The first question to all those out there on this list or on waccoe etc who
wanted us to lose - how on earth does tonights result help us in the long run
???
Assuming we lose at Spurs that will be 3 defeats in a row, 4 games without a
win and 4 without a clean sheet.
The best result tonight, for me would have been a 3 or 4 goal victory that made
the second leg a formality.
As for those fans who seem to think a visit to Wembley in this trophy is
beneath them \ us should have be made to listen to the Carlisle fans singing
Wemberlee Wemberlee every time they were in the lead or watch the reactions of
the players after goals (see Crowes celebrations) and at the final whistle.
Make no mistake both sets of players and at least the Carlisle fans are
desperate to get to the (real) final.
As for the game itself - on the way I listened to the Square Ball podcast and
one of the lads jokingly predicted an 8 -8 draw - and he could well have been
correct so poor was the defending in this game. Worryingly we are back to the
McAllister days at the back at times.
First half was a very open flowing game with them having more of the
possession but us slightly shading the number and quality of chances. Becks
could have had 4 first half, two shots just went across the face of the goal,
one hitting the post, another from a tight angle worked the keeper and the
easiest came when a Carlisle player passed it behind himself without looking ,
straight to Beckford with only the keeper to beat- but this was his worst
effort and he chipped it tamely into the keepers arms. Grella had a shot just
wide and a great overhead kick that went straight at the keeper, Kilkenny had 2
shooting chances, one just wide and one miles wide. At the other end Crowe was
given a torrid time and it took a goal line clearance from Hughes to keep one
out, then the goal. The winger was given acres of space by Crowe and hit a long
deep cross where their lad out-jumped Bromby and headed it to a forward,
totally unmarked, who hammered it home. It was
nearly 2 -0 just before half time when Casper just tipped it over the top. So
going in at the interval it was 0 1 they were marginally the better team but
really 3 -3 may have been a truer reflection.
Second half we really got to grips with the game and had them pinned back for
long periods. Crowe, one good tackle apart, continued to show he cannot defend
but is good going forward, he almost had a hat trick. The first a cross from
the left by Hughes beat everyone and he arrived at the far post to head home. A
few minutes later something similar but he chose an audacious volley that went
miles over instead of maybe diving and heading it. Later on he cut inside and
had another shot just wide. Beckford went close with a glancing header and
Johnson had a great volley that went across goal. It looked a matter of time
before we took the lead, when against the run of play an innocuous freekick
midway in our half was put tamely into the box and with Casper rooted to his
line the forward got ahead of Hughes and headed home !!
We continued to press and Becchio was brought on and nearly did it for us but
his header was brilliantly saved and Howsons follow up shot was cleared off
the line.
We had had other chances with Howson and Snodgrass both going close but in the
end it was not to be.
If the second leg is a similar game then we are not out of it by any means.
Apart from the result it was a decent game for the 13,000 who turned up.
Had this been the first round and we had lost I would be fine Wit it but
listening to their fans and knowing we still have to play the second leg and
are only that one game from a Wembley final means that instead I am gutted (in
my 36years of following us I have seen us win 2** championships, one 2nd
Division championship, one Youth Cup, and one Charity Shield so any trophy even
the crappy paint one is worthwhile to me.
Dave
** really it is only one since for the 1974 one I only went to one home game
(my first at ER the last game of the season v Ipswich) and maybe 2 away games
at Old Trafford and Maine Road (if they were both in the top flight that year)
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