23rd April 2011 - League Match
Esprit 4 - 4 Chingford Harriers
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, James Wright (Daniel Denton 61), Alex Diner, Chris Amor, Adam Ferdinand, Dave Birchnall, Paul Shawyer, Nick Shawyer(c), Jamie Henshaw, Ben Stone, Edwin Jabbari.
Goals: OG (9), Jabbari (33), Denton (68), OG (79)
16th April 2011 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 6 - 2 Ryan Reserves
The Blues bounced back from mid-week cup disappointment to pick up a deserved three points with a comprehensive victory over Ryan Reserves. Despite falling behind after 15 minutes the hosts showed great character and resilience to eventually run out 6-2 winners, with captain Nick Shawyer bagging his second hat-trick of the season. The Harriers now know a victory in their final game of the season will secure a respectable 4th place finish in the league, a solid effort following their first season in the IDFL's middle tier.
The Harriers went into the game counting the cost from Wednesday's Cup Final defeat to FC Golazo, with Chris and Lefty unavailable through injury and Mitchell only fit enough for a spot on the bench. Early on the Blues looked very much like a team playing their third game in the space of eight days as they struggled to build up any momentum and they were punished just before the 15 minute mark. A freekick from the Ryan left into the Blues box saw some static Harriers defending allow the Ryan striker to run into space before poking home past a helpless Scott. Going behind finally sparked the Harriers into life and they found a reply with half an hour played through a set piece of their own. Edwin curled in an inviting ball to the back post where Nick arrived in plenty of space to head the ball past the Ryan keeper and into the net. However the Blues almost slipped behind once again just minutes later, when Ryan were awarded a soft looking penalty following what the referee deemed to be a push on the Ryan striker by Alex. Fortunately for the Harriers the Ryan striker stepped up and blazed the ball over with the ball skimming the bar on its way out for a goal kick. The Blues took full advantage by taking the lead for the first time through a penalty of their own just before half time; Nick calmly dispatched the spot kick for his second of the game after a Ryan defender was penalised for hand ball. The Blues had finally found their groove and were beginning to pick themselves up after Wednesday's disappointment and went into the break a goal to the good.
The Harriers came out looking refreshed in the second half and they increased their lead in stunning fashion just five minutes after the restart. Edwin's corner found Adam waiting on the edge of the area; Adam took a touch to bring the ball under control before striking a vicious volley into the top corner past the Ryan keeper's despairing dive, opening his account for the season in some style. With the Blues now well on top they wasted no time in pressing home their advantage and put the game beyond the visitors with half an hour still to play. A through ball slipped in Edwin down the right flank and his attempted square was cut out by the Ryan Keeper. However the keeper was only able to parry the ball to Nick on the edge of the area, with the Ryan stopper out of position Nick secured his third hat trick of the season with a lob that the keeper could only push onto the post and into the back of the net. That goal, Nick's 13th of the season, brings the Blues skipper level with Ben in the race for the clubs Golden Boot with 13 goals a piece. Shortly after the Harriers made a change with Dan.P replacing Ben who was struggling with a injury niggle. Within minutes of the change Edwin put the Blues 5-1 ahead, converting a one on one chance from a pin point Nick through ball. Understandably the Blues were beginning to show signs of tiredness and the visitors bagged a consolation second with 15 minutes remaining, following some neat skill the Ryan striker rifled a finish through Scott's legs from a tight angle. Mitchell came on for Edwin following the goal, despite some heavy legs all over the pitch the Blues still found time to bag another goal. After some neat passing in the middle of the park; Paul's cheeky back heal released Dan.P who ran through and put away a neat left foot finish for his first goal in a Harriers shirt. The Blues saw out the remainder of the game to run out 6-2 winners, a victory on the final day of the season will now see the Blues secure a fourth place finish in the league.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, James Wright, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Daniel Denton, Paul Shawyer, Nick Shawyer(c), Adam Ferdinand, Ben Stone (Daniel Periera 68), Edwin Jabbari (Mitchell Goodwin 75).
Goals: N. Shawyer (28, pen 44, 60) Ferdinand (51), Jabbari (69), Periera (81)
13th April 2011 - Spartak Cup Final - Cricklefield Stadium, Ilford
Chingford Harriers 0 - 1 FC Golazo
The Harriers suffered Cup Final heart ache for the second year running following a closely contested encounter against FC Golazo at Ilford FC's Cricklefield Stadium. The game seemed to be heading for extra time before a Golazo break away lead to an 88th minute header which shocked the Blues and left them taking hope yet another runner up medal. The Harriers must now dig deep to find motivation for the two remaining league games as they attempt to finish the season strongly, securing a respectable league position in the process.
The Blues had yet to get the better of FC Golazo this season, as a result they lined up in a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to dominate the midfield battle whilst making the most of the large pitch. However in the early exchanges it was FC Golazo who showed the most width and they created the first opportunity of the game with barely five minutes gone. After some decent build up down the right wing the ball was delivered into the Harriers' box; the Blues backline failed to clear the ball properly and eventually presented a chance to the Golazo forward. He manufactured some space in the box before getting a shot away from 14 yards only for Scott to make the initial save before gathering the rebound. As the Blues began to knock the ball about in midfield and get a foot hold in the game they were forced into an early change with Dan coming on to replace Mitchell who had aggravated a hamstring injury. Fortunately the change did not disrupt the Harriers' rhythm as they continued to grow into the game, despite taking the initiative in midfield the Blues were unable to carve out any clear openings. The Harriers created pressure through a number of attacking set pieces, with one corner almost beating the defender on the line at the front post. Unfortunately the Harriers were again forced into a change after half an hour, with Edwin coming on to replace Lefty after his evening was ended through injury. This forced the Blues to revert to 4-4-2 with Edwin lining up alongside Ben upfront; this allowed the Harriers to carry a more attacking threat. Before the first half came to an end Golazo again went close on the break away, a diagonal ball released the Golazo attacker who advanced into the Blues box. Alex did well to track back and force the striker wide but Scott was still called into action, pushing the strike around the post for a corner.
The Harriers came out for the second half determined to turn their possession into chances with the possibility of the club's first silverware the prize. The Harriers were looking increasingly dangerous from a number of attacking set pieces and were desperately close to taking the lead after 60 minutes. After an attacking free kick was cleared, Dan managed to put the ball back into the danger area which found Edwin unmarked 12 yards out. Edwin met the ball on the volley only for his superb effort to come back off the post with the goal keeper rooted to the spot. The Blues were again denied by the woodwork ten minutes later, Luke spotted Dan's run before pumping a pin point diagonal free kick into his path. Dan beat the indecisive Golazo keeper to the ball but his effort hit the outside of the post before going out for a corner. With the Harriers continually pushing forward Dan was again close to breaking the deadlock. His flicked header from a long throw called the Golazo keeper into action, tipping the ball over as it looked to be dipping under the bar. The Golazo keeper again had to come to his team's rescue on 78 minutes, making the stand out save of the game. The ball fell on the edge of the area to Adam who unleashed a dipping volley which looked destine for the bottom corner of the net, only for the Golazo keeper to tip the ball round the post. With the Blues looking the most likely team to break the deadlock and with extra time looming, Chingford hearts were broken with just two minutes of normal time remaining. Golazo launched a counter attack down the right wing as a Harriers move broke down; taking the ball to the bye line and cutting a cross back for an unmarked player six yards out. The Golazo forward's point blank header left Scott with little chance to react, despite making a block the ball trickled agonisingly onto the post before finding the net sparking wild celebrations amongst the Golazo followers. The Harriers had one last chance to rescue the game from a set piece but were unable to breach the Golazo defence before the final whistle brought proceedings to a close.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Mitchell Goodwin (Daniel Denton 16), Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Adam Ferdinand, Paul Shawyer, Chris Amor, James Gladwin (Edwin Jabbari 33), Nick Shawyer(c), Dave Birchnall, Ben Stone.
9th April 2011 - League Double Header
Any hopes of the Blues achieving back to back promotions were as good as ended after they were only able to secure one of the six points on offer from the club's first league double header. The visitors exacted some measure of revenge for their Spartak Cup Semi-Final exit at the hands of the Harriers, taking four points to boost their own promotion hopes and leave the Harriers faltering in 7th place in the league. The Blues will now look to regroup and focus their energies on Wednesday's Spartak Cup Final and securing the club's first piece of silverware.
Game 1 - Chingford Harriers 0 - 0 Singh Sabha Barking
The Harriers failed to find the back of the net for the first time this season in what turned out to be a cagey opening affair between the two sides. However, despite drawing a blank up front, the Blues were solid at the other end of the pitch recording their first league clean sheet of the season. In a game of few chances the Blues were dealt an injury blow early on. After recovering from a collision with the Barking keeper in an attempt to convert a Harriers' set piece, the ever present Alex was replaced by Mitchell with barely a quarter of an hour played as a result of a pulled hamstring. Despite a number of set piece situations both sides failed to trouble the opposing goal keeper, with the Harriers looking the more settled side in the opening half hour. Just before the break the visitors were almost gifted a goal when Scott failed to control a back pass, however the Barking forward blazed the opportunity high and wide under pressure from the Blues defence. At the break the Blues made a straight swap with Dan replacing Edwin up front alongside Ben, within minutes of the restart Ben had squandered the best chance of the game. Ben latched onto a through ball and raced clear of the last defender before entering the penalty area only to hit his shot straight at Barking keeper when he really should have scored. Ben again came close in the closing stages when he received the ball in the box before making room to get off a shot from the angle, despite a slight deflection off the covering defender the Barking keeper made a smart save at his near post, pushing the ball behind for a corner. It was however the visitors who came closest to securing three points in the final minutes, an angled ball into the box found the Barking striker who lifted the ball over Scott only for the ball to come back off the post.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Alex Diner (Mitchell Goodwin 18), Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Chris Amor, James Gladwin, Nick Shawyer(c), Paul Shawyer, Edwin Jabbari (Daniel Denton 30), Ben Stone.
Game 2 - Singh Sabha Barking 3 - 2 Chingford Harriers
Unfortunately for the Harriers Alex was not able to recover from his injury to take part in the second game, which turned out to be a much more open affair than the first. The Blues will hope Alex recovers sufficiently to take part in Wednesday's Spartak Cup Final, as a result Mitchell continued at centre back whilst Ben started the game on the bench with Edwin and Dan comprising the home side's frontline. The Barking side showed much greater ambition in the early stages of the game, forcing Scott to save from close range after the Barking forward burst into the box and went for power as the defender closed him down. Despite some resolute defending from the Blues backline the visitors took the lead after 17 minutes. A neat interchange released the Barking forward into left hand the box only for Scott to smother the initial effort, the rebound fell to a Barking player who sent an effort towards goal. Adam looked to have the effort covered on the line until the Barking attacker diverted the ball into the corner of the net to give the visitors a deserved lead. The Blues should have been level before the interval when Edwin wasted an identical opportunity to Ben from the first game, racing clear of the Barking defence before striking straight at the keeper. At the half time break Nick handed the captain's armband to Luke as he withdrew along with brother Paul, James.W and Ben came on to provide fresh legs. Unfortunately the Harries found themselves 2-0 down just 5 minutes after the restart, a smart one two on the edge of the area released the Barking forward into the box before coolly slotting the ball past Scott into the net. The Blues grabbed a life line with 12 minutes remaining when Luke provided a inch perfect diagonal ball for Dave down the right. Dave progressed to the bye line before cutting back a cross which was met by Ben, who made no mistake in firmly placing his 13th of the season into the back of net. Just minutes later Barking restored a two goal on the break with the Harriers committing extra bodies forward, the visitors switch the play twice before the Barking striker beat Scott to ball in the area and slotted home past the covering defender. However the Blues would not give up and with 3 minutes remaining they again cut the deficit to a single goal. Edwin held up the ball just outside the Barking penalty box before lofting an inviting through ball into the area for Chris, he kept his nerve and lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper to make it 3-2. The hosts pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing minutes, committing all eleven players forward for a number of set pieces. First a long throw fell to Adam on the edge of the area, who connected sweetly with right footed half volley which was destine for the top corner until a Barking defender managed to deflect the ball over. The final move of the game saw Mitchell send a header from another long throw agonisingly wide and it proved to be the last action of the afternoon as the referee brought an end to proceedings.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Mitchell Goodwin, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Chris Amor, James Gladwin, Nick Shawyer(c) (James Wright 30), Paul Shawyer (Ben Stone 30), Daniel Denton, Edwin Jabbari.
Goals: Stone (48), Amor (57)
2nd April 2011 - League Match
St Francis Reserves 1 - 3 Chingford Harriers
The Harriers picked up all three points and a well deserved victory when they travelled to the league's bottom side St Francis Reserves. A second half strike from Paul Shawyer and a brace from Ben Stone saw the Blues eventually get the reward for a dominant display, this coming after a frustrating first half for the Blues. With the teams around them facing off in the coming weeks the Harriers will be targeting 12 points from their four remaining league fixtures which could see them finish the league season in the top three. Next week they face close league rivals Singh Sabha Barking in an important double header.
The Blues travelled to Wanstead Flats with a number of notable absentees including Luke and Mitchell but were still able to take a thirteen man squad to the league strugglers. The game started at a slow pace, with the Blues returning to action after a week without a game they struggled to find any rhythm in the opening ten minutes. As the game developed the Harriers found themselves firmly in control of proceedings with the home side finding themselves pinned back in their own half, rarely troubling the Harriers defence. The Blues eventually began to carve out a number of chances with Jamie providing a constant threat the right flank. First Ben was inches from breaking the deadlock when Jamie beat the defender and whipped in a cross to the back post where Ben was unable to leap high enough to nod the ball home. Edwin was unusually wasteful in front of goal as he wasted several opportunities when he would have expected to find the back of the net. The best opportunity coming when Nick had the presence of mind to step over a cut back from Jamie allowing Edwin to run onto the ball only for the Blues number 14 to lash the ball over the bar. Despite the Harrier's continued pressure and further opportunities to break the deadlock from a number of set pieces they were unable to find the break through and were left frustrated as the two teams went in level at half time.
The Blues continued to dictate the game as the second half settled down into the same rhythm as the first with the visitors constantly probing to find the opening goal. The Harriers thought they'd finally taken the lead after 55 minutes; Ben latched onto a through ball in the inside right before taking the ball on and placing a clinical lob over the advancing goalkeeper with his weaker right foot. However the Blues' celebrations were cut short as the linesman raised a late flag and the referee awarded the free kick, much to the dismay of the Chingford faithful. The Harriers finally got the reward for all their pressure on 66 minutes. Chris floated a long throw into the St Francis box where Nick beat the keeper to ball, his flick on to the back post found Paul unmarked who made no mistake as he headed the ball home. With the Blues finally making they break through they also made a change with Dan replacing Edwin. Not long after the Blues doubled their lead and this time Ben did get on the score sheet, doing so in some style. Ben picked up the ball before turning and trading passes with Dan, the substitute's return ball sat up invitingly for Ben and he unleashed a devastating volley from almost all of 30 yards. The ball dipped and swerved before beating the keeper, crashing in off the underside of the bar to give Ben his eleventh goal of the season. With the away side comfortably controlling the game and heading for the three points James replaced Adam, however the home side were handed a lifeline minutes later through the award of a very harsh penalty. A long throw into the Blues' box found a St Francis forward who flicked on the ball only for it to strike Chris' hand; despite his hand being at his side and making no movement towards the ball the referee awarded the spot kick which was converted with 80 minutes played. The potential for a nervy last ten minutes was quickly extinguished as Ben picked up his second of the afternoon, tapping home from close range after a defender deflected a cross into his path. Ben's 12th of the season takes him two goals clear of Edwin and Nick for the season. Following the goal and Blues saw out the remainder of the game to secure the points, next up for the Harriers is a double header against Singh Sabha Barking in the league before the Spartak Cup Final on April 13th.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand (James Wright 84), Alex Diner, Chris Amor, Dave Birchnall, Paul Shawyer, Nick Shawyer(c), James Gladwin, Jamie Henshaw, Edwin Jabbari (Daniel Denton 69), Ben Stone.
Goals: P.Shawyer (66), Stone (72,82)
26th March 2011 - League Match
Ryan Reserves 0 - 3 Chingford Harriers (Default Win)
19th March 2011 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 4 - 4 FC Golazo
The Harriers had to settle for just a point after squandering a 3-0 half time lead against fellow Spartak Cup finalists FC Golazo in a gripping league encounter. The Blues will no doubt rue missing the opportunity to not only pick up the three points but also the chance to cut the gap between the sides in the league, whilst laying down a marker for the April 13th show piece. The Blues were ultimately denied the victory courtesy of a late penalty and will now look to build momentum climb the league table over the next three weeks in the lead up to the final, where they will hope to pick up the club's first piece of silverware.
Adam was the only absentee for this home encounter with current title contenders FC Golazo, with the Blues looking to reverse the 3-2 defeat they suffered earlier in the season. Of course both teams were keen to make a statement with the Spartak Cup Final drawing ever closer but it was league points that were on offer and important to both sides for different reasons. It proved to be the Harriers who were the quickest out of the blocks and went about creating early pressure which told with just seven minutes played. Lefty drove forward from the centre of the park before releasing Jamie down the left flank. Jamie showed some good control before nut-megging the defender and cutting into the box, he ignored the support available before driving a shot in past keeper at his near post for his 4th of the season to make it 1-0 to the Blues. The Harriers continued to look the more dangerous of the two teams going forward despite some decent possession from the away side and Jamie doubled his tally for the day and the Blues lead with 20 minutes played. Lefty was again involved as he tried to release Jamie however this time the pass was over hit which allowed the defender to collect the ball. With Jamie closing down the defender, he looked for his keeper only to under hit his back pass which allowed Jamie to get to the ball first and poke past the Golazo keeper and into the net. With the Harriers' defence largely untroubled things got even better for the home side just after the half hour mark and it was the influential Lefty who got the goal; curling a 25 yard free kick into the bottom corner of the net although the keeper will be disappointed not to have done better. The Blues were cruising at this point but were given a wake up call with a little under 10 minutes till the break. Under pressure from the Golazo striker Scott was unable to hold onto the ball which lead to Alex hacking down the player and resulting in a penalty. Having been largely a spectator for the first 35 minutes Scott could do nothing as the penalty taker sent him the wrong way, fortunately for the Blues the ball came back off the post and was cleared to safety. The teams eventually went in at half time with the score still at 3-0 with the Harriers very content with a commanding first half performance.
The Blues knew if they could control the opening encounters of the second half they could guarantee the points, unfortunately for the home side the visitors had grabbed a life line within ten minutes of the restart. With the Harriers playing against the sun in the second period, a long diagonal ball over the top was difficult for Luke to deal with as it dropped over his head and was hit first time on the volley by the Golazo striker. Scott was able to turn the effort around the post but from the resulting corner the visitors got on the score sheet as the driven cross was turned in at the back post. The goal lifted the away side and they were rampant in grabbing a second with 60 minutes gone. The Blues defence were unable to clear their lines and before a challenge could be put in the Golazo player dispatched the ball from the edge of the area; Scott found himself rooted and could only watch as the ball went in off the post. The scores were almost level minutes later as the away side pushed forward, Scott was forced into a one-on-one save in the area and could only scramble to try and cover the rebound as the Golazo striker arrived on the edge of the area only for effort to clip the bar. With the Blues very much under the kosh they made a change as Ben came on to replace Edwin but the scores were levelled up with 20 minutes still to play. A high ball into the box was not dealt with properly in the Blues area and the ball dropped to the Golazo striker who lashed the ball home on the turn from 10 yards. Despite a storming come back from the visitors they were beginning to tire and the Harriers set about upping the tempo which saw to them retake the lead with 13 minutes remaining. Lefty provided the perfect delivery from a corner which found Nick unmarked, nodding home for his tenth goal of the season. That proved to be Lefty's last contribution as Dan came onto replace him and he quickly linked up well with Ben as the Blues looked to kill off the game. The home side were almost pegged back with 5 minutes remaining when a the ball looped into the air following Mitchell's block but Scott was able to push the ball to safety. Unfortunately it was the Blues keeper who cost the home side all three points with just two minutes of normal time remaining, he was adjudged to have impeded a Golazo player just inside the box and was unable to make up for his mistake as the penalty was converted. Despite chances for both sides in the final minutes including an opportunity for Ben which was well saved by the visiting keeper, the game ended with the points shared much to the Harriers disappointment.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Mitchell Goodwin, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Paul Shawyer, Chris Amor, Nick Shawyer(c), James Gladwin (Daniel Denton 78), Dave Birchnall, Edwin Jabbari (Ben Stone 65), Jamie Henshaw.
Goals: Henshaw (7, 19), Gladwin (31), N.Shawyer (77)
12th March 2011 - League Match
Enfield Elite 5 - 1 Chingford Harriers
The Blues slipped to their heaviest defeat of the season away to table topping Enfield Elite as their in different league form continued. The Enfield side exacted some measure of revenge for the Harrier's 6-2 victory over Elite early in the season as they outlined their title credentials. The Harriers will now look to pick themselves up against title chasing FC Golazo next week as they attempt to keep their faint hopes of promotion alive. The game will be made all the more important as both teams will be keen to lay down a marker for the Spartak Cup Final on April 13th.
The Blues were without James.W and Dan for this clash but otherwise boasted a full squad with Jamie partnering leader scorer Edwin up front. The home side have been in imperious form in the league but had suffered an identical fate to Blues the previous week as they went down 4-3 to Premier League high flyers Supreme Athletic in the Fenton Cup. Whilst five places separates the teams in the league you would have been hard pressed to pick the team sitting top of the table in the opening exchanges, in fact the Blues were arguably the better side in the first 15 minutes as they pegged the home side back inside their own half. Whilst the Blues created a number of half chances from set pieces, it was the home side who created the first clear cut chance of the game as a through ball carved open the Harriers defence. With the Blues backline pushed up towards the half way line, the through ball released the Enfield number ten down the right flank who was able to out pace Adam and cut in towards the box. As the Enfield right winger entered the Blues penalty area he was quickly confronted by Scott who was on hand to make a good one on one save. As the half progressed the home side began to see more possession in midfield and with the Blues sitting deeper Elite were able to exert more pressure on the Blues through a succession of corners and attacks from wide areas. However, with the half coming to a close and the Harrier's backline holding firm it was an error from the Blues keeper that handed the home side the initiative. The Enfield right winger carried the ball to the bye line before crossing straight at Scott who thumbled a routine catch, allowing the Enfield striker to react quickest to nod into the net despite Alex's attempts to clear the ball off the line.
The Harriers were disappointed to be a goal down at half time following a strong display in the first half, however with clear cut chances at a premium in the first 45 minutes they would need to create more to get back into the game. Unfortunately for the Blues some sloppy defending meant it was the home some stride who struck again with just five minutes gone in the second period; as a corner managed to beat both Lefty and Adam at the near post and find the net. There was no let up for the Blues as the home side grew in confidence and quickly made it 3-0 and all but secured the points before the 60 minute mark. Scott will again feel he should have done better when the Enfield number 10 tried his luck from 30 yards with the Blues keeper off his line. Scott was unable to hold the ball and the spill lead to a Enfield striker gratefully tapping home the rebound from 4 yards. A further blow saw the ever dependable Alex replaced by Korosec after struggling with a hamstring strain, this saw Mitchell slot into the defence and Korosec taking his place in midfield. Shortly after Edwin also saw his afternoon cut short due to an ankle injury with Ben coming on to lead the line alongside Jamie and it was the substitute who gave the Harriers late hope with a strike on 76 minutes. Ben chased down a loose ball following some confusion in the Enfield defence and beat the home keeper to the ball to head the ball into the net before the two collided on the penalty spot. That goal takes Ben's tally to 10 this term and maintains the Blue's record of scoring in every game this season. The Harriers pushed forward in attempt to find a second goal to make the last ten minutes difficult for Enfield but instead it was the home side who were able to kill off the game on the break. A simple diagonal long ball found the Blues defence high up the pitch and left the Enfield substitute to run clear of Mitchell and slot the ball through Scott's legs. Chris replaced Mitchell for the final ten minutes and the home side were able to add a fifth before the end with the best goal of the game when some neat one touch passing in the Blues areas led to the Enfield number 10 slotting past Scott from close range. Despite a deserved three points the final score rather flattered the league leaders and the Blues will look to cut out the sloppy defending for the end of season run in.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Alex Diner (James Korosec 60), Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, James Gladwin, Nick Shawyer(c), Mitchell Goodwin (Chris Amor 79), Paul Shawyer, Edwin Jabbari (Ben Stone 64), Jamie Henshaw.
Goals: Stone (76)
5th March 2011 - Spartak Cup Semi-Final
Singh Sabha Barking 1 - 2 Chingford Harriers
The Harriers progressed to their second cup final in as many seasons after seeing off Singh Sabha Barking in a hard fought semi final encounter. Whilst this proved to be Barking's first and last game in the competition, the Blues came through their third tie to set up a Spartak Cup Final against FC Golazo with the venue and date for the tie yet to be confirmed. The Blues will now look to build momentum for the final through their league form, with a key league fixture at home against FC Golazo in two weeks time.
The Harriers went into the match with almost a full compliment of players with only Mitchell missing from the squad; however Nick had to take on added responsibility with the manager waiting anxiously for news of the result in Athens. The Harriers played some superb football in last weeks loss to United Borough and started the game in much the same vein; taking control of proceedings early on as they dominated possession. Despite early pressure the Blues almost went behind against the run of play, as a Barking counter attack highlighted their attacking potential. A Harriers attack fell apart and the home side broke quickly with the Blues caught playing a high line, a through ball from midfield released the Barking striker who moved into the area. Alex tracked back well to put pressure on the striker but was unable to stop him getting a shot away which Scott was able to push behind for a corner. After a further sustained period of pressure the Harriers finally got the breakthrough they deserved after twenty minutes. A swift move down the Blues left led to a deflected cross dropping to Edwin at the back post who unleashed a goal bound left foot volley, despite the best efforts of the nearest defender his attempted block was unable to stop the ball from finding the back of the net. That strike takes Edwin's tally to ten for the season and puts him one ahead of Nick and Ben as the clubs top scorer. Whilst the Blues were in the ascendancy, the home side did force a number of set pieces with Adam and Paul in the right place at the right time to clear danger off the line. The Harriers continued to boss the midfield and whilst in the past the Blues have been guilty of not making the most of their dominance, this time they found a second goal before the half time interval. The Barking defence were only able to half clear a ball into the box; only for the ball to drop to Chris on the edge of the area who was clinical in smashing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The Blues pushed for a game killing third goal but were unable to create anymore clear openings before the end of the first half.
If the first half saw the Harriers dominate proceedings, the second half would turn out to be the complete opposite. The composure and possession which the Harriers had shown in abundance in the first half seemed to desert them whilst Barking grew in confidence and began to dominate the game. With the home side keeping better possession in the middle of the park the Harriers began to sit deeper with the majority of play taking place in the Blues half. Despite some strong performances in the Harriers defence, the home side started to create a number of good chances. First a corner slipped past Adam at the near post, Scott was able to clear the ball off the line before diverting the ball away from one Barking player and following up to make a point blank save from another. With 35 minutes remaining the Harriers replaced Dan with Jamie, slotting in on the right wing. Not long after Scott again had to be called into action; first making a smart save with his feet following some neat Barking passing in the Harriers box, then a pull back from the bye line picked out a home player only for his shot to be smothered by the Blues number one. With time running out the home side continued to push forward, allowing the Blues several opportunities to break forward but without creating any clear cut openings. Ben provided fresh legs on 71 minutes, replacing Lefty who had performed well on his return to the starting line up. The next Barking attack almost provided a life line when the ball dropped on the edge of the Blues area from a cross into the box, the Barking attacker's half volley left Scott rooted only for it to clip the outside of the post and go out for a goal kick. However just minutes later the home side got the reward they deserved for all their pressure on seventy five minutes; a cross from the left found the Barking substitute free in the box and his header left Scott with no chance as it found the back of the net. The home side pushed desperately for an equaliser in the final ten minutes but the Blues defence stood firm as they restricted the home side to just several half chances. The last opportunity for the home side came in the final minute when they were awarded a dubious corner, the delivery was good but Scott came to push the ball clear of danger, taking out the Barking captain in the process. A final clearance into the Barking half saw the referee bring the game to an end confirming a relieved Harriers place in the Spartak Final! Congratulations to all the players!
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Luke Paskell, Alex Diner, Dave Birchnall, Paul Shawyer, James Gladwin (Ben Stone 71), Nick Shawyer(c), Chris Amor, Daniel Denton (Jamie Henshaw 56), Edwin Jabbari.
Goals: Jabbari (21), Amor (35)
26th February 2011 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 1 - 3 United Borough
United Borough brought the Blues unbeaten home record to an end as they completed a league double over the Harriers. The result sees United Borough leap frog the Harriers into fourth, and whilst the away side took all three points it was very much a smash and grab victory which left the Blues wondering how they did not take something from the game. The Harriers will now find it very tough to stage any type of promotion push and will realistically need maximum points from their remaining 8 games to have any chance of catching Enfield Elite and FC Golazo who currently told the top two league positions.
The two teams went into the game with just a point separating them; the Harriers went into the game without Chris, Jamie and for the first time this season James Korosec, however the Blues welcomed back Lefty who started proceedings from the bench. The game marked the start of a crucial run in for the Harriers and they were quick out the blocks to instantly take control of the game in the opening stages. The Blues kept good possession with some easy on eye passing and created a trio of chances in quick succession for the clubs joint leading scorer Edwin in the opening 15 minutes. First Mitchell played a delightful through ball to Edwin who found managed to get away from the last defender before rattling a shot against the post. Minutes later the always dangerous Paul showed some lovely close control and trickery before firing a cut back across the box only for Edwin to side foot a couple of yards wide. The cross came quick but Edwin will be disappointed not to have tucked the opportunity away. Finally another quality diagonal through ball from Mitchell released Edwin and despite the attentions of the defender Edwin still managed to carry the ball before hitting the target. This time the keeper made a smart save at his near post, pushing the ball behind for a corner with an outstretch foot. It seemed like just a matter of time before the Harriers would break the deadlock, then with just over twenty minutes gone Borough took the lead against the run of play. A long clearance from the United Borough defence saw the striker win a good headed flick on for the left winger who had drifted central to collect the knock down. The winger took a touch before deciding to shoot early, lofting a strike over Scott from 30 yards with the Blues keeper well off his line to put the away side 1-0 ahead. A shell shocked Harriers lost their composure in following five minutes as Borough began to run proceedings but soon enough the Harriers began to take back the initiative, as a number of set pieces put the pressure back on the visitors. Despite a barrage of half chances the Harriers still found themselves a goal down come the half time whistle.
The Blues went into the second half with plenty of belief and the game picked up where it left off with the Harriers attempting to force the issue whilst defending resolutely against Borough's continued threat from long throws. It would eventually be the Harriers skipper to even the score just before the hour mark. A cross the from the left was only half cleared to the edge of the box where Nick met the ball sweetly with his weaker left foot; sending a volley into the bottom corner of the net to bring him level with Edwin and Ben on nine goals for the season. With the Blues buoyed by the equaliser they pushed forward looking for a second as they continued to look the more dangerous of the two sides. However with just over twenty minutes to go a contentious refereeing decision led to a sucker punch for the Harriers. Alex challenged for a loose ball in the middle of the Blues half; as he attempted to head the ball clear a high foot connected with Alex's head. The Blues players looked to the referee to stop the game but a whistle was not forthcoming; with the Harriers not playing to the whistle the Borough attacker picked up the ball and raced clear to slot past Scott one on one. The Blues reacted to this by replacing Dan with the returning Lefty who slotted in on the left wing, bringing Paul to the right of midfield. The Blues continued to play the more impressive football and increasingly began to push more bodies forward looking for an equaliser, creating pressure through a number of set pieces. With the Harriers gambling spaces opened up all over the pitch and the away side sealed the points with a break away goal 7 minutes from time. The ball broke in the centre of the park before being spread to the right wing; the Borough attacker advanced towards the bye line before fizzing a cross into the box to find an unmarked team mate who slotted home from close range. A deflated Harriers continued to fight in the final exchanges but were unable to find a life line in the final minutes and eventually the final whistle brought an end to proceedings. Despite the score line the Blues can take plenty of comfort in their display and must take the positives into next weeks massive Spartak Cup Semi Final against Singh Sabha Barking.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Dave Birchnall, Luke Paskell, Alex Diner, Adam Ferdinand, Daniel Denton (James Gladwin 71), Nick Shawyer(c), Mitchell Goodwin, Paul Shawyer, Edwin Jabbari, Ben Stone.
Goals: N.Shawyer (57)
12th February 2011 - League Match
Chingford Athletic Reserves 1 - 1 Chingford Harriers
The Harriers missed out on the opportunity to bag a league double over their local rivals as they came away from the MET Police ground with just a point following a closely contested 1-1 draw. With league rivals FC Golazo and Enfield Elite both picking up three points at the weekend the Blues slip back into third in the division but with games against both teams to come the Blues will be hoping to narrow the gap.
The Harriers travelled to their local rivals with a strong squad with only Mitchell and Lefty unavailable; however encouraging news from the treatment room suggests Lefty will be available for the next game in the 14 days at home to United Borough. The Blues went into the game off the back of a mini-revival in form and took command of the game early on, playing some of their best football of the campaign on a difficult surface with some neat passing in midfield. After forcing a number of half chances from set pieces the Blues eventually got the reward for their efforts with just under twenty minutes gone. Some flowing football down the Harriers right lead to Nick picking up the ball right of centre, just outside the Athletic box. He looked up before clipping a delicate ball into the path of Edwin's run into the box; with no defender tracking the Blues striker Edwin was able to beat the Athletic keeper to the ball before poking home at the second time of asking, giving the Harriers a deserved lead. The visitors were well and truly on top but the Blues wasted two golden opportunities to increase their lead before the break. Another well constructed passing move released Paul into the home side's box, his effort beat the keeper only for it to come back off the post and Harriers failed to convert the opportunity from the rebound. Minutes later the Harriers faithful were again disappointed; Edwin's corner was met at the near post by Alex, who having lost his marker failed to hit the target. With the Harriers unable to take further advantage of their dominance in opening half hour, the home side began to come back into the game before the interval and reminded the Blues of their quality. The Athletic number 14 had shown glimpses of his ability in the opening exchanges and almost brought the home side level. Picking up the ball on the right flank he proceeded to beat two defenders with a strong run into the box. Scott came out to close down the forward's angle but he still managed to place a curled effort around the Blues keeper only for it to come back off the left hand post. Before the teams went in for their half time team talks Athletic were again close to finding a leveller; following a long throw into the Harriers box Scott had to be at full stretch to tip a looping header around the post.
With the Harriers holding a narrow lead at the break, it was clear that the next goal would be crucial and the Blues would need to again up the tempo to keep Athletic on the fringes of the game. However as the second period began Athletic continued to grow into the game which made for a much tighter affair and the home side began to force the issue with a number of set pieces. The Harriers made a swap with half an hour remaining as Jamie replaced Dan on the right, five minutes later the Blues found themselves pegged back. The Athletic striker latched onto a long ball over the top of the Blues defence, beating Scott to the ball on the edge of the box. With Scott stranded the Athletic top scorer kept his head and calmly slotted the ball past Luke who was attempting to cover on the line. Despite the set back the Harriers continued to play their football and press for another opening; the game became much more open as both teams looked for a winning goal. With a quarter of an hour remaining Ben replaced Edwin who had held the ball up well all game, with Ben hoping to add to his tally of 9 goals for the season. The Blues managed to restrict the home team to a number of long range efforts which failed to hit the target in the closing stages, meanwhile the Harriers created a number of attacking set pieces in the final ten minutes. The best opportunity fell to an unmarked Jamie at the back post following a flick on from a corner, only for the Harriers number 9 to lash the ball over the bar. Ben may have had an even better opportunity to win the game in the last few minutes when Nick slid a ball in behind the home side's back line, however he was flagged narrowly offside. The referee brought proceedings to a close with a draw on balance a fair result for both teams. The Harriers now have a week rest before a run of four games that will go a long way to defining their season, first up the Harriers will entertain United Borough at Low Hall Farm on February 26th.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Luke Paskell, Alex Diner, Dave Birchnall, Paul Shawyer, Chris Amor, James Korosec, Nick Shawyer(c), Daniel Denton (Jamie Henshaw 59), Edwin Jabbari (Ben Stone 74).
Goals: Jabbari (19)
5th February 2011 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 5 - 1 Trelawny
Following last weeks epic Spartak Cup Quarter Final, the Harriers made much lighter work of Trelawny in this home league fixture as they ran out 5-1 winners. The Blues ended a four match run without a league victory; they now find themselves on 20 points and in second place in the table at the mid way point in the league season. The Blues jump back into the promotion places comes as a result on Enfield Elite's 3-2 victory over title chasing rivals FC Golazo; the Harriers will now need to put together a run of good form to have any chance of hunting down the leaders who could open up a 7 point gap with their two games in hand.
The Blues went into the game with a much healthier looking squad than had been the case in recent weeks; with James.W, Dan, Dave and the returning Jamie all lining up on the bench despite recent injury worries, only Lefty remained unavailable for selection. The two teams played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the season and following last weeks encounter the Blues were under no illusions, nothing less than a quality, committed performance would do if they were to take all three points. This was brought into sharp focus in the opening exchanges as the two teams picked up where they left off the previous week. Trelawny were the team to put the pressure on early as they developed a number of neat moves in and around the Harriers box, however it was the windy conditions that contributed to their first clear cut opportunity. A long route one ball into the wind was a nightmare for the Blues backline to deal with and Alex was unlucky to see a header rebound off a team mate into the path of one of the visiting strikers. Scott intervened to make the initial block only for the ball to fall at the feet of the Trelawny number 10 with the goal at his mercy. However Alex had recovered sufficiently to track back towards the goal line and make a heroic goal line block from the Trelawny forward. The visitors again should have taken the lead after 15 minutes when the usually assured Adam mis-controlled a pass and allowed the Trelawny forward to outpace him as he chased down the ball. The striker advanced to the edge of Blues area before trying to slot past Scott who had advanced to narrow the angle; the Blues faithful were relieved to see Scott gather and score re-main 0-0. The Harriers were playing some good football in the centre of the park and were beginning to test the visitors down the channels but still rode their luck at the back as Scott again kept the scores level following a close range effort from a Trelawny corner. Despite the visotrs chances, the Harriers were celebrating on the half hour as a family connection lead to the opener. Chris' long throw into the box from the Blues left found Nick who flicked on to the back post where brother Paul was waiting to stab home for his third goal of the season. The Blues were delighted to find themselves a goal to the good as they continued to play with the wind against them in the first half and were almost in dreamland before the break. A through ball released Edwin who brushed the side the attentions of the defender before lashing a half volley over the advancing keeper only for it to bounce back off the bar. The Harriers protected their lead for the final minutes of the half before the first 45 came to an end with the score 1-0 to the home side.
The Blues came out in the second half with the wind in their favour and it didnt take them long to open up a two goal lead. Another long throw into the box again saw Nick meet the ball but this time he hit target, the keeper proceeded to spill the ball and Edwin was there to tap home for an easy second for the Harriers. The visitors began to crumble as the Harriers took a firm grip on the game and the Blues were ruthless in putting the game to bed. Following a foul on Adam just inside the Blues half Luke stepped up to send a ball into the opposition box, however with the wind on his side the ball flew over those waiting on the edge of the box and over the keeper's head into the net! Having announced he was going for goal before the kick was taken, you have to give credit to the player for opening his account for the season in some style. With the Blues now comfortably in control they looked dangerous every time they went forward and they were four up before the 60 minute mark. The ball was played into Edwin's feet who held the ball before turning his marker and playing a diagonal ball from left to right to Ben breaking through on the inside. The Trelawny defenders all stopped for a flag that never came and could only watch as he slotted past the keeper for his 9th of the season, re-establishing himself as the clubs leading scorer this year. Not long after Edwin grabbed his 8th of the campaign and 20th career goal for Blues, after latching onto a through ball from Mitchell he took the ball under control and slotted past the helpless keeper with the away defence again static. With the Blues 5-0 up the game took a turn for the worse on 67 minutes, with the visiors going down to 10 men as their striker saw red for abusive langauge towards the referee. There then followed a lengthy pause in play as the sent off player refused to leave the field of play, eventually proceedings got back under way. With the points won and the red card incident hanging over the game, the remainder of the game saw little incident apart from a consolation for Trelawny on 78 minutes. Scott called early for a route one ball over the top of the Blues defence but misjudged the length of the ball which was going against the wind, dropping short of the penalty area. With Scott in no-mans land the Trelawny forward was able to roll the ball past him into the net to make the score 5-1. Despite a few half chances in the final ten minutes the score remained the same at the end of the 90 minutes with the Harriers taking all three points. The Blues will now look to continue to improve their league form in next weeks Chingford Derby away at Chingford Athletic's MET Police Ground in Chigwell.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, James Korosec, Chris Amor (Daniel Denton 65), Mitchell Goodwin, Nick Shawyer(c), Paul Shawyer, Ben Stone (James Wright 74), Edwin Jabbari.
Goals: P.Shawyer (29), Jabbari (46,65) , Paskell (51), Stone (58)
29th January 2011 - Spartak Cup Quarter Final
Trelawny 2 aet 2 Chingford Harriers (4-5 on Penalties)
The Harriers showed tremendous fighting spirit to eventually come through an enthralling tie; seeing off Trelawny on penalties to advance to the Semi-Finals of the Spartak Cup. Despite a mediocre performance the Blues responded admirably to late Trelawny strikes in both normal and extra time, forcing penalties before finally sinking the determined Leytonstone side. The Harriers will face Singh Sabha Barking in the Semi-Final (who have yet to play a game in the competition) but can't shift their attention from Trelawny just yet. The two teams will meet again for the final time this season next week in the return League fixture at Low Hall Farm; The Harriers will be looking to improve on the 2-2 away draw as they attempt to revive their league form. In league action, the Harriers local rivals Chingford Athletic Reserves did them a favour by beating United Borough.
The Harriers went into the game with a number of injury worries; Lefty, Jamie, Dan and James.W were all sidelined, whilst there were concerns over the fitness of Dave and Adam. However positives for the Blues saw Paul ready to return to the starting line up after his return from injury as a substitute in last weeks loss to FC Golazo, whilst joint leading scorer Ben returned after a weeks absence. The Blues were unusually flat early on and despite the fantastic playing surface failed to get the ball down on the deck and gave the ball away needlessly on several occasions. In contrast Trelawny were busy all over the pitch and initially bossed the game in the opening 15 minutes creating a number of half chances from set pieces and long range efforts but without troubling Scott in the Blues goal. The Harriers eventually came more into the game around the 20 minute mark and Ben was guilty of failing to hit the target on two occasions following some neat build up play. Despite Luke and Alex looking assured as ever at the heart of the Blues defence, Trelawny carved over a clear opportunity before the half hour with a ball crossed in low from the home side's right flank. The striker found a yard of space but again failed to test Scott putting his effort high and wide. The Harriers continued to battle their way into the game, making up for a lack of their usual flowing football with grit in the centre of the park, with their main threat coming form set pieces which almost brought reward on 35 minutes. A free kick was awarded just inside the Trelawny half which Luke expertly delivered into the box and following the initial flick on Mitchell was unlucky to see and inventive back header clip the bar on it's way out for a goal kick. Neither side carved out another opportunity of note before the break and the Blues came in frustrated with a stop/start 45 minutes behind them; however they were fortunate Trelawny had not been more clinical in front of goal.
The Harriers clearly needed to up their intensity to take a strangle hold of the tie but a shift in the game dynamics was not forthcoming in early stages of the second half, with the Blues continuing to find themselves unable to dominate possession. The reaction from the sideline was to push Paul on from left back to midfield with Korosec dropping into a more unfamiliar position at left back. The switch seemed to pay off with Paul helping to galvanise the midfield as the Harriers began to play their best football of the match with a number of slick passing moves. One such move lead to Trelawny keeper finding himself on the edge in no man land after failing to deal with a ball in to the box. With the ball falling to Edwin, he attempted to lob the keeper on the half volley but failed to get the right contact allowing the Trelawny stopper to recover easily. The home side continued to threaten from a number of corners and attacking free kicks but were still unable to work Scott in the Harriers' goal, that changed with 87 minutes gone. For the first time in the match the Blues back line were unable to effectively clear their lines following a cross from the right. The ball fell to a Trelawny forward just inside the Harriers box who fired a fierce half volley past Scott at his near post on the angle. Many a Harriers' fan may have thought this would end the Blues' chances of reaching a second cup final in as many years; however just a minute later the Harriers hit back. The Blues got themselves a throw in almost level with the home side's penalty box on the left flank; Korosec wound up for a long throw which caused panic in the box. A defender was only able to half clear the ball which dropped to Paul who lashed the ball home from a central position 8 yards out. The remaining minutes passed without incident taking the tie into extra time.
Extra time in many ways mirrored the 90 minutes; with the two teams making use of the gaps opening as legs began to tire but without ever seriously troubling the opposing keeper in the first half. Before the second half of extra time got under way the Blues made their only available change; with Adam coming on to replace Ben to inject some impetus in the final 15 minutes. However it was Trelawny who thought they had snatched victory with 6 minutes remaining. An over hit cross from the home sides' right back evaded Scott only for it to come back off the bar, rebounding to a Trelawny forward 8 yards out who lashed the ball into the net on the half volley leaving Scott no chance with the Blues defence no where to be seen. The Harriers almost repeated their early comeback trick just two minutes later when they finally put together a move of real quality. A set piece into the box saw Mitchell lay an intelligent cushioned header into the path of an onrushing Alex who attempted to place a volley into the top corner from no more than 8 yards out. Hands were on heads a few seconds later as Alex was denied a goal his performance really deserved as the ball hit the bar and went behind. With such a clear cut opportunity to force penalties gone the Blues did not let their heads drop and eventually found a reward with a minute remaining. All eleven Harriers players packed the box for a Korosec long throw, Alex won the initial flick on and Nick got up to send a second header towards the top corner. The Trelawny defender's attempt to head the ball clear only proceeded to rocket the ball into the net sparking wild celebrations from the Blues who saw out the final minute of play as the game went to penalties.
With the penalty takers decided it was Trelawny who would step up to take the first spot kick; the home Captain took responsibility and was fortunate to see his effort hit the inside of the post before pinging back across the line into the side netting on the opposite side of the goal. It was the Harriers' captain Nick who responded with a cool finish of his own; and the next round saw both penalties converted with Luke burying his effort levelling the score for the Blues. The next penalty turned out to be decisive effort; with the Trelawny player's spot kick heading for the side netting Scott flung himself to his far left to tip the ball on to the post and wide of the target. Mitchell stepped up next to put the Blues 3-2 ahead by sending the Trelawny keeper the wrong way; the scores were made 4-3 going into the last round as Chris kept the Blues' noses in front. The Trelawny player made no mistake with their penalty leaving the final responsibility with Edwin who had the opportunity to win the tie. With all the Harriers holding their breath he stepped up to crash the penalty home and wheel away in celebration before being mobbed by Scott followed by the rest of the squad. The Harriers now look forward to their Semi-Final tie against Singh Sabha Barking and will have designs on another cup final; however the Blues must now ensure they pick up their league form moving into the second half of the season. That starts with a home game against today's opponents next week and whilst Trelawny will be looking for revenge, the Blues must ensure they finally beat the Leytonstone outfit in normal time and take all three points.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Paul Shawyer, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Mitchell Goodwin, James Korosec, Chris Amor, Nick Shawyer(c), Edwin Jabbari, Ben Stone (Adam Ferdinand 105).
Goals: P.Shawyer (88), O.G. (119)
22nd January 2011 - League Match
FC Golazo 3 - 2 Chingford Harriers
The Harriers' failed to build on their cup exploits only a week ago as their poor league form continued with a 3-2 away loss following a tough encounter against FC Golazo. The Blues have now only taken two points from their last four league games and this loss see's them slide to third in the league table whilst all three points send Golazo top of the pile. As the half way point of the season looms the Harriers will need to rediscover the kind of form which saw them win their opening five league fixtures in the second half of the season. Only a good run of form will do if they are to stay in the promotion hunt and keep alive any fading hopes of the league title.
Prior to kick off the Harriers were dealt a major injury blow with Lefty undergoing a minor surgery which could keep him out of action for up to three weeks. The Blues were also without last weeks four goal hero Ben, whilst Dan and Jamie remained unavailable through injury. However one positive for the Harriers was Paul's return to the squad beginning the game from the bench, meanwhile James.W was handed a starting birth at right back. Following last weeks result the Harriers had plenty to be positive about going into this big game and they were handed a golden opportunity to pick up where they left off in the opening minutes. Edwin latched onto a sloppy pass across the Golazo back line; he advanced before attempting to lob the keeper early but dragged the effort horribly wide when he had more time to consider his options. This cost the Harriers on 6 minutes as the home side took the lead. A neat move found the Golazo forward in the box, despite being surrounded by two Blues defender he twist and turned before rifling a shot through the bodies and into the roof of the net from 12 yards. The Harriers reacted well to the early set back and despite a number of niggling fouls began to get a foothold in the game and started to put Golazo under pressure with a number of set pieces. The pressure eventually told on 20 minutes when a long throw from Korosec on the left caused panic in the box, a flick from a defender fell kindly in the box to Alex who lashed a half volley into the net on the turn from 10 yards, bringing the Harriers level with his second goal in a blue shirt. This tipped the momentum in the visitors favour and they were desperately unlucky not to take the lead just minutes after Alex's strike. Edwin chased down a long ball and managed to capitalise on a defenders hesitation; taking the ball on to the edge of the area before lofting an effort over the advancing keeper only for the ball to clip the bar on its way out for a goal kick. The home side took full advantage of this let off as they took complete charge of the game with two goals in 5 minutes. First a hopeful clearance caught out the Blues backline on 31 minutes, Alex's header ran into the path of the Golazo forward who took the ball on before clinically dispatching it low and hard past Scott on the angle. Then just five minutes later the Blues were slow to react after clearing an cross into the box, the ball fell to a Golazo player who let fly from 20 yards with a low driven effort which found the back of the net. Golazo controlled the remainder of the half and the teams went in with the score 3-1 at the break.
The Harriers came out in the second half determined to improve on a below par first half performance and began to show more class as they came more into the game but without creating any clear cut opportunities. With just over 20 minutes left to play the Harriers made a change with James making way for Paul who came on to make his first appearance since late November, this meant Adam slotting into right back with Paul pushing up alongside Edwin. Golazo created several opportunities on the break but consistently overplayed the situation without forcing an effort on goal. The Blues finally got some reward for their efforts at the other end and were handed an opportunity to get a goal back on 78 minutes. Mitchell received the ball just inside the Golazo box with his back to goal only to get a shove in the back from the Golazo defender in close attendance, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Nick stepped up and crashed the penalty into the top corner of the net to give the Harriers hope of getting something from the game. The Blues felt they should have had another penalty in the final five minutes when Nick was bundled over in the area as a corner came in from the right, the referee waved play on as the ball came back to Edwin who lashed a shot wide of the goal. Despite a number of other half chances and set pieces the Harriers could not find an equaliser and the final whistle meant yet more dropped points. The Blues will now look to pick themselves back up again in the Spartak Cup Quarter Final away to Trelawny next week.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, James Wright (Paul Shawyer 68), Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Mitchell Goodwin, James Korosec, Chris Amor, Nick Shawyer(c), Edwin Jabbari, Adam Ferdinand.
Goals: Diner (20), Shawyer (Pen 78)
15th January 2011 - League Match
Ryan Reserves 0 - 7 Chingford Harriers
Despite not having played a game for over a month the Harriers started the New Year in the best possible fashion with a seven goal thrashing of Ryan Reserves in the first round of the Spartak Cup. The Blues recorded the biggest victory in the club's short history and picked up their first clean sheet of the season in the process. The Harriers will now face Trelawny in the Quarter Finals of the competition in two weeks time. Elsewhere in league action the only game of the day saw FC Golazo move to within just a point of the Blues with a game still in hand following a 4-1 away victory over Chingford Athletic Reserves, making next weeks clash with FC Golazo all the more crucial to the Harriers' title hopes.
The Harriers finally welcomed back club captain Nick Shawyer to the starting line up for this cup encounter having missed the last 5 matches with an ankle injury; however the Blues were without the services of Paul, Jamie, Mitchell and Dan. It was obvious both teams had not played a competitive game in over a month in the opening 10 minutes as both sets of players struggled to find any rhythm in their game which was not helped by the windy conditions. However as the game progressed both teams began to get the ball on the deck and play some good football but it was the Blues who began to look the more dangerous, with Nick quickly establishing himself in the middle of the park and starting to pull the strings. As the Harriers pushed forward more and more they began to create openings and Ben was desperately unlucky to see a reaction header from a Lefty cross miss the top corner by a matter of inches. Despite the Blues endeavour the home side almost took the lead with 25 minutes gone when a Ryan forward unleashed a pile driver from 25 yards only for it to cannon back off the bar with Scott beaten. This really brought the game to life and Harriers reacted in devastating fashion scoring 4 goals in a 15 minute period. First some neat inter play between Edwin and Nick released the Blues Captain down the right who eventually clipped an inch perfect cross from near the bye-line into the middle. Ben challenged with the Ryan keeper to cushion a header into the net for his 5th goal of the season and 1st in 5 games. It proved to be the same combination that picked the Ryan defence lock just minutes later, Ben fed Edwin who then cut the Ryan defence open with a ball to Nick down the right who despite the attentions of the Ryan defender sent a first time cross into Ben who got there ahead of the Ryan keeper to stab the ball home from 10 yards. The Harriers were now rampant and two minutes later Edwin got himself on the score sheet in similar fashion, as Korosec advanced deep into the Ryan half and cut the ball back to Edwin who had the easiest of finishes. There proved to be no let up for the Ryan defence and it was another case of deja-vu on 42 minutes. Nick was played in down the right and his cross found Ben who again got there first to beat the keeper from close range to complete a 10 minute hat-trick. That's the way things stayed as the game reached half time and the Harriers already had one foot in the Quarter Finals.
The message at half time for the Blues was to keep concentrating and not give the home side a sniff of a comeback however it was Ryan who created the first real opportunity of the second period. The Ryan forward chased down a lost cause keeping the ball from going out for a Harriers goal kick, he was quickly closed down by Scott but despite blocking the cross Alex still had to make a goal line intervention before clearing the danger. Not long after the Harriers extended their lead. Scott collected the ball in his area and quickly looked to find Nick who had found some space in the Ryan half. Scott's kick evaded Nick only for Edwin to latch onto the ball on the second bounce, out muscling the defender before poking the ball past the keeper for his second goal of the game. With the tie beyond doubt Nick withdrew from the action on 65 minutes following a quality display on his return to the side, handing the armband to Luke to be replaced by James. This saw a slight re-shuffle, Adam who had been faultless at right back pushed into an advanced role in midfield with James dropping into the back four. Ryan had the ball in the net not long after the change when a deflected shot off Luke sneaked in at the near post however the whistle had already gone for offside in the build up. The Blues continued to push for more goals and despite a number of good saves from the Ryan keeper, first from Adam and then from Ben, he was unable to stop the Blues adding to their tally as Ben grabbed a fourth. A quality piece of play from Adam allowed him to slip Chris in down the right hand side of the Ryan box; he cut in and squared to Ben who was again in the right place to tap the ball home for his eight goal of the campaign. Despite the score line, the home side kept their heads up and continued to play their football as they looked for a consolation and they almost found one from a corner, only for a header to be saved on the line by Lefty. The Blues completed the scoring 12 minutes from time, as Ben turned provider, released by a defence splitting ball from Adam down the left Ben sent an excellent half volley cross into the box which Edwin lashed home first time past the keeper to round off a hat-trick of his own. The Harriers could have had another before the end, however Adam failed to bag the goal his performance deserved putting a free header at the back post wide from a Lefty corner. Ryan almost created one more opportunity for a consolation before the final whistle as their forward latched onto a through ball but as had been the story all afternoon Alex was there to put in a fine last ditch challenge. The final whistle confirmed the Blues return to winning ways after a three match run without a win, the Harriers first clean sheet of the season and biggest goal haul in their history will give them no limit of confidence going into next weeks huge league game against FC Golazo.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Dave Birchnall, Luke Paskell, Alex Diner, Adam Ferdinand, Nick Shawyer(c) (James Wright 65), James Korosec, Chris Amor, James Gladwin, Edwin Jabbari, Ben Stone.
Goals: Stone (33, 37, 42, 70), Jabbari (39, 61, 78)
11th December 2010 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 1 - 1 St Francis Reserves
The Harriers dropped their first home points of the season and slipped to second in Division 1 as they were unable to take all three points from the league's bottom side St Francis Reserves. St Francis followed up their first points of the season (a 3-1 win over United Borough) by grinding out a point against a disappointing Harriers. The blues have now gone three league games with out a win and find themselves a point behind Enfield Elite who put Ryan Reserves to the sword 5-1 at the weekend.
The blues recent personnel problems persisted going into the game with Mitchell and Jamie unavailable and both Shawyers out through injury, however Luke returned alongside Alex at the heart of the Harriers' defence. As a result of last weeks Spartak Cup postponement the blues went into the game off the back of a two week break and it was in evidence on the pitch as the Harriers displayed a certain amount of rustiness. It could have cost Harriers early on when the Saints forward latched on to a long through ball, under the attentions of the blues backline he got a shot off from the inside right of the penalty box which Scott tipped round the post. Having survived the early scare, the blues thought they had taken the lead with 10 minutes gone when Korosec's long throw was headed into the net by an unmarked Amor. The Harriers celebrations were cut short as the referee disallowed the goal despite no complaints from the Saints players, indicating that Ben had been penalised for pushing much to his disbelief. Ben had a golden opportunity to make up for the infringement not long after when Chris was slipped in down the right, taking the ball to the bye-line on the edge of the box before cutting a pint point cross back to Ben who found himself unmarked in the middle no more than 8 yards out. Ben got up only to heads the ball narrowly over the bar. Despite not playing to their usual standards the blues were still dominating the majority of possession with Korosec working hard in the centre to break up the St Francis moves and the Harriers were looking the more dangerous going forward as they carved out a number of half chances through Lefty and Edwin without seriously testing the Saints keeper. The Harriers defence were largely untroubled at the back but were fortunate to see a long throw into the box go straight into the net on 35 minutes at the backpost without any touch, only resulting in a goal kick. With 40 minutes gone the Blues were forced into using their only substitute as Dan was unable to shake off a knock following a heavy challenge; James.W replaced him making only his second appearance for the Harriers. This triggered a slight re-shuffle with Adam, who had again been impressive filling in at left back moving to right midfield and James slotting into the defence. The blues continued to push following the change but found no joy before the half time break.
With a clear need to up their game the Harriers started the second half in a much stronger fashion and dominated the opening 15 minutes of the second half putting constant pressure on the Saints backline but again clear cut chances were not in evidence despite a number of corners and attacking set pieces. Following a good passage of possesion the Blues were stunned as the league's basement side took the lead with 60 minutes gone. St Francis broke forward and eventually the ball fell to the Saints striker just outside the box, he worked enough space to get off a curling effort which Scott struggled to get to and despite getting a hand to it, only did enough to push the ball into the top corner of the net. The goal was harsh on the Harriers defenders who had performed resolutely and looked good value to pick up their first clean sheet of the season. However despite the set back the blues regrouped quickly and with 20 minutes to go they found an equaliser. Lefty's corner from the Harriers' right was met on the run by Korosec who got infront of his marker and rifled a low shot towards goal from 12 yards, despite an attempted block on the line the ball found the back of the net to draw the teams level and give Korosec his first goal in a Harriers shirt. With this boost the blues pushed for a winner and carved out two big opportunities alongside a number of attacking set pieces. The first came after Adam did brilliantly to win a flick on in the box, the ball fell to Ben who took the opportunity early with ball slightly on the up, sending a right footed half volley narrowly over the bar on the angle. As the blues piled on the pressure they almost found the winner with just 5 minutes left, the ball into the box found Korosec who despite being off balance got a shot away which looped and curled over the keeper only to come back off the angle of post and cross bar. The Saints put men behind the ball and defended doggedly in the final minutes eventually securing a point come full time. The Harriers will be disappointed with their current run of form but have the perfect opportunity to pick themselves up and end the year on a high when they travel to current table toppers Enfield Elite next week. If the Blues can return to winning ways and complete a league double by replicating the home victory over Elite from early in the season they will league frog Enfield and head into 2011 top of the league.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Alex Diner(c), Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Chris Amor, James Korosec, James Gladwin, Daniel Denton (James Wright 40), Edwin Jabbari, Ben Stone.
Goals: Korosec (71)
20th November 2010 - League Match
Trelawny 2 - 2 Chingford Harriers
The Harriers had to settle for just a point away aginast Trelawny after they were denied all three by a freak last gasp goal. With the score 2-1 at the break, it looked as though a gritty second half display from the visitors would be enough to see the Blues return to winning ways but an equaliser came with almost the last kick of the game. The Harriers remain top of Division 1 but United Borough, Enfield Elite and FC Golazo all have games in hand which could see them leap frog the Blues.
The Harriers were without injured pair Chris and Nick whilst regular centre back Luke was unvailable, the Blues did however welcome back Jamie who started as part of a front three alongside Ben and Edwin. Despite a number of players finding themselves in unfamiliar positions the Harriers were quick to find their rhythm and went ahead within 5 minutes. After a scrappy period in the middle of the park Dan was able to release Edwin with a simple through ball down the centre; Edwin raced clear to slot the ball past the home keeper to give the Harriers an early lead. The Blues continued to look the more dangerous going forward with Ben and Jamie looking eager to get down the channels behind the Trelawny defence. However slightly against the run of the play Trelawny found a equaliser via an own goal on 18 minutes. A corner came in from the Harriers right and in an attempt to clear the cross Dave's mis-timed header found its way onto the inside the of the post. Despite a desperate goal line clearance the referee indicated the ball had crossed the line to bring the home side level. This gave Trelawny a boost and the Harriers soon found themselves having to work much harder to stay on top, the Blues almost found themselves behind when Scott had to tip a shot from 20 yards over the bar. However the Harriers continued to create chances; when Jamie burst down the right wing his pin point cross found Ben in the box who was unable to covert from close range as his diving header was straight at the keeper. The Harriers' pressure eventually told with just over 5 minutes left before the break, Edwin recieved the ball up top and held up the ball before releasing Jamie down the right. Jamie raced away before cutting in, he ignored the support of Edwin and lashed the ball past the Trelawny stopper to make it 2-1 to the Harriers and thats the way it stayed into half time.
The second half saw Trelawny begin to push further up the pitch as they looked for a second equaliser and the Harriers sat deeper operating mainly on the break. With the home side seeing more of the ball they began to trouble the Blues defence more regularly and Scott was called into action on several occassions, pushing efforts away for corners twice within a 5 minute period. However the Harriers were creating their own chances on the break; with Ben unable to put away another Jamie cross under the attentions of a home defender whilst Jamie was unable to convert a free header at the back post following a Lefty run into the box. With the game opening up, more chances came and went for both sides as the game moved into the last 20 minutes. A Trelawny forward wriggled away from Alex and found himself through on the edge of the box but took his shot early and Scott was able to make the save with his legs. Minutes later Scott was called into action again and was forced to tip a misguided cross onto the bar. Meanwhile at the other end Jamie was unable to exploit the home Keeper who found himself off his line, with the Trelawny stopper eventually making the save and seeing the ball out for a throw in. Quick thinking saw the throw find Ben, but his scissor kick was unfortunately straight at the keeper. With a quarter of an hour to go the Blues were forced into a change as Paul had to be withdrawn with a knee injury, he was replaced by James.W coming on for his Harriers' debut and he showed no lack of confidence with his first touch. Jamie will feel even more unfortunate to have not added to his first half effort after his cracking half volley from the right beat the keeper only to crash back off the bar. The Harriers felt they had done enough to wrap up the points until they were cruelly pegged back with the last kick of the game. A questionable free kick was awarded on the Harriers' left almost level with the penalty box, all the home players waited in the box leaving the keeper to send in the free kick. The keeper sent in an over-hit cross, missing his team mates in the box and instead finding the top corner to earn the home team a point. The Harriers had time to kick off only for the whistle to be blown seconds later. The Blues will now take a break from league duties with a Spartak Cup first round fixture away to Ryan Reserves next week whilst they have no game on December 4th.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Adam Ferdinand, Alex Diner(c), James Korosec, Dave Birchnall, Daniel Denton, Paul Shawyer (James Wright 74), James Gladwin, Ben Stone, Jamie Henshaw, Edwin Jabbari
Goals: Jabbari (4), Henshaw (38)
13th November 2010 - League Match
United Borough 4 - 2 Chingford Harriers
A below-par Harriers dropped their first points of the League season as they slumped to a 4-2 away defeat at the hands of United Borough. The Blues worst performance of the season sees them remain top of the IDFL Division 1 on 15 points, however this result leaves FC Golazo just 2 points behind with a game in hand. Meanwhile Enfield Elite and United Borough are 3 and 4 points off the pace respectively but both also hold a game in hand over the Harriers.
The Blues went into the game with some key absentees; with Nick still unfit and Jamie unavailable. Elsewhere Edwin was handed a deserved starting birth following two winning goals from the bench in the past two weeks, he joined Adam upfront with Ben starting on the bench nursing a knock. The Harriers found it hard to get into a rhythm early on and faced a constant threat on the break as Borough broke in numbers and at pace, often exploiting a gap between the Blues backline and midfield. Furthermore Chris was clearly struggling with a chest injury at the back and was finding it tough to play to his usual high standards. The Borough number 10 was pulling the strings in the middle of the park and duely broke the deadlock just after the quarter hour mark. Picking the ball up on the right, the Borough midfielder drove in field forcing the Harriers defence to back off. The run took the number 10 across the edge of the box before unleashing a low left foot drive from a central position 20 yards out, beating Scott and nestling in the bottom left hand corner. A Harriers response was not forthcoming in the minutes that followed as Borough pressed for a second and they went two up after 22 minutes but not without a large slice of luck. The Borough forward picked up the ball 5 yards outside the Blues box and got off a shot that was heading straight down Scott's throat until it took a big deflection off Alex and veered off into the opposite corner with Scott unable to adjust. United could have been out of site within 35 minutes after a flowing move dropped to the Borough number 10 on the edge of the box, fortunately for the Blues his volley narrowly flew over. The Harriers stedied the ship in the final 10 before the break and put together some attacking moves of their own, with Edwin being narrowly caught offside as he found himself through 1 on 1.
The Blues came in at the break with alot of work to do and were boosted by Mitchell's arrival, replacing Chris at the start of the second half whilst Trev and Nick decided to change the formation. It seemed to have immediate effect as the Blues dominated the opening exchanges of the second half and started to apply some pressure on the Borough backline. As the Harriers started to show why they were top of the league they were hit with a hammer blow on 51 minutes. The Blues defence looked for a flag that didnt come as the United left midfielder was slipped in down the wing. He advanced towards the by-line before cutting back to the attacker in the middle who held off two defeners before turning and sending a low shot in off the left hand post from 8 yards. However the Harriers refused to let their heads drop and continued to look for a way back into the game, eventually breaking the Borough resistance with a bizzare goal just before the 60 minute mark. A Korosec long throw seeminly missed everyone before nestling in the United net, however the Blues players celebrated and the referee signalled a goal indicating the ball had indeed gone in off the Borough keepers' glove. This turnt the tide in the Harriers' favour but as they pushed to find a second they almost slipped further behind; a Borough break away lead to the forward collecting the ball just inside the Blues box and cleverly pushed the ball past Alex who ended up cutting the player down. The United number 10 stepped up to take the spot kick but Scott kept the deficit at 2 goals, pushing the ball round the left hand post for a corner when it seemed to be heading for the corner of the net. Minutes later the Blues were awarded penalty of their own as the United keeper was penalised for obstructing Luke. This presented a golden opportunity to reduce the Borough lead to 1, but Lefty's poor spot kick was kept out by the Borough stopper. Soon after Ben replaced Adam whilst Dave recieved a yellow card for a late challenge on the United playmaker who initially looked like he would be unable to continue. However within minutes of returning to the field he provided the assist for Borough 4th which effectively killed the game with just under 20 minutes left. The number 10 recieved the ball just inside the Harriers half before turning and placing the ball through for the right winger who moved into the box before confidently slotting into the net. The Blues continued to battle and were awarded a second penalty for hand ball on 79 minutes, Mitchell stepped up for this one and made no mistake with a quality penalty to score his first for the club. The Harriers were unable to make the final exchanges nervy for the home side despite a flurry of chances. Paul had a powerful header tipped over the bar whilst Edwin found luck was not on his side hitting the woodwork twice. First a scuffed shot at the keepers near post rolled across the line with Ben failing to re-act and follow up. The second with a difficult header, beating the defender in the air but seeing his effort come back off the foot of the left hand up-right. The Harriers must now bounce back to winning ways but face a tough test next week away at Trelawny.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Chris Amor (Mitchell Goodwin 46), Alex Diner, Luke Paskell(c), Paul Shawyer, James Gladwin, James Korosec, Daniel Denton, Dave Birchnall, Adam Ferdinand (Ben Stone 70), Edwin Jabbari
Goals: O.G. (58), Goodwin (pen 79)
06th November 2010 - League Match
Midland 4 - 5 Chingford Harriers
The Blues stayed top of the IDFL Division One with a 5-4 away win against league strugglers Midland. In a bad tempered game, the Harriers had to battle back from a goal down twice and show a great amount of resiliance to eventually take all three points. A second late strike from Edwin in as many weeks means the Harriers find themselves with 15 points from 15 at the quarter way point of the league season, with FC Golazo just 2 points off the pace.
Nick remained sidelined for a second game as he continued to recover from an ankle injury; meanwhile Adam was rewarded for his performance against Chingford Athletic Reserves and started upfront alongside Ben. Early on the Blues failed to really switch on and Midland were allowed to play some decent passing football which was rarely in evidence when the teams met on the opening day of the season. However, it was the Harriers who took the lead slightly against the run of play on 12 minutes. Lefty received the ball and drove into the Midland box beating players in the process before having his legs taken away from him by a combination of opposition defenders. The ref pointed to the spot and in Nick’s absence Lefty assumed the spot kick responsibility, despite the keepers best efforts he was unable to keep the spot kick out. The Harriers settled down and began to play some better football over the next ten minutes but still looked vulnerable when Midland counter attacked in numbers. With just under 25 minutes gone Midland drew level, the Blues were unable to clear their lines following a corner and from the right edge of the penalty box and the Midland player floated a cross/shot into the far corner with Scott unable to make up the ground. The Harriers looked stunned in the minutes following the equaliser and it was a predictably a Midland counter that put them ahead. A neat one-two down the right released the Midland attacker into the box; Scott raced out and managed to block the first shot only for a kind rebound off the attacker to fall into his path allowing him to slot in from the angle. As the Harriers tried to get back into the game some rash tackles began to appear all over the pitch, one such flash point lead to a yellow card for a Midland player for squaring up to Mitchell following a 50-50 tackle. However the Blues kept playing their football and drew level just before the break, a Lefty set piece into the Midland box lead to appeals for a penalty for handball. Whilst a number of players stopped Alex reacted first, lashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range with his first goal for the club. The Harriers saw out the remaining minutes to go in at half time level at 2-2.
At half time the Blues made a change, Jamie replaced Ben up front who had previously scored in every league game. The Harriers started the second period much the brighter boosted by Alex’s equaliser, however soon after the restart the Blues conceded. Midland came forward down the left wing; the attacker cut inside and attempted to shape a cross into the box. Unfortunately for the Harriers the cross dropped over Scott’s despairing dive into the far corner leaving the Blues with an uphill task. With the Harriers attempting to find an equaliser they made a change, Dan came on in the 52nd minute to replace Chris who had been struggling with a dead leg and it was the substitute who made an impact with 25 minutes remaining. A corner into the Midland box came back to the taker Lefty who advanced towards the area; with everyone expecting another cross he cut the ball back to the edge of the area where Luke had found some space. His low shot found its way through the bodies where the keeper parried the ball into Dan’s path who netted his third of the season. With 20 minutes remaining Adam made way for Edwin and a couple of minutes later the Blues took the lead; a Korosec long throw from the left was flicked on by Alex onto Paul who poked the ball home from a few yards out at the back post. The Harriers looked to close out the remainder of the match as they took control of the game, however Midland continued to threaten and must have felt they had secured a point when they equalised with 5 minutes to go. A dangerous free kick was curled into the box from the Midland left past the two man wall; Alex tracked a Midland attacker but was only able to put into his own net from 4 yards out as he attempted to clear with Scott stranded. Despite the set back the Harriers refused to lie down and on 87 minutes they struck the decisive blow. A cross from the Blues left picked out Korosec at the back post, with the keeper in no-mans land Korosec put an intelligent header back over the Midland stopper into the middle. Edwin rose above the Midland defender to put the ball into the back of the net with a rare headed finish for his second goal in as many weeks. Moments later a second yellow card saw Midland reduced to 10 men, however the Harriers still had to defend several set pieces in the final minutes before the final whistle ensured they completed a league double over Midland and took all three points, remaining top with 5 wins from 5.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Mitchell Goodwin(c), Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Paul Shawyer, James Gladwin, Chris Amor (Daniel Denton 53), James Korosec, Dave Birchnall, Ben Stone (Jamie Henshaw 45), Adam Ferdinand (Edwin Jabbari 70).
Goals: Gladwin (pen 12), Diner (42), Denton (64), P.Shawyer (72) Jabbari (87).
30th October 2010 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 2 - 1 Chingford Athletic Reserves
The Harriers stormed to the top of the IDFL Division 1 with a hard thought 2-1 home victory over local rivals Chingford Athletic Reserves in the first competitive Chingford Derby. The blues picked themselves up after last weeks extra time exit from the Fenton Cup by maintaining their 100% start to the league season to make it 12 points from 4 games. It would eventually be a late Jabbari strike which secured the 3 points and allowed the Harriers to leap frog FC Golazo.
The blues had already been hit with an injury blow going into the game as captain and top goal scorer Nick had failed to recover from the ankle injury he picked up against Supreme Athletic. As a result Amor dropped into midfield and Dan started upfront following his goal from the bench last week. Both sides went into the game unbeaten in the league and early on both teams proceeded to cancel each other out with strong defending, with most of the action taking place in the centre of the park. However the Harriers were beginning to find themselves in the accendancy and were starting to create chances; Ben was released down the left wing and after a strong run he got his head up and put an inviting ball into the middle where Dan had got himself into space. However he was unable to convert as his sliding effort went narrowly wide of the right hand up-right. With the Harriers in control of the game they eventually broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark. The blues were awarded a free kick just inside the opposition half on the left touchline; Luke delivered a dangerous looking ball into the box which was met by Ben who sent an unstoppable header into the far top corner from 10 yards, with the Athletic keeper rooted. It should have got even better for the Harriers before the break as both Dan and Korosec missed golden opportunities from close range. Athletic had failed to trouble Scott in the Harriers goal for the majority of the first half but he had to be alert to tip a a flicked header over the bar from a long throw shortly before the half time whistle.
Despite a good first half performance, not for the first time this season the Harriers found themselves pegged back within minutes of the restart. A long throw from the Athletic right level with the Harriers penalty area dropped just outside the 6 yard box where the unmarked Athletic striker greatfully swept the ball into the back of the net to bring Athletic level against the run of play. This was a signal of things to come as Athletic finally began to play like a team unbeaten in 5 games in the league and the Harriers found themselves having to battle to stay in the game. Jamie came on for Dan with half an hour to go and Ben was replaced by Adam under 10 minutes later. Both teams had great opportunities to take the lead; the Athletic keeper made a smart save at his near post from Korosec who had found himself one on one, electing to shoot rather than square to a team mate. Meanwhile Dave spared Scott's blushes at the other end, clearing the ball off the line after Scott failed to collect a long throw. Scott was even more relieved minutes later to see a thumble from a regulation catch fly over the bar. The blues made a positive change with 15 minutes left, bringing on Edwin for Korosec as they changed shape and it was the substitute who made the impact. The Harriers put together a string of passes down the right wing, with Adam eventually released to attack the Athletic defence. Adam drew in the defender before rolling Edwin in who advanced into the box and with the aid of a slight deflection put the ball past the Athletic keeper with his first goal of the season and 13 competitive goal for the club. Minutes later Edwin thought he had put the game to bed with his second and the Harriers third and Adam was again the provider. A clever ball allowed Adam to burst into the box and side step the keeper, whilst his touch ran away from him it fell into Edwin's path to slot into an empty net, but the celebrations were short lived as the flag went up for a debateable offside. With that let off Athletic piled on the pressure late on as they searched for an equaliser, Scott had to react quickly to stop a corner curling in under the bar and the blues defence had to repel a number of long throws and corners in the final minutes. The final opportunity went begging as the Athletic keeper collided with a team mate as they both went up for a header in the Harriers box and as the ball went wide the ref blew up for full time, ending Atheltic's unbeaten record and sending the Harriers top of the league.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Mitchell Goodwin(c), Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Paul Shawyer, Chris Amor, James Gladwin, James Korosec (Edwin Jabbari 74), Dave Birchnall, Ben Stone (Adam Ferdinandi 67), Daniel Denton (Jamie Henshaw 58).
Goals: Stone (32), Jabbari (81)
23rd October 2010 - Fenton Cup
Supreme Athletic 4 - 3 Chingford Harriers (After Extra Time)
The Harriers perfect start to the season was brought to an end in dramatic fashion as they were dumped out of the Fenton Cup by Premier League side Supreme Athletic. The blues first ever tie in the competition was a cracker and it took a last gasp extra time winner to break Chingford hearts.
The Harriers lined up with Mitchell returning in defence to give a familiar look to the blues backline, and with Jamie unavailable Amor started up top with Ben. The opening exchanges were typically cagey with both teams trying to get a feel for the other however with barely 5 minutes gone the Harriers felt they should have had the lead. A quality angled ball from the right wing cut across the home teams' box for Paul to run onto and slot past the keeper from close range only for it to harshly ruled out for offside. The following ten minutes saw the two teams play out the majority of the action in the middle of the park with the Harriers getting the better of the early exchanges and took the lead with a move of real quality on 17 minutes. Ben was released down the right channel and took the ball under control before attacking the left back, Nick overlapped on the outside and Ben duely rolled Shawyer in who advanced with enough time and space to clip an inviting cross to the back post where Amor rose above the backtracking defender to head the ball into the net to make it 1-0 with his first of the season. The Harriers had bossed the first 20 minutes but Supreme were now beginning to take control of the game showing their Premier League class as their possession and ability to switch the play put the blues on the back foot. But the Harriers could have made it 2-0 against the run of play as Nick had a header cleared off the line. The last 20 minutes of the first half saw the Harriers camped in their half, playing mainly on the break as Supreme came forward continually. However the Harriers backline was perfoming fantastically to repel the Athletic attacks, whilst Scott made good saves from a 20 yard direct free kick and a back post header to keep the score at 1-0 to Harriers going into the break.
The second half got under way in the same vein as the end of the first half and it only took a few minutes for the pressure to finally tell as a corner from the right was met by a Supreme head, wrong footing Scott to make it 1-1. With the Harriers rocking Supreme pushed home their advantage and within 10 minutes of the restart they had taken the lead, the Supreme winger made good progress down the left before putting in a cross to the back post where the Supreme forward climbed above the Harriers defence to nod the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 to the home side. Supreme continued to apply the pressure but the Harriers were finally starting to get themselves a footing back in the game; Ben made way for Denton on 62 minutes and soon after the blues equalised. Amor chased down a long ball down the Harriers left, turnt back inside the attention of the Supreme defender and put in a cross for Nick to attack unmarked sending the keeper the wrong way from 10 yards for his 7th goal of season. Shortly after Nick withdrew with an ankle injury to be replaced by Adam making his first appearance of the season, he hadn't been on the pitch for long when Supreme re-took the lead. Supreme came forward down the middle in numbers and the forward managed to stay on side as he was slipped in behind Alex and slotted past the onrushing Scott into the far corner. With only a quarter of an hour left the Harriers gambled by withdrawing holding midfielder Korosec with Edwin replacing him but it was another substitute who brought the Harriers level for a second time. Lefty swung in a corner from the left and Dan met the ball at the front post unmarked, sending a header into the roof of the net to make it 3-3 with extra time looming. But the Harriers almost conceeded in the last minute of normal time as the Supreme forward was again released one on one, but the Blues were rescued as Scott made a crucial save taking the game into extra time.
Supreme made their final substitutions going into extra time and the first half passed without any clear cut opportunities for either team and Supreme looked to piled on the pressure in the final 15 minutes. Scott was called into action on several occassions as Supreme pushed for a goal that would surely win the game, and it came in heartbreaking fashion with just 30 seconds remaining. A corner dropped in the area and following some desperate defending from the Harriers a Supreme player got off a shot that deflected off a Harriers defender, wrong footing Scott and finding its way into the back of the net. However the drama did not stop there, with seconds remaining the Harriers mounted one last attack and were denied the chance of taking the game to penalties as Dan had a shot come back off the post before the referee blew up to the bring proceedings to a close. The Harriers can take pride in a fantatsic display but must now pick themselves up as they return to league duty in the Chingford Derby next weekend, as the blues attempt to maintain their 100% record in Division 1.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Mitchell Goodwin, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Nick Shawyer(c) (Adam Ferdinandi 71), James Gladwin, James Korosec (Edwin Jabbari 77), Paul Shawyer, Ben Stone (Daniel Denton 62), Chris Amor.
Goals: Amor (17), N.Shawyer (66), Denton (81)
16th October 2010 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 6-2 Enfield Elite
The blues continued their perfect start to the season with another home victory. This time a Nick hatrick was the highlight in a convincing 6-2 victory over Enfield Elite which keeps the Harriers in 2nd place in the league with a maximum 9 point from their first three games. FC Golazo's draw with Chingford Athletic Reserve keeps them a point ahead of the blues but having played a game more.
The early exchanges saw some neat keep ball from the Harriers (playing in their changed white kit) as they began to take control and play with the confidence that they showed in the second half against Esprit. Despite some good approach play from the Harriers in the opening 10 minutes it was a scrappy poachers goal that broke the deadlock; the Enfield keeper showed no desire to come and collect a cross from the Harriers' left and the ball was allowed to drop in the box. In the pinball that ensued Ben pounced on the defenders' inability to clear their lines to slide the ball into the net from close range for his third goal in as many games. With the Harriers deservedly ahead they were almost rocked by an immediate reply from the visitors, a push in the back earnt Elite a freekick 25 yards out left of centre. The Enfield player bent the free kick over the 3 man wall only for it to crash back off the bar with Scott struggling. However Elite were offering little else going forward and it was the Harriers who were pressing for a second which came on 25 minutes, a cross into the Enfield box was blocked by a defenders outstretched arm and the referee didn't hesistate in pointing to the spot. Nick stepped up to confidently dispatch the spot kick to make it 2-0 to the Harriers, and it wasn't long before Nick added his second and the Harriers third on 33 minutes rising high to convert a trademark long throw from Korosec. Moments later the Harriers recieved their first card of the campaign as Alex was correctly booked for a late challenge as the Elite forward broke with pace. With the blues crusing at 3-0 Enfield were offered a lifeline with the last kick off the first half from the penalty spot; Scott was unable to pull out of a one on one in time and the Enfield player made sure he made contact with Scott's trailing foot before going down. The Elite capatain sent Scott the wrong way sending the teams in at 3-1.
Despite dominating the first half the Enfield goal changed the manager's team talk and it was clear the blues needed to consolidate their position and keep things tight early in the second half. However the goal had clearly effected the blues as they started the second half poorly and Elite quickly pulled another goal back. The Harriers defence sat off the advancing Elite player who used the space to unleash a piledriver from 25 yards comprehensively beating Scott as it went in off the underside of the bar and in a 3 minute period Enfield has reduced the deficit to 1 goal. To the Harriers' credit their heads didn't go down and they re-established their superiority and a two goal lead 5 minutes later as Nick completed a 30 minute hatrick rising to convert yet another long throw from Korosec for his 6th goal of the season. Two half time substitutions had given Elite extra impetus going forward and they were beginning to come into the game more and more but it was the Harriers still playing the better football and they stretched their lead with 25 minutes to go. Luke recieved the ball from Scott at the back before exchanging passes with Dave down the right. His through ball then released Jamie who beared down on the keeper one on one as the Elite defence waited for a flag that never came; Jamie smashed home from close range to make it 5-2 with his second goal for the club. Moments later Nick made way for Denton and Ben was replaced by Edwin making his first appearance this season. Despite the scoreline Enfield remained firmly in the game and Scott had to produce a string of important saves to keep the visitors from reducing the Harriers' lead. Howevever the blues put the game to bed with 10 minutes to go, Lefty recieved the ball just inside the visitors half and unleashed a speculative effort which the Elite keeper misjudged allowing the ball to drop just under the bar to make it 6-2 to the Harriers. The blues could have had another shortly after but Jamie was flagged for offside through on goal and picked up a yellow card for kicking the ball away. The final whistle finally brought an end to proceedings with the Harriers' maintaining their 100% start to the campaign going into their big Fenton Cup tie away to Premier Division side Supreme Athletic next week.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Chris Amor, Alex Diner, Luke Paskell, Dave Birchnall, Nick Shawyer(c) (Edwin Jabbari 73), James Gladwin, James Korosec, Paul Shawyer, Ben Stone (Daniel Denton 70), Jamie Henshaw.
Goals: Stone (12), N. Shawyer (pen 25, 33, 52), Henshaw (68), Gladwin (79)
4th October 2010 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 4-2 Esprit
The Harriers continued their good start to the season with a spirited 4-2 victory over Espirit. In a real match of two halves the early minutes of the game saw both teams cancel each other out with neither creating any chances. With 14 minutes gone 10 men Espirit won a free kick 30 yards from the harriers goal. The ball was floated in towards the Harriers 6 yard box where an unmarked Espirit player flicked the ball on and into the net to make it 1-0. Espirit then doubled their lead 5 minutes later despite still being a man down. The Harriers defence dwelled on a long ball over the top allowing the Espirit striker to latch onto it and finish clinically. The Harriers defence stood strong after this and Espirit rarely troubled the Harriers goal for the rest of the half. In reply Nick and Alex spurned difficult heading opportunities from set pieces and Jamie made the Espirit keeper save comfortably at his near post but the Harriers failed to create any meaningful chances.
Half-time arrived with the Harriers trailing 2-0 against a now complete 11 men Espirit team, despite having the better of the possession. Five minutes after the re-start the Harriers pulled themselves back into the match. A long throw from Korosec was attacked by Nick who instinctively back heeled the ball into the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1. The Harriers continued to press Espirit and were rewarded for their hard work 5 minutes later. A poor back-pass from the Espirit defender was chased down by Jamie who dummied the keeper and put the ball into an empty net for his first ever Harriers goal and to make it 2-2. With the momentum behind them the Harriers then took the lead on 60 minutes. After a stray Harriers pass took a deflection Ben chased down the last Espirit defender, won a 50/50 ball and calmly placed his shot past the Espirit keeper to make it 3-2 and send the Harriers players and fans into raptures. The Harriers continued to dominate the second half and increased their lead when lefty was brought down in the Espirit area. Nick stepped up and confidently slotted the penalty home to make it 4-2. After a great cross from Jamie, Ben could have extended the Harriers lead 5 minutes later only for his volley to flash across the face of the goal. Espirit tried to find a way back into the match and almost pulled a goal back after 75 minutes. A shot from the edge of the area was saved by an outstretched Scott only for the ball to fall at the feet of an Espirit player who was very well tackled by Paul before he could put the ball into the empty net. Paul again prevented Espirit from getting a goal back minutes later when he headed the ball off the line from a mis judged Korosec header. With 10 minutes to go the Harriers produced the best move of the match but Mitchell could only find the post from Dan.P's clever backheel. Mitchell, playing in an unfamiliar role in midfield, again had the goal glaring in front of him moments later only to be denied by a high quality save from the Espirit Keeper. The Harriers survived one last scare late on when Luke blocked a shot on the goal line and the re-bound fortunately found the arms of Scott after coming off an Espirit player's foot. An impressive (second half) display and an important 3 points for the Harriers who now top Division 1.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Luke Paskell, Nick Shawyer(c), Alex Diner, Paul Shawyer, Daniel Denton (Mitchell Goodwin 58), James Korosec, James Gladwin, Dave Birchnall, Ben Stone, Jamie Henshaw (Daniel Pereira 68) .
Goals: N.Shawyer 2 (50, pen 65), Henshaw (55), Stone (60)
18th September 2010 - League Match
Chingford Harriers 4-2 Midland
The Harriers kicked off the new season with an impressive 4-2 home victory. Despite a disappointing end to last season (which almost saw the blues miss out on promotion) and a poor pre-season, the Harriers secured 3 points against a Midland side who started life in Division 1 in much the same vein that saw them relegated bottom of the Premier League last year.
With Luke, Adam, Kyle and 09/10 top scorer Edwin all unavailable; the Harriers went into the game with a 12 man strong squad with Jamie starting the game on the bench. The early encounters saw Midland take control of the game; maintaining good possession but without really troubling the Harriers defence. Despite a characteristically slow start to the game, it was the Harriers who thought they had broken the deadlock against the run of play on 10 minutes. Following some good work from Ben who beat the offside trap down the right, his ball across the box left the Midland keeper stranded and was tapped in by Dan at the back post only for it to be ruled out for offside. This sparked the Harriers into life and they soon took a grip of the game with Midland rarely putting together any meaningful ventures into the Harriers half. Following half chances for Ben and Nick the pressure finally told on 35 minutes. After good follow up pressure from Ben on the Midland keeper, the ball fell to Lefty on the edge of the box who beat two men before firing a shot down the centre; beating the defender on the line with the keeper out of position. The remainder of the half saw the Harriers take complete control, playing some fluent one touch football but without seriously threatening to add to their lead before the half time whistle.
The second half picked up where the first left off with the Harriers dominating possession and it only took 5 minutes for them to double their lead. The Midland defence switched off as the referee awarded a throw in to the blues half way into Midland territory on the left wing; Lefty took it quickly releasing Ben who cut in from the left and placed a confident lob over the onrushing Midland keeper from just inside the area. With the blues cruising Midland were handed a lifeline within 10 minutes of the Harriers second goal. A route one ball down the middle of the Harriers defence saw Mitchell brush off the attentions of the Midland forward only for the referee to award a soft free kick 25 yards out. The free kick was dispatched into Scott’s top right hand corner; but having got fingertips to the ball he will feel he should have done better. Ben then made way for Jamie on 60 minutes and moments later the Harriers re-established a 2 goal lead. A trademark long throw from Korosec on the left fell to Nick at the back post who found himself in enough space to scuff the ball home off his studs to make the score 3-1. Midland almost immediately hit back after a cross from the right eventually dropped to a Midland player at the back post but found the angle too acute and was only able to hit the outside of the post. The Harriers were now being allowed to dominate the midfield and secured the points with 15 minutes to go. Korosec again proved the provider; released down the left he turned inside his marker and sent a ball across the box to an unmarked Dan who rifled a half volley past the keeper into the far corner. With the points all but secured Midland were gifted an undeserved second with just under 10 minutes remaining and it was again a refereeing mistake that cost the Harriers. A rare good move down the Midland right found the forward advancing into the box but was quickly smothered by Scott who managed to push the ball away before colliding with the Midland player. Despite no complaints from the opposition players the referee pointed to the spot and the penalty was converted to make it 4-2 with 8 minutes to play. Despite some late Midland pressure, the Harriers had the chance to add to their tally with Jamie and Dan failing to convert some good opportunities. The final whistle eventually came with the blues picking up a well deserved 3 points and an opening day victory.
Chingford Harriers: Scott Prestedge, Chris Amor, Mitchell Goodwin, Alex Diner, Paul Shawyer, James Korosec, Nick Shawyer(c), James Gladwin, Dave Birchnall, Ben Stone (Jamie Henshaw 60), Daniel Denton.
Goals: Gladwin (35), Stone (50), N.Shawyer (62), Denton (73)