NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE
Att: 1527
KINGSTONAIN – 4 [Wingfield 5, 87 Crossley 47, Leworthy 85]
SUTTON UNITED – 2 [Winston 3, 30]
So another saturday afternoon and another defeat. This time though, we’re really in the shit.
Results elsewhere saw FGR out of the bottom 3 for the first time this season, Welling off the bottom, Woking into the bottom 3 and yep, you’ve guessed it, the U’s propping up the table. Bollocks.
I have to admit, I was mildly confident of getting a result at Kingsmeadow, due to our record over them in the last few years, especially at their place, but the nagging doubt of a shitty performance being doled out was also present. As it turns out, we got one of the two and it certainly was’nt the win.
Before the main report though, a short word about the official for saturdays game, one Mr Joe Ross. I know I’ve complained about poor refs before (many many times in fact!!) but this dickhead had to be the most over officious, useless, biased arsehole I’ve EVER had the displeasure of seeing in action.
He tried hard to ruin our Trophy tie with FGR last week and quite how we landed with this fucking tosser again is beyond me. He must have awarded us no more than 6 or 7 free kicks all afternoon and booking several United players for frankly nothing, whilst K’s players went unpunished for similar challenges. A typical “I’m in charge, look at me book/send off lots of people” type official. I don’t pay my money on a saturday to see some power crazed wanker dressed in black flashing cards at all and sundry for bugger all, whilst ignoring blatant foul play. I can only hope that we’ve seen the last of this fucking idiot.
After a morning wandering round the shops of Kingston with the young lady (to counter the fact she was having to watch ‘shit football’ in the afternoon), we headed for Kingsmeadow. Arriving just before kick off, I’m amazed to bag a proggie on my way in. Strange, as I thought they’d have been sold out ages ago.
The team has changed a little. Brooker returns to the bench despite his excellent performance last week against FGR and Matt Lee returns to the side. Quite why this decision has been taken is beyond me, seeing as Brooker is a good defender and gets forwards well and Lee has shown no decent defensive qualities so far and has the attacking instincts of a dead, boss-eyed sloth. One plus point though is the inclusion of the 2 new wide men. McCormack and Westcott given starts? Whatever next?? Sutton signing a capable central midfielder?? A successful fight against the drop?? Our frankly horrendous disciplinary record again denies us a regular starter as Harlow sits out this one for accumulating 5 bookings.
The match starts and shockingly it’s the U’s who snatch an early lead! A K’s defender swings his boot to hoof clear a loosed ball in the box, but misses completely. Sammy nips in, controls the ball and draws the ‘keeper before nicking it over him and into the net. Wow!! 3 minutes gone and it’s 1-0 to us! Can’t last…
It does’nt. Around 2 minutes later and some atrocious defending allows Phil Wingfield to stroll in unmarked, albiet clearly several yards offside, at the back post and despatch a header past Howells off the underside of the bar. Despite the protestations of Berry and Laker, the goal stands. Typical……
We gamely battle back, with McCormack making some useful inroads down his flank. On the minus side, Westcott has yet to seriously encounter the full back on his side, let alone beat him. Newhouse is out of sorts again, producing little or nothing of any note and our midfield is crap. Harford looks even more out of shape than normal and Dack is just having another stinker. So it’s some surprise to the assembled U’s fans that we retake the lead after 30 minutes.
A diagonal ball into the box is chased down by Winston. It seems as if it’ll be cut out before he can get there, but he somehow gains possession, steadies himself and fires low past the ‘keeper. Bloody hell!! Maybe our luck against K’s will hold out?
We hang on until the break and go in 2-1 up. A nice surprise for yours truly. Sarah does’nt appriciate this fact and only comments on our shit marking and the hot chocolate not being up to scratch. I just think she’s been spoiled by watching Grimsby too much. If that’s possible.
The U’s come out for the second half and make up for not conceding their usual pre-half time goal by conceding a rapid post-half time goal. An early corner (A 2 man jobby may I point out!) drifts in and the K’s No7 nips in totally unmarked to level the scores once more at 2-2. ARSE! Why can’t we do simple things like mark a player at corners?? It’s so simple. I’ve seen park sides defend set pieces better than we do.
Mr Ross’ erratic and stupid decisions are now beginning to piss everyone off behind the Sutton goal as his disregard for pretty much every foul on a U’s player is countered by a stern talking to or a booking for any tackle on the opposition. It’s this sort of officiating turns the game.
Harford is booked in the opposing half for a frankly nothing tackle, then just a minute later the doughnut dives in recklessly on the edge of our box and picks up his second caution, followed swiftly by the red. I’m not excusing Mr Harford’s blatant stupidity here, it’s the second time he’s done it this season, but the fact that he got his first booking for fuck all pisses me off just as much.
As per the 7 other times we’ve been reduced to 10 men this season, we knuckle down and battle on. But with one less in midfield, K’s start to dominate the play more and it takes 2 superb stops from Gareth, again in 1 on 1 situations to keep the scores level. All the while Mr Ross continues to give us fuck all whilst K’s players go down at the slightest contact to be awarded a free-kick. Soft arsed poofs.
Then just when it seems we’ll live to fight another day and grab a point, K’s grab the goal they’ve been threatening. Another shit piece of defending from a corner sees Leaworthy get a glancing touch with his head that sub Ed Hutchinson can only turn into his own net. Bollocks, only 8 minutes from safety. We won’t get that back.
And so it proves and K’s rub further salt in the wounds when our non-exsistant defence goes awol again allowing Phil Wingfield (or cheating diving wanker to his ‘friends’ at GGL) to skip past a statuesque Berry and fire past Howells. The other half again isn’t impressed, which is an understatement compared to me.
So another defeat and as it turns out this ones pretty costly as we plummet to the foot of the Nationwide Conference table. Not looking good is it boys and girls?
MAN OF THE MATCH : Sammy Winston. 2 goals, says it all.
ENTERTAINMENT : 6. 2 poor sides scrap out another poor game.
TEAM : Howells, Berry, Laker, Skelly, Lee, McCormack, Westcott, Dack, Harford, Winston, Newhouse SUBS : Watson, Brooker, Hutchinson, Ekoku