Results W/E 24th March 2024
Finally, some good weather at a weekend:
The Firsts beat Camden Utd 2-1 at home. This was a great result for the Dragons who were reduced to 10 men for most of the match – their striker having been retired to the side lines for being naughtier than absolutely necessary. The Dragons led 2-0 before Camden scored to leave the 10 doughty Dragons defending a slender one goal lead. A casual observer however would have assumed that the Dragons had their full complement because they continued to attack Camden’s end as they saw the match out to a triumphant conclusion.
The Blues just lost 4-5 away to Bessingby Park. The Dragons went 1-0 up at the start but over confidence lead to their being 1-4 down before a stern talking to at half time lead to a resurgence. It was 4-4 when, five minutes from the end, Bessingbly scored the controversial winning goal with the referee ignoring the offside flag. Still, it was an entertaining match.
The ODs beat Harrow Hive 3-1 away extending their unbeaten run to 5, with 4 wins and a draw. The Dragons opened the scoring, with a deft flick from OD’s forward on his debut. Harrow then equalised and it was all square at half time. In the second half the Dragons regained the lead from a corner with their centre-half rising above all to head in from close range. The win was sealed with a shot from the edge of the box by a marauding Dragons midfielder hunting down a loose pass.
The U14 Girls beat Barnet Nightingales 1-0 away in a tense league match. The two teams are due to meet in the Semi Finals of the Cup so that will no doubt be similarly tense affair.
There were no other Girls’ matches.
The U11 Boys were awarded their match as London Eagles could not raise a team
The U12 Boys Reds beat London Athletic 4-1 in the League Trophy at home. This was a dominant display from a confident Dragons team that took their chances in front of goal and a showed intelligence in defence.
The U12 Boys Whites drew 3-3 with Brook House away. It is better to win but in reality this new Dragons team has had an excellent first season and a draw away from home is a victory of sorts.
The U13 Boys beat Pro FA 2-0 at home. The Dragons have also had an excellent season and this win will surely secure them promotion as their league matches near the end. The Dragons was especially pleased to have their former goalie to cheer them on on his visit from Madrid.
The U14 Boys had no match.
The U15 Boys beat Southall Athletic 6-2 away in the League Trophy. The Dragons were on a 3-match winning streak as they went into this cup tie full of confidence. They put on yet another fantastic performance to secure the resounding win. They have now scored 19 goals in the last 4 matches.
The U16 Boys just lost 2-3 to Hendon at home. This was a generally competitive, close fought match. Probably the best football was the superb scoring free kick taken by the Dragons captain. As the match neared the end, with the score 2-2, Hendon scrambled the winning goal to their obvious delight. Hendon were probably a little over excited and the Dragons a little under excited – not a great combination. The Dragons have the makings of a great team but they are not there yet.
The U17 Boys drew 2-2 with Harrow Utd at home. The Dragons were still recovering from their string of postponed matches in the first half and, before one could think of encouraging exhortations, they were 0-2 down. The second half was altogether a different affair. The Dragons dominated to score via a deserved penalty before disaster struck – their defender was slight naughty and retired from the match. With only minutes to go, and with only 10 players, the Dragons stepped up a footballing gear to score the vital goal. Harrow will now finish below the Dragons in the Division.
The U18 Boys drew 1-1 away at full time but then lost on penalties against Ickenham in a dramatic Play Off for the second place in the League. There is a history of high tension between the clubs and the Dragons coach did an excellent job in setting a disciplined tone ahead of the match. Whilst the Dragons dominated possession in the first half, and had many more chances than Ickenham, they left it too late to score and then lost on penalties.
The U10 Boys trained.