Although this season seems to have been going for a mammoth amount of time already, this was the first mid-week league game to be played at the Walkers of the League One campaign. The sun was already setting as I left work at 6pm ready to make the short walk to my second home.
Bumped into Jimmy in the city centre and after a quick stop at the bookies (waste of time that was!! Bloody Juventus) and was soon at the Walkers with a good hour or so to kill before my twenty first game of the season got under way. For the first time this season, the scarfs being worn around the stadium were to keep out the cold rather than for decoration... and typically for the first game in a while, my Ivory Coast one was sitting on the chair at home and not snuggly around my neck. School boy error and one I would come to regret by half time.With very little activity going on outside the ground, I decided to make my way in earlier than neccessary but to get out of the cold wind that was starting to blow. I know it's getting on for winter and all that but this was the first game in a long time that the cold has been felt by all. Todays random picture.... the view as you walk through the turnstile. Now, it's not as easy as you'd think to take a picture of this while you're juggling you're season ticket, programme and backpack. Seeing it on screen though, it does make you wonder how some of our fans manage to squeeze their way through.
A quick burger inside the ground (suprisingly nice but how much can you enjoy it with the hole burned in your pocket where £3 used to sit) and sneaky scorecast (Tunchev first goal and a 4-2 win at 500/1 .... optimistic to say the least) and I took my seat for the nights fun and games.
My usual philosophy regarding the Walkers Stadium is that it's all about the game whereas away games are for the atmosphere and general match day experience which is why I opt to have a season ticket next to my old man in a part of the ground where the atmosphere suffers yet the view is spot on. It gives me a chance to spend some genuine time with him and actually has helped to bring us close in that he is almost more of a friend at the football than a father figure during those 90 minutes. Without trying to sound soppy, it's a great bond to have and one that I wouldn't change. Tonight, though, he was away on holiday with my mum and so while the cat's away, the stadium is open to all possibilities. Would I move over to the Kop.... position myself on the half way line .... or move to L1 and see what all the fuss is about? Much thought went into this (I say much, I gave it 5 seconds) and finally took a seat.... TWO seats away from my normal one. Rebelious or what? Frankly, I just couldn't be arsed to shift myself after a long day at work so just decided to move slightly along where I could spread out and just relax in the freezing cold.
And seeing as I focussed on the match, I suppose I should comment on it in someway.... so where to start? We started brightly with Fryatt looking sharp and eager to impress, chasing every ball, pushing Walsall back.... and then as seemed to be the way last season, we conceeded when on top. A really sloppy goal with comical defender allowed Nicholls to sneak in a prod the ball home. They then went with their original game plan.... hastle and push everything. We had no time on the ball what-so-ever whether it be the strikers or defence. Credit to Walsall, they gave us nothing and restricted us to set piece efforts.
And it was from one set piece that brought about the equalising goal before half time. A Max Gradel corner (who had a very poor game it has to be said) was headed home by Andy King. What King was doing in the box winning headers is beyond me but I'm glad he did! One all and the game was open once more with City pressing forward to try and gain the lead before the break. The pic below by the way is the corner leading to the goal.... I was slightly trigger happy and snapped slightly early.
The other main feature of the first half was the presence of Clayton Ince in the Walsall goal. For some bizarre reason he's one of those players that I really like and think he's quite under-rated. He's also the only goal-keeper I've ever seen who doesn't bother with a run up for goal kicks and just swings a leg and launches them up field. I'd dread to see how far he can whack it if he opted for the traditional method.
The second half started badly as a deep cross saw 45 minute England international Michael Ricketts appear from nowhere to head it into the back of the net. Back onto the closing down and playing against 10 men behind the ball again.
We tried to walk our way through the defence at times and it just wasn't working, Gradel in particular was guilty more than once of giving the ball away when trying to be too fancy. Pass and move, pass and move - that was what was needed not the fancy stuff. In fact at times he reminded me of a Christmas Tree... nice to look at and all that but at the end of the day, is it really needed?
As the game went on, we started to push more and eventually the break through came from another set piece as a corner to the near post was headed in by Tunchev to put us level. This lifted everyone and from then on we went for it, looking for that illusive third goal that wouldnt arrive but that would have been harsh on a very organised Walsall side. They had come to the Walkers looking to not get beaten and that's what they'd done. We'd been tested by Millwall's bully boy tactics and failed and now we'd been tested by Walsall's closing down tactics and failed once more. We don't seem to have that X-factor needed to unlock defences at times and in fact our last three goals have come from set pieces now. At the end of the day, a goal is a goal but free flowing football is always nice to see.
So the first mid-week league home game is done and dusted and my feet have finally regained some sense of feeling after a night in the cold. Winter's coming folks and with it the game's are coming thick and fast. This is coming up to the vital point of the season as squads are starting to gel fully and understand how team mates work. There will be no room for weak players and no room for the weak of heart.... if we're serious about promotion, we need to make the Walkers Stadium a fortress (Yeah Right!).
And with that, i'm signing off with only a runny nose and slight cough to show from the nights activities. Cheers City! Next stage of the season, three games in four days - see you there!
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