WINCHMORE
HILL FOOTBALL CLUB
Season 2003-2004
First XI
Season 2003-2004
Thanks are due to Martin Gleave and the occasional summary from Neil
Hurst for reports of the majority of matches for the season, our first back in
the top flight for some eight years.
Old Foresters 0 Winchmore
Hill 5
AFA Greenland Trophy
Saturday 6 September
Report from Martin Gleave
After
a convincing win against local rivals Norsemen and a hard fought
draw against Hale End Athletic, the Hill faced Old Foresters of the
Arthurian League, knowing a convincing victory was required if we
were to progress to the final of the Greenland Trophy.
After three games at Firs Farm, a decent pitch to complement
Winchmore's attacking play was the order of the day. The fact we
couldn't find the pitch wasn't ideal preparation. With the gaffer on
a different page of the A to Z, skipper G stuck somewhere in
Docklands and the rest of us at the correct school but still unable
to find the pitch or the changing rooms – things were not looking
good. An impromptu game of hopscotch helped pass the time - Mark
Gower claiming victory, although I don't remember shirt pulling
being in the rules.
When we eventually found the ground, it was a pleasant surprise, a
top drawer pitch - plus we didn't have to put the nets up.
Encouraged by the excellent passing surface, the Hill started the
game at a great tempo, winning every challenge and dominating all
areas of the game. The breakthrough came after 15 minutes when
Michael Nathan cleverly nodded back across goal for Martin Gleave to
tuck the ball home from 6 yards. The visitors' confidence was
personified by Barry Chaters at the back and when the opposition's
centre forward tells you you're playing like Franco Baresi, you know
you're having a good game. With Cruyff turns deemed "so last
year", Barry has introduced the header back to the keeper as
his new skill of the day. Works great on a rock hard pitch in
September, let's see what happens on a waterlogged pitch in January.
Winchmore doubled their lead when Hasani Thomas, our new Trinidad
& Tobago all rounder who has managed to get a work permit ahead
of next week's Presidents Cricket match, played Michael Nathan
through and he made no mistake. Neil Hurst then had a trademark
header disallowed for what appeared to be a perfectly legitimate
goal. The counter attacking play of the visitors was irrepressible
however with Ben Penfold providing pace and directness on the right,
complimented by a marauding George Wainwright. The score remained
2-0 at the half, although this flattered the hosts who never really
threatened the visitors' defence.
Half time did disrupt the flow of Winchmore's attacking play, and
Old Foresters to their credit did come more into the game at the
start of the second half. After an even 20 minutes the lead was
extended though when Mark Gower found Gleave who mis-controlled,
stumbled, attempted a Cruyff turn Barry would have been embarrassed
of, and then was nudged over in the area - penalty given. Ben
"David Dunn" Penfold stepped forward and slotted home.
Knowing goal difference could decide the group, Winchmore flooded
forward. A lightning counter attack led to Neil Hurst picking up the
ball in the inside left channel.
The summer break has not stinted his eye for goal and the
ball was driven home to make the score 4-0. The emphatic performance
was sealed with 10 minutes to go when the offside trap was sprung
and who arrived in the penalty area but yours truly, Mark Gower -
who tucked the ball home with the confidence of a man who has scored
more goals in 4 games this season than he did all last year.
A final against Old Hamptonians awaits next week - they will be
looking to make amends for the Middlesex Cup semi final defeat last
season, whilst Winchmore Hill will be looking to capture their third
trophy of 2003.
Winchmore
Hill 2 Old Hamptonians 1
The W.E. Greenland Cup Final
Saturday 13 September
at Civil Service F.C.
Report from Martin Gleave
Old
Hamptonians must be thinking purple is their unlucky colour. In
almost a carbon copy of the Middlesex Cup Semi Final the Hill edged
last season a hard fought match with another late winner.
Played
at Civil Service, on a huge pitch in searing heat, this was always
going to be a test of a side's fitness and stamina - a marathon not
a sprint. Which was a good job, because Old Hamptonians were out of
the blocks like Harvey, Winchmore more like Bobby Davro. Chasing
shadows is the term that comes to mind when you look back on the
first half an hour of the game.
On a difficult surface, Hamptonians used the width of the pitch to
great effect and attacked from all angles. The goal they deserved
came when Kieren Hutchings was caught in two minds (whether to bowl
off spin or seam up on Sunday) and the centre forward blocked his
clearance to roll the ball into an empty net. This did provide a
wake up call to Winchmore and they started to get a foothold in the
game. By the time the half-time whistle went the game had become
more even but the Hill still found themselves one down.
The
second half was a different matter. Following a dressing down from
the manager, Winchmore started well and took the game to the
opposition. Confidence grew and the Hill started to dominate
possession. The equaliser came from a Gleave corner, Neil Hurst
rising to head home emphatically.
Chances to win the game were created and spurned, the best of which
fell to Ben Penfold who was played clean through by Foley. The
Hamptonians keeper stood tall and did enough to foil the chance.
With extra time looking inevitably a free kick was awarded 25 yards
out and Neil Hurst stepped up and drove the ball into the 6-yard
box. The ball made it's way through the crowd and to the relief of
every Winchmore player (and maybe a couple of Hamptonians too)
nestled in the bottom corner. With just 30 seconds to go, victory
was guaranteed.
The victory stands us in good stead for next week's league opener
away to Old Actonians, although a warning must be heeded from last
year's winners of this trophy, Old Owens. They followed up their
Greenland Cup success with 3 consecutive league defeats.
Southern
Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 20 September
Report from Martin Gleave
Winchmore
Hill's first game in the top flight of the SAL for eight years found
them travelling to West London to take on Old Actonians, a side who
were looking to kick start their season after losing to Norsemen in
the
first game of the season. The Hill went into the game
without the services of both Barry Chaters and Michael Nathan - both
fast tracked into the MCC winter academy down under after impressive
performances last Sunday. Paul Strauts and Jack Newton came into the
side, emphasising the strength in depth that will be needed this
season.
Preparations
were further disrupted when Hasani Thomas turned up at the ground
with a newly cultivated Afro and a crocked knee. A failed fitness
test before the game meant Actonians weren't going to be seeing the
"Trinidad lollipop" - Joe Hackworth replacing Hasani at
late notice and performing admirably in an unaccustomed position.
In searing heat the game started at a fast pace, both
sides trying to gain the ascendancy in midfield. Old Actonians put
together a few neat passing moves without really threatening the
Hill goal. As the half wore on, Winchmore started to create chances
with Jack Newton unsettling the home side's defence. Hurst and Foley
both created chances for themselves before Newton earned himself a
free kick on the edge of the home side's penalty area. Neil Hurst
stepped up and drilled the ball home with his left foot to give the
Hill a deserved lead. The visitors could have doubled their lead
before half time, a Gleave free kick headed back across goal by
Hurst but just out reach of Ben Willis.
Winchmore went in at half time one up and confident that they
could build on the hard earned advantage.
Old
Actonians had other ideas though and claimed the equaliser from an
early corner. A half cleared header was hit home from short range to
give the home side the perfect start to the second half. This proved
to be a turning point of the game, with Winchmore on the back foot
for the next twenty minutes. Actonians took the lead with a neat
finish from a tight angle and continued to pile on the pressure.
Keiren Hutchings kept the Hill in the contest with a string of fine
saves - smothering at the feet of the Actonians centre forward after
he had waltzed through the Hill defence far too easily and then
tipping over a fine free kick.
It took until the last fifteen minutes for the visitors to get back
into the game. Ben Willis twisted and turned in the box (yes Willis,
not Penfold) and forced a good save from the keeper who tipped the
ball onto the post and from the resulting corner Hurst came close.
Neil then set up Shane Foley, probably the cleanest striker of the
ball in the side, only for Martin Gleave, a close second to Gower at
the other end of the scale, to take the ball off his toes and clear
the crossbar. Foley was not to be denied though and his long
distance strike was helped into the net by a generous deflection.
The Hill almost won it at the death when a great cross from
the left by Hurst somehow evaded everyone and rolled harmlessly
wide.
In
fairness a draw was probably the right result, with both sides
enjoying periods of prolonged pressure and creating clear-cut
chances. The game will hopefully act as a wake up call to the Hill,
who after a successful pre-season, were brought down to earth in the
second half by a stirring fight back from the home side.
Winchmore
Hill 2 Old Owens 1
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 27 September
Report from Martin Gleave
When Ian Holloway recently
described his QPR side's performance in 'gentleman's terms' using
these words, he could very easily have been describing Winchmore
Hill's performance last Saturday against Old Owens:
"Some weeks the lady is good looking and some weeks they're
not. Our performance today would not have been the best looking bird
but at least we got her in the taxi."
It certainly wasn't pretty but the end result was a hard earned 3
points against an excellent Owens side who will be closer to the top
than the bottom of the league come May.
Our first game at the Paulin ground this season was played on a
surface more akin to that normally found at Firs Farm - bone dry,
bumpy and offering no assistance to the footballing purists - in
other words, perfect for the Hill! It was just a shame Mark Gower
was left to look on from the sidelines at his ideal surface due to a
chest injury. Michael Nathan returned to partner Jack Newton up
front, Shane 'Engine' Foley dropping (way back) into midfield to
partner Gleave. With Paul Strauts also unavailable, ex Haltwhistle
Crown Paints defender, Barry Chaters came back into the side to instill
his own brand of composed defending.
In a carbon copy of last season's Middlesex Cup game, Old Owens
started the game at a tremendous tempo and the Hill did their best
"startled rabbit" impressions. The first twenty minutes
were spent almost entirely in the home side's half with Owens
dominating possession and creating a number of chances. The away
side shaved the post with a diving header and had four corners in
succession, the last of which brought a shout of "Are Winchmore
Hill going to start playing today?" from one of our loyal
supporters behind the goal.
This did bring a response from Winchmore and possession became more
even. Jack Newton held the ball up well and allowed the Hill
midfield to get into the game. 50-50 challenges were now starting to
be won by those in purple, Shane Foley leading the way. On the back
of this a number of chances were created and the long throws of Neil
Hurst were causing havoc in the Owens defence. From such a throw, a
scramble in the 6-yard box allowed Ben Penfold to stab home - as
Holloway said, sometimes it's not pretty. The Owens defenders were
incensed that the goal had been given, one of their players took the
protests a bit too far for the referee's liking and the ensuing red
card allowing him to join the Winchmore Hill life members in the bar
for afternoon drinks a little earlier than anticipated.
Ben Penfold had a great chance to extend the lead when played clean
through just before the half. Having recovered from what can only be
described as a temper tantrum last week, the sight of a rejuvenated
Penner's bearing down on goal looked like it would only result in
one outcome. A
combination of a huge bobble and a bit of shin meant the chance went
awry though. This meant the Hill went in at half time one up,
without playing particularly well.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first and despite
Old Owens being down to 10 men, they still had a large amount of
possession.
Winchmore did grow into the game and created a number of chances but
the quality of passing was simply not good enough when it mattered
most. The second Hill goal was again a scrappy affair, the lively
Michael Nathan
With 10 minutes to go, slack
marking allowed the Owens midfielder to get a clean strike away from
25 yards, a chance he took to place the ball in the top corner. This
led to a nervous last period for the Hill as the visitors threw
caution to the wind. It took some resolute defending from the back
four of Wainwright, Chaters, Willis and Hackworth (quickly realising
his left foot is not just for standing on) and some excellent
keeping from Kieren to maintain out slender lead.
The final whistle brought relief for the home side, tinged with an
air of disappointment due to a performance that was not up to the
standards that were set last season. The positives that can be taken
from the game though are that we have beaten a strong side without
playing particularly well (one of many clichés banded around in the
bar after) and that hopefully Gower will be back next week so I
don't have to do Shane's running again.
Old Esthameians 1 Winchmore Hill 2
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 4 October
Report from Martin Gleave
After last
week's game, Old Owens described the Paulin Ground as the worst they
have played on this season. They obviously have the delights of the
Blake Hall Sports Ground in Wanstead to look forward to. The
Winchmore team turned up to find a pitch that made Crouch End's
"Theatre of Burnt Out Cars" look like Wembley.
In now customary fashion, the whole squad (minus Ben Willis, en
route, en phone) turned up at the ground an hour and a half before
kick off. This gave us the chance to watch a load of kids chase a
bobbling ball around at the morning soccer school (the future of
route one football is safe if all kids have to play on surfaces like
that) and hear about the exploits of East Barnet High School Year 9
and 10 school teams from the Sven Goran Erikkson and Tord Grip of
Enfield Borough - Messrs Chaters and Penfold.
Andy Russell introduced a new exercise in the warm up (coming soon
to a Ben Penfold P.E. Class), bouncing the ball 20 yards up in the
air for us to head. A very astute bit of coaching, as we spent the
next 90 minutes doing exactly the same. After the coke cans, take
away wrappers, plastic knife and fork and dog dirt were removed from
the field the ground almost looked like a football pitch. Mark Gower
returned from injury and Michael Nathan had recovered from his bout
with a corner flag (he was punching above his weight) to able to
take his place in the starting line up. Jack Newton was unlucky to
drop to the bench after a good performance last week.
Kicking with the wind, rain and attacking downhill the Hill looked
to take the game to the hosts. It was clear from the start that this
was not going to be a game for the Winchmore artists - Gower setting
out his intentions after approximately 4 seconds with his first foul
of the game. After an early bout of pinball, Ben Penfold intercepted
a clearance and advanced on the Esthameians goal. From 25 yards he
crashed in a tremendous strike off the underside of the crossbar, in
the words of George Wainwright - it was a "Different Gravy
Gear".
This led to a good spell of play from the visitors, Neil Hurst going
close with a far post header following good play from Foley.
Esthameians did create chances though, Kieren pulling off a
fingertip save when the full back was given too much time to get a
shot on target. The hosts drew level when a free kick was not fully
cleared and a good strike from the edge of the area found the bottom
corner through a crowd of players. The rest of the first half was an
even affair and the teams went in level.
The
second half was played almost entirely in the Winchmore half.
Esthameians did create chances but it is to the credit of the Hill
back four that Kieren was not overly stretched. He did have a fair
bit of kicking practice though, luckily Neil Hurst was on hand after
about his 14th goal kick to let him know he should "put his
foot through it" - cheers Hursty. With four minutes to go, Ben
Penfold charged down the keeper's clearance and as the rest of the
team watched on from the half way line, Penfold followed up the
rebound of the crossbar and out-jumped the 6'4" goalie to nod
home. The ref was perfectly positioned on the centre spot to give
the goal. There was still time for a late scare when Joe Hackworth
got a bit too friendly with the winger in his own box but luck was
on our side and a hard earned victory was secured.
Civil Service 1 Winchmore Hill 2
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 11 October
Report from Martin Gleave
On another Saturday when temperatures were more akin to July than
October, the Hill took their unbeaten record to Chiswick to take on
Civil Service, a side they defeated last season on their way to AFA
triumph. After two successive victories where the final score has
been more impressive than the performance, Winchmore were looking
for an improvement all round. The sight of Ben "Robert Molenaar"
Willis with shirt tucked into briefs (on mobile phone naturally) in
the middle of the pitch before the game was not an
improvement.
Andy Russell kept faith with the eleven that started last week,
although this was a game where all fourteen players were to play an
important part. When the game kicked off, the Hill looked like every
outfield player would have failed one of the FA's doping tests. In
every area of the huge pitch, the visitors were second best. In
particular the three-man midfield of the home side was finding far
too much space, feeding the lively forward pairing.
After 15 minutes a free kick on the right somehow managed to evade
every defender in purple and at the far post the Civil Service
winger got in front of Joe "Dave Challinor" Hackworth to
fire past Kieren. The dreadful start defensively was matched by an
inability to maintain possession going forward. Struggling to string
three passes together, good positions in the opposing side were
wasted and Winchmore didn't give the home side's keeper any work to
do.
Civil Service were rampant and really should have extended their
lead. A combination of last ditch, Rigobert Song-esque defending and
some poor finishing kept the score at one. One fine move left the
Service midfielder one on one with Kieren on the edge of the 6-yard
box. Credit Kieren for a good save, but the score should really have
been two.
The half time whistle couldn't come soon enough for the Hill. Andy
Russell, not normally the teacup throwing type, was as angry as one
of Neil Hurst's new neighbours about eight hours later. George
"Tim Breaker" Wainwright was the one to make way for Paul
Strauts as Winchmore switched to 3-5-2 although it could have easily
been any of the ten outfield players. The change in formation did
make a big difference to the game and Winchmore started to dominate
without creating any clear-cut chances. It was Civil Service who had
the best chance to score, blazing over the bar from 8 yards out.
Jack Newton and Mario replaced Mark Gower and Neil Hurst with
fifteen minutes to go in an attempt to get the vital breakthrough.
When it came, it was bizarre.
A long clearance went all the way through to the Service keeper, who
cleared the ball first time. The ball hit the centre half flush on
the backside on the 18 yard box and flew into the back of the net,
without a Hill player within 20 yards. Saying Winchmore Hill have
been a tad lucky this season is a bit like saying Alpay Ozalan will
be a little unwelcome at Dave Beckham's mum's place on the weekend.
This spurred the visitors belatedly into action and Martin Gleave
found Michael Nathan, thankfully minus Alice band. Michael beat the
full back and advanced on goal, before coolly slotting home in the
far corner. Amazingly, Winchmore could have run out 4-1 winners -
Paul "Ronny Rosenthal" Strouts missed the target from 4
yards (it was a tight angle) and Michael Nathan spurned a far easier
chance just minutes after putting us in front. The victory was
secured, even though Winchmore had to call on the ever dependable
Kieren "Gary Bailey" Hutchings to tip over following a
free kick with seconds remaining.
Winchmore had again performed their customary smash and grab - ten
points from twelve putting them second in the table behind local
rivals Broomfield. If they are to stay near the top of the table,
their performances will have to improve.
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 18 October
Report from Martin Gleave
Winchmore
Hill’s second home game of the season found them entertaining West
Wickham, the side who had run them so close for the second division
championship last season. The sides had experienced differing
fortunes so far this season, Winchmore Hill were a victory away from
the top of the table whereas Wickham had only managed one win and a
single goal in their first five games.
Mark Gower had failed to recover from a heel injury so Paul Strauts
took his place in the centre of midfield. This was the only change
to the starting line up that had won last week. The Hill started the
game kicking with the wind, hoping to get the early breakthrough
that would provide the platform for victory.
The surface at the Paulin is in desperate need of some heavy rain.
The hard ground did not help Winchmore's attempts to stamp their
authority on the game. The surface can only be blamed to a certain
extent however, the team as a whole need to match their work ethic
with their quality in possession.
West Wickham defended resolutely and in great numbers with chances
few and far between. The best chance of the first half fell to
Michael Nathan, who intercepted a weak pass and bore down on the
Wickham goal. Michael rounded the keeper but was unable to squeeze
the ball home. Credit must be given to the keeper, who remained on
his feet long enough to force the miss. Barry Chaters fired over
following a Gleave corner in the Hill's only other noticeable chance
of the half.
Attacking the clubhouse in the second half, Winchmore raised the
tempo in an attempt to secure the vital first goal. Chances were
still at a premium however and credit must be given to the Wickham
defending for this. Jack Newton was brought on for the injured Joe
Hackworth and this coincided with the Hill's best period of
pressure. Neil Hurst and Martin Gleave both provided crosses which flashed across the face of the Wickham
goal but drifted harmlessly wide.
Winchmore
did not manage to create a clear-cut chance and the game fizzled out
disappointingly. On the positive side, this was Winchmore's first
clean sheet of the league campaign and the defending by the back
four was resolute when required, Hutchings not having a save of note
to make. With another home game next week, Andy Russell will
hopefully be introducing a rain dance as part of the warm down in
training this week.
Winchmore
Hill 0 Old Actonians Association 1
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 25 October
Report from Martin Gleave
This
game had it all. A captive audience watching from the clubhouse were
treated to some sublime skills from Kieren Hutchings, a cameo
appearance from Neil Hurst and a stunning hat trick from Shane
Foley. Just a pity all this took place in a game of
"crossbars" during the warm up.
The Hill's second
consecutive home game found them entertaining Old Actonians, a side
they had drawn 2-2 with on the opening day of the season. Joe
Hackworth had not recovered from his injury sustained last week so
Peter Gyles replaced him at left back, encouraged from the sidelines
by his chairman / old man.
With the memories of last weeks 0-0 draw still fresh in the memory,
Winchmore started the game determined to take the game to the
visitors. A flowing move inside five minutes led to the first
chance. The ball was switched from left to right and eventually
found George Wainwright who had stolen in on the right hand side.
George could have crossed to the far post but opted instead to try
and pinch an early lead for the Hill. The Actonians keeper easily
saved his shot and a great chance to end his epic goal drought had
disappeared.
Winchmore continued to push forward in search of the
breakthrough. Gleave played through Michael Nathan only for the
keeper to palm away to safety and then Neil Hurst had a cracking
drive tipped round the post when it looked like the keeper had been
beaten. The frustration of not making the breakthrough started to
affect the Hill's play, and as a result Old Actonians started to get
more into the game. By the time the half time whistle went, the game
was evenly balanced.
Attacking
the clubhouse in the second half, the Hill again had the upper hand
in terms of possession and Kieren was hardly called into action. Ben
Willis, and Barry Chaters in particular, were equal to the few
attacks that Actonians launched. An Old
Actonians substitution half way through the second period brought
them more into the game, and the game became more stretched. The
best Hill chance of the second half fell to Paul Strauts who timed
his run into the box perfectly. His shot from the edge of the box
wrong footed the keeper who could only parry the shot (again). The
rebound was cleared and the chance had gone.
Almost immediately Actonians went down the other end
and clinched the winner. A neat turn and strike from the forward
found the ball nestled in the bottom corner, giving Kieren no
chance. With only 10 minutes left Winchmore piled forward but for
all their pressure the goal they deserved did not arrive. The final
whistle brought the Hill's first defeat of the season, the second
consecutive game without a goal.
The
performance was a marked improvement on last week's goalless draw
however and a little bit of luck could have led to a different
result. With a break from the league next week a return to winning
ways is required in the
Middlesex Cup - the competition Winchmore were beaten finalists in
last season.
Old
Ignatians 1 Winchmore Hill 4
AFA Middlesex Senior Cup
Saturday 1 November
Report from Martin Gleave
The first break from league duty
of the season found the Hill making the short journey up the A10 to
face Old Ignatians in the Middlesex Cup. A local derby anyway, this
game was given extra spice by the fact the Winchmore line-up
contained three bona-fide "Old Ignatians". Neil Hurst,
Kieren Hutchings and debut making Shane Mullins were re-acquainting
themselves with Rupert, Quentin, Crispin and the rest of their old
chums.
Manager Andy Russell made a tactical switch before the game. Ben
Penfold moved up front to partner Michael Nathan with Shane Foley
dropping back into midfield. Paul Strouts moved to right midfield to
provide balance, not quite the diamond formation that was talked
about in the clubhouse last week - more of a triangle with Foley's
work rate.
A windswept Enfield Playing fields was the location for the cup-tie,
conditions perfect for a cup upset. Winchmore, finalists in this
competition last season, started the game kicking into the strong
wind and almost got off to a dream start. Ben Penfold latched onto a
through ball and hammered the ball against the crossbar, almost an
action replay of his effort against Esthameians. Unfortunately this
time the ball rebounded to safety. The Hill tried to impose
themselves on the game but a combination of tricky conditions and a
spirited Ignatians side made for an even first half. Kieren
Hutchings was only brought into action on one occasion in the half,
getting down low to block a drive from the edge of the box. The half
ended 0-0, a fair reflection of a tight 45 minutes.
The Hill turned round and attacked with the wind in the second half,
looking to break their two-week goal drought. When a goal did come
though, it was for Old Ignatians. A free header from 8 yards out met
a far post free kick, giving Hutchings no chance. The inquest into
who was meant to be picking the scorer up was finally resolved in
the dressing room after the game, when Barry Chaters admitted to his
first mistake in two seasons (his words).
This was the jolt that Winchmore needed and their passion and desire
to get back into the game cannot be questioned. In the case of
Michael Nathan, this was taken to the extreme - the Enfield Grammar
/ Ignatians school rivalry must run deep if the vacant, possessed
look on Mike's face in the second half is anything to go by.
Luckily, Shane was on hand to appease the situation - honestly he
was, I saw it with my own eyes. The Hill got back on level terms
from a short free kick taken by Foley to the overlapping Shane
Mullins whose excellent cross was bundled home. One for the dubious
goals committee, Paul Strouts was later claiming the goal (with an
air of desperation) - he is clearly from the Gower and Gleave School
of goal scoring.
From here on in, this was the Neil Hurst show. Malcolm Macdonald may
have bitten the hand that used to feed him when he scored for
Arsenal against Newcastle in the 1970's, Hurst had a bit of arm too.
From a skied clearance he picked up a Gleave header 30 yards out,
advanced ten yards and found the top corner with a sweet left foot
strike. Winchmore were in the ascendancy now, superior fitness
creating numerous chances. Foley fed the excellent George Wainwright
and his pinpoint cross found Hurst at the far post who finished with
a trademark header. Hurst's hat trick was complete when he picked up
a loose pass just inside the Ignatians half, beat two men and calmly
slotted past the advancing keeper. Unfortunately he did so with his
left foot, missing out on the "true" hat-trick of left
foot, right foot, head.
At 4-1 the game was won, but the Hill still had chances to extend
their lead. Ben Penfold, who had caused problems for the home side
all day, should have got the goal he deserved when he beat two men
but screwed his shot wide. Gleave should have then provided Penfold
with the goal he still deserved minutes later but opted to slice the
ball into the hedge instead of finding the unmarked Penners six
yards out.
Credit must be given to Old Ignatians who made a real battle of this
game. Their lowly league position is certainly not due to a lack of
effort, from start to finish they competed for every challenge. A
fine second half performance though ensured the Hill advance into
the next round of the cup. The whole side battled well as a team
with Ben Penfold and George Wainwright prominent. The day belonged
to Neil Hurst though, who probably won't be getting an invite to the
old boys reunion at Ignatians.
Southern
Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 8 November
Report from Martin Gleave
Local rivals Broomfield brought their 100 % record to the Paulin
ground, looking to build on an excellent start to the season.
Winchmore went into the game buoyed by a convincing cup win last
time out, and eager to start climbing the table again. Pete Gyles
came back in at the merry-go-round that is left back for Winchmore
Hill 1s.
The Hill started the game at a great tempo, taking the game to the
visitors through a combination of composed passing in possession and
great energy when trying to get it back. It was no surprise when
chances started to come the way of the home side. Following a neat
interchange of passing Shane Foley found Ben Penfold in the penalty
area with a delightful pass. One on one with the keeper, Ben
couldn't find the net - but credit must be given to the keeper for a
good block. Winchmore were dominating the half and a Gleave pass
found Michael Nathan through on goal. When he might have shot
Michael squared to Penners, who was as surprised as anyone. With the
keeper out of position it was the full back this time who denied him
with a great block. Neil Hurst then hit the post with a far post
header from a corner, the Hill doing everything but score.
The breakthrough finally came via a long ball from Pete Gyles which
Michael Nathan chased down and hooked over the keeper from the
tightest of angles. The hardest chance of the half had been
converted to give the Hill a deserved lead. Broomfield only
threatened from set pieces, a far post header narrowly clearing the
crossbar. The only downside of an excellent first half performance
was an injury to Pete Gyles when he landed awkwardly on his back
following an aerial challenge. Not awkwardly enough however to
warrant the high pitch squeal which was barely audible to the human
ear but provided extra discomfort to Mike Bowen's dog on bonfire
weekend.
Pete was fit enough to start the second half, or at least we all
told him he was when we realised it would have meant one of us
playing left back. Winchmore started the second half in exactly the
same fashion as the first, Foley in particular prominent in
midfield. Anyone who didn't know him would think he might be getting
a bit of fitness.
Broomfield did raise their game in the second half, as would be
expected from a side with a 100 % record. Their front three in
particular started to cause problems for the Hill defence. Pete
Gyles finally conceded to his injury and was replaced by Mark Gower
- returning after a three-week absence through injury at his
favoured left back position. It didn't take him long to get back
into the swing of things - a man who couldn't be more of a soldier
if you stuck him in the toaster, buttered him and dunked him in a
boiled egg (thanks Cappy, been waiting 3 weeks to use that one), he
made himself familiar to their midfield artist courtesy of a left
boot to the midriff, and became the first Hill player into the Ref's
notebook. Gower was later followed into the Ref's notebook by Shane
Foley (comical handball) and Kieren Hutchings (long distance
swearing at Ref).
The
ensuing free kick was lifted into the Winchmore area and Kieren's
attempts to claim it were clearly obstructed by the arm of the
Broomfield attacker. Everyone in the ground saw it apart from the
man that counted. The Hill were extremely unfortunate to find
themselves back on level terms. The goal spurred Broomfield on and
they showed glimpses of why they have won every game so far this
season. The Hill, in contrast, went into their shell and for 20
minutes were second best. To their credit they did come back into
the game in the final 10 minutes and should have won it. Good work
by Neil Hurst found Ben Penfold in space in the area. His drive was
inches wide; on another day he could have had a hat trick. It wasn't
to be and Winchmore walked off knowing this was definitely 3 points
dropped, rather than a point gained.
Mill
Hill County Old Boys 0 Winchmore Hill 13
AFA
Senior Cup
Saturday 15 November
Report from Martin Gleave
The defence of the AFA Senior
Cup began away against Mill Hill County Old Boys. The ground proved
about as hard to find as the team on the Amateur Football
Combination Website. Working down the leagues from the Premier
Division, you had to go as far as Division 4 North to find Mill Hill
sitting in 3rd place. George Wainwright, early arrival at the
ground, was met by an opponent carrying a wheelbarrow full of soil
to fill in the huge craters on the pitch telling him that they had
been entered in the wrong cup. In terms of cup upsets, if Mill Hill
were to triumph against the cup holders, it would rival non-league
Hereford's triumph against the mighty Newcastle in the 1971/72 FA
Cup courtesy of Ronnie Radford's 30 yard strike in a jersey two
sizes too small.
We had our own "SuperMac" too in Neil Hurst. There is no
"I" in team, but there is "I rule" in Neil
Hurst. In an outstanding display of finishing, Hurst scored the
first 6 Winchmore Hill goals. The ball got rolling after 10 minutes
when Hurst finished off a good move involving Michael Nathan and
Shane Foley. With the Hill dominating possession chances came thick
and fast. The lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Hurst finished
at the second attempt after hitting the bar. His hat trick was
completed when he was set up by Gleave to finish at the far post.
Mill Hill did show good spirit in the first half and may have got on
the score sheet if one of a number of crosses had been converted by
more accurate headers.
The second half was a much more one-sided affair with Winchmore
spending almost the entire half in the host's half. Hurst notched
his fourth with a header from a Michael Nathan cross and his fifth
from a far post header from a corner. The Neil Hurst show (really
getting bored of writing Hurst now) was completed when he tried
desperately to set someone else up but was faced with just the
keeper to beat from 6 yards out. A magnificent individual effort,
and he managed to get a true hat trick in there somewhere along the
way with a left foot and right foot strike along with a header.
Paul Strauts notched the crucial seventh goal from a scrappy corner
and wheeled away in celebration "Antonio Careca Mexico
1986" style, providing more evidence that he is a man that
really doesn't score very often. Ben Penfold got on the score sheet
when set up by Hurst (thought I'd finished mentioning his name).
Dwayne Jackman fancied winning another cup winners medal and made
his first appearance of the season, replacing Michael Nathan. Dwayne
scored with a neat finish across the keeper after being set up by
Gleave. Penfold doubled his tally and got his hat trick when Shane
Mullan, on for Pete Gyles, spotted his run across the defender from
the far post and delivered a pinpoint
cross into the box for Penner's to nod home. Or in Shane's words
"I just kicked it."
With the score at 11-0, the team lined up for the kick off to hear
Shane Foley say "Let's not get cocky now". This from the
man who had just attempted a scissors volley from the edge of the
box when he had time to bring the ball down, make himself a brew and
slot the ball home. Dwayne showed another glimpse of what we saw
last season, out-pacing the now exhausted defence and finishing
coolly. Mark Gower had replaced Neil Hurst and proved that anyone
can score from left midfield. Leaving his touchline he streaked into
the box, pushed Dwayne off the ball as he was about to complete his
hat trick and shovelled the ball home from 4 yards. Still, at least
he didn't celebrate like Paul Strauts.
The final word has got to go to the Mill Hill centre half though.
With 5 minutes left on the clock, the Ref spotted his earring and
asked him whether he had been wearing it all game. "Nah, I put
it on at half time" he replied. Fair play if you have still got
a sense of humour when you're 13 -0 down.
Research into such large victories has revealed that Winchmore Hill
have won 13 – 0 on two previous occasions, both in Cup matches and
both during the Second World War.
In March 1943 the Hill beat Old Aloyesians 13 – 0 with the
Winchmore Hill forward, Jennings, finding the back of the net no
less than ten times, and on 21 October 1944 Winchmore Hill beat
Broomfield 13 - 0 with Elmer scoring six. Could this be an omen for
next week’s Middlesex Cup tie?
(After extra time – score at 90
mins 2-2)
AFA Middlesex Senior Cup
Saturday 22 November
Report from Martin Gleave
While anyone with any sense was
tackling their 6th pint by 12-30pm in the comfy confines of a
boozer, basking in the glory of the rugby, Winchmore 1s instead made
the short trip to Broomfield in the incessant rain to take on their
local rivals in the second round of the Middlesex Cup.
As the squad gathered in the dressing room Andy Russell announced
two changes to the normal set up. A revolutionary 1-2-1-4-2
formation was introduced along with some individually labelled
"energy" drinks for each player, the colour of which
differed for each of us. Just glad I didn't have Hursty or Shane's -
they looked a bit too much like the preferred tipple of a rugger
bugger.
The game was to bear a remarkable resemblance to the corresponding
fixture two weeks ago. Winchmore started the game at a tremendous
pace, pressuring Broomfield in all area of the pitch. It was Kieren
who was the first keeper brought into action though, making a flying
save following a sharp strike from the lively striker. Winchmore
began to dominate the game and chances were created. Martin Gleave
had a diving header tipped round the post by the keeper and both Ben
Penfold and Neil Hurst flashed crosses agonisingly across the box,
just evading both Michael Nathan and Dwayne Jackman.
The deserved lead came when Gleave played Penfold into space and
Shane Foley converted his cross from 6 yards. Winchmore continued to
press throughout the half, Shane brushing off the disappointment of
Australia being beaten by England and the opposition's taunting
("Pick up the Fat midfielder, he's running the show" -
harsh but fair) to put in an excellent display.
Winchmore created a number of chances and when half time
came, we were disappointed to be just the single goal up.
The second half started in the same fashion, the Hill comfortably in
control and pushing for the decisive second goal. Unfortunately, in
a carbon copy of the game two weeks ago between these sides,
Broomfield got back into the game via a scrappy set piece. A corner
was not cleared and was eventually stabbed home from close range.
Winchmore were stunned further when Broomfield took the lead through
another scrappy goal. With time ticking away the Hill finally got
the equalise their efforts deserved, Gleave picking up the loose
ball and playing Michael Nathan in and he finished via a deflection
- a bit of luck that the Hill deserved for their efforts.
At the final whistle the ref called upon his extensive
meteorological experience and with one glance upwards informed us
that there was enough time for 20 minutes extra time before it went
dark. Extra time was
full of end-to-end action, both sides having chances to snatch
victory. When the goal came it went to Broomfield, in the cruelest
of fashions. Football can be harsh, and in the space of a week Neil
Hurst has experienced the highs and lows. After scoring a record
equalling 6 last week in the AFA Cup, Neil was unfortunate to get a
bout of the "Andy Varley's " this week and deflected a
free kick past Kieren.
With less than 5 minutes to go this was to be the decider. The Hill
still pushed forward and Neil almost made amends when he flashed the
ball across the goal, the ball again rolling harmlessly across goal.
It was not to be and the Hill were left with nothing for their
efforts except for a filthy kit to clean and in my case, a shiner
that matched the Hill's club colours
perfectly. A prize is still available for the 100th person to
say to me "Had a row with the missus have you?"
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 29 November
Report from Martin Gleave
A pitch like Wembley, a great bar in the clubhouse and even
soap dispensers in the showers. With all this just a ten-minute
drive from home, meaning I could watch all of Soccer AM for a change
begs the question - what the hell am I doing playing for Winchmore
Hill!
Ninety minutes of football was
enough to answer that question (although that pitch is amazing). The
only change to the side was the return of Mark Gower for Dwayne
Jackman. Don't panic, it wasn't a straight swap - even if Gower will
point out that he is the 4th top scorer in the side. Ben Penfold
moved up front to partner Michael Nathan and Mark was asked to cover
the wide-open spaces at wingback (square peg, round hole - his
words).
The warm up was full of
comments like "If you can't play on this, you can't play
anywhere". Naturally, the first 10 minutes were then littered
with some dreadful passing by the visitors and the Hill could have
easily gone behind. Struggling to come to terms with a strong wind
in their face and their own 3-5-2 formation on such a huge pitch,
Winchmore had Kieren to thank for keeping the scores level, tipping
a firm header round the post from point blank range - a top class
save. A succession of corners by the home side kept the pressure on
and it took 20 minutes before the Hill managed to get a foothold in
the game.
A free kick 10 yards inside the HSBC half was delivered onto the
head of Neil Hurst by Gleave and he nodded home past the flapping
goalkeeper. Continuing our bad luck from set pieces though, the
referee disallowed the goal for an extremely harsh push. Mark Gower
was getting accustomed to his wing back role, much to the annoyance
of his ginger opponent who resorted to kicking him and calling him
"fatty". Geoff Hurst was quick to defend Gower from the
sidelines, pointing out that he'd had a baby just 4 months ago (or
something like that, give or take a few choice words).
The lively pairing up front of Nathan and Penfold were causing
problems and Penfold fizzed a ball across the 6-yard box for Michael
to just nudge over. The roles were reversed minutes later when
Nathan was played in down the right by Gleave. He outstripped the
centre half and fed Penners at the far post to finish clinically.
The Hill went in at the interval with a deserved lead.
The second half was a very one-sided affair with the Hill in full
control. Following a comical throw by Gower (with sound effect -
"woops"), a foul just inside the HSBC half allowed Barry
to launch one of his missiles into the box. The ball travelled all
the way into the 6-yard box and Ben Penfold finished at the second
attempt. The lead soon became three following a quick counter attack
with Ben Penfold finding left wing back Neil Hurst on the right wing
with a fine pass. Hurst beat his man and finished neatly in the far
corner.
Although the Hill did take their foot of the gas slightly and HSBC
did have a couple of chances, they were still in control with George
Wainwright prominent in defence. There was still time for Barry
Chaters to pop up at left wing to demonstrate why he shouldn't pop
up at left wing and for Gleave to scuff a shot from 8 yards when set
up by Pete Gyles. Kieren then had a bit of long distance target
practice, picking out the moving target of the back of Jack Newton's
head from 60 yards, the ball rebounding of his head and almost
beating the opposing keeper.
A
comfortable win for Winchmore was exactly what was needed and this
should move them up the table to keep in touch with the leaders.
Let's just hope this is still a Division 1 fixture next year - it's
good to watch Football Focus once in a while!
Winchmore
Hill 2 BB Eagles 0
AFA Senior Challenge Cup
Round Two Proper
Saturday 6 December
Report from Neil Hurst
Ninety minutes that had it all.
Barry Chaters up close and personal with his opposite number,
Ben Penfold and Neil Hurst showing great movement and fast feet and
Jack Newton and Shane Foley both hitting the bar on a number of
occasions. However this
was just the scene at Andy Varley's 30th birthday party which was a
far greater spectacle than the match at the Paulin hours earlier.
Thankfully, Vialli's party was the only surprise of the day as cup
holders Hill eventually overcame stubborn opposition to reach the
last 16 of the AFA Cup. BB
Eagles, a team born out of a recent merger between Barclays Bank and
the NFL's Philidelphia Eagles enjoyed the better of the opening
exchanges looking every bit like a team playing in their 'cup final'
trying desperately to dump the holders out of the competition on
their own (cabbage) patch.
As a place with a history of hosting SAL Division 1 and
Representative matches, the centre pitches slide to decline is
rather like meeting your old secondary school sweetheart thirty
years later and realising what harm the ravages of time and the
elements can do when left unchecked.
While the visitors chased, hustled and harried; the hosts stuttered
and stalled showing no signs of their recent good form.
The Hill went in at the break with the scores level knowing
that their performance and work rate would need to vastly improve if
the coveted trophy was to stay in our cabinet.
The second half didn’t bring an instant improvement despite the
probing runs of the lively Michael Nathan and Ben Penfold and on the
hour manager Andy Russell, a known fan of Sheryl Crow, felt a change
would do us good. On
came senior citizens Shane Foley and Jack Newton, like two battle
weary gladiators returning to the coliseum to show the youngsters
the pearls of their infinite wisdom (OK, one's an Aussie and the
other certainly doesn’t share the intelligence of his namesake
Isaac) but they made all the difference on a day when a cup upset
seemed to be in the offing.
Almost immediately Foley began pulling the strings in midfield while
Newton made a nuisance of himself as only he can, linking the play
up well. With
twenty-five minutes remaining Foley fed Ben Willis whose pinpoint
crossfield ball found Hurst whose mazy dribble was ended by a clumsy
challenge in the area - penalty to Hill.
Up stepped Penfold to coolly slot home the opener much to
Hill's relief.
The goal proved to be the catalyst for a resurgent Hill performance
in the final quarter of the match and the tie was settled ten
minutes from time when Hurst's looping header found the far corner
of the net after tireless work from Nathan.
With the game won the Eagles sloped off down the dark, desert
highway (North Circ) with the cool wind in their hair in search of
the Hotel California but only succeeded in arriving bruised and
battered on the streets of Philadelphia.
Hill face Polytechnic at home in the next round.
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 13 December
Report from Martin Gleave
Table toppers Old
Esthameians were the visitors to the Paulin Ground on Saturday,
looking for revenge for their only league reverse so far this
season. Winchmore knew that if they could take 6 points from their
two contests with the league leaders they would be right back in the
title race. The Hill squad had been hit by a bout of (man) flu
during the week. Mark Gower in particular looked as peaky as he did
before the Lloyds game about this time last year - funny how these
things coincide with work Christmas parties. Two changes were made
to the starting line up, the wily old veterans Shane Foley and Jack
Newton restored to the starting 11.
Esthameians were out of the blocks much quicker than the Hill,
showing signs of why they are currently top of the pile. The Hill
slowly began to work themselves into the game though and made good
use of the space out wide, both full backs joining up in attack.
Jack Newton was ruffling feathers as only he can and was unlucky to
see his header miss the far post following a
Gleave cross.
Winchmore took a deserved lead following a wind assisted long throw
from Neil Hurst. Jack Newton put pressure on the keeper who spilled
the ball in the 6-yard box. Ben Penfold was on hand to stab the ball
home, taking his impressive goal tally to 12 for the season. This
stung Esthameians into action (in more than one way) and the Hill
lead was to be brief. Within 5 minutes a corner was delivered into
the 6-yard box and deflected in through a mass of bodies, Winchmore
once again conceding from a dead ball.
The game then descended into a procession of free kicks with some
shocking challenges not being properly punished by the referee.
George Wainwright was the victim twice in the space of 5 minutes and
had to be replaced by Paul Strouts. After a 10-minute spell when
absolutely no football was played, the Hill finally started to
string a few passes together. The ever-improving Pete Gyles linked
with Neil Hurst who found Ben Penfold with a superb cross-field
pass. The full back just managed to do enough to clear the danger. A
fine move involving Strouts, Penfold and Newton ended with Neil
Hurst firing the rebound wide. When the half time whistle went, the
Hill were confident that they could capitalise on their 1st half
dominance and seal victory.
I'm not too sure what was in our half time drinks - Rohypnol maybe.
The second half was a blur to the home side, Esthameians totally
dominating both in physical and footballing terms. After the
visitors had a number of good opportunities, Winchmore had a great
chance to snatch victory. Ben Willis' cultured left foot (well, as
cultured as we got in the 2nd half) found Neil Hurst whose mazy run
ended with a drilled cross which found Jack in the 6 yard box.
Credit the keeper who made a good save, but the Hill's only chance
of the half had gone begging.
The winner when it came for the visitors was a worthy winner of any
game. A cross was half cleared to the Esthameians midfielder fully
30 yards out who was given ample time to unleash a ferocious strike
through a crowd of players. Winchmore were right to be extremely
disappointed with their 2nd half performance, which was simply not
good enough. They must now bounce back and what better way than
against local rivals Norsemen, with a chance to leapfrog them in the
table.
Norsemen
0 Winchmore Hill 4
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 20 December
Report from Martin Gleave
Manager
Andy Russell received the perfect tonic after (what the Club
described as) a “routine” operation during the week. It was
confirmed there was no truth in the rumour that he was a “work
alcoholic”, a la Fergie. With the Norsemen ground only a stones
throw away from the Paulin Ground (or possibly a large brick
following Saturday’s result) this was a local derby that had been
eagerly anticipated from the moment Winchmore gained promotion last
season.
The poster in the Norsemen bar for the 1952 AFA Cup Final contested
between the two sides was testimony to the long running rivalry
between the two sides. On that day the Hill had been on the wrong
end of a 3-1 defeat in a game that cost each punter 6d to watch –
Mark Gower tells me that used to be quite a lot of money. With a
couple of that team now part of the dedicated Winchmore faithful on
the sidelines, the modern day Hill were looking to exact some form
of revenge 51 years on.
Paul Iontton was called up from the 2s to spearhead the attack
alongside Michael Nathan, Ben Penfold dropping back into midfield.
In torrential rain, Winchmore took the game to the hosts with a
combination of slick passing and committed defending. A succession
of corner kicks led to the first goal for the visitors. Gleave
delivered an inswinging corner which found Ben Penfold to touch home
at the far post.
In previous weeks Winchmore have gone in front only to allow sides
back into the game. This was not the case on Saturday as the lead
was doubled in almost a carbon copy of the first goal, Penners again
finishing inside the 6-yard box from a Gleave corner. Two became
three 10 minutes later when a fine passing move involving most of
the team found George Wainwright on the right. He delivered a superb
cross, which could only be turned into his own goal by Norsemen
defender Gary Casey.
A shell-shocked home side eventually came into the game through a
dubious penalty decision where Barry Chaters was judged harshly to
have fouled the Norsemen attacker. Up stepped the Norsemen keeper to
take the penalty and strike it against the post, the follow up being
tapped in from an offside position. The Hill have had little in the
way of luck in recent weeks, hopefully this is a sign of things to
come.
The lead was then extended to 4 from another Gleave – Penfold
corner combination. The Norsemen keeper, far more reluctant to come
for crosses than he was at joining Neil Hurst at the bar on
Thursday, stayed on his line to allow Ben to complete his hat-trick
with a header before half time.
Playing into the strong wind in
the second half, Winchmore were always going to be put under
pressure by a side lying second in the table at the start of play.
Although camped in their own half for most of the 45 minutes, the
Hill still threatened through the pace of the excellent Mike Nathan
on the counter attack. Kieren was only forced into one save of
note, getting down low to his right to block a shot from the edge of
box. Barry Chaters did his best to let Norsemen in with a couple of
reverse Cruyff’s in his own area but the scoreline remained the
same.
Winchmore
should have extended their lead following a superb Mike Nathan run,
ending with him squaring it to Gleave who skied it over the bar –
I think I got away with it though by feigning injury for a couple of
minutes though. Substitute Jack Newton then almost scored with his
first touch, the keeper forcing his shot wide. The second half
remained goalless, but all the damage had been done in the first
half.
An
excellent team performance, with all the commitment and desire so
lacking in the 2nd half last week combined with some excellent
possession football. A convincing win over local rivals was a great
end to what has been a superb 2003 for Winchmore Hill 1s – let’s
hope 2004 continues in the same vein.
Winchmore
Hill 1 Polytechnic 1
After extra time – score at 90 minutes 1-1
Winchmore Hill won 4-3 on penalties
AFA Senior Cup Round 3 Proper
Saaturday 10 January
Report from Martin Gleave
Winchmore returned to action
following the Winter break to defend their AFA Cup Title against
Polytechnic at home in the last 16. With Pete Gyles unavailable,
Paul Strouts became the latest occupant of the left back position.
This gave him the opportunity to show off his Christmas present
outdoors for the first time - a shiny new pair of black and orange
football boots from Santa. With Mark Gower retiring in preference of
Bluewater on a Saturday afternoon (watch out for shirt tugging and
two-footed challenges coming to your local Early Learning Centre),
Jack Newton filled the super sub role on his own.
Gleave lost the first of 3 coin tosses on the day (Tails for Wales
ALWAYS fails) and Poly opted to attack with the slope in the first
45 minutes. Judging by the sluggish 1st half performance by the home
side, the Winter break had not been spent re-fuelling batteries.
Instead, it looked like the men in purple had been doing the type of
re-fuelling that Gazza enjoys. Poly controlled possession for the
majority of the half but only managed to create one clear-cut
chance, which was foiled by a good save from Hutchings followed by a
narrow miss from the rebound. Ben Penfold was then on hand to make a
superb last-ditch tackle when the Poly striker was clean through.
The Hill finally came into the game in the last 10 minutes of the
half. Shane Foley fed Neil Hurst who skinned the full back and fired
the ball across goal. The ball fell to Michael Nathan who snatched
at his shot, which ended up well wide.
Winchmore improved significantly in the second half and started to
dominate possession. A barn-storming run by Ben Willis set up Paul
Ionnton whose first touch beat the defender but his shot rolled
agonisingly across the face of the goal. Neil Hurst went close with
a couple of headers but the breakthrough when it came, went to the
visitors. From a Winchmore corner, a pacy counter attack found the
Poly attacker one on one with Kieren. He managed to save the initial
shot but the follow up was tucked into the open goal. With 20
minutes to go, the Hill's Cup credentials were to be stretched to
the limit.
The goal actually led to the best period of football by the home
side, but with time running out it looked like the Hill were facing
an early exit. With minutes left Paul Strouts fed Gleave in midfield
who picked out Hurst in the inside left channel (as Ken Wolstenholme
would have described it in the olden days). Neil took the ball in
his stride and beat the defender before rifling home - a superb
finish. There was only time for one of the two Poly substitutes used
to injure his shoulder before the final whistle went. The visitors
were to face extra time with only ten men.
Winchmore were in full control of extra time. Michael Nathan forced
a good save from the Poly keeper in the first half and George
Wainwright fired a left foot volley straight at the keeper in the
second, either side of him almost certainly would have led to his
first competitive goal for the club.
With minutes remaining the referee sent of the Poly skipper for his
second
Winchmore could not find the
breakthrough in the remaining moments and penalty kicks were to
decide the fate of this cup-tie.
With Poly down to 9 men the Hill had to nominate 2 players not to
take part in the shoot-out, or as the ref put it "You can get
rid of your 2 worst players." Benny Willis and George
Wainwright wouldn't fall into this category, but they did step out
of proceedings. Penfold, Hurst and Foley converted their spot kicks
and the 5th Poly kick would have made Jonny
The safety of spot kick 6 opted for by Elfie was now looking a bit
too crucial for his liking. Fortunately Kieren saved the 1st Poly
sudden death kick and the deciding kick was converted to send the
Hill into the last eight - dodgy celebration though. Winchmore just
about deserved this victory and can now concentrate on picking up
league points in the coming weeks before taking on promotion
certainties Nottsborough in the quarter finals.
West
Wickham 1 Winchmore Hill 2
Southern
Amateur League
Saturday 17 January
Report from Neil Hurst
The sight of Barry Chaters tearing his shirt off and swinging it
'helicopter style' a la Ryan Giggs in celebration of his last minute
winner on Saturday is an image that will linger long in the memory.
The fact that he couldn't get it back on and played the
remainder of the game with it inside out and back to front Forlan-style
was pretty funny too but the importance of the goal was enormous.
It hasn't all been plain
sailing for our mercurial centre half lately.
The fact that he was at fault for Wickham's goal and guilty
of a penalty miss in last week's shoot-out just scratch the surface
on what have been a calamitous few weeks for the man they call
Baresi. The next bit of
this report is worth reading, so get comfortable and feast your eyes
on a great story to use as a get out clause the next time your
missus spits her dummy and thinks you are the world's worst
boyfriend/fiancée/husband.
Bazza has recently bought a house with his lovely girlfriend and
what better time to get all the family round than Christmas.
In attendance on Boxing Day were parent, siblings, aunts,
uncles, and grandparents etc - a great opportunity to settle into
their new home. In
chronological order here are the days events:
12pm - Barry suggests they all go to the local pub 'to break up the
day' - all agree
2pm - the ladies suggest returning for dinner, the boys concur and
agree to 'finish of their drinks' and meet them back at the house
9pm - after a full-scale pub-crawl and several pints of Geordie
Juice later the boys give in to their conscience and decide to
return home
10pm - Barry decide this is a good time to introduce himself to his
new neighbours - they invite him in to join their party
10.01pm - Barry's Dad falls over whilst attempting to sit down in
the neighbours living room
10.10pm - Barry takes over the house karaoke set
10.30pm - Barry goes to the toilet
10.45pm - worried neighbours wonder where Barry is
10.46pm - Barry is found asleep in one of the bedrooms of the house
11pm - Bazza gets a second wind and parties on
Midnight - Eventually arrives home and gets the hairdryer treatment
from missus, Mum in-laws etc
Four days and a lot of grovelling later - makes peace with his
girlfriend.
Remember this story chaps -
you never know when you might need it.
Anyway, the game. There
is no love lost between Hill and West Wickham after several years of
close encounters and despite their lowly league position we knew
this would be a stern test. After
a relatively innocuous first half in which neither side settled into
any kind of rhythm the hosts took the lead from the penalty spot
after Paul Strouts felled the opposition centre forward who had just
dispossessed Boyfriend of the Month attempting his 35th Cruyff turn
of the half.
The goal gave Hill a much-needed scare and their reaction was
instant, laying siege on the home goal.
After a couple of long range efforts from Ben Willis the
equaliser finally arrived when substitute Duane Jackman's header put
Neil Hurst through on goal and he made no mistake lobbing the
onrushing keeper to silence the 'not-so-chirpy-now' home supporters.
With ten minutes remaining Hill poured forwards sensing
victory was within their grasp and after several near misses the
Hill got a deserved second when everyone's favourite alibi Barry
Chaters headed home emphatically from Martin Gleave's corner.
The three points keep us well on track in the title race but the day
belonged to Barry who for some reason didn't stay around for long
after the game.
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 24 January
Report from Martin Gleave
After last
week's dramatic last minute away win, Winchmore were hoping to turn
around their poor league record at home. The visitors to the Paulin
Ground were Alleyn Old Boys, struggling in the league but fellow AFA
quarter finalists along with the Hill.
Missing from the Winchmore squad this week were Pete Gyles and Paul Strouts -
two players who have both filled the troublesome left back position this season.
Returning to the fold though was another occupant of the left back role - Joe
Hackworth. Joe is available for selection now that the January sales have
finished and he can't spend Saturday afternoons traipsing round shopping centres
with his girlfriend.
Winchmore started brightly and dominated possession. The watching ladies (I
think it was plural) nearly had a treat courtesy of a Barry Chaters topless goal
celebration. The excellent Alleyn's keeper tipped his near post header from a
corner over the bar to keep the scores level. From another corner a Neil Hurst
header was deflected onto the crossbar and cleared off the line. The visitors
rarely threatened the Hill defence but territorial advantage could not be
converted into the goal Winchmore deserved. On a difficult surface, the final
ball let the home side down and the sides went in at half time level.
Andy
Russell's final words at half time were not to keep the pressure up
and not let the visitors in the game. Needless to say, before he had
time to take up his post in the 2nd half the Hill were one down. In
Alleyn's first real attack of the game, a cross from one of their
blond "Salon Reject" midfielders eluded everyone except
the centre forward at the far post who nodded in.
As is customary with the Hill, this was the trigger for them to step
up a gear. Ben Penfold was put through on goal but again the
visitors keeper stood tall and blocked the shot. Constant pressure
finally resulted in a deserved equaliser. With less than ten minutes
to go, Shane Foley's long ball was taken on by Gleave who crossed
for Penfold to neatly tuck past the keeper.
Winchmore could have taken all three points in the dying seconds
when
Next week's
home game against Norsemen now takes on more importance if Winchmore
are to maintain their position in the title race.
AFA Senior Cup
Round 4 Proper (Quarter Final)
Saturday 7 February
Report from Martin Gleave
Like Jordan and Peter Andre's jungle romance (or at
least it was when I started writing this), Winchmore Hill's AFA Cup
dreams are over. For the men in purple, there is to be no repeat of
last season's Cup Final "insania". Nottsborough brought
their unbeaten record to the Paulin Ground and by the final whistle
they were deservedly still on course to emulate the Hill's fantastic
2002-2003 season.
This was not the case after 45 minutes. Wining the toss, Winchmore
attacked the clubhouse with a strong following wind. Playing at a
high tempo, the home side gave Nottsborough no time in possession
and dominated the opening exchanges. From an early free kick, Gleave
picked out Barry Chaters whose free header was well saved low down
by the keeper, the rebound being hacked to safety by a creaking
visitors defence. Neil Hurst was then played through but the angle
proved too tight and the keeper was able to block his shot. Mike
Nathan then found space in a similar position but his shot lacked
the power to trouble the keeper.
Symptomatic of Winchmore's luck at home this season, Nottsborough's
first attack of any note led to the opening goal. A long throw was
not properly cleared and confusion in the Hill's defence allowed the
Nottsborough centre forward to cleverly nod home. The home side did
not let this affect their play and were level within ten minutes.
Gleave helped the ball into the penalty area and the Nottsborough
sweeper could only clear as far as Hurst under pressure from
Penfold. Neil beat the last defender and drilled the ball into the
bottom corner to deservedly level the scores.
Frustratingly, this was a turning point in the game as Nottsborough
started to show the form that makes them a certainty for the second
division title. A neat one-two down the right hand side led to a
cross travelling all the way across the 6 yard box to the centre
forward. He composed himself and rolled the ball past Kieren. A
stunned Hill went into the half time break feeling very hard done
by.
The second half was a non-event for the men in purple but credit
must be given to Nottsborough who defended resolutely and caused
problems for the Hill back line on the counter attack. The front two
in particular were as good as Winchmore have faced this season. On
another day, the score could have been more comfortable in the
visitors favour. The closest Winchmore got to an equaliser was right
near the death, when Ben Penfold's cross was hacked clear.
Following this disappointing end to the AFA cup campaign, the Hill
must now focus on the ten remaining league games. With Saturday's
league results favouring Winchmore a run of good results in the
remaining games will leave them right in the middle of the title
race. On Saturday night though, drowning sorrows was the order of
the day - Barry Chaters the pick of the drownees, finding his now
customary position in someone else's spare room and decorating it in
his own pebbledash style.
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 28 February
Report from Martin Gleave
They say football management
can give turn your hair grey. One weekend was enough to have me
reaching for the “Just for Men”. With Andy Russell away on a
training course (“How to find and keep a left back for a
season”) the Hill players were left to fend for themselves.
This meant Friday night was spent juggling with the
possibility of having between 10 and 14 players. Neil
With regulars Ben Penfold
and George Wainwright both missing, new recruits Matty and Rod came
into the starting line up. On a fine surface the hosts took the game
to Winchmore from the off, looking to get the early break through.
After a couple of early scares the Hill grew in confidence and the
game became more even – the two new recruits both involved in some
neat passing. With the score at 0-0, Michael Nathan sprung the
offside trap and just beat the on-rushing keeper to the ball.
Unfortunately, his lobbed attempt drifted harmlessly wide.
Minutes later Old Owens took the lead. Winchmore failed to clear
their lines inside the penalty area and Kieren was forced into a
fine save from a cross-shot, the rebound was rifled home though from
the edge of the box.
With the score at one nil a shot from Rod was parried by the keeper,
and fell into the path of Mike Nathan. Again he couldn’t find the
finish required to get the Hill back into the game. The one goal
deficit became two moments later from a right hand side free kick.
Kieren was unsighted through a crowded penalty area and the ball
drifted into the net.
Two nil down at half time, the visitors changing room was the
perfect example of why you need a manager. Everyone had a different
opinion and the formation for the second half changed about 5 times
in as many minutes. In the end, the Mike Bassett “four four f***ing
two” formation remained. Not that it mattered too much. Old Owens
dominated the majority of the second half, scoring two more. As the
game dragged on the Hill became more disjointed and it became a
damage limitation exercise. Winchmore did have a couple of good
chances to bring an air of respectability, both falling to
substitute Tim Guptha. It wasn’t to be though and the final score
ended 4-0.
A disappointing result for Winchmore but one which must not ruin the
Hill’s league season. With nine games still left and plenty of
points up for grabs, Winchmore must get back to winning ways this
week. And what better way to do this than at home against local
rivals and title contenders Norsemen.
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 13 March
Report from Martin Gleave
Busy day at work, just managed to get this finished
in time.....
It is fair to say that the Winchmore Hill 1st team have not been
enjoying the best of times recently. Three losses on the bounce, a
spate of injuries and a distinct lack of the type of luck which
helped make last season so successful, was making Saturday afternoon
football lose its appeal somewhat.
Sometimes it takes some strange things to regain your focus. Injured
for last week's game against Norsemen, I spent Saturday afternoon at
a 5 year olds birthday party along with 30 "little
cherubs", being entertained by Mr. Happitty and Mrs Giggles. As
the game of musical chairs came to a climax I looked up at the clock
in the local village hall as it turned 3pm and could feel my ankle
getting better already. The moral to the story – playing football
doesn't last forever, enjoy it while you can because you're a long
time retired.
Reigning SAL champions Old Salesians were the visitors to the Paulin
Ground this week, on an excellent run of late and well in contention
to retain their title. After the return of Mark Gower last week the
trend continued with Mark "Steady Eddie" Godsalve making a
much welcomed return to the 1st team fold. Keith Gyles also stepped
up from the 2nd team to partner Jack Newton up front. With George
Wainwright still unavailable through injury / getting acquainted
with girlfriends friends, Barry "Lilian Thuram" Chaters
proved that good players can play anywhere, moving from his usual
sweeper role to right back.
Attacking with a strong following wind, the Hill imposed themselves
on the visitors and started brightly. Shane "Vodka and
Coke" Foley had a long range shot tipped over the bar by the
Salesians keeper. Winchmore certainly could not be criticised for
lack of effort, the breakthrough they needed just did not
materialise. The closest they came followed an in-swinging corner
from
To compound this near miss Salesians then had their
best spell in the match resulting in the first goal of the game.
Their tricky winger was allowed to travel to far into Winchmore
territory and the ball broke to the centre forward. His shot was
aiming harmlessly into Kieren's arms until Ben Willis stuck out his
size 12 and re-directed it into the other corner. Like the
previously mentioned loser of the musical chairs game, the Hill went
into a collective sulk for the next 10 minutes. Salesians could have
increased their lead after another goalmouth scramble. Joe Hackworth
bravely blocked and hack(worthy)ed clear to keep the score at 1-0
when the half time whistle blew.
Attacking into a strong wind, things looked ominous for the Hill.
Credit to the men in purple though, as a team they responded to Andy
Russell's half time demands to stand up and be counted. Winchmore
controlled possession, getting joy from the right wing combination
of Michael Nathan and Barry Chaters. Keith Gyles did well to work
himself into a good position but his shot was well blocked.
The home side eventually got the equaliser they deserved from a free
kick 25 yards out. Every player and supporter had noticed that the
free kick was indirect apart from Neil Hurst, the taker, and the
Salesians keeper. His left foot shot was heading just under the
crossbar when the keeper tipped it onto the bar. The ball bounced
back down onto his head and into the net, 1-1 and another vital goal
from Neil Hurst, who is having a superb season at both club and
representative level.
Unlike David Blunkett, Winchmore have had great difficulty holding
onto leads this season. The visitors almost regained their lead
immediately following a corner. A looping header was dropping into
the net until Kieren stretched to tip over. Bob Gyles said it was a
great save, Kieren wasn't arguing.
Winchmore responded by spending the last ten minutes camped in the
Salesians half. Gleave crossed for Hurst (just can't get used to
talking about myself in the 3rd person) but his sliding effort was
well blocked by the Salesians centre half. The best chance fell
right near the death to Chaters, who had more chances in 90 minutes
than George has mustered in 2 years playing right back. Substitute
Tim Guptha controlled well and showed great vision to pick out Barry
in acres of space, at full gallop. He just managed to beat the
on-rushing keeper to the ball but his clipped finish had just too
much power, clearing the crossbar by a yard. The goal would have
given the Hill a deserved victory, based on their second half
performance. However, after three defeats the dressing room was a
far happier place and they will now look forward to next weeks local
derby against Broomfield. Salesians must be applauded for their
performance in the clubhouse after the game. To a man, they drank
like Leicester City players on a mid season break. If team spirit is
the key to success in the SAL, then they are worthy champions.
Broomfield
2 Winchmore Hill 1
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 20 March
Report from Neil Hurst
Winchmore Hill's already faltering season was dealt another blow on
After hearing the tragic news about much loved