27 April 2008

Race for the Playoffs: 27 April

Stevenage Borough 1-2 Northwich Victoria
22 April 2008
Broadhall Way, Stevenage

This was to prove the final nail in the coffin; the bullet to the wounded animal if you will. With Exeter winning, Stevenage HAD to win this game if they wanted a chance on the final day to try and edge their way into the playoffs. And they didn't. Dino Maamria, a man who took Stevenage to the playoff final in 2005 by virtue of his two goals against Hereford, returned to haunt his former side and in doing so, ensured his Northwich side would survive the drop with a game to spare.

It's galling to think that two defensive blunders cost two goals, and then Daryl McMahon was given twenty minutes to change the game from midfield. And he nearly did. Scored one with a free-kick, and had one other free-kick well saved. At the end of the day, Boro' knocked on more than one occasion, were slightly wasteful but just weren't value for a win. Into the final day, then, with nothing to play for...

Halifax Town 1-2 Stevenage Borough
26 April 2008
The Shay, Halifax

... and another game with an opponent needing to win to stay up. Stevenage, due to their recent form, were out at 3/1 for the win here. A team that was once 15 POINTS inside the playoffs; an inexcusable fuck-up. But pressure off, an adventurous 3-5-2 set-up and three points which were pyrrhic to say the least. But what have we learned now? That a football season can be a VERY LONG time; that Daryl McMahon was cruelly underused in the run-in; that Steve Morison is a total legend who continued to give 110%; and that Peter Taylor may not be manager next season if a meeting on Monday 28 April produces a result that the NLP believes is the case. Interesting times, but forgive while I retire to the IPL for the forthcoming weeks...














... shit, it's on Satanta. Gah!

22 April 2008

Race for the Playoffs: 22 April

Burton Albion 3-0 Stevenage Borough
18 April 2008
The Pirelli Stadium, Burton

This was a big blow. Despite perhaps being the better side during the first half, chances simply weren't converted and in the second half a succession of individual errors contrived to hand a much-improved home side the three points. Clark Masters hadn't exactly looked the part between the sticks in Alan Julian's regrettable absence, and it was he who failed to claim a high ball that gifted Burton a first goal. Ashley Westwood conceded what is probably his 18585th penalty since joining Boro' although TV replays suggest Boro' were hard done by, and the third... well by that point who cares.

Coupled with other results, Stevenage now sit three points adrift of the playoff zone - an area where they have occupied for more or less the whole season. A superior goal difference is Boro's primary weapon now. But it pre-supposes two wins in the last two games against teams from the bottom six fighting for their lives. And then Burton v Exeter on the last day could be a big deal. But who knows - we'll know more after tonight's fixture at home to Northwich. Cambridge go to Torquay, while Burton and Exeter are expected to pick up victories.

Tomorrow could be a half full or a half empty day. We'll have to see which...

Music Filch

Glasto-A-No-Go?
Every year it would be the same – you'd know at least one smug bastard who was lording it up because they'd managed to get their grubby mitts on Glastonbury tickets. They wouldn't stop until YOU knew how cool THEY were for finding that magical secret passage past the engaged tones and unhelpful crashing websites. And there never seemed to be a decent-enough comeback that would stop all the facetious bragging. Not even "well, I am going to Reading?"

Blitzen Bop
The self-styled teeming Oregon-based musical clan that are Blitzen Trapper are on their way back to Britain next month for a spattering of dates nationwide. The eclectic Americans last dazzled fans this side of the pond back in November as part of a successful stint on the road with Two Gallants, and it appears that they enjoyed it so much that they want to return.

All aboard the Boris Bus
Fear not all ye apolitical souls out there, this is not a rallying call for the impending London Mayoral mandate. On the contrary, it is the very important and equally exciting news that the Japanese punk-rock trio Boris are returning to these shores towards the end of April.

Move over Paul...
Few songwriters are capable of displaying the distinctive acerbity of Josh Weller, which makes the news that he’s heading out on the road just that little bit special. And having already gently tickled the underbelly of fans and critics alike with his lyrical treats, here’s an opportunity to indulge yourself, for Weller will be in support of The Maccabees for six dates at the end of the month.

White On Time

Rock'n'roll in it's truest, most energetic sense has been frustratingly hard to come by. Just the feeling of knowing a band is giving it some real welly is enough to warm the cockles. But instead of thrashing out power chords and lightning riffs, it's been more often the case that songwriters have preferred to reach for an acoustic guitar and dole out any old rubbish in A-minor. Thank god, the angels cry down then, that White Denim have announced that they have a debut album ready to lock'n'load.

Murder by Death - Red of Tooth & Claw (Album)
In the insidious underbelly of America’s mid-west comes a rumbling with more menace than the thunderstorms that clatter around Tornado Alley. Like some errant and deviant offspring of John Wayne, this follow-up to last year’s debut from Murder By Death lets you know that you’ve now strayed onto their turf. Here business is conducted wholly on their terms, rife with scenarios of lust and betrayal, governed by an almost biblical sense of justice and revenge; sounds intense, is intense.

Elle Milano - Acres of Dead Space Cadets (Album)
And just when you feel that life has become nothing more than adhering to a wholly dissatisfying pop culture, it’s taken three members of the potential workforce to show that the reclusive art of meticulous cynicism need not be totally dead. The echoes of eighties agit-pop may well be frittering away into ever-decreasing significance, but the angst of young partisans can’t always be quelled with a cushy office job and affable healthcare plan.

18 April 2008

Land of Whose Fathers?

The recent call by a non-descript Welsh politician to have Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau played at the FA Cup Final is something of an erroneous decision. Rhodri Glyn Thomas believes this will be a case of common sense prevailing if the FA submit to the request, that has hardly been a vociferous one. You might think I ought to tread carefully on the matter considering that I do live in Cardiff at the moment. But I won't.

I can't see Mr Thomas' plea on this matter as anything more than political point-scoring on his part. Pandering towards a nationalist sentiment that the occasion owes nothing towards. Perhaps he ought to be reminded that Cardiff City, along with Swansea City and Wrexham, compete in the English leagues and as such should follow English convention. The FA Cup Final is an English event and as such has no obligation to fulfil Mr Thomas' wishes.

In 1996, the three teams concerned, as well as Merthyr, Colwyn Bay and Newport in the non-league pyramid were invited to join the Welsh Premier League, governed by the FAW and supplicant entries into the Welsh FA Cup. They declined and here we are now in the unprecedented modern scenario whereby Cardiff have reached the FA Cup Final.

In lieu of the 1996 decision, I rather feel that Cardiff City made their bed, and regardless of what colour the duvet is, they now must lie in it.

15 April 2008

Race for the Playoffs: 15 April

Stevenage Borough 1-3 Torquay United
13 April 2008
Broadhall Way, Stevenage

A win - that's all we'd ask for. No matter how it came, just to provide some added security to the Stevenage cause in the playoff hunt. And the chance to string two wins together for the first time in bloody ages. The performance against Woking the previous Tuesday was hardly vintage but it did the job. The Devonian visitors would be an entirely different prospect, with the Gulls sitting tight in second place and looking a shoe-in for one of the four playoff spots.

Goalless at half-time suited. Hell, I'd have taken a draw considering Cambridge and Burton were to mess up their respective games elsewhere around the country. And then came a penalty - dubious, but a penalty nonetheless to Stevenage shortly after the interval. It was a break that came out of the blue if truth be told, but Gavin Grant put away the spot kick to put Boro' ahead. Then employ the old adage; keep it tight and simple for ten minutes and then who knows. But when luck needs that helping hand, twatty referees are always on hand to make an arse of himself.

Not long after Boro' took the lead, Peter Vincenti made an absolutely wonderful tackle inside the Torquay half. Free-kick awarded to the visitors. Play restarts and moments later, Vincenti is stung on the arse by a fiercely struck football. Free-kick for handball to Torquay. Needless to say, the visitors go on and equalise. Poor defending, but absurd refereeing. That was enough to put the Gulls back on top and they didn't look back.

No need to go into too much detail about Chris Zebroski's header. How he can out-jump a 6ft 7 defender is a mystery, but he did and he made it 2-1. It is fair to say that the home side had no real impetus to get back into the game. And so it was no real surprise that Torquay notched the next, and crucial goal. But the referee hadn't finished with his role in the game, awarding the Gulls a penalty when Lee Phillips fell over. In it goes, meh.

That's how it goes - another disappointing performance in the end, time for the end of season party. Yeah, the end of season party. Two weeks before the season ends. Marvellous...

9 April 2008

Race for the Playoffs: 9 April 2008

Away from the madding crowd in the upper echelons of English football, there is a pretty tight and beguiling battle being fought out in the Blue Square Premier. And the media are invited to remain ignorant because it is far too fascinating to concern Sky and BBC. While Aldershot become the now-annual team that decides to run away with the title, the fight to finish in the four playoff spots has effectively now come down to five teams. And my latest intention is to comment on each stage of the battle until the outcome is known in little over a fortnight's time.

Torquay, Cambridge, Exeter, Burton and Stevenage are the protagonists in a fight that's likely to go to the last minute of the last day (oh so courteously shifted back two hours by Satanta). And the latest instalment in an intriguing contest so far from a Stevenage viewpoint came last night at Kingfield, Woking.

----------------------------------------------------------

Woking 0-2 Stevenage Borough
8 April 2008
Kingfield, Woking

After the terrible performance served up against Exeter City at Broadhall Way on Saturday, the prospect of risking the M25 on a Tuesday evening to attend a game between two fierce rivals didn't seem all too appealing. Not least because they would be more than willing to throw a spanner in the Boro' works. In fact, if I were to choose before the game, I'd have a home win or draw at the very best down as the outcome. So much so that I didn't even put a bet on Stevenage to win, as I usually do.

Anyway, decision to go made, and straight to Woking Snooker Club to knock back a few pre-match pints. After all, this could prove a long night. But at least the travelling numbers broke into three figures. Saturday's result and performance could easily have threatened that. Negativity, however, is apparently a banished word now, despite it's intrinsic nature to the life of a Stevenage Borough fan. So, a decent turnout coupled with the heaven-sent news that Daryl McMahon was finally restored to the starting eleven put things on a positive keel ahead of kick-off.

And it was barely three minutes in before Steve Morison headed home Tyrone Berry's cross to put Stevenage a goal to the good. Not that it eases any nerves at such an early stage, but as the game progressed it was reassuring to see that Boro' were at least attempting to play football rather than the hoofing that dominated the Exeter defeat. I'd have you believe that was McMahon's influence, but kids in glass houses... With the second goal in the 73rd minute from Luke Oliver, it was a case of being home and dry as far as we were concerned for the night. Despite Steve Morison's needless sending off in the 90th minute, it was three points I'd not have punted on us getting.

As for other results: Well Altrincham conceded late on to Burton, Rushden failed to hold Cambridge and Oxford couldn't keep Torquay at bay. But Salisbury delivered a knock-out blow to Exeter's prospects which provided a comfort zone for those currently occupying the playoff spots. This leaves Exeter four points adrift with a game in hand, but now Stevenage host Torquay at the weekend and it is a vital fixture for Stevenage with rivals playing lower positioned sides. Squeaky-bum time? Where have you been for the last two months?