Week 10 Results - Is The Grambler a Cool Duck or a Lame Duck

It’s lame duck, I’m afraid.  For the first time since week 3 The Grambler has got it totally and completely wrong.  Not one of the five predictions came out as we wanted.  But then, who would have expected Motherwell to get cuffed 4-0 at home?  Yes, I know that's got nothing to do with it but...I was there.  I suffered, man.  Oh, by the way, if you are interested, Stourbridge beat Biggleswade Town 4-1.

 

Derby County vs Sheffield Wednesday - Prediction - Draw - NAW

Derby moved up to ninth in the Championship with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to struggling (ie. crap) Sheffield Wednesday.

Jake Buxton put the Rams ahead just before half time with a close-range finish.

Midfielder Will Hughes added a second shortly after the restart with a shot into the top corner.

Chris Martin (No not the singy Chris Martin or the laughy other one) then turned home Jamie Ward's cross to give Wednesday their fifth doing of the season.

Shall I let you into a little secret?  The first match I ever went to was in 1968.  That’s forty… ooh, a long time ago.  And the match was Derby County against…well, it was a long time ago.  At the Baseball Ground.  That was their ground back then.  But they played football.  Not baseball.  So why was it called the blibbing Baseball Ground, then?  That’s daft.  Brian Cruft was the manager.  You know him that went to Sherwood Forest.  Cost 8 and 6 to get in it did.  We had old money in them days.  And coal fires.  And Spangles.  And trolley buses.  They were good.  Like trams only with tyres and things.  Or a bus….etc. etc. ad infinitum.

 

Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest - Prediction - Draw NAW

Nottingham Forest came to the King Power Stadium and were king brilliant.  Leicester on the other hand were king rubbish.  The 2-0 win takes Forest up to fifth in the table.  This is the first time the Foxes have lost at home since the 26^th of April.  The score could, and should, have been different.  David ‘Emily’ Nugent took a penalty for Leicester in the second half but sent it skywards.  In fact, he had a pretty crappy game altogether having missed a couple of good chances in the first half when the score was 0 – 0.  Simon Cox opened the scoring from close range against the run of play after Jamie Paterson's shot had been blocked. Forest doubled their advantage before the interval - Jamie Mackie finding the net (Oh look – there it is!) after Danny Drinkwater had cleared Henri 'Angela' Lansbury's effort off the line.

It is eight long years since Forest beat Leicester at Leicester.  If you’ve waited this long, could you not just have settled for a draw on this occasion?

 

Forfar Athletic vs Brechin City - Prediction - Away win NAW

As usual it is impossible to find a match report on a game from this far down the Scottish leagues.  So…

On 39 minutes Dale Hilson slotted the ball left footed into the goal to put Forfar one up.  The score remained static until 87 minutes when Ross Campbell scored Forfar’s second.  Game over. 

And that, dear reader, is about as much of a match report as I am able to give you other than to say Dale Hilson was named man of the match.

I have an apology to make.  I forgot a Motherwell link.  I am sorry about that.  I forgot to mention that Brechin City’s goalie is none other than ex-Motherwell man Graeme Smith who made 147 appearances for The [not so mighty heh heh – Ed] Well between 2005 and 2009.

 

Oldham Athletic vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - Prediction - Away win NAW

Defender Genseric Kusunga (Damn!  I missed that when I was looking for a cracking name of the week.) headed in James Dayton's free-kick to put Oldham in front inside two minutes.  What?  Oldham in the lead?   Dave Edwards failed to find the target with two presentable chances for Wolves but Scott Golbourne met James Henry's cross to level for the visitors.

Oldham almost won it but substitute Kirk Millar curled a late effort wide.

 

Stevenage vs Portsmouth - Prediction - Draw NAW

 

Francois Zoko scored twice as Stevenage beat Portsmouth 2-1 to book their place in the second round of the FA Cup.  The Ivorian stabbed home from close range early on after a series of errors and doubled his tally by firing a pacey shot past Trevor Carson.  Pompey's Gavin Mahon was sent off for elbowing Filipe Morais before David Connolly's 71st minute tap-in gave the visitors some hope.  Joe Devera and Danny East both had late chances to level but Stevenage held on.

And now to a new feature* – Gaffer of the week. Yes each week we will take the post-match interview with the most footballing clichés in it.  And this week ladeez and gennullum it’s Pompey manager Guy ‘Dick’ Whittingham.  Take it away Guy –

“We're out of the FA Cup and that's very disappointing having been far the better side. I think everybody here would say that.

“We suffered to a couple of clinical finishes that they had in the first half and that's what you've got when you go a step up into a league above, but I think the whole game - first half we've created more, second half with 10 men we've created far more - so yeah it's disappointing.

“I'm extremely proud (of the players). I think the energy levels were fantastic. We kept going at them, we wouldn't let them rest. I think to come here and do that against a Stevenage side that have picked up of late and show the spirit that we've shown and the bravery shown on the ball, very proud of the performance altogether.

“They had two clinical finishes in the first half that cost us goals, but apart from that I thought we played the much better football.”

Thank you Guy, I think you will agree ladeez and gennullum that is top clichéing (if there is such a word) as well as the usual load of bollocks.

*May not actually become a feature.

 

So there you have it all you gramblers out there.  What can I say?  Sorry?  That would be appropriate.  As I said last time this happened - things can only get better.  Look out for week 11's predictions in the next few days.

 

Meanwhile catch up with some of the earlier postings to understand the serious message behind all this fun and frolics.  Remember that The Grambler was begun by Stewart David Smith as a way to raise funds to help The Bobby Moore Fund in its quest to find a cure for bowel cancer, but, more importantly, to raise awareness about the cancer and how it can affect anyone - young or old.  Remember too, to spread the word to all your friends; get everyone you know to read The Grambler.  Thanks.