Cup Final Tickets

Aber won 2-0 at Tudno's last week and so Rhyl, if they lost at Aber today, were down.

Aber 4-0 Rhyl. Unusually for the WPL, with a game to go, the three European berths that can be settled are settled already (CL, TNS: EL, Bala and GCQ), relegation is settled and even the playoffs are sorted out with the one exception that Carmarthen will play Cardiff Met but venue could be either/or with odds in Carmarthen's favour. Bangor will host Newtown in the other. Rhyl and Airbus go down pending Barry Town finding not even a handful of points from four games.

Been a great season in taff land!

Even better to see Bala turn over TNS in 90 minutes to carry off the Welsh Cup for the first time, Tone. They've been a real credit to Welsh football and these last four years in particular they've gone from consolidation to real contenders. Cracking ethic about them

NotBert wrote:Ends up 1-5, never in danger, led from inside 20, two up halfway and gave one back on the hour at 0-4.

Still get a decent drink out of it (pennies at 95s for the correct score) and if I had to give it up for a fifth, it was for Steady to complete a hat-trick.  Sgorio a must-watch, I fancy

Remember this?

Champions League final was in Cardiff.

Thought I'd have a go at the correct score. RM 3 Juve 1, 22s. FFS

NotBert wrote:

NotBert wrote:Ends up 1-5, never in danger, led from inside 20, two up halfway and gave one back on the hour at 0-4.

Still get a decent drink out of it (pennies at 95s for the correct score) and if I had to give it up for a fifth, it was for Steady to complete a hat-trick.  Sgorio a must-watch, I fancy

Remember this?

Champions League final was in Cardiff.

Thought I'd have a go at the correct score.  RM 3 Juve 1, 22s.  FFS

In other news, there's been a move or two in the WPL.

Les Davies has gone from GCQ to Bala and they've flogged a couple of other players as well (Wes Baynes as a regular has gone), which seems odd with Europe in the offing. Not sure whether they've had to trim for the sake of money, seems odd otherwise.

GCQ first game back, a Friday night.

5 of the 12 home games are a Friday and the Christmas Derby double header is, slightly strangely, Bala (GCQ, Cefn and Llandudno are all nearer). This season there will also be Thursday games streamed live on Facebook...

Not ideal, trying to get home at "very late" on the wrong night of the week.

"This season there will also be Thursday games streamed live on Facebook"

Not a FaceBook user as you know, Tone, but the WPL are obviously trying to drum up local interest. Means that less local interest (me) might suffer a bit but anything that gets people involved...

TNS 1-2 Europa (Gib)

GCQ 1-0 HJK
Lyngby 1-0 Bangor
Bala 1-2 Vaduz

Mixed bag - HJK might struggle if the Nomads park the bus, Bangor could have a tilt but TNS have dropped a bollock. Bala look cooked by what was effectively a Swiss top flight side

TNS put Europa aside, after going two up, giving one back which Europa celebrated by having two men sent off. Scott Quigley getting the ewinner in extra time.

There was a mournful consistency in the Europa League as all three sides lost 3-0.

Town had their first friendly on Saturday, away at Wrexham-area non-league side Queen's Park. One down after two minutes and conceded two more late on, it's a good job they scored nine in the middle

NotBert wrote:which Europa celebrated by having two men sent off

Went the Wirral to watch Town U23s play Tranmere U20s.

They all play the Gibson way - high pressing, to feet, had all the possession and won by the odd goal in three having gone one down after trying and failing to spring an offside trap.

The twins looked fearful, both have filled out all the more (as has TK) and have cracking feet and vision. Younger brother Zeb looks tidy at left back as well and he might still be in his teens and not look hefty but when one of the twins took a belt (yes, in a friendly) he was right in and bodily lifted the Tranmere lad a coupl of feet off the floor. Myles is back after a leg at the back end of last season and seven or eight of the side who played will be in to a degree of regularity this year. We have a squad.

Home to Litherland REMYCA today.

First half, line-up was a second XI of sorts but with both twins in and a couple of others besides. Parker, Steady, TK, Jack Higgins and Myles among others all appeared 2nd half and having gone in one apiece at half time, we scored three without reply in the second half. Prestatyn in the holiday season, sun shining, chips great as ever (gravy), today was a Good Day. Third was a Steady free kick with Parker at the back post nodding home. Some things are as constant as pi.

The most important thing was the fact that the chips were up to the mark.

Lock and load tomorrow, the season begins.

There's a suggestion that we'll play for top six in the first 22 games and strength of squads will reflect weakness of opposition - all out in the "expected to win" games and keeping the powder dry in the tough ones.

Interesting theory. If it means we sit off against Bangor, that can fuck right off, though - they're twats and we're a better side than them.

I think Bala are a sporting bet for the title. Colin Caton has done nothing but improve them and Craig Harrison has left TNS for Hartlepool, could be a wind of change and a tidy price. Outsiders of twelve at 200s are Prestatyn Town FC. They can kiss my big fat hairy arse, we're no way the worst side in that division. I've been to Cefn...

I'm backing Bala for the title.
2 points win.

Last night might have been a measure of what's to come, Tone.

GCQ came to us and they are a hard side - Andy Morrison's got them playing and he had a plan to keep us out. We moved it around as we do but they were tight and shut us out when they couldn't shut us down. We shipped four in the end but 0-2 would have been fairer (late goals in each half - 0-2 at half time, one right on the half, meant if we didn't score with the slight breeze in the first fifteen of the second half, we weren't going to get back in). They are as hard a side we'll meet this year and they might just end up slugging it out for the title - they have four full pros on the staff as well, now, and Morrison is no slouch - he affords his opponents respect aside from how his side play.

We are nowhere near the worst side of this league but as I say, the top three may be on a shelf of their own. Bala did Newtown 3-0 as well and Bangor, well, Bangor took on TNS and won 5-2 - TNS haven't shipped 5 in a WPL game since 2007/08 (but for two weeks, a full decade ago). That means TNS won 21 fewer games in a row at the start of the season this time out as to last season.

Had fish, chips and mushy peas outside the ground on the way in - went with a mate from work who wanted to see what the draw was for me (a Prestonian, genuinely enthusiastic and not 'why does the mad fucker go there?') and who proclaimed that he'll be back. Posted a pic on (guessing) FaceBook and said "where am I?". His first reply was "Asda?". Our reply to that was "which one?"

Barry Town got sawn off today - winning one-nil with under ten to go, corner comes in and the keeper paddles it out, rebounds off Aber striker, keeper paddles it from behind the line and stops it on the line and gets a welly to the chest.

Linesman signals goal (before the welly, obviously).  Bryn Markham-Jones, who isn't the worst ref in the world but can have some fucking humdingers of off days, gives the goal, naturally.  The poor angle replays of S4C finally show that there's no way it crossed the line.  Deluded Neville fucking Powell asserts it's a goal now Aberystwyth have given him a job.  And it stays one-all.

We play Barry next week.  Should win, there wasn't too much to concern outselves with from either side on show today.  Cefn lost 0-3 to the Met at home, thus cementing the bottom 2 place they'll be lucky to vacate all season.  Itchy for Saturday now...

Barry Town United brought a fair few the full length of the country yesterday and sat in the middle, thus scuppering any attempt at segregation.  They aren't Bangor, though and were a pleasure to be around.

Anfield traffic, unusual shopping traffic for Flint and a cycling club on the A548 contrived to steal a half hour off us to the tune that despite a timely departure that allowed for a brief shopping errand and a refuel, we ended up arriving by the ground at 2.25pm and missed the kickoff by scraps.  There was a stiff post-hurricane Atlantic breeze blowing towards Pontins so we kicked into it in the first half and with few getting to grips with it, our playing it along the ground put us right on it and we shaded it on possession and territory.  Hayesy was probably the standout all game - the one who did get to grips with the wind which meant his impeccable centre back work was complemented by a pinpoint distribution when everything else was going too long or too high.  No real chances and 0-0 at halfway.

With the wind, the game changed.  Possession and territory went up again, the Barry out-of-hand goal kicks were stopping vertically and occasionally coming back a touch and it just seemed like a matter of time.  Chips excellent as usual, good-tempered game, couple of cards for mistimed rather than malicious tackles, what's not to like?  Well, it's still nil-nil and against all of this, with a couple to go, they break, Carlo stops a goalbound effort and in disarray, right in front of goal twelve yards out, Barry's striker sets himself and instead of sidefooting it into the back of the net, twats it into the training area behind the goal after first putting it through a close earth orbit.  DHL had waited right until the death to deliver our luck package but it was well appreciated.  Last minute of injury time and midfield hoof one from the left at the opposite corner which Jack Kenny chases down and stops from going out.  Nothing on at all, ball lofted into the box and a last breath of wind takes it at the death over the left back's jump.  Parker's on it, steadies himself, one on one and has a sidefoot pop at the top right corner.  I am dead in line with its flight and it's in as soon as he hits it.

I might be the fat cunt you see celebrating goals in an S4C montage all season as a result.  Genuinely could have cried, nearly did.  We're back, baby. Celebrations were as usual, berserkers behind the goal and the game wound up a few seconds later.

In other games, Carmarthen are P2 L2 and I genuinely could not understand how GCQ were 8/13 at home to them - 2/5 or worse in my eyes.  They're top on GD, Cardiff Met and Llandudno both having won their first two.  Aber and Cefn are fighting for second bottom with Newtown and we're up to 7th, again down to GD.  TNS beat Bala which was a bit of a pisser, tbh, that would have made everyone sit up, and Bangor next week, who've beaten TNS and lost to the students.  Would be awesoe to stick it to them, think there might be S4C coverage on Friday, there appears to be some uncertainty.

NotBert wrote: TNS beat Bala which was a bit of a pisser

S4C live tomorrow, Town go to Bangor, 7.30pm.  A Friday first for Sgorio.

I shal be having chips and curry at home and already have fridgebound beers - a fancy Guinness (one of the porters) and a McEwans that appears to have been brewed with a whiff of whisky in it?  Also have an option on a TT Landlord and a Doom Bar among others.

Mrs Bert actually made noises about going - and I wouldn't mind seeing it - but Friday night Bangor City in a Bank Holiday weekend means being round the WPL's worst cunts and then a 2 hour minimum drive back to England for starters, and I think at least one tunnel is closed at stupid o'clock and the Runcorn Bridge can fuck off forever, the grabby cunts - "we've fucked up every journey for the last two years to build this bridge and to celebrate it, we're going to charge you to cross and charge you for accessing the one that has been free since opening as well".  The fucking tunnels can have all my crossing monies, I'll never use "The Gateway.  Twats.

So S4C it is.