Matchday Thread 08/08 - The TinpotVision Contest

[pontoonlew]

You'll never see a more one sided draw in all your life, cannot believe we drew that.

 

[Chris FGR]

FT Altrincham 0-1 FGR (Parkin 73)

Had to grind it out, but a very good away win to start the season.

 

[GTFC1979]

You'll never see a more one sided draw in all your life, cannot believe we drew that.

Typical town, miss shit loads of chances then concede late, we should be used to it by now i suppose.

 

[Ollie.TUFC]

Tale of 2 halves imo, Macc better in 1st half, us better in 2nd half. But as I come to expect under Cox, we'll be hard to break down especially when holding onto a lead. Good defensive display all round.

 

[CrazyImp]

Ecstatic with a point from that. For the first 70 minutes - utterly atrocious. Suddenly Hearn comes on, the entire mood around the ground changes and he rescues us with a superb header.

Cheltenham a good side in my opinion, though faded somewhat after the equaliser - should have had the game killed at half-time.

Never in a million years will we challenge the play-offs. Matt Rhead can fuck off for a start.

 

[fifaking]

Hayes Lane is a bit shit.

When's the season over?

 

[Sparrow]

On the way and home and pretty content with our performance. Goddard got one cleared off the line and then Rendell gots stretched off in the first half to end our season. We won't ceoncede many if we defend like we did today. Got done by a well taken free kick but that was all that was between the two sides, apart from the referee - we were reffed out of it.

Grimsby and Eastleigh won't have to worry about Tranmere too much. Maybe solid enough for the play-offs. Didn't look like a title winning side.

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

Hayes Lane is a bit shit.

When's the season over?

Each to their own, I love Hayes Lane and that big open terrace down the side.

Glad to see Ravens start with a win over one of the bigger clubs in the league, I'll have to pick up the baton of Bromley fan since there appear to be none here. Home town club and all!

 

[Swedes]

1-0 down but looking competitive until the ref intervened, sending Andrai Jones off for winning the ball and only booking one of their players for kicking and shoving Brodie (yes, I know, but for once he was the innocent party!) to the floor. After that we never stood a chance against a decent quality Eastleigh side, but their penalty still appeared quite dubious!

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Nervous start to the season from us, which is understandable, but we've come away with all 3 points. Great strike from Jay Harris one of our few chances in a pretty dire game. Don't recall Davies having a save to make, though Woking should have scored when Hill cleared one off the line in the first half. Once we were ahead, we were rarely threatened tbh, and saw it out fairly comfortably.

 

[GodsGift]

That was a distinctly average performance, but we deserved a point and it was no where near as bad as Crazy is making out.

First 15/20 minutes Cheltenham looked really good. They started on the front foot and were completely bypassing our ageing midfield, getting in behind our defence on two or three occasions. They got a bit fortunate with the goal in the way it ricocheted back to Munns (who was excellent by the way), but they were going to score one of those chances sooner or later. But aside from that, they didn't show a great deal. Second half they really faded and were happy to settle for a point. If I was to judge them from today I'd say they'll finish in and around the play-offs.

As for us, I thought we dominated physically. The Cheltenham defence couldn't handle us from our long throws, corners and free kicks but they got away with it due to our average finishing. Looking at our starting eleven, there's absolutely no goalscorers there and if we start with a front three of Muldoon, Simmons and Rhead then we'll be lucky to finish in the top half. Rhead is what he is, a battering ram who makes a complete nuisance of himself, but he needs Hearn alongside him. We really lack mobility in the centre of midfield with Sparrow and Stanley, so if we're going to stick with that system we have to start Nolan.

Anyway, today hasn't really changed my opinion on anything - we'll finish somewhere in the 9th to 13th area.

We'll draw 1-1 and Liam Hearn will get injured.

Pretty close.

 

[Nate SWA]

I fuckin love Jay Harris !

 

[CrazyImp]

That was a distinctly average performance, but we deserved a point and it was no where near as bad as Crazy is making out.

First 15/20 minutes Cheltenham looked really good. They started on the front foot and were completely bypassing our ageing midfield, getting in behind our defence on two or three occasions. They got a bit fortunate with the goal in the way it ricocheted back to Munns (who was excellent by the way), but they were going to score one of those chances sooner or later. But aside from that, they didn't show a great deal. Second half they really faded and were happy to settle for a point. If I was to judge them from today I'd say they'll finish in and around the play-offs.

As for us, I thought we dominated physically. The Cheltenham defence couldn't handle us from our long throws, corners and free kicks but they got away with it due to our average finishing. Looking at our starting eleven, there's absolutely no goalscorers there and if we start with a front three of Muldoon, Simmons and Rhead then we'll be lucky to finish in the top half. Rhead is what he is, a battering ram who makes a complete nuisance of himself, but he needs Hearn alongside him. We really lack mobility in the centre of midfield with Sparrow and Stanley, so if we're going to stick with that system we have to start Nolan.

Anyway, today hasn't really changed my opinion on anything - we'll finish somewhere in the 9th to 13th area.

Game of opinions isn't it dear.

Moving on.

 

[fifaking]

Each to their own, I love Hayes Lane and that big open terrace down the side.

Glad to see Ravens start with a win over one of the bigger clubs in the league, I'll have to pick up the baton of Bromley fan since there appear to be none here. Home town club and all!

Meant the actual lane.. Ground next to a horse field. Terraces were decent especially given we came in good numbers.

We completely dominated up until we scored, Vose was controlling the game. As soon as it went 1-1 we were second best.

 

[Bluandwite]

Won 1-0, Hunt with a nice goal after 4 minutes. We were workmanlike but laboured on to get the job done, bit harsh on Braintree to be fair, they gave a good account of themselves.

 

[GTFC1979]

Hayes Lane is a bit shit.

When's the season over?

Your season ended the day you appointed Mills as manager.....

 

[EnglishRed]

Meant the actual lane.. Ground next to a horse field. Terraces were decent especially given we came in good numbers.

We completely dominated up until we scored, Vose was controlling the game. As soon as it went 1-1 we were second best.

What was the attendance?

 

[Gladders]

Only 4 wins in the last 25 years on opening day so no surprise we haven't won today. Feels like a defeat to concede so late but its only day 1, so doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, especially as it sounds like we played very well, go again Tuesday.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

FGR team v Alty

Maxted; Pipe (c), Bennett, Racine, Kelly; Guthrie, Wedgbury, Sinclair, Frear; Parkin, O'Connor

Subs: White (gk), Jennings, Kamdjo, Marsh-Brown, Sam-Yorke

Does that happen to be Jon Maxted?

 

[Gashead]

That top 4 makes depressing reading! Boreham Wood have pissed on B2TF's cornflakes. Didn't expect Bromley to beat Wrexham quite so heavily either.

 

[Luke Imp]

Today didn't really tell us anything we didn't already know i.e. we need another striker and more pace in midfield.

First 10 was quite open and end to end. Both sides has a couple of chances each with a Rhead volley and Muldoon just missing a Rhead flick on (who won 90% of his headers) at the back post for us. Rest of the half Cheltenham were better going forward and had a couple of small guys in the Kissock mould in pockets of space and it took until HT for us to sort that out. Their goal was a bit unlucky in the way it popped out between Wood and Farman and the latter made a decent save earlier on, on a 1 on 1.

Cheltenham had a couple of half chances in the second half but nothing of any note. Their 'keeper made a cracking save from Howe and Hearn's done his marker with a good bit of movement from a corner for the goal.

I thought the Cheltenham players ran out of gas very, very early - around the 70 minute mark. We had one or two blowing but Cheltenham had 7 or 8 of them. I think they'll do ok this season. They miss a bit of something up front and they're quite a small side, so set pieces will be an issue for them this season as shown by Rhead winning just about every set piece header even when double marked. They'll have to be careful not to fall into the 'pretty football' trap and not be able to deal with the physicality of the league.

Rhead will need someone up there with him and I think he will at some stage. In the first half he had no-one who was willing to run beyond him and it was all very safe from Simmon/Muldoon/Power. It was far too easy for the Cheltenham defence who were able to keep a high line, which meant the midfield could pressure us higher up the pitch. Second half, particularly when Hearn came on, he suddenly had 3 or 4 runners who were willing to get in behind and stretch the play a bit.

All that said, only Farman and Power have remained in the starting XI from last season, so 9 new players who'll need a few more games to get going.

1-1 was about right, for me.

 

[I Blame Paul Mayo]

Agreed with GG, nowhere near as bad as CrazyImp has made out but nothing special. Think we got over ran in midfield a bit with Power sauntering around a fair bit. Beevers had a bit of a stinker as well, misjudged a fair bit.

Thought Hearn changed the game when he came on, great header for the goal, we looked pretty dangerous from our set pieces, some good long throws from Wood and some cracking flat corners from Simmons. Should get a lot of joy from them this season.

 

[fifaking]

What was the attendance?

Ive no idea didn't hear it announced, about 400 Wrexham I'd have guessed.

 

[fifaking]

I fuckin love Jay Harris !

 

[Lew]

No words

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

FT Altrincham 0-1 FGR (Parkin 73)

Had to grind it out, but a very good away win to start the season.

You guys deserved the victory in the end.

A very uninspiring game but Forest Green stepped it up in the final 35 minutes, Parkin with the goal, a header that unsurprisingly came from a corner. Both O'Connor and Guthrie had chances from corners prior to the winner, and you felt it was coming. A game where the defences were on definitely on top.

For Alty I was impressed with Tom Marshall who dealt with Parkin very well, (in open play) for FGR the two centre backs stood out and I thought Elliott Frear was the liveliest attacking player on the pitch, though that isn't saying much.

 

[EnglishRed]

I fuckin love Jay Harris !

Top player.

Moaning little git though.

 

[SamScfc]

I'm allowed to post in here aren't I? Let's face it o-one goes in the North thread.

Really enjoyed our performance today, first half we could have been 3 up but went in at 1-0 thank to Glenn Rule. Boston started the 2nd half very lively and deservedly got an equaliser, if the game ended that way I'd have taken it, they're a decent side.

We defended well when we needed too and Odejayi and Gonalez were brilliant upfront, they allowed us to go long but they're also good on the ground with the ball at their feet, they both ran their balls off and deserved a goal. Glenn Rule is just ace, such a good player, did he used to play for Chester? If so I can't believe they let him go. Real fans favourite already.

Everyone was brilliant today and Young was clever tacticlly swell, changed the formation twice near the end to secure us the points. We look so different to last season.

 

[Nate SWA]

Top player.

Moaning little git though.

Haha love it he never stops running, puts in some quality challenges too, wait till you see his goal!

 

[Chris FGR]

You guys deserved the victory in the end.

A very uninspiring game but Forest Green stepped it up in the final 35 minutes, Parkin with the goal, a header that unsurprisingly came from a corner. Both O'Connor and Guthrie had chances from corners prior to the winner, and you felt it was coming. A game where the defences were on definitely on top.

For Alty I was impressed with Tom Marshall who dealt with Parkin very well, (in open play) for FGR the two centre backs stood out and I thought Elliott Frear was the liveliest attacking player on the pitch, though that isn't saying much.

Interesting to read a neutral's view, thanks for that.

We specialised in grinding out scrappy wins last season, keeping things tight and hoping Parkin could produce something, often from a Frear assist. Seems not much has changed this season.