Oh the A league... how bloody dull and exhausting it is to be perpetually talking about referees. But how can you not?
We've had many far worse refereed games in terms of influencing results and outright bias against us, but in terms of general overall referring... that performance. Dear lord. That was special. I don't think I've ever witnessed anyone, ever, make so many obvious refereeing errors in the one game - even by Faghani's standards he truly levelled up.
The cows were the first to really try to just blatantly use this to their advantage in that second half. And it worked. Game should have already been over, and we quickly grew frustrated, which in Faghani's mind equals questioning his power, so then we started paying the price for that too.
We couldn't play our game anymore, and we couldn't look to control the ball and kill the game either. You could literally just be bundled over anywhere by the most blatant of fouls and it could be no worries play on and goal. Pretty bloody unsettling for the players. This was compounded by the Cows being whipped into a fury by Yorke at half time and then playing to use Faghani's 'refereeing style' intentionally, smart maybe, but it was shit football methcows. And lastly of course... there was us coming out a bit flat.
Our attackers who in build up play were generally outstanding, unfortunately placed us under a lot of unnecessary pressure in that game by not finishing the cows off when they absolutely should have. I think we expended a huge amount of energy in that first half. Physically, but also mentally. We broke so fast and so well. So many waves of support charging through in attack. Tracked back like demons. And across the park closed down furiously. And also played some of the most inspired football creatively I've ever seen us play.
All that takes a lot of energy. And you could see the mental fatigue slam in at something like 38 minutes and suddenly the team stringing together the most elaborate multi pass plays, struggled to even trap simple balls and make passes for a few minutes.
Maybe it was the delayed trip... can't have helped, but regardless most sides/athletes you watch will flatten after putting in so much effort in a first half like that. It was a very high level of play, 80% of that first half was probably better than any side has put together this season imo. But when we choked in our execution so many times it gave the cows a chance to get back in if they could simply just snag one.
Dangerous team. Some great players and Yorke is a very good coach it seems. But first half, my lord we monstered them. Second half, based on all of the above, was basically a write off for me. Like a strange fever dream you're just glad to wake up from and for it to be over. Some of it that was on our strikers as said, but really far too many things going against the players to feel unhappy about their drop in performance level in the second half.
However, flat or not, ripped off or not, our fight and belief always remained and THAT is bloody excellent, and was enough to get us a win in the kind of game we typically NEVER, EVER, come home with 3 points form. Great season to date. Lots more to come.
Get in indeed.
