A Mini Journeyman Series - UK & Ireland

dporter8999 said:
Shame you didn't go up, but looking at the impressive signings you've made, might be better to have a stronger squad when you do go up!
Click to expand...

I'm loving this save so far and going into my 3rd season this squad is definitely the most exciting I've had! The fact I have two strikers that scored 60+ goals between them in this division last season makes me wonder whether I need to look at a different formation to incorporate them both into the starting 11....decisions, decisions!! I will probably have a play around in pre season to see what works best
 
July 2019

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July 2019

My first action of July was to add another loanee to the squad. After having a look at Blackburn's squad, I went in for central midfielder, George Wilson, and I'm pleased that the 18 year old has agreed to join us on loan for the season! He's a solid player with an excellent work rate, who is sure to get plenty of games for us this year!

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The bookies predictions suggest this could be the most competitive league season I've managed in yet! With Billericay down as favourites for the title again, and relegated Whitehawk back in the division, I expect them both to be up there at the end of the season! We are predicted to finish in the playoffs again, with the likes of Hereford, Woking and Welling all expected to be involved in proceedings at the top end of the table! Eastbourne Boro find themselves back at this level again after an immediate promotion, but are expected to struggle alongside last year's surprise package, Poole!

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After his showing in the league last year, Bradley Reid is up there as one of this season's favourites to finish top goalscorer!

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Pre season has gone better than expected so far, with the win against Blackburn standing out and managing a draw against Wigan as well!

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[FONT=&quot]But it wasn't all plain sailing as Bradley Reid and Mark Onyemah will both miss the first couple of weeks of competitive football after picking up injuries during pre season!

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Just caught up and unlucky to miss out on promtion again, this season surely the one
 
August 2019

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August 2019

Our final pre season friendly ends in another win! However, we definitely weren't at our best, having to come from behind to beat lower league side, Bishop's Stortford.

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The season preview confirms the bookies predictions and shows us the media dream 11! For the first time as a manager, I have a player who makes that 11 in 18 year old loanee George Wilson! Alongside Wilson, there is a whole mix of players from different teams, again confirming that this could be the most competitive season I've managed in. Whitehawk, Billericay, Woking, Brackley, Welling and Havant & Waterlooville are all represented in the dream 11!

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Despite being 34 years old now, I still believe Elliott Bradbrook is the best man for the captain's job and he keeps the armband for another season!

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The first game of the season, will mark my 100th game in management! Hopefully, the lads can help me celebrate the occasion with 3 points!

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It's the day of the first game of the season, so the board send over their expectations for the upcoming season! Playoffs again in the league and a couple of mini cup runs would again be highly appreciated.

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Saturday 10th August 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Braintree vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Bradbrook, Durojaiye, Della Verde, Compton (Murphy 63), Akinwande (Issa 63)

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My 100th game in management didn't exactly go to plan as we lose on the opening day of the season! This was never going to be an easy game, but I'm disappointed to kick things off with a defeat. I feel for Jack Compton being credited with an own goal...he was standing in the wall for a free kick and the ball hit him on the way through....a bit harsh to give an OG!




Season ticket sales continue to rise, even if only by a little bit!

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Tuesday 13th August 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs St.Albans
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Clinton (Vint 65), Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson (Simpson 65), Bradbrook, Durojaiye, Della Verde, Compton, Issa (Fuller 65)

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That's more like it!! We came out the traps fast and by half time were 4-0 up and it was game over! We definitely took it easier in the second half, but we held the scoreline well and kept the all important clean sheet!




Saturday 17th August 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Kettering vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Clinton (Miller 63), Vint, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Bradbrook (Simpson 81), Durojaiye, Della Verde, Compton, Issa (Akinwande 72)

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Kettering are a good side, so this presented us with another tough away game! But we managed to grab the win with a late, late goal from sub, Akinwande. Goalkeeper, Stedman, played a massive role in the result, when he pulled off a fantastic double save in the 89th minute to keep the scores level!




17 year old, Diquan Miller came off the bench to make his debut for the club against Kettering. We are thin on the ground for full backs at the moment and there is a good chance the youngster may get some more game time until we bring another in.

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Saturday 24th August 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Hungerford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Vint, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson (Simpson 75), Bradbrook, Durojaiye, Della Verde (Murphy 75), Compton, Issa (Akinwande 63)

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Tariq Issa bangs in his 4th goal in 3 games starting up front as a striker...is he going to push Reid and Akinwande for their spots in the team this season?! Not if Akinwande has anything to do about it as he came off the bench to score for the 2nd game in a row as well! Another good solid home win though and that makes it 3 on the bounce!




Tuesday 27th August 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Poole
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Vint, Clinton, Onyemah (Pritchatt 67), Wilson, Bradbrook (Durojaiye 67), Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Issa 67), Akinwande

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Poole had started the season with 4 straight losses and the bookies look spot on in predicting that they will struggle this year! And we piled on the misery for their fans with a comfortable win here as we maintain our 100% start at home! Centre back, Kyle Clinton, popped up with a hat trick and already has 4 this season!!




Femi Akinwande picked up a twisted ankle injury in the game against Poole and will now miss 5 weeks of action!

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Saturday 31st August 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Bath vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Vint, Clinton, Onyemah, Wilson, Bradbrook (Sent off 90), Durojaiye (Simpson 80), Della Verde (Murphy 76), Compton (Reid 65), Issa

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We ended the month with another good win and our 3rd straight clean sheet and my defence is looking strong! The team are playing some excellent football at the moment and I hope we can keep it up this year. The only negative was the late sending off of captain, Elliott Bradbrook, who will now miss the next game through suspension.




Despite losing our first game of the season, we went on a 5 match winning streak immediately after and it sees us top the table at the end of August, just as we did last year! We've scored an inredible 19 goals in our opening 6 games!! Poole are still to get off the mark and prop up the rest of the table.

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Player of the Month
Kyle Clinton

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I think this is the first time in my management career that I've given a centre back the player of the month award. But Kyle Clinton is fully deserved of the acolade this month as he has been in wonderful form and despite being a centre back, has evem contributed with 4 goals and an assist! He's also been a huge part of the excellent defensive record and a massive contribution to our current run of 3 straight clean sheets.




Four games coming up next month and they all look like winnable ones, so hopefully we can keep this winning streak going for a little longer!

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September 2019

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September 2019

As we kick off September, Kyle Clinton is awarded the player of the month for the National League South last month!

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I'm also recognised by the league awards committee with the manager of the month award.

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Saturday 7th September 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Oxford City vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide (Changed to 4-4-2 on 67 minutes)
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Vint, Clinton (Bonner 45), Onyemah, Wilson (Murphy 67), Durojaiye, Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Reid 45), Issa

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I don't know if it's the manager of the month curse or the fact that Elliott Bradbrook was missing through suspension, but we suffered a surprising loss here to a weak side. We just weren't at the races for majority of the game and struggled to create any decent chances! Oxford didn't exactly look great but they took advantage of the fact we were so poor!




We'll take on lower league minnows, Bideford, in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Cup.

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Saturday 14th September 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Havant & Waterlooville vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Vint (Bonner 72), Clinton, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Reid 59), Issa

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I'm telling ya that when Elliott Bradbrook doesn't play, we don't win!! We played better than we did in the last game against Oxford, but still managed to find ourselves on the end of a disappointing defeat!




Ben Nunn, who was here on loan and was our most predominant right back last season, has now joined the club on a permanent deal! I tried to sign him on a free when he was released by Dag & Red in the Summer, but his wage demands were too high. Well, a couple of months into the season and still being on the free agent list, has been enough for him to lower his demands and is now affordable for us, so I've brought him in! He chose to join us instead of Whitehawk who'd also offered him a contract!

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Saturday 21st September 2019 (15:00)
FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Bideford vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Vint (Clinton 90), Bonner, Onyemah, Noble, Wilson, Durojaiye, Della Verde (Murphy 45), Compton, Reid

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It was always comfortable, but the scoreline could have been a bit more in our favour! Still, we're through and that's the main thing.




Ronnie Vint will miss up to a month through injury.

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We'll take on another regional division side in Hitchin Town in the next round of the FA Cup.

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18 year old midfielder, Harry Clarke, is a product of the Arsenal youth system who was released by the club in the Summer. When the opportunity was presented to sign him up, I took it very quickly as I immediately identified the youngster as someone who could improve our squad! At only £140 per week wages, he is a cheap addition as well and someone who could really improve a lot over the next couple of years!

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Tuesday 24th September 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Brackley
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish (Nunn 80), Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Murphy 80), Issa (Reid 57)

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That's 3 league games without a win now! And to be fair, it should have been another defeat as Brackley missed an absolute sitter (one on one with the keeper) in the final minute of the game.




The board agree to fund another coaching course for me!

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Saturday 28th September 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Hereford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide (Changed to 4-4-2 at half time)
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Woodford, Clinton, Onyemah, Wilson, Bradbrook (Sent off 50), Durojaiye (Compton 45), Della Verde, Issa (Akinwande 45), Reid (Clarke 50)

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Are you ******* kidding me lads, that was ****!! Elliott Bradbrook returns to the team after suspension and goes and gets himself sent off again - leading the way and setting an example there Elliott....you ******!




Apparently my captain feels its perfectly acceptable to keep getting sent off!

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We failed to record a single win in the league this month and it's seen us not only drop off the top spot, but all the way down to 7th and 7 points off the pace as well! Not ******* good enough!!

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Player of the Month
George Wilson

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The whole team was pretty **** **** this month, but the on loan Wilson was about the only player to keep any sort of decent performances going throughout the month!




We desperately need to turn this form back around and quickly. But looking ahead to October, it looks like a tough one with some hard fixtures!

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October 2019

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October 2019

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Saturday 5th October 2019 (15:00)
FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Dartford vs Hitchin
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner (Ball 45), Pritchatt, Simpson, Durojaiye, Clarke, Fuller, Compton, Akinwande (Reid 45)

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An easy win sees us through to the next round!




Our toughest opposition so far in this season's FA Cup is sure to be Buxton who are in the Vanarama National North in the next round.

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Tuesday 8th October 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Hemel Hempstead vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye (Clarke 78), Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Akinwande 78), Issa

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The big win in the cup may have given the lads some confidence back as we go out and get our first league win in 5 games here! It's a good away victory at Hemel Hempstead who we've had a bit of an up and down record against over the last couple of years.




Saturday 12th October 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Welling
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn (Fish 64), Clinton, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson (Simpson 64), Durojaiye, Clarke, Della Verde, Compton (Akinwande 64), Reid

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******* gutted to concede with the final kick of the game to share the points! Yes, Welling were the better side, especially as we had to play the last 10 minutes or so with 10 men following an injury when I'd made all 3 subs already, but it's still gutting to concede so late on!!




Saturday 19th October 2019 (15:00)
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
Buxton vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Fish, Clinton (Ball 59), Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Della Verde, Compton (Issa 16), Reid (Akinwande 59)

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We absolute dominated this game from start to finish and fully deserve to be going through to the 1st round proper!




One of my star Summer signings, Jack Compton, will now miss the rest of the season with a damaged achilles tendon suffered in the game against Buxton! Devestated!

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We'll play National South rivals, Whitehawk, in the 1st round of the FA Cup!

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Tuesday 22nd October 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Bognor Regis vs Dartford
Formation: 5-3-2 Flat (Changed to 5-2-1-2 Wing Backs at half time)
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Clinton, Vint, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye (Bradbrook 45), Clarke (Simpson 90), Akinwande (Issa 71), Reid

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We were really bad. Maybe it's my fault for trying a new formation, but against someone like Bognor, we should have been able to get away with a little bit of experimentation! But in the end, we had to settle for a point against a team I really thought we should have beat!




Saturday 26th October 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Chelmsford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Clarke (Simpson 74), Della Verde (Nunn 61), Issa, Akinwande (Reid 51)

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If only we could play like this every game! This was one of our most complete performances this season. We were brilliant from start to finish against the side that smashed this league two years ago!



Lyle Della Verde is going to miss the next 4 or 5 weeks with injury!

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Two wins and two draws this month as we go unbeaten through October! Such a contrasting season so far with a great August, awful September and good October....I wonder what November will bring! Either way, our better form sees us up to 4th in the table, although Whitehawk already look to be pulling away from the rest!

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Player of the Month
Jordan Simpson

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The central midfielder has been the most consistent player over the past month, hardly putting a foot wrong!




We kick off with a tough away game against Billericay next month, although they are currently underachieving in 9th in the table. We follow that up with our FA Cup game against league leaders Whitehawk and we'll also kick off our FA Trophy campaign in November as well!

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November 2019

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[FONT=&quot]November 2019

[/FONT]Saturday 2nd November 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Billericay vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Fish, Clinton (Vint 71), Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Clarke, Murphy (Fuller 71), Issa, Akinwande (Reid 45)

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Dear oh dear! I knew this was going to be a tough game, but I didn't expect us to get smashed like this! Although it didn't help that we had two goals disallowed....******* lino!




We're handed a tough draw in the second qualifying round for the FA Trophy, against National League side, Sutton! At least we have the home advantage!

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A new goalkeeper has joined the club as I sign 34 year old, Adam Collin, on a free! Collin has spent the past 10 years playing at a much higher level than this for the likes of Carlisle, Aberdeen and Notts County and is a massive coup for us and a significant step up in quality on our current goalkeepers!

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Saturday 9th November 2019 (15:00)
FA Cup 1st Round
Dartford vs Whitehawk
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Fish, Clinton (Vint 69), Bonner, Pritchatt, Simpson, Durojaiye (Bradbrook 69), Clarke, Fuller, Issa, Reid

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Boom!! We knock the league leaders out the FA Cup to make the 2nd round for the second season running! Young Jamie Fuller was handed a rare start down the right wing and he took advantage of the opportunity, banging in 2 great goals for the side! Might have given me something to think about!!




The tie we've been handed for the 2nd round is a winnable win I feel! With home advantage, there's no reason why we can't give a strong showing against League Two AFC Wimbledon!

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Tuesday 12th November 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Woking
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Fish, CLinton, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Simpson, Durojaiye, Fuller, Issa, Reid

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A proper smash and grab for us! Woking will walk away from this wondering how they didn't score, let alone win! They were dominant throughout, but a single second half goal nicked the 3 points for us....without a doubt the most undeserved 3 points I've won in my career to date!




Saturday 16th November 2019 (15:00)
FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying Round
Dartford vs Sutton
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Fish, Clinton, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Murphy, Issa (Fuller 63), Reid (Akinwande 63)

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This really was a game of two halves. We were well on top in the first 45 minutes and found ourselves 2-0 up by the break! Everything was looking rosy, but the inevitable increased pressure came from our higher league opponents in the 2nd half and they clawed the 2 goals back to take it to a replay! Disappointing to have thrown a 2-0 lead, but this team are a well established National League side, so it's not a bad result on the face of it!




Tuesday 19th November 2019 (19:45)
FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying Round Replay
Sutton vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Fish, Clinton, Bonner (Vint 62), Pritchatt, Noble, Bradbrook, Clarke, Murphy (Fuller 62), Issa, Reid (Akinwande 75)

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I was forced to make several changes for the replay, with only 3 days between games, so Pritchatt, Noble, Bradbrook and Clarke all came into the starting lineup! We knew it would be tough with Sutton having the home advantage in the replay and they were a much more organised outfit on home soil. We struggled to break them down and a single goal from Connor Tighe was enough to see them through and we drop out of the competition.




Saturday 23rd November 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Gloucester vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye (Clarke 61), Simpson, Fuller, Issa, Reid (Akinwande 79)

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Easy work for the lads here! Gloucester showed very little resistance and we simply overpowered them! Bradley Reid bagged himself a couple of good goals and was only thwarted by the Gloucester keeper as he went hunting for his first hat trick of the season.




Saturday 30th November 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Wealdstone
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye (Clarke 61), Simpson, Fuller (Della Verde 25), Issa, Reid (Akinwande 61)

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Wealdstone are possibly the most negative side I've come up against in 2 and a half seasons! They literally look like they're set up for a draw from the outset, with a back 4 and 2 DMs and only 1 striker. They have 10 men behind the ball at all times! I'm really annoyed we haven't beaten them here because it proves their negativity worked for them today! Upset? Maybe! Bitter, Very......Wankers!




Once we got that defeat to Billericay out the way, it wasn't a bad month for us and we're now on a 3 game unbeaten streak! We remain 4th in the table, but more importantly, that gap to the top has closed to only 5 points now as Whitehawk only won 1 league game this month! Things are extremely tight in the entire top half though, with only 10 points seperating 1st to 11th! At the other end, it already looks like 4 teams will be battling it out for safety against the 3 relegation places!

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Player of the Month
Tom Bonner

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The centre back gets it as he has been the most consistent player in the squad this month! He's played in all 7 games and handled the busy schedule like a real pro! He even chipped in with a couple of goals this month as well!




As we look ahead to next month, the Christmas period looks ****** horrible! 4 games in 8 days!

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December 2019

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December 2019

The upcoming league game against Concord will be my 100th in charge at The Darts! Quite the achievement for little old Ernie Allan who got sacked from Tamworth after only 24 matches in charge!

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Tuesday 3rd December 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Concord vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Fish (Nunn 70), Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Clarke, Fuller, Issa (Della Verde 64), Reid (Akinwande 75)

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**** sake! We get the simple things all wrong in this game! 3 long balls over the top and 3 goals to them! ******* **** boys! Not good enough!! And the ******* lino's a c*nt for ruling out our injury time equalizer n'all!




Well that's ****! Adam Collin, my brand new goalkeeper, is now injured for the next 3 months!

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Saturday 7th December 2019 (15:00)
FA Cup 2nd Round
Dartford vs AFC Wimbledon
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye (Bradbrook 87), Simpson, Fuller (Della Verde 61), Issa, Akinwande

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I said when this draw was made that I felt it was a winnable tie for us, and we've only gone and done it! We rode our luck at times, but that's always going to be the case when you're playing a team 2 divisions above you! But we got the result and advance to the 3rd round.....now let's hope we get the reward of a big Premier League team in the next round!




We're raking in the cash from this year's FA Cup run....and we're not done yet!

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Well we didn't get what we wanted. We miss out on the home draw and we don't get a big Premiership side. Instead we'll go away to Derby County in the 3rd round of the FA Cup!

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Sunday 22nd December 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Whitehawk
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton (Vint 71), Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Fuller (Della Verde 71), Issa, Akinwande (Reid 78)

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Even though it was us that scored the injury time equalizer, it's Whitehawk that have been lucky here! We should have won this game and were the much better side! I think we're really going to miss goalkeeper Adam Collin over the coming months!




Thursday 26th December 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Eastbourne Boro vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Fish, Clinton, Bonner (Vint 74), Pritchatt, Simpson, Bradbrook, Clarke, Fuller, Issa (Della Verde 74), Reid

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An easy win against one of the struggling sides in the league! Could of been more on the day, but we'll take a comfortable 2-0 all day long!




Saturday 28th December 2019 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Braintree
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Fish, Vint, Bonner (Clinton 52), Onyemah, Wilson, Della Verde, Durojaiye, Murphy (Bradbrook 52), Issa, Akinwande (Reid 52)

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How the **** we lost this game, I don't know! We had majority of possession, created more chances, more clear cut chances...I could go on! Not having a decent keeper is really costing us at the moment...Ibrahim was ******* terrible today!




Monday 30th December 2019 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
St.Albans vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide (Changed to 4-2-2-2 Wide on 40 minutes)
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn (Fish 62), Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Simpson (Akinwande 40), Bradbrook (Durojaiye 45), Clarke, Fuller, Della Verde, Reid

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We finish the month and the year on a high with a good away victory! The switch up on 40 minutes to a 4-2-2-2 Wide changed the complexity of the game and we were in control from that moment on! It just looked like a matter of how many we'd score!




So as we move into January and the year 2020, we sit 5th in the table with 38 points! Slightly worrying that we don't seem to have taken a step forward as this time last year, we'd played one less game and sat 3rd with 40 points!

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Player of the Month
Jamie Fuller

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The 18 year old that I have brought through the club's youth system wins his first player of the month award! Yes he's lucky that nobody really stood out this month, but Fuller gets it for his steady improvement game by game as well! He has stepped up his performance in each game this month, finally ending the month with his best game of the season against St Albans.




The new year kicks off with 4 league games and our FA Cup encounter with Derby County! It will be a good experience for these lads to play at Pride Park, and although we didn't draw a big Premiership side, Derby are still a big club with an impressive stadium! In the league, we should be picking up a decent amount of points this month with the level of opposition lined up!

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January 2020

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January 2020

Saturday 4th January 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Kettering
Formation: 4-2-2-2 Wide (Changed to 4-1-2-3 Wide on 61 minutes)
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner (Vint 61), Pritchatt, Clarke, Simpson, Fuller (Issa 61), Della Verde, Reid, Akinwande (Durojaiye 61)

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I decided to roll with the 4-2-2-2 wide formation that had been so strong for us in the 2nd half against St Albans. Quite simply, it didn't work and we defended like a bunch of wankers....so I switched back in the 2nd half! But the damage was already done and after conceding another couple, it ended up being a slightly embarassing result in the end! Not exactly the way I wanted to kick off the New Year, but I suppose it can only get better!




For the first time in my career, I'm linked with another job! And it's from a club in the National League, Eastleigh! It would represent a step up the ladder for me, and it looks like we are playing for playoffs at best with Dartford again, so I don't say anything to discourage the rumours!

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Apparently, I've done enough in my time with Dartford to get the fans on board!

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Tuesday 7th January 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Hungerford vs Dartford
Formation: 4-2-2-2 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Clarke, Simpson, Fuller, Della Verde, Reid, Akinwande

View attachment 36855


Call me mad but I decided to give the 4-2-2-2 another go and by complete contract to the Kettering game, we kept a clean sheet and took all 3 points!




Young midfielder, Harry Clarke, will miss the next couple of weeks through injury! Unfortunately for him, he'll miss out on the big game against Derby in the cup!

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As well as my own fans wanting me to stay at Dartford, it seems the Eastleigh fans are keen on the idea of me taking over there as well! Well, this is all very nice for the ego if I do say so myself!

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Saturday 11th January 2020 (15:00)
FA Cup 3rd Round
Derby County vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Clinton (Vint 65), Bonner, Onyemah, Simpson, Bradbrook, Durojaiye, Fuller, Della Verde (Issa 65), Reid (Akinwande 65)

View attachment 36852


As expected, we were thumped by the Championship side! It was to be expected and I'm just pleased to have led the team this far and given these lads an experience of playing at a stadium like Pride Park! And I'm over the moon that we managed to grab a goal there as well!




Even though we didn't have the home tie, the bank balance has taken a considerable boost through our FA Cup run this year!

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With the money from the FA Cup, I asked the board to invest it back into the club in the form of junior coaching and youth recruitment!

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Saturday 18th January 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Bath
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Vint (Ball 83), Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Fuller (Della Verde 83), Issa, Reid

View attachment 36848


A solid home win makes it back to back victories in the league.




The fans wanted it, the media wanted it, but apparently the Eastleigh board didn't want it as they hire Alan Smith as manager without giving Ernie Allan even a second glance!

View attachment 36847




Saturday 25th January 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Poole vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Vint, Bonner, Onyemah, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Fuller, Issa, Akinwande

View attachment 36846


This happens far too often for us! We string together 2 or 3 wins and then go and turn in an absolute shocker of a performance against a **** side and drop points!




Femi Akinwande is the latest player to pick up an injury and will be out of action until around mid March.

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I'm now qualified to National B License standard.....the big clubs will soon be knocking on Ernie Allan's door for sure right?!

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It's been an indifferent month in the league with a couple of wins, a draw and a loss! It leaves us right in the playoff mix in 6th place with 15 games remaining! It's too early to right us off for a late challenge for the title, but being completely realistic we're aiming for top 3 right now to avoid the extra playoff game.

View attachment 36843




Player of the Month
Olumide Durojaiye

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The midfielder was in great form this month and has become a really important player for us this year! He bagged a couple of goals along the way, including the unforgettable one at Derby!




Five league games coming up in February. Hemel Hempstead, Brackley and Hereford are all in the hunt for the playoffs, so it looks like a tough one!

View attachment 36840



​
 
February 2020 part 1

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​
February 2020 (Part 1)

Saturday 1st February 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Brackley vs Dartford
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide (Changed to 4-2-3-1 Narrow on 67 minutes)
Lineup: Ibrahim, Nunn, Vint, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson, Fuller (Della Verde 67), Issa (Bradbrook 67), Reid

View attachment 36819


Having useless shitsters in goal is really costing us at the moment! We were by far the better side here and yet they have two half decent attempts on goal and they go in! Yea, it's no excuse for us not taking our own chances but when you go into every game feeling like you'll concede a couple, that's gotta mess with the confidence of the whole team!




Tuesday 4th February 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Oxford City
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Stedman, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson (Bradbrook 63), Durojaiye, Simpson, Fuller, Issa, Reid

View attachment 36818


We scraped past struggling Oxford by the skin of our teeth!




Being linked with the Eastleigh job last month has given me itchy feet! So I've casually kept an eye on the job market, but have decided that as I'm not desperate to leave I will only apply for jobs that represent a step up with clubs that might realistically look at me! The first one that has come up since I've been looking is Grimsby - I chucked in an application and they immediately came back and offered me the chance to interview for the job!

View attachment 36817




The Grimsby fans are all over it!

View attachment 36816




Saturday 15th February 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National South
Dartford vs Havant & Waterlooville
Formation: 4-1-2-3 Wide
Lineup: Collin, Nunn, Clinton, Bonner, Pritchatt, Wilson, Durojaiye, Simpson (Clarke 57), Fuller, Issa (Della Verde 80), Reid

View attachment 36815


With H&W having a man sent off in only the 2nd minute, it made our job a **** of a lot easier! We should have won by a lot more than the one goal, but a win's a win and we played well so I can't complain!




So it looks like my February update will be split into two parts.....because my time with Dartford has come to an end! Grimsby came back to me with a job offer and it gives me the opportunity to step up a league and a pay rise to £700 per week! I'm slowly closing in on that £1000 mark!

View attachment 36814




My next post will be my introduction to Grimsby Town, but before we go, let's have a look at my record at Dartford. Not a bad one to be fair, 113 games in charge and I won more than half of them!

View attachment 36813


I led the side to back to back playoffs (when it looked a really tough ask in my first year) and as I leave, it looks like the club is almost nailed on to make the playoffs again this season! I hope the manager they bring in can see them over the line!

View attachment 36812


​
 
Grimsby

Grimb_Badge.png



Grimsby Town

I've arrived in Grimsby! Dartford bag £9,000 compensation for me which ain't too sad considering it beats the clubs record transfer fee!

View attachment 36811




As the chairman sends me a rundown of Grimsby's history, it's clear to see that this is the biggest club I have worked for so far! They have 2 Championship trophies in the cabinet, albeit the last one being won in 1934!

View attachment 36810




The club are worth over £800k and have a regional reputation in England. The facilities are pretty basic all round! The club have a whole host of local rivals as well, although they are all playing their football higher up the pyramid than us! But the best thing about managing Grimsby....their sponsor....I've been told I'm allowed as many free fish fingers as I like!

View attachment 36809




The stadium, Blundell Park, is also double the size of my previous two clubs, with a capacity of over 9,000 seats!

Large





The squad seems big enough to compete, although the first thing I notice is that I have a distinct lack of players rated higher than 3 stars by my assistant! There is also a small African contingent in my squad, with 3 players representing Cameroon, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

View attachment 36808




My 3 best players that I'll be attempting to build the team around are winger Siriki Dembele, on loan striker Jordan McEneff, and another loanee, Wayne Gilbert!

View attachment 36807

View attachment 36806

View attachment 36805




It's no surprise that the previous manager was sacked. Looking back over the last few months games, it's been a pretty dreadful run for Grimsby! Only 1 league win in their last 12 games! On the plus side, we are still in the FA Trophy and my 3rd game in charge will be the next round fixture against FC Halifax!

View attachment 36804




Despite the **** poor recent form, Grimsby had a decent start to the campaign and it means they do still sit 8th in the table with a shot at making the playoffs this year! The league title is well out of reach though and looks to be a two horse race between Ebbsfleet and Wrexham!

View attachment 36803




Two of my players do sit in the current top 3 for average ratings in the league this season though!

View attachment 36802




My next update will be February part 2 as I have 3 games to ease me into life at Grimsby! Well, hopefully ease me in anyway!

View attachment 36801





​
 
Congrats on your new role, fingers crossed you can galvanise the squad for the playoff push
 
Great to see you sign for a much better club, onwards and upwards mate!
 
February 2020 part 2

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[FONT=&quot]February 2020 (Part 2)

[/FONT]​
Just before I take over my first game as Grimsby manager, the board send me their expectations. Hmmm, reserving judgement on the league? As for the FA Trophy, a semi final will suffice....no pressure then.

View attachment 36568




The anticipation mounts...

View attachment 36567




Saturday 22nd February 2020 (15:00)
Vanarama National League
Grimsby vs Torquay
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt, Gilbert, Dembele, Bird, Rose, Penney (Miller 68), McEneff (Hooper 68), Smith

View attachment 36566


Boom!!! A winning start for The Mariners under the mighty Ernie Allan!




Tuesday 25th February 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National League
Dover vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt, Gilbert, Dembele (Miller 71), Bird, Rose, Penney, McEneff (Hooper 71), Smith

View attachment 36565


Back to back wins! And my first away game ends in a decisive victory as we thrashed Dover! Only 2 games in but it's looking pretty ******* rosy at the moment...let's keep this rolling lads!




Saturday 29th February 2020 (15:00)
FA Trophy 4th Round
Grimsby vs FC Halifax
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt, Gilbert, Miller (Marsh-Brown 65), Kuhl, Rose, Penney, Hooper (McEneff 65), Smith

View attachment 36564


Despite being on top for the entire game, we struggled to make a breakthrough and will now have to play a replay. That's an extra game we could have done without!




The annual youth intake comes in and there's nothing to be excited about here. The best prospect we have is a new goalkeeper and to be honest, he doesn't look great and only has 2 star potential!

View attachment 36563

View attachment 36562




Two wins from my first two games in charge in the league, has seen us move into the playoff spots and right in the mix!

View attachment 36561




Player of the Month
Siriki Dembele

View attachment 36560
View attachment 36559


The winger was in great form this month, with 3 assists and a goal. He's made a great start under my management and long may it continue!




The FA Trophy replay has given us an extra game to play next month and if we beat Halifax, we'll also have the quarter final game in March as well. There are 4 league games to play with tough fixtures against two other playoff candidates in Port Vale and Gateshead!

View attachment 36558


​
 
March 2020

Grimb_Badge.png

March 2020

Siriki Dembele picked up the February Player of the Month from the league awards!

View attachment 36543




The Grimsby board have immediately invested in their new manager, as they agree to send me on my next coaching badge!

View attachment 36542




Tuesday 3rd March 2020 (19:45)
FA Trophy 4th Round Replay
FC Halifax vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Alese, Brewitt (Sibbick 73), Gilbert (Wood 56), Miller, Bird, Kuhl, Penney, Hooper, Smith (McEneff 66)

View attachment 36541


We get the job done in the replay. It's just a shame we needed a 2nd go at it!




We'll go away to Poole for the quarter final in our very next game. A team that I have only lost to once in six games as Dartford manager.

View attachment 36540




Saturday 7th March 2020 (15:00)
FA Trophy Quarter Final
Poole vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt, Gilbert, Miller, Bird, Rose (Kuhl 66), Penney (Dembele 66), McEneff (Hooper 66), Smith

View attachment 36539


Well, I never beat Poole that easily as Dartford manager! The lads turn in a great performance and we sail through to the semis!




I'll take on another familiar team in the form of Billericay in the semis!

View attachment 36538




Tuesday 10th March 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National League
Grimsby vs Salford
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Alese, Gilbert, Miller (Dembele 70), Bird, Kuhl, Penney (Sent off 74), McEneff (Hooper 70), Smith (Wood 74)

View attachment 36537


We really should have won this game and it's slightly disappointing that we couldn't get that 1 goal that would of sealed the points for us! We worked hard and fully deserved the result on the day, but it wasn't to be!




Tuesday 17th March 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National League
Newport County vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt (Alese 65), Gilbert, Dembele, Bird, Kuhl, Miller, McEneff, Smith

View attachment 36536


Another game that we completely dominate but fail to win! 17 shots on goal and only one of them finds the back of the net and County punished us in the end! We have to settle for another disappointing point.




Saturday 21st March 2020 (15:00)
FA Trophy Semi Final 1st Leg
Billericay vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick (Alese 71), Brewitt, Gilbert, Dembele, Bird (Berrett 71), Kuhl, Miller, Hooper, Smith

View attachment 36535


A solid result here means we'll take the advantage home to Blundell Park for the return leg! There's no reason why we shouldn't see it through and reach the final from here and anything less will be a huge opportunity missed!




Tuesday 24th March 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National League
Grimsby vs Port Vale
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt, Gilbert, Dembele, Bird, Kuhl (Berrett 73), Penney, Hooper, Smith

View attachment 36534


That is one of the biggest wins of my career to date, right up there with the Dartford victory over AFC Wimbledon! Port Vale had only lost 5 league games all season prior to this, only top of the table Ebbsfleet having a better record - so this was a huge win for us and is a massive confidence booster going into the playoffs that we will surely now make!




Saturday 28th March 2020 (15:00)
FA Trophy Semi Final 2nd Leg
Grimsby vs Billericay
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Sibbick, Brewitt (Elokobi 61), Gilbert, Dembele (Penney 42), Bird, Kuhl, Miller, Hooper, Smith (Nimely 71)

View attachment 36533


We're only going to ****** Wembley ain't we! What a turn up for the books that is - little Ernie Allan will lead a team out at the National stadium in only his 3rd year of professional management!




Despite the jubilation of making the FA Trophy final, there was some awful news for us....Sam Smith, our top goalscorer will miss the rest of the season after breaking his ankle in the Billericay game!

View attachment 36532




Our Wembley day out at the end of May will be against Dagenham & Redbridge, who currently sit 13th in our division! We'll play them next month in the league as well, in a juicy trial for the cup final!

View attachment 36531




Tuesday 31st March 2020 (19:45)
Vanarama National League
Gateshead vs Grimsby
Formation: 4-4-2
Lineup: Killip, Mills, Brewitt, Elokobi, Gilbert, Dembele, Kuhl, Rose (Bird 72), Miller (Penney 72), Nimely (Parish 79), Hooper

View attachment 36530


Incredibly, this was our 8th match this month and the legs must be getting tired on the lads! And it showed here as I suffer my first loss as Grimsby manager. However, there's no shame in it, with us being away from home against the side currently 4th in the league. All I am worried about is will this give Gateshead a psychological edge if we meet them in the playoffs?




With 5 games remaining, we sit 6th and 4 points clear in the playoff spots. I reckon 3 more wins guarantees us a top 7 finish! At the bottom, Maidenhead are all but gone from the division, but the relegation battle above that is coming right down to the wire with a whole host of teams involved!

View attachment 36529




Player of the Month
Siriki Dembele

View attachment 36528
View attachment 36527


Dembele started the month coming back from a small injury and as he got stronger throughout the month, his performances got better and better! He is such a huge part of this team and at the moment, I have a worry we may lose him as he won't sign a new contract right now, with his expiring at the end of the season!




The schedule stays pretty busy for the first half of next month, with 4 more games coming pretty quickly. However, after the 18th, we have a good 2 week break and I'm hoping we will have tied up a playoff spot by then so that we can use that time to prepare physically and mentally!

View attachment 36526



​
 
Going great mate, unlucky against the mighty Heed but as you say it was a very busy run of fixtures!
 
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