Another Harrowing Misadventure (Ages Challenge)

[Faramir]

26.12.13

Hill Hangs On for Win Over Villa

It took some harrowing final moments, but Harrow Hill clung to their 2-1 margin as they defeated Aston Villa at Larksfield Road. A strong first half by Simon Allen propelled Hill to a 2-0 halftime lead. Alex Lee's pass put Allen in free and he blistered a shot past Paul McMahon to give Hill the lead. In first half injury time, Allen deflected a cross from Lee past McMahon to move the scoreline to 2-0. Villa fought back in the second half and Andrew Harris drew a goal back when he put a strong header past Dean Mitchell on a cross from Darren Davies. Villa came close to gaining the equalizer several times in the closing moments, but Mitchell stopped Luke Moore and Moore also flicked a header just over the bar as Hill finished out the close win.

"Where was all this determination and grit last match," questioned Heartwood with wonder in his voice.

"Just be glad it was there today. We needed every bit of it," commented Pearson.

"Not complaining, just wondering how we draw that out of them each and every match."

"10th in EPL at the midpoint. Were you hoping for better Jim?"

"Honestly, yes- I was. Still, we have been playing pretty solid football and 10th is Ok at midseason. More importantly is we are 10 points above the relegation muddle at the bottom of the League."

[Faramir]

28.12.13

Hill Bounces Birmingham

Sparked by a second half substitution, Harrow Hill finally figured out a way to score as they defeated Birmingham 2-0 at Larksfield Road. The difference in the first half of play was Birmingham's keeper- Dave Allison- as he came up with several dazzling saves to keep the struggling visitors from falling behind. He snared off a well-placed flick from Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, pushed a Michael Jones rocket over the crossbar and got just enough of Darren Adams low shot that it skittered past the post. Hill was controlling the midfield and Birmingham was getting frustrated as they could not shake Javier Saviola loose of the coverage. Early in the second half, Birmingham came closest to scoring as Andrea Carriciolo skimmed the bar with a header on a free kick. Hill was frustrated themselves as Allison remained a stone wall. Bringing on Martin Clark for Adams paid immediate dividends as Sullivan headed down for him and Clark snapped a shot past Allison inside the right post. Clark then returned the favor when he slotted a short pass across the goal to unmarked Sullivan- who pushed it into the open goal. Hill winger Dave Turner earned MOM honours for his all action effort.

"I was worried we couldn't find a way to score on Allison," admitted Heartwood.

"I was a bit worried also, but that was a nice play that Sullivan made to set up Martin Clark," commented Pearson.

"It was good to see Silk score also after that- he had come close twice."

[Faramir]

29.12.13

"That's another injury that will hurt us dearly," sighed Heartwood.

"I take it that the injury to Julian Henry was worse than we originally thought?" asked Pearson.

"Yes, he tore his ACL knee ligament. It will probably be three months before he can start training again- so I guess there is a chance he might play toward the end of the season."

"What changes will you be making because of that?"

"I called Martin Wharton back up to the Senior side."

***

1.1.14

"Good news, bad news," offered Heartwood.

"What's the bad news?" asked Pearson.

"We've already got the bad news- Julian Henry. The good news is he was picked as December EPL Player of the Month."

[Faramir]

1.1.14

Hill Miss Chance Against Arsenal

Harrow Hill had the golden opportunity to hand 2nd place Arsenal a stinging loss at Emirates stadium, but made a defensive mistake and were left with an unsatisfying 1-1 draw. Arsenal's David Lowe took down Dave Turner in the area in the first minute of play and Lee Pearson converted the penalty kick past Francesco Guillermo Ochoa to send Hill off on a flyer. The score stayed that way throughout the first half as Hill was playing determined defense and Andrew Evans was providing a rock solid display of keeping. Early in the second half a quick pass put Simon Allen free and after Lee Joyce tripped him Joyce was redcarded for being the last man. Things looked grim for Arsenal when Lowe was whistled for another push in the area and Hill had their 2nd penalty kick, but Ochoa palmed away the penalty of Jon Burns. Arsenal struck for their lone goal against the flow of play when Simon Guiraud lofted a ball down the center of the pitch. Jose Antonio Reyes beat Paul Ellis to the ball and then slipped the equalizer past Evans. Hill could only shake their heads in frustration as Ochoa made that score stand up with a trio of highlight reel saves to earn Arsenal a split of the points. Ex-Arsenal defender John Reid earned MOM honours for Harrow Hill.

"We had them! It was there for the taking- and we wasted it!" grumbled a clearly disappointed Heartwood.

"Another lesson learned for the youngsters- you can't count out even a 10-man side," agreed Pearson.

"No more penalties for Jon Burns. He has missed 4 of the 5 he has taken over the past two seasons."

[Faramir]

1.1.14

"Well, finally a few of the unhappy players are finding new homes," said Heartwood.

"I know who they are, but who bought them?" asked Pearson.

"Scott Davies went to Rushden for 375K. Tim Baker went to Grays on free transfer. David Harris is headed to Ipswich for 2.2 Million and Matt Owens was sold to Blackpool for 450K."

"No purchases, right?"

"Not yet. Though we may make one at some point in the month."

***

4.1.14

Hill Cruise Past Crewe

Despite the 2-1 scoreline, Harrow Hill thoroughly dominated their FA Cup 3rd Round match at Alexandra Stadium and fully deserved the win. Hill lauched 22 shots at Crewe keeper Fraser Forster during the match and only his fine work in goal kept the home side from being routed. After stopping excellent chances by Martin Wharton, Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and debutee Paul Walker- it was Forster's own teammate that gave Hill the lead. Hans Moon tried to push a header over the bar and instead it looped into the goal on a cross from Richard Murray to give Hill the halftime lead. Hill kept pounding away to open the second half and finally got a second goal. Darren Adams, just on for Wharton, zoomed away as Hill turned a Crewe corner into a nightmare counter-attack that Adams finished off with a fine goal. Hill lost their defensive focus in the waning moments of second half injury time and allowed Daniel Vega to ruin Dean Mitchell's clean sheet as he blasted home a rebound. Hill defender John Bruce earned MOM honours in the match.

"We could have had a bushel of goals today- were it not for Forster," said Heartwood.

"Shame they gave the MOM to John Bruce, because really it should have gone to Forster," offered Pearson.

***

7.1.14

"I am stunned, and I know Dave is too," said Heartwood.

"He didn't know he was in the running, did he?" asked Pearson.

"I don't think any of us did."

"Runner-up for European Midfielder of the Year- to a player like Anderson- is something to celebrate."

"Good idea. Get the Press Secretary up here and we will organize an party at Larksfield Road."

Dave Turner- Runner-up European Midfielder of the Year

MD- On a purely personal note, this is the first player I have ever had mentioned for any of the European Awards- in either FM 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

[Faramir]

11.1.14

Hill Topples Tottenham

Harrow Hill started fast and made more of their opportunities than did visiting Tottenham as Hill won the offensive match 3-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill got off to a flyer when a pretty set piece play saw Richard Murray dump a short pass to Simon Allen. Allen snapped his shot past Paul Robinson and Hill was leading in the first minute of play. Hill made it 2-0 early on in the first half when Darren Adams was in the right spot to put away the rebound after Robinson parried a shot by Jon Burns. On the Hill side, Andrew Evans was making a strong bid for MOM honours as he made brilliant saves against Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott to keep the visitors off the board. Hill was content to lead 2-0 at halftime. Evans was called on for several stellar saves early in the second half as he made a diving stop on Dagoberto, pushed a header from Ryan Zabel over the bar and grabbed off a rocket free kick from Fabio Santos in keeping the sheet clean. Hill added another goal when Burns laid the ball off beautifully for Michael Jones and Jones blasted a 25 yard kick past Robinson to cap the scoring. Hill defender John Reid earned MOM honours.

"The wrong player got MOM honours- it should have been Andrew Evans," said Heartwood.

"I agree with you, but that is the way they called it," replied Pearson.

"It was a nice win for us in any case. Very nice to get off to such a good start against them."

"That set piece worked a charm, which is weird because we couldn't get it to work once in practice all week."

[Faramir]

12.1.14

"Well, the sale of Lee Williams to Arsenal is complete," said Heartwood with a tinge of sadness.

"Lee was a wonderful scorer and I hope they give him a chance there," replied Pearson.

"That, I am not sure about. Despite all the assurances to Lee, I wonder if they will really give him a good chance."

Lee Williams- Harrow Hill Totals

84 matches (9 sub) 46 goals 10 assists 9 MOM 7.13 Average Rating

***

12.1.14

"I am letting Andrew Greenwood go on loan to Southend for 3 months," said Heartwood to Pearson.

"In hopes of showcasing him?" asked Pearson.

"More or less, since Andrew is on the transfer list and I would love to find a new home."

***

16.1.14

"Another loaned out," said Heartwood.

"I heard- Paul Moran?" asked Pearson.

"Yes. Same deal as Greenwood- I hope he does well enough to draw some interest."

[Faramir]

18.1.14

Hill Clips Coventry in TV match

Showing the same relentless determination they have shown other clubs in the past, Harrow Hill played a strong match in defeating Coventry 2-1 at Ricoh Arena. Hill took the first half lead later in the half as neither side was generating quality scoring chances in the early portions of the match. A good tackle by Asif Tilbury on Martin Clark in the area sent a loose ball out of the area. Michael Jones showed both flair and quick thinking as he slid and hooked a quick chip shot that sailed over Luke McCormick and just caught the right corner of the goal. Both sides came out with a quicker pace to open the second half and Hill scored the important second goal when a pretty passing sequence saw Clark slip the ball in and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan put the shot away. Hill yielded a late penalty kick when Andy Reid pushed Gary McSheffery in the area and McSheffery slotted the penalty kick past Andrew Evans with bare moments left in second half extra time. Hill winger Dave Turner earned MOM honours.

"Another strong effort, I am pretty pleased with how much focus we showed today," stated Heartwood.

"I loved Michael Jones goal. It was a quick creative try on what looked like an innocent loose ball," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

26.1.14

Adams Aces Crystal Palace, Hill Moves on in FA

The fans at Selhurst Park were leaving in droves as the last minutes of the match ticked away and Hill was finishing a 6-2 rout of Crystal Palace. Still, they were talking and it was clear that the name Darren Adams was on everyone's lips as the 21 year old Hill forward blitzed Palace for 4 goals in a terrific display of offensive play and earned MOM honours. Adams got Hill off on a flyer as he drilled home a rebound in the third minute to gain Hill the lead. Palace equalized when Collins Mbesuma shook free of marking to deflect a free kick past Dean Mitchell. Craig Briggs returned the lead to Hill as he blasted home another rebound from Hakan Opdal. Adams made it a brace as Alex Lee, who had 3 assists on the day, slipped him a cross when unmarked at the far post. Rob Hodge made it a 4-1 lead with his 1st goal of the season as he chipped shot over Opdal as he tried to smother a loose ball in the area. Palace drew a goal back in first half injury time as Per Ciljan Skjelbred whipped home a shot from just inside the edge of the area to make it a 4-2 halftime margin. Adams made it a hat-trick midway through the half when he deflected a cross from Richard Murray for his 10th goal of the season and then it was Lee again with a well placed cross that Adams volleyed past Opdal from 20 yards.

"Keep giving them whatever they are currently eating at the training table," grinned Heartwood.

"It was pretty flawless offensively," agreed Pearson.

"The 4 goals in a match tied Paul Wilcox's total for most in a match."

"Darren was on fire today. He could easily have had a couple more as well."

[Faramir]

29.1.14

Hill, Leicester Lack Scoring at Larksfield

It was a frustrated Harrow Hill side that left Larksfield Road after playing to a scoreless draw with visiting Leicester. Hill controlled most of the match, but couldn't make the most of their quality chances and despite outshooting the visitors 13-4 were left with no goals to show for their effort. Leicester keeper Kim Young-Kwang was solid in goal and kept out a couple of scorched shots from Simon Allen midway through the first half. Leicester only seriously tested Andrew Evans once and he made a fingertip save early in the second half. Andrew Hook earned MOM honours for Hill as the rightback showed his developing skills in all action perfomance.

"I guess maybe we should have saved away a goal or two from Crystal Palace," sighed Heartwood.

"It would have been nice. It was clear that one goal for us would probably win the match- since they were set on playing defensively," answered Pearson.

[Faramir]

1.2.14

"No purchases for us, right?" asked Pearson of Heartwood.

"Nope. I pursued a couple players, but the asking price was too much for what they are worth, so I stood pat on purchases. We also didn't have any deadline sales either- despite the interest several of our transfer listed players were receiving," replied Heartwood.

"At least we got the good news that Michael Jones was January EPL Young Player of the Month."

"Not only that, but Lee Pearson was runner-up. Also Dave Turner was runner-up on Player of the Month."

***

1.2.14

Manchester United Edges Hill

Manchester United used a second half goal by Wayne Rooney to help see off Harrow Hill 3-2 at Old Trafford in a tightly contested match. The first half was end-to-end action and Hill gained the early lead when Darren Adams intercepted a pass across the pitch and launched a 40 yard strike past stranded Martin Higgins. Manchester equalized when Simon Allison flicked a header past Andrew Evans on a cross from Daniel Carvalho. Hill regained the lead as Richard Murray deflected a John Reid free kick past Higgins, but the Red Devils again fought back as Allison escaped the marking of Danny Weaver to flick another header past Evans late in the first half to send the clubs to the dressing room with a 2-2 score. The match winner came early in the second half as Evans parried away a booming free kick from Joao Mountinho and Wayne Rooney pounced on the rebound and put it away past Evans. Hill fought back to try and even the match, but Higgins made terrific saves on Darren Adams and Jon Burns as the Hill pressure swirled around the Manchester goal. Adams earned MOM honours for his performance up front for Hill in the match.

"That was one we should have won," sighed Heartwood.

"We pressured them more than they did us, but Higgins made some big saves and Andrew Evans didn't today," agreed Pearson.

"Danny Weaver is griping about not starting, but he has to show us some of that ability he has. Simon Allison had no business scoring either of those goals- they were both because Danny didn't work hard enough to keep him under wraps."

[Faramir]

ISRAEL

5.2.14

Israel Wins Thriller Friendly over Bulgaria

In a match that had the fans at Ramat Gan talking excitedly as they left, Israel fought back from behind and defeated Bulgaria 4-3 on a goal in second half injury time to cap a thrilling match. The first half of the match wasn't the best performance from either side and Bulgaria sported a 1-0 halftime lead thanks to Dimitar Berbatov overpowering Ben Pinhas and deflecting a cross past Itay Gadot. The lead bloomed to 2-0 in the opening moments of the second half when Guy Berger deflected the ball in for an own-goal. Israel's fightback began when Daniel de Ridder put away a rebound past Nikolay Mihaylov. Israel was back even at 2-2 when Ziv Eldror deflected a cross from Zvi Zvika past Mihaylov. Israel then moved in front at 80 minutes when Zvika converted a penalty kick after Todor Markov was called for a handball in the area. Israel couldn't hold the lead as their backline failed to get back on a counter-attack and MOM Berbatov finished off a good cross from Valeri Bojinov by heading past Gadot. Israel showed they weren't content with a draw and attacked. Moran Schneior scored the match winner as he deflected a cross from Ravid Gazal past Mihaylov in the last minute of injury time for the dramatic match winner.

"A great match. That should help as a confidence booster," stated Bob Pearson.

"I would have felt better about, had we not given up that third goal. We have to try and tone down their aggresiveness with the lead late in the match," observed James Heartwood.

"That may be difficult- to tone down their aggresiveness."

"They will have to learn that facet of play. We won't get the results they are hoping for if they continue to play like that late in the match- especilly with the lead."

[Faramir]

5.2.14

"It is exciting to see our players starting to earn recognition," stated Heartwood.

"Well Alan Pardew had a harder time ignoring the fact that Dave Turner was runner-up European Midfielder of the Year- but not on the English side," grinned Pearson.

"I am glad he gave Dave his 1st Cap. That is also the first Cap on the National side by anyone on Harrow Hill."

"We have all the Under-19s and Under-21s, but yes this is the first real Cap."

***

13.2.14

Hill Aces Ajax

In the first leg of their Euro Cup 1st Knockout Round, Harrow Hill surprised Ajax with a tight defensive approach and a timely goal that helped them to a 1-0 win at Larksfield Road. Ajax clearly expected Hill to attack with more fervor at home, and instead found Hill playing a compact defensive, counter-attacking approach in the first half. Despite their approach, Hill had the better chances in the first half and Maarten Steklenburg was forced to make two key saves as he stopped both Simon Allen and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan on excellent scoring chances to keep things tidy. Andrew Evans wasn't as busy as Steklenburg, but did make a diving stop on Hernan Peirone to preserve a scoreless first half. Hill showed a different approach to begin the second half and it paid off when a crisp passing sequence saw Dave Turner's cross find Simon Allen unmarked at the right upright. Allen slipped the ball into the goal and Hill reverted back to their determined defensive approach. Ajax tried to rally, but found Hill's quickness a problem as they couldn't manage to free themselves for good scoring chances. Hill found Steklenburg impossible to solve as they generated three more fine scoring opportunities- but couldn't get the second goal they wanted. Hill was content to help Evans to his clean sheet as they take their 1-0 advantage into the second leg at Amsterdam. Hill winger Richard Murray earned MOM honours.

"The gameplan worked to perfection," observed Pearson.

"Pretty much," agreed Heartwood. "I had planned to stay on the attack longer to open the second half, but with how winded Simon Allen and Sullivan were- I thought it best to drop back to our conservative play."

"It will be an interesting second leg."

Heartwood nodded, "I am planning on us being more aggressive from the outset of the match- at least until we hopefully get an away goal- then we can back off a bit."

[Faramir]

20.2.14

Hill Ousts Ajax

In a stunning upset, Harrow Hill not only ousted Ajax from the Euro Cup, they defeated them with a superb 3-2 fightback in Amsterdam to move on to the 2nd Knockout Round on a 4-2 aggregate. Hill could not have wished for a better start as they scored in the first minute of play. Maarten Stekelenburg parried away Craig Briggs shot, but Darren Adams whisked the rebound into the goal to stun the sold out Amsterdam Arena crowd. Hill then reverted to its solid defensive play which worked well in the first leg and maintained that 1-0 margin to halftime. That Hill wasn't able to build on that lead was solely down to Stekelenburg, as he made two other terrific saves in the first half to keep the home side in the match. It was clear that Ajax was crisper in the second half, but Andrew Evans came up with early saves on Hernan Peirone and Thiago to keep them at bay. Peirone finally showed his sniper's touch when Danny Weaver gave him a bare moment of space, but that was enough for Peirone to whistle a well placed shot inside the right post at 67 minutes. The crowd could sense Ajax building momentum and their roaring turned into a tidal wave when Marcel van Dijk hit a 25 yard rocket shot past Evans at 82 minutes. Hill was still ahead, due to their away goal, but another Ajax goal could send them on. That momentum crested and fell as Ajax was caught pressing forward and Sergio was yellow carded for bringing down Darren Adams in their area. Stekelenburg made a perfectly timed save of Lee Pearson's penalty, but Pearson- on his way to MOM honours- was quickest to the rebound and slotted it past the keeper to make the match 2-2 and put Ajax in terminal trouble due to Hill's two away goals. Hill then finished the match out in fine style as Richard Murray deflected a Dave Turner corner past Stekelenburg in injury time for a dramatic match winner.

"It was a bit dicey when they got back to 2-2, but the boys responded with composure- I couldn't be happier," said a beaming Heartwood.

"We should have challenged both their shots they scored on, but I also thought Andrew Evans should have had the second one," offered Pearson.

"Doesn't matter much, other than points for improvement. Just the heart and determination they showed today are very encouraging signs of development for us."

[Faramir]

23.2.14

Sunderland Slows Hill

Desperately needing a good result as they battle relegation, Sunderland managed to come up with the equalizer to force Hill to split the points in a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light. It was clear in the first half that the home side was out to earn points in the match as they pressured Hill in their end and did a nice job of putting clamps on the Hill wingers. Dean Mitchell had to make a couple timely saves to prevent Sunderland from gaining the halftime edge. The second half began in the same fashion, but the Hill substitution of Martin Wharton seemed to create more space up front. Rob Hodge did a good job of skinning Aleksandro Petrovic when he dallied and Hodge's pass allowed MOM Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan to take the ball past keeper Jamie Ashdown and fire it into the goal from a sharp angle. Hill gave the lead back when John Bruce inexplicably let a loose ball lay in the Hill area until Julio Arca could blast it past Mitchell to equalize. It appeared Sunderland grabbed the lead when Bruce was caught up the pitch and Sunderland attacked into space- but the goal was waved off when Stephen Elliott was ruled offside on the play. Ashdown prevented Hill from taking all three points with a fine save on a shot from Wharton in the waning moments.

"I can't believe John Bruce just stood there," fumed Heartwood.

"It was a win for the taking- after Sullivan scored," commented Pearson.

"We were probably a bit fortunate that we didn't lose," said Heartwood as he calmed down. "They should have scored in the first half and then lost that goal to the offside."

[Faramir]

23.2.14

"I see that Liverpool won the League Cup?" asked Pearson.

"It took them penalties to beat Newcastle- after they played to a 1-1 draw in Extra-Time," answered Heartwood.

***

26.2.14

Middlesbrough Melts Hill

Middlesbrough took advantage of an early miscue by Harrow Hill and then didn't allow them on the scoresheet as they broomed Harrow Hill out of the FA Cup competition with their 1-0 win at Larksfield Road. The only goal came in the 11th minute and the play seemed fairly innocent as Neil Mills sent a ball skimming toward the Hill goal. Uncharacteristically, Andrew Evans lost the handle as he let the ball go through him for the lone goal. Hill tried to fight back, but found a staunch backline that wouldn't allow them any space anywhere in the area. Darren Adams came closest for Hill, before he had to leave with a minor injury, as he forced Craig Gordon to make a fingertip save later in the first half. The second half saw a frustrated Hill side unable to move the ball in Middlesbrough's side of the pitch as they watched their chances of playing further in the FA Cup drift away. Middlesbrough forward Yakubu earned MOM honours.

"A bad match. We didn't show any of the features that have helped us play well of late," flatly stated Heartwood.

"We didn't allow them another good chance- after the goal- but the damage was done, considering our offensive effort," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

1.3.14

Newcastle Gallop Past Hill

Harrow Hill lost their second consecutive match at Larksfield Road as 2nd place Newcastle handed them a stinging 2-1 loss. Newcastle was clearly the quicker club in the early going and their pressure paid off as Christian Portilla slipped a pass in to unmarked Ian Jackson and he put his shot away past Andrew Evans. Hill answered midway through the first half when Simon Allen capped a pretty passing sequence by blasting a ball past Adrian White for his 10th goal of the season. Newcastle moved back in front when MOM Adriano bedazzled the Hill faithful with a tricky move that allowed him to sail past Danny Weaver and Danny French before firing a shot past Evans. Newcastle did an excellent job of blunting the Hill attempts to rally with timely tackling and quick feet from their midfield as they maintained control throughout the second half of play.

"We certainly didn't show our best effort in that match either," muttered Heartwood.

"It was down to our execution, they did- we didn't," agreed Pearson.

***

2.3.14

"Congratulations Bob! You keep building on your accomplishments," beamed Heartwood after the 3-0 Under-18 win over Chelmsford.

"Clinching the title is superb, but I couldn't have expected it to happen like this," said a pleased Pearson among the celebration.

Hill Under-18s Capture 8th Consecutive Crown

The Harrow Hill Under-18 side continued a magical season with a 3-0 drubbing of Chelmsford which earned them their 8th consecutive Group 9 Under-18 Title. Though the Hill Under-18s have been an imposing side throughout this amazing run, this season is clearly their finest to date. The Hill Under-18s have won every one of their 19 matches this season and have scored 71 goals, while yielding only 4. Hill Assistant Manager Bob Pearson spoke modestly about the title, "We just have a wonderful development program that is supported from the Board on down. With our exceptional training facilities and the committment to play these youngsters- we are able to attract the quality players that allow us to gain success in all of the levels of the club." Pearson offered a laughing, "You believe that?" to a question from the Press regarding his accepting the position of Managing Hull, whose position opened this week.

[Faramir]

6.3.14

Hill Wins Close Over Monaco

Though it may have appeared Harrow Hill was following the same formula as the last Knockout Round, their 1-0 win over Monaco at Larksfield Road was inifitely more difficult and more pleasing to the sell out crowd. Hill played a fine first half, but it was clear that the French side was their equal in pace as both sides moved the ball up and down the pitch quickly. Hill controlled the ball more in the first half with nothing to show for it on the scoreline as they dogged backline of Monaco kept them from getting close-in chances. Remy Riou, who earned MOM honours in the match, came up with a dazzling stop on Darren Adams in the early going and then saw Adams booming shot skim the crossbar on its way over. Andrew Evans made a solid save on Aruna in the visitor's best opportunity. The second half saw Monaco moving the ball better, but neither side was getting close on shots. El-Hadji Diouf blasted a shot off the left upright to bring gasps from the crowd. The lone goal in the match came moments after Martin Wharton's apparent goal was waved off because he had tripped Arnaud Lescure. Dave Turner whipped in a cross and Lescure leaped, but missed heading it. That miss left Jonathan Camara off-balance and he headed the ball into his own goal as he was trying to push it over. Hill hung on with determination against the furious rally to help Evans close out the 1-0 First leg win.

"Not as artistic as against Ajax, but I will take it," grinned Heartwood.

"Where has that determination been the last few league matches," wondered Pearson.

"The bad part will be the loss of Andrew Evans for the next couple weeks."

"That is a key loss. Dean Mitchell has stepped up every time we have needed him too this season- let's hope that continues."

[Faramir]

9.3.14

10-Man Everton Dumps Hill

Everton, reduced to 10-men due to the early redcard of Hedwiges Maduro for a cynical challenge, still managed to defeat stumbling Harrow Hill 2-1 at Goodison Park. A major portion of the win can be attributed to MOM Kasper Schmeichel, who made the big saves that Everton needed in the second half to earn the three points. Everton took the lead in the match as Dominic Williams took advantage of Lee Pearson's walkabout to slip behind him and score on a pass from Xavier Romero at 43 minutes. Hill pegged the home side back as Craig Briggs scored an easy goal after Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan intercepted a crossing pass and sent him away free in first half injury time. The match winning goal came from Raffaele Palladino, who flicked a header on a long cross from Andy Perry. Dean Mitchell clearly should have been able to make the play on the ball, but missed it as the ball sailed past him. Hill pressured Schmeichel until the final whistle, but couldn't solve him in taking the bitter 2-1 loss.

"This is a frustrating stretch," murmured Heartwood. "We are playing well enough to get better results- but any mistake we make we get punished with a goal, while they manage to escape theirs."

"It's just that point of the season. We need to convince them to continue grinding it out," observed Pearson.

[Faramir]

13.3.14

Hill Mince Monaco

Harrow Hill continued their improbable run in the Euro Cup as they defeated Monaco on a 2-1 aggregate thanks to their 1-1 draw at Stade Louis II. The match was closely played throughout and both Remy Riou and Dean Mitchell gave good efforts in the first half as the match went to the dressing room scoreless. Hill had controlled more of the flow of play in the first half and asserted themselves further to begin the second half. Their pressure finally yielded fruit when Simon Allen snapped home a shot on a loose ball after Riou had made a good save on Craig Briggs at 68 minutes. With the away goal looming large, Monaco threw everyone into the attack. The Hill backline gave Dean Mitchell good support until John Reid missed a header on a corner and Aruna scored the equalizer at 86 minutes. It was too little, too late for the home side as Hill played keep away on the dribble and ran the clock out on Monaco to move on in the Euro Cup. Hill winger Dave Turner earned MOM honours in the match.

"Another gritty effort. That was a nice one to see," said Heartwood.

"We worked hard in every facet of our play. Even their goal was a bit fluky- because 9 times out of 10 Reid makes that header and clears the ball well away," commented Pearson.

[Faramir]

14.3.14

"They had the Euro Cup Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Draw today," stated Heartwood.

"Who are we paired with?" asked Pearson.

"Liverpool. If we get past them we will face the winner of Sevilla and Aston Villa."

"All clubs that we are familiar with."

***

16.3.14

Liverpool Adds to Hill Struggles

Liverpool proved that good fortune and good goalkeeping can return a good result. Despite being outplayed by Harrow Hill, Liverpool defeated Hill 2-1 at Larksfield Road to make it six matches without a win in EPL play for Hill. Paul Ellis was making his return after a lengthy bout with injury problems and the rust showed as MOM Giacomo Ferrari sailed past him and scored in the first minute of play. Hill moved to the attack after that and found Jose Manuel Reina in fine form as he made acrobatic saves on Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and Michael Jones. Late in the first half Ferrari blasted away from just outside the area. The ball slightly deflected off Ellis and that was enough to cause Dean Mitchell to miss it as it skittered into the net for a brace for Ferrari and a 2-0 halftime lead. Hill roared out of halftime and a nice passing sequence was finished off by Sullivan as he took the pass from Chris Brooks and slipped a shot past Reina for his 10th goal of thes season. Hill tried hard, but found Reina too good today as he made three terrific saves in preserving the win for 'Pool.

"Like you said previously Bob. We are playing pretty well, but every mistake is turning into a goal against us," grumbled Heartwood.

"Paul Ellis just wasn't sharp today, but neither was Dean Mitchell," offered Pearson.

"We need to find a way to break out of this slump."

[Faramir]

17.3.14

"Again?" asked Heartwood unbelieving.

Pearson nodded sorrowfully, "Paul Ellis again. He pulled his hamstring. They think he will miss at least a month."

Heartwood shook his head, "Paul has had a star-crossed season. He has only been healthy for a couple months."

***

19.3.14

Late Equalizes Stuns Hill

Harrow Hill appeared back on track as they had fought back from an early Manchester City goal to take a 2-1 lead, but there was only more disappointment at Larksfield Road as the visitors scored a late equalizer to extend Hill's winless streak to 7 matches. Manchester City struck first when Danny French couldn't mark Stuart Curtis well enough and he deflected a corner past Martin O'Neill. Hill rallied and equalized just before halftime when MOM Simon Allen drove home his own rebound past Gustavo Adolfo Sivadon to make it 1-1 going to halftime. Hill struck for the lead early in the second half as Michael Jones dazzled the home crowd with a half-volley winner past Sivadon on a cross from Richard Murray. Hill appeared on track for the win as they had pressured the visitors intensely. Sivadon came up with three more key saves to keep Manchester City in the match and it paid off when Keith Parker overpowered Andy Reid on a throw-in and drove a ball past O'Neill for the dramatic late equalizer.

"Set piece situations are ruining us!" snapped out Heartwood as he stared out the window.

"Our backline hasn't been marking well enough during this stretch, nor have had our keepers making the key saves," agreed Pearson.

"I believe I will have to go seeking another keeper to work with Andrew Evans this summer. Neither Dean Mitchell or Martin O'Neill seem to be the future keepers to replace Evans, and I want to get a youngster in now that can take over in a couple years from Andrew."

"We also have lost Michael Jones for three weeks. His elbow is swelling badly."

[Faramir]

22.3.14

Hill Hammers Ham to Break Streak

Harrow Hill's winless streak came to a crashing halt as they hammered West Ham 4-2 at Upton Park. Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan left in the opening moments with a slight injury and Martin Clark made the most of his opportunity as he earned MOM honours. Clark put Hill into the early lead when he blasted a rising shot past Dave Dodd after skinning Neil Heath. Clark made it 2-0 when Craig Briggs slipped him a pass and he put it away past Dodd. Hill moved up 3-0 when Neil Preece sent a cross through to Briggs and he rifled it past Dodd after a neat move past Anton Ferdinand. West Ham got a glimmer of hope before halftime as Mike Doughty boomed a 30 yard shot past Dean Mitchell after a poor clearance from Stuart Dean. Hill got the momentum back early in the second half as Briggs made a dazzling run from midfield past three would-be tacklers before firing a shot past Dodd for his brace and 5th of the season. Hill yielded a late penalty kick that was converted by Ugur Yildirim after Jon Burns was called for a trip in the area. Hill never let the home side closer as they finally got back into the win column.

"Finally," said Heartwood with relief. "Though I am still disappointed in the goals that we allowed."

"It was a much needed win. The dark cloud that seemed to be enveloping our dressing room is gone now," ventured Pearson.

[Faramir]

27.3.14

Hill Lowers Boom on 'Pool

The few shell shocked Liverpool fans left at Anfield could only shake their heads as Harrow Hill had completely dominated the home side in handing them a disastrous 3-0 loss in the first leg of their Euro Cup Quartefinal matchup. It was clear from the start that Hill was out to prove they were a much better side than the one Liverpool defeated at Larksfield Road eleven days ago. After the initial frustration of Jose Manuel Reina making two excellent saves in the opening moments, Dave Turner struck with a 25 yard rocket free kick that hooked inside the right post for his 5th goal of the season. Hill quickly added to that lead as Simon Allen knocked home a rebound after Reina parried Darren Adams hard shot to make it 2-0 Hill. Things went from bad to worse for 'Pool as Nicky Wright earned a redcard for holding Adams when he clearly could have been free down the middle. Liverpool managed one good chance after losing Wright, but Andrew Evans made a spectacular save on Giacomo Ferrari as he celebrated his return from injury. Early in the second half, Hill added to the woes when it was an Adams pass that found Allen with enough space to snap a shot past Reina for a brace and a 3-0 Hill lead. Hill couldn't add to the score, but they tried hard and only Reina's fine efforts were enough to keep the score from growing worse. Hill defender Lee Pearson earned MOM honours.

"I don't know where that kind of performance has been lurking, but it was a great time for the boys to bring it out," said a pleased Heartwood.

"Pretty much a flawless match on our part. If Reina doesn't play so well- we have a whole bushelful of goals," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

31.3.14

Hill Crush Crystal Palace

Depsite sporting an almost entirely new lineup from the Liverpool match, Harrow Hill roared out and dominated visiting Crystal Palace in defeating them 4-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill took advantage of early problems for Palace as Matthew Bates was sent off for taking down Darren Adams as the last man at 18 minutes. The extra space provided loomed large as precise Hill passing set up Adams to rap home his own rebound after Hakon Opdal parried his initial shot. The lead quickly moved to 2-0 when a precise cross from Neil Preece was deflected past Opdal by Alex Lee for his 1st Senior goal. Lee turned architect as he sent a sizzling pass through to Adams, who whisked it past Opdal for a brace early in the second half. Adams then finished off his hat-trick by slashing a shot past Opdal after Briggs set him up with a short cross to cap off the scoring in the win with his 15th goal of the season.

"Wonderful work. I wish we could have had some of this type of play during our brief swoon," commented Heartwood.

"Darren Adams responded well to your comments about him being an important part of our forward rotation," offered Pearson.

"He is our leading scorer. I don't know why he was unhappy about first team time- he has seen quite a bit of it."

[Faramir]

3.4.14

Hill Collapses, Liverpool Moves On

Despite a terrific showing in their first leg at Anfield, Harrow Hill faltered badly in the second leg and lost 4-3 when Liverpool scored a dramatic match winner in the second half of Extra-time injury time. Hill played without several players prominent in the first leg due to suspension and it clearly affected them. The core of Hill's defense has been Andrew Evans and Lee Pearson all season and both had horrid matches- with Evans removed due to injury in the second half. Hill had played a solid first half, but the cracks began showing when MOM Djibril Cisse split Pearson and Danny Weaver to score in the first half injury time. Hill handed Liverpool the second goal when Pearson was called for holding Julio Baptista in the Hill area in the opening moments of the second half. Cisse converted the penalty kick for his brace and his 25th goal of the season. Cisse then slipped Weaver's marking one more time to finish off the hat-trick on a cross from Wesley Sneijder. Hill managed to stabilize despite the crushing blow of being even on aggregate and away goals as the substitutions of Stuart Dean and Dean Mitchell helped calm things. Hill was moving to the attack again and had several good chances turned away by Jose Manuel Reina. Disaster came late in the half when Brian Ball was forced to leave with injury and Hill was reduced to 10 men. Hill gamely battled on in Extra-time and Reina again made a huge save on Julian Henry. Shortly into the second half of injury time, Hill was reduced to 9 men when Lee Pearson was carted off. The clearly tired Hill side gamely battled and it appeared that the match would go to penalties when a cross from Cisse in the last moments of injury time was deflected past Mitchell by Baptista for his 50th goal at 'Pool and a dramatic match winner that sends Liverpool into the Semi-finals.

"Crushed. I can't believe we played that badly defensively and I also can't believe Andrew Evans faltered that badly," quietly said Heartwood.

"We just didn't do what we needed to- to keep them from fighting back. It is hard to believe that we gave up three goals," offered Pearson.

"The injuries after I used all three subs were what wound up killing us in the end."

[Faramir]

6.4.14

Hill Bounces Back Against Blackburn

Recovering well from their crushing Extra-time loss to Liverpool, Harrow Hill put forth a focused effort as they defeated Blackburn 2-0 at Ewood Park. Featuring a fully changed lineup, Hill showed no ill affects as they came out and pressured Blackburn from the opening whistle. After Marcelo Grohe made good stops on Dave Turner and Richard Murray, Darren Adams scored the goal that boosted Hill into the lead midway through the first half. MOM Craig Briggs slipped a pass to Adams in the middle and Adams made a dazzling move as he left James McEveley rooted in his spot while dribbling past him and slipping his shot past Grohe. Grohe made one more good save in the first half to keep things close. Dean Mitchell was called on for a diving save on Salomon Kalou in the opening moments of the second half and his clean sheet was well earned. Briggs set up Adams again midway through the second half and Adams shot theaded inside the right post to give him a brace. Holding a 2-0 margin, Hill concentrated on helping Mitchell earn his clean sheet and that was accomplished in the 2-0 win.

"Great to see them bounce back this well," observed Heartwood.

"They are learning maturity and composure. In some respects, the loss to 'Pool may have helped us- since they know you can take nothing for granted in football- you have to earn it," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

13.4.14

Costly Mistakes Doom Hill

A pair of whopping first half defensive mistakes that Nottingham Forest turned into goals were the difference as Harrow Hill lost 2-1 at Larksfield Road. Hill gained the upper hand in the early going when Darren Adams deflected a Dave Turner cross past Scott Carson. Hill gave that goal right back when Andy Reid was skinned by Danny Graham just outside the Hill area and Graham made a terrific move and shot to score past Andrew Evans to equalize. Forest then victimized Stuart Dean as his bad pass in his own area turned into a goal when Kevin May's sharp angled shot eluded Evans. Hill tried to fight back, but found the Forest backline making a determined effort. The tackling of Forest and continued solid work in goal by Carson kept Hill from coming up with the equalizer in the disappointing loss.

"Brutal defensive mistakes- and they made us pay for them," grumbled Pearson.

"Stuart Dean's was very bad- but I need to get him the time at leftback, because that is where he is a future starter for us," commented Pearson.

"I was more upset about Andy Reid's- there was no reason for hanging onto that ball, especially with Graham lurking around."

[Faramir]

21.4.14

Late Leeds Goal Downs Hill

For the second match in a row, Harrow Hill fell pray to a visiting side as Leeds handed them a heartbreaking 2-1 loss thanks to a late second half goal. In their final match for the season at Larksfield Road, Hill saw Leeds pressuring them from the outset. The lead belonged to the visitors early in the first half when three Hill defenders failed to challenge Daniel Chapman in the Hill area and he whipped his shot past Andrew Evans. Hill fought back to equalize when Dave Turner launched a wicked 30 yard rocket past Matteo Amato. Both sides came out quickly in the second half, but Hill's efforts were derailed when Turner received his 2nd yellow card and was sent off at 71 minutes. With the additional space Leeds applied more pressure and Hill finally cracked when Darren Kelly snuck in at the far post to put away a cross from Scott Bacon for the match winner at 86 minutes.

"I wish I knew why we play so badly at home," said Heartwood with a shake of his head.

"It's frustrating to see us faltering after playing so well this season," agreed Pearson.

"Inconsistent backline play has been at the heart of it. Besides Lee Pearson, we haven't had the level of play we need from them lately."

[Faramir]

24.4.14

"Liverpool came back against Sevilla- they are on to the Euro Cup Finals," said Heartwood to Pearson.

"Who made it from the other side?" asked Pearson.

"Everton beat Hertha, so it is an all-England Final."

***

26.4.14

Hill Bounces Bolton

Harrow Hill broke their losing string as they played well in defeating a spirited Bolton side 1-0 at Reebok Stadium. The first half was played at a frantic pace, but neither side executed particularly well in the scoreless half. Late in the first half, Bolton suffered a blow when Nicky Hunt earned his 2nd yellow card in injury time for tripping Alex Lee. It was clear that Hill came out ready to exploit the space in the second half. Their plan worked out perfectly as Jon Burns burst in unmarked and put away a shot past Pavel Kubat after Lee laid the ball off beautifully. Despite only having 10 men, Bolton returned to the attack and they managed several good chances as the Hill backline was again lax in their coverage. Andrew Evans earned MOM honours for keeping them from scoring as his clean sheet allowed Hill to gain a much needed 1-0 win. The return of Paul Ellis to the Hill backline clearly helped stabilize their play in the match.

"Our backline play wasn't too good at the end," stated Heartwood.

"We were a little lax, but they were active and aggressive at least," agreed Pearson.

"At least we got the win. That is the important thing."

[Faramir]

30.4.14

Hill Crunches Chelsea

Harrow Hill continued to demonstrate their resiliance as they played a superb match in defeating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Hill was off on a flyer when Jon Burns took a well timed pass from Richard Murray and zipped into the area before firing past Petr Cech to stun the huge crowd in the opening minute of play. Chelsea swarmed to the attack, but found a rejuvenated Hill midfield doing excellent work in assisting the backline in blunting their attempts to fight back. MOM Danny French started a wonderful counter attack with a long curling pass that Darren Adams ran onto. Adams then whipped a shot past Cech for his 20th goal of the season. Hill still held a 2-0 lead going to the dressing room as the home side was clearly unhappy with their first half. Chelsea found more determined work from the entire Hill side in the second half as they closed quickly on the ball all over the pitch and never gave the dynamic Chelsea offense a chance to find space. Cech made a great save on Craig Briggs to keep his side in the match, but Andrew Evans was stellar on the other end as he made diving parries on blasts from Michael Essien and Arjen Robben as his clean sheet was well earned in the surprising Hill win that knocked last season's holders down to 6th place.

"Hmm, I don't why we have been playing better on the road, but we really should spend some time finding out why," grinned Pearson.

"Better focus? I don't know either- but this was a great win for us," offered Heartwood.

"Looking at the table- the worst we can finish now is 9th."

"I still would love to finish as high as we can- so how about we see if we can't win our last match and see what falls out."

[Faramir]

1.5.14

"Great news Jim!"

"Did you win money?"

"No- nothing like that. Even better actually. Danny French is April Player of the Month and Craig Briggs is April EPL Young Player of the Month."

"A double- yes, I like that."

"Dave Turner was in the running for Player of the Month and Richard Murray was runner-up for Young Player of the Month."

"Well represented we are."

***

4.5.14

Hill Finishes on Down Note, Loses to Villa

Assisted by an own-goal, Aston Villa defeated Harrow Hill 2-0 at Villa Park in the season finale. Hill looked the better club in the first half, but strong tackling from Villa ruined what appeared to be several good scoring chances for Hill and keeper Paul McMahon made good saves on other chances. Hill found themselves behind early in the second half when Lee Pearson deflected a rebound off MOM Andrew Evans back past Evans for an own-goal. Villa then put a stranglehold on the midfield as Hill tried to rally and added a late, clinching goal when botched coverage on a throw-in allowed Stefano Chuka Okaka to snap a shot past Evans to finish the scoring in the closely played match.

Heartwood sighed, "A win and we would have finished 7th over Chelsea on goal differential. A draw and we would have finished 8th over Tottenham. Instead we finish 9th."

Pearson nodded, "It was a bit of an up and down season. Still 9th is not at all a bad placement given our inconsistency during the season."

"That's true, and if we can just avoid that next season..."

"How much did we receive for 9th?"

"10.25 Million. We have 38 Million in the black now. Our weekly wage budget is 550K and we are still only at 383K a week."

"Pretty well off then."

"Yes, and all our contracts are in place right now- we are set for the Summer- though I am going to keep trying to sell off some excess players."

[Faramir]

7.5.14

"Ah, that's disappointing," said Heartwood as he hung up the phone.

Pearson waited quietly.

"Michael Jones was Runner-up for Young Player of the Year Award."

"Argh. Who beat him out?"

"Peter Wright of Nottingham Forest. But on the better news- Andrew Evans was named Starting Keeper in the Players Team of the Year. Jones was on there as well- as a sub."

"That's great. I saw that Everton handily beat Liverpool 4-2 to win the Euro Cup."

"I have to admit that I am still wondering if we could have done it- if we hadn't collapsed against 'Pool."

"Me too, I guess that will always be there."

***

10.5.14

"That would have salvaged something for Manchester United, but they couldn't even win the FA Cup," observed Pearson.

"They were unlucky. It could well have been a win, instead of a 1-0 loss to Villa," replied Heartwood.

***

14.5.14

"I can't believe Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 to win Champions Cup," commented Heartwood.

"Arsenal dominated the match, but Chelsea struck lucky with that fluke goal by Reto Ziegler and then that penalty kick awarded that Jeremy Menez converted," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

4.6.14

"We just got the news. We are in the Euro Vase competition again," stated Heartwood.

"It will be a battle again- but we do know we can accomplish that," offered Pearson.

***

16.6.14

"Just got the news on Euro Vase," said Heartwood.

"Who do we play?" asked Pearson.

"2nd Round- either Ham Kam from Norway or Racing FC from Luxembourg."

***

20.6.14

"Dave Turner was selected as Fans Player of the Year for last season," said Pearson.

"It was well deserved. Dave was a key player for us last season," agreed Heartwood.

"Did the TV money come?"

"The allocation was 19.75 Million. The Board paid out 5.75 Million in dividends. They discussed it with me and I agreed to a 28 Million transfer fund and 75K a week wage budget. Even with all that we are 45 Million in the black."

Pearson whistled.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you the best news. The Board is increasing the stadium by 3000 seats. It will take about 5 Months, but it will spruce things up nicely."

"What are the Board's expectations for next season?"

"Avoid relegation," grinned Heartwood.

[Faramir]

28.6.14

Hill Opens Season Downing Ham Kam

Harrow Hill opened their 2014-15 season by pleasing the home faithful as they defeated Norwegian side Ham Kam 2-0 at Larksfield Road in the first leg of the Euro Vase 2nd Round matchup. The lead came early for Hill as MOM Darren Adams deflected a short cross from Richard Murray past Morten Pedersen in the 11th minute. Hill came very close to adding to the margin, but unkind uprights claimed two would be goals and it remained 1-0 at halftime. Ham Kam showed more life in the second half, but Andrew Evans made solid saves on Arve Solberg and Martin Jacobsen as the visitors tried to rally. After Michael Jones hit the right upright again, Hill put the match away when Chris Brooks slotted a pass ahead for Martin Clark. Clark's 25 yard shot got through Pedersen's hands and capped the scoring.

"For the first match of the season- I am pleased," stated Pearson.

"We made some mistakes and still have things to work on- but it was a good start," agreed Heartwood.

[Faramir]

1.7.14

"There are actually some players arriving via transfer purchase," said Heartwood teasingly to Pearson.

"About time," grinned Pearson.

"Jon Hayward is a 19 year old center midfielder who cost us 4.7 Million initially and another 1.8 Million over 24 months from Wigan. Adrian Welch is a 19 year old center midfielder that came to us from Brighton for 2.9 Million. Also joining us is 17 year old center defender Danny Lynch who is arriving on free transfer from Sheffield United."

"I already heard about Hayward spouting off to the press. Our fans are a mite unhappy with the youngster already."

Heartwood sighed, "Jon is very ambitious and I don't really blame him for wanting to show himself to the bigger EPL clubs- but yes his timing and approach could have been much better."

"You were addressing needs with these I see."

"I wasn't happy with the lack of quality center midfielders behind Michael Jones and Jon Burns, that is why I nabbed both Hayward and Welch when their transfer amounts seemed reasonable. Hayward will still have to earn playing time, as Burns and Jones are our starters for the top unit."

"There were some sales I see as well."

"Several actually. Jamie Radcliffe went to Middlesbrough for 3.1 Million and a sell-on clause."

"The fans were in favor of that one. With Shaun Jenkins already a fan fave, they thought the sale made good business."

"Not only Shaun, but Robert Joyce is lurking too- and I believe he will be a better player than Jamie."

"Who were the others?"

"Rickey Reeves went to Port Vale for 1 Million. Peter Edge was sold to 350K. Paul Moran is off to Grimsby for 825K. Tom Broadbent left for Dag & Red for 1K."

"Paul Moran was very complimentary about his time here."

"We never really gave him a good enough chance. He might turn out to be very good, but he wasn't going to play much here with several others in front of him on the depth chart."

"Jim, after Rob Harris (Hill Physio) retired last week it got me to thinking. This will be my last season here. I am 65 and it is time to find something else to do with my life."

Heartwood smiled sadly, "Bob, you know I couldn't have accomplished the building of our program with out you. You have done a sensational job of coaxing the Reserves and Under-18s into our system. We will miss you terribly when you leave, but I do understand your feelings. Thanks for discussing it with me."

[Faramir]

6.7.14

Hill Handles Ham Kam

Continuing where they left off in the first leg, Harrow Hill dominated Ham Kam in defeating them 1-0 at Hamar and will move on to the 3rd Round of Euro Vase on their 3-0 aggregate win. It took Hill until the second half to score, though they dominated the entire match and only allowed the home side 5 shots to Hill's 13. The lone goal came on a pretty cross from Dave Turner that Simon Allen tucked inside the far right post with a nice flick header. Hill defender John Reid earned the MOM honours in the match.

"A workmanlike effort. Exactly what we asked of the boys," said a content Pearson.

"It was good to see how Rob Hodge adapted to his new role- backing up Michael Jones- he played a solid match."

"I thought Shaun Jenkins also showed a lot of composure out there today."

"We get to play French side Lens next. We host them at Larksfield in the first leg next week."

[Faramir]

6.7.14

"It is hard to believe that Spain lost to Colombia 1-0 in the World Cup Final," remarked Heartwood.

"Typical heartbreak for Spain. What is impossible to believe is that they lost to them in Barcelona- the fans were berserk there," commented Pearson.

"Colombia's run to the Final was a bit fortunate, as they beat Kuwait, USA and Turkey- not exactly a lineup of powerhouses."

"Maybe so, but they did it- it was a great story for the Cup."

"It was nice to see Andrew Evans make the Roster, even if he didn't get to play."

Pearson glanced sideways at Heartwood, "I heard they let Alan Pardew go as England Manager."

Heartwood nodded, then let a slight grin escape, "Yes, Bob- I put my name in the hat to take over the position."

***

9.7.14

"I didn't understand why you didn't cancel this friendly with Basel once they announced the Euro Vase schedule," offered Pearson. "Now I understand though."

Heartwood nodded, "Dual purpose actually- since Switzerland is a lovely respite in July. But mostly I wanted to see a lot of the promising youngsters on the Reserves in a game situation. Basel isn't a world-beater, but they are a solid club and it gives us a better gauge on some of their development."

"Who stood out today?"

"Neil Lee impressed up at forward. Adrian Welch made a nice first impression. Matthew O'Neill gave us good leadership in goal."

"Speaking of which. I thought you were going to seek another keeper this summer?"

"I did, but I found very few young ones that I liked any more than O'Neill and Mitchell, so I couldn't really justify spending a lot of money on the few that our scouts agreed had potential."

"Well, a 3-1 friendly win and another day in Switzerland before we head back to host Lens."

"It won't be a full day off. Basel kindly consented to allowing us to use their practice facility for a morning practice. Nothing overly strenuous, but lets work on some game situations- to allow our 'vets' to demonstrate for the many youngsters along."

"That sounds like a good idea."

[Faramir]

10.7.14

"Crap!" said Heartwood quietly.

"What, Jim?" asked Pearson.

"We will be without Lee Pearson, Richard Murray, Stuart Dean, Alex Lee, Andrew Hook and Julian Henry against Lens."

"WHAT?"

"England Under-19 duty calls for all of them. They won't reschedule the Euro Vase matches for that- so we are stuck."

"Bloody Hell."

***

12.7.14

Hill Limits Lens

Despite missing several of their key players, away on England Under-19 duty, Harrow Hill demonstrated that they could manhandle visiting Lens easily beating them 2-0 in the first leg of their 3rd Round Euro Vase matchup at Larksfield Road. The clear indications that the match was all Hill is that they outshot their visitors 18-1 and despite having to leave at 70 minutes, the MOM of the match was Lens keeper Benoit Costil. Hill took the early lead when Danny French threaded a pass through to Jon Burns and Burns buried his shot past Costil at 11 minutes. Costil made several excellent saves to keep his side with a chance going to the second half as they remained trailing only 1-0. Hill never allowed Lens a glimmer of hope at rallying as their quickness controlled the slower French side. Hill finally put the match on ice in second half injury time when Chris Brooks slipped a pass into Martin Clark and he put his shot away past Charles-Edouard Itandje to cap the 2-0 win.

"Excellent work by everyone- we kept them from having any good scoring chances," observed Heartwood.

"Also a good testament to the developing depth we have on our side. Despite missing key players- our next-in-line players got the job done," commented Pearson.

[Faramir]

13.7.14

Heartwood roared.

Pearson leaned in the office, "What's so funny Jim?"

"That was the head of the Romanian Football Federation. They would like me to take over as the National Manager."

Pearson looked quizically at Heartwood, "What's so funny about that? They are a pretty good side and they would also be a nice step up from Israel- not that I have anything against the effort that Israel has given us."

Heartwood was laughing to himself- trying to keep it quiet- as he listened to Pearson.

"I don't get it Jim!" snapped Pearson.

Heartwood smiled broadly, "Bob, Bob. How would you like to be my Assistant-- at Wembley."

Pearson looked at him with a strange look and then comprehension came to him, "My God! You got the England Job!"

Heartwood didn't say anything as he nodded.

"Did they call you just now?"

"About a half an hour before Romania did."

"How do you feel?"

"Numb. The Press Conference is set for tomorrow morning. I meant it though Bob- I know you want to retire, but until you actually do- would you like to work as my Assistant?"

Pearson chuckled, "How can I turn down an offer like that?"

[Faramir]

16.7.14

"That was another good look at the youngsters," commented Pearson. "That will help me in preparing for Reserves..."

"All of them played pretty well. I have to admit, I was surprised we beat Kaiserslautern 2-0 in the friendly."

"Especially at their stadium."

"It was another nice midweek trip."

***

19.7.14

Hill Levels Lens, Moves to Euro Vase Semifinal

It appears that Harrow Hill may have learned an important lesson from their loss to Liverpool in the Euro Cup Quarterfinals last season as they were relentless in their pressure and played Lens into the ground on their own pitch in a 3-0 win that sends Hill onward on the strength of their 5-0 aggregate. It was clear Hill wasn't going to sit back early in the match and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan put the important away goal up on the board at 9 minutes when he deflected a cross from Neil Preece past Benoit Costil. Hill wasted little time adding to the home sides' woes when Preece scored with a half-volley of a superb cross from MOM Dave Turner. Only Costil's fine work in goal kept the margin from being more, but Hill capped the scoring late in the second half as Martin Clark's deft pass allowed Simon Allen to whip a shot past Costil. The only bad news for Hill was Sullivan suffering fractured ribs in a late collision. Sullivan is expected to miss at least a month of play.

"Great match, great focus," commented a happy Heartwood.

"Losing Sullivan was disappointing," reflected Pearson.

"I don't know if Jimmy is injury-prone, but he does seem to have bad fortune. With Darren Adams still out right now- I will need Neil Lee to move up to Senior side for awhile."

[Faramir]

20.7.14

"Athletic easily beat PAOK on a 4-1 aggregate, so we travel to San Mames this Wednesday for the first leg," said Heartwood to Pearson.

"They are a difficult opponent."

"We could not expect anything less in the Euro Vase Semis."

***

23.7.14

Late Equalizer Earns Hill Draw at Athletic

It appeared that Harrow Hill had wasted an early 2-1 lead as they allowed Athletic to fight back to go ahead 3-2, but a late goal by Jon Burns brought them back to a 3-3 draw in the first leg of their Euro Vase Semifinal. Hill fell behind early in the match when John Reid was caught roaming up the pitch and Athletic counterattacked down his side. Andrew Evans was guilty of coming out to challenge too soon and Fernando Llorete made easy work of taking the ball around him to score into the open goal. Hill quickly answered as Dave Turner drilled a 25 yard free kick past Daniel Aranzubia. Athletic helped Hill into the lead when Ander Murillo deflected a Hill cross past Aranzubia for an own-goal that gave Hill a 2-1 halftime lead. Hill missed two golden chances to add to the margin early in the second half as Aranzubia stopped Martin Clark in a one-on-one situation and then Burns header skimmed the bar. It appeared Hill would pay dearly for those mistakes when Enrique Martin scored the equalizer on a thunderous 25 yard shot that Evans couldn't handle. Athletic then moved in front as Paul Ellis didn't react quickly enough to a loose ball and Jose Antonio Gutierrez swooped in to drive the ball past Evans. Burns didn't miss when given a second chance at a clear header as he deflected the ball past Aranzubia on a cross from Turner to even things at 3-3 and earn himself MOM honours. Hill appeared to have scored a dramatic match winner when Chris Brooks shook free on the far post to volley past Aranzubia, but Brooks was ruled offside on the play and the goal was nullified.

"It wasn't a bad match, but we have to play a lot better defensively at Larksfield Road if we want to get past Athletic," flatly stated Heartwood.

"Jon Burns goal was a huge one though. With three away goals, they know they have to beat us," replied Pearson.

"If we don't play more consistent defense, they will do that."

[Faramir]

30.7.14

Hill Ousts Athletic

Playing a much more controlled match, Harrow Hill- buttressed by the return of key players from Under-19 duty- scored once in each half to move on to the Euro Vase Final with 2-0 win in their second leg at Larksfield Road. The win gave Hill a 5-3 aggregate win over the favored Spanish side. The match featured plenty of action up and down the pitch in the first half, but Hill gained the lead when Julian Henry knocked home a rebound after Daniel Aranzubia made a great fingertip save on Simon Allen. Hill showed a much steadier presence in their backline play and Andrew Evans was back on the beam with key saves as he needed. Hill put the match out of reach when they blunted an early second half surge by Athletic and Allen scored on a pass from Richard Murray. Athletic didn't lose heart, but also wasn't able to break down the strong Hill midfield effort.

"That was what I was hoping to see," said a pleased Heartwood.

"We still lacked the backline cohesion, but they worked a lot harder on coverage today," commented Pearson.

"Our opponent in the Final will be Maritimo."

"Another good challenge."

[Faramir]

4.8.14

EPL Odds by Totalbet.com

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

Arsenal 2-1

Liverpool 8-1

Chelsea 8-1

Aston Villa 10-1

Newcastle 12-1

Manchester Utd 16-1

Harrow Hill 100-1

</pre>

***

6.8.14

Hill Mash Maritimo

Harrow Hill provided another unexpected result as they blew open a close match at Estadio dos Barreiros with a quickfire double as they dumped Maritimo 4-1. The first half was extremely well played as the two sides attacked up and down the pitch. Hill struck for the first goal when Richard Murray finished off a pretty passing sequence as he deflected a cross from Dave Turner past Cristopher for his 1st goal of the season. Cristopher played very well the remainder of the first half and denied Simon Allen twice and also Jon Burns in keeping the match close. Both sides hit an upright for their fare share of unlucky bounces in the first half. Hill scored in the opening moments of the second half as Allen turned provider with a neat pass to Burns, who hammered his shot past Cristopher. Maritimo pegged Hill back immediately when a poor clearing pass by Lee Pearson allowed a quick cross from Antoine Brice Ateba to Ytalo. Ytalo deflected the cross inside the right post past Andrew Evans to finally bring the crowd back into the match for the home side. They wouldn't stay in the match long as Allen proved deft passer again as he set up Burns to score a brace. Allen then made it a hat-trick of assists when he crossed to Dave Turner at the far post and Turner deflected the ball past Cristopher to put paid to Maritimo's hopes of a fight back. Hill didn't allow the home side any space in the late stages to help Evans keep them locked at one goal.

"We are playing very well offensively, much better than I had hoped for early in the season," said a pleased Heartwood.

"Well, we really haven't changed much- especially since we haven't alternated Jon Hayward and Adrian Welch- the two players not used to our attacking system- into the lineup yet," replied Pearson.

"They will get their chance soon now- as these matches pile up."

[Faramir]

9.8.14

Hill Starts With a Win

Most Harrow Hill fans were a bit concerned about Hill starting their season with a trip to Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough. This was a club that has handled Hill at times and Hill would be without several key players. They need not have worried as Neil Lee, the latest 17 year old phenom forward, made the step up in play with aplomb as he earned MOM honours in his debut and led Hill to a 3-0 win. Though Hill spent much of the first half stymied by tenacious defensive work from Middlesbrough midfield, they went to halftime leading when an errant backpass from Chris Wilcox allowed Lee to pick it up on the fly and drive a shot past Craig Gordon for a goal in his debut. Early in the second half a superb through ball from Michael Jones sent Martin Clark in free. Tony McMahon failed on a last ditch tackle in their area and Clark rifled a shot inside the far right post to make it 2-0. Lee then made Mark Grainger pay dearly for failing to intercept a pass from Brian Ball, as Lee whirled and snapped a shot past Gordon to make it a brace and a perfect debut. Hill closed down the home side in supporting Andrew Evans' clean sheet.

"Still think that Neil Lee will go back to the Reserves soon?" asked Pearson teasingly.

Heartwood shook his head with a quiet laugh escaping, "Oh, I think he has proved he deserves some opportunities to play on the Senior side."

"To be honest Jim, I thought he would play well- but nothing like *that* well."

"Did you realize that Martin Clark broke the career league goal mark for us- with his 58th. I don't think Martin Wharton will get it back..."

[Faramir]

13.8.14

Hill Swats Southampton

It was a celebratory home opener for Harrow Hill as they routed Southampton 5-1 at Larksfield Road. Hill was off on a flyer when Chris Brooks made a pretty pass into Simon Allen and Allen smashed a low shot past Martin Anderson for a goal in the 2nd minute of play. Hill buzzed around the Southampton goal continuously in the first half, but Anderson looked very sharp in keeping the match close. A perfect long pass from Andy Reid down the left side of pitch allowed Allen to cross to the middle and Julian Henry deflected it past Anderson as Anthony Grant looked on helplessly after getting left a step behind by Henry. Southampton pegged Hill back immediately when Reid was called for pushing Massimo Bonanni in the area. Mario Longo converted the penalty kick past Dean Mitchell to give the visitors some hope as they trailed 2-1 at halftime. Hill snuffed out that glimmer of hope early in the second half when Longo was called for holding Allen in the area. Reid got a measure of revenge as he converted the penalty kick to make it 3-1. It was all Henry after that point, as he earned MOM honours. Adrian Welch, who had a fine debut, slipped Henry a pass as he was unmarked in the area. Henry chipped the ball over onrushing Anderson for his brace. Henry then completed his hat-trick with a fine finish of a nicely timed through ball from Brooks to cap the scoring in the 5-1 win.

"Our execution, both offensively and defensively, has taken a step up so far this season," said Heartwood thoughtfully.

"They are maturing- just like both of knew they would. They are gaining confidence in themselves too," stated Pearson.

[Faramir]

17.8.14

Hill, Forest Battle to Draw

In a match they clearly could have won, Harrow Hill could not overcome the twin force of the Referee and Nottingham Forest keeper Scott Carson as they fought back to manage a 1-1 draw. Forest scored their lone goal on a disputed call on Danny French, as he was called for holding in the area and Peter Wright converted the penalty kick past Andrew Evans to take the lead midway through the first half. Hill made an attempt to rally, but still remained behind at halftime. The opening of the second half saw a revitalized Hill side carry the play to Forest. The Referee and his Assistant had a full hand in frustrating Martin Clark as he scored two goals- only to see both of them waved off as he was ruled offside. When Neil Lee lost Hill's third goal on an offside call- Hill Manager James Heartwood was livid with anger. Hill finally shook off the calls and a nice pass from Michael Jones allowed Neil Preece time to put away the equalizer with his 1st goal of the season. Carson took over from there in earning MOM honours as he made four sensational saves to deny what appeared to be certain Hill goals in allowing Forest to split the points in the match.

Heartwood was still fuming, "I can't believe it. That is just infuriating to see the Referee call a match that way."

"Not much we can do about it Jim, at least the boys battled back for the draw," replied Pearson.

"We deserved the win."

***

18.8.14

"Well, that didn't take long," commented Heartwood.

"Hmm?" murmured Pearson, looking up from his notes.

"That was Manchester United- calling about Craig Johnson."

"Oh? They want him?"

"They and all the other big EPL clubs. This must be the first of the series of offers for Craig. Manchester was willing to pay 3 Million for him right now."

"A lot of money for a prospect."

"Craig isn't going anywhere. We don't really need the money at this point and he will be in the mix for our center midfielders later this season- but I still want him playing regularly on the Reserves for now."

[Damien77]

Really congratulations on being England's new manager, you have earned it.

[Faramir]

Damien77- Thanks much It was nice to get the job...

***

20.8.14

Hill Win 2nd Consecutive Euro Vase

Though Martimio showed the determination and desire that was lacking in their 1st leg, it wasn't enough to overcome a solid Harrow Hill effort as Hill fought back for a 3-2 win at Larksfield Road that clinched them the Euro Vase on 7-3 aggregate and ensures them a place in the Euro Cup competition. Hill struck early for the first goal of the match as Adrian Welch drilled a curving shot past Cristopher for his 1st goal at Hill. Maritimo answered that goal when Ytalo took a bad pass from Dave Turner and turned it into a goal with a quick move and a blistering shot past Andrew Evans. Maritimo's glimmer of hope brightened when Walter Minhoca deflected a pass from Valmir past Evans in the opening moments of the second half. Those hopes were short-lived when Cristopher committed a colossal blunder as he missed handling a ball in his area. MOM Simon Allen raced around the keeper and slotted the ball into the open goal for the equalizer with his 5th goal of the season. Julian Henry then made his 5th goal of the season a match-winner as he scored off a good pass from Chris Brooks. Hill thwarted any further rally attempts as they added another Euro Vase to the trophy case at Larksfield Road.

"It wasn't our best effort, but it was certainly good enough," said a cheery Heartwood.

"The defense wasn't quite as good as we have shown at other times, but you're right- it was a good effort," replied Pearson.

***

22.8.14

"We are bound to see some old friends," grinned Pearson.

"Who want revenge on us for leaving," smiled Heartwood in agreement.

"At least they will get to come see Larksfield Road."

"That will be quite a change from Ramat Gan. It is one of those weird happenstances when we are drawn to face Maccabi Haifa in the 1st Round of the Euro Cup."

[Faramir]

23.8.14

Leeds Levels Hill

Leeds proved very opportunistic as they finished off chances in handing Harrow Hill a 3-0 defeat at Elland Road in a match that was closer than the scoreline would indicate. Craig Searle got the home side off on the right foot midway through the first half with a blistering 25 yard blast that hooked inside the left post past Andrew Evans as Paul Ellis didn't get there quickly enough to challenge Searle. Hill tried to fight back, but found keeper Matteo Amato impossible to solve today. Neil Lee and Michael Jones both had nice chances denied by Amato. The match was still close late in the second half when Leeds broke it open. A Danny French handball in the area allowed James Gould to convert the penalty kick past Evans and then Evans needlessly gave the ball away when trying to clear well out of the area and Wayne Routledge looped a 55 yard kick over Evans to clinch the match. Leeds defender Chris Rowe was selected for MOM honours.

"Neil Lee played well today, but we just couldn't get a break," obsevered Heartwood.

"They took advantage of every chance, but overall we didn't play well," commented Pearson.

"I have to agree it wasn't anywhere close to how well we have played otherwise. They are a good team though- so I don't want to take anything away from them."