Crunch Time

Err...............dunno, why do we call Aussies "Bruce" and their cooks/shirt ironers, "Sheilas" ? It's one of those things.

Oxford v York in the Conference play-off....Daggers v Morecambe in the semi-final of the Lge 2 play-offs. Sign of the times, eh?

Rather a crunch time for myself. I've opted to stop doing the two days a week in Cornwall and will now see out the rest of my contract at the Devon end on a part-time basis (as per original arrangement). Then who knows what in August, other than the start of another season? I'll delay buying my season ticket just yet in case I'm over the hills and far away...

As for this season, I might slip in another game at some stage over the next few weeks. My probable penultimate game was the Herald Cup final at Coach Road on Friday night between WBB and Denbury Athletic. Quite a gamble for the SDL to switch the final from Good Friday to 7pm on a Friday in the middle of May. Nor could they have expected a final between the Premier champions and a side from Division 4. For the neutral, a reasonably tight contest was the optimistic hope.

And, right from the outset, that wasn't to be. A "difference in class" is a thing to behold and, I guess, it exists at every level. Who is to say whether a gap of several divisions in the SDL isn't as great - in its own way - as it would be further up the pyramid? WBB were better, bigger, faster, uglier and nastier right from the off and were two goals to the good after just a few minutes. 3-0 at half-time; 7-0 at the end. You could see that Denbury simply don't encounter players like Tom Sercombe in Division 4. Not sure of the crowd - perhaps 400-500? - but not quite the occasion to make an early judgement on the wisdom of switching the fixture to the end of the season. Nonetheless, good luck to Denbury for making the final.

Elsewhere I see Bideford have asked to be considered for promotion to the Southern League and that Tiverton will soon learn their fate regarding how Merthyr's future affects which league they'll be in next season. They could yet be playing Bideford, Taunton and Bridgwater next year.

Well D&R absolutely mullered Morecambe 6-0 for a record play-off first leg lead.

Just as they did to us at the beginning of the season, they pressed, pressed, pressed; got their foot in first to every challenge and it could have been double figures. They don't hump it, but play with an urgency and hunger that underlines their ethos......................turn the opposition defenders round to face their own goal and get that ball in early to the near post ~ devastating!

One thing that struck me with BOTH those first leg semis was the poor number of travelling fans.........................the Yellow Army would outnumber the lot 'em put together, and with the rip off factor of Wembley looming; I doubt that many Daggers fans will bother going to Morecambe on Thursday night....................poor old Romford Kev who hates D&R with a passion. The last time they hit a big score (9-0 v Barnet was it?) live on Sky like that I saw him in Dagenham Heathway with the waistband of his trackie bottoms pulled up over his face and Sallie told me he didn't come out for a week!

Mind you after that disgraceful performance, The Shrimpers should offer ALL their travelling fans today free admission for that final game at Christie Park as an act of contrition.

So, 2-1 to Oxford and they're back to their (to quote the manager) "rightful place".

Arrogant bastards, I'm absolutely underwhelmed.

York would have done better with a Subbuteo goaly than the clown they had in goal......................wants a long wire ramming up his arse to stop him from rushing out like a lunatic and he cost them the game in my opinion; where did they pick him up from? ToysRus on the way to Wembley?

I was at Wembley in 1986 and watched Oxford win the Milk cup, to be fair merse they are too big a club to be in the BSP and certainly never really belonged there. I wanted York to win if I’m honest and I would not be surprised if Oxford went on to get back to back promotion much like Exeter did and I also feel it might not be that many years before Oxford are playing in the championship.

Very a very contrasting day for Chris Hargreaves I feel, the shots after the game saw him in his tracksuit and looking like he really did not know what to do with himself. I expect he cast his mind back just one year and the feeling he had that day as he lead the team up those Wembley steps and lifted the cup up so proudly.

His days as an Oxford player are surely over now and I wonder if he will now feel its time to hang those boots up, I wonder if he also might regret not taking up the offer our club made him that would have set him on his way in a coaching role and kept him in football.

I got up and went for a poo when I saw that last minute breakaway..........................more entertaining than staying and watch that 'orrible lot celebrating in front of one packed end and swathes of empty seats!