The Journeyman - A FM 21 Story

[jasontoddwhitt]

Season Review

National League: 2nd
FA Cup: First Round
FA Trophy: Fourth Round
Top Goalscorer: League: Danny Parish (22)|All: Danny Parish (24)
Highest Attendance: 3,200 vs Notts County (National League Playoff Semi Final)
Lowest Attendance: 944 vs Phoenix Sports (FA Trophy Third Round)
Average Attendance: 1,543

Best XI

[jasontoddwhitt]

No need to panic

With the new National League season fixing to kick-off, there has been some concern in certain circles of the fanbase that are worried about the status of the first team at Wealdstone FC. However, both general manager Michael Shaw and manager Drew Welch assured fans things were okay.

"We've had a few swings and misses so far in the transfer period, but we're confident of filling out this roster," said Shaw. "Obviously, the shortened offseason has messed with everyone's plans, but we'll continually look to improve the team."

"People keep complaining about us only having ten first-team players under contract, but we have several youngsters who can contribute," said Welch. "We are a little thin right now, but we are in discussions with several players so this won't be a problem in a few weeks.

Several players let contracts expire

Despite the club's best efforts, Wealdstone failed to come to terms on contract extensions with Moses Emmanuel, Dennon Lewis, Jorome Slew, Charlee Hughes, Jack Cawley, and Matt Lench.

As of press time, only two of these players have signed with other clubs. Emmanuel has signed a one-year contract with National League North champions AFC Fylde. Cawley has signed a one-year contract with Torquay United, who finished 9th last season in the National League.

We wish them all good luck in their future endeavors.

Transfers Out

-- Youth winger Kai Ramsey was offered a pre-contract by Boreham Woods, and Wealdstone chose not to match. Ramsey made 1+4 appearances in non-competitive matches for Wealdstone with an average match rating of 6.65.

-- Goalkeeper Lewis Everett signed a contract with National League South side Billericay Town. Everett was on a per appearance deal with Wealdstone, and though the Stones did make Everett a contract offer, he ultimately chose to go to Billericay for the chance at more playing time. Everett was the keeper for the reserve squad, making 20 starts and registering five shutouts with an average match rating of 6.81.

Transfers In

-- Former Watford youth Dominic Hutchinson has signed a three-year contract with the club. The 19-year-old forward did make one sub appearance for Watford in the Championship but did most of his work in the Watford youth side. He made 24 appearances, scoring five goals and registering four assists with a match rating of 6.89.

-- Wealdstone has signed goalkeeper Charlier Grainger to a one-year deal. The 25-year-old played last year with National League side Dulwich Hamlet, where he was the backup keeper, making only three starts in noncompetitive matches.

-- Wealdstone has signed goalkeeper Jacob Russell to a two-year contract. The 19-year-old is a graduate of the Crystal Palace academy. Russell struggled last year, making six starts for the youth squad, allowing 15 goals with an average match rating of 6.30.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Season Preview

2021-22 Roster



Transfers In

FW Dominic Hutchingson - Free transfer from Watford (3 yrs/$17.75k per)
GK Charlie Grainger - Free transfer from Dulwich Hamlet (1 yr/$14k)
GK Jacob Russell - Free transfer from Crystal Palace (2 yrs/$16.25k per)
CB Bayli Spencer-Adams - Free transfer from Watford (3 yrs/$16.5k per)
FW Christian Norton - Season long loan from Stoke City ($21k + $1.9k fee)

Transfers Out

CB Michael Phillips - Released
MF Ashley Charles - Released
WB Jacob Mendy - Released
MF Daniel Green - Signed with Chesterfield (National League)
ST Ross Lafayette - Retired
CB Jerome Okimo - Retired
ST Moses Emmanuel - Signed with AFC Fylde (National League)
WB Dennon Lewis - Signed with Woking (National League South)
ST Jorome Slew - Released
ST Charlee Hughes - Released
CB Jack Cawley - Signed with Torquay United (National League)
MF Matt Lench - Released
MF Connor Smith - Signed with St. Pat's Athletic (Premier Division - Ireland)
MF Kai Ramsey - Signed with Boreham Wood (National League)
GK Lewis Everett - Signed with Billericay Town (National League South)
WB Ryan Crossan - Signed with Boreham Wood (National League)

Season Goals

National League - Avoid Relegation
FA Cup - Reach First Round
FA Trophy - Reach Second Round
Scottish Challenge Cup - Be competitive

Media Predictions



Preseason Friendlies

[jasontoddwhitt]

CLUB NEWS

Spencer-Adams signs with Wealdstone

The club announced that 20-year-old English center back Bayli Spencer-Adams signed a three-year deal with the club.

Spencer-Adams is a product of the Arsenal academy and joined Watford in 2019 on a free transfer. Last season, Spencer-Adams spent the entire season in the youth setup of Watford, making 21 appearances (12 starts) across all competitions.

"Very excited about this signing," said Welch. "Bayli is very good in the air. He has a great vertical leap and good physical attributes. He has some catching up in the mental aspects of being a center-back, but that will come as he gets more reps at the senior level."

Norton set for loan deal with Wealdstone

The club announced today that 20-year-old Welsh striker Christian Norton will be joining on a season-long loan from Stoke City.

Norton is a product of the Southampton academy and joined Stoke City in 2020 on a free transfer. Last season, Norton made five appearances as a substitute for Stoke, four of those in the EFL Championship.

"We're excited to bring Christian in on loan," said manager Drew Welch. "The strength of his game is his speed and acceleration, which we feel will be an asset in our system. Norton is the blueprint for a pressing forward, and I love to have my forwards press."

Accrington's Meekings bid rejected

Wealdstone has rejected a reported $35.5k bid for defender Josh Meekings from League One side Accrington Stanley.

"I'm generally not in the business of selling good players," said director of football Michael Shaw. "Now granted, every player has a price, but that's obviously not it."

Shaw said the club is still looking to expand, noting they are extremely thin in midfield and center back. Shaw said the club is hoping to make an announcement or two soon that remedies those situations.

Wealdstone draw Kilmarnock in SPFL Trust Trophy

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Wealdstone FC accepted an invitation to the Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the SPFL Trust Trophy for sponsorship reasons.

The knockout-style tournament is mostly meant for the lower Scottish sides, though the clubs in the Scottish Premiership send their youth squads to this tournament. The tournament also invites two guest clubs from the National League (Wealdstone and Stockport County), Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Wales.

Wealdstone enter the competition in the third round and was drawn to face Scottish Championship side Kilmarnock. Kilmarnock needed penalties to defeat Airdrieonians after playing to a 2-2 tie in the second round.

Fans choice voting

1. MF Alex Dyer - 7 apps, 2 assists, 0.10 xG, 7.20 match rating
2. DF Josh Meekings - 8 apps, 1 goal, 0.21 xG, 7.08 match rating
3. FW Danny Parish - 8 apps, 6 goals, 4.91 xG, 7.24 match rating



Depth...depth...depth.

That's what we need more than anything. The beginning of the month was great, but as the matches started piling up, the results went south.

We're all working hard in recruitment...myself, Michael, the scouting department. But unfortunately, you are not always going to get everyone you want. We've got the budget room and we have a little bit of money available for a transfer if we want to go that route as well. Now we need to bring those resources to bear, and hopefully field a very competitive team.

It's not time to push the panic button. We didn't get off to the greatest of starts last year as well, and we ended up finishing second.

[jasontoddwhitt]

CLUB NEWS

Barrett signs with Wealdstone

Wealdstone announced that 22-year-old English defender Mason Barrett has signed a two-year deal with the club.

Barrett, a graduate of the West Ham United academy, joined Watford on a free transfer in 2019. Last season, Barrett spent his time in the youth squad at Watford, where he made 20 appearances across all competitions.

"Because of our links with Watford, we're always going to look there first for players," said director of football Michael Shaw. "We have great knowledge of their academy and youth sides."

"I'm really impressed with his physical attributes," said manager Drew Welch. "Has a great vertical and he does possess good speed. Maybe we could try him out at wingback, but I know he didn't play that far up the pitch, so perhaps center back is where we will keep him."

Petit signs with Wealdstone

Wealdstone announced that 18-year-old English midfielder Casey Petit has signed a two-year deal with the club.

Petit, a graduate of the Luton Town academy, signed a per appearance deal with Curzon Ashton earlier in the summer. Petit made 19 appearances with Luton Town's youth sides across all competitions. This year, he had made five starts for Curzon Ashton during the preseason, but only one sub appearance in league action.

"I love his pace on the ball and his passing ability," said manager Drew Welch. "He is small in stature, but where he's still 18, he could be a late-bloomer. He does need to strengthen up a bit, so definitely needs to live in the weight room."

Wealdstone advance; will face Motherwell B

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With a 4-3 penalty victory over Kilmarnock following a 2-2 tie after 90 minutes, Wealdstone will advance to the fourth round of the SPFL Trust Trophy, where they have been drawn against a B-side from Motherwell.

Motherwell entered the competition in the first round, where they defeated Scottish Highland League side Inverurie Loco Works 2-0. They defeated Livingston B 1-0 in the second round and followed that up with a 1-0 victory over Rangers B in the third round.

Parish honored by National League

After registering four goals and an assist in four appearances, Danny Parish finished second in voting for the National League Player of the Month award for the month of September. Parish came close to winning the award for the second time in his career.

Hartlepool forward Rumarn Burrell (on loan from Middlesbrough) won the award after scoring five goals and collecting two assists in five appearances. Chesterfield forward Akwasi Asante finished third in voting after scoring five goals and collecting one assist in five appearances.

Welch honored by National League

Wealdstone manager Drew Welch finished second in voting for the National League Manager of the Month award for the month of September, coming up just short again of winning the award. Wealdstone earned 10 out of a possible 12 points in the month of September, with three wins and a draw. Wealdstone climbed from 13th to 7th in the National League table during the month of September.

Hartlepool manager Ken McKenna won the award this month after earning 13 out of a possible 15 points, maintaining their hold on first place in the league. Chesterfield manager David Irvin finished third in voting after earning 12 out of a possible 15 points. Chesterfield climbed from 5th to 2nd in the table.

Fans Choice Voting

1. FW Danny Parish - 5 apps, 6 goals, 1 assist, 2.95 xG, 7.74 match rating
2. WB Dan Wishart - 5 apps, 1 goal, 2 assists, 0.51 xG, 7.54 match rating
3. CB Bayli Spencer-Adams - 5 apps, 0.21 xG, 7.02 match rating



We're starting to come together.

I knew once we got some more bodies in here, things would start to turn around. The schedule eased up a bit in September, so the lads got time to rest.

The only thing that is worrying to me is trying to find a second scoring option. We've scored 17 goals across all competitions. Danny Parish accounts for 12 of those. That's great, but if he's having an off night or if the defense is focusing on him, who's going to step up? No one else on the squad has scored more than one goal.

Christian hasn't scored in a month since scoring a debut goal. Dominic finally found the goal in our last match. Hopefully, that gets him going. They always say the first one is the hardest.

[jasontoddwhitt]

CLUB NEWS

Three loanees join club

Wealdstone has announced that three players have joined the club on season-long loans.

18-year-old Morrocan attacking midfielder Rafiq Khaleel has joined on a season-long loan from League Two side Crawley Town. Khaleel made two appearances for Crawley last season in league action but spent most of the season in their reserve side. Khaleel made 21 appearances, scored four goals, and registered three assists.

"I really like his creativity on the ball," said manager Drew Welch. "That combined with the overall speed in his game will be a great asset to us. He can play behind the strikers as an attacking midfielder but he can also drop deeper and play there as well. I'm excited to work with the kid this season."

20-year-old English midfielder Sam Cornish has joined on a season-long loan from League Two side Colchester United. Last season, Cornish made one sub appearance for Colchester but spent the majority of the season in their reserve side. Cornish made 22 appearances for the reserve side where he scored two goals. Cornish had made four appearances, including two starts, for Colchester this season, but they felt he needed more regular playing time for his development.

"I love his work rate," said Welch. "He is the very definition of a box-to-box midfielder. He will fit in very nicely here."

17-year-old Australian midfielder Rick Pickert has joined on a season-long loan from Championship side Watford. A recent graduate of the Watford Academy, Pickert is an unknown commodity, but Welch seems to like what he sees from the youngster.

"For a kid, and that's what he is, he can already play at this level," said Welch. "He has great pace on the ball and he's got a motor that just doesn't stop. The thing I really like about him is at his age, he's already mastered the art of just making the simple play. A lot of times, the game is too fast and these young kids try to make something out of nothing. You obviously want that from an attacking midfielder, but not from a guy who's playing deeper. I think his future is very bright."

"We had a gaping hole in midfield and these loans fix that," said GM Michael Shaw. "I would've preferred permanent signings, but we kept swinging and missing on guys. We're too deep into the season for this to still be a problem, so we went the loan route. We got three guys who can play at this level, and thanks to our connection with Watford, one of them didn't even cost us a pound. So that's always a plus."

Wealdstone advance; will face Waterford



Two second-half goals by Sam Cornish and Michee Efete propelled Wealdstone to a 2-0 victory over Motherwell B in the third round of the SPFL Trust Trophy.

"We didn't really have any major goals for this competition other than giving some guys further down the depth chart some run," said Welch. "So to advance to the quarterfinals is very pleasing. I'm very happy for the lads who maybe don't get to play as much as they would like and it gives me some things to think about. Which is a good problem to have."

Wealdstone has been drawn against Irish Premier Division side Waterford FC in the quarterfinals. Waterford entered the competition in the third round where they defeated Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic 3-2. In the fourth round, Waterford defeated Scottish League Two side Forfar Athletic 3-2.

Wealdstone crash out of FA Cup; lose replay to Alfreton

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A disappointing end to Wealdstone's FA Cup run as the club crashes out in the fourth qualifying round following a 1-0 loss to National League North side Alfreton Town.

"Very disappointed and very frustrated with how things turned out across both games," said Welch. "Give credit to Alfreton, they played their game. But my goodness they set the game of football back several decades."

Alfreton was perfectly content to just sit back and defend and only managed one shot the entire game. Unfortunately for Wealdstone, that one shot off a corner kick deflected off Josh Meekings and found its way into the back of the net.

Finishing proved to be Wealdstone's downfall across both legs, only managing to get five shots on target out of a total of 18.

Medical Center

WB Micheel Efete suffered a twisted ankle in Wealdstone's 0-0 draw against Alfreton on October 16th. He is expected to be out for an additional two to three weeks with a projected return date of November 13th.

ST Christian Norton suffered a pulled hamstring in Wealdstone's 2-0 win over Eastleigh on October 30th. He is expected to be out for two to three weeks with a projected return date of November 11th.

Fans Choice Voting

1. GK Jacob Russell - 8 apps, 3 shutouts, 8 conceded, 25 saves, 7.1 match rating
2. ST Dominic Hutchinson - 7+1 apps, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2.06 xG, 6.9 match rating
3. CB Connor Stevens - 7+1 apps, 6.8 match rating



We call that taking a step back.

I guess we could call this a sophomore slump. The second year has been a lot tougher than last season. We're dealing with a couple of injury issues, which is something that we didn't really have to deal with last season.

Our main issue is we're not converting chances. Last season, we ranked 3rd in the league in scoring. So far this year, we rank 12th. We have one of the worst conversion rates in the league at 9%. That's why we are languishing squarely in the upper midtable. There's still plenty of time to fix this, so there's no need to hit the panic button just yet. Once our new midfield gets more acclimated to playing with each other, I feel we'll be okay.

[jasontoddwhitt]

CLUB NEWS

Stephens joins Wealdstone

24-year-old English attacking midfielder Ben Stephens has signed a one-year contract to join the Stones.

Stephens left National League North side Kettering Town, where he was on a per appearance deal. Last season, Stephens made 28 appearances with a goal and an assist with an average match rating of 6.65. So far this season, Stephens made 11 appearances with a goal and an average match rating of 6.94.

Stephens is projected to be cover, providing depth at striker, attacking midfielder, and in the midfield.

"His versatility will be a great plus for us," said manager Drew Welch. "Our overall depth remains one of our biggest weaknesses, so this is a step in improving that. He possesses a fair amount of speed and his passing ability underlines his technical prowess."

Wealdstone clean up some awards

It was a clean sweep for English midfielder Sam Cornish as he won both the National League Player of the Month award and the National League Young Player of the Month award for the month of November.

In four league appearances, Cornish collected three assists and had an average match rating of 7.35. Filling in at wing-back against Sutton United, Cornish assisted two of Wealdstone's three goals in a 3-0 victory. Cornish assisted another goal in Wealdstone's 2-0 victory over Torquay United from his more natural midfield position.

English striker Danny Parish finished third in the voting, scoring three goals in four appearances with an average match rating of 7.22. All three of Parish's goals were assisted by Cornish, with the two proving to be quite the combination this month.

Hartlepool United winger Luke Williams finished second in the voting, registering four assists in four appearances.

Young English striker Dominic Hutchinson finished second in voting for the Young Player of the Month award. He scored two goals and registered an assist in three appearances with an average match rating of 7.33. He registered a goal and an assist in the match against Sutton United and added another goal against Torquay United. His goal against Sutton United won the Goal of the Month award as well.



Wealdstone crash out of SPFL Trust Trophy



Two first-half goals from Niall O'Keeffe and Derek Doyle doomed the Stones as they fall 2-0 to Waterford in the SPFL Trush Trophy quarterfinals.

"We didn't do ourselves any justice today," said manager Drew Welch. "We're not used to losing the possession battle and Waterford did a good job of keeping us pinned back in our own half. It shows how far we still have to go to reach our goals."

Overall, the club should be pleased with the performance. The pundits expected them to be one and done, but advanced to the quarterfinals and got to play teams outside of England.

Wealdstone draw Dartford in Buildbase FA Trophy

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Wealdstone has drawn Dartford in the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

The FA Trophy is the knockout cup competition strictly for the clubs of the National League. The current holder of the cup is Stockport County, the first time they ever won the competition.

Dartford, currently 11th in the National League South, defeated National League South side Bognor Regis Town 1-0 in the second round.

Wealdstone won the competition back in 1985. Last season, Wealdstone advanced to the fourth round where they lost to Maidenhead United.

Medical Center

ST Christian Norton suffered a pulled groin during Wealdstone's 1-1 draw against Aldershot on November 30th. His projected return date is December 2nd.

MF Casey Petit suffered a twisted ankle during Wealdstone's 0-2 defeat by Waterford on November 13th. His projected return date is December 5th.

WB Michee Efete suffered a pulled ankle ligament during Wealdstone's 2-0 win over Torquay on November 24th. His projected return date is December 8th.

Fans Choice Voting

1. GK Jacob Russell -- 4 apps, 2 shutouts, 2 conceded, 12 saves, 7.2 match rating
2. WB Dan Wishart -- 4 apps, 2 assists, 0.14 xG, 7.0 match rating
3. ST Dominic Hutchinson -- 4 apps, 2 goals, 1 assist, 0.76 xG, 7.2 match rating



This month would be the definition of mid. We didn't lose any games in league action and we are one point closer to being in a playoff spot, so those are positives.

Unfortunately, the board expressed disappointment because we played to a disappointing draw on a fan day. My bad. I realize that it was "get your friend in for free day" for club members, but the other side decided to put up a big fight. Ultimately, it should've been a win because we played them off the pitch. We conceded a stupid goal, their keeper ate a good hearty breakfast, and we needed a last-ditch effort to get an equalizer.

That's football.

[jasontoddwhitt]

CLUB NEWS

Can Wealdstone weather the absence of Danny Parish?

Danny Parish had made a career in the lower levels of English football and people were very interested if that would continue when he arrived last season in the National League when Wealdstone signed him on a free transfer. His goal-scoring prowess continued despite the rise in level, bagging 24 goals across all competitions last season as the focal point of Drew Welch's attack. That goal scoring has continued this year, with the striker bagging 18 goals so far in all competitions as Parish single-handedly drives the Wealdstone attack this season. Welch has been searching all season for someone to help pick up the slack as Parish accounts for 44% (18 of 41) of the goal-scoring this season.

That search for another scoring threat is going to have to pick up rapidly. In yesterday's 0-0 draw against Boreham Wood, Parrish had to be helped off the field in the 70th minute following a hard, but fair, tackle by center back Krystian Pearce. An MRI revealed a torn thigh muscle, meaning that Parish is going to miss significant time.

"Obviously, it's a blow to lose a key player like this, but that's why you have a team," said Welch. "I prefer to remain optimistic at a time like this. This is the perfect time for someone to step up and fill that role."

The question is who? The first opportunity to lead the line will probably go to Stoke loanee Christian Norton. Norton has six goals across all competitions, but a third of those came in a brace against Dartford in the FA Trophy. If he fails to bang in goals on the regular, then the next opportunity will go to Dominic Hutchinson. Dominic, who arrived this year on a free transfer from Watford, has five goals across all competitions.

The key thing is going to be consistency for the two youngsters, as both have had the highest of highs and have also disappeared for long stretches. Such is the life of a striker. Beyond those two, things get a little hairier. Ben Stephens is still getting acclimated to life at Wealdstone, but he was meant to be a cover piece at striker and attacking midfield, not necessarily being depended upon to play heavy minutes. Then there is youngster Andrew O'Leary, who played heavy minutes early in the season, but has seen his playing time significantly decrease as the first team numbers have increased.

It will be all hands on deck until Parish returns, which Wealdstone hopes is sooner rather than later.

In wake of Parish injury, Wealdstone adds striker

With Danny Parish out until at least mid-February, the Stones made the call to bolster their attack by hitting the loan market for a temporary fix.

19-year-old English attacking midfielder Alex Gibson-Hammond has joined on a season-long loan from Championship side Nottingham Forest. Hammond has been playing in the Forest youth set up this season, where he has made 29 appearances and scored six goals.

"Obviously, the injury to Parish forced our hand a bit, but I've liked what I have seen in initial training sessions," said Welch. "His balance and ability on the ball make him a fairly skillful player and his ability to dribble makes him a difficult opponent to come up against. He can play as a striker, and also drop deeper and play the number 9 role, so his versatility is a positive as well."

Wealdstone advance; draw Billericay in fourth round

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Wealdstone needed two fixtures to do it, but the Stones sent Dartford packing with an emphatic 6-0 victory at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park in Dartford.

"I obviously would've loved to have avoided the extra fixture, but it was nice to see the lads breakout today," said Welch. "Games like this are very fun."

Much like the first game, the replay would see Wealdstone dominate the match in all facets. The key difference was the ball found the back of the net. Christian Norton and Rick Pickert each bagged a brace while Dominic Hutchinson and Michee Efete each bagged a goal as well.

Wealdstone advanced to play National League South side Billericay Town in the fourth round of the competition. Billericay upset Torquay United in the third round with a 2-0 victory.

National League recognizes Pickert

Watford loanee Rick Pickert received recognition today from the National League, finishing third in voting for the Young Player of the Month award for the month of December.

The young midfielder made four league appearances during the month, scoring a goal and having an average match rating of 7.45.

Stevenage winger Harrison Burrows won the award after scoring two goals and notching up two assists in five appearances. He had an average match rating of 7.16. Stevenage winger Aaron Rowe finished second in voting with two assists in five appearances with an average match rating of 7.28.

Medical Center

ST Danny Parish suffered a torn thigh muscle during Wealdstone's 0-0 draw against Boreham Wood on December 18th. His projected return date is currently February 12th.

Fans Choice Voting

1. WB Dan Wishart -- 4 apps, 2 assists, 0.57 xG, 7.55 match rating
2. ST Christian Norton -- 5+2 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist, 2.16 xG, 7.23 match rating
3. MF Rick Pickert -- 6 apps, 3 goals, 1.79 xG, 7.68 match rating



Our loss in the last game of the year snapped our streak of nine games without a loss. Guess we'll just have to start another one. Too many draws this season, as we just can't seem to summon a goal when we need one, or concede a late equalizer. You'll get that with a team as young as we have. They are going to make mistakes.

But I would rather have too much youth versus too much experience. Experience isn't as pacey as youth. Down at this level, give me raw pace.

Hopefully, we can hang in there till Parish returns. The physio staff is saying middle of February for a return to training, but with that much time out, it'll probably be March before I feel comfortable reintroducing him to the squad. Still, that gives us two months to make a run of things, as long as we don't muck it up too hard. At least the schedule eases up a bit in January and February. Some of our legs are getting worn down. I really think this wouldn't be as big an issue if we were a full-time club and we were able to do a better job of maintaining their fitness levels between matches. There's only so much we can do on part-time status.

It's all for naught though if one of these kids doesn't start scoring goals on the regular.