MAN OF THE MATCH

A game whose outcome was distorted by the injury to the shirts' Marmadu (spelling?) ... This was a result that didn't do justice to the efforts of the old lags.

The shirts took an early cominance, but when the Irish wizard arrived for the greens, things were shaping up to be pretty equal. Some slick moves, some good goals, but it all fell apart (just like That Other Team) and the roof fell in, when The Man in Brown twisted an ankle. That Other Team night have been missing Terry, Owen, Rooney, Ferdinand, Cole and Heskey, but their loss was piddling compared to the damage done to the colours on Friday night.

The greens showed no mercy. They poured forward with one touch pass-and-move like some Croation creation. The lags huffed and puffed and, in Guy's words "did bloody well under the circumstances" ... But the end result was as predictable as the lifespan Steve McQueen in the England job.

Some worthy performances on a night when conditions made handling difficult for the keeper ... oh, yeah, there was no keeper ... just like That Other Team. There were some outstanding candidates for Man of the Match. Chibb was tireless and lead by example, superb tackles, terrific runs, and one sliding effort that deserved more than the near miss it resulted in. Geir was moving through the gears with his usual composure and grit. Frazer was dishing out passes that would have landed on Crouch's eyebrow. Guy was defying his age yet again, dribbling and slotting in passes like a contender. Keith was defiant as a lone defender. Barry looked unbeatable whether pushing forward or folding the fort. Rich was here and there, a constant threat.

But there can only be one real Man of The Match ...

Frank Lampard.