I really couldn't have been any less motivated for this game. I still hadn't recovered from our drinking antics at Tonbridge and I was suffering from a painfully sore gum at the start of the day. Combined with my negative thoughts that we would lose and immedietly wipe out the joy of Saturday's win, I really couldn't be arsed for football and felt it had come around too soon to be another match day.
But I still managed to drag my sorry arse out of bed and hopped on a train to get into Dover at Midday after
The weather was absolutely discusting, more damp than a female when they see my face. But that didn't stop the Old Endeavour from putting on a BBQ for us, thanks to their cover on the back decking.
So they put on Burgers for £2.50, Hot-dogs for £1 and a Saveloy for a £1 aswell. (Plus loads of other chicken bits and ribs, which I stayed away from). Anyway, I had 1 each of the first three and they were fucking marvellous. I don't think that I've ever had a saveloy before so I was pleasantly surpised by the tingling sensation they gave to my taste-buds.
Beer-wise, things did not go down too great. I only managed to muster up two pints of fosters (not stella-gay!). Not that I had intended to drink too much anyway but it was still a poor effort on my behalf.
Maybe the lack of beer coincided with Champ absolutely smashing the quiz machine. We were only 2 questions away from winning the full £10 jackpot on the pub quiz but faltered on the sports category, quite ironically. Still, he managed to net a fiver which is not bad going.
Mark Anslow, the idiotic partner of the OE landlady, decided to run a bizarre pub game. In the room at the back, he got a bottle of Southern Comfort and placed it on the floor. On the other side of the room people would chuck10P coins for 10P a go, and whoever landed closest would win the bottle of Southern Comfort. It proved quite a popular game but sadly no jollyboy ended up winning the thing.
I didn't really have much conversation with the lovely Sutton Sally which was a big dissapointment. She'd travelled down from Edinburgh on the morning of the game to come to North East France - leaving at 7AM. What an absolute fucking nutter she is. She hasn't missed a single Sutton game in over 8 years which is quite a fantastic anorakical achievement and makes myself look like a part-timer. I think she's proof that you can be an obsessive football fan and still have a life outside of football. I just need to work on the latter myself.
Right then guys, onto the soccer.
We lost 2-0.
The first half perfomance was one of the worst I have witnessed in a long while. Utterly fucking pathetic. It was painful watching Sutton casually pass the ball around on the deck in their own half while our players just looked on, not bothering to close them down or press them whatsoever. Whenever we got hold of the ball ourselves, we'd pass it around the back a little bit before either Shane Huke or Phil Starkey would lump the ball forward for nobody to get on the end of. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It was fucking terrible. Jemal Johnson put in the laziest, arrogant perfomance I have ever seen and he had to be hauled off after just 30 minutes to be greeted by ironic cheers and boos at his pathetic showing.
Mind you, Sutton looked like a decent outfit and their second goal was an absolute peach, so finely taken. Its a shame that Lloyd Harrington got beaten on the right hand side for that goal but that was his only error in an otherwise MOTM showing for Dover. Mind you, if Simmonds didn't just lose the ball away in the middle of the park and left the back 3/4 so exposed on the counter attack then it would never have happened.
I was so pissed off by half-time that I fucked off to the Centre Spot early. I tell you what, it would be nice to want to stay until the end of the half to clap the players off and encourage them to keep going. But that's never the case anymore, is it? Such gutless, inept shite for the past few seasons that its no wonder why we could only attract a laughably low 675 up Crabble Hill and through the turnstiles. And thats considering that Sutton themselves took a reasonable following and made a good amount of noise throughout the entire game. Fair play to them. We were in total silence for most of the game, sick to death of our current home perfomances. Why can we only play away? Why do our players fight for every ball, run that extra mile and try to pass the ball around when they're away from home but at Crabble they're just utterly useless? Its so puzzling that none of us can get our head around it.
But to be fair, we were actually much improved in the second half and I can't believe that we did not manage to score a goal. While we were still very sloppy and careless at times we had numerous chances to get back into the game but somehow we failed to put the ball into the onion bag. Actually, that's a lie: Simpemba scored from a free-kick but was clearly offside in a rare moment of carelessness from the monster. Then super Bazza Cogan latched onto a through ball and rounded Scriven and tapped in but it was rule offside. Looking back on the highlights, if you pause it right on the moment Bricknell feeds it through, he is just about onside. A very tight call though and a difficult one to make.
Simmonds raced through on a one on one but didn't show enough composure, and Dixon's rebound was well saved. Dixon then missed an absolute sitter when he slid in to hit the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score than miss.
The highlight was Corcoron going round Scriven and crossing the ball into the box but Simmonds didn't even bother jumping to head the ball towards and empty net. It just about perfectly summed up his attitude, he only puts the effort in when he can be arsed.
In the dying moments Edmans hit the post with a header and it just wasn't our day.
We created the chances to actually win the game so for once I walked away from a defeat not too down-hearted for several reasons. That said, our first half showing was inexcuseable and the architect to our downfall.
But I walked away with my head held high for a few reasons. Firstly was the composed and mature performance from Harrington, who looks like he could be a real prospect for us. He's still young so he's going to make a few mistakes but once he learns and matures he could turn out to be a real asset for us.
Secondly I just want this play-off shit to be over one way or another. I'm really not actually fussed about making them because we will just be cannon fodder for Dartford and I wouldn't like to enter the National division with our current crop of players. We'd get absolutely trounced every week.
Finally I am now just looking forward to re-building for next season. Thankfully it seems that Forster mirrors the views of the fans on most of our players so we will be seeing a big summer clearout. If we can build a team around a spine with players like Wynter, Simpemba, Ruiz, Harrington, Dixon and Bricknell then we've got a really good start. The rest of the bunch can fuck off to the ryman league or county divisions for all I care and I can't wait to hear of their impending releases.
I've not been overly impressed by Forster so far but I am prepared to give him a full pre-season and chance to bring in his own players as their is so much more selection in the summer months than arriving mid-season and trying to feast on the scraps. The term that we hope he can do a 'Chris Powell' has been banded around a lot recently and that is one thing that is giving me a shade of optimism for the future. COYW
(Mind you, if Cogan, Starkey, Huke et all are signed on for next season then I think I will just give up all together. Seriously.)
We stayed in the Centre Spot for a few pints afterwards. The Sutton fans looked happy, unsurprisingly. So did our captain fantastic Shane Huke. Must of been chuffed with himself after putting in another great shift.
I was happy though. They put leftover sandwiches and sausage rolls on the bar so me, Russ and others scavenged at he bar like pidgeons and finished off the fucking lot.
Nothing else to report though. Me and Russell left to go to Kearsney and get the train home after a while. I heard that Phil and some of the other Sutton fans stayed on the piss in the OE til later on and had a great time. It seems that Tonbridge 'bitter' Angels are the only fans that have a real problem with us.
Right then guys, Havant away tomorrow. One that nobody can really be arsed for because of its end-of-season nothingness, as evidenced by our current struggle to fill up a free coach provided by the board. Quite embarrassing really. There should only be a small group of us on the train as well, as we go into Portsmouth for pre match drinkypoos, to make a change of scenary. I'm quite looking forward to going to a game without much pressure on us to perform so bring it on.
The first half perfomance was one of the worst I have witnessed in a long while. Utterly fucking pathetic. It was painful watching Sutton casually pass the ball around on the deck in their own half while our players just looked on, not bothering to close them down or press them whatsoever. Whenever we got hold of the ball ourselves, we'd pass it around the back a little bit before either Shane Huke or Phil Starkey would lump the ball forward for nobody to get on the end of. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It was fucking terrible. Jemal Johnson put in the laziest, arrogant perfomance I have ever seen and he had to be hauled off after just 30 minutes to be greeted by ironic cheers and boos at his pathetic showing.
Mind you, Sutton looked like a decent outfit and their second goal was an absolute peach, so finely taken. Its a shame that Lloyd Harrington got beaten on the right hand side for that goal but that was his only error in an otherwise MOTM showing for Dover. Mind you, if Simmonds didn't just lose the ball away in the middle of the park and left the back 3/4 so exposed on the counter attack then it would never have happened.
I was so pissed off by half-time that I fucked off to the Centre Spot early. I tell you what, it would be nice to want to stay until the end of the half to clap the players off and encourage them to keep going. But that's never the case anymore, is it? Such gutless, inept shite for the past few seasons that its no wonder why we could only attract a laughably low 675 up Crabble Hill and through the turnstiles. And thats considering that Sutton themselves took a reasonable following and made a good amount of noise throughout the entire game. Fair play to them. We were in total silence for most of the game, sick to death of our current home perfomances. Why can we only play away? Why do our players fight for every ball, run that extra mile and try to pass the ball around when they're away from home but at Crabble they're just utterly useless? Its so puzzling that none of us can get our head around it.
But to be fair, we were actually much improved in the second half and I can't believe that we did not manage to score a goal. While we were still very sloppy and careless at times we had numerous chances to get back into the game but somehow we failed to put the ball into the onion bag. Actually, that's a lie: Simpemba scored from a free-kick but was clearly offside in a rare moment of carelessness from the monster. Then super Bazza Cogan latched onto a through ball and rounded Scriven and tapped in but it was rule offside. Looking back on the highlights, if you pause it right on the moment Bricknell feeds it through, he is just about onside. A very tight call though and a difficult one to make.
Simmonds raced through on a one on one but didn't show enough composure, and Dixon's rebound was well saved. Dixon then missed an absolute sitter when he slid in to hit the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score than miss.
The highlight was Corcoron going round Scriven and crossing the ball into the box but Simmonds didn't even bother jumping to head the ball towards and empty net. It just about perfectly summed up his attitude, he only puts the effort in when he can be arsed.
In the dying moments Edmans hit the post with a header and it just wasn't our day.
We created the chances to actually win the game so for once I walked away from a defeat not too down-hearted for several reasons. That said, our first half showing was inexcuseable and the architect to our downfall.
But I walked away with my head held high for a few reasons. Firstly was the composed and mature performance from Harrington, who looks like he could be a real prospect for us. He's still young so he's going to make a few mistakes but once he learns and matures he could turn out to be a real asset for us.
Secondly I just want this play-off shit to be over one way or another. I'm really not actually fussed about making them because we will just be cannon fodder for Dartford and I wouldn't like to enter the National division with our current crop of players. We'd get absolutely trounced every week.
Finally I am now just looking forward to re-building for next season. Thankfully it seems that Forster mirrors the views of the fans on most of our players so we will be seeing a big summer clearout. If we can build a team around a spine with players like Wynter, Simpemba, Ruiz, Harrington, Dixon and Bricknell then we've got a really good start. The rest of the bunch can fuck off to the ryman league or county divisions for all I care and I can't wait to hear of their impending releases.
I've not been overly impressed by Forster so far but I am prepared to give him a full pre-season and chance to bring in his own players as their is so much more selection in the summer months than arriving mid-season and trying to feast on the scraps. The term that we hope he can do a 'Chris Powell' has been banded around a lot recently and that is one thing that is giving me a shade of optimism for the future. COYW
(Mind you, if Cogan, Starkey, Huke et all are signed on for next season then I think I will just give up all together. Seriously.)
We stayed in the Centre Spot for a few pints afterwards. The Sutton fans looked happy, unsurprisingly. So did our captain fantastic Shane Huke. Must of been chuffed with himself after putting in another great shift.
I was happy though. They put leftover sandwiches and sausage rolls on the bar so me, Russ and others scavenged at he bar like pidgeons and finished off the fucking lot.
Nothing else to report though. Me and Russell left to go to Kearsney and get the train home after a while. I heard that Phil and some of the other Sutton fans stayed on the piss in the OE til later on and had a great time. It seems that Tonbridge 'bitter' Angels are the only fans that have a real problem with us.
Right then guys, Havant away tomorrow. One that nobody can really be arsed for because of its end-of-season nothingness, as evidenced by our current struggle to fill up a free coach provided by the board. Quite embarrassing really. There should only be a small group of us on the train as well, as we go into Portsmouth for pre match drinkypoos, to make a change of scenary. I'm quite looking forward to going to a game without much pressure on us to perform so bring it on.
| Tuesday 10 Apr 2012 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havant and W | 2 | - | 1 | Salisbury | |
 Jones (13) Nanetti (26) |
Griffin (16) |
 743 |
|||
| Monday 09 Apr 2012 | |||||
| Boreham Wood | 1 | - | 2 | Staines Town | |
| Montgomery (80) |
Nwokeji (28) Vassell (52) |
174 |
|||
| Bromley | 1 | - | 2 | Dartford | |
| Malcolm (78) |
Harris (23) Wilkinson (27) |
676 |
|||
| Chelmsford | 1 | - | 0 | Eastbourne Borough | |
 Modeste (17) Akurang (79) |
Walker (17) |
835 |
|||
| Dorchester | 2 | - | 3 | Truro City | |
| Critchell (64) Dovell (91) |
Pugh (39) Gritton (67) Watkins (79) |
504 |
|||
| Dover | 0 | - | 2 | Sutton Utd | |
| Paddock (12) Watkins (24) |
675 |
||||
| Maidenhead Utd | 3 | - | 4 | Farnborough | |
| Semakula (15) Powell (19) Behzadi (76 og ) Behzadi (89) |
Ciardini (54) Page (70) Page (84) |
339 |
|||
| Welling | 1 | - | 0 | Thurrock | |
| Baker (16) |
511 |
||||
| Weston-S-Mare | 0 | - | 0 | Eastleigh | |
| 201 |
|||||
| Woking | 2 | - | 1 | Tonbridge Angels | |
| Ademola (43) Sole (84) |
Collin (41) Browning (67) |
2,430 | |||
Blue Sq South Table - April 10 2012
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Woking | 39 | 28 | 6 | 5 | 85 | 36 | 49 | 90 |
| 2 |  |
Dartford | 39 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 85 | 37 | 48 | 83 |
| 3 | |
Welling United | 39 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 76 | 45 | 31 | 77 |
| 4 | |
Sutton United | 39 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 65 | 49 | 16 | 71 |
| 5 | |
Chelmsford | 39 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 62 | 37 | 25 | 66 |
| 6 | |
Dover | 39 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 58 | 46 | 12 | 61 |
| 7 | |
Basingstoke Town | 37 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 56 | 48 | 8 | 58 |
| 8 | |
Dorchester | 39 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 56 | 59 | -3 | 55 |
| 9 | |
Boreham Wood | 39 | 15 | 9 | 15 | 56 | 54 | 2 | 54 |
| 10 | |
Tonbridge Angels | 39 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 64 | 60 | 4 | 53 |
| 11 |  |
Eastleigh | 39 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 52 | 58 | -6 | 50 |
| 12 | |
Weston-S-Mare | 39 | 14 | 7 | 18 | 54 | 66 | -12 | 49 |
| 13 | |
Farnborough | 39 | 14 | 6 | 19 | 51 | 73 | -22 | 48 |
| 14 | |
Truro City | 39 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 60 | 74 | -14 | 46 |
| 15 | |
Salisbury City | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 44 | 49 | -5 | 45 |
| 16 | |
Eastbourne Borough | 39 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 51 | 63 | -12 | 42 |
| 17 | |
Havant and Waterlooville | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 61 | 70 | -9 | 41 |
| 18 | |
Staines Town | 39 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 46 | 59 | -13 | 40 |
| 19 | |
Bromley | 39 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 49 | 64 | -15 | 40 |
| 20 | |
Hampton & Richmond | 37 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 50 | 61 | -11 | 39 |
| 21 | |
Maidenhead United | 39 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 43 | 68 | -25 | 39 |
| 22 | |
Thurrock | 39 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 32 | 80 | -48 | 25 |
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