12th November 2016 - Washington (a)

Not Washington DC but Washington SR!

My first opportunity, due to family commitments, to see the Nashville revolution that was taking place at
the Bay meant I had to visit the new home of newly-elected president Donald 'build-a-wall' Trump. I was slightly bemused when The Boy Mark arranged to pick me up only an hour before kick-off and that there wasn't a trans-Atlantic trip but a trans-Tyne one. Yes, I was slightly disappointed when we turned up, after ending up in one of Nissan's numerous deadends, at the Sports and Leisure Complex. This was made up for as we relaxed in their sumptuous bar area that overlooked the pitch.
With a win and a draw in the two games since taking over from Chan, the Nashster was doing himself no harm with potential manager interviews being held next week. Of course I wonder which of the questions below will the candidates be asked first and has Marc been asked them already?
"Can you work miracles on a shoe-string?"
"Can you work on water or perform neat tricks with loaves and fishes?"
"Do you have a rich millionaire wife (or husband - don't want to be sexist of course) willing to plough loads of money into our club?"

Mo-time in Washington!

All Marc could do was win games and hope he had a chance. For today's game, the lads were without the watching Shanksy who, despite sporting a trendy little moustache for Movember was injured for the game thanks to a not-so-tasty tackle in the win at West Auckland.
In his absence the front two pairing seemed to be General Callum Patton and Robbo with the Kempstervator and Kyle Fry on the wings.
After a minute's silence for Remembrance Day, it soon became clear that this was going to become a backs-to-the wall job as the home side pressed forward. There were rare forays for the visiting attack with most of them coming through Tom 'Harry' Potter's magical runs down the Bay's right wing.
Against the run of play, it was General Patton who put the Bay ahead with a superb 25-yard freekick that left one of our favourite keepers, Dale Connor, grasping thin air.

It could have been even better for the Bay as more Potter wizardry ended up with the Fryboy frying flying in at the far post but his slide only sent the ball past the far post.
Connor had avoided all contact with the Bay hordes behind the goal (all ten of us) but his afternoon was sealed when he leapt like a salmon to collect a cross on the edge of his area and his captain shouted "Good boy!" to him. We rubbed our hands with glee.

Canny spot for windmills and spotting Penshaw Monument!

Mmmmmm.....canny table cloth and refreshment selection, although the gravy was a bit thin!

Throughout the second half, on the rare occasions Whitley threatened his goal, he was subjected to a chorus of "Good boy!", "Bad boy!" and "Good boy, fetch the ball!" How funny we thought we were!

Wild boys! Wild boys!
(but I really tried to get a shot of the flock of
starlings swarming - I think it is called a murmur...)

Our own Professor Wilkinson was definitely a "Bad boy!" when he directed a simple pass straight to a home defender. Thankfully his team-mates helped him out. In fact Flynn, in the Bay goal was having a confident game and his handling of crosses was especially noteworthy.
Unfortunately, the Bay's luck ran out when the ball pinged about Flynn's penalty area, twice it was cleared off the line before ex-Bay boy Paul Kane slipped the ball home. Bad Boy!
Flynn came to the Bay's rescue with a tip-over to stop the Washington Redskins  FC from taking the lead. With the young Corporal Kyle Patton and Callum Anderson on for the Bay, we actually saw some Bay attacking play. In injury time the away fans went wild for a penalty when not only Alex Kempster ended up on the ground but also the ever-dependable Professor Wilko. Would you believe the Washington Capitols  FC defenders accused the Prof of diving, however the big man took no notice and the General stepped up to lash past Connor to earn himself a big round of "Good Boy"s. He fully deserved his GBOTM award at the end!

Is this the last resting place of the original good boy?
Nope - electric main in the corner of the pitch .
#healthandsafetynightmare!