Well we got away with it tonight, a crap conference referee which I suppose we've got to look forward to all season, followed by as stubborn a piece of defending as I've ever seen. Gilly was awesome at the heart of it. While we are able to defend that well we don't need a 20 goal a season striker (although God knows I would really like to see one).
Last season we would have let that lead go in the last 90 seconds and gone away saying that was all we really deserved but that was a different spirit out there tonight and Gilly really showed it at the end when he roared his thanks to the fans.
Come on you Yellows!!!
I know it's early doors and I've had a sherbet but it already feels different and I think we really can do it.
obdurate defending
Stubborn defending very much so before and after we went down to 10 men. Anaclet’s defending worried me again and when he tired he lost the ball a fair bit going forward. (Thinking back to Langy it is obvious he is a Jim Smith sort of player). On the other side Johnson got skinned a couple of times too. But our strength was in the middle. Our central defenders are not the tallest around but Turley makes up for that by coming and getting most crosses. He also made two tremendous saves. My motm. The first was a miss hit cross that nearly went in and the second was the only real chance I can recall Dagenham having although the report on the official site have noted a few more.
It was good to see that we could play without Burgess. We were nothing going forward until Yemi came on. He pace and liveliness unsettled them and he started to work well with Duffy. In the end class and grit told and when we kept the ball on the floor even with a man short I think we looked a bit better than them.
It was good to see that we could play without Burgess. We were nothing going forward until Yemi came on. He pace and liveliness unsettled them and he started to work well with Duffy. In the end class and grit told and when we kept the ball on the floor even with a man short I think we looked a bit better than them.
-
Resurrection Ox
- Puberty
- Posts: 445
- Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 9:45 pm
Re:
"Baboo" wrote:Stubborn defending very much so before and after we went down to 10 men. Anaclet’s defending worried me again and when he tired he lost the ball a fair bit going forward. (Thinking back to Langy it is obvious he is a Jim Smith sort of player). On the other side Johnson got skinned a couple of times too. But our strength was in the middle. Our central defenders are not the tallest around but Turley makes up for that by coming and getting most crosses. He also made two tremendous saves. My motm. The first was a miss hit cross that nearly went in and the second was the only real chance I can recall Dagenham having although the report on the official site have noted a few more.
It was good to see that we could play without Burgess. We were nothing going forward until Yemi came on. He pace and liveliness unsettled them and he started to work well with Duffy. In the end class and grit told and when we kept the ball on the floor even with a man short I think we looked a bit better than them.
Good review that. Also Gilchrist and Day were first class. Pettfer is industrious and busy.
Clear to me that blood, sweat and tears are essential to get out of the league. Without that we will finish nowhere.
Burgess was terribly disappointing. Good management by Smith to get him off.
Yemi looks stronger and quicker than last season. A handful. We must play 2 up front at all times. Duffy twice the player with someone to read his flickons.
Albeit safe in the environs of my front room, monitoring the match by text update (and now supplemented by the mathc reports), last night was the first time that I've felt any sort of real optimism that we might actually be up there at the end of the season.
Yes we beat one of last years challengers on Saturday, but it was at home and it was in front of an opening day crowd. Last night was away at a proper non-league ground, to a decent midtable side and yet we still ground out a 1-0 steal with 10 men.
Two from two is a magnificent start and anything from the trip to Burton would cap a great first week. Encouraging to note we are already 6 points clear of Rushden and Stevenage, two of the pre-season challengers too.
Cue comments about Marathons and sprints, but anyone who has run a Marathon knows how much easier it is to run a decent time if you are near the front rather than stuck behind the comedy rhinos (insert here whichever team you feel deserves this tag).
Yes we beat one of last years challengers on Saturday, but it was at home and it was in front of an opening day crowd. Last night was away at a proper non-league ground, to a decent midtable side and yet we still ground out a 1-0 steal with 10 men.
Two from two is a magnificent start and anything from the trip to Burton would cap a great first week. Encouraging to note we are already 6 points clear of Rushden and Stevenage, two of the pre-season challengers too.
Cue comments about Marathons and sprints, but anyone who has run a Marathon knows how much easier it is to run a decent time if you are near the front rather than stuck behind the comedy rhinos (insert here whichever team you feel deserves this tag).
I didn't notice the ref being too bad.
I did notice that in the first half Dagenham played at a far greater pace and with what seemed more skill that we did. We honestly didn't seem to get out of our half for 15 minutes (doesn't time go slowly in East london, or wherever Daggers is).
Anaclet was definitely a headless chicken defensively. Seems a straight replacement for Lee mansell.
The changes at half time were excellent. Hargreaves had one of those 'so he can play' half's of football, including a left footed, 30 yard, crossball pass to an Oxford player. And Yemi, well he gave us pace and strength.
Thoroughly professional in the way we closed out the game over the last ten minutes.
Under Atkins we had spells of playing crap and winning, then I knew we wouldn't improve and our luck would change. Now we seem to be playing crap and winning but I have hope we can improve and continue winning.
I did notice that in the first half Dagenham played at a far greater pace and with what seemed more skill that we did. We honestly didn't seem to get out of our half for 15 minutes (doesn't time go slowly in East london, or wherever Daggers is).
Anaclet was definitely a headless chicken defensively. Seems a straight replacement for Lee mansell.
The changes at half time were excellent. Hargreaves had one of those 'so he can play' half's of football, including a left footed, 30 yard, crossball pass to an Oxford player. And Yemi, well he gave us pace and strength.
Thoroughly professional in the way we closed out the game over the last ten minutes.
Under Atkins we had spells of playing crap and winning, then I knew we wouldn't improve and our luck would change. Now we seem to be playing crap and winning but I have hope we can improve and continue winning.
Re:
He did however do one excellent bit of defending in the second half when he jockeyed an attacker all the way from the penalty area and forced him over to the touch line where we managed to win the throw. Perhaps with a lot more coaching he does have it in him to be a defender. (I'm far from being convinced though)"DLT" wrote: Anaclet was definitely a headless chicken defensively. Seems a straight replacement for Lee mansell.
What has happened to Lamine ? Have we given up because of the work permit problems?
-
Kernow Yellow
- Grumpy old git
- Posts: 3075
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 5:16 pm
Anaclet's a wing-back, though, not a full back. He's there for his attacking ability. We're playing a genuine three at the back rather than an Atkins five (or eight). Granted, he had to be one of four after Quinn's sending-off, but we didn't concede so I'm not complaining.
Hargreaves did have one of his better games. He needs to play like that a fair bit more before I forgive him for last season however.
Something that struck me - for the first 20 minutes Dagenham looked like they had an extra man, then after Quinn's sending-off they didn't! Funny old game...
Hargreaves did have one of his better games. He needs to play like that a fair bit more before I forgive him for last season however.
Something that struck me - for the first 20 minutes Dagenham looked like they had an extra man, then after Quinn's sending-off they didn't! Funny old game...
Re:
But if he can't defend at all we might as well have an out and out winger instead."Kernow Yellow" wrote:Anaclet's a wing-back, though, not a full back. He's there for his attacking ability.
Agree about Hargreaves - on that performance he may be worth a place in the side.