[Izulde]

My mistrust of the youth candidates is borne out when they're skunked by the gray U18 team 3-0.

4th @Hinskey (19th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattall/Benjamin Phillips
M: Melvyn Ellington/George Zuerner/Alex Neville/Will Dickson
AM: Stuart Ball
S: Ian Edge

Phillips is the lone U18 player I liked. He's a big upgrade over the pile of suck that is Sam Kolwaski. Still having trouble getting an AMC and a young striker, but overall, I'm liking how this team is shaping up.

5 - Damn right he was offsides.

25 - Khan fucked us with a terrible pass 0-1

Adenyiyi takes over at striker at half, as Edge is knocked.

53 - Axon-Smith on for Khan.

We give up 2 straight corner kick goals and go down 0-4 before we get a meaningless late score

That was a terrible second half. Worst I've seen in ages. We also lose Ian Edge for about a month.

Deadline Day
Transfer In DLC Paul Adams - 17
Amazing upgrade. Could start at DL or DC. Which is best will still be up in the air, though I'm currently leaning towards him on the left side, as Andy Hare has struggled.

Transfer In - DCR Kerry Mills - 18
Not as big an upgrade as Adams, but absolutely stellar physical attributes (all 9 or better), who becomes our starting DR guy.

Transfer In - ST Alex Ryan - 15
He may only be 15, but he's got exceptional Teamwork (14) and has 10+ Pace and Finishing. He's also our absolute best striker and immediate starter.

Transfer In - ST Jevin Seaton - 20
A backup striker but a damn good backup striker. We have actual depth there now.

We frantically chase another fullback to move Adams inside and an AMC upgrade, but neither of those things come to fruition. Still pretty happy with our overall haul.

4th @Barnoldswick (8th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Paul Adams/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattall/Kerry Mills
M: Melvyn Ellington/George Zuerner/Alex Neville/Will Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

73 - Tanner gets his debut at MC and Ball goes to MR to replace the tired guys. It's been a completely dull game.

And of course Ball is hurt immediately after he gets on the field, but he'll run it out. They threaten a couple of times, but we never do.

5th @Clanfield (13th)
Same lineup.

14 - Grr 0-1

40 1-2 between Neville and Ryan, and the former sinks it home. 1-1

64 - Tanner in at MR, Phillips at DC.

66 - We keep getting screwed on non-calls for offsides 1-2

84 - Zuerner steals the ball on a clearance and feeds it to Tanner in the right corner of the box. Hook shot's in! 2-2

We're suffering from morale problems so I'll take the draw.

A couple injuries hit, the biggest of which is Paul Adams out for over a month.

6th vs Bedfont & Feltham (12th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattell/Kerry Mills
M: Melvyn Ellington/George Zuerner/Alex Neville/Sam Tanner
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

11 - Bullshit penalty. 0-1

64 - Ryan gets the ball in the box and shoots. Misses. Rebounds. Defense all around him, so he hook shots it in for the tie. Ball in MR, Firth at DC. 1-1

We just can't seem to break through for a win. Kerry Mills gets a 2 match yellow card ban on top of it.

6th vs London Lions (1st)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattell/Benjamin Phillips
M: Melvyn Ellington/George Zuerner/Alex Neville/William Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

For some reason, Hengrove is hugely in debt. I have no idea why.

2 - Great composure by Zuerner to steal the ball. He passes to Westwood, who slices a pass right to the streaking Dickson for the score! Since we're against a tough team, we'll go Counter the rest of the way. 1-0

12 - Westwood and Ryan exchange passes, and the 15 year old striker I'm quickly coming to like slams one just inside the box. 2-0

35 - We are just unstoppable today! Carter kicks a clearance and Ryan heads it to Ellington, who RACES ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LEFT FLANK AND SHOOTS IT INSIDE THE BOX AND SCORES!!! 3-0

46 - Carter goal kicks and Ryan heads it forward to Westwood. Short dribble and long shot cracked... and it's in just before the half! 4-0

54 - They had to work hard for that one. 4-1

64 - Ryan to Westwood to Neville... the shot's blocked... but Neville follows through and hits the rebound!!! 5-1

70 - Still okay. 5-2

76 - Time to start worrying. 5-3

82 - Ball and Tanner in at MR and MC.

7.8 for Alex Neville, who the last manager signed just before I got there, 8.3 each for my speedster Mervyn Ellington and my kid wonder Alex Ryan, and 9.0 for Joe Westwood. Not pleased with how our backline fell apart in the second half, though. 4 games left and we're 7 points out of a promotion spot. Doesn't look likely, but with 60 points, we're guaranteed of finishing at least 10th, which fits the upper half finish the club was looking for.

Particularly sweet for Ellington, who's been bashed by the fans again despite a decent average rating. We destroy the previous contemporary Hengrove combined goals record by scoring 8 in that game - 5 being the previous high.

5th @AFC Kempston (18th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattell/Benjamin Phillips
M: Melvyn Ellington/George Zuerner/Alex Neville/William Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

I'm going to try running Counter for the rest of the season to see how it does. I also dropped the other tactic I was training the team in, because it was one of my old ones that didn't make any sense.

6 - Mutter. Suppose Ryan was offsides.

67 - Bleh. Tanner at MC, Ball at AMC. Switch to Attack. 0-1

Just a flat game.

The culprit behind all the money we're losing is scouting costs. A ridiculous $237k spent the last two months. Board gives $40k cash infusion but it's not enough.

I immediately cancel scouting assignments for the rest of the year.

5th vs Radstock (19th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattell/Kerry Mills
M: Melvyn Ellington/Alex Neville/Sam Tanner/William Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

Looking ahead to next season, we need an AMC, obviously. We also need an Advanced Playmaker at MC who's worth their salt. And of course, there's the raids to worry about. But first things first.

4 - Tanner backpasses to Westwood, who long shots it to Neville. A few strides through the mist later, and he has his 4th goal of the year, this in his new BBM role where he's a star by my scout. 1-0

12 - Uh.... our goalie literally DROPS THE FUCKING BALL AND IT ROLLS BACK INTO THE NET! 1-1

13 - Just score all the goals why don't you 1-2

15 - LRTJaorghosaghoasghoashgfosafhgoasg 1-3

Jevin Seaton and Peter Firth get ST and MC nods at half.

51 - Brills interception by Khan, who kicks back to Hare. Then to Ellington and on to Westwood for the firm score to claw back. 2-3

60 - PK for us, and Westwood converts! 3-3

83 - A second PK!!! Westwood again!!! Switch to Defensive. 4-3

9.5 for Josh Westwood, who amazes with his overachievement and 7.7 for Melvyn Ellington, who is finding his footing in our system.

2 games left and we move back up to 4th. There's no hope of promoting, as the top two teams have automatically clinched promotion already. Kevin Khan said my screaming at the team at halftime motivated them. Thanks, bro!

Good Trains
Ricky Iles
Alex Neville

Bad Train
Ian Edge but he's retiring so whatever.

$49.5k loss last month due to scouting thing. Poor financial position blah blah blah. That'll sort itself out. Board's satisfied.

4th @ Mole Valley (11th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Kevin Khan/Stuart Cattell/Kerry Mills
M: Melvyn Ellington/Alex Neville/Sam Tanner/William Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

Well damn. A kid who used to play here says Joe Westwood is amazing. I make an offer to him for the fun of it.

26 - Rainy day is sloppy football. Ellington slides everywhere. But I'm here to rave about Tanner hoofing the ball down to Dickson, who dribbles the rest of the right flank before centering to Ryan, who heads it in. 1-0

29 - Dickson does a great job of distributing passes in this move, and on the last, he takes a ball from Mills, and once again centers to Ryan, who this time hoofs it in. 2-0

35 - Dickson with the corner, and KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN kicks it in for his first goal of the year! 3-0

42 - Another corner by Dickson. This time the goalie jumps in to deflect, but Cattell has the goal wide open, and he puts it away like nothing. 4-0

62 - Great pickoff by Cattell, and it ends in a Neville/Westwood/Ryan chain, with my favorite 15 year old striking it home. 5-0

80 - Khan is sent off with for his second yellow. Doesn't matter.

The worst guy on the roster had a 7.2, and that was our goalie. That's how absolutely dominant we were this game! And a game after Joe Westwood gets the hat trick, Alex Ryan does!

Just one game left and we'll finish somewhere between 3rd and 6th.

Deeping Rangers wins the FA Vase

Southampton wins the FA Cup

The board pours in another $45k. Loving the financial support they're showing after my scouting oversight.

Future Transfer In - DR/DC/MC Oliver Wells - 17
Hooked me in with his 17 Bravery, 11 Flair, 11 Teamwork, 13 Work Rate. And his 4.5* rating to be an AP. Can play the other two positions in a pinch, though best at DC.

4th @Bedfont Sports (8th)
G: Terry Carter
D: Andy Hare/Paul Adams/Stuart Cattell/Kerry Mills
M: Melvyn Ellington/Alex Neville/Sam Tanner/William Dickson
AM: Joe Westwood
S: Alex Ryan

10 - Westwood wings it out to Neville on the left side of the box. Neville centers back to Westwood, who by then has made his charge up the pitch. Goal is good. 1-0

18 - LOLerskates throw by the opposing goalie sees Dickson first touch intercept and shoot for the easy double 2-0

53 - Didn't think he was offsides, but we'll take that.

92 - Lazy. 2-1

8.3 for William Dickson, who took a while to find his form for us, but once he did, he really did.

And so we finish 3rd for the season and have a good foundation going forward... *if* we can prevent raids. And of course, from my Inkberrow experiences, raids will happen.

I won't go in-depth on players or anything since I got here so late in the year, and it's uncertain who will be around next season. But it's on to a hectic offseason.