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 Dave Fairclough May 5, 2008
“ As Cup Finals go that was good value for money!”
It’s difficult to know where to start my latest diary entry after our enthralling Kent Junior Cup Final this weekend. I felt it was a hugely entertaining game throughout that was played in a great spirit by both clubs. Certainly both sets of players deserve immense credit because they played the game in a competitive manner but showed respect to each other, the match day Officials and the occasion itself. I would also say at this point that the Officials were excellent and from my viewp got all the key decisions right.
It was also a great honour to play the game at the Corinthian Sports Ground. The setting was beautiful and the pitch was perfect. To top it off we had some decent weather for a change on a Bank Holiday weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and was very proud of my players, the football management team and the committee who have worked so hard this season to make our first season back a successful and memorable one.
By the end of the 90 minutes I was an emotional wreck as there had been so many twists and turns throughout the game. What little hair I have got certainly went a lot whiter, such was the tension and drama. But hey, that is what cup finals are about and the sheer relief and joy when Dan was presented with the Cup made it all worthwhile! I was very proud of my players on Saturday and cannot praise them enough. They have worked tirelessly all season and by winning the league and cup double have got their just rewards for training two nights a week during all the cold winter.
Success at any level does not come easy, you have to have dedication and the right attitude as well as the ability. All the squad have this in abundance and they are a pleasure to manage. The team spirit and togetherness on Saturday was a key reason we won. They had belief in themselves and at no stage did they panic when going a goal down, despite having dominated the play. They were professional throughout and in my opinion had the greater desire to win as a team. In the end it was a great achievement to beat a Holmesdale Reserves side that play in a higher league and fielded five players who have featured in their First Team in recent games, such was the respect they showed us.
I did manage to see a large number of our supporters after the game, but for those who I missed I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of all the Players and Coaching staff for the fantastic support on the day. The huge travelling support really inspired all of us to deliver the cup and from my perspective to see the joy and happiness amongst our supporters at the end was fantastic.
Anyway, history has been made and the records books can be updated, now its back to business and today we travel to Pembury FC for the first of our remaining league games. It will be a huge challenge for everyone today as the players are getting tired and a number of them are carrying injuries after cup final. With this in mind I intend to blood some of our younger players from the development squad, Under 18’s and 16’s this afternoon. There is a huge pool of talent emerging at the Club and it is right time to have a look at some of our younger players today, this in turn will refresh everyone on the day.
It goes without saying that my original pre-season target of 60 points still stands. We need one more point but suffice to say I want a win today and away at Borden on Saturday to finish on 65. Yes I have moved the goalposts and expect the players to rise to this last challenge of the season.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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May 2, 2008
Cup Final Squad
A provisional squad of nineteen has been announced ahead of this Saturday's Kent Junior Cup Final against Holmesdale Reserves. This takes into account those players who have picked up little knocks and injuries in recent games. The Final sixteen will be announced on Saturday morning.
The squad is as follows: 1. Lee Austin; 2. Sam Baker; 3. Danny Black; 4. Dan Bonneywell; 5. James Brooke; 6 Royston Gough; 7. Rob Gutsell; 8. Justin Hodge; 9. Simon King; 10. Scott Lawford; 11. Luke Lockhart; 12. Jamie Maxted; 13. Calum McGeehan; 14. John Salter; 15. Michael Seager; 16. Adam Solly; 17. Ashley Tuite; 18. Tom O’Brian; 19. Dan Woodward.
It is obviously a huge disappointment not to Wayne Fittall, Dave Reed and Simon Webb available for selection due to suspension and being cup tied respectively. That said, we have an extremely strong squad and having strength in depth all season has been the key to our success in the league. On Saturday we will have quality throughout the starting eleven and on the bench which is key for success in cup finals when bold decisions and changes in the team and tactics are often required to win the game.
All the players are really up for the final and determined to lift the Junior Cup to complete a memorable league and cup double. Our form going into this match is very good and we want to continue our long unbeaten run in all competitions. Holmesdale Reserves are a good footballing side, which will suit us and should mean we have an entertaining game. At this stage I am 90% sure of the formation I want to play and the starting eleven. That said, I will mull it over finally during the next 24 hours in consultation with the Management Team before finalising matters on Saturday morning when my instincts will come into play.
Tactically I have a number of options available as we have successfully deployed 4-4-2 , 4-3-3 , 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2 formations during the season. In reality the pitch size and condition does always play a part but as ever I will play to our strengths. We will go out and enjoy the occasion and it is a change to be slight underdogs in a game this season. The pressure is all on Holmesdale Reserves as the Kent League side. We do not have anything to lose and will give it a real go. We have performed well against higher league opposition during the pre-season and in friendly fixtures throughout the season. We have no reason to feel intimidated and I believe if we play to our full potential we will win on the day.
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April 20, 2008
We are the Champions - “Now Onwards and Upwards”
Yesterday the Kent County League Division 2 East title was finally secured courtesy of our emphatic 9 – 2 victory against SAGA Sports & Social FC. We started brightly but made too many unforced errors in the opening fifteen minutes. I was unhappy as we kept giving the ball away by playing “Hollywood balls” instead of the simple option that kept possession.
We gifted SAGA the opening goal but then almost instantly our nerves settled and went on to play some marvellous attacking football, which was entertaining for the large crowd and sheep. In the end we should have scored more goals and could realistically have gone well into double figures with more clinical finishing in the second half.
All credit to SAGA FC who started brightly to take the lead in the second minute and then never gave up the fight over the 90 minutes. They were just unlucky to catch us on a day when our attacking play was outstanding. It was a fine demonstration of goal scoring by Royston and to score seven goals in a game is a fantastic achievement at any level of football. Royston fully deserves his success and has improved as the season has progressed. He works hard on his game in training and although he has always been a class finisher, his running off the ball and first touch is now excellent and making a real difference. He has also improved his fitness levels at Canterbury City and has great pace and stamina. This allows him to work hard for the full 90 minutes, which is a nightmare for the best defenders.
In addition to Royston’s Man of the Match display, I felt it was an excellent all-round overall team performance. Every player worked hard when we did not have the ball to close down the opposition and our defending from front to back was good after the early stages of the game. I felt we had good width yesterday and our 4-4-2 formation was ideal for the big pitch and excellent playing surface. It was also good to give Michael Seagar and Dave Reed 90 minutes, as they have been unavailable for our recent cup games. It was also great to have Lee Austin back at the club and available for selection again after his short stay at Whitstable Town FC. Lee’s strength and power add something extra and I think Royston would be the first to acknowledge that Lee’s unselfish running and play was a major factor in his seven-goal haul.
Looking back and reflecting over the season I think the quality of strikers at the club and range of attacking options available has given us the edge over the opposition in most games. In addition to Royston and Lee we have had Steve Williams, Dan Bonneywell and Wayne Fittall, all quality players, who add something different individually up front. I feel that Wayne’s contribution in particular has been vital this season. He has scored vital goals in key games and I am personally very sad that he is not able to play in our remaining league games and Kent Cup final due to suspension.
Wayne’s absence is a major blow and we will miss him badly despite having other options because he is quite simply irreplaceable. I personally feel he has recently suffered an enormous injustice from the Kent County Football Association Disciplinary Board and been badly let down by this governing body at a time when we are actively promoting respect in the game. I will say no more because the body concerned won’t listen anyway and I will end up in trouble!
Whilst not losing focus on the remainder of this season, it is fair to say I am already at an advanced stage of planning for next season. The First Team and Development Squad report back for training on Saturday 28th June. We will be simultaneously holding open trials for all teams across the club in June when we hope to encourage new players of the right quality into the club.
We already have four pre-season games confirmed and have a ten-week pre-season training plan ready to ensure we are ready to hit the ground running and in peak condition for our first league games in September. I have tremendous belief in the current squad and will be working hard to retain the vast majority of players we have this summer whilst releasing one or two who cannot be given regular football. I have no doubt after our success this season a number of the squad will attract interest from other clubs at a higher level but the message is a very firm “hands off”. I firmly believe we can resist any advances because all of the players believe in what we are trying to achieve at the club and want to be part of it and make history.
Every player wants to play in the new stadium for the first game. During this season there have been four separate approaches from clubs at a higher level for our players.The players concerned rejected all of them, which shows how committed to the cause they are. My message to the players is very clear: “You do not need to leave the club to achieve your ambitions. Canterbury City are a progressive club who are on the up. We will be a major force in Kent football within the next five years”. The club's ambition and future vision will indeed provide the option of recruiting players during the summer. It is vital to refresh the squad and keep improving the overall quality as proved this season by the addition of Dave Reed, Simon Webb and Michael Seagar. These players all have proven Kent League experience and have had a positive impact as competition for places has increased and avoided any complacency setting in.
The saying “you are as good as your last game” is very true and can be applied if you have the necessary strength in depth. Suffice to say I will be making new signings in the summer and am very excited by some players who have already expressed an interest in coming to play for City next season.
Back to this season and the run in. I am keen to win our remaining three league games and would be pleased to surpass the original 60-point target that I set at the start of the season to reward the players, officials and supporters. I hope our normal large away following will be in attendance next Saturday when we play against APM Mears FC. It is a beautiful ground at Cobdown and well worth a visit. It should be an excellent game as it is a must win one for APM if they are to keep their promotion ambitions alive whilst being a game that I would be very pleased to win.
Yours In Sport :Dave
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April 18, 2008
“Roll on Saturday – lets get over the finishing line”
With no game last Saturday it has been a frustrating wait to try and secure the point that makes it mathematically impossible to be caught and therefore secure the championship. So its fair to say that this weekend's league game away at SAGA Sports FC cannot come quick enough for the Management Team and the players. We will be going all out for the win and then we can celebrate in style before preparing for our final three league games of the season and the Kent Junior Cup final against Holmesdale Reserves on Saturday 3rd May.
During the last week I have impressed on all the players that I want maximum effort right up until the final whistle of our last game and can assure everyone there will be no relaxing or coasting from the team. The standards we set at the start of the season are the ones we will maintain throughout all of our league games and these will have an impact on other clubs seeking promotion or trying to avoid seeking re-election, so we will give 100% to the end. Besides, we have an excellent opportunity to score 100 league goals and finish on 65 points, which would be quite an achievement for the record books.
Competition for places in the team is very tough at present and we have also been boosted by the return of Lee Austin to the squad. Lee’s return is great news and will keep up our attacking options now we have lost Wayne for the rest of the season. Lee played in a training game lat Wednesday , which we won 4 – 1, and looked in good form. In addition, Dave Reed , Michael Seagars and Simon Webb looked extremely sharp and are all desperate for a start this Saturday as they were cup tied for our Kent Junior Cup games against FC Quayside.
In truth, I face some real selection headaches over the next few weeks but they are nice problems to have. I hope a number of you are able to make the short trip for the game against SAGA this Saturday. Our away following has been tremendous this season and we need you this week as we aim to secure the championship.
Yours In Sport. Dave
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Sunday March 23rd, 2008
“Okay, it was no classic but who cares, CITY ARE GOING UP"
"It would have been great if we could have put on a five star performance at Bridge on Saturday in order to win the three points that secured our promotion. Alas it was not to be because the conditions were against us and it was also one of those days. We played well below ourselves but then again, that is the sign of a good side when you win and don’t play well. I will not dwell on the performance because the important thing is that City are now on 53 points and going up! It is a marvellous achievement for everyone connected with the club and a moment to savour. Over the next few weeks we will try to secure enough points to go up as Champions and also go on to win the Kent cup. What an achievement that would be in our first season!
The significance of promotion cannot be underestimated because in addition to moving from the Kent County league Division 2 East, to Division 1 East we also move from Junior status to Intermediate status as a club. This elevation is a significant first hurdle to overcome as we seek to climb up the non-league pyramid ladder.
I would like to thank the players for all their efforts to date this season. They are not paid, receive no expenses and turn up week in week out two nights a week to training whatever the weather. They truly deserve their success. I would also like to thank my management team of Gary Beckett, Steve Woollcott, Dave Chapman-Jones and Bob Vidler who have shown great dedication and commitment to the cause. It seems a long time ago since we had our open trials in June! We have come along way. It is also vitally important that I say a big thank you to those at the club who work behind the scenes to make it all possible. The club would not exist without such hard working people as Keith Vaughan, Norman & Gill Fox, John Fabre , Keith Longley , Tony Newington , Adam Kent and Phil Rowley who devote large parts of their lives to Canterbury City. They have instilled a professional approach from top to bottom and have backed me all the way. Our Chairman, Phil Knight, is the most genuine and sincere person I have ever worked with in football. His drive and enthusiasm is absolutely amazing and he gave me the opportunity to manage Canterbury City, for that I am eternally grateful. I would like to thank all our sponsors and also Canterbury City Council who share our vision of having a senior football club in the City again and having a community football hub. Finally, I would like to thank two very special groups of people. Firstly all the wives and girlfriends who allow us to indulge in our passion for Canterbury City Football Club and even join in by running the tea club. Thanks to my wife Liz and her team. Secondly, I would like to thank all the supporters who have followed us throughout the season with such passion and given me so much pleasure, amusement and inspiration when I read the club Forum. Our attendances at home have been consistently high all season and our away following has been spectacular, surpassing the following that many Kent and Ryman clubs enjoy. I hope you have enjoyed the season so far and celebrate our promotion because I know how much it means to you all. Lets enjoy the rest of the season safe in the knowledge that “City are going up"! ______________________________________________________________________
Saturday 15th March,2008
“ A defining week ahead”
It is just over one year since I took up the post as manager of Canterbury City FC. I remember vividly standing up at Westgate hall on Friday 9th March to provide an overview of the Football Strategy and Vision for the short term and in particular the 2007/08 season. A lot has happened since that night and we have certainly come along as a club on and off the pitch. We have grown in stature and it is really exciting that our teams are challenging for honours on a number of fronts.
The week ahead provides a feast of mouth-watering fixtures to wet the appetite of all City fans that twelve months ago did not have a team to follow in any capacity. In respect of the men’s First team, it is certainly the case that recent results have gone our way in the League. The opportunity to secure promotion and win the league is in our hands, which is all I could have asked for with six games remaining. The facts are that no matter what occurs elsewhere, if we win our next two home games against Lanes End and Pembury we are promoted. In addition, if we achieve a point’s total of 58 then we are Champions. The team are raring to go today and have been excellent in training over the last few weeks. Our current form is good and team spirit is excellent. We are very well focussed and have a hunger and passion to deliver the success the supporter deserve after such outstanding support this season. That said, there is no room for complacency because the large Lady is nowhere near to singing as yet!
The First team also have the welcome distraction of a Kent Cup semi-final against FC Quayside to look forward to at the end of the month. This is a real bonus, as the Cups have never featured as a priority this season because I did not want to lose momentum in the League. It has largely been our younger players who have got us to this semi-final, which in turn demonstrates how much emerging talent is coming through the ranks. Our opponents, who play in the Premier Division of the Medway League, are a fine side who are having a good season. It will be a tough test for our youngsters and provide another opportunity to measure how far we have come.
Tomorrow our Ladies play the Millwall Lionesses in the eagerly awaited Kent Cup Semi-Final at Canterbury High School. It will certainly be the biggest test Lorna’s team have faced so far but after their performance against Gillingham Ladies I think they can go into the game with a degree of optimism. Lorna’s squad is extremely talented and have a great team spirit. Gary Beckett ( First Team Assistant Manager) and Steve Woollcott (First Team Coach) have been helping with the Ladies' training recently and both believe that the team will win this competition.
This weekend our Under-18, Under- 16 and Under-15 boys also seek to continue their good form in the Valley Express Kent Youth Leagues. Throughout the season they have all consistently beaten Youth Teams from Ryman and Kent League Clubs, which shows how much future potential the club has. The Under-18’s and Under-16’s are in good positions to win their respective leagues and it is clear to me that Calum McGeehan and Jamie Maxted will be joined by other Under-18’s in the First team squad next season.
In a recent First team training game against a strong local Ryman League Reserve side Adam Woollcott and Dan Langiano from the Under-16’s made their First team debuts. In a fine 3 – 2 for City both players looked completely at home and gave telling contributions to the game and confirmed they will have a bright future at the club.
It's interesting that Alan Hansen once said of a young Manchester United team “you will never win anything with kids”. The kids in question included David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scoles and Gary Neville, need I say more! I believe the development of our current and future youth teams is vital to the long term sustainable future and success of the club. We currently have a number of lads representing Kent and long may that continue.
For those of you who have not seen any of our youth teams to date, I would urge you to come along to watch our Under-18’s next Tuesday.They are away at Tonbridge Angels in the quarter- final of the John Ullman Cup. It will be a great game. I
It’s fair to say I have thoroughly enjoyed the first twelve months in post It's been challenging at times but I feel we are making good progress and will continue to do so. I am very lucky to be part of a club that has a great committee, good supporters, exceptional backing from the local Council, committed Managers and Coaches and an exceptional pool of talented players at all levels. It is therefore important to sometimes remember how lucky you are.
This time last week I was less than impressed that Pembury FC cancelled our intended league game because they could not raise a team. Yesterday I read the Pembury FC website and the views of their Manager after last weekend. It was a very honest account and thoughts of a fellow Manager who is currently struggling to keep his team going. He is even struggling to fulfil their remaining fixtures. I managed to obtain his number and called him for a chat. I encouraged him to keep going and convinced him that he can turn things around. I stressed he must see out the season then regroup as the worst case scenario is that the team folds and then you don’t have a team at all, which is tragic, as we all know.
At the end of our chat he did seem more optimistic and has rallied around to get a team for today. I wish him well and also look forward to entertaining him and Pembury FC next Saturday. Lets give them a good reception.
To conclude I would just like to congratulate Gary Beckett, Matt Keyte and Mick Santer on passing their FA Level 2 Coaching Assessments this week. They had to endure atrocious weather conditions over two days and fully deserve the success they achieved. Well-done chaps.
Must dash, Mrs Fairclough is ready for another cup of tea, one of my pre-match duties on a Saturday! See you at Bridge. Enjoy the game.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Let’s here it for the Ladies !
This weekend has seen another set of fine results for all the City teams. The First team had a convincing 4 – 1 victory over Atcost FC, with a very impressive performance. Dave Read and Simon Webb gave a good account of themselves on their home debuts and will add quality to a squad that already has good strength in depth.
As it currently stands we need 56 points to achieve promotion, so nine points from our next three league games would be very welcome. I believe we are in a good position for the run in and have found some good form at the right time. Everyone is working very hard in training and the team spirit is excellent. There is a real determination amongst the players and they are thriving on the pressure and level of expectation at the club.
The Under-18 and Under-15 boys both had excellent results against Ramsgate and Herne Bay respectively today. We have some outstanding young talent emerging at the club and I expect a number of our youngsters to be featuring in the First team in the near future and for many years to come. Calum McGeehan and Jamie Maxted have already made a successful transition into the First team squad from our under-18 team and a number of other players from the Under-18s and 16’s have played for our Development side this season, making a significant impact.
It is an exciting prospect for me when I think about how much talent we have coming through the ranks to the First team. The youth system at City is the envy of many Senior clubs and we are very fortunate to have an excellent team of managers and coaches who are developing our players for the future. The Girls Under-13’s and 15’s teams are making spectacular progress in their first season and there are several young players who have fantastic long term potential.
It goes without saying that the impact the City Ladies' team has made this season is absolutely amazing and all of us are very proud of their achievements to date. Today’s 2 – 0 victory over Gillingham Ladies' in the Kent County Cup shows just how far they have come this season. When they lost to same opponents in a pre-season Friendly it set the standard for our Ladies to aspire to. Today’s result and the manner of victory showed they have not only done that, but surpassed the benchmark that Lorna set. The victory was well deserved and for me not really a shock.
I believe the Ladies are a very talented side with great individual players who have a good team ethic. They worked hard for each other today and were very professional for 90 minutes. They really deserved to win and are a credit to the club. I can hardly wait for the next round, along with the other 100+ supporters who were there today.
All in all it has been a very good weekend for the club,with results to savour, at least for this evening because it is back to work and hard training for all the teams this week, starting with the First team tomorrow night. It's the hard work we will all put in this week that will hopefully ensure we have another good weekend next week.
Yours In Sport. Dave
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
It will be nice to play at Bridge this weekend after our recent away travels to Viewpoint FC in the Kent Junior Cup, Herne Bay for a Friendly and Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers in the League. We came away with impressive victories from all of those games, although the qualities shown in each were vastly different.
We went to Gravesend to play Viewpoint FC and had to battle very hard against a strong, big, physical side who also played good football. Despite our taking a 3 –0 lead in the first half, the hosts showed great character in the second and clawed the game back with two well taken goals from set pieces. With the game nicely balanced at 3 – 2, I was delighted that we kept our composure and did not crumble under pressure. We went on to secure the game with a fourth goal in the 85th minute to win 4 –2.
The only negative aspect of the game was a shoulder injury to Rob Gutsell. It is estimated he will be out for six weeks, which is a big blow as Rob as been outstanding this season. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
In our midweek Friendly against a Herne Bay IX we won 7 - 0 and our football was sublime in atrocious conditions. In addition to giving a number of the First team a run out, I played a several players from the Development Squad who performed excellently on the night. In particular Tom Clark (17) and Jamie Maxted (17) were most impressive and illustrated the extent of emerging young players we have at the club. I am keen to arrange more mid-week Friendly games against Kent league opposition in order look at a number of our Development , Under-18 and Under16 players in a First Team environment before the end of the season.
Last Saturday's victory at Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers FC was a hard earned three points, where to be honest, we had to win ugly! The hosts raised their game a level and battled throughout. We found it very difficult to break down the 4 – 5 – 1 formation they employed and whenever we did create chances found the L & NH 'keeper in excellent form. I was pleased with the attitude and spirit shown by the players throughout and relieved to return home with the points.
I hope we see a good level of support for this Saturday’s game against Atcost FC at Bridge. All of our seven remaining league games will be like cup matches as we try to secure promotion and then go up as Champions. I believe we are good enough but it is vital that we do not get complacent and take anything for granted. We are learning all the time and strive to improve in every aspect of training and performance on the day. Our form is good at the moment and everyone is enjoying the experience. My pre-season target of 60 points to win the league is still achievable and what we are aiming for.
Come on the City!
Yours In Sport : Dave _____________________________________________________________________
Sunday, January 27, 2008
“A Good Day in the Office...fantastic results all round”
The contrast in feelings and emotions from last weekend to this weekend could not have been more stark. I was extremely disappointed after our Les Leckie Cup exit and the manner of defeat. After a hard week in training, where we went back to basics, I was absolutely delighted with our 8 – 0 victory at UK Paper. There are so many positives to take from the game it is difficult to know where to start.
Firstly, I was delighted with the conduct of the players who were totally professional throughout, an absolute credit to the Club. Secondly the quality of our football was exceptional and work rate excellent. You have to earn the right to play and we did that by closing down UK Paper players whenever they had the ball. From front to back we defended well and forced errors from the UK Paper players. When we had possession we created space and great options with intelligent running off the ball. Our creative play was inspirational at times but most importantly we retained possession of the ball and were patient when openings were not apparent. This was something we failed to do against the University where we gave the ball away to easily.
It is very hard to single out players because I thought to a man they were all excellent. However, Dan Bonneywell was inspirational as Captain and delivered his best performance for the club. Rob Gutsell and Scott Lawford were both exceptional for me in different ways. Rob broke up the play so often and gave the ball easy and early, something I always preach. I lost count of how many tackles he made as he covered every blade of grass on the pitch. Scott Lawford’s left boot was blessed all afternoon and the quality of his delivery from corners and wide on the left wing exceptional. Scott showed what he can do on Saturday and I will be challenging him to maintain that form for the rest of the season.
Finally, I was delighted with the debuts of Dan Woodward and John Salter. They have been training with the club since the New Year and are young players with huge potential. Dan has tremendous pace, can play anywhere on the pitch and looked dangerous going forward against UK Paper. John is a 6-foot plus centre half with a great first touch and is also exceptionally quick. I am convinced they will both be great additions to the squad after their impressive debuts.
I was also delighted that the excellent result for the First Team was matched across all our games this weekend. Our Ladies had another impressive 10 – 0 win away at Ramsgate and look to be in good form for their forthcoming Cup match against Gillingham Ladies. The Ladies have been fantastic this season and I believe they will provide a stern test for the Gillingham Ladies. They have developed as a team and will always score goals. They are much stronger than when they lost to the Gills Ladies in a pre-season friendly and I fancy then to get a result this time around which be a fantastic achievement in their first season.
On the youth front, both the Under-18’s and Under15’s Boys had excellent victories in the Kent Cup to progress to the quarter-finals. The Under 15’s won a classic 13 goal thriller 7 – 6 against Orpington whilst the Under-18’s defeated Herne Bay 2 – 1 in a very competitive encounter. I saw the Under 18’s game and was most impressed with their victory against a Herne Bay side that currently top the table and contained three players who regularly play for their First team in the Kent League Premier Division. It was an excellent overall team performance that won the game for the City Under-18’s but I must make special mention of centre backs, Ben Small and Will Johnson, who were exceptional, and goalkeeper Mike Magriano who has made an impressive comeback from serious injury.
I am delighted with the extent of youth talent we have at the club. We have a number of future First team players emerging from within, which is a fantastic achievement and the way it should be as we ultimately look forward to playing at a higher level, hopefully in our new stadium. We are back in Cup action next weekend when we face Viewpoint FC from the Gravesend Premier Division. Viewpoint are the defending champions of their League so I expect a tough game with a cup quarter-final place at stake.
Yours In Sport : Dave
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Sunday, January 20, 2008
“Very disappointing, very frustrating and a few lessons to be taken onboard”
I would like to start my diary by congratulating the University of Kent on their deserved 3 – 1 victory yesterday and would like to wish them good luck in the semi-final and for the rest of the season. On the day they proved to be the better team and it is important to recognise that in defeat and learn from it.
I was very disappointed and so were all of the City players because we did not do ourselves justice and ultimately lost a game we could have won. We fell well short of the standards we have set ourselves all season in respect of the quality of football we have played and also the standards of discipline and professionalism we have set. I can only apologise to all our supporters who turned up in numbers again yesterday because we let you and ourselves down. The manner of defeat hurt, so please be assured we will learn valuable lessons from yesterday and be stronger for it.
I have analysed the defeat overnight and given it a great deal of thought. Having read the Forum this morning I share a lot of the views expressed by our supporters and value your opinions. In respect of the game I felt we started well and were the better side in the opening 20 minutes. We stuck to the game plan and our tactics were spot on as we managed to get behind the University back line down the channels. We deserved to go 1 – 0 up from a well worked goal that was started and finished by Scott Lawford. After taking the lead we simply switched off and let the tempo drop which gradually allowed the University back into the game. We became sloppy defensively and in midfield. We made too many unforced errors and poor decisions that resulted in the ball being given away to easily. During this period we failed to clear our lines early and play percentage football which led to us conceding a terrible goal to make it 1 – 1.
What annoyed me is that up to that point the University had not really had any great penetration up front and had failed to create any clear cut chances. After the equaliser the University gained the impetus and looked a much more capable side going forward. We only regained our composure in the last five minutes of the half and were then rewarded with a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Royston Gough was brought down. This was a key moment in the game and our failure to score from the resultant spot kick meant we went in at half-time on a low. In the second half we again started well and looked the better side early on. We were finding our forwards with good balls to feet and exposed the University defence through the channels. We looked likely to score when we had a 3 versus 2 break but were denied a goal scoring opportunity when a University defender deliberately stopped the ball as it was played through for Scott Lawford who would have been through 1 on 1 with the 'keeper to beat. The resultant free-kick and yellow card was an unjust reward (more about yellow /red cards later). At this point the game was really set to take off as a spectacle as it became end to end football.
The University took the lead from a tap in after we failed to make a tackle in the midfield that then exposed us defensively. At this point I still felt we could come back with 30 minutes remaining. Alas that was not to be once Justin Hodge was dismissed for an incident that, seemingly, only the linesman saw. To me this was the turning point in the game as we let our heads drop, lost our focus and discipline. Frustration got the better of Wayne Fittall who soon followed Jason into the changing room for an early shower. This left us with very few options to chase the game. The University took full advantage of this situation and dominated play, scoring a third from a very generous penalty late on.
To the credit of the nine players, they never gave up and still managed to test the University defence on occasions. Royston Gough scored an excellent goal that would have made it 3 – 2 . However, this was disallowed for offside although I am reliably informed that it was another player who was offside not Royston.
All in all it was a bad day at the office for the players and me. We did not deliver despite being well prepared and motivated. We were ultimately punished for making too many basic errors that gifted the University three goals whilst we failed to take our chances at key times. Ultimately the players let frustration get the better of them yesterday and this cost us dearly not only in terms of the result but in yellow and red cards. I have told all the players that the cautions we picked up for dissent are not acceptable no matter how much criticism there is of the referee and his assistants. The players have accepted this and were very self critical after the game.
The cautions we received for some of the fouls were unbelievable and very contentious in my opinion because of the inconsistency that prevailed. For example, in the first 15 minutes a University forward went in late on five occasions on Justin Hodge, fouls were awarded without any caution. In the 20th minute Justin Hodge fouls the same forward for the first time and is cautioned! Rob Gutsell came on as a substitute and was cautioned after seven seconds when he conceded a foul with his first tackle of the game in a neutral midfield area. Where is the consistency ?
I must stress that all the players accepted they did not deserve to win yesterday and are not bad losers who cannot lose gracefully. We have an excellent disciplinary record this season and have played in other games where decisions have gone against us. However, I do have a great deal of sympathy with the players after yesterday and hope the match officials are honest with themselves about their performance and seek to learn lessons as to man management of players and communication. I have no doubt that the officials did their best but quite frankly it was not good enough for a match of this status. Players at all levels want consistency whether it is consistently bad or good. We did not get that yesterday and the number of cautions for a game that was played in a good spirit and did not contain one seriously bad challenge is unbelievable.
I await the official reports for the red cards with interest and must reserve final judgment until then. My current view is that both players were very unlucky to be sent off as they both received two yellow cards in relation to offences that went unpunished elsewhere. In respect of the removal of Gary Beckett (Assistant Manager) from the technical area for the alleged use of foul and abusive language directed at the linesman, at least ten witnesses are prepared to give evidence that this did not happen.
On a more positive note, I am hoping to announce some new signings shortly. I have been watching four players over recent weeks and have invited them along to training this week for a closer look. I believe it is a good time to refresh the squad and strengthen as we make a final push for promotion. I will keep you updated, so watch this space!
Finally, I would like to thank all the club officials and SERCO who worked tirelessly on the pitch this week to ensure the fixture went ahead yesterday. It was a tremendous effort and a marvellous achievement to stage the game on day when the majority of Kent League and Kent County League games were postponed.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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January 14, 2008
Les Leckie Cup – Quarter Final
Canterbury City FC v University of Kent FC It was very disappointing to have our away game at Pembury postponed at the weekend due to a waterlogged pitch. After our excellent away win at Otford last week, a classic six-pointer, I was looking forward to the opportunity to extend our lead at the top of the league before next Saturday's Les Leckie Cup quarter-final. The only positive aspect is that none of our closest challengers played, so the gap remains at 11 points. In addition, the 4 – 4 draw between Woodstock Park and Borden Village, who are also in the chasing pack, was a good result for us.
I am really looking forward to next Saturday's cup quarter-final against the University of Kent at Bridge which will see the two most senior teams in Canterbury compete for the first time in many years. It will be a huge test for my players to play against the University who compete one level above us in the Kent County League and traditionally are one of the best teams in the league on their day. It will also be a nice change to go into a game as underdogs rather the team that everyone expects to win and wants to beat in the league week in, week out. We have nothing to lose as the pressure rests on the University team, given their higher league position.
There is no doubt the game will provide a great opportunity for me to test how far we have come this season and also gauge the level we need to be aiming for next season if we gain promotion. The University are a well organised side and Richard Baines , the University of Kent manager, has got them playing excellent football over the last two seasons. I am expecting a very fast, high tempo game that will be very competitive. Lets be honest, whoever wins not only proceeds to the semi-final of the cup but also has the bragging rights for Canterbury for this season at least !. It should be a great game and will be a fantastic occasion for all the officials, players and supporters from both clubs.
Although promotion remains my priority for the season, I will be playing a strong side next week as the players need a good run-out after the recent cancellation. We are currently unbeaten at Bridge and I want to keep that record going. Please come along next Saturday. With another good attendance we will generate that special “Bridge” atmosphere that has been present throughout the season so far. And have a great day.
Yours In Sport : Dave
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Happy New Year – The Season so far
Firstly, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year as we look forward to our first league game of the year away at Otford United this Saturday. I am really looking forward to the game, which will be a classic 6 pointer! Before looking forward with a degree of optimism for 2008 I would like to quickly reflect on the season so far. The web columns of Phil Knight and Dan Bonneywell have already flagged up some of my highlights to date, so I would like to offer some other thoughts for you, having asked myself a few questions over the Christmas period about the season so far.
Q. How do I assess the season so far ? A. At this moment in time I am very pleased with how our league campaign is going. I have never underestimated the quality of the sides in the Kent County League Division II East. Quite simply there are no easy games and any team is capable of beating another on its day. We are currently top and in a good position because we have points on the board rather than games in hand. Our record to date has been impressive and we have only dropped seven points so far, courtesy of two draws and one defeat. With 35 points on the board from a possible 42 from 14 games we are still on target to achieve a final points total of 60, which in my opinion will secure promotion and most likely be enough to win the league. I am not really worried about the Cups this season as our priority from day one has been to secure promotion, achieve intermediate status as a club and commence our ascent up the non-league pyramid. That said, we want to win every game in any competition so I am delighted that we are through to the quarter-final of the Les Leckie Senior Cup and the County stage of the Kent Junior Cup. I am particularly looking forward to our Les Leckie Cup quarter-final match on Saturday 19th January when we entertain the University of Kent FC. The University have an excellent team and long standing reputation for playing good quality football in the Kent County League. Our rivals from the City currently play in Division 1 East so it will be a good opportunity to test ourselves against higher league opposition and measure how far City have come this season. Q. Have I been pleased with the level of performance?
A. I was desperately disappointed with the games we drew against APM Mears and Atcost because we should have won both games despite not performing to our best. I was exasperated with our performance when we lost 4 –0 at Woodstock Park because we were absolutely awful on the day and did not turn up. That aside, I am pleased with our level of consistency which has been very good overall. Every week we have had to face teams that treat the Canterbury City game as their cup final and raise their game accordingly. Recently a number of teams have set their stall out to defend a 0 – 0 score- line and adopt a very defensive formation, which is often very frustrating and difficult to break down. The pitches of late have hardly helped our cause because we are essentially an attacking side who like to play good football at a high tempo. For our last game against Larkfield I decided to change our normal 4 – 3 – 3 formation and adopted a more direct style of play designed to get the ball forward quicker. This worked well and is a formation we will use again to overcome playing on poor pitches against very defensive formations. It was nice to finish the year with a convincing win and I was especially pleased with the fact that the players have learnt the golden rule “ in any game you have to fight for the right to play your game”. We must remember that for the rest of the season.
When you bear in mind that this squad has evolved from scratch this season, the overall level of performance and achievements on the pitch have been outstanding. The squad is young and are learning from every game. We will get better because the desire and passion is there within the players to develop and improve individually and collectively. Their commitment and dedication at training is most impressive and they are a joy to work with.
Q. Is the Team good enough to achieve promotion?
A. In short, yes. I believe that to win promotion you need a strong squad both in number and quality to sustain the momentum over a long season and have sufficient cover for injuries and loss of form. I have every confidence in the current squad but will not hesitate to strengthen if the right player becomes available. You must have strength in depth and be able to refresh if there is any sign that a player is looking stale or suffering from an injury. I believe sensible team rotation is vital so long as it does not impact on the balance of the side. It generates healthy competition for places and stops complacency setting in amongst the players. It is a great motivator if you know you are playing for your place every week! I am optimistic that the players we currently have will deliver the success everyone associated with Canterbury City expects.
Q. Which performance stands out so far?
A. Overall, I must say our match against Whitstable Town will always be a fantastic memory for a number of reasons. It was our first game back. The result was fantastic but for me the sheer character and team spirit shown by the players is what stood out. They were all so proud to be wearing the Canterbury City kit that day and were determined to make an impact. That result made a statement to everyone in Kent that City were back and it has proved to be the springboard to our season as we have never looked back.
From a league perspective I would say our 1 –0 victory over Otford United FC was the most enjoyable game of the season. Both sides played attractive football throughout and played the game in the right spirit. At the end of the game I debriefed the game with their Manager and it was a joy to share our views on the game and the tactical duel we had during the game. It was an absolute pleasure from start to finish which is why I am so excited about this weekend's encounter.
Q. Can 2008 be a successful year ?
A. I measure success at the Club on a number of fronts not just the performance of the First Team. Across the Club all our sides have been playing some great football and are in very healthy positions within their respective leagues. I believe we will deliver silverware at the end of the season. The Club is running very smoothly and we have come a long way in a very short time. We have a hard working and dedicated committee and a committed football management/ coaching team determined to make Canterbury City a force in Kent Football on all fronts.
We are already planning for next season and will shortly announce the Management team for our new Under 13’s Team who will play in the Valley Express League from the start of the 2008/09 season (sustained development of our youth teams will provide the stars of the future for the First team!). Good teamwork across the Club is a key factor for our future success and I am pleased to say that we have that at City. Good leadership is also vital to ensure we stay on course on the pitch and off it by way of securing a new home for Canterbury City. Phil Knight, our Chairman, is an excellent leader and team player all rolled into one. He works tirelessly behind the scenes and is passionate about developing Canterbury City in the right way. I am therefore confident we will be successful on all fronts in 2008. For fear of missing someone out I would just like to thank everyone associated with Canterbury City for all your support during 2007. The half term report for the 2007/08 season is very encouraging. Rest assured I will be doing my best to deliver the success we all want during 2008.
Yours In Sport. Dave
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Sunday 2nd December 2007
I was really disappointed when I heard that yesterday’s game at UK Paper was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. I was somewhat surprised because I saw the game at Woodstock Park went ahead and they are within two miles of each other. Perhaps the storms in the centre of Sittingbourne were particularly excessive overnight as the game was postponed at 11.00am
The team were really up for the game and keen to build on our encouraging performance against Tenterden FC last weekend. We had worked really hard in training to top up fitness and also worked on improving our defensive shape to avoid being caught by counter attacks as we had been against Tenterden.
On a positive side, having had a week off we should be raring to go next weekend when we again entertain Tenterden in the Second Round of the Senior Les Leckie Cup. We have already had two excellent league fixtures against Tenterden this season, the last being only two weeks ago here at Bridge. Although City won the game comfortably enough 6–2, I was really impressed by the excellent team spirit shown by Tenterden, especially after they had gone down to ten men following an unfortunate sending off. They have improved as the season has progressed and are now a well organised unit who are a match for anyone in the league on their day. Needless to say we will need to be at our best next weekend if we are to progress to the quarter finals.
I have noticed that the ground issue has become a live topic on the Forum again this week . Although I am not aware of any specific details, I do know that things are happening in respect of the proposed new Canterbury City Football centre. I am constantly pestering Phil Knight for updates and know that significant progress is being made to develop a facility that will be capable of staging senior football in the City of Canterbury again very soon.
Phil Knight has been working tirelessly to move the ground issue forward and must be looking forward to the Christmas period and for a well-earned break from all the meetings and consultation that are involved. I am sure it would be the best Christmas present for all of us to hear confirmation that the project is going ahead and to get some idea of the timescale involved. Lets hope its not to long before an update is available. In the meantime, lets concentrate on the football and finish 2007 in good form.
We have two league games after next week's cup match and need to win them both in order to end 2007 on top of the league in a good position for the run in. If you can all leave your Christmas shopping for next weekend I would be very grateful. Your support is needed at Bridge as we try to make the quarter finals of the Senior Les Leckie Cup . Mrs Fairclough will be serving a variety of hot beverages accompanied by mince pies. What more could you ask for other than a convincing win for the City!
Yours In Sport : Dave
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November 25, 2007
I was delighted to get back to winning ways yesterday in our 12th League game of the season as we managed to overcome a well-organised Tenterden Town side and gain a convincing 6 – 2 victory. We needed a good performance, and most importantly three points after our dreadful display at Woodstock Park the previous week.
I was pleased with the response and felt that we played some excellent football throughout the first half. The team worked really hard collectively to get a grip on the game early on. I had demanded a high tempo start and felt we dominated the game for the first 20 minutes. We attacked with real purpose , especially down the right flank where the link play between Sam Baker, Ashley Tuite and Dan Bonneywell was so incisive. Overall, I felt we were good value for the half-time lead and could have scored more goals from the chances that were created.
In the second half we started brightly and again created a number of chances in the opening ten minutes. Unfortunately we could not sustain the momentum and the game went rather flat from our perspective. Tenterden raised their game considerably after the break and we found it hard to break down a determined team who had been reduced to ten men just before the break. They never gave up and showed how much they have improved as a team since the start of the season.
A pleasing aspect for me yesterday was the performance of our younger players who are growing in confidence as the season progresses and improve every week. Rob Gutsell (19) and Sam Baker(19) were exceptional throughout and I felt the contributions of Calum McGeehan (17) , Jamie Maxted (17) and Karl Williams(18) were really encouraging for the future. The number of quality young players coming through at Canterbury City is really exciting and means that every First Team player has to be looking over their shoulder as these youngsters emerge over the next twelve months. The competition for places is becoming very fierce.
As we enter December, I am pleased with the 31 points we have won from the 12 league games played to date. We are one goal short of the half century and have a goal difference of 38, which is worth a point against our other promotion contenders. I still believe that a points total of 60 could be necessary to win the league, such is the quality of the sides who are currently in the running. All of the teams, right down to eighth in the league are still in with a chance for promotion, so we can expect several twists and turns in the second half of the season. There will be no easy games. This has been the case throughout the season so far.
From a City perspective, we must treat every game as a Cup final, maintain our momentum and be professional at all times. Suffice to say, you will not see Danny Black taking another penalty in a competitive game. We do have the utmost respect for all the teams in our League and realise that if we have an off day we will get punished. I will not allow the defeat at Woodstock to get forgotten and will use it in a positive way to remind players that we must perform at our best for every game if we are to achieve our ultimate goal of promotion.
I will not allow any complacency to creep in. I plan to add one or two new players in the coming weeks in order to refresh the squad and provide more strength in depth. This is especially important as we have lost Steve Williams for three months due to work commitments and may lose other players through injury and illness before the end of the season.
I would like to thank all of you who came along to yesterday’s game as it was a bitterly cold day. We still had a healthy attendance and good support,which was really appreciated by the players and Management Team.
As ever, I have enjoyed reading all your contributions on the Forum this last week. The debate on the starting Xl has been very interesting and shows how subjective football can be at times. All the various formations and starting line ups on the Forum have merit and illustrate what a good squad we have when you see the various options that have emerged. It also reminded me how difficult it can be to get the team selection right in order to meet the formation and get the right balance and shape of the team right.
I put a lot of thought and effort into the team selection and enjoy the debates I have with Gary Beckett on a daily basis. I personally love the challenge of making the right team selection and deciding what formation you should play. There are so many considerations but I always try to keep it simple by playing to the strengths of my players, which in turn dictates the formation. I also try to select the players who are on form and pick them on merit, not reputation. I must confess it is the best feeling in the world when you get your team selection and formation right, play well and get a win. However, it can also be the worst feeling in the world when you get it wrong as a Manager - just ask Steve McClaren! Have a good week everyone.
Yours In Sport: Dave
November 18, 2007
“ Bounce back ability?”
For those of you who watch Sky Sports Soccer AM, the phrase "Bounce back ability" will be familiar. After our 4 –0 defeat at Woodstock Park yesterday I believe the phrase is very appropriate to our predicament. Quite simply, can we bounce back from this resounding defeat in convincing style? I personally believe that the team have the ability, character and passion to bounce back and overcome this setback.
Certainly I have every the confidence in them as a team, even though I was extremely disappointed with yesterday's performance for a number of reasons. The Chairman very kindly gave me a “vote of confidence” last night and telephoned me in order to say I should treat it as a bad day at the office. That was very reassuring, but it’s suffice to say I do not want any more bad days at the office like that this season because it completely ruins your weekend.
There is a lot of work to be done after that defeat and it started for me last night as I analysed every aspect of the performance, trying to pinpoint where it went wrong. I will always accept defeat with dignity and be professional, but inside I was seething and must confess to being a bad loser. I do not like to lose at all, even if it is to a better team on the day. When that is the case I want to identify how to become better than them to win next time, and so on and so on.
In analysing yesterday’s game you have to be completely honest and not look for excuses. I could find any number of excuses that make the defeat an injustice. I could convince myself that we were unlucky for all four goals we conceded but that would not help the team to bounce back. Indeed, the second goal for Woodstock Park was clearly offside and overruled by the referee. The fourth goal came about because our right back and defenders stopped because a Woodstock Park player had clearly taken the ball over the sideline. From the resultant cross they scored. In reality that is football and cannot be used as an excuse. These things even themselves out over the season.
I was frustrated by both goals but the lesson for my players is very simple “play to the whistle at all times” and don’t ever stop immediately presuming you have got the decision. Also, do not switch off and lose concentration. I don’t want a borderline offside or throw-in to become a crucial issue. For the offside we should have had defenders behind the ball and not got caught square on. And for the fourth goal when the cross came over we were not marking tightly enough. So in my opinion it was not the poor decisions that really mattered, rather the fact that we got the basics wrong!
The first and third goals were equally poor from my perspective and very frustrating. Every week in my pre-match talk I stress the importance of where to play our football. I remind the players that the last defensive third is a red area and you clear the ball immediately to row H or wherever to remove and deal with immediate danger. This area is not for dribbling, flicks or dodgy passes. After 90 seconds we committed the ultimate sin of trying to play ourselves out of trouble in the left hand corner and lost possession. The resultant cross went to an unmarked Woodstock Park forward who had a simple job to convert the chance. Two very simple lessons to take onboard - clear the ball early and defensively and do not ignore your marking and covering responsibilities even when you do have possession.
The fact that we conceded the early goal gave the Woodstock Park player’s real impetus and belief they did not have initially. They started with a 4 – 5 –1 formation, which was essentially designed to stop us scoring! The third goal was simply a case of not closing down play early enough in midfield and then getting stretched at the back defensively. In reality we allowed too much time and space in the midfield and defensive areas. In short, when you consider the goals we conceded you could say that it is an under statement to suggest it was just a bad day at the office. It appears that half the work force did not turn up? I think that would be a fair assessment in many ways. We certainly had too many players who had an off day which impacted on the team performance as a whole.
Without naming names, I think a few also went missing when the battle was there to be won. That has to change because every team in this league wants to beat us and we have a lot more tough games to win before the end of the season. I am closely monitoring two or three of our younger players who are playing exceptionally well in the Development Squad at the moment and will not hesitate to bring them into the First team if the squad needs refreshing. I am very clear where things went wrong yesterday and know what needs to be addressed this week.
Having reflected overnight, I believe the result was a real setback but not a complete disaster. It is important to be balanced and also reflect on the positive aspects of the performance. Firstly, I would like to recognise that we lost to a very good side who were well organised, battled for 90 minutes and showed real determination to make amends for the defeat at Bridge earlier in the season. They are a much-improved side and will be there at the end of the season battling for promotion with us and the other four sides who are currently occupying the top six places in Division 2 East.
In the context of yesterday's game, I am pleased that we continued to press forward for 90 minutes and never gave up. Overall we actually created more chances than Woodstock Park, hitting the woodwork twice and missing three good goal-scoring opportunities with only their keeper to beat. I think it was unfortunate that our strikers misfired for the first time this season. We could have played until midnight and not scored, such was the luck we had in front of goal. If we had scored at 1 – 0 or 2 – 0 I believe we would have got something out of the game because the pressure would have gone back onto Woodstock Park. It would have asked questions of them rather than us for 90 minutes.
The biggest plus for me yesterday was the attitude of the players after the game. They were all hurting and took responsibility for their performances individually and collectively. I was pleased with their reaction because although they are an excellent group of players, there is work to be done.
We do not have an absolute right to win every game and must be prepared mentally for each one and totally focussed on the job at hand. We must avoid complacency and be totally professional at all times or we will lose games and drop points. We are a young side who still have a lot to learn. We will learn from yesterday’s defeat and come back stronger.
There was no hairdryer treatment from Gary Beckett or me yesterday, but honest words of advice on how we need to bounce back from this defeat. That will start at training this week and then be tested when we play Tenterden at home next Saturday. It is a big challenge for us now and in many ways our season starts again as we need to return to winning ways and maintain our position at the top of the league. We will be doing our best to get back on track.
So stick with it and support us all the way. Get behind us next weekend and come along to Bridge.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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November 11, 2007
“It’s a funny old game” !
No matter what level of football you watch, it is always amazing how a side playing so well in the first half can come out after half-time and play so appallingly. It happens at the highest level of the game so I should not be surprised it can happen at Canterbury City. Mind you, it's still annoying!
On reading Captain Dan Bonneywell’s write up from the game, I have to say I fully agree with his views and observations. Indeed, although I was somewhat unhappy immediately after the game because of our second half performance, I was pleased overall to maintain our winning run and find ourselves ten points clear after the weekend's fixtures. In our last three games we have really started to put teams under pressure from the start of the game and managed to score in the first half. Again we came out flying against Saga and, to be honest, I thought it was our best first half performance of the season.
We fully deserved the 3 – 0 half-time lead and could have scored more. Our passing and movement was excellent, we moved the ball quickly by playing two-touch football and the work rate across the team ensured we totally dominated the game in all areas. I cannot remember Danny Black having to make a single save in the first half.
At the start of the second half we started brightly enough and quickly added two further goals. At that point, with the game effectively won, I made three changes with a view to resting players for next week's hard away match at Woodstock Park. I am afraid that whereas in other matches our substitutions raised the impetus of the game, on Saturday we went completely flat and lost our shape. We stopped moving the ball quickly and started to take too many touches on the ball. Collectively we stopped grafting and working off the ball to create the options to attack with any purpose. Defensively we also switched off and invited Saga forward as our centre backs, Justin and Adam, dropped too deep and allowed themselves to become isolated from the full backs. Saga, to their credit, exploited this and put two players forward to create one on one situations at the heart of our defence. Instead of pushing up and pulling a full back inside to create a three marking two advantage, we struggled on for 25 minutes and were very sloppy and in my opinion lazy.
In the end Saga did get a goal when the ball was given away needlessly. Thankfully after they had scored we did tighten up and finished the stronger side. Suffice to say I had a long chat with the team afterwards and reminded them all that you must give full commitment for 90 minutes and not lose focus no matter what the score is. We stopped getting the basics right but I do not think it will happen again. As for the defensive lapses, they were very uncharacteristic and will be worked on at training this week.
It was nice to see a good crowd again at Bridge. I hope some of you can travel with us next week for the game at Woodstock Park. It will be a tough test and we will have to at our best for 90 minutes rather than 45 to come away with a victory.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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October 28,2007
Goals For 40 , Goals Against 0. Not a bad weekends work !
When the Men’s First Team, Development Squad and Ladies win all three games and collectively score 40 goals without any in reply you have to say that it's been a good weekend's work. The 31 – 0 win for the Ladies is a truly amazing victory, with a goal being scored every three minutes. This result shows how far they have come in such a short time, but most importantly demonstrates how much further they can go with the current team.
I was delighted with the First Team victory on Friday night when we comfortably dispatched Whitstable Taverners 4–0 in a Kent Cup game. The Taverners fielded a strong side which included a number of current and former Kent League players. I felt we started brightly and it was a nice change to score goals early on in the game to go in at half- time 2–0 up. Once we had scored the third goal in the second half the game was in effect over and we were able to relax and enjoy it.
Although we really should have scored more than the two goals in the second half, I was reasonably pleased with the overall performance. In playing 4–4–2, we had really good width and made the most of the excellent playing surface at Canterbury High. I felt that we caused Taverners problems all night as we attacked down the flanks . It was also particularly pleasing to keep another clean sheet against a lively side who proved to be a really tough test and kept trying to get back into the game for the full 90 minutes.
Yesterday I went to watch the Development Squad in their Kent Cup match against Feeney’s FC at Thanet. They won the game 5–0 with a convincing and most professional performance. The side played neat, one-touch football and were basically far too good technically for the opposition who resorted to bully-boy tactics. It's fair to say that the behaviour of some people could only be described as 'offensive' as they shouted obscenities throughout the 90 minutes.The mature approach shown by our young players was outstanding as they refused to be provoked and merely allowed their football to do the talking. I was extremely proud of every Canterbury City player, official and supporter present at the game.
Next week we return to league action with a tough away match at Lanes End FC. I am very keen to maintain our good league form and want to get maximum points from our four league games in November. I hope to see you there. Our away support has been fantastic and it was great to see that for our last away game at Platt United the City away support outnumbered the home support.
Yours In Sport: Dave
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October 21st 2007
Still Unbeaten in the League – “Shaken, not stirred!”
It is fair to say I was a very relieved Manager after the final whistle yesterday and delighted with the 3 – 1 victory over Platt United FC. I am also very pleased that, based on their performance, we will not have to play them again in the league this season. They made several changes since we played them two weeks ago and had drafted in some quality players. If they can field the same team consistently and maintain the same level of performance, I would say they could be in with a good shout for promotion at the end of the season.
After playing so well in the midweek friendly at Margate FC, where we created numerous chances and should have won the game, I was somewhat disappointed with our first half performance yesterday. I played an attacking 3- 4-3 formation, with the intention of putting Platt on the back foot from the off. I expected them to a | |||
