Stalybridge Celtic v Harrogate Town

... Bank Holiday football - decent weather - what more can we ask for ??

But first some "home work" - I was up with the lark because I heard the lifting gear on the dustbin wagon - and thought "bugger - not took the bin round !" It may be Bank Holiday but Tameside Council are obviously still paying O/T to some - despite cuts elsewhere ... Now up, it was time for a bit of a tidy after last night's barbie to commemorate the "opening of the patio" - strange really, as I was still mixing sand and cement while the burgers and kebabs were burning not yards away !! Anyways - tidied up, and then got the paint out to continue to disguise the breeze blocks (OK OK I'll do a piccie tomorrow - promise !!) Then - and only then - did I venture forth to Bower Fold to see the football (Mrs Smiffy had disappeared to the garden centre to buy more stuff to fill the flower beds) ...

The match - in my eyes it should have finished 0-0 - but it didn't. "Mugged" would be the word to sum it up - in more ways than one - Harrogate nicked one via a penalty, and "toughed out" the Celtic attack (who were missing Jody Banim - certainly a key player in my mind anyway). Cetic still looked good though - the patient passing play I saw during the friendlies was still very much to the fore - and it's good to watch, especially as it remained the main way forward even when they went one down. There's certainly no need to panic just yet (witness Runcorn Linnets ... and Southampton - crazy !!), and like many have said, they might not get promotion, but if the effort is going in - and there was plenty of that today - then people will still come to watch - although I thought today's crowd of 365 was poor - especially when you think there was no "big" football to watch - even taking holidays into account ...

Anyway - maybe it's pictures you're looking for ... and they're here ...

Stalybridge Celtic 0 Harrogate Town 1

Day off tomorrow (more garden action if weather is OK !!)- and maybe - just maybe - a trip to Surrey Street, Glossop on Wednesday night to check out Mossley's opponents in the next round of the FA Cup (it's the replay betwixt GNE and St Helens Town) - hope it's Glossop (cus it's away, and with working Saturdays, the away games WILL be a struggle at times) - we'll see ...

(Suppose I shouldn't let tonight go without remarking on the result from Hurst Cross - on my way home I happened to bump into some FCUM fans at Stalybridge Buffet Bar who told me of the 1-0 win by Ashton United - and were gracious enough to accept it as well - big up to them !)
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