[ Tue 8th Jan ] v Rushden & Higham KO 7:45pm UCL1 HOME

[Olly]

I think we just about deserved the win but it was very unconvincing. I don't like to single out individual players but it is clear to everyone that Peter is simply not good enough, I couldn't believe that he lasted 90 mins.

Agree, thought he had left a while back and then all of a sudden he's back in the squad, at least he's not trying to cross as much as before but still not good enough I'm afraid, maybe for an average UCL Div 1 side, but not for one hoping to go up. And Jake was disappointing as well, and in general he can be quite frustrating at times, he gets himself into some great positions and then either makes the wrong decision or shoots wildly wide, obviously I can't criticise him too much after that great run and some great goals but I still wouldn't mind seeing Dev and Alfie up front together again.

Just relieved we got the 3 points tonight, the longer it went on in the second half at 1-0, the more I expected R&H to score and punish us for our missed chances but thankfully they didn't.

[Olly]

Our rivals were clearly a lot more clinical up front tonight, Eynesbury won 8-0 against BPW and Oadby beat Northampton Spencer 5-1, just hope we can improve our finishing in the coming weeks to improve our goal difference, cause we're quite a way behind our 3 rivals at the moment.

[FOOTYMAN]

It was always going to be a kind of mish mash affair with the R&H. We created a few good chances and again didn't convert them to give ourselves control of the game. With Alfie, and Jake, we will always score goals and we are asking ourselves, will we score enough. The answer is yes. The 2nd goal against Spencer was a great team goal. Alfie, out to Ben, terrific cross and wonderful cushioned headed finish from Jake. This is what you get when you have a team playing with confidence, a team that reads and understands your team-mates, with a belief that your team-mates will do exactly as you would do. It doesn't matter who scores the 1st goal, 2nd goal or 3rd. The pressure is off when you start scoring that many. Saturday will be totally different because we now have Jake and Alfie and Ben all looking for the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the starting 11. Hungry lads.
Tonight was a recovery from the weekend shock. Yes, we were shocked. Oadby may have been 4 goals better at the final whistle, but, they lost out 60% to 40% posession, 14 shots to 9 overall, and we had 3 times as many fans. Cheer on the team and we will win as a team.

[Rushdenjim]

and we had 3 times as many fans.

and thats going to win us the league :roll: :roll:

[Pigman]

It was all about the 3 points tonight, mission accomplished !! We now move on to Saturday and the next 3 points !!

Interesting benchmark this week - Bugbrooke play Chenecks tomorrow evening and we play them Saturday.

Still 3rd and just 7 points behind the leaders - I still believe we can do it, we just need to all pull together and give the lads as much support as we can.

[Three of Diamonds]

FWIW, here's my opinion. The team came out ready to put in a good performance, got an early goal and pushed hard for a second. When it didn't come, it dropped onto the back foot and invited R & H to come at it. Midfield seems to have lost its creativity and width, with the two wingers dropping deep into too defensive a role which means the only "out ball" is long to the forwards and into the channels, with little support it's a lost cause. We miss Gilsenan's experience & quality in the centre of midfield and Wiz's forward wing play. I agree that some of our decision making in & around the 18 yard box is poor. Two or three times Jake tried to score from impossible angles when Gearing was free at the far post.
I thought Chukky did ok, put in a good shift and it was good to see him get a full ninety minutes, it'll build his fitness and he's been out for a long time but he didn't have the pace to go past players (Lance has the pace and the ball control but holds onto possession for too long then gives it away too easily).
On the positive side, we kept going when it looked like we'd concede in heavy conditions. Goal difference is good, but three points is the main objective of any match. Job done.

[SouthRushdenJFC]

We were definitely the better team on the night and 3-0 wouldn't have been an unfair scoreline.

I thought R&H came to frustrate us and get men behind the ball to stop the ball getting through to Alfie & Jake, by and large that worked and when we did get through we nearly always got a shot on target, the 'keeper made a couple of decent saves but we didn't pressure him enough because He didn't look that safe.

I was disappointed that we didn't stretch their defence enough, they had a couple of 'solid' units in there and better movement forward would have found them wanting. For me too often the wide players came inside rather than going outside the full back and testing them.

The ref wasn't great, from where I was the foul on Gearing was in the area and he got conned by their lads a couple of times especially with the imaginary injury when we had them well under pressure.

Ash looked solid in goal and the back four made sure he wasn't tested too much.

As the old saying goes, we played down to their level.

As the old saying

[UttoDiamond]

559 attendance as well, well up on usual Tuesday gate. 8-)

[ron manager]

TOD, hits the nail on the head, midfield is the problem, more precise the centre two, they both very defensive and when on the ball don't seem to create anything.

I'm not sure what Haris brings us, looks more like a centre back to me. Gilsean is a big loss in the middle of the park, when hes playing he controls the ball and knocks the balls around, since hes missing we just seem to sit deep and wack it long. Just look a the performances with him in compare to without.

[BartonRaz]

TOD, hits the nail on the head, midfield is the problem, more precise the centre two, they both very defensive and when on the ball don't seem to create anything.

I'm not sure what Haris brings us, looks more like a centre back to me. Gilsean is a big loss in the middle of the park, when hes playing he controls the ball and knocks the balls around, since hes missing we just seem to sit deep and wack it long. Just look a the performances with him in compare to without.

I think that Harris is a better football player than Gilsenan personally, To me we've never got the balance totally right in there and I remember in pre-season a few of us pointed out that midfield could be a problem. It feels like Dent has been out forever now, I think he and Sean would be the ideal duo.

Harris does look like a CB though.