v Great Barr Cat & Fiddle 17/04/2005

No match report this week, but rumour has it theres a new cat in town

v Middleton 04/04/2005

Fresh from European exploits and a spring in their step due to the 9-4 demolition of the geriatric Dutch blind XI, Dresden travelled east again to play Middleton for their penultimate game of the season.

Games between the two teams have often been evenly matched over the last few seasons with the exception of a rare hammering dished out by either team. With third place in Sutton Sunday league Division 1 up for grabs there arent many higher accolades in the modern game. That said, the game itself was a typical end of season affair with both teams offering little in terms of quality. Chances were at a premium throughout the first half, with Middleton making the most of the early period of the game and testing Dresden keeper Ian Radford who made a few fines saves. With the defensive lynchpin of Craig Robinson and a man that may never jog past the Malt Shovel again, the defense looked fairly solid with wing backs Nick Fowler and Llyod Flanagan offering attacking options. The midfield was reverted to an unfamiliar trio of Dabs, Ian Robinson and Buffhead while Ben Basford hepled out misfiring forwards Mark Baker and Keith Houchen. Dresdens only chance of note in the first half came in the last 10 minutes when Ian Robinson stung the keepers hands from 15 yards out.

The second half exploded into life as Dresden took the lead in the first five minutes, good work from Dabs on the right of midfield found Ian Robinson free on the back post, although his goalbound header was well saved by the Middleton keeper the ball spilled to Keith Houchen who found the net with a cheeky knee, shin and toe combo. From this point Dresden continued to have the better of the next 15 minutes without troubling the keeper too much. So it was only right that Middleton would equalise with a well worked move involving a sprung offside trap and a rounded keeper. Dresdens second goal came from an unlikely incident. The words crunching, tackle, Spencer and Clifton havent been used often but this was the case as Dresdens cap'n won the ball well in midfield to release Keith Houchen who ran forward with the ball to beat the keeper from the edge of the area. As Dresden looked like taking all 3 points, they were denied yet again in the final minutes. The ball fell to a Middleton midfielder who wacked an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner from 30 yards.

Although Dresden had been denied the victory, a draw should be enough to seal third place.

v Kypros Reserves 20/03/2005

Dresden faced struggling Kypros Reserves in their first match in over a month, due to postponed games and weekends on the lash.

With next weekends European fixture in mind, Dresden started very slowly and it was the visitors who controlled the game and had the better chances for the first 20 minutes. Kypros were unlucky not to have taken the lead during this period as the saw two good efforts from 20 yards rebound off the crossbar and post respectively with Dresden keeper Ian Radford beaten on both occasions. Dresdens only chance of the opening period resulted in an Ian Robinson header from 6 yards which went at least 2 yards into the Kypros goal, but to the amazement of everybody on and off the pitch the referee decided the ball hadnt crossed the line. Kypros continued to physically dominate the game and were lucky to finish the first half with eleven players with the same player hoofing anything in a yellow jersey. With the attacking duo of Alex Evans and Keith Houchen having an off day in front of goal, the breakthough was always going to come from elsewhere for Dresden. Midfielder Dabs headed Dresden into the lead after 30 minutes from 10 yards following good work from Ben Basford and Nicky Fowler on the right side of midfield.

The second half forced Dresden into a change following an injury to left back Lloyd Flanagan, who was replaced by the heavy drinking megs king Dom Ashton. Dresden started to pick up the pace and created more attacking chances, unfortunately one of their forwards seemed to have forgotten the offside rule. The second goal came after 65 minutes when a pin point cross from the right hoof of Nicky Fowler was met by Ian Robinson to give the Kypros keeper no chance from 12 yards out. Although Kypros showed great belief that they could still get something out of the game, the newly formed defensive heavyweight duo of Ash Clifton and Mark Baker restricted Kypros attackers to shooting from 25 yards out. Dresden finally killed the game off in the dying minutes when striker Keith Houchen somehow managed to stay onside to beat the keeper from 18 yards out.

With a fine mornings work completed, all that remained was to retire to the pub to see Villa get shat on again by the Small Heath goldie lookin chain crew.

v Kypros Reserves 27/02/2005

Game postponed.

v Middleton 20/02/2005

Game postponed.

v Hardwick Arms 13/02/2005

A night of snow, rain and strong winds had turned Dresdens normally excellent home pitch into an unplayable mudbath, but the referee made the amazing decision to go ahead with the match. As 80% of the pitch was covered in water and mud, it was not possible to play any sort of football, which Dresden are not used to on their own pitches.

The game started and as anticipated, hoofing the ball 50 yards from one end of the pitch to the other was the order of the day. Dresden were enjoying a large majority of possession and were finding chances to test the Hardwick goalkeeper on a regular basis as the game continued. Dresden opened the scoring on 15 minutes with a succession of 4 corners from Ben Basford and Mark Baker, all of which tested the goalkeeper. The final corner found the head of Ashley Clifton, who found the net with a well placed header from 10 yards. Strange how Ash can play as a forward for 5 games and not score, but can score at will when he plays as a defender. Dresden were cruelly denied a second goal minutes later when a header from Mark Baker had crossed the line by a good foot and a half, but the referee had adjudged that it wasnt a goal. Surely video playback technological advancments must be introduced at the home of football next season to stop this kind of injustice. As the half wore on Dresden had numerous chances to add to their lead, and most midfielders and attackers had at least one opportunity a piece score, but still the score remained at 1-0. As half time approached Hardwick managed to get themselves back into the game when their striker finished well from the edge of the area - it was hardly deserved, but nothing more than Dresden could expect for not taking their own chances.

The second half gave Hardwick the opportunity to kick with the wind and a chance to improve their poor first half shots on goal ratio. However, it was Dresden who continued on the offensive and created and spurned further chances to take the lead. A bizarre incident after 60 minutes occured following a fine save from the Hardwick Arms goalkeeper. A fellow Hardwick defender wasnt as impressed with his keepers save as the rest of the players and proceeded to inform his goalkeeper of his thoughts - the keeper decided enough was enough and ripped of his gloves and top and stormed off the pitch. The ref was equally unimpressed and booked the luckless keeper, although its not clear if the booking was for leaving the field of play or for eating all of the half time pies. Play commenced and Dresden finally found the target for a second time following a goal mouth scramble, a Keith Houchen shot was poked home by defender Craig Robinson who was lurking close the the goal line. With 5 minutes left, surely the three points would be going to the home side. In circumstances too similar to last weeks dire performance, Dresden seemed to stroll through the remaining minutes and Hardwick Arms trebled their shots on target ratio to 3 and managed to score with both efforts. Fair enough, the winner was a 25 yard screamer that was as good a goal as will be seen in Sunday league football but it was 3 points they scarcely deserved.

Next week sees Dresden back on the road, playing Middleton and hopefully getting back to winning ways.

v Halfway 06/02/2005

The third cup competition of the season presented Dresden with their last chance of silverware this season. A bye in the first round meant that this was the quarter final of the competition, so Dresden were two matches away from a midweek final and the lagerthon that normally follows such an occasion.

The match was started in very slippery conditions, with the ball flying around on the surface of the pitch it was very difficult for either side to pass the ball. However, Halfway were enjoying the majority of possession in the opening stages of the match as Dresden struggled to get anywhere near the ball. As the half continued, Halfway were getting more and more of the ball and it was inevitable that Dresden would need to give the opponents the first goal before they started to play. This happened after 20 minutes, when a ball behind the defence found a Halfway forward with plenty of room to pick his spot in the corner of the Dresden goal. This briefly kick started Dresden and they had their one and only shot of the half, following a good move from Dabs and Mark Baker which resulted in a volley skimming the top of the Halfway crossbar. Within 5 minutes, Halfway had doubled their advanced in fortunate circumstances. A cross into the Dresden penalty area slipped out of Dresden keeper Ian Radfords hand and fell into the path of a Halfway striker who couldnt miss from half a yard. The half petered out with Dresden failing to muster another pass, shot or tackle of notice.

With every player disappointed with the first half performance a harsh half time team talk was the order of the day, and this resulted in Dresden starting the second half looking like they wanted a chance to reach another cup final. A much improved start to the second half was short lived following a shocking decision from the referee which killed the game after 60 minutes. A blatant foul on Dresden defender Craig Robinson left all Dresden players looking at the referee expecting nothing other than a free kick in the centre circle. While the referee decided it wasnt a foul, the Halfway forward had already advanced 20 yards down the pitch and rounded the Dresden goalkeeper well to book their place in the semi final. Dresden responded immediately by making two attacking substitutions in the shape of Ben Basford and Alex Evans to try and salvage the game. Although a goal was pulled back with 20 minutes left they already had too much work to do to get anything out of the game. By the time Halfway scored a fourth goal the majority of the Dresden players finished the game at little more than a stroll with Halfway adding two more goals and missing a penalty in the remaining 5 minutes of the game.

A truly woeful performance from Dresden leaving Halfway worthy winners. As Dresden play out the remaining four games of the season, much greater effort is required to ensure a top three finish.

v Kypros Reserves 30/01/2005

An away fixture at a side struggling close to the bottom of the league is never an easy task for Dresden, but they looked to build on last weeks impressive victory. Mid season problems with fielding 11 players seem to be gone, with Dabs being a little unlucky to don the subs suit this week.

With cap'n Buffhead, Dresden had the best tosser on the field so therefore won the toss and elected to kick towards the busiest motorway junction in the UK situated meer yards behind their opponents goal. Most Dresden players and spectators expressed their fears of a motorway pile up being caused by the Dresden forwards erratic shooting habits. The game started with Kypros applying the most pressure and asking questions of the Dresden defence with their attackers blistering pace. The newly formed dynamic defensive duo of Craig Robinson and Andy 'Gimp' Fowler had things under control though. The Kypros defence had opted to play the offside trap on the halfway line, and it wasnt long before the trap was broken and Dresden created their own chances. Ashley Clifton crafted an excellently weighted pass behind the static Kypros defence to put Keith Houchen clear, but his shot went just wide. Dom Ashton then beat the offside trap after fine work in midfield and put the ball through for Ash to run 45 yards towards the keeper only to see the keeper produce a fine save. The deadlock was broken in fortunate circumstances as a bobble on a poor quality pitch saw a Kypros defender dispossesed and the ball fell to striker Keith Houchen who beat the goalkeeper from 20 yards. The same player doubled the lead 5 minutes later following excellent work from Ian Robinson in midfield who produced a 50 yard pass down the middle of the pitch. Although Kypros were 2 goals down they were still looking sharper than Dresden and had chances of their own but failed to test Dresden keeper Ian 'fud' Radford on a number of occasions. Dresden dealt a killer blow when Mark Baker chased a cross into the area to force the Kypros goalkeeper to fumble the ball on the line, and he opened his Dresden account with ease.

Dresden could afford to start the second half with Alex Evans playng as an extra striker, to attempt to get as many goals as they could out of the game. It took a while for this to pay off as Kypros started well and reduced the defecit to 2 goals following good work on the left wing from one of their pacey forwards. With half an hour left, Dabs replaced Ashley Clifton in midfield and Dresden started to push forward in search of goals again. Chances were being created and wasted at regular intervals with Alex Evans, Mark Baker, Keith Houchen and Ian Robinson having chances to put the game beyond Kypros. Dresden finally got the 4th goal following excellent work by Nicky Fowler on the right wing , which produced a goalmouth scramble with the ball finally falling to Spencer Clifton who beat the goalkeeper well from 8 yards. There was still time Ian Robinson to cap another fine performance with a bullet header for Dresden to finish the match 5-1 winners.

Although the game was probably over after 30 minutes, credit must go to Kypros who showed a great belief that they could get back into the game despite being 3 goals down. However, Dresden look forward to next weeks cup game with another win under their belts.

v Halfway 23/01/2005

For the third match running Dresden were forced to start with 10 men, but the transfer of Mark Baker from local rivals Red Admiral for the pricely sum of 10 Benson and a half full lighter should help Dresdens problems with fielding a full team in the future.

Dresden started well and should have taken the lead after 30 seconds when the ball was played behind the Halfway defence by Ian Robinson for striker Keith Houchen to run on to. His shot was lacklustre and the keeper saved relatively easily. Dresden continued to enjoy the majority of possession in the opening period of the game and another chance was wasted by Keith Houchen following excellent work from Mark Baker on the left wing. The defence were continuing their recent run of form with Gooner and Craig Robinson giving little away at the back, allowing Dom and Nicky Fowler to create chances for Dresden going forward. Dresden opened the scoring following a succession of corners from the webbed left foot of Spencer Clifton. The ball fell to Andy 'Gooner' Fowler lurking on the back post who showed the forwards how its done by controlling the ball before lashing it into the top of the net. 10 minutes later, Dresden increased their margin with good work from Nicky Fowler on the right and an excellent cross from Spencer Clifton found Keith Houchen who converted his third chance of the game. The half drew to a close with Halfway failing to ask any questions of the Dresden goalkeeper.

With a two goal lead, Dresden started the second half knowing that another goal was required to be sure of the three points. The half was started slowly by Dresden, giving Halway the chance to attack and try to get back into the game. As the half wore on it looked increasing like Halfway would force their way back into the game, although maybe the writing was on the wall when their attacker skied the ball over the bar with an empty unguarded net yards away. Although Dresden were finding attacking options limited in the second half, with an Ian Robinson half chance and Ash also going close, they were handed a chance to put the game to bed in the shape of a penalty. Good work from Ashley Clifton in midfield saw him go past two players and into the Halfway penalty area. As he took the ball round the last defender the referee spotted a handball from the Halfway defender at the exact moment that the plump midfielder dispatched the ball past the keeper and into the net. The referee had already decided on the penalty, which was a bit harsh on Ash, but gave Mark Baker his chance of a debut goal from the spot. Unfortunately, it wasnt to be as his shot rebounded from the inside of the post.

Halfway finally got back into the game with 15 minutes remaining, when a cross into the Dresden penalty area was superbly put past the goalkeeper by an acrobatic diving header. Unfortunately, it was Dresden defender Gooner who managed the diving header to complete the rare feat of scoring at both ends. Halfway stepped up the pace in the remaining 15 minutes in search of an equaliser but Dresden managed to hold out for all three points to take them up to third in the league table.

v Forget Me Not 16/01/2005

In similar circumstances to last week, Dresden failed yet again to field a full team in a must-win game against fellow promotion hopefuls Forget Me Not. With a number of players missing, Dresden were forced to start the game with 10 men including an injured player.

With the toss won, Dresden elected to kick up the large slope of the FMN home pitch. With a lone striker for the first 15 minutes of the game it as always going to be a tall order. However, Dresden started well and arguably had the better chances. If the letter of the law was applied to the game, the FMN goalkeeper would have been sent off in the early stages after bringing down the lone Dresden striker outside the area as the ball was played around him. However, as Sunday morning football is better played with 11 men no appeal was made and the keeper escaped unpunished. Dresden continued to push for the opening goal and went close when Alex Evans was sent clean through on goal by Ian Robinson and his goal bound shot forced an excellent save from the FMN goalkeeper. With Dresden defending well, FMNs chances were limited but they had a huge slice of fortune after 30 minutes when an off target shot was picked up by a striker who was a good few yards off side and put just beyond the Dresden goalkeeper into the net. Dresden felt aggrieved but in reality could have no complaints as their failure to field a full team also meant they were playing without a linesman.

The second half saw Dresden full of hope that they could still get something out of the game with the advantage of kicking down the large slope. With the Dresden defence of Gooner, Griffo, Craig Robinson and Spencer Clifton giving the FMN attackers very few chances, the game was in the hands of the Dresden forward players. The midfield were providing opportunities, with Ashley Clifton, Dabs and Ian Robinson in fine form, but the chances were not being taken by the attackers. Ben Basford narrowly missed the target, and Keith Houchen and Ian Robinson shooting wide from good goalscoring opportunities towards the end of the game. With 15 minutes left, Dresden realised they may as well lose by two or three and changed their formation, pushing central defender Andy Griffiths into attack to try to get something out of the game. A combination of missed chances and the inspired form of FMNs defence saw FMN hang on for the three points that makes them look favourites for promotion above Dresden as the season enters its final stages.

A disappointing result for Dresden on the back of last weeks excellent performance, but at least they weren’t the only local team to have the majority of attacking chances and lose the game 1-0........

v Great Barr Cat & Fiddle 09/01/2005

Dresden looked to run off the festive turkey & stella when they entertained a Cat & Fiddle team that have won all of their games to date this season and look dead certs for the title. Dresdens misfortunes with injuries sunk to new depths when no fewer than 7 regulars were unavailable. Credit must go to Ashley Clifton who managed to sort out 11 players whilst under the influence of super strength lager on Saturday morning on the way to Sheffield. Unfortunately, another of these players was forced out through flu so Dresden had 10 players to face Cat & Fiddle. However, in years gone by Dresden have always kept their best performances for the top teams.

A force 9 gale blowing across the middle of the pitch evened things out before the game kicked off, and meant that it would be difficult to play football of great quality. Dresden lost the toss and Cat & Fiddle chose to kick against the wind in the first half. Dresden started the game with little belief that they would get anything out of it other than a footballing lesson. This belief slowly faded as 15 minutes were played and neither side had an opportunity of note to open the scoring. Cat & Fiddle were struggling to cope with the strength and tough tackling of Steve Bolton and Mat Gibson in midfield and a couple of Cat & Fiddle players were forced out of the game early on through injury. Dresden started to open the game up and had a few chances to test the Cat & Fiddle goalkeeper when Steve Bolton shot narrowly wide from long range and Ben Basford also had a chance. The Cat & Fiddle cat was tested further when a Steve Bolton cross caught the wind and sailed over the defence to find Keith Houchen lurking at the back post. His shot was aimed straight at the keeper who still made a fine save to keep the scores level. Athough Cat & Fiddle were playing the ball around well, the Dresden back four of Dave Pugh, Alex, Dabs and Ash were all in excellent form and were limiting Cat & Fiddle to long range shots if any. With 5 minutes of the half remaining Dresden took the lead when a Ben Basford cross found Keith Houchen at the back post and his header deceived the Cat & Fiddle keeper just enough to creep just inside the post. Although Dresden had produced an excellent first half much work was still to be done in the second half against the wind a with a player less than their opponents.

The whole of the second half of the game was spent defending Dresdens slender lead. As Cat & Fiddle changed their formation to give them further attacking options, Dresden increased their frequency of references to the alamo and asking the referee how much time was left. Although Cat & Fiddle surely had 75% of possesion and a huge number of attempts on goal they couldnt equalise - although judging by how many goals they have scored so far this season suggests a bad day at the office for their strikers. Dresden goalkeeper Ian Radford was in exceptional form, saving a number of one on ones and longe range shots from Cat & Fiddle. Dresdens chances to extend their lead were severly limited and chances included a fine Ian Robinson run into the area, but couldnt find a team mate with his cross and a Keith Houchen long range effort that the went characteristically 5 yards wide.

With every player giving 110% to the Dresden cause, this must go down as one of their best results in recent years. Although Cat & Fiddle can only throw first position away, if Dresden continue to play at this standard for the remainder of the season the runners up place is not out of the question.

v Kypros Reserves 19/12/2004

Game postponed.

v Streetly 12/12/2004

Dresden were robbed of their influential player manager Griffo through illness. Call me old fashioned but I thought spending the night prior to a Sunday morning game throwing up was a mandatory requirement. Nevertheless, the return of the Clifton brothers from a near death experience in the previous weeks Welsh Santa fun run saw that Dresden had the luxury of two substitutes this week.

Dresden won the toss and started the game. Approximately 5 minutes had passed before Streetly saw any of the ball, as Dresden were keeping hold of the ball extremely well and general play was improved 200% on the previous weeks performance. Dresdens possession was rewarded after 10 minutes when a Spencer Clifton corner was headed into the goal by striker Keith Houchen. Dresden continued to doinate the game and could have doubled their advantage after 20 minuts when in form midfielder Dabs saw his header loop over the Streetly keeper but rebound off the bar and back into play. Streetly slowly started to get back into the game, but the Dresden defence were looking very tight and were limiting Streetlys attacking options to the bare minimum. The remainder of the half was played out with both teams playing good football but Dresden maintaining their lead.

Streetly took the game to Dresden in the second half in search of an equaliser and were looking the team most likely to score in the opening stages of the second half. Dresden rode their luck and were rewarded when midfielder Dabs continued his recent purple patch in front of goal when he lobbed the goalkeeper from close range to put Dresden 2-0 up. The goal was somewhat harsh on Streetly, but Dresden were in control with half an hour remaining. Sensing victory, manager Griffo opted to change the formation and bought on Ben Basford and Ashley Clifton in midfield, replacing Alex Evans in attack and Dom Ashton in midfield. The packed midfield limited Streetlys attacking play as Dresden looked to end the recent run of draws. As Streetly attacked looking for a way back into the game, Dresden were finding gaps in their opponents defence and increased their lead further as Ben Basford scored his first goal in 2 months with a low shot drilled into the bottom corner of the net from 18 yards. A fine way to answer recent critics who suggested his demise from Sunday morning football had arrived.

Although in wasnt a vintage performance from either team, Dresden continue their unbeaten run as they start the second half of the season.

v Halfway 05/12/2004

Dresden travelled to Holly Lane to pit their wits against a Halfway team struggling to score goals but with a well organised defence not conceeding many goals. Dresdens bad luck with injuries continued as playmaker Ben Basford was ruled out and with the Clifton brothers doing a lot of good work for Charidee meant that only eleven players were available for this fixture.

Much of the opening period of the match was a fairly lacklustre affair with Halfway having the lions share of possession but failing to test the Dresden goalkeeper at all. Their main source of attack was a player who could deliver a throw in at bullet speed into the penalty area from anywhere on the pitch. A fairly useful attacking tactic that Dresden struggled to cope with for most of the first half, and Halfway really should have capitalised when said throw in found their strikers through on goal a number of times. Dresden were struggling to create attacking chances themselves and their first half attempts were limited to two attempts from striker Keith Houchen, who dragged the first effort wide of the goal after he was put clear of the defence by good work from right back Nicky Fowler. another Dresden chance was wasted when the same player was given the ball by Llloyd Flanagan and beat two defenders only to slice his shot wide of the post.

At half time 0-0 looked the only result possible as both sides were having an off day in front of goal. However, Halfway kicked off the second half and took the lead within 10 minutes. They doubled their advantage soon after when a loose ball from a corner bounced around the Dresden penalty area before falling to a Halfway striker whose overhead kick from 2 yards found the net. Dresden didnt look worthy of getting back into the game, but they were handed a lifeline when a Keith Houchen cross found Andy Fowler unmarked at the back post, he beat the goalkeeper with a fine header to give Dresden a fighting chance. Almost immediately, Dresden surrendered another goal, this time to a long throw, which found a Halfway player unmarked 6 yards from goal. At 3-1 down, Dresden seemed out of the game but they finally started to play a bit of football. Chances started to come and they went close with chances falling to Alex Evans and Keith Houchen. They gave themselves a fighting chance to get back into the game when a pinpoint Alex Evans corner found the head of Dabs who continued his recent scoring run with his third goal in as many games. The leveller came when Halfway conceeded a freekick from 20 yards out and defender Craig Robinson stepped up to give the keeper no chance with a superbly taken freekick. Dresden could have even won the game with the last kick, but in reality the draw was scarcely deserved.

v Sutton Three Tuns 28/11/2004

Dresden started a run of tricky away fixtures at everybody's favourite Sunday league football venue, Doe Bank Lane. The urban myth that Doe Bank Lane has its own weather system was proved true as the weather in the Malt Shovel car park was fairly mild but on arrival at Sutton Three Tuns home ground a mere half mile away a force nine gale was blowing and the rain was lashing down. With the high altitude coupled with the fact that most of the Dresden team had opted to dine in the finer of Great Barrs curry houses the night before, wind was always going to play a major part in this game. Although Dresden travelled without the brothers Fowler due to Premiership commitments, Dresdens recent selection problems were eased with the return of the Clifton brothers, Spencer and Ash, from injury and Alex Evans' return from oblivion gave further attacking options.

With the wind was blowing fiercely down the length of the pitch, the game was always going to be decided by who scored the most goals whilst kicking with the wind rather than on any technical merit. Captain Spencer Clifton used all of his experience to lose the toss and hand the initiative to Sutton to kick with the wind in the first half. Both teams used the first ten minutes to thaw out and little football of any skill was played during this period by either team. Sutton didnt take much longer to break the deadlock as their strikers took advantage of space in the Dresden area to take the lead. This advantage was doubled minutes later as Dresden goalkeeper Ian Radford displayed his excellent fielding abilities to allow a back pass to ghost under his feet and into an empty net without a Sutton player in the Dresden half. Although Dresden started to create chances and play some neat football they were always up against the elements and Sutton playing the offside trap on the half way line of a very small pitch didnt seem to do them any favours either. Further disaster struck after 30 minutes as Sutton were awarded a penalty when a through ball found the extremely pacey Sutton attacker clear of the Dresden defence but with plenty of work to do to reach the ball before the advancing Dresden goalkeeper. Although he forward reached the ball first to knock it around the goalkeeper, he was felled on his way around the keeper. Although it looked as though the Sutton striker may not have reached the ball before it went out of play, the referee rightly pointed to the spot. With the resulting penalty converted, Dresden were left with a mountain to climb to get back into the game. Although Dresdens chances were increasingly limited, they came close when an Alex Evans through ball found Keith Houchen clear of the defence, but his shot was pushed wide of the post by the Sutton goalkeeper. Another narrow chance passed when a clever Craig Robinson freekick put his brother Ian through on goal, but he was quickly surrounded by Sutton defenders. Dresden conceded a further goal as Sutton found their attackers again with plenty of room in the area. Sutton had one more chance to put the game totally beyond Dresden in the first half, but this was spurned on the stroke of half time.

With frustration starting to appear in the ranks, manager Andy Griffiths had his work cut out at half time to achieve the impossible and get something out of the game. The team talk was positive and Dresden took to the field with a faint glimmer of hope that they could get something from the game. Dresden were further lifted as they saw that Sutton had continued to play the offside trap on the half way line, and were soon creating chances as Sutton found playing into the wind much harder than playing with it. A lifeline was offered when a Ben Basford cross found its way under and over 3 Sutton defenders to reach Keith Houchen loitering at the back post unmarked, as he was standing on the goal line with no one marking him it was impossible to miss - a true goalmouth scramble. The deficit was further reduced 10 minutes later when Dom Ashton worked well with Spencer Clifton to release Keith Houchen down the left wing, in turn his through ball found Dabs running into the area and he finished well from 10 yards. Although Nicky Fowler wasnt here to witness this strike, Dabs will make sure he'll be filled in on the details and quality of the strike. As Dresden committed men forward chasing the game, Sutton had chances to attack and increase their lead, but with the Dresden defence was much tighter in the second half Suttons chances were very limited. Another good through ball from the Dresden defence found Keith Houchen on the right wing, and he cut the ball back for Ian Robinson to hit first time on the edge of the area to make the score 4-3 to Sutton. It was just reward for the excellent work rate displayed by the bookies favourite for the Dresden 2004 Robbie Savage look-alike competition. As Dresden looked like drawing level injury struck one of their main creators in Benny B, who was forced to retire with a somewhat dubious "rib" injury. Although critics have recently pondered whether he will ever score another goal in a Dresden shirt, hopefully the shot shy attacker will be fit for next weeks fixture. He was replaced by fellow midfielder Ashley Clifton, who immediately got into the game chasing the ball around as if it was an oversized nargis kebab. It didnt take long for him to bring Dresden level as he took control of a loose ball from 25 yards and lashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner. At 4-4, Dresden gave all they could in the last five minutes to win the game, and Alex Evans was unlucky to see a goal ruled out for a foul on the keeper.

A first half to forget was followed by a Lazarus style comeback by Dresden, who proved in 45 second half minutes that their team spirit isnt limited to litre bottles with 40% written on them.

v Coach 21/11/2004

Although Dresden had a kit this week, the injury list gets worse as midfielder Ashley Clifton injured himself in a freak fitness incident during in the week. Alex Evans decided to start his Christmas celebrations a month early and was unable to make it for the 10.30 kick off, so Dresden had to start with an injured player in Spencer Clifton. Another Dresden favourite in Dom Ashton made his first appearance of the season, after tearing himself away from Clearys bar. Dresden started the game very well and were creating chances within the first few minutes. With Coach playing the offside trap on the half way line, a combination of over eager Dresden forwards and some fairly interesting decisions from the Coach assistant referee ensured that offside was called more often than not. On the occasions when the offside trap was sprung, Dresden were getting close to scoring and a goal only looked a matter of time. A goal did come sooner rather than later, but not in the Coach net. A ball across the area proved too hot for Dresden keeper Ian Radford to handle and fell to a Coach attacker who seized the opportunity from 2 yards out. A second goal for Coach soon followed and Dresden started to panic, trying to play at 150mph. Although the new approach wasnt working they were handed a lifeline when midfielder Dabs sprang the Coach offside trap once again, but was felled by the keeper as he knocked the ball round the keeper. An obvious penalty, but the referee chose to apply the letter of the law by showing the Coach keeper the red card when perhaps a yellow card would have been more within the spirit of the game. Nevertheless, the stand in Coach goalkeeper displayed Bruce Grobelaar type tactics to unnerve Dresden penalty taker Keith Houchen. This seemed to work as the penalty kick struck the inside of the post and the ball rolled back across the line to safety. Although the chance to get back into the game had not been taken, Dresden seemed to settle down following this incident and were soon back creating the better chances. Fortunately, midfielder Ian Robinson took one of these chances whilst running down the left wing he spotted the Coach goalkeeper a few yards off his line. From the best part of 25 yards out he cooly chipped the ball over the keeper into the empty net. Although the payer staked his claim for goal of the season, I suspect this may have been a cross. With Coach down to 10 men, their early attacking play petered out and Dresden were left to take the attacking initiative. They got themselves on level terms just before half time when an excellently weighted Nicky Fowler through ball found Keith Houchen clear of the defence. He uncharacteristically plucked the ball out of the air with one touch and beat the Coach goalkeeper from 18 yards with his second.

Dresden took the lead within three minutes of the second half when good work by Dom Ashton found Ian Robinson through on goal. His shot was saved by the goalkeeper and rebounded out side the area, but as the goalkeeper rushed out of his area Ian selflessly squared the ball to Keith Houchen to tap into the empty net from 2 yards rather than risk a shot at an acute angle. This goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Coach and any belief they had in the first that they could get something out of the game visibly disappeared. Much of the remainder of the game was spent at little more than walking pace and in reality Dresden could have finished the game with more goals than they eventually did. Spencer Clifton completed the scoring with 25 minutes left when he limped through on goal to beat the Coach goalie from 10 yards at the second attempt. This was one of his last kicks of the game as Alex Evans turned up with 20 minutes of the game remaining to replace the injured Spencer. Coach could have been reduced to 9 men as Keith Houchen was bought down when clean through on goal. The referee must have recognised that this wasnt necessarily a clear goalscoring opportunity having witnessed the forwards previous unsuccessful attempts on goal and this time produced a yellow card rather than a red card. From the resulting free kick, Dresden defender Craig Robinson was denied his first goal of the season as his excellently taken freekick produced an equally fine save from the Coach stand in keeper. Dresden had further opportunities to increase their lead as Dabs went close from 12 yards out, much to the delight of Nicky Fowler. Coach themselves were denied a consolation in the final minute when a header from a corner that looked a goal all the way was denied by on the line by the impressive Lloyd Flanagan.

v Beacon Colts 14/11/2004

Preparations for the match against Beacon Colts took a nosedive before Dresden even reached the ground as only 5 players turned up at the allocated meeting place before the game. A few phone calls later and it
was determined that most of the players were going straight to the ground. A bad start got much worse as the team arrived at the ground to get changed without a kit - manager Griffo had gone away without leaving the kit with the rest of the team. Many more phone calls later and a swift drive around Great Barr produced a kit and Dresden took to the field half an hour later than planned.

With the opposition understandbly keen to get the match underway, Dresden kicked off and looked unphased by their pre-match preparations. A new look defence, with Matt Potter making his first appearance of the season for Dresden fitting in well in place of Griffo, looked solid from the start and were the driving force behind Dresdens early attacking moves. Dresden soon took advantage of the fact that their opponents had been warming up for the game for almost an hour by taking the lead after 15 minutes. A speculatve hoof up the field from Matt Potter found striker Keith Houchen clear of the Beacon defence with only the Beacon keeper to beat, an attempted lob went 6 inches forward and 10 yards wide of where he was standing. Fortunately, Alex Evans used his attacking instincts to be in the right place to head the ball into an empty net from 12 yards out for his first goal of the season. Ten minutes later, Dresden increased their lead when a Matt Potter throw in was flicked on by Keith Houchen into the area. Ian Robinson seized his opportunity and flung himself at the ball and saw his bullet header crash home from 6 yards. As is customary, Dresden allowed Beacon to get back into the game by sitting back and defending their lead for the remainder of the half. Beacons best chance was taken shortly before half time when a long ball from midfield was sent into the Dresden penalty area. While the Dresden defenders were convinced the ball was going out of play for a goal kick, a Beacon attacker had other ideas and just reached the ball before it went out of play to square for his partner who made no mistake from 2 yards out.

Dresden started the second half in the same lacklustre pace as they had finished the first, but Beacon didnt take advantage and gave Ian Radford in the Dresden goal little to do in terms of shots on target. Dresden finally found their feet after the hour and started to create chances. The goal that they were looking for came after a goalmouth scramble saw the ball fall close the Keith Houchen, who smashed the ball against the underside of the bar. Fortunately, the ref was in the right place and decided that the ball had crossed the line on its way back from the bar before a further goalmouth scramble. With the game fairly safe, Dresden started to create chances on a regular basis with Ben Basford, Craig Robinson, Dabs and Alex Evans going close. Ashley Clifton was also unlucky as his effort from 12 yards beat the Beacon keeper, but rebounded from the bar. Not the first bar he had rebounded from this weekend. Further chances were created by Dresden, but unfortunately most of these chances were falling to their striker Keith Houchen who wasnt having a good day. Three or four one on ones were hoofed out of play without troubling the Beacon goalkeeper. Eventually, one of his chances was taken as he was placed behind the Beacon defence by Ian Robinson and saw his shot go through the legs of the Beacon goalkeeper to make it 4-1. The final minute saw yet another chance spurned by the club footed striker as the ball was blasted wide from close range and eventually out of play for a throw in, much to the refs delight.

In conclusion, it was agood win for Dresden. Like the A-Team, who frequently fashioned items such as nuclear warheads from little more than a snooker cue and a potato, Dresden made the most of having few fit players, no kit and no manager to produce a fine away victory which will hopefully see them move onwards and updwards.

v Middleton 07/11/2004

Dresdens plans were scuppered in the dressing room as injuries to regular players Alex Evans, Ashley Clifton and Andy Fowler forced Dresden to reshuffle. Fortunately, a few familiar faces were available in the shape of goalkeeper Eggy and midfielder Eddie to sign for Dresden before the game. Over the last few seasons Dresden have played Middleton and not known how Middleton would perform as they have a knack of playing excellent football when their league position suggests this is not a regular occurance.

Dresden started the game well in comparison to last weeks poor start, with every player up for a battle and passing the ball around well. Both sides were playing well and goalscoring opportunites were few and far between for both sides. The first chance fell to Dresden when a ball over the top of the Middleton defence found Dresden defender Craig Robinson through on goal, unfortunately the bounce of the ball got the better of him and his header went straight to the Middleton keeper. Middleton soon crafted a chance out of nothing as a goal kick fell towards a Middleton attacker half way into the Dresden half. The attacker controlled the ball well before unleashing a 35 yard shot that took a few layers of paint off the Dresden crossbar with the keeper well beaten. Shortly after, the woodwork saved Dresden again as a fine shot from 15 yards rebounded off the inside of the post and out to safety. As half time approached, Dresden were handed a golden chance when the referee awarded a penalty for an incident in the Middleton penalty area that looked more a case of Ian Robinson slipping over in the mud rather than a foul from a Middleton defender. Keith Houchen stepped up to convert the penalty as Dresden went into half time a goal to the good.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first half, with both sides cancelling each other out and chances at a premium. Middleton equalised on the hour as a punt upfield from Middleton found their attacker clean through on goal. As Dresden appealed for offside, the Middleton forward took his chance well to beat Eggy in the Dresden goal. As if Dresden hadnt had enough bad luck with injuries over the last 3 weeks, Spencer Clifton was forced to leave the field of play with 20 minutes remaining with a pulled hamstring. The remainder of the game saw both sides pushing for the victory that they both required, but both defences were in excellent form to deny either team further clearcut chances.

Although Dresden didnt win the game, the team performance was much better than the last few matches. If this effort is reproduced in the coming weeks Dresden should have no problems getting back to winning ways.

v Forget Me Not 31/10/2004

A knee injury (carpet burns) to regular Dresden goalkeeper Ian Radford enforced a recall to a former Dresden European player of the year in the rotund shape of Tim Dallow. Dresden also took the opportunity to tinker with the team by Ben Basford and Ashley Clifton swapping positions, and midfielder Dabs pushing forward to provide extra attacking options. As Dresden kicked off, their plans were undone within 60 seconds as FMN chose the straight route towards the Dresden goal and a speculative effort from 18 yards beat the new Dresden goalie before he'd even had chance to stub his tab out on the post. Almost immediately from the restart, the game went into a niggly 10 minute period of fouling by both teams. The referee took control of the game by cautioning a midfielder from both teams for good measure. Dresden started to push forward for an equaliser and were unlucky not to score when a thunderbolt from Craig Robinson scorched the FMN keepers fingertips before rebounding off the bar back into play. Dresden continued to apply the pressure and were equally unlucky not to score when an Nicky Fowler cross found the toblerone shaped head of Ashley Clifton unmarked in the area - the ball again rebounded off the bar with the FMN goalie beaten. Next up FMN picked up their game in search of extending their lead, which they did on the half hour when an advancing FMN midfielder saw the Dresden keeper a few yards off his line and tried his luck from 30 yards out. Unfortunately for Dresden his luck was in as the accurate shot went over the head of the Dresden keeper and just under the bar. Although shellshocked by FMNs second goal, Dresden continued to attack and were once again unlucky not to score when a square ball from Keith Houchen found Ben Basford through on goal, but his goalbound shot forced an excellent save from the FMN goalie. A few minutes later, it looked as though FMN had been awarded a penalty when their attacker was bought down on his way towards goal. Fortunately for Dresden the ref opted for a free kick on the edge of the area rather than the penalty. It may have been a penalty, but as Alex Ferguson would say "I didnt see it.".

Dresden started the second half well and were given a lifeline by the referee within the first five minutes when good work from Spencer Clifton on the left side of midfield produced a cross into the area, an FMN defender misjudged the ball and it spun up off his foot and struck his hand for handball - in hindsight maybe a little harsh but Dresden were in no mood to turn down the opportunity to get back into the game. Keith Houchens recent approach to taking penalties by shutting his eyes and smashing the ball as hard as he could seemed to miracoulosly pay dividends once again to put Dresden back in with a shout. A further five minutes later saw a Nicky Fowler throw in reach Ben Basford, who beat one defender before threading a through ball to the feet of advancing midfielder Ashley Clifton - Ash put his recent goalmouth misfortunes behind him with a fine finish from 10 yards to put Dresden back on level terms.

At this point in the game, Dresden really should have took the game by the scruff of the neck and gone on to win. However, the self destruct button was pressed as they stopped playing football and allowed FMN to attack. Within 15 minutes the game was over as FMN scored two goals that any Premiership keeper would have struggled to stop. The first coming from a cross finding an FMN attacker with plenty of space at the back of the penatly area, a fine turn and shot gave the keeper no chance as it flew into the far corner of the net. The second coming from a corner punched out by the fist of Mr Dallow, a FMN midfielder unleashing an unstoppable volley into the top corner from the edge of the box. Dresden continued to push forward but in reality the game was already over by the time FMN notched their 6th goal with 10 minutes remaining. A final mention must go to player manager Andy Griffiths leading by example by smashing home a consolation goal from a corner.

Like Dresden, FMN may not run away with the league but they are certainly a side who are not short of strength, belief and attitude. This is something that Dresden can certainly learn from if they are to get back to winning ways soon.

v Barlencia 24/10/2004

Dresden travelled to the delightful surroundings of Aldridge Airfield to play a Barlencia team 3 divisions below them in the Open Cup. With half of the team still suitably refreshed from the previous nights exploits and the fact that the pitch resembled a swimming pool with a rather large slope rather than a football pitch it was never going to be pretty. Pretty it wasnt as Dresden for the majority of the first half, as Dresden played uphill and with the wind. with neither team playing football of any quality, Dresdens chances were very limited in the first half. The first chance fell to Ashley Clifton following a fine thorugh ball from Nicky Fowler. Unfortunately, Ash headed the ball just wide of the goal with just the keeper to beat. Dresdens only other chance of the half was a free kick from Spencer Clifton from 30 yards out which came back off the Barlencia post. Dresdens back four and goalkeeper didnt have much to do in the first half, and looked fairly comfortable, despite playing in a mud bath.

Dresden kicked downhill in the second half against a strong wind, and started by playing better football than they did in the first half. The chances were coming, but the Dresden strikers werent making the most of them. Barlencia took the lead after 60 minutes when a fine passing movement found a striker 6 yards out unmarked, he made no mistake by slotting the ball into the corner of the net. Dresden continued to up the pace and create chances to get back into the game, but the equaliser seemed elusive with Ashley Clifton going close with a number of headers, Ben Basford shooting narrowly over, Dabs forcing a fine save from the Barlencia goalkeeper and Craig Robinson going close with a freekick. The game was effectively killed when Barlencia scored a second after 80 minutes. The mudbath in the Dresden area unfortunately got the better of Craig Robinson, presenting his opponent with a clear shot on goal - again the ball was dispatched well into the corner of the Dresden goal. Dresden then had nothing to lose and adopted a 3-2-5 formation with Ben Basford and defender Griffo switching to attack as well as Buffhead making way for Alex Evans. Dresden managed to get the elusive goal with 2 minutes left, but it was all too little too late and proved a mere consolation for the visitors. Futher bad news was in store for Dresden when midfielder Ian Robinson limped off the pitch for the second successive week - to be replaced by Flan for the remainder of the game.

It would be easy to say that Dresden players thought they only had to turn up to beat a side 3 divisions below them. In reality, I dont think this was the case, Barlencia just made more of their chances than their opponents. Dresden return to a league match next week knowing that a significant improvement must be made if they are to continue their recent run of good results. And less lager must be consumed on a Saturday night.

v Streetly 17/10/2004

Another windy day at the home of football saw Dresden taking on a Streetly side who have had a poor start to the season by their standards. Dresden field an unchanged side from last week, with the exception of Andy Fowler taking the place of Flan at left back. They started the game in a similar fashion to the start of last weeks game by passing the ball well and making chances straight away. After 10 minutes, Dresden took the lead in bizarre circumstances - the ever changing off side rule caused confusion and with Streetly defenders protesting to the referee, Ben Basford continued with the ball down the right wing and squared the ball for Keith Houchen to give the keeper little chance from 10 yards. Dresden continued to pass the ball well and were rewarded again 5 minutes later in equally bizarre circumstances. This time, Nicky Fowler combined well with Andy Griffiths, who sent a cross into the area and towards the Streetly goalkeeper seemingly without threat. A combination of the strong cross wind and the ale stench eminating from Dresden attacker Ashley Clifton put the Streetly keeper off at the last minute and the ball was fumbled into the net. Griffo is claiming the goal, but the jubious goals committe will surely have to take a closer look. With 15 minutes gone and Dresden 2 goals to the good it looked like they would run away with the game and maybe increase their goal difference considerably. Instead, they chose to sit back and invite Streetly to attack, which they did for the remainder of the half. Streetly were desperately unlucky not to go into half time with the lead, as they were twice denied by the Dresden post and missed and number of chances that looked easier to score.

Dresden started the second half in the same fashion as they finished the first, inviting Streetly to attack and sitting back on their lead. Streetly didnt take long to get back into the game. In an almost carbon copy of Dresdens second goal, a Streetly midfielder sent a cross into the box which went sailing towards Dresden goalkeeper Ian Radford. The cross was again fumbled into the back of the net to make it 2-1 - it must be the sun in the keepers eyes at that end of the pitch, or something... This didnt provide Dresden with the kick up the backside they required and they continued to play poorly. At this point Streetly should have gone on to at least level and maybe take the lead but they missed a number of goalscoring opportunities. Dresden themselves had a number of chances with Dabs and Ian Robinson in midfield going close on a number of occasions. Also Ashley Clifton had a number of chances top open his acconut for the season, but thats a story for another day. Dresden got their break after 70 minutes when Spencer Clifton played Ben Basford into the penalty area, the Dresden attacker beat two men in the penalty area but was felled by the last Streetly defender to give Dresden a penalty and a chance to restore their two goal cushion, which they duly did with Keith Houchen beating the keeper from the spot. At this point, Streetly seemed deflated and Dresden took this as their cue to start passing the ball around for the first time in the second half. Midfielder Dabs was rewarded for his previous close efforts after 75 minutes when Spencer Clifton sent a ball just behind the Streetly defence and Dabs ran in to dispatch the ball, on the volley, into the corner of the Streetly net from 12 yards, a fine finish. This proved to be one of Dabs' last contributions to the match as he was replaced in midfield by Flan for the final 10 minutes.

Determined to get on the scoresheet and scrub out the 0 that mysteriously appears next to his name on the teamsheet every week, Spencer Clifton ran on to a through ball into the Streetly area to slot home under pressure from 3 Streetly defenders from 10 yards. Unfortunately Dresden finished the game with 10 men as the tireless Ian Robinson took one challenge too many and was forced to leave the pitch for the last 10 minutes, but by this time the game was won and Dresden could afford to play out the remainder of the game without the services of the excellent midfielder, gold chain and all. Dresden had time to score one more goal, a fine individual effort by Spencer Clifton rounding two Streetly defenders and beating the keeper from outside the area. Amazing what spending the previous day on the piss can do for you.

In conclusion, the game really could have gone either way with Dresden seemingly inviting pressure for a large portion of the game. Fortunately, Dresden took their chances this week and look forward to next weeks open cup tie with a 5 match unbeaten run under their belts.

v Beacon Colts 10/10/2004

On a windy day at the home of football, Dresden encountered a young(ish) looking Beacon Colts side. In past meetings, Dresden have often come away from fixtures with Beacon with a result but so far this year Dresden have found that the standard of teams in Division 1 has improved considerably. The match started with Dresden passing the ball around the pitch very well and enjoy a large portion of possession. This possession was converted into goals after 20 minutes when a cross caught in the wind beat the goalie and Beacon defenders, but not the post. Fortunately, Ben Basford was on hand to collect the ball as it bounced off the post back into area, round a defender and dispatch the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net. Dresden continued to pass the ball well and arguably look the better team when a nippy Colts forward got the better of a not-so-young Flan at left back and beta the Dresden goalie from 12 yards. The game continued at a high standard for the remainder of the half, and just as it looked like Dresden were going into half time with little to show for their performance, a corner to the back of the area was met by the head of player / manager Griffo. The ball looped over all of the Colts defenders and the keeper into the far corner of the net. It was no more than Dresden deserved following an excellent first half performance from every Dresden player.

The wind picked up further as the second half started, which limited a repeat performance of Dresdens fine passing football displayed in the first half. Beacon took the initiative and were soon back in the game when they capitalised on a mix up between Griffo and keeper Ian Radford, alllowing the Colts forward to nip in on backpass to level the scores. Dresden made a defensvve change, with Gooner coming on at left back for Flan. With both sides cancelling each other out, the game looked like going either way with both sides having chances to take the lead. The initiative was finally taken when good work between midfielders Ian Robinson, Dabs and Spencer combined to craft a fine cross to the back of the box, which was met by Ben Basford and calmly placed out of the reach of the opposing keeper and into the far corner for his second of the game. It proved to be one of Spencers last contributions to the game when he was forced to retire with a somewhat dubious groin strain (tugging injury ?) to make way for Alex Evans on the left of midfield. Beacon continued to apply the pressure and the equaliser 10 minutes from time was deserved for a well earned point for both teams.

Dresden continue to build on the disappointing start to their season and have now put together a 4 match unbeaten run. With a few home games coming up hopefully they can climb up the table and put a cup run together.

v Coach 03/10/2004

Fresh from the celebrations of Mr & Mrs James Potter's wedding, Dresden made the long journey to Coach with the unheard of luxury of 3 subs in tow. A truly awful pitch and with half of the Dresden team still ripped to the tits from the night before the performance was never going to one to savour, and this was certainly the case for the first half of the game. An instantly forgettable first half saw Coach take the lead after 25 minutes with a shot beating Ian Radford in the Dresden goal courtesy of the 70s style square goalposts. Dresden got themselves back into the game with Ben Basford beating two defenders in one move and using a deadly combination of knee, shin and foot in one go to scoop the ball over the Coach keeper.

The half time team talk was an unusually tame affair, but this sparked Dresden into producing what must be their best performance of the season to date. With hangovers fading, Dresden started to pass the ball well and create chances for themselves. Following a defensive mix up after the hour Coach took the lead, and a last gasp tackle from Craig Robinson saved Dresden from going 3-1 down. This sparked Dresden into life and a counter attack saw Ben Basford thread the ball through for Keith Houchen to rifle past the Coach keeper from 18 yards, to put Dresden back in the game. 15 mintues later another Ben Basford cross fell to the club footed right boot of arseholed Dresden striker Keith Houchen who was lucky to see his tame effort beat the Coach keeper from 6 yards.

Dresden made defensive changes by swapping Ashley Clifton, who ran round tirelessly all morning, with the most pissed man in Western Europe (Andy Fowler). Special mention must go to gooner who put in a excellent performance considering the state he was in. Alex Evans also returned from injury to give a much needed boost to the Dresden strikeforce.

Dresden hung on for the final 15 minutes for their first 3 points of the season, and with a much improved second half performance and a 3 game unbeaten run look like finally fulfilling their potential and climbing up the league table.

v Sutton 3 Tuns 26/09/2004

Dresden fielded an unchanged side from last weeks open cup victory. Although they started with a 100% improvement on last weeks performance, Dresden failed to build on early momentum as Sutton took the game to Dresden. The first half was a fairly lacklustre affair with Dresden having the best chance when a Sutton clearance was broke down down, but Keith Houchen failed to find an unmarked Ashley Clifton for an open goal. Dresden went on to produce some good crosses from both sides courtesy of Ben Basford, Nicky Fowler and Spencer Clifton but failed to capitalise on any of the chances. Sutton themselves had a number of chances in the first half but too found the Dresden defence and goalkeeper in fine form again. Do you know what I mean ?

Dresden started the second half much better, playing some good passing football. As the half wore on they looked less like scoring, with Ben Basford forcing a good save from the Sutton goalkeeper and firing another shot just wide. Changes were made halfway through the second half with Yid replacing an injured Ash and Dabs making way for Gooner. Sutton then went on the attacking initiative, but Dresdens defence looked the part for the second week running with Nick Fowler heading off the line, Flan and Craig Robinson producing a couple of great last ditch blocks and Ian Radford producing some great saves. Both teams seemed to tire towards the end of the game, but Dresden had time to waste 3 clear cut chances to win the game in the last 5 minutes. Do you know what I mean ?

On a positive side, Dresden didnt lose the game and kept a clean sheet, but on the negative side Dresden have yet to score a goal in the league. At the moment, Dresden look like they are lacking in the final third of the pitch- which could be helped by the return of the injured Alex Evans. Do you know what i mean ?

v Cup Nomads 19/09/2004

Dresden entertained Cup Nomads at home in the Open cup. The return of several players from a weekend on the lash in Prague meant that the team took a different shape from the previous weeks encounter. As Dresden had yet to score this season extra weight was required in attack. They dont come much heavier than Ash, who played as celebrity striker.

Dresden started in their usual slow pace, with their passing all over the place and 90% of the team looking disinterested. Dresden had a chance to take the lead after 15 minutes when an Ian Robinson through ball broke the offside trap for Keith Houchen to run 35 yards to beat the keeper, only to see the ball blaze over the bar. It was no surprise when Nomads took the lead after 20 minutes, when a cross into the box was unfortunately fumbled into the net by Dresden keeper Ian Radford. This failed to raise a response from Dresden who continued to look disinterested. Nomads continued to apply pressure to Dresden and were unlucky not to add a second when a 30 yard goalbound strike was well saved by Ian Radford in goal.

Dresden's half time team talk wasnt pretty, with manager Griffo dishing out a few home truths. Dresden took to the field to continue the second half in the same fashion as the first. Maybe the writing was on the wall when the Nomads keeper saved well from a goalbound Keith Houchen effort, the Dresden forward showed his frustration by belting the ball at the fence behind the opponents goal - in true 'barn door' fashion the ball cleared the fence by a good few feet and took the vast crowd a good portion of the remainder of the game to retrieve.

Dresden finally came out of their shell for a 2 minute period by scoring two goals. The first came from a fine ball down the right wing from Nicky Fowler, which was collected and crossed into the box by Keithy Houchen. The cross bypassed both Ash and Ian Robinson in the Dresden box to fall to Ben Basford at the far post who smashed the ball home from 12 yards. The second goal came a few minutes later when Dabs collected the ball in midfield to deliver a well weighted ball over the top of the Nomads defence, which Keith Houchen just managed to slide under the Nomads keeper to give Dresden the lead.

The remainder of the game was spent by Dresden hanging on to their 2-1 lead. Nomads were unlucky to equalise and saw the ball cleared of the line by the head of Nicky Fowler and hitting the bar twice. Credit must go to the whole Dresden defence and goalkeeper for keeping the Nomads attackers at bay. Dresden made a couple of changes maybe a little too late in the game with Gooner making a welcome return from his 3 month European sabbatical and Yid replacing Ash in the strike force.

In summary, this was a game that Dresden didnt deserve to win but it could be a good result to kick start their faltering start to the season.

v Great Barr Cat & Fiddle 12/09/2004

No match report available this week.

v Hardwick Arms 05/09/2004

Dresden travelled to Hardwick Arms to open the season, with the luxury of a couple of substitutes. The ball was passed around delicately, shots rained in on the goal and Dresden were looking in fine shape. The match then kicked off and for 20 minutes Dresden continued in a similar fashion to their pre-match warm up. Kicking up a slight hill, and regularly testing the Hardwick defence and keeper, it only looked a matter of time before Dresden took the lead.

20 minutes into the match Dresden needlessly pushed the self-destruct button when the Hardwick winger found the Dresden defence napping and sent in a cross that their forward couldnt miss. 1-0 Hardwick, seemingly against the run of play.

Dresden failed to find the form with which they had started the match and Hardwick saw out the remainder of the first half looking the more likely team.

Half time gave Dresden a chance to put things right, and the team decided that they could get back into the match.  Tactics were adjusted and Dresden players took to the pitch looking forward to playing downhill for 45 minutes. So.........

Within 120 seconds the game was over as Hardwick capitalised on slack Dresden passing to send in a fierce shot that the Dresden keeper couldnt handle, the Hardwick forward was on hand to pass the ball into an empty net.

10 minutes later, Dresden made an attacking subtitution but the match looked over with Dresden seemingly out of ideas. Dresden missed a golden chance with a free header in front of goal, that would have been easier to score, sent over the bar. Despite Dresden using a combination of 4 seperate forwards, the Hardwick keeper remained untested for 70 minutes.

In fairness Hardwick could have finished the game a few more goals to the good, leaving Dresden a shadow of the team that they know they are.