March 22 2006

Jobi McAnuff

What a result away to Leeds (0-1) on a freezing spring night! Jamesey cheers up somewhat.

Well, I didn't feel a massive surge of confidence that we would get anything at Elland Road, particularly after being outplayed on our home turf and losing 1-2 to Leeds at Selhurst (Mar 4).

But there you go. Jobi McAnuff knocked one in before half-time and we hung on in the second half and. bingo, three points...thank you very much.

The best laid plans of mice and men always get cocked up and Leeds away was a game I planned to attend last August when it was originally scheduled.

I have never been to Elland Road and I looked forward to a first visit. But for one reason after another our away game against the Whites was postponed and rescheduled and when it finally happened I was unable to travel.

But respect and admiration to all Eagles supporters who went to Yorkshire while I guiltily sat in my super-heated kitchen listening on BBC Radio London.

And talking of guilty feelings, I seem to be rather an absentee supporter recently.

I watched the Stoke away win ( Mar 13) on telly in the pub, missed our Ipswich draw (Mar 18) because of family commitments, will not be going to Derby County (Mar 25) and will even miss our next home duel against Watford (Mar 31) due to being a thousand miles away in Switzerland. That must be my longest absentee record for a decade or three.

So play-off plans still on course. And I must say that I thought Jobi MacAnuff has always looked one of Iain Dowie's best buys.

He consistently looks up for it and will take the opposition on, and in recent months seems to have developed the knack of scoring monumentally important goals, not least his winner against Leeds Utd.

Email Jamesey with any comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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