Tin Foil Cups - weekend matchgoing thread

[Third rate Leszno]

Southport 1-1 Nuneaton Borough

The bovril situation at Haig Ave continues to deteriorate - still no pepper, and now no lids either. Had to walk really slow to avoid slopping it onto my hand. Fuming.

Southport were really poor against table-bottoming Borough. Passing was slack, crossing shit and they looked generally half a yard off the pace. They had a few chances but it wasn’t much of a surprise when Blackpool loanee Yusufi Ceesay Ceesay put the visitors in front soon after HT, but to be fair to Southport they continued to bludgeon away at it and eventually got a reward with a stoppage time equaliser.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Carlisle 3-2 Mansfield

Eventful afternoon at Brunton Park, Carlisle deservedly 2-0 up and Mansfield clearly rattled, heading towards half time. A few lively tackles from either side resulted in Mansfield's Bishop getting into an unholy (wahey) row with Danny Grainger, producing a yellow card for each on the pitch and then a second yellow (or straight red, details are sketchy) for Bishop in the tunnel at the end of the first half.

We only realised this after counting Mansfield's players at the start of the second half, with a mumbled announcement eventually coming out a few minutes into the half.

Then the real fun started - after a long spell of keeping possession and making Mansfield run around, we gave away an unnecessary free kick and managed to leave a player unmarked in the box to head in. Then scored almost immediately to make it 3-1. Back to keep ball until Mansfield started throwing caution to the wind resulting in a blunder by our keeper and another goal. Nervy last few minutes but we got there. Clear improvement in team spirit following John Sheridan's departure yesterday and great rapport between players and supporters.

Sixth consecutive win, and up to 5th. No sunset to speak of, too cloudy.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Aylesbury 0-0 Welwyn Garden City.

Currently ticking off the last few grounds I need to complete the Southern League Division 1 Central, I ticked off Berkhamsted on Tuesday. Both they and Aylesbury need to give their pitch a good roll, no chance of seeing any free flowing football when the ball's bobbling about all over the shop, not that either team tried to produce that preferring instead to belt the ball in the general direction of the opposition goal with little affect.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Clapton CFC 1-3 FC Star
Poor game.

FC Star are another London team made up of ex-pat Romanians, 2 of whom proudly had a half-time fag in their dugout. It's well known FC Romania have a number of ex-pros playing for them, but FC Star, whilst ragged looking, also contained a number of players superior to this level of football in ability, but definitely not fitness.

I struggle to enjoy the Clapton games at Wadham Lodge, it's a bugger to get to by public transport, so I take the car. However, watching football at this level really does require a fair bit of alcohol, which is currently missing and sadly unlikely to come back unless The Spotted Dog is returned soon.

[Patrick Thistle]

Newport 2 v 1 Leicester

You all watched this on telly. If you saw a loony waving at the camera while Hamza Choudary was taking a throw in, that was me.

[Uros Predic]

Preston North End 1-3 The Likes of Doncaster

God I love the FA Cup. Rovers were really bloody good at Preston today; deservedly 1-0 ahead at the break having moved the ball around really nicely and unlucky to not to be further in front before North End equalised from the one cross in twenty they didn't put on Andy Butler's massive captain's head. Just when it looked like momentum might swing Preston's way, we brought on James Coppinger, steadied the ship and the went back ahead from a set-piece. After that it was just a case of when we'd add a third.

Hard to believe this is - bar three additions - the same squad that so terribly underwhelmed last season. Grant McCann has given them so much belief and it's great fun watching my club at the moment.

[RobW]

Everton 2 - 1 Lincoln City

Wasn't feeling too excited about this before Saturday morning. We need to concentrate on promotion, we've already done the cup run thing and I was petrified that somehow Everton would turn it on like Spurs the night before and demolish us. Travelled via TransPennine to Manchester before changing for Lime Street, homemade pasty in hand (excellent). Avoided the travelling supporters at Concert Square and headed up to Goodison, stopping only at the overpacked 'spoons and the less busy The Clock directly opposite. Good natter with the Everton fans, and my view in the visitors end was rather decent.
Thought we started brightly in the first ten mins, and then we switched off, allowed Baines far too much room to swing a cross in, and somehow left the smallest guy on the park unmarked to head over Vickers. Didn't have much time to reflect before Everton carved through us again to make it 2-0 and I was starting to get worried about a hammering. However, the players showed great resistance and Michael O'Connor was particularly impressive for me. Terrific free kick that led to our goal.
The players can be very proud of their performance and hopefully we can take that into our league games, starting at Swindon this weekend. The visiting support was brilliant as ever.

[Ray de Galles]

As mentioned on the Conference thread, having been relatively starved of live football recently I'm off to Bromley v Wrexham tonight.

[Patrick Thistle]

Who are you supporting, Ray?

[Ray de Galles]

Oh, Wrexham obviously. I would normally favour any Welsh side over an English one and Bromley are particularly horrible (and have history with Wimbledon).

I felt quite nostalgic standing in the away end being called a “sheep shagger” in chants from the home support, can’t think when that last happened.

Unfortunately Wrexham were atrocious. I presume, and hope, that I caught you on a rare off night as it was a terrible performance. They looked nothing like a side that was third in the table going in to the game.

It was the lack of any coherent plan or style that shocked me most, in defence and attack.Both goalscorers were unmarked, the first one being the tallest player on the pitch and he didn’t even have to leave the ground to make the header from a corner that went all the way across the box.