SOBS V SHEFF WED

Yet another fixture change had us heading to South Yorkshire for a Wednesday game on a Friday, and the Lads battled like nobody's business, especially in the second half, to take the points. A brace from Mayenda - one as beautiful as the other was clumpy - either side of a pretty calamitous equaliser (as far as we were concerned) gave him good reason to lead the whey whey WHEYYYYs after the final whistle.

Shock news during the week was that Patto is the same weight as he was a year ago and that our last game of the season is now 12:30, just like every other game in our division - which begs the question "what's the point?" I did my first solo train away trip for a while - staying over to see Bishop on Saturday at the oldest football club in the world, Sheffield FC. In Derbyshire, but it was a good excuse for a wander around Steel City - which seems to have an awful lot of people who shout at pigeons. Just like any other town, then, and in came the team news, with the rumours about Cirkin being proven correct, and a surprise day off for Isidor...

Patterson

Hume Mepham O'Nien Hjelde

Browne Neil (c)

Roberts Bellingham Mundle

Mayenda

.and a bench of Moore, Rigg, Isidor, Samed, Aleksic, Cirkin, Seelt, Jones, and Ogunsuyi. Well that's shaken things up a bit!

We defended the end in front of our fans, with the usual half-term contingent of kids learning the ways of the travelling Mackem, and Wednesday set things away. Mayenda was nearly through as a big round of applause marked the fourth minute appreciation of the short life of local lad Jaxon Knowles. A nice touch.

A couple of long throws gave us a bit to think about at the back, but Hjelde and Mepham were equal to them, and we forced the first corner after about twelve minutes, but the passage of play ended when Mayenda turned only to shoot low and straight at the keeper. While we were being patient, Wednesday showed more urgency but the two good chances they created were hoofed hopelessly wide, showing where their weakness lay.

Mundle won us another corner, which the home side put behind for another which they cleared, forcing us into a bit of defensive work before we won yet another corner, which we hit deeper than the first two but still to no avail. A third, slightly more difficult, chance went the home side's way, but again Patto watched it fly wide. More Sunderland corners followed, including one that went to the back and was volleyed off a defender for another.

An easy save by Patto, from a back post header, led to Hjelde hoofing it forward and finding Mayenda on the edge of the box. Our Lad simply muscled his way through, ignoring claims of handball, and poked it in just after the half hour. Handball? Well, if it was it made up for the recent one we didn't get and so what - the goal was given. Yeee ha!

Neil was doing stuff we thought only Jobe's young'un was capable of, and when he fed Mundle we got another corner when the shot was deflected wide. We roared the Lads pn for the crucial second, and came close in the added six.

Worth the lead? Absolutely.

No changes for the second half, despite Issy just bursting to get on. Mundle twice cleared an early Wednesday corner as the homesters showed more urgency, then we produced an almighty cockup on our right and the Owls were away, flicking in the resultant cross. Bugger, and it needed Patto to tip over another shot soon after when an unlucky bounce let Wednesday in. It was all getting a bit 100mph, frantic, and looking like an FA Cup tie with no extra time as the ball flew up in the air and was hoofed from one end to the other.

Neil and Bellingham tried, and mostly succeeded, to put their foot on the ball, and Mayenda was set away in our own half. He was chopped down on halfway - only a yellow, but Hell's teeth, that was a red on a Sunday morning. Absolutely no attempt to get near the ball.

Another sit-down on halfway by a home player (not a head injury, no bleeding, obviously not needing instant medical attention) brought a silly stoppage that broke our rhythm before the victim walked off. Roberts then took a ridiculously good pass, cut inside and set up Jobe, who curled it wide. Damn, but Mayenda was set away again and ran along the goal line to set up another shot that brought another corner with twenty to go.

When that was cleared, Neil produced some tenacious magic in the middle and set Hume away - and the cross was Summerbee quality, finding the unmarked Mayenda running in at the back to nut it home and cause mayhem amongst the visiting fans. As you'd expect. Bloody brilliant. Two against Wednesday again. Sheffield United must love him - I know I do.

The noise in our end reached crazy levels, and Browne made way for Wilson. Sensible stuff, Regis, have a pair up front for a while at least. Mundle carried it well, cut inside and drove into the box - well, obviously not quite, as when he was fouled the free kick was on the line. He took it himself, curling it just under the bar for a great save, and Hume smashed the loose ball back - only for a big deflection to deny him a goal.

Rigg and Cirkin then replaced Roberts and Mundle, and young Chris flung himself about like a bairn possessed - as if he wanted to get 90 minutes of effort into the six plus he had at his disposal. He clattered into challenges, played great balls, and chased everything like a demented Jack Russell.

Somehow, it was 1-1 on yellow cards, so we took our carded chap, Mayenda, off for young Harrison Jones in the seven added minutes. The sub did really well in the little time afforded him, keeping the ball and preventing the home side from getting any time to do anything. Seems a sensible and calm player. The ref then had the cheek to tell Neil to get up when he'd obviously got a touch of cramp when being fouled - after the nonsense he'd allowed twice for the home side!

As the seconds ticked away and us pessimistic sorts wondered if yet another late, late goal would spoil our day, a foul near our box saw Luke dive onto his stricken marra as if we'd won the cup, then the time was up. Madman, but he's our madman.

A very hard fought win, and a proper battling game. Apparently the pitch was a bit iffy... I didn't notice and our players made the best of it.

Man of the Match? There was some great stuff all over, and two for Mayenda, but it has to be Cap'n Dan, who was simply immense. Mind, I love the post-match celebrations by the players. It tops things off nicely. If only Sheffield's public transport was working properly...