After progressing to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup the previous week against Northwood, the Pumas were once again back up to a full squad of 16 as we welcomed division two side A C Finchley North to Parmiters with the winners guaranteed a place in the last eight of the League Cup. H Salinger, J Mullin, L Stallard and D Flude all regained their place in the starting line up so we began with a very experienced bench containing D Noel-Williams, R Schmid, G Sumpter, C Weiss and Z Jackson. The Pumas went on the attack from the whistle and with only 2mins on the clock R Finnegan lobbed the AC keeper with a stylish finish for his 30th strike in 19 games. We were passing the ball well and creating chances at will and from one of these attacks L Stallard laid the ball off in the 6th minute for J Mullin to tuck home our second. 24 mins and the tie was over as the skipper showed his pace down the right hand side before delivering a pinpoint cross that L Stallard finished off with a composed half volley for his 3rd of the campaign and took him into double figures for his Pumas career total. All 5 subs were then brought on en masse with R Finnegan, The Foss, K Warren, A Charles & H Salinger all making way. More chances fell to the boys with the Finchley keeper saving well from DNW and ZJ but no more goals so 3 0 at the break. Second half was a bit of a damp squib as the boys stopped playing the ball short and early and to often tried to go alone especially on the wings and when we did create chances DNW, KW & ZJ all missed from close range when well placed. Another disappointment unusually for us was our poor delivery from corners as several were wasted but A Charles finally delivered a couple of perfect ones and on 65 mins R Schmid got his name on the score sheet for the third time this season for 4 0 at the final whistle. Well done to A C Finchley who put up a spirited display second half, which if they continue with for the rest of the season will surely see them stay up in the white division! R Schmid and C Weiss never gave the AC strikers a kick second half in a strong central defensive display but clearly the MOTM went to the formidable Foss who was quite simply the best player on the park! The Champions have now reached 12 consecutive Quarter-Finals, extended their unbeaten run to 17 games and have now won 8 in a row while only conceding 2 goals on that winning run. All very impressive but we will have to make a huge improvement on our second half display if we are to overcome a strong Borehamwood side in the Semi-Final of the County Cup this Sunday!!

Local derby today as the champions made the short trip to Northwood for a 3rd rd Challenge Cup tie. The boys record against our neighbours is formidable with 8 wins and 2 draws since we took over 4 years ago, but a more impressive stat was that a Pumas victory would ensure our 11th consecutive cup quarter-final, a record no other WFL side can get near!! Dejon rang in poorly so L Stallard, H Salinger, D Flude and J Mullin made up a strong bench with L Singer-Davies restored up top with the skipper. The game began with the Pumas playing up the incline into a very strong wind, we were battling well all over the park with LSD and K Warren a threat but the conditions were making our usual quick passing game almost impossible. On 8 mins a glorious KW through ball allowed R Finnegan to show off his blistering pace, racing clear but unable to convert, but it was clear the Northwood defence could not match our pace and 5 minutes later RF once again powered forward and when his powerful strike rebounded back off the left hand post, he showed good composure whilst blasting home the rebound for 1 0 .Northwood though with several new signings this season, are once again a top 4 Red Division side, infact we are the only WFL team to have defeated them all season, so it was no surprise that they came back at us strongly but J Hopkins, R Schmid, A Charles and C Weiss were all defending like warriors resulting in Northwood with the wind behind them trying their luck from distance but they found keeper L Everett in sensational form twice pulling off saves that looked goals all the way, before fingertip interventions. Late on in the half Northwood were awarded a free kick and we were lucky to survive as their skipper powered in a super strike that came back off our bar so 1 0 at the interval. At HT we spoke about the need to thread balls through along the ground with such a gale blowing now behind us, but with The Foss & G Sumpter getting out muscled in the centre we found ourselves still under some pressure. H Salinger and L Stallard settled in quickly at the back and both made some timely interventions with RS dominant in the aerial battle. With 55 mins played RF made a surging run down the left wing, cut back onto his right and delivered a super cross for KW to bamboozle their tall centre half before firing in a cracking right footed drive that gave their keeper no chance. To our opponents credit they continued to try and create chances but these were still mainly from distance but LE in goal was in a different league today making another couple of smart saves and showing great concentration to boot! So the unbeaten run continues to 16 games, yet another 1/4 final in the bag, and although not at our best, we dug in and showed great character against a physical team. Only 0ne contender for MOTM, he may have picked up the award last week but after becoming only the second player to score a perfect 10 this season [Ro the other v Wormley] L Everett was simply UNBEATABLE!!!

Today we welcomed Pinnacle F C to Parmiters for our first ever league encounter against a team who we were awarded all three points against earlier in the season when they failed to magic up any goal nets! C Weiss missed his first game of the campaign through injury whilst L Singer-Davies was absent for the 4th time in the last 10 outings again through injury. H Salinger, D Flude and J Mullin were named subs with the boys knowing that nothing less than 3pts would suffice against a side who had suffered a couple of heavy defeats when unable to field 11 players earlier this year, but with the North London outfit turning up with their strongest team of 13 a difficult game looked on the cards! We were immediately into our stride and D Noel-Williams just failed to get his feet sorted out otherwise we could have taken a 20 second lead. Pinnacle buoyed by taking points of Harvesters earlier in the season were clearly up for the battle and after a 5th minute screamer was brilliantly turned around for a corner by L Everett in goal he again came to the rescue when our defence completely switched off and LE smothered the danger when their striker should have done better! This though was to be Pinnacles last real threat on the double champions goal as we completely took control after a brilliant solo run and finish by skipper R Finnegan after 7 minutes gave us the early breakthrough. Watford F C trialist D Noel-Williams added his first and when K Warren showed great composure on 15 minutes in creating a yard of space for himself in a crowded box it was game over as his powerful right footed strike gave their keeper no chance. The Pumas were now in full flow with excellent passing and movement all over the pitch and after some hard graft from Z Jackson winning the ball back deep in our own half a quick J Hopkins throw once again sent the skipper clear and he finished off in style for his 28th of the season, so 4 0 at the interval. J Mullin and D Flude took over on the right side and H Salinger was already on having a fine game making his 170th appearance. We spoke at HT about the importance of the front two linking up in partnership more often and within a minute a brilliant RF through ball was cleverly diverted under the keeper from 15yards by DNW for his 5th goal in 2 games and took his personal tally up to 18. J Mullin who was creating havoc down the right side then drove at their left back and his cross/shot made it 6 0 and 20 minutes still to play. Substitutions were now taking place every 5 minutes with only keeper LE playing a full 70 minutes but this still never interrupted our free flowing style as we totally dominated. Goal no 7 was a ZJ penalty, and G Sumpter was very subtle in lifting the ball over the now tormented keeper with a left footed dink shot for 8 0 and a late OG rounded off another fine win and extended our unbeaten run to 15 games, 14 of them victories!! Some top notch displays today, all 3 subs gave a good account of themselves when coming on, J Hopkins showed his quality at left back, KW & ZJ produced some magical wing play which was converted by the WFL most deadly duo up top of RF& DNW, whilst G Sumpter and the brilliant Foss anchored the whole performance together, but MOTM was awarded to stopper L Everett who twice kept us in the game with top notch saves that if they had gone in would have lifted an already psyched up side and it could have resulted in a completely different score line as Pinnacle without doubt have some very talented players but today they came up against a formidable side who are currently on fire!!!

First game of 2012 and the champions faced a 70 mile round trip over the border to Essex to face a very strong Bishop Stortford side. Our opponents fell at the semi-final stage last season and having won their last 3 games by 5 goals in the prestigious EJA league they came into the game in fine form. The Pumas only defeat this season was way back on Sept 18th and so we were looking to extend our unbeaten run to 14 games so a classic was on the cards between 2 of the favourites to lift the biggest prize of all. All 16 boys were available so we began with a solid looking bench of L Stallard, J Mullin, L Everett, D Flude and L Singer-Davies. Having won the toss captain R Finnegan under orders selected to switch around so we would be playing downhill, with a swift breeze behind us as we looked to take an early advantage. This ploy backfired as BSFC made a strong start, bossing the midfield whilst looking lively up top but with the back four all battling well we restricted them to no real shots to worry keeper R Schmid despite them enjoying the bulk of possession. The game then changed on 10 mins when A Charles showed superb technique with a blistering volley from an angled 25 yard drive that their tall keeper got a finger to diverting the ball onto the bar and post and then blocked the follow up from K Warren, this seemed to inspire the Pumas and we were now dominating and after Z Jackson won a corner with a jinking run, the same player then delivered a perfect corner that was powerfully met by the head of D Noel-Williams to give us the crucial breakthrough. ZJ was then unfortunate to see his shot miss by inches at the back post and several Puma corners were scrambled clear as Stortford hang on so 1 0 at the interval. Second half and after an even first 5 mins L Stallard was brought on for H Salinger to shore up the defence with C Weiss now sweeping behind AC and LS quickly settled in and went on to have a strong game, likewise LSD who was also now on chased and harried all over the pitch but still showed his quality when on the ball. On 55 mins following a huge punt from their keeper CW made his one mistake of the game with his mistimed header setting their pacy new striker clear and he finished well to level things up. BSFC with the wind and slope now with them looked the favourites but the boys desperate to make it 3 county finals in 4 years showed their character and were back in front within 2 mins. DNW picked up the ball with his back to goal, rolled his marker, cut in from the by-line and toe poked the ball in off the post for a brilliant strikers goal to restore the lead. We still needed a third to kill off a fine BSFC team and this came on 66 mins when following on from a goalmouth scramble DNW completed his hatrick with a poachers finish for his 123rd goal in just 112 games of top flight football a remarkable achievement! On 68 mins LSD found himself through on goal from the halfway line but a combination of strong defending and another bobble on what was a poor pitch meant we had to settle for a 3 1 victory over a fine side who certainly gave us one hell of a game and were very gracious in defeat! So the boys outstanding record of only losing to two teams in the last four years of county football remains intact, Wormley have already been dispatched while Barnet Azzurri made it through to the other semi where they will face a tough opponent in Hemel Aces while we will travel to Borehamwood for an all WFL semi- final against a team who even though we have scored 8 goals against without conceding in our two league battles will prove to be a strong opponent but if we stay free of illness and injury and continue our current fine form then the boys have a good chance of making it to county headquarters on March 4th!! Some fine performances today with LS and LSD both coming off the bench and playing their part in a memorable victory, Greg, Ro, DNW and Ash gave everything but MOTM was awarded to C Weiss who time and again showed bravery in the tackle and great intelligence with his covering helping to restrict a top team to only one real chance of note!!

Last game of 2011and we faced another long trip to Enfield to take on habitual strugglers Omonia Green in the Red Division. The match had to be delayed by 45 minutes from the scheduled KO to allow for the pitch to thaw before the referee gave the green light for the game to take place, Greg was having his second cricket academy trial for Middlesex, whilst Zak was out with a knee injury so we started with D Flude, L Singer-Davies and J Mullin on the bench. The boys were a little sluggish in the opening exchanges but still created a couple of chances, the best falling to D Noel-Williams who dragged a right foot shot just wide of the Omonia post when well placed, then on 10 mins R Finnegan gave us the breakthrough deflecting a shot off their defender following a well delivered H Salinger free kick. 15 mins and another HS cross was knocked down by A Charles and once again finished off by the skipper resulting in RF winning the end of season managers goal target award with his 25th of a very productive campaign to date. With the boys now in control it was frustrating when within a minute a speculative cross/shot from fully 30 yards sailed over L Everett in goal and ended our recent 3 game run without conceding. The goal had a negative effect on the boys and despite still creating several excellent chances to extend the lead, one a double effort from the impressive K Warren who found both the bar and post within seconds we stopped passing the ball with the same pace and accuracy and so came into the break with just a narrow 2 1 lead. Second half and with the snow storm now past we began at a much better pace with The Foss and KW controlling the midfield and a new back four of D Flude, R Schmid, C Weiss and A Charles looking comfortable many more chances were created and from one of these RF completed yet another hatrick with a toe poke into the bottom right hand corner to restore our two goal advantage, then within 60 seconds DNW who up to that point had been ineffective scored a brilliant solo effort showing great strength in shrugging off several attempted tackles from defenders in green shirts, before cutting back in from the by-line and then slotting past the keeper to guarantee extending this current undefeated run to 13 games. This inspired DNW and on 57 mins a super RF corner was met powerfully by DNW for his 13th of the season and with the referee with whistle in mouth there was just enough time for KW to turn inside the box and poke home his 15th goal in 15 games a superb return on his first half of the season from midfield. Great to reach xmas without losing a match to the weather and with only the very early defeat to Harvesters when we had several key players missing it has been another stunning first half to the season. Several contenders for MOTM with RF, AC, KW and The Foss all having productive games but H won the award, who recovered from a poor performance the previous week to have a strong game even though I asked him to play right midfield, sweeper and finally up top and he did well in all three positions!

League action today as we welcomed promoted Borehamwood Youth to Parmiters today on a damp. cloudy but frost free morning as we reached the half way stage in our league campaign. Despite thrashing the Woods 6 0 earlier in the season we warned the boys beforehand to expect a tough game against a team who despite being currently bottom of the table, have reached the last 8 of the county and are still in both domestic cups and who I fully expect to comfortably avoid relegation despite not yet managing a single victory in the elite division! LSD rang in poorly so we began with L Stallard, H Salinger, R Schmid and J Mullin warming the imaginary bench!! Playing once again on the large u16s pitch we started ok but with several of the Pumas off school sick in the week we seemed to be missing our usual physicality and on 8 minutes we conceded our first penalty in 2 years as C Weiss was rather harshly punished for handball when the ball was blasted at him from close range, but that said if you raise your arms in the box then you cant really complain. Up stepped the Borehamwood player to blast a poor penalty straight over the bar so still all even. We slowly started to get a foothold in the game with Z Jackson and The Foss going close then D Noel-Williams looked like he had given us the breakthrough but their linesman called it offside. 31 mins on the clock and some aggressive forward play from DNW saw him win the ball back from the woods centre half, then supply R Finnegan whose crisp low right foot shot from just inside the box slid under the body of the otherwise tidy Woods keeper for 1 0. Minutes later the hard working K Warren showed great composure in creating a super chance for himself but for once he fluffed his one on one opportunity so just a narrow one goal advantage going into the break! Second half and by now playing into an ever increasing wind the Pumas found themselves under increasing pressure from corners and long range efforts without L Everett in goal who was steady throughout ever really being seriously threatened but with the back four reshuffled to L Stallard, R Schmid, C Weiss and J Hopkin we regained our composure and began to create chances ourselves, with DNW up top in particular proving a handful with his powerful running and from one of his surges into the box we missed a gilt edged opportunity as first the skipper completely missed his kick from 6 yards, then J Mullin shot straight over from 8 yards with their keeper completely stranded. With 5 minutes left R Finnegan finally made sure of the win with a fantastic lobbed finish from fully 25 yards for his 23rd of the season meaning he is now just a couple short of reaching his personal target set at the beginning of the season, a tremendous effort. The sign of a great team is to win when under par and that is exactly what the boys achieved today against a decent Borehamwood side who we have now completed a league double over, scoring 8 without conceding against a side who are quite capable of nicking points off our nearest rivals as the season progresses! Tough choice for MOTM today as no one in particular stood out with several boys all having decent games but The Foss picked up the accolade for giving 100% effort throughout, despite still suffering from his groin injury.

The Pumas were looking to extend their unbeaten run to 11 games as we faced the long trip up the A1 to take on Hitchin Town Hawks in the 5th round of the County Cup. Our opponents were in excellent form this season and just like ourselves currently sat in second place in their Red Division of the Royston Crow League, so another tough game to look forward to. We were now back to full strength and decided to go with a 4 5 1 formation with D Noel-Williams, L Stallard, D Flude, L Everett and J Mullin on the bench. Playing on a very narrow pitch, time on the ball was at a premium but after a cagey first 5 minutes where both teams seemed to be weighing each other up the Pumas began to take a stranglehold on precedings with claret & blue shirts suddenly first to every tackle and header. We were bossing possession without creating any gilt edged chances then C Weiss looking for his first goal of the campaign hit an angled screamer from 25 yards that the excellent Hawks keeper somehow got a finger to diverting the ball from the top corner. With the pitch so tight we switched back to our usual 4 4 2 with DNW replacing L Singer-Davies on 20 mins and within 2 minutes a superb K Warren cross was headed just wide by DNW from 6 yards. The pressure was know relentless with the back four of C Weiss, A Charles, H Salinger and J Hopkins completely dominating the Towns forwards whilst The Foss and G Sumpter were busy not only in breaking up all of Hitchin's attempted forays but were setting up our front 4 with intelligent passing as well. On 24 mins the deadlock was broken after The Foss was felled in the box and a confident Z Jackson struck a devastating penalty to give the champions the breakthrough they deserved. K Warren then robbed the Hawks left back and his cross was met again by ZJ but this time he hit a post but on 28 mins following a goalmouth scramble KW found the net for our second and his 5th county goal keeping him top scorer for the Pumas in this competition so far. More chances came and went begging as both A Charles with his powerful long throws and ZJ with his whipped in corners all seemed to find the head of R Finnegan who was having a storming game up top, but no more goals so a handy 2 0 lead at the break! The second period was again dominated by the Pumas with not a single shot to worry R Schmid in goal as we stepped up our passing game, but we finally put the game to bed from a straightforward AC throw and flick on header from the skipper for his 21st of the season and his 120th as a Puma. With L Stallard, L Everett, J Mullin and D Flude all now on the multiple substitutions were all seamless as we searched for another which again came from a AC throw that was flicked home by DNW for his 11th of the season and our 4th consecutive County Quarter Final was guaranteed!! With 3 top teams in Broxbourne Borough, Wormley and know Hitchin all well beaten, the boys will go into their last 8 tie away at Bishop Stortford on the 8th of Jan in superb form but this is the stage we fell at needlessly last term but hopefully the lessons have been learnt! The Pumas second consecutive clean sheet against top opposition was most pleasing as we seemed to have stopped letting in the sloppy goals from earlier in the year and with the back 4 looking very solid backed up by RS in goal we march on in all 4 competitions as we see out 2011. MOTM was a tricky one with JH AC CW GS and The Foss all outstanding but the accolade went to Z Jackson who not only notched his 12th of the season but set up numerous opportunities with his pinpoint crossing and set plays!!

Turned up with full squad at 9.20 for a 10am ko. Referee decided to postpone game at 10.25 as Pinnacle still could not arrange any goal nets and no ID cards!! WFL awarded us the 3 points. Pinnacle refused our offer of friendly despite us turning up on time with 16 boys and many irate parents!! TOTAL SHAMBLES!!! Next week 5th Rd County Cup, hopefully Hitchin Town have nets!

Today we welcomed early league leaders Whetstone Tigers to Parmiters for a top of the table clash and with just a single point dividing the WFL two most successful teams another tense game was on the cards. Zak was again picked for the Watford academy team, this week facing Chelsea so we started with a bench of L Everett, D Flude, J Mullin and L Singer-Davies. Once again playing on the large u16s pitch a heavy fog had descended onto the surrounding area but the referee was happy for the game to get under way. Within minutes it was evident that Tigers recent signings were all top quality and committed players and that the Pumas would have to be totally focused and committed themselves if we were going to get anything from the game. 5 mins in and R Schmid in goal made a stunning one handed save to deny Tigers the early advantage and this would turn out to be the only real shot by either side that forced a save from either keeper. R Finnegan and D Noel-Williams up top were being well shackled by the strong Tigers defenders as was the case at the other end with the excellent A Charles playing with a fractured knuckle bravely winning numerous headers and tackles, along with C Weiss, H Salinger and J Hopkins all defending well, but it was Whetstone who were moving the ball with more fluency and accuracy and from one of these moves RS had to save bravely again at the feet of the Tigers striker. LSD was brought on for L Stallard and the rest of the half continued in the same vein with the game played out mainly in the midfield with both defences remaining dominant so goalless at the break. Second half and after the first 10 mins remained very tight the Pumas then began to shade possession, after a couple of decent looking situations were halted by last gasp Tigers defending, DNW finally broke clear of his man marker and looked to have given The Champions the breakthrough, only to find that the Whets lino had once again raised his flag for offside. J Mullin replaced the Foss and his strong running was creating room but once again the final touch always seemed to be a defenders and so the game ended 0 0 meaning Tigers remained unbeaten but we stay in second spot, still just a point behind and hot on their heels! A fair result on reflection with neither side deserving to lose, although not at our best today with several key players looking a tad jaded after school rugby/footie the previous day this should ease in the New Year which is when historically we play our best football. R Schmid playing only his second ever game in goal looked very assured, A Charles is just a class act and every managers dream as so consistent wherever asked to play and always with a super attitude but today's MOTM was G Sumpter, working his socks off in the middle, breaking up numerous attempted Tigers attacks a role that is often overlooked and not appreciated but always vital in title winning teams!

After last weeks heroics in the County Cup it was back to league action this weekend with the boys knowing that a victory would take them back to within a point of Whetstone Tigers who we host next week. With Daniel away and Zak called up for WFC academy to play Stevenage the last thing we needed was an injury to Ash playing school rugby the previous day that required an x-ray to the hand that proved nothing broken just soft tissue damage plus muscle inflammation to Lukas meant we were down to just the one sub! Half an hour before ko and L Stallard arrived with a blinding headache but after warming up we decided to give him 10 minutes to see how he faired so G Sumpter was the lonely figure on the Pumas bench. Any concerns about the boys thinking it might be one of those days was quickly put to bed when on 3 mins an excellent H Salinger corner was side footed home from 6 yards by D Noel-Williams for the early breakthrough. 5 mins later and a clumsy handball was spotted by the ref and H Sailnger stepped forward and with great certainty dispatched the ball into the bottom corner for his first goal of the season. 11 mins and a poor touch from right-back C Weiss lead to a clumsy tackle and so a free kick was awarded needlessly 30 yards from goal. R Schmid won the initial header that looped in the air and instead of clearing at the second attempt he headed back into the area where their new signing headed home a looping header from 15 yards a very poor goal to concede all around. The champions responded well though and quickly took the game back to Aldenham and with G Sumpter now on and in commanding form in the middle along with The Foss, K Warren a constant threat it was no surprise when DNW crossed for R Finnegan to restore the 2 goal advantage. Goal number 4 was simply outstanding as DNW picked up the ball 40 yards from goal, drove at the Tigers defence with speed and power avoiding several attempted tackles before surging into the box and finishing from 15 yards with his left foot, for 4 1 at the interval. Tigers with several boys now back from injury were a much improved outfit to the team we destroyed 12 1 the previous month in the cup and this was proved when they narrowed the lead to 4 2 with another stunning individual goal. On 49 mins a glorious 40 yard pass from RS playing his 150th game for the Pumas sent the skipper through one on one with their keeper and once again he showed great composure in finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box for his 20th strike of the campaign. 55 mins and L Stallard now playing right midfield with J Mullin doing a good job as stand in right-back, took a cross from HS down with his right foot and blasted a sweet left foot shot leaving the keeper rooted to the spot for 6 2. Tigers continued to battle and when we gave away another silly free kick from 25 yards, a looping effort found the corner for 6 3. With 10 minutes remaining KW finally put the game to bed with a quick fire brace the second a great individual effort lifting the ball up and over the last defender before unleashing a powerful volley that the Tigers keeper got a hand to but could not keep out so 8 3 and job done!! 8 straight victories is impressive, as is 72 goals scored in the opening 10 games but still much work to be done defensively as 17 goals conceded is not good enough by our high standards, not helped by the free kicks given away and the goals conceded directly from them. GS and The Foss played very well in midfield and DNW was back to his best up top but MOTM was awarded to L Stallard, who after being left on the bench last weekend showed the reaction I was looking for in not sulking and instead showed good character in putting in a solid performance despite clearly not feeling 100%, scoring a cracking goal and putting himself back in the frame for the Whetstone game!

Today we welcomed to Parmiters the most dominant side in Hertfordshire over the last 5 years Wormley Rovers! Now riding high in the prestigious Eastern Alliance League after winning 4 straight Red Division titles in 3 separate leagues, numerous domestic cups and 13 tournament wins as well as attempting to reach their 4th consecutive County final, with the 2009 and 2010 victories over ourselves in the final at the county ground, so clearly the ultimate test to see just where we sit at the table of champions!! All 16 Pumas avail so the bench contained L Everett, D Flude, J Mullin, L Stallard and L Singer Davies. Playing on the large u16s pitch after a request from Parmiters to move pitches we began very brightly despite playing into a fairly robust wind and several early chances went begging. Defensively we looked very strong and well balanced with both fullbacks C Weiss and J Hopkin in commanding form, A Charles a powerhouse at centre half, while despite an early knock H Salinger marshalled his back line quite brilliantly. The midfield duo of G Sumpter and The Foss were smothering any threat from the influential Wormley midfield while out wide the silky skills of Z Jackson and K Warren were creating chances galore for the front pairing of D Noel-Williams and R Finnegan who put in a first half performance that was as good as I have ever witnessed from any Puma. After having one goal already chalked off for offside, Wormley were forced into two early changes but nothing could stop this show of Puma power and after their keeper saved from DNW when clean through plus a couple of ZJ chances we finally made the breakthrough on 22 mins after ZJ once again teased their right back, reached the by-line then delivered a peach of a cross that their hapless defender turned into his own net. Wormley were still always a threat going forward and R Schmid in goal saved smartly from a difficult bouncing ball but with the watch ticking down to H/T we were dealt a blow when DNW was taken off with a cut lip and painful chest after showing his usual bravery and so he was replaced with LSD. With the last chance of the half A Charles delivered another trademark Rory throw that was flicked on by the skipper and toed home from 3 yards by the quick thinking KW to give the champions a thoroughly deserved 2 0 interval lead. No changes were deemed necessary and on 40 mins KW now in his striker roll was hacked down in the box and ZJ took the responsibility of the spot kick, striking the ball low and powerful beyond the keeper for 3 0. Wormley then showed their character in fighting back, R Schmid should have come and punched a Wormley corner and in not doing so left their player with a free header for 3 1. On 50 minutes LSD who was now up top with KW back in midfield picked up the ball and from 30 yards picked his spot with a stunning strike leaving their keeper with no chance so 4 1. Knowing the next goal would seal a famous victory we piled on the pressure and scored a 5th but with our boys off celebrating the Wormley linesman claimed the ball had not gone over the line, when it looked a couple of yards over and the referee had to accept the decision! This unsettled the boys and when a rare J Hopkin mistake was seized on by their pacy forward, RS did well to save the initial shot but the rebound was converted and so game still on at 4 2. This then became 4 3 with 12 mins still on the clock and a game that we had bossed looked like it could slip away. Chances were still being created at either end. Two delicious KW passes found RF and LSD but were well saved while at the other end the Wormley striker burst through and shot powerfully at RS who stood firm and AC then headed clear the follow up. The tension on the line for both sets of supporters was huge but with a minute left RF converted his 18th of the season following a goal mouth scramble and Wormleys 5 year domination of the County Cup was over. Make no mistake Rovers are a fantastic team and will go on to lift many more trophies but this current crop of Pumas is the best ever and if we can maintain our current form we will continue to be in contention for all the major trophies. For the first time in 4 years as manager I awarded the MOTM trophy to the whole squad as it was impossible to pick out a single player when so many had played their part.

An early start for the Pumas today as we made the long trip down the M1 to Muswell Hill for our first ever tie against division 4 outfit Finchley Revolution in the 2nd Rd of the Challenge Cup. With The Foss injured due to a foot injury and Dejon away we started with H Salinger, L Singer-Davies and keeper L Everett on the bench meaning R Schmid was once again between the posts. Playing on a very narrow pitch the game was quite congested early on but G Sumpter and K Warren soon took control of the middle of the park playing some neat through balls that we failed to convert. With Z Jackson flagged offside on several occasions he was moved back into his familiar left midfield role and LSD was brought on early up top and we instantly looked far better balanced. On 16 mins another delightful KW through ball was latched onto by top scorer R Finnegan and slotted past the keepers left hand post and within a minute the lead was doubled when a superb ZJ cross was once again finished off by the skipper for his and our second. 20 mins and J Mullin forced his way through to slot home number 3 and 5 mins later RF returned the favour when his cross was converted by ZJ for 4 0 at the break. L Everett replaced RS in goal who was joined in his usual central defence position by H Salinger. L Stallard came back on for D Flude and the combative C Weiss who was having another storming game was moved to right midfield for JM. The Pumas continued with their fine passing game but we missed several gilt edged chances so RF was rested with JM back on and KW moved to centre forward. This paid instant dividends when KW took a difficult high ball down with his chest, then knee before with his back to goal looped the ball over the Finchley keeper for one of the individual goals of the season. 50 mins and a high L Stallard cross was edged on by KW and headed home by ZJ on the line and 5 mins later another fine cross from KW was bravely headed home by ZJ to complete his hatrick and send him into double figures for the season. On the hour mark and a superb CW pass found the talented feet of LSD who made no mistake for goal number 8. G Sumpter replaced RS and RF came back on for KW in search of another hatrick which came within minutes as he tapped home from 2 feet and a minute later made it 10 after a shot from ZJ was scuffed but found the feet of RF for his 17th goal from the opening 8 games! A very strong performance today against a Finchley side who never gave up but were clearly not on the same level which resulted in neither RS or LE having to make a single save. ZJ was a constant thorn in the side with his brilliant wing play and a treble to boot! KW LSD GS and CW were all excellent in their changing midfield and forward roles, J Hopkins was his usual composed self exhibiting real quality on the ball but MOTM was awarded to A Charles who first half won every aerial challenge, showed great feet when coming forward and when moved in to midfield showed his strength on the ball with a fine array of quality passing

The Pumas made the short journey to Queens to take on fellow Red Division side Aldenham Tigers in the 2nd Rd of the League Cup. Attempting to reach our third consecutive final we would have to overcome the loss of 3 players with Harry Zak and Lukas all away for the half-term break so just Z Jackson and D Flude on the bench today. Aldenham were also missing several key players and after a poor start to their season a tie against the champions was the last thing they needed! Playing on a huge pitch was only ever going to increase our chances of dominating and after just 3 minutes a huge dropkick from stand-in keeper R Schmid created havoc in the Tigers backline resulting in their central defender lifting the ball over his own keeper and into a empty net for the early breakthrough. J Mullin was showing some good wing play and on 13 mins his cross was tucked home by captain R Finnegan to double the boys advantage.One minute later and another JM cross was flicked on by D Noel Williams and finished neatly by RF. D Flude and Z Jackson were already introduced to the action as the Pumas created chances at will. On 23mins L Stallard crossed and the excellent K Warren once again showed what a good header of the ball he is becoming with a cunning backward header that looped over the stranded keeper for 4 0. With the boys still celebrating their tremendous start the defence momentarily lost concentration leaving their striker free to strike home from 8 yards. Half an hour played and RF completed a first half hatrick after another JM cross and DNW flick on.Not content with a treble RF then picked up a D Flude pass just inside the Aldenham half before showing devastating pace to run fully 50 yards outstripping their defence before showing good composure in slotting past the keeper for 6 1 at the break. Second half was a similar story of complete Puma domination with KW pulling the strings from his now central midfield position. R Schmid was back in his usual position of centre half with A Charles now between the sticks and with C Weiss showing great awareness as sweeper more goals were always going to follow. 2 minutes in and a clever run and fine pass from ZJ picked out the skipper for his 5th and our 7th and on 45mins another glorious KW through ball was smashed home by ZJ. The double hatrick was completed by RF from close range on 52 mins and a minute later we hit double figures once again when a sublime KW chip was fumbled by the over worked keeper and crept over the line. On 56mins DNW powered through and was unlucky to see his right foot shot come back off the post but the alert J Mullin smashed home the rebound for his first of the season and there was just enough time for R Finnegan to rewrite the Puma record books becoming the first ever player to find the net 7 times in one game. Both C Weiss and K Warren had excellent games but clearly there was only ever going to be one winner of the MOTM trophy, The Magnificent Seven Rohan!!

Back to league action today with the boys knowing that 3 pts would lift them back into second spot and just a point behind early pacesetters Whetstone Tigers. L Stallard and D Noel-Williams were recalled to the starting line up so D Flude, J Mullin, C Weiss, A Charles and L Singer-Davies filled the subs bench. Back in April the Pumas had smashed 8 without reply against Maccabi and within minutes it was very clear that the same result was on the cards! On 7 mins R Finnegan chased a through ball and by sheer determination outpaced their centre half and keeper to give us the early lead we deserved.Goal number 2 was a delight, L Stallard played a long ball out from defence that the skipper flicked on to the feet of DNW who finished quite brilliantly from 15 yards out. Within 4 mins he helped himself to another, after Z Jacksons right foot corner came back out to him he switched to his left and fired in a marvelous left footed cross that DNW headed home for 3 0. Both central defenders were already rested such was the boys dominance and on 19 mins K Warren continued with his recent excellent goalscoring run when after a quick throw from the excellent J Hopkins, RF once again flicked on for KW to power home from 6 yards. A Charles only just on went forward for another ZJ corner and powered home with his left foot for 5 0 and still only 21 mins on the clock. The Pumas were in total control and played some delightful one touch football so it came as something of a shock when after some poor defending we conceded from a corner in the final seconds so 5 1 at the break. With the game out of sight there were many substitutions second period which did disrupt our fluency but we still ran in another 4 goals. 42 mins on the clock and KW broke at pace and when his shot was initially well saved by the over worked Maccabi keeper RF was following up to head home his second. A poor goalkick was then pounced on by their forward for 6 2 and with Lewis missing next weeks cup game R Schmid was given his first ever stint between the sticks. On 47 mins a quick LS throw was flicked on by DNW and finished off by G Sumpter. The final two strikes were all down to the wing play of J Mullin. On 50 minutes a quality cross from a quick GS corner was met at the back post by DNW for his hatrick then 3 minutes later D Flude found JM for another fine cross for DNW 4th and the champions 9th to run out 9 2 winners which means the Pumas have found the net 32 times already this season in only 5 league outings which is double that of leaders Tigers!! Another huge plus is that where are rivals are reliant on one or two strikers for their goals, are front four are on fire with Dejon on 8, Ro and K on 7 and Zak on 6! No outstanding player today but the MOTM award was presented to J Mullin who more than anyone second half drove us forward providing several top level crosses and was unlucky not to score himself seeing a backpost shot come back off the post

County Cup action for the Pumas this week with the boys drawn against one of the pre-tournament contenders in the shape of Broxbourne Borough.Our hosts finished Red Division runners up last season in the much respected Mid Herts league, just a single point behind county runners up Wormley but some ten points clear of county champions Barnet Azzurri so clearly a real test for our lads. Playing at the senior teams huge and impressive staduim and on a large pitch that was always going to suit us as were blessed with so much pace up front and with the quality of our midfielders passing range we went into this 3rd rd tie full of confidence.All 16 available so another strong bench of D Flude, D Noel-Williams, J Mullin, L Singer-Davies and L Stallard. 1 minute on the clock and the perfect start, A Charles played in R Finnegan whose cushioned pass was perfect for K Warren to slot past the keeper for 1 0. 2 minutes on the clock and 1 1. a bizarre goal to give away as both central defenders and midfielders failed to clear and their pacy striker hit a powerful shot that L Everett got a hand to but just failed to keep out. The Pumas response was terrific though and we looked like scoring with every attack and after RF had just missed a good chance to restore our lead when one on one with their keeper the skipper made no such mistake in the 25th minute when he showed terrific pace to leave the Boro defence stranded before rounding their goalkeeper for 2 1. Z Jackson was once again tormenting his opponent showing some sublime touches and after his corner had been cleared he then crossed to perfection for KW to bravely head home from close range for 3 1 at the break. LSD came off the bench to make his 125th appearence alongside both LS and DF both making their 150th. DNW was now also on and helped create several excellent chances that we somehow managed to miss and as always happens when you fail to finish off a team when so on top we paid the price when a long range shot found the top corner for 3 2. Once again the 2 goal margin was restored after a LSD shot was fumbled and KW tapped home for his 6th goal in just 2 games. BBFC came back again and only a truely outstanding save from L Everett kept it that way but after we conceded a needless freekick on the edge of the box it was a fine strike from their impressive captain that made it 4 3 with 8 minutes left. C Weiss and ZJ were brought back on to shore things up and this move was justified when CW twice snuffed out danger intelligently shuffling their striker out of the danger zone while with a minute on the clock remaining ZJ showed great skill in first drawing their keeper into a ridiculous lunge resulting in a stonewall penalty that he then dispatched for a nervy but deserved 5 3 victory. Several contenders for MOTM, Lewis improving with every game, Ryan gave a good account at centre half as did Jonny at left back, Fossey won countless tackles in midfield whilst Zak was his usual creative self but Kieran was voted star man, not just for his fine treble but for the way he dropped back deep creating space for the midfield runners who he then found with some wonderful passing.

The champions travelled to Cass Park for their first ever encounter against a Borehamwood side that had cruised to the White Division title last season without suffering a single defeat. Once again we were at full strength and with another glorious day of sunshine forecast and a decent pitch to play on all bode well for a good performance. Borehamwood were committed from the whistle and showed some good early pace up front but the Pumas were playing the passing game to better effect and when J Hopkins took a quick throw to R Finnegan who outpaced their rightback with ease and then found strike partner D Noel-Williams he showed good skill in pulling back inside to his favoured right side before slotting home for a 6th minute lead. Although in control at the back and with The Foss and C Weiss bossing the midfield you could sense we needed a second to settle any nerves, then on 24 mins DNW and L Singer-Davies combined down the right hand side which resulted in DNW 4th goal of the campaign. G Sumpter came on and quickly established himself in the middle of the park while K Warren also came off the bench and fired in a couple of fine shots that tested their keeper so 2 0 at the interval. We discussed the importance of attacking them from both flanks with support from the fullbacks and with D Flude and J Mullins on the right and J Hopkins and KW on the left taking the instructions on board we built the foundation for a quite outstanding performance. KW opened his Puma account in the 42nd minute and went on to complete a 14 minute hatrick with a clever header and a goalbound long range strike that was deflected on the way. L Stallard enjoying his freedom in midfield fired home his first of the season from 18 yards after a good work from Z Jackson and despite several other near misses we settled for a fine 6 0 victory. Make no mistake Borehamwood are a good side and will cause problems for many top teams this term but the boys pass and move football today was a joy to watch and resulted in our opponents biggest ever defeat. At one stage in the second half after another super team move I looked at the subs bench and it contained Harry, Dejon, Foss, Ryan and Connor! Now thats when you know your blessed with an incredible squad!!! All 16 boys put in a shift today, Lewis showed good hands and stood up well late on to secure his second clean sheet, Kieron finally free from injury looked the quality player I knew I had signed and Connor and Ash performed well in several positions but MOTM went to J Hopkins who was solid in defence and technically almost perfect going forward linking up with both Foss and KW which resulted in numerous goalscoring opportunities.

For the first time this season we were up to the full allocation of 16 Pumas so the returning Foss was joined on the bench by L Singer-Davies,J Mullin, D Flude, and A Charles. With such a powerful line up D Noel-Williams and R Finnegan were reminded that their 2 outings to date had not reached their usual high standards and that improvement was needed in the September sunshine! Their response was typical with both opening their accounts for the season with a goal each inside the first 2 minutes, with the skipper scoring his 100th puma goal a fantastic achievement. G Sumpter had to be replaced with a hip injury but The Foss playing his first game of the season quickly slotted back into things and along with C Weiss took control of the midfield.The defence were once again brilliantly marshalled by H Salinger meaning keeper L Everett was a mere spectator for most of the half as the boys completely dominated a poor Whetstone Pumas side who without a recognised keeper and still managerless somehow found themselves above us in the league table at the start of play. A brace from Z Jackson, the second from a magnificent K Warren cross was finished off with a fine left foot volley so 4 0 at the break. DF and JM were brought on the right hand side and created several chances while A Charles and LSD already into the action were both having super games.Another 8 goals were added to the tally with Fossy opening his account, R Schmid making it 2 goals from 3 starts with a 30 yard freekick that sailed over the Whetstone keeper and edged in off the left hand post, DNW and J Hopkins both turning out for the 100th time added another goal apiece, DNW a stunning shot after a sublime KW flick following good defensive work from JM, RF completed his hatrick calmly slotting home twice when finding himself one on one with their stand-in stopper while ZJ went straight to the top of the scoring charts by adding another 4 to his total to make it 5 in 3 starts.So a hugely impressive performance from the champions, LE in goal kept his first clean sheet and recieved his first assist with a brilliant 60 yard drop kick that put DNW clean through only for last seasons Red Division leading goalscorer to unselfishly pass to JH for his goal. L Stallard continued his excellent early season form whilst LSD and Fossy earned a starting place next week with quality displays. All the frontline played their part with DNW, RF and ZJ sharing 9 goals but MOTM was awarded to the sweeper H Salinger, who with his intelligent reading of the backline and several aggresive but perfectly timed tackles helped build the foundation for the Pumas biggest win since putting 13 without reply against Ashwell back in January.

The Pumas first home game of the new season saw us up against old rivals and double cup winners Harvesters North, and with the boys crowned back to back champions this was clearly a tie between the best two teams in the WFL. With the influential Foss still abroad we were dealt a real blow when his central midfield partner G Sumpter and the inform A Charles both reported feeling unwell before ko. This appeared to dampen the boys spirits, resulting in a slow start which saw us go a goal behind after 20 from a wonderful long range strike that L Everett could only watch fly into his top left hand corner. Finally we began to compete and a fine cross from L Stallard was headed just wide by D Noel-Williams but with better communication we would have levelled as K Warren was better placed to finish. Z Jackson whipped in a fine corner that was helped on by R Finnegan but no one read and there was a couple of speculative efforts from ZJ and KW that the talented Harvesters keeper dealt with. Second half was just as tight but the next goal was vital and after KW had began to insert some pressure when moved up front, L Everett failed to hold a long range strike and their forward tapped home for 2 0. within 5 minutes the Pumas were back in the game after ZJ kept a cool head to slot past their advancing keeper, only for poor marking from a corner resulted in their smallest player in the box wrapping up the points with a header. To many of the boys lost their personnal battles all over the park and if we are to make it a treble of titles a big improvement is required from back to front. H Salinger improved as the game progressed and is looking more like the player of last season, L Stallard had a fine first half following prematch instructions to get forward and supply which he did on several occasions but the MOTM award was awarded to the excellent C Weiss, best player on the pitch, again followed his orders to man mark their lively forward and did so with gusto winning him many plaudits from the Harvesters coaches. So Harvesters deservedly took the points and the early advantage in the title race but as the Pumas have proved in the last two seasons were at our most dangerous when chasing the pack!

After a very successful summer which saw the Pumas lift a further 3 tournament titles it was finally back to league action with a tricky away tie against Northwood to welcome in the new season. Latest signings L Everett and K Warren were making their full debuts after both starring in the hatrick of 6 a side summer victories.The Foss was away on hols so we started with a strong bench of D Flude,J Hopkins, J Mullin and L Singer-Davies. We were dealt an early blow when last seasons leading Red Division goalscorer D Noel-Williams had to leave the field within 10 minutes so the inform Z Jackson moved up top to partner the skipper. With several new signings from the recently folded Croxley Guild it was clear that we would be in for a tough first outing and this proved the case when their skipper fired in a powerful free kick that L Everett got a hand to but could not keep out so 1 0 to our opponents. The champions responded well and from a ZJ corner their goalscorer bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from R Schmid. Moments later the boys took the lead from another ZJ corner that was initially cleared only for K Warren to cleverly set up ZJ for another pinpoint cross that R Schmid did well to direct over the keeper into the top right hand corner. Further chances fell to G Sumpter and R Finnegan who both went close before a sloppy mislaid pass in midfield resulted in a quickfire Northwood attack which was dispatched by their speedy striker leaving LE with no chance. R Finnegan then had a fantastic chance to restore our lead when their keeper was stranded on the ground after spilling a cross but with his 100th Puma goal in sight he fired directly at the keeper so 2 2 at the interval. Second half saw an improvement in our general play with G Sumpter and LSD taking a hold of the midfield and after a fine A Charles through ball ZJ found LSD at the back post who finished in style before GS scored the goal of the game with a 30 yard looping effort that found the top right hand corner. So 3pts on the board against a team who should challenge for a top 5 finish and who on their day will be more than capable of taking points off anyone. AC, GS, JM, ZI, JF all had decent games but RS just edged LSD for MOTM for a fine defensive display capped with a nice finish his first competitive goal in more than a year