WEEKLY BULLETIN – 4TH AUGUST
FIXTURES
- Saturday 5th August Home to Alvechurch League kick-off 3.00pm. Tickets must be purchased online.
- There is no midweek game.
DANIEL IDIAKHOA
We are delighted to announce that we have signed Daniel Idiakhoa. He impressed last season when he joined us on loan from Luton and was subsequently released by the Premier League new boys.
MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE
ROYSTON
Last Saturday we had our first competitive match as Royston came to Top Field in the quarter-final of the Herts Charity Cup. The pitch was in magnificent condition and I would like to thank all the volunteers who have worked throughout the summer to produce such a good playing surface.
Both teams took full advantage of the pitch quality and tried to play football on the ground. It was an even affair in the first half and only a superbly taken goal from Isaac Galliford separated the teams at half time. The Herts Charity Cup is something of a hybrid as we were allowed to use five substitutes rather than the usual three and we were able to play players who had not yet signed on. I utilised the substitution rule and made two changes at half time as I changed our shape.
I felt we had the better of the second half but a one goal lead was a slender margin so I was very pleased when Diogo Freitas-Gouveia scored a second goal in the last ten minutes. Then we had to endure 8 minutes and 20 seconds of additional time during which Royston scored a consolation goal and exerted a lot of pressure. But we held firm to secure a semi-final visit to either St Albans or Hemel Hempstead. Whilst I am pleased the Herts Charity Cup has been reintroduced I would like to suggest that teams should not play opponents from the same division and be like the UEFA Champions League where clubs from the same country are kept apart.
AFC DUNSTABLE
We travelled to Dunstable on Monday and once again there was a really good playing surface. The AFC Dunstable players were really up for the contest and started the game in top gear whereas unfortunately for us we did not get out of first gear for the first half. I am not sure if this was due to tiredness from the efforts on Saturday or whether complacency had set in after our fine performance. But credit must be given to AFC Dunstable as they took the game to us and dominated the first half and while I thought there was a foul on our young goalkeeper David Archer for the second goal they deserved their 2-0 lead.
At half time I said we needed to put in a performance for the first 15 minutes as I had been so disappointed with our first half display. It was a wake up call for us which I was pleased came and will serve as a warning before we play against Alvechurch. I got the reaction we wanted in the first 15 minutes of the second half and we pulled a goal back. Then I made wholesale changes as I replaced all the outfield players. Those that came on did well and we got the equaliser. However AFC Dunstable never gave up and on their overall performance probably deserved their late winner.
ALVECHURCH
I must say the pre-season has flown by but I have been happy with what we have gained from it. It will be a tough test against a free flowing Alvechurch team that will be very well organised under the stewardship of Ian Long. I hope our supporters come out in full force to back the team as we aim to start with three points as we did last year at Barwell.
DANIEL IDIAKHOA
I am delighted to have signed Dan. He did really well for us last season and adds quality to the squad.
MARK BURKE
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets can still be purchased online. They offer great value as can be seen below. They can be bought at bit.ly/3pAi75d
CLUB SHOP
Please visit the club shop tomorrow where you can purchase items from our extensive range of merchandise as well as being able to buy the match day programme, old programmes, team sheets and a selection of sweets and chocolates.
COACH TRAVEL
Coach tickets are now on sale for our games at Long Eaton and Needham Market and must be bought online. The price is unchanged at £10.
ACADEMY UPDATE BY MICHAEL JONES
Update on second year academy player Henry Silver. On Saturday 29th July he played 70 minutes for Step 5 Baldock Town and then on Monday 31st July he scored the winner for Histon Under 18s Academy in their win against Cambridge United Academy.
His great week continued as on Thursday 3rd August after impressing the first team staff in training and games, Henry signed first team registration forms for the season.
At the academy we are all delighted for Henry and it goes to show the strong link between the academy and the first team squad.
We are also looking forward to seeing all our current and former players play for their senior teams this year. We will keep everyone updated on their progress.
HTWFC UPDATE BY KARLA CHAFFEY
We are back! HTWFC women have returned to pre season training and are looking for new players. We train Tuesday & Thursday evenings at Ickleford Sports & Recreation Ground, Chambers Lane, Ickleford, SG5 3YA. We train between the hours of 19:00-20:30. We also have two teams playing in the Beds & Herts Women Football League.
We are also looking for new sponsors for the women’s set up. We are looking for sponsorship for training kits and tracksuits. If this is something you are interested in please get in touch with Callum on HTLFC.ClubSecretary@gmail.com
ROY IZZARD