Maltby Main 3 Brid Town 2

The start of the footballing journeys, seem to get earlier and earlier every season. It’s the 6th of August, it seems like 5 minutes since we finished the end of last season (but in truth, it’s been 3 months). No footballing extravaganza’s this summer, that’ll be next year, where hopefully we will show the Brazilians how it should be done on their home turf, you know hooliganism, drinking till you cant walk anymore, puking and being shameful on the streets of Rio, flashin the tattoos, shaggin the local women, (they call it carnival time over there), and the odd game of football thrown in for good measure.

First game in the league sees us against Maltby (which is a town near Rotherham), where we have done ok over the last couple of seasons, but today we had a tough run out. I am going to be really lazy and display the kind of lazy journalism that adorned recent Sunday tabloids (who no longer exist)…. a good footballing lad who goes to Brid, does get to the majority of away games and gave this synopsis on the forum – This is copyright of “Manincrowd”

It was a hard game to sum up today. I think just about everybody played well at some time during the game but unfortunately not everyone played well at the same time. I think we will need a couple more games for all the lads to gel together but then I think we will really get going.

Ash took his goal well with a great finish and Josh got off the mark finishing well after what looked like a goal keeping fumble.

At times we looked exposed at the back as was demonstrated with their second goal where their lad was left with too much room directly in front of goal. Their first was from a penalty which I didn’t see as I was at the other end but to be fair we didn’t protest too much.

I hate to mention the officials as it always looks like sour grapes but I believe we were robbed of a point at least by some terrible decisions. In one protracted debacle, Nathan was upended just outside the box which the ref didn’t give, the ball was retrieved a little later and a shot was driven at goal which brought about a fantastic save as the ball was pushed away from goal…unfortunately it was by a defender and not their keeper!!! No penalty given even though everybody saw it except the ref who then to rub salt into the wound, gave a free kick to Maltby from what looked a great tackle on the edge of the box. It was 2-2 at this time and if the pen was given could have changed things as their defender would have had to have walked too. Not saying we would have scored the pen but we would have been in the driving seat if they had gone down to 10 men.

They got the winner in injury time after a scramble where Danny Brunton as well as the ball was bundled into the net following another dubious free kick.

My man of the match was Nathan Cook who worked tirelessly during the game. I’m sure we will improve when everybody is firing on all cylinders.

Mainincrowd and his buddies are some of the few guys i really chat to at Brid games, their passion and enthusiasm for the footballing aspect of the club is truly inspiring.  They attend most games where possible and give honest 2 sided views on the games – as most of us can be so one sided when watching a game.

So it would seem our hoodoo of shit refs continues, i know they are only human, but why is it always us that suffers ?

Talking of suffering, I had to take my lad to cricket, only for it to be called off just before lunch – so i could have gone – bah.

Home to Hall Road in a M Mouse cup on Tuesday, they are a resurgent team following Billy Heaths appointment as manager, and one or two new recruits are old Brid players – Neil “Tick” Towler for one. It will be a difficult game.

Wednesday sees us with another home game, this time a re-arranged pre-season friendly against a Hull XI – hopefully it will give us an opportunity to play a few of the U19 prospects and those who didn’t get a big run out in either of the openers.

Team was

Wilberforce, Aziz, Lee, Eeles, Patterson, Allanson, Bennett, N.Cook, Palmer, Hogg, Greening, Subs -Wright, Dalton, Owen, Brunton, Fraser,

Scorers were Allanson, Greening.

Bridlington Town 4 Grantham Town 2

Wasn’t sure if  I would make any pre-seasons, but fate threw its hand and allowed me the opportunity of getting along to this one. This was our fourth pre-season game, my first. To be honest, I didn’t have the same tingle or excitement going into this game as I’d had in previous seasons. Maybe it’s been the poxy summer, maybe it only feels like a couple of weeks since we were  at the KC playing North Ferriby.

Most of our squad were the same as last term, with a couple of exceptions (chib being one of them, Tom Nicholson appears to be another), but we have some new players, who appear to have slotted in quite well. Our management duo has changed a little, Tim Hotte stepping down, Gary in full control with Phil Harrison as his deputy.

Our visitors ply their trade in the Unibond South (where we were 2 seasons ago) so were of a good standard and would give us a real test.  What looked to be a miserable afternoon, that looked to promise plenty of rain, turned into a warm sunny one. The pitch looked excellent, and its amazing what a lick of paint can do to the huts and cabins in the cafe quarter.

They kicked off in their Plymouth Argyle kit, we were still wearing last years (which was the kit from the year previous to that !). boom it didn’t take Palms long before he notched not only his first of the day (9mins) but to get his first hat trick of the season (23 minutes), it was cruise control. They notched one in before the break, however I missed it, the sheer excitement of an opposition attack was completely missed by the 111 spectators. Half time and the tradition of missing out on the raffle continues, as it had for PaulNFFC (who we reckon between us haven’t won our raffle for a combined 7 years !!).

Grantham have decided to up the ante for  the second half, either that or they had a bollocking at half time, and wholesale changes for both teams. The visitors play well, but for some reason only had 10 men on the pitch for some of the second half  – someone complementing the ref on his parentage no doubt. They did score a second after some pressure, but we finished the afternoon as we started, Jack Wilkinson, one of two local lads in the team, made a break, slapped a nice shot goalbound but hit the foot of the post, Alex Rhodes was following up on the other side of the penalty area and finished with a great strike into the far corner. Brilliant !

All in all, everyone should be satisfied with their efforts and everyone in the crowd were well entertained to a good game.  Good to see a load of familiar faces and to have a chat. Gails chilli was excellent. Sculcoates at home next Sat, with a game against a strong Hull XI the Wednesday after.

Granthams website is here http://www.granthamtownfc.com/ and this is their report of the game :

Early burst sinks Gingerbreads

Bridlington Town 4-2 Grantham Town.

Team: Steve Norris, Ricky Hanson, Danny Brooks, Ryan Clarke, Adam Jones (Sam Saunders), Danny Steadman (Michael Stahlberger), Danny Hargreaves, Robert Hughes, Dan Reidy (Ben Saunders), Gio Carchedi (Lee Potts), Sam Kirton (Dan French).

Three goals in the opening twenty minutes rocked Grantham as Bridlington opened up a lead the Gingerbreads just could not claw back. Although a better second half performance saw Grantham go close to levelling the game, a late fourth capped things off for the home side.

Woeful defending contributed to all three of the home sides opening salvo. After 9 minutes, Danny Brooks failed to deal with a high ball and it fell to Palmer. He made no mistake, shooting past Steve Norris.

Sam Kirton had a shot turned round the post by Wilberforce before a floated free kick found the Grantham defence wanting again on 18 minutes. Brooks and Adam Jones stood watching as Palmer ran between them to steer home his second of the game.

He got his hat trick four minutes later. Brooks lost the ball in midfield and Palmer again lost his markers to score.

Seven minutes before half time, Jones got Grantham back in the game, but it took half time substitutions for the Gingerbreads to really wake up. Dan French and Ben Saunders gave Grantham better options in the second half. Danny Steadman pulled the strings in the centre of the park as the Gingerbreads warmed to their task.

Before Grantham truly got going, they were grateful to Norris as he twice kept out Wilkinson. Gio Carchedi and Robert Hughes both has efforts saved by Bramley as Grantham had more of the play.

Dan French delivered a cross that was inched too long for Hughes before Ben Saunders scored Grantham’s second thirteen minutes from the end. Saunders started the move with a deft header for French. He then finished calmly after both his effort and Lee Potts were blocked.

Five minutes from time, Bridlington put the result beyond doubt. A quick break left Grantham floundering. Harrisons shot hit the post, but fell to Rhodes. He hit a rising drive past Norris.

“We played like 11 individuals at times today.” Said Grantham joint manager Wayne Hallcro. “The same things happened again as happened at Radcliffe. We seemed to nice defensively. We had been asked by the players to keep quiet from the bench today so they could do the talking. I think everybody saw the result.”

Richard Cresswell scored for Stoke in their 2-1 defeat at Preston. In comparison to Brid, Stoke have lost 4 and drawn 1 in their pre-season.

Brid 2 Hedon 3 (a)

Yes at last !

I have the kind of satisfaction that used to be portrayed in those old black and white films, when the man had finally shagged his gal and was sat in bed afterwards smoking a post-coital cigarette.

Thankfully the Hedon pitch was a stones throw away from a few of my customers, so it was quite handy to get to the game. However, the bizareness of playing a relatively competitive game in summer sunshine in the height of summer was definitely outweighed by the now seasonal downpour, grey clouds and better late than ever March wind. The gloomy surroundings of the local BP refinery didn’t help on the eye either. Was pleased to see a number of the Brid faithful at the place, and what looked like a tidy clubhouse. But the pitch we were on was a mile away !

Brid had some 25-30 players, one lot in the away kit, white, which i’d never seen us play in, and another lot in last years home kit of red. Kick off came, but there were two noteable absences who were due at the game – Dom and Uncle G, who were apparently lost. But they didn’t miss too much, only their first goal.

I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of “league” importance with the game, but it was certainly played at a good pace throughout and some of the Brid lads were playing as if their careers were at stake, and the home team with points to prove and pride to keep. For us speculating fans, we felt the Brid lads in white were “fringe” 1st teamers, a couple of which were familiar, but most we didn’t know. We lost the half 3-0 with ex Brid player Craig Palmer (?) scoring 2.

2nd half sees Palmer the goalscorer, don a red Town shirt and is joined by all the other red shirted Town players. Things improve, players talking to each other, being a bit more comfortable on the ball, and making runs and space for each other. We scored two good goals – I was deafened by Dom when the first goal went in.

All in all, a good run out and a chance for the new management team to see the players and how they gelled with each other.

Shame that Carl Giblin (Fleshman) has decided to leave and join up with some buddies at Barton. Ironically, we’re there on Saturday. Good luck to Flesh, lets hope someone thanks him for all his efforts.

Games seen : 1

Goals Seen : 2 home 3 away

out of 10 : 8 for the fact that its back on, and for some of the banter we had last night.