5/22/2009 5:02:00 PM Disappointing losses against the Hammers, but we're still mid-table
By Paul Scope
Taking only one point from two home games against Wilmington Hammerheads was definitely disappointing given the results of our two previous home games, but a look at the league table suggests we are progressing well, in this our third season.
We are exactly mid-table, fifth in a nine-team division and we are ahead of perennial powerhouses Richmond Kickers and Charlotte Eagles.
Wilmington are sitting on top of the pile with 11 points from five games, and the only unbeaten team in USL-2.
Also ahead of us are Harrisburg, who we beat comfortably in our first home game, as well as Crystal Palace Baltimore and Real Maryland Monarchs, both teams defeating us on our first road trip of the season in April.
The loss at Real Maryland was a tight 3-2 affair, where we were playing less than 24 hours after our previous night's game in Baltimore.
We missed a penalty that day (as we did against Wilmington last Friday, so missed penalties have already cost us three points this season.
This gives us some cause for optimism for tonight's home return game against the Monarchs, who will go top of the table if they come away with all three points.
We will be doing our very best to prevent that and we know that a win for the Hogges would vault us over them. I think it will be a more open game than our recent games.
Whilst our first priority will be to continue our improved form in defense, we do want to entertain our loyal fans and the Monarchs played a fairly open game with us last month. Their dangerman is their Jamaican striker, Gary Brooks, who has stung us before when he was with Crystal Palace. They also have two Cuban defectors in their ranks, who sought refuge when in the U.S. for a U-20 World Cup qualifier.
The coach of the Monarchs is Anthony Hudson, formerly David Irving's assistant coach at Wilmington. Anthony is a good friend of mine and I have been a friend of his family for a while now.
I have taken a personal interest in his coaching career and I am convinced he has the makings of a great coach.
Talking of David Irving, I just caught up with him for breakfast at Grotto Bay before the Hammerheads left for Boston to play rock bottom Western Mass Pioneers tonight. David was full of praise for our team and opined we are improving rapidly and are no longer a "soft touch".....he even suggested we have become a "physical" team. Wow, how times have changed!
He was also waxing lyrical about what a good time he and his squad have had this past week in our lovely Island.
Apart from ribbing me about the four points they took from us, he also praised the service at Grotto Bay and the beauty of our golf courses.
An avid golfer, he played Riddells Bay, Tuckers Point and Mid Ocean while he was here, shooting in the 70s each time. I know Kyle is in good golfing form at the moment, but I expect, with those kind of scores, David made off with the wagers as well as the points.
Come out and support your 2009 Hogges tonight at 8pm.
