[ Tues 11th Aug ] v St Ives Town, KO 7:45pm SLD1C AWAY

[BartonRaz]

I think that'll have to go down as another one that got away. It was a tough game but we should have won that.

Referee really didn't help matters, he was appalling in the first half. We were playing too much long ball again throughout the first period but cut that out in the second half and looked a lot better for it. Berwick's goal was brilliant, and Hoban looked really useful when he came on. I'd have thought he'd be a decent bet to start on Saturday.

Lorraine got our first goal, rather than Herbert.

[Formic]

There are definitely encouraging signs, although the St Ives equaliser was possibly the softest goal I've seen an AFC Diamonds side give away - and their penalty was pretty soft too.

I thought Tom Lorraine was our stand-out player, but the tactics we are using seem to rely on his aerial ability, and I'm not sure we have a like-for-like replacement if he got injured.

There was an excellent turn-out of Diamonds fans too.

[Olly]

2 points dropped no doubt about that really, the penalty was ridiculously soft (I think there may have been a tiny, innocuous touch on the ankles of the player who then a second later he decided to just fall over and that was it) and like on Saturday we really started to play well in the second half and control things and getting in front from a beautiful chipped finish from Tommy Berwick (about time too as well!). But this is a new and tougher league, in the UCL we may have gotten away with the win because the opposition were often poor in front of goal, but in a stronger league, we won't get away with it as much and need to finish off teams and it was quite a soft equaliser.

But no matter, still early days and plenty of things to learn from and improve on from the first 2 games, 2 draws isn't a bad start in a new league and we've looked quite impressive at times, if we can be more clinical in front of goal and perhaps start games better, then hopefully we can at least challenge for the top 5, we'll have to see.

437 attendance, I would have said maybe 300 of those were Diamonds, though it was nice to see some home fans for once!

[Trek]

Honest assessment from Ricky Marheinke. Happy with a point against a 'very good side'.

[Olly]

Slightly O/T, but look at this score from the parallel S&W league:

Wimborne Town 5 - 6 Winchester City

That must have been some game

[Everyweeker]

Slightly O/T, but look at this score from the parallel S&W league:

Wimborne Town 5 - 6 Winchester City

That must have been some game

Think Winchester won 7-2 on the opening day? Mad.

[updiamonds]

I thought we deserve the win, ref was poor, poor is a understatement, ref was very poor, never a penalty in a million years.

[Oundle Diamond #2]

Not sure who was worse today, the ref or Herbert. Hoban must start from now on in his place. Nice to see Berwick get a goal. Still can't get enough of how good Delroy Gordon is at this level. Hopefully our tendency to opt for long balls is a reflection on our players still gelling as opposed to a conscious tactic.

[Brownie]

The pitch was good.

Presume this comment was intended to have a :lol: following it? from what I saw and speaking to some who played on it, the pitch was c**p, uneven, with some areas best described as pot holes, assume you didn`t notice the state of it on the Clubhouse side going up the ski slope to the corner. On the uneven surface front, does anyone know how the supporter is who fell over after the game and required medical attention.
2 points left behind tonight, listening to Ricky`s interview nice to hear an opposing Manager being that honest, shame they didn`t ask him about the pen.

[Trek]

The crowd last night was over 200 more that Cambridge City got against Weymouth in the SL Premier last Saturday!

With regard to the state of the pitch, apparently Weymouth players were complaining bitterly about the playing surface.
Possibly worst than any playing surface in the UCL. :o