We didn’t panic – indeed, didn’t do much at all. Both sides were mediocre; it was all bits & pieces. Our first corner saw a poor delivery, then Elliott was penalised for being pushed over. He then had a run, regaining the ball after a tackle, but overhit the cross. The team must by now realise that PapaFletch is not playing. Cherries were trying to break quickly, but passing in the final third was poor. Jacks skimmed the far post just after the goal, and had a header over. Young was yellowed for a poor tackle on the touchline; the free led to another header over. Elliott had another run, linking with BabyFletch who was fouled. From the free, Feeney was blocked. Tardif dealt with a header at him; I was unsure if both sides were putting poor passes in the right direction or well-struck in the wrong direction. Last year I had 2 operations requiring lumbar punctures, so I can say from direct experience that this game was more numbing than an epidural.
Feeney and BabyFletch linked well, Elliott was tricky on occasions, but let himself be caught offside too often. We headed over from a corner, then their ‘keeper went walkabout but managed to clear. Feeney was in a heap behind their goal-line, and Connell replaced him on 42 mins – i.e. the injury was too serious to wait until half-time. They chipped over from wide, but the half fizzled out. Half-time 1-0.
A bit more about us on the restart. O’Connor put in a good cross, Elliott juggled & over-headed it and Connell put it just over the bar. Connell sent in O’Connor who fed Purches but the cross was poor. A Jacks miskick saw Connell drove across and just wide. A defensive header allowed Hayter to volley well over. He then came in from the left and his left-footer went out off the far post. But why is he wasted taking corners when, as ostensibly the best finisher at the club, he should be on the 6-yard line? Stock replaced O’Connor on 65 to try to improve the passing; at least we were trying to pass, but the fourth pass would go astray. Elliott put the ball over, Connell, Stock & a defender clashed heads. Connell has a splendid, even naïve, attitude; when felled, he just got up & walked away. The kid wants to play football, but needs people on & off the pitch to support & direct him. He linked well with Stock & Elliott, leading to a corner. We had the majority of the play, but with no end-product. Then it fell apart totally. Defensively we’d been OK, with little invention from the home side, but Young clattered in again; 2nd yellow and off. Jacks began to use the flanks more. Stock’s free from by the “D” went over, Hayter was offside again and, with our defence still not re-organised, from a home corner the near-post header hit the net. 2-0, 83 mins. Broadhurst was yellowed for a dreadful last-ditch tackle, which summed up our performance.
Overall this was grim. You’d expect an old war-horse like Nick Cusack to put out a solid, organised side, but we didn’t even make them look good – they just had to turn up. Inept is too polite a word for this display; we were a shambles. I know there’s no money – as with most clubs. I know O’Driscoll & Grant have little with which to work, and I’m sure O’Driscoll is a good technical coach. I know we have only the remains of a strike-force, but even I’m losing patience. In the class of 2002-3 we’re definitely Lower 3rd. Elliott was rarely brought into the game. BabyFletch and Browning (anonymous today) should be a good combo - but they’re just not doing it so far. One needs to sit if the other goes forward, but the skipper isn’t yet in “driving” mode. I don’t go with knee-jerk “sack the manager/board” calls, but I think the current chairman is right to give S’OD another 6 games. If we’ve not improved, we’ll be in the drop-zone and we’d need another Mel Machin-style rescue act. (I don’t support PapaFletch as player/manager, or even manager.) Perhaps he’d then earn his money (ooh – controversial!) On return to the pub, my wife couldn’t help but notice the harrowed look on my face; this is serious.
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AFCB (4-4-2): Tardif, Young, Broadhurst, Tindall, Purches; Elliott, C. Fletcher, Browning, O’Connor (Stock, 65); Feeney (Connell, 42), Hayter.
Unused subs: Ashdown, Narada, Thomas
Peter Wicks, Greenford