So the hope doesn't kill you after all.
Last night reminded what a joy winning a football match can be. It's amplified by (ahem) coming from behind, especially when there is very little time left to play and scoring the killer goal two minutes from the end of extra time.
I know we were massively aided by the Stoke Manager taking off both of his forwards, Kenwyne Jones and Tuncay, as well as Jermaine Pennant (supposedly 'under the weather') so that when we scored, they didn't really have any way back, but I still wasn't completely confident we could stop them scoring again after we equalised or when we went a goal in front. And of course, they had chances, but last night the luck went our way.
And not only the luck. Super Scotty Parker dragged the team single-handedly into the game. Kovac was anonymous beside him in midfield, Rigor Morte dusted off his clown act, Big Benni has lost weight and speed and talent, Barrera was lightweight and Carlton couldn't outfight two giant centre-halves, and didn't give much of an impression of trying. Meanwhile, Ben Haim showed he is as bad a left back as Faubert is a right back, James Tomkins has completely lost confidence and Da Costa's distribution was useless. But Super Scott was everywhere shoring everything up, creating everything that was created, making tackles in the box. No wonder he looked completely knackered at the end, he'd done it all. When the substitution cavalry arrived in the shape of Obinna, Noble and Behrami, the match changed. Barrera on the left was suddenly a threat, Obinna did his best Shopping Channel (Diamante) impersonation (always shoot, normally wildly, typically miss) but gave the Stoke defence something to think about, Barrera switched to the left and became an incisive runner, and Noble and Behrami flew into tackles, won the ball and sprung forward.
But it was still close to the end before the tiny Scott got a header among the giants. Bruno, the judge on Strictly is besotted with Scott Maslen's dancing and begins his comments with a lascivious 'SSSScottttttt'. He'd have died and gone to heaven to have witnessed this performance from our SSSScottttttt.
And when Mark Noble did his best Maradona impression for Da Costa to slam the ball home for a lead (what was he doing in their area?), it was the cue for ecstatic taunting of the Stoke supporters. And finally Obinna got a shot on target (law of averages?) and we'd won.
Now, Avram says this will kick-start our season. Just like the draw at Stoke in the league (that didn't), the win at Sunderland (in the fizzy-pop cup that didn't), the win over the Spuds (that didn't). How many kick-starts can a supporter stand?
Still, my son Jack couldn't bear to come and texted that he was at home, in the warm, listening to Afro-beat, having just discovered Fela Kuti. The East End beat of 'Bubbles' was louder and better last night.
And when I reached the car, the iPod played me a Van Morrison track: 'From the dark end of the street to the bright side of the road, Let's enjoy it while we can, we'll be singing once again, on the bright side of the road'.
Couldn't have put it better myself.
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