We knew we had Dunfirmline in the next round. They'd lost a game 8-0 on the Saturday so it was important we didn't have any false expectations. Our captain worked that out of us when he didn't do a speech before kick-off. It was a very hard job for him to select the team with so many good performers from the day before. Anyone could have played. That's his job fortunately and despite the fact he is useless we're all very thankful. So the team was Nick Ashman in goal, Kev Batchelor still with right ankle in tact at right back, Phil Bray and Chris Foster in the centre, Phil Abbott at left back. Midfield had Lee K on the right, the new left midfielder playing with a serious knee injury, Paul McCudden and Nick Bray in the centre and Luke and Lee Stone playing up front. This was a great game with lots happening. A lot of defensive work required. Dunfirmline played very well and were hard to break down. Fortunately Lee Stone was on form. He scored another screamer from a distance to make the score 1-0. It was another goal where he had once again left his right foot behind and it was the Scots turn to play musical statues. We were 1-0 up but that wasn't good enough and our defence was a complete shambles. Chris Foster was the boss but he'd make a bad boss as hardly anyone listened to him. Phil Bray was being bossed about and he'd make a bad employee
because he listened to the boss and did what he said to do. Chris had decided that when he went on one of his roaming runs (which usually ended in the ball going into orbit!) Phil Bray was to drop a few yards. This meant that the Dunfirmline striker was getting a bit of space. He wasn't doing much when he got it but this wasn't good enough for a few other people and poor Phil was getting an ear-bashing from everyone but Chris Foster. As no one knew what Chris Foster wanted or really cared it meant that things were a bit strained.
For the record Phil, you weren't man marking the guy and Esther would be disappointed because you aren't making Pontus proud - especially as you're wearing his number!
It was 1-0 at half time and Phil was still getting an ear-bashing from everywhere. Even the ref said that he thought Phil looked a bit confused. I just told him "what?!" I can never understand Mackems / Geordies. There weren't many changes initially for the start of the second half as Steve Parker replaced Phil Abbott (who had looked like he hadn't enjoyed the fried breakfast too much) so he could pass on the message to Phil Bray that he wasn't man marking their striker.
Dunfirmline started the half very well and were on top for quite a while early on. They scored a deserved equaliser when Phil Bray who wasn't man marking their striker as Pontus would have done got turned and their striker scored with a great finish in the corner. There was nothing Nick Ashman could do - even falling over with his considerable frame never stopped it. So 1-1 and they were on top. Their striker ran around like he's just scored in the World Cup. Now our captain took the bold decision to make some quick changes and even took himself off which took some doing. On came Chris Stenson and Damo and the defence was shuffled around and changed a bit. It worked and with the midfielder with the dodgy accent now yelling at people and being even harder to understand we took control of the game again. Lee Stone came into his own and fortunately scored two more goals - one of which was a brilliant one-on-one and finished easily. When he scored the third goal he walked back to half way without much of a celebration. The linesman apparently said "he's a cocky git ain't he" (I wouldn't have understood it but Bob did because his father is from Newcastle). So Lee, shame on you - next time we expect you to have learnt how to do some backward flips and somersaults.
There was still time for Luke to blow a couple of great chances. A few one-on-ones where he'd shown great pace and blew it at the last moment. (Especially the one where the left winger had made a good tackle and then sent him through on goal). The problem was he was looking up when he got there. He needs to just keep his head down and keep running. The ref blew the final whistle and we celebrated. As we were coming off someone said to Lee "show Luke how to finish one-on-ones can you?!"
It was an excellent result and dear I say it, good captaincy.
Now we found out we had Watford in the next round and if we beat them we were through as far as we'd ever been. We have often lost to Watford so a win would be good. A bit of a rest and the captain had to select the side again - better him than me!
In goal now was Antonis, Right back was Kev B, centre half pairing of Nick Ashman and Chris Foster and Phil Bray on the left having dropped himself from the man marking role. The midfield was Bernie almost getting used to playing on the left, Nick Bray and Paul McCudden in the middle and Thomo on the right. Up front was Luke and Lee.
This was a game that everyone was determined to win and the whole team worked very hard and played very well. The defence held firm all game which was a good thing as Antonis was in goal. The Watford team apparently had a player who was trialling with a semi-professional team playing for them. He wasn't as good as our left winger. He did go on one good run where our defence thought about playing that musical game again but fortunately Kev B did one of his famous sliding tackles (the kind that you think "here's a penalty coming at any moment") and got his foot in at the last moment and prevented anything from happening.
About halfway through the first half Lee Stone got to the ball first and with the Watford keeper also running out and yelling "Chip Me! Chip Me! Chip Me!" Lee obliged. This time the ball agonisingly bounced just wide.
Also during the half Paul McCudden went in and tackled one of their players which was pretty shocking really. You're not supposed to do that and he didn't take to kindly to it. With Paul telling him something like "calm down" all the Watford supporters started taking the piss out of Paul's accent. Now that is just not on at all. Only I can do that. It made things more difficult for me because now not only could I not understand
Paul, I couldn't understand any of the Watford supporters either. So at half-time it was 0-0 and we probably should have been in the lead. Not many changes for the second half again with the team playing well. Just Damo on for Kev B.
We started the second half well and once again played the better football. Watford weren't being given many chances up front due to a good defence, the midfield was winning the ball and the pace and skills of our strike force was causing all sorts of problems. We eventually took the lead after some great lead-up work. Lee Stone hit the ball into one of their defenders and it bounced over towards our left winger who until recently had only used his left foot for standing on. Very unusally the left winger was looking up rather than down at his boots and he noticed Luke off on a run and played an absolute inch perfect pass (clearly the pass of the weekend) into the path of Luke who didn't have to break stride. Luke must have taken lessons from Lee Stone as he finished perfectly and we were 1-0 up. It was a beaut goal and we were heading for a great result. We thought we could hold on to the lead as we were defending well. Then with a few minutes to go their striker broke away and was heading towards goal. Paul McCudden was tracking back and our last chance (and I'll never knock Paul again - well may be a bit), Paul couldn't be arsed running any more and slid in to clear the ball. He missed - but only by about 10 yards - it was close really!
The Watford striker went down in a heap and I still haven't found out if he's Greek because he acted like it. The Watford bench who had taken the piss out of Paul were all up in arms and the ref was calling Paul over.
Now the linesman on the foxes end said "that's not a sending off" straight away. I wouldn't have understood him but Bob did because his father is from Sunderland.
The ref gave a yellow card to Paul and they all went bonkers. Now lucky for Paul the striker was over to the left of the goal and Phil Bray was coming round to cover - the fact he would never have got there is not relevant. Now in absolute disgust one of the Watford supporters on the sideline picked up a bottle of water and showed it to the ref like he was showing a card. Apparently the ref was supposed to give Paul McCudden a bottle of water for the challenge? Don't worry Paul, for doing that challenge for the team we will buy you a special bottle of water that we will show to you before every game. And from now on the man of the match in any game will win the "Paul McCudden Watford Memorial Trophy" (i.e. a bottle of water). We lined up the wall and their free-kick was awful.
Not much else happened but Lee did win a free-kick close to Watford's goal. Lee had gone on another run and beaten 5 players. This time one of the Watford players found Lee's right foot which had been left behind and kicked it. Paul McCudden was supposed to score from the free-kick so the Watford guy on the sideline could go and find another bottle of water but he passed the ball to the keeper - who was injured?
We ran down the time and defended well and the ref blew the final whistle. Great stuff - we'd gone further than ever before. A great result and we were all very happy. The Watford lot weren't happy and showed the ref every bottle of water they had but the ref wasn't going to change his mind. The Watford striker limped off to the car to go home and then the injury disappeared so he was definitely Greek.
Can I speak kiwi?
It had been hard yakka and we were all pretty chuffed about that or is that we were really rapt about it. Fortunately there weren't any pikers in our team and no scarfies. Also it was good that no one had sucked the kumara. Fortunately the weather had improved and we didn't need the gumboots. More like a chilly bin and jandals were required. Sorry had to get it out of my system.
So quarter-finals for the first time and we thought we could go all the way with the squad we had and the way we had been playing. The next round was Stockport County. A side that has beaten us more than enough times - usually tournament games too.
We moved over to the ground we hadn't played on yet and got ready for the game. It was another very difficult decision by the captain to select the side for this game. A lot of choices to be made for such a big game.
So the starting line up for this game was Antonis in goal, defence of Damo at right back, Nick Ashman and Chris Foster at centre back and Lee K at the new and unfamiliar position of left back. A very bold decision given the fact that there was a new left midfielder too in Bernie. Centre midfield was Paul McCudden and
Nick Bray with Chris Stenson on the right. Up front we had Luke and Lee Stone. Phil Bray had left himself out because he was too tired. Poor thing.
This was one of those games on one of those days that was a game of two halves and I won't get started on football phrases.
We started very well in the first half in what was clearly going to be a very tough game so a good start was important. There were a lot of 50/50's and strong challenges and everyone was giving 100 percent. Very early on in the first half the ball was played through to Luke up front. He ran on at great speed leaving everyone for dead and then shot past the keeper, unfortunately for Luke and for us the ball hit the post and came out and with the left midfielder being a lazy b*****d and not being there to put the ball in the open net, the Stockport defenders cleared the ball.
Later in the first half Stockport had a corner and the ball was headed goalwards, it looked like it was going in but then out of no where from on the line, Stevie P headed the ball clear and it went miles. What he was doing being one of the players on the post for in the first place no one knows? Probably laziness really but it was a pretty impressive clearance. (Note - this didn't actually happen in the Stockport game but in a game earlier. I thought I'd put it in because Steve P gave me a hard time recently for not including it, and also because Steve P is usually quite pointless when he's on the pitch so it's only fair to show that occassionally he makes a difference)
So there weren't many real chances in the first half and we went in 0-0 feeling confident that we could still go on and win. Thomo came on for Chris Stenson at half time and there were no other changes originally.
The second half started okay but then went down hill. We continued to battle hard and had a few half chances with our pace up front causing them problems. On one occassion Chris Foster went on a run up the field and this time instead of sending the ball into orbit he tried a fancy flick. The type where you kick the ball with your right foot behind your left foot. Unfortunately he never fell over because that would have been really funny. As it was the ball went way too far from our strikers and was a waste.
As he did it everyone on the pitch said in tandem "Fancy B*****d" - even Paul McCudden said it and for once I understood what he said. I even think the Scots over on the next pitch said it. (NOTE - Chris did not actually do something so ridiculously fancy in this - such an important game - he did it in the really important game beforehand! I've only remembered the fancy git doing it now)
With about five minutes gone in the second half Stockport attacked down the left and crossed the ball it cleared everyone and came over to the right. It was bouncing high and Bernie got an opportunity to use his height and jumped (honestly!) and thought he'd headed the ball out for a corner. Unfortunately the
ball actually hit the Stockport right winger and went back towards the goal. Then it was every man for himself. Antonis, one of our defenders and their striker all went for the ball. Antonis was too afraid and closed his eyes. Our defender was scared and closed his eyes. Their striker was scared and closed his eyes and the ball was pretty scared too and who wouldn't be with those three coming at you. Somehow the ball
managed to make its way into the net - very bad luck. Clearly no one's fault.
We were then looking at pushing forward to get an equaliser, this included Chris Foster going into midfield - unfortunately while doing so and concentrating on that we forgot to think about what was actually going on.
Stockport took a quick corner and "yellow socks" curled the ball into the top corner and we were 2-0 down. It's debatable whether he meant that.
Credit to the IF's and we never gave up and pushed on and on. Soon we had about 4 or 5 up front and that left it open for Stockport to hit us on the break. We didn't have too many attacking chances as Stockport killed off the game and time quickly ran out. In the mean time Antonis made the second best save of the tournament with a good diving save to push a goal-bound shot wide. Of course Antonis had to do this having previously taken a goal-kick (alledgedly) and passed the ball straight to their striker. Fortunately their striker was suffering from shock and did nothing with the opportunity but it looked like Antonis was trying to show he was actually an outfield player and he could pass the ball better than the Bray's. Come on Antonis, everyone can pass the ball better than the Bray family.
And Damo had decided he'd start sliding all over the show as he had done in the Lens game. With a few minutes to go Damo went for a sliding challenge and missed the ball by a long way but managed to take their player out. I looked over to the sideline and running from the car park was the Watford bloke. He had two big
bottles of water in his hands and was holding them in the air yelling at the referee. They were very good bottles of water and I'm sure the referee was impressed but he didn't get any card out. And not long later Damo did another great sliding challenge but the ball perfectly richocheted to their other striker. Fortunately he missed as 3-0 would have been unfair. The game came to an end very quickly and there wasn't enough time to get back into it but we never gave up and it hadn't been an embarrasing defeat at all.
A great shame to be going home too early for our liking. Stockport were the eventual runners up - so the last few years we had lost to the winners once and the runners up twice. Not bad. Perhaps we can make the final next year and win it.
Everyone could be proud of their contributions to a brilliant weekend - both in the football and outside the football. Another great squad display and shows that the Internet Foxes are very strong. A very strong football team and a very strong social team.