The Heart of Darkness - Weekend Matchgoing

[jameswba]

Zilina 2 Poprad 4. Winter friendlies in Slovakia are rarely this good. Poprad might be in the 2nd tier, but they had two players from Slovakia's 2010 World Cup squad in their starting XI, Kamil Kopunek (a scorer in the 3-2 win over Italy) and Stanislav Sestak. Sestak is also a former Zilina favourite, having played here from 2004 till 2008, when he signed for Bochum. He scored Poprad's second goal today, a powerful downward header after finding space between the centre-backs. The few hundred home fans seemed to enjoy that more than Zilina's goals.
The league restarts next week.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Sestak was another who played in Turkey and was great but Marek Sapara was always my favourite.

[jameswba]

Sapara was a superb player. He'd have played more for Slovakia had it not been for injuries and the fact that they couldn't seem to find space for him and Hamsik in the same midfield. There were times when he should have been in ahead of Hamsik. He came back from Turkey to play for Ruzomberok last winter, but looks like he's finished now.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Went to Mersey Royal v Marshalls Reserves in Division Three of the West Cheshire League. Royal play on a 3G pitch at Wirral Tennis Centre from where you can see some warehouses and the railway. Pretty dull first half then got better in the second in which Marshalls scored twice. Referee just about kept control, perhaps surprisingly sending off just one of the home team.

Dud! Cleared with a 17 goal thriller!

https://twitter.com/nonleague_train/status/858392172692987906

[Third rate Leszno]

Carlisle 1-1 Colchester

Colchester were the better side and will be wondering how they didn't win this, but a lovely free kick from Jamie Devitt got us an equaliser and we somehow clung on for the point. Ref was a cunt. It didn't rain though, so that was a small victory. All Carlisle's youth and academy coaching staff were in the Beehive watching the North London derby beforehand.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Double header of Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal and Hendon 0-0 Dorking Wanderers.

[Jobi1]

York v Salford. We'll lose dispiritingly and the programme will be full of references to the League Cup victory over most of the Class of 92.

No idea where it came from but our best crowd/atmosphere and on-field performance of the season. Even topped off by the curious sight of a Parkin missed penalty to add to the strangeness. Have to say I was surprised by Salford though – given their status I was expecting them to be a bit more athletic and professional-looking, but they were about as much of a stereotype of chubby non-league cloggers as you're likely to see.

[N est à?]

Maybe they're deliberately signing more, eh, picturesque looking players with an eye on the documentary series.

A mighty cock up by me and my boon companion on the cash front, rotherhithe being where it is, hadn't realised the area was quite so devoid of amenities, besides a couple of pubs (the brunel near rotherhithe stn the saving grace of a disappointing trip south)

[N est à?]

(If it hadn't have been pissing down, we'd have just waited around for someone to take pity on us and let us in for the coins we could scrape together, as may have happened. Alas, when troubles come they come not single spies but in battalions... couldn't even sit in the pub watching the scores come in cause of the fucking rugby. Basically, getting out of bed at all yesterday was a huge error)

[Southport Zeb]

This afternoon I watched Mayfield beat Dengo United 2-1 in the quarter finals of the FA Sunday Cup. Should have been played at the Liverpool FA ground but got moved to the 3G at Lower Breck Park. Mayfair were much better in the first half and deservedly two goals up at the break. They sat back in the second half, allowing Dengo a lot of possession that they didn't create much from, with the consolation goal coming in injury time.

[imp]

I badly need to know how California Reserves did at Ascot.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

2-1 to Ascot.

Pre match buil up viewed from the Ascot Locomotive Society miniature railway.



Picket gates in club colours.



The starting straight and the home goal.



The distant main stand and finNishing straight.



The winning goal.

[Jobi1]

Maybe they're deliberately signing more, eh, picturesque looking players with an eye on the documentary series.

Speaking of which, in the second half when Salford were shooting towards our end they set up a go-pro camera on a small tripod just to the side of the goal but no more than a foot off the pitch. Amazed the referee allowed them to do that, could have caused a really nasty injury if someone had landed on it.

[Giggler]

Bradford away, and I'll be in the home stand with my mate who supports them. Given their form and given Bury's, I'm anticipating having to do quite a bit of sitting on my hands.

A 95th minute equaliser for Bury, after Bradford had taken an 89th minute lead, meant that I just sat there and laughed like a drain.

[Ray de Galles]

I'm really annoyed that when I went to Ascot I missed the dinky-do miniature railway and never went over the side of the pitch that affords a view of the racecourse stand. I did go in early August balmy evening sunshine, though.

Think I am off to The Barnet Derby tomorrow night, Cockfosters v Hadley in the Spartan South Premier. May take the boy to Guildford v Cardiff in the ice hockey on Wednesday night as my wife is usually less than fussed about Valentine's Day.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Clapton U18 3-3 Buckhurst U18 (aet, Buckhurst won 3-5 on penalties)

Superb game, incredible goals by both sides. Clapton were 3-2 up in injury time when they were awarded a penalty, which the Buckhurst keeper saved. He smashed it up the other end and they got an equaliser with the last kick of the game. Muddy pitch meant legs were tired in extra time, but a great game of football. Lovely to be back in the scaffold, I took lots of photos just in case it is longer than expected to return.

[Uros Predic]

Think I am off to The Barnet Derby tomorrow night, Cockfosters v Hadley in the Spartan South Premier.

I was considering this... but then thought, surely I've much better things to do with myself on a Tuesday night then trek all the way to the other side of London for non-league football.

So yeah... I'll see you there.

[Sash]

Keeping it real with Spurs-Arsenal & Southamton-Liverpool.
Haven't seen Pellegrino since that time his Independiente nearly beat* Racing. Away. With 9 men.
*They won on the night but fell a goal short over the 2 legs.

Spurs-Arsenal
Arsenal were competent for a half. Then they conceded and folded. The end.

Southampton-LFC
The previous time I went to St.Mary's 3 years ago the rain was horizontal. People in row 20 were getting soaked. Early goal, 2-0 to LFC.
This time there was a pretty epic blizzard/hailstorm before the game. Early goal, 2-0 to LFC.
The press lounge at St.Mary's was incredibly warm and cosy, particularly after Ritchie scored.
Pellegrino utterly helpless in the 2nd half. No ideas at all.

[Ray de Galles]

I was considering this... but then thought, surely I've much better things to do with myself on a Tuesday night then trek all the way to the other side of London for non-league football.

So yeah... I'll see you there.

Excellent, I'll keep an eye out for you this time after you evaded me for the first half at Waltham Forest.

[pebblethefish]

Spurs-Arsenal
Arsenal were competent for a half. Then they conceded and folded. The end.

Southampton-LFC
The previous time I went to St.Mary's 3 years ago the rain was horizontal. People in row 20 were getting soaked. Early goal, 2-0 to LFC.
This time there was a pretty epic blizzard/hailstorm before the game. Early goal, 2-0 to LFC.
The press lounge at St.Mary's was incredibly warm and cosy, particularly after Ritchie scored.
Pellegrino utterly helpless in the 2nd half. No ideas at all.

Was the press lounge also serving a lot to drink, judging by this random "Ritchie" person?

[Sash]

Was the press lounge also serving a lot to drink, judging by this random "Ritchie" person?

I don't think "Ritchie" is particularly random, being a Newcastle United midfielder and that.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Report from Saturday.

British Army v London Chargers, Ascot United Reserves v Eversley & California Reserves, Ascot Racecourse, infinite postponements at Scours Lane, review of coat hook provision on home counties buses, Australian clothes lines, miniature railways, defunct home counties speedway teams. The usual.

[pebblethefish]

Ah. It was the fact that you were talking about a completely different match that threw me.

[imp]

Report from Saturday.

Thank you - highly enjoyable, as always. Particularly liked the offhand reference to "train cranks", the memories of 'An Evening with Gary Bushell', and your new focus on retractable/non-retractable coat hooks on buses. And now I know why they're called California, though knowing is never as much fun as not knowing.

[Gangster Octopus]

Enjoy your first pint BB+F.