A tale of two keepers...

Tuesday night games are an interesting one. If played at home they can be a brilliant distraction from the working week, and for some reason quite often seem to generate an atmosphere that is lacking from weekend games, however, Tuesday night away games aren't quite as good. The main issues being the lack of time to get where you are heading and then late return. Sadly, City were only allocated one Tuesday night game at home (Maidenhead a few weeks ago) and have trips to Truro, Eastleigh, Eastbourne and last nights trip to Salisbury City.

I was to drive to The Raymond McEnhill Stadium (awful, awful name!) and was taking a full car. While collecting my first passenger from the University, a moment happened that should inspire all football fans. After collecting Palms, we started to leave the Uni, and a squirrel ran out in front of the car in front of us, surely the end for Nutty you would think, but no despite being span around inside the wheel, he landed on the road and ran into the bushes, a miraculous escape and proof that anything is possible!

In the Dorchester blog I wrote that I hoped I had found the worst pub of the season, sadly I was wrong! Salisbury's ground was a new build in 1997 and therefore is positioned in a awful position well out of Salisbury itself, and with no decent pubs around. I accept that one day City might need to leave Twerton, but if we do I hope that the move would be to somewhere central and decent rather than the God forsaken middle of nowhere. With that in mind we ended up in a Harvester, with keg bitter. Awful. That is two in two for horrible pubs, so I am hoping the next away pub I get to is much better and more like The Harp!

Horribly positioned ground in the middle of nowhere

The Raymond McEnhill Stadium is pretty poor, one end has three steps and the most unnecessary electronic scoreboard/advertising hoarding ever, a small covered terrace and two mismatched weird sides. We arrived just before kick off, and there was a sizeable travelling contingent. A minutes silence was observed by everyone apart from one City fan who was too self important and wouldn't hang up on a most important phone call (about cement, it was shameful, but I won't name names.)

The main surprise was that Glyn Garner had been dropped and young Jason Mellor was handed an unexpected debut in goal. In the opposite goal was Will Puddy who played a few games for the stripes on loan in 2009/10.

Salisbury raced into an early league, when Chris McPhee (who City tried to sign in the summer) crossed and the unmarked White knocked the ball home from a few yards after 6 minutes of play. This seemed to spark City into live, but sadly led to Simpson being clattered by a fairly robust challenge (I say robust it was a clear foul) but despite the tackle no booking was issued, but Simpson had clearly hurt his knee and was withdrawn and replaced by Luke Cummings. Cummings in his first appearance soon influenced proceedings when he fed in a cross that was begging to be finished and Griffin obliged and bundled the ball home.

Mellor was having a decent debut, until around the 38th minute when a long looping ball was played forward, the young custodian seemed caught in two minds as to whether come out and clear the ball or stay on his line. Stuffed by his indecision, he failed to make contact well with the ball, it bounced behind him, and in the ensuing panic Gethin Jones threw himself head first at a shot at goal, but it clearly hit his hand and the penalty was awarded, and then dispatched by Fitchett. City picked up another injury, and Burnell came off to be replaced by Morgan, after a bit more play, the first half finished 2-1.

We swapped ends as is customary, and had the interesting situation of trying to put flags up where there is nothing to tie them to. Thankfully, Salisbury hire one of the nicest set of stewards (including the nicest steward I have ever met!) and one of them told me to bend back wiring to tie the flag, so I did! Then came the bit everyone is terrified of, the moment a mate suggests giving you a leg up, so perched precariously in Palmers hands I managed to get the flags up, but the fear of being dropped with a slight inebriated pal holding you aloft, is like no other!

Nicest steward ever, just look at his face! Look at his face!

For the second away game in a row and ex-goalkeeper started to rile the away following, Puddy who was fairly ropey under his time with us, hasn't improved in the intervening years. But he is a mouthy so and so. One particularly amusing moment had him punching the ball on the ground after having an argument with the ref, what a tit.

Salisbury increased their lead in the 57 minute with an absolutely fantastic goal, a ball in the air found its way to Ryan Brett, the player controlled the ball on his chest, flicked the ball over his head and hammered and unstoppable shot past Mellor, there was nothing the keeper could do about the strike and he had pulled off some great saves before hand.

Puddy got unbelievably lucky when a Griffin free kick went into his arms, but somehow he spilled the ball and panicked, but fortuitously for him it managed to hit his heel and stop instead of rolling into the goal, at which point he kept looking at the ground, as though a blade of grass had made him drop the ball!


City pressed hard in the last 20 minutes, and young Noah Keats (who had started and played well) was fed the ball by Morgan 25 yards from goal, and the young midfielder thrashed a ferocious shot past Puddy. 3-2 and City had their tails up.

Puddy once again began to wind up some of the away fans and was getting some abuse, as was the aforementioned electronic scoreboard, which kept changing colours and flashing behind us, the stewards also agreed how crap it was and were complaining about it as much as we were. A word of warning never take an epileptic to Salisbury City!

Note ridiculous scoreboard at far end

In the last minute of injury time, a Kerry Morgan corner put Puddy under pressure, and the keeper spilt it, this led to Morgan firing in a follow up shot, which was parried to Guthrie who couldn't score despite having two chances which were both cleared off of the line. Suddenly Salisbury were on the counter and they should have scored, but the unmarked player screwed the ball wide. The game finished soon after. A 3-2 loss was a fair result, but on the way out the tannoy announcer commended the City fans on "being the best away support we have seen down here in many a year" Now he may say that to every away fan, but I'd like to think it was a valid endorsement of the stripes faithful.

With the loss at Salisbury, I have now travelled approximately 3,096 miles (according to google maps) since last seeing City win away, which was Barrow on 26th March 2011 when a Lee Phillips goal won the game. City are away at Bromley on Saturday when I am on holiday, so I predict an away win! Up the City!


P.S. Since writing the blog someone has helpfully uploaded the attached video, Salisbury's third goal is even better than I realised.