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Author Topic: Pyramid Patrol 2020/21  (Read 9229 times)

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JCFC

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Re: Pyramid Patrol 2020/21
« Reply #15 on: Sun 20 Sep 2020 12:39 »
The Transport for Greater Manchester journey planner recommended a route via Rochdale, but omitted to mention that the tram was not operating between Rochdale and Shaw. The downside was a longer-than-predicted wait for a replacement bus at Rochdale station; the upside was passing a street with the most unusual name of Uncouth Road - JCFC might be thought likely to feel at home there. There was still plenty of time to reach the well-organised ground and enjoy an excellent burger before watching

Episode 1
Saturday 19th September 2020
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Avro   1   v   0   Bottesford Town
Joe Cunningham (Salford); Taylor Metcalf, Philip Bayman.

Mr Cunningham is barely into his third decade, but his imposing stature and the fact that his features are enhanced(?) by a growth around his chin make him appear considerably older from a distance. Not so the two assistants, who looked even younger - JCFC was by some way carrying a greater burden of years than the three of them put together. Lyndsey Metcalf's tweets suggest that she is very proud of her son - the least she owes him after lumbering him with Taylor as a forename - and his performance, together with that of his colleague, gave her every justification for that pride. On a very hot afternoon short sleeves were forgivable (even JCFC eventually shed his fourth layer) so particular credit to AR2 for his long sleeves. Sadly, there was an absence of County FA badges.

With the seating only in one half, it was perhaps inevitable that most of the first half excitement should be at the other end, Avro having the better of the proceedings. There was a yellow card for the Bottesford number 3 for an attack -stopping foul on 20 minutes. Avro put the free-kick just wide, hit the inside of the post a minute later, but took the lead on 24 minutes. As they continued to dominate they clipped the bar with a shot and forced the visiting keeper to make a great touch for a corner, which was somehow cleared, not without difficulty.

Hopes that the play would be somewhat closer in the second half were only partially realised as play became rather scrappy. The Bottesford keeper was again forced to touch the ball over the bar early on and then Bottesford netted, but from an offside position. Avro earned a couple of routine cautions - one for stopping an attack, one for preventing the taking of a free-kick, with Bottesford receiving another for a foul. The match ended with a couple of near things for Avro attackers, but again the keeper did well, the second time with the assistance of the post.

The match involved a lot of clumsy play, with rather too much pushing. Mr Cunningham trod a sensible line between penalising everything and letting it go, penalising only the most significant, in terms of outcome. Despite a dubious genetic inheritance - he apparently comes from a family of Manchester United supporters  - in a display which was decent enough, with one good pull-back of a failed advantage, he managed to steer the ship home without problems - other than for a rather confused JCFC, whose knowledge of law/regulation changes is woefully deficient. Three times he correctly stopped play for the Avro physio to treat head injuries and equally correctly (as far as is understood) restarted by dropping the ball to a player of the side in possession. On the first occasion, this was at the feet of the keeper - with the injured player heading towards the touchline, which he subsequently reached and came straight back on. There appeared to be a definite mistake in this, however, as the physio was making her way to the opposite touchline and was still some 20 yards short - though on reflection Mr Cunningham may have seen an offence and restarted with a free-kick. The second time made JCFC assume that there has been a change, as the player was not required to leave. The third, however, saw the player head off the pitch before returning on the restart - which shows that perhaps Avro are as ill-informed on the correct procedure as JCFC. Could some kind soul provide enlightenment, please?

The journey home went well - though it would have been even better had the replacement bus driver known that he was supposed to call at the tram stop at Rochdale railway station.
« Last Edit: Mon 12 Oct 2020 15:29 by JCFC »
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