2 points lost or one point gained? Well, it’s another nail in our relegation coffin for me, despite the fact Ipshit (are you reading this, Wrighty?) failed to win despite having countless chances to score, 2nd half. Facts being facts though, we looked another gift horse in the mouth…and it threw up all over us. If there was a surprise, it wasn’t the chucking away of a two-nil lead with 15 mins to go, no, it was the two-nil lead in the first place.
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| The Tractor Boys |
Half time, we limped in one-nil. An absolutely AWFUL half of football settled by O’Grady’s classy early effort: nothing on, no-one to help him, back to goal, he turned onto his left (only) foot and found the far corner in slow motion. The keeper stood and stared, but, really, do these teams not do their homework? Just like Bruce Dire only had the one move, this was the only way O’Grady would get a shot off. Still, took it well.
Then, for 35 minutes we watched as neither side put together more than two passes at a time. It was like my old Sunday morning side – two touch football. One to control it, the other to hoof it down the pitch. (We had an excuse: we were terrible). Ok, it was windy. And looking at the corner flags, often the wind went in 4 different directions. But looking at the way our hoofs would consistently find their keeper or touch, the wind was mainly in the direction of their net. But a thought struck me: isn’t football an OUTDOOR sport? Do our players not practice in the wind? Cos every time it’s windy, our players, quite frankly, do not have a CLUE. The wind can swirl at Oakwell – which surely should be to OUR advantage cos don’t we play there more often than Ipswich, et al?
Anyway, Ipswich came out second half and started playing this thing called FOOTBALL. They’d come up with a cunning idea (the ba5tards) to alleviate the effects of the wind: they’d keep the ball on the floor, move around and pass the ball between each other. I hate it when teams do that. We were on the backfoot from the off, with their bloke clearing the bar from 10 yards (after Steele palmed the ball to his feet) and then Steele making a double save while the defence stared. Mind, for once we did do well with 2 or 3 clearances on the backpost as Ipswich poured forward. Really, it was only a matter of time before there was a goal. And it came – to us!
O’Grady wrestled his way past a defender before falling over. The ref gave a generous free kick (don’t worry, this will even itself out) and Cywka rifled it into the far corner, via a deflection. (Special mention to the backroom staff for remembering to put his name on the teamsheet this week). It was the proverbial ‘inspirational substitution’ (except everyone was calling for the inept Shea to be taken off). We’d robbed them! Like, totally excellent, dude!!! We’d see this one out. Even we wouldn’t throw away 2-0. Oh.
Within 10 minutes it’s twos apiece and we’re hanging on for a point. O’Brien gifts a second goal in two games, his inability on the line teeing it up for their bod to hook into an empty net. Mind, I don’t know where the rest of the red shirted brigade were, cos there was no-one near the blue bloke. Then, with the ref desperately trying to even out the earlier soft free kick, he gives them one too. Note to refs: just cos a bloke falls on the floor, it doesn’t make it an automatic free kick. The ball is tapped wide for McGoldrick to hammer it into the roof of the net, via another deflection. Inevitable.
Thankfully, there was still 10 mins left. I say thankfully, cos at least it gave the team some time to show they actually had some spine, and while we didn’t really come close, we comfortably held out. All in all, a good point against a side head and shoulders above us.
*** Jennings. Sponsors MOTM. What a turnaround. Couldn’t do anything right earlier in the season, goes on loan, comes back a different player. If only it was that easy all the time. Ran at their players, good in possession, found his own players with the pass, chased back and was in the right place at the right time in defence on more than one occasion. Excellent all-round display.
** O’Grady. The usual, plus goal.
* Crainie. Crucial interceptions plus doesn’t get carried away when bringing the ball out. A couple of time he coulda got excited and blazed a 30 yarder at their goal, but he realises his limitations and elected to pass it wide.
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| Gets dark early in Barnsley, in February. |
Despatches:
One for the Supporters Trust to consider, this one. I saw a brilliant idea on Satdy for improving the atmosphere at Oakwell – try and chuck a fan out. (What’s Selwood’s seat number?) While winning in front of the usual silence, (the silence being usual, not the winning), the stewards were trying to evict a fan in the top left of the Ponty. For 5 mins this was better than the match. The fans were chanting about sitting where they wanted (it was packed high up – I think fans had moved up there out of the torrential rain) and 4 stewards went in to evict. As the fan they were after eventually decided to acquiesce and leave, he walked down the aisle as fans jostled the stewards. But would he exit? No, the cheeky scamp walked past the exit and appeared to melt into the crowd as the stewards were pushed about, one falling over, before wisely beating a retreat. I’m sure Dr. Newby would be telling us this would be the cue in Red China for the soldiers to make their entrance. Anyway, got the fans going. Let’s have some more of that!
As for the players, Shea was truly terrible, the bloke next to me reckoning he’d mistaken the sport we were playing for American football, such was the number of times he dived into their players. Wisely dragged off at HT. Hunt looked very promising at right back. Does that mean we have TWO promising right backs on loan…while Kennedy cements his place wide left? Hunt delighted the crowd with a backheeled cross that no-one else on our team would’ve thought of in a similar position. Which is why he’s not our player. I thought Dawson and O’Brien did a decent enough job in midfield. Shame then that O’Brien once again found himself at right back as Hunt got lamed by their bloke. Would he have been on the line for that corner were Hunt still on the pitch? It’s the tiny things wot make the biggest differences. Cywka looked too keen to do well, so consequently didn’t (apart from the goal) and to the numpties who say we needed someone like Mellis on, someone who could keep possession in the middle: had he played, we’d never have been winning 2-0. FACT, fact fans. Prosewich (sp?) didn't do much either. We've already got one lumbering strongman with no pace up front. I'd have thought two was greedy.
The journey back was amusing, Slacki and Phil having their dream foursome: sharing a table with a couple of feminists returning from a conference. Slacki in particular was doing his best to sound quite the model ‘new man’. Though in discussing the appeal of watching female sport, while Slacki went for the ladies Ashes, Phil’s eyes glazed over and he couldn’t help tell all how much he likes beach volleyball. Nice one, Phil.
And I cannot let this report leave without mention of Salisbury’s abominable haircut. Really, it’s worth an e-mail thread of its own. Altogether now….’ONE TWO THREE FOUR, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS!!!!’
Sadly, we didn’t have the company of Jonesy this week, since he’d come up with his Ipswich mates, who all decided to come dressed as Man U fans, all in black. They’d have looked quite the menacing types too, were they not all completely wan*ered even before kick off. Oh, and one looking uncannily like James Corden.
Onwards and upwards!
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| The final score is in... |
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