The Lads made their shortest away trip up the season and won. Simples, except it wasn't. After a mad clearance set up their opener only nine minutes in, we had to wait until the second half fo Talbi to pounce on a ball pinging around their box to whack it home. Right on 90, Brobbey did something similar from much closer. 2-1. Boom, mind the happy gap!
After a week of trying to keep my nerves in check, interrupted by Boroni's brace for Salford evoking memories, and my ticket not downloading (bringing an offer from our ticket office to send a duplicate to their ticket office for me to collect on match day. I declined. Politely) it was derby day.
As we took our safe standing places (it saves looking between your knees at the action) in the mile high club, the Lads lined up in Rowell Blue:
Ellborg
Geertruida Alderete O'Nien Hume
Sadiki Xhaka (c) Diarra
Rigg Brobbey Talbi
... and a bench of Moore, Jen. Jones, Masuaku, Le Fee, Isidor, Mayenda, H. Jones, Cirkin, and Reinildo.
The dafties even played the Luke O'Nien song to warm us up before the predictably cringeworthy mag karaoke singer - they even had to put the words to "howay the lads" on the big screen. Oh dear. At least we got to cheer Woltemade's announcement - and laugh at their effort at a flag. We faced away from our fans and kicked off, as usual plonking it straight back to our keeper for a big hoof.
More of that sort of hoof in about nine minutes, unfortunately. The teams spent a while sussing each other out with the barcodes having more of the ball but being stopped when and where it mattered.
However...
With Alderete and O'Nien in our box, inviting their front two forward, a goal kick was played three yards by Ellborg to Luke. His attempted hoof got about 30 yards before it hit a mag, who played it to their right and Gordon fired across Ellborg and into the far side of the goal.
Look, I know Luke's clearance was woeful, but it should never have been passed to him in the first place. If the desired outcome of a goal kick is a long ball out, let the keeper boot it, freeing up two defenders to help do their real jobs.
Brobbey was doing the right thing with Burn, forcing him to turn onto his wobbly right foot, but didn't manage to get a shot away. Talbi did, in 23 when he cut inside to whack a curly winter towards the top right corner - but Ramsdale tipped it away.
The rest of the half was fairly even, although we got more shots away - but not on target. Hume was carded for a barge when the tackle would probably brought a red, and there was a bout of handbags - not involving him. The mags' attempts at looking hard were about as terrifying as a particularly fluffy episode of Call the Midwife, so there was no chance of anything serious in a standoff.
Two extra minutes were announced as they lined up a free kick - layoff, shit, comfy save. I think it was their first on target since the goal, 'cos hitting the post doesn't count.
A goal down at the break might have seemed a tad harsh, but we had only ourselves to blame.
No changes for the second half in terms of personnel, but our attitude was far more positive. Luke in particular was popping up in the other half, and there was a lengthy stoppage when Botman stayed down, eventually replaced by Thiaw as the ref spoke to both benches and captains - apparently something unpleasant has been directed at Gerty. Typical. Rigg was much more involved once we got going again, forcing a save with a shot from the right.
Ramsdale didn't punch it far enough, we knocked it back in for Burn to clear BB's chested effort off the line - and there was Talbi to blast it in. Madness and mayhem on 57 minutes as we fans were in danger of tumbling down the rows. Who cares?
A few minutes later Voldemort was replaced - excuse for a song - along with Elanga, and Murphy and Willock came on. Credit to our fullbacks for dealing with Elanga. There was a decent save from Ellborg then Sadiki's blast was parried, but our hearts were in our mouths when a mag shot took a horrible deflection - but trundled a few feet wide. Phew.
The corner was headed in but only after a foul - hahahaha! - and we pressed forward with more purpose than them. They made yet another change - a sure sign of a desperate team.
Alderete stopped a break in their half with a proper dunsh, and got a yellow. Taking one for the team, I think it's called. Diarra made way for Le Fee with five to go, then Talbi fired one wide, Xhaka looked for a pass but couldn't see one so had a pop from the edge - the net rippled, but only because Ramsdale had tipped it over the bar.
A point would have been enough to send me home happy, but right on 90 BB had a shot saved in a crowded box, but reacted quickest to bang it in.
Wowsers. If our first had caused mayhem in the stands, that one caused something defying description.
Seven added minutes were announced - no surprise - and we collected more yellows as Sadiki and Gerty ensured the mags knew they were about. Mayenda came on for Brobbey and basically ran the already tired legs off the home defence, while Talbi was replaced at the same time by Reinildo - sensible changes. We got to 99 minutes and that was it. Joy unbounded, grey seats all over the home sections, dull and as unimaginative as their pathetic attempts at a tifo (a magpie in a top hat. Terrifying. Not) and the "welcome back" stuff. Embarrassing, really - but thanks for trying.
Riggy and Luke led the "yay yays", and they celebrated in style.
Man of the Match? Brobbey led the line like a hero, Talbi was a patient pest, Xhaka was Xhaka, but I'll give to Rigg for his second half performance down the right.
I'm feeling rather sorry
For a mag I know,
the team he loves us crumbling fast
And has no place to go.
His life is passing by before his weepy eyes
Like the colours in a manky Byker sky.
TALBI POST DERBY
TALBI POST DERBY
TALBI POST DERBY
TALBI POST DERBY
RLB DOES THE DOUBLE
RLB DOES THE DOUBLE
RLB DOES THE DOUBLE
RLB DOES THE DOUBLE