Rage Online

Strange game, Rovers were much the better team first half, but missed chances and good saves from Beadle cost them. 2nd half, with a different formation and we were significantly the better side. But missed chances and good saves cost us too until the 2nd goal, which should have been the 3rd or 4th goal if Harris and Murphy had taken their chances.

Then I thought it would be a coast to the finish against 10 men similar to the Shrewsbury game but our inexperience (or just plain bad decisions) made it more exciting than it should have been. I felt the mistake (or the fact he was fouled, really) for the Rovers goal by Mills led to him desperately trying to win the ball back when he'd lost it later on. I can't see the club appealing that decision, a bit harsh it may have been but it's not an obvious error by the ref (or in fact, linesman who really had him sent off). As the saying goes, hopefully he'll "learn from it" because he looks a very good prospect and along with Murphy, changed the game entirely.
I've no idea what Smyth was thinking in his 8 minute double yellow card cameo, but it was witless.

Anyhow, a nice win, things going very well. A slight lack of wingers and pace for the games after the international break might be an issue but so far the team has overcome most setbacks so long may that continue.

Good to get a win against Rovers and a decent crowd from them for a 12:30 kick-off.
Are they the team we have played most in the last 10 years or so? Possibly Shrewsbury or Portsmouth.
Our two sendings off were disappointing, but luckily they aren't players in our starting 11. Some of our missed chances I did think "Matty Taylor would have scored that".

I did a count up and we've had 12 different scorers in our 11 league games so far (plus one own goal), which I think bodes well for the rest of the season that we aren't reliant on a 20 goal a season striker. Though it would be nice to have one.

One of my second teams is Torquay United. A few years ago they got to the National League playoff final, but lost having had two perfectly goals ruled out. I have never forgiven the ref. Guess who... Reading about him before the match, as well as having that dragged up (how the hell was he promoted to the Football League list after that performance?), apparently he was once criticised by Keith Hackett for a match where Hackett judged every one of the 9 yellows issued to be harsh. Yet in this game the two players sent off for double yellow were probably correct decisions (certainly Smyth - the idiot), whilst it was the linesman who seemed to make the called over Mills. That said, a ref who suddenly starts dishing out cards as the second half of a match progresses seems to me not to have been in control of the match all along. And this, of all matches, where a strong and competent ref was needed.

Most of what else I was going to say has already been said by Oxblogger. Bottom line is that we are finding ways to play and to win against all types of team, and in varying situations. One cliché I dislike is the old classic "we would have lost this match last season". If it were true, over the years that people have been saying it we should be in the Prem by now. But looking at how we are playing and winning matches nowadays, maybe this is the season where its use is warranted.

And so, Mills has his red card rescinded. Just a relief that his red did not cost us the game. That ref needs to be investigated. BTW someone I knew has officiated with him in the past. I shall not repeat my colleague's description of him, but you can imagine.

Only four games in League 1 at the weekend.
Blackpool and Orient picking up a bit of form with wins.
Stevenage lost.

Blackpool likely to be up there or abouts at end of season, let's hope we don't get overwhelmed like in the play-offs a few years back.