BFC 2-1 Bristol Rovers, Saturday 13th January 2024

‘He’s a rapist. Nice kid though.’

I was chatting to a nameless Londontyke on Satdy. The omission of Luca Connell from our matchday squad started rumours amongst the chattering class that he was off to Huddersfield. (Why Huddersfield?) He was one of 3 players my colleague considered Championship class...'two of whom aren’t ours!’ I agreed. We have 3 players ready to make the step up, and 2 are on loan, Roberts and McAtee. The latter had a starring role on Satdy and was involved in most things good about our performance, whether floating around in a front 2 with Cole, or dropping back to a #10 role with Cosgrove introduced to finish the opposition off...which worked a treat, as Rovers equalised. Thankfully, the team recovered to run up the field and grab a winner through an inconsistent wingback. Fancy!

It was actually an open game, or at least the opening 45 was. Both sides looked to score and defences were pretty stretched at times. Our other loanee, Roberts, came to the rescue twice, saving one-on-ones, including an injury time effort after the Bury Baggio let the ball run needlessly under his foot. If their equaliser later (a blinding header) ‘doesn’t happen with this guy’ (new signing, 6ft 5 Donovan Pines), then that chance doesn’t happen if the manager picks Cadden at left wing back. (Out of interest, can anyone contradict my assertion that Cadden put in more crosses in 5 minutes than Styles did in 90?)

We’d also had chances of our own. Kane is free on the left and squares it instead of shooting; Shepherd (in for McCart) has a powerful header from a corner saved, and there’s an extraordinary scramble which somehow doesn’t end up with the ball in the back of the net. So it’s left to Goal King Cole to slide home after his initial header, a bullet into the top corner, is superbly saved. Unfortunately for the keeper, he pushes it onto the post and the ball rolls along the line. And had Cole not been there, a 2nd Red was there to finish (Phillips? McAtee?)

The second half wasn’t so bright, until coach Collins intervenes. He sends on Cosgrove and within minutes they’re level. Thankfully, it’s early enough for us to do something about it and we win it from a surprising source, Phillips playing in wingback O’Keefe on the overlap. And while everyone wonders which forward he’ll not pick out, he drills it into the far corner. Lovely. Are we top 2 yet?

Onwards and upwards!

*** McAtee. Lovely movement and vision.
** Roberts. Excellent saves and nothing much he could do about the goal.
* Cole. Good finish and some nice touches.

Official MOTM: McAtee

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. McAtee 2. Phillips 3. Cole

Despatches:
Good news! I won’t have to continue to be peed off at 12 million being wasted on that new bridge! Why? Cos it’s now costing THIRTEEN MILLION, with extra funding promised to ‘finish it off’. Give me a decent amount of explosive and I’LL finish it off.

Jon Russell. What’s he for? Stepped in for Connell, Satdy. Let’s hope it’s not permanent, Has there ever been a slower footballer? Not so much of a problem when he’s laying it off to others, but it is when he misplaces a pass and they are 10 yards behind him before he’s turned. Half a dozen others made careless passes in our half (a Cole backheel springs to mind) which turned into their best attacks. Mind, when Luke Thomas (is he still young?) is your greatest threat, you can rest easy. Still promised much and delivered little, before he was hauled. The more things change, the more they remain the same, etc.

Drink du jour: House Party IPA in Spiral City

Away: 512.

The Damage:
c.£8 petrol
= c.£8