[ Tue 26th Feb ] v Sileby Rangers, KO 7:45pm UCL1 AWAY

[Formic]

I've added Mal's pics to the Match Report http://www.afcdiamonds.com/northampton- ... diamonds-1, and the stats are also updated http://www.afcdiamonds.com/summary-stats-2012-13

Note that the version of the league table on the stats page also shows our results against the various teams, and thus highlights those we still have to play. The form guide towards the bottom of that page makes for interesting reading too.

[mike]

Great game last night, Such a great result lots of passion from the fans and players, goes to show how united as a club we are .

A couple of points!

1. If what Starms said at the forum is true that peaksy has calmed down, I would loved to have seen him before.... spot on with everything he said though.

2. The linesman on the stand side that gave a few questionable decisions is a KTFC fan!

3. Do we intimidate officials with our reputation and noise to make them hate us?

[SouthRushdenJFC]

Good questions Mike, here's my view.

1 - Peaksy is as passionate about the club as any fan. It's also worth remembering that he played the game at a lot higher level than we currently are. I was standing behind him in the second half and agreed with everything he said, he said it in a calm manner and I don't remember him using foul and abusive language. When you hear the some of the language being used by opposition managers and players then we are head and shoulders above them.

2 - He seemed afraid to give a decision that wasn't a throw. That may have been the instructions he got from the ref as the lino on the dug out side seemed to indicate. If that's the case then the ref must take the blame for not using his assistants properly.

3 - In short no. I believe we can get at opposition players and intimidate them with our noise but not the officials. We have had very few refs that are 'on the rise' this season, the league has seen fit to allocate more mature officials, with a couple of exceptions they have been poor. I don't think that any referee deliberately cheats and they give an decision on how they see it.

[Bob's Bitch]

That lobbed effort from Wiz deserved a goal, it was a really great effort.

I'm not surprised to find out that linesman doesn't like us, how he didn't give the penalty on Alfie I'll never know. The defender didn't even go for the ball!

[bozzer]

Looked at it again today and it is a stonewall penalty

[sussexdiamond]

It was so much like the nights we regularly beat Ploppies in their own backyard, even down to same colours being worn by Sileby. Great atmosphere and well done to the singers.

Quincy got the game off to good start with his best save of the season....not that he has that many shots to save recently. Parkinson certainly seems to have slotted in well and his partnership with Deakin was very solid.

After a VERY anxious opening 15 mins we settled into the game and could/should have had a couple of goals in first half. Second half was fantastic. Sileby were completely outplayed and had no ideas left. The return game on the 19th should be pretty interesting, they have won every away game to date.

Starms certainly looked delighted after the game. His post match interview should be well worth watching.

[SouthRushdenJFC]

Starms certainly looked delighted after the game. His post match interview should be well worth watching.

It was one of the easiest I've done. I think I only asked him three or four questions but he talked for getting on for ten minutes.

I enjoyed interviewing Quincy as well, he deserved the motm

[olio]

Didn't get back home till about 12:30 am last night, and had to be up early this morning, but I didn't care one jot. I'm still smiling now. Nights like last night are why I love this club. The atmosphere throughout was terrific, and the reaction after Deak's header hit the net, and after the final whistle, will live with me for a long time.

I thought that in the first half, the ball was getting into Byrne & Foster slightly too easy, and with midfield runners often supporting them, they created several good chances; hitting the post twice and forcing a couple of cracking saves from Quincy as well. Apart from McBride's chance where he hit the side netting when he should've scored, we were really struggling first 25 minutes, and I thought we had a very long night on our hands. However, massive credit to the lads for pulling themselves up, rolling up their sleeves, and making it a much more even 20 minutes leading up till half time. In that time, we were denied one stonewall penalty when Alfie was fouled (I was stood directly in front of it; their defender got NOTHING of the ball), and one possible penalty (when Gearing was brought down). Matty also wasted a good chance, after dancing past a couple of players, when through 1 on 1, but it was well saved.

The second half was certainly one of the best I've ever seen from a Rushden & Diamonds side considering where Sileby were in the table, and the quality they had in their side. McBride and Harris were playing almost on top of our CB's, so the service up to their front two wasn't as effective, and compared to the first half where they had plenty of time to turn and run at our defence, they were now being crowded out and snuffed out. We were also asking some serious questions of their defence with some incursions down the flanks, and we always looked dangerous when we played the ball over the top, and made Sileby's defence turn back towards their own goal. I thought that when Gearing slashed that one into the side netting (after a brilliant left wing cross from Gilly), that we might rue these chances that we were spurning. But then Gearing swung in a perfect corner, right onto the head of Alex Deakin, who flicked his header majestically into the far corner. Cue pandemonium behind the goal (where I was standing), and the terrace running along the side of the pitch. We held on thanks to a couple of brilliant blocks from the two Aaron's (King and Parkinson).

Can't really single out any of the players, because I thought all of them were brilliant. All fighting for the cause, and you could see how much it meant to every single one of them at the final whistle. Personally, I thought Deak's was absolutely majestic second half; can't remember him losing one header, plus he dealt well with their talented strike force really well (and of course, who could forget his goal??), and Gearing was a massive threat to them throughout. All of them were brilliant though, and should be proud of themselves. Like I am now. Proud of every single one of them.

Sorry for going on a bit by the way, but it was a brilliant night all round. One I won't forget in a hurry, that's for sure

[dazSRJFC]

Another great highlight to store away with the many that we are accumulating this season.
Just a couple of things to add to the previous posts, (of which I am in agreement ).
What a great 2nd half. I was standing with the "Left Side" Singers and they just did not stop singing for the entire half. When Deaks leapt like a young salmon to nod in the winner, the place went nuts, and the players came over nearest to us to celebrate . From then on, two guys next to me who were, I would asume, in their seventies, were clapping and singing along as much as The Singers. Brilliant.
The post match interviews: Starms almost played the win down , "It`s only 3 points" "But WHAT a 3 points!" I replied. It was great to see the post -match reaction of the club`s backroom "Family", lots of hugging and high-fiving and Cheshire Cat grins. It means SO much to everyone.
The good folk at Sileby switched the lights off, (TWICE) during the interviews. Probably wanted to get home and sulk. :lol:
What a great night, and what a great club we have.

[Bob's Bitch]

Up there with Sharp, Byrne and Alfie at Olney for the most mental I've gone after a goal. Still smiling!

We should get the BELIEVE banner back up as the forum header, because if you're not believing after yesterday then you never will!