halfaperson
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Northampton (a) 25th Nov 2008Every season has a game when your perceptions of it and expectations are formed and then changed. Last night was certainly a contender. Mine were half formulated after the H game but consolidated last night after an utterly wasteful first 45 mins and a kamikaze last three minutes. It was a game completely representative of our season so far and cruelly exposed our weaknesses and strengths.
It started out badly as well. Our coach was diverted down the A1 after the police informed us the M1 would be closed which turned out to be lie (honestly would you trust that lot with tasers) and added 90 mins to what should have been a 2 ½ hour trip.
So we arrived at the sunken soulless stadium that is the 6 fields ground ground surrounded by the likes of KFC, Frankie n Bennys and Bella Pasta. If this is the future of football then it can join Guitarless rock, Blue alcohol and 307 channels of crap on a journey beyond your sphincter.
Straight from the kick off it was obviously that this was a team absolutely determined not to have a repeat episode of last Mondays game (That’s Northampton in case your wondering). In the first few minutes Parker got skinned and a curling cross came over our triangle of uncertainty behind the center halves in front of the keeper. Thankfully a poor headed finish at the far post finished the danger but the cross found him with criminal ease. We were close enough to see Hughes anguished stare at Lucas.
Northampton were a yard quicker to the ball than us, closed us down with tenacity. Moved it around themselves quicker, controlled and turned quicker and generally looked a division above us. We were reduced to horizontal, backward passing usually resulting in a punt to Becchio or Robinson being dispossessed as time and again he disappeared into a blind alley. He was playing wide as you’d expect but once again Beckford repeatedly drifted out wide left. His dark shirt rendering him virtually invisible against the crowd and certainly metaphorically invisible as far as the midfield was concerned. If this is maccs master plan for games like this he needs to get the midfield and back four to hit it out to Beckford early or the plan can join the aforementioned future of football. In any case the lad has scored five goals recently by playing to his one and only strength down the middle so this transition into the wide channels is act of complete bewilderment for this soldier.
We did have a decent amount of possession in good forward positions but too often Becchio was unsupported or there were no options for Robbo to find or Fab couldn’t find a runner off the ball. We were just too sparsely spread across the pitch and not enough fierceness in the middle. When we did show aggression there it was more of a clumsy frustrated hack than an aggressive challenge and I think we ended up with all midfielders getting booked and at least two of them lucky to finish the game.
We got a few shots in and a few penalty area skirmishes but their keeper got down well to make a few routine saves. These incidents were isolated because a goal was coming all the way from the Cobblers and it was no suspire when and where it came from. I think it was Ben that got turned inside out, the ball reached their lad on the corner of the box, completely unmarked after Hughes had slipped (again) and he rifled it in with a quality finish. It was no more than they and we deserved. That was cue for the central element of the crowd behind the goal to try to up the chanting with their word perfect renditions of the Leeds United Greatest Hits CD in including a slightly ironic “Leeds United Calyspo” in the depths a freezing November night.
Curiously Northampton took their foot off the gas and we at least got a little more fluency and possession into our game. We created a few more decent chances but the finishing was weak and far too easy for their keeper to deal with. Only once did Beckford mange to cut inside with any purpose and try his trademark curler but that too was saved comfortably. Northampton continued to look dangerous though and put us under some uncomfortable pressure, ably assisted by some incredibly stupid use of the ball by JD (of all people) and predictably Lubo. Lucas also contributed with some slow distribution once actually startling Prutton with a dodgy short ball to him that Prutton was visibly disgusted with
The second half started as a mirror opposite of the first. We had clearly upped the ante and it was us that started asking all the questions and had Northampton on the back foot. Beckford remained steadfastly down the center and we looked a different outfit, better balanced and moving with purpose.
Robinson was getting past his man. Parker was overlapping and the midfield central duo had started to occupy a position further upfield. We had a tremendous short period when we could have scored three. becchio hit the bar from short range and it seemed only a matter of time before we got an equalizer. Macca obviously sensing this replaced Douglas with Snoddy to add more pressure and straight away the goal came, a far post nod in from a rh sided cross.
I have got to say though that the referee must have been cursing himself as we were sure there was a foul committed and he was giving them everything else whilst Becchio had to endure constant border line attention from all their defenders.
With about twenty minutes to go Beckford went down just in front of us and shamefully i thought he was acting up. As soon as the physio came to see him though it was certain that he had a bad injury. Despite refusing the stretcher (what a hero) he was clearly in a lot of discomfort as he was led around the pith to be replaced by Howson.
Despite my worst fear we carried on in the same manner and continued to press for a winner. If anyone was going to get it we were. The goalie dealt with some wicked curling shots from Robinson and a few other decent efforts but time was running out a i was beginning reluctantly to settle for a draw.
And then. They get a corner (their first i think). This should test us my mate said, see if weve learnt owt. You would have thought wouldn’t you, but no, dear oh chuffing dear, you could smell the depressing resignation to another season in this division all around.
Thats why you’r staying down was the hardly heard chant from our left and it was hard to disagree.
On the bright side the MI was open up again and we made it back for 12.15. Leeds United eh?
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