Fellow thawed out Dragons,

Just as we thought the “Beast from the East “ had retired the Dragons woke to find pitches covered with snow and most matches called off except:

The Firsts just lost to Sporting Hackney  1-2 away.
The artic conditions didn’t faze the Dragons who from the start played exciting football with 3 early shots which were alas saved by Hackney’s keeper.  A counter attack then gave Hackney an early lead. The Dragons responded immediately and forced a corner which lead to a headed goal via a great delivery.  The second half started slowly for the Dragons and the score remained 1-1 until 4 minutes from the end when a goal keeping clearance went straight to Hackney’s striker who slotted the ball past the stranded Dragons keeper to win.

The Reserves match against Real Rangers is under scrutiny as Rangers fielded a suspended player

There were no other matches.

Fellow Spring Like Dragons

With the snow melted but the ground soggy most teams had a match:

The Reserves beat Ruislip Town 2-0 to reach the Cup Final.
The Dragons got off to a great start by scoring in the 6th minute and then created more chances to control the game whilst their goalie made ‘world class’ saves. The Dragons started well in the second half and in the 55th minute the referee sent off a Ruislip player for a very brutal foul. It was then a matter of seeing out the match and scoring one more before the end for the Dragons to reach the final. A great result.

The U18s drew 3-3 with the Spartans at home.
In this case however “Home” meant trudging down to Hurlingham Park to find no groundsman, no nets up,  pot holes in the pitch and long grass. After much toing and froing the match eventually started to end in a hard fought, exciting draw.

The U15As drew 2-2 with Pinner Albion at home.
After 4 weeks without a game the Dragons returned to action a little out of sorts but never the less opened the scoring to go 1-0 up which is where it stayed until half time. In the second half the Dragons doubled their lead but their lack of fitness contributed to conceding a goal from a corner. Disaster then struck when the Dragons keeper sustaining a nasty eye injury which required a visit to hospital.  Pinner kept pushing and although they missed a penalty, they equalised with a late goal.

The U15As beat Tufnell Park  5-2 away.
The first game back after a string of bad-weather postponements saw the Dragons brush Tufnell Park aside for a convincing victory despite going behind twice. Once the Dragons got their noses in front there was only going to be one outcome. The win was made even more impressive when one considers that the Dragons were missing key personnel.

The U14s lost 5-6 at home to the Explorers in a ding dong of  a match.
The pivotal goal came through a mistake by the referee –  whilst the Dragons were substituting players the ref allowed the Explorers to take a free kick which lead to an undefended goal.  After the match the ref acknowledged his mistake but did not appear to reverse his decision.

The U13s had no game

The U12s beat AFC Bushey 3-1 away.
The Dragons played well with good passing moves getting their forwards into space. AFC Bushey had their chances but were beaten by a better side

The U11s drew 4-4 away with Belmont in a sizzler of a match.
The Dragons glided down the hill in the first half to draw ahead 3-0. The only problem was that at the turn around it was Belmont’s turn to glide down the hill and score while the Dragons laboured up the hill to defend. It was then horror of horrors as Belmont drew ahead and there were fears that the Dragons might wobble in disappointment. All ended reasonably  well with the Dragons hauling themselves back up the hill to score the vital goal to draw level.

The Girls  lost at home to the well-established Stoke Newington.
The ground conditions were particularly challenging, with a couple of Dragons losing their football boots in the mud.  The Dragons were better in the second half with much tighter defending and attacking and more goals were saved than conceded. Despite a fantastic performance from the Dragons the final score was a 1-6 loss.

Fellow thawed out Dragons

With, hopefully, the last ferocious flurry of winter there were no matches this weekend and few the week before:

The Girls beat Actonians White 7 – 0 at home.
From the start it was evident that the Dragons  had come out to win and it  was not long before a fantastic shot from half way lead to their first goal which was soon followed by a second from a header. This high tempo game proved too much for Acton and at half time the Dragons were three goals up.  The second half was similarly unrelenting and the Dragons continued attacking, whilst brilliantly defending, to record a great win.  The Dragons played an outstanding game showing their great team spirit and how much they have grown as a team.

The U11s drew 1-1 with Hendon away.
The enthusiastic Dragons turned up in force to meet the might of Hendon in their own lair. It was Hendon who scored first but they were unable to squash the Dragons who kept firm, drew level and then were unlucky not to go on and win

The U12s just lost to Hanwell 2-3 at home.
This was a game that could have gone either way. At times the Dragons played well constructed passing football; at other times they were a bit ragged. The same could be said of Hanwell but who were blessed with one forward who scored a scintillating goal before being smothered for the rest of the match by an increasingly organised Dragons defence. A good match, even if a loss.

The U13s beat LNER 4-0 at home.
The Dragons never looked like losing this match as they almost cruised to a well organised win despite LNER’s behaviour, towards the end, falling below the standard they would like.

The remaining matches were called off or not scheduled.

With winter drawing to an end the season is also nearer the end than the beginning. With few matches:

The U15Bs beat Greenford Celtic 7-3 away. The Dragons started badly on the swamp of a pitch and were 0-2 down  before fighting back to win handsomely 7-3. A magnificent turn around  in difficult conditions.

The U13s beat Pinner United 5-1 away. The previous game had been called off in the second half due to atrocious weather so the rematch had been eagerly awaited.  The Dragons dominated from the start but only lead 1-0 at half time due to the athletic Pinner goalie. The second half saw the Dragons dominance eventually rewarded with another four goals in a superb in a team performance.

The Girls lost away to the well-established Stoke Newington team on an unaccustomed astro pitch. The Dragons went 1 then 2-0 down as they acclimatised to the pitch. A great fightback lead to two Dragon goals which were matched by Stoke to make it 2-4 to Stoke at halftime. Back on the pitch the Dragons had two great goal attempts which resulted in heart stopping near misses. With a fire in their bellies and the usual Dragon fighting spirit two more goals were scored, including one from a corner. Despite a fantastic performance however the final score was a 7-4 loss.

The remaining matches were called off or not scheduled.

Fellow Romantic Dragons on this Valentine’s Day

The wet and cold prevented much football this weekend and that that was played was done so in sticky mud:

The Firsts just lost 0-1 at home Hillingdon in wet, muddy, slippery conditions which conspired to give the visitors an early lead which they hung onto.

The U18s lost away in the Premiership to Pinner united 0-3.

The Girls had no match so used the time usefully by having a well-deserved training session

 The remaining matches were called off.

A mostly good week in the beastly cold:

The Dragons Quiz Team swept to 5^th place in a crowded field at the Octavia Foundation Quiz. To win the squad now know that closer reading of Octavia’s Annual Report is a must,, as otherwise the number of boilers serviced by the Trust remains a closely guarded secret except to the winners.

The Firsts beat South Kilburn 5-1 away.  From the off there was a marked difference in quality and application from the Dragons and their total domination was quickly rewarded by a goal and then another after 37 minutes, to make it 2-0 at half time. In the second half the Dragons upped the tempo with exciting football but a forced error allowed South Kilburn to score.  Within minutes the Dragons chipped the keeper to restore their 2 goal cushion and then it was all one way to round off a very professional team performance.

The Reserves beat Hendon Springfield 3-1 to reach the Cup semi-final. The Dragons controlled the pace and tempo of the game throughout but looked vulnerable at times when defending on an extremely wet pitch. A goal before half time settled nerves slightly and 2 goals shortly after killed the game. Hendon pulled 1 back late on but to no effect on the outcome.

The Girls beat Ruislip Blues 4-1 at home. There was much pre match drama off the pitch as goal posts had to be manhandled to firmer ground but once started the Dragons settled into their stride to win  a competitive match.

The U11s lost at home to Hanwell. The Dragons were unnerved in the first half before improving markedly in the second before letting in unfortunate goals at the end. The Dragons will be surprised how they will improve over the coming months. Learning to lose is the first hurdle in learning to win.

The U12s beat Acton Ealing Whistlers 3-0 away. The Dragons are developing into a good team as they manage to secure wins both home and away.

The U13s beat Pitshanger 2-1 at home. The Dragons were not at their best as they lacked vibrancy and exuberance in the cold with key players missing, on a muddy pitch. Finally the Dragons stepped up to the challenge in the second half and won a penalty…..which they missed but the game was on! Pitshanger scored which galvanised the Dragons and a great cross from the left lead to a tap in goal. The Dragons kept pressing and a superb corner curled into Pitshanger’s net to win the match.

The U14 thrashed Pitshanger 6-1 away. The Dragons were apprehensive as they reflected that their games with Pitshanger have always been laced with drama, including a 6-1 drubbing by them last season. Added to their worries the Dragons had s stand in goal keeper and five key team members unavailable. By halftime the Dragons were 3-1 up and following a hat-trick, they finished 6-1 victors. The Dragons are very strong team with great spirit and depth.

The U15Bs just lost 2-3 to Brookhouse away. The Dragons took the lead against the league leaders and dominated the first half. They could have added to their lead on numerous occasions but a combination of poor finishing, bad luck and good goalkeeping meant Brookhouse were always in with a shout. Just before the break they were gifted a soft goal and the teams were even. In the second half Brookhouse piled on the pressure and a defensive slip-up handed them the lead. The Dragons fought back to level but were undone by a dodgy penalty decision.

The U15As  drew 1 -1 with Pitshanger away. After a good win last week, the Dragons came into the game confident. Although they went a goal down early on, the Dragons kept going to equalise. The first half was very end to end but neither team could take their chances. In the second half, the Dragons defended well , with a fantastic goal-line clearance, and had half chances of their own, but this game was always going to finish 1-1. All in all, this was a good away point for the Dragons .

The U18 match was called off due to the pitch conditions.

Fellow Dragons

We still long for the warmth of spring which creeps ever closer:

The Girls beat Ickenham 4-0 away in a very exciting, high energy game dominated mainly by the Dragons.  Two goals were scored in the first half and neatly, another two in the second.  The Dragons had gone out to win and did not disappoint –  their determination and tenacity showed through.

The new U11s lost to  CS Rangers away on Wormwood Scrubs. The Dragons are still work in progress in a match of two contrasting halves. In the first the Dragons gave Rangers too much time and respect and so were punished.  After a few words and adjustments at half time the Dragons went out to perform brilliantly which resulted in a competitive half of football.

The U12s beat Greenford Celtic 2-1 away. The Dragons played remarkably well with a full contingent of parents encouraging them on. They lead 2-0 to almost the end when Celtic scraped a lucky goal.

The U13s will be awarded 3 points as Pinner could not raise a team.

The  U14s lost 2-4 away against Hanwell Town in a match refereed by Hanwell’s coach. The Dragons ran the show but failed to take goal scoring opportunities. This was one of those games where the luck was running in the other direction. On a positive note the Dragons were happy with their style and structure so – “defeated but not disheartened”.

The U15Bs away match against Greenford Celtic was called off as their pitch was deemed unplayable.

The U15As beat Hendon 3-1 at home. The Dragons were again without their goalkeeper, facing Hendon who they had lost twice to earlier in the season. This was a lively, tight match until the Dragons converted a penalty after a foul on their striker.  The Dragons then doubled their lead to 2-0 at  the half. There was now no room for complacency as in times of yore. A third goal soon came and then the Dragons soaked up the pressure before conceding a late penalty.

The U18s lost 1-4 away to Kodak. The Dragons again failed to put their opposition away when dominating the match. Five good, but missed, chances and a couple of outstanding saves by Kodak’s keeper keep them in the game before alas a couple of penalties and a couple of breakaway goals gave Kodak their victory

The Reserves away match was called off because the opposition could not find their keys to their changing room

The Firsts home match was called off because the boiler at LCS had broken down

 

Fellow Waterlogged Dragons

 

With most games called off the rest probably wished that they hadn’t played:

The Girls lost at home to Alexandra Park  1-3 in a great show of spirit. This was a tough match with Alexandra well organised and the Dragons goalie still injured with others ill. Not deterred the Dragons displayed their usual fighting spirit but luck was against them.

The Firsts lost to Parkview away in the cup quarter final. The Dragons were missing 7 key players and went behind after 7 minutes but pulled a goal back after 12 but then went behind twice after 18 and 33 minutes. In the second half the Dragons missed a brace of chances, including a penalty, whilst Parkview scored twice more.

The Reserves match was called off by the referee with both teams present and ready to play .

The U15Bs travelled all the way to Tufnell Park only for the ref to call off the match 30 minutes before kick-off. To quote the Dragons manager: “We were gutted as we wanted to play”

 

All the other matches were called off

Fellow Dragons

The days are getting longer and soon the daffodils will be out:

 The First match was postponed because their home pitch was unplayable.

 The Reserves just lost away 2-3 to Real Rangers. It was clear from the off that Rangers were a brutal team who had two shots at goal and scored both times whereas the Dragons had 12 shots which did not register to leave Rangers 2-0 up at half time. The second half started well with the  Dragons scoring after two minutes and then equalising 20 minutes from the end. Rangers became more brutal leading to injuries and just as it seemed that a Dragons goal was on the way, they made a mistake to concede the winner.

The U18s lost in the Premiership to Wealdstone 2-4 away. The Dragons still have a few mince pies to run off.

The  U15As lost 2-4 at home to Greenford Celtic in a disappointing result. The Dragons could have finished the game in the first half had they taken their chances but only lead by one goal at half time. Greenford soon equalised before the Dragons regained the lead  only to then concede 3 sloppy goals from Greenford counter attacks.

The U15Bs beat second placed Larkspur Rovers 2-1 at home. The Dragons dominated possession from the outset but struggled to breakdown the stubborn visitor’s defence until finally finding a way through with a stunning 20 yard curler into the top right corner. Larkspur were extremely lucky to pull one back with a lob over the Dragons diminutive ‘keeper just before half time.  The Dragons kept attacking but it was only after a few tactical changes that their striker rounded Larkspur’s keeper (who should have been red-carded for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity with a deliberate handball outside his area) and buried the ball into the back of the net to win.

The U14’s beat Belmont 3-0 at home with another good goal disallowed. The Dragons have now scored 22 goals in 3 games. To quote the manager: “We didn’t play to our potential but we got the win because we’re beginning to play like a team”.

 The U13s walloped Totteridge 7-1 at home. To quote the Manager: “The Dragons were absolutely fantastic today and the 7-1 win does not reflect how well we played. We were on top form with accuracy and precision of passes, strong on the ball, confidence in defence and great vision and desire to score. We missed a penalty, could have had another penalty awarded and 2 of our players came off after bad tackles, but that gave our team the motivation to kick start the year in victorious style!”

The U12s away match against Chiswick was called off because they could not provide a pitch

The U11s were beaten away by St Lawrence 1-4. The Dragons defence had lots of practice and a lesser team would have shipped many more goals. If the truth be told St Lawrence were a better side on the day …. but will not always be

The Girls lost away to prove that not having their goalkeeper is a major disadvantage.  

Undefeated in 2018! As other teams had difficulty getting back into action after the break the Dragons burst into the dank, grey drizzle with renewed vigour:

 

The Girls beat Ickenham 4-0 away. With their goalie absent the Dragons knew that great defending would be key and they did not disappoint The match started well with the Dragons scoring in the first 10 mins. It was 2-0 to the Dragons at half time and then, with amazing attacking and dynamic defending, another couple of goals were scored whilst keeping a clean sheet.   A well-deserved win and exciting first match of the new year.

The Reserves walloped Old Vaughanians 11-3 away.  The match started badly with the Dragons giving away a goal due to a  defensive misunderstanding. Two minutes later the Dragons equalised and then started to push the game forward to lead 4-1 at the half. Back on the pitch the Dragons increased their pace to create more opportunities and scored another 7 goals before relaxing and letting the home side score twice.

The U15As beat Greenford Celtic 4-2 away. Celtic were looking for every point they could get and started the better of the teams on the sticky, cut up pitch. The Dragons improved but at half time it was still 0-0. Back on the pitch the Dragons new tactic of putting the ball over the top, instead of trying to play it through on the cut up ground, lead to the first goal. Celtic flattened and the Dragons scored twice from headers.  The fourth goal came from a fantastic passing move that lead to an open goal and an easy tap in.

The U14s thrashed higher placed Headstone Manor 10-2 away on their wind blasted heath. It was a late start with the cold preventing the ragged bunch of Dragons get their hands working enough to don their boots as the immaculate Headstone looked on with pity. Once started the result however was never in doubt. Never underestimate a Dragon.

The U12s drew 1-1 with Bushey at home. Bushey are a formidable team and expected to win but it was the Dragon who scored first. Unfortunately a lucky break gifted Bushey a goal to save their blushes

The U11s drew 3-3 with Belmont at home in a pulsating game. Truthfully the match could have gone either way but it was the Dragons who refused to be beaten to come away with an important draw.

The remaining teams had no matches.

Happy New Year