Fellow Dragons

 

Perk up! It’s not that cold as the Dragons plough on regardless whilst others continue to falter:

 

The First Team beat the previously unbeaten Enfield Borough 2-1 at home in round 1 of the Middlesex Cup. After a bright start the Dragons eventually lead 1-0 at the half. Enfield made a change bringing on a winger who played the ball around the Dragons full back to gain a dubious corner which was rather messily converted to equalise. Both teams knew that whoever scored next would go on to win. The key moment came after 25 minutes of extra time when the ball was picked up on the left to be struck right footed and deflected into Enfield’s goal. The Dragons had beaten a previously unbeaten side many divisions higher.

 

The Reserves lost 0-2 away to Pitshanger. The Dragons were not able to dominate but showed great team spirit and character but conceded the first goal which forced the Dragons to give 110% effort as they attempted to pull back. Unfortunately Pitshanger were very solid and scored their second goal just before the final whistle.

 

The new U11s drew 1-1 away to Bessingby in a hard fought match.  Gradually the Dragons are learning to cope with the pressure of playing in the league against teams who have been playing together for many years. This was another improving performance.

 

The U12s beat London Eagles 3-1 at home. The Dragons were potentially disconcerted by not having their usual keepers but the stand in made superb saves and communicated brilliantly with his fantastic defenders. The Dragons lead 1-0 at the half and after the break went up the gears becoming stronger and more physical to press on the attack and score a dazzling goal. The Dragons kept attacking but on a counter-attack the Eagles scored to make it 2-1 before a few minutes from the end the Dragon scored again.

 

The U13s beat Old Actonians 5-2 at home. This was a particularly sweet victory as the OAs had beaten the Dragons in both legs last year. The win was based on passing and upfront domination. A really impressive and exciting performance.

 

The U14Bs beat Ickenham 5-0 away. After a frustrating first half that saw Ickenham with a single goal lead the Dragons upped the tempo and turned it on in the second period. A change of formation yielded four more goals to make the score line a lot more respectable.

 

The U14As lost 1-3 to the current premier league runners up AFC Wembley in the Middlesex Cup in a spectacular show of courage and determination. The Dragons knew Wembley were tough opponents so set up accordingly, ready to utilise their defensive strengths and quick counter attacking football. The Dragons gave everything and managed to hold Wembley to a 1-1 draw at full time and it was on to extra time. The Dragons created nail biting opportunities but could not keep up with Wembley’s fitness levels and conceded 2 sloppy goals in the last 7 mins of extra time to lose 3-1.

 

The U15 team has no game.

 

The U17s had no game.

 

The U18s lost at home 2-4 in the Middlesex Cup to Pro Football. The match was 2-2 going into the last 10 minutes but then the Dragons conceded a scrappy goal from a corner to make it 2-3 and then in the last minute Pro Football hit the Dragons on the break to score a 4^th. This was a brave Dragons effort despite missing key players and losing their Centre-back in the first 15 minutes of the game.

 

The new U10s continue to train in preparation to joining the League.   

Fellow Dragons

 

A triumph at last for our new Under 15s who have had to endure forming a new team in the face of fierce competition. This Sunday the underlying talent showed through and they won triumphantly:

 

The 1st Team lost 0-2 to Sporting Hackney at home after their tremendous cup win last week. Hackney scored two very quick goals and then the Dragons missed a penalty. In truth this game was a scrappy affair with little quality from both sides.

 

The Reserves just lost 0-1 away to high flying Stonewall. The Dragons had a full squad with their goalie returning after a long sabbatical. The sluggish Dragons concede a goal after 20 minutes but the remainder of the half was an even affair with neither side creating clear cut chances. A stern half time talk saw the galvanised Dragons on the offensive but, despite good possession, were unable to create the opportunities their superiority deserved. In the final 10 minutes the Dragons squandered two gilt edge opportunities to win.

 

The U18s lost 2-1 away to Spartans in the League Challenge Cup. The Dragons performed splendidly with only 10 players available and no keeper. Their plan was to frustrate & unsettle the Spartans whilst looking for opportunities to counter attack. In the event the Dragons delivered one of the best performances that their manager had ever witnessed against the well organised Spartans who were left fuming at the end of the game at the close result.

 

The U17s lost by more than planned to Harrow St Marys in the third round of the Middx Cup. Harrow St Mary’s played a blinder and pressed the Dragons to death  for the whole 90 mins and were clinical with their finishing. To quote the manager “They say you learn more in defeat than you do in victory and we definitely got taught a lesson today”. It is on to the League Cup quarter final v Kodak  next Sunday

 

The new U15s heroically BEAT Larkspur Rovers 4-1 at home. The Dragons had a bare 11 players with a stand in goalkeeper but dominated the match, showing resilience and skill with many players having to play out of position. The team showed great determination and attitude. There remains much work to do but the team is on the way to being great after a difficult start to the season.

 

The U14As drew 1-1 at half time to top of the Premiership AFC Wembley only to let in five goals in the second to be knocked out of the League Challenge Cup. The eventual score line did not truly reflect the Dragons performance as they really did step up their overall game against a very good premiership side. The Dragons now know how well they can perform and will focus on finishing top of the League.

 

The U14Bs had no game.

 

The U13s  beat Hanwell Town 3-1 at home. Glowering clouds and freezing conditions set the backdrop for a really tough match. The Dragons went ahead very quickly and then scored another before half time. Hanwell came back to make it 2-1. Again and again they stormed the Dragons goal and if it wasn’t for goal keeping genius it would have been 2-2. Five anxious minutes of end to end action then saw the Dragons score another great goal to end a tough match 3-1 up.

 

The U12s drew 1-1 at full time and then lost on penalties to Hanwell in the League Cup.  The Dragonstook a while to settle down and find a smooth flow whilst losing concentration to let Hanwell score first. Hanwell thought they had the match in the bag but a few minutes before the end of the second half the Dragons scored a crucial, beauty of a goal. It was on to extra time with the Dragons pulverising Hanwell who were content to defend to leave it 1-1 at the end. It was on to penalties. The Dragons missed the first one, scored second, missed third one, scored fourth one and then missed the last penalty! The game was over and it was 3-4 to Hanwell! There was hardly a dry eye in the stands. How cruel.

 

The new U11s lost to Vencermos at home in an odd match. The Dragons are starting to come together as a team and scored to set up what looked like being a win only to wobble disastrously, leak goals and then get together again charging at Vencermos’s gaol. The team is getting there but even its most ardent fans admit that it is not yet the finished article.

 

The new U10s continue to train in preparation to joining the League.   

Fellow Dragons

 

As winter creeps up the Dragons resilience will show though. It is time to stiffen the sinews:

The new Girls section has started training sessions on Friday evenings  with other girls joining in with the younger boys on Saturday mornings. Any girls interested in playing football should reply to this email.

The new U11s were beaten by FC Real at home. The Dragons know that learning to lose is the first important lesson so are having a crammer course. Gradually it is dawning on the Dragons that shape, fitness and resilience matter.

The U12s beat London Eagles 3-1 away in a brilliant performance. An effective tap put the Dragons 1-0 up at the half. Ten minutes after the restart they scored a world class free kick which left the keeper baffled and then before the end scored a spectacular left foot curler into the top corner. The Dragons were resilient, industrious and played top class football to deserve their win.

The U13s drew 2-2 at home to Forest United in a spectacular turn around as they had been beaten 2-9 in their first encounter.  Both teams were tested to their limits and it needed an amazing goal line clearance to save the day for the Dragons to earn a well-earned point.

The U14Bs beat Venceremos 4-3 at home. The Dragons were 2 nil up and controlling the game when they gifted Venceremos a goal and then conceded from a free kick. Failure to deal with another set piece saw the Dragons 2-3 down facing their first league loss of the season but they showed real character, dug deep and fought back to preserve their 100% record.

The U14As drew 2-2 with Wealdstone away in their toughest game of the season. The Dragons went one up midway through the first half from a sublime piece of play but Wealdstone were very tough defensively, with big physical players and kept the Dragons from scoring again before punishing with a quick counter to equalise. The second half was a repeat of the first with the Dragons pulling 2-1 ahead only for Wealdstone to equalise towards the end.

The U15s lost 0-4 to the Spartans. The Dragons were missing 8 players from injuries and then early on another injury reduced them to 10 players. Although the overall performance of the Dragons team was good they conceded 3 goals in the first half. The players showed their willingness and attitude to play football, but still need to work on coming back into defence. The 4-4-2 formation seemed to work well and the Dragons made some brilliant attacks but unfortunately were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.

The U17s will be awarded 3 points as London Tigers pulled out 45 mins before the kick off

The U18s drew away to Kodak 0-0 in a very disappointing performance & result

The Reserves lost 0-3 away to the higher division Lampton Park in the cup. The Dragons showed a good attitude and positive mentality which alas was not enough to beat Lampton.

The First Team lost away to Deportivo. The Dragons were subjugated to wave after wave of attacks leading to some great goalkeeping saves. The Dragons lost possession inside the centre circle after a counter attack broke down and with the goalie 16 yards from goal were chipped. The Dragons battled on but their shape and organisational play was not of the quantity to cause Deportivo to falter as they attacked down the left to make it 2-0 and then 3-0 at the half. The Dragons pulled one back early in the second half and with it confidence returned to create four good chances before a Deportivo capitalised on a short corner with a fine strike.  Overall the Dragons were poor in the first half but looked like a team in the second half,

The new U10s continue to train in preparation to joining the League.   

Fellow Dragons

With some other clubs having to default matches due to half term absences and still other Clubs unable to break their losing streak the Dragons kept resolute and won more than they lost:

The new Girls section has started training sessions on Friday evenings  with other girls joining in with the younger boys on Saturday mornings. Any girls interested in playing football should reply to this email.

 The First team game was postponed.

The Reserves thumped CB Hounslow 7-0 away in an very good performance with 5 different players scoring at least goal

The U18s were awarded a walkover in the League Cup as St Josephs defaulted

 The U17s walloped Celtic 8-1 in the League Cup to cruise through to the quarter finals in a comprehensive demolition of their opposition. The Dragons played quality passing football with the highlight being a passing move involving 7 players which ended with a quality cross and finish.

The U15s will be awarded three points as their opposition, Celtic, could not field a team

The U14As had the weekend off

The U14Bs will be awarded three points as Belmont United could not to field a team. Next week sees the Dragons at home for the first time in the league this season against tough competition and looking forward to the test.

The U13s lost 3-8 away against league leaders FC Real (43 goals in 4 matches!!) who proved to be an overly physical but effective side in their hardest match of the season.

The U12s  beat St Lawrence away 6-2. The Dragons had a mountain to climb missing key players but courage and determination in the first half lead to 5 magnificent goals. The Dragons conceded 2 goals in the second half before, in the very last minute, sealing their the victory with a beautiful goal.

 The U11s lost 1-4 away to Ickenham. The Dragons went 1-0 up in first half only to be pegged back on the stroke of half time by an equaliser from Ickenham. The Dragons then lost concentration in the 2nd half  to let Ickenham score 3 goals with no reply.

The new U10s continue to train in preparation to joining the League.   

Fellow Dragons

We seem to be scoring on many occasions many more goals than most clubs:

The new Girls section has started training sessions on Friday evenings  with other girls joining in with the younger boys on Saturday mornings. Any girls interested in playing football should reply to this email.

The 1st Team match was postponed due the opposition having an issue with their pitch.

The Reserves beat Soccer FC 2-1 away in the Cup. The Dragons played extremely well against a very strong opposition to force their way into the next round of the cup.

The U18s had no match.

The U17s lost 0-1 away to Ruislip Rangers. It was a testament to the strength in depth of the Dragons that despite missing 5 of their regular starting 11 they put up a very creditable performance against the unbeaten and physical Ruislip Rangers and probably deserved to get a point.

The new U15s will be awarded their match as Celtic had to default.

The U14As thrashed Kinja 7-0 at home in the League Cup. Clearly the Dragons are on a roll.

The U14Bs walloped Harrow St. Mary  8-2 away. The game was over by half time with the Dragons 4 nil to the good but it was a frustrating performance as they should have had a hat full of goals so it is 3 games and 3 wins for the Dragons.

The  U13s thrashed Pitshanger 6-2 away in the Pitshanger’s citadel.

The U12s beat Kinja 3-1 at home. The Dragons were missing most of their normal back four so the defence had to work extremely hard not to concede goals and end up victorious! Well done to the U12s.

The new U11s beat TFA Bushey 2-0 in the first half but then let in 4 goals in the second to lose overall.

The new U10s continue to train in preparation to joining the League.   

Kensington Dragons FC U17s in the Harrow Youth Premier League

Hi we are currently looking for a good goalkeeper for this season.

We train on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8.00pm at Linford Christie Stadium which is in Wormwood Scrubs on the astro pitch. We play matches on Sunday on the stadium main grass pitch.

If you think u have what it takes please come down or contact me directly.

Dean Humphrey – Coach 07545974244

Kensington Dragons FC has 8 youth teams up to Under 18 and 2 senior (First and Reserves) teams in the Premier Division of the Middlesex County Football League.

A First Team Manager is to be appointed for the 2016/17 season.

 

First Team Manager Key Responsibilities:

Attend and organise 2 training sessions per week in the North Kensington area

Manage the First team on match days including related administration

Attend Club meetings and social events to represent the First team

Agree and implement a practical strategy for developing the youth and encourage a pathway into the Seniors

Work with the Club to agree and implement a practical strategy to rise up the FA pyramid

Write a short report of each match for editing and wider distribution

 

Person Specification:

Have an in date FA Enhanced and approved DBS

Be an experienced Coach who has managed and coached teams at least on step 7 of the FA Pyramid

Have a minimum of a UEFA B coaching qualification

Have the personal qualities necessary to understand and develop the culture and ethos of the Club

 

If you would like to explore this exciting position, please email your CV to admin@kensingtondragons.com and explain in a covering note why you would be suited to the role.

Congratulations to all these Coaches, Players and Club members awarded qualifications during the 2015-16 season!

 

FA Level 2 Award in Coaching Football
Gilbaut Batousol, Cecil Collins, Claudio Moniz, Kamal Romain, Liam Wild, Lukasz Stankiewicz, Bianca Walker, Harry Newman, Luke Walker, Sham Abufalah, Kevin Fucillo

 

FA Level 1 Award in Coaching Football

Claudio Moniz, Nathan Lewis, Owen Harper, Rafal Oleszko, Rui Dos Sontos, Denis Sasa, Aidan Mangan, Iara Lewis, Joel Mensah, Thomas Moran, Rinor Plepolli, Joshua Bennai, Nicholas Shirley, Eva Batousol, Tyler Richardson, Sham Abufulah, Clinton Adu, Daniel Warner, Nancy Baker, Rodrigo Cruz, Kevin Fucillo

 

FA Level 7 Award in Refereeing Football
Tony Smith, Lukasz Stankiewicz, Tobias Beckley, Thomas Moran, Iara Lewis, Okera Lewis, Joshua Bennai, Nicholas Shirley, Nancy Baker, Rodrigo Cruz, Enrico Smith, Noah Smith

 

Youth Award
Module 3: Dean Humphrey
Module 2: Kamal Romain, Hocine Yahiaoui
Module 1: Kamal Romain