Old Esthameians 1 Winchmore Hill 7
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Tuesday 14 April

A strong second half display gave the Hill three points and with it sending Old Es to the second division.  Hill made one change to the starting line up with Gylo away meaning Strouts moving to centre half and Broad coming in at right midfield.

Hill started brightly on a bobbly surface and took the lead when Broady rounded the keeper and instead of passing it into the empty net decided it was better to play a one two off the post with Aby Seymour to smash in.  Hill missed a couple of chances to put the game to bed which let Old Es back into it and they probably should have equalized when an unmarked midfielder smashed over from 5 yards. Hill stood firm to the pressure and right on half time the second goal arrived when Andy Barrell spotted the keeper off his line and lobbed him from 25 yards out.

The second half started with Hill again missing good chances to kill the game off. This spurred Old Es into life and they scored a well taken goal into the bottom corner to end Hill’s impressive clean sheet run.  Matty’s man according to Branners. This goal galvanised the Hill and they scored straight away with Matty Knights shinning the ball home. Fox in the box?

Sensing the chance to add to his goal tally and repel the advancing Barrell, Rod Beya donned his finishing boots and helped himself to two well taken goals. The second being an assist from Alex Lodge (playing for the 2nds on the neighbouring pitch) who ran straight across our pitch to retrieve their ball whilst  Rod was in the process of rounding their keeper and rolling it into an empty net.  Was he interfering?  That was the question to which the ref concluded no. 

The Hill were now creating chance after chance and the sixth came when Barrell slotted home a one on one to move level with Rod in the scoring race.  The seventh followed and with it Barrell’s hat-trick when he did a twisty-turny thing and accelerated away to lose the defender and from the edge of the box chipped the keeper to conclude a most eventful second half of scoring. 

After the match Godfrey Poku went for a drugs test after inhaling to much skunk during the warm up, Strouts was asked if he was chairman of the club and then got told by Old E’s captain that he looked the oldest in the team even though he was sitting next to a smug and youthful looking Carts.

Hill move on to Old Actonians on Saturday where another performance and result is needed.  Live long and proposer one and all!! 

Winchmore Hill 2 Old Esthameians 0
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 4 April

Mr.Ferguson calls it “squeaky bum” time and for good reason.  Today was one of those classic banana skins where top meets bottom, one team impenetrable and the other just having leaked six goals the previous week.  The result should have been a forgone conclusion but sadly it never seems to work out that way does it? 

Winchmore Hill seemed to be in fairly relaxed mood before the game knowing that another win here would be a step closer to the ultimate prize but there was no room for complacency as Major Russell banned any banter once outside the changing room which proved particularly difficult for the trio of Gilo, Davo and Mr.Strouts!  This just left time for the boys to appreciate another example of the extremes of this teams fashion sense, we have already seen Carter turn up in clobber that is way beneath his years, Strouts in “hacksaw Jim Duggan” Braces, Davo in fluorescent green t-shirts and Branners in an outfit straight out of the Oxfam front window; but nothing could prepare us for Abby’s inclusion into the hall of fame for which can only be described as a walking jigsaw!  Another example of how football is evolving as years ago he wouldn’t have even made it through the car park with that on!

Anyway onto the game, the Hill started with their standard 4-5-1 formation which has proved so successful before, slotting Strouts into full back and Putt into the midfield holding role.  The Hill started slowly, as they always seem to do, and it would be fair to say that the opposition won the majority of early exchanges, particularly in the midfield, which cannot come as a surprise taking their league position into consideration and the fact that every tackle and lose ball from now until the end of the season has become critical. 

Esthameians were pumping the ball into the Hill’s left channel with regular ease but luckily Matty Knights was more than able to repel these and in the process get Abi going down the wing.  After the first 15 minutes had passed Winchmore started to settle down and it wasn’t long before Abi on the left and Godfrey on the right were starting to trouble the oppositions defence creating chances for Knights, Bayer and Barrell that probably should have been taken. 

The home side seem to be fairly comfortable in harnessing their competition and the only real threats came from set pieces which had been conceded through sloppy pieces of play all over the pitch, luckily Gyles, Carter and Brannigan were having good games yet again to head, kick and punch anything away that threatened. 

It would be fair to say that Winchmore were not playing the fluid football that they have become accustomed to but all good sides have off days and manage to win which is exactly what the team aimed to do after Abi broke free on the left hand side with 5 minutes of the half remaining.  After beating two defenders on a 20 yard run he closed down on the oppositions goal with devastating pace pulling the trigger from 10 yards out, luckily for the Hill his shot took a deflection which took it past the goalkeeper and into the empty net.  It was a deserved lead which needed to be built on after the break to protect against any nasty surprises…

The half time team talk was full of home truths and motivated the boys into a better second half where tackles were being won and the ball was getting pushed around on the floor as expected.  Esthameians seemed to tire as the half went on which allowed the home side to mount a worthy attack every time they found themselves in possession, despite this  chances were going begging and at 1-0 this is always dangerous, no matter who you are playing.  So it came as major relief when Chris Davidson pulled out the pass of the season from his top pocket to put Poku in with a left foot drive to make it 2-0.

The Hill cruised home from here on in but there was still time to see the introduction of Broad from the Bench, Strouts to give away a penalty which was missed and for the ref to finish up in the goalmouth straight after the game with a Benson and Hedges in one hand and a can of Stella in the other, golden!!!

A good performance overall with the desired result.  The Hill continue their chase for the dream on the 14th April against the same opposition leaving only one thing to say in the words of Bruce Forsyth “Keeeeeeep winning”!!!

Yours,

Uncle.

Winchmore Hill 1 Old Wilsonians 0
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 28 March 

Winchmore Hill claimed another 3 points in a tight hard fought game against a strong Wilsonians team. The Hill made one change with Strouts back into the midfield and Aby ‘sicknote’ Anderton again nursing his broken toenail and Dan Putt on the bench having only just recovered from the battering his girlfriend gave him the previous Sunday.  

After another penalty defeat last week the Hill were looking for another good response and performance.  The Hill back in their purple shirts and grey shorts started brightly and should have been ahead but due to poor finishing failed to find the net and after about 20 minutes were nearly made to pay for there missed opportunities when Wilsonians missed a glorious chance from about a yard out somehow getting it over the bar when it was easier to score.  Carter’s large presence in the Hill goal probably the reason he blazed it over.

Minutes later and a pivotal moment in the match when Strouts brought down a Wilsonians’ midfielder through on goal and a penalty was given. Strouts probably should have been sent off.  However the ref was a distance behind play and didn’t really have a clear view and the tackle was outside the box but without assistants to help him he had to stick with his first decision.  Who’d want to be a ref?

This was a big moment in the match and Hill feared the worst after seeing Carter save none from nine in recent penalty shoot out defeats with even the 2s giving him stick about it before the game.  But a miracle, rarely witnessed, occurred.  Carter saved the ‘well-struck’ penalty down to his left pushing it away for a corner.

The last ten minutes of the half Wilsonians continued to push forward but failed to  get the goal their pressure probably deserved.  Half time and hill could have been two up after 30 minutes and two down after 45. 

With the weather not improving in the second half and the Hill again wasteful in good areas resulting in few clear cut chances the match looked like it was heading to a draw.  But with 90 minutes on the clock the second big moment in the match occurred.  A clearance was caught by Barrell who after a little shimmy and a couple of bounces and expecting by now for the ref to blow up for double dribbling, played it through to Poku who with the aid of a deflection smashed it in to give the Hill 3 points and see the gaffer do a David Pleat style run down the touch line albeit without the fetching brown suit and slip on shoes. 

Overall another solid performance by the Hill without being at their best.  With the back 5 getting another clean sheet Winchmore Hill can look forward to the last home game at the Paulin ground this season.  Onwards and upwards  

Winchmore Hill 0 Albanian 0
 (after extra time – Albanian won 4 – 2 on penalties)
Amateur Football Alliance
Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup Final
at Civil Service F.C.

A day that started with so much promise with all the players making a real special sartorial effort – Branners the undertaker, Godfrey the safari missionary, and Stroustie the bespoke gent – ended disappointingly with a poor performance and even worse result for the Hill.

On the biggest pitch in the world in the middle of nowhere the two north London based teams kicked off the final in south west London with the sun shining and the excitement levels at fever pitch amongst the crowd. 

From the off the Hill struggled to get their system and pattern of play going with Rod too isolated up-front and the midfield 5 finding it difficult to get the ball under control on the well watered and beautifully prepared pitch.  The half passed really without incident.  The opposition had a couple of half chances as did the hill but neither keeper was really tested.

The second half adopted a very similar pattern although in fairness the best chances fell and were spurned by the opposition with the hill looking less and less likely to score.  The hill’s one genuine and best chance fell to an unlikely candidate.  Stroustie sensing that Branners was going to win the flick-on set off and found the ball coming into his path he would back the old right leg and unbelievably ‘caught it too well’ and it flew over the bar and with it hill’s opportunity to nick a result.  Extra time came and went with neither side really troubling the respective keepers the game went to penalties.

True to form carter got nowhere near any of the Albanian kicks and Hill missed two spot-kicks to enable the opposition to be crowned the County champions.

The ensuing night out in Clapham didn’t suffer from a lack of silverware but nevertheless for the Hill to finish its 2008/09 cup campaign cupless despite being unbeaten in open play is slightly galling.  Such is life!! 

Winchmore Hill 0 West Wickham 1
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 20 September

New season, new team for us and for Wickham, same old result!  That said the performance of the team and individuals gives good cause for optimism for the rest of the season.

On a bright sunny afternoon the Hill’s season finally got underway and from the very start we moved the ball well, which caused Wickham problems.

Within the first twenty minutes we hit the woodwork twice and forced their keeper into making a good point-blank save. 

In defence the new look back four marshalled their forward line very well.  The half ended with the Hill on the offensive but without anything to show for our territorial dominance.

 The second half continued in a similar vein to the first with Hill enjoying the lion’s share of possession and Wickham defending well against our attacks and the woodwork coming to their rescue when their back-line was breached.  As the half wore on our frustration began to grow.  This manifested itself in one or two mistimed challenges resulting in pressure-relieving free-kicks for Wickham.  From one of these free-kicks they nicked a goal and ultimately the game. 

A free-kick on our left was floated into the box into the zone known in pundit’s corner as ‘if the keeper comes he’s got to make sure he gets it’, unfortunately Carter came and was an inch or so short, story of his life really, the ball glanced off the Wickham centre forward’s head and looped over two defenders on the line and into the net.  The game wound down to its inevitable finish with Hill creating several good chances but unfortunately not being able to convert any of them. 

Onward and upwards.


 Alleyn Old Boys 0 Winchmore Hill 5
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 27 September

 Another bright sunny afternoon, another bright purposeful display and five lovely goals saw the Hill notch up their first win of the season. 

After the first five minutes in which the opposition exploited our slight uncertainty the remaining 85 minutes belonged overwhelmingly to the Hill.  On a great surface the Hill began to move the ball effectively and efficiently looking to exploit any weaknesses in the opposition’s defence.  After a couple of near misses and half chances the Hill’s opener came from an unlikely source and an unlikely position on the field. 

Macca, a centre forward in the traditional mould, had started form in consistent fashion with his first three touches going straight off the field.  So when he picked up the ball wide on our left the birds in the nearby tree were already binging to quake.  However, our concerns were unfounded, Macca seeing the keeper edging off his line arrowed the ball at pace into the net beating the keeper at his near stick.  Did he mean it? Of course he did!  This settled any nerves after last week’s frustrating encounter and flood gates that had threatened to open the week before duly parted as the Hill’s incisive attacking play carved open the opposition time and time again. 

Abi got in on the act bending a free-kick into the bottom right corner.  This was followed by a tremendous run from deep within our by Abi which involved beating four or five of the opposition, three pirouettes, and a triple axle.  He was finally upended with the ball falling to Godfrey who toe-punted the ball into the net accompanied by a shout of ‘ave it’.  Three-nil, 35 minutes played.  Two minutes later it was 4-0.  A wayward pass was intercepted by Abi, who having a half to remember, and after another uncultured upending in the box Rod nervously slotted the ball home.

The second half was a slightly more muted affair.  The Hill kept the ball for long periods.  The opposition did create some pressure although this was dealt with by the Hill back four.  Macca, as is his want, sandwiched a massive shank of his left peg and a ball into nowhere with his right foot with a sumptuous curler into the top corner to make it 5-0.  Unfortunately the half ended with one of the opposition being sent off for two bookable offences.

Notable performances came from many but stand-outs were Macca for his two goals, Abi and Godfrey for their outstanding wing displays and goals, and Davo and Barrell for their ‘keeping the ball’ moving contributions. All in all a good day  

 Winchmore Hill 2 Nottsborough 1
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 18 October

 Match report courtesy of the ‘nicest’ player on the park Andy Barrell!!

 Winchmore Hill claimed another 3 points in another tight hard fought game against a talented Nottsborough team. The Hill made two changes from the previous week's victory over Actonians with Hursty coming into the team in place of Macca, who went back home for the weekend, and Charles who broke his foot during training. The French speaking Sampson came in for Charles.  Reece, who only likes playing away and in temperatures over 80, was also not about.

The Hill started well in their ‘Varnished’ white shorts and took the lead inside 10 minutes when Abi who apparently varnishes the white shorts himself slid the in form Rod Beya in on goal and he coolly slotted it past the Nottsborough keeper.

The Hill then were put under a lot of pressure up until half time with Nottsborough hitting the crossbar and Gylo performing heroics stopping a certain goal after a short back pass from Sampson. Carts is attending French evening classes this week to help talk to his young full back.  There’s not much chance of Carts learning French as he is still struggling with his English!

The Hill went in 1-0 up at the break.

The second half the Hill improved and came out a lot brighter and caused Nottsborough's defence a lot of problems without really creating many clear cut chances. At the other end, Nottsborough were having a lot of possession but rarely hurting a solid Hill defence. The Hill finally got their second goal with a great move down the left flank with Matty Knights and Abi Seymour combining well and Matty cut it back to the oncoming Godfrey Poku who smashed it into the roof of the net to make it 2-0. 

With 15 minutes to play the Hill surely had 3 points in the bag. But the ref had other ideas awarding a penalty to Nottsborough after Hursty shoved a Nottsborough player in the back. Only the ref and Bob Gyles saw this push with  no real appeals coming from any of the Nottsborough players. The penalty was then saved by Carts who was slow to get up and get the rebound which just proves if you don’t come to training you will lose your sharpness!

The last couple of minutes were nervy for the Hill but saw it through unlike poly the previous home game.

Another tough SAL match but  a young Hill side deserved 3 points for a good all round performance and digging in when needing to. Gylo and Branners had another excellent game in defence and the midfield put in a good workmanlike display and stopped Nottsborough creating many chances and getting them frustrated, resulting in long range efforts.

Three points and another round bought by the gaffer if we keep winning even he’ll be feeling the credit crunch! Probably not actually though as too many drink J20!

From the other side of the coin...
Nottsborough's version

Old Owens 1Winchmore Hill 2
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 25 October

Winchmore Hill arrived at Owens unbeaten in 4 games and off the back of very strong back to back wins away at Old Actonians and at home to Nottsborough, meaning confidence was high and knowing a win would take the Hill to the top of the SAL table. By comparison Owens has had a slow start to the season picking up their only win away at Salesians the previous week. However as has always been the case in these highly competitive games given the history between the clubs form counts for nothing on the day.

The pre-match discussion seemed to centre on how Abi had gone from using varnish last week when washing the kit to using well what could only be described as a soil based detergent this week, and his own words "banged"?? I have spent the last 48 hours looking for a translation - answers on a postcard! Even the wet socks were not to dampen the Hills afternoon (sorry just had to) and as Hursty put it, forget the kit chaps lets just get the three points. Even the gaffer included it in his pre match talk such were his concerns the kit might have on concentration and attitude. However neither should have worried (well maybe a little) as the boys showed great attitude from the very start setting a great tempo and finishing the match even stronger.

So the match itself, and for the first time we had cold and windy conditions to contend with rather than baking sunshine and the Hill kicked off playing into the wind towards the Old Owens club house. The Hill started with a lot of confidence looking to get into their passing rhythm knocking the ball around at the back, in to midfield and then working off the front two and for 15 minutes held the upper hand. We were looking to get the ball wide to Godfrey and Abi who were linking well with the strikers in the respective channels as Hursty and Rod worked the line well looking to bring others into the game, and despite us getting in down the sides on numerous occasions either the final ball wasn't quite there or the runs into the box weren't quite clever enough. But enough openings to be optimistic. To be fair to Owens they defended well and when we did get a sniff around the edge of the box fouls were committed which resulted in not a great deal.

As the half wore on Owens had a little spell around the half hour mark, creating a few opportunities and being gifted a couple of others, and with the few shots they had found Andy Carter in good form as he saved from close range and tipped a dangerous free kick over the top. These were the only real chances Owens had in the first half as our defence showed why they had only conceded 3 goals in 5 matches - none from open play - prior to kick off. Gylo and Branners look assured at centre half with Mattie's pace at full back allowing him to attack and defend with equal measure. As half time approached we started to get in the ascendancy once more, with a couple of dangerous crosses from both the left and right although not too much to trouble the Owens keeper.

In to the second half and the Hill appeared to be looking stronger as we continued to pass the ball and look for openings, made a touch more difficult with the wind behind. It was a complete surprise then when Owens took the lead with 20 minutes to play when a corner was nodded in from 2 yards, despite strong appeals for a foul as Carts looked to be impeded coming for a catch. One nil down away at Owens would normally see most teams fold, but this young Winchmore team is developing a winning mentality and attitude and response to this setback couldn't have been better, as we set about Owens and started penetrating their back line and testing the keeper. A cross from the left found Hurst and his header back across goal found the unmarked Barrell who couldn't quite get enough power on the header to find the net. Shortly after Hurst was replaced by Declan who has been in good scoring form for the reserves and looked bright on his debut, and nearly scored from a classic goalmouth scramble, where I counted three shots being blocked, when in reality it could have been more!

Then back up the other end where we hadn't had too much to do second half we faced a free kick from a dangerous position, but when the cross came in Carter claimed well and as is the new Hill way quickly released Knights down the left, who rolled the ball into Beya's feet to set off a classic counter attack. (Which is proving very effective for us with our newfound pace in the side) Beya jinked inside his man before hitting a peach of a cross field pass to Poku, who had the vision and ability to cushion a lovely first time pass through the two centre halves to the onrushing Barrell (Yes I couldn't believe it either) who having got there had plenty to do as his pace was never going to take him clear, so with a lovely cut back he sent the defender and the keeper the wrong way and lifted ball over them and into the net to level the match. However the Hill weren’t done and there was still 10 minutes or so left on the clock so we went searching for the winner!

And when the winner arrived it was a goal worthy of winning any game at any level! Poku who had become frustrated at not seeing the ball as much as he would like (Well Godfrey you can't have it for 90 mins on your own…) started to move inside and take up positions where it is very difficult to be marked. On one such occasion he received the ball some 25 maybe 30 yards out, his first touch caused the ball to pop up nicely and he then smashed the ball with his right foot and watched as it sailed in to the top corner off the post as the players and fans went mad for a minute or two (It isn't often you get to celebrate a win at coopers lane after all) which was deserved. It was a stunning strike!!

So this left us with 6 minutes to hang on??? Familiar territory……not just this season but others gone by, however since the goal conceded against Poly late on the Hill's concentration and focus lasts the distance, maybe it’s the thought of the gaffer dipping into his pocket again?? (Some chance as he fled early) As Owens pushed for an equaliser the Hill created two more really good opportunities which they need to start taking to close games out, first as Beya broke through one on one with the keeper before pashing it back to him and then Abi went on one of his mesmerising runs beating three players before nearly taking a cow out in the field behind the goal with his finish! Then finally the whistle went and the boys claimed their third win on the run to go top of the table! Having played 6 games with 4 wins and one defeat and the so called big three having been played, it is up to us where we go this season, and the benchmark has truly been set.

So to the post match discussion in the bar, and credit to their boys who agreed we deserved the victory and were surprised at the quality of our football and new found passing game. As Gylo, Carts, Barrell, Branners, Declan and myself discussed the game and how well we had played and the tremendous character in coming back from a goal down at Owens, Mr SAL himself was working the room like only he can. So to next week and Weirside a new side to league who will no doubt provide a stern test on their own patch, and a chance to open up a gap at the top with Wickham not playing??

Weirside Rangers 2 Winchmore Hill 1
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 1 November

The recent good run of the Hill came to a shuddering halt on Saturday in wet and windy Kingston.  Three goals in the first 20 minutes, one for the Hill and two for the opposition, concluded the scoring and ultimately confirmed the result.

Changes to the starting eleven saw first team debuts for Cooky and young Steve in the back four with Macca returning after a week long scoring sojourn with Newton’s Invincibles.  Playing with the wind in the first half, an impediment for the Hill, we scored after two minutes when a perfect shank off Rod’s shin found Andy ‘the incredible shrinking man’ Barrell’s head.  The opposition weren’t perturbed by the early goal and duly equalised from a corner after 10 minutes.  Further indecision in the defensive ranks resulted in the opposition centre forward pulling a ‘worldly’ finish out of the bag to give the home a side a deserved lead.  The remainder of the half was scrappy certainly from Hill’s perspective with the opposition warranting their lead. 

The second half was a different affair which saw Hill dominate possession and territory (unconfirmed opta stats - 80:20).  However a mixture of shooting from sixty yards, kicking the floor, falling over whilst wearing moulds, and indeed not shooting at all meant that the Hill were not able to get the equaliser.  All the more galling because if the equaliser had come then the winner would have surely followed.    

The result and certainly the first half performance are a reminder that structure, commitment and responsibility are prerequisites for flair and imagination.  Bon chance and as Bruce says ‘keep dancing’.   


Winchmore Hill 6 Enfield Old Grammarians 1
Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup
Round Two
Saturday 8 November

HILL EASE INTO ROUND THREE OF AFA CUP
 Winchmore Hill have a successful history in the AFA Cup, particularly recently, having won the competition twice in the previous six seasons.  However, past glories count for nothing, and if anything, inspire opposing sides who visit the Paulin looking for an upset.  Enfield Old Grammarians were no exception.

Winchmore were forced into changes in wide midfield, with Poku injured and the glamour model Abi Seymour continuing his trial at Reading, though the latter was doing his best to avoid a home game against Aston Villa, in preference of Grammarians at the Paulin. Understandable.  Neil Hurst returned to the left, a position where he has notched a good percentage of his 50-odd goals for the club.  Declan made his first start on the right, and the returning Strouts at right back produced a brace – sadly, yet unsurprisingly, not on the pitch.

Hill started slowly and somewhat complacently, after the manager and captain had stressed the importance of a good shape, the team chose to ignore all the sensible instructions they had been given, and were ragged, flattering the efforts of a spirited Grammarians side.  The ball was moved too slowly and the work rate was poor, culminating in the visitors taking the lead in the tenth minute with a superb first time volley at the far post.  After a few Strouts-esque sympathetic shanks from Knights, and Cook soon realising that you can’t pass to the right back even when he’s in 30 yards of space, Hill began to settle into a rhythm.

Hill got back into the game when the wily Hurst used all his experience to win a slightly soft looking penalty after a burst down the left wing, and in the ex-skipper’s words: “I’ve seen them given, I’ve seen them not given.” Profound.  Beya duly converted, and Winchmore, now in the ascendancy quickly increased their lead with a tidy driven finish from Barrell after a good passing move, and Beya got his second following a move started by Strouts tackling with his head.  Oh, how we’ve missed him!  3-1 at half time, but far from convincing, too many players wasting possession and out of position gave the opposition a lot of ball in dangerous areas, fortunately, they could not make it count.

The second half brought a stronger display with a good shape and some better football.  The newly ‘slimline’ Barrell curled in for his 4th in 3 games, an excellent return that has left his midfield partner Davison well behind in the scoring stakes.  This, however, is no surprise bearing in mind Davo is doing his finest Shane Foley impression, sweeping up behind Gyles and Cook at centre half on a number of occasions. 

Dominic Murchison was introduced on the right side of midfield, after Strouts’ legs gave up 70 mins into his solid comeback match.  This was enough time however, for the obligatory shank (left foot this time) impressively back behind himself in the penalty area to make sure the defence were on their toes – Gyles almost wasn’t and nearly tested Carter, but the danger passed.  Murchison immediately provided a reminder of what Hill had missed in Poku and Seymour, with blistering pace creating two good chances for the strikers.  Winchmore then started to produce the kind of football that has brought them so much success this season, with the best move of the match ending in the fifth and best goal of the match.  A link up down the left flank between Knights, Beya and Davison resulted in Knights reaching the bye line and driving across the box for Hurst to roll back the years and slide home.

There was still time for Beya to complete his hat trick in style, a positive first outing from Sureya, and then some extraordinary misses from Beya and McHale, which could and should have extended the margin of victory.

Overall, a satisfactory team display and 6-1 reflected Hill’s superiority with a solid central midfield performance from Davison and Barrell, and Carter’s excuse book getting thinner (the cross died on him, honest).  Tougher tests will come starting this coming Saturday away to Old Ignatians, and if this young side is to emulate some big Winchmore Hill names of the past then constructive advice and instructions must be adhered to, with discipline and hard work coming hand in hand with ability.  If this can be achieved, then this team can go a long way towards creating their own history.

Winchmore Hill 1 Old Salesians 0
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 29 November

The Hill entered this contest on the back of two league defeats and as such it became imperative that they rebounded from such disappointments to help protect themselves from the experiences of last season when safety was not secured until the penultimate game.  If league tables were anything to go by, neutrals could have thought that this would have been the ideal opportunity for the Hill to get back to winning ways with Salesians at the bottom and Hill at the top but it was FA cup weekend and we all know that upsets can happen!  Winchmore always seem to struggle against Salesians and battles over the years have always been tight and competitive affairs, so the Hill approached their competition with the respect they deserved.

Pre-match preparations started with a 1pm meet in the clubhouse, all the overweight old guys on one side and all the gold chain, bling bling hoodies on the other, nothing like team spirit!!!  It was overheard that Brannigan had not eaten for a couple of days which seemed a little unusual to me until he set the record straight with master Hurst suggesting that this was normal during his time in the motherland of Kosovo…Poku was back in the fold as was some bloke from the second team who turned up looking like Inspector Morse with his brown elbow patched blazer!

Once in the changing room all the fun stopped as the Gaffer had his game face on setting about a formation which suggested stability and flair through Poku, Broad and Beyer who occupied the lone striking role.  Everything was going to plan during the warm-up until somebody commented about the match ball being pumped up too much leading to an unusual outburst from the Gaffer lasting about 5 mins which actually made some of the younger players cry!  On a serious note everyone knew from this incident what an important game this was and as required the Hill set about their business in this fashion. 

Despite a slow start, Winchmore got into their groove and it wasn’t long before they seemed to get on top of things, playing the ball out from the back, driving the midfield through Hursty and Poku and testing the Salesians back line through Beyer.  Carter didn’t look like he was being tested too often but what was thrown at him he dealt with amicably despite the aerial threat that Salesians offered on set pieces.  Barrell was starting to get into the game more as was Hurst and Poku who started to pierce the Salesians rearguard with penetrating runs which were repelled by a number of reckless Salesian challenges that seemed to go unpunished.  As the half wore on it looked more and more like a 0-0 draw with neither side offering the cutting edge which tends to be the difference at this level.

The second half was to start like the first as Salesians pushed forward immediately looking for an opening which nearly came after 10 mins as a break down the Hill’s left allowed their centre forward to curl a shot just over Carter’s upright.  The Hill did not seem to heed this warning as Salesians pushed time and time again looking for the breakthrough which did make them look susceptible on the break as Davidson and Barrell tried to unpick the lock.  During a good spell of possession Poku picked the ball up from 25 yards out and smashed a shot which bounced just in front of the keeper and into the net.  1-0 Hill. 

Instead of pushing on the Hill seemed to sit back and invite pressure and as such with 25 minutes remaining the Gaffer decided it was time for a tactical change to help inject some youth, creativity and raw ability to secure the win so off came Hurst and on came Strouts!!!

From here on in Hill locked the door and could have gone 2-0 up if Beyer could learn to convert in a one on one situation.  Despite a number of Salesian set pieces, shanks from Brannigan, numerous counter attacks from the Hill, elbows in the penalty area and a match ending in darkness the 3 points were safe helping maintain the decent league position whilst allowing the Hill to turn their attentions to next weeks Holy Grail, the AFA cup!!!   

More of the same Saturday please.

Yours,
Supersub.

Winchmore Hill 10 Old Ignatians 0
Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup
Round Three
Saturday 6th December

One look at the result of this fixture ought to tell you all you need to know about the day yet somehow it just wouldn't do justice to what was a completely surreal Saturday at a winter sun kissed Paulin Ground.  You got the feeling it was going to be a good day when Old man Strouts made his now customary show stopping entrance to the clubhouse dressed like an extra from a Dizzee Rascal video. 

Dedicated followers of Winchmore Hill fashion can now add this black and pink 'leisurewear' to the vast array of sartorial 'elegance' that has graced the sanctity of the dressing room over the years.  Strouts' shooting jacket, Strouts' von Dutch trucker's cap, Strouts' braces (I'm detecting a theme here), Carts' guacamole easy shoes, Barry Chaters' superman pants and Matty Knights' pimped up tracksuit collection have all caused a stir but none had quite the impact of this little beauty.  Old man Strouts is almost single handedly keeping the British economy afloat with his penchant for a fashion statement and also doing a decent job at bridging the old guard/street kid divide within the side.  Well played him!

Anyway, the game, and what a game it was.  Andy Russell was again without Aby Seymour whose match fitness status on the Hill website appears to have been 'Reading' for weeks.  What on earth is he reading that is taking so long?  One of Peter Gyles' match reports perhaps?  Enough to send anyone asleep!  Strikers Rod Beya and Kris McHale were both unavailable meaning Neil Hurst was asked to lead the line alone, no doubt hoping to add to his 107 1st XI career goals.  In support Hurst could rely on the youthful exuberance of Godfrey Poku, Dominic Murcheson and Andy Barrell all of whom have impressed greatly so far this season.

The match was about to start, but before things could get going we were all treated to a manifesto of  the newly anointed 'Respect' campaign which is being rolled out across football.  Quite right too - this should be encouraged although refereeing a football match should not be confused with trying to cleanse society itself and with Andy Carter's still suffering from a bad dose of tourettes and Matt Knights ASBO still not served in full, the man in black was never going to see eye to eye with these two (he was over 5 foot 5 for starters!)

Nonetheless the vertically challenged Knights was head and shoulders above everyone else on five minutes when he headed home Chris Davison's sublime corner.  Hill really had a stranglehold on proceedings and should have added to their lead only for some careless play in the final third to deny them.  As expected, Ignatians mixed honest endeavour with some fruity tackling and you got the feeling that they could not afford to continue to allow Hill to have set pieces in and around their penalty area.  On the stroke of half time this proved to be the case when Poku's cross was headed home at the far post by Hurst.  From the restart Hill gained possession immediately and Broad was through on goal with players in support only for the referee to pull the plug just as Broad was about to pull the trigger.  2-0 at the break.

Much of the team talk at half time revolved around getting the all important third and ensuring that we stepped up our standards for the tougher challenges that lay ahead.  This was achieved and some as Hill totally dominated the second half.  The third goal came when Hurst tackled back and sent Davison through on goal for him to finish with aplomb with his right foot.  The third goal came when Hurst tackled back and sent Davison through on goal for him to finish with aplomb with his right foot.  I've written that twice as I didn’t believe it myself when writing it!

Three became four moments later when Hurst nodded home at the far post and with twenty five minutes remaining the Ignatians were in desperate need of salvation particularly when their skipper went off injured.  With him went the shape and soul of the side as Hill proceeded to score a further six goals in the closing moments.  Hurst completed his hat-trick with another towering header and added a fourth for him and the Hill's sixth before Stuart Broad capped an impressive display with a brace, Andy Barrell coolly finished another impressive Hill move, before Poku got the goal his performance deserved with a superbly struck match clinching tenth!  There was still time for Peter Gyles to get his ball room dancing friendly size 12 feet in a tangle allowing Ignatians a first sight at Carter's goal but thankfully for him and the ears of everyone in the surrounding area Mr Angry got his much sought after clean sheet.

Next week sees Hill host Hale End in the Middlesex/Essex Cup, the final game before the winter break and a chance for Hill to finish 2008 strongly.  A chance also for Strouts' wife to give his American Express Black Card a bashing at the January sales in time for more Fashion Tales of the Unexpected in 2009!

Regards
The Purple Pen

 Winchmore Hill 3 Hale End Athletic 3
 AFA Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup
Saturday 13 December

(After extra time – score at 90 minutes 2 – 2.
Winchmore Hill won 4 – 3 on penalties)

Reading’s loss was the Hill’s gain on Saturday as a hat-trick from the returning Aby Seymour eventually saw them through to the next round of the Middlesex Cup. 

On a rain soaked day with the pitch holding up very well and the Hill’s bench bristling with talent, youth and white socks the game got underway with both teams settling into the games.  The Hill almost took the lead in the first ten minutes only to be thwarted by a great flying save from the opposition’s keeper who bore a remarkable resemblance to Jack Newton.  The remainder of the half saw both sides enjoy periods of possession without creating any real chances.

The gaffer made what turned out to be an inspired substitution at half time with Aby replacing Stuart Broad thus reuniting the Hill’s famous wide-men double act.  Aby duly scored after two minutes getting his go-go gadget leg to a cross for 1-0.  The pitch began to worsen particularly in the clubhouse end goalmouth where Carter had to be at his full 6ft height just to keep his head above the lakes that were now forming.  Despite the worsening conditions Hill continued to press and duly got their second goal when something happened in the goal mouth (it was getting very dark) and Aby scored his second.  2-0 with 20 minutes to go should mean game over but it was not to be.  The opposition who had introduced two jet-propelled wingers in the second half threw caution to the wind and went for it.  Indecision and uncertainty resulted in a goalmouth swimming session after which it was 2-1.  Five minutes later the Hill’s backline was again breached to make it 2-2.  Further chances were created by the opposition not least when Carter decided to subject the crowd watching from the comfort of the pavilion (lightweights) to a spot of goal-line juggling.  He was later helpfully advised by his goalkeeper mentor, Tim Corrick, that his hand-shape and body position were all wrong.  2-2 fulltime and 30 minutes of extra-time in the deepening gloom beckoned.  Extra-time was a rather tame affair compared to the excitements of the second half. Each team scored a goal with the visitors taking the lead and Aby securing his hat-trick and superstar status to take the game to penalties.

The question now on the crowd’s lips was would the penalty taking technique of the Hill’s players outweigh Carter’s dismal penalty saving record.  The answer thankfully was in favour of the technique with Hill scoring four penalties out of five and Hale End missing two of their five.    

Onwards and upwards. 

 Winchmore Hill 2 Alleyn Old Boys 0
Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 3 January

 Hill started the new year the way they want the rest of 2009 to go with a hard fought win at home against Alleyn Old Boys. The Gaffer set the team up in the same way as he has in the last 3 games which has resulted in 3 wins. With Hurst and Macca missing and Davison not turning up till the 2nd half due to work, the Gaffer started with Rod up top Abi, Strouts and Barrell in the middle, with Broad and Poku on the wings with the solid back four of Matthews, Knights, Brannigan and Gyles.

The game started pretty evenly, with maybe Alleyn Old Boys shading the first 20 minutes.  After this the Hill started to dominate, and began using the wings which resulted in more success.  On the half hour the Hill took the lead.  Aby floated a free kick in from the right, Broad won a header which fell to Barrell who slotted into the right corner.  1-0 should have been 2-0, but Broad’s Paul Weller fringe got in his eyes and he missed from 6 yards.  Half time and 1-0 to the Hill.

The Half time team talk emphasised the need to get the 2nd goal to kill the game off.

The 2nd half began as the first half ended with Hill on top, but without actually scoring the 2nd goal.  Several chances were created and spurned; from a corner Mattie Knights crashed a shoulder/header against the bar leaving him still looking for his first headed goal for the Hill; Godfrey kicked the floor instead of the ball; Abi managed to hit the keeper from close in; and Broad ‘paul wellered’ a header wide at the back post.

It took until the 70th minute for Hill to get the 2nd goal, this was set up by the supersub Davison, who played in Abi with a great left foot sand wedge, Abi cut inside and after initially picking out the keeper again the rebound came straight back to him and he duly slotted in.

In the closing minutes Hill should have made it 3-0 when Rod was clean through on goal, but panicked and mercifully the keeper took the ball off him. 

The rest of the game was pretty safe for the Hill, with Carts not needing to make one save in the match, and the back four looking very cool (excepting Branners of course) and dealing with anything thrown at them.

All in all a pretty decent result, and a great way to start 2009.

 Old Meadonians 1 Winchmore Hill 5
Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup - Round Four
Saturday 17 January

On a sunny winter’s day the Hill moved into the quarter final of the AFA cup thanks to a fine second half display which saw them comfortably beat Meads in there own back yard.  The Hill without Hursty due to injury and Davo away on his first of many skiing trips the Hill, were unchanged from their last game.  

The first half started in a scrappy manner and few chances were created with Rod missing a header and Broady, aka Paul Weller, shooting over and Mead’s robust centre forward shooting straight at Carts.  After 20 minutes Hill made the breakthrough with Rod heading in, yes heading in, from Aby’s superb left wing cross.  However, less than 5 minutes later Meads were level.  Their centre forward after evading several despairing challenges did a twisty-turny thing in the box to make it 1-1.  It stayed this way till the break. Pretty even encounter with the spectators expecting a tight second half.

The second half started in unusual fashion with Dominic running on with a box of tissues for Aby who was in tears after the Meads defender who he’d been rinsing all afternoon decided to pinch his backside.  He should be used to this given the ‘treatment’ Strouts gives him in the shower every week!  Despite being in considerable pain the ever thoughtful Aby also managed to replace a few divots on the pitch with his repeated and very dramatic fist pounding.  

The incident seemed to spur the Hill on who took the lead quickly afterwards.  A Matty Knights’ cross to the back post was nonchalantly headed in, yes headed in, by Barrell.  Minutes later Barrell outmuscled his defender to score another header this time from Godfrey’s cross.  With the game becoming increasingly open Hill soon recorded number four.  Charles after a 20 yard touch tackle run, I know I didn’t think he could run that far, spotted the keeper standing the wrong side of the post drilled in a ‘Johnny Metgod’ from 20 yards to get his first goal for the Hill. Hill completed the scoring with Rod finding the net with a low shank off his shin.  To celebrate he gave Lockjaw a big hug to thank him for his goal scoring advice provided in his report the other week. The hill then could have had more with Barrell missing and Abi hitting the bar.

There was still time for Stroutsie to pick up another yellow card and produce one of his trademark shanks, for Gylo to kick the ball with his right foot, for Matty to shin one straight off the pitch, for Carts to complain about something anything, for Branners to attempt a 40 yard left footed defence splitting pass, Samson to show off his peppermint coloured boots and Mr AFA, aka Hursty, to say hello to everyone. 

In the bar after the gaffer again showed he’s not been affected by the credit crunch by getting the first round in.

Winchmore Hill 1 Weirside Rangers 0
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 31 January

“Winchmore flatten Weirside”
As the dust settled and the snow began to set around the streets of Enfield there was only one thing that mattered, the Hill were still in the SAL title race whilst Weirside’s challenge had been all but extinguished.

This was an afternoon when Winchmore seemed to shrug off the element of self doubt and turn in a workmanlike performance to claim all three points, applying even more pressure on both West Wickham and Old Wilsonians in the title race.  The most pleasing sign from Saturday’s performance was the fact that this year's group are not just capable of playing exciting football (well some of us!) but also tight enough as a unit to repel physical sides such as Broomfield last week and Weirside and come out with the desired result.

The Russell regime seems to be fully on track and if results are anything to go by he should surely be picking up one of those magnums of champagne which read “manager of the month” on the label!  Despite this, our illustrious leader has succumbed to the occasional outburst like many talented managers before him which have included a five minute rant about how pumped up a football was, a public counselling session about his love for the Broomfield manager, calling Charles Obese and lazy to boost his confidence and tearing strips off people for not making training which I cannot blame him for after overhearing Barrell tell Carts that the reason why he missed training last week was because he was at the theatre watching Joseph and his technicoloured dream coat (you k+ob!).

The gaffer had picked another attacking side, sliding Strouts back into the rearguard whilst inserting Godfrey into midfield after he had decided earlier in the day that he actually fancied playing today after bottling out of last weeks encounter once discovering that he was marking Broomfield's Jimmy…The Hill started the brighter and it was surprising that they were not out of sight by half time, enjoying the majority of possession through midfield.  Godfrey and Abi were their marauding self’s and Davidson was gliding through midfield like he was on a pair of skis which I guess he has had plenty of practice with recently!  As Barrell and Frans Klammer continuously unlocked the Weirside back four it was only a matter of time before a real chance was created.  This fell to Rod Beya who was presented with a glorious one on one which he squandered after a last ditch tackle from their defence.  Back to finishing school for you Beya!!!

Frustration started to creep in as the Hill struggled to capitalise on their possession and Weirside became more and more physical culminating in yellow cards for both Tweedle Dee (Abi) and Tweedle Dum (Godfrey) for kicking the ball away.  It was these two who again combined to put the Hill ahead with fifteen minutes to go.  Seymour had smoked the Weirside right back once again and was brought down inside the box before having the opportunity to pull the trigger.  Poku then calmly stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way and put the Hill into a deserved lead.

Winchmore then controlled the game for the last ten minutes of the half knowing full well that their opposition would come out for the second half fighting for their title lives.  The Gaffer seemed fairly happy with the 1-0 score line and slotted Charles into the back four and Strouts to his familiar holding role after Seymour retired after breaking a toe nail!

The second half was as expected with Weirside driving their troops forward for the equalizer looking to spoil the Paulin party but as they attacked in their droves this left numerous gaps which should have been punished by the Hill though sadly the finishing was just not there today.  Despite this, big praise should go to Matty Knights and Godfrey Poku who worked tirelessly down our left hand side to find the second goal which would have killed this dogged competitor off.  As the clock ticked down it was Weirside who started to show real signs of desperation resorting to two footed tackles and elbows which were somehow missed by the man in the middle.  With five minutes to go it looked as if Winchmore had done enough to secure maximum points until the Weirside centre forward carved an opportunity out of nothing which was superbly saved by Captain Carter at point blank range.

Shortly after this scare the final whistle went to the delight of the home side who still remain on track for the elusive triple!  With Stuart and Dan coming up from the two’s and the mercurial Hurst still to come back, this is a squad capable of doing great things.  Big pat’s on the back to the back five who again kept a clean sheet and proved that exciting football and scrooge like defending can compliment each other, take note Kevin Keegan!

Next please!

Yours,
“One knee”.

 Winchmore Hill 3 UCL Academicals 0
AFA Senior Cup – Quarter Final
Saturday 14 February

 Valentines Day sees the Hill keep alive their Love Affair with The AFA Cup...
Another strong display from the Hill saw them through to the semi finals of the highly respectable AFA Cup against a spirited and battling UCL Academicals side.

With the sun shining down on The Paulin the Hill approached the game in fine form and high in confidence.  Abi Seymour had clawed his way out of the shadows to come a watch a team missing himself, Godfrey, and Charles Matthews from the starting line up.  Also missing but ever-busy was Neil Hurst who arrived to busy himself with the little known oppo and inject some colour through his fruit pastel jumper and ‘taste the rainbow’ neck warmer.

Strouts’ frustration was in fresh spirit but without Godfrey or Abi as punching bags turned his attention to the new boys stealing a sock and claiming it as his own.  After a soft discussion Paul (never one to be confrontational) conceded the sock and returned it to its rightful owner.  Young Boys 1, Old Boys 0.

Much of the dressing room build up continued as normal with Branner’s attaching his ankle, Putty applying enough tape to his socks to require the jaws of life to help him undress 90 minutes later and Carts complaining we were all taking too long, only to follow everyone out half dressed with untied laces dangling in the wind.

The game started on the back foot for the Hill with Academicals using their only tactic of pumping the ball forward and hoping for the best for much of the first 20 minutes.  Good shape and healthy desire weathered the storm but produced little in chances until the half way mark of the half.  Some slick football and clever passing saw Stuart Broad released behind the full back.  He proceeded to do the ‘perfect thing’ by cutting inside the defender and had his leg wound ready to blast himself to glory only to be shut out by the last gasp challenge of the beaten defender.  Coming nowhere near the ball, said defender promptly brought down Mr Broad and awarded Hill the chance to open the scoring.

Rod Beya stepped up, placed the ball on the spot, walked 2 steps directly backwards eliminating all angle from his run up, took one step towards the ball, stopped, looked up, took one more step, stopped, then dislocated his ankle to force the ball to his right into the waiting half of the net with the keeper already grounded to Rod’s left.  Good penalty, interesting ‘teckers’.

With the momentum now with the Hill, the purple army took it up a gear and pressed the Academicals back into their own half where they stayed for much of the last 10 minutes before half time.

The second half saw a slower approach from the visitors who seemed to have used all of their energy, ideas and desire in the first 20 minutes of the game.  A change in the Hills attitude to games seemed to follow from the dressing room and they instantly set about closing the game out.

Fifteen minutes in and Matty Knights blew past Putty into the ever present hole behind the Academicals right back.  Fed through by David “Davo” Davison using his “snug for a proper strike” boots, Knights slid the ball to the touchline before drawing it back past the front post.  Andy Barrell (later awarded MOM by the beaming Gaffa) knew little of his touch as the ball bounced nonchalantly off his shin and trickled agonising (for the opposition) into the bottom corner.  Hill 2, Academicals 0.

This second goal seemed to wake Academicals and some astute defending was required from all.  The referee’s leniency was felt when a perceived infringement on Davo went unpunished.  “I was hangin’ in the air man” was heard from the deck as he picked his self up before being shouted down by both Carts: “You’ve never hung in the air in your life” and the official: “Shut up you Lemon”.  That turned the score.  Old Boys 2, Young Boys 1.

Twenty minutes from the end Barrell was put in behind the disheartened Academicals defence.  Not content with just beating the keeper, Andy took it upon himself to flick the ball over his head back towards the two centre backs before dispatching a volley into the back of the net.  Hill 3, Academicals 0.

And that’s how the score line finished.  There was still time to throw on the biggest right back the Hill have ever played, for Davo to ‘play for time’ by falling unchallenged in the centre circle, Branners to get excited and run past the half way line and Barrell to indulge in 15 minutes “jug avoidance” by squandering 4 chances to complete his hat trick.

All in all another assured performance under difficult circumstances showing the depth of the squad that Winchmore Hill are developing.  Solid defending, intelligent passing and creative forward play showed that it doesn’t matter what you’re called – you’re always able to be taught a lesson!

The next round sees us pitted against Poly on 7 March.

Just like buses these match reports - two come at the same time!

 As the spring weather hit the Paulin on Saturday UCL arrived as a team who are struggling in the league but playing well and picking up good results in the cup. This was pretty much the basis of the gaffer’s pre-match talk as the Hill lined up in their usual 4-5-1 formation and the emphasis was placed on working as hard as possible to close UCL down when they had possession until we knew more about them. The gaffer’s other key contribution was to go against his usual policy and take some air out of the training balls so no-one broke any toes in the warm up.

So the first half began and our visitors belied their league form and looked to work the ball through the midfield and in to the strikers however on a day when the Hill back four were outstanding and repelled anything that came their way this was unlikely to come to much. It took 5 or 10 minutes for the game to settle, and then the Hill started to pick up a few first and second balls in the middle and enjoy a little bit of possession looking to feed the ball wide to Putt and Broad who were enjoying the space in behind the UCL fullbacks. The Hill fashioned a couple of chances this way with Broad getting in behind the left back only to see his centre cleared, Beyer was sent away down the left channel to feed Davison whose shot was strangely off target. The Hill also had a decent chance from a corner from the right which was pinging around the 6 yard area and unfortunately falling to a UCL defender to clear.

Then came the moment of the first half Barrell who had a fine came playing just off Beyer released Broad who cut across his man then as he looked poised to shoot was crudely brought down from behind, the ref appeared to hesitate and look at his linesman before giving the penalty, which Beyer coolly converted slotting home to the keeper’s left as he went the other way. With their noses in front the Hill looked to push for a second and were looking particularly dangerous on the break as from a UCL set piece that was cleared Davison released Barrell with a defence splitting pass down the right but UCL got back well and cleared for a corner. Despite now being well on top the defining moment of the match came 2 minutes before the interval as UCL were awarded a free kick on their right, particularly harsh as Knights made a great challenge to take ball then man but the ref gave a free kick. UCL had shown signs of good set piece delivery from corners and thrown ins throughout the first half and this free kick was swung in right to the far post and luckily the free header was straight at Carter who still made a tremendous reflex save. So the whistle went and Winchmore went in 1-0 to the good.

Much of the chat before the restart focussed on how hard we had worked and how UCL would have to tire at this pace and the next goal should really take all the confidence out of their game. So in to the second period and the Hill were shooting towards their favourite clubhouse end and enjoying plenty of possession looking to open up gaps in the UCL defence. The killer goal came about an hour in with Knights taking a throw in to Davison who turned inside his man only to realise he might have to use his right boot, so came back the other way and spotted Knights who’d continued his run flying down the left wing, slipped the ball into his path and Knight’s pinpoint centre struck Barrell and into the net from 4 yards to make the score 2-0. From this moment the Hill gained confidence and started to knock the ball around with the moment the midfield four (Stroutsie excluded) linking up with Beyer creating more opportunities. The game was then made safe when a Knights clearance fell to Barrell via the centre half who took a couple of touches a fired an unstoppable volley into the corner to secure the win.

The Gaffer then made a couple of changes replacing Samson with Cook, and Surya came on in place of the ageing Strouts who once again failed to last the distance, surely a concern to Mrs Strouts on this day of all days??

The changes gave the Hill a little more pace and we poured forward looking for more goals and chances came and went for Broad, Beyer and Barrell had three or four chances to complete the Hat-trick which he duly spurned although he did have the ball in the net only to see it ruled out for offside.

To be fair to UCL they did not give up and threw men forward to try and pull a goal back but the excellent Brannigan and Gyles blocked or headed everything away meaning a sixth clean sheet in 8 games was achieved. There was time in the second period for the referee to brand the Winchmore number 11 a lemon for claiming he was pushed whilst “hanging” in the air, which to be honest is valid from the referee as our number 11 rarely heads the ball let alone gets of the deck.

The game finished 3-0 and saw the Hill progress to the Semi Finals where they will meet Poly on the 7th March. The performance was a tremendous all round team one with the back four as solid as they have been all year, the midfield five working really hard to close down and win lots of  first and second ball’s, and Rod Beyer who had a tremendous game working hard to run both channels and hold the ball up really well. So on to next week and a home semi-final a really good opportunity to reach a cup final for this young side.

There was till time in the post match chat in the bar for Bernie, to come over and congratulate us for a very good performance, before being asked by Carts, “How didn’t Barrell get his hat-trick though?” Bernie’s reply was swift and to the point, “Because he’s as tight as arseholes!” Genius!

 Winchmore Hill 1 Old Salvatorians 0
AFA Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup – Semi Final
Saturday 21 February

The Hill booked themselves a day out at Civil Service (28 March v Albanian) with a 1-0 win (what else!!) at home to Old Salvatorians as they look to capitalise on what is so far shaping up to be a decent season.

With Samson missing and Godfrey back from his spell in America and looking sharp, (well his haircut did, his guardian Strouts didn’t agree with the new multi coloured boots he was sporting). Stroutsie was switched to right back with Poku coming into midfield as the gaffer looked to go with his tried and trusted 4-5-1 formation.

Hill started the game brightly and looked to get the ball moving quickly on the deck and move the ball wide and work off balls into Beya’s feet, which we did well on what is becoming a worse and worse surface to pass on – more of that later. Hill were starting to utilise the right hand channel and Broad got behind his full back a couple of times early on with a combination of skill and determination, and the first time his cross was cleared well by the defence, then the second he got of awful bobble and his cross went over the top. In this period the Hill created some good chances, as Davison’s slalom run down the right channel took him past a couple of players then obviously cut back on to his left before seeing his shot deflected and loop up and over the keeper on to the roof of the net. By this stage it was all Winchmore pressure, and when the goal came it was in-form Andy Barrell who led a break up the inside left channel and with options left and right and clearly playing with confidence cut back to his right foot before shooting low to the keeper’s right. Now with a one-nil lead the Hill continued to push forward looking for a second and it nearly came as Rod Beya’s brilliant cross from the right was met with great “tekkers” by the right boot of Davison but unfortunately it was straight at the keeper who made the save.

The final 15 minutes of the first half are where we need to learn lessons and improve as we took our foot of the gas and decided to become slightly lazy both in possession and without it, which probably gave Old Salvatorians the belief they could get something form the game. We should look to take collective responsibility for this as we cannot continually rely on our once again outstanding back five to prevent teams scoring. Half time came with the Hill 1-0 up, and looking in control of the game, and hoping to progress.

In the second period we raised the tempo slightly and the tactical switch of bringing Putt in to the centre of midfield and Poku out to the left seemed to give the team a little more balance, as Putt’s industry made us more solid in the middle and Poku’s pace and quick feet meant he was able to run at players more often. After a turnover of possession Davison released Barrell down the right and after reaching the ball (just) his brilliant cut back was received by Putt’s burst into the box, and looking go round the keeper and finish with his left he was brought down, with a penalty the only outcome. Up stepped Beya after so coolly converting last week, to see his kick saved and then rebound blaze over the bar. There were more chances created as Knights and Poku linked well down the left with the latter released through on goal only to pull his shot wide of the goal with only the keeper to beat. Again here is another lesson that we do need to convert a few more of the excellent chances we create as we were given a real scare from a set piece when their centre half headed over from 6 yards, with 15 minutes left when he should really have made it 1-1. With that went Old Salvatorians chances of forcing extra time and Winchmore won the game 1-0, with outstanding performances from the whole back five.

The Hill celebrated reaching the final on and after the final whistle (Some more than others) and Stroutsie always one to have the last word got embroiled in some post match banter with the officials only to come off second best in those stakes and almost a guaranteed booking next time Grant (Matthais) is involved in the game.

The gaffers favourite stat of the season revealed at training last week means that the Hill have been ahead in 10 games at half time and only once failed to win. We’ll see what his has for us tomorrow night (Tuesday – training)??

So to next week's game away at West Wickham, where we will have to show the work rate and appetite for a battle that has carried us to this point, but it is all up to us with a potential 12 games left

 Winchmore Hill 2 Old Owens 0
 Southern Amateur League
Senior Section Division One
Saturday 14 March

 Hill Complete League Double Over Title Rivals
 Winchmore Hill bounced back from their disappointment of losing in the AFA Senior Cup semi-final the previous week in emphatic style with a well-deserved victory against their local rivals Old Owens at a sun-drenched Paulin ground.

Without influential midfielders Paul ‘turn them round’ Strouts and Chris Davison who was busy bobsleighing, Winchmore already had excuses in place for failing to perform.  They wouldn’t be needed, however, with the home team turning in one of their best performances of the season that was built around superb performances from the midfield 5, both individually, and collectively.  The game saw a welcome return for Poku in the middle and a timely return to form for Seymour, with the pair ultimately being the difference between the sides.

The pitch had actually been cut for once and I think the shock of this caused the usually reliable Hill back 4 to start slowly; they were ragged for the first 20 minutes until they got to grips with the hard-working Owens forward line of Mann and Forwell.  Indeed, the game could have taken a very different path after Mann was presented with a glorious opportunity 5 minutes in, that he somehow pulled (very) wide from 10 yards.  It was a big let-off for Hill, and one that proved the catalyst for a dominant display.

Dan Putt, with his fresh highlights, and sparkling white boots, looked every inch the Owens, I mean Winchmore, player.  He heard pre-match rumours of a pink Owens away kit and wondered whether his audition as the holding man would one day lead to a big-money switch across Hertfordshire.  He soon realised where his bread was buttered, however, donning the grey shorts and kids’ socks of the Hill, he began to take control of the midfield, doing an important task negating the effect of the dangerous Dave Breeze.

The Hill midfield started to dominate possession, with wide men Broad and Seymour getting in behind on numerous occasions, and the slim-line (well, compared to opposite number Sutter anyway) Barrell regularly showed neat footwork to expose the Owens back four.  With Rod Beya displaying an industrious side to complement his undoubted ability, it was surely only a matter of time before the home side took the lead.

Sure enough, 25 minutes in, the deadlock was broken.  A good move down the right, and a cross from either Broad, Poku or Barrell (I think, not sure though, I was miles away) led to a mix up in the Owens defence and Seymour nodding home at the far post.

The rest of the half saw Hill continue to dominate, however, Owens are a good side and continued to provide reminders that they were ready to pounce if the Hill dropped their level, but at half time it was 1-0.

After some wise tactical words from the gaffer at the break, the second half saw more of the same with Winchmore continuing to stroke the ball around and Owens struggling to get close.  Putt continued to spread play well, and Poku and Barrell were driving the team on. On the hour, a through ball to Beya struck Pressney on the arm in the box and a debatable (probably was though) penalty was awarded.  Poku showed what was lacking the previous week and tucked the ball away without trouble.

2-0, and the game effectively won, Owens tried push forward moving to 3 up top, but the defence were solid and the home team were very dangerous on the break, Beya in particular having a good chance to finish the opposition off.  The scoreline remained the same, after a half chance from Forwell cleared Carter’s goal, and Winchmore could reflect on an excellent team performance, full of confidence and a job very well done.

Attention turns to the AFA/Middlesex & Essex Cup Final at Civil Service this coming Saturday, where Winchmore will be looking to turn in a similar confident display, and then 7 more cup finals to follow, in an attempt to bring the league home.