5th Time Lucky? - Hall of Fame Challenge

[FM_TNSSO]

Hall of Fame Challenge

For anyone that has been following my stories since FM19 was released, you'll know that to say I've been struggling with this year's game is an understatement! I'm actually at the point of thinking there is something wrong with my version of the game, or I'm simply just the worst manager to have walked the planet! However, I am determined that I will succeed at this ****** game if it kills me.

I am very conscious of keep starting new stories though and I want this one to last, NO MATTER WHAT. I have therefore chosen a type of save, which won't matter if I am sacked as I will continue the story and move from club to club 20 times if that's what it takes until I find one I can do well with! I promise you guys, this story is not coming to an end...please try to have faith in me and follow along as I no doubt crash and burn time and time again!

So the purpose of this save is the Hall of Fame challenge. I'm not going to set my sights on the worldwide hall of fame just yet (baby steps to start), but instead will be aiming to become the best English manager to have ever walked this earth. To do that, I'll need to gain more hall of fame points on the game than the current top 10 and work my way up that ladder.

I will start the game as myself, Chris Ball, with no fictitious characters made up and my experience is sunday league footballer with no coaching badges...so starting from the very bottom. Journeyman style, my aim is obviously to climb the ladder and get to the top by any means possible.

So who am I aiming at emulating and overtaking in the hall of fame table. Let's take a look...

Number 10. Malcolm Allison
Hall of Fame points: 667
Manchester City: 2 Charity Shield, 1 League Cup, 1 FA Cup, 1 Premier League, 1 Cup Winners Cup
Sporting Lisbon: 1 Primera Liga, 1 Supertaca, 1 Taca de Portugal

Number 9. Stan Cullis
Hall of Fame points: 701
Wolves: 2 FA Cup, 1 Charity Shield, 3 Premier League

Number 8. Roy Hodgson
Hall of Fame points: 732
FC Kobenhavn: 1 Super Cup, 1 Superliga
Halmstad: 2 Allsvenskan
Malmo: 2 Swedish Cup, 5 Allsvenskan
Orebro: 1 Division 2 Norrland

Number 7. Herbert Chapman
Hall of Fame points: 804
Arsenal: 2 Premier League, 1 FA Cup
Huddersfield: 2 Premier League, 1 FA Cup

Number 6. Tom Watson
Hall of Fame points: 815
Liverpool: 1 Championship, 2 Premier League
Sunderland: 3 Premier League

Number 5. Don Revie
Hall of Fame Points: 840
Leeds: 1 Charity Shield, 1 League Cup, 2 Europa League, 1 FA Cup, 2 Premier League

Number 4. Bill Nicholson
Hall of Fame points: 843
Tottenham: 1 Premier League, 2 Charity Shield, 3 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 1 Europa League

Number 3. Bobby Robson
Hall of Fame points: 891
Barcelona: 1 Copa del Rey, 1 Cup Winners Cup
FC Porto: 1 Taca de Portugal, 2 Primeira Liga
Ipswich Town: 1 FA Cup, 1 Europa League
PSV Eindhoven: 2 Eredivisie

Number 2. Brian Clough
Hall of Fame points: 1430
Derby County: 1 Championship, 1 Premier League
Nottingham Forest: 4 League Cup, 2 Champions League, 1 Premier League, 1 Charity Shield, 1 Super Cup

Number 1. Bob Paisley
Hall of Fame points: 2568
Liverpool: 3 League Cup, 6 Premier League, 1 Super Cup, 3 Champions League, 1 Europa League, 6 Charity Shield

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Unranked & Unemployed: Chris Ball
Hall of Fame points: 0


​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

The Beginning

The Beginning

Rather than start unemployed, I have decided to pick my first club! However, in true journeyman style, I am starting at the very, very bottom....as low as I can possibly go! After looking at the European competition rankings, I found that the lowest playable league on FM19 in Europe is the Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League in Northern Ireland, which is ranked 306th in the European competition rankings. So that is where my journey will begin!

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The club I have chosen to kick off with is Armagh City! I went for them for one reason and one reason only....their kit is the same colours as the team I support, Gillingham!

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So this is Armagh City, a semi professional club founded in 1964. A team that have bounced up and down between this division and the Danske Bank Premiership over the past 20 years.

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A club that are crying out for just one legend, one icon, even someone they could call a fan favourite would be nice! They enjoy a rivalry with 3 other clubs who all play in higher divisions.

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This little club do have a few trophies in the cabinet though and for such a low level, their facilities are not too bad either!

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The financial situation looks OK with £3k in the bank. However, we are spending double our miniscual £200 wage budget already and I don't know whether I'll be pressured to reduce that at this point.

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Not entirely sure where that budget is going though as not one of my players is on a proper contract. They are all on 'pay as you play' deals, which means any of them can be snapped up by other clubs at any time!

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Whilst we're looking at the squad, let's have a look at my best 3 players. The first is left back, Paul Carvill. He's one of the more experience heads in the team at 32 years old, and although his defensive stats arn't the best, he looks like he could be an asset going forward!

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Our oldest player is also worth a mention...Striker, Shea Campbell, looks like a decent front man at this level. However, there will still be question marks over his age and whether he can still deliver the goods.

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Finally, 28 year old centre back, Ultan Lennon, also looks like one of our better players. His defensive stats stand out for such a low level of football and he will be at the heart of our back line. However, slightly worrying that as a centre back, he wants to get forward whenever possible?!

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I will have 6 pre season games to get to know my players and try to work on a formation that will work for us!

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[Linecoigne1998]

Seems like an interesting challenge mate, best of luck with this one! Hopefully will last longer than a few days this time round XDXD

 

[FM_TNSSO]

Seems like an interesting challenge mate, best of luck with this one! Hopefully will last longer than a few days this time round XDXD

Cheers mate...even if I'm sacked and it takes me a year to get another job I'm not quitting this one!

 

[Sammuthegreat]

Best of luck fella, they do say 5th time is the charm (?)

 

[FM_TNSSO]

Pre Season

Pre Season; Signings, Friendlies & A Taste Of A Cup

I make my first permanent signing for the club in the form of 20 year old centre back, Adam Wilson. Wilson initially joins us as a hot prospect, but is likely to get a fair amount of game time this season as he will act as the main backup to the first choice centre back pairing.

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My second signing quickly follows. Mark Miskimmin immediately becomes one of the best players at the club and I'm hoping the striker can have a real impact this season and bag plenty of goals. He certainly has the stats at this level to be a very good player!

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With our first friendly down and out of the way, I quickly go on to make two more signings. The first is 17 year old centre mid, Mo Harkin! Despite his young age, Mo is already one of the better midfielders at the club and I would expect him to play plenty of games for us this year if he proves he can step up to the plate. The other signing gives us more depth in the full back roles, with Ryan Wilson having the ability to play on either side of the defence. Not the greatest player, but certainly a decent rotation/backup option to have at the club, and the ability to cover multiple positions could be a major benefit to us this year!

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The draw for the first cup competition of the year takes place and we are given a home tie against Annagh United, in the Bet McLean League Cup 1st Round.

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The bookies release their odds ahead of the new season and it seems Tobermore Utd are the hot favourites to win our division this year. However, we're right up there with the teams expected to be challenging for promotion.

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We've got 3 friendlies out the way as we go into our first competitive fixture of the season. Three wins from three games and a total of 13 goals scored bodes well, albeit against lower league opposition.

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Saturday 4th August 2018
Bet McLean Cup 1st Round
Armagh City vs Annagh Utd
Formation: 4-4-2

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I'm absolutely gutted to have lost on penalties as it should never have got to that stage. We dominated the entire 120 minutes and unbelievably couldn't find the back of the net! We came close on a number of occasions but it just wasn't to be. If I can look for the positives though, it was encouraging that we were completely in control against one of the better sides in our division.


Two of our goalkeepers have been snapped up on free transfers during pre season and I'll now be looking to add another keeper to the ranks.

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Following the disappointment of the cup defeat, we continued a very strong pre season with 2 more friendly wins! Hopefully we can carry this form into the start of the league campaign.

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Player of Pre Season
Mark Miskimmin

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Our new striker has been sensational, with 8 goals during pre season! He's going to be a big part of any success we have this season!


The rest of August throws up our first two league games of the year. I'm keen for us to get off to a good start against Lurgan Celtic, as our 2nd game is against league favourites Tobermore.

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[FM_TNSSO]

August 2018

[FONT=&quot]
August 2018; Not A Good Start

[/FONT]​

I was after a new goalkeeper after two of ours have departed the club over the past month. I'll be honest, it was pretty slim pickings and one of the only keepers available to me and who wanted to join was Paul Wells who comes in from Limavady Utd on a free. He's not great, but will offer competition for the number 1 jersey and it means I once again have 2 keepers in my first team squad!

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The board send me their expectations for the upcoming season and they want a mid table finish in the league, which based on the bookies odds should be easily achievable. As far as the cups go, we'll obviously look to go as far as we possibly can, although my primary focus this year will definitely be the league.

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Saturday 18th August 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Lurgan Celtic vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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What a ****** awful start to the season that was! Defensively, we were a complete shambles and Lurgan took full advantage as they smashed 5 past us! Unfortunately, by the time we'd woken up and started to create some stuff of our own, we were already 3-0 down! A very disappointing start!


A whopping 35 season tickets have been sold!

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Saturday 25th August 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Tobermore Utd
Formation: 4-4-2

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A much better performance here, but again we suffer defeat! I feel for the lads a little bit this time round though as Tobermore didn't deserve to take all 3 points!


Edilson Tavares will miss the next 3-4 weeks through injury!

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August Review: A poor start to the season, losing our opening 2 games and we are one of four teams in the league still looking for our first points. Three sides start with 100% records.

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Player of the Month
Mark Miskimmin

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Our most consistent player across both the opening games was striker, Mark Miskimmin.


Looking ahead to September, we have four games coming up and we really need to get some points on the board!

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​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

September 2018

September 2018; First Wins Under Our Belts

Saturday 1st September 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Portstewart vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Get in there! Our first win of the season!! We left it late, but deserved the 3 points! Substitute, Michael O'Hehir bagged the winning goal 2 minutes into stoppage time, when he rounded the Portstewart keeper to tap into an open net!


Apparently, you get money when you win a game in this league. Unfortunately, it's not even enough to cover the first round at the bar!

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Saturday 15th September 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Banbridge vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Banbridge came into this game with 3 wins from 3 in the league, so on the face of it I guess a draw is a decent result away from home. But I can't help but feel gutted we didn't get the victory after being the much better side over 90 minutes!


Saturday 22nd September 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Distillery
Formation: 4-4-2

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I'm pleased to get another win under our belts, but we were not the best side here until they went down to 10 men. The lads did step up and capitalise on the extra man advantage, which I guess is one positive to take, but I'm left wondering if it had been the same result with 11v11. Centre back, Stephen Hutchinson, also saw red for us late on.


Saturday 29th September 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Dollingstown
Formation: 4-4-2

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A poor result against a side that hadn't won prior to this game! No excuses....just not good enough!


September Review: Two wins, a draw and a defeat lifts us up to 6th in the table. Disappointed not to finish the month unbeaten, but I'm pleased to have points on the board and be going in the right direction!

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Player of the Month
Paul Carvill

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Our left back has been our best player throughout September! Chipping in with a goal and an assist, but its his passing which has been extremely good. Worth noting the 7 key passes in the Dollingstown fixture!


Only three games on the agenda for October. We'll kick off with an away game at top of the league, Sport & Leisure, before taking on Queen's University Belfast. We'll finish the month with our first fixture in the Northern Irish Intermediate Cup - draw still to take place.

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​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

October 2018

October 2018; A Win In The League & Progress In A Cup

A new main kit sponsorship deal is announced.

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Saturday 6th October 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Sport & Leisure vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Our opponents came into this game having won 5 of their opening 6 games, so we knew it was going to tough. On the balance of play, we matched them, but they took their chances a lot better than we did! I don't think we deserved to be on the end of a 4-0 trouncing though!


We'll go away to St James Swifts in the first round of the Northern Irish Intermediate Cup.

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Saturday 20th October 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Queen's University Belfast vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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A proper ding dong battle! After going 2-0 up and then 4-2 up, by the end of the game we were holding on for dear life and just about got over the line to take the spoils!


Saturday 27th October 2018
Northern Irish Intermediate Cup 1st Round
St.James Swifts vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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My board see this competition as the least important and haven't even set me any target for it. So I took the liberty of making wholesale changes of my starting 11 to give some fringe players some playing time. I thought it may backfire, but instead we cruised to a very comfortable victory and seal our place in the 2nd round draw.


October Review: Despite recording another win in the league, we drop down to 8th, although only 5 points seperate us and Banbridge in 3rd. Progress in the cup was also a plus point this month, even though my board don't give a **** about the competition.

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Player of the Month
Shea Campbell

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Our veteran striker has had a decent month, bagging a couple of goals in both our victories.


We only have 1 league and 1 cup game coming up in November. Our league match will be against Newington Youth who sit bottom of the table without a win from their opening 8 games. We await the cup draw to see who we'll play there.

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[FM_TNSSO]

November 2018

[FONT=&quot]
November 2018; Only 2 Games But A Perfect Month Nonetheless

[/FONT]​

Saturday 3rd November 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Newington Youth
Formation: 4-4-2

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This win was easier than it looks on the stats. We were always in control really, with most of their shots being long range, hopeful efforts. Their first goal was a penalty which should never have been given...a fair challenge from right back Conor Kerr but the ref penalised him anyway!


The draw for the 2nd round of the Northern Irish Intermediate Cup takes place and we'll face Institute Reserves at the end of the month.

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The 1st round of the Mid Ulster Cup is also drawn and we'll go away to Lurgan Celtic next month. My board are looking for me to make the quarter final of this competition, so I'll take it a bit more seriously than the Intermediate Cup.

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Now it's time for the draw for the Northern Irish Cup, which is the premier cup competition in Northern Ireland. We enter the competition at the 4th round stage and will take on Knockbreda from the league above.

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Saturday 24th November 2018
Northern Irish Intermediate Cup 2nd Round
Armagh City vs Institute Reserves
Formation: 4-4-2

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Widescale changes were made again for this cup and again, the '2nd string' come in and do a good job! We were the superior side on paper and confirmed that with our dominance on the pitch!


Brexit is happening at the end of the season.

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Which means there will be new work permit rulings in place.

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November Review: Two games, two wins, climbing a couple of places in the league, progressing in the cup....all in all, it's been a good November! Amazing how good your month can be when you only play 2 games!

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Player of the Month
Michael O'Hehir

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Only a handful of players featured in both games this month, so this is probably the easiest award O'Hehir will ever win, simply for his excellent performance against Institute Reserves in the cup!


After a couple of months where we hardly played any football, the fixture list goes ******* mental in December and we'll play no less than 7 games, spread between the league and two cups. We're now on a run of 4 straight wins in all competitions and hopefully we can take that momentum into the busy month ahead!

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​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

December 2018

[FONT=&quot]December 2018; League Form Gone To ****

[/FONT]Saturday 1st December 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Annagh Utd
Formation: 4-4-2

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I'm ******! The lads really let me down here. Once Annagh went down to 10 men and we levelled the scores up, we should have gone on to win this game!


Tuesday 4th December 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Moyola Park
Formation: 4-4-2

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Both sides created some good chances and a single goal would have been enough to bag the win, but neither team could find the back of the net!


The man I brought in to be my star striker has been majorly disappointing so far this season and now finds himself on a 13 hour goal drought.

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Just before we take on Knockbreda in the 4th round of the Northern Irish Cup, we find out that we'll also be playing them in the next round of the Northern Irish Intermediate Cup as well.

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Saturday 8th December 2018
Northern Irish Cup 4th Round
Armagh City vs Knockbreda
Formation: 4-4-2

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This was a game of two halves. We only managed 3 shots in the first 45 minutes and were 4-1 down by the break, with the tie all but over! We were much better in the 2nd half and dominated all the play, and managed to win the half 1-0. However, the damage was done already and we crash out of the Northern Irish Cup. However, we might be able to take what we learned in this game and apply it when we play Knockbreda again next month in the Northern Irish Intermediate Cup.


Central midfielder, Conor McAnallen will miss the next 4-5 weeks with a fractured wrist, sustained in the Knockbreda game.

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Tuesday 11th December 2018
Northern Irish Mid Ulster Cup 1st Round
Lurgan Celtic vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Our game with Lurgan Celtic on the opening day of the league campaign ended in a 5-4 goalfest, in their favour! This game was again a tight one, but with not so many goals, as we came out on top and got some revenge for our league defeat! Michael O'Hehir had a blinder up front for us and took his two goals extremely well!


We'll go away to lower league, Coagh United, in the quarter final of the Mid Ulster Cup. Although they are a lower league side, they will be no pushover as they knocked out Premiership side, Newry City AFC in the 1st round!

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Saturday 15th December 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Tobermore United vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Again, we put in a very spirited display against the league leaders and this time we were rewarded with a well earned point! The goal came late as Tavares scored for the 2nd game in a row, but we were good value for it and I'm proud of the lads for showing fight right to the very end!


Saturday 22nd December 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Lurgan Celtic
Formation: 4-4-2

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What a game! In all fairness, Lurgan were the better side here and nobody would have denied they deserved all 3 points when they took the lead on 89 minutes! However, my boys showed great resiliance again as they immediately hit back from the kick off with an absolute cracker from Macuilaitis to ****** a point!


Mark Miskimmin's goal against Lurgan Celtic was his first, since he scored 2 against them on the opening day of the season! So far, he's been a major disappointment.

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Saturday 29th December 2018
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Portstewart
Formation: 4-4-2

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Another late goal in this game, but this time we are on the receiving end and we suffer defeat. A really bad result from our point of view in a game we should have won!


That's 5 games without a win in the league now! As mentioned here, we have one of the worst defences in the league and that's something I'm going to have to address as we look to turn things around in the New Year.

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December Review: A really bad month as we fail to win a single league game from 5! We crashed out of the Irish Cup as well and the only highlight of our month was progressing in the Mid Ulster Cup. We drop to 9th in the league and although things are still pretty tight, we'll need to turn our form around quick if we are to stay in touch with the mid table pack.

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Player of the Month
Michael O'Hehir

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4 goals in 4 games is enough for O'Hehir to pick up the player of the month award again! The striker wasn't expected to be a first team starter this season, but has forced his way in and is now our top goalscorer this year.


We need to win at least 2 of our 3 league games in January to get back on track! I'm not really looking to the cup games just yet, as our league form is the priority for the New Year.

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​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

January 2019

January 2019; Change of Formation, Improvement in Form?


Saturday 5th January 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Distillery vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-4-2

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Another game where we were completely dominant but our poor defence let us down! 6 games without a win now and I'm worried!


17 year old midfielder, Mo Harkin, has been snapped up by Newry City. I can't really blame the lad as they are a Premiership side and have offered him a much better deal than he was on here!

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Tuesday 8th January 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Banbridge
Formation: 4-4-2

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Fuckoff! ******* penalty with the last kick of the game gives them the win! We have the shittiest luck...baring in mind it never looked like a penalty in the first place!


Saturday 19th January 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Sport & Leisure
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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BOOM!! A change of formation sparks a win and a clean sheet! I stuck the anchorman in front of the defence and it seemed to break up their play nicely! It also allowed me to push my wingers further forward to support the lone striker! Hopefully, this is the start of a turnaround and not just a one off freak result!


The fans were pleased with the tactical change that brought about the win!

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What a way it was to end our winless run of 7 games as well...against the league leaders!

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Edilson Tavares leaves the club for Premiership side, Institute. He has been a pretty constant fixture in my team all season, so is likely to be sorely missed.

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Tuesday 22nd January 2019
Northern Irish Intermediate Cup 3rd Round
Knockbreda vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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They were the better side, but that was to be expected with them being in the league above us. However, we managed to hold them for majority of the game and it was only a lucky deflection that helped their goal in on 88 minutes to seal the win! A much better performance than when they smashed us 4-2 last month though and encouraging for us from that point of view.


Saturday 26th January 2019
Northern Irish Mid Ulster Cup Quarter Final
Coagh Utd vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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We were already dominating this game by the time they had a player sent off, but just hadn't found the back of the net! So once they were down to ten men, we simply ran riot in the 2nd half and romped our way to the semi final of the competition.


Veteran striker, Shea Campbell, will be out of action for a couple of months after breaking his arm in the Coagh game.

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We'll face Championship side, Portadown, in the semi final of the Mid Ulster Cup.

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With a couple of players leaving the club recently, I was keen to boost numbers in the squad. I've managed to add 23 year old, Anthony Philpott to the team on a free transfer. Philpott can cover both up front and down the left wing and was signed exactly for that versatility!

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January Review: A mixed month as we only pick up one win in the league, but it was against the leaders! We also crashed out of one cup, but progress to the semi final in another! The change in formation has certainly helped and I hope we can string together some decent results now after winning 2 of our last 3. Although currently down in 9th position in the table, things are so close that a couple of wins could easily see us into the top half of the division.

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Player of the Month
Conor Kerr

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My right back has been in good form this month and certainly seems to be settling into his new 'no nonsense' role, with two very good performances since that switch.


Only 3 games ahead of us in February, all in the league! None of our opponents are in the current top 5, so we have a real opportunity next month to grab some points and propel ourselves up the table.

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​

 

[FM_TNSSO]

February 2019

[FONT=&quot]February 2019; Turned The Corner

[/FONT]Saturday 2nd February 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Dollingstown vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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I feel for the lads here as Dollingstown deserved nothing from this game! We worked hard to dominate the play and create two really good goals, whilst they get a lucky 1st and the 2nd was an own goal! Disappointed not to take all 3 points here, although I am pleased for Anthony Philpott who bagged a goal only 9 minutes into his debut!


Saturday 9th February 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Newington Youth vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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Great performance and a comfortable win against the bottom side. This is some of the best football we'd played all season and 3-0 flattered them to be fair. Philpott weighed in with 2 assists and is looking like a good signing!


Premiership side, Ballymena Utd win the first competition of the season, the Bet McLean Cup, after defeating Ards in the final. The game went to a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

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Saturday 23rd February 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Annagh Utd vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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We finally got one over on these bastards who'd already beaten us twice this season (league and cup). And we did it in emphatic style, absolutely smashing them! Mark Miskimmin seems to be well and truly over his goal drought as he grabbed a hat trick.


February Review: A good solid month gaining 7 points from a possible 9 in the league! With two games remaining before the league splits into two halves, we could still finish anywhere between 4th and 9th at the 22 game stage!

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Player of the Month
Nedas Macuilaitis

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The wide man has come alive since my formation change and moving him up the pitch into an inside forward role has worked wonders! He contributed this month with a goal in every game and chipped in with 2 assists in the Annagh game as well!


March will see us play two league games before the league split and we'll be looking to continue our good form in order to finish in the top 6! We'll also take on Portadown in the semi final of the Mid Ulster Cup!

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​

 

[Brane_Orsou]

Best of luck in Northern Ireland, hopefully a more successful journey awaits

 

[FM_TNSSO]

March 2019

March 2019; 22 Games Down & The League Splits


Full back, Ryan Wilson, has left the club to join Tobermore Utd on a free transfer!

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Saturday 2nd March 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Queen's University Belfast
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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How the **** we lost this game I'll never know! We battered their goal for 90 minutes and only managed to put one in the back of the net! At the other end, they have 4 pot shots at goal without creating any decent chances, and managed to score 2!!


Tuesday 5th March 2019
Northern Irish Mid Ulster Cup Semi Final
Portadown vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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With an away tie against a team from the league above, this was always going to be a tough ask! We were 5-1 outsiders going into the game and it showed on the pitch as we struggled to compete in all areas, and my dream of making a cup final in my first season is shattered!


The youth intake is described as a golden generation, which could be key for us moving forward as a very small club with very little money.

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There's plenty of to get excited about here, with lots of players showing 4 star potential for the future. And in 15 year old Glenn McHugh, it looks like we have a player capable of challenging for a first team place almost immediately.

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On transfer deadline day, we lose Conor Kerr to Dundela on a free. This represents a big problem as we now have no recognised right back in the squad.

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Marc Harkness is brought in as a bit of a panic buy I'll admit. Although described as a midfielder, he can play in that right back position that we so desperately need someone and he does have significant pace for getting up and down the wing.

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Saturday 30th March 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Moyola Park vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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A fine performance away from home and a big, big win for us! It was a tight game that could have gone either way, but we just edged it on the day! Harkness came straight into the first team at right back and had a solid enough game.


Now we've all played each other twice, the league splits into two!

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March Review: Just look at who snuck into 6th place and made the top half of the table! That result against Moyola Park was absolutely massive and ensures we'll be taking on the top teams again and have a chance to finish even further up the table! Obviously, the disappointment this month was going out of the Mid Ulster Cup but it was to be expected with our opposition.

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Player of the Month
Mark Miskimmin

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Nobody really shone in March, but Miskimmin earns the award for a goal and an assist in 3 games.


April will see us play all of the top 5 again now that the league has split. We only play each other once, so by the end of April the league will be over. We can't win it, but we can certainly have an impact on who does as we try to finish as high as possible.

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April 2019

April 2019; Season Ends & Awards

[FONT=&quot]Portadown, the team that beat us in the semi final, went on to win the Northern Irish Mid Ulster Cup. They beat Premiership side, Dungannon, 4-3 in a thrilling final!

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Saturday 6th April 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Moyola Park vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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We took on Moyola Park for the 2nd time in a week, and this time our opponents were a lot better! So we'll take the point away from home in a game that on another day we could have easily lost.


The board must be pleased with my performance this season as they tie me down with a new 1 year contract. I gladly accept their offer of a £25 per week pay rise!

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Saturday 13th April 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Sport & Leisure
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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Back in January, we ended our winless run by beating the league leaders, and we went and done them again here! And we were good value for it again here, matching them in every department and creating the better chances!


Tuesday 16th April 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Lurgan Celtic
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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We were the better side here and probably should have won. Their only real chance was the penalty we gave them and they failed to create anything decent in the whole game.


Saturday 20th April 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Portstewart
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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Complete domination from our side and somehow we end up the losing team! Portstewart have been ridiculously lucky here, no other way to describe it!


Saturday 27th April 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Tobermore Utd vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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Our final game of the season meant more to our opponents than us. If Tobermore won here then they could still win the league (if Sport & Leisure lost), where as we were pretty much playing for pride. And with more on the line for them, it was Tobermore who came out on top. We had our chances but again struggled to take them, and their strikers were the difference on the day. I guess that's what happens when you have two guys up front capable of scoring nearly 40 goals this season between them....a much better return than my front men!


That final day win for Tobermore sealed the league title for them and they confirm their status as pre season favourites to win the division!

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April Review: A mixed month as we were involved in 5 very closely fought games...well apart from that ****** Portstewart game we somehow lost! We finish the season in 6th place as Tobermore lift the title and Newington Youth are relegated. It's obvious where our problems were this year as we have one of the worst defensive records in the division...that will be the main focus throughout the Summer, improving the quality of our players across the back 4!

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Player of the Month
Paul Carvill

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The Tobermore game aside, Paul had a good month and turned in some decent performances for us. He bagged a goal and an assist from his left back role as well and the old timer will surely be missed next season if he retires in the Summer.


At the end of season awards, it's left back Paul Carvill who takes the fan's player of the season award. He was pinpointed as one of our best players when I took over here, and its no surprise to see him top the fan's chart at the end of the campaign. It's credit to Anthony Philpott how much of an impact he made as he takes signing of the season, after only playing in the final 10 games of the season. I'd agree that 19 year old Leonardo Monteiro got better throughout the year in central midfield and deserves the young player recognition.

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Manager's Player of the Season
Matthew Hynds

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When I first arrived here, Matthew Hynds did not stand out to me on paper and I expected him to just be a fringe player in the squad. However, he quickly worked his way into my side and became a favourite of mine almost immediately. His stats are nothing special, but only Paul Carvill finished the season with a higher average rating than him. His attacking movement from midfield was clear in almost every game and he chipped in with some important goals as he finished with 9 in all competitions.


The squad stats immediately bring one thing to my attention....our goals were very shared amongst the team and we really missed an out and out goalscorer who can get 20+ goals in a season! Campbell, O'Hehir and Hynds all finished on 9 for the season. Paul Carvill was our best creator with 8 assists, with most players in the squad chipping in with assists throughout the year with the average being 3 or 4 per player.

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Looking over the season review, the general consensus is that I've done a good job here this season and announced Armagh City as a club on the rise. Our league performance is something to build on next year, and we had a good showing in the Mid Ulster Cup and could easily have found ourselves contesting in a final with a bit more luck.

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May 2019

[FONT=&quot]May 2019; Four New Faces Set To Join In July

[/FONT]This year's Northern Irish Cup champions are Crusaders. It was an all Premiership final between them and Ballymena Utd, but it was Crusaders who came out on top on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

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The Northern Irish Intermediate Cup also came to an end with Championship winners, Larne, coming out on top to complete a domestic double. They beat Banbridge 4-1 in the final. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, but Larne ran riot in extra time.

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I confirmed my first Summer signing in the form of striker, Danny McKee, who will join us on a free transfer on 1st July. McKee has good pace, solid determination, makes good decisions and is a natural leader. His finishing leaves a little to be desired but we can work on that in training!

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Another striker quickly follows McKee into the club. And this could be the man we've been crying out for this season. 23 year old, Matthew Ferguson will join on July 1st from Queen's University Belfast. He has been their top goalscorer this year with 19 goals in all competitions and I'll be happy if he can get turn in a similar return for us next year.

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Another player that will be joining the club in July is veteran full back, Stephen Quigley, who will come in from another divisional rival in Annagh Utd. Quigley is an extremely versatile player who can cover across the entire defence and central midfield.

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Since I changed formation this season and started to play a defensive midfielder role, I have only had one player in Conor McAnallen who can actually play that role. I was keen to add another player for this position and am really pleased to snap up Mark Clarke from St.James Swifts (who we knocked out of one of the cups this year). His average rating over the course of the season for them has been a massive 7.55, which was a big factor in bringing him in!

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Absolutely gutted, my young player of the season Leonardo Monteiro is leaving the club to join Institute. I tried to offer him a contract to stay, but he has opted to move up a couple of divisions to the Premiership.

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June 2019

June 2019; Preparing For A New Season

A new kit sponsorship deal is announced, but unfortunately it's worth less than the previous one.

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It comes as absolutely no surprise that there is no budget for transfers next year.

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Veteran striker Shea Campbell retires from football.

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The media give their final review of the league campaign and it turns out my left back, Paul Carvill was actually the highest rated player in the division. Also, how do they rate a 1-1 draw as the best match of the season....surely our 5-4 defeat against Lurgan Celtic has to be up there....not that I want to remember it!

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Brexit has happened!

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Talking of Lurgan Celtic, that's who we kick off next season's league campaign against as the fixtures list is released!

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The pre season friendlies are all lined up and in place to prepare for the new season.

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[FM_TNSSO]

July 2019

[FONT=&quot]July 2019; Bolstering That Defence

[/FONT]We are a bit short out on the wing, so I added another wide player to the squad in Harry Robinson. The 19 year old was let go by Oldham Athletic at the end of last season and will push Nedas Macuilaitis for his place in the team.

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We've already raided division rivals, Annagh Utd, for Stephen Quigley this Summer and now we've also added central defender Daniel Wilson to our ranks as well! Wilson is a great signing who immediately becomes my best centre back at the club and will slot straight into the first 11!

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Another centre back joins the squad, but this time on loan. Welcome 18 year old Matteo Lavorca who is likely to get plenty of first team action here this season whilst on loan from Premiership side, Linfield.

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Our defence keeps getting stronger and stronger as I add Dara Noonan to the squad. The 24 year old centre back is another upgrade on my selection of central defenders I had here last season. He actually signs after being released by Premiership side, Newry City AFC who he played 32 games for last year!

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We'll take on Bangor in the first cup game of the season as the Bet McLean Cup draw takes place.

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July's friendlies have offered up a mixed bag. We opened with a defeat against Premiership side, Newry City AFC, before recording two wins against lower league Lurgan Town, with the best result being a win over Warrenpoint who are two leagues above us in the Premiership also. A disappointing draw followed though against Finn Harps who we were expected to beat!

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August kicks off with our first cup game of the season, before one more friendly! Then the real fixtures start with 3 league games before the month is out and we'll be looking for a decent start!

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[FM_TNSSO]

August 2019

[FONT=&quot]August 2019; A Steady Start

[/FONT]Well the bookies clearly think we've improved our squad on last season as they have us as 2nd favourites for the title! And we're not the only side they feel have improved....Distillery are runaway favourites to be promoted after finishing 7th in the division last year!

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Saturday 3rd August 2019
Bet McLean League Cup 1st Round
Armagh City vs Bangor
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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A fantastic way to start the competitive side of our season with a comfortable win against one of our divisional rivals. Matthew Ferguson bagged 2 debut goals and is already showing me he can step up as our main man up front this season! 16 year old youth prospect Glenn McHugh saw red on his debut, the only negative of the match.


Premiership opposition for us in the next round!

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The board's expectations for the upcoming season seem pretty lenient with only a top half finish expected in the league again. We've already reached the 2nd round of the Bet McLean Cup so that can be ticked off, and the targets for the other cup competitions all seem fair.

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Looking at the season preview and this year we have four players in the media dream eleven - last year we had none! Three new signings in Danny McKee, Mark Clarke and Matteo Lavorca all make the 11, as well as 16 year old prospect, Glenn McHugh who came through the youth intake last season! What an impression he is expected to make at such a young age!

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Saturday 17th August 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Lurgan Celtic
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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This was a lot more comfortable than the scoreline reflects. We could easily have had 3 or 4 goals here and there's followed a blatant foul on my centre back before Donaghy went through 1 on 1 with the keeper....honestly, it was such a clear foul for him to win the ball it's a ******* joke!


An extra 10 season tickets have been sold on last year!

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Saturday 24th August 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Banbridge vs Armagh City
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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Poor finishing cost us dear in this game. We were totally dominant and created so many good chances but just couldn't tuck them away and were punished in the 2nd half! Gutted to lose this one!


Tuesday 27th August 2019
Bet McLean League Cup 2nd Round
Armagh City vs Ballinamallard Utd
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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For the first time in my career, my team overcome a team from a higher league! And we ****** deserved it here as we completely battered them for the entire game. They genuinely couldn't live with us and this was an extremely impressive performance from my lads. I know the board have no interest in this cup, but we go marching on to the next round regardless.


We take on the current holders in the next round, Premiership side Ballymena Utd!

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Elliott Rea will probably be my final signing for now. He adds further depth in both centre midfield and defensive midfield roles and weakens one of our league rivals in Annagh as well. A good solid player and at only 20 years old, he can still improve a lot as well.

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Last year's signing Mark Miskimmin who turned out to be a bit of a flop in all fairness, has now left the club and joined Dundela on a free. To be honest, with the players that have come in, he has dropped way down the pecking order and would have barely got played this year.

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Saturday 31st August 2019
Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League
Armagh City vs Portstewart
Formation: 4-1-4-1 Wide

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I remember when we played these bastards last season, they got ridiculously lucky. We had dominated and somehow lost! And they've got so lucky again here! We ******* mullered them for 90 minutes and they score two absolute worldies and get a totally undeserved point! Not happy but I really can't fault my team!


August Review: I feel extremely confident at the end of the month. We have been so dominant in our matches and although we haven't always got the result we deserved, I feel sure we have a good season ahead of us if we continue to play this way. There is no way teams can continue to get lucky against us for much longer and I feel like a winning streak is just around the corner. Hopefully I haven't just jinxed us by saying that!

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Player of the Month
Paul Carvill

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Our left back has had an excellent start to the season with an assist in each of his last 4 appearances! Some solid, consistent match ratings there and a very well deserved award winner.


September throws up 3 league games. We've already knocked Bangor out the cup, so can go into that game feeling confident. Police Service are a bit of an unknown quantity after coming up last year and Annagh always give us a good game!

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