[ Tue 14th Sep ] v Needham Market, KO 7:45pm AWAY SLPDC

[Trek]

Southern League site currently says we lost 3-2

Football web pages were also reporting that last night so obviously sharing the same source.

[Dowlo]

Some how we managed to scrape a draw, when it looked like when we went in at half time we'd go on to win comfortably. We were much the better side in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

Came out the 2nd half and we looked like we'd forgotten how to play. Could barely string 4 passes together. Not sure what was said at half time.
Penalty for them looked soft, but it was a clumsy tackle from behind, and gave the ref a decision to make. If it was for us I'd want the penalty to be given.
I am concerned by our 2 full backs Garwood and Warburton. They were routinely beaten by both the Needham wingers (who couldn't be described as world beaters). Perhaps if there's areas of the side they may need looking at it these 2.

When the subs came on we did come back into the game, and just about deserved the point in the end. However had the changes been made 10/15 minutes sooner we could have been looking at coming away with 3 points. Not sure why we waited so late to change it after Needham went ahead in the game??

All in all 4 points from 2 tough away games is a good return. I do worry for us defensively though. If we could sure up at left and right back, I think we have the makings of a comfortable top 10 side. Shamsi looks and excellent signing based on last nights performance and an exciting addition to the side.

[rdusher]

Some how we managed to scrape a draw, when it looked like when we went in at half time we'd go on to win comfortably. We were much the better side in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

Came out the 2nd half and we looked like we'd forgotten how to play. Could barely string 4 passes together. Not sure what was said at half time.
Penalty for them looked soft, but it was a clumsy tackle from behind, and gave the ref a decision to make. If it was for us I'd want the penalty to be given.
I am concerned by our 2 full backs Garwood and Warburton. They were routinely beaten by both the Needham wingers (who couldn't be described as world beaters). Perhaps if there's areas of the side they may need looking at it these 2.

When the subs came on we did come back into the game, and just about deserved the point in the end. However had the changes been made 10/15 minutes sooner we could have been looking at coming away with 3 points. Not sure why we waited so late to change it after Needham went ahead in the game??

All in all 4 points from 2 tough away games is a good return. I do worry for us defensively though. If we could sure up at left and right back, I think we have the makings of a comfortable top 10 side. Shamsi looks and excellent signing based on last nights performance and an exciting addition to the side.

Pretty much word for word what I'd have posted. But for the two wing backs, was a pretty assured performance. First half, the midfield were so much more reactive to 50/50s and second balls than we have been this year so far. That seemed to go missing in the second half. Tbh, I thought Needham moved the ball around well, and play much better football than their results suggest, they just lack that bit of quality needed to convert it into goals.

Pretty entertaining game overall though, and while I wouldn't have taken a draw before the game, not too disheartened by it. Beat hitchin next week and a return of 7 points from last 3 isn't so bad

[BartonRaz]

Some how we managed to scrape a draw, when it looked like when we went in at half time we'd go on to win comfortably. We were much the better side in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

Came out the 2nd half and we looked like we'd forgotten how to play. Could barely string 4 passes together. Not sure what was said at half time.
Penalty for them looked soft, but it was a clumsy tackle from behind, and gave the ref a decision to make. If it was for us I'd want the penalty to be given.
I am concerned by our 2 full backs Garwood and Warburton. They were routinely beaten by both the Needham wingers (who couldn't be described as world beaters). Perhaps if there's areas of the side they may need looking at it these 2.

When the subs came on we did come back into the game, and just about deserved the point in the end. However had the changes been made 10/15 minutes sooner we could have been looking at coming away with 3 points. Not sure why we waited so late to change it after Needham went ahead in the game??

All in all 4 points from 2 tough away games is a good return. I do worry for us defensively though. If we could sure up at left and right back, I think we have the makings of a comfortable top 10 side. Shamsi looks and excellent signing based on last nights performance and an exciting addition to the side.

Yep, pretty much what I was about to write.

Travelled over with excitement which was tempered a bit when I saw Williams was absent, but on the flip side delighted that Peaks broke from the very annoying tradition of benching new signings initially by starting Shamsi.

Entertaining opening exchanges but the goal we conceded was disappointing. Warburton went marauding forward as you'd expect, but nobody thought to cover him in the left back position which left us exposed. Within about 10 seconds from him putting a cross in near the by-line, the ball was in the back of our net. After that though we really took control of the game until HT. Shamsi almost had a free role behind Jones and was causing havoc, drifting past people like they weren't there and he was so direct. A great assist for Akubuine too for what was a really well-worked goal. Shamsi could (and maybe should) have had a couple of goals. I hope he continues to play with that freedom, flair and directness because it's something we've sorely missed.

Second half unfortunately was a totally different story. We really lost control of the game for 35 minutes and a better team, even a slightly better team, would probably have been out of sight. Callum Page - who Ipswich signed from Needham in the summer and then loaned back to them - was running a mock at times and both of our full-backs were really struggling. I couldn't work out if that's because they were just up against decent players or if the formation we're playing doesn't offer them enough support from the players in front of them. Possibly a combination of the two. The penalty looked very soft from down the other end.

The game changed in our favour when Furlong came on but even more so when Joel came on with about 10 minutes to go. As Dowlo says, and this is a very common criticism I think a lot of us have, the changes were too late. Subs should be used to swing the momentum when we're heavily under pressure, I don't know why we just persist with things for so long when they're not working, it was the same at Bromsgrove. I'm not sure on balance that we deserved a point, but we'll take.

[Dowlo]

This makes worrying viewing in terms of the weaknesses we currently have a Left and Right back!

[Dazzler]

Jon Dunham's report

[Dazzler]

OWS Match report

https://www.afcdiamonds.com/needham-mar ... iamonds-2/

[Dazzler]

Post match interviews