Finally the youth teams have joined the Senior teams to get the season on the way:
The Firsts beat Stonewall 3-0 at home in the Premiership League Cup. The Dragons controlled the game from the beginning and there was never a time when they looked as if they could lose. There is a long way to go so one must be careful not to be overexcited but certainly a 3-0 solid win, over an experienced side, is potentially a harbinger of a successful season
The Blues lost to Ickenham away. This was a case of first game Blues – they were out of sorts, wet, cold and not at the races. A lot is expected this season as the team has a great mix of exciting youth and experience. It’s true to report that the conceded goals were gifts from the Blues and not as a result of great play from the top of the table opposition. As the coach said “There’s always a game next week “so onwards an upwards.
The Old Dragonians lost 2-5 to Willesden away. The Dragons quickly went down 0-1 early on, from a 30-yard free kick, before levelling from a corner stunningly volleyed in for a goal. Willesden went 3-1 up before the Dragons clawed their way back into the game with a pinpoint free kick to cut open Willesden’s defence. The match was on a knife edge and the Dragons would have levelled were it not for Willesden’s keeper producing an outstanding close range save. As the Dragons pushed forward looking for the equaliser, Willesden capitalised scoring 2 late goals on the counterattack. The season will be a marathon, not a sprint.
The U18 Boys just lost 3-4 away to ProFA in the Premiership. The Dragons are a talented group who have yet to properly meld together as a team – hardly surprising as this was their first match. Nevertheless they were unlucky to lose
The U16 Boys beat Elite London 4-3 at home. This was not a match for the faint of heart, the Dragons rallied from a 3-2 deficit with 15 minutes to play to win 4-3. An incredible one touch strike from the Dragons made it 3 – 3 and then a final Dragons goal proved the winner. The Manager said “Plenty to work on but great perseverance to pull out the win”.
The U16 Girls Beat Ashford Town 6-5 at home. The Dragons showed huge spirit to take on Ashford without a recognised keeper. Ashford assumed they would win when they drew ahead 5-4 but the Dragons clawed back to 5-5 and then, almost at the last gasp, thumped in the winning goal. What a performance!
The U15 Boys won as their opposition could not field a team
The U14 Boys lost 2-5 against Football Samurai at home in their first match. The match started well but the Dragons were caught off-guard early by a speedy, Samurai striker; and then shortly after, a mix up between the Dragons goalie and defence allowed Samurai to strike again. The Dragons fought back with goals from newcomers: the first from a great run and accurate slot into the back of the net; the second – an amazing free kick into the top corner. It was 2:2 going into the second half, against a ten-man opposition, and it should have been only a matter of time before the Dragons won. Alas their shape faltered and, whether due to fatigue or lack of match experience, the disciplined Samurai team bypassed the Dragons flagging midfield to cut through and score – more times than they should have
The U14 Girls beat Hearts of Midlothian 4-0 on the Scrubs. There was much excitement at the onset with negotiations failing to unravel which pitch had been allocated for the match,. The Dragons payers however kept focused to control the match and win decisively
The U13 Boys lost 2-4 at home to Brook House. It took the first half for the Dragons to find their footballing feet in their first 11 a side match and so were 1-4 down at the break. The second half was a different affair which the Dragons won 1-0. As the Dragons coach told the press corps: “The boys were brilliant today, despite the result. They gave everything and if we keep playing like we did in the second half we will see the good results following.”
The U13 Girls lost at home 1-4 against Barnet Nightingales. The Dragons held the ball well to gain 4 corners in the first 15 minutes whilst their stand in goalie made some fantastic saves. The Dragons again created goal scoring opportunities but somehow it was Barnet who scored. Great team work from the Dragons
The U12 Girls Lost 0-3 against Barnet Nightingales in their first match. There is a long way to go so all to play for
The U12 Boys lost against London Athletic 0-4 away. The Dragons were missing key players but it was probably more of a matter of getting accustomed to the rigours of playing an a higher league that proved their temporary downfall. They will have no difficulty adjusting in the coming weeks.
The U11 Boys had no match
The U11 Girls had no match
The U10s trained before playing a friendly against the U11 Boys.