‘I’ve got my fingers crossed.’
But, yes, there was noticeable improvement in the opposition’s half, as players attacked with PACE and no amount of SKILL. Morris and Styles, in particular, linked up well. However, 2 (TWO) shots on target tells its own story. And no wonder. Styles fizzed a low ball straight across the 6 yard box and Woodrow and Iseka were nowhere near. I’d have thought you’d have to move to score a goal. (Only Winnall had the ability to stand still and chances would come to him.)
Basically, everything that was thrown at the Huddersfield goal came from Carlton Morris, just back from long term injury. He had a shot deflected wide (the ref laughably giving a goal kick, if you wonder why our corner count was ‘nil’), while he turned a defender superbly to be free wide left, only for the ref to somehow find a foul. (The defender gambled wrongly.) A second half header that was going into the top corner was too far out to pose real danger, but was as good as it got in 45 minutes of nothingness (for either side). Oh, and I once had to do a double take, as Cauley Woodrow turned in the box and beat his player for pace. Then I realised it was Carlton! (Yeah, yeah, I know they look….different).
The goal? Helik got a second bite at the cherry and dinked a lovely ball over the top for Morris to run onto and bury into the far corner with his left foot. Have we finally got a forward who can finish?
The second half? Aside from that Carlton header, I cannot remember a thing about it. Except for the odd misplaced pass in midfield, a la 1st half. Luckily Hudds weren’t good enough to capitalise.
Onwards and upwards!
*** Carlton Morris. Hands down. And with us not losing, the official MOTM award is BACK! ‘And today’s man of the match is Carlton Morris’ said the most understated man in the world. No fanfare, no nuffing.
** Styles. For the 1st half combinations with Carlton.
* Gomes. True, there were a couple of misplaced passes, but he must have had more touches than anybody else. He does worry me though, as he always seems to be on the VERGE of losing it.
Official MOTM: Carlton.
Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Morris 2. Andersen 3. Styles
Despatches:
Cauley Woodrow. The man, the player, the legend. I don’t know a Reds fan who thinks he should still be in the team. I bumped into Darrell at half-time and before my ‘hello’ had finished he was on a rant about our captain. Still, if you were to listen to Cauley’s interview on Radio Sheffield after the match, we’re ‘fickle fans’ who ‘know nothing’. I’ve just looked up the meaning of ‘fickle’: ‘changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties or affections.’ Not guilty, m’lud. I have changed my mind about Cauley ONCE. I used to think he was a cracking centre forward, and I wasn’t awfully bothered about us losing Keifer Moore – we’d kept the better one. But for near enough 2 years, all I’ve seen is a struggling, cumbersome, slow, plodding bloke whose arms get more exercise than his legs as he appeals for yet another refereeing decision. I grant you I might know nowt, but let’s see…can 10,000 fans be wrong? If we say our fans average 10 years of support each (and it’s problies more, given the average age of our season ticket holders) that’s 100,000 years of watching football at Oakwell without being able to understand it. Quite the feat, I’m sure you’d agree.
Cauley then tells us players at the bottom DON’T score 15 goals a season*, perhaps not considering that if he DID score 15 goals, we wouldn’t BE bottom.
*True. Dean Saunders used to get 25+ with Derby County back in the day.
I’m going to be controversial here. 6 minutes in and the crowd are applauding. Who’s died now? Turns out to be for that kid in Solihull, horrifically killed by his parents (well, stepmum and biological dad). A tragic affair, for sure. But it’s only in the news cos his parents have just been sentenced. So what are we commemorating? Their sentence? Cos he died in June 2020, and we’d not bothered with owt since. Where do we draw the line? Must we commemorate every individual tragedy? Is that what I come to football for? What about my cousin who was killed in a ‘one punch’ incident? Is that tragic enough? The two sisters who were knifed to death in a park last year? Is that devastating enough? Do we have a points system for such things?
Let’s stick to once a year. Remembrance Day. Me? I was too busy tucking into a Gregg’s festive bake, the very meaning of Christmas. Apologies.
Drink du jour: A beautiful pint of an IPA I’d never heard of in Barnsley’s newest cracking bar – Spiral City. I’m going there again. (Cracking choice, Hicksy!)
Away: 3,848. A welcome return of ‘Barnsley’s a sh*thole, I wanna go home.’ You’d think folk from Huddersfield (15 miles away) would know what Barnsley is like. So why have they rocked up? And why can’t they exercise their civic right not to leave Huddersfield?
Matches played in front of a Main Stand safe enough for journalists/directors/non-playing players etc, but not safe enough for fans: 5. It teemed it down on Satdy, then teemed it some more. I was cold enough in the East Upper (but dry). Another Londontyke, moved from the ‘unsafe’ West Stand to the East Lower, got drenched, along with his 80 year old father. It’s ok having a roof, but no-one told the wind!
The Damage:
c. £31 petrol
£3 programme
= c. £34
The Tunes:
Praise or Grumble (Radio Sheffield)
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