Zion City 3 Monyhull 3

Monyhull play their 'get out of jail card' in the last minute to rescue a point.

Just a few days ago dear reader the squad for last Saturday’s match against Zion City was announced, and I must confess a certain melancholia to see that I was dropped from the starting line- up for the second time this season after a 4-1 defeat in the previous match, once again made the sacrificial lamb for the poor performance of my team mates despite, as I mentioned, for the second time this season not being accountable for any of the goals.

So, would the three remaining members of that back four justify retaining their places alongside the returning Big Ron Jankowski, or will this article dear reader be full of vented spleen and vitriol? I think I know which all those not named Pickett, Pritchard or Cuddly man mountain Williams will be hoping for.

So, upon arrival at Wolverhampton Gaffer Millist instantly baffled the assembled cognoscenti by announcing that we would play the 4-4-2 formation that we are terrible at. Was there a touch of complacency, even from the management at facing bottom of the league opposition? Straight from the kick off the ‘hull team set out to reinforce that impression. Add Millist to the list above.

The first half was remarkable for several reasons. Mainly for the competition between forwards, wingers and full backs to see who could play the worst, but also for a sublime dipping shot from Dan Burke that was pretty much the only piece of skill seen in the first 45 minutes and put the ‘hull one up.

Dolloway and White were unable to hold the ball up, or link play, while despite facing a full back of some circumference the wingers Hales and Keys failed to make a decent run all half. Hats off to the full back for a decent performance. All this meant that the Zion wingers had plenty of opportunity to run at Pickett at right back and Pritchard at left back who were equally dreadful but for diametrically opposite reasons. Pritchard continually dived in allowing the winger to skip past while Pickett failed to attempt a tackle for the first 40 minutes while allowing the winger to skip past. Add Dolloway and White to the list.

Inevitably the equaliser came when a cross from the left came to one of three unmarked Zion players at the back post. One of them slotted home while Pickett stood forlorn just outside the D like the last Christmas tree in the field.

So, with such fierce competition which of the many candidates would be subbed at half time? In the end it was White and Dolloway who made way. As I may have noted in a previous bile laced piece, strikers only have to do one decent thing all game to be a star. Conversely defenders often give an abominable performance and stay on the pitch. (Whilst defending wasn’t great, our inability to keep hold of the ball was our biggest problem, hence the lack of defensive substitutions – JM).

The second half began much better, Ward on up front held the ball well, and played a couple of defence splitting through balls before a cross from man of the match Burke was turned home to open his ‘hull account. Hales and Keys finally started to run at their full backs, although the crosses remained poor. For around 20 minutes the hull were in total command with Madden back in a 5 man midfield. Zion heads were starting to drop, and not only was a win on the cards, but possibly a few goals to reduce the goal difference stat. Buckley managed to get on the end of a couple of crosses and was unlucky not to score in a decent all round performance.

Then despite having had hardly anything to do, the defence allowed a cross from the left, to which Williams, added a touch of calamity by taking a huge swipe at the ball, missing it, and allowing a Zion equaliser.

Zion were invigorated, their right wing came back to life and despite being trapped in the corner by Pritchard and Madden was allowed to get in a cross. Zion only had one player in the box, which was enough to produce a spectacular overhead kick to beat Webber.The ‘hull seemed happy to take another defeat as they failed to inject any urgency into trying to find an equaliser, but then from a corner Webber came up and won a header which looked to be heading into the net before the keeper clawed it back out, and just as it looked like the chance had gone the ref blew for a penalty.

Shannon on for Keys on the wing stepped up and rolled an insouciant penalty down the middle as the keeper dived to his right. If the keeper  were as nonchalant as Shannon and had just bent down and picked the ball up instead of diving then I suspect the Hollyoaks wannabe would have been waddling of the pitch with a backside wider than the M42 having had 15 boots forcibly inserted into it.

So, by my reckoning that means a good few of you will be trying to either kick lumps out of me, or leave me sat on my backside at training, and I will be delighted to take whatever you can dish out if a bit of criticism stings you into a better performance next time out.