Gary Meakin's View From The Dugout
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Update: 17th December 2011
I welcome Beaconsfield SYCOB manager Byron Walton to Chestnut Avenue for today's Evo Stik Southern League encounter. I also welcome quite a few former Northwood players and team mates whom Beaconsfield have in their ranks: Anthony Page, Danny Power, Mark Burgess and Craig Vargas.
The only game that we have had since my last programme notes was the decisive home victory over Biggleswade Town in a match which I felt, that apart from the first five minutes of each half, we totally dominated and were deserving of our victory. If anything, had Ben Alexander and Kurt Morlese converted their late chances, it may well have been more emphatic but I was happy to settle for a victory with the boost of a clean sheet.
Last Saturday's game, the long trip to Woodford, was postponed at lunchtime before we departed so it gave me the opportunity to draft a number of the first team squad into the reserve game that was taking place here at Northwood against Chipstead.
It was a good workout for the players, as with no midweek fixtures coming up it meant that it would have been two weeks without a match, and players such as John Christian and Reece Yorke were desperate for some game time.
The game went well, with all the players taking it seriously, and it also gave me the opportunity to have a look at a couple of younger players that have come to us, in Omar Vassell and Lamin Cole, and they did themselves no harm with their performances.
The squad is looking quite strong at the moment, and as those two players together with Myles Stephenson and Harry Wright push to be involved with the 1st team, it will only increase competition for places.
The other plus point from the reserve game against Chipstead was the return to action of Kyle Matthews, who came on for the last 20 minutes, after 15 months out with a cruciate ligament injury. As someone who has spent a year out through injury myself, I can empathise with how he is feeling. Kyle is still way off starting a first team game, but between Chad and I, we will continue to monitor his progress. It will be fantastic for Kyle and the club when he is fit and raring to go.