On, Not At

Sheffield United 1 v Barnsley 0

The Championship

Saturday 19 August 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

We thought we'd try The Albion on London Rd. Reopened as a Stancil pub. I found myself with the same mixed emotions as I often do. Great beer lineup. Very welcome addition to the beer offering near The Lane. But, man, will they really have the business & footfall to sustain that lot?

I counted 8 keg, 9 cask & two pub badged keg. Foolishly, I didn't split the casks between Stancil & guest. We put our foot to the floor & route marched it bang on the final whistle. Bar staff lined up across the bar waiting to serve as we limped in. Got caught out on the first round. In our haste. We only really clocked the handpulls & pub badged kegs on the bar front. I'd already ordered a cask before we realised there are ten keg taps all clustered together on the back wall. A blackboard out on the far wall lists them. Not obvious. Nitpicking. Lovely list once you see it.

I went;
Stancil, Blonde on cask at 3.9%
Stancil, Put A Dank On It on keg at 6.2%

There were a few comings & goings while we were sat down. There is a beer garden, but I didn't bother looking how many were in. But, a good few lads n lasses around us were drinking Bud, Corona & normal lager. When I went to the bar for the second round, the fella in front of me ordered a bottle of Stella.

Now, I don't give two fucks what anyone else drinks. Good luck to all voyagers. And those Buds, Coronas & Stellas add to the profit & viability of the place. But, have to admit, only strengthened my niggles re will they have the customers to keep all those cask & kegs going. Use it or lose it - as always.

For the time being, I thought it was a great, welcoming place.

I'd previously done;
Omnipollo, Kodiak IPA on keg at 6.2% in The Beer Engine.

Later, I did Verdant, Some Fifty Summers on keg at 4.6% in The Dev Cat.

Brewdog, Tangerine Session IPA on keg at 4.5%
Neon Raptor Tyranno Heist on keg at 8.6%
Brewdog, Double IPA on keg at 8.5% all three in BrewDog.

That Verdant can have Standout Beer Of The Day.

United were well worth that win. Never dominant. But the best side for sustained periods. Sharp's goal was early enough to settle the nerves a bit. But, obvs, we could have done with a second to tie things up. So, it was more and more nervous as time went on. Some of the tell tale signs that we have found our rhythm were there. Basham stepping through the line with the ball at his feet. O'Connell overlapping the overlapper, and staying forward if he feels like it. Freeman popping up just in the box as the last man on the cross.

I'd prefer better tracking their man by the midfield. Because, the back three are liable to backpedal if people come at them with the ball at feet. But, nitpicking again.

Mark Duffy had an excellent game.

Ten v ten made it difficult to know whether we were good, or Barnsley were poor. You've got to take whatever advantage you can. So, someone needs to be telling Clarke “you grab man by throat, you get red card”. And everyone else for that matter. If we end up ten v 11, we'll be in trouble. Got to be disciplined. All the juggling allowed David Brooks to be behind first Sharp, and then Evans. Nearly got a goal as well, the young snapper. It's not so much pace, as the fact the ball is glued to his left foot. Makes him able to glide past defenders. Time after time, he came off the right wing, with the ball on (on, not at) his left foot and caused problems.

After about 80, I said “the word’ll have gone out, don't give it to Brooksy, no way will he take it into the corner, silly sod will cut inside with it”.  Then, strike me. He's got it & bombed off to the left wing corner flag. Salute.

518/1096
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