Missing Boundary Park for the Etihad

The Great Dilemma: Boundary Park vs The Etihad

You know it’s been a proper football weekend when you’re torn between watching your beloved Latics at home and watching your lad play at the Etihad Stadium. And yes, you read that right - while I was stuck watching highlights on my phone, Odie was living his best life playing football at Manchester City’s ground!

His team came third in their tournament, which honestly feels like a better result than most of our away days last season.

The Art of Missing Sitters (A Masterclass)

Right, so I managed to catch the match highlights, and blimey, what a game to miss! Twenty shots - TWENTY! - and we’re walking away with a 1-1 draw against Colchester United. That’s football for you, isn’t it? Sometimes you can pepper the goal like you’re in a shooting gallery and still come away wondering how you didn’t win.

Eight shots on target from twenty attempts tells its own story, but the real highlight had to be witnessing one of football’s greatest mysteries - how do you miss from practically on the goal line and somehow send it over the bar? I mean, it’s actually harder to miss from there than it is to score! That’s proper League Two entertainment right there.

Hawkes to the Rescue (Wembley Vibes)

But then comes the magic moment - Hawkes equalizer! And here’s the thing that gave me proper goosebumps watching the highlights: it was a mirror image of the winning goal at Wembley. You know what they say - they all count, whether it’s at Wembley or against Colchester on a Saturday afternoon at Boundary Park.

That’s the thing about football, isn’t it? One moment you’re pulling your hair out watching someone sky it from two yards, the next you’re jumping off the sofa celebrating a goal that reminds you of the best day in the club’s recent history.

The Positives (And There Are Plenty)

Look, 1-1 might not set the world alight, but there’s loads to be optimistic about:

What’s Working:

• ✅ Creating chances (20 shots shows we’re getting in the right positions)

• ✅ New signings settling in (some have only been here 2 days!)

• ✅ That Hawkes goal

• ✅ 16th in the table after 2 games (solid foundation to build from)

The new lads are still finding their feet - imagine trying to gel with a team when you’ve literally just walked through the door! Give it a few weeks and we could be looking at something special.

What I Missed (And I’m Proper Gutted)

Watching highlights is fine, but there’s nothing like being there, is there? Especially gutted to miss seeing the ball crew with their flag-bearing at the start - that’s always one of my favorite moments. There’s something special about that pre-match ritual at Boundary Park.

Plus, I missed out on seeing Odie in his element behind the goal. The lad loves his ball boy duties almost as much as he loves playing at the Etihad (almost).

Looking Ahead: Building Something Special

Sixteenth after two games and two draws? I’ll take that as a starting point any day. We’re creating chances, we’ve got new signings who are still learning each other’s names, and we’re showing that fighting spirit with goals like Hawkes’ equalizer.

A full week to train together, get everyone properly settled, and work on putting those chances away. Hopefully, we can get everyone fit and firing for Saturday’s next adventure.

The Plan: Get back to Boundary Park next week, watch Odie work his magic behind the goal, and see if we can turn some of those twenty shots into twenty goals. Well, maybe not twenty, but you get the idea.

Sometimes football gives you tough choices - support your club or support your kid. This weekend, the kid won (and got a bronze medal for his troubles). But next Saturday, we’ll be back where we belong, hoping for three points and fewer heart-stopping misses from two yards out.

Come On You Latics! 💙

P.S. - Anyone got any shooting practice drills we can send to the lads? Asking for the Oldham fans…