| Crossing the White Line 16:26 - Apr 28 with 2623 views | Edale |
The game commenced. The only relief from the tension to lift your eyes away from the ground and study the green hill and the brown hill. Pock marked by mine heaps and scarred by the old famine road running up Rooley Moor. But really you couldn’t look away for long. Even the trees peering over the Sandy Lane End were intrigued to watch the two masters of the late finish slug it out.
In extra time Hendo did something no one had achieved in the game so far … he left Boateng for dead and then delivered the first quality cross of the match. Flicked with the outside of the boot the ball departed towards the Pearl Street end, with its slow motion spin and spell revealed in flight.
Mani Desurwe was now airborne, like a plane gliding into Manchester airport or a heron sailing down the Naden valley. Somewhere in his slipstream Gordon had caught a ride but Mani was the pilot, head and shoulders above Kitching, floundering somewhere in the aisle with an upturned drinks trolley.
There could be no doubt that Mani would nail it, the goal a thing of beauty and the eruption of relief that followed, positively volcanic. What followed has occasioned endless comment. Delirium among the players, a pitch invasion led by the Ublock hoard, supported by cavalry from the Sandy Lane end and the Dale bench themselves sprinting toward a wounded enemy, like Harold’s men at Hastings.
When order was eventually restored, it dawned that Dale had to hold on for just two minutes. The ideal scenario as York had scored so many late goals this season, and now their powerful attack would be all out. A minute in and all seemed well. A throw-in that could have gone either way was awarded to Dale. A hoof upfield and out of touch followed. Possession had been all too quickly returned to York. A long throw in, aided by the usual stealing of five yards brought the ball toward the danger area.
What happened next is still difficult to comprehend and process. Dale players seemed to disappear. Boateng won a header unchallenged, another Yorkie went on a mazey run across the edge of the Dale penalty area, sucking defenders out of position, Josh Stones appeared from no where and fired the ball toward goal, it was repelled like a pin ball but fell to another wide York man who sent it over to the far post. There, three unmarked York players had time for a short meeting with a tea break to decide who would head it in. The ball was head butted ferociously. Most of the Dale players were now defending so deep that they were either in the goal itself, or on the Sandy Lane terrace, or had mysteriously headed for a corner flag. However, a small possee remained around Whatmuff and somehow, while generally impeding each other, they kept it out between them. The fickle finger of fate indicated that the ball should fall again to Josh Stones, York’s most dangerous player, now completely unmarked. He fired in an artillery shell at point blank range. One last act: a final rearguard soldier patrolling the goal line. He could do little but try to force his body into the way while every human instinct commanded to get out of the way. The contortion that resulted stopped the ball but whether it was over the line or not was anyone’s guess. Sadly, anyone was the linesman and he was on the York fan’s side of the ground.
All of the above almost defies belief and still leaves the spectator stunned. There is only one sensible re-action. Buy a ticket for the play off match on Sunday and start praying. Dale will need to do something a little different. One or two tweaks to the team are needed. Not even on the subs bench recently, there reposes a rather forgotten cocky, no fear, player full of youthful confidence. A player whose name is more suited to the snack bar than the first team. I wonder if his hour has come.
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| Crossing the White Line on 17:30 - Apr 28 with 2492 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
Good post.......is Jake Burger injured,assuming he is the 'snack bar' player? | | | |
| Crossing the White Line on 20:34 - Apr 28 with 2241 views | dingdangblue |
| Crossing the White Line on 17:30 - Apr 28 by Yorkshire_Dale |
Good post.......is Jake Burger injured,assuming he is the 'snack bar' player? |
He's not been in any squad since his mistake at Scunthorpe. |  |
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| Crossing the White Line on 18:40 - May 3 with 1546 views | DaleDave |
Great post | | | |
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