Catching daggers

[SmileyMan]

So, the Kiddies succumbed to D&ampR tonight.

10 points difference, and 14 games each to go, including one head-to-head.

Being hyper-optimistic, and believing that the win at the weekend will restart our winning ways, and assuming that we can at least draw when they come here on March 26th, do we have any chance of nicking that automatic spot off them at the death?

I think we've had some of the toughest matches of the season during the lean spell, and D&ampR have had some of the easiest, which should reverse until the end of the season. Also, the pressure of breaking that duck should be off now.

I'd love an exciting run in to finish the season - better than the luck of the playoffs.

Will we do it, or won't we?

[SteMerritt]

Think we have left it too late to be honest. If we were 5 points closer then it would have been interesting, but I don't think we can apply enough pressure to D&ampR to make them a bit wobbly.

[YF Dan]

If they do win it, fair play. What an effort. Selling two of their best players, with few supporters and a tiny budget...with a philosophy of attacking (admittedly direct) football and scoring goals.

F@ckers!

Why can't we just have a nice easy life?

How we may regret those awful couple of months where Smithy refused to contemplate changing formation.

Still seriously worried about Stevenage in the play offs. The form team.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

Not that they play cultured football either. Mind you the terms &quotculture&quot and &quotStevenage&quot don't really fit together.

[SteMerritt]

Why can't we just have a nice easy life?

Thats just not the OUFC way!

[YF Dan]

Have to say, Pena, that Stevenage played the best football I've seen this season, even when they had 9 players.

We were very lucky to get a point.

[boris]

Still seriously worried about Stevenage in the play offs. The form team.

So long as we can maintain second place we should be okay, as I can see Stevenage finishing third or fourth. I also think that York will be above fifth, and I'm reasonably confident of beating any of the other challengers over two legs. Unfortunately, that means the winners of York and Stevenage in the final, which (as it should be) will be a lot tougher.

Still, as the only team to have been eligible for the play-offs in every season since they were introduced who have yet to feature in them, it will be a rare treat if we are involved.

[Matt D]

if we can start winning again, and

if we can beat dagenham and redbridge in march...

then i can see us nicking it.

i remember the demeanour of their players and fans at the FA cup game - they really seem to have a bee in their bonnet about us. i can well imagine beating them again leading to a collapse on their part.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

Still, as the only team to have been eligible for the play-offs in every season since they were introduced who have yet to feature in them, it will be a rare treat if we are involved.

It's for this reason that I expect us to finish sixth.

[boris]

Si, Pe├▒a Oxford United, hay eso

[Resurrection Ox]

Still, as the only team to have been eligible for the play-offs in every season since they were introduced who have yet to feature in them, it will be a rare treat if we are involved.

It's for this reason that I expect us to finish sixth.

Pass the Prozac

[SmileyMan]

&quotFan's optimism&quot is a terrible thing. Everything I know says that it won't happen. Yet I still believe that it will. It's not the same as hope, it really is a genuine conviction, but based on no evidence whatsoever.

We have eight games before the March game, which is a potential 24 points, whereas they only have seven. If they get 13 or fewer points from those 7 then that will be a real corker of a game. And if we beat them and went above them I think that would probably break their spirits.

I think our best hope lies in their small squad. This is the part of the season where people start to break down. If only our team wasn't so old, I could feel even more optimistic.

[Myles Francis]

if we can start winning again, and

if i can well imagine beating them again leading to a collapse on their part.

Or even doubling their resolve to finish ahead of us.

Looking at their remaining fixtures, I just can't see the dropping enough points to allow us to nip ahead.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

&quotAlice laughed: &quotThere's no use trying,&quot she said &quotone can't believe impossible things.&quot

&quotI daresay you haven't had much practice,&quot said the Queen. &quotWhen I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.&quot

[Mooro]

Sadly one look at the fixture list and you have to say the blind optimism gene will have to work overtime..

After this Saturday, 7 of Dagenhams next 11 games are against teams in the bottom 8 places, with the others being 3 relatively comfortable home games against Stevenage, Aldershot &amp Forest Green and their trip to the Kassam. Even their tough final game against GRavesend is at home as opposed to our trip to York.

On a more positive note, the number of serious playoff challengers is slowly beginning to shrink with the likes of Weymouth &amp Kiddie running out of steam.