So, on to the most important game of the season… A draw would have temporarily kept us top of the table but I was hoping to grab a decisive win and move three points clear at the top. Histon were in good shape though and they were the favourites for the win. The first real chance of the game was in the 9th minute and luckily we managed to make it count on the score board: Akwasi Asante displayed some great work and midfielder Matthew Ball slid it home to put us in the lead! Then we found ourselves under heavy pressure, we survived the siege with some heroic defending but Histon leveled the game before the break when they scored a stoppage-time goal. The game was fairly even after the interval, we were playing a bit better but it was one man who made a huge difference: 19-year old striker Akwasi Asante. First he gave us the lead with a cool finish to a nice team move on 61 minutes and then he slotted home on a counter attack just six minutes later when Pietro Palladino unselfishly passed the ball to him although he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Histon seemed to be down and out as we were keeping control of the ball for large chunks of time but a fantastic shot from distance got them back into the game eight minutes from time! I pulled the team back as Histon switched to a 4-2-4 set up and we managed to hold out despite the enormous pressure that was piling on my defense. I guess Histon would have deserved at least a draw but we secured a massive win that moved us three points clear at the top of the table!
We had won a battle but not the whole war, we still had to keep the points coming in if we wanted to secure promotion. The next game was another tough one as we had to meet 5th place promotion contenders Fleetwood away from home. We started the game pretty well and took the lead in the 17th minute when a great pass from Nathan Rooney found Danny Uchechi inside the penalty area and the striker powered it into the roof of the net. Fleetwood made an instant reply though and they made it all square just two minutes later with a free kick header. We were dominating the game and my strikers displayed a few shocking misses before Omar Koroma put us ahead by rounding off a nicely flowing team move. Rooney made another good assist just after the interval and Koroma doubled his tally but things got complicated when the young Irish midfielder got sent off for a reckless two-footed tackle. We were holding out well despite the one man disadvantage though and Koroma wrapped things up with a breakaway hat-trick goal.
The last game of the month was at home with struggling 22nd place Barrow, we had to keep winning! Our opponents weathered the storm for a while but that was until the 38th minute when Akwasi Asante made good use of his speed and broke the deadlock. Quite a few great chances went begging before we doubled the lead through right winger Albert Owusu-Ansah but then striker Julius Gombala secured our three points with a late header.
We survived the grueling schedule with just one loss out of nine games and that good run secured a play-off spot for my team. My goal was the title though and we were looking good for that too as Histon crashed out of the race after recording two straight defeats after we beat them in the direct encounter. We are five points clear of runners-up Luton Town so it isn’t over just yet.
The player that I would like to praise this time is Dutch striker Akwasi Asante, he had a crucial role during the packed month of March. As you can see he played every two games since I rotated the squad in order to avoid fatigue and injuries but he found the net every single time! He scored six goals in five games in March, half of his season total!
So, we have a five-point lead and four more league games to play. I guess two wins might hand us the title but we will have to avoid complacency if we want to grab the title. Then we’ll be going to Wembley for the FA Trophy final against Luton and it will be very important to secure the title as that will surely push our opponents into a tiring and nervy play-off ;)
That’s how it was my friends, thanks a lot for reading. I am extremely proud of my youngsters as they survived a terrible schedule and seem to have found the peak of their form just when it mattered the most. We should secure the title as soon as possible and then focus on the FA trophy final, I’m looking forward to playing on a good pitch at Wembley after so many muddy games in our league :)
Sears
10 декабря, 2010 at 14:25
What a great month Johnny. Not only did you extend your lead at the top to 5 points, you also managed to reach a cup final. It’s always difficult to balance your finances in the lower league so I wouldn’t really worry about it even though it is fairly annoying at times. Good luck!
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 14:44
Thanks Sears. I’m not hoping to make a profit for the club anytime soon, I just want to keep the red figures as low as possible. I’d be happy to be just 100K in debt at the end of the season.
Lye
10 декабря, 2010 at 14:27
Hi Johnny,
A great month and you have established a comfortable lead. It gives you some cushion along the way and i believe it is going to be another good finish by your team. Looking forward to the promotion and you wouldn’t want to disappoint us. Good luck.
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 14:45
Thanks Lye. I’d be extremely disappointed if my team won’t be able to win two games out of the last four, that would be shocking especially since we’ll meet mostly teams from the lower half of the table.
Laxeyman
10 декабря, 2010 at 16:31
Well done Johnny, the title is very close now, and I’m sure you’ll secure it early next month. Congratulations on getting to the cup final, hopefully you can win that game and get a brilliant double. Good luck!
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 17:36
Thanks Laxeyman, I hope to secure the title quickly and then focus on the cup final.
Jack
10 декабря, 2010 at 16:51
Brilliant month! Everything has clicked just in time. I like your style of football aswell, nothing spectacular, but seems to score a lot of stylish team goals. Interesting point raised after your encounter with York; I also seem to concede goals from deep crosses to the back post, despite what tactic I use, I think there is obviously some fault within the match engine as sometimes you can score almost at will from this kind of delivery, this also includes free kicks and also, your favourite corner kick trick :P And that was an absolute blinder by Uchechi… maybe a contender for FIFA goal of the year?
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 17:36
Thanks Jack. I hope that Uchechi’s goal will be at least the Blue Square Premier goal of the season (it was elected goal of the month). I don’t think that it’s a problem with the match engine, deep crosses at the far post are quite tricky to handle in real life too and that is also true about well taken far post corners. The game can’t ever be 100% like the real deal though, we have to accept that.
James
10 декабря, 2010 at 17:58
Very nice mate :)
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 19:06
Thanks James.
Darren Smith
10 декабря, 2010 at 18:11
Well done Johnny, that was a great run of form and you’ll surely win the league now. Looks like we are also in for a great FA Trophy clash. Luton have matched you all season and it should be a competative final. Goodluck mate.
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 19:07
Thanks Darren. There will surely be a tough final but we’ll have to wrap up the title first and then think about going to Wembley because we’d almost certainly lose that final too if we lose the title.
Chris @ Chester
10 декабря, 2010 at 20:34
Excellent month there Johnny, almost went perfectly to plan. Well done. With regards to the deep crosses to the far post, I have no idea how to counter that, but I do always make my tallest player defend the far post on corners and free kicks, funnily enough I have him attacking the far post too because that’s where all of our corners and IDK’s are aimed at.
Good luck for the league and cup too, and I would suggest continuing your rotation policy as you will win the two games easily enough and everyone will be in superb condition for the final
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 22:13
Thanks Chris. Your set piece policy seems to be good enough on paper, I hope it serves you well in the actual games. Those three goals were conceded during open play though, or at least two of them if I remember correctly.
Ana Garcia
10 декабря, 2010 at 20:46
Am glad your players manged to get through that very hectic schedule, and your in prime position to win promotion.
Some really high scoring games, I bet your fans are pleased! ;)
Good luck in the closing games, hopefully you can seal promotion.
Johnny Karp
10 декабря, 2010 at 22:11
Thanks Ana, I was quite happy to see so many goals. I don’t know whether the fans are enjoying it, they aren’t really flocking to the stadium… :(
Arjuna
10 декабря, 2010 at 23:55
Hey Johnny,
I think you’ve wrapped up the title, and you should also win the FA Trophy. This is a good result, back-to-back promotions are very hard to get!
Johnny Karp
11 декабря, 2010 at 08:34
Thanks Arjuna, getting the double would be a great achievement indeed.
Kevin
11 декабря, 2010 at 00:50
Hello Johnny
What a great month my friend. Vauxhall Motors are firing on all cylinders!! you must surely gain promiton now with only four games left and fully in the drving seat :)
Have you tweaked your tactic at all as I think your mentioned about possibly doing so?
Johnny Karp
11 декабря, 2010 at 08:33
Thanks Kevin. I didn’t make any changes to the tactic, the only thing that I have added was using the «work ball into box» instruction in some games whenever I was noticing that my players were trying to shoot from distance a lot more often than I would have wanted them to.
Kevin
11 декабря, 2010 at 09:31
Great idea!!
hils
11 декабря, 2010 at 12:43
Hi Johnny,great month there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully you will win the title!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny Karp
11 декабря, 2010 at 15:50
Thanks Hils! :)
Frank
11 декабря, 2010 at 14:02
Hi Johnny,
I’ve been on holiday for a couple of weeks and got back yesterday so I have been catching up on your story. I think with things going this well you should surely be gaining promotion. Good Luck :).
Also if you remember I was Bournemouth and that save got deleted so I started again with a second division Dutch side. I’m looking for ideas of players to sign and with your knowledge wondering if you could give me some ideas. Thanks.
http://thefootballgaffer.blogspot.com/
Johnny Karp
11 декабря, 2010 at 15:50
Hi Frank, thanks for the good luck wish. The Dutch story should be challenging enough, good luck! I would suggest getting Akwasi Asante, a Dutch striker that I signed at Vauxhall. However, you could check the under 18 wonderkids shortlist as well, some of those players might want to play in the Dutch second division for a while.
Frank
11 декабря, 2010 at 15:56
Thanks Johnny I will take a look at him and the list thanks :)
Sayam Khan
11 декабря, 2010 at 15:36
Hey Johnny
Sorry for missing your last few posts due to computer problems. Anyway after catching up on your story i must say well done! I hope you clinch the title now which looks highly likely.
Johnny Karp
11 декабря, 2010 at 15:48
Thanks Sayam, I hope we won’t miss the opportunity.