BladeInThatcham
Member
I wasn't expecting much from United today, in fact given Bristol City's recent upturn in form I thought we were going to get spanked. It didn't happen and we nicked what was a relatively poor contest.
My day started hearing that ModTheGod went out on Friday night, had a few too many shandys and failed to show. This despite paying for his match and train ticket already. This left Ollesendro and myself on the train to Bristol aided by a few choice ales bought from Marks and Spencers - all good except for the Porter which was gash. How fitting.
A little pub crawl in some interesting alehouses and a few good ales later we arrived at Ashton gate just in time for kick off. We were buoyed to see Clough had made some changes bringing in McGinn, Coady and Taylor with Hill, Flynn and Miller making way. Was disappointed that Miller wasn't playing but Clough had obvious tactics that were not pretty and he clearly wanted two bigger players up top to lump the ball up to.
In the first half City knocked it around with ease without penetration, with their only chance of note coming to Baldock when he went through one on one at an angle but Long closed the angle and saved well. We offered nothing in the first half but looked comfortable at the back.
We began the second half by far the brighter side and Taylor had a couple of efforts from outside the box that didn't hit the target. He was subbed for Baxter and we seemed to lose the early momentum, though Baxter's first piece of the action was to skin two players in the box with neat skill but when he pulled the ball back their defence cleared it.
It was nailed on that no one was going to score until a neat move down our right, coupled with Coady making an American football like block on the full back left McMahon with plenty of time to deliver a low cross across the 6 yard box that was sliced in by their defender. An own goal but McMahon's deliver was very good. As fans we went mental, not done that for quite some time. It made everything seem worthwhile - the cost, the travel, the cold, the poor football on display - in a split second none of it mattered and we were winning away. Winning away. City did get the ball in the net but the ref gave a foul on Long well beforehand. The match then petered out with not much else to report and the full time whistle was gratefully received by the vocal travelling fans.
Lots more ales and banter with some friendly Bristolians followed ending in a really bizarre boozer near the station that saw Ollie that inebriated he ordered a cider without realising.
He wasn't done there though and he reached the point of no return losing the power of speech. When 4 nice looking lasses got on the train at Bath I rolled back the years and started to chat them up. I say chat them up in the loosest sense of the word as I cannot for the life of me remember what I said - I think they probably found my drunken efforts amusing more than anything else. Ollie did the only thing he could at this point and passed out leaving us to take a few photos of him.
I reached Reading only to find that a replacement bus service was on but not for another hour and the pubs were closed. I was in such a tangle I got lost and couldn't find the exit from the station, somewhere I have been to hundreds of times. Sat on the coach, fell asleep, got woken at Newbury and had to pay £13 in a taxi to get back to Thatcham. Top day.
My day started hearing that ModTheGod went out on Friday night, had a few too many shandys and failed to show. This despite paying for his match and train ticket already. This left Ollesendro and myself on the train to Bristol aided by a few choice ales bought from Marks and Spencers - all good except for the Porter which was gash. How fitting.
A little pub crawl in some interesting alehouses and a few good ales later we arrived at Ashton gate just in time for kick off. We were buoyed to see Clough had made some changes bringing in McGinn, Coady and Taylor with Hill, Flynn and Miller making way. Was disappointed that Miller wasn't playing but Clough had obvious tactics that were not pretty and he clearly wanted two bigger players up top to lump the ball up to.
In the first half City knocked it around with ease without penetration, with their only chance of note coming to Baldock when he went through one on one at an angle but Long closed the angle and saved well. We offered nothing in the first half but looked comfortable at the back.
We began the second half by far the brighter side and Taylor had a couple of efforts from outside the box that didn't hit the target. He was subbed for Baxter and we seemed to lose the early momentum, though Baxter's first piece of the action was to skin two players in the box with neat skill but when he pulled the ball back their defence cleared it.
It was nailed on that no one was going to score until a neat move down our right, coupled with Coady making an American football like block on the full back left McMahon with plenty of time to deliver a low cross across the 6 yard box that was sliced in by their defender. An own goal but McMahon's deliver was very good. As fans we went mental, not done that for quite some time. It made everything seem worthwhile - the cost, the travel, the cold, the poor football on display - in a split second none of it mattered and we were winning away. Winning away. City did get the ball in the net but the ref gave a foul on Long well beforehand. The match then petered out with not much else to report and the full time whistle was gratefully received by the vocal travelling fans.
Lots more ales and banter with some friendly Bristolians followed ending in a really bizarre boozer near the station that saw Ollie that inebriated he ordered a cider without realising.
He wasn't done there though and he reached the point of no return losing the power of speech. When 4 nice looking lasses got on the train at Bath I rolled back the years and started to chat them up. I say chat them up in the loosest sense of the word as I cannot for the life of me remember what I said - I think they probably found my drunken efforts amusing more than anything else. Ollie did the only thing he could at this point and passed out leaving us to take a few photos of him.
I reached Reading only to find that a replacement bus service was on but not for another hour and the pubs were closed. I was in such a tangle I got lost and couldn't find the exit from the station, somewhere I have been to hundreds of times. Sat on the coach, fell asleep, got woken at Newbury and had to pay £13 in a taxi to get back to Thatcham. Top day.
