High/Lowlights of 09/10?

[Bob's Bitch]

Since there's only 1 regular season game left to go I thought I'd do a summary type thread before we all get sucked into the nervous hell that is the Play-Offs. This way if we don't win the play-offs we can look back to this thread when we were all as happy as Larry (however happy he was...) and our memories weren't tarnished by play-off tears.

Highlights

I actually went back through the fixtures before I started this and I managed to pick out 11 highlights, a massive indication of how well we've done this season in comparison with the last few years. I can think of maybe 1 highlight of last season (K*ttering) but apart from that nothing. I trimmed it down to 4 though (and I challenge you to do that as well, it's bloody hard!):

1st - 3-0 @ K*ttering - This was just a really fun night, getting very wet and although the game was over within 15 minutes there was still lots of fun to be had, laughing at those weirdos to the right, not giving the ball back to Abbey and watching Byrne, Aaron and Tommo all 'shush' the K*ttering fans. On top of all this this was the night (for me anyway) when we all but confirmed our play-off place and to do it there was fantastic.

2nd - 8-0 v Gateshead - 'Nuff said. Downer's goal has to be a Goal of the Season contender for sheer perseverance.

3rd - The Barrow Performances - The 6-1 at the start of the season kick-started our whole campaign and stopped any moaners in their tracks. The 4-1 in January started our great run of form since the turn of the year especially at home (19 out of 27 points).

4th - 1-0 v Stevenage - Very late winners give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It also helps when the goal's so good. Oh and this was the game when I really started to believe we could make the play-offs. Also we can now say we beat the eventual champions.

Moments that didn't make the cut - Grays and Mansfield at home for mentalness and lategoalness, Luton and AFCW for fantastic away performances, Hayes away and Ebbsfleet at home for partyness.

Thought I'd bring this back up because I'm currently feeling very shit and I'd like a positive look back.

[davealbon]

Can't really argue with that. The only other lowlight I might include would be the 1-0 defeat at home to Alty. A very disappointing attendance following two previous defeats, our ONLY performance of the season where you could question the team's collective effort, a dreadful goal conceeded and a second red card of the season for Downer. For a brief moment it looked as though our promising start to the season might be falling apart and that we'd start serving up the same dross as the previous few seasons.

However, it actually worked in our favour and spurred us onto a 6 game winning run, which gave us that initial boost and made us believe that the play offs were perhaps a possibility this season.

[Basil]

Highlight for me has got to be the 8 -0 thrashing of Gateshead but in particular Downers goal

[RushdenTillIDie]

Since there's only 1 regular season game left to go I thought I'd do a summary type thread before we all get sucked into the nervous hell that is the Play-Offs. This way if we don't win the play-offs we can look back to this thread when we were all as happy as Larry (however happy he was...) and our memories weren't tarnished by play-off tears.

Highlights

I actually went back through the fixtures before I started this and I managed to pick out 11 highlights, a massive indication of how well we've done this season in comparison with the last few years. I can think of maybe 1 highlight of last season (K*ttering) but apart from that nothing. I trimmed it down to 4 though (and I challenge you to do that as well, it's bloody hard!):

1st - 3-0 @ K*ttering - This was just a really fun night, getting very wet and although the game was over within 15 minutes there was still lots of fun to be had, laughing at those weirdos to the right, not giving the ball back to Abbey and watching Byrne, Aaron and Tommo all 'shush' the K*ttering fans. On top of all this this was the night (for me anyway) when we all but confirmed our play-off place and to do it there was fantastic.

2nd - 8-0 v Gateshead - 'Nuff said. Downer's goal has to be a Goal of the Season contender for sheer perseverance.

3rd - The Barrow Performances - The 6-1 at the start of the season kick-started our whole campaign and stopped any moaners in their tracks. The 4-1 in January started our great run of form since the turn of the year especially at home (19 out of 27 points).

4th - 1-0 v Stevenage - Very late winners give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It also helps when the goal's so good. Oh and this was the game when I really started to believe we could make the play-offs. Also we can now say we beat the eventual champions.

Moments that didn't make the cut - Grays and Mansfield at home for mentalness and lategoalness, Luton and AFCW for fantastic away performances, Hayes away and Ebbsfleet at home for partyness.

Lowlights

1st - Late Penalties - They seem to have taken the place of the 2006 late goals, in that you get the same feeling of your stomach dropping to the floor when they're given. Luckily Dale saved one at Kiddy but Oxford was a real pisser. Mansfield was also annoying but less so since nothing much was riding on it.

2nd - Salisbury and the Subsequent Overreaction - We're all prone to overreactions at some points but that was really annoying, mainly because it wasn't a bad performance. However it takes me nicely onto my last point...

3rd - Penalty Taking - I hope our luck doesn't stay the same in the play-off lottery but there have been some really good misses. Has Aaron's against Salisbury come back down yet? The same can be asked about Terry's rebound miss against Ebbsfleet. They really have stacked up as the season has gone along. We should do nothing but penalty practice before the second leg. ;)

Over to you.

Agree with that....the Mansfield late goal was a great feeling as was Stevenage. And alongside Gateshead, the Grays home game was thoroughly entertaining...A good summary! Roll On the Playoffs!

[diamonds82]

Best moment of the season.

Beating AFC Wimbledon 1-0. Knowing that we would finish in the play offs.

Beating K*ttering 3-0.


Worst Moment. Lsoing to Altrinham 1-0. Because we were rubbish on that day.

[Oundle Diamond #2]

Best Moment - Aaron's 2nd Goal against Ebbsfleet - nothing better than having it definitely confirmed.

Worst Moment - Forest Green away - After that I had no hope!

[AFCRD_Dan]

Highlights without a doubt the 3-0 win at K*ttering, was my first ever visit to their ground, and was great to get one over on their chavy fans.

Second was the 8-0 win over Gateshead, showed how far the team had come.

Lowlights has to be the opening day defeat to Salisbury, I remember coming away very disapointed, as we didnt deserve to lose, and the last minute penaltys against Poxford & Mansfield.

[Bob's Bitch]

BUMP.

[Harry]

It's been a hard season for me to follow the Diamonds in the flesh, as a result of that I only attended 8 or 9 games. Considering what a successful season it has been, you'd probably predict from that me having seen 5/6 wins.

In fact I saw one solitary win, which I'm a bit gutted about, and I'm sure you'd agree is terrible luck!

So, my highlights:

Kiddy at home
No one else would bat an eyelid at this game, and I can't blame them. But this was the only win I saw all season, the first win I'd seen in a long time. So while the rest of the North Stand ( :oops: I know) walked out, I stayed behind and celebrated.
The game also had a stunning finish for Tomlin at one end and a comedy goal at the other.

Brighton away
I couldn't believe it when this was pulled out the hat. Every other Diamonds fan was a bit annoyed but I was delighted.
Despite them being two leagues above, we gave them a right old game, scored two goals, and sang our hearts out in the countries shittest ground. Come back 2 years folks and you'll be in awe of the new Falmer Stadium.

Gateshead at home
I had an essay due for Monday, which I was really supposed to make progress on this day. Soon after half time I realised this was no day for essay writing. Surreal stuff. I had about 6 friends text me saying stuff like "what's got into Rushden!?!" Great stuff

Hayes and Yeading away
Being exiled, sometimes you have to resort to typical armchair antics. This day I was guilty. I missed my mates back home and couldn't afford to go back, so we decided to play the Gillette Soccer Saturday drinking game together on webcam. As a result I got pretty drunk and celebrated each goal like a mad man.


Lowlights:

Salisbury at home
I am aware that I overreacted after this game, but to be honest, looking back, I still can't blame myself. We really DID look like we couldn't hit a barn door with a machine gun. The players soon proved their worth though and showed they were much, much better than what we'd seen on this day.
I still have nightmares about O'Connors penalty attempt.

Oxford away, league
We were holding our own, they were never going to score. Trust them to get a dodgy penalty late on to end our unbeaten year.

5 minutes period in Oxford away, playoffs
Before approx 53 minutes we were right in this, I was so nervous, but excited at the same time. In the following 5 minutes our season completely disappeared. It was all over after the second. After that, I thought about the season, the great achievement, and by full time I accepted the result. But that 5 minute period - gutting.