Look who had 2-0 with Barnard scoring first !
A calm week for Saints after the Cup defeat to the Skates a week before, with nothing really to worry about other than wondering if the cheating bastards would go bust. Like the turd that won’t flush or the dog shit on your shoe - they are still here, defying any effort to get rid of them or the smell. More importantly, we’re up at League 1 leading Norwich City with Don Nicola expecting a return to winning ways – no pressure then. Norwich haven’t lost at home since the opening game of the season when they were under the ‘management’ of Bryan Gunn who was on a one man mission to prove that good goalkeepers do not make good managers. On the face of it, we were up against it and when I thought about this game during the week, I decided I’d be chuffed as nuts with a draw.
Pards had picked exactly the team I’d have picked (which is a first) and with 9 League Games before our Wembley trip and everyone available, there was no need to rotate or rest players. Jaidi and Fonte were the centre back pairing with Puncheon and Lallana on the wings. Sir Rickie was partnered up front by Lee Barnard, still looking for his first SFC goal. When I looked at the Norwich line-up, I was very positive and thought to myself that there is absolutely no reason why we can’t beat this lot. I wanted Delia on the pitch at half time being a complete arse, I wanted to see her feeling the pain, I wanted her to cook me a burger.
The game starts and it’s all Saints, positive and slick and dangerous. We get our first corner and Sir Rickie is not taking it – thank Christ. The job has gone to Jason Puncheon who takes them from both sides but also beats players and has shots – firing narrowly wide twice, once from distance and once from closer in that he really should have done better with. Lee Barnard was looking dangerous for Saints and was put through by Schneiderlin only for his shot to be blocked and loop onto the roof of the net.
On the half hour, Sir Rickie tries to lay the ball off to Cap’n Hammond and gets flattened. Sir Rickie lines up the free kick a good 35 yards out and I don’t really think anyone in yellow really appreciated the danger which is pretty dumb really. As the free kick beat the keeper, struck the bar and bounced down – time stood still and the Russian linesman didn’t signal a goal. Some Saints players appealed for a goal, some watched, some defenders watched and looked at the ref. My dad always said to me, ‘play to the whistle’ and Lee Barnard’s dad obviously said the same thing to him as Barney just headed it into the net and ran off to celebrate.
For the remainder of the first half, Saints were looking more likely to double their lead than Norwich were to equalize but we arrived at half time, 1-0 up and looking by miles the most likely winners. 1-0 up away from home again, I guess it’ll be a 1-1 draw then.
No doubt with the words of their manager still ringing in their ears and the threat of having to go to a Delia ‘How to boil and egg’ workshop, Norwich had a go at the start of the second half and Davis made a blinding save, tipping a Korey Smith shot onto the bar with it having taken a big deflection off of Mount Jaidi. Korey really is a stupid name isn’t it and I’m especially glad Davis stopped him scoring just because of it.
On the hour mark we were handed the initiative again by a classic League 1 ref decision. Darel Russell went to bring down a high ball and had his eye on it as it came down. At the last second, Schneiderlin nipped in front of him and took the ball and Russell’s foot caught him. Straight red card – absolute bollocks. Russell wasn’t looking at him and would not have even known he was there – a classic case of the ref not having a clue. We’ll take it though – what else can you do?
From the next meaningful attack, Otsemobor tricked his way past some former team mates down the right and laid it back for Lallana to hit the outside of the post and you began to fear that we were just missing too many chances again when five minutes later, Lallana picked up a ball in the inside left channel, following a Lambert lay off and curled a lovely right footed effort… against the same bloody post again.
Not to be denied, and not put off by his new teammates inability to actually put the ball in the net, Puncheon again got to the line, took out the keeper with the pull back to give Barnard the task of beating a defender on the line which he duly did. 2-0, take me home baby!!!
There were 10 minutes left and these panned out with no real threat on our goal so we busied ourselves with collecting as many yellow cards as possible with Hammond, Harding and Davis all going into the book. Radio Solent managed to mistake Harding for Jaidi which takes some doing and Davis only got his card when Grant Wanker Holt started moaning at the ref about the time Super Kelv was taking over goal kicks (mind you, Kelvin was taking the piss somewhat). The ref managed to cover himself in glory again when he equalled up the red card by not sending off Chris Martin for a very poor lunge at Cap’n Hammond. Hey Chris… “and it was all yellow!” – not today sunshine.
This is a brilliant win, make no mistake. It really sends out a message that we mean business and should fill every Saints supporter with hope that we can have a storming run at the end of this season. They players must now feel that this team can beat anyone in this division and confidence can get you a hell of a long way. Individually, Jason Puncheon had a great match and every time he does so, I will remind you all that I picked him out when he played for the Fake Dons. Also, it’s great for Lee Barnard to get his first goals for the club as it would be great to have both he and Sir Rickie hitting the net for the rest of the season. Another plus was the pairing of Jaidi and Fonte who are going to take some beating and gave the previously prolific Norwich attack, not much of a sniff and caused Grant Holt to go into petulant, dummy spitted teddy-bear throwing mode like he did in the JPT game at SMS a while back.
And the final action of a brilliant day came a couple of hours later as Salif Diao scored the winning goal for 10 man Stoke City…. In the words of Derek and Clive (Google it if you’re under 30)… Laugh? I nearly shat!
Next up, Wycombe away on Tuesday, COYR
Pards had picked exactly the team I’d have picked (which is a first) and with 9 League Games before our Wembley trip and everyone available, there was no need to rotate or rest players. Jaidi and Fonte were the centre back pairing with Puncheon and Lallana on the wings. Sir Rickie was partnered up front by Lee Barnard, still looking for his first SFC goal. When I looked at the Norwich line-up, I was very positive and thought to myself that there is absolutely no reason why we can’t beat this lot. I wanted Delia on the pitch at half time being a complete arse, I wanted to see her feeling the pain, I wanted her to cook me a burger.
The game starts and it’s all Saints, positive and slick and dangerous. We get our first corner and Sir Rickie is not taking it – thank Christ. The job has gone to Jason Puncheon who takes them from both sides but also beats players and has shots – firing narrowly wide twice, once from distance and once from closer in that he really should have done better with. Lee Barnard was looking dangerous for Saints and was put through by Schneiderlin only for his shot to be blocked and loop onto the roof of the net.
On the half hour, Sir Rickie tries to lay the ball off to Cap’n Hammond and gets flattened. Sir Rickie lines up the free kick a good 35 yards out and I don’t really think anyone in yellow really appreciated the danger which is pretty dumb really. As the free kick beat the keeper, struck the bar and bounced down – time stood still and the Russian linesman didn’t signal a goal. Some Saints players appealed for a goal, some watched, some defenders watched and looked at the ref. My dad always said to me, ‘play to the whistle’ and Lee Barnard’s dad obviously said the same thing to him as Barney just headed it into the net and ran off to celebrate.
For the remainder of the first half, Saints were looking more likely to double their lead than Norwich were to equalize but we arrived at half time, 1-0 up and looking by miles the most likely winners. 1-0 up away from home again, I guess it’ll be a 1-1 draw then.
No doubt with the words of their manager still ringing in their ears and the threat of having to go to a Delia ‘How to boil and egg’ workshop, Norwich had a go at the start of the second half and Davis made a blinding save, tipping a Korey Smith shot onto the bar with it having taken a big deflection off of Mount Jaidi. Korey really is a stupid name isn’t it and I’m especially glad Davis stopped him scoring just because of it.
On the hour mark we were handed the initiative again by a classic League 1 ref decision. Darel Russell went to bring down a high ball and had his eye on it as it came down. At the last second, Schneiderlin nipped in front of him and took the ball and Russell’s foot caught him. Straight red card – absolute bollocks. Russell wasn’t looking at him and would not have even known he was there – a classic case of the ref not having a clue. We’ll take it though – what else can you do?
From the next meaningful attack, Otsemobor tricked his way past some former team mates down the right and laid it back for Lallana to hit the outside of the post and you began to fear that we were just missing too many chances again when five minutes later, Lallana picked up a ball in the inside left channel, following a Lambert lay off and curled a lovely right footed effort… against the same bloody post again.
Not to be denied, and not put off by his new teammates inability to actually put the ball in the net, Puncheon again got to the line, took out the keeper with the pull back to give Barnard the task of beating a defender on the line which he duly did. 2-0, take me home baby!!!
There were 10 minutes left and these panned out with no real threat on our goal so we busied ourselves with collecting as many yellow cards as possible with Hammond, Harding and Davis all going into the book. Radio Solent managed to mistake Harding for Jaidi which takes some doing and Davis only got his card when Grant Wanker Holt started moaning at the ref about the time Super Kelv was taking over goal kicks (mind you, Kelvin was taking the piss somewhat). The ref managed to cover himself in glory again when he equalled up the red card by not sending off Chris Martin for a very poor lunge at Cap’n Hammond. Hey Chris… “and it was all yellow!” – not today sunshine.
This is a brilliant win, make no mistake. It really sends out a message that we mean business and should fill every Saints supporter with hope that we can have a storming run at the end of this season. They players must now feel that this team can beat anyone in this division and confidence can get you a hell of a long way. Individually, Jason Puncheon had a great match and every time he does so, I will remind you all that I picked him out when he played for the Fake Dons. Also, it’s great for Lee Barnard to get his first goals for the club as it would be great to have both he and Sir Rickie hitting the net for the rest of the season. Another plus was the pairing of Jaidi and Fonte who are going to take some beating and gave the previously prolific Norwich attack, not much of a sniff and caused Grant Holt to go into petulant, dummy spitted teddy-bear throwing mode like he did in the JPT game at SMS a while back.
And the final action of a brilliant day came a couple of hours later as Salif Diao scored the winning goal for 10 man Stoke City…. In the words of Derek and Clive (Google it if you’re under 30)… Laugh? I nearly shat!
Next up, Wycombe away on Tuesday, COYR
That was a good read and accurate report.
ReplyDeleteWell done mate - I look forward tothe next one.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell it looks like you had a more fun away trip than I did:
ReplyDeletehttp://muangthongunitedfc.blogspot.com/2010/02/innocence-has-gone-from-thai-football.html
But at least Saints won and Pompey lost!
I hope you wrap all these reports up and publish them in a handy season diary ;-)
ReplyDelete