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What a weekend! As Dragon veterans know it takes a huge amount work each week getting the pitches, fixtures, referees appointed etc sorted out. For a whole host of unrelated reasons this last weekend turned out to be a bit of a shocker but all obstacles were eventually overcome and the matches played:
The Firsts lost 1-2 away at Camden Youth. A hard fought game for the Dragons against a good Camden team in the top three. Unfortunately, the Dragons took too long to get started and then spent most of the second half trying to get the equaliser.
The Blues were beaten by Hillingdon Abbots 1-4 at home. It was not a good day for the Blues although not entirely their own fault. After waiting for the referee to arrive, the players got chilly, despite their best efforts to keep warm, and didn’t get into the game once the whistle finally sounded to begin.
The Old Dragonians lost 2-6 to Brentford Town at home. The game was in the balance for most of the first half. However, having just equalised an early Brentford goal, the game was decided in the 10 minutes before halftime with the Old Ds conceding twice from a pen and free kick. The Dragons battled in the second period but struggled to control the game. Despite the loss, the moment of the match was produced by an ODs sub who dribbled from the half line to unleash a blistering shot from 25 yards.
The U15 Girls beat Ealing Trailfinders 9-0 away in the Quarter Final of the Cup. They came, they saw, they conquered. Goal after goal hit the Trailfinders net and by half time they led 7-0 with progression to the Semi Finals guaranteed. A drop in intensity only saw 2 further goals to complete the win. This was a truly fantastic performance from the squad and certainly warmed the very happy Dragons support on a freezing day.
The U13 Girls drew 3-3 at home to Alexandra Park. A great game for the Dragons on home turf where they could have grabbed all three points but will be satisfied enough with the one. The squad is showing improvement every week.
The U11 Girls lost to Whetstone Wanderers away in the Cup. The Dragons played very well considering it was the first time they had played 30 minute halves. WW went three goals up and refused to relent. The Dragons fought on to the valiant end.
The U14 Girls, U16 Girls and U18 Girls had no games.
The U18 Boys lost 1-4 to Ickenham away. The Dragons made the long journey to Buckinghamshire for the second consecutive week. An unsympathetic referee made the team play without warming up, with their keeper still stuck on a delayed train. The Dragons were two nil down by the time the keeper arrived and then immediately pulled a goal back. The second half was end to end and the Dragons just could not breach the Ickenham defence. With 10 minutes to go, the Dragons were undone by 2 set piece goals when their centre back was off the pitch.
The U17 Boys lost 1-4 at home to North London Stars. NLS are a good team but the Dragons are more than capable of matching them on a good day. On this particular Sunday, injuries and illness combined to blunt the Dragons attacking moves which were then handled by the very capable NLS defence. The set backs nibbled away at the Dragons confidence and the match slipped away. There will be many twists to come this season so there will be more opportunities ahead.
The U16 Boys were awarded an automatic away win to Pinnstars who forfeited the game.
The U15 Boys lost at home to St Lawrence. In a difficult fixture for the Dragons, there was much to take away from the game for the Dragons to keep learning from. It has been a hard season so far but, as with the nature of football, tides can turn in a single moment.
The U14 Boys romped to an 8-1 win against London Athletic away. The LAs are a pleasant team and their appointed referee was balanced and fair. On this occasion however the Dragons were just very much better. What really killed it for the LAs was that the Dragons defence was impermeable. Every time the LAs made a break towards the Dragons goal they were stopped in their tracks. The Dragons’ goalie was hardly troubled and, when he was, he did superbly. It is not so difficult scoring goals when one’s attackers are sitting on a rocklike defence and that is what happened – eight times.
The U13 Boys had no game.
The U12 Boys Red lost 2-4 to Panthera away in the Middlesex FA Trophy. The Dragons gained the lead early from a wonderful strike and finished the first half up 2-1. The Cup tie was theirs to lose which sadly, due to a very determined Panthera side, is what happened.
The U12 Boys Whites lost 2-3 at home to Larkspur Rovers. It was an important home game to try not to lose for the Dragons. Despite playing well in periods, scoring and keeping in the contest, Larkspur left triumphant. With a couple of games in hand, the Dragons know that converting these into wins will see them regain their title fight.
The U11 Boys drew 1-1 to North London Stars at home. The Dragons faced off against the NLS for an extremely evenly matched game. After scoring first early in the first half, the Dragons then lost the lead to a, perhaps undeserved, penalty awarded to their opponents. The Dragons fought to recover the lead in the second half, but the final whistle came too soon. Still a much improved performance against NLS where the prior meeting ended in a 2-5 loss. The team is making progress!
The U10 Boys trained.