Vale of Tears - Matchgoing 15th to 21st March

[Patrick Thistle]

Tbf, what they have done as Cardiff Met has been pretty impressive. They have found a model that works well enough for them to be top 6.

They clearly don't want to be a club for Cardiff generally though. Although they have consented to having more than one portaloo for spectators and even have a tea cabin now.

[Uros Predic]

Being a franchise and the product of a merger are not mutually exclusive, in this case it just means two clubs were killed off to create an artificial one.

Very much this.

I think we're all in agreement that the notion of a franchise club (in the British football sense) is a club that's been plucked from its traditional home and moved somewhere else entirely for purposes that are not aligned to the interests of that club's traditional support. So whilst TNS might not be in that bracket for the people of Oswestry who supported Oswestry Town at the point of their merger, they are very much this for the people of Llansantffraid who lost their village football team and had to form a brand new one.

[Uros Predic]

Cymru 4 Suomi 1
European Championship Qualification Play-Off Semi-Final
Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd

Only halfway but what a surprisingly comfortable win which could have been even more so had we not switched off for the Finnish goal and failed to take a host more chances. Those failings may be far more ruthlessly exploited by Poland but I think everyone involved knows we have to tighten up for Tuesday.

Important goals for Dan James' and Brennan Johnson's confidence and gorgeous finishes for Brooks and Neco. Jordan James was clear Seren y Gem though and Joe Rodon and Harry Wilson were the next most obvious contenders.

No huge celebrations at the end because the really hard work is still to come.

My first reading of this had me shocked that you'd had the confidence to post about a comfortable win at half-time, but then I got what you meant.

I'd echo Ray's judgement on this, although the one thing I'd add from post match chats is that we move the ball much quicker among the forward five without Aaron Ramsey, so it's probably a blessing he's not been fully fit and thus we've not tried to crowbar him into the line-up. Only downside of the match was Cardiff City Stadium's take on a Vegan Sausage roll, which was so burnt my at the ends my mate thought I'd bought a pain au chocolate. Obviously this has now become a 'lucky' vegan sausage roll, and I'll be compelled to have another of these God awful things on Tuesday night.

A few more joyous photos from the game here.

[Capybara]

Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn Rovers
League Division Two
Att: 24213

Whenever John Eustace is in any way involved in a Boro game someone (usually me) points out that his entire Middlesbrough playing career lasted just three minutes during which time he managed to earn a yellow card. His latest return to the Riverside, where he never played a game (his moment came at Anfield live on dinnertime telly during his loan spell with Boro back in 2003), was as Blackburn’s new manager, and he went home with a decent point. This was my third nilnil in four games but it wasn’t a bad contest. Both sides created a few chances, both ‘keepers made good saves and Boro could have snatched it right at the end when a shot from Isaiah Jones hit the bar with the rebound attracting an air shot from Sammy Silvera.

[Capybara]

Garforth Town 4-0 Pickering Town
Northern Counties East League, Premier Division
Att: 178

Having seen three 0-0s in four games I was concerned to see that Garforth had scored eight in their previous game making a dull no score draw almost a certainty. But I needn’t have worried because the home team continued their free scoring and ended up easy winners. Garforth’s ground stands on the edge of the town and is functional. It has hard flat standing all round with a small shelter at one end. A stand straddles the hallway line and has a few rows of terracing at the front while the seating behind offers a good view of the game. Garforth took the lead after 18 minutes when a long clearance from their own penalty area keeper found their number 11 who was simply too fast for the Pickering defender and was able get in and slide the ball past the ‘keeper. The second goal came from the same player when a clearance from the Pickering goalkeeper was headed back from the halfway line and, once again, he was able to outsprint the defence. Number three arose in similar circumstances but this time it was the number 9 who tore away and was brought down by the goalkeeper for a penalty which was duly dispatched. Garforth completed the scoring after 76 minutes with a pass inside for a tap-in.

[cantagalo]

Hucknall Town 1 Belper United 1
UCL Premier North
Att: 248

Twenty years or so ago, Hucknall Town were FA Trophy finalists and were denied promotion to the Conference on ground grading rules. A few years later their long slide down the leagues started. But last season they moved into their new ground and won promotion to the ninth tier so things were at last looking up. However, they have found it difficult this season and they are currently locked in a desperate battle with Pinchbeck United to avoid the single relegation place. They really should be doing better as they have the largest average attendance in the division but the season has been marked by instability. Since I last saw them late last year, there has been a new manager and a large turnover of players.

Against mid-table Belper they really needed a win but the point edges them above Pinchbeck on goal difference. They took the lead just after half-time while I was still walking back to my seat but the visitors soon equalised. Hucknall gave a better performance than when I last saw them but a draw was probably a fair result.

So with just three games left it's all still to play for. Next up on Saturday, it's........Pinchbeck United away.

[Ray de Galles]

Wrong week's thread I think cantagalo

[cantagalo]

Wrong week's thread I think cantagalo

Ah, so it is.

Can I blame Capybara ?

[Ray de Galles]

I hadn't spotted that, you certainly can.

[The Mighty Trin]

Sort it out, lads. And can someone with more imagination than me create an Easter thread?

[Capybara]

Hang on. What have I done?

[The Mighty Trin]

Capybara I dunno, but I found out at 4pm that my boss is being forced out. Happy bloody Easter!

[Ray de Galles]

Hang on. What have I done?

Posted this week's games in last week's threads meaning cantaglo followed you in doing so, according to him.

[Ray de Galles]

Capybara I dunno, but I found out at 4pm that my boss is being forced out. Happy bloody Easter!

He'll rise again on Sunday...or perhaps 4pm on Saturday given the timing of his demise.

[Capybara]

Posted this week's games in last week's threads meaning cantaglo followed you in doing so, according to him.

But. I posted last week's games in last week's thread.

[Ray de Galles]

But. I posted last week's games in last week's thread.

Take it up with cantagalo mate, he's the one making the accusation. I'm really confused now.

[Gangster Octopus]

It always takes me a few minutes to work out which one is cantagalo and which one is Capybara. Usually the matches being described help, but not always.