This football lark is a funny old game

January 25, 2009 by Martin Banks
Filed under: Aston Villa, Match Reports 

doncasterThe FA Cup is a very strange beast. It really is a true reflection of what a funny old game football is. Mathematical equations have no place in football, it doesn’t work that way. I remember as a kid asking my dad how it was possible that we beat Everton, Everton beat Man Utd but Man Utd beat us. It didn’t make sense. Where’s the logic in that?

My dad explained it all with the wise words of a great man:

“It’s a funny old game” Jimmy Greaves

OK, so he doesn’t live in a mountain in the Himalayas and eat his own feet, but when it comes to football, he has earnt the right to be considered an authority and his simple 5-word quote sums up football better than a 10,000 word essay could. Football IS a funny old game. Nothing is guaranteed in football, anything can happen in those 90 minutes.

The FA Cup is a prime example of those bizarre things that can happen, like Chelsea going a goal down to Scunthorpe at a time that they were busy conquering the world:


There’s no-one better in the world to have reported on that.

Doncaster vs Villa

A mathematician would have looked at yesterday’s fixture and picked Villa as winners. We’re currently flying high in the Premier League, 3 points off the top of the table and Doncaster are having an average season, mid-table in the Coca-Cola League One. Two and a bit divisions above them, we expected to reap a nice victory. We even fielded as strong a team as possible, which was slightly unexpected.

But football is a funny old game remember, and Doncaster gave us a real good game, even getting plenty chances to steal the show. Villa had to work very hard to try and win the game but couldn’t manage to find a way past Doncaster keeper, Neil Sullivan. The veteran keeper played superbly, especially bearing in mind that he is even older than Brad Friedel!

Villa’s two best chances both came from Gabby, but on one occasion Sullivan denied him brilliantly, and on the other he was played in by Sidders and fired past Sullivan, only to have the crossbar pull off an excellent acrobatic save!

On the flip side of Aggy, Doncaster had Martin Woods (a man blessed with a very talented Christian name), who managed to beat Friedel twice, only to have the crossbar keep him out on both occasions.

The game was eventful and seemed to have plenty of goals in it, but eventually it finished  0-0, bringing a replay to Villa Park in the next few weeks. A replay wasn’t the ideal result with so many big games coming up, but the hope still remains that we will make further signings before January is over.

Talking of transfers

Check in tomorrow for the latest on who O’Neill wants to join the Villa sqaud, including a double swoop on Megabucks Man City and who Harry Redknapp wants from us.


Comments

4 Comments on This football lark is a funny old game

  1. Dom on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 9:57

    2. Doncaster are mid table in thechampionship not league 1

  2. MSDvillain on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 10:03

    3. Sorry mate, but you got one part woefully wrong. Donacaster are in the Championship and in the relegation zone. Pretty far from mid table in League one!

    Might want to edit that, other wise no one will regard this with any sort of credibility.

  3. JonnyW on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 10:19

    4. Poor old Doncaster, i know they are having a tough season but they ain’t been relegated yet!

    ‘Doncaster are having an average season, mid-table in the Coca-Cola League One’

  4. Martin Banks on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 17:11

    5. Haha, well spotted lads. I knew in my mind that they were 9th in League One, but know you’ve pointed out my error I think know what I’ve done. They were in that position when they beat us 3-0! Lemme just confirm this…

    Haha, yeah! http://www.doncasterroversfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LeagueTable/0,,10329~20051126,00.html

    My mistake lads. Well done for pointing it out. At least I was right, just 3 years out of date!

    Tell ya what, I’m gonna say it was a deliberate error to make sure you lot were paying attention ;)

    I’ll leave it as it is tho, to show the astuteness of you 3.

    Mart

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