Blackburn five – this time it’s personal. The game that nobody wanted, least of all the two managers. If that’s true, they should have tried a bit harder to win the original tie. At this time of year, there can be such a thing as too much football. The League Cup rattles on, the FA Cup is warming up, and there is always the chance that the weather has recently got the better of one of your league fixtures, necessitating a re-arrangement amongst the replays.

So it was for tonight’s trip to Blackburn – a team we’ve already cracked heads with four times this season. Very much a trip for the hardcore fan, with many citing expense and disinterest as reasonable reasons for staying warm and indoors back home. Our original uptake of four travellers had somehow, as it does with SAFC, upped itself to the mid-thirties by the time we left the land of the Prince Bishops. Snow on the tops precluded the usual trip over the A66 and thus Lancaster was not an option for tea, but Skipton was. An absolute bonus as far as I’m concerned, as it’s one of my favourite stop-offs, mainly because the town council won’t let football fans in if they know they’re coming. So it’s best to do what we did – catch them by surprise. The road from Harrogate to Skipton was a winter wonderland of snow and ice, and the town itself was as it ever is, with its five-day-a week market specialising in socks and woolly hats.

After trying the usual favourites the Narrowboat and the Royal Shepherd, I tried the posh shoe shop that had let me down in September. Thankfully, they still didn’t have any in my size, so I’m still not in debt, so I legged it up to Stanford’s pie shop by the bridge at the top of the town. Pork pies of the finest kind, and I got a free one for buying in bulk. One last one in the Woolly Sheep in front of a spectacular fire, and fielding text replies from mates ranging from the reasonable “Skipton? I exude jealousy from my every pore” to the less acceptable “Copper Dragon Beer? I hate you and everyone you’re with.”

Happy days, so off in the dark to Blackburn, where the Fernhurst was charging £3 for everything to take full advantage of Cup fever. Once in the ground it was apparent that interest in the game had grown a bit on Wearside, as there was a relatively decent turnout. As promised, Ricky had picked a team to win the game (as long as Blackburn left out most of their first-choice players as well, that is).

Gordon
Kay Ferdy Collins McCartney
Carlos Reid Leadbitter Steed
Murphy Healy

Kicking off away from us in the Darwen stand, where a leaky roof meant that my feet were permanently in a puddle, we were into the game fairly quickly. After a corner off George was given when it was off his arm and out of play when it hit him anyway, Gordon made a decent save and we didn’t get in to their half for the first five minutes. When we did, it was down the right, Murphy knocked it back well, and the loose ball fell to Healy. 1-0, and joy abounded in the Lancashire cold after only 8 minutes.

As the home side looked to respond, Ferdy got in the first of a series of good blocks, then a free on our left half way upfield found Steed in the box and he almost got Healy in again. As we settled in there were nice little passing moves as we won a corner on the right, then Carlos got in a cross that evaded everybody but Steed at the back and his shot flew over. Gordon palmed away well, then the ref made the first of a series of lopsided decisions when he punished Reid for having an arm around his neck. The deflected shot that ensued was well flicked away by Gordon. Steed turned well and looked to be away when he was brought down, and the yellow came out for the first of many times. Gordon was down low again to save and Kay completed the clearance, before he mistimed (he said, being kind to the lad) a tackle and was booked. Collins did well to head away the free-kick, and Healy’s overhead kick almost got Murphy through.

Reid was brought down in the inside left position in sight of goal, but the free hit the wall before Murphy found Carlos on the right but the cross flashed across the face of goal. Santa Cruz missed with a free header, then, after Collins did well to block a shot, Mokoena struck the loose ball unstoppably in off Gordon’s outstretched hand for the equaliser. Bit of a shame to say the least, and we pressed forward immediately to try and restore our lead. Leadbitter shot wide from distance, then Kay was a touch lucky to stay on after a bit of a lunge. Reckless right back named Kay? Sound familiar?

Evens at half time was about fair, unlike the state of my feet which were turning to ice in their own little version of the Arctic Ocean that was the end of row 13. There was an early save by Gordon, then another as he tipped a free-kick over brilliantly. Kay, who should really have been subbed at halftime to save a red card, put in another dodgy tackle and was given a good telling off by the ref, for once showing a bit of common sense and taking inexperience into account. Needless to say, Bardsley replaced him immediately, then Leadbitter shot a foot or so wide as we were ready to celebrate a goal. Gordon saved again before they replaced Dunn with Tugay, and Reid curled a free over the wall but it was comfy for Robinson.

For some reason, Carlos moved to the left and consequently spent a lot of time turning back onto his right foot. Reid’s cross was headed clear for a corner, before Carlos put in a good run, cutting into the centre and winning a free-kick. Another yellow card, and the free eventually fell to Reid, whose low cross was taken at the fornt post by Robibnson. Leadbitter was booked before they replaced Santa Cruz with McCarthy on 73, then Steed made way for Yorke. For a moment it looked as if Carlos was going back to the right, but Ricky sent him back to the other side. Hmm.

We defended well as the minutes ticked away in the game that neither club wanted, but Ried’s shot on the turn could well have brought a penalty as it seemed to be blocked by an arm in the final minute.

So, extra time was no real surprise, and we realised that energy was at a premium and passed the ball around well, with Yorke doing what he’s best at now as he directed play from deep. Leadbitter fired in a couple of decent efforts amd Healy shot over right on 15 the end of the half.

Straight around, and McCartney was replaced by Luscombe. Healy fell in the act of shooting, then Carlos, at last teaming up with Bardsley down the right, saw Robinson produce a great save to keep his shot out. Several times we found space down this side, but never managed to get the killer cross in. When one did beat the defence, Murphy could only loop a header to the keeper when allowing it to drop across his body onto his left peg might have been a better option. Leadbitter took a Carlos rollback but curled his shot well over, then they shot wide as we began to name our penalty-takers. With three to go, Rovers curled in a free kick, and their third free header of the night was form McCarthy, and he didn’t miss.

Arse. Bugger. Knackers. Arse again. In the remaining time, and the one added minute, we pressed, they covered, and they held out. Bitterly disappointing night’s work overall, and with seven seats to fill on the bench, it was more than a little surprising that none was occupied by another striker.

Man of the Match? Gordon made an impressive return to the side, Yorke did all he could for thirty minutes, and Leadbitter bombed about as captain, but, it’ll have to go to the returning Gordon. Nothing he could do about either goal, and a collection of good saves and takes.

On the downside, no more FA Cup. On the upside, we get a weekend off.

What a waste of a night out. Just the league, then.

Keep the Faith

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