Praha Embarrass Themselves in Poor Game Against The Sportsmans

We went out and undid all the good work in last weeks performance with a poor 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Sportsmans. The game was poor and we were unfortunately dragged down to their level. They actually fully deserved the win.

We created the best chance of the first half when Ben Hambleton had a shot blocked by the keeper when clean through on goal. Tweddle and Jackson both had half chances but that was about it. They didn't really create too much either and Towe didn't have to make any real save of note.

We actually worked some good positions but we hung on to possession far too long and failed to put the ball into the box.

At half time we made a change - pushing Jackson up front to partner Tweddle and pushing Hughes out wide. It seemed to be working quite well for the 1st 5 minutes of the second half until they took lead when we failed to defend a ball into the box and their player had a free header from close range which Towe had no chance of saving. Straight after Neil Langham pulled up with a calf injury and had to go off - resulting in Jackson moving back into midfield and Johnny Ward coming on up front.

We continued with this system for another 10 minutes but created very little, so made another change with Hambleton going up front and Ward dropping back into defence.

We continued to create very little and couldn't get much of a grip on the game. Jackson then injured his foot and had to go off, meaning Aaron Evans moved into midfield and Martin Algar came on at the back.

The game continued in much the same way with them happy to to stop us creating anything and us lacking any threat going forward. Russell replaced Nicholls with 10 minutes to go and the game finshed 1-0.

That was one of the worst games of football ever - both teams were crap but we were definetely the worst team on the pitch and deserved to get beat.

The man of the match award went to Carl Chadwick again because he was the only one that showed a bit of fight.

Praha Unfortunate to Only Draw with League Leaders

The Praha put  Earl Shilton Wanderers' unbeaten record in real danger on Sunday and should have been the first team in the league to take 3 points from them this season but were unfortunately pegged back for a 2-2 draw.

We only had a bare 11 to choose from but fortunately the 11 that did turn up did equate to a pretty strong side.

We set about making ourselves difficult to break down and a number of players (McNicholl and Driver in particular) were asked to play out of position but everyone was excellent. A big emphasis in the team talk was placed on us concentrating and not giving away sloppy goals (which has been a feature of our play recently).

The first half saw us closing them down and hassling them all over the park. We were clearly unsettling their usual rythem and at times they looked very short of ideas going forward. On the other hand we put some good pressure on their defence and they looked anything but comfortable. We created a few nice openings and it looked only a matter of time before we scored.

Sure enough the goal came mid way through the half. A Towe goal kick was flicked on by McNicholl to Tweddle. Tweddle took the ball down and then tried his luck from distance with a lob from a good 30 yards out. The finish was inch perfect and beat the keeper who couldn't get back quick enough.

We continued to push on and Tweddle soon found himself one on one with the keeper - as he knocked the ball round him the keeper stuck his hand out and bought Tweddle down. He was clearly the last man, clearly prevented a goalscoring opportunity and was clearly inside the penalty area but the ref chose to award a free kick just outside the box and book him rather than send him off. Really it should have been a penalty and they should have been down to 10 men.

The resulting free kick was struck by Tweddle into the wall but the keeper was still clearly shaken by the incident and it wasn't long before we made it 2. Rich Hughes drilled a corner in and under pressure from Scott McNicholl the keeper flapped at it and punched it into his own net.

At half time we spoke about concentration and keeping it tight second half and for 25 minutes we did just that - limiting them to speculative shots from distance that never looked like beating Towe - who looked comfortable in goal.

We then gave them a life line as for the first time in the game we were hesitant in clearing the ball from defence. we allowed their striker a chance to shoot from just inside our area and he thumped it past Towe into the corner.

They were now really pumped up and tried to dominate but again we stood firm. Their team now had a strange shape as they were continually swapping people around to try and find an opening but our 4-4-2 still looked solid.

We then produced a real howler with 7 minutes to go as a long ball was hoofed forward and dropped just over Aaron Evans' head in our box. As Towe came out to gather - the two of them just got in each other's way and somehow the ball trickled away from them both and their player scuffed it into the empty net. This was really harsh on us as we had defended so well throughout the game and deserved to take all 3 points - both Towe and Evans were very solid and this was the only mistake either of them made throughout.

The last 5 mins saw both teams looking for the win and right at the final whistle we could have nicked it - Jackson took the ball down in midfield and slipped a ball in to Tweddle but their defender made a quality last ditch tackle just outside his own 6 yard box and the scores remained level.

This was a really positive performance from us and shows what we are capable of. We were missing a few players and only had a bare 11but we proved that we should be higher up the league than we are. We were the better team against a team that has thumped every other team they have played this season. Consistency is the key and if we can keep a fairly consistant team between now and the end of the season I'd be pretty confident we can win our last 5 games.

The man of the match award went Carl Chadwick who was brilliant at right back but in all fairness anyone on the pitch could have got it.

Praha Bang In Another 6

The praha confortably beat The Bluebell Stanton with goals from Matt Tweddle (3), Scott McNicholl (2) and Rich Hughes. We started on the front foot in a game we dominated throughout and it didn't take us long to take the lead. Carl Chadwick took a long throw which was knocked on by Nathan Jackson to Tweddle who glanced a header past the keeper from close range.

We continued to dominate and play the better football, with Rich Hughes in particular on the right wing causing them problems. He broke free on the wing and squared to Tweddle who tapped in from close range before breaking down the opposite flank moments later and squaring to Scott McNicholl who also applied the finish to make it 3-0.

We then gifted them a goal after a mix up at the back but really there was very little threat from them.

We made it 4-1 just before half time with Hughes curling a strike from the edge of the penalty area into the far corner beyond the keeper's dive.

The second half saw us continue to dominate the game and this was helped further when one of their players was sent off for tripping Alan Evans off of the ball.

We could and should have scored far more but lacked a bit of quality with the final ball. We managed to add 2 more goals to our tally - Tweddle firstly charged the keeper down as he went to clear and tapped home before McNicholl wrapped up the win a strike from just inside the area.

Still 6 goals is a pretty good return and we now face league leaders Earl Shilton Wanders on the back of scoring 12 goals in 2 games.

Rich Hughes was awarded the man of the match but he was closely followed by Neil Langham who was excellent in midfield.

The Praha Put 6 Past ATM

The Praha continued with their up and down form as they comfortably beat ATM Logistics 6-3, with 5 goals from Matt Tweddle and a first of the season for Carl Chadwick.

We started the game on the back foot as they were the better team for much of the first half. Although they dominated possession they were restricted mostly to efforts from distance.

As we reached the half way point of the first half we took the lead - Chris Russell swung a ball in from a wide left position, which apparently nicked off Ben Hambleton's head before Carl Chadwick took a touch and fired into the bottom corner with a well struck shot from just inside the area.

They were straight on the attack and soon equalised.

We then started to play our way into the game and exert a bit of pressure of our own. Carl Chadwick was fouled on the right wing and from the resulting Matt Towe free kick Tweddle managed to side foot a volley home from close range.

We continued to come forward and created another golden chance as Nathan Jackson slid a ball through to Matt Tweddle. After rouding the keeper the angle was too tight to score and as he shileded the ball away from the covering defender he was hacked down and the ref awarded a penalty. Tweddle took the kick himself and and found the bottom corner with a good finish.

At half time ATM would have been feeling hard done by as they were probably the better team. After half time though we were by far the better team and seemed to be cutting them open at will. Although the pitch was a boggy mess we still managed to put together some good passing moves - the best of which produced our 4th goal. A free kick on the wide left was taken quickly by Alan Evans who played it to Jackson who played it back to Towe, who played it into Langham, who picked out Evans again in a wide position. His cross found Tweddle and he cooly tapped home the finish.

That goal seemed to deflate ATM as we continued to pour forward. It was soon 5 as Carl Chadwick won a flick on in midfield and the ball broke to Ben Hambleton up front. He ran into space before crossing to an unmarked Tweddle who again applied a calm finish to slot the ball in from 8 yards out.

By now ATM were forced into making changes and their makeshift back line were caught static as Matt Towe played a long ball over their last man. Tweddle controlled it and after several twists and turns shook off the covering defender and slotted the ball past the keeper.

The game became a bit niggly with a few firm challenges going in, but we more than matched them on that front and still continued to create chances. Nathan Jackson controlled the ball on the edge of their area and had to improvise a toe poked finish as the ball was between his legs. The ball looked destined for the bottom corner but their gangley idiot of a goalkeeper made his only save of the game with a one handed save that Peter Cech would have struggled to make.

Matt Towe was the next to try his his look, as an Al Evans cross sat up for him to volley on the edge of the area the crowd shouted for him to "muller it!", Towe obliged but his dipping volley just missed the cross the bar.

For some reason with 10 minutes to go we switched off a bit at the back and allowed them a couple of consolation goals but we were comfortably out of sight at that point.

With the game drawing to a close there was still time for a bit of drama as their captian raked his studs down Aaron Evans' leg after a a 50-50 tackle. Evans responded by getting their player round his neck in some sort of WWE submition hold. After the two were eventually pulled apart their captain was given a red card, while Evans was lucky to escape with just a caution.

All in all 6-3 was a fair reflection and a good result considering we only had 11 players; meaning Ben Hambleton was forced to play up front.

Matt Tweddle was given the man of the match award for his 5 goals, but he was closely followed by Chris Russell who had a storming game at left back.

Praha Lose to Ashby  Road

Wretched Game......started 442 and switched to 352 after 55 mins which looked far better

1st goal was a cross that james dropped through his own legs and it trickled over the line. second was a cross and header...besides that no real efforts for either side.

Praha Edge Out Bruntingthorpe to Secure First Win of 2010

The Praha beat Bruntingthorpe 3-2 in a closely contested encounter on their former cow field (now a sheep field) of a pitch. The pitch actually wasn’t too bad – however the flock of sheep behind the goal seemed to be having an effect on Ben Hambleton’s concentration.

We started the game quite well as we tried to get our passing game going and we were the better team for the first 15-20 minutes. Rich Hughes; restored to the starting line up for the first time in a while was causing them a few problems. He twice tested the keeper from distance before forcing an opening which resulted in him firing just over with the goal gaping.

They started to play their way back into the game mid way through the half, as our fitness levels seemed to be causing a few of our players a problem. They worked a few good openings and took the lead 30 minutes in. They worked the ball neatly to one of their midfield players who hit a cracking 30 yard strike that flew into the bottom corner of James Oliver’s net.

They continued to push forward and the same midfield player let fly with another long range drive, but this time James Oliver made a finger tip save to push it onto the inside of the post.

We managed to grab an equaliser before half time as Rich Hughes found himself in shooting range just outside the box but he instead chipped a neat ball to Scott McNicholl who turned and smashed the ball into the corner from 8 yards out.

Half time came and went and the second half saw us dominate possession – we played some decent football and were on the front foot throughout the half.

Kieren Nicholls replaced Matt Driver who was struggling with an injury 10 minutes into the half. Lee Hallem then replaced Rich Hughes who wasn’t influencing the game as much as he did in the early stages of the first half.

We continued to knock on the door but it wasn’t until the 70 minute mark when Towe finally mullered it down. He lined up a 25 yard free kick in a central position and crashed a drive past the wall and into the net. It was past the keeper too quickly as he just managed to dangle a foot at it.

We looked comfortable but some woeful defending from a free kick allowed their smallest player to get a free header in and he beat James Oliver from close range.

It looked like we had thrown 2 points away but we continued to push forward – finally getting our reward on the 85^th minute. A throw in found Lee Hallem in their box and he hooked the ball over his head to Matt Tweddle. Tweddle then attempted to score with an overhead kick of his own but it hit the defender behing him and it landed at Scott McNicholl’s feet. McNicholl again applied a clinical finish to snatch the 3 points.

Steve Cheneller immediately replaced Matt Tweddle to give us a bit more of a physical presence up front and we saw the game out quite comfortably.

We now face Earl Shilton Spartans who we thumped 8-1 earlier in the season in a game full of long range volleys and back healed finishes. Lets hope we can replicate that result but we have to be aware that they’re not a bad team and are capable of causing us a few problems if we don’t play well.

Praha Beaten by Ullesthorpe

Match report by Matt Tweddle - hence the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes:

Praha lost on sunday to a team they had walked all over in their previous game. However although it was the same team by name it appeared Ullesthorpe played a host of 1st team players. Praha themselves were also missing regulars like Jackson, Hambleton & Evans And were forced to play a couple of players out of position.

Praha started brightly and praha had alot of the ball as Tweddle skinned a player on the wing and cut inside, but his pull back failed to find McNichol or Hallem who both made good runs into the area. However Ullesthorpe took the wind from the sales when they scored 3 in a 10 min spell where praha appeared to be asleep. If that wasnt bad enough Praha lost Warren with hamstring trouble after 20 mins and was replaced with Hughes. Praha regained their composure and almost pulled one back when the ball fell to Hallem 2 yards out but he comically hooked it high and wide with an effort even Jackson could have tooked away. 3-0 at half time and there were a few hefty challanges, which saw 4 bookings for Ullesthorpe. The 2nd half started better and Tweddle scored after 55 mins with a loose ball in the area he sent into the corner of the goal, however Ullesthorpe replyed within minutes to make it 4-1. Cheneler was bought on to replace Chessy after 60 mins and he assisted Tweddle who scored an identical goal to the 1st. The game ended 4-2 and it was a fair result.

The team as a whole needs to work better to prevent sloppy goals going in, which seems to be a weekly occurance at the moment.

Praha Beat Ullesthorpe 3-0.

The Praha ended 2009 with a comfortable win over Ullesthorpe. A hat trick from top scorer Matt Tweddle was enough to give us the victory.

The first was from the penalty spot after Tweddle was bought down after clinging onto to possession in the opposition box long enough for one of them to bring him down. Tweddle then got up and scored from the resulting spot kick.

We were comfortably in charge throughout the game and should have added to the lead before half time. The second half was more of the same and Tweddle completed his hat trick with two assured finishes from long balls played by Lee and James Oliver.

We were much the better team in the game and could have scored far more than we did. Some of the runs from the midfileders should have resulted in more goals but there was far too much ball greadiness and the unwillingness to play these people in could have cost us points had we been up against a slightly better team.

Remember lads their's no I in TEAM!!

Matt Tweddle was awarded the Man of the Match award for adding 3 goals to his personal tally for the season

Praha Beaten by Broughton Rangers

The Praha were beaten in the return match against Broughton Rangers as we were forced to field a much changed side from the previous week - Goalkeeper James Oliver was missing along with Nathan Jackson, Ben Hambleton and Mikki Warren who could be out for a few weeks with the injury he picked up the week before.

Chris Russell, Matt Tweddle and Johnny Ward all came into the side with Matt Towe deputising for Oliver between the sticks.

A combination of a boggy pitch, some tired legs and some good finishing from them saw them move three points clear of us in 4th.

Matt Tweddle managed to grab a couple of goals as we ended up going down 4-2

Matt Driver played his first game at centre back and was given the man of the match award

Praha 4 Broughton Rangers 1

The Praha built on last week's victory against Old Real Oak with a convincing win over Broughton Rangers who sit just above us in the league at the moment.

We started the game with a 3-5-2 formation and for the first half an hour of the match found it pretty hard going - they seemed to be a bit sharper than us and were giving us a few problems. 20 mins into the game central midfielder Mikki Warren had to go off with a hamstring injury and was repalced by Kieren Nicholls - eventually resulting in us changing to a 4-4-2 formation. The the last 15 mins of the half we were the better team - knocking the ball around much better and we managed to take the lead 5 mins before half time.

Nathan Jackson won the header in midfield and found Steve Cheneller who turned and played Scott McNicholl in with a neat ball between the defenders. Scott made no mistake with the finish blasting it past the keeper from close range.

The second half saw us continue as we left off - dominating possession and putting them under pressure. We then gifted them a goal from nowhere - Matt Towe rolled a simple back pass to James Oliver who had a moment of madness and sidefooted the ball straight to their striker who just rolled the finish into the corner.

This could have affected our confidence but instead we continued to plow forward; creating a number of good chances before eventually regaining the lead. Kieren Nicholls played a ball down the right and Scott McNicholl sprinted in behind their defence, he then fizzed a ball across the 6 yard box and Steve Cheneller got there before the defender a dinked a neat finish over the keeper.

It was soon 3 - this time Jackson won the ball in the midfield and ran at their back four - he picked out McNicholl down the right channel and he again picked out Cheneller who smashed the finish past the keeper.

We continued to create some good chances with both McNicholl and Cheneller going close but it wasn't long before we added a 4th.

Matt Towe took a free kick from out wide on the right and as both teams lined up along the edge of their area he whipped a quality delivery in to the gap between the defenders and the goalkeeper. Nathan Jackson timed his run perfectly and got in at the back post to volley the finish past the keeper from 8 yards out.

At 4-1 we were comfortable and never looked like conceding a 2nd goal

We made a couple of changes with Johnny Ward replacing Matt Driver (70 mins) and new signing Lee replacing Nathan Jackson (80 mins) but the 3 points were already in the bag.

Steve Cheneller got the man of the match award for his 2 goals but in all fairness anyone of the lads that played today could have got it. The tempo of the game was good, we were strong in the tackles and worked really had - lets do the same next week and beat them again.

Praha Beat Old Real Oak

The Praha got back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over struggling Old Real Oak.

The game was not an impressive spectacle of quality football - it was pretty scrappy really and we were lucky to come away from it with 3 points. The first half was pretty poor - they were a right bunch of idiots and tried their best to rough us up, which seemed to work. We didn't really string many passes together and if it hadn't have been for some woeful finishing from them we would have conceded.

Into the second half and with the score at 0-0 the game changed for the better on the 55 minute mark with the introduction of Nathan Jackson and Matt Towe. This led to a change in formation with Tweddle moving up front to Partner McNicholl and Jackson moving into a three man central midfield, while Towe moved into a 3 man central defence. This change allowed Chadwick and Driver to operate as wing backs.

5 minutes from the change happening we took the lead - Jackson played a ball into Scott McNicholl who turned his man and hit a powerful shot; which the keeper could only parry. Jackson reacted quickest and slotted in the rebound. Not bad considering he was a bit lashed from the night before and was struggling with the toe injury which kept him out of last week's game.

The change in formation helped us to get a better grip on the game and it wasn't too long before it was 2-0, this time Matt Driver stormed down the left wing and hit a vicious, dipping toe poke towards goal which the keeper was again forced to parry and Scott McNicholl gobbled up the rebound.

Both sides created a couple of openings with Oliver making a couple of good saves in our goal whilst at the other end Mikki Warren had a glorious chance to kill them off. Hambleton hit a clearance which somehow bounced through the middle of their back line and left Warren one on one. As their keeper came out to narrow the angle Warren went for the chip but managed to just loop the ball into the keeper's arms. One of the supporters at the side of the pitch was heard commenting that he thought it was the worst finish he had ever seen.

Even without adding a third we were very comfortable, but switched off in the last minute to allow them a consolation goal with the last kick of the game.

3 points was just what the doctor ordered and lets hope it will give us a platform to put a run together now.

The man of the match award went to Az Evans - our defence were under the cosh a lot (particularly in the first half) and Azza was the the pick of the bunch

Praha Hammered at Home

The Praha were beaten 8-1 by Earl Shilton Wanderers on Sunday. With a number of people missing for different reasons we only had a bare 11 to pick from and ended up getting hammered! Steve Cheneller got the goal

Praha Surrender 2 Goal Lead and Lose to Ashby Road

The praha gave away a 2 goal lead and crashed to 3-2 defeat at the hands of Ashby Road. Returning to the site of last season's most embarrasing defeat the lads started the game very positively - knocking the ball around like a team full of confidence. With Ben Hambleton and Alan Evans replacing Aaron Evans and Carl Chadwick the side settled in to their game much the quicker and started to pick holes in the Ashby back line.

It wasn't long before we took the lead - Alan Evans played a ball down the line towards the right hand corner and Scott McNicholl chased onto it. He managed to beat two defenders in the corner before neatly clipping the ball past the keeper.

We continued to press forward and some of our passing was the best we'd produced all season. The opposition simply couldn't get near us. It wasn't long before we added a second goal with a superb team goal - the ball was passed between the defence and midfield a few times before we eventually worked the ball out to Tweddle in a wide position and his cross left McNicholl with the simple task of tapping in from a few yards out.

Instead of continuing to dominate we allowed them to get closer to us and got pushed back into our half. They won a series of free kicks in good positions thanks to some inventive diving from their strikers (the ref fell for it every time - proving that his crap performance earlier in the season wasn't a one off). Eventually one of their players was bound to hit the target and he did; placing a 20 yard free kick into the bottom corner. This was an aweful time to concede because it was right before half time.

We started the 2nd half in a similar fashion conceding a goal after some bad defending at the back presented their striker with a simple tap in.

Now they were on the front foot and we were struggling to get our passing game going. We replaced Ben Chessy with Neil Langham and pushed Matt Driver onto the wing to try to sure things up but they continued to push forward. This change almost paid dividends as Driver pulled a ball back into the penalty area where Jackson tried to side foot his shot home first time but it skewed off of his foot and went wide.

They scored their 3rd after some good play from their striker who played the ball into his strike partner in the middle and he managed to lift it over James Oliver in goal.

The Praha were forced into another change on the 60 minute mark as Jackson was replaced by Rich Hughes in midfield. He picked up a foot injury mid way through the first half and was unable to run it off.

The game continued in much the same fashion with Ashby dominating possession and us struggling to put together more than 2 passes. We defended fairly well though and may have nicked an equaliser as we had a few free kicks in decent positions but didn't really test their big fat goalie.

With 10 minutes to go Chris Russell replaced Kieren Nicholls at left back but it made no difference as they held on to win 3-2.

The man of the match award for today's game went to Scott McNicholl who scored both our goals and showed some tireless running up front.

I think todays game sums up us as a team - first 30 minutes the opposition couldn't live with us, our passing was crisp. our movement was good and we looked like scoring a hat full past them. The rest of the game however was us at our worst - unable to get a grip on the game and too many people going missing all over the park.

Lets hope its our good side that turns up next Sunday as we are up against Earl Shilton Wanderers who are a lot of people's tip for the title this year.

Praha Beat Bluebell Stanton 3-2

The Praha managed to claim 3 points against bottom team Bluebell Stanton but it was far from an easy win.

Playing into the wind we were always going to struggle in the first half and that was certainly the case - we were pegged back for much of the half but our two banks of four stood firm and they didn't really create many openings. It was us that broke the deadlock - with 20 minutes gone James Oliver booted a long ball forward that had their centre back chasing back towards his own goal, with Scott McNicholl breathing down his neck he tried to pass the ball back to his keeper but played it too hard and forced him to make a diving save. All the keeper could do was parry the shot and McNicholl was left to slot the ball in to the empty net. 

McNicholl suffered a recurrence of an old injury and was substituted immediately after his goal and was replaced by Kelvin Granger.

The second half saw us playing with the wind behind us but we started the half slowly and they equalised. One of their strikers got through on goal and James Oliver raced off his line to make the tackle. Although the striker was in a wide position and looked to have lost control of the ball Oliver bought him down and the ref awarded them a penalty which they converted.

For the rest of the half we were on the attack but struggled to re-take the lead - Matt Towe had a scissor kick blocked by a defender before another defender managed to deflect a Nathan Jackson shot away with his head. Matt Towe rattled the post with a 25 yard free kick but somehow the ball bounced back out.

It wasn't until the 80th minute when we scored a 2nd - a long ball forward from Matt Driver allowed Ben Chessy to spring the offside trap and he noddded the ball in from 6 yards out.

Shortly after he got his 2nd, this time a James Oliver goal kick was booted down the middle of the pitch and Nathan Jackson ducked underneath it to leave Ben Chessy clean through on goal. Chessy rounded the keeper and slotted in with a neat finish.

The game was won and with 1 minute to go we allowed them a consolation goal as one of their midfielders scuffed a shot from all of 35 yards and somehow it squirmed past James Oliver.

Considering the conditions and the fact that we lost Scott McNicholl 20 minutes into the game we were happy enough with the three points and go into next week's game with Ashby Road on the back of a couple of victories. The man of the match was always going to be one of the back four and Aaron Evans picked up the award for another solid performance from the team captain.

Praha Back to Winning Ways

" Match report written by special guest reporter Matt Tweddle"

Praha got back to winning ways despite missing key players in their encounter at home to sportsman's. it was an important game for both clubs as they prepared for this match on level points. Sportsman's started the game brightly as praha struggled to find their shape in a much changed side missing regulars, Jackson, Hambleton, Hughes & Warren which meant Evans And Langham paired in midfield for the 1st time this season. The team also welcomed back leading scorer Tweddle who missed the previous game with a shoulder injury and Chadwick who has missed 5 games with a foot injury.

Praha weathered the storm in the 1st 10 mins and eventually found their stride and took the lead with their 1st real effort. Veteran midfielder Evans threw a Delap effort into the box which was flicked on by Scott and found the head of the prolific Tweddle who powered a header from 8 yards into the roof of the net. Praha then took control of the game and were playing some good football. Praha then should have had a penalty following a good move which saw Scott play Tweddle in on goal, As Tweddle was about to pull the trigger he was clattered from behind which was quite unbelievably missed by the ref who awarded a goal kick which indicated the defender didn't touch the ball either.However Praha were well on top and increased the lead after 20 mins when Scott picked up a ball from Az Evans and then used blistering pace to leave two defenders trailing and slot past the keeper. Sportsman's were then awarded a penalty after

Nichols was adjudged to have fouled a player in the box, It was a harsh decision but it wasn't the end of the refs eventful match. Sportsman's took the gift and pulled a goal back from the spot. Praha increased the lead on 35 mins when they were awarded an indirect freekick from 25 yards. Praha took the freekick quickly as Alan Evans Teed up Tweddle who bent his effort in to the corner of the net, however the ref ruled the goal out even though Tweddle had asked to take it quickly. Praha had to take it again, this time with the wall and keeper fully prepared, Evans Teed up Tweddle who again bent his effort into the corner of the net leaving the keeper rooted.

The rest of the 1st half saw Praha on top with Scott and Tweddle both coming close to increasing the lead. Praha were a little over confident at times leaving James in goal coming off his line to save superbly a couple of times at players feet. However Sportsman's Pulled a second goal back just before half time when sloppy defending allowed a Sportsman's player to slot passed James from 10 yards.

HT 3-2......Praha Players agreed at half time that they had to keep it tight at the back and prevent these sloppy goals going in, and the determination following the whistle for the 2nd half was clear for all to see. Praha were dominant winning everything in the air and ground with Towe,Az Evans,Driver, & Russell Defending well as a unit and Praha didn't look like ever conceding. 5 mins into the 2nd half after good link up play between Chadwick, Scott & Tweddle, Nicholls was bought down in the box after being put through with a delicate ball from Tweddle. Tweddle Stepped up to the spot and tucked his 4th penalty of the season into the top corner. Score 4-2. Praha were now flying and creating numerous chances with Scott, Tweddle & Chadwick coming close. Praha Extended The Lead Further on 70 Mins When Tweddle was sent clear by Langham. As Tweddle Majestically rounded the keeper and placed his effort toward goal it was handled on the line by a Sportsman's defender. The ref pointed to the spot for the 3rd time of the match and again Tweddle Beat the Keeper placing his shot into the corner leaving the keeper wrong footed. With Praha comfortable Nicholls (who ran his socks off) was replaced by Chessy on the left wing. Sportsman's pulled another back on 80 mins through the 4th penalty of the game after a ball to hand incident from Towe. James saved the 1st penalty but a retake was ordered after Towe invaded the box prior to the kick, and the 2nd was scored. this concluded the game and the Sportsman's defence were overheard saying they were glad they didn't face goal threats like Tweddle & Scott every week and likened them to Rooney (Tweddle - lookswise) & Berbatov, however a special mention should go to the ref who spoiled a good game with laughable decisions including awarding Sportsman's a direct free inside the penalty area.Where do they find them !!!

Praha unlucky in Cup Game

The Praha exited the cup thanks to a 4-1 defeat against division 3 table toppers Albion FC.

The game was a pretty even affair throughout with both teams creating some good chances and playing some nice football. We looked like a completely different team to the one that was turned over so easily against the Countryman the week before.

We gave their defence some real problems with Steve Cheneller winning every header up front and Scott McNicholl constantly causing problems with his pace. Twice he got in behind their defence and twice he was denied by their keeper.

They also had their chances in the first half and were denied by a combination of some good defending and some poor finishing.

Everyone seemed to be playing well for us with people biting in to tackles, winning headers and moving the ball around neatly with some some crisp interchanges of passing. We seemed to be buoyed by the fact that we were playing by far the best team we have played so far this season and more than matched them throughout the first half.

The second half saw us start with purpose once again and we were the better team for the first 15 minutes. Unfortunately we suffered a double injury problem with both Steve Cheneller and Mik Warren unable to continue. With only one sub available we brought Chris Russell on for Cheneller which meant we were forced to push Ben Hambleton up front while Miki Warren bravely stayed on in midfield.

Soon after the referee; who was a right tosser dropped his first clanger of the afternoon by awarding them a penalty. Aaron Evans made a superb tackle; that everyone on the pitch could see won the ball but the ref awarded them a penalty. He got a right ear bashing by everyone on our team - particularly from Matt Towe who received a yellow card for his outburst. Luckily their player bottled it and hit the post.

We then took the lead but the ref again came to their rescue - This time Nathan Jackson lined up a 30 yard free kick and bent an unstoppable dipping strike over the wall. Their keeper didn't even see it crash off the under side of the bar and hit the floor a good 3 feet over the line. The ref clearly didn't either as he decided it wasn't a goal - much to the surprise of both groups of players.

It now really seemed like it wasn't our day and eventually we did crack - James Oliver made a superb double save from their strikers but was unable to keep hold of the second and it agonisingly rolled towards their player who managed to stab it home.

Despite this set back we were still pushing forward and were giving their defence a few problems but we ended up conceding a second. This time a speculative shot from one of their players hit our post and as James Oliver scrambled to get hold of the ball their striker got there first and stabbed it in.

Our heads seemed to drop which was a shame because this was a really good performance from us and we ended up conceding a third - some crap defending saw us not react quickly enough to a short corner and as the cross came in their player managed to get a foot on it to knock it past Oliver.

Their fourth followed shortly after - Matt Towe made a good interception on the edge of our box but their midfielder reacted much quicker than Rich Hughes and he hit a quality finish into the top corner.

After this we went in search of a consolation and really pushed forward - which left a few gaps at the back and twice James Oliver raced from his line to deny their players with two good saves.

McNicholl raced away from their defence but was again denied by the keeper.  We did eventually get the goal that we more than deserved - Rich Hughes' cross was cleared foolishly along his own goal mouth by one of their defenders and hit Hambleton in the middle. He twice tried to beat their keeper and eventally managed to scoop it over the covering defender on the line. Although it wasn't the most majestic of finishes it capped a very good display by Hambleton who was brilliant at left back and just pipped Aaron Evans to the man of the match award.

It was a bitter pill to swallow and 4-1 was by no means a fair reflection on the game. We played exceptionally well and if we play like that in the league for the rest of the season we will be very difficult to beat. There were so many 'ifs and buts' to discuss after game and if the ref wasn't a cheating idiot we could have won that game; but there was nothing we could do. He seemed very pally with a few of their players and I think this issue needs some further investigation because his actions cost us a famous win.

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Countryman do the Double Over Us

The Countryman beat us for the second time this season to cement their place at the top of the table. We don't get out played too often but that was definitely the case on Sunday. They played much the better football throughout the game and dominated possession.

We lined up with a 4-3-3 formation as we looked to take advantage of their tactics by getting three front men up against their 3 defenders but it never really paid off. We were unable to exert any sustained pressure on them and their 5 man midfield gave our 3 a real run about.

We did however look dangerous at times in the first half and got into a couple of decent positions but poor decision making in the final third meant we didn't really test their keeper as much as we should.

We took the lead 30 minutes into the half as one of their defenders tried to clear a long throw from Ben Chessy and kicked it onto his own hand.

Tweddle stepped up and slotted his 3rd penalty of the season away.

We had a decent spell of football after the goal but they managed to equalise close to half time. A scrappy deflected strike from one of their strikers managed to wrong foot James Oliver and find the bottom corner.

1-1 at half time wasn't too bad and we started the 2nd half with a bit of purpose, but shot ourselves in the foot by conceding a goal from a corner. One of their smaller players managed to get away from his marker and head in to make it 2-1.

We again tried to get going forward and played some ok stuff but conceded a third - this time a ball bounced to one of their players inside our area and he side footed the finish home calmly.

You could see our players head's drop and we changed to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation to try get a hold on the game. We started to play ok but again quickly conceded a 4th. This time a corner was not dealt with and it bobbled about in our area before one of their players finally looped a header into the far corner (just evading Johnny Ward's outstretched boot).

Jackson made a change bringing; Kieren Nicholls on at left midfield in place of Ben Chessy but at this point our lads had completely lost their heads and were playing awful. We had very little attacking threat  - with Matt Tweddle nursing a shoulder injury from the first half 'Man of the Match' Scott McNicholl tried his best to make something happen but with our midfield pegged right back in our half he had very little support.

They did eventually put the icing on the cake with a very good goal from one of their midfielders who chipped the ball over Aaron Evans' head before running onto it and finishing neatly. This was a bit harsh on Evans who was one of the few players that had an ok game.

With 10 minutes to go Jackson made way for Steve Cheneller who went up front and ruffled a few Countryman feathers - getting into a decent position and hitting the side netting. Scott also fired straight at their keeper but we didn't really deserve a 2nd goal.

Everyone was noticeably disapointed after the game - last season we beat these twice but they are a much improved team this time around. We had looked pretty good up until now and we quickly need to get back to playing the sort of football we have been used to this season. Its cup again next week and we need to play a lot better against Albion FC.

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Praha Lose Out in the County Cup

The praha were beaten 1-0 nil by Birstall Rangers in the County Cup due to the fact that we only found out we had a game on the Thursday and a number of players had already made plans for the weekend and were unable to play. As a result we had to field a patched up side with 5 new faces but ended up performing fairly well and only just  lost out to a late goal from a corner.

We had chances ourselves and there were a number of decent performances - in particular 'Man of the Match' Alan Evans who played 60 minutes at right back in his first game back after a lengthy injury absence.

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Praha Hammer 8 Past the Spartans

The Praha clocked up their third victory on the spin with a thumping 8-2 victory over Earl Shilton Spartans. Two from Tweddle, two from Jackson, two from new signing Scott McNicholl and a goal a piece from Warren and Daz gave the Praha their biggest victory of the season so far.

 The managers made two changes from the team that beat ATM last week with Chris Russell coming in for Aaron Evans and Neil Langham replacing Johnny Ward. 

The game started with the visitors doing a lot of pressing and it took us ten minutes to really take a hold of the game. A corner from Rich Hughes was whipped in to the back post and Jackson got there first; only to see his header bounce back off of the crossbar.

We continued to press and a long ball forward fell to Rich Hughes who tried a shot from the edge of the area. His effort hit the defender’s hand and the ref awarded us a penalty. Captain for the day Matt Tweddle stepped up and coolly slotted the penalty into the bottom left hand corner to make it 1 nil.

 We made it 2 nil shortly after thanks to a thumping 20 yard volley from Nathan Jackson. A Rich Hughes throw in was flicked into the air by Ben Chessy on the edge of their penalty area. Jackson allowed it to drop before thumping the volley into the top corner of the Earl Shilton net. It’s difficult to put into words the quality of the strike but a few of their players were overheard after the game likening the strike to Zinedine Zidane’s 2002 Champions League winning volley.

 We continued to play the better football with us knocking the ball around well all over the park and we soon made it 3 nil. This time a corner was whipped in by Rich Hughes and was controlled at the back post by Jackson who laid the ball off to Miki Warren on the edge of their box. Warren then took a touch and rifled an unstoppable 25 yard strike into the top corner of the Earl Shilton net.

 We then handed them a goal out of nowhere after we got into a mix up on the left hand side and allowed their winger to cross. The ball eventually fell to their striker and he managed to stroke the ball into the corner to make it 3-1.

 Any chance of an Earl Shilton fight back though was soon put to bed after a scramble in their penalty box saw Neil Langham force the ball to Tweddle who turned and thumped the ball into the top corner from 8 yards out for his 6th goal of the season.

At half time we replaced Chessy with Scott up front before replacing Russell with Daz ten minutes into the half. The second half didn’t really get going until the last fifteen minutes. A long kick out of his hands from James Oliver bounced over their last defender and allowed ScottMcNicholl to get in round the back. He raced onto it and side footed a neat finish in for his first goal for the club.

It didn’t take McNicholl long to get his second for the club – this time a Rich Hughes corner was flicked on by Tweddle and it hit him in the chest at the back post. Not to allow the chance to pass him by he showed some clever improvisation and nodded the ball instantly past the keeper before he had chance to react.

We were now in full flow and Tweddle slotted a neat ball down the channel to McNicholl who managed to pull the ball back into the penalty area. Although the ball was behind him Nathan Jackson reacted quicker than the two defenders and back healed an audacious finish into the bottom corner.

Jackson then should have had his hat trick after a long ball forward by Matt Towe bounced awkwardly for the keeper Jackson managed to get in behind him - but somehow a defender’s boot managed to get there just before Jackson’s and he flicked it over the cross bar.

From the resulting corner Daz managed to get there first and he nodded in our eighth goal of the game.

They searched for a second consolation goal but their striker was denied when through on goal by an excellent last ditch tackle by Ben Hambleton.

James Oliver also made a good save from a free kick but with only a minute to go we did eventually gift them their second goal. Matt Driver cynically brought down their striker when he was close to getting a run on goal and although it looked every bit a free kick the ref decided the foul was in the box (obviously he felt sorry for them) and they were awarded a penalty which they scored from.

8-2 is still a pretty good result and sets us up nicely for our next game against the Countryman. Man of the match Nathan Jackson pointed to the quality of the finishing as a decisive factor in this game and if we continue to display this kind of killer instinct we will be in with a very good chance of lifting the title this season.

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Praha Keep a Clean Sheet Again

The Praha built on last week's good result with another convincing win over ATM Logistics. ATM are a pretty good side but we always looked in control as we beat them 2 nil with goals from Matt Tweddle and Rich Hughes.

With a few people absent from last week's team the managers needed to make a few changes: Ben Hambleton came in at left back for Chris Russell, Mikki Warren replaced Neil Langham in the centre of midfield and Rich Hughes started on the right hand side of midfield in place of Ammo.

The game started quite brightly for us with us having the better of the play early on but generally it was pretty even with both sides knocking the ball around well. The first real opening came midway through the half when a ball forward by Matt Driver caught their defence flat footed and Tweddle managed to get in behind. As he was about to pull the trigger the defender clattered into the back of him but for some reason the referee didn't award a penalty. Tweddle couldn't hide his frustration and almost talked himself into a booking.

It wasn't long though till Tweddle made up for it; this time a crisp passing move inside their half between Hughes, Warren and Jackson saw Jackson slip the ball into Tweddle who turned sharply and lashed the ball past the ATM keeper from close range.

They were not creating much in terms of chances; while we looked much the more likely to add to our opening goal with Chessy and Hambleton both trying their luck from distance. We had a tall side out today and the fact that we were able to put five 6 foot plus players into their area for corners was causing them lots of problems - firstly Towe (captain for the day) forced their keeper to make a save with a back post header and then Hambleton headed just over the bar with a number of other Praha players queing up behind him.

The score reamined 1-0 at half time.

The second half was more of the same really with our back four looking very comfortable in dealing with anything they created while we broke things up well in midfield and always looked threatening going forward.

We soon made it 2 nil; Ben Chessy managed to control the ball on the half way line and then volleyed the ball over their left back into the space behind him. Rich Hughes was quickly onto it and fired an excellent strike into the far corner from the right hand side of the penalty area.

At 2-0 we looked pretty comfortable and continued to create chances; firstly Tweddle was inches away from connecting with a ball in to the back post from Rich Hughes but just seemed to be in two minds whether to go for it with his head or foot. Nathan Jackson then forced their goal keeper to parry the ball away with a header from a corner and then substitute Kieren Nicholls nearly caught their keeper out with a long ball forward that bounced over his head, but a defender managed to clear off the line.

With only minutes to go they created their only clear cut chance as one of their players managed to get in behind our back four. James Oliver raced from his goal line and made an excellent save to keep our clean sheet in tact.

The man of the match award could have gone to a number of players with Aaron Evans and Ben Hambleton both superb in defence but Matt Driver just nicked the award for a very solid performance at right back.

Praha Back to Winning Ways

The Praha cruised to a 4-0 win over a young Thurlaston Magpies side as the lads were inspired by the return to the side of Matt Tweddle. The squeeky front man bagged a hat trick and the man of the match award thanks to some composed finishing.

The game started with Thurlaston on the front foot. Their young side were full of energy and running and it took us 20 minutes to get a grip on the game. They were running at us every time their midfileders picked the ball up but thanks to some solid tackling and composed defending they didn'y cause us any real problems.

We took the lead as Matt Towe sent a long free kick forward. There was some jostling on the edge of their box and it resulted in their defender flicking the ball into the path of Tweddle who cooly lobbed the keeper from the penalty spot.

This would have been a blow to them as they had been doing most of the running up until this point and it got worse for the away team 10 minutes later when Aaron Evans chipped a neat ball to the feet of Ben Chessy who turned the ball round the corner with an excellent first time pass that sent Tweddle through on goal. After rounding their keeper he was cynically brought down and the ref pointed to the spot.

Tweddle got up, dusted himself down and slotted the spot kick into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

The 2nd goal really seemed to knock the wind out of the Thurlaston side; as we started to take a grip on the game. We were starting to find more space and create more openings. It wasn't long before it was 3-0 this time one of their defenders handled the ball on the edge of his box; resulting in a free kick. Full of confidence from his opening two goals Tweddle stepped up and curled a well struck free kick around the wall and into the far bottom corner.

They continued to offer very little attacking threat - however one of their players did hit the cross bar from a pot shot from the edge of the area.

The second half saw us continue to control the game with us making much better use of the ball than them. A few of our lads were carrying knocks and due to the fact that we only had one sub it was just a case of keeping the passes simple and putting them under pressure when they had the ball. Eventually we did make the change with Johnny Ward making way with 20 minutes to go for Andy.

We added a fourth goal with ten minutes to go from Ben Chessy who latched on to a Neil Langham through ball and after rounding the keeper slotted the ball in from a tight angle for his first goal of the season. It could have been more still with Tweddle twice having goals ruled out for offside thanks to a very flag happy linesman. In the end though 4-0 was a fair reflection and a pretty good result considering we had quite an under-strength side out.

There were good performances all over the pitch - Matt Driver was very solid at right back, Aaron Evans was excellent as captain, new recruit Ammo had a good game on the right of midfield and Ben Chessy put himself about really well up front. Either one of these lads could have won the man of the match award but it was Tweddle's three goals and constant willingness to run in behind their defence that earned him this week's free pint.

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Fitness Levels mean the Praha Start the Season with a Defeat 

The Praha started the season at home to AFC Countryman and unfortunately the lack of pre-season preparation meant the fitness levels weren't what they should have been and we ended up going down 2-1.

With a few players unavailable for selection it was a tough decision to decide what starting 11 to go with but Jackson opted for:

James Oliver (GK), Matt Driver (RB), Chris Russell (LB) Matt Towe and Az Evans (CBs), Carl Chadwick (RM), Kieren Nicholls (LM), Neil Langham and Mick Warren (CMs), Nathan Jackson and Rich Hughes (CFs)

The Praha started brightly and seemed much the better team for the first 25 mins of the game. They were much more physical in the challenge and looked much more threatening going forward. It wasn't long before the ball was in the Countryman net - a long free kick up field from Matt Towe saw Jackson win the header on the edge of the Counryman box and loop it over the keeper and into the net. The referee however harshly adjudged Jackson had fouled the centre back and gave them a free kick on the edge of the box.

The game continued with them having more possession but not really causing us many problems - Driver, Evans and Towe all making some important interceptions at the back. While going forward we continued to cause them problems - we just seemed to miss that final killer pass.

They took the lead half an hour in after a long ball forward caused confusion in our box. No one took charge as their strikers reacted quickest to force the ball home. It was a blow for the lads because we were the better team up until that point. The response was very good though - a long throw from Chadwick saw Jackson win the flick on at the near post and captain for the day Neil Langham nodded the ball in at the back post for his first ever goal for the club.

The lack of fitness showed in the last 15 mins of the half as they seemed to have much more energy but still we caused them problems up front. Rich Hughes twice stung the keepers fingers - firstly from a free kick on the edge of the box and secondly from a 20 yard drive. We should have gone in 2-1 up though close to half time as Rich Hughes hung a high cross up in their area and Jackson managed to get above the goalie and centre back; only to see his header creep agonisingly wide.

At half time Ben Chessy replaced Jackson up front and the lads were told to just keep things tight, keep playing the ball to feet and make them chase the game. However the lads were dealt a blow 5 mins into the 2nd half as as they made the score 2-1 from the penalty spot. Aaron Evans managed to hold off their striker in our box and the player went to ground. As Evans tried to get to the ball to clear it he shoved the striker as tried to get to his feet and the ref gave a penalty.

James Oliver had no chance with the spot kick as their player slotted it into the corner.

Mick Warren was then substituted straight after the penalty as he was struggling with his fitness and Johnny Ward came on in midfield. The second half saw them pressing for the majority of the time with us just trying to keep it tight and defend. The lack of match fitness really showed and they dominated possession. James Oliver was needed to make a number of important stops but we managed to stand firm defensively.

We could and should have got a draw from the game as Chessy had two good chances to score; the first saw him hit the cross bar after chipping their keeper from a one on one situation, before he skied an effort over the bar from close range after good work from Rich Hughes.

Its difficult to take positives from an opening day defeat but one thing we can say is that we still created chances; even though we were struggling with our fitness. Also some of the defending was very good - we just need to cut out the silly mistakes.

A special mention though to Neil Langham who captained the side for the day and put in a quality performance in the centre of midfield; capped with his first goal for the club. Nez received the man of the match award for his performance and a well earned free pint.

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Sunday 9th of August
The Praha FC kicked off their pre-season games with a 3-2 victory over Saturday side Sapcote. Goals from Tweddle, Chessy and an own goal saw the Praha home in a match that provided the lads with a pretty good workout.

With no more pre-season games going ahead we are due to start the season against AFC Countryman on Sunday having played just the one warm up match - lets hope everyone's feeling fit because we need to start the season with a win.