It's been a while since I've updated the site so I thought it'd be a good idea to do so. On are now all the games we have played and all the fixtures we have to play (so far). I also found some photos which I took in two cup games last year against St Nicholas and Horsforth Rangers so I have put them on the site as well. You can see those pictures and all the results, scorers and fixtures at the Team Results page.
After missing a week due to our pitch being too frozen to play on, we were back in the fold once again on Sunday against AFC Travellers. I say we, but really that should be they as I was not able to go to watch the guys play due to not being well. A Jacob Sheppard hat-trick and a goal from Martyn Midgeley put us 4-1 up at half-time but AFC Travellers fought back with two goals in the second, to leave us hanging on for the win. Thankfully we managed to hold out and record our third victory of what has proved so far to be a testing season
I think we've pretty much had enough of playing St Nicholas. This was our fourth game against them this season, two in the cup, two in the league and bar a hard-fought win in the Leeds & District, we've come off worst every time. Thankfully work comittments meant I wasn't present to witness this latest hammering, though given the trouble we apparently had in even scraping a side together I guess the result was then not too much of a suprise. Two goals for Chris Thornton and one for Anthony Miller helped us save some face this time round, but I think we have to really have a good long hard think as to whether or not this can continue to go on.
We completed the double over Cross Flatts with a decent 5-3 victory. Chris Thornton with a well taken hat-trick and a goal each for Stephen Evans and Gavin Tate ensuring us two vital points as we sign off for the festive period. It's been a fairly disapointing first half of the season, perhaps the stop-start nature of how our fixtures have panned out hasn't helped, with sometime two of three weeks between games it can be a little difficult to work up a head of steam. Undoubtably the big issies has been player availability but we'll see how thing go in the new year.
It's back down to earth with a bump time again as we couldn't contain a strong St Nicholas side who's centre-forward practically killed us off single-handedly!. A Hat-trick and two assists caused the damage and we just couldn't contain him. Every time the ball got played up to him it looked like he would either score and set somebody else up, no matter how hard we tried, Even a few tasty challenges didn't deter him! (You know what I mean Ste!). Lee Metcalf and Chris Thornton did their best for us up front and chipped in with a goal apeice but it was sadly not enough to stop them inflicting yet another heavy defeat on us this season.
A welcome win with goals from Stephen Evans(2), Carl Magee and Sean Kirk proving the difference in this basement clash. I can't shed too much light on proceedings as I wasn't present but apparently we played quite well in patches. Hopefully this might kick-start our season, but knowing us it proabaly wont!
Despite the scoreline a makeshift Middleton side put up a spirited performance against a side who were expected to challenge for honours at the end of the season. Injuries and players not being available for whatever reason is doing for us at the moment as we struggle to field the same side from one week to the next. How this will all pan out I don't know, but it is largely frustating for those of us who have been involved with the team from the begining to see the team in the state it is now. For the record Criag Magee and Lee Metcalf scored our goals.
We didn't start too brightly and it didn't take long for Armley to open the scoring. Barely five minutes were gone when a corner from the left was flicked on at the near post and the ball fell at the feet of their forward a yard out to bundle home. Buoyed by the goal Armley proceeded to boss the opening quarter and had plenty of chances. A couple of headers both went narrowly wide and it took a fine stop from Neil Shaw in goal to turn an effort around the post as Armley threatened to run riot. Despite the pressure they didn't score and perhaps Neil's save proved to be the turning point in the half for it was us, not Armley, who scored next.
Lee Metcalf had been kept quiet by the Armley defence, partly due to us knocking long balls up to him it had to said, but he managed to escape his marker and get on the end of a near post cross to turn the ball home after a fine flowing move down the left. Lee nearly got a second when put clean through on goal but their keeper came out and made a good block with his legs. The rest of the half was a bit scrappy and it ended all square at 1-1.
We nearly mad the perfect start after the break when a good move down the left saw the ball played across the face of the Armley goal and it looked for all the world that Lee Metcalf who have an easy tap in, but alas, Lee slipped at the vital moment and the chance was gone. Lee did though manage to have a couple of decent efforts in that opening 10 minutes or so, both from around the edge of the box, but he couldn't find the target. As the half wore on Armley began to take control and after a spell of sustained pressure it was no surprise when they re-took the lead. A corner was whipped in at pace towards the near post and seemingly out of nowhere a player ghosted in unmarked to glance a header past an unsighted Shaw. It nearly got worse a few minutes later when a header beat Neil but bounced back off the post and fell back into his hands with their forwards hovvering around waiting to tap home. We did manage one or two efforts, the best being when Chris Thornton set up Les Clay from short free-kick just outside their box, but Les slipped a little when shooting and scuffed his effort. A long range effort from Les again in the dying minutes was about as close as we got to an equaliser as the game drifted away from us and Armley eventually held on fairly comfortable win.
Despite the scoreline we didn't actually play that badly but Horsforth were just too strong for us on the day. It probably didn't help us being a little bit thin on the ground again numbers wise, which meant yours truly had to once again don a strip and get back out onto the field. You just know it's not going to be a good day when that happens! Apart from me, we had two other changes to the side that saw off St Nicholas in the Sunday Trophy last weekend. We lost a player from defence, one from midfield and one from attack - pretty much the spine of the side gone you could say - so we had to re-shuffle the pack and try and make the best from it.
We made a fairly steady start and it was honours even for the first fifteen minutes or so, but after this Horsforth started to exert a bit more pressure and about half-way in they made the breakthrough. An innocuous looking ball was flicked up towards their forward who had managed to time his run well to beat the offside trap and he finished the move off in style with a low drive past Neil Shaw in goal. We managed to bounce back almost immediately though, when a good move down the left wing saw Lee Metcalf get played in and he smashed a superb left footed half-volley past the despairing dive of their keeper.
Our joy at getting back on level terms wouldn't last that long either as on Horsforth's next attack they regained the lead from the penalty spot after Sean kirk was adjudged to have fouled their striker when they were both chasing after a hopeful long ball. It would get worse five minutes later when after weathering a bit more pressure and somehow not conceding when an Horsforth effort hit the post and spun back into the grateful arms of Neil Shaw, our luck finally ran out. A cross from the left evaded several players before eneding up at the feet of their winger who hit a first time shot back across Neil and into the opposite corner. So with this the half ended and Horsforth were firmly in control with a 3-1 lead
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first. Neither side created too much and defences where in charge leaving chances few and far between. A few long range efforts were about the best either side could muster, but on the hour mark things took another turn for the worst when we conceded another penalty. Up stepped their forward and he fired a poweful effort towards the right corner which despite Neil Shaw getting a good hand to, was just too strong to keep out. A fifth arrived with five minutes to go when Neil came out from goal to try and collect a long ball but their forward was too quick, got there first and flicked the ball over him and into the empty net.
After scraping to a win last weekend in the league, it was back to cup duty as we took on old rivals St Nicholas for the second time in three weeks. After being thumped last time out against them it was payback time and a good performance from the lads booked our passage to the next round at their expense.
The first ten minutes or so were pretty even. St Nicholas perhaps shaded it but we were looking dangerous on the break and Lee Metcalf and Chris Thornton when the linked up caused their back four problems. It was from a quick break that we took the lead. Chris Thornton was picked out by a defence splitting pass and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner giving the keeper no chance. The lead didn't last for long though as within five minutes St Nicholas grabbed an equaliser when their forward put in a robust challenge on our keeper Neil Shaw, who was jumping up to claim a cross. The ball spilled free from Neil's grasp and a fell to one of their players who poked the ball home despite the best efforts of Sean Kirk on the line. Was it a foul? Maybe, but to be honest I was a long way away from the incident so can't be sure. The referee gave it though and that was that. Spurred on by a perceived sense of injustice we actually got a break for a change. Lee Metcalf was jogging back from an offside position when a through ball was played into his path after coming off Les Clay's out-stretched foot. Lee immediately raced onto to score our second goal despite the St Nicholas appeals for offside. It has to be said the ref got that one wrong but we've had a few go against us over the years so 'swings and roundabouts' come to mind. There was no doubting the third though when Craig Magee capped off a fine move by smashing the ball into the top left corner from 10 yards out. So 3-1 up at the break and it could perhaps have been four if a shot from Chris Thornton that came back off the under-side of the bar and seemingly bounced behind the line had been given. Hard call to make though so perhaps not surprisingly the ref just waved play on.
As nice a cushion a two goal lead was, it didn't mean we could just sit back and relax, there was still a long way to go and St Nicholas came out fighting in the second half, determine to get back into the match. For once we held firm. The guys put their bodies on the line and threw themselves at every shot and made countless tackles to keep them at bay. But we weathered the storm and hit St Nicholas on the counter to strike once more after Lee Metcalf managed to get onto a through ball and calmly take it round the keeper to finish the game off.
After leading two-nil and putting in a solid first half performance, we then reverted back to our old ways and seemingly tried our very best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
We started this game brightly and created several good chances early on. Stephen Evans had the first, beating the keeper to a near post corner but heading narrowly over the bar. Chris Thornton then tried his luck with a few long range efforts. The first flew inches wide, the second was even closer and came crashing back off the post before being cleared. Lee Metcalf also got in on the act but saw the Kippax keeper quickly off his line to deny him when clean through on goal. The pressure finally told though on the half hour mark when Chris Thornton raced onto a through ball and with the keeper coming out managed to clip the ball over him and into the empty net. A second goal arrived shortly after when a good interchange of passes between Lee Metcalf and Craig Magee saw the former put clean through and this time Lee made no mistake, rounding the keeper to finish in style. Apart from one small scare just before the break we were looking pretty comfortable and were playing the best football we had done so far this season, so confidence was high when we went into the break with a deserved two goal lead.
The say "Football is a game of two halves" and never was it more true than today. We went from doing, (nearly!), everything right to getting just everything wrong in the second half. Our passing got sloppy, the movement on and off the ball wasn't as good. It was like we had suddenly decided that we had done enough today and could coast through to victory. Well Kippax were not going to left that happen. Fair credit to them they picked up their play and we dropped ours. The result of this was not long in coming. Their winger was allowed too much time and space to hit a hopeful ball into the box, but what looked like a miscued clearance rebounded back into their forward's path and he made no mistake from eight yards out. An equaliser arrived ten minutes later when a long through ball was chased down by their winger and he just got there in front of the oncoming Neil Shaw to flick it past him and into the net. The comeback was complete and Kippax nearly took the lead a few minutes later when a loose ball inside our area was fired just wide of the upright. What was going on? It looked like we were now more likely to end up losing but as the game entered the last five minutes the balance of power turned back once more into our favour.
A Kippax move was halted in the centre-circle and we quickly broke down the left with Chris Thornton who weaved his was into the area before being crudely up-ended by their centre-half. Penalty! Up stepped Chris to smash the ball home to make it three-two. With time running out we were just about doing enough but there was always a sneaking suspicion that there may be another goal in the game, and so there was - but to us. It was a case of déjà-vu as Chris Thornton picked up a pass from Les Clay and again worked his way into the penalty area. As he tried to find space for a shot he was again hacked down. Another penalty was awarded and Chris dispatched it in a similar fashion to the first to complete his hat-trick and secure us a four-two victory.
Our poor start to the season continued with a rather lacklustre performance against St Nicholas. Chris Thornton scored our goal, which was actually the equalsier after St Nicholas had taken an early lead midway through the first half. Two goals in quick succession before the break and another shortly after the restart really killed the game off as a contest and despite battling on we never really looked capable of mounting any sort of a comeback. Two more goals arrived late on to complete the rout.
We had better buck our ideas up after this woeful performance or it's going to be long and testing season ahead.
I missed this game due to having the arduous task of checking out several drinking establishments over in Ireland. Naturally the wares had to be sampled and re-sampled in order to fully appreciate what each venue had to offer. Whilst I was doing this, the lads were trying to put a bad start to the season behind them and attempt to put some points on the board by beating AFC Travellers. Sadly, despite Gary Brown's first goal of the season, this wasn't the case as a much changed side ended up the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. At least by all accounts the performance was better than the previous weekend so maybe we can build on that.
Despite taking the lead after twenty minutes through new player Nathan Green, a young Middleton side were eventualluy outclassed by a stronger Parnaby side who ran out comfortable winners. We had no fewer than 5 players under twenty in the starteing line-up and another couple on the bench for what was probably their first teaste of Sunday open age football. When we first starting playing we used to get a good few thumpings like this ourseleves, (a memorable first season 11-0 drubbing being one particluar "highlight"), so hopefully they won't be too disheartened by this and keep turning up.
If I was a betting man I would have put good money on us not being here again at the start of a new season. A few players have left, some don't appear to be interested anymore and some just can't make it for whatever reason. Whilst we have managed to bring a few new faces in we don't exactly have a big squad so if you know of anyone who wants to play then by all means get in touch!
The first months fixtures are out and it see us kick of the season with the short trip down to play New Parnaby FC. This is followed by a trip over to Wortley to play AFC Travellers. Our first home game is a Leeds Jubilee Cup tie against St Nicholas Sunday. For those who don't know, we have moved this season and are now playing our home games at Sharp Lane 1, which is the first pitch you see when you go down the ginnel opposite the bus terminus. We round off the month with a home league match against Kippax Welfare Sunday.
There are a few games sorted out for October as well but the list isn't complete yet and could change depending on how things go with in the cup, but you can check them out and the rest of the fixtures mentioned, on the Team Results page.
A few pictures from our last two games of the season, both of which were against Commercial, are now online so check them out and pictures from other games we've played this season over at the Team Results page. Simply click on the camera icon to view them.
I also took a team photo just prior to the game which can you view here.
Part two of our double-header against Commercial was also our last game of the season and the fourth time we have played them this season. Once again they were victorious, this was despite them playing pretty much the entire match with 10 men but again we couldn't find a way to beat them.
The game was barely a minute old when one of their players went down under an innocuous challenge from our centre-half Steven Shortt, however it was clear pretty much straight away that he had suffered a serious injury. The game was delayed some 30 minutes whilst we waited for the ambulance to arrive as we could not really move him off the pitch. Eventually he was taken away to hospital and we all hope its not as bad as it looked and he's back playing soon.
The rest of the first half was a relatively quite affair with little in the way of clear-cut chances. Te best of these came to Chris Thornton who managed to get a clear sight of goal some eight yards out but their keeper managed to close him down quickly to smother the shot . Save for a couple of wild efforts here and there that was it for the half.
The second period was thankfully much more livelier and we managed to get our noses ahead ten minutes in when Stephen Evans managed to play Tristan Thornton through on goal and despite the keeper coming quickly, Tristan managed to guide a low shot past him to the bottom right corner. We nearly doubled our advantage we Chris Thornton got on the end of a flick on but with the ball bouncing up high and the keeper closing him down, could only volley his effort just wide of the upright. We would pay for that miss five minutes later when Commercial broke quickly and a long ball played up to their centre-forward wasn't cut out which left their guy with a run at goal. Neil Shaw tried to race out and intercept but their guy easily beat him to the ball and clipped it up over him and into the net. It went from bad to worse a few minutes later when a deep cross to the far post wasn't cleared and the loose ball was bundled in to give Commercial the lead. It didn't last long though as on our next attack Chris Thornton was played in down the left and quickly got to the bye-line, wriggled past a defender, worked an opening and fired in a shot which may or may not have been heading towards goal but was helped past their keeper and in with the help of a deflection from their centre-half.
The game was now petering out a bit as we enter the final few minutes and was seemingly heading towards a draw but there would be a final twist in the tale. A long ball was played up to their forward looked to have been collected near the edge of his area by our keeper Neil Shaw, however their player still challenged for the ball and somehow the ball came loose and was eventually fired in despite the best efforts of a defender on the line. From my position on the sideline it was hard to tell whether it their played kicked it out of Neil's hands but either way the ref ignored our protests and the goal was given to consign us to yet another defeat and ends the season on a disappointing note.