FC Boca

With the first team having a week off due to opposition pulling out.
Our Reserves flew the flag at Lings against a Stags Develoment side newly formed but lots of familiar faces.
The boys put in a strong performance with some excellent football on show and two really well-worked goals.

BOCA started brightly and were the better side throughout the opening half, taking the lead through Matty Smithson. A superb defence-splitting pass from Ashley Fox completely opened up the Stags back line, allowing Matty to finish the move and put us deservedly ahead.

The Stags found a way back into the game after some sloppy defending from BOCA, although credit where it’s due, the pop shot from range ended up a tidy goal.

BOCA responded in the best possible way. Emmanuel Okoye produced a brilliant flick to release Michael Childs and with a defender holding onto his pocket, and Michael made no mistake to restore the lead. A quality move and an even better finish - a class above, gents.

There were chances for BOCA to add more, with some brilliant football creating opportunities throughout both halves. After the break, a number of changes were made to give trialists valuable minutes, which naturally changed the rhythm of the game and allowed the Stags to see more of the ball.

BOCA had led for around 85% of the match, but the Stags eventually found their equaliser with a few minutes to go from the penalty spot after James Dimmer produced what can only be described as a classic Sweeney - although the decision itself looked very generous.

The closing stages saw BOCA having to dig in, but overall there was plenty to be pleased with. Two excellent goals, some very good football and another useful 90 minutes in the legs.

Credit to the Stags for giving it a go.

MOTM - Khaled Miah

On Sunday Boca Reserves took on OGS at OGS.

OGS kicked off and gave the ball straight to Matty who slipped in Michael. Michael took a lovely touch and slid one into the bottom corner. 20 seconds in and 1-0 Boca.

Vice captain Alex shouted out for a rollover at this point.

Boca could have had a second when Joe skied one from close range or when Jay skied one from close range or when Michael skied one from close range or when Matty skied one from close range or when Babbs skied one from close range.

Somehow it was still 1-0 Boca at the water break.

A host of changes followed and Boca continued to cause problems, unfortunately our next 8 shots all were straight at the keeper.

Ben was forced into a few excellent saves in the Boca goal against the run of play. 1st choice keeper Cam was 30 minutes late due to diarrhoea.

Half Time 1-0 Boca. More changes from Boca.

Boca started the second half strongly, forcing the keeper into more saves from shots straight at him.

With the amount of missed Boca chances the OGS felt they could get something out of the game and they equalised 15 minutes into the second half when the biggest man in England swerved a couple of tackles and rifled into the bottom corner. 1-1.

Boca fell asleep going into the water break and continued to look sleepy after it.

Chances at both ends followed, Ash was denied from close range and Ruhuz hit the crossbar.

There was still time for an OGS red card when their last man was judged to have ni**le crippled Matty.

Full Time 1-1.

MOTM Jay Jackson

Sunday the firsts travelled to Roade to take on McPave reserves who won the David Ferguson Trophy last season so promised to be a good test for the lads. Lots of new lads in the mix too.

The game kicked off and Chim started shouting with their #10 CB and continued to throughout...obviously.. Boca started slow and mcpave were on top for the first 20, finding spaces in the midfield and took the lead after about 3 minutes after a great ball in behind was poked past Nick. 1-0 McPave.

Boca started to grow into the game as the half went on and had a couple of chances with Lewis and Mac. Chim was still busy building a relationship with the opposition #10.

Half time 1-0.

Second half and now both their centre backs went fishing. Serial nibbler Chim was gobbling up everything they were putting down. Just as the gaffer Ant was subbing him off he took on last nibble and was sin binned after about 5 warnings. Boca down to 10.

Boca seemed to play better with 10 and as the half progressed grew more and more into the game. Jake had a couple of chances and deco forced a great save from the keeper.

With 8 to go some great play down the wing lead to a second for McPave.

Full time 2-0. Another day we could’ve taken our chances and could’ve been a very different result. Lots of positives to take from the game as we tried a few different things.

Motm - Jordan - very positive at full back caused lots of problems and solid defensively

DOTD - Chim - who gets sin binned in a friendly…a

Today Boca’s Reserves took on Queensway at Lings, the first game for the reserves after a few mixed friendlies so the boys were well up for this one

Boca started quickly and could have taken the lead but a strong stop from the keeper kept Breakthrough out.

Queensway grew into the game and looked to get the ball in behind a high Boca line, unfortunately their strikers didn’t know that offsides still count in pre season. The Lino got cramp from lifting the flag so often.

Boca regained control of the game and looked the more likely to find the opener, it came when Trialist A Jay Hamill came on and smashed one top bins from 30 yards. Absolute screamer. 1-0 Boca.

Boca continued to create chances with both Jay and Michael coming close.

HT 1-0 Boca.

Boca started the second half strongly with the away keeper forced into a few decent stops.
Queensway did find their way through after another ball over the top caused a few issues, the winger rounded the keeper and looked like tapping into an empty net until Left Back Tom Burton made a fantastic block on the line to keep Boca in front.

Our saviour, Trialist B Saviour stretched the Queensway defence on multiple occasions and was unlucky not to get an assist or a goal.

With 5 minutes to go, James executed the perfect lobbed finish, unfortunately it was at the wrong end. Cam scrambling, but failing to keep it out. DOTD incoming. 1-1.

Boca immediately broke from kick off and forced a corner, Ryan’s excellent delivery falling to James, allowing him to redeem himself. 2-1 Boca.

Full Time 2-1. Another impressive performance from the Ressies as they look to build momentum with the season opener only a month away.

MOTM Tom Burton, back at Boca after a few years out putting in a blinding shift at full back

Well the FC Boca boys have been back for a couple of weeks now. 65 trialists have come through the door over the past 4 weeks with a few cut already from that number

We've had some stacked training sessions with over 30 players most weeks as we look to strengthen the first team and build a brand new competitive reserve side.

We started Preseason 3 weeks ago at Home at Lings with a team if trialists and reserve players with a couple of last year's 1st team players returning and the turn out from thr mixed team vs Queensway United resulted in a 6-2 loss despite goals from Mac Peek and Jamie Luis Ford. Both Assists from Jenson Chant, newly converted from full back to winger

We then followed that up by welcoming the now folded Z-Project to Lings. A 27 man Boca squad ran roughshod in a game that could've easily ended with double figures. A 6-0 win saw goals from Lewis Chant, Kamalu Chinaecherem, Jay Jackson, Matty Smithson, Ashley Jackson and Mac Peek. Assists from Lewis Chant, Hussein Kofi, Luke Robins and 2 from Jake Cox.

The last mixed friendly saw a 21 man Boca squad made up largely of Reserves and trialists go away to Rothwell to play Red Star Kettering. A 2-1 lead at half time after goals from reserve players Tom Burton and Michael Childs before a few first team players came on and put the result out of site, 4 goals from Chim and another from Jenson Chant put the plucky Red Star side down with assists from Childs (2) Smithson, Jenson Chant (2) and Joe Walter. Credit to Red Star they didn't give up and a few of their forward players caused us some real problems.

Reserve Manager Oliver Palmer and I have some difficult decisions to make over the coming weeks with our next cut of players coming tonight after training.

Now we head into our inaugural 1st team vs Reserve Team game at Lings this weekend with a celebration of how far the club has come before the reserves day next week as their 1st friendly comes vs Queensway United.