SearchIpswich Town Reserves 2-1 Arsenal Reserves Tue 13th Nov 2001 23:27
by your Official Reporter, ColdGit@Reserves.
I have promised to be more direct. Here goes:
Darren Bent is an absolute gem. I've been saying all season that he should be in the first team and a really gamey brace tonight, leaving the winning goal till the 90th minute, will surely have clinched that exciting, fully justified reality.
A promising young Arsenal team had led, at the interval, via their dainty young centre-forward, Jermaine Brown, begloved and with corn-row hair (is that what you call it?) who took advantage of the temporary absence upfield of attack-minded Thomas Gaardsoe, to beat man-in-black Andy Marshall with a breakaway goal after 35 mins.
As crowd favourite Darren would have said afterwards, had I been able to speak to him, "I should have had at least a hat-trick, Old Git, with two half-chances just before the half hour mark, the second of which I tapped into the goalie's ample bosom - was it Richard Wright? And then, five minutes into the second half, Brian, I gently, deftly, accurately, oh no, tickled one over the bar. So far, this season, I should have scored an Axeldahl of reserve match goals."
It took an hour for Bent to strike, but it was worth waiting for. In the area, he was moving left, but flicked the ball inside his man, then curled it round the goalie and inside the right post. You beauty. 1-1.
At the death, his second goal was another peachy plum, partly because of the pin-point quality of excellent Darren Ambrose's cross from the right; all Bent had to do was control it and tuck it away, again inside the right post. He looks like Finidi George, but it's time for Finidi to take his hat off to Darren; both Darrens, for that matter: Ambrose is of the same school: eager, direct, a winner. 2-1.
Don't let's get too warmed up, though; it wasn't that sort of night for all of us. The Darrens were beacons in the mist. Urgent Yoof Ambrose replaced anonymous Nicholls after an hour, allowing begloved Nabil Abbadabba to come in from the cold on the wing into central midfield, where he continued to show delightful touch but ineffective overall impact.
Yet, in an uncertain, bump-into-things world, it was re-assuring to lie back and accept the freezing embrace - an average FPR temperature tonight of 7 degrees Celsius, whatever celcius is, but, as your Official Reporter, I have to accept that I have a worldwide audience and mustn't mention good old Fahrenheit. Mother said it was cold in Sydney today but I promise you that a couple of hours at damp Portman Road tonight would have reminded her why she emigrated 36 years ago, (and, with a worldwide audience, it is nice for them that I should make an international reference)...and yet I still cannot say, 'in Sydney' without pangs of Carry On double entendre...whoops, digressionamundo...the freezing embrace of a November evening at the Reserves, with the bizarre guarantee of safety created by a report on the BBC saying that Osama Bin Laden is an Arsenal fan. We're watching Arsenal Reserves (though this is only the official title of this team. The term has come to mean, in general conversation, something quite different: 'the team you put out against teams like Ipswich or Worthington Cup opponents.' I doubt that any of Arsenal's team tonight will ever play in the Premiership for them. Surreal. Their Yoof winger, Jerome Thomas - all their Yoof's forward line has 'J' first names - was their gem. Fabian found him to be 'unstoppable'. Umm, that doesn't make Thomas unique, though, does it? Come on Fab, shave that carpet sample off the top of your head, and play a bit. You're only up against Chris Makin.)
I'm not really digressing. It was a match without passion, without much meaning. Without Bent actually winning the match, it would have been very ho-hum, but he was this week's 'Mumo' Peralta, who was the emerging star of my last Reserves Report, and who, so soon after, is October's Third Best Player Of The Month.
In the absence of Mumo, Tommy Miller was given the opportunity to audition for Jim Magilton's shirt, but he took an early knock and that perhaps stunted his growth. Miller was derisory about Sir George's audacity, in playing 'the best midfielder in the Nationwide' on the wing; it's because Our Tom shares Our Jim's fear of wide open spaces. He feels that that circle around the centre of the pitch is there for a reason, and, tonight, he never left it. In fairness, he can sweep the ball about, though it's a little laboured, as are all his movements, as if he's a middleweight boxer with heavy legs (like Reuser, who we're coming to.)
Our team was:
Marshall
Wilnis — Gaardsoe - Justin Miller (c) - 'Gary'
Abbadabba - Tommy Miller - Ashley Nicholls - REUSER!!!!!!
Bent - 'Log' Logan | Error On Inter Tickets Tue 13th Nov 2001 22:54
Contrary to the earlier email, it seems there are only 300 remaining tickets from the entire 6000 that we have been allocated. Apologies for the error which came to light after re-reading the original press release. | Inter Send More Tickets Tue 13th Nov 2001 20:17
Town supporters that had been on hold for long periods yesterday only to be cut off just after 5pm will be pleased to hear that an additional 2,500 tickets have been allocated. | More North Stand Details Tue 13th Nov 2001 20:02
As we confirmed earlier, part of the the North Stand will be open for spectators for the match against Bolton. In total, 2290 additional seats will be available, however these will not be available to season ticket holders that wish to return to the North Stand as this was deemed a logistical nightmare for both the Bolton and Inter Milan games. | Return to the North! Tue 13th Nov 2001 17:44
Town have been given permission for fans to return to the North Stand for the Bolton game on Sunday. Safety inspectors looked at the new lower tier on Monday and have given the go-ahead. | Helsingborgs IF Fined for Fans Tue 13th Nov 2001 17:32
Helsingborgs IF have been fined 45,000 Swedish Krone (about £3,000) for the incidents where Town fans ran on the pitch in the aftermath of Town's goals in the second leg. | MIld to Wimbledon Tue 13th Nov 2001 16:09
Swedish international and rumoured Town target HÃ¥kan Mild is set to join Wimbledon. Yesterday the Swedish press suggested that Mild would be on his way to Town, something George Burley immediately refuted. | Le Pen Signed and Sealed Tue 13th Nov 2001 16:07
As expected Town have signed Lorient winger Ulrich Le Pen. The Frenchman was paraded at a press conference this afternoon. | Holland to Start Thursday Tue 13th Nov 2001 15:55
Matt Holland is set to make another start for the Irish as they meet Iran in the second leg of their play-off on Thursday. Holland partnered Roy Keane in the first leg, but is joined by Mark Kinsella for the second game in Tehran in front of 120,000 people. | Inter Tickets Sell Out Tue 13th Nov 2001 14:33
Town have sold out of the 3,500 tickets for the away leg of the UEFA Cup tie with Inter Milan. Tickets went on sale yesterday and by this lunchtime had already gone. |
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