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| Spoiler: We won! |
Fuck me, it's grey and cold. It's supposed to be May and I'm supposed to be enjoying the post lockdown world of rediscovered wonders, sunshine and joy, joy, joy. Instead I'm grimly navigating sleet (sleet!) on Aldi car park on a bank holiday and then staring into a screen trying to visualise a time when I don't have *this much* work to do.
What I wouldn't give for a night at Bloomfield Road. In these circumstance, the football is a tonic for the soul. A glorious, riotous display of colour and noise. I've written this intro before (think stirring words about crowds and stuff), but tonight of all nights, it feels weirdly empty that we could be celebrating clinching a play off spot and I'm sat on a couch with a laptop whilst my lad plays Minecraft.
Critch has gone with a very Critchley selection, retaining Ollie Turton in midfield (bringing in Gabriel for the tragically unfortunate Ethan Robson.) Otherwise it's exactly the same. We walked all over Northampton and it's difficult to argue that those players don't deserve to keep the shirt. I'm really quite worried that Sullay isn't fit though and again, though theories abound, I keep tuning into the team news hoping again expectation for Big Gaz to be on the bench and ending up being disappointed.
I hope that it's all a ruse. That on the first leg of the play offs, they'll all carry a big box on and Super Gaz Gary Goal(s) Machine Madine will jump out in a load of ticker tape and pyrotechnics.
Anyway, forget the grey... Here come the Tangerines!
---
The ref looks like a really bad waxwork of Paul Simon. He places the ball on the centre spot and a Donny player pointlessly moves it a bit before taking the kick, a simple back pass that in no way merited the re-placing of the ball. Donny start very well, skimming a deep cross in that Garbutt has to slide and put behind, before working a sharp chance at the near post that is stabbed wide.
Garbutt has our first effort. A swirling free kick from miles out that is creeping inside the near post before the keeper beats it away. We then embark on a good period, discomforting Doncaster into giving the ball away or knocking it out of play several times but without taking advantage of it. Ollie Turton has a weird shot at the end of a nice move, placing it with precision but putting no power at all behind it and looping it into the keeper's hands. A Turton goal would be the ideal way to seal this. For once, let Ollie be the hero. It is written (it probably isn't)
I decide the referee is actually more 'fella on Stars in their Eyes' than 'waxwork'. A brickie with a golden voice, doing Bridge over Troubled Waters. My old flatmate's uncle was on it once. It led to the outrageous fame and fortune of doing a turn in the pub on the retail park near 'orrible 'Orwich's ground. Who would I go on Stars in their Eyes as? 'Tonight Matthew, I'm one of the lads from Orbital - I've strapped a cheap camping torch to my head and we're away'
A misjudgement from Ballard is a minor scare but we tidy up easily enough. They do the same to a foray down the left from us. Actually, was it the Orb or Orbital who had the lights on their heads? I'm not sure. We do have a corner though. The corner goes straight out of play. The game is in a bit of a lull. This is when the crowd would get going. The drum beating a rhythm, the song spreading round the stands. That UB40 one would be perfect. It just keeps going, little flourishes of percussion, the chant swirling round until something happens.
This is the one I mean - though we do it better and when Hoggy does the fancy drum bits I think it's the best thing in the world
Garbutt slides it across the face of goal. Gabriel runs onto it and slams it hard, it's deflected out. From the corner, we try a clever little move but Donny are awake to the sneaky short ball and clear away. As we break back, Gabriel races through...will he shoot...will he lay it off? No, he'll inexplicably pass it to the keeper then shout at everyone else. Full marks for the unexpected.
It doesn't matter though as Yates wins a flick, Simms peels away and runs round onto the ball. He looks offside, but he clearly isn't, it was a lovely bent run, he ambles through, sidefoots it with power, the keeper gets a touch but it loops up and falls under the bar, bouncing once up into the roof of the net. Lovely stuff!
It sounds like some genius is drumming. People outside? Someone in the ground? Gary Madine with a waste bin from the dressing room?? Nothing happens for ages until Donny work things quite nicely but their striker belts it over the top and hurts himself as he does. It's sluicing down and Critchley is snuggled up in his massive coat, shoulders hunched up, head low. He looks like a man who has locked himself out of his car waiting grimly for the AA on the hard shoulder in the rain.
When we restart, we football it out to Embleton, Simms showing a silky touch in the build up, then racing into the box, Embleton throws a stepover, buys the space to cross, Simms is close to turning it home at the near post. Wor Jimmy Topknot God is down and goes off for treatment. We don't need 11 players though, as we storm out on a break. Dougall starts it, Gabriel finishes it with a cross that yields a corner. The corner is caught and Jimmy is back on the pitch. It seems he'd actually gone to change his shoes.
The rest of the half continues in a similar fashion, we're on top, but without making a really clear cut chance. Donny have a corner towards the end of the half but they're penalised for a foul. They shoot over the top from 30 yards and the whistle blows.
---
Pool are on top. The pitch is slippy. Jimmy has his boots off again as they walk off. We've been dominant, probably more than anything due to the fact we've something to play for. It's been an odd match - it's just sort of happened and we've been the better side but our final ball has been lacking quite often. Who cares though? 1-0 and cruising towards the play offs. The ideal scenario is a couple of quick goals then time for Keshi, Holmes, Marvin and so on to come and play for a meaningful amount of time. That is, to be fair, greedy. Anything will do other than a defeat.
It was Orbital with the lights by the way.
Kevin Stewart is on because Gabriel pulled up late in the first half. Donny start with a floating cross that Maxwell tips over then a short corner and a cross/shot that Maxwell palms away. We respond with a good spell, Embleton nearly bursting in, a couple of crosses cut out. It is bucketing down. The mystery drummer is fans outside. I hope they're under the concourse bit outside in this weather. Maybe I'm turning into my gran, worrying about them catching their death in this weather. I hope they've got their big coats on.
Embleton has a grass cutter effort, Simms picks up a brilliant Ballard sliding challenge and shimmies his way into a shooting position, hits it like a rocket, beats the keeper but a man on the line heads it over. We play it all across the edge of the box before Embleton puts a placed effort a yard or so over. Simms runs on to a nice ball from Stewart, spins and has his shot just nicked away.
There's some high quality mad tackles going in. Stewart gets booked for what looks like a fairly reasonable tackle, then he gets a warning for a high foot. Husband slides about 10 yards to concede a foul by the goal line on the right hand side. Another booking. They take the dead ball short and shoot, it takes a nasty deflection but it drops right into Maxwell's hands.
Jerry takes it down, trundles towards the box then slips a clever ball for Simms outside him, Simms is superb from a tight angle and he draws a sharp stop. 30 seconds later, the same man turns away from his man in the box and goes to ground when he looked away. A slip or a trip? Pool have subs waiting. Marvin and Keshi seem to stand on the touchline for ages but the ball won't go out of play.
Finally they're on. Jimmy and his dodgy boots are off and so, surprisingly is Kevin Stewart, his yellow card having done for him. Keshi is soon on it, picking a loose ball, sprinting forward with purpose, right down the middle, then picking out Yates who hits a low shot that the keeper stretches to get a palm to and then scrambles to grab to him as Simms sniffs round for the leftovers.
We go through one of those spells where nothing happens until Maxwell pulls out another good stop, A cross bounces and sits up for a diving header at the far post, the header is into the turf, Maxwell sticks up an arm and deflects it wide. At the other end, we fashion a chance, good work from Keshi, then a really lucky bounce off a Donny face and Embleton looks set to bury it from around the penalty spot, but slashes it wide instead.
Garbutt has another go from distance, this time about 28 yards out, left of centre, hit like a train, drawing a very good flying save. Turton slips a really nice pass down the touchline for Yates who has pulled wide, his cross is excellent but both Keshi and Simms can't find the shot. Embleton weaves a spell, brilliant play, slams it across but somehow, Ellis Simms touch from a yard is turned wide. How that didn't go in is a mystery.
Finally we do it. Thorniley with a great challenge to start a break, Garbutt taking it on down the middle releasing Simms who tries to lift it past the keeper, who gets a touch, Simms keeps going, charging like a bull, turning the bouncing ball home, brushing a defender aside as he does so. He's been terrific tonight and that second goal is a wonderful feeling.
Demi comes on for shirtless Jerry. Ballard is a fag paper away from sending Simms through with an interception and quick through ball that is only just cut out. Demi has a manic run where he's fouled twice but keeps going, all the length of the pitch before running out of steam at the last moment. Marvin has one of those well timed interceptions that Marvin does so well.
Brad Holmes is waiting to come on, but the first time the ball goes out of play is Maxwell making a near post parry after a diagonal reverse pass and a sharp effort from Donny. Finally, he comes on, with the superb Simms making way.
Demi has another insane run, it pops out for Holmes and Demi actually seems to shoulder charge wor Brad off the ball when the young lad had a shooting chance. Keshi has a shot that makes Turton's earlier effort seem normal, having wriggled himself an acre of space, he has a weird sand wedge effort that screws over and wide when it looks like a drive or a side footed pass to Holmes was the only two logical choices. He blasts through again though, Holmes drops deep and calls for it. Keshi doesn't care but is bundled out of it. He really, really wants a goal.
Then the whistle goes. And it hits. We've fucking done it!!!
--
Who saw this? 3rd? Play off spot secure. I honestly didn't. 10th perhaps. 8th at a push. Not after Gillingham made us look like a kid's team Not after Ipswich made mincemeat of us at home, not after Wimbledon away, not after Shrewsbury or Bristol Rovers in the depths of winter. I really didn't think this was going to work.
And yet...it really has. We've made the last two games look simple but perhaps more significantly, we've beaten everyone in the top 6 (bar Lincoln, who we battered for 70+ minutes) and show no signs of fatigue. The better the opposition, the better we've played (until we recently got the knack of beating the rest) and when we've been good, we've been really, really good.
We've been 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1 and 5-3-2 and we've played all sorts of different kinds of football. We've banged it at Big Gaz, we've played neat triangles, we've looked like toothless idealists and gnarly pragmatists in the space of a few games. Critchley has held his nerve, changed it up, learned and for all the advantages of Sadler's generosity, he's coped with an absolutely horrific run of injuries and shown himself able to win in all sorts of ways. I was guilty early on of thinking he was a one note purist, a poor photocopy of Klopp without the force of nature personality or understanding of league one and yet, here we are. Jurgen sticks rigidly to what he does and Critch finds a way to win. All the while, never losing his cool, never losing his perspective. Just sticking to the process. I fucking love the process. Fuck knows what the process is really, but I love it.
I'm sort of in shock that we've done it, even though I knew it was coming. Fucking hell, I could even be at Bloomfield if they let people in... That would be... magnificent.
Tonight we played well, Embleton was lively, Jerry played the support role really well. Dougall was at his naughty ratting best. I don't always give Garbutt credit (I think possibly just as he's a player others like and I tend to love the waifs and strays) but he was really dangerous, Turton did another classic steady, steady job, the defenders were solid to a man but Simms really did look the business. It wasn't just the goals, but his play around the edge of the box, his desire to get on the end of stuff and his intelligent running.
FUCKING HELL! WE'RE THERE!!!
YES!
Onward!
utmp
Embleton has a grass cutter effort, Simms picks up a brilliant Ballard sliding challenge and shimmies his way into a shooting position, hits it like a rocket, beats the keeper but a man on the line heads it over. We play it all across the edge of the box before Embleton puts a placed effort a yard or so over. Simms runs on to a nice ball from Stewart, spins and has his shot just nicked away.
There's some high quality mad tackles going in. Stewart gets booked for what looks like a fairly reasonable tackle, then he gets a warning for a high foot. Husband slides about 10 yards to concede a foul by the goal line on the right hand side. Another booking. They take the dead ball short and shoot, it takes a nasty deflection but it drops right into Maxwell's hands.
Jerry takes it down, trundles towards the box then slips a clever ball for Simms outside him, Simms is superb from a tight angle and he draws a sharp stop. 30 seconds later, the same man turns away from his man in the box and goes to ground when he looked away. A slip or a trip? Pool have subs waiting. Marvin and Keshi seem to stand on the touchline for ages but the ball won't go out of play.
Finally they're on. Jimmy and his dodgy boots are off and so, surprisingly is Kevin Stewart, his yellow card having done for him. Keshi is soon on it, picking a loose ball, sprinting forward with purpose, right down the middle, then picking out Yates who hits a low shot that the keeper stretches to get a palm to and then scrambles to grab to him as Simms sniffs round for the leftovers.
We go through one of those spells where nothing happens until Maxwell pulls out another good stop, A cross bounces and sits up for a diving header at the far post, the header is into the turf, Maxwell sticks up an arm and deflects it wide. At the other end, we fashion a chance, good work from Keshi, then a really lucky bounce off a Donny face and Embleton looks set to bury it from around the penalty spot, but slashes it wide instead.
Garbutt has another go from distance, this time about 28 yards out, left of centre, hit like a train, drawing a very good flying save. Turton slips a really nice pass down the touchline for Yates who has pulled wide, his cross is excellent but both Keshi and Simms can't find the shot. Embleton weaves a spell, brilliant play, slams it across but somehow, Ellis Simms touch from a yard is turned wide. How that didn't go in is a mystery.
Finally we do it. Thorniley with a great challenge to start a break, Garbutt taking it on down the middle releasing Simms who tries to lift it past the keeper, who gets a touch, Simms keeps going, charging like a bull, turning the bouncing ball home, brushing a defender aside as he does so. He's been terrific tonight and that second goal is a wonderful feeling.
Demi comes on for shirtless Jerry. Ballard is a fag paper away from sending Simms through with an interception and quick through ball that is only just cut out. Demi has a manic run where he's fouled twice but keeps going, all the length of the pitch before running out of steam at the last moment. Marvin has one of those well timed interceptions that Marvin does so well.
Brad Holmes is waiting to come on, but the first time the ball goes out of play is Maxwell making a near post parry after a diagonal reverse pass and a sharp effort from Donny. Finally, he comes on, with the superb Simms making way.
Demi has another insane run, it pops out for Holmes and Demi actually seems to shoulder charge wor Brad off the ball when the young lad had a shooting chance. Keshi has a shot that makes Turton's earlier effort seem normal, having wriggled himself an acre of space, he has a weird sand wedge effort that screws over and wide when it looks like a drive or a side footed pass to Holmes was the only two logical choices. He blasts through again though, Holmes drops deep and calls for it. Keshi doesn't care but is bundled out of it. He really, really wants a goal.
Then the whistle goes. And it hits. We've fucking done it!!!
--
Who saw this? 3rd? Play off spot secure. I honestly didn't. 10th perhaps. 8th at a push. Not after Gillingham made us look like a kid's team Not after Ipswich made mincemeat of us at home, not after Wimbledon away, not after Shrewsbury or Bristol Rovers in the depths of winter. I really didn't think this was going to work.
And yet...it really has. We've made the last two games look simple but perhaps more significantly, we've beaten everyone in the top 6 (bar Lincoln, who we battered for 70+ minutes) and show no signs of fatigue. The better the opposition, the better we've played (until we recently got the knack of beating the rest) and when we've been good, we've been really, really good.
We've been 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1 and 5-3-2 and we've played all sorts of different kinds of football. We've banged it at Big Gaz, we've played neat triangles, we've looked like toothless idealists and gnarly pragmatists in the space of a few games. Critchley has held his nerve, changed it up, learned and for all the advantages of Sadler's generosity, he's coped with an absolutely horrific run of injuries and shown himself able to win in all sorts of ways. I was guilty early on of thinking he was a one note purist, a poor photocopy of Klopp without the force of nature personality or understanding of league one and yet, here we are. Jurgen sticks rigidly to what he does and Critch finds a way to win. All the while, never losing his cool, never losing his perspective. Just sticking to the process. I fucking love the process. Fuck knows what the process is really, but I love it.
I'm sort of in shock that we've done it, even though I knew it was coming. Fucking hell, I could even be at Bloomfield if they let people in... That would be... magnificent.
Tonight we played well, Embleton was lively, Jerry played the support role really well. Dougall was at his naughty ratting best. I don't always give Garbutt credit (I think possibly just as he's a player others like and I tend to love the waifs and strays) but he was really dangerous, Turton did another classic steady, steady job, the defenders were solid to a man but Simms really did look the business. It wasn't just the goals, but his play around the edge of the box, his desire to get on the end of stuff and his intelligent running.
FUCKING HELL! WE'RE THERE!!!
YES!
Onward!
utmp
nb: this is the orb, and this is magnificent. Doesn't seem so grey and grim now!
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