Luton v Donny

[DearneValleyRover]

can't believe a thread hasn't already been created. You would expect a goal fest given the amount of chances both teams create so Sod's law says a 0-0 is on the cards. Not sure we will make any changes although we don't have many options to change, Richardson may get a recall at right back letting Blair move further forward but other than that same team as last week.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

There is a thread but its in the match day section which I didn't even know existed until I saw the thread for it the other day!

Copy and pasting what I said in that thread:

Don't want to hate on the guy too much but i cannot see us doing too much Lee playing the holding role, which he pretty much has too at the moment with no Rea (unless anyone has a bright idea!), so id probably take a point too.

Jones absolutely has to get his selection right in this one otherwise there will be a load of, largely unnecessary as he has brought it on himself mostly, pressure on him. Saying he needs to get his selection right is easy but I actually think its going to be a difficult task as there are a number of players who have been in poor form and could be dropped, a lot of potentially big calls to be made.

Id drop Sheehan and put Cuthbert in, maybe get Jake Gray in for Cook and put McGeehan at the tip of our diamond, and get Pelly back in there for Smith. We'll probably lose the midfield battle with that team but to be honest I cant see a midfield combination where we would win it!

Being honest, after such a good start i'm not quite sure how we have managed to get ourselves in this position but I am really not positive about the outcome of this one and im expecting that we will have lost 3 on the spin afterwards.

 

[Vanni]

So why is the thread in the match day sub forum? I thought match threads were only moved there some 3/4 days after the event when people aren't discussing the match anymore and have turned their attention to the forthcoming matches.

edit - the match thread was started by a Donny fan who doesn't post much so that's probably the reason. Personally I don't like the separate sub forum for match threads but I think that's what they do in the PL and Chp forums.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

That's what I thought Vanni

 

[codaplenty]

Good test for the Hatters, unfortunately see another win for Donny in their swift return to league 1. 3-2 for the Rovers

 

[shoddycollins]

We've had a solid start to the season in terms of performances, but unbeaten stat aside, not really in terms of results... it's all there ready hopefully to fall into place, but we shall see.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I can sense a very difficult afternoon if the team that turned up v Crawley and Grimsby, turn up today. If the team, that turned up against Aston Villa and Wycombe, turns up, I can see us being very competitive. I'd go with this team today, but after last week, I'm not going to try and second guess Nathan Jones. I hope he takes a risk with James Justin ahead of Stephen O'Donnell, as two weeks in a row, his mistakes have led to winning goals. He doesn't deserve to keep his place:

Subs: King, Smith, Cook, Banton, Vassell, McQuoid, Sheehan

Also think the diamond formation needs to be dumped and get back to a solid, flat 4-4-2. We'd become too one dimensional and teams have worked it out.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Confirmed team news: as above, apart from the fact that Luton maintain the 4-4-2 diamond. James Justin making his first pro league start. That could be an area that Doncaster will be looking to exploit, especially with no right winger backing him up. Olly Lee maintains his place also as does Jordan Cook.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Richardson back in at right back should be very attacking down the wings

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

You'd be foolish not to be given we play the diamond midfield.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I didn't see that result coming.

110 minute game!

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well, what a strange game. Dont think I have ever been at a game with that much injury time, I lost count of the players who went down with what looked like genuine injuries. Going to be a lot of sore players tomorrow. On that note I really hope they were just being extra cautious with Cuthberts injury as it looked a real bad one.

First 30 minutes I thought we were going to take an absolute pasting, all over the place, Doncaster could have been 2 up in about 2 minutes, pressed us really high up the pitch and exploited the wide areas really well. It all seemed to turn on Pelly going on an absolutely bulldozing run to win a corner which lifted everyone, and suddenly we were in control. 2 lovely goals, the second in particular was a super bit of play from Hylton.

We showed a good mentality to get back into it because we were all over the shop for the first 30, but in the end I think we were pretty comfortable. I had a go at him before the game on here so fairs fair Lee did his job well, got stuck in with a few decent challenges and a lovely ball for the 1st, Justin I thought was excellent (although I am not sure who coaches our fullbacks crossing because none of them seem that great at it!) Pelly I thought was again superb and Sheehan began to look like his normal self too, all in all that last 60 odd minutes was really pretty decent.

I still worry that the diamond is easily exploited, if Doncaster had carried on with that pressing and utilising their wide players high up the pitch I think we would have been in a bit of bother and you dont exactly need to be a tactical genius to work out how to play it, but cant complain too much with a 3-1 win. Will be tough midweek without Hylton, both bookings completely needless.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Like the win at Plymouth, you can't underestimate the value of that result today - an absolutely cracking win and fully deserved.

We again started off slow; Doncaster were a million miles ahead of us and could've easily been a couple of goals up in the first five minutes. They looked strong and to be honest, looked like the potential champions that they'd been tipped to be.

Then, they seemed to stop playing. Luton upped the ante, driven on maybe by the terrible injury to Cuthbert and got an equaliser through McGeehan. A lovely move then setup Marriott to complete the comeback prior to HT.

I thought Donny would themselves up the ante in the second, but it never really materialised. They look a good team, but I can't help thinking that the problem is not the players, but the manager. They seemed to be playing within themselves in the second half, never really upping their work rate as they chased the game. The only real chance coming towards the end with Walton saving brilliantly from Marquis.

Not sure why Ferguson was moaning at the officials - the Ruddock penalty foul was as blatant as you'll ever see.

20 minutes of injury time. No wonder some players were cramping up towards the end! 11 minutes was understandable in the first half, but really not sure where the referee got 8 minutes (then an additional 1) in the second? The Luton physio Simon Parsell has probably never been so busy!

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

He wasn't disputing the foul but thought it was outside the box. Looked pretty clearly inside to me. He has just about the worst position to see it too so not quite sure why he was so adamant about it really, maybe he saw a replay immediately after the game?

Looking at the replay here: http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...tions/league-two/10592056/luton-3-1-doncaster its a lot closer than I thought but looks at worst on the line, which is still a penalty I think?

 

[Kenneth E End]

McGeehan now has 26 goals in 89 games for Luton - he's only bloody 21! (20 from 56 since resigning on a permanent deal last summer). For a midfielder that is bloody good. We're lucky to have him.

£1m transfer next summer.

 

[Porrohman]

There's a lot of people who sit around me criticise his general play but with a stat like that what more can you ask for we've had centre forwards who can't match that !!

 

[Kenneth E End]

We've had many centre forwards who can't match that !!

Corrected for accuracy!

 

[Super_horns]

Not sure why Ferguson was moaning at the officials - the Ruddock penalty foul was as blatant as you'll ever see.

!

Like father like son...

 

[Kenneth E End]

Like father like son...

Except father has actually achieved something in the game.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Donny fans conspicuous by their absence in this thread since yesterday afternoon...

 

[Redfox]

Good test for the Hatters, unfortunately see another win for Donny in their swift return to league 1. 3-2 for the Rovers

 

[DearneValleyRover]

I didn't go as it was my sons graduation and the celebration went on for some time hence my late reply. Having read about the game and talked to a few who were there it seems as though we were guilty of not taking our chances and killing the game off before the injury, afterwards there was only one team in it and Luton deserved the win. Again a performance that reflects on our managers lack of tactical ability. I put us at finishing 10th this season purely down to Fergie.