Sunday 30th August 2009:

  League games: AC Victoria 4, Clothiers 1; Crossflatts FC 9, Horsforth St Margarets 1; Rawdon OB 2, Malt Shovel 3; Yeadon Westfield 3, Crossflatts Village 2.

Sunday 6th September 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

Crossfaltts Village 2

Horsforth Fairweather 0

Team: Merifield - Vernon, Armstrong, Ferguson, Banoub - Murphy, Horton, Monaghan, Hinkins - Newsome, S.Goodall. Subs: A.Bell, J.Bell, Jones; unused subs: Smith, Foss.

  The first day of the season, always a Sunday that promises so much, and so eagerly looked forward to, yet rarely does it go according to plan for our club, and the 2009-10 season was no exception in this regard.

  The form of Andy Merifield during the pre-season games meant the No 1 jersey is now his on merit, irrespective of which of the other contenders are fit and available, and again today the big lad didn't let anybody down. Jon Vernon, Barry Armstrong, Kevin Ferguson and Simon Banoub formed what looked a very sound back four. Lee Monaghan, Richard Horton and Simon Hinkins were tried and trusted midfielders asked to carry on the good work, with Danny Murphy the day's only debutant down the right wing. Not my place to second-guess the Manager's plans, but I suspect the late arrival of the Bell brothers changed them quite significantly: anyway, John Newsome and Sam Goodall started up front, with the Bells featuring in a strong quintet on the touchline.

  The first half was a cagey affair, mostly fought out at close quarters in midfield, with few chances for long periods. It was about as even a contest as you could have wished for, with the home team looking physically stronger, but our own passing game, when we had the chance to play it, looking like it might prove decisive. We lost Murph to injury after half an hour, a bit worrying for a lad who has waited years to restart his Sunday football career and has more than looked the part pre-season, but at least the enforced change allowed us the chance to bring Anthony Bell into the attack, with Sam dropping into midfield. In fact, our two best moments of the game fell around this period, with some superb approach play and clever inter-passing ending with Ant and Sam blasting great chances over the bar in the latter stages of the first period, but overall we ended the half feeling we could be doing a lot better.

  Much against expectations, however, the second half was considerably worse from our point of view. It took only three minutes before the Village centre-forward Andy Caddick went on a solo run from the right wing and cut inside to beat Mezzer at the near post. Horsforth, a bit rattled by this turn of events, responded by bringing Jamie Bell into the game, but the home side's self-belief was now reinforced, and they scored an even more maddening second goal after 19 minutes of the half as the ball was worked in from our right, a couple of tackles missed, and a fine strike at the far post by Lee Smith stretched the lead to 2-0. I'd love to tell you we responded in the right way, but the remainder of the game saw the home side growing in confidence, and our own attacks more and more sporadic, hopeful long balls where previously there had been inspired passing. By the end of the 90 minutes, I really have to say the better team had won, and we were left with a long journey home and much to talk about.

  I won't drone on and on: there are a couple of things that need to be said, but I will leave the Manager to say them in his own time. Suffice to say in this medium that today's performance was considerably below the standards we set ourselves. I know how much work has been put in over the summer (on and off the pitch), and I doubt we have much to gain from launching an inquest at this stage of the season. However, I hope people don't take exception when I say I believe we should be doing better than this, nor when I remind a few of you that we are playing a team game. Everyone at the club - the goalie, defenders, midfield and forwards; the subs, the Manager, the supporters and of course me; the lads who didn't turn up; the lads who have, and haven't, been there at training - we all of us lost today. We start doing something about it on Tuesday.

  Other league games: Clothiers 0, Crossflatts FC 2; Rawdon OB 6, Yeadon Westfield 1.

  PC Sports League Cup Round 1: AC Victoria 3, Horsforth St Margarets 0.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 13th September 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

  AC Victoria 4, Rawdon OB 2; Clothiers 1, Malt Shovel 4; Crossflatts Village 0, Crossflatts FC 5; Horsforth St Margarets 2, Yeadon Westfield 3.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 20th September 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

Malt Shovel 5

Horsforth Fairweather 1

Team: Merifield - Armstrong, Butcher, Banoub - S.Goodall, Horton, Foss, Monaghan, Hinkins - J.Bell, A.Bell. Subs: Sedgwick, A.Goodall, Newsome; unused subs: Ferguson, Herron. Scorer: S.Goodall.

  The Bell brothers both started up front for a much-changed Horsforth side, with Sam Goodall dropping to right wing-back, and Adam Foss, appearing for the first time since April 2007, added to a five-man midfield. With a long list of defenders injured or unavailable, Horsforth called up Callum Butcher alongside Barry Armstrong and Simon Banoub in a remodelled three-man back line.

  On the wide pitch at Baildon, Horsforth at first revelled in the open spaces, and generally gave as good as we got in the first half. Malt Shovel, formerly the Hockney, have got off to a great start in this their first Premier Division campaign, and would no doubt have regarded themselves as favourites for the three points, but we made them work hard for at least the first hour or so. The opening goal arrived on 33 minutes, a deep cross from our left drifting over an unusually static defence, and the ball was prodded home at the far post. We hit back five minutes later, as Lee Monaghan's free kick caused chaos in the home side's goalmouth, and the ball was bundled over the line by a combination of players' efforts, Sam claiming the decisive touch. Had we got to half time level, I think we would have been on course for a decent result, but we were undone again on 43 minutes, as the Shovel crossed from their right wing again, and found a player unmarked at the far post. Understandably, we felt hard done by at this turn of events, but the interval found us in confident mood, and much was expected of the second period.

  After the break, however, the tide gradually but firmly turned against us. The excellent Barry Armstrong had to leave the field injured after 14 minutes, and, though we had in Steve Sedgwick a replacement of proven ability, the defensive organisation (which had been provided in no small part by Sedge from the touchline) began to slip a bit as we were increasingly forced to chase the game. Sam, another casualty, was replaced by his brother Alex five minutes later, as Horsforth gambled on attack being the best form of, etc, etc, but the game's decisive moment arrived after 24 minutes of the half, as a cross from the home side's left was misjudged, and the Shovel centre-forward presented with an easy chance. Thereafter, Horsforth basically just went for it, with John Newsome added to the attack and Ant operating down the left, but we looked stretched now, and the home side's greater fitness and excellent use of their substitutes meant they ended the game at a canter. On 34 minutes, they took a short corner from the left, which surely on another day we would have prevented, and the resultant header made the points safe, and in the 37th minute a run down their right wing ended with the unlucky Callum bundling the ball over his own goal-line, blighting what had otherwise been a creditable debut.

  As always, we do of course have a list of excuses, starting but by no means ending with a catalogue of players who were not available for one reason or another. But you have to give the Malt Shovel credit, as they coped admirably with the best we had to offer as an attacking force, and by the end of the game would no doubt claim they were well on top in every area of the field. Whether they have the consistency to become serious contenders for the title itself remains to be seen, but on the evidence of today's encounter they ought to be there or thereabouts. We had some very good moments, and as I said earlier might have done some damage had we survived to the interval at 1-1, but by the end of the contest I reckon we have to admit we were very much second best.

  Other league games: Clothiers 4, Horsforth St Margarets 4; Yeadon Westfield 8, AC Victoria 1.

  LDFA Sunday District Cup Round 1: Destiny 1, Woodlesford 4; Halfway House (Stanningley) 3, Leeds Maccabi 6 AET; Harehills WMC 5, Acorn 3; Leeds City Adelers 2, AFC Travellers 2, Travellers won 4-3 on pens; New Saints 4, Old Vic 1; Pudsey Saints 1, Wykebeck Arms 4; South Leeds City 0, Pudsey Liberals 7.

  We have a bye to Round 2, in which we are playing Soccer City on the 18th October.

  FA Sunday Cup Preliminary Round: Brow 4, Rawdon OB 0; Tower 4, Crossflatts FC 1.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 27th September 2009 (PC Sports League Cup Round 1):

Yeadon Westfield 3

Horsforth Fairweather 2

Team: Merifield - Herron, Armstrong, Ferguson, Banoub - Ranger, Horton, Monaghan - A.Bell, Newsome, J.Bell. Subs: Vernon, A.Goodall, Foss; unused subs: Hinkins, Jones. Scorers: A.Bell, Own Goal. Cautioned: Banoub (unsporting behaviour), Monaghan (dissent).

  Another rather bitty performance from another much-changed Horsforth line-up, and another disappointing result.

  Dean Herron was drafted in at right-back for his first game of the season, with Kevin Ferguson also restored to the defence, now a foursome again. A narrow three-man midfield featured Jermaine Ranger, another on his first outing of 2009-10, alongside regulars Lee Monaghan and Richard Horton. John Newsome was added to the attack, fitting between the Bell brothers in what was definitely a nostalgic 4-3-3 formation.

  Westfield on their own ground is always a tricky game, a fixture which presents its own unique challenges. In recent times, we've done pretty well there, but today's encounter was always going to be that bit harder when, after just six minutes of play, a corner on the home side's right was palmed into his own net by Horsforth keeper Andy Merifield. For the remainder of the first half, though at times we rode our luck defensively, we became stronger and stronger in midfield, and in my opinion ended the period looking quite clearly the better side. Maybe just a bit too often our moves broke down on the final pass, and possibly we should have pulled the trigger a bit earlier on occasions, but I reckon the home side were glad of the chance to reorganise at the break.

  The second half was a very different story at first. Westfield had a series of chances to increase their lead, as Horsforth's concentration slipped a bit. Left-back Simon Banoub, cautioned for a series of fouls, had to be replaced in order to be certain of keeping 11 men on the field, Jon Vernon coming on and Dean switching to the left. Needless to say, we gave Mezzer plenty of chances to atone for his early error, as defensive uncertainty and the need to chase the game led to a few gaps in the back line. However, this Horsforth side always has much to offer as an attacking force, and the gamble on sticking with 4-3-3 appeared to have paid off when, with 14 minutes gone, we equalised with a superb well-struck effort from Anthony Bell in the inside-right channel after his brother Jamie had unlocked the door with a class ball from the left. The introduction from the bench of Alex Goodall at centre-forward promised even greater things ahead, yet it was in the next few minutes that the tie was settled, and not in our favour. Westfield's strength a set pieces has never been a secret, and their habit of producing a goal from a corner or throw just when they least look like doing so in open play has helped them overcome some of the best teams in Sunday football in this area in recent seasons. So it was little surprise when on 28 minutes a throw-in on their right found our defence disorganised, and the result seemed like another own-goal, Richard Horton appearing to get the last touch. Horsforth, with little to lose now, threw the powerful Adam Foss into the fray at this stage, but on 36 minutes another long throw-in was only helped on into the path of lurking Westfield striker Craig Marshall beyond the far post, and the deficit was 3-1. A late rally found Alex's chip from the right wing being headed into his own net by Westfield substitute Pete Watson, but, even though the referee played a copious amount of injury time, we were unable to send the contest into extra time.

  I guess it must be admitted that Westfield were due a break against us, as we have had the rub of the green in recent games between the sides. This was a narrow defeat, in a cup tie that could have gone either way, and I don't want to dwell on the mistakes that cost us the result, rather to point out that the season is only three games old and there is a lot of football still to be played. If we feel a bit down after three defeats in our opening three games, that's understandable, but I think it's far too early to be writing off the 2009-10 season. We need a result, no doubt about that, but we still have talent in abundance at the club, serious competition in every position on the field, and a great team spirit. A bit more belief, a slightly less volatile line-up and I reckon the results will come.

  Other Round 1 ties: AC Victoria 3, Horsforth St Margarets 0 (Sept 6th); Baildon Trinity Angel 5, Idle United 4; Clothiers 7, Horsforth All Saints 4; Crossflatts Village 4, Salts 0; Horsforth Town 3, Baildon New Inn 1; Ilkley Dynamo 1, Rawdon Old Boys 4; New Variety Club 3, Halfway House 0; Otley Town walkover v Commercial; Otley Wharfeside 6, Armley Rangers 3; Wheatley 4, Moortown Merlins 5; Yeadon Veterans 1, Malt Shovel 5; Yorkshire Rose 3, Yeadon Athletic 3, Yorkshire Rose won on penalties. Byes: Crossflatts FC, Milford, Shipley Town.

  League game: Horsforth St Margarets 1, Crossflatts FC 4.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 4th October 2009 (WRCFA County Sunday Cup Round 1):

Mill Lane 3

Horsforth Fairweather 2

Team: Merifield - Vernon, Armstrong, Ferguson - S.Goodall, Foss, Horton, Monaghan, Hinkins - J.Bell, A.Bell. Subs: Jones, Newsome, Herron; unused sub: Banoub. Scorers: A.Bell, Herron.

  With Jermaine Ranger joining the lengthening list of casualties following his bizarre injury last week, Horsforth were forced into yet another reshuffle. Just the three defenders, Barry Armstrong and Kevin Ferguson joined by Jon Vernon. Sam Goodall and Simon Hinkins the wide player in a five-man midfield, with Adam Foss being given the holding role alongside Lee Monaghan and Richard Horton. Jamie and Anthony Bell continued up front.

  We've been saying amongst ourselves for a while now that we needed a slice of luck, and a bit of good fortune came our way as early as the fourth minute, when Ant chased down the Mill Lane keeper at a defensive throw-in, and capitalised on the mistake he had forced. The first half settled into a pattern, much good football from both teams, but the home side, visibly taken aback at the events of the opening minutes, recovered their poise as the game wore on. They equalised after 20 minutes, when a free-kick that I thought was indirect rebounded off Horsforth keeper Andy Merifield into the path of a striker who was presented with an open goal. Should Mezzer have left it? The referee certainly seemed to have his hand up signifying an indirect kick, but put it down as the kick was taken. Either way, easy to be critical from the touchline, but disappointing that the home side reacted first to the loose ball. Mill Lane always had a good shape to their side, strong up the centre in all departments and fast down the wings, and it is to our considerable credit that we kept the game level almost to the break. The crucial lead goal was scored right on the half-time whistle, Fossy conceding a free-kick on the edge of the box and the wall totally inadequate as the ball was drilled in at the near post.

  If we thought we had work to do at the interval, the task was made much harder within two minutes of the restart as the home striker flicked the ball up in the air and smashed home from close range, very much the best goal of the day from the spectators' point of view but the sort of thing you really must prevent if you expect to make progress in competitions like the County Sunday Cup. The second half was rather shapeless for a while now, Mill Lane sitting back a bit on their lead and Horsforth perhaps lacking the guile to create the chances we needed. But our use of substitutes was quite inspired today, and in particular the addition of John Newsome to the attack seemed to give us renewed hope. With Sam also switching to out and out attack in a three-man strike force, we forced a succession of corners and goalmouth situations as the clock ran down. Regrettably, our only reward was a scrambled consolation effort from another sub, Dean Herron, his first in HFFC colours, deep into stoppage time, but the last ten or so minutes had gone very much our way, in marked contrast to some of the earlier games this season. If saying we were unlucky to lose would be a bit rash, I felt we showed great team spirit and just might - had we pulled that goal back earlier - have made more of a game of it in the last few minutes.

  Before signing off, I must pay tribute to Mill Lane, formerly of the Wharfedale Sunday League (the last champions of that competition before it folded) and now of the Bradford Sunday Alliance, sporting and well-organised opponents who advance to the next round with our best wishes, also to one of the best referees we have seen for some while in Mr Walker of Kippax. I hope the fourth successive defeat won't give too much cause for pessimism, as our late rally and overall positive attitude must surely mean there are better things ahead for our club.

  Other Round 1 ties included: Bowling Green 2, AC Victoria 0; Crossflatts FC 9, Ripon City 1; Dudley Hill Rangers 5, Crossflatts Village 2; Rawdon OB 5, Manston Wanderers 0; Yeadon Westfield 9, Amaranth '95 0.

  League game: Horsforth St Margarets 2, Malt Shovel 9.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 11th October 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

Rawdon OB 8

Horsforth Fairweather 0

Team: P.Ridsdale - Vernon, Armstrong, Ferguson, Sedgwick - Herron, Horton, Monaghan, Hinkins - A.Bell, Merifield. Subs: Rayner, J.Bell, S.Goodall; unused subs: Banoub, Newsome. Cautioned: Monaghan (dissent).

  Any lingering doubts about the seriousness of the situation the club faces in 2009-10 were finally put to rest in this embarrassing defeat at the hands of a Rawdon side who were significantly better than us in every department.

  Phil Ridsdale was back in the nets after injury, though not without a huge vote of thanks for the sterling job done under trying circumstances by Andy Merifield, the big lad even bigger in many people's eyes after the way he has put the club in front of his own personal career for the last few months. Reverting to 4-4-2, Horsforth brought Steve Sedgwick into the defence to make it up to four again, with Dean Herron starting on the right of the midfield quartet. Mezzer was given the nod up front alongside Anthony Bell. And I should not forget to mention that, in addition to the eleven starters and five named subs, we had three more players reporting for duty, so at least we must be doing something right.

  The game this morning is not one to dwell on, so with apologies the Controversial Match Reports will content itself with a relatively brief summary. With twelve minutes played, and the honours fairly even thus far, Rawdon's Steve Baraniak floated an exquisite chip into the top corner and the effect of this superb strike was as if the game was over already. A neat header from the Rawdon centre-forward Bruce Hogg a couple of minutes later doubled the lead, Sedge's attempts at clearing the ball with his hands mercifully unsuccessful, then we held out for a short while, pride perhaps briefly taking over from confidence, but on 30 minutes Scott Norton scrambled a third goal for our hosts and from then our star rapidly waned. Norton bagged a second goal from a move down our left, and duly completed his hat-trick, before the former Troydale winger Julian Wilkes, a thorn in our side since about 1994 if memory serves, made it 6-0 at the break. Riggsy, in his first competitive game of the season, could hardly have expected to be so sorely tested, but it remains my duty to mention that but for him the deficit could have been more than twice that.

  The second half was either a much sounder performance from our point of view, or maybe Rawdon just lost interest, but the superb strike Norton put away in the ninth minute was Rawdon's only effort on target for a long while. A spate of substitutions followed: Marc Rayner turning in a tidy half hour in midfield, with Dean dropping to full-back, then Jamie Bell being asked to change the shape of the game from the left wing, and Sam Goodall given the challenge of salvaging some pride down the other flank. A solitary, rather comical goal from Hogg down our left hand side on 33 minutes was, mercifully, the only addition to the scoreline, and a game in which we frankly could have let in twenty or so ended with eight goals conceded - still humiliating but not as much so as it might have been.

  Of course, I have loads to say at the end of this one, but perhaps best to say little in this medium. For public consumption, let me concede we were way short of our best today, and got what we deserved at the hands of one of the Wharfedale Triangle's best clubs. You have to look a bit harder for positives, and to be honest any grasping at straws I might do would only be seen as rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. This was a bad, bad day at the office for a Horsforth side that is struggling to come to terms with a catalogue of injuries, retirements and other ready-made excuses, but, whether we are talking short- or long-term, we need to face up to the fact that this was simply less than acceptable from any team that expects to retain its Premier Division status.

  Other league games: AC Victoria 1, Malt Shovel 5; Crossflatts Village 3, Clothiers 6; Yeadon Westfield 1, Crossflatts FC 7.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 18th October 2009 (LDFA Sunday District Cup Round 2):

Horsforth Fairweather 8

Soccer City 1

Team: P.Ridsdale - Herron, Armstrong, Ferguson, Sedgwick - Jones, Foss, A.Goodall, Monaghan, A.Bell - Newsome. Subs: J.Bell, S.Goodall, Hinkins; unused subs: Banoub, Rayner (even though it was his birthday). Scorers: Foss 2, Newsome, Jones, Monaghan, J.Bell, S.Goodall, A.Bell. Cautioned: Armstrong (unsporting behaviour).

  A week can be a long time in football, and this one has been no exception. Some frank and honest talking at training and a collective decision to go about our task today with a more positive attitude paid dividends as, shaking off the early-season indolence, a reinvigorated Horsforth set about their task with relish and got the result their resolute performance merited.

  Needless to say, there were team changes. With Jon Vernon unavailable, Dean Herron moved to right-back. Richard Horton's absence from central midfield was covered by the return of both Adam Foss and Alex Goodall with Chris Jones taking the right flank position and Anthony Bell switching to the left hand side. As Andy Merifield had joined the injured list, John Newsome was recalled to the starting line-up as the lone striker.

  Soccer City, finalists in this competition last season, clearly had problems with getting a team together for this game, but the delayed start did neither side any favours. Horsforth took a while to get going, but when the first goal arrived it was a gem. In the 14th minute, Lee Monaghan's corner was met with an imperious header from the excellent Adam, and we began to play some decent football as if a great weight was lifted from our shoulders. The 23rd minute found the wily Alex doing brilliantly to hold off three defenders and set up John for a neat finish, a well-deserved goal for a striker who hard running and willingness to chase lost causes had been among the key features of the game thus far. On 35 minutes, with Horsforth now well in control, another Fossy header from a Lee Mon corner gave us the sort of half-time lead we had only dreamt about for a long while.

  Any hope the away side had of making a game of it went out of the window in the fourth minute of the second half, as Lee Mon and Alex worked a short corner and Chris met the resultant cross with a firm header to notch his first goal for the club. Mon himself struck next, volleying accurately from some distance after sub Sam Goodall's throw-in had been half-cleared. Another sub, Jamie Bell, got his name on the scoresheet in the 36th minute with a controlled volley from the edge of the box which seemed to wrongfoot the impressive but beleaguered away goalie, and a minute later Sam flicked the ball into the net from close range to make the lead a resounding seven. Credit to the Soccer City lads, they continued to chase every loose ball and kept putting our defence under pressure at every opportunity, and the consolation goal Mark Maloney scored was either the only blemish on our day or a just reward for their keeping their collective heads up, depending on your point of view. Certainly, it would be churlish to deny their contribution to a decent game of football. Still we had the last word however, the late goal from Ant giving us an eight-goal haul for the first time since the Moortown game in this competition two years ago.

  I don't need to look at the record books to tell you there has never before been such a turnaround in the fortunes of the club as following an eight-goal defeat with a win of similar magnitude. Everyone involved with bringing this about can give themselves a big pat on the back, and everyone who wore the green and black shirt today ought to be proud of the way they conducted themselves on one of the club's best days for the last few years. Loads more work to do of course, but this was very much a step in the right direction. Only one problem though - who is going to tell the Hortonator? (Only kidding, Rich, no one would overlook the influence your taking Tuesday's training session had on this Sunday's performance.)

  For more pictures, click here, and click on the Play button.

  Other Round 2 ties: Amaranth '95 1, New Saints 3; AFC Bramley 2, Seacroft 0; Bramley Amateurs 0, Crooked Billet 5; Cross Flatts XI 5, AFC Travellers 4 AET; East Leeds (Combi) 11, Water into Beer 0; Harehills WMC 1, Elford 3; Horsforth Rangers 4, Eyrie 7; Leeds Maccabi 4, Upper Armley Sunday 2; Pudsey Amateurs 0, Imperial 6; Pudsey Liberals 11, AFC Woodcock 0 Pudsey 2005 S/L 1, Western Juniors Sunday 3; Pudsey United 0, Leeds Lions Seniors 5; Stanningley Albion v Waterside home win; West Hunslet Conservatives 1, Woodlesford 4; Wykebeck Arms 1, Manston Wanderers 0.

  The next round of this competition is scheduled for Sunday the 15th November.

  For more details, click here, and click on 'Cup Competitions' then 'Sunday District Cup'.

  Wharfedale FA Sunday Cup Round 1: Baildon New Inn 0, Ventus United 5; Baildon Trinity Angel 0, Rawdon OB 5; Milford 1, Malt Shovel 3; New Ireland Wood 5, Ilkley Dynamo 3; Yeadon Athletic 5, Baildon Trinity Athletic 3; Yeadon Westfield 4, Shipley Town 0. Byes: Clothiers, Horsforth St Margarets, Horsforth Town, Idle United, Otley Town, Otley Wharfeside, Saltaire Rangers, Wheatley, Yeadon Veterans, Yorkshire Rose.

  Keighley FA Sunday Cup Round 1: Sandy Lane 2, AC Victoria 0; Round 2: Crossflatts FC 8, Oakworth Wanderers 1; Crossflatts Village v Victoria Rangers unknown.

  League game: Horsforth St Margarets 4, Clothiers 1.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 25th October 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

Horsforth Fairweather 1

Horsforth St Margarets 3

Team: P.Ridsdale - Herron, Armstrong, Ferguson, Banoub - Jones, Foss, A.Goodall, Monaghan, A.Bell - Newsome. Subs: J.Bell, S.Goodall, Horton; unused subs: Hinkins, Vernon. Scorer: A.Goodall.

  First, let me say this: there were no excuses for today's display. Instead of my usual litany about how many players we had missing, I must report Steve Sedgwick was the only member of last week's winning side to drop out of the frame, and we had at least three worthy contenders to take over at left-back, the dependable Simon Banoub getting the nod.

  This was to all intents and purposes a game we lost in the first ten minutes. The away team raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of some slapdash defending. Hordes of defenders around, the midfield far too deep, and nobody taking control of the situation, the first goal the dreaded second phase after a half-cleared corner, the second the result of some nice passing from a team encouraged by what they had seen thus far. A recovery of sorts was almost inevitable, and when Alex Goodall's crisp volley crashed into the net following one of our own corners there were still fully 75 minutes left for play. We gave a fair account of ourselves for the remainder of the first half, with a few chances to rue, but we never looked like dominating the midfield areas and the task of clawing our way back into the game never seemed to get any easier. For that, you have to give a well-organised Maggies team due credit, and their continuing invention from set pieces paid off again when on 38 minutes a corner swerved violently in the wind and floated into our net. Fairweather keeper Phil Ridsdale seemed to be impeded, but the referee allowed the goal, and the mountain we had to climb looked even steeper.

  The second half was a pretty even contest, neither side making many chances, which of course suited the team with the 3-1 lead. With quality to spare on the touchline, we brought Jamie Bell into the attack and Sam Goodall down the right wing, and though Sam in particular gave the Maggies defence a torrid time the stalemate was never seriously threatened. The Hortonator, sub for the first time since February 2005 (coincidentally against Maggies), was added to the mix, but even he couldn't turn the balance of play our way, and by the time the referee blew the final whistle the game looked beyond us. Maggies, workmanlike rather than brilliant, had made the most of their early chances and thus claimed all three points in a game in which we never really quite got started. Over the 90 minutes, I felt we had been worth at least a draw, but in the end the two-goal lead we had gifted our opponents proved decisive.

  With few crumbs of comfort to be had after this our fourth consecutive league defeat, you have to turn for consolation to the depth of the squad and the spirit and commitment shown by the players over the last few weeks. Bottom of the league, no points, and yet still the competition for places on the bench, never mind the team, is as keen as I have ever known it. These are, let's be honest, rather grim times for our club, but there is still so much to be positive about, on Sunday mornings and Tuesday nights, that you have to say the long-term future looks brighter than the league table does at the moment.

  PC Sports League Cup Round 2: Crossflatts Village 5, AC Victoria 1; Horsforth Town 1, Malt Shovel 4; Milford 3, Baildon Trinity Angel 5; Moortown Merlins 2, Rawdon OB 4; Otley Town 1, Yorkshire Rose 4; Otley Wharfeside 2, Clothiers 13; Shipley Town 1, Crossflatts FC 5; Yeadon Westfield 0 New Variety Club 0, New Variety Club won on penalties.

  Quarter-Final draw: Clothiers v Malt Shovel; Crossflatts FC v Crossflatts Village; New Variety Club v Baildon Trinity Angel; Rawdon OB v Yorkshire Rose.

Back to top of page.

Sunday 1st November 2009 (Wharfedale Triangle League Premier Division):

Horsforth Fairweather 4

Malt Shovel 12

Team: Merifield - Rayner, Markham, Ferguson, Banoub - Newsome, Foss, Monaghan, Hinkins - A.Bell, Parker. Subs: A.Goodall, Smith. Scorers: Foss, A.Bell, Parker, Monaghan. Cautioned: Rayner.

  And if there were still any lingering doubt about this scale of the task faced by our club this season, it was surely dispelled during this at times farcical but utterly one-sided game.

  The team news reads like a disaster movie. Phil Ridsdale was unavailable, so once more we were indebted to Andy Merifield for standing in for him. Marc Rayner, less than 100% fit, started a game for the first time this season at right-back, with Chris Markham drafted in at centre-back for his debut. Kev Ferguson and Simon Banoub afforded some measure of continuity in the defence, but Dean Herron and especially Barry Armstrong were sorely missed. In the absence of Chris Jones, John Newsome started on the right of midfield, another first, with Lee Monaghan and Adam Foss the central pair, and Simon Hinkins restored down the left. Anthony Bell's partner in the attack was another late call-up, Simon Parker given the task of adding to his career total of 238 goals. All three of the lads used as sub last week - Richard Horton, Jamie Bell and Sam Goodall - weren't with us either, leaving the bench precariously undermanned.

  Whether you regard that as a strong XI on paper or otherwise, the team looked wretchedly out of sorts from the word go. The away side, far superior in every department of the game in the first period, took the lead in the second minute with a shot that went in off the post, and doubled the advantage in the eighth minute as a header from a corner found its way into the net, Marc's efforts at effecting an illegal clearance with his hand only earning him a caution. A third goal followed as we gave away the ball from a Mezzer throw-out, and a fourth when one of our free-kicks was quickly cleared and our defence found stretched. At this point, one of the highest scores in Sunday League history looked ominously likely, but our own attacking game gradually found its way, and when Lee Mon's corner was powerfully headed home by Fossy there were still only 20 minutes played. We desperately needed a good five minutes at this stage, but any suggestion of a revival was quickly stifled, as 4-1 became 5-1, and even a neat finish from the inspired Ant, capitalising on a rare defensive error by the visitors, gave little by way of comfort as the half-time scoreline of 6-2 meant the second period would be little more than a formality.

  Alex Goodall replaced the somewhat overrun Nooby at the interval, Hinky dropping into the defence, but the away side's star continued to shine and they had scored twice more before Simon Parker lashed home what was by some way the best goal of the day at either end, the result of some inspired approach play by John and others. Parker's tireless and direct running at goal produced further dividends as the away defenders had little by way of answer except to foul him in the penalty area. Lee's spot kick was saved at the first attempt, but the Horsforth captain followed up to notch our fourth goal of the day. Inevitably however, given the margin of the away side's superiority, more goals followed at our end, and the final result was a resounding 12-4. Maybe our regular consolation goals had ensured this hadn't been quite the most humiliating result in the club's history, but in terms of how badly we had played it was up there with the worst of them.

  The conditions, the catalogue of players missing, the much-maligned referee: as usual we had our excuses ready almost before we had kicked off. This was in my opinion a game from which few of us will have emerged with any credit at all, and, if we are to put any sort of positive spin on it, it has to be that we learnt valuable lessons today. Well, I just hope we did learn them. Some of Horsforth's younger and/or newer players must have felt like the world was against them this morning, with nowhere to hide, facing opponents who are surely among the contenders for the Premier Division title in this their first season at this level. Stronger, fitter, faster and (it pains me to say this) more determined than we were, I must say that in all honesty the 8-goal margin in no way overstated their superiority. It does get better than this, honestly, or at least it can do, as long as we all look at ourselves to explain the performance we turned in today, rather than seeking to put the blame on others.

  Other league games: Clothiers v AC Victoria; Horsforth St Margarets v Crossflatts Village; both postponed.

  WRCFA County Sunday Cup Round 2 included: East End Park 8, Crossflatts FC 5; Rawdon OB v New Scarborough postponed; Yeadon Westfield v Howden Clough postponed.

  For more details, click here, enter WRCFA.com, and click on 'County Cups' then 'Sunday Cup'.

Back to top of page.

  This page last updated November 2009.