2011-12 Match Reports CCFC v DONCASTER

10.9.2011

CCFC 2 v 0 DONCASTER

It’s been a fractured, disjointed start-stop-start to the season, almost a month since the Brizzle dream start / Brighton reality check, with the (welcome as it turned out) distraction of a Wales resurgence / new false dawn as our boys gave Fabio’s re-follicled fools a lesson in how to lose with style, Earnie’s ‘Ronnie Rosenthal’ moment merely reflecting 2-3 generations of near misses (53 years and counting). It’s 10 years since I walked away from active support of the national team after the 2-1 home victory against Italy – the full house at the Millenium, the ticker-tape and flares, the pre-match ‘live’ set from the Manics, the emergence of Craig Bellamy as a contender, the boundless enthusiasm inside the stadium, the buzzing unbridled post-match optimism of the walk back from the ground. The hope, oh, the hope. It was all too much. A difficult time; just turned 40 and time to put childish fantasies behind me...

And so, back to the main event. Here we are home again at last with a fixture to please the grumpy majority – a good old-fashioned 3 o’clock Saturday kick-off against pre-season favourites for the drop.

Malky has now assembled a Ford Mondeo of a squad – solid, reliable, unspectacular, corporate, one that will not turn many heads, and is likely to hog the middle lane and attract Clarkson-esque contempt for its lack of ambition. The starting line up for Bob Bank Betty’s final game before she takes up her position behind the counter at the Bath Spar (did I get that right..?) was much as expected with Darcy Blake, fresh from his mid-week mashing of Mr Potato Head playing the holding midfielder, freeing up Whitts to be the creative force. It didn’t really come off, and as his brother Nathan pointed out in the radio, someone needs to tell Blake what’s required of him. There were too many over-elaborate misdirected passes to no-one in particular. Mr Darcy has to be given a definitive role that suits his undoubted talents – tough tackling full back / central defender / midfield general / aloof romantic hero.....

We started well and had two near misses in the first couple of minutes, Earnie swivelling inside the 6 yard box and hitting the post and a panic-struck Donny defender sliding in to turn a skiddy Conway cross just past the post. At this point you couldn’t see the ponderous Doncaster defence holding out for long. But as the game developed it became increasingly apparent that the mix just isn’t right yet. There is little understanding between the players and a disappointing failure to exploit our strengths. Marshall’s distribution out of hands was woeful – too many wayward punts up field to our, let’s face it, less than statuesque strikers. The young Earnie would frighten defences by his turn of speed and, ok, 9 times out of 10 he would mistime the run and be caught offside and he may no longer have the pace that gave rise to the teasing ‘Earnie’s gonna get ya’ chant, but he is never going to win anything in the air. Ditto Miller. The two wee fellas show little sign of forging a meaningful partnership. Time to unveil Plan B Mr Mackay.

Doncaster continued to cut off all supply routes with relative ease and were quite useful going forward, with John Oster and the interestingly named Mustapha Dumbuya dominating midfield. Dumbuya had probably the best chance of the first half and I for one was thinking ‘he Mustapha chance here’ as he rode a challenge in the box and bore down on goal. But he skewed the ball high and wide. O Lord, Dumbuya!

0-0   Half Time.

Astonishingly the second half began the same as the first with two excellent chances for City to break the stalemate within two minutes. Earnie had another guilt-edged chance and Hudson headed straight at the ‘keeper with the goal at his mercy. On 52 minutes Whitts whipped in a perfectly angled free kick for Gerrard to head in. 1-0. Sighs of relief all round.

Worryingly, City failed to use this as a springboard to wrap up a comfortable victory against a weak team. They didn’t appear to have the tactical nous to change things. They were never in any danger of not getting a result but this eleven will struggle against better resourced opposition. Earnie did wrap up the points with 15 minutes to go after some fortuitous penalty box ping-pong and Malky took the opportunity to bring on fresh legs, introducing Filip Kiss (should have some fun with him as the season progresses..) and Rudy Gestede. By this time Gunnarsson had replaced Blake and the shape of the team looked better. Kiss in particular provided a real fillip to the midfield (I did warn you) looking lively and creative.

Early days I know and The Gaffer should be given time to get the combinations right. And 6^th in the league at this stage represents a creditable start. It’s just that there is no real spark to the team, just degrees of competency. We’ll have a fairly comfortable ride this season but nothing that suggests that we’ll be moving out into the fast lane anytime soon.