Technology Partner


Community Partners

Five Spices

"One accusation you can't throw at me is that I've always done my best." (Alan Shearer) And our Chairman Damon can never be said to be one to make unfair criticisms.

Harsh, but fair, our Chairman dispenses his trenchant, pithy post match analysis of the overpaid heroes and goats that make up the “Happy Band” of Euro 2008. If you're in the prawn sandwich and skim latte club, or part of the "Dippy Darling" brigade this column is not for you!!

Who's hot? Who's not? Who's left their bottle at home? Watch this space carefully as the tournament unwinds.

Previous Analysis :

Week 18.... Week 17.... Week 16.... Week 15.... Week 14.... Week 13

Lesley Hughes's Letter Reaches Santa, Shock

 

Aston Villa 2 - Arsenal 2

Villa recover from two goals down to stay three points ahead of Arsenal. It was the home side who started this game the stronger, hitting the woodwork three times within the first half an hour or so and it looked to be only a matter of time before they took the lead. However, when the goal came, it came against the run of play at the other end when a poor Nigel Reo-Coker decision (or lack of one) allowed Denilson in to slide his shot under Brad Friedel. Villa came back but when Gabriel Agbonlahor saw his header acrobatically cleared off the line by Bacary Sagna, may have got the feeling this wasn't going to be their day. That feeling would have intensified five minutes into the second half after Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue played out a one-two that resulted in Diaby hitting the net. They were, though, handed a lifeline after sixty-five minutes when William Gallas clumsily brought Agbonlahor down in the box and Gareth Barry converted the spot kick and went on to grab a dramatic late equaliser when Zat Knight spanked one home with his chocolate leg in the dying seconds.

 

Chelsea 2 - West Bromwich Albion 0

Chelsea notch a fairly routine win to keep the presure on Liverpool at the top of the table. It only took three minutes for the Londoners to take the lead when the in-favour again Didier Drogba got his head to Joe Cole's swirling cross and managed to direct it back across the wrong-footed Scott Carson. With Chelsea comfortably in control, the Baggies were finding it difficult to get into the game but would have been grateful their hosts, for all their possession, were less-than incisive and found Carson in form when they did get through. Just before half-time, the Blues went two up after Ashley Cole's run into the box saw the ball end up at the feet of Frank Lampard, who took one touch past the covering defender before lifting the ball over Carson and settling the home side's nerves. Albion got more into the game during the course of the second half without really creating much in the final third and, though Chelsea occasionally threatened to extend their lead, they were able to play out the remainder of the game fairly comfortably.

 

Manchester City 5 - Hull City 1

The hot-and-cold Citizens hit form to destroy a Tigers side on the brink of a slide. This open game started with both sides fairly evenly balanced and a goal looking likely at either end but man-of-the-match Stephen Ireland fittingly got things under way when, after being sent away down the right by a lovely ball from Robinho, his cross was skanked into the roof of the net by Felipe Caceido after a quarter of an hour. Less than a quarter of an hour later and a carbon copy cross and finish had doubled both City's and Caceido's tallies and things got worse for Hull a scant two minutes later when Ireland, dispossessing George Boateng in the centre-circle, set Robinho running at Michael Turner and the Brazilian turned his man before finding the far corner. With the Humbersiders reeling, it was four just eight minutes later when Shaun Wright-Phillips found Robinho from the right and a cricket score looked on the cards. Phil Brown decided to give his half-time team talk in front of the travelling support and Hull showed a little more spirit in the second half, pulling a goal back through Craig Fagan but the game was over as a competition and Ireland got the goal his performance deserved when driving one into the top corner with less than ten minutes to go. Such has been Man City's on/off form, it remains to be seen whether this is the start of a resurgence but Hull will need to regroup if this result isn't to herald a swift slide down the table.

 

Liverpool 3 - Bolton Wanderers 0

Liverpool keep their title tilt on track with a good win against an in-form Bolton. The Reds dominated possession and looked to take the game to a Trotters outfit content to play on the counter and took the lead shortly before the half-hour when Albert Riera met Steven Gerrard's near-post corner to volley home. A re-jig at half-time from Gary Megson suggested Bolton meant to make a fight of things but they were hardly allowed to hit stride before Robbie Keane doubled Liverpool's lead with a fine finish from a pin-point Gerrard through-ball. Keane was on the score-sheet again just five minutes later when slotting home Yossi Benayoun's square pass and it was pipe-and-slippers time for the home team. Such is the nature of the Premier League this year that defeat sees Bolton just three points outside the relegation zone, albeit in tenth, whilst Liverpool retain their one-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the table.

 

Middlesbrough 0 - Everton 1

Everton move into the top six for the first time this season after another Tim Cahill goal is enough to take the points at the Riverside. The Toffees have recovered from a sticky start to the campaign and looked full value for their win here, leaving Boro without a win in seven. The goal came five minutes into the second half when Cahill, left criminally unmarked at a corner, was able to follow up his own blocked header and scuff the ball home from a matter of inches. Alfonso Alves had a chance to snatch a late equaliser two minutes from time, only to send his effort splashing into the river behind the stadium to sum up what had been a below-par performance from the Teessiders. It's now only goal difference that is keeping Gareth Southgate's men out of the drop zone and with a visit to Old Trafford up next, things are unlikely to get any better, any time soon.

 

Portsmouth 1 - West Ham United 4

Pompey come unstuck as Craig Bellamy runs riot at Fratton Park. Things could well have ended very differently in this one, despite the one-sided appearance of the final result. Portsmouth took the lead after eight minutes when Nadir Belhadj was in the right place at the right time to smash home Peter Crouch's lay-off. Their lead lasted only twelve minutes before Jack Collison's hopeful effort beat an unsighted David James after a quickly-taken free-kick but they should have re-taken the lead on the stroke of half time after Crouch had been bundled over, only to see Jermain Defoe screw a woeful attempt from the spot wide of the post. The Hammers made the most of their let-off on sixty-seven minutes when Bellamy broke away down the left before squaring to Collison and, though the youngster's effort came back off the post, Carlton Cole was lurking with intent and tapped the ball home. Pompey redoubled their efforts but were caught on the break again within minutes when, after Marc Wilson's header had come back off the West Ham post, Bellamy was again sent away from the half-way line and finished at the second attempt after initially being thwarted by James. Salt was then rubbed into Portsmouth wounds five minutes before the end when Bellamy was able to complete his brace after being found alone in the box by Luis Boa Morte. Gianfranco Zola's side are starting to make some progress but Tony Adams must be wondering where his luck's gone to and both of these clubs are still very much in this year's extended relegation battle.

 

Stoke City 0 - Manchester United 1

A late winner against ten-man Stoke ensures United keep pace with the League leaders. A complete Jackson Pollock of a first period saw the defending Champions struggling to break down their hosts' dogged resistance. Predictably, it was United who were looking to force the game but their efforts were all-too-often swamped by some committed City closing down and with the looming spectre of Rory Delap's V-IIs, it was proving anything but a comfortable game for the Mancunians. Things changed, though, with twenty minutes left when Andy Wilkinson, having left his brain nestling among the half-eaten selection boxes at home, launched himself through Cristiano Ronaldo to undo all the hard work that had gone before. With the Red Devils laying seige to the Potters' goal, it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and with seven minutes to go, the under-used Carlos Tevez, scorer of so many important goals last term, caned one into the net from Dimitar Berbatov's flick on. City slip ominously into the bottom three and United move, equally ominously, into the top three.

 

Sunderland 0 - Blackburn Rovers 0

Two new managers, two struggling teams with a point to prove and the result is pretty-much a foregone conclusion: Lots of huff, puff and elbow grease with work-rate more important than creativity. The first half at the Stadium of Light was dire with a capital "D" and is best glossed over in a single, disparaging sentence. The second half, amazingly enough, was fairly entertaining fare and, from the moment Christopher Samba attempted to get away with punching one into the net, both sides appeared fired up and went looking for goals. That none were forthcoming owes a lot to Martin Fulop's save from a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick and the collective inability of Keith Andrews, Djibril Cisse and, in particular, Jason Roberts to make their chances count when they came. Still, after that opening forty-five minutes we should be grateful with what we get. Sunderland may be happier with the point than Rovers, who still find themselves second from bottom, but it's tight down there this year and a single point may prove to make all the difference come season's end.

 

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - Fulham 0

Premier League fans must be starting to dread the visit of Fulham. With only one goal scored in their last five away matches - and that one was three-hundred-and-sixty-three minutes ago - you pretty-much know in advance what you're going to get, especially when they're playing at a side who have now failed to net in their last three home games. Sure enough, this was a stinker, noteworthy only for the continuing rehabilitation of Heurelho Gomes (though that suggests the stopper had more than the bare minimum to do - and he didn't), the ongoing development of the increasingly-influential Luka Modric (if only he could finish with his head) and the continued form of the under-rated Bobby Zamora (along with the entire Fulham back five). I really can't believe I've been able to write four whole sentences on this match. Or even five.

 

Wigan Athletic 2 - Newcastle United 1

Wigan continue to do just enough to keep themselves out of trouble but almost throw this one away after having had much the better of a cracker at the JJB. An end-to-end first half an hour was brought to a fitting close when Ryan Taylor stepped up to smash a free-kick into the Newcastle net and continue his remarkable scoring record against these opponents. With a quarter of an hour to go, the Latics were able to double their lead from the spot after Emile Heskey, though fouled by Sebastien Bassong, manfully managed to stagger and lurch some twenty yards before collapsing like a harpooned humpback in the area. Bassong got his marching orders and Amr Zaki stepped up to do the honours. Two goals and a man up and we thought it was done and dusted for Wigan but with two minutes to go Chris Kirkland barged over Andy Carroll in the area and Danny Guthrie took full advantage to pull a goal back. A second very strong shout for a penalty and a poor Damien Duff miss were to follow before the final whistle but Wigan held on to take a fully-deserved three points and leave JFK once again howling at officialdom. And there are some who'd look to deny us our Boxing Day football ... Killjoys.