NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE
Att: 460
SUTTON UNITED – 1 [Hutchinson 70]
SCARBOROUGH – 2 [Rennison 22, Brodie 39]
Match Reporter: Chalmers
Not many people were stupid enough to turn up for the aftermath of the Kingston debacle. (See, I wasn’t so bloody stupid after all! – Taz).
The lowest crowd this season in the whole Conference. You’re gonna get the crowd by producing the performances, it’s the only way. We have’nt got the money of Rushden and we have’nt got the catchment area of Yeovil, so we need the perfomances to get the people in, besides us, going week in week out.
Natrually, there was a quiet atmosphere for the game! We started brightly. Sammy flying down the left wing to square for the unmarked Newhouse in acres of space. Surprise surprise, he blazes over. A complete sitter missed. He just can’t get himself going, the geezer needs to be dropped so he can buck his ideas up. From this moment on we were basically overrun.
I think if we’d put everyone behind the ball, we’d still have struggled! One cross comes in, free header, against the bar. Scarboro were looking far superior now.
One manouever contained some neat passing for once, but Newhouse got in the way and it natrually went pear shaped. Another example of ‘team unity’ came when Nko and Hutchinson having a go at each other whilst challenging for a header. Neither called for it, yet ended up having a pop. yet another example of the lads having a go at each other rather than battling the oppo. No wonder we’re going down.
The visitors took the lead through a tried and tested method. Left wing cross, opposition player unmarked slots home, 1-0. Marking anyone? We rallied briefly, as Harlow hit a free-kick from the edge of the box just over the bar and Newhouse, presented with possession in their box turns and passes straight to a visiting midfielder shortly after. Sammy then latches onto a long clearance from Brodrick, ‘nuts’ one defender before running into his 2 mates. Arse.
Then, naturally just before half time we concede again. Their No7 knocks a deep ball beyond the far post for Tate to head down and Brodie buries his shot beyond Howells. 2-0.
Thankfully at half time, Aidan Newhouse is replaced with Forrester. His entry into the game (or was it JR’s bollocking??) seems to inspire us and we start playing some good footy in patches. (You did’nt expect ‘good’ footy consistently did you?) Nko wins a corner, but Harlows delivery is pants. For a skipper, his passing borders on incompetence.
Howells has to be on his toes to spoil a 1 on 1 after a defence splitting pass makes our rearguard look as bad as normal. I visit the lav and whilst taking a piss hear lots of shouting and hollering. Must be a descision against us then! Turns out Scarboro defender Ellender slipped and handballed in the area. Did the ref or lino see it? Did they fuck! Typical of our season that.
Sammy is later poleaxed and Roberts goes in the book (Must be the name – Taz) as has the rest of their back four. Nice bunch of lads.
Broderick and Rowlands are replaced by Watson and Sears. Sears soon after plays a super 1-2 off Dave Harlows arse (Probably his bast pass of the fucking season! – Taz) and his excellent cross produces a cracking diving header from Hutchinson at the near post to make it 2-1. For a while we have the visitors under the cosh and Watson puts another cross just wide of the post.
Entertainment was provided by a 15 man scrap. I did’nt quite see what it was all about, but natrually we ended up with a booking out of it all.
Dave Harlow soon demonstrates his shooting prowess by almost giving away a throw in with one snap shot and screws up our final chance of the game from a corner.
Scarborough were always the better side, even after we scored and they could easily have bagged another if they’d wanted, even if we’d managed to equalise! Another game we desperately needed something from, which leaves Morcambe as another ‘must win’ game.
We were asked during the game if we wanted tickets to the end of season do on the saturday, but apparently the bogs were out of order, so we had no need for them. Besides, all we’d have done is give the boss stick about how shit we are. That and the beer is bollocks too……..
TEAM : Howells, Broderick, Brooker, Skelly, Riley, Rowlands, Ekoku, Harlow, Newhouse, Winston SUBS : Sears, Forrester, Barclay, Berry