I’ll also miss winning. It hasn’t dawned on me till now, as week after week of unconvincing wins pass by, that my last 13 league games have registered 9 victories and zero defeats. And this was another one (a zero defeat) as we progressed past a first half wobble to take the lead, look imperious, then try to hang on in the last 5 minutes.
We went ahead early, in the most satisfactory of ways. Coach Collins finally picked Jordan as a right wing back, as we fans have been telling him to do all season (‘but I don’t have enough decent centre halves to play him out wide...blah blah blah’), and reward comes as Jordan chases down a right wing ball and pulls it back for Phillips to curl one onto Cosgrove’s head. Even the latter can’t miss. He can a few minutes later though, as he’s played clean through, 10 yards out, and by the time he untangles his feet he’s about 6 feet from goal and the keeper is on top of him. Not to worry, I’m sure we’ll have plenty more chances this half. We didn’t.
By now, ‘Super’ Liam Roberts has made one great save from a header, and with the majority of the game in our half, it’s no surprise when the Codheads equalise, a banger of a strike from their number 5 and official MOTM. What a powerhouse he was/is. Into injury time, 90 minutes on the clock, he was still taking on two, three players and shrugging off the likes of Connell as he drove forward. I suspect he’ll not be playing at the Highbury Stadium next season.
Second half, till injury time, was much more comfortable. A sweet move on the hour leaves Phillips free on the right and as the defender comes across, it leaves not one, but two Reds players free in the box (Kane and Cadden). The ball is rolled perfectly into Kane’s path and he rolls it into the bottom right as the keeper desperately dives the opposite way. The ball trickled deliciously into the net, just as it did that crazy own goal they scored the penultimate time I was here (look it up).
Thereafter, we broke time and time again, yet created only one big chance, as a shot on the backpost (McAtee?) was smothered by the keeper. By now Pines was on for his debut (is it his debut? I’ve not been keeping up) and he delivered some MASSIVE headers in that last period, including from a corner into our 6 yard box. I’m not one to get excited…but I’m excited.
Onwards and upwards!
*** Phillips. Is he back to his best? Created both goals and had a blaster from distance ON TARGET.
** Jordan. Not the most exciting of ‘debuts’ at RWB, but solid and had a hand in first goal.
* The Frenchman. Composed.
Official MOTM: Their #5 (Lawal), a dominant figure in midfield.
Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Phillips 2. De Givigny 3. Cosgrove
Despatches:
I HAVE NOT been able to get Estelle’s ‘American Boy’ out of my head since the weekend. What a serenade throughout the second half by our yoof to our new hero Donovan Pines. I couldn’t quite make out all of the lyrics, I’m sure there was something in there about ‘we got him from DC’. Mind, as ever, they sing it at the wrong speed, like a 33 being played at 45rpm. Still, they’re trying. Barry Cotter seems popular these days too. Even more so when he’s not in the team. (Is it cos he is Donovan’s ‘minder’ in jaunts around tarn?)
20 grand, 20 grand Barry Cotter,
20 grand, 20 grand, I say,
20 grand, 20 grand, Barry Cotter,
Barry Cotter hates the IRA
I presume the last remark is due to Barry’s renowned pacifism and not at all due to the fact he’s of Irish descent. Still, far better to be an inconsistent right wing back who’s 2nd or 3rd now in line, than some 1st team ever present who never gets a chant no matter what...Nicky Cadden, Herbie Kane, Jordan Williams, Adam Phillips...what do they make of these Johnny Come Latelies such as Pines, who we can’t fuss over enough. (You can add Jalo to that too.) That bloke at the fan forum who criticised the current regime for trying to Americanise us would have self-combusted had he heard the ‘USA! USA!’ chants after one of Pines’ monster headers.
This may have passed most by, but I was most impressed by how Pines dealt with a throughball after coming on. For all the world, I thought he’d be outpaced, but he turned, got back between man and ball, and was able to play it nicely back to the keeper. With McCart (not McCourt*, as I kept calling him) back as well, this creates a welcome headache for Collins. Mind, if Pines is playing down the middle, how will The Frenchman react to being right side of a 3? I’ve been convinced all season that part of the reason he’s looked that little bit better than Jordan (on the right) and whoever is on the left, is cos it’s easier being the one in the middle. I just don’t marvel at him as others do. We’ll see.
*You’ll have been proud of me. Twice I was told (by different people) what an amazing player Paddy McCourt was and I bit my tongue and didn’t tell them my opinion. He’d be great in a 5aside team. Otherwise...‘Don’t sell McCourt, Paddy McCourt...’ I always said he’d leave on a free. Rubbish, he was.
Drink du jour: Snowdrop pale ale in The Strawberry. Won’t be winning any awards soon.
Away: 1,131 (sellout). Or 1,130, cos Chris’s wife Jane didn’t make it. (Don’t worry, she’s alive.)
The Damage:
£24 ent
c.£25 petrol
*No programmes. I don’t think Fleetwood produce them anymore.
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