Another Harrowing Misadventure (Ages Challenge)

[Faramir]

timpino- have to keep the suspense for a few more posts

***

3.5.13

Hill Stuns Arsenal

With a chance for visiting Arsenal to take over 1st place in the EPL with a win in their match in hand against Harrow Hill- Hill was given no chance by virtually anyone in their Friday matchup. The Larksfield Road faithful were very surprised as the starting lineup was without midfielders Jon Burns and Michael Jones and up front was the pairing of youngsters Simon Allen and Julian Henry. Arsenal likely expected Hill to play a controlling, counter-attacking match and instead found themselves being pressured on the ball by the hard-working Hill backline and midfield. The visitors were put even more off balance when Hill grabbed the lead midway through the first half as Henry made a great shot past Francesco Guillermo Ochoa after Ochoa had parried Allen's initial shot. Henry's shot bounced in off the left upright and the Hill fans celebrated. Realistically, the Hill fans expected Arsenal to find a way to equalize, but the team defense of Hill continued to cause problems for Arsenal. Robin van Persie came close to scoring on Dean Mitchell, but his curving shot bounced back off the left upright and a later header skimmed just over the bar. The 1-0 halftime lead left Larksfield Road buzzing, but also expectantly waiting an outburst from Arsenal. Arsenal found the going no easier as Hill showed determination and composure to begin the second half. When Brian Ball's beautiful pass picked out Henry and Henry slipped past the attempted tackle by Phillipe Senderos and flicked a 30 yard shot over Ochoa for his brace and 5th goal of the season, the desperation on the Arsenal side was plain. Though they poured men forward, the storied visitors could not find the openings they needed and Hill helped Mitchell maintain his clean sheet with their huge upset complete. The win by Hill assures them a place in the top division with only one match remaining, while Arsenal will now need an unlikely result from Bolton versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to have a chance at the EPL title.

"Wonderful performance and several underrated players will earn some good press from this one," said an overjoyed Heartwood.

"Julian Henry was terrific today- he proved he is a big-time scorer," stated Pearson.

"Craig Watts deserves mention, though I had to pull him with his minor injury. He and Darren Stevens did an excellent job of keeping the Arsenal midfield under wraps."

"Do you believe it Jim? We are going to finish in the top half of the table."

"No, I can't quite believe we managed that in our first season. I am so very happy with our side."

[Faramir]

timpino- actually only one more post

Ding, Ding, Ding- We have a winner! Nice picking timpino- given how long ago you made the prediction

***

5.5.13

Hill Slips Past Southampton

Southampton found themselves in early trouble as Matt Fisher was redcarded for a professional foul on Martin Clark as he took the Harrow Hill foward down with a tangling tackle when it appeared that Clark was past him and in free on goal. It took Hill until the second half to capitalize on the space, but they finally did so and accomplished just enough offensively to defeat struggling Southampton 2-1. The loss, coupled with Crystal Palace's final day 2-1 win over Manchester United, will see Southampton going down to the Championship as the final club relegated from the EPL. Hill took the lead when Andre Moritz tripped Dave Turner in the area. Andrew Hook unexpectedly strode up to take the penalty and converted it past Martin Anderson for his 1st ever goal. Hill then made it a quickfire double as Craig Briggs picked out Clark with a pass up the center and Clark blasted a 25 yard drive past Anderson for his 50th League goal at Hill. Southampton had no quit in them- with their backs against the wall for relegation- and sent everyone forward. Michael Jones lost the ball to Dino Marino at midfield and David Darby capped off a quick passing counter-attack by sliding a shot inside the right upright to get a goal back. By that point, Southampton had heard that Palace had scored a late match winner against the Red Devils and knew only a win would keep them up. Hill played solid defense and Mitchell continued to be in the right spot to save the desperation long shots that the home side was firing as Hill closed out their season with the 2-1 win that will keep them in 8th place in the EPL.

"Another hard-earned win," said a relieved Heartwood.

"One that saw us waste most of the first half by not being agressive enough," offered Pearson.

"Speaking of non-agression. Putting Alex Lee in at leftwing with the match on the line turned out to be a bad decision on my part. He was really afraid to even challenge for any ball."

"Well it worked out in the end, so it doesn't matter much."

"Our win over Arsenal cost them dearly- they lost again in their final match and wound up in 3rd. Chelsea won to take the top spot."

EPL Table Final 2012-13

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

1- Chelsea 75 pts (+34)

2- Tottenham 71 pts (+26)

3- Arsenal 70 pts (+33)

4- Newcastle 69 pts (+23)

5- Leeds 66 pts (+16)

6- Aston Villa 64 pts (+15)

7- Liverpool 63 pts (+15)

8- Harrow Hill 59 pts (+12)

9- West Ham 56 pts (+4)

10- Manchester City 56 pts (-2)

11- Everton 51 pts (-1)

12- Manchester United 50 pts (+2)

</pre>

[Faramir]

6.5.13

"How much did we get for finishing 8th?" asked Pearson unbelievingly.

"11.5 Million. Can you believe it Bob? It makes up for all the ones they didn't pay us before," said Heartwood.

"And then some. Are you going to spend any of it?"

"I am not sure if we will, but if so it will only be one or two players. Maybe another midfielder- but really I am not sure at this point."

***

8.5.13

"Wonderful, wonderful," beamed Heartwood.

"What's up?" asked Pearson.

Heartwood set the phone down, "A friend of ours in the Press just gave me the word- Paul Ellis made the Players' Team of the Year."

"That's great news!"

"Paul was also 3rd in the Young Player of the Year balloting."

"Who beat him out?"

"Lee Lamb from Leeds and James Gould from Bolton."

"Ah well, they were good too."

***

8.5.13

"Tough Luck Bob," stated Heartwood with feeling.

"We were we wanted to be- we needed a win, but we didn't get it," answered Pearson.

"It was still a great season with the Reserves. 3rd place is something to be proud of too- in the company of some of the Reserve sides..."

"True, but we all really wanted to make it 7 titles in a row. To get to the last match of the season with control of our own destiny- and then lose- well it will be a bit of a long summer."

[timpino]

and the winner is..... ME!!!!

Great job on the first season!

How's the economy holding up?

[Faramir]

Thanks timpino- good prediction btw

I have more money than I know what to do with (since all the players are coming up from our youth program and free signings).

***

15.6.13

"Not much happening actually Bob, you haven't missed anything on vacation," said James Heartwood to Bob Pearson.

"I gathered as much, since the newspapers were pretty quiet about us- they were all over all the other transfer rumours though," said a tanned Pearson.

"The scouts and I have been going over scouting reports daily, but I only have one bid out there."

"Who would that be? I hadn't heard anything."

Heartwood laughed, "Well, the reason you haven't heard anything is that the bid is on Gremio's promising young Brazilian midfielder Rodrigues. With Corinthians also chasing, him- I don't think our chances of getting him to agree to a contract are that good- but we made the offer at least. He only had a 110K min fee release, so it made sense to take a shot at him."

"I was the European coefficient rankings in the paper today."

"Oh? I must have missed them. Where are we ranked?"

"91st in Europe. Just ahead of Crystal Palace."

"I am not too surprised, given that we haven't played in Europe."

"We might have a shot- England was granted one of the two extra spots in the Euro Cup competition."

"The announcements will come in a few days. We can worry about it then."

[Faramir]

18.6.13

"Great news! Thanks!" said an excited Heartwood.

"What was that about?" asked Pearson.

"We are playing in Europe. We will be in the 3rd Round of the Euro Vase."

"Oh, that is news. The boys will be deathly excited once they come back from Holiday."

"We will have to get them ready quickly though."

***

20.6.13

"It's nice to have a rich club," chuckled Heartwood.

"Hmm?" mumbled Pearson as he looked up from a stack of reports.

"The investors received a 6.5 Million dividend payout after we received our 19.5 Million in TV money. They are overjoyed."

"How well off are we after that?"

"The Board offered me a 19.5 Million Transfer fund. I told them I would be happier with a 13.5 Million amount and a 500K /week wage budget. That would give us more room to keep our budding players under contract. Despite the dividend payout, we are 27 Million in the black."

Pearson whistled, "We're in the money..."

Heartwood laughed, "Well, we can keep our players under contract- actually most of them are signed on good contracts for the moment and our current weekly wages are 250K- about half of the Board's limit."

"I take it Rodrigues signed with Corinthians?"

"Yes, I just heard from our scout over there- he was happier to stay in Brazil for a bit longer."

[Faramir]

26.6.13

"That's a rotten way to start things," sighed Heartwood.

"How bad was the injury to Paul Ellis?" asked Pearson.

"It's a torn groin. He will likely miss three months. It is going to be a rough go to start the season without our best defender."

***

1.7.13

"We actually made some money today," stated Heartwood.

"I know we sold Alex Coulson to Cheltenham and Kevin Spencer to Yeovil, but you never told me the transfer amounts," commented Pearson.

"Cheltenham paid us 550K for Coulson and Yeovil paid 1.4 Million for Spencer- though both are to be paid out over periods of time."

***

3.7.13

"That is going to stun people Jim," said Pearson.

"I felt it had to be done. With Paul Ellis out for a long time, and a player the caliber of Danny Weaver available, it made sense to use some of our transfer funds," replied Heartwood.

"True, but we have *never* made a purchase of that magnitude. 2.4 Million is a lot."

"Young players cost a lot Bob, as you can see from the ones we are selling. Still, Weaver is only 19 and really looks to be one of the best young center defenders available- there aren't many good young ones on the market- so I thought it was worth the gamble. Best of all, his wage demands were pretty minimal compared to some of our own players."

"With Weaver coming here to fill in for Ellis, would I be correct that you are converting John Bruce to a gameday sub?"

"Yes. John's ability to play any backline position really gives us more options- so he will assume that role. I plan on getting him occasional starts as well. I think later in the season- once Stuart Dean has turned 17- he will move up to Senior side and start filling in a utility role."

"That's a good choice on Stuart, he really does remind me of Jamie Carragher."

[Faramir]

6.7.13

"We have our opponent in Euro Vase," stated Heartwood.

"Which one made it?"

"Torpedo Moscow defeated Roda, so we host them here at Larksfield on the 13th for the first leg."

"Are you going to cancel the friendly with Cinderford on Wednesday?"

"I talked to them. They were willing to reschedule it for the Sunday before- so we will have 6 days after the friendly to get ready for Torpedo Moscow."

***

12.7.13

"What did he think my answer was going to be?" said a fuming Heartwood. "He calls me on the eve of our European debut with a job offer for a club in Championship- and expects his money to win out for me to take the job?"

Pearson chuckled at how angry Heartwood was, "You can't blame him for trying. Southampton could really use someone like you."

"Timing is everything and his is bloody poor."

[Faramir]

13.7.13

Hill Thrashes Torpedo Moscow

Showing none of the nervousness that everyone expected of them in their European debut, Harrow Hill trounced Torpedo Moscow 3-0 at Larksfield Road in their 1st Leg Euro Vase match. It was clear that Hill's speed caused all manner of problems for the deliberate Russian side as they managed only four shots in the match and spent much of it in their own end. Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan appears to be poised for a breakout season and he put the Moscow backline to the sword with a dazzling hat-trick to earn MOM honours and key the Hill win. Martin Wharton set Sullivan up nicely with a pass that found him moving into space on the left and he slipped a shot inside the left post past Dmitry Zakharov. Jon Burns set Sullivan up for his 2nd when he headed the ball down and Sullivan snapped a quick shot past Zakharov early in the second half. Midway through the second half, Sullivan finished the hat-trick as John Bruce's through ball put him in free and he slid a shot under Zakharov as he tried to smother the ball. Hill was forced to remove Andrew Evans due to a minor injury, but Matthew O'Neil closed out the clean sheet with a superb save on Pavel Volkov- Moscow's only really good chance of the match. Hill accomplished the win without four key players- away on English Under-19 duty- Michael Jones, Lee Pearson, Andrew Hook and Julian Henry.

"Great start to matches that count," said a pleased Heartwood.

"They executed the gameplan to perfection- Torpedo couldn't shake free of our intense coverage," agreed Pearson.

***

14.7.13

"I am stunned," said an almost speechless Heartwood.

"Something wrong Jim?" asked Pearson.

Heartwood shook his head- as if to clear cobwebs- "That was Head of the Israel National Side. They would like me as Manager and are willing to accomodate my remaining as Manager of Harrow Hill also."

"Wow! Did you talk to them about the job before this?"

"No Bob. This is completely out of the blue. I didn't even know their previous Manager had left."

"Dangerous job maybe."

"It might be. Still, a chance to manage a National side is surprising given my lack of recognition in Europe."

"Are you going to accept?"

"I think so. I would love to start building a record on the National side- so maybe I could manage one of the Isle sides."

"Go for it then. Call them back and tell them you accept."

[Faramir]

15.7.13

"Ah, now I understand why they wanted me Bob," said Heartwood after the press conference announcing that Heartwood would also head up Israel.

"Why?"

"They are looking to nurture their young talent and build for the future. With that thought in mind, they were impressed by the work we have done here at Hill."

"That makes sense."

"Best of all Bob- how would you like to be my Assistant Manager there?"

"Me? They would let you offer that?"

"Sure. They were pleased when I asked them about that- because they also noted your work with the Reserves and Under-18s."

"I would be honoured."

***

19.7.13

"This is getting annoying Bob," said an exasperated Heartwood.

"What's that?" replied Pearson.

"All these offers on Shaun Jenkins, Stuart Dean and Chris Williams."

"Well, Jenkins and Dean both played well in our 2-1 friendly win against Austria Wien on Wednesday."

"It's not just that- we have been getting offers on them since the beginning of summer. I have flatly told clubs that I am not going to sell Jenkins and Dean, especially now that they are 17 and under contract with us. Both have big parts of our future here and will see a lot of Senior playing time this season. I even toyed with the idea of playing them in the second leg against Torpedo Moscow, but that is really asking a bit much of the two 17 year olds."

"They are both ready to play on the Seniors Jim. Dean is the biggest player on the club and his size, speed and versatility are going to make him a real asset for us."

"Stuart will see a lot of action for us this season. His availability is one of the reasons I decided to transfer list Danny Edwards."

[Faramir]

20.7.13

Hill Moves On in Euro Vase

A workmanlike effort in scoring a 1-1 draw at Moscow was good enough to move Harrow Hill on to the Semi-finals against Belgian side Charleroi as they defeated Torpedo Moscow on a 4-1 aggregate. The first half saw Hill spurn some easy chances as surprise starter, transfer listed David Harris, seemed hesitant to take the shots when unmarked. Moscow got a glimmer of hope when Alexandr Tikhonov deflected a long centering pass from Mikhail Chernov past Andrew Evans to take the lead. Those hopes were mostly dashed at the beginning of the second half as Craig Briggs, on for a slightly injured Harris, laid the ball back and Jon Burns rifled a shot past Mikhail Kuzman for the away goal Hill needed to take a stranglehold on the match. Hill was content to defend and introduced highly heralded youngster Stuart Dean for his Senior debut in the second half. Hill's Brian Ball earned MOM honours in the match.

"A quick turnaround. Now we have to get ready for our trip to Belgium on Wednesday," remarked Heartwood.

"We are running into injury problems on the backline. Chris Poole will be out awhile now," commented Pearson.

"I guess Stuart Dean gets his first start at leftback then- with John Reid also out."

[Faramir]

24.7.13

Hill, Charleroi Battle to 1st Leg Draw

Though Harrow Hill tried hard to gain an away goal, they were denied by home side Charleroi as the two clubs battled to a scoreless draw in the 1st leg of their Eurovase Semifinal. Hill's offense looked much less cohesive than it had versus Torpedo Moscow and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan was closely marked by the wary Belgian side. Hill's best chance early came when Olivier Van Impe made a diving parry on Martin Wharton in the first half. Andrew Evans was called on to block away a rising shot from Marc Garaerts late in the half. Hill missed some golden opportunities in the second half as both Jon Burns and Richard Murray shot wide on good chances. Van Impe also tipped a Craig Briggs header over the bar late in the half to preserve the draw. Hill's Danny French earned MOM honours.

"Though we were solid defensively, we let down offensively," commented Heartwood.

"Might have been the 'yellow card' effect- we did receive 5 of them and had to back off on some tackles in the second half," replied Pearson.

"Could be," agreed Heartwood. "Mostly we just weren't as crisp with our passing and moving the ball."

[Faramir]

31.7.13

Hill Through to Euro Vase Finals

The return of the Harrow Hill players who had been away on England Under-19 duty seemed to add new life to the Hill offense as they rolled over Charleroi 3-0 at Larksfield Road in the second leg of their Euro Vase Semifinal. Looking much crisper and assured with their passing today, Hill struck for the lead when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan capped a pretty sequence that saw Julian Henry lay the ball off for Dave Turner. Turner then sent a well-timed cross that Sullivan deflected past Olivier Van Impe. Sullivan made it a brace with a sizzling shot Van Impe for his 5th goal of the season after taking a deft pass from Henry. Hill put the clamps on Charleroi defensively the remainder of the first half to go to halftime leading 2-0. Hill maintained their pressure in the second half and then put the match on ice midway through as Craig Briggs flicked a header to unmarked Henry and he snapped a shot inside the left post to cap the scoring in the 3-0 win and help earn Henry MOM honours.

"Excellent performance today. The boys were much more assured out there," commented Heartwood.

"Having our 4 back that were away on National duty helped a lot," remarked Pearson.

"I really hope this is the breakout season for both Sullivan and Henry. I plan on playing both of them much more this season- if we can keep them healthy that is."

***

1.8.13

"The Euro Vase Final determinations were just drawn," said Heartwood.

"And?" asked Pearson.

"We will face off against West Ham. Hannover and Wolfsburg play in the all-German Final and Slovan Liberec will tangle with Deportivo."

"Hmm, I guess we know our opponent well."

"It's going to be two tough matches against them. The first leg is at Larksfield on the 7th."

[Faramir]

5.8.13

EPL Odds by Totalbet.com

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

7-4 Chelsea

2-1 Arsenal

12-1 Aston Villa

12-1 Liverpool

20-1 Tottenham

25-1 Newcastle

150-1 Harrow Hill

</pre>

***

5.8.13

"One sale that I need to let you know about Bob," said Heartwood.

"I heard- Gary Sadler, right?"

"Yes, Exeter paid us 725K for him."

"I know he didn't want to leave, but I also know that it will turn out the best for him."

***

7.8.13

Hill Dumps West Ham in 1st Leg

A strong effort from Harrow Hill allowed them to survive a couple injuries and a penalty kick as they defeated West Ham 2-0 in the 1st Leg of their Euro Vase Final at Larksfield Road. After seeing Dave Dodd come up with a brilliant save in the opening moments of the match on Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, Hill took the lead as Jon Burns put away a shot from the edge of the six-yard box after a good pass from Michael Jones found him with space. Jones was forced to leave shortly after due to an injury. Andrew Evans was very sharp in the Hill goal and stopped a long-range rocket from Ugur Yildirim to keep things scoreless. Early in the second half, West Ham appeared set to even the match when Andy Reid was called for tripping Daniel Perret in the area. Yildirim's blast was parried by a diving Evans and then Yildirim fired the rebound wide of the left post as Hill survived the chance. The punctuation point on the closely played match came late as MOM Burns chipped a pass through to Craig Briggs and Briggs buried his shot past Dodd to make it 2-0. Hill will have to play the second leg without Burns, as a late yellow card will see him suspended for the return encounter.

"Though we got a little fortunate with the penalty, they were more than a little fortunate we didn't score more," stated Heartwood.

"I couldn't believe that Michael Jones non-chalanted his shot at the open goal- then Anton Ferdinand dove and headed it away," agreed Pearson.

"We lost the goal on the offside call too- but he was well offside on the play."

"Don't forget Julian Henry's header off the crossbar."

"All in all, a good performance."

[Faramir]

8.8.13

"You can tell the other clubs just don't understand how we are constructed," commented Heartwood.

"Why is that?" asked Pearson.

"Well, just look at these," Heartwood flipped a pair of faxes at Pearson. "Clubs that want to loan Stuart Dean. They see a promising 17 year old and decide 'Yes, let's get him here for awhile.' They just don't realize we are actually willing to *play* those players in our Senior side. That is one reason most every player here is very much for the club- they know if they can demonstrate their ability- they will actually get a chance to contribute to the Senior side."

"That is also the reason you are so successful signing talented 15 year olds- they want to come here because they know they might get the chance to establish themselves much sooner than at the 'established' clubs."

***

10.8.13

Birmingham Burn Hill

Birmingham celebrated their return to the EPL by scoring a 2-0 win over Harrow Hill at St.Andrews to open the 2013-14 season. Dean Holland slipped Andy Reid's marking to flick a header past Andrew Evans. It was a goal in his debut for new fan favorite Holland when he scored. Darren Carter deflected a cross from Lloyd Sam past Evans later in the first half as the home side built a 2-0 lead. Hill tried to fight back, but MOM David Marshall was brilliant in the Birmingham goal as he stymied Lee Williams, Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and later Martin Wharton on excellent scoring chances from in close in helping his side to the win by putting up the clean sheet.

"We didn't play well defensively the first half," grumbled Pearson.

"The chances were there, we just couldn't finish them today," offered Heartwood.

"It wasn't a great start to the season."

"Yes, but we can build on it. It is good learning lesson- you just can't take any EPL clubs for granted."

[attjen]

Oddly, that this thread is still going is very comforting.

150-1? I'd put a fiver on that.

[Faramir]

attjen- Well, the Challenge hasn't been completed

I would think we might be worth a fiver, but we are still a very young club...

***

12.8.13

"Simon Smart has a new home now," offered Heartwood.

"Who did we sell him to?" asked Pearson.

"Another one to Exeter- they wanted him enough to pay us 500K. Even better though is that Hull paid us 2.5 Million to get Danny Edwards."

"We are starting to rake a few rewards, eh?"

***

18.8.13

Arsenal Ace Hill in TV Match

A woeful early effort by the Harrow Hill backline doomed the home side as Arsenal won out 3-2 at Larksfield Road in the televised match. Jermain Dafoe got Arsenal off on a flyer when he scored at six minutes while the Hill sideline vehemently protested that he was clearly offside on the play. Hill was rocked moments later when Liam Gray fired a shot past Andrew Evans into the far right side of the goal after Craig Alexander failed to go after a loose ball in the area. Immediately after the play, Hill brought on Stuart Dean as Alexander saw an early shower. Hill got a goal back when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan showed fine vision by chipping a pass across to unmarked Julian Henry as keeper Francisco Guillermo Ochoa came out to challenge. Henry knocked the ball into the open goal to bring Hill back to being down 2-1 at half. Dafoe made it a brace early in the second half as John Bruce inexplicably repeated Alexander's failing- Bruce failed to try to pick up a loose ball at the edge of the area and MOM Dafoe whistled a 20 yard blast that Evans got a hand on, but couldn't keep out of the goal. Hill changed their approach as they subbed on Rob Hodge for Bruce and the attacking formation paid dividends when Michael Jones drilled a shot past Ochoa to draw Hill a goal back. That was as close as Hill could come as Ochoa made a pair of timely saves to preserve the win for Arsenal.

"I am very disappointed in our backline. They played a horrid match and that is clearly the reason we lost today," murmured Heartwood.

"It was the worse I have seen them play in awhile. They had problems communicating and no one stepped up to challenge for loose balls- except for Dean when you brought him in," agreed Pearson.

"A very forgettable effort- we really miss Paul Ellis. With Danny Weaver injured, we still don't have a lot of choices on who to play."

"I think we have to start Stuart Dean. He has played superbly since you started using him."

[Faramir]

21.8.13

Hill Moves On to Euro Cup

Harrow Hill played a steady determined match as they earned a 1-1 draw at West Ham that sends them into the Euro Cup competition on a 3-1 aggregate advantage. Hill could easily have won this match, if not for a terrific effort by West Ham keeper Dave Dodd. Dodd made three good saves on Lee Williams in the first five minutes of the match and remained invincible on any close in shots by Hill. Dave Turner finally dented Dodd in the second half when he blistered a free kick from the center of the pitch inside the left post for the away goal that realistically crushed West Ham hopes. The home side managed a late consolation goal to wind up in a draw when Ugur Yildirim drove a 25 yard free kick past Andrew Evans in the waning stages of the second half. Evans was still named MOM for the match as he made several crucial saves early in the second half to blunt the rally attempts of the home side.

"Just the result we needed," said a pleased Heartwood.

"Now, if we can repeat that kind of effort and performance in our EPL matches..." observed Pearson.

***

22.8.13

"We got Icelandic side FH in the Euro Cup," stated Heartwood.

"Hmm, I don't believe I have ever heard of them," replied Pearson.

"Me either, but I hope we can get some scouting information on them quickly."

[Faramir]

24.8.13

Coventry Embarass Hill

In a stunningly bad effort by Harrow Hill, they were demolished by upstart Coventry 4-1 at Larksfield Road and now reside in last place in the EPL. Hill's vaunted defense has not yet shown up in EPL play as they fell quickly behind 3-0 in the first half. Brian Ball tripped Mark Steele in the area and Mark Ball converted the ensuing penalty past Matthew O'Neill to quickly move the visitors ahead. Martin Valenta made Hill pay for indifferent marking as he slipped past Scott Davies to make it 2-0 halfway through the first half. Oliver Walter flicked a header past O'Neill on a free kick to make it 3-0 and Hill was clearly floundering defensively. Hill managed to rally at halftime and began putting a lot of pressure on Coventry- only to see MOM Luke McCormack come up with several sensational saves to keep Hill off the scoreline. Mark Steele added a late goal to cap off the Coventry scoring that saw the Larksfield fans letting the side know exactly how they regarded their play. Julian Henry did strike for a late consolation goal for Hill and the final was 4-1.

Heartwood shook his head, "I don't know what to say- we didn't play that badly that we deserved to lose 4-1."

"They converted every one of their first three chances. We were down by so much despite playing equal with them in the early going- that was immensely frustrating," offered Pearson.

"Time to get back to the basics and try and right our ship again."

[Faramir]

28.8.13

Hill Trounces Tottenham

In a brilliant display of team football, Harrow Hill shook off their poor EPL start and easily defeated Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart Lane. The Martin duo- Martin Clark and Martin Wharton- had the Tottenham backline's number today as they put them to the sword. MOM Clark put Hill on the board when Wharton found him with a pass and Clark snapped a well-placed shot just inside the far right post as he had moved into space on the left on the play. Clark made Paul Robinson pay for missing when he tried to intercept a pass from Wharton as Clark put the ball away past Robinson for a brace and a 2-0 Hill halftime lead. In the second half it was Clark's turn to assist Wharton as he blasted a shot that Robinson parried and Wharton smashed in the rebound to cap the scoring. Tottenham showed little life in the match and their 30,000 fans were rather unhappy with their effort.

"Finally!" said an elated Pearson.

"That was the kind of football we need to play," agreed Heartwood.

[timpino]

Prediction for this year: 3rd, UEFA Cup winners, FA Cup QF League Cup Final

[Faramir]

Since you did so well last time, I hope you are right timpino

***

ISRAEL

31.8.13

Israel, Belgium Play to Draw

Showing surprising resiliance and determination, Israel fought back to battle favored Belgium to a 1-1 draw at Ramat-Gan. Silvio Proto was the early story for Belgium as he played very well in goal and kept the home side from gaining the lead in the opening moments of the match. Belgium struck to go ahead when Stein Husyegems flicked a header past Itay Gadot for his 30th International Goal midway through the first half. Israel fought back to equalize just before halftime as Ziv Eldror knocked home a rebound after Proto made a leaping parry of MOM Zvi Zvika's blast. Though clearly the more tired club in the second half, Israel came close to taking the win in the late stages and Proto was very sharp in turning away a blistering shot from Omar Abdulazeez, the Nigerian who decided because of dual citizenship to play for the Israel National side, to preserve the draw. With the draw, Israel and Belgium remain tied for 3rd in Group 7 of World Cup Qualifying and each trail 2nd place Austria by 2 points. Sweden remains well ahead of the pack in 1st place, while Macedonia trails Israel by a point and Kazakhstan brings up the rear of the group.

"The fitness levels are alarming. Our players were pretty much at the end of the rope in the second half," stated Pearson.

"I am not sure if it relates to the timing of the match, but that is why I finally felt compelled to switch to a defensive formation late in the second half," agreed Heartwood.

[Faramir]

ISRAEL

4.9.13

Austria Edges Israel

Austria needed the advantage of two first half goals as they held off a rallying 10-man Israel side to win 2-1 in Vienna. Noam Davida got caught holding the ball and when he was skinned by MOM Peter Leitner it started a quick counter-attack with Roman Kienast scoring to put the home side ahead. In a highly disputed call, Tal Ben-Haim was called for a foul in the area and a penalty kick awarded- when it appeared the foul occurred outside the area. Martin Stanzl converted the penalty kick past Itay Gadot and it was 2-0 Austria. The score remained that way at halftime and Israel found themselves with only 10 men in the opening moments of the second half as Yevgeni Shpigel was sent off for a two footed tackle. Still full of fighting spirit, Israel put a scare into Austria when Davida flicked a header past Bartolomej Kuru to draw a goal back midway through the half. Israel forced Kuru to make two diving stops- on Davida and Daniel de Ridder to preserve the win.

"We didn't play well enough to win, but the heart that they have is very good," stated Heartwood.

"The loss means we are pretty much out of the World Cup Qualifying," commented Pearson.

[Faramir]

7.9.13

Hill Hold On Against Leicester

It was a wild end to the second half, but the final whistle found Harrow Hill still holding tight to the 1-0 scoreline as they edged Leicester at Walkers Stadium. The lone goal in the match came early as Martin Wharton's neat lay off allowed Martin Clark space to drive a shot past Kim Young-Kwang. Young-Kwang proved that the goal was the exception, not the rule, as he made terrific diving stops on Clark, Wharton and Darren Stevens to keep the home side close. In the second half, Leicester began to gain the upper hand and was applying steady pressure in the Hill area. Andrew Evans earned his clean sheet with not only some timely saves, but also his ability to scoop up the loose balls at the edge of the area. Kevin Lennon was the main force for Leicester as he found space in the Hill backline. Lennon had to be completely frustrated when it appeared he beat Evans with a shot late in the second half- only to see it bounce back off the left upright. Hill defender Andy Reid earned MOM honours in the match. The match also featured the debut of Hill's heralded young midfielder Chris Brooks, but Brooks did not have a major impact on the match.

"It was a tight one. I am glad we were able to hold on for the win," stated Heartwood.

"We could have had more goals in the first half- if Young-Kwang hadn't been so sharp. Still we got the goal we needed and made it stand up for the win," offered Pearson.

"Chris Brooks looked Ok, but he was clearly a little hesitant out there."

"He will be fine. Did you see that last tackle he made? He will help us out a lot as far as our depth."

"Did you see that Arsenal waxed Sunderland for a 7-0 win at the Stadium of Light?"

"Won't be any celebrating there today either."

[Faramir]

13.9.13

Hill Flails FH

Harrow Hill disappointed the small partisan crowd at Hafnarfjordur as they dominated home side FH in a 3-0 win for the 1st Leg of this Euro Cup 1st Round match. The Icelandic side had no way to cope with the blistering pace of Hill, especially that of Simon Allen and Darren Adams. The two explosive forwards combined for all the Hill goals as they put the FH backline to the sword. Adams gave Hill the lead at six minutes when he half-volleyed a cross from Allen past Hjalti Runarsson. Midway through the half it was Allen with a pass from MOM Dave Turner and a goal. Allen made it a brace before halftime as a centering pass from Craig Watts found him with enough space to slip his shot inside the near right post. Hill never let the home side have a dangerous chance in the match and kept the ball in the FH area most of the second half.

"I couldn't have asked for a better effort- or a more polished performance," beamed Heartwood.

"That we were able to accomplish this without any of our usual midfielders is a testament to the depth of the club," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

15.9.13

Hill Fight to Draw With Red Devils

Though outplayed for portions of the match, Harrow Hill never quit working and that paid off in a late penalty kick that allowed them to split the points with Manchester United at Larksfield Road in their 1-1 draw. Manchester drew first blood in the match as Quincy Naarden volleyed a cross from Wayne Rooney past Andrew Evans when Paul Ellis, making his return from injury, couldn't keep Naarden under tight enough cover. Evans was called on for saves against Keith Watts and Daniel Carvalho as well to keep Hill within a goal going to halftime. Hill played with a bit more effectiveness in the second half, but was still having trouble getting players free in the visitors area. Craig Briggs, on for Martin Clark, took a pass from Neil Preece and whirled around in the area. Rio Ferdinand tangled his feet and there was no hesistation from the Referee as the penalty kick was awarded. Lee Davis stepped up and smashed his shot past Gary March into the lower right corner of the goal to equalize at 84 minutes. Both sides had one more good chance, but Evans and March were solid in preserving the 1-1 draw. Manchester United defender Marco earned MOM honours.

"A worthwhile draw, after being outplayed," murmured a tired Heartwood.

"It was a good result, given we were missing some of our key players," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

18.9.13

Hill Numbs Norwich

The return to the Harrow Hill lineup for Lee Williams was a clear success as his hat-trick helped spark Hill to an easy 4-0 win over Norwich in the 2nd Round League Cup match at Carrow Road. Chris Poole picked out Williams' leftside run with a good pass and Williams showed a quick move to his right before rocketing a shot past Alan Blayney to give Hill the early lead with his 50th goal for Hill. Williams made it a brace at 34 minutes when he volleyed a nice pass from Alex Lee past Blayney. It was Lee who set up Williams again as he completed his hat-trick in first half injury time to boost Hill to a 3-0 halftime lead. Hill gave Norwich little room to maneuver or rally as they pressured the ball continually in the second half. David Harris, who was reportedly taken off the transfer list before the match, celebrated his return to the starting lineup by taking a ball away from Blayney when he dallied and then slotting it home to cap the scoring in the 4-0 Hill win.

"Great work by Lee Williams. He is just a great scorer," said Heartwood with a pleased expression.

"Lee was moping around at not playing, but I reminded him that he really hadn't been at close to playing fitness for awhile," commented Pearson.

"It was a good proof of our depth too, as we had four players who were getting their first starts this season."

[Faramir]

23.9.13

Hill Manages Draw versus Manchester City

Though they played a strong match, Harrow Hill could only come away with a 1-1 draw at City of Manchester Stadium as Manchester City fought back to split the points. Throughout a solid first half, Hill threatened to take the lead several times, only to be denied by stellar work from keeper Martin Higgins. Hill broke through to gain the lead early in the second half when Brian Ball sent a looping cross that Neil Preece was able to flick past Higgins for his 1st goal of the season. Hill failed to keep the lead when Darren Stevens lost marking on MOM Dusan Djuric and a deft pass from Giampaolo Pazzini allowed Djuric to fire home the equalizer past Dean Mitchell midway through the half. Hill tried hard to regain the lead, but poor shooting and timely tackling doomed their efforts.

"It was a good match. Though we could well have had the win, I am not displeased about the way we played," stated Heartwood.

"Just one defensive mistake. That's all it took- but, you're right, the boys did give a solid effort," offered Pearson.

[Faramir]

26.9.13

Hill Rains Goals, Moves on in Euro Cup

In their televised match hosting Icelandic side FH in their 2nd leg Euro Cup match, Harrow Hill offered a brilliant demonstration of their wealth of young talent. Lee Williams continued his goal onslaught from the Norwich match as he had a hat-trick by the 33rd minute of play. Chris Brooks scored his 1st Senior goal for Hill and Dave Turner added his 1st goal of the season as Hill roared to a 5-0 halftime lead over their beleagured visitors. Turner made it a brace with a deflection of Danny Weaver's corner as Hill crushed the visitors 6-0 to move on with a 9-0 aggregate win.

"Wonderful match. Just like a well tuned ballet out there offensively," said a beaming Heartwood.

The dour Pearson chuckled, "Just remember who we faced and consider their quality in comparison to whoever we face next."

"True, but at least we get to move on."

***

"Who is in our Group?" asked Pearson.

"Group H is Us, Sevilla, Heerenveen, AEK and Valerenga," replied Heartwood.

"Interesting mix of clubs."

"Some dangerous ones, to be sure."

[Faramir]

29.9.13

Hill Slips Past Sunderland

Struggling Sunderland was hoping to bounce out of their bad stretch with a trip to Larksfield Road. Instead they found Harrow Hill ready to battle tooth and nail with them for the result and Hill wound up a 2-0 winner. Sunderland had early pressure, but the Hill backline- led by MOM Paul Ellis- supported Dean Mitchell well and Mitchell made all the saves he needed to. Giuseppe La Malfa was perfoming the same in the other goal as he made great stops on Michael Jones and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan to keep things scoreless. La Malfa didn't have the answer later in the half as Sullivan took the ball around two defenders and then laid a pass off that Neil Preece put away with a rising shot into the upper right corner of the goal. In the opening moments of the second half, Hill took advantage of a corner as Preece made it a brace when Alexander Petrovic tried to flick a header over the bar, but only slightly deflected it. Preece was in the right spot to snap his header into the goal. With the 2-0 lead, Hill continually pressured the ball and kept Sunderland off balance with counter-attacks. Dean Mitchell earned his clean sheet for Hill when he made an excellent save on Dean Bowditch after a stray Brian Ball backpass allowed Bowditch to scoot past the Hill defenders.

"Nice effort all the way around and I was very happy to see Neil Preece become more offensive minded," stated Heartwood.

"Practice made an effect on that, he didn't pass up the shots this time," agreed Pearson.

"Solid work from Dean Mitchell in goal too- he seems to be maturing this season."

[Faramir]

ISRAEL

5.10.13

Israel Only Able to Draw

Israel squandered chances and generally played a haphazard match as they only managed a scoreless draw in their trip to Kazakhstan. There were opportunities early on for Israel to gain the lead, but Noam Davida hit the crossbar with his header and Wiyam Amashe didn't get a shot off despite getting clear with the ball at the edge of the six-yard box. Kazakhstan forced Itay Gadot to make a couple solid saves late in the half. Israel came out quickly in the second half, but seemed to tire appreciably after that initial burst and only managed a handful of other ineffectual scoring chances in playing to the scoreless draw. Israeli defender Tal Ben-Haim earned MOM honours in the match.

"The poor quality of the fitness of the club is amazing," sighed Heartwood. "They have said they will try to restore some additional conditioning training, but unless we get that resolved- we are going to face problems in almost any match."

"It must relate to when their off season arrives," observed Pearson. "But you're right- it is hard to play agressive football late in the match if the entire side can barely run up and down the pitch."

[Faramir]

ISRAEL

9.10.13

Late Swede Goal Dooms Israel

After fighting back to even the match at 1-1, Israel yielded a late second half goal to lose to Sweden 2-1 at Ramat-Gan. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the problem for the Israeli backline as he scored both goals for Sweden in leading them to the win. After Ibrahimovic's first goal midway through the first half, Shai Biruk drove home a rebound into an empty goal to even the match going to halftime. Israel came close to taking the lead twice, but Andreas Isaksson came up with timely saves to prevent it. The match winner came as the Israeli backline failed to clear away a loose ball after Itay Gadot made the initial save on Henok Goitom and Ibrahimovic whisked the ball past Gadot into the goal for his brace.

"We need to find better backline players," stated Heartwood.

"I haven't seen any much better- at least in the National trials- so we may have to live with what we have," replied Pearson.

"Then we will have to train them more than I realized."

[Faramir]

12.10.13

Newcastle Nip Hill

Though Harrow Hill gave a game effort, an early goal was enough for Newcastle to hold them off for a 1-0 win at St.James Park. The lone goal of the match came on a neat 1-2 between Paul Turner and Hatem Ben Arfa, which saw Ben Arfa lay the ball off and Turner pick it up, make a quick move and then fire it inside the near left post past Andrew Evans. Evans made a couple dazzling stops on Fabio Cruciani and Michael Owen to keep the match close, but the deciding factor was the excellent play by the Newcastle backline. Stuart Fox made several timely tackles on Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan when it appeared that Sullivan might gain a great chance. MOM honors were awarded to Hill winger Dave Turner, for his unceasing effort down the left side.

"Neither Sullivan or Lee Williams could find any space," grumbled Heartwood.

"We couldn't get much space anywhere today, they were really doing a good job of marking everyone," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

20.10.13

Hill, Everton Battle to Televised Draw

In a match fraught with chances, Harrow Hill and Everton battled to a 1-1 draw as each scored in the second half of their match at Larksfield Road. Robert Green earned MOM honours and made his presence felt early in the match with key saves on a bullet shot from Michael Jones and a tip over the bar on a rising shot from Lee Williams. Andrew Evans was called on to make a diving parry of Edixon Perea's cannon blast from 25 yards. Midway through the second half, Hill struck to gain the lead. Darren Adams, on for a tired Williams, broke down the left sideline. Adams slipped a pass to Brian Ball as Ball cut into the middle and Ball sent a cross past Green. Martin Clark was breaking in and was able to deflect Ball's cross into the open right side of the goal. Everton hit back quickly as Dominic Williams outleapt Paul Ellis and flicked a header on to John Barnett. Barnett made the chance count as he came in free and drove a shot off Evans' right hand inside the left post to equalize. Both sides had chances to win the match, but Green and Evans remained steady the rest of the match and they had to settle for splitting the points.

"I hated seeing that goal we gave them back. It was frustrating to see Ellis lose the challenge in the air and then see John Bruce out of position as Barnett scored," said Heartwood with a biting tone.

"Williams gave us trouble in the air all day- we were fortunate he didn't score one himself," answered Pearson.

"I wish I knew for sure how I felt about Lee Williams. One day he is incredible, then another invisible. If he were consistent, he could really be a leading scorer."

"I don't know if it is his size or stamina, but I understand and agree about Williams. Are you still planning on playing Julian Henry regularly?"

"Yes, and if Lee complains once more about not being in the starting lineup- I am certain I will transfer list him. I am fed up with his antics with the press."

"You're right- twice is enough. If he doesn't tone it down, that is probably the right thing to do."

[Faramir]

23.10.13

Tottenham Tip Hill in Extra-Time

Tottenham fought back twice from falling behind to Harrow Hill and then scored a dramatic match winner in the last moments of Extra-Time to win a 3-2 League Cup 3rd Round match at White Hart Lane. Tottenham outplayed Hill in the first half, but failed to take the lead thanks to good work from Dean Mitchell in goal and the timely tackling of Andy Reid. The second half saw Hill showing more offensive movement and Lee Williams shook free of Ledley King's marking to snap a shot past Paul Robinson and give Hill the lead at 58 minutes. Hill was desperately trying to hold on when Shaun Jenkins' was yellow carded for holding Theo Walcott and the free kick proved costly as Fabio Zamby drove a booming shot past Mitchell for the equalizer. Hill answered when Williams got free again and then drove home his own rebound after Robinson parried his initial shot to return the lead to Hill at 85 minutes. Hill was playing conservatively, but couldn't mark Walcott close enough and he took a pass from Goran Pandev before scoring in the last minute of second half injury time to even the match at 2-2. In Extra-Time Hill missed two golden chances to take the lead as Robinson made brilliant saves on Darren Adams when a counter-attack broke him free and then a diving stop on Rob Hodge as he scooted free at the far post on a free kick. The match winner came when Chris Poole lost the ball on the sideline and the rest of the tired Hill backline couldn't react quickly enough as Claudio crossed to Scott Sullivan to avoid penalties.

"We wasted several ways to win this match," sighed Heartwood.

"Youth sometimes needs to learn these lessons the hard way," replied Pearson.

"Well, this was definitely hard enough- disappointing enough- to have them gain the knowledge. Lee Williams comes up with another scintalating match when I least expect it."

"He is a terrific scorer- sometimes."

[Faramir]

26.10.13

Hill Lash Liverool

Harrow Hill provided more evidence that their young club is maturing as they shook off their midweek Extra-Time loss to Tottenham and defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in impressive fashion. Hill got off on a flyer as Brian Ball showed great vision in picking out Julian Henry as he split the Liverpool defense on an attack off the opening whistle. Henry smashed a shot past Jimmy Hutchinson to earn Hill the lead in the first minute and stun the sold out crowd. MOM Ball made a whirl with the ball and picked out Henry again later in the first half. Henry made a superbly placed shot inside the far right post for a brace to give Hill a comfortable 2-0 halftime lead. Hill settled in to play better defense than they had shown in the last few matches, though they still had to lean on Andrew Evans as he made a great stop on Djibril Cisse to help blunt the 'Pool comeback attempt and keep a clean sheet.

"I guess that is why I like Julian Henry more than Lee Williams at this point. He doesn't skimp on any aspect of the game," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"He and Brian Ball were the difference today. Ball is really showing a lot of refinement to his play this season," replied Pearson.

"It might be due to all the International play he has received in the last three seasons."

[Faramir]

31.10.13

Hill Ace AEK

In their first Euro Cup Group H match, Harrow Hill proved their were the real thing as they swamped visiting AEK and defeated them 3-0 at Larksfield Road. Lee Williams helped spark Hill and he scored at 21 minutes to get Hill going. Martin Clark passed to Williams and after he whirled past Stelios Sidiropoulos, Williams snapped a shot past Alexey Botvinjev. Clark added a goal when he deflected a cross from Dave Turner into the goal for his 5th of the season. Hill went to the dressing room looking relaxed with the lead. Williams then made it a brace with his 10th goal of the season as he blistered a 25 yard free kick past Botvinjev to cap the scoring in the solid Hill win.

"Some of our doubters are beginning to change their tune," smiled Pearson.

"We are proving ourselves against some good competition," agreed a pleased Heartwood.

[Faramir]

3.11.13

Hill Squander Lead, West Ham Fights Back for Draw

It was another stunning last moment goal that saved West Ham as they fought back for a 2-2 draw against Harrow Hill at Larksfield Road. Hill had moved out to a 2-0 first half lead thanks to Andy Reid's penalty conversion and Brian Ball's wicked shot from just inside the edge of the area. Hill was playing well in the second half and Dean Mitchell was making some superb saves to blunt the West Ham rally attempts. The visitors drew a goal back when Al Bangoura crossed and Daniel Perret volleyed past Mitchell for his 10th goal of the season midway through the second half. With Hill still clinging to the lead in the late stages, Chris Poole lost the ball on the left sideline. In a repeat of the occurrance that resulted in Tottenham's late match winner- Dave Kennedy crossed to Perret and he put the shot away for the equalizer in the last minute of second half injury time to earn MOM honours.

Heartwood hurled the clipboard against the wall. "What? Chris Poole learned *nothing* from what happened against Tottenham? He fooled around with the ball instead of just sending it down the pitch and it cost us a win!"

"It was a bad choice," agreed Pearson.

"Another bad choice! We can't afford to have them making the same mistakes twice. We need them to learn not to make it the second time. Much as I like Chris- he is going to sit awhile until he learns that fact."

[Faramir]

4.11.13

"That one will hurt us," sighed Heartwood.

"How long will Brian Ball be out for?" asked a worried Pearson.

"The dislocated jaw is bad. He will be out at least a month- and then maybe longer to recover playing fitness since he is bound to lose strength and fitness while it is wired shut."

***

ISRAEL

9.11.13

Argentina Fights Back to Beat Israel in Friendly

Israel stunned Argentina as they put the home side on their backheels with a pair of first half goals to take a 2-0 lead, but the favored side fought back and scored a late second half match winner to beat battling Israel 3-2. The lead came to Israel thanks to Noam Davida rapping a shot in off the left upright and MOM Daniel de Ridder driving home a rebound left loose in the Argentina area. The home side drew a goal back as Franco Cangele deflected a cross past Itay Gadot late in the first half and 2-1 was the halftime margin. Argentina got back to even when Diego Molina victimised defender Ben Pinhas to drive a shot past Gadot. The home side scored the late match winner again courtesy of ineffective work by the Israeli center defenders as Lisandro Lopez knifed through to flick a header past Gadot at 84 minutes. Israel came close to equalizing in the closing moments, but de Ridders' scorching shot bounced back off the crossbar.

"Same story as the other match. We have to try and find some better center defenders," grumbled Heartwood.

"We surprised them offensively," said Pearson.

"Yes, they didn't expect us to be able to pass the ball through the center on them."

[Faramir]

ISRAEL

13.11.13

Germany Scores Easy Win Over Israel

Germany took advantage of defensive lapses as MOM Christophe Ziegler scored twice in leading them to a 2-0 win over Israel in Berlin. Israel wasn't without chances in the match, but didn't show the crisp play they had demonstrated in Buenos Aires four days ago. Both goals came on quick 1-2 passing sequences that saw Ziegler find open space directly in front of Itay Gadot. Israel's closest chance saw German keeper Alexander Roth palm away a curving free kick from Omer Peretz.

"Same thing as Argentina. Our lack of ability in center defense shows up like a big sore spot," stated Heartwood.

"At least you gave young Ohad Vaknin his 1st Cap. Maybe he will help us in the future."

"That is the hope- that is also why I gave it to him at age 19."

[Faramir]

17.11.13

Hill Crashes Crystal Palace

Harrow Hill survived yielding two penalty kicks as they defeated struggling Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park. The first half was closely played and Andrew Evans made the first important save of the match as he smothered a chance by Collins Mbesuma early in the first half. Federico Lombardi made difficult saves on Simon Allen and Dave Turner, but couldn't control the rebound on a rocket shot from Lee Davis and Darren Adams fired it home to give Hill the halftime lead. Early in the second half, Palace equalized when Danny Weaver pushed Glenn Whelan in the area and Andy Johnson converted the penalty kick. Hill promptly answered with a counter attack that saw Simon Allen lob over Lombardi from 20 yards out. Hill then finished off the spirit of Palace as Adams burst down the left side and took the ball past Lombardi before slotting it in for his brace. Evans earned MOM honours not only for saving the penalty kick of Per Ciljan Skjelbred, but for his diving save on Alan Smith's blast as Palace tried to rally.

"Good effort, great goalkeeping," said a relieved Pearson.

"We needed to beat them. We can't afford not to get some kind of results against the clubs we have a realistic chance of winning against," commented Heartwood.

[Faramir]

21.11.13

Hill Unlucky at Oslo

Despite dominating large portions of the match, unkind uprights helped keep Harrow Hill from more than a 1-1 draw at Valerenga in this Group H Euro Cup match. Hill was off on a flyer as Martin Clark scored with a booming blast from just beyond the edge of the six yard box in the 3rd minute. Hill was close to adding to that lead, but hit each upright in a dizzying sequence of pressure on the Valernenga goal. Hill seemed to come out less determined to begin the second half and Valerenga demonstrated they didn't get here by accident as they worked a pretty passing sequence and Dong Fangzhuou rifled a shot inside the right post to equalize. Hill jumped to the attack again, but after missing closely several times, they sprung Clark free. Clark fooled Stige Ingebrigtsen with his shot, but it bounced back off the upright and Hill could only mutter about 'what might have been'.

"We played well, but the breaks were not going our way today," stated Heartwood.

"If we play that well in most of our remaining matches- I will be happy," said Pearson. "We did a lot of things right."

[Faramir]

24.11.13

Blackburn Burns Hill

Taking full advantage of a sending off, Blackburn exploited both the extra space and the unsteady Harrow Hill backline as they fought back for a 3-2 win at Larksfield Road. The match started out brightly for Hill as they were moving well and took the lead when Chris Brooks converted a penalty kick after a Salomon Kalou handball in the Blackburn area. Late in the first half, Brooks' match went from great to horrid as he received his 2nd yellow card and went for an early shower. Blackburn equalized early in the second half when Andy Wilkinson overpowered Andrew Greenwood and deflected a centering pass past Dean Mitchell for his 5th goal of the season. Hill regained the lead, despite playing with 10 men, when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan deflected a cross from Dave Turner past MOM Marcelo Grohe. Blackburn pegged Hill back immediately as a quick counter-attack left Hill unable to deal with a slick passing combination that saw Kalou slot home the goal to make it 2-2. The Hill backline again was caught late in the second half and Wilkinson made it a brace with a match winner at 83 minutes. Hill came close to equalizing, but Grohe made a brilliant stop on Craig Watts in the late moments of injury time to preserve the win.

Heartwood grumbled, "We didn't deserve to win that one. We gave them everything they needed to win the match."

"It wasn't one of our better efforts- especially on the backline," admitted Pearson.

"I hate to say it Bob, but it is looking like it might be time to cull the Senior side a bit..."

"I was thinking the same thing Jim, but wasn't sure if you wanted to tackle it during the season."

"We are getting several players unhappy about the lack of playing time. I know we have several more promising youngsters coming up for next season- so yes, I guess it does make sense to see if transfer listing a few players can help tune up the Senior side."

"The only worry I had is about morale."

"With the grousing- especially to the press- that is starting to go on, I worry more if we don't do anything. I will be moving the transfer listed players to the Reserves though."

[Faramir]

28.11.13

Hill Humbles Heerenveen

A stellar effort by Harrow Hill allowed them to defeat Heerenveen 3-0 in their Euro Cup Group H match at Larksfield Road. The win ensures that Harrow Hill will move on to the knockout round in Euro Cup play and also means that both Harrow Hill and Sevilla- their last opponent in Group H play have their places locked in, so the match in Spain will mean little to either club. The catalyst for the Hill win was the dynamic play by their forwards- Simon Allen and Julian Henry. Allen gave Hill the halftime lead when he took a short cross from MOM Henry and put it away past Jurgen Volder. Early in the second half a nicely timed cross by Richard Murray was perfect for Allen to volley past Volder to make it a brace with his 5th goal of the season. Henry added a late goal to ice the win as he skinned Juan David Batista and then took the ball around Volder and fired into the open goal.

"Excellent work by Simon Allen and Julian Henry. Their play this season is another reason we need to trim the forward situation up," commented Heartwood.

"They are both ready for more playing time, so yes- straightening out the forwards would help," agreed Pearson.

"We just have too many good forwards on the Senior side now. That will be something we will work on resolving."

[Faramir]

2.12.13

Nottingham Forest Flails Hill

Taking advantage of inconsistent play by the Harrow Hill backline, Nottingham Forest carved out a 2-0 win over Hill at City Ground. Amid a tumultuous week of reported transfer listings, Hill came out and pressured the home side in the early going. Scott Carson was called on to make good saves on Darren Adams and Craig Watts in the opening moments. Forest took the lead after Hill's initial flurry when a counter-attack saw Danny Weaver unwilling to challenge David Graham in the area and Graham scored past Andrew Evans. Hill tried to rally in the rest of the first half and early second half, but were frustrated when Martin Clark was stopped twice by Carson to preserve the lead. Midway through the second half Forest added the clinching goal when a poor clearance from Paul Ellis found its way to Peter Wright and he slipped a shot through traffic that went in off the inside of the right upright. Hill couldn't recover from the second goal and went quietly.

"Not a good effort- especially when we feel behind," commented Pearson.

"It was disappointing. We wasted a lot of good possession time with out even getting shots away most of the time," answered Heartwood.

[Faramir]

7.12.13

Hill Edges Chelsea

In a match that is destined to become lore at Larksfield Road, a spirited effort by Harrow Hill- backed by superb keeping- allowed them to defeat favored Chelsea 3-2. Hill struck early in the match to gain the lead as Richard Murray was in the right place to hack in the rebound after Petr Cech parried a blast by Jon Burns. Chelsea tested MOM Andrew Evans all match long and in the first half he was equal to all their challenges with acrobatic saves and excellent positional play. Hill earned a 2-0 halftime lead when Julian Henry skinned Michael Essien and snapped a shot past Cech inside the near left post. Chelsea began their rally early in the second half when Valeri Bojinov deflected an Arjen Robben corner past Evans. Hill regained their two goal lead when Dave Turner hammered home a rebound after another fine Cech parry- this time on Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan. Cech kept his club in the match with a pair of brilliant saves against Sullivan shortly after and they drew within a goal again as Essien slipped through to fire a shot past Evans after Michael Jones couldn't keep him under wraps. Evans was dazzling as Chelsea desperately sought the equalizer and stopped both Jeremy Menez and Scott Browne when it seemed they would score. The final whistle saw the entire Larksfield Road crowd- including Chelsea supporters- give the two sides a standing ovation for their rousing match.

"I don't know when I have been quite so happy to hear that final whistle sound," beamed Heartwood.

"It was a great match. A little dicey, but a great one nonetheless," agreed a smiling Pearson.

"The brilliance of Andrew Evans was on display today. Truly his best match for us."

[Faramir]

12.12.13

Sevilla Smite Hill

Sevilla played error-free football and took advantage of Harrow Hill errors to score the pair of goals that took them to a 2-0 win in Spain. Dean Mitchell was caught dallying on the ball and Diego Capel made him pay as he took the ball away and then drove it into the goal to give the home side the lead at nine minutes. Hill generated some good chances, but found Juan Jose Calatayud too difficult to solve today as he came up with every save that Sevilla needed to keep the sheet clean. Sevilla clinched the match when Fernando Vega snapped home a rebound after Mitchell parried Fabricio Collicini's header on a corner late in the second half to finish out the scoring in the 2-0 final.

"There were some good moments in the match, but overall we have to play much better against a club the caliber of Sevilla," flatly stated Heartwood.

"They turned their chances into goals- and they were much too easy chances on both that they scored on," agreed Pearson.

***

12.12.13

"Here's the word back from the Euro Cup knockout draw," said Heartwood.

"Who do we face?" asked Pearson.

"Won't be easy- Ajax. The first leg will be at Larksfield Road."

"Hmm, well there aren't many easy clubs left by the time you get this far anyway."

"If we get past them- we would face the winner of Anderlecht and Monaco."

"It will take some better play on our part to keep playing in the tourney."

[Faramir]

12.12.13

"That's a blow," murmured Pearson as he and Heartwood conferred.

"Brian (Ball) was just getting back to playing fitness after his other injury. I was just planning on using him in our next match. Now..." said a disheartened Heartwood.

"Will he be back this season?"

"The specialist thinks so- but he will be out at least three months and then have to build up match fitness after that, so it will be the tail end of the season before we see Brian playing again."

***

15.12.13

Leeds Lands Last Blow, Earns Draw with Hill

An uninspiring first half only marred a sensational second half as Harrow Hill and Leeds traded goals until the final whistle found them even with a 2-2 draw at Elland Road. Leeds took the lead in the opening moments of the second half when Tim Vincken sent a shot into the goal from just inside the edge of the area after Hill failed to clear the loose ball away after a scramble. Hill was sparked by Darren Adams, who entered the lineup to replace Simon Allen. Adams scored the equalizer when a good pass from Richard Murray found him with space. Matteo Amato made a terrific reaction save on his blast, but was helpless to react as Adams fired the rebound inside the far left post. Hill then caught Leeds pressing forward and Paul Ellis launched a pass over the top. Adams picked up the long pass and let fly with a 20 yard blast that beat Amato just inside the right post for a brace and Adams' 5th goal of the season. Leeds roared back to try and equalize as Hill tried to hang on. Wayne Routledge was the architect for the equalizer as he made a brilliant dribble deep in the Hill end before crossing to Lee Lamb. Lamb put his shot away past Andrew Evans and it was 2-2 at 89 minutes. Amato had to come up with a sterling save on Adams to keep things even as the two sides split the points.

"If we had only played the first 45 minutes like we played the last 45," sighed Heartwood.

"We worked hard and almost took a win at home against the top placed club. It was close," stated Pearson.

"True. Now we need to bottle that effort and get the boys to give it more often."

[Faramir]

16.12.13

"Hmm, that was a surprise," said Heartwood to Pearson as he hung up the phone.

"More press?" asked Pearson.

"No. It was Arsene Wegner. They made an offer for Lee Williams."

"Hmm. I take it you accepted it?"

"I didn't think we could turn it down. With how unhappy Lee has been this season- imagine how he would be if we didn't let him pursue an opportunity like this. He is a great scorer, but he hasn't really proven he can stay healthy- or happy- for any length of time this season. I would be willing that he can become Arsene's project."

"How much?"

"8.25 Million- our asking price- a 20% sell-on clause and agreeing to a friendly."

"That is a worthy offer. At least we won't be letting him go too cheaply."

"It will also mean more playing time for unhappy Darren Adams, Simon Allen and Craig Briggs- which is Ok in my book."

"Well, as soon as Briggs is healthy again you mean."

"True, he will still be out awhile."

***

17.12.13

"More unhappiness Bob."

"Who now?"

"I just allowed Craig Watts to go on the transfer list at his request."

"Ah, his complaints about only being a gameday sub- and not starting..."

"The same. If someone gives us a good enough offer- fine. Otherwise, I am not offering him at a bargain price."

[Faramir]

21.12.13

Hill Blunders to Loss Against Bolton

Showing little of the verve and determination that have carried them so far this season, Harrow Hill was completely outclassed by Bolton as the visitors handed Hill a stinging 1-0 loss at Larksfield Road. Bolton never allowed Hill to really get their offense in gear and their tenacious tackling removed many of Hill's chances. Bolton had the better chances in the first half, but couldn't find a way to score on Andrew Evans. They solved that problem when defender David Holden earned MOM honours with a wondrous 35 yard blast that sailed inside the right post past Evans. Hill could not control the ball in the Bolton end and wound up looking very ineffectual for the match.

"No doubt about it- easily our worst performance of the season," grimaced Heartwood.

"No life, no fire, no determination, little execution- all the ingredients for a loss," agreed Pearson.