December 29th match thread

[Crewelad87]

29TH DECEMBER
Bradford Vs Mansfield
Cambridge Vs Morecambe
Colchester Vs Exeter
Crewe Vs Scunthorpe
ForestGreen Vs Macclesfield
Grimsby Vs Crawley
Newport Vs Leyton Orient
Northampton Vs Cheltenham
Oldham Vs Salford
Plymouth Vs Stevenage
Port Vale Vs Swindon
Walsall Vs Carlisle


Scunthorpe at home for us. Both had disappointing boxing days losing to Salford and Walsall. Before boxing day Scunny seemed to have turned abit of a corner and were looking like pushing towards the play offs.

I feel alot will depend on the fitness of Eddie Nolan for this, we missed him massively Vs Salford. It would also be nice to see Green and Porter fit, that experienced core of our team is so important to complement our youngsters. Expecting a tight nervy game here though.

Crewe 2-1 Scunthorpe (Kirk, Powell, Van Veen) 4,340 (300 Irons)

 

[EricSabin]

Cheltenham at home, won 6 on the spin at home and also expecting a reaction from the thumping at Crawley. Big big game.

 

[Bottega Don]

With all our injuries we won't be in the game. No clue what team we will put out, we had to play 3-5-2 against Walsall which we've never played this season and had to play a winger at RB. We will probably have yet another training injury and have to keep playing players out of position.

Crewe 3-0 Scunny

 

[F!RTHY]

I’ve heard Mansfield might actually be bringing a few fans.

We still have a depleted squad. We’ll keep a clean sheet. Question is, will we score.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Stevenage at home for us. Most will think it will be easy because they are bottom, but they are draw specialists and they will have a Westley bounce. They don’t score much, but they don’t let that many in either. We need to score fairly early. Have no idea how many attending, but I’d hope for 12,000 plus.

 

[Casey]

After a great win v Cobblers on Boxing Day I'm expecting our usual damp squib against Grimsby.

Hoping to go on a good run but I doubt it.

Casey

 

[JJ1532]

Given the comments coming out of the Scunny lot, I'm optimistic we can bounce back. Could do with a win after the shit show on Boxing Day. I'll take any win I can get, although a point wouldn't be a disaster as long as we follow it up with a win against Carlisle.

 

[Chris FGR]

Macc at home. Going to be tough, they are clearly a solid side who seem to be draw specialists, whereas we're 7 without a win and couldn't score in a brothel at the minute (Swindon being the exception). 0-0 looks a good bet.

 

[dedwardp]

Big game for us, tough one too. Us and Exeter have identical form over the past four and six games, and we've got an extra point over the past eight and ten. A win would be big to pull them to within catching distance with our game in hand.

We're unbeaten in eight and have a nicer-looking run of fixtures to follow tomorrow with Crawley, Stevenage, Morecambe and Macclesfield. Would be nice to throw a bit of a winning run together.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Yet another massive game for us, we seem to be playing a team in fourth or fifth every other week!
We don't have a great record at Colchester and are without Sparkes on top of our existing injuries.
Colchester seem a bit cocky at the moment but providing we dont concede in the first half hour I can see us getting something from this

 

[Hedonist Puncture]

Scunny to lose at Crewe by at least 2 clear goals. We are losing some form now with injuries biting and players out of position. Hurst lost the plot against Walsall with his team formation. Play a 4-4-1-1 with Van Veen linking midfield and attack and we might at least give them a game.

 

[hellogregory]

Every game I dread with this shower of shite representing our club.

Honestly can’t remember the last time we won an away game in the league, tomorrow will be no different. To quote Michael Owen, if you can’t score a goal it’s very hard to win a game of football. Expect Walsall to turn us over easily.

 

[The Terminator]

Two woefully out of form sides meet at Rodney Parade tomorrow, 1 win between us and Newport in 2 months.

0-0 would be written all over it, but we cannot keep clean sheets. A battle of our flair against their hard working direct style of play.

Pray for me as I have to get into Newport via a replacement bus service from Bristol Parkway station. yay.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Talking of rail replacement, is the line out of Liverpool Street EVER going to be finished? Mammoth journey for anyone daft enough to get the train to Colchester tomorrow

 

[The Terminator]

Talking of rail replacement, is the line out of Liverpool Street EVER going to be finished? Mammoth journey for anyone daft enough to get the train to Colchester tomorrow

We've been asking ourselves that for years now. Until Cross Rail ever starts running, we will never know.

It doesn't directly affect me as I don't live up that line, but I have friends who are constantly having to put up with it being closed. sigh.

Newbury Park-Ingatestone by road is only 30mins I believe.

 

[LS Bantam]

0-2 Mansfield. We can’t score, love to concede a soft goal and have a man in charge that makes Roy Cropper look like James Bond.

 

[E10rifle]

Talking of rail replacement, is the line out of Liverpool Street EVER going to be finished? Mammoth journey for anyone daft enough to get the train to Colchester tomorrow

We've been asking ourselves that for years now. Until Cross Rail ever starts running, we will never know.

It doesn't directly affect me as I don't live up that line, but I have friends who are constantly having to put up with it being closed. sigh.

Newbury Park-Ingatestone by road is only 30mins I believe.

Living on a branch line off of the Liverpool St. line is nothing but a permanent joy, I can assure you.

Entertainingly, the last time we went to Newport we won 4-0 during our relegation season. The three attacking players who tore them to shreds were all in the youth team. Josh Koroma (Huddersfield), Sam Dalby (Watford) and Steven Alzate (Brighton/Columbia). Pretty much a fact that we churn out better players than Crewe.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Stevenage at home. Just looking at their squad and they have some recognisable names, including Scott Cuthbert, Craig Mackail-Smith and Tom Soares. Whether they’re still any good, who knows!

I expect a tight game. 2-0 win, but the second will come late on when Stevenage open up for an equaliser. 2-0 Mayor, Telford. Attendance: 13385

 

[AdamStag]

I’ve heard Mansfield might actually be bringing a few fans.

We still have a depleted squad. We’ll keep a clean sheet. Question is, will we score.

Good group of us stopping over, make a day of it. In the absence of Lincoln chesterfield and notts county we thought we’d give this a go, other local games - been to Grimsby too many times and Northampton is a pretty bland place so we thought why not Bradford.

Not sure on the number but I’d certainly be disappointed if it wasn’t approaching a thousand despite us being hopeless.

We mainly seem to draw so that could be a good bet - hopefully he’ll start with khan and Maynard to give us a bit of creativity.

If you’ve a decent midfield you’ll win the game as ours does a very good maddie McCann impression most games.

 

[Kauto Star]

Good group of us stopping over, make a day of it. In the absence of Lincoln chesterfield and notts county we thought we’d give this a go, other local games - been to Grimsby too many times and Northampton is a pretty bland place so we thought why not Bradford.

Not sure on the number but I’d certainly be disappointed if it wasn’t approaching a thousand despite us being hopeless.

We mainly seem to draw so that could be a good bet - hopefully he’ll start with khan and Maynard to give us a bit of creativity.

If you’ve a decent midfield you’ll win the game as ours does a very good maddie McCann impression most games.

We have a decent midfield. However, in the continued absence of Donaldson through injury, possibly missing Vaughan through illness again, and of course Doyle on loan at Swindon, we have the most toothless strikeforce in the league at the moment.

Enjoy your day in Bradford!. Locals are very friendly, get yourself to one of the bars on North Parade for a pre match pint, all friendly away fans are very welcome

 

[JJ1532]

FFS. Artell has gone into overthink mode. He's dropped Mbulu, who admittedly did have a stinker on Thursday, from defence and moved our best player in CM Ryan Wintle back there. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If this doesn't backfire, I'll be surprised.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

1-0 up against Stevenage, they look good on the break but we’re such a joy to watch at home.

 

[Bottega Don]

This is a training game for Crewe. They've not had to do anything at all, the lack of effort provided by our team is shocking. This will end 4 or 5-0

 

[Gladders]

We scored again and it only took two minutes!

That's about all we've done, pretty much been mostly Crawley since, carving our defence open, and we've resorted to hoofball up to Green who has never held the ball up or won a header in his life.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Bitty game for us with Macc busy and pressing well, we've edged it I'd say but not by much. Junior Mondal had one cracking effort from distance for us and Macc shots of their own. Hoping they can't keep the pace up second half and we get more joy.

 

[Bottega Don]

What a shameful performance. A lack of effort from every player on the pitch. Crewe looked ordinary but that's all they needed to be, easiest victory they will get all season.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Got there in the end, improved a bit and i think Macc had tired a bit, goal when it came was quite simple, big defender Rawson nodding ion from a diagonal free kick. Of course, having dominated possession to that point we now flapped about when Macc pushed out. They had what looked like a very decent pen shout for a shove in the back, waved away thank God, and generally we made the last twenty far less comfortable than they should have been. Few pinballs in there box too where how we failed to score who knows.

 

[JJ1532]

What a shameful performance. A lack of effort from every player on the pitch. Crewe looked ordinary but that's all they needed to be, easiest victory they will get all season.

I didn't think you did that bad today. Yes, there were issues in both boxes, but you knocked it around well, pressed, were pretty organised. Clear your treatment room and you should be able to get a comfy mid-table finish and build for next season.

As for us, I didn't think we played all that well. Scored the first out of nowhere, but took the 2nd well. 2nd half we should have been 4 or 5 up with the chances we had, some lazy/poor finishing. Then we switch off as they seemed to lose energy and suddenly it's game on. Thankfully the keeper lets in a howler and it kills it. Could have been a very different story had that not gone in.

The makeshift defence did pretty well I'll admit. Didn't think Ainley did that well, but did liven up in the last 10 minutes he was on, plus he set up the 3rd. Standing ovation though? Anene got better as the game went on. Lowery and Green covered well for Wintle in the middle. I'll take the 3 points and move onto another winnable game in Carlisle.

 

[RebornKirtonRed]

just watched us play Col U on ifollow - what a gobby, annoying **** that Harry Pell is.

 

[Grumpy Grecian]

Forget "Fergie Time"
The Cornish are "old skool" - they still rely on "Busby Time"
#90+6 minute winners.