Friday Footie Festival!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 12:25 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Friday, March 02, 2018
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Contributors
Previous Posts
- Mid-Week Footie Wrap-Up
- Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 28 Update
- League Cup Sunday!
- The Weekend Curtain Raiser
- Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 27 Update
- Wednesday Action Footer Madness!
- A Busy Football Tuesday
- Time for the Turnaround
- A Bit of This and a Bit of That
- Friday Night FA Cup Fifth Round Doubleheader
169 Comments:
Good afternoon, everyone. Back home from running errands and eating lunch on a beautiful day.
A very good afternoon to you, mate. It's a gorgeous day here, too, albeit a bit colder than where you are. I spent a lovely two hours shoveling this morning. A very Zen moment. Now I've had lunch and done some paperwork and am settling in to watch this afternoon's festivities.
Paul Heckingbottom has named an unchanged side from the one that beat Brentford 1-0 at the weekend. Here is the team news out of the Riverside:
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Shotton, Gibson, Ayala, Friend, Besic, Leadbitter, Traore, Howson, Downing, Bamford. Subs: Dimi, Cranie, Fry, Clayton, Baker, Harrison, Assombalonga.
Leeds United: Wiedwald, Anita, Cooper (c), Jansson, Berardi, O'Kane, Phillips, Alioski, Dallas, Saiz, Lasogga. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Pennington, De Bock, Forshaw, Vieira, Sacko, Ekuban.
Just loaded the ESPN 3 Link from a chilly Riverside Stadium
Wahay - the coverage is starting up on ESPN. Cold night on Teeside apparently. I'm just happy that the match is on.
Boro start the match in 8th, while we're in 11th. It's a true playoff wannabe six-pointer.
It's 8th placed Boro vs 11th placed Leeds.
The announcer stated that this match wasn't confirmed to take place until midday and only after a pitch inspection. It's already March I believe.
Nicely poised! MOT!
Britain has been paralyzed by the winter storm, which I believe only dropped a few inches on them.
As with the match at the EM last night, a well below average attendance due to the unusually cold weather.
Great to have Spitty Saiz back in the side. It was his mazy run that set up Alioski for his goal at Derby. Come on!
They're off from a snowy Riverside .
I'm not sure that Gooner has recovered from that second battering at the hands of Citeh in a week.
There was some Pre Saiz hand blowing on his part just before kickoff.
Now this is a bright start from us. Great to see!
Early corner for us now - come on, make it count!
I'm sure you want to fare much better than the Gooner did last night
Stu Dallas didn't take enough advantage of that cross ball from Saiz.
Great away support for us, as usual, despite the chilly conditions.
A through ball is just too long for Traore as Wiedwald rushes out to gather.,
I'm sure you would love to get one over your mate, Pulis.
Oh - dangerous cross that Wiedwald completely missed, but Downing couldn't get on to it. Come on!
Wouldn't I ever!
And over your former mate, Jonny Howson and how!
Sad to see Jonny Howson playing for Boro against us. If he'd gone on to a big Premiership side (not Norwich) as Fab Delph or Jamie Milner or Aaron Lennon did, then I'd be alright with it. But to be at a run of the mill Championship side? It's a shame.
The Teesiders seem to be up for this one.
Traore wins a corner for Boro.
Traore wins a corner for Boro now.
Wiedwald misses a cross from Ten Downing Street then makes a close range block from Bamford off a run and pass from Besic.
Oh - Wiedwald flapped at that corner as well. Not good from our #1. But then he saved well. Crazy how inconsistent he is.
Howson probably assumed that Boro would go straight back up, which he is realizing probably won't happen this season.
Bit of a mix up now between Coop and Wiedwald. Neither was sure who was going to come for it.
Eunan O'Kane with a flying foul on Ayala then another foul by O'Kane. Oh Dear!
O'Kane is close to buying himself a yellow card now. Pulls not happy with it all.
Then Alioski superbly wins a break then gets a lucky bounce off of Besic then a less than Pre Saiz finish as it's well over with just Darren Randolph to beat./
Oh - a bit of good fortune allowed Sammy in there for a shot but he leaned back on it. Should have hit the target at least.
Bamford with a header sideways instead of towards that big rectangle off a run and cross from Traore.
Another cross over by Traore, but Bamford fortunately couldn't connect. Nice cut and thrust to this one, both teams well matched.
It's Randolph, not Mortimer in the Boro goal. Is that correct?
Nice break there through Saiz but when he fed Ali, his cross totally miss Big PML.
Saiz leads a Leeds break as he was gifted possession from Ayala. Then finds Alioski on the right , who put in a less than Pre Saiz cross.
Yeah - that's definitely Randolph in goal for the Teesiders.
A cross from Ten Downing Street is cleared by a Mini Cooper for a Boro corner.
Coop with a great clearance there when Downing's cross was threatening.
Jansson heads the corner for another.
And another corner conceded this time by Jansson.
Gibby just wide with a near post header off the next corner.
Gibson tries to get onto the corner ahead of Jansson's attention. Wide of the mark.
Kal Phillips has a long range effort deflected for a corner off a poor clearance from Ayala.
Kal Phillips tries one from distance. Deflected out for a corner. Let's make this one count, boys!
Ayala heads out the corner from Alioski for another.
Jansson heads wide from the next corner.
Ayala nods it out for another corner. Very tight, this match.
Pontus sneaks in at the corner and then claims a pen. Nothing doing from the referee.
Traore has a long range effort deflected for a Boro corner.
The corner from Ten Downing Street is headed out then volleyed horribly wide from Besic.
And yet another corner - not liking the way that we're giving up so many set pieces. Boro are dangerous from these.
A cross from Ten Downing Street is deflected for a corner. Taken short and the cross from Traore is headed away to Ten DOwning Street His shot deflects to Ayala , who got it all wrong with a so called bicycle kick.
Ayala with an acrobatic overhead after the ball was fed back in by Downing.
Jansson clears a pass from Friend for a Boro corner. Nothing comes of it.
Boro getting too much joy out on the flanks. Not happy with either Berardi or Anita tonight.
The announcer with a pun last night. He said it's minus three and by that I mean Arsenal's deficit in the match, not the temperature. I'm guessing Gooner would not be amused by that.
Jansson heads out for another Boro corner as Wiedwald made no attempt to gather that cross.
Another dangerous cross over by Shotton this time and Pontus has to clear up.
Bugger! In form striker Patrick Bamford turns in a Downing cross to put Boro 1-0 up.
GOAL !!!! BUGGER ! BORO TAKE THE LEAD . A CROSS CAME FROM TEN DOWNING STREET AS HE CUT IN AND PAT BAMFORD WITH A CLEVER BACK HEEL PLACED IN THE CORNER.
Anita fouls Traore from behind./
The commentator seems to be really biased against us. I think it's been fairly even with chances at both ends. We're still in this one. Come on!
Grant Ledbitter booked for a foul just outside the Boro box. Not sure why he's complaining. Pulis needs to shut it too.
Saiz earns a free kick off Grant Leadbitter who goes into the book. Good chance now.
Some less than PreSaiz words earn the Leeds player a booking.
I think he complained because Saiz unsportingly asked for the card. He's got himself booked now as well. Silly.
Into the wall by Alioski
They tried some kind of training pitch routine that didn't quite come off.
DAMN IT!!!! BORO GO TWO UP AS BAMFORD SHOOT UNDER WIEDWALD . TRAORE DESERVES ALL THE CREDIT AS HE LED THE BREAK THEN SUPERBLY PICKED OUT BAMFORD, BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE KEEPING BY WIEDWALD.
This would put Boro in the last playoff spot in place of the Evil Blades.
Bugger! Another one for Bamford. Set up by Traore. Wiedwald should have done better. 2-0 Boro.
Boro the only team in the Championship to have won every time they have taken the lead while Leeds have won the fewest points from a losing position. Bob will not like those stats.
Big hole to dig ourselves out of now.
Don't like those at all; however, the commentator does mention that recent draw against Bristol City.
Sorry about the score, mate.
MOT! COME ON YOU WHITES!
Now Anita gets himself booked for a stupid challenge.
Vernon Anita booked for a foul on Adama Traore.
Nice break led by Saiz . Finds Kal Phillips down the left , who plays in a far from Pre Saiz cross.
Oh - great chance there but Dallas' cross was poor. Big PML hasn't had a sniff all night long.
Grant Leadbitter comes off, perhaps for a knock. Adam Clayton on for him.
Coop gives away a silly foul to Bamford out wide right. No need for that, skip.
Bamford run into by a Mini Cooper near the Leeds corner flag and Boro win a corner off the free kick
And another corner now. We could use the half-time whistle right about now to get re-organized.
Into stoppage time as Gibby heads wide off the corner from Ten Downing Street. A trio of stoppage time minutes.
That's another former Leeds player on and Ledbitter looked a tad bitter at having to come off .
Heckingbottom will need to get the players off their bottoms with a stern halftime talk.
Boro are two up at the half. Hoping for better from Leeds in the second half.
MOT!
That's half-time, then. Not looking good for us right now. I think Heck has to roll the dice in the second half. I'd have O'Kane off and a forward on for him. We don't need two defensive middies when we need to score goals.
Looks like Heck has ignored my advice and is putting two midfielders - Forshaw and Vieira on. Not sure who's going off yet.
Phillips and Alioski off - don't like it.
There's those substitutions that Bob wanted . Ronny Viera and former Boro player, Adam Forshaw on with Alioski and Kal Phillips coming off. That seems like for like. Second half underway.
Not what the doc ordered! Sorry, mate.
I wonder if some choice words were said at the half with those that were replaced responding the wrong way.
Wiedwald just manages to beat away the curling corner. Not exactly convincing .
I would have had a forward on. Of course, we don't have Kemar Roofe available today, so it would have been Ekuban or Sacko.
Anita wins a corner off of Friend.
Anita wins a corner for us - let's use it!
Oh dear - Pontus had a free header there but put it over.
Jansson heads well wide from the corner, but a better start to the second half.
Ekuban would have been a good choice. If Leeds can pull one back then this becomes an interesting match and your mate , Pulis , will become a tad antsy.
Saiz wins a corner - he wanted more.
Not a Pre Saiz effort for Leeds, but it deflects for a corner. Hand ball by Gibby.
Jansson again gets his head on it but it's well past the mark. I haven't seen a single corner get close to Big PML. Not sure why.
And again, Jansson heads well wide from a corner.
The sad figure of Elland Road legend Jonathan Woodgate on the Boro bench tonight.
La Soggy and Jansson would be the main targets from those corners.
Jansson heads out for a Boro corner.
A sad figure indeed. Is he part of the Boro coaching staff? I doubt he still plays.
Wiedwald doing his best Grobelaar impersonation and nearly gifts Bamford hat-trick. Save those for the comedy club?
Yeah - he is. Part of the defensive outfit.
Another cross goes sailing over Wiedwald's head. I don't think he's collected one of those tonight.
Wiedwald didn't even go for that cross from Ten Downing Street. Is he saying that he wants to stay out of politics?
A long range effort is well wide from Ten Downing Street. It must be the weather.
Bamford is slide tackled by a Mini Cooper for a Boro corner.
Now Jansson is down off a clash of heads with Ryan Shotton.
Pontus looks okay to continue.
Hopeless ball from Sammy toward Big PML. The big German has been starving for service tonight.
An impreSaiz cross is easily gathered by Darren Randolph.
Ten Downing Street has a shot blocked by Berardi then blocked by the same player for a corner.
Ekuban and Sacko up warming up right now. I expect Saiz to come off shortly.
High and wide by La Soggy after a long free kick was headed away.
First real sight of goal for Big PML. Got it all wrong. Not really his sort of chance, really.
That sounds like a Pre Saiz observation, mate.
Bugger! Bamford gets his hat-trick and we're done.
BUGGER! THEN BORO GO DOWN AND BAMFORD COMPLETES HIS HAT-TRICK. TRAORE CUT IN , HIS SHOT WAS BLOCKED, AND THE BALL BROKE TO BAMFORD , WHO SHOT PAST THE STRANDED WIEDWALD. WAS HE OFFSIDE?
The final roll of the dice from Paul Heckingbottom as Ekuban is on for O'Kane. Bob called for that over twenty minutes ago. Now too little, too late. Sorry, mate.
A long range effort is far from Pre Saiz.
This might be a morale sapping loss for us.
Could have been a fourth goal there. Crikey!
Traore goes on another run and passes to Friend , who shoots well wide.
Liam Mini Cooper booked for a lunge on Bamford. Surely due to frustration.
Ayala heads well wide off the free kick from Ten Downing Street.
Jonny Howson has a long range effort deflected for a Boro corner.
OH!! Ayala was not too far off with that header off the corner from Traore.
And again Ayala with a free header. That was the thirteen corner of the match for Boro. We cannot give away that many set pieces and expect to get anything out of a match.
Another woeful pass from Saiz. Why hasn't he come off yet?
Agreed, Bob. This loss will hurt after some decent results. Leeds will have to recover for a midweek match. I think they play at ER, but not sure who the visitors are.
Leeds made all their substitutions. None remaining. Sorry, mate,.
That wayward pass by Forshaw sums up this match. The home crowd enjoyed that one.
Unfortunate for the Leeds, who have braved the conditions . I'm sure you will agree with me that they deserve better than this for showing such loyalty.
I do. Our away fans are brilliant. They deserve more investment from the club. If I were a season ticket holder, I'd be livid.
That's the last thing the Premiership needs next season - yet another Tony Pulis club.
Great to hear Leeds fans singing MOT despite the score. Great support.
Agreed, mate. This will win will put them in the last playoff spot in place of the Evil Blades.
The Baggies will go down and possibly Stoke too. That may soften the blow in case the Teesiders go up.
Ekuban fluffs his lines at the first time of asking. Poor.
Ekuban fails to connect on a long ball despite an outstretched leg.
That would - those are two rubbish sides that shouldn't really be in the Premiership.
Fred is now joining us late on.
Agreed. There's probably about half a dozen sides that don't really belong in the Prem. Time to trim down the Prem?
What does Fred have to say about it all?
Big PML took a sharp blow to the head there.
La Soggy now down for Leeds, but is up and seems to be okay.
Fred just left, looking not to impressed. He wanted to be petted for a little while.
Patrick Bamford gets a standing ovation due to the hat-trick.He's replaced by Crainie. A pair of stoppage time minutes.
Glad to see the back of him.
A consolation goal would be nice right about now, to warm the cockles of the traveling fans.
That's that. Sammy Saiz wasn't happy with that challenge at the final whistle and has to be escorted off by teammates.
It's over as Boro defeat Leeds 3-0 and a less than Pre Saiz reaction from the Leeds player. Sorry about the result.
Not our night. We're stuck on 49 points, one shy of safety in the Championship. We'll surely drop down to 12th or 13th tomorrow when the other sides play. Solidly mid-table.
Cheers, mate. It was nice chatting with you, despite the scoreline.
Agreed. Great chatting . Look forward to chatting with you tomorrow.
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