Match Preview: Pacific Sporting Jubilee v Loko

Competition: Sportsmans League Division 4
Opponents: Pacific Sporting Jubilee (A)
Date: 2nd October 2011
Kick Off Time: 10am
Meeting Time: 9.15am
Location: King Georges Playing Fields, Kimber Road, Earlsfield,
SW18 4SS
Directions: Regular trains run from London Waterloo to the nearest station which is Earlsfield. The pitches are a ten to fifteen minute walk down Garratt Lane and across Kimber Road.  Alternatively, email the team as someone who lives close by maybe driving down and will be able to pick you up.
Subs: £6 (£3 Subs/Substituted)
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Squad: Dale / Steve / Morris / Stefano / Dave K / Ismail / Chris / Roger / Junior / Imants / Eudimar / David J / Ivan

Previous Meetings:
19.09.10 Friendly Pacific S'ing Jubilee v Loko 10.30am WE (Won 4-1)

Sportsmans Division 4 Results

Sunday 25th September 2011
Bec United 'B' 6 v Northcote Falcons 0
Kensington Athletic 4 v Hurlingham Energie 1
Parklife 'B' 2 v Wessex Rangers 'B' 1

The table has now been updated.

Sportsmans Division 4 Results

Sunday 18th September 2011
Lokomotiv Londres FC 4 v FC Lonsdale 2
Wessex Rangers 'B' 2 v Bec United 'B' 9

The table has now been updated.

Match Report: Loko v FC Lonsdale

Sunday 18th September 2011
Sportsmans League Division 4

Lokomotiv Londres FC 4 v FC Lonsdale 2

Rampaging Loko Start Season Well!

The first game of the new season saw us up against familiar opposition in FC Lonsdale who we had beat in our three previous meetings.

It was a good squad for the first weekend and we lined up in our now customary 4-3-3 formation with Junior in goal, a back four from right to left of Ismail, Dale, Chris and captain Stefano, Tel was defensive midfield with Mark and Ed sat just in front and a front three of Imants, Dave K and Roger.

Loko started relatively slowly and Lonsdale were pressing early on but they were kept wide and were restricted to long range efforts with defenders throwing themselves in front of those time and again.

Ten minutes in and Loko took the lead with our first sustained period of pressure, Tel won the ball in midfield and laid it back to Dale on the half way line, he slipped the ball into Imants who fed ROGER in the box, and a first time turn and shot went across the line, hit the far post and bounced in.

The Railwaymen were now controlling matters and were playing some lovely football in our opponants half but were just lacking that last killer pass, with us getting caught in possession trying to take on too many when it really mattered.

A momentary lapse almost saw Lonsdale equalise when a ball was crossed to the back post and their player won the header but a full stretch save by Junior kept it level and Chris did well to muscle his way goalside and clear the ball.

Loko continued to pass the ball really well and the second came around the half an hour mark, the midfield kept the ball and fed DAVE K behind the defence and he ran one on one and slipped it past the keeper into the bottom corner.

Loko and Lonsdale exchanged long range efforts with both keepers making good saves but the defence of Loko was solid with Chris marking and Dale sweeping and it was a very positive first period.

Half-Time Loko 2 v FC Lonsdale 0

There were no changes at half-time and Roger told everyone that this was not yet won and we needed to keep the shape, discipline and commitment for the next forty five minutes.

Once again Lonsdale started the brighter and came at Loko from the whistle but the defence and midfield were standing up to the pressure well and Junior was loud and organised in goal, commanding his area and claiming anything that came within his zone.

On the one occasion when Junior was beat by their pacy winger's curled shot to the back post, Dale was on the line to head away and maintain our two goal lead.

That was key as a Mark throughball on fifty minutes saw Roger come back from an offside position and Imants make a late run from an onside position and run through, the keeper made a good save but DAVE K followed up and slotted into the empty net.

Five minutes later and Loko were in dreamland when Terry brought down a Lonsdale clearance and beautifully played in IMANTS on the edge of the box and he hit a first time drive full of power over the keeper into the roof of the net.

Morris came on for Ismail and shortly after Dave F came on for Imants.  As Loko tired Lonsdale started to press and Terry made a great last ditch slide to deflect the ball over the bar as the goal was exposed.

The pressure finally told when the little winger got behind the fullback and was down the left hand side of the pitch with Dale trying to come across, Junior decided to come out but did not get there first and the winger slotted into the empty net.

Shortly after and the team were again exposed but this time down Lonsdale's right when a ball was played through, Dale again tried to come across and slide but couldn't get the block before the shot was drilled in and it went under Junior into the net for two quick fire goals.

Loko stopped panicking and got their foot on the ball and spent the last ten minutes killing time at the right end of the pitch with a number of throw-ins and corners.

A Chris header was cleared off the line with the keeper beat and Mark somehow couldn't get a clean connection from four yards out and the ball went agonisingly past the post.

Final Score Loko 4 v FC Lonsdale 2

Club Secretary Ivan Rahal's comments:
"Great performance all around. Watching from the sidelines, midway through the second half, our play was reminiscent of our Sportsman's heyday, two years ago when we passed the ball around with great skill and composure. Our first winning start in three seasons was well deserved!"

Team Line Up
1. Junior
2. Ismail
3. Stefano (c)
4. Dale
5. Chris
6. Terry
7. Mark
8. Eudimar
9. Imants
10. Roger
11. Dave K
12. Morris (Replaced Ismail 55th Minute)
13. Dave F (Replaced Imants 60th Minute)
14. Ivan

Goals
Roger (1)
10th Minute - Turned in the box and unleased his fury in off the post.
Dave K (2)
30th Minute - One on one and slipped past the keeper.
50th Minute - Imants ran through and had a shot saved and Dave followed up with a tap in.
Imants (1)
55th Minute - He was played through by Tel and he hit a thunderbolt past the keeper.

Man of the Match
Terry - On account of his selflessness playing whilst carrying an injury that kept him awake the night before plus his relentless tackling, excellent distribution and flair. Well done!

Everybody played well today. Special mentions to Junior, Dale, Ed, Mark, Roger, Dave and Imants.

Match Report by Dale Mellor.

Match Preview: Loko v FC Lonsdale

Competition: Sportsmans League Division 4
Opponents: FC Lonsdale (H)
Date: 18th September 2011
Kick Off Time: 10.30am
Meeting Time: 9.45am
Location: Westminster Schools, Tamworth Lane, Mitcham, CR4 1EH
Directions: Trains every 30 minutes from London Victoria to Mitcham Eastfields calling at Clapham Junction, Balham, and Mitcham Eastfields. The journey is only approx 20 minutes from Victoria or 12 minutes from Clapham Junction. The pitches are a ten minute walk down Tamworth Lane and the turn in is directly off the main road. Alternatively, email the team as someone who lives close by maybe driving down and will be able to pick you up.
Subs: £6 (£3 Subs/Substituted)
See Map:


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Squad: Stefano / Junior / Chris / Ismail / Morris / Eudimar / Dale / Roger / Imants / Terry / Ivan / Dave K / Mark / Dave F

Previous Meetings:
11.10.09 League FC Lonsdale v Loko 10.30am CG (Won 3-2)
25.04.10 League Loko v FC Lonsdale 10.30am RL (Won 4-3)
27.02.11 Friendly Loko v FC Lonsdale 10.30am WE (Won 3-2)

Captains Corner: September 2011

Your Captain Steve Haley:
"Our first league game is now upon us and despite results not going our way in pre-season we should all be match fit and familiar with the new players who have joined this year and raring to go this Sunday.

Dropping down a league last season should make us one of the favourites for promotion this term but we need to start doing the basics right and stop giving sloppy goals away or its going to be a tough division.

We have a new manager in charge (when he decides to turn up) and some fresh ideas but we all need to start taking some responsibility on the pitch and work as a team in order to move forward.

It's important for us to get off to a good start and get a positive winning attitude throughout the team so everyone get plenty of sleep on Saturday night and bring your 'A' game on Sunday!"

Match Report: Loko v Spiders From Mars FC

Sunday 11th September 2011
Friendly

Lokomotiv Londres FC 0 v Spiders From Mars FC 2

Errors Prove Costly in Tight Affair

Roger stuck with the 4-3-3 formation which we have been trying to get right over the four previous games but made a strong point that if we don’t work hard for each other then it will not work.

It was a slow start to the game on a difficult boberly pitch with neither side able to retain possession and put a string of passes together.

Loko were once again making things hard for themselves by a lack of positional sense and not understanding the system which lead to the only real chance of the half when their striker got in behind the defence, took the ball round Dale and made sure his leg made contact to earn a penalty.

However, Dale produced a brilliant double save to keep the scores level, diving full stretch to his right and tipping the ball onto the post and catching the rebound in his mid-drift (Video Below).

Loko put a couple of good moves together, one in particular from Dave and Greg which but for a great last ditch tackle could have given us the lead at half time.

Half-Time Loko 0 v Spiders From Mars FC 0

The halftime team talk focused on playing more as a team and doing the basics by looking for the easy pass.

The wind was now against us and we were struggling to get out of our own half right from the start mainly due to a lack of composure and an inability to make simple five yard passes.

Midway through the half we once again contributed to our own downfall when from our throw in we failed to clear the ball and got caught in possession letting them in behind with three bearing down on the keeper and they were able to just slot past Dale.

Heads seemed to drop from this point and not long after Dale had to make a full stretch save down to his left and then they scored a soft second from a corner due to bad marking and a lack of desire to be first to the ball.

We switched to a 4-4-2 formation and tried to pick our game up after this and started causing them a few problems. Dave dribbled past 2 players in the box, one of whom blatently stood on his foot and brought him down but as had been the case most of the game the ref saw nothing.

We had a few good free kicks into their box but it just wouldn’t fall for us and we were unable to get back into the game.

Final Score Loko 0 v Spiders From Mars FC 2

Team Line Up

1. Dale
2. Morris
3. David F
4. Stefano
5. Steve (c)
6. Ismail
7. David J
8. Roger
9. Greg
10. David K
11. Terry
12. Simon (Replaced David F 25th Minute)
13. Ivan

Man of the Match
Dale - He made the double save from the penalty, a couple of other saves and was vocal throughout trying to organise the backline.

Match Report by Steve Haley.

Match Preview: Loko v Spiders From Mars FC

Competition: Friendly
Opponents: Spiders From Mars FC (H)
Date: 11th September 2011
Kick Off Time: 2pm
Meeting Time: 1.15pm
Location: Prince George's Playing Fields, Grand Drive, Raynes Park, SW20 9NB
Directions: The ground is a ten minute walk down Grand Drive from Raynes Park Railway Station. See TFL website for train times or alternate routes.
Subs: £5
See Map:


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Squad: Ismail / Stefano / Ivan / Steve / Morris / Dale / Roger / Dave J / Dave K / Terry / Greg / Andy / Dave F / Simon

Previous Meetings: None

Match Report: Loko v Moormead United

Sunday 4th September 2011
Friendly

Lokomotiv Londres FC 1 v Moormead United 1

Late Surge Salvages Point For Loko

Today’s game was against Moormead United, a non–league team playing in our England tops on this occasion. A heavy pre-match downpour didn’t dampen Loko spirits as you could sense our players were keen to get back to playing after a two week break.

The early stages of the game were a very scrappy affair. Loko were all over the place and at times played as if they were strangers to each other. Interim manager Roger’s formation was, again, an ambitious one with three midfielders and three forwards.

This resulted in gaping holes in the middle of the park which Moormead were taking advantage of albeit with no major threat to our team. Some Loko players were overcomplicating instead of playing simple balls and caused a few concerns at the back but Junior was as commanding as ever in goal and snuffed out any significant attacks.

Worryingly enough, though, Loko were not creating any danger with attempts on goal virtually non-existent. However, on the 35 minute mark, a free kick from the right saw Steve deflect the ball onto Ivan who’d gone up and who attempted a volley that hit the crossbar.

Half-Time Loko 0 v Moormead United 0

The second half saw Roger and Dave come on for Imants and Morris. Despite Roger’s assurance, Stefano’s solid midfield performance protecting the defence and Richard’s incursions on the right, Loko were still unable to impose their game and crack the game.

On the hour mark, their number 14 danced past three of our defenders on the edge of the box and his shot from the left found its way into the roof of our net. Loko looked seriously shellshocked and now had to take action. With half an hour to go and Richard launching neat and composed balls from the back onto Imants and Greg, whilst Roger, Dave and Dale were beginning to pull the strings from midfield, Loko were slowly getting the better of Moormead.

A lot of play was developing on their left hand side with Imants’s quality touches often finding Greg, including a chance where our forward unfortunately couldn’t connect with a pass from the byeline and hit his shot wide from five yards out.

The bombardment of fortress Moormead continued unabated but their keeper pulled a couple of acrobatic saves and their defence proved heroic at times. Another chance saw Dave cleverly passing the ball to his left onto Ivan whose shot from the edge of the box skimmed past the upright.

With just under ten minutes to go and thoughts of a fourth consecutive loss surely looming large on every Railwayman’s mind, Imants sped down the right side of the pitch, crossed the ball and with Greg challenging the defender at the near post resulting in them both missing the connection, DALE gambled with a run in behind and found himself clear in the six yard box and, to every Railwayman’s relief, tapped the ball past the sprawling keeper into the net.

With their tails wagging again, Loko were determined not to let go of their first point of the season, and with two minutes to go, a Moormead attack on our right saw their attacking midfielder sidestep Junior in the box with an open goal in sight but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Ivan.

Point and honour saved!

Final Score Loko 1 v Moormead United 1

Club Secretary Ivan Rahal's comments:

“Fair play to Moormead United, who gave us a tough game. We were shocking in the first half but rediscovered the benefits of a composed approach midway through the second half. One more positive is the fact that, although the manner of the draw was worrying at times, our results have slowly got better over the past four weeks. Let’s keep it up!"

Team Line Up

1. Junior

2. Richard

3. Ivan

4. Ismail

5. Steve (c)

6. Stefano

7. David F

8. Dale

9. Greg

10. Morris

11. Imants

12. David J (Replaced Morris 45th Minute)

13. Roger (Replaced Imants 45th Minute)

Various other rolling changes were made throughout.

Goal

Dale (1)

80th Minute - An Imants cross found its way through to Dale in the six yard box and he slotted past the keeper.

Man of the Match

Steve (pictured above) - He pulled some of his characteristic last ditch tackles which probably saved us from conceding more goals. Special mentions to Junior, Richard and Stefano.

Match Report by Ivan Rahal.