retired_destiny1124

9.4.05
Harrow Hill (1) Carshalton (1)
The chances were there for us to win this match, but we fell prey to inconsistent finishing again and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with visiting Carshalton. The first 20 minutes of the match saw us on our backheels with enough pressure that we had difficulty moving the play out of our end. We finally started moving and it was a dazzling through ball from Jamie McGowan that allowed Jason Hallett to break in free and fire a low shot past Stuart Searle. Later in the first half we wasted a brilliant chance as both Hallett and Danny Singh hit the post in a single sequence of pressure. The second half saw Carshalton rallying and we switched to a more defensive approach. Our efforts failed us when Kevin Lock made a left side run and then launched a long looping pass that Ellis Hooper was able to deflect past Daniel Austen for a late equalizer. Our last chance to win the match saw Jason Hallett get free in close, but Mark Smith (who had come on for injured Searle) was able to block away Hallett's low shot to preserve the 1-1 draw.

***

9.4.05
After the match I was forced to discuss the opening at Southend. The press had made me the favorite to take over their open position. I wound up issuing a statement that the news I was interested in the Southend job was incorrect and that I was quite happy at Harrow Hill. The Harrow Hill Board expressed a lot of pleasure at my loyalty for publicly stating I was happy to stay at Harrow Hill.

retired_destiny1124

16.4.05
Lewes (2) Harrow Hill (1)
This match was a perfect example of what can go wrong when you make mistakes. We only made two of them, but they were both costly as Lewes converted them into goals. The first was Daniel Austen's as he just plain missed stopping a free kick from Michael Armstrong in first half injury time. Though we trailed, we came out strong in the second half and Ademola Bankole began earning his MOM with good saves against Steven O'Donnell and Jason Hallett. Our second mistake was a disastrous decision by Franklin Simek that saw a goal kick sail over his head to Marc Whiteman. Dave King tried to come over and close Whiteman down, but couldn't and Whiteman fired it past Austen for a 2-0 lead for Lewes. Bankole was called on to preserve the lead and he made two more excellent saves against Hallett and Adam Parker to keep us off the board. We finally scored just after the beginning of second half injury time when Hallett outworked his marker and was able to push the loose ball home after Bankole mishandled a centering pass from Kyle Allcock. It was a disappointing loss, but a reminder to the club that we can't afford mistakes- we just aren't a strong enough club yet to overcome these type.

retired_destiny1124

23.4.05
Harrow Hill (3) Dorchester (0)
We celebrated with our Larksfield Road fans after the final whistle in our 3-0 win. It was great to win our last match at home and we played very well in earning the win. There were many groans early on for us as Jason Hallett hit the crossbar when he had a wide open net after Craig Bradshaw made an initial save on Michael Husbands hard shot. Hallett was truly star crossed in this match as he hit the post twice shortly after and was left shaking his head. Our pressure finally paid off when Gavin Bolger made a deft short pass to spring Husbands in the area and he slid a shot inside the far right post for his 5th goal of the season. We kept pouring on the pressure and Dorchester's backline cracked again. Matty Hendra's booming free kick was blocked away by Bradshaw, but MOM Steven O'Donnell whipped a centering pass that Gavin Bolger was able to volley home for his 1st goal at Harrow Hill. We then added another for good measure as Paul Moss blasted a 30 yard kick past everyone for his 1st goal and a 3-0 halftime lead. Neither side managed many good chances in the desultory second half, but we missed a good one when Arron Davies, on for a tiring Husbands, fired over the net after a brilliant cross from Ryan Ashington (on for Hendra) set him up alone in front. The win clinched us a top half table 11th position, with still a chance to catch Maidenhead for 10th in our final match.

retired_destiny1124

30.4.05
Redbridge (0) Harrow Hill (2)
Our initial season in ECS closed on a great note as we played another fine match and won 2-0 at Oakside over host Redbridge. Both of our goals came in the first half of the match. Matty Hendra keyed the first one with a nice one-touch pass that found Gavin Bolger unmarked in the middle of the area. Bolger struck a scorching low shot that Jack Norton couldn't block and it slid past him into the net. Danny Singh finally scored his 10th goal of the season when he showed exquisite timing in deflecting a free kick from Jordan Fowler past Norton. With the 2-0 lead we played a more cautious second half and were content to blunt the rally attempts of the home side in closing out the 2-0 win. The win, coupled with Maidenhead's scoreless draw at Hayes, meant that we finished in 10th place in ECS.

***

1- Sutton United 86 pts (+37)
2- Margate 82 pts (+22)
3- Hornchurch 76 pts (+34)
4- Weymouth 74 pts (+23)
5- Havant & W 73 pts (+23)
6- Grays 69 pts (+9)
7- Carshalton 67 pts (+5)
8- Bishop's Stort 62 pts (+10)
9- Newport Co 62 pts (+3)
10-Harrow Hill 61 pts (+11)
11-Maidenhead 61 pts (+3)

Selected Harrow Hill Highlights
Daniel Austen (GK) 32 apps 7.13 10 CS 1 MOM
Michael Jago (GK) 16 apps 6.88 3 CS 2 MOM

Mark Berry (DR) 35 apps 7.60 2 Asts 6 MOM
Carl Laurie (D/DMRLC) 35 apps 7.17 2 Gls 4 Asts 2 MOM
Lea Jones (DL) 31 apps 7.29 2 Asts 1 MOM
Franklin Simek (DC) 26 apps 7.50 1 Ast
Paul Moss (DC) 28 apps 7.21 2 Gls 2 Asts 1 MOM
Kieron Gradwell (DC) 22 apps 7.20 1 Gl 1 Ast
Liam Eves (DC) 10 apps 7.20 1 Gl

Jamie McGowan (AML) 30 apps 7.57 1 Gl 3 Asts 3 MOM
Matthew McGowan (AMR) 24 apps 7.46 3 Gls 5 Asts 1 MOM
Adam Parker (AM/FC) 24 apps 7.42 6 Gls 2 Asts 1 MOM
Jordan Fowler (DMC) 24 apps 7.42 2 Gls 2 Asts 1 MOM
Ryan Ashington (AMC) 24 apps 7.14 4 Gls 4 Asts 1 MOM
James Tevendale (AM/FRC) 16 apps 7.06 1 Ast
Steven O'Donnell (AMLC) 7 apps 7.57 2 Asts 1 MOM
Gavin Bolger (AMC) 12 apps 7.25 2 Gls 2 Asts
Matty Hendra (AMC) 6 apps 7.17

Jason Hallett (SC) 19 apps 7.46 13 Gls 2 Asts 2 MOM
Danny Singh (SC) 30 apps 7.23 10 Gls 5 Asts 1 MOM
Michael Husbands 18 apps 7.17 5 Gls 3 Asts 1 MOM
Steven Fraser 17 apps 6.94 6 Gls 1 Ast
Nathaniel Griffiths 15 apps 6.94 4 Gls 4 Asts
Arron Davies (FRLC) 19 apps 7.06 3 Gls 1 Ast
Kyle Allcock (SC) 5 apps 7.00

Financial Summary- 97,000 in RED

retired_destiny1124

14.5.05
Staff Shuffling at Harrow Hill
There is a shuffling of the staff as they begin the summer at Harrow Hill. Bob Pearson has decided to move back as a Coach, instead of the Assistant Manager position he held last season at the club. Joining the club is George Wilson, who will take over coaching the keepers on a full-time basis. The newly minted Assistant Manager is 40 year old Dane Arne Kjaersgaard. Manager Jack Winston pronounced himself happy with the moves as, 'they will gave us a better ability to teach our young club.'

***

15.6.05
Besides restructuring the coaching staff, there actually was little to do for the summer. I was still pursuing trying to get rid of excess players, but with no transfer funds I wasn't looking hard at adding players. I was keeping my eye on previously shortlisted players- in case some of them wound up out of contract, but that was the main focus of my efforts. It was a passive outlook, but I felt we had developed a solid core club last season and we just needed to add a few better players if we could actually entice them to come to play at Harrow Hill.

***

19.6.05
Jamie McGowan was selected as Harrow Hill Fans Player of the Year. I was a bit surprised, as I thought Mark Berry was more deserving, but Jamie did have an excellent season for us so I can't quibble too much with the choice.

***

28.6.05
Despite repeated attempts, no clubs want our dross (can't say as I blame them). Our reserve side will be populated by those players. On the good side we made a free transfer purchase of Yiadom Yaboah from Hayes. The 27 yr old DC is a left footer- something we lacked in our central defense and may well end up paired with Franklin Simek. On season long loan we managed to attract promising young Patrick Cregg. Cregg is a 21 yr old DMC from Arsenal and I harbor the wish that we might be able to get him on transfer sometime during the season.

retired_destiny1124

1.7.05
With the spate of released players from the top sides (Arsenal, ManU, etc...) I was hoping to convince at least a few of the released players that Harrow Hill might be a good destination for them. Unfortunately, our reputation is still minimal and most ignored my contract offers. A couple of them didn't and we were able to add Adrian Nevins and Justin Bowler. Nevins is a 19 yr old DL out of the Manchester United youth program and someone I had been following with scouts for most of the season. Bowler is a 19 yr old AMLC out of the Leeds youth program and rated well by both my scouts. Nevins is more likely to see significant playing time this season, but Bowler will help a lot with our midfield depth.

***

10.7.05
Our first friendly hosting Leek Town was uneventful. We won 1-0 when Kieron Gradwell converted a penalty kick in the second half. Yiadom Yeboah was the only player who really played poorly for us in the match. We missed some chances, but so did they- a typical first match out.

***

11.7.05
I have to admit I did a little private celebrating when Arsenal decided to let Patrick Cregg come to us on free- if I could work out a contract. It took some negotiating, but Cregg did finally sign on the dotted line and it was a great addition to our club to add him permanently. He is one of the more talented midfielders I have seen at his age- and though nominally a DMC- I think he has a lot of offensive potential and won't hesitate to use him that way.

***

15.7.05
We lost our home friendly to rival Cinderford. Their keeper- Jack Delo- was the difference in the match. We weren't sharp at all on offense, which I attribute to my revolving lineups as I experiment during the friendlies.

***

19.7.05
Our road ready at Wakefield and Emley was fruitful as we parlayed a pair of first half goals from Franklin Simek and Yiadom Yeboah into a strong lead. They scored a consolation goal late in the match, but overall we played a bit better than they did.

retired_destiny1124

20.7.05
As we head into the 2005-06 season I like our squad better than what I had at the beginning of last season, but there is still room for improvement.

GK- Daniel Austen keeps showing pretty well. He occasionally gets caught out of position, but I am pleased with him overall. Michael Jago seems to run very hot and cold- either great or terrible. I have to admit that though Austen is fine- I still am on the lookout for another keeper.

Defense- I really think we are set at both fullback spots. Mark Berry, Carl Laurie (who may also see time at other positions), Lea Jones, Adrian Nevins and Dave King seem a solid set for both sides. Franklin Simek is our best overall defender, but I really wish I had a better partner for him. Absent a strong pairing, Yiadom Yeboah, Paul Moss, Kieron Gradwell, and Liam Eves will be the others in the initial mix.

Midfield- Strongest and deepest part of our lineup. This is a difficult choice, but I think we have to try and develop the trio of Steven O'Donnell, Gavin Bolger and Matty Hendra this season- I think they could turn into a really good combination. Besides them we have last season's Fans Player of the Year- Jamie McGowan, Adam Parker, Matthew McGowan, James Tevendale, Justin Bowler, and Ryan Ashington- all of who have proven they can contribute. In our holder role we will feature new arrival Patrick Cregg and Jordan Fowler, with Laurie making an occasional start as needed.

Forwards- Our weakest area by far. Jason Hallett proved he could score given a starting role last season and we will have to hope he continues to contribute. Danny Singh has promise, but not a consistent goal scorer yet. Michael Husbands should be a better scorer than he has shown so far. Kyle Allcock and Lee Flanagan round out our meagre crew. I am searching hard to find another solid forward.

retired_jgirl87

Faramir, quite a decent effort seeing as you built the team from scratch. I'll be following your second season efforts and I hope that you can get the club up into the realms of promotion-chasing. Good luck. :thup:

retired_destiny1124

Spav- Thanks, the goal this season is to move upwards Harrow Hill will remain a work in progress as I try to fine tune the club.

***

24.7.05
Our friendly against Rochdale at Spotland didn't go well. They beat us 3-0 through a combination of poor defending and poor positional play. We showed some offense, but couldn't score in the match.

***

29.7.05
We showed some good and bad in our friendly against Droylsden. The 1-1 draw was a solid result, but had we taken better advantage of our chances- it would have been a win.

***

4.8.05
Frustration at most every turn as very few freely available players or loan available players are interested in playing at Harrow Hill. I can see if we could just sign one or two it might tip the balance of play this season.

We did manage a youth signing as promising 16 yr old SC Mark Gray signed a youth contract with us. For how young he is, he has quite a few traits which should make him a good addition.

***

5.8.05
We played a bit better in winning our last friendly before the season as we beat Fleet Town 3-1. The first half featured some good execution offesively and that was the most encouraging aspect of the match.

***

6.8.05
Finally, a bit of welcome news. Millwall has allowed 22 yr old SC Kevin Braniff to come to us on loan for the season. Braniff has already had 10 Caps on the Northern Ireland Under-21 side and is exactly what I was looking for to help up front. He will pair with Jason Hallett on the left side and should give us a solid 1-2 punch.

***

13.8.05
On the eve of our first match of the season, we signed a very promising 15 yr old MC named Mark Phillips. My scouts both liked him a lot and some of his skills are already nicely developed- despite his young age. I don't expect to feature him on the senior side this season.

retired_destiny1124

13.8.05
Welling (0) Harrow Hill (1)
There was little doubt who the MOM of this match was as Martin Brennan had played brilliantly to keep Welling with a chance to gain at least a point out of the match. Kevin Braniff had a terrific debut for Harrow Hill as he scored the lone goal of the match. Daniel Austen had picked Braniff out with a long goal kick and he drove the ball under Brennan to score in his debut. Brennan had the best of the rest of the matchups though as good passing from Harrow Hill got Braniff free on Brennan four more times, but each time Brennan was up to the task. Patrick Cregg also had a dynamic debut for Harrow Hill who looked very sharp for their first match of the season. Austen was called on to preserve the win when he made a great save on Tommy Tyne in a one-on-one in the last moments of second half extra time.

***

15.8.05
We were able to sign another promising schoolboy player as we landed 17 yr old DC Michael Hayward. Hayward has the look of a future solid player on the backline and with my Yeboah addition an apparently worthless one- it was good to add someone who might help in the future.

***

17.8.05
The injury bug keeps coming back to Michael Husbands. Husbands injured his leg in practice and will miss the next month recovering.