Unprecedented

Sparkshop have found a winning formula and the heady potion of experience and new blood has resulted in yet another win as the victories continue to pile up and we begin to feel blase about the competition and murmurs of avoiding promotion become louder. Those discussions are always followed by a remainder of the season without victory so we know how to avoid success as much as any Geordie Premiership side.



The team had a more familiar feel as Richie, Chris and new Matt begin to bed into the team giving a stability which has been lacking until the Trill boy's recent transfer activity. So despite the big fella taking his shooting boots off to the States, the return of Chris from white water rafting in North Wales and sweating in his 'bivviee' meant we had a full side to take on a bunch of young lads who clearly expected to ease past us without too many problems. New Matt played alongside me in attack as our new formation was retained. Never change a winning team unless you have to and other cliches.



Dom, Matt, Chris and Kev gave ample cover for Richie in goal who was relatively underemployed for most of the match apart from his missiling throws which found Matt or myself in a fair amount of space frequently. Amazingly the game went well despite the crap ref being in charge and even more surprising was the fact he had a good game apart from an early error in avoiding seeing a clear deflection for a corner to us. However, that simply served to help Kev avoiding smacking the ball high, fast and directly for a throw onto the next pitch in all probability. The other corners suffered from Kev failing to realise we were the team in white with green bibs rather than the team in white as we usually are. Sadly it was difficult to tell the difference from his usual quality.



It's normally Dougie with those excuses such as failing to realise he was in goal until the first two shots had passed him.



The goal which won the game followed a quality move down the right. I picked up the loose ball on the touchline pursued half heartedly by a bald bloke who was rapidly left in the wake of a blistering run down the line. An exchange of passes with Kev led to a perfectly weighted ball as I managed to continue the run without the aid of oxygen before dinking over a cross met forcibly with the head by an onrushing new matt. His header was fierce but was turned onto the post by the keeper who spilled the ball to see it slammed home by new Matt from close range. That was his second goal of the league and puts him level with me in the top scorer stakes, a more worthwhile pursuit than of late as we are actually managing to score at the moment.

There could have been more with a clear header spectacularly missed by me from close range after a flighted corner from Chris. A little dink finish was well saved by their keeper as I ran free in the area and in truth we would have walked it with a second goal as they were imploding.

Their desperation was fully revealed as first Matt and then Kev brought down the opposition in slightly mistimed tackles. Kevin's led to a few exchanges which Chris enjoyed and he used the adrenaline to provide him with the energy for a manic few minutes in which he chased down every ball despite the likely threat of retribution from a very angry player who managed to barge into me on the touchline but without making proper contact because his target area was far too small. A bit Rio trying to kick the wall on Sunday and managing to kick a woman instead. A sad comment on England's golden generation.

Saints got a good point last night which means a draw at home might be enough to stave off relegation at the weekend provided Leicester get their just desserts at Stoke. Ian Holloway may well be regretting his choice of clubs after the weekend.

Good luck to Saints and to Brizzle in the play offs. Argyle are set for their highest finish since colour tv came on to the scene which will do me for now.