FAN ARTICLES

From My Seat: Chelsea (H)

From Sunday school picnic to Bear Pit

Last game of the season and nothing on it yet over 38,000 turn up. From the moment we entered our North Liverpool ale house you could just sense fans were up for a day out and a party would be had no matter what. The walk to the ground via Tetlow way and other jiggers was awash with the Blue and White of Everton and all in good spirits. Goodison Road was alive and business?s doing very well as fans criss- crossed each other to reach their turnstile.

The teams were announced and only one surprise, no Neville so Arteta took the armband. The match began at a quite leisurely pace and had ?End of season? written all over it. Torres and Cole were targeted for some abuse but the football was tepid. Throughout the half neither side showed any great urgency but we did get a few flurries the first of which saw Rodwell burst into life and went into the opposition area with pace and intent but only won a corner. From this corner Jags climbed highest and his header merely clipped the bar and went over, head it down man I mumbled.

Then Coleman burst into the box but was denied by a Cole tackle and then Osman jinked his way into the box and was felled by Alex, Penalty we yelled and the players appealed too, it looked nailed on but the well placed Ref Mr Walton waved away the appeals and from that moment on he had certainly lost the Goodison faithful and his liaise fare approach would feature for the rest of the game. Chelsea then worked a good opening when Lampard and Torres combined well to set up Anelka but his chance was thwarted by and excellent sliding block from Distin.

As the half was nearing its end we had our first Beckford moment when he was put in on the left of the box. He advanced at pace on goal, one on one with the keeper, he shot but his direction was a little wayward as the ball flew across the area in front of the keeper and ended up as a throw in! Coleman then got himself booked for a daft push on Cole, then right on the death Howard did well to parry and block two efforts from Anelka.

H/T and most agreed not a lot had happened and there were many in discussions as to what might transpire over the summer, the consensus seemed to be that no-one really knew but all were hoping for the best.

The second half began with Beckford first to show, his burst of pace unsettled Alex who knocked him over and was booked. Then just about nine minutes in Coleman joined the sawdust for brains crew when he went in with a studs up lunge on Mikel, I thought he was lucky not to get a straight red but the second yellow saw him walk. Lots of fans were incensed with Mikel as they thought he was milking it by lying on the turf for a great length of time and causing a handbags fracas that was no more than slight push and shove. Coleman got a standing ovation as he trouped off such was the party atmosphere in the ground on another day he might not have been so well treated for now we had most of the half to negotiate with ten men. Chelsea upped their game against the ten men and after a neat passage of play Terry thumped one against the post with Howard nowhere but we were able to knock away the rebound.

A superb through ball from Hibbert put Beckford in who turned past Alex but his shot lacked conviction and was to near the keeper who smothered it. Chelsea remained on top but our rearguard action was admirable with Jags enjoying some heroic moments, this backs to the wall stuff really brings the best out of him. We broke when we could and Baines strode forward and found Arteta on the edge of the box and his shot beat Cech but flashed wide, then the ref really antagonised players and crowd when Beckford?s pace took him passed Alex on the half way line, Alex brought him down, Alex had been booked earlier and after what happened to Coleman the chant of Off, Off, Off was deafening. The ref did nothing except give us a free kick and from then to the end Goodison was a bear pit and the soft southerners looked less and less up for a fight. Ancelotti soon subbed him amid chants of ?your getting sacked in the morning? as events have turned out we were a few hours out on that one.

Chelsea tried to use the man advantage by switching the ball well but on each occasion Everton corralled them down the middle and Jags saw most of it off with great help from Hibbert and Distin. Baines was always available for the out ball and raided when he could so the game took on the mantle of Chelsea attacks which we broke up and broke when we could. Chelsea did get the ball in the net but it was ruled offside.

With 15 to go Beckford picked up another clearance near our box and set off on a run that was determined, lucky, and fortuitous and in the end fruitful. He somehow reached the opponents box leaving 4 Chelsea defenders in his wake. The keeper came to meet him. He shot and allowed the keeper to get a good hand to it but in keeping with the luck of the run the ball had just enough power and spin to creep just inside the post and into the net. The roof came off; Beckford rushed to the Gwladys street crowd and was mobbed by his team-mates. It was a goal that in many ways defied description but was loved and welcomed by all.

Chelsea now upped their game but could not find away passed Jag?s wall and despite lots of possession hardly tested Howard at all. Now the songs were in full flow, Ladyboy Ladyboy rang out from all sides as did the Davy Moyes song and Davy gave us a wave to raucous cheers. 4mins of added time came and went. Final whistle and pandemonium broke out. M.O.tM Jags.

Overall I thought it turned out to be a very enjoyable game thanks to the ref for stirring passions and Chelsea players playacting and moaning which helped immensely in turning up the volume and venom thus creating that ?bear pit? feel. If the sun had not been so strong you would have thought it was one of those games under the Goodison lights.

Torres was given a torrid time as he no more than stumbled through the game, at the moment he looks nothing like a 50million pound man.

The players duly collected their offspring and set off on their lap of appreciation and were warmly acclaimed from all sides of the ground and considering the season we have had a great number of fans stayed behind. The manager got a ringing endorsement from all sides as he made his way around. So thats it for this season and considering our start and financial position 7th position is I feel a good return. We would all have liked better and 15draws does lend itself to ?What if? But 7th it is, thats what our season has brought. What of next season? well it won?t get any easier so all I can do is await to see what has transpired by we kick off and then that couple of weeks nervous wait til window closes. As I have no control over anything I must hope that the powers that be are able one way or another to progress us and who knows we may get a good start to the season. If we do knowing our luck we will have a poor end to it.

Still soon be August so I hope you all enjoy your summer . I will leave you with a bit of info that came my way. For next season Manchester United and Liverpool have had permission for an extra kit for certain games. It consists of Black shirt, Black shorts, Black socks with a white top and a whistle.

UP THE BLUES.

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