Somehow, you knew this was coming. I guess that Deadwood 2 Ash Trees 2 could have been worse, but quite simply this must have been our worst result in ages. Why? Because we were 2-0 up, looking pretty comfortable and suddenly we were close to a knockout that may have even made Final Score.
The thought that crosses my mind is this : does the AFCW factor affect our players? Not so much in the intensity of playing for us, but the attitude that as we are AFCW we shouldn’t be breaking a sweat against lower division teams. We have basically forgotten to learn how to play for 90 minutes. So, why is this so? I dunno.
Also, is it me or does something not feel right at AFCW at the moment? Have we just found out we’ve become a “real” club without anyone noticing? I can’t quite put my finger on things, but the uncompleted Tempest End seems symbolic of the club right now. The framework is there, but we’re now in limbo. We’re waiting for the cladding to be put on, in more ways than one. There seems to be an air of frustration about : we can see it, but we can’t have it right now….
It’s not as though we’re out of our depth against the likes of Staines. Yes, we have injuries, but we’re a big squad dammit. If we were being outplayed week in, week out, I’d accept it. But we’re not. We weren’t outplayed yesterday, except for about the first five minutes and the last ten. No team has taken us apart so far, even with a great deal of our side out.
Obviously, if you want to read the goings on in the game, buy the NLP. Just hope they got rid of the very minor typo I’ve just discovered.
As for the rest of it…
Plus points: We didn’t lose.
Minus points: Should have won.
The referee’s a….. : Oh christ, didn’t he just love himself? Didn’t he just love the way he went over to our bench and calmed it down for suggesting he was a cunt? Or the drop ball? In future, we ought to have the match tickets stating the ref’s name at the top, with the actual game in very small letters underneath.
Them: Got out of jail, and they knew it. Certainly celebrated their draw like an FA Cup final win. Never seen so many of their fans in one place. You can see why they’re top of their division. Their manager was a nice bloke though, and their help in our setup should never be forgotten.
Point to ponder (1): Could a replay work in our favour? DA said last night that he’s going to make some major changes – fuck knows who, but if RB is close to fitness again expect a cameo – and it’s not like we’re going to have a fixture backlog. It seems that AT knew they had their chance yesterday, and we really need to get that performance out of our system…
Meet the press: Your humble/esteemed editor spent the whole 90 minutes in the AFCW press box. No, SW19 hasn’t suddenly become an officially recognised publication of AFC Wimbledon. Basically, the NLP report needed quotes PDQ and it was easiest for me to get them there. First time I’ve ever been in there, and I’ve been in worse. Anyway, I have to say it is a dead weird experience watching us from the confines of the perspexed booth at the back of the Main Stand. You can’t join in with chants, you have to temper your excitement when we score, and you do have to remain a bit impartial. On the plus side, you do get lots of freebies : free entry, free programme, free teamsheet, free drinks, free use of the Red Bull bird….
Three’s a crowd: Hands up if you believe that 1619 was the real turnout yesterday. Hmm. I couldn’t possibly repeat what many (most?) people were thinking without some legal bitchslap on me. So here’s another thought : what is the capacity of the ground sans hAE TE? 3000? If so, there was no way that it was half full (and this comment was made by two non-AFCW people in the press box). 2500? Makes you realise just how small KM is, if so. And didn’t the capacity of KM go up a few seasons ago simply because of some change of circumstance on the hAE?
Point to ponder (2): Michael Harvey. Yes, I know he got a good reception, but I’m still uncomfortable with him being back at us. Reports of an unsavoury incident in one of the bars yesterday doesn’t really sound surprising, and I wonder how many of his hangers-on will piss people off? Obviously, if he scores 10 goals within the next month, he can have rows with as many coppers as he likes.
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Saw Nasty Womble and his old man looking healthy enough in the Main Stand. Remember that the old guy was the one stretchered away at Bromley. (2) What was the little “discussion” about in the WB after their second goal?
Anything else? Not really. Just can’t help thinking that we need a big lift somewhere. Or perhaps just as importantly, somehow.
So, was it worth it? Well, we get a nice trip to Middlesex on Tuesday
In a nutshell: The magic of the cup..