
We more than held our own for much of this dramatic game but lost it through poor defending near the end.
BEFORE
Despite our recent dip in form a win this evening would put us right back in the race for automatic promotion. Sheffield United are on a great run and their defence is as tight as shite with them conceding on average only a goal every other game. I don’t know yet whether Cirkin will be playing but if he is, I can see him making all the difference. I’d like to see Mayenda start as he looked threatening when he came on against West Brom but I think we should play Watson as a sub for the time being because on Tuesday night he was largely ineffectual, being knocked off the ball repeatedly. I do think he’s going to be a great asset to us, though, when he’s beefed up a bit. I'll be watching the match along with fellow members of the London Branch. Match prediction: 2-1 to us.
I got to the rendezvous but couldn’t see any of the Faithful. On checking the team news I saw that there were no changes from Tuesday and Cirkin was nowhere to be seen. We were of course in our away kit (the 1970’s bathroom wallpaper one) as the Blades were in their red and white stripes. A couple of the brethren appeared not long before kick-off and nobody shared my optimistic match prediction.
THE GAME
After doing most of the very early pressing we conceded the first corner in the fourth minute but it only resulted in a shot that was very off-target so I hoped for more of the same. United were looking dangerous down both flanks but in the ninth we were almost in on goal when a cross curled just beyond Isidor’s reach as he raced into the box. We lost the transmission for a short while and when it returned in the fifteenth we were about to take a corner. I imagine they’d have been having a lot of practice at taking corners since Tuesday but apparently not as this corner also went the way of the west. Next thing we defended a corner very well ourselves. It was an even enough match and we were putting plenty of attacking moves together, though a poor final pass again sometimes let us down.
As we entered the second quarter we started to put a lot of pressure on and Watson had a great chance to score bit he skied his shot and looked suitably aghast. We were awarded a penalty in the twenty-ninth when Watson was bowled over as he ran into the box. Roberts took the kick but Cooper dived to his left and put it out for a corner. When the corner came over Cooper eventually grabbed the ball and that was that. All this excitement had revealed a number of other members of the Faithful in the bar. We kept the pressure up and Isidor went close from a yard out having been fed a low pass by Watson, who was having a good game. In the thirty-fifth Watson shot just wide after running in from the left. United hadn’t had a serious attack for a good while and were looking a bit flummoxed to me. A goal before half-time would be just what we needed.
There was major drama in the fortieth when Mepham was red-carded, a little harshly we reckoned, for a foul on the edge of our box but at least we managed to clear the resultant free-kick. A challenging game suddenly looked a lot more difficult. United put the pressure on for the next few minutes but then things were even upped when Souttar received a second yellow and walked the walk, to much delight in the bar. It remained goalless as the whistle went.
We were lucky to escape in the first minute when a low shot from the left took a deflection and went for a corner. We won a corner in the fifty-first but it was headed out and we fluffed the follow-up. We were enjoying a good period of pressure but Sheffield were very quick on the break. Isidor had a decent low shot on target in the fifty-fifth but Cooper had it well covered. Neither goalie had had much to do really so far. Next thing we conceded a free-kick near the edge of our box but it went narrowly wide of our right post. We were wondering when we’d bring Mayenda on when the TV went wonky again. It soon recovered and then we won another corner – okay, I shouldn’t get excited but hope springs eternal. Well, it went straight across the box and out for a goal-kick. I went to the bar to obtain liquid sustenance and while there Isidor had a powerful shot that went just wide of the right post. O’Nien was booked for a spot of wrestling and then we wasted another corner.
As we entered the final quarter I felt there’d be a goal in the game but I was by no means 100% that we’d be the ones to get it. The game was being played at a fair pace but we still hadn’t made any changes. Patto made a couple of great saves in the seventy-first as Sheffield turned the screw. We were soon back turning the screw on them but two corners in quick succession proved fruitless again. The telly threw another wobbler and when normal service was resumed we saw Alese and Mayenda coming on for Roberts and Watson. It must have been a hell of a game to watch for the neutrals, not that there were any in the bar. In the eighty-third we went 1-0 down when we failed to clear an attack and substitute Davies (T) slipped a shot underneath Patto.
We brought on Aouchiche and Connolly for Rigg and Isidor and battled back but Sheffield still looked very threatening on the break and Patto soon had to make another crucial block. The minutes were ticking away all too quickly and then four more were added on, but we were nowhere near an equaliser and it ended 1-0.