Preseason with no new players is a bit weird. So is seeing Bez up front for us. Hands up who'd forgotten he still plays for us?
Southport is looking suburban and splendid in summer sun. Pool knock it about quickly and refreshingly purposefully. We score quickly enough. Carey steals possession and audaciously spins himself into some space that didn't appear to be there but was. He gives and goes then burrows into the box, pulls it across and the ball is tucked home by Ireland's own CJ O'Hamilton.
The second goal doesn't take long. Carey again the provider, this time from a corner. Keogh goes for it but Bez gets his head to it and sends the tangerine army into raptures polite pre season applause.
We dominate thereafter. Keshi has a lovely run (although today he did look as if he's mostly been practicing not passing) Apter looks very forward thinking and has one hugely satisfying Bowler-esque drift from wide that he crowns with a beautiful touch through from which Yates does everything but get the crucial touch to lift over the keeper.
Someone hits the bar whilst I'm marvelling at the Southport firm (average age about 13 and a half) massing as close as they can get to us.
Sonny gives the Yr 9 army the side eye as he waits to take a corner. He's not the only one who has noticed them and the presence of a few more senior chaps arriving to greet the boys brigade sparks a sudden stampede back towards the home end. Things get a bit daft as a barrier gets pushed back and forth and a Southport player leaps into the crowd whilst Pool players run across and try and calm troubled waters.
We all stand around for a while. Ben Mansford comes and explains that every needs to move up a bit so 4 coppers can stand where some little kids had been happily running up and down the terracing chasing a balloon about. The coppers are unequivocal that some 4 year olds being on the wrong bit of terracing might cause a mass incident. World peace is secured by blocking off a toilet.
Eventually we're off again. Bez shows slick feet and forces a save. Keshi whistles a shot just wide. Sonny knocks a pass I could watch on a loop all week, splitting the defence with a languid ease and weighting it like dream for the man running on to it.
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It's only Southport, but that was fun. We looked like we wanted to score goals.
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Fuck my life. This half is awful. NOTHING HAPPENS.
Srsly. NOTHING.
I'll do my best. Douglas Thame (the footballer with the most 1920s name in the modern game) is dead big. He plays right back, which isn't his natural position I don't think.
Bowler and Gaz wander about. Gaz isn't in the mood for jumping. Lavery chases shadows. The lack of creativity is palpable and painful. Dale at least has a go. Thorniley does the best thing of the half - a lovely slide tackle - and the worst thing of the half - a mad slice out of play where he seems to pass to a player in his imagination.
Grimmy makes a good stop when they cut us open late on and Marv tidies the loose ball up to save our blushes. Southport are probably the better side this half to be honest. It really was turgid though.
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It's a run out. There's not a lot to be learned that we didn't know, but... I like Rob Apter in the flesh a lot. He didn't always get the final ball right but he knows what he wants to do and never went backwards when he could go forwards. More of him please.
It's slightly concerning that Bez appears to be the feel good hit of the summer. Good luck to the lad and all that, but when an appearance by a lad you'd last noted not doing much at all for Northampton because he'd been ostracised from the club is the most exciting bit of the squad news you know the market has been quiet so far.
Sonny tho. Every fucker in tangerine says "Carey could be the key this year" in a knowing way. He really could. He's exactly what wasn't on the pitch second half and exactly what we need more of in our transfer dealings. You can tackle and run about all season but without that bit of vision and ability, it's going to be a big ask to turn that effort into anything worthwhile.
Good day in the sunshine though. It's only preseason. However we play means very little. Ideally we'll get through the rest of it without being the subject of hand wringing articles in the Guardian...
Onwards.
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