National League fixtures Saturday August 31

[AnimoEtFide]

A solid performance just about deserving of the win. We pretty much sat back after taking a 2-0 lead. Wrexham had most of the possession in the second half but we handled it well until Hinchliffe's error (followed by a good finish). It got nervy at 2-1 but even then Wrexham didn't really look up for it.

Good to be back at a Proper Ground playing a Proper Club, ruined only by the fact that I had to settle for tickets in the home end. However, in an outbreak of Brotherly Solidarity I was allowed to escape unstabbed.

 

[AnimoEtFide]

Oh, and today just confirmed my view that Oswell's level is Conference North at best. I didn't even realise he was playing until he was subbed.

 

[Master D]

Oh, and today just confirmed my view that Oswell's level is Conference North at best. I didn't even realise he was playing until he was subbed.

He's crap and doesn't care either, I think he knows nobody rates him. Only played because Hooper is injured.

 

[Urban]

Decent day down at Eastleigh today, made more entertaining by a laughably bad referee. Could have sent Reda Johnson off about 3 times, aside from a very entertaining bit of handbags with his own teammate. Was clearly wound up over something from the start.

We didn't play great but Eastleigh were fairly poor, so we done just enough. Things don't seem to be gelling too well so far but only one loss (and that being a 93rd minute goal vs Dover) after our start isn't too bad.

Two controversially postponed games to come then (a decision which I definitely agree with in principle, but our chairman has again screwed the die-hard fans who booked tickets and hotels in Fylde over) before our next game in 2 weeks time. Hoping we see a refreshed team in action then with some welcome returnees from the injury room.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Overall the better side definitely won. Hartlepool should have been at three up at half time having also hit the woodwork a couple times and could have grabbed another in the second half but for an absolutely outstanding save from our keeper.

One of those games where I think our inexperience showed. First half Hartlepool were easily the better side, Toure in particular looked dangerous. We couldn't get our passing game together (partly thanks to some good work by Hartlepool) and spent most of the half pumping long balls against a bit of a wind that were easily dealt with by Raynes, et al. Second half we switched formations and got back in to the game more, leading to a well worked goal by Reid. After that we looked the team more likely to grab a winner until Kioso's well taken goal. After that we resorted back to hopeful balls in to the box but didn't have any success other than a Niate header that he directed straight at Killip.

Overall thought Hartlepool looked like a good all-round team for this level, and looked particularly dangerous at set pieces. The only player I wasn't sure about was Killip, who didn't have much to challenge him all game but looks like one of those players who looks a bit of a potential liability, losing his rag and getting wound up at the slightest thing on a couple of occasions and was lucky not to get worse than a booking in injury time for a bit of handbags and pushing one of our players.

Good write up. Sounded like that on the radio. We're now 1 defeat from 6 after losing the opening two and performances are improving. I was feeling optimistic about our chances this season again at full time then remembered I'm a Hartlepool fan and went into the default CURSED mode again.

Killip is actually getting better - he's cost us a number of points this season and as you infer, he is a bit iffy. Certainly no Scott Loach at present but will give the lad a chance.

Raynes ticks many boxes for us with his leadership and know-how but he's a bit cumbersome and has the odd rick in him. On his day though he's very solid and we needed him to be today.

Good luck for the rest of the season, Brother.

 

[B2TF]

Didn't take Harrogate long to dip back to 3 figure crowds. How expected.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Th

Great season. I think Barnet away (when the record came to an end) was the closest I've come to getting carted off at a game when I went drunkenly mental at a copper for Barnet randomly announcing that Bristol Rovers were winning to rile us (it worked). Not sure to this day why I thought it was the poor coppers fault.

That was in 07/08 and it was the Hereford score! I’m not sure why our stadium announcer did that.

 

[Jerry]

Overall the better side definitely won. Hartlepool should have been at three up at half time having also hit the woodwork a couple times and could have grabbed another in the second half but for an absolutely outstanding save from our keeper.

One of those games where I think our inexperience showed. First half Hartlepool were easily the better side, Toure in particular looked dangerous. We couldn't get our passing game together (partly thanks to some good work by Hartlepool) and spent most of the half pumping long balls against a bit of a wind that were easily dealt with by Raynes, et al. Second half we switched formations and got back in to the game more, leading to a well worked goal by Reid. After that we looked the team more likely to grab a winner until Kioso's well taken goal. After that we resorted back to hopeful balls in to the box but didn't have any success other than a Niate header that he directed straight at Killip.

Overall thought Hartlepool looked like a good all-round team for this level, and looked particularly dangerous at set pieces. The only player I wasn't sure about was Killip, who didn't have much to challenge him all game but looks like one of those players who looks a bit of a potential liability, losing his rag and getting wound up at the slightest thing on a couple of occasions and was lucky not to get worse than a booking in injury time for a bit of handbags and pushing one of our players.

Yep pretty much a spot on assessment. Toure looked excellent in the first half but faded a little as the game went on.

We had a lot more possession second half without really creating anything until Niate missed that header at the end which looked easier to score. Our lack of width didn't help as we constantly tried to play through the middle instead of getting in behind the back three.

The Pool set pieces were indeed high quality, some great delivery and they looked like they would score from every corner.

Thought we had a chance when they lined up with what looked like a 12 year old at centre half but the little tacker did a decent job in the end.

Decent effort by their fans as well, hell of a trip all the way down here.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Who would have thought that nobody on here has anything to say about the Chorley v Boreham Wood TV game? I'm shocked.

Chorley look like they have a lot of work to do if they are to avoid the bottom 4.

I watched some of the first half. Chorley just don’t look like they have the necessary quality in attack and the two they conceded that half were soft too.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Yep pretty much a spot on assessment. Toure looked excellent in the first half but faded a little as the game went on.

We had a lot more possession second half without really creating anything until Niate missed that header at the end which looked easier to score. Our lack of width didn't help as we constantly tried to play through the middle instead of getting in behind the back three.

The Pool set pieces were indeed high quality, some great delivery and they looked like they would score from every corner.

Thought we had a chance when they lined up with what looked like a 12 year old at centre half but the little tacker did a decent job in the end.

Decent effort by their fans as well, hell of a trip all the way down here.

Aaron Cunningham, came up from the youth team and looks to be a real prospect for us, already had some bad injuries in his short professional career but if he manages to stay fit I think he's gonna be a decent player for us in the future.

Best of luck for the future Brother(s)

 

[Redbank]

4 away wins on the trot for Dover , as well as keeping our unbeaten league record on plastic, two second half goals sealed the points aided with a strong performance in goal by Worgs could have been more than two in a comfortable away win
Just need to tidy up our home form

 

[Sparrow]

We’re pissing this Tinpot league. Next.

 

[Ban Fat Stan]

Good result for us at Eastleigh, remarkable how we've done considering the ridiculous amount of injuries we have to nailed on first team players. Seems like every game we get a player back and another is injured. If Darren Currie can get a forward in on loan we should be more potent up front. Hopefully the international break will help us.

 

[SomeMightShay]

BT sports highlights show bemoaning Solihull's lack of luck (well i guess somebody has to want them to do well) by giving two replays one of which was slowed right down. Yet no mention of the foul outside the box leading to Woking's penalty.

 

[DontBringBertie]

BT sports highlights show bemoaning Solihull's lack of luck (well i guess somebody has to want them to do well) by giving two replays one of which was slowed right down. Yet no mention of the foul outside the box leading to Woking's penalty.

Should have been a red card for the keeper regardless.

 

[Eastleigh Fan]

We were poor again against Barnet, who looked half decent in patches.
It seems we can only put in one decent performance in every 4 games, so i'm genuinely concerned for the remainder of this season. The Barnet poster above was right that Reda Johnson could have walked a few times and Sam Smart should have got a straight red for his lung at a Barnet defender (just got a yellow and was later sent off for diving, which wasn't a dive). As also mentioned above, the referee was shockingly poor, but i'm not surprised by that anymore at this level, or any level tbh. I think Barnet will be top 7 come April, sadly, we will be bottom 7 and looking over our shoulder.
Hope is on the horizon, as Stewart Donald has now sold Sunderland and is likely to return to EFC. That doesn't guarantee us anything of course (if it happens), but hopefully it will mean more money available for us to pay off our shite set of strikers!! who are too scared to shoot!, and allow us to bring in replacement that have more confidence and know-how.

 

[rudebwoyben]

We were poor again against Barnet, who looked half decent in patches.
It seems we can only put in one decent performance in every 4 games, so i'm genuinely concerned for the remainder of this season. The Barnet poster above was right that Reda Johnson could have walked a few times and Sam Smart should have got a straight red for his lung at a Barnet defender (just got a yellow and was later sent off for diving, which wasn't a dive). As also mentioned above, the referee was shockingly poor, but i'm not surprised by that anymore at this level, or any level tbh. I think Barnet will be top 7 come April, sadly, we will be bottom 7 and looking over our shoulder.
Hope is on the horizon, as Stewart Donald has now sold Sunderland and is likely to return to EFC. That doesn't guarantee us anything of course (if it happens), but hopefully it will mean more money available for us to pay off our shite set of strikers!! who are too scared to shoot!, and allow us to bring in replacement that have more confidence and know-how.

Looked like a dive to me in the highlight.

 

[Eastleigh Fan]

Nah i was level with it, a defender clipped his leg and he went down. Ref was miles away and had to come panting/jogging over to make a call that his lino never flagged either way for. I think as he had booked a Barnet player for diving earlier, he felt the need to level it up. Probably also got told at half time that he should have sent Smart off for his lung at a defender in the first half, so was desperate to send him off if he could find a way...

 

[rudebwoyben]

Nah i was level with it, a defender clipped his leg and he went down. Ref was miles away and had to come panting/jogging over to make a call that his lino never flagged either way for. I think as he had booked a Barnet player for diving earlier, he felt the need to level it up. Probably also got told at half time that he should have sent Smart off for his lung at a defender in the first half, so was desperate to send him off if he could find a way...

Fair enough but as they say, contact does not mean a foul has been committed. It sounds like Reda Johnson should have been sent off multiple times!