neilhoskins77
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Posts posted by neilhoskins77
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......and that winner is Mark Wilson27, for his excellent '15-1, Who's Up For An African Safari' story!
Another fantastic effort that always creates huge interest, especially amongst those included in the tale, and many congratulations Mr Wilson on another award for your collection, and it's back to back awards for this story too after it won this award last year.
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Just now, Mandy42 said:
I think that's two successful vote for winners by yours truly.
Now that should be an award! Person who voted for the most award winners!
Might mean I actually win something.
Anyway, *Dumps a full bag of cheetos over Cider Drinker*
Glad we get the award that makes me feel old out of the way early
We are actually looking for more award categories to be added. And I was not looking forward to cleaning up the Cheetos every year, so this idea works for me.....
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Without further pause for delay, and we move onto an award that is always hotly contested, and features many of the Boards most popular stories over recent years. It's the award for the 'Best International Management Story of the Year'.
As always the competition for this one is fierce, and the winner was chosen by a single vote.......
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.....and the winner is Cider Drinker!
Congratulations on being crowned the best newbie of 2022, and collecting your first FMS Award, hopefully there are many more to come!
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Now for the category where we crown the writer seen as the latest 'young pup' to impress FMS writers and readers alike. It's the 'Newcomer of the Year' award. A fairly small field this year, so we may need to consider requesting a Youth Facilities Upgrade from the Board, but this became a two pup race......
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Just now, CFuller said:
Who will win Short Story of the Year? EvilDave or DaveEvil?
It was the toughest choice throughout the voting ha
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......and the winning piece of work is..............
....by a landslide, it's 'Captain America Crushed Our Dreams' by EvilDave!
Congratulations ED on another award to add to your long list of achievements in this corner of the Boards.
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We start with the 'Short Story of the Year' category.
With only two entrants for this award, and both by the same writer, the winner is of course no secret. The good news for EvilDave is that he didn't have to choose between his own stories as he was of course unable to vote in this section.....
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Let's get cracking shall we folks? Here is the running order for tonight's ceremony.....
1) Short Story of the Year
2) Newcomer of the Year
3) Best International Management Story of the Year
4) Funniest Writer of the Year
5) Rest of the World Story of the Year
6) Best Story Character of the Year
7) Rest of the UK Story of the Year
8) English Story of the Year
9) Hall of Fame
10) The Terk/Raptor/ Wilson Builder’s Award
11) Story of the Year
12) Writer of the Year0 -
Good evening, and welcome everyone to tonight's Awards Ceremony. As you can see, things are a little different this year. Our usual Master of Ceremonies has gone with the option of being a guest this year, and is currently filling his boots at the Free Bar.
I'd just like to start proceedings tonight by mentioning my moderator colleague and FMS Legend, Mr Mark Wilson. I always knew he did a fabulous job around here, but organising the annual Awards Event has opened my eyes greatly to the amount of work goes into sorting this out for you guys. It's stressful to be fair, and he does it each year with no fuss and makes it look all very easy.
I hope to do the event justice tonight, but I will apologise in advance if I'm a little slower and make the odd mistake.....
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38 minutes ago, CFuller said:
It's coming up to nine years since I started posting WTR (and nearly 10 since I started writing it), but I'll admit it still sounds strange to be called an FMS stalwart. At least neither of us have taken 10-3's place as FMS' resident curmudgeon. Yet.
Good idea for a new Award that.....
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41 minutes ago, Mandy42 said:
My grandma could beat Jordan Pickford from 45 yards out.
Good job I didn't go too over board with preparations at my house. (Sure those 10kg of cheetos will come in!)
Keep hold of them, we can throw them at Lloris and Kane if they arrive......
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2 minutes ago, CFuller said:
Best, Awards venue. Ever.
Thank you for having me again, Neil. I'll be sure to help myself to a few non-alcoholic beverages while I'm waiting for the ceremony.
Just one question: how reliable is the Wi-Fi? On a scale from Very Reliable to Hugo Lloris?
I felt fairly sure you'd approve Chris ha. A stalwart of FMS, who first appeared on these boards around the same time frame as myself with your epic 'Welcome To Romford' story. Delighted to have you along to join us.
WiFi I'm reliably informed is not quite Nick Pope, but is certainly capable of beating Jordan Pickford from 45 yards out
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Good Afternoon FMS'ers,
After last years underwhelming turnout for the Awards, it was suggested that we should go bigger and better with the venue for this years annual event......
......'Were you recently burgled?' I asked when shown the room that I have hired for tonight's high brow event. 'Yes, that is correct, police are currently searching for a man with a very large rolled up Tottenham Hotspur carpet......'
Annnnyyyyywaaayyyyy. It's said that if you come here at certain times of the day you can spot Harry Kane wandering around, asking himself why and watching You Tube video's abut how to place spells on Leicester City.......
.....but if you were to return here tonight at around 8pm, you'll find the Great and the Good of FMS, along with several other shady looking folk all waiting expectantly to see who is to be honoured for their story writing efforts in 2022. Drinks are free, there's a kebab shop around the corner, and the WiFi is excellent!
See you there......
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Wednesday 9th July 2008
With the meet the media circus all done, I get a chance to do a little housekeeping and see what tournaments are already in progress and where we currently stand in those, what are prospects are, and who the key players are likely to be. There are three teams that I'll be overseeing in this save......Senior Team
Our Senior side are preparing to start their Qualifying campaign in September for the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals, which will be held in South Africa. We are the fifth seeds in a six nation section, and it's a very interesting looking Group Three. The only nation ranked lower than us are San Marino, who we will of course be expected to take maximum points from. Ranked higher than us and different proposition are the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Certainly no easy games there, but there are some opportunities to see how we can compete against some nations that have some good players, but wouldn't be considered European heavyweights by any means. If we can finish third or fourth in the Group and punch above our weight, I think it would be considered a good campaign. Qualification would be a long shot, but lets not rule ourselves out before we even get underway. It's a tough start though, with three of the opening four games seeing us face the Czech's at home, as well as Slovakia and Slovenia away.The current crop of mainstays in the Northern Ireland Senior Squad contain, it would be fair to say I think, no superstars of the game. There is a good core though, and many of the Green and White Army will be excited by the young group of players that are breaking into the Senior ranks. They include centre back Jonny Evans of Manchester United, left winger Chris Brunt of West Bromwich Albion and Rangers midfielder Steve Davis, as well as his Gers team mate and striker Kyle Lafferty to name just a few.
Under-21's
The eldest age group side have been simply superb so far in Group Five of Qualification for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championships Finals. With one Qualifier left to play (most of the other nations have two left), our youngsters are unbeaten and guaranteed a Playoff to try and secure their place in the Finals that will be held in Sweden. No mean feat, especially in a Group that includes both Holland and the Republic of Ireland, our lads drew with the former both home and away and beat the latter in both ties. A win in the final game away to Estonia on the 9th September will cement an unbeaten Group Phase!| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | Pl | N.Ireland | | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 15 | | 2nd | | Ireland | | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 9 | | 3rd | | Holland | | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 8 | | 4th | | Estonia | | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 7 | | 5th | | Moldova | | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |Under-19's
Our youngest age group are the next generation of Northern Irish football stars, and on September 1st they will find out who their opponents will be for their own set of European Championship Qualifiers when the draw is made and nations plot their path to next summers Finals in France.When you get to see the Under-19's in action, you can expect to see a mix of youngsters that are in the system at big clubs, out on loan or playing for clubs further down the pyramid in several nations, or players that are already making names for themselves in domestic football in Ulster. I have to say that the prospect of guiding young players through the age levels and into the Senior Squad, and hopefully seeing them thrive both at Club and International level, is one I'm very much looking forward to it through the course of this save.
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Sunday 13th February 2011
We're currently on a run of six wins in a row, a mark that is both a new club and Division record.Tuesday 15th February
An attempt to try and improve our defensive options once more has failed. The target this time was John Madin, a 28 year old who can play on the left and central area of the defence. He has rejected the chance to make the move to Cornwall, instead staying in the Kent area with a move from Lordswood to Kent County Premier Division rivals Holmesdale, who had offered him a wage to wear their colours until next summer. He has only moved one place up the League Table with this transfer though.Friday 18th February
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THE BETEnglish FA Cup Fifth Round
Sunderland v Cardiff City - Home Win - 4/5
Doncaster Rovers v Arsenal - Away Win - 1/2Double Odds - 17/10
Stake - £75,000
Balance After Bet - £630,721
Total Potential Returns Including Stake - £202,500
--------------------With our game not until Sunday this weekend, the bet very much takes centre stage on Saturday. The big games in England are the FA Cup matches, and I pick a Double, opening with mid table Premier League side Sunderland hosting mid table Championship outfit Cardiff City. That's followed by the pick of Title contending Arsenal travelling north in the late kick off to face Doncaster Rovers, who sit just outside the Championship Playoff places. Not a given by any means, but the rewards are good, with a win taking the clubs coffers over the three quarters of a million mark.
BET RESULT
Sunderland 1-1 Cardiff City
Doncaster Rovers 1-3 ArsenalLOST
The chance of a hatrick of bets disappears out of the window at the Stadium of Light, as in a bad tempered game Sunderland simply couldn't find a way through a stubborn Cardiff City defence. Spanish striker Imanol Agirretxe had the Black Cats ahead before the half hour mark, only for Jay Bothroyd to level five minutes later. After that, the game was punctuated by bookings and injuries, and the Arsenal fairly routine win in Doncaster was irrelevant for us by that point.
In almost identical fashion, but of far more relevance and potentially much more important was Mousehole dropping a pair of points away to Godolphin Atlantic here in Newquay. A crowd of just over 600 at Godolphin Way watched on as the frustrated league leaders failed to get their lead back after losing it just eight minutes after taking the lead. Now a win for us tomorrow afternoon in Truro will take us to the top of the table at a crucial stage of the season.
Sunday 19th February
South West Peninsula League, Division One West
Treyew Road, Truro
Truro City Reserves v AFC NewquayThere are no changes to our lineup today from last time out for a game with Truro City's second string. But our increased profile has peaked the interest of the club who's First Team ply their trade in the seventh tier Southern Premier League, and are in with a shout of promotion this year. As a result, Treyew Road is packed out today, with a noisy bunch of our fans travelling the 15 miles south to stand behind the goal we will attack in the first half.
Simon Varty headed over the bar from a Danny Warrender corner very early on as City tried to catch us napping early in the game. They had missed their chance for that though, Lee Hales missing the target with a shot after the home defence failed to properly clear a Jimmy Harte free kick. He wouldn't miss in the 15th minute though, Atik Askari and Tom Murray with the build up to play in Michael Smyth, and his partially blocked shot fell into the path of Hales who lashed it into the top corner to open the scoring for the second game in a row. Steve Magee missed a chance to extend that lead quickly as he didn't catch his shot right at all. At the other end of the park Dan Smith found room down the right and sent in a low cross that Mark Spencer knocked in from close range, only to see the offside flag cut short his celebration. It served to give us our focus right back though, with Wayne Baker getting their only other chance of the half and Elliott Jackson turned that one around the post. Magee's lack of pace prevented an opportunity to extend the lead before the break, his last effort before half time would be partially blocked and have all the pace taken out of the shot.
Just as I did last week, I asked the players not to lose focus, but this week they would go one better. Keeper Michael Byrne's clearance was headed back over the City defence, and while Kirk Cox got a tackle in to stop Smyth in his tracks, the ball went right into the path of Magee, who stepped inside once before rifling a low shot past Byrne and inside the near post to double our advantage. Magee could have quickly added another but this time only found the side netting, however our chances would soon reduce in number as we looked to close up at the back, mindful of how badly this so nearly went wrong last time out. We were still playing some nice stuff though, Askari and Harte linking up on the right and the latter sent a low cross through the box that Warrender had to clear behind his own goal at the far post. In the 74th minute Cox wanted far too much time on the corner of his own penalty box, and Magee whipped the ball off his toe before squaring it to Smyth who swept his shot high into the top corner to clearly move us out of sight for today. I wouldn't take any chances, and with just under ten minutes left to play I sacrificed two of my forwards after one had been booked, and moved us to a counter attacking 5-4-1 that still nearly saw us score once more, Byrne having to keep a tight hold of Smyth's shot from an angle as we push ourselves to the top of the division.
Truro City Reserves (0) 0
AFC Newquay (1) 3 - Lee Hales (15), Steve Magee (52), Michael Smyth (74)
Attendance :- 3,000
Elliott Jackson; James Ives, Joe Kennedy ©, James Taylor, Danny Howard; Jimmy Harte, Lee Hales, Tom Murray; Michael Smyth, Atik Askari (Chris Tingay 81), Steve Magee (Ollie Harrison 81).
Unused Substitutes :- Graham Dowling, Sam Farrell, Fred Musah, Kasper Hansen, Martin Prince.That's more like what I expect to see, clinical up front when the chances come our way, but solid enough at the back that we don't need to feel like we need to score four or fives just to snatch a victory. A professional and efficient performance that I gave the team plenty of credit for as we return back to the top of the table for the first time in exactly three months. The aim now is to stay there for the next two and a half months or so.
Friday 25th February
With no game until midweek, it's been a very quiet week. Or it least it had until yesterday. At a Scouting meeting yesterday afternoon, a very excited Ted Gilbert announces that he has found a player that would be the next level for us, and better yet, he has spoken to the guy and he is very interested!The guy in question is 30 year old Turkish national but German based and passport holding striker Oktay Güney. He's 5'11 and can use both feet well, which would give us increased options. He has spent his entire career playing regional football in Germany, including right now where he is on an amateur contract with DSC Wanne-Eickel. In 257 career games, he has found the net 97 times, making him clearly the most proven scorer we would have. Within hours we have an agreement from the player to join us, and he starts making the arrangements to arrive here.
But that isn't the end of the story either. After arriving here this morning and completing the formalities, I sit down and have a chat with out new striker, and talk turns to his now former team mates back in Germany. He clearly has a lot of admiration for the talents of a 29 year old German born Moroccan National by the name of Zouhair Allali. It would clearly be remiss of me not to enquire about the possibility of his team mate coming across to play for us as well. A quick telephone call confirmed the midfielder would love to join his mate on the English Riviera, and that deal is also now in process.
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THE BETGerman Third Division
Dynamo Dresden v SV Wacker Berghausen - Home Win - 1/2
Offenbach FC Kickers v Rot Weiss Ahlen - Home Win - 4/5Double Odds - 17/10
Stake - £65,000
Balance After Bet - £566,173
Total Potential Returns Including Stake - £175,500
--------------------*cough* I'm not prepared to say where my new found source of information in the German lower leagues has come from, but needless to say I'm assured this is a very good bet. 6th play 13th while it's 4th against 17th in the second part of the Double. It's the same odds as last weeks pick as well. Let's hope we can put some money back in the pot tomorrow evening, where once again the bet is the highlight of the day with no game scheduled.
Saturday 26th February
BET RESULT
Dynamo Dresden 0-3 SV Wacker Berghausen
Offenbach FC Kickers 1-1 Rot Weiss AhlenLOST
Maybe he's better at picking winners in the Turkish League instead of the German Divisions. Let's hope he's far better at putting the ball in the back of the net.......
Sunday 27th February
We had already sent home a Reserve team striker last week with the flu, but seemingly not quite quick enough to stop it from being passed on within the Squad, as Ollie Harrison is also now sent home today. That is in addition to the set back suffered by 20 year old Irish defender Graham Dowling, who has suffered a sports hernia injury that will all but end his season.Midfielder Zouhair Allali has also now arrived in the country, and the 29 year old Moroccan/German bolsters our squad depth with his signing. Like his mate he has played his entire football career in Germany, amassing almost 250 career league appearances and chipping in with over 30 goals. He's a combative sort of player, so should be toughening up the centre of the park for us too. Should be a good addition for us.
2010/11 South West Peninsula League, Division One West Table, Up To & Including Monday 28th February 2011
| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | | AFC Newquay | | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 39 | 22 | +17 | 42 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 2nd | | Mousehole | | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 28 | +25 | 41 | | 3rd | | Foxhole Stars | | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 29 | | 4th | | Penryn Athletic | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 28 | | 5th | | Okehampton Argyle | | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 43 | -6 | 27 | | 6th | | Godolphin Atlantic | | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 22 | | 7th | | Truro Reserves | | 17 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 22 | | 8th | | Holsworthy | | 17 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 22 | | 9th | | Dobwalls | | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 30 | -1 | 20 | | 10th | | Camelford | | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 32 | -7 | 19 | | 11th | | Callington Town | | 17 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 25 | -3 | 17 | | 12th | | Porthleven | | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 22 | 46 | -24 | 15 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 13th | | Hayle | | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 35 | -17 | 13 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 -
Wednesday 1st April 2009
April, and what should be a very busy month of action for us as the climax of the season approaches. But it really isn't like that at all. With an International Window to start the month, and Cup football also scheduled in Scotland, we have just two of our remaining four games taking place this month. They are on back to back weekends in the middle of the month, and both away from home. We will travel to Title rivals East Stirlingshire first, followed by a trip to Playoff hopefuls Albion Rovers.Four wins from four in March means I am named Manager of the Month for the second time this season, beating John Coughlin and Paul Martin of Stenhousemuir and Albion Rovers to the honour. The Young Player of the Month Award also comes to the Strathclyde Homes Stadium, with Paul McLeod picking up that honour. The Player of the Month goes to Berwick Rangers midfielder Andrew McDermott, though his season has now come to an early close with an injury that may see him miss the start of next season as well.
Thursday 2nd April
The Board remain satisfied with how things are going this season, and are particularly happy to see the fans reaction to our 3-1 win over Berwick Rangers. A loss of just under £9,000 last month won't cause them any concerns.Northern Irish right back Gordon Lennon has signed a new one year deal to continue with the club at £70 per week.
Friday 3rd April
He is quickly joined by 27 year old goalkeeper Dave McEwan, our former Scottish Under-21 International who has been our ever present this season. He has taken a fairly big wage cut to stay, and has been a bit erratic from time to time. I will certainly be looking for an upgrade over the summer regardless of whether we go up or not.Saturday 4th April
23 year old centre back Ben Gordon has had an up and down kind of season, but has now signed a one year extension to his deal, and like McEwan he also takes a sizeable pay cut to stay at the club.Thursday 9th April
On loan Northern Irish centre back David Armstrong has suffered a toe injury in training today. Normally this would be sorted with a course of injections. However as he isn't our player, we can't do that, and now Armstrong will likely miss Saturday's crucial trip to East Stirlingshire. The Heart of Midlothian man has been one of our best players this season, and this is a blow for both ourselves and the 22 year old.Friday 10th April
Despite being away from home, the bookies have us as the favourites for tomorrows trip to East Stirlingshire in a battle of the top two. Our four point advantage at the top means a victory in this one could leave us just one more result away from securing the automatic promotion spot. Lose however, and the Title Race takes a turn that will likely see it go all the way to the last weekend.Saturday 11th April
East Stirlingshire v Dumbarton
Scottish League, Third Division
Ochilview Park, StenhousemuirGuy Melamed is drafted into the lineup to replace the injured David Armstrong, with Ben Gordon brought up into the matchday squad for bench duty. Our hosts line up with five across the midfield and three centre backs. What a game! Brian Graham was booked inside two minutes for diving as both sides had penalty claims turned down. In the tenth minute keeper Dave McEwan's poor clearance up the park was headed back over our defence by David Dunn, and Graham ran onto the ball and smashed it into the far corner! A diving header from Stephen Murray was cleared off the line, before Jamie Stevenson found Graham on the edge of the box and he netted a second. Before the mid point of the half our predicament was becoming a catastrophe, as Gerard McGranaghan's cross picked out Stevenson who headed home to make it three nil. I made changes, pushing my wingers and full backs forward, hoping to give my centre midfielders more options for an 'out' and cause our hosts more problems. It took a little while to start working as Graham just missed the top corner, but five minutes before half time Ryan McStay played a through ball to Derek Carcary, who rounded Mark Peat and finished, but didn't celebrate as he believed he was offside along with everyone else. The flag wasn't raised however, and in first half injury time Carl Pettefer took away Paul McLeod's legs in the box, and Darren Barnard smashed the penalty kick into the roof of the net, 3-2 at half time. The second half started well for us, Carcary missing the target and McStay having a driven shot beaten away by Peat. But we got sucker punched, Graham's shot from near the penalty spot pushed away by McEwan only for McGranaghan to fire home the loose ball. And Graham wouldn't have to wait much longer for his hatrick, Patrick McGrenaghan's free kick from the right on the hour mark saw Graham match himself against Gordon Lennon at the far stick, an absolute mismatch that saw Graham tower above our captain and send his header back across goal and inside the far post to send the lead to a 5-2 advantage. I made personnel changes that would allow us to match up to their 3-5-2 tactic, but the damage had already been well and truly done today.
East Stirlingshire (3) 5 - Brian Graham (10,19,60), Jamie Stevenson (22), Gerard McGranaghan (54)
Dumbarton (2) 2 - Derek Carcary (41), Darren Barnard (45+2 pen)
Dave McEwan; Gordon Lennon © (Ben Gordon 76), Darren Barnard (Marc Anthony 76), Mick Dunlop, Guy Melamed; Derek Carcary, Ross Clark, Ryan McStay, Stephen Murray; Paul McLeod (Jean-Pierre Papin 86), Mark Archdeacon.
Attendance :- 402.In four meetings this season the two clubs have produced twenty eight goals between them, fourteen apiece, though East Stirlingshire have now edged the series with two wins and a draw. Just three months ago we put seven on these lads at our place, and now they have royally paid us back! I was fuming that we had fallen apart early on, and now had to hope that East hadn't ruined our confidence just like we had done to them early in the New Year. Our bus was almost 45 minutes later than planned leaving the ground, as behind a locked door I gave my players a piece of my mind, and told them they now have three games to put this one behind us and secure the promotion we have worked so hard to achieve this season. That Title Race is now very tight, with just two points separating the top three as Montrose win in third place. Our next opponents are Albion Rovers, who's own Playoff hopes are all but over after they lost away to fourth placed Forfar Athletic.
Thursday 16th April
Don Hutchison failed to turn up training today, and was fined a weeks wages as a result. He accepts his fine, but I would expect that it's quite possible there will be a parting of the ways between club and player this summer.Friday 17th April
Tomorrow we are away in Coatbridge against an Albion Rovers side who's season is all but over mathematically as they need to score maximum points from their remaining games while hoping that Forfar Athletic pick up no points at all. There is also the small matter of a nineteen goal swing required as well. We're the Even money favourites, a considerably better price than the bookies were offering on us last weekend.Saturday 18th April
Albion Rovers v Dumbarton
Scottish League, Third Division
Cliftonhill, CoatbridgeBen Gordon switches with Guy Melamed and starts today to make the 25th League appearance of his career, all with Dumbarton. But that apparently didn't come close to solving our defensive issues. Are we really missing on loan defender David Armstrong that much? Just like in last weeks game, we were dominated by our hosts in the early spell of the game, and the damage done would prove to be too much to repair. Stevie Nicholas received the ball on the edge of the box in the 5th minute and curled his shot beyond Dave McEwan's dive. My players surrounded the officials en masse, insisting the striker was offside. After last weekends lack of a call against Derek Carcary, I guess we were in no position to complain over this one. In the 12th minute Nicholas would ensure there would be no doubt over the second Rovers goal, pinching the ball from the toe of a slow to react Ben Gordon, and then twisting inside and out several defenders before beating McEwan on his near post this time to double the home sides lead with a superb individual effort. Rovers missed a slew of chances to increase their lead, until the 38th minute when Ciaran Donnelly's outswinging corner found centre back Robert Walker at the far post, and he outjumped Mark Archdeacon to meet the ball with a header inside the near post and we would turn at the break three goals behind. After a half time kick in the behind we started the second half far better. With the clock about to hit the hour mark, Derek Carcary finally got into space and sliced past two Rovers players before sending over the perfect cross that allowed Archdeacon to get in front of his marker and bury a downward header beyond Jamie Ewings dive to reduce the deficit. I hoped this would be the start of a comeback, but we made no further headway, even when moving to three at the back and adding an extra forward. Another bad day at the worse possible time!
Albion Rovers (3) 3 - Stevie Nicholas (5,12), Robert Walker (38)
Dumbarton (0) 1 - Mark Archdeacon (59)
Dave McEwan; Gordon Lennon ©, Darren Barnard (Marc Anthony 70), Mick Dunlop, Ben Gordon; Derek Carcary, Ross Clark, Ryan McStay, Stephen Murray; Paul McLeod, Mark Archdeacon.
Attendance :- 260.So what are we saying? A huge loss of form at the worst possible moment? We've been punching above our weight all season and finally it is now catching up with us? Maybe a huge case of Title jitters? Either way, someone at the club should go buy a lottery ticket, as despite two horrific weekends back to back, we will still go into May as the league leaders unbelievably with the top three all losing today, as both East Stirlingshire and Montrose also lose on the road, the latter away to Forfar Athletic who secure their Playoff spot as a minimum and lock in the top four. With just two matches left to play each, any of the top four could still finish anywhere from first down to fourth. For us, our two remaining matches are considerably easier looking than our last two, home to Stenhousemuir and then finally away to Elgin City. The final day meeting between Montrose and East Stirlingshire is likely to be a crucial game in the final shake up.
Sunday 19th April
A media report today suggests that we need to secure promotion this season to keep hold of midfielder Ryan McStay. The 23 year old former Falkirk man is closing in on 100 League appearances and has been one of our brightest stars this season. The report states that he is keen to play at a higher level, and while he hopes it is with Dumbarton, he will look at other avenues if the club can't keep up with his ambition.2008/09 Scottish League Third Division Table, Up To & Including Thursday 30th April 2009
| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | Pl | Dumbarton | | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 61 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 2nd | Pl | East Stirlingshire | | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 69 | 49 | +20 | 60 | | 3rd | Pl | Montrose | | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 42 | 26 | +16 | 59 | | 4th | Pl | Forfar | | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 51 | 34 | +17 | 57 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 5th | | Albion Rovers | | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 36 | -1 | 48 | | 6th | | Stenhousemuir | | 34 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 52 | 53 | -1 | 45 | | 7th | | Berwick | | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 39 | 50 | -11 | 39 | | 8th | | Cowdenbeath | | 34 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 30 | 51 | -21 | 31 | | 9th | | Elgin | | 34 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 44 | -13 | 30 | | 10th | | Annan | | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 59 | -31 | 26 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 -
Morning everyone,
FMS Awards night will be held on Sunday 29th January, exact start time to be decided but expect an evening event. Of course, the location of the event is as always a closely guarded secret…..
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Tuesday 1st September 2015
Chelsea are denied a clean sweep of the August awards by their cross city rivals Arsenal. The Manager of the Month Award did go to José Mourinho, as he edged out West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United pair Felix Magath and Lothar Matthäus. But the Player of the Month Award saw Eden Hazard edged out into second by Gunners full back Mathieu Debuchy, third place going to Everton player Gareth Barry.Danilo has yet more competition for a break into the First Team at Stamford Bridge, as The Blues sign 17 year old talented attacking midfielder David from Sevilla for almost £4.5m. He has made just one Senior appearance in his short career to date, and that was for his home town club Albacete in the first year of this save, two years ago now. He moved onto Sevilla last season, and failed to make a First Team appearance spending the year with the Sevilla Athlético team down in the Second Division. His quick move away from the Spanish club sees a tenfold return on their outlay for the Spanish Under-20 International. The Blues pinched the player from under the nose of Liverpool, who were at the advanced talks stage with David.
Wednesday 2nd September
The Under-19 International sides are no longer really focused on here with both of the cousins now becoming regulars at the higher age group. But just to give you a line from the lower age group, where the draw took place today for the First Qualifying Round of the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championships. It was Group 11 which drew the attention, where England, Republic of Ireland and Wales were all drawn together, San Marino completing that Group.Thursday 3rd September
After opening their 2016 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group 3 campaign last month with a very credible draw in Holland, it was the opening home game of the Group today for Wales as they hosted FYR Macedonia at the Parc Y Scarlets in Llanelli. There was a much needed full ninety minutes for Danilo, though he didn't have his best game on a very frustrating evening for Wales in front of a crowd of over 5,000. Those in attendance would have to wait until the last quarter of the game to finally see Wales break the shackles from the ultra defensive visitors, Liverpool's forward Gavin Keefe breaking the deadlock with his first goal at this level, before Wesley Burns completed a 2-0 win as the game went into the final ten minutes.If the evening was frustrating for Wales at times, then the Italians would have been close to tearing their hair out for large parts of the night in Arezzo. The young Azurri were hosting Armenia in Group 4, and would have been shocked to find themselves a goal behind very early on, midfielder Viulen Ayvazyan opening the scoring. The crowd of over 9,000 would have been more surprised still at how long it took Italy to sort themselves out. Davide was playing at centre back and having a good game, but it was past the hour mark before the equaliser came, and that was from the spot courtesy of Inter Milan, and currently on loan with Parma, midfielder Marco Benassi. The winner would eventually come with just six minutes to play, and would also come from a Parma man, striker Alberto Cerri making it four in four at this level, while Italy make it two out of two in these Qualifiers.
Friday 4th September
The Senior International action starts today, with both Italy and Wales in action. In Florence there is a goal in each half for Italy in their Group C encouter with Romania. 22 year old AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy netted in the first half, while Newcastle United forward Facundo Ferreyra scored in his Senior International football debut after the break for an Italy side that move above Romania on goal difference and into second place, and increase the chances that their meeting with Israel in October will be a crucial fixture.At a sold out Liberty Stadium in Swansea, the visit of San Marino was an opportunity for Wales to fill their goalscoring boots. That looked a distinct possibility in the first half, Aaron Ramsey scored with just a minute on the clock, and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Andrew Crofts opened in his International account in his 30th cap with a pair of goals to give Wales a three nil half time lead. A lead that they wouldn't add to in the second half surprisingly. The win keeps their lead over Portugal at four points with three games each remaining.
Saturday 5th September
The clear out at the Cardiff City Stadium continues, with the next man to leave the club being 26 year old Slovenian International striker Etien Velikonja. He has spent the last two seasons on loan to other clubs in the UK, and was deemed surplus to requirements by The Bluebirds. He has missed the end of the Transfer Window though, and his move to Dutch top flight outfit AZ Alkmaar will now take place in the New Year.Monday 7th September
In the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, there would be an 11th cap for Davide at Under-21 level as he played another solid game in the Azurri's continued Qualifying campaign. Once more things didn't go exactly smoothly though, despite an early opener from Cesena left sided winger Luca Garritano. There would be an equaliser before the break for Lithuania from Ekransas 17 year old striker Rokas Birskys, his first goal at this level. Once more the Italians would need a big second half to get the job done. Garritano added his second just before the hour mark, and Manchester United forward Domenico Beradi completed a 3-1 win midway through the second half.In Swansea there was no Qualifying action for Wales tonight, instead a Friendly at Under-21 level against a visiting Japanese Squad. Again there is a start for Danilo, though he only plays 43 minutes in this goalless draw as the changes are rung to give plenty of players some game time, with no fewer than twenty four players taking part in this one for Wales.
Tuesday 8th September
For the second night in a row, the Liberty Stadium hosts International Football. After just a few hundred in the crowd last night, it's another full house for the visit of Group B leaders Switzerland. In a tight and nervy affair, Wales were on course for a second goalless draw in consecutive nights. That was until the 87th minute, when 23 year old Olympiakos forward Pajtim Kasami lined up a free kick on the edge of the Wales box, and his deflected effort found it's way into the back of the net. That goal sends Switzerland to the European Championship Finals, but if Wales had held on, the October fixtures would have still been crucial for the Swiss too.Meanwhile in Nicosia, Cyprus, our friends from Italy continue to make life hard for themselves while giving their fans high blood pressure while watching the games. The Azurri played appallingly in the first half and it wasn't until the last quarter of the game when they finally got their act together. Claudio Marchisio of Juventus finally broke the deadlock, before Ferreyra and El-Shaarawy both netted their second goals of the International Window for Italy. It's a result that was needed with Israel winning by the same score in Andorra, and Romania keeping pace as well with a win in Lithuania. These three nations will next month battle for their places in next summers Euro's in France.
Saturday 12th September
With Champions League football coming up in midweek, Chelsea land the early Saturday game, and it's a big one as they host Manchester United at The Bridge, with Danilo once more nowhere to be seen in the First Team Squad. The faithful for The Blues get to see the rarest of rare things in the first half, an Eden Hazard header that put Chelsea in front. It was a goal that looked like it would hold up the distance, right until the final minute when Domenico Berardi popped up to net his first United goal of the season and snatch a point for Diego Simeone's team and prevent them from losing three of their four opening Premier League matches.Later in the day down the M4, there is no place in the matchday squad at all for Davide as Cardiff City are hosting Crystal Palace at the Cardiff City Stadium. A goal on the half hour mark from Richard Smallwood gave City the advantage. Palace games are rarely short of goal action, but this one was surprisingly quiet for them, though they would get an equaliser with around quarter of an hour remaining, Liverpool loanee Luis Alberto finding the net from the penalty spot to leave this one all square. As for Davide, he remains marooned one appearance away from triggering his big pay rise. You do have to wonder if this sudden lack of football is connected to his contract situation and City's rumoured money issues.
Tuesday 15th September
UEFA Champions League reigning champions Chelsea get their 2015/16 campaign underway at Stamford Bridge this evening, with the Russian Premier Division's current champions CSKA Moscow visiting West London. The guests from the east shocked the home crowd too when they took the lead just over midway through the first half with a goal from German/American striker Shawn Parker, who is a new signing at the Red Army club. That lead would last just five minutes though, as André Schürrle found the net to level things up, and Xherdan Shaqiri would score the winner for The Blues midway through the second half to get their Group D schedule off to a winning start.In Cardiff, there is a place in the matchday squad at all today for Davide at City as they host Sheffield United. This game was all about the first half, which saw Adam Le Fondre give Cardiff a 7th minute lead, only to see them ship two goals in as many minutes just over ten minutes later, firstly through Romanian striker Ciprian Marica and then from Scottish winger David Wotherspoon. The scoring for the evening would be completed before the break as Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson fired home an equaliser from 20 yards out that found the net via the post. Davide wouldn't get on the park yet again, and continues to wait for that elusive League appearance to trigger the big pay rise in his contract.
Saturday 19th September
Danilo is left back in London as Chelsea make the trip to the North East to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Barclays Premier League. Despite dominating the first half, The Blues couldn't find a way through, and Sunderland came into the game more after the break. With the game in the later stages and still goalless, the Black Cats got brave and went for the win. Big mistake! A speedy 81st minute counter attack saw their keeper make a save, only to see Xherdan Shaqiri bury the rebound. Chelsea pick up the three points to go top, and Sunderland remain anchored to the bottom of the table and with no points from their opening five games.While Sunderland remain anchored to the foot of the Premier League, back in South Wales our boy Davide remains anchored to the substitutes bench, and that is when he gets in the matchday squad these days. It's bench duty for him today as Cardiff City host West Ham United in the Sky Bet Championship. A game that was very short on goal action would become notable mainly for a late injury to Hammers captain Mark Noble, the 28 year old suffered a torn hamstring that could keep him out for the remainder of the calendar year. The goalless draw leaves both clubs with only three wins from their opening eight League games this season.
Tuesday 22nd September
The Capital One League Cup was a competition that we were all hopeful Danilo may get some game time in. That hope appears to have been dashed this evening as Chelsea host Leicester City at Stamford Bridge in the Third Round. There is no involvement for the youngster who has now stated his willingness to go out on loan to gain First Team football experience, as The Blues defeat The Foxes 2-0 with first half goals from Marc Bartra and Loïc Rémy. While Danilo is left out entirely, 16 year old trainee midfielder Aidan Butler makes his Senior First Team debut from the bench for Chelsea.Friday 25th September
The draw is made today for Round Four of the Capital One League Cup today, and Chelsea will once again hold home advantage in the last sixteen, as they are drawn to host Barclays Premier League rivals Newcastle United in late October.Saturday 26th September
It's the final weekend of September, and it's a big one for Chelsea as they head across town to face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The lions share of both possession and chances went Spurs' way, and they took the lead just before the hour mark through a Christian Eriksen free kick. Just three minutes later The Blues retaliated with a free kick of their own, substitute André Schürrle's effort took a huge deflection to find it's way past Hugo Lloris and equalise to complete the scoring in this London Derby as the sides split the points, a result that sees Chelsea pushed down to second with West London rivals Fulham moving above them and to the top of the Barclays Premier League.On the South Coast of England, it was Dean Court, the home of AFC Bournemouth that would host Cardiff City today. Davide remained on the bench once more, even during the latter stages when two Bluebirds defenders went down with injuries. In fact, it was the latter stages that saw all the action in this game. Richard Smallwood scored with just seven minutes remaining to give City hope of recording an away day victory that would move them up near the Playoff spots. Unfortunately, their defence couldn't hold out, and Will Keane came off the bench to level things up in the 89th minute as this one also finished all square.
Tuesday 29th September
It's been a frustrating month for Cardiff City, and that gets no less frustrating this evening as they are on the road to end the month against Burnley at Turf Moor. The teams swap goals in the first half, Lukas Jutkiewicz had Burnley in front from the penalty spot, only to see Aron Gunnarsson equalise with his third goal of the season less than ten minutes later. A quiet second half suited City on the road and they looked set to head home with a point, until they once again shipped a late goal to a player coming off the bench, Dwight Gayle netting in the 90th minute to earn Burnley a win that would lift them above City as the clubs round out their month.Wednesday 30th September
In a decidedly colder Belarus, and a lot more windy too, Chelsea were on Champions League duty against BATE Borisov, the current National Champions and latest in a string of nine consecutive Titles. They would be no match for Chelsea though, especially in the second half. Diego Costa scored a pair and Cesc Fàbregas added a third late on as The Blues ran over their hosts late on. 18 year old midfield prospect and Belgian Under-21 International stalwart Charly Musonda appeared from the bench, his third outing for the First Team this season, all in Cup competitions. There are still chances being given to young players by José Mourinho, but unfortunately Danilo isn't one of those receiving the opportunities at this point.1 -
Monday 9th February 2009
Lubomir Michalik's second goal of the season helps land him a place in the Coca-Cola League One Team of the Week. It's unlikely to appease Mr Bates much right now, and isn't likely to turn many heads if it's the only thing I have from my time at Elland Road to show on the CV if this all goes wrong.Friday 13th February
Ahhhh, Friday the 13th. At least the game isn't today. No, all I have to deal with today is the pre-match press, oh and some sledging from our oppositions manager. Huddersfield Town are second going into tomorrow's game at Elland Road. Not only is that unexpected for The Terriers, but Lee Clark's side are in a position we covet. They are our West Yorkshire rivals, situated less than 20 miles from Leeds. Despite our sketchy form, the bookies have us as Even money favourites for this one. But their friends in the media suggest a defeat could lead to the end of my short time in the hotseat at United. It would seem Clark thinks that is also the case. While my press conference is kept tight and cagey, Clark tells them that a defeat for Leeds likely means no Championship football next season, and no Championship means no job for me. It's hard to disagree with what he says though.....Saturday 14th February
Coca-Cola League One
Elland Road, Leeds
Leeds United (2) 2 - Andy Robinson (13), Robert Snodgrass (43)
Huddersfield Town (0) 0
Attendance :- 40,220
Casper Ankergren ©; Seamus Coleman, Lubomir Michalik, Richard Naylor, Alan Sheehan; Andy Robinson, Fabian Delph, Jonny Howson (inj - Damiano Tommasi 63), Robert Snodgrass (Richmond Bossman 77); Mike Grella (Rui Marques 86), Jermaine Beckford.
Unused Substitutes :- Luciano Becchio, Kjartan Henry Finnbogason.
Bookings :- None| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 5th | | Walsall | | 32 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 28 | +15 | 53 | | 6th | | Brighton | | 32 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 48 | 34 | +14 | 53 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 7th | | Leicester | | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 48 | 29 | +19 | 52 | | 8th | | Peterborough | | 32 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 50 | | 9th | | Southend | | 32 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 50 | | 10th | | Leeds | | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 45 | 33 | +12 | 49 | | 11th | | Leyton Orient | | 31 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 49 | | 12th | | Carlisle | | 32 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 48 | | 13th | | Bristol Rovers | | 32 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 48 | | 14th | | Hartlepool | | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 44 | | 15th | | Stockport | | 32 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 32 | 39 | -7 | 43 |Look at that attendance! 40,000 fans for a local derby in the third tier. There are Premier League clubs who would give their best striker for attendance figures like that, and some who don't even have the stadium capacity to reach that figure. With scouting information that Huddersfield are dangerous from the wings, we move to a more conventional 4-4-2 to allow our wingers to give our full backs a helping hand when needed. With Town focused on trying to play wide, we found space through the middle. Firstly Mike Grella forced a good save from Alex Smithies, before Lubomir Michalik believed he was fouled as he attempted to get on the end of a corner, the ref disagreeing and awarding the foul the other way. But shortly after when Alan Sheehan whipped in a cross from the left, Nathan Clarke got himself all preoccupied dealing with Grella, and Andy Robinson nipped in behind them and got enough of a touch on the cross with his head to divert the ball away from Smithies and into the net to open the scoring. Our West Yorkshire rivals response came firstly through Gary Roberts, and then Andy Booth, both players taking shots from range that were fielded fairly comfortably by Casper Ankergren. We showed them how to find the net before the break, Jonny Howson's cross from the right corner of the box was out of Jermaine Beckford's reach, but Robert Snodgrass was behind him and sidefooted home from close range to double our lead before half time with his 5th goal of the season.
No changes at the break despite Howson taking a knock in first half injury time. The midfielder almost picked up a second assist shortly after the interval, receiving the ball from Snodgrass and playing a through ball that cut out the well marked strikers and picked out Robinson, who this time slid his shot past Smithies but wide of the upright. Howson would last till around just after the hour mark, when he would be replaced by Italian defensive midfielder Damiano Tommasi, the start of our plan to close the game down, as he went into an anchor role. Huddersfield were now having to shoot from range, Jim Goodwin did get Ankergren scrambling across his goal to keep his shot out of the bottom corner though. A leggy Snodgrass was replaced by the fresh pins of Richmond Bossman next, but at the same time both wingers were pulled back into wing back roles as we funnelled back into a counter attacking formation that would prevent the team that had come into the game in second place from creating any offence late on. Rui Marques late introduction in place of Grella simply put another body in their way.
Our first win in three, and it lifts us back up into the top ten again, and closer to the Playoff picture. The Board have seen too many false dawns already to take the pressure off me on the back of one result though, no matter how good an outing it was. We have a trip down to Swindon next, who are marooned a little in no mans land, before returning home to face Carlisle who are only a point behind us in the table to round out the month.
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Friday 1st October 2021
Tomorrow sees us enter the FA Cup at the Third Qualifying Round stage, as we entertain Stourbridge of the Southern League Premier Central Division. We're the red hot favourites to progress, but not much is known about our opposition despite having them scouted. If you want a tennuous link between the clubs, Stourbridge have their own Gibraltar International amongst their squad too, 32 year old eighteen times capped striker Reece Styche. He could find himself up against our on loan 21 year old Louie Annesley.One of our other on loan International assets has once again been called up by his nation. Swedish forward Benjamin Kimpioka is once again called up into their Under-21 Squad. Also called up is Annesley who will look to add to his 21 Senior caps for Gibraltar during the upcoming International Window.
Early pace setters Boston United have swept the board in the September Awards for the Vanarama North. Veteran midfielder Paul Green is Player of the Month, with team mates Jake Wright and Danny Elliott rounding out the top three. Their manager Craig Elliott wins the Manager of the Month gong, beating competition from Tommy Miller of Spennymoor and Paul Cox of Kettering.
My own Board are giving nothing away in my monthly appraisal. They continue to roll with the same line that they presented when I got the job, though they have said they consider the signing of Bobby Grant to be an excellent piece of business for the club.
Saturday 2nd October
FA Cup Third Qualifying Round
York Community Stadium, York
York City v StourbridgeWe are starting to settle into a nice routine for our system with home games, and then a variation for our away games. Today we switch back to the flat back four and diamond in midfield for this FA Cup tie, the injured Tyrese Fornah replaced in the lineup by Jamie Thomas who plays behind the strikers, with Louie Annesley in the defensive midfielder role.
While we held a level of control from the outset here, Stourbridge were doing a pretty good job of limiting our chances, with only Jamie Thomas forcing keeper Kayden Potts into a save in the opening quarter, though he was offside anyway. Unfortunately Potts wasn't so good with his feet, and when he tried to play sweeper keeper in the 23rd minute it went badly wrong, Clayton Donaldson dispossessing him and then firing home the opener. With control of the scoreboard established, our grip of the game tightened, and Michael Woods rounded off a good team passing move early in the second half to allow us a level of comfort where I could replace some tiring legs of players not having such a good game today without any fear, as Stourbridge failed to register a shot on target.
York City (1) 2 - Clayton Donaldson (23), Michael Woods (51)
Stourbridge (0) 0
Ryan Whitley; Michael Duckworth, Scott Barrow, Sean Newton, Matty Brown ©; Louie Annesley (Sam Fielding 71); Michael Woods, Bobby Grant; Jamie Thomas (Benjamin Kimpioka 71); Clayton Donaldson, Ross McCormack (Mark Beck 71).
Attendance :- 1,653That was a very professional performance, and Southern League side Stourbridge are dispatched without too much fuss. The draw for the next round takes place on Monday evening. There were plenty of upsets today with clubs from further down the pyramid taking out Vanarama North and South sides, so we'll consider this an avoided banana skin.
Sunday 3rd October
Not ideal timing, but in a gentle session today experienced centre back Sean Newton has suffered a minor head injury. It's possible that it will keep him out of next weekend's home League fixture with Southport at least.Monday 4th October
The draw is made for the Fourth and final Qualifying Round of the FA Cup this evening. We are drawn away from home to face either Whitby Town or Kidderminster Harriers. These two drew 4-4 on Saturday in one of the outstanding games of the day, and the Northern League Premier Division side were unlucky not to eliminate the team who we already hold a League win over this season after defeating them at our place on the opening day of the Vanarama North season.Wednesday 6th October
At Aggborough this evening, Kidderminster Harriers made hard work of finally putting way Whitby Town and advancing into the next round of the FA Cup. Two goals down inside half an hour, the Midlands team were level before the break, but would require a pair of goals in the space of a minute in the first period of Extra Time to finally get the job done. We will now make the trip to Aggborough ourselves in ten days time.Friday 8th October
Tomorrow we entertain Southport at the Community Stadium in League action. Our visitors started the campaign poorly, losing the next three after an opening day victory. But they have recovered since then, unbeaten in their last four in all competitions and now up to 9th in the Vanarama North. We're the bookies favourites, but this isn't expected to be an easy game.Saturday 9th October
Vanarama League North Division
York Community Stadium, York
York City v SouthportInternational call-up's and injury forces our hand here, and my matchday squad picks itself with our depth stretched to the absolute limit. Sam Fielding replaces Sean Newton at centre back, while fit again Tyrese Fornah takes over at the base of the diamond with Louie Annesley on International Duty. Also missing due to that reason is Clayton Donaldson, his spot goes to Mark Beck, while Benjamin Kimpioka is also absent, meaning a place on the bench for Olly Dyson.
The game was very fragmented and stop start, largely due to referee Peter Gibbons, who was very over-fussy and card happy. Mark Beck was carded for a handball deemed deliberate, and Bobby Grant quickly followed when he broke up a counter attack with a foul. It was evened back up slightly before the break, but the tightness of the game meant that chances were tough to create. Beck was substituted at the break, Jack Steele brought on and Grant pushed up front, a role later occupied by Jamie Thomas as Grant got closer to the edge himself. Our squad versatility was getting us through the game as both Sean Newton and Olly Dyson came off the bench later on with more switching around necessary. As for chances, they were very few and far between, an out of sorts Ross McCormack missing the target with a late free kick as neither side created a clear cut scoring opportunity and the game petered out into a goalless draw.
York City (0) 0
Southport (0) 0
Ryan Whitley; Michael Duckworth, Scott Barrow, Sam Fielding, Matty Brown ©; Tyrese Fornah (Sean Newton 80); Michael Woods, Bobby Grant (Olly Dyson 80); Jamie Thomas; Mark Beck (Jack Steele 45), Ross McCormack.
Attendance :- 1,993That was a tense watch, and without the versatility that we have we could have easily dropped all three points today. Bringing in loan players is great for us, but losing them to International duty isn't going to help us get the most out of the players or maximise our own benefit. Something we need to be mindful of in our future Transfer Market dealings.
The result sees us drop into fourth, leapfrogged by Darlington as the fans air their frustration that we weren't able to find a way through in a tight and defensive game. It highlighted how much we rely on Clayton Donaldson, with Jamie Thomas not able to replicate his ability to hold up the ball in the final third or unlock a defence. Nearly two months into the season however our progress is good, and I've seen enough to remain convinced we can hold a place in the higher reaches of the Vanarama North table.
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Wednesday 20th April 2016
The red eye flight out to India isn't fun, especially after a game. It is a private flight though, and it's comfortable enough to get a few hours sleep on ahead of a big day. And this is a big day, as it's not too often that an Indian side goes into a game as such heavy favourites, but that's the position we're in after winning well in Aleppo in the reverse fixture, and the Syria side have been very much the whipping boys of Group B, shipping seventeen goals in their four games to date. Whatever happens in these last two games we have been very competitive in this Olympic Qualifying series without threatening to cause a major upset and reach one of the World's flagship sporting events. A good win today would put us in a great frame of mind ahead of our trip to Indonesia for the Group B finale after giving them a good game in the opening game of this phase.2016 Olympic Qualifiers, Asian Zone, Third Round, Group B
Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, India
India Under-23's v Syria Under-23's
Attendance :- 201. Weather :- Strong Winds, 18c.After changing tact to try and find a way of pulling off an upset against Saudi Arabia last time out, we revert back to our more normal 4-2-2-2 wide system today. That means a return for a second striker which will be Mohammed Chowdhury up front with Ashish Morje, while a return to the squad after injury also means a return to the right wing for Joseph Lal. Missing out from the last lineup are Dinesh Fernandes and Anthony D'Souza, who are both amongst the substitutes along with squad newcomer and Belgian based striker, Amit Miranda.
We actually started quite poorly, misplacing passes and failing to cause Syria any issues of note whatsoever in the opening stages of the game. But when a set piece opportunity arrived our players knew exactly where they were supposed to be and what the routine was. Paramjit Kumar signalled that he would loft in this training ground routine delivery, and as everyone else poured into the six yard box dragging Syrian defenders with them, free scoring centre back Jose Paul hung back and met the ball with a header that found it's way through the forest of legs with just a slight deflection and into the bottom corner to open the scoring in the fourteenth minute. And with that the nerves and mistakes disappeared and we started to play some lovely flowing football. It would take another ten minutes or so to create a good chance, but Syria were threatening to fall apart. While Joseph Lal's cross was blocked the ball dropped to Mohammed Nayan and he weaved his way into the box before trying to beat the keeper at his near post. He managed it too, only to see the ball bounce back into the six yard box off the base of the upright, but Ashish Morje was there to fire home the loose ball and double the lead in the 25th minute. Another effort from the Thailand based striker was just too high, but he was involved again on the half hour mark as he attempted to get on the end of a cross, beaten to it by centre midfielder Mohammad Amiri who could only turn the ball past keeper Abdullah Al-Martah and into his own net to tick the scoreboard up to three nil. This was already a question of how many now, and late in the first half Amit Singh sent namesake Sanjay into space on the left, and he rolled it back to Kumar, who's cross was met with an outside of the foot volley by Nayan which faded just wide of the far post.
Rightly or wrongly, at half time I urged my players not to take their foot off the gas and to keep pushing forward in search of goals. We need to embrace no longer being the 'minnows' ourselves, and hone our killer instinct to pile the pressure on teams and put them away convincingly. The players took up the challenge. Paul sent the ball down the left touchline to find Sanjay, and he toyed with his marker before putting a move in and skipping by him. His cross was as good as his move, and he picked out Mohammed Chowdhury, who had time to bring the ball down, move it onto his right foot and then curl a shot around the keeper's dive and into the far corner. The fourth was followed quickly by the fifth, and the route was similar too. Kumar sent Sanjay into space this time, no need for a move to beat his marker as his pace alone did that. From the byline he slung over a cross towards the penalty spot, Nayan catching it on the half volley and sending an unstoppable shot into the near corner! Five on the board, and I made a couple of changes, with centre midfield pair Amit Singh and Nayan replaced by Dinesh Fernandes and Anthony D'Souza. Just over ten minutes later, and shortly after Lal almost added another with a lob that caused the visiting keeper an anxious moment, we managed to push the scoreboard up to a nice, round half dozen. There was nothing wrong with the delivery from Kumar's corner, but a Syrian defender got his head there first to clear it from immediate danger, but only briefly. The header made it only as far as D'Souza twenty five yards out, and his first time volley was not only beautifully struck, but accurate too, and number six was in the back of the net. I made my final change right after Fernandes missed the top corner with a free kick, Morje making way to allow Amit Miranda to come into the game and make his first representation for India. He couldn't quite get himself on the end of a Lal cross in the dying minutes, but the players had done exactly what I had asked of them. To give you an idea of the tactics Syria resorted to in the latter part of the game, they had three players booked inside the final quarter of an hour.
India Under-23's (3) 6 - Jose Paul (14), Ashish Morje (25), Mohammad Amin (30 og), Mohammed Chowdhury (52), Mohammed Nayan (55), Anthony D'Souza (71)
Syria Under-23's (0) 0
Ganesh Aerts; Amar Thakur ©, Jose Paul, Francisco Reja, Paramjit Kumar; Amit Singh (Dinesh Fernandes 60), Mohammed Nayan (Anthony D'Souza 60); Joseph Lal, Sanjay Singh; Ashish Morje (Amit Miranda 75), Mohammed Chowdhury.
Unused Substitutes :- Gumpe Singh, Seby Kumar (GK), Sheikh Singh, Naresh Reja.
Bookings :- None
Possession :- 63% - 37%. Man of the Match :- Mohammed Nayan (India Under-23's).While our game was going on, in the Indonesian city of Makassar the hosts were playing top of the Group nation Saudi Arabia. Twice the Indonesians took the lead, and both times the Middle Easterners dragged themselves level. But with less than ten minutes to play, Dutch based striker Ricky Ikhsan scored what would prove to be the winner for Indonesia in a 3-2 game. That result changes the dynamic of the final day in Group B. While many were expecting Saudi to be qualified by the final game day, they now travel to whipping boys Syria with work very much still to do. They hold an advantage of two goals going into that final day when it comes to goal difference on level on points nation Indonesia, who will be hosting us on the 4th May. So our final game may be a dead rubber for us, with third place locked in, but it certainly isn't a routine game for our South East Asian hosts with the city of Malang hosting the final match.
That wasn't all that had been going on while the game was in progress. The Indian FA had also been hard at work organising a new fixture for our Senior Team, who now have a home Friendly pencilled into the calendar for October 2017 against the current World Ranked number 55 nation, New Zealand.
2016 Olympic Football Tournament Qualifiers, Asian Zone, Third Round, Group B. Up To & Including Wednesday 20th April 2016
| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | | Saudi Arabia | | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 4 | +10 | 12 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 2nd | | Indonesia | | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 | | 3rd | | India | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 6 | | 4th | | Syria | | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 23 | -21 | 0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0 -
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3 out of 3 Mandy42.
How do you like your chances of a clean sweep this evening then?