Results W/E 25th February 2024

Weather watchers will remember the Dragons battling through the “Beast from the East“ to emerge the other side in fine fettleOur challenge is now is the “Wet from the West”:

The Firsts drew 1-1 to London Tigers away. The Dragons knew this was a game they should win but also could not lose. With such a tight pack in the mid-table, meaning a mere few points would take them higher, the Dragons hope they will not be left to rue the missed opportunities.

The Blues away tie to Kodak in the Semi Final of the Divisional Cup was postponed and the Old Dragonians home game to Inter Manor was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

The U16 Boys beat Trailfinders 6-3 in a friendly played away on astroturf. This was a fast and furious match where the Dragons only pulled decisively ahead in the last 15 minutes. There was much rejoicing as the Dragons sometime goalie, who was put up top to keep him out of harms ways, scored the vital winner and then put another away for good measure.

The U14 Boys beat Pro FA 9-1 at home. The Dragons were expecting tougher opposition and were consequently somewhat perturbed when their goalie cried off at the last moment. In the event all was well and the Dragons controlled the match with their reserve goalie saving a penalty along the way – helped by the penalty taker kicking straight at him.  

The U13 Boys lost 5-8 to Princes Park away. Not a good game for the Dragons who lost their focus after working hard to recover from being behind 1-3. The Dragons did magnificently however to get themselves back in the game and deserve to be applauded nonetheless.

The U12 Boys Red lost 1-2 to Titans at home. The Dragons dominated for most of the match and had plenty of chances in front of goal. After taking the lead in the second half from a wonder goal, the opposition put in a late effort and pulled back not one but two. A game the Dragons deserved to win but instead were given a lesson in the importance of taking their chances in front of goal.

The U18 Boys home tie to Ickenham in the League Trophy, as well as the U15 Boys, the U12 Boys White and the U11 boys’ games, were called off due to waterlogged pitches. The U17 Boys had no scheduled game. The U10 Boys trained.

The U14 Girls drew 1-1 with Broomwood away. The Dragons played an exemplary first half and went into the break one nil up. The teams were very even and as the second half progressed the Dragons tired, and under immense pressure, relinquished an equaliser.

The U16 Girls, the U13 Girls and the U11 Girls all had their games called off due to waterlogged pitches. The U15 Girls had no scheduled game.

Results W/E 17th February 2024

This was a miserable, wet weekend. The Dragons spent the week organising teams and matches only to then spend the weekend calling matches off with both home and away pitches mostly waterlogged. Still, spring cannot be far away.

The Firsts lost to Pitshanger Dynamo away in the League. Pitshanger are title race contenders and the Dragons were up against it on a wet and windy weekend. A valiant fight but the Dragons could not hold back the home side’s attacking force and, in particular, the League’s top goal scorer.

The Blues lost at home to Portobello. A similar story for the Blues up against local rivals Portobello who sit unbeaten at the top of the League. The Dragons managed to find the back of the net but not as many times as their opponents.

The Old Dragonians had no game.

The new U11 Girls had no game.

The U13 Girls lost 0-3 to Islington Borough at home. In boggy, sticky conditions, the Dragons worked hard to play in their own style. This was a tight mid-table clash that either side could have won  but it was Islington who triumphed. The Dragons will clean their boots off ready for their next fixture.

The U15 Girls were awarded an automatic home win over Hayes and Yeading who forfeited the match. Easy points for the Dragons who did not have to pull up a sock, lace a boot or get out of bed to claim the points.

The U14 Girls home match to Islington Borough and the U16 Girls away game to Barnet Nightingales were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

The U11 Boys, U12 Boys Red, U13 Boys, U14 Boys, U15 Boys, U16 Boys and U17 Boys all had their games called off due to waterlogged pitches. The U12 Boys White and the U18 Boys had no scheduled games.

The U10 Boys trained.

Results W/E 11th February 2024

A wet week saw many matches postponed:

The Firsts had no scheduled game.

The Blues drew 1-1 with Wisemen West away. The Dragons were not at their best which led to 90 minutes of ups and downs. Wiseman is a good team and took the initiative and the lead. The Dragons realised that they were trailing so pulled themselves together and improved to, not just stay in the game, but to come back and rescue a point.

The Old Dragonians away match against Hillingdon Abbots was called off as their pitch was waterlogged.

The U16 Girls beat Acton Ealing Whistlers 12-1 away in the Middlesex FA Cup. Despite the huge win, the Dragons were wasteful in front of goal in the first half and only led 2-1 at half time. Some strong words and inner reflection saw arguably the best attacking half by any Dragons team this season. They were a threat from all over the park and 10 second half goals was just rewards for the way they went about their business. Whilst the forwards will get all the plaudits, kudos must also go to the defence and goalkeeper who kept their concentration levels and continually pushed the midfield and attack forward.

The new U11 Girls, the U13 Girls, and the U15 Girls all had their games called off due to waterlogged pitches. The U14 Girls had no scheduled game.

The U14 Boys drew 2- 2 with the League Leaders, Hanwell Town at home. This was a tremendous match between two very good teams. The Dragons scored first but Hanwell were too good a team to let the matter lie there – they came back with a vengeance. Frankly, the game could have gone either way with the Dragons hitting the post at least twice and Hanwell being denied sure goals by the Dragons mounting last ditch defensive scrambles in their goal mouth. The massed fans certainly had their money’s worth in entertainment.

The U13 Boys were awarded an automatic home win as Pinner United could not raise a side. On a weekend where you might have thought Pinner would have used the conditions as an excuse and lucky escape, they did not and the Dragons happily took all three points without lifting a boot.

The new U11 Boys lost 1-3 to Brent United away. The Dragons could not catch up with Brent after a quick onslaught left them 0-2 down in less than 10 mins. This match was unusually on a Saturday and missing their normal Saturday training session prior to the match proved costly.

The U12 Boys Red, the U12 Boys White, the U15 Boys, the U16 Boys, the U17 Boys and the U18 Boys all had their games called off due to waterlogged pitches. 

The U10 Boys trained.

Results W/E 4th February 2024

The Blues were awarded an automatic home win as Goan United could not raise a side.

The Old Dragonians drew 1-1 to Harrow Hive at home. This was a really competitive match between two well-matched sides. HH took the lead but the Old Ds replied midway through the second half with a move of beauty: a few passes in midfield then a defence-splitting pass put the Dragons overlapping player clear, who delivered a great cross which was found with a pinpoint header from the forward. The Old Ds nearly won the point with the last chance of the game but the HH keeper just tipped another header over the crossbar when it was destined for the net

The new U11 Girls beat Whetstone Wanderers 4-0 at home. “A great performance from every single player,” said the Manager. As simple as that.

The U13 Girls beat Denham 9-2 away. The Dragons with three hat tricks as they stormed the Denham castle and played fantastically well together. A wonderful three points to take back home.

The U14 Girls lost 0-3 to Broomwood away. This was very much a game of two halves as the Dragons couldn’t match Denham’s passing skills in the first half and conceded three goals. In the second half the Dragons regained their composure and shape to keep a clean sheet. The final score reflects rather unfairly on the Dragons.

The U15 Girls had no game.

The U16 Girls had no game.

The U18 Boys beat Football Samurai 3-1 away in the League Trophy. The result is what matters in a Cup tie and the Dragons duly delivered. A scruffy game against an opponent who the Dragons had beaten twice in the League. That said, the Dragons were complacent and thought they’d just have to turn up to win. It was only when Samurai equalised after 60 mins that the Dragons kicked into gear and 10 mins of quality football resulted in 2 goals and game over.

The U17 Boys beat Pitshanger Red 2-0 at home.  This was an odd game. Seldom have the Dragons passed so well to keep possession. There were even judicious passes backwards to catalyse attacking moves forward – a combination not hitherto always found in the Dragons repertoire.  But no goals! Finally, Pitshanger clearly felt that the Dragons exhibition football deserved some result so kindly headed the ball into their own net. The Dragons continued to dominate and eventually, towards the end,  scored without any assistance from Pitshanger. 

The U16 Boys did not play.

The U15 Boys beat local rivals Acton Ealing Whistlers 2-1 at home. The Dragons put in a massive performance to win after initially going a goal behind. The Dragons scored the winner in the last minute to take all three points to the elation of the manager, players, coach ands the massed fans. A fantastic turnaround from previous weeks.

The U14 Boys frustratingly drew 2-2 with Harrow St Marys away. It would be fair to say that the HSM organisation was not the brightest star in the footballing firmament and they were doubly hampered by the appointed referee not turning up. The Dragons were ahead by one goal twice but each time HSM drew level again. It would be indulgent to lay the lack of a win at the door of the referee – the Dragons simply were not at their best and HSM kept battling.

The U13 Boys beat Super Skills a huge 11-0 away. The result speaks for itself. The Dragons played impressively and used the time on the pitch to reestablish their self-confidence and belief. 

The U12 Boys Red beat London Eagles 3-2 at home. This was a dominant display by the Dragons from the very start – their dribbling and passing was first rate whilst the keeper put on a show with multiple acrobatic saves. It was only a couple of communication errors at the back that lead to the Eagles scoring.

The U12 Boys White beat Super Skills 3-1 at home. The Dragons had to battle hard against a very physical team. In the end, the Dragons’ supreme teamwork won the day.

The U10 Boys trained.

Results W/E 29th January 2024

This was mostly a good week with the Firsts, and indeed all the Senior teams, leading the way:

On Tuesday the Firsts beat Colliers Wood away on penalties, after drawing 1-1 at full time, in the Cup. The biggest challenge was assembling in Colliers Wood where few Dragons have set foot before. Once there they resolutely battled away to be level at the final whistle and then it was on to penalties which hitherto have been the Dragons Achilles heel. Not on this Tuesday evening however!

On Saturday the Firsts beat Stonewall 1-0 at home. Another hard-fought game with both teams going head-to-head on a soggy pitch. The Dragons did enough to get the three points, and keep a clean sheet, in a crucial table match up.

The Blues beat Goan United away on penalties in the Quarter Final of the Division Cup. After ending normal time level on 2-2, the Dragons steel was put to the test in a spotkick showdown. To the roar of travelling fans the Dragons bested Goan 3-2.

The Old Dragonians beat WOW RDM 4-0 away. After scoring in the first minute, it looked like it would be an easy morning’s work for the Old Ds but the rest of the half was scrappy. The Dragons at half time realised they needed to play their own style of football and a reset saw them add a further three goals and keep a clean sheet to claim the win.

The new U11 Girls beat Alexandra Park 5-1 away. There were many positives to take from this game for the Dragons who played very well. New additions to the squad are gelling well and the results will keep coming.

The U13 Girls beat Alexandra Park 9-0 at home. A huge win for the Dragons whose three hat tricks puts a mile between them and AP as they worked solidly defensively to mark a clean sheet.

The U14 Girls beat Player First 5-1 away in the Quarter Final of the Cup. Despite going behind in the first 20 mins, and with a heavily depleted team, it looked like the tie was going to slip away from the Dragons. Amazingly, the Dragons did not take no for an answer and went on to smash in five goals without conceding again. Something to be very proud of!

The U15 Girls had no game.

The U16 Girls drew 1-1 away at Wealdstone. A depleted Dragons team took to the field with 10 players against last season’s Champions. Yet, the Dragons were immense and took the lead with a textbook goal, bringing the ball through the thirds with their first attack after 3 minutes. Wealdstone equalised on 15 minutes from a corner but apart from that the Dragons, despite their numerical disadvantage, dominated proceedings and missed several chances to win the game. Still, their best performance of the season.

The U18 Boys drew 4-4 away at Ickenham in the League Trophy. The Dragons started brightly and took the lead following a swift attack after 10 minutes. Back came Ickenham after a defensive error to level. Ickenham then went in front through another mistake. Back came the Dragons with 2 quick fire goals to lead 3-2. The Dragons then failed to clear a corner and were punished as a result and went in 3-3 at half time. Ickenham were awarded a penalty and converted to lead 4-3 but back came the Dragons to level! The Dragons were the better side and in the ascendency but failed to convert 3 gilt-edged chances to win the game. Ickenham were fortunate to grab a draw.

The U17 Boys beat title contenders Pro FA 5-4 away in the most entertaining of matches. Pro FA assumed a win and were not surprised to pull two goals ahead. Even the stoutest Dragon fan thought “….!!! here we go” fearing a wobble. The Dragons players however thrust all such thoughts aside and pounded uphill, through the sticky mud, to draw level and then to rapturous applause score the winner. Pro FA were shell-shocked and did not respond with the decorum one would hope for – rather they engineered a full scale fracas with their supporters invading the pitch. One could almost say that the Dragons stayed calm and collected throughout.

The U16 Boys lost at home to Singh Sabha. The Dragons had a tough game against an unbeaten top of the League side. Again with a reduced squad, the Dragons fought hard but were no match for the constant fresh legs of the opposition who deployed their full bench. On a positive note, the Dragons did score the goal of the game.

The U15 Boys lost at home to TAP. The Dragons regroup to go again. The wonderful thing about football is that, despite the very normal wobble a team may have, there is always another game to look forward to.

The U14 Boys beat Belmont Bees 3-1 at home in the tightest of matches. This was probably the toughest game for the Dragons so far this season. The eventual score gives the impression that it was a comfortable win but it was anything but. The Dragons eventually won because they are an excellent team and they put in an excellent performance.

The U13 Boys drew 4-4 at home to Pro FA. A game that lacked quality from both teams even though the scoreline suggests a thriller. Intense pressure from the away dugout perhaps influenced the referee to award the away side a dubious late penalty and deny a home win.

The U12 Boys Red beat Harrow St Marys 4-2 away. What a nail biter of a game, from taking the lead first to losing it by half time. The Dragons then made it level just at the start of the second half, and finished the job with two late goals, sealing the win.

The U12 Boys White lost 0-1 away at Larkspur. A closely fought game that on another day the Dragons may have come out victorious.

The new U11 Boys lost 1-2 away at London Eagles. The Dragons lost despite scoring first. Late on, they rallied and searched high and low for an equaliser, but just couldn’t get past the Eagles’ keeper.

The U10 Boys trained.

Results W/E 21st January 2024

This was a good weekend, despite the early freezing conditions, with 39 Dragons Goals to a more modest 12 for the combined oppositions:

The Firsts and the Blues had their games called off due to frozen pitches. 

The Old Dragonians beat Inter Manor 2-1 away. Earlier on in the season the ODs would have lost such a game but this win highlights the progress they have made. After missing a couple of good chances early on, the Dragons conceded a sloppy goal to go one down. The Dragons then showed great character and determination to be rewarded late in the game, with two goals from free kicks, to clinch the win.

The U18 Boys thumped Brazil Development 10-1 at home. The scoreline flattered their opponents. If the Dragons had been more clinical the goal tally would have been doubled. A fantastic attacking display from the Dragons who, when they are firing on all cylinders, are very, very difficult to beat.

The U17 Boys played magnificently to beat Headstone Manor Red 6-1 away.  The prognosis was not good. The match was scheduled at what passes for the crack of dawn for an average Dragon and was away to boot, on the back of a miserable performance the previous week. Headstone were out in force with their massed players pirouetting elegantly on the pitch as they warmed up early whereas the Dragons started with 10 players –  the 11th forgetting that football boots are a helpful accessory. The dynamic Dragons Coach brushed aside the feeble attempts of the Manager to delay and  bravely started with 10 Dragons v 11 Headstonians. The Dragons were however a revelation and within minutes had scored twice.  From then on they were in control, with more passing than fiddling, as they dominated Headstone who were simply not good enough to match them.

The U16 Boys won 5-1 away at Old Actonians. Despite being tight on numbers again, the Dragons were in good spirits as they trudged down a muddy lane and across a muddy field to an equally muddy pitch. The Dragons were focused from the start, passing and communicating well and their first goal came early. Thereafter, they were completely in control. Several factors led to the Dragons being reduced to 10 players, however the remaining team battled on and the way they moved the ball was impressive. Even their coach, who is tough to please, produced a look suggesting he was impressed.

The U15 Boys did not play.

The U14 Boys beat Brookhouse 11-2 away in the most pleasing of results. This was a match where the players, supporters and coaches all worked together to overcome the vagaries of SatNav to find the pitch then play the match and wash the shirts afterwards. The score was 3-2 at half time and it looked as if the result could go either way.  Few would have forecast an 11-2 win as the whistle blew to restart. In the event the Dragons gave a masterclass in working together and then finishing in front of goal. A very good result.

The U13 Boys just lost 3-4 away at London Athletic. Ultimately, a disappointing game. After leading 3-1 for much of the game, the Dragons just lost their focus in the final five minutes. A lesson in playing to the final whistle.

The U12 Boys Red lost 0-2 to Belmont Bees at home. A very intense game where the Dragons had their chances but just couldn’t find the back of the net. Two goals within two minutes of each other from the Bees made it an uphill battle from then on but the Dragons kept their heads up showing a never die attitude.

The U12 Boys White just lost 0-1 at home to Bessingby Park. It was always going to be a tight, hotly contested match against the current League leaders. The Dragons, who are very much in the title fight in second place, had everything to play for. Bessingby found a winner and held on to the home fan’s dismay. With a game in hand and everything still to play for, the Dragons will keep their minds on the long-game.

The new U11 Boys beat St Josephs 2-1 at home. The Dragons had a tight first half with the score hanging in the balance at 1-1. The Dragons then went on to dominate after their halftime oranges to regain the initiative. As the match drew to an end a Dragons player was shown a red card and they had to survive a late onslaught by St Josephs. The Dragons goalkeeper was finally called upon to face a last minute penalty that could have potentially ruined the party – to thunderous cheers and whoops around St Marks he saved it and the Dragons had won!

The U10 Boys trained.

All Youth Girls games on Saturday were called off due to frozen and unplayable pitches.

Results W/E 14th January 2024

The Firsts just lost 1-2 at Kodak away. The Dragons travelled to their first away match of the new year to find a very poor pitch which the Dragons couldn’t come to terms with and consequently conceded twice. Having finally come to terms with the surface the Dragons played much better in the second half to get themselves back into the game and were unfortunate not to get a share, if not all, of the three points.

The Blues drew 3-3 with Southall Athletic at home. This was a game that the Blues felt that they should have won, but they kept giving away goals after pulling ahead. The Dragons went in front three times and each time Southall pulled one back.

The Old Dragonians lost 1-4 at home to Hillingdon Abbots. The ODs were to rue mistakes in the first half that found them 0- 3 down at half time. Despite dominating the second half the Dragons were not clinical enough in converting some great chances into much needed goals.

The new U11 Boys just lost away 3-4 to Super Skills. It was an emotional roller coaster of a match with Super Skills scoring the first goal of the match early on, then two strong goals from the Dragons brought them into the lead. SS came back with a vengeance to pull back to a 3-3 scoreline to leave the result hanging in the balance. Finally SS scored the winning goal in the final few minutes of the second half. The Dragons played an excellent match regardless, particularly whilst dealing with a ref who seemed slightly confused on the offside rule.

The U12 Boys Red beat Forest United 7-0 at home. This was a dominant display by the Dragons whose strong and composed defence prevented Forest from having even one shot on goal for the entire game – allowing the Dragons’ forwards to run riot and score a hattrick and 2 braces.

The U12 Boys White beat Ruislip Town 4-0 at home. The Dragons dominated possession but were kept at bay largely by an impressive performance from the opposition goalie who made a string of good saves in the first half, keeping the scoreline to a respectable 1- 0l. Three second half goals were the result of the Dragons finding the killer instinct that they had lacked in the first half.

The U13 Boys had no game.

The U14 Boys beat Princess Park 4-1 away. It would be true to say that the Dragons were a bit rusty. The first half saw them 4-0 up but their performance then slipped a bit whilst Princess Park got more into their footballing stride to score a conciliation goal.

The U15 Boys were beaten away at 360 Talent. It was a weekend to forget for the Dragons who had a tough game away from home. They will surely rest, recoup, and be ready to go again.

The U16 Boys lost away at Foxes. The Dragons had reduced numbers but valiantly decided to press on and play the game. The Dragons ran their legs off and, if matches were decided on attitude alone, they would have won. The Foxes coaches expressed their admiration for the Dragons spirit.   

The U17 Boys lost decisively to Hillingdon Abbots at home.  The Abbots are a good side but so are the Dragons. For periods the Dragons matched the Abbots but football is a competitive activity – once a side wilts opponents have a nasty habit of capitalising by scoring which leads to more wilting! An underlying problem was that there had been too long a break since the last Dragons match. There is too much talent in the Dragons side to let this result define the season – the Dragons will get back to their best.

The U18 Boys drew 2-2 with Hillingdon Abbots away. This was the one that got away. A below par first half performance, a debatable penalty and a late start saw the Dragons trail 1-2 at half time. The second half saw the Dragons totally dominate, miss numerous chances after equalising and finally miss a crucial penalty. It was said they snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.

The U10 Boys trained.

The new U11 Girls drew 2-2 with Enfield Town away. A great performance from the Dragons who were winning 1 – 0 for most of the match. The referee then added an extra 10 minutes and awarded two penalties to Enfield that they slotted away. Remarkably, the Dragons dug deep and came back with 1 minute remaining to equalise and save a point.

The U14 Girls lost 0-4 at home to Watford Ladies in the Cup. It was a brave performance from the Dragons who did not let the occasion stop them from trying to play out their own game plan.

The U13 Girl, U15 Girls and U16 Girls had no games.

Results W/E 7th January 2024

Happy New Year to Dragons everywhere. We are back after the break:  
 

The new U11 Boys just lost 1-2 at home to WealdstoneThe Dragons spent much time scrambling around in Wealdstone’s goalmouth but could not score whereas Wealdstone did – from a well taken freekick and then were helped along the way to make it 2 – 0. The Dragons scored from a break with their striker, fresh off the plane from Australia, summoning up the strength to shoot. This was generally a well tempered game except a couple of Wealdstone players did not show quite the self control one would hope for.

The U13 Boys beat Hanwell Town 6-0 at home. A resounding success for the Dragons who made it seem that they had barely had a break from playing. The Dragons were as sharp as before the break, putting goals past the Hanwell keeper and holding resolutely at the back. A roaring start to 2024.

The U18 Boys just lost 2-3 away to Regents Park. The Dragons’ return to the pitch and start to 2024 meant a contest with top of the League and unbeaten Regents Park. The Dragons played valiantly and certainly made Regents Park work hard for their win. Many positives to take forward into the year.

The U12 Boys Red, the U12 Boys White, the U15 Boys and the U16 Boys all had their games postponed due to water logged pitches.

The U14 Boys and the U17 Boys had no scheduled matches.

The U10 Boys trained.

The Girls return to action this coming weekend.

Happy New Year! Update 1st January 2024

Happy New Year! Update 1st January 2024

Thank you to all our Patrons, Sponsors, Funders, Officers, Coaches, Managers, Trustees, Supporters, Players and everybody else for making the first half of this season such a success. We are poised to achieve great things in 2024 so let’s keep working together to make it happen.

Matches start for many teams this weekend and by next weekend we will be at full throttle. The days are already getting longer and spring will soon be with us. The following quote neatly sums up the challenge we all have in every sphere of our lives – and especially in football:   

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it”

Best wishes for 2024 and beyond!

Happy Christmas

2023 finished with a successful flurry on the pitch so who knows what trials and tribulations lie ahead of us in 2024. What we do know is that we will continue to provide players the opportunity to play and train regardless of their financial circumstances.  In the meantime, best wishes to Dragons everywhere and we look forward to catching up in 2024.