The Cherries on top: Episode 43
March is a very light month in terms of games, we might stretch it out to 4 if we can win our FA Cup replay against Barnsley.
They gave a good show of themselves over a rotated squad, but given the dismal performance last time we go with a fairly strong team still with an eye on United away at the weekend.
The game is even first half, Barnsley take the lead early through Bruce Dyer. Selakovic is on hand to get an equaliser shortly after as we go in at the break level.
We can’t create much on target second half and the lacklustre service means that Barnsley are able to score with 15 minutes to go. We obviously go on the attack and commit men forward. Barnsley then get another in added time to put the nail in the coffin and we exit the FA Cup in the fifth round for the third consecutive season!
With just 5 shots on target from Barnsley Dei has let in 3 goals, so another formal warning is handed to the Italian.
We now travel to runaway league winners Man United. We are still short at right back and having kept Skalidis on for 90 minutes midweek he is replaced by Samba.
United start the more attacking. I was hoping to keep it tight for the first 20 minutes but Forlan put paid to that plan as he picks up a loose ball to fire past Dei. Dei to his credit is having a good game, he is able to deny Van Nistelrooy on more than one occasion.
We start to grow into the game towards the end of the half as Toni forces Barthez into a save. The resulting corner also produces a save from the Frenchman as Duff gets to it in front of Wes Brown.
The second half is tight as the first. Both keepers proving their worth (which is nice to see from Dei) with Dei being the busier. I go on the attack with 15 minutes left but that just spurs United on. Veron goes close as does Solskjaer, the latter then wins a soft penalty just minutes from the end as Luke Chadwick is on hand to slot it home.
We then go straight down the other end and get one back through Luca Toni but there aren’t enough minutes to affect anything else. The defeat means that as it is so tight we have now dropped to 7th.
A week later we go from playing top of the league to bottom of the league as we face Charlton at home. We just have two absentees, Scally starts his 2 match ban and Tonetto misses the game with a gashed leg in training. Thankfully everyone else is fit and rested.
Looking to end the month with a win, we hit the post inside 3 minutes as we go attacking from the off. It’s Charlton who score first against the run of play and you guessed it, their first shot on target. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Edu with, you guessed it, his first goal of the season.
5 minutes later Samba heads home a Selakovic cross to go in at half time level. It’s one way traffic in the second half as we push to try and get our noses in front. Skalidis scores a wonderful free kick to reward our efforts and then Samba gets his brace with 15 minutes left.
Charlton then come back at us. They score with their second shot of the game, surprise, surprise. Aleksidze finds himself free in the box and scores with a low shot. It sets up a frantic 10 minutes and Dei finally makes a save from the visitors (only 3 on target). The score line suggests a tighter game but either way we come away with a win.
Having not been interested in signing a new deal, turning up late for training and showing lacks of fitness. Boyle-Renner has been put onto the transfer list. Colchester put in an offer to take him off me, its a way off his £500k valuation but we see where they might meet us and negotiate.
It’s also more bad news for Zizou. His groin problem has not gone away and he needs another 11 months of recovery. At this rate he will be retiring.
With just the 3 points picked up this month, we drop from 2nd to 5th. We are still within a chance of claiming a European Cup place but the completion is fierce as 6 points separate 7 teams!
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