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Heather St John’s U18’s have enjoyed a successful season in the Leicestershire Floodlit League during 2023/24. The early part of the season saw the young saints win through several rounds of the FA Youth Cup with resounding victories against Harborough, Long Eaton, and Eastwood but eventually losing out to Chesterfield. The highlight of the matches was surely the thrilling victory against Long Eaton with a last minute Saints equaliser (see picture) taking it to penalties and then our young men showing their metal and winning a tense shootout.
Front Row from the left.
Alfie Deacon, Jack Coles, Hayden Armstrong, Alfie Donnelly, Oliver Hawkins.
Back Row from the left.
Alfie Brooks, Matt Lee, Stuart Beniston, Alfie Lee, Ben Wileman, George Newbold, Tommy Miller, Kane Gee, Eddie Bown, Freddie Beniston, Freddie Brooks, Kieran Yarwood, Kye Wooldridge, Baha- Eddine Lahmoudi, Simon Brooks, Chris Mawbey, Simon Yarwood.
When all those cold wet winter nights running the training sessions finally seem worth it!
The young Saints also started their league campaign well, with 3 wins and 1 draw, but a prolonged period of wet weather led to an extended period without a game. When it came to January the team suffered a loss of form just when they had to play two of the best teams in the league and experienced their only two defeats of the season, first to Gresley and then to Clifton All Whites.
The young Saints soon returned to form and went on a 20-game unbeaten run for the rest of the season finishing second in the league. They avenged Gresley with a last-minute win at the moat ground and drew away at Clifton in the return fixtures.
The young Saints were climbing the table and with games in hand it was still possible for them to win the league, but they needed Clifton to drop a couple of points and then they had to beat Clifton in the return fixture. Unfortunately with the championship at stake, they could only manage a hard-fought draw with a last-minute equaliser at Clifton and the young Saints finished as runners-up.
The Lions also enjoyed success in the League Cup, winning early rounds against Glenfield and Coalville from the northern league and then with a fabulous win against Leicester St Andrews from the southern league in the semi-final and eventually winning the League Cup Final against the much-fancied champions of the Southern League Lutterworth Bullets.
Kye Wooldridge on the left, Heather St John’s U18’s player of the year and leading scorer in the Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Northern League with 31 goals, scoring in all of his 20 league games and also knocking in 6 FA youth cup goals.
Kye is another U18 who has already represented the club as a first-team player.
Freddie Beniston on the right, the league's leading player on Assists with 16 and also scoring 15 league goals. Together, Kye and Freddie have combined to be the most successful striking partnership in the league.
Hayden Armstrong, Kieron Yarwood, Jack Coles, George Newbold, Freddie Brooks and Jake Bate
The Midfield Launching Pad - Jack Coles, Alfie Lee, George Newbold and Freddie Brooks
The Team “great individuals but much stronger as a team”
The team celebrates together.
Talisman defender Hayden Armstrong is as tough and secure a center-back as they come with a cool head.
Hiding behind Hayden is Kieran Yarwood, the team's other anchor at center-back, cool, calm, and classy with the ability to always win the ball.
Freddie Beniston second from the left, a master at scoring and setting up goals.
Eddie Bown, with no shirt and third from the left, is a hard-tackling attacking defender.
George Newbold, a hard-tackling midfielder, a workhorse in the engine room of the team, a great passer and header of the ball.
Hiding behind George is Kye Wooldridge, the team's player of the year and goal scorer supreme.
Next to George is ironman Prosper Njuko, who joined us late in the season and although cup-tied has already shown his strength and potential in league games.
Behind Prosper is Freddie Brooks, our talented right-sided wing-back, whose exciting forays into the heart of opponents' defenses have led to so many goals.
Behind Freddie and Prosper is keeper Tommy Miller, another recruit during the season. Tommy has made so many crucial saves when we’ve been under pressure and his outstanding performance in the League Cup final deserves special mention.
Far right at the front are strikers Baha - Eddinne Lahmoudi with Oliver Hawkins hiding behind him, both these players have recently joined the squad and both have contributed with important goals.
Alfie Donnelly (hidden), his ability to anticipate and intercept the ball and to turn defence into rapid counterattack has been a key feature of the team.
Back row centre is 'Captain Fantastic' Jack Coles, the midfield general who bosses the engine room and extracts the best out of the team.
Behind Jack, right at the back is Alfie Deacon, a speedy winger who contributed with crucial goals.
On the right, with no shirt is Kane Gee, a versatile all-rounder, he’s another speedy, tricky winger or wing-back and at times a hard tackling full back.
Other players not in the picture that have contributed throughout the season are Ben Wileman, a strong powerful midfielder whose physical presence in the side provides stability and control. It's Ben's last season with Heather as he is off to join the Army and all at the club wish him well for the future.
Kai Callaghan, a speedy talented winger.
Alfie Lee, a regular midfield player from the U17’s has added more control and possession.
Jenson Hill, a keeper who played regularly through the first half of the season and played a major part in our early season wins.
Players from the U17’s who contributed to the campaign and showed their potential Zac Bird, Tobi Culver, Jake Bate, Daniel Blake, Joe Harris and Dylan Evans all deserve a special mention for stepping up and showing their quality and commitment when the club needed them.
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