26/11/06: Essex Wanderers 4 Vs Oaks Athletic 1

We scored early on in the game, against the run of play. A corner was swung into the far post by the outside of Jacko's right foot. This cross caused mass confusion in the box and I believe that the ball was eventually bundled into the net by Robo-Robin Lawrence. This goal came after the opposition had hit the woodwork twice from free-kicks around the edge of our penalty area. Parker was sent off for two bookable offences (from the Ref's point of view) and Jacko (who had already got booked for a late tackle) volunteered to mind the goal. This left Danny up front on his own, getting increasingly frustrated and eventually getting booked.
A number of things came to light whilst I was watching this weeks game (due to hamstring injury). As soon as we started yesterdays game, we seemed to forget how to make simple 10 yard passes to feet and also how to make space for your team-mates in order to receive the ball. This was partly due to another problem, some players did not even want the ball and didn't even seem interested. None of these problems were present in the way the opposition played and this made it glaringly obvious when Oaks had possession of the ball (albeit not for long). I don't remember seeing any one-two's performed by Oaks throughout the whole match.
One more pet-hate which was observed, was certain players leaving their position to chase lost causes and therefore leaving a bloody great hole in the defence. Lets communicate better with our team-mates to shift the midfield across to cope with extra players out wide. Basically, we need to work as a team better. I know it's easy to say all this from the sideline, but it is constructive criticism. We can work together, we've proved it before, and we can do it again. There's two games before Christmas, lets turn those into six points! Come On!

19/11/06: Oaks Athletic 0 Vs Concept 'B' 1

Had plenty of chances to score goals, didn't take them. They took both of their chances, but the ref only let them have one of them due to a very dubious offside decision. Still, one turned out to be enough for them.
I'm not writing much about this game as I'm still mega-pissed off about pulling my hamstring muscle just before half time.

It's neck and neck on this season's top scorer's list, who's going to make a break for glory?
(Well, it would be nice if someone could get a shot on target this week!)

Jon Horwood 1
Kenny Graves 1
Dean Wright 1
Ian Pitney 1
James Jackson 1
Dave Street 1

Come on Gollum, it's about time you hit the back of the net, isn't it?

12/11/06: Jack's Lads 6 Vs Oaks Athletic 2

Barely scraping eleven players together to start the match was bad enough, and then I find out that we don't have a referee for the match. Within the first five minutes of the match Robin Lawrence received a headbutt from Long Gollum and went down injured. This shocked all of us. If Rob stays down, you know it must have hurt! He had claret pouring out from a gash just above his right eye, this was the first gash that Gollum had seen this season! Da-Dum-Tush!
Anyway, Rob had to go off, leaving ten on the pitch. Chris Andrews was forced to get changed in order to join Dean at the back. By the time he was changed though, we were already under the cosh and 1-0 down. Jack's Lads increased their lead to 2-0 and that's how it remained at half time. Steve had insisted that Johnny Gray should man-mark the little fella up-front. This proved to be a decision which I completely disagreed with. After catching him offside at least ten times last week, we were now giving him the run of the park as our defence sat on the 18 yard line, playing every cunt onside. Despite the man-marking tactics he managed to net himself a tidy hat-trick. Kind of hints that it didn't work doesn't it?
Anyway, they scored six and most of them were down to bad defending throughout the team. Although I have to say that the lad who kicked the ball straight up in the air from the halfway line is just lucky. It was just an 'ave it clearance that beat our dozy keeper. He had players in front of him and I dare say that he couldn't even see the goal from where he lumped the ball.
As for our two goals, Jacko's finish from distance was class and Streetboy's finish beat their keeper second time lucky.
We need a better turn-out every week if we want to remain competitive for 90mins each week. There will be some constructive piss-taking over the next week or so, directed at some of the lads who didn't turn up because they 'had a hangover' or whatever.

05/11/06: Oaks Athletic 0 Vs Jack's Lads 1 (aet)

Weather: Sunny
Pitch condition: Long grass. Thurrock council have complete idiots in control of their lawnmowers. They had cut the grass back-to-front! Cut the grass on the pitch and leave the rest, not the other way round!

This league cup match was closely contested one until one of Jack's Lads finally beat our offside trap in the second half of extra time, and lobbed Parker from distance. And to be fair to him, he did take it well. With about ten minutes left on the Referee's watch, we tried our utmost to score an equaliser. We had lots of opportunities during those ten minutes, but it wasn't to be.

As far as the ref is concerned, we all know that the referee in question is without doubt all the things that one or two Jack's Lads players shouted in his face. It's just that we've already experienced in recent years that swearing at the ref is just not tolerated anymore.

Eye-Ball Paul WATCH: Picked up some dog turd off the pitch that had just been curled out by a fairly large hound while it's old tosser of an owner just stood there. You are a hero Paul, a real Sooper-Dooper-Pooper-Scooper !

Fixtures:

Nov 12th: (Away) Jack's Lads @ Belhus Park
Nov 19th: (Home) Concept B
Nov 26th: (Away) Essex Wanderers @ Corringham Rec
Dec 3rd: (Home) Cross Keys