Signs of improvement

A gorgeous sunny day and the Away End on the north side of the stadium gave us the chance to experience it full-on like it or not, meaning we didn’t need coats but couldn’t applaud as one hand was permanently shielding the eyes.

A lovely pitch, the Crisp Bowl looking like a packet of cheese & onion down to the obligatory Walkers logos.

Access via Lineker Way and Brazil Street, and many reasons to be optimistic:

1 It’s Saturday
2 Barnsley lost last night
3 The law of averages
4 Runstrom has long hair and looks like Paul Walsh after a growth spurt.

On the other hand:

1 No Heikkinen – you didn’t really believe the pathetic attempt at spin on the club website on Tuesday evening, now did you?
2 If we lose and Leeds win…
3 Keith Keane at centre half
4 OAP Beresford in goal

But sod it, for me the law of averages and the undoubted class and fighting spirit of Vine, Edwards, Howie, Nico, Coyne, Davies, Brkovic, Underwood, would surely see us through. And in a universe far far away, we are in the Premiership doing just that against Arsenal, congratulating the Chairman on his sense in investing a few million to retain these players, and reaping the financial rewards from doing so.

Just my luck to be in this one though.

The team:

Beresford

Foley Keane Perrett Davis

Bell Robinson Spring Emanuel

Runstrom Talbot

And Runstrom is HUGE – we may even win some headers today.

First blood to the Town, with Spring firing a cross from the right which evaded them all, and two corners in the first five minutes after good work by Emanuel.

But from the second Emanuel somehow got injured again, and as he tried to walk it off, Marlon showed yet again how crap he is, as a through ball from 30 yards in Leicester’s first attack was clearly his. But instead of advancing to clear he hesitated until the Leicester forward was undoubted favourite, and then advanced. He managed to block the shot, but the rebound fell cruelly into the path of Mark Yeates, who slotted it in.

Emanuel was replaced by Morgan after just 9 minutes.

And after 15, our final remaining centre back, Russ Perrett went down, but fortunately he recovered and carried on.

On 16, Morgan produced the Town’s first shot, firing 25 yards wide after twisting and turning in his inimitable way.

The Foxes had the better of the game for a spell, not in possession terms but they looked the more likely with raids down both flanks and Iain Hume lurking dangerously on the edge of the box. The Town by contrast limited their ambition to hopeful punts upfield (and in Deano’s case straight out) for Talbot or Runstrom to chase.

In Runstrom’s case this generally meant throwing himself at the nearest man in a blue shirt, rather than at the ball. But on 27 he found himself the recipient of a mix-up in the defence and curled a lovely left footer just over.

The best Town moves were down the right (did you need me to tell you that?). And on 30 minutes Runstrom hit a screamer just over after a Robbo free kick from the right.

A minute later another free kick on the right, and Morgan headed beautifully in from 10 yards, to great delight.

1-1 bugger me, but deserved.

And the boys on the terrace did the team proud:

‘We’re gonna win the league’ followed by a plethora of chants for the great and gone, including Jean-Louis Valois, Les Sealey, Matty Taylor, Rowan Vine, Enoch,
Nico, Stevo.

Followed by ‘You’re supposed to be at home’ and then, in the absence of any vocal support from the home fans, ‘Nice ground shit fans’.

And all this time the Town strolled around without looking in any serious trouble.

So at half-time it was the few thousand of us, rather than the many more Leicester fans who applauded the teams off at 1-1.

No changes at half-time, and no doubt a rousing team talk from Mike ‘I don’t do tactics’ Newell.

A subdued start to the second half, but with the Town on top.

Ten minutes in and Runstrom earned a free kick on the left 12 yards out. Bell curled a beauty to the far post and Perrett put a diving header just wide.

It was all Luton, and on 62 minutes the Foxes made a change, Stearman replacing Hughes.

On 66 minutes came the move of the game, with Foley, Bell, and Spring playing delightful football down the right, Spring finding Runstrom, who fed Robbo on the left wing. Robbo checked inside and floated a beautiful cross over for Foley to glance a header which all stood and watched unable to intervene as it slid just past the post.

On 75 another Leicester change, Elvis Hammond for Mark Yeates. Then Newell responded with Langley and Boyd for Bell and Talbot.

Madness as Bell and Foley were creaming City’s left flank and seemed to have an intuitive understanding. For the third successive game the Town fans booed Newell’s changes, and chanted Bell’s name.

On 85 a beautiful turn on the edge of the box from Runstrom earned a free kick, and Morgan and Langley stood over it. A neat one-two and Deano blasted over.

On 87 a corner, Deano swung it in. Then another. But nothing came of them.

Leicester fans poured out in droves, much to our amusement.

Injury time was a bit stressful, with three Leicester free kicks in our half, and a corner, but we held on for a deserved point.

Scores:

Beresford 3 lost us three points again
Foley 7 much better from Kev
Keane 7 my MoM even if he is short and slow. At centre half he reads the game very well
Perrett 6 solid if a bit clumsy
Davis 5 defended well, but his distribution was awful
Bell 7 the classiest player on the pitch yet again
Robinson 7 worked hard, particularly second half
Spring 6 sound but needs to work harder
Morgan 5 lots of promise but little delivery
Talbot 5 nothing much
Runstrom 6 presence but not quite convincing

Subs

Langley 2 the number of deep breaths he must have taken in the fifteen minutes he was on.