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| Welcome to...the local tanning centre. Genius. |
After last week’s promotion derailing, we’re back on track after a scrappy win at lowly Fleetwood. The scene was set early doors when a backpass to their keeper bobbled like hell to him before he hoofed it away. This was not one for the purists. Try as we might, we couldn’t seem to get the ball down, Hammill was permanently surrounded by 2 or 3 opponents and Davies kept booting it into touch (1st half at least).
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| Little Lee continues to haunt me. That IS Little Lee, right? |
Of course, class shone through in the end….with my favourite, FAVOURITE goal of the season so far. A ball was lobbed over the top, it bounced high and their guy headed it magnificently over his own keeper from 20 yards out. To be behind the goal, to see the keeper turn and give chase for a ball he was never gonna catch…pure joy. Possibly made more so by the rare chance to stand on a terrace. Lest we forget, the defender’s panic was due to one Red harrying him, while, out of the corner of his eye, he could see another Red legging it towards the keeper. Small details, big goals.
That was early, 2nd half and just the goal needed to start playing some football. For THEM to start playing some football. For the next 20 odd minutes their #8 (Ryan?) ran the game while we retreated into our half and hoped they had no-one up front. They didn’t. (Actually, they had Shola Amoebi followed by Devante Cole. How the mighty…etc)
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| Tell me I'm seeing things: a stand behind a stand |
Then we sent Scowen on for Fletcher, re-jigged the formation and bossed it. How good must this team be if Scowen can’t get a start? He proceeds to have our 1st shot on target (blocked) before sealing victory with a header off a corner. Isn’t he, like, 5 foot 2? Must have been the quality of the delivery! (One for Loko, as Hourihane’s 8th corner of the match results in a Barnsley player getting his head to it first). Cue celebrations in the away end….’put the champagne on ice, we’re going to Wembley twice’ and a ditty about having the finest midfield in the world (which appeared to involve Hamill, Watkins, Scowen, Brownhill, Hourihane and Is-groooooove, but not necessarily in that order). Should have added Winnall in there too....wasn't he midfield earlier this season?
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| The Barnsley (standing) hordes |
*** Roberts. A proper captain’s display…if only he were captain. Dominated the aerial battles (in a game where the ball was usually in the air) and made some brutal tackles, including sending the ball and player off the pitch with one particularly champion challenge. In a day for old-skool football, it suited him down to the ground.
** Scowen. 15 minutes of class.
* Williams. Solid defensively.
Londontykes' Top 3:
1. Roberts
2. Mawson
3. Scowen / Williams
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| Christ, even Fleetwood have an electronic scoreboard |
Despatches:Davies was poor in his kicking, but saved us 1st half when Everton youngster Connolly was skinned and he was forced into a save. The latter improved as the game went on. As has been said, the ref was something else. I’m not sure how many times you can get simple decisions wrong, but he managed it. Late on, as Scowen tussled (ie, wound up) a Codhead, said Codhead lashed out at his face. Cue Scowen booked and their bod walking away scot-free. ‘You fat c*nt’ berated one Reds fans, who, when warned about his language, quickly hollered ‘you portly c*nt, ref!’ I shouldn’t moan, been a while since I’ve been part of a rousing chorus of ‘you fat ba5tard’.
The rest of the team were much of a muchness. No-one stood out, no-one was awful.
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| Spot the home 'flags', cleverly painted on. |
Drink du jour: After getting a bus from Blackpoo and fish and chips in one of Fleetwood’s many fish and chip emporiums (emporia?), we ignored the 2 pubs in the high street for Andy to take us to the CAMRA pub slightly off the beaten track (but still near the ground) – and what a find this was. 3 different wheat beers on tap. A Rathaus and a Konig Ludwig for me. Shame we had to leave for the match, but we did pop back for a celebratory one afterwards, having lost Phil who was in more of a rush than us anyway. A bottle of red for the train and I took ULTRA care that I didn’t fall asleep on the bus or get knocked over this week. (My knee is still a mix of yellow and purple, btw).
The Damage:
23 ent
1
27 train
5 bus (to and from Blackpool)
Away: 986
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| Camera gantry |
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| Nice touch at the (quality) local. Highly recommended. |
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| I spot a team coach. |
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| Fleetwood's pride and joy |
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| The teams come out |
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| The view from the terrace |
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| Behind the goal panorama |
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| This Way. |
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| Corner flag panorama |
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