FGR v Morecambe

[FGR Stroud]

The imminent arrival of Morecambe at Nailsworth has created a host of puns and jokes on the FGR forum. Most that I suspect Morecambe fans have already heard. One FGR supporter even posted his photo alongside statue of Eric in exact same pose as the beloved entertainer.
If the game is as good as these pre-match posts it should be an excellent match, especially as whoever loses will be condemned to sit in a relegation spot for at least next two weeks.
FGR have a very poor home record but having won last two games [away to Coventry & Stevenage] TNL faithful are expecting this run of good form to continue.
Manager Cooper has started to put out a more settled side which are now getting the results. Apart from the Newport 0-4 reverse, FGR have been playing far better than their bottom of table position indicates.
Anyway as one of our posters said of MORE COME [in connection with fans through the gate]: "Bring me sunshine"

 

[rudebwoyben]

Isn't this fixture responsible for one of the best (funniest) own-goals ever seen?

 

[Chris FGR]

So what with this MASSIVE six pointer coming up this weekend, the big news is that it appears moshgate has been sorted and the South Stands silent protest will be ended. Good news as we need the crowd behind us to create the intimidating cauldron of noise that TNL is renowned for.

If we win we go up to at least 22nd and leapfrog Morecambe which would be huge. After our last 2 performances looking forward to this, about time we got a home win.

 

[shoddycollins]

Asking on behalf of the Morecambe fans, have the police allocated which pubs they'll be allowed in yet? I'm guessing they'll all be herded into the Shortwood half of Nailsworth to prevent them mixing with the FGR fans.

 

[Habbinalan]

I threaten to stick my oar in and we end up with two threads.

I think me and ShrimpsMeltdown should keep our powder dry for now and see how it pans out.

 

[Chris FGR]

Isn't this fixture responsible for one of the best (funniest) own-goals ever seen?

Yep, not the legend that is Wayne Hatswell's finest hour. I love Steve Perrin's reaction. Reflected what we all felt at the time.

 

[FGR Stroud]

I threaten to stick my oar in and we end up with two threads.

I think me and ShrimpsMeltdown should keep our powder dry for now and see how it pans out.

I must admit I also saw the funny side of having two threads after the recent debate on such.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Interesting to check out Oakies Prediction League.
Chris & me both have game as a home win and placed Joker on result.
Epic73 (Morecambe) has forecast an away win but did not use his Joker.

 

[Stripes]

I have a feeling the atmosphere for this game will take on the proportions of last seasons play-offs. Following back-to-back wins away, and with the news the South stand will recommence vocal support of the team following the return of the banned supporters. Could be a memorable day.

Looking forward to it, but have no real expectations, other than if we did win the significance would herald a massively overdue sense that we have finally arrived in the promised land. Hallelujah.

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

https://twitter.com/BBCLancsSport/status/923662803583619072?s=09

Well I thought we'd recovered from last season's ownership circus, but it looks like it's making a comeback, even without Diego or Cala!

By the sounds of it we're going to have a better following than usual for this game even before this news just broke.

This could go either way......

 

[Chris FGR]

Hope we come out and really go for it, an early goal will really get the crowd going and keep up that momentum.

Expect an unchanged team going by Cooper's pre-match interviews, which is pretty unusual for us. Manny back but likely to be in the bench.

Sticking with a winning team is usually a good policy and is something we haven't been able to do much of this season. Hopefully we're starting to settle and find some consistency.

 

[Habbinalan]

I have a feeling the atmosphere for this game will take on the proportions of last seasons play-offs. Following back-to-back wins away, and with the news the South stand will recommence vocal support of the team following the return of the banned supporters. Could be a memorable day.

Looking forward to it, but have no real expectations, other than if we did win the significance would herald a massively overdue sense that we have finally arrived in the promised land. Hallelujah.

Don't hold your breath Stripey. Last time club ownership was up in the air and wages were not being payed, Jim Bentley had the Shrimps playing out of their skins with a fantastic team spirit. It may be wearing a bit thin second time around but I think Jim and the mix of grandads and youngsters will have enough to get something from a fragile and still naive Cooper organised rabble.

The Hatswell reminder may well be an omen for a classic Mark Roberts OG. Both have delivered classic strikes at the Abbey (Hatters against yourselves) back when they were almost in their pomp and before dropping down to see out their final years in more bucolic surroundings. Alway glad of an excuse -

 

[Stripes]

Don't hold your breath Stripey. Last time club ownership was up in the air and wages were not being payed, Jim Bentley had the Shrimps playing out of their skins with a fantastic team spirit. It may be wearing a bit thin second time around but I think Jim and the mix of grandads and youngsters will have enough to get something from a fragile and still naive Cooper organised rabble.

The Hatswell reminder may well be an omen for a classic Mark Roberts OG. Both have delivered classic strikes at the Abbey (Hatters against yourselves) back when they were almost in their pomp and before dropping down to see out their final years in more bucolic surroundings. Alway glad of an excuse -

I see your far from convinced with our recovery then Habbin!

I bow to your knowledge of Morecambes exploits in this league. We have all the ingredients for another epic fail.
I'm too used to leaving TNL feeling completely exasperated this season. I think away is the new home this season for lots of clubs.
If we can keep a clean sheet for the first 30 minutes we'll win (prediction). Even a draw would keep some momentum.

That was a proper pile driver by WH. One of the best players we've ever had even by today's standards. Only Mark Cooper himself was more notorious for producing many a strike like that.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Unchanged except for big Manny back on the bench. Here's hoping!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

As it stands at HT we're up to the giddy heights of 21st! Nosebleed territory. No commentary though, we've been a shambles with iFollow.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Two up, other results going our way! Hang on in there lads!

 

[FGRJC]

Pretty easy win in the end! Very happy football fan tonight!!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Wish I could have heard Bob overdoing it! Watched the u-17 lads turn Spain over instead. Good day all round!

 

[Luke Imp]

FGR finally acclimatising. A good chance to push on further next month because you've got Chesterfield, Crawley, Crewe and Cheltenham so there should be points there.

Also nice to see Cooper, seemingly, coaching a side to get better. I imagine if this was last season, he'd have brought in lots of new players just like he did when you wobbled around this time last year. With his hands tied, he's had no choice but to work with what he's got, which isn't always a bad thing.

 

[Stripes]

That was great, nothing to be taken for granted, but we deserved it. Morecambe should have gone ahead, but fluffed a good chance against the post. Other than that we looked pretty good.

We did come under pressure after the break, but Morecambe's front line was not that great, and we did enough to quell that spell and see out the game quite easily, and should have added more goals.

You need that bit of creative quality in this league, and now Keanu Marsh-Brown is back we have some. But perhaps we are already relying on him, could do with a back-up.

Very happy to have moved up the table. A very good feeling.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Though Osbourne who he did add seems to be making a big difference. Getting shot of an unsettled Noble was probably no bad thing either.

 

[Stripes]

We came so close to an exact replica of the above own goal today. Deja vu, very spooky, it's not halloween tonight is it.

Couldn't post with the link, keeping getting spam error!

 

[FGR Stroud]

The New Lawn has become a magnet for many members of the '92 Club'.
Every home game we see plenty of them coming through our turnstiles wanting to tick off another one of the 92 top tier football grounds.
I spoke to two 92ers on bus to match and one admitted he wanted to attend a game at TNL this season in case we got relegated. [FGR were 2nd bottom of EFL at time].
Another of their club members has made an excellent video report of his first visit.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Just looked at the results against league table and this result was only win of any of the bottom 7 teams and pushes FGR up 4 places to 20th from 23rd.
Massive.
3 wins on the spin - it took a while but looks like FGR have arrived in EFL.

 

[Chris FGR]

Good effort got the job done. We've now played well in 5 of our last 6 league games, and got 10 points in our last 5. Starting to look a decent league 2 team.

Our form's been improving ever since Noble left, Osbourne has been superb and KMB coming in over the last couple of games has helped give us more threat, he's linking up with Brown pretty well and giving Doidge more support.

Fair play to Morecambe for bringing 180-odd good effort, some good banter but poor on the pitch, especially second half. Offered nothing second half, after looking a bit more of a threat early doors. Look like strong relegation candidates. Hope they can improve though, decent fans who deserve better.

 

[Greenacres]

It is weird but the way Morecambe played in the second half yesterday reminded me of Tranmere in the play-off final, they had a tactic and stuck to it, there didn't seem to be a plan B when it was obvious that plan A wasn't really working for them. That said we did get a bit of luck, I prefer to refer to it as rub of the Green, and had they scored what looked like a sitter in the first half the result may have been a lot different. Our first goal oozed class, nice incisive passing and a neat finish, but the second definitely had more than a dash of luck to it. A reasonably well struck free kick that evaded everyone who tried to get something on it, defeating an unfortunate substitute keeper who had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes.

Things are definitely looking up, as others have suggested we don't appear to miss Noble, and KMB has been released from the naughty step. Osborne has settled in very well and the manager made nice noises in an interview about his positive influence with the younger members of the squad both on and off the pitch, he stopped short of the old cliche of "model professional" but it does look like we have signed a very capable player. Perhaps he was suggesting that departed players were having the opposite effect, but clearly I can't confirm that, you would need to ask him. The whole atmosphere at the ground seems far better, the link between fans, players and management is improving and all look ready for the fight to keep us in the Football League.

Happy days!