Oldham 1 Millwall 2 (Back to Report Lists) There are times when you realise why you put up with numerous lows of following the Lions all over the country. To put it simply, when you pull off a win against the team at the top of the pile, on their own patch it is hard to imagine a better feeling of sheer, unadulterated joy. I think Cliff Richard once sang a song called I’m so happy I could shit ( a bit before he became a God botherer)and although I appreciate the sentiment Cliff, my happiness was more prosaic but nonetheless on a par with your feelings of delight. Not only did we beat Oldham fair and square, we beat them with a performance of measured skill and tenacity that would have a neutral observer believing that the team positions were actually reversed and that we were the top of the table promotion contenders instead of the ungainly, hoof ball merchants from just outside of Manchester. The day started out brightly enough, oor wullie was given such a warm reception by the locals that it bordered on the embarrassing. Good grief, didn’t these people realise he was now the enemy? The sun was shining and all thoughts of visiting what is usually the coldest ground in England evaporated in warm glow of the afternoon heat as the two teams took to the field through a corridor of scantily clad but somewhat rotund cheerleaders who, to be honest, really shouldn’t be scantily clad until the puppy fat has gone. What were their parents thinking? So, in goal, the ever-present Pidgers had a rear guard consisting of Craig, Phillips, Shaw and Senda with the disturbing news that Dunne had been recalled to join Elliott, Brammer and Brighton in the midfield with Harris joining Baby Boy Byfield in the attack. What was more interesting was the subs bench, which had Hackett, Williams, Pubertz, Fuseini and Keeper Doris on call. Now I’m not here to question oor Wullie’s thought process but it does strike me as odd that a) Hackett is by far our best player, b) Pubey is second top scorer, c) Williams is easily better than Dunne, d) Fuseini has more gumption than Elliott and finally e) Doris is no worse than Pidgers. So we had a decent bench, didn’t we, and you know what, a lot of so-called experts are oft to quote that the measure of a team is gauged by the quality of the bench. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Referee Bratt got the game under way and it soon became apparent that he was slightly favouring the home side with all the early decisions going their way. This culminated in a booking after about 10 minutes for Dunne, whose attempt at proving he is to football what decapitated fowl are to clichés, clearly didn’t wash with the ref. Dunne looked like he had hurt himself in the challenge and it wasn’t long after that we all breathed a sigh of relief as Hackett came on to replace him. The Lions were quietly but effectively controlling the game and we began to dish out a bit of a footballing lesson to the northern upstarts. Tom Brighton should have scored with a free header from a delicious Hackett cross. The latics did have a couple of half chances but Porter made a complete hash of a clear chance, tapping a weak effort into the grateful Pidgeley’s arms and Warne nearly killed someone in row Z with a thunderous shot that never ever looked goal bound. So as the half came to a close it was clear that Millwall were enjoying plenty of the ball, not creating too much, but generally having the better of things. A good half, no frills, just a workmanlike effort that didn’t set the world on fire but neither did it bore you to rages of tears. It was well received by the 250 odd travelling fans and the team left to a resounding applause that was well merited. So lets do the MISA half time mentions. This space is left intentionally blank Blimey! Apart from the ubiquitous Herman Boring, I saw not one MISA rep on show. Where were you all? You couldn’t all have been at Ascot racecourse? It is becoming increasingly unequivocal that members are misinterpreting the notion of a supporters association. To be a supporter you have to at least attempt to support the team your association represents. I mean, if you just want a glee club then lets set up a different enterprise. Well anyway, it serves you all right. You missed a magnificent Millwall display that will be talked about in hushed tones for years to come. The second half, however, did not get off to an auspicious start for the dominant Lions. In fact, it was quite a shock when on 54 minutes disaster actually struck. For some obscure reason the Millwall defence decided to play statues at a most inopportune moment as a northern version of Neil Ardley called Neal Eardley sent a looping cross into the Millwall box and Paul Warne made up for his earlier indiscretion by letting the ball bounce off the side of his head, completely wrong footing Pidgers who was left helpless as the ball bounced of the post and rolled into the net. 1-0. How the fuck did that happen? The goal galvanised the home fans into a chorus of Tom Hark and a particular chubby latic fan got over excited and fell over the advertising hording and then ended up flat on his back like a turtle trying to right itself, he was all at sea. It actually took him about a minute to turn himself over and then he finally struggled to his feet only to be met by a steward who escorted him out. There was also a rather excitable chap in a beige sweater who was the constant butt of the Millwall fans throughout the game. The usual “who’s the wanker in the beige” was met by much postulating and preening by ‘Baygee’ as he was becoming affectionately known. I think oor Wullie had seen Baygee giving it the big one and this made his mind up to instigate another of his tactical changes that he is fast becoming famous for. On the hour mark he took off Harris and Brighton and introduced Pubey and Williams into the fray. Pure genius. I kid you not; it took about ten seconds for the change to have an effect. Pubey challenged well for a header and his flick down found Marvin Williams who the fed the ball out to Elliott on the left wing. Elliott took the ball into the danger zone and a quick pass got the ball to Byfield whose delightful touch helped the ball fall back into the path of Williams who had kept running, and young Marv wasted no effort in sliding the ball home for the equaliser. 1-1! What a fantastic goal! Poetry in Motion! Ol’ Baygee didn’t respond when he was asked what the score was. He stood up and flipped the bird a few times and then got a bollocking off of a steward for trying to antagonise the boisterous Millwall fans. All square again but this time Millwall really did take full control. They were now playing some of the best football we have seen for some considerable time and even though the pitch was in a shit awful condition, they kept to the game plan and never once stooped to the level of their opponent’s method of route one football. Hackett almost set up Millwall’s second goal after a jinking run down the right saw him hit a trade mark cross into the box which was met by the effervescent Byfield who headed just over the bar. Millwall kept the tempo going and it was no surprise when with about 10 minutes to go the pressure paid off and Pubey found himself with a chance to shoot from just inside the Oldham box. The ball was heading goal wards until Jaap Stam’s idiot brother Stef decided to put his hand in the way. Referee Bratt was left with no choice but to point to the spot. A hush fell over Boundary Park as baby Boy collected the ball and calmly placed it on the spot. Hordes of northern monkey bastards did their level best to put the Millwall top scorer off his pudding but he was oblivious to them. His trade mark shuffle sent ‘keeper Pogliacomi (that’s a type of pasta, aint it?) the wrong way as he buried the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net. 1-2! This was the stuff of dreams! It might be the second highest football ground in the country (after the Hawthorns) but we were higher by far. Poor ol’ Baygee was crestfallen. He certainly wasn’t playing what’s the score, that’s for certain. He looked like Raquel Welch’s baby when the poor mite realised he would be bottle-fed. Brammer almost added a third goal when he hit a wickedly swerving free kick that the Oldham ‘keeper did well to push over the bar as the ball was heading into the top corner. Oldham now threw caution to the wind but it did them no good. To be fair they did have two really good chances to equalise in the dying minutes of the game though. The first effort must rate as one of the worst decisions a footballer can make on a football field. McDonald squirmed his way past our resolute defence and with Pidgers to beat he inexplicably passed the ball across the face of the goal to absolutely no one. ‘Top of the league, your ‘avin’ a laugh’ really did hit a nerve with the Oldham faithful when sung with gusto from the travelling contingent….Baygee was apoplectic with rage and had to calmed down by a steward who warned him that there’ll be nowt fer thee supper if tha disn’t behave tha sen. I have no idea what that means, I just report what I hear…. The second chance saw Pidgers make a very tidy save down to his left as a speculative shot from (I think) Taylor almost crept in at the post. Good show Lenny!! Now if the fourth official held up the board detailing how many minutes stoppage time would be added, this jaded hack never saw it. Nor did the stadium announcer because we never got the announcement over the PA. But nevertheless MrsB times the game for me and she insisted we played 7 minutes over the top and I for one wouldn’t argue with her on this. It seemed to go on forever until finally the whistle blew and the three points were safely in the bag. What a result. What a performance. If we had been playing like this from the start of the season we would be virtually promoted by now. Even Baby Boy has come around now and he led the applause from the players to the fans. Well done Darren, you have finally got the picture, haven’t you! Now then, Tuesday night, Leyton Orient at home, ST holders bring a guest for a fiver, we’ve just trounced the top team away…I reckon we’ll see our biggest crowd of the season for this derby. Let’s hope more MISA members turn up for this one!