Fun was not part of the matchday vocabulary for us last season. So much so that I could probably count on one hand the number of times I left a game feeling entertained and still have one or two fingers spare.
However, Wednesday night was objectively fun and it’s incredibly refreshing to be able to say that. It wasn’t perfect, nor was it without its tense and twitchy moments in the stands, but we scored five goals, conceded none and looked really good going forwards.
It’s just a really nice change
from the pain we had to endure for the majority of the last year. As ever, there were some key talking points and topics that had the fans chatting on socials post-game…
Having fun
Football should be about enjoyment, but this is a privilege that has been hard to come by in recent times for us.
For a long time, matters off the pitch overshadowed any kind of positive performances on it, and then last season it felt like a chore going to games. This is only one match, I know that, but it was just really nice to see fans walking away from a game smiling, laughing, happy.
And they took that glee into their post-match reaction…
Jack Marriott (again)
It’s pretty clear that the best striker in League One plays in Royal blue and white right now, and he proved it yet again against Mansfield Town.
The first goal is another one of those Proper Striker Goals and the second, well, he was celebrating on his own for a while because all his teammates were too shocked at what they’d just seen to move. Pure filth.
Keep him fit and he will score enough goals for us, no doubt about that…
Jeriel Dorsett
I need to be careful here because I could get myself into a bit of a ramble. Essentially, I’m sad that, after arguably our most entertaining win in years, one of the main talking points is this.
And I’m sad for Dorsett more than anything. He’s having it tough right now, and whether they came through ill intent or ill judgement, tongue-in-cheek chants for the last 10 minutes from a significant number of the fans aren’t it.
He’s had a tough start to the season, yes, and I do think the best thing for him would be some time out the spotlight, but I felt uncomfortable with what happened towards the end of the game.
He is of course an academy lad, and it was reassuring to see plenty of fans rush to support him after the game…
Conclusion
It was a strange game, but a really entertaining one and one we’ve ultimately won. We’re only three games in but a close loss, a point away from home and a comfortable win is far from a bad start.
The chants at Dorsett left a sour taste in my mouth, but I’m hoping – judging by the reaction of the fans – that’ll be the first and last time it happens.
It’s nice there’s a short turnaround to the next game, and it gives us a chance to really start building some momentum. We’ll face tougher tests than the one provided by Mansfield, and will definitely need to be sharper for them than we were on Wednesday, but if you can’t be overwhelmingly pleased about a 5-0 home win, when can you be?
