U18's Match report written by Team Manager - Jim Crompton

Watford Wolves opened their account in the National junior conference with a trip to the 'Monaco of the Midlands', Walsall.

A strong squad containing seven who played in the league last year and eleven players who recently returned with plenty of tough match experience from Sarajevo.

The Wolves were joined by the aptly named Vuk Guzijan, (Vuk meaning Wolf in Serbia).
After witnessing the Watford chauffeurs (Adrian, Elena, Louis and Bojan) perform an amazingly professional performance on table duties for the first game, apparently they have been approached by the LEN scouting team to run the table at the upcoming Champion league!

The team had to really step it up in the first game against Birmingham.
It looked like it was going to be a tight cagey game as the Wolves closed Q1 with a slender 3-2 lead.

Quarter 2 however delivered the fireworks promised in the pre match write up as the team
scored a perfect 10, the defence and some fantastic saves from Vuk newly crowned 'The
Serbian Eagle'; repelled every Birmingham attack for a clean sheet, and a 13-2 lead.

Birmingham fought hard in the third quarter despite the contest being largely over and we
entered the final eight minutes 18-6 ahead.

The final quarter proved the team were hungry for more as they hit sixteen more to join the over 30s club and finish victors 34-7.

With almost three hours to fill before our final match against Manchester the group watched the Manchester v Sheffield game.

Then it was on to more serious matter of the first sitting of the Bishops court.

Somewhat an over spill from the trip to Sarajevo but still there was no escape for the non
travelling players Aksel,Ed and Vuk. Rather surprisingly all the accused were found guilty with only Dinil of the accused escaping punishment as he performed his world famous Red Bull F1 car impersonation (ably driven by Ilija)in lieu of punishment.

The final third of the day proved to be a thorn in the side in the shape of the Red Rose of
Lancashire - Manchester. The team were certainly given food for thought as they trailed 1-3 at end of the first and then 2-6 at the half way point the Manchester drummer certainly thought it was game over as Manchester scored again early in the third quarter but finally the Wolves awoke the spirit of Sarajevo and replied with at trio of fine goals to get within one at 6-7 and Watford began to beat their own drum.

The great escape looked to be in sight but a double exclusion led to another Manchester goal and they closed out the game 8-6 winners.

I know you want more after an very tense exciting final game but you will have to wait until
November when Watford Wolves return to Habs Boys for week 2 on November 30th and then your big event week 3 in Northampton on the 14th December.

Another massive thank you to Adrian, Louis, Bojan and Elena. Don't worry if you missed out i will need more assistance every week just for one game on the table. They had as much fun as the players!
Goals v Birmingham Ed 8, Dušan 5, Bertie 1, Owen 1, Bailey 3, Sam 1, Ilija 4, Aksel 7, Rishi 1, Gethin 3

Goals v Manchester Ed 2, Dušan 1, Bertie 1, Bailey 2

Team: 
Vuk Guzijan Ed Carpenter
Dušan Crompton
Bertie Dix 
Owen Dorrington
Bailey Sapsed
Sam Wood
Dinil Rodrigo
Niko Obradović
Ilija Crompton
Aksel Gerhardstein
Rishi Patel
Gethin Dorrington