Bouncebackability! DLFC 3- NLT 2

Dutch Lions FC 3 – 2 North London Tara
Report By Peter Clark (Resident Right Back for the Lions)

The Lions showed their increasing mental strength and fitness levels to come from two goals down to defeat title-chasing North London Tara 3-2 at Northwick Park.
 
Turning round at 1-2, the Lions reshaped their formation to score twice, and then survived a nervy last 10 minutes to keep all three points. After the disappointments of a cup exit on penalties two weeks ago, then a narrow league defeat last week, this win was richly deserved.

The match was a personal triumph for player-manager Don O’Keeffe, who took over in goal after regular keeper Arron called off. With a couple of crucial saves in the last ten, he helped ensure victory for the Lions.

The Lions starting formation was altered slightly this week, with Timid moving to the point of a four-man diamond formation in midfield, supporting Jabba and Yasser up front. However, it was Tara that made all the running early on, as the Lions conceded midfield, and allowed the Tara opposition to dominate. It was little surprise when Tara went one up, a low shot from the edge of the box finding its way through a forest of legs and squirming past the unsighted O’Keeffe. It didn’t take long for Tara to double their lead, when a weak goal kick was returned with interest, expertly dispatched from 35 yards.

Instead of heads going down, the Lions redoubled their efforts, and started to dominate. The Tara defence were put under more pressure, and several hasty clearances signified the changing mood of the match. Justice was done just before half time. Noel flighted a searching pass from left back, which found the Tara centre half wanting. Jabba was onto the ball in a flash, and gave the keeper no chance with a confident strike from 16 yards. The half time whistle went soon after, and the Lions had clearly seized a key psychological advantage.

The Lions reshaped for the second half, moving to a 4-3-3 with Paolo coming on to spearhead the attack. The Tara defence was soon under pressure again, as the Lions set about finding an equaliser. Clark was finding plenty of space down the right, and when given time and space to cross again, sent a laser-guided raker to the far post. Jabba, timing his run to perfection, headed powerfully back across the keeper, and the Lions were back on level terms.

The game was clearly there for the taking now. Tara, with heads starting to go down, were looking increasingly vulnerable at the back. The Lions went for the jugular, and duly drew blood – although the blood-letting coming from perhaps an unlikely source.

A corner from the right was flicked on by Timid. With Grant causing confusion amongst the Tara defence, the ball was cleared weakly to Clark on the edge of the box. Without breaking stride, the buccaneering right back connected perfectly with a left-footed half-volley from 18 yards. The roof of the net bulged, and the Lions were ahead thanks to Clark’s first goal in open play for 23 years.*

Tara threw everything at the Lions for the remainder of the match, with numerous goal mouth scrambles and dangerous crosses coming to nothing in the end. In fact, the nearest to another goal came at the opposite end, when a mazy run and cut back from Timid gave Paolo a sight of goal. His shot appeared to hit the inside of the side netting and come out again, with the reaction of all the players from both sides near the goal telling its own story. However, the referee disallowed the goal and waved play on.

 

In the end, a morale-booting victory was ground out. The Lions never gave up, got their shape back after a ropey start, and fashioned three quality goals to take full points. With 4 matches left, if we’re looking at targets, it’s got to be 12 points, just to emphasise the massive strides this new team, group of players and the management have made since the start of the season.

Good luck to Tara in their cup final. Hope you win, lads.

(* A tap in from a yard in an Angus Amateurs Division 2 match, Dawson Park, Dundee, April 1984 if you’re interested . . . )

A side claiming to be Dutch Lions lose 1-0

Match Report by Arran McMahon

What can I say? After the heroic performance the Lions put in against Sals Bar spirits were high amongst the team. We believed that we could take on any team in the league and that Hanwell Celtic was no exception.

The referees whistle blew for the beginning of the match, and it seemed that the Lions were in control of the game for the first ten minutes, bar a few chances by Hanwell. It was after this though that it all went horribly wrong. The lions failed to maintain their structure or discipline when Hanwell Celtic called every tackle as a foul, every handball as theirs, and every throw-in as going their way. It was somewhat annoying as the ref seemed to fall for their tactics. But what was worse is that we seemed to be affected by it. And this was the difference between the Dutch Lions of the previous five games and that which turned up today. We fell apart and the other team didn’t even have to play good football to break us.

We had a couple of chances in the first half, with Hamzeh, and Ahmed going close but the wind was a major factor in this match, as was the extremely poor condition of the pitch (not detracting from the fact the other team had the same conditions to play in). It was in the first half that Hanwell went 1-0 up. Playing the long ball forward, their striker, closely followed by Olly latched onto the ball. The lions keeper ran out to claim it and quickly realised not only that he wasn’t going to make it, but that he was also stranded in no mans land. The ball gets lifted over him and into the net. What a mug he is.

This seemed to depress the team even further. Which again was something we hadn’t seen happen to us in the previous games we won. The rest of the half followed suit, as did much of the second, although we did seem to have a couple of chances with Timed going close. The lion’s goal keeper makes two unbelievable saves, seriously you couldn’t script it. I was amazing. Although, I did fail to hold onto them and some quality follow up play by my back four came to the rescue. But honestly I can’t believe how good I am. In the final moments of the game, Noel makes a horrendous challenge on the goal keeper. His shoulder actually came into contact with the keepers… disgusting and uncharacteristic of Noel, to actually come into contact with another player. I expected more. But the keeper stays down because apparently he’s hurt. I think he’s been taking tips from Jens Lehmann or at least he has some Italian blood in him somewhere. But anyways, the match finishes, we lost, although I wouldn’t say we were beaten by a better team by any means. All we can hope is that the old Lions team turns up against N. London Tara. For Queen and country boys.

Sals Bar Steal It. 2-2 AET, Lost On Penalties 2-1.

A hard fought quarter final was eventually lost by the Lions on penalties, despite completely outplaying Sals Bar, a division above, and enjoying a fine season in their own league.

Finishing 2-2 after extra time, the Lions only managed to convert one penalty, while, despite a couple of fine saves from Aaron, Sals Bar slotted the necessary two to progress to the semi final. The Lions lined up with their familiar formation, with the exception of fit again player-manager O’Keeffe returning to replace the injured Ollie at centre half. The Lions started brightly, with the usual neat interplay between midfield and attack soon stretching Sal’s somewhat laboured defenders.

Totally dominant, it was no surprise when the Lions went one up. Timid cut in from the left wing, and hit a daisy cutter which their keeper let slip through his hands. Somewhat fortuitous, but totally deserved. However, as so often happens, a couple of immediate lapses of concentration allowed Sals an equaliser. A rubbish bit of control by one of their attackers saw a pass ricochet off Grant, who conceded a corner. When it was floated over, the wind caught it, and it evaded Aaron and Don at the far post to float in. Rubbish goal, and their only attempt in the whole half. Justice swiftly followed though, when the Lions won a free kick on the edge of the box. Despite a substantial wall, Paolo cracked a screamer straight through it, and the keeper could only help the ball into the net. 2-1 up at half time, the Lions handled some early pressure in the second half, but were looking totally comfortable. Perhaps the turning point was when Ahmed was worked into space with only the keeper to beat, but hammered the ball against the crossbar. 3-1 would have seen Sal’s dead and buried, as they were offering little in attack.

With the Lions running down the clock, progress into the semis looked assured, until Sals scored their second rubbish goal. From an innocuous free kick with four minutes to go, the ball skimmed off the head of one of their attackers, confusing everyone, and crept into the net at the far post. You make your own luck, but they had no right to be in that position given the previous 86 minutes. Extra time was hard fought, but with few goal chances, although the Lions were much the stronger side. The Lions looked to have scored when Jabba bundled the ball into the net in the first half, but a foul on their keeper was awarded. Then, with minutes to go, Clark met a Paulo corner to bullet a header goal-wards, which the keeper kept out without being aware of what was happening. And so to penalties.

Sals went first, with Aaron pulling of a magnificent save. Unfortunately, what was to follow was disappointing, despite penalties being practiced for this eventuality at the previous training session. Jabba, Paolo and Timid all sent their penalties straight down the middle, and all were saved. Noel coolly slotted his, but Clark, needing to score to keep the Lions in the game, crashed the Lion’s fifth off the junction of post and crossbar. If you don’t win during open play, then the lottery of penalties means anything can happen, and as it does so often in these situations, the poorer side won.

The Lions can hold their heads high though. Another solid performance, and against a decent side from a higher league. Similar levels of performance will see plenty more points won by the Lions during the remainder of the season.

Written By Peter Clark