retired_destiny1124

19.8.07
Just looking at the financial reports turned me a bit grim. This was the right time to start trying to shed players- with the end of the month transfer window coming up- but I was afraid that I might kill the club chemistry in doing so. Still, the numbers in the balance sheet don't lie. We are just under 300K in the black and unless I can slim our roster down- we will burn through most of that this season. Mainly, I desperately need to move the high weekly wages of Jabo Ibhere (who has been on the transfer list all season) and Danny Flack off of our club's weekly wages. Just placing those two on other clubs would reduce the 5K over budget per week wages to 3.5K over budget. The tough calls besides those leave me transfer listing Danny Singh, Neil Johnson, Simon Downer and Dave King. I hope getting a jump on the other club's who might be offering players for the transfer deadline will allow me to move some of these.

retired_destiny1124

25.8.07
Stafford Rangers (0) Harrow Hill (3)
I was really proud of the boys in this match. When skipper Carl Laurie earned a redcard in the 11th minute for holding in the area, it looked like a terrible start for us. Chris Smith oblingingly blasted his penalty kick wide left and we were able to regroup still scoreless. We surprised them by attacking aggressively. Mark Smyth, moved back to the midfield, picked our whole club up with a brilliant run to score his 1st goal for us. Ross Flitney had to make a brilliant one-on-one save against Richard Mitchell to keep us in the lead at halftime. Early in the second half, we received a penalty kick of our own when Chris McAughtrie pulled down Dean Morgan in the area. Adrian Nevins calmly converted the penalty kick for his 1st goal for us and we were ahead 2-0. Flitney had to make another dazzling one-on-one save on Robin Gibson to keep them at bay and when Ryan Ashington scored his 3rd goal in 3 matches on the end of a pretty tic-tac-toe passing sequence, you could feel the life drain out of their club. The 3-0 win while playing with 10 men was a huge team effort and I was very happy with it. The only down side was when Sean Lynch cornered me following the match and we had it out. Sean was unhappy that I subbed on Nevins for him after Laurie was sent off. He told me he wanted out of here, and I told him- a bit loudly- that I would certainly try to accommodate his wishes.

retired_destiny1124

26.8.07
We found our first taker on all the offering I was doing when Danny Singh drew an offer from Bolton. He quickly agreed to a contract with them after I accepted their offer of 60K. Danny has talent, but I didn't think he would ever really start at forward for us.

***

27.8.07
It was with relief that I managed to sell on free transfer both Jabo Ibhere and Danny Flack. Ibhere is off to Eastbourne Boro and Flack is on his way to Mansfield. As already mentioned this seriously helps lighten the wages per week that was strangling our money.

***

28.8.07
Unhappy Sean Lynch has a new home now that Gravesend grabbed him on free transfer. Lynch had his pick of clubs as 4 others bid on him as well. Also moving on free transfer is Neil Johnson as he will go to the Grays on free transfer. That is another 600 a week off the books for us and now we are under 2.5K a week over the budgeted amount for wages.

***

29.8.07
I felt a bit ambushed when the big clubs came calling for two of the 16 year olds that I had signed on free from Rob Campkin's scouting reports. I had hoped to wait until Karl Atkinson (FRLC) and Adam Davies (SC) were 17 and then sign them to firm contracts, but I didn't get the chance as both agreed to terms (which will take place next summer). At least I will get significant amounts from both of them, as Atkinson was rated at 170K and Davies at 120K, but somehow I suspect it is but a small amount of their genuine worth. On a better note, I was pleasantly surprised that Fulham accepted my small 20K bid on AMC Darren Pratley. Pratley is a 22 year old and we have been scouting him off and on for almost a year. He will automatically become the best midfielder on the club when he joins us in October- after his loan is up. He was a player that I was surprised that would come to us, and we even managed to sign him to a contract that, though hefty, doesn't have a minimum fee release.

retired_destiny1124

1.9.07
It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Dean Morgan's goal had been selected as National Goal of the Month. It was a top drawer effort and I was pleased for Dean and the attention he received.

***

8.9.07
[b]Harrow Hill (0) Southend (1)
Pretty frustrating match for us as they turned one long early break into the match winner. Keeper Russell Howarth's goal kick saw Gary Taylor-Fletcher get past Lewis Buxton and he made a good shot inside the near right post for the only goal. We had plenty of good scoring chances, but Howarth played very well and the posts were unkind to us. It was a tough loss for us considering we carried much of the play for the match.

retired_destiny1124

15.9.07
Bradford PA (0) Harrow Hill (2)
We came back from Bradford with an important win over a very fine club. We managed to get up early when Gavin Bolger made a terrific long pass that found Dean Morgan moving past his marker. Morgan made a quick dip move with the ball before sliding it inside the near right post past Michael Ingham. Morgan and Richard Langley played very well together up front today in their initial pairing. Langley capped his solid debut by showing a fine shooting sense as he snapped a shot past Ingham after a good sharp pass from Steven O'Donnell. Ross Flitney had to make a couple excellent saves to keep his clean sheet, but also benefitted from a couple chances that they should have scored on going over the net and a late second half goal that was ruled offside. Our club got a good view of future teammate Darren Pratley as he played very well for them in filling virtually the same role he will once on our side.

retired_destiny1124

22.9.07
Harrow Hill (0) Canvey Island (2)
It was another frustrating loss for us as we outplayed Canvey Island, but we yielded a goal on throw-in and then another late goal on a penalty in losing 2-0. Their center backs Paul Collins and Gary Fitzgerald did a terrific job of tackling in the match as we lost many good scoring chances due to their last second tackling in the area. David Green had another tough match in net, without much help from his backline on the throw-in goal. It was a match that could have been a better result if we had executed better.

retired_destiny1124

25.9.07
Margate (0) Harrow Hill (2)
Another strong road performance for us as we dumped Margate 2-0 at Hartsdown Park. Dean Morgan was the leader in a terrific effort offensively. We passed the ball crisply and generated both a lot of possession and good scoring chances. Both goals that we got were individual efforts though. Morgan scored our first goal when Richard Langley picked him out with a good pass and then he broke quickly through a seam in their backline before drilling a shot inside the near right post past Luke Jackson late in the first half to send us to the dressing room ahead 1-0. Early in the second half, Patrick Cregg made a sensational pass that found Langley with room and he made the chance pay off with a rocket shot past Jackson into the right side of the net. We missed a pair of chances to clinch the game shortly after as Margate was called for holding in the area twice in the span of three minutes. Unfortunately Jackson saved Morgan's penalty kick and then Victor Anichebe (on for Langley) missed wide on the second attempt. We closed out the match nicely to finish off an excellent effort on both sides of the ball in the 2-0 win.

retired_destiny1124

29.9.07
Harrow Hill (3) Mansfield (1)
It was great to see us put together two strong matches in a row as the Dean Morgan show was enough to overwhelm visiting Mansfield in a 3-1 win at Larksfield Road. Morgan and Richard Langley continue to show they are a dynamic pairing as they worked together beautifully today. Langley drew the assist on each of Morgan's goals as he scored at 3 minutes, 20 minutes and finished the hat-trick in first half injury time to key our 3-0 lead. In each case, Langley showed exquisite timing in finding Morgan breaking free of his coverage. Morgan showed his nose for the net each time as he scored off the dribble and shot on all three goals past beleagured David Preece. Langley himself deserved a goal and had a couple very good chances, but Preece stymied him. Ryan Ashington was also a bit unlucky as he came close, but couldn't stretch the twine. David Green was in line for a clean sheet in our net and had earned it with several superb saves in the first half, but was let down by his backline losing the marking on Colin Larkin and Larkin put a well placed shot inside the far left post for their consolation marker. Morgan and Langley drew a long standing ovation when I pulled them both out of the match fairly early in the second half.

***

1.10.07
It was a pleasant surprise when Richard Langley was selected as Player of the Month in Conference National and Dean Morgan finished a close 2nd.

retired_destiny1124

5.10.07
Our fans were very pleased with the completion of the signing of Darren Pratley from Fulham. The souvenier stand was reporting large initial sales of the t-shirt they printed up with Darren.

***

11.10.07
We completed the transfer sale of unhappy Simon Downer to Gravesend for 10K and additional future purchase fees. Simon undoubtably has talent, but wanted first string action and he wasn't going to earn that here with Lewis Buxton and Franklin Simek in front of him.

***

12.10.07
I have to admit a little envy here. Every other top club in Conference National seems able to land good young EPL players on loan. The latest example is one of Newcastle's young French wingers going to ECN leading Scunthorpe. We have been turned down cold in all our attempts to loan EPL players- very frustrating for us...

***

13.10.07
Harrow Hill (3) Accrington (1)
It looked like we had let them back into the match when Carl Laurie was whistled for pushing Marvin Robinson in the area and Chris Lumsdon drilled the penalty kick to draw Accrington back to 2-1, but Laurie immediately made up for his mistake with a superb pass that found David Poole moving free of his marker and Poole ripped a shot past Jamie Young into the far left side of the net for his 1st goal at Harrow Hill to restore the 3-1 lead that we finished with. Until the penalty we had held pretty tight control of the match. Darren Pratley had a wonderful debut that included scoring on a header early in the first half on a centering pass from Billy Sharp. After both Pratley and Ryan Ashington had barely missed adding to the lead, Sharp finally did after he knifed between two defenders and blasted a mid-level shot past Young. Ashington earned his MOM honours for his lightning-bug like coverage of the midfield.

retired_destiny1124

16.10.07
With how well we are playing, it was a bad time to lose Ryan Ashington for a couple weeks due to a strained groin. Ashington has really stepped up his play for us this season and has been a cog in our latest wins.

***

16.10.07
Carlisle (0) Harrow Hill (0)
It certainly was an entertaining match to watch as there were plenty of thrills and close calls for both sides. We played an excellent passing game, but our finishing left much to be desired and was the main reason we weren't able to put one past Matthew Andrews. Ross Flitney earned the clean sheet in our net with a lot of help from solid backline positional play that kept blocking their close-in shots. We had the best chance of the match after surviving a goal mouth scramble in the last minutes of the second half. Shaun Clohessy made a sensational through ball to put Mark Smyth away. Smyth, with fresh legs after just subbing on, made a good move on Andrews but left his shot inches wide of the right post to the entire club's frustration. The scoreless draw really was a fair result for the effort and execution shown by both sides.