2010/2011
With Leek, struggle for first 8 games till I can bring in some loan players. I strengthen the midfield and attack (bringing in a young striker who was great for me at Braintree but now couldn’t get a game for Gloucester City in game, 28 goals in 40 confirmed my trust in him) and use an excess of defenders to block our goal mouth for as long as possible, and form improves gradually.
FA Trophy run goes as usual for me making it to the final again
(not using reserves because I can barely field a first team
), while ignoring all other cups. Eventually win the trophy for a 3rd time, having been forced to replays on 4 occasions and being very lucky to steal a 1-0 victory away from Forest Green, in a final they dominated from start to finish.
Leaguewise we climbed upwards virtually every other game and managed to enter the playoffs with a game to go.
Finished up in last playoff spot and ended up facing a lacklustre Southport team (on the back of 5 straight defeats at the time), in the area semis. A 2-0 win at home and a 1-0 win away saw us advance to a tough tie against Marine in the area final. In a close match it was end to end for the whole game, with neither side taking their opportunities.
After ET, we ended up on penalties, and their poor finishing proved worse, as they missed all their penalties and we advanced 2-0.
Onwards to the Playoff Final, and Carshalton, one of my bogey teams from my Braintree days. With 2 mins left, we were 1-0 up, when our central defender brought down their striker in the box, he went off, they levelled, and we had to face ET again.
Thankfully we survived ET, despite several close escapes, and we were onto penalties again, where our experience from the FA Trophy and previous round of the playoffs proved the deciding factor, as yet again our opponents missed all their penalties, and against all probability we were going up. :eek:
Close season leaves me with a lot to consider, my team has no chances of staying up as far as I can tell, and both Man Utd and Everton have come calling (My reputation is National). I don’t usually play premiership as I’ve said before, but United finished last year 18th behind the Portsmouth team I’d got promoted, and having tormented them with both Braintree and Portsmouth in past seasons it’s a tempting challenge.
Have got to a point where the Premiership is the next real challenge, and the opportunity to challenge Arsenals domination is too good to miss. Needs a bit of thought over lunch.
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