TheJonsterMonster

More for my future reference than anything else but here's how the save ended: It was a lot of fun. Winning the Premier League with Coventry City was a particular highlight, beating Didier Deschamps' all-conquering Arsenal side. In the end, there weren't enough points left at Arsenal to reach the top there but the first trophy at Borussia Dortmund saw us beat (Mikel Arteta's) Arsenal 1-0 to top the Hall of Fame. Here's the breakdown of the trophies won: Overall, a brilliant save. My first save of all future FMs will be a Wall of Shame to Hall of Fame and it will be fascinating to compare journeys. The concept of not signing a contract extension forced my hand and made it easier to move on, so that's definitely how I'll run these sorts of saves in future. Thank you if you read any of the earlier posts. Once again, I couldn't maintain writing about every single goal in every single match; real life took over, and I didn't want the writing to ruin my enjoyment for the game.

February 2024 In a world where PSG have signed a strong English contingent including Marcus Rashford, Tammy Abraham, and Harvey Elliott, Tobermore United's manager was focused on trying to keep the unbeaten run going. 10/02/2024 - Northern Irish Cup Second Round v Ballymena Utd (H) Another chance to test himself against a top tier side saw Tobermore take on 7th-placed Ballymena. The other games against top-tier sides had been close affairs so far this season and Sargent was hoping for much the same here. It was the strongest line-up available to him and he told the team they had nothing to lose. Ballymena created the first decent chance of the game from a set piece. Mitchell's corner from the right was nodded narrowly over by Gibson in the middle in the 17th minute. Set pieces seemed to be the greatest threat for Ballymena as Mitchell's free kick in the 23rd minute clipped the top of the bar. Mitchell was clearly the creative spark, all of Ballymena's chances seemed to involve him. His excellent defence-splitting pass in the 26th minute released McCullogh down the left and his floated cross landed on the head of an unmarked Tweed in the middle who could only nod the ball wide of the post. Tobermore were under considerable pressure; could they hold on until half time? The next fifteen minutes settled down, restricting Ballymena to potshots but in the 43rd minute they finally cracked. Kelly's cross from the right was awkwardly headed across the box by McCrory in an attempted clearance. Smith, not expecting it, could only head the ball up in the air. Waide brought the ball down, swivelled, and caught it perfectly to send the ball flashing past Ferris, who was berating his defenders for not putting safety first. 0-1 at the break. Sargent was philosophical at the break. They had barely threatened but were only a goal behind. A bit more belief and they could do something. In the 55th minute after some patient passing up the field, Keane managed to nick the ball off a hesitant Ballymena defender, play a neat one-two with Rafferty, but could only shoot straight at Johnston. Sargent's head was in his hands. A glorious chance for Keane, one he would have smashed into the far corner in the league. In the 59th minute, it returned to the Mitchell show. His free kick from a central area was arcing towards the top corner but Ferris managed to get a hand to it. However the ball fell straight to Kelly but he couldn't turn the ball home. A relieved Ferris scooped the ball up. Ballymena then took charge of the contest, producing numerous half chances and Tobermore were chasing shadows. The gulf in class was too great and they ran out deserved winners. Sargent couldn't be too disappointed - success was never on the cards - but he didn't feel that the side had been at their best. No-one had played particularly well. 17/02/2024 - LIPL v Portstewart (A) 10th v 1st. Having been flying high at the start of the season, Portstewart were starting to struggle and had won once in their last five. Sargent was demanding another win on the road to keep up the unlikely title challenge. He also wanted the side to put in a much better display than they had against Ballymena. On Portstewart's narrow pitch, Keane should have opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a chance he would normally gobble up. Instead he could only smack his shot off the bottom of the left hand post from inside the box. However, Rafferty made up for the miss by finishing a much more difficult chance in the 17th minute. Gillan made the goal with a superb switch of play, finding McCrory on the right. The right-back drove into the area and his low cross evaded several attempted clearances only to fall perfectly into Rafferty's path and he stroked the ball home from sixteen yards first time for his second goal of the year. Almost from the kick-off Rafferty should have made it 2-0. The long ball over the top by Portstewart was mopped up by O'Mullan and Ferris launched the ball over the top of the Portstewart back line. Rafferty ran through but blazed his shot narrowly wide. Sargent couldn't believe he had missed. He hoped they wouldn't regret those two golden chances that had been wasted. As the first half wore on, Portstewart created some efforts, but nothing particularly troubling for Ferris. As the clocked ticked over 45 minutes, Gillan's cross from the left wing was nodded out to Forrest, who took one touch before launching a rocket from all of 30 yards into the top-right corner of the net. That had Sargent on his feet, applauding. A stunning goal to double the lead that made Sargent's half time team talk much easier. As expected, Portstewart made a bright start to the second half, Bradley fizzing an effort just over from the edge of the box. Thankfully, Keane settled any nerves with a wonder-goal of his own. Kearns nodded Madison's clearance towards the striker. Keane managed to get the ball under control, escaping the attentions of Farrelly and burst down the left wing. He broke into the box, unchallenged, making a beeline for the goal. Exhausted from his run, Keane smashed the ball towards goal from eight yards, the ball flying past a bemused Madison into the far corner. Nobody had expected that from Keane, least of all the Tobermore bench who were cheering on the sideline. In yet more unexpected events, in the 69th minute, McCrory grabbed a goal. Morgan's cross from deep on the left wing found the opposite full back, whose header across goal was palmed into his net by Madison. Sargent made changes, and one of them, Tim Cahill (not that one), saw his free kick cannon off the post in the 83rd minute. It had been a good performance against one of the weaker sides in the league, putting the cup defeat behind them. Paddy McCrory took the Player of the Match award after a goal and an assist but Sargent was more relieved to have both Rafferty and Keane together on the scoresheet. 20/02/2024 - Intermediate Cup Fourth Round v Lurgan Town (A) Having overcome a reserve side in the last round, the fourth round tie saw Tobermore travel to Lurgan Town, a non-league side. Sargent sent out a relatively strong side, although didn't pick anyone not in top physical shape with another league game to come at the weekend. McCrory, O'Mullan, and Keane were the main ones to miss out, youngster McSorley, Crooks, and Cahill coming in to replace them. Sargent wanted the side to start well and they did. The first chance of the game fell to Rafferty, who picked up Fowler's loose headed clearance, bursting into the box, and firing past McFarland to give Tobermore the lead in the 9th minute. Ten minutes later, Rafferty made it 2-0. Kearns's clearance turned into a through ball with the Lurgan defence leaving it to each to clear it. Rafferty nipped in, took a touch, and buried the ball into the bottom-right corner. It was 3-0 before the half hour. Cahill began the move near the halfway line, switching the ball to Morgan on the left. His ball down the line found Forrest, who flicked it into the left channel for Rafferty. The experienced striker found his young counterpart with a square ball and Cahill was presented with a simple tap in. Two minutes later and it was 4-0. Clearing a Lurgan Celtic free kick, Tobermore sprang the counter. This time Forrest's cross was nodded in by McIlhatton at the back post and Sargent was looking set for the next round. Rafferty wasted a great chance for his hattrick before half time, but McMenemy added a fifth goal with a stunning strike. Forrest's lay off found him 30 yards out, and his curling left-footed effort sailed past a helpless McFarland. 5-0. Sargent didn't know what to say to the team. They had been irresistible. It took until the 67th minute to score again, Rafferty finally grabbing his hattrick with a composed finish. He collected Forrest's ball over the top and side-footed past the keeper to make it 6-0. Sargent swapped Rafferty for Keane and the substitute took advantage in the 75th minute. McIlhatton's pressing meant Quigley surrendered the ball in the left-back position. The midfielder squared the ball to the waiting Keane, who couldn't miss from six yards out. McDaid wasted Lurgan's best chance of the game in the 87th minute, but he could only shoot wide from a good position inside the box. An excellent win, Sargent's largest as a manager. Rafferty produced a 10/10 performance but nobody had played poorly. They were through to the Quarter Final. 24/02/2024 - LIPL v Knockbreda (A) 8th v 1st. This was a game in hand which would take them four points clear of Limavady with a win. Martin was back in midfield, and O'Mullan, McCrory, and Keane all returned. The game turned out to be a tense battle between the two sides. Neither side threatened much in the first half. Rafferty nodded narrowly over and some excellent defending denied O'Hanlon who took too long to launch a strike at goal allowing Kearns to get a toe in and deflect the ball up into Ferris's gloves. Sargent demanded more effort after half time, they hadn't been great on another narrow pitch. Knockbreda had defended resolutely in numbers and Tobermore didn't seem to have any keys to open the door. In the 55th minute, however, Rafferty rammed the door open. McIlhatton's precise pass ran straight into the striker's path, and he blasted home from just inside the area to give Tobermore the lead. Five minutes later, Kearns was deemed to have been pushed by Withers when contesting a Smith free kick, and the referee pointed to the spot. Rafferty grabbed the ball and delivered from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way to double the lead. Knockbreda found a way back into the game in the 82nd minute thanks to Shaw's looping header which set up a tense final few minutes. Bingham had a fantastic opportunity to equalise in the final minute but could only shoot straight at Ferris when anywhere else on target would have been a goal. However, they managed to see the game out and they extended their lead at the top. Rafferty was the difference-maker and picked up the Player of the Match award to celebrate. Review A great month with another two league wins and progress in the Intermediate Cup. The narrow defeat to Ballymena United was a small blow but it hadn't destabilised the side. Keane and Rafferty had started scoring again too, Keane with 15 goals now in the league. The new board were delighted with Sargent's performance and he was hopeful of making it a truly memorable season in Tobermore's history. However, when he knocked on his brother's front door for the end of the month meal, his nephew answered the door, grave-faced. Sargent's brother and niece had gone to hospital after she had caught a sickness bug at nursery. His nephew's mum was frantically trying to wash some bedding and clothing in order to make sure there was enough available for the little one, and her responses to Sargent's attempted questions about how Tobermore had fared were little more than grunts. He had to fly back the next day to take training and only had a brief chat with his brother as they crossed over. Perhaps the end of the month meals were coming to a close. His monthly beer didn't taste quite so nice on its own without the football chat and banter to go with it.

January 2024 In a world where Karim Benzema was named World Player of the Year, Sargent wanted his side to keep pressing forwards in pursuit of an unlikely league and cup double. 06/01/2024 - LPIL v Distillery (A) 12th v 1st. Sargent wanted nothing less than a win in the first of only two league games this month. Sargent's preferred XI took to the field. Distillery had the first chance of the game, Davison shooting over from the corner of the area. However, a couple of minutes later, McIlhatton broke through down the middle, collecting Keane's flick on, and side-footed his volley into the bottom-right corner of the net. 1-0 to Tobermore and the rest of the half was uneventful. Sargent wasn't thrilled with the performance; it had been rather half-hearted. He asked for more effort in the second half. In the 49th minute, O'Mullan's header came back off the crossbar from Smith's free kick. Distillery were able to smuggle the ball out for a corner. Tobermore kept up the pressure and were having some success from set pieces. In the 56th minute, Kearns turned and fired just wide from the edge of the box following the breakdown from a corner. The pressure was certainly building. However, out of the blue, Distillery broke through down the left, Kenny beating McCrory for pace. His cross found an unmarked McCaw seven yards out, and he was able to slam home to grab a surprise equaliser. Sargent was livid, on his feet immediately, urging his team forward. Thankfully, Distillery weren't level for long. In the 62nd minute, Forrest unleashed a shot from 20 yards out, the ball cannoning off the crossbar but falling kindly for Keane to tap in. Tobemore continued to create the odd opportunity, but Sargent had to make changes in order to see if it would spark his side into life. Cahill released Keane in the 75th minute but the normally reliable forward blazed over when he had been scoring chances like that for fun previously. As time ticked on, Sargent struggled to stop the nerves from surfacing. Distillery had proved capable of scoring out of nowhere and with a one-goal lead, anything could happen. In the 89th minute, Keane added the comfort goal, making the most of an opportunity gifted to him by the Distillery defence. Ferris's long kick downfield was nodded on by Gillan, Cahill couldn't win the header but his pressure meant Nelson could only nod the ball straight into Keane's path, and he needed no invitation to sweep home. In stoppage time, Martin added another layer with a fourth goal. Crooks's lofted ball forward was won by Keane, who laid it off to Cahill, and his through ball was perfect for Martin who kept his cool to take it around the keeper and slot home. Keane was the hero yet again but for large parts of the game Distillery had been more than equal. A relieved Sargent was pleased to take the three points. 13/01/2024 - LPIL v Bangor (H) 1st v 5th. Bangor were the last side to defeat Tobermore United in the league, so Sargent wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. He was trying to bring in some new players but the wage restrictions didn't help, and all of the players he approached wanted at least an appearance fee. Rhys O'Mullan was suspended so Adam Rowe made a rare appearance in the centre of defence alongside Kearns. Rafferty had picked up an injury the previous week and wasn't fit enough to start. Bangor had been the only side so far they hadn't scored against, so Sargent wanted at least a goal. His wish came in the 4th minute, as a Smith free kick came to nothing and was cleared. McCrory retrieved the ball in the centre circle and sent a tempting ball forward towards the run of Keane. With the keeper in no man's land, Keane nodded it over him and into the empty net. In the 9th minute, Martin had a glorious chance to double the lead but his shot lacked conviction and Taylor was able to turn it around the post. In the 21st minute, a free kick was headed clear by Kearns and picked up by Sterling. His drive into the box was halted by a clumsy trip by Morgan and the referee didn't hesitate to point to the spot. Hughes stroked it home into the bottom-left corner and the two sides were level again. Tobermore responded with several opportunities, most from set pieces, but couldn't find the breakthrough. Keane wasted a good opportunity just before the half hour mark, only able to knee the ball into Taylor's hands when he should have done better. Dobbin went close for Bangor just before the break with a free kick from 25 yards that skimmed the roof of the net. Level at the break. Tobermore were on top and Sargent asked for more in the second half. The game looked like petering out to a draw the longer the match went on, neither side really seizing the initiative. Even the substitutes didn't seem to make an impact. As Tobermore pushed forward, Bangor looked to play on the break. A poor clearance from McClure ricocheted against O'Kane and Arthurs was able to squeeze a shot on goal that Ferris somehow flapped into his net. Sargent's hands were on his head. That had come out of nothing. He urged the side forward, demanding more from them. However, it was Bangor that looked more likely to score, Arthurs blazing over when clean through. In the 89th minute, O'Kane's free kick was cleared and Tobermore sprung an attack. Keane switched the ball out to Gillan, and his through ball for Black, on for a disappointing Cahill, was inch perfect. The substitute took the ball into the box and squared it for Martin to tap home. Sargent wanted the win, continuing to urge his side forwards, but neither side could create anything notable before the end. A tricky game, fairly even, and a draw was a fair result. Sargent was relieved to have recovered at the end. Limavady could only draw with Knockbreda, so the gap remained two points at the top. That was it for league matches in January - two cup games were to follow. 20/01/2024 - Northern Irish Cup First Round v Portadown (A) An away fixture against the side 11th in the top division gave Sargent some hope of causing an upset in the Northern Irish Cup. Portadown's form had been poor recently, losing four of their last five, so Sargent wanted to make sure his team made it as difficult for them as possible. In a nothing first half, the only major incident came right at the end. It began with a throw in by Forrest on the right. Keane gave the ball back to him but Forrest's cross was nodded away by McKeown. Morgan retrieved and fed Martin on the edge of the box. He wasn't pressed quickly and had the time to turn and launch a right-footed effort at goal that flew past an unsighted keeper. Sargent asked for more of the same in the second half. In a game of few chances, Balde wasted Portadown's best effort, his tame effort from the edge of the box easily smothered by Ferris. Tobermore's best effort came in the 85th minute but Gillan blasted over from inside the box. However, the game ended 1-0 to Tobermore. A famous cupset knocking out a side two divisions above them. Declan Martin was the hero with a superb midfield performance. 27/01/2024 - Intermediate Cup Third Round v Glenavon Reserves (H) Following last weekend's cup heroics, Sargent wanted nothing less than the same sort of effort from the side. This was the cup he was targeting. In the draw for the Northern Irish Cup they had been drawn at home to another Premiership side, so success in that competition was less likely. Two bits of news then scuppered Sargent's plans. First, news that the chairman was looking to sell the club. Second, the match had to be rearranged due to a waterlogged pitch. It would take place on Tuesday instead. 30/01/2024 - Intermediate Cup Third Round v Glenavon Reserves (H) The build-up to the game was dominated by the takeover rumours by a supporters' trust. Not knowing what it would mean for him, Sargent concentrated on focusing the players' minds on the game. He was grateful for the extra couple days of rest allowing him to name his first choice side. He was intrigued to see what sort of strength Glenavon Reserves would have, not knowing what to expect. The task was set out early on as a ball over the top in the 7th minute by Og McMahon found the run of McLaughlin. Ferris came and decided against it, allowing the left winger to break into the area and clip a shot past the stranded keeper. It wasn't the start Sargent wanted. However, his side tried to respond immediately as O'Mullan's ball over the top found Keane. He was shepherded out wide but his pull back found McCrory on the edge of the area. His effort was too high, though, looping over the bar. The miss was forgotten three minutes later. McCrory's corner was flicked on by Kearns and Martin was on hand to continue his remarkable scoring run by smashing home from six yards out. In the 24th minute, Keane grabbed the lead. Smith's perfect ball over the top found the talisman's run, and despite being under pressure, he managed to find the top corner from a narrow angle. Could they hold out? They did better than hold out - Keane was tackled in the area and the referee deemed the tackle to have been too forceful. Rafferty grabbed the ball, determined to end his drought. His scuffed shot from the spot was parried out by McCann but he reacted quickest to turn the ball home. 3-1 to the home side. In the 42nd minute, Tobermore broke, Keane releasing Rafferty down the middle. He wrestled his way past Og McMahon but his shot hit the base of the post and bounced clear. Tobermore were left to regret that miss a few minutes later as Morgan, unmarked in the six yard box, nodded Glenavon Reserves' second of the night with a bullet header. 3-2 at the break in an end-to-end game. Sargent encouraged the players at half time - they had proved themselves to be at least equals to the top-tier team's reserves side. However, within 8 minutes of the restart, the sides were level. Burns with a free kick from 25 yards curled it towards the top corner and a combination of woodwork and Ferris saw the ball end up in the back of the net. In the 67th minute, some nice build-up play led to Rafferty playing in McIlhatton, and the mezzala kept his composure to finish low into the net past McCann. Now could they hold on? They could have increased their lead in the 88th minute when the normally reliable Martin fluffed his lines four yards out, scuffing his shot into the keeper's hands with the goal at his mercy. Sargent hoped they wouldn't live to regret it. Time ticked on and Glenavon couldn't create another opportunity. Tobermore were through to the Fourth Round, the last sixteen of what Sargent considered to be a winnable competition. McIlhatton's winner contributed towards his player of the match performance but the whole team had turned up when it mattered. Review A decent month in charge for Sargent had produced yet more goals, and extended the unbeaten run. The cupset against Portadown would be remembered for a long while and they were still top of the league. The day after the Glenavon game found Sargent meeting the new chairperson. Johnny Bailie was the new man in charge as part of a takeover by the Supporters' Trust. He didn't want to upset anything with the club going well and didn't have any additional investment. It was full steam ahead as far as Sargent was concerned. In the dressing room, things were still a little tetchy. Managerial support wasn't great, despite the unbeaten run, and the side weren't as cohesive as they could have been. However, with the board, Sargent had met the aims, and now it was a chance to make it a memorable season, even if Sargent wasn't there next year to see it through. His flight back to London was a cheerful one and he was already plotting how to keep winning and try and earn his first points in the global Hall of Fame.

December 2023 In a world where nothing weird and wonderful had happened (except perhaps Tobermore United being top of the league), Sargent had a busy month in store starting with the first game of the fourth cup competition they would compete in this season. 02/12/2023 - Northern Irish Cup Fourth Qualifying Round v Lurgan Celtic (H) A reunion match against Lewis Tennant, who had left the club in September at the height of Sargent being unable to refuse due to the farcical wage budget situation. Sargent didn't want to lose to lower league opposition and sent out a relatively strong team, with a week until their next fixture after this. Cahill and Martin came in to give them an opportunity in the first team. Sargent told the team to win. They seemed to pay heed as in the 2nd minute they took the lead. A long ball forward by Morgan found the run of Martin who had the strength and persistence to outmuscle his man and square the ball for McIlhatton to stroke home. Tobermore continued to press, creating several chances from set pieces. In the 17th minute O'Mullan was adjudged to be offside as he nodded in Smith's free kick from the left. They continued to create the odd chance but nothing particularly clear cut. 1-0 at the break and Sargent asked for more of the same in the second half. In the 64th minute, the best opening of the half saw Keane break through the backline but his normally reliable finishing let him down as he fired past the far post. In the 77th minute, O'Mullan, still in the box following a corner, managed to escape his man and fire a low cross towards the middle. Cahill was on hand to poke the ball home from six yards to settle Sargent's nerves. Lurgan had barely offered a threat past the odd half-chance but had a great chance near the end when Lucas broke through in the left channel. With Ferris looking out of position, it took a great block from Crooks to loop the ball up and into Ferris's gloves. A comfortable 2-0 win and progress into the next round of the cup. O'Mullan was named as the player of the match after a solid defensive display and an assist for Cahill's goal. 09/12/2023 - LPIL v Moyola Park (H) 1st v 8th. Sargent wanted a win having had a week to recover from their cup exploits and to keep up their excellent league performance. Moyola Park were a combative side and chances were few and far between in the early stages. In the 24th minute, a long ball over the top found Wigman free of both centre backs but he could only fire wide with Ferris to beat. It took until the 35th minute for Tobermore to muster a meaningful opportunity. Smith's free kick from the centre circle looped into the area, bounced a couple of times as Moyola Park struggled to clear allowing Kearns to power home from a few yards out. Tobermore had their tails up and should have made it 2-0 when the referee played a brilliant advantage after Keane was flattened when clean through but Martin could only shoot narrowly wide. A couple of minutes later, Keane wasn't flattened when clean through and fired in off the crossbar from inside the area. In stoppage time, McIlveen was shown a straight red card for a needless two-footed lunge on Martin near the centre circle and Moyola Park were reduced to ten men for the rest of the game. Sargent was pleased at half time and made sure he let the team know. However, rather than pushing on they seemed to be content to sit on it despite Sargent's efforts to encourage them forward and were punished in the 64th minute. A sloppy pass from McIlhatton led to Willighan being played through and he kept his composure to fire low across Ferris and into the far corner. Sargent was furious. In the 85th minute Keane was rightly flagged as offside, touching in McClure's effort when he didn't need to. It nearly cost them the win as Willighan thought he had grabbed a late equaliser, poking past Ferris when played through, the ball kissing the post on its way into the net. Sargent was relieved to see the assistant's flag raised. It had been a tight one but was the correct decision. After that scare, Tobermore managed to keep their composure and saw the game out. Sargent told the players exactly what he thought in the dressing room. He wouldn't allow such complacency again. 15/12/2023 - LPIL v Newington (A) 6th v 1st. After picking up their first away win in emphatic style against Banbridge, Sargent wanted more of the same. Paddy McCrory was suspended so Stuart Forrest switched to right back, Gillan replacing him in midfield. Newington began the brighter, moving the ball through the lines quickly allowing Stuart to have an effort from the edge of the box which sailed over. Stuart continued to be a threat on the break, Newington's compact shape meaning they maximised any opportunity to break. Defending in numbers, Tobermore struggled to break them down until the 30th minute. Forrest fed Keane in the right channel and the striker continued his excellent form with a typical Keane finish into the far corner to give Tobermore the lead. Martin went close with a decent effort from the edge of the area before half time but it was 1-0 at the break. The second half was a quiet affair thanks to more resolute defending from the home side but Tobermore doubled their lead in the 69th minute. A throw in from Morgan on the left found Keane, who swivelled and sent a raking cross to the back post where Gillan was lurking to nod home. Sargent made some changes to freshen the legs. In the 79th minute, Keane sealed the three points with a towering header from a Whiteside cross from the left, rising above his man to nod home off the post, the ball dribbling across the goal before eventually crossing the line. Martin wasted a brilliant chance in stoppage time, unmarked five yards out but could only nod over. Yet more goals for talisman Gary Keane, and the trip back to Tobermore was a satisfying one with another clean sheet and three points in the bag. The side were definitely clicking now. Sargent was allowing himself to dream of a title charge. 23/12/2023 - LPIL v Belfast Celtic (H) 1st v 3rd. Sargent wanted to stretch the gap to the play off place as well as gain revenge for the defeat earlier in the season. Sargent named his strongest side. However, all the recent momentum gained seemed non-existent during a tepid first half display. Belfast Celtic were a tall side and made the most of set pieces. Tobermore only managed one effort in the first half after watching Belfast Celtic lay siege to the Tobermore game. How it was 0-0 at the break, Sargent couldn't explain. There was only one side that looked to be top of the table based on that first half. He made the players aware of his thoughts and demanded a much improved effort after half time. In the 49th minute, Martin had the best Tobermore chance of the game, forcing a header at goal that dribbled about four yards wide. It was an effort at least but Sargent was still scowling on the touchline. His scowls turned into a smile a few minutes later. Some excellent pressing by Keane saw him win the ball back in the Belfast Celtic half, toeing the ball to Rafferty. His strike partner clipped the ball in towards Martin but everybody missed it. Except Keane who had continued his run. The ball ran into his path and he slammed the ball into the top corner from ten yards out. Sargent hoped it would open the game up a bit from there. Tobermore created another glorious chance in the 58th minute as Keane played through Martin, always willing to break forward from midfield. However, the midfielder's shot cannoned off the bar and looped over. Belfast Celtic continued to probe but Tobermore were a threat on the break, Martin having another opportunity in the 66th minute, shooting harmlessly over when he should have at least hit the target. In the 74th minute, Rafferty's goal drought continued as he saw his effort from Martin's pullback cannon off the far post when he should have found the net. McCrory on the rebound could only shoot straight at the keeper. Sargent was keeping everything crossed that these missed chances wouldn't come back to haunt them. He made changes, Cahill coming on for an out-of-sorts Rafferty, and the youngster had a great opportunity to give Sargent some thinking to do but could only shoot straight at the keeper when played through. Belfast Celtic continued to pose a threat and sent another warning shot that Tobermore only had a one-goal lead in the 84th minute, McAlorum's free kick thudding off the left-hand post. Thankfully, Tobermore saw the game out from there. A hard-fought victory. Keane was the difference yet again. 30/12/2023 - LPIL v Queens University (A) 7th v 1st. Three away wins on the bounce? Sargent certainly hoped so. It was a strong line-up again, none of the players seemingly suffering over Christmas. Tobermore made a better start in this game, grabbing an early lead after 7 minutes. Smith's free kick was cleared but a perfect return pass from Kearns found him in tonnes of space. He took a couple of touches before firing into the top corner from a narrow angle. Two minutes later, O'Mullan rose highest at the near post to nod home Smith's corner and in a blink of an eye it was 2-0. The players appeared to switch off a little from that point, although Rafferty should have done better when played through, his tame effort easily claimed by the keeper. 2-0 at the break. Sargent didn't say much at half time, remembering the side's reaction against Moyola Park. The home side had the best early chance of the second half, Hughes firing just wide from the edge of the box with Ferris scrambling to get there. Sargent was beginning to become nervous as Fell's header landed in Ferris's gloves but those nerves dissipated when Smith's lofted ball from inside the centre circle found Rafferty on the edge of the area. Rather than bringing the ball down, he stooped to head the ball towards goal, catching the keeper by surprise. The ball found its way into the corner and at 3-0, Sargent couldn't see a way back into the game for the home side. He didn't account for Queens University's substitute striker, Simon Johnston. In the 81st minute, he found himself goalside of Kearns and found the bottom corner with a low drive and two minutes later Sargent was barking orders at the team as Johnston nodded in Hughes's cross from the left. 3-2. Out of nothing. Thankfully, Whiteside's flick from Ferris's goal kick found the run of Forrest who was put clean through and dinked the ball into the far corner from the right side of the area. Sargent was relieved. However, straight from kick off, Johnston's throughball found the run of McIlroy who chipped the ball over Ferris. The ball clunked off the crossbar and McCrory hacked the ball away. According to the stats, the home side had had the better chances but Sargent was pleased to come away with a 4-2 win. Despite Smith's set piece wizardry, Simon Johnston's cameo won him the player of the match award. He had completely changed the game when he came on. It meant Sargent's side signed off the year with another three points and were sitting proud at the top of the table, two points clear of Limavady. Review A fantastic month capped off with goals galore and some impressive performances. Sargent's main concern around the dining table was how he was going to keep hold of his players. Plenty of them were attracting interest and he knew he wouldn't be able to offer them improved terms. Hopefully being in with a chance of winning a trophy or two might persuade them to stay. This time last year he had returned to London for New Year and discovered his brother was having another child. No such shocks this year, but there was another mouth to feed around the table. This was also the point last year where he had celebrated his first full month in management. He had been employed as a manager for more than a year now, and was enjoying it, despite all the trials and tribulations. He was pleased the team had slowly turned to his methods, although support in the dressing room for him was still low. His aim for the next few months was to win as many games as possible, and with his tactics, he was certain he had everything in hand.

November 2023 In a world where only six points separate top and bottom after seven games, Sargent was hoping to build on recent performances; could a title charge be on the cards? There were only three competitive games scheduled for November, though. 11/11/2023 - LPIL v Limavady United (H) This game came on the back of the news that Sargent had completed his National C Licence. He was straight into the boardroom asking if he could possibly do the next one, with them having been keen to send him on his first one in the summer. He had been working hard between training sessions and fitting kitchens. He was delighted to see that the board had agreed to fund his National B Licence prior to kick off. If form continued, he could complete it before the end of the season and request a National A Licence before his contract expired. Before that, he had to focus on the game at hand. 3rd v 1st. A win could see Tobermore top the table if other results went their way. It was an unchanged line-up with things finally starting to click for them. It was a tense start, neither side creating anything particularly clear cut. Box up front for Limavady was the main threat, using his power and pace to terrify the Tobermore defence. Ferris pulled off a great save in the 36th minute to deny him, tipping over Box's effort from the edge of the box. Sargent was preparing his half-time team talk when Rafferty broke free in the left channel, centred the ball after a neat turn to find Forrest unmarked in the middle who lashed home to give Tobermore the lead. If they could contain Box, Sargent was hopeful of picking up three points. He asked for more of the same in the second half. Within seven minutes, a neat throw-in routine found McCrory free on the edge of the area but he blasted over. In the 57th minute, Brown headed a far post cross narrowly over, and Sargent knew a second goal would be needed. From the goal kick, some nice interplay on the right between McCrory, Forrest, and McIlhatton found Keane in the right channel, and he raced through to double the lead with a powerful effort from an angle. In the 65th minute a corner from the right was nodded in by O'Mullan for his first ever Tobermore goal. Gillan went close with a curling effort from outside the area towards the end of the game, and the problematic Box produced an outstanding save from Ferris after a persistent run through the middle. Forrest and Keane also had good chances to heap misery on Limavady before the end but couldn't find a way past Wells. On the balance of play, Limavady had created the better chances but Tobermore had been clinical. O'Mullan picked up the player of the match award after a solid display at the back, although that owed much to Box's lack of finishing and Ferris's display in repelling him. They returned to the dressing room to find they were two points clear at the top after Belfast Celtic and Armagh drew with each other. Sargent was delighted. Nobody could take that away from him. 25/11/2023 - LPIL v Banbridge (A) After a weekend off which included a 2-0 win over local side Maghera Strollers, Sargent was eager to see if Tobermore could pick up an away win. With three clean sheets in a row, he was hoping that would have given the defence some confidence. Training performances had improved even more, club atmosphere was much better than when he had arrived, and the managerial support was starting to favour him slightly. Results had seemingly won a lot of people around. In a surprising development, even the press conferences were going better, with the atmosphere in those much more positive than when he had first arrived as a virtual unknown, despite the good work he had managed with Goytre United. Could they pick up their first away win in the league here against the side in 5th at the start of the day? Banbridge had the first effort of the match but in the 13th minute, McIlhatton received the ball outside the area, took a touch to create an angle, and launched a rocket into the bottom-right corner of the net. Sargent was out of his seat applauding. A fantastic strike from someone who hadn't always put the effort in during training. Three minutes later it was 2-0. McCrory sent a booming ball over the top to find McMenemy wide on the left. His pullback found Morgan on the edge of the area and his low cross took a deflection to end up sneaking in at the far post. Two goals out of nothing. Sargent wasn't complaining. Morgan's attempt had been a cross but it would count as his first senior goal. Banbridge nearly pulled one back shortly afterwards; Ferris pulling out an outstanding save to deny McCarrick from a free kick. The game settled down after that, but McCarrick's set piece delivery led to Banbridge putting themselves on the scoresheet before half time. A free kick wide on their right wing was squared to the unmarked Michael McCavitt near the penalty spot whose scuffed shot ended up squeezing in past an unsighted Ferris. Sargent was philosophical at half time. It had been a good start but they had eased off and had now been pegged back at half time. Could they raise their game again? Within 10 minutes of the restart, McMenemy notched his first goal for the club as he picked up a loose header outside the area, drove into the box, and unleashed a powerful left-footed effort into the roof of the net from 12 yards. McCarrick continued to send dangerous set pieces into the box but Tobermore made it 4-1 with a lovely move building from the back. McCrory broke down the right and his low cross was tapped in by Rafferty for his 10th goal of the season. McMenemy limped off after 72 minutes and Gillan came on to replace him. Banbridge then pulled one back as the defence were beginning to tire. A loose header from Kearns gave the ball back to the home side, who found Weir in the left channel and Stephen McCavitt reacted quicker to the cross than O'Mullan to turn home at the near post. Michael McCavitt then powered a header against the crossbar after 80 minutes, and Sargent had the sense his side were starting to creak under the pressure. He encouraged them and from the goal kick another neat passing move resulted in Crooks finding McIlhatton in the right channel. His effort should have been easily saved by Hunter, who inexplicably let the shot slip through his fingers to make it 5-2. Banbridge continued to threaten and received a lifeline as the clock ticked over 90 minutes as Adam Black brought down a Kearns header about thirty yards out, and curled a glorious effort past an unsighted Ferris. Sargent could only shake his head as the Banbridge crowd demanded more, roaring their team on. Could Tobermore hold out? McIlhatton made the scoreline even more convincing deep into stoppage time with a low drive from the edge of the box that deflected past a helpless Hunter to make it 6-3. Sargent was effusive in his praise for the side as they walked off. It had been a performance even he hadn't expected. A 6-3 win away from home was virtually unheard of. Some of the players he had been criticising in training had really stepped up, noticeably McIlhatton with his hattrick. It was even more remarkable for the fact that they only had 7 shots on target with an XG of 0.99. 28/11/2023 - Intermediate Cup Second Round v Larne Tech O.B. (A) Coming three days after the Banbridge game meant Sargent was keen to give the reserve players an opportunity to impress. Monster had always been keen to progress in cup competitions and Sargent had taken that on board. After their win over Wellington Rec in the last round, Sargent wanted to make sure they were in the hat for another round. This competition presented a perfect opportunity to add some silverware, with sides from their current division, non-league sides, and the top division's development sides included. Declan Martin, Matheus, and Eoin Gillan made rare starts but the rest of the side were first-teamers. Tobermore didn't make the best of starts, the non-league side putting on some early pressure in forcing a corner. As the cross was swung in the referee blew his whistle, indicating that Gillan had pushed McAllister. Kane stepped up and drove the ball down the middle. Ferris nearly managed to keep it out but couldn't prevent the ball from slipping past him. The rest of the half was a turgid affair. Larne Tech managed to keep Tobermore away from their goal with defending in numbers and nothing Tobermore tried seemed to work. When Larne Tech went forward they were good at keeping the ball and made it count when a long ball from the halfway line by Campbell found the run of Heggarty between the two centre backs and he was able to prod the ball past an onrushing Ferris. Sargent was furious and he let the players know it. Thankfully, a long ball from Kearns was mis-controlled by Campbell allowing Martin to run through and fire low past the keeper to reduce the arrears. Sargent's fury continued during the half-time team talk and he demanded the players improve in the second half. Within three minutes, they were level. Martin's flick on found the run of Keane who fired the ball home on the bounce from inside the area. Sargent was out of his seat demanding more. In the 56th minute, Forrest nodded Tobermore in front with a decent header at the back post from Keane's cross. Tobermore continued to press and two questionable offside decisions added to Sargent's annoyance. However, Keane made it 4-2 in the 68th minute with a tap in after the keeper had dropped McCrory's cross. In the 80th minute, uy7tested Keenan with an effort from the edge of the box and the hapless keeper let the shot spill through his hands to make it 5-2. In what had been an end-to-end cup tie, McAllister's low effort from the corner of the area clipped the far post to show that Larne Tech weren't out of this game just yet. In stoppage time, Keane grabbed his hattrick. Martin's through ball was perfect for the striker's run, and Keane's shot cannoned in off the crossbar to add a degree of comfort to the scoreline thanks to a blistering second half display. The 6-2 scoreline didn't quite show the full picture of the game but Sargent was thrilled with his side's comeback and he was intrigued to see what the draw for the next round produced. Review An excellent month with three wins and lots of goals. The team were starting to click and the Rafferty/Keane partnership up front was producing plenty of goals between them. Sargent's visit to his brother's was postponed due to the quick turn-around in games but his brother did make the trip out to Tobermore to visit him instead. Sargent opened his front door with a satisfied air with his side top of the league. It wasn't all plain sailing, though. Managerial support was still low, and fringe player Lee McMenemy was starting to kick up a fuss in training due to wanting to play more. However, the board were happy with Sargent's progress. Things had seemingly settled down at his brother's house too. His thumb had healed and he had bookings coming at him from all angles. It was looking like a decent Christmas in the Sargent households.

October 2023 In a world where Bayern Munich have sold three of the top four highest transfers so far (Kimmich to Manchester City for £129m, and both Sane and Gnabry to Real Madrid for £98m and £76m respectively), Sargent was wondering where his next away win was coming from. 07/10/2023 - LPIL v Armagh (A) Armagh were top of the table going into this match. Sargent hadn't seen anything in the league yet to fear, and didn't see the point in ditching his balanced philosophy just yet. He had faith in playing balanced away from home still - it had worked in Wales, although not towards the end. Gillan started in midfield alongside McIlhatton and Forrest. Armagh started strongest, forcing an early corner. King's corner was headed away but the ball found its way back to him and he knocked it in to the unmarked Carr running on to the ball from the edge of the box. His low shot was fumbled in at the near post by Ferris. It wasn't the way he had wanted the side to start the match. From the restart, the ball found Forrest in the right channel and his low cross was smashed off the underside of the bar by Gillan. Sargent was fully expecting the referee to point to the centre circle but play continued. It had looked over the line from the dugout. Fortunately they weren't behind for long. McIlhatton tried to get the ball over the top on several occasions but couldn't seem to beat the first man. When Forrest retrieved a rebound, he managed to loop it up and over for the run of Rafferty who strode into the box and smashed the ball past the keeper at the near post. Armagh proceeded to dominate the rest of the half but couldn't find a way past Ferris. Campbell wasted the best chance taking advantage of a horrible misunderstanding between Ferris and O'Mullan only to have his shot blocked when he had time to pick his spot. From the clearance, McIlhatton wasted a good opportunity when put through, forcing Crawford into a good save. 1-1 felt about right at half time. Both sides had had chances but both would have felt hard-done-by to be behind. Sargent encouraged the team - they were doing fine. Gary Keane had a decent opportunity early in the second half but his shot deflected up in the air for an easy catch for Crawford. In the 63rd minute, an aimless ball over the top went straight through to Crawford who launched a long kick upfield. The Tobermore defence stood and watched it sail over their heads, nobody reacting to Lavery's run. Ferris was caught out of position and could only dive in vain as Lavery found the net from a narrow angle. Three minutes later, Patterson thumped home a King corner to make it 3-1. He had won near enough all of his headers and this was no different. Sargent turned to the bench and sent on Whiteside and Harkness, hauling off McIlhatton and Gillan. It sparked something in the team. Keane was found with a glorious through ball and he managed to slot home to reduce the arrears. With time running out, Smith stood over a free kick about thirty yards out. His effort smacked off the crossbar but Keane reacted quickest to turn home from a couple of yards out. Sargent was out of his seat and jumping down the touchline as the striker was mobbed by his teammates. It hadn't looked likely but Keane had rescued a point. It had been a fairly even game so a draw was probably deserved. Keane was the hero with his brace and his partnership up front with Rafferty seemed to be flourishing. 10/10/2023 - North West Senior Cup Semi Final v Coleraine (A) Another chance to test himself against a top division side, everything in the press suggested this match would be comprehensively won by Coleraine. Sargent wasn't so sure. He had confidence in his players, despite the match taking place swiftly after the Armagh fixture. It was also the largest crowd he had ever managed in front of, the ground packed with over 3,000 fans in attendance. It was an opportunity to at least give a top side a scare, if nothing else. He was forced into changes at the back, Crooks and Matheus having to start. McMenemy and Bennett came into the midfield too but Rafferty and Keane were fit enough to start up front. Coleraine played an odd formation with five central midfielders which packed the centre of the pitch. In the 11th minute, the referee pointed to the spot when he deemed Rafferty to have been too physical with Corr. Lafferty stepped up and sent Ferris the wrong way. They would have to do it the hard way again. Tobermore's best chance of the first half fell to Keane in the box. Morgan had enough space to play Keane in, and he found the far corner of the net with a tidy finish. 1-1 at half time. There were some tired legs in the dressing room so Sargent tried to rally them. They had come from behind before. Just after the hour mark, McIlhatton drove past Rafferty and picked up the striker's through ball. Two Coleraine defenders were drawn towards him leaving Keane all alone in the area. The square pass came and Keane lashed home to send the away fans into raptures. Could they do the unthinkable? Their joy was shortlived. Doherty seized on Matheus's indecision with a bouncing ball, nipping the ball away from the youngster. Ferris got a strong hand to the shot but it trickled over the line to draw the sides level. Neither side could find a winner and it was looking like a penalty shoot-out until Keogh was played through the middle with a neat passing move and he kept his cool to end Tobermore's resistance with two minutes remaining, his low shot finding the bottom corner from inside the box. Sargent tried to not be too hard on them. They had run a top division side very close. Keane was a superstar. But they were out of the cup. 21/10/2023 - LPIL v Portstewart (H) One of the sides that had refused to offer Sargent a coaching badge in the summer were the next opponents, thankfully with a few days rest in hand. Having made a better-than-expected start to the league, this was a battle between 6th and 7th. Both sides would presumably be happy with those finishes at the end of the season. However, it was a home game. Sargent wanted three points. After the Coleraine game, he tweaked the tactic to put the backline on a standard position, rather than pushing up the whole time. He wanted to restrict the balls over the top, and give the midfield more space to work in. He also made the advanced playmaker a central midfielder on attack. McIlhatton had been prone to wandering around all over the place and hadn't been all that effective. One of the developments in recent weeks was Smith's prowess with a dead ball. In the first minute, Keane was shoved over about thirty yards from goal. The defensive midfielder stepped up and curled an absolute beauty past the keeper to give Tobermore the lead. In the 16th minute it was 2-0. Smith over a free kick again, this time near the left corner of the box. His deep cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Kearns and into the net. A minute later, Rafferty was sent through and as he was about to pull the trigger, Bradley tripped him. Rafferty dusted himself off to stroke the ball into the bottom left corner and make it 3-0. Sargent settled into his seat to watch the team put on a show. They grabbed a fourth before half time, McIlhatton stroking in from four yards after Rafferty could only turn Keane's cross against the post. Sargent said nothing to the team at half time. There wasn't anything to say. 4-0 was a dream scoreline and entirely deserved on the balance of play. In the 57th minute, Forrest chested home at the back post but the assistant's flag was raised. A minute later, Keane also had a goal chalked off, his run not quite timed to perfection. Tobermore eventually grabbed their fifth in the 77th minute. Daniel Barfoot, on as a substitute, benefitted from McMenemy's persistence and pressing, the youngster nicking the ball off Peden in his own area and then squaring it via a deflection so the ball sat up nicely for the substitute to smash in his first goal of the season. A comprehensive victory and a professional performance lead by Smith's free kick prowess. Sargent was delighted. He was even more delighted when he discovered the win had catapulted them into 3rd. Could they pick up enough wins to stay there? 28/10/2023 - Intermediate Cup First Round v Wellington Rec (A) Another cup competition (the third of four) and Sargent wanted his side's form to continue. They had done well in cups so far, a trend he hoped wouldn't end in a shock defeat here. He sent out the first XI to try to continue the momentum. It took half an hour to break the deadlock in this one but Tobermore broke through on the left side, Morgan completely unmarked as the ball was worked out to him. He took a couple of touches to stride into the box before smashing home. With the shackles loosened again, Ferris's long ball found the run of Rafferty, who hooked in a shot from the edge of the box which the keeper could only help into the net. Morgan was a constant menace down the left and he set up the third a minute later. His through ball found the run of Forrest who flicked a left-footed effort into the bottom right corner. 3-0. It looked to be game over. Tobermore weren't done, though. Smith scored another scorching free kick from range, a similar position to his effort against Portstewart, and it was 4-0 before half time. Things settled down in the second half, McCrory turning provider this time as his deflected cross ran straight into Keane's path, and he couldn't miss from a few yards out, poking the ball in at the near post. Job done. Into the next round. Review A solid month for Sargent. Unbeaten in two league games. Progress in one cup despite defeat in another. He could enjoy his end of the month dinner back in London. The tactical tweaks he had made seemed to have had an impact and they were looking far more potent going forward. With no clear frontrunner in the league, the top six were separated by a point, for instance, Sargent hoped he had gained enough support with two consecutive 5-0 wins. At the very least he had made the Northern Irish third tier teams sit up and take notice with their impressive goal difference in comparison to the rest of the top sides. Keane had 6 goals and Rafferty had 4 assists. Keane was also the best performer with an average rating of 7.67. In terms of his end of month meeting with the board, they were pleased on the whole, but the wage budget situation was still making them a bit jittery. They also cited his support in the dressing room hadn't improved much but Sargent had pointed to the results as evidence that the team were starting to come around to his methods. The beers went down a bit better than the ones in September, at least. His brother was still sleep deprived, and he was worried it was starting to have an impact on his work, nursing a sore thumb he had caught with a hammer a week ago.

September 2023 In a world where Manchester United spent a net total of £214m in the transfer window, Sargent was coming under scrutiny for the dressing room mutiny. The narrow defeat against top-tier Warrenpoint had been a stick the players were using to beat him with, citing his lack of experience. Could he turn it around? 02/09/2023 - LPIL v Belfast Celtic (A) A first competitive away league game of the season saw Tobermore United travel to Belfast Celtic. Sargent was keen to pick up the first win of the season against a newly promoted side that had lost their first game. Tobermore began sluggishly, allowing Glackin to break through inside the opening minute, but the Belfast Celtic forward couldn't find a way past Ferris, sliding his shot past the near post. In the 19th minute, Keane broke clear on the halfway line, playing through his strike partner Rafferty, who calmly took it around the keeper and found the net to give Tobermore United the lead. Tobermore United continued to press forward and Morgan hit the post in the 31st minute with an effort from inside the box which the keeper then managed to smuggle around the post. Five minutes before half time, McAlorum hit the corner of post and bar with a stunning free kick from all of thirty yards. 1-0 at half time. Sargent was pleased and encouraged the side to continue in the same vein. Within a minute of the restart, McAlorum went close again with another free kick to act as a reminder that a goal lead is rarely safe. Belfast Celtic began the second half with much more intent, Whiteside going close with a header before they grabbed an equaliser. Rafferty couldn't win his header on halfway and Belfast Celtic released O'Brien down the left. His cross landed perfectly on the head of Whiteside, completely unmarked in the area, and his header kissed the post on its way in. 7 minutes later and Belfast Celtic grabbed a deserved lead. O'Brien once again broke the back line and his cross for Jasir this time was turned in. Sargent made changes but couldn't spark a comeback. McCauley was dismissed late on for hauling down Cahill as he broke through in stoppage time but there wasn't enough time left to make it count for anything. Sargent wasn't too unhappy; Belfast Celtic had been the better side and had scored when they had the chances. However, he knew he would need to make sure the team didn't shrink from the fight as they had appeared to in this game. They had only had one effort in the second half. That had to change. 12/09/2023 - North West Senior Cup Quarter Final v Newbuildings (H) A chance to reach a cup semi-final beckoned if Tobermore United could find their way past a side they could only draw against in their pre-season friendlies. After ten days' rest, Sargent fielded his strongest possible side. They hadn't won for three matches, and this presented an ideal opportunity to do so. After putting the away side under considerable early pressure, Rafferty opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, tapping home from Keane's pullback. He scored his second of the match from the penalty spot having been clipped by Wray as he tried to shoot, smashing the ball to the keeper's left in the 40th minute. Tobermore United added a third before half time, Keane heading in Tennant's cross from the right. Tobermore United were cruising. Sargent didn't say much at half time; he just wanted more of the same. Straight from kick-off, Tobermore United built a move which ended up with Keane's effort bouncing off the far post. Newbuildings pulled one back in the 53rd minute, much to Sargent's irritation. They broke in down their left wing, McIntyre having all the time in the world to pick out a teammate in the box and it was McGurk who gleefully smashed home with a red shirt nowhere to be seen. They didn't mount much of a comeback, though, and it was Tim Cahill (not that one) who grabbed a fourth for the home side in the 81st minute. On off the bench, he kept his composure on the edge of the box to slot in after a defensive mix-up. It was a welcome win for Sargent and he hoped that it would be followed up with a win in the league. They had proved they could win matches. Now they had to demonstrate it in the league. 16/09/2023 - LPIL v Distillery (H) 10th v 7th in the fledgling league table. Sargent wanted to build on the mid-week victory. Distillery were the favourites, but Sargent would always back his side at home. Distillery were predicted to be battling at the bottom of the league, so Sargent wanted to put down a marker here if possible. He knew there were goals in the team. It was whether they could keep them out at the other end that would determine their results. In the 6th minute, Morgan played a long ball forward which was flicked on by Rafferty. Keane ran through and tucked the ball past the keeper. Sargent had switched the strikers' sides, Rafferty on the left and Keane on the right, and it looked to have paid off. In the 17th minute, O'Mullan could only hit the post from an acute angle when the ball broke to him in the box following a corner. Tobermore United continued to besiege the Distillery goal and grabbed a second when Rafferty picked the ball up inside the box, ran out of the area into the D, and unleashed a low drive which kissed the post on the way in. A glorious goal that had Sargent out of his seat. It could have been 3-0 a minute later but McCrory's header thudded off the post from Rafferty's cross. 2-0 at the break and Sargent was delighted. They had been all over Distillery and he wanted more of the same in the second half. Keane lay any doubts to rest in the 52nd minute, benefitting from a missed header leaving him to smash home from the edge of the area with the keeper out of position. From the kick-off, Distillery broke forward and there was disbelief on the Tobermore United bench as the referee pointed to the spot when McCrory was deemed to have kicked the shins of Lynch inside the box. It was soft at best. Metcalf passed the ball into the bottom right corner past Ferris and they had a goal back. Thankfully, Tobermore United restored their three goal lead straight away. McElhatton's ball over the top found the run of Keane and he kept his cool to stroke home to make it 4-1 and grab a hattrick. Sargent hoped that would kill off any hopes of a Distillery revival. Distillery continued to threaten, McLaughlin escaping from Kearns on the hour mark and Ferris denying him with a good low save. Tobermore United put the game beyond doubt in the 84th minute when Cahill smashed home from close range from Rafferty's ball over the top to make it 5-1 and round off a fantastic performance. Keane was the player of the match following his hattrick but Sargent was pleased to see Cahill had now bagged in consecutive games off the bench. He was bemused when looking through the stats to see Distillery's XG was actually higher than Tobermore's. It hadn't felt like that sort of game, despite McLaughlin wasting several one-on-ones. 23/09/2023 - LPIL v Knockbreda (H) Another home game meant another chance to take all three points. Last week's win had seen Tobermore climb to 6th while their opposition were in 9th. Training performances had slowly started to improve following Sargent's less-than-complimentary feedback he had been dishing out. Another convincing win would certainly help improve the players' faith in his methods. He hadn't been helped by Lurgan Celtic signing Lewis Tennant from beneath him, though. Powerless to offer an improved contract, and with there being rumblings of discontent from the board about having to fork out more than £50 p/w to satisfy player wages, Sargent knew he wouldn't be able to sign a replacement. A loan, maybe, in the January window if it was going to prove too much of a problem. For now, he had to make do with what he had. Having been free-scoring the week before, Sargent was disappointed to return to the dressing room with the score at 0-0 at half time. The two sides had cancelled each other out. Knockbreda had their best chance of the game shortly after half time when Davison escaped Kearns's clutches, racing through, but only able to clip his shot wide with Ferris to beat. Rafferty also wasted a good chance, only able to hit a tame volley at the back post when completely unmarked which the keeper smothered. Five minutes later, Rafferty made amends. Using his strength to nudge the defender off the ball, he took one touch and fired past Pauley to break the deadlock. As Knockbreda began to push forwards chasing an equaliser, they were caught on the break in the 81st minute. Forrest was sent clear and he had time to pick his spot and fire low past Pauley to double the lead. It settled Sargent's nerves and Tobermore saw the game out from there. Knockbreda did create a few chances before the end but they found Ferris in fine form. Rafferty had been the best player on the pitch, with a goal and an assist, closely followed by Kearns's imperious display at the back. One note of concern was the injury suffered by McElhatton, stretchered off in the 75th minute. However, it turned out to be a bruised knee so he should be fit for the Bangor game. 30/09/2023 - LPIL v Bangor (A) 7th v 3rd. After two home victories, Tobermore were sitting pretty near the top of the league, only two points off the top. Sargent wasn't counting his chickens yet, though. Could they pick up an away league victory using this 4-1-3-2 formation against the promotion favourites? It was a battle of the defences in this one. Bangor's defence absorbed everything that Tobermore could throw at them and no matter what Sargent tried to tweak, they always had an answer for it. As they pressed for a winner, Bangor played on the counter. A free kick from wide on the right was swung all the way to the back post where Crooks lost his man allowing defensive lynchpin Boyle to nod home the winner in the 81st minute. After the recent successes it was a chastening defeat which showed Sargent there was still work to do. They had struggled to find a way through in this game, with mainly speculative efforts and Bangor grew into the game, taking the chance that came their way. Review A mixed month at the helm for Sargent, winning the home games and losing the away ones. There were through to a cup semi final, though, albeit coming up against top division side Coleraine. He was still struggling to gain traction in the dressing room, meaning his team talks had little impact, but he was relatively happy at sitting sixth in the league, three points off the top and five clear of the relegation spot. Rafferty and Keane appeared to be a potent partnership up front. The board were pleased enough with his start but his lack of control of the wage budget was a blot on his record. There wasn't much he could change. The formation was working on the whole. Even his brother couldn't come up with any potential suggestions at their end of the month meal. Sargent had to press on and see how far he could take them, while studying for his National C Licence between coaching two days a week and fitting kitchens when he could.

Pre-season 2023/24 With a total wage budget of £51 p/w, transfers were proving tricky. With some of the youth players having been signed to the club on appearance-fee-only deals, it meant the board wouldn't sanction any of the triallists joining on similar deals. Sargent ended up having to let some of the promising youngsters go. In the end, he had to resort to loans to bolster the squad in key areas. A lack of width meant he was being forced to use his 4-1-3-2 centre midfielders tactic he had prepared but never needed at Goytre United. On the eve of the season, he had so far only managed one new signing; a goalkeeper who had agreed to sign on an amateur contract. Nobody else had come in despite the Director of Football's best attempts too. Squad Sargent was happy enough with the balance of the squad. There was a decent mix of youth and experience but short of quality in some areas. Strength was definitely in the striking options. Transfers (updated after the transfer deadline) As mentioned above, transfers were restricted due to the lack of available wage budget. Three loans and a goalkeeper were all he managed. Young midfielder Lewis Tennant was snapped up by Lurgan Celtic in the only transfer out. Staff It was a relatively small staffing set up including some staff that the board hadn't budgeted for. As a result, Sargent didn't see the point in bringing in any more. Already having a performance analyst and a sports scientist meant he wasn't going to fire them just to stay within the board's recommended staffing levels. He was only here for a season, after all. League Season Preview Predicted to finish 11th. Sargent was hopeful that wouldn't be the case. No players in the media dream XI either. In fact, Tobermore's best player was listed as Tiarnan Rafferty, who was third bottom from the list of top players in the league. It showed the task that faced him. Pre-season fixtures It hadn't started all that well, with a 3-3 draw that they scraped through against non-league opposition. However, having settled on the 4-1-3-2 (centre mid) formation, the goals and results began to flow. Young striker Tim Cahill caught the eye with 5 goals, including a hattrick against UUJ. (The results are included in the August Review.) August 2023 In a world where Luis Enrique was the new Chelsea manager and Diego Simeone had taken over at Manchester City, Sargent was looking forward to trying to progress in two of the four cup competitions, and getting the league under way. 08/08/2023 - North West Senior Cup First Round v Limavady Utd (A) Sargent's first ever cup fixture he had taken charge of came at fellow third-tier side Limavady Utd. Predicted to finish 3rd in the league while Tobermore were predicted 11th meant Sargent wasn't expecting much. The struggles with transfers had continued, the Director of Football seemingly offering players from the youth team contracts to stretch the budget even further, despite only offering appearance-fee based deals. With the match coming almost as part of pre-season, Sargent's team selection gave chances to fringe players he hadn't seen a lot of. It didn't prevent them putting in a decent performance, exchanging shots with the hosts in an even first half. Both sides had decent moments, but it was level at the break. Sargent encouraged them. One goal could decide this. Limavady had the better chances, spurning some decent opportunities. In the 67th minute, a forceful run down the right from Forrest produced a ball across the face of goal which Cahill slammed home at the far post. Both sides had further chances to score, but reserve keeper Morgan Moore added to his tally of saves to keep the hosts at bay. It finished 1-0, which Sargent was thrilled with. He considered it to be an upset with a weakened team on the field. 12/08/2023 - Bet McLean Cup First Round v Banbridge (H) Another game against a side in the same division found Banbridge travelling to Fortwilliam Park. Sargent wanted the side to build on their performance in the last game, hoping that the player's faith in him would soon improve. He named a side that was stronger than the one against Limavady, his preferred striking pairing up front. Tobemore began the better, fashioning a couple of early chances. In the 21st minute, Banbridge broke through down the left, the ball finding McCavitt in the middle to slot home. However, he was flagged for offside. In the 35th minute, McIlhatton went close with an effort from the edge of the area following a barnstorming run from Keane, who had picked the ball up inside his own half before pulling the ball back on reaching the byline. Banbridge grabbed the lead five minutes before half time, Weir spinning O'Mullan, who should have been stronger in the tackle, and racing through to slot the ball over Moore. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time, demanding improvement in the second half. More goal pressure was required. In the 49th minute, Tennant swung in a corner from the right, and centre back Kearns rose highest to force a header at goal, which Hunter couldn't keep out. Sargent wasn't complaining. Just after the hour mark, McCavitt wasted a glorious opportunity to give Banbridge the lead. Clean through, he could only pass the ball into Moore's hands. A minute later, a ball over the top from Gillan was thrashed in on the volley by Rafferty to give Tobermore the lead. A thunderous effort which Sargent had to applaud. In the 69th minute, Gillan was also on the scoresheet, tucking home left-footed from just inside the box, another effort that Hunter may have felt he should have done better with. Banbridge gave it a good go, trying to get back into the game, Black nodding narrowly over after a horrendous misplaced pass from Gillan. However, Tobermore saw the game out, Cahill wasting a decent chance, nipping the ball off the defence in the final minute but shooting straight at Hunter. Conor Kearns was the player of the match after a commanding centre back performance. Having now beaten two teams in the same division in the cups, Sargent was hopeful Tobermore wouldn't be in for too much of a relegation battle. 26/08/2023 - Lough41 PIL (LPIL) v Queens University (H) The first league game of the season and Sargent was eager to see if he could start with a win. Tobermore United were predicted to finish 11th, with only Portstewart predicted to finish below them. Queens University were predicted to finish mid-table. Could Sargent's boys pull off a home victory? Se Ferris, Eoin Morgan (not that one), and Jay Smith all made debuts. Tobermore started brightly with Keane scoring a howitzer from outside the box after 11 minutes. Sargent hoped it would be the start of something brilliant, but Queens University responded within 10 minutes. A well-worked moved found Hughes free in the area, and he made no mistake with his header into the bottom corner from six yards out. Queens University always looked the more likely to score, carving out the better opportunities but the game ended in a draw. Not the perfect start Sargent wanted but he had to temper his own expectations; they weren't expected to win. The loanees hadn't been spectacular, but neither had anybody else, excluding Keane and his wonder goal. 29/08/2023 - Bet McLean Cup Second Round v Warrenpoint (H) A chance to test himself against a top division, saw Tobermore United welcome Warrenpoint to Fortwilliam Park. Sargent couldn't expect much from this game apart from a good performance. A win was unthinkable. However, managerial support in the dressing room was proving to be an issue. Nothing he had done so far had seemed to improve it. If he masterminded a victory, would it help? He had to make several changes from the side that had played against Queens University but Keane and Rafferty started up front together. He wanted the side to start well, just to prove to themselves they could mix it against a top tier side. They were certainly even until the 36th minute. A cross from the left was watched by both centre backs allowing Swan to hook in from close range. They added a second before half time. A loose pass in midfield was sent forwards by Davidson to find the run of Carroll, who ran through and fired into the far corner. 0-2 was a mountain to climb. Sargent didn't hold back at half time, telling them exactly what he thought. It sparked a reaction. Maybe his managerial support wasn't too bad after all. In the 47th minute, McCrory's run forward found Keane, who burst into the box and fired across the keeper and into the net. 8 minutes later, McIlhatton's cross from the right was nodded in at the far post by Gillan. An unlikely equaliser! Both teams had chances to win in normal time and in extra time but couldn't be separated. As Sargent began planning who his penalty takers were going to be, a deep cross from the right found its way to Wilson. Challenged by Harkness, the ball went straight up in the air. Wilson reacted quickest and turned the ball home to win the game for the top tier side. Sargent slumped in his seat. So close but so far. Review This was the first chance he had to go home and review things with his brother and give him a first-hand update of how it had all been going. His brother had his hands full with a three-month old so the dinner was constantly interrupted. However, it was good to see his family again, having not been home since the end of June. He couldn't believe how different the baby looked. When settling down on the sofa later, Sargent concluded it had been a mixed month, drawing the first league game, and the gut-wrenching last-minute defeat in the most recent cup game. However, he was still on track with the targets, but the lack of managerial support was still a concern. They were 9th in the table after one game and Sargent had to say he would take that if that's where they finished the season.

End of Season Review The clubhouse was packed for the end of season dinner. Sargent had invited his brother to the event to fulfil their monthly dinner, having not returned at the end of March. His girlfriend hadn't wanted to travel with the baby due at any time. It was a chance for everybody to dress up and celebrate what had been a decent season, although the form in the last few matches had dropped off. Goytre finished 10th in the league overall, which had been an improvement on 13th place, where they had been when Sargent took over. Sargent used the same format to the evening that he had experienced at Hillingdon Borough. The chairperson stood up and gave a long and boring speech about the club culture and how the future looked before going over his favourite memories. The biggest win had been the 4-0 victory at Ynyshir. The match to remember had also been an away win, the 2-1 win over Cwmbran Celtic in Sargent's first away game in charge, in front of 3 Goytre United fans. The goal of the season award was given to youngster Malcolm Meredith for his effort against Carmarthen Town in March. It was then time for Sargent to give his speech. He reminisced about the journey he had taken in finding the job, the highs of beating the league leaders at home, as well as learning about the character of his players during the defeats. He thanked everyone for their hard work over the last few months. He then handed out the following awards: Fans' Player of the Season: Morgan Thomas Young Player of the Season: Gavin Jones Signing of the Season: Wade Ripley Goal of the Season: Malcolm Meredith Top Goalscorer: Jordan Edwards (9) Most Assists: Morgan Thomas (9) Most Player of the Match Awards: Corey Francis (3) Highest Average Rating: Morgan Thomas (7.0) It was now the middle of April. His contract ran until the end of June. He returned home with his brother that night and became a full-time kitchen fitter again, while still banking the weekly wage from Goytre United. The baby was due in May so he had a self-imposed deadline of kipping in his brother's sofa until then. It was a good opportunity to save some money while he kept an eye out for his next managerial appointment. Job Hunt 2023 The club did offer a year's contract extension but with Monster's advice burning in his mind, Sargent politely refused the offer, and as his contract end date came around, he offered his resignation. He was unemployed again. Although he had some experience of managing this time. With 9 wins, 3 draws, and 4 defeats, his record wasn't too bad. The baby had been born in mid-May. He had been renting a room nearby while working for his brother but the rental arrangement was starting to wear thin. His housemates weren't football fans and while Sargent spent his free time researching training sessions, their constant disturbances became a real hindrance to making progress. As soon as he found a job, he would be off. Plenty of jobs were available for him to apply for. He made the decision not to apply for any jobs in the same league as Goytre United but did apply for other jobs in Wales. One thing he was adamant about was ensuring that the club he joined would commit to him doing a coaching badge. Two clubs he attended interviews for, Portstewart and Denbigh, turned their noses up at this, leading to those interviews ending prematurely. However, he was thrilled that other clubs did agree to it in the interview and the first club that came back to him were Tobermore United, in the third tier of Northern Ireland. The contract offered was a considerable pay rise, £250 p/w, but it was only a year's contract until the end of May 2024. However, the prospect of completing his National C Licence was the cherry atop the cake. With the money he had saved over the last couple of months, he took the flight over to the middle of the Northern Irish countryside to sign on the dotted line and take his next job in his managerial career. He had been unemployed by a football club for a grand total of five days. He was delighted to find the facilities were better than the ones he had left behind too. In terms of reputation, his new club were at a similar level to his previous one. The wage budget was much smaller but Sargent couldn't wait to get started with the players. His approach would be the same as it had been at Goytre United - triallists. Use all club resources to find as many players available on a free transfer as possible. All of the players were still on holiday, so he couldn't meet them on his first day. That would be saved for his first team meeting. However, with the pre-season still to start in Northern Ireland, he was able to lay out his plans, tactics, training schedules, and establish all the staff roles for the coming season. With four cup competitions to play in as well as the league, there looked to be a need for a decent sized squad; he was pleased to discover there was both a B team and a youth team. He put up job adverts for a physio department as well as a scout. Finally, he asked the club secretary about local kitchen fitters who might be in need of an experienced worker, as well as any local estate agents that could help him find somewhere to live. Luckily, within a couple of weeks, he was all sorted, although he couldn't wait to be done with kitchens forever. He hoped the new football season in a different country would give him that springboard to better things.

March and April 2023 In a world where Antonio Conte has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, Sargent was approaching his final five games in charge. Three in March. Two in April. Goytre United didn't have anything in particular to play for, except as high a league position as possible. Sargent promised his brother that he would invite him to the club's presentation evening after the final game and they would review everything then. 04/03/2023 - JDCS v Swansea Uni (A) The third away game on the spin saw Goytre travel to Swansea Uni, who were 5th in the league, four places and six points separating them. Swansea Uni played with a compact system but Goytre had the better of the early chances. Swansea Uni were awarded an innocuous penalty in the 12th minute, Williams deemed to have been pulling Orme's shirt as a deep free-kick came in. Sargent wasn't thrilled with the decision but could only chuckle as Moreton chipped his penalty into Morton's hands. However, the penalty seemed to knock the stuffing out of Goytre, Swansea Uni then beginning to dominate the game. They opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, Morgan tapping home at the back post after some excellent work on the left wing. Sargent told the team he expected a much better performance after half-time, which produced a couple of chances but nothing clear-cut. Swansea Uni managed to see the game out, and Sargent was left bemused. A 1-0 defeat out of nowhere. Swansea Uni had nullified them completely, the strikers barely mustering a shot between them. 11/03/2023 - JDCS v Abergavenny (H) A home game against the division's bottom side gave Sargent hope they could reverse their winless run. They hadn't even been close against Swansea. Sargent sent the side out telling them he expected them to win. It was also his last home game in charge, with three away games remaining. The game didn't begin well for Goytre. The bottom side seemed to have a freedom Sargent could only dream of. In the 8th minute, Abergavenny broke through down the left wing, Reed cutting inside and firing past Morton from a narrow angle. Thankfully, the assistant's flag was raised on the far side, but Sargent was concerned. He was harsh with them again at half-time. They couldn't drop more points here. In the 47th minute, Reed tripped Dan Jones on the edge of the area. Meredith stepped up right-footed, and curled the ball around the wall and into the top-right corner, Christie perhaps feeling he could have done better. It seemed to settle the side down and they began to put more and more pressure on the Abergavenny defence. A second goal didn't appear until the 81st minute, though. The move began with Morton, who released Ripley down the left with an exquisite long-range pass. Ripley dribbled into the area before pulling the ball back for an unmarked Morgan to volley home. Relief all round. Abergavenny couldn't muster anything in the little time remaining. Wade Ripley was the player of the match after his wonderful piece of left-wing wizardry that Sargent himself would have been proud of. Sargent also spent a few moments applauding the home fans at the end of the game. His home record had been decent; 6 wins following the 5-5 draw in his first game. 25/03/2023 - JDCS v Carmarthen (A) After only managing a draw in the weekend friendly, Sargent was keen to try and earn another away win, having picked up two points from their last three away trips. The team had only managed a 2-2 draw in a friendly the previous weekend, so his usual tactic of winning those games hadn't happened. He hoped confidence wouldn't be knocked in this match. Williams was unavailable at the back so Griffiths was in. Morgan Thomas started on the left wing allowing Dan Jones to start on the right. As always, they made a fast start but Carmarthen always seemed to have them at arms' length. Walters gave the home side the lead just after the half hour with a sensational volley from the edge of the box, Morton helpless as the ball ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time; they had created the better chances but were behind. Shortly after the restart, Carmarthen made it 2-0. Bassett headed in a corner from the left at the near post, Morton letting the ball squirm through his hands. Sargent had his head in his. After 71 minutes, Meredith lashed home from the edge of the area to reduce the arrears but the damage had been done. The game ended 2-1. Undone by two set pieces. 07/04/2023 - JDCS v Trefelin BGC (A) The penultimate game of the season saw Sargent wanting his side to win another away game before he left the club. On Good Friday, he hoped it would be a good Friday against local rivals Trefelin. A win would send Goytre above them in the table. Keeping with the balanced mentality, Sargent tried to be positive in the dressing room. Trefelin were above them in the league, and a win would see Goytre overtake them. Sargent gave Ripley a start in this match, Thomas returning to his natural side. In a relatively even opening to the game, Kieron Proctor had the best chance for Goytre, wasting his one-on-one chance when put clean through. In the 35th minute, Evans grabbed the lead. Williams's long ball down the left found Ripley, who played in the attacking midfielder who finished calmly across the keeper. In the 39th minute, Allen was adjudged to have pushed someone in the area as a free-kick came in and the referee pointed to the spot. Baynes stepped up but Morton got two hands to the ball and managed to turn the ball behind. Sargent wanted more of the same in the second half. Goytre always seemed to have a measure of control; Trefelin's best chance came from a corner late on, and a welcome 1-0 win saw them rise to 10th in the league. Morton was the hero after his penalty save making up for his poor performance the previous week. 10/04/2023 - JDCS v Llantwit Major (A) Back to where it had all begun. That remarkable 5-5 draw in his first match in charge against the same opposition brought back some wonderful memories. Could he finish his Goytre United career with a win? He tried Thomas on the left wing again to accommodate Dan Jones, unable to have Ripley, Jones and Thomas on the pitch at the same time. After a cagey start, the game sprang into life when Caswell's clearance released Harris down the left, creating a 3 v 2 at the back. His ball across the six-yard box was smashed in by Parker to gave Llantwit Major the lead. Goytre responded immediately but Ethan Morgan's header clipped the far post from a corner. Morgan also went close with a header from an Andrews cross as half time approached. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time. They had been competitive but looked vulnerable on the break. Caswell's distribution did the damage again with Llantwit Major's second goal early in the second half. Allen was caught ball-watching as Caswell's clearance sailed over him allowing Parker to nip in and dink the ball past Morton into the corner of the net. Goytre upped the pressure. Morgan went on a lungbusting run allowing Jones to curl an effort at goal, and some last-ditch defending prevented Thomas and Proctor from scoring after Caswell dropped the ball. In the 70th minute, Andrews's cross from the right was headed in at the near post by Proctor to give Goytre a chance. However, Llantwit Major extended the lead late on, Davidson curling in from the edge of the area after the breakdown from a corner. It was the first time Sargent had lost by more than a single goal. Clinical finishing had been the difference in what had been a relatively even game. Sargent's thoughts turned to where he would be managing next season during the bus ride home. But first, there was the end-of-season awards evening to get through.

February 2023 In a world where Erling Haaland has only scored 12 goals in 25 matches for Manchester City in the Premier League (so far), Sargent wanted his side to kick on from a perfect January. 11/02/2022 - JDCS v Taffs Well (H) Sargent was hoping for another consecutive win against a side below them in the table but was wary of complacency beginning to set in. The message in his pre-match press conference was all about continuing with the hard work. Training performances were slowly improving as the mood around the club was beginning to lift following the winless streak earlier in the season. Sargent could only sit and watch as the side put in a lacklustre first-half performance in the pouring rain, Proctor going closest with a header from a corner that clipped the top of the bar. He didn't hold back in telling the players how he felt. Within a minute of the restart, a long ball forward aimed for Meredith's run ran into the path of Morgan, who kept his cool to create the perfect angle to tuck it past the keeper. Sargent's mood lifted slightly. It took until the 75th minute to grab another, Allen nodding in at the back post from Thomas's free-kick from the right. With only the odd half-chance here and there, it took an 89th minute effort from Proctor to add some gloss to the scoreline, collecting Thomas's cross and slotting the ball across the keeper to find the net. 3-0. Comfortable in the end and nobody could deny the fact Goytre United had been the better side. Williams put in his best performance under Sargent, winning everything at the back and was a deserved player of the match. 18/02/2022 - JDCS v Pontardawe (A) A first away game for a few weeks saw Goytre take on a side below them in the league but had proven difficult to beat so far, picking up the most draws in the division. It was the first of three away games in a row. Sargent had only taken charge of three away games: a defeat to the top side and two wins against sides in the relegation zone. He wanted more of the same from the side, though. Could their winning run continue? They certainly made the better start, Ethan Morgan's header bouncing off the post in the 8th minute. In the 25th minute, Ryan Morgan chipped the ball forward towards Proctor in the box. Inexplicably, the Pontardawe keeper came to try and claim it but Proctor had the awareness to nod the ball over him, wheeling away in celebration when the ball dropped into the corner of the net. 1-0 to Goytre. Sargent's side continued to create chances, Proctor missing a particularly decent one-on-one opportunity, Reeve denying him with a strong one-handed save. On the stroke of half-time, Allen was pushed in the box contesting a corner and the referee pointed to the spot. Andrews stepped up but Reeve produced another outstanding save, making up for his rash decision earlier in the match. Sargent encouraged the team at half-time. They were the better side, the only threat had been from a free-kick which came back off the bar, but Goytre should have scored more than once. In the 59th minute, Thomas lost out in midfield, Pontardawe releasing Tae-Yun down the left. Williams never managed to get goal-side of his man, allowing Reed all the time in the world to poke in at the back post when the cross came in. Level. Sargent wasn't impressed. In the 69th minute, Pontardawe thought they had the lead when Tae-Yun tucked in from Reed's cross following a counter attack from a Goytre corner but the assistant raised his flag. Warning signs for Goytre. Sargent's fears were founded in the 77th minute when Reed found a half-yard of space between the two centre backs, rifling a low shot from the edge of the area which Morton couldn't keep out. 1-2. Sargent instantly demanded more. They hadn't been the same side in the second half and now looked like losing. Urging them forwards, Goytre applied all sorts of pressure and on the stroke of 90 minutes, Pontardawe finally cracked. Proctor's cross from the left channel found strike partner Morgan unmarked at the back post and he had the time to take a touch and bury the ball past Reeve. Relief on the Goytre bench. But Sargent wanted more. Ethan Morgan had a chance to win it with the final kick of the game but blazed his shot over the bar from Dan Jones's cross from the right. Sargent was disappointed but some excellent goalkeeping (eventually) from Reeve and two well-taken strikes from Reed had earned Pontardawe a point. 25/02/2022 - JDCS v Cambrian & Clydach (A) Former runaway leaders Briton Ferry had been reeled in by next opponents Cambrian & Clydach in recent weeks, and Sargent was less optimistic of returning to winning ways following the disappointments of the previous week against a side in top form. Goytre started the better, having a couple of early chances. In the 12th minute a tidy move began with Allen bringing the ball out of defence, knocking the ball down the right wing for the overlapping wingback Andrews. He cut the ball back for Jones to send in a low cross and Proctor knocked the ball home from eight yards out. The league leaders did have chances in the first half, mostly from long balls over the top, but it was 1-0 to Goytre United at the break. Just before the hour mark, Williams failed to find a teammate on two occasions, inexplicably giving the ball away on the left side of the box, allowing Bull to score a header at the back post. Sargent was livid. He wanted to make sure they didn't concede any more goals, at least. They had definitely been on top. As the clock ticked down, chances were few and far between. In the 83rd minute, Cameron Harris chased down the left back, whose clearance was drilled into the substitute's shins. Harris whipped the ball into the box on to the head of Ethan Morgan, who had a free header six yards out. Lewis, the opposition keeper got a hand to it, but the ball squirmed in. A winner? Sargent certainly hoped so. He didn't change the tactic, as the opposition hadn't been particularly threatening. As time ticked on, Cambrian & Clydach threatened from set pieces, mostly. In the final minute, Francis was muscled off the ball in the centre circle, and Cambrian & Clydach broke in numbers. Two men went straight through the middle of the centre backs and it was Eason who stroked home the equaliser from the edge of the area. Sargent was frustrated. They had been the better side but only one point to show for it. Ethan Morgan was the player of the match, having formed a lethal strike partnership with fellow new signing Kieron Proctor. Review As he knocked on his brother's front door after the drive from Wales, Sargent reflected on his achievements so far. He was beginning to regret promising to only honour the contract he had been given. Goytre United was starting to form a big part of his life, even if they had only picked up five points out of nine in February. However, one of those points had been earned thanks to a late equaliser, while two points had been dropped by conceding a late equaliser. He couldn't be too despondent. It had worked out about even. Goytre United were now up in 9th place, comfortably mid-table, closer to the top of the league than the relegation zone now. The board were pleased with how it was going but still wouldn't fund a coaching course due to financial reasons. His brother was in a reflective mood. His girlfriend was having more regular midwife appointments now, and they were starting to prepare what had been Sargent's room for the baby. David was now having to sleep on the sofa. He knew there couldn't be too many more visits to come, and returning here once the season was over was looking less and less likely. His aim was to finish as high up the table as possible to stand him in good stead for finding another job.

January 2023 In a world where Brazil have won the 2022 World Cup, Sargent was in for a difficult January, playing the top two sides in the league, albeit at home. 02/01/2023 - JDCS v Briton Ferry (H) With more new signings coming in, Sargent hoped they had enough in the tank to cause an upset. Coming up against a 4-4-2, Sargent wanted the side to try to force Briton Ferry to play through the middle. Bolstered by the biggest attendance in his short tenure, 182 fans through the gate, Sargent encouraged the team to believe in themselves. Kieron Proctor, a new striker, made his debut up front. Sargent continued with the balanced mentality, he didn't want to have to concentrate too much on defending. After a tame opening twenty minutes, Proctor had the ball in the net, tapping home from a couple of yards out after Meredith's header was palmed straight up in the air by the keeper. The assistant's flag was raised, however, Proctor ahead of the ball when Meredith headed the ball. Ten minutes later, a long ball from Evans in goal for Briton Ferry sailed over Allen's head. Walters reacted quickest, taking a couple of touches before tucking past Morton from just inside the box. Sargent's heart sank. In the 39th minute, Briton Ferry extended their lead. Power's long ball over the top found the run of the pacy Bowen who had caused so many difficulties the previous week. Williams tracked the run all the way across the pitch but still couldn't get close enough to block the shot which clipped the near post on its way in. Sargent went to the edge of his technical area, trying to encourage the boys. Two long balls had both ended up in the net; the league leaders had rarely threatened otherwise. A few minutes before half time, Thomas drove the ball in low, trying to find Proctor in the box. The ball spooned up in the air towards Meredith, who brought it under control, and returned the ball to Thomas. He took a touch to get the ball out of his feet, and then had a shot which deflected up in the air, looping the ball over Evans, dropping inside the far post. 1-2. Some hope, at least. A goal behind at half-time wouldn't be too bad. Goytre United continued to press, a long ball forward comfortably nodded back to Briton Ferry keeper, Evans. Rather than kicking from his hands, he kicked it from the ground, which Allen won in the air, nodding the ball into midfield. With Jones running towards him, Williams bottled the challenge, allowing the Briton Ferry winger to skip past him and feed Bowen through the middle. His express pace took him past Allen, the ball sitting up nicely so he could put his laces through it and find the bottom corner. The mood was apprehensive in the dressing room. Sargent gave everyone a pat on the back, encouraging them to believe in themselves. They had proved they could threaten. He also dropped the defensive line slightly to try and leave less room for Bowen to exploit in behind. After half-time, Thomas met Jones's deep cross to the back post but the ball looped on to the top of the net. Even having dropped the line, Bowen still posed problems, any through-ball like catnip for him with his pace. On this occasion his shot sailed into the crowd. Sargent let out a sigh of relief. Just before the hour mark, Thomas came short to pick up a throw-in on the left, sending over a deep cross to where Jones was lurking. His header wasn't great but Evans made a mess of it, flapping at the ball, which then dropped into the net. 2-3. Signs of life. Sargent encouraged them forwards. Proctor then went close with a back-post header; the ball drifting inches wide. As the clock ticked past the 70th minute, Thomas retrieved the ball on the right, setting off on a mazy run to the byline. He pulled the ball back for Andrews to drill in a low cross. Meredith couldn't control it but Jones behind him took a touch before swinging his foot at the ball to smash past Evans. An equaliser! Sargent was off the bench in an instant demanding more of the same. They'd pegged back the league leaders. Could they find a winner? A few minutes later, Meredith went close with a free-kick, the ball not dipping quite enough. The time ticked on. Sargent kept glancing at his watch - could they carve out one more opportunity? In the 83rd minute, Thomas set off on another run down the right. His cross was another deep one and as Jones challenged for it, Alfei was deemed to have shoved the left-winger in the back. Sargent wasn't sure but the referee pointed to the spot. Right-back Andrews grabbed the ball and passed it into the bottom-left corner. A remarkable turn-around. Could they hold on? The only other notable chance of note was Andrews having an effort from range which flew an inch over the crossbar but the game fizzled out. They had beaten the league leaders. Morgan Thomas was named player of the match for his goal, assist, and direct running but the attacking midfield trio had all put in exceptional performances. Sargent was full of smiles in the clubhouse afterwards. They had kept Briton Ferry at bay in the second half. How far could they push on now? 06/01/2023 - JDCS v Ynyshir (A) Coming up against a side 15th in the league and in poor form, Sargent hoped to bag a convincing away win and see if it would provide a firm base to start climbing the table. Beating the side clear at the top of the table had proven to him that there was enough at the club to compete. He wanted to reverse the side's negative goal difference and try to get as many points on the board as possible. Beating a side looking nailed-on to be relegated would be a big help. Two more debutants were named on the teamsheet; Wade Ripley, left winger, started on the bench and Ciaran Evans, centre attacking midfielder, was in the starting eleven. After a cagey first half hour, Sargent wanted to see more from the players. However, Ynyshir created the first clear-cut chance of the game, Anstee breaking clear on the left but blazing his shot over when well placed. Ciaran Evans had a good chance late in the first half, sent clear by Morgan's forward ball but placed his shot wide. Jones nearly broke the deadlock before half-time with an effort that crashed off the post but nobody was on hand to turn the ball home. Sargent wasn't pleased with his players during the break, and made sure they knew it. In the 51st minute, Jack Owen broke through down the left, his shot crashing off the left post and rebounding kindly for Evans to slot in for a debut goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Thomas's free-kick from the right was swung in and the referee pointed to the spot. Sargent couldn't tell why. He was surprised to see the referee produce a second yellow card for Matthews too. Andrews, having scored the winner the week before, stepped up but Howe flung himself to his right to turn the ball around the post. 1-0 still but now against ten men. Five minutes later, Evans thought he had snaffled a second goal, finding himself unmarked in the middle of the area to tuck away Jones's cross but the assistant had raised his flag against Jones. In the 72nd minute, Proctor also had a goal ruled out. Sargent was starting to think it wouldn't be his day. How the score was only 1-0 was baffling. He turned to his bench, sending on reinforcements. A minute later, they grabbed a second goal. Morgan's ball from the left was pursued by Owen, but Thomas and Howe collided, the ball bouncing out to Francis outside the box. His first-time finish was shanked into the open net, the ball nestling in the corner to Sargent's relief. The left wing provided another source of goals with the match entering its twilight. Morgan's through ball found the run of Ripley, and he had no difficulty in slotting the ball home to make it 3-0. It was then Ripley's turn to provide an assist, finding the run of substitute Edwards, who kept his composure to slot home a fourth goal. The scoreline reflected Goytre's dominance, although for a while it didn't look likely. The red card had certainly had an impact. Ripley was named as player of the match after a virtuoso substitute appearance. The result boosted the league position to 11th, joint-highest of the season. Sargent was delighted on the coach on the way home. Two brilliant performances. Everything seemed to be clicking into gear. 20/01/2023 - JDCS v Barry (H) After another friendly which gave Sargent a chance to experiment with some more triallists, it was another home game against a Barry side that had fallen to 4th. Sargent hoped to pile on the pressure. After Wade Ripley's excellent substitute appearance in the last game, Sargent gave him a start on the left wing. In the 12th minute, a Barry free-kick was cleared, releasing Proctor downfield. The Barry defence backed off giving Proctor enough room to squeeze a shot in which the keeper could only help into the net. The perfect start. Barry's main threat seemed to come from set pieces, and they were unlucky to only hit the post in the 23rd minute. Before the half-hour mark, Francis's ball over the top found Ripley in the left channel. The new signing controlled it, the ball popping up for him to lash towards goal which, once again, Brass could only help into the net. 2-0 to Goytre United. Sargent was delighted. Barry pulled one back five minutes later, Johnson able to escape the back line to create the perfect angle to slot past Morton. Sargent was philosophical at the break. The team were playing well but had to be wary of the threat of Barry on the break. He demanded more of the same. Thankfully, they restored their two-goal lead within five minutes of the restart. Francis's ball over the top found the run of Jack Owen, who nodded the ball over the advancing keeper. Just after the hour mark, Proctor notched his second of the game, running on to Williams's clearance, an awkward bounce working in his favour so he could tuck the ball under Brass, the ball barely reaching the back of the net. It was over the line, though, and Proctor wheeled away in celebration. There was even time for a fifth, Ripley adding his second in the 82nd minute with a gorgeous cushioned volley having been found in the corner of the box from Thomas's deep cross from the right. Barry put a slight dampener on the result, making it 5-2 in the dying embers of the game when Peters cut inside from the left wing and his weak shot seemed to go straight through Morton. However, it was no more than a consolation. Overall, a brilliant win with Ripley taking the plaudits. Sargent was thrilled. More performances like this and there wouldn't be anything preventing Goytre United from climbing the table. 27/01/2023 - JDCS v Afan Lido (H) A local derby which the players were excited for, as well as the fans. 360 fans had made it through the gate. Sargent kept the faith with the same side that had dominated against Barry, hoping for a similar outcome. Goytre took the lead after 28 minutes when Thomas's free-kick was met by Allen at the back post with a thumping header. The derby was played at a competitive pace with both sides picking up several yellow cards. At half-time Sargent was pleased with the lead but 1-0 was never a convincing scoreline. So it proved within ten minutes of the restart. The Goytre defence were static as a ball from the left channel found Brock in oceans of space. He squared the ball to the equally unmarked Thomas, who couldn't miss from eight yards. Afan Lido then shut up shop, happy with a point. Sargent urged his side forward. He didn't want to end the winning run at home. As the clock ticked down, Francis sent a free-kick to the back post from wide on the left. Harris's header bounced back off the crossbar. Jones tried to turn it home but was scythed down in the process. Penalty! New signing Ethan Morgan was the man who stepped up and he slammed his penalty high into the net. Relief all round. Sargent and the rest of the coaching staff were on their feet. It hadn't been the same convincing performance as with the previous few games, but they had made it over the line. Review A month ago, Sargent had made it back to his brother's house to discover he wouldn't be able to return there at the end of the season. In the meantime, he had agreed to still go for an end of the month meal. There was none of the fanfare this month. Takeaway pizza was all that was waiting for him. Having won all of the games, he had been hoping for something more. As he settled down with his brother and a beer to go over the games, he began to realise his brother's attention was elsewhere. Understandably. As he laid his head down on the pillow for the night, he couldn't help but reflect on the month. Four wins out of four meant everything had come up rosy for Sargent. The team were playing well, the new signings were settling in, and the only question now was could he keep it going?

December 2022 In a world where Rafa Benitez has become the new manager at Leicester City, David Sargent had the task of taking charge of his first four league games. 03/12/2022 - Another friendly at home, this time against Kingsbridge Colts saw many triallists take to the field. Sargent was keen to ensure his squad was used to the maximum, and he had scoured the list of players available on a free transfer provided by his Director of Football, Ollie Mitchell, and the scouting department. Jose Maturino scored a hattrick to offer a glimpse of what he might bring up front in a 3-1 win that wasn't as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Food for thought for Sargent. However, it all would mean nothing without a positive result in the following game. 06/12/2022 - JD Cymru South (JDCS) v Llantwit Major (H) Sargent's first competitive fixture in charge came against a side in good form, currently exceeding expectations by sitting 5th in the league at the start of play. Sargent had no idea what to expect. Would the fans be accepting of a complete stranger? Would the players play to their best? To his surprise, his former boss sent him a good luck message, telling him not to sweat it. Taking over a side midway through a season was always going to be tricky. The first competitive game was always going to be an unknown. If they lost, they could work on their mistakes. If they won, they would try and maintain the same level of performance. If it was a draw, then it would be a bit of both. Naming what he believed to be his best side on paper, relatively strong in their individual positions, Sargent walked out in front of 69 fans at Glenhafod Park, having encouraged the team to do their best. The first chance of the game fell to Llantwit; Marenghi threatening with a run in behind but blazing over from the edge of the area. From the result goal kick, right-back Matthew Andrews drove down the right wing, playing in Jordan Edwards in the channel. His ball found strike partner unmarked in the middle, and Jack Owen tucked the ball home. Goytre United were up and running under Sargent! Or were they? The referee blew his whistle and held his arm up. Offside. Owen had moved too soon. Sargent sat down again. A couple of minutes later, a deep booming cross from throw-in taker, left-back Ryan Morgan was nodded narrowly wide by Gavin Jones at the far post, having drifted out there for the throw-in. In the 14th minute, it was a similar story, Jones's header whistling over the bar this time. Following a break from a Llantwit free-kick, Goytre managed to craft a chance when Meredith switched the play out to the left wing. Jones cut back inside, feeding left-back Morgan, who rifled his shot in at the near post to give Goytre the lead. The first goal of the Sargent era had arrived! Llantwit tried to find an equaliser before half time, Marenghi a constant threat through the middle, but Morton in the Goytre goal was relatively untroubled. Once back in the dressing room, Sargent told the team to keep going. It was a dream first half. Could they see the game out for a huge three points? Within thirty seconds of the restart, a long ball over the top saw Marenghi escape the attentions of Glendon, and he kept his composure to round Morton and slot home at the near post. Not what Sargent wanted. 1-1. In the 53rd minute, Thomas, full of running on the right, swung in a low cross which Jack Owen met near the penalty spot with a thunderous volley which rebounded off the crossbar. Hoofed clear by Jones, Morgan was released down the left wing and with the Goytre defence backpedalling, Marenghi had the simplest task to slot home when the ball found him in the middle. Sargent kicked the water bottles in frustration. Within seconds of nearly regaining the lead, they were now behind. Thankfully, they weren't behind for long. Thomas, the danger man yet again, was released down the right following some neat passing between the midfield, and his low cross was clipped in by Jordan Edwards on the edge of the six-yard box. Just after the hour mark, Meredith and Francis exchanged passes in the centre circle before the attacking midfielder skewered the Llantwit defence with a brilliant through ball for Edwards to run on to. Skipping past the onrushing keeper, Edwards was able to tap into an empty net. 3-2! Now could they hold on? Within ten minutes it was 3-3. Caswell's long clearance was nodded away by Williams, but Llantwit were first to the ball, releasing the prolific Marenghi to smash home the equaliser from the edge of the area. Sargent banged the dugout in frustration. Two minutes later, Goytre fell behind, adding to Sargent's frustration. Another headed clearance fell straight to the Llantwit midfield, and with no pressure being applied had all the time in the world to find Morgan, who raced through to tuck home past a despairing Morton. 3-4 now. Could they find a way back into the game? They had played so well and yet were giving away silly goals through the middle. In the 79th minute, Meredith was adjudged to have been too forceful contesting a header with Morgan in the box, the Llantwit forward going to ground, and the referee pointing to the spot. Sargent slumped in his seat as Jones stepped up to drive the ball low to Morton's right. 3-5. So close but so far. The first two goal lead in the match. Sargent encouraged the players, hoping they could perhaps get one consolation. He switched the wingers to see if that could spark anything. A couple of minutes later, Thomas jinked back in on his right foot inside the box, having been found by a raking Jones pass from the right. He took a couple of touches and launched a rocket into the top corner. 4-5! Game on! Sargent encouraged everyone forwards. Could they find an unlikely equaliser in the craziest of games? With time running out, Jones was clattered in the centre circle. Substitute centre back Baker clipped a ball forward towards the strikers but it was 16-year-old Malcolm Meredith who escaped the clutches of his marker, ran on to the pass, and clipped the ball into the corner past a shellshocked keeper. 5-5! The Goytre bench went wild. What a comeback! They had looked dead and buried at 5-3 down. Meredith had turned from zero to hero. Sargent didn't know what to say in the dressing room afterwards. The problem with cutting out through balls could be addressed, but the spirit to come back into the game was great to see. An incredible first game which had swung either way. On the balance of play a draw was a fair result. There appeared to be plenty to work with. 10/12/2022 - JDCS v Ammanford (H) Another home game to begin Sargent's reign saw the former Hillingdon Borough winger line this up as a match that could go either way. Learning the lessons from the first game, Sargent hoped it would keep things tighter without losing the potency up front. Ammanford were 6th in the table at kick-off, so already had wins under their belts. There was only one change from the previous game, Griffiths replacing Williams at the back. In the 20th minute, Morton's goal kick was flicked on by Edwards finding the run of Meredith. At the same end where he notched the dramatic equaliser last week, he looped the ball over the keeper from the edge of the D. Plucked from the U19s, the attacking midfielder was proving to be a scorer of key goals for Sargent's team. In the 33rd minute, Edwards made it 2-0, tucking Thomas's cross in off the near post with a delicate flick. Thomas shredded the Ammanford defence on the verge of half time, picking the ball up near the halfway line and running past a static defence to make his way into the box and clipping the ball into the far corner from ten yards out. A remarkable run and finish. 3-0 at the break. Sargent was thrilled. Monsterball appeared to be paying dividends and they had been rarely troubled at the back. Midway through the second half, Meredith managed a second of the game. Another throw in wreaked havoc, Morgan's cross from the byline finding the attacking midfielder unmarked near the penalty spot, and his first-time finish clipped the right-hand post before dropping into the net. 4-0! Sargent thought he was dreaming. Ammanford did pull one back before the end when Evans swivelled about 30 yards out and his low skidding drive flew past an unsighted Morton into the bottom corner. However, it didn't spark a comeback and the game petered out from there. A convincing 4-1 win. Morgan Thomas picked up the player-of-the-match award following his wonder goal and assist, although Meredith was perhaps unlucky after his brace. A first three points and a much more convincing defensive display. 17/12/2022 - JDCS v Cwmbran Celtic (A) A first away game in charge for Sargent saw him lead his side out at a side in the relegation zone. Three away fans had made the trip. He was hoping to pick up another three points to build on the four he had already gained. Williams returned in defence and Aneurin Lewis replaced Jack Owen up front in the only two changes. Sargent sent the team out with a balanced mentality again; it was a game they should be winning. The first half was a stalemate, neither side creating anything of note apart from two disallowed goals. Lewis thought he had his first goal for the club in the 5th minute but was rightly flagged. It was the same story in the 20th minute, Lewis again flagged, although it was much tighter this time. They hadn't done a lot wrong but they were missing that final touch. Sargent's mood darkened when Cwmbran took the lead in the 55th minute. A free kick from wide on the right was swung in and Martin managed to loop his header over Morton. Sargent wanted more from his players and they eventually managed to grab a goal that counted. Meredith received the ball from Francis in the final third and his ball around the corner found the run of Thomas who managed to poke his shot past the keeper for an equaliser after 75 minutes. Sargent was up out of his seat in the 81st minute when Harris's long ball forward was squared by Edwards to substitute Owen, who confidently slotted home from inside the area. However, the assistant's flag was raised again, Edwards deemed to have been offside. Sargent folded his arms and sat down with a bump. He was out of his seat again a few minutes later, though. Edwards was clearly held by the man marking him as he tried to get on to a through ball, and the referee produced a second yellow card. Could they make the man advantage count? In the 89th minute, Harris's long cross-field pass found Jones hovering unmarked on the far side of the area. He had time to nod it down to Owen, who swung his left foot at it. The keeper couldn't get there and the ball rolled into the back of the net! A winner! When the whistle blew, Sargent ordered the whole team to celebrate in front of the three fans in the away end. His first away victory and the relegation zone was beginning to look further and further away. Jones took the player of the match award following his late assist. 27/12/2022 - JDCS v Briton Ferry (A) The final match of 2022 was also the first of two matches against the league leaders in the space of a week. The board and the supporters were expecting a defeat but Sargent held a faint glimmer of hope. A new centre back, Kieran Allen, had arrived, and slotted straight in at the back. Sargent was confident this would be the greatest test of his reign so far. Briton Ferry had been impressive in the league, and were keen to stretch their lead at the top. However, it didn't look likely in the 14th minute when Edwards tapped in at the near post following some tidy work between Thomas and Andrews down the right, the wing back squaring the ball for the club's senior striker to stroke home. Edwards grabbed his second goal seven minutes later. Jones's ball over the top found the striker's run and he had the confidence to punt it past the keeper from the edge of the area. 2-0. Sargent couldn't believe it. Had he somehow cracked management? They couldn't keep their clean sheet going into half time, though. A long ball over the top caught the Goytre defence cold and Walters had the easiest job in the world to square it to strike-partner Bowen who couldn't miss from twelve yards. A few minutes into the second half, Bowen found a yard of space between the two centre backs and was able to turn and fire home from inside the area with the outside of his foot. 2-2. Sargent couldn't believe it. However, they had been pegged back before. In the 56th minute, another long ball caused problems, Williams tried to execute a one-man offside trap when nobody else in the defence went with him, and Bowen had the freedom of the penalty area to take his time and tuck the ball past Morton. With the pitch condition worsening, Goytre tried to find a way back into the game, but the pace of Bowen on the break continued to threaten. In the end, Sargent had to concede the better side had won. A first defeat for the new manager, but he could take plenty of positives from the game. Review A full first month in management completed. Sargent was secretly pleased with how it had gone. His journey back to London for New Year's Eve gave him some time to plot how he could win the return match against the league leaders and make a real statement as to how the Monsterball philosophy he had inherited could work for him and Goytre United. His brother opened the front door just as he was about to knock. "Come in," he said, visibly excited, unable to stand still, a broad smile on his face. Sargent followed him inside, wondering what had happened. His brother was never this excited to see him. Wandering into the front room, there were loud cheers at his arrival. Bewildered, he looked around at the 'Congratulations' banners around the room, as well as the smiling faces of his family. His mother and father were there, wedged on the sofa together, clutching their wine glasses. "Are these for me?" he asked, before spotting the colour of the balloons. "Why are they pink? We play in blue?" "They're not for you,' his brother replied, elbowing him in the ribs. "We have some news." David scanned his brother's face, a niggling feeling in his stomach. "We're pregnant!" "Congratulations!" David called over the cheers that had erupted again. "But you live in a two-bedroom house. Where's the baby going to sleep?" "Sorry, bro," his brother said, a grim look on his face. "Your room is going to have to be converted into the nursery. We're going to need it by the summer. I know your job is only for seven months, but you won't be able to return here once your job is over." Helping himself to some bubbly from the drinks table, David caught up with his parents, giving them the lowdown on how his new job was going. The club had risen to 12th, eight points above the relegation zone now. Safety was looking more assured. He had twelve games to go - how high up the division could they finish?

November 2022 - first impressions In a world where Bruno Lage has been named the new manager at Crystal Palace, following the players losing confidence in Patrick Vieira, David Sargent was looking forward to getting stuck in to his first managerial post at Goytre United. 21/11/2022 - The rest of the day passed in a blur. Sargent was introduced to so many new faces, shook hands with so many people, and was involved with setting up exactly how he wanted the club. Staffing levels. Squad registrations. He had been installing kitchen units a few hours ago. Now he was being asked if he wanted to hire any scouts for the recruitment team and what duties his assistant manager could take on. The first match wouldn't be for a couple of weeks, meaning he would have some time on the training pitch to try to embed the tactic and work ethic he was after. He requested two friendlies. The club secretary revealed they would play home matches against Ragged School and Kingsbridge Colts on consecutive weekends. Sargent had no knowledge of either of the clubs. He knew his brother would be all over the pun potential in a team name like "Ragged School", though. Having sorted out what he wanted at the club, it was then down to the training ground to put his training plans in place, establish his tactics, and meet the players. Sargent wanted to honour Monster's shape that had taken Hillingdon Borough to three consecutive promotions. However, if there were no wide players at the club, Sargent had prepared a similar 4-1-3-2 formation with three central midfielders. He met with the players, disappointed to discover there was only one first team striker on the books, but four goalkeepers. He immediately demanded the U19 squad join them. However, he did have a little room in the wage budget to play with. He requested the club start searching for strikers available on a free transfer. It was late when he and his brother made it home that night. The journey from Wales was a long one and Sargent didn't see the point in asking his brother to give him a lift every day. He would have to figure something out. He realised he could think about that later. Now, he wanted to start planning for his first game in management. A friendly against Ragged School later that week. There would be four training sessions to complete first. 22/11/2022 - The first training session. The squad were eager to impress but seemingly a little tentative, which was understandable. Sargent could remember the first training session Monster had held. There had been an air of curiosity to see if the players fitted in with the new manager's plans and this was no different. Sargent had time to explain his vision and the targets and told them all he would see it in action on Saturday. Mid-afternoon, Jordan Arnold, the club's Press Officer had to drag Sargent away from the training pitch to meet the press. Stuart Margetson from the Welsh Football Free Press was the only journalist in attendance. Sargent was surprised to be taking questions concerning his age. At 22, he was one of the youngest members of the dressing room. He had never even considered that could be a possible issue with the players. 26/11/2022 - The first friendly fixture. Sargent named his strongest line-up that he could field against local side Ragged School. What followed was a routine 4-0 win, with four different scorers. Sargent was encouraged. The team had seemingly bought into his ideas. Now he needed them to deliver on the pitch to steer them away from the relegation places in the league. Review Having not figured out his living arrangements as yet, Sargent returned to his brother's house after the friendly, having to catch the train. His brother's girlfriend looked surprised to see him as she opened the door. Sargent explained the circumstances as his brother stuck his head out from the front room. "Tell you what," he said, "promise you'll make this a regular thing. We'll do a dinner at the end of every month and you can tell us how it's all going. Even if you move. Promise you'll do it." Sargent saw no reason to refuse, even if the train journey was a pain. Returning to his roots might keep him grounded. He could also catch up with his former boss occasionally, if he was still around. He gave them a kick-by-kick account of his first proper game in charge. His brother nodded along, pleased to see David enjoying himself again.

November 2022 - Job Search To his surprise, there were several jobs available. He submitted applications for Goytre United and Penybont in Wales, Peterborough Sports, Welling, and Concord in England, and Dunfermline and Falkirk in Scotland. The Scottish ones were ambitious but were clubs he had heard of, and he was surprised to see them in the third tier. It took two days for a club to respond and he was offered his first managerial interview at Goytre United, 13th in JD Cymru South. The interview went well and there were rumours on news websites the following morning suggesting he was the new favourite with the board. Over the course of the next week, other jobs became available. He applied for the vacancies at Barry, Dungannon, and Buxton. He wasn't expecting anything but he knew he had to be in it to win it. Keeping a close eye on the sports pages to keep abreast of any other managerial jobs while still fitting kitchens, he kept everything crossed something would come up. His phone was busy with various members of the media asking him for his opinion on possible vacancies but he didn't feel able to comment. He wanted to know if the jobs were available. On the 18th November, while installing some kitchen units, his phone rang in his back pocket. It was the chairperson at JD Cymru Premier side Penybont offering him an interview. Could he be offered a job before the weekend? He attended the interview via Zoom, before returning to assembling kitchen units. Over lunch that day, his brother stood up, yelling in surprise, waving his phone in David's face. "You're the favourite to take over at Goytre!" he shouted. "Your name is favourite with the bookies!" Could it be happening? David couldn't help but flinch every time his phone vibrated in his pocket throughout the rest of the day. Media requests. David refused to respond. The weekend passed. David attended his nephew's match on Sunday again but his attention was firmly on his phone. Nothing. No contact from either of the Welsh sides he had been interviewed by. As the sun rose on Monday morning, his hope had fizzled out. He was frustrated he had let his hopes and dreams get ahead of him. What right did he have to expect that because Monster had managed to talk himself into a managerial job with no qualifications that he could do the same? The only crumb of comfort was that he hadn't received a rejection yet from either Goytre United or Penybont. Dunfermline had sent him a polite rejection, as had Wrexham. As his brother pulled the van up the drive of the house they were working at, he stared down at the signal on his phone. Nothing. No updates today, then. He was tempted to leave his phone in the van for the day. "Connect yourself to their Wi-Fi," his brother insisted once they were inside, finding the password on the back of the router box. "You're still odds-on at the bookies. Today could be the day!" As his emails loaded, David noticed an email received half an hour ago. From Goytre United. Entitled "Job Offer". His phone nearly slipped out of his hand. A managerial position. On £110 p/w. More than he had ever earned as a player. Wrapping his arms around his brother, tears of joy leaking from the corners of his eyes, he took a moment to compose himself before calling the chairperson back to accept the role. It was only for 7 months. But it was a managerial role. He would be calling the shots. And he might even be able to convince the club to set him up on his coaching badges. After packing the kitchen in at lunchtime, David and his brother bundled into the work van and bombed along the M4 to South Wales. The club wanted to present their new manager to the media as soon as possible. After purchasing a shirt, tie, and trousers at a nearby supermarket, David Sargent arrived at Glenhafod Park to sign on the dotted line. David Sargent. Manager.