Sc*nthorpe
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:20 pm
Well I spent most of Saturday's match resigned to the fact that our promotion bid was well and truly over. Not only that, but I was also wondering why I'd bothered going at all. After last week's admission that we are already planning for League 1 next season, Appleton then dropped all our creative players to the bench, leading to one of the most turgid 45 minutes of football I've seen in a long time. I understand that he was trying to nullify Scunthorpe's threat through the middle by playing four central midfielders, and ultimately it worked, but it didn't make for pretty viewing.
Putting things in perspective, the conditions were poor. We played into a very strong wind in the first half, and Scunthorpe pressed us so hard that we had little option but to play high balls into the wind. The pitch was also poor, but I don't think that completely excused some of the disjointed football on display. Twenty yard passes were played in the air rather than along the ground, meaning that the recipient had to a) judge the tricky wind and b) get the ball under control, all the while being hassled by the visitors' pressing game. The only openings we carved out were when we got the ball wide, but then of course we didn't have any decent wide players to take advantage. McAleny and Martinez were rarely in the same quarter of the pitch as each other, let alone playing as a cohesive front two. The real low point of the half was when McAleny turned to have a hissy fit at Sercombe instead of following up the latter's parried shot for a potential tap-in. Very unprofessional. Also, much as I like Phil Edwards, is that now three games in quick succession where his player has pretty much passed the ball into the corner of the goal from an angle under not much pressure? Scunny didn't look a great team either, but were good value for the lead if only for their commitment to the cause.
Anyway, the second half started much brighter, helped by the early goal - Skarz got wide and although his cross was behind most of our attackers, Lunny was on hand with a very tidy half-volleyed finish. But in truth after a bright start there wasn't a lot to cheer for much of the second period either. Scunthorpe got back into the game around the hour mark, and seemed more likely to score (and to want the win more than Us). But hey-ho, up popped Curtis Nelson in injury time to smash the ball home (possibly via Edwards' toe-end) and we all went home happy.
A win tomorrow night and the play-offs are very much still on. I'm just not sure how much the club believes in them. And we'd have to play a hell of a lot better then we did on Saturday to have any hope of surviving in the Championship.
PS Great HMHB gig at the O2 after the game, with the audience boosted by more than a smattering of Us fans. Good to see some old faces from my long-supporting past. OUFC even got a few mentions from the stage...
Putting things in perspective, the conditions were poor. We played into a very strong wind in the first half, and Scunthorpe pressed us so hard that we had little option but to play high balls into the wind. The pitch was also poor, but I don't think that completely excused some of the disjointed football on display. Twenty yard passes were played in the air rather than along the ground, meaning that the recipient had to a) judge the tricky wind and b) get the ball under control, all the while being hassled by the visitors' pressing game. The only openings we carved out were when we got the ball wide, but then of course we didn't have any decent wide players to take advantage. McAleny and Martinez were rarely in the same quarter of the pitch as each other, let alone playing as a cohesive front two. The real low point of the half was when McAleny turned to have a hissy fit at Sercombe instead of following up the latter's parried shot for a potential tap-in. Very unprofessional. Also, much as I like Phil Edwards, is that now three games in quick succession where his player has pretty much passed the ball into the corner of the goal from an angle under not much pressure? Scunny didn't look a great team either, but were good value for the lead if only for their commitment to the cause.
Anyway, the second half started much brighter, helped by the early goal - Skarz got wide and although his cross was behind most of our attackers, Lunny was on hand with a very tidy half-volleyed finish. But in truth after a bright start there wasn't a lot to cheer for much of the second period either. Scunthorpe got back into the game around the hour mark, and seemed more likely to score (and to want the win more than Us). But hey-ho, up popped Curtis Nelson in injury time to smash the ball home (possibly via Edwards' toe-end) and we all went home happy.
A win tomorrow night and the play-offs are very much still on. I'm just not sure how much the club believes in them. And we'd have to play a hell of a lot better then we did on Saturday to have any hope of surviving in the Championship.
PS Great HMHB gig at the O2 after the game, with the audience boosted by more than a smattering of Us fans. Good to see some old faces from my long-supporting past. OUFC even got a few mentions from the stage...