We had met up with Gary C at the station (always over for the glory games that boy!) and he soon met up with one of his fellow directors and his wife took us to a cracking real ale pub. The Weston's cider was superb and the Duke box in the pub kept us entertained (some great 60's. 70's and 80's stuff and no modern rubbish!).
We got talking to the landlady and they very rarely get football fans in the pub and even home fans not welcome. She found us very pleasant and commented at the end that perhaps all football fans aren't so bad.
A few of the lads who had remained in Stoke got moved on by the Police from pubs frequented by Stokes less than friendly minority.
We ordered cabs and by 2.30 ended up in the Harvester by the ground. We had a swift drink and then joined the 1,200+ Albion fans behind the goal.
We stood up at the back not far behind Mike C and the group behind him were Neanderthal chavs. They had the usual hooligans gear on - Stone Island. I hadn't seen them before and thought they were Stoke to start with. The idiot stewards did nothing even as they gestured to the Stoke fans for the 90 minutes, I had no idea of any comments they made as we couldn't hear them.
As for the match, well it reminded me of the Cardiff match, two poor sides, and the game was lost before we woke up. McPhee lasted just 22 minutes before Oatway was on and the 4-3-3 become 4-4-2 (I think).
I couldn't see either side scoring until the Referee decided to take centre stage.
The first penalty, yes McCammon was hassling the bloke buts that's football.
The second was clearly handball by a Stoke player and I thought the Referee indicated handball, but now he says pulling by Harding. Utter rubbish.
The Stoke Burberry/Stone Island brigade to our left were giving it the usual mouth, when I went under the stand just before half time I asked the steward why they tolerated the obvious idiots in the ground and when I said about the Stoke fans he said the usual cop out answer "not my job mate".
So I asked him what his job was and he said "nothing to do with you". I gave up at that point and then realised that all the Stewards were "Gold Range", the fools that Leyton Orient used to employ.
The second half saw us finally have a couple of shots, one tame one from Leon, and best a 25 yarder from Reid that brushed the post. I think Jones and Carpenter also had long range efforts.
After that escape for Stoke they shut up shop and we couldn't create anything else. I left before the end to get a bus back to the station and so missed the hassle that the others got as the Stoke firm waited at the bus drop off point and offered out any Brighton "faggots"!
Sad deluded muppets!
We had a drink in The Fawn next to the locked Roebuck and then caught the 6.04 back to London.
Plymouth next week is a game we can't really afford to lose. Its Coventry v Cardiff and Leeds v Gillingham so hopefully results cant be as bad as this week.
Mark R
Shabaan - 7 nothing to do, got close to the second penalty
Harding - 5 was beaten several times by the Stoke players cutting in along the goal line
Reid - 8 my MOTM, defended well and pushed forward when needed
Butters - 7 defended well and kept Stoke out the danger area
Hinshelwood - 7 as above
Carpenter - 5 over worked and struggled
Nicolas - 5 poor match
Hart - 5 as above
Knight - 6 saw little of the ball, but tried hard
McCammon - 4 very poor match, but little service
McPhee - 4 off the pace by a long way
Oatway (for McPhee) - 6 battled, but not his recent influential game
El-Abd (for Nicholas late on) - 5 no impact on the game
Jones (For McCammon at half time) - 5
Yelldell and Mayo not used
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