Dynamo Fenham F.C.

Having gone out of the cup 2 weeks ago to Rosehill, going down 2-5 with Fenham goals coming from Jake White and Stephen Smith, the Dynamo were back in league action following an international break last week.

With keeper McIntosh still unavailable for logistical reasons, manager Neil Stokoe stepped up to the plate and took the gloves and after 5 minutes it looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for the stand-in stopper. Conscious of attack being the best form of defence, the Dynamo stepped things up, Smith played Hewitson in down the right and his cutback eventually found the in-form Brown, to finish and level things up. Fenham moved on and were 1-2 up within minutes, another Hewitson-Brown combination led to a flick on by Brown from a Hewitson long throw, which found skipper Graeme Brough to finish inside the 6 yard box.

Tackles then started to fly in, with the pitch beginning to cut up and a few poorly timed tackles were put down to the conditions deteriorating, resulting in a free kick 20 yards out for Fenham just before the break. Smith stepped up and floated the kick over the wall, what looked like a routine save for the Seghill keeper, managed to squirm through his legs and into the back of the net.

Going into the break 1-3 up, the Dynamo knew the next goal would be an important one and unfortunately it went to the home side, a roving run from midfield ended up with a shot into the left side of the net that gave Stokoe no chance. With Miller and Fryer, who was to be replaced by Richardson, controlling things in the centre of the park, there was to be no more work for Stokoe to do. Brown was still providing a threat up front, with Richards and Brough holding strong in defence, ably backed up at full back by Tunesi and Orkney. Smith and Hewitson attempted to provide an outlet to the attack and it was Brown adding his second which killed the game off as a contest, putting the 4th away and ending the game as a contest with minutes remaining on the clock.

Fenham had chances to add a 5th, but the 2-4 scoreline was well deserved and a team performance from the Dynamo boys signed off 2011 in style.

Assists

Hewitson

Brown

Hewitson

Goals

Brown

Brough

Smith

Brown

MotM

Brown

The Dynamo got back to winning ways in this Calvert Cup group game, following a 1-1 draw away to Chemfica, last time out. A James Richards goal wasn’t enough to secure the 3 points, as Chemfica hit back late on to steal a point.

This time out, Fenham welcomed player-manager Stokoe back into the starting 11 for the first time in months. The sight of a returning Mark Fryer in midfield was a welcome one, with Arkle, Brough and Nichol all missing, either through injury or international duty.

Tunesi moved over to right back with Harrison and Richards in the centre. Richardson partnered Fryer, with the usual wide pairing of Hewitson and Smith on the flanks. Greeves started up front with Turnbull making his first start of the season.

It didn’t take the Dynamo long to get going, with a Smith corner inside the opening minutes powered into the roof of the net by on-rushing skipper, Mark Harrison. What followed, left the entire Fenham squad perplexed, a shot from around a yard away was fired at Harrison, with no time to react, the bal struck the goalscorer and the referee gave the most unlikely of penalties. To say it was a kind award, would be kind…

With Fenham rattled by the injustice of the decision, the sides went into the break at one apiece. But again, a corner routine came up trumps for the away side, this time Hewitson’s right wing delivery was met perfectly by Richardson to head home and put Fenham in the lead.

Another controversial decision allowed the home side back into the game, despite the linesman flagging for what appeared to be a clear offside, the referee allowed play to continue, with Seghill getting back onto level terms once more. Feeling up against it, following the ref’s comments that he didn’t see the point in linesmen, Fenham pushed on and deservedly got back in the lead, with Greeves latching onto a defensive mix-up to dink a neat finish past the on-rushing keeper. And Turnbull finished the game off with a hard, low finish from outside the box.

A well deserved victory for Fenham and one that saw the whole team pull together to grind out a welcome result, a real sign of the team spirit that is evident this season.

Assists

Smith

Hewitson

Goals

Harrison

Richardson

Greeves

Turnbull

MotM

Fryer

Following on from a close 2-1 win against Fawdon Park Development, Fenham made it 4 points in 2 games with a close fought game away to Seghill.

Falling behind inside the opening minutes, a long punt up field was missed in the centre of the Fenham defence and a Seghill striker was allowed time to finish past a helpless McIntosh. But not to be put down, the Dynamo fought back and a cross field ball cleared the last man, where Greeves and Hewitson were running into space, with a slightly better angle, Hewitson took command of the situation and Greeves allowed the Fenham wide man to lash home a volley into the bottom corner, leaving the keeper with no chance.

Fenham then pushed ahead when Greeves made it 2-1 in no time at all, pouncing on a loose ball from a Kevin Nichol pull back, to give Fenham a deserved lead, and it stayed like that until the break. With more goals seemingly obvious, it was Smith who made it 3 to Fenham, with a cross that he still swears was a shot… Finding the opposite corner when cutting in from the left to leave the keeper stranded.

Some dallying in defence saw Seghill awarded a penalty, which McIntosh was helpless to keep out, the game delicately poised at 3-2, when disaster struck. With only seconds remaining, the ball in his hands, McIntosh looked out wide for White, only to slip at the vital moment of kicking and leave the Seghill striker with the simplest of finishes to snatch a point.

Devastated, but Paul had previously kept Fenham in the lead with a couple of fantastic saves – such is the life of a goalkeeper.

Goals:

Hewitson

Greeves

Smith

MOTM:

McIntosh

Following on from another win against Chemfica in the league, this time with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Hewitson, Brown and Nichol. Fenham were back in Calvert Cup action, against Division One side, Tyne View.

After welcoming Richards back to the starting lineup for the first time this season, Fenham were forced into another reshuffle after seeing Hewitson pull a hamstring early in the first half. Jake White being asked to play in an unfamiliar right midfield role.

Once again Tunesi captained a Dynamo side full of belief, with the ever-improving Orkney at right back and Richardson at left back. In a defence that might have looked makeshift on paper – it was never in question on the field.

In midfield, once again the bank of 5 was on show, with Richards partnered by the much-missed Mark Fryer. Smith returned after a 2 week absence and Nichol tucked in behind (and sometimes in front) of Brown, up front on his own.

A good first half on a decent pitch, saw the sides go into the break all-square. Fenham sensed an upset was on the cards and their belief was well placed as Nichol was brought down by the angry left back for the penalty. With Hewitson off the field, Nichol stepped up and dispatched the penalty past the keeper for a deserved lead.

But Tyne View pegged the Dynamo back with a strike of their own, but Fenham weren’t finished there… Nichol once again got on the scoresheet, breaking clear of the defence before sending a crashing drive into the top corner. And if you thought Kev was going to pass up the chance to berate everyone about his hat-trick, you’d be wrong. Minutes later, after fantastic work from Brown, Nichol was left with the simplest of tasks to complete his first Fenham treble and spark week long celebrations around those who would care to listen, verbally or via tweets. And even to those who weren’t listening.

Tyne View began another fight back and got on the scoresheet again, but with Stokoe and Gavin coming off the bench to offer some fresh legs to replace the tiring Smith and Richards. Fenham deservedly held on to take a famous win.

Selection headaches now beckon for the manager, not least due to Kev’s #goalmachine hashtag on Twitter.

3 Goal Hero Kev put Tyne View to the sword (as he may have mentioned once or twice)

A double report with contrasting fortunes for the Dynamo, one week a fantastic win over an experienced Rushworth side and the following, a poor 4 goal defeat, where a poor turnout of only 12 men, left Fenham with a much changed side.

In the Rushworth victory, goals came from a Greeves brace following a Brown assist for the first, whilst he followed up a keeper fumble for his second. Harrison also got on the score sheet following a crisp Smith delivery from a dead ball on the left, whilst Nichol scored a superb solo effort, ghosting past 2 defenders before chipping the ball over the grounded keeper. White rounded off the scoring with a brilliantly taken header at the front post from a Hewitson right wing corner.

By contrast, the side that faced Fawdon saw Mark Fryer make his long overdue return and claim the man of the match award, whilst his colleagues were often found wanting on a rain-soaked afternoon at Coxlodge. Only able to name a starting 11, Stokoe was able to call upon Orkney in the 2nd half to liven things up a bit, but Fenham were never really in the game from the start as Stokoe, Harrison, Richardson, Simons and Fryer all came into the starting 11.

Fenham will be hoping to bounce back immediately as they take on Chemfica in their second league game of the season – looking to make it 2 wins out of 3 games against the Benfield based side…

Fenham gained revenge over a rather iffy 5-4 defeat the week before, with a show of dominance from the first whistle.

Starting with a more recognisable side, with McIntosh, Brough and Nichol all returning to the starting line up. It took the Dynamo a matter of minutes to take the lead, with Greeves following up a parry from the keeper to sweep home from close range. Smith doubled the advantage with a lob from out wide on the left, which left the helpless keeper no chance. With around 10 minutes gone, Brown made it 3-0 and utlimately ended the game as a contest with little over half of the first half gone.

Chemfica attempted to mount a comeback but were being reduced to shots from distance and the occasional set piece, all of which, the newly-wed, McIntosh dealt with in front of the sticks. There was still time for another goal as Fenham pushed to make the scoreline even bigger, the referee had no choice to point to the spot after another foul in the box and Hewitson stepped up to drill a low penalty straight down the middle.

The second half came and both teams started to show heavy legs, with long punts from Chemfica defenders often sailing aimlessly though to McIntosh. There was, however, time for Brown to put the icing on the cake for Fenham. Hewitson beat his man out wide on the right and fired in an inch perfect cross for Brown to meet with a diving header to seal the win in style.

Assists:

Hewitson

Hewitson

Goals:

Greeves

Smith

Brown

Hewitson (p)

Brown

MotM:

Smith