New season, same stuff!?!? It seems to happen to the Latics on a daily occurance that when you are down, you're bound to get kicked and then kicked again. It's amazing that we've got any breath left inside of us. And to be honest, I don't think there was a Latics fan that did have any breath left on Saturday after it was stolen by a truly appalling referee. The anger which had to be vented at the half-time whistle, left me exhausted by the time I'd left the ground - but it just had to be done. This man was completely inept.
It's funny to think that if you take last seasons referees, this one (bar him sending anyone off) was worse than any of them. It's fair to say he was consistent - consistently bad. And it was no surprise that this was Eddie Ilderton's first ever game after being promoted from non-league refereeing. He should go straight back there.
As we know (and we have to stop licking wounds now and get on with, I know but...) the Latics really have been through the mill and have only just made it out the other side. Even with the vultures having circled and swooped the Latics still managed to put out a side that can pass the ball as well as any team. Brighton found that difficult to cope with and it was only Eddie (Inept) Ilderton that made the difference. His first half made winning our tough opening fixture about as possible as the Titanic sailing again. Even Steve Coppell admitted after the match that he was embarrassed and agreed that the scoreline flattered the visitors.
So how did one man change the course of this game and have Latics fans seething at yet another referee, with just 24 minutes of the season gone? Well, it starts even earlier than that as during a cagey opening period, Roberts may have been sent walking by the odd ref (that would have been wrong too) but should definitely have been booked. The game was 9 minutes old when he sprinted from his goaline, to totally wipe out Vernon. The incident was well outside the box and on the left, and thus he wasn't baring down on goal, but Roberts never looked like he'd win the challenge but also never pulled out. Unbelievably, Ilderton didn't even talk to the keeper despite Roberts running back to goal with worrying glances over his shoulder. He must have been relieved.
In an opening which saw few chances Ndawi made his first impression on 14, when a neat through ball allowed Knight to sprint clear. Ndawi caught him and produced a great lunging tackle to put the ball out. Ndawi seemed to show he had a strong tackle, but both his distribution and positioning did look poor at times. Being fair though, he did arrive on Friday and hadn't even had the chance to train with the side. That's how bad it is!
Now to the turning point - a goal from a penalty that never was from a corner that never was. Fair enough, Brighton fans will not have seen why the corner was "apparently" given and thus they can't comment (the referee claimed Pogi touched the ball over when he clearly touched it through the roof of the net.) But from the corner, it amazes me that Coppell and others believes it was a penalty. I challenge any of them to stand 4 yards from me and let me smack a ball at their face and see if they can get out of the way. Maybe then, I'd agree that Boshell could move his hand out of the way. Maybe the defence of "ball-to-hand" doesn't exist anymore?!?! Nevertheless, Henderson coolly stepped up and slotted home. 0-1.
Just past the half hour, the Latics then got a free-kick which was greeted with ironic cheers. Latics trainee, Rob Walker swung in a tidy cross and Curier, who had come on for injured Killen, stooped to send in a dangerous header at goal. Roberts saved well, but then predictably, the referee spotted an infringement and blew up.
As if things hadn't gone against the Latics enough already, the biggest blow was yet to come. On 40, Haining went for a clearance but ended up in a crumpled heap as he bizarrely turned his ankle. Losing our main Latics defender (along with Holden, Clegg and Berehall all being injured in pre-season) meant options with the loanees and teenagers were threadbare. Dowie immediately swapped the 3-5-2 for a 4-4-2, placing Ndiwa and Hall in the centre, Murray to RB and Walker to left back. John Eyre covered RW whilst Roca came on for the left side. However, if enough blows hadn't been taken another one was seconds away.
Within 2 minutes of trying to re-coup and re-organise, the Latics faced another test. Again, (Inept) Ilderton gave another strange corner-kick after a wild hack at goal by the visitors saw the ball balloon onto the Chaddy End roof. Latics players argued with little joy once again and whilst feeling aggrieved and unorganised, Brighton's initial corner caused little panic but the hosts just couldn't clear their lines. As play spread out to the right, Carpenter swung in a neat cross and Knight, who had hit the bar with an overhead kick moments earlier, was allowed to drift into ample space and coolly nod home past Pogi. 0-2.
The goal signalled the end of a half which the Latics had no chance in. Despite playing well with crisp passing and a lot of possession the hosts really had been robbed by a referee who looked like he had been bought by former Chair-person Chris Moore. It was quite ironic therefore that the Chaddy End chanted "are you Chris Moore in disguise?" Even Dowie lost his rag and confronted the official as they came off the pitch.
In the second half, the Latics finally stepped up a gear. It was Brighton who were on the back foot for most of it and Coppell admitted after that he wasn't entirely impressed by his side. Within the first 5 minutes, the scores could have been level. Roca, looking awesome on his Latics league debut, flighted a quality ball from wide right (he should've been on the left, but ended up all over the pitch!) Curier, who was starting to look lively, beat his man and with just the keeper to beat he missed connecting by inches.
With pace now the key, the hosts started to over-run their visitors and on 49, Vernon was superbly played clean through. Keeping his cool, the youngster drew Roberts out from the goal before trying to sweetly chip the ball over him. At the last second, the keeper managed to superbly change his position and save but he played the ball straight back to Vernon who had an open goal now. From a tight angle his shot headed in but somehow a defender managed to get on the line and let the ball hit him, before clearing to safety. An agonising chance gone.
For the first time in the game, the Seagulls began to become a little frustrated and that spilled over when Latics loanee Ndawi stood tall in a challenge but was fouled by Henderson as he jumped in. The two then clashed and tempers frayed but the referee finally got something right and managed to calm down the players.
Looking for some way back into the game, Roca and Walker began to link up well on the left and on 55, a dangerous cross from the 17 year old was cleared as far as Ndawi who powered a low drive from 35 yards. The effort narrowly flew wide. However, the pressure being applied counted for little and from Brighton's first break of the 2nd half, they won a free-kick just outside the box as Hall showed a rare flash of inexperience. Collectively, the Latics defence failed as they left 3 unmarked at the back post which became an easy target for the kicker. Finding a man, the Brighton player nodded a deadly ball into the 6 yard box and Knight nodded home. A soft, naive goal. 0-3.
It seemed that now, the Latics had little chance. Not one player gave up though and despite Brighton's 3rd coming against the run of play, the Latics continued to dominate possession and chances. Indeed, had Vernon scored earlier to make it 2-1 this game might have been totally different. Instead, on 66, Vernon contrived to produce the miss of the game (and season, already?) Boshell's corner looked to have been headed in by Curier, but for Vernon on the line to somehow nod the ball up and over the bar. To be honest, it appeared as though Roberts may have got a hand to it, but Vernon really shouldn't have missed. It's all about experience, I guess.
On 70, the Latics again had a great chance from Roca's dangerously flighted free-kick. Cullip superbly held Curier off as the Latics striker looked to turn the ball in and everyone thought the result was a corner. This time, even the referee did, but now the linesmen were getting in on the act and gave a goal-kick. Ten minutes later, Roca again stole the show. This time he burst 40 yards with the ball, threaded Murray in on the right and his dangerous 6-yard ball just lacked a crucial scoring touch.
Feelings of frustration could be felt around Boundary Park now, but then a glimpse of hope arrived as Hinshelwood misjudged a ball and allowed it to bounce over him. That left Murray free to lob the keeper with a tricky header. His execution was perfect. 1-3.
The hosts made a lot of the running in the final few minutes but it was never going too be enough, despite a penalty being turned down when it appeared that Henderson had handled (if Boshell's was a handball, then it was criminal to not give this!) In the end, a disgraceful refereeing display in the 1st half had defeated us - it reminded many of the similar home defeat to Crewe last season.
After passing well, creating well and over-running the visitors at times, the hosts showed that despite the threadbare squad it still looks capable of doing a job. But to have such a penalty given and to lose such key men like Killen and Haining, it smacked of "same old Latics" with our unbelievably bad luck. The next person that tells me that "you make you're own luck" might just regret it. They won't feel so lucky when they have to remove my shoe from their proverbial, will they? Speaking of which, now where did Ilderton go?!?!