Dave Anderson's View From The Dugout
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Update: 12th September 2009
Our Middlesex rivals Wingate & Finchley have made an excellent unbeaten start to the season and will be out to continue that run this afternoon in our FA cup clash. I think both sides will be expecting a very tough battle and it will be up to us to rise to the challenge and win a place in the next round.
The FA Cup is always an exciting competition to be playing in as players look to progress and achieve the fame that can come with a place in the latter stages, while the Directors and Committee members look towards earning some vital revenue from the sponsorship that is made available by the Football Association.
I’ve enjoyed a few glimpses of the publicity that can follow a good run in the competition. At Hendon, we battled our way through to the Second Round Proper and played at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, giving a good account of ourselves but going down 2-0 to the Second Division side. Blackpool then went on to play at Arsenal in Round Three. When I was Enfield we took Peterborough United to a replay and at AFC Wimbledon we were beaten 2-1 at Exeter City in front of a big crowd in the final qualifying round. More of that glory this season would be great for all of us!!
But we do go into today’s game on the back of a couple of disappointing results, the first a narrow 0-1 defeat here at Northwood against Thamesmead Town. I thought we did enough in the game to get something from it. Our visitors were clearly an improved side this season and perhaps shaded the first-half but we looked the better team after the break and we should really have taken the game away from them before they nicked all three points with a late goal. Sometimes you don’t always get what you deserve but I couldn’t fault the lads’ effort and commitment.
Last Saturday we made the long journey to Lowestoft and you are always up against it when travelling long distances but, after a shaky start, we settled down well and both sides played some good football. Garry and Hugo worked hard up front and are both progressing well but the home side looked sharper in both boxes than us and, after getting the first goal against the run of play, Lowestoft went on to record a solid 3-0 win. It never felt like a heavy defeat, though we need to learn the lessons from it quickly if we are to stay in and around the play-off places and achieve our aims for the season.
Clearly, the loss of attacking players of the calibre of Eugene Ofori and Kyle Matthews from the available squad for much of the season to date has been hard to cope with, but we remain hopefully that at least one of these two could be back in the squad today to strengthen that area.
Also, the reserves have made a great start to their season under Mark Adams and Vinnie Purdue and they were strengthened by a number of squad players having a run-out on Monday night as they won 4-0 at Uxbridge. Leon Osei had a good game and now gives us other options while the likes of Pat Lawrence and John Sonuga are hitting the net regularly and have caught the eye. It’s good that there are players pushing to impress and win a place in the side, and I hope they continue to knock on the door.
Thanks to all the supporters who joined us on the long trip to Lowestoft last Saturday and I hope you weren’t too disappointed with the result. Please get behind the team today as we look to return to winning ways and join us in the bar for a drink and a chat afterwards.
Update: 31st August 2009
I have got to know Thamesmead Town's manager Keith McMahon through working on the BBC's non-League Football Show, on which last season he did a manager's video diary entitled "The Gaffer", which carried the story of his and Thamesmead Town's season. Thamesmead had a good first season in the Ryman League last time around, and Keith has been busy during the summer, bringing in several new players, which seems to indicate good, steady progress at the club.
So we will need to be at our best this afternoon, and approach the match in the right manner if we are to continue our good early league form.
I shall be leaving the ground almost straight after the final whistle today, as I am off to Wembley Arena to see Walking With Dinosaurs. It is my son Sam's eighth birthday today, so I would like to wish him Happy Birthday. Eight years old - and he's already the same size as Kyle Matthews!!
As you will have read on the club's website, we last week signed experienced League forward Wayne Andrews, but I would like to make it clear that he has registered with us with a view to maybe playing a few games as he regains his fitness. He has been talking to clubs in the Conference and elsewhere, and still has plenty to offer at a higher level. But if he does turn out for us, it will help us out whilst Eugene and Kyle work towards returning to the squad, which hopefully will be within the next week or so, and I am looking for a similar timescale for Brad's return, too.
I must comment on the excellent job that Adam Rowlands and Paul Byrne have done on the pitch in recent weeks. Supporters would not believe the poor condition of the playing surface under the former contractors, and Adam and Paul have worked brilliantly to vastly improve it. If we are to play a flowing, passing game as we wish to, it is essential that the pitch is in good condition.
I mentioned earlier the non-League Football Show on the BBC: this goes out on a Monday evening at 9.00 p.m. on 94.9fm, or you can listen on the BBC iPlayer and also download the podcast from the BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/nonleague. We have great fun on the show, and it's well worth a listen, for plenty of news and a wide range of views on non-League football. Northwood gets the occasional mention...
Update: 25th August 2009
Our first home game, against VCD, gave us a good start to the new season with what was ultimately a comfortable win. It was a little disappointing that we didn’t take a greater percentage of our chances, but I am confident that will come as we get further into the season’s fixtures.
All you can ask for the opening match is for three points, and allied to keeping a clean sheet, that was a good start for us. It was very pleasing that we scored from a set-piece that we had worked on. It is our intention to play good football that is easy on the eye, and we are of course looking to win matches – but with a little bit of style.
We then took a 0-0 draw from the midweek game against Waltham Forest at Ilford, where the pitch again wasn’t good, which doesn’t help good football. A couple of early missed chances could have changed the course of the game, but although Forest did have a spell in ascendency, generally we controlled the match.
Mark Burgess received a red card in the second half, and although I do insist on discipline in my team, Mark felt that he had to commit the foul, he did it for the team. It was the type of game which was always going to be decided by one goal, and in that situation Mark didn’t have a lot of choice. I felt that a point from the game ultimately was a reasonable result.
Romford, on Saturday, were a better side than I had been led to believe from reports I had received, and once again, we have to look at chances being missed. After taking the lead with a fine strike from Hugo, we lost our way during the first half, conceded a poor goal, and were lucky not to let another one in.
So at half-time we changed our system, and the players’ reaction to a strong half-time team-talk was excellent. We bossed the second period as the lads took on board what they had been told, and we stopped Romford getting behind us, after their speed had proved a real problem for us in the first half.
It was good for Hugo to get his goal, as both he and Gary Senior have been working very hard indeed for the team. And Rob Ursell scored a Rob Ursell goal. Having seen Rob score such goals for me at other clubs, it was great to see him get one for Northwood: he has started off this season in much better form than he ended last, and I am looking for this to continue.
So seven points from the opening three games, two away, has been a good start, but we are certainly not getting carried away. Only one team has maximum points, so this may well be a close division, but things will settle down and become clearer after half-a-dozen games have been played. If we are still doing as well at that point, it will give us a good launch-pad for the entire season.
Add into the equation the fact that we lost Eugene Ofori early in that first game, Kyle Matthews and Bradley Hewitt have not yet been fit to play, whilst Ryan Tackley is away on holiday, so with three or four regular players out, we have done particularly well, as their absence would without doubt weaken any team.
Update: 15th August 2009
Our pre-season fixtures went very well, and we collected four wins and suffered just one defeat up to last weekend. Obviously, the spirit within the camp is very good, with an excellent feeling of togetherness amongst all the squad.
The lads are quite upbeat about their prospects for the season, and whilst we are definitely not going to get carried away at this stage, we certainly have the ability to do well this term. I do feel that we can do a little better than last season, when we fell just a little short in the final analysis. For me personally, coming in to take over as manager during a season is never ideal, and so now we are all looking forward to starting the campaign together this time around.
As always at any club, our first target is to get sufficient points on the board to avoid relegation, but the ultimate aim must be to at least quality for the play-offs.
I have been delighted with the signings we have been able to achieve during the summer. Getting Chris Seeby to come back following his short loan spell was a real bonus, and it was great that despite offers from higher level clubs, he opted to return to Northwood.
It was very pleasing that Brad Hewitt agreed to sign a new contract with the club, whilst Michael Peacock is another great signing, and, like Chris, after he enjoyed a spell on loan here. We have also brought two good young players in Harry Smart and Sam Sharples into the squad, and I am looking for them to challenge for a place in the team.
I do feel that we have the potential to now keep this squad together, and within the budget, and clearly we hope to do well together. I am looking forward to again working with the Chairman and board to the benefit of the football club throughout the coming season.
On a personal note, I was devastated to hear the news that Jomo-Faal Thomas died of cancer last week, aged just 21. I signed Jomo from Wealdstone for St Albans, and he was a great lad, a tremendous footballer with excellent prospects, and he is a very sad loss. I send my sincere condolences to his family.
I also send my best wishes to Staines Chairman Alan Boon, who has been seriously ill following a heart attack, but is now on the road to recovery. Alan has been great for football, and for his own club in particular, and I hope that he is fit and well again before too long.