Robins rocked at Blackpool

The beautiful Megan Dodds - who played Kitty De Luxe in the Viva Blackpool programme - any excuse and all that...

Third time at the Mechanics Ground and another lively affair.

Not sure what they put in the sea air - or the beer for that matter in the excellent Shovels pub - but any how the games are always feisty affairs with loads of banter from the terraces and the dugouts.

This was never going to be any different as the two sat at the summit prior to kick off.

But first the beer. I had to stay loyal and go with a few (too many) pints of Wigan brewery Allgates' Winter Meltdown. Picked it cos it was a "light beer". I've since discovered:

Originally brewed in October 2009 as a monthly special but due to demand it was retained as a seasonal beer.

It is brewed with low colour Maris Otter & Lager malts to provide a perfect light coloured beer with the Brewers Gold hops providing a well balanced bitterness ideally complemented with the lemon and citrus aromas from the use of Pioneer as the late aroma hop. Oh and it's 4.8%
http://www.allgatesbrewery.com/our_beers/seasonal/

I think it was the spearmint and fruit chews that got me a bit wobbly though.
But all-in-all a very decent pub with a good range of beers and well worth a visit if at one of the three grounds within 100 yards of it. And Wigan Council moan about putting floodlights up in a field in middle of nowhere - well that's floodlights for football clubs, St Pats can out up 24 of the buggers, but I digress.

As for the game - well they had a player called Whacker. And that pretty much summed up their game. He whacked it, others whacked it and two top strikers Ben Waddington and Nial Cummins chased everything causing the Robins defence all kinds of problems all day.

But more on this Whacker character, What a whinging whining little git he was. Screeching like a little girl every time anybody went near to him. Feigning injury, diving the lot. He's been watching far too much Premier League stuff and I'm really surprised he wasn't wearing a snood!

Somebody else that had been been watching far too much Premier League stuff was the fat ref as Ryan Small became the first of five Robins - and (just) one Blackpool player - to enter the referee's book for a strong challenge. Ry got the ball but no fatty number one went straight to his pocket while the lad that got hit was rolling around like he'd been shot. Thought for a moment it was going to be red but thankfully it was only a yellow hue.

Fatty number two was the bloke that is always known as "the fat linesman" who as normal was about as near to play as the woman that was serving pie and peas in the clubhouse. It's all very well but when the home side are playing the long ball game you've got to be up to the mark and this fella just isn't good enough.

As for the goals - well their two were carbon copies, through passes and expertly finished by Ben Waddington.

Our one was also pretty much a carbon copy, through pass and expertly finished by their centre half for a cracking own goal.

The final thirty minutes was pretty much stalemate - Wigan responded well to going behind by controlling possession but the home defence coped with everything that the Robins could throw at limiting the visitors to long range efforts.

With time running out we threw everybody - including keeper Jay Foulds - forward but last-gasp defending from Blackpool denied us as they hung on for a vital victory.

Special word for the large contingent of travelling fans who applauded the lads off as they knew the team had contributed to an enthralling encounter.

Top day out - bar the result!

Next up the Daisies from over the hill on Saturday.

I'm sure we'll bounce back...