DONCASTER ROVERS
1 : 0
CRYSTAL PALACE
Last stop on this year's tour, the Keepmoat and an initial meeting with NewYankee Rover and Bally Bally Bally (aka IonlywishIcould). Once again a pleasure to meet guys in person who I've been arguing with for years. Often wrong they maybe, but good guys - certainly.
Anyway a pleasureable couple of pints and its to the match, Mrs. Duck in tow with a friend we hadn't seen since just after she left school.
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| John Oster - the last time he scored |
What a remarkable day. In order of increasing improbability: Arsenal won, Rovers won, Torres scored and Oster scored! It was also a red-letter day in Rovers' history - Dean Saunders' first game in charge.
I've got to say I am proud of my timing of this visit. I've pulled in meeting two guys from across the pond; a Leeds / Man Utd. cup tie; the end of one era and the start of another. Not bad! I bet I can't do that again!
So after a pleasureable walk around the lake we arrived at the Keepmoat. On entering what I did notice is that the concourses of modern stadia all look the same, whether it be the MadStad, the Amex or the Keepmoat.
I am rambling? Very probably because the more I ramble the less I have to write about the first half of this game. It was awful. Totally shapeless with both teams struggling to string three passes together.
Palace could have had a penalty early on when Friend looked clumsy while challenging Murray. The referee wasn't impressed but it was a close one; other refs may have been.
Rovers only real chance of the half came when Oster had a good run into the box, He had a beautiful view of the bottom left-hand corner of the goal at Sperroni's near post but elected instead to hold it up and pull it back for the Beast, John Parkin who was, of course, making his debut (damn, something else I could have rambled on about). Sadly, Parkin slipped and his strike was scuffed wide, high and almost as ugly as Rovers' performance thus far.
"Bloody John Oster!" I said. "One day he'll have a shot, it'll hit someone on the arse and then he'll entertain shooting as a possible future option!"
"Mmmm?" said Mrs. Duck. She was tweeting! Normally I would admonish her for not paying proper attention when she should be learning about proper football but at this moment, I could see that this would be a difficult argument to win.
Murray got away again, curtesy of Naylor's error but the shot was weak and Sullivan saved easily. Time to meet my dad, get a pie and have a bloody good moan!
Second half and Palace actually had an effort worthy of the name, a header from Murray again that was pushed over by Sullivan.
On the hour mark came a rarerity from Rovers; a double substitution that changed the match. Perhaps this will be a new and welcome sight under the new administration. Billy Sharp got a tremendous welcome from the Keepmoat crowd and the team were lifted. Milan Lalkovic also joined the fray at the same time and for me, if you discount Sharp's motivational effect, Lalkovic actually contributed more.
Five minutes later and Oster had a rush of blood to the head and shot from about thirty yards. The ball hit a Palace player on the arse, completely wrong-footed Sperroni and nestled in the corner opposite the one Oster originally targeted. Just call me Nostradamos guys!
Lalkovic then contributed for me the best moment of the game. He played a short corner and on receiving the return ball, had a run to the corner of the area where he curled a shot just wide of the post. Had it gone in we would have seen a thing of beauty.
Towards the end and Hayter should have put the result beyond doubt when Sharp chased a lost cause and was rewarded. He played an easy ball to Hayter who skyed it with just the 'keeper to beat.
But Rovers had just about earned Saunders' winning start. It was never a classic but it was a victory and for the win-starved fans of Rovers, that was the important thing.
Anyway, back to the pub this time with the folks for more banter with NewYankee and Bally. It could have gone further with a visit to Hatfield Chase and my old neighbourhood. Sadly, the trip up from Brighton was catching up with us. Besides, the inevitable hangover that would have resulted from such a trip in the company of Bally, who's capacity to lead me astray is scary, would not have been compatable with the long trip home I had the next day.
We'll have to do it next time though!
So after a pleasureable walk around the lake we arrived at the Keepmoat. On entering what I did notice is that the concourses of modern stadia all look the same, whether it be the MadStad, the Amex or the Keepmoat.
I am rambling? Very probably because the more I ramble the less I have to write about the first half of this game. It was awful. Totally shapeless with both teams struggling to string three passes together.
Palace could have had a penalty early on when Friend looked clumsy while challenging Murray. The referee wasn't impressed but it was a close one; other refs may have been.
Rovers only real chance of the half came when Oster had a good run into the box, He had a beautiful view of the bottom left-hand corner of the goal at Sperroni's near post but elected instead to hold it up and pull it back for the Beast, John Parkin who was, of course, making his debut (damn, something else I could have rambled on about). Sadly, Parkin slipped and his strike was scuffed wide, high and almost as ugly as Rovers' performance thus far.
"Bloody John Oster!" I said. "One day he'll have a shot, it'll hit someone on the arse and then he'll entertain shooting as a possible future option!"
"Mmmm?" said Mrs. Duck. She was tweeting! Normally I would admonish her for not paying proper attention when she should be learning about proper football but at this moment, I could see that this would be a difficult argument to win.
Murray got away again, curtesy of Naylor's error but the shot was weak and Sullivan saved easily. Time to meet my dad, get a pie and have a bloody good moan!
Second half and Palace actually had an effort worthy of the name, a header from Murray again that was pushed over by Sullivan.
 |
| Milan Lalkovic - Impact Substitute |
Five minutes later and Oster had a rush of blood to the head and shot from about thirty yards. The ball hit a Palace player on the arse, completely wrong-footed Sperroni and nestled in the corner opposite the one Oster originally targeted. Just call me Nostradamos guys!
Lalkovic then contributed for me the best moment of the game. He played a short corner and on receiving the return ball, had a run to the corner of the area where he curled a shot just wide of the post. Had it gone in we would have seen a thing of beauty.
Towards the end and Hayter should have put the result beyond doubt when Sharp chased a lost cause and was rewarded. He played an easy ball to Hayter who skyed it with just the 'keeper to beat.
But Rovers had just about earned Saunders' winning start. It was never a classic but it was a victory and for the win-starved fans of Rovers, that was the important thing.
Anyway, back to the pub this time with the folks for more banter with NewYankee and Bally. It could have gone further with a visit to Hatfield Chase and my old neighbourhood. Sadly, the trip up from Brighton was catching up with us. Besides, the inevitable hangover that would have resulted from such a trip in the company of Bally, who's capacity to lead me astray is scary, would not have been compatable with the long trip home I had the next day.
We'll have to do it next time though!
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