2012 – Championship

Valentines day. A day for lovers and couples to enjoy each others company, safe in the knowledge that they have their entire lives ahead of them, in cojoined bliss.

Or a day to watch the top two gladiators in the championship, battle out for league title honours.

Thanks to Mrs mrben, i “chose” the latter, and expected a game worthy of the premiership, where both teams should be plying their trade next season. What i got was a premiership ref, who didn’t know his backside from his elbow and nearly ruined what should of been the star advert for the second tier of English football.

The now obligatory weather report was that although slightly warmer, things were still chilly in the upper Bobby. However out on the pitch things were heating up nicely, with Vaz Te nearly getting on the scoresheet after 1 minute.

Matt Taylor was brought in to replace the suspended Nolan, and looked quite effective on the wing. Taking aside the fact that Southampton seem to enjoy time wasting by holding the ball with the keeper only to short pass to a defender, we were easily on top.

After 22 mins or thereabouts, the stand in captain, Mark Noble, turned in the box and was tripped for a stonewall pen. In some minor kurfuffle post the penalty award, a Southampton player hit the deck in theatrical style, which ended up with Matt Taylor being red carded. Now, i didn’t see this fully (Mr Wenger !), and if he hit them then fair do’s, BUT, the linesman flagged the pen and overruled the ref, who was unsighted. The same linesman had this “assault” unfold in front of him, and did nothing, and the ref was still some distance (with several people in the way) away. The ref did not consider speaking the the lino, and the lino said nothing either. You either assist or don’t, you cant just dip in when you feel like it !

The ref then preceded to call every West Ham tackle a foul, and even blew for a foul throw (think of the last time you saw a ref blow for one of these in a TV game…………….exactly !). This culminated in the ref waving away, what i can only call an assault on CC, from the goalkeeper. He came out, got nowhere near the ball, jumped into CC, and laid him out (all 6.4 and 15 stone of him) flat. Not even a free kick, let alone a red card. Disgrace.

Green made a point blank save (after a mishandle) from Billy Sharp just before half time to keep it one nil Hammers going into the break.

The second half was all Southampton, as WHU defended deeper and deeper. Same as the wall game. The inevitable came with 15 to go, as Southampton scrambled an equalizer with an outstretched leg poking home the goal.

Nicky Maynard came on for a knackered CC, and nearly got the winner from an acute angle and looks a useful addition to the squad.

All in all, a good result bearing in mind the numbers game on the pitch. 2 players stood out again, Noble and Reid. Reid was extra solid, as his usual sparring partner Tompkins was playing in the midfield, and Noble ran himself into the ground again.

MOTM Winston Reid.

WHUFC vs Millwall 4th Feb 2012. Championship.

Apparently, there was some premier league action happening on the same day, but as usual the press and radio have been building up this game into something else.

In what is becoming a more regular fixture these days, WHU entertained our near neighbours Millwall, in a match that could determine both their seasons.

First off it was my first visit to UP this year, due to work and holidays, so it was long overdue. Also it was an early kick off, which although irritating, sets the rest of the day up well, as long as we get the result. As per usual, it was bloody freezing, but once in the ground the pervading atmosphere warmed things up nicely. As both sets of fans don’t play too well together, Millwall were put into the top tier of the Centinary, with the bottom left empty. I’m sure they didn’t mind as they are well used to half empty stands.

The game started at a real local derby pace, with a keen enthusiasm. Too much , in fact, as Kevin Nolan found out after getting a straight red, after 8 mins. To say this put a downer on precedings is an understatment, but in these days of increased analysIs on the two footed tackle, He had to walk.

The game then dropped into what is rearly was, a standard issue championship game with one or two highlights. One of these was Mark Noble, who was actually superb throughout. Hopefully the lad is turning the corner that he has been looking at for about 3 years now.

About 20 mins in, some 2-300 ticketless Millwall “fans” we’re being escorted up Priory Road, and the usual exchange of “banter” was given and taken. These gimps were then kettled to the park, where hopefully they were kept until at least midnight.

CC was getting more and more isolated as you would being up front on your own, and a man down, but battled away trying to get Faubert involved. We started to get on top with about 10 to go in the first half, and a looping header from inside the box from CC made it one nil on the stroke of half time.

We started the second half in control, but then started to panic. Instead of clearing lines effectively we were underhitting almost everything. This culminated in Faye making a poor clearance while under pressure from Henderson and gifting Trotter a shot which he put away.

This then looked a lock for the draw, except that 2 mins later, the Millwall keeper made a shocking error in punching when he should of been catching, and hit it straight to Reid, who powered a shot into the waiting unoccupied goal. Cheers !

So today, our 2 best playerswhere Noble and Reid. Strange days indeed. To be fair to the whole team, they did put a shift in, being down to 10 men for most of the game.

On leaving the ground I had commented to John howwell the Met had done policing the game (still not sure if everyone needs to be in riot gear) when their their usual shorsightedness came to the fore.

If I’m walking up Green St, and want to carry on North, I don’t expect to be forced to join the tube station queue, and the when at the entrance to the tube station, shown a gap in the railing about 8 inches wide to go through. I thought crowd management was to stop bottlenecks, not create them.

In short we got the hiding from Ipswitch out of the way, and gave our local rivals a loss, which with other results, put us 4 points clear.

MOTM. Mark Noble

WHUFC vs Ipswich Town 27/09/2011

Another “famous” night under the lights at West Ham. Our last meeting at home to the Tractor Boys was the 2005 play off final semi final which saw a rabid full house, brass bands on the pitch and a comfy win for the Hammers that ultimately led to our last promotion back to the big boys league.

Tuesday night, was a far duller concern, and needed to shake off the hangover of the previous Saturday. However the score stayed the same but with the result in the opposition. so what went wrong ?

Simply, nothing changed from Saturday, with the midfield being devoid of ideas and tackles. Bullard and Bowyer played us off the pitch, and they were quicker in every department.

Beware false prophets !. Mr Nolan was brought in as the free scoring replacement for Scott Parker, and started well; until Parker left. Now he looks lost but worse still, off the pace. Noble is no better, as both are trying to fill the same void.

Sam Baldock played and looked lively, and unlikely to be muscled out, unlike Sears, but didn;t get any service from our midfield. CC again tried his best but needs more ball to feet rather than eight foot in the air.

Faye was superb again and looks a quality buy.

In short the Tractors Boys deserved the win, but had to work for it, and surprise surprise, east end old boy Bowyer popped up in the dying minutes to secure the win.

BFS has some big work to do this week, before the Palace game, and to be fair, it’s what he is paid to do.

We have been very lucky that other results have gone for us this week, but we cannot afford to lose out again this week, albeit to an inform Palace team.

COYI