Well we had been promised warmth and sunshine this weekend so it was a little disappointing when,as Dilys and I stepped out into the wide outdoors, it was chilly and any sun was decidedly milky. Dilys had not been herself for a couple of days and was a bit of a slow coach on our perambulation but we got round soon enough. She is getting on a bit for a Welsh Terrier and has a leaky heart valve which makes negotiating the uphill slopes a bit of an effort for her nowadays (she’s not the only one to be fair! 😀 ) Still the slow pace gave plenty of time to gaze at the woodland flowers now breaking into bloom with the mild conditions. The bulbs such as the daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses are really showing their heads now and so it made for pleasant travel albeit slow. It was soon time to head off down to the station to catch the train to Reading and from there my connection to Coventry to meet up with Chris.
I reflected on the week that had passed. I had been very busy earning my corn and had like many been keeping my eye on the news which had been tumultuous from both near and far. Our owner had finally been pronounced guilty and sentenced Friday to six years in prison for five counts of money laundering. There was the opening of the Paralympics in Sochi not so very far from the Crimea where the world has once again been placed in a state of high international tension because of Russia’s actions in that part of neighbouring Ukraine. Somehow, these events place football into its correct perspective. The late Bill Shankly once said, “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I would like to disavow them of that belief; it’s far more important than that!” Of course, I am sure that deep down inside the great man wasn’t in any way trying to be facetious and ironically was making the very opposite point that football whilst a very important aspect of many people’s lives, it is not all consuming or at least it shouldn’t be. It certainly pales into insignificance compared to the conflicts played out in the 20th century and we have to pray that another such conflagration does not break out over the Crimea between Russia and the West; let’s play football instead eh?
I arrived at Coventry, slightly delayed at 12.31 and Chris was there to meet me. The day had turned out fine as predicted and it had turned into a lovely early spring day. Chris said that we needed to go back to the Oak as he needed to get changed and Little Jack wasn’t quite ready having just got back yesterday from Center Parks. Apparently, he had just had his bedroom revamped whilst away with his Mum, his new baby brother and other relatives. It had been done out with a new bunk bed under which was his computer and the other electronic gadgets that nine year-olds have nowadays but the coup de grace was camouflage netting curtains with a “combat bunker” sign above on the side of his bed. By all accounts the little fella’s face was a picture when he got back and he was so excited to tell me all about it!
After a beautiful pint of the new local brew, Lady Godiva it was time to move on down the A45 to St Andrews. A couple of pints in the George before entering the ground. At least the chef in the Kop catering area, Gil Merrick end didn’t disappoint; roast turkey and stuffing in a bap! (See picture 🙂 )There was chicken and mushroom soup as a snack alternative with a slice of home made bread. What of our prospects? I was happy to settle for a better game than the one the 512 of us that were at Portman Road last week had to endure in our 1-0 defeat to Ipswich. When we played at Loftus Road earlier in the season we lost by the same score. Blues gave for me their best display of the season that day and had a good goal chalked off, saw us hit the woodwork twice and had the most clear penalty denied for Dunne’s fly hack at Spector when he was about to shoot eight yards out. We deserved to win that game but didn’t but the home encounter ahead filled me with foreboding as nearly every home game has this season; when were we ever going to win at St. Andrews?
Not this week it would appear; Blues started brightly enough and I felt edged the early exchanges but once Paul Robinson gave away a silly free kick 25 yards out and Ravel Morrison returning to St Andrews for the first time since his return to West Ham buried a cracking shot past Randolph in the 14th minute, there was only ever going to be one result. A second classy finish in the second half finished the contest in the 72nd minute and in between QPR struck the bar in the first half and had a goal chalked off for offside in the second so it could have been so much worse. Blues weren’t bad it was just they were outclassed by a far better side with Morrison, Jenas and Barton bossing midfield and making the difference. In truth, Blues were never in this game and spent much of the afternoon chasing after the ball trying to get it back and sadly when we did get it we just weren’t good enough to turn the experienced but slow back line of the visitors and make them work. I don’t remember Robert Green having a notable save to make all afternoon and it was therefore another dispiriting defeat to add to the all too many that we have had to accept this season. Two wins in seventeen home matches does not make comfortable reading.
So good was Ravel Morrison in this encounter that he completely masked the fact that Kevin Doyle playing as the spearhead for Rangers was a passenger and was the one visitors’ player that failed to impress in my view. Doyle spent too much time trying to buy free kicks and advantages that were not rightly his and whining about it continually to be effective and personally I think QPR are really missing Charlie Austin and this might go some way to explain their recent indifferent form. So it was galling that Robinson had to fell Doyle just outside the box in the 14th minute which resulted in a beautifully directed, pacy swerving shot sent hurtling past Randolph for 1-0 and ‘here we go again lads.’ Morrison could have scored again soon after but the Blues captain redeemed himself with an excellent block. After about half an hour Clint Hill headed against the bar from Barton’s free kick whilst all Blues offered was an in-swinging free kick from Blues stand out player, Emyr Hughes which Robert Green had to field and tip over the bar to safety. Blues were toothless in truth and we didn’t look likely to score at any stage against an experienced resolute defence of Dunne and Onuoha. There was no up and at ’em response in the second period as QPR showed their class and kept the ball away from our increasing desperate young midfielders who when they did get it coughed up possession too easily by not working the ball enough. When we did get in good positions out wide, the decision making for the final ball was poor and nothing resulted. A header that was directed wide by Tom Adeyemi was all that the home side could muster for their second half efforts. It was left to man of the match Ravel Morrison to have the final decisive word with a cool side-footed finish into the bottom corner from Jenas’s low cross giving Randolph no chance. Lee Clark stated afterwards that Morrison is the best young English player since Paul Gascoigne; I agree. If only someone can sort his head out because otherwise another flawed genius will not realise his true potential; England awaits!
The Good: The roast turkey bap with stuffing and cranberry sauce. The chicken and mushroom soup at half time.
The Bad: The performance despite the effort from the players; the team simply isn’t good enough.
The Ugly: Two wins in seventeen home games; it does not auger well for Wednesday against high flying Burnley. Sadly, I expect it to be two in eighteen. Can’t go to that one; I do hope I’m wrong but unless some bloke with a five loaves and a couple of fishes turns up I can’t see it happening.
Birmingham City: Darren Randolph 6, Jonathan Spector 6, Paul Robinson 5, Tom Adeyemi 6 Chris Burke 5, Will Packwood 6, Paul Caddis 6, Jordan Ibe 5 (Lee Novak 67, 6) Shane Ferguson 5 (Tyler Blackett 73, 6) Emyr Huws 7, Nikola Zigic 5 (Federico Macheda 58, 6)
Subs not used: Colin Doyle, Andy Shinnie, Olly Lee, Aaron Martin.
Goals: None
Bookings: Caddis, Robinson.
Queens Park Rangers: Robert Green 6, Armand Traore 6, Ravel Morrison 9 (Tom Carroll 87, N/A) Richard Dunne 7, Clint Hill 6, Kevin Doyle 5 (Will Keane 84, N/A) Nedum Onuoha 7, Jermaine Jenas 7, Joey Barton 8, Junior Hoilett 7 (Gary O’Neil 70, 6) Benoit Assou Ekotto 7.
Subs not used: Aaron Hughes, Karl Henry, Brian Murphy, Yossi Benayoun.
Goals: Ravel Morrison 14, 72
Bookings: None!
Referee: Graham Scott 4: Basic decision making was fine but his application of the advantage law was shocking. I would also criticise him for inconsistency with regard to discipline. He booked Blues players for cynical tackles correctly but the same has to be metered out to the opposition when exactly the same set of circumstances pertain. I predicted that he would add on just four minutes at the end when by rights at least six was required for the blatant slowing of the game at free kicks, throw ins, goal kicks etc that was going on when QPR were only one up and attempting to run down the clock. Having said that, Mr Scott probably did us all a favour given that any extra time would have allowed QPR more opportunity to increase their lead! We could still have been playing now and still not scored but the principle that the laws should be administered correctly and fairly should still be upheld.
Bazza
KRO SOTV
Greatv report, as always.