‘Please show your appreciation for James Norwood.’ ‘Get off.’
It’s over a month since I’ve seen the Super Reds and after yesterday, I can’t say I’ve missed it. Without a car for a month, I’ve sat in the warmth of my living room watching a World Cup. Yesterday, I was cold, bored and willing the game to end. And we were WINNING. Christ knows how miserable our half time quartet of me, Reedy, Nozzer and Slacki would’ve been had Devante Cole not put us ahead with a deft flick from Matty Wolfe’s right wing cross. Mind, ‘I’m alright Jack’ Slack had the comfort of one of his advent calendar malt whiskies…ba5tard.
The game was flat from start to finish. Even in the morgue that is Oakwell, the atmosphere was dead. It can’t have helped that opponents Burton didn’t bring anybody. 172 in the away end? Not that I saw. First team this season not to tell us Barnsley is a sh*thole. The Ponty meantime was half empty. Maybe our ‘yoof’ were in town, drinking. It is Christmas, after all.
Burton were/are awful. With minimum fuss we absolutely dominated the game without taking advantage of numerous counter-attacks in the second half, as Burton pushed up. My favourite failure was a 3 on 2, with Cole in possession. Did he deliberately play the ball slightly behind sub Jalo, so the latter would have to pass it back? Or is he simply not good enough? I think I can confidently say it’s the latter with Cole….and I’ll still give him MOTM. He kept the ball well, got his head down, and, crucially, scored 2 goals.
The opener I’ve alluded to already. With all the time in the world Cole elected to go for a fancy flick which dribbled in. He could have simply stopped the ball and put it wherever he liked, as defenders ran hither and thither. Burton were all over the place. His second, after 73 minutes, killed the game off and alleviated the nagging feeling that however woeful Burton were, the Super Reds are capable of conceding an equaliser to anyone. Cadden beat his man in wonderful fashion down the left, putting the ball past him and running around his opposite side, before putting it on a plate for Cole, 4 yards out. Can we go home now?
Onwards and upwards!
*** Cole. Led the line well enough and bagged 2 tap-ins.
** Connell. Consistently winning the ball and setting off counter-attacks.
* Mads. Immense. Of all the players we can’t afford to lose this January….
Official MOTM: Cole
Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Cole 2. Connell 3. Andersen
Despatches:
Rumours of the demise of our players’ health appear greatly exaggerated. True, there was no Benson, or Edwards, or goal machine Phillips (who I’ve never seen score). But we had Matty Wolfe back after a 4 month lay-off and it was great to see the forgotten man return. His highlight (aside from setting up the opener) was carrying the ball 50 yards before it was laid off for Kane to weakly hit at the keeper, despite having enough time to control it and pick his spot/cross it. He also had a bizarre decision go against him on the right wing as the full back slipped with Matty a good 2 yards away. Obviously a free kick, then. How else would a Barnsley player be clean through out wide?
Kane kept things moving in midfield, while the defence was solid, despite the return of Cundy. I thought Jordan Williams was quiet though, lacking the usual runs down the right. My main remembrance of Kitching was him missing an easy goalscoring chance early on, heading tamely at the keeper from a corner. Up top meantime, I spent the match wondering what Norwood brings to this team (I’d rather have kept Big Vic – and his Burton goals) but if you see our first goal, Norwood sets up the counter with a sublime headed flick. (That was it, mind you.) Then, with the game won, Duff chucked on Jalo in his place before hauling off Cole and denying him his one and only chance at a Reds hattrick. (Feel free to save that comment and shove it in my face when he does….ha ha haaaaaaaaa….not a chance.)
Drink du jour: Hoppy Botanist rhubarb crumble and custard pale ale. Not recommended. (I don’t know what I hoped for; it tasted like it said on the tin.)
Away: 172. Allegedly.
Today’s take home: Dare to dream.
The Damage:
c.£30 travel
= c.£30
The Tunes:
BBC5Live phone in. (Chris Sutton saying he’d rather stick pins in his eyes than manage Rangers.)
No comments:
Post a Comment