Cup competitions are strange beings. For every Thurrock we get a Brimsdown. For every Hendon we get an Ilford. And for every Banstead we get Last Year’s CCL Champions 4 Last Year’s CCL Also-rans 1. It was a test for how much we’ve come since the heady days of last season, and when a semi-second string team whips their arse, I think it says it all.
We opened the scoring after 8 minutes thanks to some damn good passing, letting Prigent slot home. I can’t help noticing that we’re passing a lot more these days – we did it against Ashford and last night as well. QED. Steve “Gibbo” Gibson doubled the lead, with a damn fine strike. Surely the floodgates would be opened?
Er, no. True to form, CU did their equivalent of shitting in a cistern by pulling a goal back. OK, they celebrated like they’d all scored a quick 30 minutes with Abi Titmus and her video camera, but somehow they just weren’t going to score again.
And so it proved. We had to wait until the last 10 minutes before we put the game out of reach, Leon McDowall with a Matt E style header from a corner, minus the abject fear on the defender’s face when he comes charging in. The game was put beyond reach on 90 minutes thanks to Martin Randall. Everyone was happy, except the guy who predicted 3-1 on a prediction league.
As for the rest of it…
Plus points: Good showing. Some nice passing.
Minus points: Them scoring
The referee’s a…..: Bit on the pedantic, picky side. Not the sort of guy you would watch a porno with, he’d be pointing out the holes in the plotline. Imagine it : “Wait, she didn’t come in with that guy…”
Them: Tried their hardest, in a lowly, cannon fodder kind of way. Kit looked like Ajax Amsterdam, played like Ajax the floor cleaner. Their #8 was a mouthy wanker, deliberately handled the ball then tried to deflect the barrage of hate from the hAE by asking “what’s the score?” when we were winning. He did shut us up, but that was down to the sheer stupidity of his statement.
Three’s a crowd: Actually, a turnout of 800 odd wasn’t bad, considering it was near Xmas and it’s a tournament nobody really gives a shit about at this stage. However, I’m sure there’s a spot of potential here for AFCW for these sort of games. Would there be any harm in offering some sort of incentive for those who turn up, for example a money off voucher from the club shop simply for making the effort? These sort of things always seem to go down well – witness the little goody bag at Ashford – and it would make a nice change from the occasional reminder about the Ground Debt…
Point to ponder: After last season’s shenanighans, wasn’t it a shame it wasn’t Chessington and Right Hook that we were playing with last night?
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) The WB toilets being out of action at the same time as your humbled/esteemed editor decided to go down the WB end after a couple of pints of Guinness. Even the goons on “I’m A Celeb..” never had to put up with this. (2) Being told off for swearing by a couple of chavs. Truly, the depths have been irreversably plunged….
Anything else? Yeah. Phillo is clearly heading towards a career with Magic FM. The last time I heard Andy Williams at a football ground, the tannoy guy was collecting his free TV licence.
So, was it worth it? A pleasant enough evening.
In a nutshell: Bring on Palace. Assuming Ks withdraw…