March Results

Three matches played in March, we started the match in Emirates Stadium against Arsenal. We managed to gain a spirited draw and took back one point. The next game at home against Burnley saw us held on a 1-0 lead early and through to the end. We lost to Leeds unluckily as we had most of the possession and numerous shots compared to them but we lost the game 2-3.

April Results

We had a bad month. First game was against Sheff Utd. Both team were evenly matched and no surprise we shared a point each. Then we suffered a dip in form and lost the subsequent games to Brighton and Bristol City. We were disappointed that we threw the game away against Bristol City. We had 2-0 lead before they launched a comeback to score three goals past us. Last game of the month was against Chelsea and we caused an upset winning by a single goal even though we were doing most of the defending.

May Results

Last two difficult games against 3rd place Hull and 6th place Everton. It was an easy game for us as we put three goals past the Hull goalkeeper. We had a chance to finish our season with a win when we were leading 1-0 for large periods. But a late comeback from Everton saw us losing our last game 1-2 to them.

Final Table

This is how the final table looks like. After mounting a challenge for several years, Man City finally broke the dominance by Chelsea and won the title. We finish at 11th place and draw in 10.75 millions prize money. Leeds, Burnley and Crystal Palace were relegated to the Championship. We had around 20 millions in the bank and i believe next season Thurrock will be able to challenge for a Champion League place.

Players Ratings

The player who play awesomely and consistently throughout the season is Brian Sorensen. He scored a total of 23 goals and got 15 Man of the Match. I never see him have a rating of less than 7.00. His commitment and passion on the game have a big influence on our standings especially the League Cup triumph. He got to be my best buy out of my transfer dealings.

My Manager Profile

This is my manager profile. Except for financial controls, i have very high rating for the rest of the attributes.

Conclusion

After 5073 days managing Thurrock, i have developed great affection for them. It’s a sad day for me as i will be leaving the club that i built from scratch. However, all things must come to good end. I am very please that i am able to bring the league Cup to the Thurrock cabinet in my last season. At least that’s something memorable. It will be another starting point for me in FM11. AFC Telford is the choice of most people who cast their votes. Thank you very much for voting the team for me. I will take 1-2 days rest. The poll will still be there for another 1-2 days and my first post of the chosen team will be coming your way soon.

I would like to thank all of you who follow, read and comment the post of my Thurrock story. Thanks for the support. I will see you soon.

February Results

It was a good month for us. We won the League Cup at the expense of Hull City, managing two league wins and two league losses. We were knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Arsenal.

Away at Ewood Park

We made a trip to Ewood Park to face 12th place Blackburn. We got off to a great start after Brian Sorensen converted a header from a corner four minutes after the start. We had most of the advantage in the first half but there was only one goal in the first half. Shortly after the break, a foul on Jim Beardsley in the 6 yards box saw us awarded a penalty kick. John Leonard successfully put the ball past the goalkeeper. The score became 2-1 four minutes later after they scored a magnificent long shot. Their morale got a boost after that goal but we had the last laugh after Brian Sorensen headed in his second goal from another corner. A great start to the month.

Home against QPR

Next was against 16th place QPR. They came to Ship Lane with back to back defeats in the last two games. We had a great chance to close in on a Europa place. Jim Beardsley made a good run on the right, deliver a good cross for Brian Sorensen to head in our first goal. We made it 2-0 two minutes after the break. A long throw by Andy Holsgrove saw the ball made its way to the penalty area and Jose Antonio Castellano was there to slide the ball in. The game was put beyond doubt after Brian Sorensen headed in our third goal seven minutes later. It was an outstanding performance from the players.

FA Cup 5th Round

Next was a tough trip to Emirates Stadium to meet Arsenal for the FA Cup meeting. The results was harsh on us. They took their chances really well and we conceded four goals. We never perform as badly as the results showed. Jim Beardsley scored a goal in 68th minute to give us some consolation.

Away at Anfield

We have a tough game coming up and we were up against 8th place Liverpool. We had a bad start when we conceded a goal in 4th minute. It was clearly an offside goal but the referee just gave it. Liverpool were very strong playing at home and we conceded a header in 40th minute. Just before the whistle blew, Jose Antonio Castellano put the ball into his own net to make 3-0 to Liverpool. They kept up the pressure on us in the second half but we were performing better and Jim Beardsley pulled a goal back for us in 67th minute with a header. That was the best we could do. We had an injury to Brian Sorensen which could see him out for 3-4 weeks. He was disappointed as he will be missing the League Cup final.

Home against Man Utd

We were meeting Man Utd again. They are currently lying in 6th place in the table. We went into this game full of confidence as we beat them in the last three meetings. They were determined to put the results right as they initiated the first few attacks. They scored a goal in 12th minute after Mario Balotelli out-jumped Tristan Hickman to put the ball past David Cook. We never give up and keep on chasing the game for the rest of the period. We had numerous chance to level things but we don’t have much luck. They had a man sent off in 62nd minute. We couldn’t take advantage of an extra man and end up losing the game.

League Cup Final

Last game of the month was the most important game. The League Cup final against Hull City. My coaching team looked at their line-up when the game started. We were feeling more confident as they rested two of their first team strikers. They are lying in 3rd place and clearly have the league in their sights. They looked dis-organised and we were taking good control of possession. We had a chance to go ahead in 22nd minute but John Leonard hit the ball at the post. We eventually went ahead in 33rd minute after Jim Beardsley dribbled his way past their defenders to the penalty area and hit the ball past their goalkeeper. They don’t have any chance to threaten us in the first half. We held a one goal lead to the dressing room. They started to play better and draft in their first team strikers. The players were instructed to man-marked them and they were kept quiet. We had a great defensive display and patiently waited for the final whistle. It finally came and we were League Cup winners. What a good achievement by the players.

Fans and Board Reaction

The fans were absolutely jubilant after the League Cup win. The board was much more reserved and they were just happy for us to win the League Cup. We were really pleased we gave the fans something to cheer about this season.

Qualify for Euro Cup

We qualify for the Euro Cup next season after winning the League Cup. Too bad i am unable to lead them to their first ever Europe appearance.

Table

We are still lying in 10th place. We had achieved Euro qualification after become League Cup winners. But we will still do our best for the remaining games to finish as high as possible. Hero of the month is definitely Jim Beardsley. Not only he score the winning goal in the League Cup win, he made a few assist for Brian Sorensen to increase his goal tally.

Remaining Fixtures

These are the remaining fixtures we have to play. Next post will most likely be my last post of my FM10 Thurrock story. Since we have qualified for Euro, our only aim is just to finish as high as possible. The other reason is that i have downloaded FM11 from steam. Can’t wait to start.

Wrap Up

Dear friends, i am very please to win one major trophy for Thurrock in my last season with them. It is an achievement for me and everyone involved. Thanks for following and looking forward to your comments below. Please continue to vote the Conference North team you want me to manage. The poll will close once my Thurrock story ends. Thanks.

January Results

We had a massive eight games this month as there are a total of three cup games. Our cup run is fantastic. We knocked out Man Utd and progressed to League Cup final. We also progressed to the FA Cup 5th round. We had a decent run in the league too with three wins, one draw and one loss.

League Cup Semi-Final Leg 1

We were meeting Man Utd for the first leg of League Cup semi-final. They intent on revenging as we just knocked them out of the FA cup few days earlier. We had a quiet start as Man Utd was controlling the game but we caused another shock when our first attack on goal resulted in a goal. Bastian Bruckner made a good run to score a goal after putting through by Jim Beardsley. We defended brilliantly to hold a slender lead to the dressing room. We made it 2-0 when Jim Beardsley powered the ball in just two minutes after the restart. Man Utd reacted furiously and got a goal 10 minutes later. They mounted waves and waves of attack looking for the equalizer but we hang on to the lead for an upset win. As long as we can avoid defeat in the second leg, we will be appearing in our first ever League Cup final appearance.

Home against Ipswich

First league game of the month was against 10th place Ipswich. Both team started cautiously. We had a chance to go ahead but Jim Beardsley was rob off the ball when facing the goalkeeper. It was a boring first half as there were few chances. No goals after 45 minutes. We went ahead in 57th minute in the second half when Colin Madden spotted their goalkeeper out of position and placed a shot in from 30 yards. We were looking good for the win but they equalized six minutes from time through a corner. It was a soft goal to concede. We failed to keep track on their defender and he pounced on from close range.

Home against Tottenham

13th place Tottenham was the next to visit us for our next game. We started well and took control of the game from the start. Jim Beardsley was clear on goal after Alexandar Lafuente slide a ball through in 18th minute. He couldn’t miss in such close range. We had an injury to Colin Madden eight minutes later and he had to come off. We managed to keep Tottenham quiet as they were restricted to few shots on our goal. The only goal turned out to be the winner and we finally recorded a win after nine games. The injury of Colin Madden was not serious as he will only be out for 3-4 days.

Home against Crystal Palace

We had a chance to make it two wins in a row as we will be meeting bottom club Crystal Palace. We were too strong for them as we were controlling the midfield and running the ball wild. A good run from Bastian Bruckner made it 1-0 to us in 13th minute. It was 2-0 three minutes later after Brian Sorensen headed in a goal from a corner. They had no chance to close in on the gap as they found it difficult to get past their own half. Brian Sorensen scored his second and our third goal two minutes before the half time whistle. They tightened up their defence after the break and we were unable to add any more goals. The win saw us climb to 9th position.

Transfer Bidding

There was lots of transfer bids coming in for Wilson, Hakan Metin and Les Pattison. Wilson and Hakan Metin were unhappy the bids were rejected. Luckily it doesn’t have any effect on the results.

League Cup Semi-Final Leg 2

We have a great chance to progress to our first ever League Cup final as we are holding a single goal lead against Man Utd. We had the home advantage this time. Hopefully with the support of the home fans, we can put in a good performance. Man Utd was not taking anything for granted as their England international Thomas Carr was in the first team. Surprisingly we were the better team in the first half and managed to hold them well. Jim Beardsley who always posed problems for Man Utd made a good dribbling run and put the ball past their goalkeeper. Yes we are one step closer to the final. We went into the dressing room with a one goal lead. The score became 4-1 in overall after Alexandar Lafuente powered in a free kick in 54th minute. They managed to claw back a goal just one minute later. We were under some heavy pressure in the final stages but we held on and will be meeting Hull in the League Cup final.

FA Cup 4th Round

The players were tired and i need to rotate the players with some reserve players. Middlesbrough played much better than us but we got the only goal of the game through Brian Sorensen. A brilliant header from him saw us advanced to 5th round of the FA Cup which we have a bad draw against Arsenal.

Away at London Road

After two cup games, we were back to the league facing 8th place Peterborough. We raced to a two goal lead after ten minutes. Two corners resulted in two goals scored by Brian Sorensen. The Peterborough defenders had trouble tackling his aerial ability. We couldn’t keep a clean sheet though as they reduced the deficit with a well taken goal in 22nd minute. The second half saw us working hard to find the third goal but it never arrived. They couldn’t find a way through either. We returned back to Ship Lane with three points in the bag. We have an injury to Colin Madden and this time he will be out for 2-3 weeks.

Away at Villa Park

Last game of the month was against 16th place Aston Villa who is having a poor run. First half was boring, not many chances created from both teams. A good run from former loanee Gary Lewis put his strike partner through and Aston Villa went ahead as a result. Our players were showing signs of fatigue. There was poor performances in every department and Aston Villa scored another goal after the break to  inflict our first defeat in five games. We got another injury and this time Wilson will be out for 3-4 weeks.

Table

We climb to 10th place in the table after three wins and a draw. We need to play a lot of games which is a test to the players’ fitness. But i think we did really well. We have a chance to win our first major trophy next month, League Cup final against Hull City. Brian Sorensen have a great month. He has an average rating of 8.10 in the last five games. Andy Holsgrove is another player who stand out. He is a good partner for Brian Sorensen chipping in few assist for him.

February Fixtures

We will be facing some difficulties next month. Highlight of the month is the game against Hull City. Liverpool and Man Utd will pose us some problems in the league while i think we will have a hard time beating Arsenal in Emirates Stadium.

Wrap Up

Here you go friends, a good cup run see us playing our first ever League Cup final while we are still working hard to challenge for a Europe place in the league. Thanks a lot for reading and see you soon in my next post.

AFC Telford seems to be the choice for most people. But you can still change your vote if you want. Please vote for the next team for me to manage in FM11. Thanks.

December Results

We had a very poor month. This turned out to be our worst month so far this season as we were unable to win any games in the league. We met all the top teams this month and only managed two draws and three losses. But we shocked Man Utd to progress to FA Cup 4th round in their own turf.

Away at Bramall Lane

First game of the month was against Sheff Utd. Not an easy game for us as they are lying in 5th place now. The game seem to work in the favor of Sheff Utd as they were attacking for long periods since the game started. We saw our first chance after 15 minutes into the game. We were extremely lucky as our first attack resulted in a goal. Alexandar Lafuente made a good run to the penalty area and he scored when facing the goalkeeper alone. We managed to defend well after the goal and Sheff Utd couldn’t find a way past us. They made an immediate impact shortly after the break, their right winger managed to shake off our defender and put the ball past David Cook. We had to absorb heavy pressure for the rest of the half and really lucky to leave Bramall lane with a point.

Away at Goodison Park

A difficult trip to Goodison park to face 3rd place team Everton.Our record against had been very poor, we haven’t been able to beat them in our last three meetings. They are our jinx team. Once again we found it hard to get our moves together and Everton were able to break down our possession time and time again. Their Spanish international striker was awesome in the air. He out-jumped our defenders not once but thrice in the game, scoring in 33rd, 63rd and 65th minute respectively. It was a poor poor performance by the team.

Home against Chelsea

2nd place Chelsea were coming to Ship Lane for our next game. Yes Ship Lane. We shifted back to our home ground after the Everton game. The expansion was completed and we now ground 12,500 all seater stadium. It is still not big but it’s a step forward. Lets get back to the game. We played much better compared to the last two games. We scored in 1st minute when Wilson scored a 30 yarder for his first ever goal for Thurrock. Chelsea were clearly shocked but they soon settled into the game and was rewarded in 16th minute with an equalizer. Things got worse for us when they increased their lead 12 minutes later. We tried to battle hard in the second half for the equalizer but couldn’t find a way through in the Chelsea penalty area.

Away at The Circle

Next game was against 4th place Hull City who has establish themselves as a top team in the last two seasons. Both teams put up a decent performance and it’s fair to say we actually play better as the game went along. The first half saw both teams headed to the dressing room with no goals. Hull were difficult to break down as they employed a five men midfield. Brian Sorensen had the chance to win the game for us in the final stages but the ball clashed against the post. To add salt to our wound, Hull scored an injury time goal from a counter attack to condemned us to our third defeat in a row. Jose Antonio Castellano was at fault there as he allowed the ball to bounce past him. He actually did well before his mistake so i am not going to point the finger at him.

Away at Man City Stadium

After a run of three consecutive defeats, it was a bad time for us to meet the leaders Man City. Mark Hughes is still their manager in the game. He sent me a vote of confidence prior to the game which i thank him for that. As expected this will be a one-sided game. Man City were controlling the possession and teasing us around. We only managed two shots in the first 45 minutes. David Cook had a good game. He managed to shut their strikers out in few occasion. Our defence crumbled seven minutes after the break when their player was left unmarked to head in a goal. They stepped up their gear after the goal. We had trouble in getting the ball out of our half. The gulf in quality was too big. It was tough for me and my coaching team to witness that. But luck was clearly smiling at us. Three minutes before the final whistle, Colin Madden spotted a run from Jim Beardsley and slide the ball through for him to smash in the equalizer. It was an unexpected point for us as we were resigned to a defeat at that point of time.

FA Cup 3rd round

Last game of the month was the FA Cup 3rd Round meeting with Man Utd in Old Trafford. It was certainly not an easy place to visit for us. We started brightly when Alexandar Lafuente scored after putting through by Jim Beardsley from a counter-attacking move when the watch clocked nine minutes. Our lead lasted only two minutes when they equalized after a mistake by Jose Antonio Castellano. Old Trafford was shocked again after Colin Madden gave us the lead again four minutes after their goal again another fine assist by Jim Beardsley.We need to endure heavy pressure for the rest of the game but David Cook put up a great performance yet again. He is starting to show the potential of a world class goalkeeper. Jim Beardsley had chance to kill off the game near the end but hit straight at the goalkeeper in an one to one chance. Nevertheless, we got a smash and grab victory.

Table

The poor run has seen us drop to 12th position in the table. The players surely need to regain their confidence back. The win against Man Utd at least restore some of the confidence and morale to the players. There are no outstanding players for a poor month like this but i like to give credit to our goalkeeper David Cook. I have no doubt if he keep on putting up great performances, he will be call up to the England squad soon.

January Fixtures

We will be in for a busy January and the League Cup semi-final against Man Utd is the most important fixture for us. We have a chance to go to our first final in the history of Thurrock but we are sure Man Utd will be seeking revenge on us for knocking them out of the FA Cup. We need to improve on our league form and hopefully we will see better results against the teams around us.

Wrap Up

There you go dear friends, we have a nightmare run but things will be improve if we show our early form in the next few games. Thanks for reading and looking forward to your comments.

P.S Thanks for your votes so far. Corby Town and AFC Telford are tied on 7 votes in the poll. I will keep the poll running until my Thurrock story ends. Please continue to vote which team you would like me to manage in FM11. Thanks.

November Results

We had a poor month managing only one win and three draws. We suffered our first defeat against Tottenham and continued the poor run against Bristol City. The last game saw us progressed to the League Cup semi final.

Away at Turf Moor

We lined up for our first game against Burnley. They have been disappointing and lying in 15th place. It was a difficult place to play here as we never seem to get a result over them. After some chances created from both teams, we took the lead after a long kick by goalkeeper David Cook found John Leonard clear who took his chance really well. We couldn’t keep the lead for long as they equalized with a header seven minutes later. It was 1-1 after 45 minutes. The second half saw us playing better and Brian Sorensen headed in our second goal in 62nd minute.  Once again they hit us back with a superb solo goal. Both teams tried hard to search for the winner but it ended as a draw.

Away at Old Trafford

Next was a difficult trip to Old Trafford to face 2nd place Man Utd. Old Trafford was shocked when we took a shock lead just 3 minutes into the game. John Leonard received the ball, sidestep his marker and put the ball past their goalkeeper. Our lead only lasted two minutes as their striker, England international Thomas Carr whom they signed for 55 million curled the ball in from 20 yards. It was all Man Utd and they went ahead when Thomas Carr scored again in 25th minute after a counter attacking move. We were able to take our chance well in rare attack by us when Brian Sorensen made use of his height to power a header in four minutes later. Man Utd was all over us after the break but they just couldn’t break us down. Second consecutive draw for us.

Home against Leeds

While we are still unbeaten in the league, Leeds Utd have not won a single game and currently lying in the bottom. I gave a rest to Brian Sorensen as he is tired and on came Ian Blackwood. This should be a fairly easy game for us but we found it hard to break down their defence. We were controlling and attacking their goal, we need to wait until 22nd minute before Ian Blackwood was put through by Alexandar Lafuente and scored to give us the lead. The second half saw us keeping up the pressure but we couldn’t add to our goal tally. Leeds almost equalized in the final stages but they couldn’t take their chance. It was another vital win for us.

Away at Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Next was against 3rd place Brighton who is the surprise team of the year. The first half was extremely boring, only three shots were accounted for both teams. It got even worse for us as we turned in an awful performance without threatening their goal in the second half. Brighton had some chances but all went wide. We went home with a point. We were unlucky to lose Les Pattison and Jose Antonio Castellano to injuries after the game. Both of them will be out for 2-3 weeks.

Away at White Hart Lane

Another away trip for us, this time we travel to White Hart Lane to face 14th place Tottenham. This will be a difficult game for us as we are short of central defenders at the moment. The first half saw us match them in terms of performance and we managed to keep them at bay for large period. They took a lead controversially as their scorer looked in a offside position when he scored. The players looked tired after the break and we kept losing the possession to the Tottenham players. We didn’t play well but Tottenham couldn’t add their goal tally. We suffered our first defeat of the season when the final whistle sounded.

Home against Bristol City

Next was against 16th place Bristol City in Upton Park, our temporary home ground. We crafted out some attacking moves in the early stages and soon Bristol City were slowly getting into the game. Young Danny Montague has not been playing well as he is clearly unhappy at not being allowed to move clubs. He was at fault there when we conceded a header in the first half injury time. We tried hard to search or the equalizer in the second half. Things got worse for us when Jim Beardsley had to come in for the injured Brian Sorensen. We got the equalizer through Jim Beardsley headed in a corner five minutes from time. However Bristol City got the last laugh when our former player Uche Okpara bang in a goal in injury time. Things started to get very bad as we suffered our second consecutive loss.

League Cup Quarter Final

We met Championship side Fulham to decide who will progress to the League Cup Semi-Final. Fulham gave us a good fight and we had John Leonard and David Cook to thank for. John Leonard scored in each half to win us the game and David Cook kept the score as it was when he made several saves. Andy Holsgrove was injured but luckily he was out for six days.

Table

Our first two defeats of the season see us dropped to 8th position in the table. We are very unlucky this month as finally injuries catch up with us and spread our squad really thin. Fatigue also catches up as the players seem to run less and give away possession easily. Brian Sorensen and John Leonard play their hearts out in a very poor month. We need to see improvements in our coming game as Europa place is fast drifting away from us.

December Fixtures

We will be playing six games next month. An unlucky draw against Man Utd in the FA cup 3rd round. Three tough league games as we will be meeting Hull, Chelsea and Man City.

Wrap Up

We are not having a good run of results lately. Hopefully that will change when the injured players return to full training. Dear friends, this is how our month goes. Thanks for reading and i am looking forward to your feedbacks. Please kindly vote for my FM11 team on the sidebar if you haven’t do so. Thanks.

October Results

We are still unbeaten. Winning against QPR and gaining two draws against Liverpool and Arsenal. We also progressed to the next round of League Cup quarter final.

Away at Loftus Road

First game of the month was against 11th place QPR. They have been performing very well since promoted from the Championship. We went into this game full of confidence. The early stages of the first half saw us controlling the game with ease. After several chances, Brian Sorensen gave us the lead using his head from a corner. The remaining period turned scrappy as the quality of the game became poorer. Second half saw QPR played better and both team had chances to score but most of the time the shots went wide. The only goal was enough to win us the game and three points.

Home against Liverpool

We entertained 10th place Liverpool in Upton Park for our next game. They have Marco Verratti and a world class regen striker in their ranks. These two players combined to score the first goal for Liverpool in 17th minute. Tristan Hickman was clearly at fault failed to stop their striker from heading the ball in. The players was not overwhelmed by the goal and put up a great performance. We kept attacking Liverpool goal but was unlucky to be deny by their goalkeeper. We were the better team after the break with a lot of chances. We just couldn’t score. The equalizer came in the last minute when we were awarded a penalty. Hakan Metin converted and we shared a point each after the final whistle.

League Cup 4th Round

Next was the game that decide which team will progress to the League Cup quarter final. We were up against Championship side Middlesbrough. We took the lead through Brian Sorensen again scored using his head. Middlesbrough gave us a good fight and deservingly got the equalizer in full time injury time. After another 30 minutes of extra time with no further goals, the game proceed to penalties. We won the shootout due to the brilliance of Filippo Agostini who saved two spot kicks.

Home against Arsenal

Last game of the month was against 9th place Arsenal. We started the game by having the first shot at their goal. From that onwards it was all Arsenal. We were unable to close in on their goal and conceded a long range shot in 20th minute. We managed to restrict them to long shot and we went into the dressing room with a goal behind. The players’ passion were questioned and they put up a better performance after the break. Brian Sorensen turned provider in 64th minute when he slide the ball through to Alexandar Lafuente to slot it in. Both team had chances in the final stages to kill off the game but missed. The game ended as a draw.

Table

Nine games gone and we are still unbeaten. Four wins and five draws see us lying in 6th position with two games in hand. Our confidence are high and the players are giving their hearts out for the club. The players determination play a part too as we are capable of coming from behind to score a goal. Two players who perform consistently are Brian Sorensen and Andy Holsgrove. Both of them are 28 and seems to get better as they grow older.

November Fixtures

Next month will be a much more busier month than usual as we have seven games waiting for us. Tough games will be the one against Man Utd and Tottenham. We hope to beat Fulham and progress to the League Cup semi-final.

Wrap Up

So far so good. Sooner or later, we will suffer our first defeat but we hope to prolong it as long as possible. Thanks for reading and looking forward to your comments.

P.S If you haven’t vote for the team that you want me to manage in FM11, please vote it on the sidebar.

September Results

We managed to keep up the great start with another month unbeaten. We have 1 win and 2 draws in the league while progressing to the League cup 4th round.

Home against Peterborough

Our first match was against 9th place Peterborough who has two wins and two losses. We got off to a bad start just five minutes into the game as a defensive gap left their player unmarked to convert a cross in. We were doing the chasing in the first half with us coming close at few occasion. We managed to equalize in first half injury time after Ian Blackwood slide a ball through for Colin Madden on the right to powered in a goal from 20 yards. Young Danny Montague was unsettled and keep on revealing he wants to leave for a bigger club. It clearly caused him to lose his focus as we conceded another goal in 64th minute because of his mistake. We never let our heads down and keep on creating chances. The equalizer came from the spot kick after Bastian Bruckner smashed in a penalty six minutes later after their goal. We had chances to win the game near the end of the game but their goalkeeper made a brilliant save. The game ended in a draw.

Away at Selhurst Park

Next was against 16th place Crystal Palace who was promoted last season. They just caused an upset mastering a shock win against the title winner Chelsea in the previous game. We need to be very careful. The first half was quite scrappy as there was not much chances created. We went into the dressing room with no goals. We increased the tempo after the break. Our first goal came after a cross from right back Tristan Hickman was headed in by a unmarked Brian Sorensen. He scored his second goal nine minutes later brilliantly, dribbling past few players and put the ball past their goalkeeper. They managed to pull a goal back three minutes later with a long shot. This stirred them to go forward but we made sure of the win two minutes from time where Jose Antonio Castellano scored a freak goal from close range.

League Cup 3rd round

We had a league cup 3rd round match against Championship side West Brom. I gave a rest to few of the first team regulars. We still looked strong for them as we were the better team looking more dangerous. But we only managed to score one goal when Colin Madden made the run from midfield to score the winning goal.

Home against Aston Villa

Last game of the month was against 15th place Aston Villa. Even though they are lying in the bottom half but they have a few world class players. First half belong to Aston Villa as they had better chances and took the lead in 23rd minute due to a mistake by Les Pattison. The players’ performance was questioned and they put on a better performance in the second half creating some clear cut chances. We need to wait until seven minutes from time before substitute Jim Beardsley headed in his first goal of the season to give us a draw.

Table

No change on our position as we are still lying in 5th place with a game in hand. We are the only side unbeaten so far and that’s pretty impressive consider our credentials as a relegation candidates. Hull is sitting in 1st place with Man City and Chelsea right behind them. Our defence has improved a lot this season with the additions of Wilson and Les Pattison. Wilson is definitely the unsung hero as he always break up opposition attacks without much fuss. Brian Sorensen is as impressive as in the previous month.

October Fixtures

Another four games waiting for us in October. This time round we need to tackle Liverpool and Arsenal at home. Not really easy games but i think we can spring some surprises.

Wrap Up

Dear friends, we are still unbeaten in the new season and with a game in hand, i think it sounds optimistic for a good season. Hopefully we can keep it up and even aim for a Europa place. Thanks for reading this updates and looking forward to your comments below.

P.S The poll will stay for another two days and i will be selecting some teams for you to choose for me in the next poll. Seems like Conference North is the absolute choice for me to manage. If you have other ideas, please vote for your choice of league on the sidebar.

August Results

What more can i ask for? Unbeaten for the whole month and no goals conceded. Best game of the month is the one against Man City which we beat them by two goals. Few games were cancelled due to international fixtures so we only had four games this month.

Home against Man City

First game of the month was against Man City who was far superior than us. We were peg back in our own half from the start and were lucky to find ourselves walking through unscathed. We took an unexpected lead in 15th minute when a swift counter attacking move saw Alexandar Lafuente released the ball to Brian Sorensen who took the ball forward and swept it past their goalkeeper. We shocked them four minutes later as Ian Blackwood scored a debut goal to give us a two goal lead in the first half. It was a well taken goal at the edge of the box. Second half saw us under heavy pressure but the whole team performed well to deny them from getting a goal. A morale booster win for us.

Home against Blackburn

Next game was against Blackburn. We had a good record against them last season as they found it difficult to beat us. The first 45 minutes saw both teams playing the half  evenly matched. There was no goal scored going to the dressing room. Things changed after the break and it turned to our favor. Brian Sorensen scored a total fluke goal after David Cook kicked a long ball to the opposition 6 yards box. The goalkeeper was clearly out of position there. It was Brian Sorensen again eight minutes later after Ian Blackwood squared the ball from the right for him to score in close range. It was 3-0 in 73rd minute after Ian Blackwood got himself into the scoresheet when he turned in a rebound. A magnificent game by the lads.

League Cup 2nd Round

A league cup 2nd round match against Championship side Doncaster saw us fielding a near full strength squad. They had a chance to go ahead from the spot but the penalty was saved by David Cook. They put up a resilience performance and it was down to Alexandar Lafuente to score a brilliant solo goal to win us the game.

Away at Portman Road

Last game of the month was against Ipswich who we have a poor record against. We failed to win in our last four meetings. We were clearly the better team today even though we were playing away. The reason why we went home with a point was due to the brilliance of their goalkeeper. He was always there to block every shot that was going in. Just take a look at his ratings 9.1, absolutely a rock at the back.

Table

A good start see us lying in 5th place with a game in hand. The surprise leader is Brighton who has 10 points. The traditional strong teams have a poor start except for Chelsea but they also suffer one defeat in the hands of Peterborough. The player who stand out is definitely Brian Sorensen who has three goals and a average rating of 7.95. He has been with us for over a season and so far we still can’t find any fault with him. He is a brilliant talent.

September Fixtures

We have four games next month including a league cup 3rd round against Championship side West Brom. We feel more confident after a good start. Hopefully we can consolidate our position with a few more good results.

Wrap Up

Dear friends, this is how our first month of the new season goes. An unexpected good start from the players. The new players seem to settle into the squad well enough. We will keeping our fingers cross for a great season.