the message were simple: maintain the fight, intensity, and quality that had created so many chances.

The second half was packed with goals and quality from both sides, nearly three times as many goals as the first period, making for a pulsating contest.

Sunderland levelled.
Inter regained the lead.
Sunderland equalised again.
Inter struck once more, a brilliant individual run and wicked cross forcing an unfortunate own goal.
Again the opposition replied.
Then a slick Inter team move restored the lead to set up a breathless final five minutes.

Those closing minutes saw Sunderland level and then edge in front for the first time since the opening stages, but Inter weren’t finished.
A terrific strike from the right-hand side crashed off the underside of the bar and agonisingly bounced away from goal, inches away from a dramatic finale.

Overall, a fantastic game of football full of quality, intensity, and character from both sides.
A performance packed with fight from Inter, who were desperately unlucky to come away without something to show for it.

Huge credit to the opposition for playing their part in such an entertaining contest and showing resilience to battle back multiple times.

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Alfie – A brilliant brace on the day and inches away from a stunning hat-trick.
A constant handful for the opposition and worked tirelessly throughout ⚽️👊🏻

👏 Well done Alfie

👏 Well done to all the lads, a superb team performance full of fight and quality.
Keep pushing forward 💪⚽️

⚽️ Friendly v Blakelaw Milan ⚽️

Round 4 of this season’s in-house friendlies between Inter & Milan.
With one win each and a draw so far, there was very little to separate the two sides heading into this one.

The first quarter began brightly for our lads as they took an early lead through a spectacular finish via a corner 👏⚽️
Milan responded within minutes to level the scores, but Inter struck again shortly after.
A brilliantly taken free kick dispatched into the top corner.

The second quarter saw Milan grow into the game and look the more likely to score.
Their excellent team play and sharp off-the-ball movement paid off as they found an equaliser, meaning it was all square at half time.

The third quarter was arguably some of Inter’s best football of the season so far.
A perfectly weighted through ball was calmly finished to retake the lead, a clearance upfield was latched onto and converted to extend the advantage, an absolute rocket from halfway flew in, and another superbly taken free kick capped off an outstanding 10-minute spell of football 🔥

Into the fourth and final quarter, the challenge was to maintain those levels.
A chaotic two-minute spell saw three goals shared between the sides, and outside of that both teams were evenly matched, battling hard and largely cancelling each other out.

Overall, a very pleasing performance both in and out of possession.
Inter showed real fight and determination without the ball, which provided the platform to play some excellent football when in possession.

Credit as always to our fellow clubmates Milan, whose movement and decision making posed a constant challenge throughout.

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Bobby – An outstanding display on both sides of the ball.
Won possession back consistently and was a real catalyst for much of our attacking play.
A top performance 👏⚽️

Well done Bobby 👏

And well done to all the lads, a brilliant all-round team performance! 💪⚽️

⚽️ Friendly v Wideopen Comets ⚽️

With a blackout weekend in the league calendar, our lads took on Wideopen Comets in a friendly fixture.

The boys couldn’t have asked for a brighter start.
They found the net inside the opening minute and extended their lead shortly after.👏
The remainder of the first quarter was fairly even, with chances at both ends as the opposition began to settle into the game.

The second quarter saw a strong response from the Comets.
Some excellent passages of play and well-taken finishes allowed them to claw back the deficit and move into the lead.

In the third quarter, our lads showed improved resilience and competitiveness.
Although the opposition extended their advantage, the boys responded well and made the contest much tighter heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter was arguably the most pleasing.
Two more goals added to our tally while restricting the opposition to just one ensured a strong and positive finish to the match 💪⚽️

Overall, an indifferent performance across the full game.
A blistering start and a very good ending, but lessons to be learned from the middle phases.

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Corby – Contributed his fair share defensively (as always), but it was his driving runs with the ball that caused the opposition real problems time and time again.
A powerful and influential display 👏⚡️

Well done Corby 👏

Well done to all the lads, plenty of positives to take from that electric start and strong finish! ⚽️💪

⚽️ League 3 – Round 3 ⚽️

Yesterday saw the lads come up against NCJ Juve in their third match of this league cycle.

It was a rocky start for our lads as the opposition found the net within the opening two minutes and extended their lead shortly after.

However, for much of the first half the game was very much back and forth, with both sides creating chances at either end.
Despite plenty of good play and promising moments, our lads were unable to capitalise and went into the half-time interval trailing.

At the break, the boys were reminded of their strong performance levels in the first half and challenged to carry that same standard into the second period.

Unfortunately, another quick-fire flurry of goals early in the second half left the lads with a tough mountain to climb.
That said, they showed excellent character and resilience, continuing to play their football without letting the scoreline affect their attitude or effort.

Chance after chance was created, but on this occasion the ball just wouldn’t find the back of the net, no matter how hard they tried.

Overall, not the result the lads were hoping for, but a very positive performance nonetheless.
The number of quality chances created shows that on another day, the scoreline could have looked different.

🏆 M.O.T.M 🏆

Bobby:

Faced a tough defensive task and dealt with it well for the most part.
Also showed real quality in possession, with some brilliant touches and several excellent forward passes.

👏 Well done Bobby

👏 Well done lads, a positive display against strong opposition.
Keep working hard, keep believing, and the results will follow ⚽️👊🏻

⚽️ Trainer of the Week ⚽️

This week’s award goes to… EVERYONE 🏆👏

All the lads turned up and gave 100% despite horrendous weather conditions 🌧️💪
A brilliant show of commitment and attitude that will stand them in great stead moving forward ⚽️🔥

Well done lads, top effort! ⭐👏