Another Harrowing Misadventure (Ages Challenge)

[Faramir]

29.1.11

Hill Slip Past Stoke

Harrow Hill managed to win another closely played match thanks to the scoring ability of Lee Williams as they beat Stoke 2-0 at Brittania Stadium. The first half was played at a lightning tempo up and down the pitch, something both clubs were well suited for. Hill took the lead at 38 minutes when Alex Coulson picked out Williams breaking cleanly between defenders and Williams drove a quick shot past Keeper David Zibung to give Hill the lead at halftime. Williams made it a brace early in the second half when he did a nice job of putting one away after Michael Jones laid off the ball following Jones' swerving run through the Stoke defense. With the lead, Hill leaned on Andrew Evans and the young keeper came up with several big saves to keep the home side off the scoreboard in the 2-0 win.

"A great effort by Lee Williams. He really knows where the goal is when he gets his chances," beamed Heartwood.

"It was another case of him and Jimmy Sullivan working really well together. They both find the gaps," observed Pearson.

[Faramir]

5.2.11

Hill Burns Bournemouth

Showing a gritty side that hasn't always been evident, Hill ground their way to a hard earned 2-0 win over Bournemouth at Larksfield Road. It was clear from the opening whistle that the match would be rough and that every ball would be contested. Hill took the lead in the first half when MOM Adam Patterson slid a pass through traffic to pick out Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan unmarked at the far post. It was easy for Sullivan to snap his shot into the right side of the goal as Keeper Darren Randolph looked in helplessly. The match reverted back to close marking and not many chances as each side battled for the key goal. Craig Briggs came off the Hill bench and sparked them as he has so many times this season. Briggs was on the end of well executed passing play that saw Alex Coulson make a run and then curl a pass to Sullivan. Sullivan never stopped the ball, sending a touch pass back to Briggs who came into the play unmarked and cracked a quick shot past Randolph to give Hill a more comfortable 2-0 margin. Hill concentrated on helping Andrew Evans earn another clean sheet the remainder of the match and closed out the 2-0 win with a fine defensive effort.

"I don't know how Craig Briggs does it- but he certainly comes off the bench and scores," said Heartwood admiringly.

"He has the vision to see the right place for him to be to get a good chance," answered Pearson.

"It was good to see Adam Patterson get the MOM honours. He worked hard for it today."

[Faramir]

12.2.11

Strong Second Half Carries Hill to Win Over QPR

After battling visiting QPR to a 1-1 scoreline after the first half, Harrow Hill played a much more controlled second half as they saw off the Rangers 3-1 at Larksfield Road. QPR struck for the lead midway through the first half when Ben Watson let loose a booming shot from just inside the edge of the area. The shot was by Dean Mitchell before he could react. Hill answered as Michael Jones made his 1st Senior goal a memorable one. MOM Jones blistered a 30 yard shot that Colin Doyle got a hand on, but couldn't keep out of the goal for the equalizer. It was 'that man' Briggs again to spark Hill as Craig Briggs came on for an ineffective Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan at the start of the second half and made an immediate impact as he made an excellent run down the right and slotted his shot past Doyle to give Hill the lead. Hill was much more comfortable after John Wood blasted a 30 yard shot that deflected off Joe Peters and skittered past Doyle into the goal for Wood's 1st goal. Hill played a conservative approach the remainder of the match and Mitchell made a couple superb saves to preserve the 3-1 score for Hill's win.

"It was great to see Michael Jones finally get his 1st goal. He has been working very hard out there and had little to show for it," stated Pearson.

"I was also happy to see Dean Mitchell finally look comfortable in goal. Though he might have had a chance on the first one, he made several good saves in the second half."

"How long is Andrew Evans out for?"

"It might be only a week, but it could also be a month. The training staff isn't sure on it yet."

[Scott8490]

Been reading this for a while now; enthralling! Congrats to you Faramir, and long live Harrow Hill!

[Faramir]

Thanks Scott- glad you are liking the story Harrow Hill has become my 2nd favorite club (behind Leyton Orient)

***

15.2.11

Brighton Blights Hill

Brighton came out determined to take away points from their home match against Harrow Hill and was able to edge the visitors 1-0 at Falmer on a second half goal. The home side had the better of the play in the first half, but Hill demonstrated a dogged defense and Dean Mitchell came up with two key saves to keep things scoreless at halftime. Hill missed their best chance late in the first half as Darren Adams broke in free, but was stopped when Rune Almenning Jarstein parried away his shot and then Martin Wharton missed wide left with his snap shot of the rebound. Brighton scored the only goal of the match when MOM Saad Majrashi made a terrific long cross that picked out Hugo Almeida as he slipped away from David Mills' marking. Almeida had time to move with the ball before firing his shot back across the goal and inside the far left post. Craig Briggs, on for Adams, came close to a late equalizer, but his shot bounced off the outside of the left upright as Almenning Jarstein notched the clean sheet.

"I am a little unhappy about the goal. Not Dean Mitchell, but after we spoke so much about Hugo Almeida at halftime- Mills still loses track of him," grumbled Heartwood.

"It was a bad error. We were somewhat fortunate to be this close in the match, they outplayed us by a bit."

[Faramir]

17.2.11

"That isn't good news," agreed Pearson.

"Danny French will miss the next three months- might as well say the rest of this season- with his torn groin," sighed Heartwood.

"Is there any hope he will heal quicker?"

"A small amount. But even if he does, then he still faces a long rehab to get back to match fitness. I am not counting on him playing again this season."

"Who do you want up from Reserves?"

"What is your reccommendation Bob?"

"Joe Mason. He has played much better than Lee Cook there this season. Unless you want Andrew Hook up?"

"Andrew is our future rightback, but I think it is asking a little much of him at this point. I don't want to lose him either, so we will keep him on Under-18s for this season. Let Joe know that he is moving to the Senior side."

[Faramir]

19.2.11

Hill Rushes Past Reading

Harrow Hill scored early and late as they managed to defeat Reading 2-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill was off on a flyer as Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan's good pass gave MOM Lee Williams room to maneuver in their area. Williams slipped past two would be tacklers and fired a hard shot past Jean-Francois Gillet for an amazing goal and a Hill lead in the opening moments of the match. Reading put Hill under some pressure in the first half and Dean Mitchell was sharp in stopping Andrew Keough and Arnold Bruggink to keep Hill ahead 1-0 at halftime. Hill regained a measure of control of the midfield in the second half, but were having a difficult time scoring on Gillet. They finally broke through as Neil Preece, who had lost a goal when he was ruled offside earlier, blasted a shot past Gillet after taking a deft pass from Sullivan. It was Preece's 1st goal of the season and it helped cap the 2-0 win as Mitchell earned the clean sheet.

"Another good match Dean Mitchell," commented Pearson.

"It was good to see. Also good to see Lee Williams wreaking havoc with their backline. He deserved more than the goal he got," offered Heartwood.

[Faramir]

26.2.11

Plymouth Makes Hill Pay for Errors

Plymouth took full advantage of Harrow Hill's gifts and then survived giving a couple gifts back as they edged Hill 3-2 at Home Park. Steffen Iversen shrugged off Hill's attempts to mark him as he flicked a header past Dean Mitchell to earn Plymouth the early lead. Hill added to that lead as Scott Davies deflected an errant Plymouth cross past Mitchell for an own-goal and a quick 2-0 lead for the home side. Hill drew a goal back just before halftime as Phil McGuire handballed in the area and Alex Coulson converted the penalty kick past Ben Foster. Foster was brilliant- except on penalty kicks- as he stood firm against the Hill attempts to equalize early in the second half. Neil Barnett made a beautiful redirection of a centering pass for his 15th goal for the home side. They needed that goal as McGuire knocked Brian Ball down in the area and Andy Reid converted the penalty kick to get Hill back within a goal in the waning moments. There wasn't enough time left for Hill to score again as they were left with a sloppy 3-2 loss.

"We didn't play well at all today," muttered Heartwood.

"It looked like we were a step slow the entire first half," agreed Pearson.

"Our backline played horridly. If not for Mitchell's good play in the first half, we wouldn't have been close."

"But then Dean missed an easy shot. I thought he should have stopped Barnett's goal."

"He doesn't anticipate very well- yet."

[Faramir]

5.3.11

Hill Humbles Hull

In a showdown match with the 1st and 3rd place clubs, it was Harrow Hill that came out on top with a 2-0 win at Larksfield Road. The first half was played at a frenetic pace, as both sides counter-attacked with pace and it was end-to-end action. Dean Mitchell came up with the first key save of the match as he tipped Andy van der Meyde's rising drive over the crossbar. Vincent Enyeama matched that with a stop of Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and then upped it as he smothered a low drive from Lee Williams. The Sullivan- Williams combination paid dividends for Hill midway through the first half as a curling pass from Sullivan on the right sideline found Williams with enough space to chip over a sliding Enyeama as he challenged for the ball. Mitchell made a diving parry on Giacomo Cipriani to keep Hill ahead 1-0 at halftime. The second half was played to the taut anticipation of the packed house at Larksfield Road. Williams returned the previous favor as he blocked a pass to Sullivan to begin a counter-attack and Sullivan finished it with aplomb as he buried a shot in the goal past Enyeama to put Hill up 2-0. Hill then played conservatively as they added able backline support to help Mitchell claim the clean sheet.

"That duo (Sullivan- Williams) was lights out again today," offered a pleased Heartwood.

"They just seem to instinctively know where each other is. That goal by Williams was a perfect example. How did 'Silk' know that Lee was there? He didn't- he just sent a pretty pass to the spot where he 'expected' him to be- and it worked out great," agreed Pearson.

"That was a key win for us. Though Hull has a match in hand, they now trail us by 11 points with 9 matches remaining."

"A good spot to be in- for us."

League 1 Table- 37 played 9 remaining- except noted * with 36 played

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

1- Harrow Hill 74 pts (+37)

2- Sheffield United* 65 pts (+22)

3- Hull* 63 pts (+18)

4- Hartlepool 61 pts (+11)

5- Stoke 60 pts (+18)

6- QPR 60 pts (+16)

7- Oldham 60 pts (+10)

8- Brighton 60 pts (+6)

9- Bournemouth 58 pts (-2)

</pre>

[Faramir]

12.3.11

Millwall, Hill Muddle to Draw

Neither Millwall nor Harrow Hill managed much dash and flash as they played to a scoreless draw at The Den. The two sides combined for a paltry total of 9 shots during the entire match as both sides were guilty of inconsistent passing and wasted dribbles. Keepers Paul Smith and Dean Mitchell each had one difficult save in the match. For Smith it was early in the second half when he palmed away a drive by Craig Briggs. Mitchell's key stop came late in the first half as he made a diving parry on a scorching blast from David Livermore. The 9000+ fans came away muttering about the bore draw and that was an accurate description of the match. Hill's Paul Ellis earned MOM honours for his backline play.

"We just didn't have the spark today," observed Pearson.

"True, but I was pleased with how our backline played," stated Heartwood.

"We couldn't spring either of our wingers free of their marking."

[Faramir]

17.3.11

Harrow Hill Reserves Capture 5th Straight Title

In spectacularly dominant fashion, the Harrow Hill Reserve side has clinched their 5th straight Group 6 title with 8 matches remaining in the schedule. The Reserves have been intent on matching the stellar achievements of the Under-18 side last season and after 34 matches they have 32 wins and 2 draws. They have scored 107 goals and yielded a total of 8 on the season. Hill Assistant Manager Bob Pearson was typically humble about their accomplishments, "This is completely due to the efforts of everyone who works for Harrow Hill. This could only be possible in the kind of special atmosphere that this club has around it- and the wonderful facilities that have been available to us. The players know our system and they play it superbly."

***

19.3.11

Harrow Hill Under-18s Win 5th in a Row

Duplicating the Harrow Hill Reserves as they clinched their title two days ago, the Harrow Hill Under-18s clinched their 5th consecutive Group 9 title with 5 matches remaining. The Under-18s have also not lost yet and have won 16 matches while experiencing 3 draws. The Under-18s have scored 59 goals while yielding 3 for the season. Hill Assistant Manager Bob Pearson acknowledged the rumours that have him heading off on his own, "Jim Heartwood is a good friend and has already told me he will support me if a club might be interested in my management skills. Still, Hill is where my heart is and it is wonderful to celebrate the accomplishments of both the Under-18s and the Reserves as they remain the building blocks of Harrow Hill's future success.

[Faramir]

19.3.11

Hill Smother Sheffield United

The showdown match between the first and second place clubs in League 1 was all Harrow Hill as they played a sensational match in easily winning 3-0 at Larksfield Road. Hill got off to a quick start on a counter-attack that saw Neil Preece lay the ball into space on the left side. Preece's explosive bookend- Leftwing Brian Ball- rocketed down the pitch and slammed a shot past Joe Lewis for his 5th goal of the season. Lewis played a terrific first half in keeping Sheffield United in the match. He stopped Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and Lee Williams in one-on-one chances as the visitor's backline had problems dealing with the pace of the Hill attack. Hill came out of halftime leading 1-0 and determined to get more and they did so quickly as Michael Jones smashed a 30 yard rocket shot past Lewis in the opening moments. Hill played more conservatively after Jones' goal, but their counter-attacks wound up putting the match on ice as Jones slotted a ball ahead and Sullivan cemented MOM honours by whipping a rising shot past Lewis to cap the impressive 3-0 victory. The win boosted the Hill lead over 2nd place United to 9 points and their margin over 3rd place Stoke to 12 points with 7 matches remaining. Chris Poole broke the club record for appearances in the match as he now has played in 108 matches for Hill.

"A great win!" exclaimed an excited Heartwood. "We saved our best match of the year for precisely the right time and the right opponent."

"Not much more to say- the boys were really terrific today- in every facet of our play," agreed Pearson.

[timpino]

terrific! but I do feel sorry for the blades...

[Faramir]

timpino- I was relieved

***

26.3.11

Mansfield Bring Hill Back to Earth

Mansfield played a determined defense and scored the goal it needed as they handed Harrow Hill a 1-0 loss at Larksfield Road. The visitors looked much the better club throughout the first half as they managed several good scoring chances. Rob Burch did a good job in Mansfield's Goal as he soaked up all the loose balls in the area and was ably supported by his backline. The lone goal came late in the first half. MOM Billy Clarke made space for himself, but crashed his shot off the crossbar. Clarke's second chance at the rebound was parried away by Andrew Evans, but Hill nemesis Shaleum Logan rapped home that rebound for the goal. Hill played better in the second half, but the good tackling of the visiting backline helped thwart their rally attempts. 2nd place Sheffield United was only able to make up a point on Hill as they played to a scoreless draw with Rotherham, while 3rd place Stoke also lost- 3-1 to Swindon.

"Not a good match," flatly stated Heartwood. "It looked like they thought things would come to them- instead of them making it happen."

"That is an apt assessment Jim," agreed Pearson. "Something we will need to instruct them on during practice this week."

[Faramir]

31.3.11

"They finally came through with the new offer for you?" asked Pearson of Heartwood.

"Yes. I signed it too. Though I did opt for a larger weekly wage budget and reduced transfer fund," answered Heartwood about his new contract.

"It isn't like we use the transfer budget anyways."

"True, and I don't have any real plans to either."

***

1.4.11

"Paul Ellis?" asked Heartwood.

"Yes. Paul was selected as League 1 Young Player of the Month for March," answered Pearson.

"That's great! He has really stepped up his play of late and I count him as the leader of the backline."

[Faramir]

2.4.11

Hill Routs Rushden

A superb first half fightback wasn't enough for home side Rushden as Harrow Hill crushed them 5-2 at Nene Park with a strong second half of play. Hill zoomed to a lead against Rushden as Adam Patterson scored an 'excuse me' goal midway through the first half. Patterson's attempted cross to the far post sailed into the net to stun the home side. Dominic Reynolds got a chance to make his mark in his debut after Rikki Bains was called for tripping Martin Wharton in the area. Reynolds converted the penalty kick past Nikolaus Stuhlinger to score in his debut. A bad pass from Darren Stevens allowed Jason Schofield to peg Hill back immediately as he fired a quick shot past Andrew Evans. The Nene Park faithful were buzzing when Rushden set up Schofield again and he made it a brace with a low shot past Evans as the two sides went to halftime 2-2. That was the last hope Rushden would have as Hill came out determined and focused in the second half. After several close calls, Wharton finally hammered a shot past Stuhlinger for his 10th goal of the season. Hill hit surging Rushden on the counter-attack and Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan got into the scoring with a well placed shot. Reynolds then capped off a stirling debut as he made it a brace of penalty kicks by converting another after Bains earned a redcard for taking Wharton down in the area. Hill clinched at least a Playoff spot with the win and remained 8 points ahead of 2nd place Sheffield United- who also won.

"A fine effort in the second half, even if we completely blew our backline coverage in the first," said Heartwood.

"It was good to see them shake off the bad end to the first half and play that well in the second," agreed Pearson.

[Faramir]

9.4.11

Hill Outlasts Oldham

In a match that Oldham, 3rd in League 1 coming into the match, desperately needed- it was the scoring ability of Lee Williams that carried Harrow Hill to a 2-1 win at Larksfield Road. Oldham looked much the better club through much of the first half as they frustrated Hill's attempts to carry play into the visitor's end and generated some good scoring chances. Andrew Evans was very sharp in keeping the sheet tidy for Hill and had good support from the backline. Hill took the lead against the flow of play as Chris Poole made a terrific through ball to Lee Williams. Williams turned on the jets and split two defenders before firing his shot past Theis Rasmussen at 42 minutes. Hill seemed to steady at halftime and began to assert their presence in the Oldham area. Rasmussen made several good saves to keep things close. Poole again sent a nice long pass into space down the left side. Williams drove into the area before making a dazzling shot that had a wicked curve as it hooked inside the far right post for his brace and MOM honours. Hill wound up needing that goal as Paulo Renato deflected a late corner past Evans to ruin the clean sheet. With the win, the celebration at Larksfield began in earnest as Harrow Hill clinched Promotion to the Championship League and remained 8 points ahead of 2nd place Sheffield United.

"Wow!" was all Heartwood could say to the celebration that spanned Larksfield Road, Hill's training facility and the entire area surrounding Mitcheldean.

"It's been a great season Jim," smiled Pearson.

"Let's make sure we keep them focused this week. I want to win the Title," grinned Heartwood. "Not greedy am I?"

"Competitive," said Pearson laughing.

[Faramir]

16.4.11

Hill Brush Aside Brentford to Capture League 1 Title

Harrow Hill continued their methodical march toward the capturing the League 1 title and finally reached the sought after pinacle as they scored a pair of second half goals to defeat Brentford 2-0 at Griffin Park. The first half was a well played and entertaining stretch of football as both sides were attacking up and down the pitch. Dean Mitchell and Michael McGovern were both called on to make several timely saves as the passing and flow of play from both sides was at times dizzying. Hill stormed out and grabbed the lead in the opening moments of the second half as Martin Clark hammered home his 5th goal of the season as he put in the rebound after McGovern had made a good stop on Martin Wharton. A short cross by Jammal Shahin found Alan Wilkins with enough space to slot a well placed shot inside the far left post for the goal that took the heart out of the home side's rally. Mitchell closed out his clean sheet with two more solid saves to finish out the 2-0 win. Hill defender Scott Davies was selected as MOM.

"It's going to be a fun trip back to Mitcheldean tonight," chuckled Heartwood among the celebration in the dressing room.

"They have earned it. They played another strong match today- we did the things we needed to- to get the win," offered Pearson.

"The only thing I didn't like is the Press already asking me about is the club good enough for Championship? Or would we have to add players. I told them I had no intention of discussing that at this point."

[Faramir]

23.4.11

Hill Veils Port Vale

Port Vale showed their spirit and determination in the match, but Harrow Hill showed their execution as superior finishing was the route to a 3-2 win at Larksfield Road. Adam Patterson got Hill off to a flying start when he headed a cross from Alex Coulson in off the left frame of the goal past Kieren Westwood. Patterson then played a neat 1-2 with Lee Williams and Williams scored another highlight reel goal when he blistered it just inside the far right post. Hill then handed Port Vale a path back into the match when Scott Davies passed directly to Alekos Vlastos in the Hill area and Vlastos scored past Martin Pearson late in the first half. Patterson was the architect as a pretty pass put Darren Adams, on for tiring Williams, in free and he fired his shot past Westwood. Hill needed that goal as Rasmus Ostman deflected a corner past Pearson in second half injury time to make the final scoreline 3-2.

"Not our best played match, but it was a nice win," commented Pearson.

"Another great goal from Lee Williams. He really has a terrific shot," offered Heartwood.

[Faramir]

25.4.11

Hill Dozes Doncaster

Struggling Doncaster and their caretaker manager received no soft treatment from Harrow Hill as they defeated the home side 1-0 at Community Stadium. The match was uneven in quality throughout as each side made counter-attacks and both sides shooting accuracy left something to be desired. The lone goal of the match came late in the first half as Martin Wharton's well-timed pass picked out Martin Clark motoring free down the right. Clark fired his shot off the inside of the right frame past Dave Dodd. This was Dodd's only mistake as he held Doncaster in the match during the second half and earned MOM honours. Hill played better in the second half, but were beneficiaries of the Doncaster forwards inability to get their shots on target. Andrew Evans finished out another clean sheet in the 1-0 win.

"Another non-gem performance, but still a win," stated Heartwood.

"Their shooting woes looked like ours earlier this season," commented Pearson.

[Faramir]

30.4.11

Hill Crushes Gillingham to Close the Season

Harrow Hill, helped by an own-goal, ran amok as they destroyed Gillingham 5-0 at Larksfield Road to complete their sensational season. James O'Conner started things off badly for Gillingham as he deflected a corner past Stephen Maher to give Hill the lead. Rob Hodge quickly added to the lead as he whipped in a shot after collecting a long cross from John Bruce. Darren Adams took over from there and his hat-trick helped wash away some of the bad memories of a season mostly lost to injury. Adams scored a quickfire brace to give Hill a 4-0 halftime margin and then finally complete his hat-trick late in the second half with his 5th goal of the season. Dean Mitchell earned the easy clean sheet for Hill.

"A great way to end the season," stated Heartwood.

"Our Larksfield faithful certainly enjoyed it," agreed Pearson.

League 1- Final

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

1- Harrow Hill 96 pts (+52)

2- Sheffield United 79 pts (+26)

3- Oldham 77 pts (+20)

4- Hull 77 pts (+16)

5- Bournemouth 77 pts (+6)

6- Stoke 76 pts (+22)

</pre>

[Faramir]

8.5.11

"The summer departures are beginning Bob," commented Heartwood.

"Who is first to leave?" asked Pearson.

"Stuart Watkins is going to Worksop on free transfer."

"I know he won't be the only one..."

Heartwood nodded, "I just loaded up the transfer list a bit."

***

11.5.11

Chelsea defeats Werder Bremen on Penalties after scoreless regulation to capture the Euro Cup.

***

18.5.11

FC Bayern defeated Liverpool 1-0 to win the Champions Cup.

[timpino]

Good Luck in the Championship!

[Faramir]

Thanks timpino

***

27.5.11

"It's been exciting watching our players playing for the England Under-19s in Europe," commented Bob Pearson.

"Especially with Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan scoring 2 goals in his first appearance," replied James Heartwood.

"It has been a great reward for Craig Briggs, Danny French and Brian Ball to make it on there with Silk."

"Did you see that Lee Williams received 'Goal of the Year' award for his strike against Oldham?"

"Wow, no- I hadn't heard that one. That's great for Lee."

***

29.5.11

"I don't believe it either Bob, but FIFA did it again. We will get no prize money for finishing 1st in League 1."

"Why?"

"I don't really know. For all my demands, they never did give me a real reason."

"That is so frustrating. Not only do we have to make our way up as a small club, but then they short us out of the money we need to grow our club."

"I guess they don't like my tactics," grinned Heartwood.

Pearson laughed, "Maybe so Jim."

For the second straight season- Harrow Hill gets no prize money for their placement in the League. Just adds to the difficulty factor I guess

[Faramir]

3.6.11

"Some news for you Bob- before it hits the press at least," said Heartwood to Pearson over the phone.

"What's up Jim?"

"I completed a transfer sale of Dominic Reynolds to Everton for 550K, plus a sell-on clause and an agreement to schedule a friendly with us."

"I like Dominic, but I know we need the money."

"Dominic is going to be good, but we do have more defensive-minded center defenders that I think we will need to be playing as we move up in level."

"I agree with you on that Jim. Keep me in the loop if anything else comes up."

"I will do that."

***

1.7.11

"The sale of Dominic Reynolds went through today," offered Heartwood.

"Any more for today?" asked Pearson.

"Only Derby signing Gary Jackson on free transfer."

"I thought there were a lot more in the works?"

"Most of them fell through when they couldn't agree on wages."

"Ah, so we are a wee bit overcrowded on the Reserves and Under-18s?"

Heartwood chuckled, "You might say that Bob. Especially since I have been signing other youngsters that our scouts were reccommending."

"The challenges never cease," stated Pearson with a deadpan expression.

"I am sure you will rise to them," said Heartwood smiling as he made a mock bow.

"Where do we stand on our budgets right now- after the Reynolds sale?"

"Currently we are 6.5 Million in the black, including both the Reynolds sale and our 900K in TV money for the season. The Board upped their weekly wage budget to 76K a week because we haven't been spending any money on transfer purchases. Currently we only have weekly wages of 58K a week and everyone crucial to this season's effort is under fairly long-term contract. We do have several with relegation release fees- but none with minimum fee releases, so if we do sell anyone- it will be for a goodly sum."

"Are you considering any transfer purchases?"

"The only one I am working on at present is the free transfer purchase of 20 year old Swedish midfielder Mikael Hackzell from Orgryte. They have accepted the free transfer offer, but I am not sure if he will agree to the wages offered."

"Do we really need him?"

"He is a pretty polished midfielder, so yes I think he could help us. He is maybe more suited to split time with Darren Stevens, because I don't see him taking the place of Michael Jones or Jon Burns."

[Faramir]

2.7.11

Heartwood chuckled as he answered, "Certainly. I would be glad to do another interview with you Martin. Like you said last year, you must be our good luck charm."

Pearson laughed quietly in the background, "Martin O'Hara again?"

Heartwood nodded and smiled.

***

3.7.11

The Little House in Mitcheldean

Interview with Harrow Hill's James Heartwood

By Martin O'Hara- FMS July 2011 Issue

We won't dwell too much on the amazing rise of Harrow Hill- the club that rocketed through League 1 play last season to easily capture the Title. Instead, we wanted to discuss the small club's workings and trappings with their Manager James Heartwood and get his views on the challenges awaiting his club as they enter Championship play.

O'Hara- Another season, another promotion- and in this case a Title. What went right for Harrow Hill last season that allowed your club to finish so convincingly atop League 1.

Heartwood- Many things went right, as they have to when you finish as well as we did. The main ingredient though was that our youngsters matured quickly.

O'Hara- Now you face entering this season, your first in Championship level play, with virtually an unchanged squad. Do you have that much confidence in their ability to play at this level?

Heartwood- The Board has not restricted me from adding players, indeed we have signed a few free transfers over the summer, but for the most part I hesitate to disturb the chemistry of our developing club. It remains to be seen if we are totally ready for this big step up in the level of play required by the Championship, but I certainly won't mind tackling it with this close-knit group of players.

O'Hara- Given the fact that FIFA again denied your club's prize money- because of your ground's size and condition- are you in trouble financially?

Heartwood- It is frustrating to again see them withhold funds that we believed we earned, but we will survive. We remain well off financially at this point, though if the Board decides to follow through on a new stadium that will certainly create new challenges.

O'Hara- Your current home, Larksfield Road in Mitcheldean, only holds 1000 people. Can you survive continuing to play in such a restricted venue?

Heartwood- That's a fair question and at least for the present, the answer is yes. We have our wages under control and will not have any financial problems this year. Do I hope that we eventually have a bigger place to play- yes, I do hope that we can address that in the future- but we will be fine with Larksfield in the short-term.

O'Hara- Is it gratifying to start seeing your youngsters get notice both in the press and on the National scene?

Heartwood- (laughs) Very. Both Bob Pearson (Harrow Hill Assistant Manager) and I were delighted to see some of our players selected on the England Under-19 side that played in Europe. It is both encouraging and it offers many of our other players that they may receive the same kind of notice in the future.

O'Hara- Who are some of the Harrow Hill players that our readers should keep an eye on this season?

Heartwood- All of them (smiles). Seriously, many of them are obvious- Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, Brian Ball, Andrew Evans and many others. The ones that are not as well known- yet- that may have more impact this season might be midfielders Michael Jones and Jon Burns. Also, defender John Bruce and another young forward- David Harris, may step up and surprise people.

O'Hara- Though most media count your chances amongst 'slim and none', I have personally learned not to discount Harrow Hill. How do you view your first season in Championship level play?

Heartwood- It will undoubtably be a challenge. Still, we have a group of players that has played together for several years. They have experienced success and understand the hard work it takes to win matches. I expect us to be competitive in every match and if we are not- that is the fault of me and my staff. We will play hard and see if we can execute well enough to challenge some of the more storied sides in Championship.

O'Hara- Thanks again for your time and good luck with the season.

Heartwood- Always a pleasure Martin, especially since your blessings seem to bring us luck.

[Faramir]

13.7.11

"That was a nice way to open our friendlies up," said Bob Pearson.

"Anytime you can beat a squad the caliber of Sunderland- yes it was nice. Still, we really shouldn't have won the match- our backline played very erratically today and if Andrew Evans hadn't played so well- it would not have been a 2-1 win for us," stated James Heartwood.

"Still, there were some high points offensively. The goal that Lee Williams scored was magical and Martin Wharton's fine touch showed again."

"True, but the boys saw first hand that you absolutely can not dally on the ball with a club like Sunderland. They took the ball away from us too many times today."

***

16.7.11

"Hopefully, the boys learned some more lessons today," observed Heartwood.

"Losing 2-0 to Everton when we didn't play that bad was not a terrible result," replied Pearson.

"I didn't say it was. But, I hope that they take something away from the match. We played well when we moved the ball quickly and we generated some good scoring chances. When we didn't do that- they took advantage of us."

"Dean Mitchell also played much steadier than at the end of last season."

"I was pleased with his play, well- except for missing that last goal by Markus Rosenberg- I thought he had a good chance at that one."

"With that pulled hamstring Mitchell suffered at the end- we will be missing him for the next month."

[Faramir]

20.7.11

"If a 4-0 friendly result over Luton is any indication, we are rounding into shape nicely," observed Pearson.

"We played better than I expected today- Lee Williams and Jimmy Sullivan were a deadly combo," answered Heartwood.

"Paul Moran looked very solid in center defense, I think we should keep him up awhile."

"We can do that. I am still considering what to do about young Matthew O'Neill. He had a great match in goal- really opened my eyes some."

"I like O'Neill, but I still think he needs some seasoning."

***

23.7.11

"You can't help but be a little encouraged by our play in the friendlies," stated Pearson.

"We are playing decently," agreed Heartwood. "Just don't let them get caught up in them though. These matches mean nothing."

"Yes, we will have to keep talking to them about that- but still, we are showing an excellent touch passing game so far."

[Faramir]

27.7.11

"That was a wild match," said a tired Heartwood.

"The crowd loved it- even if we did beat Hearts 3-2 before their fans- but the action was never ending."

"Matthew O'Neill may have just taken Martin Pearson's 3rd keeper spot. He really has a lot of poise for a 17 year old."

"I was impressed with him too."

***

28.7.11

"Another new free transfer signing Bob." said Heartwood.

"Who?"

"17 year old Leftback Mark Byrne. Stalybridge finally had to release him after they couldn't come to terms with him, so we grabbed him up."

"With Chris Poole and Danny Edwards, did we really need another one?"

"You know how I grab off talent Bob. This was just another case of an available player with quite a lot of it."

[Faramir]

1.8.11

"An excellent way to close out our friendlies," said Pearson with a smile.

"4-0 over West Brom? Yes, I would count that a solid effort. Lee Williams is primed for a good season- if he can keep from getting hurt," answered Heartwood.

"I have to agree with you there after Lee's hat-trick today. He looks ready to go."

"O'Neill won a spot as our 3rd keeper with today's effort- he was very solid when they had their chances early on in the first half."

***

2.8.11

Harrow Hill Senior Depth Chart 2011-12 Championship League

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

Player Age Current Contract /week

GK

Andrew Evans 20 (1300/2015)

Dean Mitchell 19 (700/2016)

Matthew O'Neill 17 (825/2016)

DR

Danny French 19 (1400/2016)

John Bruce 18 (800/2015)

Andrew Hook 16 (825/2012)

DL

Chris Poole 21 (925/2015)

Danny Edwards 19 (850/2016)

Mark Byrne 17 (950/2016)

DC

Paul Ellis 18 (1000/2016)

Andy Reid 19 (1300/2016)

David Mills 21 (600/2015)

DC

Craig Alexander 18 (575/2015)

Scott Davies 20 (325/2015)

Paul Moran 18 (625/2016)

MR

Alex Coulson 20 (900/2015)

Neil Preece 19 (1500/2016)

Jammal Shahin 22 (170/2013)

Rob Jones 17 (900/2016)

ML

Brian Ball 19 (3100/2016)

Rob Hodge 18 (875/2015)

Adam Patterson 17 (1200/2015)

MC-Att

Michael Jones 18 (1300/2016)

Jon Burns 18 (1300/2015)

Craig Watts 19 (700/2016)

MC-Hold

Darren Stevens 18 (1400/2016)

Andrew Hodgson 21 (140/2014)

John Wood 18 (475/2016)

SC

Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan 18 (1900/2015)

Craig Briggs 18 (1000/2015)

Martin Clark 21 (1900/2015)

Alan Wilkins 21 (160/2012)

SC

Lee Williams 19 (2800/2016)

Martin Wharton 21 (4700/2016)

Darren Adams 18 (750/2015)

David Harris 17 (1000/2015)

</pre>

[Faramir]

7.8.11

Hill Burns Burnley

Harrow Hill opened their Championship campaign the way they left off their League 1 season- with a resounding win as they defeated Burnley 4-1 at Turf Moor. Burnley couldn't have imagined the second half would go so badly after they held a 1-0 lead thanks to David Nolan scoring with a scorching shot past Andrew Evans in first half injury time for his 50th goal at Burnley. Hill had outplayed the home side in the half, but went in frustrated and trailing thanks to strong work from Keeper Steve Harper. The tide changed quickly in the opening moments of the second half. Danny French wheeled a long pass to a streaking Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan and Sullivan fired a well placed shot inside the far left post past Harper for the equalizer. Sullivan then showed great presence as he intercepted a backpass by Adam Webster. With Harper racing out to retrieve the pass, Sullivan got up and flicked the ball into space on the left. Harper vainly tried to cut off the shot, but Sullivan's quickness got him to the ball in plenty of time to roll a 30 yard shot into the open goal to make it a brace and give Hill the lead. Hill turned that into a quickfire double as Darren Stevens deflected an Alex Coulson corner past Harper for his 1st ever goal at Hill. Sullivan had three glorious one-on-one chances with Harper to finish off his hat-trick, but Harper got the best of all three encounters. Unfortunately for Harper, the last of the three saw the rebound go to onrushing Craig Briggs- who rapped it into the goal to complete the 4-1 demolition for Hill.

"I guess the friendlies told us the truth- the boys are really ready," said a pleased Heartwood.

"They really executed very well today. Our passing was crisp and effective and they didn't get down when we fell behind after dominating the first half," replied Pearson.

"A great start for the season. Let's keep building on it."

[Faramir]

8.8.11

Championship Odds by Totalbet.Com

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

Sunderland 2-1

Crystal Palace 5-2

Ipswich 5-2

Luton 5-1

Birmingham 6-1

Norwich 8-1

Harrow Hill 80-1

</pre>

***

9.8.11

Hill Slips Past Bradford City

Bradford City was clearly frustrated as they left the pitch after losing 1-0 to Harrow Hill. Though the match was scoreless at halftime, it was only through the good graces of Keeper Emil Ousager that it had remained so, as he had made big saves on Martin Wharton, David Ellis and Jon Burns to keep Harrow Hill from gaining the lead. Bradford had managed a few good chances as well, but Andrew Evans was also playing superbly. Wharton finally got the better of Ousager early on in the second half when a good pass from MOM Darren Stevens had put him free on the left side. Wharton's low shot skimmed past Ousager for the lone goal of the match. Bradford's rally attempts came to little in the second half as they faced a relentless Hill midfield and backline which afforded them no space. When Martin Thomas was sent off with a redcard for a Professional foul on Craig Briggs at 80 minutes, the home side appeared doomed and Hill calmly closed out the clean sheet for Evans in the 1-0 win. Hill midfielder Darren Stevens received MOM honours.

"The match against Burnley was great, but this match really has me excited," stated Heartwood. "We played the type of relentless, focused football that it will take to get good results."

"I was really happy with Darren Stevens and Jon Burns. Their marauding play in the midfield really took Bradford out of how they wanted to play."

"The backline also did a nice job of cutting out all the crosses they were trying to send into the area."

[Faramir]

13.8.11

Hill Whisks West Brom

Though Harrow Hill had beaten West Brom convincingly in a friendly, neither side put much stock in the result before their match at Larksfield Road. Afterwards, it was a different story as Hill again pummeled West Brom in a 3-0 win at Larksfield Road in their first home match of the season. The early portions of the first half were entertaining as both sides were attacking up and down the pitch. Both Philip Palethorpe and Andrew Evans were giving clinical demonstrations in how to keep goal as both made several good saves to keep things scoreless. West Brom's mistake turned into a lead for Hill as Kevin Walsh was called for a handball in the area. Alex Coulson converted the penalty kick past Palethorpe to send Hill ahead. Hill added to the lead in first half injury time as Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan collected a Danny Edwards corner, wheeled and rocketed a shot past Palethorpe to make it 2-0 Hill at half. Hill maintained their increased midfield pressure on the visitors in the second half and Lee Williams scored when he made a quick burst into the area and rifled his shot past replacement Keeper Andrew Lonergan. Hill then supported Evans as he closed out the 3-0 win with another clean sheet. Hill defender Paul Ellis earned MOM honours.

"Another nice effort. We are off to a much better start than I anticipated," stated a pleased Heartwood.

"Good execution on both sides of the ball again today," agreed Pearson.

"Andrew Evans came up with the big saves early on as well- that helped a lot in earning the win."

[Faramir]

20.8.11

Hill, Stoke Settle for Scoreless Draw

It wasn't by Harrow Hill's choice, but 10-man Stoke played the last few minutes of their scoreless draw in delayed motion as they held on for a scoreless draw against Hill at Larksfield Road. Hill had much the better of play throughout the match and threatened to take the lead midway through the first half when Martin Wharton was pulled down in the area by Joey Hutchinson. Mark Wilberforce, who had a brilliant match in goal for Stoke, saved Danny French's penalty kick to keep things scoreless. Wilberforce also came up with a couple other amazing saves on Wharton who was left shaking his head. Andrew Evans was providing his usual steady play in Hill's goal and made a key save when Ishmael Miller got in free in the area. Hill began ramping up their pressure in the second half, but solid work by the Stoke backline helped blunt the chances. Michael Lea drew a redcard for a Professional foul on Neil Preece as he turned to burst up the right wing on a counter-attack. Stoke went into a full defensive mode and managed to frustrate Hill as the home side pushed hard for the win, but had to settle for the draw. Stoke defender Sergio Hellings was awarded the MOM honour.

"We played well, but we didn't execute quite as well," observed Heartwood.

"If only Danny French could have hit that penalty. I am certain we would have won if we could have scored there," offered Pearson.

"I have to agree with you on that Bob."

[Faramir]

24.8.11

Hill Plinks Plymouth

Harrow Hill upset Plymouth 4-2 at Home Park in their League Cup 1st Round matchup. Plymouth looked to be off to a flying start as they had pressure on Hill to open the first half and struck for the lead midway through as Zoltan Stieber smashed a shot past Dean Mitchell after receiving a nice pass from Neil Barnett. It didn't take long for Hill to answer that goal with the equalizer as Martin Clark scorched a shot past Ben Foster after a nicely laid off pass from MOM Jon Burns. Late in the half, moments after Mitchell made a nice parry on Joe Paris, Andy Reid's long through ball put Clark behind the Plymouth backline and he made a nice move with the ball before slotting it past Foster to give him a brace and Hill a 2-1 halftime lead. Hill built on that lead early in the second half as Rob Jones celebrated a pleasing debut by rapping home the rebound after Foster stopped Clark to score in his debut. Jones then made a beautiful corner kick that Rob Hodge deflected past Foster. Plymouth got one late consolation goal back when Simon Parkin slipped past Scott Davies attempted tackle and fired a well-placed shot past Mitchell. Mitchell then ruined the home sides hopes of rallying with a pair of brilliant saves on Parkin and Paris to keep the final score at 4-2 as Hill moves on to the 2nd Round.

"Not quite as good as I hoped defensively, but we got the job done with offense today," offered Heartwood.

"Rob Jones impressed me. He played with composure the entire match and gave Plymouth problems down the wing," answered Pearson.

"Just like Jon Burns did down the middle and Clark did up front. They worked surprisingly well together."

[Faramir]

27.8.11

Forest Finishes Hill Streak

Nottingham Forest deserved their 1-0 win over Harrow Hill at The City Ground, but Hill didn't give up their unbeaten streak without a strong battle. The lone goal in the match came when Yoann Gouffran outleapt Paul Ellis and deflected a cross from Phil Neville past Andrew Evans for his 5th goal of the season midway through the first half. Evans played well and kept Hill in the remainder of the match with key saves as Forest continued devloping nicely played sequences into the Hill area. Hill also worked hard and generated chances of their own, but the Forest backline, headed by MOM Magnus Troest did an excellent job of coming up with timely tackles in their area to ruin the opportunities. Zac Barrett did a good job of coming up with the saves he needed to, to keep the clean sheet as Hill couldn't manage to score on him.

"They deserved to win, but we certainly didn't play a bad match," commented Heartwood.

"We did lots of things right, but there were a couple times I wished our players had just let shots fly. Instead we tried to be perfect and the Forest backline got back to make the tackles."

[Faramir]

29.8.11

Wolves Last Minute Equalizer Stuns Hill

It appeared that Harrow Hill was on their way to a 1-0 win over Wolves at Larksfield Road, but the sold out crowd went home disappointed after the visitors scored a last moment equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw. Hill could only rue their many missed opportunties, especially in the first half as they dominated play and their attack swirled around the Wolves area. Philip Palethorpe was very sharp in the early going and made nice stops on Martin Wharton and Jon Burns to keep Hill from gaining the early lead. After a frustrating scoreless first half, Hill broke through early in the second half when Martin Clark swept a shot past off balance Palethorpe after collecting a loose ball in the area. Hill settled back, determined to frustrate the now surging attack of the visitors. Craig Briggs had a glorious chance to add to Hill's lead, after coming on for a tiring Clark, but Palethorpe tipped his header over the crossbar. The equalizer came when Kenny Miller headed down a long cross and Craig Brown wiggled free of his marker long enough to snap a shot over the shoulder of Andrew Evans. Hill tried to regain the lead in injury time, but Wharton was well wide with his shot from just beyond the edge of the six-yard box and they were forced to settle for the draw.

"That was disappointing," said Pearson shaking his head.

"We have to keep our focus and determination for the full match. We didn't do it today and paid the price," agreed Heartwood.

"If we could have finished some of our other chances, that would have been a moot point."

[Faramir]

10.9.11

Hill Lower Boom on Luton

A superb first half allowed Harrow Hill to survive a redcard in the opening moments of the second half as they thumped Luton 4-0 at Kenilworth Road. Hill burnt the Luton backline early and often in the match and Michael Jones gave them the lead in the opening moments as he took a curling cross from Alex Coulson and zipped his shot past Federico Reglia inside the near right post. Midway through the half, Jones made it a brace as he hit a blistering, swerving 20 yard shot past Reglia after a good pass from MOM Andrew Hodgson. Hodgson was the architect as his through ball set up Coulson to fire a shot past Reglia to make it 3-0. Hill capped a superb first half effort when Craig Briggs, just on for injured Jimmy 'Silk' Sullivan, wheeled past Lee Quinn to score after Reglia missed an interception. Hill then had to play the second half with only 10 men after Andy Reid was redcarded in the opening moments of the second half. Hill's quickness kept the home side from applying too much pressure as the Hill backline helped Andrew Evans to another clean sheet.

"How bad is 'Silk'?" asked Pearson quietly.

"Not good. Torn hamstring. He will probably miss the next three months," replied Heartwood.

"Well, at least we have a lot of depth there. We will get by without him."

Heartwood nodded tiredly, "Yes, that's true. I am still worried he will lose some of that explosive speed that makes him such a good player."

[Faramir]

13.9.11

Hill Slips Past Sheffield United

The 2-1 result may look a bit disappointing to Harrow Hill, but they will certainly take the win they scored over Sheffield United at Larksfield Road. Hill gave United the lead when a terrible backpass on a corner put Chris Salmon away free and he fired a well placed shot past Andrew Evans for his 5th goal of the season. Hill pegged United back immediately as Neil Preece's wonderful touch pass allowed Martin Clark to boom a shot inside the right upright for the equalizer. Clark then put Hill in front as another pretty pass from Preece allowed him to snap a shot past MOM Joe Lewis. That was the last mistake Lewis made as he made a series of brilliant saves in the rest of the first half and throughout the second half to give his side a chance to fightback. Evans had to make a sensational save on Rok Kronaveter to preserve the win in second half injury time.

"A bit dicey at the end, Andrew Evans made a brilliant save to keep us in for all three points," commented Pearson.

"I was breathing a huge sigh of relief- I thought that Kroneveter had rounded him and would score for sure," agreed Heartwood.

"The boys responded well when we fell behind."

"I think they were all mad about the goal we gave up- that was a gift to United."

[Faramir]

17.9.11

Charlton Crushes Hill

Charlton looked much the better side from the opening whistle onwards and scored an easy 3-0 win over Harrow Hill at The Valley. Andrew Evans was uncharacteristically unsteady and the home side took advantage of his play as veteran forward Vicente Matias Vuoso scored in the opening moments with a shot that slipped past Evans' outreaching hands. Vuoso slipped the marking of Craig Alexander and made it a brace late in the first half as he scored his 100th league goal. Hill worked hard, but never was effective offensively today. Simon Allison put the match on ice for Charlton when he scored with a header on a cross from Stephen Ireland late in the match. Youl Mawene earned MOM honours for his efforts in keeping Hill's forwards quiet the entire match.

"First bad match we have played this season," stated Pearson.

"Not much went right today," agreed Heartwood.

"They kept Lee Williams and Craig Briggs under tight wraps."

"I should have started Darren Adams insted of Briggs. His explosive pace might have opened up a bit more space- something we never did have today."

[Faramir]

21.9.11

Bolton Brooms Hill

Bolton handed Harrow Hill a 2-1 loss at Larksfield Road in their 2nd Round League Cup match to brush Hill out of the competition. A pair of defensive mistakes cost Hill dearly in the first half as Chris Poole's header went directly to Al Bangoura and he smashed a shot past Dean Mitchell to give Bolton the lead in the early stages of the first half. A poor clearance by Paul Moran contributed to Hill's woes as James Guild launched a guided missle shot from 30 yards out that sailed past Mitchell to give the Premier side a 2-0 halftime lead. Hill played a stronger second half, but found Grant Young a difficult knot to solve in the Bolton goal. Hill finally drew a goal back at 78 minutes when Rob Jones header sparked a counter-attack that saw Darren Adams slide a pass across the goal for unmarked Alan Wilkins. Wilkins drove the ball into the open left side of the goal for his 1st goal of the season. It wasn't enough for Hill as Bolton handily closed out their 2-1 win.

"That one is mostly my fault," commented Heartwood. "I put too many untested players into the lineup and our backline didn't play cohesively because of that."

Pearson shrugged, "Gould's goal was a terrific shot- even if it did come on Paul Moran's giveaway. I was a bit disappointed that Dean Mitchell didn't stop Al Bangoura's goal- I thought he could have had it."

"He had a good look at it," agreed Heartwood. "He just didn't react quickly enough."

"Of course if Chris Poole is smart- he heads that ball away from the middle, instead of into it."

[Faramir]

24.9.11

Hill Nips Norwich

Despite a floundering second half, Harrow Hill came out with a 3-1 win over Norwich at Larksfield Road thanks to an impressive first half. Hill got off on a flyer when MOM Brian Ball made a beautiful pass to Martin Clark and Clark snapped a shot past Luke Green. Clark made it a brace later in the half when Hill proved very opportunistic following a free kick. Craig Alexander took the ball on a quick dribble past a defender and crossed for Clark to head into the open left side of the goal. Hill moved up 3-0 in first half injury time when Martin Wharton and Darren Stevens played a neat 1-2 that found Wharton firing a shot past Green inside the left post. Norwich surged to the attack in the second half and Hill played uncertain football, with many giveaways. Norwich drew a goal back when Danny Edwards lost the ball to James Keane at the edge of the area and Keane rifled a shot past Andrew Evans- spoiling the clean sheet. Evans refused to buckle as Hill leaned on his skills and he made a series of good saves to keep the visitors from getting closer as Hill played out to the 3-1 win.

"That is why I love having Andrew Evans in goal. He is really a good keeper when the match is on the line," stated a relieved Heartwood.

"We could well have not gotten a win out of this if he hadn't played so well," agreed Pearson.

"I wish we could bottle the lightning offense we showed in the first half though," said Heartwood. "That was some of the better execution we have shown this season."

[Faramir]

Hill Wins Close Over Dons

The Larksfield Road faithful were pleased with Harrow Hill's efforts as they held on against a furious late rally to edge MK Dons 1-0. Hill played a strong match throughout, but were only able to score late in the first half. Andrew Hodgson keyed a quick counter-attack that saw Dons Keeper- MOM Matt Baker- make a brilliant save on Lee Williams, only to see Craig Briggs first to the rebound as Briggs blasted his shot into the open goal. Baker made several stirling saves to keep the visitors in the match, while Andrew Evans was not overly busy until late in the second half. Dons finally pressured the Hill backline and keeper in the waning moments, but thanks to a pair of good saves by Evans, Hill was able to keep the clean sheet and the 1-0 win.

"Excellent effort. We could well have scored more, had Baker not been playing so well," observed Heartwood.

"Good execution both offensively and defensively today. I was really pleased with how our center defense- Andy Reid and Craig Alexander- played, especially in the closing moments."

"They played with a lot of composure. In fact we showed much more composure in the last 10 minutes of play than we did in all of our second half against Norwich."

[Faramir]

1.10.11

Birmingham Buries Hill

Birmingham parlayed a quick start into a comfortable win as they easily dumped Harrow Hill 3-0 at St.Andrews. Ian Jackson got the home side off to a quick start when he stepped out and flicked a header past Dean Mitchell on a free kick. Darren Carter made it 2-0 when he fired a well-placed 20 yard shot past Mitchell to make it 2-0 before midpoint in the first half. Hill tried to rally, but found themselves unable to breach the keeping of David Martin. Birmingham continually foiled Hill's attempts to fight back in the second half and Supat Rungratsmee put the match on ice as he danced past the attempted tackles of David Mills and Danny French to score in second half injury time.

"I guess I have seen enough now Bob. Dean Mitchell has a world of potential, but he needs to show it more- he certainly didn't today," stated Heartwood.

"We didn't help him out very much- and he also did make some superb saves," replied Pearson.

"That's just it Bob. Dean is great one moment- inconsistent the next- we need steady play from our keepers."

"Time to give Matthew O'Neill a chance?"

"Maybe. I will decide the next time I think Andrew Evans needs a match off."

[Faramir]

15.10.11

Hill and Tranmere Tangle in Draw

Both sides might feel they deserve the three points from this match, but the 1-1 draw between Harrow Hill and Tranmere at Larksfield Road was well earned by both sides. The two keepers- Andrew Evans and Nicholas Baker- can claim the lions share of the credit for the result. Despite both being scored on in the first half, the keepers were brilliant and each made several game saving stops in the second half. Tranmere took the lead when the Hill backline allowed Nicolas Bruno to waltz in unmarked and hammer home a pass from Shola Ameobi. Hill answered in first half injury time when MOM Lee Williams dropped another lightning strike- a sharp angled blast just inside the far right post past Baker. Neither side could score in the second half, but it wasn't for lack of chances. The save of the match came from Evans when he stopped Roman Bednar in a one-on-one situation with the match just entering second half injury time.

"I guess we have to settle for the draw," stated Pearson.

"They outplayed us, we really should have lost this match," answered Heartwood.

"I don't know. We had two great chances at the end that Baker made reaction saves on."

"Yes, but we didn't do enough in the middle to make things work offensively. We gave them control of the match and were lucky we didn't wind up with a loss because of that."

[Faramir]

18.10.11

Hill Filches Win Over Fulham

Though Harrow Hill did all the scoring in the match, it was hard for the Craven Cottage crowd to believe they had seen Fulham lose 2-1 on a Hill goal late in the second half. Hill took the lead early in the match when Martin Clark made a beautiful pass across to Adam Patterson. Patterson, who had been trailing on the run and had come late into the area, drilled a shot past Ricardo Batista to give Hill the quick lead. Hill was playing assuredly in the first half, but gave the equalizer to the home side when Paul Ellis tried to deflect a cross over the goal and instead directed it past Andrew Evans for an own goal. Fulham came out from halftime with a determination to take the flow of play away from Hill and they did just that. Hill hung on as Evans was called on for a trio of good saves to keep things even. Hill stole all three points from the match when MOM Patterson triggered a late counter attack by picking out Clark as he raced clear of the Fulham backline. Clark went in alone and took the ball around the diving Batista before slotting the match winner into the open goal.

"That was a great win for us!" said an enthused Heartwood.

"The fans may feel otherwise, but we worked hard and earned that win," agreed Pearson.

"It is time to recognize how well Martin Clark is playing- a lot better than last season."

"Good thing too- with the injury to Sullivan."

[Faramir]

22.10.11

Sunderland Sinks Hill With Late Goal

Sunderland and Harrow Hill battled their way through 80 minutes of scoreless play, but then Sunderland struck for a late match winner in a closely played 1-0 result. The scoring chances were scarce for both sides in the first half of play as neither side really generated a good chance and both settled for inaccurate shots from outside the area. The second half saw Sunderland began to assert their physical presence and Hill won the ball fewer times in the midfield. The lone goal in the match came when MOM Jon Pepper lofted a pass into the area. Dean Bowditch outleapt Paul Ellis and headed down for Stephen Elliott. Elliott, who had slipped the marking of Scott Davies, snapped a shot inside the left post past Andrew Evans. Hill appeared to score a dramatic late equalizer when Martin Wharton knocked in a rebound after John Woodward parried Craig Briggs blast, but Wharton was ruled offside on the play and the goal was waved off to the vocal consternation of a packed Larksfield Road.

"Disappointing loss, especially with the call," sighed Pearson.

"Disappointing effort leading to the loss," said Heartwood archly.

"You're right, we didn't execute very well offensively."

"Nor defensively. At least on that goal..."

[Faramir]

25.10.11

"It's only fair to give him that chance," commented Pearson.

"Yes, I feel that way too. I will call Crawley and tell them the loan of Martin Pearson for three months can go through," replied Heartwood.

"Are you going to ask for a future fee?"

"No, they didn't really mention it and if they want him- they know they can offer a modest bid."

***

29.10.11

Bristol City Bumps Hill

Harrow Hill ended a struggling October the same way they began it- with a loss. Bristol City used good work from Keeper Steve Phillips in capitalizing on a first half goal as they edged Hill 1-0 at Ashton Gate. The lone goal in the match came from Hill nemesis- midfield Josh O'Keefe- as he slipped coverage and fired a shot past Andrew Evans after a good pass from Stuart Giddings. Hill again lacked verve offensively, despite the return from injury of Michael Jones, and could manage only 4 shots in the first half. Hill played a stronger second half, only to see Phillips step up whenever needed as he continually stymied Hill. John Bruce drew a chorus of boos when announced as the MOM, as clearly the Ashton Gate crowd was set to cheer Phillips for the honour.

"We just aren't doing much well offensively of late," muttered Heartwood.

"With so many forwards injured, you don't have a lot of choice in your combinations. Unfortunately, none are working particularly good now."

"I thought Craig Briggs would score when we got him free in the area- instead he misses wide right by a huge amount," lamented Heartwood.

[Faramir]

1.11.11

Hill Punchless in Draw Against Walsall

A dominating effort by Harrow Hill was wasted as they could not find a way to score and had to settle for a scoreless draw against bottom of the table Walsall. Hill outshot the visiting side 16-2 in the match, but could not find a way to stretch the twine behind Yohann Pele as he earned his clean sheet with several spectacular saves. Hill also was frustrated by their inability to hit the goal with excellent chances as there was no scoring magic from Martin Clark or Craig Briggs in the match. Matthew O'Neill earned an easy clean sheet in his debut, with only one good save. The draw drops Hill into 5th in the Championship after 17 matches played.

Heartwood threw the clipboard against the wall, "I hate it when we waste a win in that manner!"

Pearson leaned against the door, "The chances were there. We just aren't closing them out with good finishes."

"We work the ball well, but we are getting too much play in the center. We need to get our wings working."

"Brian Ball had another not so great match. I wish I could figure out why he just isn't asserting himself out there."

***

3.11.11

"One more unhappy player has a new home Bob," said James Heartwood.

"Which one is moving?" asked Bob Pearson.

"Mike Jackson accepted Heybridge's contract offer, so the transfer sale for 40K will be finalized with them this afternoon."

"I am sure Mike will be happy to move somewhere where he can earn Senior time."

[Faramir]

5.11.11

Hill Edge Watford

Finally showing some offense that had been lacking, Harrow Hill took the lead and held on to edge Watford 3-2 Vicarage Road. Watford struck for the lead in the opening moments of play as they took advantage of a poor Hill throw-in deep in Watford's area to stage an effective counter-attack that was punctuated when Simon Potter passed across the goal to unmarked Peter Pearce and he slotted the ball past Andrew Evans for his 10th goal of the season. Hill answered that goal when Martin Clark scored on his own rebound after Richard Lee made the initial save on him in close to send it to halftime even at 1-1. Hill rocketed out of the dressing room and took the lead when Martin Wharton made an excellent shot past Lee from the left side. Wharton then made an unselfish pass while staring at an open goal so that Craig Briggs, on for slightly injured Clark, could score to make it 3-1 Hill. The goal was needed when Gary Dempsey drove home a rebound after Evans stopped Loris Lorini from inside the area. Hill survived the late rally and twice just missed adding the clinching goal as they closed out the needed win.

"Andrew Hook is going to be a good rightback one of these days," stated Heartwood. "But he isn't there yet."

Pearson nodded, "He is developing more slowly and still making a lot of mistakes he shouldn't be. Please don't give up on him though- I think he has the talent to become a very good player for us."

"Even with Bolton already scouting him- I don't plan on giving up on him. We just need to work with him more."

"It was good to see the offense reappear today."

"About time actually. They did have a good week in practice- and this time it finally translated into goals."