“The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time – a time to contemplate your immortality.”
Frederick Lenz.
I love football under the lights and it was great that the last game of the year should be an evening game. Rumour has it that the game was held on a Friday night so that husbands would accompany their wives to the Grand Arcade on the Saturday for a glorious bout of Christmas shopping. Perhaps I’m the only one to ignore that temptation? Anyway, although the crowd was smaller than it has been and the South Stand looked a bit sparse, there was plenty of noise and atmosphere. I had to admire the 99 hardy souls who had travelled down from Lancashire on a Friday night to watch a team which has been struggling – albeit one which has beaten Swindon and MK Dons. These days it’s hard to travel anywhere, as those who expected to get onto the A14 at Fen Ditton would testify. I rarely wear Christmas gear but gamely donned a Christmas hat with a beard attached. Some found it sinister but at least it appealed to Marvin who was also in festive mood. We were all hoping that we would end this year rather better off than last year. Indeed we already had. Surely we could settle back and enjoy a feast of football?
I was pleased with the lineup, which featured a back three including Mamadou Jobe, and had Gibbons playing behind Bennett, who had licence to roam – and what a game Bennett had as a result. I always anticipate a good performance from George Hoddle. Apparently Uncle Glenn was in the crowd and enjoyed a fine pie as well as another performance full of promise. He looks here to stay. Mayor looks better and better and, like Jobe, will play at a higher level – if I know anything. We began really well for about 15 minutes, after which we went a bit flat. Stanley changed formation and played some pretty stuff without mounting much of a threat, indeed I laughed at loud at an overhead kick by Whalley which missed his intended target by a long, long way. The Accrington team had been weakened by a flu epidemic. They could only manage five subs and I thought, considering that, they were making a good fist of things. Unlike rookie Referee Ritchie Watkins, who wasn’t really up to it. Watching Accrington’s staged injuries was a bit like watching Liverpool, who surely coach their players in the art of rolling about as if shot. The booking of Watts for a perfectly good tackle was particularly absurd, especially as he missed a few nasty challenges on our players, notably Mpanzu and Bennett, who was causing chaos. If only we had a big, awkward centre forward to make the most of his crosses. We are in the market for a couple of forwards. I gather that Paul Mullin isn’t getting much game time at Wigan and no doubt there are some youngsters at Premier League clubs desperate to make an impression. Just saying. This is a very good squad, especially in defence but we do need a cutting edge.
Jobe and Appere both had chances to score with headers and I was beginning to think that it was going to be just one of those nights when James Gibbons scored a cracker. Game over really at that point. We could have had two or three by then but I couldn’t see Accrington scoring if we’d played all night.
For periods of the second half Accrington were ripped to shreds and defended desperately. We might have scored more but Kai Kai scored a header, of all things, from close in and then it really was all over. Lavery and Mcloughlin came on and, towards the end, the away side had a bit of a go. Eastwood wasn’t really troubled though. People had their doubts about him early in the season but what a fine goalkeeper he has turned out to be. Fortunately he stood up to an appalling challenge from a Stanley player which the hapless Referee seemed to miss entirely.
It wonderful to watch a stress free game and to anticipate the rest of the season with the confident expectation of success. We are just outside the playoffs but only six points behind the leaders, who won’t relish coming here on New Year’s Day. How good it was to see the 2013-14 squad at half time. They will always be part of our proud heritage. The current team have a lot to live up to and somehow I think they will.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year- which leads to promotion!