Wimbledon 2-0 BFC, Saturday 23rd August 2025

‘Power to the people!’

To paraphrase someone or other, goals win games, clean sheets win promotion. And if that’s the case, we’re never going up. Not with Earl and Shepherd as centre halves, a failed left back and a non-league player. We won’t even have a decent partnership when Roberts or MdG return after injury. We were already 2 centre halves short BEFORE Roberts’ injury. And given Roberts taught Shepherd everything he knows about (mis)controlling a ball, and MdG taught Earl everything he knows about being physically dominated, it’s no wonder we crumble if our elite forward unit have an off-day.

Yes, we stumbled to defeat at Wimbledon, a side just promoted from division 4. But to see their centre halves stand tall, stand in the RIGHT PLACE and simply do the simple things right, while we...we...left their players alone, stepped out to give them chances where there were none, to constantly look like an accident waiting to happen. Well, that’s us. Good job we had Cooper in goal, without him they’d have had 5, minimum. I’ve avoided mention thus far this season of XG (expected goals) but what a world where THREE times Cooper denied them clean through, as he read their attempts at rounding him and yet none counted towards XG. (XG is based purely on shots taken.)

Yet still Cooper takes some criticism for giving the ball away for their opener. I’m sorry? He kicks the ball to the HALFWAY LINE and by dint of him being the last Red to touch the ball, it’s somehow HIS fault? How about having a forward there to hold it up? Or a defensive midfielder there to prevent the easy ball coming back? It’s on the halfway line FFS and every single Barnsley player is behind the ball when they pick it up. Cooper palms away the initial one-on-one but the ball is recycled, the cross comes in and EARL is easily manoeuvred out of the way for the flick. Then SHEPHERD and WATSON stand and gawp while their player sticks a leg in between them to hook home. Awful.

‘But we had chances too’. Yes, we did. Ogbata whips in a ball from the left and McGoldrick taps it in on the back post. Only he doesn’t. The keeper gets across superbly and makes the save. (I’m sure McGoldrick doesn’t get any sleep Sat nite, wondering why he either didn’t a) put his foot through it or b) sidefoot it into the opposite corner. But at least he made the keeper make a save.) Phillips has an opportunity, apex of the 6 yard box, hesitates, and pulls it back to no-one. On the opposite side, DKD turns down similar, but only an amazing fingertip from the keeper prevents a tap-in for whoever’s coming in on the back stick from DKD’s pass. Then there’s McG’s slow-mo acrobatic attempt coming off the post and somehow cannoning across the goal and BEHIND standing defenders.

But we deserved nowt and we achieved it with 20 mins left as a harmless throughball sees Shepherd stepping out and leaving himself in no-man’s land. A Womble turns and drills it in off the far post. Great finish. That’s how it’s done.

In response, after 70 odd minutes of Reds fans losing patience with our players for not shooting, Connell finally hits a 20 yarder past the post. But rather than the onslaught, that’s it, aaside from McG’s volley. He’s off, Kelly’s off, Ogbata’s off, Connell’s off...and no-one who comes on improves the situation, Cleary being particularly disappointing after his 2 other efforts on the wing.

A bad day at the office? The inevitable happening? Listen, we looked great for the opening 15-20 minutes, completely dominating possession and the match in their half, but once we conceded, Wimbledon never looked back. Cooper saved a one-on-one (an actual shot) and tipped another shot over, while another clean-through saw their player drag it wide in surprise (surprise that our central defence had let an innocuous ball get to him).

Onwards and upwards!

*** Cooper. Did I read he got 19 clean sheets at Stevenage last season? STEVENAGE. He’ll be lucky if he gets half a dozen with us.
** Ogbata. Looked dangerous on the attack and solid in defence.
* Kelly. A couple of great runs through the midfield. Needs to learn how to shoot though.

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Cooper 2. Ogbeta 3. McGoldrick

Despatches:
The positives: Well, I didn’t have to hear anyone say ‘we woulda lost this game last season’. And the pre and post match were great, on Reedy’s pubcrawls of the markets of Tooting Broadway. And all those food choices! If I miss one thing about London, it’s the international culinary choice. (Do Reform voters eat ‘foreign’? Just wondering.)

Big thanks also to the Future Mayor of Chesham for putting Reedy and I up. Or for putting up with Reedy and I. One of us is very sorry we took your dog for a walk and let it roll around in fox s***. The other one of us thought it was very funny.

Drink du jour: Wild Lands hazy pale and Keller Pils pre and post match at We Brought Beer, with some other hazy pale at Tooting Craft pre and post match in Tooting Market. Highly recommended.

Away: 1,206, sellout. (8,361)

The Damage:
£27 ent
£67.50 train
= £94.50

AFC Wimbledon 1-4 BFC, Saturday 19th January 2019

‘S*** stand, give us a song’

Welcome to ....

Who wasn’t excited today?  A first (last?) visit to Wimbledon’s Kingsmeadow stadium and the latest away match buying frenzy from the Oakwell faithful. I think folk needed 10 away match vouchers to qualify in the initial tranche and the 700 or so tickets were soon snapped up.  Fortunately, by hook or by crook, the Londontykes were out in force, along with the S.H.I.T.S. (South Hampshire Independent Tyke Supporters), most of whom met early doors at the Albion pub in Kingston.  Despite efforts to the contrary from Google Maps, I got there.  But at least I managed to take in the full glory of Kingston, all quaint mansion houses and mock Tudor.  Or b) concrete and a swirl of main roads.  I thought Kingston was meant to be NICE?  Makes Peckham look salubrious.

Top boozer.

The ground was a 15 minute walk away and at least we had a leader in us this time, Chris’s Fulham supporting mate.  Come to see a decent team?  Anyway, a walk past the tower blocks of Kingston / Norbiton (I was told).  Felt more Millwall than Wimbledon.  Then to the ground, and let’s be honest, about as non-league as you can get.  Once the home of Kingstonian, you can’t accuse Wimbledon of hypocrisy, kicking out the former owners to make a bit of cash out of Chelsea.  There’s a piece of me with just that little bit less sympathy for Wimbledon’s ‘issues’ over the years.  (It must be 20 years since we beat the Wombles 1-0 at Selhurst Park – Mike Sheron!!! – and their fans turned their backs on the pitch in protest at the possibility of their owners selling up and moving the club out of London.)

Prepare yourselves...

Oh yes, that non-league stadium of theirs.  Once through the turnstiles, one small entrance onto the terrace, and, needing to pee, I wasn’t allowed to join my mates, as ‘the stand is full’.  To be fair, I wondered why the area of terrace near the corner flag was partitioned off  - it was an overspill area for late arrivals to stand in.  Anton and I got our flags up on some metal fencing and then settled by the corner flag.  Christ, it’s a long way to that far end, but I did see some blond fella half volley us into the lead 20 or so mins in.  Great finish.  Looked like Ben Williams, but can’t be him – left back on the right hand hand side? McGeehan?  Dunno.  Problies Cauley, cos we know he can hit a ball (EFL League One Goal of the Month for December, btw). It was Cauley.

The view from the corner.  That's the teams lining up.  Over there.

We are cruising, albeit Pinnock’s made 3 big clearing headers, as well as being on the cover a couple of times.  From one of the latter, he fouls and is rightly carded.  We are further punished when the inswinger comes in and is flicked into the net.  So easy. Either side of the goal, their keeper makes 4 outstanding saves.  Davies joins in too, tipping one over, before the Wombles nearly hit the jackpot on the stroke of half-time.  Somehow, somehow, their bloke drags it wide from about 3 yards, with Davies diving the wrong way.  I’ve still no idea how it didn’t go in.  There’s a reason they’re bottom of the league.  (Mind, despite their predicament, we are the 1^st side to hit 4 against them this season.)

Davies readies himself for action.

At half time I fought my way against the traffic to get into the stand with the others.  What a view.  I couldn’t see any of the near touchline, stripping about 10 yards off the pitch.  ‘Worst view I’ve ever had’ said one of the oldies (older than me, anyway).  All around, all I could hear was moaning.  I thought that was MY job?  You’d have thought we were getting hammered.  6 mins into the second half and their tune changed, as Mowatt, wide right, cut back onto his only foot and curled in a ball for Moore to head home.  The kind of cross, and kind of goal, we should be scoring every week with Kiefer up front. 

How to describe the away terrace?  Cosy.

Thereafter, we took the game by the boll*cks and steamrollered ‘em.  A ball ran loose on the left and Thiam rifled home yet another.  He looks a worldbeater when he doesn’t have to think about it.  Then we thought we scored a 4^th, when, in a goalmouth scramble, the ball seems to hit the net.  No goal.  The consensus is it must have been a hand which moved the net. I’ve since watched a replay of it 10 times and I think the ball AND a hand hits the net.  Good job we’re so far down the leagues we don’t have a goal decision system!  (We do: it’s called a ref and linesman.)

'I've got a shed....as big as this.'

Luckily, it makes no odds.  McGeehan (back home whence he came) strokes the ball in after Thiam’s cross is half-cleared.  The former is making a habit of this, casually strolling into the box at exactly the right time (as opposed to steaming in and hoping for the best).  I really like him.  4-1 to the Super Reds, a 20+ pass move amid chants of ‘It’s just like watching Brazil’…and a return to the good old (recent) days with a few rounds of ‘Adam Hammill is a red’. He’s only gone and equalised on his debut against Sunderland.  I knew he could make a difference for us this season!

Onwards and upwards!

*** McGeehan.  Flits about midfield with his mate Mowatt, running the show. 

** Pinnock.  Another imperious effort, though not needed for the 2^nd half.

* Mowatt.  Another goal created, another confident performance.

Londontykes' MOTM: 1. McGeehan  2. Mowatt  3. Thiam

Note nets over stand (for Thiam?)

Despatches:

I knew we’d win when I got into the ground and they were playing ‘The boys are back in town’.  I used to enjoy it at Oakwell hearing that at full-time.  You knew we’d won.  Why don’t we play it anymore? It’s the one change I’d make at Oakwell, now we have working hand dryers.
Davies caught and kicked well and made A save.  Williams had another promising game at left back (though booked and later taken off as a precaution).  Cavare looked comfortable, without being marauding.  I never noticed Lindsay, aside to say he was NOT giving the ball away.  I was a bit surprised to see Pinnock doing all the heading 1^st half tho.  The midfield excelled again. Brown looks a ready-made replacement for Potts (haven’t we done well?) and the ‘442 with Pottsy on the wing’ was changed to ‘Browny’.  Dougall came on for 20 minutes and shored things up, but we’d won it by then.  Nearly forgot: Thiam.  A decent attacking prospect on the left.  Appeared to beat his man with ease, scored another blistering effort…then proceeded to hit anything but the barn door.  I’ve come to the conclusion that if he scores, we should take him off straightaway.  (I know, I know, my other idea is to not play him in the 1^st place.)  Cauley got himself taken off just before half-time.  Worrying when you can’t even make it to the break…hopefully it’s not serious.  Great finish for his goal.  Kiefer?  An enigma today.  I thought it was one of the worst games I’ve seen him play.  Control suspect, vision non-existent (missing a chance to play someone in by holding it too long).  Good job he scored.  Taken off soon after his inability to pass the ball, Stendal was apparently seething.

'Ohhhh Michael Van Gerwen'

Drink du jour: East London brewed wheat beer (I forget the make).  Tasted like a cross between normal normal lager and wheat beer, ie, not as nice as the stuff Johnny Foreigner brews.  And talking of Johnny Foreigner, howthehell did I end up in a conversation pre-match with a Barnsley Brexiteer.  You don’t know how much I had to bite my lip…

Away: 700 and some (capacity).  About 74 seated.  How the f*** can a league team offer 70 odd seats to visitors???

The Damage:
£17 ent
£3 prog
= £20…and whatever a day travelcard amounts to from zones 2-6.

The Tunes:
30 Something (Carter USM)
Music for the Jilted Generation (The Prodigy)
Ou est la maison du fromage? (John Cooper Clarke)

ps, it would have been my mum’s birthday on Friday.  She’d have been 65 and been able to call herself a pensioner.  Enjoy life while you can.

Kingsmeadow panorama

Match action

Later arrivals bag the best perch.  Well done Courthouse Reds!

Watching them...watching us...watch the action.

A disappointed Cauley leaves early.

Necks craned for a slightly less s*** view.

Big Brother is watching US.