We have the RSPCC and we have the RSPCA. After this, there should be a new society, the RSPCF - the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Footballers. If there was such a thing, Carey and Lameiras would certainly be facing charges for their behaviour in the last 15 minutes yesterday, when they tricked and humiliated the Bury players to a point well beyond civilised standards. At one point, the Bury LB had Carey pinned to the Demport End goal line facing away from goal. Carey wilfully pulled off some sort of trick leaving the LB on his backside in front of the Lyndhurst wondering where Carey and the ball had gone. If the crowd had been quicker, there was definitely a case for a pantomime round of "he's behind you! ". How he ended up behind him is not clear to me.
I don't altogether agree this was that easy. During the first 20 minutes, Edwards didn't win a single header against Bury's new signing Hanson and it looked on the cards that either he'd score or would get a knock down for someone else to do so. Eventually either Hanson tired (he's a big unit to move around the pitch) or Edwards got a hold of him, but it was a shaky start.
Argyle got their passing game going and a combination of the first goal and Bury losing another new signing Ismail after he crashed into the post in a brave attempt to score an equaliser put the game in Argyle's hands. They took the opportunity well and 6-0 wouldn't have misrepresented the gulf between the teams over the last hour or so.
I didn't like the look of the way the ref warmed up and I said so to those with me. There was a theatrical, self-importance to it, with a lot of lying down in strange kama sutra type postures, Unlike any official I've seen, including the 2 linos yesterday, he warmed up in a tailored black tracksuit rather than the traditional shorts. I wasn't wrong. Watch this and you'll get the idea.
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The most notable act of idiocy occurred when Ismail was stretchered off after a long delay. After he'd been removed from the pitch side, the thespian ref blew the whistle to allow Matthews to take the goal kick, which he did. As the crowd's eyes followed the ball away from the medical goings-on, it became obvious that a lot of the Argyle players and nearly all of the Bury ones had headed over the dug-outs for a drink and some in-game coaching. The pitch was virtually empty apart from Argyle's Taylor and Lameiras (?) alone in the centre circle, onside but with only the Bury keeper to beat. Now he's restarted the game and there's no offence. It's not his fault and none of his business that 18 of the 20 outfield players are clustered in a 5 x 20 metre strip of the pitch. Nevertheless, he stops it and makes Matthews retake the kick when everyone's back in position. Why in God's name? As the Demport End sang, "you must play to the whistle, play to the whisssssttle".
Up to 12th. I know we've played more games, but the points are in the bag. At one point there were chants about the play-offs. A bit premature with Wigan and Blackburn up shortly but yesterday was very very pleasing to the eye and a sound result.
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Un sure what his performance would have been like..