2009/10 Football #3: Leeds 3-1 Grimsby

Elland Road is the latest ground to add to my list after I travelled to Leeds to watch them take on Grimsby in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy last night.

It's always nice to experience a new venue, although I was hoping I would also get to visit on Saturday for the rugby league Four Nations final, but unfortunately it's not to be.

There wasn't many home fans in attendance, a total of 10,340 was announced, but a fair few had made the trip from North Lincolnshire on a cold Tuesday night. We were packed in like sardines though - in fact, Elland Road is probably worse than Old Trafford for seating space.

Grimsby, second bottom in League Two, couldn't have been much further away from Leeds in league standings with regards to this tournament, the Whites sitting top of League One, but they did themselves no shame.

It took 40 minutes for Leeds to take the lead - some way from my first goal prediction of 3 - and it was unfortunate. Max Gradel made Peter Bore not look like the right back he isn't, turning him and firing in a left footed cross which was deflected in to the goal by Oliver Lancashire.

Despite their efforts, Grimsby lost a second goal on the stroke of half time, Neil Kilkenny picking his spot in the bottom corner with a tidy finish - which, despite some remarkable criticism of Nick Colgan from fans behind me, was not saveable.

You could, however, make an argument to criticise Colgan for the third Leeds goal - he maybe could have done better with Jermaine Beckford's shot, although it came after a superb point blank save by the former Sunderland goalkeeper to keep the score down.

The Grimsby fans were rewarded for their support with a stunning Peter Sweeney volley, and the Mariners rallied in the final quarter, with Bradley Wood denied by Casper Ankergen twice late on. The game finished 3-1.

Grimsby's focus now switches to league survival, a situation they once again find themselves in. Currently managerless, Russell Slade has been linked with a return.

Last night, new left back Josh McCrory looked handy, while midfield pair Michael Leary and Peter Sweeney stifled their opposite numbers effectively, while Sweeney's touch is a class above the level he is at. Even at the back, Grimsby look relatively steady, it's just a lack of a cutting edge in the final third that is hurting them.

Missing Adam Proudlock up front, Danny North and Adrian Forbes aren't the answer. Forbes sent the offside statistics off the scale with all too frequent mistimed runs. Out wide, Jamaal Shahin showed promise but the end product was too often lacking. Jamie Clarke on the other side seems to operate within a 10 yard radius of his starting position and no where else.

Five games down then, and still no sniff of a Grimsby win in my presence. Maybe one day.

Football segregation came as a surprise

The explicit segregation of football fans was something that surprised me when I started watching Football League games last season.

My only previous live football experience before last season had been at Old Trafford and Goodison Park, where I just figured that owing to the large stadiums, the away fans would all want to sit together for familiarity and atmosphere.

I was quite surprised at just how extreme the segregation was when I went to Whaddon Road, Cheltenham for their match against Grimsby on the opening day of this season. Quite literally it was a case of you are that side, we are this side. This is our refreshments bar, this is yours. Obviously it sems from the hooliganism of the 1970s and 1980s, of which I am too young to recall.

Compare that to rugby league, when I've often found myself discussing the game with fans of the opposite side (admittedly, I've had a few heated moments with other fans, but nothing which we haven't shook hands about after the game!), and the fact fans can mingle as and where they choose at games. Heck, at certain away grounds, we even flock from one end to another in our hundreds, walking through the main stand!

So it was refreshing to see that Nottingham Forest are launching a pioneering new scheme designed to put to bed the hooligan past of English football, and encouraging mingling and interaction of opposite fans. They are trialling an initiative at their home game with Doncaster where supporters of both clubs will be able to buy family tickets in the T block of the Brian Clough Stand.

It is sad that this is a significant happening in football, but hopefully it proves successful, and is replicated throughout the country, so that fans can once again share their passion and banter, without being scared of trouble erupting around them.

FA Cup fever

It's the stuff dreams are made of. The magic of the FA Cup. 18-year-old Mid-Cheshire College student Wayne Riley prodded home a late winner for Northwich Victoria, as they made a mockery of their league standing against League One side Charlton, some 80-odd places above them in the football pyramid.

ITV1 landed on their feet with this one. It was a classic cup tie, with a fairytale ending. Charlton were on a hiding to nothing really, and they threatened rarely. Northwich though played with such determination and spirit that even the most ardent Charlton fan couldn't deny that they deserved victory.

Charlton 'keeper Darren Randolph was seemingly going to deny the Vics the chance to progress, pulling off a wonderful one-handed save in the first half and somehow keeping the ball out of his goal in a mother of goal-mouth scrambles.

It was a shame to see some empty seats at Northwich's Victora Stadium. It was surely a day the town could be proud of, and I would imagine that those empty seats will be filled come their second round clash with Lincoln City a fortnight on Saturday.

Their fans got behind them, and helped roar them home - even if the ITV production staff were no doubt cringing at chants of "you're so sh1t it's unbelievable" and "dirty southern b@stards"!

Ian Herring proved the Conference North's answer to Rory Delap, and the ball seemed drawn to centre-back Mat Bailey's head whenever the ball was pumped in to the box at either end.

It's watching games like this that make me yearn for a team of reasonable quality in my hometown of Warrington. Rugby league is by far the sport of choice in my town, and it is my own personal preference, but there is nothing quite like the magic of the FA Cup. As Town languish in some obscure Northern League, it is perhaps not worth the £6 entry fee and two hours on a Saturday afternoon to watch them. If they were in Northwich's league, I would be there every week. That may sound shallow, but it's true.

Although I appreciate the passion of football as an impartial observer, it feels strange that I have never experienced quite the same passion myself.

I love rugby league, and while it probably means more to me than anything else in my life, the fact we are hindered by inefficient administration and a lack of coverage compared to the supposedly superior, middle-class, southern-orientated 15-man code, means that there's very few people to share your passion with.

I'm proud to be from Warrington, I'm born and bred here. Sadly, my rugby league loyalties lie elsewhere, courtesy of my dad. So I'm missing an attachment to the place that well and truly is, and always will be, my home.

Maybe one day, I'll be there at Cantilever Park, and my hometown passion for football will be ignited. But until then, I'll remain in the shadows as an unattached and clubless football fanatic.

Sinfield is Smith's main man

For someone that has in the main part underachieved at international level, Kevin Sinfield has come of age in the Four Nations.

Fresh from captaining Leeds to a record third consecutive Super League triumph, Sinfield has been the primary catalyst for England's unlikely recovery from a first half hammering against Australia last week to setting up a re-match at Elland Road on Saturday courtesy of a tremendous victory over New Zealand.

Eyebrows were raised when Tony Smith made the bold move of starting Sinfield at hooker, in place of regular number nine James Roby, to accommodate the world class talent of Sam Burgess, but it worked a treat, as Sinfield's kicking game terrorised the Kiwi backline.

At times his dummy half play was slow and his distribution a little hesitant, but the decision was justified when he and Burgess linked up to send St Helens whizzkid Kyle Eastmond over for an early try. Roby played his part too, and his timely introduction injected a bit of pace in to England's play, just as the Kiwis looked like they were starting to stifle the threat of England's pack.

An outstanding member of that pack was once again Gareth Ellis. He was a top class player at Leeds, but he has hit completely another level since his move to NRL side Wests Tigers. He, along with Burgess, have proved time and time again in this tournament that they will mix it up with the big boys, and come out on top, down under in 2010.

While the pack outmuscled New Zealand at Huddersfield, Australia next weekend will be a different proposition. Smith made the bold move of replacing both Lee Smith and Tom Briscoe (something I called for in my last blog, I believe!), and in the main it worked spectacularly, with Hull KR wing Peter Fox grabbing a brace of tries.

But it remains to be seen whether Chris Bridge has the skill or the discipline to take on Greg Inglis, Michael Jennings or whoever else he has the misfortune of coming up against. Bridge was solid enough on Saturday, although was perhaps helped by the fact the game was played up the middle in the main. He has probably done enough to retain his place, although I'm sure I wasn't the only one wondering just why Martin Gleeson isn't part of Smith's plans.

The dynamic duo of Sam Tomkins and Eastmond were partnered at half-back, and while Richie Myler might have something to say about this, they showed that there's an exciting future for England - although one hopes that Tomkins doesn't overuse his wonderful step, so that it doesn't get stifled by defences in Super League and abroad.

In the traditional English way, Smith's men have give us a bit of hope ahead of the Four Nations finale. It has been a great tournament so far, and crowds have been decent enough in this country. France are still to justify their inclusion, but they haven't let themselves down, and have competed well in the first forty minutes in all three of their games.

But ultimately, it's the 80 minutes on Saturday which we will remember this tournament by. Bring it on.

Smith must find England solution

The second forty minutes on Saturday helped change the tone of this blog somewhat.

Previously, it was going to be about another embarrassment for England, a poor showing against a far superior Australian side. As it turned out, England, as they always seem to do, gave us a glimmer of hope, whether it be false or not, with a second half fightback that went some way to repairing the damage that resulted in the Wigan crowd booing them off at the break.

A notable difference in the second half was the appearance of Kyle Eastmond, who looked a threat whenever he had ball in hand, despite being stuck out in the centres for most of his 40 minutes on the field. Eastmond, together with Sam Tomkins and Richie Myler, are the future of the England side, and it is now up to Tony Smith and any potential successor of his to not let the opportunity to build a settled side go to waste.

Our southern hemisphere rivals seem to benefit from very little change to their ranks year on year, and any change that is made is assured to be a positive one - far too often, England just try a few different options without analysing their effect or their impact on the squad.

Judging by Saturday's performance too, Sam Burgess will take the NRL by storm next year. His defence was as solid as any and he, together with Gareth Ellis, showed their class. Ellis proved that the standard of players has improved in the UK by cutting it in the NRL in 2009, and it is now up to Burgess, and hopefully many others, to follow his lead.

Following the World Cup fall-out - where blame has evidently been attributed to the likes of Paul Wellens, Rob Burrow and Martin Gleeson - this year has ultimately become one of transition for Tony Smith's men. However, it is disappointing that we are still trying out new things half way through the Four Nations - wasn't the point of the mid-season international against France, and the pre-tournament clash with Wales, to discover what the best team line up was?

Smith has to produce. He's shown at club level that he has the quality - most notably with Warrington's recent Challenge Cup win - but the only success of his international reign was the series victory over a severely under-strength New Zealand two years ago. It's now time to identify, and settle, on a consistent side.

The first dilemma is where to play Eastmond, Tomkins and Myler. All three should play if fit. Perhaps this Saturday will see Eastmond start alongside Tomkins, in place of Danny McGuire, who's substitution on Saturday was greeted by painful cheers, as the talented stand-off continues to fail to reproduce his club form at international level.

If anyone put their hand up for a place in the starting 13 against New Zealand on Saturday it was Eorl Crabtree. The Huddersfield forward showed the way to his more fashionable team-mates, by taking the ball in with no fear and taking on the Australian forwards at their own game. Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley have served their country well over the years, but they had little impact last weekend, and it is maybe time now to start looking at young replacements for those two.

England's main weakness, however, continues to be in the three-quarters. Martin Gleeson, supposedly our only world class centre option, was left out of the squad by Smith, a decision which has caused a considerable divide in opinion. I'm with the side that believes he should have been selected, not only in the squad, but in the starting 13. Lee Smith should not have been called up. The biggest insult to our game is to defect to rugby union, and besides giving him a few more caps for his trouble, his inclusion in the squad is not benefiting England at all.

What use was it giving Tom Briscoe a run out with Smith as his centre, when next season it will be someone totally different? Briscoe coped admirably under pressure, but was hauled off at half time, a victim of the latest gamble by Smith that has backfired. Ade Gardner has for some reason been overlooked, despite probably being the most prolific and consistent winger in Super League for the past few seasons. Michael Shenton and Ryan Hall impressed on the other side, and we shouldn't forget the potential of Ryan Atkins, who will no doubt be a shoo-in for the centre spots next season - after all, he is playing under Smith at Warrington, which appears to give players an edge!

I've often been a critic of Ben Westwood, but he showed what it meant to play for your country with a typically passionate performance, even if he didn't spend as long on the pitch as he would have liked. However, is he the type of player that will be good enough for England if we want to consistently compete with Australia and New Zealand?

This tournament could go some way to answering a few of the questions that the future poses. A few players may well be playing in their last series for England. There's definitely a few players who are starring in their first tournament of many. It's up to Tony Smith to decide who's in and who's out, as he looks for the solution to put England on the road to success.