KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s 4  V  2 PRINCE’S PARK.

Goalscorers: Jake, Joseph (2), Joe.

Our first home match in what seems like an age pitted the Under 13s against Prince’s Park. We knew they would provide a tough test after a close fought match at their place at the start of the season.

A few absentees called for a reshuffle in the Dragons defence and it looked, on paper, to be a solid defensive unit. But the Dragons made their customary poor start and were a goal down when a Prince’s Park striker latched on to an under strength throw-out from Enrique and ruthlessly dispatched the ball beyond him. A few minutes later the Dragons found themselves 2 nil down to a great strike by the visitors.

An attempted Rabona by a visiting midfielder provided some light relief and brought chuckles from the Dragons’ substitutes as it had more in common with David Dunn’s comedic effort (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4fsLeCjB4s) than Eric Lamela’s wonder goal.

The Dragons finally started to play like we know they can and Jake, up from the back for a corner, halved the arears with a well-taken goal that he stroked calmly into the net. Sidney, returning to the team after a month out, had a stinging shot saved by the in-form Prince’s Park keeper and as the first period drew to an end Joe won the ball in the congested midfield and played a perfectly weighted through ball for Joseph to run on to. He held off the covering defender and smashed the ball past the keeper to open his account with the Dragons and make it 2 all at the break. As the second half started the Dragons picked up where they had left off and within 4 minutes of the restart Felix picked out Joseph who doubled his tally for the season with another fine finish.

The Dragons pushed on looking for another goal and as Joe chased a through ball he collided with the on-rushing keeper. There was a lengthly delay while the keeper’s head injury was assessed but eventually he decided to bravely continue. However he didn’t last long and was withdrawn from the field of play after complaining of blurred vision. The Dragons, buoyed by their goal advantage, went in search of the killer blow. The stand-in keeper was proving to be an accomplished shot stopper until a move straight from the Dragons’ training ground broke his stubborn resistance. Raaid peeled out wide on the overlap, the ball was played into his path and he delivered an exquisite right foot cross that Joe met with a precise header at the back post. 4-2 and the Dragons were in complete control. It was a convincing display by the home team. Franklin had one of his best performances in defence nullifying everything that came down the right flank. And Joseph’s first goals for the team, one with his left and one with his right, should give him the confidence to add to his tally in the coming weeks.

So the Under 13s continue to improve and look good value for their second place position in the league as they head into December. With many of the top teams already played they look perfectly poised to mount a serious tilt at the title.

BESSINGBY PARK RANGERS ‘A’  3    V    5  KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s

Goalscorers: Waleed (2), Karim, Felix, Joe.

No downpour of biblical proportions this week, instead a bright, crisp, autumnal morning. Ideal conditions for an away cup tie.

Our old adversaries, Bessingby Park Rangers were our hosts, the team we gave away a 3 goal lead to in a recent league match before pulling back to draw 5-5. The Dragons were sent out with strict instructions not give their opposition such an easy start this time. And after an impeccably observed minute’s silence to mark Remembrance Sunday the game commenced. The Dragons seemed to have heeded the warning words, keeping it tight at the back and being quick into the tackle in midfield. After 5 minutes Chester, playing at right back, angled a probing through-ball forward which Walleed latched on to and dispatched beyond the keeper with his left foot to put the visitors ahead.

The pitch was a little on the small side and this made for a congested game in midfield. The Dragons struggled to get their usual attractive, passing game going as the ball ping-ponged around the middle third. The Dragons took their slender lead into the break but just after the restart BPR’s goggle-wearing striker leveled for the home side. Midway through the second half the Dragons won a corner after the BPR keeper very honestly admitted that he had got a touch to a shot before it had gone out. Jake delivered and Karim buried a bullet of a header to put the visitors ahead. As the end of normal time approached, the home side piled on the pressure and notched up a deserved equalizer taking the game into extra time. Bessingby were now in the ascendency as they put the visitors goal under increased pressure. They won a free kick on the edge of the Dragons’ box and the resulting dead-ball flew over the wall and into the net, much to the delight of the home support. They were now in the lead for the first time in the match and the Dragons were on the brink of a cup exit with just one half of extra time left to play. It was time for a final throw of the dice. The Dragons were ordered to switch to a more direct style of play, to bypass the congested midfield and play with 2 up front, as they attempted to claw back the arrears. The visitors surged forward looking for the equalizer and when the ball fell to Felix on the edge of the box he hit a rocket of a strike which nearly ripped the net from the goal. ‘Gerrard-esque’ was one description. The wonder strike provided the impetus the Dragons needed to push on. A few minutes later Ilya burst through on the right and was brought down in the box. Waleed converted the resulting spot kick with aplomb. The visitors were now flying and Waleed turned provider with a perfectly weighted through-ball. Joe drove forward towards goal and smashed the Dragons in to the hat for the next round of the Cup.

The back four deserve a special mention for this performance. It was their best performance as a unit thus far, especially in the later stages. Franklin and Karim were immense. So the Dragons go marching on, cheered on by their loyal away support.

HANWELL TOWN ‘A’  5   V  3  KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s

Goalscorers: Waleed (3)

There was an away match in the cup in Halloween week for the under 13s and they started off by handing out treats in the form of goals to their opponents, Hanwell Town.

The team in black and white stripes were 2 nil up in the space of 3 minutes (one from a dubious penalty) as the rain came down and the ball skidded across the greasy playing surface. The Dragons were defending too deeply, wary of the home team’s striker’s pace and propensity to fall over and this was looking like it might prove costly.

We started to think that this might turn into a horror show of Texas Chainsaw Massacre proportions but the goals jolted the Dragons into life like Frankenstein’s monster. They jerkily started to go through the gears. Milo was introduced to the midfield in a holding role and he had an immediate impact with his enthusiastic work rate, energy and willingness to track back and selflessly help out his defenders.

The visitors got a foothold in the match when Waleed slotted home under the keeper with familiar composure before the home team replied with another goal of their own to make it 3-1 after just 6 minutes of play. There now followed a period of attrition with the teams looking pretty evenly matched despite Hanwell being a division above the Dragons. Joe fizzed an angled effort narrowly past the post from the left. A few minutes later Ilya cut inside from the right but couldn’t find the finish to match his quality approach play. And that’s how it remained at the break.

The Dragons emerged from the half time team talk (or whisper, as coach Dean had lost his voice) wearing bright orange bibs. Not because they were still in the Halloween spirit but because the home team were finding it difficult telling who was on their team.

Waleed started the second half where he had left off the first and curled a delightful shot past the keeper for his and the Dragon’s second. 3-2, the Dragons were still in this. Unfortunately the home side weren’t being obliging hosts and they netted again before Joe carved his way down the right like a knife through a pumpkin and delivered a devilish cross that Waleed (who else?) met with the perfect header to complete his hat trick (which if I’m not mistaken was one with his left, one with his right and one with his head, a perfect treble). 4-3. Could a cup upset be on the cards? Sadly not, as in the dying minutes Hanwell sent a speculative shot in on goal and the wet ball slipped through Enrique’s fingers to give the home team a winning margin that was rather more flattering than they deserved.

Again the Dragons were made to pay for a sluggish start but there were plenty of positives to take out of this battling performance. Least of all that in Waleed, we have a striker who can score goals against any team. And if you have that you always stand a chance and you should fear no-one. Even in Halloween week.

 

FC REAL P V P KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s

The Dragons were due to play away this Sunday but in the days leading up to the match, FC Real contacted us to ask if the game could be played at St. Mark’s Park, presumably because the Bernabeu pitch wasn’t up to scratch after Louis Suarez’s teeth had torn up the hallowed playing surface after his Barca debut in El Classico. Or the European Champion’s pitch simply wasn’t available after some bizarre fixture mix up. Whatever the reason we agreed and the game was slated for a 12 noon kick off in North Kensington and not at 10.30 in Madrid.

So it was going to be an away match played at home, the visitors being the home team even if they were actually playing away, if you follow me. It was all a bit confusing but we were just happy to be playing.

A depleted Dragons squad, ravaged by half term absentees was hoping to build on our run of 5 wins on the bounce. And despite the number of missing personnel the starting 11 looked very good on paper. But with just one substitute where normally we have 5 showed we were running a bit thin on the ground and were lacking strength in depth. However the Dragons coach remained confident that this team could perform, especially after the rejuvenating properties of an extra hour in bed afforded by the Autumnal clock change.

So Sunday morning rolled around. The late October sun shone. The freshly laundered kit was packed and arranged in ascending numerical order in the kit bag. The Nike match ball was inflated to official regulation pressure. And the chilled Sainsbury’s ‘Taste the Difference’ oranges were precisely quartered and sealed within their Tupperware container.

And then came the call. The call that all managers dread. The opposition couldn’t muster a team and so the match was called off because the home team (who were really the away team) had forfeited the game. It was a cruel blow to Dragons who had pestered their parents to travel back from half term getaways early, offered to drag themselves off sick beds for the cause and travelled to St. Mark’s without checking their emails and texts.

But looking on the bright side, we accumulated another 3 points to our league campaign’s tally and without a single blemish to our goal difference column or muddy stain on our team kit. And the shirts will be smelling fresh and ready to wear for our next game, away in the Cup to Hanwell Town FC next Sunday. I’m not sure what to do about those oranges though. Anyone fancy 72 orange quarters?

KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s 4  V  2 CHISWICK YOUTH.

Goalscorers:

Jake (2), Rudi, Walleed.

The magic of the cup came to St. Mark’s park this Sunday. The under 13s pitted against a team from leafy, middle-class Chiswick. The visitors turned up in their smart navy blue and white shirts only to be ordered to wear bright orange bibs to avoid clashing with the home team’s kit, much to the annoyance of their manager.

Once again the Dragons started slowly as the visitors put us under pressure from the opening whistle. Two corners in quick succession were early signs that we were playing a team that showed a lot more resilience and grit than belied their salubrious postcode.

The Dragons survived, due almost single-handedly, to Jordan between the posts. When the home keeper was called into action he produced a string of excellent saves that kept his team in the match. One in particular deserves a special mention, tipping a rasping shot over the bar. As the Dragons slowly started to impose themselves on the match, Jake broke forward with zeal from midfield and unleashed a shot from the edge of the box. It was almost a carbon copy of the one Jordan had saved a few minutes earlier at the other end but this one flew over the keeper’s finger tips and nestled in the net. One nil to the Dragons against the run of play. The goal seemed to settle the early Dragon nerves and they began to play with more endeavor and purpose. When they opened up the visitors defense again Jake was presented with an opportunity to double the home side’s advantage but somehow he struck the post with the goal gaping before him. It was now a very even match with both teams playing good football. Towards the closing minutes of the first period Chiswick applied more pressure and rained in corners on the Dragons’ goal. Eventually they found their breakthrough, poking the ball home at the near post, inevitably from a corner. Felix had a fine shot that ricocheted off the bar just before the interval, which meant the teams went into half time with the honors even.

The Dragons reshuffled personnel at the break to try and bring our explosive right winger, Sidney, into the game more. The plan worked. Sidney broke down the right and delivered a peach of a cross on to the head of Rudi, who planted a textbook, downward header into the bottom corner of the goal.

The second half developed a similar pattern to the first. Hard fought between 2 evenly matched teams but the Dragons were retaining possession better and moving the ball with more purpose. Waleed, ‘the Ice Man’, finished a penetrating move with a trademark, ruthlessly cool finish to make it 3-1. Kass, playing out of position at left back, was having a great game. Tenacious and determined in the tackle and always willing to get forward. Then disaster struck. Jake took a shot and it deflected past the Chiswick keeper into the goal making it 4-1. And from that moment the Dragons eased off and allowed their opponents back into the match. They had a shot that took a nasty bobble in front of Jordan and bounced out of his grasp and the onrushing attacker bundled the ball into our net before colliding with our keeper. That was the last action Jordan saw and two minutes later the game was brought to an end. This was the most satisfying performance yet by the Under 13s. They are implementing what they are learning in training and in matches and growing in confidence with the results that this is bringing.

After a trip to St. Charles hospital it was revealed that our heroic keeper had fractured his clavicle. We all wish him a speedy recovery and dedicate this victory to him. Get well soon, Jordan.

PRINCES PARK  0  V  2  KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s

The League fixture list threw up a trip out to picturesque Hendon versus Princes Park this Sunday. The home team had recruited some new players since our fractious meetings last season and a few of them were on the very large size indeed. (Maybe they’ve been putting something in the nearby reservoir.)

Princes Park attempted to leverage their superior physicality from the outset and tried to turn the game into a battle. The opening exchanges weren’t for the faint-hearted but our boys weren’t about to be bullied off the ball and they stuck to their own brand of football.

Rudi, starting the game in the number 9 position, had a chance that he scooped over the bar but the early signs were promising and at least he had the ambition to attempt a shot. There was some really good goalkeeping by Jordan who is developing into an extremely valuable member of the team as the first 20 minutes proved to be very evenly contested. The Dragons however, were being caught offside on far too many occasions and the coach decided it was time to make a change. Personnel were shuffled and rejigged and the changes almost immediately bore fruit. The best passing move of the match, involving Jake and Felix down the right-hand side resulted in a well-deserved goal for Waleed, who calmly tucked the ball into the net. Meaning we went into the break ahead by the slimmest of margins.

The home team came out fired up for the second period and the Dragons were under the kosh as Princes Park pressed for the equalizer. The visitors had to withstand a sustained period of pressure, facing 3 corners in quick succession before finally clearing the ball down the left flank. Chester and Halvdan had been introduced to shore up the midfield at the interval and they were adding a little more steel in midfield, protecting the back four and creating a platform on which to defend our slender lead. The Dragons continued to soak up the pressure and hit the home team on the break resulting in Waleed netting his second of the match.

The home team’s tactics of trying to turn the game into a battle hadn’t worked and the Dragons had knocked the fight out of them. They didn’t have a plan B and their body language betrayed the fact that they had no answer and were ready to accept defeat. Joseph did well on his debut, holding the ball up well, always being a willing runner and an alternative outlet in the later stages of the match. But the man of the match was Karim. He was immense at the back, possibly his best performance in a Dragons shirt. He was everywhere, strong in the challenge, commanding in the air and throwing his body on the line on more than one occasion. There was just time for a marauding run from Kass down the right flank then cutting inside to set up a shooting opportunity for Joe which struck the crossbar before the whistle brought the game to an end.

Today’s performance didn’t scale the fluid, free-flowing heights that we had witnessed in the final 10 minutes of last week’s game but there was some great spirit and quality on show. And it also delivered the first clean sheet the under 13s have ever recorded. An early birthday present for coach, Dean.

KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s  9  V  4  BRUNSWICK

The sun shone on the freshly mown pitch at St. Mark’s Park as the under 13s resumed their league campaign after last week’s cup heroics.

The visitors, Brunswick, had arrived with just 10 players so were a man down from the kick off. But that didn’t stop them taking the lead within the opening 2 minutes. The Dragons are proving to be generous hosts at home this season, allowing their guests to take the lead in all of their matches thus far. Maybe they expected to walk away with it with the advantage of the extra player but they were too eager to impress and in too much of a hurry to stream forward and attack the opposing goal, rather than building slowly and letting their numerical advantage count. The coach made an early substitution, introducing Joe into midfield and he immediately made a difference, setting up a goal for Enrique, now in his preferred position as striker having spent the whole of last season in goal. Growing in confidence, Halvdan continued his good work in midfield and Sidney unleashed his rifle of a right foot, sending a shot whistling just over the bar. Enrique put an early claim in for miss of the season before Joe netted from an accurate free kick from Felix’s trusty right boot. It wasn’t long before Enrique made amends for his earlier howler by claiming his second of the match and the Dragons looked to be cruising. However, some calamitous defending with an inability to clear the ball allowed the visitors back into the game. Just before the break Rudi calmly finished to make it 4-2 at the interval.

Early in the second half the game had to be stopped when a rasping shot from Joe left the Brunswick keeper poleaxed after he chose the highly unorthodox method of saving it with his face. Aziz came close with a lovely curling shot, but the visitors capitalized on more indecisive defending to pull two more goals back and make it 5-4 when we really should have been home and hosed. The 10 men had fought bravely but the Dragons were about to make their extra player and strength from the bench count. Karim doubled his tally for the season with a commanding header from a corner. Joe helped himself to his second and Enrique acrobatically completed his hat trick. The Dragons were now oozing confidence. Their passing was short and crisp and they were carving open their tiring opposition at will. There was even time for Enrique to claim his fourth, forcing the ball home from what seemed like an impossible angle.

So the Dragons ran out comfortable winners in the end, 9 to 4, almost registering a ‘Dolly Parton’ (9 to 5). And although there were some worrying recurrent lapses in concentration at the back, this was a ruthless attacking performance that was thoroughly entertaining to watch.

KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s 3 V 5 HENDON YOUTH

The Dragons turned out in their brand new kit replete with new sponsor, Rough Trade, logo to host Hendon Youth this Sunday. The whiter than white shirt details were reminiscent of a washing powder commercial. But would they be able to take their opponents to the cleaners? Hendon were relegated from the division above at the end of last season so we knew they would pose a stern test.

The St. Mark’s pitch, patched up with sand filled pot-holes and ankle height grass, didn’t make for the best playing surface but both teams started brightly. Then with hardly any time played, it was like déjà vu as the visitors took the lead from a corner, the same way we had conceded 3 goals in our last match. But unlike the last game the Dragons didn’t cave in. They battled hard to work the ball through a congested midfield and Felix had a rasping shot parried by their keeper. It was developing into a very even match with both sides having their chances. The home side seemed over cautious and lacking killer instinct in front of goal and this was to prove costly. After 17 minutes the visitors had doubled their lead, after a swift break from a ball over the top. Waleed almost pulled one back for the Dragons direct from a corner but again the inspired Hendon keeper managed to keep the ball out of his net and Karim unluckily thundered the rebound against the bar.

Another Dragons attack saw the Hendon keeper make yet another save and from the resulting break Hendon made it 3 nil, which somewhat flattered the visitors. But the home team were pressing hard and it felt like a goal was coming. Jake drove forward down the right, crossed (or shot only he really knows) into the box and the ball looped over the keeper into the net. 1-3 at half time.

The second half resumed and the Dragons hit the bar for the third time. We were starting to think it was going to be one of those days. Jake had other ideas, however and when he notched up his second we were in touching distance and looking like the better side. An equalizer would have been nothing more than we deserved. Unfortunately Hendon exploited our defensive frailties twice more with their crude, yet effective, tactic. The long ball over the top for their pacey strikers to run on to. At 2-5 we were still in the game. Hendon’s unsportsman-like and frustrating time-wasting antics were proof that they knew we were still a potent force. Waleed slotted home to make it 3-5 and the final whistle bought the game to a close.

Wasn’t it Einstein that said ‘Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of madness’? I’m not exactly sure if he was taking about football but he certainly could have been. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that we need to stop making the same silly defensive mistakes and giving teams a head start. Looking on the positive side, we could have genuinely had another 5 goals on another day and with another opposing goalkeeper between the posts. We looked really good in spells and that wasn’t just because of our brand new whiter than white kit.

KENSINGTON DRAGONS U13s 5  V  5  BESSINGBY PARK RANGERS A

The white pitch markings were still drying in the September sunshine as the under 13s got their season underway at St. Mark’s Park on Sunday morning.

We had high hopes for this campaign after finishing so strongly last time out. But the referee’s whistle was still reverberating across the pitch when the visitors had the ball in our net. Surely this would spark the Dragons into action. Alas not. The second minute saw BPR find the net again, this time from a corner. And after 9 minutes the home side were 4 nil down due to some shocking defending and basic errors. It was like our boys were still on holiday. They looked nothing like the well-drilled team that had impressed in the run-in last term.

It was now 5 nil to Bessingby. Drastic measures were called for and 3 substitutions were swiftly made. But surely it was a case of damage limitation as the game looked surely to be lost. The changes had immediate effect. The Dragons started to play and take control of the midfield. The change in personnel had brought some bite and fight to the team. The Dragons were denied a blatant penalty when Rudi’s standing foot was taken away from under him in the box and the Dragons looked like the better team for the first time in the match. It wasn’t long before we made the pressure count as Waleed slotted home from a cross by Felix.

The Dragons didn’t want the half-time whistle to come, they’d finally found their feet and the opposition were rocking. At the break the coach pointed out that we were now the better team and that it wasn’t impossible to get ourselves back into this game and even win it if we continued playing the way we were. But how many really believed him?

The second period resumed as the first had ended with the Dragons looking like the team more likely to add to their goal tally and after 8 minutes they were awarded a penalty. Waleed dusted himself down and converted the spot kick for his second and the fight back was on. The home team battled hard and mounted wave after wave of attack. Enrique made a couple of vital saves and when Felix and Aziz netted to make it 4-5 we wondered if this could actually be possible. The Dragons were awarded a corner and Karim, who had put in a commanding performance at centre back made his way forward. The ball was whipped across the goal and Karim’s head sent it soaring into the net. 5 -5. The Dragons celebrated the equalizer then in the dying minutes Bessingby were awarded a free-kick just on the edge of our box. Surely the footballing gods couldn’t be this cruel. The shot flew over the wall but Enrique parried it away and the final whistle brought the game to an end.

It was a 5 all draw but it felt more like a win. There were some amazing performances (if you don’t count the first 15 minutes) and a lot of very tired Dragons but we must make a note not to give teams a 5 nil lead, even though it did make for an incredibly entertaining match.

KENSINGTON DRAGONS  4  V  3 PRINCESS PARK

The under 12s had had to wait a while to put their defeat last time out behind them because of a cancelled fixture and the Easter break.

Surely with their bellies full of chocolate eggs they would produce a sugar induced, hyper-energetic display against a team they beat by the narrowest of margins on the first day of the season, back in September.

The Dragons are an improved team now compared to the one that started the season and we had high hopes that this could be a chance to not only take 3 points but to make a positive impact on our goal difference column.

However the home team were missing players in key positions and were forced to make significant changes to a team that had been dominating matches in recent weeks. The coaches had also noticed that the normally high performance levels in training had dropped off recently and were concerned that we might be taking this game too lightly. And they were warned of this before kick off.

The game got under way and it was clear from the outset that Princess Park were up for a game, they made a lot of the early running while the Dragons personnel adapted to their unfamiliar positions.

Everything came through the middle from the visitors, almost as if they knew we were without the backbone of our team. That seemed to be their strategy. They were tenacious and industrious and what they lacked in tactical variation they more than made up for in gutsy endeavour.

But it was the Dragons who struck first. Joe showing strength and composure on the ball before picking out Sidney to slot past the keeper for 1 nil.

The game was now being fought out in a compressed middle third with the away team’s midfield swarming like angry bees around the ball until it was poked out of the tangle of players, for their spikey number nine to chase towards goal. One such break lead to a free kick being awarded the result of which sailed over Enrique’s head into the net. One all.

The Dragons had numerous chances to add to their tally but it seemed our strikers had left their shooting boots at home today as chance after chance zipped wide of the opposition goal, was smothered by the keeper or grazed the woodwork. It was hard to believe that this was the team sitting just one place off the bottom of the league, having lost 12 of their 17 matches. Maybe they were just really fired up against us? They made their pressure count with another goal, this time from a corner.

But the Dragons weren’t about to roll over and they worked tirelessly to wrestle hold of the midfield and get the ball out to the wide areas where there was space to be exploited.

Karim was also playing well as the only recognized centre back, covering and clearing the ball on numerous occasions.

Finally the Dragons carved open the opposition and provided an end product. Driving in from the left of the box a Dragon attack created havoc in the opposing goalmouth and Aziz restored parity at the break.

As the second half began Lorik was released in an attacking role up front. He repaid the faith shown in him with a great finish, his first goal for the Dragons. 3-2. And it wasn’t long before Joe made it 4-2 with a great solo break down the left, driving into the box and coolly finishing.

A late corner for Princess Park had the desired effect from their point of view and the visitors pulled a goal back. There was a nervy last 10 minutes but the Dragons held on for the win.

Not our best performance of the season but it was hard fought and satisfying none the less.