retired_richcoble

The third qualifying round was drawn on the Monday and we were drawn at home to Bicester Town, another place I had never heard of, further research revealed it was a town of circa 30,000 between Oxford and Northampton in the county of Oxfordshire. They play their football in the Hellenic Premier Division which is at Step Five of the National League System and is a feeder to the Southern League.

We followed up our convincing FA Cup victory with a complete bore draw against Forest Green Rovers at home in the Conference, they were lying in 11th but the game finished 0-0 with only 8 shots on goal during the match. My side should of won with all our superiority but failed to turn chances into goals.

Canterbury City 0 Forest Green Rovers 0


Aldershot away was our next match and it was the shots who took the lead when they counter-attacked from some sustained pressure from my side and Williams made the most of it as he curled a shot round Baker in my team’s goal. Derbyshire pulled one back when he got on the end of a Paatelainen pass and shot first time into the goal past the Shots keeper. We were granted a reprieve in the second half when Andy Burgess scored for them only for it to be disallowed for offside, we almost capitalised immediately as from the resulting free kick, a lofted ball into the box from Joyce almost found the head of Derbyshire but he could not reach it and Nikki Bull plucked the ball out of the air. The game finished 1-1.

Aldershot Town 1 Canterbury City 1

Goals: Williams 17; Derbyshire 28;
MoM: Matt Derbyshire



The result against the Shots compounded a slump of form during September as we had won 3, drawn 3 and lost 1 during the month and this resulted in us losing the top spot to Morecambe. The loss of the top spot was comforted by the fact that we had a game in hand and were only a single point from being top of the table. Looking at the table it was remarkable to see that Gravesend had only scored 6 goals in 13 matches and conceded 9, to account for only 15 goals in 13 matches, they were 12th, quite remarkable. Weymouth were fifth, and Grays sixth, with Grays having two games in hand on every team above them with the exception of us.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">CONFERENCE TABLE - END OF SEPTEMBERPos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D Pts1st Morecambe 13 8 4 1 27 15 +12 282nd Canterbury City 12 8 3 1 24 6 +18 273rd Woking 13 8 3 2 25 12 +13 274th Hereford 13 7 3 3 28 14 +14 245th Weymouth 13 7 3 3 26 19 +7 246th Grays 11 6 4 1 21 9 +12 22 </pre>

retired_melanieordelt

wow great defense there scoring enough and keeping it shut down at your end. Its great story

retired_richcoble

Thanks Kairyu, whether my team maintains that remains to be seen


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October 2006 - Conference National


The first match of October was against Grays Athletic at the Recreation Ground in Grays, Essex. We started the game very strongly when Hejazi was put through on goal, but instead of taking the opportunity himself he laid it off for Matt Derbyshire who fired the ball across the face of the goal so that it nestled in the far corner of the goal for a 1-0 Bishops lead after just five minutes. Grays response was immediate as good work from Martin down the left wing saw his cross into the box met at the near post by Leadbitter. His header was directed well enough to be away from the keeper and arc into the far corner of the goal.


After half-time disaster struck as Martin once again sent a dangerous cross into the box where this time Sparrow met the ball at the far post, after Pidgeley miscalculated, directing the ball into the goal at the far post. Thankfully when Derbyshire was put through on a counter-attack five minutes later he made no mistake, taking it round the keeper and scoring the equaliser. With Pidgeley now out injured, Martin again turned tormenter as this time from the edge of the box his pass found Leadbitter who directed the ball into the net past Baker for a Grays lead. With us down 3-2 and only twenty minutes left I threw Teymur on in place of Joyce, moving Hejazi to an attacking midfield position. Despite Teymur going close in the dying minutes from a corner, having a first header saved and then a second narrowly wide, the whistle blew and Grays had beaten us 3-2.


Grays Athletic 3 Canterbury City 2
Goals: Leadbitter 12, 74, Sparrow 51; Derbyshire 5, 55;
MoM: Grant Leadbitter


Leadbitter won the man of the match award but personally I’d of given it to John Martin, someone I had come close to signing, as he created all three goals that Grays scored. The defeat confirmed us to second position and with Grays still having a game in hand a victory would see them top the table. We had a bit of a rest before we entertained Bicester in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup as the match was on the Saturday.


I named a full strength team for the game, even though the bookies had me down as 33-1 on favourites for the match with Bicester at 50-1 to win. In the opening minutes it was clear we were the better side as we created chances aplenty and eventually a Hejazi cross was met at the near post by Owen Morrison who glanced the ball on where it fell to James Smith who just powered the ball into the goal for a 1-0 Canterbury lead after 12 minutes of play. When Derbyshire played the ball in from the right for Hejazi he shot at goal first time only for it to be deflected and fall to Brown who took it to the byline before cutting it back for a free Hejazi who converted into an empty net after Brown had fooled the Bicester keeper. Morrison went close just before half-time when his shot on goal from a Hejazi cross went across the face of the goal and was tipped round by the Bicester keeper.


I changed things around at second half, bringing on Teymur and doing what I did in the last match, putting Hejazi into an attacking midfield role to see if it would be effective over a longer period. The move and change in formation was completely ineffective as we failed to create any clear cut chances in the second half except for a disallowed Teymur goal from a Daniels cross. We actually looked out of shape and lacking in the centre of the pitch, I would stop my experimenting with that style of play and stick to my 4-4-2 attacking winger formation for future games.


Canterbury City 2 Bicester Town 0
Goals: Smith 13, Hejazi 28;
MoM: Anders Sorensen

retired_richcoble

October 2006 - (continued)

The Monday after the game against Bicester Town was the draw for the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup and we were drawn away to Mangotsfield United, I didn’t have a clue as to where the hell Mangotsfield was and once against consulted Google Maps. It is a village in the south of Gloucestershire just outside the city of Bristol, I called my personal assistant and asked her to make the travel arrangements for our game against them. Before we played them however we had a game against Kidderminster Harriers at home.

The match opened well for us as within ten minutes we had taken the lead. Hejazi took a free kick just outside the left hand side of the penalty box and from this Johan Teymur, starting instead of Matt Derbyshire, controlled the low pass with his left as his back faced the goal before swivelling round to fire a right footed shot in at the near post. The game then settled down a bit after the frantic opening minutes and just before half-time a defensive mistake saw Paatelainen have some freedom down the right and he entered the penalty box, drew the keeper and then squared the ball to the wide open Hejazi who scored with a simple tap in and a 2-0 Canterbury lead. What followed in the second half was an uneventful and boring half of football that would probably do a great harm to our attendance figure at the next game as the fans could well have fallen asleep!

Canterbury City 2 Kidderminster Harriers 0

Goals: Teymur 10, Hejazi 42;

With Morecambe having lost to Halifax at the weekend, and only Grays playing along with us on this Wednesday, and losing as well, we were now sitting top of the table once again, which I was obviously pleased about. It was also pleasing to get a win under the belt considering as our form was 12th best in the league according to the stats on the Conference website. The next match of our Conference campaign would be against Hinckley.

In the 20th minute of the match Angerfors, starting upfront with Derbyshire, was put through on goal but instead of shooting he ran away from the goal before passing out to Horsley on the left wing, I was screaming at the top of my lungs at his idiocy, wondering what the bloody hell he was doing! Horsley put it back in the box and Angerfors had a shot on goal but the Hinckley keeper saved it and tipped it over the bar. With that being our only real chance of the first half, we went into half-time with the score goalless.

The greater attacking approach I ordered at half-time paid off in the opening minute as when Paatelainen was put through down the right wing his cross arced into the box where it was met at the far post by the feet of Angerfors who directed the ball into the Hinckley net for a one goal lead. The next ten minutes saw some desperate defending from my side and Billy Corr went close for Hinckley on a header from a cross that just went narrowly wide of my teams goal. The pressure continued and when we won the ball in the 66th minute, Horsley getting to the clearance before the right back, pushing it past him one way and running round him the other to be free down the left wing, we had a great opportunity to score and when Horsley played a delicate ball into an unmarked Angerfors it was the perfect opportunity for Angerfors to push it round the keeper and into the net for both his, and our, second goal of the game. It proved to be enough to secure the victory.

Hinckley 0 Canterbury City 2

Goals: Angerfors 47, 66;
MoM: Morgan Angerfors

retired_richcoble

Late October

With the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup upon us I expected a easy game before a tough match against Cambridge United who were performing strongly in the league. I seemed to be proved correct when goals from Teymur and Hejazi in the opening ten minutes saw us take a commanding 2-0 lead which we took in at the half. Mangotsfield stunned us however when a deflected shot found its way past Baker and into the goal, a second goal for Mangotsfield was added when Baker saved once but parried to an attacker who converted into the empty net.

Mangotsfield had come back from 2-0 down to level it at 2-2 on the hour and left us in a precarious position. Thirty minutes passed and we were still level, then, in the 92nd minute Teymur went on a marauding run into the box, beating a couple of players before stopping at the byline and chipping across the face of the goal, over the goalkeeper, where Hejazi was waiting and Mahmod was ruthless in nodding it into the goal for a 3-2 lead and the match winner in a agonisingly close game at Cossham Street.

Mangotsfield 2 Canterbury City 3
Goals: Casey 53, Coates 61; Teymur 8, Hejazi 10, 90;
MoM: Mahmod Hejazi


We followed the win against Mangotsfield with a draw at home to Cambridge United with Hejazi scoring for us from a Teymur interception and Chris Fagan equalising for the visitors with only fifteen minutes to go.

Canterbury City 1 Cambridge United 1
Goals: Hejazi 30; Fagan 76;

retired_richcoble

November 2006

The draw at home in the league was followed up by a disappointing exit from the FA Cup as playing Macclesfield at the Moss Rose Ground we succumbed 1-0 in the First Round proper, going out at the same stage as we did the year before. We were looking to bounce back immediately when we travelled to the almost universally reviled area of Essex known as Canvey Island to face the team of the same name. We were 1 goal to the good at half-time and when we scored with two minutes of normal time remaining I thought the 3 points were safe but Luke Townsend scored in injury time to give me and my team a nervous final few minutes.

Canvey Island 1 Canterbury City 2
Goals: Angerfors 39, Joyce 88; Townsend 90;
MoM: Dave Daniels


On the 11th we faced Salisbury at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium and we were 2-0 up after just 20 minutes which seemed to suffice for my team as they released the throttle and played the rest of the game out for a comfortable victory in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy.

Salisbury 0 Canterbury City 2
Goals: Teymur 6, Angerfors 19;
MoM: Hector


We returned to Conference action with a home game against Scarborough the following Saturday and a match similar to the one against Canvey followed as we scored early in the first half through Yalcin and then scored again though Angerfors just before the 90 minutes was up only to see McNiven pull one back for Scarborough in the 90th but we held on for the victory.

Canterbury City 2 Scarborough 0
Goals: Yalcin 17, Angerfors 86; McNiven 90;
MoM: Simon Weaver


The Wednesday after the Scarborough saw us face local rivals Gravesend and Northfleet at Stonebridge Road. We went ahead early through Jamie Horsley in his first start of the season only to see Andy Drury level it up just after half-time which was how the match finished.

Gravesend 1 Canterbury 1


Saturday the 25th of November and we face Radcliffe Borough, away, in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy and a 5-0 demolition of them, with four from Morgan Angerfors and one from Markus Paatelainen, saw us go through to the First Round proper.

Radcliffe Borough 0 Canterbury City 5


The last mach of November saw us in a home fixture against high flying Morecambe and goals from Angerfors and Hector, along with an own goal saw us triumph 3-1. Hector’s goal was a scorcher from twenty five yards that flew into the top corner with bend. It was an impressive way to score his first goal for the club.

Canterbury City 3 Morecambe 1

retired_richcoble

December 2006

The first match of December saw us travelling to Weymouth for a ex-Conference South grudge match and it took us until the second half to score the goals to secure victory as an own goal plus goals from Teymur and Hejazi saw us grab a 3 point victory and extend our lead at the top of the table.
Weymouth 0 Canterbury 3


A strong performance in front of the Bishops fans at Marlowe Road saw us grab a 2-0 victory over Tamworth to maintain an excellent run of form and Derbyshire added to his seasonal tally with both of the goals.
Canterbury 2 Tamworth 0


In the First Round of the FA Trophy we travelled to Woking and came away with a 2-0 victory thanks to two goals from Angerfors who was proving to be a terrific signing for the club.
Woking 0 Canterbury 2


We could only draw our next match against Shrewsbury at home as we had thought we’d won it when Scottie Mitchell scored with barely ten minutes remaining only to see Hurst equalise with a minute remaining.
Canterbury 1 Shrewsbury 1


Woking exacted their revenge in the league after we had knocked them out of the FA Trophy as they snatched a 2-1 victory when we’d thought we’d stolen a point with an equaliser two minutes from time, and 80 minutes after they took the lead, only to see Richards score in injury time to snatch the points right back.
Canterbury 1 Woking 2


I was devastated as it was the first competitive match we had lost at Marlowe Road under my tenure. A span of 16 months. Our final match of the year 2006 was an away match in the Conference against Altrincham who were rock bottom of the table. Disaster struck thirty minutes in when Higdon scored with a powerful header after outjumping Hector to meet a cross from Buchanan. It took us twenty minutes to equalise and it was Angerfors who did it. We looked like we now had the beating of them and pressurised them for the rest of the half as we had chance after chance but failed to grab a winner. 2 minutes from time however that all changed as Higdon got on the end of a Thornley pass on an Altrincham counter attack to score his second of the game and steal a vital victory for his Altrincham team and hand my side an embarrassing defeat.

Altrincham 2 Canterbury 1

retired_jgirl87

I love some of these English team names - Mangotsfield is one that tickled my fancy for some reason. Enjoying the story, Wegason. :cool:

retired_richcoble

Oh I agree Spav! Playing in the lower leagues does bring you up some really funny and weird sounding English teams in the preliminary stages of both the FA Cup and FA Trophy. Most of the teams I face in these rounds I have never heard of the town/place let alone the club and have no idea where they are!

Thanks for your support, much appreciated