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Post by coffers on Sept 22, 2006 14:55:40 GMT
I say: Sack The Board!
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Post by coffers on Sept 22, 2006 16:57:02 GMT
Barrow 2 vs 1 Peterborough, ENC LeagueSo the first game of what promises to be a month of tough tests, as we meet a few of the better teams in the division. Peterborough don't look so tough on two minutes as winger Jonathan Dawe smacks in a shot come cross from the right hand edge of the area, it's over the goal line before the keeper can get to it. Then two minutes later the ref gives them a well dodgy penalty, the blind bostord, suffice to say they draw level. Never mind, we continue to play good direct football and on 20, Sergio plays a ball to the edge of the area a first time pass inside by Sundstrom finds Guerin who rounds off the move nicely with an angled drive from 8 yards. From that point on the game is even and both sides struggle to break the other down, I have to say I was mightily relieved when the final whistle went. There was bad news after the game, our star DMC, Mattias Moller, had twisted his knee and would be out for the next 4 weeks. Not something you'd want with an away trip to Exeter next. Exeter 2 vs 1 Barrow, ENC LeagueExeter outplayed us in the first half and we couldn't get to grips with their fast incisive passing game. They opened on 200 when a bad back pass from Ward was picked up by Kamara who dribbled 40 yards with the ball before slipping it past our keeper, Rose. I thought we'd made it to half time with only a goal deficit, but on 44, Walsh pushed Phelan in the area and Phelan got up to score from the spot. :moop: We were sinking. Half time pep talks the 3 subs pushed on, on 54 and we started to play better. One of the subs, Hedlund, pulled a goal back on 70, picking up a lovely through ball by Walsh, he slotted it past the keeper from 10 yards. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and Exeter got all three points, though the press kindly pointed out a draw might have been a fair result. More bad news, Sundstrom is reported to have a back strain which could put him out of action for between one and two months. :moop: Barrow 3 vs 0 Burton, ENC LeagueWhen your down it's nice to have a visit from a weaker team, that happened to be Burton. A Peter Hedlund first half hat-trick did the damage. The first came on 10 when a deflected Booth cross found him lurking on the edge of the 6 yard box, he hit an angled shot past the keeper. A 12 yard header from a deep David May cross came next on 35. The third came on 39 a long ball by Walsh, standing in for Moller, formerly of Port Vale, Hedlund latched on and left the defence in his wake as he stormed through to score from 20 yards. Game over. We only had 3 on target shots all game, Burton only had 3 shot total. Grays 0 vs 0 Barrow, ENC LeagueIt was 2nd vs 1st, so I played it cagey and judging by the going over we might have got if the defence hadn't stood firm I did the right thing. They had a 16/3 shot ration to our 5/1. Our strikers struggled without the power of Sundstrom to lean on, so I was happy with a point from this one. Dagenham & Redbridge 2 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueWe were very much caught cold in this game as goals on 4 and 15 from Mathew Doyle saw the Daggers storm into a 2 goal lead. We were definitely missing the presence of Moller in the holding role. But a change of the tactics saw is slowly stem the tide a a two goal blast in the space of a minute ensured we shared the spoils. The first came on 28 when a cracking through ball found Harwood in space and last seasons top scorer didn't need asking twice to finish from 15 yards. We won the ball from the kickoff and stormed down the pitch, Harwood saw his 4 yard header palmed out by the keeper, but Walsh followed up and prodded the ball in from 6 yards. The shops were firmly shut up at both ends from that point on. Barrow 1 vs 1 Weymouth, ENC LeagueI expected a harder game than it was, as it was Weymouth were lucky to get a point out of this. They had opened on 5 minutes when our defence fell apart, they got a cross in and the unmarked Kamara headed in from close range. From that point we battered them but couldn't find a way through until the 77th minute, their keeper took a back pass, messed about with it and lost it to Palmer who gratefully poked the loose ball into the net. I'd have took a point before the game but was disappointed with it at the end. They only had the one on target shot. Kidderminster 2 vs 6 Barrow, ENC LeagueThis was one of those matches where everything went right attack wise; we had six on target shots and everyone went in, They had 3 on target shots and 2 went in. For us the scorers were: Harwood (11 & 40), Hedlund (28), Guerin (45 & 64pen) and David may (47). They scored on 44 and 56, they also had a man sent off 6 minutes from the end. Sergio got Young Player of the Month and I was 3rd in the Manager of the Month stakes. The board are very pleased and we made a £32.23k profit in the last month. Barrow 1 vs 0 Scarborough, ENC LeagueThis was the game that Moller mad his comeback in and he struggled early on but did well enough to suggest he'll soon be back to form Scarborough were tough to break down and the winning goal didn't come until the 77th minute; Pavel Licka drove a lovely shot across the keeper into the left corner of the net after been set up by Harwood. The Table After 14 games:
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Post by coffers on Sept 23, 2006 19:25:16 GMT
Morecombe 0 vs 3 Barrow, ENC LeagueMorecombe are our nearest rivals as derby matches go and we well and truly humped them, much to the delight of our board of directors. Hedlund opened on 28, latching on to a lumped clearance from left back Dave May, he ran through and drove a low hot under the keeper into the right corner of the net. Hedlund claimed the second with a 30 yard shot on 33, Harwood had beaten their keeper to a back pass and knocked the ball right to the on-form striker. On 45 right back Sergio tackled their winger and released Hedlund down the right, he ran to the right side of the area and crossed to the far post where Harwood's diving header shot back across the keeper for number 3. Game set and match, Morecombe had plenty of possession but didn't know how to use it. Barrow 3 vs 1 Eastleigh, FA Cup 4th Qualifying RoundConference League South side, Eastleigh gave is the runaround in the first half and took the lead on 4 minutes, when Brush missed a cross and Martin headed past Rose. It was their only meaningful shot and they made the most of it, defending resolutely until we finally got the equaliser on 45. Sundstrom making his comeback from injury slipped a through ball from Miller inside to Hedlund who blasted home to level for the break. On 61, Miller was pushed in the area and Ward shot us in front from the spot. On 76 their keeper hoofed a clearance upfield, the ball was collected by Ward who played a ball through the defence, Hedlund latched on and chipped the advancing keeper from just inside the area. We advance to the next round and got a nice little cash payout of £10k for our troubles. 1501 turned up to watch, we had been previously getting around 2500 for our home games. We were drawn at home to Shrewsbury for the FA Cup 1st Round Proper. Barrow 3 vs 1 Bury, ENC LeagueWe expected a tough game but as Barrow were reduced to 10 men after only 5 minutes, things turned out easier than expected. We finally got the lead on 26 minutes when Hedlund half volleyed a through ball, from Ward, beyond the despairing keeper. Two minutes later Hedlund headed on a ball from Miller, Harwood latched on and, as defenders closed in, he hit a 22 yard shot between the two nearest and it beat the keeper all hands up. Bury closed things up a bit from then, and in the second period started to make a game of it,. They pulled a goal back on 70 when Morris headed in a 24 yards free kick from 8 yards. they were pressing hard for an equaliser and as we entered injury time there keeper came up for a throw in, Guerin cleared, Sundstrom headed on and Hedlund hit the ball into the gaping empty net from 30 yards and 2 minutes into injury time. 3501 fans turned out to see the game. The board are delighted with my performance as we enter November and we make £30.5k profit. left back Dave May is named Young Player of the Month. I manage to get 2nd place in the Manager of The Month Awards and Mark Harwood's diving header against Morecombe gains 3rd spot in the Conference Goal of the Month. The League Table As At 1st November 2006
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Post by coffers on Sept 23, 2006 23:27:57 GMT
Sundstrom is reported to be back on the injury list for 3 weeks with gashed leg, sustained in the last match. Barrow 2 vs 0 Shrewsbury, FA Cup 1st RoundThis was a bit of a classic game, in that we more than matched our illustrious opponents who were lying 3rd in League 2. An even 1st half ended 0-0, and I gave a mini pep-talk in the break telling the lads that they only needed one goal. That goal came 26 seconds into the second period; straight from kick-off a flowing movement ended with Guerin flicking th ball into the area and a Harwood diving header ending up in the Shrewsbury net. A swift break down the right on 58 saw Hedlund cross to an unmarked Harwood, the striker drove low from 14 yards and celebrated his and our 2nd goal. Shrewsbury didn't record one on target shot and their manager lam-blasted them after the game good and proper. 2837 turned up this time out, and we received a £16k bonus for progressing to the 2nd round. We are drawn at home to League 1 Rotherham in the 2nd round of the FA Cup. Aldershot 2 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueWe got off to a great start for this Tuesday night Match, when Guerin headed in a deep Sergio cross to the right hand near post after only 2 minutes. Guerin doubled the lead on 16, this time heading in a Dave May cross to the left post. We easily held the lead up to the break. Tiredness from Saturday's exertions was setting in and on 54, former Barrow player Ben Quinn made the most of it driving in from the edge of the area. Three subs were sent on on 55 and on 61 Harwood went off injured, we were down to ten men. Aldershot had us stretched from that moment on and equalised on 78, Osbourne heading in a far post cross. Somehow we clung on to the point and it was enough to keep us top as Grays lost their game, Stevenage crept up to within a point of us. Striker Mark Harwood will be out for 2 weeks with a bruised head and Centre back Mark Brush has a facial injury that will keep him out for up to 2 weeks. This is worrying as Centre back is a position we don't have a lot of cover for. Moller will have to move back and Walsh will come in at DMC. I decide to blast Licka in the press as he hasn't put in a decent effort as sub in four appearances, the fans back me up and claim he is gutless. Barrow 1 vs 0 Tamworth, ENC LeagueTamworth are a dorty bunch of bostords and pay the price on 35 when Guerin is pulled back in the area. Moller scores the only goal from the spot. Tamworth are spared a humiliating defeat by a MOM goalkeeper. Moller gets his 5th yellow of the seasona and will miss the next game, which is something we can do without. Sundstrom returns to training early in the week, which is good news at last. England hammer Malta 11-0 in the Euro Qualifiers. I turn down the offer of the managers job at Bury, even though I would be on a shedload more than I am now, they want the wage bill reducing from £60k per month, so their would be no room to manouver for transfers. Harwood is also back in training, but neither Harwood nor Sundstrom will be fit enough to start. Gravesend 0 vs 0 Barrow, ENC LeagueAnothe MOM performance by the opposing goalkeeper keeps our depleted strike force at bay. Thankfully our rivals can't do any better than draw or worse, so we actually move 2 points clear at the top of the division.
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Post by coffers on Sept 24, 2006 1:15:22 GMT
Barrow 2 vs 0 Halifax, ENC LeagueThe pundits reckoned that Halifax would run out easy winners, they were wrong, in a hard contested game we made better use of our possession. The goals came on 54 when Guerin crossed the ball behind the defence for Hedlund to slot in from 6 yards and 73 when May delivered a ball into the penalty area, Hedlund spun and took out 2 defenders before hammering low into the left corner. Guerin was 3rd in the player of the month award. The League as at 1st December 2006The board continue to be delighted especially as we made a £48.51k profit over the last month.
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Post by Moo on Sept 25, 2006 8:24:38 GMT
Delighted? I'm not surprised. Storming away with this league, Mr Drop.
Marvellous cup run too. Got to be happy with the gate receipts for that little effort.
And can Newcastle sign one of your strikers? Thanks.
KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by coffers on Sept 25, 2006 13:06:21 GMT
And can Newcastle sign one of your strikers? Thanks. Only if we can have one of their defenders. Oh hang on, on second thoughts bin that.
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Post by Moo on Sept 25, 2006 13:19:12 GMT
*snigger*
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Post by coffers on Sept 25, 2006 16:43:12 GMT
Barrow 1 vs 2 Rotherham, FA Cup 2nd Round3157 fans witnessed us slaughter Rotherham and somehow contrive to lose. Sundstrom opened the scoring for us on 16 minutes, with a first time volley of a long clearance from Matthews. We overran the League 1 side for long periods but just could not find another goal despite our 25 attempts to score, 9 of which were on target. In the end stamina told and when we were tiring fast, Rotherham were still going. They equalised on 71, Adams unmarked on the far post headed in a Richardson cross. With the game heading to a replay, O'Niell broke through the middle and put us to the sword with 4 minutes injury time played, we just had enough time to kick off again. I've never been more disappointed at losing a game that we expected to lose before it started. We would have met Blackburn at home in the next round. Forest Green 4 vs 4 Barrow, ENC LeagueWhat a strange game, we started out rather subdued, maybe a hangover from the cup defeat, who knows? Forest Green took the lead on 23 when a fast passing movement ended with a 12 yard free header hitting the net like a bullet. We just didn't seem interested, but a change of tactics 5 minutes from the break saw a bit of a surge, Booth broke and sent Harwood on a run, the striker saw his 20 yard shot parried, but Hedlund romped in to slot in the equaliser on 42. Two minutes later, Ward chipped over a cross and Booth smacked a wonderful angled overhead kick sailing into the net from 14 yards, to give us an undeserved half time lead. Twenty One minutes from time saw Forest hit a long clearance, Graham latched on and stormed through to equalise from 22 yards. More tictac changing and we once again took the lead on 81, a flowing move ended with Hedlund setting up Sundstrom from 16 yards. We hadn't sat down before Forest Green raced up the pitch and equalised at the far post via Bradshaw. With 37 seconds of normal time remaining Hedlund centred and Moller stabbed in from close range. I quickly changed tactics trying to preserve the lead, but to no avail, Forest Green had the ball in our net again with 90 Minutes 33 seconds on the clock. I just couldn't believe it, I'd never been involved in anything quite like it. The draw was enough to keep us on top because we had a better goal difference than Stevenage who had won today, they are our next opponents. Barrow 7 vs 3 Stevenage Borough, ENC LeagueMore madness and mayhem; Hedlund opened on 23, with a low angled drive after collecting from Miller. Harwood doubled the lead on 37 after Guerin had headed on. Stevenage pulled a goal back from Knight on 41 following a neat passing move. Stevenage equalised on 44:33 a Hutchinson header from a corner. One minute fifty six into 1st half injury time, Hedlund caught the keeper dallying on the ball and made it 3-2 at the break. Three minutes into the second half, Faulkner smacked a 25 yard shot that Rose could only parry, Talbot ran in and equlaised for Stevenage. I can only wonder what has happed to our defense, mental note we need a new one! On 58, Hedlund collected a Sergio free-kick and turned his marker before driving in for his hat-trick. A minute later, Matthews sent Hedlund running down the left, his cross was met and converted at the near post by Harwood. On 73, Palmer intercepted a poor pass by their keeper, rounded him and slotted in from 8 yards. On 76 Booth played Harwood in in the penalty area and he placed his shot inside the right post for his hat-trick. Game Over! That gave us a nice 3 point lead at the top and hopefully demoralised our nearest challengers, their manager had a lock in after the game it wasn't the drinking sort.
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Post by coffers on Sept 25, 2006 20:05:12 GMT
Barrow 5 vs 0 Team Bath, FA Trophy 1st RoundI'm not sure if we played a team from Bath or the team bath, either way they were crap and we humped them. Moller opened on 15 with a penalty after Hedlund was tripped in the area. Hedlund headed in a Licka cross on 22 from 6 yards. Moller added the third with his head from 2 yards following a near post Booth corner. On 37 a Booth lob was clawed out by the keeper and Hedlund followed up nicely to drive home. Hedlund claimed his hat-trick on 75, smashing in a deep cross from Vaughen from the edge of the box. We're drawn away to Conference League North side Gainsborough in the 2nd round. Crawley 1 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueThis was a hard game and despite media predictions we pulled off a win. We got off to a bad start though as on 6 a tackle cum backpass by Booth ended up with a Crawley striker put in the clear to make no mistake from 16 yards. We struggled badly to make an impression, but finally came up with a goal on 34 a big hoof from our keeper was headed on by Hedlund, Sundstrom pounced and ran into the area, rounded the keeper and slotted in from 8 yards. The rest of the game was a pretty hard slog, even though Crawley went down to 10 men in the 61st minute. With a draw looming Moller played a long ball into the area where Hedlund turned and hit it first time to leave the keeper flat footed. there were 6 minutes left to play, but as far as Crawley were concerned the game was dead. Cambridge City 1 vs 0 Barrow, ENC LeagueIt had to happen against a bottom 3 team on Boxing Day, we were crap and Cambridge plundered a goal from a deflected free kick on 61, it wasn't even registered as an on-target shot as Cambridge were shown to have had no on-target shots. An after match lock-in ensued where the team were blasted as an embarresment to me, themselves and the division they were playing in. Thankfully Stevenage lost too. Barrow 3 vs 0 Canvey Island, ENC LeagueThis was a nice easy game to follow up from the midweek defeat, it was the last game in 2006. It took a while to get going but on 36, Booth was upended in the area by Warren, Warren was sent off and Moller converted from the spot. Hedlund doubled the lead on 66 striking in a parried deflected shot from Licka. On 73, Licka played Booth into the area and Booth absolutely lamped his shot past the keeper for number 3. Hedlund was deservedly named Player of the Month for December, Booth's overhead kick against Forest Green was 2nd in the Goal Of The Month. The board are delighted and we made a profit of £29.88k. League Table on 1st January 2007, prior to the day's game:
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Post by Sonic on Sept 26, 2006 0:56:35 GMT
Wow, some really good results in the last couple of updates, plus the usual defeat to the bottom placed side.
A 5 point gap at Janruary is nothing to sniff at either.
KUTGW :thumb:
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Post by Moo on Sept 26, 2006 8:37:03 GMT
Unlucky with the FA Cup there Coffers, but you made amends by humping the students, which is just what they like anyway.
And the league form continues too. Quality stuff! KUTGW!
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Post by coffers on Sept 26, 2006 22:12:40 GMT
Cambridge United 1 vs 3 Barrow, ENC LeagueNew Years Day and we take the chance to blow Cambridge away. We open the scoring on 22 with a swift passing movement that ends with Dawe playing Harwood in, inside the area the striker places the ball inside the left post. On 34 route one stuff ends with Cambridge's Thompson striking the ball against Matthews and the ball looping into our net to level. A half time pep talk sees Rose hoof the ball down-field, it sailed over the defence and was collected by Hedlund, his dribble took him around the keeper and he gave is the lead again from 6 yards, with 45 seconds of the second half played. Now that's real route one stuff. On 68 Harwood was fouled in the area, and Moller converted the spot kick, though it was a harsh decision according to many quarters. Remember my comment recently about needing a new defence, well on the 2nd of January the beginnings of that started to come together as 19yo Simon Dennis a smart looking DRC signed from Barnsley for £4k plus extras and I start negotiating fees for darned useful looking Morton left back to join us. Barrow 1 vs 0 Stafford, ENC LeagueA usual a struggling side put up a hard fight, but at least this time we beat then, even if it was a 39th minute Moller penalty that settled the match after Sundstrom was fouled in the area. Dennis had a sound if unspectacular debut, but the defence looked a lot safer with him commanding in the centre. Gainsborough 0 vs 3 Barrow, FA Trophy 2nd RoundWe completely overwhelmed Gainsborough in a totally one sided game. Moller opened the scoring with a 25 yard free kick. On 54 Dennis crossed from the left and fringe player Graeme Murray flashed a header across the keeper, which ended up in the right corner of the net. 45 seconds into injury time, Walsh belted a long clearance down field, their keeper rushed out and ran past the ball, Palmer ran around the keeper and struck a 35 yard shot into the empty net. The only oddity about the game was the fact that we only managed to score 3. We're drawn at home to Grays in the 3rd round of the FA Trophy. On 15th January, 22yo Scottish DL, Peter Baxter joins us from Morton for a fee of £1k plus 50% of any future transfer fee. He's in time to make his debut against York. York 0 vs 3 Barrow, ENC LeagueYork are expected time hammer us but Hedlund gives them a shock on 19, chipping the keeper after being put through one-on-one by Ward. Two minutes into the 2nd period and Moller fed a short ball to Guerin, the Frenchman hit it first time from the edge of the area and it few in for number 2. On 73 Dawe hit a ball into the area for the unmarked Harwood to half volley home from 12 yards. Baxter plays a great game and rates an 8. Dennis also merits an 8 after rating 7's in his first 2 games. Barrow 3 vs 1 Woking, ENC LeagueWoking had much of the possession but failed to do anything with it, after a goal-less first half we switched to a faster tempo and things started to happen. On 54 Ward hit a cracking shot against the keeper and it was turned away to our right, Licka got in first and turned the ball back in to Harwood who stabbed home with the defence beaten. On 81 a cross to the far post by Hedlund was bundled over the line by Licka. On 85 Woking walked the ball through our midfield and Mohammad stroked a fantastic 25 yard effort into our net to make for a interesting last few minutes. On 89 Ward was pushed in the area and Moller added another penalty to his list. Baxter rated MOM with another 8. Peterborough 0 vs 3 Barrow, ENC LeagueThe commentator reckoned a bagful would be scored by promotion seeking Peterborough, they couldn't have been more wrong. A first half hat-trick by Sundstrom put paid to that; the 1st on 6 was an eight yard strike after Guerin played him in. The 2nd on 20, he drove under the keeper from 6 yards after latching on to a long clearance by Dawe. On 39 he collected a near post cross by Hedlund and struck the ball between the keeper and the left post from left the corner of the box. If I was honest it was an even game, but we had the better strikers/striker. Barrow 3 vs 1 Exeter, ENC LeagueThat's another promotion seeking side disposed of in a very efficient performance, again the damage was done in the first half. Guerin opened on 14, collecting a short ball from Moller rounded his marker and unleashed a stunning 25 yard effort that crept inside the right hand post. On 37 a long clearance from Dennis was mis-controlled outside the area by the Exeter keeper, Sundstrom nipped in and dribbled the ball into the net. On 45 Sundstrom collected a ball from Dawe, he rounded one defender and keeping his head whilst being closed down by a pack he slotted calmly into the right corner, wrong footing the keeper in the process. On 86 Exeter finally put a move together to get behind the defence and Kamara scored from it, it was nothing more than a consolation goal though. I was pleased to see that 3089 fans turned up to witness the game. The Table as at 3 February 2007I won the Manager Of The Month award for January and Peter Baxter was named 2nd in the player of the Month Awards, he rated 8's in each of the 4 ames he played. The defence has looked a lot steadier since the two new additions joined in January. Both players should be good enough to play in the next division, if not higher.
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Post by Moo on Sept 27, 2006 8:13:53 GMT
A couple of nice signings there Coffers and if you notice the difference they make straight away, then they must be a step above what you had. Nice work!
You seem to be breezing this league, can you be stopped? Are you hoping for the FA Trophy win too? Any other competitions you have your eye on? The Conference Domino Handicap, perhaps?
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Post by coffers on Sept 27, 2006 8:23:54 GMT
Short of a complete collapse we need another 32 points from 15 games to be completely certain of top spot in this league, I think we can achieve that if we can keep the strikers on their feet and, to be honest, the teams below are going to drop points against each other anyway, so we probably won't need the full 32 points. Winning the FA Trophy would be nice, I don't think I've ever won that one, but I won't worry too much if we go out of it. Promotion is what we need, I was charged with getting the wage bill down at the start of the season, it's gone up and is currently £31k per month, the board have budgeted £21k per month. I'm not too worried as the campaign is realising profits of around £25k per month, but we could be in trouble if a Mooski Plummett bites.
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Post by Moo on Sept 27, 2006 8:44:43 GMT
Fingers crossed.
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Post by Boony on Sept 27, 2006 8:53:44 GMT
Cracking stuff here Coffers.... I don't know how you do it but you seem to have a way with these games. Successive promotions to the football league would be a tremendous achievement. Hopefully you won't pass Oxford on their way down :moop:
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Post by Sonic on Sept 28, 2006 5:42:25 GMT
That's a cracking lot of updates there Coffers, and nice work on the signing better players who can play up. I hope you can keep them happy when higher leagued teams come a-calling. You can see the difference those players have made too with the score lines, as your now a lot tighter. Having a profit is a good thing with a wage bill like that, though usually they don't mind as long as you said, no Mooski Plummet occurs I take it there is no chance of a training ground upgrade at the end of the season? I like the fact that the table shows that you have a better GD than the last placed team has as a negative GD I'll say you'll have wrapped up the league in about 8 games time. No pressure like :checkit:
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Post by coffers on Sept 28, 2006 7:35:39 GMT
I take it there is no chance of a training ground upgrade at the end of the season? Probably not, there's only about 150k in the bank. I'll ask for better facilities though as a matter of course. I'll not bother on the ground front as the best crowd we had was just over 3000, there are still another 1500 places sitting empty.
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Post by coffers on Sept 28, 2006 16:09:55 GMT
Barrow 3 vs 1 Grays, FA Trophy 3rd RoundA very tight first half ended goal-less. The second half was a complete contract, well it was after Grays opened the scoring on 58 with a route one long ball collected by Russell, he dribbled around his marker and struck from 18 yards. We had by far the most possession but were struggling to get any real chances, so tactics were changed. The on 68 Sundstrom hit a 25 yard free-kick around the wall for the equaliser. Two minutes later Guerin played the ball into the area for Sundstrom, who played a quick pass inside for Harwood to finish from 8 yards. Grays were collapsing. The job was finished on 88 when a defender blocked a Guerin shot, Sundstrom reacted by flicking the rebound over the diving keeper from 16 yards out. We were drawn away to English Conference North side, Northwich in the 4th Round of the FA Trophy. Burton Albion 1 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueThis was a rather subdued performance, but it may have had something to do with tiredness creeping in from playing a couple of games a week. Hedlund put us in the lead on 42 after Sergio has sent Sundstrom on a run down the right, the Swede's deep cross was headed i n from 8 yards by our leading scorer. On 79 Baxter cleared long through the middle, Moller collected and chipped the ball first time from 30 yards leaving the keeper helpless as he was stood on the penalty spot. That eased our worries a little, but Burton scored a consolation three minutes into injury time, despite being surrounded by 3 defenders Yates managed to force the ball in from 6 yards. Weymouth 0 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueOur fellow promotion seekers gave as good as they got for much of the game and to be honest I would have settled for a point out of this one. Much to Weymouth's dismay a long clearance by Dennis was completely missed by the keeper and Harwood ran around him to slot into the empty net from 30 yards. Thank God for crap keepers. Moller put the final nail in the coffin on 83 from the penalty spot after Guerin had been tripped. Barrow 1 vs 1 Grays, ENC LeagueWe started brightly enough when Sundstrom hit a 22 yard free-kick over the wall, on 6 minutes, to open the scoring. The game died from that point on. On 66 Grays broke in a rare attack, crossed the ball from their left and turned away gleefully as Simon Dennis headed past his own keeper. They had one on target shot we had 2. A draw was a fair result, but it didn't stop me telling the squad that they were crap. Barrow 1 vs 0 Dagenham & Redbridge, ENC LeagueI expected a reaction, I didn't get one, it was another awful game. Sundstrom twisted his knee just before the break, an injury that would see him out of action for up to 4 weeks. The only goal of a poor game came on 55, when Hedlund half volleyed home a knock down by Harwood from a Ward cross. The build up to the goal had been a treat to watch as we knocked the ball about for the best move of the match. What a pity the rest of the game didn't live up to that standard. Oh, the daggers missed a penalty on 79, Rose saved the shot that was hit straight at him. Northwich 0 vs 2 Barrow, FA Trophy Qtr FinalTwenty seconds in Sergio sent a ball to the edge of the penalty area, where Hedlund turned and volleyed it into the far corner of the net. We though we were in for a bagful, we were wrong. Though we restricted Northwich to 3 off target shots we didn't exactly set the world on fire with our attacking play. Still a second goal came on 73, a ball into the area from Guerin was collected by Hedlund and summarily dispatched in off the left post to make the game safe. We will meet Stafford in a 2 legged semi final of the FA Trophy. Barrow 2 vs 1 Kidderminster, ENC LeagueWe seem to be playing at half cock at the moment as we made heavy weather of this game against struggling Kidderminster. Harwood opened on 5, smashing in from 16 yards after collecting a loose ball from a Guerin tackle halfway inside the Kidderminster half. Booth doubled the lead scoring with a free kick from the left touchline, his floated cross floated over everyone and entered the net at the near post, the keeper didn't move at all. Weird. We were doing well up to that point, but in the second half a malaise set in we struggled to keep the ball. On 82 Ryan Smith pulled a goal back from 30 yards after Rose dallied on a Sergio back-pass and lost the ball. I thought only the opposition were allowed to screw up like that. Rose and Sergio got a blast at full time and I told the squad I wasn't happy with what they dished up. I came 2nd in the Manager of The Month awards for February, Guerin was 2nd in the Young Player of the month awards. Bizarrely, 25yo Baz Akehurst of Gravesend, came 3rd in the goal of the month awards for his diving header from close range against Cambridge City. :humb: The League Table as at 3rd March - prior to the game that dayGuerin and Booth were praised for their performances over the last few games.
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Post by coffers on Sept 29, 2006 0:23:25 GMT
Scarborough 1 vs 3 Barrow, ENC LeagueWe got off to an interesting start; we kicked off they tackled and won the ball, we won it back and hoofed it into the area, Harwood was tripped we had a penalty, Moller hit it straight at the keeper, he parried, Moller hit the rebound straight at the keeper, it was parried, Ward hit the loose ball at the keeper it was half cleared and we won a free kick, 30 yards out. The free kick was chipped in but it was cleared to the half way line. Baxter hoofed it back in, Moller headed on into the area to Ward, he was tackled the ball ran to Harwood and, hey, he slotted under the keeper and we were 1-0 up, 3 minutes on the clock. Six minute slater and Brush hit the ball into the area where Harwood struck a low hard shot for his second. Scarborough got better as the half wore on and plundered a goal from a deep cross on 36, the defense was asleep. Harwood went off injured just before the break. Remember what I said about keeping our strikers fit? On 62 Sergio sent Palmer on a run down the right, his cross was slammed home from 8 yards by Hedlund for an easy win that we fully deserved. Scarborough's goal was their only shot of the game. Barrow 0 vs 1 Morecombe, ENC LeagueThe day that the biggest crowd of the season of 3458 turned up, we decided to play like a pack of tossers. Morecombe scored on 14 minutes with a 25 yard free-kick. Then proceeded to play a blanket defence that we couldn't penetrate. It will probably go down as the worst game of the season. Barrow 3 vs 0 Stafford, FA Trophy SF, 1st legI wouldn't say we slaughtered Stafford, we just had better finishing qualities. We opened on 41, Sergio sent a ball deep into the area, Hedlund knocked it down but only to a defender, the defender lost control and Harwood pounced to smash it in from 12 yards. We had struggled badly up to that point. Substitute Licka doubled the lead on 73, heading in an Anderson cross at the far post. Three minutes later May sent a cross towards the penalty spot and Licka ran in to get ahead of the defence and head his second from 10 yards out. That gave us a nice cushion for the second leg, despite it being a remarkably even game. Barrow 3 vs 0 Aldershot, ENC LeagueWe started slowly and unfortunately lost Left back Baxter to an injury on 13 minutes. As the game warmed up we got into the groove, opening on 33 when Harwood robbed their left back halfway inside their half, he raced away and curled a nice angled shot around the keeper from just inside the area. Booth double the lead from the edge of the area on 59 after their central midfielder mis-controlled a half clearance. On 85 Hedlund killed the game dead with a rasping shot from inside the D after Guerin had played the ball through two Aldershot players. Stafford 2 vs 2 Barrow, FA Trophy SF, 2nd Leg (Barrow Won on Aggregate 5-2)Once again we were poor, but we did enough in the first half to secure a 2-0 lead at the break. Murray opened on 12 minutes from 16 yards after Hedlund had set him up. Sundstrom doubled on 45, heading in a near post cross from Hedlund from 5 yards. We then fell apart in the last half hour as Stafford plundered goals on 65 and 71. We could have lost more and probably deserved to, but somehow clung on to the draw. The team were congratulated on getting to the cup final but I felt like blasting them. fact I did tell 3 players that their performance was unacceptable: Rose, May and Ward. After the game may took it upon himself to tell the press that my team talks were pathetic and the blame for the poor performance lay at my door, an act that couldn't go unpunished, he was fined two weeks wages and moaned that I was being unfair on him. He was promptly demoted to the reserve squad even though I don't have a decent fit Left Back available at the moment and he was also offered out to anyone who wanted him. I also criticized his recent performances after he only rated a 6 in a reserve game, the fans weren't happy about that because they felt he had been playing well. They were watching different games to me then. He has played his last game for this club. We will meet Forest Green in the FA Trophy Final, without a certain stroppy left back. Tamworth 1 vs 4 Barrow, ENC LeagueAfter the recent poor displays we dominated this game from start to finish apart from one little lapse. Ward opened on 4 from an angle after a Guerin pass deflected to him on the left side of the area. On 25 Brush played a long ball through the middle and Hedlund smacked a rising shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the area. Tamworth rallied a bit after the half hour and pulled a goal back on 36 when Newton was played through into our area. On 41 Sundstrom was clattered in the area and had to leave the pitch with a broken foot, he'll be out fro up to 5 months. Moller slotted home the spot kick. On 60 Harwood completed the scoring, hitting an angled skimmer after Hedlund had crossed to the far side of the area. Who need tossing left backs? Bury 2 vs 2 Barrow, ENC LeagueWe played really well for the first hour. from kickoff we lost the ball, then Murray won it back and sent Harwood scampering through to slip the ball between the keeper and the right hand post with only 15 seconds showing on the clock. On 66 a fly kick from Rose sailed over the Bury defense and Hedlund latched on to run in and score from 7 yards. At that point everyone gave up and on 71 Rose could only parry a Williams shot to Griffiths who stabbed the ball in. On 78 Bury did the route one trick, keeper boots ball upfield straight to Griffiths in the area, Griffiths has simple task of equalising. We didn't deserve that, everyone had played well overall, so instead of an icy blast they got some sympathy. But we still hadn't guaranteed the title, we needed another 3 points from games for that. Barnet are negotiating terms with Dave May at the moment after I accepted a £14k bid plus 50% sell on. I'm in the market for another left back now. Harwood took the Young Player of the Month award. The board are delighted and we made a £29.k, profit following last months £50k profit. League table at the end of March
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Post by Sonic on Sept 29, 2006 4:41:23 GMT
What happened to Peter Baxter as a DL? Or is May the depth?
Burton have almost the exact opposite table stats that you have too :cab:
Well done on looking like smashing the 100 points :cab: :thumb:
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Post by coffers on Sept 29, 2006 7:25:53 GMT
What happened to Peter Baxter as a DL? Or is May the depth? Burton have almost the exact opposite table stats that you have too Well done on looking like smashing the 100 points Baxter went and got himself injured for a while, he took May's place as first choice. I need a decent back up left back as, to me, the other 3 on the books don't look as if they'll amount to much and are whinging bugger anyway. May was a good back-up for Baxter, but I won't tolerate anyone critisising me in the media spotlight. He's gone on 1st July, the deal is done. Wanker.
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Post by Moo on Sept 29, 2006 8:12:47 GMT
Oooh... hark at her! Had to be done though, I totally agree with you, Coffers. And who could argue with you when you have a table and cup progression like you have? Not me. Baz Akehurst? WTF?
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Post by coffers on Sept 29, 2006 8:32:12 GMT
Oooh... hark at her! Baz Akehurst? WTF? Well spotted Moo, that shows your are paying attention. :thumb:
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