Sun Postal six a-side tournament U-11 winners 

AP North  Squad: Douglas, Stephen, Alfie, Sahr, Robbie, Joe, Leslie 

In our first six a-side outing of the season at Omonia a fortnight ago, we’d been unbeaten in our five group games. But failure to score enough goals meant we didn’t win enough matches to make the knockout stages. This time we switched to one (Stephen) at the back with three in midfield and the change seemed to work.  

Not right from the start though. Our first game against Oxhey United was a reminder of the past. It ended goalless despite AP having most of the pressure – Stephen in particular was unlucky with a couple of surging runs. So victory was imperative against Potters Bar in the second game. That duly arrived with a first-half goal from Joe and two very well-taken ones from Leslie in the second period giving us a three-nil victory. Douglas, in goal, tried to inject some excitement with a couple of “It’s okay – I’ve got it covered” moments as the ball whizzed narrowly wide of the post and bar. 

Our third match, against Bushey, was probably our best of the first round. Sahr’s clever through ball forced a defender into giving away an own goal early on and then Joe’s run down the left set up Leslie for a second as their partnership started to really click. With Sahr, Robbie and Alfie battling really hard in midfield and moving play on quickly and Stephen strong and energetic at the back, the team was starting to take shape. The watching Potters Bar coaches were certainly generous in their praise for our passing game.

Going into our final group game, against the late-arriving Comets, we needed a win to secure first place with a draw guaranteeing us a place in the quarter-finals. This was a tough match with Douglas making a couple of good saves in the first-half and us dominating the second without being able to score. A nil-nil draw meant we’d won two and drawn two and those eight points saw us through. 

With our group having one team fewer than the other three, we then had to wait a good hour and a half for the others to finish their matches. This allowed the boys to get some fairly appalling penalties out of their system (just as well in view of what was to come).

Our quarter-final was against Mill Hill Barca and could have gone either way. They shaded the first-half, we shaded the second but nobody could score. Into extra-time and it was the same story and so it came down to penalties. In front of a big crowd of watching teams and parents it was time for Douglas to step up. He saved the first one low down to his right. Robbie kept his cool to tuck his away. Mill Hill’s second was brilliantly parried onto the bar and over by Douglas and then Stephen scored to put us two-up. Douglas saved penalty number three as well (straight at him) but when Sahr’s kick was saved the pressure was back on. Mill Hill finally scored penalty number four to mean it was two-one but Joe kept cool and his successful spot-kick put us three-one up. When Mill Hill blasted penalty number five over the bar we were through to the semis – the referee deciding that all six players should take penalties rather than the normal five.

Our semi-final was against Wealdstone Blue. Leslie latched onto a long kick from Douglas to score the first and a couple of other good chances went begging. Just on the stroke of half-time Wealdstone broke away and scored – the first goal we’d conceded in open play all afternoon. Heads could have gone down but we kept fighting and got our reward when Leslie set up Joe for our second and what proved to be the winner.

Into the final against another Wealdstone team, Red this time, who’d won a penalty shoot-out against the Comets in the semi-final. They looked a strong, hard-running team and so it proved in an excellent final which the referee said later was the best he’d seen all afternoon. It could have been two-two at half-time with good chances being missed at both ends in a very competitive encounter. Our best chance was produced by an excellent combination of passing by Leslie and Joe. The second-half was goalless too and so this one went into extra-time as well. With seconds left in the second period, Joe latched onto a through ball and struck it into the corner with his trusty left foot. With thirty seconds to go, AP had a vital lead and the watching parents couldn’t contain their delight. Wealdstone didn’t have enough time left and the cup was ours, at about the same time as Germany and Spain were kicking off in Vienna. 

All that remained was a trip to the ice-cream van, some generous words from the Sun Postal organiser and the Wealdstone coaches and a presentation of the trophy to the winning AP team captained by Stephen. Great stuff - a good afternoon and some excellent football by all seven boys. Let's hope for more of the same at the next couple of tournaments as well.

AP North 0 Croxley Guild Youth 1

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Leslie, Stephen, Robbie, Aidan; Joe, Daniel; Subs: Dom, Louis

Three times we've played Croxley this season. Like us, they're a team who play fairly and enjoy playing passing football. Like us, they've (bizarrely) had the double done to them by Everett Rovers. But after three, end-to-end, evenly-matched matches, it's been the same story: Croxley take the points or the glory while AP are left with nothing.

This was effectively a play-off for third place in the red division. Win and we'd stand an excellent chance with two games left. Lose and Croxley would be odds on favourites to finish "best of the rest" behind Omonia and Whetstone. Muswell Hill playing fields weren't looking quite as trim as they had the week before (memo to Robert: am I still allowed to talk about pitch conditions?) but at least it was reasonably warm. Well, until the rain and thunder and lightning began.

Adopting their new formation, with Leslie on the right and Daniel pushed up alongside Joe, AP played some good football in the first period. Richard and Ben were particularly prominent pushing forward from the right and left channels while covering back to good effect. Several good moves ended with Joe or Daniel crossing from dangerous positions on each flank but the Croxley goalkeeper showed good handling skills and nothing came from them. The closest we came was from a surging Joe run which was cleared off the line by a Croxley defender.

At the other end, Croxley were well contained apart from on a couple of occasions when their dangerous number 14 managed to slip his marker and advance on Hugo. Thankfully, in the first-half anyway, his shooting didn't match his approach play. But overall, AP had been slightly the better team and should probably have been at least a goal up.

Into the second-half and with a few tactical changes in the AP ranks, Croxley started to take control. Most of the play was in the AP half. Hugo had a couple of brave saves at feet; Douglas had a couple of important last-minute blocks for corners (as well as a delicate glancing header from a corner which hit his own post). Croxley also hit the outside of Hugo's post from a free-kick outside the box. AP's main threat, as usual, came from Joe's surging runs down the left. One was to prove pivotal in deciding this match: Joe sped away from a defender and his shot was parried by the keeper. As we yelled for someone to slot the rebound home, a Croxley defender cleared it into midfield. Seconds later a through ball split the AP defence and saw number 14 cutting in from the left on Hugo. This time he had his shooting boots on and he slipped it in at the near post.

Just five minutes to go. Could AP do what they'd done to Harvesters a week previously? The answer was sadly no and three vital points slipped away.

Manager's man of the match: Richard 

Omonia Green 3 AP North 0

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Sahr, Daniel, Stephen, Robbie; Joe, Leslie; Subs: Aidan, Louis

One week after our Challenge Cup trouncing, we arrived back at Fortress Turkey Street for a league encounter with Omonia.  If we, in the very heady heights of third place, are akin to Portsmouth or Villa in Red Division, then Omonia are very definitely Chelsea or Manchester United.

Well-drilled, strong in the tackle, pacey up front, solid at the back, with their alert sweeper sysyem, and peppered with skilful individuals in a number of positions. They are quick to the ball and turn defence into attack very quickly, all under the eyes of a management system that never stops organising and cajoling from the sidelines. Winning is everything. For a long time they have been runaway leaders of this division, but a couple of surprising results look like seeing them lose out in the last furlong to Whetstone for the title.

All that said and done, they are the only team to trounce us this season....4-1 in the home encounter and 5-1 in the Cup....both heavy and confidence sapping defeats.  In the famous words of Kevin Keegan, "I would love it if we beat them, love it!!!"

Sadly this game was not destined to be that occasion, although the team, strengthened by the return of Stephen from Egypt (was this our equivalent of the African Cup of Nations?), made a very creditable attempt to give Omonia a run for their money. Robert called the performance, especially in the early stages of the first half "one of our best performances of the season".

Tactical changes saw Leslie drop out to the right wing, where he had a very effective game....the 4 man midfield was supported by Sahr, who sat between it and our single striker....the idea being to combat the power of Omonia's tackle happy midfield and play on the break. It all looked good....passing was effective and movement exemplary...we were starting to frustrate our opposition and then we got the break that could have changed the game.

Joe, 42 goals in all games this season and some way out in front as the league's top scorer, found himself in a one on one with their keeper, but his first shot was blocked  and as he tried to go round the excellent Omonia keeper with the rebound, his second effort was smothered by another long outstretched arm.  It was the match defining moment....1-0 up and we were in control, but the chance went begging and then two quick goals by the home team....the first questionable, because of a definite foul on our keeper in the build up......brought AP to ground with a jolt. In a half in which we had more than held our own, we were 2-0 down at the break.

It was to get worse...sustained pressure led to an excellent headed third for Omonia, after a great right wing cross, and although Hugo performed heroics in the AP goal to give us a semblance of hope, time ran out in a series of Omonia substitutions.

Omonia are a strong team....they are indeed the only team to have denied us at least one goal all season.....but it doesn't make losing any easier to take. I'm already looking forward to some payback next year....bring 'em on.

Manager's man of the match: Alex

AP North 3 Harvesters North 2

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Alfie; Sahr, Daniel, Robbie, Ben; Joe, Leslie; Subs: Aidan, Dom;

Goals: Joe (2), Douglas

There may have been better performances and more convincing victories this season. But for my money, this was one of our best wins with the boys having to show real character to claim three points with two goals in the last five minutes. Character, grit and determination were all on show in the latter stages against a strong Harvesters' side. It's good to note that we're now coming out on top in these tight, one-goal games compared with earlier in the season when we were losing. The days of beating teams by five or six goals will probably (the odd cup tie aside) be in the past given that we'll be competing in the top division against equally good sides. So grinding results out against good teams is an excellent habit to get into. More please!

It was nice to get back to Muswell Hill and a pitch which had recently enjoyed a visit from a 21st century lawnmower along with a tin of Dulux paint. Not that I'm trying to make a point or anything. It was also nice to see AP start very well against a surprisingly sluggish Harvesters' team. The opening goal came after ten minutes through a combination which is currently working very well: Leslie made room and slipped a good pass to Joe who turned brilliantly to fire the ball into the far corner. A goal to admire and savour.

There weren't many other chances in the first period at either end. Daniel and Robbie were both winning good ball in midfield to set up forward moves. If it hadn't been for a couple of timely challenges by Harvesters' defenders, we might have scored a second. Hugo had little to do in the home goal other than one sharp cross although he did have Julian's flag to thank for an offside decision as an attacker bore down on him. Given our history with Harvesters, it was nice to see few repercussions this time around.....

Into the second period and AP began to lose the fluency they'd had. This may well have had something to do with Robert taking Daniel off at half-time, a move which illustrates the trickiness of balancing playing time against team performance. Aidan, Ben, Robbie and Sahr were still battling hard in midfield but Harvesters were definitely enjoying more possession.

They came close to equalising when a cross from the left was saved by Hugo and then cleared to safety. A few minutes later though a through ball left the home defence exposed and with three attackers to one defender it was easy enough to score, although Hugo did manage to parry the ball before it crossed the line. Worse was to come when another cross from the left wasn't dealt with and Harvesters netted from close range. At that point, to be frank, I thought we were sunk: tackles were being missed, clearances and goal-kicks weren't going very far, the ball was hardly out of our half. The team were showing all the signs of playing a fifth game in eight days.

And then something changed. Maybe Harvesters through the game was won but AP dredged up some spirit from somewhere. Richard suffered a nasty nose-bleed but came back on. Daniel started making ground down the right again. From one of his runs we were finally given a free-cick and Leslie hit a terrific shot against the underside of the bar which Douglas narrowly failed to convert. There was still life in AP yet. From another Leslie corner which Harvesters failed to clear, Douglas toe-poked the equaliser from close range.

At that point, we might have settled for a point. But not the boys in white shirts. They kept pressing forward and got their reward when Leslie and Joe combined again for another classy finish. Leslie again making space and playing a ball forward for Joe who took it first time WITH HIS RIGHT FOOT to score past the keeper. Just two minutes to go and AP had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Terrific stuff.

There was time for Harvesters to mount another couple of attacks but the AP defence, in which Alex was immense throughout, stood firm for three points that takes us clear of the pack and gives us a fighting chance of finishing third or fourth.

Now, just take that belief into next week's game against Omonia and let's see if we can beat them this time.

Manager's man of the match: Daniel 

AP North 2 London Maccabi Lions 2

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Dom; Sahr, Daniel, Robbie, Ben; Joe, Leslie; Sub: Louis

Goals: Joe, Ben

I've looked, I really have, for songs with "robbery" and "theft" and "blatantly unfair" in the title but have failed miserably (unless you count Genesis' "Robbery, Assault and Battery" which probably goes a little too far). So we'll have to settle for this one from Men at Work to refer to the key moment of this second game in the double-header.

AP are pressing for a winner to record a double victory. Leslie sends Joe rushing through on goal with a clever ball so well executed that Joe has to turn before outpacing two Maccabi defenders. He slots the ball home for three-two. But hang on....the linesman's flagging for offside. Wrong. Wrong. And, as Frankie Howard would say, thrice wrong. Now, let's be fair, calling offsides can be tricky. There can be inches in it and sometimes it comes down to judgement and we should respect that. But this was just an appallingly bad decision, made even worse by the fact that the assistant referee in question was on the phone at the time - a fact probably best hidden at the time from an incandescent Robert who already had steam coming out of his ears. Now I don't know if nattering to the missus on the phone or ordering crispy duck from the local chinese are activities compatible with officiating at football matches. But this was, I'm sorry to say, the worst decision we've come across this season and it ended up costing us two vital points.

Right, rant over. To the rest of the game.

I'm not a great fan of double-headers. Somehow cramming in two shortened games into the same evening cheapens those full-length affairs that we're used to playing. No matter, the boys showed a lot of character to keep going on what was their fourth game in five days.

Maccabi played some good football in the first period and took the lead when a corner wasn't cleared and the ball was headed home beyond Hugo. But AP came back and equalised with a lovely goal courtesy of Leslie and Joe: the former threading a nice ball through to the latter whose trusty left foot and the corner of the net took care of the rest. After Hugo had bravely prevented a second Maccabi goal with a good rush from goal to narrow the angle, AP took the lead: Leslie fed Robbie whose pass found Ben running in from the left and his low shot went into the corner.

Into the second-half and Maccabi weren't giving up. They'd already gone close to equalising before a goalmouth stramash ended with the ball in the back of the net. Actually, as I'm writing this on Sunday, I have completely forgotten how the equaliser was scored so you can invent your own description......Robbie then came close to scoring when he hit the post in a goalmouth scramble at the other end.

Even after the goal that was chalked off, AP had time to win the game with Leslie and Louis just missing out before full-time.

Over the course of the two games, I don't think any of us would begrudge Maccabi something for their efforts. They try to play and do play good passing football and certainly deserved praise for that. It was just the way in which victory was denied us which stuck in the throat and left a bad taste.

Manager's man of the match: Robbie

Goals: Joe, Robbie

Trundle. Trundle. The APY footballing caravan rolled on in this season defining week, in which virtually a third of the season seems to have been played!!

We set off last Sunday on a giant of a pitch in the East, travelled through the pampas grasslands of Enfield on Monday and by Thursday had reached the snooker table flat pitches of London Maccabi Lions in Arkley for the first match in a difficult double-header.

This was our first league encounter in a month and in that time, other games played in the division had seen us slip to a less than deserved eighth in the table on 14 points. Without stating the obvious, much rested on these two games.....two wins could take us third, two losses and we would be in the whirlpool of relegation.

With Stephen still somewhere up the Nile delta, a lot depended on the midfield running and hassling of Robbie, Dom, Sahr and Daniel over these two games. The Lions, from a glance at the table, did not score many goals, but they were tight in defence and pick up points on a fairly regular basis. We would have to dig deep to get anything from what were to be our third and fourth games in five days.

With the late spring sunshine setting across the pitch and the knowledge that the game was being filmed for some charitable event at Maccabi, the boys kicked off with our hopes for the season resting on their shoulders. They may have found passing difficult on Omonia's "pitch" on Monday, but the better playing surface was allowing a definite rhythm to our game, with Alfie and Dom evident in a lot of what was pleasing from AP. Ten minutes in and a long pass from Robbie was controlled by Joe running on....he slipped the ball passed the keeper in a one on one and finished with his left foot from just inside the area.

The Lions came back strongly, but Hugo stood tall, ably assisted by the rest of the defence and at 1-0 at half-time things looked good. Midway through the second half, Robbie capped an excellent display with a goal that deceived the Lions keeper, who dived too early to stop the shot. Again the Lions came back and this time their pressure was rewarded with a goal....2-1.

Fingernail biting time (if we had been able to feel our hands, given the temperature had now dropped to to a teeth chattering nine below zero), but we shouldn't have worried the boys played out time to record a hugely satisfying win....one down, another to come....

Manager's Man Of The Match: Alfie

Omonia Green 5 AP North 1

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Alfie; Daniel, Aidan, Robbie, Ben; Leslie, Joe; Subs: Louis, Sahr

Goal: Joe

Some you win and some you lose. And after the euphoria of our County Cup win, it was back to earth with a resounding bump against our nemesis Omonia Green, the one team who continue to outplay us. We could make excuses but the truth is that the better team won. Omonia were stronger and more determined throughout. While we knew we'd have to be at our best to beat them, too many of the AP side seemed a bit tired and sluggish after yesterday's excitement. Too many Lucozade Sports on the open-topped bus round Haringey perhaps?

I'm not sure what Sir Alex or Arsene would have said about playing a crucial semi-final just 30 hours after their previous match but that's the way of the Watford Friendly League in the closing weeks of the season. It does seem to penalise the more successful sides though. Maybe they should look at playing a couple more league games in midweek earlier in the season before the clocks go back rather than have this current crush of fixtures at the end.

The pitch at Turkey Street wasn't the best to be honest. Bumpy and with grass so long it could have concealed not just David Attenborough but the whole of the BBC Natural History Unit as well. If they'd been there, they probably wouldn't have been that impressed with the opening few minutes. Both sides treated the ball liked a hot potato and the assistant referees were the busiest people on the pitch signalling countless throw-ins. And then, with not even much of a half-chance, Omonia took the lead, A little bit of space and one of their midfielders cracked a terrific 25 yard-shot high over Hugo and into the roof of the net. Nobody's fault. Just a classy finish.

AP were struggling to get any grip in midfield and Omonia were tenacious in the tackle and onto us in an instant. Hugo had a good save low down and Alex made a very timely intervention to prevent a possible second goal. But AP were finally showing signs of life: Richard and Daniel were making ground down the right and one trademark sortie down the left from Joe produced a save from the keeper which nearly fell at Leslie's feet. And then - disaster. Douglas was penalised for a soft push in the middle of the pitch. Omonia took the free-kick quickly and caught Hugo unawares. The through ball was easily slotted into the corner by an Omonia attacker. But credit to AP, they weren't going to go down without a fight. A couple of corners from Leslie brought chances and when Omonia failed to clear the second, Robbie headed on for Joe to pounce and hook the ball home on the stroke of half-time.

Two-one down and all to play for. But, as happened in the first game against Omonia, they took charge in the second period. Hugo was called into action to save bravely at the feet of onrushing attackers. But the killer third goal wasn't long coming: a well-placed corner and a free header for one of the Omonia team. Their fourth summed up the differences between the two sides on the night: a strong run by their number nine saw him win two or three tackles that should probably have seen us win the ball. Instead, he was able to swivel and score past Hugo. Game over.

AP kept plugging away and were awarded a penalty when an Omonia defender was adjudged to have pushed Robbie in the back. To underline that it wasn't going to be our night, the normally dependable Leslie clipped the ball past the post.

The game then petered out in flurry of substitutions. Douglas nearly became the first AP player to be sent off for complaining to the referee that he'd missed an Omonia player standing on Ben's head; Omonia added a fifth when a strong run from the right was finished well in the top corner. They even missed a penalty - high, wide and not so handsome - in the last minute awarded after a clearance hit Robbie on the arm. AP threatened a couple of times in the closing stages but, by then, the game was gone.

We will beat Omonia one day but we know that we need to play better and battle harder and go in for every ball with the same determination that our opponents showed tonight.

Manager's man of the match: Robbie

Bealonians Youth 0 AP North 4

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Alfie; Aidan, Robbie, Daniel, Ben; Joe, Leslie; Subs: Dom, Sahr

Goals: Aidan, Joe, Douglas, Dom

One week on from an impromptu game of snowballs at the Old Parkonians ground in Barkingside, that was the result of our team turning up, in wintry conditions, when everyone else connected with the AFA Cup Final had taken the sensible option of staying wrapped up at home, probably in bed, and we found ourselves back at the same venue for the hastily rearranged game.....the biggest match to date in our season.

AP were pleased to welcome back Ben and Dom to the squad...so there was a positive upside to last week's sudden blizzard. The sun shone (for a bit), the AFA officials busied themselves putting up a trestle table to hold the trophies and a seven foot giant of a man put up the nets, when the rest of us smaller mortals were struggling with the enormous goals and nets that wouldn't have been amiss on a North Sea trawler.

A sizeable Bealonians following manned both touchlines of the massive pitch as the first half kicked off. AP, after a month's inactivity, due to Easter and postponements, were slow to hit their stride, often hesitant to win the first and second ball and too often taking one too many touches, when they did put their foot on it. The thrust of the game in the early exchanges was predominantly down the right side...Richard at right back settled well, winning tackles and overlapping with great determination....he is gaining in confidence with each game. Daniel, Aidan and Leslie battled manfully.

The first half though was memorable for really only two exchanges, one at either end....firstly Hugo, judged to have handled outside the area, when coming for a looping punt forward, made a great save from the resulting free kick, catching a rocket of a shot on the line...evoking memories of his performance against Chase Side Youth in the first round of this competition...and secondly for a sequence of shots that started with Ben's cross into the box, when it seemed that every AP player had a go at opening the scoring, but to no avail, as the ball pinged around like in a pinball machine, before being cleared.

Half time  0-0...Robert made an impassioned Henry the fifth type speech, players were bandaged and plastered up and we all started to wish we had packed more clothing....the temperature had dropped about ten degrees.

Minutes gone in the second half and AP won a free kick ten metres or so back from the penalty box on the near touchline....Leslie whipped in a dangerous goalbound kick and Aidan met it three yards out to steer it past their keeper....moments later Joe found himself free in the box. He turned and hit a left foot shot into the bottom left hand corner...strangely their keeper didn't even move to stop it.

2-0 and well on top, the goal of the game came from the boot of Dougie. Picking up a loose ball twenty-five yards  out, he crashed a shot straight over the goalie's head.....so well deserved, Dougie is playing out of his skin at the moment. Bealonians made a flurry of substitutions, but it didn't deter AP....Joe controlled a long ball out of our defence and beat their right back, before pulling a cross back to Dom, who swept in a fourth goal.
4-0....ten goals scored in our cup run and not one conceded!!

As the ref blew for full time and the rain started to come down, the AFA official made a hasty speech and handed out the medals. Leslie picked up the trophy amid much clapping, back slapping and camera flashes......a brilliant result all round....and now to the little matter of Omonia tomorrow night in the Challenge Cup Semi Final.

I'll leave the final words to Eddie:

"The boys have trained hard this season and fully deserve their success. It is easy to forget that the transition from 7 a side football to 11 a side football presents a challenge in itself and our boys are fortunate to have an experienced coach (Fraser) to guide them through that transition. They will improve and develop as individuals and as a team.Well done.

Manager's Man of the match: Dougie, with a special mention for Richard.

AP North 7 Whetstone Wanderers Jags 1

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Louis; Aidan, Stephen, Robbie, Daniel; Joe, Leslie; Sub: Dom, Alfie

Goals: Joe (3), Daniel (2), Leslie, Richard

Spring this wasn't. More like early January. A howling wind blowing across the Tottenham steppes and the exposed tundra of the New River Stadium. Cold, persistent rain sweeping across the pitch. Large puddles which Julian manfully tried to remove with fork and broom. We should say well done to both teams for even agreeing to play in these conditions and putting on a fairly decent show. And, at the end of it, AP were comfortably into another semi-final, this time in the Challenge Cup.

We'd played Whestone - and our old former team-mate Luke - at the start of the season when Graeme was still happily turning up in shorts (will we see them again before the end of the season we wonder?). Then we'd ended up winning 6-1 after a fairly even first-half. And although Whetstone's second team are only halfway up the third division, we knew we'd face a tough task to get through to the last four. After all, they'd come back from 4-1 down against a higher league team in the last round to eventually win on penalties. AP were without both Ben and Sahr for this one and with Alfie suffering with a foot injury, Aidan was called back from bona-fide swimming duties to play his part - even although he was feeling under the weather. Geddit?

Kick-off was delayed slightly by the absence of the "right sort of goal nets" but once they were in place (sort of) the game began. AP won the toss and elected to shoot with the gale, leaving Hugo treading water in the deep end penalty box. The opening stages were fairly even and Whetstone's tricky right -winger came close to opening the scoring with a neat lob over Hugo which Douglas managed to block on the line.  He might have been even more of a threat in football boots rather than trainers. Gradually, though, AP started to assert themselves on the game although it was clear that long balls from our own half were not going to help as they just went straight to the keeper or scooted off down the slope behind the goal.

Stephen was instrumental in helping AP take the lead. One trademark, storming run from midfield saw him hit the post with a terrific drive (is there an unluckier player with the woodwork than Stephen?) but minutes later he laid on the opening goal, setting up Joe on the left. His shot was probably going on but took a solid deflection off the keeper before it did. But I'm giving the goal to Joe. Five minutes later it was two-nil. Joe ran through and managed to squeeze a tight shot against the left-hand post, the rebound fell to Daniel who hit the other post before Leslie put an end to any further Keystone Cops farce by scoring from close range. Both Leslie and Joe had good chances to increase our lead further but that was it at half-time.

Into the second period and, just like last week, AP played their better football and scored better goals. The third came all the way from the back when Douglas found Leslie and he sent Joe through for his second of the afternoon. The fourth was a real Light affair with Joe turning and clearing deep in his own half before outpacing a defender and making for the bye-line where his cut back was well met by Daniel at the far post. Goal number five - and Joe's hat-trick - came when Leslie sent him through to beat the keeper. Richard scored number six and his first of the season when he turned on a good Leslie corner to tuck the ball away. And goal number seven was almost a carbon copy of the fourth when Joe sped down the left and pulled the ball back for Daniel to score his second.

Credit to Whestone who never gave up and forced Hugo to make a good save onto the bar before pulling one back with a decent lob after we'd gone five up. But it was never more than a consolation and 7-1 wasn't a particularly unfair scoreline given the way AP had played.

So, assuming the other quarter finals went according to form, we await one of Croxley, Omonia or Whetstone in the semi-finals. No FA Cup wee team romance here. These are the big boys for sure.

Happy Easter to everyone and enjoy the two week break. The next game is the small matter of the County Cup final so please make sure no-one else gets injured before then. Or we're in trouble.

Manager's player of the match: Richard

*Okay, strictly speaking this isn't a song title but the words from the chorus of a well-known song. But it still counts you know.

Hadley Rangers East 0 AP North 5

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Louis, Stephen, Robbie, Ben; Joe, Leslie; Sub: Dominic

Goals: Joe (4), own goal

Not usually given to melodrama I was, nevertheless, convinced that this was the most important game of the season so far. Forget Cup Finals and the like, this game was vital for our future in the top division. Lose and we'd be second bottom and facing a tricky run-in to avoid relegation. Win and we'd put some distance between ourselves and Hadley and be back in the dog-fight of six teams for third place. Thankfully the boys came up with the goods and won easily with possibly their best performance (certainly in the second-half) since the County Cup win at Chase Side.

The win - our fourth of the season in the league - also threw up an interesting statistic. All our wins in competitive games this season have been by at least two goals. In the league, we've won 6-1, 9-0, 4-1 and 5-0. What we clearly need to learn is how to grind out a victory when the goals aren't so plentiful. Mind you, Hadley will be pleased to see the back of Joe. That's nine goals we've scored against them in two games; Joe's bagged seven of them and had more than a hand in forcing the other two own goals.

For the four "originals" in the team - Ben, Douglas, Leslie and Stephen - a return to Old Cholmeleians off Totteridge Lane was going back to the scene of this team's first ever competitive match, against Omonia Green and a four-one defeat at Under-8 level. Then it was a sunny, late summer day. This was a wet March morning on a soggy and glutinous pitch that threatened to make passing tricky.

That was certainly the case in the first-half when we effectively managed to kill the game without really playing that well. The opening minutes were cagey and fairly even with quite a lot of play going from end to end on the smallish pitch. AP came closest to opening the scoring with Joe being denied by a good save from the keeper and then a follow-up clearance on the line from a defender. From the corner, Alex got up well to direct a header against the junction of bar and post. He went close a couple of minutes later from another corner and clearly has a taste for scoring goals after last week's effort.

Just as we were starting to worry that Hadley were gaining the upper hand, AP scored, slightly against the run of play. Ben, bravely playing despite a hip injury, knocked a ball through for Joe to run onto. A Hadley defender half-cleared it against the onrushing keeper leaving Joe free to knock the rebound into the empty net. If we thought that was route one football it was nothing to the second one. Hugo delivered a long high kick which Joe was onto in a flash to outpace two defenders and score. Just before half-time it got better when a wayward clearance from a Hadley player saw Joe running clear again and his shot would have gone in even if a defender, under pressure from Leslie, hadn't screwed the ball into the corner of the net.

So three-nil up at half-time without really producing the football we know the boys can play. That changed in the second-half with a performance which brought two more goals, a hatful of good chances, some excellent passing and a tremendous determination to win challenges and make sure that Hadley didn't score. Leslie and Stephen led the way on the passing, looking up and using the wings and the channels to good effect. Robbie was battling hard in the centre of midfield to win the ball and prompt and probe forward and both Louis (on for Ben) and Dom were tearing up and down their respective wings for their most impressive performances for a while. At the back, Richard must have had a sore head after all the headed clearances he was making, Alfie was calm and precise with his distribution and Alex and Douglas had a "they shall not pass" mentality, covering, clearing and blocking where it was needed and throwing themselves into the way of shots as well. One diving block from Douglas certainly prevented a goal at the expense of a corner. When the back four were breached, there was Hugo to make a telling save as he did with a couple of mintues to go with a great tip over the bar. And when Dom was winded and Ben came back on, he was everywhere as usual, all over the pitch to track back or launch an attack down the wing.

The two goals that came our way were well worked. Leslie sent Joe through the centre and he finished cooly for his official hat-trick, tucking the ball between the keeper and the near post. After the keeper had denied him with two excellent saves from similar situations, Joe added a fourth and our fifth, running clear onto a ball from Dom.

Make no mistake, Hadley are a good side and this was an excellent result. If we can keep performing as we did in the second-half, then third place in this league is certainly not beyond us. Everett Rovers beat Omonia yesterday in the League Cup and we're the only side that Whetstone haven't beaten. On our day we're a match for anyone but we need to keep playing with the same determination and flair that we showed here.

Players of the match: Joe, Leslie, Douglas

Lea Valley United 0 AP North 2

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Richard; Daniel, Stephen, Aidan, Ben; Leslie, Joe; Subs: Robbie, Sahr;

Goals: Joe, Alex

Getting to the final of any competition is something to be celebrated so let's say a big well done to all thirteen of the boys who helped secure victory in this County Cup semi-final - not to say cheering up Mr Light after his calamitous Saturday of sporting disasters.  Especially as this came against a big, physical side who weren't afraid to show that side of their game - legally and illegally - throughout a fairly rough and tousy sixty minutes.

After the recent league disappointments, Robert returned to a 4-4-2 formation and it was clear from a much improved first-half that the team had responded. There was danger down both sets of wings with Richard and Ben working well together on the left along with Alfie and Daniel down the right who passed and covered for each other very well. In the centre of midfield, Stephen and Aidan were tenacious in tackling and spreading the play wide to Joe and Leslie up front. And at the back Alex and Douglas were a good barrier whenever Lea Valley did manage to get near Hugo.

AP were largely in control of the first-half - with the home side only threatening to break through on a couple of occasions. By that point we were two goals up. The first came when Stephen and Ben combined well on the left to send Joe racing through the left channel. He left the defender beaten for pace and strode into the penalty box before unleashing a low, accurate shot into the far corner. Joe at his best and one-nil to AP. The second came from one of Leslie's corners when the ball fell to Alex. Although he had his back to goal, he showed terrific skill to swivel, turn and shoot past  a crowd of defenders. Who said central defenders weren't skilful eh?

In between times, AP could have had more: Douglas had a useful shot from distance which the keeper held at the second attempt and a superb ball from Stephen put Leslie through on goal but he could only shoot straight at the keeper. Shot of the half came from one of the home defenders, a raking drive which soared just over Lea Valley's bar and behind for a corner.

Daniel had had a superb first-half, a real attacking threat down the right and tracking back for some important tackles in defence. He'd also been the victim of a couple of tough challenges and that was to set the tone for the second-half. Robert swapped Alfie and Richard for Sahr and Robbie, with Ben dropping back to left-back. Whether it was the change in personnel or, more likely, Lea Valley coming at us more in the second period, AP definitely lost a bit of fluency. The home side had one shot narrowly past the post and we could see that AP were being hemmed back much more than in the opening half. Then, for the second time this weekend, we had a penalty awarded against us for a soft-ish handball. Here it was Robbie who was penalised. But this time Hugo was the hero with a save low down to his right to keep a clean sheet and demoralise Lea Valley who'd clearly been looking for a goal to launch a fightback.

Hugo then had an even better save, diving low down to his left to knock a shot past for a corner. There was another close shave when, from a corner, the ball hit the post, then Stephen's knee and then the post again before being cleared to safety. Lea Valley's number 7 was starting to cause trouble down the right. In response, Leslie nearly sewed the game up with a clever and composed shot which came back off the bar. Joe also had a good chance when he burst through only to send the ball narrowly wide. And we were denied a good goal-scoring opportunity when an indirect free-kick in their penalty area (given for a back-pass picked up by the keeper) ended with Leslie's shot charged down by an attacker who was ludicruously no more than four or five yards from the ball. As Lea Valley realised the game was slipping away their challenges - and language to both players and referee - became stronger. One more effort passed by in the final minute when a long clearance was misjudged and left a home attacker to run on unchallenged only to shoot past.

So into the final and let's just hope we can raise a team for April 6th rather than have to forfeit the game. Let's give the Lea Valley coach credit as well here for his pre-match comments to Robert that a) we would beat them as we'd beaten Chase Side and b) they'd be the most sporting team we'd play all season. Well, one out of two isn't bad.

Now attention turns back to the league and as Graeme wrote yesterday, next week's game against Hadley Wood is crucial, one that we absolutely need to win to avoid being pulled into the relegation mire.

Manager's players of the match: Daniel, Douglas, Stephen

PS: Go to the Amateur Football Alliance website and the fixtures/results page for the U-11 Sunday County Cup and tell me if I'm going mad. In Round 1, Chase Side Youth beat Potters Bar United 7-1 and yet, in the quarter final, there are Potters Bar United, beating Norseman 5-0. But in the semi-finals, it's Norsemen who appear. Likewise, in round 1, Bealonians Youth are beaten 0-3 by Old Actonians yet appear in the quarter final playing the same opponents and winning 3-0. Confused? I know I am.....

Harvesters North 2 AP North 1

Team: Hugo; Richard, Douglas, Alex, Ben;  Stephen, Daniel, Robbie; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Subs: Aidan, Louis;

Goal: Leslie

Have you ever been to a Harvesters before? Well, yes, and although three weeks or so ago, we left with a bellyful of goals and a Challenge Cup victory, this time we were left with a very definite sour taste in our mouths, after a disappointing potential relegation six-pointer.

A run of indifferent form has seen us lose three league games in a row and the heady pre-Christmas days of third place security have all but disappeared. Confidence is low, positional awareness is sketchy and the 4-3-3 system often means that we are being outmuscled in midfield. Our passing game is coming unstuck on the heavier pitches and one is beginning to wonder whether the winter training on astroturf leaves us unwilling or unable to give as good as we get in the tackle.

Omonia and Whetstone are striding away in the division, but four points separate the next eight clubs above an already doomed, Derby-like, Northwood.

Everyone, it seems, is capable of beating each other in this division within a division. As a newly promoted team, we don’t want to finish in ninth place this season, which the other teams’ games in hand might soon condemn us to, resulting in relegation to the second tier of the league. Having had a taste of the Premiership, no one wants to be playing second division football next season.

And so to the game….bright, but blowy conditions, a proper ref (all dressed in black) and a compact, but decent pitch made for an optimistic outlook.

Mindful of their midfield strength, we started enthusiastically. Daniel made some positive and aggressive runs, Joe turned and shot wide on the edge of their box and Stephen was his marauding and dangerous self….it all looked quite positive. In fact Harvesters were struggling to get the ball, other than for a speculative long shot that grazed the crossbar.

On fifteen minutes Sahr went off for Aidan and Louis replaced Joe up front and then, against the run of play, a second, Exocet like, shot from distance proved too hot to handle for Hugo and we were one down. Back to the other end, we won a corner….Leslie fired the ball into the near post and it seemed to ping, akin to a game of pinball, off a number of their players’ knees before settling contentedly in the corner of the net. If I were Leslie, I’d definitely claim it as my goal…1-1…game on.

And then disaster…a speculative poke forward and with the ball going forcefully, but harmlessly, off for a goalkick, the referee very, very harshly judged that Douglas’ arm had been in contact with the ball. Penalty…2-1 to them.

A flurry of half-time substitutions and positional rethinks had Ben and Sahr on the left, and Joe on the right. Aidan stepped up and played, in my view,  his best match of the season…battling for possession, he was everywhere in the midfield…a real inspiration.

AP came forward strongly and were denied on a number of times by a confident Harvesters’ keeper. Wave after wave of attack was forcing a real momentum….players were putting everything on the line and both Sahr and Douglas were quite badly hurt in trying to force an opening. Harvesters’ goal was under tremendous pressure, as was Julian, our linesman, from a Harvesters' dad who had taken exception to some of his offside judgements. Emotions run high in this game, but when will people learn even a modicum of respect and dignity?
Julian does a job that no one wants to do. He’s qualified at it and without him the game couldn’t go on….the foul language and general threatening behaviour directed at Julian by some of our opponents’ supporters and coaches this season is an insult to their respective clubs and the Watford League itself.

Back to the game, a minute left….the ball falls to Joe….I’d have staked my mortgage on him scoring, but his right foot shot hit the post and the rebound fell invitingly to his favoured left side…bang, through a group of players, but wide. I sank to my knees.

The battle with Tomi Badmos of Omonia to be the division’s top scorer remains level for another week…14 goals apiece….and so to Hadley Wood next week for another titanic struggle and one we can’t afford to lose…..this is not doing a lot for my nerves….West Ham’s 4-0 capitulation to Chelsea later in the day was nothing like as disappointing.

Manager's player of the match: Daniel

Omonia Green 1 AP North 5

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Stephen, Robbie, Sahr; Daniel, Leslie, Joe; Subs: Richard, Louis

Goals: Leslie (2 - 1 pen), Sahr, Douglas, Ben

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't the best we've played this season by a long way. But in the end it was good enough to beat Omonia's second team for the second time this season and ease into the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup for the second season running.

Any thoughts of a Cup upset were put to rest within the first couple of minutes when AP went a goal up. Joe was brought down just inside the ginormous penalty area (close to the centre circle from where I was standing). Despite having to put the ball on a penalty spot which seemed to be several feet below the level of the rest of the pitch, Leslie was able to dig it out and stroke it home for the first goal. The second arrived courtesy of a well-worked corner move. Leslie's corner was flicked on by Alex to Sahr who netted from close range. And the third was down to a bad clearance by the home keeper which went straight to Leslie who still had to show composure and skill to find the target.

And in between the goals there wasn't, to be quite honest, very much to enthuse about. AP huffed and puffed and tried to find some space but credit to Omonia, they didn't give up and chased and harried us to good effect. Robert used the game to try out some substitutions early on but whichever combination was tried, we weren't able to put together our normal game.

So much so that the home coach could be heard lambasting his team at half-time with the words that we were the worst team they'd played this season and the game was still there to be won. Perhaps a little harsh although it was difficult to argue with Robert's half-time words that Omonia had lost the game in the opening half hour rather than AP actually winning it.

Thankfully things improved somewhat in the second half with, at last, some genuine passing play to applaud from Richard, Daniel, Leslie, Ben and Joe in particular.  At the back, Hugo was having one of those under-employed days with little chance to shine. Our fourth goal arrived courtesy of another Leslie corner which Robbie played back to him to cross for Douglas to head home. And number five, the best goal of the game, came near the end when Leslie sent Ben through on goal with a lovely pass which he converted in the corner. Just before that, Omonia had scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot given when Sahr was adjudged to have fouled one of their attackers.

So into the last eight and, as I write, there are only three other red division teams left in the Challenge Cup - Omonia White, Whetstone Pumas and our old chums from Croxley. However, there are some very strong teams from the white division below us still there so whoever we get in the last eight it's bound to be a tough tie.

Player of the match: Leslie 

Croxley Guild Youth 3 AP North 2

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Richard, Ben; Stephen, Robbie, Aidan; Daniel, Leslie, Joe; Sub: Louis

Goals: Stephen, Joe

A veritable curate's egg of a performance this one (and if you're unfamiliar with the saying go and look it up like your parents had to do!). Some terrific passing going forward, some periods when we were outfought, some excellent defending and a couple of elementary mistakes which cost us goas at crucial times. In the end though, we just lost out to Croxley for the second week running although a draw would have been a fairer result.

Already without Alex, Dom and Sahr we were nearly without Stephen and Louis as well but some directional help from Croxley helped to get them to the ground just in time. The opening fifteen minutes were pretty even without either goalkeeper being unduly troubled. AP had already come close from one corner before they managed to take the lead. Leslie's corner being met with a strong header from Stephen which ended up over the line despite the efforts of the defenders on the line.

Perhaps that was slightly unfair given the balance of play with Croxley shooting down a diagonal slope. The equaliser wasn't long delayed though. A corner on the right saw Stephen and Hugo getting in each other's way and a Croxley attacker was able to head the loose ball into the net. Worse was to come just before half-time. One of the Croxley attackers made ground down the left and fired in a low shot which Hugo got down very well to save. Unfortunately the rebound fell very nicely for one of the home team who fired low to put Croxley two-one up in a repetition of what had happened six days' earlier.

But AP still had confidence knowing they were shooting downhill and with the wind. Things got off to a bad start though with the loss of a crucial third goal. Douglas missed a clearance out on the right. One of the attackers crossed from the by-line and Richard wasn't able to clear leaving Croxley's right-winger to shoot home past an unprotected Hugo.

Hearts might have sunk a bit at this development but not AP and with twenty minutes left they pulled back a goal with a terrific move. Stephen and Daniel were forming a good partnership down the right and from one of their crosses, Leslie played a neat ball back to Ben who swept a ball towards goal where Joe was handily placed to run on and head home. 3-2 and still time to come back.

But Croxley continued to show what a strong side they are - perhaps too strong on a couple of occasions when the referee preferred to let play go on. They seemed to win most of the 50/50 balls and were again quick to close us down. Hugo made one terrific save low down to his right for a corner to keep AP in the game.

And then the hard luck really began. Daniel and Stephen combined down the right and Stephen was desperately unfortunate to see his shot flash just past the post. Then Joe fired in a strong shot which the keeper parried on the line with no-one there to knock it in. Stephen managed one more surging run without success and that was effectively it.

Player of the match: Robbie

AP North 2 Croxley Guild Youth 2 (after extra time) Croxley win 4-2 on penalties

Team: Hugo; Alfie; Douglas, Alex, Ben; Stephen, Robbie, Aidan; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Subs: Dominic, Richard;

Goals: Douglas, Joe

So that's that then. Our dream of continuing a Cup campaign on three fronts (Challenge, League and County) is over after this gruelling defeat against a good Croxley team. Sixty minutes couldn't separate the two of them. An extra twenty minutes couldn't either. And it was only on penalties that the two could be separated, sadly for us, with AP the losers.

First of all, we should give this season's long-distance effort award to Joe and his dad who broke off a family holiday in Cornwall to come back for this game. And on his birthday as well. We just hope the cake wasn't too burnt by the time he got back........ And well done too to Sahr who came up from Dulwich. 

It was cold and frosty and the Muswell Hill pitch was hard in places when we first arrived. By ten o'clock though, a warm sun had warmed it up and there was no danger of the game being called off. Croxley have always given us a good game in the past and this was no different. They're strong and well-organised and, within minutes of the game starting, it was clear that finding space was going to be difficult. The first fifteen minutes were laregly uneventful but, as coach Fraser noted, most of the play was in the Croxley half with AP just shading it in terms of possession. Then came the breakthrough. One of AP's corners was played back to Leslie who crossed it back into the box. Joe headed on and Douglas volleyed home from close range for his first goal of the season.

Croxley came into it more towards half-time with Hugo having to make several well-judged and brave saves at the feet of onrushing attackers. But they didn't really threaten and, on balance, we were worth our one-nil half-time lead.

Strangely for a Cup tie between two well-matched teams there hadn't been a great deal of spark in the first-half. We knew several of our team had been laid low with a bug during the week (Dom had been up at two that very morning) and that may have been a factor.

Into the second-half and, for the first fifteen minutes or so, it was all Croxley. Their impressive number 10 was becoming more and more influential and his strong run and shot was just wide. But with pressure mounting on the home defence, something had to give. Dom, on for Alfie at right back, tripped one of the visitors in the box and, from where we were, it looked a clear penalty. Croxley scored from it, a low shot which was to become their trademark for penalties and it was one-one.

But if we thought that was going to wake us up we were wrong. Croxley kept pressing forward and it seemed only a matter of time before they scored again. And they did when, after some ping-pong in the box following a corner, one of the attackers netted in the corner. It could have been worse: Hugo had got back quickly to save on the line when one of his clearances was quickly returned by an alert midfielder; and Douglas cleared off the line on another occasion.

AP had found it hard to get Joe into the game although he manged one trademark run and cross down the left midway through the half. With just over five minutes left, he provided the equaliser, running onto an excellent pass from Leslie and outpacing the right back to fire in off the post. That was the end of the scoring and, to be honest, a draw was a fair result.

With hindsight, AP's real chance to win this game came in extra time with three good chances missed. In the first period, one of the Croxley defenders sliced a clearance over his own bar for a corner. In the second period, Richard got into great position in front of the box but fired over. And Joe popped up on the left to turn and twist before his shot was saved by the keeper. There wasn't much of Croxley as an attacking force in extra time. Maybe they were saving themselves for penalties.

Never easy things penalties. Just ask Stuart Pearce or Gareth Southgage or one of the many players who have missed them. And so it proved here. Alex took the first one for AP but it was saved by the keeper. Croxley netted theirs to go one up. Ben made it one-all before Croxley went back into the lead with a shot into the corner which Hugo very nearly got before it bobbled over his hands. Stephen scored to make it two-two but Croxley kept them low and out of reach. Three-two. Up came Robbie but his penalty was again saved by the keeper to his right. That left Croxley to score their fourth to win which they did and we were out.

No time to feel sorry for ourselves though. We can get a quick revenge on Saturday when we play them in the league.

Player of the match: Douglas

Harvesters North 1 AP North 3

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Richard; Stephen, Robbie, Ben; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Sub: Louis

Goals: Joe (2), Leslie

It only takes a minute to fall in love sang Tavares (or, if you're a bit younger, Take That in the not quite so good cover version. See, I'm not just giving you the question but the answers as well now). But as all keen football fans know, it only takes a minute for a game to turn on its head. And for a perfect example, m'lud, I point you in the direction of exhibit A, this here Challenge Cup second round tie between Harvesters and AP North.

Picture the scene: Harvesters have just scored towards the end of the first-half to go one-nil up. They press and win a corner. The cross is a good one, swerving and dipping towards the back post where it drops, almost on the goal-line, for one of the home team to head strongly into the net. The scorer turns and wheels away in delight towards the home fans. "Oh dear," I think. "Damn and blast. Two-nil down. That is a blow." (I actually remember saying it a little differently but will respect the sensitivities of young ears by sanitising it).

But hold on a minute. Julian over by the far touchline has his flag raised. He says the ball went out before it came back in. The referee's listening to him and gives.......a goal kick. Cue mayhem and madness among the assorted fans and coaches of Harvesters. Julian gets an earful from one or two of them who don't know that Julian, being an honest man and a stickler for the rules, would have given the same decision had the same thing happened at the other end. But that's not going to pacify them right now. Especially as, within seconds, it gets a whole lot worse. Or better. Depending on your point of view.

We go up the field. Stephen hits a good low volley which is probably going past the post before the keeper decides to dive and save it. But he can't hold onto it and it falls very neatly for Joe who, as we all know by now, doesn't look a gift goal in the mouth and he does the necessary once again. One-all instead of two-one down. I think you could say that was an important passage of the game.

And make no mistake, this was a tough one. Harvesters are one of the best run teams in the Watford Friendly League and even if their league record isn't stunning, we knew we were in for a battle on a heavy pitch against a big, strong side. The first fifteen minutes were fairly even - Richard and Sahr both having shots just off target and Hugo being forced into taking a couple of sharp crosses. Stephen and Joe both had strong runs which ended with shots when it might have been better to pass to unmarked team-mates.

And then, from our first corner of the game on 25 minutes, disaster. Harvesters broke up field and their tricky left-winger ran from deep inside his half all the way into our box - despite the attentions of Ben who chased and harried him all the way. Then he managed to steady himself and fire the opening goal past Hugo. One-nil up. Hugo then had a good save from a long-range shot before "the fateful minute" arrived.

Into the second-half, and Louis - who'd really got stuck in in training the day before - replaced Richard at left-back. We expected Harvesters to be fired up and come at us down the slight slope and they did. One gilt-edge chance was squandered soon after half-time. But then AP got stronger and we began to find some more space down the wings where we'd been frustrated in the first-half. Joe and Leslie worked a good one-two which ended with a Joe shot past the post. But the second goal wasn't long delayed. Joe, showing terrific pace once again from the halfway line, scooted down the wing and delievered a low cross which Leslie tucked away between the goalie's legs.

Harvesters kept pressing but AP remained strong in defence and when Alfie, Douglas, Alex and Louis were breached Hugo was strong with a series of brave and solid catches or sprints from goal to deny the home side. And in midfield, Stephen, Robbie and Ben were up and down the pitch covering and tackling in what was an energy-sapping contest.

Harvesters came close from a corner which slipped past and then, with about ten minutes to go, the game was won. Richard, on for Alfie at right back, cleared from his own half. Joe was onto the clearance and sprinting free towards goal and, once again, he finished with aplomb. Three-one and game, effectively over. Harvesters, to their credit, kept pressing to the end with another series of corners but AP stood firm.

So an excellent win against strong opponents albeit with more than a touch of controversy about it. Again, fair play to the Harvesters coaching staff who were generous in defeat and got their boys to get on with the game rather than moan about a decision they felt had penalised them.

As Robert had to miss this one, I think it's only fair to say welcome back. As Graham and Mark who helped with training on Saturday will attest, there's a lot more to this coaching/managing lark than anyone might think. Thanks for taking it on every week.

Player of the match: Joe

Everett Rovers Blue 2 AP North 1

Team: Hugo; Sahr, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Alfie, Aidan, Robbie, Daniel; Leslie, Joe; Sub: Louis

Goal: Leslie

Funny business this U-11 league mallarkey. We tonk Northwood 9-0. The following week they beat Everett Rovers 3-0. So, if there's such a thing as logic, you'd expect us to beat Everett with some ease. Except - for the second time this season - our opponents refused to follow any pre-written scripts and instead battled hard and ground out a 2-1 victory. Maybe they're our jinx side. Whatever, it's clearly a case of "Can we not play you every week."

With Stephen out injured, we were down to a squad of 12 in the suburban parkland of North Watford. The game began quietly, with Everett possibly having the best of the opening five minutes or so. But then AP took control: Leslie and Alfie began to spray some good passes around and we all - misguidedly as it turned out - nodded contentedly on the sidelines and waited for the first goal. And waited. And waited......

Joe burst in from the left but put his shot just past the post. Then he was sent clear on the right only for the goalkeeper to make a good blocking save. He made an even better save a minute later when Joe headed towards the roof of the net from a corner. The pressure continued. Ben hit an excellent left foot drive which the keeper - having a very solid game - tipped over the bar. Joe went on another run down the wing but shot wide with Leslie ready in front of goal. And then, from another corner, the ball seemed to be cleared off the line about a dozen times (only a slight exaggeration) before being hoofed to safety. So, we could - and should - have been three or four up by this time. And Everett had only really troubled us once when their strikers had got in each other's way close to Hugo's goal.

And then, just as happened at Durnsford earlier in the season, Everett snatched the first goal. A corner on the right, some slack marking at the back post and a crisp left foot volley past Hugo. One-nil down, scarcely deserved on the balance of play but, once again, Everett had shown just how far you can get with determination, a bit of luck and an ability to break quickly and in numbers.

Into the second-half and the same pattern continued. After Robbie was fouled, Leslie came close with a free-kick from outside the box which went a couple of feet wide and Joe remained a constant threat down the left with his pace and control. But then, from another AP attack, Everett scored their second. After a quick pass up the right, their winger cut inside Alex and hit a shot which was going in. Douglas, running back in that "no-win" position for defenders, tried to clear but an onrushing Everett attacker was right beside him and the ball ended up in the net.

With twenty minutes to go, we still felt AP could salvage something from this game. Robert shuffled the pack with Alfie, Daniel, Sahr and Louis all trying to wrest midfield control from a strong home unit. Joe again came close with a surging run down the left, again just past; Robbie had a difficult chance which went over the bar and a couple of good Leslie corners nearly produced a goal but didn't. With five minutes left, we finally scored. Joe burst down the left (for about the 43rd time) and his cross was headed towards goal by Daniel where it was blocked before Leslie managed to force it home. Even then the ball seemed reluctant to cross the line for us, barely nestling in the corner of the net.

One last chance came in the final minute when Joe outpaced the defence and hit another shot across the face of goal, where Daniel, from a very tight angle, fired it back across goal and behind.

So, another two-one defeat to Everett in a game which, we should say, was very well refereed throughout. Everett are a good side, strong and committed and work well for each other, especially in midfield where they seemed to win most 50-50 balls. AP definitely deserved something from the game but, as we saw last week, it's taking your chances that counts.

AP's best performers were, for my money, at the back where Alex and Douglas were solid and covered well and Ben was tenacious and always willing to roam forward. And up front with Joe's quick and tireless running and Leslie's thoughtful passing and prompting. 

AP North 4 Hadley Rangers East 1

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Sahr, Aidan, Robbie, Stephen; Joe, Leslie; Subs: Louis, Dom

Goals: Joe (3), own goal

Welcome back to the world of competitive football! After a gap of seven weeks caused by Santa Claus, New Year and waterlogged pitches, the boys finally kick-started their season with a league win over Hadley Rangers. Although the scoreline looks comfortable enough, this was a truly bizarre result. AP turned in one of their least impressive displays of the season but won thanks to the goal-scoring instincts of young Mr Light (as opposed to old Mr Light clearly) and Hadley's bad luck in front of goal. Anyone who's watched this team over the last couple of years will know that we've often dominated games but squandered our chances. This match was the complete opposite.

On a Muswell Hill pitch that was in decent condition considering the amount of rain that's fallen, AP began slowly. Exceedingly slowly. It was one of those mornings for fresh-air kicks, triangular heads and being eased off the ball by more determined opponents. So it was no surprise when Hadley took the lead with a smart goal. The ball was worked out of midfield down the right and when the cut back came over, an unmarked attacker had an easy job of beating Hugo. Minutes later, it could have been two but Hugo got down well to his left to save a well-struck shot.

And what were AP doing? Well, apart from the surging runs of Sahr down the right-hand side, not a lot to be honest. But, as often happens, they equalised with one of their first attacks of the game. Sahr was brought down out on the right touchline. Aidan's free-kick was nodded on by Robbie and Joe, with his back to goal, turned and hit a lovely left-footed shot into the corner, wrong-footing the Hadley keeper completely. Joe's pace nearly brought a second down the left but his shot was too close to the keeper. But his second wasn't long delayed. Louis, on for Stephen, pinged a ball down the centre which looked like a hopeless cause given that Joe had two defenders ahead of him. But his determination ended in a goal-mouth "stramash" with the ball coming off the keeper's chest before Joe knocked it home, perhaps off a defender in the end but we won't quibble with that. 2-1 up without playing that well? The mark of a good team perhaps?

Hadley though weren't out of it and could, and should, have equalised before half-time. One shot went past the post, one over the bar and another hit the junction of bar and post before being cleared to safety. AP knew they were a bit fortunate to be ahead.

Into the second-half, and with Dom on for Alfie, Hadley continued to press forward with a succession of corners. Hugo save one header; another looping shot thumped back off the top of the crossbar. It wasn't going to be Hadley's day. That was proved in a ninety second period when AP made the game safe with two goals. Stephen - on for Aidan - had a shot saved by the keeper but Joe (who else?) was on hand to slot home the rebound. And straight after, Joe knocked a ball through the centre which a defender tried to clear but only managed to lob into the corner of the net. Four-one. Much scratching of heads on the touchline at the way the game had turned out but the points were safe and the game petered out after that.

This win takes AP into second place as Whestone's game was postponed. Next week, it's a trip to Everett Rovers Blue, the team we should have beaten at home but didn't. So a good chance for revenge, if we play better than we did here.

Man of the match: Joe 

AP North 11 Edson Youth 0

Team: Douglas; Dominic, Robbie, Aidan, Richard; Sahr, Leslie, Ben; Daniel, Alfie, Alex; Subs: Stephen, Joe;

A bit of a harsh headline it may be, but there was never any doubt about the result of this friendly. Edson Youth are four divisions below us and while they played with spirit and endeavour - especially at the very start - the gulf in quality, team-work and passing was evident throughout. By the end, the hungry AP forward line, swelled by the ranks of midfielders and even some defenders, was more or less queuing up to be next on the score-sheet.

Robert shuffled the team to give some players opportunities in unusual positions and that was proved when, after Edson had made a promising start - Alex was on the end of a move to "toe-poke" (his words) AP's opening goal and his first of the season. Ben added number two with a terrific mazy run from the left touchline and an excellent finish into the far corner. Then Daniel got in on the act, scoring the third and claiming the fourth which deflected off a defender on the way in. You can't keep Joe off the score-sheet and he scored the fifth just before half-time after coming on.

Into the second-half and Edson started to run out of steam with the game following a fairly regular pattern: AP attacked and either scored or missed. The Edson keeper would kick out straight to one of our players and we'd either score or miss and the pattern would repeat. Goals six and seven came courtesy of Ben who grabbed his first hat-trick of the season, Stephen scored number eight just as we were all wondering if he'd ever get that goal he deserved, Alex got his second and our ninth and Aidan and Robbie added goals ten and eleven.

Douglas - who had a save in the first-half - assures me that I have the score wrong and it was actually 12-0 but I'm fairly sure it was 11 myself. Anyway, it was the last action before the Christmas break and we'll resume on January 13th with what's likely to be a much harder League Cup game against Croxley.

PS: Did you see the Northwood v Everett Rovers score? Blimey.....

AP North 9 Northwood Red 0

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Daniel, Stephen, Robbie; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Subs: Dominic, Louis, Richard,

Soaked to the skin, freezing cold, caked in mud and ready for a hot drink and a warm bath. And if that's what we parents were feeling at the end of this one, imagine what the boys were like. Yes, this was one of those mornings that gives December a bad name with sleety rain and a chill wind making staying indoors look like a much preferable option. But it didn't stop AP running up the biggest win to date in the Red Division with this comprehensive rout of Northwood.

As Robert pointed out at the end, we've now played Northwood twice and won, on aggregate, 15-1. This, remember, was the team who won the White Division last season. Northwood have clearly lost confidence after a series of heavy defeats and they're a much better team than those scorelines would suggest. But it does show how much progress the boys have made both on the pitch and under the supervision of their coaches that they've moved ahead of the team who finished above them.

AP had this one sewn up halfway through the first-half. Both Stephen and Leslie had early shots well saved by the Northwood keeper but the first goal came soon after. Leslie sent over a corner and Joe showed great tenacity to score after a couple of efforts had been blocked. Moments later it was two - Daniel making a great run down the right and cutting back a cross for Joe to score his second. Another Leslie corner led to number three, Robbie slotting home after Northwood had failed to clear. And there were barely ten minutes gone.

Number four came when Stephen sent a good ball through to Leslie who tucked it away in the far corner of the net. Stephen was showing terrific energy and endeavour in midfield and one of his surging runs took him past four defenders and looked sure to end in a goal. The keeper blocked his shot though only for Leslie to knock the rebound in for his second and AP's fifth.

Goals six and seven - still before half-time - came courtesy of Joe who scored his fourth hat-trick of the season. Alex provided Joe's third goal, picking up a loose ball and roaming forward to send Joe clear. And number seven came down the right with Sahr and Leslie combining to cross for Joe to score from a few yards out. Four goals in the first period show just what a predatory instinct for scoring goals Joe has. Long may it continue!

The only disappointment in the first-half came near the end when Stephen took a sore one in a challenge outside the box. He had to be carried off the field and took no further part and we're all hoping it didn't look as bad as it seemed and that he's fit and well as soon as possible.

Not surprisingly with the game well won, the second-half was a bit of an anti-climax. Robert made several subsitutions, bringing on Dominic, Louis and Richard with Joe and Ben (who bravely played after a head knock earlier in the week) the others to come off. The newcomers saw a lot of the ball and made useful contributions. Leslie and Louis both went close to scoring and Hugo had a couple of good saves as Northwood made more of a game of it. AP added two more goals, both created by Joe. The first was a mazy run into the box which set up Dominic whose shot was parried by the keeper but still went in. The ninth, and final goal, came when Joe made another strong run down the left and sent over an inviting cut-back for Daniel to score.

Player of the match: Stephen for his first-half contribution. Honourable mentions to: Joe (four goals and two assists) and Leslie (two goals and three assists)

Chase Side Youth 0 AP North 4

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Aidan, Stephen, Robbie; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Subs: Louis, Richard;

Magnificent. Terrific. Outstanding. Every single one of them. This was a top-quality performance from the boys in the quarter-finals of the Amateur Football Alliance County Cup. If you think I’ve gone a little bit over the top today then it’s allowed. We Scots are normally reserved and pessimistic in our general outlook, if not given to full-blown Private Fraser-style exclamations of “We’re dooooooooooooomed!” But the boys made sure these thoughts were banished from the word go with, to my eyes anyway, their best-ever 11-a-side performance.

And yet the portents were not good. Chase Side had beaten Omonia Green 6-3 this season; they were, it later turned out, winners of this Cup last season; two of their side had been approached by Leyton Orient; they have an excellent reputation at youth football; and it was raining cats and dogs with a middling-to-strong wind blowing across the pitch.

But even while warming up, the AP team looked up for it, keen and full of belief that they could come here and win this. And they carried that attitude out onto the pitch from the kick-off. With the wind in their favour, they matched Chase Side in the opening minutes and, as the first-half wore on, gradually started to take control, clearly enjoying the space that the big pitch gave them. A series of corners came to nothing. Then Stephen went on a terrific run and crashed a great shot off the crossbar. Joe started to outpace the opposition – one through ball in particular when he gave the defender a good ten yards of a start and still managed to get to the ball first by the corner flag. It was starting to look good with Leslie and Sahr spraying the ball up front and Stephen, Aidan and Robbie chasing and harrying in midfield and giving the home side little chance to move forward.

All the time though was that nagging feeling that we needed a goal by half-time given the advantage the wind was giving. And with a few minutes of the half remaining we didn’t just get one but two. Stephen was upended just outside the box after another surging run from midfield. Leslie lined up the free-kick and we all willed him to produce another David Beckham Greece moment (or indeed Leslie Whetstone Pumas moment as it’s now gone down in local folklore). The kick was a good one, curling in just under the bar but the keeper made an excellent stop only to spill the ball on the line for Joe to grab a vital goal. A minute later, it got even better when Sahr charged down the right and hit a wicked (the meaning of wicked here is equally applicable for either parents or boys) cross in which deflected off a defender into the net. Two-nil up at half-time was a much cheerier scoreline and not undeserved given the pressure AP had enjoyed.

This was the time for the AP defence, in the shape of Alfie, Douglas, Alex and Ben to stand firm and repel all invaders – as they say in all the best naval coaching manuals. And when they weren’t able to, Hugo was there to save the day with a terrific one-handed save down to his left to turn round an angled drive. And they had some luck when Hugo made another save with his feet and the attacker had the goal at his mercy only to put the ball high over the bar. The ball was hardly out of our half during this time but determination was written across every AP face (okay, I’m exaggerating slightly) and Chase Side visibly wilted as the clock ticked on.

The game was excellently refereed throughout and the only sour note came at the end when one of the opposition decided to vent his frustration, physically, on Leslie in marked contrast to the sporting attitude Chase Side had otherwise displayed in defeat.

But for AP, the semi-finals, sometime in 2008, beckon. Next week it’s back to Northwood for a crucial league match and, although we beat them well recently, a repeat of the performance and attitude shown on Sunday will be needed again to take three points.

Manager’s man of the match: Hugo (for THAT save); Honourable mention: The back four

PS: For details of the County Cup go to this website:

http://www.amateur-fa.com/FixturesAndResults/CountyCups/SundayU11/?tab=fixtures

Abbots Youth 2 AP North 2

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Alex, Douglas, Richard; Robbie, Stephen, Aidan; Sahr, Leslie, Joe; Sub: Daniel

Hard to tell at the end of this one if this was a point won or two points lost. And given that Abbots Youth were probably wondering exactly the same, that's an indication that a draw was pretty fair. But still, if only THAT one had gone in.... If only we hadn't given away a fairly cheap goal at 2-1. But then they missed a penalty.....and Hugo had a terrific save when we were one-down. Yup, it was one of those games.

As keen readers of this column will know (and many thanks to all four of you), Abbots had the upper hand on us last year only for us to beat them in our first, proper 11 a-side match in September. This time we travelled to leafy (and chilly) Abbots Langley to face them again. Robert was hoping to celebrate his birthday with a win and a successful new formation. But the first shock of the day was the pitch. Full-size goals, full-size pitch markings but....ummmm.....a very small pitch. So much so that it was only a couple of strides from the edge of the penalty box to the touchline and the centre circle and half moon of the penalty box were so close together they were perilously close to overlapping to look like one of those complicated venn diagrams you used to get at school. (You know: fifteen boys like apples, twelve boys like pears, seven boys like apples and pears and four don't like any at all. Anyway....where were we?) Ah yes, the net result of this concertina-type of pitch was that Hugo played in goal as an auxiliary sweeper and the other ten tried to stick to their positions without treading on their team-mates' toes. I exaggerate of course. But only slightly. 

Whatever, it was Abbots who began the match better with AP finding it hard to put a foot on the ball and introduce any kind of fluency to their play. The forward passes we did manage to make seemed to end up going straight through, harmlessly, to the home keeper. Abbots had three good chances: a header that rattled Hugo's crossbar, a shot that went past when they broke through the middle of AP's defence and a penalty, given after handball by Alex in the outer reaches of the penalty box, which was - thankfully for us - dispatched high over the bar towards the climbing frame/playground area.

Maybe this was going to be our day after all. Buoyed by the penalty miss, Leslie, Robbie, Aidan and Joe all had shots which held out the promise of better things and with Stephen buzzing in midfield and Sahr making ground down the right, we allowed ourselves to feel a bit more confident. And then disaster. From out by the touchline (or just inside the penalty box - you can choose), the Abbot's right winger pinged a cross-cum-shot that sailed over Hugo's head into the far corner. One-nil. Deserved on the quality of the chances but still a bit of a blow so close to half-time.

Robert changed things round at half-time, bringing on Daniel for a competitive debut down the left and moving Sahr back into midfield, with Aidan going off. And, despite going up the hill, we started better with Abbots looking less of a threat than they had in the first-half. They nearly made the game safe though when Hugo was called into action with a terrific, instinctive blocking save ten minutes into the half. That, for me at any rate, was a turning point as AP went up the field and equalised soon after. Daniel made a great run down the left beating three defenders and winning a corner. Leslie's kick was met by Stephen who headed against the crossbar but Sarh was on hand to knock the rebound over the line. Five minutes later it got even better: a throw in by Sahr was knocked on by Robbie to Joe who, with his back to goal, turned his man and slipped a lovely left-footed shot inside the post.

Abbots were reeling and Joe could have made it three when he ran through the centre of the defence only to slip his shot past the post. We wondered if that would cost us but with Alfie, Alex, Douglas and Richard strong and organised at the back (and Julian's flag to help out when, correctly, he ruled Abbots offside when the ball was in the net). And then, disaster times two with a few minutes left. AP cleared to the Abbots right-winger who instinctively hit it high into the air towards Hugo's goal from the corner of the penalty box. It was one of those Nayim moments when you could see what was going to happen even if you didn't know if he meant it or not. It sailed just under Hugo's crossbar for the equaliser and, although Stephen nearly scored with a late chance in the dying minutes, that was how it finished.

Player of the match: Sahr  

AP North 6 Northwood Red 1

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Sahr, Alex, Ben; Aidan, Robbie, Stephen, Douglas; Leslie, Joe; Subs: Louis, Dominic

After the disappointments of the last couple of weeks, AP got their season back on track with their first win in the Red Division. And what a win it was - a tonking of the team who finished above us in last year's White Division and who have given us many a close game in the past. Hard to put your finger on why AP clicked so much better on this occasion - they made and took far more chances and battled hard in midfield and, it's worth noting, the three teams we've played at the start of this league campaign - Whetstone, Omonia and Everett Rovers - are currently in the top three places in the league.

I'm still unsure whether this was - officially - a home game or an away game but, whatever, we were all heading along the now familiar road to sunny Northwood (I exaggerate the temperature by about a billion degrees incidentally) at a very unseemly and early hour. Northwood had, like us, taken just one point from their first three matches and while "relegation decider" may be an unfair term, whoever lost was going to be stuck firmly at the bottom for another week.

Northwood began as if they firmly believed it was not going to be them. In a strange mirror image of last week's match when we had all the play in the first fifteen minutes or so, Northwood enjoyed far more possession in the opening ten minutes and forced a series of corners while AP looked a little like a team whose confidence had taken a knock. But after that, led by the admirable Stephen who was here, there and everywhere, AP started to make some headway, particularly down the left where Joe clearly had the beating of the defence for pace. A couple of shots from Joe slipped narrowly by and Aidan forced a terrific save from the keeper with a long-range shot. Just when we were wondering if this was to be a repeat of our previous visit to the slopes of Northwood when we'd created a zillion chances but struggled to score, Joe broke the deadlock, latching onto a pass from Stephen and clipping the ball into the corner of the net. A few minutes later, it was two with Robbie the provider, taking a square pass from Douglas to send Joe racing through where he toe-poked the second. There was still time for Joe to miss out on a hat-trick with a shot over the bar and for him to set up Leslie with a cut-back which slipped past before half-time came.

The Northwood coach was clearly confident that, with the slope in his favour in the second-half, his side could come back. AP reshuffled with Louis and Dominic on for Alfie - who'd had a really solid game at right back - and Douglas and almost from the kick-off, killed the game stone dead. A smart move up the left saw Joe run down the bye-line to cut back for Leslie who made no mistake from close range. And, after that, it was really a question of how many AP would win by. Ben scored number four, a fierce shot which the keeper couldn't hold and which he's claiming although Joe was there on the line to make sure. Joe did get his long-awaited hat-trick minutes later with a shot from an acute angle out by the corner flag which ended up in the net. And after Aidan had rattled the bar with a fierce shot and Stephen had gone close to a well-deserved goal, Leslie slotted home number six for his second goal of the day.

Credit to Northwood who never gave up and never resorted to foul play to stop us. They scored just before the end with a long-range shot after the AP defence failed to clear and fully deserved their consolation.

Lots for AP to be pleased about and nice to have a win, some points and a move up the table before we lock horns with our old chums Abbots Youth again next week.

Man of the match: Ben (with honourable mentions to Joe and Stephen)

AP North 1 Everett Rovers Blue 2

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Sahr, Robbie, Stephen, Aidan; Leslie, Joe; Subs: Richard, Louis

Frustrated. That was the dominant emotion among the boys and parents at the end of this one. For the boys, frustration that the penalty award which gave the visitors three points seemed harsh to them; for the parents the realisation that while AP had been the better side, particularly in the first-half, an organised and committed Everett team had taught us an important lesson: Taking your chances wins matches. And that was what they did with aplomb, taking the only two opportunities that came their way.

Early morning rain had more or less gone by the time kick-off came around at Durnsford Park and we had a pleasant, sunny late autumn morning, complete with a swirly wind. Taking Robert’s words to “get into them from the start” AP began very strongly with Stephen and Robbie running the show in midfield, winning the ball and forcing AP forward. Everett struggled to get the ball out of their own half and Hugo could have spent the first twenty minutes at his auntie’s so dominant were the home side. On the touchline, we smiled and nodded and reckoned the opening goal would only be a matter of time. Corner followed corner but, credit to Everett, they defended well, crowding and harrying AP so that, for all their possession, there were few chances on goal: Douglas headed past from a corner, Robbie guided one the wrong side of the post and then he forced a terrific save from the goalie with a great shot that was heading to the far corner.

And then, as so often happens when one team is dominant, the opening goal came for the team under the cosh. Alex’s goal-kick clearance went straight to an opposing forward and he ran on and shot high into the next giving Hugo no chance at all. It wasn’t quite Hugo’s first touch but it wasn’t far off.

Into the second-half, with Richard and Dominic on for Aidan and Alfie and with Ben moving into left midfield, AP continued to take the game to their opponents. Ben and Richard nearly created a chance which Richard put narrowly past. But, to be honest, apart from that chance, AP weren’t able to create much with Joe and Leslie shackled well by a strong defence. 

Just when we were thinking the game was up, we got an equaliser, when Leslie played Sahr into the box only for his surging run to be stopped by an illegal challenge. Leslie did the honours from the spot and it was one-one. Perhaps we’d get that elusive first win after all. 

But barely had we stopped celebrating the equaliser, than we were back to being a goal down. It was hard to tell from here whether it was a penalty or not but it did seem to be in the box and Sahr did say afterwards that there had been contact. Everett weren’t complaining and the penalty was duly dispatched to make it two-one to the visitors and leave us with just one point from the first three league matches.

Fraser made a good observation that, because Everett have been in the top division for longer, they know how to close down and battle to win games, even when they come up against better teams. It seems our boys still need to learn that lesson and we’re currently struggling when teams don’t give us space to play our normal game. Next week’s match at Northwood, currently bottom of the table, is already looking like a pretty crucial one.

Manager’s player of the match: Robbie

AP North 1 Omonia Green 4

Team: Hugo; Alfie, Sahr, Alex, Ben; Douglas, Aidan, Stephen, Dominic;  Joe, Leslie; Subs: Robbie, Richard

And the Red Division is certainly not easy. After last week's titanic encounter against Whetstone (Man Utd) AP were pitched up against another top-class side Omonia (Arsenal). And it's fair to say that we were beaten fair and square by a better team, reckoned by the touchline parents to be by far the best we've come up against this season. Omonia always produce a well-coached side and this one was generally quicker to the ball and more committed than AP. With both sides keen to pass and boasting speed up front, Omonia's tenacity and ball-winning skill proved vital in so many areas of the pitch. One bad result doesn't make AP a bad team of course but if the boys look at why they lost it might help to push them to a higher level for the rest of the season.

It's rare this season for a half to pass without AP having any shots on goal but that's more or less what happened in the first half here. A couple of early corners were about the sum total of our pressure on the away goal. In response, Omonia wasted at least four good chances which would have given them the lead: one sailed over the bar, one hit the base of Hugo's left-hand post and two went past his right from the speedy and very impressive Omonia number nine who gave our defence a very difficult morning.

The goalless scoreline didn't last for long into the second half, barely time enough for the tupperware lid to shut on the interval oranges. A cross from the right, a bit of a mix-up in the AP defence and a looping header over Hugo to make it one-nil. It was no more than Omonia deserved but it seemed to galvanise AP. Joe managed to send Leslie through only for the keeper to make a good save. Just as we thought AP might claw their way back disaster struck. A harmless looking toe-poke seemed to be heading past for a goal-kick. That's what we thought and, more importantly, what Hugo thought. Unfortunately it was heading into the back of the net for the visitors' second goal. Hugo looked distraught and as a former keeper who has done similar in the past, I knew EXACTLY how he felt. Hugo is a terrific keeper and has saved the team on many occasions in the past. EVERY goalkeeper makes mistakes - even the very, very best - but, being the last line of defence, they get punished for them and it's not a nice feeling at all.

To prove it was going to be one of those days, AP also managed to prevent themselves scoring a goal - Douglas' goal-bound volley from a corner hitting Sahr and bouncing away. Omonia went up to the other end and pumped a high ball in from the left which Hugo tried to gather but failed and the rebound was put away by one of the attackers with no home defenders nearby.

AP did pull one back when Joe ran onto a ball squirted through by Richard and picked his spot well in the far corner but it was too late to mount a comeback. And Omonia added a fourth near the end when Hugo saved a shot only for the attacker to calmly pick his spot in the corner with the rebound.

So lots for the boys to ponder before next week's match. We may well have played two of the best teams in the league. Over the next two weeks, we'll face the two teams who, currently, lie below us in the table. That should give us a much better idea of what sort of season we have in store.

Manager's man of the match: Alex

*so obscure even I had to google to find out who sang it.

Whetstone Pumas 2 AP North 2  

Team: Hugo; Alfie (Richard), Sahr, Alex, Ben; Aidan, Stephen, Robbie, Louis (Dominic); Leslie, Joe; Subs: Dominic and Richard                                               
                                                                            
Talk about a baptism by fire!!

The Watford Friendly league fixture computer had thrown up the hardest of all starts AP North in the U11 Red Division....the "chew 'em up and spit 'em out" boys from Whetstone Pumas in the fire and brimstone atmosphere of Whetstone Wanderers FC.

I don't know about the boys, but I had mentally given up on this game, as soon as APYFC had been told of their division status, after a cursory look at the Whetstone Wanderers website. It makes for an  intimidating read....the Pumas are current Red Division champions, League cup winners and Tour champions. In 8 pre season games, they had scored 64 goals and conceded 3, without letting a goal in since the 9th of September. Their squad rejoice in knee trembling nicknames such as "Mad dog", "The Tank" and "Pocket Rocket".

Yup, I'm not ashamed to say that I personally was beaten before a ball had been kicked, I just hope my nervousness was not visible to the team or other dads as kick off approached. Following on with Roddy's choice of song titles as headlines, I'd already written the epitaph for the game and preselected "New Dawn Fades" by Joy Division as the most apt opening line.

Curt then to a wet and windy Pumas ground, with the hour going back and winter upon us, this seemed a portentious introduction to top flight Red Division football. Surely we were about to play men not boys, but hang on a minute, no one had told the team, they weren't just holding their own, they were playing passing and controlled football. The midfield of Stephen, Aidan, Louis and Robbie were immense, breaking up any Whetstone moves. For the first time this season, the Pumas had a game on their hands and they weren't posing us too many problems....anything that got through was ably dealt with by Alfie, Ben,  Alex and his rookie central defensive partner, Sahr, stepping in because Dougie was on international duty. This wasn't back to the walls stuff....if anything APY were unlucky not to go in at half time one or two goals up. Leslie hit the post with a speculative long range shot and the Pumas only real effort was expertly pushed away for a corner by the ever reliable Hugo in goal.
This was real football, punishing tackling from Stephen and Aidan, great movement and passing through the midfield, speed and running off the ball by the strikers and calmness under pressure by the defence and keeper.

0-0 at half time, the wind still howled and rain still whistled in off the Whetstone high ground...on came Richard for a very creditable  debut at right back, replacing Alfie, and Louis went off for the harrying, scurrying midfield presence of Dominic. Now playing into the gale, the game picked up where it had left off, but then from a corner the Pumas grabbed a goal. Surely that was that was their starter for ten. We were going to crumble, but no, Joe burst through their back four and steered a right foot shot from just outside the area past their keeper ...his 10th of the season and APY's first ever Red Division goal. 1-1 game on! AP  broke again, but Joe's shot just missed the angle of post and crossbar...we dared to dream!

Then heartbreak, seven minutes to go and completely against the run of the game, they scored. Julian CP as linesman, waved his flag wildly for a foul on Sahr in the build up to the goal, but the referee overuled him. The minutes ticked away. APY were on top again. Ben had a thunderous shot from 20 yards pushed away at the last gasp by an opponent's foot on the line. It looked like it wasn't going to be our day. Then Stephen, back on after a temporary injury break with a nasty dig in the back, won a free kick outside the area on the D. 30 seconds to go, and reminiscent of that Beckham moment against Greece some years back....all went silent, Leslie stood over the ball, nothing moved...a moment caught in time. Leslie stepped up and hit it, everything was in slow motion and then the ball hit the back of the net - pandemonium! Leslie was submerged under a sea of yellow. The referee blew for full time! We had come to the bear pit and got a draw. This was a real "Lord Nelson, Winston Churchill, Maggie Thatcher are you watching?"  moment. Bring it on! The Pumas website lists a series of teams in Red Division that they are worried about. APY wasn't one of them. It is now!!!!

Hugo said "I'm exhilarated, ecstatic and excited"...not much more to add really.

Manager's man of the match: Aidan

And a note from Robert himself:

Without the eloquence of Roddy a brief word from the manager. It was a terrific team performance resulting in a deserved 2-2 draw against last year's Red division champions and a team that had scored over 50 goals in their five qualification games. A post, a slip in the mud and a volley that sailed just over the net were all that separated U11 North from a famous victory in their first match in the Red division.

When Whetstone scored their second with only seven or so minutes to go it looked like it may be over. Instead of heads hanging down, APY decided that result would be unjust and poured forward in search of the equaliser.
It took until the last minute. Stephen's grit and determination won a free kick and Leslie Ingi conquered his nerves to put an unstoppable shot past the keeper. Joe's earlier goal based on speed and a terrific long ball
from Alex matched up to Whetstone's goals off a corner kick and a goal during the only five minute stretch of the game when we weren't closing down the opposition quickly enough. Aidan, Stephen, Sahr and Alex were all
outstanding down the centre of the pitch and Ben was tremendous in holding his position as the left back. It seems a shame not to mention everyone as literally everybody gave 100% and held their positions brilliantly. A real team performance that everyone can be proud of.

(It was also good to see how good refereeing can be at this level and the difference it makes.)

Evergreen Youth 1 AP North 6

Team: Hugo; Sahr, Douglas, Alex, Ben; Alfie, Stephen, Robbie, Louis; Leslie, Joe; Sub: Dominic

The sun was out. The sky was blue (ish). The ice-cream van chimed invitingly (I’m getting carried away now, aren’t I?) Douglas’s mum was resplendent in her deck-chair (ditto). Joe’s dad still had his cargo pants on (will we still see them in the arctic chill of an early February morning in Croxley we wonder?). Oh and while the parents were lazily sunbathing on the touchline, Robert and the boys played a game of football and won 6-1.

Evergreen were in the same division as we were last year but while we’ve gone up, they’ve gone down. And the gap in quality was there to see even if AP didn’t play as well as they have done and can do. The game was effectively over halfway through the first period. After their now customary slumber, AP took the lead with the first proper move of the match. Louis pinged over an inviting diagonal ball for Alfie to run onto. He played it back to Leslie who crossed for Robbie to volley with the outside of his right foot into the corner of the net. The second came from the penalty spot. Joe was pushed as he challenged for a high ball and the referee sportingly gave the spot-kick which was dispatched with ease into the corner by Leslie. A few minutes later it was three-nil, a long clearance from Douglas finding Leslie (again) on the right and when his shot was parried by the keeper, Joe was on hand to knock the ball home. Three-nil and it looked comfortable without every being dominant. Robbie, Ben and Stephen were winning tussles in midfield but it was clear that the small pitch was hampering any kind of a normal passing game especially down the left. Evergreen, too, were showing more signs of life than previous recent opponents have and pulled one back when one of their players was allowed to hit a hopeful shot from the edge of the penalty area which somehow found its way past Hugo into the far corner of the net.

For just a few minutes after that, Evergreen looked like they might make a game of it but the killer goal came just before half-time when Louis played Joe in and he ran on and beat the keeper with a shot from the very narrowest of angles by the goal-line. Four-one at half-time and that was more or less that.

AP added two more in the second-half. The fifth came when Dominic, on for Louis, sent Leslie through on goal. Leslie, who’d already been unlucky with a shot off the bar, had his shot saved by the keeper. Robbie’s follow-up shot was cleared off the line but the rebound fell for Alfie who prodded it home from close range. The sixth came when Sahr took a quick free-kick on the right and found Leslie who ran on to score his second. 

In between, Evergreen gave Hugo his busiest afternoon for a month or so and he acquitted himself very well with two or three excellent diving saves.

So into the next round of the Challenge Cup and a potential banana-skin avoided. Four of our top division rivals have already gone out – Everett Rovers Blue, Abbots Youth, Northwood Red and Hadley Rangers East. Looking at the results so far this season, it looks like Whetstone Pumas, Croxley Guild and London Maccabi Lions might be the teams setting the pace in the Red Division. Our next game the week after next? Against the Whetstone Pumas who have, up til now, had things their own way. Mind you, so have we. A titanic contest awaits…… 

Player of the match: Leslie

AP North 5 Omonia White 0

Team: Hugo; Sahr, Douglas, Alex, Dominic; Alfie, Stephen, Aidan, Robbie; Joe, Ben; Sub: Louis

This probably wasn't the best the boys have played this season but a five-nil victory is a five-nil victory (copyright: stating the bleedin' obvious inc) and, with it, they secured top place in League Cup Group A. Four games played, four games won, twenty-one goals scored and just one conceded is not a bad record and, allied to the friendly victory over Abbots Youth (who've won their league cup group with ease) gives us a strong case to be included in the top division. Over to you, Watford Friendly League management committee. 

With Leslie suffering from a hamstring injury, Ben moved up into the forward line with Robbie moving to an unaccustomed position on the left of midfield. AP began more strongly and scored early on when Alfie slipped the ball to Joe who ran into the box, rounded the keeper and clipped the ball in from a tight angle. His pace was clearly troubling Omonia who were trying to play an offside game at th