Gower Allstars squad to face RedStar Camden - 9th Dec

Group Cup quarter-final squad:-

Rod Paley
Sav Capone
Dave Ossack
Tom Gladstone
Lol Chittenden
Roger Milburn
Russ Klinger
Dave Botterill
Rob Street
Ben Mitchell
Ricky Dunno
Ollie Durrant
Mike Kelly
Owen Blandy

1.30pm Market Rd, Astro, £7 (not £5), 2.00pm KO.

I really dont believe this needs much psyching up.

Its a massive massive game, not only because it takes us through to the semi-finals, with relatively poor opposition remaining, but more importantly, it sets the tone for the rest of the season.

We beat Red Star twice in a row, and the balance of power shifts. It sends a huge message for the league title.

We have won 10 games in a row now. Do not let it slip now.

You have a month off after this game. Everything needs to go into this - physically, mentally and emotionally. I want you completely exhausted by 4pm - with nothing left in the tank.

If each of you win your personal battles, we will win this game. We must win this game.

We will win this game.

See you Sunday - more psyched than ever.

Gower Allstars vs Virgin NME - match report

Lions…….English lions……. that’s what the Gower Allstars were like on Sunday – in some of the windiest conditions seen to mankind against a hot-streaking Virgin NME side.

First 10 mins, Gowers didn’t get started, generally slow off the mark, and not in their stride, and a rare mistake at the back let in their striker who finished well into the corner of the net.

Queue the allstar comeback.

With the immense wind with in the first half, Gowers caused Virgin all sorts of problems at the back, with a mixture of Owen, Ricky, Botterill and Durrant causing most problems in the following 20 mins.

Corner one, whipped in not particularly well by Owen, but somehow bundled in by Durrant.

1-1

5 mins later, corner two, and replica corner, this time somehow bundles in by Ossack.

2-1

But the goals did not reflect the style of play that was forthcoming from the Gowers.

With Streety and Ricky winning everything that attempted to cross their line, the Gowers had the confidence and composure to play some really attractive football.

Summed up best by a rare Virgin attack which was thwarted unsurprisingly, by Ricky this time, who drove forward, put Virgin on the back foot, and slotted a picture perfect through ball, to Owen sprinting between the centre and full back. Keeper speeds out to clear, Owen beats him to it and rather than go round the keeper, Owen shifts to his right and slots in a class finish from 20 yards, which curled into the corner of the net.

3-1 and Gowers dominance was finally evident in the score line

HT, but we knew that Virgin, with the wind in the 2nd half, were going to throw everything at us, to avenge the 4-1 drubbing in early October. And it wasn’t gonna be easy.

Step up the heroic Gower lions… who knew nothing but a victory would do for their title challenge.

Everything they threw, the Stars had an answer. And better. Controlling the play, passing the ball out of defence into attack. And boy did they threaten, when they drove forward.

Durrant, Blandy and Botterill in attack and Street, Ricky and Sav in defence – all stood out.

To play such great football in such difficult conditions was a pleasure to watch.

Were it not for some awful finishing (and the miss of the season by Kelly), the score should have been 8-1.

But at the end of the day, the Gowers not only absorbed all the pressure that Virgin could possibly through at them, but also out-thought, out-classed and out-performed the long-standing Premier division opponents.

The score finished 3-1 and Gowers collected three more valuable points.

MOTM = Very difficult to choose between Durrant, who was everywhere defensively and offensively, and Blandy, who, on his full 90 mins return, destroyed the Virgin defence in everything he did. So I am awarding to both.

Huge win. Keeps us top of the league, with Red Star breathing down our necks, 3 points behind with a 6-better goal difference.

Red Star face the mighty Gower Allstars this coming Sunday in a group cup quarterfinal at 2pm Market Road – should be a tasty encounter and one which could create a big psychological edge for the league meeting in February.

Phoenix Slump to League Loss as Dens Sees Red

Groucho – 2 Gower Phoenix – 1

Gower Phoenix (4-4-2) Greg – Dens, Henry, Luke, Treeno – Anthony, Muffdog, The Wall, Lucas – Bolu, Fleshie

Ten-men Gower Phoenix came within 6 minutes of snatching a draw against a driven Groucho on a gale-force wind ridden Regents Park.

Phoenix did not play well however, and perhaps a loss is the best reminder of the standards that are required to win this league. If the team wants to get promoted to the top division we need not only key players back from injury and available, but also for the squad to be more hungry for the win on the day.

The first half was fairly dire. Phoenix were simply not able to keep possession for any period of time and only Bolu looked as if he was wanting to play football. After Dens was cut down 30 yards out a dangerous Fleshie free-kick was ill-judged by their keeper who missed it giving Phoenix the lead.

Groucho had two great chances to equalise following mistakes by Luke and Treeno and Phoenix were lucky to get it at ½ time 1-0 up.

2nd half into the wind and Groucho were all over us. Phoenix simply couldn’t get the ball over the half-way line and were guilty of passing it right to the opposition. The pressure told as a long-range effort deflected off Hill and in to make in 1-1.

Groucho were cutting through the Gower team with ease and their striker beat Greg and hammered it home only to hit Dens in the stomach. That was not what the ref saw and promptly sent him off. This ref was something special – he also booked Treeno and Lucas for dissent and generally was a total bastard.

Greg saved the penalty and ten-men Phoenix had 20 minutes or so to hold out. This there seemed to do – with really passion being shown in the tackle especially from Treen and new boy Anthony. The team almost snatched a winner as Lucas came close to converting a Fleshie cross. Sadly we did not learn a lesson from the week before and conceded almost the exactly the same goal.

Wall fouled one of the oppo, up stepped their striker whose shot went in above Gregs head. 2-1 it finished.

Bugger.

We have one more game this year – 16th of Dec – 10.30am at Regents Park Vs Veras and I hope to welcome back Toby, Miles, Alex W, Jake, Thompo, Aaron, Jono Sumner, Ell and Jon Hanna to the squad.

Lets learn from this.

MOTM – Anthony. First game and he put himself about and showed real grit.