Port Vale (H) - League 2 - 24th August 2024
Armed with my new newspaper bag and an undeserved degree of self-satisfaction, I strode purposefully to the Fanzone, about eighty Beans' snuggled deep within. I spied my first customer. This was the dawning, the Genesis...
"Are you not the raffle?" she said.
When I explained that we were re-launching a fanzine once much loved, she regarded me with some incomprehension.
"But no raffle tickets?"
I moved swiftly on, hoping to sell our creative output elsewhere, spying a weathered-looking gent who was actually reading the fanzone timeline. I smiled, pulled out a Beans, and waited for the approbation (and two quid).
"No, no...is that the official programme?"
Again thwarted, I tried some newspaper seller-type shouts, all met with quizzical looks, or a much-loved elderly lady, who, in our support, graced me with a "What you selling, son?" then a harrumph at my stupidity.
Suitably chastened, I was pathetically happy to manage quite a few sales, mostly to those who loved it before. I can only thank those original contributors to Give 'Em Beans for that. It's interesting how many were just delighted to receive a physical copy of anything, but an equal number just thought we were insane to try.
Sales on the whole were great. The two other sellers, one positioned outside the old Bluebird club and the other on the Holker St / Wilkie Rd corner by the away end shifted a good amount, many to amiable Port Vale fans as well. We're left with about a quarter of the original batch and back out on Tuesday, thanks all!
Before that, however, there was the small matter of Port Vale, Part Two. Having overcome their second string in the cup, now was the time for the Real McCoy.
Packed full of players with 'experience of success at League Two,' they had brought a reasonable but dull support who settled themselves into the corner. The Holker Street End and ground a bit sparse, as holiday costs and Derby County's Tuesday kick-off affected attendance.
As we watched the first half stroll by in misplaced passes and honest toil, I reflected on that last statement. We are, I know, castigated by peers for just enjoying 'how far we have come.' 'Port Vale today, Derby County Tuesday' has a nice ring about it, all snuggled up in the EFL pyramid though. Just saying.
As to the half, Paul Farman made a great save from a dipping cross shot, his 150th appearance for us. Neither side looked like they knew how to break the other down, and quality midfielders won and swapped possession.
Highlights? A Farman save from Garrity, a couple of speculative Barrow shots, and a header saved by Ripley. At half-time, the feeling was that it had been much like the rest of the season and would be a tight 1-0 or a draw.
Never take football for granted though. Ged Garner lit the fuse with a smart, intelligent drive, well-deserved for brave and clever play to make space. Suddenly, the game fizzed and crackled, the crowd woke up, and it was game on. Next, the second key moment as Garrity missed a complete sitter.
The Holy Trinity now assumed complete control. Gotts, having one of his best ever games in a Barrow shirt, was thundering into tackles, a fury of energy. Campbell (who looked isolated last week), now Lord of all he surveyed, was prompting here and there, keeping possession and directing traffic, unflappable and classy.
Then there was Kian Spence. Someone, anyone lock him in a basement until the transfer deadline passes because he has it all. Unstoppable running, great challenges, shots, clever passing. Once unleashed by his companions, he was utterly dominant.
It was a wonderful challenge and pass, almost with the same movement, that set the newly arrived tormentor in chief, Elliot Newby, away. He scorched down the right, fed Acquah who took the ball out of his feet and lashed the ball home.
Eccleston, on for the unlucky Feeley and utterly fearless, joined in the havoc down the right. An exchange of passes with Newby, a brilliant cross, and Spence was there to notch a deserved third.
While we waved at departing Valiants and pinched ourselves, in equal measure, Paul Farman made a decent save. Then, again, it was Newby. A rapier-like dart, a cut back to Dom Telford, and dispatched with aplomb. 4-0. One of those lovely, unexpected ones.
Home quickly, I rewound Radio Cumbria Sport to the start and waited for Stephen Clemence and the sounds of celebration from Holker Street and an ecstatic Adam Johnson.
Stifle the sobs. Muffle the drum. Let James Philips break haltingly into 'Ain't no sunshine' with mournful Lummy on harmonica. For a game has been lost. No happiness would pierce the bleakness. Yes, Carlisle had lost a game.
Simpson, defensive and plaintive as ever in defeat, bridling when asked the mildest of questions, is under pressure. James had 'looked into his eyes' and reflected and decided not to do his job, which was surely to ask
'how long do you feel this can go on?'
'Blaarrrgh'
opined Lummy helpfully. Professional footballers 'gotta be trusted,' and thankfully there were 'shining lights' that might turn it around. Paul Newton thankfully, finally, phased out the dirge, and they shuffled off into the night, sobbing fitfully into the motorway system.
Finally, mercifully, and with three-quarters of the programme plus the Workington manager's contribution finished, we got to Barrow and Stephen Clemence. He was calm, understated, and classy, with astute comments about having 'two shapes' and developing a ruthless streak. Never too high, never too low.
We had 'Given 'Em Beans!' as Adam Johnson had mentioned (kindly giving us a bit of pun-driven promo), and if that Barrow second half turns up on Tuesday night too, we needn't fear anyone, least of all 'Derby Lite.'
Get yourselves down.
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