The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

3 points is 3 points but I'd rather have seen a more convincing win than it was, especially as deeping didn't really do all that much and rarely threatened.. Thank god for Liam dolmans head, if dolman hadn't have used his head for the second, would it have been 2 points dropped?? It was a case of just not taking their chances when they should have. It's been said Berwick is a proven goal scorer, but with his fancy flick ons and pace I want the net to bulge, he had a gaping open goal today and he scored a rugby conversion instead :lol:

As with Matt gearing, now it's getting laughable, what an embarrassment to come on for your 100th appearance with 5 mins to go, when he was getting ready 15 mins before? He gets he biggest reception, he's clearly one of the fans favourite and that happens. It makes you wonder what's keeping him at the club? Im sure if he left to play regular first team football then nobody would blame the guy, then that definitely will be a gem lost... Same old ELJ story I'm afraid, don't get me wrong it was slightly better than holbeach, and he had a few half decent runs today, but legs tangled and rarely reaches dunks with his crosses, it was right for him to be taken off after 60 mins.. But ELJ is my opinion only and others may think different..

Agree about Gearing today, he should have been on far earlier and the token 5 minute appearance today had something 'Lance Allen V Desborough' about it. I do think there is a wider issue regarding the substitions made by our management team, particularly the timing of them. Obvious substitutions go ignored for 20-30 minutes and players who could almost certainly impact a game remain glued to the bench. It's so frustrating at times.

Despite the above, we did win and i'm delighted with that, albeit we should have won far more comfortably but as usual away from home we're extremely wasteful in front of goal. Deeping were not a patch on their side from last season and weren't anywhere near as useful as i'd expected. I'd eyeballed the Deeping home game as one of our tougher remaining fixtures but after today i'm not concerned - I think we'd hit 3 or 4 past them on our own patch (or on a decent pitch!).

I see PNS had a shock defeat at home to Oadby today which bodes well for next weekend. I think we played Oadby at the wrong time as they seem to be much improved lately.

BartonRaz wrote:
I see PNS had a shock defeat at home to Oadby today which bodes well for next weekend. I think we played Oadby at the wrong time as they seem to be much improved lately.

It's not a total shock for PNS to lose at home - that was their 7th home league defeat this season. They are much better on the road, having won 8 and only lost 1.

Obviously Wisbech are now a serious threat. But they do have to play Diamonds and Yaxley away AND they have to play Holbeach at home.
And they still have 18 games to fit in, plus KO Cup games.

PNS of course beat Holbeach 4-0 at Carter's Park and beat us last season at the D&D if I correctly recall, so it could be one our toughest games at home this season.

Wasn't there today and while I'm pleased with a good result, I have to join those concerned about Gearing's role at the moment, fans' player of the year last season (and rightly so), one of our only players on a contract if I'm not mistaken, yet he's been given so little opportunity since coming back from injury to prove himself, 5 minutes is no time to get into a game or do anything, unless you're trying to waste time or bolster the defence with a 1 goal lead for the last few minutes, I see no reason to bring players on so late. While obviously we as fans don't know what exactly goes on behind the scenes, much like others, I still really would be very interested to know why he has played so little recently, any chance of Peaksy being asked that in a future post-match interview? I hate to sound like a broken record, cause I've said this numerous times over the past several weeks, but it is frustrating I can't deny.

I know some think the criticism of ELJ 2 weeks ago was OTT, and perhaps it was, but regardless of that, I still don't see how his recent form justifies such a regular starting place, maybe it would even do him some good to start him on the bench for a game or 2 and see what he can do coming off the bench.

Gearing's not on contract

SouthRushdenJFC wrote:Gearing's not on contract

Correct, Russ Dunkley is our only contracted player.

Mark Lea's report.

http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/sport/fo ... R0.twitter

http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/sport/fo ... nc.twitter

BartonRaz wrote:I do think there is a wider issue regarding the substitions made by our management team, particularly the timing of them. Obvious substitutions go ignored for 20-30 minutes and players who could almost certainly impact a game remain glued to the bench. It's so frustrating at times.

Agree!

Can't believe we lost yesterday, oh sorry we won didn't we! I understand some of the frustrations regarding subs but managers look at the bigger picture and its not just about how our team is set up but how the opposition are too. Players might have a certain type of style that stops the opposition playing, or gives the opposition extra problems. We were 2-1 up against 10 men and a substitution was made by bringing Tom on to change things, what is wrong with that.