#afcb 4 -1 #buryfc

Today I was childishly excited as it was the big unveil. No, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing how smooth the car park was, but in fact to seeing my Christmas present of a commemorative brick bought for me by my better half.

When I eventually found it, I discovered than more than buy it, she had clearly laid it too, such was the finish.

Now I wasn’t expecting the Taj Mahal or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon but surely they could have at least been cemented in properly?

This memory was made even worse as my daughter, @Eloiseee_Gullis, was looking for her brick and bumped into someone she knew. I thought I could cringe no more that when I heard her say “Hi, you’re the weirdo from the coach trip” but I was wrong as this was followed up by “…so where’s your weird friend”. Speak as you see, I guess.

Thinking back on the brick I think I can draw parallels with today’s match in that ultimately I’m proud that it’s there, rather like the result, but still have some reservations about its finish, rather like the performance…….

So, to the game. Bury had the first chance after 3 minutes as their number 7 headed himself through our “rock solid” defence (according to BBC Solent) but dragged his shot wide

While some of us feared the worst (having travelled to Bury earlier in the season) this actually seemed to awaken AFCB and after a Ritchie header was saved on 7 minutes the midfield snaffled the clearance and the ball went, along the ground, towards Grabban.

As the ball flashed past him we all sighed. I say all, but in fact it was all but one – the rejuvenated  Pitman. He ran onto this seemingly hopeless ball, rounded the keeper and popped the ball in.

I’m not sure if someone has had a word in his ear, but from someone who has constantly exasperated me, he’s turning into a striker – that – wait for it – is part of the TEAM

Pleased as I was with that – I’m going now into my first of two criticisms of the team and it can be summed up in one phrase – “fannying about”

When you’re in a crossing situation, there is absolutely NO need to cut back and beat the man again – just cross the bloody ball. This happened more times than I care to mention

In defence, if there is ANY I repeat ANY danger of letting a goal in, you put it into row Z. You DON’T try to cushion a header to a fellow defender, that wasn’t expecting the ball, Seaborne.

On 23 minutes this scenario happened and as Daniels was easily beaten to the ball he wasn’t expecting, the cross came in and their 10 headed powerfully home. 1-1 – a great header

Yes, it was against the run of play and yes AFCB dominated the rest of the half – but the final ball was just not good enough OR it was easily good enough, but we didn’t want to shoot. That was criticism number two – we can all relax now

HT 1-1

The second half started with a Pitman cross that almost found its way into the corner of the goal but like an untreated verruca Bury were going nowhere and as Cook gave the ball away needlessly on 49 minutes it was he who went through the gears to charge back and make a last ditch tackle – phew

This prompted 5 minutes of AFCB pressure with a Daniels’ shot being deflected over and a string of corners. The last resulted in a cut back to Ritchie who smashed the ball home to the left of the keeper – and how he celebrated. I’m hoping that’s a huge monkey off his back and playing right wing (at last) we can expect even more, I believe

I thought this would mean a romp home for AFCB but this wasn’t the case. For the next 10 minutes Bury pummelled AFCB with high ball AND clever football and we did well to resist.

Just as I was hoping that the Nando’s chicken man wasn’t going to prove our albatross Bury changed their play and started just lumping people up in the air. Why? They were dominating? From one such free kick  Pitman headed the ball back in the box and Arter charged in, controlled the ball on his chest and smashed it in on the volley (right footed) – thank Howe for that

That was the final straw for Bury, who finally imploded. The Arter goal was on 79 minutes so there was still time, just before final whistle for Daniels to rob the Bury defender as he tried to shepherd the ball out.  The ball broke to O’Kane who crossed for Tubbs to smash home from close range.

Game over : 4-1

Summary: As I may have mentioned before, still too much fannying around but in the end we had SO many chances that we just had to capitalise eventually

MOM – Ritchie – Looked a class above everyone else on the pitch but I do want to give special mention to Pitman – a revelation!!!

North Stand

Away Support

 

Main Stand

East Stand

Why exactly was there a Nando's chicken at the game?

 

 

 

#afcb 1 v 2 #drfc

 

It’s unusual but if I can, I would like to start today’s blog with a mini summary. For me, in the last 5 games which I have been unfortunate enough to witness, we have either been absolutely awful (Preston,Orient, Sheffield – in descending order of crapness) and were toothless, or we’ve played quite well (Coventry) and were toothless.

This game was more like Coventry, but the theme remains –toothless.

Maybe this bad patch is doing us a favour. If this team went up to the Championship it would be battered each and every week as we seem incapable of taking chances and look weak as dishwater at the back.

I don’t usually like spoilers like this in a story but thought I’d give you the chance to bale now, rather like my previous MOM Josh Whitehouse. The junior cherry clearly saw what was coming and decided he’d rather go to a party – I wish I’d gone,  I bet there was jelly ……

Anyway, the teams lined up and we could see that Doncaster were clearly going to play some deft football with dazzling foot speed as they averaged 9 feet tall.

 

Still, Eddie would have thought of that…..

AFCB started the brighter with Pitman’s header being pushed round the post and Seaborne’s header from the resulting corner sent crashing against the bar and cleared on 6 minutes.

Allsop, in the team for the previously woeful Jalal, made his first save 2 minutes later as a long range shot was hit at him – this seemed to settle him nicely as he’d looked a bit nervous before.

Doncaster then were forced to play the counter attacking role as AFCB dominated possession and chances.

Grabban and Pugh both had headers saved before a lovely 1-2 between Pitman and Grabban allowed Pitman the space to shoot – just narrowly wide on 26 minutes

As chances were spurned AFCB fell into a trap of their own making. Either they sideways passed it a la Groves awaiting that perfect passor we passed if forward way too early when there was still space to be run into and the passes easily cut out – O’Kane was particularly wasteful

The pressure was all AFCB’s though, and Ritchie and Pugh put in some lovely crosses – we simply don’t possess a player able to get in amongst the giants of Doncaster and head it home - and Donny did look dangerous on the counter - something to ponder.....

HT 0-0

Early in the second half Pugh was upended and Pitman was faced with a wall he’d need crampons and a pick-axe to get over so he curled it around and just wide of the post

This was obviously exciting for one of the stewards as his sudden movement caused his seat to break – I’ll leave it to your imagination as to how that could have occurred…

Crosses were now being slung in from all angles but nothing would drop for AFCB. Even when Pugh decided to fire it in low on 63 minutes their no 5 still managed to head away when on his knees. To be fair, even on his knees he was bigger than O’Kane…..

Next, an apology. I’ll be the first to admit I rarely bother to find out the oppositions’ names but because of the weather, I couldn’t even see the opposition let alone identify them.

Where's everyone gone?

It was on 66 minutes after almost continuous AFCB pressure that Doncaster broke down the right, crossed it in and a Donny attacker crashed it in at the near post – BUGGER…AGAIN

The crowd and AFCB responded though and 8 minutes later Pitman delivered a perfect defence-splitting pass for Grabban to run on to.Despite being on his own, he decided against rounding “old father time” in goal and sent in an early shot – pushed away around the left post. *GROAN*

For me, this was a wretched end, to a wretched 2 or 3 games where his lack of confidence is only surpassed by a first touch of a man wearing diver’s boots – thank God he was subbed, along with Mcquiod.

We now had 3 up front with Supa and Tubbs joining Pitman and it was the first two that combined to bring AFCB level on 86 minutes. Tubbs soared like an eagle and flicked the ball onto Fletcher who ran through and delightfully chipped the keeper

Ok, it was the other way around – would have made for a better story though and would have created an excellent ending, if only Doncaster had read the script.

For those party poopers went tearing up the left and into the “great mist”. From what I could make out, Allsop stopped a fierce shot at his near post and the ball bounced out past Francis straight back to their attacker, who fired home. Maybe Francis could have helped more, maybe not –without wearing a high visibility jacket it was impossible to say

ADDITIONAL - I wasn't going to add this as quite frankly I'm fed up of people banging the "it's not fair" drum - but for completeness in the last minutes Pitman had a header strike the post and the rebound fell to the on rushing Pugh. He smashed the ball at the goal but the shot was blocked by a defender throwing himself at the ball. Yes it did look like it hit his arm, no, it wasn't given - time to move on

Summary – This wasn’t a “mugging” or a “robbery” – in the long term you get what you deserve and if you can’t score more than 1 in 50 chances you deserve f*** all - Doncaster came here with a set mission and followed it through professionally. Lots of opportunities but no class (Tubbs’ goal apart) in front of goal. Heading is a real weakness and attackers seem afraid to just put their laces through the ball. Unless Howe either gets in a striker that can head a ball (not Supa – no legs for 90 minutes) or somehow improves overall confidence, we’re already building for next season, in Division 1

Star Man – Pitman: Continued the running and passion shown when coming on against Orient and the ball to Grabban for his 1 to 1 attempt was simply sublime

Away Support

East Stand

Main Stand

North Stand

 

 

 

#lofc 3 v 1 #afcb

Amazing Away Support

Today I was up at 6:30 as I was travelling up to Scotland……ah no, I’m going to London on the train and want to sneak in a cheeky pub breakfast.

A full breakfast for me, a fuller breakfast for Steve and a posh breakfast for Eloise (pancakes, bacon and maple syrup )

A splendid start to the day.

We jostled for position on Poole platform and stormed onto the train securing one of the tables. Unfortunately 3 women were equally focussed and baggsie’d the other adjoining table.

This was problematic for me as I was unsure just how gauche it was going to look for me to open my first can of beer with them so close – this was quickly put aside as they ordered wine from the buffet trolley – result.

After a brief tube scare where the doors had to be held open for Eloise (her own personal fear) we found our way to the Red Lion in Leytonstone. If only I had a real reason to go to the pub….

Of course, it's warm inside....

We tried various speciality beers and after Matt’s posh lunch (see picture below) we headed off to the ground.

not a football lunch

We still had time for a stop off for the scariest ginger bread men on earth but it was time to think of the football

Scary gingerbread men

...but very tasty....

 

It was as hilarious as I’d remembered with flats in each corner of the ground and a hopeless set up of food and toilets – surely today was the day we put our “blip” to rest

No

No it wasn’t

Despite a bright AFCB start with O’Kane’s swing and a miss from inside the box and a good couple of Ritchie crosses, Orient looked resolute in defence and more than useful going forward with Cox given way too much time on the ball despite even the crowd knowing that he was the O’s danger man.

On 23 minutes I wrote the following 3 words–

Jalal fu****g distribution

I’m not sure whether this was the time when he delivered yet another pinpoint pass to Francis’ throat (brilliant) or whether it was the pigeon on the roof he stunned but it was there to remind me again to ask why he was being selected ahead of James, let alone Allsop

This was further emphasised 4 minutes later as an aimless Orient ball was pumped into the area. Inexplicably, instead of walking (yes I do mean walking) 8 feet to pick it up, he walked 4 feet, stopped, walked 4 feet back and was a mere spectator as the O’s attacker caught up with the ball, crossed it to an unmarked colleague who side footed it home.

Oh my God!!!

AFCB then had 2 penalty claims turned down in 2 minutes – the first from a Seaborne header that appeared to be handled on the line (too harsh) and the second from a bouncing ball that struck a hand (seemed less harsh)  but neither were given and the half ended 1-0

The second half started badly as an Orient long ball was skilfully headed on by O’Kane into the path of their attacker who ran on and slotted past Jalal – 2-0

Pitman was brought into the game and I’ve not been a fan of his as I’ve felt he lacked team spirit and a work ethic. But not today. Today he put the rest to shame

When I think back at the number of tackles or headers that were pulled out of by AFCB players in general, and McQuoid in particular, Pitman, unbelievably, was a breath of fresh air.

Whether it was the indignity of being benched or the fact that other less skilful players had much more colourful boots than he who knows, but today he fought, jumped and battled

It was he who on 66 minutes waved to O’Kane to show him exactly where he wanted the ball and upon a perfect delivery despatched the ball with  a glorious left foot volley to bring the score back to 2-1

It was at this point that we truly believed that we could get something out of the game – but we just stopped. No challenges won, no headers won, we were simply second best to a well organised Orient.

This was confirmed on 78 minutes as Ritchie was turned inside out and the pass found Lisbie. He put down his gin and tonic, wiped his mouth from his cheese and pickle sandwich, finished his book (war and peace) and side footed home

All over – 3-1

Summary – We have no confidence in the back – Elphick and Daniels are huge losses and Jalal is just not commanding enough to control the defence. We bottled every tackle/header/challenge and for every cross we made into the box we had zero attackers to take advantage. What has happened to Grabban? Awful first touch, poor second – just looks knackered. Unless we can find a formation where crosses convert to goals we are not going to make play-offs, let alone promotion

Star Man – Josh Whitehouse – An AFCB junior Cherry who goes home and away and quite frankly deserves better than he was served today

Addendum – While I do like a good sing song – I’ve not been quite as embarrassed as I was when trapped on a tube with AFCB fans singing “we shit where we want”.  I did understand more when the song continued in the Waterloo toilets, but did think that surely that’s shitting where THEY want….. :-)