We'll win against Welwyn: Weekend matchgoing

[Snake Plissken]

Bless me, Forum, for I have sinned. I ended up on 606. I was angry, I was weak, they put the number up on the Huddersfield/Man City coverage, one thing led to another and I'm talking to Kelly Cates and Wrighty.

I throw myself at the mercy of you all.

[Gerontophile]

Is Kelly Cates any relation to Phoebe Kline?

[Snake Plissken]

No. But she is Kenny Dalglish's daughter.

[Nefertiti2]

Link, please.

[Gerontophile]

(Scottish thing.)

[Patrick Thistle]

Nah, we'll let you have that one Snake.

So ice hockey then. Realised when I got there that the Devils were playing the jammy bastard Belfast fucking Giants who I always end up seeing when I go to a random game. The first 3 goals all came on power plays but Belfast were there to mess about. One of their players got a 10 minute on video evidence after starting a fight.

Belfast should have just concentrated on playing because they looked good, scoring the first goal not on a power play to make it 2-2 at the end of the first period. Devils went 3-2 up on a double power play in the second period then with FIVE SECONDS left the fucking jammy fucking Giants got an equaliser and went on to win the shoot out.

Bastards.

[Southport Zeb]

Went along to the Premier League handball between Liverpool and NEM Hawks (from Oldham) this afternoon. Liverpool play at Greenbank Sports Academy, which is next to Sefton Park. Liverpool haven't won since being promoted to the top division and never looked like winning today, the Hawks winning 28-22 in the end. In keeping with Liverpool's football team it was the defending and goalkeeping that seemed to let down the home team.

In the first half there was quite a lengthy pause when one of the home players went over on his ankle. Eventually it was decided the goalkeeper would carry him out to the reception area where he could wait for a paramedic. Ideally this would have been done without knocking the injured players foot on a metal barrier en route.

[Ray de Galles]

Hayes & Yeading United 0 Beaconsfield Town 2

I braved the low temperatures tonight to check out H&Y’s new stadium, it got so cold that I did start to wonder about the wisdom of the decision but luckily it was an entertaining match.

Beaconsfield looked the more accomplished side once the game settled down and scored two well-worked breakaway goals in the last minute of both halves, both of which were excellent strikes.

H&Y’s number 5 lost it after the clinching second goal, blaming his right back and calling him “a prick” about a dozen times (which was rich given he’d insisted on taking all the attacking set pieces all night and screwed up every single one). His tantrum carried on until a minute after the restart when he chopped down an opponent getting a straight red.

His behavior was so pathetic (as was the ovation he got from the home fans) that one spectator was moved to shout “You petulant prick!” at him as he headed down the tunnel whereupon he spun round to try and see who’d abused him. Luckily he didn’t work out it was me.

[Southport Zeb]

I went to watch Runcorn Linnets v Bootle this evening in a near the top of the table clash in the North West Counties. Linnets won 2-0, first from a goal that broke the net and then a well taken free kick. Bootle didn't play particularly well, and certainly looked better when I watched them last week.

Only my second trip to Linnets ground, which had its new clubhouse open tonight. Since my last visit the price has effectively gone up £4 as you now have to pay to cross the Mersey.

[Jon]

It was also cold at the hawthorns this evening. Despite throwing away a two goal lead, it was an enjoyable evening. I especially enjoyed singing "there's only one Gary megson" for the first time in about 15 years.

[Jon]

Oh, and Sam field scored. My friend's sister knows his mum really well. I was hoping he'd come good this season as he and a few others were starting to get run outs in the first team at the end of last season. But then, as so often happens in the premier league, the transfer window shuts and the manager feels obliged to play all of the overpriced tat he has acquired on transfer deadline day so the youth team players get pushed to one side again. Some have now gone out on loan but Sam field stayed, despite pulis no longer putting him in the first team squad. Megson, however, has picked him in both his games and, like I said, he scored today.

[JVL]

Hayes & Yeading United 0 Beaconsfield Town 2

I braved the low temperatures tonight to check out H&Y’s new stadium.

Well, more of a stand with concrete paving around the pitch than a stadium, but we've waited long enough to get back to that and be playing in Hayes that it would be churlish of me to continue moaning... and I am really looking forward to getting to see us play there in a couple of weeks' time. Disappointing result last night but we need to make sure that it doesn't herald a long losing streak (as has so often been the case in recent seasons), it was the first league defeat in six weeks and we need to bounce back against Uxbridge on Saturday.

I'll be off to a big local derby in the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar tonight: TuS Mechtersheim v. FV Dudenhofen. Two teams from the suburbs of Speyer playing one another at this level for the first time, it's already been postponed twice due to a waterlogged pitch but the sun is shining today and a big crowd is expected. Mechtersheim somehow survive on sub-200 crowds but they are going so far as to open an extra turnstile for this one. I might even have to queue for my coffee!

[Ray de Galles]

Yes, it reminded me of the new stadium the two Walton teams share in being one stand with hard standing and fences on the other three sides. Though the Waltons' stand is more impressive in itself. It was also peculiar in having the highest number of stewards to fans (and most formal stewarding operation) I have perhaps ever seen. I know it was something of a local derby but 124 people don't need the level of security they were afforded.

As you say though, good to have a stadium of your own and in the right locale after some time.

[JVL]

Over 800 there to see a 1-1 draw in Mechtersheim last night in a good Oberliga game.

Dudenhofen were pretty physical from the start and their gameplan seemed to be to close Mechtersheim down and wait for a chance on the counter. It worked in the first half too: the hosts missed a sitter early on, their left-back selected the twatter from his shot bag and welted one against the post from the edge of the box and the visiting keeper pulled off a great save to tip a header over the bar before Dudenhofen made the most of a disputed free-kick and their captain leapt like the proverbial salmon to plant his header in off the bar. Mechtersheim kept pressing in the second half and capitalised on a misplaced pass after about an hour, their striker then went past two defenders before slotting his shot underneath the keeper to even things up. Both sides had chances to win it after that and the managers seemed satisfied with a point to round off the Hinrunde.

[Southport Zeb]

I watched Southport lose their FA Trophy replay against Stockport last night 3-0. Not a great performance, and it looks like there is very little up front - Southport forwards kept getting in reasonable positions and then shooting tamely straight to the keeper. When we kick off on Saturday it will be three months since our previous win.

[Snake Plissken]

their left-back selected the twatter from his shot bag

I am so stealing that.

[RobM]

Nice wee two-fer at the weekend -

Newcastle Benfield 3 North Shields 1 in the FA Vase on Saturday, great wee club and a decent crowd for a decent derby game.

Gateshead 0 Luton 5, FA Cup. Walkover for the league club in a characterless barn of a stadium, ambulance called to take Gateshead full back off to hospital after a collision with his own keepr, match held up for over 15 minutes as a result. Thankfully he appears to be on the mend. Gateshead will be gutted that Luton went on to draw Newcastle away in the next round.