|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Play-off heartbreak on Christmas |
Knights will spend another season in Division 5 after a very disappointing defeat in the play-offs to Rayleigh FC, formerly former league champions FC Boring.
We don't have a great track record against them aside from the one season where audub was inactive and we were able to get a couple of easy wins in against them. It has only actually been two seasons since the sides last met and Knights gave it everything in order to help our captain, Raymond Hargreaves, achieve promotion to Division 4 in his final game for the club but... it wasn't to be.
Knights of Cydonia FC 0-0 Rayleigh FC (Rayleigh win 4-3 on penalties)
Knights of Cydonia FC
1 GK Ivan Draganescu
2 RB Gicu Elen
22 CB Daniel Urs
6 CB Mattias Danielson
3 LB Matts Lagergren
4 DM Rufus Willman
11 DM Raymond Hargreaves
7 RM Roberto Mora
10 AM Severino Motta
19 LM Silvio Sbaccanti
21 CF Dani Massa
Bench:
13 GK James Helmsley
5 DF Cuthbert Sharrock
14 DF Adri Pauwe
8 MF Bert Sallqvist
23 FW Petter Glennmark |
Rayleigh FC
1 GK Basilio Capi
2 RWB Jon Osterstrom
4 CB Daley Barrick
5 CB Maximo Guti
6 CB Lennox Spowage
3 LWB Vincent Bleasdale
7 CM Karl-Bertil Ohlsson
8 CM Paulo Delagarza
11 CM Leonel Salgado
9 CF Hemmou Alami
10 CF Evstathios Basinas
Bench:
15 MF Njegos Jevremovic
19 MF Jim Johnrose
12 FW Zach Austin
13 FW Bohumir Zeleny
|
It wasn't for a lack of effort as Knights completely dominated the game but Basilio Capi was way too strong for us to handle and saved literally everything. That did not bode well going into the penalty shootout. Danielson got us off to a good start though Basinas was up to the challenge. Hargreaves' final act for the club was to score from the penalty spot but Rayleigh again scored through Alami. Elen's penalty miss sent Knights fans into panic mode but fortunately Daley Barrick also missed his shot. Unfortunately, after converted penalties from Lagergren and Delagarza, Severino Motta then missed his penalty and that proved to be the decisive moment as Karl-Bertil Ohlsson sent Rayleigh into Division 4 in spite of a game which Knights had dominated.
Football can be a cruel game sometimes and Knights must start all over again with trying to get into Division 4. Truth to be told we would only ever be competing to stay in Division 4 this upcoming season had we got promoted. Hargreaves' retirement thankfully leaves a playable midfield as Bert Sallqvist turns 21 and is promoted to a more regular starter. The manager knew this was the perfect time to finally add the 5th midfielder to the team so we are proud to introduce 18 year old midfielder Barry Gifford. The cool as ice player is also a Greedy player which means we have three Greedy players in midfield. Considering how good Ray Tataw Eta was for us in our previous team, then having three Tataw Etas in the team is going to be fantastic.That is on top of two super talents in Severino Motta and Roberto Mora.
We also signed young striker Roderik de Graeff who will replace Petter Glennmark in the squad, Glennmark has been transfer listed.
The Change Report was about as expected, thankfully everyone who could increase increased though there was only one double jump in Danile Urs, and he failed to increase last season. Considering Urs finished on 19 DV though we are hopeful he can hold his skill progression in the coming seasons.
The season draw was made today and Knights have managed to avoid a potentially very difficult draw in getting up, as big threats like CDF Jimbofogo, Worcester Kings and F.Y.R. Middlesbrough were all drawn in the division next to us. However, we do have to play Damned Redemption this season and in all honesty they are going to be our biggest obstacle to automatic promotion.
The squad number list will not be released just yet because the manager wants to strengthen the squad after the sale of Petter Glennmark. We want to buy our new Ledley King, our new Wei Jun Er, the old players who are going to be mainstays for the next four or five seasons and help power this team up the divisions again. We want 2020 to be the year of promotions. 2019 was the stabilization year and ending the relegation period of rebuilding. We can officially say the rebuild is over, the team is now assembled and we can look forward to a brighter future where we try to get back to where we started this rebuild in the first place, the Ultimate League.
To be honest, we could probably compete for promotion with Rufus Willman and Matias Danielson as the old players in the team anyway but the manager is thinking long term, a couple of settled older players will help us hit the ground running when the team hits Division 4 level and said old players have settled in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|