This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

[Mr Beast]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

David Agnew wrote:
The game was not the five-goal thriller that it might suggest. We needed an early goal to settle our nerves. We gave Blackpool one instead. Great finish by Sears for the first, great opportunism for the second. We didn't exactly create many chances from there, apart from Christophe Berra almost scoring an agonising own goal. Still, we made it as hard as we always do by gifting their terrible number 40 a equaliser, only for Berra to net a late winner. We deserved it - just - but that's more because of how poor Bournemouth are.

The concerning thing is we just don't create many chances. We don't tend to miss, when we get a chance, but we're not going to face anyone as weak as Blackpool again this season.

I was impressed with Sears and although Mings has a few rough edges he is a superb athlete and has great potential.

What I didn't like to see were the McCarthy trademarks of helping the ball on and playing for lineouts near the opposition line. Route one not as an occasional weapon but as Plan A, B & C. Defensively set up without being able to defend. As you say, lucky that Blackpool were so poor.

And just how pitiful was Jamie O'Hara? It has been a couple of years since I've seen him play. Looks like he spent most of it eating.

[Fussbudget]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

Gangster Octopus wrote: Incidentally, my decision not to travel to Middlesbrough is looking to be an excellent one...

Indeed. There is no easy way to say this, but having now seen Rotherham home and away I think they are the poorest side we've played all season, except possibly for Millwall. They quite literally couldn't string three passes together. Although funnily enough the only other team that I thought were as much of a shambles were Wednesday, and they ended up doing the double over us.

You missed a good bit of panto at the end though when we got a penalty in injury time, and Kike threw a stroppy fit because Bamford wouldn't let him take it. When Bamford (our top scorer and designated penalty taker) stepped up to take it, a most vocal section of knuckleheads in the North stand decided to 1/ pointedly sing Kike's name throughout and 2/ boo Bamford when his kick was saved. With friends like these etc.

[imp]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

FSK B***** Reserves 0 SV S************ Reserves 2

Not sure what league this was in, but think about as low as you can go. The host club very kindly had bottles of water, apple juice and Coke laid out in the ref's changing room (needed them after a 9km bike ride to the ground), and an order was taken for my choice of post-game Wurst. Old plastic pitch, like those awful 80s Astroturf surfaces, though at this level it helps them play better football.

The home team's trainer was a fellow ref I'd coincidentally been working with at a youth tournament the day before. "They're not very fit," he explained apologetically of his team-mates. They weren't very good either - the closest they got to scoring was a back-header from an opposition defender spectacularly palmed over by the aging away keeper. Saw one of their lads at the break preparing for the second half by chuffing on a cigarette. By the end of the game play was well spread.

Two very nicely worked goals for the away team. Six yellow cards - four for the home team (two of those could have been reds, but I was lenient considering the game 'temperature' wasn't too high), two for the away team. The home team protested most of theirs, as that's the kind of team they were. The travelling lads all told me "well whistled" and shook my hand, the home team walked off and ignored me. But I still got my Wurst.

After the 'did it cross the line' debate in my first game two weeks ago, I decided to stand on the end-line for corner kicks. One of the players on a team warming up for the next game said to his team-mates, "Look at this ref, he thinks he's in the Bundesliga'. Cheeky twat.

[David Agnew]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

Mr Beast wrote:

The game was not the five-goal thriller that it might suggest. We needed an early goal to settle our nerves. We gave Blackpool one instead. Great finish by Sears for the first, great opportunism for the second. We didn't exactly create many chances from there, apart from Christophe Berra almost scoring an agonising own goal. Still, we made it as hard as we always do by gifting their terrible number 40 a equaliser, only for Berra to net a late winner. We deserved it - just - but that's more because of how poor Bournemouth are.

The concerning thing is we just don't create many chances. We don't tend to miss, when we get a chance, but we're not going to face anyone as weak as Blackpool again this season.

I was impressed with Sears and although Mings has a few rough edges he is a superb athlete and has great potential.

What I didn't like to see were the McCarthy trademarks of helping the ball on and playing for lineouts near the opposition line. Route one not as an occasional weapon but as Plan A, B & C. Defensively set up without being able to defend. As you say, lucky that Blackpool were so poor.

And just how pitiful was Jamie O'Hara? It has been a couple of years since I've seen him play. Looks like he spent most of it eating.

I heard someone say over the weekend that Darren Bent was a canny signing for Derby. They're reputedly paying £20k a week in wages for him. Sears cost us £100k.

I hate McCarthy's style of play. The problem with winning ugly, is that when you don't win (which was been more often than not in 2015), it's still ugly. It's the first time I've seen the suggestion that McCarthy has a Plan C, mind. We usually defend better than that though. It was easily Berra's worst game in a Town shirt (SkyBet bizarrely named him man of the match), and Mings took a long time to get going.

I didn't hear the Blackpool line-up, so had no idea that Jamie O'Hara was playing. Has it only been three years since the Spurs fans in the media were calling him the next big thing?

[Mr Beast]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

The Bobby Robson Ipswich team really should have won far more. I wish they had now, though I'd probably have hated it at the time.

In fact the John Lyall, George Burley and Joe Royle teams were good to watch, particularly in comparison to this McCarthy horror.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

Harry Truscott wrote: I do hope this is but a trailer for a fuller report?

Ok, seeing as that mad woman appears to have gone, I'll oblige.

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA DIVISION ONE EAST
Budleigh Salterton 1 v Tavistock 4

Usual move down to Exeter on 1C04. A +35 onto the local train to Starcross meant we could scoop the Majestic and the Great Western, both GBG but dud. At Starcross, walked back to the new footbridge over the railway for some phots of trains on the sea wall. Back along the canal towpath to Turf Locks for the ferry over to Topsham. Both the GBGs in Topsham are dud, but how can you not vsist the Bridge Inn, 9 local ales, all on gravity. Only disappointed to find that they have cucumb to the spring beer fad, green ales in grenades doesn’t look right.



Train on to Exmouth, for a quick scoop at the Powder Monkey which was a GBG tick, but a Wetherspoons, so a fairly pyrrhic tick. Bus on to Budleigh for the main event.



Three pound entry including programme. Large social club which set the standard in honours boards.



Without doubt, one of the most scenic settings for a football ground, with the rolling East Devon hills in the background.



I was again accompanied by the twice sectioned companion from Cardiff, who managed to take the home end with the minimum of fuss. Interestingly, the attendances for the last eight games were listed as 48, 45, 46, 42, 44, 44, 46 and 48, which kind of suggests that they have given up counting.



The social club was deserted but had Soccer Saturday on all the TVs. The only other inhabitant requested to watch the Grand National but was made to watch it on the 14 inch TV that until then, was showing the CCTV for the entrance buzzer.



Game finished 1 v 4 to Tavistock. Budleigh on top for most of the game but didn’t take their chances and were sloppy in defence. A decent game though.

Afterwards, buses on to Budleigh to clear the Salterton Arms, East Budleigh for Walter Raleigh, Newton Poppleford for the Cannon, and Sidmouth for the Swan.

On the Bus back into Exeter, there was a stunning sunset over the city, which I captured with the usual results.



The earlier visit to Topsham meant a stop off at the recommended Country Cheeses for a whole Little Stinky, Hill Farm Stawley, and Ticklemore Beenleigh Blue. These were enjoyed on the train back home, with a somewhat prolonged stop at Bristol due to someone on a mad acid trip ripping the pipework out of the toilet as they though they were drowning.



I would give today a B-.

[Third rate Leszno]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote:
.... with a somewhat prolonged stop at Bristol due to someone on a mad acid trip ripping the pipework out of the toilet as they though they were drowning.

I feel I have to ask - was it your travelling companion?

[Ray de Galles]

This will be the last Stone - weekend matchgoing

Just as we all get the hang of "guide pubs" BB&F! switches to the GBG description to fox us.