Forget About It. Romito 1-0 IUE

A classic piece of film dialogue from Donnie Brasco: "Forget about it" is like if you agree with someone, you know, like "Raquel Welsh is one great piece of ass forget about it." But then, if you disagree, like "A Lincoln is better than a Cadillac? Forget about it!" you know? But then, it's also like if something's the greatest thing in the world, like Mingrio's Peppers, "forget about it." But it's also like saying "Go to hell!" too. Like, you know, like "Hey Paulie, you got a one inch pecker?" and Paulie says "Forget about it!" Sometimes it just means forget about it.

I always think that a bad ref is like a bad pitch - you just have to play to the conditions, and that, in any case, things even themselves out more or less eventually. Sometimes though, the metaphor fails, unless the bad pitch is a 45 degree slope towards your goal. And while last week we had a good goal disallowed and then got away with a couple of things in our own box, yesterday was completely different: the number of freekicks given in this game must have been something like 40 to them, 6 or 7 to us. This, combined with a very very heavy pitch which is notoriously badly lit, meant it was very difficult to get going. Still, we had three excellent chances, and let in what was a disappointing but also somewhat freakish goal. This was a game with few chances, in which everything was against us, Concentrate and wait for our chance had to be the name of the game. It just didn't quite work out.

With Dom, Dave and Markie all out for internal disciplinary reasons, we were had to play with a makeshift defence. (Dom was suspended for coming from a too posh a part of Leicester, Dave for asking whether people wanting it too much, and Mark for being too mean to his teammates). Nate came in for his first start at right back and Davie Horan came in at centre back, alongside Arnout, with Andrew on the left. Norberto made his first start of the season.

A combination of PEOPLE GETTING THERE TOO LATE and the fact that the whole pitch was being used right up to kick off meant that we couldn't properly warm up. It showed in the first twenty minutes, in which we were RUBBISH. Forget about it. They almost scored from a header from a corner. We eventually woke up a little bit and put together a couple of good moves, one excellent down the right which saw the onrushing Sebastian almost score. Although we were improving our play lacked fluidity and often bypassed our midfield, meaning we had no chance of getting on top in the game, accentuated by the fact that the ref was slowly revealing himself to be a complete scandal.

Half-time, playing badly but improving. 0-0. To do: increase energy, win more balls and get our foot on in and pass. Unfortunately a freak combination of bad positioning, a slip and a second's hesitation saw them burst through and their striker took his goal well. 35 minutes to put it right. Ref makes it tougher, making some genuinely ridiculous decisions. Even Vomito were laughing about it. Great. We win more balls, and look fitter than them. Mate, Jan and David are on, and we are passing it very well, but our short passing game becomes overly intricate near their box as we try and score the perfect goal, with us trying passes which are far too cute around their D. Still, we have two good chances, with a shot going just wide and a header just over in the last minute after a great cross from Leo. Should have had a penalty in the last minute. Obviously, Irial was booked instead.

Forget about it.