If the definition of the true fan is one who attends not only just about very first team game but also gets along to see the Reserves (when SAFC allow such things), Pete Sixsmith is as true as they come. And he caught another win …
After last week’s Wednesday excursion to Bishop Auckland, the reserves returned to their home at Hetton for a Premier Reserve League battle with Bolton Wanderers.
Last week saw a young, inexperienced side turn out and hammer the Bishops for six; tonight we had six players with first team experience, including three internationals, one of whom arrived at the Stadium of Light as the country’s most expensive goalkeeper.
Craig Gordon and Fraizer Campbell continued their rehab, while Michael Turner, David Meyler, Ahmed Elmohamady and Ji Dong-wan all warmed up for a possible game against Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The game ended up 1-0, with Craig Lynch (who was on the bench at Wigan and hasn’t been dispatched to the Football League) – that is Rach, aka “Vagueonthehow”‘s Flickr photo you see above – scoring the goal in the first half after Campbell’s shot was blocked.
For a cold Tuesday night, both sides produced good football, with some strong tackles going in, most of them either on or by Adam Reed. He and Meyler ran the midfield in the first half with their strong running and competitive attitudes and we really should have been more than one up. Ji, Campbell and Elmo all missed acceptable opportunities to turn the Trotters over.
There was a good crowd as well, given out as over 700. Most were dedicated fans keen to see if our two long term injured looked okay, plus the usual smattering of the Gilded Youth, who were more wrapped up than I have seen them in the past. Parents do take some responsibility for their offspring.
The game meandered on in the second half and that is when the younger players begin to catch your attention. Liam Marrs, a young full back from Cramlington, always impresses me and once again he had a very good game. Pity he is so small.
The reserve team profiles on the club web site include those of Marcos Angeleri and George McCartney. Angeleri is the forgotten man and nothing has been heard of him for months. Is he injured? Is he back in Argentina? Does he exist? We do know that someone of that name has appeared in a red and white striped shirt, but it must have been an imposter as the profile says that Angeleri was a high profile international player. Not the one I saw.
The next Reserves game is a week on Thursday at Wigan with an afternoon kick off. They play at the Robin Park ground, located next to the DW Stadium. It’s a proper ground and there is a North West Counties team, Wigan Robin Park, who play there. It needs ticking off. Keep your eye out for a report.
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Totall off topic I know but – Podgies Boy running again today. 1550 at Lingfield. Worth a bob or two at 5s ish.
Disappointing 4th – but given a very poor ride by jockey. Never mind.
Zlatan Muslimovic? He was in the CW “crowd” last night.
impressed by Campbell, who looked at least as fast as his pre-injury self, and took a fair old battering. Relieved to see him in one piece at the end. A fifteen minute cameo in Sunday beckons
Not many would brave it out to see a reserves game on a cold Tuesday night! I do follow the reserves (online!!) as like you mentioned we have some good players there we may need to call on soon.
Glad to see Meyler bossing it in midfield, like to see that guy back starting with the seniors.Still unsure about Ji, love to see him bang in a few goals in the reserves like Nobel was doing.
Last I heard of Angeleri he was injured and required surgery. I have a feeling the guy is finished with that injury. He’ll run his contract down and then move back to Argentina I’m sure.