Forest Green Rovers

[Matt D]

as no-one else is commenting on the game, i'll start with my uneducated view.

an exciting game, and while the performance from the yellows had grit, in terms of quality it was somewhat underwhelming i thought. two penalties against the run of play should have given us a platform to defend, but it didn't take us long to surrender it.

to give rovers their due, they impressed coming forward, and their first goal was a very good shot. the second was odd - it looked to me as if it had gone over (turley didn't move), and it was only when the home fans started to celebrate i realised otherwise. it must have been well taken again i guess. but both goals came from not closing, or in the case of the second, stopping altogether. the 3rd goals from each side were just two really well-taken free kicks

i was worried about the effect the change in defence would have on us, and it looked our weakness. willmott was fantastic, but it fell to him to try and distribute the ball. while he fared okay, he's no luke foster. still, defensively he won pretty much everything he was asked to. but with poor distribution, the gap between our front men and the defence gradually became greater, and the midfield seemed to disappear. by the end we were really hanging on, and i wouldn't have felt hard done by if we'd lost.

gloom and doom from radio oxford on the way home, but the way i see it, if you thought we had a chance of making the play offs before the game, you should still do now with the other results. if you didn't, then a failure to capitalise on points dropped elsewhere was hardly going to change your mind.

[amershamwrighty]

Good summary, Matt.

It seemed to me that in the absence of Foster, the defence didn't appear to be clear what their individual roles were, and I just wonder whether FGR would have had as much space for their first and second goals if Fozzie had been there.

But he wasn't, because of his indiscipline in collecting bookings, which brings me to Beano and Haldane. The former worked his socks off, but was gobbing off at the ref too much and also elbowed an FGR player off the ball. The latter was a constant thorn in the side of FGR but was a Drama Queen as well and his booking as the teams were walking off at half time was bloody stupid.

Sandwith I just don't get, I'm afraid - my mate feels that he should be given more time to find his feet but using Keith Cassells and Trevor Hebberd as examples of players who started their OUFC careers slowly was a bit thin.....

Adam Murray wanted to win the game on his own and was a huge influence. I agree with you about Wilmott and this is one of the big plus points about Wilder. Earlier in the season I thought Murray was a liability - he could never find his man with simple passes. I thought back then that Wilmott was exposed for his lack of pace far too often since coming back from injury. I thought hutch was an expensive carthorse. But Wilder has got all 3 playing to their strengths and I applaud him for that.

Overall - FGR were better than their league position suggests, we were hanging on at the end.

Lovely trip - no trouble with officialdom, wished I had sat down but a pleasant ground, good parking and my wife was most impressed with the toilets.

[Baboo]

It seemed to me that in the absence of Foster, the defence didn't appear to be clear what their individual roles were,

And there is probably the reason why we only drew this game.

We could have done with Batt too &amp I think Clist would have helped against his former mates.

[Ascension Ox]

It seemed to me that in the absence of Foster, the defence didn't appear to be clear what their individual roles were,

And there is probably the reason why we only drew this game.

We could have done with Batt too &amp I think Clist would have helped against his former mates.

And Nelthorpe....

Not impressed with the lack of discipline shown by some players, we behave like a team of prima donnas some times.

In the cold light of day, not a bad result. Our squad players are not up to it though are they?

Particlularly Sandwith, all over the place. Day was humdrum, no spark there and Yemi played with no discipline or positional sense whatsoever. Hutchinson was diabolical, the man should be on WWF.

Pluses, friendly locals, (apart from PA man who had the worst case of verbal diarrohea I have ever heard... do you know what, there are 11 seats left on the Wrexham coach Tuesday , how do i know, why I was told no less than three times.

I am reminded of that film Field of Dreams when I visit FGR, as you come in over the hills into Nailsworth you always think how the hell are Oxford playing HERE today??

Wilder spoke sense post match apart from whinging about the ref, who after all only gave us the two penalties. Compared to previous men in black, this one was not too bad.

FGR, decent outfit, liked the look of Platt and Mangan, but their back four would have been breached more regularly with our first team out there.

[Yellow River]

Overall an enjoyable day out and a draw just about a fair result. Credit to FGR a team near the foot of the table they came back from 2-0 down and could have won it.

When I heard the team news and that Day had replaced Batt I was concerned to say the least. To my mind Yemi, Day and Sandwith were the weak links in the team. Our distribution from the defence was possibly my biggest disappointment as this has been an area which has improved a lot under Wilder.

I agree with the other comments about Willmott, he held the defence together and won almost every header. i have to admit that after about 10 or 12 games into the season I thought that he was finished as an OUFC player and would never get back to his best - I'm happy to be proven wrong.

We badly missed Foster and Batt, we know about Matt Day and what to expect.....lack of pace and poor distribution, although he did get in a couple of decent blocks in the second half. It's too early to judge Sandwith, he was poor first half but did improve after the break, he looks too light weight to me to be a centre-half - perhaps we will see the best of him at left back....it won't hurt to give Curruthers some competition.

Yemi didn't appear interested, I would be surprised if he's still with us next season.

On a positive note we do look to have a strong 'core' for next season if we can hang onto some key players. Turley, Foster, Willmott, Murray, Chapman, Constable.

Drama Queen is a good description for Haldane but I would like us try and sign him for next season, he's deceptively quick and does create chances.

[Mally]

Good summary, Matt.

It seemed to me that in the absence of Foster, the defence didn't appear to be clear what their individual roles were, and I just wonder whether FGR would have had as much space for their first and second goals if Fozzie had been there.

But he wasn't, because of his indiscipline in collecting bookings, which brings me to Beano and Haldane. The former worked his socks off, but was gobbing off at the ref too much and also elbowed an FGR player off the ball. The latter was a constant thorn in the side of FGR but was a Drama Queen as well and his booking as the teams were walking off at half time was bloody stupid.

Sandwith I just don't get, I'm afraid - my mate feels that he should be given more time to find his feet but using Keith Cassells and Trevor Hebberd as examples of players who started their OUFC careers slowly was a bit thin.....

Adam Murray wanted to win the game on his own and was a huge influence. I agree with you about Wilmott and this is one of the big plus points about Wilder. Earlier in the season I thought Murray was a liability - he could never find his man with simple passes. I thought back then that Wilmott was exposed for his lack of pace far too often since coming back from injury. I thought hutch was an expensive carthorse. But Wilder has got all 3 playing to their strengths and I applaud him for that.

Overall - FGR were better than their league position suggests, we were hanging on at the end.

Lovely trip - no trouble with officialdom, wished I had sat down but a pleasant ground, good parking and my wife was most impressed with the toilets.

Doesn't your 5th paragraph provide the answer to the question implied in your 4th?

[amershamwrighty]

It might - I am a bit impatient, I'm afraid. I didn't think much of Farrell in his first couple of games but I am warming to him now, so - on mature reflection - I ought to give Sandwith a bit more time.

But not much, eh ?