Wahey – Newk 3 Hard Southern Nutcases 3, and the old Wimbledon was back.
Yesterday was basically a real test of our resolve, and boy did we show it. As to be expected, all the attention was on Newk’s slightly bad start to the season, and the dreadlocked Celsi reject’s job, and it was a pretty intimidating atmosphere. Anyway, we started off badly enough, Carl Cort gave away a free kick on the edge of the box, though Didier Domi did manage to dive a la Ginola/Kevin Radcliffe, the resultant free-kick was floated in, and Gary “I’m On” Speed headered home, assisted, it has to be said, by some pretty shit marking by Robbie Earle MBE.
So, 0-1 and no clean sheet once again. We started to get our act together, and decided that as the Toon’s defence is exactly like ours so we pressed forward, using the old arial stuff, just like in the good old days. Unfortunately, we are prone to counter-attacks, and it was no surprise that on 29 minutes Newk broke away, that Domi character linked up with Nolberto Solano – real Geordie name, that – who subsequently slotted home. 0-2, and frankly we were all over the shop.
The difference this year under Drillo is that we’ve managed to re-affirm that self belief we always used to have, namely if we go 2 down, we can somehow come back. And come back we did, albeit on half time. We got a corner, the utterly crap Kimble floated it in, flick on to M Hughsie, and WAM!!! 2-1. Nice work, obviously we miss Hughsie, he looked class again. And best of all, we managed to prove to ourselves that we can come back from 2-0 down. Never saw this much under our Most Respected Manager Ever…..
Of course, anyone who works for the FA is a Celsi supporting moron, and this was proven on 46 minutes when TP was adjudged – emphasis on adjuged – to have handled in the area. Well, I missed it (I was in the bar, unsurprisingly), and obviously so did the ref because apparently the linesman gave it. Cunt. Saw it on MOTD and it never a penalty, but then the FA has a conspiracy against us, so it was unsurprising that it was given (I mean, 4 penalties in 4 games, this is either a serious co-incidence or Lancaster Gate has links with Malaysian bookies). And of course, Solano slotted home, and 3-1. Deja vu.
Drillo put on Ainsworth, and boy did he make a difference. He ran EVERYWHERE, gave Wazza a hard time, and indeed bought it back to 2-3, when some right static Newk defending allowed Ivor to pounce with a fierce drive. Now the Geordies were clearly rattled, and the fact that they put an unfit Duncan Ferguson on proved how desperate they are (and people still sneer at JH….).
We matched this tactic with our own brick shithouse, one Sir Carlos Leaburn, and like last Sunday, the home sides defence looked all at sea. Of course, time was running out, and despite a 1986-style barrage, we weren’t going to get through. Still, I would have accepted a 2-3 loss, considering the circumstances, and at least we would have got a legit excuse with the penalty.
However, this is WFC Drillo style now, and on the 90, Ainsworth picked the ball up on the edge of the box/byeline, dribbled round three Newcastle defenders, half the crowd, moved out into Leazes Street, crossed the Tyne, negotiated the McDonalds round the Metro Centre, through Gateshead, manovered around that Angel thing, back up the A1, crossed over the Tyne again, dribbled into O’Neils, had a swift half, back out, through the cobbled streets, through that dried up moat they have in Newk, through the car park, back into the stadium, through another couple of defenders and unleashed a shot that would have knocked down the stadium had it missed.
But it didn’t, we scored, it was 3-3 and we went fucking ballistic. So did Lars, because he ran onto the pitch a la Brian Kidd, and boy did the Geordies get pissed.
Had we have had 5 more minutes, we probably would have won it, such was the way we were pressing. Drillo reckons that we could have won as well, but he was being careful complaining about the penalty, although he thought it weren’t a handball as well. So, we all trooped off happy, back to sunny (?) old London. Of course, all the attention is/was/still will be on Gullit, but it proves that we can come back again, which will hold us in good stead for our push into Europe/Relegation dogfight (delete as applicable). Now, about our defence…..