2012
"SMOKIN' BAN!?---WOT SMOKIN' BAN!???"
Before the match we heeded for poshly named 'Fountains Abbey' boozer which iz aboot a ten minute waalk from the groond.
However!---the clientele were far from posh and smoke enveloped the bar az we waalked through the door.
Unbelievibly aboot TEN or so punters were puffin' away on their tabs INSIDE the bar and this iz the forst time since the 'smokin ban' that a'v actually seen people smokin' in a bar!
The place waz packed with dishevelled locals on their 'happy hour' binge (less than two quid a pint!) and a 'full blast' karaoke started next to us, with a drunken gadgy tryin' to sing a ballad, but failin' miserableeee!
After just one pint, listenin' to this crap, it waz time to make A SHARP exit! az the smoke waz chokin' us to death by this time! (we're non smokers!) and we heeded for 'The Clock' just doon the road, which waz thankfully 'smoke (and karaoke) free'!, and stopped there til it waz 'match time'!
In an incident packed game which included THREE! disallowed goals for the home side, (TWO of them 'legitimate'!) it was The Toon who got oot of jail @ Goodison Park last neet!
A minutes applause for the Hillsborough victims before the match waz a reminder to just how far futbaall grooonds have come on, since the 'cages' of the 70s and 80s (aalthough Goodison haz hardly changed since then!)
We started off badly and 'The Toffee Noses' went aheed in the 15th minute when Leighton Baines struck home @ The Park End in wot waz a very bad half for us, az we were dreadful!
A goal for the home side waz ruled offside by the linesman orly on and we were lucky to gan in just one goal behind at the interval.
Demba Ba came on at the start of the 2nd period to replace 'Marveaux the Magician' (who waz anything but!) and it took him just fower minutes to put us back on level torms and score The Toon's 1,000th Premya League goal with a great left foot shot past Tim Howard in the home goal, after bein' given a great through baall from Cabaye!
Another offside goal waz flagged by the linesman to deny the home side, and this caused great anger amongst the Evertonians in the crowd! ("Calm doon---calm doon!")
Not lang after, another controversial decision, this time by the ref denied 'The Tooffee Noses' once again, when Stevie Harper in The Toon goal saved from point blank range to tip Anechibe's shot onto the bar and ower the goal line, but the ref missed it and waved 'play on'!
The Toon then broke through the middle of the home sides defence when Ben Arfa ran clear, but the ref inexplicably blew for a foul instead of playin' advantage, thus denyin' us a goal scorin' opportunity!
Then!---with just three minutes left on the clock Anechibe scored wot looked like 'The Toffee Noses' winner @ The Gladys Street End
BUT!---we were not to be denied and super sub Demba Ba saved the day in the very last minute when Shola Ameobi (anotha super sub) superbly chested the baall doon to wor number 19 and he gleefully excepted the chance and fired past Howard to send the smaall band of away follower wild with delight!
Toon team: Harper, Perch, Williamson, Steve Taylor, Santon ,Cabaye (Bigirimana 90), Anita, Gutierrez, Marveaux (Ba 46), Ben Arfa, Cisse (Shola Ameobi 80)
Attendance: 32,510 (less than 2,000 Toon fans--aall in The Bullens Road lower tier---the lowest number aa can remember here!)
Tooneet we play the SMBs in a resorve match @ St James' @ '7 bells'
Season ticket holders and member get in free---£3 for others and £1 for sprogs etc.
Match report to follow!
