.png)
Football College News
Plume double victors in a day of positive results - 13.10.2021!
In what was a day that saw 11 goals, free flowing football, defensive mishaps and last gasp winners, Coach Munro said he was pleased to take 3 points as well as safe passage into the next round of the Essex cup after two wins. With the first team welcoming Westcliff County High School to Fambridge Road, the seconds made the journey to Beauchamp’s Sixth Form in Wickford.
We start our match report with the first team and their game with Westcliff, in what seemed a straightforward affair, turned in to quite the opposite. Plume, who were in confident mood, started off the game playing free flowing and attractive football. With captain Ben Naughton and his midfield accomplices’ Kyle Hill and Matt Brooks in particular, spraying the ball around beautifully during what was a fairly comfortable half for the boys in red. Throughout the half Plume had both the lions share of possession and of the chances, but through bad luck, poor finishing, and failure to find the killer ball to our forwards, we were staring down going into the break drawing with our Southend based opponents. However, as the half wore on, Plume began to start taking full control of the game and thanks to a superb cross from stand in right back Joe Gregory, we were able to take the lead, as midfielder Jamie Williams was able to rise above the Westcliff defence to nod into the net. And within a blink of an eye 1-0 became 2-0 as Jamie Williams drove at the full back down the left-hand side to cross in for James Telford to rise above everyone to head into the net on the stroke of half time.
As the second half got underway, Plume started very sluggish and within minutes found themselves level due to no fault but their own, with defensive errors playing their part in allowing Westcliff back into the game. However, they still were in control of the game, passing the ball around beautifully across midfield but still lacking a killer edge to regain the lead. As the clock struck minute 65, another Plume mistake resulted in a long ball over the top of their defence for the Westcliff striker to run onto and ultimately finish passed Dom Mainwaring into the empty net, 3-2. This was the wake-up call that the team needed and thanks to great work from forward Corey Henry, the ball found its way to Ben Naughton who calmly stroked the ball into the net from the edge of the area, 3-3. By this time it was one way traffic, with Westcliff hanging on waiting for the final whistle as chances began to fall Plumes way. With the final whistle approaching, a Ben Naughton corner was nodded in by Corey Henry who muscled his way through a crowd of players to secure safe passage into the next round of the Essex Cup.
The second team game was far less nail biting and a lot more comfortable for Plume. From start to finish there was only ever one winner, with Max Wiley asserting his dominance in the game by controlling the midfield, making sure everything went through him whilst dovetailing wonderfully with Rhys McCulloch in the centre of the Plume midfield. In a game what could have ended as a goal fest, the team found themselves 1-0 down early on with the goal coming completely against the run of play as Beauchamp’s scored on the counterattack. However, thanks to persistent play from Plume’s attacking players they managed to find themselves back in the game, with Joe Cole scoring a rare header, capping another fine display from the young striker. Chances kept coming and coming for Plume but none where taken up until late in the second half where Jaydn Roberts rifled the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area, who unfortunately had to be taken off after with a frustrating injury.
A good day all round for both teams, with one happy manager.
3.11.2021 Plume entertain St Martins School
Game day was upon us once again, with another cup game for the Plume faithful to sink their teeth into, with St Martins making the trip up from Brentwood in what was a very, very cold afternoon. With both teams fresh of a half term break, the game started with both teams being very sloppy in possession and not being able to string 4 or 5 passes between one another. This would go on until the 20th minute, where due to a stoppage in play, Plume were able to regroup and reassess their start to the football match. After a brief discussion with Coach Munro, Plume began to calm themselves down on the ball and started to string a succession of passes together and create a few half chances for forward Joe Cole and James Telford. With Plume in the ascendency, James Telford picked the ball up just inside the St Martins half and began to drive forward with the ball, with Jamie Williams running on the outside of the defender, James played him through, and Jamie buried the ball into the St Martins net to make it 1-0 going into half time.
After a detailed discussion and a change in shape, Plume came out of the half time break in very dominant fashion and if it weren’t for poor decision making and bad finishing, we could have been home and dry inside the first 10 minutes of the second half. However, St Martins hung on in there and nearly caused an upset but were let down by poor finishing themselves. As the clock struck minute 65, Ben Naughton found right back Freddie Dibley with a cross field ball, with Freddie taking the ball out of his feet and rifling a shot into the top corner of the St Martins net, 2-0. 2-0 became 3-0 very quickly, with the ball finding itself to Jamie Williams again, just to the left of the 18 yard box he took the ball out of his feet and stroked the ball into the corner! St Martins scored late on to make the game interesting, but Plume held on to move onto the next round of the cup.
10.11.2021- Double disaster in the cup for The Football College
A dark and gloomy Wednesday afternoon was upon us for our two fixtures this week for The Football College, with the weather resembling the football as it wasn’t a good day collectively for the squad. The firsts, who entertained Great Baddow Sixth Form, started off their game well and put together a number of quality passing passages of play but unfortunately a stubborn Great Baddow side was in their way and their defence weren’t in a giving mood, acting as a wall in front of their goal. Goalless at half time, the game suddenly sprung into life, with Great Baddow playing on the front foot and deservedly taking the lead after the ball spun through Mainwaring’s hands. Plume, awakened by the shock lead, peppered the Baddow goal for the remaining 40 minutes of the game and could have equalised with a number of chances, with Johnny Hughes in particular being very unlucky not to score. An unfortunate end to Plume 1sts cup run, but a performance to be proud of.
For the 2nds it was a similar affair away to SIGMA, missed chances and defensive mistakes allowed SIGMA to race into an early lead through a near post header from a clever set piece, with Plume being very unlucky not to be leading themselves. SIGMA with their goalkeeper to thank who turned himself into superman, saving shot after shot as the Plume attack came closer and closer to drawing level. But it was SIGMA who were to score next, with 10 minutes gone in the second half, they broke down the left hand side and another wicked cross was turned in via a cleanly struck volley, nestling into the right hand corner of the net. The score ended 2-0 to SIGMA, who defended heroically and attacked with real authoritativeness to secure the victory.
Not the best of days at the office for Plume, but another week to build on the strong foundations created by Coach Munro and the team. A lot of positives to take into training for the next week.
17.11.2021- Plume edge out by Southend High
On a brisk and blowy Wednesday afternoon in Southend-On-Sea, Plume made their way over to Southend High School in yet another cup game. With only one game between both teams this week, all eyes were on this cup fixture, with Coach Munro taking a strong team over to Southend.
The game started off on fire, with both teams on the front foot in what was a backward and forward affair, with Southend nearly going 1-0 to the good but for defender Johnny Hughes making a last-ditch tackle to thwart the Southend attack. With the game moving on at a fast place, Plume captain Ben Naughton had to come off with a muscular injury which resulted in Coach Munro having to reshape the Plume midfield. As the half wore on, Southend struck to make it 1-0 through a well taken goal by their striker just inside the penalty area. But, to Southend’s dismay, this spurred Plume on and in a matter of minutes Dan Smith struck an equaliser into the roof of the Southend net after being played in by strike partner James Telford. Late into the first half, Dom Mainwaring became a hero when he excellently saved a penalty as he dived down to his right-hand side.
Southend started the second half in dominant fashion and had full control of the second half, after scoring early they had chances coming thick and fast but fortunately for Plume they were unable to take their chances and because of this, left the door open for Plume to get back into the game. And they done exactly this, through winger Jamie Williams as he buried the ball into the corner of the Southend net after more hard work from James Telford. 2-2. With 10 minutes to go, Plume’s heart broke after a great strike from Southend’s midfielder rocketed past Mainwaring into the Plume net, sealing the game and Plume’s fait along with it.