Heads High

Charlton Athletic U18 v Sheffield United U18
1-1 at 90 mins & aet
Charlton win 4-3 on Penalties

U18 Professional Development League 2, National Final

Played at The Valley

Nottinghamshire 354 all out
v Middlesex 203-3
close on Day 2

County Championship Division 1

Played at Lord's

Monday 9 May 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

Double header today. Up to Tea at the County Championship at Lord’s. And then, the National Final of the U18 Professional Development League 2 at The Valley.

Cricket & Beer Wallahs can forgive me. But, I'm going to concentrate on the Can I See Your ID Please Blades.

After a great season, the Blades U18 just couldn't get it done at the end. But, Charlton have deserved that win. I thought they were the better team. Stronger & more pace. Call it as I see it. They didn't have it all their own way though. The Barely Legal Blades could have been (a lot) more than one up at half time. They weren't & that has cost them. There weren't glaring misses. Just that we had the ball a lot. And in dangerous areas as well. At times, it looked like we'd go two up. We didn't.

The Addicks only equalised with two minutes of normal time left. So. It's natural disappointment & heads held high in equal measure.

I'm not sure what was Chicken, what Egg. Maybe Charlton just pushed us back & ran our legs off. When Charlton were on top, United looked too deep & stretched. No outlet. No respite.

A few running on Empty. I'm not singling out, but I've seen Gilmour & Gordon much better than that. Ramsdale has had a Stormer. We weren't overrun. But, he's kept them out time & time again. Alex Brown & Tom Charlesworth have stuck at it & put the shifts in. Semple & Cummings calm (ish) at the back. We just came up against a good side. Dust yourselves down….

The Beer

Here you are. I'm glad to see the back of The White Swan in Charlton Village. Amateur Hour. I “complained” in my U21 SF Blog about pump clips turned around & kegs off. They've gone the extra yard tonight. The keg IPA is still off. I've asked for a taste of the Kent Brewery Enigma Black IPA. The main issue there is it's a Blonde Beer. “It's not black”. The fella has warned me. What is it? We'll never know.

I'm now giving official advice to ex Blade Chris Wilder. Leave it son. Don't take the job. If this pub is anything to go by, they ain't got a clue round SE7.

It's annoying. As it's quite a nice place. The staff are friendly. But. There's a beer on there. And it's not as billed. And they don't know what it is. Like asking for Guinness & getting Carling. Odd.

But, the beer I did have. You know. The ones that were the right colour. Were great.

Caveman Brewery, Palaeolithic US Hopped Ale on cask at 3.8%.
Clarkshaws, Gorgon's Alive on cask at 4%.

The Cricket

Nottinghamshire folded very quickly in the morning. But, they were still just North of 350. Compton came in at 40-1. Broad & Jake Ball had plans aplenty. Mainly centred on Silly Mids of both variety. Compo looked nervous, scratchy, out of sorts. He was out to his 18th for just 3 runs.

Revisionist Beer continues to make inroads in Marston’s supported grounds. Both Craft Lager & Craft Stout on keg in the Long Room Bar. Supplementing New World Pale on keg & Pedigree on handpull.

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