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Results W/E 5th November 2023

Rain and storms battered the Dragons all week into Saturday before receding to allow many matches to proceed:

The Firsts’ League match v Slough Town was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. 

The Blues match against Acton Ealing Whistlers was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

The Old Dragonians beat AFC Heathrow 7-0 away. This was a dominant Dragons performance from start to finish with seven goals, including a hatrick for the Dragons’ forward and a clean sheet. Job done with all the hard work in training now paying off.

The U18 Boys Cup match against Norseman was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

The U17 Boys lost to Omnia Gold U18s at home in the Middlesex FA Youth Cup. The Dragons had a reduced squad whilst Omnia were effectively an adult team, with the added advantage of hailing from Enfield – never a happy place for the Dragons in Cup matches. The Dragons held Omnia to 0-0 at half time. On the return however Omnia scored twice whilst the Dragons were tying up their bootlaces. Rather than cave in, the Dragons pressed and pressed but the Omnia defence was rock solid and inevitably they scored breakaway goals.

The U16 Boys lost to Northwood EJA away. The opposition were all tall, strong, fit and well drilled. Even so the Dragons started off positively and held their own. Unfortunately, as the Dragons’ energy levels dipped the goals started to go in, and to be brutally honest Northwood dominated the second half. However, this Dragons team lost the first round of the cup last year but ended up winning the group so it is not over yet.

The U15 Boys away game to Challenger was abandoned.

The U14 Boys lost 2-4 away against Acton Ealing Whistlers in the Middlesex FA Youth Trophy. The Dragons were generally a little below par and realised later that this was a match they could have won.

The U13 Boys beat Singh Sabha 6-0 at home. A stellar performance with their first goalkeeper back in action. After drawing 2-2 to the very same team last week, the experience of having a full squad made the Manager exclaim, “What a difference!”

The U12 Boys Reds beat Go Stars 7-1 away in the Middlesex FA Youth Trophy. A brilliant performance from the Dragons in this cup match, coming back from 0-1 down to 1-1 by half time, to then completely dominate the second half to score another six goals.

The U12 Boys White beat Super Skills 3-1 away. A great result away from home for the Dragons which brings them three points away from the top spot and secures their title chase.

The new U11 Boys lost 1-3 away to Wealdstone. This was a competitive match with the Dragons mostly holding their own against a more experienced side.

The U10 Boys trained.

All Girls’ matches were called off on Saturday due to a spate of waterlogged pitches across London.

Results W/E 29th October 2023

It was touch and go whether the matches would proceed in the face of the earlier torrential rain but it was, almost surprisingly, all systems go:

The Old Dragonians just lost 2-3 at home to Eight Stags. The match was marked by good competitive football despite the torrential outbursts of rain. A fairer result would have been a draw as the Dragons missed two open gaols to gift the Stags a win.

The U18 Boys beat Football Samurai 5-2 away. With a depleted squad, the Dragons went to a very wet Acton. They dominated possession but wasted chances in open play. Fortunately, their set pieces were fantastic and they went into half time 3-0 up and in control. The 2nd half saw the Dragons get off to the worst possible start as they conceded within 6 seconds. Samurai quickly added a second. The Dragons dug deep and scored twice in the last 5 minutes. A well-deserved victory but the Dragons must not be so charitable

The U17 Boys beat Harrow St Marys 3-0 at home. This was a match destined to be a slip up for the Dragons with key players forced to take a mini break from football. The responsibility to secure a win was left to a bare eleven doughty players, some of whom had hardly recovered from injury and illness. The Dragons were up to the challenge and dug in to the very end – even managing to miss scoring opportunities on the way, whilst charitably overlooking some blatant HSM offsides. A good day’s work.

The U16 Boys just lost 3-4 away at London Athletic. The Dragons were 0-4 down at half time and not quite awake after the early start and a near-2 hour journey. After a good talking to, the Dragons perked up to score 3 goals. Despite two open goal chances however they couldn’t the score to secure a draw before the final whistle intervened.

The U15 Boys drew 3-3 to Celtic at home. Celtic managed to hold the Dragons on their own turf on a dreary morning. Back to the training pitch to understand the lessons learnt.

The U14 Boys were narrowly beaten 4-5 by Belmont Bees away. The Dragons fans deserved medals for keeping, mostly, cheerful in the torrential rain. Their team was 3-0 up at half time and then somehow they let the lead slip to eventually lose. Fans everywhere were somewhat bewildered at the eventual outcome after such a good start. There is now the home leg to look forward to.

The U13 Boys drew 2-2 away at Singh Sabha. A first draw in many months. The Dragons were not up to their usual standard with an injured goalkeeper who was bravely replaced by an outfield player.

The U12 Boys Reds drew 1-1 at home to London Athletic. What a great battle! The Dragons stayed composed and a marvellous penalty save from their goalkeeper helped them hold on to a draw.

The U12 Boys White beat Brook House 5-0 at home. A resounding, triumphant win for the Dragons who showed their maturity in front of goal and kept a clean sheet at the back.

The new U11 Boys drew 1-1 at home to SYS. This was a close fought match with the Dragons’ increasing maturity showing through to capitalise on a penalty and win themselves a point.

The Under 10s trained

The U13 Girls lost to Hinton and Finchley away in the Cup. A difficult game for the Dragons in the Cup but the team will find their form again which brought so much triumph and joy last season.

All the other Girls’ Teams had no scheduled matches.

The Firsts and Blues had no matches

Results W/E 22nd October 2023

In a good weekend marked by more wins than losses:

The Firsts beat Stonewall 2-1 away in a hard-fought match. The Dragons went 0-1 down after ten minutes but then dug deep, displaying great determination, to not just get back into the game but to win it. Well done!

The Blues beat Southall Athletic 2-1 in the Middlesex Cup at home. After much toing and froing to settle on a venue the match turned out to be a thriller. Southall scored first before the Dragons drew level and then finally pounced to score the decisive winning goal. 

The Old Dragonians lost 2-4 away to The 3Steps. The game showed how this year’s ODs have progressed in the last 6 weeks. They were by far the better team and opened the scoring with a 35-yard screamer but a physical opposition and eccentric ref saw 3Steps snatch the points. It’s only a matter of time before the results match the performances the Dragons deserve. 

The U18 Boys had no game. 

The U17 Boys beat Old Actonians 8-3 away. This was a test of character for the Dragons after their shocker of a defeat the previous weekThey scored first before the OAs drew level but from then on it was the Dragons all the way except for a late OAs flurry. Unfortunately, just after the final whistle, some disgruntled OAs let their disappointment get the better of them and not all the Dragons handled themselves with the forbearance that they have yet to become accustomed to. Just as one asked oneself “Goodness where is this going to end?” calm was restored with both sides shaking hands leaving their respective Hon Secs to waste hours writing pleas of mitigation.     

The U16 Boys drew 5-5 at home to Trailfinders. This was a very frustrating match in which the score didn’t represent the game. Without their regular keeper a brave young Dragon valiantly stepped into the breach.  The Dragons were the better team and scored 5 brilliant goals. Trailfinders were lucky to secure the draw. It will now be a test of the Dragons character and teamwork as they look out for one another to bounce back. Still, one point is better than none. 

The U15 Boys lost 3-5 away to Eight FC. Eight came out fast and strong and at halftime the Dragons were shocked to find themselves 1-3 down. They pulled back with two well deserved goals to draw level at 3-3 but Eight FC went on to clinch two late winning goals. 

The U14 Boys were awarded an automatic home win against Harrow St Marys who defaulted 

The U13 Boys home match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. 

The U12 Boys Red narrowly lost 3-4 to Belmont Bees away. The Dragons showed determination to level the score twice and then pull ahead to 3-2 with 10 minutes left. Ultimately only having one Dragons substitute then decided the result. 

The U12 Boys White were awarded an automatic away win as Ruislip Town defaulted. 

The New U11 Boys recorded their first win beating Celtic 2-1 away in a thriller. With only two previous matches under their footballing belts the Dragons showed the resilience and focus worthy of veterans. It remained 1-1 as the closely fought match hurtled towards the end when, with 20 seconds left on the clock, the Dragons were awarded a corner. West London held its breath. Surely the match was destined to be a draw but no – the Dragons scored to win! 

The U18 Girls, U16 Girls, U15 Girls and U14 Girls had no matches scheduled. 

The U13 Girls Cup match away against Hinton, Finchley and Haringey was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. 

The U11 Girls and U10 Boys did not train due to a waterlogged pitch.

Results W/E 15th October 2023

With so many teams there are always triumphs to report in between the character building reversals and so it proved this week:

The Firsts narrowly lost 1-3 at home to Pitshanger Dynamo. It was a tough fixture against the League’s leaders. The Dragons competed almost to the end and then conceded in the last period.

The Blues beat Hillingdon Abbots 5-2 away. The Dragons started well and went 4-1 up in the first half before letting the Abbots back in before reasserting themselves to record the win.

The Old Dragonians just lost 3-4 to Veneceremos at home in the Cup. The Dragons were shocked to find themselves 0-3 down at halftime. The Coaches then introduced a tactical masterstroke that the Dragons implemented to near perfection to pull back to 3-3 with 10 mins to go. To the ODs dismay they then conceded from a corner in the dying minutes and there was no time for a rescue. The match also saw a Dragon U18 stepping up to senior football.

The U18 Boys lost 2-4 to Regent’s Park at home. A repeat of last week led to the Dragons giving up three first half goals due to sloppiness at the back. The halftime  Dragons coach talk led to much better possession and control resulting in two second half goals but unfortunately more were needed.

The U17 Boys lost to North London Stars away in a shocker. The saving grace is that there are home and away legs in the League so a 1-0 win at home will even out the points. Less dribbling, more passing and more movement are needed from the Dragons.

The U16 Boys beat Hendon 6-4 away in another great result. The Dragons started well and by half time were 4-1 up. All seemed set fair but Hendon pulled back to 4-4 with a frisson of fractious frenzy creeping in before in the dying minutes the Dragons slammed in two goals to win.

The U15 Boys lost 0-2 away to Explorers in the Cup. The Dragons faced a tough Premier Division team with the home advantage. A goal in each half gave Enforcers the win but it was an extremely tight contest.

The U14 Boys beat Pro FA 4-3 at home in a thriller. Finding the pitch on the wild expanses of Copthall Playing Fields proved to be only the start of the challenges facing the indomitable Dragons. Before one could say “Where’s Pitch 305?” the Dragons were 0-2 down. It is great credit to the team that they clawed back to compete and then eventually win 4-3.

The U13 Boys beat Hanwell Town 6-4 away. Another win despite a few mistakes that enabled the opponent to come back to 4-4 after initially leading 4-2.

The U12 Boys Red lost 1-4 to Princes Park at home. The Dragons played well but just didn’t finish the chances they had against an evenly matched side.

The U12 Boys White lost 0-2 at home in the Cup to London Eagles. This was a well organised performance considering it was the Dragons’ third only game playing together. The goals conceded were simply unlucky: a freak goal for the 1st and the 2nd was the last kick of the game.

The new U11 Boys just lost 1-3 to Wealdstone at home in their third match ever. Wealdstone were 3-0 up at halftime and the new Dragons team could have crumpled but instead they shored  up their defence and pressed to score whilst keeping a second half clean sheet.

The U18 Girls had no game.

The U16 Girls beat Ruislip Rangers 6-4 away. This was a tough fixture away for the Dragons, which turned out to be a very exciting. The Dragons played their hearts out, followed their Coach’s instructions and sealed a big win against an historically tricky side.

The U15 Girls and the U14 Girls had no games.

The U13 Girls were beaten by Hinton and Finchley Revolution at home in the Middlesex Cup. The fixture was inexplicably deemed to be played at  eleven a side rather than the usual nine a side.  A game to forget for the young Dragons. 

The New U11 Girls lost 0-2 to St Joseph’s away. The Dragons showed incredible spirit and they continue to improve day by day, match by match. The results will soon reflect their up-and-coming talent.

The U10s trained with a view to becoming next season’s U11s

Results W/E 8th October 2023

A generally cracker of a weekend leaving many teams trailing in our wake:

The Firsts beat Feltham 6-3 at home. This was an exciting game for the massed fans as the Dragons conceded three goals in 20 minutes before organising themselves to pull back to 3-3 at half time. In the second period the Dragons took unquestionable control to bang in six goals. Remarkable.

The Blues lost 0-2 away to Goan. It was a close game up to halftime with the score at 0-0. The Dragons then returned to the pitch a little under par to give away 2 goals by mistake. Unfortunately the Goans were less generous.

The Old Dragonians lost 1-4 to Greenhill Rangers in the Sunday Junior Cup. The match proceded despite Greenhill failing to produce a team sheet before kick-off.  Greenhill provisionally take the tie pending an appeal..The U18 Boys drew 4-4 to Brazil Development away. A thrilling first game for the Dragons who are rebuilding – to come away with a point on the road was a worthy reward.The U17 Boys drew 3-3 to Harrow United away. The Dragons are playing at a higher level this season and have not quite settled into the footballing groove so at one point were 0-2 down. Once upon a time the Dragons might have folded at that point but not now as they fought back to draw 3-3 and were extremely unlucky not to be allowed the winning goal which was judged a millimetre offside.The U16 Boys beat Pro FA 2-1 at home. The Dragons were the stronger team on the day with lots of attempts on goal but only managed to convert two. Still, another 3 points with shooting practice scheduled for training.The U15 Boys won 3-2 away at Acton Ealing Whistlers. The Dragons put in a fantastic performance against a team that will be in the title race this season. The Dragons never looked like they would drop points and only bad fortune lead to the conceded goals.The U14 Boys beat Brook House 4-0 at home. The Dragons are getting into their footballing stride. Such is their growing confidence that their striker attempted a bicycle kick at goal and to the delight of the massed Dragons fans it went in! There is a long way to go but two wins out of two is a good start to the season.  The U13 Boys beat West Drayton 9-3 at home. Another large victory for these in-form Dragons which makes the upper echelons of the League surely in their sights.The U12 Boys beat Acton Ealing Whistlers 4-1 away. An imperious performance from the Dragons who worked well together entertaining their fans in the October sunshine.The U12 Boys White beat Belmont Bees 5-2 away. A fantastic bounce back from last week’s loss, the Dragons and their travelling fans bested the Belmont Bees in style.The new U11 Boys just lost to North London All Stars away. This was the first ever away match for the Dragons against an experienced side who have been playing together for 4 years. It takes time to build a side so frankly the veteran stand-in Dragons coach feared the worst but he was proved wrong. The Dragons improved as the match went on and scored twice to prove the point.The U18 Girls lost 0-2 at home to Brent Schools. After the Dragons’ first game of the season, the Coach reflected, “It’s not about the result but about trusting the process.” The Dragons had a strong second half performance, didn’t concede any goals and created good chances.The U16 Girls had no game.The U15 Girls beat Regents Park 2-0 at home. The cherry on top for the Dragons was retaining a clean sheet with a stellar defensive display whilst netting twice to claim all three points. The U14 Girls lost 0-3 to Islington Borough at home. The Dragons were under a lot of pressure during this game from a strong side fielded by Islington. The Dragons fought valiantly but it was not enough on this occasion.The U13 Girls beat Ruislip Rangers 2-1 away. A great game that was end to end and could have gone either way as the Dragons had no subs. Alas! The Dragons dug deep and held on to the lead.The U11 Girls had no game

The U10s trained with the U11s but will soon split off to be their own group

Results W/E 1st October 2023

The Firsts drew 3-3 to Larkspur away. This much a better performance from the Dragons  – despite having their first choice goalie off through injury.

The Blues narrowly lost 1-3 to Bessingby Park Rangers at home. The Blues played well in the first half and went in at halftime satisfied with a 0-0 scoreline but with high hopes for the next 45 minutes. It looked promising when the Dragons went 1-0 up but in the end they lost focus.

The Old Dragonians were beaten 1-4 at home to their nemesis CB Hounslow. Where is VAR when you need it! Two controversial decisions changed the nature of this contest to the Old Ds detriment. The first happened in the opening minutes as a shot from CBH was cleared off the line, however the ref had other ideas. This rocked the Old Ds who conceded two further goals before settling into the game. Despite pulling one back, the second incident occurred as the Old Ds were denied a penalty. A game where both the team and the ref could have done better.

The U18 Girls had no game.

The U16 Girls drew 0-0 to Islington Borough away. The Dragons had many chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. This was a good balanced game with great displays of sportsmanship from both sides.

The U15 Girls had no game.

The U14 Girls beat Actonians 3-0 at home. The Dragons were in command for most of the match – with the winning 3 goals coming in quick succession in the first half.

The U13 Girls lost 0-2 to Most Wanted away. Although not the start this strong and exciting young Dragons squad had planned for, they will quickly regroup and develop.

The new U11 Girls just lost 2-3 at home to Brook House. The Dragons played fantastically and a lot of positivity can be taken from this, their first ever, match. The Dragons applied the lessons they had learned in training and kept smiling throughout.

The U18 Boys had no game.

The U17 Boys just lost 2-3 to Pro FA at home. This was the Dragons’ first match this season as their opponents defaulted last weekend. Pro FA in contrast had recorded a 13-0 win last week against Pitshanger and were clearly an in-form team. The match was tight and an unnecessary flare up led to a Dragons player taking a rest from the pitch. In a lesser team, in such a tight match, this could have been terminal but the Dragons remained competitive and indeed scored with 10 players. This is clearly going to be an exciting, competitive league which will suit the Dragons. 

The U16 Boys beat Ickenham Youth 10-0 away. The Dragons scored within the first few minutes and the goals kept coming. With their opponents last week pulling out, this was a delayed impeccable start to the season. The Dragons were in great spirits on the train home from Uxbridge.

The U15 Boys drew 2-2 to Challenger Youth at home. The Dragons came straight out of the blocks putting pressure on CY and creating plenty of chances. By halftime, the Dragons were quite rightly 2-0 up. CY then addressed their weaknesses and, with a change of formation pushing four players up front, pushed hard and were rewarded.

The U14 Boys beat London Athletic Green 6-2 at home. This was a tremendous Dragons performance. London Athletic turned up early with a full team and five substitutes in their striking bright red strip. They looked formidable. In contrast the Dragons had a bare eleven players – but what players! The Dragons controlled the match and passed from one capable team mate to another. Some fans feared tiredness would overcome the Dragons as the long second half ticked away but no – they carried on playing well right up to the final whistle.

The U13 Boys were beaten away by Parkfield in the Middlesex Cup. A difficult game for the Dragons early on in the season playing a team in the Premier Division who ultimately served them food for thought. 

The U12 Boys Red lost 3-6 away to Titans. A hard-fought game where the Dragons came back to level the match three times and then held the Titans at 3-3 up until the last ten minutes when, down to an early season loss of focus, fitness or a combination of both, the Dragons unfortunately conceded another 3.

The U12 Boys Whites lost at home to Hanwell Town. A great first game for the Dragons who showed great team spirit. Lots of positives can be taken with the Coach eyeful of key areas to work on.

The new U11 Boys just lost at home on the Scrubbs to Chiswick FFF FC.  What the “FFF” stands for is any footballer’s guess. This was an extremely good first ever competitive match for the Dragons. There is clearly room for improvement but they are competitive and will quickly learn. 

Results W/E 24th September 2023

This last weekend saw all the start of all the Leagues which lead to the frenetic registration of hundreds of players by the deadline. As one sunk back for one’s well earnt rest one assumed that other clubs would sail through the challenge with hardly a murmur. One would be wrong! Come Sunday we were besieged by other clubs letting us down as they shamefacedly confessed to missing the deadline and having to default their matches. Grateful though the average Dragon is to rack up 3 points we would rather play football:  

The Firsts lost to Slough Town at home in the Premier Division Cup. This was a tight match until the last 15 minutes when, almost inexplicably, the Dragons defence decided to take the rest of the afternoon off with predictable results.

The Blues had no game.

The Old Dragonians drew 4-4 to WOW RDM FC at home in an eight-goal belter. A great improvement on last week’s performance saw the Old Ds dominate for 70 mins, playing some outstanding football and extending their lead to 4-0, before allowing WOW  to scramble back in.

The U14 Girls beat Barnet Nightingales 1-0 away. The Dragon’s winning goal was a corker and came in the first half from a free kick. The result could then have gone either way. This was a brilliant start for the newly promoted Dragons. 

The U16 Girls lost narrowly 3-4 to Barnet Nightingales at home. Due to some early season admin issues, both sides agreed to make the fixture a friendly – but in name only. The match was ferocious and well-contested, with plenty of goals to delight the crowd.

The U11, U13 and U15 Girls had no matches.

The U11 Boys trained in preparation for their first match.

The U12 Boys were awarded an automatic home win against Harrow St Marys who could not field a team – tut tut!

The U13 Boys thrashed Super Skills 13-2 at home. The Manager’s match report wisely put a cap on any over enthusiasm by simply stating “a good start to the year in the new 11-a-side format.” A fantastic result for the Dragons but with more tests ominously ahead.

The U14 Boys had no match.

The U15 Boys lost 3-6 away to TAP. In their first game since promotion, the Dragons faced one of the strongest in the new division. A tough battle commenced and, despite losing, the Dragons can rest knowing they held their own – including scoring an already goal-of-the-season contender.

The U16 Boys were awarded an automatic home win against Pinnstars who could field a team – tut tut!

The U17 Boys were awarded an automatic home win against Headstone Manor who could not field a team – tut tut!

The U18 Boys had no match.

The U10s trained with the new U11 boys.

Results W/E 17th September 2023

We are off! All the Senior teams played this weekend and the Girls had their first match. Next weekend almost all the Dragon teams will be in action. Who knows what trials, tribulations, and triumphs there are to come.  

The Firsts beat Kodak 1-0 at home. The Dragons had a full, talented squad which can only improve as the season progresses. Some might say it was a scrappy game in places but others would say “Job Done!”

The Blues thumped Southall Athletic  6-1 away. This was the Blues first match of the season but they looked as if they are already a finely tuned football machine.

The Old Dragonians may have lost to 0 – 4 to “The 3 Steps” at home but nevertheless showed promise. Certainly the “3 Steps” deserve some sort of accolade for their name – the Dragons literary manager assumed a “9” was missing after the “3” but no. The Dragons played well but were hampered by early multiple early injuries which left them battling with 10 players in this their first match of the season. There was much to point to better results in the future.    

The U17 Boys just beat the U16 Boys 4-2 in a friendly at home. The U17s were shocked at the speed of some of the U16s players which kept their defence on their footballing toes. This was  good natured very competitive match between last season’s two division winning sides.   

The U15 Boys played an in house friendlyThe coaches were on the pitch, talking the Dragons through the tactics that they will implement this season. Last Sunday the Dragons beat AFC Wembley 6-2 in a friendly to record an impressive victory.

The U16 Girls lost to Vicky Park Rangers at home. This was the Dragons first game of the season and they were not helped by their goalie being injured just before half time. The Dragons are rebuilding as 6 players left to for Pro Clubs last season but, in any event, the first match is  more about  building than the result.

All the remaining teams trained in preparation for next weekend’s avalanche of matches.

Update 31st August 2023

The summer break is almost over with schools returning on 4th September. The Firsts have been training and playing for a couple of weeks with the remaining Senior and Youth teams dusting their football boots off as they return from holidays eager to get the season started.  

The Activity Day at Kensington Memorial Park in August was a huge success with a continual stream of boys and girls joining in as the day progressed.

The ten weeks stretch of Pan-disability Free Football Training sessions for 5-11 year olds has come to an end. We will now review the lessons learnt before starting again.

The 2023/24 season league matches start for most teams in mid September with the Firsts battling it out from their earlier start in August.  

Update 7th August 2023

We are running free football sessions this coming Thursday. The weather looks like it will be fine so come along and join in. There is no need to book – details below.  Also, if you know of any children with disabilities, aged around 5 -11, who would like to have a go at football please contact Angela on admin@kensingtondragons.com

Thursday 10th August: Activity Day at Kensington Memorial Park, also known as St Marks Park, W10 6BZThe Dragons are running free football sessions from 10am to 2pm. All ages welcome.

Pan-disability Free Football Training for 5-11 year olds on Pitch 2, Westway Sports Centre on Mondays from 6-7pm.The training is part of the FA’s Comets Program with qualified KDFC coaches. To register or for further information:

The 2023/24 season starts for most teams in mid September leaving our Firsts battling it out from their earlier start in August