Training this week

Unfortunately there is no training at UWIC this Friday.

Training at Heath Park on Saturday is till on from 10:30am until 11:30am.

Hope you can all make it.

Craig

End of season party!!

I will need an idea of numbers who are coming and what everyone wants to eat this weekend if possible and will bring a list of options on Friday and Saturday at training.

It is booked for 12pm Saturday 11th July at the Ty Mawr (The same place as last year!)

Monday night training is no more!!

As we have been training up to three times a week which has been difficult for most parents to manage, Andy and I have decided that it is best to end Monday night training and focus on getting to know our new team mates at Ty Celyn and only train together from this week.

There is likely to be 11 a side practice games at UWIC in Cyncoed on Friday night from 6pm until 7pm and there is a small cost of £3 a player to cover pitch hire. I will let you all know as soon as I receive confirmation.

Training at Heath Park should also be on this Saturday from 10:30am until 11:30am and I will let everyone know asap.

Next Season

We have been discussing options for next season for a number of weeks now and the proposed merge with Ty Celyn seems to be by far the best option for the players to continue to develop their football skills for 11-a-side matches.

Nick that coaches the team has a wealth of football experience and has already begun working with some of the players who have been attending the sessions with them so far on adapting to the 11-a-side game. He has now arranged for a professional player to assist to coach the sessions for the next few months which will obviously add to the experience for all the boys and help them to learn more advanced skills.

I would welcome any feedback from the players and parents and would like to get an idea of numbers for next season so that we can arrange registration of the new squad and ensure everyone gets to know each other before the season starts again.

Thanks for any feedback.

Craig

End of Season party and farewell to Simon and Alice

Unfortunately Simon and Alice will not be with us next season as Alice is unable to move up to 11-a-side with a mixed team and will be playing for an all girls team next year and Simon has been persuaded to use his experience from his time with Heol Hir to coach his son's team.

I have already arranged an end of season party at the Ty Mawr for Saturday July 11th and hope that all the players and parents can attend so that we can all wish them well for next year and thank them both for playing such an important part in making our team so successful these last four seasons.

Update on training

Just a quick update as since I changed my phone I don't think my text list is up to date and not everyone has been getting my texts about training etc.

We will be training on Monday 15th June at Llanishen High School but have now arranged a session at UWIC in Cyncoed on Friday's from 6pm until 7pm with Ty Celyn at a small cost to each player (£3). This session will be on the astroturf 11 a side pitch and there will also be Saturday morning sessions at Heath Park from 10:30am until 11:00am. Monday nights will probably end soon as three times a week is a bit much even for the keenest of players.

For the next few months there will a professional footballer assisting with the coaching on Fridays and Saturdays to help develop extra skills and he demonstrated a few things that really impressed the players who came this weekend and they are keen to learn some more.

If anyone has changed their mobile number or would like to be emailed training times etc email me at craig2974@hotmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list.

See you Monday.

Craig

End of Season Presentation Evening

Hi just to let everyone know that the club have booked Llanishen rugby club again for this year's end of season presentation evening.

It is booked for Tuesday 12th May and will start at 7pm.

I hope you can all make it as it would be great to get the whole team together to recognise the fantastic achievements of our last season at 8 a side.

Craig

Match Roundup Saturday 25th April 2009

Cefn Onn School

Kick Off 10:30am

No Adam or Kyle unfortunately this week which is a shame as it is the last 8 a side fixture of this season.

Heol Hir Black 0 - Thornhill Athletic Red 0

We started the game with Sam in goal, Tyrone and Richard in defense, Gethin and Liam in the middle, Josef left, Alice right and Matthew up front with Liam B and Lucas resting the first half.

A fairly even start with both sides playing decent passing football and creating chances. Tyrone and Richard stayed strong at the back and Gethin, Alice and Liam did well in the middle and an early chance saw Josef try to make contact with a lovely cross but he just couldn't reach it. Sam made fantastic saves when called upon as Thornhill made a few shooting opportunities. Matthew did brilliantly to win the ball and work a chance to shoot but the Thornhill keeper did well to block the shot. The first half ended 0-0 and was a testing time for Sam and his defense but they did a great job and deserved the clean sheet.

The second half saw a few changes with Liam B taking up a defensive position alongside Richard,Tyrone taking over in the middle for Liam to take a rest, Matthew replaced Alice on the right and Lucas took up his usual position up front. The changes had an immediate impact and we began passing really well and creating chances to get the game's first goal. A great corner from Matthew almost made the perfect chance but no-one could finish it and the defense handled it well. Josef had a good chance but couldn't connect well enough to find the net and a great effort from Lucas late on just went over the bar. A good second half but the game ended a hard fought 0-0 draw.

Scorer(s): None

Practice game

Heol Hir Black 0 - Mixed team 0

As there were only two opposing teams it was decided to make up a fourth team between us all and have a practice match. Tyrone volunteered to join the mixed team for the first half and Lucas for the second half so thanks Tyrone and Lucas. It was a chance to try something different and Lucas took up a defensive position to allow Richard a game up front. The game was fairly even and was a good chance to have fun in between games. Richard came close to scoring a hatful in his new position and Lucas showed that he is a classy player wherever he plays on the pitch. Everyone played well and it was quite an entertaining game for the spectators despite ending 0-0.

Scorer(s): None.

Heol Hir Black 6 - Heol Hir Red 1

This game saw Josef and Richard start on the bench, Sam in goal, Liam B and Liam J in defense, Matthew right, Alice left, Gethin and Tyrone in the middle and Lucas up front. A reasonable start for both sides but the Reds were quickest to get into the game and created a great goalscoring chance for Iwan with some neat passing and he did well to put the ball past Sam and give them an early 0-1 lead. It was very nearly 0-2 when Jack got into a great position but our defense blocked him off and cleared well. Soon after we got into the game and started to play some excellent passing football and kept possession well. Lucas had a great chance to open the scoring but the ball rolled across the face of the goal and no-one could get to it to net it. Gethin showed his passing quality and picked out Lucas at the far post. GOAL! A fantastic pass and an equally fantastic finish from Lucas and it was 1-1 and game on. Alice worked brilliantly down the left and played a lovely ball into Lucas in space. GOAL!! Another beautiful finish from Lucas and the game was shifting our way at 2-1. Lucas was on fire and when a decent ball came into the box towards him and Matthew he had to get a shot off. GOAL!!! Unbelievable, Lucas finished sweetly and grabbed the fastest hat-trick we have ever seen and gave us a brilliant 3 -1 lead going into half time.

The second half saw Richard on for Liam B and Josef on for Alice. A very quick start and a lovely ball from Matthew found Gethin who crossed beautifully for Josef running in at the back post. GOAL!! A lovely left foot finish from Josef and it was 4-1. Alice came back on to replace Matthew and within seconds had a great shot saved by the Red's keeper. Another excellent break soon followed and Lucas could have grabbed a fourth but unselfishly played a neat ball to Alice in space. GOAL!!! A brilliant shot from Alice found the net and it was 5-1 with a few minutes left to play. In the dying seconds there was chance for one last attack and Liam struck a stunning shot from wide right which flew past the keeper making it 6-1 just as the whistle went.

Scorer(s): Lucas 3, Josef 1, Alice 1, Liam 1

Man of The Match

Another extremely difficult decision this week as everyone played excellent football. For a rock solid defensive display against Thornhill to help keep a clean sheet for Sam, brilliant work up front nearly resulting in a couple of goals and a great performance in the last game of the season Richard was awarded this week's Man of The Match. Well played again this week Richard you were back to your Vidic like best.

Match Roundup Saturday 18th April 2009

Pentrebane Primary School

No Adam or Richard this week so a few changes were needed and Alice, Matthew and Liam covered the left and right defensive positions between them with Gethin and Tyrone and Liam playing centrally just in front of them and a three pronged attack made up of Kyle on the right, Lucas in the centre and Josef and Alice covering the left.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Star FC "A" 1

A fantastic end to end start with both teams attacking and defending well and creating great counter attacks. A pinpoint pass from Gethin found Matthew who chipped the ball over the top to Kyle who took it well before hitting a decent effort. GOAL! A lovely finish put us 1-0 up and gave us a well deserved lead. More great tackling and passing from Tyrone and Gethin in the middle and great wing play from Josef and Kyle created chances and Lucas came closest but he was unlucky not to find the net. It was looking like we would take a 1-0 lead into the half time break but a well struck shot rose above Sam and with a little help from the wind found its way into the net ending the first half 1-1.

The second half started with Liam taking over from Alice and another bright start soon led to an early second half chance for Lucas and his shot only just went over the bar. The next chance came for Gethin who tried a cheeky chip which was unlucky not to end up in the net. Josef crossed well for Tyrone who shot just over the bar. Soon after Kyle played an accurate ball over the defence for Tyrone to shoot again but the keeper did well to save it and the game ended a hard fought 1-1 draw. On a luckier day it could have easily ended in a good win with so many chances but Star did well to keep us out and earned the draw.

Scorer(s): Kyle 1

Heol Hir Black 3 - Maindy Corries Black 1

The second game saw one change with Liam paired with Tyrone in the middle and Gethin rested for the first half. Another great start and the team were passing confidently from the kick off with Liam and Tyrone playing some excellent passes through to Kyle, Lucas and Josef and Matthew and Alice getting forward at every opportunity. A lovely ball from Kyle found Lucas in shooting range in the box. GOAL! A lovely finish and a brilliant early lead. This seemed to give the team even more confidence and shot after shot tested the Maindy keeper with Lucas coming close to getting a second within a few minutes. Another fantastic attack found Josef, Kyle and Lucas in the box together but despite all their efforts they just could not get the ball over the line for a second goal and Kyle came closest. A beautiful corner from Kyle almost created a chance but Maindy just about dealt with it. A stunning shot from Lucas looked likely to find the net but the Maindy keeper did really well to save it and keep the score at 1-0 at half time.

Gethin came on for Matthew and Liam dropped into the right back position to start the second half. Some lovely link up play from Alice and Josef down the left created an early chance for Lucas. GOAL!! A great finish and Lucas had a well deserved second goal and gave us a 2-0 lead early on. Maindy did well with a lovely free kick and got a goal back. 2-1. This inspired us to play even better football and Liam came close to scoring with a decent shot and soon after struck a stunning shot goalward but the keeper did well to stop a rocket of a shot. Great work from the whole team kept Maindy pegged back and created chance after chance with Lucas looking for his hat-trick and just going over the bar with one shot before hitting a powerful accurate strike late in the game. GOAL! The keeper could do nothing to stop Lucas's shot which got him his hat-trick and the team a healthy 3-1 lead with little time left on the clock. Just before the whistle a late cross found Liam who rose well for a great header which was just kept out. A very entertaining 3-1 win with some brilliant passing moves proving too much for Maindy this week.

Scorer(s): Lucas 3

Heol Hir Black 1- Fairwater Black 0

Josef rested the first half with Alice starting on the left in his place. Fairwater started well and made the defense work hard and gave Sam a little work to do. After a few minutes we got back into things and started to play some lovely football. Lucas used his strength to keep the ball before playing a neat ball to Kyle who in turn found Matthew whose shot went just wide. Most of the first half was end to end attacking and counter attacking with both teams defending well and stopping the opposition from getting a first half goal.

Josef came on to replace Alice who had worked tirelessly down the left and deserved a rest. Early on Liam played a lovely crossfield ball towards Josef who hit it well but could not hit the target and went just wide. The Fairwater keeper did well to stop a great shot from Lucas and our defense did brilliantly to stop Fairwater's well worked attacks. Tyrone came from a right back position to take the ball on the half way line and create a brilliant shooting opportunity. GOAL! A fantastic finish and a 1- 0 lead against an organised passing Fairwater side who had been difficult to beat in the past. The game was end to end until the final whistle and we ended the morning with a hard fought 1-0 win.

Scorer(s); Tyrone 1

Man of The Match

Two weeks in a row with no defeats and only two goals conceded this week with only one week to go and 98 goals so far for the season. Every player showed the spectators their best football this week and could easily have been awarded Man of The Match with the opposition coaches giving some really positive comments about how well we played.

With three excellent goals and some excellent tackling, passing and fabulous creative football Lucas was awarded this week's Man of The Match. Well played Lucas and well played everyone who played this week you gave us all some really attractive, entertaining football to watch in our last but one fixture and really worked to earn some great results.

This Week's Fixtures - Saturday 18th April

Just a quick reminder as we haven't trained this week.

This week's games are at Pentrebane Primary School so bring your thermals.

Kick off is at 10:30am so can players please aim to arrive at 10am as we will need to warm up before the games.

If anyone can't make it can you please let us know before Saturday. Thanks. Craig

Match Roundup Saturday 4th April 2009

Llandaff Fields

Kick Off 10:30

Really sorry but no full match reports this week as unfortunately Josef and I were unable to make this week's games but Andy has updated me on the excellent football played in all three matches and has given me the scores and scorers to update the blogsite.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Canton Rangers 0

Scorer(s) : Alice 1

Heol Hir Black 2 - Ely Rangers 0

Scorer(s): Kyle 1, Lucas 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Caerau Ely 1

Scorer(s) : Lucas 1

Man of The Match

Andy tells me that as usual it was another difficult week to choose just one player to receive Man of The Match with everyone playing at full capacity and showing the opposing teams just how good a team we have become. For great performances in all the matches and fantastic tackling, passing and grabbing a decent goal this week's Man of The Match went to Kyle. Well played Kyle and well done to everyone for putting on some of our best footballing performances in a few weeks during this week's matches.

April Fixtures

Some different venues this month with our first visit to Llandaff Fields this season and a visit to our old favourite Pentrebane Primary so wrap up warm for that one. A return to Cefn Onn School for the last fixture of the season and one last chance to play our Red's at under 11's.

SATURDAY 4th APRIL 2009

Llandaff Field (Kick Off - 10:30am)

CAERAU ELY
CANTON RANGERS
ELY RANGERS

SATURDAY 11th APRIL 2009

No Fixtures over Easter weekend

SATURDAY 18th APRIL 2009

Pentrebane Primary (Kick Off - 10:30am)

FAIRWATER JUNIORS BLACK
STAR FC ''A''
MAINDY CORRIES BLACK

SATURDAY 25th APRIL 2009

Cefn Onn School (Kick Off - 10:30am)

HEOL HIR FC RED
THORNHILL ATH RED

And that's it for the 2008/2009 season I'm sorry to say!!!

Match Roundup Saturday 21st March 2009

New Road Rumney

Kick Off 10:30am

Heol Hir Black 0 - AFC Rumney 1

Rumney arrived with only seven players and Liam B stepped in to help their midfield out so a big thank you to Liam for helping out and playing well for them too.

This was always going to be a tough game as Rumney always make us work hard for a result. The game started well and was fairly even to begin with and both teams attacked quickly and defended solidly. It was looking like it would be another tight game when a good break from Rumney and a well placed finish put us 0-1 down. The team responded well and Adam and Liam defended brilliantly making some excellent tackles and Sam did well to keep Rumney from getting another goal. The midfield worked hard with Gethin and Matthew tackling well and playing the ball wide to Alice and Josef or forward to Kyle but we just couldn't get the ball past their keeper who got his hands to every shot and keep it at 0-1 at half-time.

No changes at half time but a few encouraging words from Andy seemed to get us off to a great start and we soon worked an early shot for Josef which just went wide. A neat pass from Alice found Matthew who played a lovely ball to Kyle who struck it well but the keeper did well to make a decent save. Sam stayed alert in goal and did really well to keep out a few good shots from Rumney and Adam and Liam continued to defend well. Despite some better football the second half ended without a Heol Hir goal and Rumney took a hard fought win.

Scorer(s): None.

Heol Hir Black 0 - Marlboro Sports White 0

Another difficult side and a few changes brought Liam B into goal with Sam and Richard in defense, Gethin and Tyrone paired in the middle, Josef on the left, Kyle on the right and Lucas up front. A bright start and some lovely passing from Gethin and Tyrone set Lucas on an early run after a lovely turn but the Marlboro defense did well to stop him from grabbing an early goal. Three attempts in a row but the Marlboro keeper proved difficult to beat despite good work from Kyle, Josef and Lucas. Richard and Sam defended solidly to protect Liam B in goal and he made some good saves when he was needed. A brilliant long throw from Sam nearly paid off when a neat flick from Kyle headed towards the goal but once again the keeper was there to stop it. 0 - 0 at half time.

The second half saw several changes with Sam in goal, Adam taking his place in defense, Matthew dropping into the midfield to rest Gethin, Liam J on the right for Kyle and Alice on the left for Josef. Tyrone worked well through the middle and created a good chance and Alice used her excellent crossing ability to try to set up Lucas, Matthew and Liam but the keeper again kept us out. Liam J played a fantastic corner in and Matthew came close to getting the first goal but once again the keeper was well placed to stop the shot. Despite some excellent work down the right with Matthew and Liam linking up beautifully the game ended a pretty respectable and entertaining 0 - 0 draw.

Scorer(s): None.

Heol Hir Black 3 - Whitchurch Rangers 0

Liam B started in goal again with Sam and Richard in defense, Gethin and Tyrone in the middle, Josef left, Kyle right and Lucas up front and Adam, Alice, Liam J and Matthew rested. Another good start and we soon took control of the game playing some decent passing football and keeping possession well. An early corner and a lovely strike from Kyle looked like testing the Whitchurch keeper. GOAL!! A great start to the last game of the day and a well deserved 1-0 lead. This made the team step up a gear and the Whitchurch defense were put under pressure with attack after attack being created and it wasn't going to be long before the second goal came. A ball from Josef headed into the box towards Kyle and Lucas who were both well placed to finish it. GOAL!! It was hard to tell who it was that scored but after checking with the surrounding players the goal was given to Kyle as according to them he had been the last one to touch it. Half time came soon after and a decent 2 -0 lead had the substitutes keen to get in on the action and try to increase the scoreline.

Sam took over in goal with Adam taking his place in defense, Liam replaced Kyle on the right, Alice came on for Josef on the left and Matthew took over from Tyrone who wasn't feeling well. It was obvious the team had bags of confidence from the 2-0 lead and it soon showed when Matthew tried an ambitious backheeled over the head wonder shot which was only just saved. Lots of continuous pressure followed and Liam, Matthew and Gethin kept winning the ball back and attacking together with Alice and Lucas getting into space to create non stop shooting chances but they were unable to get their shots past the keeper. Adam and Richard were back to their best this week and defended brilliantly when Whitchurch tried to get back in the game. Not long left to play and Matthew found Liam J with a neat pass and he in turn played in Lucas in space in the goal area. GOAL!! A lovely touch from Lucas under the keeper and it was 3 -0 and the whistle went soon after. A good scoreline in a game that we could have easily scored a hatful if it wasn't for some great goalkeeping.

Scorer(s): Kyle 2, Lucas 1.

Man of The Match

With the whole team showing a huge improvement in their performances this week after a disappointing week last week it was even harder than usual to choose the Man of The Match. After some discussion it was decided that for some excellent tackling, great attacking, movement on and off the ball, fantastic passing and the cheek to try a crazy backheeled over the head shot this week's Man of The Match went to Matthew. Well played again this week Matthew you made a big impact in all three games.

Match Roundup Saturday 14th March 2009

Pontprennau

A full squad this week and a return to the squad for Liam who has not played for a little while. It's great to see everyone back this week for three tough fixtures at a new venue.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Pentwyn Dynamo 4

The first time playing against a very organised Pentwyn side and lots of options for the first team sheet. The game started with Sam in goal, Richard and Liam in defense with Alice on the right, Josef on the left, Gethin in the middle and Kyle and Matthew paired in an attacking midfield position. A decent start and the game looked pretty even with both teams geeting a bit of time on the ball. A bit of a surprise came when totally against the run of play Pentwyn found the back of the net and we were 0-1 down. More good attacking football but we were too slow getting back and they caught us again with a good finish and it was 0-2. A fantastic save from Sam kept the score from getting worse and a quick break had Kyle's neat shot just saved by the Pentwyn keeper. Soon after we were up against it again and Pentwyn did well to earn a corner. Fantastic defending kept Pentwyn out and a lightning response led to a brilliant counter attack with Matthew controlling the ball well and out-running the Pentwyn defense with only the keeper to beat. GOAL!! A great finish from Matthew and it looked like we could get back in the game after the half time break. 1-2 down at half time but some patches of decent football.

For the second half Adam came on for Richard, Tyrone came on for Matthew and Lucas replaced Kyle. A reasonable start but we were looking quiet on the wings and didn't create much in the way of attacks before one fast attack by Pentwyn led to a cross towards the back post which we didnt defend well and it was 1-3. A few chances to get forward but we didn't look like we could get a hold of the ball for long enough and Pentwyn were quicker to the ball than us. Late on Sam was unlucky not to be able to make a save and the game ended a disappointing 1-4 loss.

Scorer(s): Matthew 1

Heol Hir Black 5 - Maindy Corries Red 3

A few changes for the start of the second game. Sam again started in goal with Richard and Adam in defense, Tyrone and Kyle in the middle Liam on the right, Josef on the left and Lucas up front. A much quicker start and with probably the first shot of the game the Maindy keeper just couldn't keep hold of Kyle's shot GOAL!! We were quickly 1-0 up and looking like a much improved side. Maindy created a few attacks whch were dealt with fairly well but one stray ball coming in caught Josef out and as he tried to clear the ball it unluckily ended up in our net and it was 1-1. This rare defensive error gave Maindy a little inspiration and they came at us with a decent attack and with a good touch found the net making it 1-2. This only inspired us to get back in the game and with some tidy passing Lucas was able to get into a shooting position. GOAL!!. A bit of Lucas magic and we were level at 2-2 and looking like going on to get a few more. It wasn't long before Tyrone saw a chance to get on the score sheet with a shot from distance. GOAL!!. Another good goal from Tyrone to show that both brothers are capable of scoring decent goals and the team were 3-2 up at half time.

A few changes at half time with Liam B. taking over in goal and Sam slotting into defense with Richard. Alice came on for a tired looking Josef and Matthew took over from Liam. The fresh legs gave us a quick start to the second half and created some good chances. It was the Delap style throw-ins from Sam that made the difference in the second half though and one fantastic throw found Kyle in space in the box. GOAL!!. A lovely glancing header found the back of the net and it was 4-2. and the game was looking like a big improvement over the opening game. Just to make sure another great throw-in from Sam found Tyrone who showed a touch of class striking another lovely shot. GOAL!!. A second goal from Tyrone and it was a much more comfortable 5-2 lead with only a few minutes to go. Late on Maindy found a little reserve energy and worked hard to make chances which Liam did well to deflect away. Unfortunately Maindy beat us to the ball late in the game and Liam was unable to get a hand to their shot and the game ended a hard ought but fairly well deserved 5-3 win.

Scorer(s): Kyle 2, Lucas 1, Tyrone 2

Heol Hir Black 0 - Pentyrch Rangers White 3

One game to go and one win and one loss so far meant we needed to get our football heads on if we were going to end the day with a decent set of results. Unfortunately it seems that a few players were a little tired this week and Pentyrch capitalised on a sleepy start and we were 0-1 down early on. A short while later another sloppy bit of play gave Pentyrch a chance to break and they did well to beat Sam in goal and it was 0-2 in no time. The team lifted their heads before half time and created a few chances with Liam's best shot being just about saved and deflected onto the bar. Liam again did brilliantly to create a good chance for Kyle late in the half but Kyle was unlucky and the shot went just wide.

The second half needed to see an improvement and thankfully it did with Gethin finding a shooting chance early on but he couldnt find the net. Much better football but the shots just would not go across the line. Liam did well to palm away a shot from the right but was unlucky when Pentyrch got hold of the ball and punished us making it 0-3 and only a few minutes to go. It wasnt our day and despite some tidy passing and a number of shots we were unable to get the ball across the line and the agame ended a disappointing 0-3 loss.

Scorer(s) None.

Man of The Match

With a few sleepy players this week the Man of The Match selection was going to be another difficult choice. After some discussion it was decided that it had to be awarded to the player who stuck to his job and showed consistent hard work and good football despite difficult opposition all morning and that was Liam. Well played again this week Liam and especially for getting Man of The Match two weeks in a row.

Match Roundup Saturday 7th March 2009

Cefn Onn School

A few problems with team selection this week as Adam was unavailable, Lucas and Tyrone were ill and Sam had to go to hospital just before kick off. Let's hope everyone is well again soon. Only seven players this week so it meant we had to look at drafting in a loan player for each of this weeks games.

Heol Hir Black 0 - Heol Hir Red 2

A big thank you to Matthew for volunteering to go in goal for the first half of our first game. The Reds loaned us Callum to make up an eight player team and he slotted in comfortably in the centre of midfield with Gethin. The game started really well with our team having most of the possession and totally dominating the game for most of the first half. Despite some good shots from Gethin, Kyle, Alice and Callum we were unlucky not to take a well deserved lead. Unfortunately for us one decent break by the Reds which went unchallenged ended with them taking a lead just before the break.

The second half is usually where we get ourselves back into the game but for some reason the team started slowly and once again we were caught out by one good break in the half which we just didn't deal with quickly enough and Liam was unlucky not to make the save. After going 0-2 down we started to play and created some good attacks in patches with Alice and Josef working hard on the wings and Gethin, Callum and Kyle trying to create something in the middle. Richard, Matthew and Liam were barely tested for most of the half and did well to keep the Reds at bay. A bit of a shocker losing 0-2 to the Reds this week after the recent result but they did well to get two goals and were obviously out to prove that a 5-0 scoreline was not going to happen again.

A big thank you to Callum for working so hard throughout the game and for linking up well with the other players just as if he was a regular member of our team.

Scorer(s): None

Heol Hir Black 1 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs White 4

The Llanedern Whites gave us some tough games down at Willows on the astro-turf and were difficult to break down so this would be a big test especially after a disappointing 0-2 loss to start. Llanedeyrn showed that they had quality on grass as well as on the astro-turf and really came at us quickly from the kick-off. Matthew again did brilliantly in goal and pulled off some miraculous goal line clearances according to the extremely fair (and generous) referee. Llanedeyrn had loaned us Aaron who partnered Richard at the back but he found it hard to fit in and had a difficult time against his team mates. As we have come to expect the Whites number nine finished a decent break well to give them a 0-1 lead. Matthew was tested a few times and did well to make some great saves but was unlucky when their number seven struck a lovely shot and we were 0-2 down. Gethin, Kyle and Liam worked hard in the middle and Alice and Josef tried to create breaks but Llanedeyrn were very organised and defended really well to keep us out. Things seemed to be improving when the Whites number six hit a shot which Matthew was just unable to get a hand to and it was 0-3 at half time.

One change for the second half with Liam and Matthew swapping places to give Matthew a break from the goals and to try to create something in the middle. The change made an immediate impact and the second half looked like being a totally different story with some excellent football being played. Alice, Gethin and Kyle attacked well together but were unable to get a goalscoring opportunity. Josef played a neat ball to Gethin who found Kyle in space but Kyle's shot was saved by the keeper. Another decent attack looked like getting a goal when the keeper couldnt get to the ball and Kyle tried to roll it over the line. A Llanedeyrn player handled the ball on the line giving the referee a difficult decision as he stopped a certain goal. He decided that the only option was to award a penalty and Matthew bravely stepped up to take the first ever penalty for the team. He struck it well but the keeper got to it and it deflected back into Matthews path. There was no way Matthew was going to miss the opportunity of being the first player to score from a penalty even if it was from a rebound. GOAL!! A very calm and well placed shot from the rebound sailed into the net and got us a well deserved goal. A great cross from Josef found Kyle but he was unlucky not to score. Kyle kept battling but was unable to get a decent goalscoring chance and unfortunately Llanedeyrn did enough to get another goal. The game ended a 1-4 loss but the second half showed what the team is capable of and was a much better example of how we can play.

Scorer(s): Matthew (pen)

Heol Hir Black 6 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Red 0

The Reds loaned us Callum again for the last game which was greatly appreciated especially as he played so well for us in the first game. He took up a central midfield role to the right of Gethin and seamlessly fitted into the team again. After the first two results there was only one chance left to get a win and the team were fired up straight from the kick off. Alice and Josef sped down the wings with Gethin, Callum and Kyle attacking through the middle spreading the ball out wide and getting into great goal scoring positions. It wasn't long before Kyle played a lovely ball in for Josef who struck it with his favourite left foot. GOAL!! A lovely finish after coming in from wide to meet Kyle's pass flew into the back of the net. 1-0 At last Josef listened to Andy and timed his run to perfection. More fantastic football in the middle from Gethin and Callum and another goalscoring chance came Josef's way. GOAL!! It looks like the recent training paid off as Josef found the back of the net with a well placed RIGHT footed shot. 2-0 Alice kept working down the right wing and played some lovely passes into the middle and it wasn't long before Kyle got himself into a great position to take a shot. GOAL!! A good finish from Kyle and it was 3-0. Liam and Richard barely had a touch of the ball but did brilliantly when they were needed and tackled well and played some lovely passes out of defense to get the attacks going again. As usual the team made sure that our loan player Callum got plenty of time on the ball and he showed us some of his quality, passing neatly, tackling well and when he got the chance striking some decent shots. A nice pass found him in shooting range and he tried his luck. GOAL!! A fantastic strike from Callum found the back of the net and it was 4-0 with time left before half-time. Late in the half and the team were still hungry for more goals and kept working hard to create chance after chance. Gethin did brilliantly taking the ball from the right past a few defenders and hitting a lovely curling shot towards the top left corner. GOAL!! A sweetly placed shot made it impossible for the keeper to get to it and the first half ended 5-0 with Matthew barely seeing the ball.

The second half started and knew we would have to work hard for ten minutes to keep the momentum going and get the win but Llanedeyrn Reds did really well straight from the kick-off and created the first chance of the half. Liam made a stunning save to keep their shot out and to keep our first clean sheet of the day. Our team settled down soon after this and got back into their confident passing style of football that earned them five goals in the first half. Alice and Josef kept working the ball down the wings and put in some lovely crosses but Kyle, Gethin and Callum were unable to finish any chances that came their way. Josef did really well to hold onto the ball on the left despite pressure from Llanedeyrn's defense and passed neatly to Gethin who turned and passed inside to Kyle. Kyle saw he didn't have a shooting chance and did well to see Alice coming in from the right and found her with a lovely pass. GOAL!! A stunning LEFT footed shot from Alice and it was 6-0 with time left to play. Llanedeyrn worked hard to keep the scoreline from increasing and did well to keep us from creating any more chances. The game ended a very impressive 6-0 and showed the fantastic team spirit we have developed and just what excellent football performances we are capable of even after suffering two disappointing losses.

Scorer(s): Josef 2, Kyle 1, Callum 1, Gethin 1, Alice 1

Man of The Match

Every one of the seven players that turned up deserve a mention this week after giving 100% for all three games and for showing that even after two losses we can still come out and play attractive passing football and keep smiles on our faces. Also a big thank you to Callum for playing two great games in midfield for us this week. After some outstanding football in three differnt positions including in goal this week's Man of The Match went to Liam. Well played again this week Liam.

March Fixtures

Just received the fixtures for March and they look interesting again this month.

Saturday 7th March - Cefn Onn School

10:30am Kick Off

HEOL HIR FC RED
LLANEDEYRN BULL WHITE
LLANEDEYRN BULL RED

Saturday 14th March - Pontprennau

10:30am Kick Off

PENTWYN DYNAMO
MAINDY CORRIES RED
PENTYRCH RANGERS WHITE

Saturday 21st March - New Road (Rumney)

10:30am Kick Off

AFC RUMNEY JUN
WHITCHURCH RANGERS
MARLBORO SPORTS WHITE

Saturday 28th March - No Fixtures due to the Wales v Finland game

Match Roundup Saturday 28th February 2009

Heol Hir Black 0 - Rhiwbina FC "A" 0

A very narrow pitch and tough opposition to start with this week but a full squad to pick from.

The first half started with Sam in goal, Matthew and Liam in defense, Gethin and Tyrone in the middle, Alice on the left, Kyle on the right and Lucas up top and Josef, Adam and Richard as eager substitutes. A good start by Rhiwbina but the team defended well and soon got a hold of the game. Alice started really well down the left and worked her way down the wing to put a ball across to Lucas who shot just wide. A brilliant corner from Liam and a cheeky backheel almost found the net but was just kept out. Solid defending from Matthew and Liam with Gethin and Tyrone winning tackles in the middle kept the score at 0-0 at half time.

No changes at half time and even more impressive football saw some excellent chances created but Rhiwbina did well to keep Lucas and Kyle from scoring. Great clearances from Liam and Matthew kept Rhiwbina from really testing Sam and Tyrone kept winning the ball and releasing Gethin to go forward at every opportunity. Unfortunately despite taking total control in the second half the game ended a very entertaining 0-0 draw and could easily have caused an upset for Rhiwbina if we had been luckier with our finishing..

Scorer(s): None

Heol Hir Black 0 - Marlboro Sports Black 1

A great start with a 0-0 draw against Rhiwbina and another really tough side to play next. The second game saw Sam in goal, Adam and Richard in defense, Gethin and Tyrone in the middle, Josef on the left, Alice on the right and Lucas up front. Kyle, Liam and Matthew had a well earned rest for the first half. Another decent start with some good battling from the whole team and some really good breaks early on which showed Marlboro what we were capable of and gave them a few scares. Adam and Richard were solid as always at the back and calmly passed the ball out of defense at every opportunity to stop Marlboro creating anything to test Sam in goal. One very good chance came when Lucas received the ball from an excellent throw in and turned well to take a shot which went just wide. Lots of positive passing football but the half time score was 0-0.

The second half saw Kyle on for Lucas, Liam on for Tyrone and Matthew on for Alice. More excellent defensive work from Adam and Richard was making it difficult for Marlboro to get a shot in. Richard showed just how tough he is when after taking a whack in the face from the ball travelling at speed he quickly got up, wiped away the mud and got straight back into position. A defender in the Vidic mould I reckon. Matthew and Josef attacked well down the wings but were unable to give Kyle or Liam any decent shooting chances. A good attack from Marlboro almost caught us out but Sam did brilliantly to get hold of the ball quickly after it struck the bar and fell into the goalmouth. More quality defending from Richard clearing the ball off the line kept Marlboro out at the second attempt. It was third time lucky when a quick break down the right by Marlboro ended in a neat cross to an unmarked player who struck it well to make it 0- 1. Marlboro stayed very organised and made it difficult for us to get an equaliser and the game ended a very respectable and hard fought 0- 1 loss to one of the best teams in the league.

Scorer(s): None

Heol Hir Black 3 - Heath Park Rangers 1

One last chance to go for a win and a few changes as Gethin had to leave before the final game. Thanks Gethin for your hard work in the first two games. matthew gave Sam a break from goal to start and Adam and Richard kept their defensive partnership together for the last game. Sam and Tyrone took control of the middle with Josef on the left and Alice on the right and Lucas started up front. Liam and Kyle had a well earned rest for the first half. A good start very nearly saw an early goal for Lucas who hit the post but Alice did well to follow up with a shot. GOAL!! A lovely finish and Alice grabbed our first goal for the day. Some excellent defending from Adam, Richard, Sam and Tyrone kept Heath from getting back into the game and fantastic long throw-ins from Sam came close to creating goalscoring chances for Lucas and Tyrone. Half time came and a 1-0 lead set up and interesting second half.

Liam came on on the right for Alice and Kyle came on for Lucas. Sam went back in goal and Matthew took up an attacking midfield role just behind Kyle. Heath Park started well and really wanted a goal to level things. One slightly sloppy moment from a corner and Heath got their equaliser. This fired up the team and they began making use of a four pronged attack with Alice and Josef attacking wide and Matthew and Kyle pushing forward through the middle. This positive attacking football soon paid off when Matthew surged forward and laid off a lovely pass for Liam to shoot. GOAL!! Another stunning strike from Liam who seems to have found some goalscoring form lately. 2-1 up but the team weren't satisfied with just a one goal lead and continued to attack in numbers. Kyle took the ball well out on the right and played a great ball across the box but neither Matthew or Josef could get a toe to it and it it went behind for a goal kick. Josef used a lovely touch to Matthew for a neat one-two and then found Liam wide on the right who again struck a beautiful shot towards the back post. GOAL!! A Heath Park defender did well to block the shot but deflected it into his own net making it 3-1 very close to the final whistle. An entertaining game ending in a win and three goals to finish a tough day with a draw, a 0-1 loss and a good 3-1 win.

Scorer(s): Alice 1, Liam 1, OG 1

Man Of The Match

Fantastic football and very respectable results against some really good sides made it difficult again to decide a Man Of The Match. For brilliant strength in every game, fantastic tackling and covering almost every inch of the pitch working tirelessly Tyrone was awarded this week's Man Of The Match. Well played again this week Tyrone you really bossed the midfield and played some brilliant football.

Fixture for Saturday 28th February 2009

Just a quick reminder that we are now playing at Whitchurch Hospital on

Saturday 28th February.

Kick Off is at 11:15am.

Can players please arrive at 10:45am to allow time to warm-up.

Match Roundup Saturday 21st February 2009

A bit of a change to the planned fixtures and venue this week. With Marshfield not available at our original venue and Ty Celyn not available at Cefn Onn we were switched to play another local derby against the Reds with Marlboro Sports White and Canton Rangers making up the other two matches. No Adam or Richard this week so a bit of a re-shuffle was needed to cover the defensive positions. A big thank you to Alice, Gethin, Liam, Matthew and Tyrone for all taking turns in defense and doing a great job.

Heol Hir Black 3 - Marlboro Sports White 2

Its been a long time since we faced the Marlboro Whites and we have had some good results this season against the other Marlboro sides so this was set to be an interesting game. The game started well with some good work from Kyle, Josef and Lucas going forward and neat passing from Gethin and Tyrone in the middle. A well taken early corner from Kyle found Tyrone who shot but it was deflected into Liam's path and unfortunately his shot went just wide. Marlboro were first to score as they capitalised on a rare defensive error. Gethin did really well to keep hold of the ball and played a great pass through to Lucas. GOAL!! A lovely touch from Lucas found the back of the net and got the equaliser that we were working hard for. It wasn't long before we were on the attack again and Gethin did well to get past a defender down the left and played a neat ball to Lucas who was in the area with plenty of time to think about where to shoot. GOAL!!. Another great finish from Lucas and a well deserved 2-1 lead at halftime.

The second half started brightly with a great attacking move which started with Gethin playing a clever pass to Liam who found Tyrone in space who then played a lovely ball to Lucas who laid it off for Kyle whose shot only just went wide. Soon after we were given a free kick as one of their defenders handled the ball on the edge of the area. Liam stepped up to take the indirect free kick and struck it beautifully aiming it towards Gethin in the box. Gethin deflected it across the box to Kyle who volleyed it sweetly. GOAL!! Kyle's volley flew straight into the back of the net for a 3-1 lead. The team were playing really well and Liam, Gethin, Matthew, Tyrone and Alice did a good job defending and protecting the lead. Sam was extremely unlucky after having such a great game to be beaten late on by a deflected shot ending the game at 3-2.

Scorer(s): Lucas 2, Kyle 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Canton Rangers 2

The second game started with Matthew rested, Alice and Liam in defense, Josef and Kyle on opposite wings, Gethin and Tyrone in the middle and Lucas up front. Not such a good start and within a few minutes Canton went 1-0 up after a bit of sloppy defending gave them an early chance to test Sam and finished well. Canton gained confidence from the early goal and Alice, Liam and Gethin had to work hard to keep them out. Sam was forced to make some excellent saves but showed his ability keeping out two difficult shots. We started to get back in the game from this point and were soon attacking in numbers. Great work down the left from Gethin who then played a neat ball to Josef who found Lucas with a lovely lay off and his shot only just went over the bar. 0-1 down at half time.

A slow start to the second half and a bit of careless football in defense let Canton in and they grabbed an untidy second making it 0-2 and a lot of work to do. The team showed that they were not beaten yet and started to play some excellent passing football building some brilliant attacks down both wings. Josef did really well to keep the ball down the left wing and wriggled through two defenders to make a pass to Gethin who played a perfect pass to Lucas in the area. GOAL!! A lovely shot off the outside of Lucas's left boot curled around the keeper and we were back in the game. More excellent attacking football but Canton did well to keep us from getting an equaliser despite attempts from Lucas and Kyle. The game ended a hard fought 1-2 loss but the team showed a lot of spirit coming back into the game and came very close to earning an equalise.

Scorer(s): Lucas 1

Heol Hir Black 5- Heol Hir Red 0

After last week's tough win against the Reds we were going to have a difficult game especially being two players down. Kyle was rested to start and Tyrone and Matthew paired up in defense with Josef left, Alice right,Gethin in the centre and Liam and Lucas up front. The attacking formation worked well with an early break leading to Lucas having a shot go just wide. The next attack started with Josef coming in from the left and playing a neat pass to Lucas who shot but had his shot deflected out towards Liam. GOAL!! A great finish from Liam and an early 1-0 lead. Josef again did well down the left and worked hard to hold the ball up before putting a lovely pass to Lucas. GOAL!! A sweet touch from Lucas found the back of the net and it was 2-0. Matthew and Tyrone defended well and Sam did well to stop a break by the Reds. Alice played a ball in from the right to Lucas who, after wriggling loose of the defenders passed to Gethin inside the area. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A brilliant finish from Gethin for his first goal of the season and let's hope it's the first of many. The first half ended 3-0 up and the game was looking pretty comfortable.

The Reds came out determined to make things difficult for us and defended well meaning that we had to play even better if we wanted another goal. Luckily enough that's just what we did and the whole team played so confidently it wasn't going to be long before the next goal came. With Alice and Josef working hard down the wings and Tyrone controlling the middle there were plenty of chances for Matthew and Kyle to push forward. Josef found Kyle in the box and Kyle was keen to get on the score sheet but had his first two attempts deflected back to him. GOAL!! It was third time lucky and Kyle grabbed his second of the day making it 4-0. Next it was Alice's turn to create something and after getting past a few Reds she passed to Kyle who shot just wide. Only seconds left and Gethin again played a perfect pass to Josef who considered shooting but then played a clever ball across the goals to Matthew. GOAL!! Just to make sure Matthew decided to hammer his shot into the back of the net. 5-0 just as Steve blew the final whistle. A classy, confident performance and our biggest win for some time.

Man of The Match

As usual it was extremely difficult choosing a Man of The match this week as everyone played well and again gave the spectators some exciting football to watch . But. For his fantastic work all over the pitch, solid tackling, excellent passing, some brilliant individual skill and his first goal of the season Gethin definitely earned this week's Man of The Match award. Well played again this week Gethin you finally got a goal that couldn't be disallowed.

Match Roundup Saturday 14th February 2009

Very sorry this week's update is so late but I have been away for a few days. Another local derby week with a chance to play the Heol Hir Red's at Cefn Onn and two sides we havent played for a while who always give us a good game.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Ty Celyn 1

A chance to show our quality football to a team we may be combining with next season and the game started well. A decent start with some great defending by Adam and Richard and Alice and Matthew working hard down the wings creating a few attacking chances for Tyrone, Gethin and Lucas but none found the net. Unfortunately Ty Celyn were able to get a goal from a decent move and the first half ended 0-1.

Three changes for the second half with Kyle, Josef and Liam on for Lucas, Alice and Adam. Matthew dropped into defense, Josef went onto the left, Liam on the right and Kyle up front. The changes made a big impact and Josef worked hard down the left and Liam had a great long distance shot which the keeper did well to stop. Tyrone as usual worked hard in the middle with Gethin and made himself a great chance with a few minutes left. GOAL!! A neat finish which levelled the game at 1-1. Both teams tried to get a winner but the game ended a pretty fair 1-1 draw.

Scorer(s): Tyrone 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Caerau Ely 1

The second game started brightly with Matthew and Josef playing wide, Tyrone and Kyle controlling the middle and Lucas making Caerau's defense work to keep him out. Sam and his defense were only really tested once in the first half with Caerau playing a great ball across Adam and Liam and a decent shot just going wide. The first half ended 0-0 setting up an exciting second half with all to play for.

Three changes after the break with Richard, Gethin and Alice on for Adam, Tyrone and Liam. Gethin took control of the middle of the pitch and fed some fantastic passes to the wide and front players as well as putting in some great tackles. Alice was doing a great job down the right when she put a brilliant cross in which Caerau couldnt deal with and found Josef running in at the back post. GOAL!! A tidy finish with his right foot for a change, 1-0 up and the team were looking to add a quick second. The chance came when Kyle worked hard to put pressure on Caerau's defense and earned a corner. A beautiful corner from Kyle dropped into the box and Lucas rose above the defense to head the ball just over the bar. Despite some great defending by Richard and Matthew and goodwork from Sam in goal Caerau created a good chance with a clever ball finding an unmarked player who neatly placed it under Sam who came close to getting to it. The team came close to getting a winner but when the whistle went the game ended a hard fought and entertaining 1-1 draw.

Scorer(s): Josef

Heol Hir Black 1 - Heol hir Red 0

After two difficult draws there was only one chance left to get a win and it was against a Red's side who have continued to improve this season. The team knew that if they concentrated and stuck to playing quick passing football they had a chance of getting a result. Liam and Alice started well making use of the full width of the pitch and Sam sat in front of the defensive pairing of Adam and Richard to keep the Red's out of Matthew goals. Tyrone and Lucas worked hard together to create some early attacking chances but were unlucky not to find the net. It was Alice's hard work on the right that made the first shooting opportunity when after skipping past a few Red's players she played a lovely cross field ball to Liam who struck it beautifully. GOAL!! A stunning finish left the keeper with no chance of stopping it and a well deserved 1-0 lead before half time.

The second saw Gethin, Josef and Kyle come on to give Tyrone, Richard and Lucas a rest after all their hard work. Gethin did a great job of controlling the passing from the middle and again made some brilliant tackles. More brilliant work down the right from Alice and Josef down the left created chances to extend the lead and Kyle came the closest to getting the second. A good run down the left from Josef ended with a neat pass to Kyle who played a light touch across the goal mouth and was so unlucky to just roll wide. Another great ball from Alice's left boot found Josef who volleyed a right footed shot just wide. Late on a brilliant corner from Alice found Liam who again struck it beautifully and was unlucky not to score. The whistle went soon after and Liam's first half goal was enough to take the win.

Scorer(s): Liam 1

Man of The Match

With great performances from the whole team today it was an extremely difficult decision again this week. It was decided that for hard work up and down the wing both attacking and defending, solid tackling and neat passing, oh, and scoring a tidy right footed goal that Josef would take this week's Man of the Match award. Well played this week Josef and the whole team for giving the spectators three entertaining games to watch..

Saturday 14th February games are on.

Great news. This week's games are on and it's at Cefn Onn School against Heol hir Reds,

Ty Celyn and Caerau Ely.

Kick Off is 10:30am.

Match Roundup Saturday 7th February

Another week with normal fixtures cancelled due to the bad weather. Luckily Llanedeyrn Bulldogs invited us to join them on the astro-turf at Willows High again. No Lucas or Tyrone this week let's hope they are back for next week's Heol Hir Derby against the Reds.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Red 0

A bright start with some neat passing and great movement on and off the ball. An early long shot from Liam came close to finding the net but was just wide. A good move with Liam playing a ball down the line to Matthew who put in a lovely cross set up Josef but his shot came close but didn't find the net. Matthew worked tirelessly creating chance after chance but despite two or three great attempts the first half ended 0 -0. More good football in the second half with solid defending by Adam and Liam at the back, confident goalkeeping from Sam and Gethin controlling the midfield. Alice did well to hold the ball up then found Gethin with a great pass who played the ball across the goal for Kyle to slide across the line taking a well deserved 1-0 lead. It looked like Kyle would be closing the gap on Lucas when late on he struck a powerful shot which the keeper had no chance of stopping but was unlucky as it hit the post and bounced clear. A good first game for this week for the spectators and a hard fought 1-0 win.

Scorer(s): Kyle 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs White 2

The second game started really well with brilliant confident passing and excellent movement across the pitch. Gethin and Josef worked well together down the left and kept possession despite several defenders putting pressure on them. Josef did well and laid off a lovely pass just in front of Kyle. What happened next stunned the spectators and the Llanedeyrn coach when Kyle struck a sweet right footed shot which curled towards the top right corner, clipped the underside of the bar and landed in the back of the net. Llanedeyrn were a little shaken by this but soon turned on the pressure and worked hard trying to get an equaliser before half time. Solid defending from Adam and Richard and a great save from Sam kept the score at 1-0 at half time.

The second half started well for both sides and Llanedeyrn really worked at getting an equaliser quickly. After some great passing and some difficulty clearing the ball by our defenders Llanedeyrn's number nine levelled the score with a great finish. They kept up the pressure and grabbed a second when the ball seemed to take forever to get cleared from the area and quick thinking from their number nine made a shooting chance which Sam just wasnt able to get a hand to. The game ended a very close 1-2 loss but there was a lot of excellent football played by both sides making it really entertaining for the spectators.

Scorer(s): Kyle 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs (U10) 1

After last week the Under 10's were looking to get some revenge and started really well with some neat passing and quick feet making it difficult for us to get going but within a few minutes we got back in the game and were looking likely to score. Gethin was excellent working tirelessly through the middle creating two or three great scoring chances but was really unlucky not to score. A 0-0 scoreline at half time set up an exciting second half with both teams keen to get the win. Llanedeyrn were first to score with a well worked move ending in a great finish from their number seven which Liam was just unable to get a hand to. This seemed to inpsire the team into getting at least an equaliser and a good pass out of defense from Sam found Kyle who played a clever pass across the goal which Matthew put away neatly. The last few minutes were a little tense with the Llanedeyrn side keen to get a win if possible but great defending from Adam and Richard and hard work from Sam kept them out and the game ended a pretty fair 1-1 draw.

Scorer(s): Matthew 1

Man of The Match

With great performances from the whole team again this week choosing Man of The Match was extremely difficult. For his non-stop hard work up and down the pitch and brilliant tackling in defense this week's Man of The Match was awarded to Adam. Great work again today Adam well played,

February Fixtures

Just received the fixtures for February today and there are a few new teams and some we havent played for a while to play if the weather gives us a break.

Saturday 7th February - Eglwys Newydd (Whitchurch)

11am Kick Off

AFC WHITCHURCH YELLOW
LLANRUMNEY UTD
FAIRWATER JUNIORS RED

Saturday 14th February - Cefn Onn School

10:30am Kick Off

HEOL HIR FC RED
TY CELYN
CAERAU ELY

Saturday 21st February - Marshfield Hall

(Check map link and type in "Marshfield")

10:30am Kick Off

MARSHFIELD
WHITCHURCH RANGERS
URDD

Saturday 28th February - No Fixtures Allocated

Match Roundup Saturday 31st January 2009

Cardiff Park's Department called off this week's games but Llanedeyrn Bulldogs offered us the chance to play their three teams again down at Willows High School on the astro-turf. Unfortunately Josef and I were unable to make it so this week's match reports will be a bit brief.

Heol Hir Black 1 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Red 0

After a hard fought and extremely long 2-2 draw last week it was good to hear that we were able to improve this week and get a 1-0 win with Lucas back to goalscoring form grabbing a winner.

Scorer(s): Lucas 1

Heol Hir Black 0 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs White 1

Last week this fixture ended a pretty close 0-1 loss to Llanedeyrn and unfortunately ended the same this week. Simon tells me that the team played really well and worked hard but Llanedeyrn did just enough to keep us out.

Scorer(s): None

Heol Hir Black 4 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Under 10's 0

It sounds like I missed a great weekend especially with the team making a huge improvement on last week's 2-0 loss and getting a very impressive 4-0 win. Simon tells me that the team played some brilliant passing football and Lucas and Alice scored great goals with Lucas picking up a hat-trick.

Scorer(s): Alice 1, Lucas 3

Man of The Match

From what Simon tells me the team learned from last week's games and were quicker to the ball, passed well and worked hard to earn two good wins and a close 0-1 loss.

Given his consistently impressive all round game recently and positive encouragement of the team on and off the pitch I'm pleased to say Gethin won this week's Man of The Match.

Well done to everyone who played this week it sounds like you were back to the quality football we are used to seeing. Let's hope we can keep playing this well in February. See you at training on Monday. Craig

Match Roundup Saturday 24th January 2009

A bit of a change of plan this week. Normal fixtures off but three games against Llanedeyrn Bulldogs sides at Willows High School on the astro-turf instead. A good turnout with only Richard not able to play. Let's hope he is feeling better soon.

Heol Hir Black 2 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Red 2

A bit of a slow start getting used to the playing surface but some bright football in patches led to a couple of good chances which were unlucky to not find the net. A little confusion over the goalkeepers area after some good work from Liam holding off the opposing striker led to an unfortunate opening goal for the Bulldogs. It stayed 1-0 to Llanedeyrn up until half time. The second half saw Tyrone and Lucas introduced and this added a few more options leading to a good ball from Gethin finding Lucas who shot well but the keeper made a save only for Liam to net the loose ball putting us level. Llanedeyrn grabbed a second with some decent passing and movement but Kyle was able to put away an equaliser within normal time. The referee decided to continue play to finish at the same time as the other game and the second half seemed to go on forever with both teams coming close to grabbing a winner. We came closest a couple of times but the game ended (eventually) a hard fought 2-2 draw.

Scorer(s): Liam 1, Kyle 1

Heol Hir Black 0 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs White 1

This game was played as a 9 a side game allowing us to put Kyle and Lucas up front with Gethin and Tyrone paired in the middle and Matt and Alice on the wings, Sam in goal with Liam and Adam in defense and Josef an eager substitute.

A slow start with a few decent moves but we were not quick enough to the ball leaving Llanedeyrn space to play and this soon led to a good finish from their number 7 and we were 1-0 down at half-time. A bit of a change with Josef on the left, Matt at left back for Adam to rest a half and Alice swapping places with Liam at right back to allow him to work the wings. Some great saves from Sam kept the scoreline close and gave us a chance to stay in the game. The changes did make a difference but again Llanedeyrn were just that bit quicker to the ball and did a good job of keeping the scoreline at 1-0 until the final whistle.

Scorer(s) : None

Heol Hir Black 0 - Llanedeyrn Bulldogs Under 10's 2

Another game played with 9 a side against the younger Llanedeyrn side. Not our best performance against a quick team that were keen to win every ball and pass around us. Both sides did fairly well in the first half to make chances but it stayed 0-0 until half time. The second half saw some good chances but it just wasn't our day in front of goal and two decent attacks ending in two good finishes put us 2-0 down with little time left to get back in the game. The game ended with a well earned 2-0 win for the Llanedeyrn side who really tested us and showed what can happen if one team keeps being first to the ball.

Scorer(s) : None

Man of the Match

For some outstanding saves and a decent defensive display this week's Man of the Match went to Sam. Well played this week Sam.

Match Roundup Saturday 17th January 2009

It was good to see the games were on this week after a frozen pitch meant last week's games had to be called off. Back at Cefn Onn School on a pretty wet morning but thankfully the rain held off for this week's games.

Heol Hir Black 2 - AFC Rumney 3

The extended break over Christmas showed a little in the first game of 2009 where despite starting pretty well the team went a goal down in the first half. Some great saves from Sam and good defensive work from Adam and Matt at the back and Gethin in the middle. Josef and Alice did well working the wing and Kyle and Liam were unlucky not to get a goal doing their best to create up front but just couldnt get a break. Two changes saw the birthday boys Tyrone and Lucas come on for Kyle and Adam and a little reshuffle of the team. Due to Rumney having no substitute today Adam helped them out and played the second half for them when they lost a player. The change made an instant impact with Tyrone scoring a great early goal to get us back in the game. Rumney did well to go ahead again and it took hard work and neat passing to create an equaliser. A great pass found Josef in space and he did well to hold onto the ball just long enough for Lucas to slip away from his marker and receive a tidy pass in a goalscoring position. No surprises when Lucas placed it under the keeper for 2-2. More good passing tried to create something but Rumney just got the better of the defense and Sam to take a 3-2 win and give us our first defeat in a little while.

Scorer(s) Tyrone 1, Lucas 1

Heol Hir Black 4 - Grangetown BC Claret 0

A sharp wake up from Rumney meant that the team needed to play a better defensive game to stop the first games of 2009 ending badly. A decent enough start with Liam on the right to give Alice a rest and Kyle and Tyrone in the middle controlling things. Some neat passing and hard work on the wings led to Lucas finding himself in space and able find the net through the keepers legs to take the lead. Good defending from Grangetown kept the score to 1-0 until half time and both teams looked a little off their usual game. The second half saw a few changes with Alice replacing Josef on the left wing, Liam taking over in goal so Sam could bolster the defense, Gethin replacing Kyle in the middle with Tyrone and Kyle filling the right wing position. Matt took a well deserved rest for the second half. Better passing and movement through the middle in the second half saw Kyle grab a well taken goal early on and soon after Lucas had a few attempts blocked so laid the ball off to Alice who finished beautifully making it 3-0. Tyrone finished off the scoring with an almost perfect copy of Lucas's goal finding a gap under the Grangetown keeper to give us our best result against them without playing to our full potential.

Scorer(s) Lucas 1, Kyle 1, Alice 1, Tyrone 1

Heol Hir Black 1 - Maindy Corries black 0

Three tough games this week and on past performances the toughest saved for last. Liam and Kyle started on the sideline both earning a rest after the Grangetown game and Alice and Josef took up their usual wing roles with Gethin paired with Tyrone in the middle and Matt and Adam at the back with Sam back in goal. A great start had it looking like an early goal might go our way but unfortunately we just couldnt find the net but neither could Maindy due to our solid defensive play from the whole team. End to end but still ended goalless at half time. The second half started with Liam replacing Lucas and Kyle on in the middle with Alice taking over at the back from Adam. There was what looked like gethin's first goal of the season after some excellent individual play gave him a chance to shoot but the ref rather controversially gave then disallowed. Josef played some great football for a while down the left and made a few great chances for Liam, Kyle and Tyrone but it was his shot across the goalmouth that hit the post which created the first goalscoring opportunity. Matt was quick to react and netted the rebound taking a well earned 1-0 lead. Maindy threatened but great defending from the whole team kept the score at 1-0 and earned them a decent win over a tough side.

Scorer(s) Matt 1

Man of The Match

As always another tough decision this week but for 110% commitment all over the pitch, great passing, solid tackling and two goals this week's Man of the Match went to the team captain Tyrone. Well done Tyrone and also to the whole team who keep making it a difficult decision every week.

January Fixtures!

Just received the fixture's for January and there are a few interesting games to look forward to if the weather doesn't cause the game's to be called off.

Saturday January 10th - Sanatorium Road (Canton)

*If you are unsure click "Map of parks pitches" link and type in Sanatorium Road for a map.*

10:30am Kick Off

GRANGETOWN BC CLARET
LISVANE PANTHERS ORANGE
MARLBORO SPORTS BLACK

Saturday 17th January- Cefn Onn School

10:30am Kick Off

MAINDY CORRIES BLACK
AFC RUMNEY JUN
GRANGETOWN BC CLARET

Saturday 24th January - Eglwys Newydd

11:00am Kick Off

AFC WHITCHURCH RED
LISVANE PANTHERS ORANGE
FC WHITCHURCH YELLOW

Saturday 31st January - New Road (Rumney)

10:30am Kick Off

AFC RUMNEY
CAERAU ELY
TY CELYN

Could all players please aim to arrive 30 minutes before kick off to allow time to warm up and select the teams.