‘OAP loses tooth in pothole trip’
Talk about poor timing. On the day I make a bet with Slacki that Winnall won’t score 20 this season, he only goes and scores a hattrick as we DESTROY a Keith Hill XI six goals to one. SIX GOALS. I will need Waddington to tell me the last time that happened. We were superb, save for a dodgy 10 minute spell when they pulled one back and made it a little nervy for a few minutes before the Man U bloke came on and ran them ragged.
We went ahead early…though not early enough that Hammill hadn’t already been chopped down twice. However, Rochdale got their just desserts as Hamill curled in a free kick for Mawson to head home. This was only minutes after Mawson made a brilliant clearance from virtually on his line as the visitors blasted one on from the left. How costly that proved. Otherwise, we were on top and in one fabulous move, Bree beat a couple of players, played a one-two and, despite the chance to score himself, laid it on a plate for Winnall to toepoke it to the keeper. My money’s safe, I thought.
Second half and it’s the Adam Hammill show once again, as he attacked down the left at speed before firing in a low cross for Winnall’s shin to score. Only kidding. It might have come off his foot. By now we’re cruising and we can even afford Hourihane to miss in similar fashion to Winnall’s, 1st half. Actually, it was Winnall who laid it on for Hourihane to scuff. Then we concede from a corner, as the bloke guarding the post decides not to guard the post. The ball goes in somewhere near the post. Poor.
Then we play our trump card: Fletcher of Man U is on and within a minute he has roasted the left back before whipping it in for Winnall to bag. Feed the Sam and he will score. 3-1, the game is safe and the fans wake up. ‘Lee Johnson’s red and white army’, ‘Johnson Johnson give us a wave’. Still, I preferred ‘Keith Hill what’s the score?’ and an ironic ‘Keith Hill, give us a wave’ (he didn’t).
Another bit of Fletcher magic as he holds the ball up, shimmies, then puts a delightful throughball for Marley Watkins to run on to and drill high into the net. 4-1. Dreamland! But Fletcher’s not finished yet and outjumps the keeper. Even more surprisingly, Winnall then outjumps the defender to head the ball into an empty net. As someone (not me) said: Winnall’s at his best when he doesn’t have to think about it.
Then comes our nightmare scenario. Hammill is cleaned out in the last minute (fair, but brutal) and after prolonged treatment, is helped off. There goes our chance of Wemberlee and Winnall’s chance of 20 goals this season. Let’s hope it isn’t serious. And to prove anyone can set up a goal, Hourihane floats the resultant corner in and everyone stands and stares as Long rises highest to head in. See – we don’t miss Hammill after all!
The top 3 is a real ‘mare today. EVERYONE had a good game. Again I was impressed by the midfield 2, Hourihane and Brownhill, holding it together, allowing the front 4 to do their stuff. Brownhill played like a Pearson, nipping in to win balls and laying it off simply. Perhaps he even lays it off a bit faster than Pearson, who sometimes held it too long (lack of options?) The centre halves were superb (and both scored) while both fullbacks impressed. With Aidey White out injured, I had my first sighting of George Williams, who we got from Worcester (I think) and he looked at home, while Bree was outstanding on the right. Why’s he not been there all season? Isgrove was busy, while we mustn’t forget Adam Hammill set up the opening goals which laid the foundation for victory. Heskey and Owen (Watkins and Winnall) again showed they’re a real partnership. In fact, I had a bit of sympathy for Winnall, who was pulled up for precisely nothing by the referee more than once. The ref was possibly the worst I’ve seen all season. He really didn’t have a clue, including NOT giving them a free kick when Isgrove chopped their player. (Isgrove retreated 10 yards…the whistle didn’t come, so he turned round and ran back to take the ball off their bloke who was lying prostrate. I think this was what led to Hourihane’s unmissable miss.) But that Fletcher guy looks the business. Came on for 22 minutes and set up 3 goals. But can he do it from the start? Oh, and Scowen came on to a rousing reception near the end. Unfortunately he came in for Brownhill, thereby ruining our chance of having the most Joshs in a team over the age of 11.
*** Hammill. What can I say? Take him out of our team and we’d be any other 3rd division side. Don’t believe me? Well, we might be about to find out.
** Winnall. Twitter MOTM. Who am I to argue with Super Sammy Winnall’s ‘perfect hattrick’ (left foot, right foot, head). 8 goals in 4 league games, the only blemish being the Fleetwood game when he was on his own up front. Maybe Little Lee is learning…
* Fletcher of Man U. Bree and Mawson in particular should be well peeved I’m giving 3rd to Fletcher’s cameo, but he was unplayable. If he set up 3 in 22 minutes, by my reckoning, if he’d been on from the start we’d have won 14-0.
2. Watkins
Drink du jour: Train half an hour late, reputedly due to a body on the line, so only time for one pre-match Erdinger. Spiced rum and ginger ale for the train (and a bottle of Prosecco: we were celebrating). And mini JD. We were celebrating. We even had our token lunatic (a Scottish nutter) on the train with us. Thank god he got off at Donny. He was an accident waiting to happen. Back in London, we had an Asahi for every goal Winnall scored. I could get used to this.
Later, fell asleep on the bus on the way back, woke up panicking (‘wherethehell am I?’) and jumped off. Had no idea where I was, walked back the way I came and discovered I’d only just missed my bus stop. Idiot.
Away: 507. Decent turnout, when you consider the size of their home crowds. I bet they wish they hadn’t bothered.
The Damage:
22 travel
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| Pre-match at t'well |
Talk about poor timing. On the day I make a bet with Slacki that Winnall won’t score 20 this season, he only goes and scores a hattrick as we DESTROY a Keith Hill XI six goals to one. SIX GOALS. I will need Waddington to tell me the last time that happened. We were superb, save for a dodgy 10 minute spell when they pulled one back and made it a little nervy for a few minutes before the Man U bloke came on and ran them ragged.
We went ahead early…though not early enough that Hammill hadn’t already been chopped down twice. However, Rochdale got their just desserts as Hamill curled in a free kick for Mawson to head home. This was only minutes after Mawson made a brilliant clearance from virtually on his line as the visitors blasted one on from the left. How costly that proved. Otherwise, we were on top and in one fabulous move, Bree beat a couple of players, played a one-two and, despite the chance to score himself, laid it on a plate for Winnall to toepoke it to the keeper. My money’s safe, I thought.
 |
| The teams come out... |
Second half and it’s the Adam Hammill show once again, as he attacked down the left at speed before firing in a low cross for Winnall’s shin to score. Only kidding. It might have come off his foot. By now we’re cruising and we can even afford Hourihane to miss in similar fashion to Winnall’s, 1st half. Actually, it was Winnall who laid it on for Hourihane to scuff. Then we concede from a corner, as the bloke guarding the post decides not to guard the post. The ball goes in somewhere near the post. Poor.
Then we play our trump card: Fletcher of Man U is on and within a minute he has roasted the left back before whipping it in for Winnall to bag. Feed the Sam and he will score. 3-1, the game is safe and the fans wake up. ‘Lee Johnson’s red and white army’, ‘Johnson Johnson give us a wave’. Still, I preferred ‘Keith Hill what’s the score?’ and an ironic ‘Keith Hill, give us a wave’ (he didn’t).
 |
| The Ponty |
Another bit of Fletcher magic as he holds the ball up, shimmies, then puts a delightful throughball for Marley Watkins to run on to and drill high into the net. 4-1. Dreamland! But Fletcher’s not finished yet and outjumps the keeper. Even more surprisingly, Winnall then outjumps the defender to head the ball into an empty net. As someone (not me) said: Winnall’s at his best when he doesn’t have to think about it.
Then comes our nightmare scenario. Hammill is cleaned out in the last minute (fair, but brutal) and after prolonged treatment, is helped off. There goes our chance of Wemberlee and Winnall’s chance of 20 goals this season. Let’s hope it isn’t serious. And to prove anyone can set up a goal, Hourihane floats the resultant corner in and everyone stands and stares as Long rises highest to head in. See – we don’t miss Hammill after all!
 |
| The Dale, half a thou of 'em (507) |
The top 3 is a real ‘mare today. EVERYONE had a good game. Again I was impressed by the midfield 2, Hourihane and Brownhill, holding it together, allowing the front 4 to do their stuff. Brownhill played like a Pearson, nipping in to win balls and laying it off simply. Perhaps he even lays it off a bit faster than Pearson, who sometimes held it too long (lack of options?) The centre halves were superb (and both scored) while both fullbacks impressed. With Aidey White out injured, I had my first sighting of George Williams, who we got from Worcester (I think) and he looked at home, while Bree was outstanding on the right. Why’s he not been there all season? Isgrove was busy, while we mustn’t forget Adam Hammill set up the opening goals which laid the foundation for victory. Heskey and Owen (Watkins and Winnall) again showed they’re a real partnership. In fact, I had a bit of sympathy for Winnall, who was pulled up for precisely nothing by the referee more than once. The ref was possibly the worst I’ve seen all season. He really didn’t have a clue, including NOT giving them a free kick when Isgrove chopped their player. (Isgrove retreated 10 yards…the whistle didn’t come, so he turned round and ran back to take the ball off their bloke who was lying prostrate. I think this was what led to Hourihane’s unmissable miss.) But that Fletcher guy looks the business. Came on for 22 minutes and set up 3 goals. But can he do it from the start? Oh, and Scowen came on to a rousing reception near the end. Unfortunately he came in for Brownhill, thereby ruining our chance of having the most Joshs in a team over the age of 11.
 |
| Match action |
*** Hammill. What can I say? Take him out of our team and we’d be any other 3rd division side. Don’t believe me? Well, we might be about to find out.
** Winnall. Twitter MOTM. Who am I to argue with Super Sammy Winnall’s ‘perfect hattrick’ (left foot, right foot, head). 8 goals in 4 league games, the only blemish being the Fleetwood game when he was on his own up front. Maybe Little Lee is learning…
* Fletcher of Man U. Bree and Mawson in particular should be well peeved I’m giving 3rd to Fletcher’s cameo, but he was unplayable. If he set up 3 in 22 minutes, by my reckoning, if he’d been on from the start we’d have won 14-0.
Londontykes' Top 3:
1. Winnall2. Watkins
3. Mawson
Drink du jour: Train half an hour late, reputedly due to a body on the line, so only time for one pre-match Erdinger. Spiced rum and ginger ale for the train (and a bottle of Prosecco: we were celebrating). And mini JD. We were celebrating. We even had our token lunatic (a Scottish nutter) on the train with us. Thank god he got off at Donny. He was an accident waiting to happen. Back in London, we had an Asahi for every goal Winnall scored. I could get used to this.
Later, fell asleep on the bus on the way back, woke up panicking (‘wherethehell am I?’) and jumped off. Had no idea where I was, walked back the way I came and discovered I’d only just missed my bus stop. Idiot.
Away: 507. Decent turnout, when you consider the size of their home crowds. I bet they wish they hadn’t bothered.
The Damage:
22 travel
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