Nalgo Sports Football Club

💚🖤 Abbey Meads Football Festival 🖤💚

This weekend it was the turn of the younger Panthers to grace the AbbeyMeads football festival. Many of them playing in their own age group of Under 9 for the first time.
With usual keeper Isobel G ineligible, we welcomed Hammers superstar defender Isobel P (who is also a useful keeper) into the team.

The Panthers swept their way through the group, winning 5 and drawing 1 of their 6 games, scoring a ridiculous 17 goals (every outfield player scoring) and conceding only 1. There were hat tricks for Pearl and Maya, Aubrey and B weighed in with important braces.

After topping the group, Berkshire league side Cold Ash awaited in the semi final. The Panthers dominated but could not find the breakthrough and a shootout awaited. A great save and penalty from Isobel, meant Ava and B could settle the affair from the spot.

So on to the final…. AEK BOCO a team from Bristol with a big reputation were the opponents. And once again in a final the Panthers dominated but ran out of luck. 2 deflected goals gave them a mountain to climb. Ava pulled one back, lobbing the keeper (again) from the halfway line, but despite our best efforts it wasn’t to be.

The performance level from these girls today was scintillating, passing, movement, incredible pace, long range goals it had everything.

A special shout out to Shreya who for the last 2 weekends has been absolutely top class at the heart of the Panthers defence.
The girls return to action next Saturday at Stratton Juniors tournament
Thanks as ever to our sponsors Verelogic

**Tournament Report**

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Nalgo Leopards were back in action today in their first tournament of the summer, and after more than a month away from competitive football, the girls picked up right where they left off.

The team played some outstanding football throughout the morning, showing great teamwork, confidence, and determination. Mia was excellent in goal, as she has been all season, and even managed to add an assist to her name. Adi, Maisie, and Simmi were calm and composed at the back, playing out brilliantly from defence and all coming close to getting on the scoresheet.

Further forward, Lex, Evie, Tilly, and Alicja were on fire. Their link-up play and attacking football were a joy to watch. Goals from Alicja, Tilly, and Lex showed just how dangerous this team can be, with goals coming from all over the pitch.

After finishing 2nd in their group, the Leopards faced group winners Westbury in the semi-final. Two quick goals from Alicja secured a place in the final against the Wrens.

Before the final, the girls showed exactly what youth football is all about—having fun, relaxing, and enjoying time together on and off the pitch. I'm pretty sure a game of volleyball even became part of the pre-final warm-up!

It certainly seemed to work. Having lost to the Wrens in the group stage, the final was a completely different game. The Leopards dominated for long periods and were unlucky not to take the win, with only a fantastic save from the Wrens goalkeeper denying Alicja from scoring.

Unfortunately, the match went to penalties, which are always a lottery. It wasn't to be this time, with the Leopards narrowly losing 2-1 in the shootout.

Despite the result, the girls were in great spirits, and we can all be excited for the upcoming season. A huge thank you to all the parents for the early start and your fantastic support throughout the day.

Well done, Leopards! 🙌🐆⚽️

**Match Report**

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Nalgo Knights u8s vs Draycott u8s

Nalgo Knights took to the pitch for their very first match today, and what a game it was! Both teams were fantastic in a drama-filled, high-scoring encounter that showcased great effort, determination, and sportsmanship from start to finish 🙌👏

Big shout out to Draycott for coming over and playing us for our first ever game as a team. Great team and play some great football 👏👏

A huge well done to all of the boys. They should be incredibly proud of themselves. Every player worked hard, and most importantly had fun 👏👏

Coach's Players of the Match went to Bailey for his heroics in goal and a solid performance when called upon in defence. Bailey made some excellent saves and showed great bravery throughout the game whilst producing some excellent tackles and passing when outfield 👏👊

Captain Simba also picked up coaches player. He led by example with a real captain's performance. Always wanting the ball, he looked to make things happen whenever he got possession, using his skill and pace to great effect. He capped off his display with a fine poacher's goal 🙌 👊

Supporters' Player of the Match was Jacob, whose energy and work rate was outstanding. Covering every blade of grass from box to box, he never stopped running and was rewarded with six goals👏👊

The rest of the boys were amazing too. With our main goalkeeper Kit sadly injured, Fred and Harry stepped up to help with goalkeeping duties. Harry also scored two fine goals, while Fred got on the scoresheet with a calmly taken finish. Both were brilliant, working hard and were always a threat when going forward 👏

Ernie and Ellis were both playing their first-ever football match today, and neither disappointed. Ernie took up some excellent positions from defence and showed great composure with his passing. Ellis brought non-stop energy to the team and produced a brilliant tackle in the dying seconds of the game to help his teammates 👊💪👏

Special mention to Kit, who sadly was unable to play today due to an injury. Kit however came and supported the team and supported the lads like a true team player from the sidelines lines. Can't wait to have you in goal Kit 🙌⚽️

A fantastic first outing for the Nalgo Knights, full of effort, smiles, goals, and teamwork. Well done, boys! 😀

Thanks to our amazing parents for their support 🙌

Big shout out to our sponsor The Barber Shop, Royal Wootton Bassett 👍🙌

On to the FOF Tournament on Sunday!

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**Quedgeley Tournament Report**

Nalgo Sports Football Club u14 Cobras 🐍🐍

Nalgo Cobras U14s entered two teams into a very competitive Quedgeley Tournament, with many of the opposition squads featuring JPL players. The Cobras once again showed why they are regarded as one of the strongest teams around, producing outstanding performances throughout the day 👏

Both the Green Team and Purple Team topped their respective groups, an incredible achievement considering the quality of the opposition

The Purple Team were playing some excellent football and looked capable of going all the way. Unfortunately, disaster struck when our colossus of a centre-back, Malika, suffered a shoulder injury 🥲🙏

With no substitutes available, the girls showed tremendous character and battled on for the remainder of the tournament. Their journey ended in the cruellest fashion with a penalty shootout defeat. A huge well done to the brave and courageous players who stepped forward to take penalties – Alicja, Kayla and Skye 👏👏

Everyone at the club wishes Malika a speedy recovery 🫶🙌

The Green Team were simply outstanding, playing some brilliant football and scoring goals for fun on their way to the final 👊🐍

They competed superbly throughout the tournament and deserved their place in the final match. Sadly, penalties proved to be our enemy once again as the girls narrowly missed out on the trophy after another excellent performance 👏👏

Special praise goes to our courageous penalty takers Holly, Evie and Isabelle, who stepped up under pressure 🙌

While the day ended with disappointment from the spot for both teams, every player should be incredibly proud of their efforts. To have both Cobras teams win their groups and reach the latter stages of such a strong tournament is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the talent, teamwork and determination within this squad 👏👏

Well done, Cobras – you did the club proud! 🐍💚💜

💚🖤 ABBEYMEADS FOOTBALL FESTIVAL 🖤💚

Another weekend, another tournament for Panthers, this time locally at Abbey Meads.
The single group round robin tournament meant the girls played 10 matches, one after the other. It was also a stacked tournament with some exceptional sides taking part.

Despite the difficulty of the task at hand, on the whole the Panthers played really well. And we’re easily the third best team in the competition, playing some really nice football and scoring some great goals.

We were unlucky to be denied a win against eventual winners Develop, only a late equaliser denying the Panthers.

A huge well done to Maya who was on top form, relentlessly pressing and getting 5 goals across the tournament.

A big shoutout also to Poppy who slotted seamlessly into the defence and passed the ball out from the back with calmness and composure.

Some of the girls will be back at AbbeyMeads next Saturday morning, playing in the Under 9s age group.

A huge thanks as ever to our Sponsors Verelogic.

⚽️🟣⚪️⚒️ TOURNAMENT REPORT ⚒️⚪️🟣⚽️

The Hammers continued their tournament season with a trip up the M4 to near Reading for the Burghfield FC competition.

Wearing their purple kit, proudly sponsored by Godfrey & Mann Property & Landscaping, it was a familiar story in front of goal for the Hammers throughout the day.

With loan signings Chase and Lucian joining the squad, we dominated our opening game against Reading City but couldn’t find the final piece of the puzzle in front of goal, with the match finishing 0-0.

Game two saw us take on Laurel Park Tornados in a game to forget, if we’re being honest. We looked a little flat and didn’t quite get the rub of the green as we slipped to our only defeat of the day.

The third game brought the late arrival of Kian, whose energy immediately lifted the team. Once again we controlled large spells of the match but somehow found ourselves behind.
A fantastic strike from outside the box by B brought us level and that’s how the game finished.

Next up were AFC Charvil Tigers, who had looked strong throughout the tournament and sat top of the group at that stage.
Yet again the Hammers were on top, with the defence looking solid and organised. We just needed that breakthrough at the other end. Were it not for an inspired goalkeeping performance, the result could have been very different.
The pick of the saves came when Chase unleashed a thunderous effort that looked destined for the top corner, only for the keeper to somehow get across and tip it over the bar. Another 0-0 draw.

Our final group game saw us needing a win to reach the knockout stages. Centre Skills Diamond were the opponents, a side whose physical approach had unsettled teams throughout the day. The Hammers, however, were more than up for the battle.

Despite once again controlling much of the game, we found ourselves a goal behind. The heads never dropped and the team continued to create chance after chance.
A Bethany free-kick deservedly brought us level and the game finished 1-1.

The group stage ended with four draws and one defeat, which unfortunately saw us miss out on qualification on goal difference.

A fantastic effort from everyone involved. There was plenty of hard work, determination and, most importantly, lots of smiling faces.

A huge thank you to Chase and Lucian for stepping in to help us out, and thank you to the Hammers players for being so welcoming.
You really are an amazing group.

⚽️ Goal Scorers:
Bethany x2

🎵 Hammers are massive everywhere we go 🎵

***Highworth Tournament Report***

Nalgo Sports Football Club u10 Panthers

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Following their strong performance at Abingdon a couple of weeks ago, the Panthers headed to Highworth full of confidence.
With only 2 teams reaching the final the Panthers would have to be at their absolute best to negotiate the group stage.

The girls were absolutely magnificent, attacking like a “purple whirlwind” 🟣🌪️, winning their first 2 group games courtesy of goals from Maya and an own goal, then gaining two other draws. But, there was drama as we conceded a goal which shouldn’t have been given and then wrongly had a goal disallowed which would have put us in the final.

However, for once luck was on our side and we reached the final on goal difference. Finishing second in the group with only 1 goal conceded.

The final saw us face hosts Highworth Town, the first half was a tight affair with tackles flying in from both sides.

Midway through second half the Panthers took the lead, via another free kick from Ava.

Unfortunately Highworth responded almost immediately and a late goal meant that they kept the trophy.

Despite the disappointment, this was another unbelievable display from a team who since Easter have kicked on to another level. The team ethos of gradual collective improvement is paying dividends both on and off the pitch, we had 7 players play today and another 4 equally capable unavailable. A very special mention must go to Isobel who has been immense since taking over in goal.
Thanks as ever to our sponsors Verelogic and MasterMac

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