Loco see Mutton off in 4-1 win

Hey Arnold was among the goals on Sunday as Loco comfortably saw off Shoulder of Mutton in a 4-1 win at King George. Other goals were scored from Ali, Andy, and Dave.The game started with Salva in goal; Rob, Cash, Stu, and Mike across the back; Sam, Simon and Matt in midfield; with a three pronged attack of Lee, Ali and Andy up-front.

Loco started in confident style, and were really moving the ball around the pitch at every opportunity - with every player getting touches on the ball. We really looked extremely strong over the park, so it was therefore fitting to see us go 1-0 up so early on.

Loco had the attack, and after a cross was whipped in, the ball was half cleared by the Mutton defence, and it only went as far as Dave on the edge of the box who controlled and lobbed the keeper.

Moments after, it was 2-0, as a raking Mike Brannan pass found Ali, who was running away from goal, but managed to get in a firm left footed strike on target, and past the despairing Mutton keeper.

Loco were really controlling the game and there was very little in the way of attack from the bottom of the league side, however they had a few good players, who were making things difficult for the Loco midfield.

It was 3-0 on 30 minutes, as some good work from Andy Smith enabled Lee Arnold to get away on the left flank, and from distance, and he placed a sublime shot into the roof of the net, giving the keeper no chance.

Although Loco were running the game, there was a momentary scare, as their midfielder managed to produce an amazing shot on goal from 40 yards, which Sean had to touch over the bar - a wonder-save if ever there was one…

However this moment of excellence from the away side only served to spur them on, and indeed they won a dubious penalty on 41 minutes, after it was judged that Simon pushed their striker over. The spot-kick was taken coolly, and that made it 3-1.

Loco soon established their three goal cushion though just before half-time as Ali put a looped pass through to Andy who was running through on goal, and as the tall striker met the keeper, he simply and calmly lobbed it over into the net.

Half-time: Ferndown Locomotive 4-1 Shoulder of Mutton

In the second half, the ‘Loco’ played like ‘Ferndown’ - as instructed!

We did alright throughout the half, however we just couldn’t come up with the finished product. I think too many of us were concerned about scoring and upping the Loco goal tally, as opposed to keeping our shape and playing the right way.

We did however have our chances, the first one of note coming from Bomber, with an excellent shot from distance which clipped the top of the bar… but then, came the piece de resistance from Rob Frank!!

Well, nearly! The Mutton keeper was under-pressure after a pass-back, and his half-clearance went as far as Rob in the left-back position, and, seeing an opportunity to fire into an open goal as the keeper scurried back to his goal, Rob did just that. He put in a tremendously powerful and high shot where he successfully lobbed the keeper, the ball then bounced in front of the goal… but then subsequently bounced over the bar!!!

Apart from those few glimmers of brilliance, there wasn’t much else to report. Salva was sturdy in goal, and elsewhere, the rest of the side did enough to see off the fixture comfortably.

The win against Mutton was a confident one, and it should put us in with a good shout for fourth place - we just need to beat DBJ next week… Far from easy, but we have the ability to do it - and do it well.

Final Score: Ferndown Locomotive 4-1 Shoulder of Mutton

Bombers stats after 100 games

Maybe they’re over-precise in places, but Locoboys.co.uk has all the stats on Bomber’s 100 games for Locomotive T&D and Ferndown Locomotive. Here they are…These stats are generated automatically for every player, so if you want to see how you compare with Bomber, click on the Stats page and then type in the Username and Password in order to get the information. Simply click one a player’s name to view the information.

Bomber has been with the club since the start, and there are many other centurions who fill follow suit next season, Rob Frank being the next - it would be great to see him get to 100 - maybe he can put off his Aussie trip for a while eh Rob?

Matt finished the 2005/2006 season on a high for the Loco, performing superbly, and netting a tremendous 30 yard lob to go with it - a fitting end to a top season from a top player.

Anyway, here are the stats…

Name	Matt Folds
Position	Centre Back
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Appearances - 100 in total
2002/03 and 2003/04	51  - No infomation on starts
2004/05	25 - 24 Starts, 1 as Sub
2005/06	24 - 23 Starts, 1 as Sub
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Goals Scored - 19 in total
2002/03 and 2003/04	13
2004/05	4
2005/06	2
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Goals Scored from:
2004/05	Starting - 4 , Sub - 0
2005/06	Starting - 2 , Sub - 0
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Game/Goal Ratio:
2002/03 and 2003/04	One goal every 3.9230769230769 game(s).
2004/05	One goal every 6.25 game(s).
2005/06	One goal every 12 game(s).
All-Time	One goal every 5.2631578947368 game(s).
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Strike Rates:
2002/03 and 2003/04	25.490196078431%
2004/05	16 %
2005/06	8.3333333333333 %
All-Time	19 %
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Matt celebrates 100th Loco cap

Matt (Bomber) Folds played his 100th game for Loco on Sunday against DBJ Property - a tremendous achievement by one of the founding fathers of the club - well done Bomber.The game started with Locomotive playing our usual 4-3-3 formation, with the ever reliable Sean Barker in goal. The defence consisted of Steve, Stu, Cash and Lee; in midfield we had Mike, Bomber (with the captaincy), and Simon. Up-front was the usual trio of Andy, Kyle (late night mate?) and Ali.

It took a while for Loco to gain any flow to the game. DBJ, as we know from all our previous encounters with them, are a quality side, and they play football the right way. The were playing the ball about, getting the width, and generally running the game.

Given this though, they didn’t really pose any threats on goal - and Cash, Stu, Steve and Lee were confidently clearing up all the pieces at the back.

After about 25 minutes Loco started to get a feel of the game, and Mike was doing really well in the midfield, with some really good movement, and even better distribution. Andy too was being a menace, and at every opportunity was looking to feed in Kyle on goal.

Indeed, it was the late-riser Eaton that netted the first goal of the game with a concise finish after rounding a couple of players - a really good start for Loco.

However, it didn’t last long, DBJ got right back into it immediately with a cracking move on the right wing, which resulted in a pin-point cross going to the far post, where their tall midfielder was on hand to nod the ball home into the net. 1-1.

Loco had a few half-chances to get back into the lead during the first half, all coming from very good Loco corners - however we didn’t manage to cause any damage. DBJ however -did…

They were awarded a free-kick just outside the box on 37 minutes, and from the left apex of the box, their striker struck a magnificent shot into the top-left corner of the goal - a really good finish.

Half-time: Ferndown Locomotive 1-2 DBJ Property

After Mike’s excellent first half showing, he had to come off with an injury, so Dave pushed onto right-midfield. Elsewhere during the half, Dan deputised for Lee, and similarly Darren also came on to beef up the midfield.

Loco started to get a bit more of the ball in the half, and began to knock it down - however this didn’t stop DBJ running the game at times, and they looked threatening on more than one occasion. Sean however managed to be an excellent stopper, and once again our scores were kept down by the man in the green bib.

On 65 minutes, Loco managed to equalise, when the ball was played up to Andy, who was nudged harshly in the back of the neck, sending him to the floor, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Kyle stepped up with the kick and placed home very calmly, and made it two goals each - a good game for the casual observer.

DBJ however scored again! A flowing move resulted in a strike from the left side of the penalty box which just went past the stretching hand of Sean Barker into the left corner of the net - 2-3.

With ten mintues to go, Loco were really pushing for the equaliser, and nearly got it when Kyle headed towards goal, but it went directly to the grateful keeper.

But we were not done there, we did manage to score a third, and it was on-fire striker Andy Smith that netted it. The ball was played forward, and after a meleé, it sat nicely for Smith who turned on a sixpence to fire the ball home into the net with his right boot - a confident finish from a player that has developed into something special this season [Cheques payable to: 'S Davis' Andy]

So a good game, much better in the second half. I [Sam] personally felt shafted after 25 minutes of football, and it really is a lesson to everyone that beer is not neccessarily a man’s best friend. Bomber, I’m pleased to see, set the example for this fixture, he only stayed out until 4.59am on this occasion. Never-the-less, aside from a few inconsistencies, Loco are showing the focus, concentration, and a lot of commitment - we really can make waves against ‘good’ sides in this league. So there should be a lot of optimism next season.

Well done to those who made it out for the evening entertainment on the Bank Holiday Sunday - there were a few let downs, including myself, so apologies for that Bomber. Rob handed out End-of-Season details recently, so if you haven’t got them, speak to him, or check your emails in the next few days - our Christmas Meal is on Friday 19th May.

Final Score: Ferndown Locomotive 3-3 DBJ Property

Cash camera captures crap-all

It was a lynch-pin moment in Locomotive history on Sunday, as our match against Stourvale (in front of Cash’s camcorder) was our first ever goal-less draw! Unbelievable.Locomotive started pretty well in the game, and we really dominated play. This was a must-win match if we were ever to pose a threat to third place, and with an unchanged side from our previous 2-0 win over Stourvale, we were looking to take all three points.

The first twenty minutes were all Loco’s. Stourvale didn’t pose a threat - the Loco defence consisted of Sean in goal, with Rob, Steve, Stu and Cash across the back. In the middle we had Sam, Bomber and Mike; with Ali, Andy and Kyle towing the line up-front.

The first flash of Kyle’s genius came when Kyle (pictured) had the ball, and cut in from the left, and he managed to fire a rasping strike against the right post - a great effort, and very unfortunate.

Andy also went close half-way through the first 45, when Dave Davis struck a fierce cross come shot across goal, however Smith could only put it over the bar.

Loco’s fortunes in the game were not helped at times by some questionnable decisions by the referee, most of which were decided 45 yards away from where the ball was - however, officiating aside, it was a game that Loco could have won.

Stourvale caused a few threats, however Sean’s wonder goal-keeping kept the scores level at 0-0, so as the half-time whistle blew, it was a confident Loco that thought they could take all three points in the second half, and they nearly did…!

Half Time: AFC Stourvale 0-0 Ferndown Locomotive

Rob was injured in the first half, so Dan deputised, and then Sam came off injured 2 minutes into the second half, so on came Simon - however it was a very strong team that took to the pitch in the hope of winning the game, and at one point, I thought we had…

Loco had a corner on the far side of the pitch, and it was floated in on to the head of Simon, who powered it towards goal, and it was cleared off the line at the last minute - so close.

Stourvale also had their opportunities, but the Loco defence remained vastly solid throughout the rest of the game, so we ended up leaving the pitch with only one point.

Being a Sunday League side, it’s sometimes difficult to remember what a goal-less draw is like, so, if you ever forgot, here’s a video of one below…

Final Score: AFC Stourvale 0-0 Ferndown Locomotive

Loco back to winning ways

Loco picked up their league form again on Sunday with a hard earned three points away at PSC Collindale, with new boy Luke Mellor netting the only goal of the game.On a very narrow pitch at Parley, Loco did just enough to claw out a win, and keep our league season ending on a high note. Sean started in goal for Loco, and in front of him were Steve, Stu, Rob, and Cash. In midfield was a three of Simon, Mike, and Bomber; leaving Andy, Ali, and Sam up front.

Playing against the wind in the first half it was difficult to manufacture any chances, although Sam nearly got on target early on when a defensive slip allowed him to get in on goal from an angle, but he could only blaze over the bar.

Moments later, Loco had a corner whipped in, and Steve was on the end of it to fire goalwards, only for a last gasp clearance by Collindale - keeping the scores on a level pegging.

PSC didn’t pose too many threats, however when they did, Sean was on hand to be strong and resiliant in goal - indeed, it is apparent that at one stage, he made a ‘wonder save’.

Half-time: PSC Collindale 0 - 0 Ferndown Locomotive

In the second half, Loco started to put some pressure on - we had the wind behind us, and it nearly paid instant dividends, as a raking pass from Rob Frank on the left, found the deft touch of Andy Smith, who took the ball down, and managed to place a left-footed strike on goal, only for the keeper to clip the ball wide, with what was seemingly his shoe lace!

The striker was nearly on goal again five minutes later, when a ball over the top fell to his feet, however, with the difficultly of watching a ball over the shoulder and the goal at the same time, Smith couldn’t quite connect, and the keeper managed to gather it.

We scored the only goal of the game though on 60 minutes, when Bomber laid the ball square to Dave Davis who shrugged off (some say fouled) his marker, and sent a cross-come-shot into substitute Luke Mellor, who after a scramble, managed to connect to the ball, and fire in a close-range strike into the roof of the net.

Loco also had chances to make it two later, as Ali was showing some amazing swivels and turns, leaving the Collindale defence for dead, however he just couldn’t get the finish.

The home side did manage to get a couple of strikes on target, including a free-kick, which was heading inside the right-post, however goalkeeper ‘Salvatori B*tachi’ (I’ve asterisked it for you Sean so you will still remain a Googlewhack) managed to get across in time to comfortably save it.

The second half also saw Lee Arnold and Dan Smith come on the pitch, and both did very well - the latter impressing particularly at right-back, with some really good passing - and some excellent throw-ins, which Stu I’m sure is pleased to see

In all, it was a strange old performance. I (Sam) certainly found it difficult getting into the game, and when I came off the pitch, it wasn’t really any easier to see what was going on. The wind and the narrowness of the pitch prevented Loco from really playing any fluid football, however I think the experience in a lot of the players (even the new ones) is starting to show, and to do enough to pull out a win from what would have probably been a draw or a loss in a previous season, is a very good result.

Final Score: PSC Collindale 0 - 1 Ferndown Locomotive

To ‘Googlewhack’ is to type two terms into Google, producing one result. Lo and behold, Sean did it.

Loco have a bright future

Chairman Rob Frank today declared “The future’s bright - the future’s Loco” as he heralded the latest crop of youngsters to come through into the Loco first team”We have some good experience in this side, especially at the back, but the young lads are the future of this club and they are looking really promising lately.

Salva and Bomber are both major stalwarts of this club but you forget they are both relatively young and have years ahead of them, Sam has taken on the captaincy this year and it has improved his overall game in my opinion. Add to that Mike Brannan who is our only ever-present player and played in various positions for us but really excelled in midfield since Christmas, and Andy Smith who is finally now showing on a consistent basis the ability we all knew he had all along and there is good quality around.

On top of this of course, you have Kyle Eaton. His goal record this year and general play speaks for itself - he really is top notch and Kenny Mersh started the season on fire and we’ve missed him since he went away and then got injured.

The latest two lads, Dan Smith and Luke who got his first goal on Sunday have got better each week and already look key players in the squad.

Overall you have to say that if the bulk of those players stay together, with some of the older lads around them to add experience, we can only improve further and move right through the leagues in the next few years”