Relegation thread

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Once again, we're the big winners of the day. Comprehensive 2-0 win vs Colchester sees us go 13 points clear of Orient and Newport with 8 games to play.

Morecambe lost to Plymouth to stay on 46 points. Yeovil and Accrington drew with each other and a point for Crawley at Grimsby today sees those three all join the Alex on 45 points. Barring sorcery, I imagine that all these sides will be looking forward to another season in League Two now.

Hartlepool and Cheltenham suffered home defeats to mid-table sides Wycombe and Cambridge respectively. Notts County have a huge chance to move closer to securing survival when they play Barnet tomorrow.

Leyton Orient and Newport County both succumbed to 4-1 and 3-1 defeats to Doncaster and Blackpool respectively. Newport's run of 1 win against sides above 15th in the league continues but they have that massive game in hand vs Luton on Tuesday. Win that and I think a few over the border in Gloucestershire will be very worried indeed! Orient's midweek battle will be in the High Court on Monday, it remains to be seen what action will be taken against the O's but fingers crossed for them.

 

[The Terminator]

Rumour has it the bill has been paid and that is as far as it will go. No points deduction this season, but in truth we're all but down.

We have basket team Crawley away next week.

 

[Optipez]

If Notts beat Barnet tomorrow, we'd go 11 clear with 9 to play, a big gap, effectively meaning Newport would have to hit top of the league form for the rest of the season.
By no means a home banker, but it is winnable if at least one of our first choice strike force is fit.
I think Newport have to win that game in hand to stay in touch.

 

[Urban]

*when

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Newport's best hope is Cheltenham going into a tailspin now they're being managed by Russell Milton.

 

[PiedPiper]

If Notts beat Barnet tomorrow, we'd go 11 clear with 9 to play, a big gap, effectively meaning Newport would have to hit top of the league form for the rest of the season.
By no means a home banker, but it is winnable if at least one of our first choice strike force is fit.
I think Newport have to win that game in hand to stay in touch.

8 games isn't it?

 

[Youpies]

It is 8.

Newport and Orient have 8 games to survive and both have averaged less than a point per game all season. It will be a big achievement if either reaches it.

2 wins should be enough for Notts. Our fixtures coming to look particularly tough so tomorrow's game is a great chance to register one of those 2 wins i think will be enough

 

[Si Robin]

Newport's best hope is Cheltenham going into a tailspin now they're being managed by Russell Milton.

I really wouldn't rule it out. We absolutely battered Cambridge today, but their keeper won't have an easier game.

We seem to have forgotten how to score at the worst point of the season.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

The biggest thing today was the games played column moved up 1 ..... I can't wait for this yet another season draw to a close , once again I'm thankful that 2 teams seem determined to get relegated

 

[Boletus Edulis]

The biggest thing today was the games played column moved up 1 ..... I can't wait for this yet another season draw to a close , once again I'm thankful that 2 teams seem determined to get relegated

Is Rooney getting any game time for you, and if so how is he doing?

 

[Chief Rocka]

Is Rooney getting any game time for you, and if so how is he doing?

Like I said when we signed him we have a habit of loaning players and having them warm the bench, which is pretty much what's happened here, he's had two starts and has barely featured after that, came on yesterday and had little to work with as we were pretty pathetic.

I don't think the lad is a football league player personally and I'd rather see us blooding our own young strikers than someone else's.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Huge win for Notts County today sees them go 12 points clear of the drop and they're virtually safe now unless Newport rally and they hit a rather sharp decline...

Attention turns to Rodney Parade on Tuesday where Newport host Luton. A Newport win and Cheltenham and Hartlepool will be looking nervously over their shoulders...

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Also interesting for those who are nervous...

Cheltenham are currently 7 points clear of Newport after 38 games (Newport have played 37). Since 2 up 2 down was introduced only ONE side has ever gone down with a 7+ more cushion (Lincoln were 12 points clear of Barnet after 38 games and still went down).

Even if Newport were to win their game in hand, only 2 other teams have gone down with a 4+ or more cushion between them and the bottom 2 after 38 games. These sides were Shrewsbury in 2002-03 (4 points clear of 24th placed Swansea who survived) and Oxford in 2005-06 (5 points clear of Macclesfield). So regardless of the scenario, out of the 28 teams that have been relegated in the 2 up 2 down system, only 1 collapsed dramatically and 2 others lost their cushion to a rallying bottom of the league side.

That said, Cheltenham could collapse easily with Gary Johnson not around but it all depends on Newport managing to beat the top sides in this league with 5 of their last 9 against Top 7 sides...

 

[jacobncfc]

Playing Newport last day makes it slightly less comfortable for us because they've got until then to get within three.

Can't see it, though. Even if they did hit an amazing run I think we'll pick up more than enough points at home to be fine.

 

[mowgli]

Playing Newport last day makes it slightly less comfortable for us because they've got until then to get within three.

Can't see it, though. Even if they did hit an amazing run I think we'll pick up more than enough points at home to be fine.

You'll get three points on Saturday at Adams Park which will move you up the table so i wouldn'y worry too much mate

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Assuming everyone who are 20th or above are safe barring a dramatic collapse for any of those sides.

RUN-INS

21st. Hartlepool United P38 Pts 41- Blackpool (A), Portsmouth (H), Morecambe (A), Carlisle (H), Leyton Orient (A), Barnet (H), Cheltenham (A), Doncaster (H).
22nd. Cheltenham Town - P38 Pts 39 - Barnet (A), Morecambe (H), Wycombe (A), Crawley (A), Grimsby (H), Blackpool (A), Hartlepool (H), Portsmouth (A)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23rd. Newport County - P37 Pts 32 - Luton (H), Portsmouth (A), Crawley (H), Exeter (A), Yeovil (H), Plymouth (A), Accrington (H), Carlisle (A), Notts County (H)
24th. Leyton Orient - P38 Pts 32 - Crawley (A), Wycombe (H), Cambridge (A), Luton (A), Hartlepool (H), Crewe (A), Colchester (H), Blackpool (A).

Orient's run-in is the easiest by a country mile but it depends if their young squad can handle the pressure of this relegation battle. Hartlepool's trips to Orient and Cheltenham in April could be huge if they're not picking up enough points...

 

[Chief Rocka]

We've still to play Barnet and Carlisle at home who are both imploding at a rate of knots, away trips to Cheltenham, Orient and Morecambe if we can't beat some of these perhaps we deserve to go down.

The bottom two have far too much to do.

 

[Alex Loyal]

Shame about Orient-I hope they come straight back up next season.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Like I said when we signed him we have a habit of loaning players and having them warm the bench, which is pretty much what's happened here, he's had two starts and has barely featured after that, came on yesterday and had little to work with as we were pretty pathetic.

I don't think the lad is a football league player personally and I'd rather see us blooding our own young strikers than someone else's.

I rather agree. He can score goals, but I suspect it will mostly below league 2.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

The games are running out for Newport ...45 may be enough , if so that's 1 win 1 draw and 6 defeats for us ( doable!) ....to be really safe though 2 wins will do , Carlisle and Barnet at home , Cheltenham and Orient away offer that chance .... on a side note ., we have sold over 1000 tickets so far for the trip to Blackpool , that's 33% of our average home gate , that must be some sort of record

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

The games are running out for Newport ...45 may be enough , if so that's 1 win 1 draw and 6 defeats for us ( doable!) ....to be really safe though 2 wins will do , Carlisle and Barnet at home , Cheltenham and Orient away offer that chance .... on a side note ., we have sold over 1000 tickets so far for the trip to Blackpool , that's 33% of our average home gate , that must be some sort of record

Pretty good following that, think it's been well over a decade since you last went there and the ground has changed an awful lot in that time, add the nice weather and the fact it's one of your local games and it doesn't surprise me at all!

Sadly I doubt it's a record though, Mansfield tend to take more of their average home attendance to Meadow Lane for their big day out at Notts County!

 

[The Terminator]

If we lose all our remaining home games, we will have a home record of 3-1-20 - Which would be the British game record I believe for the worst home form in the professional game in this country, Ever.

We've lost every home game this calendar year.

 

[GTFCfish]

Wehave sold over 1000 tickets so far for the trip to Blackpool , that's 33% of our average home gate , that must be some sort of record

Not quite mucker, we are averaging somewhere around 5000 at home I think, and we took 4000 to Donny so that's 80% right there.

 

[Chief Rocka]

The tickets were also a fiver, 75% of that crowd are going for the piss up first, match second

 

[Roy Burton]

Bye bye Orient....Happy Days lov from All in Oxford

 

[Alex Loyal]

Bye bye Orient....Happy Days lov from All in Oxford

Let it go,fella,let it go.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

The tickets were also a fiver, 75% of that crowd are going for the piss up first, match second

I know ! ....its my birthday , I said before the fixtures came out , anyone away for a weekend booze up , I couldn't believe my luck when it was Blackpool ...I'll be there 6pm Friday , any prizes for arriving first ?

 

[william death]

Mixed news for Orient I guess, means Becchetti is staying for now, but anything is (just about) better than liquidation.

We can almost say goodbye to this thread - unlike Orient, we were fortunate enough to get a new owner in Jan who has managed to completely transform the place, on and off the pitch. Despite a few raised eyebrows raised when he came in, Nolan, has organised a side that looked destined for the drop and somehow got the best out of players who appeared non-league level at best under Sheridan (Duffy, O'Connor, Milsom and so on). An excellent (three-day long, thanks to our embargo) transfer window helped, and an ability to win six-pointers.

Hope not to be back here next year!

 

[Sestonpoolie]

Not quite mucker, we are averaging somewhere around 5000 at home I think, and we took 4000 to Donny so that's 80% right there.

Grimsby to Doncaster is a damn dight closer than Hartlepool to Blackpool though.
We took over 4000 to Darlo when our average crowd was around 5000

 

[The Terminator]

No points deduction this season!

We can now concentrate on actual matters on the pitch and how our poor youth team are going to have to suffer till the end of the season!