We had a very sad occurrence this week. One of our Under 16 Boys players, Junayd, returned home on Sunday after having played brilliantly in a brilliant match in the very best of spirits but later collapsed in the shower and passed away. It appears he may have had an undiscovered heart defect. He was a lovely boy and much-loved son of Tash, a player in our first ever team back in the 2002/3 season. A terrible shock for all his family, friends, and the club. May he rest in peace.
In terms of results:
The Firsts just lost 0-1 away at Larkspur Rovers. This was a closely fought game that was ultimately determined by the finest margins. Larkspur is a team the Firsts know they can beat – and have in fact bettered teams higher in the League this year – but must relocate their rhythm. Four home games on the bounce for the Dragons should be the perfect platform to do so.
The Blues beat Old Isleworthians 9-2 at home at the Den. An 11 goal thriller that saw the Blues not just extend their unbeaten run in the League, but also their goal difference as they climbed higher in the table. Contrary to the Firsts, four away games on the bounce may define their season as the run into Xmas begins.
The Old Dragonians narrowly lost 2-3 at home to Grove Park Rangers in the Division Two Cup. A tough pill to swallow for the Old Ds who came so close. GPR are currently top of the League and trounced the Dragons before – but they are not unbeatable. Everyone knows a Cup game is a different story and despite the end result, the Dragons battled hard across the pitch.
The U18 Boys beat Brent Schools 9-3 away. A much better performance than the last. The Dragons generated lots of chances and lots of goals with a more collective effort from a small but invigorated match day squad. A new bar has been raised where commitment and loyalty are paramount.
The U17 Boys played marvellously to secure a 2-2 draw with Pitshanger at home in the most exciting of matches. Pitshanger scored first, the Dragons equalised, Pitshanger scored again and again the Dragons equalised. It was then a hard fought, competitive match with both sides eager to score the winner. The result could have gone either way. The Dragons probably had the best of the opportunities but it was a close judgement. Fans from both sides got their money’s worth.
The U16 Boys thumped Pro FA 12-0 away. A resounding, clinical and most memorable victory which Junayd thoroughly enjoyed.
The U15 Boys Red just lost 2-3 at home to Spartans. The Dragons were well prepared and well set-up for the contest, as they aimed to inflict a first defeat in the League on Spartans. The Dragons showed what they are capable of across periods of the game but couldn’t keep the Spartans at bay.
The U15 Boys White beat Larkspur Rovers 6-2 away. A good win for the Dragons on the road. They played sharp, attacking football and put enough daylight between themselves and Larkspur that conceding two goals ultimately had no effect on the outcome.
The U14 Boys lost 4-6 away at Wealdstone. Annoyingly for the Dragons there are two sets of Wealdstone squads in the League, which means at least four contests and at least two trips out to the fringes of West London. On this occasion they didn’t come back singing, but can take good positives from the match.
The U13 Boys drew 4-4 to CS Rangers at home. After a two week break, it was clear the Dragons were still finding their feet and a slow start saw them go into half-time 1-2 down. A firm half-time talk clearly did the trick, as the Dragons came out fighting, adding three more goals to secure a thrilling point in a 4–4 draw. Not quite the result they wanted, but the Dragons showed great determination and fighting spirit.
The U12 Boys did not play.
The U11 Boys Red drew 2-2 to Hendon at home. The Coaches are really proud of how all the Dragons gelled and played as a team. They moved the ball well, moved and followed shape without possession, and made good decisions throughout. The Dragons had great attempts to snatch victory but Hendon held on to the draw.
There were no Youth Girls games as they took a break for half term.
