It was a bit daft that having encouraged everyone to get behind the youth team the club seemed a bit overwhelmed by the turn out. I'd luckily rung up yesterday and got the ticket loaded onto my season ticket card thingy, but most people hadn't and so there were lengthy queues up Vicarage Road when I arrived at 6.50pm. I assume that people were still outside at kick-off as there was a constant trickle of people coming into the Upper Rous well into the first half. I guess this is the problem with getting rid of manned turnstiles. Apparently there were two women selling tickets in a makeshift booth outside the Rous for those who hadn't pre-booked.
The team were given the full first teamers treatment coming out to Z Cars and Richard Short announcing the line ups. For us I only recognised Eddie Oshodi and Matty Whichelow. Immediately the most striking thing was that the Chelsea side looked about twice the size of ours.
We gave a very good account of ourselves in the opening 20 minutes and came close to scoring when a header from a free kick went narrowly wide. Keeper Bond then made his only mistake of the night when he was caught in no mans land as Chelsea broke and the ball was bundled into the net. He was lucky however that the ref ruled an arm had helped its progress.
It was 1-0 a short time later though when Chelsea volleyed in the opener and they almost got a second straight away when a similar shot went just over. Just as in the game against the Chelsea senior team back in January, once we'd conceded any chance seemed to have gone. They moved up a gear, looked loads better than us and went in 2-0 up at the break after Oshodi conceded a penalty.
A rumour went round at half time that Brendan Rodgers had been spotted in the stand. I didn't see him and there were no obvious chants about him but I suppose it could've been true. He is presumably looking for employment and his former charges (Chelsea, not us) would be an obvious place to go. On the other hand it was an easy and obvious rumour to start up.
The only difference in the second half was the ref. He had had a decent unmemorable performance in the first 45, but decided he fancied a bit of action. After all, the Chelsea TV cameras were there! So he started being Mr. Pedantic, booking our players for dissent over a throw in, and the distance of a wall. Every free kick had to be taken from exactly the right spot, and the ball had to completely still. He even threatened to send the Chelsea coach to the empty East Stand at one point. All this was completely unnecessary and just made him look a right dick.
A disappointing night, especially as 2270 turned out. I know the club encouraged us to go but I do think that people are more likely to get behind the reserves and youth team when these games are played at the Vic rather than in Borehamwood. I can never make 7pm at Meadow Park. Its just too far round the M25 when I don't finish work until after 5pm. However 7pm at the Vic when you can park in the hospital is just about do-able. How about Watford FC? Could we have the reserves back at their proper home for 2010/11?
