The Lads went to Watford and ground out a 0-1 defeat that was marginally less dull than last weekend's. Mind, we had enough chances to have won by two or three, but tried to pass it in rather than wallop it. There was a definite end-of-season feel, with a few crunching tackles to spice things up on occasion, but all I can really say is....only one to go.
After a wild night in Fenny Stratford and Milton Keynes (don't ask) it was through to Watford for Charlie Hurley day. Two rows from the front we got showered by the sprinklers - it's been hoying down all week, you Muppets!
Watford provided a nice touch by saying a few words about the great man and putting his picture on the big screen, and we sang his song on and off for the next 90 minutes.
Patterson
Hume O'Nien (c) Ballard Alese Styles
Ekwah Bellingham
Rigg Aouchiche Clarke
..and a bench of Bishuuurrrp, Hemir, Evans, Ba, Watson, Roberts, Hjelde, Mundle, and Pembele
I don't know if Watford always come out to Z Cars, but it was fitting that the teams did today, onto a pristine pitch.
In our stripes, we faced away from our fans and Watford set things away, trying five at the back again. O'Nien rampaged down the right and we got in a couple of shots that were blocked, then there was a very comfortable low save for Patto with seven gone. After another ten minutes of faffing about, Clarke was fouled near the corner flag and Ballard rose to the free kick, Hurley-esque, to thump in a header that was nutted away.
After Rigg took a knock, Watford applied a bit of pressure but ended their effort with a shot that barely had the strength to trundle wide. We cleared a corner, Clarke galloped down the left, cut inside and fed Rigg at the back post, and while the first touch wasn't good, he still should have scored rather than miss the target. We had one hooded off the line on 40, then put a few passes together and drew a good save. We chanted Charlie Charlie as we took the corner, but the cardboard cutout of the greatest centre half the world has ever seen remained stubbornly in the seats.
Two added minutes of tappy lappy followed, then it was time for a break.
No changes for the second half for us, a couple for Watford, but we went four at the back with Styles moving forward. Inexplicably, Bellingham dropped deep and we didn't have anyone up top for a while. A couple of minutes in, Clarke cut in and fired a foot wide of the keeper's left hand post, then some miserable bugger confiscated our customary beach ball, leading to a rather unsavoury song about folks who wear blue jackets.
They eventually gave it back as Clarke drew another easy save, then Patto produced the best one of the game. Clarke was there again, but chose to pass it in and the save was simple. Luke then took one for the team by catching the ball in the centre circle - perhaps lucky it was only a yellow.
A Hume cross was taken by the keeper and they broke down our left and shot across Patto for 1-0 to the Bumblemooses with 25 to go. Could he have done better? Don't know, it was a long way away - but it signalled the end of the game for Rigg and Aouchiche, with Roberts and Ba coming on.
Roberts gave the home defence a bit of trouble and set up Ba, but the shot was saved and a few minutes later Ekwah and Alese were replaced by Evans and Hemir. Roberts was clattered right in front of the linesman (who was wearing a shirt that surely belonged to a much smaller person), who waved his flag like a madman to keep the ref informed. As the free was cleared the clock ticked on to 87 and the minute's applause for The King began. As 88 approached it should have been 1-1 but Hemir's good cross was trodden on and the follow-up shots were blocked with the keeper taking one on the chin.
There were four added minutes, the cardboard Charlie was raised and the whistle went to put us out of our misery, and Charlie duly marched into Spoons fifteen minutes later. There followed some decent craic with some home fans in the Estcourt Tavern, where we decided the Man of the Match. There was also a random QPR fan who broke the world record for swearing when we mentioned Michael Beale. A bright point on a dull day.
Man of the Match? Ballard was fine, Luke was OK, Roberts did well as did sweeper Evans, while Bellingham was anonymous and Clarke saw plenty of the ball but wasn't quite on it. Charlie Hurley it is.
