Matchday Thread 12/9/15

[Reginald Fodstain]

Well, the away support thread's shut, and the tinpot thread's descended into bitching, so back to the football!

Braintree Town V Barrow
Bromley V Macclesfield Town
Cheltenham Town V Dover Athletic
Eastleigh V Gateshead
FC Halifax Town V Kidderminster Harriers
Forest Green Rovers V Southport
Grimsby Town V Aldershot Town
Guiseley V Woking
Lincoln City V Boreham Wood
Tranmere Rovers V Chester FC
Welling United V Torquay United
Wrexham V Altrincham

 

[Luke Imp]

Boreham Wood have had a similarly tough start as us - they've played FGR, Tranmere, Grimsby, Eastleigh, Gateshead etc.

Had no news on Hearn this week although he said himself last weekend that it was nothing serious. Doubt we'll start him, and Simmons will probably get the nod. Howe is out for another 2/3 weeks.

Tbh, I know little about them other than recognising 6 or 7 of their players. Couldn't tell you how they play or anything.

 

[EnglishRed]

Alty are rubbish away from Home aren't they?

Back to winning ways this weekend hopefully.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Following on from two wins on the bounce and a general lift in the mood around the club we have tough winnable home games coming up starting with Hednesford this Saturday.

Our opponments have just announced Bernard McNally as their new manager back for a second spell. So it will be a tough game with no doubt an extra spring in their step as look to impress their new boss.

 

[Si Robin]

Dover at home.

We owe them from last season in the cup, and we also need to bounce back from last weeks defeat at Alty.

It will probably be a draw.

 

[Southern Shayman]

Huge game for us this weekend. Really is a must win.

 

[FGRJC]

Southport= banana skin hope I'm wrong!

 

[EnglishRed]

Southport= banana skin hope I'm wrong!

I will confidently predict win no. 9...

Southport look poor this year and you have too much quality in the team. If it was away maybe, but not at your place.

 

[les.gtfc]

Southport= banana skin hope I'm wrong!

You should be far too strong for Southport. Only won 1 game all season and only scored in 2 of their 8 games too.

Having said that, as you say, it could well be a game like that when you lose your 100% record.

Come on Southport.

 

[slaphead]

Looking forward to the trek up to Grimsby, been a mixed hunting ground for us in the past few years. We still have a few long term injuries, but still have more than enough to get something from the game.

Defensively we always look like be may concede, but going forward we look very good. Brodie is still a handful at this level, and with 4 in 4 is bang in form. Charlie Walker also has 3 in 2 and is high in confidence. Rhys Browne is back from International duty and with Harris who looks a cut above this level, we will create chances. Probably a week too soon for Sam Hatton to renew aquaintences so I expect the midfield to be unchanged with Browne on the bench as an impact sub.

Our issues are at the back, get Luke Oliver turning and we could be in bother. Omar Beckles is still raw at this level but a very good footballing centre half. Our full backs are standard, sometimes good, most times dodgy. With Grimsby top scorers in the division this won't be 0-0, if we play like we did first 70 minutes last week, we'll get something, if we play like the last 20, we'll get smashed.

Prediction, a highly entertaining 2-2.

 

[les.gtfc]

Looking forward to the trek up to Grimsby, been a mixed hunting ground for us in the past few years. We still have a few long term injuries, but still have more than enough to get something from the game.

Defensively we always look like be may concede, but going forward we look very good. Brodie is still a handful at this level, and with 4 in 4 is bang in form. Charlie Walker also has 3 in 2 and is high in confidence. Rhys Browne is back from International duty and with Harris who looks a cut above this level, we will create chances. Probably a week too soon for Sam Hatton to renew aquaintences so I expect the midfield to be unchanged with Browne on the bench as an impact sub.

Our issues are at the back, get Luke Oliver turning and we could be in bother. Omar Beckles is still raw at this level but a very good footballing centre half. Our full backs are standard, sometimes good, most times dodgy. With Grimsby top scorers in the division this won't be 0-0, if we play like we did first 70 minutes last week, we'll get something, if we play like the last 20, we'll get smashed.

Prediction, a highly entertaining 2-2.

Well you're bound to score at least one. We haven't kept a clean sheet yet this season, and Brodie always bloody scores against us!

 

[FGRJC]

W

You should be far too strong for Southport. Only won 1 game all season and only scored in 2 of their 8 games too.

Having said that, as you say, it could well be a game like that when you lose your 100% record.

Come on Southport.

Well it's got to end at some point, my prediction is it will end at Cheltenham just have a very bad feeling!

 

[EnglishRed]

Looking forward to the trek up to Grimsby, been a mixed hunting ground for us in the past few years. We still have a few long term injuries, but still have more than enough to get something from the game.

Defensively we always look like be may concede, but going forward we look very good. Brodie is still a handful at this level, and with 4 in 4 is bang in form. Charlie Walker also has 3 in 2 and is high in confidence. Rhys Browne is back from International duty and with Harris who looks a cut above this level, we will create chances. Probably a week too soon for Sam Hatton to renew aquaintences so I expect the midfield to be unchanged with Browne on the bench as an impact sub.

Our issues are at the back, get Luke Oliver turning and we could be in bother. Omar Beckles is still raw at this level but a very good footballing centre half. Our full backs are standard, sometimes good, most times dodgy. With Grimsby top scorers in the division this won't be 0-0, if we play like we did first 70 minutes last week, we'll get something, if we play like the last 20, we'll get smashed.

Prediction, a highly entertaining 2-2.

When you played at our I did think Beckley looked like he had a bit of potential. As you say Oliver isn't the best on the deck. If Grimsby actually.play their best attackers could be a rough day! I'm sure Brodie will.be extra keen to score against Grimsby though. Looking at your recent results looks like we played you at the right time!

 

[Nansan]

Can't see anything other a defeat unless Crosby has finally realised our midfield is poor and decides to play people in their proper positions. We have rode our luck until being undone by Bromley, unfortunately I can see Eastleigh doing the same and putting a few past us.

 

[JaggerCFC]

hopefully come away with a win at Tranmere and have local bragging rights, well on here at least. No point bragging in Chester or the Wirral, most people will be watching Man U v Liverpool, and couldn't careless.

 

[appletablepenny]

Alty are rubbish away from Home aren't they?

Back to winning ways this weekend hopefully.

The current run away from home (get this):

7 consecutive away defeats, going back to 28/03/2015. Three goals scored in those seven defeats, fifteen conceded.

To be fair, our away record was hardly any less dire before last year's game at Wrexham, so.....

 

[FGR Stroud]

You should be far too strong for Southport. Only won 1 game all season and only scored in 2 of their 8 games too.

Having said that, as you say, it could well be a game like that when you lose your 100% record.

Come on Southport.

FGR have come to that point in their winning run where their opponents will either raise their game or are beaten before the two teams walk onto the pitch. Possibility even that FGR will start to get nervous and make silly mistakes to get hammered.
Unlike RGRJC, I am not so pessimistic for the home match against Cheltenham but FGR have two difficult away games (Woking & Macclesfield) before then and they are far from foregone wins.

 

[EnglishRed]

The current run away from home (get this):

7 consecutive away defeats, going back to 28/03/2015. Three goals scored in those seven defeats, fifteen conceded.

To be fair, our away record was hardly any less dire before last year's game at Wrexham, so.....

I think I'm right in saying we haven't lost at home since 17th january. But that was the 4-0 tonking by high flying Telford. And as you say your form before last season's game wasn't so hot.

Result: Nailed on Alty win.

 

[appletablepenny]

I think I'm right in saying we haven't lost at home since 17th january. But that was the 4-0 tonking by high flying Telford. And as you say your form before last season's game wasn't so hot.

Result: Nailed on Alty win.

Actually, going into last month's mugging of Grimsby, we were on a streak of seven straight defeats, with a similarly dire goal difference.

I won't be going unfortunately, I have a mandatory family engagement.

 

[DarkSithLord]

FGR have come to that point in their winning run where their opponents will either raise their game or are beaten before the two teams walk onto the pitch. Possibility even that FGR will start to get nervous and make silly mistakes to get hammered.
Unlike RGRJC, I am not so pessimistic for the home match against Cheltenham but FGR have two difficult away games (Woking & Macclesfield) before then and they are far from foregone wins.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Chris FGR]

Well it's got to end at some point, my prediction is it will end at Cheltenham just have a very bad feeling!

I'd settle for that tbf, seeing as we're playing at Cheltenham on 21 November. 21 straight wins would be pretty decent.

Southport wont be easy, no game is. If we play with the same steely determination and professionalism we've shown so far, I reckon we'll win. It's about time The Beast started scoring more regularly as well.

 

[Vanni]

Every club knows how Southport play when they're away - park the bus and hope for a goal less draw. Still, I shouldn't think it will be a big problem for FGR to get the 3 points at stake. Just as long as the players keep calm if the score's still 0-0 after 60 mins. I'm one who believes that eventually the better side's pressure will pay off in the end, and rarely have I seen matches where one side is completely dominant and yet fail to score by the end of the 90.

Best case scenario, for FGR obviously, is to get an early goal, as sides who play like Southport do won't have a clue how to react after going a goal down. It basically means their pre-game match plan hasn't worked and the game is as good as over, and that's why I can never understand sides/managers who go for this tactic.

 

[Chris FGR]

I liked Carden as a player, seems to be struggling a bit as a manager though. Defensive tactics only work if you have pace on the break, otherwise you end up getting penned in with no out-ball. Not sure about Southport's counter-attacking ability, if they try and hang on without causing us any problems we'll grind them down. We're a very fit side with a strong bench these days.

 

[Dickie Davies eyes]

Tranmere V Chester.
It's been a whole quarter of a century since we last met at Prenton park, if I remember rightly Chester won 2-1 despite a wonder goal from Mark Hughes. Chester were managed on a shoe string budget by the late great Harry McNally, whilst Tranmere were in their early stages of John Kings "trip to the moon". What a team Tranmere had then, Nixon Thomas Vickers Higgins Hughes Mungall Bishop Harvey McNab Morrisey Muir Steel Malkin. Chester had quality too with the likes of Brian Croft and Graham Barrow.
Sadly, the property vultures had got in at Sealand road and Chester were exiled to Macclesfield and thus began 2 decades of misery. Tranmere have got no excuses for losing their league status where as Chester had the likes of Stephen Vaughan.
I've got the upmost respect for Chester fans in what they've achieved in getting their club back to where it is now, fantastic achievement! Pity this game is no longer a league fixture.
Sorry to say, but I think Chester will take something from this game. Tranmere are in disarray and the home fans are either silent or getting on the players backs, no doubt we'll be able to muster a few choruses of "your Welsh and you know you are"
Don't think normal Chester fans have got anything to worry about on their visit to Birkenhead, Tranmere's hooligan element has long since retired. There's a few scroates nocking about, but if fronted they'll run a mile.
I'll go for the Same result as 25 years ago played out in front of 6000.

 

[Greenacres]

Well it's got to end at some point, my prediction is it will end at Cheltenham just have a very bad feeling!

I'm one of the most pessimistic fans around, during the pre-season friendlies I was worried we wouldn't be nearly as good as last season, but even I'm optimistic that we will get all three points against Southport. However, I think it will grind to a halt at Woking, before we even face Cheltenham. We have some really tough games this month, after playing Southport, against four teams who are likely to be challenging for the play-offs come the end of the season. If we are still near the top of the table after those games then I might start to believe we are capable of a sustained challenge for promotion. I seem to remember Barnet blitzing it early on last season, before having a major wobble in the spring and nearly gifting the title to the Gas.

 

[B2TF]

FGR have come to that point in their winning run where their opponents will either raise their game or are beaten before the two teams walk onto the pitch. Possibility even that FGR will start to get nervous and make silly mistakes to get hammered.
Unlike RGRJC, I am not so pessimistic for the home match against Cheltenham but FGR have two difficult away games (Woking & Macclesfield) before then and they are far from foregone wins.

Looks like they've also come to the point where their other 3 fans feel brave enough to own up to it.

 

[Sparrow]

Not particularly sure what to expect at Guiseley on Saturday. The defeat to Macclesfield was worrying and Garry Hill's interview afterwards said likewise. With the injuries we have to Rendell, Ricketts, Murtagh and Yakubu, which is the very spine of our team, and on our limited budget with a tough month ahead, we could quickly find ourselves in trouble. I hope I'm wrong but I can't see us not struggling this month until Murtagh and Ricketts return. Certainly a great time for opposition teams to be playing us. A point and a valiant performance would be pleasing. A new ground for me to tick off.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Braintree v Barrow for me.

 

[FrankTheTank]

Looks like they've also come to the point where their other 3 fans feel brave enough to own up to it.

Four .. must be this interweb thing that's finally been installed in the West Country. Horrible noise when you plug it into the phone socket and dial up though.

On topic, comfortable 3-0 win for us, Southport seem to be struggling to score and even though we haven't yet decided on our best attacking line-up, we should be too strong.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Not particularly sure what to expect at Guiseley on Saturday. The defeat to Macclesfield was worrying and Garry Hill's interview afterwards said likewise. With the injuries we have to Rendell, Ricketts, Murtagh and Yakubu, which is the very spine of our team, and on our limited budget with a tough month ahead, we could quickly find ourselves in trouble. I hope I'm wrong but I can't see us not struggling this month until Murtagh and Ricketts return. Certainly a great time for opposition teams to be playing us. A point and a valiant performance would be pleasing. A new ground for me to tick off.

We don't know what to expect in every game this season! I like that.
We have dominated several games so far, created some very good opportunities but failed to score most of them. If we can be more clinical in our finishing we will do ok up here