National League North 2023-24

[Railway Blue]

It will be difficult but if we finish 2nd and don't win the play-offs we've only got ourselves to blame. Would be two home games to get promoted, with our fanbase advantage we should be winning those two games.

On another note, just seen the red card from last night.

How the ref has missed the Tamworth player elbowing our CB I will never know. Should have been our free-kick and potentially a red to them before we even got the red.

Referees at this level are another level of awful

Yes agree about the referees. I think we might have been up there with you and the Lambs but for dreadful referees. I don't think we've had a decent one all season, My grouse with them is they ignore blatant time-wasting and then add nothing near at the end. Buxton this season and Gloucester City last season were the worst culprits.

 

[Bottega Don]

Our title challenge is over unfortunately.

The red card obviously helped Tamworth on Tuesday but they were better from the first minute than us. They pressed us and fought for everything.

They're simply a better side as displayed all season and deserve the title. They're not just a team riding momentum who are going to slip up, they are far and away the best team in the division.

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Yes agree about the referees. I think we might have been up there with you and the Lambs but for dreadful referees. I don't think we've had a decent one all season, My grouse with them is they ignore blatant time-wasting and then add nothing near at the end. Buxton this season and Gloucester City last season were the worst culprits.

The one you had home to Brackley was awful... that penalty decision!

 

[High Peak Blue]

The one you had home to Brackley was awful... that penalty decision!

Agree, should have sent him off for diving in out of control when the ball had gone.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

Good post…

 

[Railway Blue]

The one you had home to Brackley was awful... that penalty decision!

I thought we won 2-0, so it was academic.

 

[Clem Fandango]

Tomorrow's game may determine who drops as we play Kings Lynn at our place. After not winning an away game since April, we've now won twice on the trot away. Beat Kings Lynn and I think we have a chance of getting out of it

 

[Lucky Bobble]

I thought we won 2-0, so it was academic.

You didn't, so it was pertinent

 

[Prodigal]

Very tough trip to Warrington today, never sure which Chorley will turn up but if the mindset isnt right then we will probably lose. Really need to go out with the attitude we had against Alfreton last Tuesday.

 

[TonyM]

Tomorrow's game may determine who drops as we play Kings Lynn at our place. After not winning an away game since April, we've now won twice on the trot away. Beat Kings Lynn and I think we have a chance of getting out of it

Heaven only knows what Lynn side will turn up, last 4 games - played well at Buxton 2-0 up, went down to 10 men and ended up 2-2, outplayed at Hereford 2-0 down, they missed a hatfull of chances and we came back to draw 2-2 then two home games, a 4-0 defeat to Curzon that could have been 5 or 6 where we didn't have a clue and a 0-0 to Chester where we stuck 8 men behind the ball to stop them playing and left two up front to win free kicks to try and nick a chance from a set piece, anti-football at it's worst. So in last four games, four different formations and four different tactics, players and fans have no idea what to expect.

Not sure if a win for you will save you but would almost certainly condemn us. Even though we lost a lot of last season's squad I still think the current squad was good enough to finish mid table but two poor managerial appointments have us in the bottom four on merit

 

[Railway Blue]

You didn't, so it was pertinent

Let it go mate

Heaven only knows what Lynn side will turn up, last 4 games - played well at Buxton 2-0 up, went down to 10 men and ended up 2-2, outplayed at Hereford 2-0 down, they missed a hatfull of chances and we came back to draw 2-2 then two home games, a 4-0 defeat to Curzon that could have been 5 or 6 where we didn't have a clue and a 0-0 to Chester where we stuck 8 men behind the ball to stop them playing and left two up front to win free kicks to try and nick a chance from a set piece, anti-football at it's worst. So in last four games, four different formations and four different tactics, players and fans have no idea what to expect.

Not sure if a win for you will save you but would almost certainly condemn us. Even though we lost a lot of last season's squad I still think the current squad was good enough to finish mid table but two poor managerial appointments have us in the bottom four on merit

I like the fact that in 6 games against you we have never lost, despite the fact that we were 3-0 down at h/t in the home game last season. I missed the game because I was watching Celtic beat Rangers.

 

[Bluandwite]

Frustrating to drop two points against Banbury there, all over them but incredibly wasteful in the final third. If you don't take your chances and are only one up then it only takes a free kick, corner on in this case a penalty and there it goes.

Banbury were as bad a team as you'll find but got their point.

 

[Bottega Don]

We were poor today and really got away with one.

Without the red card, not a chance we get a winner. They would more likely have found something than us.

We just have to be better than that, too many passengers in the team right now

 

[Bartonyellow]

We were poor today and really got away with one.

Without the red card, not a chance we get a winner. They would more likely have found something than us.

We just have to be better than that, too many passengers in the team right now

Down to 10 points and 2 games in hand. It is not over. I keep saying it..
Play bad and win - all you need to do.

 

[Bottega Don]

Down to 10 points and 2 games in hand. It is not over. I keep saying it..
Play bad and win - all you need to do.

Winning solely because the opposition got a red card isn’t sustainable

We have to be miles better, we’re not getting that lucky every week

 

[Clem Fandango]

Dreadful performance, Kings Lynn worthy winners. Hanks going off meant we missed that bit of energy in the Midfield and it showed in the second half. It seems like every other week we have 4/5 players missing. Josh Smile clearly isn't quite ready to be back playing football regularly as he plays once every few weeks. With Reckord out (no idea with what) and Emmett with a broken collarbone we have no left back in the squad. We then start relying on kids on loan. We also lost Jeacock this week, so whilst I think Armstrong is an ok keeper there's no comparison between the two.

Our former Management team were at the game (Steven King), rumour is he could be Lynn's next Manager. Havant fans will probably say differently but he was incredible for us. Some of the best football I've seen, total contrast to the long ball, total boring dross we've been served up for the majority of this entire campaign.

 

[Prodigal]

As I feared we didnt really turn up at Warrington and whilst we might have got a point I have no real complaints about Warrington winning, ah well hopefully we will be better Tuesday home to Gloucester.

 

[JE93]

Well when you're at the bottom, you certainly don't need none penalties given against you, especially away at Brackley. Handball be the no.4 before he takes the shot, then he shoots Taylor saves, gets up pushes the ball away Newton throws himself over and then appeals and the ref buys it. You could tell by the ball direction the keeper would have had to have got to the ball. Brackley fans infront of me were pissing themselves laughing at the freebie the ref gave them.

Otherwise an absolutely nothing game, Brackley better in the first half, Darlo better on the second. Baring a few long shots from both sides nothing for the keepers to do. 0-0 would have summed that game up, which would have been a good away point for a team down the bottom. But ref wanted to be the star of the show.

 

[Kenneth Dodd]

Frustrating to drop two points against Banbury there, all over them but incredibly wasteful in the final third. If you don't take your chances and are only one up then it only takes a free kick, corner on in this case a penalty and there it goes.

Banbury were as bad a team as you'll find but got their point.

I can’t remember a team constantly time wasting when they were losing it shows how much they were struggling to stem the constant waves of attacks we were hitting them with, just a mixture of poor finishing and a keeper having one of those days.

 

[High Peak Blue]

I can’t remember a team constantly time wasting when they were losing it shows how much they were struggling to stem the constant waves of attacks we were hitting them with, just a mixture of poor finishing and a keeper having one of those days.

A team getting a 1-1 draw without having a shot on target sums it up.

I wasn't convinced about either penalty. In their case it would have been better to let the lad go completely unchallenged, as given what happened when he had a clear shot later the corner flag would have been in in more danger.

 

[Railway Blue]

Frustrating to drop two points against Banbury there, all over them but incredibly wasteful in the final third. If you don't take your chances and are only one up then it only takes a free kick, corner on in this case a penalty and there it goes.

Banbury were as bad a team as you'll find but got their point.I think the ref had rewalised that he'd

Frustrating to drop two points against Banbury there, all over them but incredibly wasteful in the final third. If you don't take your chances and are only one up then it only takes a free kick, corner on in this case a penalty and there it goes.

Banbury were as bad a team as you'll find but got their point.

I think the red realised that the pen he'd given them was

Frustrating to drop two points against Banbury there, all over them but incredibly wasteful in the final third. If you don't take your chances and are only one up then it only takes a free kick, corner on in this case a penalty and there it goes.

Banbury were as bad a team as you'll find but got their point.

I think the ref later realised that he'd given them a pen that was not a pen so he gave us one at the death which was also probably not one. They scored with theirs , we didn't. We've been very profligate with pens this season and have scored 2 from 6 (I think). Need to get this sorted for the play-offs, which I still thing we'll make.

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Well when you're at the bottom, you certainly don't need none penalties given against you, especially away at Brackley. Handball be the no.4 before he takes the shot, then he shoots Taylor saves, gets up pushes the ball away Newton throws himself over and then appeals and the ref buys it. You could tell by the ball direction the keeper would have had to have got to the ball. Brackley fans infront of me were pissing themselves laughing at the freebie the ref gave them.

Otherwise an absolutely nothing game, Brackley better in the first half, Darlo better on the second. Baring a few long shots from both sides nothing for the keepers to do. 0-0 would have summed that game up, which would have been a good away point for a team down the bottom. But ref wanted to be the star of the show.

Agree it was a nothing game. We should have perhaps got a second in the first half, Darlo the better team in the second. Neither side created much. I have no idea what constitutes handball these days - but Shep's hand is right next to his body, so I can't see how it is? No idea about the penalty - looked one from where I was, but its happening too quick to be sure. I can't even tell by the reply, although I take your point about the ball direction. I did notice how you fell apart after conceding the goal in the first half, until the manager sorted out something at half time. Looked a team short of character - but I guess confidence must be rock bottom. Looks a hard job to get out of trouble, but you are at least competitive, so a chance?

 

[JE93]

Agree it was a nothing game. We should have perhaps got a second in the first half, Darlo the better team in the second. Neither side created much. I have no idea what constitutes handball these days - but Shep's hand is right next to his body, so I can't see how it is? No idea about the penalty - looked one from where I was, but its happening too quick to be sure. I can't even tell by the reply, although I take your point about the ball direction. I did notice how you fell apart after conceding the goal in the first half, until the manager sorted out something at half time. Looked a team short of character - but I guess confidence must be rock bottom. Looks a hard job to get out of trouble, but you are at least competitive, so a chance?

Taylor hand past strikers foot. Whether he got there first or its a save neither lead to a penalty. If the striker is kicking that ball and beating Taylor there is no way it goes at a 90 degree angle to him at full speed. No signal from the assistant ref on that side either who would have been in line with it.

Thought you looked a pretty typical Brackley side. Big, strong, defended your own box well and weren't often troubled. Newton and Hall is a good partnership at this level though wondered if you missed some of the running in forward areas that I've seen you have in previous years. No one in the shape of Matty whatever his name is who went to Stanley.

Yeah we dont play 3 at the back really and think it showed. We dont have the Wing Backs for it so no real pace to get up and down to put you under pressure. As for our survival. We need to win 8 games before the end of the season. Whilst we've improved under Watson and reduced the goals conceded, we've scored 4 in 6 games, that's the stat we'll really need to improve if we're to have a chance and being honest without anymore signings I don't see where the creativity is going to come from to create the chances to score goals and win games.

 

[Bottega Don]

Absolutely robbery in our game at Blyth

Our player is flagged for offside, ref gives advantage to Blyth. Blyth then lose the ball and we score, ref then goes and overturns it.

Joke of a decision

 

[Bottega Don]

Disgrace of a draw. We will be lucky to get 2nd at this rate.

Blyth equalising with their first shot of the game in 90+5 after barely entering our half all game.

Ref has had a huge impact with the disallowed goal but that is piss poor by the players. That's the worst team we've played all season and we drew.

 

[GTFCfish]

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

Of course it has nothing to do the manager fucking up the substitutions.

Some of the platitudes for him have been up there with King Charles’s announcement yesterday.

 

[Bottega Don]

Of course it has nothing to do the manager fucking up the substitutions.

Some of the platitudes for him have been up there with King Charles’s announcement yesterday.

Why do you only ever post when we don't win?

 

[Bluandwite]

Snatched a late point at Peterborough. Depressing experience in half a monsoon. At least their ground is a little better than it was last year for that sort of weather. Ball wasn't really rolling on the surface by the end.

 

[Prodigal]

Chorley won easily against a very poor Gloucester side who look doomed to me. We looked very tired but still won easily and it could and should have been at least 6!
Onwards now to last 16 of Trophy home v Solihull squad down to bare bones think we will get tonked.