The Cricklewood keeper has just shouted a film title at one of his defenders.
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Equaliser for the Lane as I realise my previous post was wrong and that the referee's called Charles Dickens. Once more none of these facts are related...Comment
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Almost identical goal for Cricklewood, as the Millers blow their lead against Oldham...Comment
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Cricklewood hit the bar as the parakeets go strangely quiet.Comment
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Three for Wanderers just before half time. I forgot to applaud.Comment
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Cricklewood hit the post and the parakeets start up again.Comment
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Absolute cracker for Rayners Lane makes it 3-2. Just after one of their officials asked me if you could see Wembley stadium from here.Comment
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4-2 Cricklewood. Today I wore a jacket for the first time since May because I think that I've caught PT's cold. And now it's 5-2...Comment
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Lane smash it against the bar and I've taken my jacket off.Comment
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Shortly after having a chance ruled out for offside, Cricklewood make it six by an almost identical move. I've just spotted that I can see a cricket match in progress over on the playing fields. And Lane lob a freekick over the bar as part of a deliberate attempt to stop me having my second ever ten+ goal game...Comment
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Cricklewood Wanderers become the third side that I've ever seen score seven and Keifer Moore scores two quick goals to put the Millers 3-1 up...Comment
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Finishes 7-2. And the Millers score 5 again. And Arbroath score 6. Not too shabby...Comment
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Well Blackburn Rovers were a bit rubbish, not as good as the petulant Wigan.
I'm actually disappointed we didn't win that.
I need to give my head a shake.Comment
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Dulwich Hamlet 4-0 Leatherhead
Leatherhead's kit really is the perfect shade of green. They started well in this too, but wasted chances and Dulwich took theirs to go 2-0 up inside twenty minutes and it was pretty much all over before they added a third before half-time. Attendance was over 1,700, but barely over 1,000 at kick-off; why doesn't anyone in London turn up on time for things?Comment
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2-0 to Raith. Was a bit of a mess where Rovers resorted to pointless long balls out of frustration much the game until the first goal (forward players are shortish and not the fastest). Airdrie were obviously playing for a scrappy draw/sneaky win, at least there was more space for football after the first goal. The ref must have been from Larkhall or somesuch Lanarkshire prod as fuck toun, two players booked for diving from Raith when at least one was an obvious trip and stonewall penalty. Top of the league but, better lucky than good.Comment
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Serves me right really but I actually saw the kick off today and it was the first 0-0 in something like 90 league matches. However, it was much more lively than that scoreline suggests. We were one man down within 5 minutes as Darren Jones inevitably lost a sprint race with the Wealdstone striker, put in, on video evidence, seemed like a good tackle but I could see why the ref sent him off from his view. He wouldn't have had an dilemma anyway as Jones then pushed a player in the chest. He then yellow carded the Wealdstone keeper for handling outside the box which Bath City supporters, ludicrously, were sure would end up in a red card but, of course, it was a yellow. It carried on in reasonably exciting fashion for the rest of the match. Even though we were down to 10 men, we were probably the better side over the first half and, indeed, the second half and, perhaps inevitably, a Wealdstone player was sent off. The game then fizzled out with, I would say, both keepers probably being the stand out players.
After that, however, it got very interesting as we have started an initiative where the man of the match gets interviewed in the bar afterwards. This has been working well so far and the bar has kept quite full possibly because of this. However, today, the man of the match was Andy Watkins who Wealdstone felt got their player sent off and Wealdstone, as ever, had a large and vocal following who were in the bar as well. One Wealdstone supporter called him a cheat and got shouted down by Bath City supporters and, I think, some Wealdstone. Said supporter left fairly sharpish and Wealdstone supporters were fairly boisterous afterwards but, you know, they bought beers, added to the atmosphere and it's football. It's the first time I have stayed in the club bar afterwards to hear the MOTM interview and think it is a great initiative but you can't micro-manage such situations. To have two sets of supporters in a bar after what could be seen as a controversial match and all there be is a bit of verbals that was self-policed is the beauty of non-league non-segregation to me.
The Wealdstone centre back is possibly the fattest player I have ever seen at this level or above. Indeed, I haven't seen many parks players that size. He was, however, pretty good and, crucially, didn't get himself sent off.Comment
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Unite MK 3-1 Grendon Rangers.
Red kites circling over Manor Fields at the north eastern end of the Chilterns, for a north Buckinghamshire derby at Step 7 in the pyramid.
Unite were clearly the better side, in the first half they had so many shots that were blocked by a hardworking but stretched Grendon back line. Grendon’s young number 10 scored a scrappy goal to make it 1-0 and soon afterwards shot literally five yards over the bar when clean through on goal. Somehow it was 1-0 to Grendon at half time.
There was a lively start to the second half and just as I remarked to my mate that the next goal was going to be very important Grendon had one (a header from a free kick) disallowed for offside. As the half went on Unite took more and more control of possession. They were truly abysmal in front of goal, but it couldn’t last and when the equaliser finally came Unite immediately scored again and then made it 3-1 five or so minutes later.
Unite MK go fifth in the Spartan South Midlands League Division 2 table, Grendon remain 17th and last.Comment
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Bolton 0 Brentford 3
It's been a long time coming but 3 of the finest goals you'll ever see gave Brentford a long overdue first win of the season.
An interesting chat with a Bolton steward. He told me they are considering getting rid of Parkinson and reappointing Allardyce and that Gary Madine is shagging Adam Johnson's ex. Make of that what you will.Comment
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We won 5-0, away from home. I've been drinking since 10.30 and I've had a parmo, so don't be expecting any cutting edge analysis from me, cos it's not gonna happen.Comment
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Forest Green Rovers 0 Swindon Town 2 (Friday evening)
Had been stuck indoors for a couple of weeks so decided to get to this fixture on Friday evening. Utterly remarkable that Nailsworth hosts league football - I understand the reasons why, but still incredible - I had to stop my car when I got a few miles from the ground to allow a dozen cows to cross the road. I was interested to see how Welshman Christian Doidge got on for Forest Green as he had once played basketball for Wales in a European Championships fixture and I'm always fascinated by players who are at a good level at more than one sport. As it was, he played on his own up front, but wasn't really provided the support he needed to what he's capable of.
Forest Green played most of the football in the first half with Toni Gomez out wide and Drissa Traore in central midfield both impressing. Both players were withdrawn with about 25 minutes to go and that's when Swindon took the initiative, scoring from a corner with 5 minutes to go and then sealed the win in injury time.
All in all an odd place to watch football. Reminiscent of the old Rushden & Diamonds, and we all know how that ended.Comment
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Molesey 4 Hastings United 3
My second seven-goal local non-league game of the week and a far more enjoyable affair than Friday night’s match, of which we will not speak.
The Moles seem to have had a significant overhaul of the squad since I last visited last season, including an almost completely new defence. After an opening twenty minutes where neither side did much the hosts went two up with a couple of goals in quick succession before the half hour was up. Both of them were down to new left back Oto Akai who crossed for the first and was fouled for a penalty for the second. The penalty was taken by a left-footed centre-half which should be a recipe for disaster but was converted with aplomb.
After looking in complete control the home defence dozed over a long ball and conceded just before the break to give The Arrows a lifeline. They started the second half dominant again and added a lovely team goal for the third seven minutes in and looked to be cruising. Unfortunately they then took their target man off around the hour mark replacing him with a sub who was completely unable to hold the ball up and the whole game changed.
With the Molesey’s defence under constant pressure from Hastings’ monopoly on possession and their own midfield dropping too deep the visitors scored in the 75th and 80th minute and looked likely to be the only winner. From the restart at 3-3, Molesey pumped the ball in to a corner seemingly to just relieve pressure but it resulted in a cross whipped in and two home players lining up to convert for a fourth.
They then managed to withhold ten minutes further pressure to hold on for a win that looked a formality for most of the match. Really enjoyable stuff, heightened by sitting behind a few very put out Hastings apparatchiks, one of whom was the spitting image of Bobby George.Comment
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Echoing what Nick said, Shrewsbury striker Stefan Payne had a glorious chance to make it 2-0 but for a good save and then Blackburn scrapped out an equaliser. I would have probably taken a point before the game but it was a bit disappointing to surrender the lead.
However, Shrews are still top of the table by 3 points due to Wigan coming unstuck at Peterborough, still unbeaten in the league after 9 games now, and playing decent high tempo passing football. So overall I'm happy.
After the game I met up with a friend I hadn't seen since sixth form, 23 years previously so that was fun as well.Comment
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I'd been to Retford once before, changing trains after a trip to Gainsborough. On that occasion I'd just seen the station and its surroundings, in which there is very little. However today I actually went into the town and it turns out there is stuff in the town. Certainly the walk along the canal was pleasant enough. The football team play a little into the country at a ground that is pretty decent, presumably done up as Retford reached the heights of the Northern Premier League.
Retford have dropped down since those days and entered this game a couple of places off the foot of the Northern Counties East. Visitors Pinxton play a step below, in the Central Midlands South, but as unbeaten leaders they were probably favourites, and it was them that took the lead after two minutes. Pinxton had decent chances to extend their lead but failed to score again before the break. Retford had a reasonable amount of possession but failed to convert it into meaningful shots. Early in the second half it looked like Retford were wasting more possession as a weak pass into the box didn't go near any of the home players; however the visiting defenders and keeper somehow failed to clear the ball and it rolled into the net. It looked like extra time might be coming but Pinxton got a deserved winner late on.Comment
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Yes, it's easy to forget among all the platitudes about our physical and mental attributes, and not to mention sheer bloody-mindness, that we can play a bit.Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post
For example, the build up to the Payne chance was a good a piece of football you'll see all season.Comment
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Yes it was a beautiful ball through. There were a couple like that.
If Payne had scored it would have been 3 points. Ah well. It says something we feel disappointed about a draw against the preseason favourites.Comment
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