The Round Ball Game

[teamsaint]

Well, a true cup final, a real cup final almost THREE hours long, with an endless stream of goalmouth dramas - near misses, great saves, posts hit, last-ditch blocks.... we played very well, but.... if you miss THREE penalties....

Total heartbreaker. It'll take a few days...
We could win 5-0 on Wednesday and it wouldn't matter much....

(BUT it HAS to be said - LUCAS LEIVA - MAN OF THE MATCH, TOTAL HERO - he's found his best role as a classic central defender. Today, he even reminded me a little of the great Franco Baresi. (Who missed the first penalty in the 1994 World Cup Final shootout. It really does happen to the best.)

Commiserations Jayne.
I missed the first half, but the rest of the final was certainly great fun....until the pens at least , if you are a Red.
Thought Liverpool had the better of it, and looked really fired up. Lallana taking on Toure was interesting.

I'd have like to see Lallana get another winners medal, but the Saints fans don't agree with me, almost universally.

( I like Milner, you get a lot out of him over a season, but why didn't he just play the percentages and smash that chance across the face of goal with his left foot ?)

[Alison]

Well done Ian Ormson.

Enjoyed that.

Does that stand behind the goal ever get used? (The flags are quite impressive!)

[EdgeleyRob]

Well done Ian Ormson.

Enjoyed that.

Does that stand behind the goal ever get used? (The flags are quite impressive!)

Not these days Alison,in the good old championship days,full ground,playing the likes of Leicester,Sheff Weds,Southampton etc etc,things were different.

Latest

Brighton 4 Leeds United 0 All 4 goals in the 1st half,2 points off top spot
Chelmsford City 4 Bishop's Stortford 1 Straightforward win,late red card for the visitors
Bournemouth 2 Southampton 0 Forum derby,Cherries deserved win,Saints rarely threatened
Leicester City 2 West Brom 2 Points dropped after leading 2-1 at the break,no damage done though after Spurs and Arsenal lost tonight
Norwich City 1 Chelsea 2 Blues held on after leading 2-0,impressive league form continues
Sunderland 2 Crystal Palace 2 Heading for the much needed win until conceding a 2nd goal on 90 mins
Barnsley 2 Coventry City 0 Consecutive defeats,clinging on to play off place
Bristol Rovers 4 Hartlepool United 1 Forum derby,easy win for promotion chasing Rovers,Pool just above the bottom 2
Northampton Town 1 Wimbledon 1 Great point after going behind to the runaway league leaders
Oxford United 4 York City 0 Still in the game until conceding 3 in the last 18 mins
Stockport County 3 Hednesford Town 0 Third consecutive win and clean sheet
Truro City v Weston-Super-Mare was postponed
Hearts 2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Conceded a goal in each half,8th place
St Mirren 0 Falkirk 0 Game of few chances,probably a good point v the team in 3rd
Clyde 0 East Stirlingshire 1 Scored the winner in the 2nd min,now 2 points adrift at the bottom
Arsenal 1 Swansea City 2 Missed chances after taking the lead,6 points off the top
Stoke City 1 Newcastle United 0 Remain in the relegation zone after conceding a late goal
Liverpool 3 away team 0 Some revenge for the league cup,all the goals in a 23 min spell either side of the break
Manchester United 1 Watford 0 Late winner,now in 5th place
St Johnstone 1 Partick Thistle 2 Were 2-0 up after 13 mins and held on,7th

[teamsaint]

Brilliant round up ER. Pleased to see your lot are on a bit of a roll.

Saints managed to save one of their worst performances of the season fo the local game, ( not a derby, obviously) but bompey deserved to win, and deserve to stay up for the enterprising football they have played in a season that has thrown a lot at them.

The top of the PL is just extraordinary this season.

In the end, Leicesters dropped points against WBA haven't hurt their position as much as they might have.

[Alison]

Enjoyable night in watching Gillette Soccer Special !!

Good win for County and hope John happy with his point.

MOTD coming up.

[cloughie]

Brilliant roud up ER. Please to see your lot are on a bit of a roll.

Saints managed to save one of their worst performances of the season fo the local game, ( not a derby, obviously) but bompey deserved to win, and deserve to stay up for the enterprising football they have played in a season that has thrown a lot at them.

The top of the PL is just extraordinary this season.

In the end, Leicesters dropped points against WBA haven't hurt their position as much as they might have.

What interesting times at the top of the Prem - West Ham appear to be a form team - could the new manager at City arrive to a side without a Champions League place, losing out to Man U or West Ham? The basement lift doors look to be waiting for Villa plus 2 of Norwich and the two NE sides, then there's still time for a surge and a free fall - Palace needing a change of form!
No doubt some of you may be thinking 'what's Prem got to with thee?'

[teamsaint]

What interesting times at the top of the Prem - West Ham appear to be a form team - could the new manager at City arrive to a side without a Champions League place, losing out to Man U or West Ham? The basement lift doors look to be waiting for Villa plus 2 of Norwich and the two NE sides, then there's still time for a surge and a free fall - Palace needing a change of form!
No doubt some of you may be thinking 'what's Prem got to with thee?'

Interesting times at the top of the conference too.( sorry, National League).

There is every possibility that Nailsworth will have a football league team next season.

which will be nice if you enjoy both football and antique shops....and organic vegetarian food at the game.

[Alison]

How interesting, Nailsworth, I have driven through there without spotting a football ground!

[EdgeleyRob]

How interesting, Nailsworth, I have driven through there without spotting a football ground!

Forest Green Rovers (no meat pies)

[cloughie]

Interesting times at the top of the conference too.( sorry, National League).

There is every possibility that Nailsworth will have a football league team next season.

which will be nice if you enjoy both football and antique shops....and organic vegetarian food at the game.

Indeed so - FG have been steadily putting it together, this may be their year. At the other end of the Conference there is a possibility of Truro City who will be playing at Torquay next season swapping places with their hosts.

[Alison]

Blimey, not even cows milk!

[cloughie]

How interesting, Nailsworth, I have driven through there without spotting a football ground!

It's on a hill to the west? of the town.

[johncorrigan]

Enjoyable night in watching Gillette Soccer Special !!

Good win for County and hope John happy with his point.

MOTD coming up.

I'm delighted with the point, Alison. I did actually think that although Leicester only got a point v Baggies, that the only harm might be that Citeh would draw closer as I thought they'd see off Liverpool and Spurs and Arsene's al might struggle. However 'Pool saw Citeh off and big winners of the evening were Utd really. A big night for the Foxes...Claudio blinked and the other contenders drew blanks. Get it into them.

[EdgeleyRob]

Football Pink

Spurs 2 Arsenal 2 Reduced to 10 men on 55 mins when 2-1 down,equalised on 76 mins
Chelsea 1 Stoke City 1 Took a 1st half lead,conceded the equaliser with 5 mins left
Newcastle United 1 Bournemouth 3 Forum derby,Toon goal on 80 mins at 0-2 gave hope,conceded the 3rd on 92 mins
Southampton 1 Sunderland 1 Red card on 79 mins,heading for defeat when going behind on 85 mins,equalised on 93 mins
Watford 0 Leicester City 1 Winner in the 2nd half,5 points clear after Spurs and Arsenal dropped points
Preston 0 Brighton 0 Had the ball in the net twice,both disallowed,4 points off the top
Sheffield Wednesday 0 Rotherham 1 Unexpected result,goal ruled out in the 1st half for offside,remain 6th
Coventry City 0 Rochdale 1 Last min pen,3 defeats in 8 days,remain in the play offs
Wimbledon 0 Accrington Stanley 0 Strange incident when the ref blew for half time as an Accrington shot was on it's way
into the net (remember Zico,78,Clive Thomas ?)
Barnet 1 Hartlepool United 3 Went behind in the 1st half,3-1 up after an hour,5 points clear of the bottom 2
Dagenham & Redbridge 1 York City 0 Dismal afternoon losing to the bottom team and had a man sent off
Notts County 0 Bristol Rovers 2 Scored just before and just after the break,6th place
Guiseley v Wrexham was postponed
Tamworth 1 Stockport County 1 Led at half time,conceded for the 1st time in 5 games after the break
Truro City 1 Chelmsford City 0 Forum derby,68th min winner and an 80th min red card for the home side,Truro 5th
Chelmsford 15th,3 points above the relegation zone
Hearts 1 Partick Thistle 0 Conceded the goal midway through the 1st half,remain 8th
Raith Rovers 4 St Mirren 3 Down 2-1 at the break,4-1 down by the 55th min,scored the 3rd on 76 mins but couldn't find the
equaliser
East Stirlingshire 2 Montrose 4 Managed to get back to 2-3 on 85 mins but conceded the 4th in the last min,now 3 points
adrift at the bottom
Loughborough University 0 Hereford 5 Interesting battle at the top of the Midland league,Hereford top with 69 points from 29 games,Alvechurh 2nd with 68 poins from 28 games

Crystal Palace,Liverpool,Manchester United and Inverness play tomorrow

[Beef Oven!]

The Guvnor........