Slurping is for Amateurs

Crystal Palace U23 3 v Sheffield United U23 0
U23 Professional Development League
Monday 25 March 2019
Played at Selhurst Park

Sandiacre Town U21 4 v Sheffield United Futures U21 1
North Midlands Development Football League, U21
Tuesday 26 March 2019
Played at St Giles Park

SUFC 2018/19 Games 78 & 79
2018/19 Football Season Brewery Visits - 101

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Sigh. Two very disappointing results from two going nowhere fast levels of the SUFC Pyramid. I always find this part of the season frustrating & unsettling at Academy U23 level. There are hard realities. Some players will be released at the end of the season. The coaching staff will know. The players will either know, or have an inkling. Other clubs will be in the same boat. And, we'll be trialling their players. It's a mad Hokey Cokey. 

So, I might as well deal with Monday's trialist. Taymar Fleary. Google says. Been in Brentford's system, currently in Southampton's system.

Taymar came on for Harrison Neal on 52 minutes. We were already two nil down at that point. Indeed, just two minutes after Taymar's introduction, we were three down. Palace were well on top at that time. I said to one of the other Carrier Baggers, “I wouldn't even fancy Messi to shine as a trialist being introduced into this lot”. And, so it was. The whole team were struggling against a Palace side constantly moving & attacking at pace. Taymar struggled against a Palace side constantly moving & attacking at pace. Nothing learned.

There were a lot of completely anonymous players out there for the Young Blades. A lot. The brightest bit was deffo the first 15. At that stage we were still switched on & sharp. I'll mention Harry Sheppeard. Set up as right wingback. In that brief period, he was a constant threat down the right. In the second minute, he got right to the line & cut back for Jake Young. But, he got no power in his shot & it came to nowt. I did think Young was poor all afternoon. But, he was isolated. It looked like we couldn't settle on a formation. Oli Greaves up top with Jake. Greaves in the hole. York in the hole. All very disjointed.

That 15 minutes was all we had. Palace dominated from thereon. Sam Kelly kept two shots out with his feet. They looked unconventional, like someone stuck in the net for the first time. But, at least he kept them out. The first goal on 29, and the third on 54, both came from Palace shots which hit the bar. It was illustrative of our whole afternoon that we were not switched on enough to clear the lines and not concede.

Palace were also very dangerous from corners. Their preference was sending over floaty, hang it up there corners. Kelly & the defenders found them very difficult to deal with. The Palace second just before half time killed us off. Only last gasp defending by Jake Bennett in the early stages of the second half prevented it from getting worse. As I write, the Academy U23s are 9th of ten in the North Group. OK, they're 13 points clear of Hull City, with just three games left. So, we can't fall further. And, OK, we're only 4 points off sixth. But, just 8 wins from 25 games.

St Giles Park was the 218th different ground I've seen a Sheffield United XI play on. Notables were - I had to walk down the dressing room corridor to get in & the floodlights failed in the second half. They did get 'em started again. The Futures U21 are rock bottom, rooted sixth of six in the North Division. Fucking Handsworth have won it again. Played 13, won 12, drawn one, currently unbeaten. We're played 12, won 2, drawn 3. Beat four one on the night. As if things couldn't get any worse, the nearest pub to St Giles Park, The Blue Bell, was boarded up.

So, the drink bit is from the ever reliable The Rake, in Borough Market after the Palace game. The Outstanding Beer Of The Blog can go to;

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Hopkeeper Double IPA on keg at 8.5%. You could only sip that one. Slurping is for amateurs. The thing was full of sugar. But, not sickly. To be critical, the bitterness felt a bit shy.

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