One for Sorrow, Two for Joy

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 27 December 2014 at Peacehaven Sports Park
Result	Peacehaven & Telscombe 1 Maidstone United 1
Competition	Isthmian Premier League (Step 3)
Hopping	Ground 555, and the first for ages.  Professional duties and all that.  Therefore, a shorter-than-usual post just to prove I still exist, and I will be back in full swing at some point.
Pre-match preparation
I was so impressed by my hired Volvo V40 on the October trip to Sweden that I have ended up getting one, so it is farewell to the outgoing Yappmobile after 165000 very trouble-free and pleasant miles.  Today was the first outing for the new toy, and thus much of the pre-match prep involved pressing random buttons rather than doing proper research.  I think I may have accidentally phoned Kim-Jong Un, but I will worry about that later. Here’s to many trips ahead. P&T have had two successive promotions and sit in mid-table.  They have had a recent change in manager and a very good result (a win at Margate) last time out.  They are known as the Magpies, and the last time I saw them was on an eventful trip to Larkhall.  (Click on the tag cloud to see why!)  Maidstone are going well and start the day in second, but with several games in hand over the leaders Margate.   I thought 4hrs was enough for an easy journey and a pre-game clifftop walk, but I reckoned without the M25 western section.  I arrived 3 minutes after kickoff and missed the opening goal, the first time this has happened to me for decades.  At least I got a programme!
This match in one sentence
The stand-in home goalkeeper Joe Gatting, having taken stick from visiting fans all afternoon because of the quality of his kicking, stepped upfield to convert a stoppage-time penalty and win a deserved point.
So what?
As you were.  P&T are 13th and Maidstone are 2pts behind Margate with four games in hand.
The drama unfolds
The first thing I did was to take a pic of the teams board, and at that time I did not realise the significance of Joe Gatting’s appearance in the maroon goalkeeping jersey.  It turns out that he was taking the place of the unavailable regular.  Joe will arguably be better known for his first-class cricket career.  I did notice that he was getting plenty of verbal from the visitors behind his goal.  By this time, Maidstone were already one up, thanks to a goal from Alex Akrofi.  By all accounts a tap-in after a scramble.  The home side must have feared the worst. 0-1 already after less than 3 mins I watched P&T come close to an equaliser from a set piece, and the game developed into a good contest, sometimes with a physical edge and an element of feistiness.  The ref in particular came under a lot of pressure.  Maidstone also came close to a second before I took my scene-setter clip after about half-an-hour.  It was bitingly cold. The rest of the first half carried on in much the same vein.  I took a walk around the ground, which is very much a work-in-progress now after the two promotions.  It is in transition between a charming and picturesque ground (the view over downs is really rather good, and very photogenic) and a modern step 3 facility.  If you are a hopper yet to come here, either choose a warmer day than I did or wait a bit longer until some of the projects are completed (as they are not at all photogenic – yet).  0-1 at half-time P&T pressed for much of the second half.  Maidstone were content to play on the break, and they defended well.  When Trevor MacReade fired over for the home side after an hour, it looked like they were destined for a noble defeat.  Pacy sub Wilfrid Grimaud caused some problems and had already had one penalty shout turned down before a spot-kick was awarded in stoppage time.  Gatting stepped up – here is his moment.  Neither team could grab a winner in the short time remaining.  Final score 1-1
Ground Pix
Match Pix
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Today, maroon draws with grey and this table brings us completely up-to-date. The story so far: 3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, -1pt for a goal conceded and +5pts for a clean sheet P W D L GA (-1 each) CS (5 each) Pts Pts per Game Purple 5.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 9.0 2.0 11.0 2.20 Grey 23.5 10.0 7.0 6.5 31.5 7.0 40.5 1.72 Green 21.0 10.0 2.0 9.0 27.0 6.0 35.0 1.67 Maroon 4.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 6.0 1.0 6.0 1.50 Red 4.0 2.0 0.0 2.0 5.0 1.0 6.0 1.50 Blue 9.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 14.0 3.0 13.0 1.44 Orange 7.5 2.0 2.0 3.5 10.5 2.0 7.5 1.00 Yellow 10.0 2.0 4.0 4.0 19.0 2.0 1.0 0.10 Radioactive Bile 6.0 2.0 0.0 4.0 12.0 0.0 -6.0 -1.00 Pink 7.0 1.0 3.0 3.0 16.0 0.0 -10.0 -1.43 Black 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 -2.0 -2.00
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!  I hope to get the intray under control and get out for a hop next Saturday.

Gero the Hero as Öster are a Match for Jönköpings

This week's Yappmobile is brought to you by the letter V and the number 40

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Monday 27 October 2014 at Stadsparksvallen
Result	Jönköpings Södra 3 Oster 3
Competition	Superettan (Swedish 2nd tier)
Hopping	554 on the lifetime list, chosen for logistic reasons and the last game of this trip.  You have to know a little of the town's history to locate the hidden wordplay somewhere in this post.
Pre-match preparation
The significance of this game might depend on results earlier in the weekend.  The home side (at the time of writing, before I left the UK) have a mathematical chance of a promotion playoff place but this will only be alive if Ljungskile lost on Friday evening. It looks like they will finish a noble but frustrated fourth in the table.  Oster, however, really do need the points.  They slipped into a relegation play-off place last week.  Their fans will be looking out for the result from Angelholm.  Two points separate them with one more game after today, so if Angelholm win and Oster lose, then the relegation playoff for the latter is confirmed.  It’s quite likely that nothing will be settled tonight – but a draw will probably not be enough for the visitors. Update: Ljungskile drew last Friday so Jönköpings knew that promotion was out of the question now.   Öster start the evening two points behind  Ängelholm - one of these two will take the final relegation playoff place, and the latter are also playing simultaneously. The rest of my pre-match prep was a leisurely drive through quiet towns and villages en route from Borås. No, I did NOT eat the flowers ... Ladies and gentlemen, a BLACK squirrel. Honest.
This match in one sentence
The home side dominated the first half of this wind-affected game, but a glut of late goals left the match all square and no good for anyone except the passing neutrals.
So what?
Jönköpings will finish 4th whatever happens next week.  GIF Sundsvall won this evening and take control of the title into their own hands (see my post from GAIS).  Öster need to win and hope that one from GAIS, Syrianska or Ängelholm lose.  Plenty of interest in the Superettan yet!
The drama unfolds
The drama started when Doris the Satnav took me in the opposite direction to the floodlights on the hill, but eventually I found a parking spot more by luck than anything, and even had time for a pre-match sausage with the temperature of a medium-sized star.  Öster's faithful had brought a few pyrotechnics, but must be on a low budget and we started on time. On the pitch, Jönköpings took control from the start.  They are in green in the scene-setter clip They had to wait until almost midway through the half to take the lead.  The goal has been credited to Fredrik Olsson.  It was a curling low cross-shot hit right-footed from the left wing and he must have got the faintest of touches.  Öster had lost the ball in a dangerous area allowing it to be played wide.  1-0 after 20 mins Olsson hit the bar on the half hour, unluckily.   The home side were well on top and enjoying playing with the wind behind them.  Tommy Thelin was very influential either in "the hole" or out wide on the left.  Here's another clip of a set piece. Thelin and Jesper Svensson were picked out making intelligent runs on to good passes but Öster got to the break with no further damage, and I moved over to the other side of the ground.  1-0 at half time Öster came out fighting after the break and took a few minutes to adjust to the worsening conditions.  I took a couple of early clips. They came close just after the hour, but then Thelin opened up a two-goal lead from the penalty spot after someone was scythed down.  2-0 after 65 mins Mario Vasilj has been credited with the opening Öster goal, which followed almost immediately and was an untidy bundling in at the far post.  2-1 after 67 mins Jönköpings then hit the woodwork again before Öster were level.  A through ball found Alhadji Gero who kept his composure and gave the keeper no chance.  2-2 after 70 mins Jönköpings came close again before Öster sub Freddy Söderberg had an excellent chance on the break to complete the turnround with only 12 minutes left.  He rolled the ball past the keeper but clipped the post.  So it must have hurt when Daryl Smilieand Thelin combined to set up sub Ronny Sabo for the best goal of the evening.  3-2 after 80 mins My final clip captures the sixth goal of the night to make things all square.  It's Gero's second, from Öster's third corner in quick succession.  I wonder if it will be enough to keep them in the second tier - all will be decided next weekend.  3-3 after 88 mins and at full-time ... and that is that for  the footballing side of this trip, with just a day of touring tomorrow before the plane home.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip to a very friendly and hospitable nation and I would recommend it to anyone.
Ground Pix
Match Pix
Something You Don’t Get in the Premier League
Four games in one weekend for a combined entrance fee of £60.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Grey draws with Black - I think that is the first black top of the season, which will mess up my spreadsheet.  Oh well, insert row etc etc.
Learn Swedish Through Football
ståplats - standing (places) sittplats - seating (places) kortsida - short side (i.e. behind the goal) långsida - long side Måndag - Monday tre - tre - 3-3
What Next?
Back to the UK tomorrow after a day of tourism, and then who knows.  A mountain of school work beckons, but watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details – maybe time on Saturday for number 555.