Carrying on The Momentum!!
Nearing the Halfway Mark, WINDSGATE FC Continue Their Hot Start!
17 League Matches Played. (+ 1 FA Cup Tie)
12 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses. (+ 1 FA Cup Win)
2nd in League One Third Division - In Promotion Zone
Windsgate FC have continued their torrid start to the season. After 8 games where we went 6-1-1, we were sitting in first place, sharing the lead of the table with Bristol City! Despite the hot start,
Windsgate's manager preached patience and keeping our feet on the ground, realizing that this was only the start of a grueling
38 game season, and that our long road to a possible promotion was just starting!
Picking up where we left off, our last match had been an 0-3 away win at Crewe Alexandra, and
Windsgate were definitely developing a reputation for not only late game drama, but also on being tough on the road, as in our first 8 matches, we had gone completely unbeaten in all of our away matches! Our next match would be at home, against Carlisle United! We started off scoring fist, with a nice goal by our striker Michael Clarke, but unfortunately Carlisle would equalize just before the first half ended, and in the second half, it was not possible to break the deadlock.
Windsgate 1, Carlisle United 1 was the final score, and it was evident that the team was doing better away than at home, a somewhat worrisome trend that the team would be looking to reverse!
The next 3 matches would be on the road. Would
Windsgate be able to maintain their unbeaten away streak? The first of these matches was a similar affair to some of the other away games, a tight 0-1 away score going into the final 10 minutes!
Windsgate had scored and we were winning against a tough Doncaster team that wouldn't give up. We tightened our defense as Doncaster started attacking at the end of the match, and it looked like they could equalize until.. Ohh What A Save by our
Captain Andy Webb! A game winning save close to the end of the match to clinch the victory for our boys! Final score: Doncaster Rovers 0,
Windsgate 1!
Our next match would be another tough away test against Swansea, one of the more talented teams in the league, who were at the moment in the top 4! The crowd was pumped at their brand new Liberty Stadium, a very nice arena with good capacity for
Third Division, but
Windsgate once again was able to claw themselves to a 0-1 lead after a nice run by backup CF
Hughes! After many matches of playing CF, our star Clarke needed a break, and Hughes filled in admirably! Oh, and our keeper
Webb once again with the game changing saves! Another away game, another win! Swansea 0,
Windsgate 1! The next match, however, would not be as kind, and would serve as a reminder that this was a very tough league! After two consecutive road wins,
Windsgate's away streak finally came to an end after a
4-2 drubbing against bottom feeders Blackpool! This was a surprising loss, since the orange shirted team was off to a poor start, and we were still undefeated on the road. But this is proof that anything could happen. This loss stung, because some of our most important players were playing, but still, it is proof that you could never lower your guard in this league!
Showing a lot of resilience,
Windsgate would rebound with a very nice win, a very much needed win at home vs Northampton! This game was ours from start to finish, with dominance in possession, shots, and overall we outplayed our northern rivals. Our first score came in minute 27.
Said El-Ahmadi wiith the beautiful run, ELUDING two players and going in between them somehow finding the space for the score! This was the Moroccan's best game of the season, as when the second half started, he assisted
Michael Clarke with the beautiful heel for the 2-0 lead!
El-Ahmadi was looking like one of the best signings. He is one of the few players who did not come from the local academy, but was indeed brought from the
Moroccan League as a promising youngster, but he has adapted seamlessly to the team, and in this early season has proven to be our best player! One more goal by late substitute Bailey and the final score was
Windsgate 3, Northampton 0! A much needed win in our grounds!
The next two matches were also very impressive away wins, against Cheltenham, and Tranmere Rovers! Both of these results were
Windsgate wins, 0-2, as our boys are firmly cementing our lead in the standings! One important aspect of these two matches, additionally, is the emergence of the three wingers,
Jimmy Muir, Zouch, and
Kennedy! Bringing a lot of speed on the wings, these three are playing a very important part in our team, not only on offense but also tracking back and helping our side backs! Muir, in particular, is having a very good season. Even though he is not the most polished player yet, his speed and velocity have brought a new dimension to the right flank!
Cheltenham 0 ,Windsgate 2 and then Tranmere 0 Windsgate 2. Consecutive solid away wins!! We were on a roll entering our FA Cup first round match, against Torquay United! A match where we would be looking to move past the first round for the first time in our history!
Even though, as a
4th Division team, and a team that had perhaps a weaker squad than us, Torquay United semed not to be too threatening on paper, man did they give us a stiff challenge in the first round of the
FA Cup! This was an epic match, played in front of our crowd. From the beginning, it was clear that Torquay was playing inspired football, as they were playing much more aggressively than us and were playing tough! Dispossessng our players, retaining the ball, they were like a team possessed and it seems like
Windsgate was not prepared for this intensity! At the end of the first half,
the score was 0-0, not too many chances, but the more important ones seem to come from Torquay United, and
Windsgate's manager was concerned. Even though we were determined to show our superior quality in the second half, it was actually Torquay who scored first after the whistle, in minute 53!
The score was 0-1, and our boys were looking a bit desperate. After a brilliant start to the season, they were being outplayed by the lesser team! With more grit than anything else, however,
Windsgate starting clawing themselves back in the match, and in minute 67, it is
Clarke with the great run and the strong angled shot in the bottom left hand corner! And
we've equalized! This goal gave us some much needed momentum, and the shots kept coming, Clarke, Zouch, El-Ahmadi, MacKenzie, lots of chances for
Windsgate now! However, it was not to be, and It was
1-1 heading into extra time.
More drama in extra time! As both teams are tired and substitutions are forthcoming, both squads are battling it out for supremacy and a place in the 2nd round of the FA cup! Major drama in
Windsgate Stadium, the game is hanging by a thread and oh! Minute 97!
El-Ahmadi once again, as the Moroccan heads the ball in from a MacKenzie corner!
And it's 2-1 Windsgate!!!!!! Said El-Ahmadi, our most important player so far, comes through in the clutch once again!! Would this be enough for
Windsgate to win it all??
The second part of extra time rolls around, but Torquay did not give up. Both squads, exhausted now, are giving it their complete all. It's more about heart than skill in this epic encounter of third divsion vs fourth divison teams.. For honor and a chance at glory! Defenders are falling all over the place, the match is being played in muddy conditions, and anything can happen. And lo and behold, In minute 115,
Torquay equalizes after many rebounds in Windsgate's area and the defenders could not clear the ball! Oh no!!
It's 2-2 with only minutes to go in extra time. But what's this, minute 120, and
Clarke has a chance to wiiiiiiin??? Over the bar!!! And we're off to the penalty shootout! And after minutes of high drama, excitement.. Windsgate 1-0 with Clarke getting lucky! Here comes the Torquay striker, oh and
Webb saves it!! 2-0.. 2-1.. a miss by Windsgate! oh, but look at this..
Andy Webb with the save ONCE AGAIN!!! 3-1, 3-2, And the Torquay keeper guesses right! 3-3! 4-3 and.....................The Torquay player hits it over the bar!!!!!!!
Windsgate Wins an epic match on a Penalty Shootout!!
The crowd goes wild! Our captain, goakeeper
Andy Webb is the hero of the day!!
Windsgate advances to the
second round of the FA cup for the first time in our history!!
The next match was important for symbolic reasons, as well as the actual table. At the time, we were sharing first place with Millwall, who have also had a great season. But perhaps due to physical and especially mental fatigue from the epic
FA Cup encounter against Torquay, our players did not play well.
Bad refereeing, at least from our perspective, also played a part in this match.. with
2 red cards (Against our most important defensive player, Jamaican
Warmington and one of our all around better players,
Vince Black!) At least one of these cards was way too harsh, and in our opinion, both were unwarranted. But in anycase, down to 9 players, and even though we fought valiantly, at the end it wasn't enough, and our top table rivals ended up prevailing in our grounds.
Windsgate 2, Millwall 3, and now Millwall were in sole possession of first place in the standings!
However, as has been often the case with our team, we responded in our next match, in very dominating fashion. After managing fatigue and rest well, the players were primed and ready to go against Bristol Wanderers. The result? An offensival festival,
a complete carnival for Windsgate Football Club, and after 2 goals by our bench Scottish center midfielder, Fraser, a goal by Clarke, another score by Langley, Harvey, and Fraser (El-Ahmadi had the day off). we ended up winning scoring
6 goals, a complete drubbing of Bristol, and a fixture in which the bench players played a key role! Final score:
Windsgate FC 6, Bristol Wanderers 1! The absences of Warmington and Black were not even felt as everyone stepped up! Even though we are now in second place in the overall table, we are in
direct promotion zone.. 7 points clear from third place AFC Bournemouth! Also very importantly our key players are rested..
And this rest is of prime importance, because after this comes..
The 2nd round of the
FA Cup, to be played shortly,
Windsgate FC vs Milton Keyes Dons! Can we dream with something more in the Cup as well?? Get ready for more FA Cup excitement, and the continuation of our
League One Third Division Campaign, a second half which promises to bring even more excitement for our team, giving hope to the entire city of
Windsgate and our loyal fans! Get ready for more drama and more compelling tales from the passionate and feisty lower divisions of English Football, as our story continues!!
But aside from that, he also praised his discipline and selflessness! Other players like Rio Ferdinand praised his tenacity.
Argentinian FA involved again 
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