strong, with College defeated 7–2. In the last game against Middleton Grange School, College ran out the 4–2 winner, with a notable brace from Nikau Davies after initially being a goal down. Before the Covid-19-related lockdown struck and cut short the season, the team was in 3rd place and set to meet Shirley Boys’ High School in the play-off semi-final. Overall, it was a good season, much enjoyed by the boys. By the end of the season, a good team had formed. The boys should move on to their respective teams next season the better for the experience. Played 6 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 2 Placed 3rd Golden Boot Ashwin Thomas x6 Robbie Turrell Manager 2ND XI FOOTBALL Managers: Kevin Harris and Jennifer Thomas Coach: Kevin Harris Team: Justin Barclay, Jonathan Barnes, Andrew Bourner, Alex Brett, Nicholas Brown, Oliver Butler, Jake Cutler, Bruno Davies, Sam Falvey, Remy Fitzgerald, Gray Heath, Oliver Hlavac, Toby Jackson, Josh Jolly, Jack Martin, Mason Ott, Sam Peebles The 2nd XI season got under way in Division 2 with a spirited game away against St Bede’s College. While St Bede’s ultimately claimed the points with a 2–1 win, College’s performance showed signs of promise for the rest of the season. Following the opening game, the team progressed well, winning its remaining grading games in a controlling, albeit not high-scoring, fashion. Throughout this period, the attacking combination of Jack Martin and Oliver Butler up front proved to be a fruitful one, complemented by the hard-working, technical midfield of Gray Heath, Alex Brett, and captain Josh Jolly. This resulted in the 2nd XI gaining a much deserved
promotion to Division 1, finishing second to the promoted St Bede’s team. As expected, this step up presented a significant challenge, with the team, at times, struggling to match the higher tempo of Division 1 games. Perhaps the highlight of the season came when the 2nd XI took on the CC Ravens following the former’s promotion to Division 1. In a tense match, the Ravens controlled most of the possession, but met strong resistance in their attacking plays, ultimately failing to take any of the chances that came their way. In contrast, the 2nd XI forwards proved clinical in their attacking ventures, pulling out to a 1–0 lead at half-time thanks to a Mason Ott strike. In the second half, the 2nd XI scored twice through Jack Martin and Gray Heath, before defending a late onslaught to take a deserved 3–0 win, with goalkeeper Sam Falvey having a particularly good game. This would prove to be the team’s only Division 1 win. Following a string of heavy defeats, the 2nd XI’s next game was against the St Bede’s side that had narrowly beaten College in the opening round. Again the team looked strong early on, taking the lead midway through the first half thanks to an Oliver Butler goal. However, St Bede’s came out firing in the second half, proving a constant threat as the 2nd XI struggled to break out of its own half. Eventually, the constant pressure took its toll, as a defensive error gifted St Bede’s a simple goal. However, solid defensive play from Remy Fitzgerald, Andrew Bourner and Nick Brown held the score at 1–1, with the 2nd XI walking away with a point. The latter stages of the team’s season were plagued by illness and commitment clashes, resulting in multiple games being played with 12 or fewer players. This culminated in the final game of the season against the table-topping Cashmere Technical side featuring nine players at one stage. While the team battled well, the result was inevitable, with Cashmere running out the
9–0 winner in a season of mixed fortunes. Andrew Bourner & Remy Fitzgerald 2nd XI Football 3RD XI FOOTBALL Manager: Kate Morris Coach: Thomas Bailey Team: Joe Pfahlert (captain) James Bernau, Will Bretherton, Adam Chamberlain, Nathan Cranstone, Charlie Eglinton, Hamish Falls- Anderson, Duncan Fletcher, George Kain, Luke Menzies, Jasper Moss, Janindu Pahalawatta, Dexter Parris, William Song, Sean Wu, Hugo Wynn Thomas At the start of the season, the Christ’s College 3rd XI was placed in Division 4, with four grading games to prove itself. After a bye in the first week, College secured an impressive 7–3 win at home against Parklands, followed by a solid 1–0 away win at Waimak. College then met Hurunui – a team that would eventually move up and win Division 3 – and suffered its first season loss, 3–0. A 1–0 away loss to Cashmere Technical rounded off the grading games. Through a mixture of illness, injury and torrential rain, the boys found themselves on a four-game losing streak while the team had also lost Tavor Abraham, who scored four goals in the 7–3 win. The official league season started with two losses, 3–1 to Parklands and 4–1 to St Bede’s College. However, the message in training was clear, to have the best chance of winning, College needed to work harder than its opponents. A renewed focus on hard work and trusting your teammates paid off instantly, with an emphatic 3–0 away win against Cashmere Technical, followed by an exciting 2–1 home win against Nomads. The squad size suffered with the arrival of the school holidays, highlighted by a 2–1 away loss to Waimak. However, this was quickly followed by a comfortable 2–1 win over Selwyn, powering College to second on the table.
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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