Exeter City 0-1 BFC, Saturday 7th October 2023

‘And if you put 5 cents in, the bed would jiggle!’

Another week, another terrible game...but we won!!!!!!!! I’m not sure what to say. It started badly...I drove nearly 350 miles on Friday only to get a puncture within sight of Devon. After last season’s debacle of getting to within 50 miles of the ground before the game was called off, I was beginning to think I was jinxed. I’d envisaged a few drinks in Ashburton with my old mate Tarek, instead I was sat under a bridge near Taunton, dusk falling, waiting for a mechanic. (It took an hour and a half, coulda been worse).

Thankfully, it was no harbinger of what lay ahead. Satdy was a glorious day and we were there early to sample the delights. Met up with Big Al and The Captain in The Farmers Union (their lack of apostrophe; maybe the union belongs to neither the farmer or farmers). An average pint of Atlantic pale ale (is there any other) before meeting up with the others in arch craft ale place Cuckoo, before heading up to the ground to have a last beer in their social club with former Londontyke pool team legend Chris Badman, an Exeter fan.

By now, I was probably three sheets to the wind. Or did I imagine an entirely appalling game with a distinct lack of credible goalmouth action? If I said they hit the post twice, while we missed 2 unbelievable chances and scored in injury time, it almost sounds like a cracker. But inbetween, the game was going nowhere, if anyone was gonna score it was them...when sub McAtee got on the end of a cross and headed home. He’d already missed one sitter, and was to do it again after, as we hit them on the break and with the keeper to beat...he hit the sidenetting. Having not looked like scoring in 90 minutes, we could have had 3 in injury time. Obviously, we celebrated like winning the World Cup.

Onwards and upwards!

Honourable mention here to Bob for saying ‘no-one stood out’ then naming a top 3.

*** Nobody. At one point I was giving it to the keeper…then a minute later he slipped and nearly gifted Reds reject Aitchison a goal.
** Nobody. Clean sheet, maybe a defender is worth a couple of points? No. It was that sort of game.
* McAtee. Came on for the ineffectual Watters (great nickname) and bagged.

Londontykes’ POTY: 1. De Givigny 2. Jordan Wiliams 3. McAtee

Despatches:
We have 22 points from 12 games. That’s nearly two points a game. All that despite being bang average all season. If I was an optimist, I’d say this augurs very well for the rest of the season. However, given we started the season as 2nd favourites with the bookies, anything less than top 2 is under achievement. Given the standard of the league this season, we can’t possibly fail to make the play-offs at least...can we?

Otherwise, it was a most excellent day, in particular the company...Nice Guy Chris and Jane, Reedy and Farnham, as well as the aforementioned. And who doesn’t love standing on a terrace!? (Chris and Jane, obvs)

Drink du jour: Atlantic pale ale, Cloudwater Socal, Jail Ale (not very nice) and finally Leffe in The Imperial (a vast, grand Wetherspoons that was previously a hotel).

Away: c.700

The Damage:
c.£100 petrol
£50 away shirt (I called in at Barnsley on the way)
£21 ent
£3.50
= c.£174.50