Reports 03-04

First game of the season and a local derby! This was never going to be a classic game played on a rock hard pitch and chances in the first half for either side were hard to come by. Eaton's front two were menacing but Paxton's rear guard held firm. Conway and Joe Jordan (JJ) both had half chances but the score remained 0-0 at halftime. The second half started well for Paxton and they started to make in roads into the Eaton back four without the finishing touch. But against the run of play Eaton won a corner, the ball was knocked into the six yard box for ex Paxton boy Rob Davey to head home unmarked. 1-0 Eaton. This only inspired Paxton through and with the introduction of Dawkes Paxton fought there way back into the game. Dawkes crossed from the right and somehow Conway guided his header past the keeper. 1-1 and with ten minutes remaining Paxton new boy JJ got the winner after a back header fell short and he finished well into the bottom corner. 2-1 PAXTON !!!!

Paxton played the other new boys in the league and hoped to continue their good start. Within fifteen minutes Paxton took the lead, good work by the midfield allowed the ball to be played into the box and JJ put the ball home! With his thigh come knee. 1-0. But within two minutes C.U.P equalised after some sloppy defending allowed the forward to turn and score 1-1. The game was now end to end and Paxton scored again with one of the best goals you're likely to see, a flowing move of 20 or more passes saw the ball played across the area to Blackhall who sidestepped his man and curled the ball into the far corner of the net. 2-1 Paxton. But as with the 1st equaliser the second was yet more bad defending and C.U.P equalised, a foul committed just outside the area gave the visitors a crack at goal the wall split the keeper let the ball under his arm woeful! 2-2. On the stroke of halftime a free header inside the box allowed a looping header to evade the keeper and make
the score at halftime 3-2. The second half was dominated by the home side but with no finished product and with fifteen minutes to go the score was 4-2, a long throw was flicked on went through the defenders legs and past the outstretched keeper.

After the defeat at home to C.U.P Paxton faced another hard game in the shape of pre season title favourites SHELFORD. The home side were put under pressure right from the off. But some luck and resolute defending kept out the visitors there were very few chances at the other end and very little football played but with scores 0-0 at the break the game was still there for the taking. Paxton were told at halftime to try and play some football and they must have taken note as they came out all guns blazing which must have shocked Shelford as within ten minutes Paxton took the lead through the impressive Chris Stanton after good work by Joe Jordan playing as a lone striker 1-0. Then within five minutes a free kick was awarded to Paxton the ball swung in perfectly by Woodhead to head home from 8 yards out. 2-0. Shelford tried in vain to get back into the game and Paxton received another free kick Paxton manager Plumb put the ball right on Woodheads' head to make it 3-0 and game over. A consolation for Shelford meant a tense finish. But Paxton held out for a great win 3-1.

Another tough fixture! Paxton hadn't won at Over since coming up into the Premier Division and as always Over are thought to be another contender for the league this season. The game got off to a slow start with both sides looking on a level par. Over playing their usual direct style having a strong physical side but the visitors were by no means overawed. Conway and Blackhall having good chances on the half hour mark, but the scores were level at halftime 0-0. After the interval the visitors bossed the game with Over hanging on for dear life, but they conceded on the hour mark, the ball was crossed from the right by Scott Kingsbury and as the Over defence and keeper hesitated Andrew Conway sneaked in to shoot the ball home 1-0. This only inspired
Over who started to bomb forward and from a long throw from the right Paxton got themselves in a pickle and the ball was bundled home from 6 yards. The next ten minutes was all Over but with the minutes ticking away Matt Plumb weaved his way through the home defence only to be felled on the edge of the area. He picked himself up and smashed the ball towards goal only for the keeper to parry away to Ben Whitbread who smashed the ball into the roof of the net and sealed a great win for Paxton 2-1. Also a debut for R. Sherman, D. Merrick and A. Hammett.

Another good result. Paxton came into this one with a good little run going so felt confident they could build on their early season form. Somersham had the better of the opening stages on a greasy surface. But as the half wore on the home side started to make inroads into the Somersham back four and right on the stroke of halftime the ball again came in from the right and one of the visiting defenders sliced the ball into his own net 1-0. Paxton needed to improve in the second half to stay in the lead and this proved so as the home side started to play some good football and when Conway found Dawkes on the edge of the area he swerved past two defenders and slammed the ball home 2-0, then five minutes later he scored again. The ball coming over to the back of the penalty area and he rode two more tackles and from an angle slotted the ball home 3-0. Somersham then got themselves in the game when the ball was floated into the box for "old" boy Simon Anderson to slot the loose ball home 3-1. This spurred Paxton on and when the ball was crossed into the area from the left Scott Kingsbury was the first to react to make it 4-1. Conway put the icing on the cake with a great finish after being put through on goal in the last moments of the game. 5-1. Let's hope the success continues.

After 3 straight wins a young Paxton side came down with a bump against a strong Cottenham outfit. The visitors dominated most of the first half but their only weapon seemed to be the long throw into the box. One of those caused the confusion in the defence which allowed the first goal in the 35th minute. Paxton had their chances, good work by Scott Kingsbury setting up both Darren Blackhall and Andrew Conway but the opportunities were spurned. The second half was only 7 minutes old when another long throw led the way to Cottenhams' second. Up for a set piece, Dan Woodhead spun and poked home for Paxton 3 minutes later. Kingsbury could have equalised but saw his first time effort come back off the bar and that seemed to galvanise the visitors who scored two more in the last 10 minutes.

Paxton went into this cup game full of confidence following a great start in their league campaign. Paxton played the better football in the early stages, making good use of the superb playing surface and large pitch. Their pressure was finally rewarded after 25minutes, with Lee Archer managing to finish from close range after a goal mouth scramble. With half time approaching, Paxton were punished for some poor marking when Cambourne converted a corner and meant the scores were level going into half time. In the second half, Man of the match Pat was tested on numerous occasions and pulled off some superb saves as Paxton's evident lack of fitness allowed Cambourne to put the pressure on. Cambourne were awarded a penalty following Lee Archer's lunge on the line to clear the ball, that unfortunately made contact with his hand and saw Lee pick up a straight red card. Once again Pat pulled off a superb stop, and Paxton were still in with a chance. Chris Stanton was somewhat isolated upfront as Paxton tried to soak up the pressure whilst being a man down. However Cambourne eventually took the win 15 minutes from time as they finished from close range following yet more pressure. A disappointing result no doubt, however the reserves undoubtedly have a strong squad if they can improve on their all round fitness.

Fairly even for the first half an hour. Paxton took the lead fortuitously in the 10th minute, the ball pinging round the Littleport area before finally finding the net. The conclusion from the side was maybe Paxton had signed the famous Irish striker Rick O'Shea but player/manager Matt Plumb claimed it at half-time. Andy Oxborough made a fine save on 22 minutes to preserve the lead and a minute later Joe Jordan should have extended it when clean through after beating the offside trap. The turning point came just before the half-hour, key defender Rob Seal jumped with a Littleport attacker and came down gushing blood from a face wound (seven stitches at the hospital later), before the re-organisation was complete Littleport had equalised.

Going into the match as clear under-dogs, Paxton were by no means intimidated and showed great determination from the whistle. Despite a hard and therefore bobbly surface, we managed to play the ball around well at times, and created several first half chances. A superb through ball from Knowlsey putting Stanton one-on-one looked promising, however the chasing defender and un-even surface did enough to require a simple save from Huntingdon's keeper. 0-0 at the break, Paxton were certainly the better side going into the second half. Further battling and strong teamwork finally paid dividends when sub Ryan played a neat ball through to Stanton who finished with a side foot into the far corner. Despite a lot of pressure and the introduction of two more Huntingdon Town First Team players late on, Paxton held strong and came out deserved winners at the final whistle. A great team performance all round.

After back to back defeats Paxton really needed a good performance to their season back on track. Heavy rain right on kick off made the surface greasy, but perfect for an exciting opening, with end to end action. Paxton's new look midfield did well to cope with the extra numbers of the Littleport midfield, Dawkes and Blackhall working hard down the middle and Kingsbury and Jordan working well out wide. The Conway/ Swain combination back in action up front, began to work the Littleport backline hard and midway through the half, good work in the channels caused chaos in the home sides penalty area and Conway picked up the loose ball to slot home across the keeper 1-0 Halftime. Paxton came out firing again in the second half and they opened up the home defence two or three more times before Conway got on the end of a left wing cross from Jordan and volleyed home from just inside the box. 2-0. But as Paxton always do they made it hard work for themselves and some sloppy play let Littleport back in the game. 2-1. This time though they didn't give in and Blackhall jinked his way by player after player to score from a tight angle 3-1. A good result and another 3 points.

Historically a very physical fixture, Paxton knew that battling would need to be the main part of their game. However, after only two minutes Paxton had yet to wake up and St Ives were ahead. Still in shock from such an early goal, Paxton again found themselves napping and were 2-0 down within ten minutes. At long last this was the wake up Paxton needed and they began to tighten up and let St Ives know Paxton can battle. On reaching half time, Paxton were 2-0 down but beginning to show the fight and teamwork that was needed to stay in the game. The second half was arguably one of the reserves' best performances to date. With great strong tackles and some superb simple passing moves, Paxton created numerous chances but lacked the finish. However with 25 minutes to go, Chris Stanton finally converted another flowing move. Despite several more clear cut chances St Ives hung on to their lead. A brilliant team effort after an awful start, we were unlucky to get nothing out of the game.

An eventful match which when over saw Paxton climb to the top of the Kershaw Premier for the first time ever. The visitors made the first two chances of the game but Pat Faulkner made two good saves to deny them. Paxton had a purple patch after twenty minutes first Adam Swain going close then Andrew Conway pulling a good save out of Kieran Babcock in the Linton goal before a cracking goal from Scott Kingsbury. Good work by Joe Jordan on the right before he found Kingsbury who fired into the top left corner. Filled with confidence from that Paxton continued to push forward and had strong claims for a penalty when Swain seemed to be tripped soon after. An unsavoury incident just before half time could have ruined the game. Rob Seal and Keith Manion had a bit of a wrestling match on half way, as they both fell to the ground Manion made a fist and connected with Seals jaw. The referee had his view blocked by the players backs but saw enough to make a good call and send the Linton man from the field.

Second half, a goal and a man up and Paxton should have been cruising but Linton refused to roll over and within a minute were level. A goalmouth scramble after a corner and the ball was stabbed home from close range. Paxton regained their composure and pushed forward again, Swain going close and Conway missing when it was easier to score. On the hour Conway danced into the area and rounded Babcock, as he was shaping to roll the ball into the net he was scythed down by a last moment attempt at a tackle, the ball rolled sideways and Jordan, following up, pounced only to see his desperate effort hit the post. The referee then blew and awarded a penalty, the Linton players were not happy but there you go. Player/Manager Matt Plumb took the responsibility and slotted home. After that Paxton ran riot, Conway had a shot blocked and substitute Shaun Humphreys poked home, then Swain got onto a though ball just before Babcock could reach it, after that Swain hit a post and Jordan made it 5-1. The last ten minutes saw the Paxton players ease right off and Linton got two goals back before Conway rounded off the scoring in the last minute.

Being a particularly short pitch, the game was initially crowded and messy. After ten minutes Chris Stanton managed to convert Paxton's first real chance at which time Paxton started to play some good football. After 20 minutes, Chris Stanton showed the disappointing side to his game and received his second yellow card, leaving Paxton with ten men at an early stage. Determined not to defend for the remainder Paxton continued to push forward, and were rewarded when Danny Gilson calmly finished from close range. 2-0 up at the start of the second half and still playing some great football all round, with the defence keeping a strong line and allowing Littleport no clear opportunities. Mid way through the second half, skipper Jon Goodchild latched onto a clever through ball and should have done better having nipped the ball past Littleports' keeper at a tight angle. Following more pressure and superb teamwork, Paxton deservedly got the third goal when substitute Chris Egan put Tom Archer clean through to side foot in a well deserved goal. Another great performance from the team now showing superb battling, teamwork and consistency

Paxton started well and had some early chances that should have put them in the lead, however Bluntisham were somewhat fortunate to take the lead after twenty minutes following their first real attempt on goal. Jon Goodchild weaved his way into the box and was bought down by the last defender and Bluntisham were very fortunate to avoid a dismissal. A handful of great stops by the opposition's keeper saw Paxton still 1-0 down at the half despite some clear cut chances. The second half started well, with some superb battling giving Michael Peach the opportunity to finish from an extremely tight angle to level the scores. Some more simple yet effective passing from Paxton saw Peach again through on goal to finish calmly and give Paxton the lead; getting his hat-trick only five minutes later. Paxton seemed to ease off the pressure and were punished with a second goal from Bluntisham, and again Paxton missed several opportunities to widen their lead at the other end - including both Dean Merrick and Perry Grove hitting the woodwork. Finishing with an undoubted deserved win however, Paxton march onto the next round of the cup.

Paxton went into the game knowing a win would keep them top, but from the start the away side looked jaded and heavy legged, They couldn't get any control of the game and the 1st half soon came and went with Newmarket making the better chances, 0-0 halftime. The second half began with Paxton looking a bit sharper in their play, but Newmarket were still causing problems up front. Paxton took the lead from a corner on the hour mark, sub Jack Woods curling one in with Dan Woodhead getting his head to it and finishing well. Paxton needed the second goal though to finish the game off and had another couple of chances, but then in five minutes of madness Newmarket equalised and then took the lead after sloppy play in the midfield and Oxborough could only parry the ball away to the on coming forward who finished well. It looked all over for Paxton but a superb volley from Adam Swain in the final minutes secured a point for the visitors.

Paxton started the game well with simple passing and looked like they were on for another steady performance. However ten minutes into the game Barton Mills took the league when a relatively weak shot managed to sneak under Oxborough in goal. This evidently unsettled Paxton as Barton proceeded to score twice more in the following three minutes, with the off-side 'trap' causing confusion amongst Paxton on both occasions. With three substitutions at half time, Paxton looked more settled and began to look like they could get back in the game; coming close when substitute Tony Knowles headed wide from a great position. Despite improved teamwork and good battling, the second half remained goalless and Paxton recorded their second league defeat of the season.

This local derby was always going to be a real battle, with both sides looking to win their first league meeting. Paxton initially sat quite deep, which unfortunately then gave Eaton the invitation to push forward and inevitably take the lead after 15 minutes. However Paxton then looked to play further up the pitch and put Eaton on their back foot. The pressure was rewarded when a Jon Goodchild free kick required only a glancing touch from Danny Gilson to level the scores. Ten minutes before the break Tony Knowles finished calmly from close range to give Paxton the lead after a period of good passing and teamwork. The second half showed the same battling approach from both teams, and Eaton found themselves level once again when some loose defending from Paxton gave them an easy finish. 2-2 at the whistle, this was a good game of football with some tough yet fair challenges all round.

Paxton dominated the first half with wave after wave of attacks but only rarely troubled the home teams keeper. The scoring started in the 10th minute when Ian Dawkes managed to flick a Scott Kingsbury near post corner into the net. The second came in the 37th minute, a speculative Darren Blackhall drive took a cruel deflection wrong-footing the Hemingford keeper. After the break it seemed the game was all over in a minute when Dan Woodhead pinged a Kingsbury cross into the corner but strangely at 3-0 down Hemingford started playing and deservedly got one back four minutes later. Dawkes thought he had his second but the referees assistant ruled somebody else offside and then Dawkes was tripped just inside the area but the referee gave a free-kick just outside. On 64 minutes Hemingford had a large slice of luck when a cross sailed over Andy Oxborough and found its way just inside the post. With 10 minutes to go Andrew Conway got his reward for his efforts when he ran onto a pass, chested the ball down and slid it home. Substitute Frank Atkins got the fifth with the last kick of the game, a tremendous outside of the boot strike from outside the box.

It was evident at a very early stage that Paxton had the stronger side. With several early opportunities missed however, Somersham found themselves in the lead after 15 minutes when their first attack managed to sneak home past Paxton's debutant keeper Dave Hewitson. Paxton knew this was against the run of play and continued to play the ball around well, creating yet more opportunities. The scores were levelled when Dean Merrick managed to finish from close range following some great pressure. Paxton continued to push forward and were rewarded when left back Chris Egan finished from distance with a superb low drive into the far corner. The second half started slowly for Paxton, who were punished when an attempted Somersham cross sliced it's way into the goal. Undeterred by this, Paxton again took the lead when Shane Maloney finished in style with a driven lob over the opposition's keeper. Tony Knowles ensured Paxton progressed to the semi final with a tidy finish from close range ten minutes from time to give Paxton a deserved 4-2 victory.

Paxton started the game reasonably well and the formation seemed to work well against the league leaders. Early on however, the referee missed a blatant handball and allowed a Waterbeach goal. Feeling hard done by, Paxton were left fuming once more when ten minutes later the referee allowed play to continue whilst Paxton had a man down injured! This led to Waterbeach's second controversial goal. Ten minutes from the half Tony Knowles did well to trouble the opposition keeper, and was bought down in the box. Jon Goodchild stepped up and drilled the ball home to bring Paxton back into the game. The second half started well, however Paxton created few chances. Going 3-1 down 15 minutes from time, the score line did not reflect the game, and the controversial decisions were undoubtedly the deciding factors.

Despite going a goal down after 15 minutes, Paxton had begun the match playing arguably some of their best football all season. It was therefore no surprise when Ryan Draper latched onto a superb cross and put the home side on level terms. The second half again started well for Paxton, however few chances were created. Paxton were once again left fuming when a player was down with a head injury, yet play continued and Waterbeach took the lead. With heads down from this incident Waterbeach extended their lead with two unforced errors, meaning that when Paxton scored their second via Shane Maloney late on, this was too little too late.

The poor run of results continue for Paxton Reserves, as their early signs of some good football were wasted with a weak finish to the game. Going 1-0 down from a penalty mid way through the first half, Paxton failed to equalise with a couple of easy chances. Michael Peach was unfortunate to see his header rebound off the cross bar. The second half began well and Paxton were soon on level terms when sub Dean Merrick finished well following a superb through ball from Shane Maloney. When the referee allowed play to continue despite a clear handball putting the home side clean through, Paxton found themselves trailing, the lead was doubled when some poor marking allowed Bottisham to head in their third goal.

Despite going 1-0 down after 15 minutes, this performance was consistently good for 90mins. Tony Knowles got the first of his three just before the half with a tidy finish from close range. The second half showed some great battling and some superb flowing football from a strong reserves outfit. A great cross from Conners into the box allowed Knowlsey to take his second in style with a powerful head into the top corner. 10 minutes later Paxton's hat-trick hero grabbed his third when Jon G floated a free kick to the far post for Knowlsey to grab his second headed goal of the day. With the foot taken slightly off the pedal in the closing stages, the visitors managed to get their second, however the lead was enough to see Paxton take a deserved 3 points.

Paxton started with conviction and, following several chances, they deservedly went ahead with a headed goal from debutant Russell Davies. Some great one touch football soon paid dividends once more when Davies took his second of the day, just inside the area with a superb strike into the top corner. A slight misunderstanding between the last defender and Paxton's keeper Glen gave Cottenham a goal which came against the run of play. Paxton started the second half as they finished it and were soon 3-1 up when Tony Knowles latched onto a great through ball and finished in style. Cottenham beat the offside trap shortly afterwards and felt they were back in the game. 10 minutes from time Jon Goodchild put his free kick into the top corner with great precision from 25yards, and Paxton without doubt were the deserving winners at the final whistle. A superb performance all round.

To use an old cliche, this really was a game of two halves. Paxton found it a struggle to deal with Eaton's formation from the outset and were punished after 10 minutes when Luke Askinazi broke free down the right and finished from an angle. A chance to level the scores was not taken, when Jon Goodchild had his spot kick saved following an awful challenge from Askinazi on Anthony Knowles. With more pressure from Eaton and with Paxton still not playing to the usual standard, the visitors soon doubled their lead and went into half time deserved leaders. Paxton started the second half with determination, and were unlucky to find themselves 3-0 down after an Eaton miss-hit 5 minutes into the half. This was the turning point however, new boy Russell Davies continued his scoring streak and soon put Paxton back in the game. When this was followed 10 minutes later with an own goal from Eaton, the game came to life. Relentless pressure from the home side paid dividends when a deflected save from Eaton's keeper fell to Simon Goodchild who kept a cool head and finished from close range. Not content with the draw, Paxton continued to pile the pressure on and when Karl Davies converted a cross with a superb header into the top corner, Paxton saw themselves come back from a 3-0 deficit to take all three points.

With a bare eleven travelling to Barton Mills, Paxton knew this would be a tough match. The away side started strongly however, and passed the ball around well. They took the lead when Jon Goodchilds' free kick found the back of the net, with a slight deflection helping it past Barton's keeper. Scores were soon levelled however when the home side benefited from a solo run from their lone striker. Barton went into the break 2-1 up when a miss-hit goal sneaked past Glen Farra in goal. The second half showed relentless pressure from Paxton, but they couldn't find the goal they needed. When Barton broke quickly from a Paxton corner, they were awarded a goal that was un-questionably offside. 3-1 down Paxton continued to pressure, and Russell grabbed his 6th goal in four games to reduce the deficit. Several close calls in the closing stages, but the final goal didn't come. Paxton were extremely unlucky to get nothing out of the great performance.

A strong wind blowing goal to goal did not help this game at all. In the first half Paxton had it on their backs and used it well, creating half a dozen decent chances but took none of them. The second half saw Histon come back into it but the home side were still on top and it was no surprise when the took the lead, Andrew Conway heading home from close range in the 68th minute. Having been mostly a spectator, Andy Oxborough in the Paxton goal suddenly found himself in the game and had to make two smart saves, one from a free kick was excellent palming a fierce shot round the post. Despite that scare Paxton were comfortable and thoroughly deserved their first win in five months.

When coupled with a somewhat dry and hard surface, the strong winds ensured neither team were able to coast from the outset. The home side were unable to break the deadlock despite several well crafted chances, and Paxton keeper James Scott played his part in keeping scores level with a couple of superb saves. Skipper Jon Goodchild was as surprised as everybody to see his ball into the box bounce over the oncoming keeper to give Paxton the lead going into the break. With the wind against them, the second half started slowly and Paxton were soon pulled back on level terms when a Bottisham shot caught the wind and drifted over the keeper. Despite several more great chances created for the home side, Paxton could not finish the game off and were rather frustrated only to get a point out of the game at the final whistle.

The pattern for the game was set early with Huntingdon dominating possession and Paxton having fast breaks. The first real chance fell to Huntingdon, Richard King making space for himself and shooting but James Scott saved well. In the 11th minute King went to go round Lee Archer, Archer stuck a leg out and King went over in the area. Referee Neil Hair had little choice but to point to the spot, Jay Smith hit the penalty and Scott got a piece of it but couldn't stop the ball hitting the back of the net. Paxton continued in the same vein with the Chris Stanton/Anthony Knowles partnership up front continually giving the Huntingdon back four trouble with their pace. It was Knowles who set up the next chance, beating both defender and goalkeeper to the ball but Danny Gilson couldn't stretch enough to get the final touch. After 23 minutes Knowles beat a defender to a header and flicked on for Stanton to run onto. Stanton lobbed the advancing Stuart Chapman and turned to celebrate what he thought was a good goal only to see the assistants flag raised for offside. The Huntingdon defence was looking edgy and it was no surprise when both Paul Clarke and Simon Wareing received cautions for fouls on Stanton and Knowles respectively. The rest of the first continued as before with the assistants flag being raised time and again to foil Paxtons attempts to equalise. Knowles frustration came to the boil just before the halftime whistle and Referee Hair cautioned him for dissent after yet another close offside call. Five minutes after the restart Chris Egan was sent clear, he raced into the area and was tackled from behind when shooting. As Egan fell the ball hit the inside of the post and went to safety, loud demands for a penalty fell on deaf ears and the chance was gone. The game was effectively over on the hour mark when Huntingdon scored twice in four minutes through Dean Parkes and Tim Cahill. Egan again caused the Huntingdon defence trouble and was fouled in the corner, Wareing was central in the pushing match that ensued and received his second yellow in the 65th minute. The loss of a player seemed to make no difference to Huntingdon and Paxton never looked likely to pull back the deficit despite committing more and more players to attack.