Nil One Eight Two

Sheffield United U23 0 v Aston Villa U23 1
Premier League Cup, Group Stage
Played at Stocksbridge

Sheffield United Futures U19 8 v Espial U19 2
North Midlands Development Football League U19 North
Played at Shirecliffe

Wednesday 14 March 2018

SUFC 2017/18 Games 75 & 76

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Double Header. Second in two days. Stocksbridge & Shirecliffe this time. Sheffield Beer Week.

The Wellington have got some Sheffield vs Norwich thing going on. But, I didn’t really dip into that. Due to availability of HOPS. And, it's confession time. The Wellington. I must walk within 50 yards of the door every time I go to the Academy at Shirecliffe. It's Kelham Island fringes, if not central. It's Tap for Neepsend Brewing. Etc. First time I've ever been in. Ridic.

Wiper & True, Kaleidipa on keg at 8.6%. Smells fresh & zesty. Very thick & chewy. The bitterness grows very slowly. Tongue tingling & then numbing. You can just about get the abv burn underneath. It's a lingerer. You know you've had that one.

Neepsend Brew Co, Simcoe IPA, Single Hopped on keg at 5.5%.  Very appealing to look at. Opaque. Foaming head. Maybe just a bit short on flavour & bitterness. The verging on lime bitterness just about gets there. The balance is spot on. Just needs some ooommmppphhh.

Neepsend Brew Co & City Of Ale, Blossom, Honey Milk Stout on cask at 4.5%. I really liked that one. Again. Very appealing in the glass. Impossible to see through black. Lovely caramel coloured head. Smooth. I'd worried it might be varnish cloyingly sweet. It ain't. Full of flavour. Bit of everything. Toffee dominates if anything. Just singed. Great.

I hate “Cups” with Group Stages. Here we go. That defeat has put us through to the last sixteen, knockout stage, of the Premier League Cup. We've finished level with Ipswich on 9 points. But, we have a better goal difference. Because of postponements, we're a bit behind some of the other teams. Villa play their knockout on Friday. SUFC U23 v Derby County in the next round.

Putting that to one side. That was a poor display. Villa were facing games Monday, Wednesday, Friday this week. Today's was a Dead Rubber. All the chatter is that they fielded a young, inexperienced team today. Yet, they were well worth that win.

United started with Freeman, who is trying to find a way back after injury. Evans C, who is trying to find form & a way back. And, proper signing Ben Heneghan. Also, Luca Colville, presumed trialist. Heneghan took a knock and was struggling. And, didn't reappear for the second half. Freeman & Evans were both subbed at 60. Neither of them appeared to be injured. Naturally, Freeman & Evans both had a couple of moments. But, I'm in a mood. Simply, neither really contributed anything. Ched had a half decent 15 just before half time. But, for long periods either side - barely had a kick. At one stage of the second half, Evans set himself on the edge of the final third. To win a targetman's header. Set. Jostled. Rose. Got a perfect shoulder on it. Thus summing up his timing all afts.

The U Two Threes really perked up once the Big Lads had done the off. Sub George Broadbent hit the post with a great shot after 70. Utd were much more lively, and created a fair few chances in that late period. I'm not singling Freeman and Evans out. Collectively, United were constantly giving the ball away. We were behind after just 8 minutes. It looked awful. Gave the ball away. Heneghan trying to get to his man, who had the ball. Looked like he was running through treacle. Left for dead. The ball got shifted right. And a nice finish. After 15 minutes, The Vile had a great chance to make it two after a flowing move down our left.

The afternoon started out badly. Some Villa fan produced an email claiming they had been promised 60 (sixty) colour teamsheets. The teamsheets are printed at Bramall Lane. And, thenceforth, delivered to Stocksbridge by a specially trained Carrier Bag Firm battalion in reinforced bags. There's a finite supply. Sixty is going to make a big dent in that. Fuck Me. eBay will be flooded with 'em next week.

The second leg of the double header was shifted to the floodlit plastic pitch up at Shirecliffe. That is the first time I’ve ever seen a game on that pitch. It kicked off late, because the ref reckoned he’d found a hole in the goalnet at the far end. I have to say, I don’t know why the Futures don’t play more games at Shirecliffe on plastic. Games sometimes come too thick & fast for Stocksbridge - particularly in the snow, rain & cold. I know these lads will have to play on grass once their careers get up & running. But, surely it’ll do them no harm to play on a true surface in early March every now & again. Some of them, who I’ve seen before, looked much better ball players on this surface that they can trust.

Anyway. United ran out easy winners. Espial finished with 10 men & an outfield player wearing an orange bib in the nets. They’d used all their subs & the keeper took a knock to his wrist/arm. He couldn’t even get the shirt off to give it to his mucker - hence the bib.

626/1303