2017-18 National League South

[Clem Fandango]

Jekyll and Hyde as usual. Strange starting 11 (Cundy and Parker on bench?) but we led at half time. Conceded in the second half after barely a minute and then threw the game away with Braintree deserved winners in the end. We've been mostly garbage at Evesham.

Meanwhile Alex Harris has had his contract terminated, assume he'll end up at Cinderford again. We took Jack Storer from Brimingham on loan, a lad that started games for them in the Championship last season. He was subbed on Saturday and we kept Will Morford, who's done precisely fuck all so far in the league, on the pitch.

Baffling.

 

[Aberstone]

Chippenham Town 0-0 Wealdstone (Att: 723)

Pain free trip there and a decent set up at Chippenham but today was frustrating to say the least. The players deserved a round of applause for their efforts but we are completely toothless up front. Dan Fitchett has zero confidence and even when he was the time to run at defenders he's always turning back to lay the ball off.

 

[Aberstone]

Wealdstone 2-1 Truro City (Att: 817)

14 points from our last 6 games and the first time since 2012 that we've won 4 on the spin at home. I did agree with the 4-2-3-1 formation as Truro were playing 4-4-2 and with our slow defence we needed an extra body in midfield to win the battle and limit any passes to Truro's strikers who looked threatening all game.

Abo Eisa is an entertainer and with his brother doing well for Cheltenham, it wouldn't surprise me if a league club comes calling soon. He scored both goals today, the first very well taken after being judged not to have fouled the keeper (well worth a watch for comedic value if nothing else) and the second a finish on the volley after the visitors failed to clear.

Truro absolutely bossed the second half and can feel aggrieved not to have got something from the game with the wind and some questionable decision making piling the pressure on the defence but we held on.

 

[Clem Fandango]

Can't believe we lost that game. We hammered Welling for 80 minutes with only good goalkeeping and poor finishing preventing us being 2 or 3 up before half-time. The substitutions we made changed the game in Welling's favour, no idea what Harris was thinking. Our front line was causing them problems and he took both of them off. We then went deeper into our own half and it was inevitable that they'd score a goal, helped by the wind too. This season has not gone as expected....Huge game Saturday at Poole, already.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Can't believe we lost that game. We hammered Welling for 80 minutes with only good goalkeeping and poor finishing preventing us being 2 or 3 up before half-time. The substitutions we made changed the game in Welling's favour, no idea what Harris was thinking. Our front line was causing them problems and he took both of them off. We then went deeper into our own half and it was inevitable that they'd score a goal, helped by the wind too. This season has not gone as expected....Huge game Saturday at Poole, already.

Whats happened to Zack Kotwica? Has he gone on loan to Salisbury for game time or other reasons?

 

[Silver Stone]

Watched the highlights of the Bath-Dartford game, Darts his the crossbar from the kickoff...almost the fastest goal in history!

 

[Clem Fandango]

Whats happened to Zack Kotwica? Has he gone on loan to Salisbury for game time or other reasons?

Wasn't even on the bench on Saturday. Think he's had a falling out with Tim Harris. He's not looked as good this season but the lad has ability theres no doubt there. Sad to see. Ethan Moore is also returning from loan from Evesham in a couple of weeks, he scored his first for them last night.

 

[iron4ever]

Ever been to a game where the opposition are awarded 3 penalties? No, then you should have been at our game today to witness the most inept referee to ever set foot on a pitch.

 

[Clem Fandango]

That's more like it!! Resounding win at Poole which could (should) have been more than 3. First half we dominated again but failed to score and felt the same as last week against Welling. True enough right by the end of the half Poole hit the post with pretty much their first opportunity.

However second half we took complete control, Jack Storer is way too good for this level and his performance showed it. Concord and Whitehawk next and six points would put us in a much better position.

 

[Aberstone]

Welling United 1-2 Wealdstone (Att: 662)

Not pretty again but deserved. We’re shithousing our way to 3 points at the minute and long may it continue.

Danny Green I thought was superb today. Happy days with our first away win of the season, decent Stones following at Park View Road too.

UTS!

 

[DarkSithLord]

Hungerford sign Brendon Rodgers son Anton - http://nonleague.pitchero.com/headlines/hungerford-sign-brendan-rodgers-son/

 

[Clem Fandango]

1-1 draw at Concord in a game we really should have won. Missed two very good chances right at the death as well. If we can beat Whitehawk Saturday, which we really should..., 7 points from a possible 9 with two of them being away is much better than a month ago.

 

[iron4ever]

Scored in the 1st minute yesterday, but then went on the defensive for most of the 1st half against a spirited Bognor side who looked better than their league position suggests. Our manager changed things around for the 2nd half and we were much brighter and when we scored again in the 53rd minute to go 2 up it was game over. 2nd to Dartford on goal difference.

 

[Aberstone]

Wealdstone 1-0 Hungerford Town (Att: 1,021)

92nd minute penalty to win it, how sweet it is! Hungerford will feel aggrieved not to have picked up a point from this afternoon and rightfully so - granted Jonathan North only had one save to make but they did have more of the play and had us penned back for lengthy periods in the 2nd half.

That said Abo Eisa should have won us a penalty 10 minutes prior to the one that was given, a blatant shirt grab from their right back which the referee somehow missed. The penalty award itself was harsh on Hungerford and having seen it on replay, it wasn't a foul.

Atmosphere in the Bulla from the 80th minute onwards was the loudest I've heard in a long while. First Bobby Wilkinson chants being sung too at the end - you could see how much it meant to him and his management team at the full time whistle. 4 figure crowd to boot (including 60-70 from Hungerford) and 20 points from our last 8 games, long may it continue.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Very tight at the top, with Truro beating Dartford. They do have their longest(?) away trip to Braintree on Tuesday week, however.

 

[Aberstone]

Very tight at the top, with Truro beating Dartford. They do have their longest(?) away trip to Braintree on Tuesday week, however.

Utterly moronic, yet hardly surprising from the National League to have originally scheduled that game on FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round weekend. What is that, a 700 mile round trip?

Makes the 110 mile round trip I'll be making to Dartford that same evening look insignificant.

 

[iron4ever]

Top of the league and top scorers as well. Was just hoping to consolidate in the league this season, but there is a new revitalised Braintree after last seasons relegation now we have a new young manager and a squad of hungry young players. The future looks bright, its ORANGE & BLUE!

 

[Clem Fandango]

Well we won 3-1 but truth be told we were on the whole poor. Whitehawk controlled a lot of that game and if it wasn't for extremely poor finishing from them (missing a header from 4 yards out!) we could had drawn/lost it. We sat off them a lot and allowed them far too much space. Their fans are among the biggest set of belters we've ever encountered.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Well we won 3-1 but truth be told we were on the whole poor. Whitehawk controlled a lot of that game and if it wasn't for extremely poor finishing from them (missing a header from 4 yards out!) we could had drawn/lost it. We sat off them a lot and allowed them far too much space. Their fans are among the biggest set of belters we've ever encountered.

I assume you don't mean 'belters' in a good way

 

[DarkSithLord]

I see Charlie Sherringham has left Hemel to join a side in Banladagesh of all places?! WTF?

 

[Aberstone]

Oxford City 3-2 Wealdstone (Att: 349)

Shot ourselves in the foot yesterday - two really slack goals to concede within the first 10 minutes leaving us with a mountain to climb. Oxford City's position in the league is false, they were organised and had plenty of speed out wide which took our full backs far too long to get accustomed to.

I can't see Abo Eisa staying with us past January, two really well taken goals again yesterday, the 2nd coming less than 30 seconds after Oxford had scored late on to put them 3-1 up.

I'm not going to fault the players too much yesterday, there's a couple who I've known for ages aren't up to this level of football but nobody didn't put a shift in. Onto Dartford on Tuesday night.

 

[Aberstone]

Dartford 3-3 Wealdstone (Att: 669)

Entertaining game but some truly awful defending meant we left Kent with just 1 point instead of 3. The M25 was also at it's fantastic best meaning it took me nearly two and a half hours to drive 55 miles.

 

[Clem Fandango]

Zack Kotwica recalled from Salisbury after 5 goals in 5 games. Good, we can't score to save our lives right now.

Today - Zack Kotwica joins Tamworth.

Cracking. Oh and we appear to be in a bit of financial mire again, for a change. And we'll be at Evesham next season. Whoopee.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Weston Super Mare the latest to get the go ahead for a 3G pitch - http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/plastic-fantastic-seagulls-given-the-3g-green-ligh-42971

 

[Aberstone]

Weston Super Mare the latest to get the go ahead for a 3G pitch - http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/plastic-fantastic-seagulls-given-the-3g-green-ligh-42971

Just their training pitch that's adjacent to the main pitch which will remain grass. Ironically given the state of Weston's pitch during winter, they're probably the one club who should use 3G on their main pitch.

Another ground update on Gloucester and hopes to be back in the city by the end of next season. Now having read the statement and the hurdling blocks still in the way, that timeline seems rather ambitious.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Massive blow for Gloucester this afternoon as Manager Tim Harris has resigned - http://www.gloucestercityafc.com/harris-steps-first-team-manager/

 

[Si Robin]

Gloucester is in absolute melt-down - rumblings of the fans actually giving up and forming their own club.

You have to feel for the shit they've been through over the last 10 years and more.

 

[Aberstone]

Gloucester is in absolute melt-down - rumblings of the fans actually giving up and forming their own club.

You have to feel for the shit they've been through over the last 10 years and more.

Absolutely, deciding to groundshare in Worcestershire appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back. If supporters of Gloucester City were to form a new club, it would be a similar situation to Enfield Town's formation with lack of faith in the current ownership and a desire to move back home.

 

[Aberstone]

Wealdstone 3-1 Braintree Town (Att: 861)

Another home win! Tale of two halves really as we had a couple of guilt edged chances to kill off Braintree in the 1st half before facing their onslaught in the second half. They're a good footballing side, well organised and at least against us looked to spread the ball to the wide players as quickly as possible. Today could have been a different result if their strikers had their shooting boots on, I don't think I've ever seen a side routinely hit the ball well off target when going for goal.

As for us, loved the workrate, constantly pressing Braintree and stopping them from playing their expansive football. The two in the central of midfield, Luke Williams and Jerome Okimo were superb (latter may have had a point to prove). Danny Green is also a completely changed player since Bobby Wilkinson has taken charge, he has far more presence in games and is dictating play.

Decent away following from the Iron, including the few who seemed hell bent on giving Jonathan North a right earful.

 

[E10rifle]

Hi! Just settling in.