This was mostly a good week with the Firsts, and indeed all the Senior teams, leading the way:
On Tuesday the Firsts beat Colliers Wood away on penalties, after drawing 1-1 at full time, in the Cup. The biggest challenge was assembling in Colliers Wood where few Dragons have set foot before. Once there they resolutely battled away to be level at the final whistle and then it was on to penalties which hitherto have been the Dragons Achilles heel. Not on this Tuesday evening however!
On Saturday the Firsts beat Stonewall 1-0 at home. Another hard-fought game with both teams going head-to-head on a soggy pitch. The Dragons did enough to get the three points, and keep a clean sheet, in a crucial table match up.
The Blues beat Goan United away on penalties in the Quarter Final of the Division Cup. After ending normal time level on 2-2, the Dragons steel was put to the test in a spotkick showdown. To the roar of travelling fans the Dragons bested Goan 3-2.
The Old Dragonians beat WOW RDM 4-0 away. After scoring in the first minute, it looked like it would be an easy morning’s work for the Old Ds but the rest of the half was scrappy. The Dragons at half time realised they needed to play their own style of football and a reset saw them add a further three goals and keep a clean sheet to claim the win.
The new U11 Girls beat Alexandra Park 5-1 away. There were many positives to take from this game for the Dragons who played very well. New additions to the squad are gelling well and the results will keep coming.
The U13 Girls beat Alexandra Park 9-0 at home. A huge win for the Dragons whose three hat tricks puts a mile between them and AP as they worked solidly defensively to mark a clean sheet.
The U14 Girls beat Player First 5-1 away in the Quarter Final of the Cup. Despite going behind in the first 20 mins, and with a heavily depleted team, it looked like the tie was going to slip away from the Dragons. Amazingly, the Dragons did not take no for an answer and went on to smash in five goals without conceding again. Something to be very proud of!
The U15 Girls had no game.
The U16 Girls drew 1-1 away at Wealdstone. A depleted Dragons team took to the field with 10 players against last season’s Champions. Yet, the Dragons were immense and took the lead with a textbook goal, bringing the ball through the thirds with their first attack after 3 minutes. Wealdstone equalised on 15 minutes from a corner but apart from that the Dragons, despite their numerical disadvantage, dominated proceedings and missed several chances to win the game. Still, their best performance of the season.
The U18 Boys drew 4-4 away at Ickenham in the League Trophy. The Dragons started brightly and took the lead following a swift attack after 10 minutes. Back came Ickenham after a defensive error to level. Ickenham then went in front through another mistake. Back came the Dragons with 2 quick fire goals to lead 3-2. The Dragons then failed to clear a corner and were punished as a result and went in 3-3 at half time. Ickenham were awarded a penalty and converted to lead 4-3 but back came the Dragons to level! The Dragons were the better side and in the ascendency but failed to convert 3 gilt-edged chances to win the game. Ickenham were fortunate to grab a draw.
The U17 Boys beat title contenders Pro FA 5-4 away in the most entertaining of matches. Pro FA assumed a win and were not surprised to pull two goals ahead. Even the stoutest Dragon fan thought “….!!! here we go” fearing a wobble. The Dragons players however thrust all such thoughts aside and pounded uphill, through the sticky mud, to draw level and then to rapturous applause score the winner. Pro FA were shell-shocked and did not respond with the decorum one would hope for – rather they engineered a full scale fracas with their supporters invading the pitch. One could almost say that the Dragons stayed calm and collected throughout.
The U16 Boys lost at home to Singh Sabha. The Dragons had a tough game against an unbeaten top of the League side. Again with a reduced squad, the Dragons fought hard but were no match for the constant fresh legs of the opposition who deployed their full bench. On a positive note, the Dragons did score the goal of the game.
The U15 Boys lost at home to TAP. The Dragons regroup to go again. The wonderful thing about football is that, despite the very normal wobble a team may have, there is always another game to look forward to.
The U14 Boys beat Belmont Bees 3-1 at home in the tightest of matches. This was probably the toughest game for the Dragons so far this season. The eventual score gives the impression that it was a comfortable win but it was anything but. The Dragons eventually won because they are an excellent team and they put in an excellent performance.
The U13 Boys drew 4-4 at home to Pro FA. A game that lacked quality from both teams even though the scoreline suggests a thriller. Intense pressure from the away dugout perhaps influenced the referee to award the away side a dubious late penalty and deny a home win.
The U12 Boys Red beat Harrow St Marys 4-2 away. What a nail biter of a game, from taking the lead first to losing it by half time. The Dragons then made it level just at the start of the second half, and finished the job with two late goals, sealing the win.
The U12 Boys White lost 0-1 away at Larkspur. A closely fought game that on another day the Dragons may have come out victorious.
The new U11 Boys lost 1-2 away at London Eagles. The Dragons lost despite scoring first. Late on, they rallied and searched high and low for an equaliser, but just couldn’t get past the Eagles’ keeper.
The U10 Boys trained.