Find out how recent matches have gone...
For updates on results and fixtures, visit the Football Mitoo website (Griffins Under 16s are in the Camden and Islington Youth League). Please come along to matches to offer your support!
May 8th 2009
Isledon Wolves: 2
New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club: 0
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldeah
The New Orleans Griffins Under 16 football team is possibly the most frustrating outfit in their division of the Camden & Islington Midweek Youth Football League.
On their day the boys from N19 can destroy most teams of their age with a combination of scintillating and silky skills, dodged defending and gritty endeavour. However this was not their day and it wasn’t until a few minutes before the scheduled kick off that six Griffins (the minimum number required for an eight-a-side match to be played), lined up against a full strength Isledon Wolves Under 15s team. Most of them looked distinctly tired and downcast, moving as if a football game was the last thing on their minds. After much stalling and pleading, the Griffins Manager managed to buy sufficient time to enable goal-keeper Mackendrix Ezekiel and midfielder Philip Sintim to join their team-mates on the pitch, having changed into their kit whilst sprinting the length of the playing fields. A skilful one-two resulting in the keeper reclaiming his jersey from defender and utility player Steven Badoo as they moved into their respective positions, proved to the most impressive piece of action by the team that evening.
The match finally kicked off about ten minutes late but never lived up to the pre-game excitement. Though how the Griffins managed to keep the score down to Wolves 1, Griffins 0, in a one sided affair is beyond the knowledge of this reporter. Disappointingly, there was no half-time entertainment. The teams took the field for a second half which you would have been forgiven for thinking could not possibly be less inspiring than the first. You would in fact have been wrong. However, about ten minutes from the end the Wolves doubled their lead when they scored the softest of goals.
The main incident of the game occurred when an eventful day for the Griffins keeper got more so after a goalmouth tussle resulted in him having to leave the pitch to receive treatment to his leg whilst Steven deputized for him for the second time that day. This was followed by the only period when the Griffins posed any sort of threat as their more creative players briefly sprung to life. However it was far too little and much too late, the game fizzling out to a 2-0 victory to the Wolves.
The management team and coaches kept the Griffins in the dressing room for a full fifteen minutes after the game and would probably have kept them longer if the groundsman had not turned off the floodlight in a not too subtle hint that he wanted to go home.
Only the next game will tell if any lessons were learned during their period of detainment.
Players:
Anas
Arcelino
Ernest
Hayden
Konrad
Macek
Mackendrix
Marcus
Steven
Coaches:
Ngoma
Greg
Mohammed
Connor
<< BACK TO TOP
May 1st 2009
Somers Town: 4
New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club: 4
Report by: Vaughan Melsom
The game kicked off and both teams probed each other although Somers Town were allowed most of the attack and grabbed two goals after about 10 minutes in quick succession.
New Orleans appeared to wake up and take the game to Somers Town scoring the next 4 goals.
The goal frenzy began with a breakaway and solo finish by Arcelino, rounding the last defender and the goalkeeper was no match for his skill and final tap in.
Konrad also followed suit and despite having Arcelino in support to finish he also was too good for the goalkeeper and equalised.
Arcelino doubled his tally in similar fashion to his first goal for New Orleans to go into the lead.
Marcus took a free kick in the second and did the impossible by sending a direct free kick into the net through a sea of players.
Team from: Anass, Arcelino, Ernest, Konrad, Mchendrix, Marcus, Maciek, Phillip, Sylvester, Stephen.
Instructing coach: Vaughan Melsom
Support coaching: Connor and Mohammed
March 27th 2009
Crown & Manor: 1
Griffins: 3
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldaeh
This was an encounter where unfortunately there was much more passion shown after the game than during it. The signs were not good from the start, when the host, Crown and Manor, managed to lose their match ball after one of their strikers blazed it over the crossbar and out of the ground ten minutes BEFORE the start of the game. Things finished up a whole lot worse, with players from both sides squaring up to each other in the dressing rooms when most of the despondent and defeated Crown and Manor players refused to shake hands with the victors. This was not entirely surprising, as the Griffins had rather unsportingly used their superior skills to engage in enough showboating to have riled a team of angels and C&M were far from angelic in their behaviour, continuing a state of niggling fouls that were only just below the levels that would have required cards being shown. The coaches threatened to get in on the act after one of the C&M boys had celebrated his team’s defeat by drop kicking the substitute match ball out of the ground in what did not seem like an accidental punt.
As for the game, oh yeah, Arcelino, Majiek and Marcus all got on the score-sheet, although a 3-1 score line did not reflect the gulf in class between the two sets of players. C&M had briefly managed to get the score to 1-1 but the only thing that stopped the Griffins running up a cricket score was their irritating tactic of trying to beat each player four times before scoring. The return match should be interesting.
New Orleans Griffins Players
Mackendrix Ezekiel (Keeper)
Marcus Sanchez (Captain)
Steven Daboo
Philip Sintim
Anass Ouahli
Maciek Lejman
Konrad Sukiennik
Ernest Msanjoild
ArcelinoCavallo
Sylvester Dixon
Hayden Williams
February 27th 2009
Griffins: 1
Islington Admiral Youth: 1
Report by: Jonathan Todd
New Orleans Griffins nearly pulled off the shock of the season against runaway league leaders Islington Admiral Youth, but were cruelly denied by a stoppage time equaliser.
The Admirals went into the game with a formidable record of 12 wins from 13 games and one draw, scoring 35 goals along the way and only conceding seven. However, their overconfidence proved their undoing as the resilient Griffins put on their best performance to date to almost end that undefeated run.
Predictably, it was the Admirals who dominated the first half and showed the sort of form and class that brought those dozen wins. Their slick passing and intricate one-twos almost undid the Griffins on several occasions, and only some stout defending by a back four of Steven Deboo, Philip Sintim, Jahad Mohammed and debutant Anass Ouahli kept the scores level going into half-time.
The Griffins needed to show the same work-rate and composure in the second half if they were going to get anything out of the game. The injured Jahad was replaced by Konrad Sukiennik, who slotted in just in front of a back three, allowing Marcus Sanches and Maciek Lejman to push forward and support lone striker Arcelino Carvalho.
It didn’t take long for the enforced substitution to work to the Griffins’ advantage. Maciek found himself in space and his deflected shot deceived the Admirals’ ’keeper, much to the delight of the Griffins players and coaching team.
The game was now much more open as the Admirals poured forward in an effort to preserve their unbeaten status. Marcus, Maciek and a tireless Arcelino were finding more and more space to link up in, and Maciek should have scored when put through one-on-one but saw his shot roll inches wide. At the other end, MacKendrix Ezekiel tipped several shots around the post and showed impeccable handling when under pressure.
In the final few minutes of a generous amount of injury time added by the referee, a lapse in concentration allowed an Admirals player to waltz through a couple of challenges and square the ball to his strike partner who couldn’t miss from six yards.
There was still time for even more late drama as first Marcus cut inside and fired a left-footed shot just past the post from 12 yards, and then Steven made a fantastic stop on the line to prevent an undeserved Islington winner.
The Griffins should be applauded for the magnificent team spirit and sportsmanlike attitude shown throughout the game and after the final whistle when they went out of their way to shake the hands of their taciturn opponents.
New Orleans Griffins Players
Team
MacKendrix Ezekiel (goalkeeper)
Marcus Sanches (captain)
Steven Deboo
Philip Sintim
Arcelino Carvalho
Jahad Mohammed
Maciek Lejman
Anass Ouahli
Subs
Konrad Sukiennik
Ernest Msanjiold
<< BACK TO TOP
January 23rd 2009
Griffins: 3
Sommers Town: 2
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldaeh
After two and a half seasons without ever winning, the new and improved New Orleans Griffins Community F.C. have now won two of their last three games.
The boys from N19 are now benefiting from a mixture of skill, discipline, commitment and luck. They needed their luck because despite being by far the most organized and adventurous of the two sides, some very difficult to understand decisions and their usual wastefulness in front of the goal made this encounter much closer than it should have been. Yet all in all 3-2 was probably a fair result as the visitors themselves showed admirable resolve and no little skill, but were also guilty of some glaring misses. The home team impressed not only with their football but in the fact that they accepted every decision no matter how strange with nothing more than a quizzical raise of an eyebrow. The bizarre decision to ignore what seemed a cast iron claim for a penalty when the excellent Maciek Lejman appeared to be upended by the keeper was met with astounded gasps from both sets of players and coaches, particularly as the game was not even stopped so treatment could be administered to the prostrate youngster. That was only one of several decisions that had both Managers diplomatically advising their players to play to the whistle and not focus on the decisions by an eccentric official.
If the sign of a good team is the ability to win when not playing in top gear, then this is a side going places, as quite a few Griffins were not on the best of form. Strikers Hayden Williams and Jahad Mohammed were a little subdued as was midfielder Philip Sintim-Ellis. Fortunately, skipper Marcus Sanches was at his imperious best and seemed to be everywhere on the pitch at the same time. He was certainly in the right place at the right time when he opened the scoring after ten minutes with a scorching pile driver which gave the keeper no chance. Stephen Deboo gave his usual high octane performance operating out of midfield. Maciek Lejman was simply magic, with some spellbinding flicks and deft but economical touches. Defender Aaron Burke had a rather mixed game. After putting the Griffins 2-0 up with a fabulous forty yard lob from defence when spotting the opposing keeper way off his line, as the Town pressed forward, the former skipper then allowed the boys from Camden back into the contest when he gave away a soft goal early in the second half, with a dreadful lapse in concentration. Arcelino Cavalho looked tired and jaded but always seemed capable of pulling something out of his bag of tricks and eventually managed to do so, maintaining his impressive scoring record with a wonder goal that put the Griffins 3-1 up and effectively winning them the game. New Signing and utility player Konrad Sukiennik seems a priceless addition to the team, excellently combining as he did with his midfield colleagues, dropping back into a defensive role when required and supporting the strikers when the team pushed forward.
As for man of the match Mackendrix Ezekiel, it is difficult to say what else he can do to prove he is the best keeper in the league, when time and time again he pulls off outstanding saves. However even he could do nothing about either of the goals scored by the gritty Sommers Town, who simply refused to admit defeat, grabbing a well-deserved second goal and remaining competitive right up till the moment the final whistle was sounded. Coming on as sub, Sylvester Dixon was steady and reliable, doing much to stem the tide as the Town unsuccessfully tried to grab the equalizer.
New Orleans Griffins Players
Team
Mackendrix Ezekiel (Captain)
Marcus Sanchez
Stephen Deboo
Konrad Sukiennik
Philip Sintim
Maciek Lejman
Arcelino Cavallo
Hayden Williams
Subs
Jahad Mohammed
Sylvester Dixon
Aaron Burke
Ernest Msanjiold (didn't play)
<< BACK TO TOP
January 9th 2009
Crown & Manor: 4
Griffins: 1
Report by: Jonathan Todd
After last week’s confidence-boosting first win of the season, New Orleans Griffins went into this game expecting to avenge a 4-0 drubbing by Crown & Manor back in November. New signing Maciek Lejman started as a lone striker, with latecomers Phillip Sintim-Ellis, Ernest Msanjiold and Hayden Williams on the bench.
But it was Crown & Manor who started the brighter, enjoying plenty of possession in the first ten minutes without really testing MacKendrix Ezekiel. Slowly but surely the Griffins worked themselves into the game, and it was no surprise when captain Marcus Sanches lashed home from 15 yards on his weaker left foot.
The goal lifted everyone, with Marcus pulling the strings in midfield, ably supported by Arcelino Carvalho and Konrad down the flanks. So it was a surprise when Crown & Manor equalised just before half-time. The Griffins defence failed to close down a long-range shot, which cannoned back off the post and into the path of the Crown & Manor striker, who couldn’t miss.
The second half saw a series of substitutions made by coaches Vaughan Melsom and Jonathan Todd to try to keep the players fresh and give everyone time on the pitch. Unfortunately this seemed to unsettle the Griffins, especially at the back, and they conceded two early goals.
With five minutes remaining, the Griffins threw everything at Crown & Manor, but a combination of good defending, some poor decisions in the final third and a reluctance to shoot on sight proved costly when Crown & Manor grabbed a fourth on the break.
New Orleans Griffins Players
MacKendrix Ezekiel (goalkeeper)
Marcus Sanches (captain)
Aaron Burke (vice-captain)
Ernest Msanjiold
Sylvester Dixon
Steven Deboo
Phillip Sintim-Ellis
Arcelino Carvalho
Hayden Williams
Jahad Mohammed
Konrad
Maciek Lejman
<< BACK TO TOP
January 9th 2009
Lyndhurst: 1
Griffins: 3
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldaeh
On a frozen January pitch that only just survived the referee’s inspection and well into the third year of its existence, the New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club finally won its first competitive match.
It would be highly disrespectful to a spirited seven-man Lyndhurst team to say that the Griffins made hard work of what was for most of the game one way traffic. But in truth the victors would have had this encounter sown up by half time, had they not spurned a hatful of chances, with most of the side guilty of over elaborate play time and time again. Instead, thanks in part to wanton wastefulness and some inspired defending and goalkeeping, the teams somehow went in at the interval with the score at nil all.
However, the constant pressure on the Lyndhurst goal eventually told and an excellent passage of play was rounded off by a wonder strike from leading scorer Arcelino Carvalho. To their credit, Lyndhurst refused to buckle and despite losing their most effective player with a badly twisted ankle and going further behind courtesy of former Lyndhurst star Hayden Williams, the six men began to perform like eight and not only exerted intense pressure which lead to an own goal but briefly threatened to equalize. The relived roar that greeted midfielder Philip Sintim’s late match sealing goal was as much a tribute to the gallant losers of a good natured contest, as it was confirmation of the Griffins’ first ever points in this league.
With at least one more signing imminent, the only way for the Griffins now seems to be up. Yet they need to guard against complacency because they will surely be severely punished by any team of a full quotient in this very tough league unless they quickly learn how to put away more of the chances they create. Still, take nothing away from the victors, for after all three points is three points and a group of extremely talented individuals is now finally beginning to look like a potentially very good side, as the benefits of an excellent coaching structure starts to shows signs of paying dividends.
New Orleans Griffins Players
MacKendrix Ezekiel (goalkeeper)
Aaron Burke (Club captain / substitute)
Ernest Msanjila
Sylvester Dixon
Steven Deboo
Marcus Sanches (Captain)
Phillip Sintim
Arcelino Carvalho
Hayden Williams
<< BACK TO TOP
December 19th 2008
Islington Admiral Youth U16s : 6
New Orleans Griffins U16s: 2
Report by: Vaughan Melsom
The Griffins held their opponents for the first quarter until a soft defensive error realised a sneek goal for the Admirals. The Griffins continued to battle and conceded another two goals before half time.
The Griffins combined well, on two occasions, between Hayden Williams, Konrad and Marcus Stefano to reduce to the score line margin. Their build up play was smooth and cut through Admirals defence allowing Arcelino Carvalho to score twice for the Grffins in the second half. Despite the score line, Steven Deboo did a good job as the reserve goal keeper in place of Machendrix.
New Orleans Griffins Players
Steven Deboo
Jahad Mohammed
Ernest Msanjiold
Phillip Timmins
Sylvester Dixon
Marcus Stefano
Konrad
Arcelino Carvaloho
Hayden Williams
<< BACK TO TOP
December 12th 2008
Isledon Wolves 'A' : 11
New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club: 1
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldaeh
It was always going to be a very difficult game for the Griffins with only six of their nine signed up players turning up for this eight a side encounter.
One of the missing players was club captain Aaron Burke, who with an ailing mother, a sister about to be crowned X Factor queen and (reportedly) a badly swollen ankle, was never a likely starter. However, Daniel Flood, who operating form midfield had been easily their most inspirational player in the previous match, was missing with no reason other than an apparent aversion to playing on Fridays - which is unfortunate as most of the games are played on a Friday night. Two days after the match, the club was still unaware as to why striker Jahad Mohammed had not turned up for the game.
By the time New Orleans had conceded the third goal on sixteen minutes it had already become a damage limitation exercise. However with no let up in the pressure, damage continued to be afflicted right up to the final whistle, by which time not even the referee knew the score. There were only two positives for the Griffins on a thoroughly depressing and bitterly cold night . One was when a neat passage of play ended with Stephen Deboo slotting the ball into an empty net, albeit with all the ‘Isledon Wolves A’ defenders in their opponents half, frantically trying to get on to the score sheet before the official bought the game to an end. The other was at the end when the New Orleans boys displayed notable sportsmanship and congratulated each and everyone of their opponents, an act which bought plaudits both from the referee and a number of bystanders.
An administrative mix-up had prevented three new players from signing for the club a week earlier. There are not expected to be any hiccups for the rescheduled registration in a few days time, making them available for the top versus bottom clash the next evening.
New Orleans Griffins Players
Hayden Williams
Mackendrix Ezekiel
Marcus Sanches
Phillip Ellis
Steven Deboo
Sylvester Dixon
<< BACK TO TOP
December 1st 2008
New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club under 16s: 1
Isledon Wolves United under 16s: 3
Report by: Jonathan Todd
The Griffins slipped to their second defeat of the season, but will wonder how they didn’t come away from this game with at least a draw.
The first ten minutes were fairly even, with both defences holding firm and the Griffins looking more composed on the ball than in their previous match. But it was Isledon Wolves who broke the deadlock when a shot from ten yards was fired through a crowd of players and nestled in the bottom corner.
The goal sparked the game into life, and the Isledon Wolves goalkeeper was shown a yellow card for dissent. He was soon followed in the book by Hayden Williams for a tackle from behind, a decision which looked harsh. The referee was quick to punish any form of dissent and heavy challenges, and the Griffins did well to keep their cool in a physical game despite provocation from some very vocal Wolves players.
The Griffins now had the momentum and forced a series of corners, and only the reflexes of the Wolves ’keeper managed to keep out a bullet header from Daniel Flood. Unfortunately, a mix-up at the back just before half-time cost the Griffins a second goal.
On came Sylvester Dixon at the break for Jahad Mohammed, with Stephen Deboo pushing into midfield alongside Hayden and Marcus, and Daniel operating as the lone striker.
It was all Griffins in the second half, with some neat passing between the midfield trio and an inspired Daniel carving open chance after chance. Eventually the pressure paid off when Stephen found himself in acres of space six yards out and slotted home for the Griffins’ first goal of the season.
With Sylvester, Aaron Burke and Philip Sintim-Ellis dealing comfortably with any long balls at the back, the Griffins pushed hard for an equaliser, and Philip was extremely unlucky to see his long-range drive tipped around the post.
Committing so many men forward was always a risky strategy though, and with seconds to go the Wolves stole a third goal. Machendrix Ezekiel made a fine stop with his legs in a one-on-one situation, but could do nothing about the rebound that the Wolves striker gratefully tapped in.
The result was harsh on the Griffins, who can take a lot of positives from the game into their next match on Friday 5th December against Somers Town under 16s.
New Orleans Griffins Players:
Machendrix Ezekiel
Hayden Williams
Jahad Mohammed
Aaron Burke
Philip Sintim-Ellis
Sylvester Dixon
Marcus
Stephen Deboo
Daniel Flood
November 28th 2008
New Orleans Griffins Community Football Club under 16s: 0
Crown & Manor Boys Club under 16: 4
Report by: Ellivrem Yeldaeh
The Griffins’ 2008/9 under 15/16s campaign in the Camden & Islington Midweek Football Youth League finally got off the ground on Friday November 28th at Market Road, when they kicked off against the Crown & Manor Boys Club.
Having forfeited their first two games through not having signed enough players, the Griffins still found themselves above their opponents by virtue of superior goal difference, the boys from the Manor having lost all their opening fixtures. However their confidence proved to be misplaced. The fact that they had never even played together as a team soon became apparent and the lads from N19 found themselves a goal behind after less than ten minutes. To their credit they managed to steady the ship a little and with the help of some robust and perhaps over exuberant tackling, they went in at the interval only one down.
After the break Crown & Manor carried on where they had left off and aided by some vociferous encouragement from the sidelines, they continued to pepper the Griffins, whose one up front strategy was proving to be an almost non-existent threat. With only eight of their nine signed up players present and therefore unable to introduce any substitutes, the Griffins predictably tired. The floodgates eventually opened and they were hit by three scrappy goals in a matter of ten minutes in the face of some tidy football. Although they rallied slightly at the end, managing to get a couple of shots on target, the gallant Griffins and their coaching staff were none the less glad to hear the referee sound the final whistle. The team has only three days till the next and even more difficult game and will need to make good use of their Saturday morning coaching session.
New Orleans Griffins Players:
Machendrix Ezekiel
Hayden Williams
Jahad Mohammed
Aaron Burke
Philip Sintim-Ellis
Sylvester Dixon
Marcus
Stephen Deboo
|
