Bristol Pirates 2012 BritLeague Preview

One player does not make a team, but if 2011's Young Player of the Year Chad Blake is not handled the right way, Bristol Pirates could be in real trouble.

After an amazing 2011 season, which concluded with him getting England CSA honours, attacking midfielder/trequartista Blake is a player with lots of potential, but a volatile temper can cause havoc in the team chemistry.

With the loss of Dutch midfielder Alex Wijnkamp to the Monsters, the Pirates will find it tough, but one will have to wait and see if Montenegro international Stefan Suzic is an adequate replacement.

BritLeague round-up

Second-from-bottom Ulster increased the gap between them and dead last Leicester Phantoms to four points when they beat Glasgow 1-0, with a 73rd-minute goal from Finnish international Janne Sykkanen.

While Bristol Pirates won 1-0 at home to Newcastle Geordies through a Jamie Ross strike in the 64th minute.

And finally Leeds Lightning won 1-0 at East Anglia Knights with an Adam Stockwell goal five minutes from time.

Leeds Lightning 2-1 Bristol Pirates

Leeds Lightning got off to a winning start against Bristol Pirates.

Goals

Leeds Lightning: Stockwell 47', Perry 81'.

Bristol Pirates: Blake 68'.

Pirates 0-7 Real Birmingham

Saturday 3rd April

Pirates Park, Bristol. Att: 16,589.

Bristol Pirates fell to their biggest ever defeat at the hands of high-flying Real Birmingham, with the visitors running away with a 7-0 win.

Skipper Mark Strickland headed in the first goal before his brother Craig headed in a corner within a minute of the second half.

Adam Barry made it 3-0, before Cristiano Costa scored a brace to make it five.

With Real leading comfortably, centre-half Mark Strickland decided to join the attack and shot from 20 yards out for his second goal.

And rookie Kyle Johnson scored his first BritLeague goal ever to give Real their biggest victory in their five-year history.

To add insult to injury for the Pirates, skipper Richard Jackson was sent off in stoppage time after picking up his second yellow card.

Goals

Pirates: none.

Real Birmingham: M. Strickland 3', 85', C. Strickland 46', Barry 65', Costa 76', 81', Johnson 87'.

Bookings

Pirates: Jackson 67', Jackson 90', Jackson 90'.

Real Birmingham: Roberts 24', Barry 66', C. Strickland 78'.

Fire 2-0 Pirates

Saturday 27th March

City Ground, Nottingham. Att: 26,960.

A Hugo Watson double gave Nottingham Fire a confidence-boosting win over the Bristol Pirates.

Goals

Fire: Watson 43', 90'.

Pirates: none.

Strikers 0-1 Pirates

Wednesday 17th March

Hillsborough, Sheffield. Att: 21,035.

Charlie Vickers' last-gasp header won the game for the Pirates against the Strikers at Hillsborough.

Goals

Strikers: none.

Pirates: Vickers 90'.

Pirates 0-1 Lightning

Saturday 13th March

Pirates Park, Bristol. Att: 13,367.

Geordies 1-1 Pirates

Saturday 6th March

Geordies Park, Newcastle. Att: 31,468.

Newcastle Geordies and Bristol Pirates shared a point with a 1-1 at Geordies Park.

Winger Matthew McEnley put the Geordies in front before Richard Jackson's headed equaliser.

Goals

Geordies: McEnley 23'.

Pirates: Jackson 44'.

Pirates 2-0 Strikers

Saturday 17th May - MLF Round 10
Pirates Park, Bristol, England

Bristol Pirates won 2-0 over the Sheffield Strikers with goals from Andrew Powell and Billy Burnheart.

Ajax London 0-1 Bristol Pirates

Saturday 10th May - MLF Round 6
HMV Park, Essex, England

Dougie Strickland made up for his Bank Holiday howler with a precise header to beat Ajax London.

Pirates 1-1 Ajax London

Monday 5th May - MLF Round 8
Pirates Park, Bristol, England

Defenders' own goals were enough to see the Bristol Pirates and Ajax London draw the game one-one.

Juan Pablo Gonzalez' headed own-goal put the Pirates in the lead, but in stoppage time a howler from Dougie Strickland - who tried to clear the ball but he scuffed it and it landed in the back of the net - cost Bristol two points more than what they actually got.

Pirates 1-1 Monsters

Saturday 3rd May - MLF Round 7
Pirates Park, Bristol, England

Bristol Pirates were held 1-1 by Middlesbrough Monsters in Saturday's late kick-off.

Andrew Powell scored the Pirates goal, while Quique Sanchez scored the Monsters equalizer.

Knights 1-0 Pirates

Saturday 26th April - MLF Round 6
Portman Road, Ipswich, Suffolk

Dedi Schaffler's late goal gave the East Anglia Knights a big win.

The Israeli, making his MLF debut, hit a 20-yard strike past the Pirates 'keeper.

Pirates 1-0 Fire

Friday 18th April - MLF Round 5
Pirates Park, Bristol

Andrew Powell's fine finish won the game for the Bristol Pirates against the Nottingham Fire.

FC London 2-0 Pirates

Tuesday 15th April - MLF Round 2
T-Mobile Stadium, London

Goals from James Douglas and Craig Wisniewski won the game for FC London over Bristol Pirates at the T-Mobile.

Mighty Mice 0-2 Pirates

Saturday 12th April - MLF Round 4
Triple M Stadium, Kirkby, Merseyside

Bristol Pirates won with goals from Andy Powell and Dougie Strickland.

Pirates 2-0 Lightning

Saturday 5th April - MLF Round 3
Pirates Park, Bristol

The Bristol Pirates saw off Leeds Lightning with 2-0 victory with goals from David Wright and rookie Andrew Powell.

Pirates 2-0 Dragons

Saturday 29th March - MLF First Kick
Pirates Park, Bristol

The Bristol Pirates saw off the Cardiff Dragons 2-0 at Pirates Park with goals from Dougie Strickland and David Wright.

Rookie Strickland, younger brother of London United captain and defender Mark, headed the Pirates into the lead after eight minutes after an Alex Wijnkamp corner.

And it was Wijnkamp who created the second, the Dutch midfielder crossing for Wright who one-time volleyer with 20 minutes left.