2nd January 2016 Matchday Thread

[Sparrow]

He was never a decent poster.

I'm just trying to build Positive Momentum™ for my award winning forum contribution next year.

 

[Dan_Macclad]

Tranmere's "style" of play is awful, no need for it with some of the players they have, they could play some decent footy if they wanted. I thought we were good value for the half time lead but came a little to close to the edge of conceding in 2nd half for my liking! Sat a bit too far back but still looked threatening on the break. We deserved at least a point from Boxing Day so getting 3 today makes up a bit for it.

Decent following from Macc, made some good noise too.

Considering we often struggle against physical teams Askey got the plan right today.. No point constantly standing up to over zealous challenges, hit the deck and break their pattern, was far more effective than Boxing Day.. Combat poor tactics with poor tactics.

Looking at the table we have sneaked into the top 5 having played more games.. I would rather have the points on the board though than needing to play games in hand.. More chance to recover between games and we have a decent amount of home games to come.

Keep plugging away and who knows.

 

[DontBringBertie]

A point wouldn't have flattered us at all, in fact I think a draw would have been a fair result.

Edit - Clearly you were the better team....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35180427

Anyway when is your open top bus tour?

Yep - blazing more shots over the bar than us means you were clearly the better team.

Loved the pikey crew celebrating a consolation goal like you had just won the Champions League.

 

[Semi-skimmed Silk]

Considering we often struggle against physical teams Askey got the plan right today.. No point constantly standing up to over zealous challenges, hit the deck and break their pattern, was far more effective than Boxing Day.. Combat poor tactics with poor tactics.

Looking at the table we have sneaked into the top 5 having played more games.. I would rather have the points on the board though than needing to play games in hand.. More chance to recover between games and we have a decent amount of home games to come.

Keep plugging away and who knows.

After the two games against Tranmere I can understand why their fans are so frustrated. The amount of they must be spending on that team to then see they play a horrible form of football and without the expected level of quality must be painful.

Good to see us win against the sort of team we always struggle against. With the huge variation in games played league position feels fairly meaningless at the moment in the large group chasing the last playoff spot.

 

[CrazyImp]

I'm just trying to build Positive Momentum™ for my award winning forum contribution next year.

Boring boring Sparrow.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

Hard fought win today, coupled with some good fortune.. All in all a decent Christmas apart from Boxing Day.

Tranmere need to get shut of Brabin, only has one game plan and it's horrific.

Try telling our directors that they seem to love him, the only person in the ground that rates him is palios

 

[SomeMightShay]

Try telling our directors that they seem to love him, the only person in the ground that rates him is palios

The start of the new year is a time to look back and be thankful for what we have. Tranmere fans along with all football fans can look back and reflect that at least their festive period wasan't as shambolic as Wrexhams.

 

[Alty Pieman]

It wasn't a bad game actually.

We should have been out of sight at half time really, you did have a couple of chances on the break but otherwise didn't offer much at all. From our point of view it's a ridiculous three points dropped. Thrown away in very typical Chester fashion.

Firstly, its a point gained from your last 3 attempts against us, secondly, even if you think you should have won you only dropped 2 points,
thirdly, we hit the post in 3rd minute and missed 2 great chances first half before you had a very good spell and caused us lots of problems (Mahon is very good - without him you're poor). Second half we had all the best chances, but as usual we cant score.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

They still hammered us at our place buddy

 

[Sparrow]

Boring boring Sparrow.

You're only here cause of Sparrow.

 

[SomeMightShay]

If i ever needed a reason to dislike Grimsby even more today was it. 6 consecutive wins and at home against a Grisly side dropping like a stone they were a dead cert on my tenfold bet. Them along with an abject Walsall have cost me over £200. In fact Walsall being pathetic too is the only thing stopping me hunting down Paul Hurst and kicking him in the gonads.

 

[Luke Imp]

Sparrow did used to be a decent poster but obviously didn't realise he was. He then turned into that kid at school that wanted attention, decided to try and be funny, ended up being tiresome and less popular than he was before.

B2TF does a far better job.

 

[Bluandwite]

Firstly, its a point gained from your last 3 attempts against us, secondly, even if you think you should have won you only dropped 2 points,
thirdly, we hit the post in 3rd minute and missed 2 great chances first half before you had a very good spell and caused us lots of problems (Mahon is very good - without him you're poor). Second half we had all the best chances, but as usual we cant score.

Cut me slack, I was a bit distracted on 'The Best Ever Non-League Winger' watch.

 

[Boz]

I didn't see the game at Moss Rose, when Macc played some decent football yet lost. Today, both sides played a similar type of game, the Macc goal had a touch of good luck in the ball,which fell so kindly to be crossed, looked like a mis-hit shot, but finished well. The visitor's sub keeper made a couple of excellent saves second half to keep the Silkmen ahead. From a Rovers perspective, thought we deserved a point, but will settle for losing if it brings Brabin's departure forward.

 

[Semi-skimmed Silk]

I didn't see the game at Moss Rose, when Macc played some decent football yet lost. Today, both sides played a similar type of game, the Macc goal had a touch of good luck in the ball,which fell so kindly to be crossed, looked like a mis-hit shot, but finished well. The visitor's sub keeper made a couple of excellent saves second half to keep the Silkmen ahead. From a Rovers perspective, thought we deserved a point, but will settle for losing if it brings Brabin's departure forward.

Definitely a slice of luck for Fitzpatrick's mis-hit shot to find its way to Holroyd. With both today and Boxing day there's a strong argument that a draw on both occasions would've been fair; instead both teams got 3 points each rather than 2 so maybe should be happy (similarities to the games vs Grimsby 12 months ago).

 

[GTFCfish]

If i ever needed a reason to dislike Grimsby even more today was it. 6 consecutive wins and at home against a Grisly side dropping like a stone. In fact Walsall being pathetic too is the only thing stopping me hunting down Paul Hurst and kicking him in the gonads.

We were all baffled why he left it so late to make any changes, we were going absolutely nowhere just running into Guiseley's brick wall time and again.
When he eventually brought Marshall and Brown on we had a much better shape and only then looked dangerous.
Pittman didn't come on until gone 85 mins and i don't remember him even having a touch.
I'm not usually one for Hurst bashing but today he got it badly wrong, fair enough starting with the same team that had done so well previous, but when it obviously wasn't working he needed to change it quicker but was found wanting.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Our game at Gateshead was awful, the pitch was the worst I've seen at this level (one penalty area was mostly sand), and it rained. Our keeper's crap and gave them a penalty, our new signing from Northwich scored and everyone's obsessing over him - looked pretty average to me. Need a big transfer window now otherwise this will just become a pointless (not literally....) end of season.
Gateshead were worse than us today and aside from a couple of corners created nothing. First time at the stadium, and can't really see the point in any of it. Official figures say there were 800+ people there - I'd say closer to 500.

 

[Si Robin]

It will be all Gloucester City's fault. They keep agreeing to let GCFC share but moan like hell about it.

Some fans moan, some don't, the Board certainly don't.

It's no coincidence though that since they started playing at Whaddon Road our pitch has gone from winning Groundsman of the Year awards and looking like a snooker table in late April, to looking like a swamp in mid-late December.

 

[Alty Pieman]

Cut me slack, I was a bit distracted on 'The Best Ever Non-League Winger' watch.

Seems you were equally distracted or have conveniently forgotten when he scored twice and made another 2 the same game last year against you,.. and yeah, today he came on at half time and turned your RB inside out a few times, created mayhem in your defence and 3 great chances before he was stretchered off following a tackle, I couldnt see from our end what happened but it didnt look good.

Still ONE of the best non league wingers, ever.

 

[Andy Harrier]

Some fans moan, some don't, the Board certainly don't.

It's no coincidence though that since they started playing at Whaddon Road our pitch has gone from winning Groundsman of the Year awards and looking like a snooker table in late April, to looking like a swamp in mid-late December.

There are ways round it though. Our pitch was woeful last season as I'm sure many will testify, which a lot of fans put down to our ground share with Worcester. We spent money on it in the summer and got a new groundsman (Ade Ganderton, from you I believe?) and this season we have had no issues, despite being close to 50 games on it so far already this season. In fact, compared to last season, it's like a carpet at the moment.

 

[Swedes]

Sounds like we've been fucked over by that ref today. We're shit though, no two ways about it.

Neither are actually the case. The ref was inconsistent but IMO called the big decisions right; Blakeman and Jennings both got away with talking to despite the handbags (no arms raised, no head-butts, just two angry players), your penalty claim where your player was looking for it and went down as soon as he was in the box, and our penalty where the ever-generous Fyfield (how does he still get a gig at this level?) swiped Almond's legs. I'm not sure why he booked Jennings for persistent fouling when Andy Wright only got a telling-off for it and the ref demanding our captain present whilst he was slapped on the wrist!

You were actually much better than last week, you seemed to have a game plan and got in behind us at times, you were just reckless at the back. Also, if your players stayed on their feet rather than falling over at the slightest breeze or the occasional blade of grass that was an extra centimetre long then maybe you'd have had more of a chance. In the last few years you've dominated most of the games we've played, unfortunately you've no longer got a player like Jay Harris who is capable of dictating a game no matter what the conditions.

As for us, this run obviously won't last but it doesn't look like our lads fear anybody or will give up on anything. We're now as far from the play-offs as we are from relegation. Dare we dream?!

 

[Bluandwite]

Seems you were equally distracted or have conveniently forgotten when he scored twice and made another 2 the same game last year against you,.. and yeah, today he came on at half time and turned your RB inside out a few times, created mayhem in your defence and 3 great chances before he was stretchered off following a tackle, I couldnt see from our end what happened but it didnt look good.

Still ONE of the best non league wingers, ever.

I remember, he scored a decent goal against a keeper off his line a year ago.

So relieved when he went off injured after all of that mayhem he caused. The rest of the league might even send us a late Christmas card for it.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

After the two games against Tranmere I can understand why their fans are so frustrated. The amount of they must be spending on that team to then see they play a horrible form of football and without the expected level of quality must be painful.

Hit the nail on the head there. I could tolerate it if we were winning every week, but the fans have had enough and it looks like our two best strikers in Mangan and Norwood want out (if you believe our forum), and I can't really blame them.

 

[Alty Pieman]

Wishing injury on another player, says it all really.

Oh and by the way thanks for rolling over in the FA cup this year and letting us tickle your tummy, the 80K we made should go towards another Clee

 

[Bluandwite]

Wishing injury on another player, says it all really.

Oh and by the way thanks for rolling over in the FA cup this year and letting us tickle your tummy, the 80K we made should go towards another Clee

Who's wishing injury on another player?

 

[Alty Pieman]

Who's wishing injury on another player?

Your reply implies that the rest of the league should be thankful you crocked him, not saying you did like,.. but it sounds that way, I couldnt see, do you have TV highlights at Chester yet?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Our game at Gateshead was awful, the pitch was the worst I've seen at this level (one penalty area was mostly sand), and it rained. Our keeper's crap and gave them a penalty, our new signing from Northwich scored and everyone's obsessing over him - looked pretty average to me. Need a big transfer window now otherwise this will just become a pointless (not literally....) end of season.
Gateshead were worse than us today and aside from a couple of corners created nothing. First time at the stadium, and can't really see the point in any of it. Official figures say there were 800+ people there - I'd say closer to 500.

Have you not seen the "pitch" at Braintree?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Alfreton 1-0 Tamworth (Bradley 89)

Absolutely abysmal game. Nothing happened at all really. Defence certainly defeated offence with neither side having enough about them to break each other down on the day until the only bit of Quality from Robertson put it on a plate for Bradley in the final minute.

The closest Tamworth came to a goal ws when Matt Duke decided to drop a simple cross at the feet of Tamworth player manager Andy Morrell who was adjudged to foul the keeper. Very harsh on Morrelll and a late Xmas pressie for us. The other other thing that happened in the first half was Meikle latching on to a hopeful punt forward but when he got one on one with the keeper he lost his balance and ended up on his bottom!

That was it 0-0 at HT. The second half was even worse until Jordan Robertson did superbly well to battle his way to the byline and he put in the only quality cross of the afternoon and there was Captain Dan Bradley to steer home to give us all 3 points.

Massive goal too as it was the difference between 18th and 13th in the table. 3 Unbeaten now and 3 wins against Tamworth this season. Also our first clean sheet since September 12th.

Another important game next week at Brackley.

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Yep - blazing more shots over the bar than us means you were clearly the better team.

Loved the pikey crew celebrating a consolation goal like you had just won the Champions League.

You only had 1 more shot on target than we did. And others might have done but I celebrated like I would celebrate any goal, at the time it wasnt a consolation.

You are right about our shooting, our general play is as good as it was when we were winning in September and October, the only difference was then Walker and Brodie were scoring for fun, now both are struggling to hit a barn door!

 

[Bluandwite]

Your reply implies that the rest of the league should be thankful you crocked him, not saying you did like,.. but it sounds that way, I couldnt see, do you have TV highlights at Chester yet?

I was being sarcastic, very, in fact.

Anyway, our highlights are on Blues Player, if you're already on the FLi network as well you can see them, but I doubt it as you do a good free highlights package, don't you?

The whole incident was fairly innocuous to be honest.