Thought I'd remind myself just how tinpot this league was and how great the conferecne national is so visited the Butchers Arms Pub playing field to bring you this exclusive report.
The comedy started as I entered the ground having expected a huge crowd to witness the ground completely taken over by 'Bridge. The Droylsden pa announcer did his best pantomime warm up act to try and encourage a cheer for the Bloods players as he read out the team sheet and each name was greeted by a resounding boo from the 'Bridge fans despite his best "Oh you can do better than that!" efforts.
Great to see the ground improvements at the Butchers (the turnstiles have been oiled)
A disappointing first half mainly featured the Stalybridge hoofing the ball ten feet over the Bloods net and then the Bloods keeper wandering around making no attempt to retrieve the ball while the ref seemed not to mind this blatant timewasting. A perfectly good Bridge goal was then disallowed by the incompetent nit. Despite the time wasting the ref added no minutes onto the first half when he could have added 10 and I decided to partake of a burger which proved the highlight of the afternoon...£2 for a well cooked burger with cheese and loads of onions at the very rapid service van and a bewildering array of condiments and sauces on the creaking table.So good I had another.
2nd half wasn't much better with more timewasting ignored by the ref and a blatant penalty not given where the 'Bridge player was synically scythed down in front of goal. Two Bridge players were then poleaxed at succesive Droylsden corners by Bloods players diving in with over enthusiasm...Stalybridge keeper rightly vexed and complains to the ref who seemed oblivious there was even a football match going on around him.
Then the inevitable Droylsden scrappy goal from a goalmouth scramble and the ref decides to send the Bridge keeper off (presumably for making no attempt to stop the goal).
Overall I was disappointed in the match and both teams...in Droylsden because they didn't want to play football and Stalybridge because they apparently couldn't play football. It was obvious who the Conference ready club were as the Bridge fans outnumbered the Bloods fans 4-1 (the Bloods fans started to finally sing when they went 1 up with an ironic "shall we sing a song for you").
So Bridge can take pride in a season where they nearly made the play offs after nearly being relegated last year and Droylsden celebrate getting into a competition in which they failed at the 1st hurdle last season.
Both sides would struggle to get a point in the national so if Droylsden can win the play offs a big change round needed. But i hope they do and will support them through thick and thin.
(but only coz I want to see what everyone makes of them and pacey in the National and how the Bloods feel at being labelled the kings of tinpot).
This is Jezza, making a quick exit from the Butchers...confguide.
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