Testimonial Day a success as the old boys meet current crop
Hounslow Wanderers 6 - 2 Hounslow Wanderers 2001
Match reports to follow...
Talking ‘bout My Generation Sports
Hounslow Wanderers 5 - 0 My Generation
Conquest Club 13th September 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Sandro / Casse / Nathan / Robbie / Dal / Howard / Harmeet / Sachin / Wayne(Spencer) / TJ (Dominic) / Jas (c) (Ed)
Man of the Match 1. Robbie 2. Jas / Harmeet
Scorers: Robbie, Jas (3), TJ
Any team with serious ambitions of a top two finish hope to ‘cause a big sensation’ on the opening day of the season (The Who, anyone?)… Hounslow Wanderers did it in style sending out a strong message of intent to the rest of the league. Everyone in the squad had heard that My Generation Sports (formerly Harrow Club) had been promoted two divisions after a very successful and high scoring season, but after our last two warm up games against division three sides we knew they hadn’t exactly been playing the best teams. They would be full of confidence but it was up to us to ‘welcome them’ into a higher level of competition and try to end their unbeaten record.
The game kicked off after a Champion’s League-style handshake marathon (minus the music and mascots – maybe next week?) and both teams started brightly. The first ten minutes were pretty even but then we began to play the football we’ve been working on all pre-season. After good work down the right wing a square ball found Jas unmarked in the middle of the area. Uncharacteristically he dragged the side-footed effort wide, but our captain was just warming up for what was to be a busy afternoon. The Wanderers team started to break down the opposition’s very flat defence at will with neat one and two touch moves, at the same time our centre-backs dealt easily with their attempts to hit lofted ‘killer’ passes through the middle.
As My Generation Sports began to get frustrated they started giving away free kicks. We were awarded a direct free kick 25 yards out and slightly to the right. Straight away Jas, Dal, Wayne, Harmeet and Howard all looked interested but the call came from the sidelines to send Robbie forward to take it. He looked over as if to say “who, me?” and then jogged up the pitch to break the bad news to the forwards. Robbie’s first effort was struck well but at the wall; the follow up hit a defender’s arm and landed at Jas’ feet. He swivelled and buried it but the whistle had already gone for the handball. Robbie stepped up again and caught it well with bend, this time the shot bounced just before it reached the keeper and their number one misjudged the flight of the ball letting it through his hands. A goal on an impressive debut for the man of the match. If we can add more goals from free kicks this year teams will be scared to tackle us around the area and we will profit.
Hounslow would have broken the deadlock earlier if it had not have been for their flag happy linesman. The referee, who had a good game, began to notice that not all of his ‘assistant’s’ decisions were entirely accurate and began to make the offside calls himself from this point on. Soon after we broke free from their high line, the flag went straight up and the opposition stopped… TJ and Jas didn’t. Jas ended up tapping the ball in on the line with no one within 20 yards of him. The referee had ignored the flag and the goal stood to leave us two up at the break. At half time Vip and Saj challenged the team to keep a clean sheet and add more goals in the second half; we didn’t disappoint them. As we kicked off Harmeet and Howard were involved in the move of the match that ended up with Wayne blasting over, but we kept on creating chances and the opposition’s hopes of a result began to f-f-fade away. Thomas John, who had earlier had a goal ruled out, ran through the middle, survived a tight offside call and coolly rounded the keeper before neatly finishing with his right foot. After good work in pre-season TJ was arguably having his best game for the first team so far.
The very talkative My Generation Sports team began arguing and contributed to their downfall when they changed linesman, their manager flagged for offside on a throw-in and the referee immediately lost confidence in him. Wanderers then received the benefit of the doubt over another close call; Jas went clean through and rounded the keeper. As he did the goalie pulled him down, a straight red for the luckless keeper and Jas confidently converted the resulting penalty. The captain then completed his hat trick from the inside left position slotting it through the stand-in keeper’s legs. You could hear from the sidelines that he had called it first… pure class! We’ll have to try and get a copy of the tape. After his multi-award winning 2006-7 season it is difficult for Jas to win man of the match votes because of the high standards he has set himself. Our top scorer might have edged the voting had he not picked up an unnecessary yellow for kicking the ball after the whistle had gone but he played well, gave everything and led by example.
My Generation Sports had their most dangerous spell of the game in the last ten minutes hitting the woodwork as Hounslow lost shape and took their foot off the gas. However they failed to get a consolation goal meaning Wanderers go top on goal difference. It’s North Greenford next week and that should prove to be a better test of how far we’ve come since last season. Like Theo Walcott in his interview after the international hat trick in mid-week, we won’t get carried away with our early success but we will be very confident for our upcoming games.
DN
Sangha makes his 100th League appearence for the wanderers as they gain sweet revenge
Hounslow Wanderers 1 - 0 North Greenford Social Utd
Conquest Club 20th September 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Sharma / Casse / Nathan / Robbie / Dal / Howard / Raman / Sachin (Alan) / Wayne / TJ (Ed) / Jas (c)
Man of the Match: 1. Nathan 2. Robbie
Scorers: Howard
Hounslow Wanderers played North Greenford on the last day of the 2007-8 season at CB’s ground, with only three first team regulars available we got humiliated 11-0. Greenford had thought they could get promoted and turned up with a suspiciously strong and very different team to the one we had played earlier that season… A lot has changed since then!
Vip sent out the same team that thrashed My Generation last week with two exceptions, Sharma taking over in goal and Raman replacing the injured Harmeet. It took ten minutes for both sides to get settled but then Hounslow began where they had left off last week, creating multiple openings and getting in good positions regularly. Greenford are a decent team with a few good players but they opted to hit the ball over the top for most of their attacks. If they had sent someone to watch us last week they would have realised that our centre backs are in good form and can deal with these hopeful passes with ease. Nathan and Robbie deservedly picked up the majority of the man of the match votes and now we are the only team yet to concede a goal… Same again next week boys! Greenford might have created more had they played it to their useful looking number eleven on the left wing but they persisted with long balls throughout most of the game.
The home team kept trying to create and with the pressure building on the opposition defence Jas had a half chance from Dal’s in swinging corner. TJ and Wayne also made several good runs into the penalty area. Our attacking players looked unable to get a shot away each time they found themselves in strong positions, next week we can work on being a little less reluctant to shoot, at times it was just like watching Arsenal in many ways. This fixture always feels like a proper derby game to me, especially after the hotly contested matches in the 2006/7 season. As a result it was never going to be easy to win the ball in the middle of the pitch, but we were holding our own. Raman stole the ball in midfield, played it to Jas and sprinted forwards. With memories of his brace in the 3-2 win at Dormers Wells (including a late left-footed winner from outside the area that went in off the crossbar) Raman wanted to punish them again. Jas played him in with a tidy return and the shot looked on, but instead he took a heavy touch and the opportunity had gone. There were further chances for Howard who just failed to get the right connection on the ball and a lobbed effort from Jas that went just wide. It finished goal-less at half time.
Their manager wasn’t happy and raised his voice enough for some of us to hear his half-time team talk. He wanted them to kick us to try and stop our free-flowing passing. As the second half progressed plenty of near the knuckle challenges flew in from the away team, their number seven even took a swipe at one of our player’s legs off the ball. He escaped without punishment; the referee didn’t even talk to him. If Wanderers had been similar to Arsenal earlier in the game Greenford now had several players trying to tackle like Joey Barton or Kevin Davies did recently against Nasri and Clichy. Very strange that they didn’t get any yellow cards, but just like Joey Barton and Kevin Davies they ended up on the loosing team.
A nice move down the right found Wayne in the area; his first time shot was powerful and kept low towards the bottom right corner. Seemingly beaten, and with the crowd already cheering, their keeper pulled off the save of the match to deny the Wanderers’ number eight (sorry Casse). It might have been the most impressive save of the match but it wasn’t the most important. As Greenford pumped another hopeful ball forward Dal was caught slightly out of position and bundled over one of their players. Completely against the run of play they had a penalty and Dal had a yellow card. The striker stepped up and stared at the bottom left corner, he had made it a bit too obvious that he was intending to go the other way. It wasn’t the best strike and Sharma pulled off the game’s most important save to earn Hounslow a second clean sheet but the game hadn’t been won yet.
Ed came off the bench to play wide right meaning Howard could push on in a more advanced role. A tactical decision that would pay off almost immediately. The ball was hit high to Howard who was facing away from the goal with a defender very tight behind him. His first touch was perfect. With an outstretched right foot he had brought it down to his right, Howard span the other way, outpaced the defender and applied a neat finish to take control of the game. Bergkamp or Berbatov would have been proud. Wayne almost scored when he lobbed the keeper, we all celebrated again but it had gone just over. Ed made some good runs too and almost went clear through on a couple of occasions. It just proves that our squad is hungry and our bench can really make a difference to any game this season even with late withdrawals of Spencer, Harmeet and Dominic through injury.
North Greenford’s pride had been dented and they moved up a gear to search for an equaliser. They threw on their BIG guns from the bench and their best chance soon fell to their number twelve. The left winger had worked towards the by-line and pulled it back. The ball came quickly to the forward, instead of hitting it with his left across Sharma, he side footed with his right. He was aiming for the top left but could only find the side netting. Alan came on to halt their progress while Robbie and Casse calmly dealt with some testing moves from the opposition as the time ran out. The whistle went with TJ asking them how their sponsorship deal with Ginsters was working out for them. It’s true that North Greenford didn’t all look 100% match-fit, like many teams this early in the season. It’s up to us to take advantage of our good fitness preparations early on and be ready for the improvement in the opposition for next time. At times we were a bit static and looked to counter attack too quickly. We can play better but we got the job done and earned another three points.
As for what seemed to have happened at the end of last season, maybe the league could consider introducing new rules meaning you can only qualify to play in the last five games if you’ve already appeared in a certain number of games? Maybe I’ve got it wrong and North Greenford didn’t go against the spirit of the rules last season, but even if they didn’t there were other teams who looked unrecognisable in April and May when they realised that their results could mean promotion or relegation. A change in the rules could work like the old transfer deadline or the existing rules for our cup competitions. Either way these kinds of team selection won’t effect Hounslow Wanderers this season. With a stronger, better squad we’re hoping our names will already be on the promotion or league winners’ trophies long before the last game… Revenge is sweet!
DN
Jolly Good Show as Hounslow Progress
Hounslow Wanderers 3 – 2 Wilberforce Wanderers (Aet)
Conquest Club 27th September 2008
MCFL Senior Open Cup First Round
Sandro / Spencer / Nathan / Alan / Richard (Wayne) / Taran (Robbie) / Raman (c) / Ed / Dal / TJ (Sharma) / Howard
Man of the Match: 1. Raman 2. Spencer
Scorers: O.G, Howard, Wayne
After a perfect start to the league season Hounslow Wanderers played host to the very nice boys from Tufnell Park in the first round of the Senior Open Cup. With our absentee list growing Vip took the opportunity to shuffle the pack and have a good look at some of our new players in a competitive match. There were full debuts for Ed, Taran and Richard while Raman took the captain’s armband for the day. The away team came into the cup tie on the back of three wins and a draw from their previous five games, and with the dangerous Ijoma Maluza up front looking to add to his 146 goals from 152 Wilberforce appearances.
The game kicked off and Hounslow hit the ground running. The purples were stringing passes together and cutting through Wilberforce with ease, it looked like it could be a very straight forward win. Spencer started at right back, once again proving his versatility. Since our pre-season preparations began he has successfully played on both wings, at full back, up front and in goal. After a good passage of play we won a direct free kick in the same spot that Robbie had scored from on the opening day of the league campaign. Spencer had been hitting the ball well in the warm up and took the responsibility on. He drilled it powerfully, aiming for the bottom left; their number five stuck out a leg and it took a heavy deflection past the stranded keeper. It will probably go down as an own goal but Spencer’s efforts throughout the match deserved the reward. Hounslow have now scored two direct free kicks already, I think that’s two more than the whole of last season. Within minutes Howard got our second. Playing as a supporting forward he was put through with a bouncing ball from the right. As their keeper sprinted off his line Howard tried to lift the ball over him. The goalie managed to get something on it, but not enough, leaving the in-form Howard with a tap in to go with his winner last week.
We completely controlled the first twenty minutes but then our level dropped. It was supposed to be another routine Saturday at Conquest Club, another victory after dominating the opposition, another clean sheet… the only problem was that Wilberforce hadn’t read the script. Thomas John was forced off after picking up a knock on his ankle, as he departed we suddenly lost our momentum. A great run from the opposition’s Toby Kirk saw him beat two defending players before hitting a shot at full stretch while sliding, it went across Sandro from a tight angle into the bottom left corner. The team dressed as Real Betis were back in the game and got to half time very hopeful of achieving a result. Vip and Saj encouraged us to revert to our short passing style of play and not to keep trying “wonder woman” passes but we struggled to recreate our early form in the second half. It got worse before it got better as Wilberforce equalised with a soft goal from a set piece. Nathan had seen out the danger of a probing pass but was unable to prevent a corner. The resulting delivery went across the six-yard box and should’ve been cleared but ended up being poked in from close range at the back post. There were few clear cut chances for either team in the second half and the spectators turned their attention to the away side’s number fourteen. Did he look more like Gary Neville, Yossi Benayoun or John Gorman? The management made several changes in shape and personnel to try and win it in 90 minutes but the game drifted into extra time.
Wilberforce were unlucky with injuries and would be forced to play with ten men, twice in the remaining half-hour, after making all of their substitutions. One injured player even had to get a cab home before extra time began – perhaps he had given his regular chauffeur the day off? Hounslow Wanderers looked stronger and fitter in extra time despite the hot conditions and started to create again. Wayne got his first goal for the club with a tap in after poor defending from the away side. The Wilberforce right back and keeper looked favourites to get the ball but neither of them dealt with it and we claimed our winner. They didn’t offer much more but an offside decision really upset the already subbed Wilberforce number eight. Dan Taylor screamed at our bench, calling us all “cheating c***s”… what would mummy and daddy say? You could get kicked out of your tennis club for using language like that! It wasn’t a great day for him; booked for dissent, subbed, and out of the cup with a long trip home to follow. We were more scared of the shrieking Wilberforce WAG than him. Better luck next time!
Our best chances fell in the second half of extra time. Howard could have scored again after a move down the right found him unmarked in the box. Rob’s left-footed shot was weak and tired but understandable in light of the ground he had covered throughout the match. Spencer made a run from the left wing and flashed a shot across goal, while Alan could have scored from a set piece, but his shot went just wide. Naïve play could have cost us as we allowed Wilberforce one more chance to force a second equaliser in the dying seconds. We over committed for a set piece with time running out, the home team were looking for a fourth when we should have been taking the ball into the corners. One of their midfielders broke the length of the pitch before creating an opportunity that just missed the target. We probably should have conceded a cheap free kick on the half way line to prevent the run and the risk of penalties.
We didn’t play our best game but there were plenty of positives; The first twenty minutes, the versatility and strength of our squad (only Alan played the entire game in the same role), also our defence easily kept their best player out of the game. Raman put in a captain’s performance, at times swimming against the tide while trying to drag the whole team with him. Dal also impressed, he worked very hard at both ends of the pitch and didn’t let a few badly executed passes effect him. Dal kept offering and trying to create while being strong in his defensive work and tackles. Hounslow Wanderers have the squad to win trophies but we have to get it right between our ears if we want to be successful. Let’s approach each game correctly, play intelligently and respect the opposition throughout – even if we are two up and cruising minutes into a game.
DN
Ruthless Wanderers Destroy Cup Opposition
NPL Saturday Reserves 0 – 9 Hounslow Wanderers
Laboratory Grounds, Queen’s Road Teddington 4th October 2008
Middlesex County FA Junior Cup First Round
Sandro / Nathan / Alan / Robbie / Casse / Howard / Sachin (Dal) / Raman (c) / Ed / Wayne (Sharma) / Spencer
Man of the Match: 1. Casse 2. Howard
Scorers: Wayne (3), Spencer (2), Sharma (2), Casse, Howard
Hounslow Wanderers went into October looking to extend their winning run as they travelled to the picturesque Laboratory Grounds in Teddington to play NPL Saturday Reserves. Wanderers had been playing exciting football that had earned them three wins out of three in all competitions and Vip’s side hoped to progress to the second round of the Middlesex County FA Junior Cup with minimal fuss. Within minutes of the game kicking off it became obvious that NPL Saturday were there for the taking, it was only a matter of time before Hounslow would expose the lack of pace in the home defence and start to dominate their ageing forward line.
Spencer soon broke the deadlock with a confident and powerful finish from the inside right position. Right back Nathan Best had easily read an attacking move, stolen the ball from left winger he was marking and played a perfect pass to the forward. The Wanderers’ defence grew increasingly confident and all began to follow Best’s example. Man of the match Ricky Casse, playing as left back, won an important header following a testing cross and immediately looked for a return pass. After turning over possession a fast flowing move down the left wing found the enthusiastic Casse on the edge of the area. He cut in on his favoured right foot and bent the ball into the top corner to stylishly finish the move he had started.
An ankle knock threatened to end striker Wayne Harvey’s afternoon but after scoring the winner against Wilberforce last week and threatening in the early stages there was no way he was going to let the manager take him off. Wayne latched onto a loose ball in the NPLS penalty area and out-muscled two defenders before teeing up Rob Howard for his third goal of the season. The home team knew they would be crashing out of the cup at the first hurdle but were still physically competitive and worked really hard to win a couple of corners. Their best deliveries were all expertly claimed by Sandro and the Wanderer’s stand in keeper always had a willing player available for a quick counter-attack. Spencer provided the option after another NPLS move had broken down and received the ball in the centre circle. He shaped to hit the ball to the right but dropped his shoulder, deceiving the closing player, and turned out to the left wing instead. Ed took the pass and carried the ball at speed before calmly providing a neat through ball into Wayne’s path. The striker, showing no signs of the injury he had picked up earlier, sprinted onto the pass and used the outside of his right boot to play it past the on-rushing goalie. We were playing great football and there was still time for a crowd pleasing double drag back from Sachin before the half time whistle went.
Saj gave some excellent advice during the break warning us about the change of wind direction and he also observed that ‘if they score it could be 4 – 1, 4 – 2, 4 – 3 and then… and then…4 – 4?’ NPL Saturday made changes and hoped their replacement keeper would have more luck against the ‘Purple Haze’ in the second half… he didn’t. Hounslow Wanderers were in a ruthless mood and hungry for more, The watching substitutes and injured players were all desperate to be part of the action but there was no reason to make any changes. Wayne was combining well with Spencer up front and he lobbed the goalie from distance to make it five. Spencer added another when he took it round the keeper following another drop of the shoulder before Wayne completed his hat trick after more good work by his strike partner. Wayne was substituted with next week’s league game in mind and Ricky Sharma joined the party. Sharma has scored many goals in a long Hounslow Wanderers career and once again showed his predatory instincts with a brace during the cameo appearance. His first came with a straight forward finish after the referee had allowed play to continue in the wake of a penalty appeal, and a deflected shot looped into the far corner to complete the rout.
The Purple Haze could easily have scored more with Spencer and Sharma both missing golden opportunities to claim their own hat tricks, while a late Ednilson goal was wrongly disallowed for offside. NPL Saturday’s reserves were no match for a confident and fit Wanderers’ side and only rarely threatened through the few set pieces they were able to earn. Hounslow’s 100% start to the season will face a tougher test in their next league match but in this form they won’t be afraid of anyone.
DN
Patient Wanderers Maintain 100% Record
Hounslow Wanderers 2 – 0 Imperial College Old Boys
Conquest Club 11th October 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Saj / Spencer / Casse / Robbie / Dal / Howard / Sachin (Mike) / Raman / Ed / Wayne / Jas (c)
Man of the Match: 1. Robbie 2. Howard / Dal
Scorers: Jas, Howard
Hounslow Wanderers returned to league action against Imperial College after two weeks of cup competition hoping to maintain their momentum and claim another victory. The visitors had only one point from their opening three games but they had caused us problems in previous seasons. With Vip unavailable Saj took on the managerial responsibilities and made three enforced changes to the team that had destroyed NPLS in Teddington. Nathan and Alan were replaced by Dal and Jas while Saj went in goal for the first time this season. Another game at home gave us the opportunity to prove that Conquest Club is going to be our fortress this year, especially important now that we have home draws in both cup competitions.
Our reputation had obviously preceded us and Imperial College tried to make themselves difficult to break down. There weren’t that many clear chances for either side in a well contested first half but Hounslow had the upper hand in terms of possession. We did our best to keep the ball on the deck and looked to play the good football that we had displayed in our previous games. Wanderers knew they were better physically and technically in many areas of the pitch but didn’t always make the right choices, sometimes we were guilty of holding onto the ball when we should’ve been sharper and released it earlier. Occasionally our defensive positioning could have been better but our man of the match, Robbie Stiles, is emerging as a leader who could iron out all of these kinds of problems from centre back.
In previous seasons this game might have easily drifted into a goal-less draw, or worse, we could have left ourselves vulnerable to a late winner. Not this time. Midway through the second half two events were to heavily influence the game in our favour. Firstly, their number nine thought he would start on one of our players, and then secondly, one of last year’s strongest performers made a welcome comeback. Dal had a disagreement with the Imperial striker he was marking. With the referee looking the other way their number nine hit Dal from behind off the ball… very brave. Saj and our linesman saw it straight away and appealed to the ref, I know he didn’t see it but surely he could have spoken to the player and warned him about his future conduct. IC found out to their cost that our team morale is very strong, as Greenford learned, we aren’t going to let anyone try to physically intimidate us with strong challenges or raised hands. Everyone stepped up their game to punish the offending player and send him home on the loosing side. The striker suddenly lost his bottle and tried to hide on the pitch, he kept moving between players but the response was the same from everyone who marked him. You don’t do that to a Wanderers’ player! Mike came off the bench and had an immediate impact. Sachin had worked hard for the team but the substitute’s fresh legs were full of running and forced Imperial back.
Throughout the game Jas had been putting his markers under pressure every time they tried to play the ball out from the back. With the help of his midfield Jas ensured the away side’s left back had no outlet when he received the ball deep in his own half. Henry was forced to play the ball back to his keeper, the goalie took a very heavy touch and Jas closed in to steal his fourth goal of the season. We had been patient, stuck to the game plan and got our reward. The freedom of a goal advantage lifted Wanderers and Ednilson began to show further glimpses of his ability down the right wing as he looked for his first competitive goal for the club. His direct runs and first time shooting saw the ball hit Imperial’s post twice in quick succession. Hounslow won a corner after more good work from Ed, allowing Ricky Casse, in his favourite number eight shirt, to jog up the pitch and try to put the game beyond Imperial College. The delivery went long to the back post but Wanderers worked the ball to Casse in the inside left position just outside the area. Just like last week Casse took a touch inside onto his right and took aim, this time his shot took a deflection and looped in to secure another three points for his team.
The result might have been different if fourth choice keeper Saj hadn’t kept his first clean sheet for the first team with a stunning save from IC’s number seventeen. The forward struck the ball sweetly and the effort seemed destined for the roof of the net before Saj instinctively stuck out a right arm to deflect the shot over. It was lucky he’s got such a strong right wrist! Saj hadn’t had much to do all game but did very well in the closing stages by showing the calmness we normally expect from Sandro to play the ball around at the back and frustrate the opposition’s quest for a consolation goal.
With only seconds left Imperial’s number four, who had already been booked, made another rugby style challenge in midfield. The referee didn’t see it and gave the free kick the other way. Raman threw the ball down in disgust in the official’s direction and picked up a yellow for his troubles. Abdi got sent off last year at Broadfields for less. Apart from potentially costing the team a suspended player might find it very difficult to get back into the side when our squad are all fully fit, there are plenty of good players waiting for an opportunity to get on the pitch or to play in their favoured position. We need to learn how to direct our passion correctly and get the most out of the officials. It was the only downside from a positive performance and Hounslow now sit proudly at the top of the league once more.
It’s clear that teams are starting to know about our early success, we are loosing the element of surprise, but that’s ok. Our upcoming opposition will all want to be the first to take points from us however I’m sure our squad can cope with the pressures of being at the top this time around. Some questions still remain; can we match our league results away from home and how will we react if we concede first? Just like the rest of the league I’m looking forward to finding out!
DN
North Kensington End Wanderers’ Run
North Kensington 3 – 2 Hounslow Wanderers
Birkbeck Avenue 19th October 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Tarun / Casse / Alan / Robbie / Dal / Spencer (TJ) / Sachin (Ed) / Raman / Wayne / Harmeet (Mike) / Jas (c)
Man of the Match: 1. Casse 2. Sachin
Scorers: Spencer, Jas
The Purple Haze travelled to North Kensington with Alan and Harmeet coming in for Ed and the unavailable Rob Howard. In pre-season we had played North Kensington in a goal-less 45 minutes, 8 weeks on and both teams had been scoring freely in the league. It was never going to be nil-nil this time around. The game started at a frantic pace and for the first time this season Hounslow struggled to get out of their own half in the opening stages. North Kensington were moving the ball well and had a lot of early possession, but they didn’t really create any clear-cut chances. Wanderers weathered the storm and began finding outlets with Jas running at the left back whenever he could. The defender looked a bit like Lyon’s Juninho but didn’t play like him. His constant bad positioning and clumsy fouls earned him a yellow card and eventually linesman duty in the second half. Hounslow looked more confident and when Wayne broke with the ball down the left-hand side our bench screamed for him to switch the ball to Spencer on the right. Spencer found himself just inside the area but at a tight angle, he effortlessly showed his quality with an excellent strike that went in off the far post. It was the goal of the game and deserved to win any match.
Wanderers were enjoying their best spell of the game when the referee gifted North Kensington a chance to equalise. Alan was hunting the ball just inside our area and caught the striker. Outside of the box it would have been a foul but it was still a soft penalty decision. The Hounslow keeper went the right way but was unable to prevent the ball going in. Difficult to accept because he didn’t have to make a single save in the first half. Undeterred the away side pushed on, taking advantage of the weak link in their opponents’ defence. The left back was a constant source of free kicks in dangerous areas but when Hounslow won a set piece it was difficult to score due to the height of the defending players. We kept on rolling the dice and Dal sent in another in-swinging delivery, this time the ball was only half cleared. Casse took a touch and was taken out by a desperate lunge by the closing player. The referee immediately pointed to the spot once more. Jas stepped up and scored with ease, he always does.
In the second half Hounslow largely regressed to the team that was always under pressure and struggled to keep the ball in the early stages of the match. We invited the home team onto us by failing to hold onto the ball well enough and not playing to our strengths. In the end we tried to hold on to the one goal lead for too long and North Kensington got two late goals to win the match, both from corners. Their number nine scored a direct header and then with a close range finish as the ball dropped in the six-yard box. Wanderers did manage a few high-speed breaks that almost paid off with substitute Ed coming very close in the dying seconds. Their reaction to winning (like they’d won the world cup) proves that they knew they were in a very tough game. We competed very well even though we were far from our best with Casse and Sachin leading the way. North Kensington were good but I don’t think they have that much more to offer, for all their possession they failed to score for open play and have already slipped up against unlikely sides. Here’s how I think we can get the result we want next time we play them;
How to beat North Kensington
- Frustrate them. Keep the ball and move it out quickly from the back. Can’t stay too deep and invite pressure. Force them back by being positive and moving the ball out of the congested midfield to the wings.
- Switch the play at speed when counter attacking – full backs and wide players are lazy and loose concentration, letting the players they should be marking run into space behind them. At the same time be organised when your attacks break down. Get into defensive positions quickly so there are no gaps to exploit.
- Target the weak link(s) in their defence. Start with the clumsy left back. Right back also dived in to concede penalty.
- Don’t concede too many free kicks. When you do, don’t allow them to be taken quickly or short.
- Their keeper is quick off his line and good at claiming high balls. Don’t cross the ball too near him, put pace on your deliveries and someone on the keeper for set pieces.
- Have to push up on their mouthy centre mid, restrict him to short passes backwards or sideways. If centre midfielders drop to get the ball your support striker should drop in and close them down.
- Get good support on the sidelines. Get into their heads – they have plenty of fragile, big egos in their side.
Our support from the sidelines was excellent again, it was meant to be their home not ours! Thanks to everyone who has turned up to cheer us on, it can only have a positive effect for the team… The 100% start to the season is over, but we’ve learnt a lot from this game. It was a good contest but things will be different next time.
DN
Fight Back Puts Wanderers Top
Harrow St. Mary’s 1 – 2 Hounslow Wanderers
Harrow Recreation Ground 25th October 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Tarun / Casse / Alan / Robbie / Dal / Howard / Raman / Harmeet (Wayne) / Ed / Mike / Jas (c) (Spencer)
Man of the Match 1. Howard 2. Wayne
Scorers: Wayne (2)
High-flying Hounslow Wanderers faced a true test of their character and promotion aspirations in their latest league match away to Harrow St. Mary’s at Harrow Recreation Ground. The visitors had seen their 100% start to the season dramatically ended by late goals from North Kensington on their last outing and were hoping for an instant return to form. The game kicked off with Hounslow lethargic in every position. Wanderers repeatedly over elaborated and got caught in possession many times while an enterprising St. Mary’s side were first to any loose ball and made up for their lack of technical quality with high levels of energy and commitment in the early stages. The hangover from their first defeat of the season was effecting the ‘Purple Haze’ and it did not look as though the quick recovery they had wanted was going to materialise.
Harrow took the lead midway through the first half after some elementary mistakes from the away side. St. Mary’s worked the ball down the left wing and found Peter Greczi unmarked in the area, his shot was scuffed and directed straight at the Hounslow keeper. Tarun looked to have it covered but failed to get his body behind the ball and somehow it slipped past him. There were few clear chances in the remainder of the first half, but, despite their lacklustre approach, Wanderers still had players capable of turning the game in the blink of an eye. Before the whistle went for half time winger Rob Howard hit the bar and then sent over an excellent cross from the left. A miscommunication between the attacking forwards meant the chance was wasted and Hounslow trailed at the break.
Vip was very obviously disappointed with his players’ performance and took the opportunity to change the side’s shape by introducing Wayne from the bench. The ‘hair dryer’ team talk did the trick as Wanderers finally began to compete and at last started to create. Harrow St. Mary’s suddenly found themselves in a different game but it was far from one sided in the second half. Harrow had some good players down the spine of their team but the game opened up and the opportunities started to flow. The home team were dangerous on the counter as they tried to take advantage every time Hounslow over committed men forward in their eagerness to draw level. Ed almost scored for Hounslow when he cut in from the left wing, but his shot flashed wide. It was lucky Ed got to the ball, according to the opposition he’s looking a bit porky right now. St. Mary’s then came very close to scoring again on two or three occasions. The Wanderers’ goalie atoned for his earlier error with some top class saves to keep his team in the match. Harrow were to rue their missed opportunities as Wayne sprang into action, became ‘too sexy for his shirt’ and took control of the game.
Wayne had been left out of the starting line up while Wanderers tried out a new combination of forward players but he reacted superbly to push his claim for reinstatement to the first eleven. The strength of Vip’s squad gives him the luxury of many options for different circumstances and his interventions during the match all improved his team’s chances. Wayne got two to win the match for Hounslow but his brace owed a lot to two different sides of Howard’s game. Rob is very good with the ball at his feet but he constantly surprises the opposition with his strength and determination too. The equaliser came as man of the match Howard persisted when it looked as though the chance had gone. He out muscled a Harrow player and beat the goalie to the ball before heading it towards goal. The effort was half cleared by a desperate leap from the covering centre back, but Wayne had positioned himself in exactly the right spot to apply a confident first time finish. The winner came as Howard turned the previously impressive St. Mary’s centre back inside out down the right. After toying with his defender he sent over a perfect cross for Wayne to win the game and send Hounslow top once more.
It wasn’t an easy victory but another three points headed our way. It had looked bleak for Wanderers through long spells of the match but the second half performance could set the tone for the rest of their season. In a highly competitive league, where anybody can beat anybody, we look ready to fight for what we want to achieve this season.
DN
Wanderers Given Lesson in Finishing
Hounslow Wanderers 2 – 4 FC Assyria
Conquest Club 1st November 2008
Middlesex County Football League Senior Open Cup Round 2
Tarun / Casse / Nathan / Robbie / Dal (Alan) / Howard / Mike / Sachin (Harmeet) / Ed / Jas (c) / Spencer (Wayne)
Man of the Match 1. Mike
Scorers: Ed, Mike
Hounslow Wanderers’ difficult recent spell continued as they were knocked out of the MCFL Senior Open Cup at the second round stage by FCAssyria. The hosts started brightly and stifled the creativity of FC Assyria for most of the first half. Spencer worked himself into excellent positions twice early on but instead of shooting he took one touch too many on both occasions. The defending players were able to crowd him out and the chances had gone. Then, completely against the run of play, the away side took the lead. Wanderers’ midfielder Mike slid in to win the ball just inside the his own area but in the wet conditions his momentum carried him into the Assyrian striker and the ref pointed to the spot. Previously they had got nowhere near Tarun’s goal but scored with a powerful strike into the top left corner leaving the keeper to pick the ball out of his net. Hounslow were undeterred and pushed on as if nothing had happened and it wasn’t long before they levelled the scores through Ed’s determination. The forward came in from the left wing, took a couple of good touches inside a crowded box before using his strength to hold off the defending players and see the ball across the line from close range.
Hounslow hoped to take control but shot themselves in the foot once more as they tried to switch the play from the left to right in their own half. An under-hit pass left the FC Assyria midfield favourite to win the ball. Right-back Ricky Casse uncharacteristically sold himself leaving the left winger with a free run on goal. The forward carried the ball at speed and before anyone could close him down lashed the ball with the outside of his right boot past the luckless Wanderers’ number one. Two shots, two goals and two-one up at half time. After the break Casse quickly made up for his error by creating his side’s second equaliser. He had been switched to the left in a defensive reshuffle and from that side delivered the ball perfectly from a deep free kick. The probing pass found Jas who flicked the ball on for Mike to score and drag his team back into the game once more.
Instead of fading away FC Assyria started to create and the game became much more open. Wanderers had a strong claim for their own penalty turned down and then couldn’t turn their superior possession into straight forward scoring opportunities. The away team continually looked to take advantage of Hounslow’s high defensive line with balls over the top and won a corner following another counter attack. They went ahead for the third time in the match as a rebound fell invitingly for the away team. Hounslow had failed to clear their lines and again fell victim to powerful, confident finishing. It was asking a lot for the home side to claw their way back for a third time but they didn’t give up. Nathan put in a teasing cross, from an advanced position on the right, but substitute striker Wayne was unable to get his header on target. FC Assyria made sure of their progress with a neatly worked fourth as they eventually played their way through an otherwise effective Wanderers’ offside trap. There was no way back this time and Hounslow will be very disappointed at their cup exit. They will be able to take some comfort in not loosing any ground in the league but will hope to make up for loosing a very ‘win-able’ game with victory against St. Martins on Saturday.
DN
Wanderers through to the next round but
Hounslow Wanderers 4 - 3 St Martins
Conquest Club 8th November 2008
Middlesex County FA - Junior Cup Round 2
Tarun / Nathan / Robbie / Alan / Dal / Casse / Sachin / Harmeet / Ed / Jas (c) / TJ (Mike)
Man od the Match 1. Casse 2. Sachin
Scorers: Jas (2), Casse, Ed
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers ruin missed chances
South Acton 3-0 Hounslow Wanderers
15th November 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers:
Match report to follow...
DN
Steadfast five star performance dent promotion challenge
Steadfast 5-1 Hounslow Wanderers
22nd November 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Jas
Match report to follow...
DN
Third league defeat in a row ends promotion hopes
Hounslow Wanderers 1-2 Harrow St Mary's
29th November 2008
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Jas
Match report to follow...
DN
Sidhu hat-trick sees Wanderers back to winning ways
Hounslow Wanderers 8-1 Hillingdon Abbots Seniors
24th January 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Casse, Eddie, Harmeet, TJ, Jas, Ren (3)
Match report to follow...
DN
Sangha and Sidhu combined again to take all three points
Hounslow Wanderers 2-0 Brentham
31st January 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Jas, Ren
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers through to the next round after extra time goals from Sidhu and Sangha
Brentham 1-3 Hounslow Wanderers
14th February 2009
The Jim Rogers President's [Round 2]
Scorers: Jas, Ren
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers gain sweet revenge as promotion push is back on track
Hounslow Wanderers 4-2 Steadfast
21st February 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Abdi, Casse, Jas(2)
Match report to follow...
DN
Late penalty miss denies Wanderers of extra time
Hounslow Wanderers 2-3 South Acton
28th February 2009
The Jim Rogers President's [Quarter Final]
Scorers: Jas, Ren
Match report to follow...
DN
Two second half goals sees off Hillingdon
Hillingdon Abbots Seniors 1-2 Hounslow Wanderers
14th March 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Howard, Jas
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers run riot and eliminating My Generation from the promotion race
My Generation Sports 2-7 Hounslow Wanderers
21st March 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Howard(2), Eddie, Wayne, Jas, Ren, Spencer
Match report to follow...
DN
Brave Brentham hold out for a draw
Brentham 1-1 Hounslow Wanderers
21st March 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Ren
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers concede with the last kick of the game
Hounslow Wanderers 1-1 Grosvenor House
4th April 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Abdi
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers come back from two goals to earn a point
Grosvenor House 2-2 Hounslow Wanderers
4th April 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Wayne, Jas
Match report to follow...
DN
Five become Four in the race for promotion
Hounslow Wanderers 3-1 South Acton
18th April 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Eddie, Jas, Ren
Match report to follow...
DN
Wanderers are one win away from the Premiership
North Greenford Social 1-2 Hounslow Wanderers
2nd May 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Jas, Wayne
Match report to follow...
DN
Sangha's 100th goal for Wanderers wins Promotion to the Premiership
Imperial College Old Boys 2-3 Hounslow Wanderers
9th May 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers: Casse, Ren, Jas
Match report to follow...
DN
Own goal denies Wanderers of the league title
Hounslow Wanderers 0-1 North Kensington
16th May 2009
Middlesex County Football League Division One (West)
Scorers:
Match report to follow...
DN