Match Report For Saturday

Today in FA Cup Round 2 saw the Dons play Blackpool, the team who we recorded our biggest win of last season against, a whopping 3-0 win. The ref and his official with the yellow flag didn`t help our cause today and several decisions went against us, as per usual. This including the first goal for the Northerners when their man could have stood next to Lee Harper with all our players in the opposing box and he still would have be ‘on-side`.

But the Dons great home record against the Tangerines, who today looked more like prunes wasn`t to continue in front of 3837 fans. This consisted of a poor home crowd of around 3500 with Blackpool bringing about 300 + the biggest drum ever for the long trip down to roundabout central.

A 2-0 defeat was in some respects a fair score line as we couldn`t score from several chances from very few yards.

MA made 4 changes from the side that lost last week up north in Darlo. Albie came in for Eddsy, Cafu came in for Jamie Smith due to injury, Taylor faced his old club in place of the suspended Izzy and Seano replaced Drissa in the heart of defence.

With these changes we didn`t seem to click and Blackpool did look the better side even though a lot of play was bits in the midfield. But after 20 minutes JP got down the right flank and delivered a lashing cross only for Platty to head straight to Evans in the Blackpool goal in front of the away fans located in the West Stand. Then Blackpool responded instantly and had several small chances but failed to convert any of these.

Then with Whit shouting at the boys along with the Gaffer they soon bucked their ideas up and Taylor left one defender on his ass and skinned another to lay the ball into Dyer just inside the box on the by-line. Dyer then crossed the ball low into JP and some how with an easy opportunity to score the Scot seemed to stand on the ball and fluff the best opportunity of the game. This seemed to give Blackpool a smile and a lift to press on our defence that seemed unsettled. As the Pool right winger Forbes done Lewi and whipped in a lashing cross only a touch would have put them a goal up after 25 minutes or so but no the man at the front post missed it and the attack fizzled out, thank god. Then Parker got one on one with Harper and again the not so mighty Dons seemed lucky.

Then as the lino was scratching his ass on the halfway line the play swiftly moved forward and a knock on to two Blackpool forwards that were so offside it was unbelievable. The defence stood with their arms up while Parker this time made sure of scoring by hammering the ball of the post and in past the lone Harper on 31 minutes. This led to a verbal attack on the ass-scratching lino from the players and fans. This idiot`s mistake then made our boys drop their heads and the defence especially. Oh how an official`s decision can change the course of the game.

The boys heads dropped but a free kick into Platty who knocked down to Taylor who then from 6 yards cleared the goal by a mile, oh Wilko himself would have been proud of that one. The boys kept on battling but to no avail and half time came. The boos to the lino and ref were loud, very loud. Then Damien even had his say before doing the 50-50 draw by asking if anybody knew if he was on or offside!

We came out from the interval and looked like Allen had stuck a bomb or his boot up the players backside`s and we looked like damaging Blackpool at the back and possibly scoring but chances went passed far to easily, time and time again. But caught on the counter (Lewi especially) the Blackpool front men tore the defensive three in three and Morrell slotting passed Harper from not far out. Another case of defence caught out. But this time there was no excuse or crap decision made by a certain man with a yellow flag.

This goal did bring some fight back from the Dons and Taylor again missed a great chance, O`Hanlon headed over from 2 yards and Dyer cleared the cowshed from 6 yards. Don`t ask me how I thought that would be impossible. Then we didn`t have a ball! So out came the chant from the noisy again Cowshed of Where`s the ball, where`s the ball, where`s the ball. Then Eddsy destroyed the Blackpool`s defence on the right and cut into the box. Then, when felled well inside the box the ref decided to give a free kick a yard outside the box. A simple, easy decision the officials got wrong once again. Then soon after came the final whistle and thank god for that. Our shooting was poor but the officials even more so.

Oh how much do we miss the great man Izale? Oh so much is the answer. We had no pace up top, played a 1 dimensional attack and without him there is no space for runners from the midfield.

The Bucks Fizz
With thanks to the reporter from www.thebucksfizz.com for the match report, and normal service will be resumed next game…