Another Harrowing Misadventure (Ages Challenge)

[Faramir]

31.3.15

"How much?" asked Pearson with a smile.

"The Board offered me a new contract for 29,000 a week," grinned Heartwood.

"A big boost from 650 a week. You are worth every Euro of it," chuckled Pearson.

"I never expected to get this kind of contract. I am still kind of in shock. Are you sure you don't want to stay on Bob? I can get you a fat contract too..."

"Jean wouldn't let me Jim," said Pearson- still smiling. "We have already made plans to go travelling to see family next fall."

"The Board gave me a choice of budgets, so I got to choose one tailored to our approach- more weekly wages and less transfer funds."

***

2.4.15

Hill Moves to Euro Cup Semis

In workmanlike fashion, Harrow Hill played Sporting to a 1-1 draw at Larksfield Road and will move on to face Feyenoord in the Euro Cup Semifinals thanks to their 5-2 aggregate win over the Portugese side. MOM Michael Jones blistered a 30 yard rocket past Marco for the only goal from the Hill side late in the first half. Sporting equalized when Ramos converted a penalty kick past Andrew Evans after Lee Pearson was called for a push of Serge N'Gal in the area. The second half played out quietly after the equalizer as Sporting was content to not lose in the 2nd leg.

"Just the kind of match we needed. Work hard and don't give them easy opportunities," offered a pleased Heartwood.

"They knew just what it would take to advance, and we worked hard for it," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

4.4.15

Bolton Bounces Hill

Bolton spotted Harrow Hill an early goal before fighting back to defeat Hill 2-1 in front of packed house at Larksfield Road. Darren Adams got Hill off on a flyer with a brilliant move past David Holden on the dribble and then he rounded Pavel Kubat to score. Danny Lynch failed to mark Tim Young and he equalized on a cross from Ashley Mitchell midway through the half. Bolton then found Hill running around after a free kick and Vasilis Stathis shook free to smash a shot past Evans after another good pass from Mitchell. Hill managed little in the way of offense after Adams' goal and left their fans unhappy as they lost their 4th straight EPL match. Bolton defender Lee Bull earned MOM honours.

"We play well in the Euro Cup match and then play one of our poorer matches at home in the EPL," sighed Heartwood.

"It was very disappointing- especially with getting off to such a good start," stated Pearson.

[Faramir]

6.4.15

Hill Vanquishes Villa

In a stunning turnaround, Harrow Hill broke their losing string by going into Villa Park and ending 1st place Aston Villa's 19 match unbeaten streak with a 3-1 win. The first half saw no scoring, but plenty of action up and down the pitch. Neither side executed well in the first half as the shooting was abysmal on both sides. Hill took the lead to start the second half as Julian Henry deflected a cross from MOM Adrian Welch past Danny Turner. Hill added a second goal when Lee Pearson converted the penalty kick after Simon Allen was hauled down in the area by Robert Huth. Hill went up 3-0 as Alan Connor scored his 1st Senior goal late in the half, but Andrew Evans lost his clean sheet when Luke Moore scored on him in second half injury time.

"Where did that performance come from?" asked Heartwood with a shake of his head.

"We knew it was in there, but they finally brought all the elements of their play to bear in this match," replied Pearson.

[Faramir]

9.4.15

Hill Edges Arsenal

It only took one goal for Harrow Hill to be able to pull through and defeat Arsenal 1-0 at Larksfield Road. Both sides sought goals in the first half, but keepers Andrew Evans and Scott Thornton were very sharp in keeping the two sides scoreless going to the dressing room. Hill struck for the only goal of the match when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan took a quick pass from Darren Adams right up the middle and fired a well placed shot inside the right post past Thornton. Hill had to hold off Arsenal in the late stages and Evans earned his clean sheet with fine saves on Jermain Dafoe and Steve Howells. Neil Preece earned MOM honours for Hill.

"Much better, much better. Showing this type of focus and determination at this late juncture of the season is what I was hoping for," commented Heartwood.

"It was good to see Silk get a goal, he had been scuffling a bit of late," offered Pearson.

[Faramir]

12.4.15

Hill Masters Manchester City

In a match that wasn't as close as the score would indicate, Harrow Hill scored a first half goal and defeated Manchester City 1-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill poured 18 shots at MOM Gustavo Adolfo Sivadon but, except for Adrian Welch in the first half, could only gain one goal. A nicely laid off ball from Julian Henry found Adrian Welch with enough space to drive a low shot past Sivadon for the only goal. Hill controlled the tempo of the match through the entire second half and the visitors never were given a chance to get back into the match..

"Nice work offensively. I wish we could have finished a bit better- but the win is nice," commented Heartwood.

"We were very sharp in all aspects of our play today," said Pearson.

[Faramir]

16.4.15

Dramatic Match Winner Gives Hill the Lead

Chris Brooks made his 1st goal of the season a huge one as he scored in second half injury time to give Hill a dramatic match winner and a 2-1 aggregate lead going into the 2nd Leg of the Euro Cup Semifinal with Feyenoord. Hill played very well in the first half of play and took the lead when Brooks slipped a pass through to Simon Allen and Allen snapped a shot past Stef Doedee at 20 minutes. Doedee made two sensational saves on Allen later in the half to deny Hill a chance to go further ahead. A bad clearance by Andrew Hook in the opening moments of the second half was compounded by Dean Mitchell's rash decision to challenge for the ball. Hanne Hagary made Mitchell pay as he flicked a shot over his shoulder for the equalizer. With the away goal in hand, Feyenoord tried to defend the 1-1 scoreline. It appeared they might accomplish their aims when Craig Johnson dumped a short pass to unmarked Brooks. Brooks put his shot away past Doedee to earn MOM honours in the match. Feyenoord will be without Danko Lazovic and David Limbersky for the 2nd Leg, as they will be suspended on yellow cards. Aston Villa defeated Hertha BSC 2-1 at Villa Park in the other Semifinal 1st Leg.

"It was a good effort, except for the one bad play they scored on," said Heartwood as he rubbed his chin.

"We may rue the away goal, but it was great to get that late match winner," replied Pearson.

"We deserved the win, we outplayed them by a large margin."

"If Simon Allen could have scored one of those other chances, I would feel a bit better."

"Me too."

[Faramir]

19.4.15

Liverpool Fights Back to Draw with Hill

The chances for Harrow Hill were there, but they failed to take full advantage of them as Liverpool fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Hill scored their only goal of the match midway through the first half when Darren Adams broke on a counterattack. As the 'Pool backline closed down, Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan broke in free at the far post and had an easy time directing a pinpoint pass from Adams past Jose Manuel Reina. Adams missed closely on both posts with other chances and those misses would cost dear as Liverpool equalized in the opening moments of the second half. Gael Clichy outleapt Richard Murray and deflected a cross from Anthony Le Tallec past Andrew Evans for his 1st goal at 'Pool. Both sides had chances to score the decisive goal, but timely tackling from both backlines kept the match knotted at 1-1 when the final whistle sounded. Michael Jones earned MOM honours for his all-action play in the Hill midfield.

"A match of missed chances- we should have won it," stated Pearson.

"Yes, I agree with you. We just couldn't take full advantage," nodded Heartwood.

"Losing Lee Pearson's goal on the corner hurt."

"Well, he did push Liam Fontaine slightly- it looked worse from where the Ref saw it."

[Faramir]

23.4.15

Hill Reaches Euro Cup Finals!

Harrow Hill fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at Rotterdam as they defeated Feyenoord 4-3 on aggregate and will move on to face Aston Villa in the Euro Cup Finals. The Dutch side appeared to have taken control of the match in the first half as they outplayed Hill by a wide margin. Jaja made a terrific header on a cross from Nick Hofs and it got past Dean Mitchell off the inside of the right upright to give Feyenoord the lead on away goals. Hill rallied at halftime and their improved pressure paid off in the second half when Simon Allen rapped home a rebound after Stef Doedee could only parry a booming shot from MOM Julian Henry. As the match stretched into the late stages of the second half it was a fine pass from Henry that allowed Allen to take the ball around Doedee for his brace and the 2nd away goal that doomed the Dutch side. Feyenoord did accept a gift of a consolation goal when a bad backpass from John Reid skittered away from Mitchell and Theo Verbeek launched a 30 yard shot into the goal to make the final score 2-2.

"They really responded to your halftime talk," observed a smiling Pearson.

"We were a bit lucky to only fall a goal behind in the first half, but all they really needed to know was that we were on the right track and could still win this," shrugged Heartwood.

"Whatever it was- it was a great effort in the second half and now we get to see Aston Villa again."

[Faramir]

26.4.15

Hill Topples Tottenham

In a battle between 5th placed Tottenham and 6th place Harrow Hill, it was Hill topping Tottenham 2-0 at Larksfield Road. The match was closely played from the opening whistle and Andrew Evans had to be very sharp to punch away a dangerous cross from Aaron Lennon in the opening moments. Hill struck for the lead when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan laid a pass off for MOM Darren Adams in the area. Adams took the ball and swung quickly past Ledley King before drilling a shot past Paul McMahon. Dave Kennedy and Michael Morgan both went close with chances to equalize as Hill looked to be hanging on against the visitor's pressure at the end of the first half. Hill came out with renewed vigor in the second half and put a huge dent in the comeback hopes of Tottenham when Craig Alexander's through ball found Adams and he swept past a sprawling McMahon to score his 10th goal of the season and make it a brace for the match. Hill doggedly defended their lead and helped Evans put up another clean sheet in the win.

"Darren Adams is really showing he deserved the raise you gave him when his contract was redone," offered Pearson.

"I knew he had more goals in him than he had showed early in the season," replied Heartwood.

"He is picking a good time to pick up the pace."

[Faramir]

29.4.15

Hill Levels Leicester

Harrow Hill backed a determined defensive effort with a goal in each half to defeat Leicester 2-0 at Walkers Stadium. Leicester Keeper Kim Young-Kwang did everything he could to help his side earn points out of the match and was brilliant in the first half- stopping three superb scoring chances by Hill. Hill finally solved him late in the first half as his backline failed him. Young-Kwang challenged Simon Allen as he knifed between two defenders, but Allen calmly dumped a pass to unmarked Julian Henry and Henry slammed his shot into the goal for Hill to take the halftime lead. The match saw each side earn chances in the second half, but it was Hill that finally capitalized when Henry, earning MOM honours, launched a looping cross that Martin Clark deflected past Young-Kwang for his 10th goal of the season. Clark, on for a tiring Simon Allen, also headed away a dangerous cross in the waning moments- helping Andrew Evans earn another clean sheet.

"Another fine effort from the boys. I am really pleased with how hard they are working," stated a smiling Heartwood.

"They are still fairly fresh for this late in the season. I think that has a lot to do with how well you have been rotating them," replied Pearson.

"This is the time of the year we need them fresh. One more match to close the season and then Aston Villa..."

"They clinched the EPL title with their win today."

"I guess they get a match to rest up for the Finals then."

"Our win ensured that the battle for 3rd place is between us and Bolton. Arsenal and Tottenham can't catch either of us now."

"They still have a point on us. It will be down to our last match."

[Faramir]

3.5.15

West Ham Hammers Hill

Though they closed out the season on a down note, with West Ham dumping them 3-1, Harrow Hill's 4th place finish in the EPL demonstrates improvement and development this season. The difference in the match was Hill's backline play and their inability to cope with dynamic Daniel Perret- who notched a hat-trick on the match. Hill got off to a flying start as Martin Clark deflected an Alex Lee corner past Dave Dodd in the 5th minute. Hill handed the equalizer back as Andrew Evans failed to smother a ball and it got past him. Perret outraced Danny Lynch for the loose ball and poked it into the goal. Perret made it a brace early in the second half when an awful pass from Chris Poole allowed him a simple put away shot past Evans. Hill desperately tried for the equalizer and Simon Howarth, on for Clark, came oh-so-close as his rising shot skimmed the bar. Hill appeared to have the equalizer when Craig Johnson headed past Dodd, but the ball hit the crossbar squarely and bounced back. Perret found space again due to poor marking by Craig Alexander and a poor clearance by Shaun Jenkins and finished his hat-trick. The result mattered little in reality as Bolton defeated Manchester City to ensure they would finish in 3rd place.

"The scoreline makes the match look worse than it was," grumbled Pearson.

"Well, we didn't give Andrew Evans much help today. I was a little disappointed in that, but otherwise you're right- we didn't play that badly," nodded Heartwood.

"It didn't matter in the end- with Bolton stomping on Manchester City."

"True and that is why I went with the lineup I used. If we could steal a win- great- but I wanted our players rested for the Euro Cup Final on Wednesday."

[Faramir]

6.5.15

Hill Honours

Harrow Hill's superb midfielder Michael Jones was today named Young Player of the Year in the EPL by the writers. Jones' steady presence helped key Hill's rise to 4th place in the EPL. Jones was also selected as a starter on the Players Team of the Year, along with defender Paul Ellis. Defender Lee Pearson was selected as a Reserve on the Players Team of the Year.

***

9.5.15

Hill Loses Penalty Heartbreaker to Villa

The match was there for the taking as Lee Pearson strode up to take the penalty kick in the 85th minute. Harrow Hill had gotten off on a flyer when Chris Brooks had picked out Julian Henry coming free in the area and Henry whipped a shot past Neil Peake to give Hill the lead in the opening minute. Villa answered when John Lock overpowered Danny French to deflect a cross from Andrew Harris past Andrew Evans at 24 minutes. Hill took the lead again in the 33rd minute as MOM Simon Allen blasted in a rebound after Peake blocked a shot from Henry. Hill couldn't hang on to the lead in the second half though as Paul Ellis lost the ball to Andy Shepherd and Shepherd scored a wondrous equalizer with a precision shot inside the near left post. It appeared the match might belong to Hill when Andy Webster took down Henry in the area and a penalty kick was awarded. It wasn't to be for Hill as Peake saved Pearson's penalty kick and sent the match into Extra-Time. Both sides came close to scoring in Extra-time, but Peake and Evans were both brilliant. The match came down to Penalties and the superior composure of Villa won out as they finished off a treble by edging Hill on kicks to capture their 2nd Euro Cup.

"I'm sorry," said Pearson over the phone. "I should have been there."

"Bah, Robert. You know where you should have been and your winning the Group 1 Reserve Championship does take some of the sting out of the loss," replied Heartwood.

"Lord knows, I am happy to finally get this Group 1 Reserve Title before I retire, but I can't help but feel that I wasn't there for you..."

"Bob, Bob- the boys gave it everything they had. They played a great match. We made a couple mistakes we couldn't overcome, but that doesn't diminish the fact that we played Villa into the turf. They were the exhausted ones and we almost made it work..."

"How is Lee Pearson taking all the press coverage on his missed penalty?"

"Very well actually. Lee is standing up and saying he would be happy to take the kick again. I would want him taking that kick again."

"The rest of the club will be there to meet you- along with the fans- when you arrive from Belgrade."

"That sounds great. Let me wind this up so we can get going to the airport."

Hill Win Group Reserve 1 for Retiring Pearson

A 3-0 win on the last day of competition allowed the Harrow Hill Reserves to capture the Group 1 Reserve title- the one title that had eluded Hill Assistant Manager Bob Pearson. Pearson, who is planning on retiring at the end of June, was pleased with the effort and the final result of a long season of play. "We came close for the last two seasons, it was extremely rewarding to finally win it."

MD- As much a heartbreaker as any match could be. I really thought we would win it. If Adrian Welch hadn't been injured, he might well have made the difference.

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

3.6.15

Strong English Effort Sees Off Russia

Though the final score was only 2-0, England thoroughly dominated visiting Russia in a win at a packed Wembley. England pressured Russia from the outset and Igor Akinfeev had to be sharp in the early going to prevent them falling behind. Mark Dobson hammered home a rebound after Akinfeev managed to palm away a sharp shot from Wayne Rooney at 20 minutes. Russia tried to rally, but Martin Higgins came up with a pair of big saves to keep them off the board. England resumed their pressure to begin the second half and made it pay off as John Terry slipped a pass in and Dobson blasted a rocket past Akinfeev to make it a brace and a 2-0 lead. The English quickness and pressure was unrelenting for the remainder of the match as they helped Higgins maintain a clean sheet. In other Group 7 action, Hungary defeated FYR Macedonia 2-0 to remain 3 points adrift of 1st place England in Group 7. Midfielder James Gould earned MOM honours.

"I was very pleased with the complete focus of the club today. We kept our pressure up throughout the match and really put the clamps on them when we gained the 2-0 lead," stated England Manager James Heartwood.

[Faramir]

7.6.15

"The sale of Craig Briggs is final today," stated Heartwood to Pearson.

"Oh? I thought it would be July 1- like the others..." replied Pearson.

"No, his took effect today."

"To be honest, since they are on Holiday- I didn't realize. How much was the sale for?"

"3 Million."

"That's a goodly sum for a player who didn't have a future here."

***

15.6.15

"We are now up to the 28th rated club in Europe," beamed Heartwood.

"That's a good rise- we were only 51st last season," replied Pearson.

"Getting to the Semifinals of Euro Cup made the difference."

"How close did we come to making Championship Cup?"

"Close, but Bolton got the final English Spot. We are top seeded English Club in Euro Cup, so we won't have to win our way into the Competition this season."

***

20.6.15

"Who was selected as Fans' Player of the Year?" asked Pearson.

"The voting was for Dave Turner. I thought he was a good choice," replied Heartwood.

"He was a worthy choice."

"By the way Bob, we received our TV money- 19.75 Million."

Pearson chuckled, "We are rolling in the money, aren't we? How much is in our balance book?"

"A bit over 49 Million. The Board is allowing 46 Million in Transfer funds and expects us to be safely mid-table."

"Certainly a reasonable expectation."

"I thought so as well. I forgot to mention the Board also handed out a dividend payout of 18 Million."

"The stockholders must be happy."

"I expect so."

[Faramir]

23.6.15

"Great news Bob!"

"What's that Jim?"

"After an appeal, Jorge Herrera was granted a conditional work permit."

"Whoa. I thought there was no chance they would grant a 19 year old Argentine player one- the scouts didn't believe they would."

"I wasn't sure, but I thought it was worth the gamble."

"We don't have to pay Racing Club anything for signing him?"

Heartwood grinned, "No, we don't- free transfer. They didn't believe we could get a work permit, so weren't seriously worried about our bid."

"He will be a good addition."

"He may be a great addition- he has a lot of talent."

***

24.6.15

The party was in full swing, and surprisingly every player and staff member of Harrow Hill had attended.

Heartwood smiled as he clapped his hand on Bob Pearson's shoulder, "What are you going to do with yourself now?"

Pearson nodded at his wife, "I believe she has plans for me."

The two smiled at her as she looked up, smiled and commented, "Don't be taking him anywhere Jim- he is mine now!"

Heartwood looked pained, but happy as he said, "It's been a long road Bob. I wish you the best."

"Don't worry, I will drop you a line every now and again. I will be following Hill as always."

[Faramir]

30.6.15

Harrow Hill Announces Gritt as New Assistant Manager

At a news conference today, Harrow Hill announced that Steve Gritt would be appointed as their new Assistant Manager, replacing retired Bob Pearson. Gritt had been in the coaching ranks at Charlton and was very pleased with his opportunity to move up the ladder. "I relish the chance to work a club dedicated to establishing themselves in the EPL. It will be a big change, but my past work has prepared me for the challenges of working closely with a Manager with the reputation of James Heartwood." The announcement ends the rumours that Steve McLaren, who currently works with Heartwood as Assistant Manager of the English National Club, would join Heartwood at Harrow Hill as well.

***

1.7.15

"First things first Steve. I wanted to make you aware of the players that are leaving on transfer today," stated Heartwood.

"Ok, that would be good to know," replied Gritt.

"Dave Brown, Wayne Stevens and Lee Wood are all leaving on free transfer. Brown is going to Wolves, Stevens to Notts County and Woods to Halifax. We also sold John Reid to Cardiff for 3.9 Million, Chris Poole to Middlesbrough for 1.9 Million, Gary Ford to Sheffield United for 700K, John Bruce to Nottingham Forest for 1.6 Million, Stephen Webb to Boston United for 1 Million, John Allen to Leicester for 1.3 Million, Danny O'Brien to Wigan for 1.2 Million, Martin Clifford to Exeter for 1.3 Million, Danny Weaver to Derby for 1.4 Million and Clive Patterson to Halifax for 150K."

"Quite a house cleaning."

"It has been in the works for awhile. We still have some others on Reserves that I would like to find new homes for- but haven't yet been successful."

[Faramir]

4.7.15

Hill Splashes Out for Ball

In a suprise purchase, Harrow Hill outbid several other EPL clubs and was able to purchase promising 20 year old Keeper Scott Ball from Charlton for 7 Million. Ball has been the starting Keeper for the past 3 seasons at Charlton and has amassed an impressive record while there. Ball worked closely with new Hill Assistant Manager Steve Gritt and was pleased to join him at Hill. Ball did express reservations at his purchase price, "I appreciate the fact that Harrow Hill was willing to offer so much to bring me here. I don't really consider myself a 7 Million player and hope that I can work myself into a good situation at the club." Hill Manager James Heartwood tried to reassure the youngster, "Scott was brought here to work with Andrew Evans as Evans begins his final season at the club. We expect Scott and Matthew O'Neil to form a strong tandem going into the future at the club." The purchase apparently makes the rumours of Dean Mitchell's demotion to the Reserves a truthful item.

"I am really happy you brought Scott over here," said a smiling Steve Gritt. "He has been responsible for whatever success we had at Charlton the past three seasons."

"Well, to be honest, I tried hard to get Scott Thornton- but he accepted Tottenham's contract offer over ours. Scott was really my second choice in bringing another young Keeper here to move into the future with Matthew O'Neil."

"You weren't happy with Alan Stott, Alex Cox or Michael Butcher?"

"I don't think Stott and Cox really have the ability to play at this level. Butcher is improving and may have the ability- but it is too soon to tell."

"I thought Dean Mitchell had played well for you?"

"He has given us steady work, but like Evans- this is his final season with us."

Gritt shook his head, "I knew when I agreed to work here that things would be different, but this 25 year old and out will take some getting used to."

Heartwood shrugged, "It is the way this club is built and the way that I redo contracts. I think it will help us to stay hungry and continually develop good young players."

"I can't argue with your success, nor would I want to. I will work hard to those same ends."

Heartwood smiled, "That is why you were picked for the job Steve. I have confidence in your ability."

[Faramir]

12.7.15

Hill Score Double Argentinean Coup

Harrow Hill landed promising young 19 year old Argentinean midfielder Jorge Herrera on a free transfer signing after their appeal to earn him a work permit went through. They repeated their bold efforts as they signed 19 year old Argentinean forward Cristian Villalba Velez and were also able to get his work permit approved on appeal. The pair of young Argentineans represent the first foray beyond the shores of Great Britain for the English side- renowned for their development of young players. Apparently that reputation carried enough weight with the board to approve the work permits for the two youngsters. Harrow Hill Manager James Heartwood was clearly pleased with the outcome. "We really wanted to add the pair of them and not one or the other. They will help each other get accustomed to play here and they will certainly be in our Senior side mix as we begin the season."

"Will that cause problems with the club's chemistry?" asked Gritt.

"We may have to work through that, but the reason I got both of those youngsters is because they are EPL caliber players and can help us win. We will make it work," replied Heartwood.

"They both have talent, there is no problem with that. I just wonder how they will adapt and how the long-time players here will adapt to them."

"The reality of the situation Steve, is that despite the great job we have done raising our youth up- we aren't as attractive a club for the finer English players. Those players want to be at one of the 'big' clubs here, not at Hill. There is tremendous loyalty and camradrie among the players who have come up from our youth program, but we still need the occasional influx of outside players- as Adrian Welch and Jon Hayward were last season."

"Getting both of them on free wasn't bad at all. Certainly makes it worth the gamble."

[Faramir]

13.7.15

Stunning Choice for France

In a intensely debated choice, France has selected Northern Irishman Iain Dowie as their new National Coach. Dowie has Managed Crystal Palace, Everton and Liverpool and was a bit surprised himself at being handed the French reins.

***

15.7.15

"That was an impressive way to begin our friendlies," observed Gritt.

"We looked in fine form, much better than I expected," agreed Heartwood.

"Dundee isn't exactly a powerhouse club though, still a 5-0 result at least shows execution offensively."

"But you are right- it was Dundee and it was a friendly. It means little other than a few encouraging signs."

***

19.7.15

"St. Johnstone was tougher than Dundee, but we still kept them off the scoreboard," commented Gritt.

"It was only due to luck and good play from our keepers that they didn't score," replied Heartwood. "If we had played that way against an EPL club, we would have yielded several goals. Our defensive play was a bit lackadaisical."

"We did show good movement offensively though- both goals were good ones."

"True. I was happy with our effort up front today."

[Faramir]

25.7.15

"That was a nice way to begin our Italian trip," commented Heartwood to Gritt in the hotel room.

"2-0 over Sampdoria and we could have won by more- yes, it was a better effort," answered Gritt.

"I saw some nice play from our youngsters today."

"The scouts in the stands did to," chuckled Gritt.

"There were quite a few EPL scouts, weren't there?" grinned Heartwood. "I think it must have been because of the sunny climate."

***

29.7.15

"That was a learning experience for them," stated Gritt.

"It was for us as well. Though a 2-0 loss to Juventus in Turin is nothing to be ashamed of- I saw a lot of little things we need to work on," replied Heartwood.

***

2.8.15

"That was a solid effort to close both our friendlies and our trip to Italy on," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"Udinese is not an easy touch, it was a good 2-0 win," agreed Gritt.

"I was really happy with both Shaun Jenkins and Stuart Dean on this trip. They both have shown they are ready to take over starting roles at the fullback spots."

"Judging by all the transfer comments in the press, the other big EPL clubs would love to have them also."

"Very true Steve. The big clubs have been calling incessently about a lot of our youngsters. They tend to be pretty put out when I won't even discuss the sale of any of them, but we don't really need the money- so there is little sense in it."

[Faramir]

8.8.15

Here is the depth chart as I see it Steve," said Heartwood as he flipped a clipboard to Gritt.

Harrow Hill 2015-16 Senior Roster

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

GK (age)

Andrew Evans (24)

Scott Ball (20)

Matthew O'Neill (20)

DR

Shaun Jenkins (19)

Danny French (23)

Andrew Hook (20)

Alan Price (18)

DL

Stuart Dean (19)

Chris Whelan (18)

Paul Shepherd (17)

DC

Paul Ellis (22)

Lee Pearson (20)

Danny Lynch (19)

Les Beard (17)

Terry Simpson (17)

MR

Chris Brooks (18)

Richard Murray (20)

Steve Austin (18)

Neil Preece (23)

ML

Dave Turner (23)

Alex Lee (20)

Brian Ball (23)

Rob Hodge (22)

MC

Michael Jones (22)

Adrian Welch (20)

Craig Johnson (18)

Jorge Herrera (20)

Jon Hayward (21)

Jon Burns (22)

Lee Davis (20)

SC

Simon Allen (21)

Julian Henry (20)

Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan (22)

Cristian Villalba (19)

Darren Adams (22)

Neil Lee (18)

Michael Thomas (18)

</pre>

"Looks good to go for me," said Gritt.

[Faramir]

10.8.15

"What will be our starting lineup against Everton," asked Steve Gritt of James Heartwood.

"This is what I plan on:

Gk- Andrew Evans

DR- Shaun Jenkins

DL- Stuart Dean

DC- Paul Ellis

DC- Lee Pearson

MR- Chris Brooks

ML- Dave Turner

MC- Adrian Welch

MC- Michael Jones

SC- Simon Allen

SC- Julian Henry

Sub- Cristian Villalba

Sub- Jorge Herrera

Sub- Rob Hodge

Sub- Scott Ball

Sub- Les Beard"

stated Heartwood.

"Hopefully that won't change due to injury."

***

10.8.15

EPL Odds by Totalbet.com

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

Aston Villa 7-4

Arsenal 8-1

Newcastle 10-1

Manchester Utd 20-1

Tottenham 25-1

Chelsea 33-1

Harrow Hill 40-1

</pre>

[Faramir]

11.8.15

"This is getting very tiresome," stated Heartwood as he rubbed his temples.

"What is wrong?" asked Gritt.

"We are getting barraged with offers from the bigger EPL clubs for our youngsters. Everyone from our regulars like Craig Johnson to our 17 year olds like Alan Price. They don't want to take no, not interested for an answer."

"At least we can give them that answer each time."

"True, that is much better than hearing them make a bid for a minimum fee release."

***

13.8.15

"I felt we had to do it. Jon Hayward was going to be too disruptive in the dressing room if we turned down the offer," explained Heartwood to Gritt.

"Well, 13.75 Million is a pretty subtantial offer- more than he is worth to my eyes," replied Gritt.

"It is a new record amount for a transfer sale for Harrow Hill."

"I think several players- including Adrian Welch- are relieved. They really disliked his superior attitude since he had returned from summer holiday."

"That was likely due to the bid we got from Italy."

***

14.8.15

"That didn't take long," laughed Gritt as he read the newspaper.

"What didn't take long?" asked Heartwood.

"Jon Hayward making friends wherever he goes. He called Leeds a 'stepping stone' to greater things," said Gritt. "Unsurprisingly the fans, staff and players were more than a little unhappy about the comments."

"I am glad he has taken his act onward."

[Faramir]

15.8.15

Hill Downs Everton in Season Opener

Harrow Hill left the fans at Goodison Park disappointed as they roared out to a 3-0 lead and held on to defeat Everton 3-1 in the opening match of the 2015-16 EPL season. Hill got off to a quick start when MOM Michael Jones slipped a through ball to Simon Allen. Allen whipped his shot past Kasper Schmeichel before he could react and Hill had the lead at 7 minutes. Hill moved ahead 2-0 at 21 minutes as Chris Brooks' pinpoint pass allowed Dave Turner to half-volley a winner past Schmeichel at far post. The lead improved to 3-0 when Allen made it a brace after firing a sharp angled shot past Schmeichel following a good pass from Turner to find him with space. Everton got on the scoreboard early in the second half when ever dangerous Lima was able to deflect a long cross from Stuart Lloyd past Andrew Evans. Hill received a fine effort from Evans as he kept the home side from getting closer. Hill's Argentine twin tandem of Cristian Villalba and Jorge Herrera made their debut as substitutions and they perfomed well in their limited play.

"Excellent start for us," said an enthused Gritt.

"I saw a lot of areas we could improve on defensively," said a thoughtful Heartwood. "We were fortunate that Andrew Evans had a superb match, else that might have been a different result. Still, it was a win and that is a good start."

[Faramir]

19.8.15

Hill Outlasts Manchester United

In a wildly entertaining match, Harrow Hill managed to edge Manchester United 4-3 at Larksfield Road in their EPL home opener. Hill leaped to an early 2-0 lead thanks to their new Argentine midfielder Jorge Herrera. Demonstrating wonderful touch on his free kick, Herrera set up Brian Ball to score to earn Hill the lead. Herrera then scored on a booming 30 yard free kick past John Wilkinson to make it 2-0. Hill then allowed Manchester United to fight back with some lackluster defensive play. Paul Ellis got caught standing still and watching as Wayne Rooney cruised free up the pitch. Andrew Evans made a great save on Rooney's blast, but Simon Allison cruised in unmarked to knock home the rebound. Lee Pearson then failed to get back quickly enough and Allison scored his 2nd in a two minute span as his 10th goal of the young season was the equalizer. Both sides sought the goal to break the halftime deadlock, but it took awhile in arriving. Ball, on his way to MOM honours, setup Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan nicely and he moved Hill ahead 3-2. Sullivan then made a terrific pass to find Darren Adams, on for tiring Cristian Villalba, with space. Adams showed dazzling touch as he lofted a 30 yard shot over Wilkinson to make it 4-2. Hill would need that goal as their backline again cracked and Mark Henderson scored in second half injury time after a loose ball wasn't cleared. The final whistle came soon after with Hill gaining the win.

"Very slipshod defense. I was disappointed to see Paul Ellis and Lee Pearson make those type of mistakes," offered Heartwood.

"We were fortunate," agreed Gritt. "We didn't play with the cohesion we will need to show if we are to do well this season."

"Still, I can't fault the offensive effort and we did gain a win over Manchester United- so not too gloomy."

"There are things we need to work on- now we have a better idea of the specifics."

[Faramir]

22.8.15

Manchester City Mash Hill

Manchester City played a scintallating second half as they mashed Harrow Hill 4-1 at City Grounds. The first half saw the home side clearly the better club, but Hill had fought back to even the match at 1-1 after Steve Sparrow's early header had given Manchester City the lead. Simon Allen drove home his own rebound after Gustavo Adolfo Sivadon had blocked his initial shot to make things 1-1. Scott Ball, making his debut in the Hill goal, had a excellent first half and was the reason Hill was still even. The second half saw Hill fall apart under pressure. Dave Hammond deflected a cross that Ball missed intercepting to give the home side the lead in the early moments of the second half. Hill tried to respond, but seemed to lose heart when skipper Michael Jones earned his 2nd yellow card and an early shower. Hill handed Manchester City their 3rd goal when Rob Hodge passed directly to David N'Gog and he blasted a shot past Ball. N'Gog made it a brace when a poor clearing attempt by Stuart Dean set him up to put away a shot past Ball. It was a disappointing second half effort for Hill.

"We fell apart in the second half," fumed Heartwood.

"There was none of the determination we usually show," agreed Gritt.

"Our defense played brutally bad again. It is only three matches into the season and we have already yielded 8 goals! We have got to do a better job. If we play like that against Tottenham in our next match, they will shred us."

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

29.8.15

Jones Stunning Debut Keys England Win

Michael Jones was a last minute addition to the National side, as he was brought on after Mark Dobson's injury, but he made it clear he plans to earn a repeating place for himself with a stunning 4-goal debut as England trounced San Marino 7-0. Jones looked comfortable from the opening whistle, as he might be with 5 other Harrow Hill teammates joining him in the English starting lineup, and he struck for the first goal when he smashed a 20 yard blast past Luca Francioni. Dave Turner scored when he headed a cross in to up the lead to 2-0 and Dominic Williams ripped a shot past Francioni late in the half to give England a comfortable 3-0 lead in front of the buzzing Wembley crowd. The fireworks really picked up in the second half as Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan fired a well placed shot home and then Jones scored three goals in the span of 8 minutes- all on booming rocket shots of 30 yards or further. Andrew Evans earned a very easy clean sheet in the convincing win. With the win England are assured at least a playoff spot and can clinch the top spot in Group 7 in their match facing 2nd place Hungary in Budapest next week.

"Well of course I knew Michael (Jones) had that kind of talent, what club do you think he came from?" asked England Manager James Heartwood with sarcasm at the post-match press conference.

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

2.9.15

England Makes European Championships

An impressive effort by England saw them roll over Hungary in Budapest by a 4-0 score. MOM John Lock was the beneficiary of some excellent passing as Wayne Rooney set him up with a cross to the far post for Lock to hammer past David Vadon. Lock quickly made it a brace when Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan did a wonderful job of holding the ball on the break until Lock broke free at the far post. Minutes later, Lock should have had his hat-trick as Sullivan produced a near duplicate play, but he was over anxious and missed getting his foot on the ball. Sullivan scored himself to move England ahead 3-0 before halftime. Chris Gould added one more goal late in the match as England dominated from start to last and Martin Higgins had no trouble earning the clean sheet. With the win, England qualifies for the European Championships by way of their undefeated, unscored upon status withing Group 7. The loss by Hungary now throws them into a 3-way battle for 2nd place with Russia and FYR Macedonia.

"It was a fine, determined effort. I was most pleased that we were able to play mistake-free football today. Our passing really was on the mark every time and that is what generated our scoring today," stated English Manager James Heartwood to a reporter following the win.

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

9.9.15

England Passes Portugal in Friendly

England used a brace from Dominic Williams as their markers in defeating Portugal 2-0 in their friendly in Lisbon. Williams took advantage of Ricardo Costa dallying on the ball to put England off on a flyer as he skinned Costa and snapped a close-in shot past Marco. Marco was brilliant after the goal and kept England from building on their lead with several superb saves. Williams added a second goal in the opening moments of the second half as he deflected a cross from Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan past Marco. England kept Portugal from ever threatening to rally as they helped Andrew Evans close out a clean sheet. Aaron Lennon earned MOM honours in the match.

"As a friendly, it was a chance to view how combinations of our players will work off each other. Certainly, I am pleased that we won the match, but the goal was more of getting a good effort than winning. The effort was excellent and I count that as the best part of the result in my book," stated England Manager James Heartwood.

[Faramir]

12.9.15

Hill, Tottenham Battle to Draw

Harrow Hill took a moral victory away from White Hart Lane as they battled Tottenham to a draw in a match the home side clearly had control of for most of the match. MOM Lee Pearson anchored a strong Hill backline effort as they shook off their defensive troubles of the last few matches to put forth an exceptional effort. Andrew Evans earned his clean sheet with several excellent saves including one on Dagoberto that had the home fans muttering to themselves late in the second half. Though the Hill defensive play finally righted itself, it was the offense that was virtually non-existent today. The only dangerous chances Hill managed were easily stopped by Scott Thornton.

"We are having trouble getting both elements of our game working together," sighed Heartwood.

"At least we showed progress on the defensive side of the ball. If we continue playing that well, we will turn the offense around," replied Gritt.

[Faramir]

17.9.15

Hill Manages Only Draw Against Maritimo

In a match they clearly could have won, poor finishing again was the bugaboo for Harrow Hill as they managed only a scoreless draw hosting Maritimo in the first leg of the Euro Cup 1st Round matchup. Hill controlled much of the match, but failed to finish effectively despite numerous chances. Maritimo keeper Christopher earned MOM honours as Hill outshot the visitors 14-7 in the match. Darren Adams looks to be particularly frustrated as Christopher stopped him cold twice and Adams rounded Christopher and shot off the right upright with the whole goal open to shoot at. Christopher also made two terrific saves on Gary Evans, who came on for Adams. Scott Ball was solid in the Hill goal as well and had one big save on Ytalo to preserve the Hill side of the clean slate.

"I wish we could find the magic potion to get our offense back, but it remains elusive," muttered Heartwood.

"We did plenty right today, despite featuring a pretty inexperienced lineup. Terry Simpson and Les Beard played really well together in our center defense," answered Gritt.

"I was pleased with our entire backline play today. Our midfield also played well, but we have got to get some goals from our forwards if we are going to have any success."

[Faramir]

20.9.15

Hill Fights Back to Draw with Wolves

After falling behind in the first half, Harrow Hill fought back for a second half equalizer and split the points with the visiting Wolves in a 2-2 draw at Larksfield Road. The Wolves continue to give Hill problems and Jamie McQuilkin added to them with a beautiful 30 yard blast through traffic in a goal that will certainly be considered for goal of the month honours at 10 minutes. Hill evened things when Dave Turner threaded a pass through to Simon Allen and Allen finished well with a shot inside the left post past Niklas Gustavsson. Hill promptly fell behind again when the backline failed to clear away a loose ball after Andrew Evans parried a shot from Italo Mattioli and Peter Verbeek slammed home the rebound to make it 2-1. Hill couldn't score in the rest of the first half and struggled to get chances beginning the second half. Craig Johnson seemingly revitalized the offense for Hill when he came on for Jorge Herrera and it was a nice lay off pass from Johnson that allowed Michael Jones to blast a 25 yard shot past Gustavsson for the equalizer. Neither side could gain the match winner as they finished out the draw.

"We still are lacking cohesion on defense- we are still making elementary mistakes we should not be making," observed Heartwood.

"The offense is sputtering a bit too. We haven't really solved all the problems and are still wasting passes," replied Gritt.

[Faramir]

26.9.15

Hill Bounces West Brom

Harrow Hill scored a solid 2-0 win over West Brom at The Hawthorns in a match that could have favored the visitors by a much larger score. Andrew Lonergan was brilliant through much of the match for West Brom and he made three one-on-one saves on MOM Simon Allen that prevented the home side from being overrun. Allen scored to give Hill the lead as he deflected a short cross from Neil Preece past Lonergan at 14 minutes. Allen was frustrated the rest of the half with Lonergan and the Brom keeper also had Craig Johnson and Michael Jones muttering to themselves with good saves. Hill kept up the pressure in the second half and were rewarded when Allen made it a brace after another nice assist from Preece as he whipped a rising shot past Lonergan inside the left post. West Brom found Stephen Daniels unable to add to his remarkable start to the season as the Hill defense remained aware of his presence at all times. Andrew Evans earned the clean sheet for the match.

"It was nice to really see things clicking," smiled Heartwood.

"We really brought all phases of our play to this match," agreed Gritt.

"Simon Allen is proving how dangerous he can be this season."

[Faramir]

1.10.15

Hill Masters Maritimo

Harrow Hill showed composure and execution as they demonstrated clearly to the crowd at Estadio dos Barreiros that they were the better club in a 3-0 drubbing of Maritimo in the 2nd Leg of the Euro Cup 1st Round matchup. Hill will move on to Euro Cup Group play on the strength of their 3-0 aggregate win over the Portugese side. After several close calls and good saves by Christopher, Hill struck for the lead and the important away goal as Jon Burns slotted a pass and Cristian Villalba made his first Hill goal a memorable one off the right upright. MOM Darren Adams swept away from the Maritimo backline on a curling pass from Richard Murray and his shot was well placed to earn Hill a 2-0 halftime lead. Jon Burns then scored his 1st goal of the season early in the second half as he deflected a free kick by Adrian Welch past Christopher. With the 3-0 lead, Hill put the clamps on the home side in assisting Scott Ball to notch the clean sheet.

"Excellent execution. I am really pleased to see how quickly some of our youngsters are developing," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"Especially Terry Simpson and Les Beard in the middle. Both played with a maturity that I didn't expect," replied Gritt.

"They both impressed me as well. They will get more playing time as the season progresses."

"Who did we get in our Euro Cup Grouping?"

"Group B- Sevilla, Lokomotiv Moscow, GAK and Debrecen."

"Interesting group."

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

3.10.15

England Finishes Group Unblemished

A strong effort by England allowed them to take a convincing 3-0 win over FYR Macedonia in Skopje. England finishes their Euro Championships Group 7 play easily in 1st place and they did not allow a goal in Group play. It was off on a flyer for England as Mark Dobson celebrated his return from injury with a strong header past Darko Stojmenovski in the 2nd minute. Keith Reed gave Dobson the cross and he repeated that effort with another cross that Dobson deflected in for his brace at 60 minutes. England added a late Lee Lamb goal after a good pass from Mark Harris. Reed earned MOM honours in his debut. The win ruined Macedonia's hopes of finishing 2nd in the Group and that battle is down to Hungary and Russia with Hungary only needing a draw in its match to ensure it will finish 2nd.

"I am very proud of our defensive record. Anytime you can go through all your Group matches and not allow a single goal- well you are doing something right," stated England Manager James Heartwood after the match.

[Faramir]

14.10.15

Arsenal Edges Hill

Arsenal received full consideration from the officiating crew as they were able to edge Harrow Hill 1-0 at Larksfield Road. The lone goal in the match came when Pierre Cohen crossed and Paul Barton deflected it past Andrew Evans midway through the first half. Harrow Hill worked hard to rally and appeared to have evened the match in first half injury time, only to see the goal waved off as Dave Turner was called for offsides. Hill stormed into the Arsenal end to begin the second half and Simon Allen scored past Francesco Guillermo Ochoa- only to see a goal waved off for the 2nd time as Julian Henry was ruled offside on the play. Ochoa made a pair of terrific saves on Craig Johnson late in the match to preserve the close win for Arsenal. Arsenal defender Silva received MOM honours in the match.

"Immensely frustrating. All that work... we make good plays... we score and nada- no goal," stormed Heartwood.

"Close calls on both of them, especially Julian Henry- I don't see how they considered him offside in a scramble in the area," agreed Gritt.

"Still, if we do our job defensively, then Barton wouldn't have scored."

[Faramir]

19.10.15

Hill Blanks Blackburn

Behind a sensational performance from MOM Keeper Scott Ball, Harrow Hill defeated Blackburn 2-0 at Larksfield Road. Ball was terrific in every element of his play in the match and came up with several big saves in both halves. The Hill offense came from Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan. Neil Preece picked out Sullivan breaking free in the area with a good pass and Sullivan rifled his shot inside the far left post past Gary March. Blackburn tried to rally and Soloman Kalou came close, only to see his shot strike the side netting. The second half featured entertaining midfield play as both sides battled up and down the pitch. Sullivan struck for his brace thanks to a deft touch pass from Cristian Villalba which found him free to snap a shot past March late in the second half to close the scoring in the match.

"I am happy to see that Scott Ball has that type of potential. I was hoping, but you never know..." said Heartwood.

"He was terrific today. He has looked very steady after that first match debacle," replied Gritt.

"It was nice to see 'Silk' with a scoring touch today- he doesn't always have it."

[Faramir]

22.10.15

Sevilla Slices Hill

Harrow Hill and Sevilla provided a supremely entertaining opening match to Euro Cup Group B play, but the Larksfield Road Faithful went home disappointed as Hill fell to the Spanish side in a closely contested 3-2 loss. It was probably a bit much for Hill Manager James Heartwood to expect that 17 year old Terry Simpson could mark the storied Brazilian Evandro Roncatto and that matchup was the difference in Sevilla getting the close win. Diego Capel scored the first goal for the visitors after Les Beard missed a tackle and Capel rounded Scott Ball for the goal. Roncatto, on his way to MOM honours, then slipped away from Simpson's marking and put away a shot after he raced away to run down keeper David Martinez's goal kick. Hill went to the dressing room trailing 2-0, but it was clear they had plenty of fight as they came out for the second half. A nice cross from Paul Shepherd was deflected by Simon Allen past Martinez and then Hill equalized when Shaun Jenkins laid a pass off that Adrian Welch scorched past Martinez for the equalizer. It was Roncatto that scored the match winner as he made it a brace by deflecting a a cross from Capel past Ball with Simpson a step slow in keeping him under wraps. Martinez had to make two difficult saves against Allen and Dave Turner to preserve the win.

"It wasn't the greatest result, but overall we played pretty well against a much more experienced club," stated Heartwood.

"I am glad we only see them once in Group play. They have too many weapons," stated Gritt.

[Faramir]

25.10.15

Leeds Hand Hill Lumps

In a rough match at Elland Road, Leeds used a pair of early goals from Hill mistakes as the keystone for a 2-0 win over Harrow Hill. Leeds struck early in the first half as Daniel Chapman caught Andrew Evans dallying on the ball and took the ball away from him before slamming home his shot to get them the quick lead. Hill compounded that error as Chris Whelan failed to mark MOM David Holmes closely enough and Holmes flicked a header past Evans on a Christian Chivu free kick at 10 minutes and it was 2-0 Leeds. Leeds had chances to extend the lead in the first half, but Hill showed more life as the match moved to the second half. Hill forced Matteo Amato to make several fine saves in the second half as their passing attack gained traction. Amato deserved his clean sheet and the Leeds backline ably supported him in closing out the win.

"Incredibly bad judgement and mistakes on our part," grumbled Heartwood.

"We dug ourselves a hole that we couldn't get back out of," agreed Gritt.

"That was such a bad mistake by Evans- I can only think of one other goal he has given away in all the years as a starter here."

"The sad part is that we played pretty well in the second half, but had nothing to show for it."

[Faramir]

28.10.15

Hill Outlasts Ipswich

It took until Extra-time, but Harrow Hill outlasted Ipswich to beat them 2-0 at Larksfield Road in their League Cup 3rd Round match. Hill had plenty of chances to win the match in regular time, but found fine tackling by the Ipswich backline and excellent work from keeper Frank Fielding kept them from getting a goal despite periods of intense pressure. The key moment in Extra-time came when Jorge Herrera struck a rocket of a free kick that sailed past Fielding from 25 yards. Hill was content to play defense for the win, but they still were able to manage a quick counter-attack that saw Darren Adams score the clinching goal with only moments left to play. Matthew O'Neill earned a clean sheet for his work in the Hill goal.

"Took long enough," grinned Heartwood tiredly.

"It was nice to see Jorge Herrera get MOM honours. He really sparked us with his play," replied Gritt.

[Faramir]

2.11.15

Hill Crashes Crystal Palace

Harrow Hill so liked the gameplan of Leeds in their last loss- they emulated it- as they turned a pair of early first half goals into the the final scoreline in a 2-0 win at Larksfield Road. MOM Simon Allen got Hill off on a flyer in what has to be considered for Harrow Hill Goal of the Year. Allen intercepted a pass off the opening whistle and made a mazy full-speed run through the Palace defense before driving a shot past Federico Lombardi in the first minute of play. Gary Evans, getting his first start at forward, and Dave Turner played a give-and-go up the left sideline and Evans finished it by blasting it past Lombardi to give Hill a 2-0 lead after seven minutes. Hill maintained their pressure the rest of the first half, but Lombardi was steady and kept the visitors in the match. Palace took a big hit when Angelo Lambini received his 2nd yellow card in first half injury time. Playing with only 10 men in the second half, Palace showed determination, but they couldn't overcome the pace of Hill. Andrew Evans earned the clean sheet for Hill in the Televised match.

"I liked how quickly we jumped on them for the second goal," stated Gritt.

"Signs of improvement all the way around, though you could quibble and say we should have scored more- given Palace's lackluster effort in the first half," commented Heartwood.

[Faramir]

5.11.15

Hill Gallops Past GAK

Harrow Hill found Graz, Austria much to their liking as they played a superlative match in defeating GAK 3-0 in their Euro Cup Group B match. Hill's skipper, Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, had one of his finest matches in earning MOM honours. Sullivan scored the first goal on an audacious chip over Andreas Schranz to get Hill off to a quick start after taking a pass from Jon Burns. Burns added a goal as he deflected a cross from Adrian Welch past Schranz late in the first half. Hill didn't allow GAK any space to attempt a rally in the second half and then finally Welch put the cap on the match as he scored from 25 yards after Richard Murray laid a pass off for him. Scott Ball did well in goal with several key saves in the first half enroute to his clean sheet.

"They finally got off to a quicker start," observed Heartwood.

"It made it a much easier match," agreed Gritt.

"That was one of the best matches 'Silk' has played for us."

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

England Crushes Japan in Friendly

England looked in fine fettle as they handed visiting Japan a crushing 9-0 loss at Wembley. England featured five different goals scorers in the first half- Chris Gould, Ashley Cole (Penalty), Michael Jones,Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and Wayne Rooney. England also benefitted from an own-goal by the struggling Japanese backline. Yuki Harada made several other good saves to keep the margin from being even higher. The Wembley crowd celebrated more in the second half as John Lock came off the bench to score a brace and Rooney finished his brace with a late goal. Andrew Evans received the clean sheet. Mark Dobson earned MOM honours up front. The 9-0 rout equals England's biggest win (against Leichtenstein by the same margin in 2009) and also equals their highest scoring match (also the Leichtenstein match). Surprisingly the goal by Ashley Cole was the first that the 34 year old leftback had scored for his country.

"It was the kind of match where the players didn't put a foot wrong the entire match. Japan is certainly not that bad a side, but the bounces came our way and we were finishing with flair and execution," offered English Manager James Heartwood during his post-match assessment.

[Faramir]

21.11.15

Hill Shatters Struggling Stoke

Harrow Hill showed impressive determination and focus as they shrugged off an immediate peg back by Stoke at Brittania Stadium and took the home side apart in a 4-1 win. Hill struck for the lead after they applied intense pressure in the opening stages of the first half. Alan Price snapped home a rebound for his 1st goal at Hill after Alan Bell parried a header from Brian Ball. Stoke immediately pegged Hill back as Francis Smith caught Lee Pearson moving up the pitch and chipped over him, which allowed Kevin Wilkins to put away his shot past Andrew Evans. Hill regained the lead later in the first half when Simon Allen skinned John Haslam of the ball in the Stoke area and chipped past the diving Bell. Hill controlled the play in the second half and Alex Lee, on for slightly injured Ball, scored his 1st goal of the season with a well placed shot past Bell in the opening moments. Allen capped off the scoring and MOM honours with a rocket shot past Bell in second half injury time for his brace.

"That was some excellent play in the second half," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"They really did a nice job of passing and movement. We were a bit unfortunate not to score more in the match," replied Gritt.

[Faramir]

28.11.15

Hill Levels Leicester

It may have looked like the Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan show as he scored a brace to earn MOM honours and help lead Harrow Hill to a 3-0 win over Leicester at Larksfield Road, but Simon Allen also deserves credit for a wonderful match. Allen assisted on all three goals that Hill scored in the match as he set up Sullivan beautifully twice in the first half. Allen also laid a ball off that Adrian Welch drilled past Kim Young-Kwang from 30 yards in the second half as Hill maintained complete control of the match in both halves. It was a rousing home win for Hill.

"Solid effort in every aspect," commented a happy Heartwood.

"Everything really worked together well today. Our flow was excellent," agreed Gritt.

[Faramir]

2.12.15

Hill Penalties Key Win Over Lokomotiv

Penalties proved to be the key factor in a very rough match between Harrow Hill and Lokomotiv Moscow at Larksfield Road. Hill defeated Lokomotiv in their Euro Cup Group B match 3-0 thanks to Jon Burns converting a brace of penalty kicks, while Scott Ball saved one at the other end. The first half had been very even and both sides had chances to gain the lead. Hill accomplished that just before halftime when Burns converted his 1st penalty kick past Souleymane Gonzalez after Nebojsa Mitrovic handballed in the area on an Alex Lee corner. Hill added another goal early in the second half when Burns started a quick counter-attack with a pass to Gary Evans. Evans, on for ineffective Darren Adams, showed exquisite timing as he passed to Cristian Villalba coming free in the area. Villalba drilled a shot inside the left post. Ball came up with a diving stop on Jorge Rivera after Danny Lynch was called for a handball in the area. The frustration got to Lokomotiv at that point as Sergey Andreev roughly pushed down Evans in the area and Burns converted his 2nd penalty kick to cap the 3-0 win. Hill's Shaun Jenkins earned MOM honours in the match.

"Excellent composure by our boys today. I am proud of how well they avoided the retaliation game that Lokomotive wanted us to play," commented Heartwood.

"Not only did they stay composed, they executed our game plan well. That quick passing gave the Lokomotiv backline fits," offered Gritt.

[Faramir]

5.12.15

Bolton Belts Hill

Harrow Hill could find no way to keep Bolton's MOM Tim Young under wraps today at Reebok Stadium and he made Hill pay dearly for that inability. Young was the catalyst as Bolton got off to a quick start. Andrew Evans made an excellent save on his close-in blast, but couldn't clear the rebound and Steve Beck slotted the ball into the open goal. Beck and Young reversed their roles on the 2nd goal as it was Beck's blast that Evans saved and Young drove home the rebound to give the home side a 2-0 halftime lead. Hill played fairly well until Terry Simpson couldn't mark Young well enough to keep him from deflecting a cross by Ashley Mitchell past Evans late in the second half. After that goal, Hill showed little life in closing out the loss. Pavel Kubat earned his clean sheet with several good first half saves.

"I don't know what it is, but Bolton really has our number lately," sighed Heartwood.

"Part of it is they also play up the wings- and today their wings played a lot better than ours did," replied Gritt.

"Plus Kubat made the big saves early in the match."

[Faramir]

9.12.15

Hill Lashes Liverpool, Moves to League Cup Quarters

In impressive fashion Harrow Hill dominated Liverpool in a 3-0 win at Larksfield Road in their League Cup 4th Round match. Hill got off to a terrific start and made their pressure pay off when Jon Burns deftly passed to Darren Adams. Adams snapped his shot past Jose Manuel Reina, capping an artistic series of short passes by Hill. Though Hill didn't score again in the first half, they maintained a grinding pressure on the 'Pool midfield and limited the visitors to only 2 shots for the entire match. A more comfortable lead came to Hill when Adams slid a pass across and Julian Henry scored his 1st goal of the season to make it 2-0. Brian Ball cemented his MOM honours as he ripped a rising shot past Reina after a nice cross from Steve Austin to close out the scoring in the 3-0 win. Scott Ball claimed the clean sheet with little effort thanks to the Hill pressure. Hill will host Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Quarterfinals.

"If we could only bottle that performance," smiled Heartwood.

"It was the best I have seen them play this season," agreed Gritt.

***

11.12.15

"It sure looks like Group D for Death," murmured Gritt as he looked over the information.

"Spain, Belgium and Wales as your other opponents qualifies as a difficult Group for the Euro Championships," agreed Heartwood.

[Faramir]

16.12.15

Hill Down Debrecen, Qualify for Knockout

Harrow Hill put their stamp on the match early and never allowed Debrecen much chance to impress their sold out crowd, as they defeated them 2-0 to ensure they will qualify for the Knockout Round in Euro Cup play. MOM Simon Allen showed the telly audience why he is quickly becoming a crowd favorite. Allen took a pass from Dave Turner, went completely around the left side of the Debrecen midfield and defense at speed, dribbled through four defenders moving back to the middle and then hooked a shot past Andras Sandor inside the right post for a magnificent 2nd minute goal- surely one of the best ever Hill goals. Midway through the half Cristian Villalba showed his sniper's touch with a quick, booming shot on a pass from Alex Lee, who had come on for an injured Turner. Though Hill never scored again, they maintainted control of the flow of play and kept Debrecen from seriously threatening to fightback. Scott Ball earned his clean sheet with two fingertip saves on free kicks from dangerous locations.

"Simon Allen's goal was amazing- one of the best, if not the best- that I have ever seen," said Heartwood admiringly as he and Steve Gritt watched the replay on the television summary of the match.

"I would agree with that. I haven't seen any better than that one," offered Gritt.

"Nice to have the qualification out of the way before our final match in Group play."

***

18.12.15

"Who did we get in the Knockout Round?" asked Gritt.

"Rangers."

"Hmm, that is bound to be a difficult draw for us."

"I would agree with you. They look like they might match up well against us."

"Who would we face if through them?"

"Either Club Brugge or Espanyol."

[Faramir]

20.12.15

Hill, Villa Play to Draw

In a match where they were determined to show they were ready to play with Aston Villa this season, Harrow Hill got off to an awful start when Bastien Geiger outleapt Danny Lynch and deflected a cross from Andrew Harris past Andrew Evans in the 2nd minute. Hill fought back and Alex Lee equalized midway through the first half after Neil Peake had parried away an initial header by MOM Richard Murray. The rest of the first half saw flowing attacks from both sides, but no more scoring. Hill started strong in the second half and received a boost when Gareth Wallace received his 2nd yellow card at 60 minutes. Hill came close twice but Murray missed an open goal just wide to the right and Peake made a terrific save on Gary Evans, who came on for tiring Simon Allen. Hill appeared to have taken the lead when Murray made a sensational cross and Julian Henry put his volley away, but a late whistle from the Assistant Referee waved the goal off as Henry was considered offside. Henry appeared set to try again late in the half, but was pulled down by Stephen Kelly, who received an instant redcard as the last man.

"I thought we were going to get them this time- when Henry scored, I thought we had them," mused Heartwood.

"We should have won it. Our finishing was mediocre, but our midfield and backline played excellent after allowing that first goal," answered Gritt.

***

21.12.15

"How do you think the players will react?" asked Steve Gritt to James Heartwood.

"There will be some unhappy players, but I am hopeful that most of them realize we are on the cusp of becoming a very good team. Adding Bertrand Auriac is another step to try to move us up to the highest level," answered Heartwood.

"Do you think any will be upset at the 14 Million transfer fee?"

"I am sure some of our central midfielders will feel threatened, but Auriac was too good a player to pass up when we found that Marseille wasn't committed to keeping him long-term, if the right offer was made. Auriac will turn 21 in June and I really expect that he will be called up to the French National side for the European Championships. I really like how well Adrian Welch, Craig Johnson and Jon Burns have played this season, but Auriac can become a major factor in our midfield. I am hoping that pairing him with Michael Jones will give us a top-flight tandem."