If truth be told, I wasn’t planning to do a report on the Horsham FAC game, especially as it’s midweek and especially as it’s so late. However, after a drive in rather pissing horrible rain on the M23, and a cold can of Lech nicely opened, I feel the need to ramble. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I did a midnight update – probably in the WFC era. Somehow, that feels further away than ever right now…
Yes, we’re out of the FAC. I’m not anti-penalties at all, but it really does suck losing on them – poor Sam Hatton must be keeping himself away from sharp objects, judging by his reaction. Yes, we were all right in the first half, and flatter than Kylie Minogue’s chest pre-op for the rest of it. Yes, Horsham probably deserved to get through, albeit not by much. And let’s be honest, they had to beat us sometime.
Right now, the issue isn’t how numb I feel. It’s how numb I don’t feel. I’m fucked off, and I might be a little bit angrier later on, that we failed to put away our best chance of winning on Saturday. If I’m angry right now, it’s the people who pissed off the football gods by openly discussing Chippenham away. Well, you still can do it now, but you’ll have to learn some Lardie songs while you’re at it.
Before the beginning of the season, I was telling anyone who asked that I didn’t think we’d do well in the cups this year. We’re now out of the FAC, and if truth be told we’ll struggle Saturday. Something just ain’t right at AFCW right now, it was our bare boned lineup that probably did it.
If we had Danny Webb fit. If we had Richard Jolly out of the doghouse and out of the treatment room. If RB was 100% fit. If we didn’t have to play Garrard a bit more forward tonight. If Seb Kneißl was fit (and boy, did he looked really POed that he wasn’t playing before the game). If Garrard and Robin Shroot didn’t come off at HT. If, if if….. All too many iffs, a great deal of buts and too many maybes for my liking.
When we reverted to the old way of playing in the second half, we just weren’t going to get it in normal time. That to me is what’s disappointing tonight – we looked like nothing. I’m afraid to say we looked distinctly ordinary. What worries me right now is this. It’s not losing tonight, nor even losing this coming Saturday. As said before, we can do without cup runs this year. It’s the likelyhood of getting that big kickass victory that makes everyone sit up and think “fuck yeah”. Right now, I just can’t see us getting it.
If we’d won tonight, and beaten Chippenham, we’d be buzzing. Hell, even us winning tonight on penalties would have us talking about getting Leeds in the first round. That ain’t gonna happen for this season at least. We do still have a chance to kickstart our season on Saturday with a good win against Hendon. Again, I can’t see it happening right now. Could our season be effectively over come Saturday at 4.50pm? Quite possibly it could, because then there’s no scope for that big morale boosting victory. No David v Goliath contest which briefly kicked us into life last time out. How much of a comedown will it be if we realise there won’t be another Aldershot, or Gravesend gloryfest this season? Instead, we’ll have to raise our game to visit Heybridge, or Folkestone, or Ramsgutter.
That’s why I’m concerned right now. I can take a loss on penalties, it happens to the best teams around, plus ourselves. Our priority is, was, and always will be getting out of this fucking poxy division this season. Unfortunately, this team – no, fuck it, this club – needs a massive shot in the arm from somewhere. I don’t know how we’re going to get it, and more concerning, I don’t know when. Depressing, ain’t it?
Anyway, if you read the NLT, get hold of the online edition of their weekly publication. I’m doing an FAT preview and I’m going to interview one of our players. Wish me luck. And more to the point, wish them luck as well…..