Oh 'Ella!

Saturday 15th October
CML North
Easington United 1 Westella & Willerby 4

I don't do nights out anymore.  Every once in a while I try kidding myself that I'm still "pub fit" and can cope with a trawl of the Old Town's hostelries as easily as I did some twenty years ago.  Well I can't.  And if I needed reminding of the fact, this particular Friday morning at work did just that.

Having been tempted out into the big city once more the previous evening by a 'leaving do' arranged for a fellow real ale afficianado, I'd somehow convinced myself that a few pints of proper beer, steadily consumed over a few hours, couldn't do any real damage.

Initially, things went well.  A fine selection of Saltaire beers in The Burlington (I opted for the Blackberry Cascade) was followed by a pint of Barnsley Beer Company's "Shut Thi Gob" in the recently opened Bar Exchange before Walters Bar had me spoilt for choice. 

But of course it was too good to last.  After a couple of lovely little numbers, we were moving on - to spend the remainder of the night in Jaz, one of the countless cafe-bar style venues in the Old Town that do not count any "proper beer" among their otherwise extensive drinks range. 

So, add together three hours in one place (during which the only respite from drinking came when either walking to the Gents to empty one load or walking to the bar to take on board another) and supping draught Peroni and you perhaps get some idea of just why my bonce was banging the following day.

Of course I came out with the usual "Never again" sentiments to anyone who would listen (Mrs Slush not being amongt them!) and promised myself it would be some time before I allowed a headache like that to descend on me again...

Just two days later I had a similar feeling of wretchedness.  But this time the cause wasn't copious amounts of alcohol; my soreness was solely sport-related courtesy of a second "derby" defeat of the season.
Easington United v Westella & Willerby now constitutes a "derby"? Cuh, that used to be a term that reserved for games against Holmpton and Patrington when I first got involved at Low Farm.  Indeed a trip to Westella's home on "t'other side of town" would have been regarded as one of the longer away trips.  How times have changed.
Bridlington Town chairman Pete Smurthwaite is one of the more knowledgeable voices on local football and is always a good listen on Radio Humberside's "Sports Talk" show.  He went up even further in my estimation on Friday's programme when listing Easington United as one of the clubs people might like to check out the following day.  And although he didn't go so far as to say he had us down for a home win, I'd like to think he was rooting for us...
Although the league table suggested otherwise, I was quietly confident beforehand. I knew we hadn't done ourselves justice in the game at their place and this alone should be sufficient to avoid any repeat. In addition I felt squad-wise we were stronger than that night in August.
So as I ambled down to the Village Square early on Saturday morning for an impromptu meeting with the estimable Graham Stuart, my local MP (I kid ye not) I didn't mind telling all who enquired that I had "a good feeling" about the game in store.  I made the same mistake in Withernsea an hour or so later. 
I wish I'd taken the advice of the Barnsley Beer Company brew I'd been sampling just two nights earlier! 

That's close...

In fairness the first half saw us dominate for large periods and how we came to be two down at the break was beyond not just me but most of the sixty-odd spectators present, including the opposition management.
Sadly we once again paid the price for being unable to turn our superiority at one end into goals while paying dearly for the occasional lapses at the other.
Having hardly had a whiff of our goal in the opening 25 minutes, 'Ella took the lead when Fitzy lost his man at a corner.

That's closer

Then, with the referee already checking his watch for half-time, our impetuous young winger dropped another clanger - barging through the back of the returning "Man Mountain" inside the area.  Charlie saves a lot of penalties - but not on this occasion. 
Half-time brought good news from Eastrington where Casuals boss Maccer had marked his 700th Eastenders appearance with his side's sixth win in as many games to remain well clear at the top of Division 5.  Amusingly, he'd also passed up the chance to mark the occasion with a goal - missing from the spot in a 4-1 victory. 
Unfortunately the next phone call didn't bring such positivity - the Reserves had gone down six nil at Park Athletic.  It was a real tale of woe from the 3G surface at South Hundley, with Jimmy D having seen red and another four players yellow carded in a game in which the Stiffs had trailed by five at half-time - while hitting the woodwork three times and passing up four one-on-ones at the opposite end.  Anybody telling manager Meddy that "it's a funny old game" would probably have been given short shrift on Saturday night.

Pitch looks well!

Not that the events at Low Farm were particularly amusing either.  Only briefly did we look like salvaging something from the game.  When Frosty seized on a defensive mistake to make it 1-3 there was a small window of opportunity but it was one that was slammed shut a few minutes later when Jonny Slater slotted home goal number four.  To make matters worse the goal came in similar frustratingly easy manner to that with which fellow sub Mike Thompson had earlier made it 3-0. 
The final whistle blew and my head felt no better.  Perhaps I need another night out...

Thanks to Burt Graham for the photos.  Match report can be found here.  Colin Brammer's photos can be found here.