Do you want Chippenham with that? Weekend Matchgoing

[Southport Zeb]

Started the day with the Dudley Parkrun, which was holding its first event for about five months due to building work on the course. This started and finished with laps of the Dell Stadium, home of Dudley Town, with bits along the canal and through some woods in between.

Then it was on to Enville, which is a small village just outside Stourbridge. The ground is definitely one of the most pleasant places I've watched football, being in the grounds of Enville Hall and overlapping the cricket pitch (hence the 10am kickoff). Visitors Alcester won 2-0 but should have won far more comfortably - they seemed very good at getting in front of goal and then shooting into an adjoining field.

From Enville I headed to Northampton to watch the League One match between Town and Plymouth. The home side are deep in the relegation battle whilst the visitors are in a playoff place, but this was not reflected in the performances. Northampton were on top for most of the game and deservedly won 2-0. Plymouth had a decent spell early in the second half but didn't have a decent chance until the closing minutes. Northampton now have two matches against relegation rivals to end the season, and if they play like this could stay up.

Today I've watched the Women's Champions League semi final between Manchester City and Lyon. The French side were better but City defended well to prevent Lyon scoring for the first time this season. Up front City didn't offer a great deal, but I suspect they will be happy with the result and will feel they have a chance if they can get an away goal in the second leg. Crowd of about 2500, with people still pouring into the ground half an hour after kickoff.

[Bored Of Education]

Isn't Picturesque Plain Ham a sandwich in the M&S Value range?

Inspired by you, I asked the director who was serving behind the bar why they didn't make more of the plain ham rolls on sale. His reply was, "Bloody hell, sometimes you don't see something right under your nose for decades".

Enjoyed the match yesterday. Plain ham is a lovely ground as well as a good roll filling choice. After the unexpected rain, Mrs Bored informed is that we needed jackets but, of course, we needed sun tan lotion instead. Cinderford scored a cracker in the first half and deserved it being, by a long way, the better team. In the second half, the Larks made a couple of substitutions which meant they looked good for an equaliser which never came due to a lack of finishing in the box that was similar to Spurs' performance later. They had a great left winger who I wouldn't mind see at Twerton for a trial. Cinderford were probably, on balance, the better team and were notable for having a tiny but very vocal keeper and the Welshest accents I have ever heard amongst their - I assume - English support.

[Bored Of Education]

In an attempt to ruin my own thread's title, I may well go to Rayners Lane v Ampthill Mob Town instead. I'm dancing tomorrow night and I'll be at Wealdstone on Monday night anyway...

You made the wrong choice there, I feel.

Dartford 2 Bath 0

Pretty even first half but Bath ran out of steam after the break and the Darts really should've had 4 or 5 in the end.

Shame we couldn't have been more competitive. Our last four games have been alternating home wins scoring 5 goals and away losses letting in two. Yesterday's result means that we are definitely out of the play-offs which possibly wouldn't have been deserved over the whole season.

[Third rate Leszno]

Carlisle 1-1 Luton

Really decent first half, feisty and entertaining, and Carlisle played as well as they have done all season. A well-worked passing move ended with Richie Bennett going down under the keeper's challenge, and Danny Grainger slotted the penalty.

Second half was more defensive on our part, a recurring theme as Curle seems often to want to defend a lead rather than push on and keep doing the stuff that had got you in front in the first place. Luton equalised, and knowing that Exeter were drawing elsewhere and the point would be enough, they seemed content not to over exert themselves in search of a winner.

Danny Hylton showed again what a good player he is at this level - but also that he's a crying, cheaty shithouse. Nice touch too in berating 10 year old ball boys for not giving the ball back quick enough, you classless prick.

Self portrait as I was leaning against the gate waiting for the clock to run down so I could bugger off before their party started in earnest.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

The now legendary Sexy Pants.

Their veterans team are called Sexy Boxers.

[JVL]

VfB Stuttgart 2-0 Werder Bremen
Not a particularly exciting game, but Stuttgart deserved the win against a Bremen side that looked totally devoid of ideas and only mustered a couple of efforts on target. It was a bloody hot day and the 90 minutes just just felt like a fairly meaningless end-of-season encounter. Bit of a party atmosphere in the ground though, what with the good weather, Bundesliga survival guaranteed for Stuttgart and it being the first day of the Frühlingsfest, which takes place about a 5-minute walk from the stadium. DB's now expected delays meant that I didn't have a chance to pop in there before the match though. Bugger.
Mercedes-Benz-Arena, Stuttgart

[Uros Predic]

Falmouth Town 3-0 Newquay

Bickland Park has probably seen better days, but it's still a great place to watch football (few photos, here); with a main stand set into the hillside on halfway, and a great standing viewpoint from either side of it; as well as a nice steep stepped terrace in the corner from which we, and most home fans, watched the second half.

Newquay were denied by a great save early on, but never really threatened after that, and it became a matter of when the home side would finally get a decent shot on goal. Just as I was saying to my friend that the visiting 'keeper looked quite old, he (the keeper) got involved with a bit of banter with the crowd and shouted 'Well, I'm not doing bad for 52 years of age'.

When Falmouth finally took the lead in the second half from a stonewall penalty, they quickly followed with a second - header from a long throw - and then the 'keeper began a full on argument with two octogenarians behind the goal. During this he claimed 'I'd like to see you do this at 48 years old'. The keeper's wife marched round from the main stand to get involved in the argument and then there was an awkward few minutes where she had nothing more to say, and neither did they, and so she just sought of stayed there angry whilst wondering whether she should go back to the stand or see out the game in irate silence.

Eventually she went back, and when the third goal went straight through the 'keeper he was back arguing with the pensioners behind the goal. 'I'm only helping out because they've two keepers injured, I don't need this at 47 years old' which earned a shout of 'Oh fuck off, Benjamin Button' from somewhere near the club house.

All unnecessary, all the sort of thing that Barry Davies would claim was "precisely what we don't want to see" in that it was exactly what we wanted to see. Great afternoon.

[Aitch]

Saw the rarest of things last Thursday, a competitive drop-ball! At least it would have been if the two players hadn't looked so sheepish wondering what to do when the ref dropped the ball.

[Bored Of Education]

I tell you what, I bloody love those tables.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Finally got round to writing up the first half of the report from this trip to Finland.

[Lang Spoon]

Yas!