The Journeyman Chronicles

[chesterfan2]

Thank You gentlemen, now let's go and secure that title, now shall we ?

Sunday April 7th 2013

Belgian Third Division A

RC Waregem(2nd) vs. Deinze(1st )

The maths here was very simple, eleven points clear with five games left. A game against the only side that could still catch us. Win here and we’d be 14 points clear with only 12 available, in short, win and the league would be ours.

Cathalina was back for this one, but Barbe was out with an ankle injury, Lauwers to come in as cover for him. Not much to think about in terms of team talk, go out and get ‘em basically.

The first half was closely fought with very few chances for either side. Keilo-Lezi had the best one of the half as he broke clear in the 26th minute but the Waregem keeper did well to deny him. The first half closed out goalless.

I told the team they could still win this. I sent them out, ...., and I hoped for the best.

On 51 minutes we lost Cathalina to injury. I took the opportunity to take off the ineffective Rossel at the same time. Feys on in the middle and De Wulf on for Cathalina, he’d play right back with Chantry moving to the right midfield slot. A big reorganisation, how would it work ?

As it turned out, it was ok. We played better, more on the front foot and just past the hour, we scored. Lauwers and Deschacht combined to produce an opportunity to slide the ball into the box and to the feet of Coulibaly, who controlled the ball, swiveled and tucked the ball neatly inside the left hand post. One-nil, the title within our grasp.

Two minutes later Feys hit the bar, two more minutes after that Waregem equalised, after we failed to put a routine cross into row Z when we had the chance to.

The game calmed down a bit after that. We lost Chantry to injury late on, and had to reorganise a bit, but neither we or they came anywhere near scoring. The game petered out to a draw that didn’t help us but just as importantly it didn’t really help them either.

Final Score: RC Waregem 1-1 Deinze

League Position : 1st

Scorers: Coulibaly

Man of The Match: Jan Masureel

Team: Schurmans, Chantry (Diba 84), Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Lauwers, Rossel (Feys 51) ,Cathalina (De Wulf 51), Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

So the league title race went on for one more week at least. We were now 11 points clear, with a maximum of 12 available. One more win, that’s all we needed. For that next game we’d be without both Cathalina, out for 5 weeks, and Chantry out for three.

[Marmoset Junior]

This is excellent writing, chester.

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Marmoset, that's mighty kind of you

Saturday April 12th 2013

Belgian Third Division A

Deinze(1st ) vs. RC Mechelen(11th)

I told the lads, pre-match, to go out there and to play their natural game, and that if they did they would be fine. They went out nice and relaxed, I just hoped not too relaxed !

We struggled early on as Mechelen came out all guns blazing. We held them at arm’s length but couldn’t really get anything started ourselves. We didn’t get a clear cut chance until the 28th minute, but the good news was, that when we did, we scored. A free kick midway in the Mechelen half that was crossed over and Xavier Deschacht rising at the far post to head home. The rest of the half slipped by without much in the way of action.

One up at the break, 45 minutes from the title. I asked them to play on the counter in the second half and told them that they could do better. I then sat back to watch us try to claim the league title.

We did play a lot better in the second half and slowly we applied more pressure, and finally we got a second goal on 74 minutes as Rossel was put in, on goal, and he made no mistake from eight yards out.

Mechelen got one back late on, but it was nothing more than a consolation and we ran out 2-1 winners. That was it. The Third Division A title was ours.

Final Score: Deinze 2-1 RC Mechelen

League Position : 1st

Scorers: Deschacht, Rossel

Man of The Match: Xavier Deschacht

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Lauwers, Rossel ,De Groote, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

[mark wilson27]

Congrats on the title mate, lets hope next season will be as successful for ya

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Mark

Sunday April 28th 2013

Belgian Third Division A

Kapellen (4th) vs. Deinze(1st)

We may have won the league, but there were still three games to play before the end of the season. This one was going to be tricky, Kapellen lay in fourth, and had eyes on a playoff spot. We had nothing to play for except pride.

I made only a couple of changes, Barbe came back in and I chose to give Rossel a rest and Ciza a run out. And it might not have been the wisest thing to have done, but I told them to go and enjoy themselves.

Yes, not the best idea. Kapellen came out like a team possessed and scored after only 19 seconds. Oops. Still, it didn’t last long like that as we then went on to spray the ball about and create a glorious chance for Coulibaly who headed home from only eight yards out. 1-1. At this stage it did look as though the game could end 6 all.

We went 2-1 behind on 17 minutes as we failed to mark up at a corner. 3-1 on 26, following an incisive move. De Groote got one back on 42 minutes as he headed home a Deschacht cross.

Down 3-2 at half time and I told them that enjoying themselves did not extend as far as losing the game so they best pull their fingers out.

This seemed to work and the second half turned out to be some of the most entertaining football of the whole season. We grabbed an equaliser on 66 minutes, that man Coulibaly, heading home once more. Barbe made it 4-3 on 70 minutes, a touch of fortune as his free kick from 35 yards was overhit and sailed over the keeper’s head and into the net !

Kapellen tried to come back, but they couldn’t match us in the second half and by the end it was us, not them, that looked more like scoring.

Final Score: Kapellen 3-4 Deinze

League Position : 1st

Scorers: Coulibaly 2, De Groote, Barbe

Man of The Match: Abou Coulibaly

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Barbe, Ciza ,De Groote, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

[chesterfan2]

Sunday May 5th 2013

Belgian Third Division A

Deinze(1st) vs. Ronse (15th)

This game was a different challenge to the last one. Whereas Kapellen were chasing the playoffs, Ronse were trying to avoid being dragged into the relegation dogfight at the wrong end of the table, and the situation was such that they couldn’t really afford to drop any more points. Rossel returned in the middle of the park, and we were otherwise unchanged. With two games to go Abou Coulibaly was now level at the top of the top goalscorer charts with van der Linden of Hoogstraten on 27 league goals, he wanted to win that crown, and I wanted him to win it too.

The first half was full of valiant effort and not a lot of successful application of that effort as we wasted half chance after half chance. But just as it looked like the half would end goalless we scored. De Groote squaring the ball for Coulibaly to apply the simple finish.

A goal up at half time I told they lads they could do better in the second half.

That seemed to work and we made it two on 66 as Djo Kipoy slammed the ball home from close range. It stayed like that as we cantered to another win.

Final Score: Deinze 2-0 Ronse

League Position : 1st

Scorers: Coulibaly, Djo Kipoy

Man of The Match: Jan Masureel

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Barbe, Rossel, De Groote, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi, Deschacht

[chesterfan2]

Sunday May 12th 2013

Belgian Third Division A

Deinze(1st) vs. Wetteren (12th)

The last game of the season, at home to a team with nothing to play for. I decided we should give the fans our best efforts, even if it was going to be difficult to get the boys ‘up’ for this one. Cathalina returned , De Groote mighty unlucky to miss out and Feys came in for Rossel who, after a couple of months on 4 yellow cards, had picked up his fifth in the last match and would now serve a one match ban. I told the lads to put on a show for the fans and sent them out there.

We started very brightly, pinging the ball about with great abandon, Wetteren’s lads being led in circles trying to intercept. We scored early, just shy of five minutes as a corner was head home by Keilo-Lezi for his twentieth goal in all competitions this season. It was two on 13 as Coulibaly knocked home the ball after Kielo-Lezi’s initial shot had been half blocked.

We were coasting this and playing some very smooth football. Wetteren had no answer. Keilo-Lezi got his second, our third, on 38 minutes, from Coulibaly’s unselfish set up play. So, three-nil up at half time. Not a lot to say, just ‘keep it up’.

I think it’s fair to say the lad’s took their foot of the gas in the second period. We had a couple of chances to extend the lead, but didn’t take them and we let Wetteren get not one, but two consolation goals in the 86th and 89th minutes. The win was never in that much doubt, even after the second one went in, and we closed out the season with a scoreline that was closer than it needed to be.

Final Score: Deinze 3-2 Wetteren

League Position : 1st

Scorers: Keilo-Lezi 2, Coulibaly

Man of The Match: Jean Paul Keilo-Lezi

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Barbe, Feys ,Cathalina, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

[chesterfan2]

So that bought the Third Division A season to an end. Deinze (us) were Champions and claimed the one automatic promotion spot. RC Waregem, Rupel Boom and VW Hamme would go into the playoff process. Bornem and Berchem would be automatically relegated while Coxyde would go into the Third Division Relegation Playoff match against 17th place Berchem. Ronse managed to win on the last day of the season and thus escaped that fate.

Abou Coulibaly finished as the top scorer in the league with 29 league goals two ahead of his nearest rival, Roy Van Der Linden who scored 27 for Hoogstraten. Stijn De Wilde of VW Hamme finished with 24. He was due to join up when his Hamme contract ended in June.

Jan Masureel finished with the highest average rating of the season. His rating for the season was 7.78, well ahead of the next best player, Stijn Antheunis the Olsa Brakel defender.

Further good news followed as our reserve keeper Davy Roef was selected by the Belgian U19 squad. He played in the game against Sweden U19 and played his part in a 2-1 win, a great experience for the lad.

A bunch of clubs Europe wide sacked their managers after poor seasons. None of the roles immediately appealed but when Danny Lennon quit St.Mirren to take up the vacant seat at Leeds who had had a very disappointing season in The Championship, I applied for the role at the team that had finished third that year in the Scottish Premier Division, and in doing so secured European football the following season.

In the Third Division Relegation Playoff Bercham won on penalties after 120 minutes of football wasn’t enough for either side to register a goal. That meant Coxyde would join Berchem in being relegated. No I don't understand quite how relegation from the Third Division works either.

And so to the traditional last game of the Belgian Third Division calendar. The Third Division Champions Playoff, where we would take on the champions of the Third Division B, Woulwe-Zanventem, a two-legged affair, we’d be at their place first.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday May 19th 2013

Belgian Third Division Champions Playoff First Leg

Woulwe-Zanventem vs. Deinze

Rossel back in after his ban, Feys the man to lose out, otherwise we stay the same. I told the lads I made them favourites and they should give the fans who had travelled to the game a good performance. It seemed to boost some of them and was the reaction I was hoping for.

I was expecting, and got, a tough fought battle as opposed to a display of football. Tackles flew in from both teams but we slowly got a foothold. We struck on 15 minutes as Keilo-Lezi shot through a crowd, which left their keeper unsighted until it was too late. Just about deserved on the balance of play I thought at the time.

But we seemed to lose our way a bit after that and Woulwe came back into the match. They got an equaliser on the stroke of half time, as our long term weakness of defending at corners came back to bite us.

Level at half time. I told them to keep working, I also replaced Cathalina, who had been booked and had taken a knock, with De Groote. I sent them out and hoped for the best.

We held our own in what was a well fought contest in the second half, held our own that is until the last ten minutes of the match when things started to go a bit wrong. We shipped a second goal on 82 minutes, a swift break down the right, and a good cross slid home, a piece of class in all the endeavour. Rossel then picked up a second yellow on 86 and we gave up a third goal on 89, a bad defensive mistake by the usual rock-like Masureel.

From a quite good position after 80 minutes we had somehow contrived to lose the game 3-1 and give ourselves a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Final Score: Woulwe-Zanventem 3-1 Deinze

Scorers: Keilo-Lezi

Man of The Match: Jean Paul Keilo-Lezi

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Frankel, Masureel, Barbe, Rossel (off 86) ,Cathalina (De Groote), Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday May 22nd 2013

Belgian Third Division Champions Playoff Second Leg

Deinze vs. Woulwe-Zanventem

Cathalina’s injury proved to be bad enough to keep him out of this game and Rossel was banned for his red card in the last match. I also dropped Barbe who seemed to be not quite fit enough to be effective. In came De Groote on the right, Lauwers into the creative role and Frankel moving forward to the ball winning role with Renan Felipe coming into the back four. I figured we’d have to offer the opposition something to look a bit different if we were to win by a big enough margin to take the title.

I was hoping we could put out one of those performances where we blew opposing teams away. It wasn’t going to happen quite like that but we did start the better team and wasted a couple of good chances before we took the lead on 17 minutes, Coulibaly, who else ? firing through a crowd after a De Groote cross had only been half cleared.

This goal quite clearly spurred us on. Coulibaly getting his second on 34, Keilo-Lezi setting him up to strike the ball home from 15 yards out. Only a minute after that we were ahead on terms over the tie as a whole as Keilo-Lezi grabbed a scrappy goal in a goalmouth scramble.

It was all to play for now. We were all over them for the rest of the half, but we couldn’t break through. Keilo-Lezi shot an inch or so wide on 41 and that was as close as we got. Still we went into the half time break on a high. I told them to keep working and it would come. I hoped I was right.

The second half proved to be a much tighter affair, chances, such as there were, were shots from distance with neither keeper overly troubled by any of them. That meant we won the Champions playoff 4-3 on aggregate. Brilliant.

Final Score: Deinze 3-0 Woulwe-Zanventem

Aggregate Score : Deinze 4-3 Woulwe-Zanventem

Scorers: Coulibaly 2, Keilo-Lezi

Man of The Match: Abou Coulibaly

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Djo Kipoy, Renan Felipe, Masureel, Lauwers, Frankel , De Groote, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Deschacht

So, the season over, the team promoted. I got a list of players from the club scout and made offers to a couple of them. I also applied for a couple of jobs in the UK that were vacant. I hadn’t got the St.Mirren job.

None of those applications came to anything either, and so I decided to buckle down and get on with managing Deinze. I let a number of the players who had either been barely used or indeed not used at all over the season go, with the plan to restock the ranks for a go at the Second League. We then took a few weeks off, ahead of pre-season, due to start in mid-July.

[chesterfan2]

End of Season Review

At the end of season 1 of my career, I had attained 1 trophy,

Trophies Won: Belgian Third Division Champions – Deinze

[Marmoset Junior]

Congratulations on such a great season, chester. Looking forward to reading more of this.

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Marmoset, good to have you on board.

When I came back from my break (largely spent redecorating the small house I had on a long term rent on the outskirts of Deinze) I found that the board had reacted to us going to the higher division by getting a new parent club, KV Kortrijk, allowing an increased number of coaches and scouts, increased the stadium capacity to 8000 through the use of temporary seating and, most importantly , turning the club from an amateur side to a professional side. As I now had to negotiate new contracts with all the players I wanted to keep it made my decision to cut away the dead wood at the close of the last campaign seem a rather wise one.

But there was going to need to be a pretty big turnover in playing staff, in order to be able to compete in the Second League. I hired a couple more scouts (the board said I could have seven, but I settled for 3, after all, it’s all money), the board said I could now send them anywhere in mainland Europe (well, Western Europe at least), so I had them looking in Holland, France and Italy for new talent.

The preseason went well, the only defeat coming in the traditional pre-season game against AA Gent, and that only by one goal to nil. But the season proper was soon upon on us, the Belgian Cup Fourth Round draw was made and I got e-mailed a list of the games (yes, games !) that had been selected for live TV coverage. It suddenly seemed like this really was as step up in class, so on the eve of the cup game I had a nice sit down, a glass of Chimay Blue while I looked over the latest version of Ronan Denier’s player report to see if there were still areas of the team I could improve, and also to think what kind of formation would suit us best. I had a sneaky feeling that maybe the 4-4-2 that had taken us through the Third Division A might not be enough here.

Goalkeepers

1. Rubin Danschotter (27). We identified pretty early on that goalkeeper was a position we need to strengthen at, and Rubin was the initial answer to that question. A long term backup at Cercle Brugge he had spent last season as WS Woulwe’s netminder. A little suspect to crosses but otherwise strong in all the technical areas he was on the first day of the season our No.1, but I still wasn’t entirely convinced he was ‘our guy’ long term.

13. Koen Schurmans (30). One of only two ever presents last season he certainly never let us down, but he was weak in one-on-one situations, and too much of a risk to rely on here. At the time he was scheduled to be the backup keeper.

Steefan Roef (21). Still young, still very promising he would spend the season on-loan at Geel-Merhout where he’d hopeful get some playing time in a side that would do well in the Third Division

In the wings is the U21s we had Ignace Viit a signing from Temse and Brecht van Pamel released by AA Gent at the end of last season. He’d likely be the one who would be asked to step up in times of injury.

Left Backs

3. Jelle Rykx (21) Signed on a free from Lommel he was a highly promising lad and slated to be the starting left back this season.

16. Joseph Djo Kipoy (24). Joseph played a lot last season but was a disruptive influence. I nearly sold him during the summer and to this day I’m not quite sure why I didn’t. Talented enough to play at this level but I still had questions about his attitude.

24. Koen van der Heyden (30). Signed on a free from VW Hamme where he had a very good season. Experienced and versatile (he can cover in the middle and further up the wing) he is an asset to this team.

Joachim van Holm (33), a regular performer last season this may well be one season too far for Joachim. He’s not the player he once was. I probably shouldn’t have given him a contract for this season but at the time of asking he was that much better than the other players on show. I let most of them go, and at the end of the day, though, the test wasn’t if he was better than them, it was whether he was good enough for the Second League. Now, I don’t think he is.

Right Backs

Pierre-Yves Ngawa (21) on loan from Standard he’ll get playing time, and lots of it. One of Standard’s bright young things this will give him a taste of the real world.

19. Pieter De Wulf (26), last year’s starting right back, he’s not quite up the standard of this league. Not very far away, but enough. He’ll be backup this year.

Both Masureel and Ciza can play at right back but this is a slot we are a little light in.

Centre-Backs

4. Steven Vandenbergh (26), He was Kapellen’s best player last year, a very accomplished defender with a number of years’ experience at this level , what impresses me most about him is his work rate. A good addition to the squad he will see plenty of playing time.

2. Jan Masureel (31) Last year’s Third Division A Player of The Year, the veritable rock at the heart of our defence, he’ll be the backbone again, injury permitting.

James Musa (21) a young New Zealander with 9 full caps for his country, he was signed sight unseen after an approach by an agent. He’s possibly a bit too aggressive but otherwise has good skill levels for this division. He may warm the bench initially, but will likely get a run at some point.

20. Renan Felipe (23), fell out of favour a little towards the end of last season when his formed dipped somewhat. Bags of ability but has a tendency not to utilise it, he’d get more chances this year, he certainly has the ability to take that opportunity, the only question was would he ?

5. Ray Frankel (30) a defender who can also play in midfield he saw time in both spots last season. A reliable performer, and an asset to the team.

27. Oumar Cisse (24) was a backup at centre-back last year, and won’t be much different this year. He may well move on at some point as he’s not likely to get much of an opportunity here.

Kenneth Fournier (19) on loan from KV Kortrijk, a result of that parent club agreement, he’s certainly a promising lad, will probably see time on the bench but only to get round the match day U21 rules.

Midfielders – Left

17. Gregory Griesz (24), a signing from La Louviere, he’s got a fair bit of experience at this level, he’s one of three or four player s who could have made this position their own this year. He has a lot of flair, and this may, or indeed may not, be what we needed this season.

21. Xavier Deschacht (28) naturally a centre forward he saw a lot of playing time at left midfield last season and did very well when he did. Given the number of good forwards we had at the club this represented his best opportunity for playing time.

23. Emmanuel Ngama (23) had a good season last year and broke into the Burundian national team. He has the ability but maybe not the drive to succeed at this level.

Michiel Delaruelle (19) another loanee from KV Kortrijk he’s about on the same level as the other three players who can play in this position, only inexperience will hold him back.

So four players, all about the same level. To be honest I was still looking for a starting left midfielder.

Midfielders – Right

11. Darren Maatsen (22) A right winger signed from Dutch club Excelsior. A quality player, he’s going to be the starting right midfielder, which may well come as a shock to our fans.

12. Antonio Caramazza (30), a versatile player who can play anywhere across the midfield we signed him from Sprimont he’s a good player and will get playing time, I just wasn’t sure at that stage exactly where that would be !

22. Nathanial Cathalina (25), one of the star players last season, he’ll be lucky to get a game this. I still rate the lad he’s just not a patch on Maatsen

Oliver Mukendi (22) a striker who can play right wing, he came in very handy last year, and could well do so again this.

Nick De Groote (26) a little bit surplus to requirements this season he’s on a season’s loan at Bertrix

Midfielders – Central

6. Kay Velda (23) , signed on a free from Dutch side FC Emmen he’ll see playing time in central creative roles. He’s a good player, a good blend of pace and technique he could go far if he wanted to.

7. Osama Rashid (21), an Egyptian with 5 caps, he signed from FC Brussels on a free. He’s a competent player, and should get a game or two.

18 Cedric Ciza (23), a combative midfielder, 10 caps for Burundi, he’ll play if we need bite in the midfield, which let’s face it, we probably will.

8. Steve Barbe (34), the old man of the squad, his powers have definitely declined over the summer. Now no more than a backup, this will likely be his last season, if not in football as a whole then definitely here.

26 Foeke Rossel (27), last year’s ‘hard man’ I’m not sure he has the ability to cut it at this, higher, level. But, unless we get another player in, he’ll get the chance to prove me wrong, and, to be fair, that’s what he did last year as well. The one thing you can count on him for is his work rate.

Central Midfield remained an issue at this stage of the season, another ball winning midfielder was probably my number one priority at this point.

Strikers

10. Daniel Beuno (29), a Brazilian signed from Tarxien Rainbows FC, a Maltese club for whom he has a good goalscoring record. Time will tell if he can transfer it here.

14. Roy van der Linden (27), the second highest goalscorer in the Third Division A last year, we signed him from Hoogstraten, he’ll form part of a platoon of quality strikers. His strength is poaching, the fox in the box. I think we can make that work.

15. Jean-Paul Keilo-Lezi (29) Nineteen goals and 11 assists last year show what an asset to the club Jean-Paul is. A deep lying forward by trade, he’ll get his chance to show he’s the best fit up front, as they all will, most likely.

9. Abou Coulibally (25), a big target man, top scorer in the league last year with 31 goals in all competitions. I’d be foolish not to give him a chance again this year,

25. Stijn De Wilde (24), another target man, he was top goalscorer for VW Hamme last season. The last player to sign his contract he has an unpleasant agent, but he can make a nuisance of himself in the box, and that will count for a lot this year I think.

Christian Toko (19), the lad showed himself to be quite a talent last year, and to assist his continued development I’ve sent him out on loan for the season to Olypmpic Charleoi, he should get a lot of games there and will hopefully get something from it.

Well, that was the squad, obviously we were short, but only in a couple of areas in the midfield, otherwise I felt we were capable of competing. The Belgian Cup was coming up, a good chance to see where we were at, and against lower league opposition too.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday August 18th 2013

Belgian Cup – Fourth Round

Deinze vs. FCV Dender

Maatsen and Danschotter were both injured so Schurmans kept his spot in goal and Caramazza was chosen for right midfield. Otherwise it was debuts for Rykx, Ngawa, Vandenbergh, Grisez and Velda. The usual suspects of Masureel, Frankel, Coulibaly and Keilo-Lezi making up the numbers.

It took just nine minutes of pressure to produce an opening goal. We pushed and we pressed and in the ninth minute Ray Frankel was hacked down as he went into the box, a clear penalty, and Keilo-Lezi had no problem putting it away.

We pushed and pushed for a second, but it would not come and we went in at the half just the one goal up. I told them had done ok, but that they could do better.

It took us four minutes of the second half to get our second, but there was more than a touch of good fortune about it. Grisez put over a cross that was far to near to the keeper, an easy catch, or so you thought, until he dropped it, under no pressure, at the feet of Coulibaly who doesn’t miss from that distance under those circumstances.

Keilo-Lezi got his second, and the team’s third on 61 minutes as good work by Coulibaly gave Jean-Paul a clear strike at goal from only 10 yards out. No mistake. We made some changes on 69 minutes as Grisez limped off and Masureel started limping. I bought on Delaruelle and De Wulf for the injured pair.

On 84 minutes we scored the goal of the game, clearing a corner from our own box we swept up the field, Velda feeding Carmazza and his swinging low cross met on the volley by Coulibaly for his second goal of the game. Then right at the death, just a minute into injury time we added a fifth, a Caramazza corner getting as far as Vandenbergh on the far post, from which he headed the ball home.

Final Score: Deinze 5-0 FCV Dender

Scorers: Keilo-Lezi 2, Coulibaly 2, Vandenbergh

Man of The Match: Abou Coulibaly

Team: Schurmans, Ngawa, Rykx, Vandenbergh, Masureel (De Wulf 71), Velda, Frankel ,Caramazza, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Grisez (Delaruelle 71)

The injury news wasn’t good for Jan Masureel. He had pulled a hamstring and would face five weeks at least out of the side. Better news for Grisez though, he wouldn’t miss any time with his knock.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday August 21st 2013

Belgian Second League

Deinze vs. WS Woulwe

Two changes for this, the opening game of the league season. Renan Felipe in for the injured Masureel and Rashid in for the dropped Velda.

We started this one badly and were behind within three minutes, as simple a cross and header goal as you are likely to see. We tried to react but found that attacks floundered early on as both Caramazza and Delaruelle sent their crosses straight into the waiting arms of their keeper. Woulwe got a second on 23 minutes with a goal that was very similar to the first.

Things were looking black but slowly we got to grips with the game and pulled one back just before half time as an Ngawa long ball was chased down by Keilo-Lezi and rifled home.

Half time and I asked them if they actually wanted to win the match or not ? that got some of them moving, I can tell you. We played much better in the second half and equalised on 57 minutes as the ball fell to Keilo-Lezi in a goalmouth scramble, he powered the ball home.

Frankel was injured on 67, I replaced him with Ciza and Coulibaly with De Stijn, just to shake things up a bit up front. I was all to no avail the match petered out into a draw.

Final Score: Deinze 2-2 WS Woulwe

League Position : 8th

Scorers: Keilo-Lezi 2

Man of The Match: Jean Paul Keilo-Lezi

Team: Schurmans, Ngawa, Rykx, Renan Felipe, Vanderbergh, Frankel, Rashid ,Caramazza, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Delaruelle

In the week following the match we saw one of last year’s stalwarts depart. Steve Barbe, who I’d identified as being on a age-related downward curve left the club bound for Rupel Boom, who apparently think they can use him. We’d see, Rupel Boom are also in the Second League this year, so maybe he’d get his chance to prove me wrong then

[gavrenwick]

Rupel Boom is a funny team name.

[chesterfan2]

No honestly Gav, it is good to have you back. Though I will have to contract one of the moderators of this board about the deliberate attempt to spam my story !

Saturday August 24th 2013

Belgian Cup – Fifth Round

Deinze vs. VW Hamme

Danschotter had reported fit only the day before so I decided not to throw him in here, the Second League game in midweek seemed a better target. I did make a couple of other changes though, mainly due to the match fitness not being there that early in the season. Caramazza was replaced by the now fit Maatsen and up front I went with De Wilde in for Coulibaly. I hoped I wasn’t taking the Third Division opposition too lightly by doing so.

The first half was, to be frank, dull. 45 minutes entirely devoid of goalmouth action or shots. A bit dire from both sides really. No surprise in that we got to half time goalless. Let’s just say I encouraged them at the break and also told them to go out in a more attacking frame of mind.

It didn’t take long for those warm half time words to have an effect. We scored after 54 minutes with a De Wilde shot from the edge of the box that their keeper did well to get as close as he did to it, a proper screamer. 1-0.

After the goal we sat back and took it easy, Hamme were devoid of ideas, and didn’t manage to get into our box once. We saw the game out with ease, and cantered into the next round.

Final Score: Deinze 1-0 VW Hamme

Scorers: De Wilde

Man of The Match: Stephen Vandenbergh

Team: Schurmans, Ngawa, Rykx, Renan Felipe, Vanderbergh, Frankel, Rashid ,Maatsen, De Wilde, Keilo-Lezi , Delaruelle

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday August 28th 2013

Belgian Second League

Eendracht Aalst (7th) vs. Deinze (12th)

This one’s start time had been moved to 8:30pm to allow for live TV coverage, I hoped that wouldn’t phase the lads, in fact the effects I hoped it would have were that we’d be on national telly for the first time, and as a manager with ambition that wasn’t ever going to be a bad thing was it.

We switched back a couple of players following the cup game, Caramazza and Coulibaly were both back in the starting lineup, as was Djo Kipoy, in a centre back as I struggled to find the right partner for Vandenbergh in the continued absence of Masureel. Danschotter got his first start between the sticks.

The first half was a close fought affair with both sides coming close to scoring, us early on and Aalst near the end of the half , no goals came however, and so we got to the break goalless, but not completely devoid of hope.

After the restart it was much the same as it had been before half time with the exception that we had more of the ball than in the first period and were making a larger number of chances. We did score just past the hour when Coulibaly was barged over in the box and Keilo-Lezi stepped up and confidently blasted the ball home.

Keilo-Lezi should have made it two on 72 minutes but he dragged his shot just wide. In the end it didn’t matter though as we saw out the victory with no further alarms.

Final Score: Aalst 0-1 Deinze

League Position : 5th

Scorers: Keilo-Lezi (pen)

Man of The Match: Steven Vandenbergh

Team: Danschotter, De Wulf, Rykx, Djo Kipoy, Vanderbergh, Rossel, Velda ,Caramazza, Coulibaly, Kielo-Lezi , Griesz

[chesterfan2]

The Saturday of the next game coincided with the close of the transfer window, the first time, really, that I’d had to be bothered about it. We tried to ship some players out, tried to get some other in on loan, but nothing worked out. The chase for new players wasn’t made any easier by the fact we had a game to play….

Saturday August 31st 2013

Belgian Second League

Deinze (5th) vs. Roeselare (1st)

A game home to the early leaders, though after only two games there wasn’t too much to read into that statement. I made a couple of changes, just to keep the side fresh as much as anything, plus there was still some early season tiredness in some legs. Renan Felipe and Frankel returned, and I went with De Wilde up front in place of Coulibaly who seems a little unsure of himself in front of goal at the moment. Keilo-Lezi, who was also quite tired, kept his place on the back of the five goals he had scored in the four competitive games thus far that season.

We played ok in the first period, but not great. We shot from distance too often, and couldn’t find the killer pass when it counted. The main point of interest was an injury to Caramazza on 31 minutes, and his replacement by Maatsen.We had an almighty goalmouth scramble which the visitors just managed to survive in injury time at the end of the period but it went into half time 0-0.

At the break I made one change, taking off Keilo-Lezi who had done most of the long range shooting and replacing him with van der Linden. to the rest of them I told them they could still win this game. As ever time would tell if that judgement was correct.

Perhaps it did the trick, or perhaps finally Roeselare’s luck finally deserted them as we scored in the 47th minute. De Wilde robbed the ball in the opposition half, and finding his route to goal blocked he knocked the ball wide to Maatsen. His deep cross eluded everyone except Griesz at the far post who’s first shot was blocked on the line but the ball then rebounded to him to knock it in. It took it’s time, but we were now ahead.

We were then content to play at them on the break as we were finding keeping them at arm’s length quite easy. It was on one of these breaks that we got our second goal, just shy of the hour. van der Linden and Maatsen combined well to free De Wilde in the area and he made no mistake, shooting under the keeper from a bit of an angle.

Then on 70 minutes we had a setback as a defensive lapse van Vandenbergh gifted the Roeselare striker a sight of goal, which he happily took. 2-1.

We should have sealed the game on 76, when van der Linden shot straight at their keeper, but there were no real further scares and we saw the game out 2-1 winners.

Final Score: Deinze 2-1 Roeselare

League Position: 2nd

Scorers: Griesz, De Wilde

Man of The Match: Gregory Griesz

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Rykx, Renan Felipe, Vanderbergh, Frankel, Velda ,Caramazza (Maatsen 31 ), De Wilde, Keilo-Lezi (van der Linden 45) , Griesz

[chesterfan2]

After the game I still had two and three-quarter hours of the transfer window left. I finally managed to get a couple of names to paper and signed a couple of players, one who could help now and one to add some depth. The one for the future was a left sided midfielder, the 20 year old Serbian Stefan Belic. He came in from the free agent market but had been on the books of AA Gent for a number of years. The player for now was the 29 year old, Bosnian attacking midfielder Adnan Alisic, most recently from Dutch club FC Dordrecht. He gives us a different option as he plays mainly in the hole behind the front striker(s). I didn’t manage to get rid of any of the players I wanted rid of, the dead wood, but all-in-all it was a pretty good window. No goalkeeping reinforcements but we did signed what looked like a couple of good players.

In the cup draw for the sixth round we got drawn at home, as we did last season, against Pro Division opposition, this time in the shape of Genk. Once again the Pro League team made us a financial offer we couldn’t refuse to play the game at their place, once again, we accepted.

We had a long wait to the next game, and during that time we signed another player from free agency. Roy Meeus is a left winger and an upgrade in that position, he’s 24 and was at Lommel until recently. His signing did put us over the wage budget slightly, and so transfer dealings had to be reined in, at least until we had shifted some unneeded players out of the squad.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday September 14th 2013

Belgian Second League

Deinze (6th) vs. Rupel Boom (4th)

Meeus got a place on the bench, but Maatsen did get a start at the expense of Caramazza, no other changes from the side that won two weeks ago though.

The opening quarter of an hour was quite open but we slowly gained the ascendency, this was punctuated on 17 minutes by the first goal, a Rykx cross and Maatsen arriving at the far post to slot the ball beyond the keeper’s despairing dive.

On 32 minutes it was 2-0. Griesz this time with the cross from the left and Keilo-Lezi meeting it with a sweet volley just outside the six yard box to power the ball home.

No changes and some warm words of encouragement at the break, though I have to question the wiseness of that approach as Rupel Boom bossed it for the first ten minutes after the break and their manager will have been upset that they didn’t manage to get at least one during that time. To try and change things about I bought Daniel Bueno on for his debut, replacing De Wilde who was carrying a knock.

Bueno didn’t really get into the game, though he did have a good turn and shot well saved in the 77th minute. We struggled to hold back the tide of blue and black (the Rupel Boom colours) but their accuracy was all over the place and though they did grab a goal back in injury time through our former player Steve Barbe they didn’t ever really look like getting on terms and the final 2-1 score was a bit more comfortable than it looks.

Final Score: Deinze 2-1 Rupel Boom

League Position: 3rd

Scorers: Maatsen, Keilo-Lezi

Man of The Match: Darren Maatsen

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Rykx, Renan Felipe, Vanderbergh, Frankel, Velda ,Maatsen, De Wilde (Bueno 53), Keilo-Lezi , Griesz

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday September 18th 2013

Belgian Second League

FC Brussels (15th) vs. Deinze (4th)

The higher fitness levels of the lads now they were training full time meant that I didn’t have to make any changes due to fitness considerations for this midweek game. So I went in with no changes, not changing a winning team an’ all.

To be frank I should have changed the team because although we were all there physically, mentally we hadn’t turned up. We created very little and Danschotter in nets was kept quite busy. It was a half where effort was more in evidence than in application though and it came to half time goalless.

I changed things about at half time, taking off both forwards and Velda and replacing them with Bueno, van der Linden and Caramazza respectively. I asked Caramazza to play in a more advanced role than Velda had been doing, effectively asking Frankel to cover the tackling duties of two men in the middle of the park. Still, what we did have wasn’t working so I thought we’d show them something else.

We started the second period well but van der Linden soon had to limp off with an injury and , of course, I had used my three substitutes at half time, thereafter we struggled to get into the game and by the end the only surprise was that it took Brussels to the third minute of injury time to get the winning goal. Our first defeat of the year, and I have to say, we deserved it.

Final Score: FC Brussels 1-0 Deinze

League Position: 4th

Scorers:

Man of The Match: Steven Vandenbergh

Team: Schurmans, De Wulf, Rykx, Renan Felipe, Vanderbergh, Frankel, Velda (Caramazza 45) ,Maatsen, De Wilde (Bueno 45), Keilo-Lezi (van der Linden 45, off injured 54) , Griesz

The physio’s report after the match wasn’t good. van der Linden had broken his wrist in an awkward fall and would be out for a month at least. Out for a similar length of time with a pulled hamstring was Maatsen. I also went and spent some time on the training pitch with the lads trying to improve our tactical options. I’d changed tactics on the fly in the last match and it hadn’t worked. This was something we needed to sort out.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday September 22nd 2013

Belgian Second League

Sint-Niklaas (18th) vs. Deinze (5th)

A trip to the bottom club seemed a good place to try out our new formation, a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation to be exact. In the new formation I put Ciza in the holding role and Caramazza in as a free man behind the front two. De Wilde’s knock hadn’t properly cleared up, and so Coulibaly got another chance. De Wilde was fit enough to take his place on the bench.

We started well against a very nervous looking opposition who had only managed to claim one point from their five league games thus far, and were a goal up by the 6th minute, the old near post corner routine working for us again as Vandenbergh rose highest and headed home powerfully.

Keilo-Lezi made it two on 10 minutes with a well taken goal from a sharp half chance. A turn and shot that left their keeper all ends up. Sint-Niklaas were jolted into life by the second goal and began to press and were unlucky not to get at least one back as they hit both bar and then post in attacks in the next quarter of the game. I asked the lads to play a bit more on the counter and that seemed to stem the tide a bit.

We did indeed get to half time two goals to the good. I told the lads they had done ok but could definitely do better. It seemed to gee some up but offend others.

It must have done some good as we were three up on 51 minutes, a free kick from the half way line met on the volley by Vandenbergh for a spectacular second goal. 3-0 up and not yet completely bossing the match. Only two minutes later it was four, as Velda knocked a Sint-Niklaas corner clear, then picked up the ball broke up the pitch, ran with the ball a good 70 yards and then crossed it for Keilo-Lezi to sweep the ball home for his second of the match.

On 54 things went from bad to worse for the hosts as they had one of their central defenders sent off for a vicious hack on Coulibaly. Caramazza curled the resultant free kick round the wall, only to see it turned away by their keeper.

Amazingly the hosts rallied little after the inevitable reorganisation after the sending off, and they grabbed a goal back on 69 minutes, a corner flicked on and headed home, a well taken goal. In response I took off Rykx who had taken a knock, and Coulibaly who wasn’t getting into the game much. I replaced them with Djo Kipoy and De Wilde.

They got a second one back on 82 minutes, a terrible defensive error as Caramazza passed the ball back blindly, at least not seeing the Sint-Niklaas lad lurking. The ball was robbed and they weren’t going to pass an opportunity like that up. That gave us a bit of a kick up the bum and we responded by re-establishing the three goal cushion on 85 as Velda shot through a crowd of players to grab his first for the club.

And that’s how the game ended, a straightforward run out, and comfortable win.

Final Score: Sint-Niklaas 2-5 Deinze

League Position: 4th

Scorers: Vandenbergh 2, Kielo-Lezi 2, Velda

Man of The Match: Steven Vandenbergh

Team: Danschotter, Ngawa , Rykx (Djo Kipoy 69), Masureel, Vanderbergh, Ciza, Frankel, Velda , Caramazza, Coulibaly (De Wilde 69), Keilo-Lezi

[chesterfan2]

I have to admit that despite me saying at the start of the season that I wasn’t going to chase any more higher profile jobs it didn’t stop me looking. At this time there were jobs available in the English League Two, Finnish Premier, the second Spanish League, in Seria B in Italy and in the Jupiler League in Holland. I figured the best I could hope to get would be one of the League Two clubs, but Morecambe were 7 points adrift at the bottom after only 11 games, and the prospect of managing at Cheltenham, just the one place in front of The Shrimps, didn’t really appeal to me either. The feet were sure getting itchier, but I still thought my best approach was to do well here and let them come to me when they were good and ready, and, you know what, I was sure that one day they would be.

[Spav]

Great start to your Second League campaign, cf2.

[chesterfan2]

Ta Spav

Sunday September 29th 2013

Belgian Second League

Deinze (4th) vs. Eupen (11th)

Eupen was, of course, the club that our first want-away star player, Patrice Noukeu had gone to in search of the joys of professional football. It would be interesting to see how he played on his return here, Well, if my suspicions were confirmed.

Two changes for us, De Wilde in for Coulibaly. It hadn’t been happening for the big man thus far in the season, and a spell out would probably help. I also went with the new lad Alisic in for Caramazza, just to try him out really. Otherwise we went in with the same diamond formation. Today would be the test of it.

The first half was an evenly fought battle, no other way to describe it. Attritional stuff, very few chances, both keepers untroubled throughout the half. So 0-0 at half time, and a decision to make, stick with what we have and hope to knick it, or go out there and try to win the game. Actually, not that much of a decision really. I asked them to attack.

Into the second half and a more positive attitude from ourselves looked like it might get us some reward. But it was Eupen who opened the scoring, a penalty, dubiously awarded, on 56 minutes, put away by our old boy, who else, Noukeu. We bought on Rashid for the exhausted Frankel and Caramazza on for the ineffectual Keilo-Lezi. I asked them to go all out for goals.

Our equaliser came on 66 from an unlikely source. Ngawa on the right lofting the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net from a good 35 yards. He swears he meant it, and I truly hope he did mean it, but it’s not too likely and it was simply an awesome fluke. Alisic came off injured on 71 minutes meaning an early redemption for Coulibaly, with Caramazza dropping back into Alisic’s spot. On 77 Rashid lofted the ball over the top of the Eupen defence, Coulibaly was first onto it in the box, and he rediscovered his scoring touch in fine style, powering the ball past the stranded keeper.

We reigned in our attacking bent after that and it was us rather than them who really should have scored again, Stijn De Wilde fluffing a very presentable opportunity near the end, and we ran out better winners that the 2-1 scoreline would suggest.

Final Score: Deinze 2-1 Eupen

League Position: 2nd

Scorers: Ngawa, Coulibaly

Man of The Match: Pierre-Yves Ngawa

Team: Danschotter, Ngawa , Rykx , Masureel, Vanderbergh, Ciza, Frankel (Rashid 56), Velda , Alisic (Coulibaly 71), De Wilde, Keilo-Lezi (Caramazza 56)

A hard fought win that put us second in the league behind Mouscron-Peruwelz who had won all seven games to that point of the season.

[chesterfan2]

Friday October 4th 2013

Belgian Second League

Antwerp (7th) vs. Deinze (2nd)

In front of the TV cameras again for a Friday night match against the underperforming Antwerp this game would be a test and no mistake. Rashid came in for Frankel who was out, after the last match, for a month with a twisted knee. Alisic had recovered from his knock and would play. Coulibaly got the nod up front.

Antwerp, roared on by a big crowd started the better, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 17 minutes. And no surprise for this team that it came from a near post corner being flicked in. We raised our game after that and would have equalised on 35 but for a tremendous save by their keeper.

1-0 down at half time and I shouted at them. I told them to get out there and play.

We attacked, but didn’t really get anywhere and they picked us for a second on 72 minutes on the break. They sat back after that and the score wasn’t going to change after that. A completely disappointing 2-0 defeat.

Final Score: Antwerp 2-0 Deinze

League Position: 4th

Scorers:

Man of The Match: Stephen Vandenbergh

Team: Danschotter, Ngawa , Rykx (Djo Kipoy 81), Masureel, Vanderbergh, Ciza, Rashid, Velda , Alisic (Caramazza 81), Coulibaly, Keilo-Lezi

[chesterfan2]

Saturday October 12th 2013

Belgian Second League

Westerlo (2nd) vs. Deinze (5th)

Next up was a very difficult away game at the best of times, and form wise this was far from being our best time. I chose to revert to what we knew best, a 4-4-2 formation and gave a full debut to Roy Meeus on the left. Maatsen was out with an injury so the versatile Caramazza got the start.

I told them to relax and go out and play their hearts out. They were the underdogs here, so let’s go and show them how good we are.

In truth though it wasn’t as good as that we were under pressure from the very first minute, and though we held out then the pressure was beginning to tell. We broke out for our first attack on 14 minutes but lost the ball cheaply and they then swept back and scored the opening goal. This had all the signs of being a long afternoon.

But we started to hold the ball just a little better, and held them to a couple more chances in the half, on, on the half hour, a fabulous full length save by Danschotter, and one just before the break that was hoofed wide when the forward was well placed. We were reduced to a single weak effort on goal that wasn’t going to trouble anybody.

Anyway to half time behind, but only by one goal. I told them they had been unlucky so far, and they took heart from that. I also made one change Coulibaly, he of the weak shot, replaced by De Wilde, given a licence to cause trouble.

We played better in the second half, though it was still very hard going against what is a very good side. We made chances but found a keeper in wonderful form and couldn’t get the one goal that would, as it turned out, have been enough on this day.

Final Score: Westerlo 1-0 Deinze

League Position: 5th

Scorers:

Man of The Match: Jan Masureel

Team: Danschotter, Ngawa , Rykx , Masureel, Vanderbergh, Meeus, Rossel, Velda , Caramazza, Coulibaly, Keilo-Lezi (De Wilde 45)

[chesterfan2]

The day following the match Birmingham City appointed Gary Megson of League One Leyton Orient as manager. Orient lay 5th in the table. I thought I could manage in League One, so I applied for it. My board obviously also thought I could manage in that league too as they then gave me an ultimatum.

Apologise or Resign.

[greekgeorge]

Resign and steal their best players. That'll show them.

[chesterfan2]

George, I see you have read ahead already. How did you do that ?

I though fairly long and fairly hard about what to do, but in the end I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t be taken seriously as a contender for these jobs if I apologised for making a career enhancing move. I resigned.

[chesterfan2]

There were quite a lot of jobs out there. I applied for a couple of others, Gillingham 14th in League Two and Brentford, 18th in League One. I was offered a job fairly quickly too. Northampton Town, 10th in the Blue Square Premier made me a pretty good offer. I asked for a week, to think things over, but mainly to see if I got any other offers.

Nothing else did turn up, and so to the next chapter of my story.

[chesterfan2]

Chapter Two – Cobblers ! – Northampton Town

I was offered a two year deal at £950 a week before tax, with a transfer budget of £74,000 and a wage budget of £15.25k a week that we were already exceeding by about £300 a week.

So on the first morning, when I had a chat with the chairman, I asked if we could talk about the budgets, I thought we should be doing better that mid-table mediocrity. Then it was straight into a meeting with my assistant Andy King, the former Everton midfielder. The chairman had made it clear I could get rid of any of the staff I didn’t want, but in this case he’s a capable coach and a nice bloke, so I kept him on. I also asked him to manage the U21 side, and provide me with regular reports and staff updates. All good so far.

The discussion about the transfer budget didn’t go exactly to plan, I said we’d go for promotion, I got an transfer budget increased to £100,000 and a wages budget shrunk to £13.75k a week. Oops.

Then things got really bad. I looked at Andy’s team report. We were weak in some areas, very weak in others. Goalkeeper was a real problem, so was striker. Central midfield was less of a worry, but still a big worry, as was central defence. Our strengths were out wide, we had good full backs and good wingers, and that was about it.

I think it’s only fair to see exactly what I had to work with:

Goalkeepers

1. Shane Higgs our 35 year old net minder is in his 18th season in football. OK but not great, what worried me most was that he was our best keeper .

13. Dean Snedeker This 18 year old has a bright future in the game and is knocking on the door of a first team place. I had the feeling that if we gave him a run, then he’d reward us with significant improvement. I just didn’t have the guts first up to make that call. Results would decide.

Defenders

18. David Artell, DC, 32, an experienced central defender, out with a torn hamstring at the time of the first match.

3. Joe Widdowson, DL, 24, the best left back and probably the best player on the team. He sees his future away from the club, I was hoping to change his mind.

12. Paul Green, DC, 26. A versatile player who can fill in at right back or in the middle of the park. His best position is central defence though.

15. Tom Anderson, DC, 20, Another lad with a bright future, a product of the Burnley youth system.

5. Kelvin Langmead, DC, 28. Club captain and a good leader. Probably the best set of defensive skills too.

21. Peter Wylie, DR, 19. Promising player, but not ready for first team football yet.

2. Emmanuel Mendy, DR,23, Also injured for the first games, with a dislocated jaw, he came from Liverpool’s training academy and will likely be the starting right back when fit.

17. Shaun Beeley, DR, 24, on loan from Fleetwood Town he’s doing a good job at the mo covering for Mendy

25. James Meredith 25, DL, but can also play ML well. On loan from Bradford he’s most useful as defensive cover.

Midfielders

11. Chris Hackett, AMR/MR, 30. Another one of our talented wide men, highly experienced.

7. Ishmael Demontagnac, AML/ML, 25 A very good player, sadly out for at least 4 months with a broken foot.

4. Luke Gutteridge, MC, 31. A long career in the lower leagues including 5 of the last 7 here. Makes the midfield tick.

16 Dave Hankin, MR/AMR, 26. Curiously in the reserves when I joined. I added him to the main squad as he’s a better MR than Hackett for example.

6. Paul Turnbull MC, 26, Another player rescued from the reserves. I need a ball winning midfielder to make my formations work. This might well be the guy.

8. Lucas Dawson, MC, 19. Young lad on loan from Stoke, he has the talent to do well in this league.

Attackers

9. Clive Platt, SC, 35. Highly experienced, and still got it, whatever it is.

14. Alex Nicholls, SC/ AMR, 25. Highly skilled and a bit highly strung. May be a liability in this league.

24. Craig Fagan, SC, 31. A much sought after player in his time at Wolves and Derby the sad fact is that wherever he’s played he hasn’t scored enough goals.

20, Adebayo Azeez, SC, 19, A young lad who has lit up the reserves, not quite ready for the big time yet.

19. Louis Moult, SC, 21 Another youngster, but one who has already broken into the first team. Time will tell if he scores enough goals.

22. Lewis Wilson, SC, 20. Likely to proves to be surplus to requirements he’s simply not good enough.

So let’s sum up. I had to slash the playing budget, but improve several areas of the squad, I also had to get us playing well enough to get promoted back to the Football League. No pressure then.

So as a first thing I asked the chairman, David Cardozo, if we could have a parent club, from whom we could loan talented players. I also asked Andy King for a loan report, specifically looking for goalkeepers. I then went to recalibrate the budget, it was bit early to be betting rid of players after all. We covered the wage bill, and still had nearly £20k for new signings.

We needed to revamp the training staff too, it would all cost, but first up we needed to play a football match, the first one of my reign coming only two days after appointment.

[Bluebird123]

This was a great read. Good luck with Northampton.

[chesterfan2]

Thank you Bluebird, most kind. I hope you continue to enjoy

Saturday October 26th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (14th) vs. Altrincham (23rd)

The good thing was that my first game in charge was against the team in 23rd place in the division. I went with a standard 4-4-2 formation, and picked who I though the best players for each position were. Couldn’t do much else really could I ?

We started out like a team lacking in confidence. The ball went all the way back to Higgs in nets too often and we didn’t create much, when we did on 7 minutes , a Platt shot, well saved but the rebound fell free, and I though Moult could have got there, but he didn’t want it enough.

On 10 minutes we fell behind, to a soft goal, as a deep corner wasn’t cleared. Altrincham have been awful away from home, but they got a good start here. I was up off my bench like a shot. They saw my angry face, and then they started playing. On 22 minutes we might have got a penalty as Meredith was hacked down but the ball squirted loose to Carl Platt and he tucked the ball away from eight yards out. One all.

On 31 we fell behind again. Higgs made a good save to keep out a twenty yard drive, but the rebound wasn’t cleared, panic ensued in the defence and the ball was knocked back into the six yard box and prodded home. Terrible defending. Platt equalised again on 35 minutes following good work by Fagan playing on the right. He fed the ball into the box, Platt, utilising the wiles of an experienced forward, had drifted off his marker, and turned the ball past the statuesque netminder.

So 2-2 at half time and we were playing quite well. We were the better side but had played some appallingly bad defence at times. I told them that they were playing ok, to keep at it and they would win. It was what they wanted to hear, I hoped it would work. I also moved to improve the defence. Langmead had been left out due to being unfit, no such thoughts now as I bought him on to replace Green. Green was unlucky, Anderson was just as bad in the first period.

We went out a little more positive as a result in the second half. And we were rewarded for that positivity on 51 minutes with one of the most outrageous bits of good fortune I have ever seen. Fagan crossed from just inside the Altrincham half, an aimless ball, it skipped off the turf a good ten yards in front of Platt and looped through to the keeper, who, in coming out to meet the ball, managed to misjudge it, under no pressure, and fumble the ball straight back into the path of Platt, who will not score an easier hatrick goal, ever. With that we were in front for the first time in the match.

Altrincham did their best to come back into the game and had a fair period of possession but only forced Higgs into a save once. As we approached the hour mark we got back into the game and started to pass the ball about. On 62 minutes we put together the best move of the match as we swept up the pitch in a series of close passing moves, crossing for Moult to knock the ball down and Platt sweep the ball home for his fourth of the day. Picture book stuff.

On70 minutes I took off Gutteridge who had put in a good shift and was tired and replaced him with Turnbull. It was pretty much all Northampton now. Fagan thought he should have had a penalty on 81 minutes, I can’t say if I agree as I didn’t see it. We did get a fifth goal on 87 minutes. No guessing for who scored it, that’s right, Platt rifling home from the edge of the box to cap a perfect performance.

Not a bad way to start as manager either.

Final Score: Northampton Town 5-2 Altrincham

League Position: 13th

Scorers : Platt 5

Man Of The Match : Clive Platt

Team: Higgs, Beeley, Widdowson, Anderson, Green (Langmead 45), Fagan, Dawson, Gutteridge (Turnbull, 70), Meredith, Moult, Platt

I made my first signing at the new club in the following week. Jack Bonham was a 20 year old keeper, on a three month loan from Wimbledon, he’ll give Higgs a run for his money and has an immense amount of promise. He’s only costing us 20% of his wages too.

I made another signing soon after that, and this one was a good one. Leon Legge, 28 is a central defender that we got on three month loan from Brentford. Why he’s fallen out of favour there I don’t know, but in this league he’s a superstar.

[tenthreeleader]

Good on you for making a step. That only happened to me once in all the time I've been playing the game (Ridgway from Padova to Reading). It was worth it then and I'm sure it'll be worth it for you. Though as an old Rushden man when they were still R&DFC, it's hard to root for the Wobblers Good luck and as always a nice read!

[mark wilson27]

A good start at the new club there gaffer

[chesterfan2]

Thank you there, gentlemen, always nice to hear from the readership

Saturday November 2nd 2013

FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round

Kidderminster Harriers (BSP 3rd) vs. Northampton Town (BSP 13th)

A very difficult hurdle to cross if we want to progress into the first round proper of the FA Cup. Kidderminster lie third in our division, and beat us soundly, 3-1, in the league meeting at their place earlier in the season. It wasn’t going to be easy.

Bonham got the keeper’s spot on the bench, but Legge went straight in alongside Langmead. Other changes were enforced as a number of our loanees were cup tied, so three U18’s warmed the seven man bench, and it was a very makeshift 4-4-2 that went out that afternoon.

If anything Kidderminster edged the first half, though it finished goalless. They had more and better chances but we held our own well I thought. I didn’t really want to change anything at half time, but I figured I would probably have to. So what I did was take off Fagan, not so good in the first half, and replaced him with Hankin a more defensively minded wide player. I told them to go out and grab an early goal, with the idea of hanging on to a lead.

I thought for a second we’d got the goal I sought on 50 minutes, but Platt was, indeed, a yard offside when he got the ball, though he put it away well. It was now us, not them on top, but we couldn’t make the possession count.

It was against the run of play, then, that Kidderminster scored, a break down the right, a poorly defended cross and a goal from close range. More defensive training is needed I thought to myself. Then I thought we need to push forward, and so I told them to do that.

Slowly we piled on the pressure, chance after chance went begging. Then on 83 minutes Platt prodded the ball into the box, Moult was the first to react and prodded the ball home. If I’m honest he did look a yard offside, but it wasn’t given. We were level, so late in the game.

But not so late that there wasn’t more drama. Kidderminster came close a couple of times, should have scored, but they didn’t. We switched to a counter-attacking style. It paid off on 87 as we broke down the pitch, crossed the ball and Platt fired it home as it pinged around the host’s defence.

Two minutes plus two minutes injury time to go. We dropped further and further back, they threw the kitchen sink at us. They wanted a penalty right at the death, but it was laughable, at least I laughed when it wasn’t given. They got close, but not close enough and we ran out 2-1 winners. Brilliant.

Final Score: Kidderminster Harriers 1-2 Northampton Town

Scorers : Moult, Platt

Man Of The Match : Clive Platt

Team: Higgs, Wylie, Widdowson, Legge, Langmead , Fagan (Hankin 45), Green, Gutteridge , Hackett, Moult, Platt

This meant we were in the draw for the First Round Proper, our reward an away trip to League Two’s Yeovil. I have to say that didn’t look too promising.

In other news during the match Gutteridge picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and would miss a game. Turnbull was out injured. I went back to the loan market to try and get some more midfield recruits ahead of the next match, only two days away.

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday November 5th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (13th) vs. Woking (16th)

Unfortunately we didn’t manage to complete any deals in time for this match, which was a shame. If we push on here we can climb the table, ninth is currently only two points distant, the playoffs a little more work at 11 points. Now, if you’ll excuse the pun, was the time for fireworks.

There was some tiredness in the squad so while we had Lewis Dawson, cup tied for the last match, to slot straight into the middle of the park in place of the suspended Gutteridge, I felt we need to make some other changes too. Cup-tied Beeley returned at right back, Wylie dropping to the bench, Meredith, also cup tied came in for a tired Widdowson, Hackett kept his place, though tired, solely on the paucity of left sided players at the club. Anderson stepped in at the back in place of Langmead, whose fitness levels were, to be frank, beginning to worry me.

Too many changes? Perhaps. Time would tell.

The game started fairly even with both sides probing forward and not troubling the opposition’s keeper with wayward shooting. We fluffed a really good chance on 31 minutes after a defensive mix up was capitalised on by Hackett, his cross was headed straight at the keeper by Platt. we didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough though. A Fagan free kick midway inside the Woking half was knocked down by Platt and Moult fired through a crowd of players to leave the opposition keeper unsighted.

It was all us for a period after that. We skimmed the bar with a Anderson header from a corner on 37. But on 42 minutes it was two. Platt sent Hackett free down the left, he pulled the ball back from the byeline, and Fagan arrived at the far post to score what was his first ever goal for Northampton.

At half time I told the lads that there was still room for improvement, well I didn’t want them relaxing did I?

In the second half Woking played a lot better and we played a bit worse. The result was a half in which neither side really threatened another goal, though Woking did miss a sitter on 81 minutes, and in the end we ran out two-nil winners. Due to FA Cup replays none of the teams around us played that night so we went up to 9th spot. I wasn’t hopeful that it would last once the other teams played their match.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-0 Woking

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Moult, Fagan

Man Of The Match : Chris Hackett

Team: Higgs, Beeley, Meredith, Anderson, Legge, Fagan, Dawson, Green, Hackett, Moult, Platt

I signed two players on loan, for three months each initially, in order to strengthen the middle of the park. Both were signed on loan from Scunthorpe. Simon Mensing, 31, is a ball winning midfielder and Robbie Gibbons, 22 is a creative midfielder and a potential star in this league. I then went out and asked for reports on a couple more players, to strengthen the left side of midfield.

We had an approach for Joe Bryan of Bristol City rejected, as they wanted him to play his loan football within the Football League, but we did make some progress to improving our pool of players. My request for a Parent Club had borne fruit as I was presented with a list of four teams who had expressed an interest. In the end I went with Middlesbrough. Ipswich had been tempting but the Teesiders had the better set of Reserves and Youth players and that was, for me at least, going to be the main source of benefit for us.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday November 9th 2013

FA Cup First Round

Yeovil Town (D2 11th) vs. Northampton Town (BSP 9th)

The usual issues with replacing cup-tied loanees faced us once again here. Wylie and Hankin in this time, with new boy Gibbons in for Dawson. Meanwhile Yeovil had not had the best of season’s so far, but had won their last three games, so there was no mistaking that this was going to be a test.

I told the lads that everyone thought of us as underdogs so we should go out and show them what we were made of. We’d see if that’d work.

What we got was a cracking cup tie, end to end, wasteful forwards, keepers playing well when called upon, chances at both ends. Yeovil got the only goal of the half from just such a chance, this one cut back from the byeline and met by a sweet volley just out of reach of the out-of-position Higgs.

So a goal down at half time, but I had learnt one thing. That we could compete with this lot. I told the lads they were simply unlucky to be behind and asked them to go out with a more positive attitude in the second period, I was damned if we were going to go out of this cup without a fight.

When I sent them back out, with Hackett replacing Fagan who had struggled on the left, they went out with a spring in their step. We had hope.

We pushed forward and had our chances but didn’t really grasp the game by the neck. We went two down on 73 minutes, a goalmouth melee that we just weren’t able to get a boot on to clear. We went all out attack after that and played our best football of the game. We grabbed a goal back pretty quickly on 77 minutes as Hackett picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and placed it calmly beyond the keeper’s reach. It was game on now.

We came mighty close to equalising, a Moult shot clipping the post near the end, but all efforts came to an end when Yeovil grabbed a third a minute into injury time to seal the game. We had given it everything, I told the lads as much in the team talk after the game, but in the end it wasn’t good enough and we were out of the FA Cup.

Final Score: Yeovil Town 3-1 Northampton Town

Scorers : Hackett

Man Of The Match : Paul Green

Team: Higgs, Wylie, Widdowson, Legge, Langmead , Hankin, Green, Gibbons ,Fagan ( Hackett 45), Moult, Platt

The cup excitement wasn’t over though, the first round of the FA Trophy was drawn the very next day. We got a home tie in Round One, at home to AFC Telford, currently five places below us in the league.

During the week the teams that hadn’t played last week got their ‘game in hand’ in, as a result we dropped two places and were 11th after the 21st round of games in this season’s BSP.

[Spav]

I suppose managing a second club now qualifies you as a journeyman, so at least the thread title is more apt.

Best of luck with Northampton, cf2.

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Spav

Saturday November 16th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Braintree (18th) vs. Northampton Town (11th)

Beeley, Meredith, Dawson and Hackett all returned to the side, along with Nicholls up front in place of Moult who was paying the price for some glaring misses in the last couple of games.

Braintree play in orange and blue, which apparently meant we had to play in our lime green away kit, making the game one of the most unappealing visually you’re ever likely to come across.

Anyway, to the match. A cagey opening quarter to this one but we eventually got a grip. We went a goal up on 23 minutes, a deep cross from the left, headed goalwards by Platt, turned onto the bar by the keeper but dropping for Nicholls to knock the ball home.

On 36 minutes it was two, a cross from the right this time, once again Braintree failed to clear it and Platt was on hand for his thirteenth goal of the season, in off the left hand post.

Legge was unlucky to see a header from a corner come back off the post near the end of the half but at 2-0 at the break we were cruising. I told the lads to keep it up, well you would, wouldn’t you ?

In the second half we faced an opponent who had been enlivened by a session of teacup throwing in place of a half time team talk. Higgs produced three first class saves in the opening 30 minutes or so of the second period in order to keep the score at 2-0. We withstood the onslaught and eventually started to play well. We got a third on 78 minutes a corner headed home unchallenged at the near post by Nicholls.

This only caused Braintree to redouble their efforts and they got a slice of good fortune on 85 to pull one back. A lovely thirty yard drive cannoned back off the bar, and hit Higgs on the back. Langmead tried his level best to keep the ball from crossing the line but could only help it in. The game petered out after that, and we ran our clear and deserved winners. The results in other games were favourable to us, and we were up to 8th.

Final Score: Braintree Town 1-3 Northampton Town

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Nicholls 2, Platt

Man Of The Match : Alex Nicholls

Team: Higgs, Beeley, Widdowson Langmead, Legge, Hackett, Dawson, Gibbons (Gutteridge 61), Meredith, Nicholls, Platt

Eighth spot in the league meant that we were now at the head of the chasing pack. We were first of three clubs on 33 points, with Southport in 16th on 25. Ahead of us was Macclesfield in 7th, but they were on 39 points. Kidderminster, 5th, were on 40. So we still had a gap to close.

Beeley’s loan finished during the next week and he returned to Fleetwood Town, we had Mendy on the way back, and Wylie was a capable understudy so we had no immediate concerns in that department. What was a concern was that the loan and free transfer deadline was coming up. We signed a young lad. Mark Shankland, 18 on a free, he can play on the left or right of the midfield and has a lot of promise. More of a backup now. We also signed another goalkeeper Lee Nicholls of Wigan on a three month loan. As well as Higgs has been playing this lad is an upgrade.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday November 23rd 2013

FA Trophy First Round

Northampton Town (BSP 8th) vs. AFC Telford United (BSP 15th)

As officially the eighth best team in this competition, the premier non-league cup, we should really be trying to win it. As such Lee Nicholls, the goalie, makes his debut, whilst Alex Nicholls, two goals in the last game keeps his place. Emmanuel Mendy returns at right back and Gutteridge replaces Gibbons who picked up a knock in the last match.

We opened up brightly and gradually increased the pressure. We should have scored on 15 minutes as Widdowson missed an open goal after good work by Platt. This was bad as we lost a goal on 20 minutes, a Telford break and a good finish.

Try as we might, and boy did we try, we couldn’t get back on terms and went in at half time a goal down. I simply asked them if they wanted to win this game or not, and sent them back out there.

Things went from bad to worse and within three minutes of the restart we were 2-0 down, an incisive Telford breakaway they said on the commentary. A defence half asleep more like it. I think my anger must have radiated out to them as they picked up immediately after that and got a goal back on 53 minutes, a Mendy cross from deep and a flying Platt header to score.

On 63 minutes, Meredith and Widdowson combined to produce a cross from the byeline by Meredith, the ball sailed through the box and was prodded home by Hackett on the far post, 2-2. On 76 we put together the passing move of the match which culminated in Alex Nicholls feeding Platt into the box, and the big man made no mistake from 12 yards out. Comeback complete. Now could we hold it ?

Answer was no we couldn’t as Telford forced an equaliser on 82 as they capitalised on a defensive error. Very few chances happened in the minutes that followed and the game finished a draw.

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-3 AFC Telford United

Scorers : Platt 2, Hackett

Man Of The Match: Carl Platt

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Langmead, Legge, Hackett, Dawson, Gutteridge, Meredith, A Nicholls, Platt

The replay was scheduled for the following Wednesday but before then the second round was drawn. Through that we knew that if we won we would have another home tie this time against either Chelmsford or Evesham.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday November 27th 2013

FA Trophy First Round Replay

AFC Telford United (BSP 15th) vs. Northampton Town (BSP 8th)

The replay came round quickly, the following Wednesday, and so I freshened the team with a couple of changes. Shankland got his first start on the left and Moult resumed striking duties up front in place of Alex Nicholls. Mensing came in for his first start, Dawson the one to have a rest here.

We got on the board early, with our first real attack. Some neat interpassing between Moult and Mensing put Platt clear in on goal, he drew the keeper and slotted the ball past him. 4 minutes gone.

Telford came back strongly but a post struck in the 16th minute was as good as it got in this spell. We gradually reasserted control and scored again on 31. A Shankland cross from the left headed in by Platt, who looked a good yard offside to me, but it wasn’t given so who am I to complain. Mensing missed a good chance late on in the half but we went in at the break two goals up.

Just some warm words at half time, and a good performance carried over into the second period, which is what I had hoped. Platt sealed his hatrick just a minute in the second half, the Telford defence picked apart once more by some good passing and Platt left one-on-one with the keeper and making no mistake.

Telford got a goal back within a minute, a lack of concentration I think, allowing them to get to the byline, pull back a cross and prod the ball in in the ensuing mayhem. I responded by replacing Moult, who was carrying a knock, with Alex Nicholls, just because I felt I ought to do something at that point, nip any comeback in the bud.

In the 15 minutes after that we looked comfortable but Mensing managed to pick up two yellows and a consequent red , leaving us on 71 a man short. I brought a tired Platt off to a standing ovation and bought Green to hold in midfield.

It would be fair to say Telford had their tails up now, and they pinged the ball about with great efficiency but not a lot in terms of penetration, Lee Nicholls equal to everything thrown at him. On 77 Gutteridge nicked ball in one of these passing manoeuvres and played the ball behind the Telford back line for Alex Nicholls to run on to, this he did and slotted the ball home as he sped into the box, 4-1.

Once again, within a minute Telford were back to within two goals. A long ball from the right wing eluded everyone, except the man at the back post and he prodded it home. 4-2, 78 minutes gone.

We went to a more defensive set up, and, thankfully, saw the game out. Round 2 for us.

Final Score: AFC Telford Untied 2-4 Northampton Town

Scorers : Platt 3, A. Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Carl Platt

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Langmead, Legge, Shankland, Mensing (Off 71), Gutteridge, Hackett, Moult( A Nicholls 51), Platt (Green 71)

Evesham Town won their replay with Chelmsford of the BSS to set up a tie with us in Round 2.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday November 30th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Southport (16th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

League games whilst we were playing in the Trophy, meant that we’d slipped a place to 9th by the time this game came around. We had a game in hand on the team in 8th, Grimsby, and as long as we won the game in hand we’d be back above them.

This wasn’t our game in hand though, this was a normal round of league games, our 23rd, one that would mark the half-way point of the season for us. It saw us visit Haig Avenue and our hosts there, Southport. The Sandgrounders have had an up and down season so far and had at this point gone four games without a win. No sense in taking this one easy though. I brought Green in for the, once again, tired Langmead, and I started with an entirely new midfield with Meredith on the left, Dawson and Gibbons in the middle and Hankin on the right. Our 4-4-2 formation seems to work the midfield four harder than any other area of the team, and with only three days rest the lads that played in the Trophy, at least the ones that weren’t suspended, weren’t in a fit state to play in what could by a tricky away game.

We made a cagey start to this match, not allowing Southport a sniff of goal, but not creating much ourselves either. But on 11 minutes the game burst into life, Platt hit a ball out to Hankin, raiding up the right wing, his ball into the box was then controlled and hit on the turn by Alex Nicholls, the ball fizzed across the keeper and into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

Southport responded well and were level within two minutes, a poorly cleared corner fired back through a crowd of players bringing the goal for the hosts.

The rain then fell in buckets and we lost our way a bit and the game degenerated into an almighty scrap for possession. We lost Legge to injury on 22, replacing him with Langmead, and not a lot else happened for the rest of the half. We missed some half chances, sure, but nothing really to note.

At half time I took off Hankin who was worn out, not match fit if I think about it, and replaced him with Fagan. I also told the lads they could win this game, if they wanted to. The only question was ‘Did they want to ?’

It seemed they did as we had the ball in the net on 49 minutes, but it was chalked off as Nicholls was deemed to have been offside. Not sure I agreed with that. It didn’t put us off though and we took the lead on 65 minutes, a corner powerfully headed home by Green.

Within three minutes of that we were 3-1 up, with the pick of the goals all game, Platt took the ball ten yards inside the Southport half, beat two defenders on his way into the box and then slid the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net. Brilliant Stuff.

On 74 minutes it was 4-1 as Robbie Gibbons crossed the ball from the right, it sailed over Platt and over the keeper, and dropped straight into the net, a fluke, but one that counts as +1 in the goals column, so thank you very much.

Southport grabbed a consolation goal near the end but we ran out comfortable winners. Grimsby beat second placed Wrexham to keep us in 9th.

Final Score: Southport 2-4 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Nicholls, Green , Platt, Gibbons

Man Of The Match : Robbie Gibbons

Team: Higgs, Mandy, Widdowson, Green, Legge (Langmead 22), Hankin (Fagan 45), Dawson, Gibbons , Meredith, Nicholls, Platt

At the end of the month Platt’s goal against Southport was named Blue Square Goal of the Month, which was nice. I came second in the Manager of The Month contest, which was not quite as nice.

[mark wilson27]

Scoring plenty of goals, shame about the defensive side.But your getting the wins you need

[qwidgibo]

Great read! Good luck in your future matches

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Guys, always nice to know there are readers out there !

Wednesday December 4th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Mansfield Town (4th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

This game was going to be more difficult. Mansfield are not only in the leading group of teams, they are bang in form. The man who beat me to the November Manager of the Month was Mansfield’s boss, Paul Cox. In addition to that both Legge and Dawson were out, injured. Artell started in defence for the first time for me, whilst for the second game on the run we had a much changed midfield with Meredith, Gibbons, Green and Hackett taking the starting spots.

The first half was a tough fought battle of attrition, with very few chances on either side. It was a blessing for everyone concerned when the ref blew the half time whistle.

Goalless at half time, but holding our own. I told them they could win the game and took Hackett off for Shankland, Hackett was the one player who had a poor first half and I felt a change could make the difference in this match.

So into the second half and, yes, a slightly improved performance. It was still a battle out there but we were beginning to get on top. We scored just past the hour with the first real, clear-cut, chance of the match David Artell knocking home a near post corner under immense pressure. It was his first goal for the club, too.

Unfortunately Mansfield were level within three minutes, once again a goal from a corner. They pushed on after that and probably should have won the game, but they couldn’t score again and we saw the game out as a 1-1 draw.

Final Score: Mansfield Town 1-1 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Artell

Man Of The Match : David Artell

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Widdowson, Artell, Langmead, Hackett (Shankland 45), Green, Gibbons , Meredith, Nicholls, Platt

In other games Grimsby in 8th won at Macclesfield in 7th, and they swapped places. So now I was 5 points off 8th place. The table looked like this:

| Pos   | Inf   | Team            |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st   |       | Oxford          |       | 25    | 15    | 8     | 2     | 45    | 17    | +28   | 53    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd   |       | Wrexham         |       | 24    | 15    | 5     | 4     | 41    | 19    | +22   | 50    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd   |       | Stockport       |       | 24    | 13    | 8     | 3     | 41    | 20    | +21   | 47    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   |       | Hayes & Yeading |       | 24    | 14    | 5     | 5     | 36    | 24    | +12   | 47    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   |       | Mansfield       |       | 25    | 14    | 4     | 7     | 49    | 29    | +20   | 46    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   |       | Kidderminster   |       | 24    | 13    | 4     | 7     | 43    | 31    | +12   | 43    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th   |       | Grimsby         |       | 25    | 11    | 9     | 5     | 38    | 28    | +10   | 42    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th   |       | Macclesfield    |       | 24    | 12    | 6     | 6     | 32    | 25    | +7    | 42    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|[b] 9th   |       | Northampton     |       | 24    | 10    | 7     | 7     | 34    | 26    | +8    | 37   [/b] | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  |       | Lincoln         |       | 24    | 10    | 3     | 11    | 34    | 30    | +4    | 33    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th  |       | Alfreton        |       | 24    | 9     | 6     | 9     | 26    | 37    | -11   | 33    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th  |       | Gateshead       |       | 24    | 9     | 5     | 10    | 31    | 30    | +1    | 32    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th  |       | Newport Co      |       | 24    | 7     | 10    | 7     | 25    | 28    | -3    | 31    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th  |       | AFC Telford     |       | 23    | 7     | 7     | 9     | 28    | 31    | -3    | 28    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th  |       | Dartford        |       | 23    | 7     | 7     | 9     | 21    | 24    | -3    | 28    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th  |       | Barrow          |       | 25    | 7     | 7     | 11    | 24    | 36    | -12   | 28    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th  |       | Southport       |       | 24    | 6     | 8     | 10    | 27    | 37    | -10   | 26    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th  |       | Woking          |       | 24    | 5     | 9     | 10    | 22    | 31    | -9    | 24    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 19th  |       | Forest Green    |       | 25    | 5     | 9     | 11    | 21    | 30    | -9    | 24    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 20th  |       | Braintree       |       | 25    | 4     | 9     | 12    | 17    | 30    | -13   | 21    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 21st  |       | Worcester       |       | 24    | 5     | 6     | 13    | 17    | 33    | -16   | 21    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 22nd  |       | Tamworth        |       | 24    | 5     | 4     | 15    | 21    | 37    | -16   | 19    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 23rd  |       | Dover           |       | 24    | 3     | 9     | 12    | 19    | 33    | -14   | 18    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 24th  |       | Altrincham      |       | 24    | 3     | 7     | 14    | 19    | 45    | -26   | 16    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|       |       |                 |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday December 11th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Stockport County (3rd) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

This promised to be an even tougher match than the last one. Dawson was fit and came in for Green. Widdowson was injured so Meredith played left back with Shankland in front of him. I told them they were the underdogs and to go out and enjoy playing without any pressure for once. Hell, it might work.

We pressured and harried and generally got stuck in, I was very pleased with the way we opened here. Sadly it wasn’t to last as on 13 minutes Stockport took the lead with a thunderbolt of a shot from the edge of the box beating our keeper all ends up.

We steadied somewhat, though Stockport looked dangerous every time they attacked and we had Lee Nicholls to thank for keeping the score down. We managed a chance on 35 when Shankland had a glorious chance to equalise, but the keeper smothered his effort. But we were thrown a lifeline on 42 when we were awarded a soft penalty which Fagan stepped up to confidently take, and score. 1-1, completely against the run of play.

Level at half time, what to do ? In the end I opted to tell them how pleased I was with the first half performance and then sent them out to attack, attack, attack in the second half.

In the end it was the wrong call on my part as we huffed and puffed for 45 minutes without getting anywhere. Stockport still managed to produce meaningful attacks and they got the winning goal from one of these two minutes from time. Sickening.

Final Score: Stockport County 2-1 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Craig Fagan

Man Of The Match : David Artell

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Meredith, Artell, Langmead, Fagan, Dawson, Gibbons , Shankland, Nicholls, Platt

[chesterfan2]

Saturday December 14th 2013

FA Trophy Second Round

Northampton Town (BSP 9th) vs. Evesham Town

The main change for this one was to give our front man Clive Platt the day off. He was beginning to look a little jaded in the last couple of games and so I decided to give him a rest. This gave Moult a chance to show me what he could do in the target man role.

We struggled to impose ourselves early on as the lower league visitors came out with the passion and verve that we might have expected them to. Truth be told they gave us a good run early on and might have scored, but we managed to clear the ball off the line in the 9th minute and smuggle it away.

Slowly, slowly we applied more pressure, and began to take control of the game. The opening goal when it came was a disastrous own goal by their left back, turning the ball into his own net rather than round the post when a routine corner turned into a goalmouth scramble.

So it was just 1-0 at half time. I told them not to get complacent. Most seemed to gain focus from that, some didn’t. We played better after half time and got a second on 48 minutes, Meredith getting the goal from close range. Fagan added a third near the end, and we won the game at a stroll really. Safely into the Third Round.

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-0 Evesham Town

Scorers : og, Meredith, Fagan

Man Of The Match: James Meredith

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Meredith, Langmead, Green, Hankin, Gibbons, Gutteridge, Fagan, A Nicholls, Moult

As it happened the Third Round draw was pretty favourable to us also. Another home tie this one against either Gloucester of the BSN or Eastbourne Borough of the BSS.