WvW - Matchgoing 7th - 13th October

[RobW]

Manchester City 4 v 0 Southampton

PXL_20221008_135700395.MP.jpg PXL_20221008_135645279.jpg

First visit to the Etihad, right in the gods of the Colin Bell stand adjacent to a cameraman and amongst the young families and tourists. Southampton might have been behind after 70 seconds and Haaland hit the inside of the post before Cancelo put them ahead with a nice run and finish. Foden doubled the lead with a neat clip over the keeper after Saints gave the ball away in their own half. The movement of Haaland, KDB, Foden and Cancelo is something to behold.
Southampton managed a shot on goal on the stroke of half time from distance, and soon found themselves 3-0 after the break with Mahrez volleying in. Haaland had his chances and tucked away the fourth after fine work by Cancelo again, after which the game petered out a little. Southampton had a bit more possession as Guardiola made changes, and there was ironic applause when the forced a corner. City weren't at their best nor had to be but I was delighted to have been here and not at Sincil Bank where Lincoln and Charlton managed two shots on target between them.

Also, nice to see Moonchester the Alien still going.

[cantagalo]

Staplehurst Monarchs 1-0 Rochester United (Southern Counties East League Division One)
Bearsted 2-1 Fisher (Southern Counties East League Premier Division)
Larkfield & New Hythe 2-1 Greenways (Southern Counties East League Division One)

Second game of the day at Bearsted was much better, with bottom of the table Fisher playing much better than their position at the bottom of the table would suggest. The home side were the better team, but the visitors were let down by poor finishing. Bearsted's ground is quite difficult to find, down some back roads near Maidstone and then down an incredibly bumpy driveway. On a sunny day it's a pleasant place to watch football, with lots of autumnal trees around. The facilities feel fairly substantial, although all the buildings are portakabins. The cafe has a wide selection, including a huge variety of sweets.

On my visit to Bearsted I was relieved and surprised that my car's tyres survived contact with that driveway. Nice ground though, certainly the best of the three you visited today.

[cantagalo]

Newcastle 5 Brentford 1
Premier League

Not the best of days. Shocking defending for all five goals.

I did though have a nice walk down by the river.

[Capybara]

Millwall 2-0 Middlesbrough
Football League Division Two

Away fans rely, for a large part, on reaching Millwall’s ground via South Bermondsey railway station but there was a rail strike on. Much of the pre-game speculation rested on how the local plod would deal with matters. The choreography here is well-known; after the game, away fans are imprisoned in the area behind the stand (not actually in the stand where you could sit down but behind it where you stand open to whatever elements are thrown at you) getting increasingly pissed off until the police deem it ‘safe’ to let you out. Last season it was nearly an hour. Sometimes fans get a warning that they can leave before 75 minutes to avoid the kettling. In 2018, Middlesbrough were playing terribly and losing 2-0 so many fans grasped the opportunity. Boro got two late goals to win an unexpected point. Early indications from the club and local police were that this time we would be ‘escorted’ to Bermondsey or Canada Water tube stations for us to continue our journey. Because everyone wants to head north, don’t they, and absolutely zero Boro supporters live in New Cross or elsewhere in south London, do they?

We’ve also lost our manager since last Saturday with the popular Leo Percovich installed as caretaker. The Uruguayan ex-‘keeper arrived in Middlesbrough as part of Aitor Karanka’s coaching team in 2014. Following Karanka’s departure after relegation in 2017, Percovich went back to South America where he was later involved in a car accident in which two of his children tragically lost their lives. When Jonathan Woodgate became manager in 2019, he brought Percovich back as his assistant and he's been with Boro ever since despite Colin and then Chris Wilder bringing in their own coaching mates. The rumour is that Leo has a job at Boro as long as he wants it.

So, I wrote all that before I left home. Boro were terrible. They conceded a free-kick after five minutes while they were still bothering about a ball that looked like it might have gone over the touchline but wasn’t given. The kick took a huge deflection and went past the ‘keeper at the far post. Middlesbrough’s first shot on target came after five substitutions and 85 minutes with a shot from Matthew Hoppe but Millwall were comfortable at 2-0 following an unmarked tap-in at the start of the second half.

As for egress, there were no announcements. Some waited by the gate to the path that leads up to the railway station but instead supporters were being asked to exit by the side of the coaches and were then pointed in the direction of the underground station(s). I simply turned in the opposite direction back through the Millwall fans and caught a ‘bus back up the Old Kent Road. And at the time when we were being released from the New Den last season, I was already sitting in my local pub. If nothing else comes out of yesterday, let’s hope that by next season they have realised that there are better ways of dispersing people after the game. But Boro might not be in the same division to find out. Att: 15638

[My Name Is Ian]

Shoreham 8 (EIGHT)-2 Billingshurst
Southern Combination Football League Division One

If you want an idea of how much I had to drink yesterday afternoon, I went to bed last night thinking that the final score in this match had been 7-2 rather than 8-2. Still, no harm done this morning.

There was a double whammy of no trains running and roadworks on the coast road yesterday, so even what should have been fifteen minutes on the bus turned into 45, though I did leave early enough to get to Shoreham for about an hour before kick-off. I had a bit of a mooch around the shops before wandering up to the ground to meet my mate about fifteen minutes before kick off.

The final score wasn't really a reflection on how the game went. It was 3-1 at half-time, but Billingshurst went to bits over the last ten or fifteen minutes, as teams have a tendency to do at this sort of level when things aren't going their way.

The referee was a woman who I've seen at this level before. She's very, very good and I'd expect to see her again at a higher level. As per the previous times I've seen her, the reaction of the players to her is very different to when the referee is a guy. There's much less backchat and complaining. It really makes for a much better atmosphere on the pitch, which feeds into a better atmosphere off it, too.

I was interested to note that, as per the attached photo, they've built a wonky little extension on the cover behind one of the goals. In another distinctly non league moment, at one point in the second half someone standing near us dropped their mobile phone over the barrier and it landed quite close to the pitch. It took about six of us shouting to get the linesman over to give it back to him.

The crowd was probably somewhere between 100 and 150. A good afternoon was had by all (apart from Billingshurst and their two supporters up behind the ends that their team was attacking).

PXL_20221008_151018574.jpg

[Via Newbury Park]

Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Southend United
National League
Att: 3542 (1100 away according to the D&R twitter but that seems too precise a figure)

Arrived stupidly early as Citymapper’s estimate of my route was around 40 minutes longer than it actually took, in time to see police horses parading down Victoria Road. For a lack of anything else to do I headed to the clubhouse, where the door staff were being warned not to let in anyone they didn’t recognise; inside Daggers and Southend supporters were quietly drinking pints, so I’m not sure what they were expecting. Can’t remember the last time I had a pint before midday, although they seem to have discontinued the token ale in the three years or so since my last visit.

The last time Dagenham were involved in a game with less than five goals was at the end of August. Belatedly, someone has hit upon the crazy idea that one way of stopping the opposition from scoring might be to pick more defenders, and it nearly worked here. Daggers were 1-0 up after a Southend defender who hadn’t been concentrating when they were watching the videos decided it would be a good idea to show Junior Morais on to his right foot in front of goal, and should have been two but for Morais and McCallum, 11 goals between them this season, contriving to completely mess up a 2 v 1. Southend came back into it in the second half but still didn’t look particularly threatening, Daggers looking organised and not panicking at the back for the first time in an age, until a routine clearance was shanked across the area and with the defence out of shape Howe was able to tap-in a cross at the near post.

I’d planned to take advantage of the early kick-off to get in some taproom visits, but after getting stuck in a signal failure on the District Line for ages I thought better of it. (At the same time my partner was on a bus from St Albans which was held for ages at South Mimms due to someone defecating and it getting trod everywhere, so I can’t really complain about travel woes.) As far as I can tell, the only action the police horses saw was being fussed over by various family groups.

[NickSTFU]

It's always a pleasure to beat that lot from Buckinghamshire.

I have a greater pleasure informing everyone they looked utter shite, so hopefully, they'll go down and go down again, and fuck off to oblivion.

[Simon G]

Ambassador Evesham Football League
Under 12 - Group C
Tewkesbury Town Colts 4-5 Tewkesbury Town Pumas

This game was horrific in every single way. My team (Pumas) started slow and struggled to get a foothold in the game, as such we found ourselves a goal down on 10 mins when our keeper basically dived over a shot. A few subs were made (we play rolling subs) and then found ourselves 2-0 a few minutes later - our keeper again failing to hold a tame shot.. The game was turning into a disaster, but we got a break about 2 minutes later when our forward burst into the box, only to be taken down from behind. He got up and dispatched the penalty through the keeper's legs to make it 2-1.

We thought this might turn the game in our favour, but instead the Colts went 3-1 up when our cdm completely miskicked the ball into the path of the Colts best player who finished sweetly. This was all in the first 20 mins and we just hadn't got going. The last 10 mins of the half though we finally got a foothold when our number 16 attacked down the right, then from the corner of the box wellied one in to make it 3-2. About 3 or 4 mins later, our number 9 followed up on a rebound to make it 3-3 and then right on half-time, broke the offside trap (though some say he was a foot or so offside) ran into the area, looked to go too far before scoring from an impossible angle to put us 4-3 up at half-time. He admitted the ball was a mishit pass across the goal, but we didn't care.

The second half was tense, but we played so much better and seemed in control. With about 5 mins to go they broke free and struck high, our keeper managed to push the ball into the air, but it looked like it may drop into the goal. Instead, it hit the bar and fell to one of their players about 3 yards out. Somehow, and I still can't be certain how, my son managed to block two shots from the lad before tackling him and clearing it. From said clearance we broke away, the ball was played into the middle and found it's way to our number 8 who calmly placed the ball into the net to finally give us a cushion. Annoyingly, we conceded a goal on the final whistle, but we managed to get a win despite a disastrous first third of the game.

And that was just on the pitch - the arguments among the coaches (and I wasn't innocent, I ashamedly admit) were exhausting. From their linesman having a go at the ref for giving the penalty - even though it was one of the most clearcut you will have seen, to one of their coaches having a go at my forward because he was constantly appealing for fouls, to me losing my shit at an awful offside decision (I can take close decisions, but when our player has to overtake the defender to get to the ball then give me a break). Afterwards, I apologised to the linesman - I wasn't abusive towards him, but my shouting was unwarranted. I'm just glad we came through it.

A week off next week, and I think all of us - coaches, players and parents - need it.

[Artificial Hipster]

Northwich Vixens 2-2 Fleetwood Town Wrens (aet Fleetwood won 3-0 on pens)
NW Regional Cup

A perfect day for cycling (and marathon running) but I decided that this one looked a better game on paper than Swinton's (they won 9-1) so I elected to eschew the pleasure of a jaunt through Salford for the longer trip to the Park Stadium, home of Cheshire League side Lostock Gralam and one of the oldest grounds in Cheshire.

It's an appealing spot to watch football - accessed through a pub car park it's tree-lined with occasional glimpses of the town's chemical works in the distance and is dotted with raised grass mounds, each topped with a pair of wooden benches, and with a single small breeze block stand - but the word stadium here is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting.

As for the game, Fleetwood, from the league above Northwich were for the most part younger and also looked fitter across the park than their hosts but it was the Vixens who dominated the early stages and who took the lead when a neat turn and pass from the left led to a soft shot which the keeper let slip beneath her body.

Matters began to turn in the visitors' favour around the half hour mark with the introduction of the game's dominant figure who, in the absence of a numbered teamsheet even on Twitter, I'll have to call no.9. She made it perfectly clear to her bench that she hadn't been happy to start the match there and when she wasn't openly slagging off her teammates spent the rest of the afternoon chunnering away to herself, but her presence lifted Fleetwood's performance such that 2 quick goals turned the game on it's head before half time.

I fully expected them to take control from there but within a minute of the restart the scores were level again and again it was following good work down the left and a mistake by the keeper - this time a weak flap at a cross. Thankfully for her she would be able to redeem herself in the shoot out. It didn't seem likely that almost a whole half of entertaining and often quite feisty football and 30 minute's extra time on top of that would yield no further goals but such was the case.

The 2 keepers walked down to the pub end of the ground together. Northwich's took her place between the sticks, Fleetwood's took the ball from the referee, placed it on the spot and calmly slotted it home. She then saved the first kick she faced and watched on as 2 of her team mates matched her own contribution while 2 from the home side blasted wide.

Having been subbed off 5 minutes before the end no.9 didn't even bother to join her teammates on the halfway line to watch the shoot out. She more than played her part today but with an attitude like that it's hard to imagine her staying with Fleetwood - or any other club for that matter - for long.

[Uros Predic]

Welsh Cup 2nd round
Y Felinehli 1-4 Conwy Borough

A good cup tie between third tier and second tier that was a much better contest than the scoreline suggests. It also brought top level referees to Cai Seilo, mic'd up and everything.

Y Felinheli were at fuller strength than they have been the two previous times I've seen them this season and going up the sizeable slope they had the better of the first half. However they still trailed at the break; Borough (in unfamiliar light blue) went 1-0 up inside the first five minutes, and showed that the real difference between tiers is not creating chances but taking them; whilst the majority of the first 45 was played in Conwy's half, the visitors doubled their lead before Felin grabbed a goal back with a well taken header before the break.

Felin changed shape at half-time following a first half injury and it was to their detriment really; that and I always feel they play better up the hill here. After looking like it could go either way up to the hour mark; a free-kick to make it 1-3 on the hour stretched the game out and Conwy looked the most likely to score from there on in, which they did to wrap the game up midway through the half.

Conwy look vastly improved since I saw them struggle past 4th tier opposition in the previous round so no shame on the home side, especially as all the cup ties in the northern section went the way of league status.

[Uros Predic]

Welsh Women's Cup 1st round
Y Rhyl 1879 1-0 NFA

I picked my game well here as in a round with some very one-sided scorelines, this was probably the most closely matched game of the day, between second tier Rhyl and third tier NFA, also from Rhyl.

The visitors (if you can call a team from a few hundred yards away that) largely played the better football in the first half looking to move the ball through the lines and use the width of their impressive wingers. Rhyl on the other hand relied on a ball over the top of NFA's high backline; a bold tactic in a match with no assistant referees. It worked twice in the first half; once the NFA keeper saved well, the other time a speculative cross/shot from the corner of the box flew in for the game's only goal.

NFA hit the post in the first half, and had a few decent efforts from distance but they were all largely straight at the goalkeeper and on a big field, with a few injuries they lost momentum as players began to tire. Rhyl had some tidy players of their own on the ball, a couple who had a calmness at odds with those around them, but their one-dimensional tactic had me rooting for an equaliser that never came. The hosts hit the bar with a chance to wrap it up about 10 minutes from time, but NFA (in blue) failed to take advantage of the home side's nerves and one last chance to get the ball in the mixer saw a free-kick wastefully punted wide.

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

A double-header for me on Saturday, plus a Sunday.

Saturday Part 1: Forfar 1-3 East Fife - The visitors comfortably the better side and had the points wrapped up early in the second half. Docherty of Forfar scored a well-taken own goal, slid deftly past the keeper.

Saturday Part 2: Dundee United 4-0 Aberdeen - Jumped in the car and sped off to Dundee and made it to Tannadice in plenty time to enjoy the hosts dishing out a pasting to a woeful Aberdeen in a Saturday 6pm kick-off, something the SPFL are having a go of this year. Atmosphere was great, game enjoyable.

Sunday: Kilmarnock 2-2 Hearts. The JTs came back from 2-0 down to save a point. Not a bad game, despite poor weather. A decent enough point for Hearts in a tough run of fixtures with quite bad injury problems.

That's me up to 17/42 for this season, and bringing up number 18 on Tuesday with Elgin v Albion Rovers.

[Discordant Resonance]

Sounds like you'll complete the seasonal set with ample time to spare!

[Southport Zeb]

We thought this might turn the game in our favour, but instead the Colts went 3-1 up when our cdm completely miskicked the ball into the bath of the Colts best player who finished sweetly.

Thats quite a miskick!

My games yesterday were both in the Southernmost Counties East League Premier Division:
Rusthall 4-2 K Sports
Tunbridge Wells 1-1 Lordswood

The morning kickoff was at Rusthall, just west of Tunbridge Wells. The club play at Jockey Farm, which in some ways does live up to its name - a lot of the buildings are wooden and you could believe that they had started out as stables. The dugouts are amongst the grandest I've seen - they are fully enclosed and have the look of small conservatories. This was the best game of the weekend, with Rusthall racing into a two goal lead before K Sports got back into it - they were greatly helped on the first goal by the home defence giving acres of space. In the second half the hosts regained the momentum and sent their loud fans home happy with two good goals to win.

A short trip to the second game and Tunbridge Well's Culverden Stadium. There is a covered stand along one side and rows of terracing behind one goal, although it is not possible to go behind the other end. Apparently Bernard Bresslaw was amongst the players in the first match played here. Tunbridge Wells dominated the first half, having a lot of chances but were presumably disgusted to find themselves behind at half time, Lordswood having scored on just about their only foray upfield. It didn't take too long in the second half for the hosts to get level, before the remainder of the game saw both sides, primarily Tunbridge Wells, trying and failing to find a winner.

[Simon G]

Thats quite a miskick!

Wow - it's not even like the b and p are next to each other.

[Ray de Galles]

Wallingford & Crowmarsh 3 Oxhey Jets 1
Combined Counties Premier North
The Hithercroft

The Hithercroft is situated in a bustling sports park which is home to the local football, rugby, hockey, tennis, squash, archery, skittles and pétanque clubs. Hockey seemed to be the dominant sport when I got there as multiple games had just finished and they were packing out their own dedicated bar in the shared clubhouse. The football ground is functional but welcoming and there seemed to be a healthy crowd there.

The home team seem to have been through a constantly rotating set of colours to go along with their multiple name changes mentioned upthread and are currently in the orange and black of the Crowmarsh Youth side of their latest merger. Oxhey meanwhile were cosplaying as FC Copenhagen in an almost completely plain blue kit with Carlsberg as shirt sponsor. I have no idea how such a small club gets a relatively high profile sponsor (some local distributor, I'd guess) and am also none the wiser since seeing them a few years ago as to where the Jets suffix comes from.

The game started with a bang when the home side took the lead in the second minute after a series of ricochets on the edge of the visitors' box fell fortuitously to a forward to slot home. An equaliser came soon afterwards on eleven minutes when after a great save from The Wallys (no, really) keeper, the ball was sent back in the box and after multiple unchallenged headers it was nodded home.

The home side retook the lead in the nineteenth minute with a goal that genuinely reminded me of Carlos Alberto's in the 1970 World Cup final...but in the ninth tier. A long searching pass was sent the right side of the pitch where a winger danced past a few men and laid it off to the centre forward who held it until with perfect timing rolling it in to the path of the marauding left back to wallop home. The fact that the left back was a very heavily Welsh-accented chap called Joe Jones only made me love the goal more.

The third home goal in first half injury time both sealed the win and ensured the second half was nowhere near as entertaining as the very enjoyable first. A W&C forward was taken out by his marker in the box while jumping for a high ball and landed with a really heavy thud. The referee had initially played on but stopped the game for a potential head injury and the player received lengthy treatment. While this was happening the linesman informed the ref that the challenge was a foul in the area so he should award a penalty. When he did this the visiting players and bench went mad repeatedly screaming "You said 'Play on'!". They conveniently ignored the fact that he had obviously been given advice from the lino and harassed the young ref (who I had been thinking through the half was having a very good game) before and after the penalty was converted following him right to the dressing room.

Unfortunately this seemed to affect the ref and he was far less assured in the second half which both teams took as an excuse to take the piss and play like whinging wankers. To be honest, it got so annoying and was such a huge contrast to the first period that I lost a little interest. There seemed little threat of another goal amongst all the sly fouls, dives and complaining and I started, despite myself, focussing on Wimbledon's capitulation at Walsall.

One other incident of note on my trip was that on the way home after dropping my daughters things at her university I stopped at the always excellent Beaconsfield Services to see it as crowded as I ever have including most of the Tranmere squad in front of me in the queue at Leon (though a couple of them disgraced themselves by joining the baying mob surrounding the McDonalds outlet). I thought Baptiste here should know this, I also saw a few Didcot Town players but couldn't discern their refuelling choices.

[Baptiste]

One other incident of note on my trip was that on the way home after dropping my daughters things at her university I stopped at the always excellent Beaconsfield Services to see it as crowded as I ever have including most of the Tranmere squad in front of me in the queue at Leon (though a couple of them disgraced themselves by joining the baying mob surrounding the McDonalds outlet). I thought Baptiste here should know this, I also saw a few Didcot Town players but couldn't discern their refuelling choices

Thanks, yeah I saw a couple of photos on Twitter of the players at the services. Trying to think which two players fancied Golden Arches, Nevitt perhaps. If they keep winning maybe they can go large next time round.

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

Sounds like you'll complete the seasonal set with ample time to spare!

Let's not tempt fate!

[imp]

IMG_9137.jpg
Pre-match huddle: Kickers Offenbach 3 Astoria Walldorf 0.

[imp]

That's me up to 17/42 for this season, and bringing up number 18 on Tuesday with Elgin v Albion Rovers.

Living the dream...

[seand]

Fri: Dundalk 1-2 St Patrick's Athletic was 3rd v 4th in the battle for Euro qualification. a sickening 93rd minute winner sees Pats close the gap to 1 point with 4 games to play- Pats in good form Dundalk struggling. It was a pretty entertaining game, Dundalk probably marginally the better side without being ruthless enough. Missing 2-3 key players really doesn't help. (Att 2,900)
Sat: Balscadden 3-7 Maynooth Town (U13) fair to say defences were not on top, this one could have had any score. Still good to get back to winning ways after a couple of defeats (att 20)
Sun: Clontarf 1-6 Ballyoulster United (U15) superb performance by the 13yo's team who have found their feet nicely in a high division after some reorganisation in the summer. The 13yo on the scoresheet after about 12 seconds to set the tone. (att 40)
Thur: Shamrock Rovers v Molde, Conference thingy strange one this, with Rovers trying to hold off Derry City at the top of the table they are very much focused on the league, resting players in Europe (which is almost unheard of in Ireland), with predictable results. They've been destroyed away from home but results in Europe have been good in Tallaght. If they rotate the squad again it'll be a long night. Molde's a new tick for me!

[Ray de Galles]

Thanks, yeah I saw a couple of photos on Twitter of the players at the services. Trying to think which two players fancied Golden Arches, Nevitt perhaps. If they keep winning maybe they can go large next time round.

I feel a bizarre need to see these photos/tweets now.

[ursus arctos]

Having missed the initial context, my first thought was that they had brought McDonald's to the funeral of a club official

[Via Newbury Park]

Potters Bar Town 1-2 Canvey Island
Isthmian Premier
Att: 210

The one thing my visits to Watkins Rise have lacked so far is much by way of atmosphere. Tonight, however, there was a decent away support; around 30 Canvey supporters who made a noise throughout, just a shame that one of them had brought his drum with him. Bloke next to me was prepared for Language: “the lot on Saturday were from Essex as well (Potters Bar had lost to Heybridge in the Trophy) and they certainly knew how to swear”. The Potters Bar kids really couldn’t compete, although when I passed them at half time they had other things on their minds: “cheese *and* beans on toast? That’s just weird”. I wanted to correct them but I’m not sure it would have helped.

Anyway, 2nd v 7th, with Potters Bar able to go top with a point. Canvey, in a grey kit that my colourblind eyes had far more problems with than if they’d just worn their usual yellow, had already had a shot well saved with the rebound hitting the bar before taking the lead, with Evans Kouassi skipping past two defenders, then seemingly taking the ball too far before placing it in the opposite corner. Canvey should have been further in front by half time, hitting the post and with Kouassi running the defence ragged, but instead Potters Bar equalised with a straightforward header from a corner. After an excellent first half the second was scrappier, with Canvey’s threat much reduced after Kouassi had gone off injured, and Potters Bar carrying a threat from set pieces as the Canvey keeper began to flap at everything. The twist came in the 90th minute; Finlay Titchmarsh, a young full back who’s impressed me whenever I’ve seen him, unusually gave the ball away in midfield, Connor Hubble’s shot from distance didn’t look to have much power in it; not sure if it hit a bump or skidded off the pitch or if the keeper just misjudged it, but somehow it bobbled past him. Half the floodlights went off right after the final whistle; clearly someone was in a mood.

Another enjoyable fixture in the Isthmian, with two teams who could have both lumped it at their big no 9’s but didn’t and attacked throughout, with no settling for a draw at any stage.

20221011_205213.jpg

[Jobi1]

York 1 Dagenham and Redbridge 1
National League (att: 3,971, inc. 61 away fans)

One of those evenings that you think is probably the last nice one you'll experience during the year, watching an epic sunset reveal itself as I trundled across from the East to the North Riding. The Vale of York does that particularly well I'd say, biased as I may be. From the confines of the train, missing only the heady aroma of sugar production that's the olfactory imprint of my youthful autumns.

We languidly made our way out to the Legodome, giving Sainsbury's cheaper gin mix a go for a purely scientific comparison with our now usual M&S fare. The match wasn't exactly a rip-roaring affair either, though I thought we looked OK. Needless to say the Daggers took the lead from what was about their only attack of the first half, a shot lashed in from around the penalty spot after our keeper had parried out into a stupidly dangerous area as he seems wont to do.

Second half proceeded much the same, City mostly in the ascendency, and Dagenham players increasingly finding they needed to have a bit of a sit down every minute or two, which I'll be honest was getting a little tiresome. That was until new signing Nathan Thomas came on with quarter of an hour left. From what I can gather he comes with a bit of baggage (hasn't been attached to a club for over a year apparently), but bloody hell he can play – absolutely ran the Daggers ragged for 15 minutes, which seemed to enthuse everyone else and shots started peppering the visitors' goal. Finally with just 5 minutes left, one of his incisive runs resulted in the ball running free to Sam 'Colonel' Sanders in the area, and he walloped in a very well-merited equaliser. I guess on the stats we probably should have won, but if you can't get the ball into the goal more than once (Daggers' keeper barely got his gloves dirty, but still was one of several that need to have a lie down in the second half) it's really your fault if you don't.

Very exciting ride back to town on a bendy bus instead of the usual double-decker, although a visiting fan added a bit of jeopardy by telling us they used to have these buses in London but they kept breaking so they sent them all up north. Sounds about right.