Scunthorpe United v Southampton

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Football League Championship

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Hobbs (Iriekpen 46), Crosby, Butler, Williams, Cork, Goodwin, Sparrow (sent off 54), Morris, Paterson (May 89), Horsfield (Forte 67)
Subs not used:
Lillis, Hayes

Southampton :
Davis, Thomas (Wright-Phillips 70), Pearce, Davies, Vignal, Viafara (Licka 79), Idiakez, Wright, Surman (Hammill 57), Saganowski, John
Subs not used:
Poke, Euell

SULSESC REPORT

by Dave Ashton at Glanford Park

DEVASTATED is how this match left me. I have started writing this report two days after the game finished and I am still very angry by the manner in which we were denied the win we desperately needed.

Jacqui has already told me to shut up about the ******* linesman more than once. There will probably be more about the linesman later.

Having finished work at 5 am and having made my way to my Mum’s house via bus, tube, train and a short walk for a cup of tea and a much needed sleep, I was woken up a couple of hours later by the ‘phone (cheers, Steve). My Mum informed me I had been nominated to do the match report. Yipee, I thought.

Beth turned up shortly afterwards (she was the real reason I was up in Scunthorpe, as she had been spending half-term in Scunny). There followed the compulsory fish ‘n’ chips (I miss not being able to get ‘proper’ fish ‘n’ chips down South) and we then went up to the Lawyer, cases and all, to meet JD who had kindly offered to take us down to the ground.

Having purchased our tickets, we made our way into ‘Fortress United’. The home fans seemed very quiet with most of the noise being generated by the away supporters.

The game started off very sluggish and continued like this for the following 94 minutes. It was a very nervy game with a lot riding on it for both teams, and many home fans thought this was a must win game, me included. Anything else and next season we will have a few less glamorous ties to look forward to.

It took 12 minutes to get our first real chance when Paterson somehow managed to balloon the ball over the crossbar from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy. Sparrow and Morris were not having a good day at the office, both guilty of some very poor play. Our set pieces were awful, seemingly unable to get the ball over the first man.

Just before half-time, we were awarded a blatant penalty (unbiased opinion) which Crosby slotted home comfortably at the second attempt.

Half-time and I thought Southampton couldn’t play as badly as that for another 45 minutes. They did try, though.

At the beginning of the second-half, the ******* linesman took control, telling the ref to send Sparrow off as he had a draw on the coupon, he didn’t like his changing room and the fish paste sandwiches Scunthorpe had kindly provided were not as good as most in the Championship.

Down to 10 men, not for the first time this season, nothing really changed for about 20 minutes with us looking as likely to score as them and 1-0 looked like being the final score.

We then started to sit back, but even this didn’t have much of an effect until, yes, you guessed it, the linesman saw his chance for the draw. With two minutes to go, he madly waved his flag, pulled it to his chest and told the ref ‘penalty’. I was in line when the linesman waved his flag and I didn’t see anything. The guy next to me, the ref and the players saw nothing, not even the cameras could find anything. The Championship on TV on Sunday said it was an off the ball incident with Wright-Phillips, who was holding his head, so obviously an elbow. The officials, though, are saying it was for shirt pulling, but the only person in the entire world to see this was the ******* linesman.

I asked him quite politely what he had seen, with quite a few others asking the same question, but he continued to do the poor job he had done all afternoon.

The final whistle was met with a lot of booing generated in the direction of the officials. Scunthorpe were the better team on the day and deserved the three points (unbiased again). Rant over.

After the game we made our way home, arriving at just gone 10 after a pretty good journey back. I’m not sure if that applies to Chris Vaughan (did a Hull train ever turn up?).

Having left the house the previous day at 9 pm, I was feeling very tired, very angry and pretty sure we will be plying our trade in League One next season. That is, unless we get some right luck in the remaining games.

Keep the faith. Manage the manageable, control the controllable, and bribe the officials.

UTI. See you all at QPR.