Don’t you just hate repeats? Those of you who were at Ninian Park can look away now.
This report is 24 hours late, which could result in a 50% cut in my wages from Ready to Go (although the pay is so generous here, that shouldn’t be a problem). The reason it’s late is that I was busy at work but I was hoping that the 24 hours would pull me out of my depression. However, I’m finding it hard. Three defeats in a row. Three games without scoring. Three games without looking that close to scoring. Mick and the lads are looking tired. From hoping we had a slim chance of an automatic promotion place we are now worrying as to whether we could slip out of the play-offs altogether.
Selhurst Park is a horrible place in an area that is ugly even by London’s standards (and there is a lot of competition). We seem to have done a number of evening games over the years here. We get a decent following but it isn’t particularly representative of our usual lot. There are a disproportionate number of ties on display (London based office workers coming straight from work) and the poor lads and lasses who’ve made the journey from the NE to this South London hell hole look exhausted after the trip. So the mood wasn’t particularly upbeat from the off – it was to get a lot lower.
Macateer was back (Robinson not even on the bench) and Piper started on the right – with Arca in his favoured left back position. We started Okish – certainly at least as well as Palace. If anything we looked the little more confident going forward but we weren’t troubling their keeper. 20 minutes in, Poom goes to dive for the ball at the feet of a striker racing in, doesn’t get ball, gets man and so he’s off. The penalty was converted (when was the last time the opposition failed to score from a penalty against us?) and we spent the rest of the first half grateful that we didn’t go any further behind.
The second half we actually picked up a little for a while (so maybe not an exact repeat of Cardiff). We then shot ourselves in the foot. We had a free-kick just in our half but took it while the ball was moving. The second attempt we managed to give to them to run down, cross and goal. So that was that. They scored another but we’d lost interest by then.
The players went off looking really dejected – as they had against Ipswich and West Brom. Mick needs to lift them. We’ve got to get back to feeling good about ourselves and sharpish. This team may not be a premiership team but we’ve got a much better chance of building one in the premier than in the nationwide. Being a yo-yo club may not be great but it is a damn site better than being a permanent nationwide one.
Couple of points. First, I hate to admit it but Piper, one of my great hopes, was very poor before he went off. OK he had to keep switching from right to left when we were down to 10 but even before that he’d been poor. Also, what the hell is wrong with Thornton? When you have Stewart and Thornton on the bench, who would you bring on to help a 10 man team chase the game? As with the WBA game, Thornton looked like just the player to bring on but stayed on the bench. Stewart can be very effective in the penalty area – but on the left wing? I don’t think so.
We probably need another, say, 4 points to ensure we get a play-off place. So one draw and one win. I had hoped that we’d finish 3rd or 4th and have the second leg at home but that is of secondary importance. Poom will of course have to serve his suspension but with Myrhe there that is not as bad it might have been earlier on in the season. This was the first time this season that we’d strung three defeats together. We go to Wigan on Saturday (on the bliddy telly so have to get up at the crack of dawn to ensure sufficient alcohol-fueled enthusiasm by kick-off). Four defeats in a row and we’d be suicidal. A win and suddenly the world will be a wonderful place. That’s football. That’s SAFC.