All are encouraged to watch the Dragons Adults in their second Cup Final this Wednesday evening, 17 April, at 7.30pm at Feltham FC, The Orchard, Hatton Road, Bedfont TW14 9QT.
The sun shone too late for some:
The U11’s beat Parkfield 3-2 away. With not having played for weeks and with only 9 players this match was a huge mountain for the Dragons to climb. They started brightly however creating chances within minutes. Parkfield found it hard to break them down but used their 2 man advantage to create opportunities and were gifted an own goal from a strong corner. From the restart the Dragons put the pressure on and within minutes some great play down the right lead to a lob into the top left of Parkfield’s goal. Parkfield responded to lead at the half. As the second half started all knew that the next goal would be the most important and so it proved. A Parkfield attack broke down and the Dragons were off; a killer through ball straight between Parkfield’s central defenders opened up for the Dragons pacey striker to slot past the keeper to equalize. The Dragons were now on top and the winning goal came from some hard midfield work feeding the Dragons clinical striker for his second. With ten minutes to go Parkfield’s 2 man advantage began to show but the Dragons stand-in goalie made one stop with his leg and tipped another just round the post to hang on for the 3 points. A big well done to all.
The U13’s lost 0-5 to Hayes&Yeading. A force 10 gale greeted the Dragons on arrival and playing against the wind they quickly found themselves 0-3 down. As the half progressed the Dragons adapted and got more into the game but just before half time they received a hammer blow as H&Y made a run from halfway to unleash a rocket shot into the Dragons goal. After the break, with the wind in their favour, the Dragons hoped to pull back the four goal deficit but whilst they created chances they were unable to make them pay. Finally as the Dragons pushed their midfield forward their defence was left exposed and was caught on a counter attack to concede a fifth and last goal.
The U14 Eagles beat Kodak 7-0 away in a game of two halves. As the Siberian wind swept westwards the Eagles floundered, directionless, incapable of finding goal; or indeed the pitch which they had only located minutes before KO. Despite starting brightly to score crisply after 10 minutes, the ill chills of a sombre Sunday soon began spreading their gloom. Kodak laboured, their support harangued, their coaches moaned and soon the Dragons shoulders sagged. It’s the break that makes great managers and for the Dragons the sun began to shine. With spirits restored the Eagles spread their wings and the second half was theirs as they pulled ahead to four up before the sudden, welcome warmth began to slow them down. Shots were missed, passes skewed, but for once it didn’t matter. Kodak, still shrouded in clouds of displeasure from their unhappy management, had ceased to play. And three Dragons goals later so, thankfully, had we. To quote the Dragons Manager: ” There are many ways to lose. But play with your heads up and your hearts out, as we do now, and you’ll win. Whatever the score.”
The U14 Nighthawks match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
The U15’s match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
The U17’s match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
The Firsts beat NPL 2-1 on Wednesday in the Middlesex Cup as previously reported.
The Firsts lost 2 v 3 to ICOB in the League. Still in good spirits from their mid-week cup win it was down to the Dragons to pursue the season’s main objective of winning the league and promotion. A sloppy start had them a goal behind in the first ten minutes. A lack of quality in the wet on a soggy pitch stopped any kind of rhythm. It took two corners to drag the Dragons back into the game to lead at half-time. The second half was unfortunately more of the same with little testing of ICOB’s goalkeeper from open play which proved to be to the Dragons detriment as another two really bad errors would give ICOB their only real attacks of the second-half but both times they scored. The Dragons now have to refocus to ensure promotion.
The Reserve’s match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.