I hinted at the back end of last season that the blog may struggle to survive in the form you've become accustomed to. And such "fears" on my part have been realised this past month or so, with increased commitments at work and play meaning regular updates have been impossible.
So, in a taster of things to come, here's a whistle-stop tour of Slush's Sporting (& Not-so-Sporting) Sorties during September/October...
Saturday 22nd September
CML North
Easington United 1 Clay Cross Town 2
Attempts to bounce back from the defeat at Kiveton Park were spiked by a very impressive Clay Cross Town (formerly Parkhouse) at Low Farm.
In what turned out to be Jimmy Neilson's last game for the club (for now?) and Darren Eades' first and last for the club (for now?) two Phil Lowry goals brought the visitors victory. The margin of the win could have been greater but for a fine goalkeeping display by Charlie in his 100th game for the club. As it was even he couldn't prevent a fourth defeat in a row.
Match report and pics can be found here. Colin Brammer's photos can be found here, while the Parkhouse report can be found here.
Saturday 29th September
ERCL Division 1
Easington United Reserves 3 Hornsea Town
0
One effect of Mrs Slush's new weekend working commitments is my inability to travel to every away game in the CML this season. Of course, this in turn presents the opportunity to catch more of the County League squads' action at the Farm.
The Reserves have started the season brightly and came into this game unbeaten in their four matches to date.
In fairness, Hornsea provided perhaps the least resistance of any opponents yet and Thommo had the Stiffs ahead after just 14 seconds. By the break it was 3-0 and the points were assured, manager Gav's sublime finish and Thommo's second completing the scoring. It could have been more...as this photo of Gav will testify.
A report can be found here, accompanied by plenty of shots from new man with the lens Craig Stephenson.
Tuesday 2nd October
Football League Championship
Hull City 2 Blackpool 3
My first trip of the season to the KC Stadium and my first glimpse of Steve Bruce's Tigers. And, despite the result, it was one that left me very optimistic about the future.
Aside from some glaring individual errors at the back, that contributed directly to all three Blackpool goals, this was a fine City performance. Going forward the Tigers looked far more potent than when I'd seen them last under Nick Barmby.
Unfortunately, any sense of positivity taken from the result soon dissipated - first with the usual doom 'n' gloomers on the post-match Radio Humberside phone-in, then thanks to a closed section of the Clive Sullivan Way, which meant gridlock getting away from the ground and an eventual half-past-eleven arrival back in Easington.
The BBC report of the game can be read here.
Friday 5th October
Geno Washington
& Yo Yo Blues
Payback @ The New Adelphi
Club
Had this been a normal blog post, or a review of the type I used to write regularly for Hull, Hell & Happiness and other such 'zines, I'd have no doubt waffled at length about the memories stirred by this first visit to The Adelphi (or "New Adelphi" as it now is) some, ooh, fifteen years or so since my last such trip.
Still, I was very honoured that after such a gap in attendance, owner Jacko still recognised me. I was equally pleased that the Adelphi's reputation for selling fine cask ales was also still very deserved...although given that we arrived at 8pm, Geno didn't come on stage until nearly three hours later and that my drinking companion for this period was First Team boss Sumo, well, you can guess the rest.
Tipple of choice this evening was the Hawkshead Lakeland Gold, although I also tried a lovely - and apparently very rare - Great Newsome offering, Frothingam Red and a very unique (to my taste buds anyway) Citra beer from Oakham Ales that smelt like perfume and, if I'm being honest, didn't taste much better (though Jacko swears by it!).
Suffice to say, by time the star of the night arrived on stage, I was well and truly on the way to inebriation. Still, it didn't prevent me lapping up one of the true stalwarts of the Soul scene in this country. As Burnsy of local radio fame would later tweet, if you look up "showman" in the dictionary it should say "Geno Washington". Yessirree.
Picture lifted from those very nice people who maintain the New Adelphi Club's Facebook page - I'm sure they won't mind!
Saturday 6th October
CML North
Brodsworth Welfare 3 Easington United 0
Possibly the lowest point of the season to date, defeat at previously winless Brodsworth Welfare was one that left Sumo with a bitter taste in his mouth. With the marvellous power of hindsight, however, it's perhaps worth pointing out that he hadn't seen anything yet!
Plus points of the day were virtually consigned to the ground - easily the finest played at so far, which perhaps isn't surprising given the level the hosts were at up to a season ago.
As for the lack of real ale in the clubhouse - my excesses the previous night meant this wasn't a problem.
I seem to recall it was a fairly quiet ride home from South Yorkshire...
I feel quite guilty not devoting a full post to my first visit to this famous old club but such is life at the moment. Perhaps another day. Still, for those who can bear it, the official report I posted to the club website can be found here.
Saturday 13th October
East Riding CFA Senior Cup R1
Easington United 3 St Andrews
3
(AET; Easington win 2-1 on
pens)
A win at last! Admittedly not in the league but given our recent record in the County's prestige cup competition, this victory was not to be sniffed at. Of course this being us it wasn't straightforward - Saints levelling matters in the final minute of normal time and both teams producing a penalty shoot-out of woeful quality! Still, we were into round two and it's five years since we could last say that...
My official report and Burt & Craig's pictures can be found here.
Saturday 20th October
East Riding CFA Senior
Country Cup R1
Easington United Reserves 4 Driffield Rangers 6
The Stiffs did their best to compensate for my having to miss the much-anticipated trip to CML North title faves AFC Mansfield; a battling performance against their Premier Division opponents proving not quite good enough to avenge last season's quarter final defeat by the same opponents.
Still, as the score suggests, this was a game full of end-to-end entertainment and some quality goals, not least Gav's final one for the locals - a shot from the centre-circle immediately after Driffield had gone 6-3 up.
Check out my official club report here, along with Craig's photos.
Tuesday 23rd October
Football League Championship
Middlesbrough 2 Hull City
0
A throwaway idea by a group of lads at work - some hailing from Teesside - culminated in this, my first visit to the Riverside. And as with most memories of previous City away games against the Boro, at the old Ayresome Park, it won't live long in the memory.
Suffice to say the Tigers were a pale imitation of the team I'd seen, albeit in defeat, against Blackpool a few weeks earlier.
We never really looked like coming away with anything more than a point and once the hosts had taken a second half lead, even that propsect disappeared all too quickly.
The main plus pointd of the trip came with the pre-match meet-up in Dr Brown's, a pub that served decent grub alongside a selection of cask ales. Northumberland Carnivale and Thwaites Crafty Devil would help numb the pain of the City display to follow.
Oh, and Tom Cairney - sat directly in front of me in the away end - quite liked my Brazil comparison as the Tigers strung umpteen passes together in the first half. At least I think it was the joke he was laughing at...
Not that I'll bother reading it again but the BBC report is here.
Saturday 27th October
CML North
Easington United 1 Thoresby Colliery Welfare 0
We said goodbye to Brian Pratt the day the First Team finally brought their eight-match winless run in the CML North to an end.
Bri - or "Big Wezzie" as he liked to be known - was one of the numerous "Comforts" from the West Riding i.e. someone who'd "come for't week" and never gone back! During his time in Easington he became a well-respected member of the White Horse pub cricket team, for whom he regularly umpired, and a junior football coach at both the local primary school and the village under-14's team.
Above all he was a staunch supporter of all sport in the village and, despite some personal troubles and health issues in recent times, was always ready to stop and have a chat. He will be missed.
I'd like to think Big Wezzie would have been smiling from up on high as Wilks stretched to grab this game's only goal. There's no doubt he'll certainly have had comment to pass on some of the stuff that's gone on those aforementioned eight games!
A report of the game, with pictures, can be found here.
Big Wezzie's departure would appear an apt place to close this first "backblog". November's "highlights" to follow...just not sure when!
