Spectacal at Harefield United

[harefieldwhite]

This saturday the 7th March Harefield United take on Kingsbury London Tigers, this has all the makings of a great game.

 

So if you have nothing to do this saturday come and visit us at preston park were you will find a warm welcome, good food, fine ales and a penalty shoot-out.

 

You will find us at :

Preston Park, Breakespeare Rd North, Harefield, Middlesex

[Runtings]

With Watford FC playing away this Saturday, I will be down to watch this game. Looking forward to seeing the league leaders and get a chance to see if they really deserve to go up.

[harefieldwhite]

The table dose not lie the Hares are there on merit but there are still plenty of games left. one game at a time and this will be a tough game.

 

Enjoy the game

[Rhodes]

If, as expected, Chalfont St Peter win all their games in hand they will win the Championship

[samuelsmiles]

If Chalfont win all their games in hand they will have deserved to win the League. That won't happen though. The Hares are back on form and will be promoted this season. Now put that in ya pipe 'n smoke it.

 

 

[royals26]

... I've seen the 'Hares' twice recently and on both occasions I was NOT that impressed. Maybe I just caught them on an off day or two, or maybe they aren't at their best in the wet?

 

Not sure where the "back on form" bit comes from either - lost the last three at home - and the last three wins have been against teams in the bottom five?

Chalfont have won 8 of the last 10 and are unbeaten since early November?

Broxbourne's recent form is only marginally less impressive 6 wins and three draws in the last 9.

 

To some extent then, I agree with Rhodes - Chalfont could snatch the title if they win their games in hand and having seen them win @ Preston Pk and dismantle poor ol' KT - I know where my money would be - they seem to able to get goals from anywhere.

 

BUT the quantity of games from now to season's end might de-rail them - as might the fact that their pitch must get quite a pounding what with Wasps on it too. Looking ahead they seem to have a lot of Sat/Tue/Thu sequences lying in wait to trip 'em up.

... and what effect could a Vase defeat have on them - much as I'd like to see them progress?

 

I watch a fair bit of STEP05/06 football and this season have seen a few of the contenders for promotion to STEP04.

 

-- In the Wessex Poole Town's record would suggest they are clearly ahead of the field BUT again, when I saw them, they had nothing special apart from a well-drilled midfield who were able to stifle the opposition and a couple of forwards who could regularly find the net.

-- In the Hellenic Hungerford just have a 'winners' feel about them - again, like Chalfont St P., are full of goals regardless of the opposition - but they might have a problem with discipline.

-- Haven't seen as much of the higher teams in the CCL Prem (might check them out this PM) but having watched a lower/mid-table clash a week or so back, the quality compared very favourably with other STEP5 leagues - I was a bit surprised by that.

 

Whoever finishes top will have deserved it - unlike the 'Fizzy Pop' Chumpionship where my lot along with "You've Let Us Down Again" Wolves and the Brum Scum are rapidly trying to chuck away their chances of promotion!

[samuelsmiles]

Originally Posted By: royals26

... I've seen the 'Hares' twice recently and on both occasions I was NOT that impressed. Maybe I just caught them on an off day or two, or maybe they aren't at their best in the wet?

Not sure where the "back on form" bit comes from either - lost the last three at home - and the last three wins have been against teams in the bottom five?
Chalfont have won 8 of the last 10 and are unbeaten since early November?
Broxbourne's recent form is only marginally less impressive 6 wins and three draws in the last 9.

To some extent then, I agree with Rhodes - Chalfont could snatch the title if they win their games in hand and having seen them win @ Preston Pk and dismantle poor ol' KT - I know where my money would be - they seem to able to get goals from anywhere.

BUT the quantity of games from now to season's end might de-rail them - as might the fact that their pitch must get quite a pounding what with Wasps on it too. Looking ahead they seem to have a lot of Sat/Tue/Thu sequences lying in wait to trip 'em up.
... and what effect could a Vase defeat have on them - much as I'd like to see them progress?

I watch a fair bit of STEP05/06 football and this season have seen a few of the contenders for promotion to STEP04.

-- In the Wessex Poole Town's record would suggest they are clearly ahead of the field BUT again, when I saw them, they had nothing special apart from a well-drilled midfield who were able to stifle the opposition and a couple of forwards who could regularly find the net.
-- In the Hellenic Hungerford just have a 'winners' feel about them - again, like Chalfont St P., are full of goals regardless of the opposition - but they might have a problem with discipline.
-- Haven't seen as much of the higher teams in the CCL Prem (might check them out this PM) but having watched a lower/mid-table clash a week or so back, the quality compared very favourably with other STEP5 leagues - I was a bit surprised by that.

Whoever finishes top will have deserved it - unlike the 'Fizzy Pop' Chumpionship where my lot along with "You've Let Us Down Again" Wolves and the Brum Scum are rapidly trying to chuck away their chances of promotion!

I've seen the 'Hares' twenty times recently and on most occasions I was VERY impressed. Rhodes has seen neither Chalfont nor Harefield.

Look, they won their last game 5-0 against the mighty Haringey. If my calculations are correct that's a run of 1 win and 0 defeats with 5 goals for and none against....in my book that's back on form.

[MIKO]

I have also watched Harefield twice this season, they played some superb football when they beat us at their ground 2-0, and it could have been more, but, when they came to Langford they seemed to adopt an attitude of 'if its moving kick it, and if its not moving, kick it 'til it does', and this applied to both ball and opposition, and we drew 1-1. If Harefield play as they did in the first game, they will get promoted and deserve it, IMO

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: royals26

... I've seen the 'Hares' twice recently and on both occasions I was NOT that impressed

Royals26 has hit the nail on the head here as Harefield United always flatter to deceive, they are no doubt a good side when they want to be but they don't inspire like Chalfont St Peter do for example with their flare and open play, Harefield remind me a bit of Beaconsfield SYCOB who won a lot of their games in the SSML with strong arm tactics.

[Horace]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

Harefield remind me a bit of Beaconsfield SYCOB who won a lot of their games in the SSML with strong arm tactics. by being better than their opponents

[Rhodes]

Horace - Like I said I'm not knocking Harefield as they wouldn't be top of the SSML Premier Division if they weren't a decent side however I think Chalfont St Peter play by far the better football and will deservedly finish top at the end of April despite the FA Vase distraction as I believe they will reach the final at Wembley.

[Horace]

I too am a big fan of CSP, but I believe that history shows that points in the bag now are worth more than a lot of games in hand.

[royals26]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

.... Harefield United always flatter to deceive, they are no doubt a good side when they want to be ...

I expect folk who see them week in week out, will object to the 'always' above - like I said I've only seen them twice, so expect my comments could be viewed as somewhat sweeping generalisations.

I saw them @ Holmer Green when they obviously played well within themselves and beat the bottom club without leaving 1st gear. This is a dangerous game to play if you can't then up the ante when your opponents are better quality. Their recent results (notwithstanding the romp vs Haringey) might suggest they can't. I hope I'm proved wrong - they have a tough run in too.

By contrast Chalfont sniffed blood against KT and duly went bezerk - that appears to be the mark of a team who could excel when given the opportunity - only wish my lot did it now, as regularly as they were back in the Autumn!.

[Rhodes]

Royals26 - Once again you show your knowledge of the beautiful game is second to none, if Harefield United had played Kentish Town on that infamous evening they would have only won 4-1 or 5-1 and taken their foot off the gas in the second half whereas Chalfont St Peter sniffed blood as you say and won 10-1.

[Willo the Cat]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

Royals26 - Once again you show your knowledge of the beautiful game is second to none, if Harefield United had played Kentish Town on that infamous evening they would have only won 4-1 or 5-1 and taken their foot off the gas in the second half whereas Chalfont St Peter sniffed blood as you say and won 10-1.

I have to disagree. Bottom of Div 2 could have beat us by 10 that day!

[Rhodes]

Willo the Cat - So who played at Chalfont St Peter and were you in goal, did the Club just drag people off the street as I didn't think the Reserve Team who play at Market Road in the Islington Midweek League were as bad as all that, can you post the line up from that infamous evening if you don't mind.

[Lato]

FoRM have seen Harefield and Chalfont each on more than one occasion this season and also saw Chalfont beat Harefield 3-2 a few weeks ago. From what I have seen I think Harefield when at the top of their game and with a first choice eleven play the more attractive football of the two but Chalfont are a more resiliant side and probably a better overall unit. However points in the bag are all important and Harefield seem to have rediscovered the all important winning knack. I'm not sure Chalfont will not get bogged down by fixture congestion especially if as usual the league season is not extended. Don't forget what happened to Hillingdon Borough in 2005-6 when they were league runners up on goal difference then lost three cup finals (Challenge Trophy, FA Vase and Floodlit Cup) in a week and a half (had to get that in especially as we beat them in the CT final!!!) They were a good side but I am sure the fixture congestion got to them in the end.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: Lato

Don't forget what happened to Hillingdon Borough in 2005-6 when they were league runners up on goal difference then lost three cup finals (Challenge Trophy, FA Vase and Floodlit Cup) in a week and a half (had to get that in especially as we beat them in the CT final!!!) They were a good side but I am sure the fixture congestion got to them in the end.

LATO - This link may be of interest to you as it highlights Hillingdon Borough's rollercoaster ride to the FA Vase Final in 2005/2006 which did the SSML proud and left us all Hillingdon fans for a day, hopefully Chalfont St Peter can repeat the feat this season as they certainly have the easiest semi final draw. I'm sure everyone, including you, felt sorry for Hillingdon in ending that campaign empty handed, they ran Oxford City all the way in arguably the most exciting SSML Championship race and had to play the Vase final at St Andrews which must have been a huge anti climax, okay Ruislip Manor beat them in the Challenge Trophy final but I'm glad you acknowledge that was due to fixture congestion and in my opinion they were simply forced to sacrifice the 'meaningless' Floodlit Cup:

http://vasediary.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html

[Lato]

you are putting words in my mouth rhodes.

 

As Hillingdon Borough were our local rivals we obviously felt it was quite entertaining that they came so far to achieving everything and came away with nothing...(bit like Leeds in 1970!) so no I didn't feel sorry for them.

 

As for the Challange Trophy final...were you there? Well believe me Borough were trying but we were the better side on the day. They wanted to win but we wanted it more!!

 

Not sure how you can call the F.A Vase final an anti climax either. (as a so called fan for the day did you go to this?) even if it wasn't played at Wembley, it is still a national non league competition and to get to the final is a great achievement.

 

If anything the Floodlit Cup was the anti climax and I think (though Football Man will correct me) that Borough were 2-0 up in this game.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: Lato

Not sure how you can call the F.A Vase final an anti climax either.

LATO - I didn't say that the 2006 FA Vase final was an anti climax as clearly it is always a huge occasion in the non league football calendar however playing it at St Andrews was an anti climax, with Wembley unavailable what was wrong with Villa Park, Old Trafford, Anfield or Goodison Park.