National League Fixtures 15/08/2017

[PoolieTom]

Astles is a good proven centre-back at this level, McCombe also looks reliable and is pretty dominant in the air, but you’re right that there’s no pace between them.

I’ve no doubt McCarthy is the most negative and defensive manager in the league, it’s really starting to piss me off now as well. As a fan owned club we rely solely on our gate receipts and the crowds will plummet watching that as he’s setting us up like that at home. We’re far better than last night but this incredibly restricted style of play just makes us look absolutely appalling every week.

Our recognised keeper is Alex Lynch, but he brought in Mitchell on loan from Burnley last week and has put him straight in goal for some reason.

That was my first visit to your place and was impressed, nice set-up. I think you will climb the table in time as well.

I meant to say really slow, not really poor. They both handled everything thrown at them pretty well to be honest as it felt like a constant bombardment into the box.

Might have been a bit harsh on the keeper in that case then. He looked young and naive. Didn't want to collect anything in the air, but room for improvement I'm sure.

On the basis of that performance, a new CB and the starting XI should certainly move us up the table. More confident than I was after the first game.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Highlight of the night was the Guiseley right back strangling Connor Jennings. Easy red? No he doesn't play for Tranmere.

Yellow for Connor Jennings obviously.

Highlight of the night for me was my nephew winning the half time draw, albeit a paltry £20.

 

[Soup Ladle]

No offence meant to the Chester fans, but you were the worst side I've seen (at the Vic) for 14 years. Considering we're now here, at a lower standard of football, not sure it's that controversial to say that. We're also not that good, if we were we'd have beaten you comfortably, but we didn't, so that's where we're both at. You could argue about your keeper's flap but without a dodgy backpass and some messy keeping, you'd not have gone 1 up. Good turnout anyway, almost 200 on a Tuesday night is a good effort.

I meant to say really slow, not really poor. They both handled everything thrown at them pretty well to be honest as it felt like a constant bombardment into the box.

Might have been a bit harsh on the keeper in that case then. He looked young and naive. Didn't want to collect anything in the air, but room for improvement I'm sure.

On the basis of that performance, a new CB and the starting XI should certainly move us up the table. More confident than I was after the first game.

Wish I was as confident as you are. Everything screams York to me but I guess I'm just a miserable sod.

On Amond, I'd be inclined to keep him in for the Bromley and Fylde games. Give him another couple of games. Build up confidence and more understanding with Cassidy (who I think is a very useful player), even if we did sign him from Guiseley, but it was after WHAT THEY DID.

 

[Pablosammy]

Guiseley didn't have a sniff all game. Cook missed an open goal, Dunn missed a one on one. Someone missed a header from 2 yards. Cook hit it straight at keeper from 12 yards. Your comment is just disappointment from a poor result.

In truth we dominated the game and should have won by a few goals. I'm not concerned at all and Tollitt is training with the first team again.

Except for the one on one they hit straight at Scott in the first half, and the free header in the second that they really should have scored from? I dont remember us having any chances as good as those two.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Highlight of the night for me was my nephew winning the half time draw, albeit a paltry £20.

At least it wasn't the golden goal

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Except for the one on one they hit straight at Scott in the first half, and the free header in the second that they really should have scored from? I dont remember us having any chances as good as those two.

Our best chance was Rob Atkinsons header from a late corner, should have scored but put it the wrong side of the post.
But we created nothing

 

[Master D]

Anthony Limbrick is doing well as well. Well done Woking. A little surprised at how poorly Eastleigh and Fylde are doing but I'm sure they are too good not to be in the promotion shakeup. Oh, I nearly forgot about Dover. What a success story they are. Chris Kinnear keeps pulling rabbits out the hat. Well done to them. Guiseley, Solihull and Ebbsfleet. Keep on perservering and it will all bear results. Miss the likes of Braintree, Grays and Histon who should all have got promoted.

As long as the brotherhood of football league clubs keep struggling like they are then it's all good. Well done Sutton. Nice to see Moses on the score sheet. Kudos to Paul Doswell, Alan Devonshire and Neil Smith. Like Garrard is also doing a great job. Well done to Boreham Wood on their excellent start to the season. All four clubs haven't been bankrolled and they keep giving it to the Prima Donnas of this league

I know you're on a WUM mission but in case you've not noticed, we are just over a week into the season.

All of the aforementioned tinpotters will FADE. If they refuse to then they'll simply get reffed out of contention for the good of the league anyway. Book it.

 

[White Army]

Guiseley created a couple of good chances but we did create more, and dominated possession, but clearly that means absolutely nothing. Cooks missed chance from 6 yards out in the first half, Dunn's one on one he put wide and Dunn's free header from a corner which for some reason he decided to head back across goal instead of putting it into an empty net all should have ended up in the back of the net.

Our tactic yesterday seemed to be to spread play as much as possible, give the ball to Ridehalgh or Buxton and for them to cross it into Cook from 30 yards out. It didnt work. We didnt try to get in behind or run at their defence once which was dissapointing.

It is what is though and we move on. I dont accept that there's anyone out there that gives us more of a chance of promotion this season than Mellon. He just needs to work out how to fit these players that clearly have talent into a system that works. Need to go to Eastleigh and win now though, which isnt going to be easy.

 

[Sestonpoolie]

Think yourselves lucky that but for that flap by our inexperienced GK we'd have won. ?

And think yourself lucky that one of our shots had gone in instead of hitting the bar,you wouldn't have got a point

 

[GuiseleySteve]

We will come back to this conversation late april x

Whatever issue you have with Ollies 'goal' may I suggest you take it up with him directly. I'm sure he's still employed by a club in this league - oh.........

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Guiseley created a couple of good chances but we did create more, and dominated possession, but clearly that means absolutely nothing. Cooks missed chance from 6 yards out in the first half, Dunn's one on one he put wide and Dunn's free header from a corner which for some reason he decided to head back across goal instead of putting it into an empty net all should have ended up in the back of the net.

Our tactic yesterday seemed to be to spread play as much as possible, give the ball to Ridehalgh or Buxton and for them to cross it into Cook from 30 yards out. It didnt work. We didnt try to get in behind or run at their defence once which was dissapointing.

It is what is though and we move on. I dont accept that there's anyone out there that gives us more of a chance of promotion this season than Mellon. He just needs to work out how to fit these players that clearly have talent into a system that works. Need to go to Eastleigh and win now though, which isnt going to be easy.

Agree with all of that. Your tactics don't fit the talent available.

 

[B2TF]

Our problem is the manager. I've supported Chester since 1960. Hartlepool(s) have always been the laughing stock of the Football League until 15/20 years ago, so don't forget that. You're in Non-league now so get used to it. Think yourselves lucky that but for that flap by our inexperienced GK we'd have won. Your commentary team called McCombe and Astles our 2 fat centre halves, so you only have yourselves to blame if you can't beat a shit team with no tactics and 2 fat centre halves. Astles in particular has been magnificent for us over the past 2 seasons and his size is not an issue for us. Btw does that tranny still hang about outside your ground?

(*Harrumph* ) Aren't you forgetting someone?
Besides, Chester themselves were never far away from snatching our crown.
We're 3 bald men fight for a comb.

 

[Railway Blue]

That keeper is shocking by the way. Is he on loan from a league club or something? The two centre halves, although look really poor, won every header and cleared the box from the majority of crosses. Based on that one game, you are far too defensive. Maidenhead came and got in our faces and enjoyed a lot of success, whereas you just sat on the edge of your own box. Probably an instruction from your manager, but with those two at centre back, you are never going to be able to play a high line. The odd time you did we got in behind you pretty easily. All that said, it shows how poor we look when we couldn't manage another goal.

Oh, and Lawrence died a couple of years ago god bless his tortured soul.[/QUOTE]
Very sorry about that. Hope he's found peace.

(*Harrumph* ) Aren't you forgetting someone?
Besides, Chester themselves were never far away from snatching our crown.
We're 3 bald men fight for a comb.

You can also include York City and Crewe Alex.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

You can also include York City and Crewe Alex.

And Rochdale

 

[Silver Stone]

And Rochdale

And Doncaster and Darlington. What's with all the crap northern league teams?

 

[Soup Ladle]

You're right. I'd rather the football league be filled with tinpot Southern sides with plastic pitches

 

[B2TF]

And Rochdale

And Tranmere. Nice try.
And Stockport. I miss Rochdale when are they coming down?

 

[B2TF]

And Doncaster and Darlington. What's with all the crap northern league teams?

All the money is in The South. The game is a microcosm of economic reality.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

I'm not sure putting two hands around an opponents neck is winding them up.

The ref possibly didn't see it as he only came over when he heard Tranmere fans shouting. Didn't know what to do so booked both players. Would love to know what that linesman who was looking straight at it was doing.

Note I'm not saying this was the reason we failed to win, just that your player should have seen red.

Presumably they were both guilty of foul play, I was too far away to see what happened but I know from past experience Brown is a master at causing hos opponent to see the red mist.

 

[Soup Ladle]

And Tranmere. Nice try.
And Stockport. I miss Rochdale when are they coming down?

Never. I'm jealous of them. Their gates are quite a bit lower than ours and are an established L1 side now. "Crowds have fuck all to do with it" I hear the do-gooders say, yes I know that but doesn't stop me being bitter.

It hurts whenever I look at the L1 table and think of our days there, fighting for promotion, so I just don't look at it any more.

 

[Silver Stone]

You're right. I'd rather the football league be filled with tinpot Southern sides with plastic pitches

Just an observation, no insult meant! Just those sides seemed to be in Division Four forever. Also, we can't be an arrogant former football league team AND a tinpotter, people need to make their minds up.

 

[The Terminator]

I've been looking on the Leyton Orient forums and a lot of comments are along the lines of 'We just got smashed by a team of cast offs and part timers'.

We left the part-time club over the summer and are full-time now.

Our forum is full of thick stupid old men (Like most forums I guess!) who aren't well educated in footballing terms. I wouldn't take what our lot say seriously to be honest, many are still coming to terms what the last three years have brought us and where we are now and what must be suffered to try and one day hopefully recover.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

And Tranmere. Nice try.
And Stockport. I miss Rochdale when are they coming down?

I knew that was coming!

 

[EnglishRed]

Our forum is full of thick stupid old men (Like most forums I guess!) who aren't well educated in footballing terms. I wouldn't take what our lot say seriously to be honest, many are still coming to terms what the last three years have brought us and where we are now and what must be suffered to try and one day hopefully recover.

Yeah we've got loads of thickos. Ten years down here and some still go on and on about pub sides and "why can't we beat part timers?" . You'd think they'd have snapped out of it by now but no....

 

[Soup Ladle]

Just an observation, no insult meant! Just those sides seemed to be in Division Four forever. Also, we can't be an arrogant former football league team AND a tinpotter, people need to make their minds up.

No offence taken at all, we are a run of the mill 4th tier sized club with average gates for that division but with potential to consolidate and even challenge in the league above.

I also don't know where to classify you. You're not totally tinpot but not a hardcore member of the football league brotherhood (TM), but you're certainly worthy enough to be allowed to compete in L2.

Maybe a new term is needed for you and maybe Aldershot. A 'leaguepotter' perhaps.

 

[Master D]

Nothing against Maidstone but under the Natural Order they are classified as an Historical Tinpotter I'm afraid.

 

[RLC]

Guiseley created a couple of good chances but we did create more, and dominated possession, but clearly that means absolutely nothing. Cooks missed chance from 6 yards out in the first half, Dunn's one on one he put wide and Dunn's free header from a corner which for some reason he decided to head back across goal instead of putting it into an empty net all should have ended up in the back of the net.

Our tactic yesterday seemed to be to spread play as much as possible, give the ball to Ridehalgh or Buxton and for them to cross it into Cook from 30 yards out. It didnt work. We didnt try to get in behind or run at their defence once which was dissapointing.

It is what is though and we move on. I dont accept that there's anyone out there that gives us more of a chance of promotion this season than Mellon. He just needs to work out how to fit these players that clearly have talent into a system that works. Need to go to Eastleigh and win now though, which isnt going to be easy.

I agree with all of that. However, we have got to get our act together quickly. If this run continues for another four or five games the title will be beyond us.

Playing a 451 with Cook as lone striker is never going to work and it is surprising Mellon has not realised it yet as he is usually so good tactically. Having Norwood back on Saturday will help. We did not stretch Guiseley's back four and get in behind them once last night.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

I agree with all of that. However, we have got to get our act together quickly. If this run continues for another four or five games the title will be beyond us.

Playing a 451 with Cook as lone striker is never going to work and it is surprising Mellon has not realised it yet as he is usually so good tactically. Having Norwood back on Saturday will help. We did not stretch Guiseley's back four and get in behind them once last night.

I'm so glad Norwood was busy stroking my dog and not out on the pitch - he ALWAYS scores against us!

 

[Pablosammy]

I'm so glad Norwood was busy stroking my dog and not out on the pitch - he ALWAYS scores against us!

Nice to meet Mowgli before the game btw!

 

[B2TF]

Never. I'm jealous of them. Their gates are quite a bit lower than ours and are an established L1 side now. "Crowds have fuck all to do with it" I hear the do-gooders say, yes I know that but doesn't stop me being bitter.

It hurts whenever I look at the L1 table and think of our days there, fighting for promotion, so I just don't look at it any more.

Your entry here has been long overdue, you know it and I know it. Same goes for Rochdale.

Just an observation, no insult meant! Just those sides seemed to be in Division Four forever. Also, we can't be an arrogant former football league team AND a tinpotter, people need to make their minds up.

It's perfectly simple, and is established by answering one question: Were you in the Football League in 1986? Tin Potters will typically answer "No" to this question.