FGR Match Report
My visit to what must be the most unique football ground in the country could only be described as an extremely rainy form of character building. As we left the gorgeous village pub where we had been situated for the last few hours, we felt some small drops of rain cascade down from the deceiving blue sky. The phrases “it’s only spitting” and “my weather app says it will stop in ten minutes” were thrown around, and we began our walk to the ground in high spirits. The mood quickly changed when a monsoon decided to settle into the quaint village and we got absolutely drenched.
Then just as we thought we could soften the blow of the ice cold rain pelting into our faces with a pint, the harsh reality quickly dawned on us that Forest Green did not serve any alcohol inside of the venue, and all of the food served was all entirely vegan! It’s not a motion that I disagree with, but it is a bit of a culture shock from the usual choice of a steak pie or a cheeseburger.
When we made it through the turnstiles I then saw the away end that we were dealing with. It was as if Mother Nature had coincided with whoever makes the fixture lists, and thought it would be funny to make
us come to the a ground that had a COMPLETELY uncovered away end while it was pissing it down with rain. Lovely start to 2024.
Then the football began, and bless the players they really gave it a good go but the monsoon that was only getting worse really threw a spanner in the works regarding our game plan. For me, without a shadow of a doubt, MOTM was non other than Jack Currie. He was absolutely excellent throughout, almost conducting a masterclass on how to be a good left back, even in the treacherous conditions. Honourable mentions go to (I feel like a broken record here): Ali Al-Hamadi, Joe Lewis, and Alex Bass. Alex and Joe kept us in the game with their blocks and saves, while Ali was just Ali. He is so good that when he simply plays “well” but doesn’t have an incredible game it goes unnoticed, yet he is still miles better than everyone else around him.
The players battled and muscled their way through and I think they should all be proud. It’s one of those games that as my dad would say: “will put a few hairs on their chest”, and it’s an away day that will not be forgotten in the near future for both good and bad reasons, fans and players alike. While on paper the result was a disappointing one, for those that actually went to the game, I think we should be satisfied with the point. The men in green actually played really well, and that combined with the horrible conditions made for a tough challenge for the Dons.
The only question I have for JJ and Skivvers is regarding the game is: What does James Ball have to do to get some minutes? It seems there has been a few times as of late that he would have slotted nicely into a match or the team but he hasn’t been utilised enough in my opinion.
It breaks my heart to even acknowledge this, but I heard through the grapevine that Connor Lemonheigh-Evans may be going back to Stockport in this window. I’m crossing all of my fingers and toes, and praying to the football gods that this isn’t true. Connor is such a technically talented footballer and I think he has all the tools to go to at least the Championship. He has quickly become one of my favs in the current squad, so Stockport, in the nicest way possible: go away x
To conclude, while it was a cold, rainy, and very vegan afternoon at FGR I had a great time, and I’m very proud of the boys for battling it out. Good teams push through horrible conditions and make sure they don’t leave empty handed, and that’s exactly what we did. COYD!!!
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