Wide Free Kick Whipped In

Nottingham Forest U18 2 v Sheffield United U18 3

U18 Professional Development League

Saturday 19 October 2019

Played at Nigel Doughty Academy, Nottingham

SUFC 2019/20 Game 31

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A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining game. Which the Young Blades got over the line. Just. All five goals came in a banging second half. Forest were a goal up. United wrestled back control, and scored three. Forest pegged one back on 87. To set up a chaotic, the lot is going in final seven minute push. Swinging elbows. Hair raising tackles. Benches spoken to. And, oooohhhh the language. 

That result puts SUFC above Forest. We're now in third place. Behind Wigan & Barnsley. We're played 8, won 5, drawn 1, 16 points. Barnsley are just one point ahead, and have played a game more. Wigan are seven points ahead of us, but have played three games more. It's Barnsley away next Saturday. So, our Under 18s can do themselves a lot of favours by winning that one.

Del Geary was in charge. With Jack Lester prowling between this game and the Under 16s. Ex-Supremo Travis Binnion watched a bit of the 18s nice & quietly in the corner. Before nipping over to spend most of the time eyeballing the 16s. One of the Carrier Bag Firm does a bit of recruitment scouting for the club. Therefore, he knows Trav. So, we sent him over to shake hands, wish well & generally enquire about well being. All good.

That was my first known look at Finley Potter. SUFC Development Twitter says he's stepped up from the 16s. He set up in the centre of a four, with Tom Williams alongside him. Harrison Foulstone on the left, Jake Kelly right. All very fluid in front of them. Essentially Ackroyd & Jebbison up top. Neal, Brunt & Maguire in midfield. Leo Gaxha pushed a bit forward of them. That felt like quite an experienced Utd XI. After a ridic frantic start from both sides, I think that experience wrestled a bit of control back. 

The Young 'Uns were a threat from crosses all morning. A very simple approach to getting a man free at corners. Some run to the front post. A couple peel off to the back. The deep cross aimed at where one of them is expected to be at the back. I love owt like that. Debutant Potter even got on the end of one & hit the bar. It was 2-1 to United at that stage. All three goals effectively came from balls whipped in. Forest had quite a lot of the ground roped up. Scouts only on the grassy knoll. No one down the dugout touchline. And, we didn't fancy braving the steep muddy bank. The Carrier Bag Firm have come unstuck up there before. Literally. Point being, we were stood at the Folding Chair Firm end. All our goals came at t'other. It is a bit difficult to be specific on details.

Our first came on 58 minutes. A Zak Brunt corner on the left. Found Foulstone on the back stick. The second just three minutes later. This time, a swung in free kick on the left from Brunt. Mad bit of pinball, don't know what's happened there. Two One. United were well on top at that stage. Chance after chance. The third came on 76, this time an overlapping Jake Kelly on the right pushed one across & Daniel Jebbison knocked it in.

Basically, my notes say - wide free kick whipped in by Zak Brunt. He was certainly involved in a lot. Full of energy. But, I did feel it was an all round team performance. With a bit of bite. Thoroughly deserved win.

BrewDog Collabfest is getting out of hand. I'm not complaining. But. Simple concept. Great concept. Every BrewDog bar pairs up with a local (ish) independent brewery, brews a one off, lots of 'em get whacked on BrewDog bars. Thing is. It used to feel like about twelve beers. Now. As BrewDog strive for "all the same chain" world domination. Now, there are a liver sapping SEVENTY beers across UK bars. And, even SEVEN which can't be served in the UK for Customs reasons. Ease off Lads. Anyway, we hit BrewDog Nottingham to put a dent in it.

Overtone Brewing Co (Glasgow) x Brewgooder, Happy Haze, New England Session IPA at 3.9%

Excellent at that abv. The hop bitterness takes over at the end. Superbly refreshing citrus up top.

Cloudwater Brew Co. (Manchester) x BrewDog Manchester, Original Peak IPA at 6%

Excellent. Hop bitterness comes in as mandarin orange. Touches the roof of your mouth. Stays, but doesn't overpower.

Unibarsum Bryggeri (Sweden) x.BrewDog Kungsholmen, Shit Hop-Puns, DDH Hazy Pale Ale at 5.1%

Love that. The dry hopping brings it all together quickly. Distinctive hop hit. Descends into pineapple.

Brasserie du Grande Paris x BrewDog Le Marais, Paris Mordu, New England IPA at 5.9%

A nice hit of fruitiness. But, everything is a little bit short.

Burnt Mill Brewery (Ipswich) x BrewDog Norwich, We Can Get Down, West Coast IPA at 5.4%

Perfectly OK. But, I'll admit to being disappointed. Great brewery. Great style. Under delivered.

Edinburgh Beer Factory x BrewDog Edinburgh Airport, Head In The Clouds, India Pale Lager at 5.5%.

Needed to be crisper. And Hoppier.

Pohjala (Estonia) x BrewDog Tallinn, Twisted Biscuit, Stout at 6.2%

We went for that one as we'd drunk out the Hop Ones. And. You know what. That can be Outstanding Beer Of The Day. There was spice in there. But, nothing overpowering. You caught yourself searching for it. Is it cinnamon? Nutmeg? Couldn't tell. But it really enhanced the beer. Best we got to was - Gingerbread Man. Superb.

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The Folding Chair Firm

Nottingham Forest U18 0 v Sheffield United U18 0
U18 Professional Development League
Saturday 23 February 2019
Played at The Nigel Doughty Academy

West Bromwich Albion 0 v Sheffield United 1
The Championship
Saturday 23 February 2019

SUFC 2018/19 Games 70 & 71
2018/19 Football Season Brewery Visits - 92

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U18s at Nottingham Forest

On balance, the Young Blades did well against a team well clear of us in the table. For a lot of the game, it felt rather even. But, United did have a couple of great chances. On 60, Zak Brunt hit the bar with a looping cross shot. The rebound looked like it might fall right onto Jack Stainrod. It didn't. But, if it had…..

On 67 minutes, Sam Ackroyd broke clear & got a very powerful shot off. But, that cannoned into the post & stayed out. Earlier in the game, United had looked threatening from corners & wide free kicks whipped in by Brunt & Frank Maguire. Kyron Gordon was armbanding & clearly taking that responsibility seriously. Organising the set pieces so that either he or (believed trialist) big lad Ashton Hall could get on the end of them.

I've been to Forest's Academy a few times now. They've got a little set of Carrier Bag Firm Wannabes. They set up behind the goal with camping chairs which they've lugged up from their cars. One of them has a very simple modus operandi. He abuses the ref. Constantly. Start to finish. Does it at every game I've been to down there. The thing is, there's not going to be many people there. So, abusive comments can & will be heard. I'm not sure I could put up with this arsehole if I was the ref. I mention that because I also made it TWO players, one from each side, booked for very offensive and loud, heard by everybody language towards the officials. “You're a fucking wanker, Ref”.

Del Geary had 'em playing some mad, innovative formations at times. For parts of the last 25, the Young Blades set up with three at the back - Hall, Gordon & Gomis. But, without wing backs. Foulstone & Williams just packing into midfield with the rest of them.

Anyway. Mad that finished goalless. I thought it was very even. But, I'm saying Utd shaved it and the Forest Folding Chair Firm (FFCF) are Divs.

The Brewery

Logistics meant I had plenty of time to hop on a train from The Hawthorns to Rowley Regis (9 mins) and the 10 minute walk to Fixed Wheel Brewery, Blackheath. That was a great place. Large single room set up. With the Brewery Kit behind some impromptu curtains made from used malt sacks. There were five of their own on keg, plus five guest kegs. And, at the front of the bar five of their own on cask.

Fixed Wheel, Chain Reaction (Pale) on cask at 4.2%. I was slightly disappointed in that one. It just didn't seem to go very far. I persevered, and bitterness, she arrived. So, not all lost.

Fixed Wheel, Super Tuck, Brut IPA on keg at 6.4%. Gentler than some I've had of this style. And all the better for that. Some white wine. Some indiscernible flavour. Smoothed out, but not dead. I'm still not sure I get it. Brew an IPA, smooth it out, er.

And, Outstanding Beer Of The Day was:

Fixed Wheel, Through & Off, Session IPA on keg at 3.8%. That was a great beer. Hop bitterness running all the way through it. Merest hint of pineapple sweetness, quick citrus into long tangy bitter finish.

The Over 18s at West Bromwich Albion

What a win. Can't fault any of it. I thought Fleck was superb. All the jobs, all of the time. I'll confess to not really knowing too much about the Albion. Their main threat was straightforward Counter Attacking. But, when United were able to blunt that, they didn't seem to have anywhere else to go. They went through what I felt was a bizarre period in the second half. The keeper playing it out wide & forward, but always short. At times, he seemed to be attempting to chip it over Sharp, McGoldrick & Madine as they pressed. The keeper was very ponderous, hitting hopeful soft balls with his wrong foot into no one in particular.

We pressed so hard at times, that West Bromwich were trying to win Goal Kicks as we triple overlapped & ran channels.

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I have now Blogged from 781 games in 1,649 days

Battering Ram

Nottingham Forest U18 0 v Sheffield United U18 3

U18 Professional Development League, North

Played at Wilford Lane Training Ground

Saturday 28 January 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

Right up there for days out that one.

The Football

The Blades nippers got that one over the line easily. That moves them top. Two points clear of today’s oppo Forest, and with two games in hand. 40 points from 19 games. Only beaten three times in those 19 games - won 12 of ‘em.

In the first half, United were a constant threat. They looked like they could score with every attack. It’s end to end stuff at this level (that’s why we love it). So, Forest had a few good goes themselves. But, a very early 4th minute SUFC goal from Horatio Hirst got ‘em going. And, they never looked back. We’re sticking with that Jordan Hallam to take all corners & free kicks plan. He does, of course, deliver one hell of a ball. But, he’s supposed to be one of the twin strikers an’ all. Anyway. He’s pumped one in from our deep left. Hirst has brought it down on the edge of the box & bulleted it home. Half way through the first half, Hallam poked one home after good work by Greaves. And then, in the 57th, Tyler Smith hit a great finish after a long, long & strong run with the ball. Effort of the solo variety.

A fine, all round performance, topped off by the Battering Ram style of Hirst up front. Even when the Forest defenders grabbed his shirt to stop him, he just pushed on.

The Beer

Bunkers Hill, Hockley. Front n Back, Cask v Keg Festival. Superb. Five beers, each on cask & keg. Have half of each. Put 'em up against each other. Hell, you can even vote for the winner. The Carrier Bag Firm were/are grinning from ear to ear. The beer range of that pub looks like it might be good, even without this Fesival.

Pentrich, Blossoms At Night, West Coast IPA on Keg at 6%. Molasses & sweet mandarin marmalade on the nose. Gentle mouthfeel at first, but builds into an intense almost tobacco bitterness. Lovely & balanced.

And, naturally. Pentrich, Blossoms At Night, West Coast IPA on Cask at 6%. Sweet sugar smell. Quite thin on the tongue. Nice sweetness builds to nice bitterness. The bitterness feels harsher. But, it's got lovely lingering qualities. The oranges come later.

Both great beers. The Keg took an early refreshing, chilled, full of flavour, in your face lead. But, the Cask came back stronger towards the end, with a complex set of moves. But, someone has to win - KEG.

The second place was a lovely micro up on Derby Road. Called A Room With A Brew (...sighs…). An outlet for Scribblers Ales. There was too much Carrier Bag Firm nonsense being talked for me to make proper notes. Maybe 6 or 7 on cask. Half n half Scribblers and guests.

First up was Scribbler’s Ales, Masher In The Rye on cask at 4.8%. I was hoping for a full on, full of red fruit Rye IPA. Turned out to be very pale, just a dash of alleged Rye. I was “warned” however that it was mainly Lager Malts. So, I’m not knocking it. It was pleasant enough. Needed to be more refreshing & it certainly didn’t taste or feel like a 4.8er.

Then Market Harborough, Super Hop at 4.1%. Much more my taste and full of flavour. I can however, deffo recommend A Room With A Brew.

437/900
60