There are rays of footballing sunshine peeking through not entirely tremendous result clouds but the sooner they come the better:
The New U11 Boys, not surprisingly, lost away to Ruislip Rangers in their first ever match. Even the most ardent Dragons fan would find it difficult to praise their performance in the first quarter. By the last 15 minutes however it was a wholly different story – the Dragons had come to terms with the demands of a serious football match where tiny differences can lead to huge goal differences. The Dragons need to take on board that “A fit Dragon is a Good Dragon”. This was a very credible first effort against a side who have been playing together for years.
The New U11 Girls had no match so trained with their squad, gathering numbers. There a few spaces left for any girls who want to play football.
The U12 Boys lost away to the Eagles. The Dragons were rather hampered by some key players missing.
The U12 Girls lost 1-3 to Ruislip Rangers in their first home game. The first half saw a rather slow Dragons start, allowing Rangers to score 3 times. The second half saw the Dragons take control and it became very exciting with a great Dragons goal. The joyous excitement was short lived however as the Dragons could not score again, but they did stop Rangers from similarly scoring.
The U13 Boys lost at home to TFA Bushey. The match did not start well for the Dragons as they conceded an early goal. Despite this early set back the Dragons managed to slowly get back into the game but were not able to find Bushey’s goal. Finally, after conceding yet more goals the Dragons woke up and by half time had scored. In the 2nd half Bushey rather ran away with the game, but the Dragons managed to score a further goal. Their Manager was quoted as saying “overall it wasn’t a good day for the boys”.
The U14 Boys drew 3-3 against Wealdstone at home. A first half penalty and three incredible saves from the Dragons goalie lead to a 1 – 0 Dragons half time lead. The second half turned into a back and forth drama with the Dragons taking 2 – 1 and 3 -2 leads, after a hat trick from a signing. With just 10 mins to go, the referee ignored the assistant referee’s clear offside call and allowed Wealdstone’s equaliser to stand. A disappointing end but a sign of good things to come as the Dragons held their own against one of the top teams in the division.
The U14 Girls lost 2-4 away against Sporting Duet. The Dragons are essentially a new team as they get to know one another, whilst having the advantage of good coaching. The first half saw Sporting Duet score twice, but a long range shot from the Dragons took them to 1-2 and then at the end 2-4 after another superb Dragons goal. The Dragons are bonding really well and working extremely hard so they are certain they will improve.
The U16s lost 1-4 at home in the Cup against Brentham Colts. The Dragons started well and dominated in the 1st half but disappeared in the 2nd to lose. This continues to be the worse start to any season. If the Dragons could play like they did in the first half they would have a decent chance against the best teams.
The U17s Reds had no match
The U17 Whites lost away 1-4 to Pittshanger in the League Cup. This was an opportunity to shuffle the Dragons pack, try a few different things and give game time to new players. If the Dragons had converted a penalty at 1-3 the match would have taken on a completely different complexion. But with no goalkeeper and half the back four missing it was always going to be big ask.
The Firsts lost to Indian Gymkhana at home. Gymkhana started with a high level of commitment and were well organised, attacking the Dragons goal with passion and determination. Two quick 2 goals opened up the game forcing the Dragons to open up leaving their defence exposed. The Dragons made a few changes at half time and took control of the game to risk all and attack; unfortunately, their defence could not stop 3 Gymkhana successful counter attacks. As the philosophically minded manager said: “Football life goes on and we need to react quickly to improve our performance”.
The Reserves drew 2-2 away with Stonewall. This was a good performance from the Dragons. The Dragons were let down from 2 individual defensive mistakes to concede twice but showed character coming back from behind each time to draw
The U10s trained as they prepare to be entered in the League