💢 Magic Micky Makes

It was a good weekend for the club with wins for the 1s and 3s but the highlight of the weekend came on Sunday when veteran referee and utility player Micky Hitch scored a goal which must be a contender for goal-of-the-season in the Vets' 4-2 win against Roving Reporters.

With the score at 2-1 to the Vets after an hour's play, Corey Brade pumped a 40-yard diagonal ball to the edge of the penalty area where Hitch, standing all of 4ft 8, leapt like the proverbial salmon (as opposed to the kipper we usually associate with him) and headed the ball back towards the far post. The ball looped up, over the goalkeeper and found its way into the top corner of the goal leaving Micky and the team to stare in wonder.

The Vets went on to win the game 4-2 with goals from Matt Friskey, Cory Sunderland and Gary Leslie sealing the points in a hard-fought victory.

Elsewhere the 3s were hurdling EBOG studs to maintain their 100% record with a comfortable 4-1 victory, Anthony Knight bagging a hat-trick with Ryan Lyttle completing the scoring. Ryan Harrington also bagged 3 for the 1s who stayed 12 points clear with a 4-1 win against Stationers, Luke Fitzgerald scoring the other goal. The 4th XI's game against Winchmore had to be called off as the oppo could not raise a side, so Darren took the opportunity to do a bit of scouting, watching Battle of the Bats in which the 5th XI took the lead through Luke Unwin but the 6th XI clawed back a points through a late Jamie Swainston goal.

All of this was but a warm up for the evening, however, when the Old Boys descended on the club for the annual Christmas Party. Around 60 people sat down for dinner including players and friends from as far back as the 1950s. It was good to see our Belgian friends once again, and we look forward to our return visit at Easter.

The 1s have a nice long rest from now until 5 January, as do the 6s. All other sides have their final fixtures of 2018 this Saturday, however. The 3rd XI host title rivals Winchmore Hill 4s while the 4s go to Pinner to face Old Lyonians 3s in the SAL Cup while the 5s are at home to Broomfield 3s. The Vets have their first Saturday fixture of the year, away to Wood Green Old Boys in the League Cup with a 3.15pm kick-off under lights at New River.

The Vets are on the lookout for players to bolster their squad in the SAL Vets League Most games are played on Sunday mornings with some on Saturdays from time to time.

Players must be 35 or over but are allowed to play Saturdays and Sundays, even if they play for another club on Saturday.

For more information contact Vets Manager Cory Sunderland by phone on 07581 170 138 or email, below:

Ryan Harrington ⚽⚽⚽, Luke Fitzgerald ⚽

Saturday 8 December 2018

Muswell Hill Sports Ground, Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP

SAL Senior Division 1

Match Report from Sam Connor
After slipping up against our other top of the table challengers, we knew we couldn’t make any mistakes against an Old Stationers team who were also hot on our tails, especially not on the Old Boys Christmas party day - no one wanted to trudge in to the sound of “you let the vampires down” ringing around the clubhouse. The Vamps carpet had miraculously held up despite a drenching during the week, but it was Stationers who started the game as if they were the home team, causing all kinds of problems down the wings to whip dangerous crosses in to the middle. Twice the ball was put wide when the goal was gaping, before finally a low cross was poked goal-wards and despite the best efforts of Marc Rose in goal, the ball squirmed over the line to put us 1-0 behind.

We could have no complaints about the scoreline after a slow 25 minutes, and we knew that we’d have to up the energy to get anything out of this game. As the rain started to come down, we began to get into Stationers midfield more quickly with some trademark crunching tackles from Sam Lawrence, get the ball down and find space out wide, and eventually the pressure told. A ball to the back post from Dimi Hitra found an unmarked Ryan Harrington, who volleyed into the ground and found the net at the far post to level us up. As we went into half time we knew that we had to keep up the pressure, and stay confident that the goal would come.

The second half started with a turn in the tide - as Stationers pushed more players forward spaces started to open up, especially for Marco Kyprianou on the right and a marauding Ben Coghlan. A quick goal was key, and it came through that man Harrington again. Slipping through a couple of challenges, a gap opened up at the near post, and the shot from the edge of the box had too much power for the keeper to hold in the wet conditions. 2-1. We played with the confidence of a team way in the lead, but 2-1 was always precarious and Stationers were threatening on the break.

The next goal was key, and it came following a flowing move out of midfield. Marco Kyprianou was found free on the right, and as the ball was put low across the box arriving was none other than Luke Fitzgerald, who put the ball on a plate last week, and this time was in position to slot it under the keeper. The third goal finally put some distance between us and Stationers, and despite some dangerous moments from free kicks swung into our box, some strong goalkeeping from Rose ensured our goal remained unchallenged.

As the game started to slow through a mixture of a deteriorating pitch and vamps keeping possession more confidently, there was just enough time for the icing on the cake. Harrington had given the defence a torrid time all day, and a run behind the back four was perfectly timed - they say you make your own your luck and no one could deny the finish that ricocheted off the keeper and back into the net to make it the hat trick with almost the last kick of the game. 4-1 the final result, and sees us enter the Christmas break with it all in our own hands to finish off the job in 2019. COYV!

Marc Rose, Sam Connor, Dimitris Hitra, Luke Fitzgerald, Marco Kyprianou, Andreas Kyprianou, Joe Ephgrave, Ben Coghlan, Rob Webber, Sam Lawrence, Ali Manoli, Daniel Couldridge, Ryan Harrington

Anthony Knight ⚽⚽⚽, Ryan Lyttle⚽

Saturday 8 December 2018

Muswell Hill Sports Ground, Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP

SAL Junior Division 1 North

Match Report from Dan Dawson
We went into Saturday’s clash against arch rivals EBOGS knowing they’d do their upmost to come and end our unbeaten run and ruin our Xmas dinner day. But we’re unbeaten for 2 reasons. Firstly coz we’re a group of yetis and secondly coz we’ve got a confidence as a group that on our day we could beat most teams at our level.

EBOGS tactics was to turn up and try and bully us but quite frankly there’s more chance of Stephen Hawkins out dancing Michael Jackson than them diddy men worrying us physically. I’ve had bigger turn outs. We knew we didn’t need to go down the dirty route like they did and we let our football do the talking. Due to 5 players missing we had to call up in-form striker and club top goal scorer Anthony Knight who didn’t wait around to add to his tally with and early overhead kick. Shortly after we was 2-0 up with Knighty firing through a crowded box.

They was proper rattled 😂. Just before half-time a ball got pumped forward. “OFFSIDE” was the shout from the man standing behind Knighty who pivoted to put through another man in form Ryan Lyttle who beat an on rushing keeper to poke it into the bottom corner. A penalty was missed for us at one point in this game but we won’t go into that. 3-0 half time!

We had to be professional second half and see out the game. Second half was a bit of a drag with not much happening but with ten left Dan Dawson managed to steal possession off EBOG No.10 and then thread a ball to the awaiting hat-trick hero Knighty who coolly fired into the top bins. 4-0.

The boys were desperate to keep a clean sheet against these boys but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. VAR can’t come soon enough in the SAL Junior Division 1. An over-hit ball into the box was seen out by Lyttle with their striker falling over in the process. PENALTY! We felt it was very cheap however the ref was brilliant all game with quite a hard game to ref. They fired it home from the spot and the whistle followed. Game over.

Can’t mention everyone in this but every player was brilliant Saturday and has been for a while now. We go 10 wins out of 10 which is some doing. Gaffer Dawson being linked with the Monaco job but Oliver has said he still owes December's annuals. Winchmore who are second next week at the vamp nou. Win that and enjoy Christmas

🎄COYVS!!!🎄

Igli Gjata, Dean Appleyard, Andrew Dawson, Jack Lawrence, Ryan Lyttle, Daniel Dawson, Jason Reilly, Reece Horn-Haynes, Tom Clark, Jonathan Whitmore, Rob Handleigh, Anthony Knight, Andreas Bryant

Luke Unwin ⚽

Saturday 8 December 2018

Muswell Hill Sports Ground, Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP
SAL Junior Division 4 North

Match Report from Luke Green
A great game to watch with both teams showing that even though we play for the same club the 3 points was what we both wanted.

After a good start from both side the 5s took an early lead through a good goal from Luke Unwin. The 1st half we should of got another goal but could not find the back of the net.

The 6s came out strong in the second half, hitting the bar. We pushed on for the next goal but a great few saves from the 6s keeper kept them in the game.

The 5s started to give away a few fouls just outside the box which we paid for with 5 mins to go a free-kick hit are defender head a looped into the back of the net.

George Hill, James Brown, Tom Hatton, Will McReady, Luke Green, Luke Unwin, Adrian Vazquez Camacho, Ryan Burke, Mark Alexander, Jack Ephgrave, George Vivian

Jamie Swainston ⚽

Saturday 8 December 2018

Muswell Hill Sports Ground, Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP
SAL Junior Division 4 North

Match Report from Connor Eldrett
It's match day, it's a Vamps day. We have the 5s and the 6s from the one and only Crouch End Vampires. Both teams with good form and both good position for the title and that promotion place.

With my team the 6s being top of the league with playing a few more games then others in the league we couldn't take anything less then a win in this game but as we know the result of the game was 1-1 there was a lot of chances for both teams to win the game but we was good enough on the day to put the chances away.

We started the game by putting pressure on the 5s taking it into the half hour mark we got caught on the break by a pass through are defence and the Luke Unwin putting it away for 1-0 and then we was behind. We went into half time 1-0 down we know we had to change the system and get more shots off.

The second half started was quiet till around the 75th min where Ryan Horswell whipped the ball into the box to the back post where it's been headed back across goal where Connor Eldrett was to make it with his head but it come off the cross bar. At that point we realised we could get something out of this game we started pilling on the pressure and it the late minutes of the game the 6s got a free kick on the edge of the box. Jamie Swainston made it 1-1 with a beauty of a goal from the free kick and that was how the game ended we can take that point and take positives.

COYV!!!

Brian Mac, Toby Thurlow, Elliott Jackson, Lukasz Kowalczyk, Alex Thomas, Connor Eldrett, Ryan Horswell, Jamie Swainston, Jaden Millard, Jude Oliver, Nick Dunlop, Sean Warner, Matthew Castignetti

Matt Friskey ⚽, Cory Sunderland ⚽, Micky Hitch ⚽,
Gary Leslie ⚽

Sunday 9 December 2018

Enfield Playing Fields, Donkey Lane, Enfield EN1 3PL
SAL Veterans League

Match Report from Andy Copeland
The Vets took on Roving Reporters at Enfield on Sunday, looking to avenge the 1-2 home defeat from earlier in the season. Having struggled for players recently it was good to have new faces in Tuncay Yavuz and Ibrahim Toptas who settled in well on their debuts along with club secretary Andy Copeland, playing his first game in six years.

The Vamps played against a slight slope and wind in the first half, but had the best of the opening half hour without much bother at the other end. A poor clearance from the oppo keeper set Matt Friskey up for the first goal, slotted home coolly to give the Vamps the lead after ten minutes. A second goal came not long after when Enric Gustav put Cory Sunderland through. Sunderland, one-on-one with the keeper, slotted home coolly with the outside of his left foot to double the score.

As the half wore on the Vamps tired and Reporters built pressure which paid off when an angled cross was met on the corner of the 6-yard box by the Reporters striker who caught it on the up-bounce and saw it balloon about 30 feet up in the air. It came down whiskers from the cross bar and defeated Andy Copeland's backward lunge, bouncing up and into the net for 1-2.

The home side dominated for the rest of the half with the wind and the slope making it hard for the Vamps to get out of their own half but they stuck it to the break and went in one goal ahead.

In the second half Reporters went all out for the equaliser but were kept at bay by Justin Harvey, Graham Surry, Dean Moriarty and Enric Gustav across the back, with Steve Wynne as always doing the work of three men, hunting players down in midfield. Corey Brade did a good job of tracking back on the left and when we got the ball forward, Vayus and Friskey did their best to hold the ball up.

On the hour Corey Brade played an inch-perfect crossfield ball to the back of the penalty area where the salmon-like Micky Hitch hung in the air and directed the most beautiful header you've ever seen back across the goal and in to the top corner to make it 3-1. The success went to his head and he was barking orders at us from there on in. "Just cos you scored it don't mean you can start shouting at the rest of us!", shouted Graham Surry after one burst of instruction. Not that it did much good - Last we saw Micky was strutting through the park wearing big sunglasses with three birds on each arm and, a cigar in his gob and a faux Portuguese accent.

The home side continued to press but the Vamps stood up to the test and kept them to the flanks, from where they most stuck the ball 20 yards behind the goal. With about 25 minutes to go a long goal kick bounced through the Reporters defence, chased down by Yavux and Gary Leslie, the latter ending up with the ball where the goal line meets the penalty area. He crossed the ball perfectly for the wind, which swept it over the line to make it 4-1!

Reporters upped their game and pressed for an equaliser but again the Vamps were up to the challenge and the home side became more and more frustrated until a breakthrough with about fifteen to go was finished clinically by their centre-forward with a strong left footed shot into the corner.

The home side saw a glint of light at the end of the tunnel now, and it wasn't the gold tooth Micky Hitch had just got himself. They pressed and pressed but the back four kept them out until a shot from the edge of the area was goal-bound, only for Andy Copeland to turn it away. Alas, another striker was on hand, grinning as he visualised the tap-in, only for Copeland to throw his arms up in the air and deflect the shot away, before picking up his glasses, which had fallen off in the excitement.

That really took the knocked the stuffing out of the home side who kept on trying, but the Vamps were able to keep the ball up-field for much of that last ten. The final whistle blew and the Vamps knew they had moved above their oppo in the league.

Well played all - looking forward to Wood Green Old Boys under lights on Saturday!

Andy Copeland, Dan Coleman, Graham Surry, Enric Gustav, Justin Harvey, Steve Wynne, Tuncay Yavuz, Ibrahim Toptas, Micky Hitch, Gary Leslie, Corey Brade, Matthew Friskey, Cory Sunderland

Mighty Micky Makes it count

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