AS I SEEN IT
A return to losing ways, seen by RUNNING MONKEY
After Saturday I was confident we would get to grips with this football malarkey and start playing like we were in it to the finish, not just making up the numbers.
I decided after Saturday to discard all my ‘MOJO SUFF’ as it was not working. So I discarded my odd socks, my 'never say die' posing pouch and my lucky H'Angus Frisbee and my blue and white painted wooden rattle as we have not had a goal to cheer in ages. But there is always a but; just before the game I learned that we had signed a striker of striking ability. Hearing this news I was tempted to dig my lucky odd socks out of the bin and stuff my pockets with the mojo stuff again but decided the only reason we had signed a “striker” was because I had dumped all that stuff.
So feeling quite naked it was off to the game. Sure enough picks up my team sheet and there is a forward line of potential strikers. Andy Monkhouse James Poole and Ryan Noble from Sunderland. "This is it" I thought - back to the free scoring days of, I can’t remember when. Oldham is a club on quicksand and would have little appetite for a Tuesday night game on the steppes of the wild rugged northeast coast. How wrong can one man be, it is like a drug HUFC, they draw you in with promises of glory and then slap you with a damp cloth to wake you out of your state of bliss. Within eight minutes we were a goal down from another set piece where we failed miserably to defend properly. The ball forced over the line by a lumbering centre back that did nothing else fro the rest of the game. It is disappointing to see such goals against what most of us would have judged as inferior opposition. How many times have we seen really crap teams come to the Vic this season and turn us over?
Poolies know long before anyone else that the game is over for us and it would become a boring drudge for the next ninety-one minutes, and they know how to fill their time in waiting for the anti climax. There was a good clear view of Saturn and Jupiter over the Millhouse stand and two seagulls fighting over a plastic Sainsbury bag was hilarious. We were amazed at the fact that any Poolies shopped in Sainsbury’s. We waited with bated breath for the half time lottery numbers, as the confetti shower in the town end always looks great.
To be fair we did create a little more in the first half as Noble was lively and had a couple of runs into the box. Poole, who still is not as sharp as he should be, struggled to get free and Sweeney had a chance from a Horwood cross that went right through the box without anyone getting near to it.
"We waited with bated breath for the half time lottery numbers, as the confetti shower in the town end always looks great."All the good stuff out of the way and we were into the second half, with raised expectations as we were kicking down bank this half and we should have the edge. We did step it up a bit early in the second half and Murray Poole and Noble trying their luck at a packed defence. Hartley came closer than anyone but his close range shot was blocked on the line with the keeper beat. It is a pleasant change to see a striker run at the opposition with as much purpose as shown by Noble; he was unlucky after charging through two defenders and whipping the ball across the goal, past the keeper, but inches wide of the goal.
OK we won the second half on chances but having lost the game in the first ten minutes it was a bit of a let down. I think on today’s showing Noble could be the answer and with Nish out for the season the new strike force will have to lift their game. The announcement of Monky being M O M brought cries of derision from the town end, as it was not one of his best games.