Harry Leek gives his verdict, following a draw to Dougie Freedman’s Nottingham Forest
I have to say, for the first time in a quite a while my excitement for a home game was overshadowed by nerves before this one. We needed a result, we needed to stick the ball in the bloody net and we needed to do it against our good old pal Douglas Freedman.
On the subject of Dougie, I sit very close to the away dugout and it looked like he wasn`t going to be turning up to this one, he took his precious time coming out, so much so I thought he was cowering in the directors box. But then, led by Emperor Palpatine (Lennie Lawrence) and my humming of the Star War`s theme – he had arrived to a chorus of boo`s.
Now I`m not going to bore you with a blow by blow account of the match, but in a nutshell I thought our defence capably gobbled up any attack that their players, led by the formidable Antonio, were trying to conjure up. And I thought Wilson, who isn`t blessed with pace did a sound job keeping him at bay. Dervite who I believe has been one of most consistent performers so far and I`m really hoping he keeps it up, (unlike last season) was brilliant. His fellow monsieur, Prince is just, well, he`s just ace isn`t he? I mean, did you see that tackle he made on Antonio in the 95th minute to stop him going one on one with Amos? It was a thing of beauty. Moxey just looks to be relishing the challenge left to him with the departure of Ream, and long may that continue.
The defence, unlike last year isn`t a problem. I think we all know that problem is at the other end. And as soon as I saw Madine step up to take the penalty I had a flashback to the last number 14 to take a penalty for us, Super Kev. The last penalty he took for us, he missed. I don`t know why but that was playing through my mind. So no doubt some people would have heard the roar as they were getting into their cars having assumed its been another one of those days where we just can`t stick it in the onion bag. But low and behold in the 94th minute our favourite house elf came and saved the day. You could feel the relief from around the ‘cron.
But is this just paper over the cracks? Or was that goal the first rung on the ladder to climbing the table? How far can this current squad take us? These are the million dollar questions.
Personally, I think we`re just a goal scorer away from being a genuinely competitive Championship outfit. There`s just one problem, we have none, and we can`t afford any. Ah.
One would assume Lennon will be waiting for the loan window to get a striker in, but even that will stretch our budget.
Kevin Davies, Sean Davis, Craig Davies, we`ve had a few Davies` at the club who have come and gone, some brief, some legendary. But it`s looking like we`re losing the biggest Davies of them all: (not Mark, he`s only 5″3) Eddie. Where will the funding come from then?
Anyway, next up is the chicken farmers from down the road, on a Friday night, live on Sky Sports, at £27. Twenty seven pounds. For a Championship football match. Will it be value for the money? Or will it be another disastrous away day for our lot? Personally I`m quietly optimistic, and I`m never optimistic about playing Blackburn, because almost all of my friends support them and the thought of losing to them makes me sick. But watch this space, and watch Zach Clough get the freedom of Ewood Park.
Bring ’em on.