Mountain high

Saturday 12th March - AFC Hucknall (home) Lost 3-4

Reserves manager Kevin Appleyard set off for a well-deserved family break at Center Parcs shortly after the Forum debacle, allowing him to cool down and me to do some digging as to whether there was now a serious rift in our ranks.

After a Monday spent talking to as many of the central characters as I could, plus liaising with both the Club Chairman and Vice-Chair, I arranged a Development Group Meeting for the following week.  We may have to get through the forthcoming weekend on a wing and a prayer but at least something was now set in place to get round the table and resolve certain matters.

That sorted, I now had the prospect of City v Burnley on Tuesday to provide a welcome, albeit brief, distraction.  Hmm, there's a saying "you should never go back" in football and, as described previously, my return to the East Stand served only to reinforce it!

This may constitute sexual assault in some parts?

Checking the late night Twitter traffic on my return home from the KC, one result in particular caught my eye.  This being Bridlington Town's 5-0 thrashing of local rivals (& ground tenants) Scarborough Athletic in the NCEL Premier Division.  Wow!
I have a lot of time for 'The Seasiders', born mainly out of some tremendous past encounters with them, including a particularly memorable East Riding County FA Senior Cup semi-final at Dene Park back in 2002.  Town eventually beat us 2-1 in "Golden Goal" extra-time but only after we'd taken the lead, played almost half the game with ten men and kept them out almost entirely thanks to what local author Craig Ellyard described in his Now Then! book (on East Yorkshire football) as "the sort of game which only ever happens in the more far fetched comic books" from "incredible" goalkeeper...one Kevin Appleyard!

On a personal front my current links with Brid also extend to regular communication with Town's website/programme guru Dom Taylor (whose roots are down the old East End of Holderness) and Club Chairman (indeed "Saviour") Pete Smurthwaite, with who I share membership of the ER County League Management Committee and whose regular guest presenter appearances on BBC Radio Humberside's nightly Sports Talk programme are always worth a listen.

The Seasiders won the Premier Division title last term but declined promotion on financial grounds.  The win over 'Boro left them handily placed to challenge for the championship again.  I for one hope they can do it.

Colin (above) & Burt (below) catch this better than Chaz

 

As we approached the weekend - and my 45th birthday - my optimism about things was returning.

Jeremy Vine was playing "The Closest Thing To Heaven" by The Kane Gang  on the radio, the sun was shining and I had the first instalment of Andrew Davies' new adaptation of South Riding to catch up on from the weekend.

This latest version of Winifred Holtby's classic story was filmed on location in various areas not too far from home, in particular Sunk Island.  And although panned by some critics, I found it extremely watchable - and not only because I'd been tipped off to look out for former Hull City fanzine-meister and current Eastenders programme designer Andy Medcalf's younger brother popping up as an extra!

I was even more delighted to find the 1974 ITV version is now available on DVD.  This, if I recall correctly, was filmed even closer to home with the shacks that ran adjacent to the Withernsea-Holmpton road near the Hollym turn-off playing a prominent part.  I'll put it on my "Wish For" list...
Eve-of-match day brought with it the usual late panic over numbers, with returning Reserves boss Kev stating he'd just about cobbled enough men together to face Park Athletic on the 3G at South Hunsley without having to dip into Maccer's Casuals ranks as they looked to continue their promotion push at nearby Withernsea.

I passed the day listening to yet another Cricket World Cup match involving "The Entertainers" - or England as they're officially known.  The latest instalment of their topsy-turvy campaign saw them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Bangladesh.  They had now lost to two of the supposed minnows in the competition, survived a scare against Holland, beaten the choking Safas and tied against favourites India.  A win over West Indies would now be required next week if they were to have any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.

AFC Hucknall were the visitors to Low Farm on a match day that dawned quite bright.  I know because I was up and into work early to copy off that day's match programme.
Our visitors have somewhat gone off the boil following a blistering start to life in the CML.  Given the history of "Reserve" teams in the Humber Premier League this is perhaps not so surprising.  Players not getting a sniff of first team action decide to head off elsewhere and the "Reserves" (my use of speech marks intentional due to our opponents' name not actually immediately identifying them as the second-string of Evo-Stik League outfit Hucknall Town) suffer as a consequence.
A post-match conversation with Hucknall boss Danny Pheasant pretty much endorsed this view.  His team sheet for the game bore just one name from the team we'd beaten so memorably at Watnall Road back in August.  Several players had been promoted to a struggling first eleven, while many others had opted for other locally based semi-pro clubs.  Mind you, on this evidence, the Nottinghamshire side are building themselves another handy looking squad.

Lest we forget

The afternoon didn't begin too well when Hucknall arrived in their first choice colours of yellow and black; this despite my confirmation earlier in the week that they would come in all-white, cuh!  Thankfully, Chairman (& "Jack of all trades") Doug was on hand to race away from his primary task of fixing the referee's shower to pick up our second choice away strip.  And so the game could begin...though not before we'd observed a minute's silence in memory of one-time club record goalscorer Melvin Douglas and fellow former player Mike "Raggy" Hudson.  Both were definite "characters" during their time with the Club and both departed this earth at a tragically young age, on 9th March 1991 and 3rd March 1997, respectively.  We try to ensure they're never forgotten (a task enhanced by the Memorial Benches to both players now in situ at Low Farm)  and the twentieth anniversary of Melv's departure, in particular, demanded to be marked.
Unfortunately, most of our lads were seemingly still observing the silence when Charlie was forced into a blinding save inside the opening minute.  It set the tone for another sluggish start, similar to that made in recent home games against Bentley and Kiveton.  And as with the first of those, we were punished for it.
As someone who tried - and usually failed - to combine Friday night drinking with playing football the following afternoon, I have some sympathy for those among the current ranks who seem unable to defy temptation at the end of a working week.
However, for some - like right back Brett - this game cruelly exposed the error of his ways.  A product of the Under 15/16 team, from which several of our current senior squad have emerged, Brett has done really well since first forcing his way into the First Eleven.  Indeed, against Kiveton he'd been little short of immense in parts.  Today, however, he would have a shocker.
His wayward defensive header set up Hucknall's Zach Bartlett for the first of the Hucknall striker's hat-trick on 22 minutes.  Then poor marking at the front stick allowed a corner to be flicked on for Bartlett to convert his second just three minutes later.  And had Matt Wiklo's volley moments later being slightly better placed, the game would have been lost before the half-hour mark.
"Brettles" wasn't alone in having a nightmare first half.  As a team, defensively we were all over the place.  AG and Blounty were doing their best "Chuckle Brothers" routine in the middle, while Wiklo was giving Kempy and Bezza all sorts of problems down our left.

Mountain shoots...

...Mountain scores

Then, with half-time a few minutes away and most of the 48-strong crowd perhaps releived that we were only two down, out of the blue (literally!) we scored.  Blounty's pass finding Man Mountain who finished expertly.
A minute later Hucknall keeper Jack Harvey had to move smartly to preserve his team's lead into the break.  Second best for 40 minutes and we could still have come off at two apiece.  Football, eh, it's a funny old game.
Unfortunately, a repeat of our sluggish start in the second half quickly allowed Bartlett to complete his hat-trick and Hucknall to restore their two-goal cushion.  We were in dire need of some inspiration.
It came on the hour mark with the double-introduction of Frosty and Farny.  Suddenly there was a spring in the step and some bite in the challenge.

 

 

Up and over for Mountain's second

On 68mins Bezza released Man Mountain who again finished like a 20-goal striker.  2-3, game back on.

And ten minutes from time the escape looked complete when an excellent move down the right saw Frosty cross for Man Mountain to complete a stunning treble of his own.  3-3, and marked by a contender for "Goal Celebration of the Day"!

Three peaks!

We would now surely go on and win it.  Hucknall heads were down, we were on the front foot.  But, no, Bezza got caught in possession left side of midfield, a quick counter-attack, cross to the far post and Hucknall new boy Theo Ganderson planted a thumping header into the top corner.  No chance for Charlie.  And no more hope for us.  The final five minutes would see the visitors come closer to netting a fifth than we would to levelling again.
There's little consolation to be gleaned from defeats like this but en route to the Granby I tried to take what I could from the manner of our second half fightback.  But that only left me even more frustrated about our first half performance.  Indeed, the erratic nature of the overall display probably summed up our current season perfectly.

Saturday night's web updates were performed with less enthusiasm than usual - despite the positive reaction to the celebration pic and some accompanying audio quality from latest coolsters Frankie & The Heartstrings and fellow beat combo The Courteeners - but at least I had one thing to console myself with as I headed off up to bed; tomorrow was my birthday.  What's more, it was also "Big Willie Day"...

NOTE: Within hours of first appearing, the photograph at the top of this piece, showing Frosty lying on his back to illustrate the "quality of the balls I keep deliverin' to Owen" (get it?), had been distributed to nearly 1,500 people.  Ah, the powers of Twitter! 

Photos courtesy of Colin Brammer & Burt Graham
 

A defining moment...or two?

Saturday 5th March - Kiveton Park (home) Won 3-0
Tuesday 8th March - Hull City 0 Burnley 1

I should have been cock-a-hoop as I first prepared this post (some weeks ago now!).  On the Saturday  - three days prior  to beginning bashing the keyboard - we had chalked up our first league win since October (which also came against "Kivo") and moved up to seventh in the Premier Division table.  
In addition, the following Tuesday I was to revisit the East Stand at the KC Stadium for the first time since the "pre-Championship-on-the-way-up" days, where a Hull City side fresh from ending Nottingham Forest's 36-match unbeaten run at home were set to entertain in-form Burnley in one of the night's most attractive looking fixtures. 

Catch of the Day

Unfortunately, however, my mood had been tempered somewhat by events that despite my not witnessing them first hand and which, strictly speaking, were out of my control I still felt in some way responsible for.  
For the first time that I could ever remember, an Easington United team (in this case the Reserves) had conceded the points from a league game AFTER actually setting off.  Their ER County League Premier Division fixture at Bridlington side Forum FC was conceded within two hours of kick-off, much to the understandable frustration of the the hosts and with possible financial repurcussions for ourselves.

Brett entertains a packed North Stand

In truth it's a scenario that has been on the cards for some time.  The Stiffs have endured a torrid time of late, not just in terms of results but having suffered more than most at the hands of the weather and seeing manager Kev ruled out of action and removed from the frontline with a broken leg sustained during one of his all-too-rare appearances at North Cave back in November.
It's a combination that has since led to a lack of bodies on match days.   But to come to a head like this is very hard to swallow.  As part of my job is to ensure that on a Saturday afternoon, each Easington team in action is at the correct venue with the correct number of players and wearing the correct colours, I took the Stiffs' failure personally.   

What I subsequently found more hurtful was the accusation by some within the Club that what happened with the Reserves wouldn't matter because the First Team won; the inference obviously being that results at senior level override all other events within the club.  As I wrote in the subsequent week's programme and on the club website, that is definitely not the case. 
That said, this is a blog primarily about the fixtures that do take place and that I actually get to see.  So, let's move on to some of the details  of a much-needed 3-0 win at Low Farm rather than dwelling on what might or might not have occured en route to Brid.
  

Fresh from the frustration of Nottingham, Mack took the opportunity before kick-off to highlight the fact that a run of 9 home matches in the last 13 fixtures could still see us drastically improve our league position in the CML Premier Division.  

A provisional target of 30pts was written large on the Nobo board.  Cue plenty of tub-thumping and good intentions...

A man on a mission

Not that it counted for much as we made a sluggish start to proceedings.  Again.  In fairness to our visitors (who, it must be said, are certainly among the more affable opponents in what is at any rate a very friendly competition) we were very fortunate to come off at half-time still on level terms.

"He's no Terry Butcher"

Admittedly, we weren't helped by a nasty gash to the head that forced Blounty off the park - thus splitting up our hitherto entertaining central defensive duo of Barry & Paul Chuckle.
At least Danny's withdrawal allowed the Farm Faithful their first look at new signing Ricky Kemp.  And the Barton Town man was to leave them impressied by much of what he did...although, apart from Pete Farndale, not many will take kindly to his choice of Leeds United leisurewear on match days.  Club tracksuit required ASAP.

"He's new thoo knows?"

Kiveton had definitely shaded matters territorially and created the better of the chances.  Some of their play was a pleasure to watch, slick passing and good movement off the ball; on this evidence there's no wonder they're enjoying a much better campaign this time round.
Thankfully, in a game in which it always seemed the first goal would be crucial, it fell our way thanks to Mozzer's stonking strike from 25 yards.

"One Nil"

His second, from a corner, put us firmly in the driving seat and Kivo were already a beaten side by the time Gav smacked home number three near the end.  A defining moment in our season perhaps?

Mozzer doubles up

As a side-note, the first and second goals prompted much mirth among the home Committee given that both saw the ball disappear through the back of the goal net.  Head Groundsman 'Brim' Biglin duly took the blame...

"I've put 'em right lads...in case we get a third!"

We did...and the net held firm!

An enjoyable day on the home front had also seen the surprise but welcome - albeit temporary - return to the First Team fold  of former asst-boss 'Nige'.  He enjoyed a productive run off the bench and his performance certainly gave Mack much post-match food for thought.
My collection of some overdue "fines" and a convivial post-match atmosphere involving members of the Stiffs, who'd come down to watch, also helped divert thoughts away from the obvious trouble brewing elsewhere in the "Ezzie Family". 
And given the increased tetchiness among members of the Second XI, hearing of a well-deserved point gained by a full-strength Casuals at promotion rivals Shiptonthorpe, was perhaps not the news they wanted to hear.  I braced myself for the predictable texts and emails to follow. 

Still, this was put to the back of my mind and I retired to the Granby buoyed by news of Super Matty Fryatt's winner in front of three and a half thousand travelling Tigers at The City Ground, Nottingham.  Sets things up nicely for Tuesday night thought I...

If there's one thing I've learnt as a Hull City fan of some thirty-odd years, it's that there's no club like East Yorkshire's finest for building you up only to knock you straight back down.

And so perhaps I shouldn't have been too surprised by the fact that my return to the East Stand would be accompanied by defeat to one of our main  top six rivals.  A defining moment in their Play-off pursuit perhaps?

Stung by a sucker punch early on from newly-arrived Aston Villa loanee Nathan Delfuoneso, the Tigers certainly had their moments.  Super Matt couldn't quite cap one of the few incisive moves of the first half, while Andy Dawson was denied by a fine save at the start of the second half.  However, the best chance fell to match programme cover star Corry Evans on 69mins but, having been played through by Aaron McLean's excellent pass, he too was denied by Grant.

"Why couldn't he have signed a day later?"

Burnley were also forced to defend what seemed an unusually high number of corners but sadly for the majority of the 21,000 crowd, Anthony Gerrard endured a rare "threepenny bit of a head" night.  

In truth the Clarets could well have doubled their tally on the break and overall it wasn't a bad game, although you wouldn't have thought so given the subdued atmosphere inside the ground.  

The East Stand was far from the "cauldron of noise" that I'd hoped it might be and, indeed, had been for fleeting moments during my last visit to the ground for the Leeds game.  My disappointment was compounded by the glut of ignorant and innane comments generally aimed in the direction of current "boo Boy" James Harper.  It was enough to ensure I'll revert to the Upper West for my next return (at least "Arps" can be assured a better class of insult from up there).

Thankfully, despite the result, there was enough evidence to suggest that under the increasingly popular manager Nigel Pearson, this City side may take the odd step backwards in the short term but the long-term direction is very much forwards.

I went to bed wondering whether I'd be saying the same about our Reserve team in a few days time...

Photos courtesy of Colin Brammer & Burt Graham

"No dickets to Dottingham..."

Saturday 26th February - Nottingham United (away) 
Drew 3-3

It's Tuesday and Mrs Slush has decided to watch the "One Born Every Minute" she recorded the previous night.

At this point, may I point out that I had no hand in the decision to deem this programme worthy of space on the hard drive - I was in the White Horse "thrashing out" the finer points of our forthcoming arrangement with mine host Barry, soon-to-be the new face of our post-match watering hole, The Marquis of Granby.  (I might add that this was done over a very nice couple of pints of Tetley Cask, which itself surprised me as I haven't touched that particular brew since "The Lord's Tears" lost its allure for me some years back.)  But I digress. 
What is it about women who do nothing but complain about the pain felt during child-birth ("men should be forced to go through it" blah blah etc etc) then cannot wait to watch programmes that bring it right back into focus.  What's more, they then get mad when you don't wish to share the "experience".  Again.  For chrissakes, I was there at the arrival of both the Slushettes, I have no burning desire to sit through it all again on my telly screen.

Then there's the tears.  Bloody hell.  I hadn't seen so many since we beat Withernsea in the 1997 South Holderness Cup Final.  So, what did I do?  Sit down beside and give her a hug, assure her everything will be alright and reminisce about both "special nights" of our own?  You're having a laugh - it was into the study to catch up on the Blog.

Not that my account of the latest instalment of the Eastenders' CML story amounts to much - I wasn't there.

A mild bout of man-flu and a full complement on the bus combined to ensure that the trip to the 3G pitch at the Gresham Sports Pavilion last Saturday became the fourth I'd missed since we joined the Central Midlands League.

Given the result - a fifth successive away draw in all competitions - and the lack of reports of a quality cask ale in the post-match watering hole, on balance it appears not to have been a bad one to miss.

The game itself saw goals from Andy M and Gav fire us into a two-goal lead inside the opening half-hour, with several other chances to wrap things up before the break going begging.

A foul by Blounty then offered the hosts a lifeline on the stroke of half-time, which they accepted courtesy of Sean Canning.

The equaliser came when home striker Andrew Richards was afforded too much time and space within a minute of the second half restart.

A second penalty, this time awarded after skipper AG had been fouled, saw Andy M fire us back into the lead but, with just a minute left, Charlie got invovled in an incident at a corner - seen by the referee's assistant - and Canning was given a second opportunity from twelve yards out.  He didn't miss.

Other than the bare facts and a read through the hosts' well produced match programme I have little else to report.  Nobody even thought it worth reporting back on the quality of ale available in the post-match watering hole, The Varsity.  Perhaps the comment, "there was plenty of fanny in there" explains why. 

In summary, frustration appeared to be the overriding emotion of both the manager and skipper when I caught up with them afterwards. 
And frustration would also be a good word to sum up my own mood - I'd wanted to use this hour to catch-up on the first episode of the locally-filmed Sunday night serial South Riding!