‘SeanMcClareSeanMcClareSeanMcClareSeanMcClare’
In a surprise late move, I went to last night’s game. After all I said about a visit to the Ricoh being about as miserable an away trip as one could get, Stu gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse: get to Milton Keynes and I’ll give you a lift (I’d have to catch the Oxford Tube back). So, given he never turns out, and I once got a rather spiffy hip flask for being his best man, I was honour-bound. Well, that’s my excuse.
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| Yeah, I know it's blurred, but it's the best my camera can do. |
In a surprise late move, I went to last night’s game. After all I said about a visit to the Ricoh being about as miserable an away trip as one could get, Stu gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse: get to Milton Keynes and I’ll give you a lift (I’d have to catch the Oxford Tube back). So, given he never turns out, and I once got a rather spiffy hip flask for being his best man, I was honour-bound. Well, that’s my excuse.
And by god, at half time was I not regretting a bit of it? We were AS AWFUL as anything I have seen this season (which means as bad as anything I’ve seen in 10 years…and the rest). We were 4-5-1, Winnall again shunted out to wide midfield to accommodate a tall useless bloke in attack (this week: Smith). And despite having piles of players in midfield, we were overrun. Yet it started so well…
After 2 minutes, a small cheer went up. We were finishing our beers underneath the stand. F***. I’ve only gone and missed us scoring. Anyway, imagine my relief when I found that, no, we hadn’t scored – THEY had. Christ on a bike. I haven’t even got to my seat and we’re losing. Ho hum.
Then a pattern was set: every time we got the ball, we’d trundle it sideways, sideways, back…while every time they got the ball they ran forward quickly, playing balls into space for players to run onto. If we even made it to their half, the midfield was 20 yards behind the centre forward. (The one time I remember Smith touching the ball, he was forced to try and head it back to a teammate…who was so far behind him, a Cov player just picked it off).
Soon it was 2-0. I can vaguely remember they switched play quickly (that word again) from left to right and a simple lay off put their bloke clean through to bag. (As an aside, Davies had already saved a one-on-one). I’d boldly stated before the game that Little Lee wouldn’t get the sack tonite unless we lost by an absolutely hatful. It looked like we’d achieve this. Cov continued to have the better chances, but somehow managed not to score and 2-0 at HT almost felt like a decent result.
Then..then…I’m not sure what happened. We came out like a team possessed. We had 2 shots in the first 45 seconds of the second half. We pressed them. We moved the ball forward. Players who’d previously not be moving, for fear they’d get caught out of position, were now legging it up the field to support attacks. We were, to be blunt, FABULOUS. We pull one back when Mawson heads in a corner. (You can stick your Conor Hourihane up your ar5e!)
Being Barnsley, within minutes, Cov go and score. A break down their left, a cut back. Easy. (If it was us, we’d be saying a well worked goal, so give Cov their dues). Down and out? Not a bit of it. We bite straight back at them, Scowen finding himself free inside the box and drilling low to the far corner. Game on!
Again, within minutes, Cov notch again, but you cannot argue with world class. Joe Cole steps up to lift the ball over the wall at pace into the top corner (despite Davies getting a hand to it, the ball whipped off his wet gloves). Honestly, I’ve never rated Cole as a player, but this free kick was beyond anything this division can produce. (As another aside, 2 of their goals were scored by Newcastle’s Armstrong, so SOME teams choose their loanees well!) In fact, I've since learnt their other goal was by a loanee too. Is this some kind of record?
After that, we still ran the game…so much so that Cov fans were getting on their players’ backs. Imagine! 4-2 up and complaining. (Come to think, I remember fans moaning when we were 5-0 up one game...but Portsmouth were down to 9 men at the time). Pearson had a stonewall penalty turned
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| The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, home of the London Wasps |
After 2 minutes, a small cheer went up. We were finishing our beers underneath the stand. F***. I’ve only gone and missed us scoring. Anyway, imagine my relief when I found that, no, we hadn’t scored – THEY had. Christ on a bike. I haven’t even got to my seat and we’re losing. Ho hum.
Then a pattern was set: every time we got the ball, we’d trundle it sideways, sideways, back…while every time they got the ball they ran forward quickly, playing balls into space for players to run onto. If we even made it to their half, the midfield was 20 yards behind the centre forward. (The one time I remember Smith touching the ball, he was forced to try and head it back to a teammate…who was so far behind him, a Cov player just picked it off).
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| Awww, that's nice. |
Soon it was 2-0. I can vaguely remember they switched play quickly (that word again) from left to right and a simple lay off put their bloke clean through to bag. (As an aside, Davies had already saved a one-on-one). I’d boldly stated before the game that Little Lee wouldn’t get the sack tonite unless we lost by an absolutely hatful. It looked like we’d achieve this. Cov continued to have the better chances, but somehow managed not to score and 2-0 at HT almost felt like a decent result.
Then..then…I’m not sure what happened. We came out like a team possessed. We had 2 shots in the first 45 seconds of the second half. We pressed them. We moved the ball forward. Players who’d previously not be moving, for fear they’d get caught out of position, were now legging it up the field to support attacks. We were, to be blunt, FABULOUS. We pull one back when Mawson heads in a corner. (You can stick your Conor Hourihane up your ar5e!)
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| A sparse home end |
Being Barnsley, within minutes, Cov go and score. A break down their left, a cut back. Easy. (If it was us, we’d be saying a well worked goal, so give Cov their dues). Down and out? Not a bit of it. We bite straight back at them, Scowen finding himself free inside the box and drilling low to the far corner. Game on!
Again, within minutes, Cov notch again, but you cannot argue with world class. Joe Cole steps up to lift the ball over the wall at pace into the top corner (despite Davies getting a hand to it, the ball whipped off his wet gloves). Honestly, I’ve never rated Cole as a player, but this free kick was beyond anything this division can produce. (As another aside, 2 of their goals were scored by Newcastle’s Armstrong, so SOME teams choose their loanees well!) In fact, I've since learnt their other goal was by a loanee too. Is this some kind of record?
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| I hate this stadium. Just saying. |
After that, we still ran the game…so much so that Cov fans were getting on their players’ backs. Imagine! 4-2 up and complaining. (Come to think, I remember fans moaning when we were 5-0 up one game...but Portsmouth were down to 9 men at the time). Pearson had a stonewall penalty turned
down (so ‘stonewall’ Loko and Stu disagreed with me). Now, Andy will tell you, I’m the 1st to defend the ref, but what appeared to happen was Pearson was clean through and saw the keeper sliding towards him, so he took it away from the keeper and let the keeper hit him (the wet pitch meaning he couldn’t stop his slide). Unfortunately, his ‘dive’ wasn’t to the class expected of a Man U player. Or perhaps it was cos he wasn’t wearing a ManUre shirt…either way.
Wilkinson came on. Someone cheered (me!) As far as I was concerned, this was his debut. He showed what everyone else has been on about by lifting the ball over the bar when clean through. Then, while the Cov keeper went wandering, Mawson hooked one back towards goal. Cleared off the line. Finally, with the game wrapped up, the ref gives us a penalty (handball) for Scowen to score a consolation. Cheers, ref – bit late now. Cov kick off and the ref blows for full time.
Honestly, we could have scored SIX that half. And we scored a goal from open play for the 1st time since 2011!
*** Josh Scowen. Here’s here, he’s there, he’s….brilliant. At his best when allowed to run box to box. Made tackles, drove at the opposition. All of this was the second half, obvs. |
| Half time and a bunch of over 50s have a game. Makes a change from kids. |
Wilkinson came on. Someone cheered (me!) As far as I was concerned, this was his debut. He showed what everyone else has been on about by lifting the ball over the bar when clean through. Then, while the Cov keeper went wandering, Mawson hooked one back towards goal. Cleared off the line. Finally, with the game wrapped up, the ref gives us a penalty (handball) for Scowen to score a consolation. Cheers, ref – bit late now. Cov kick off and the ref blows for full time.
Honestly, we could have scored SIX that half. And we scored a goal from open play for the 1st time since 2011!
** Ben Pearson. Not in his usual defensive role, he often found himself our most promising attacker. Also, he normally has the brains to pick the right pass. Pity it’s to one of our players.* George Smith. I’ve turned into Bob. I think I’m just picking my favourite players now, but I’m sure Smith got up and down that left wing second half…and where we conceded the 2ndgoal with Smith out of position (tucked in with the centre halves) I blame on Little Lee, cos IT KEEPS HAPPENING. There’s no doubt to me that Smith is TOLD to do this, cos there’s no way he’d leave the winger free. (Look out for this the next time the opposition switch it quickly from left to right.)
Londontykes' Top 3:
1= Scowen / Pearson
1= Scowen / Pearson
3. G. Smith
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| More Wasps' branding. I hate rugby an' all. |
Despatches:
Ere, have a guess how much parking costs at the Ricoh? That’s right, a tenner. I think Stu is still dazed from the shock. So we turned round, pulled into an adjacent industrial estate and parked for free. A tenner. That’s ten whole pounds. F***. Loko parked about 2 miles away for a fiver. So, it’s a sh*thole if you go by public transport…and a sh*thole if you don’t. I hate this stadium with a passion. It still makes me laugh that they left Highfield Road for somewhere BIGGER.So, we lost – yet everyone felt good about themselves, as if the 1st half NEVER HAPPENED. The players came over, were applauded off to shouts of ‘You Reds!’ from the 250 or so faithful. They should have come over at half time! As for Little Lee…what did he say at half time? ‘Listen lads, whatever I told you pre-match, do the EXACT OPPOSITE’.
And talking of a beautiful 2nd half, Loko was staying at his mum’s, so I got a lift to east east London (Essex) where I was able to catch the last Central Line tube into town. Home before one! And Loko turning off the motorway, past some roundabout in Theydon Bois shouting ‘LOOK! 2 deer!’ There really were 2 deer, stood there, grazing on a roundabout. They were beauties.
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| Awaiting the last tube at Theydon Bois. |
Drink du jour: A couple of cheeky bottles of Leffe on the train, then a bottle of Singha at the ground.
Crowd: 10,954 (c.250 Reds). Cov fans can actually generate a decent amount of noise in that bowl. And they’ve got around the problem of too many seats for too few fans by closing one end and only having a few dozen away fans at the other. Genius!
The Damage:
20 ent
14 train
14.5 2 pies, one Guinness and a Singha.
= £48.50
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