While our dealings in the transfer window have been limited to the non-signing of Quentin Fortune, the Reserves won twice in the space of three days. Thursday’s effort was against Norton and Stockton Ancients, 6-1 in the Durham Challenge Cup (or whatever it’s now called) and presumably came about thanks to having youth on our side. The earlier victory came against the mags second string (fancy being described as that – euch) and, naturally enough, resulted in their manager being sacked. Now, as you might have gathered, I’ve precious little time for them up the road, but even they must realise that six months is hardly enough time for a manager to do anything with a football club. It’s not as if they were in any real danger of going down – they might be now, mind – as they kept picking up the odd point, so the wisdom of the owner sitting with the fans at away games, and presumably taking their beer-addled views seriously has to be called into question. To be honest, I didn’t think that even they could be so stupid, but there you go. Big Sam, contract paid up, is now about £5million better off for six month’s work, and will be spending the weekend knocking back the Tetley Slammers (lick the sugar off the back of your hand, chuck down the milk and hot water, then bite on the tea-bag) and Green Russians (vodka and mushy peas) while Tyneside awaits the next poor sap to have his reputation sullied.
So we didn’t get Savage because, in football’s equivalent of an Afghan hound’s own words, we didn’t want him enough. We might get Hunt, we might get Taylor, who knows.
I wasn’t going to bother watching the Mags get beat until TallPaul asked if I fancied a laugh, and I couldn’t say no, and to be honest, it was the best early evening’s entertainment I’ve had for a while. Keystone Kop defending, good goal disallowed, and three goals for my dreamteam Portuguese. A good warm up for the big game, despite the early kick-off and the confusion that brings in terms of what time to leave the house, what time the pub opens, and the rest. Rossy, being a cheeky get, had negotiated a special deal with dinner and Guinness and Shamrock, the latest Irish bar in a town full of them, so by the time kick-off arrived we were suitably replete, bursting with sausage, mash, and the black stuff.
We lined up Gordon, Whitehead, Noz,, Evans, and Collins at the back, Miller, Richardson, Yorke, Stokes, and Murphy across the middle, and Lonely Jones up front. Portsmouth arrived with the best away record in the league (I think) and three points were very much the order of the day, what with the number of teams on twenty growing by the minute.
Pompey won the toss and kicked the wrong way, the buggers, but we were straight into them, with Murphy and Collins combining down the left to provide a cross that was blocked by Campbell. Collins repaid the favour and Murphy was tackled in the box, and we pressed again to force a corner that was cleared. Richardson burst out of defence and found Stokes, who in turn found Miller, who found Yorke, but the attack broke down before Stokes tried a shot from distance that was comfortably saved. This was looking quite good, and Richardson’s cross from the right found Stokes, who shot but saw it deflected then saved. A free-kick swung into our box was headed back to Benjani, who missed badly with only Gordon to beat. Pompey followed this with another break, but we blocked the shot o on the edge of the box. Jones then caught Campbell on halfway (both geographically and figuratively), but he recovered to resume the interesting battle that had developed. All in the first fifteen minutes.
Yorke lost possession but the eventual shot was well saved by Gordon, then we defended a corner well for Stokes to set Yorke away, and he feed Murphy, but the cross was headed over by Stokes at the near post. Stokes then knocked over the top for Jones to win the ball and tussle his was through, but it ended with a goal kick. Whitehead and Stokes combined on 25 to win a corner, but Evans headed over. Another free-kick was cleared by Pompey and turned into attack, but Noz tidied up on the edge of the box. Murphy battled to win the ball 40 yards out, then rode three challenges to shoot just wide on 30 minutes. This was followed by a series of blood and thunder tackles that raised the atmosphere, then Jones burst down the inside left channel, cut back, and slid the ball in to Richardson’s path. Richo did what a player of his quality should, and passed the ball into the far side of the net. Nice one, Keyring. 33 minutes gone, and Portsmouth showed no signs of letting up the pressure despite falling behind and quickly won a corner which was well taken by Gordon.
Jones repeated his tussle with Campbell but Miller waited too long to shoot and it was knocked behind for a corner. When this was partly cleared, Miller shot high and wide with his left foot, but we kept at them, with Murphy and Stokes swapping wings for a while just to confuse the opposition. We broke well down the right with Whitehead, then Stokes won a corner on the left which was well taken by James. More good work by Stokes found Jones on the penalty spot, but he was pulled up for a dubious handball. Pompey won another corner which was cleared only as far as that bloke with the long hair, only for him to thump it well wide. As the half ticked away, Murphy held the ball up well, and Richo took it of his toes to burst into the right side of the box and shot home with his right foot. Brilliant stuff, and right at the end of the half – always a good time to score, apparently.
No changes for the second half, and thankfully the game continued in the same attacking, open manner. We moved down the right and found Richo inside, and he passed it a foot over from 20 yards, then Stokes played a great ball inside the right back only for an offside decision to spoil the move. Jones was blocked on the edge of the box, then Murphy’s cross was too long for Stokes, Pompey then put us under the cosh for a while, and we needed good tackles from Richo and Yorke on the edge of the box to keep things right. Benjani skipped past Gordon, but Evens first blocked the shot then put in a thumping tackle to clear the situation, and we broke away only to see Richo’s 20 yarder come back off the bar. They made a substitution, but I can’t spell either of the names involved (Songo’o?) - number 18 off and 34 on, basically.
Stokes whipped in a free kick from the left and Jones knocked it over, then ran onto a pass only to cut inside onto hisleeft and lose impetus, with James saving easily. We did have a good shout for a penalty for a clatter on Jones, but the ref began his descent into nonsense by not giving it, then following up with a series of bad decisions.
On 72, Stokes made way for Leadbitter, but Evans went down when clearing from Benjani. Despite leaving the field to have his bad leg blessed by Roy, he was soon replaced by McShane, just to calm things down at the back. Not. Ten minutes of frantic football later, and a knackered Jones was replaced by O’Donovan. The ref got in the way of play for the third or fourth time, then awarded a free-kick when their man dived on top of the ball. McShane headed it up in the air, and Gordon punched it away. As the game passed 90 minutes, a spot of aerobics took place (Traore?) and the four extra minutes passed as the previous 90 had – in frantic, entertaining football
2-0, great result, and a really cracking game. The three points might not have got us out of that nasty red bit at the bottom of the table, but with so many teams on the same points, it was a vital three points.
Man of the Match? Richardson, but really sound displays from Stokes, Miller, and Murphy as well.
Which is nice
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