football rambles

 We were in London on Saturday and I had a list of games to go to, but the one that we ended up going to was based more on convenience than anything else. There were some competitive games on the agenda as Steps 5 and 6 kicked off, but this was supposedly a friendly game. I say supposedly, as there were some tough challenges coming in, especially from the Walthamstow defenders as Brentwood dominated early on. Brentwood were indeed the stronger side, which is probably why they gained promotion from the Isthmian North. The league that Walthamstow are still in and the one that Downham will be joining them in next season. After a considerable amount of pressure Brentwood took the lead through a well taken goal by Kymani Thomas in the 36th minute. I personally though that they should have been further ahead when they went in a goal to the good at halftime. Wathamstow came out in the second half with a good deal more attacking intent and Joe Elliot who was unmarked at the back post drill...

 Preseason continued on Friday with an exciting game between King's Lynn and Peterborough United. A hot summer night saw Psoh take on the Linnets and after what happened last week, I was just hoping not to see a nonleague team on the end of a battering again against League One opponents. However, from the get go it looked like if anyone was going to be on the end of a thumping it was Posh. Lynn started off brightly with Michael Gyasi, who had signed for Lynn from Peterborough Sports just two days before forcing an early save from Nick Bilokapic and a goal line clearance from defender Noah Freeman. Lynn had the lead after 9 minutes and it was Gyasi who gave them the advantage. Lynn created more chances but after about half an hour it turned into a stalemate. Lynn definitely had the bit between their teeth and Posh looked a bit shocked by some of the more robust challenges, so at that point it looked like Lynn might add a second if anyone would. Unfortunately, for them just as the ha...

 So, preseason got off to an auspicious start as Bishop's Stortford took on Stevenage in a Hertfordshire Derby. In soaring temperatures, you would always expect the professional team to do better, but this just seemed a bit cruel, especially with the Stevenage fans taunting part-time players as the goals started flooding in. Stevenage brought a strong team with them, but it wasn't until late in the first half that they took the lead, and despite suspecting that fitness would take its toll in the second half, I can't really say that at that point, I expected them to add another 7 to the scoreline. They did though, with poor old Stortford getting a Consolation  goal when they were already 5 down. Let's hope for some games with a bit more of a competitive edge as preseason continues.

 Ahead of going to Pescara last week, I had watched the play-off games that saw them clinch promotion to Serie B.  Obviously, in the July heat not a lot was going on at the stadium, but I was lucky enough at one point to be able to have a look round. As it happened on the only day I was there and the doors weren't locked! There was also an Ultras' bar over the road where I spoke to some of them, as well as a chance meeting with another Ultra group earlier in the week at a beach bar. Opposite the stadium, there was also a take away called 'Sicillia in Boca' where you could order some top arancini and eat them at the Ultras' bar next door.

 Las Sunday, I was over in Lithuania so decided to catch the Zalgiris Vilnius game against Dainava. On paper, you would have thought that Zalgiris would run out the winners, but they have been pretty inconsistent so far this season. The game started off brightly for Zalgiris, but despite their attacking intent they couldn't force their way past a forceful Dainava defence and looked particularly vulnerable when Dainavadid break. From the players that stood out, I thought Yuri Kendysh of Zalgiris, who has had numerous clubs in Belarus and stints in Latvia and Moldova looked a cut above. Unfortunately, the Zalgiris midfield didn't seem too capable of reading his smart passes. However, it was Dainava who opened the scoring with a well taken goal by Artem Baftolovskyi on the 37th minute. Baftolovskyi is one of a number of Ukrainian plying his trade in Lithuania after being signed from Liviy Bereh and previuosly having been at Dinaz. The second half saw Dainava coming out with more p...