Swindon fan Nick Judd reflects on a memorable night watching the Robins, in more ways than one...
Wishing your life away...
On Tuesday night, with 10 minutes left on the clock, my dad turned to me and said: fâÂÂWhy do we do this to ourselves?âÂÂ
He had a point. It was minus -14, the wind slapping us in the face like an angry spouse, and Swindon had conceded a second goal with 13 minutes remaining despite having been three up and coasting.
Yet thatâÂÂs precisely why we do it, for what else can make you wish your life away like we were doing in the gameâÂÂs dying embers? What other situation brings such euphoria and anxiety in close proximity?
If the players had seats they would have been right on the edge of them, too. Football is a confidence game and after TownâÂÂs second (more on that later) we were playing sunshine football.
"3-0! Three points in the bag... probably"
Players who would normally have got rid of the ball as quickly as they received it were now taking a touch, looking to pick out âÂÂHollywoodâ passes and moving with the energy of Lee Evans on acid.
At 3-2 it was panic stations, aimless long balls and conceding possession like a nervous teenager caught with narcotics in his pockets. But thankfully we held on for a crucial victory.
You could have probably heard the collective sigh of relief in Wales at the final whistle, but you couldnâÂÂt fault it for thrills and spills. This was a 147 on an entertainment snooker table.
Window smashing...
Somebody put a brick through that transfer window please.
It might be fun if youâÂÂre Man City, or Harry Redknapp, but for those of us in the real world itâÂÂs another case of counting down the days until itâÂÂs over.
For us itâÂÂs about keeping players â namely Simon Cox (more on him later) â than buying them. IâÂÂd love Danny Wilson to shop at Harrods, but for Swindon Town to survive on an even keel itâÂÂs more likely to be Primark.
Still, IâÂÂve always found them to have nice T-shirts, and if Gordon Greer and Hal Robson Kanu are anything to go by, weâÂÂll be alright.
And another thing...
Was Simon CoxâÂÂs goal against Walsall the best goal ever at the County Ground?
I only have 20 years of experience to draw on, but I canâÂÂt remember one. IâÂÂll attempt to convey the moment of brilliance in words.
Bergkamp vs Argentina: Not a patch on Cox vs Walsall
Receiving a long ball over his shoulder, Cox â approximately 7,456 yards from goal â took a golden touch of which Razorlight would be proud, and leathered the ball before it touched the floor.
Walsall goalkeeper, Clayton Ince, like the rest of us, knew he was beaten the moment CoxâÂÂs volley left his boot. Debate ensues whether it was better than this effort against Fenerbahce.
LetâÂÂs just hope the Bolton scouts werenâÂÂt watching.
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