FM 12 - Rise of the Spartans

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Oct 4, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (8-2-0, 1st BSBN) vs Workington (1-1-8, 20th BSBN)
We're 1:4 favorites at home, hopefully focused on today instead of looking ahead to the Cup Qualifier next weekend. The trusty 4-4-1-1 Counter, of course, hope we don't wear it out.

GK: Dovey
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Shelton, Baker, Smyth, Moke
F: Paratore, Cofie
Subs: (Sawyer, Ahmed, Rickard, Janneh, McDonald)

10' - Paratore takes a crack, it's saved
11' - Paratore gets another crack, hits the crossbar
12' - Seidu misses a perfect header chance off a perfectly placed corner
22' - Shulton to Cofie on the left, out high to Smyth ... give & go to Cofie on the run, he buries it into the right corner (1-0)
24'- Baker hits the post ... Moke buries the rebound (2-0)
26' - A nasty trip sends Moke tumbling, gets Workington a yellow card
30' - Moke scores a beaut ... but he's flagged offside
36' - Paratore feeds Cofie in front ... hits the post
43' - Shulton free kick is on target ... slams off the crossbar
44' - Smyth unbelievably hits the post

Halftime - It should be at least 6-0. FOUR shots off the woodwork, unbelievable. Keep it going boys.

49' - Cofie feeds Moke, his shot is turned away
56' - Moke shoots high & over
62' - Smyth misses wide left by inches
64' - Sub Janneh (for Shulton, tiring) ... shift Baker to ML, Smyth to MCL, Paratore to AMC
76' - Sub Ahmed (for Paratore, tiring) ...
79' - Workington misses a golden opportunity, inches wide of an exposed net
88' - Sub Rickard (for Moke, tiring) ...
89' - 2 minutes added

Full time: Blyth 2 - Workington 0
Outshot them 14-3, hit the woodwork FIVE times. 67% possession. 83% pass completion. Total domination. Smyth (7.7) is MOM, lowest rating is a 6.8. Their 9th straight loss, our fifth straight win

Oct 4, 2014 (postmatch)
We praise Smyth in the post-match presser, admit that the score could have been bigger without the woodwork.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tue Oct 7, 2014
Aziz Deen-Conteh is called up for international duty by Sierra Leone to face Algeria ... naturally the match is scheduled for this Saturday, same as our Cup Qualifying match. #smdh

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Oct 8, 2014
Our Reserves played a Group match at Gateshead, winning 1-0. Sam Sawyer scored in the 76th minute, Ben Jefford (7.6) was MOM. Tome Seery (5.9) was notably awful. Now we wait to see which of our DL candidates (Sawyer, Ivanusa, Donald) physically recover enough to play on Saturday ... none were match fit at midweek, hopefully the work will help & one will have enough in the tank to go.

Thu Oct 9, 2014
We get the rundown on our young players who saw international duty yesterday. Barry Vickers played for the Ireland U19s, subbed in at 60' and was a disappointing 5.9 but his club beat Spain 3-1 in a U19 C'ship Qualifying match anyway. For Scotland both Robbie Locke and Joe Baxter played in a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands in the same competition. Locke was a so-so 6.7 in 60 minutes while Baxter played just three minutes, a torn calf muscle not only sent him out of the match but also out for us for the next 3 months. It's the 3rd time he's been injured while on international duty.

Fri Oct 19, 2014
We've been made almost prohibitive 1:6 favorites for tomorrow's FA Cup Qualifying match against Harrogate. I'm not so sure about that, we had to have a late goal from Moke to beat them 2-1 just a couple weeks ago.

Sat Oct 20, 2014 (morning)
Int'l duty reports, Robbie Locke player 41 minutes with a 6.3 rating in Scotland U19s 1-0 loss to Denmark. Barry Vickers went the distance for Ireland U19s with a 6.7 in their 2-0 win over Georgia. Ireland leads their Q group with one match left and has clinched advancement to the next round. Scotland is currently last in their group but could still go through if they upset group leader Bosnia & Herz. on Sunday.

Our own U18s played a Group match against Bromley, losing 4-2. Anson Watson scored at 39' to pull us within 1-2 but a brace from their Marvin Huckerby made it 4-1, Nathan Griffiths consolation goal at 75' not nearly enough. And as is seemingly normal, Dean Goodall was injured in extra time, apparently nothing serious though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Oct 11, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (1st BSBN) vs Harrogate (21st BSBN)
English FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
We're 1:6 favorites at home, ready as we'll ever be I suppose. History is not on our side. In my previous three seasons we've lost in the 4th, 2nd and 3rd rounds, two of those three to sides from lower divisions, never really meeting board expectations. A win here would do just that for us so, naturally, I'm uneasy. The trusty 4-4-1-1 Counter, how could I do anything else right now?

GK: McDonald
D: McGovern, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Musungu, Baker, Smyth, Moke
F: Paratore, Cofie
Subs: (Sawyer, Shulton, Ahmed, Ivanusa, Rickard, Thompson, Dovey)

10' - They patiently work the ball around midfield, suddenly slip a man past the back line ... and he shoots wide, misjudging the angle
14' - Corner for Harrogate, far post, header ... (0-1)
16' - Paratore is dinged up but wants to stay on
21' - Switch to Attacking and more fluid
27' - Smyth shoots from long range, well wide
28' - Cofie is bumped off balance just as he shoots from 12 feet away, easily saved & held
29' - Baker has a run right at the defense, shot is blocked
30' - Paratore has a go from outside, it's high and wide left ... let's try pumping the ball into the box
33' - McDonald makes a huge save on Flood's shot, cleared for a corner .. which they fire harmlessly cross pitch out of bounds
36' - Cofie to the byline, great cross in front to Musungu ... he heads it over
39' - Harrogate's starting striker Allen goes down & out with an injury caused by Kerr's challenged, he's subbed off
42' - Free kick, we concede a corner
43' - Corner, we concede a corner ... cleared by Kerr

Halftime: "I expect to see a much better showing in the 2nd half" ... but honestly, I'm lying when I blast 'em. We've been crap mostly, nothing is working, especially our finishing.

45' - Sub Shulton (for Musungu, tiring) ...
60' - Moke drives down the right flank ... cross ... Shulton buries it with a diving header (1-1) ... his first ever goal for Blyth
67' - Cofie in heavy traffic, fights his way into the area ... shovels it left to Baker for a volley ... GOAL !!! (2-1) ....switch to Counter
72' - Stanton Smith looks for his second goal of the match, shoots it wide after a great individual effort
76' - Takeaway on the flank by Shulton, feeds Cofie who fires ... high
77' - Sub Sawyer (for Paratore, tired) ... shift Sawyer to DMC ... switch to Defensive
80' - Cofie wheels past a defender and fires ... high
83' - McGovern lobs the ball into the area, Moke's header goes off the crossbar
87'- Sub Ahmed (for McGovern, tired) ... shift Sawyer to DL ... switch to Contain
89' - 3 minutes added time
90' - Long pass, Stanton Smith for Harrogate cuts inside & fires ... wide
91:42' - Nowakowski is offside for Harrogate, more time to waste for us
92:56' - Cofie skies for a goal kick in the center circle, fouled and we kill more time

Full time: Blyth 2 - Harrogate 1
Ho hum. Coach Whitfield thanks the players for the comeback. McGovern was a weak point (6.3), Musungu (6.7) was underwhelming. Seidu, Kerr, Baker, Cofie all 7.0 or better, Shulton makes me look like a genius with a 7.6 MOM performance. That's 17 matches in a row without a loss for us, McDonald's clean streak ends at 377 minutes.

Oct 11, 2014 (postmatch)
We've been awarded $12,240 for our win. Fans are jubilant. Our upcoming match vs Droylsden has been moved to Wed Oct 22nd due to conflict with their replay against FC United.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sun Oct 12, 2014
Third Round Qualifying had a few surprises, none bigger than Southern Premier side Leamington beating AFC Telford 4-1. Thurrock also knocked out Dover.

Replays will include Histon vs Bury Town, Darlington vs Nantwich and Droylsden vs FC United.

International news finds a poor showing for Deen-Conteh (5.6) in Sierra Leone's 3-1 loss to Algeria.

The draw for the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round was held tonight, we're the next to last team drawn, we'll host BSB South side Eastbourne Boro (16th place) on Sat Oct 25.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Mon Oct 12, 2014
Our match vs Corby has been pushed back to Oct 29 due to the scheduling conflict with the FA Cup 4th Q Round

That means things are going to be pretty busy shortly. Currently we have
Sat 10/18 vs Gainsborough (2nd place)
Wed 10/22 at Droylsden (8th)
Sat 10/25 vs Eastbourne Boro (FA Cup)
Wed 10/29 at Corby (7th)
Sat 11/1 vs Darlington (9th)
Tues 11/4 vs Altrincham (15th)

International duty report, Robbie Locke went the distance and played well (7.5) in Scotland U19s 4-1 win over Bosnia & Herz.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tue Oct 13, 2014
With that 6 match stretch coming up I at least have a plan. I think.

The key match, for me at least, is the FA Cup. I'd like to exceed board expectations for a change. The way the schedule falls I'm currently thinking "the starters" play the 1st/3rd/5th matches, "the backups" play the 2nd/4th/6th matches. Of course the question is "who is which".

GK: McDonald has been so hot lately, hard not to consider him 1a over Dovey 1b

D: Deen-Conteh/Kerr/Seidu/Groves get the nod at this point, due to Boateng's violent behavior making him unreliable. Probably Ivanusa/Williamson/Somebody/Boateng as the 2nd unit. Sawyer fits in here somewhere, although I can't count on not needed him for DR since it's only a matter of time before Boateng is suspended again.

MF: Depends upon what formation the backups are in. Right now we're best in the 4-4-1-1 so Shulton/Adams/Smyth/Moke are the starters. Behind them though, I'm really thinking about going with the 4-4-2 Diamond, to keep us from getting too stale/predictable. That would have Ahmed (or Sawyer) at DMC, Musungu at ML, and Idunnowho at MR and AMC. Janneh or Thompson or even Ricketts at MR? We really don't have a third established AMC so we could end up either using Rickard there or simply going with two strikers instead.

F: Paratore at AMC and Cofie at ST is the obvious way to roll here at the moment. But behind them? Sigh. Desgages scored in his debut, has been crap since. Rickard can't find the net, 422 minutes and counting, sucked last time out. Lobjoit doesn't even score in friendlies. Branker is oh so tempting but on paper he isn't ready for this level yet. If only Clarke-Harris weren't a bitchy head case.

Point to all this, I suppose, is that I'll be interested to see how well the plan holds up when we finish this stretch.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Oct 15, 2014
Our Reserves played a fitness friendly at Eyemouth Utd, drawing 0-0. Williamson (7.2) and Daly (7.1) played well. Butt, Holden, Thompson, Rickard all sucked in the 6.1 - 6.2 range. Rhys Paul suffered bruised ribs & will miss 7-10 days.

FA Cup 3rd Q Round replays of note saw Barrow eliminate Guiseley, Vauxhall knock out Chester, Droylsden (with a hat trick from Breeze) end FC United's run, while Histon needed extra time to put away Bury Town 2-1.

Incidentally, we're no longer in first place. The schedule shuffling due to the FA Cup means several BSBN sides have played their 12th match already (but not us). Gainsborough has, and slipped into 1st ahead of us on GD. So this Saturday is still 1st vs 2nd but now it's reversed.

Reece Loudon wants first team, yadda yadda. Dude, just go if we can find a taker. And whaddya know, BSBN side Cambridge City offers us our asking price -- $0, 30% of next sale. You know I'm not concerned about a player if I accept an offer from within the league.

Sat Oct 18, 2014 (morning)
Our U18s played a Group match at Eastbourne Boro, drawing 1-1. Dean Goodall finally finished a match upright ... and scored at 90+4 to steal a point. He stood out (7.5) positively as did Anson Watson (7.2). Neil Murphy (6.1), Bobby O'Halloran (6.2) and Gary Pemberton (6.3) stood out for the wrong reasons. DR Duncan Warner stubbed his toe & will miss 6-8 days.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Oct 18, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (9-2-0, 2nd BSBN) vs Gainsborough (9-2-1, 1st BSBN)
We're 6:4 favorites at home in this early season showdown. No surprises, 4-4-1-1 Counter for this.

GK: McDonald
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Shelton, Baker, Smyth, Moke
F: Paratore, Cofie
Subs: (Sawyer, Ahmed, Desgages, Smith, Dovey)

1' - Moke cross is cut out but he takes the ball away almost immediately and fires ... wide left
2' - Shulton shoots from a tight angle, punched out for a corner
4' - Potts shoots, McDonald can't stop it (0-1)
14' - Deen-Conteh sends a pass ahead to Moke who shoots ... tipped aside
with a great save
15' - Kerr's header off the corner sails over
21' - Shulton free kick is all wrong
26' - Deen-Conteh feeds Cofie who goes in alone ... and shoots into the side netting
28' - Corner for G'borough ... Mehdi Karrouche misses by a whisker
40' - Switch to Attacking, try to get one before the half

Halftime: I let AssMan Worthington tell 'em that wasn't enough, we need more heart here. Most seem motivated. Nothing too terrible in that half, we just can't put the ball in the net. Minor tweaks and hope for the best. Switch back to Counter

53' - Shulton feeds Cofie who gets rudely shoved from behind as he shoots ... weak shot is saved easily, no penalty despite the protests (which continued all the way down the pitch)
55' - Neita free kick from the arc ... just wide left
59' - Shulton suddenly crosses long to Moke ... a diving save denies him ... switch to Attacking
60' - Sub Smith (for Paratore) ...switch to 4-4-2 Attacking
64' - Baker's shot is held safely
65' - G'borough misses a great free kick chance
66' - Neita puts away an easy goal when McDonald was indecisive and failed to come out to take the ball away (0-2)
68' - Shulton feeds Smyth at the point ... he fires ... GOAL ! (1-2)
75' - Sub Ahmed (for Kerr, knocked) ... shift Smyth to DC
83' - Ahmed with a wicked blast ... into the side netting ... switch to Overload
89' - 3 minutes added
90+3 - Neita on a breakaway ... feeds Kerrouche with a high cross but his header hits the crossbar

Full time: Gainsborough 2 - Blyth 1
We just weren't good enough today. Reality is, perhaps, we never were. Smyth (7.2) and Deen-Conteh (7.1) were good. Groves (6.2) was bad, Kerr (5.9) was much worse.

Oct 18, 2014 (postmatch)
We slip to 3rd place, albeit with a match in hand. Thus ends our 16 match unbeaten streak, twas a helluva run though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sun Oct 19, 2014
The transfer of Reece Loudon to Cambridge City is completed.

Mon Oct 20, 2014
Rather than the extended leave recommended by our physios, we give Moke and Shulton a week's rest from training

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Oct 22, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (9-2-1, 3rd BSBN) at Droylsden (5-3-4, 10th BSBN)
The streak is over, we're slight underdogs on the road. With tired players and a different lineup we'll start out 4-4-2 Diamond Counter.

GK: Dovey
D: Ivanusa, Williamson, Sawyer, Boateng
M: Ahmed, Musungu, Thompson, Paratore
F: Rickard, Desgages
Subs: (Donald, Smyth, Smith, Davies, McDonald)

4' - Musungu goes off for treatment after a rough challenge
6' - Long free kick, Vickers eludes Ivanusa and shoots from distance (0-1)
11' - Another long shot by Droylsden, hits the woodwork
13' - Corner played to Vickers at the point, he shoots ... damn (0-2)
18' - Ahmed corner to Williamson at the near post ... heads it over
21' - Vickers to Murray on the byline ... back to Vickers in the area from an angle (0-3)
23' - Breeze blows past Boateng ... (0-4) .. WTF? Switch to 4-4-2 Attacking since this obviously ain't working
32' - Ivanusa is knocked but stays on for now
37' - Desgages gets mugged on a short run, no call to be had
45' - Paratore feeds Musungu in the box ... denied ... Rickard slams home the rebound (1-4)

Halftime: Unacceptable ... and that's an understatement. A shellshocked locker room. Only 3 players rated above 5.8, Williamson has IMPROVED to 5.0 (had been as low as 4.6) ... Sub Donald (for Musungu, hurt & ineffective), shift Ivanusa to ML

61'- Paratore with a try, saved. Juggled briefly, but held.
62' - Donald with a cross that actually ends up on net, bobbled but caught
68' - Boateng with a rough challenge (no foul called) that sends Breeze out for the day
71' - Ahmed feeds Desgages, he shoots weakly wide right
72' - Sub Smith (for Desgages, ineffective & tiring)
85' - Boateng is injured, has to leave ... Sub Davies ... shift Sawyer to DR, Ahmed to DC, Davies to MR
87' - Dovey barely manages to deflect a hard shot coming on a breakaway counter
89' - 3 minutes added
90'+2 - Williamson is denied on a corner

Full time: Droylsden 4 - Blyth 1
Utter clusterfuck. Shots were actually even 8-8, we had more possession, better pass completion, we just couldn't stop anything from going in. Our entire back line was rated 5.8. Rickard snaps a drought of more than 420 minutes for the only real positive.

Oct 22, 2014 (postmatch)
Boateng's injury is a dead leg, out 3-4 days. Ivanusa suffered a gashed leg, he's out about two weeks. The press is merciful afterwards.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Oct 25, 2014 (morning)
Our U18s played a Group match against Maidenhead, winning 3-1. After giving up a goal just 4 minutes in, we got scores from Watson (9'), Locke (pen 45') and Griffiths (84'). Watson was MOM with an 8.5, only keeper Rob Fry (5.9) was below 6.8.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Oct 25, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (3rd BSBN) vs Eastbourne Boro (12th BSBS)
English FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
I have a feeling we're about to find out -- one way or another -- what this club is made of. We're 13:8 underdogs at home, deservedly so after getting not only our unbeaten streak broken but being utterly waxed in our last outing. Back to the 4-4-1-1 Counter today, hopefully there's still at least a little magic left in it.

GK: McDonald
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Shulton, Smyth, Ricketts, Moke
F: Baker, Cofie
Subs: (Seery, Jefford, Janneh, Smith, Lobjoit, Branker, Dovey)

7' - We dodge a bullet when they threaten in front but are flagged offside
19' - Cofie gets hammered by a defender, just a foul
25' - Groves centers the ball to Cofie who fires ... saved
28' - Deen-Conteh feeds Baker at the point ... finds Shulton the box .. offside
34' - Shulton to Cofie ... Cofie feints ... spots Moke on the right side of the area ... left-footed volley ... GOAL ! (1-0)
40' - E'bourne has a corner, the header is high and harmless
44' - Another E'Boro corner, shot into the side netting

Halftime: Halfway home boys, we've played well but we can do even more.

45:22 - They kickoff, send it long ... Seidu chases it down in front of McDonald ... but has no clue that their man Thompson has flown down in hot pursuit ... Seidu turns, essentially puts the ball right on the foot of the E'boro attacker ... McDonald didn't have a chance ... (1-1) Gut punched.

49' - Long run back Cofie, pressured at the byline so he passes out to Deen-Conteh who shoo ... no, it's a lob pass to Moke on the doorstep ... GOAL ! (2-1)
55' - Indirect for E'boro ... Duyile finds just a hint of space ... bang (2-2)
59' - Moke takes a crack from long range ... high and over
70' - Long pass ... Duyile is there ...McDonald challenges... Duyile misses wide
71' - Sub Janneh (for Ricketts, tiring)
75' - Baker takes a corner ... far post to Seidu ... misses high, his head in his hands after
79' - DFK is held safely by McDonald
80' - Sub Branker (for Cofie, tiring)
86' - Baker lays a free kick off to Janneh who shoots ... blocked, cleared over the touch
87' - Sub Smith (for Shulton, tired) ... shift Baker to ML
89' - 3 minutes added

Full time: Blyth 2 - Eastbourne Boro 2
Moke's two goals and MOM (8.8) performance is still not enough to win.

Oct 25, 2014 (postmatch)
It's off to replayville. Our match vs Corby has been moved back to Wed Nov 12 due to the replay 4 days from now. The winner knows, after the 1st Round draw was held, that they will face League 1 side Bury.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tue Oct 28, 2014
Across the pond, MLS teams Columbus, Chicago and Vancouver have all fired their head coach. I'm linked to both the Fire and Crew openings, although not as the top candidate.

We've been made 3:1 underdogs in the replay at Eastbourne. A match that will be reffed by none other than our dear friend Scott Duncan (30 yellows/4 reds in 4 matches this season)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Oct 29, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (3rd BSBN) at Eastbourne Boro (12th BSBS)
English FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round - Replay

We're 3:1 underdogs on the road, traveling with a dispirited, almost glum, group. Opening 4-4-2 Defensive today, something different.

GK: McDonald
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Smyth, Groves
M: Shulton, Paratore, Moke, Thompson
F: Branker, Cofie
Subs: (Seidu, Sawyer, Baker, Ahmed, Rickard, Locke, Dovey)

1' - Thompson long free kick sails high
3' - E'boro free kick blocked by the wall, conedes a corner
5' - Kerr gets a yellow card
8' - Branker gets a yellow card
15' - Another E'boro corner, far post but headed high
16' - Switch to Counter
21' - Cofie has a go, it's caught & held easily enough
22' - McDonald gathers up a loose ball in the box
23' - McDonald punches a shot away, Smyth is lucky to clear
24' - E'boro runs rings around us, hit the post with a wide open shot ... they draw a yellow card of their own for a foul while chasing the rebound
28' - Paratore gets a yellow card
32' - Moke gets a yellow

Halftime -- Considering the four cards, and a 7-4 foul disparity, we're hanging in there on the road. The slightest touch is getting us a whistle at this point.

48' - Looong free kick by E'boro is held safely by McDonald
53' - Smyth is knocked, needs treatment
58' - E'boro corner into the middle, header missed by about an inch
61' - Another E'boro shot, another save by McDonald
65' - Sub Baker (for Branker, 5.9 and tiring) ... switch to 4-4-1-1, Baker to AMC
75' - E'boro corner to the far side of the area ... header misses wide
87' - All out assault by E'boro, shot from the left point ... beats McDonald (0-1) ... switch to Overload
88' - Sub Locke (for Shulton, tired) ... sub Ahmed (for Paratore, tired)
89' - 3 minutes added
90+1 - A dive gets Baker a yellow card

Full time: Eastbourne Boro 1 - Blyth 0
Only Shulton (6.3) and Cofie (6.2) had an off day, everyone else 6.8 or 6.9
Soon as the ref was assigned we knew we were in trouble. Ended up outshot 14-3.

Oct 29, 2014 (postmatch)
I back the players willingness to fight for the club, managed to avoid calling out the joke of a referee.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Nov 1, 2014 (morning)
Our U18s played a Group match at Staines, losing 2-1. Robbie Locke scored for us early, Rob Fry couldn't hold the lead.

The board is very pleased overall, especially with our BSBN performance thus far. Fans do not care for the decision to sign Gaetan Desgages. We lost about $23k last month (a win in that last Cup match would have broken us even for the month ... sigh).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Nov 1, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (9-2-2, 3rd BSBN) vs Darlington (9-2-2, 11th BSBN)
We're rightful underdogs, even at home. Darlington, as you can see from their record, is every bit as good as us at the very least. The 10 point deduction for their financial troubles is why they're 11th instead of 3rd right now. Back to the 4-4-1-1 although you've seen how things have been going, I'm not sure if any formation is the cure right now for a team that is dangerously close to being down the dumps all at once.

GK: Dovey
D: Deen-Conteh, Williamson, Seidu, Sawyer
M: Musungu, Ahmed, Smyth, Ricketts
F: Baker, Rickard
Subs: (Kerr, Janneh, Cofie, Davies, McDonald)

1' - Seidu header from a corner ... too high
6' - Dovey makes a steady save on the first attempt he faces
7' - Smyth nods a long ball ahead to Rickard ... in the clear ... shoots from 25 yards ... hits the post
18'- Two-footed challenge by Smyth at midfield ... wipes out the ball carrier ... red card ... Hopson has to leave the game due to injury ... switch to Defensive
25' - Dovey makes a point blank save
32' - Musungu shoots weakly, doesn't trouble the keeper
34' - Rickard is denied on a great opportunity
37' - They hit the netting
41' - They miss a header inches high
43' - Sublime finish for Fletcher, they simply outnumbered us and Dovey was late to the shot (0-1)

Halftime: Well this sucks. Staff is down on them, I say they've been unlucky, which seems to lift spirits & confidence. Whether it's enough to get us a miracle though ...

46' - Rickard is knocked after a heavy foul that draws only a yellow card
47' - Seidu misses an open header that would have tied it. If he isn't kicking himself I might do it for him
54' - Rickard finally breaks down and has to come off ... Sub Cofie
55' - Ahmed corner ... Williamson at the near post unmolested ... hits it right at the keeper ...
56' - Ahmed gathers the loose ball ... cross into the area for Seidu ... the defender backs into Seidu and flattens him, that's a penalty ...
57' - Baker takes the shot ... buries it ... (1-1)
62' - Baker with a takeaway at midfield, quickly plays it ahead to Ricketts ... down the flank ... he's taken down from behind by Lawlor, goes down like he'd been shot ... that's his second yellow, he's off and we're 10 aside now
64' -We get a free kick from the arc after a handball ... Ricketts shoots a bit high ... Darlington changes to a 4-3-2
71' - Ricketts picks up a yellow card, fairly given after a missed tackle turned into a trip
72' - Sub Janneh (for Ricketts, tired & 6.1)
88' - Sub Davies (for Musungu, knocked heavily) ... shift Baker to ML, Davies to ST
89' - 4 minutes added
90'+1 - Ahmed corner to the near post this time ... Williamson is there ... heads it across ... GOAL ! (2-1) ... switch to Contain

Full time: Blyth 2 - Darlington 1
Well I'll be damned. I let Whitfield praise 'em and thank 'em. Williamson -- who won't discuss a contract extension -- scores his first goal of the season. Baker's PK is his first league goal for us as well. Back line played much better in the second half, neutralizing their man advantage certainly had to help.

Nov 1, 2014 (postmatch)
We may have a talking to coming after getting hit with four yellows and a red.

After the press conference we issue a written statement confirming that disgruntled forward Jonson Clarke-Harris (and his $250/wk rolling salary) and young AMC Craig Creswell have been given their free release

Tommy Smyth understands why I had to give him a formal warning after being sent off. We won't appeal, it wasn't a dirty play or anything but the call looked valid to me in both real time and on replay.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Mon Nov 3, 2014

The FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round draw was held today ... we'll play at St. Albans City on Sat Nov 29. Yep, same club that put us out 3-1 last season.

Tue Nov 4, 2014 (morning)
We've reached agreement on a contract extension through next season with MR Brad Ricketts.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tue Nov 4, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (10-2-2, 3rd BSBN) vs Altrincham (5-7-3, 9th BSBN)

They're a Pick 'Em favorite at our place, we're missing starter Tommy Smyth after the red card. We shuffle the lineup a bit since we've got tired players from the last match. Cofie hasn't scored in a month, 423 minute slump that followed a 3 match scoring streak. Much as I hate to risk wearing it out, we'll go 4-4-1-1 again, right now that's working best for us.


GK: Dovey
D: Donald, Williamson, Kerr, Boateng
M: Shulton, Paratore, Janneh, Davies
F: Moke, Cofie
Subs: (Seidu, Thompson, Smith, Paul, McDonald)

4' - Janneh & Boateng play a two man game on the right flank. Janneh takes a speculative shot, it hits the defender Bygrave in the head and flies into the net for an own goal (1-0)
8' - Davies centers the ball for Cofie, his shot is blocked ... Moke volleys the rebound past their captain Bygrave ... GOAL! (2-0)
17' - Shulton just misses the net on a free kick
33' - Davies corner is intercepted ... then lost ... Williamson pounces and fires ... GOAL! (3-0)3
37' - Janneh takes a little run ... feeds Cofie in the middle ... GOAL! (4-0) ... his long drought is over
42' - Side out, Altrincham throw in ... Williamson slides into the tackle with both feet, takes out the midfield ... obvious red card
43' - Sub Paul (for Davies, tiring) ... Paul replaces the idiotic Williamson, Janneh slides out to MR and we'll play 4-3-1-1

Halftime - We just can't stand prosperity. Of all the stupid, idiotic, moronic ... GAH. I let Coach Kulsten take the pep talk, he usually doesn't say a lot so he can brag on them for the offensive explosion, I'll deal with the dumbass later. Altrincham makes two subs at the half, including former Spartan Lewis Whitely (6.28 in 4 games)

51' - Corner gives them a fair chance, the header goes wide
63' - They split the defenders on a run, Dovey comes out aggressively and punches away a shot
69' - Fantastic save by Dovey
71' - Sub Thompson (for Moke, to rest) ... shift Paratore to AMC, Janneh to MC
82' - Sub Smith (for Cofie, to rest)
89' - 1 minute added ... switch to Defensive
90' - An inch perfect tackle by Boateng ... hard to believe he tackled someone without getting a car

Full time: Blyth 4 - Altrincham 0
Janneh (8.0) is MOM with two assists, no starter below 6.9. Excellent outing. Dovey made his 75th league appearance, Cofie broke his scoring drought at 453 minutes and we snapped a 360 minute clean sheet streak for their keeper Nathan Dean.

Nov 4, 2014 (postmatch)
Our fans were delighted by the win, as was I. We're 6 points behind first place Gainsborough, 1 point behind 2nd place Kidderminster, 7 points up on both Chester and AFC Telford, all with a game in hand against each of them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Nov 5, 2014

Our U18s played a 2nd Round U18 Cup match against Newcastle, winning 1(4) - 1(3) on penalties. Michael Underwood opened the scoring for us at 12', Newcastle equalized just before the half, nothing else after that. Desgages (demoted just prior to the match) Goodall, Boast and Pemberton scored for us while Newcastle shot high on both their 1st and 4th attempt. The U18s will play a 3rd Round match against Charlton next Wednesday.

Our Reserves played a group match against Bradford and got thrashed 4-0. Tom Seery got a red card at 27', Ben Weaver conceded on own goal at 51' and the rout was on. Bad outings for most of our reserves, Paul, Ricketts, Lobjoit were all rated sub 6. Ivanusa (6.6) went the distance as we try to get him match fit after his injury.

Sat Nov 8, 2014 (morning)
Bad news from the disciplinary committee, Tommy Smyth is given an additional two match ban for his sending off against Darlington.

We've had four young players called up for international duty on Nov 14 and Nov 18: Barry Vickers for Ireland U19s, Fraser Kerr and Robbie Locke for Scotland U21s and Nathan Griffiths for Wales U19s. Of the group, Griffiths would be making his international debut.

[Brian Swartz]

You're rolling this year!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

You're rolling this year!!

That mini-slump scared the daylights out of me, I've seen that sort of thing snowball before. Maybe we've shaken it off however.

The really REALLY scary thing right now is how few players -- including key ones -- are in the final year of their contracts. If we happen to promote we're going to be slaughtered even worse than the first trip up, we're not likely to have enough players with experience back to be remotely competitive. And those who are playing well (like Moke for sure) want raises beyond what the board will allow.

But, for now, I'm just trying to enjoy the ride. It's been interesting watching the character of the squad change, originally a largely loyal group they've become more ambitious. Maybe that's what's paying off.

[Brian Swartz]

My understanding of ambition is that it means they want to play at the highest level possible(meaning they're more likely to leave your club for a higher division/league). Maybe they've just gotten better .

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Nov 8, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (11-2-2, 3rd BSBN) at Nuneaton (5-1-10, 17th BSBN)

I usually don't take the betting line too personally but Nuneaton is a 5:4 favorite here (we're 7:4 road dogs). I have to admit that's a little insulting, road match or not. We shuffle the lineup again, and debut O'Nien, since we've got tired players from the last match and there's still a steady stream of matches coming up. 4-4-1-1 Counter again, duh.


GK: McDonald
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Shulton, Baker, Paratore, Moke
F: O'Nien, Cofie
Subs: (Sawyer, Ahmed, Rickard, McGovern, Dovey)

7' - Sharrif makes a run for Boro, spots Simpson open on the flank ... McDonald punches out the shot
13' - Baker is knocked hard, will try to stay on
14' - Sharrif another run, McDonald saves & Seidu clears
21' - Moke to Paratore at the top, fires ... saved
28' - Baker corner to Kerr at the near post ... header hits the crossbar
40' - Cofie to O'Nien ... through ball to Moke ... lobs one up ... off the top of the crossbar

Halftime - Kind of flat. Nothing too terrible, only Groves (yellow card) and Cofie (not much of anything) have been subpar, everybody else is just sort of middling. We just need someone to pick it up a notch or two, make a play.

48' - They shoot wide off a corner
53' - Paratore long range try isn't even close
72' - Sub Rickard (for Cofie, knocked), Sub Ahmed (for Paratore, 6.5)
76' - Kerr's through ball is gathered by the keeper about one step before Rickard could get onto it
83' - Cross into the box ... Shulton was offside
83' - Sub Sawyer (for O'Nien, tired) ...shift Baker to AMC
89' - 3 minutes added


Full time: Blyth 0 - Nuneaton 0
A bore draw. We controlled play in the second half but failed to do anything with it. Hit the woodwork three times. Deen-Conteh (7.5) is MOM with 6 tackles and 5 headers, all won. Today marked his 25th league appearance for the club. O'Nien was fine (6.7) in his debut, Shulton (6.2) underwhelmed.

Nov 8, 2014 (postmatch)
Really bad news from the physios: Cofie will miss 2-3 weeks while being treated for a twisted knee.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Mon Nov 10, 2014

Our Reserves played a Group match at Hartlepool, winning 4-0. Lobjoit scored all 4 goal, a chip at 20', a tidy finish at 34', a lob at 43', closing with a PK at 61'. His 9.8 rating was indeed good for MOM . Ivanusa had a good showing with a 7.9

We've reached agreement to extend the contract of head physio Ewen Fairgreave through next season.


Tues Nov 11, 2014
Jack Dovey, Alex Donald and Hassan Janeh were selected in the BSBN Team of the Week first eleven.
DC Andy Williamson has been given an additional two match ban for his recent red card. That seem to be the norm at this point.
Danny Whitaker has rejected a loan to Blyth, despite being unhappy and listed at Morecambe. Hey, I tried.

Wed Nov 12, 2014 (morning)
Our U18s played Charlton in the 3rd round of the U18s Cup, winning 3-0. An own goal at 54', Dean Goodall struck at 60', Robbie Locked iced it at 85'. Goodall was MOM (8.3), Locke (7.9) and Vickers (7.6) were also solid. Underwood (5.9) underperformed. We advance to 4th round action on Dec 10 against Carlisle.


Meanwhile several strikers from BSB Premier rejected loan offers that their clubs accepted.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wed Nov 12, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (11-3-2, 3rd BSBN) vs Corby (8-2-6, 7th BSBN)

Last match for 10 days, a welcome break to be honest, especially if we can go into it playing well. They're a 5:4 favorite at home, not bad considering that we're missing two regular starters & one semi-regular and have others too tired to be effective. Meanwhile Corby starts former Spartan Chris Carruthers (6.79, 2g/2a in 15 games). 4-4-1-1 Counter again, duh.


GK: Dovey
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Boateng
M: Musungu, Baker, Ahmed, Janneh
F: Paratore, Rickard
Subs: (Sawyer, Ahmed, Rickard, McGovern, McDonald)

1' - Ahmed goes off for treatment after making a successful tackle. Inauspicious start for sure
16' - Seidu misses a wide open header off a corner
33' - Corby misses a good chance, heading it over the bar instead
33' - Switch to Attacking
40' - Ahmed can't keep a long shot down
41' - Baker gets a yellow card for tripping at midfield
42' - Seidu gets a yellow card for a handball
43' - Deen-Conteh makes a diving save in the box

Halftime - Not exactly thrilling stuff. We're probably lucky to have only 2 yellow cards, we've been pretty aggressive so far. Switch back to Counter.

63' - Sub Moke (for Musungu, tiring) ... shift Baker to ML, Paratore to MC, Moke to AMC
73' - Throw in, played to Carruthers inside, touch pass out front to Sanderson, Boateng misses an easy interception and leaves Sanderson alone ... (0-1) ... Switch to Attacking
74' - Sub Davies (for Rickard, 6.0) ... shift Ahmed to ST, Janneh to MC, Davies to MR
83' - Baker, already playing with a yellow card, tackles Hall on the right flank. Corby's man is down & done for the day, luckily no booking AND they're a man short because their subs have been used up
86' - Free kick from the spot ... far corner to Carruthers, he heads it home & celebrates enthusiastically (0-2) ... switch to Overload
89' - Moke with a perfect bouncing cross to Davies, who knocks it home on the bounce (1-2)
89' - 4 minutes added
90' - Sub Groves (for Janneh, exhausted)
94:30 - Dovey quickly lays the ball out to Deen-Conteh ... loooong past ahead in desparation ... Ahmed runs onto it ... he fires on the run from at least 35 yards away ... GOAL ! GOAL ! GOAL ! (2-2) A miracle shot that caught Corby napping and struck the utmost right corner of the net

Full time: Blyth 2 - Corby 2
Will wonders never cease? I sure hope not. Ahmed, playing out of position in desperation of all things, knots the match. 8.3 for him, 7.8 for Deen-Conteh, 7.0 for Seidu ... enough to offset Boateng's 5.2 and Rickard's 5.9

Nov 12, 2014 (postmatch)
Carruthers may have been MOM but Ahmed was definitely Man of the Hour. Thanks to him we're solidly in 3rd place, 3 points out of 2nd place and 6 points clear of 4th. And hopefully recovering somewhat during a ten day break between matches.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thu Nov 13, 2014
On the advice of our training staff, we grant Steven Baker and Marcel Ivanusa one week leave.

Fri Nov 14, 2014
Hinckley has signed former Spartan Dylan Purvis.

Sat Nov 15, 2014
International roundup from yesterday's play
Fraser Kerr & Robbie Locke were both late subs in Scotland U21s 3-0 win against Hong Kong
Nathan Griffiths earned his first cap as a late sub for Wales U19s in a 3-0 loss to Italy
Barry Vickers was a late sub for Irleland U19s in their 1-0 win over New Zealand.

Our own U18s played a Group match against Hampton & Richmond, winning 3-0. Gary Pemberton (31'), Neil Murphy (pen44') and Andrew Boast (63') all scored,

Our Reserves played a Group mach at Leeds, losing 1-0 while being outshot 18-4. Not much good in this one, Seery (5.5) and Farren (5.7) notably awful.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tue Nov 18, 2014
Adnan Ahmed was named to the BSBN Team of the Week first eleven.

Wed Nov 19, 2014
Ben Jefford is a whiny bitch about playing time. He's our 3rd (or 4th) best option at DR and while he could be quite good someday, that someday hasn't arrived. I basically get sick of his bitching & toss him out of my office with a shout.

Thu Nov 20, 2014
International report finds a tough go for Barry Vickers. Just a 5.5 rating in the Ireland U19s 4-0 loss to England.

I've transfer listed Jeffords.

Our Reserves played a Group match against FC Halifax, winning 2-0 on goals by Smith (13') and Ricketts (61'). Laste Dombaxe suffered a twisted knee, will miss 2-3 weeks.

Fri Nov 21, 2014
Nobody is willing to make even the slightest offer for Jeffords. He only makes $45/wk for crying out loud, c'mon somebody.

Sat Nov 22, 2014 (morning)
Our U18s played a Group match at Newport, losing 1-0 on a goal scored in the 2nd minute. We managed only 4 shots in spite of having a man advantage for the final 46 minutes.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sat Nov 22, 2014 (evening)
Blyth (11-4-2, 3rd BSBN) at Cambridge City (5-2-10, 17th BSBN)

First match in 10 days but it starts a tough stretch of 4 out of 5 away from home. If things work out we'll use Lineup A today, go with Lineup B midweek then back to this lineup for the FA Trophy match on Saturday. We're 4:5 favorites even on the road, even more shocking with Scott Duncan as the referee. Cambridge lineup today includes former Spartan Reece Loudon (6.40 in 3 matches) 4-4-1-1 Counter again, duh.


GK: Dovey
D: Deen-Conteh, Kerr, Seidu, Groves
M: Bake, Smyth, Janneh, Moke
F: Paratore, Lobjoit
Subs: (Sawyer, Ahmed, Rickard, Davies, McDonald)

10' - Baker passes to Janneh beyond the arc ... he fires ... GOAL ! (1-0) His first ever league goal is a whistler into the top corner
12' - Tchobanian rattles the woodwork with a shot from the point, Janneh clears the rebound to midfield
21'- Corner into the middle by City ... header spins off the crossbar & out of play
22' - Lang with a takeaway for City ... Dovey makes the save
24' - Baker draws a foul, evening the yellow cards at one each (Janneh picked one up somewhere earlier)
25'- Free kick just outside the area ... Baker across to Seidu ... who misses a wide open net
28' - Paratore with a short through ball to Moke cutting into the area ... dribble and score (2-0)
32' - We wanted a penalty for banging Seidu on a corner, no luck
42' - Long through ball to Lobjoit ... he chases it to the byline and centers the ball ... Baker is there for a one-hop header (3-0)
44' - Deen-Conteh lobs a pass in front for Moke ... header ... denied

Halftime - Playing well, don't screw it up.

48' - Groves clears a threat, played long to Lobjoit ... one on one with the keeper way out in his face ... blocked out for a corner
50' - Switch to Standard
50' - Deen-Conteh feeds Moke in front ... shot is blocked
58' - Lobjoit has another chance ... shot is blocked
59' - Sub Davies (for Janneh, yellow) ... shift Moke to AMC, Paratore to MCR
63' - City launches a little counterattack ... long shot is harmlessly wide
67' - Loudon has a go from way outside, Dovey soars high to knock it out
68' - Sub Sawyer (for Moke, to rest) ... Groves to MR, Davies to ML, Baker to AMC ... switch back to Counter
73' - Deen-Conteh with a steal near midfield ... Pooley trips him up ... that a yellow card,that's his second of the match & he's done, we'll finish with a man advantage ... shift Davies to ST, Lobjoit to AMC, Baker back to ML
84' - Sub Ahmed (for Kerr, knocked) ... shift Smyth to DC
89' - 2 minutes added

Full time: Blyth 3 - Cambridge City 0
Baker is MOM with a goal and an assist good for 8.5. Moke was 8.0. Nobody worse than 7.0

Nov 22, 2014 (postmatch)
That was solid, now tied for 2nd in points, behind in GD.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Mon Nov 24, 2014
I admit, when pressed, that we could be the team that ends up winning BSB North this year. Numerous players seemed to respond positively to that comment.

Tue Nov 25, 2014
Stewart Baker and Hassan Janneh were named to the BSBN Team of the Week first eleven.