Some fantastic football in the second half and apparently we had 20 shots to their 7. Wonderful to watch.
All this against a side who this year have an excellent record.
But ... there seems to be a psychological issue now. The number of last minute goals we concede could cost us as if we do get into the play offs , I am not sure that many/ any of the teams in it will be on fire.
Oh and we should really have been 4-1 up by the timne Clarke appeared to make a howler (I appreciate he was injured).
Today
-
GodalmingYellow
- Senile
- Posts: 5178
- Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 10:22 am
I thought we varied between good and mediocre first half and Torquay showed their form. Poor mistakes for their goal and we were slightly unlucky to be behind, but no rea l complaints.
Second half we completely dominated and and outplayed Torquay. Rendell made a big difference and we had some first class performances from Whing (my MoM), Chapman, Morgan and Montano, with Hall not far behind.
We played some of our best football and should have scored several more, but for their keeper having a fine game and them throwing bodies in front of shots all over the place.
To perform this well against arguably the best passing and most clinical team in the division was a real credit, especially coming so soon after a couple of less good results.
To lose the game in the death throes was very disappointing. Unusual for Clarke to make such a blunder, when it was surely easier to tip the ball over or punch it clear.
Agree mostly with Wilder's post match comments again, although a thinly veiled attack on Beano saying we should have a player with 20 or more goals this season given the number of chances we have created. That sort of talk isn't good management.
Gills are very inconsistent at the moment as are Cheltenham. My concern is Crewe who are putting a run together at the right time and are unbeaten in at least 10 matches. Luckily for us, Crewe have still to play Cheltenham, and we have still to play Gills, so if the players can keep up today's second half performance, we will make the play offs without too much trouble.
Good ref today.
Second half we completely dominated and and outplayed Torquay. Rendell made a big difference and we had some first class performances from Whing (my MoM), Chapman, Morgan and Montano, with Hall not far behind.
We played some of our best football and should have scored several more, but for their keeper having a fine game and them throwing bodies in front of shots all over the place.
To perform this well against arguably the best passing and most clinical team in the division was a real credit, especially coming so soon after a couple of less good results.
To lose the game in the death throes was very disappointing. Unusual for Clarke to make such a blunder, when it was surely easier to tip the ball over or punch it clear.
Agree mostly with Wilder's post match comments again, although a thinly veiled attack on Beano saying we should have a player with 20 or more goals this season given the number of chances we have created. That sort of talk isn't good management.
Gills are very inconsistent at the moment as are Cheltenham. My concern is Crewe who are putting a run together at the right time and are unbeaten in at least 10 matches. Luckily for us, Crewe have still to play Cheltenham, and we have still to play Gills, so if the players can keep up today's second half performance, we will make the play offs without too much trouble.
Good ref today.
A lot to like about today. Rendell made a fundamental difference when he came on, holding the ball and giving the fullbacks time to get down the wings and get crosses in. Hope we sign him on a permanent deal, he may not get 20 a season but he's the best I've seen in that central role in the 4-3-3, and that includes when Beano is on form (which is certainly not the case at the moment).
Don't know what the fuss is about Montagno and Morgan, both had good games today (although Mont did drift in and out of the game a bit, great run and header for the 2nd goal though). The midfield looks very good at the moment, all three were candidates for man of the match.
We just need to a) be more clinical with more of our chances (t'was ever thus tbh) and b) stay positive right to the end of the game. Best way of protecting a crocked goalie is keep the ball up the other end of the park. Best way of dealing with ten men is make them chase the ball. It's not rocket science.
Went to the game hoping for a point, came away disappointed that we didn't get all three.
Don't know what the fuss is about Montagno and Morgan, both had good games today (although Mont did drift in and out of the game a bit, great run and header for the 2nd goal though). The midfield looks very good at the moment, all three were candidates for man of the match.
We just need to a) be more clinical with more of our chances (t'was ever thus tbh) and b) stay positive right to the end of the game. Best way of protecting a crocked goalie is keep the ball up the other end of the park. Best way of dealing with ten men is make them chase the ball. It's not rocket science.
Went to the game hoping for a point, came away disappointed that we didn't get all three.
-
Old Abingdonian
- Mid-life Crisis
- Posts: 844
- Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 10:05 am
- Location: Blakeney, Gloucs
Would agree with all of this.
Two questions:
- if it is that easy to referee a game well, why do so many refs muck it up?
- if we can start like we did today, why did we start so badly against Morecambe, Dagenham and Redbridge and Barnet?
- oh, and a third question - why are a team as bad as D&R going to stay up (in all likelihood)?
Two questions:
- if it is that easy to referee a game well, why do so many refs muck it up?
- if we can start like we did today, why did we start so badly against Morecambe, Dagenham and Redbridge and Barnet?
- oh, and a third question - why are a team as bad as D&R going to stay up (in all likelihood)?
-
recordmeister
- Middle-Aged Spread
- Posts: 1808
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:34 am
- Location: London
Agree entirely with the Beano-Rendell comments. Beano's first touch has never been good - I think the extra quality of league defenders is resulting in him losing possession much more frequently than in the Conference, as he is not given the time and space to re-gain control. Rendell's ability to hold the ball up - which first requires him to control it - was evident.
What made our performance so pleasing before we gave up the ghost was the tempo and intensity with which we played. How professional footballers could really believe 2-1 was job done and that they could then ease off beats the hell out of me - at all, let alone against a team as good as Torquay.
Seeing possibly the best ref this season put into context the RadOx commentators who, before the match, said he had not refereed us since the Conference and they hoped he had his big-game face on. They really seemed concerned he was not up to it, just because he is new to the League. Like that matters (cf Kettle).
What made our performance so pleasing before we gave up the ghost was the tempo and intensity with which we played. How professional footballers could really believe 2-1 was job done and that they could then ease off beats the hell out of me - at all, let alone against a team as good as Torquay.
Seeing possibly the best ref this season put into context the RadOx commentators who, before the match, said he had not refereed us since the Conference and they hoped he had his big-game face on. They really seemed concerned he was not up to it, just because he is new to the League. Like that matters (cf Kettle).
-
joepoolman
- Mid-life Crisis
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:22 am
I think some views on Beano's first touch is harsh, granted it's not great but I think some fans get that stuck in their head and then only notice poor first touches, and not the good ones. Also with the way we're playing at the moment, the centre foward often gets the ball with his back to goal, whereas I think in the conference Beano got balls in behind more and that's what he thrived off, take a game where he got a brace this year as an example - Plymouth.
I also think that his first touch and his confidence go hand in hand, and what he needs for both of these is a run in the team, whether he scores in the first couple of games or not, coming off at ht couldn't have been good for him yesterday, especially seeing as it was only a like for like sub formation wise, and I think the goal was what got us going, not Rendell, even though he played well. I would say that with 5 games to go maybe getting the results for the play offs is more important then giving an off form striker a run of games.
I also think that his first touch and his confidence go hand in hand, and what he needs for both of these is a run in the team, whether he scores in the first couple of games or not, coming off at ht couldn't have been good for him yesterday, especially seeing as it was only a like for like sub formation wise, and I think the goal was what got us going, not Rendell, even though he played well. I would say that with 5 games to go maybe getting the results for the play offs is more important then giving an off form striker a run of games.
-
John Byrne's Underpants
- Puberty
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:44 pm
- Location: Behind the desk
Agree with most of the comments.
I can only hope/assume that the caller to Radio Oxford wanting to know why Beano was subbed at half time wasn't at the match. It seemed pretty obvious to me as to why. In fact, why didn't Rendell start in the first place? Maybe Beano is off form at the moment, but I still think Rendell is an altogether better player. He has a first touch, holds the ball up better and leads the line pretty well. I'd like us to try and sign him in the summer if possible.
Midfield, particularly in the second half, was excellent I thought. We didn't miss Leven too much and that can only be a good thing. Also, I didn't think Morgan was too bad at all. He ran their full back ragged at times.
Slightly disappointed with Wilder's post match comments in regards to Clarke. If Clarke was injured and couldn't make the save then it's not his fault really. Yet Wilder was reluctant to defend him. In all honesty, as others have pointed out, had the rest of the team done their jobs better in the last few minutes, he may not have been forced into trying to make the save in the first place.
Would have taken a point before the match but came away disappointed in the end.
I can only hope/assume that the caller to Radio Oxford wanting to know why Beano was subbed at half time wasn't at the match. It seemed pretty obvious to me as to why. In fact, why didn't Rendell start in the first place? Maybe Beano is off form at the moment, but I still think Rendell is an altogether better player. He has a first touch, holds the ball up better and leads the line pretty well. I'd like us to try and sign him in the summer if possible.
Midfield, particularly in the second half, was excellent I thought. We didn't miss Leven too much and that can only be a good thing. Also, I didn't think Morgan was too bad at all. He ran their full back ragged at times.
Slightly disappointed with Wilder's post match comments in regards to Clarke. If Clarke was injured and couldn't make the save then it's not his fault really. Yet Wilder was reluctant to defend him. In all honesty, as others have pointed out, had the rest of the team done their jobs better in the last few minutes, he may not have been forced into trying to make the save in the first place.
Would have taken a point before the match but came away disappointed in the end.
-
GodalmingYellow
- Senile
- Posts: 5178
- Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 10:22 am
Re:
Excellent Baboo."Baboo" wrote:http://www.rageonline.co.uk ... ws_id=3113
-
Kernow Yellow
- Grumpy old git
- Posts: 3076
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 5:16 pm
Re:
Agree with most of that. Except the nearest decent boozer I found to Sixfields was the Thomas a Becket, about a mile away. And I can't believe you went to F&B's when the Sixfields Tavern was letting away fans in and had some half decent real ale on!"GodalmingYellow" wrote:Excellent Baboo."Baboo" wrote:http://www.rageonline.co.uk ... ws_id=3113
As to the Torquay game, most pertinent points have already been made. Rendell just does things better than Beano. They both got fouled repeatedly in the air by Torquay's number 4, but Rendell was awarded the free kicks. Rendell had the ability to win the ball with his strength, and had the control and touch to do something with it. Beano always seemed to be gambling on his marker making a mistake, which wasn't happening much, so he won precious little.
Our midfield was on fire in the second half (can't believe someone gave Whing motm though - he was woeful first half, back to his early season form). Overall it was a really good, competitive end-to-end game of football.
But, and it's a big but, we were badly let down by our decision making all over the park. First Worley's blunder for their opener. Then, when we went 2-1 up, we seemed to be complacent about our superiority and tried scoring wonder goals from all angles. Morgan was particularly culpable, though he had a good game otherwise (our best player in the first half).
And finally, when they went down to ten men, we just completely stopped playing. We had one go at keeping possession, but dawdled so long that it petered out to nothing. Why couldn't we keep going with the incisive passing we'd shown for the previous 20 mins? We were cutting them to ribbons. It was almost as if the players thought it was won at that point, and started to sit back and relax. Except of course sitting back didn't relax them at all, and panic set in. We gave the ball away in horrendous positions (special mention to Ollie Johnson for his attempted solo run through our own penalty area), and their equaliser was as inevitable as it was heartbreaking.
It's hard to believe we only got one point from two generally impressive performances (and two cracking games) over Easter. But the reason is that we do things our opponents don't - we make basic, individual errors we are wildly profligate in front of goal when we start creating chances and we concede late goals when the pressure's on.
We've done most of those things in all of our last three games, and we can't afford to do it any more, or our play-off hopes will quickly disappear.
I'll bear the Thomas a Becket in mind for future reference. Cheers. The Sixfields Tavern looked absolutley packed and as I had the family with me we tried for somewhere a little quieter. I reasoned that it would take ages to get served although Womble told me that this wasn't so. I'll also bear this in mind for future reference.
We frequently defend too deeply for the last ten minutes of games, regardless of whether we're playing against 10 or 11. Given that I've seen CW encouraging the team forward on several of these occasions, I wouldn't put it down as a management tactic. Shouldn't Jake Wright take responsibility as the captain to organise matters better?