Pre Season Success 2

Day 2 kicked off at midday with the 3rd and 4th play off between Hillingdon and Bracknell. Having been warmly welcomed upon entry by Steve Hale (what a thoroughly nice chap!) I settled in for half an hour or so to watch the prolonged death of Australia's first innings at Lords with a coke in the rather impressive surroundings of the Hillingdon clubhouse. Plasma screens everywhere, a large veranda overlooking the pitch with plenty of tables and sofas no less from which to observe the action. This was where most congregated for both games, some fans made their way down towards the perimeter to observe the action. The ground itself has undoubtedly seen better days and could do with a lick of paint here and there. When taking a wander around it on the Friday night I was transported back temporarily to East Thurrock with all the portakabins and electricity substations dotted around the place. Behind the goal opposite the seated stand was what looked like a very impressive all weather complex which must bring in decent revenue streams for a club of Hillingdon's standing. It is the sort of set up that would serve any Non League club extremely well.

On then to the action. Well, what little of it I can remember. I was tucking into another of those marvellous cheeseburgers when Hillingdon took the lead, a good low ball in from the left flank was touched in nicely by the impish Hillingdon centre forward. The hosts held the slender advantage at half time in spite of a much improved Bracknell performance. About midway through the 2nd half Bracknell picked up an equaliser. An underhit cross from the left somehow left two Borough defenders in a heap almost on top of eachother at the near post as they tried to clear. The Bracknell number 8 (I think) found himself in hectares of space to neatly pick his spot inside the exposed 'keeper's far post. As both sides pushed for a winner, chances seemed relatively few and far between, I don't remember either goalkeeper really being tested. The winner came about 2 minutes from time. 3 Hillingdon players beat the faulty Bracknell offside trap where one carrot topped man rose highest to loop a header over the goalkeeper. Over the 2 days Hillingdon probably just about deserved to finish 3rd. The result was certainly to Mr Hale's liking.

With England 50 odd without loss in their 2nd innings at lunchtime it was time for Hendon and Slough to take the field. The club's last met twice within a fortnight or so in the 2006/7 season with both games key in the scrap to avoid relegation. Hendon prevailed both times, 1-0 away from home and 2-0 at home (Davis Haule scoring in both games and Belal Aiteouakrim getting the other at Claremont Road). Gary made a number of changes from the side that had played the previous evening with only Berkeley Lawrencin, Melvin Baptiste and Harry Hunt starting both games. The starting line up saw another new face in Fred Mukunku on the right flank whilst Yacine Hamada came on for Hunt at half time.

The game was quite closely fought although to be honest Hendon probably did look like the most likely winners. The only goal of the game came after 10 minutes when Danny Dyer, in an unfamiliar left back role, collected a Lubo Guentchev passed and advanced half a dozen yards or so before firing a low swerving drive at goal. The young 'keeper Jamal De Richmond got a good hand to the ball but could only help it into the net. As the ball nestled, he beat the ground in frustration. Not long afterwards he made amends with a fine save from a free kick from Guentchev whilst at the other end Lawrencin made a couple of smart stops and generally impressed with his handling and distribution.

At the turn around Hamada and Dean replaced Hunt and the ineffective Mukunku. Hamada immediately looked impressive with his movement and pace. In the 30 minutes he was on the pitch he played one outstanding pass to Garner who was denied by a fine challenge inside the box, outpaced the Slough back line before scuffing his shot badly wide when through on goal and narrowly failed to turn the ball inside the near post late on. Definitely one to look at again. Slough did create a couple of late openings that were squandered but Hendon were in the end worthy winners. Brian Haule came on for his first run out of pre season and looked a bit off the pace, hopefully that sharpness will return in preseason. New boy Sam Berry, latterly of Harlow Town and Ware showed up well in midfield as did reigning player of the year Jamie Busby. It was also good to see Mark Kirby looking a bit leaner than he did at the end of last season.

So now the club have another shiny pre-season trophy to add to the Bucks Examiner Shield that was won at Amersham Town 12 months ago. On the evidence of the weekend things look reasonably settled and with any luck some of the momentum that might have been built over the 2nd half of last season can be taken into the new season. First though there are 8 (eight, as the vidiprinter would say) more preseason dates to get through starting with games away at home to Wembley on Tuesday and at Bedfont Green on Thursday. Will I be at either? Quite possibly. In any event,

C'mon the Greens!

Pre Season Success 1

At last I've seen them in action. A full 83 days since I last saw the Green and White Gladiators (I wasn't at Kingsmeadow for the London Senior Cup triumph) I saw them take to the field again, this time at Hillingdon Borough FC against Bracknell Town. I don't often take in more than 2 or 3 pre season games, I often find them turgid, dull affairs full of players that really don't belong at the salubrious surroundings the Ryman League Premier Division offers. Fortunately, in Gary McCann's time as boss these appearances by poor Ali Dia types are much a less regular occurance. Hence, having seen the line-ups for the first two friendlies I was tempted to take in Hillingdon's 4 team charity tournament on Friday evening and Saturday lunchtime. And I'm pleased I did.

So, the tournament had been organised by Hillingdon with proceeds going to Michael Sobell House, a cancer care centre at nearby Mount Vernon Hospital. For £5 I got 4 matches of 60 minutes, a very warm welcome and probably the best burger of the entire season already (although the burger did come for an extra charge). Great value. The Greens kicked things off against a Bracknell Town side under new management for the new season after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Southern League South & West Division last time around. To be honest, it was men against boys. Although the Bracknell side worked hard, the Greens looked by far the more cohesive side and comfortably won 6-0. Kevin Maclaren, Harry Hunt and Marc Leach scored before half time, Hunt, James Bent and Glenn Garner added quite a bit of gloss to the scoreline after the break to move into the final with ease.

The side included a couple of new faces from last season. Melvin Baptiste - a young defender from Uxbridge and Ricky Campbell - a young midfielder who google suggests could have been with Leyton Orient and Cambridge City last season started whilst former Harrow and Wimbledon defender Aaron Silcott and Andreas Pilides who was with Welwyn Garden City last season both came on from the bench. Early signs are that Campbell has a bit about him whilst Baptiste showed enough to suggest he could be worth persevering with. Other players who appeared having made appearances for the club previously included the mecurial Wayne O'Sullivan, midfielder Dave Diedhiou (who I thought was our most impressive midfielder early last season) and goalkeeper Berkley Lawrencin. The latter, having made a dozen or so appearances early last season spent a long while getting games at Wembley. It's immediately clear that doing so has done wonders for his game. He looks 100% more confident than he did last season and has really grown in stature. Will Viner, who played yesterday for Barnet against Arsenal, may not be missed as much as some think.

Second game up, and playing for the opportunity to play against Hendon in the final were Slough Town, now managed by former Hendonite Steve Bateman and Steve Hale's Hillingdon Borough. Slough, after a number of years of struggle finally seem to be coming out of the doldrums. It was announced just 10 days ago that Slough Council have finally given approval for plans that could lead to the football club returning to the town after many years ground sharing at Windsor & Eton and Beaconsfield SYCOB. Slough are a proper Non League football club with lots of friends around the circuit. Although there is still a long way to go, this is a set of fans that deserve some good news at last. I personally really hope that they are able to be back in Slough by 2012, the anticipated completion date for this community project. On the pitch, Hillingdon put in an impressive performance, particularly in the 2nd half where only a fine performance from 15 year old Jemal De Richmond and a goal line clearance kept the scores level. Almost predictably, having failed to take any of those chances the hosts were suckered from a late corner - headed home emphatically by defender turned midfielder Dean Harper. Perhaps against the run of play, it mattered little as the final became a battle of the homeless. Everyone would reconvene some 14 hours or so later to decide the destination of the trophy.

A Month To Go!

In fact, as I begin this post, 22 minutes less than a month to go before the Ryman League season 2009/10 kicks off. For Hendon that means a trip to Bognor Regis Town and their picturesque Nyewood Lane ground. It's a ground that I haven't visited in about 20 odd years for various reasons so it may be picturesque no longer, but its one where many Hendon fans will have fond memories for no other reason than the dismissal of Doug "I'll have a Guinness and Black thanks" McClure many moons ago. It is more memorable for me for once being offered a Cream Egg (no, that's not a euphemism) by a man in one of those old green invalid carriages.

The release of the fixture list always gets fans' pulses racing just a little bit quicker. That early season trip to the seaside at Bognor or Margate, that freezing cold midweek trip to Heybridge (not for this season thankfully) in mid January. Some games are marked off as winnable, others are written off as hopeless cases (Tonbridge away). On paper, Hendon's start looks tough. Billericay (who we never beat), Sutton (who we never beat) and Dartford, 3 of the sides being fancied to challenge for the play-offs, crop up in the first 8 games. 4 of the other 5 games are against either promoted or relegated sides and as such, are unknown quantaties.

A nice addition to the fixture list this season is the Xmas/New Year local derby double header. In recent seasons our Xmas derby has been against Boreham Wood - this season however we get to play Harrow Borough at Earlsmead on Boxing Day and at Vale Farm on January 2nd. Wealdstone, Harrow's traditional festive opponents get the Boxing Day treat of a trip to Ashford Town.

So now, a week into the busy pre-season campaign and 77 days since the London Senior Cup win, we can begin to really get excited. Nearly all of the squad that ended last season so well is back in training. Wayne O'Sullivan is back after a difficult 18 months at Stevenage and Braintree (the prospect of him and Jamie Busby having an on-pitch arm wrestle for penalty taking rights is mouth watering). The early friendlies have yielded some new names as always that tests google to its limit. I for one cannot wait to see the side back in action this weekend at Hillingdon in their 4 team charity tournament.

C'mon you Greens!