Despite His White Boots

Football, football, football and, if the mood takes me, more football.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Barnet 2 Gillingham 1

A game of two halves at Underhill, both on and off the pitch. That's a top cliche double blast to start us off with. I wedged myself into the Main Stand for the first half, which was fairly uneventful apart from Gillingham's goal. A defensive mix up from a right-wing throw-in allowed the visitors to send a free cross into the danger area, and a damn good one it was too, allowing David Graham to nod home from 6 yards. After that, the guys around me were just so annoying, you know the type, every clearance under pressure that doesn't turn into a pinpoint 50-yard crossfield pass is "Oh, what are we DOING". When the villain on my left (he had position on me too) started bemoaning how unlucky England were in the rugby World Cup I had had enough. I mean, any true football fan laughs at England losing the rugby World Cup. Unlucky Josh. Try again in 2011 Jeremy.

So anyway, I decamped to the "South Stand" behind the goal for the second half, where I had much more leg/arm room and a great view of Barnet pressing down the slope. It soon became clear that the visiting centre halves and keeper Simon Royce didn't fancy it uphill into the wind. Moments after Graham allowed Lee Harrison to make a great save when he really should have scored, Royce flapped at Josh (oh, erm) Wright's free kick and Ishmael Yakubu nodded in from about 2 feet. Two minutes later the classy Kenny Gillet curved in another wicked cross that was gleefully headed in by Liam Hatch.

And surprisingly that was more or less that. Gillingham never threatened, even when the supernit ref sent Ashley Carew off with 10 minutes left. It was a poor show from the visitors, and unfortunately, like pretty much everyone who has been shown the Loftus Road door in the last couple of years, Royce, Steve Lomas and Aaron Brown showed nothing to suggest that they were harshly treated at Championship level. Onwards and upwards for the Bees though, with the return of Yakubu and Gillet in defence and Hatch banging in the goals, my 12-1 promotion bet is looking unusually inspired. You can still get on at 13-2 on Betfair and that's not a bad price.

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