RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att: 440
SUTTON UNITED – 2 [Gray 70. Mison 84]
GRAYS ATHLETIC – 2 [Abraham 89. Fiddes 90]
Match Reporter: Chalmers
Happy St George’s Day!
How many people in this country actually celebrate it? (I’ll be honest, I didn’t know a lot about old George before The Sun done a piece on him last week, we all knew the dragon myth but that was about it) Ken Livingstone is certainly not one of them, how can he give the Irish a hundred grand for St Patrick’s Day and not give a toss about our day, England’s day. At the end of the day you’re as good as branded racist if you show a bit of patriotism, every one else is the minority so I guess they get away with it
Didn’t stop us lot have a good session though. In case you’re interested it’s not actually Taz who’s doing this report, it’s Chalmers, as I find myself known! I made the comment that I hadn’t covered for him this season as he had only missed one game so I may have talked myself into it just slightly, I was a little disappointed when I realised we were playing today, got in the way of the drinking a bit, anyway rushed back from work to get to the pub as quickly as possible to get a few pints down my neck before the game, it was me brothers birthday as well so rather than go to the hood with Dan and Bob, not that I normally make it there anyway, I went down the Sydney Arms, they had a bit of a do on and some old crooner was knocking out the old classics in the corner, got there by quarter past six and managed to have a few before we moved on, common sense on my part said twenty minutes til kick off, I head away from the ground,
Ended up in the Hood and come across the other two, knocked a pint of special back a bit sharpish, saddened to find out it was a pound a pint all evening and then we wandered down to the ground safe in the knowledge that there was a disco on back there afterwards, oh and the slightly worrying bar extension til midnight! Work, what’s that then?
It seems to have become a thorn in my side that I eat like a horse, all lies, but I had to stop at the chippy between the pub and the ground to get some food, preparation for the evening ahead. We were attacking the collingwood road end first half and we had an attack or two in the first few minutes but I didn’t want to forget them, so I asked nicely and managed to get Alison to take a few notes for me while I was stuffing my face, had to write a few things down tonight or I wouldn’t have even remembered there was a game let alone what had happened! We were hoping for a better performance than we had against this mob earlier this season, we don’t like to talk about it, but aren’t playing to good at the moment, haven’t won in nine I think it is, though canvey was an improvement from what I’ve heard as I didn’t make it myself.
Eddie had a strike at goal and dave timothy was looking dangerous, matt gray got a whack in the head for his troubles but we were playing quite brightly, Wingfield knocked in a free kick and gonsalves connected well with the ball that came to him from the clearance, forcing a good save from capelton, ensuing corner comes in and mison steams in and heads over the bar. A grays striker scores a conversion, three points for a goal over the bar! Not going to get the win as easy this time me thinks, comment from dan about its going to cost a fortune to replace the glass in the greenhouse in one of the houses out behind the goal, it was way over the bar. Timothy is having his way down the right wing, hopeful of some success from the free kicks we keep getting from him getting fouled so much, only way they could stop him. We look like scoring but the way we’re hitting the net at the moment, you just don’t know what to expect.
Don’t know if Wingfield took a knock but he came of at half time, though I didn’t notice for ten minutes, replaced by Bailey. Second half starts and I’m eating again. Dodgy back pass from the greys number four who has been having a good game, chased down by Haworth but played to safety coolly by capelton, matt gray looks to be trying to do too much, not getting a lot of support out wide there though. Cathy and Jules turn up, Jules only left the pub to get a better view of the alignment of the planets tonight, what football match? Haworth has a couple of chances, quite blatantly held back with a chance at goal, Grays get a corner, poorly taken and cleared easily, matt gray up front on his own, four defenders around him, drops his shoulder past one between two more and a Bergkamp-esque flick a la Newcastle is the best way I can describe it, and he’s only just across the halfway line! He then sprints on fifty odd yards and coolly beats the keeper in his bottom left hand corner, superb goal! Bailey doing well since he came on, a thru ball chased down had to be headed away by their keeper, eddie has a go at a lob with the keeper of his line but it just goes up in the air.
Grays put a bit of pressure on, good turn and shot, dubious free kick but was hit well though over the bar, haworth was beaten to another bailey thru ball by their number four, we get a corner out of it, eddie flicks it on at the near post and mison connects well for a 2-0 lead, he’d missed a few so good that one on target has the desired effect, we had a chances here and there but were beginning to get a lot of pressure from a team who thought they might as well go all out for a goal, eddie has a run from midfield and JR screams to go for the corner flag to try and waste a bit of time, he doesn’t, loses the ball, ryan palmer has a chance to clear from the attack that followed but miskicks it and it’s blasted in the net from close range in a crowded penalty area, 2-1 with very little time to go and the support getting very anxious, what can I say, barely a minute later an equaliser, we looked to have the game wrapped up and blew it big time, corner comes in, ball goes up in the air, bounces and hits the bar, attempted header clear but bundled across the line to end the game in misery, grays almost took all three points with virtually the last touch when one of the strikers turned inside and hit the side netting.
We adjourn to drown our sorrows, remembering the bar extension in the hood, it’s heaving when we get back and the music is blaring, it’s normally a game of cards in the corner and us looking for football scores, the dj get some ska and punk out as well as the English stuff and I have a sing along with some of the alci’s how have been in the pub celebrating with me brother for a good few hours, feel a bit hammered and leave dan, bob and jules to it about half eleven, pissed and disappointed at the outcome after looking good for the win.
Well I’ve had a go at this report lark, not for at least another season thank you very much, only one game to go, be good to get this season over with, not the best in the world, let’s hope for some good away trips next season and Newport IOW in the cup or trophy!
MAN OF THE MATCH: Dave Timothy. 100%
ENTERTAINMENT : 6
TEAM : Dunn, Palmer, Gonsalves, Mison, Hammonds, Honey, Wingfield, Timothy, Akuamouah, Haworth, Gray. SUBS : Bailey, Fowler, Corbett