In the autumnal sun the Dragons played tense exciting football:

The Girls team beat Ruislip Blue 1-0 at home in a superb match. There were many goal scoring opportunities and some heart stopping near misses for both sides but, as the final whistle drew closer, the Dragons finally managed to score and then hang on to record a fantastic win.

The First Team had no match

The Reserves beat South Kilburn 4-0 at home. After a couple of unexpected close defeats it was time for the Dragons to get back onto the winning track which they did with panache. They scored on the 20 minutes mark and then again to lead 2-0 at half time. With all the substitutes used the Dragons dominated the second half to record a great win

The U18s were robbed 3-4 away Hanwell Town. The Dragons played great counter attacking football and deservedly raced to a 3-1 lead but a couple of mistakes allowed Hanwell to cut the lead to 2-3 at the half. An own goal from a corner then allowed Hanwell to draw level before the Dragons thought they had re-taken the lead after a great shot hit the back of the net only for the ref to bow to pressure and give offside — having first awarded the goal. Unbelievable! The Dragons kept on pressing but a last minute breakaway gave Hanwell the win.

The U15As beat previously undefeated Belmont 4-2.  After good training sessions in the week, the Dragons were ready for the challenge and had earnt two converted penalties and a goal against Belmont’s one gaol by halftime. After the break Belmont came out stronger, scoring an early goal and applying more pressure. The Dragons defence stayed resolute however and indeed they scored again via a free kick. A great win.

The U15Bs beat Greenford Celtic 3-0 at home. The Dragons struggled to break down the stubborn visitors and it was 0-0 at the break due to the Celtic keeper pulling off save after save to keep them in the game. It took an exquisite free kick to break the deadlock just after half time. After that the Dragons looked comfortable and could have added more to the 3-0 score line.

The U14s lost to undefeated Forest United at home as the two teams dominating the division fought it out for top spot. Unfortunately the Dragons succumbed through huge bad luck but remain in the number two slot. For many watching this was the Dragons best match of the season

The U13s lost 0-3 to Bessingby Park at home. As Churchill said in a similar situation “Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong – these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.” There must be no repetition as the Dragons seek to return to their winning ways next week.

The U12s agonisingly lost 2-3 in the last seconds to London Eagles at home. In the opening minutes the Eagles scored and looked like they would repeat their sound win of a few weeks back. The Dragons however soon equalised & went on to dominate the half scoring again to lead 2-1 at half time. The second half was expected to be tough & it was exactly that. The Dragons were resolute and kept the Eagles at bay right until the end when not only did they equalise but then managed to get a winner with the last kick of the game. A tragedy, but a tremendous performance from the Dragons.

The U11s drew 3-3 against Wembley away in the most tense of encounters.  The match ebbed to and fro with the Dragons getting better as it progressed. At 2-2 with minutes to go Wembley scored and the massed Dragon fans thought all was over. The players however are made of sterner stuff and as the seconds ticked by staged a tremendous comeback to score the decisive goal even as the ref put the whilstle to his lips. It may have been a draw but to both teams it seemed like a Dragons win.

Fellow Frozen Dragons

The icy wind from Iceland failed to dent the Dragons as:

The U18s just lost 0-1 at home to Pinner United. Despite playing into the wind in the first half and being forced into a rear guard action, the Dragons defence was breached only once. Unfortunately in the second half the Dragons just could not take advantage with the wind in their favour despite a thunderbolt shot that rocked Pinners Crossbar. So near but so far.

The U15As just lost to Park View Rangers 3-4 away in the Middlesex Cup. The Dragons had a tough test against the premiership team but started well taking an early lead only for Rangers to head in the equaliser. The Dragons regained the lead through an own goal but two quick Rangers goals meant they were losing 2-3 at half time. The Dragons regrouped,  changed formation and scored an early second half goal to draw level and then held on until a  goal from the Rangers striker sealed their fate.

The U15Bs beat Old Iselworthians 8-5 away in the Middlesex Cup. The Dragons picked up where they left off last week by getting off to a good start and scoring within the first ten minutes and it was one-way traffic from then on. But the team with the longest name in the Surrey Youth League drew level with a goal that even the guys in the cafe 200 yards away could see was offside. Undeterred the Dragons went about their business to secure safe passage through to the next round of the cup.

 The U14s trounced Princes Park 6-3 at a home with player Max, aged 13, acting as caretaker manager to retain his 100% record as the Dragons vie for a shot at the top.

 The U13s lost 1-4 away to top placed Parliament Hill. From the off the Dragons pressed having to not only to cope with the formidable Parliament side, but also with the young, inexperienced ref, their linesman and inhospitable opposition parents. Within 10 minutes of the start a beautiful pass to the Dragons striker meant that they were 1-0 up. Alas mistakes at the back and unhelpful refereeing decisions then cost the Dragons dearly!

The U12s just lost excitingly 4-5 to Chiswick at home. As in previous matches the Dragons went 0-2 down before getting back into the match. History was almost made as the Dragons pulled back from sure defeat to being poised to win. Alas it was not to be but the massed fans had had their money’s worth in terms of entertainment

The New U11s lost 2-4 to Foxes. The Dragons have the talent but not all have yet to grasp the fact that a good pass is better than a 50 metre dribble before losing the ball. It is only now a matter of time before the Dragons beat all-comers.

The Girls lost 2-5 to Camden in the Cup. Many fans remarked how resilient the Dragons were in fighting back from a possible large loss to scoring twice in the last 10 mins. It is early days

The Reserves just lost 1-2  to New Queens Park at home.  Local Derby’s are always exciting and this was no exception.  The Dragons started carefully keeping the ball and moving forward. Queens Park however took their first chance and scored. Five minutes later the Dragons had equalized. The disaster came in the last kick of the 1st half as Queens Park counter attacked and kicked the ball into the box with no real hope but a Dragons defender put it into the back of the net! The Dragons dominated the second half but Queens Park defended very well to keep their lucky lead.

The First team lost 2-3 to Indian Gymkhana away. From the outset the Dragons outplayed Gymkhana who were only saved by their keeper before a twist of fate lead to a long pass to Gymkhana’s right winger who cleverly squared the ball back to their striker to score. Another long pass to the edge of the box confused the Dragons resulting in them giving away a penalty which was magnificently saved – only for the Dragons to react slowly allowing the Gymkhana midfield player to score. After half time the Dragons quickly got back into their stride with a thunderous shot from 25 yards to make it 1-2 and then 2-2. Finally at 80 minutes gone Gymkhana won a free kick 35 yards out, the ball was not totally cleared and their midfield player struck and it deflected passed the Dragons Keeper.

Our match correspondents have been slow this week to submit their reports – mostly through shyness at magnificent results:

The Girls beat Hearts of Tedlothian 4-1 away in the depths of Twickenham. The success of the Dragons was down to having a rock solid defence behind the strikers who pummelled the ball into Hearts’s net.

The Firsts beat Cricklewood Wanderers 1-0 at home in the 2^nd round of the County Cup. The Dragons fielded a changed side and were lucky not to concede in the first half as the Wanderers forced the Dragons keeper to make four great saves. It was 0-0 at half time. With tactical changes the Dragons pulverised the Wanderers box and finally the ball was played wide and a great delivery into the box was suitably dispatched.

The Reserves lost 1-3 to Speedy United away. The Dragons started well but after 20 minutes their centre back was injured and almost immediately Speedy scored. The Dragons attacked but alas Speedy counter attacked to score from an offside position. The Dragons kept missing goal scoring opportunities before conceding yet another goal but then finally scored in recompense

The U18s lost 2-5 at home in the Premiership to league leaders Harrow St Marys. This was always going to be a tough match against the league leaders and so it proved. The match was competitive and not without it excitements but it was Harrow who ultimately had the  better of the encounter.

 The U15As beat Celtic  5-2 away.  For the first time in 2 weeks the Dragons could finally choose from a full squad and it showed as they took an early lead which they kept until half time. Back on the pitch Celtic were awarded a dubious penalty to equalise before scoring another to take the lead. After a few substitutions the Dragons regrouped and scored 4 goals in quick succession to win convincingly.

The U15Bs beat Hillingdon Youth 7-1 away. The Dragons were on fire on the 5th November. They played some lovely football and scored 7 great goals and it could have been a lot more. An all-round great performance.

The U14’s cruised to a 7-1 victory over W4 Youth. The Dragons had a full turn out resulting in an unstoppable force that swept poor W4 Youth aside.

The U13s beat Larkspur Rovers 4-2 away. The challenge was whether the Dragons could perform away from home,  minus 4 regular players. A defensive clearance let the Dragons down to gift Larkspur a goal. Within a minute the Dragons drew level and then compressed the space between the lines, making superb passes to outperform Larkspur. The Dragons were not as clinical in the second half but defended well to secure another magnificent victory.

The U12s beat Hanwell Town 3-2 away in a fantastic game. The Dragons showed great spirit and resilience to pull though after having been behind. With no referee appointed the Dragons manager selflessly offered to officiate leaving his team almost rudderless as their coach was away.  With limited time at the break the Dragons manager had to stiffen resolve and sharpen tactics to great effectiveness as the team went back on the field to secure an epic victory.

The U11s drew 1-1 away against Totteridge on a hill doubling up as a football pitch. With the sun in the Dragons’ eyes and Totteridge swooping down the slope it was surprising that the Dragons were only one goal down at half time. The Dragons scored a wonderful high goal to equalise.  It was then fast and furious football until 10 seconds from the end when the Dragons midfielder dribbled through defenders to mesmerise Totteridge’s goalkeeper who proceeded to cruelly hack him down. A clear penalty! The pleasant, but young, ref wilted at the responsibility of effectively awarding the  Dragons the match and kept his whistle too firmly in his pocket.

Under 11’s TFA Totteridge B v KDFC 10.15a KO Barnet Copthall Playing Fields

With half term interrupting many teams the Dragons pressed on regardless, particularly the Reserves who amazingly recorded their fifth clean sheet in a row:

The Firsts just lost 0-1 to Brentham at home. The Dragons KD started well with both possession and attempts on goal but in the 45th minute a throw in on the half way line resulted in a miss placed pass to the Brentham midfield player who played forward to their striker to clinically score. In the second half the Dragons continued to press but just could not put the ball in the net.

The Reserves beat Hendon Springfield 5-0 away. The Dragons first goal came within ten minutes and then soon thereafter a second before making it 3-0 at halftime. The second half was like a training session with the Dragons controlling the game to finish with their 5th clean sheet in a row.

The U18s were beaten 0-6 away by Harrow St Mary’s in a more even match than the score-line suggests. The difference was that Harrow St Mary’s converted their chances whereas the Dragons did not. Particularly  effective was the St Mary’s striker who was in great form (he scored 4 of the 6). The Dragons need to find a way of stopping him when the teams meet at home next Sunday

The U15As lost 1-3 at home to Hendon in the League Cup with a reduced squad. The Dragons created chances early on but then conceded two goals in quick succession.  In the second half the Dragons again created chances but failed to convert. On another day the result could have gone the other way.

The U15Bs lost 1-5 at home to Brook House in the League Cup.  The Dragons went a goal down in the opening minute and it didn’t get much better. Nothing they tried worked. As the Manager said “One to put behind us and move on from – it’s back to the serious business of the league next weekend”

 The U14s beat Cademy 4-3 away in the League Cup. The Dragons were like condemned men as they faced up to higher placed Cademy after several recent thrashings.  The Dragons knew they were in for a rough ride. With the coach away it was up to Max to steady the Dragons ship. The game started and 10 minutes later the Dragons had scored but Cademy came straight back and so in continued. Every player from both teams left their heart on the pitch as the Dragons ultimately prevailed. What a match! What leadership!

 The U13s beat Premiership Langley 8-6 at home after penalties in the League Cup. Langley tried to intimidate the Dragons by complaining about the pitch but as soon as the whistle went the game was on. Langley pushed forward and soon the Dragons were 0-2 down! Another team would have crumbled but not the Dragons who worked harder to pull back to 2-2 at the break. Battle recommenced and at the final whistle it was still a draw and then on to extra time and then on to penalties. Langley missed and the Dragons 3^rd penalty was the decisive winner. A game worthy of being televised

The U12s were awarded three points as Totteridge could not field a team due to half term absences.

 The U11s lost 2-5 at home against Acton Ealing Whistlers. The Dragons were missing key players and found it difficult to cope with the Whistlers really talented forward. This was a great effort by the Dragons & many lessons were taken to help the team move forward.

The Girls trained as they did not have  a scheduled match

Fellow Dragons

The Dragons Girls not only turn up bang on time but also win matches convincingly:

The Girls beat Old Actonians 5-0 at home in a thrilling display of verve, ambition and increasing skill in a good natured well refereed game.

The U11s beat Magix 2-0 away at Wormwood Scrubs in a competitive, tense encounter. The Dragons scored first and then held on for dear life defending their goal  before being rewarded with an extra goal as a bonus towards the end.

The U12s lost to London Eagles away in a most peculiar but well-mannered match. The Dragons all played well and man for man were a match for the well drilled Eagles. The difference was that every time the Eagles had an opportunity to score they took it whereas the Dragons were not ruthless enough.

The U13s were awarded a walk over against Bessingby away who could not field a team.  Only the Dragons inner circle know if this was a blessed relief or thwarted opportunity. One’s lips are sealed.

The U14s lost to Forest United away in a tremendous demonstration of bravery in the face of adversity. The Dragons were missing key players due to injury and then to compound matters it was half term with holiday absences.  Some counselled to withdraw from an unequal contest but the brave Dragons refused to be cowed. They lost but in doing so showed the world how to cope in adversity.

The U15Bs drew 3-3 with Larkspur Rovers away.  On a wild and blustery day in Northolt it was yet another slow start, which saw the Dragons go one nil down to the league leaders within  4 minutes. The Dragons restored parity and continued to press but against the run of play Larkspur scored to make it 2-1 at half time. Larkspur were the quicker to the restart and scored yet again. The Dragons fought hard against the wind to pull it back to 2-3 and then 3-3 in the very last minute of the game. Overall a great performance.

The U15As lost 2-8 away with many of their key players missing. The Dragons 1st choice keeper was on holiday and then their  2nd choice keeper was injured during the game which required hospital treatment. The Dragons kept going to the end however and scored 2 late goals.

The Reserves Dragons beat Brentham 1-0 at home in the 1st round of the Cup in a very tough match. The Dragons laboured against the wind  in the first half defending well to make it 0-0 at half time. Within 2 minutes of the restart an ex Dragon youth player scored the brilliant decisive  goal to win the match. The Reserves remain unbeaten and even more miraculously still have a clean sheet.

The Firsts lost 0-2 to CB Hounslow away.  The Dragons started well with several early chances, including a 30 yard shot which was judged offside. CB resorted to using the wind with long passing opening up the Dragons defence to score. Minutes from the end the Dragons rather unwisely tried to play the ball from the back but were caught to conceded a late second goal.

Under 11

KDFC v AEW 10.30am KO St Marks Park, W10 6BY

Under 12

KDFC v TFA Totteridge B Noon KO St Marks Park W10 6BY

Under 13

KDFC v Langley Youth 2pm KO St Marks Park W10 6BY

Under 14

Cademy v KDFC KO TBC

Under 15A

KDFC A v Hendon Youth 10.30am KO Linford Christie Stadium W12 0EA

Under 15B

KDFC B v Brook House 1pm KO Linford Christie Stadium W12 0EA

Under 18

Harrow St Mary’s v KDFC KO TBC