Andy Munro has finally returned from Belgium.
It was one of those rare occasions when expectations were completely fulfilled which is, of course, a rarity for us long suffering Blues fans. Mind you even getting tickets for the game at Bruges was an absolute nightmare which I won’t go into for this report but, as a season ticket holder of over 20 years standing, I felt a bit miffed by the stress it caused me.
Anyway, I had booked Virgin and Eurostar in advance plus the hotel – the ‘Lace Hotel’ which might have been a worry (or not?) if it had been located in Amsterdam. It was my first sojourn on Eurostar and it was smooth and quick and certainly beat the Ryan Airport experience. Changing at Brussels, the fare to Bruges for the hour’s journey was just 12 euros return – a contrast to the extortionate prices charged by British rail companies.
Lace Hotel - Bruges
Additionally we found that we’d fallen on our feet with the location of the hotel which was only a few minutes walk from the station and also halfway to the main square, which was really rocking by the time we arrived. I’d arranged to hook up with several people but in the end managed to see none of them and instead saw a load of different people I hadn’t seen for years, and all over the square, similar Bluenose reunions were taking place.
To kick off the drinking, I made the mistake of ordering a fruit beer which would have made an alcopop seem like a pint of Absinthe so I then went onto proper stuff before we decided to make our way to the ground. Unfortunately the Shuttle Buses were in chaos and one of the unfairly maligned stewards had even been decked by an angry Blues fan. Consequently we elected to undertake a walk to the ground which turned out to be of Tipperary proportions and it took us over three quarters of an hour to reach the Stadium. There were plenty of police around although, in fairness, the atmosphere between Blues and Brugge fans seemed generally good natured.
The ground was a bit like the Baggies, not particularly big but well set out even if the non tip-up seats made movement a bit awkward causing us to stand all the game which made for a bit of consternation from the Brugge announcer. Incidentally I didn’t see one official programme seller nor any of the ‘Made In Brugge’ variety.
Once the match kicked off, Blues started in their usual pedestrian manner and stood off the opposition which resulted in early Brugge pressure. Therefore it was no surprise when within three minutes we went a goal down. Visions of Villa fans laughing as we were on the receiving end of a hammering became a distinct possibility. Yet going behind seemed to wake the Blues out of their stupor and the team started to get at the Brugges defence who all of a sudden looked vulnerable under pressure.
Eventually the equaliser came when an increasingly influential Wade Elliot crossed to the ever improving Smurf who coolly ghosted in to net. In fact, apart from a brilliant Myhill stop from a point blank header, we were rarely troubled up to the break.
However we again started slowly after the restart and took a few moments to get into the game but when we did Ziggy missed a nail on header and we all thought it was going to be one of those days. Yet Hughton has a much more of a positive attitude than the Ginger One (who incidentally was given a slightly less fortunate tag by the Blues fans).With Ziggy struggling to chase back and Rooney having run himself to a standstill, King and Wood came on to wreak havoc on a tiring Bruges defence. A word at this point for N’Daw, who again seemed off the pace ‘early daws’ but became increasingly influential and near the end won some towering headers and put in some vital tackles. Maybe him and Mutch can fill the current vacuum in midfield.
There was a scare when Ibanez(who played well incidentally) was knocked out cold but the Ridge seamlessly fitted in. As ten minutes of added on time ticked away, a bit of trickery from Marlon King followed by a driven cross saw goal talisman Chris Woods net, triggering scenes of unbridled joy. As grown blokes (and women) danced in the aisles,the ref blew his whistle to signal a win that would live long in the memory of all the bluenoses who were there, and, by the way, making history as the only British team to win at Brugges..
Top of the table….we’re all going on a European Tour..indeed!