Doug Barr Archives - Soccernoob

Isle of Sodor Premier League – matchday 36 (5/18-19) In Review – tie for 1st is broken, derbies decided

In the wake of winning the most important match of the season, the scene at the local Joseph Tidy’s in village Dryaw was perhaps the most raucous anyone could remember, ’twas said.

Image result for Doug Barr A dramatic win for their beloved home team. Noob drinking partner, actor/ producer/ vintner Doug Barr of 1980’s TV series “The Fall Guy” leading the patrons in celebratory song, buying shots of Vicarstown raspberry vermouth. Image result for Hollywood and Vine Cellars Everyone excited as he shook hands with Dryaw FC‘s club president over the league’s first-ever stadium naming sponsorship deal, naming the local stadium after his Los Angeles area “Hollywood and Vine Cellars” business starting next season. Nary a dry eye was to be found. I was blessed just to be there.

Full weekend results:

Sat., 5/18
#10 Suddery 2 vs. 1 #5 Crovan’s Gate
#19 Tidmouth City 4 vs. 4 #20 Arlesburgh Utd.
#18 Ulfstead 0 vs. 8 #13 Lakeside
#1 Dryaw 4 vs. 2 #3 Knapford Town
#16 Ffarquhar 4 vs. 1 #7 Wellsworth

Sun., 5/19
#11 Marron 4 vs. 3 #9 Glennock
#15 Brendam Harbor 6 vs. 2 #17 Brendam Utd.
#8 E.C.D. 4 vs. 3 #12 Vicarstown
#14 Castle Rolf 6 vs. 2 #2 Peel Godred
#6 Junction & Sheds 4 vs. 3 #4 Kirk Ronan

Here’s a smexy link to the updated Table.

In Review highlights

* With a 4-2 win – and coupled with Peel Godred's loss – Dryaw FC reclaim the #1 spot, leading by three points with just two Matchdays remaining.

* In the Brendam Derby II, Brendam Harbor wins 6-2, avenging their 0-7 loss to B-Utd. in the season's first edition.

* In the Walney Channel Derby II, East Coast Diesel wins a tense, sensational affair 4-3 over Vicarstown. Their match earlier this season ended in a 6-6 draw.

* Ffarquhar's win Saturday guarantees they can do no worse than tie for 18th, the last spot in the Relegation Zone. (Should there be a tie, a relegation playoff match will happen in Suddery.)

Feature Match in Review: Dryaw FC back alone in 1st

The fairy tale season for Dryaw is alive and well after a shiny 4-2 win over #3 Knapford Town!

As merely a larger village team, Dryaw were picked to finish well in the table’s bottom half. Yet with two matches to play, they now lead Peel Godred (matchday 36 upset victims) by three in the table. More, KTFC – while still 3rd – trail the leaders by five. This inaugural IoS PL season is now a two-horse race.

Image result for Knapford Town FC Knapford Town took advantage early (8′) for an 0-1 lead thanks to sloppy defensive play from Dryaw. A lazy pass from the center back was picked off midfield, flicked to an open man just outside the box and absolutely rocketed home. Dryaw‘s backstop had no shot at that top corner score!

Play ping ponged all over the pitch for nearly the rest of the first half, Knapford Town creating several more chances to just two for Dryaw. The halftime momentum looked to be all KTFC‘s when Dryaw‘s hero stemmed the tide! Picking on a shorter defender, Christopher Wilbertson took what was a mediocre lofted ball in the box and smashed home a header at 44′. Halftime: 1-1

All the second half, Dryaw pushed harder than ever, but could only trade single goals with the more offensively-balanced visitors. But just as it appeared things would go beyond 90′, disaster struck for the guests. Even with two defenders hard on Wilbertson, a third allowed himself to be lulled toward the star striker as he broke just a bit free. The pass went to the quickly-covered POTY candidate, who then himself had only to make a simple push pass to an open winger for a wide open gimme. 3-2 (89′!)

Dryaw would add one more on a corner set piece at 93′ to make the final 4-2. (Noob predicted a 4-3 Dryaw result — not bad!)

Image result for BHFC crest Congrats are due today to Brendam Harbor on being their city’s unofficial champs with their Brendam derby win today over United. Image result for east coast diesel crest E.C.D.’s win over Vicarstown had to feel good in the Walney Channel derby, even if not quite big enough by margin to overcome the 0-7 butt-kicking they’d taken earlier this season.

Check in every day for IoS FA news! And remember, Matchday 37 is -Wednesday, 5/22!

Isle of Sodor Premier League – matchday 31 (4/6-7) – Sun., #1 Dryaw hosts the Bad Boys of East Coast Diesel

Matchday 31 (Sun., 4/7) preview (Sat.’s match previews precede this post)

#9 Glennock vs. #16 Ulfstead
#4 Crovan’s Gate vs. #10 Suddery
#5 Kirk Ronan vs. #20 Arlesburgh Utd. (5-0 AU)
#13 Marron vs. T14 Vicarstown (8-6 M)

plus the Sunday feature match #1 Dryaw vs. T7 East Coast Diesel

Season-long followers of IoS PL coverage might assume Noob simply camped out in Dryaw for yet another week. It was tempting, this being a little Paris of sorts, an idyllic haven for writers and intellectuals and all sorts of unscrupulous rabble. Image result for Doug Barr But my best friends American author Daniel J. Heck and Doug Barr (1980’s TV “The Fall Guy”, screenwriter and vintner) both hopped back across the pond. Saturday’s feature match was in Brendam, and so there I b&b’ed for the week.

But now Noob’s back, baybeeeeeee. And the mood in town Noob sensed Saturday night was surely odd. Naturally, everyone’s riding a wave of elation that Dryaw’s been leading the league for weeks upon weeks. And they now lead by four – not a huge cushion, but a little margin for error’s been managed.

Yet there’s no mistaking an air of worry here. Two matchdays weekends ago, E.C.D. Image result for east coast diesel crest stormed back from a 2-6 deficit to earn a draw in the Walney Channel Derby. This team that had muddled through just an ok season went back to their pre-Premier League identity, as one that plays seriously rough defense. Remember: even moderately hard defense has always been considered uncouth historically.

Yes, Dryaw supporters are scared. Worried about the result, sure. But terrified of their players getting mauled. In the second half of that derby two weeks ago, Diesels earned 10 yellow cards in as many minutes. They then cruised the following matchday to a 4-2 road win over Marron that was not as close as the score indicates. They even retook their official 2018-19 team photo. They look haunted and angry.

Image result for mean amateur soccer team photo

So since reclaiming their identity, they’re 1-1-0 and have outscored opponents 8-2 over the last three halves. Dryaw, meanwhile, are 2-2 in their last four. They’ve been more offensively-minded over this stretch, but who knows how many easy chances they’ll be able to muster today now that the Bad Boys are back.

Noob calls it: I think E.C.D. are going to control the pace. That said, the FA folks seem none too pleased with Diesels’ re-finding of their brutally physical style.

Noob’s not suggesting they’ve given explicit marching orders to the refs to keep the game Sudric-clean, but some sort of message has gone out. They’d like to see their unique brand of football take hold and get a little international attention as time goes on. The call: 2-2

The title race stays scalding hot.

Isle of Sodor Premier League – matchday 30 (3/23-24) – Sun. #1 take on the FA Cup winners

Matchday 30 (Sun., 3/24) Preview

#2 Knapford Town vs. #15 Vicarstown
#4 Crovan’s Gate vs. #11 Castle Rolf
#13 Marron vs. T7 E.C.D.
#6 Wellsworth vs. #18 Ulfstead

Plus the Sunday Feature Match: #1 Dryaw hosts #14 Brendam Harbor

Hello from village Dryaw! Noob usually attends both the weekend’s Feature Matches. But no way I was going to interrupt my stay in Dryaw this week. The preview’s a’comin’, but first, indulge Noob’s small peek into my long-term, part-time life here.

For those newer to all things Sodor, Dryaw’s a sizable village in the west central part of the Isle. West and south along the coast are three of the large towns, all easy gets for finer dining. Just east – estates, B&B’s, wine country. And so, it’s become a haven for writers, whether for short vacation, extended stays, or even permanent residence.

Noob’s been hanging and imbibing with his usual pair o’ pals. American novelist Dan Heck (Google up his books, or even his new blog-archive of all things championships of all kinds) came for the week. Image result for Doug Barr So did Douglas Barr, costar of 1980’s TV’s “The Fall Guy”. Actor, writer, director, vintner – we’re all becoming best friends, it’s true. He brought some of his newly available 2002 “2480 ” cab sav from his Hollywood and Vine Cellars. Behhhst frehhhhnds. So, Noob’s got more than a bit of a katzenjammer working as he writes tomorrow’s preview.

Sportsball! Ok. Dryaw still lead Knapford by two in the table and Peel Godred by four (Peel’s Sat. result pending). This, despite being just 1-1-2 their last month. The road loss last week in the capital against midtable Suddery was a surprise. Will they re-find their offense again today? They’ve proven they can win high-and low-scoring affairs alike, but one goal is rarely going to get you any points on the Isle.

Image result for BHFC crest Brendam Harbor won the inaugural FA Cup this past summer, but surprisingly have not followed that up with a strong first PL season. They’re just 14th in the table. Being from one of the “main towns” on the Isle, they were certainly considered a league fave even before winning the Cup.

They’re one of the few teams on Sodor that play a reasonable semblance of defense. They’ve certainly had their share of strong games on that regard, but when teams score much at all against them, the Harbormen have rarely shown they can compete in a shootout. Motivation may start to become a question. They’re safe from Relegation, yet have little hope of competing for a top-half table finish.

Noob calls it: Dryaw 5-1 Dryaw’s been excellent at home, for the most part. And they’ll be plenty motivated. They know Knapford and Peel Godred also have home dates this weekend, matches against bottom half teams.