G
oing into the Lent term the
aspirations of the Under
16s were low due to a lack
of experience against teams
who had been playing
together for three years.
These doubts however were firmly dismissed by
a convincing opening 6-2 victory against
Millfield, with Joe Matthews scoring a hat-trick.
The goalkeeper's position was shared around,
due to regular Matthew Enright being injured.
George Lock was an excellent replacement and
Shane Scott also filled in for one game.
Throughout the season we had a consistently
solid defence, the core foundation of all good
teams. Toby Barnes Yallowley provided speed
down the right-hand side and was well
supported by Finn Spencer in the centre.
Kelvin Chan played well on the left and Luke
Gavin provided excellent distribution from the
back, also pushing into the midfield when
required.
Although our midfield was short in size it made
up for it with skill and vision in supplying the
forwars, with much of their unrecognised work
laying the foundations for our goals. Archie
Berrow and Alex Barrow proved their abilities
in the midfield with Jason Gonultas stepping
into a key holding position. Nick Akiwumi and
Shane Scott also both contributed to the
success of the midfield as a whole.
Our attack had two quality strikers in James
Gonultas and Joe Matthews. James linked up
well with the midfield and Joe used his pace
and skill to put away most of his chances.
Together they scored an outstanding 18 goals
in seven matches, contributing to a team
average of over four goals a match.
Highlights of the season were a 4-1 victory
over Bristol Cathedral where the midfield
dominated and provided excellent ball for the
forwards, resulting in a Luke Gavin hat-trick in
a rare appearance in attack. Against a strong
Sherborne side our defence stood firm in the
early stages of the game, Matthew Enright
making some excellent saves, and there were
solid defensive displays by Toby Barnes
Yallowley and Finn Spencer. Before the interval
we had stolen the lead through a Joe Matthews
strike. In the second half we held possession
and took our chances to gain a firm hold on
the match. Despite a late Sherborne goal, it
was an excellent team performance with every
member playing an important role. Joe
Matthews scored another hat-trick!
We were unfortunate to lose our unbeaten
season, losing just the one early game to
Blundell's. We had a weakened side out and
as a result of unfortunate goals and missed
chances we went behind in the early stages.
Despite this we fought back well to lose
narrowly 3-2.
There was encouraging depth to the squad,
with cover in all positions. Ollie Dent, Phil
Downie, Ed Bates, Jordan Webb and Ben
Gregory all proved their worth when called
upon during the season. The other squad
members also deserve a mention, and their
commitment to training was key in the success
of the team. Everyone trained hard and this
reflected in the results. A big thank you goes
to the hard work of Mr Gamble and Mr
Hamilton who showed what potential we
offered as a football unit and whose time given
up in training sessions was greatly appreciated!
Aluredian
77
Under 16s
Good ball control by XXX
against Bristol Cathedral
School
For the first time ever at
King's we managed to
put out an Under 15
side against Blundell's.
Our rather makeshift
side put up a spirited
performance, and we
created plenty of
chances, but were
eventually outplayed by
a skilful and wellorganised
Blundell's
side.