Thread: Do my eyes deceive me or is that Schumacher … scoring from 25 yards?!

Conference - Game 35: F1 Power v Doncaster Rovers

If our opponents thought they were going to have it a little easy because I chose this game to rest a few key players, then they had something else coming. It takes us about 20 minutes to hit our straps, but when Wallwork flights a wonderful pass into the box, Villeneuve is there to head home. Villeneuve forces a corner on 31 minutes, and Pitcher’s corner is perfect for Barrichello to volley home! We continue to dominate the game and our third comes on 51 minutes when Riedle pulls the ball back for Villeneuve to tap in! :cool: On 62 minutes, substitute Adolfo makes it 4-0 when he finishes a fine team move involving Webber and Wallwork. Doncaster have a man sent off on 88 minutes, but snag a consolation goal on 90 minutes when Caudwell heads Cox’s pass home to deny Firman a clean sheet bonus on his league debut for F1 Power.

F1 Power (4-3-1-2): Firman; da Matta, Coulthard, Panis, Willmott; Webber, Wallwork, Barrichello; Pitcher (Adolfo 60); Villeneuve, Riedle (c).

Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): Richardson; Hawkins, Ryan, Greenland, Marples; Stuart (Cauldwell 49), Marsh (c) (Cox 78), McIntyre, Watson; Campbell, Halliday (s/o 88).

Final score: F1 Power 4:1 Doncaster Rovers
MoM - Ronnie Wallwork

Keep smiling!
Dixie Flatline

Keep up the great work!

Thanks to everybody for keeping the flame alive and appreciating the story as it's gone to date!

"Only a few more laps to go and then the action will begin, unless this is the action, which it is."

The Conference Team of the Week reads like a squad list from F1 Power, with Chris Willmott, Ronnie Wallwork, Fernando Alonso, Adolfo, Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all featuring in the first eleven.

Former Ferrari manager Jean Todt tells me that ex-Williams and BAR driver Jenson Button turned up late for training looking particularly seedy. I confront the young Briton over his wayward approach to training, telling him that it wouldn’t have been tolerated in Formula One by any team, regardless of the situation, and the same applies to the football club that now pays his (admittedly, far less) wages each week. I give Button an official warning for his unprofessional behaviour, which he takes on the chin without saying anything.

Conference - Game 36: Southport v F1 Power

On a wet Saturday afternoon, there is no real need to exert ourselves, what with the championship and promotion already wrapped up with a little ribbon on top. So, we don’t. Jacques Villeneuve scores the game’s only goal on the half-hour mark, and while Geoff Pitcher in particular is creative, we rarely put a shot on target to extend our lead. That being said, we do well to restrict Southport to only one on-target shot (out of three attempts), which comes late in the game and Firman is well-equipped to handle. A satisfying, if less than spectacular game today from our boys.

Southport (4-4-2): Williams; Liburd, Teale (c), Dean (Hill 55), Powell; Hargreaves, Gouck (Pell 69), Woods, Lampkin (Furlong 91); Arnold, Parke.

F1 Power (4-1-2-1-2): Firman; Trulli, Coulthard, Panis, Willmott; Wallwork; Webber, Barrichello; Pitcher; Villeneuve, Riedle (c).

Final score: Southport 0:1 F1 Power
MoM - Jacques Villeneuve

Karl Heinz Riedle and Fernando Alonso win the Conference Player and Young Player of the Month awards respectively. I, however, let the side down by missing out on the Manager of the Month award, which goes to Geoff Chapple of Kingstonian. Frankly, I’m not sure why - Kingstonian have won two and lost three out of their last five Conference games, which surely doesn’t merit the manager being the manager of the month.

Conference - Game 37: F1 Power v Nuneaton Borough

This game is just two days after our last fixture, so I need to make a few changes to keep things fresh in the first eleven. That means Jarno Trulli, Ronnie Wallwork, Mark Webber, Rubens Barrichello and Karl Heinz Riedle all step down, to be replaced by Cristiano da Matta, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Ralf Schumacher, and Michael Schumacher. We dominate the first half, but our play isn’t rewarded until almost the last kick of the game when Villeneuve heads home his tenth goal of the season, converting Alonso’s clever pass. Almost immediately after restart, Geoff Pitcher dribbles the Nuneaton defence before planting an unstoppable shot into the top left corner. Just after the hour mark is reached, Pitcher makes Stahlberger look silly for the second time in the game and fires it low and hard into the bottom right corner to make it 3-0. The only sour note is an injury to Villeneuve with eleven minutes to go, and the Canadian is forced from the field with a deeply bruised shin. Adolfo takes his place and we coast towards the final whistle.

F1 Power (4-3-1-2): Filan; da Matta, Coulthard, Panis, Willmott; Räikkönen, Alonso, R. Schumacher; Pitcher; Villeneuve (Adolfo 79), M. Schumacher (c).

Nuneaton Borough (4-4-2): MacKenzie; Stahlberger, Allen, Madge, Colman; Hammond, Preece (c) (Kotylo 73), Taylor (Murray 44), Smith (Tilbury 50); Coote, Utterson.

Final score: F1 Power 3:0 Nuneaton Borough
MoM - Geoff Pitcher

The chief physio, Dr Sid Watkins, diagnoses Villeneuve’s injury as painful but ultimately not altogether substantial, though he warns me not to pick the French-Canadian for about a week.

Game 38: Northwich Victoria v F1 Power

For a long time there, I thought our unbeaten streak was finally going to come to an end, at the hands of today’s opponents. Our third game inside four days surely has an effect on us, and I put together a make-shift, inexperienced back four to protect John Filan’s goal, while Nick Heidfeld steps in for the exhausted Alonso, while Wallwork isn’t yet ready to return to the fray. Montoya replaces the injured Villeneuve to partner Michael Schumacher. The opening exchanges are classic end-to-end football, with both goalkeepers doing well to keep the scoresheet blank. But our host draws first blood. Right on the stroke of half-time, Frentzen gives away a free kick, which Vicary takes. Davis gathers up the loose ball just inside the box and weaves a glorious drive through the crowd past Filan’s outstretched right hand. Not a good way to enter the break, particularly as we’ve been unable to crack the resistance of a stout Rigby in goal for Northwich.

Rigby continues to deny us in the second half, waging a one man war against Michael Schumacher, in particular. Our captain rains shots in on Rigby from all angles, but fails to beat the keeper at all. Montoya makes way on 60 minutes for Adolfo, whose first contribution is an outrageous and unsuccessful bicycle kick attempt on goal. I shout instructions at him to keep the lairising to a minimum and concentrate on bagging an equaliser. On 74 minutes, our breakthrough finally comes. Michael is foiled yet again by Rigby, but the keeper spills his shot and it lands perfectly at the feet of Pitcher to drive home his fifteenth goal of a wonderful season for the attacking midfielder. At this point in time, I would have settled for the point, because Northwich have certainly deserved one. Rigby continues to keep out all attacks, especially from Michael Schumacher, who ends the match with seven shots on target (from ten attempts), but with no goal. The winner, however, comes from Adolfo, who heeds my instructions and scores with a wonderfully executed half-volley on 89 minutes, to crush the spirit of our opponents. Certainly one of the more entertaining games in the last month or so, but I don’t want to be entertained, just victorious.

Northwich Victoria (4-4-2): Rigby; Hannon (Walsh 62), Davis, Robertson, Laurie; Vicary, Brabin, Devlin, Bailey (Simpson 68); Kimmins, Quinn (c) (Fletcher 74).

F1 Power (4-1-2-1-2): Filan; da Matta, Frentzen, Panis, Willmott; Heidfeld; Räikkönen, R. Schumacher; Pitcher; Montoya (Adolfo 59), M. Schumacher (c).

Final score: Northwich Victoria 1:2 F1 Power
MoM - Nick Heidfeld

\o/ F1's back and it ain't even March yet \o/

Thanks Raptor!

"...Cruel luck for Alesi, second on the grid. That's the first time he had started from the front row in a Grand Prix, having done so in Canada earlier this year..."

In our debut season, it’s gratifying to see six players from F1 Power form the core of the Conference Players Team of the Year, which is (4-4-2):

John Filan (31 y/o, AUS 2 caps, GK - 44 apps, 29 conceded, 1 assist, 2 MoMs, av. rating: 7.34): F1 Power

Tim Ryan (26 y/o, ENG, D LC - 48 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist, 5 MoMs, av. rating: 7.17): Doncaster Rovers
Paul Ellender (26 y/o, ENG, D C - 50 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist, 8 MoMs, av. rating: 7.20): Scarborough
David Coulthard (?? y/o, SCO, D/DM C - 51 apps, 1 goal, 3 assists, av. rating: 7.16): F1 Power
Colin Vowden (29 y/o, ENG, D RC - 39(1) apps, 1 goal, 4 MoMs, av. rating: 6.90): Kettering

Kimi Räikkönen (?? y/o, FIN, AM/F LC - 34(1) apps, 6 assists, 2 MoMs, av. rating: 7.46): F1 Power
Ralf Schumacher (?? y/o, GER, AM/F RC - 38(2) apps, 9 goals, 11 assists, 4 MoMs, av. rating: 7.70): F1 Power
Geoff Pitcher (25 y/o, ENG, AM C - 43 apps, 15 goals, 15 assists, 7 MoMs, av. rating: 7.63): F1 Power
Steve Brodie (28 y/o, ENG, AM/F RC - 52 apps, 21 goals, 5 assists, 5 MoMs, av. rating: 7.23): Scarborough

Michael Schumacher (?? y/o, GER, S C - 46 apps, 30 goals, 9 assists, 11 MoMs, av. rating: 8.13): F1 Power
Richard Sadlier (22 y/o, IRE, S C - 42 apps, 21 goals, 4 assists, 12 MoMs, av. rating: 7.71): Hereford

Barry Richardson (Doncaster Rovers), Paul Cobb (Dagenham & Redbridge), Shaun Teale (Southport), Gez Murphy (Telford United), Errol Telemaque (Hayes).

FA Trophy - Semi-Final, 1st leg: F1 Power v Doncaster Rovers

We get things going early on when on 5 minutes, Adolfo feeds Wallwork, and the young midfielder crashes a shot into the back of the net. But while we maintain the pressure on our opponents, we don’t receive due reward until late into the second half, when on 79 minutes, Adolfo scores our second goal, hitting a low drive past Richardson. It’s a comfortable buffer to take into the second leg.

F1 Power (4-3-1-2): Filan; Trulli, Coulthard, Panis, Button; Humphreys, Wallwork, R. Schumacher; Pitcher; Adolfo, M. Schumacher (c).

Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): Richardson; Hawkins, Ryan, Powell, Marples (Price 21); Stuart, Atkins (McIntyre 49), Larusson, Marsh (c); Halliday, Alford.

Final score: F1 Power 2:0 Doncaster Rovers
MoM - Adolfo

The games are coming thick and fast at the business end of the season. Although we’ve booked our place in the Nationwide League next season and we should be concentrating on the culmination to our various cup competitions, I still like to gather as many points as possible. There are, of course, commercial implications from our on-field success, and given that we have a fairly expensive squad to maintain, even next season in the league, I would like as much money flowing into the coffers as we can gain. Continued victories, even when they are effectively meaningless for our position on the Conference ladder, help to ensure that outcome. So I pick the best team I can to put on the field in order to maximise our chances of victory.

Conference - Game 39: Dover Athletic v F1 Power

Our latest Conference adventure takes us to the south coast and the bottom club in the Conference. I leave behind the likes of Ritchie Humphreys, Ralf Schumacher, and Michael Schumacher, which means that Jenson Button is the lucky man to wear the captain’s armband. Jacques Villeneuve opens the scoring on 29 minutes, collecting Adolfo’s centre and blasting it past Meara in goal for Dover. Ronnie Wallwork seals our win on 57 minutes as he hits a ferocious right-footed drive past Meara for his fifth goal of the season. As usual, we dominate the game from start to finish, but our finishing in front of goal is slightly lacking and we can’t put more than two goals on the board. It’s enough, though, to satisfy me for another weekend.

Dover Athletic (5-3-1-1): Meara; Underwood (Hogg 91), Virgo, Shearer, Cullip (c), Kennedy; Williamson (Strouts 74), Parker, Munday (Vansittart 58); Carruthers; Brown.

F1 Power (4-1-2-1-2): Filan; Trulli, Coulthard, Panis, Button (c); Wallwork; Räikkönen, Barrichello; Pitcher; Adolfo, Villeneuve.

Final score: Dover Athletic 0:2 F1 Power
MoM - Ronnie Wallwork

Keep smiling!
Dixie Flatline

Upped - hopefully.

Thanks, Peacemaker7, it allows me to write the following:

"And I usually say that if anything is going to go wrong with the car, it has done by now, but I'm not going to say that about Jacques Villeneuve... Oh, I already have."

The games are coming thick and fast at the business end of the season. Although we’ve booked our place in the Nationwide League next season and we should be concentrating on the culmination to our various cup competitions, I still like to gather as many points as possible. There are, of course, commercial implications from our on-field success, and given that we have a fairly expensive squad to maintain, even next season in the league, I would like as much money flowing into the coffers as we can gain. Continued victories, even when they are effectively meaningless for our position on the Conference ladder, help to ensure that outcome. So I pick the best team I can to put on the field in order to maximise our chances of victory.

Conference - Game 39: Dover Athletic v F1 Power

Our latest Conference adventure takes us to the south coast and the bottom club in the Conference. I leave behind the likes of Ritchie Humphreys, Ralf Schumacher, and Michael Schumacher, which means that Jenson Button is the lucky man to wear the captain’s armband. Jacques Villeneuve opens the scoring on 29 minutes, collecting Adolfo’s centre and blasting it past Meara in goal for Dover. Ronnie Wallwork seals our win on 57 minutes as he hits a ferocious right-footed drive past Meara for his fifth goal of the season. As usual, we dominate the game from start to finish, but our finishing in front of goal is slightly lacking and we can’t put more than two goals on the board. It’s enough, though, to satisfy me for another weekend.

Dover Athletic (5-3-1-1): Meara; Underwood (Hogg 91), Virgo, Shearer, Cullip (c), Kennedy; Williamson (Strouts 74), Parker, Munday (Vansittart 58); Carruthers; Brown.

F1 Power (4-1-2-1-2): Filan; Trulli, Coulthard, Panis, Button (c); Wallwork; Räikkönen, Barrichello; Pitcher; Adolfo, Villeneuve.

Final score: Dover Athletic 0:2 F1 Power
MoM - Ronnie Wallwork

We remain on the road for another few days, taking in a trip to Doncaster to play Rovers in the second leg of the FA Trophy, semi-final.