When you support AFCW, there’s no such thing as an easy period. The very setup of this incarnation was fraught with difficulties. In the past two seasons we’ve had a good game against a top team punctuated with a 1-1 draw against the bottom side. And even the start of this season saw us firing more blanks than a porno with an impotence sufferer.
So when it was half time at Everest 1 Coldseal 0, it was quite easy wasn’t it? Playing well, creating chances, looking solid at the back and already writing up my report in embarrasingly gushing tones. Finn’s strike certainly was a goodun, even if it did come off the post. But when I saw a “1” with a “15”, and when I found out that Andy Little was off, I felt a bit unwell. And when I found out that Luke Garrard was taking his place….
You see, you replace goalies with outfield players with 10 minutes to go. Not 45. My heart sank because I just knew that things were going well. A bit too well. It was as though we were making life too easy for ourselves so we decided to stop the car, get out and run ourselves over with it.
When they got a corner, this was worse than holding onto a 1-0 lead with 2 minutes to go in a massive game. When Luke held it, I managed to feel even worse than I should have done. Why were we doing this to ourselves? And as a result, we lost our way. Granted, we regained it a bit towards the end, and should have added at least a second, but by fuck this team tests us beyond the limit.
Actually, on cool reflection I shouldn’t have worried. Coldseal were nothing special at all, we could (and should) have finished it off a couple of times – plus ca change – and Savage could be good. But this really shows how fucking dangerous it is not to have a backup goalie. OK, we got away with it, but in terms of danger this falls between sticking your nob in a bacon slicer and shagging a Franchise fan without a condom. Today we were fortunate, but next time……?
I don’t doubt at all that TB doesn’t have at least two players in mind. If anything, it makes his job easier because getting somebody relatively decent on loan is easier than signing them up full time. While I’m wary of getting League players on loan, if we could get a Jake Cole back just for a month or two that will help out immensely. Get a decent guy between the sticks, whom your defence can trust, and you’re half way there already.
So what has happened to AL? At time of writing, it appears he’s broken two fingers and might be out for up to six weeks. So we’ll need to get somebody in ASAP – two goalies if truth be told. While we could get away with Luke as a stand-in during the game, if he’s the goalie for us on Tuesday I’m leaving the ground and going straight back home. My ticker won’t take it.
To be fair though, Luke played all right for an outfield player, and I believe he used to be a goalie in the dim and distant past. But when he came on, I had visions of that Palace 3-2 game at Shitehurst many years ago. The scramble at the end when that cunt John Salako got it away still rankles to this day. And I always thought that I wanted to punch him whenever he’s on SSN because he’s a smug little kissarse…
All this does take away from the fact that we gained a not-too-difficult-but-should-have-been-a-lot-easier three points. First half at times was more a case of how many, rather than if. Certainly we retained the confidence from last week. Trouble is, it drained away a bit in the second half, for obvious reasons, and that’s a shame. In a way it might have given us a little bite on the arse and telling us not to get too cocky. We have been playing well, and so far we haven’t been believing our own publicity. Tuesday will tell us if we’ve kept that level-headed attitude going.
But whatever happens to our trip to Posh Pikeyville, I do not want to see an outfield player in goal…………….
Plus points: We won. Clean sheet. Three points. Pretty good defence in second half. Looking sharp up front in the first half. Becoming more of a team with every passing game.
Minus points: The editor’s blood pressure in the second half – and that was before we’d even started. AL’s injury. Going off the boil a bit.
The referee’s a…..: And if the ref last week was top draw, this bloke fell out of a canine’s arse. Missed loads of their defender manhandling Webb, loved to give free kicks for even farting violently, that type of thing. Linesman seem to flag for offsides about 1 minute after they happened.
Them: Shit, basically. Offered absolutely nothing in the first half, and couldn’t even test Luke that much in the second. Maybe it was because we nullified them, but if they really are a moneybags outfit their benefactor should ask for a refund. Their fans? Usual carbon copy Essex gobshites (actually, they’re not really Essex are they? More like East London overspill, a sort of Thornton Heath of the East). A third rate Grays Athletic at any rate, and predictably about as original as a photocopy as their chants showed. Hint – that sort of stuff was only remotely effective four years ago……
Point to ponder: Today was FAC first round day, and Staines and (thankfully) Horsham did themselves well. I say “thankfully” because if you’re going to lose on penalties at least give the opposition a decent run, if only to make me feel better. Anyway – was playing in the league today far more important than even an FAC run? The three (?) RP sides in action in the FAC will get their moment of glory today but probably won’t be challenging for promotion come the end of the season. Granted, Rickay might, but a Yeading type side rarely comes about. Today, we put ourselves one win away from third after our iffy start. We’re playing catchup with Chelmsford but we still have five months to go. Yes, us on telly against Leeds this weekend would do wonders for DVD sales, but somehow our three points today has far more importance…………
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Anyone get a little Womble toy? Decent bit of marketing there methinks, and certainly sold well, though I’ve no idea how much work went into getting the licence off Lizzy B. (2) Was it me or was there a bit of a fuckup with regards the field car park? Normally they have it quite spot-on, but today it was a free-for-all with the lack of spaces (or indeed organisation). And yes, I know I should get there a bit earlier than 2.30pm…..
Anything else? Yeah, saw Karl Williams, who doubles up as internet keyboard warrior arch online Womble nemesis Uncle Urchin. OK, we all know about him, that he’s pushed the envelope with some of our fans on more than the odd occasion (to the point in one instance that legal action was almost forthcoming), and I certainly wouldn’t buy any windows off him. But ultimately, the guy is irrelevant. What he says about us isn’t exactly unrepeated in some boardrooms I’ve found myself in, his attitude isn’t unique and when we eventually move upwards he’ll become like Walton and Hersham. Who? Exactly. IMO the guy is a pantomime villan, certainly cartoonish – let’s face it, with that bubble perm how can he not be? I thought he looked more like a potential heart attack victim meself, the way he looked haggard and the way he smoked yet another cigarette. Maybe he was nervous about the game, I dunno. Yes, have some fun at his expense, but at the end of the day, he ain’t really worth too much effort…
So, was it worth it? Yes. Eventually….
In a nutshell: Wanted : one semi-decent goalkeeper. Send CV to T Brown, c/o AFC Wimbledon, K-U-T. Immediate vacancy, gloves optional.