Capital 8

It's 1st v 2nd this Saturday at Melrose. While their is the Vic Uni Derby at Kelburn Park. Should be a good round. 

Good luck Baron, should be a good clash with the boys. Will be interesting to see the result that comes out from the match. Picking a 3-2 win to PCAFC though!

Results?

3-2 win for the Aces over Island Bay Reds. Reverse of our last 3 games as it was the first time this season we've gone in behind at half time, 1-0 down and this time it was us who turned it around. Probably lucky to only be 1-0 at half time too as they hit the bar twice. We got 2 quick goals to go 2-1 up then they equalised then we got the winner 5 minutes from time. Feels good after the last 3 losses. Weirdly, they probably played better than the 3 teams we've lost to as well.

The PSG lads def deserved the win but the return fixture will be very interesting. A goalkeeping gift by myself (terrible mistake) and a goal from a corner (direct from a corner) and a penalty in the last minute game them three easy goals. There first was terrible defending on our part... We also had a goal called offside by our own ref :D (we had someone videoing the game and found out it was well onside...) Ah well, we are confident that it's going to be a great match up on the return fixture but the PSG were will worth the 3 points on the day. Looking forward to the return fixture. Should be a good season. 

Really good game tonight with PSG ending in yet another fudgeing loss from 1-0 up. They equalised with the last touch of the first half and scored the winner 3 minutes from time. This is a cruel game.

Was a good even game overall. For all our talk of how good they must be judging by their results so far and the crazy amount of goals they'd scored we didn't feel they were any better than us on the night and feel pretty hard done by not to get anything from the game. Look forward to playing them again later in the season.

We came to a similar conclusion. Definitely a beatable team but if you switch off they end up scoring a goal. We left the game thinking 'how on earth did they score so many goals' Should be a good rematch!  

Really frustrating season so far. We've played a lot better than our results make it look. 4 losses and 3 of those we were 1-0 up at half time (well, last night the equaliser was the last touch of the 1st half so call it 45 minutes for argument's sake) and the winning goals in 2 of those came in the last 5 minutes. The other loss was 1-0 to an 88th minute goal. If only games lasted 80 minutes!

We should really have taken points from all of those games. But at least we haven't been thrashed which happened most weeks last season!

Better result yesterday with a 3-2 win finally bucking the trend of losing after going 1-0 up. We were the better team throughout but 2 soft goals left us 2-1 down at half time and worried about continuing that trend. But we played with real urgency in the 2nd half like we were desperate to get the result after recent disappointments and came away with a deserved win even if did take until 5 minutes to go to get the winner. Feels like there has been a goal inside the last 5 minutes in almost every game so far this season. Twice it's been a winner for us now and I think 3 times been a winner for the opposition.

Barons back in winning ways. Kudos to North Wellington who put up a great performance. Standing in goal I was dubious about our pen but the person who was ref has a reputation of being straight up and honest so I'm happy with it. Norths came back to get a pen against us a couple of moment later but multiple members of their team were in the box when the guy took the shot (he also hadn't blown his whistle). Second attempt was saved by yours truly :). After that Norths seemed more preoccupied with the ref than the game and we took the result 3-1. They are a much better team than there results show and if they play like they did for 65mins they will get results in the second half. We have had frustrating game like that this season so it was nice to be on the other end for a change :). Barons v Bombers up next! 

Fixtures confirmed, good luck! Well not to Island Bay Bombers....

1-0 win over North Wellington today with a 2nd half penalty. Deserved win and we could have had a couple more goals but for some blocks on the line. Happy with a 2nd clean sheet for the season, both against them. They have been a bit rare for me in recent years so can't remember the last season I managed 2, probably 2010 I think.

They seemed a vastly different team to last time. We played them in the first game of the season and won 5-0 quite comfortably and remember them being mostly younger smaller guys who were probably playing their first game in seniors and were a bit out of their depth. Today they mostly seemed older and bigger so must have got a few players from other teams since then and it was a much tougher game.

Really solid 2-0 win over the Bombers who beat us 5-3 last time. Great to get 2 clean sheets in a row and with no goals conceded in the 2nd half of the game before that I think it's about 240 minutes without conceding now. We did well to survive a torrid last 20 minutes against a strong wind too. Was difficult to get the ball up the other end.

Weird weird results last round... I had a shocker in goal for the Barons as the Reds continued their charge up the table. Licked my wounds for a few days and then checked the table out.... North Wellington!? Well done on picking up your second win of the season. How about those Honey Badgers drawing with Stop Out too? Interesting league this. Amigos showing their class with a 8-0. Shoutout to the Aces keeper... I've had that happen to me once.... it's not nice... at all. Looking forward to this round where we travel north! 

Was a bad day but it was not the same Amigos team we played earlier on in the season when we had a tough competitive game and lost 1-0 in the 88th minute. Suspect with it being a weeknight game and uni holidays they had people away and were instead stacked with higher grade players. Could see from the way they controlled the ball, their passes, runs off the ball, headers etc they were from a higher level. Some stunning goals too. There's no way most of the guys we played that day were regular cap 8 players. We had one fill in from a cap 4 Karori team and he thought they were from above that level too.

Still lots to work on though and other results meant we can still get into the top half of the table.

Just a very quick note from an Amigo here - to confirm we were the same Amigos team! We were down 3 or so players in the first leg and from memory we only had one sub, but we had no ring-ins for either match. I suspect it is the pitch that was the difference...Nairnville is a bit harder to play on than Wakefield...

Thought you guys started off brightly but lost a bit of spark after going behind.

Fair enough then. If that's the case then you're playing at an unsuitably low level because I've not seen that level of ability from players in several years in this division, especially the big centre back. Would expect you'll climb the divisions over the next few seasons if that's the regular team. Didn't mean to sound like sour grapes at all, we just weren't going to hit the panic buttons and get depressed over it because we felt we played a team who were much better than this division. We had been in good form and hadn't conceded in about the last 4 hours of football before the game, albeit not against the top teams, so didn't expect it at all.

I'd love to think we are worthy of a higher grade but we were humbled by the Reds not long ago unfortunately! We were quite lucky early in the season grinding out three 1-0 wins in a row Monday was the first time it all clicked I reckon...plus I generally can't shoot but managed to triple my season goals tally that day. It won't happen again! We haven't beat PSG in two seasons now so the title race is still close.

Our centre back is probably the best player I've ever played with and, without overstating it, I think he could walk into a central league team. He was one of the 3 missing in the first leg (some Baron concussed him the week prior I believe...)

I remember in the first game (at Newtown Park 1-0 to you guys). We had a few people including the UTD first team manager come up and tell us that your CB was Cap Prem at least if not central league. If he's not a ring in then good on him for playing with his lads. 

LIES LIES, ITS ALL LIES! Ok well maybe it was me but we both came away with bruises.... 

How about we beat PSG this week and you lads shout us a round at Bethel Woods? 

Yeah that guy looked a central league player. We didn't threaten to beat him and couldn't get anywhere near him when he had the ball. I thought he was going to run through our whole team and score every time he got the ball tbh but always seemed to pass before he entered our third. Why is he playing at this level out of interest? Does he just want to play with his mates and not have to train so seriously or has he played at a high level and just wants to play more for fun now?

Not sure if he's scored in the last two seasons actually! Maybe one goal last year.

A few of us have played at a decent level and then got lazy. I'm not sure our centre back ever has to be honest, don't think he has ever wanted to.

Re Bethel Woods offer - gladly accepted...we ought to have beat them last time out but missed a few chances. They have a decent striker with not a great deal else but he grabbed two goals from two shots and that was enough.

Haha thanks mate but definitely not central league, this is the highest grade I've played before. It's thanks to the team that I get put in good positions so definitely hats of to them.

We went 1-0 to a particularly dissapointing decision by the ref to not call for a handball that was clear as day. Even the player acknowledge that it had hit his shoulder and rolled down his arm... The ref said "it wasn't intentional, so it wasn't a handball"... I don't claim to be an expert on the laws of the game but when the ball had hit your arm and you've control the ball with it and then gone on to score that's not right.... Our boys dug deep and managed to get a goal back, then we conceded another (absolute fair goal this time). We then go another back only for them to score one on one against me. They were definitely worth two goals in that game but they'd be lying to the themselves if they think they deserved the first. There's marginal calls and then there's calls that were just plain wrong (along with his explanation on why he awarded the goal). Apart from that it was a bloody good game and 2-2 would have definitely been a fair result. Compared to last time it felt like they were potentially missing a few of their better players? Seemed to be a certain striker missing up front?

Yeah that decision was definitely not above board and they all had to know, Thierry Henry would've been proud! Doesn't excuse us all stopping instead of playing the whistle but losing to that goal is a bitter pill to swallow. Oh well, onwards and upwards to next week!

Good game last night against Island Bay Reds ending in a 3-3 draw. We scored first through a counter attack with out striker running onto the ball. Looked like a good one on one finish buried into the far corner from my end but turned the defender had caught him, got in a perfect sliding tackle only to slot the ball past his keeper. They equalised when their left winger managed to run onto a long ball and cut inside a couple of defenders a bit too easily. We took the lead again just before half time with a goal of the season contending volley from outside the box. Had a great view of it and it looked in as soon as he hit it. So 2-1 up at half time.

Continuing a running theme this season when we're 1 up at half time they equalised with pretty much the first play of the 2nd half with a cross headed into the far corner. We took the lead again through a shambolic scramble. Ball crossed in from the left then a couple of players had 3 or 4 goes at it with their keeper out of the picture, one of them blocked the other, then one hit the post from virtually on the goalline and eventually the guy who made the cross ended up making it in there to finish it. Sadly they equalised again when a cross from the left ballooned way up the air, I got blinded and lost it in the floodlights and it was headed it at the far post. 

Despite them being 9 points ahead of us, having taken the lead 3 times it feels like points dropped for us. Still an improvement on the last outing though.

BaronGoneAWOL was, well, AWOL yesterday so I'll do a wee writeup instead.

Barons played Uni Cycles at Kilbirnie yesterday. We drew 2-2 with them earlier in the year under lights after giving up a 2 goal lead to 2 fairly jammy goals including a freekick that went in both off the wall and the post. We were out for revenge!

Both teams started strongly, Cycles probably with the better of possession and had Barons struggling to play the ball out from the back, so we gave up on that and started lumping it forward.

A quick counter resulted in a one on one where our attacking midfielder kept his head to calmly put the ball just to the right of the keeper. A couple of minutes later our striker was released down the right. His first effort was parried by the diving keeper but straight back to his feet and he was able to roll it in at a tight angle.

This seemed to wake the Cycles up and they began to press forward even more, forcing a few quality saves from our keeper, first parring one onto the crossbar then tipping the follow up over and shortly after getting a leg to a ball that somehow stayed out, bouncing off the post and then being cleared by the CB.

Eventually their efforts bore fruit as a nice angled run from their striker was rewarded with a well weighted through ball and a tidy finish made it 2-1.

Towards the end of the half a dangerous ball was whipped in, just over my head and our striker was on hand at the far post to get his knee to it and smash it home. So, 3-1 at the half.

2nd half was largely uneventful. A great wide ball from the striker on his hattrick when he probably could have shot resulted in a curling effort from the winger into the top right corner.

Both teams seemed to tire in the 2nd and Cycles probably fashioned more chances, unfortunately for them they seemed to all go straight to our keeper who did a fantastic job after having not played there in a few weeks. We missed a couple of opportunities as well but she finished up 4-1, probably a fair result in the end!

Barons’ game yesterday was a tough prospect on paper, and an important one. The other Wellington United team in the league, the Honey Badgers, was a couple of points ahead and had triumphed in the season’s prior clash 3-2.

However, news came filtering through during the week that the Badgers were to have several of the core players absent for the game, attending a Stag-Do apparently taking higher priority than social-ish football!

Armed with this, and the knowledge that our top goalscorer, Scott, was playing his last game for the team, the prematch atmosphere was laid back, but with an undercurrent of steely determination.

We started quickly for the second week in a row, a marauding run from our right back, Michal, with some beautiful passing strung in the middle which produced a strong shot from Scott, stinging the keeper’s gloves. Luckily for us, the rebound bounced to the feet of our left winger Deller who had made a dangerous run and the net was wide open for him to make it 1-0. A couple of minutes later, an energised Barons team put the backline under pressure, resulting in a fluffed back pass and Scott stealing in after some nice work by Deller to be up 2-0 within the first 10 minutes.

The first half was physical, with both teams making strong, but fair, challenges and in true social football style, the referee was more than happy for this to be happening. This was BaronGoneAWOL’s wet dream as he slotted himself in at CB after his self-demotion from goalkeeper and embraced the physical nature of the game.

The rest of the first half was largely uneventful, and we went to oranges at 2-0.

In the second half the pitch opened up a lot and both teams had plenty of space to play in the midfield. This ultimately resulted in an uncontested shot from outside the box by the Badgers which whistled into the bottom corner, keeper having been given no chance.

Baron’s started to gain the ascendancy again and through a set of events which I can’t really recall our right winger aka #Natemar was left 1 on 1 with the keeper in no mans land and backpedalling. A beautifully placed shot was soon rushing past him to the left and the Barons had restored their 2 goal advantage.

Another counter attack saw the Badger’s keeper charging to the edge of his box, only to be beaten to the ball by Natemar. A smart ball across to the top of the box found Scott and the finish through a gathering of defenders and into the open net was decisive.

The game continued on scrappily for awhile, with free kicks and insults and fat shaming being thrown around the pitch, but the game meandered to its close, Badgers managing to rattle the woodwork a couple of times but with no real reward. 4-1 it finished for the 2nd time in 2 weeks and the Barons farewelled a top man with one of the performances of the season!

You will be missed Scott, have a great time in Melbourne!

Well done. I busted my ankle and achilles in coming out to make a one-on-one save in the draw with Island Bay Reds a couple of weeks ago which has probably ended my season early so for the last 2 games my view has been from the sideline rather than at the back.

Not much to say about last week's 4-1 loss to Porirua. We were poor and deserved to lose but a penalty from a pretty stupid foul and a couple of soft goals inflated the score. Their coach stood on the opposite side of the pitch to the subs and supporters so he could abuse our defenders all game without anyone on the sideline being able to hear him and have a go at him. Weirdly it was probably a worse performance than in the drubbing from the Amigos. 

This week we played Uni Cycles who we lost 3-2 to the first time around. That was a game we felt we should have got something from and it came during that period of the season early on when every week we were leading games then conceding late and losing by 1 goal.

No such drama this time. Dominated the first half and were disappointed to only be 1-0 up at half time. Second half it all came together. The passing in particular was really good to watch and it was the best I've seen this team play in the 3 seasons I've been with them. Ended up 5-0 and could have been more. It was finally a game when everything clicked for 90 minutes as it's threatened to all season. Bit jealous on the sideline missing out on the clean sheet in a game where the fill in keeper barely had to touch the ball.

Looking for a contact for the North Wellington side? Any help?

try this link from there website

http://www.northwellingtonfootball.com/seniors/contact/

Attention Aces! Please go and do a job next Monday. 

Congrats to the Victoria University of Wellington Association Football Club Amigos sealing the Cap 8 title against the Island Bay United Association Football Club Bombers with a 9-0 win tonight. #Style You guys have clearly been the best team in the league this year.

Any results in? 

Barons v North Wellington 1-1

IBU Bombers 0 - 9 Amigos

We got hammered. Not sure what the score ended up, possibly 9-1. Was actually a good game for an hour and was only 2-1 at that stage. 2-0 at half time then we started the second half strongly and dominated the first 15 minutes. Got 1 back early then had a few more chances and the keeper made 3 or 4 saves, one double save I don't how it stayed out. Then they ran away with it. 8.15pm is a pretty late kick off for a 90 minute game on weeknight too.

Next up... 

Barons v Aces in the Yellow Fever Forum Derby 

Sadly I won't make it. Back from injury now but got something else I can't get out of on Saturday and won't finish in time.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be there when we hammer you either :)

We'll see I guess, turns out I could get out of the other thing so can play now.