‘Pinnock, yer
turning into f***ing Nyatanga….’
Things are getting worse. Not content with conceding after 8 mins of the 1st half and 7 mins of the 2nd v Chorlton (without the Wheelies), we concede after 2 mins against the Shrews. And forgive me if we’ve seen this before, a mere 2 games ago against Luton…the fullback fails to cut out a cross, the keeper makes a hash of it, and their striker is left with a tap-in. But it must be the SYSTEM’S fault, as it’s not Cavare failing in defensive duties, it’s Williams on the opposite flank, and it’s not reserve keeper Walton, but Should-be reserve-keeper Davies, Captain Awesome. 'Christ Davies' (as I think he’s called, judging by the number of people calling him that throughout), if you can’t catch it cos you’re under pressure, at least PUNCH the ball. (Later he did…and it worked. But it was too late by then).
It had started well. Not the match, my trip. Got to the quaint (by football league standards) village of Shrewsbury mid-afternoon, ran an errand and ensconsced myself in a charming ye olde worlde pub and restaurant (Cromwell’s Inn). They had Erdinger on too (in bottles). And then Molly, Nozzer and their pet chimp rolled in (I’m being harsh; I should be more tolerant to other people’s intolerant views). Once we were fed and watered, Moll drove us to the out of town edifice that is the Montgomery Waters Meadow, another lower league stadium tarred by sponsors you’ve never heard of. I blame McCain oven chips. They started all this.
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| The teams come out at Montgomery Water Meadow. |
Things are getting worse. Not content with conceding after 8 mins of the 1st half and 7 mins of the 2nd v Chorlton (without the Wheelies), we concede after 2 mins against the Shrews. And forgive me if we’ve seen this before, a mere 2 games ago against Luton…the fullback fails to cut out a cross, the keeper makes a hash of it, and their striker is left with a tap-in. But it must be the SYSTEM’S fault, as it’s not Cavare failing in defensive duties, it’s Williams on the opposite flank, and it’s not reserve keeper Walton, but Should-be reserve-keeper Davies, Captain Awesome. 'Christ Davies' (as I think he’s called, judging by the number of people calling him that throughout), if you can’t catch it cos you’re under pressure, at least PUNCH the ball. (Later he did…and it worked. But it was too late by then).
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| The Salop Leisure Stand...framed by darkness. |
It had started well. Not the match, my trip. Got to the quaint (by football league standards) village of Shrewsbury mid-afternoon, ran an errand and ensconsced myself in a charming ye olde worlde pub and restaurant (Cromwell’s Inn). They had Erdinger on too (in bottles). And then Molly, Nozzer and their pet chimp rolled in (I’m being harsh; I should be more tolerant to other people’s intolerant views). Once we were fed and watered, Moll drove us to the out of town edifice that is the Montgomery Waters Meadow, another lower league stadium tarred by sponsors you’ve never heard of. I blame McCain oven chips. They started all this.
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| Before it all went wrong... |
Good timing, straight in and the pick of the seats despite a decent midweek turnout from the Super Reds. Following Charlton, this was just what we needed; a game soon after against a side in or around the bottom 3. They murdered us from the start. It wasn’t long before Davies was beaten, again. A ball was played out wide and their player was one-on-one with Pinnock. Hang on. Didn’t this happen Satdy? Pinnock shows him inside but Shrews always had a man extra and despite (because of?) a desperate lunge from Mowatt, they score, the ball looping over Davies after the aforementioned deflected the ball. ‘How s*** must you be, we’re winning two-nil.’ Indeed.
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| Shrews' vocal element, top right. |
One highlight of following the Super Reds is when fellow fans argue amongst themselves. Is Davies s*** or really s***? Anyway, his defenders thought they’d won the argument when the captain made a decent one-handed save to prevent 3-0 on the stroke of half-time. It was within arm’s reach, mind yer. Their lad shoulda buried it.
Still, half time, we’ll come out fighting, etc (actually, that was later, when the management of both teams squared up following a poor challenge by McGeehan). The only question was who would Moncur come on for. Thiam? Never a footballer, nevermind a winger. The anonymous McGeehan? Can’t really, he’s just come on for the injured Dougall (who’d been kicked out of the game; very SHREWd). Bahre? But he runs around, and wasn’t to blame for Charlton. And that only really left Mowatt, who was comfortably our best player. No, leave him on the bench.
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| I was surprised the 'safe standing' wasn't fuller. |
And it works, as we pull a goal back from nothing. The ball is lifted into the area from our left and in the ensuing melee, Pinnock puts it in from close range. Hope! Moncur comes on (for Thiam, obvs), dazzles for 5 mins, has a shot cleared off the line…then disappears. And the icing is put on the cake when they get a corner which is headed in from 12 yards. I’m resigned, others are angry. Having seen it on telly, I’m joining the Livid Party. Stendal and his f***ing…what do you call it? Defending a zone? Zonal defending! Got there in the end. Christ. I’ll give you zonal defending. Mark the area where their bloke stands and have someone on the post. The ball goes in next to the far post, about 2 yards off the floor. Soft. Bit like us.
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| The away end, defeat looming. |
We are back to being put in our place by Shrews fans, even more so as Stendal is sent off following the handbags on the touchline. ‘Just because you’re losing.’ Damn right. ‘3-1 to the sheepshaggers’ (a retort to earlier moronic chants from the away end). And don’t get Moll and Salisbury started on the age-old ‘Shrewsbury’s a sh*thole, I wanna go home’, sung by folk who have no sense of irony whatsoever. Next year (!) let’s have a round of ‘Shrewsbury’s a beautiful and mildly interesting place full of great pubs’. I’ll start…
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| S |
*** Molly, for the lift.
** Salisbury, for the bed. (Will he be angry he hasn’t got MOTM?)
* BFC box office. For offering to get my ticket reprinted (it took a week to turn up through the post).Seriously?
*** No-one. Again.
** Mowatt. Only one who looked interested AND could do something with the ball.
* Moncur. For 5 minutes. F*** me.
Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Mowatt 2. Bahre 3. No-one
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| Where the Shrews' big nobs hangout. |
Lindsay flicked one onto the bar late on. So he WAS playing. Pinnock was appalling, his worst game yet (but rumour had it he was having to cover for 2 fullbacks and his centre half partner. Maybe.) Davies was…Davies. Williams cannot defend, and is not fast enough in attack. If George Smith couldn’t eke out a career at Oakwell, this bloke has no chance. Cavare? I’m mystified. Looks the part, athletic, quick (going forward). But for a defender, he can’t defend. And the athleticism? Small bursts here and there, but can’t sustain it. The midfield? Bahre tried to the very end, tho nothing worked. Potts was awful and got dragged off. Dougall I’d noticed (for once) cos the hatchet job which caused his substitution was the 3rd foul on him. Was he targeted? As for Moore, it looked a gamble too far. He didn’t look fit at Charlton and he didn’t look fit tonite. Didn’t win a header till the 90th minute (unless it was his flick-on for Pinnock’s goal?)
Now, all I need is a discussion on the way home about how all these foreigners in our country are destroying our identity…
Onwards and upwards!
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| Back to the teams lining up... |
Drink du jour: Erdinger. Not nearly enough of it.
Away: c800
The Damage:
£21 ent
£13 train
£12 Molly’s dinner
= £46
The Tunes:
Vulnicura (Bjork)
Walking The Line (Johnny Cash)
Latenighttales (Jon Hopkins)
Latenighttales (BadBadNotGood)
Behind the Counter with Max Richter (Various)
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| Pedestrians Only. A pathway outside the stadium. |
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