The Curtain Closes

In sad TP fashion, the season drew to an end in a fortunate walk over victory - sad in the sense that a competitive game could have been played had the oppostion set up on time and sad in the sense that there were on 8 willing to pull on the Orange jersey for one last time this season.

However, a friendly match was on the table - 8 v 11 - and TP had one last run out.

Gareth picked up the goalkeeper gloves that he ended last weeks game with, Steve taking the number 14 shirt in the hope that some 'Henry-esque' magic would fill his boots, and the rest of us set up stall on top of the 18 yard box!

But what a stall it was, with Trevor displaying nifty footwork & Ian throwing everything but the kitchen sink into tackles to send us in at half time a respectable 3-0 down, which may have been 3-1 but with a better rub of the green after Darryl tried to catch the keeper off guard from 30+yards!

But the second half was the icing on the cake!

Jesse put in his best performance in a while by taking on the biggest opposition he could find;
Darryl was finding joy running directly at the masses of white shirts;
Gareth went for a wander out of goal and roughed up the bigboys at the LAS defence (to warrant a comment after the game that the LAS players were glad that they didn't have to face him for any longer period!)
Ferris was finding a way past the back line and had several chances - the best being an instinctive turn into the box and drive which couldn't find a way in off the cross bar;
Nick then tried to grow his own goal tally, only for the ball to bounce of the inside of the post only to fall to Big Little Brother who saw his effort flash wide!

But mixed in with all this drama were another 5 goals for LAS!

How Would You Define a Man of the Match?

With the fast becoming TP tradition of throwing the pre-determined team sheet out of the window, the 10 men of TP took the field against the awesome Tower Hamlets, who annihilated the impressive Enfield a week earlier 12-2!

But with no pressure on TP due to there being nothing but pride left to play for, the intention was to get at Hamlets with a 4-3-2 formation.

It wasn't particulalry effective!

The play was camped in TPs half, but as a defensive 10 man unit the performace was more than admirable. Most notably, Owen was tracking all over the pitch from his forward positon and Gareth was showing some nice touches to try and ease the pressure and kick start counter attacks.

To hinder TP further, Darryl was carrying a knock that didn't take long to get aggrevated further.

But nevertheless, defensively TP were giving more than 100% in effort.

Steve most notably was keeping the score down, seemingly enjoying the challenge of keeping Hamlets out from the distance efforts they persisted in trying. But for a freak bounce of of the Hamlet strikers chest after Trevor attempted a clearance, who knows how long TP could have held out.

To add to the injury list, Ian wanted to put his name into the ring as the new John Helm by putting his head where it hurts - and did it hurt! A bloody nose was Ian's harsh lesson.

It was only 3-0 at half time, and spirits were high due to it being a typical TP game of scrapping and tackling which all seemed to enjoy.

The second half however became a different ball game, and it could be that TP have finally learnt how to play football! Passes were being strung together all over the pitch in the space created by being a man short, and Mes came into his element, picking the ball up deep and running two thirds of the pitch strainght down the throats of Hamlets.

Jesse was enjoying a battle against his full back, and Owen continued to hassle and harrass the defenders at every chance when they were turned around.

But injury blow 3 hit, and Gareth made way unable to continue.

Until someone had the bright idea of suggesting he go in goal. Gareth bravely voluteered (and in doing so show some awesome kicking and deft handywork to keep Hamlets away) and Steve ventured out for a rare (2nd?) out field apperance, this time as a striker.

And what an impact - first taking out a Hamlets player (unintentionally!) and then by controlling a cross from Arsan, beating 2 players in the box and unleashing a shot the goalkeeper failed to hold.

The goal ignited TP to action, with Jesse causing mayhem in the box before Mes could only hit the post. And on a different day Steve could have had a second from a similar position to that which he scored.

But the fact remains it was a day for the defence, with Trev, Darryl, Nick, Ian, Arsan - in fact probably all 10men at some point recovering to stop several clear goal scoring chances.

Roll on LAS and next season!

Team:



S. Speroni (1);

Mes, I. Howard, T .Lindsay, J. Middleweek;

A. Aryanpour, N. Speroni (c), G. Goodhew;

O. Lindsay, D. Passfield;





Blog Writers Man of the Match:



Keeping them out, and banging them in as well? Its the Green Giant hands down on this performance!

Vs Harmony

Team:

S. Speroni;
Mez, N. Speroni (c), G. Goodhew (T. Lindsay), S. Ranthe;
J. Middleweek (1), A. Aryanpour, C. Lindsay (1), O. Lindsay;
D. Passfield (1), F. Lindsay

(1 Goal still to be allocated)

Blog Writers Man of the Match:

Sam Ranthe - his best perfromance in a TP shirt, a performance full of drive and passion.

League Cup Semi Final Vs Tower Hamlets

Team:

F. Lindsay;
D. Mitchell (F.Dooknah), I. Howard (c) (G. Perkins), S. Balogun, J. Middleweek (D. Hambridge);
A. Aryanour (1), T. Lindsay (D. Passfield), C. Lindsay, D. Spinola;
N. Speroni, Mes

Subs Not Used:
S. Speroni, O. Lindsay

Blog Writers Man of the Match:

A. Aryanpour

Vs Blackhorse Road

Team:

D. Hambridge;
Mes, I. Howard (c), S. Balogun, J. Middleweek;
A. Aryanpour, D. Mitchell, T. Lindsay, loanee;
O. Lindsay, F. Lindsay

Blog Writers Man of the Match:

...to follow...

2 Points Saved and Pride Restored

The Boss was away again this week, leaving the reigns with Nick & Trevor.

But some things stay the same, and due to traffic, the starting 11 on paper was again scrapped and put together a fresh.

Ferris seemingly enjoyed the previous weeks antics and volunteered himself for goal-keeping duties and Darryl, Dwayne, Sam & Jeison returned to action.

TP had drawn against a team in and around the bottom of the table the previous week, so this game had become a must win to close the gap and move up the table.

It had been nearly a year since the last encounter between the 2 teams resulted in an enthalling 4-3 Harmony win after Harmony had gone 3-0 up in the first half. This year Harmony had shown similar capabilities, pushing Camberwell and Enfield all the way in thier encounters.

And their full capabilities were put on show in the first half and their play went predominantly through their striker who was involved in everything Harmony did. TP didn't have (and a times didn't even try to find) an answer. The pre-game rallying cry of "The First 3's" fell on 11 deaf pairs of ears.

And unsurprisingly Harmony went in at half time 1-0 to the good.

The half time team talk was honest and brutal in some cases but was what was needed to try and instill a sharpness that had been significantly lacking.


There was more urgency in the second half, but nothing of note happened until the substitutions came in to play.

Jeison made way after glimmers of the Ginola type shimmy he is clearly capable of with more match practice.
Sam Ranthe - seemingly inspired by Mes and winning nearly everything coming his way- and Dwayne, who was itching to have the chance to skin his full back more than he had done in the first half, made way shortly after for Dan, Frankie & Greg.

But this didn't go immediately to plan, as in seconds of TP making their final two changes Harmony went 2 goals to the good.

But as this league has shown in the past - no game is necessarily over until the final whistle blows. Harmony rolled their dice and took of their main threat, which seemed to spark what was left of any pride that remained in the orange shirts.

The game immediately was based in the Harmony half.

Chance one fell to Calvin when the goalkeeper fumbled a hanging cross, only for the ref to blow for a foul on the goalie.
Chance two fell to Calving when the goalkeeper fumbled a low cross, only for the ref to deem Calvin's challenge (for a ball that was there to be won) dangerous.
Chance three was a lost cause, as Nick had never been able to beat a goalkeeper with a free kick in over 30 games - until now.

1-2 and the game was now there to be taken.

A ball over the top was met by Nick, looping the ball over the stranded goalkeeper only to be denied by the post but met by Calvin, who couldn't get enough of his body behind the bouncing ball to bundle the in an equaliser.

A now panicking Harmony did manage a couple of break aways. One resulted in a tangle of arms between Sam B and a Harmony striker, who theatrically fell to a touch from Sam, winning a free-kick and first ever yellow card for Sam.

A more clinical break away saw Ferris called into action, saving well from a firm drive, only for the ball to fall at a Harmony players feet before being struck against the cross bar and down onto (over?) the line. What is it with Ferris being involved in World Cup- esqe moments?

Ferris was to roll back the years once again and pick up... a back pass! However, the free-kick was squandered and a break through Dan, Greg and Calvin was what was needed to take the play back into the Harmony half.

And the play worked its way back into the Harmony penalty area, where panic again set in and resulted in a ball-winning but rash tackle through Dan Spinola to concede a penalty.

After a long delay by the ref to deal with the normal gamesmanship this type of situation brings, Arsan - who had covered every blade of grass on the pitch - stepped up to bury the ball past the correctly guessing goalkeeper.

With only minutes to play, confidence was high and the game was their for the taking. Calvin was to ensure there would be no more break aways down the TP left (where Jesse was face to chest against the biggest player on the pitch who he had already felled like a tree with a sliding tackle!) but mistimed his tackle to earn a yellow for what the Ref explained to be persistent fouling.


Team:

F. Lindsay,
S. Ranthe (F. Dooknah), Mes, S. Balogun, J. Middleweek;
D. Passfield, A. Aryanpour (1), C. Lindsay, D. Mitchell (G. Perkins);
J. Imhof (D. Spinola), N. Speroni (c) (1);

Blog Writers Man of the Match:

Mes - he never played alongside TP Legend John 'Paul Madeley/KennyBurns' Helm, but his desire to head and clear anything around him - ball or player - is uncanny and equally successful!

One Step Forward, One Step Back

With some enforced pre-game changes, TP took on a relatively unknown look. The forth Lindsay - Owen - was set for his fist start, Mes was making his debut, Jesse was offered the more advanced left midfield role and Ferris volunteered himself in between the sticks.

However, there was a sense o hope in the air and a desire to restore the balance of power against an All Nations team joining TP near the foot of the table but being in a better position due to their 1-0 victory earlier in the season.

But this season for TP has shown that the gulf between teams and the (majority) of score lines have been a lot closer than last season.

An this game was to be no different.

TP spent the first half as good as camped in the All Nations half - but were not convincing in any department.
Several chances were created going forward, most notably Nick testing the goalkeeper on for the effort to test the cross bar also.

Owen showed the hereditary Lindsay traits of getting his foot in and doing it uncompromisingly. Mes on his debut was dominant down the right hand side, winning the ball in nearly 100% of tackles and headers.
Ferris in goal was not overly tested.

TP took advantage of their fist half pressure with a corner on the right being swung in to cause chaos in the box which resulted in a corner from the left. On a day of firsts for TP, Arsan supplied another by bending the ball into the back of the net directly from the corner.

TP lost Rowan in the first half due to a pulled muscle - Greg replaced him at Centre back.

The team talk at half time was one to bring us back down with a bump, ensuring that we didn't simply rest on our laurels but try and take the game to the opposition.

But it didn't happen. All Nations came out all guns blazing and were able to get a foothold in the game.
Their pressure resulted in an inevitable equaliser and several attempts to bring Ferris into action - one effort saw a full length dive to his left to claw the ball off the line.
Another effort can only be described as world class - it is justifiable to ask you to watch this clip and tell you the save was of the same class, but from a point blank shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQA234KPA2s

But there were 2 other significant moments in the half - the first ensuring the 1 point was not lost with a goal-line clearance.

The second could have won the 3 points for TP. A rare venture forward in the second half resulted in Jesse getting to the touch-line and producing a beautiful cross into the six yard box. The player you would want on the end of it - Trevor - was there right on cue. Unfortunately Nick was there a split second earlier and glanced it away from Trevor but also passed the far post.

In all, probably a fortunate point for TP - but it halted the losing league run.

Team:

F. Lindsay,
Mes, I. Howard (c), R. Clift (G. Perkins), S. Ranthe;
A. Aryanpour (1), C. Lindsay, T. Lindsay, J. Middleweek (D. Spinola);
O. Lindsay (F. Dooknah), N. Speroni

Blog Writers Man of the Match:

Ferris Lindsay - Rolling back the years!