Mistakes will 'appen

Saturday 28th January

CML North Division

Easington United 0 Kinsley Boys 4

One of the highlights of our first season in the Central Midlands League was the 6-2 win over Supreme Division opponents Kinsley Boys in the preliminary round of the League Cup.  A picture from that game – showing Joni Purse netting our sixth goal – forms part of the header-banner for this blog.

Along with my memories of the match, I can recall it was a scorching day down on the Humber Riviera and our attendance was boosted by our opponents having brought a coach, which despite the result didn’t leave the village until early evening.

Therefore it was no surprise when Kinsley’s affable secretary, Andy Rollin, informed me prior to this season’s league meeting that the West Yorkshire side would again be bringing a bus.  Now all I required was a repeat of the weather and result of 12th September 2009.  Ah…

We had friends around the day after the Parkhouse win.  Ostensibly this was to plan a forthcoming trip to Center Parcs.  In reality, only the women took this task seriously, drawing up lists of everything – from pre-holiday shopping to “things to do” while there.  Meanwhile, as the kids ran amok upstairs, ‘Nige’ and I retired to the kitchen to quaff some fine bottled ales, listen to Rovers’ dismantling neighbours Hull FC in the pre-season derby and pick the bones out of our respective games the previous day.  Given his participation in what sounded a fairly poor Reserves display at home to Reckitts, there was also a certain amount of “putting the world to rights” involved.

It was either windy or whoever applied this was very, very drunk!

The day before the Reserves' fixture had seen some interlopers make a few adjustments to our Low Farm ground.  In particular, the Farm Shed had had something of a "makeover".  It had been re-christened the "North West Ryvita Stand" in honour of the size of most of its regular match day occupants.

The following day had therefore marked its "(un)official unveiling" with a set of scales brought in to record the first day total.  The size of the crowd can perhaps be gauged by a gross weight of 109 stone.  Hmm, what some people will do for that little bit of extra enjoyment on a Saturday afternoon.

It's all very scientific

Ted looks suitably underwhelmed

A week free of meetings meant no hindrance to my enjoyment of a big week on Corrie.  As things came to a head between Becky and Tracy (come on, I know you know who I’m referring to) it again reinforced just why ITV’s flagship soap simply wipes the floor with its doom-laden rival on the Beeb.

Not sure they're part of your pre-match checks, Ian?

On Monday morning Chris Evans played ‘This Is Your Life’, the Top Twenty 1991 track by Communards-offshoot Banderas.  There are certain tunes that immediately put a smile on my face and this is one of them.  The following night I chanced across another such musical offering, courtesy of the latest release by Saint Etienne.  The providers of the soundtrack to so many evenings spent with the radio in the early Nineties, ‘Tonight’ is the debut single from the band’s first new album in seven years.  Sarah Cracknell still sounds as good.  And looks it too!

"Did you watch Corrie, Bo?" / "Down't tawk stoopid Bri!"

There was some surrealism about the Cardiff v Crystal Palace League Cup semi-final, live on BBC on Tuesday night.  For the last quarter of the game, ten-men Palace’s central defensive duo comprised ex-Tiger Anthony Gardner and Paul McShane, currently on loan to the Eagles from the KC.  As the game edged towards a penalty shootout finale, Matthew Rudd tweeted:  “We've a real prospect here of Paul McShane + Anthony Gardner playing at Wembley against Mario Balotelli + Sergio Aguero.”  What a thought!
Thursday brought with it THE must-watch episode of Dr. Thomas Asbridge’s re-telling of ‘The Crusades’.  Tonight was all about Richard The Lionheart (my childhood hero – for obvious reasons) and Saladin.  Brilliant.  I fell asleep.  Thank the Lord for iPlayer.
A slightly different clash of east v west began the following day as Pakistan met England in the Second Test in Abu Dhabi.  It would turn out to be the best of the three match series…though still one in which the ‘Number One Test Team in The World’ would again taste defeat.

On Friday I attended the funeral of Margaret Roberts, wife of one of our most staunch supporters Ted (and godmother to my brother).  Although not directly linked to our club committee, it was felt fitting and right to observe a minute's silence before the Kinsley game as a mark of support for Ted.  It proved a very poignant moment.

A couple of years back, Radio 5 Live had broadcast a series of programmes from Hull as part of a self-styled Octoberfest.  This year it’s Radio 1’s turn.  Beginning with a live gig at The Adelphi on Thursday, the station continued over the weekend with shows from the City Hall, University and Fruit.  It frightens me to think that twenty years ago such an event would have had me excited.  However, the fact that Pete Tong and Trevor Nelson are two names I can still relate to perhaps suggests I’ve not officially reached “old fart” stage yet.

A flat Patty

No doubt some, if not most, of our current First Team squad would beg to differ; especially when they see my reaction to some of the pre-match “sounds” that emanate from our dressing room.  Call that music!?  Cuh.

There was a “buzz” around our changing room on Saturday, not surprisingly given the Parkhouse result.  Unfortunately, away from the seniors there was some unrest following the Reserves’ decision not to fulfil the afternoon’s game at title chasing AFC Woodlands.  Already shorn of eight players for various reasons, another withdrawal just half-an-hour before the designated departure time had left manager Meddy with just ten men and no keeper.  With the Casuals requiring just a point from their trip to Newbald United, perhaps it was no surprise that none of their number were keen to make a last minute switch.  Thus for the second time in as many seasons, the Stiffs handed a walkover to their hosts.  As a County League Committee member – and one who in the past has pushed for stricter punishments for teams not fulfilling fixtures - it all left me feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Re-brand the Stand and they will, er, come...

A Kinsley Boys goal after just three minutes – when top scorer Craig Rouse was given far too much time and space to shoot past a floundering Patti – had me fearing a second embarrassment of the day. 
Beaten just once in 17 league matches, Kinsley can go top of they win their four games in hand.  Their recent run of results is very impressive and boasts some big scalps.  They are a team that can really hurt you and at one down inside the opening exchanges I feared we may be one of them.

Frustratingly, a final scoreline of 4-0 would suggest that’s exactly what they did.  Far from it.  We possibly dictated large periods of the game but while our chances came to nothing at one end, a t’other we proceeded to gift our visitors another three goals.

Young Sam was perhaps slightly unlucky when conceding the penalty from which Rouse made it 2-0 before the break.  Bezza then coughed up possession for Rouse’s killer third goal in the second half, before either Tom or Alex repeated the error to allow sub Stapleton to make it four.  We didn’t deserve that.  But it was another painful lesson in what can happen at this level.

Coming down with "sner" on it

News of the Casuals’ success at Newbald eventually filtered through late – following some confusion as to whether they had actually won 1-0 or lost by the same scoreline!  As such, it was all fairly low-key at our end, although later reports would suggest the regulars in The Gnu pub were certainly left in no doubt that Maccer’s Men were newly crowned ER County League Division 5 champions!

Less pleasing was news of the Tigers’ exit from The FA Cup.  At the hands of League 2 side Crawley Town.  At home.  Nick Barmby had apparently paid the price for making several changes to the side that had won at Reading.  Once again the Cup was shown to be a competition of secondary importance.  Don’t get me started…

The Boys of Kinsley eventually departed the village at half-past-six, leaving behind pleased hosts at both The Granby and The ‘Oss.  They are a team who look like genuine title challengers – especially if other defences are as charitable against them as we were!