What a crazy game that was. Arriving with zero expectation (Rovrum and Port Vale in mind) we tank Luton on 31% possession, could've scored more, and the only thing we talk about at half time (3 nil up) is the referee. Who says we're only happy when we're moaning?
The ref. I'll ignore all of his correct decisions, cos I dare say there were some. But when your left winger, who's been skinning the fullback ALL GAME, goes down after the ball's gone, it's cos HE'S BEEN FOULED. Cleary is streaking away, 2 on 2. Why the bejesus would he go down? A yellow card all day...which means that hapless fullback is off. Instead, Cleary gets carded for diving. Mystifying.
Then the free kick for Connell's goal. DKD has dropped a shoulder, cut inside and he's sent the entire defence the wrong way. He's pulling the trigger, a free shot on goal, from the edge of the box. This is undeniably a GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY as he's cynically tripped, pulling the trigger. But, (cos it's outside the box?) the ref gives a yellow. Out of interest, how far out was DKD when he scored? (So that's Luton down to 9 men, by my and Waddington's estimate...cos he made the same point to me yesterday.)
Then, 2nd half, us 3-0 up, he cards Bland for dummying a free kick. Eh? Sometimes, just sometimes, you dummy the free kick to check the lay of the defence. ie, will they push up and leave us offside? It is one of the most tenuous yellow cards for time wasting I've ever seen. We are 3 nil up, FFS.
Pt 2: the goals.
We panned the Hatters for 5, and if Yoganathan could finish, we'd have had a couple more. And the DKD miss, close range, 1st time, where he wrongfoots the keeper. We were FAB-U-LOUS and A-MAZING at the same time. Craig Revell-Hall would've been proud.
We go ahead early when Cleary dinks the ball over the keeper from DKD's deft chip. Rewind further and who won the ball to begin with? Cleary. MotM is nailed, 7 minutes in. It's soon 2 tho, Cleary wreaking havoc, the defender back tracking, and Reyes hammering it across goal, thru the defender's legs for an onrushing Kelly to tap home. I love Kelly. I love Cleary.
Yoga misses his 2, a cut inside and slam off the bar, then he bamboozles the keeper by simply not touching it, like that Pele effort years ago. (Pele missed too.) Yoga screws his effort off the post with DKD running in back stick.
Unbelievably, it's 3 by half time. Unbelievable, cos not only does Connell hit the target from a free kick, but it goes in. Key to this goal however are a couple of Reds standing next to their wall. While everyone expects the players to move and Connell to blast it, instead he chips it over the wall to the keeper's left. Any other week the keeper simply walks across and catches it, so fair play to our set piece coach.
4 nil is a scramble in the box from another Cleary ball in. I love Cleary. Watson is credited, but elsewhere I've seen it down as an OG. I just know it went in. Then DKD adds the icing with his usual sublime finish that only he at this club can manage. There's 15 left, but Coach Conor throws the towel in for Luton and hauls DKD and Cleary. The Hatters have received enough punishment.
Pt 3:
*** Cleary. I hope Stockport are allowed to pick O'Keeffe on Satdy. Imagine Corey trying to stop THAT! (Actually, Stockport have drafted in 34 year old free transfer Jack Hunt, without a club since the summer. Let's hope he's playing!)
** Connell. Ran everything. Chased back. Tackled. Intercepted. Passed. Scored.
* DKD. It all starts with that dink. Why can't our central midfielders do that? Excellent interplay throughout with Cleary.
Official MOTM: Cleary
Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Cleary 2. Yoganathan 3. Connell
Despatches:
Was it a Coach Conor masterclass? Press, but not too much, enough to tempt Luton into playing it through the lines for us to pick it up on the front foot. Time and time and time again. Utter madness from them. Every time we won it we were looking at 4v 4, 3v 3 etc.
Of course, that's not what I was saying late in the game, as Shepherd hobbles around, injured. Instead, Conor hauls off Earl for Ogbeta, when the obvious thing to do was replace Shep and move Earl across. Fingers crossed Shep is OK.
The players? They were all outstanding, save for Earl (hapless) and Phillips. A classic Earl howler has him heading it straight to their centre forward, who rounds Cooper, before....Roberts and Shepherd chase him down, the latter getting the crucial block. As Nice Guy said, it was 1 nil then.
As for Phillips, he must think he's in his own space and time continuum, as he constantly lost it in possession while wondering where the bloke who's tackled him has come from. (HE'S BEHIND YOUUUUU!)
Pt 4 (nearly there!)
Luton Town. Christ on a bike. 2 years ago I caught some of them giving Liverpoo a decent game in the Prem (4-3?) Now look at them. Losing five nil to US. (Us, not the United States). I've no idea when we last hit 5. So, mention in despatches to Farnham senior, who decided he'd rather watch his recording of day 2 of the Ashes (or 'the final day' as it'll come to be known) rather than come to Oakwell. Ha ha ha ha haaaaaaa. Sorry.
The atmosphere: it's a good job we were winning. Handsomely. Cos God knows what it would have sounded like were we losing. It was like a friendly. It was embarrassing, so good job a mate of mine was up from London to witness it.
Away: 1478. Farnham needs to enter competitions, he was 22 off. Mind, it was about 700 at 4 nil, and even fewer at 5. Well done the rest. You don't get to see Brazil every week (and no, it wasn't sung.).
The Damage:
c.£7 travel
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