Author: Angela Thompson

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 27 January 2019

Fellow Waterlogged Dragons

With a deluge on Saturday most matches were called off:

The U11s Girls beat Kinja at home 6-2.  Despite the muddy and cold conditions the Dragons showed their spirit.  Within the first few minutes they fired the ball into the back of Kinja’s net and then quickly followed with another. Despite missing their goalkeeper the Dragons were bold and kept on attacking to bang in another four goals.  

The U11 Boys match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

The U12 Boys match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

The U13 Girls beat Broomwood 12-0 on Wormwood Scrubs. This was a stunning performance from the Dragons who at half-time were already in the driving seat leading 4-0. They kept working hard and were hungry for goals and scored another 8 to finish with a massive victory

The U13 Boys match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

 The U14 match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

 The U15 match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

 The U16 Whites lost 1-3 away to Brook House.  Amid a hailstorm, the Dragons went 2 nil down but were offered a lifeline in the form of a penalty, just before the interval, which alas they squandered. In the second half the Dragons found an extra gear and piled on the pressure resulting in a well-taken, long-range goal. As they pushed for the equaliser they were caught with a sucker punch which made the score line look more one-sided than the Dragons deserved.

 The U16 Reds match was called off as the pitch was waterlogged

The Firsts lost away to St. Panteleimon . The Dragons started well and In the 10th minute found themselves in front of an empty goal but a difficult shot just missed. The game was then equal with both teams creating few opportunities . St. Panteleimon took the lead in 18th min before the Dragons equalized. Just before half time the referee gave St. Panteleimon a penalty on incomprehensible grounds. It took time to clarify the situation but the referee did not change his mind leaving St. Panteleimon to score. The  Dragons then fell apart and lost faith to allow St. Panteleimon to pull ahead and win.  One bad refereeing decision had changed everything.

The Reserves drew 2-2 with Cantenay Park at Linford Christ Stadium. The Dragons played well in the first half and then much less well in the second. The match was spoilt by a string of poor refereeing decisions to leave the match an unsatisfactory draw with two clear penalties not awarded to the Dragons

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the League next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 20 January 2019

Fellow Perky Dragons

Whilst the rest of world hunkered down in the cold the Dragons keep thumping in goals to cheer themselves up as they recorded a total of  52 goals compared to a measly 13 for the combined opposition clubs, with every match won by the Dragons:

The Firsts drew 1-1 with Larkspur Rovers in the Premiership at Linford Christie Stadium.  Larkspur rather cruelly pounced on a minor Dragons miscalculation at the beginning of the match to score first. It was then a hard fought game which finally lead to a wonder goal from the Dragons who then looked like they would go on to win – despite a scare in the final minutes.

The Reserves  beat Ruislip 3-2 away. This was a great Dragons performance as they started on the front foot moving the ball quickly & smoothly from side to side to go 3-0 up. Ruislip managed to get one back to end the first half 3-1. The second half was a repeat of the first, but without goals from the Dragon who demonstrated great team spirit throughout.

The U11 Boys beat Kodak 4-0 away. This was the second occasion this season that the Dragons had traipsed out to Kodak but this time, rather than letting the game slip away in the second half, they controlled from start to finish. The nearest that Kodak got to scoring was being awarded penalty – which was duly saved by the superb Dragons gaolie.

 The U11 Girls beat Alexandra Park 8-1 away.  The Dragons started with their usual fighting spirit as they displayed phenomenal team work throughout the game.  By half time the Dragons were 3-0 up  and enjoying every moment.  The second half began with the same intensity as the first and within minutes another goal was scored.  The girls sensational passing and tight defending secured 4 more goals.  A fantastic performance!

The U12s beat Brunswick 6-2 away.  A bright and positive start saw the Dragons build up a commanding  two goal lead by half time. Brunswick pulled two goals back to level the score with 15 minutes left on the clock. It was the Dragons though who were the far the superior side with strong performances from all as they pumped in 4 more goals. A very good performance all round.

The U13 Girls beat Whetstone 2-1 away in a cracker of a match.  Such was the tension that there was a flurry of interclub emails after the match focusing on the role of linesman and coaches.

The U13 Boys beat Ickenham 4 – 1 at home.   This was a crucial contest as the Dragons were neck and neck with Ickenham at 3rd place in the League. The Dragons pressure led to a serious advantage in terms of possession and, once the speed of their attack stretched Ickenham’s defence, the goals soon arrived.  A combination of 4 strong subs and the coaches’ focus on fitness levels again led to a strong second half with the outcome never in doubt.  

The U14s beat AFC Wembley 17-1 away. Yes 17 – not a typing mistake.  After a solid performance last week when the Dragons could have won, but instead left North London with a draw, they took no chances against Wembley. They flew with the ball like mythical dragons and stung like bees, leaving Wembley to concede 17 goals!

The U16 Dragons Whites just lost 1-2 to the Dragons U16s Reds at Linford Christie. It was the Reds who scored first and so it was the Whites who went into the second half 0-2 down. The Whites have deep reserves however and toiled away to pull back to 1-2 but batter away as they did they could just not get their next goal. The series between the two Dragons sides was left as a 1-1 draw.

 The U16 Reds just beat the Dragons U16 Whites 2-1 at Linford Christie Stadium. The Reds were looking for revenge after losing to their compatriots earlier in the season. The Reds started somewhat overexcitedly but eventually calmed down to score twice to go into the second half the happier of the two teams. The Whites then put the Reds under pressure to score with 20 minutes left so it was then a case of pulling up the shutters to see out the game to win. 

The U15s beat Concorde 4-1 at Linford Christie in a return to form. Despite missing a couple of key players the Dragons dominated Concorde from start to finish. A great display of connected fieldwork and passing was the key to the Dragons renewed vigour and confidence.  The 2-0 lead at half time was a 4-1 emphatic win by full time. 

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the League next season

 

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 13 January

Fellow Wintry Dragons

 The Dragons piled on the goals at the weekend, scoring 38 compared to a combined 15 for their oppositions:

 The U11 Boys pummelled Pinnstars 8-0 at the Scrubs. The Dragons rather enjoyed it when Pinnstars rampaged down the hill in the second half to scare the Dragons. It was like watching a horror film – one enjoyed the excitement but knew that one would remain unscathed. If truth be told it was the Dragons who controlled mostly from start to finish to record a thumping win.

 The U11 Girls beat Vicky Park Rangers 3-1 at home in their first game of the year.  As usual the Dragons did not fail to disappoint. From the start they showed that they were determined to win and attacked right from the off. The Dragons defence remained tight as the combination of great team work and spirit lead to a sound win.

 The U12s came from behind to draw away 2-2 against a frustrated Wealdstone. The match was fairly even for much of the time but it was the Dragons who showed inner grit by coming back from being a goal down twice.  The disappointed Wealdstone were poorly behaved at the end.

 The U13 Boys beat Venceremos 5 – 0  away.  Playing on a small pitch, the Dragons attack was stifled in the first half by the Venceremos keeper and by heavy traffic in front of the box.  After changing formation at halftime, the pressure and skill level was too much for Venmcermos and the Dragons thumped in 4 goals in the second half. 

 The U13 Girls beat Kinja 11-1 away. The Dragons played really well, dominating the game throughout. Serious in defence, never complacent and always hungry to get the ball and score. It was better to be a Dragon, than a Kinja parent, on the side-line.

 The U14s drew 1-1 with Princes Park. The Dragons failed to adapt to the small, sloping pitch. They played generally well, creating numerous chances, but were not clinical enough to score. A lack of communication and a poor clearance led to Princes Park seizing an opportunity to score first. The Dragons however never stopped believing in themselves and brought it back to 1-1. In the second half Princes Park sat back and defended for a draw. The Dragons attacked and attacked but could just not get the vital winning goal.

 The U15s lost 1-5 to Headstone Manor away. The Dragons were missing key players and succumbed to a side that they had beaten, or drawn with, in recent meetings. The Dragons would have easily have won on another day. 

 The U16 Reds beat Wealdstone 3-1 at Linford Christie Stadium. The Dragons started the stronger and grabbed the first goal with a great acrobatic effort. It was then a scrappy game, with neither team able to create chances. In the second half Wealdstone started well but the Dragons were resilient and doubled their lead before Wealdstone quickly pulled a goal back, making it a nervy last 15 minutes. The Dragons defended well and then sealed the game very late on after rounding the keeper and calmly finishing to win.

 The U16 Whites beat Pitshanger 3-0 at Linford Christie Stadium. The match started slowly but with the Dragons in control. In the second half, with the introduction of a couple of different players, the first Dragons goal went in and then Pitshanger could not cope as they let the Dragons created chances to score twice more.

 The Reserves drew 1-1 with Stonewall away in a game they should have won. This was a great performance from the Dragons who controlled the game and scored from a magnificent free kick. They then could not capitalise on their chances and finished the first half just 1 – 0 up.  The Dragons defence was vastly improved from previous games but Stonewall managed to find a crack in the Dragons wall from a free kick to draw level. The Dragons could have had the last say when their veteran striker passed the Stonewall keeper to find himself in front of an open goal – the excitement proved too much and he passed, rather than thump the ball into their goal.

 The Firsts lost 0-3 to third placed PFC Victoria London in the Premiership at Linford Christie Stadium. PFC are a good team and on the day capitalised on their luck whereas the footballing cards did not quite fall into place for the Dragons

 The U10s trained in preparation for joining the League next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 6 January 2019

Fellow Dragons

Happy New Year as we cruise towards the sunlit uplands of a warm spring:

The Firsts beat Tottenham Hale Rangers 3-0 away in the Premiership. The Dragons controlled the game to pull 3-0  ahead before forcing Tottenham onto their back collective feet smothering their attacks which increasingly became desperate as they hoofed the ball up the field to no avail. The result was never in doubt. A great start to 2019!

The Reserves just lost 2-3 at home to Speedy Utd in the Cup. This was a much better performance from the Dragons who ended the first half 2-1 up and in control. The second half started even better and it looked as if the Dragons would extend their lead but alas Speedy took advantage of 2 defensive errors to win! The Dragons Coach was heard to say: “Heart breaking after such a good performance!”

The U15s drew 2-2 with European Football Academy away. The Dragons have now taken 7 points from the top three teams as they continued their progress. End to end action exposed the meticulous passing of EFA to the Dragon’s raw explosive talent. The score line then slipped towards an EFA victory when, as The Sun might have put it, “A DA IS BORN!” as the Dragons new striker rescued his team in the last minute with an impossibly tight angled strike that left both teams speechless.

The U14s beat top of the table Parliament Hill 3-0 away. This was a game where the Dragons demonstrated that they were no longer boys as they stood tall to play with great determination and desire as they drew 3-0 ahead at the half. Parliament tried their hardest to turn the result around but the Dragons refused to panic as belief drained from Parliament. A tremendous match and result.

The U13 boys lost 1-3 at home to undefeated league leaders Hanwell.  The Dragons kept it close all match but ultimately succumbed to two fantastic Hanwell strikes.   A few missed opportunities by the Dragons could have pulled them level, but Hanwell also hit the posts twice in a tense match.

The U13 Girls had no match

The U12s lost 3-5 at home to Bessingby Park Rangers. In general this was a reasonable performance from the Dragons who need to sharpen up their passing in the second half of the season.

The U11 boys had no match

The U11 Girls had no match

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the league next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 18 November 2018

Fellow Dragons

The Firsts drew 4-4 with Sporting Hackney at home. The Dragons started slowly, whilst Hackney played sharply to score first. The Dragons woke up and minutes later equalized. The second half started badly as the Dragons conceded moments after the restart but once again the Dragons stepped up to equalize. Unfortunately a bad refereeing decision then gave Hackney a free kick which they converted from a good cross and brilliant header. The Dragons then had nothing to lose and started playing in a higher gear to draw level in the 82th minute and then in the 91st  minute the Dragons scored again to take the lead. Unbelievably in the dying minute Hackney kicked the ball into the penalty box and one of their players made a fantastic header to draw.

The Reserves beat West Acton United 4-1 away. It was 1-1 at half time and then in the second half it was only a matter of time before the Dragons inevitably took the lead. The goal came through a penalty converted by their veteran striker. From there on in the Dragons were flying,scoring twice more and missing a dozen other opportunities

The U16 Reds beat Regents and Tufnell Park 6-1 at home in the League Cup. The Dragons started the better team and took the lead rounding Regents’s keeper. Midway in the first half the Dragons conceded an unlucky equaliser after the ball took a huge deflection off the wall from a 20 yard free kick. The floodgates opened in the second half with the Dragons pounding the goals home to secure a thumping win.

The U16 Whites drew 4-4 with Celtic away. A series of last minute pull-outs due to illness and injury left the Dragons down to the bare bones for their trip to the league leaders. The Dragons mustered an astonishing performance that saw them go 3 – 0 up, playing some of their best football this season. Celtic rallied in the second half and a couple of goalkeeper errors let them back into the match. In the end the Dragons were happy to take a point from the league leaders on their patch. 

The U15 lost 2-3 at home to Pitshanger in the League Cup after having been 2-0 up at half time.

The U14s lost 0-2 to Brook House in a tense but exciting match. The Dragons played well and were really good at keeping possession and moving the ball forward but they did not have enough shots to test Brookhouse. In the second half the Dragons remained composed and created more chances but were not clinical enough to score. With bad decisions from the Ref and the linesman raising the flag at every given opportunity,  Brook House were determined to end the game with a victory which they duly did.

 The U13 Boys drew 2-2 at home against Celtic.  The Dragons got off to a strong start going up 2 – 0 in the first 20 minutes but could not add to the score line.  Two quick goals from Celtic from only a handful of shots on goals brought the game back to level at 2 – 2.  It was a frustrating outcome as the Dragons were the quality side but failed to convert more of their chances.  The only consolation was a dramatic one on one save by the Dragons goalie with minutes remaining to salvage the draw.  

The U13 Girls drew 2-2 with Ruislip. The Dragons showed once against their strong fighting spirit to back from being 0- 2 down. The Dragons scored first from an opportunistic shot in the box, after Ruislip’s goalkeeper had dropped the ball and then with a fantastic run and shot from their winger. Both teams kept pushing and had opportunities to score. A draw was a fair result after a fantastic game .

The U12s beat Wealdstone 4-3 at home in a fiercely contested game. The Dragons started brightly and struck with early goals to be 3-1 up at half time.  Wealdstone staged a late come back with two goals in the second half but the Dragons put the game beyond Wealdstone’s reach with a cool finish to make it a 4-3 win.

The U11 Boys lost  at home to Super Skills after having being 3-1 up. The underlying problem was that the Dragons goal keepers were unavailable. The Dragons conceded in the first minutes of the first half because of a lack of concentration, but they then reacted to come back with 3 quick successive goals. The Dragons were then 3-1 up and victory looked to be in the bag but they slowed down, heads dropped and Super Skills took advantage to score

The U11 Girls  lost to Broomwood  away. The Dragons defending and attacked well but, despite a brilliant performance from their goal keeper, Broomwood rampaged to score more than they should have,

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the league next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E11 November 2018

Fellow Globe Trotters

Despite the rain on Saturday the Sunday was verging on glorious:

 The U11 Girls drew 3-3 with Vicky Park Rangers at home. The Dragons KD started slowly and within minutes were 0-1 down. Worse was to follow as they lost concentration to let Rangers score again and then yet again to leave the Dragons 0-3 down at half time.  After an inspirational half time chat, encouraging the Dragons to be honest with each other and work as a team, not as individuals, they showed amazing determination to come back to 3-3 from three well worked great goals .

The U11 Boys lost 2-4 against Kodak away. The Dragons toiled up the steep hill in the first half, conceding a few goals, in the expectation of romping down the hill in the second half peppering in goals. Unfortunately Kodak had not learnt their lines and toiled up the hill to passible effect denying the Dragons a deserved win.

The U12 Boys just lost 2 – 3 to Whitewebbs Eagles in the Middlesex Cup at home. The Dragons were unlucky to concede the first goal, against the balance of play, but then pulled back to 2 – 2 before being denied a clear goal from a hand ball. Whitewebs were then lucky to score the deciding goal .

The U13 Girls had no match

The U13 Boys just lost 4-5 at home in their most intense match to date against undefeated, top of the league Hanwell.   The Dragons began a series of replies coming back from 1-2 down, then 2=3, then 3-4 to pull even at 4 – 4 with just a few minutes to go,  only for a conceded penalty to be put away by Hanwell to claim victory at 4-5. The Dragons fans were exhausted as they reflected on the two incredible goal line saves by their keeper and some of the best passing sequences of the season  by their front five.  

The U14s beat Explorers 4-0 at home in the Cup. The Dragons demanded 100% from themselves and 100% from their team mates and they succeeded. The Dragons were back to their best: confident, determined, skilful and hardworking to score two brilliant goals towards the end of the first half.  There were dangers of over confidence in defence but the Dragons keeper was on full alert and made outstanding saves. The Dragons kept up the tempo and were rewarded with two more magnificent goals

The U15s lost 1-3 to Hayes and Yeading in the Middlesex Cup in what felt like a victory – the last time they met the Dragons had lost 0-16. This time the Dragons came ready to fight and, despite Hayes and Yeading having legions of substitutes, they took the flight to them from the kick-off. In the second half momentary lapses of concentration gave Hayes and Yeading a couple of goals before the Dragons scored their own. The Dragons were very happy at the end and take confidence into their next  match. 

 The U16 Reds lost 0-2 at home in the Middlesex Cup to Witton Wanderers, a Premier division team in the Surrey League. The Dragons started on the back foot, conceding early, but a quick change of formation slowly saw them back into the game. The Dragons created some chances before half-time, but nothing that challenged the opposing keeper. In the second half, they had two great opportunities at the start and the end. If only they had scored any they would have had a path back into the game, but it wasn’t to be and Witton grabbed their second and decisive winner. 

The U16s Whites lost 0-3 away to Magix in the Cup. The Dragons knew it was going to be tough playing the Premier League leaders who have only dropped 2 points this season. The Dragons held on for most of the first half, conceding 2 minutes before the break.  In the second half it was much of the same, but with some key players coming off injured, it became a damage limitation exercise towards the end. Losing 0-3 was not such a bad result from the Dragons.

The Firsts drew 2-2 with Tottenham at home. The Dragons played well in the first half, controlling the game to place the ball in Tottenham’s net twice.  The Dragons then went to  sleep in the second half in the heavy rain which complicated the match. Tottenham scored from a corner kick just 15 min before the final whistle but it still looked like a Dragons narrow win before disaster struck, 10 seconds from the final whistle, when Tottenham won the ball in the middle and their midfielder struck a fantastic goal to force a draw. Frustrating.

The Reserves lost 1-5 to London Titans. The Dragons started well and Titans didn’t look like scoring before they were gifted a goal to take the lead and then moments later the Titans scored twice more following defensive errors. The Dragons were two men down so did well to pull one back.

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the league next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 4th November 2018

Fellow Dragons

There were some particularly tense matches this week:

The Firsts drew 2-2 in the Premiership with Lampton away.  The first half was tight, if a bit boring. The Dragons created chances but could not score, whilst their stand in goalie did a  great job at the other end so at half time it remained 0-0.  A Few minutes into the 2nd half the Dragons scored from a brilliant 25 yards free kick and then a few minutes later the Dragons scored again from great team play. Unfortunately Lampton recognised that the Dragons had an outfield player in the goal and started sending long balls into the box to score. With 10 minutes to go a Lampton player was sent off and it seemed the game was over. The Dragons were playing fantastically, creating chances but alas, 20 long seconds before the final whistle, Lampton scored from a free kick to draw.

The Reserves lost 1 – 6 to Ruislip Town.  A combination of Dragons poor defending and missing clear chances led Ruislip to lead 1-2 at half time. The second half started better for the Dragons only for them to miss a clear one on one with the keeper.  After that it was fast downhill for the Dragons as Ruislip took their opportunities.

The U16 Reds beat  Brook House 2-1 at home.  The Dragons knew it would be tough, especially after a slim away victory against Brook house earlier in the season. The game started tightly, with both teams having their fair share of opportunities. Brook House missed 2 one on ones and Dragons hit the bar at least 4 times. With the score 0-0 at the break, the message from the coaches was clear: put away our chances.  Instead the Dragons restarted slower to allow Brook House to break the deadlock, after their striker tapped the ball into an empty net. The Dragons recouped and, after missing  a few clear chances, scored to go into the lead.  The Dragons then defended very well, under extreme pressure, to see the game out and win. Tense!

The U16 Whites just lost 1- 2  to Chiswick Youth at home.  The Dragons lost by the slenderest of margins to to the League leaders in an ill-tempered affair. The visitors took the lead but parity was quickly restored. In spite of a systematic series of cynical fouls, that broke up the Dragons’ attacks, they had the ball in the back of Chiswick’s net twice but both were disallowed. They were also denied a blatant penalty. Eventually the Dragons succumbed under a barrage of long balls, long throws and ‘crazy-gang-esque’ tactics. The Dragons had their opportunities to win but just couldn’t take them.

The U15s  were robbed 3-4 away against Hanwell Town. The Dragons went a goal down from an unflagged offside pass but came back to make the score 2-2 at half time. The Dragons then  pulled ahead to 3-2 before Hanwell came back to  3-3. Then in the last couple of minutes the Dragons goalie saved a goal from in front of the line and, with both hands on the ball, a Hanwell player kicked it – still in the goalie’s hands and still not over the line. The Dragons lineman flagged the foul but the ref gave a goal, saying later “I discounted your flag because you are the Dragons manager”. Outrageous as the world knows that by definition “A Dragons Manager is Fair Manager

The U14s had no match

The U13s Boys lost the first half and then improved to draw 2-2 against Premiership Ruislip Rangers in the Cup. This was a match of two halves in the second round of the League Cup. The Dragons had only two subs available but still got stuck in and improved immeasurably in the second half.   It is hard to call an 2-8 loss inspiring but if the Dragons can maintain the intensity of the second half they will have many wins ahead of them.

The U13s Girls had no match

The U12s drew 0-0 with Pro FA at home in a very lively and entertaining match. Both teams had chances to win but both failed to in their attempts on goal, in most cases due to excellent goalkeeping. This was the most exciting of matches  – despite no  goals being scored. Tense!

The U11 Boys lost 1-3 to Hanwell Town at home. The Dragons started the match up hill, leaving Hanwell to romp down to score three times before half time. It was then the Dragons time to romp down the hill and the opportunities to score came thick and fast, without the ball actually finding its way in Hanwell’s net enough to earn the deserved draw. A great match. This new  Dragons team is learning fast.  

The U11 Girls lost 0-1 at home to Vicky Park Rangers in the Cup to record their first defeat of the season. Vicky Park scored within the first 3 minutes of the match and then spent the rest of the match defending as the Dragons peppered the Rangers gaol without success .  

The U10s trained in preparation for joining the league next season

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 28 October 2018

Fellow Wintry Dragons

The Firsts lost 0-2 in the Premiership at home to the League Leaders St Panteleimon. The Dragons started well, despite missing their goalkeeper, and it was 0-0 at half time. In the 70th min the Dragons defence alas made one mistake leaving the St Panteleimon striker with a 1 on 1 with the stand in goalie to give them a lead. Two minutes later St Panteleimon scored again;  despite being offside. The Dragons were ambitious to the end but just could not come back

The Reserves drew 2 – 2 with LNER away. The Dragons had a good first half and were 2-0 up, despite having one goal disallowed and 3 more clear chances squandered. The second half started well but the Dragons did not take their opportunities to finish off LNER.  With two Dragons players being injured LNER managed to get one goal back before scoring again in the 95th min. Shame the whistle did no go at 94 minutes.

The U16 Reds drew 3 – 3 with Celtic away. After going 3-0 up, with only 15 minutes to go, the Dragons contributed to their downfall as they then conceded three sloppy goals. There has been a drop in form for the Dragons the last two games  but their fans are sure they will come back stronger next week. 

The U16 Whites walloped Pinner United 6-0 at home. With a depleted squad due to half term absentees, the Dragons were apprehensive about facing a team they had only managed to draw with a few weeks ago when they had had a full squad players to choose from. The Dragons fans needn’t have worried. Early nerves were calmed when the Dragons scored in the opening 3 minutes, with a deft, glancing header from a corner. From then on the Dragons never looked back and simply swept the visitors aside with a commanding display to register their third consecutive win in all competitions. Six different Dragons got their names on the scoresheet but most pleasing of all was that elusive clean sheet, the first of the season.

The U15s walloped Concorde Rangers 11 – 3 away. There was no stopping the Dragons this week as they powered Concorde aside to record a thumping win

The U14s just lost 1-2 at home to v St Joseph’s. The Dragons started well but did not capitalise on their great scoring opportunities. St Josephs would have been content with a draw but in the second half they upped their game and scored a really good goal from a corner, with the wind assisting. The Dragons made a few changes and with the athleticism and speed of their striker scored a magnificent goal! The Dragons then began to lose their concentration,  missed open goals and started bickering which did not help. There were no more goals and St Josephs had won.

The U13 boys just lost 2-3 to Wealdstone at home. The Dragons were without their first (and only) goalie but came back from 0-1 down to lead 2 – 1 at half time. Wealdstone pulled back to tie 2 – 2 and then late in the match were awarded a second penalty. The fill in Dragons keeper made an incredible save but Wealdstone managed to put in the rebound to win.

The U13 Girls had no match

The U12s lost 2-6 away to Hanwell Town. Hanwell were a well drilled, skilful and organised opposition. The Dragons put on a brave face and gave a gutsy performance but it was not enough to contain Hanwell. There were some good  individual Dragons performances, notably from the goalkeeper whose outstanding efforts helped to keep the Dragons in the game and the score-line respectable.

The U11 boys lost 1-3 away to Old Actonian’s whose youthfulness belied their name. The Dragons were severely depleted against the OAs who had been playing together for a number of years. The Dragons fans feared the worst and then, when at 0-3 down, their goalie had to go off injured it seemed worse was to come.  The Dragons U11s are no ordinary team however and they rallied magnificently to score and get back into the game. Luck was on the OA’s side however as the Dragons could not quite get the ball back into their net again – despite some blistering attacks.

The U11 Girls had  no match

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 20 October 2018

Fellow Chilly Dragons

It was the Girls who had the clean sweep this weekend as the U13 boys showed a tremendous turnaround:  

The U11 Girls beat Broomwood 3-2 at home. The Dragons faced a good, well organised Broomwood and initially felt at a disadvantage as they were without their regular goal keeper and some key players. Not deterred the Dragons played a superb game, displaying great team work and passing which resulted in some wonderful goals. A fine win.

The U11 Boys lost 2-5 to Headstone Manor at home in the last few minutes as they  puffed up the hill. The Dragons generally played well and the match could have gone either way until late in the second half when the exertion of playing up hill after an exhausting game lead to Headstone’s break away goals.  The strategy from here on in must be to win the toss and play uphill in the first half!

The U12s lost away to Dragons United in an unpleasant match as the United’s Coach displayed uncouth behaviour. The score remained at 0-0 at half time. United then scored  before the Dragons pulled back with a great goal, shaving under the cross bar after a great cross from the right. United were then lucky to score again before being awarded a penalty.

The U13 girls beat Broomwood 3-2 at home. The Dragons took the lead from close range before scoring again from a penalty. Tiredness then took its toll as the ruthless Brooowood pounced to draw level, despite some great saves by the Dragons keeper. The Dragons took a collective deep breath, stiffened up their sinews and in a final push scored a great goal to claim a last minute victory.

The U13 boys walloped London Eagles 8-1 away. The Dragons back line communicated well and held their positions whilst the Eagles pinged the ball out to their wings trying to get past them.  With the Dragons defence solid it allowed their flair players to strut their stuff, relentlessly harrowing and pressing the Eagles to rack up the goals. At their last meeting the Dragons had lost 1-6 so the 8-1 win reflected the vast improvement made in several areas, communication, keeping their shape, learning to trust in each other and understand their roles. There was a lot less ball chasing and more structured defending and passing. A tremendous turn around.

The U14s lost 0-4 away to Langley in the League Cup. The Dragons lost concentration in the first few minutes to allow Langley an early goal. The Dragons defence was not compact nor organised giving Langley too much space. The Dragons started well in the second half but missed great opportunities to score and then were punished on the counter attack to be 0-2 down. Sad to say the Dragons had assumed turning up would be enough to win but the truth is that they were sloppy, subdued and physically just gave up. Langley dominated as the Dragon forwards helped defend as more errors at the back gifted Langley a contentious penalty. The Dragons coach was quoted as saying: “ We did not lose, We have learnt!’

The U15’s lost 1-3 at home to the European Academy. The Dragons were individually better than the Europeans but failed to make numerous attempts on goal count. As the Manager said “We regroup and take heart from the very good players and potential we have”.

The UI6 Whites beat the U16 Reds 4-2 at home in a Dragons Derby. This was a closely fought match with both teams missing key personnel. The Reds scored first but the Whites quickly struck back and then took the lead through a stunning 25 yard free kick that flew in off the underside of the crossbar.  The second half was just as tight. The Reds had a penalty saved by the Whites keeper, atoning for an earlier mistake. The Whites then scored 2 more goals before the Reds were awarded another penalty which this time they converted. 

The U16 Reds lost 2-4 to the Whites at home in the local Derby.  This was the first loss for the Reds but if you have to lose it might as well be against your Dragon friends.  After going one up, the Reds gave 2 sloppy goals away before half time. A missed penalty and a conceded goal made their job even harder, and although they pulled a goal back, it was too little too late. 

The Reserves beat Speedy 5-3 at home. Speedy were winning 3-2 as the game went into the last 20 minutes. It was time to bring on the Dragons veteran striker on who proceeded to score 2 goals in 10 minutes before the Dragons were awarded a penalty to secure their 5th goal.

The Firsts had no match.

Kensington Dragons Results W/E 14 October 2018

Fellow Dragons

It was almost a clean sweep of wins this weekend with the new U11 Boys winning their first match:

The 11 Girls beat Ominia 5-0 at home. The Dragons played with intensity from the off and it was not long before they scored and by half time they were 3-0 up. At the half time talk the Dragons coach stressed the importance of a strong defence to keep a clean sheet and that is what they did. The whole Dragons team played superbly to secure this sound win.  

The U11 Boys beat FC Samurai 5-4 away. The match went extremely well, with parents supporting in the rain, as the diminutive Dragons sloshed around finding their feet quickly to record a famous win – their first in a competitive league in only their second match . They are quick learners.

The U12 Boys beat Hanwell  7-1 away in the rain in the Middlesex Cup. After getting off to a slow and ponderous start in the torrential rain the Dragons conceded the first goal by a defence splitting pass leading to a 1-on-1 with the keeper. This proved to be Samurai’s only goal of the game as from there in on in it was the Dragons all the way to romp home.

The U13 Girls beat Limehouse 4-3 at home. A strong start lead to a 2-0 lead but then the Dragons slowed which allowed  Limehouse to come back and draw level at 2-2 by half time. After the restart Limehouse scored again to lead 3-2, having caught the Dragons out in a fast counter attack  With 10 minutes to go the result was still uncertain. Finally, in the last minute, a Dragons cross was brilliantly converted and the Dragons had won!

The U13s lost to Premiership Brookhouse  in the Middlesex Cup away in the rain.  The Dragons surprised Brookhouse with a strong start keeping the match tied 1 – 1 through the first 15 minutes. But went into the half down 2-5  and then conceded a few late goals. Brookhouse were a talented side and despite the score line, the Dragons had some of their better passages of play this season.  Much to build on from here.

 The U14s were awarded a walkover in the Middlesex Cup as Bessingby Park Rangers could not field a team

 The U15s had no match

The U16 Whites beat Celtic Red 4-1 away in the Middlesex Cup. This was a much improved performance from the Dragons as they recorded their first win of the season. They dominated from the first to final whistle, showed battling qualities and skill in equal measure. This was especially pleasing as both the Dragon keepers were out of action and had to be replaced by an outfield player who almost kept a clean sheet.

The U16 Reds beat Ickenham 1-0 at home in the Middlesex Cup. The Dragons dominated for the first 20 minutes but no real chances were created by either side and the Dragons were becoming sloppy and complacent going into the break. The rain poured down in the second half but the Dragons kept going to score from a deep free kick, finished off with their centre back heading the ball backwards for his first of the season. Then the game fell back into a sloppy passages of play with no more significant chances for either side.

The Firsts drew 1-1 with Hillingdon at home. The Dragons started well creating great chances but were thwarted by Hillingdon’s brilliant goalkeeper then, just before halftime, a Dragons mistake cost a goal. After the restart the Dragons increased the tempo, playing fantastic football to eventually equalise in the 78th minute from a great header. The Dragons then pushed for the win but could just not find the net.

 The Reserves had no match