Season Statistics!

Well the season is now a distant memory, especially after all the beers that were drunk, but I thought it would be worthwhile doing a brief summary of the key season stats!

Final league Position;

.........................PL.W..D..L..GF.GA.GD..PTS

1st Orange ........28.21..4...3..89..38..51...67

2nd Guilford .....28.17..4..7...56..29..27...55

3rd Madison .....28.14.10..4..74..50..24...52

4th Eagles..........28.15..5..8..95..70..25...50

Orange deserved to win the championship as they were by far the strongest team throughout the season. We gave a good account of ourselves in our first two games against them winning one and drawing the other but the two games after that were comprehensive defeats. Congratulations to them and I'm sure they will do well in Div 2. Second went to Guilford and oh my we had so many chances to be the team in that position and not them. The stats show that our Achilles heal was drawing too many games. If we had turned two of those ten tied games into wins we would have easily been second. Of course the other easy way was to beat Guilford! We managed it only once through the season so again even though its painful to say it they deserved to go up in stead of us. As for the Albanian Eagles, well they finished the season powerfully ending up only two points behind us. They were the top goal scorers in the league with an amazing 95 goals but what a terrible defence they have.! They let in 70 and if they get their defence sorted out they will be the major force in the league next season. We manged to tie them in all four games! In some of those games we were goals ahead of them and let them back in....it's those type of games like the lost points against Morelia that cost us promotion.

We took all 12 points off of East Haven, 10 off of Hamden and North Branford, 8 from Morelia but we managed to capture only 4 of the available 12 points off of Orange, Guilford and the Eagles.

All in all it was a good start in a new league but we have to up our game for season 2012!

Individual stats;

Tano had a great season ending up the top goalscorer with 20 goals, winning forward of the year and winning the most man of the match awards (5) during the season! Carlos and Jorge contributed another 20 goals between them. Roniildo was the top goal scoring midfielder with 8, mostly from the penalty box but they all count, and he sure knows how to take penalty's! Roniildo also won the midfielder of the year award. The midfield quartet of Roniildo, David, Halil and Ruggerho scored 22 goals between them during the season!

As for the defence it was a bit of a rough season after the near perfect last season in the CARSL.

50 goals lost at the back, some in point losing mode. We managed 8 "clean sheet" games all season but in 14 games we let in 2 or more goals. We averaged 1.8 goals let in per game against an average of 2.6 goals scored. Our biggest defeat was away to Orange ( 6-2 ), our biggest win was at home to East Haven ( 5-0 ). You could argue our best win was the first of the season away to Orange (3-2 ). having said that the defence had some great games and through the season Jodingo!! was a revelation as a fast moving center back. No surprise he won best defender of the season. TomA also came into defence after a long term injury and played incredibly well at right back. The Hulk and stand in goalie El Gato also won us many points by making some really crucial saves when we needed them. If we can tighten up a bit more at the back we will have an even stronger season next year.

We had a great year, with some super football and great fun with a super bunch of guys....let's do it all again next year!!

MATCH REPORT; Madison 3 Hamden 0

On an unseasonably warm and sunny day the Celts closed out their long season with a great win against a feisty Hamden team. Even though they had played out a scoreless game the weekend before, this match was very different with many more chances and opportunities for both teams.
The game started late due to the late arrival of the ref but both teams were not slow off the mark to show that they were ready for business. Hard tackles from both teams showed that more than pride and bragging rights were on the line. Madison Celtic still had a remote chance of snatching the final promotion slot, if Guilford stumbled in their last game and Hamden wanted to show that their bottom of the league status was anomalous. Some early skirmishes at the beginning of the game made the early first half very even but as the 45 wore on Madison started to exert more and more control. Roniildo was doing his usual Captain America performance of running the full length of the pitch to get a shot on goal and then next minute back in defence breaking up an attack. Jodingo!! made an incredible tip of the toe clearance off the line when El Gato was well beaten. Carlos was also back in action after his nose break and was a little off the pace but still threatening when he had a glimpse at goal. Jorge and Tano pushed forward as often as they could but Tano's shots on goal were restricted by the sturdy Hamden defence. As the half eased towards its end it looked like the Celts were in full control and deserving of a goal. Then finally an opportunity came for that go ahead moment. Paulo breaking into the box along the goal line was tripped for a clear penalty. The ever dependable Roniildo stepped up to fire the ball past the despairing dive of the Hamden goalie. On up at the half and probably deserving of more. The second half saw Madison turn the screw on Hamden with more and more attacks on their goal. What little chances came to the Madison box were punched away by El Gato or cleared by Kris, Jodingo!! or La Boca. The Celts domination of the game was complete when the ever effective Safet headed down a great ball to Tano in the box. The little maestro took but a second to control the ball and hit a precision shot right into the right side of the net. After this goal the game got a bit unruly with first Fribeka hacked down in his prime and then Ruggerho karate chopped. David was also in the wars but kept a steady head. Tom A was allowed to play his usual calm defensive game and Ilhan came on to good effect at key points in the game. The coup de grace came with a fantastic lobbed shot by the irrepressible and prodigious Tano scoring Madison's third and his twentieth goal of the season! The whistle sounded to end a great win for the Celts and a great inaugarual season. We ended the game knowing we had caught Guilford for points and goal difference but they had a game to play.
As it turned out Guilford were handed three points on a plate by East Haven when they forfeited their last match. We finished third overall and it was a tough way to lose promotion. We really had our chances throughout the year to get the points we needed but we didn't take them. We can now look forward to next year with confidence and enjoy the long break until the start of the outdoor season in late April. Of course indoor season will start in January!

Man Of The Match; It's a tough one because Tano scored twice and got his 20-th goal of the season in this game, Jodingo!! and Tom A played great at the back, El Gato kept a clean sheet for the second game in a row and Ruggerho had a great second half before he was decimated. But for his consistent running, passing and overall good play the last MOM of the season goes to Roniildo!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

NEXT GAME; Sunday 20th November, Hamden!

The final game of the season has finally arrived! After this weekend Sunday mornings will now be filled with chores and boring family stuff! So let's finish off the season in style with a win. The game is against Hamden ( yes it's them again) and the game will be played at Town Campus with a 9am kick off. As you saw last week they have greatly improved their team but to be honest we are still much better than them. We dominated large sections of the game last Sunday but could not get the ball in the net.

At the time of writing the promotion spot has not yet been decided.

1 Orange SC 28 21 4 3 0 0 89 38 51 0 0 67

2 Guilford Bell 27 16 4 7 0 0 53 29 24 0 0 52

3 Madison Celts 27 13 10 4 0 0 71 50 21 0 0 49

4 Albanian 26 13 5 8 0 0 89 67 22 0 0 44

If Guilford did lose their last game then it could go down to goal difference. But to be honest we should just get out there and enjoy ourselves. We wont get another outdoor game until late April so make the most of this one!

Remember the game is at Town Campus with a 9am kick off!!

MATCH REPORT; Hamden 0 Madison 0

A rejuvenated Hamden team made a mockery of their bottom of the league status by holding the Celts to a 0 0 draw. If their was any doubt who would get second spot in the league this year the two points dropped by Madison handed the final promotion spot to Guilford.

A few late call offs meant the Celts started with a slim squad and the surprise return of the famous El Gato between the sticks. The shuffling of the pack just before the game meant the Celts got off to a bit of a rusty start with the home team really taking it to the Celts. After a few close run things, the Celts started to play with more assurance and confidence. Talat was having a good game at the right back position and the midfield was asserting itself in a bit of a dour battle with the Hamden middies. As has been seen in previous games though the Celts could not turn possession of the ball into clear cut chances. Tano, David and Paulo all had chances in the opening twenty minutes or so with no luck. At the other end El Gato was springing to the aid of the defence using his legendary cat like instincts to punch, pat and push balls out of the box. After thirty minutes the game took on the shape of a game that would last the whole match. Plenty of possession by the Celts, aggressive tackles by the opposition and relatively few clear cut chances. The blank first half gave way to a second half of a similar hue. The strong bustling play by David and Roniildo in the midfield was allowing the Celts to get plenty of the ball but the final pass or final attempt on goal just fell short. El Gato gave everyone a bit of a heart attack by taking a time trip to the eighties by picking up a passed back ball in his box! He redeemed himself with a great save when Hamden very smartly took the free kick before the Celts were organized. David was the main menace in the box in the second half getting to almost every ball that was sent in but none of his headers or shots hitting the target. Strong defensive play by Kris and La Boca at the back meant that El Gato became more and more of a spectator as the game progressed. The hoped for goal was not coming and even though the Celts piled on the pressure in the last ten minutes Hamden held out for a well earned draw.

Only one more game left in the season but we already know we will be playing another year in the third division.

Man of the Match; Great performance by Roniildo and David in the back and midfield, and El Gato in goal with David just edging out the Scotsman and the cat.

NEXT GAME; Sunday 13th November, Hamden!

Our inaugural season in the SASL is finally grinding to its end and we round of our long trek with two games against Hamden. The first of these will be this weekend with an away game that starts at 10am.

Hamden have been rock bottom of the league for most of the season but seem to have gone on a late surge of player recruitment that has really helped their form. In recent games they have had narrow defeats to Orange and the Eagles ( both 3-2) but have handily beaten both East Haven ( 4-2 ) and North Branford ( 6-2 )!

Even before Hamden upgraded their roster we have struggled to beat them with our two previous games being narrow 3-2 wins for the Celts.

The bottom line is, if we want to take this season right to the wire... (unless East Haven forfeit their game to Guilford ) then we have to beat the newly refreshed Hamden team.

Let's finish the season in style with two strong victories. This will also ensure that the fast tracking Albanian Eagles don't pip us for 3rd place!

See you Sunday!!

MATCH REPORT; N Branford 1 Madison 5

The Madison Celts got back to winning ways with a comprehensive victory away to North Branford. With only three games left in the Celts season it was important that the full points available were wrapped up safely and, although there was a minor blip at the beginning of the game, that's how it ended up.

A cold Fall day did not prevent the Celts getting off to a brisk start against Branford. Some good early link up play by the ever sharp Tano along with Jorge kept the Branford defenders on their toes. The Madison midfield were controlling the early play with Halil and Roniildo making some strong runs and great tackles. After several incisive Madison attacks it looked like a goal was coming...and it did! A beleaguered Branford defense hoofed the ball up to the half way line catching the Madison defense in a flat line. The lone Branford striker was able to race away from the last defender and run into the box unopposed before dispatching a clinical shot past The Hulk. Although this was clearly against the run of play it took the Celts a bit of time to get back into the flow of the game. With David and Kris subbing on, the team had a bit more solidity and before long the clear possession advantage that was being enjoyed by the visitors was turned into a great goal. A fantastic shot by Roniildo from the edge of the box slammed off the bar but was headed into the net by the predatory Tano for his 17th goal of the season. Things went from good to even better for the Celts when the marauding David was then brought down in the box for a clear penalty. Roniildo stepped up to cooly slam the ball into the net for the go ahead goal. TomA , Kris and La Boca were having great games at the back and when things got past them The Hulk was there to clear up. Just before halftime a breaking ball in the Branford box fell to David who looped the ball into the net for a two goal cushion. The great passing and running from the whole team could have led to more goals in the first half but the main thing was collecting the three points. The second half started with some great chances for the Celts as Tano, Safet and Paulo all had chances to increase the lead. In the end a clear chance fell to Ruggerho who blasted the ball off the last defender for the fourth goal of the game. After this goal the Celts seemed to ease off the gas and Branford came back into the game and only a few desperate last ditch goalmouth scrambles stopped them from scoring. The points were finally put to bed when the irrepressible Tano scored his second of the game and the fifth for the Celts to round off a man of the match performance from the new daddy!

Only two games left in this long long season. The Celts have to beat Hamden twice and hope that Guilford slip up for any chance of promotion but however it ends up it has been a good run that has gone all the way to the end!

Man Of The Match; A few contenders today for MOM, from the defensive masterclass of TomA and Kris. The great midfield play of Roniildo and David and the fantastic running and link play of Jorge. But the man of the match goes to the two goal hero Tano who must be in the form of his life!

NEXT GAME; Sunday 6th November vs North Branford

The season is slowly coming to an end and with the storms that have hit us we are likely to see the season extended to the 20th! We have 3 games left and the first of those is this Sunday away against North Branford. 10 am kick off at Northford park, Northford. Our three games against the Branford outfit so far have resulted in a 2-2 tie, a 4-2 win and a resounding 6-2 win. On the face of it this should be three points for us but we have to earn them. Let's get the Guilford cobwebs out of out faces with a resounding win and set ourselves up for a grandstand finish of two games against Hamden.

A shout out to Carlos and hope he recovers quickly from his broken nose!

Beer boys are whoever turns up with them.....

Just a reminder to all of you technology luddites out there that we do have a Facebook page that has different content than this blog and with some fun photos. Go ahead and click, join and press the like button!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-Celtic-FC/121928311245577

Tomorrow's Game Is Cancelled!

Sorry guys, the weather has given us another beating.... no game tomorrow

NEXT GAME; Sunday 30th Oct Hamden!

Three more games to go before the end of the season! Yes, and it's still very important for us to gather 9 points. Three reasons for that; 1) Pride 2) we could still catch Guilford if they stumble and 3 ) the Albanian Eagles are only 4 points behind us!!
Hamden are bottom of the table but they have always proved to be very awkward customers for us. Let's finish the tail end of the season with some flourish and win this game with some ease. This is our last home game of a long, long season.

Exchange Field 9 am Kick off... let's win it for Tano's new kid, Ian Maximo!!

Add your name to the fairly short roll call for the game.... beer boys are?

Double Header? Double Headache, Double Pain!

I suppose it was too much to expect? Two games, two wins, six points and a promotion spot secured? Alas, it was way too much to ask.... two games, one draw, one loss and a wave good bye to second position as we let the future be taken out of our hands. The difference between winning and losing can be measured on the thinnest of blades but those thin blades can still cut, and as a blood spattered, beat up team trudged off the field at Guilford today that blade had stuck deep.


MATCH REPORT; Guilford 2 Madison 0

The squad survived the previous days travails against Morelia and started the game against Guilford in good spirits and with no little confidence. The Celts took the game to the home team and dominated the early play. In the first minute of the game Paulo broke free and was clear on goal only to be caught before he got his shot away. Madison kept up the flow of great attacking football with Carlos leading a rock solid defence that really blunted the Guilford attack. The first half came and went in the blink of an eye with Madison clearly the top team at the break but ominously still not able to get clear cut chances.

Controversy sparked the second half into life when the ref awarded a dubious penalty to Guilford. Their striker lined up and screwed the ball wide of the post to trigger wild celebrations from the Madison team, which quickly turned to shock as they saw the ref pointing to the spot again for encroachment. This time another Guilford player strode up to slam the ball past the Hulk again to a huge outcry from Madison as they pointed out that Guilford had switched penalty takers!

The ref chopped the goal off and the whole debacle was written off. Madison continued to press but the tackling from Guilford was getting uglier and uglier. Fribeka was taken out of the game with a terrible tackle from behind and then Carlos was raked in the face by a players studs as he lay on the ground. No action from the ref told you everything about how this game was going down. Then team "emotions" started to break down with shouting and finger pointing. Jorge stormed off the field because no one would pass to him and with Halil's hamstring pull we were down to the walking wounded. Carlos got himself patched up even though blood was everywhere and he was able to slot back into the defence. But Madison were clearly rattled by the rough house treatment and with only five minutes left on the clock a break down the Celts right was not cleared and a simple ball into the box was met by two (!) Guilford players in splendid isolation, one of whom gleefully slammed the ball into the net. Disappointed was not the word to describe the feeling of watching yet another totally preventable goal hitting the back of the Madison net. Of course, if you can do one thing badly why not do another? And within a couple of minutes a very tame lofted ball into the Madison box was met flush on the head by the smallest player on the Guilford team as the Hulk contrived to miss the ball completely. Two down and definitely out. The whistle went to end the game and most likely the dreams of promotion for the Madison team. Now is not the time for a post mortem, but this was a big weekend for the team and i did say let's try and leave the weekend with no regrets because we played to our best, no matter the score. So, if you feel that you played to your best and you did what was right for the team...give yourself a pat on the back. You may have lost but you tried your best. As for the rest...... The team played strong and well for 75 minutes but lost shape and self control in the last fifteen minutes of the game, and the last five were a bit of a joke. Madison are now three points behind Guilford with both teams having three games left in the season. We have to keep going, we have to keep believing but ......we have to start winning!!

MAN OF THE MATCH; Carlos was head and shoulders the best player on the field in both teams. He played through the awful tackles, bruises and cuts to fight for the team
Safet and Halil, until his injury, supported the team very well

MATCH REPORT; Madison 2 Morelia 2



The first game of the weekend double header ended in a frustrating draw for the Madison Celts. After a game that Madison controlled for over 90% of the time, with multiple shots on target, a missed penalty and a disallowed goal it was galling to see Morelia come within a minute of winning the match. Wallingford had two, possibly three, attempts at goal throughout the whole 90 minutes and contrived to score twice from those three attempts. If Madison do lose promotion it will be down to the many many defensive blunders that have led to goals and today was no exception. An expected 18 man squad had dwindled to 12 before the start of the game but it was still a strong squad that took to the field. Madison were obviously the better team right from the kick off and the majority of the first half was played in the Morelia half. Great play by the Madison midfield, especially Ilhan set up a number of clear chances for the Celts and the Morelai penalty box soon took on the characteristics of a besieged castle. Countless shots rained in on the Morelian goalie but he kept diving and punching those balls clear but it was certain a goal was going to come....and so it did, but shockingly it came to Morelia. A simple break down the Madison left allowed a player to pass the ball unchallenged into the box where it was met by a Moralia player equally unbothered by Madison tackles who slotted the ball into the net. A shockingly lax goal to let in.... but one of at least 40 or so of a similar nature that the Celts have let in throughout the season. Halftime came with the Celts down but not panicking. The second half was more of the same from the Celts as they increased the number of shots on goal even further. Carlos, Tano, Ruggero were shooting , heading, volleying as many shots as they could muster but to no avail. But then a break through. A great pass by Ilhan to Fribeka who crossed into the box and a fantastic header by Tano nearly bust the net. Now the tails were up and it looked likely that the winners would be Madison. But with only 5 minutes left a very strange field incursion by a mad, Madison mother halted the game as she demanded we stop playing so her son's team could get on the field! When she was finally encouraged off the field the Celts seemed to be more distracted than Morelia and sure enough they took full advantage of it as yet again another Morelia player found himself free and easy on the edge of the Madison box. He neatly stepped inside and fired a shot across the the ground over the outstretched Hulk. The goal was scored in the 90th minute and was so undeserving it made you choke. But straight from the kickoff the Celts went up the field Tano crossed the ball and Ruggero thrillingly headed the ball into the net for the latest of late equalizers. How Madison ended up desperately chasing for a point God only knows.... but we make defensive blunders that always result in goals for the opposition. Morelia had three shots on target the whole game and scored twice!

MAN OF THE MATCH; Great play by Safet and Halil, as well as Carlos. But Ilhan had a great day and was MOM

It's a Six Point Weekend!

This weekend could turn out to be the make or break time for Madison Celtic's season. A game against Morelia on Saturday followed by a big game against our closest rivals Guilford on the Sunday. If both games are won the Celts will be sitting pretty in the promotion spot 5 points ahead of Guilford with only 3 games left in the season. Of course all those games have to be won but as it stands today we are in the driving seat and all we have to do to get promoted is win all of our next 5 games!


NEXT GAME; Saturday 22nd October, Morelia!




The first game of the weekend double header will be against Morelia this Saturday at Town Campus field with a kick off at 9am!! It's important we have a strong squad for the game and ideally that we end up with 3 points and no injuries! This will be our fourth game against Morelia and so far we have enjoyed two draws and a win. They are a tough team to break down and certainly, in our first two games against them, a team that is difficult to kill off. It will be important for us to take our chances and to be tight at the back. Remember that this team has a habit of falling down when even a gentle breeze touches their shirts......be aware and be smart!


Not sure if we can drink after the game as we have to get off the field quickly for a kids game. I'm sure we can make up for that after the Sunday game!

Try and get there early so we can warm up. We still have a habit of several players straggling in just minutes before kick off or even after! Not good....we need to be warmed up and ready to hit them hard from the first whistle..... ok? See you Saturday!!





NEXT GAME; Sunday 23rd October, Guilford!


The second half of the double header weekend will be against our big rivals Guilford Bell Curve. This is an away game that kicks off at 10 am and hopefully we will have secured 3 points from the previous days match up with Morelia! I don't have to tell you how important it is for us to win this game. Our promotion chance could all rest on this game. If we lose it will be very difficult to catch up unless Guilford have a crazy end to the season. So, let's not rely on that...let's take matters into our own hands an win the game! We do not want to be standing at the end of 90 minutes talking about regrets. This is not the game where you say "OK, I'll try better next time" this is the game that you bring it! No excuses, no drinking the night before, no playing with an injury, no moaning...just focus on what's right for the team and what will bring out your best performance.
Our record over the 3 games we have played Guilford has been mixed; one tie, one loss and a victory. The 3 0 win was a comprehensive win but Guilford competed all through the match and we will have to be at our best to replicate that.

Now is the time to stand up and be counted!

MATCH REPORT; East Haven 0 Madison 2

Madison kept in the hunt for promotion with a big away win against East Haven as their closest rivals, Guilford, fell to defeat at home to the Albanian Eagles. With Madison entering a double header weekend next Saturday with a game against Morelia followed with a potentially promotion deciding game against Guilford on the Sunday, the final stages of the league race are really coming to the boil! But first, what happened at this weekend's game against East Haven, reportage is from... Tano, and Pics from..... TomA!

Under East Haven is an Infernal Field!

As I woke on the Sunday morning I was mesmerized by the thought of having a game on a Nike turf field, but sadly the dream was shattered...... we ended up in the pigpen field. Anyway, we are used to that and we had a strong team so maybe Nike field some other day...

As for the game, Madison controlled the whole match and East Haven managed only one chance when the greasy ball almost ended up in the net. Our first goal was one of those open mouth, wow! goals for many watching because Carlos went on a run all the way from his defensive position and passed to Halil like Iniesta, Roniildo opened up the field like Xavi to Alvez, and Fribeka finished it like ??? well you can imagine! The goal was like a long, cool glass of water during a long speech! Madison continued to control the game but that didn't mean they were playing well. Sure, we had less mistakes than our opponent, lots of offsides calls, balls being lost at the throw ins, poor passing and I can go on and on. Now, if this is boring to read imagine how it felt watching or playing in it! Finally the first half was over and we deserved our lead. In the second half we had to attack on the worst side of the field and at one point I felt like i was making wine as i trampled through the messy field or I was back in the Air force training camp where cows and horses get to do a lot of #2. So nothing exciting was happening until Roniildo tried to be smart by standing still in the infernal pigpen and kicking at the same time. He ended up hitting a slow motion shot straight at a defender but that one innocent, deaf defender didn't hear his goalkeeper shout and he headed it right to the side of his own net. That mistake made East Haven fall to East Haven Hell. More chances came but no more goals we also had bit of our own mistakes to try to cover as we chased another goal and left the defensive line weak. Thank Maradona that we didn't have the Albanians in front of us otherwise we probably end the game in a tie again.


Salut!


Man of the Match; Good performances by Fribeka, Carlos, Chris, Roniildo. This reporter thought the MOM for excellent finishing should be Fribeka and others Carlos so this week they share!!

URGENT! East Haven Field Change!

Guys East Haven have made a last minute field change. We will NOT be playing at the turf field but will be playing at their old field at Moulthrop Street, exit 52 off of I95
Make your way there!

NEXT GAME; Sunday 16th Oct, East Haven

Finally we are back in league action! Our next game is this Sunday away to East Haven. The game will be played at East Haven High School and the kick off is at 10am.

We have played East Haven three times already this season and we have won all three with scores of 3-0, 5-0 and 4-1 but although the scores look good the games have been tough. East Haven may sit second from bottom but they just had an outrageous victory away from home beating runaway league toppers Orange 2-0! Now either Orange were squashed by superior play from East Haven or they just gave up but either way it's a warning to us all....no complacency!!

It's been so long since the last game I don't know who has beer duty!

Quick Question....

I don't know what you guys normally do on a Saturday but Morelia are willing to play our make up game with them on a Saturday! The day they can make is the 22nd. This is the day before our away game to Guilford...... So.....the big question is...... Are we willing and able to play Morelia on Saturday 22nd and then Guilford on the 23 rd? Please give me your views in the comments section below.


I'm in !

NO Game This Weekend!

Guys, Hamden are unable to get 11 players to turn up and play our make up game against them this weekend. Having tried to fix on other dates they got in touch with the league and instead of forfeiting the game they are being allowed to reschedule to Nov 13th, which is a one week extension to the league season. Of course, we also have to fit in a make up game against Morelia with no available Sundays left! We may have to be creative and play on a Saturday and a Sunday one weekend. We have a big enough squad to manage this. Unless we have a revolt from the squad I will talk to Morelia about finding a suitable Saturday.

Of course, this leaves the Columbus day weekend free. Would have been nice to play but if you get bored you can just stare at the optical illusion above for the next week!

Rain Cancels Game!

Guys

Madison ( and Guilford ) just had a downpour of rain which unfortunately means we will have to cancel the game. Looks like it moves through over the next couple of hours but too late for us

NEXT GAME; Sunday 2nd October, Morelia!

This Sunday we will have a home game against Morelia. It will be another tough game for the Celts as we get nearer and nearer to the end of the season. Madison have to really win every game if they want a serious chance of promotion. Guilford sit four points ahead of Madison in the prized promo spot and although we have another game against them coming up we need to keep the pressure on and hope some other team does us a favor!

We won the last time we played Morelia. Match report here; http://madisonceltic.blogspot.com/2011/06/match-report-morelia-0-madison-2.html

The Atlantic Rovers contingent will be back in full force for the game and available for selection


Sunday, 8 am, Exchange Field!


And the beer boys are?

MATCH REPORT; Eagles 2 Madison 2

Match Report By Rugginho

It was a nice day with humidity about 50% and temperature about 75 degree, a little cloudy although occasionally the sun would come out. Thirteen players showed up relatively on time, except the usual latecomers. With only two subs the scheduling went on without problems and when the word “subs” was screamed from the bench it sounded like a great relieve for many Celtics.

In the first half, the Celtics looked composed and organized. However, it took a while to score the first goal of the match and it was the result of a play initiated in mid field by Halil and completed by Ihlan who shot the ball right against the body of an Albanian changing suddenly direction and catching by surprise their goal keeper. The Albanians tried to react but the good work of Halil, David and Fribeka in mid field and Talat, Safet, Kris and Bambi in defense (with some good safes from Hulk) nullified all their attempts. So, the half time ended with 0:1 for the Celtics.

In the second half both teams became more aggressive verbally and physically and this resulted in few yellow cards on both sides. Unfortunately, with time the Celtics lost some focus and composure and when an incursion of the Albanians was completely ignored by the Celtics they were able to tie the game. To add more frustration, some good runs from Tano and Paulo and few shots from David were inconclusive. The fatigue at this point was visible among the Celtics and Tano, who was resting on the bench, went in to play up front for Safet, who was playing in defense. In few minutes the Albanians took advantage of this defensive hole and unfortunately they scored the second goal. However, the Celtics promptly reacted by pressing the Albanians until, few seconds before the end of the game, a shot by David in area hit the hand of an incredulous Albanian resulting in the penalty kick. The pressure was high but Tano, having practiced the penalty kick before the game, kept cool and inflated the net with precision and power. It was a well deserved 2:2 tie.

MAN OF THE MATCH; A few of us had some beers as usual after the game and it was decided to have Ilhan as man of the match.

NEXT GAME; Sunday September 25th, Eagles!

Our next game is a tough away game against the fast improving Albanian Eagles. We have played them 3 times already with each game resulting in a high scoring tie. A lot of lost points against a team that scores a lot but lets a lot of goals in!

We will need to use our large squad to its fullest this weekend as several of the team will be missing as they play for the Atlantic Rovers in Scotland. TomA will be the man in charge on Sunday

Let's make sure we do not make any defensive mistakes this time out! I hope someone takes down notes and sends me a match report including a man of the match!

Have fun and win 3 points!