Seven out of nine

There have been several games since I posted last but coming from behind to beat Burnley at the Vic, followed by a draw at second-placed West Ham and a victory at Derby's Pride Park has done wonders for our league position. One of our loanees - Alex Kacaniklic from Fulham (the other is ManU's  Tomasz Kuszczak) - got assists for both goals on Saturday and scored the week before that. We've now reached a giddy 14th and another season's safety has been ensured.

Sofa so mediocre

Sean Dyche's reign did not begin well but a first win of the season yesterday at the Madjeski has added a tint of blue to the stratosphere. Hammered by West Ham in a game I was refused permission by my wife from going to, it took a draw that felt like a point won at home to Birmingham before the international break for The 'Orns to feel like the fates were not against them.

15th, this season, I reckon and I'm not sure I'll get to any of them now the next Watford Boy is here.

A real own goal

Watford v West Ham (Carling Cup 3^rd Round)

Tuesday 23^rd September

Taking two Hammers with me to the game required a warning in order that they couldn’t throw any victory in my face (in the ground at least). After a couple of pints in Watford’s Wetherspoons, we met Joss inside and settled down to Gianfranco Zola’s first English cup game as a manager. The Horns have injuries aplenty, meaning starts for Ross Jenkins, Jordan Parkes, Al Bangura, Lionel Ainsowrth and Scott Loach (who impressed on Saturday). The Irons’ defence was pretty much first choice but they had a few squad players on show too.

Not long after we’d got there, Loach held on to a shot well when there were West Ham players following up but the first of many references to Saturday’s events (eventually given as a John Eustace own goal) was when Ainsworth shot wide and we started singing “1-0 to the Golden Boys”: anything that went even vaguely close was celebrated as a goal by someone today. “The goal that never was” has made worldwide sports news, the first time we’ve managed that for quite a while.

With such inspiration, the fans shouted the team on and the eleven on the pitch played well against a more than competent (but less than inspired) West Ham, who had their own chances in a game mostly played out in the middle of the field. The drink motivated me to raise my voice a little more than usual, affording me approving glances (from kids, I admit) in what I thought was the absence of our main cheerleader (until I saw him sitting in a different place a little later).

Again the litany was sung in its entirety though I found myself spluttering solo through some lines of our most basic chants. With twenty minutes to go, Tommy Smith crossed and a deflection off one of their defenders put us in front, a fact I made sure Tim was fully aware of. Despite having to sing “We’ve only got ten men” when Jay Demerit limped off with seven or eight minutes left, WFC held on to move into the last sixteen and a game I’ll be in Japan for. Only one match left for me.

Hasta luego

Watford v Wigan Athletic

Wednesday 21^st February

This has been the one. While the West Ham away match felt like it wouldn’t matter even if we won, it will if part of a run that includes victory today and against Charlton. I’ve had a strange feeling over the last few days, though, which evokes the Sheffield United defeat. Perhaps it’s the hope of an important victory. Maybe it will even become a good feeling. Back when the game was abandoned it felt like an important one to win, one we were going to win, but not like a six-pointer. Feel the power of that promise; I do.

Kerry walked Joss down and then took Dex around the stadium and home. We met, locked up and could hear Marlon King encouraging the fans to get behind the team and as soon as we got to our seats, a few minutes into the match, we started to give it our all. Joss mentioned beforehand that his head was alright and he shouted as much today as ever (he’s been quieter the last two matches). Wigan were good but I thought we looked like we wanted it more and when one of their players. Fitz Hall, got sent off for a two-footed tackle on Johan Cavalli after just 20 minutes, I was sure the six points were ours.

Doris Henderson poached one four minutes later to make it 1-0 and it was the icing on the rising cake. Hendo doubles his season’s tally in this match. When it matters. “Going down with the Charlton.” We joyously taunted. Then ten men broke through and Ben Foster made a fantastic double save that involved a challenge which left him injured and in need of attention. No keeper on the bench. “England’s number one” can’t walk properly or kick the ball. Adrian Mariappa takes three goal-kicks and something changes. Wigan break through again and Caleb Folan puts himself through and scores a good goal.

Something had changed. We were standing off, not passing well, not taking advantage of numbers but a few fans react too harshly. You can’t half-time-boo them at 1-1 against Wigan. Let’s get some sense of perspective. Anyway, as on Saturday, Hamuer Bouazza came on for Cavalli at half-time but didn’t produce anything telling. Hendo had a couple of good efforts go just over but they threatened too and a draw was fair. That’s why we’re going down…can’t beat 10 man-Wigan at home.

We did a little Spanish on the cycle ride home and went over stuff before he went to bed. Joss is clearly keen to be able to express himself in the language but hasn’t shown any enthusiasm for learning lists of words. So, we are practising questions and answers at the moment and his pronunciation is still improving. Not that mine is great but…Joss intende ensenar a Kerry un poco el espanol. I’ll have that checked before anyone reads it…

A tale of two first penalties

West Ham v Watford

Saturday 10^th February

Never mind that we’d got on a wrong train and had to go back a stop from Aldgate, we made it to Upton Park for the second time in two weeks, with Joss predicting a 1-0 win, in plenty of time to join in the pre-match warm-up shouts. Joss, who’d been chatty on the train and quick to pick up the Spanish he was supposed to have learnt for today, had a bit of a headache from falling out of bed last night and didn’t shout as much as usual but I made up for him. We were twenty rows further back than a fortnight ago and amongst a loud bunch of kids who kept the shouting up all game.

It was the best of times on 13 minutes, when Henderson, who’d already looked better than he has been, was pulled back in the box by Anton Ferdinand and awarded a penalty. Our glee turned to apprehension when we saw he was to take it. In a long build-up, Calum Davenport was booked for encroaching but when Henderson stepped up, he calmly slotted it into the bottom left hand corner and the Horns were a goal ahead. It was Watford’s first Premiership penalty and Henderson’s first goal of the season. Such firsts so late in the term are amongst the reasons we are last.

Johan Cavalli, the French midfielder we signed on the transfer deadline day for free from Istres, made his debut and looked skilful and effective, shielding the ball well and weaving around players easily. Unable to read his name and not having heard it at the beginning, the deft touches he displayed led me to assume he was our Brazilian signing, Douglas Rinaldi. Anyway, I thought he was the most effective of the three midfielders who came in January that I have seen so far. He was playing where Hameur Bouazza would be, though, so I hope Betty can find a way to keep them both in the team. If so, it might have to be Damien Francis who makes way.

We were pretty resilient in defence, and when “England’s Number One” (who played his full debut for the national side in our lame 1-0 defeat to Spain on Wednesday) was called on to perform, he made a fine save from a Yossi Benayoun long range effort. Marlon Harewood missed a number of chances and we didn’t have too many more but we went in up at the break. Carlos Tevez came on in the second half and was their biggest threat for the next fifty minutes.

However, West Ham’s best chance came when our captain, Gavin Mahon, was adjudged to have fouled their captain, Nigel Reo Coker, and they were awarded their first penalty of the season. After we took our hands out of our heads, we joined in another bout of “England’s number one”. Foster, however, went the wrong way and could only watch as…Harewood hit it wide. I led another chant of “That’s why you’re going down” as West Ham had their worst of times. I do love this type of schadenfreude.

There was plenty to sing about and I led quite a few today. “Is this a library” and the Moses Ashikodi song after he came on, which was evidently new to many around. Steve Kabba also put a lot of work on and was rewarded with 2 chants. Mine (his name to the “Come on, come on” tune) was superseded by a “Super, super Steve, super, super Steve, super, super Steve, super Stevie Kabba”. We finished with “the Horns are staying up”. The Hammers next game is against Charlton, ours against Wigan. Then we play Charlton at the beginning of March. Nothing is absolutely ruled out yet. It is the epoch of belief.

We walked to East Ham, getting there a lot more quickly and easily than last time and a guy (Hammer) I play football with at Regents Park, Eric, was there by the ticket gates. I gave him a big hug, which he just loved. Joss and I practised more Spanish on the way home and he was remembering stuff well. I promised we’d take him abroad in the summer if he makes sufficient effort with the language. How do you say “bring on the FA Cup run” in Espanol?