HANWELL TOWN
Season 2004/05

AUGUST

The first of our fifty games season occurred on a bright and sunny afternoon when we met Bedford United & Valerio at home. Our side included Pat Gavin making a welcome return to the club after having been away for fifteen seasons. Another new face in the side was close season signing Dave Vincent. In the game Bedford took an early lead but two goals by Keith Rowlands and another by Pat gave us a comfortable half time lead and after Bedford had pulled one back, Ricky Pither confirmed our victory with our fourth goal.

Our second game was at local rivals Harefield United where we found ourselves two goals behind at the interval, but second half goals by Jason Tucker and Gary Brown earnt us a deserved point. We then met Ridgeons Eastern Counties League side Hadleigh United in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup and we recorded our most comprehensive win in this competition since we gained entry for the first time in 1988/1989. Keith and Ricky both scored two with Chris Mills and an own goal being our other scorers in our 6-1 victory. Our final game of the month saw us beat Hillingdon Borough 3-2 away in a hard fought contest that could have gone either way. Steve Nott-Macaire made his first team debut. Jason, Chris Mills and Gary Brown got our goals on the night.

SEPTEMBER

Meeting Ryman Division side Flackwell Heath away in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, we were virtually through to the next round when a rash challenge by Chris Mills deep into injury time resulted in a penalty being awarded. This was converted and the home side had earned a replay that on the day they hardly deserved. Keith and Ricky scored our goals. However, there was no doubt that Flackwell were the better side in the replay and they went through 3-2, Keith scoring both of our goals.

Back in League action we beat Royston Town 3-2 and found ourselves at the top of the League table for the first time. Lee Carroll was making the first of his four appearances in our goal before he moved on to Marlow but honours went to another debutant Dal Ya Lee who scored twice for us, the other goal coming from Scott Whall.

Next up were Hoddesdon Town who were eventually doomed to finish at the bottom of the table. Pat and Keith scored goals for us in the opening 20 minutes and whilst Hoddesdon pulled one back before the interval, we held on to secure the points.

Leverstock Green were our next opponents and when we went two up inside the first ten minutes through Keith and Ricky, another three points looked in the bag but our opponents fought back to gain a hard earnt point.

Next up were AFC Kempston in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Vase and we thumped then 9-0. We were only two ahead at half time but in the second half we scored at will. Ricky with three led the way and there were two each for Keith and Dave Vincent with Chris Boothe and Chris Mills getting the others. This game saw the welcome re-appearance of Steve Gallen. Three days later we continued our goal feast with a 6-0 win over Ruislip Manor. Keith with two, Jason, Mark Sroka and an own goal found the net for us.

OCTOBER

We maintained our top of the League position with a good 3-1 win at St Margaretsbury. We were behind at the interval but two goals by Ricky and the other by Scott Whall secured our points.

We made a number of changes for our mid week Challenge Trophy cup game at London Colney and suffered a 2-1 defeat. Steve Gallen scored our consolation goal in the final minutes. Of more concern to us was an injury to Dave Vincent that was to keep him out of Ist team action for four months. Our good League form continued with a 7-0 win over Harpenden Town Dean Harper and Keith scored twice and the others came from Chris Mills, Ricky and Chidima Nduka.

We then suffered our first League defeat of the season in a feisty contest at Welwyn Garden City. Keith scoring a late goal in our 3-1 defeat. Chris Ferdinand made his debut in this game. With the prospect of an away tie at AFC Wimbledon and with it some much needed revenue; we suffered a very disappointing 3-2 home defeat against Brimsdown Rovers in the London Senior Cup. Scott Whall and an own goal were our scorers. We suffered our third defeat in succession when Ilford beat us 5-3 after extra time in the FA Vase. Dean, Jason and Mark scored for us.

We got back to winning ways with a 3-2 win at Haywood United. Ricky headed the winning goal for us in the final minutes after Anthony and Keith Rowlands had scored. Sean James made his debut in this game


NOVEMBER

The month started with a comfortable 4-0 win over Tring Athletic in the Premier Division Cup thanks to two goals for Keith and one each for Ricky and Jason.

Holmer Green were our next visitors and with the score 0-0 at the interval few would have anticipated the second half goal feast as we ran out 5-2 winners, Keith scoring a hat trick with Ricky and Luke Sheekey getting the others.

We then avenged our earlier defeat by winning 2-1 at London Colney with goals by Pat and Jason  and followed up by beating Ruislip Manor by the same score in the Middlesex Senior Cup with a penalty by Luke and a second goal from Phil White.

Haringey Borough were our sixth victims on the trot as we won 3-1 with goals by Matt Wraight, Keith and Scott.

Tring Athletic then snatched a point with a late goal in a 1-1 draw after our captain Chris Beck had scored his first goal of the season.

DECEMBER

Langford were comfortably beaten 2-0 with goals by Scott and Keith and we then fought back from 2-0 down to draw at Leverstock Green, Chris Beck and Ricky scoring.

We then suffered only our second League defeat of the season with Broxbourne Borough humbling us 3-0 in front of our own fans.

An extra time penalty then gave Uxbridge victory over us in the Middlesex Senior Cup after Chris Mills had given us an early lead.

A last minute goal by Pat then gave us a point at Bedford United. Keith having scored earlier in the game. We finished off the year with a narrow 1-0 win over Hillingdon Borough, Chris Ferdinand scoring his first goal for the club.

JANUARY

2005 started with a great 1-0 win at Potters Bar Town, Keith scoring for us and taking us six points ahead at the top of the table.

A slightly fortunate 2-0 win at Biggleswade Town with another two for Keith was followed by a 3-3 draw with St Margaretsbury where we came back from three down thanks to goals by Keith, Ricky and Jason.

Potters Bar then gained revenge for their earlier defeat with a 1-0 win in the Premier Division Cup. We remained three points clear at the top of the League with a 2-0 win over Hoddesdon Town, Keith scoring twice.

FEBRUARY

With the League our priority the side we fielded side against Ryman Premier Division side Harrow Borough in the Middlesex Charity Cup suffered a 1-0 defeat. A good win 2-1 followed over Welwyn Garden City through goal by Chris Beck and `Jacko' Murphy who had rejoined us from Northwood.

We then threw away a two-goal lead as we lost 3-2 at Broxbourne Borough in a game in which Keith scored twice and missed two penalties.

A 3-3 draw with London Colney saw us lose our top of the table place to Potters Bar for the first time since September. Jason twice and Ricky scored against Colney. Tragically, this game is likely to have been the final time that we will see Chris Beck in action for us following his serious accident at work in the week following this game.

A 3-2 win at Harpenden Town took us back to the top with Potters Bar not in action. Scott Whall, Ricky and `Jacko' scored for us


MARCH

We started the month with three straight wins, 2-0 at Ruislip Manor with two goals by Ricky Pither. 4-1 at home to Langford with goals from `Jacko', Luke, Ricky and Pat Gavin and finally 2-0 at Haringey Borough thanks to goals from Luke and Ricky.

These wins enabled us to maintain our lead at the top of the table but we then let ourselves down in a 2-1 defeat at Holmer Green where our lack of discipline cost us dear. Two down at the interval, Keith's second half goal was too little too late.

On the Tuesday following this game we outplayed Tring Athletic for long periods of the game but without being able to convert our superiority into goals and a Tring goal in the final minutes denied us the three points, John Murphy having given us a first half lead. These dropped points plus Potters Bar winning their games in hand enabled them to go clear of us at the top of the table.


APRIL

Another last minute goal, this time by Haywood United enabled them to pull back from two down, both scored from the spot by Keith, to deny us three crucial points before our last lingering hopes of securing the League title came to an end when Potters Bar Town beat us 1-0 in a closely fought contest.

This was our third meeting of the season with Potters Bar and all three games were decided by a single goal.

Our poor end of season form continued at relegation threatened Royston Town when the third last minute goal that we had conceded in four games enabled them to sneak a 2-1 victory.

Luke Sheekey scored our first half goal. In our penultimate League game of the season we met draw specialists Harefield United and the result was almost inevitably, a draw, with us now benefiting from a late goal, Luke scoring from the spot with two minutes remaining.

Town finished the season on a winning note with a 5-1 victory over Biggleswade Town. In a game that had a distinct end of season feel about it, Biggleswade took an early lead but two goals in quick succession by John Murphy and Luke Sheekey gave Town an interval lead and second half goals followed from Scott Whall and substitutes Ricky Pither and Keith Rowlands