Tadley

The first thing I noticed as I sat down to write this was the abandoned draft of the post-Hilltop write-up. I didn’t finish that, broadly because I couldn’t be arsed. It wasn’t going to be a particularly jolly piece of literature. It was going to be one of those very rare spots on this website where I shit the bed a little bit and get all cross and pointless. So I just sided it until about 3 minutes ago when I opened my notes app to scratch out the unjolly piece you’re about to read now, where I shit the bed a little bit and get all cross and pointless.

Tooting haven’t won a game of football since October 28. We’ve conceded 19 goals in the 6 games we’ve played since then, albeit 4 of those were conceded in a decent display against Cray Wanderers. From the 11 goals we’ve scored in that time, two of the scorers have left the club and 5 have been scored by Shay Brennan. Now there’s no point in me not writing it here, because everyone thinks the same thing.

If Shay…

y’know what, fuck it. There’s no point in me writing it here, because everyone thinks the same thing.

Cobham we looked ok and should have held out for the win. We didn’t. Hilltop, we took the lead and were subsequently roundly outplayed by a team very few of the 34 people watching (!!!!!!!) had ever heard of. We were beaten 2-1 and never looked like landing a blow in the second half.

Tadley, first half was grand. Good, even. Shay scores, obviously, and a midfield featuring Jayden Hutchings and Deji- who was Tooting’s best player by some distance vs Hilltop- went through its work well. We seemed likely to see out the first half in the lead which, yknow, would have been good. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Tooting missed an opportunity to clear their lines (a theme of the day) and Tadley finished well.

It was a kick in the pants, to be honest. Tadley had had chances, so one couldn’t say it wasn’t deserved, but when you’re in the last knockings of a half you just want the lads to concentrate on smashing the ball to kingdom come and getting back down the tunnel with whatever advantage you had 3 minutes before the whistle went.

Second half, pretty even. Tooting good in spells and Nathan Best has clearly his best game in a Tooting shirt. Some proper winger business on the right hand side, he kills their left back and digs out a wonderful cross into their 6 yard box. Stooping to meet it, Shay meets it somewhere between his neck and belly button and the ball rolls slowly into the corner of the net.

“He scores with his tits! He scores with his tiiiiits! Shay Brennan- he scores with his tits!”

We’re winning, the lads are doing well. We have both Marcus Whittaker and Warren Colman on the bench- there’s energy there, there’s pace and workrate. We have Dom Ash who could come on and shore things up. The only sub we make is Manny Bestman replacing Nathan Best in what seems a like for like change.

Tooting have the ball in the net again, disallowed for a foul on the Tadley goalie. It’s a key moment. If the goal stands, you’re fairly confident in seeing the game out with a two goal lead. You’re fairly confident you might even get another one if the opposition starts to chase the game a little bit. But the goal isn’t given, which is probably the right decision. Maybe if Tooting are in a run of good fortune it’s given the other way, but we’re not having that kind of luck just now. When are we ever.

After this, it might be that heads drop. It might be that some of the wind is sucked out of our sails. But, lads, this is the sport of football and neither the game nor the opposition gives a fuck how you feel. Deep breath, suck it up, bang a fair one in. Come on.

We’re playing into an ill wind, literally and figuratively. A clearance is held up in the breeze and all of a sudden the ball is heading back over the top of our defenders and Tom Theobald is forced into a rash challenge, conceding a penalty and a yellow. It’s dispatched comfortably. 2-2.

The Bog End rallies, it’s an even game, we can get a winner.

We don’t, of course. We struggle to clear our lines and some Tadley player or another scores a goal from a shot that I presume he only took because he was playing Tooting so of course it’s going to go in the fucking net. Bottom corner. Good finish.

2-3.

Tooting lose from a winning position.

We should not lose games at home from winning positions. We should not be in the bottom half of the table in county football. We should not be in decline from a strong start. We should be getting better. We should be forming an identity.

At the end, Tooting players lose their rags over something. A red is issued. A suspension is coming. It’s daft, really. Pointless.

Pointless.

Anyway.

Positives;

The game was only on yesterday thanks to the collective efforts of the club management and some volunteers to get the water off the pitch. A pump was fixed and an army of forkers poked and hoed. It was kind of beautiful to be in the ground to watch the ref stamping on bits of muddy ground whilst club representatives looked on. Everyone wanted the game on. And let’s have it right- our pitch with muddy bits is still going to be better than most pitches in most grounds in this division. But yeah. It was a beautiful example of the collective effort involved in getting the games on.

The playlist was a banger. Will share it on our X feed.

Dontai Stewart was back to visit and in great form. It was really brilliant to chat to him and find out about life in the National South. I asked him if he reckons he’s found his level. He said no, there’s more to come. And I fucking believe him. Go’ed Dontai.

Yeah, look there was Tadley at home.

Tomorrow we go to Carshalton and hope beyond hope that Danny Bassett doesn’t decide to rub our noses in it. A cup run would be wonderful of course, but really I don’t think that many will value a couple of rounds in the Surrey Cup over getting some points and getting up the league table.

We need to get up the league table.

Anyway, we’re off to the Hope.

Hope.

Up the Stripes