The micro- dramas of 90 minutes at the TSS  yesterday look  very small beer when set against the appalling unravelling of international  and democratic norms in Eastern Europe.  Sorry, Mr Shankly .. on this occasion you're wrong; there are many things more important than football.. particulartly when your home, your life, your job, your family and your country  are being stolen from you in plain sight at gun and missile point. His Lordship felt that it might have been appropriate to have some recognition of solidarity expressed at yesterday' game... perhaps, temporarily, in place of the knee-taking. Brief.. but, hopefully, heartfelt..and which might have been more appropiate on the day.
In this rather sombre mode, His Lordship will eschew the usual frothy anecdotes of His Ladyship's occasionally off-piste antics and  in the context of the above comments, offer a slightly more concise ( possible?- Ed) sober account of events yesterday at the TSS than is his usual habit.....

 HIs Lordship's Inexpert Analysis No. 14 ( lost count, actually)

Overall:  A game similar in many ways to the previous Saturday.. and equally frustrating.  Both sides will probably feel there were 2 points available that  they almost certainly lost.  Two well-matched sides both had the opportunity to win the game; both enjoyed distinct spells of dominance.

H&RBFC: Started very poorly and for 20 minutes offered no threat at all, constantly hoofing the ball for us to come onto them again and again. Suddenly and inexplicably had a good, confident, fluent spell mid way through the half during which they hit our post before being put on the backfoot again at the end of the half and conceding. Hit a good patch again in the second half and were rewarded with an 80th minute goal for their efforts.  Did a huge amount of arm-waving and complaining at the referee and linos ( specially their Number 4 Dean Inman who it seemed expended more energy on complaint than playing football). Relied heavily on young Tommy Lock( No 5) for long throw-ins. Were at their most effective when they ran at us, which they did increasingly as the game progressed.

CTFC:  Frustratingly inconsistent through the game.  We took full control of the first 20 minutes and dominated them completely before mysteriously finding ourselves on the back foot for 10 minutes or so thereafter.Re-asserted ourslves and  got the all-important goal that our pressure deserved just before the break and looked good to go on and win the game. Started the second half as we finished the first... but couldn't get the crucial second goal that would have killed off the game.  Lost our way again with far too many balls up to young Jordan ,  Alex B and Alefe being high, hopeful punts.. Began retreating when they started running at us more often, leading to the final equalising goal .. that had already looked on the cards for some time. Nothing too wrong with the performance, but those killer through balls played on the ground into gaps for Jordan Y to run onto, in recent games, were sadly lacking. MOTM for me .. a difficut one, probably young Luke R who got us going at crucial times of intensity-dip with his energy and work-rate... although even he faded near the end.

Conclusion:  Frustration.( see above)  His Lorshship's paradox will probably come into play against Dartford... who'll either bury us OR who will bring out the best in us and who we'll beat 1-0. Despite some predictable mumblings around His Lordship.. he thought that Referee Kirsty Dowle has a good game and got all the big decisions right despite having   to endure some pretty sustained  H&RBFC whingeing... that finally and eventually got rewarded with a spate of well-deserved yellow cards. 
COYB ... COY Ukrainians!


 

Might it be worth abandoning the kicking up second half approach? Yes it works well when we take a two or more goal lead into half time, but when we only have a slender lead it feels like asking for trouble. Maybe recency bias but twice now in a week we've conceded a late equaliser at that end.