Sunday, April 13, 2008

Weymouth 0 Us 1, Torquay 3 Us 2, Us 5 Farsley Celtic 1

Part of my pre-match ritual is to buy a carb-filled calorific lunch from a local garage. It’s not good for me, but I generally look after myself, so I justify it as part of the matchday experience.

As I walked up the Grenoble Road, for the last time on a Saturday this season, I was conscious that I felt lethargic and bloated. It might have been the junk food; it may have been the prospect of the forthcoming ninety minutes.

In fact, yesterday’s football fare was an enjoyable romp (for the record, the sandwich was a little stale). It was almost like a pre-season friendly. Farsley were probably the worst team to have come to the Kassam since we dropped into the Conference; which would make them the worst team we’ve ever seen at the stadium. With no pressure to play with, it was an opportunity for the players to stretch their legs and play with a bit of flair. In the spirit that you can only beat what’s in front of you, it was a very satisfactory afternoon.

Like a pre-season friendly you resist the temptation of attaching any meaning to the result, but secretly you hope that it is significant. Following the win at Weymouth and a ‘competitive defeat’ at Torquay our journey out of the shadows would appear to still be on track, if not yet complete or motoring. It will be interesting to see what we’re like playing with pressure; although that won’t be tested until August at the earliest.

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