| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 83 | 47 | +36 |
The Dock Association Football Club
All League & Cup Games 2009-10
2009-10 League & Cup Fixtures
Stirrup FC 1-0 Dock
Dock went into their penultimate game ot the season away at Stirrup knowing a win would give them the three points they need to make them league champions. Manager Mike McGraa made a number of changes from Thursday night’s defeat against Queens Park with Paul Roberts, Ross Carragher, Craig Donaghy and Ray Redmond coming in to replace Paul Davies, Paul Byrne, Shaun Holmes and the injured Bernie Holmes . However, the changes never made any difference in performance as Dock continued to play well below the level we all know they can.
Dock started bright enough but it was Stirrup who opened the scoring after 20 minutes when a superb cross was headed past Dock’s keeper Roberts who had no chance (pictured left). From then on Dock struggled to put more than a couple of passes together and seem to try the long ball game which never looked like it was going to work.
Both teams had a couple of chances to score with Docks Mike Saunders and Colin O’Hanlon both unlucky not to find the back of the net, Stirrup had chances to double their lead especially late on when they had a free header 6 yards out which flew over the crossbar.
If Dock have aspirations to be crowned 2010 league champions they need to up their game dramatically and win the final game of the season on Thursday night against Woodchurch FC, twitchy bum time continues!!!
Dock 2-4 Queens Park (Houlihan’s BSFL Premier Division)
Things went from bad to worse for Dock after they went 1-0 down after only 7 minutes through a Matty Carlin own goal. Mike McGraa brought the game level on the 11 minute mark with a stunning free kick, but Queens made it 2-1 a minute or so later with an easy back post tap in from Mike Burke. Mike Saunders gave Dock hope on the half hour mark with a lob over Queens keeper after good work by McGraa.
Queens took advantage of the strong wind in the second half and regained the lead after 55 minutes as the big number 9 shot from just outside the area beating Paul Davies in the Dock goal, then with 20 minutes to go he doubled his tally and put the game beyond Dock. Dock now have two games left, both away ties against Stirrup and Woodchurch where they need three points which would see them crowned as champions. Twitchy bum time!!!
Rock Ferry 1-0 Dock (Houlihan’s Memorial Cup)
Dock were left to rue their first half chances as Rock Ferry dumped them our of the Houlihan’s Memorial Cup at the semi final stage.
With the half time score at 0-0 Rock Ferry came out the better team and deservedly took the lead via a Dave Lewis volley.
Dock tried hard to get back into the game but every ball sent into Rock Ferry half seemed to find the head of Dock’s old centre forward Robbie Stewart, who was immense as a makeshift central defender
Neston Nomads 4-2 (Houlihan’s Memorial Cup)
The game was a quiet affair until the 25 minute when Mark Head put a superb ball through to Gary Reay who made no mistake from 10 yards out. Neston brought the game level on 32 minutes when Dock firstly gave the ball away then never cleared when they had opportunity leaving Dave Forbes able to place the ball past Dock’s keeper Paul Roberts from 6 yards out.
Shaun Holmes put Dock 2-1 up on the 70th minute mark when Matty Carlin went route one and found Gary Reay who calmly headed down for Shaun to fire in a superb left footed volley. Shaun Holmes returned the favour 4 minutes later when his cross found Gary Reay’s head at the back post to make it 3-1.
Richie Foukes made it 3-2 with 10 minutes to go with a superb effort from 30 yards out, then Gary Reay made sure Dock were through to the semi when he got his third and Docks 4th with 3 minutes to go.
Final Score Neston Nomads 2-4 Dock
(Updated via BlackBerry)
Queens 3-2 Dock (Houlihan’s BSFL Premier Division)
Dock lost their first league game of the season against Queens Park in a thrilling encounter at West Kirby FC. Although Queens found themselves down to 10 men after only 5 minutes when their centre forward was dismissed for using his elbow, they never gave up and actually took the lead on the half hour mark from the penalty spot after Paul Byrne was harshly adjudged to handle a shot which was blasted at him from point blank range.
Dock managed to level the game early on in the second half through a Mike McGraa header, and should really have taken the lead a few minutes later when Gary Reay blasted against the post from 6 yards out. Queens then took the lead when Dock’s keeper Paul Davies saved a shot only to see a Queens player fire in the rebound from which seemed an offside position. Queens then found themselves down to 9 men when Mike McGraa was brought down from behind in the area, Mark Head converted the resulting spot kick. Dock were looking for the winner but Queens had other ideas and pumped a ball into Dock’s penalty area where it somehow found its way into the back of the net, possibly off Dock’s Jason Williams for an own goal. Final Score Queens 3-2 Dock
Bidston 0-4 Dock (BSFL Premier Division)
The Dock boys continued their impressive league form with a 4-0 demolition of Bidston Hotel at a windy Valley Road. Dock took the lead after only 6 minutes through a fine Mike McGraa effort, his 3rd in 3 games.
The magnificent Gary Reay then took centre stage scoring his 29th and 30th of the season, but more incredibly his 399th and 400th career goal for Dock, he raced over to Mum Jean for a big well deserved hug, well done Gary (pictured below)!! Second half substitute Ray Redmond also got himself on the score sheet just before the final whistle.
The win leaves Dock requiring a maximum of 3 point from their final four games to see them become Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Football League Champions for the 6th time in their history.
Hoylake 0-2 Dock ( Memorial Cup)
Dock made it through to the next round of the Memorial Cup thanks to goals from Mike McGraa and Gary Reay. The first half was a non event with neither keeper having to make a save, however things improved after the break.
Hoylake found themselves down to 10 men early into the second half when one of their players was dismissed for two bookable offences. Dock took advantage of having the extra man and bombarded Hoylake’s goal but found the home keeper in magnificent form, but, on the hour mark Mike McGraa found himself on the far post to head a simple header past the home keeper to make the score 1-0, Gary Reay came off the bench and notched up his 398th goal for Dock to see them through to the next round. Final score Dock 2-0 Hoylake. (Been out on the beer all day, hope this is okay – bring back Stevo, please).
Dock 3-1 Rock Ferry (Houlihan’s BSFL Premier Division)
After taking a bit of light hearted stick from Club Secretary Jeff Sheeran about not scoring enough goals, it took Player Manager Mike McGraa all of 6 minutes to score from a free kick after he had asked the referees permission to take it quickly (nearly too quick for me as you can see from the below photo as the ball is just going past the keeper – happy this week Mike after moaning I never got your goal last week, hehe!!). The visitors brought the game level on 22 minutes with an Aaron Bird shot from 14 yards out which Dock’s keeper Paul Davies had no chance of saving.
Dock had a chance to regain the lead 5 minutes into the second half when Rock Ferry’s keeper Thompson was adjudged to have pushed Docks Bernie Holmes in the area giving the referee no option other than award Dock a penalty kick, which was taken by Mark Head but superbly saved by Thompson. Mark Head made up for his missed penalty 7 minutes later when his deflected shot flew over Thompson’s head and ended up in the back of Rock Ferry’s net. Injury time saw Rock Ferry pushing for an equaliser but Dock’s Mike Saunders had other ideas and hit them on the counter attack and scored to make the final score Dock 3-1 Rock Ferry
