Nope, I’ve slept on Daisies 1 Poppies 2, and I still have a degree of writers’ block over it.
Maybe it’s because seemingly unlike 99% of everyone I didn’t think we were that good. It felt a flashback to some of the games earlier on in the season – not being fully into the pace of the game, waaaaaay too many misplaced passes, being intimidated (or not being able to handle) their physicality, and a sense that we weren’t 100% “there”.
And we can’t blame any flu virii this time.
To be honest, when we went 2-0 down, it was as good as game over. Even when JM netted back a goal a minute later, we were still going to struggle to get that second one. Not that I thought that Kettering were particularly more skillful than us, but they seemed to have something over us yesterday. Compare to how we came back against Crawley and (especially) Tamworth, and you’ll see what I mean.
Did we miss Chris Hussey? In truth, not really. I think we missed Derek Duncan though, which gives you an idea of how football can quickly change like that, although it’s typical that Paul Lorraine is suddenly playing like a drain. Alan Inns was good though.
Thankfully (as far as SW19’s writing is concerned) the Sunday Mirror has given me us a nice distraction from yesterday. OK, it’s got the whiff of agents wanting to help the paper to fill some column inches, but it’s something we’ve got to get used to.
And we’re finding our mettle being tested now in the way we thought the BSS would provide. We’re not winning at KM, we haven’t looked like doing so too. We’re finding our players are now being openly linked to League clubs (truthfully or not). Make no mistake, we’re now under pressure. Even though I think we’re more than capable of being a top ten side, and I’m slightly revising my 9th-to-14th prediction for this season, we are now having questions asked of us.
We can get away with two losses on the bounce at KM if we win (or at least get a credible draw at) the next one. Should Wrexham beat us, then it suddenly becomes Theme Park KM as opposed to Fortress KM (as in, come to KM and visitors will always have a good time). This in turn puts pressure on our away form too – we simply have to perform on the road. It really should be the other way round.
Why are we so shit as home at the moment? You can’t blame the atmosphere from yesterday, that was pretty decent. Especially when it was aimed towards the Franchise cunt in goal. At the risk of re-opening this old wound again, maybe the unsuitability of the place is starting to dampen the enthusiasm? Which in turn affects the players. Somebody yesterday was claiming that the pitch is too small for us at KM…
Of course, I could just be over-analysing everything and forgetting that you can lose football games as well as win them…
Plus points: JM’s goal. Alan Inns.
Minus points: We lost. At KM. Failing to cope with the physicality. Paul Lorraine.
The referee’s a…: Put it this way. LT got kicked in the first two minutes and it took another 120 seconds for the ref to allow our physio to come on. It didn’t get much better.
Them: They remind me of the Axewounds, minus the histrionics but with a similar degree of cuntishness about them. That said, Mark Cooper (their manager) was seriously chuffed about winning yesterday. So maybe they upped their game for us? Can sort of see why they’re second, much in the same way as you could see our friends and neighbours in the village over the Thames being second last season (chortle). Don’t be entirely surprised if we play them (Kettering) again next season though.
I’ve also come to the conclusion that we need a response to the pro-Franchise shit that we get (yes, another set of supporters who gave it all that but were strangely mute about it when outside…). Verbally I mean – obviously, this site could never condone a few cracked skulls over it. Oh, and apparently if you want to piss off their Wankie cocksucking owner, just offer him a free holiday to Tel Aviv and a signed Ronnie Rosenthal picture…
Point to ponder: Yesterday for the second time in three weeks, we only had four players on the bench. Why? Do we really have that bad an injury crisis? Or is our squad really that small? DD had a mouth abscess, Ben Judge is only starting to come back in the reserves and Elliott Godfrey seems to be on a hospital bed more times than a swine flu victim. Even when you factor in Luke Garrard’s loan at Boreham Wood, that shouldn’t mean we are caught short.
I mentioned earlier we were under pressure, but are we shooting ourselves in the foot a bit here? I know we can’t put on more than three substitutes, but if a couple more get injured in training during the week, then what?
Perhaps our priority in January is to use the Chris Hussey money to get another couple of players in? Yes, I know we should save it for a rainy day/pay debt off/sort out KM a bit better etc, but I don’t particularly fancy our squad getting decimated either. Especially as our reserves aren’t quite good enough to make the jump yet.
Hussey’s departure and DD’s subsequent absence yesterday meant we were without a recognised LB. And also makes you realise just where the real priority lies in a football club. Twas ever thus…
Three’s a crowd: 3745, and much better atmosphere than Kiddy. Mind you, RPV playing their games at Garth Road cemetery would have had more atmosphere than that day. Telling comment from yesterday – when we went 2-0 down, and the inevitable stunned silence happened, a lone voice from the TE cried – “What do you want us to sing, Pullen?”. One suspects his outburst hasn’t been entirely forgotten, or dare I suggest forgiven.
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) First time we’ve lost two on the trot at KM since March 2008, when ETU and Horsham done us over. Thinking about it, this current blip is a hundred times better than the dross back then. And to think we went up that season. (2) Nice send-off for Chris Hussey. Let’s hope he remembers us and the adulation a year from now. (3) Anyone else see that Kettering did running warm up exercises before kick off? Maybe it explains their physicality. (4) “Tie my kangaroo down” by Rolf Harris on the PA. Why? Also, Plastic Bertrand’s ditty too. Shame it wasn’t the original lyrics by Elton Motello, though as the under-11s were on the pitch at the time is probably just as well. Either that or it might have upset the Kettering chairman a bit too much – hey, he’s the one “taking advice” from Wankie…
Anything else? To be honest, I don’t know if there is. Currently, it could just be a case of us needing a thumping win at KM to get us back on track. Got to say though, I’m both glad and concerned it’s the FAC next week. Glad because I think we need the weekend away from the Conf, so to speak. Although the FAC is a shadow of its former self these days, it does retain a bit of prestige for us lowly oiks, and I think it shows in the performances.
Concerned though, because it is losable (mind you, so is playing at home against the lowest ranked team) and the last thing we need is for our away form to suffer too. Regardless of competition. I suppose ideally we want a draw on Saturday then a 3-0 win at KM the following Tuesday. And no, I’d wouldn’t accuse the club of wanting a replay for the money it brings in if that was to happen. Honest.
So, was it worth it? No.
In a nutshell: Pass the opium.