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I am playing FM06 6.0.3 with data (official patch) Leagues loaded England Conf. N/S and above, Italy: Serie B and above, Ireland: Premier league only, Spain: Division 2 and above, Wales: Premier league only, Australia: Premier league only, Brazil: Serie B and above.
(please not that I am playing according to traditional LLM rules, aka., SWYCT, no use of player search etc so please refrain from tipping players etc).
Lancaster City Football Club had not been enjoying the best fortune in recent years. Financial turmoil had gripped the club resulting in manager Phil Wilson leaving for near neighbours Barrow, taking several players with him. Then caretaker and former assistant Peter Ward quit the club. In such desperate circumstances the club turned to the Reading Town manager who had just finished his FIFA Pro License, a Lancaster University graduate, Daniel Wimbush. What follows is an account of Wimbush’s career…
So here I was back in the city where I had spent 3 largely drunken years-studying history at Lancaster University. I had watched the local football team, Lancaster City a few times, as my beloved Reading where largely too far and too expensive to see so had been to the Giant Axe quite a bit.
After Uni, a chance came to work at a local football club back home doing admin work, and the club offered to send me to do local FA coaching schemes so that I could fill in coaching sessions if people were away. Over the years I took more and more sessions, one thing led to another and soon I was U18’s coach, then U21’s, Reserve Team before finally leading Reading Town to success. I guess that’s what caught the eye of the Lancaster Board and Managing Director Mick Parkinson who offered me a 1 year deal to replace Phil Wilson as manager; an offer i was more then happy to accept, so on July 1st 2005 i walked onto the training ground for my first session as Lancaster City manager.
07-02-2006, 06:33 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #2
Mick Parkinson had told me that anything above the relegation zone of the Conference North was the aim for the season and I felt quietly confident that this squad of players could do the business. Within a week however that feeling had developed into a fear that the club could be sucked into the relegation mire after all. Here were some of my first notes on the players and the staff.
Goalkeepers
Tony McMillan: Eng 23y/o
Tony was the obvious choice to fill the No1 jersey as the most experienced keeper on our books. He had his faults but I expected him to perform to a reasonable level
Ryan Yeomans: Eng 19y/o
Ryan was a hot young prospect. A former product of Wigan’s youth academy the clubs coaches told me to keep an eye on him as a future star. Unlikely to start our opening game but a solid prospect for the years to come
Defenders
Alan Dodd: Eng 25y/o D RC
Doddy didn’t have too much about him, weak in the tackle and without significant pace he didn’t seem to fit into the style of play I had in mind, still a useful backup option
George Melling: Eng 20y/o D RC
Similar to Doddy but at 6’0’’ he could prove crucial in the long ball environment, plus age was on his side.
Martin Clark: Eng 34y/o D RC, DM
Martin was a vetran of the club a former Southport player his versatility and experience would be a of great benefit to the club, but his 300p/w wage and his age meant that I would not stand in the way if a club were to come calling
Alex Morris: (On loan from Crewe) Eng 22y/o D RLC, DM, M RLC
A Youngster with genuine talent and his ability to play anywhere across the backline or the midfield gave me a vast array of options. But at the same time it was unclear of his best position and therefore he could be destined for the bench.
Andrew Bond: (On loan from Crewe) Eng 19y/o D RL, M RLC
Like Alex Morris, Andrew was also on loan from Crewe and like Morris, Bond could play just about anywhere in the defence or midfield. But alas like his Crewe teamate I imagined that he would often be used as a utility man rather then an out and out starter.
Andy Scott: Eng 30y/o D LC
Andy would be the opening day left back, comfortable either there or at DC his experience at this level and at playing at the Giant Axe meant he would be firmly in my first team plans.
Joe McMahon: Wales 21y/o D C
A towering centreback Joe had the potential to be a John Terry like figure in the heart of the defence, but his lack of skill and pace worried me somewhat so his place wasn’t secure by any means
Iain Swan: Sco 25y/o D C
Here was a centre back that I immediately warmed too. Admittedly one of the highest played players at the club the 25-year-old Scot looked a dead cert. to start the season at the heart of our defence
Neil Uberschar: Eng 24 y/o D, WB, MR
A player who did not hold the quality neccesary to hold down the RB position, and a player who immediately went on the transfer list.
Ryan Elderton: Eng 21y/o DM
Another youngster who wasn’t up to my standard and found himself looking for a new club soon after my arrival.
Mike Eckersley: Eng 21y/o M C
Another centre midfielder who wasn’t up to standards and who joined Neil and Ryan on the transfer list in the reserves.
Ian Dawes: Eng 21y/o M C
*sigh* Alas Ian was another MC who didn’t impress me very much, a year in the reserves and the chance to join any club that came calling awaited the youngster.
Steve Smith: Eng 21y/o M C
I was begging to wonder if Phil Wilson had a thing for young but ineffectual midfielders. Steve was another player who found himself on the transfer list in the first weeks of my reign.
Lee Foxcroft: Eng 20y/o AM R
A player with good potential but lacking the skills to be the type of winger who could drive us forward, poor crossing and passing skills led to him being placed indefinitely in the reserves
Forwards
Michael Barnes: Eng 16y/o ST
A youngster who could expect to remain in the U18’s for most of the year occasionally moving into the reserves.
Steve Skinner: Eng 23y/o ST
The former Gretna man could look forward to a year in the reserve team, his finishing ability too poor to be considered a striker for the first team.
Griff Jones: Eng 21y/o ST
Another youngster who didn’t fill me with large amounts of confidence, but nonetheless he could expect to be on the fringes of the first team.
Joe Feeney: Wales 19y/o ST
This player had massive potential, at just 19 he already looked like becoming our 2nd or 3rd choice striker, his pace could easily unsettle some of the more clumsy defenders in the division
Alex Taylor: Eng ST 19y/o ST
The unquestioned star of the squad was young Alex Taylor. The former Burnley man had future star written all over him and his goals would be desperately needed to keep the team in the Conference North this season.
This first look at the team told me replacements were needed, and badly. There was hardly a midfield player who stood out as a potential regular, aside from perhaps the Crewe lads. Up front we couldn’t rely on Alex Taylor alone but in goal and defensively we looked in reasonable shape.
In order the harness the ability of these players and to scout out new ones I signed up several scouts and coaches to join me at the Giant Axe.
Spencer Field and Tim Davies joined Lee Howe to make up our scouting team, whilst Darren Williams, Tony Dorigo and Simon Morgan all joined us during July to help out on the coaching side. Gary Finley would stay as my right hand man and Dave Hughes would continue alone in the Physio room.
07-02-2006, 07:17 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #3
My first month in charge saw many new additions to the club not only in terms of non playing staff but also many players joined the club. My scouts had been sent around the UK and had helped me acquire the following players
Players in:
Free Transfers
David Kelly: Eire 18y/o D, M C Lee Ball: Eng 16y/o D, WB L John Paul Duncliffe Eire 23y/o D, R John Molloy: Eire 21y/o D, L Aidan Lyons: Eire 17y/o D, C Anthoney Doyle Eire 23y/o DM Tom Morgan: Eire 28y/o DM Andrew Wright Eng 20y/o DM Dom Tierney: Eire 28y/o M, RC Jamie Phoenix: Eng 21y/o AM, LC Danny Barwood: Wal 24y/o AM, FC Liam O’Carroll Eire 21y/o ST
My scouts had done a wonderful job scouting Ireland in particular and was pleased to have bolstered the squad. Kelly and Ball were defiantly 2 for the future and were unlikely to play much of a part in the coming campaign. Molloy and Duncliffe would certainly feature in and around the first team, Duncliffe coming in straight away at RB and Molloy competing with Scott for the LB position. Lyons too would compete for a position at CB whilst Doyle, Wright and Morgan would replace men like Eckersley, Dawes and Smith in the midfield. Phoenix looked like becoming our regular ML by default and [B[Dom Tierney [/b] looked likely to replace Foxcroft as our right midfielder. Our forward line had been bolstered greatly by Danny Barwood, the Welshman having a tremendous finishing ability, whilst Liam O’Carroll could expect to provide Taylor and Barwood with some competition.
Players Out
None
Whilst I was busy negotiating many deals and scouting the UK Gary Finley led the side in several pre season friendlies. I was not overly concerned with the results of such games but they would allow me to see how the new boys were fitting in and which current players deserved the chance to stay.
Accrington (H) D 2-2 Att. 103
Goals : Alex Taylor, Griff Jones
Lancaster Reserves (H) L 0-1 (Behind closed doors)
Hereford (A) L 1-2 Att. 92
Goal : Alex Taylor
Sunderland Reserves (H) L 0-1 Att. 43
[b] Histon (A) L 0-1 Att. 87
Overall July record: P5 W0 D1 L4
Admittedly hardly championship winning form but at least Alex Taylor had already found the goalscoring touch. The players had also been able to build up a good level of fitness and I felt confident ahead of our final warmup game against Tamworth and then for our opening Conference North game at home to Stalybridge on the 13th August.
07-02-2006, 08:17 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #4
The performances in the friendlies had shown me a great deal about exactly who was and wasn’t up to standard in our squad. Of the already transfer listed players Steve Skinner and Alan Dodd were both told they could leave the club. I was also still on the lookout for new players and my scouts kept busy scouring the UK from Newbury to Newcastle, Cardiff to Dublin on the lookout for the next big thing. Meanwhile on the training ground I tried to keep the players as focussed as possible for the visit of Tamworth to the Giant Axe for our last pre season friendly.
Tamworth (H) Friendly 2/8/2005 L 0-2 Att. 80
So once again we tasted pre season defeat and on our own backyard, sending the 80 whom had paid to watch us fearing for the season ahead. However I didn’t have the luxury of sitting around panicking about where we would finish in May, my focus was totally on the Stalybridge game on the 13th.
Stalybridge Celtic (H) Nationwide Conference North 13/8/2005 W 2-0 Att. 233
I walked off the field feeling as if we’d just won the FA Cup 5-0 when in fact we’d merely defeated an average looking Stalybridge side 2-0. Jamie Phoenix starred throughout scoring a goal and receiving the MOM award. Whilst we always looked right from the first minute when Phoenix put us ahead, Duncliffe missed a penalty on 27 minutes, which fortunatly Alex Taylor was able to convert. But in stretching to get to the ball Alex picked up a slight injury, which would force him to be substituted immediately as a precaution. Nevertheless we held firm to record a fine victory and a clean sheet to boot.
Redditch (A) Nationwide Conference North (NCN)16/8/2005 D 0-0 Att. 179
Iain Swan picked up the MOM in this game and it symoblised a stubborn display from the Dolly Blues who kept their second succesive clean sheet. Barwood had picked up an injury midweek which gave Jones the chance to play, much to the disappointment of Joe Feeney who had come on against Stalybridge. However neither Feeney nor Alex Taylor had many chances to score as the play was predominantly inside the Lancaster half. Still any point away from home is a welcome one and 4 points from 2 games was a pretty solid start.
Before our next game several faces departed the Giant Axe. Steve Skinner, Steve Smith, Alan Dodd and Ryan Elderton all went on free transfers. Sadly none had fitted into my plans and I wished them all well in their future careers. But I had little time to reflect on their departures, instead my focus turned to the visit of Harrogate.
We controlled the game for large parts with MOM Doyle forcing 2 great saves out of Harrogate keeper Michael Price. Dom Tierney too was lively down the right thumping the bar from 20 yards as our midfield dictated the play. Despite such domination it took until the 42nd minute for Welshman Barwood to fire us in front and score his first goal for the club. After the break we never looked likely to concede with the visitors being restricted to a couple of pot shots from long range but we too found scoring beyond our reach in the second half as the match finished 1-0.
So 7 points from a possible 9 saw us into 3rd place albeit at a very early stage in the season. I was pleased with the contribution that each player was making but I did have fitness concerns regarding Jamie Phoenix who seemed to tire very easily, moreover beyond Barwood and Taylor I was becoming concerned with a lack of options up front. Still if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and I went into our next game against Nuneaton full of confidence.
We played in front of our biggest crowd against well fancied Nuneaton in our last game of August determined to prove to the rest of the division that we feared nobody. An unchanged squad fought much as it had done at Redditch as Tony McMillan brilliantly kept the powerful home side at bay throughout the match. Taylor did have one chance, but his shot could only find the bar just before the break. All in all a very good point for the Dolly Blues and we could return home with our heads held firmly high.
So far so good us to date. 2 wins and 2 draws ensured that we remained in the top 5 a place that would be far above my midtable expectations if we remained there come May.
August Review:
Friendly: P1 W0 D0 L1 League: P4 W2 D2 L0 GS 3 GC
Players In
None
Players Out:
Steve Skinner: Eng 23y/o ST Alan Dodd: Eng 25y/o D, RC Ryan Elderton: Eng 21y/o DM Steve Smith: Eng 21y/o M C
07-02-2006, 09:31 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #5
A Quick edit at this point I am also running Scotland From Div3 upwards, my apologies, also apologies for any style errors, its my first attempt at a story in a long while and any suggestions would be appreciated
07-02-2006, 09:35 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #6
After the draw against Nuneaton we had a 2 week break due to the International calendar, although quite why the Conference North needed a break I was not sure as we were hardly full of international players!
The squad was in a buoyant mood after our impressive start to the season, and even the local media was beginning to sense that something big might be happening to the little club that had long lived in the shadow of near neighbours Morecambe.
Moor Green (H) ECN 10/9/06 W 3-1 Att. 340
Goal Scorers: Taylor (13), Barwood (80), Bond (90)
An unchanged side helped us maintain our unbeaten record, although our run without conceding a goal was ended after 386 minutes. Barwood and Taylor both notched 2nd goals of the season whilst Bond also opened his account for the side. Despite the scoreline the game itself was reasonably even with us perhaps even slightly lucky to run out the winners. Young Alex Taylor headed home the opener after 13 minutes before Bridgewater converted a simple chance for the visitors. From there I urged the boys forward determined to send our biggest crowd of the season home happy. Sure enough 10 minutes before the end the might Welshman Barwood took the ball on the edge of the box and slotted cooly past the Moor Green keeper to put us back in front. From there Tony Mac made a fine save from Middleton but the game was then put beyond doubt when Andrew Bond hit home our third in the last minute.
So we had improved our record to an impressive 11 points out of a possible 15 which was nothing short of championship form. I had to keep the players feet on the ground though, so far we had stayed clear of major injuries and 1 or 2 knocks to key players could derail our ambitions significantly.
Hyde United (A) NCN 17/9/06 L 1-5 Att. 327
Goal Scorer: Dom Tierney (82)
Lineup:McMillan, Duncliffe, Scott, Lyons, Swan, Tierney, Phoenix (Morris), Doyle(c), Morgan (Clark), Barwood, Taylor (Feeney)
The lads came crashing back down to earth the following Saturday with a thumping defeat away at Hyde. The defence that had conceded just 1 goal in 450 minutes suddenly leaked 5 in a 46 minute spell. The only positive to come after Brackenridge opened the score for the home side after 32 minutes was Tierney’s goal just before the end other then that it was a big wakeup call to all concerned with the club that we were far from title contenders. Worse still Tom Morgan picked up an injury which threatened to rule the big midfielder out for a number of weeks.
Despite the Hyde disappointment we were still in the top 5 of the league and still had 11 points to our name, a factor which meant that we could go into our FA Cup 2nd Qualifying round matchup against Oxford City at Court Farm in Oxford.
Oxford City (A) FAC 2QR 24/9/06 D 1-1 Att. 1727
Goal Scorer: Alex Taylor (53)
Lineup: McMillan, Duncliffe, Scott, Lyons, Swan, Tierney, Phoenix, Doyle(c), Clark (Bond), Barwood (Feeney), Taylor
This was a game that we deserved to lose, but ultimately should have won. A bumper crowd cheered what was fast becoming the most popular club in Oxford thanks to United’s recent struggles and around 1500 turned up to see the mighty Lancaster City visit. From the word go City poured forward and forced Tony Mac into several fine saves. In front of him Swan and Lyons held strong whilst Martin Clark, replacing the injured Morgan, also had a fine game. Despite such pressure however we did manage to sneak ahead just after the break thanks to a fine Alex Taylor strike, brilliantly created by Danny Barwood. The partnership the 2 of them were forging excited me and gave me real confidence that we could do well against any side. But meanwhile Oxford refused to roll over and fought back physically; so much so however that James Evans saw red for a horrible tackle on Taylor. So with a 1 goal advantage and a man up to the lower league side we looked set to close out the victory until Aidon Lyons gave away a needless penalty right at the death. Lee Moore of Oxford took the spotkick well only to see his effort rebound of the post; unfortunately for us the rebound fell to Hogg of City who slotted the ball past the stranded McMillan. Minutes later the fulltime whistle blew and we faced an inconvenient replay midweek.
Oxford City (H) FAC 2QFR 28/9/06 W 1-1 AET (4-3 on Pens) Att. 463
Well we finally got past Oxford but I wondered at what cost? 210 minutes against a determined City had taken its toll on the players, the first game alone gave me reason to rest the hard working Alex Taylor. Still I felt confident that Joe Feeney could step up and stake a claim for a first team place, alas he disappointed throughout. Whilst City proved to have little intention to attack our goal, restricted to 1 shot on target in 120 minutes, they did prove to have a very well organised defence who kept out Feeney and Barwood throughout the first 90 minutes. Shockingly James Evans AGAIN saw red for a horror tackle, this time on Phoenix, to be sent off against us for the second time in a week after just 42 minutes. Yet once again the 10 men of Oxford City refused to cave in and took us to extra time with the scores 0-0. It took until the 107th minute for Alex Morris to convert a spotkick won by Ian Swan for us to take the lead, yet even this was shortlived. Tony Hogg once more became the Oxford City hero as he popped up to equalise just 2 minutes later, and now this game headed for the dreaded spotkicks. Finally we looked to have Oxford out of the cup as we scored our first 3 penalties whilst Oxford missed 2 out of their 3. But inextricably Doyle and Feeney missed their kicks whilst Oxford scored their 2 to send us into sudden death. Fortunately Bond kept a cool head to slot in and then Tony Mac brilliantly saved from Steve Hardy to send us (eventually) into the next round.
My pre-season concerns about a lack of firepower seemed justified over the course of the Oxford games. We had only been able to score 1 goal in open play against a side who were expected to roll over, and even in the league we had managed just 1 away goal all season and that was in a 5-1 defeat. Still I had little time to ponder the situation as we found ourselves back in Conference North action just 3 days later.
September Review:
League: P2 W1 D0 L1 FAC: P2 W0 D2 L0
Leading Goalscorer: Alex Taylor 3
07-02-2006, 10:10 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #7
Originally posted by Wimb The Barman:
A Quick edit at this point I am also running Scotland From Div3 upwards, my apologies, also apologies for any style errors, its my first attempt at a story in a long while and any suggestions would be appreciated
Looks fine to me. I don't think you should worry too much about 'style', just write as it feels comfortable and it will continue to be a good read!
07-02-2006, 11:38 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #8
A tale of 2 penalties and 2 red cards meant that our week of high drama continued away at Workington. Andy Wright kept his starting place ahead of Martin Clark and Alex Taylor returned in place of Joe Feeney who dropped back to the bench. The game was pretty tight throughout the first half, both sides having half chances which didn’t really threaten either goalkeeper, but the game turned on its head after 53 minutes when Taylor won a penalty for the Dolly Blues. Cool as a cucumber RB Duncliffe stepped up to score and put us ahead. But our joy was to be short lived as Aidon Lyons again gave away a penalty on the hour. This time unlike at Oxford he saw red for his challenge, and Workington converted the resulting penalty. Down to 10 men I sacrificed Taylor for Morris and brought on the experienced Clark to help us hold off the home side. For the next 20 minutes we battled hard and on a rare breakaway Barwood was fouled by veteran Workington defender Tom Cowan who also saw red, the 3rd straight game the opposition had been reduced to 10 men. But by now the matches against Oxford had began to show on the players and we couldn’t muster the energy to go forward and win the game, settling in the end for another solid away point.
It was nice to take another point away from home, especially after the 2 epic games against Oxford earlier in the week. The resilience of the squad pleased me and Tony Dorigo our first team coach noted the buoyancy of the squad in training over the next week. We had slipped to 7th but it mattered not, as Mick Parkinson had said to me In July all that mattered was that we survived the drop, an aim we were already some way to achieving. Financially the situation at the club was also looking better. Whilst still turning a slight loss the wages were under budget and our cup success had added a few thousand to the balance, yet there were still no funds for me to spend. My first 3 months at the club had been really successful yet the paltry crowds did leave me wondering how long I could stay here. But before I could give that a second thought I got a phone call from a disgruntled Joe McMahon asking just why he wasn’t in the team. Well Joe to be honest Aidy and Iain have been rocks at the back and with the versatility of Alex Morris and Andy Bond plus the experience of Martin Clark there isn’t really a place for you on the bench . Joe didn’t take this as a good enough reason pointing out his superb displays in training and his service to the club despite his young age. Look Joe I’m the one who picks the team here not you, so either you keep working hard and wait for your chance or you leave the club I may be new around here but no player has the right to demand anything regardless of what’s happened in the past . With that I hung up, afterall I had bigger things to deal with then 1 players whinging.
Another valuable away point for the Dolly Blues, as we battled hard to gain a share of the spoils away at Hednesford. After Joe McMahon’s outburst I called in Martin Clark to replace the suspended Lyons preferring his experience to the 2 Crewe youngsters. The move perhaps backfired as twice pace undone us at the back, yet early on it appeared as if we would coast to victory. Danny Barwood put us ahead early on only to see Paterson equalise for the home team. But Barwood would not be kept quiet and he fired us back ahead instantly. 2-1 up in only 16 minutes and the game didn’t die down as Keith Nibbs again equalised for the home team. Going into the second half things again sprung into life as Andy Scott unfortunately headed an own goal past McMillan to put Hednesford ahead for the first time. But if I’ve learned 1 thing from my first games in charge is that 1 Lancaster player cannot be kept quiet and that man is Alex Taylor . The youngster dribbled past 2 defenders to brilliantly equalise for us just past the hour. From then on we looked the much better side going close on several occasions but we just couldn’t find the final goal and once again had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Basingstoke Town (A) FAC 3QR 8/10/05 D 0-0 Att. 658
The only change ahead of this FA Cup tie against Conference South side Basingstoke saw Aidy Lyons return from suspension in place of Martin Clark. The trip near my hometown of Reading allowed me the chance to invite several of my family along and I fully intended to put on some attacking football to entertain them. However things didn’t go exactly to plan and in a game of few incidents, bar an injury to Duncliffe we played out a dour 0-0 draw to be faced with yet another FA Cup replay.
Basingstoke Town (H) FAC 3QRR 12/10/05 W 3-0 Att. 490
I only wish I had invited my family to this game…..In what was by far our best performance of the season the Barwood-Taylor strike combination fired us spectacularly into the 4th QR of the FA Cup. Before the game Andrew Bond had replaced the injured Duncliffe in the starting lineup as the only change to the trip South a few days before. Throughout the game we looked strong, fast and confident, qualities epitomised by our 2 strikers and the superb Dom Tierney down the right. Yet we only converted our pressure into a lead just before the break when the Welsh Wizzard Barwood rounded the keeper to send the crowd into raptures. Shortly after the restart Taylor fired us into a 2 goal lead, and we could finally afford to relax, confident there would be no repeat of the Oxford City game. Taylor then added a third to secure our safe passage into the next round.
Just as we had in those early days in August the side was beginning to play the time of efficient yet stylish play that I had hoped for. In Barwood and Taylor I felt we had a pair who could develop into a leading strike force for years to come, and the impressive contribution of men like Lyons and Swan in the heart of the defence was another massive positive. Yet still worries remained about the depth of our attacking options. Beyond the inconsistent Phoenix we had no straight forward cover, and it became clear that Lee Foxcroft could not compete with Tierney. Once again I sent my scouts out in the hope they would discover more like Danny or Dom and find that missing piece that would see us challenge even the top teams.
After all the cup ties it was nice to get back to the bread and butter of the league with a visit from Hinckley. I kept faith with the team that had resoundingly beaten Basingstoke midweek and was rewarded with a fine efficient display which saw us take all 3 points in front of a large crowd at the Giant Axe. I couldn’t really pick up a bad performance or anybody who stood out they were all playing well without ever breaking a sweat. The only goal came courtesy of Danny Barwood in the 4th minute and from then on we simply coasted. I don’t know whether to feel angry that we coasted or pleased that we never had to really try :S. I also brought Jamie Phoenix off midway through the first half as a precaution after he complained of twinges in his hamstrings. Other then that slight hiccup things continued to look rosy at the Giant Axe.
Grays Athletic (A) FAC 4QR 22/10/06 L 3-4 Att. 2320
Goal Scorers: OG, Tierney, Taylor
I stood and clapped the travelling Lancaster fans at the end of the game sorry that we couldn’t give them 1 more replay in the FA Cup this season. For us the dream ended away at Conference National pacesetters Grays realistically after only 27 minutes. For by that time we had fallen 3-0 down and looked totally out of our depth, once again reminding our players and supporters that we weren’t of conference standard quite yet. On the other hand the resilience we showed in fighting back to 3-2 with first an own goal and then through the again superb Tierney Ensured that we would not go quietly. Alas our comeback was thwarted by a dubious penalty converted on 50 minutes by Thurgood, but there was still time for Alex Taylor to find the net with 6 minutes to go. Unfortunately that’s where the story end and we returned home with our FA Cup hopes over, but having ruffled a few feathers along the way.
We suffered a FA Cup hangover today, Kettering looked fitter and more up for the game then we did. Lineup wise things stayed the same but in hindsight I probably should have rested one or two of the lads after a busy October. Kettering were 2-0 within 37 minutes, but Andy Wright scored his first goal for the club with a fine 25 yard strike in first half injury time. After the break we seemed a little better creating chances for both Barwood and Taylor, the later was then fouled in the box just before the hour, but Alex Morris couldn’t convert the spotkick. Despite countless balls into the box Kettering held firm and we faced our opening home reverse of the season.
I think we are finally beginning to feel the effects of all those cup-ties as we slipped to a 3rd consecutive defeat at the hands of Barrow. Duncliffe returned from injury to replace Bond at right back. For once our usually reliable centre backs looked clueless and helpless against the Barrow strikers conceding to former Aston Villa and Ross County man Neil Tarrrant in just the second minute. Subsequently Barrow confidently controlled the play and should have gone into the break further ahead. Consequently we won a penalty on a rare attack which the returning Duncliffe slotted home. Alas our luck held a mere 11 minutes before John Alexander hit the first of 2 goals in 17 minutes condemning us to a 3rd straight defeat and sending us out of the playoff zones. To make things worse our physio Dave Hughes told me that both Taylor and Barwood had slight knocks and were a doubt for next weeks game.
So October ended on a distinctly sour note and 3 straight defeats. I hoped it was merely down to fatigue and our 1 slight blessing was a week before we had an FA Trophy tie against Aylesbury.
October Review
League : P5 W1 D2 L2 GS 7 GC 9 FA Cup: P3 W1 D1 L1 GS 6 GC4
Top Scorers: Alex Taylor 7
Danny Barwood 6
07-03-2006, 07:42 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #9
Well yet another game without a win for the Dolly Blues, what we have to do to win I’m not quite sure. Nonetheless simply avoiding defeat was an achievement today, but it was oh so close to being a win. John Molloy came in to the side to make his debut replacing the out of sorts Scott, and had a pretty solid game. In terms of the result we once again fell victim to the curse of the missed pen, this time Duncliffe fired wide after Barwood had been felled in the box. Our visitors to the Giant Axe set their stall out to defend, and defend they did to the extreme of not having a shot in the entire match. With this in mind we failed to break Motors down and had to settle for a point, but it did give the squad a much needed lift after the 3 straight defeats at the end of October.
Thankfully our winless run came to a comfortable end against our lower league opposition Aylesbury. The home side came at us full of heart and determination but were ultimately outclassed by the fantastic Alex Taylor and the cutting edge of Danny Barwood. Tom Morgan had recovered from injury to replace Andy Wright, Andrew Bond replaced the out of form Phoenix on the left of midfield whilst Molloy kept his place ahead of Andy Scott. My decision was rewarded when Molloy bombed forward in the second minute to cross for Barwood who headed home from 8 yards. The home side was then kept at bay superbly by our defence and our midfield continued to make chances for the front pair. Eventually the pressure told on Aylesbury as they conceded a penalty on 72 minutes, which saw their keeper Ben Smith red carded. Duncliffe made up for his miss against the Motors and put us into an unassailable 2-0 lead which we through to the end of the game.
So we were seemingly back on track with 2 positive results in less then a week. Molloy had looked brilliant against Aylesbury and Andy Scott’s position in the team was now seriously under threat from the Irishman. Ahead of the Stafford game I decided to give Liam O’Carroll a spot on the bench to replace the increasingly ineffectual Joe Feeney. Whilst Joe’s demotion to the reserve side did not necessarily mean the end of his stay here I did wonder if it was the last we had seen of him this season.
Stafford Rangers (A) ECN 19/11/06 D 2-2 Att. 555
Goal Scorers: Tierney (35), Duncliffe (Pen 39)
Lineup: McMillan, Duncliffe, Molloy, Lyons, Swan, Tierney (Bond), Bond, Doyle(c), Morgan (Morris), Barwood (O’Carroll), Taylor
An unchanged Lineup saw us take on highflying Stafford, full of confidence after our 2 recent displays. The re-found belief in the team was evident from the onset and we were two nil up after 39 minutes seemingly heading for our first away victory in the league this season. First Tierney hit a trademark 20 yard shot into the top corner before Duncliffe riffled home a spotkick, the third game in a row we had been awarded one. Still our dreams would be derailed by strikes either side of the break from the home team and I would be left standing wondering exactly which god I needed to pray too to win away in the Conference North.
In light of our recent deficiencies I made the plunge back into the transfer market securing the services of defender James Duff from Dublin City on a free transfer and also signed young right winger Tom Wilkinson on a free from Lincoln City. Tom would provide cover for Dom Tierney whilst I saw Duff as being able to compete with Swan and Lyons for a place in the starting eleven.
Worcester (H) FAT 3QR 26/11/05 W 2-0 Att 246
Goal Scorers: Taylor (27), O’Carroll (52)
Red Card: Molloy
We progressed into the first round proper of the FA Trophy with a tidy 2-0 victory over Worcester at the Giant Axe, but the game saw us suffer too. James Duff made his debut in for Lyons but disappointingly Alex Taylor picked up an injury shortly after putting us ahead on 27 minutes. Fortunately for us Liam O’Carroll got his first goal in a Lancaster shirt to give us a 2 goal lead shortly after the restart. Whilst Worcester proved little threat to our goal John Molloy got himself sent off for a second booking with just 4 minutes to go, ruining his impressive start since replacing Andy Scott in the side. Still despite his upcoming suspension and Alex Taylor’s knock we could at least look forward to another day in the cup.
I was forced into 3 changes after our excursions against Worcester 3 days before. Liam O’Carroll came in for the injured Alex Taylor, Alex Morris replaced the suspended Molloy and Ryan Yeomans made his debut in goal after Tony Mac injured himself during training. I had decided to go with Morris over Scott because I felt that Scotty was just not showing enough in training warrant a place whilst Morris had worked so hard all season, he deserved his chance. However once more we found ourselves on the end of a frustrating draw as Gainsborough equalised in the final minute to cancel out Liam O’Carrolls first league goal for the club earlier in the second half. Once again the draw itself wasn’t the main cause of my frustration but instead the late lapse in concentration had cost us two points once more
November proved a slightly more successful month for the club then the end of October as we did go through the month unbeaten, but no league wins either. The first team had undergone several changes and Duff and Molloy in particular had pleased me greatly. Before the month was out I also added unattached central defender Dermot Browne to the squad on a free transfer whilst Sandy McLean joined us as a coach and Gary Hill joined us as a physio.
James Duff: Eire 17y/o D C (Signed for 0k from Dublin City) Tom Wilkinson: Eng 19y/o AM R (Signed for 0k from Lincoln City) Dermot Browne : Eng D C (Unattached)
Leading Scorers:
Alex Taylor 8
Danny Barwood 7
07-03-2006, 11:30 PM
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| Post #10
The first thing to happen to Lancaster City in December was that Lee Foxcroft left the club. The signing of Tom Wilkinson made Lee feel that there was too much competition for a place in the side and when Radcliffe Boro came calling we did not stand in his way.
I got my Christmas present early this year with a fantastic first away victory in the league away at Alfreton. Aidy Lyons returned to the team to replace Iain Swan who picked up a slight knock in training. Once again Danny Barwood proved the inspiration smashing two goals to power us to 3 points. Yet it was left midfielder Andrew Bond who rifled home the first just before the break capitalising on indecision in the Alfreton defence. The home side did look lively as they started the second half but their hopes were effectively ended when Barwood scored twice in 3 minutes. Whilst Alfreton did manage a late consolation goal we were able to head back to the Axe savouring a precious first victory that kept us within sight of the playoffs.
Well we keep up our unbeaten streak with a hard fought point away at near neighbours Droylsdon. John Molloy came back into the team replacing Morris. Despite Taylor’s early strike we struggled for much of the first half conceding two in quick succession to fall behind 2-1 at the break. But once again Welshman Danny Barwood could not be kept quiet and he nodded home a Tierney corner to level things up just past the hour. Whilst the score eventually ended 2-2 we had actually looked the more likely to win the game in the final half hour but the winner proved just out of our reach.
We took revenge on Conference outfit Grays with a well disciplined performance that saw us win 2-1 and book a place in the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy. Ahead of the game I decided to rest Dom Tierney and give Tom Wilkinson a chance to show what he could do other then that the team stayed unchanged. The first half resembled much like any other Lancaster away game this season and despite solid defence Grays managed to take the lead just before the break. Time and time again however one man has stepped forward and dragged the team single handedly, the man in question was of course Danny Barwood . His goals on 57 And 59 put us into a lead we didn’t relinquish and his efforts combined with fine goalkeeping from Ryan Yeomans saw us progress to the second round.
Yeomans had shown me since he was introduced to the first team that he was a more then capable replacement for the injured McMillan, but with Tony Mac returning I now had a difficult decision to make. However I decided that if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it and told Tony to go down to the reserves and get some regular match practise.
A game which proved more significant for the loses of skipper Tony Doyle and Dom Tierney then anything else. Frustratingly Tierney had only come on due to Wilkinson picking up a slight knock, whilst Doyle’s leadership will be massively missed in the coming weeks. The match itself was a dire affair, both sides had the odd chance but neither side looked like deserving all 3 points so at the end of the day I had no complaints with 0-0.
The players managed to get through Christmas unscathed although Tony Morgan did nearly electrocute himself trying to set up his kids new PC, still Tony made it to the Axe on time and in fine shape to play against struggling Worksop. Injuries to Tierney and Doyle meant that Wilkinson kept his place whilst Andy Wright came in for Doyle. Worksop didn’t look like a team fighting the drop and came at us all guns blazing right from the start. Yet Ryan Yeomans was a rock between the sticks ensuring that we made it to half time unscathed. After I’d lambasted the players inside the dressing room we ran out a different team, immediately excerpting more and more pressure on the Worksop goal. In fact within 3 minutes Danny Barwood had put us in front, and just 16 minutes later a Dempsey OG had us comfortably 2-0 to the good. As the second half wore on Worksop began to tire and could offer little to threaten Yeomans in our goal. The score stayed 2-0 and we kept up our playoff chase.
So December had been a pretty fabulous month for the club which again saw us unbeaten and into the 2nd round of the FA Trophy to boot. Better still 2 league wins had seen us stay right in the thick of playoff contention.
December Review
Players Out
Lee Foxcroft: Eng. 19y/o AM R
Appearances 0(1) Avg. 6.00
Is There a Reason It's Called the Giant Axe :| 
I am also running Scotland From Div3 upwards, my apologies, also apologies for any style errors, its my first attempt at a story in a long while and any suggestions would be appreciated
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