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Being of sound mind and body (just) I didn't make the trip to Hereford...however, I thought I would share the thoughts of one that did...read on
There was quite a buzz in the kebab shop in Hereford, Tuesday evening. Both people reckoned on a big crowd up the street to see a BIG team. Rumours of applications for tickets flooding in from Addicks in Southern Ireland - Hereford being the nearest English club - proved unfounded however, as the crowd reached a measly 2017, including 323 deluded souls from Sarf Lunnen.
Mr Parkinson caused no surprises by making ten changes, of which two positional, in a tradition of superiority long favoured by CAFC managers in the early rounds of the League Cup. It could possibly have been genuinely forced upon him by that other tradition of buying worn out players who get crocked in their first game - Richardson, Dailly, Llera.
Elliot is OK, but needs to shout a bit more, particularly when he has two central defenders playing out of position. Mozzie Jose we know has never been electric, and was caught out a couple of times early on, though not disastrously. The one thing we could rely on in the erratic Jelly was his speed, but it seems to have disappeared, Samson-like, with his hair.
Matt Spring had been designated the Zinedine Zidane of the evening, moving gently along the centre line, keeping in space and making short, mostly accurate passes. The trouble was that when it came to the need for an incisive pass, he was more Spring than Zizou. Around him Stavrinou bustled to occasional effect, Wagstaff threatened a run or two and the most effective player seemed to be Wade Small with all of 24 hours association with CAFC. Ah! But there's the answer. He had not had time to fall victim to whatever passes for coaching/training at Sparrows Lane. The proverbial visitor from Mars would have picked out the disciplined team in white as the higher placed League team and the disjointed bunch in red as the lower League team, and one which had been introduced to one another in July.
At the front Mr Gray trundled, held up the ball every now and again, and nobly tried to force his way past considerably more skilled opponents. Alongside him, a man called McLeod, who if he puts "Footballer" on his tax return should be seriously investigated for fraud and false pretences. He managed to get himself booked in the first half, which had the effect of reminding us that he was playing and suggesting that he actually cared. That apart, he failed to build on the two or three chances we actually made.
The second half was going nowhere until Bailey appeared and suddenly there was a bit of wit in the side. Better still Fleetwood replaced McLeod and we became the dominant team, with Gray looking transformed by the new arrival. (You will have read that Gray, some minutes before the subbings, got a freakish penalty and managed to put in the perfectly catchable height for the opposition keeper.) In truth, Fleetwood should have scored, most obviously when he had rounded the final opponent and again when he hit the post.
So to extra-time and an early exodus of some Addicks. The brave ones who stayed saw some livelier football, but still with Hereford better able to contain and break efficiently. A break it was that saw their wide man flying down the left, beating Solly and Jose and Jelly missing the ominously named Godsmark who smashed the ball into the net.
Does PP now have the Mark of God upon him? Does he actually attend training? Did the absence of Shelvey mean that West Ham now have the money? On the brighter side, the playing of Bailey must mean no bids in because his price goes down with the Cup-tying. Fleetwood must get a run in the League side.
"And I would walk 500 miles, but not if that prick McLeod's in the team............................"
Author: The East Stand One
Tall Paul |
14.08.09 - 9:48 am | #
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