[ Sat 6th Feb ] v Ware FC, KO 3pm SL1DC HOME

[sussexdiamond]

Only CSP lost today of the top teams, to Kings Langley. Egham had late winner.

I wonder what the Beaconsfield manager is thinking tonight after losing to Potters Bar 4-0?

Comfortable win today. I thought Lewis Leslie had his most effective game to date for us. Glad we have Quigley back if Bunts is going to be out for a few weeks.

I agree about Hoban. I regularly describe him02 as an enigma. He can do some great things and scores great goals but also gives away silly free kicks and tries to do too much sometimes.

[AFCRD_Dan]

Fair result I thought, as Ware offered very little in the way of a threat. Thought we struggled with the conditions in the first half, but came good in the second.

[TheIncognitoKid]

Good 3-0 win, comfortable despite the conditions. Going to state an unpopular opinion here and say that Hoban offers very very little. Lost the ball almost every single time he tried to take his man on. When's Richards back?

His cross for the first goal. Does over do it at times but to say he offers little is wrong. The conditions didn't help today but he always causes problems for the defence.

One time out of at least 5/6 he beat his man and did something good, that's offering very little IMO. Richards offers 10x more when he plays.

But Richards predominantly plays on the right. If you think of the other left sided players we've had on declan Rogers comes close and he wasn't committed.

[Oundle Diamond #2]

Despite having been Claudiu Hoban's number 1 fan since he arrived at the club, I have to say I have also been slightly concerned with the recent performances I've seen from him too. I think it's a similar situation to Faz Koriya, whereby on good pitches and favourable conditions he's comfortably the best player on the pitch, able to create and dribble freely. When it's wet and pitches are sticky, these flair players find it more difficult. Hard one...

[Trek]

After Claudio signed for us I spoke to a Histon fan whose opinion I value and who described him 'as a typical left winger who can be a match winner on his day and then be inconsistent in following matches'. Unfortunately we've seen this in his performances with us and is probably the reason he's fallen in the pecking order behind Hall and Richards for a place in the starting XI.
I think, with a return to firmer/drier pitches, we might expect him to produce the form that we witnessed in the first dozen or so matches that he played for us. He has an important role to play in our last 14 league matches even if he doesn't start matches.

[bozzer]

[ParcelFace]

Could have comfortably been more. Gutted Stevo's overhead kick didn't go in!

[Formic]

Mal's pics are added to the match report - http://www.afcdiamonds.com/afc-rushden- ... -ware-fc-0

[BartonRaz]

Despite having been Claudiu Hoban's number 1 fan since he arrived at the club, I have to say I have also been slightly concerned with the recent performances I've seen from him too. I think it's a similar situation to Faz Koriya, whereby on good pitches and favourable conditions he's comfortably the best player on the pitch, able to create and dribble freely. When it's wet and pitches are sticky, these flair players find it more difficult. Hard one...

Funnily enough I thought the exact same thing yesterday re: comparisons to Fazel Koriya. I recall Fazel once referenced the comments aimed at him in a post-match interview but unfortunately they were spot on, the bloke simply wasn't the same player when winter hit and the pitches became heavy and it's been the same with Claudiu. The one thing those two players have in common is that their playing styles rely massively on being able to dribble confidently knowing that the ball isn't going to hold up or get stuck in the mud. Both are/were unplayable at times and I still think Claudiu is a key player for us. If we were playing on 3G pitches or surfaces like one at Thame earlier in the season every week he wouldn't be playing at this level.