Week ending 16/9

Well it has been a well busy week with 3 world cups under way, the All Blacks have started in their 4 yearly quest to see what new ways they can bottle it - lets hoe they don't this time, the cricketers are in South Africa for the 20/20 world cup but the more significant one is the Women's World Cup in China, where the Swanz are competing although it looks like they won't get past the first round, I saw some of the goals by the Brazillians against them and they were outstanding.

Also has been a busy week in Football for UEFA Qualifying and I am still recovering from what is probably Scotland's best ever result since 1967, there were 15000 of us in the Stadium in France and when McFadden's goal wewnt in we went ballistic - if you haven't seen it go to you tube and do a search on France v Scotland - its well worth it (even iof I am biased)

Anyway back to the football and the Kiwi's in the UK

Ryan Nelsen put in another solid performance a the back as Blackburn Rovers managed a 0-0 away draw at Chelsea, some papaers suggested that if it wasn't for keeper Brad Friedels performance he would have got man of the match

Chris Killen came on in the 66th minute for Celtic but didn't get on the scoresheet as they demolished botton team Inverness Caledonian Thistle 5-0

Dave Mulligan started on the bench as well coming on in the 55th minute as Grimsby got a 2-2 draw at home with Stockport

Hue Frame played the full 90 in Limavady United's 2-2 draw with Cliftonville in the CIS Insurance Cup (its in a group stage at the moment)

Rory Fallon sat on the bench for Plymouth's 2-2 draw with Cardiff

Plenty of action this week, Chris Killen is off to Ukraine with Celtic to play Shkatar Donetsk on tuesday. Rory Fallon will be at QPR also on tuesday as Plymouth meat them in the championship and Thursday see's Ryan Nelsen in Greece with Blackburn as they take on Larissa in the UEFA Cup

4-1 the popular score

Well my statement last week that there were no Kiwi's in action this week due to the Internationals wasn't quite right

The lower leagues still play, and Dave Mulligan played twice last week for Grimsby Town, he made his first full game in the Johnstone Paints Trophy Northern Section Round 1 which Grimsby won comfortably by 4 goals to 1 over Huddersfield

4-1 was also the score on Saturday but this time it was a loss for the mariners who went down to Accrington Stanley, Mulligan again played the full game

Steven Holloway had a run out for the Dagenham & Redbridge Reserves in their 2-0 win over Clapton on Monday 4th September apperently had a good game before being subbed for another trialist in the 2nd half

Kiwi's make good subs

Blackburn Rovers beat Manchester City 1-0 and showed they could play football despite their reputation as the hard team of the Premiership - I suppose having big Ryan Nelsen at the back and as your captain helps this image

Rory Fallon got 4 minutes as Plymouth were held to a goaless draw by managerless Leicester

Dave Mulligan sat on the bench for the 1st half hour before coming on for his new club (albeit on loan), Grimsby as they went down 2-1 to Shrewsbury at New Meadow (The old ground was called Gay Meadow which was a much better name don't know why they didn't go with New Gay Meadow?)

Chris Killen came on in the 64th minute of Celtic's game against St Mirren, Celtic were 3-0 up at the time and ran out easy 5-1 victors

In Northern Ireland Limavady United picked up their first points in the league cup when they beat Donegal Celtic 2-1. Not sure if Hue Frame played as their website dosen't go into players details

European adventures & loan singings

Lots of action for this week for teams with Kiwi's in them but not alot of particpation from the Kiwi players


Plymouth won in the league cup but Rory Fallon didn't participate

Celtic beat Spartak Moscow 4-3 on penalities after drawing 1-1 and it being 2-2 on aggerate in an epic encounter at Celtic Park, Chris Killen sat on the bench. It is a bit of Dejavu for Celtic who will face AC Milan and Benfica again as well as Ukrainian's Shaktar Donestk in the group stage of the Champions League

Blackburn beat Finland's MyPa47 2-0 to win 3-0 on aggerate and will face Larissa of Greece in the 1st round. Ryan Nelsen again captained the side.

In Northern Ireland, Hue Frame's Limavady went out of the North-West Cup in the Semi Final losing 3-1 to Coleraine

Dave Mulligan has been loaned to League Two Grimsby Town for one month, becoming the 3rd Kiwi to be associated with this club, Jason Batty spent 3 months on their books in 2000 and ex All White Alan Marley played 40 games scoring 2 goals for them between 1974-76

Red Card for Nelsen in quite weekend for Kiwi's

Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen was sent off after picking up 2 yellow cards against Arsenal on Sunday, it was his first Red Card in English football. The final result was 1-1.

Gisborne Born Rory Fallon was the only other Kiwi in action he played 60 minutes for Plymouth against Ipswich before being subbed in a 1-1 draw

Chris Killen was again on the bench for Celtic and with Kenny Miller coming back into form and rumours linking Celtic with Barcelona's Gudjohansen it is difficult to see Killen playing much part in Celtic's team this year.

Simon Elliott also didn't feature and teh fact Fulham now have a new manager and he ominsouly doesn't have a squad number suggests that he may not feature much for Fulham, howevre he was called up to the All Whotes suqad for the world cup qualifiers in October

There were also unconfirmed reports that Fulham have released Chris James.

Meanwhile Former Melville United and Monmouth University (New Jersey) striker Steven Holloway, 22, is trialling at Barnet next week.He was Northeast Conference top goalscorer (18 goals) last year, made the All America third team, then briefly returned to Melville in May, where he scored 11 goals in 12 games in northern league & Chatham Cup, before again heading overseas,if things don't work out at Barnet, he has trials with Dagenham & Redbridge & Tramere Rovers also lined up

No mid week action as there are International games on this week

Midweek action

England's league cup (Carling Cup) kicked off this week,David Mulligan's Scunthorpe went out to League 1 opposition Hartlepool, Mulligan again stayed on the bench

Plymouth Argyle beat League 2 Wycombe Wanderers 2-1, with Rory Fallon coming on in the 74th minute

Fulham got their first win off the season, 2-1 at home to Bolton, Simon Elliott and Chris James did not feature

In Europe Chris Killen's Celtic got an invaulable away goal at Spartak Moscow in a 1-1 draw, Killen stayed on the bench with van thingymajig of hesslink and Scott McDonald currently the prefered striking partnership

Meanwhile, NZ U20 international , Jack Pelter is reported to be about to put pen to paper with Roy Keane's Sunderland - lets hope this is true and he gets a few starts

It's back....

Well it actually started last week in Scotland, but this week the English caught up and the season kicked off, no longer do we have to try and work out what to do on a Saturday!



So how did the Kiwi's get on? Well the ones that played had good starts to the season

• Ryan Nelsen's Blackburn Rovers came from 1-0 down at the Riverside and won 2-1 with goals from Matt Derbyshire and new Paraguayan signing Roque Santa Cruz who was described by Captain Nelsen as "too bloody good" - Are comments like this what Jamie Redknapp is talking about when he mentions honest players?

• In The Championship, Plymouth Argyle also won away from home at Hull City with Rory Fallon heading Plymouth's 2nd in 1st half injury time, he almost got a 2nd but Hull keeper Myhill managed to tip the curler around his right hand post. Fallon was subbed in the 79th minute with the scores at 2 each, Plymouth went on to secure the win with a goal from Ebanks-Blake

• David Mulligan sat on the bench for Scunthorpe's debut in the Championship away at last season Premier Leaguers and favourites for the title, Charlton Athletic the score ended 1-1

• Chris Killen, who made his Celtic debut last weekend in a 0-0 draw against Kilmarnock, was on the bench and was not required as Celtic despite going 1 down in the first 5 minutes, eaisly overcame a spirited Falkirk side 4-1, in manager Gordon Strachan's 100th game in charge
  

Coming Up - Kiwi's in action over the next week

Sunday sees Fulham start their season at Arsenal, although it is unlikely Simon Elliott or Chris James will feature

The Carling Cup starts mid-week with both Scunthorpe and Plymouth facing potential banana skins with lower league opposition in League 1 Hartlepool and League 2 Wycombe respectively

Wednesday could see The first Kiwi since Danny Hay to play in a Champions League game when Celtic travel to Moscow to take on current Russian League Leaders Spartak. Also there are some Premier league games and although we have only just started the season Fulham v Bolton does have the air of a relegation battle fixture about it

Next Saturday sees Fulham at home to Middlesborough, Plymouth at home to the tractor boys (Ipswich) and Scunthorpe host Burnley, meanwhile Luke Naughton's Kingstonian start their season in Ryman League Division 1 South with an away trip to Ashford Town

Sunday could see 2 Kiwi's on the Telly with Blackburn at home to Arsenal and Celtic away to Aberdeen