The Lads welcomed (well, as close as you'll get) London's answer to Leeds (not that they've ever won owt, but they're dorty and neebody likes them) to SR5 and lost out to the curse of the former player as sub Duncan Watmore got the only goal after the break. We can moan all we like about atrocious refereeing decisions, of which there were plenty, and embarrassingly obviously feignings of injury by Millwall, of which there were also plenty, but the simple fact is that we didn't create a decent chance all game despite having loads of corners.
A busy week spent remembering that winning feeling, watching Bishop grind out a win at Crook as they squeeze the games in to home in on their first Northern League title in yonks, and attending Sporting Memories. These are held at Bishop's ground and onThursday featured Dr Judith Gates - Eric's sister-in-law and widow of Boro's Big Bill. She spoke at length and in detail about how her husband's health was ruined by heading a football hundreds of times a week in training. She chairs the Head Safe Football charity - safe to say that, having kept up with Bill's story via Mike Amos's daily blog, I now flinch when one of our Lads heads one clear. Our own Dave Watson is one of many ex-pros suffering neurological problems - and he didn't head the ball, he volleyed it with his head. Mike's now got a book out - No Brainer "for everyone who has ever headed a football"- that details Bill's story and sad decline. Google it, and I guarantee your outlook will be affected...and then the Hoss reopening was marred by the news about Leighton James.
With Benno and Barnesy filling the commentary box for the 1,000th time, and the fans grumbling about the FA cup nonsense, we lined up on a cool but sort of bright afternoon :
Patterson
Pembele O'Nien (c) Ballard Alese
Styles Ekwah
Rigg Dack Clarke
Bellingham
...and a bench of Bishuuurrrp, Hemir, Ba, Mundle, Aouchiche, Hjelde, Hume, Evans, and Burstow. No sign of Neil or Roberts! Three centre halves, two wing backs and Jobe dropping deep to allow Dack the forward role.
We defended the North end and kicked off - and we're 50% guilty of producing 46 minutes of pre-season quality football. Chuck in some American football style nonsense at corners, a handful of typical Clarke runs and some tenacity from Rigg, and that pretty much sums up the half. We had a handful of corners, as did Millwall, and Clarke had a shot blocked before he was booked for jumping in the air two or three yards from the keeper making a clearance.
Another sort of clever move involving Styles and Clarke saw the former put in a low cross that was cleared and there was a yellow for Millwall forty yards out as the stopped us getting it straight back in with a naughty foul. There was a single added minute, probably just to give the fourth official something to do.
65% of the possession and Rigg's half-hit shot the only effort in target of the half out of our half dozen attempts of which Luke's low effort at the best position from a corner probably came closest.
Must do better, Lads! I know there's nowt to play for, but keep the fans smiling with a goal or two
Off went Dack, on came Hume on the right of the back three, and up front went Jobe as Styles moved into centre midfield. Why not give Hemir a run out against a big rough centre half to learn a bit about the game?
A bit of clever play saw Clarke get it across to Hume, who answered our calls and shot - but a yard over. Then the ref started to get a bit petty, blowing up every time a blue shirt fell over as they won a corner on their left ten minutes in. ...so he blew up for something as soon as they took it. A few minutes later Ekwah had a low one saved, but he didn't really look as if he really meant it. There was a Mexican wave suggested by Brian, just to get the crowd going - but thankfully there were no takers.
Just after the hour, on came Ba and Aouchiche for Pembele and Rigg - which in theory should have made us more attacking. Two corners by Aouchiche failed to reach the front post as we at last put together a wee bit of sustained pressure. Another corner, this time actually getting into the danger area was cleared and Millwall swapped Honeyman for Watmore. More time in their box preceded an ambitious Ekwah shot that was deflected for another corner which they cleared as the game actually livened up in our favour.
In our favour? On 70 we failed to play it out successfully down our left, they won it back, and an early cross found Roadrunner at the near post to hoof it high into the net. Bugger.
Five minutes later we burst into their box on the right but were kept away from the ball as the keeper gathered - and he pretended to be hurt. Immediately after that another feigned injury on halfway so Luke stole his drink as he was being treated. With ten to go Evans made a welcome return to the field at the expense of Styles and Alese made way for Mundle. Ballard was dunshed off the ball on halfway but Millwall got the free, and two of theirs went down "hurt."
A nasty one on Ballard brought retaliation and a yellow apiece with five to go, then Mundle wriggled across to feed Hume, who saw his shot blocked. As seven added minutes were announced (boo!) Patto was up for a corner and charged into the follow-up cross only to bundle it wide. There was still time for a free twenty yards out to be played short to Ekwah, but he blootered it into the away fans as they sang "we're staying up."
All over. A pretty poor advert for the game of football and a pretty poor reason for coming out of the house. I know there was nowt at stake from our point of view, but a bit of entertainment and enthusiasm wouldn't have gone amiss, even if the second half was a bit more interesting than the first.
Man of the Match? Nobody really stood out, and while Clarke looked most promising, he didn't deliver. I'll give it to Rigg for displaying more enthusiasm than anybody else.
