No escaping the matchday lure
round after driving home and setting off again, I’d have quite understood.
I’d maybe have called on my pal for me and daughter number two a lift but I’m not completely denying the fact that i might have opted to cut losses and watch the goals fly in on TV with a glass of red as the heavy rain fell outside.
One can barely imagine coming off Ewood more stupefied by the torpor of a performance than that against Ipswich on Saturday.
But, trooper that she is, our Mills was into her “32 Conway” shirt as quick as her mum could wrap a sandwich up to take to the game and the three of us dutifully set out.
As downtrodden as we felt following the fortuitous point we took off the resilient Tractor Boys, whose failure to capitalise on their superiority was largely down to relying on two of our goal-shy rejects to score, we skipped into the night drizzle elated as Owen Coyle’s side for once pretty fully lived up to their manager’s sometimes daft pre-match talk.
If there’s one thing as good or arguably even better than a comfortable win, it’s the narrowest of wins after a tumultuous end to a game which sees your opponents lose their rag and have one sent off (who had just escaped second and third bookings for a) a dive and b) blatant dissent worthy of Nick Kyrigios) while another makes a berk of himself by going down pole-axed to feign injury then springs up and decides to have a fight when the ref susses his deceit out.
How on earth did Mills not go? (In fairness he could probably have sent Gallagher off for his part quite justifiably too).
To compound our joy, an enraged car full of corporate Forest fans who’d clearly left early to make an instant getaway were hurling profanities into the night sky as Bolton Road remained blocked off until every last spectator was safely across to the far side.
In the cold, moonpaign they allowed us to bathed light of the mornpass it and move them ing after out myriad probabout a bit. lems remain and we could Gallagher was as much even be back in the bota handful as he was anontom three when you read ymous three days earlier this . and both his goals were a
We certainly could be result of smart, slick decion Saturday if we don’t sion-making on a surface shape ourselves against a which encouraged very much-improved attempting the bold and Bristol City. produced the inevitable
But, after deriding mistakes. Coyle’s Fortress Ewood Those who criticised the talk last week it would be decision to restore Lowe remiss of me not to point to right back have a point out that we have in fact but he did nothing calamtaken points from four of itous and allowed Marthe last five at home. shall – who picked up a
I said last week four tweak in the warm-up – to points was minimum create unburdened by from two home games defensive priorities. but look at the ChampiWe do look to have fitonship results overall and ness issues – Evans and only Newcastle (and posGuthrie were on their sibly any winner of Shefknees towards the end for field Wednesday v Carwhatever reason. You diff) will have taken six won’t get away with that out of six from the pair of level of exhaustion in the fixtures. engine room every time.
There was certainly But a win’s a win and much encouragement nothing beats coming off from the Forest game. Ewood deliriously happy, True, they are a side who especially when it’s been seem to think they’re a litan effort to get there and tle bit better than they at least part of you quesactually are and unlike tioned whether it was several visitors this cam- worth it!
RIBBLESDALE Wanderers Cricket & Bowling Club, Church Meadows, Brownlow Street, Clitheroe, are holding their annual AGM on Tuesday 22 November at the club house 8pm prompt.