We haven't managed to get tickets for the game so Matt, Lisa and Fraser are at
the Secret Pub with the dodgy feed, having caught Wilko Johnson at Rough Trade on the way, and I’m at home with a bad back listening to
the game on Radio London. West Ham are playing a weakened midfield having
rested Morrison, Noble and Diame, while Adrian is in goal and Tomkins is out injured.
The West Ham fans are in magnificent voice throughout,
though Spurs have the early pressure. Defoe pokes wide after 90 seconds,
Townsend has another effort go close and O’Brien heads just wide of his own
goal. Spurs run out of ideas though and the Hammers hold on and defend resolutely
to be level at the break. Our only effort on target comes from Carlton Cole who
forces a save from Lloris.
Andros Townsend goes close for Spurs early in the second
half. Just as West Ham force a corner, we lose the ball and it seems all over on
67 minutes when the restored Adebayor performs to script and scores with a
thumping shot in off the bar after a run and cross by our old pal Jermain
Defoe.
Matt texts: “Horror show. Our corner, counter attack, Taylor
wins ball gives it back, Linda misses it… My granny could have put it in!”
Though his granny must have bee quite a good finisher on that form.
That goal sparks the Irons into life. Diame and Maiga come
on for Joe and Carlton Cole and on 79 minutes Morrison replaces Diarra. The
subs change the game. Diame forces a good save from Lloris with a shot from
Maiga’s knock-on. Matt Taylor has a fierce shot from the edge of the box saved
by the keeper. Spurs are having problems coping with the extra class of Allardici’s
substitutes.
THIS IS THE MODIBO WORLD
Adrian takes a free kick, Maiga nods on, the ball falls to
Matt Taylor in the box who pays a great reverse pass to Matt Jarvis who fires
home into the top of the net. GOAL! Cue mayhem in the away end. Anyone’s tie
now.
At 1-1 a combination of O’Brien’s block and a decent save by
Adrian thwarts Chadli. We counter attack. Jarvis and Morrison retrieve the ball
after a poor Diame cross and Ravel finds Diame again wide on the right. Mo’s
cross is perfect and there is Modibo Maiga rising superbly between two defenders to send
his header skimming into the corner of the net.
“MYEAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!” screams the Radio London
commentator in disbelief. It can’t be. It is. Modibo Maiga has scored! His
first goal in one year and 17 days. I sit open-mouthed before my computer
monitor. Modibo!!!!
Professor Brian Cox tears up his latest thesis on the laws
of the cosmos. Scientists at the Hadron Collider in Geneva give up their search
for the Higgs-Bosun particle, throw down their white coats and decide that some
things are simply unquantifiable. That Chinese probe on the Moon detects
seismic shock waves and a disturbance in N17 that can be seen from the lunar
surface. Inside the Tardis the Doctor detects a rift in the time-space vortex
and suspects that Big Sam has reversed the polarity of the neutron flow. On
board the bridge of the USS Enterprise Mr Spock declares: “This is most illogical. It’s a goal
Jim, but not as we know it.” While Matt simply texts “OMG.” Luckily Modibo is quickly
engulfed by claret and blue shirts as he has presumably forgotten how to
celebrate.
CAN WE PLAY YOU EVERY WEEK?
There’s still time for Adrian to make another fine
one-handed save from Sigurdsson’s shot and Diame to find the side netting from
another header won by Maiga. WHU break again. Amazingly Maiga, who has won
every ball in the air, then proves that
he is fact the next Lionel Messi, turning inside a defender to send a brilliant
30-yard effort whacking into the bar. Where has this player been hiding? Tim Sherwood is regaled with a chorus of "You're getting sacked in the morning!"
There’s a fire drill in the Spurs stands as after five
minutes of added time the ref finally blows his whistle and the West Ham fans
sing:
It’s happened again
It’s happened again
Tottenham Hotspur
It’s happened again!
We could do with slightly longer to savour being in the
semi-final as within minutes we’re drawn against Manchester City. Still, we’ll
see off those northern no-hopers and then it’s cup final breakfast round at
Nigel’s in Kew. Irons!
2 comments:
A fine performance, tight, energetic and charismatic. Wilko never lets you down. And West Ham did pretty well too.
A great result, and some fringe players like Taylor and Adrian showed their worth (though Collins was probably our man of the match). And as with the Fulham game, Big Sam's subs worked a treat. Just hope this time we can build on a good result, not fall behind, and that Maiga, who is obviously a confidence player, can continue that form.
It was just a shame the drew paired us with the only team not in a relegation battle...
We Did It Right just like Wilko. Never doubted Modibo (much)! Taylor like much more like the player he used to be in Portsmouth days… and Collins held us together. Adrian played well too. Has Sherwood been sacked yet?
Post a Comment