Another Harrowing Misadventure (Ages Challenge)

[Faramir]

17.11.11

"You did?" asked Pearson.

"I didn't even have to think hard about it Bob. These are my boys and I want to see where we can take them. So turning down Plymouth's offer to take over was actually pretty easy," replied Heartwood.

"That's one of the reason so many of our players like playing for you- they know you won't quit on them."

***

20.11.11

Hill Wins Over Wednesday

Harrow Hill gave a strong performance as they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in their televised match from Larksfield Road. Danny French keyed the early goal by Martin Wharton that gave Hill the lead in the early going. Hill pounded away at Wednesday Keeper Dave Ball througout the first half, but helped by Richard Wood clearly two balls off the line, Hill hitting the post twice and a couple good saves the visitors were able to still trail only 1-0 at halftime. Hill doubled that margin early in the second half as Andy Reid's through ball put Martin Clark away free on a counter-attack. Clark earned his MOM honours when he rifled a sharp angled shot from the left side past Ball for his 10th goal of the season. That goal seemed to finally rouse Wednesday and a good pass to Jonathan Douglas as he slipped behind Reid allowed Douglas to fire a shot past Evans to ruin Andrew Evan's shot at a clean sheet. The final minutes were played at a frantic pace, but neither side really managed a good scoring chance and Hill held on for the win.

"I am glad we won, though it would have been easier if we could have scored another in the first half," stated a relieved Heartwood.

"We had the good chances, but not much luck- especially with the uprights," replied Pearson.

"Still, overall, I was pleased with our focus- we played the entire match with determination."

[Faramir]

21.11.11

"Andy Reid just went out for a couple weeks," sighed Heartwood while talking to Pearson.

"How many healthy defenders do we have?" asked Pearson.

"Well, Paul Ellis, Scott Davies, Reid and Chris Poole are all out. Darren Stevens also will miss our key match against 1st place Crystal Palace."

"Who are you going to pair with Craig Alexander then?"

"I think David Mills. Paul Moran isn't ready. But, John Bruce will be ready to sub on if needed."

***

23.11.11

"Ouch, well at least we have enough depth to survive Rob Hodge being out three months," sighed Pearson.

"He will likely be out longer than that. It will take some time to rehab after knee surgery- I think another month beyond that is a more realistic expectation," stated Heartwood.

[Damien77]

very interesting concept of developing youth..should try it one of these days...KUTGW

[Faramir]

Damien77- The Ages Challenge was a good concept and I am enjoying playing it

***

26.11.11

Hill Pushes Past Palace

In an impressive display of team defense, Harrow Hill won out over 1st place Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park. All the scoring came before midpoint of the first half as the match evolved into a strong Hill defensive display after that. After missing a sitter over the goal in the opening minute of play, Jon Burns was relieved to take a flicked on header from Martin Clark and fired a shot past Hakan Opdal inside the right post for his 1st goal of the season. Hill promptly gave that goal back to the home side as Danny French's pass went directly to Enzo Giovanni Scorza and he ripped a quick shot past Andrew Evans to peg Hill back immediately. Hill moved back in front when MOM Alex Coulson threaded a pass through to unmarked Lee Williams just beyond the center of the six yard box. Williams made no mistake in blasting his shot past Opdal to make it 2-1 Hill. Hill missed several chances to add to the lead in the first half and it appeared they might rue those chances as a renewed Crystal Palace took control of the match in the second half. Led by a super effort in goal from Evans, the Hill defense never wavered and effectively challenged the ball throughout the second half. Palace managed some good scoring chances, but Evans came up with the key saves to enable Hill to complete their surprising 2-1 win.

"That was one of our best matches of the year," stated a pleased Pearson.

"Not so much for everything we did, but for how we played as a team- I agree with you," offered Heartwood.

"Our only defensive mistake in the match was French's pass."

"That was a whopper of a mistake, but we managed to overcome it."

[Faramir]

3.12.11

Hill Battles Back to Draw With Ipswich

For their second consecutive match Harrow Hill took on the top placed club in Championship and this time were forced to fight back for a hard earned 2-2 draw with Ipswich at Larksfield Road. The Hill backline left Andrew Evans stranded as he made three consecutive superb saves, but Derek Riordan fired the fourth chance past Evans as the backline failed to clear the ball away. Ipswich then went ahead 2-0 as Evans tried to grab off a corner and missed with bad results as Haris Beslija deflected the ball into the goal. Hill rallied but could not score on Frank Fielding as the Ipswich keeper made a pair of excellent reaction saves to keep things 2-0 going to halftime. Hill showed heart and determination as they surged to the attack again to begin the second half. Hill drew a goal back when Martin Wharton skinned defender Paul Bradley and fired a rising shot into the roof of the goal past Fielding. It was a quickfire double as John Wood made his 1st ever goal for Hill a dramatic equalizer after Craig Briggs picked him unmarked entering the area. Both sides tried to take the three points, but good chances were few after they drew even. Hill was forced to bring off Evans with a slight injury and Dean Mitchell finished out with aplomb as the two sides settled for splitting the points.

"It was a good fightback- and a terrible defensive first half- for us," commented Heartwood.

"I was pleased with the heart the boys showed, but you're right- our backline let us down badly on that first goal," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

5.12.11

"Now what?" asked Heartwood of the ceiling in irritation.

"Hmm?" quizzed Pearson.

"Craig Alexander has a virus. He will be out a week or two."

"Do we have enough bodies for the backline?"

"Yes, Paul Moran. Scott Davies is back in training, but really isn't close to being fully match ready."

"Want to bring someone up from the Reserves?"

"I think it might be time to give Andrew Greenwood his debut against Swansea."

"Ok, I will give him the good news."

***

10.12.11

Late Hill Surge Sinks Swansea

Struggling Swansea battled Harrow Hill to a scoreless halftime, only to see a redcard open the space Hill needed to capitalize in a 2-0 Hill win at White Rock Stadium. Hill caused all manner of problems to the home side with their quickness and consistently were able to attack past the Swansea midfield, causing their backline to have to scramble. Swansea held firm in the first half thanks to some timely tackling and solid play from Keeper Paul McMahon. Hill had several glorious chances as Alex Coulson skimmed the bar with a header, Martin Wharton hit the outside of the upright and McMahon's diving one-hand stop of Martin Clark's blast kept the scoresheet tidy. The second half began with a continuation of the Hill pressure and that caused Pique to earn a redcard when he was the last man and took down Clark just beyond the area. Hill wasted no time in utilizing the additional open space as Martin Wharton made a neat pass across the goalmouth which Clark hammered into the goal to finally gain the lead for Hill. The pair repeated the combination less than four minutes later as Wharton threaded a pass through and Clark made it a brace with a low shot inside the near right post. With the lead, the man advantage and their quickness, Hill kept the home side from making a credible rally attempt as they helped Dean Mitchell record the clean sheet. Hill defender John Bruce was named MOM.

"A very strong effort and a very pleasing debut from Greenwood," observed Heartwood.

"Our backline's quickness caused them immense problems- they could never get a forward free anywhere in our area," agreed Pearson.

"Great passing by Martin Wharton on both goals- really good vision to see both opportunities as they opened up."

[Faramir]

13.12.11

Portsmouth Pushes Hill Aside

Harrow Hill lost a closely played match as Portsmouth parlayed a second half strike and Hill's ineffeciency on offense into a 1-0 win over Hill at Larksfield Road. Hill welcomed back Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, but he was clearly rusty from lack of playing time and not a factor in the match before coming off. The first half was played to a sputtering tempo as Hill's poor passing continually short-circuited chances. Hill wasn't allowing Portsmouth much room so shots were at a premium in the first half. Andrew Evans was called on to make a leaping palm away on a blast from Richard Goodwin as he kept things scoreless. Portsmouth struck for the lone goal when Andrew Hook was caught up the pitch and that allowed Radwan Hamed to pick out Jack Compton as he slipped between Mark Byrne and Andrew Greenwood as the inexperienced Hill backline tried to shift over to cover. Compton flicked his header past Evans inside the right post. Hill tried to rally but continually fumbled away good chances with poor passing and individual players trying to make too much happen on their own. Lewis Price closed out the clean sheet and saved the three points for the visitors as he pushed a strong shot from Michael Jones around the post late in the second half.

"Losing David Mills hurt us badly this match. The lack of his steady presence basically set up that goal," sighed Heartwood.

"How long will he be out?" asked Pearson.

"Likely a couple weeks. Fortunately it was only a jammed neck."

"We played hard, but not very effectively."

"It was probably pushing Jimmy Sullivan in too quickly- but the other forwards needed a rest this match."

"Halfway home Jim."

Heartwood nodded, "Given our injury problems and some of our scoring problems- staying in the thick of things has me pleased with how we have done so far."

"We can play better. You know that."

"I expect it. I just hope we can keep the youngsters' focus and determination consistent for the second half of the season."

Championship Table- at halfway point, 23 matches played

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

1- Ipswich 44 pts (+15)

2- Crystal Palace 42 pts (+19)

3- Sunderland 41 pts (+17)

4- Harrow Hill 41 pts (+11)

5- West Brom 40 pts (+10)

6- Nottingham Forest 39 pts (+8)

7- Luton 37 pts (+2)

8- Bristol City 37 pts (0)

</pre>

[Faramir]

17.12.11

Hill Beat Bradford City

The scoreline doesn't accurately reflect Harrow Hill's control of the match, but they were able to post a 2-1 win over struggling Bradford City at Larksfield Road. The early lead went to Hill as MOM Adam Patterson finished off a superb cross from Alex Coulson with a strong header past Artur Kotenko in the opening moments of the match. Hill added to the lead when Martin Wharton scored his 50th goal at Hill with a blistering shot past Kotenko after a nicely laid off ball from Jon Burns. The visitors got on the scoreboard as Richard Joyce was left unmarked by Danny Edwards and hammered home the rebound after Dean Mitchell made a good parry of Mikel Arteta's sizzling shot. Hill missed numerous chances to add to the margin as Kotenko steadied and made several good stops. Hill maintained their pressure in the second half and got strong play from their backline as they allowed Bradford only a handful of long shots at the goal as they tried to rally.

"A good, solid match from the backline- it made all the difference," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"Good performance offensively too. Though we only scored twice, we had plenty of chances to have more than that," answered Pearson.

"I was really pleased with Dean Mitchell too. That was the type of steady effort we need from him."

[Faramir]

26.12.11

West Brom Scores Late Win Over Hill

Harrow Hill had numerous chances to accomplish some scoring in the match, but their lack of finishing and a late counter attack by host West Brom sent them to a 1-0 loss at The Hawthorns. Hill had much more control of the flow of the play in the match as was reflected by their 12-6 shot advantage. Paul Willis had a solid first half in goal for the home side, though he had to leave later for Andrew Lonergan who became their saviour in the late going. Hill's best chances in the first half were a pair of booming free kicks from Lee Williams. Hill pushed forward strongly late in the second half- seeking the goal they needed. Lonergan made two sensational saves on Craig Briggs, on for Williams, and also stymied Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan. When Briggs sailed a shot over a wide open goal after Lonergan parried Sullivan's shot, you could see the visible frustration on the Hill sideline. That frustration was quickly replaced by anger as Scott Davies got caught up the pitch and that allowed Peter Burrows to sail away and score the late match winner past Andrew Evans on a counter-attack.

"We played a good match and deserved better," grumbled Pearson.

"True, but we certainly can't afford the kind of defensive mistake that allowed them to score the only goal," commented Heartwood.

"It might have been different if we hadn't had to bring Davies on to replace Paul Ellis."

[Faramir]

28.12.11

Hill Blasts Burnley

Harrow Hill played with fire offensively as they easily brushed aside Burnley 5-2 at Larksfield Road. The first half belonged to Martin Wharton. After missing closely and seeing Steve Harper make a nice save on him, Wharton broke through with a goal midway through the first half- his 50th league goal for Hill- on a good pass from Martin Clark. Wharton struck again in first half injury time to make it a brace as he roared away on to a deft through ball from MOM Jon Burns. Unfortunately, a tough tackle from Chris Weedon sent Wharton out of the match in the opening moments of the second half. Hill didn't miss a beat as Burns earned his 2nd assist by heading down a cross from Chris Poole. Clark whipped the ball past Harper to make it 3-0 Hill. Alex Coulson then scored the goal of the match as he caught Helder Barbosa dawdling with the ball at midfield and skinned him clean. Coulson raced down the right side before making a beautiful shot inside the left post. Hill lost their defensive focus at that point and David Blomkvist defleceted a corner past Andrew Evans to ruin the clean sheet. Burnley got another goal back when Scott Davies couldn't adequately mark David Nolan and Nolan drilled a shot past Evans. Craig Briggs then finished off the visitor's faint hopes when Chris Poole picked him out as he split the defense on a counter-attack. Briggs fired a rising shot past Harper for his 5th goal of the season to cap the 5-2 win.

"A very strong offensive match, I just wish we hadn't let down on defense," commented Heartwood.

"It would have been nice to be perfect, but they did lose their concentration when we went up 4-0," replied Pearson.

"Every goal may count at the end of the season. I have been trying to impress that thought on them- hopefully they learn more from this result."

[Faramir]

2.1.12

Hill Numbs Nottingham

Thanks to dazzling goal and a late penalty kick, Harrow Hill was able to see off visiting Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Larksfield Road. The first half had belonged to Hill, with strong midfield play keying excellent counter-attacks. The Hill finishing appeared to be enduring another trying match until David Harris broke through for his 1st goal of the season. Harris, who had lost a goal when he was ruled offside, took an excellent through ball from Paul Ellis and snapped a shot past Zac Barrett to earn Hill a 1-0 halftime lead. Forest rallied to open the second half and Danny Graham bulled his way past Ellis to drive home a rebound after Andrew Evans parried a shot from Jason Davey. Hill answered midway through the half when Harris showed terrific vision to hold up with the ball before slotting it back for Michael Jones. Jones struck a laser guided shot that tucked inside the right upright from just inside the edge of the area. MOM Martin Clark set up the last goal for Hill as he forced Andy Garner to take him down in the area. Alex Coulson converted the penalty kick to cap the scoring as Hill helped Evans close out the 3-1 win.

"I was a little worried when they came right out and equalized, but the boys proved they were ready to fight on after that," observed Heartwood.

"Me too, but we showed good composure," agreed Pearson.

"Michael Jones goal was a pretty one and it was an excellent play by Harris to set him up for it."

"Harris looked comfortable for the first time this season. I think he has been putting too much pressure on himself."

[Faramir]

2.1.12

"We need a couple players up from Reserves," stated Heartwood to Pearson.

"Who do you want?"

"With Adam Patterson's gash in the last match, we don't have any healthy leftwingers- so the best choice is?"

"Hmm, Matt Owens I guess. He has played the best so far."

"I also need a forward. Sullivan and Williams are slow in gaining playing fitness and I need someone to pair up with Alan Wilkins for up front."

"I think Wayne Stevens would be a good choice. As a left footer, he could fill opposite Wilkins."

"I am also giving Lee Pearson his debut in center defense."

"Do you have him under a new contract?"

"Not yet, and there is a chance we may lose him- but he deserves the chance to start."

***

4.1.12

Stoke Smash Hill

Stoke posted a relatively easy 3-0 win over Harrow Hill at Stoke-on-Trent. The Hill lineup featured three players making their debuts- Lee Pearson, Matt Owens and Wayne Stevens and did not play with much cohesion- especially offensively. Stoke took the first half lead when Joey Hutchinson crossed and Leon Whalen powered a header past Andrew Evans into the left side of the goal. Hill stayed close until midway in the second half. Whelan struck for his second goal as Andrew Hodgson's giveaway at midfield left the Hill backline scrambling and unable to cope with the counter-attack. Ishmael Miller capped the scoring in the match as he raced past Andy Reid to drive a shot past indecisive Evans in second half injury time to complete the heavy loss.

Heartwood sighed, "I knew that was the danger, but with all of our injury problems- I didn't want to add to them by playing players who weren't match fit."

"It was a gamble Jim. It did't work, other than to help ensure some get to full recovery before our next match," offered Pearson.

[Faramir]

7.1.12

Hill Move Past Macclesfield

The sold out, highly partisan crowd at Moss Rose Ground proved a bigger obstacle to Harrow Hill than the actual club as Hill easily moved past the home side 2-0 in their FA Cup 3rd Round match. Hill enjoyed long stretches of dominant play in the first half, but it was Julian Henry scoring in his debut that put the emphatic stamp on the half. Henry, called up from the Hill U-18s, made a pretty header on a cross from Darren Adams late in the first half to celebrate his first Hill Senior match. Hill kept the home side off balance in the second half and added a second goal as Alan Wilkins, on for a tiring Adams, headed past Michael Oakes on a long sweeping cross from Jammal Shahin. Hill then helped Andrew Evans close out another clean sheet to move to the 4th Round. Hill midfielder John Wood earned MOM honours.

"Nice debut by Julian Henry," stated Pearson.

"I liked what I saw of him. A left footer with a future on the Senior side," agreed Heartwood.

"Good work also on leftwing from Lee Woods- he looked a lot more comfortable than Matt Owens did out there."

[Faramir]

14.1.12

Bad Break Dooms Hill to Draw With Wolves

Wolves were happy to salvage a 1-1 draw with Harrow Hill at Molineux in a match where they were outplayed by the visitors. Hill dominated the first half and had come close to scoring several times when a bad break cost them dearly. Danny French's clearing pass bounced off of Richard Cooper directly to Paul Reid. Reid zinged a pass up the middle that found Italo Mottioli still onside in the Hill area and Mottioli rifled his shot inside the left post past Andrew Evans. Hill fought back to equalize in the opening moments of the second half as Philip Palethorpe made a good save on Lee Williams' hard shot, only to see Michael Jones run down the loose ball just before it crossed the endline and then fire a precision impossible angle shot into the goal. Hill poured on the pressure after that and the Wolves survived thanks to timely tackling from their backline. Hill defender Paul Ellis earned MOM honours for his work all over the pitch.

"It is better than a loss, but that was clearly a match we could have won," muttered Heartwood.

"I thought it was a pretty good effort, we just didn't have the breaks today," replied Pearson.

"Too true. Besides that goal we gave up, hitting the crossbar twice was immensely frustrating."

[Faramir]

21.1.12

Hill Lashes Luton

Harrow Hill continues to develop fine young forwards and another one took a big step forward as Julian Henry earned MOM honours in leading Hill to a convincing 3-0 win over Luton at Larksfield Road. Henry's fine pass allowed Martin Clark to snap a well-placed shot past Paul Gallacher to give Hill the lead early in the first half. Clark then caused Radoslav Zabavnik to have to pull him down in the area to earn a penalty kick midway through the first half. Alex Coulsen calmly converted the kick as Hill moved to halftime ahead 2-0. Hill never yielded the momentum to the visitors and their rally attempt was short and their spirit damaged when Henry launched a lightning strike from just inside the edge of the area after a good pass from Jon Burns. Hill helped Dean Mitchell earn an easy clean sheet with their fine midfield play.

"Good effort all the way around. We did well in all aspects of our play today," stated a happy Heartwood.

"Henry has been better so far on Seniors than he was on the Under-18s," offered Pearson.

"All to the good then."

[Faramir]

28.1.12

Burnley Broom Hill From FA Cup

Burnley took advantage of inconsistent Harrow Hill backline play as they used a pair of first half goals to knock Hill out of the FA Cup competition in their 4th Round match at Larksfield Road. The visitors clearly had the jump on Hill in the early going and David Nolan made Craig Alexander pay for inattentive marking as he slipped free to rap a pass from Kevin Kyle past Dean Mitchell in the early stages of the first half. Burnley made it a quickfire double as Nolan returned the favor and slipped a pass to Kyle. Lee Pearson missed the tackle at the edge of the area on Kyle and he blasted his close-in shot past Mitchell. Hill showed they weren't going to quit, but their offense was stopped by poor shooting as they failed to get any of their best scoring chances on goal. Tim Krul had an easy time gaining the clean sheet with support from his hard tackling backline.

"It was a poor match and a disappointing effort," flatly stated Heartwood.

"We just didn't do the things we usually do to win," agreed Pearson.

"As much as I would have liked to have won this, we still need to focus more on our Championship play- so we may benefit in the long run."

[Faramir]

30.1.12

"The rumours have been flying Jim," commented Pearson.

"It's the transfer deadline- nothing new about that," answered Heartwood.

"When we are in the middle of a majority of them- that is different."

"Well, we are going to actually complete one."

"We are? I thought that everyone had backed off on the offers."

"Most of them did, when I wouldn't let the players go for less than I have them rated at. The one that is going through might really benefit us- though we are going above the Board's weekly wages now."

"How about telling me what is going on then?"

"Birmingham backed off on their repeated bids for Adam Patterson. Southampton didn't. They offered us 1.3 Million and 19 year old winger Dave Turner."

"They offered us money and Turner for Adam? Turner is better than Adam is at the same position."

"Pricier wage wise than Adam too, but that was their offer. I accepted it- not expecting to be able to get Turner under contract. I was surprised though, as his contract demands were still within the Board's criteria. Since the deal also pays us 1.3 Million right now it was a good deal for us, even with Turner's higher wages."

"Where do we stand financially then?"

"4.39 Million in the black now, though we are bleeding a bit on wages and that will reduce that down into the 3 Million range by the end of the season. We are at 90K a week in wages, with the Board only budgeting 75K, so I don't think we will redo any more contracts and will just have to listen patiently to the Board's complaints about that."

"Aren't most of the contracts you were working on redoing already done?"

Heartwood grinned, "Actually- yes, they are. That is why we are so far above the budget. Still, I wanted to get several- like Andrew Evans- redone so he was happier, even if it screwed up our budget."

"Does Turner go into the lineup?"

"He will start as gameday sub- replacing Jammal Shahin. We will see after he has been exposed to our attacking system for a bit."

[Faramir]

31.1.12

Hill Slides Past Sheffield United

In a major improvement over their play against Burnley, Harrow Hill rebounded with a strong 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Hill's quickness, especially in the midfield, gave the United defensive coverage fits as they continually broke through and wound up outshooting the home side 16-6 for the match. Hill struck for the lead on a goal that is certain to be featured on this season's highlight reel. Pressure by MOM Brian Ball and Chris Poole caused United's Veli Kavlak to make a hurried pass across the pitch. With keeper Joe Lewis coming out to collect it, lurking Martin Clark stepped in the way and chested the ball down before launching a 45 yard strike for his 15th goal of the season that caught the open net as Lewis was completely stranded out of position. Hill found Lewis difficult to crack after that as he made several top notch saves to keep the home side close going to the second half. Wednesday equalized early in the second half with a goal that rivalled Clark's in quality. Craig Chapman laid the ball off and Danny Webber smashed a curving 30 yard shot past the diving hands of Andrew Evans to even things. Hill hit back immediately to regain the lead. Lewis made a terrific save on Clark, but Julian Henry got to the rebound first and poked it into the goal. Hill worked hard to maintain the 2-1 margin through the final whistle and Evans' sensational save on Christophe Fernandez preserved the win.

"Tough match. Good match to win," grunted Heartwood.

"Pretty good effort overall. We were very opportunistic and were looking for the chances when we got them," replied Pearson.

"That was the best match Brian Ball has played in two months. Do you think the departure of Adam Patterson might have had something to do with that?"

"Maybe, Adam was a little headstrong and I know the two of them disagreed on certain aspects of play."

[Faramir]

1.2.12

"That's great news, thanks for letting us know," said Heartwood into the phone.

"What do we know?" asked Pearson with a grin.

"Martin Clark was selected January Championship Player of the Month."

"Ah, well deserved that was."

***

4.2.12

Hill Edge Charlton

There is little doubt who the difference maker was in Harrow Hill's narrow 1-0 win over Charlton at Larksfield Road. Despite Charlton defender Jonathan Fortune receiving MOM honours, Hill Keeper Andrew Evans was the player who held the key to the close Hill win. Moments after Martin Clark fired a shot off the upright with a wide open goal to shoot at, he redeemed himself by deflecting Jon Burns' corner past Scott Ball for the lone goal of the match. Hill's backline, led by stalwart Andy Reid, gave Evans good assistance- but it was Evans' brilliant one-on-one saves on Frank Proctor, Robert Earnshaw and Darren Ambrose that kept Hill on track for the closely played win.

"A bit lucky on that win," observed Pearson.

"If not for how dazzling Andrew Evans was, there was no win for us today," agreed Heartwood.

"I guess that new contract is helping him focus?"

"He has played better since signing it- which was the whole idea. I thought Dave Turner played solidly in his first start."

"Turner looked good, but he really isn't as comfortable in the middle of the pitch- as forward."

"Despite that, he played his position well and I was encouraged by the effort he put forth."

[Faramir]

12.2.12

Hill Navigates Past Norwich

In a match that showed off all of Harrow Hill's strengths to a telly audience, their quick strike offense built a 3-0 lead by the 13th minute and then they played strong defense in holding off Norwich 3-1 at Carrow Road. Hill struck early and often in building their lead and Brian Ball scored the first goal with a dandy move past Brett Johnson after Martin Wharton deftly fed him a short pass. Ball ripped his shot inside the far right post for his 1st goal of the season past Jason Brown and Hill was off on a flyer. Ball made a terrific curling pass that allowed Wharton to bustle past Aaron Labonte and score past Brown to celebrate his return from injury. Martin Clark then turned in a quickfire double when he took a short pass from Michael Jones and showed a magical touch by lofting a 30 yard shot over Brown that just tucked under the crossbar to put Hill up 3-0 in the first 13 minutes of play. A bad pass from Darren Stevens directly to James Keane allowed Keane to motor in to the six-yard box and blast a shot past Andrew Evans for his 50th goal at Norwich in the 20th minute. From that point on, Hill managed few scoring chances, but played a dogged, determined defense. Hill leaned heavily on MOM Andrew Evans and Evans was brilliant after Keane's goal. Norwich spent much of the second half in the Hill end, but had nothing to show for it but a loss as the entire Hill club was clearly jubilant after surviving the match with a win.

"Good thing we scored those bunch of goals early- before Norwich woke up," grinned Pearson.

"They were very welcome, especially when they took the play away from us after that," nodded a pleased Heartwood.

"Great job by Andrew Evans- that new contract may turn out to be the turning point of our season," teased Pearson.

"Well... I don't know about that, but I am glad he is playing so strongly again."

[Faramir]

14.2.12

Hill Dumps Dons

Harrow Hill continued to show off their depth as they started a totally different lineup on their visit to MK Dons and defeated the struggling side 4-2 at Denbigh North in front of a disappointed sold out crowd. MK got off well when Chris Townsend took the ball past Dean Mitchell to score after splitting the defense on a Charlie Hutton through ball. Hill moved to the attack, but were continually frustrated by the solid play of the Dons backline and good work from Keeper Gaetano Romano. Hill was handed the late first half equalizer when Leigh Bromby was called for a handball in the area on a corner. MOM Andy Reid, on for injured Andrew Greenwood, converted the penalty kick for his 1st goal of the season. Hill clearly had the jump to begin the second half and a nicely timed long pass to Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan forced defender Neil Clifford to hold Sullivan in the area. Reid converted this penalty as well to make it a brace and a 2-1 Hill lead. Hill turned in another quickfire double as Dave Turner's cross was put away by Alex Coulson with a strong header. The Dons answered that goal when Townsend made it a brace with a 30 yard rocket that Mitchell was a moment late in reacting too. Sullivan then took the heart out of the home side as he pressured Romano when Romano came out of the area. Romano lost the ball to Sullivan and he rolled it into the open goal for the final score of the match. With the two goal lead, Hill defended strongly to close out the home side.

"I can't tell you how great it was to see 'Silk' play like that," said an enthused Heartwood. "That is the first time since he came back from injury that he has looked like the player we know he is."

"Jimmy had a terrific match and kept his fitness further into the match today as well," agreed Pearson.

"Dave Turner and Lee Pearson also played really well."

"Are the big clubs still after Lee?" asked Pearson.

"Not with offers right now- but considering Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds, Chelsea, etc... all made offers on him before we got him under contract, it wouldn't surprise me if we see a bunch more offers this summer."

[Faramir]

25.2.12

Hill Tangles to Draw with Tranmere

In their 3rd consecutive road match, Harrow Hill looked like a tired club as they were forced to fight back to gain a 1-1 draw at Prenton Park. Hill missed a golden early chance to take the lead after Martin Wharton was tripped in the area by Patrick Collins and a penalty awarded. Lee Grant guessed correctly and palmed away the penalty by Richard Murray to keep things scoreless going to halftime. Tranmere struck for the lead in the opening moments of the second half as Roman Bednar made a short cross and Shola Ameobi put it away with a strong header over Paul Ellis. Hill tried to fight back, but seemed to lack the good passing that had been seen in their last few matches. The equalizer came out of the blue when Dave Martin looped a 20 yard shot over Grant for his 1st Hill goal. Craig Briggs missed a great chance to give Hill the win in the waning moments as his header bounced back off the crossbar and that let the home side earn a 1-1 final score.

"Not our best effort, but I was pleased we never quit," sighed Heartwood.

"They kept Martin Clark from becoming a factor in the match," replied Pearson.

"Rob Hodge looked very rusty today after returning from injury."

"Not all players can come back and have fine returns like Martin Wharton did. Silk didn't play well for quite awhile."

[Faramir]

29.2.12

Hill Outlasts Birmingham

An early goal allowed Hill to take the patient approach in hosting surging Birmingham and they completed a 2-0 win at Larksfield Road when they scored a late goal to clinch the match. MOM Lee Williams showed trademark finishing as he got Hill off on a flyer with a beautiful volley past David Marshall on a long cross from John Bruce. Both sides found little space in the area as the two backlines were doing a nice job of closing down everyone loose. Birmingham came close to equalizing in the opening moments of the second half, only to see Andrew Evans make a brilliant save on Kalle Ljungberg. Birmingham gifted Hill with the clinching goal when Jack Hobbs passed directly to Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and he quickly slotted the ball to unmarked Craig Briggs. Briggs whipped his shot inside the left post before Marshall could react to complete the 2-0 home victory.

"I love to see a hard working win like that!" exclaimed Heartwood. "It lets me know that the message has gotten through and we are pushing from the opening whistle to the ending one."

"Williams goal set us up to play that type of match. He really put that volley away."

***

1.3.12

"Two months in a row!" said a happy Pearson.

"Hmm?" asked Heartwood.

"Andy Reid got February Championship Player of the Month honours."

"That is a surprise. I knew Andy had been playing well of late- but I didn't expect him to earn that honour."

[Faramir]

3.3.12

Hill Finish Well Over Fulham

Fulham could been seen shaking their heads in disbelief as they went to the dressing room at Larksfield Road after the final whistle sounded on Hill's 3-0 win over the visitors. Fulham played a good match, especially in the second half, as they pressured the Hill defense. Andrew Evans played another stellar match and his clean sheet was well earned as he had several Fulham players shaking their heads after saves. Hill took the lead midway through the first half when Justin Hoyte was forced to pull down John Wood in the area on a free kick. Danny French converted the penalty kick for his 1st goal of the season. A period of intense pressure on the Fulham goal resulted in Hill's 2nd goal as Julian Henry put in the 3rd try after one shot hit the upright and Riccardo Batista saved a second attempt. MOM Dave Turner set up the last goal with a choice chip pass that Martin Clark half volleyed over Batista from 30 yards out. Fulham held sway over the second half, but never found a way to stretch the twine behind Evans.

"It was a good win, but one that should have been a close win. We were fortunate," said Heartwood.

"You're right Jim, but we will take all the good fortune we can get right now," agreed Pearson.

"Andrew Evans was his own good fortune. That was another fine effort."

[Faramir]

10.3.12

Hill Survive Sunderland

The Black Cats dearly wanted a win over Harrow Hill, but instead could only manage a closely played 3-2 loss at The Stadium of Light. The first half lead went to Hill when James Walker pushed Craig Briggs, on for injured Martin Clark, from behind in the area. Lee Pearson converted the penalty kick past John Woodward for his 1st goal at Hill. Sunderland finished the first half at a frenetic pace as they tried to equalize and only MOM Dean Mitchell was able to keep them under check with several sensational saves. Sunderland did notch the equalizer in the opening moments of the second half when Stephen Morley chipped in a rebound after Mitchell stopped a sizzling shot from Stephen Elliott. Hill regained the lead when Briggs slid a shot past Woodward after running onto a nice long pass from Scott Davies. Hill made the lead 3-1 four minutes later when Darren Stevens scored after receiving a good pass from Brian Ball. The goal was needed as Elliott flicked a header past Mitchell on a corner to make it 3-2. Mitchell closed out the win for Hill with more exceptional save as he pushed Nathan Jarman's shot around the post in injury time.

"Whew! We were fortunate to get a win," remarked a relieved Heartwood.

"It was a bit of an inconsistent effort, but at least we found enough offense to get us a good result," agreed Pearson.

"Only 8 matches left Bob. Do you really believe we would be atop Championship at this point of the season?"

"No, never in my wildest dreams. Still the boys are playing great right now. A lot of that is thanks to how much resting you have done and keeping all of them fresh for this point in the season. You can see other clubs running into problems with tired players and a lack of depth, but we have survived all our injuries so far."

Championship Table- 38 matches played 8 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill 76 pts (+28)

2- Crystal Palace 65 pts (+26)

3- West Brom 65 pts (+18)

4- Sunderland 64 pts (+19)

5- Nottingham Forest 61 pts (+18)

6- Sheffield United 61 pts (+15)

7- Ipswich 59 pts (+10)

8- Bristol City 57 pts (+2)

</pre>

[Faramir]

15.3.12

Amazing Hill Reserves Make it 6 Straight

The Harrow Hill Reserves captured their 6th Consecutive Group 6 Reserve Title as they clinched the top spot with nine matches remaining. The Hill Reserves have won 30 matches, had 3 draws and have yet to lose this season. They have scored 93 goals and yielded only 8 in their play. Hill currently has 93 points, while second place Brighton Reserves have a total of 64 points. Hill Assisant Manager Bob Pearson continues to build an impressive resume with his continued success in guiding the Reserves and the Under-18s.

***

16.3.12

Hill Under-18s Fight Back to Win Cup

Proving that they fear no one, and no situation, the Harrow Hill Under-18s staked Arsenal Under-18s to an early lead in the Under-18 Cup Final and then stormed back to beat the larger side 2-1 on a late goal in the second half. Ben Lowe beat Alex Cox with a low shot early in the first half to give Arsenal the lead, but the Hill U-18s never quit working. They equalized late in the first half when MOM Sam Wallace crossed from his leftback spot and Gary French deflected it past Danny Jackson. The match winner came in dramatic fashion after Arsenal's Rob Parker mis-hit a header and it dropped behind him. Danny O'Brien picked it up and was away from the edge of the Hill area. As Parker and Scott Adams desperately tried to close him down, O'Brien's pace allowed him to still be in front as he moved into the Arsenal area. O'Brien made a brilliant quick move with the ball and slipped a shot past Jackson into the right side of the goal for an 88th minute winner.

[Faramir]

17.3.12

Hill Bristle Past Bristol City

A match that appeared set for frustration turned into a close Harrow Hill 1-0 win over Bristol City at Larksfield Road thanks to second half penalty. Hill controlled the play through most of the match and only allowed the visitors two shots for the entire match, while putting up 17 shots of their own. Julio Coelho was brilliant throughout the match as he had saves in both halves that left both the Hill players and the Larksfield faithful shaking their heads in amazement. The lone goal came when Ben Tait bumped Craig Briggs in the air at the edge of the six yard box as he was trying to put a head on a cross from MOM Dave Turner. Turner then stepped up and whipped the penalty kick inside the left post. The swarming play of the Hill midfield and backline never allowed Bristol a good chance as Andrew Evans notched a clean sheet in the win.

"It could have been a lot more comfortable win, but we will certainly take it," remarked Heartwood.

"There was plenty of good interaction for us, both offensively and defensively. Coelho was very good for them though," offered Pearson.

"Turner looks more valuable every time he plays for us- that is a deal working out well."

Championship Table- 39 matches played 7 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill 79 pts (+29)

2- West Brom 68 pts (+22)

3- Crystal Palace 65 pts (+25)

4- Sunderland 65 pts (+19)

5- Nottingham Forest 64 pts (+22)

6- Sheffield United 64 pts (+18)

7- Ipswich 60 pts (+10)

</pre>

[Damien77]

KUTGW...so close to the finishing line...

[Faramir]

Damien- Thanks

***

21.3.12

"It leaves me a bit sad, but it was fairer to do it this way Bob," stated Heartwood.

"I thought you were just going to transfer list them?"

"I did at first, but after their sales broke down on contract negotiations- I thought it would be better just to pay them out and give them a chance to hook up with other clubs for the remainder of the season."

"The sadness I can appreciate- Alan Wilkins, Jammal Shahin, Gary Murphy and Andrew Hodgson were all important parts of our club's development over the years."

"I really do hope all of them do well and have long careers. I just couldn't see them contributing here and it was hard to see them unhappy with their status- so releasing all of them seemed the best course for both them and us."

***

24.3.12

Hill Doubles Again- U-18s Capture 6th Straight

The Harrow Hill Under-18 side duplicated the efforts of the Reserves as they captured their 6th consecutive Group 9 Under-18 title. A 3-0 win over Southport U-18s clinched the Championship with four matches remaining. The Hill Under-18s have won 19 of their 20 matches played and have yet to be defeated. They have scored 67 goals and only allowed 5 all season. Currently the Hill Under-18s have 58 points with 2nd place Portsmouth in at 43 points.

[Faramir]

24.3.12

Hill Whisks Past Walsall

It took a pair of late second half goals, but Harrow Hill defeated struggling Walsall 3-1 at Bescot Stadium to keep on their winning ways. Walsall, only two points from safety in their relegation battle entering the match, gave a spirited effort that was dotted with both flashes of brilliance and entirely inconsistent play. Lee Williams came close to sending Hill off on a flyer as he had two rockets saved by Yohann Pele in the opening minutes of the match. Martin Clark was more fortunate as he picked up a loose ball on a deflected pass from Brian Ball and skipped past Andy Cartwright before blistering a shot past Pele in the fifth minute. Walsall desperately tried to rally and Craig Lodge came close, only to see Andrew Evans push his rising shot over the crossbar with an acrobatic one-handed save. Walsall continued their efforts in the second half and their fans roared with approval as Stylianos Bouzis was in the right place to overpower John Bruce and push home a rebound after Evans made a fine stop on Shabazz Baidoo. Hill then crushed the home sides hopes as MOM Craig Briggs deflected an Alex Coulson corner past Pele at 85 minutes. Briggs made it a brace with a quickfire double after a good pass from Dave Turner put him in free and he slipped his shot underneath Pele as he tried to come out and smother the ball. That goal removed the last bit of determination from the home side and the match finished quietly. The win clinched Hill at least a Playoff spot.

"That is why Craig Briggs is so valuable to us- he can come off the bench and make something like today happen," said a very happy Heartwood.

"He really sparked us to the win. That header on the corner was brilliant," agreed Pearson.

"Another good match from our backline too- except for Bruce missing the mark on the goal."

Championship Table- 40 matches played 6 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill 82 pts (+31)

2- Crystal Palace 68 pts (+27)

3- West Brom 68 pts (+22)

4- Sunderland 66 pts (+19)

5- Nottingham Forest 65 pts (+22)

6- Sheffield United 64 pts (+19)

7- Fulham 62 pts (+8)

8- Ipswich 61 pts (+10)

</pre>

[Faramir]

31.3.12

Hill Edges Watford

In a closely played match from start to finish, Harrow Hill capitalized on one scoring chance and that was the margin in their 1-0 win over Watford at Larksfield Road. The action was end to end from the opening whistle on as the flowing attacks from both sides brought whistles from the sold out crowd. The lone goal in the match came when Craig Alexander made a beautiful through ball to put Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan away free on a counter attack. Kenneth Stenild made a difficult diving save on Sullivan only to see Julian Henry burst past Zak Whitbread to fire home the rebound for his 5th goal of the season. The single goal stood up thanks to fine work in the Hill net by Keeper Andrew Evans. Evans put up another clean sheet in preserving the win with three solid saves in the late going of the second half. Evans stopped good chances by Simon Potter, Fernando Flores and Peter Pearce to ensure that Hill took all three points from the match. Watford defender Danny Mills was awarded MOM honours.

"We survived," said a relieved Heartwood.

"If not for Andrew Evans, we would not have," replied Pearson.

"A good bit of following by Julian Henry got us the goal we needed."

***

1.4.12

Championship Table- 41 matches played 5 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill 85 pts (+32)

2- Crystal Palace 71 pts (+29)

3- West Brom 71 pts (+23)

4- Nottingham Forest 66 pts (+22)

5- Sunderland 66 pts (+18)

6- Fulham 65 pts (+9)

</pre>

[Faramir]

7.4.12

Sheffield Wednesday Swats Hill

The unbeaten streak of Harrow Hill came to a crashing halt as Sheffield Wednesday easily handled them in a 2-0 win at Hillsborough. Hill looked a step slow to the ball the entire match and the home side showed a greater physical presence in the win. Dave Hall got Wednesday off to the early lead as he took a quick, cutting pass from Hogan Ephraim and bulled past Lee Pearson before driving a shot past Andrew Evans. Hill's shooting was abysmal in the match- the few decent scoring chances they got were wasted as they failed to force Nicky Weaver to make even one save in gaining a clean sheet. Jonathan Douglas earned MOM honours and clinched the match for Wednesday when he scored late in the second half to ruin Hill's slim hopes of equalizing.

"I guess we were due," sighed Heartwood. "This is the first bad match we have played in a long while."

"We didn't have the effort today. They were willing to do whatever they needed to earn the win- we weren't."

"Andrew Evans could not save us from ourselves today."

[timpino]

WOW, I've been away for about one and a half month and you are topping the championship! GW really GW! Hopefully the premiership will prove harder or this will be a short story from now on

[Faramir]

timpino- Thanks much Nice to see you back around here. Ah, life won't be quite as pleasant as it was this season Long way to go yet...

***

7.4.12

As the tired Hill crew began to board the bus, a Sheffield Wednesday board member came racing up to Heartwood. "I wanted to be the first to congratulate you. It is a superb achievement and it will certainly become part of future football lore."

James Heartwood and Bob Pearson listened with a lack of comprehension and glanced at each other.

"Oh! You hadn't even heard yet. Nottingham Forest scored late to beat West Brom and Norwich got an equalizer in the last moments of their match with Crystal Palace. You are now the Holders of the Championship Title."

Heartwood and Pearson stared at him incredulously as the tired, but now energized club whooped it up and rocked the bus with their celebration of the news.

Championship Table- 42 matches played 4 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill C 85 pts (+30)

2- Crystal Palace 72 pts (+29)

3- West Brom 71 pts (+22)

4- Nottingham Forest 69 pts (+23)

5- Sunderland 69 pts (+21)

6- Ipswich 67 pts (+13)

7- Sheffield United 65 pts (+14)

8- Birmingham 65 pts (+9)

9- Fulham 65 pts (+8)

</pre>

[Faramir]

9.4.12

Hill Deals Palace a Blow

Harrow Hill dealt Crystal Palace a serious blow in their efforts to try and hold the second automatic promotion slot in the Championship, as Hill used a second half goal to edge Palace 1-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill showed surprising fervor in the match, given that they have clinched the Championship title, and it may relate to Manager James Heartwood's dissatisfaction with their effort at Sheffield Wednesday over the weekend. Palace also played with fire as they desperately needed a good result from the match with only a few matches remaining in the season. Hakon Opdal had a magical first half for the visitors as they managed to go to halftime scoreless despite yielding some prime scoring opportunities to Hill. Opdal had made excellent saves on Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, Julian Henry and Jon Burns in keeping Hill off the scoreboard. Opdal made another save on Sullivan to begin the second half, but midway through he ran out of magic as Julian Henry was in the right place to hammer home a rebound after Opdal made a parry of Dave Turner's 20 yard blast. Palace sent everyone forward, but Dean Mitchell was steady and well supported in the Hill goal as he closed out the clean sheet.

"That was much better. We played with focus and determination today, something we didn't have against Sheffield Wednesday," commented a contented Heartwood.

"They took the message to heart on the trip back. They knew the celebration is done and that there is still football to be played," replied Pearson.

Championship Table- 43 matches played 3 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill C 88 pts (+31)

2- Crystal Palace 72 pts (+28)

3- Nottingham Forest 72 pts (+25)

4- Sunderland 72 pts (+22)

5- West Brom 71 pts (+19)

6- Sheffield United 68 pts (+18)

7- Fulham 68 pts (+10)

8- Birmingham 68 pts (+10)

9- Ipswich 67 pts (+12)

</pre>

[Faramir]

14.4.12

Tractor Boys Tangle Hill

Ipswich fought back for a 1-1 draw against Harrow Hill at Portman Road which keeps their Playoff hopes alive for another match. Hill struck for the early lead when a long pass from Mark Byrne slipped through to MOM Martin Clark in the area and Clark wheeled and drove his shot inside the right post for his 20th goal of the season. Ipswich had trouble breaking down the Hill midfield, but drew even late in the first half when Steve Howells converted the penalty kick past Dean Mitchell after Andrew Greenwood was yellow carded for holding Wayne Hobbs in the area. Neither side could get the winning goal in the second half as the 1-1 score was whistled into the books. An interesting matchup in the second half saw Hill's Dave Turner and Ipswich's Adam Patterson matched against each other- the two players swapped clubs just at the transfer deadline.

"A solid effort. We gave them the equalizer," murmured Heartwood.

"That is the first penalty we have had called against us in quite awhile," offered Pearson.

"I was glad to see Martin Clark get his 20th goal. I think it is time to shut both he and Michael Jones down for the rest of the season. Those minor injuries keep flaring up."

Championship Table- 44 matches played 2 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill C 89 pts (+31)

2- Crystal Palace 75 pts (+29)

3- Nottingham Forest 75 pts (+26)

4- Sunderland 72 pts (+20)

5- West Brom 72 pts (+19)

6- Sheffield United 71 pts (+17)

7- Fulham 71 pts (+11)

8- Ipswich 68 pts (+12)

9- Birmingham 68 pts (+9)

</pre>

[Faramir]

21.4.12

Hill Sinks Swansea

Though not an artistic performance, it was a very workmanlike effort that allowed Harrow Hill to defeat Swansea 2-0 in their final match at Larksfield Road for the season. Rob Hodge made an excellent curving pass to pick out Lee Williams with space on the left side and Williams fired a precision shot inside the far right post past Dave Allison for his 5th goal of the season. That goal stood up as the margin at halftime as Dean Mitchell was busy earning MOM honours with several fine saves as the visitors attempted to rally. Hill regained control of the play in the second half and finally put the finishing touches on the win as Richard Murray deflected a Hodge free kick past replacement keeper Darren Lloyd to round off the 2-0 win.

"It was good to see Richard Murray score, he has been working hard and deserved the goal," observed Pearson.

"Dean Mitchell impressed me again today. This would likely have been a draw- if not for his good work in the first half."

Championship Table- 45 matches played 1 remaining

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

1- Harrow Hill C 89 pts (+33)

2- Nottingham Forest PL 78 pts (+31)

3- Crystal Palace PL 76 pts (+29)

4- Sunderland PL 75 pts (+24)

5- West Brom PL 75 pts (+20)

6- Fulham 74 pts (+13)

7- Sheffield United 71 pts (+17)

8- Birmingham 71 pts (+10)

</pre>

[Damien77]

Congrat on clinching promotion

[Faramir]

Damien77- Thanks much [/b]

***

29.4.12

Hill Polishes Off Portsmouth

In an emphatic punctuation point to their wonderful season, Harrow Hill put forth a strong effort to defeat Portsmouth 3-1 at Fratton Park. Portsmouth made a strong start to the match and took the lead when Jack Compton laid the ball off and Radwan Hamed drove a low shot past Matthew O'Neill. Hill answered that goal as Martin Wharton volleyed a cross from Neil Preece past Chris Kirkland. The lead came to Hill in first half injury time as Preece skinned Ian Griffiths and blasted a rising shot past Kirkland. Hill helped douse the rally hopes of the home side when James Collins pushed Wharton in the area. Tom Broadbent, making his first Senior appearance of the season, converted the penalty kick to make it 3-1. Hill defended strongly with the lead and continually broke up Portsmouth passes in the midfield to help ensure there was no rally. Hill defender Paul Ellis earned MOM honours.

"A very pleasing way to end the season," said Heartwood with a big smile.

"The EPL awaits..." said Pearson with a mock bow.

"Well...we can worry about that when they come back from summer break. In the meantime let's just enjoy getting there."

Championship Table Final

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

1- Harrow Hill C 92 pts (+35)

2- Nottingham Forest P 79 pts (+31)

3- Sunderland PL 78 pts (+26)

4- West Brom PL 78 pts (+21)

5- Fulham PL 77 pts (+16)

6- Crystal Palace PL 76 pts (+26)

7- Birmingham 74 pts (+12)

</pre>

[BlackStrider]

glad to see my team Fulham make the playoffs , well done for reaching the EPL!

[Faramir]

Thanks BlackStrider

***

9.5.12

Aston Villa defeated Levekusen on penalties after playing to 1-1 draw in Extra-time to capture the Euro Cup.

***

16.5.12

Arsenal made it an English sweep as they beat Juventus 2-1 in Extra-time to win the Champions Cup.

***

20.5.12

Six Harrow Hill players were selected for the England Under-19 side as they continue their qualification for the Europe Under-19 Championships 2nd Qualifying Round. Selected were Jimmy Sullivan, Craig Briggs, Dave Turner, Dean Stevens, Paul Ellis and Danny French.

***

20.5.12

Brian Ball was selected for the England Under-21 side for their portion of European Qualification.

***

20.5.12

Crystal Palace defeated West Brom 2-1 in Extra-time to win promotion with Harrow Hill and Nottingham Forest to the EPL.

***

20.5.12

"No, they won't give it to us," sighed Heartwood.

"I still don't understand why?" asked Pearson.

"I don't know why!" snapped Heartwood. "All I know is they won't release the Prize Money for finishing 1st in the Championship- just as they wouldn't give us the money for finishing 1st in League 2 or League 1."

"How bad off are we?"

"We still have 2.5 Million in the Black, but you better believe we will be deep in the red after the stadium is built."

"Good thing we have all our players under contract. At least it gives us enough flexibility."

"If we can survive this first season in the EPL, we might be Ok. I don't want to sell any players, but we may not have a choice- I will wait on that though."

It must be something to do with Harrow Hill being edited in, but once again there was no prize money- which is killing us as we have so little money as is. Just more of a challenge I guess

[Damien77]

Tough luck on the prize monie...

[Faramir]

Damien77- Thanks, but it has happened in each of my Harrow Hill stories (with regularity) and also in the Holyhead story. Since all are edited in clubs- it must be something in the mechanism. I am used to it

***

19.6.12

"Now that's what I like to see," said a pleased Heartwood as he looked over the myriad of players stretching on the pitch.

"Can you believe it?" rhetorically asked Pearson. "19 players from our youth academy. I am really happy with this bunch. Not only are they the first real batch of them we have graduated through the entire program- but there are some fine youngsters in this group. 15 year old midfielder Chris Brooks looks wonderful so far."

"It really is a hallmark for us- to finally graduate a big group from our academy. That doesn't mean our scouts aren't out in the weeds again though- nor will I be shy in signing those they find with talent."

"I was surprised that our fans picked Darren Stevens as our Fans Player of the Season for last year."

"Me too, but I can't say he didn't deserve it. He had a big impact on our success and also started the most matches of any of our players. Oh, I just got word- we open EPL play with a trip to Crystal Palace."

"I guess that is better than opening with a trip to one of the biggies. How are we doing financially?"

Heartwood laughed, "Thanks to the TV money- we are pretty well off overall. The money we got for the season was 19.85 Million."

"That's a Godsend to a club like ours," said a relieved Pearson.

"The new stadium soaked up almost 17 Million of that, but we also have new sponsorship of 1.3 Million a year. With that and the 2 Million we had remaining in the black at the end of last season, we have about just under 7 Million in the bank."

"How are we compared to the Board's wage budget?"

"They allotted us a budget of 140K a week and we currently are at 94K a week, so not too badly off there either."

"Plus some serious transfer funds?"

"Yes, but I don't plan on using any- unless there is some absolutley smashing player that we can add. I still have a lot of confidence in the players we have here now."

"Me too."

"The new stands won't be done until March of next year, so we will keep bleeding money until then."

[Faramir]

1.7.12

"Well that helps us out a bit," stated Heartwood.

"How much did we gain from the sales?" asked Pearson.

"1.5 Million for Rob Jones, 425K for Rob West, 375K for Craig Singh, 230K for Sean Perry and 35K for David Mills. We also received another 230K from the re-sale of Michael Stone thanks to the sell-on clause we had."

"About 3 Million more in the coffers then?"

"Yes. Overall we are just under 9 Million in the black at present. The Board have boosted our weekly wage budget up to 190K a week, so we shouldn't have any problems there."

***

1.7.12

Belgium defeats Sweden 1-0 to win the European Football Championship.

***

7.7.12

"Yes, you're right- it could backfire. Still, where and when we get the chance to add a player of that quality on free transfer?" asked Heartwood of Pearson.

"John Reid is an excellent leftback- to be honest, he certainly is better than Chris Poole. But will that cause a problem in the clubhouse with the kind of wages you are going to have to pay him? I don't know," answered Pearson.

"I still think we have to sign him- if for nothing else to sell him again- he is a tremendous player."

"I am not trying to talk you out of it Jim, just trying to make sure we consider the splash effects of signing him."

Heartwood nodded, "My call in the end though- so we will sign him."

[Faramir]

10.7.12

"2-0 over Arbroath. I guess it could have been better," murmured Bob Pearson.

"It should have been. We lacked execution today and coasted the entire second half," answered James Heartwood.

"Still, best to start with a win."

***

14.7.12

"That was much better. Both in terms of execution and results," commented Heartwood.

Pearson nodded, "It was. Still, it wasn't as if Cobh Ramblers are the quality level we will be seeing this season. Though I admit, the 5-0 scoreline was somewhat impressive."

Heartwood glanced up, "Yes, I tried hard to schedule EPL level clubs, but for the most part they wouldn't come and play at Larksfield Road. So we just have to work on those that would play us. It does get tougher after this though- a trip to face Celtic is never an easy one."

[Faramir]

17.7.12

"Well, 2.3 Million is a nice addition money-wise," agreed Pearson.

"Mark Byrne wasn't going to be happy here- especially after we signed John Reid. So it was time to cash in on him," stated Heartwood.

"He will be happier now, and we still have plenty of depth there at leftback."

***

18.7.12

"Now, that was a surprise- a pleasant one," commented Heartwood.

"We played with much more composure than I thought we would," agreed Pearson.

"Good enough for a 1-0 win over Celtic at Celtic Park."

"Though it means nothing."

"True, other than as a measure of how well the boys are taking the lessons to heart."

***

22.7.12

"Another encouraging effort," offered Pearson.

"3-1 over Udinese at Udine is a solid effort- even for a friendly," agreed Heartwood.

"I am encouraged that we are playing this well- even without our 4 players serving with the Under-19s."

"True, though I worry about them mixing back into our flow of play when they return."

[Faramir]

26.7.12

"Ok, now we're starting to scare even me," chuckled Heartwood.

"We may have a harder time sneaking up on any EPL clubs- given that this 3-1 win over Milan was televised," smiled Pearson.

"I am not worried about sneaking up on them. I am worried about beating them."

"Ah, but you can't deny the value of being underestimated..."

"True, but I will settle for the kind of play we showed today. We could have scored three or four more goals."

"Milan did underestimate us- to their peril."

***

29.7.12

"Not exactly a masterpiece like the Milan match, but still a 3-0 win," commented Pearson.

"Against Cinderford," snorted Heartwood. "You could tell this was a bit of a letdown match after how ready everyone was for the televised match with Milan."

"There were still some good signs in our play, but you're right we didn't have nearly the same intensity today."

[Faramir]

1.8.12

"Hmm, we have been playing worse since the Milan match," observed Heartwood.

"Playing down to the level of competition? Still a 2-0 win over Linfield is still something earned," replied Pearson.

"I agree there. Linfield was out there getting ready for playing in Euro Cup, so they played hard."

***

4.8.12

"Well, that was a bit better. A good way to close out our friendlies," stated Heartwood.

"TNS isn't a bad side. 3-0 at their place was a decent result, though like all the other friendlies they mean nothing," replied Pearson.

"That is the point we have to hammer home this week- none of our success in the friendlies counts for anything. *Now* is when the season starts and this is what we have been buidling fitness and execution for."

[Faramir]

Harrow Hill Senior Side- Start 2012-13

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

GK Age

Andrew Evans 21

Dean Mitchell 20

Matthew O'Neill 18

DR

John Bruce 19

Danny French 20

Andrew Hook 17

DL

John Reid 21

Chris Poole 21

Danny Edwards 19

DC

Paul Ellis 19

Lee Pearson 17

Andy Reid 19

Craig Alexander 19

Scott Davies 21

Andrew Greenwood 18

MR

Richard Murray 17

Alex Coulson 21

Neil Preece 20

ML

Brian Ball 19

Dave Turner 20

Rob Hodge 19

MC

Michael Jones 19

Jon Burns 18

Craig Watts 20

Clive Patterson 19

Darren Stevens 19

John Wood 19

Rob Moss 17

Tom Broadbent 19

SC

Martin Clark 22

Martin Wharton 22

Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan 19

Lee Williams 20

Craig Briggs 19

Darren Adams 19

Julian Henry 17

David Harris 18

</pre>

***

The two construction workers were eating lunch on a partially finished wall in what we would be the new Larksfield Road stadium.

"What do you think their chances are?" asked one of the other.

"Whose?"

"Hill, you ninny."

"Ah, not very good I wouldn't say. They are way too young to be able to handle the pressure of the EPL."

"Have you seen them play? Did you see the Milan match?"

"It was only a bloody friendly."

"Still, I saw them play several times last season. I think they have a chance."

"Why? Just because they are young. They won't know what hit them about the time they face the likes of Arsenal or Chelsea."

"They are fast. That is something that really shows when you see them play in person. They are not as skilled as most EPL teams, but they will put pressure on them because so many of them have excellent pace and acceleration."

"I think your daft."

"Fiver says they avoid relegation."

"Ok, you're daft and I will have money once they go down."

[Damien77]

Eagerly awaiting the start of the EPL season...is your average squad age 19? just 2 over 22 in age, seen more like a under 21 squad.