BFC 1-3 Fulham, Saturday 27th January 2018

Patrick Cryne, R.I.P.

Wow.  What a game.  Up against the most formist form team of the division, we put up a fight.  We took the game to them.  We were the better team.  We were winning (1-0).  And then…and then….Dimitri Cavare (is that REALLY his 1^st name?) runs 6 yards to shove over a Cottager.  No need, no excuse.  I don’t care he’s disgruntled cos of his earlier yellow.  About the only thing the ref got wrong here was in not giving him a straight red.  What an imbecile.  And nevermind that shoving a Fulham player in the back results in a clutching of the face.  Dimitri – if you’re gonna get sent off, tw*t the f***er in the mush, not some cowardly shove from behind.  Anyway thanks, you cost us.

Hit the road, Jack (Cavare).

Things had been going so well too.  A lovely one-touch move down the left ended with Moncur having a shot blocked – by Kiefer Moore.  Fulham weren’t at the races.  Obviously it was destined to be emotional, Patrick’s death this week and all (a minute’s silence pre-match).  But our players were hungry for it.  Fulham shrunk.  They just didn’t look up for it, aside from the diving and cheating.  These Premiership wannabees eh?  I particularly enjoyed one, as the ref blew his whistle and brandished a card.  FINALLY, a ref in this division willing to stand up to it. Oh, hang on, he’s given Fulham the free kick.  The booking was for Cavare.  (If I was him, I’d be very very cross indeed and probably do something stupid later on.)  It was equally bizarre because the incident was in our penalty area.  

Flags out for Patrick.  Be proud, Patrick.

Still, we only had a couple of minutes with 10 men before half time and we were winning, Lindsay popping in the rebound from a corner after the keeper saved with his legs.  Said keeper then ran 40 yards to remonstrate with the ref and be cautioned.  I didn’t think there was anything in it myself (I wouldn’t, would I?) as a Reds player in the box simply didn’t move out of the way.  Since when is it an offence to stand still in the box?

900 and odd Fulham.  Most must have arrived later.

I made a beeline for downstairs at half time.  (Without my dad, who’s had enough of coming ‘till we start winning’, I’m doing a tour of the ground; this week, upstairs and a fine view 1^st half; downstairs and Slacki’s company 2^nd.)  I wanted Slacki’s opinion on what we were seeing.  Slacki had spotted an investment opportunity while on the train up: the Super Reds were 3/1 to win a home game. Odds he simply couldn’t turn down.  We told him not to, but 43 minutes in he was looking very much the sage.  (Let’s ignore the fact that we barely win 1/3 of our home games whether we’re playing crack outfits like Fulham or not).  Anyway, as I said, up until Cavare’s sending off, we were very much in the ascendancy.

The view from the upper tier.

Course, the 2^nd half was a different proposition.  Would we…could we…last?  With 60 seconds gone, I told Ian ‘only 44 minutes to go’. I considered doing this for every minute we lasted out, but decided this might be irritating.  We last 4, which were about the number of defenders who failed to stop their right winger from cutting in, before a shot off the post was knocked in.  Like Julian Clary, a bit of a bummer.  Still, only another 40 minutes for the draw….

The view from pitchside.

And actually, we looked pretty comfortable after that.  Pinnilos had already come on at left back for Bradshaw to strengthen the defence, but bringing on Hedges and Thiam for Hammill and a knackered Moore suggested we were going for it.  Hedges broke from the halfway line, beat 3 players and banged in a 20 odd yarder which the keeper did well to fist away.  Then, I did that thing which always results in the opposition bagging: I started thinking ‘we could get a point here’.  Injury time loomed.  Fulham looked nothing.  Then a right wing cross and a player headed it down at the back stick and it bounced high over Davies, who’d come toward it.  Davies fists it up, then has another go as it comes down again, before someone or other bundles the ball over the line.  In real time, I thought he was unlucky.  Having seen it again on telly, we need a new keeper.  Why’s he fisting it in the air when he could simply tip it over the bar?  Probably cos he’s not very good.  Then, in further injury time, Fulham win the ball when a player climbs all over ours right in front of the ref, they break upfield and superior numbers end with a tap-in.  Double bummer.

It was one of those days. We’d lost, but everyone felt a lot more optimistic about our chances of staying up.  It’s certainly the best we’ve played since Brum at home over 2 months ago.  Now, if only f***ing Cavare…

Onwards and upwards!

Lighting up the Ponty for Patrick.

*** Pearson.  Cleared, blocked.  Outstanding at centre half, especially 1^st half.

** Lindsay.  Cracking game, and scored.  Twitter MOTM (I think).

* Moore.  Gardner.  Looks a different player as defensive mid.

Despatches:
Surely the time has come to buy a new keeper.  I’ve had enough of defending Davies. With his shot stopping now…shot…his inability to command the area…his inconsistent (tho improved) kicking…we at least need someone who can push him in the 1^st team.  Not Townsend, then.  Yiadom looked excellent again, while Moncur busied himself about.  Mallan, I’m not so sure about.  Early days, but has taken over Williams’ role as bloke most likely to give the ball away in his own half.  Also had a tendency to hit the 1^st man on corners.  Hammill worked hard, and only had one lunge at their bloke. Moore looked very promising and it surprised some he was taken off, but he looked spent.  Bradshaw….well, let’s say he was the unlucky recipient of Cavare’s red, being hauled off at half time. At least he now knows he’s no longer number 1 in our frontal pecking order.

Oh, and bad news for The Captain, who found out that the Reds were due to play Hull on FA Cup 5^th round day.  Cue fingers crossed…but Hull winning anyway.  Still, maybe they’ll get a home draw???

Away: c900.  About twice what we expected of Fulham, and about half what they ought to bring, given their home crowds, league position, expectancy, etc

Drink du jour: Vodka and orange.  After a few recent half-hearted efforts, Reedy and myself were back on form, polishing off a whole bottle.  Which gave us the appetite for a beer in the Parcel Yard.

The Damage:
£23.80 train
£3 prog
= £26.80

The Tunes:

50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong (The Fall). Mark Smith, R.I.P.
Shepherd Moons (Enya)
Four-Calendar Cafe (Cocteau Twins)
Lovelife (Lush)

Match programme.  Patrick Cryne, R.I.P.  Thanks for everything.

Upper tier panorama v Fulham.

Lower tier panorama v Fulham.

Welcome to .....

Flowers left in memory of Patrick.

The Ponty v Fulham.

2nd half action.

Looking toward the Ponty, again.