By CCFC Sid
November 14 2004

The `Pele Adebola' tag - so often used in jest - looked more than apt as the unwanted striker came off the bench to give the sort of display that would see him selected every week if he could play to anything like this quality on a regular basis! Possibly because of constant criticism, or maybe because he has realised that CCFC aren't capable of playing 4-5-1, Peter Reid reverted back to 4-4-2 (Including four strikers in the starting line-up), and CCFC finally looked effective going forward. Leacock was left out of the starting 11, and wasn't even on the bench (If this wasn't through injury, as he has been asked to play out of position, then the decision to omit him totally looks slightly harsh), with Ricketts not selected either.

CCFC started brightly - possibly fearing that another pathetic display might result in them having to watch another re-run of a feeble performance! (Maybe Reid should show his players that Leicester-CCFC video before every match?) - and deservedly took the lead after eight minutes. A Morrell effort was headed off the line by Lasley, and Hughes showed great composure to fire through a crowded goal-mouth to open the scoring after.

A long punt up-field from Giddings (A precision punt, rather than a hopeful one!) saw McSheffrey get away from his marker only to head just over the Plymouth bar, and minutes later a foul on McSheffrey resulted in a free-kick, which saw CCFC take a 2-0 lead - happy days! Like Doyle's free-kick weeks before, a tame looking cross by Barrett was missed by everybody, and ended up in the back of Larriou's net. The team that had beaten Wigan away only one week before looked stunned (For that matter, so did most CCFC supoprters!).

A cracking Johnson cross saw McSheffrey go in bravely on Larriou, but, despite the fact the keeper clattered McSheffrey, the "untouchable keeper rule" once again came into play, with a free-kick being given against the CCFC striker. Minutes later another decent McSheffrey effort went just the wrong side of the post, as CCFC threatened to rout the Championship's early season pace-setters.

A dive by a Plymouth defender, which was rightly ignored by the referee (Though he should have gone back andboked the player), left Johnson with only the keeper to beat. But, with the angle not in his favour, he opted to pass instead and Plymouth managed to clear with no real threat made to make the score 3-0.

CCFC were almost made to pay, as Evans looked certain to make the score 2-1. He was thwarted by a quality challenge from Shaw, who put the ball out for a corner. The resulting corner was fired in, only for Shaw to again stop any potential Plymouth attack, going on a 30 yard run into the opposition territory (Badges available soon!), to set up a CCFC attack.

Hughes displayed the sort of qualities that will be needed if CCFC are to climb away from the wrong end of the table, getting his body in the way of a thunderous Plymouth free kick, which left him flat out for a good while! Some last-ditch defending by Shaw denied Plymouth another goal chance soon after, with the CCFC veteran clearing off the line.

The game could have been over as a contest in the 38th minute, but another of the old CCFC failings, trying to walk the ball into the net, came to the fore, and the score stayed at 2-0 at half-time.

Two minutes into the second half Evans pulled a goal back for Plymouth - and it was a cracker. Steele was blamed by some CCFC supporters, but TV highlights reveal that, while he was slightly off his line, it was a quality effort. CCFC had lost the plot slightly towards the end of the first half, and this was the last thing CCFC needed, with some fans fearing a possible collapse.

Minutes later Plymouth fans appealed for a free-kick, claiming Steele had handled just outside his area - though thankfully the referee ignored their ridiculous claims.

With Plymouth looking more like equalising than CCFC adding to their score, CCFC suddenly created a couple of chances - with the referee's assistant flagging for offside twice (Possibly wrongly on at least one occasion). Morrell's effort had hit the inside of the post with the first, and a McSheffrey shot going just wide with the second (Not that either would have counted had they gone in!).

A Plymouth free-kick came close to taking the paint off Luke Steele's post (The quality of their set-pieces would sugget they give some serious time to practising them in training, while Mr. Doyle's efforts currently looking as if he has stopped practising!), and on 62 minutes a Morrell cross was headed just over the bar by McSheffrey (Who for a small player was doing well in the air against Plymouth's taller defenders).

The site of Dele Adebola wearing a CFC shirt, something most thought wouldn't happen again, was greeted with massive cheers from the Highfield Road crowd - seemingly genuine rather than ironic too! He immediately started to do all the things he has previously been criticised for NOT doing - using his height to his (And CCFC's!) advantage, and being a bloody nuisance to the opposition defence.

His first real contribution had CCFC fans out of their seats as he powered past Plymouth's right-back and headed towards goal. Sadly, his cross was poor, and the chance was gone, but he finally looked as if he might have re-gained some confidence - thank you Bradford!

For the next few minutes CCFC were trapped in and around their own penalty area, with Plymouth wasting a great chance to equalise (With one effort being more of a danger to the swans in the Swanswell pool!). CCFC made the mistake of not bothering to have an outlet for their hoofed clearances, meaning, rather obviously, the ball just kept getting pumped back into and around their penalty area. When a CCFC player did venture away from the penalty area towards the halfway line, Plymouth's nine attackers became seven-and-a-half....

A brilliant last-ditch challenge from Carey on 72 minutes denied Plymouth what looked a certain equaliser, before Adebola again tried to suggest he might be worthy of playing in a CCFC shirt rather than plying his trade elsewhere. His 75th minute rampage through the Plymouth defence set up Morrell, whose effort was put out for a corner.

CCFC again tried to walk the ball into the net in the 87th minute, with nobody seemingly wanting the repsonsibility of having a shot, while Plymouth were reduced to hopeful punts upfield in a bid to snatch an equaliser.

Four minutes of injury time were conjured up from who knows where by the referee, though more Adebola power-play almost put the match beyond doubt anyway, as he stormed into the PA penalty area, only to fire a shot disappointingly wide. Possibly from the same place that the four minutes came from, the referee for some reason awarded a corner! (Having been directly in the line of where the shot started and finished, I have to say it wasn't even close!).

The final whistle was blown, and most of the fairly decent sized crowd of 15,314 (Obviously a lot of freebies!) went home happy, and, with Brighton winning away at West Ham, victory meant CCFC didn't slip even closer to the drop zone - a result that might just keep any potential protest at bay for another week.

Because yesterday's expected protest never quite happened, there will no doubt be smugness amongst those that think it failed (Remember we are still closer to the bottom than the top! And still financially in the brown stuff!) - it was possibly people showing their support for CCFC in the face of potential protests that the atmosphere was as good as it was! And for that the protestors should be thanked....