retired_mujerenforma

Nice story Wimb.

Reading this will give me something to do at work!

\o/

retired_steffani

Thanks v much Luke, hope you continue to enjoy :-)

July 2006 Review Part 2

I soon wrapped up the deals for Fenn and O’Keefe as well as signing forward Matthew Wardie on a free transfer and they would join up with the team immediately. The World Cup was won shockingly by Columbia who beat Spain 2-1 in the final in Berlin. I was left thinking if Columbia could win the World Cup…maybe just maybe we could win the FA Cup.

Then it was back to business for the players as we once again began our pre season fixture campaign, this time with a visit from Grantham who gave us a good runout, but we took the victory 2-1 thanks too a Danny Barwood double.

In transfer news I managed to wrap up the signings of a new goalkeeper from Crumlin United and a striker on a free transfer in the shape of Ouajidi Abdualziz and Matthew Wardie respectively. Unsurprisingly our new goalkeeper was quickly given the nickname of ‘Stan’ a proper northern name. Stan would provide us with cover between the sticks as we had always been 1 keeper light last season, whilst Matt was an exciting prospect with an eye for goal. I expected The former Livingston youngster to compete with our existing strikers, but he didn’t look ready to displace Alex Taylor or Danny Barwood just yet.

Just as I was tying up the deals for Stan and Tom, our scout Spencer Field contacted me regarding a young winger by the name og Phil Townly Spencer was convinced this guy was the missing piece in the puzzle and that I should sign him straight away. Spencer had rarely been wrong before and had been responsible for discovering Danny Barwood so I trusted his judgement. Within minutes I had emailed his agent asking if Phil would like a 2 week trial at the club.

Our second pre-season encounter then took us to Ashton United, who was also beat 3-2 with Wardie, Barwood and Taylor all scoring. Just days later we hammered Whitby 4-0 this time Danny hit a hat trick with John Adam scoring late on. This pre season was turning out ever so slightly better then my first friendlies at the club 12 months before.

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After these two matches we had a few days off before our next game so I went back to the house to try and make sure the dog didn’t destroy the house, and to catch up with a few returning friends that I had known at uni. My neighbours were pretty amazing in that they often took the pub for long spells when I was away scouting or at a match etc, so I also dropped by with a bottle of bubbly to say thanks. From there I headed into town to Reds Bar and it wasn’t long before each of my friends were pointing out strategies that had worked ‘brilliantly’ on Football Manager 2005 and how I should definitely sign this player or that player. Thankfully midway through a rant about the quality of Oneismo I was interrupted by a text message from Phil Townleys agent who told me that Phil accepted our offer of a trial and would be joining us at the training ground tomorrow.

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Also reporting surprisingly to the training ground was somebody I had just invited for an interview to become a new coach at the club. Brian McLaughlin had been on the same FIFA training course as me a couple of years back and as he playing days wound down he was looking to move into coaching. As soon as I found out I called Brian and invited him down to the club in the hope that he would bolster our coaching resources even further. To my delight Brian accepted the offer of a 1 year deal, but that wasn’t the surprise, the surprise that awaited me that day was the sight of Brian running out onto the field taking part in a practise game. Bah don’t worry Danny said Brian in his distinctive Scottish twang, I’ll not be expecting a first team game, just register myself in case of emergencies I knew that we were still light in the left of midfield so I didn’t consider it a bad agreement, but did whisper in the ear of Tony Doyle to ‘welcome’ him to the club on the training field

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Our next pre season assignments saw us draw with Colwyn Bay 2-2 despite a Patterson double, and beat Osset Town away 2-0 with McLean and Wardie both scoring. In the meantime Phil Townley signed a 1 year deal having impressed during training and in these games.

So as July ended we had just 1 pre-season game to go, then the big opener with fellow playoff losers Stafford, at the Giant Axe.

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Pre Season Review So Far:

Grantham (H) W 2-1
Ashton United (A) W 3-2
Whitby (H) W 4-0
Colwyn Bay (A) D 2-2
Ossett Town (A) W 2-0

retired_steffani

August 2006



Our final pre-season match saw us travel to Radcliffe Borough , and in a good final workout we picked up a morale boosting 3-1 victory courtesy of goals from Wilkinson, Wardie and Barnes.

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So here we were again, I was about to begin my second season in charge at the Giant Axe and I could no longer use the ‘its my first year’ line as an excuse for any poor performances. I had stamped my mark on the team to the extent that only Swan, Yeomans and Taylor would probably line up on a regular basis for us, if the team were to fail it would be my fault.

Here is a brief rundown of the new additions to the squad.


Chris Lever: Eng 19y/o D C

Signed from Oldham Chris was a player for the future but might sneak onto the bench if one of our top 3 centre backs pick up a knock.

David Kelly Eire 19y/o D, M C

David, like Chris, would laregly spend his time in the reserves but his time would come.

Oliver Fenn : Eng 18y/o DM

The former Ipswich youngster had bucketloads of talent and his displays pre season meant that he was in contention to make a surprise start against Stafford.

Phil Townley :Eng 20y/o AM RL

His ability to play either flank was a big assest and a key factor in me giving him a contract here. Would certainly be in contention for the spot on the left wing that Andrew Bond left behind.

Josh O’Keefe: Eng 17y/o M C
John wasn’t expected to figure much with the first team this season, but still had good potential and a positive attitude throughout pre season.

Brian McLaughlin: Sco 32y/o AM L (Player/Coach)

Brian had shown an amazing workrate over the summer and from originally being an emergency backup, he had emerged as a candidate to start against Stafford.

Matthew Wardie : Eng 18y/o ST

Matthew had a bright career ahead of him and had scored a couple of goals pre season. Should be vying for a place on the bench.


As the Stafford game approached we received the crushing news that Danny Barwood, who had been superb al last season and this pre season , would miss the first month of the season with ankle trouble. On the surface it appeared that we would cope fine with plenty of other striking options, but in truth Danny was simply irreplaceable. I made the decision to start the season with Patterson partnering Taylor in the hope that his league experiences would shine through. But I must admit I didn’t get to sleep very easily the night before the game.

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Stafford (H) ECN 12/8/2006 L 1-2 Att. 226

Goal Scorer: Alex Taylor (32)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Swan, Lyons, McLean (Wilkinson), McLaughlin (Townley), Doyle(c), Fenn, Patterson (Wardie), Taylor

I gave debuts to Fenn and McLaughlin whilst Wardie and Townley also ended up on the bench. Unfortunately there was no glorious start to the season as we had last year, and this game turned out more like the dismal end, as we slumped to a 2-1 home defeat in front of just 226 fans (where the 1000 others who had been to the playoff game were I didn’t know). Alex Taylor put us ahead after 32 minutes against the run of play with a neatly taken goal, but that was the only positive thing we did all day. Stafford deservedly equalised and took the lead in a 5 minute spell before the break and from there on we hardly threatened. Brian looked off the pace and Patterson was totally ineffective up front I tried to change things round by introducing Townley and Wardie but neither made a significant impact. We slumped to an opening day defeat and I only hoped it wouldn’t be a bad omen for the rest of the season.


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That very night I went back to my scouting team and asked them for any more recommendations for players, in a bid to bolster a side who looked nowhere near playoff standards. Tim Davies told gave me 2 names of players who were both unattached and could join immediately. Chris Flynn played in the same youth team as Alex Morris and Andrew Bond at Crewe and could play anywhere across the middle, whilst Tom Craddock was a young striker formerly on the books of Middlesborough. I decided to gamble on Tim’s advice and offered both players a 1 year deal and they both accepted in time to join us on Tuesday for the home game with Gainsborough.

Chriss Flynn :Eng 19y/o M RLC
Tom Craddock Eng 20y/o ST


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Gainsborough (H) ECN 15/8/2006 W 1-0 Att. 242

Goal Scorer: Alex Taylor (56)

Lineup;Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Swan, Lyons, McLean (Wilkinson)(Tierney), Townley, Doyle(c), Fenn, Patterson (Wardie), Taylor

The one change to the starting lineup saw McLaughlan drop to the bench in place of Phil Townley as we tried to get our first points on the board vs Gainsborough at the Giant Axe. Again we had a paltry crowd and again we had Alex Taylor score our only goal. But fortunately for us we also didn’t concede, the whole team lifting their game to help ensure that we got our first win of the season under our belts. The only downside in the game was the injury to the hapless Wilkinson who looked like being ruled out for a week or two with a bruised rib. Still I went back and gave the puppy a bone to celebrate our win, ah if only a bone would keep the players content, we’d save so much on the wage bill….

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On the way home, trying to get some kip on the team bus, I got a call from the agent of John Adam . Apparently Leigh RMI had offered to take the midfielder of off our wage books and John wanted the chance to move. The guy had only been at the club for 6 months and I was disappointed he didn’t even want to try and win a place in the midfield but id rather lose him then have discontent in the camp so I gave him permission to talk to them. By the time I woke up the next day John was having a medical and was unveiled as a new signing by the time I sat down to me tea.

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Kettering (A) ECN 19/8/2006 L 1-3 Att. 732

Goal Scorer: Fenn (64)

Lineup: Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Swan, Lyons, McLean, Phoenix, Doyle(c), Fenn, Craddock, Taylor (Patterson)

Jamie Phoenix became our 3rd left winger in 3 games but he and the rest of the side had little success against a strong Kettering side. Tom Craddock also got a first start in place of the ineffective Sean Patterson, but it was Oliver Fenn that that got our only goal of the game on 64 minutes. Unfortunately for u Kettering scored three others and we ended up losing our second game of the season.


Worcester City (A) ECN 26/8/2006 W 1-0 Att. 693

Goal Scorer: Tom Craddock (44)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Swan (Duff), Lyons, McLean, Phoenix, Doyle(c), Fenn, Craddock, Taylor (Patterson)

Tom Craddock’s first goal in professional football helped us maintain our win/lose streak that had defined our start to the season at the expense of Worcester at St. George’s Lane. In a fairly even match Tom’s goal was enough to send us home happy but once again we had lacked cutting edge in front of goal and desperately needed Danny Barwood to come back into the side. However the major plus point of today was the contribution of the defence who all played fantastically well, even James Duff who came on late for the injured Iain Swan.

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So we started the league season in erratic fashion losing 2 and winning 2 but never really setting the world alight. Getting the first away win of the season on the board was pleasing, but getting beaten at home by a potential top side was a bitter disappointment. Oliver Fenn had already impressed me in the midfield and the defence was working well as a unit. Unfortunately whilst Alex Taylor was getting close to his best form, we desperately needed Danny Barwood back to ease the pressure on him.



August 2006 Review


League Record : P4 W2 D0 L2 GS 4 GC 5 Position: 11th

Leading Goal Scorers:

Alex Taylor 2
Oliver Fenn 1
Tom Craddock 1

retired_yolanda

Great story so far, Wimby :thup: It's keeping me amused in the looong Ukrainian winterbreak...

retired_steffani

September 2006


After our win at Worcester I received a call from the Lancaster Guardian who had finished their article on me and the team for the new season. In all the flurry of transfer activity and pre season friendless I had forgotten that I had agreed to let them write a story, although why I had agreed I wasn’t quite sure. When I got home and read the article I was pleasantly surprised. They had conducted interviews with fans and players and both had expressed optimism for the season ahead, and had lavished praise upon me for me efforts in my first year in charge. I had to admit I was very flattered but at the same time began to feel the pressure to really succeed for the first time in my reign. We had achieved a lot in my first season yes but already I began to sense that this squad wasn’t ready for a title shot, what’s worse teams now began to know how good we were and we couldn’t expect to surprise many teams as we did last year. Hmmm anyways the paper article should at least jog the memories of those fans who had gone missing at the start of the year.


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Hinckley (H) ECN 9/9/2006 W 2-1 Att. 233

Goal Scorers: Duncliffe (Pen 10), Craddock (81)
Red Card:McLean

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lyons, McLean, Townley (Tierney), Doyle(c), Fenn, Craddock, Taylor


Another disappointingly low crowd came to watch us play Hinckley at the Giant Axe (apparently nobody reads the local paper here….) and we once again battled to a narrow win, this time in spite of a Kenny McLean red card. The visitors had taken the lead in the 8th minute through Luke Townsend, but Duncliffe equalised from the spot after Taylor was fouled on 10 minutes. Then 15 minutes later a moment of utter stupidity from Kenny McLean saw the midfielder see red for stamping on Hinckley left back Evan Horwood. From there on out Hinckley laid seige to our goal with Ryan Yeomans the only thing keeping us from another home defeat. But late on we somehow managed to bundle home a winner from Tom Craddock who knocked home a cross by skipper Tony Doyle. We bravely held on for the last 10 minutes to claim what at one stage looked like an unlikely victory and took our points tally to 9.



Hednesford Town (A) ECN 16/9/2006 L 1-2 Att. 461

Goal Scorer: Doyle (52)

Lineup: Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lever, Wilkinson, Townley (Phoenix), Doyle(c), Fenn, Barwood (Patterson), Taylor

He was finally back, Danny Barwood returned for the Dolly Blues starting lineup for a tough test away at highly fancied promotion contenders Hednesford. However despite his best efforts we again suffered defeat by a 2-1 margin to even out our record for the year. Tom Wilkinson was back after injury to replace the suspended Kenny McLean, whilst Chris Lever came in to make his debut alongside James Duff after injuries ruled out both Swan and Lyons. However no centre backs could have stopped the 2 fine goals that had Hednesford 2-0 up at the break, and once again Ryan Yeomans kept us in the game by virtue of some magnificent saves throughout the first half. Then for the first 15 minutes of the second half we actually looked like we might get back in the game thanks to Tony Doyle scoring. But his goal wasn’t enough and we soon began to tire, as Hednesford just kept possession and secured the victory.


Hendon Town (H) FAC 2QR 23/9/06 W 2-1

Goal Scorers: Fenn (31), Taylor (69)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lever, Wilkinson (Tierney), Townley, Doyle(c), Fenn, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor


We had performed pretty well in both cups last season so I went into this clash with Hendon full of confidence, particularly as we were at home against a team from 2 divisions below. Sure enough my confidence was vindicated with a confident 2-1 victory with goals coming from Oliver Fenn and yet another goal from Alex Taylor , whose start to the season had been excellent. Danny Barwood again started the game but only lasted until the break where I took him off as a precaution, we couldn’t afford to lose him again afterall. Still to Hendon’s credit even when we went 2-0 up they kept fighting, pulling one back with 10 minutes to go. Ultimately though their efforts were in vain and we looked forward to a 3rd qualifying round match up in 2 weeks time.



Worksop (A) ECN 30/9/2006 L 1-0 Att. 275

Lineup: Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lever, McLean, Townley, Doyle(c), Fenn, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor


Another highly frustrating away day for the Dolly Blues as we slumped to defeat against Worksop. We had taken 6 points and not conceded a goal against them in our encounters last season so I was optimistic of recording a 2nd away win of the season, especially with Danny Barwood now back to full fitness. Alas Barwood failed to score as did the rest of our team whilst Worksop netted after 55 minutes to take all three points. After the game I looked around a demoralised and depressed changing room, eyes rarely lifting from the floor and I had to quickly decide whether to throw the teacups or put an arm around their shoulders. In the end I just decided to stay silent, letting the players make their own minds up, sometimes saying nothing at all is the best way of dealing with things.

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So the pattern of September rather resembled that of August, win/loss/win/loss, but progression in the cup was something we could be pleased about.


September 2006 Review


League Record: P3 W1 D0 L2 GS 3 GC 4
FA Cup Record: P1 W1 D0 L0 GS 2 GC 0


Leading Goal Scorers:

Alex Taylor 3
Tom Craddock 2
Oliver Fenn 2

retired_steffani

October 2006

A busy month ahead for the Dolly Blues as we faced anything up to 8 fixtures, depending on cup success, begging with a visit from Vauxhall Motors on the 4th. Despite recent setbacks morale was good in training with every player determined to put together a consistent run of results.


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Vauxhall Motors (H) ECN 4/10/2006 D 1-1 Att. 224

Goal Scorer: Alex Taylor (69)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lever, McLean (Tierney), Townley, Doyle(c), Fenn, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor (Patterson)

Motors scored with just 2 minutes to go to thwart out attempts to get back to winning ways at the Giant Axe. The game was heading for a dire 0-0 draw until Alex Taylor tucked one home from just inside the penalty area with 20 minutes to go. But much to the frustration of the few home fans, that had turned up, we let the lead slip with just two minutes to go conceding to Motors substitute David Sinclair. This time I didn’t hide my emotions in the changing room tearing into my players for letting their concentration slip and reminding them all that nobody was irreplaceable and that there was no transfer window to save them either.


Croydon (H) FAC 3QR 7/10/2006 D 1-1 Att. 493

Goal Scorer: Duncliffe (Pen 16)
Red Card: Lever


Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lever, McLean (Tierney), Townley, Doyle(c), Fenn, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor (Patterson)

Just as Oxford City had 12 months ago we found that not all lower league opposition would be a walk in the park as Croydon bravely held us to a 1-1 draw at the axe. We looked comfortable for most of the game having led thanks to a Duncliffe penalty after 16 minutes but the game changed when Chris Lever received a second yellow card on 65 minutes and was red carded. Croydon then poured forward with nothing to lose and snatched an equaliser 15 minutes from the end through Dave Price, before holding out for a precious replay.


Croydon (A) FAC 3QR Replay 11/10/2006 W 1-0 Att. 1746

Goal Scorer: Tom Craddock

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Kelly, McLean (Tierney), Townley, Doyle(c) (Wright), Fenn, Barwood, Craddock (Patterson)


If our first encounter with Croydon was brutal then this was an all out war, as we lost 2 players to injury and Croydon were reduced to ten men in a 120-minute fight to the death. Ok so nobody actually died but the fatigue encountered by both teams was not what you wanted to see just 8 weeks into the new season. Croydon came at us right from the first minute and Duncliffe and Molloy had to perform excellently to keep the Croydon wingers at bay. James Duff too also had a great game alongside debutante David Kelly, in for the suspended Lever, who in turn put in a solid performance. Largely thanks to our defensive display the game went into extra time where our higher league status finally began to tell. We slowly got more and more into the game and were rewarded for a spell of good pressure with a goal for young Tom Craddock who was quickly establishing himself as 3rd choice striker. Just after Tom’s goal Croydon’s Armstrong saw red and that was their FA Cup tilt over for another year. We had once again progressed into the 4th qualifying round and a money spinning 1st round tie was just 90 minutes away from us. Disappointingly for us however were the injuries to Doyle and McLean who went straight to hospital for scans after the game and were doubts for Saturdays game with Altrincham.

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The news from physio Dave Hughes was that Tony Doyle would be out of training for a week with severe bruising to his toe whilst much to my relief Kenny McLean would be fit and ready in time for our Conference North clash at the weekend. Both Doyle and McLean had begun to be key players for us and figured prominently in what I now considered my ‘A’ choice squad. But still any injuries opened up the door for the likes of Wright, Tierney and Wilkinson so every cloud did have a silver lining.

With squad depth in mind I went back into the transfer market and contacted two players who had come up in our scouting reports over the summer. Ryan McMahon was a promising young goalkeeper and Keith Ryan was a vastly experienced central midfielder who had just been released by League Two Wycombe Wanderers. Both seemed eager to join and would travel down the next day to complete the paperwork. I imagined that Keith would be short-term cover for us in the midfield due to his vast experience but the implications of signing McMahon were grim for Tony McMillan.

I called Tony into my office the next morning and delivered the news to him that we had signed another young goalkeeper and that we couldn’t afford to keep 4 keepers on the books. Tony knew the reason that he was there was that he was the odd man out and took my decision rather hard. It must have shocked a player who 12 months ago was our number 1 to suddenly be number 4 and he said very little to me in the short meeting we had. I told Tony that his contract would be continued until June but that he was free to go if any club made an offer either for loan or for transfer. Days like today were the non glamorous days that every armchair manager never has to go through.

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Altrincham (A) ECN 14/10/2006 D 0-0 Att. 768

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Kelly, McLean, Townley, Tierney (O’Keefe), Fenn (Wright) , Barwood, Craddock

John Paul Duncliffe captained the side, in Doyles absence, to a well earned point away at rivals Altrincham who featured a familiar face in Liam O’Carroll. Just as we had at Croydon we faced heavy pressure right throughout the game but once again the defence stood firm keeping another clean sheet. The only other notable point of the game was a debut for Josh O’Keefe and Tierney getting the nod ahead of Andy Wright for the other central midfield berth.



York City (H) FAC 4QR 21/10/2006 L 0-2 Att. 1656

Lineup:Stan, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lyons (c), McLean, Townley, Tierney , Fenn, Barwood, Craddock

Our regular vice captain Aidy Lyons was declared fit for the game and started alongside Duff whilst Stan made his debut in for the rested Yeomans in the only changes from the side who drew away at Altrincham. This game on paper was easier then last years trip to Grays but alas we were once again pushed aside by our professional opponents who ran out 2-0 winners. The game had started with some good work by Oliver Fenn and Dom Tierney who combined to release Danny Barwood who shot just wide of the post. Once again of defence seemed to have a handle on the game but one mistake from the usually dependable John Molloy let Andy Bishop in to score for the Mister Men. The goal for York meant we now had to chase the game and for 60 minutes we fought in vain to grab an equaliser only for hopes to be extinguished with a second York goal 10 minutes from time to kill off the tie. Despite defeat we had made some prize money and the crowds had come back so once again the cup run had been good for the club, I only hoped there was no repeat of last years cup hangover to come.



Gateshead (H) ECN 25/10/2006 W 2-0 Att. 209

Goal Scorers: Kenny McLean (76), Danny Barwood (90)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lyons (c), McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn, Barwood, Craddock


A fantastic response from the lads as we comfortably beat Gateshead in front of a disappointingly small crowd at the Giant Axe. Ryan Yeomans returned in goal for us and was his usual confident self, keeping an early effort from Gateshead striker Alan Gallen out of goal with a fine save. That early effort seemed to wake the players up and we responded by peppering the Gateshead keeper with shots of our own, Craddock and Tierney both going close before the half time break. However despite continued pressure we were kept at bay until Kenny McLean smashed home a goal from the corner of the penalty area with 14 minutes left on the clock to send the small crowd wild. We had more joy to come as Danny Barwood opened his account for the season and put the result beyond doubt with our second in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. If there was any FA Cup hangover then the lads had found a bloody good cure and we were back on track in the league climbing to 11th just 4 points off 5th place.



Harrogate Town (H) ECB 28/10/2006 W 2-1 Att. 229

Goal Scorers: OG (4), Patterson (10)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lyons (c), McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn, Barwood (Wardie), Craddock (Patterson)


Our victory today was spoilt by the early injury to Tom Craddock, after only 7 minutes, against Harrogate Town. By that point we already led thanks to an Own Goal and within 3 minutes of replacing Craddock, Sean Patterson had put us 2-0 up in front of 229 people at the Giant Axe. My first thoughts were that we could go on to thump the opposition but alas we sat back and let Harrogate dictate the play. Fortunately for us Harrogate couldn’t break through until things were too late, scoring in the 92nd minute and the last kick of the game.


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So we had returned to much needed winning ways with back to back league victories and a 4 game unbeaten streak that had put us back within sight of the leading pack. Tom Craddock continued to impress over the month and Danny Barwood got a much needed first goal (hopefully the first of many).


October 2006 Review


Players in:

Ryan McMahon Eng 20y/o GK (unattached)
Keith Ryan Eng 36 y/o DM (unattached)



League Record P4 W2 D2 L0 GS 5 GC 2
FA Cup Record P3 W1 D1 L1 GS 2 GC 4

Leading Scorers:

Alex Taylor 4
Tom Craddock 3

retired_steffani

November 2006


So November came and we were on the fringes of the playoff zone once again. My experience from November-January last year was one to forget but I hoped the experiences myself, the coaching staff, and most importantly the players had learned would put them in good stead for the coming period. We had been drawn against Maidstone in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy so had more cup action to look forward too but first had to face a tricky midweek away trip to Redditch in the Conference North.


Redditch (A) ECN 7/11/2006 W 3-1 Att. 172

Goal Scorers: McLean (14), Barwood x2 (53, 84)
Red Card:Craddock

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe, Molloy, Duff, Lyons (c), McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn, Barwood, Craddock


Despite Tom Craddock’s needless sending off for getting involved In a scuffle with Porter, who was also dismissed, we managed to pick up a valuable away win at Redditch. Kenny McLean looked in good form firing us ahead after quarter of an hour before Danny Barwood doubled our advantage 10 minutes after the break. Then came the incident which saw Craddock get involved in handbags and being sent off, followed by Redditch pulling 1 back minutes later. Despite this crazy section of the game the rest of the second half was relatively quiet as we coasted toward a victory, sealed by Barwood’s second 5 minutes from the end.

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Tom had acted recklessly but I could forgive his outburst as a mere moment of madness from a talented youngster. Ok the guy wasn’t Wayne Rooney but he still had huge potential to do well for the club and I didn’t think that verbally assaulting him would do either the team or the player any good. I pulled him into my office at training the next day and just asked how he was enjoying himself at Lancaster. “ Well gaffer I’ve enjoyed it…when I’ve been playing but I’m worried no matter how well I perform Alex (Taylor) is just going to walk straight back into the team, I don’t want to be the next Liam O’Carroll” . I could understand the guy’s frustrations, but heck Taylor was a proven goalscorer and I couldn’t deny to Tom that Alex was my number 2 striker for the time being. Instead I told Tom to prove to me that Alex shouldn’t walk back into the team and make that decision as difficult as possible. Tom seemed pleased that I had at least listened to him and understood his frustrations and then went out and had one of his best training sessions to date. As far as I was concerned I was in a win win situation, either Tom proved himself a top goalscorer or Alex Taylor picked up his form to keep Tom out of the side.


Maidstone (H) FAT 2QR 11/11/2006 W 3-0 Att. 229

Goal Scorer: Barwood x3 (22,26,34)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean (Doyle), Townley (Wilkinson), Tierney, Fenn, Barwood, Patterson


100% vintage Danny Barwood in this FA Trophy match, as the Welshman tore into lowly Maidstone putting us 3-0 up inside 35 minutes. Helped by excellent play from our fullbacks Danny cut through the ‘Stone defence time and time again and could have had 6 by the time the referee blew the final whistle. Two changes saw Patterson replace the suspended Craddock and a warm welcome back for Iain Swan who replaced Aidy Lyons. Pleasingly Tony Doyle also stepped up his comeback from injury with 45 minutes as a half time substitute. Simple as that, mission accomplished bring on the 3rd qualifying round.


Barrow (H) ECN 18/11/2006 D 3-3 Att. 289

Goal Scorers: Barwood x2 (19,39), Tierney (69)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean (Wilkinson) , Townley, Tierney, Fenn (Doyle), Barwood, Patterson (Wardie)


Two goals in the last10 minutes from our visitors meant that we were denied a 4th straight Conference North victory despite Danny Barwood’s best efforts. Danny had cancelled out Barrows opener after 16 minutes and had gone on to give us the lead with his second, and 7th in 3 games, on 39 minutes. From there we pushed on and substitute Tom Wilkinson set up Dom Tierney for an apparent match ending third with just 20 minutes left to play. Much to my frustration however some kamikaze defending let Barrow score not once, but twice, to leave us walking away with just a point instead of the 3 we deserved.


Mangotsfield (H) FAT 3QR 25/11/06 D 1-1 Att. 228

Goal Scorer: McLean (28)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean (Wilkinson) , Townley, Tierney, Fenn (Doyle), Barwood, Patterson (Wardie)


Just had been the case in the Barrow fixture we let our concentration slip late on to allow Mangotsfield to equalise late on and force a replay in this FA Trophy clash. Kenny Mclean put us in front after half an hour and we seemed to be slowly edging our way through to the next round until a lapse in concentration from James Duff let Tom White in to score for the visitors with just 9 minutes left on the clock.



Mangotsfield (A) FAT 3QR Replay 29/11/2006 W 2-1 Att. 177

Goal Scorers: Duncliffe (17 Pen), Barwood (22)

LineupYeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn (Wright), Barwood, Craddock


We finally put the tie to rest with a 2-1 victory in the replay through Barwood and a penalty from Duncliffe . After the struggles of the first leg I was expecting a laboured display but surprisingly we played some good open football and created a number of good chances. With 20 minutes to go our hosts made it a tense finale but we managed to hold on to book our place in the 1st round proper for the second successive year.


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Cup runs have always been a double edged sword for any team, and for us it was no different. The FA Trophy has limited profit making potential but can capture the imagination of the fans and the national media if we make it to the latter stages. More importantly it gives young players like Tom Craddock the experience of playing in cup ties, experience which is vital for things like playoff games. The cup progress was welcome but the 4 points from a possible 6 in the league was the biggest positive as we kept on the tails of the leaders.

November 2006 Review


League Record P2 W1 D1 L0 GS 6 GC 4
FA Trophy Record P3 W2 D1 L0 GS 6 GC 3


Leading Scorers:

Danny Barwood 8
Alex Taylor 4
Tom Craddock 3

retired_steffani

December 2006

So we went into the traditionally hectic month of January sat comfortably in 8th place but everyone at the club knew that it would be this month that would quite probably make or break our fledgling playoff and title ambitions.


Northwich (H) ECN 2/12/2006 D 1-1 Att. 240

Goal Scorer: Duncliffe (Pen 38)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn, Barwood, Craddock (Patterson)


Our encounter with fellow playoff hopefuls Northwich was hardly memorable as both sides produced gritty displays to share the points. Danny Barwood seemed to be missing something as he roamed the pitch like a zombie for most of the first half, his only contribution ironically was winning a penalty which JPD converted. Northwich equalised just after halftime and from there on in neither side really threatened significantly. The more I watched the side the more I knew we needed more quality and innovation from all areas of the pitch. My recent transfer signings hadn’t produced the desired results and we still lacked firepower when Barwood was off form.


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That week we welcomed young full back Ryan Andrews to the club but said goodbye to a real veteran of the team, Martin Clark . Andrews was picked up on a free having been released by West Ham in the summer and could play either right back or left back and so would provide good cover, especially for Duncliffe. On the other hand Martin hadn’t featured in the side this season and he wanted 1 final chance to play first team football before his planned retirement. With this in mind I decided to outright release him from his contract. Clarky had always been brilliant for us whenever needed but sometimes its just time to say goodbye. Everyone at the club wished him well and thanked him for his efforts. But we had little time for sentiment as we had to travel to Moor Green to keep up our playoff chase.

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Moor Green (A) ECN 6/12/2006 W 3-0 Att. 757

Goal Scorers: Barwood x2 (16,38), Fenn (75)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c) (Andrews), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn (Wright), Barwood, Craddock (Patterson)


One of the most pleasing away displays of my time here saw us comprehensively destroy Moor Green, with Danny Barwood bang on form once again. Danny constantly ran the Moor Green defence ragged and was rewarded when he headed in the opener after just 16 minutes and doubled his tally on 38 with a well placed shot. Moor Green just couldn’t cope with our play and we really looked like a team that could challenge not just for the playoffs but for the championship. We rounded off a fantastic display when Fenn drilled home with 15 minutes remaining.



Frickley (A) ECN 9/12/2006 W 4-2 Att. 173

Goal Scorers: Danny Barwood x2 (22,32), Sean Patterson x2 (53,57)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff (Kelly), Swan, McLean, Townley, Tierney, Fenn (Wright), Barwood, Patterson (Wardie)


You wait forever for a vintage away performance and then two come at once. Just like buses we seemed to be erratic and unpredictable pulling off an amazing display such as this before losing at home the following week. As far as today was concerned I couldn’t have been happier with the way the guys performed. Danny Barwood again hit the back of the net twice, sending us into a 2-0 lead. Following the break Frickley came out fighting and got back in the game was a goal on 499 minutes. But not to be kept quiet, Sean Patterson produced his finest display in a Lancaster shirt scoring twice in 5 minutes to put us 4-1 up. Despite a late consolation goal our mood could not be dampened and we were left ecstatic having taken 6 points from 2 away games.


Moor Green (A) FAT 1R 16/12/2006 L 0-1 Att. 214

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean (Wilkinson), Townley, Fenn, Wright, Barwood, Patterson (Craddock)


I was left stunned at how 10 of the same 11 players who won 3-0 at this ground just a week before could suddenly perform so badly. We tamely went out of the FA Trophy to a 34th minute goal from Moor Green frontman Darren Middleton who capitalised on some very shoddy defending from James Duff. Our midfield looked ineffective but it would be very harsh to blame our woes on Andy Wright, who had come in for Oliver Fenn , Andy had a good game but it was a team failure, just as our league victory here had been a team success. So once again our cup adventure had come to an abrupt end before it had really begun. Ah well as the old saying goes at least we were free to focus on the league



Hyde (H) ECN 20/12/2006 D 1-1 Att. 516

Goal Scorer: Barwood (29)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Fenn, Wright, Barwood, Patterson (Craddock)


Our Welsh wizard once again found the back of the net on an otherwise frustrating day at the Giant Axe which saw us drop 2 points and fall further behind the leaders. Still at least we maintained our unbeaten league streak, which now extended to 8 games, and we were still firmly entrenched within the playoffs. Brian McLaughlin came into the team due to Phil Townley being injured during training for the first time since August, our ever loyal coach was delighted to get 1 final, final crack at first team footie. However we fell behind to an early strike from a Hyde side, who had been our bogey team last year, which poked home a corner after 18 minutes. But Danny Barwood could not be kept quiet for long and burst through the Hyde defence to put us level just before the half-hour. We tried in vain to find a winner, Sean Patterson going close with a shot just past the post and Iain Swan headed just over the bar from a late corner. Whilst a surprisingly large crowd at the Axe left slightly disappointed, they went home at least knowing that the playoffs were once again a real possibility.


Burscough (A) ECN 23/12/2006 W 2-0 Att. 172

Goal Scorers: McLean (34), Tierney (66)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney, Wright, Barwood, Taylor

I don’t know what happened to our players over November but whatever it was had turned is into mean lean away winning machines. Our 3rd straight league victory on the road came courtesy of goals from Kenny McLean and Dom Tierney and we moved up to 3rd in the league. Kenny’s goal came out of the blue, a fantastic solo effort whilst Dom took advantage of some good running by Alex Taylor, making his return to the tea after several weeks on the sidelines. As our form kept improving I really began to believe that if everyone stayed fit, we might just have a sniff of the title, but our credentials would be sternly tested away at Nuneaton on Boxing Day.

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I got the dog one of those special Christmas stockings and settled down for my second Christmas in Lancaster as manager. Last year had been a tough learning curve but the fantastic final position we achieved made all of the worries and sleepless nights worthwhile. What still made my nights sleepless were the worries about the long-term future of the club. Attendance’s had been frighteningly low all season and I wondered if we could ever attract enough fans to make the club self-sufficient. What was clear was that without serious investment this club would be resigned to non-league football for a generation at least.


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Nuneaton (A) ECN 26/12/2006 L 2-3 Att. 1643

Goal Scorer: Danny Barwood x2 (66,90)

Lineup: Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff (Kelly), Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney, Wright, Barwood, Taylor


Our terrific run of away wins was ended by a superb performance from a Nuneaton side who looked destined for big things. I was left wishing we had 1600 fans and 11 Danny Barwoods as the Welshman was once again head and shoulders above the rest of the lads in a Lancaster Shirt. Danny’s goals were too little too late as we fell 3-0 behind within the first half. Despite our second half efforts which saw Danny B score twice, we couldn’t get ourselves back into the contest and our 9 game unbeaten run was over, not quite the Christmas present that we wanted.



Leigh RMI (H) ECN 30/12/2006 D 0-0 Att. 307

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney (Doyle), Wright, Barwood, Taylor (Patterson)


Skipper Tony Doyle made a welcome return from injury to play the last 30 minutes of what was a dire way for the club to end the year. We never really got going at any stage and lacked a spark in the midfield to release either Taylor or Barwood. Not really anything more to say on the game other then it was nice not to see out 2006 with a defeat.

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We finished the year in 5th place, a position I would be delighted to see us in come May and a position which really summed up our 2006. We had at times been right up there with the best, the victories over Moor Green for example, yet when it came down to the crunch, like in the playoff games, we had just lacked the quality needed to be the best. If I had to pick a player of the year it would undoubtedly be Danny Barwood, whilst the young player award would certainly go to Ryan Yeomans

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December 2006 Review

League Record P 7 W 3 D 3 L 1 GS 13 GC 7
FA Trophy P 1 W 0 D 0 L 1 GS 0 GC 1



Leading Scorers

Danny Barwood 14
Alex Taylor 4
Kenny McLean 4
John Paul Duncliffe 4

retired_steffani

January 2007


Droylsden (A) ECN 1/1/2007 L 0-3 Att. 561

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney (Doyle), Wright, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor (Patterson)


Our display at Droylsden was the worst possible start to a year which before the game had looked so full of promise. An unchanged team took to the field new years day against a side who we had taken 4 points from last season and yet somehow ended up on the wrong end of a hiding. Our performance was clueless all over the pitch and I told the players as much in the dressing room, both at half time and full time. We had looked so confident away from home recently but the displays against Nuneaton and now Droylsden had made our midfield look totally ineffectual and lacking any creativity. We desperately needed our skipper Tony Doyle back into the starting lineup but he still wasn’t ready and this coupled with the absence of Oliver Fenn was starting to have a dramatic effect on our form. All 3 of Droylsden’s goals came in the first half, our display made me think maybe they had had a few too many last night…..So our form was once again back in the toilet and we suffered another blow as Northwich overtook us in the playoff race.



Gainsborough (A) ECN 6/1/2007 L 1-3 Att. 276

Goal Scorer:Alex Taylor (5)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney, Wright, Barwood, Taylor


After just 5 minutes Alex Taylor stormed through to put us in the lead. For the next 85 minutes we were utterly hopeless. I cannot possibly describe my frustration and sadness that a team who had won 3 straight games away from home, could suddenly slump to lacklustre displays like our last two games. Our title hopes were fading faster then Christmas decorations on peoples houses and there was no respite from league action. After Taylor had opened the scoring we played nervous shakey football which culminated in the equaliser 5 minutes before half time. After the break we picked up where we left off conceding twice in a 10 minute spell around the hour. We had picked up just 1 win in 6 and fell to 8th in the league, now 3 points outside the playoffs and 11 behind the leaders. If we didn’t turn things around and soon, we could be facing a very mediocre season.



Kettering (H) ECN 9/1/2007 L 0-1 Att. 235

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, McLaughlin, Tierney, Wright, Barwood, Taylor


My policy of persevering with this team had not paid off as we once again slumped to defeat, this time in front of our own fans. For once I was actually glad that so few fans turned up because I would have been disgusted to have paid to see that game. Once again the midfield was toothless and I was counting the days until Fenn, Doyle and Townley could return to the team as Brian was past it and Dom and Andy were not 1st team standard on a regular basis. Despite us being awful Kettering were not any better and were very fortunate to go ahead as Duff deflected the ball past Yeomans after 72 minutes to hand our visitors the victory. 3 straight defeats now for the Dolly Blues and we dropped down another place to 9th, now 4 points from the playoffs.

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With some time off until our next fixture with Worcester I dove back into the transfer market to try and bolster our flagging midfield. I managed to sign Mathew Hazley a left winger from Lincoln and Nicky Heywood from S****horpe another left winger, both on loan for the rest of the season. I also bolstered the front line by adding Tom Ward on loan from Championship side Luton Town. Each of these players wouldn’t cost us a penny, the clubs concerned eager to give them a chance to play regular football, agreed to foot their wage bills for their time here. We all knew that the Worcester game would be a defining point of the season, I just hoped it would put us back on track.

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Worcester (H) ECN 20/1/2006 W 5-0 Att. 223

Goal Scorers: Taylor (17,34), McLean (22), Duncliffe (Pen 65), Heywood (90)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, Hazley (Heywood), Tierney (Fenn), Wright, Barwood (Craddock), Taylor


Unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable. Out of nowhere we totally ripped apart Worcester at the Giant Axe releasing all the tension and nerves that had built up since December about of our form and ability to compete with the best. Matt Hazley and Nicky Heywood both made debuts with the former starting on the left wing and the later on the bench. Other then that it was the same side who had been taken apart these last few weeks, yet today was a different story. Alex Taylor looked awesome as he scored twice in just over 15 first half minutes sandwiching a Kenny McLean strike on 22 minutes. In the second half we were just as rampant scoring twice through a Duncliffe penalty and then in injury time from debutante Nicky Heywood . We were finally back on track and still just 4 points from the playoffs in 9th.


Stafford (A) ECN 24/1/2006 L 1-2 Att. 935

Goal Scorer: Alex Taylor (88)

Lineup:Yeomans, Duncliffe (c), Molloy, Duff, Swan, McLean, Hazley, Tierney, Fenn, Barwood, Taylor


I couldn’t be too despondent with our display, as we had competed for long periods with a team who seemed destined to be promoted this season as champions. Alex Taylor got our only goal late on but the game had long since been lost after 2 goals in 5 minutes after the break. Even so holding Stafford away for 45 minutes was still an achievement and the return of Oliver Fenn had a lot to do with that. The young midfielder was instrumental in breaking down countless Stafford attacks through the centre and prevented our defence from being overrun. So whilst we had been beaten we had still played well and seemed well on course for another upturn in form.

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I didn’t know it at the time but that game with Stafford would turn out to be my last in charge of Lancaster City Football Club. The next day I was approached by Gordon Wilson the chairman of Queens Park Football Club in Scotland who had been given permission by Mr Parkinson to talk to me. He offered me an 18 month deal to replace the sacked John Coughlin at the helm of the Hampden Park based semi professional side. It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make, should I leave a team who had given me my first chance in semi professional league football management, or move to a club with one of the richest histories in Scottish football. The decision did not come down to money, either to spend, or that I would earn, it simply came down to where I thought I could advance my career best. In the end I came down to the heart wrenching decision to leave Lancaster, deciding that being in the league pyramid in Scotland would be better for my career then Lancaster.

When I phoned Mick Parkinson to let him know my decision he was obviously disappointed but understood my decision. He thanked me for my efforts and told me there would always be a place at the Axe for me in the future. I couldn’t thank Mick or the club enough for giving me this opportunity and Lancaster would always be in my heart. The next day I said my goodbyes to the lads thanking them for all their efforts and most importantly telling them that they were more then capable of making the playoffs and going onto bigger things. With my desk packed and my little house on the market, myself and the dog were off to Glasgow and a new chapter in my life.


Career at Lancaster City: 2005-2007

Time spent : 533 Days
Highest league finish: 4th 2005/2006
Best FA Cup Run – 4th QR (x2)
Best FA Trophy Run – 2nd Round

Transfer money spent - £0
Transfer money received - £5,000

BarryLFC

Queen's Park \o/

Enjoying your work, sir.