NEWS
I don't think I need to write too much about Sages 2 Rebels 2, but I need to get back into the swing of things. How can we hold our own at Worthing yet decide to play for 70 minutes?
Before their goal, I would have put somebody else's house on us getting a third or even more. Smeltz and Butler were linking up so well that Slough couldn't cope with us. Suddenly, like a bolt out of the cold blue air, they scored and the confidence drained away quicker than a Lib Dem poll rating.
As I wrote this last night (and re-written again this morning), the worst thing wasn't so much losing the lead, but the knee jerkism that followed. We've somehow adopted the affliction that England fans have : one good result and success is a mere formality, and anyone who disagrees is a cunt, or worse Scottish. Lose and/or draw, and it's sack the manager/midfield/left back/tea lady.
2-0 up and we fucked up. Fine. These things happen. I hate throwing away leads but it's something that every other supporter of every other club puts up with at some given point. I've seen teams lose 2-0 advantages before, and I will see them again. If we're guilty of anything, it's the complacency (perhaps due in part to the "we're going to win the league" mentality that greets every victory) that allows these sort of results.
Are we good enough for the playoffs? Dunno. Right now, we're a "dunno" team. Beating the likes of Worthing and Fi$her then failing to win vs Folkestone and yesterday suggests we're getting it right in some areas yet not in others. Yesterday's play between SS and RB was some of the best front two work I've seen in ages. And I genuinely mean that. Yet our defence and midfield should be buying a drink for those two for the next week.
Yes, we need a midfielder who will gee up everyone else when the going gets tough. That and a backup for SS/RB are the only types of players we need right now. No, I don't think we need a massively radical approach to transfers for a while (though if Plummer and Harvey foxtrotted oscared right now I wouldn't be that upset). No, we don't need to get rid of DA* - again, he was good enough for 70 minutes yesterday. No, we shouldn't flop - a team about to win the league never does that. But then, we're not a league winning side this year. We never were, despite what beating Worthing may have us believe. And neither are any of the other sides in the division.
* - quite interesting to note that some people aren't too impressed with DA's post-match OS comments. I didn't go to the interview,and I wrote most of this article before I read his comments, but I don't think he's THAT wide of the mark. My NLP notes certainly suggest that we had a couple of chances towards the end...
Perhaps the most depressing thing about today is, I really feel a massive sense of deja vu writing the above. Perhaps it's because I watch other teams play that I don't consider it a personal slight whenever we don't win. As said plenty of times last season on here, perhaps our fans need to do that once in a while.......
Anyway...
Plus points: We didn't lose. RB and SS.
Minus points: Should have been 3 points. Everything from 2-1 onwards.
The referee's a......: He was all right, I suppose. Couldn't really think of much he did wrong. The linesman though was definitely a homer and a half. If we didn't know better we'd swear he was something like the home team's kitman, who just so happened to have a ref qualification when the real lino got injured....
Them: To be fair to them, they didn't give up. Their first goal was a screamer anyway. Nice to see away fans who look like they support their club and not just come once a season to sing MK songs towards us.
Three's a crowd: 2859 isn't bad at all. Was there some sort of club incentive for this game? Incidentally, I was aware of a couple of comments that our support wasn't exactly vocal. Certainly from the Press Box it didn't seem a cauldron of hate, more a quiet gathering place for rest and reflection. Anyone know why this is?*
* - not a rhetorical question either
Point to ponder: And something I bet every post mortem will forget to cover. We didn't actually lose, yet it feels like a loss. I'm not too sure whether that's a good thing or not.
Truth is stranger than fiction: Your editor may soon be in an upcoming Shoot feature in the programme, though I'm going to demand a far better picture than the one already taken....
Anything else? Not really. What else can you say after letting a two goal lead slip, apart from plenty of swearwords?
So, was it worth it? Cough
In a nutshell: I came back from the USA for this?
7 January 2006
It's me, isn't it? I hear all about us playing so well recently, I turn down work, hitch a lift down to Folkestone (thanx Steve) and I end up watching Michael Howard 1 Charles Kennedy 0 instead. I knew I shouldn't have broken that mirror the other week.
The one thing that grabbed me about today was frustration. By that I don't mean the kind that you get when you break both your wrists, can't move your fingers then feel you need a wank. This is a different sort - two steps forward, half a step back type of thing.
It's funny how just under a week ago, talk was of the playoffs being a mere formality. One or two exhasperated whispers that, you know, we could be champions. Just win against Folkestone, watch us fly. Watch us go. Just watch us. Er, not quite...
Actually, if I'm being honest, I don't quite know how to approach it. Until the next victory, I'm resigning myself to RP football next season. These sort of games determine whether you go up or not, and it's clear we're not there yet. I know there were quite a few "what ifs" today, like what if we'd scored within the first 20 minutes, or what if we'd got a few more decisions in our favour. Bit like those Luton/Coventry type games we always used to have.
But until we rise above that, we'll have to get used to such a journey for next season at least. I have no doubt that we'll end up beating Worthing 3-0 and everything will be all right with the world. That's the sort of thing we do. I also have no doubt that we will fuck up against Slough and Leyton. Again, it's the AFCW thing.
It wasn't that we quite deserved to lose, with a bit more accurate shooting, more alertness in defence and a little tiny slice of luck we could well have won. Granted, it wouldn't have been vintage, but I've never been one to turn down a victory for decent football. Maybe today is simply a loss? It does happen to teams sometimes. Even ours.
We're still only 3 points away from a playoff, lest we forget, and the rate this league is going, nobody is running away with it. There is still plenty to play for. Just make sure that we don't drop too many more balls.
Had enough? Good. Here's...
Plus points: Well, Rob Ursell looks promising.
Minus points: Don't ask.
The referee's a ......: If I was writing this professionally, I would say that he failed to note a couple of handballs for the away side. As I'm not, I will say that right now, he is inserting various shapes of fruit in a rather vulgar manner in front of a webcam, charging similarly minded persons $5-99 a month for the "privilege".
Them: Seemed quite a civilised lot. More like Dover than Ramsgate. Didn't think much of them TBH, which makes the loss a zillion times more frustrating. Their goalie celebrated the win like he'd won the lottery, the World Cup and a promise of a quick swallow off Cheryl Tweedy.
Point to ponder: What the hell will happen when RB leaves for Brentford/Wycombe/Aldershot? Without him today, we looked ordinary, and the signing of a third genuine striker to rival him and the Kiwi is a priority. Poor SS can't do it on his own (and why has he suddenly become good?). Peters will probably either last 3 more weeks or come good a la RB. When he got stuck in, he actually wasn't that bad. Of course, getting him to come near the ball was another matter. And there was a distinct lack of reaction when he got subbed....
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Wasn't the pitch awful? Any invading German army during either of the World Wars would have gone through the football club and met a nasty grave. (2) Speaking of the army, was it me or was there some converted army barracks/munitions type factory behind the ground? (3) The last time I went into such open air toilets down the uncovered end was at Ayresome Park. Did we really put up with such facilities back then? (4) Def Leppard's "Photograph" on the PA before kickoff. As somebody put it, the PA guy got a copy of the "Best Air Guitars" album for Xmas.
Franchise watch: Had their cup final and lost it. Sounded quite an exciting game for them, which makes their loss even more funny. Shame for them that nobody paid much attention..........
Anything else? Not really. Unless you want to hear the words "gerbil flaps" to describe the first half, and "this has ruined a decent lunch" to describe the second.
So, was it worth it? Bollocks to this, I'm going back to watch QPR. Although they're not entirely wonderful to watch either...
In a nutshell: That's all, Folkes.
And finally: In all seriousness, and as the front page says, I am out of here until about the 25th/26th. We'll probably be top by the next time I get to a game....
3 January 2006
The writeups are back. Well, almost. The exile continues until the end of the month at least, (except maybe Folkestone) but at least you now have a rather nice Staines report below, courtesy of the SW19 bureau.
And it does seem that since the Hendon debacle, we're doing rather all right. From all accounts, W&H and Staines weren't much at all. I did like the comment on a Staines website that they were the better side, because better sides lose 3-0 at home to teams below them. And I heard precious little peeping out of W&H, though most of them were probably watching Chelski v Fulham..
So, what's gone right? You can blame the St Albans and Hendon games. After St A, we were on a high, and the comedown in a piddly little tournament was so great that it seems to have bucked us up. Now people are doing something they haven't done this season - they believe
Of course, starting to find your form about Xmas is something not entirely alien to a team called Wimbledon :) If there's a good time to get motoring, it's now. Not in August, or September, but now. Well, March or April is better but by that time you could be out of contention.
A cursory look at the league table suggests all we really need is a good run of form. And from what I've seen this season, all the sides above us are do-able. Hell, I didn't think much of H&R. I certainly didn't think much of Fisher, and if we can remove the Pook voodoo, Worthing are there for the taking as well. It is, quite simply, in our hands.
Needless to say, when Folkestone beat us, expect us to go into suicidal mode, and various requests to sack DA.....
One other thing, and something that could go in Truth is the attendances for non-league yesterday. For the first time in three years, another team beat our turnout (OK, so we were away). Yup, Chelmsford got about 3k for their return home. Bet they don't get that again soon, somehow :) Elsewhere, FCUM got a staggering 4328. Christ knows what will happen if we draw them away in an FA Trophy quarter final. They'll have to move the game to Old Trafford.
In fact, no less than 13 clubs got gates of over 2k in non-league yesterday. While most of them were in the Conference, it does suggest that non-league interest is at its highest for years. Surprised? Not when you consider it costs £13 to be an away fan at Barnet and a minimum of £22 to go to Loftus Road. Something for our powers-that-be to consider when next setting ticket prices...
Anyway, enough of me. Here's some Staines for you to mop up...
REPD was on manoeuvres so it was up to the HP8 branch of SW19’s Army to report on the first match of 2006 for the Dons. And what a match Stains 0 Drains 3 turned out to be; all the good things from the Boxing Day dicking of W&H with added zest and better finishing. Our last 2 results and current league form mean that the play-offs are within reach, and talk of the title is now classed as “pretty optimistic” rather than grounds for being certified as it was a couple of months ago.
As for the game, before the initial exchanges were complete, Staines forgot to mark Urse and, as he was only 30 yards out, he casually volleyed into the far corner for a sixth minute lead. Staines pressurised for most of the rest of the half but, crucially, our defence looked solid and we had a number of chances on the break as the Butts/Smeltz combo worked their socks off. Even our corners looked threatening; Smeltz unfortunately clearing a Frankie header off their line at one stage.
The second half started in the same vein and, after the returning Plummer had made up 30 yards chasing a lost cause to get a cross in, only a defender’s arm stopped Shane making it 2-0. Once the ref had displayed the red card (only delayed a minute or two by the defenders refusal to get up off the ground ... he knew what was coming) Sarge casually slotted in a carbon-copy of his St Albans penalty. Butler then scored after chasing yet another “hopeless longball” over the top, before we seemed to settle for 3 and held out comfortably for the final whistle. The problems that Staines caused us even after they went down to 10 men suggest they aren’t as bad as the scoreline looks, so all-in-all a great result against a team who were no mugs.
Anyway, I’m sure that’s more on the game than is suitable for REPD report, so on with the good stuff ...
Plus points: 3 goals, 3 points. Looked good at the back, in the middle and up front. The bench was pretty tasty too.
Minus points: I’m struggling here ... although Plummer and Urse got knocks so I suppose that might count.
The referee's a....: Hard nut. Certainly looked it anyway; didn’t give any yellow cards (the red was unavoidable) prefering to glare at the culprit with a “do that again and I’ll nut you” look. Seemed to cut down the back chat quite well. Had a bizarre moment in the first minute when giving a corner to Staines when their winger headed past the post without a Don within 10 feet of him; but then gave the goalkick once he saw the look of bemusement on said forward’s face. Biggest problem was the glare of the floodlights from his head caused several cases of momentary blindness in the stand behind the dugouts ...
Them: Nice line in “Staines Massive” banners, but couldn’t make out more than a 100 odd of them. Had the cheek to charge £3 for a burger, but apparantly they only get a 10% cut from their franchised catering operation so doesn’t actually help them much. (BTW, thanks to a spot of ground-hopping on Saturday I can recommend the cheese in the burgers at Marlow if you ever go there; burger was crap but it was a lovely real cheddar roll once that was disposed of. Why the Hell didn’t the Ryman League play on Saturday anyway?).
Point to ponder: Has the arrival of at least one quality reserve for every position on the pitch helped raise the game of the current holders of the jerseys? Save for the Hendon Westview debacle (which I’ll happily put down as a blip in a meaningless cup) we have looked very good for the last month. Things are beginning to feel like that first season in the CCL; a gelling team (pun half intended) looking better week by week but chasing a couple of clubs with money given a head start. Hopefully having play-offs may give us the chance to get out of the premier at the first time of asking, unlike the CCL ...
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Russell Grant telling the Staines faithful “may the starry force be with you” in a message on the back of the programme. He may look like a swollen yoda but he doesn’t have the same knack with invisible powers. (2) Moke trying to deflect attention from his weirdly coloured red barnet by stating “you can’t make fun of it anymore, it’s almost brown”. Must be colourblind. Or blind. (3) DA shouting instructions to Big Butts and Frankie, at least I think it was them, in an accent not heard this side of a Rev Paisley press conference. Cue a chorus of “if you can’t talk proper, shut your mouth” from the side; I’m not sure he saw the funny side.
Anything else? Tin Tin missed the Urse wonder goal because he was busy juggling a balloon with his feet. That would have been pathetic moment of the night, but the fact that Moke missed the goal because he was watching him beat it hands down ...
So, was it worth it? Yes. With (jingle) bells on.
In a nutshell: We came, we saw, we whipped their arses.