Reports by Various contributers

2007 - 08

DRAW ENDS SEASON May 11th 2008

Rams 4 Stopsley Common 4

No report

ARNDALE STILL UNBEATEN May 4th 2008

Rams 3 Luton Arndale 7

No report

 

A WRIGHT SHOCKER April 27th 2008

Wheelwrights 2 USL Rams 0

No report

CADOZA DO DOUBLE April 13th 2008

AC Cadoza 0 USL Rams 3

No report

TEN DESTROY YOUNG ROVERS March 30th 2008

Luton Rovers 0 USL Rams 10

No report

JUST-IN THE RIGHT TIME March 9th 2008

Rams 3 Warden Hill Rangers 1

Rams were eager to put in a good performance this week against Warden Hill to put an end to their poor run of form lately. Rams contained Rangers in the first half, hardly giving the league’s second placed team a sniff on goal. After some good work in midfield, Ben Jefcoate had a good effort saved by the legs of the keeper. Gavin Ebanks then took a wonderful curling free kick from 25 yards out only for the keeper to tip it onto the bar which rebounded kindly to Louis Ebanks who netted in from close range.

The second half started brightly with more of the same. Jefcoate produced some good work to put himself through and was then brought down in the area to give the Rams a penalty. Warden Hill were reduced to ten men as the offending defender was sent off for his troubles. Ben Jefcoate slotted home calmly to make it 2-0 to the Rams. USL made substitutions, and Warden Hill tried desperately to get back into the game, and did so when their striker managed to nip in leaving the keeper and defender stranded looping it in for their first. After weathering the storm, USL got their third when Louis Ebanks passed to Justin Morris on the left, and after dribbling past the defender scored from a tight angle to make the final score 3-1. A good all round performance from all involved, and a much needed win was the reward.

 

UNDERSTRENGTH YET GOOD PERFORMANCE March 2nd2008

Rams 1 One Nation 3

USL had a depleted squad, starting the game with 10 men having had players out through injury and generally being unavailable. USL started the game with injuries to keeper Ben Swierz (hand), and to Chris Joseph (hamstring), who limped through the game. In the first half, USL looked impressive, not allowing One Nation to keep possession of the ball. USL had the better opportunities in the first half, but were unfortunate not to capitalise. Ben Jefcoate created a superb opportunity from a cross which produced a great double save from the One Nation keeper to keep out Jaja Santana on both occasions from close range. Another opportunity fell to the right foot of Jaja Santana, which brought out another terrific save from the keeper. One Nation was frustrated as the resolute defending did not allow them to place the key final pass, and USL keeper Ben Swierz was left untested. The one chance they did have, was cleared off the line superbly by Mujahid Zaman to keep the scores level at half time.

The second half started with much of the same, and the breakthrough came for USL when Ben Jefcoate brought out a good save from the keeper but Jafer Raza was at hand to nod it down to Ben who finished in style to make it 1-0. With 20 minutes left in the game, Jaja Santana limped off the pitch after picking up an injury (hamstring), leaving USL with 9 players on the pitch. It was at that moment that One Nation got their equaliser through Shiblu Miah. Ryan Walsh was the next injury (ankle), and Louis Ebanks (thigh), and at this stage USL had run out of steam with big gaps for One Nation to play into. Gavin Ebanks managed to clear off the line at 1-1, and Ben Swierz made a good save, but One Nation scored two more before the game was over as USL struggled to see the game out finishing the game with 9 on the field. USL gave their all, with many players playing through the game with injuries, but overall a performance to be proud of for everyone involved at USL.

DUTHIE HAT-TRICK HANDS CADOZA WIN Feb 24th 2008

Rams 3 AC Cadoza 4

USL started this game brightly with the opening chances falling to USL, but we were unable to capitalise. Ben Jefcoate had a couple of good opportunities but was unlucky not to score, both came some from some good football from the right by Jaja Santana and Hassnol Zaman in his farewell game, and the keeper came out well to keep out Jefcoate’s efforts. Cadoza managed to get back into the game with a couple of efforts of their own which were kept out well by Rams keeper Ben Swierz.

USL thought that Jaja Santana was clean through from a good cross by Chris Joseph, but only to be adjudged to be offside. Chris Joseph was through on the keeper, but was kept out by a superb save from the keeper. Cadoza then managed to get two goals before the end of the half, the first from a one on one, and the second from corner with a simple tap in from inside the six yard area.

The second half saw Cadoza carryon from where they left off in the first half, and again good saves from Ben Swierz kept them at bay. The pressure finally paid off from a corner when the ball broke to the edge of the box and a Cadoza player rifled home to make it 3-0. Then came a penalty dubious for Cadoza, but superb saves from Ben Swierz kept out the penalty and then knocked the follow up shot onto the post from close range. This was a pivotal point for USL as they had changed their formation, playing three at the back and looked to get something out of the game. A cross from Tajul Islam fell to the head of Louis Ebanks who delicately angled his header just beyond the keeper’s outstretched arm which nestled into the bottom corner of the goal.

Cadoza caught USL napping for their fourth, but Ebanks got his second with a poacher’s finish, again from a Tajul Islam’s cross which he volleyed home from close range to make it 4-2. After a battling run by Mujahid Zaman, he put through Jafer Raza who turned a defender and exquisitely scored from corner of the 18 yard box placing the ball in the opposite corner of the goal. USL pushed for the remaining couple of minutes but unfortunately it was a little too late. USL have conceded cheaply from set pieces of late, but that can be worked on. The fighting spirit in the game was pleasurable to see towards the end; however USL need results as they see themselves slipping down the table.

MYA DO DOUBLE OVER USL Feb 11th 2008

MYA 2 Rams 1

USL have been finding it difficult to find the back of the net lately, and this game was no different. The first half saw chances to both sides, but no scores prevailing. Junaid Afzal headed straight at the keeper, while Ben Jefcoate had a couple of opportunities, one of which pulled out a good save from the keeper.

MYA were good on the counter attack while USL built up their chances by having the territorial advantage, playing the game in the MYA half, especially in the second half. The first MYA goal came from a clearance from Mujahid Zaman which rebounded off an MYA player’s hand as he was shielding his face, but not given by the ref, and then lofted over the keeper while USL players were still debating with the ref on his decision. USL came back with a well worked goal started by new signing Justin Morris, and then Ben Jefcoate flicked on to Louis Ebanks who provided a superb first time cross for Jaja Santana to head home in style. USL grew in confidence, with other chances coming their way. Hassnol Zaman headed from a Jaja Santana corner, bringing out a brilliant save from the MYA keeper.

In a move which found USL Rams attack outnumbering the MYA defence, Ben Jefcoate found himself on the edge of the six yard box nearer to the byline, but narrowly missed the target. MYA had their fair share of chances as well on the counter attack, one of which came off the post. Louis Ebanks also had a pop from just outside the box but saw his opportunity palmed away by the MYA keeper.

MYA’s second goal was from a dubious penalty after the ball was struck against defender, Kamrul Haque, and skimmed his fingers as he was shielding his face and then over the bar. The resulting penalty was well taken by MYA, leaving the final score at 2-1. USL were left feeling hard done by, but they will look to bounce back in their next game.

ASHTON HAUNTS USL Feb 10th 2008

Red Star 3 Rams 2

Report 1

USL started the game brightly and were unlucky not to score in the opening exchanges. Firstly, league top scorer Ben Jefcoate, hit the bar from a superb curling free kick and then Mujahid Zaman also headed onto the bar from a corner. While the Rams tried to play a high line, they were caught on a counter attack by Red Star who then took the lead. Seconds later, Red Star should have had a second which was over the line but not given by the Ref. This had changed the course of the game as Red Star was down to 10 men with a player sent off for disputing the referring decision. Jefcoate then equalised from a well struck volley but Red Star had taken the lead again. This time a shot from outside the box that USL failed to closed down in time.

In an open game, both teams had chances, but Louis Ebanks then equalised after turning just outside the box, and slotted home sweetly to make it 2-2. With the game in the balance, the next goal was vital. Ben Jefcoate and Jaja Santana were both unlucky with one on ones at this stage. The winner came from Red Star after the Rams scuffed a clearance from a corner and went straight to Dean Ashton was at hand to slot home from close range to put them 3-2 up. USL Galacticos’ player Peter Wilson hit the outside of the post after some good goal keeping from Ben Swiecz. Another desperately disappointing finish for USL Rams, after having a chance to close the points gap between these two teams, but credit to Red Star for showing resilience with 10 men.

 

Report 2

Red Star battled back from the loss of top scorer Luke Potter to defeat the Rams 3-2. Potter put Red Star in front, Amar Daveed thought he made it 2-0 , only for the referee to say the ball didn't cross the line, despite the linesman flagging it as a goal. In the following protests Potter said something out of turn and was sent off. Minutes later a mix up in the Red Star defence lead to a simple tap in for Ben Jefcoate.

In the second half Dean Ashton powered Jaja Santana off the ball and laid the ball of to Ricky Howe who curled a peach in to the top right hand corner. Rams than punished another lapse and Louis Ebanks equalised. The game went back and forth with former USL player David Mitchell defending superbly. With ten minutes to go another USL old boy came back to haunt them. Player of the year for 2007, Dean Ashton lost his marker at the corner and found himself free in the six yard box to place home the winner.

JEFCOATE BAGS ANOTHER HAT-TRICK Feb 3rd 2008

Rams 6 Wheelwrights 2

An impressive recovery from last week’s misfortunes, Rams were an improved outfit in a match dominated by the wind. With USL against the wind in the first half, it was difficult to play attractive football in the first half. The breakthrough from USL came from a cross driven in by Ben Jefcoate and blasted into the roof of the net by Brazilian, Jaja Santana.

After a few more rued opportunities, the Rams scored again with some impressive play down the left flank by Duhaj Zaman, and after a neat one-two, finished to make it 2-0. Then league top scorer, Ben Jefcoate added to his tally to make it 3-0, moments before Wheelwrights came back into the game. First was a well struck free-kick into the top corner, then a penalty which keeper Ben Swierz first did well to keep out, only for the Wheelwrights player to score from the rebound. USL showed resilience after Wheelwrights tried to find their way back into the game.

After weathering the storm, USL scored a fourth through Jefcoate after half time. Then there were a flurry of chances, but poor finishing from USL kept the score respectable. Then two late goals, the first a delightful individual effort and the pick of Jefcoate’s hat-trick, by turning a defender and running half the length of the pitch before slotting home.

Duhaj Zaman then finished similar to his first goal with a dazzling run down the left flank and a calm finish to leave the final score at 6-2 to the Rams. USL had their full strength team back in their respective positions, and with players like Junaid Afzal in the team, USL are growing in confidence despite the recent set back.

RAMS BEATEN BY COMMONERS AGAIN Jan 27th 2008

Stopsley Common 6 Rams 1

In a game where Rams weren’t firing on all cylinders, Stopsley Common took advantage on a muddy Sunday morning. An early goal from Stopsley allowed them to grow in confidence as the game went on. By half time, Stopsley were 3-0 up and had other chances to score. USL were getting chances of their own, but to no avail. A few positive moves came but they couldn’t find the back of the net or the moves simply broke down in the Commoners half.

The second half was much improved, but it didn’t stop USL from letting in three more soft goals. USL scored a consolation goal from Jaja Santana from a volley and although a flurry of chances came late in the game, it was little too late. Final score was 6-1 to the Commoners who deserved the win as they were on top of their game.

LEAGUE LEADERS HELD TO A DRAW Jan 13th 2007

Luton Arndale 2 Rams 2

USL went into this game positively, looking to take advantage of the games in hand on the top sides in the BSL. The wind dominated this game, going against Luton Arndale in the first half. Although chances fell to both sides in the opening exchanges, Luton Arndale took the lead through a controversial penalty decision. Bradley Smith's shot went underneath keeper Swiercz. USL kept their heads up, and were back in the game with a well taken shot from Junaid Afzal, outside the box into the bottom corner before the interval.

In the second half, with the wind against Rams, a powerfully struck shot from Craig Fincham was unfortunately deflected in by a Rams player. At this stage Arndale had opportunities to increase their lead but excellent goal keeping from Ben Swierz kept them at bay. Then was another penalty for a similar offence, but this time to USL, and league top scorer Ben Jefcoate slotted home sending the keeper the wrong way. Both teams had opportunities to win the game but failed to capitalise with the wind playing a big factor. Altogether a pleasing result with good team play as Rams did not give the League leaders too much room to dominate.

 

JAJA GALORE Jan 5th 2008

Rams 5 Red Star 2

After a disappointing end to last year, Rams got off to a great start to the New Year. Jafer Raza and Lee Benjamin dominated the midfield at the start and were both unlucky not to score in the opening exchanges. After a good start to the game, Rams got a lucky break from a teasing cross from Jaja Santana which ended up in the back of the net from the foot of a Red Star player. A second was added by Ben Jefcoate from a well worked move, again from a Santana cross. Then from a dubious offside that was not given, Red Star pulled one back before the break.

Returning Rams keeper Ben Swierz made a brilliant save from a deflected shot with the score poised at 2-1. Jaja Santana went on to make it 3-1 to USL Rams at half time. Chances went both ways at this stage, with Rams chances coming from set pieces from Gavin Ebanks for Louis Ebanks, who was unlucky not to score. At the beginning of the second half Red Star applied a lot of pressure but resilient defending from Duhaj Uddin, Mujahid Zaman, Ryan Walsh, and Hassnol Zaman kept them at bay.

Although Red Star scored again to make it 3-2, the Rams caught them on the break from an excellently worked goal from midfield, with Jafer Raza, providing the through ball for Ben Jefcoate to slot home his second. Then came another well worked move between Jaja and Ben, and Jaja also scored his second to make the final score 3-2. Chris Joseph came on in the second half playing a pivotal role of support striker and Tajul Islam also assisted in chances, one of which pulled out a brilliant save from a Gavin Ebanks shot. Everyone played their part, and giving it was difficult to pick a player who stood out as everyone played a vital role. A performance for everyone at USL to be proud of.

MYA SLAUGHTER RAMS Dec 23rd 2007

Rams 3 MYA 10

USL had a good opportunity to take advantage of the games in hand to close the gap on the top four in the league. After a promising opening 20 minutes to the game and taking the lead through new signing Jaja Santana, things began to go awfully wrong. MYA had the good fortune of capitalising from two goal keeping mistakes as first choice keeper Ben Swierz was away on holiday.

Before Rams knew it the half time score was 4-1 to MYA. More dreadful defending was to follow as the Rams fell to pieces. Even though 2 late well taken goals from Ben Jefcoate to add to his tally for the season, the final score was 10-3 to MYA. Credit to MYA for taken their chances from counter-attacking play, but the defending had much to be desired about, One positive to take from the game was the passing, but it never lead to clear goal scoring opportunities.

Key missing players such as Gavin Ebanks, Tajul Islam, and Lee Benjamin and Ben Swierz for the Christmas period ultimately took its toll. Back to the drawing board it is.

RAMS SMASH SAINTS Dec 16th 2007

Saints 3 Rams 7

USL needed to continue in their rich vein of form of late, by taking advantage of the games in hand. The Rams started the game with the great Ben Jefcoate getting on the score sheet twice. Saints kept the score-line within touching distance for most of the game, and took advantage of a set piece to bring it to 2-1. In an open game, Ben Jefcoate thrived at his chance of a hat-trick, and before long he had finished his fourth of the match, with a goal from Saints in between. Junaid Afzal managed to take his tally to 4 for the season with a header to make it 5-2. With the sun in the eyes of the Rams defenders, Saints kept the pressure on from a USL header that put through former USL player Ishtiaq Shahid to make it 5-3. USL stayed in the driving seat from a superb goal directly from a corner from returning Louis Ebanks. From a Ben Jefcoate corner was a deserved sweet volleyed finish from Jafer Raza from the edge of the box to make the final score 7-3 to the Rams. The team is gelling, with key contributions from all over the park. Gavin Ebanks assisted three of the USL goals from the left hand side. Good saves from Ben Swiercz, dogged defending from the defence as well as intelligent midfield play kept the Rams on top of this game. As long as they keep playing like this, with Junaid Afzal and Ben Jefcoate gelling as they are, USL Rams have a good chance of finishing in the top six.

RAMS SNATCH LATE VICTORY Nov 25th 2007

USL Rams 3 Saints 2

Rams needed a win after a gutsy performance from last week against One Nation and today against Saints they started the game with promise. Iit wasn’t long before Ben Jefcoate increased his tally for the season with another great goal. Although the Rams had many chances to increase this lead, they found it hard to find the back of the net on many occasions. Saints managed to equalise before half time, as the Rams were beginning to lose their way. Then there was a controversial goal for the Saints as it left USL keeper Ben Swierz being taken off through injury, sustained from a collision leading up to the goal. With seconds left in normal time the Rams equalised from a corner which was somehow scored off the thigh of Ben Martin. Deep into injury time, Junaid Afzal scored a good goal earning USL all 3 points. Although the performance was left to be desired, and Kamrul Haque's men managed to grind out a result, they need to improve their overall performance to capture the top half of the table. With a few games in hand, the season is not at all over.

 

RIVALS WAY AHEAD Nov 21st 2007

In the Super League, the Rams's closest rivals are Stopsley Common and Luton Arndale. Simply because, USL have been playing against these clubs almost four years and every time the desire to capture points of these clubs has become utmost important. Red Star and One Nation are the new rivals, due to ex-USL players setting both squads up. Looking at the league one can clearly see that Rams's need to grind out results if they are to keep up with these teams. LA and the Commoners are in the top two and as things stand, may well be there still come the end of the season. With the sacking of Ishtiaq Shahid, Ben Jefcoate has become the new predator. He has been superb in his two games since signing. Akthar Miah of One Nation told USL Web "Jefcoate is a very powerful player and has the hunger to become a real winner. He may become the reason for USL's improvement in the league".

RAMS FIGHT BACK FOR A DRAW Nov 18th 2007

One Nation 4 USL Rams 4

"We were eager to put in a good performance this week against rivals One Nation after a convincing win last week. We got off to a bad start with a brilliantly finish individual effort from Shiblu Miah to put One Nation 1-0 up. After failing to clear our lines, One Nation took advantage to take a two goal lead. Although we pulled one back through a cross from Lee Benjamin and a well finished volley from Junaid Afzal, One Nation scored a well worked goal themselves almost immidiately. The second half started brightly with unfinished chances from both teams. A three goal lead was looking formidable for One Nation, but Goal keeper Ben Swierz kept Rams in the game with some brilliant saves, one being from a free kick. Ben Jefcoate came on in the second half, and made an impact immediately with a superb goal from outside the box. He then won a penalty for Tajul Islam to finish calmly making it 3-3. Although the opposition went on to score a fourth, the hunger to grind out a result was still there from the USL players. Finally, weequalised with another great finish from Ben Jefcoate with a tense end to the game, but we held on after One Nation had hit the bar. USL’s best performance of the season so far, and one proud of by the USL board, especially with the attitude of the players." Kamrul Haque - Rams Manager.

"This was a great performance by a USL team this season. It's been a great weekend for the club and long may it continue. Nation on their day can be devastating but Duhaj Uddin, Daniel Taylor and Mujahid Zaman are credit to USL. They played with so much passion and dedication that we on the side lines had little to criticise. The excitement and tension made us forget the cold weather and fully focused on the pitch. A highly entertaining match that will be long remembered." Shakayet Hussain - USL Secretary.

 

JEFCOATE OFF TO A HAT-TRICK START Nov 11th 2007

USL Rams 5 Luton Rovers 0

With a couple of fresh faces, the Rams were looking for a convincing win after their heavy defeats in recent weeks. The first USL Rams goal was from a set piece from Gavin Ebanks, which ended up at the back of the net as there was confusion between the Rovers defence and keeper. Then came a nice turn and hit from new signing Ben Jefcoate, who went on to get a hat-trick on his debut for the Rams. His third goal was a great move, with a ball into Junaid Afzal, who cleverly flicked it the ball onto Lee Benjamin, who then crossed for Ben Jefcoate to finish at the second time of asking to make it 4-0. The final goal was a well deserve goal for Junaid Afzal, as he smashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range. The opposition’s keeper pulled out some great saves to keep the final score to 5-0, however, some good chances went begging for new look Rams.

LIONS FEAST ON RAMS Oct 28th 2007

Dunstable Lions 5 USL Rams 0

Another performance that showed the Rams cannot really compete for the title without bolstering their squad over the coming weeks. The Lions applying pressure until they scored early in the first half due to confusion between the defence and keeper. Players kept their heads up despite being 2-0 down at half time. The second half started with the Rams finally applying pressure of their own until they were caught out by a counter-attack from Lions to extend their lead. Although it was a much improved second half performance, it was evident that Rams we were lacking a striker as possession was never turned into clear cut chances. Junaid Afzal broke up the Lions play on many occasions, but without anyone to pass to in front of him as Chris Joseph and Salah Uddin were off the pitch with injuries. Gavin Ebanks and Lee Benjamin had a few long range efforts, but unfortunately straight at the Lion's keeper. Two more soft goals finished off the game at 5-0 and sends Rams back to the drawing board, as it is proving difficult to get a balance in the team, especially with so many players injured or unavailable. The keeper and striker situation needs sorting quickly if Rams are to have any chance of pulling things around in the remainder of the season.

GUNNED DOWN BY MAGNUM Oct 21st 2007

Magnum 6 USL Rams 2 (Centenary Cup Round 1)

"USL got off to a diabolical start letting in a soft goal with less than 2 minutes on the clock. Players not really getting their foot on the ball or any sort of rhythm going from USL Rams gave Magnum more confidence. The second goal for Magnum was an unfortunate headed own goal from the defence, heads went down. Players were out of action for a month due to several players unable to play throughout Ramadan, the lack of match fitness was clearly shown in this game. Going 4 nil down in the first 30 minutes gave us no hope of reaching the next round of the cup. With 15 minutes left of the first half, Salah Uddin ran down the right wing, than managed to round the keeper to pull a goal back. This sparked the team to gel for the last 15 minutes of the second half. Lee Benjamin had two good opportunities, both set up by Chris Joseph, but he was unlucky with both. Then was a sitter for the injured Louis Ebanks who finished clinically making it 4-2. Second Half was a midfield battle for the majority of the half, but Magnum’s stamina showed as they scored two more goals to make it 6-2, which was the final score. We have a lot to learn, with the majority of the goals coming from soft defensive errors. The Super League is all we have left to play for this season." Kamrul Haque, Rams Boss.

LEGIONNAIRES WANTED Oct 17th 2007

Pat Maloney's Royal British Legion have withdrawn from the Super League yesterday for reasons unclear. It's been a topsy-turvy start to the season with the Legionnaires doing well in the Centenary Cup but playing poorly in the league. As the news filtered down to the clubs, the Rams were quick to make a move for players eligible to be signed up. So far, Sean Maloney and Daniel Taylor have agreed to sign the dotted line and grabbing the Upton brothers is also on the club's agenda. Maloney and Taylor are already playing for USL's saturday team, the Galacticos. The two have made a great impact on the club since signing up.

Meanwhile, the League Secretaries have decided not to allow Purley Celtic in the Super League. The general consensus between the clubs is that Purley's past discipline record is unacceptable.

RAMS RETURN AFTER A MONTH OFF Oct 14th 2007

The Rams take on Magnum next Sunday in their re-scheduled first round Centenary Cup match. Ishtiaq Shahid is out of the squad after the USL Board has terminated his contract. Replacing him is Galacticos big man, George Bembridge, who has scored seven goals so far this season. The team will also be wearing their new playing kit against Magnum. The North Home Counties squad is currently lying in sixth in Division Four with three points. The match is likely to be played at Lothair Road.

FORTNIGHT TO SORT RAMS HOUSE OUT Sept 21st 2007

It has been a mixed start to the season with plenty of highs and lows. Manager Kamrul Haque finds himself in a spot of bother with two defeats in three. However, that wasn't the reason for an emergency meeting scheduled to take place next week. On top of the agenda is which player to be shown the front door and which to bring in. Discipline is an issue that has attracted the attention of the club sponsor Barket and USL Secretary Shakayet Hussain has come under immense pressure in the last few days to rectify it. Hussain told USL Web "The match against Dunstable Lions has shown us what actions to implement. There is no room for disrespect towards the referee. One Rams player will be sent a letter soon informing him that his playing days are over with us and if any player disagrees with the decision he too will be shown the front door. We are tired of players not caring and doing enough for USL's good name which took years to achieve. I have been told by Barket to improve fair play and team spirit or risk losing their support. There will be some drastic changes made in the next week. Players come and go and some will be leaving before our next game."

AUSTIN HAT-TRICK DESTROY RAMS Sept 16th 2007

Dunstable Lions 8 USL Rams 0 (League Cup)

Lions's Gareth Fear had the last laugh as his team cruised past a Rams team that put five past him a fortnight ago. Fear regarded as one of the league's top keepers was left fuming after his team's dismal start to the season and promised that immediate action will be taken to bring back the first eleven and avoid another disappointing result. With only Carl Marcantonio missing from the starting line up, Lions had all of their players back and one new face, Steve Austin. Austin was devastating as he scored his first hat-trick in his first match for the Lions. With Marcantonio in the same team, they will be a force to reckon with. For Rams, it was their worst defeat for a long time. No one really played well to receive recognition. However, it is fair to say that seven out of the eleven men were fasting (Islamic holy month) and will be doing so for another 25 days. Furthermore, the first two keepers along with Junaid Afzal and Tajul Islam were out, either from injury or for work reasons. Manager Kamrul Haque has already canceled matches for the next three Sundays. Had he not done so, the Rams may well have been on the receiving end of further hammerings.

FIGHTING SPIRIT Sept 9th 2007

Warden Hill Rangers 8 USL Rams 5

Rams began the game with 10 players and Rangers applied immense pressure but the USL defence held strong. Ten minutes into the game, Rams had 11 on the field, but a defensive error allowed Rangers to take a 1-0 lead. Rams were without key players such as Junaid Afzal and keeper Graham Robinson. Rangers passed the ball around with ease as Rams weren’t closing them down taking the score to 3-0. Robert Newman scored to make it 3-1, but rams went into half time 4-1 down. Although they went 5-1 down early in the second half, Kamrul Haque's men finally showed some fighting spirit. An abysmal first half performance had got the players fired up for a tense second half. Before spectators knew it, the score was 5-5 with Ishtiaq Shahid getting a hat-trick, and Rob adding to his tally. At this stage, it could have been anyone’s game, but Rangers showed their class late on. Three Rams players got injured late in the second half, and without any subs, they struggled with stamina. USL ran out of steam, but credit to WHR, as they picked themselves up at 5-5 and scored three goals towards the end to make the final score 8-5 to WRH.

USL ARE BEDFORDSHIRE'S TOP CLUB Sept 4th 2007

Azad Ali and Nazmul Uddin were at Luton Town's Kenilwirth Road Stadium today to pick up the Bedfordshite Charter Standard Top Club Award from Beds FA's Kevin England. The award comes at the same time when USL became East England winners as well.

ROBINSON OUT FOR TWO MONTHS Sept 3rd 2007

Keeper Graham Robinson will undergo surgery this week and will take upto 8 weeks to recover. With second keeper Abdul Aziz not available for another fortnight, the news comes as a big blow to manager Kamrul Haque. With both keepers out he may have to put the gloves on himself.

A SUPER START Sept 2nd 2007

USL Rams 5 Dunstable Lions 1

Rams begin the season with an emphatic win over title favourites Dunstable Lions. Ishtiaq Shahid grabbed his first hat-trick and Lee Benjamin snatched two goals. Lions were without four first team players and were clearly understrength. Probably for the first time in history, the Lions went down 5-0 to a team. Rams Manager Kamrul Haque was optimistic with his Rams overall performance. He told USL Web "I have got players who are versatile and hungry for success this year. Most are coming to the end of their playing careers and want to go out on a winning level. I still have a few more players to bring in and toughen up the team. It's a long season and one that will be harder than last season. Every club wants to be the first Super League winners"

USL REGIONAL WINNERS Aug 8th 2007

Photo - Shakayet Hussain receiving top award

It was a fantastic year for USL and one that received recognition from the game's top floor. Bedfordshire FA presented Secretary Shakayet Hussain the award for Regional winner in the Charter Standard Top Adult Club category. USL implemented a major advertising campaign that produced 10 000 USL year planners, a round the clock website and foundations for grassroot football in the wider Luton community.

SECOND PRE-SEASON DRAW August 12th 2007

Red Star 1 USL Rams 1

Newly formed Red Star FC gave the Rams a taste of what's to come in the Super League. Former USL players Dean Ashton and David Mitchell are coordinators at Red Star and have done a tremendous job in bringing together players who are disciplined and confident in their play. Meanwhile, a new look USL left Manager Kamrul Haque delighted after the 90 minutes. The draw more or less summed up the game and if it weren't for the two defences battling hard, the scoreline could well have been higher. Both teams were trying to unlock a path in grabbing the first goal and there were plenty of chances created. Haque made several changes in order to experiment and work out who will be in the starting eleven come Opening Day. A quarter of an hour into the second half, the ball fell on to the feet of Ishtiaq Shahid who calmly turned and blasted the ball into the net to make it a deserved one goal lead. Red Star than came back and saw more of the ball. The Rams defence held their line well and for a moment Red Star didn't look like scoring. Eventually, Rams gave away a penalty in true fairy tale fashion and a perfectly taken penalty ended the match 1-1. "I have a good idea who my first eleven are but the door is always open for improvements. I am very pleased with my defence. I thought they were brilliant today. Its hard to replace Ashton and Mitchell but Kevin Garbett did ever so well. I still need to see a few more players before the start of the season but as things stand, we have a team that will do well this season." Stated Kamrul Haque.

CENTENARY CUP DRAWS RAMS WITH MAGNUM July 23rd 2007

USL Rams are away to Magnum ABC in the first round of the Beds Centenary Cup. Magnum play in the Leighton and District League and the match will be played on September 30th.

USL OPEN 2007 July 16th 2007

The first ever USL Open will be held at Wigmore Valley Park on Sunday August 19th. Along with USL Galacticos, USL Rams and USL Harts, the other teams invited are all from the Barket Super League. The tournament is seen as a season curtain raiser and is fully supported by Beds FA.

USL REACH QUARTERS July 15th 2007

In the 61 FC annual 5-a-side tournament, USL A lost in the group stages with USL B losing 1-0 in the quarter finals against Houghton Wanderers. The highlight s of the tournament was a 0-0 draw against Brache Green Man and 3-1 win over 61 FC.

LAST SECOND EQUALISER July 8th 2007

USL Rams 2 West End London 2

Report by Anamul Hassan

On a hot Sunday afternoon at Wigmore Valley Park, Luton, USL Rams played host to North London club West End FC in a pre-season match for both clubs. This was USL Rams first match on 11-a-side after changing from their old guise of Ramblers XI.

The opening spells of the game was dominated by the physical presence of USL Rams who managed to boss the ball about from defence and midfield. However, West End managed to repel all attacks with the very handy Habs and Zuhel at the back and slowly started to get a more even hold of the game. With both teams playing with lone strikers, there were only a few chances and thus the opening goal came from an unlikely event. With Rams on the ball, a ball was crossed into the West End penalty area. The West End goalie advanced but with a hard surface, the ball bounced over the on rushing keeper and into an empty net.

With USL Rams still continuing to dominate, West End relied more on the counter attack, and with Komor Uddin playing the lone striker, along with attacking midfielder Hamza, started to cause some problems for the home defence. Another mazy run by Komor saw him being upended in the penalty. The resulting penalty taken by Riaz Uddin was stuck weakly and was pushed away by the home keeper Graham Robinson, leaving the half time score of 1-nil to the Rams.

The second half began more evenly as West End was now matching the physical battle they were encountering. However, the equalising goal was again to a generous keeper when the ball over the top by West End had Robinson rushing out, but who was in two mind to pick up and managed to miss picking up the ball. This led to an open goal by Komor Uddin. USL Rams continued to push forward and passed the ball around tidily where in one instance managed to hit the bar. USL Rams restored their lead when the USL Rams’ young left back Gavin Ebanks and home team’s best player, managed to curl a delightful free kick around the wall to make it 2-1. However, with seconds only remaining, a long ball over, saw the pacey Mohammed Liton broke through, and rounded the keeper to make it a final score of 2-2.

NEW CONTRACTS BEGIN TODAY July 2nd 2007

USL will begin signing up players today for both the Galacticos and Rams. As always the club will register players who have been loyal throughout the past season and reject those who don't deserve to wear the purple jersey. Sporting Secretary, Shakayet Hussain told USL Web "We are heading into the fifth year and we seek players who want to play for USL and not themselves. The management have a good idea where the loyalty lie and will be quick to offer contracts for the coming season. As we are playing in the Saturday league for the very first time, we need to be well prepared with a big squad." Peter Wilson may stiil remain with the club after finding employment at the local hospital. Yasir Rashid is still a big doubt as the youngster may take a year out to concentrate on his final year degree.

JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH July 1st 2007

Photo - Wilson on the attack

Shakayet Hussain has been left frustrated after some poor performances in tournaments over the weekend. He told USL Web "At the Lewsey Cup, we could be forgiven as we had fielded weaker teams. However, the Milton Keynes Cup is where we should have done well. To have all three teams go out in the group stage clarifies just how good we were." Its fair to say that numerous big names were absent as they are away on holiday.

TOURNAMENTS WEEKEND June 29th 2007

USL Galacticos and Rams will both participate in two tournaments held over the weekend. On Saturday the annual Lewsey Community Festival will host a 5-a-side tournament involving 24 teams. Last year USL lost in the quarter finals and will hope to go all the way. On Sunday, USL are sending three from their four teams into the COPA MK 2007 (Galacticos, Rams and Masters). With 64 teams taking part, the Milton Keynes 6-a-sides promises to be very competitive. Galacticos are sending their best five a -side players to the tournament. The club are still waiting to bring home a trophy.

CLUB OF THE YEAR June 26th 2007

Bedfordshire FA announced that United Sporting Luton have been successful in winning the Bedfordshire 'Charter Standard Adult Club of the Year Award'. This is a great achievement and recognition the club deserves for all their hard work. As a winner of the county award the club was automatically put forward for consideration for the East Region award. Bedfordshire FA further announced that USL are 'East Region Charter Standard Adult Club of the Year'. The award is again a fantastic achievement and recognition for the clubs efforts and continued development throughout the year. USL will now go forward for a National Award, which USL Web will be informed by Beds FA, as soon as the winner is announced.

USL WIN TOP AWARDS June 25th 2007

United Sporting Luton have today won the Charter Standard Club of the year award for both Bedfordshire and Regional. The recognition comes after USL spent the last year promoting the club throughout Luton and striving hard to bring together people from all backgrounds playing football. The club is further honoured for its fair play and good sportsmanship. We shall bring you more information on this later in the week.

LEAGUE MEETING May 31st 2007

Kents Social Club was the venue for the league meeting. Present were Alan Shury, Declan McCabe and reps from AC Cadoza, Dunstable Lions, Luton Arndale (formerly known as Melson Arms), Stopsley Common, USL Rams and Wheelwrights. Outcome from the meeting are as follows: