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Stalybridge Celtic 5 Macclesfield Town 2 (CSC)
Back later - cooking tea at the moment ...
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... in the Cheshire Senior Cup ... a quick one for now (it's late ... and I've been up since 0600hrs !)
1-0 - Jack Laird
2-0 - Corey Gregory penalty
3-0 - Gregory again
4-0 - Mitchell Austin
5-1 - Greg Wilkinson
... and it finished 5-2 in the end ... promise more - and better quality - tomorrow.
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... and I think I missed out the phrase "effing cold" - all bloomin' day and all bloomin' yesterday... so I bottled out of Curzon last night (although 85 hardy souls didn't !!) - and so the great question in life as we type is ...
Stalybridge v Macc tonight in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final ? ; or ...
Sod that (and watch Everton v Oldham on terry steel telly) and go for Ashton United v Kendal tomorrow night ?
Remember - only one allowed per midweek - and the weather forecast implies a "touch warmer" tomorrow ...
Now off to cook tea - and muse (as in think about it - although I may well stick "Absolution" on the CD player !!!).
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All sorted ... although New Mills are now just two points behind Mossley in 4th place ... with four games in hand ...
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... as Curzon Ashton players defect to New Mills ... check out the Evo-Stik website - well this is how it looked at 2145hrs tonight ...
I guess it's a gigantic misprunt ... but I'll check back later !!!
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So ... 1214hrs - walking the mean streets of Uppermill - and the phone bursts into life ("Into the Gutter" by the Answer ... the official SmiffyPhone Txt Msg Ring Tone). The message "Game is OFF" - referring to the Mossley game. A touch unexpected to be honest, but once I got home I found out it wasn't the only one - locally, the Ashton United game had similarly bitten the frozen dust amongst a fair few others in the Evo-Stik. However - Curzon Ashton v Warrington Town was still on - and a quick phone call confirmed this. Train to Ashton - lines had been cleaned at the "Prince of Orange" (see last Monday !!) and then a walk down to the Tameside Stadium - and it was BUSY !!! 'Twas another one of those Junior Team Presentation Days - official attendance 390. No problem with that - apart from having large numbers of youngsters running around the ground occasionally asking questions like "What's the score ??" and "Did someone just get a red card ?". There were also a large number of peeps in yellow hi-vis jackets - were they there to protect the people actually watching the game maybe ??
Look at the size of his ... the "Non League Paper" snapper with the £5,000 lens ...
Anyway - to football ... a strange first half with Warrington seeming to have the lion's share of possession yet going in at half-time 3-0 down. Job done for the home side it seemed - they certainly took their foot off the gas in the second half - Warrington pulled one back, and looked like they could score more. However the aforementioned red card (Lee Parle for all you youngsters running around !!) seemed to put the tin lid on it and Curzon grabbed a fourth before a 90th minute consolation for the away team.
Kris Dennis denied by outstretched boot entering picture stage right ...
So yes - in the end it WAS job done - and it moves Curzon up into 5th place and, as I said last Monday after their win over Mossley, the play-offs are starting to look a distinct possibility. Some pictures from the game at
Curzon Ashton 4 Warrington Town 2
Home to defrost - yes it was another bloomin' cold football afternoon - eat tea slob out in front of the box - enjoyed "The Men Who Stare at Goats" - cracking film. Sort pictures, scribble this ... and that's about it ...
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Fairly leisurely start to the day - well it's allowed !! Another bloomin' cold day with the odd flurry of snow - and in the end we decided against the cheap train - didn't fancy three changes each way and hanging around on cold platforms - shame on us ... got to Saltaire about 1030 and parked up in a pay-and-display close by - the machine refused to take our money so we (like everyone else in the car park !!) left a note on the windscreen - that was £3-50 saved anyway ...
Salts Mill and the surrounding area is an impressive set-up - and the Hockney exhibitions were pretty interesting too - I noted that now (at the age of 70+) he's embracing the iPhone/iPad technology with an ever-changing video-type exhibition of pictures. A wander round the shops - all reassuringly expensive stuff (so just bought a couple of greetings cards !!!), followed by a reassuringly expensive lunch in the "posher" of the eateries inside the mill (couldn't be bothered queuing up with the hoi polloi at the other place - well it was my day off !!). Suitably fed ... a wander round the outside bits - the park, the church, the housing etc before retiring to the car to warm up again and come home. A few odds and ends from the camera at
Saltaire - 22Feb13
Tonight - quiet night in (Italian-themed nosh), before back to the mail face in the morning (to see the damage left by whoever did my walk today !!), followed by some afternoon football.
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OK posh word (usually military-based but having worked with the MOD in a previous life ...)
Yep - a day off tomorrow (must admit my Manager was astonished when I told him earlier this week - but no problems/hassle !!). So ... me and Mrs Smiffy are off on a "day out" ... destination ... Saltaire ... never been before, so it'll be good to see the complete "Victorian Model Village" - there's a few knocking about (Port Sunlight etc) - such a great idea - apart from the lack of pubs !!! You'll not find any philantropists like that around these days.
Natch taking the camera - we'll see what we can snap - there's even the Leeds/Liverpool Canal there as well - so maybe a bit of a stroll (albeit that the weather is going to be cr*p again - hey ho)
Another point worth making - checked out the train fares from Mossley to Saltaire - an off-peak return is £17-90 - ergo £35-80 for two. However - being the person wot I am - I checked out further ... and found a "Northern Duo" ticket from Mossley to Marsden @ £9-00 ... and then two off-peak returns from Marsden to Saltaire @ £6-40 each - total ... £21-80 - ergo £14-00 saved - crazy innit - it'll pay for lunch and more !!!
Meanwhile ... nothing else really ....
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Yeah OK night game ... finished work hours before ... but due to unforeseen circumstances, it ended up as a mad dash to the Tameside Stadium arriving about 5 minutes in - fortunately no score ! Mossley were certainly the better team for the first half hour or so - just couldn't do it in the final quarter - and then, just like Saturday, it was sucker punch time as a dodgy free-kick for Curzon hit the bar and Kris Dennis gobbled up the rebound. You see it on TV - you see it in real time - these handball decisions that are given these days when someone whacks the ball at a defender 6 inches away who can do bugger all about getting out of the way .... it's becoming a bloody joke - check out the Ilkeston v Ashton game last Saturday - Chris Lynch got a bloody red card for exactly the same. This DEFINITELY needs looking at - at all levels .... anyway (initial) rant over - 1-0 to Curzon at half-time.
It was a pretty physical game I have to admit - but unfortunately the referee (in my humble opinion !) had an absolute stinker, letting some heavy stuff go unnoticed and picking up on the easy options (tick box culture ??) ... and so it was, not long after Curzon had gone 2-0 up, when Mark Haslam got a second yellow - thus red - for a very innocuous challenge. If it hadn't been going downhill for Mossley - it was now ... give 'em their dues - they tried to make a fist of it, but it was never going to be; and a 90th minute third goal for Curzon courtesy of Chris Rowney (ouch - he only left Mossley a week or so ago) put the icing on the cake for Curzon.
On the night - can't argue with the result (a touch flattering maybe but ...) - the chances to goals ratio for Mossley appears to be drying up - the killer instinct appears missing somewhere - and needs sorting out fast, otherwise the play-off chances might well disappear. Curzon meanwhile, having had an "iffy" few months appear to be coming good at the right time - they're certainly getting into the mix now. A few pictures from the evening at
Curzon Ashton 3 Mossley 0
A miserable walk back towards the station was compounded by the "Prince of Orange" having no real ale on ("he's cleaning the lines" !!) - so a quick dash to the Wetherspoons cheered me up a touch - Thornbridge "Jaipur" - an absolute classic at 5.9% abv - for only £2-25 - just wish I could have stayed for more (especially when I noticed the "contactless payment" option - I've got a debit card with the "contactless option", but never had a chance to play with it yet - hey ho - now I know ....
Home - late - sorted out pics - bed - up - work - cold start that turned into a lovely day (removed gloves and exchanged woolly hat for baseball cap just after 1200hrs !!) - have managed to get shut of nearly 80% of the junk mail in the first two days of the week (!!). Not decided on weekend football - yet - but I have to admit something now ... for the first time in many many many months, I WILL NOT be working my 'day off' this week. What with it being half-term (i.e. Mrs Smiffy off work) and my day off being Friday, we've decided to "do something" - as yet we don't know what ... having seen the weather forecast for later in the week (it's gonna get flippin' cold again), a Friday walk may not be the option - decisions to be made later. Don;t panic - I'm in work on Saturday - so there will be football - somewhere - in the afternoon. In the meanwhile, good luck to Hyde against Mansfield Town tonight - "beware Lee Stevenson" is my only caveat !!!
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A good morning's work saw me finish early enough to rest my aching legs for half-an-hour (just about recovered from the snowy mayhem of Wednesday !) before grabbing a quick pre-match pint at the "Britannia" - they'd got Sharps "Doom Bar" on for £2-25 ... the barrel had gone on Friday evening apparently - and I just managed to grab the penultimate pint - not to worry, there's another due on today hopefully !!).
Up the hill to watch Mossley take on Wakefield on a rather 'tropical' Saturday afternoon (well it's all relative to us outdoor worker-types !) - and despite it being one-way traffic for the first 45 minutes, the home side only went in 2-1 up thanks to a couple from Sam Madeley - the first being one his his now "trademark" overhead kicks - suitably obscured (see previous grumbly thread !!). The dominance continued after the break but Mossley were unable to capitalise on the possession and chances ... and ... sucker punch with less than 10 minutes to go. Some dogged defending and, I'm afraid some profligacy upfront saw two points dropped - a bit of a bugger what with Skelmersdale drawing at New Mills. Trafford's 3-1 win at Burscough means Mossley have now "plummeted" to 3rd place in the league (I guess if this was the "MoneyBags Premiership" they'd be calling for Steve Halford's head ... fortunately this AIN'T the "MoneyBags Premiership" !!!). Pics from the game at
Mossley 2 Wakefield 2
A quick post-match pint - and home to watch Oldham attempt the "Scouse Double" - not quite, but still hanging in there thanks to some last-minute heroics by former non-leaguer Matt Smith - let's see what the draw offers them today.
What will Sunday bring ?? Mrs Smiffy down at her Mum's this weekend so ... a quick trip to the tip to recycle all those empty tins of tomatoes (and the odd couple of beer cans as well !!), grab a "Non League Paper" and criticise the photographs - and bang a venison stew into the slo-cooker ... and maybe a small trip out to see if the "Doom Bar" has returned - might as well watch the Man City/Leeds game while I'm at it !!
Monday night sees a local derby down at the Tameside Stadium - as in Curzon Ashton v Mossley - next midweek's "Match of Choice" for me ...
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Mossley's first goal ...
Mossley's second goal ...
Spot the connection !!!!!!!! More later - I'm too busy watching Oldham Athletic at the moment ...
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... in "Royal Mail World" ... following the euphoria of Tuesday night at Mossley (OK maybe "euphoria" is a bit OTT - but it's a Cup Final - and it's at a half-decent ground as well - confirmed as Wednesday 27th March at Stockport County FC), it was a harsh harsh awakening on Wednesday !!!
It began with light snow as I got to work ... and it got heavier ... and heavier ... and started to stick - Wednesday's are usually a bugger of a day (all the internet orders from weekend kick in) - and as I plodded round with a shed load of parcels - with over a dozen being "sign-fors" as well ... the weather got progressively worse - snow, a biting wind, and more bloody snow. By 1430hrs I was struggling with hands/fingers that were refusing to work etc etc. Finished well over time (O/T booked mind !!) and went home to defrost - only to watch the heavy rain disperse all the bloody white stuff. Thursday morning - no snow - a bit of rain - less wind - and the temperature positively tropical (OK 4C - but you know what I mean !). Today was eerily quiet as regards mail and parcels (just hope this doesn't mean "aaargh" for Saturday though) - so a decent finish time and "gloves off".
Tonight sees me and Mrs Smiffy swanning of to Harvey Nichols in Manchester for their "Supper Club" offer - 3 course meal for around £20 if I remember rightly (did it back in October 2011) - let's call it a late Valentines Day do ...
Tomorrow - with it being quiet at work today - I'm a touch nervous (!!!). Also I'm in early doors (0630hrs) for a bit more overtime before heading home - and going up the road to watch Mossley v Wakefield - looking at Wakefield's position in the table, I'm tempted to plug in the 24-60mm lens and stand behind the goal for 90 minutes ... but that's probably tempting fate !! I'll take it anyway - just in case !!
Off to shower and change - s'pose I'd better put some clean rags on ...
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... in the Manchester Premier Cup Semi-Final. A hard-earned 1-0 win for the home side against a very good Maine Road side tonight (I knew it wouldn't be easy !!). Pics at
Mossley 1 Maine Road 0 (MPC Semi-Final)
Apologies for the paucity of prints - it's been sub-zero all day at work ... and then got colder as the evening went on, despite appropriate clothing (including "double-glazed" gloves !!). The Final (I'm led to believe) is to be played at Edgeley Park towards the end of March ... and Mossley's opponents will be Salford City who tonight beat Droylsden 1-0 in the other semi.
Now to a warm bed ...
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... before I get the tea on (we had a dobbing great chicken last night - so tonight it's chicken with chorizo, mushrooms, peppers and onion - with some curly kale and pasta on the side).
How about this - didn't mention this yesterday, but we bobbed off to some friends in Rochdale after I got home from the Stalybridge game on Saturday ... they're Southampton fans believe it or not ... and they DID NOT want to know the score - happy to wait until "Match of the Day" - they were well chuffed !! I just thought - in the week where "Match Fixing" hit the news ... some serious bad defending, a goalie cock-up and a comical own goal ... what WERE the odds on a Southampton win ???
However I digress - Mrs Smiffy had made a pudding to take round - - - and it looked like this ...
Smart eh ??? Orange- sultanas- sponge pud - all slo-cooked - and very nice too !!
... and today ??? How about the following :
Satis mihi est - ardebit camino - relinquendi - gratis perfrui pane tosto
Maybe we can get back to the "dream team" - we've had John - we've had John Paul - maybe it's time for John Paul George (c'mon - you work it out).
Won't be doing the Curzon/Burscough Doodson Cup game tonight - it's been postponed so many times, I've got bored !! And anyway tomorrow night we have a cup semi-final up at Mossley - the Manchester Premier Cup no less against the current North West Counties League leaders Maine Road - so it won't be simple. Winners to play the winners of the Salford City v Droylsden game to be played tomorrow as well. Would be interesting if this season's final is the same as last season - ho ho ho ho !!!
... and I can't finish with a small shout - "Go Super Eagles" - just wish I'd put a few pennies on them before the African Nations Cup began - hey ho ...
OK - off to sort out tea
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Bit busy for a Saturday work-wise, but managed to get up to Bower Fold in time for a quick pre-match snifter - until this new club is built I'm afraid I have to remain a "Peroni-lout" - sorry but the keg bitter does nothing for me !).
Strange game really - all Worcester for the first 45 one cleared off the line and one rebounding off the bar ... Celtic certainly improved somewhat in the second period (substitutions perchance ?? I think so), but following a period of sustained pressure by the home team - which helped to warm up a rather docile crowd - it was a case of "smash and grab" as Worcester grabbed two goals in the last 10 minutes ... which I guess in the overall scheme of things they probably deserved. Pictures from the game at
Stalybridge Celtic 0 Worcester City 2
Same old problems for Celtic I'm afraid - a touch too much reliance on the long ball up front - not the greatest plan when the solitary man is somewhat diminutive and surrounded by six-footers ! As I said the second half bucked up a bit with some more direct stuff on the floor but ... clear-cut chances were certainly at a premium. The play-offs are edging further and further away ...
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You may remember - or not (!!) ... a few weeks ago, when Mrs Smiffy went down to old London town for a few days of work (and I indulged in an orgy of football, rock DVDs and alcohol - if I remember rightly) ...
Well ... she went out herself on an orgy of Spanish food and (expensive London-priced) wine - and managed to lose an earring on the night. However - on the return to "oop North", a phone call was made to said restaurant - a promise to "have a look" was made - and - RESULT - earring found - and yesterday said ear piece finally arrived back in Mossley.
So - it's a big up to Tapas Brindisa London Bridge - tell 'em Mrs Smiffy sent you ... and make sure your butterflys are suitably secured ...
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Well the usual "in the pub" answer is "the low-life in our wonderful country" ...
I beg to differ ... how about:
The People who "run" the country ... e.g. Chris Huhne, the MPs "expenses scandal" ...
The People who "police" the country - e.g. Police Federation (the Austin Mitchell scandal) ...
The People who "bankroll" the country - e.g. Investment Bankers, the "Libor" scam ...
The People who "insure" the country - e.g. PPI, the "interest rate swap" scandal ...
Bet I've missed loads out - but I'm sure you get my drift ...
(Can't you tell I'm suffering from a bad attack of "non-football" ??? Yep - grumpy old man head on ...)
OK - a WEDNESDAY EVENING "ADDITION" ...
The People who "care" for the people of the country - e.g. NHS - see Stafford Hospital scandal (and I mean Management here - not those on the 'shop floor') ...
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... a slice of tomorrow's fixtures from the Evo-Stik website ...
Sounds oh so familiar .. eh what ?? Trust Carlton will get a bye through to the next round ...
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... slightly damp workie time (towards the end anyway) but home in time to make a super tea (leeks, brocolli, tomatoes and bacon in a cheese'n'mustard sauce with breadcrumbs and baby potatoes parboiled then bunged in the oven with some butter, rosemary and onion). Then - phone call from large boy - who's in the midst of moving house. The "old house" has been broken into and can someone come and rescue some of the left-overs (including telly !). Mrs Smiffy to the rescue whilst tea went "on hold".
Meanwhile ... it's still hammering it down with rain/hail etc in a howling gale and I'm thinking "Can I REALLY be *rsed to go to Curzon tonight ??" - everything ready to rock snapper-wise just in case ... Mrs S home at 1855hrs - tea on table at 1900hrs - still raining - all sorted/eaten/enjoyed by 1920hrs - phone call to Curzon ... "It's just this minute been called off !". So ...
Also .. when the "Help !" phone call came through, Mrs S was sorting some pix to go in a frame - in her enforced absence the cat perused one of said pix ...
Suffice to say - he's popular (it's not one of mine either - so no digital replacement available !!!).
When uploading that pic onto 'puter also found this one - a couple of Christmas pressies ...
To your left ... a mug (with lid) - to your right - a kitchen timer !!!
Football - well Droylsden are at home to Altrincham tomorrow night - but weather forecast is grim - apart from today's torrential rain, it's due to snow up here overnight so breath is not being held !!!
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... to finish the weekend ...
Hartlepool United beat Notts County 2-1 on Saturday ... goals were scored by:
Hartley and Poole ...
Nigeria's winner in the African Cup of Nations Quarter-Final against Cote D'Ivoire on Sunday was scored by:
Sunday Mba ...
Let the week begin ...
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Flippin' heck ... it was COLD !!! And that was 0730 in the morning - still, kept moving, kept pushing letters through freezing cold metal letterboxes (after opening freezing cold metal gates), and got finished in good time to get home for some "exotic lunch" (Mrs Smiffy had been into Ashton and brought back some a rather nice Spicy Lamb Arabic Wrap from CafeMozaic - so filling in fact that we didn't bother with tea later !!).
Anyway - up the road to Seel Park to see how rusty the footballers were after the weather-enforced break. Mossley gave a debut to new signings Chris Denham and Russ Saunders - t'other newbie Tyron Sealey was on the bench. The home team dominated the first 45 minutes but could only put the ball in the net twice whilst conceding a rather freaky equaliser. The second half was much more even - and Salford managed an equaliser. Despite a lot of pressure in the last quarter of the game however, Mossley were unable to fashion a winner ... probably a case of two points lost I'm afraid ! Some pictures at
Mossley 2 Salford City 2
Any hopes of a prolonged "Skelmersdale blip" (after their 1-4 trouncing at Burscough in midweek) were probably kyboshed at about 1505hrs when Curzon 'keeper Josh Ollerenshaw was shown the red card (wonder if Ben Richardson took over between the sticks - SUNDAY NIGHT EDIT - Yep - he's confirmed it on Facebook !!) - it finished 6-1 to Skem - eek !! However the other "contenders" - New Mills ended up on the wrong end of a 1-5 trouncing at home to Bamber Bridge - the Millers also ended up with 10 men after Leon Grandison was dismissed. Trafford and Clitheroe also contrived to lose ... so maybe in the end it was a point gained ?? Hyde slipped up 1-2 at Woking they've got to be careful not to slip back into the relegation mire after all their hard work before Christmas, especially with teams like Stockport and Barrow putting together results. Stalybridge travelled to that well-known northern team Bishops Stortford (!) and came back with a hard-earned 0-0 draw. Droylsden however slipped up at another one of those "northern teams" - i.e. Histon - going down 1-3. Finally Ashton United managed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at Matlock Town.
Weather going cold again next week - also the "snow word" has been mentioned ... will probably head for Curzon Ashton tomorrow night for their League Cup game against Burscough who - fresh from their trouncing of Skelmersdale last midweek - managed to lose to a 90th minute goal yesterday at home to Harrogate RA.
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