Newpark icy cool in NASFAT win

Newpark kept a nine point distance over their league rivals with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over NASFAT in arctic conditions at Flamingo Park. Newpark got off to a flying start with inform winger Dan Cross breaking the deadlock after 28 seconds. Cross drilled home after a clever interchange from Goodwin and O'Shaughnessy to stun the home side. NASFAT thought they had equalised moments later but the left midfielder was atleast seven yards offside. Newpark continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded for their efforts when Goodwin headed home from a corner to make it 2-0 and quickly completed his brace with a well worked move and finish. Newpark lead 3-0 at half time and retreated to the changing room to defrost for the second half ahead.

NASFAT who play an attacking game and showed great power and pace started the second half with real gusto forcing goalkeeper Chris Dowse to pull off a string of saves. Newpark found freedom and space as the home team continued to attack and on many occasions exploited NASFAT on the break and could have extended their lead handsomely if it was not for the wayward shooting of the fit again Hannan and normally accurate O'Shaughnessy.

NASFAT pressed Park' in the final ten minutes of the match and managed to score a consolation goal despite the heroics of Dowse to preserve a clean sheet. All in all a solid performance for Park who showed great team spirit against a very fit and powerful team. Dan Probets and Joe Edler were given the man of the match award jointly for an industrious performance in the centre of the park.

On a sour note captain Liam Maloney was withdrawn after thirty minutes after a back injury. After a scan at the Homerton hospital he is expected to be fit for this weeks game.

Team: Dowse, Fox, Gunstone, Maloney, Macca, Barron, Probets*, Edler*, Goodwin,Cross,O'Shaughnessy

Subs: Logan, Roffe, Hannan (all used)

Player of the Month

Newpark FC have announced their player of the month for January as goalkeeper Chris Dowse. Chris who signed in January has made a string of solid performances between the sticks and made a massive vocal contribution on the pitch. Chris has kept one clean sheet and shown his custodian attributes making vital last ditched saves in wins against Elite and NASFAT recently. The "Rock DJ" accepted the award before Saturdays game against NASFAT.

January's POTM: Chris Dowse

The jury's out on O'Shaughnessy's goal fest

The SLFA dubious goals committee have announced they will make a decision on the goal records for and against Crayford Arrows next week. The team were expunged before Christmas 2008 from league competition therefore making all results against them redundant as they failed to play more than 75% of their games. Newpark are amongst the teams who will lose their points and goals but have appealed to the league to allow the goals for to stand as it impacts striker Allen O'Shaughnessy's goal tally. O'Shaughnessy has never won the golden gucci award and has come close on three occasions now. Speaking after Park's recent game against Elite O'Shaughnessy pleaded with the decision makers to make the right call. He said. "I need them three (goals) the defenders that day were so scared of me and I scored with my head! Did you get that I scored with my head".

Newpark beat Crayford 5-2 on the day but the result has been rescinded therefore incurring the club with a three point deficit. Fortunately other teams have been dealt with the same decision. 

February Fixtures 2009

7th Feb (H) vs Chislehurst Sports 2:30pm kick off

14th Feb (H) vs Dresdner Kleinwort 2:30pm kick off

21st Feb (H) vs NASFAT 2:30pm kick off

28th Feb (H) vs OTNB 2:30pm kick off

Barron does the math

Centre half Tom Barron has warned Newpark that they must concentrate on improving their goal average in order to improve their chances of promotion. Barron expressed his concern last week after a break from the moving and shaking of the FTSE. "Back home (U.S.A) we used to work on projected goal averages each season and make strategic forecasts into how many soccer scores we could get next season, God damn we were good at it. We used to keep charts of data (pronounced DAT-TA) in the locker rooms to gee the guys, oh man keep it real". Barron announced on City AM last week.

Gunstone calls for focus

Full-back Michael Gunstone believes that mind over matter will prevail this season as Newpark battle for promotion to the holy land of the SLFA Premiership. He made this impassioned statement on www.goalnet.com last week.

"Its time to push home the advantage we've got again. Farnboro didn't offer much on sat but a clean sheet is still a positive and we could have scored a couple more. Elite and Nasfat will be expecting us to take control when we meet,  we've got to start with confidence. We know and they know we are better than them. If anything we lack fitness thats all and thats something we can all improve easily".

Gunstone, who is becoming a fans favourite down at Newpark is close to making his 70th appearance for the club.

Monthly feature

"When the jeers turned to cheers" - Bartlett's redemption

Each month Newpark FC will pay homage to players past and present to celebrate nearly 10 years in football, and business.

There was a time when the very mention of Tom Bartlett on the teamsheet was met with groans of disapproval and consternation. It was in the early days of Newpark FC where there was constant sniping in the dressing room; "Why's he playing? I'm better than that muppet!  Player power and indignation towards the management was rife. In the formative years of the club it was tough breeding ground to survive, in order to survive you had to stand up and be counted for and show character to bounce back. Those qualities required shone through for one player in particular, this months Newpark feature covers the story of Tom Bartlett who left Newpark in 2003 under a cloud only to return as a better and stronger player in the summer of 2005. Manager Ben Murphy has always likened Bartletts transformation to the case of Martin Keown who left Arsenal as a terrace boo-boy only to return and achieve great things with the club several years later. However this was not always the case.

"Newpark substitution......coming off no2 Tony Hughes (applause). To replace him no3 Tom Bartlett (cachopony of Boooooooooooo's)"

For the first three season in Newpark's history there were moments when Tom Bartlett wished the earth would swallow him up. The two own goals versus Avery Hill, the passback against Blackheath Wanderers and the conceded penalties at Metrogas, the list was endless. When Tom departed in the summer of 2003 to join Erith Town many of the remaining squad were left with raised eyebrows. Deep down the players wished him well and the senior members thanked him for all his hard work in the first fledgling seasons of the club. The boo-boys had their moral victory after voicing their discontent from the terraces and urged the team to make new signings. Newpark over the next two seasons tried different permutations at full back and felt they had sufficiently allocated the position. Ben Murphy, Terry Connor, Harry Fox, Lydon Smith and Chris Peters all filled the void with great commitment and tenacity. Manager Ben Murphy revealed in 2007 that if Terry Connor would have stayed on another season he may never had entered the market to bring Tom back to the club.

"I though Terry was a solid player, a tough b*st*rd. Plus he had a great left foot and good energy levels. If he would have stuck around I may have never signed another defender".

 After narrowly missing out on promotion at the end of the 2004/05 season new manager Ben Murphy made a swoop for Chris Rowley who was on a free from Erith. Bartlett who had impressed at the North Kent side was also available for transfer and so Murphy pressed ahead.

After a mediocre first season Tom picked up a winners medal in the 2006 Beckenham Cup triumph, even setting up the winner for Jack Fox. With determination and a burning desire to prove the critics wrong Tom was in many eyes one of the driving forces behind the promotion side of 2006/07. It was in the winter months that his form improved and even earned special praise from a match official for a colossial peformance in the league cup.

"You......you.............you a strong man.......a strong man"

 In the last ten games of the season Tom saw off the challenge of Dave Medhurst to partner Tommy McElhatton at the heart of the defence and helped keep five clean sheets. Tom narrowly missed out on the 2007 players player award coming second to Mickey Walsh.  The boo-boys had been silenced, now every touch of the ball was greeted with a cheer and encourgament, was this really the same player who left amid the sounds of champagne corks in 2003?

Mark Logan recalled the turning point in a 10-1 win over Longlands in 2007.

"Tom was immense that day, solid, really solid. That was when the jeers turned to cheers".

The consistancy was for all to see and again in 2007/08 Tom's solid performance and versatility at the back earned him a start in nearly every game for Newpark. The mean spirited back five only conceded 19 goals which help the club cement a second consecutive promotion. His redemption was complete in Newparks' final game of last season when he was taken off in the closing minutes.

"Newpark substitution........coming on no12 Mark Logan......to replace no2 Tom Bartlett" (uncontrollable whooping)

Tom is now a firm fans favourite at the club and has broken his century of appearances for the club. He even opened his goal account this season with a thumping drive in the 4-2 win over Chislehurst in August.

*February's edition will feature Dowdle: A severed alliance

Gale on road to recovery