The Carlisle v Exeter v MK Dons combined match-thread

[shoddycollins]

With Carlisle, MK Dons and Exeter in 5th, 6th and 7th respectively and playing each other over three successive weeks, I had this idea to have a combined match-thread for all three games so that fans of all three clubs could discuss this mutually crucial run of games. Then the site went down and the Exeter v MK Dons match has already been played. A combined thread for the two remaining games at Brunton Park would still be a good idea, and I think if all agree and the mods are willing, we could combine this in with the existing Exter v MK Dons thread so we do have a single thread.

If we come out of this mini-league in good shape, with 4 points then I will concede that we are finally promotion contenders and belong in the promotion thread. It's a big ask though, Exeter are looking good and MK Dons still seem to be putting in decent performances despite poor form and could turn it around any day now. Of the three they are the team expected to challenge from right at the start of the season whereas Exeter were widely expected to have a fairly middling season following Tisdale's departure and Carlisle expected to be in the relegation battle.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Can't see us losing up at Brunton Park and it will be my fourth visit as well (At least it's not a Tuesday night like in the past!). I think it'll be a close game. I'm backing 1-1 and a 3-2 win to us at the bookies.

Also, MK Dons are not putting in good performances, it was an awful performance on the weekend. They are nothing to be worried about at all. High pressure game and they collapse, just like we always did when Tis was manager. They looked no better than a lower-mid table side.

 

[shoddycollins]

Can't see us losing up at Brunton Park and it will be my fourth visit as well (At least it's not a Tuesday night like in the past!). I think it'll be a close game. I'm backing 1-1 and a 3-2 win to us at the bookies.

Also, MK Dons are not putting in good performances, it was an awful performance on the weekend. They are nothing to be worried about at all. High pressure game and they collapse, just like we always did when Tis was manager. They looked no better than a lower-mid table side.

We're a better team than we were on the opening weekend, that said we've also had a high turnover of players this transfer window (not to mention a new manager) so I can't say whether we're going to be a better team than we were in December (which we smashed) but we'll not be anything remotely like the team you saw down at SJP.

 

[hellogregory]

I’m happy with the business we did in January.

That said, I’m predicting defeat here. The reason being we’ve lost a lot of key players and replaced them a lot of good players but they are new and may take a bit of time to settle in. It’s a tough ask for a bunch of new players that don’t know each other well to go out and beat a good seasoned team like Exeter. We’d maybe get away with it in other games, but Exeter should be efficient enough to punish us if we’re not at it.

Carlisle 1-2 Exeter

 

[denzel ecfc]

It's League Two football. Careful of the low sun.
I'll take a point at Carlisle and hope we can beat Bury the week after

 

[Trapdoor]

It's League Two football. Careful of the low sun.

Paul? Is that you?

If we play like we did against Milton Keynes FC we will pick up the three points. However, the players were clearly well up for smashing Tisdales face into the dirt on Saturday, we definitely won't have such motivation and drive against Carlisle.

2-0 Carlisle, down to earth with a bump.

 

[Carver]

Doesn't matter what anyone thinks because by the time Saturday comes the bloody forum will probably go down again for a week and I won't be able to express my feelings about the match and read HG's joyful posts.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Startin' to look forward to this one now. You reds!

 

[Moomin]

We have a solid record at Brunton Park. Not sure if it is, but the pitch always seems huge there which tended to suit how we played under Tisdale.

We’re in decent form and we should be relishing the upcoming fixtures against a number of promotion rivals. Don’t expect us to make any changes, fitness permitting.

It must be a tricky time for Carlisle to have so much upheaval mid-season when they’ve done so well. Some of the January signings look good but I suppose losing 3 key players is going to hurt.

Think there will be goals but not much to separate both teams. 2-2.

Safe journey to all travelling Grecians.

 

[denzel ecfc]

8000 expexted for the MK game? Yes I'd save yourselves for next Saturday please. Devitt could do with a rest for a start

 

[shoddycollins]

8000 expexted for the MK game? Yes I'd save yourselves for next Saturday please. Devitt could do with a rest for a start

You say that as though you think playing against you lot will be taxing for him.

 

[shoddycollins]

We have a solid record at Brunton Park. Not sure if it is, but the pitch always seems huge there which tended to suit how we played under Tisdale.

We’re in decent form and we should be relishing the upcoming fixtures against a number of promotion rivals. Don’t expect us to make any changes, fitness permitting.

It must be a tricky time for Carlisle to have so much upheaval mid-season when they’ve done so well. Some of the January signings look good but I suppose losing 3 key players is going to hurt.

Think there will be goals but not much to separate both teams. 2-2.

Safe journey to all travelling Grecians.

Still is pretty big I think. Difficult to find actual numbers, wikipedia suggests it's fairly average but we used to have the biggest pitch in the league and I don't think we've really brought the lines in much from the full size of the grassed area.

Either way it's suited us in recent weeks, we've been playing fast counter-attacking football and the big pitch gives us more room to get in behind the opposition defence.

 

[Habbinalan]

Still is pretty big I think. Difficult to find actual numbers, wikipedia suggests it's fairly average but we used to have the biggest pitch in the league and I don't think we've really brought the lines in much from the full size of the grassed area.

Either way it's suited us in recent weeks, we've been playing fast counter-attacking football and the big pitch gives us more room to get in behind the opposition defence.

If the Football-Stadiums website is up to date, Brunton Park (104m x 67m) is 4th biggest after Vale Park, Meadow Lane and MK.

I believe clubs are required to register their pitch sizes/dimensions with the League at the beginning of the season and are not allowed to change them during the season without a good reason and EFL permission.

None of us are near the minimum allowed, with all at least 100m long.
The Abbey is 100m x 67m.

Moss Rose is smallest because it is by far the narrowest at 100m x 60m.


https://www.football-stadiums.co.uk/articles/are-all-football-pitches-the-same-size/#league-two

 

[denzel ecfc]

You say that as though you think playing against you lot will be taxing for him.

Hopefully he wi be as anonymous as he was in August

 

[shoddycollins]

Hopefully he wi be as anonymous as he was in August

considering he didn't start and didn't come on until late in the second half he'd have to go some to match it.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Near Birmingham. Come on you reds, seems to be a fair few of us at the services which is a bit of a surprise. Know a few flew up to Castle yesterday as well. Think we will have over 200 there.

 

[shoddycollins]

Know a few flew up to Castle yesterday as well. Think we will have over 200 there.

Ah of course, this is the tinpot airport derby

 

[Devon_Lad]

Nicky Law is far too good for this league. Outstanding player.

 

[Carver]

Nicky Law is far too good for this league. Outstanding player.

Well if he is so good for this league then why did he join your club?

 

[RebornKirtonRed]

Well if he is so good for this league then why did he join your club?

'cos playing for the mighty Grecians can double a player's value overnight

 

[shoddycollins]

Probably a fair result. We were terrible first half and had a couple of lucky escapes, but for the difference in quality, Exeter didn't really outcreate us, especially in the second half when we got our act together. Against a poorer team it would have been one of those where we nicked a slightly undeserved win.

The referee was particularly poor, it didn't have a huge impact on the result so I'm not using him to excuse our performance. His Jekyll and Hyde officiating was infuriating, when reffing Exeter he was the lenient type of ref, let a lot slide, wasn't bothered by full blooded challenges as long as they got the ball, when reffing Carlisle though, he cracked down on every little infringement, even pulling us back for taking a couple steps down the line at throw-ins.

When we had a player down injured while Exeter were attacking, he waited for the attack to fizzle out before stopping the game, then booked Devitt for dissent, yet soon after, an Exeter player went down injured while we were on the attack and he didn't even take a couple of seconds to think about it before blowing his whistle.

 

[hellogregory]

I was worried the new players wouldn’t settle quickly and to be honest they haven’t. First half we were a disjointed mess, like a team of strangers. I was thinking it’s the start of our predictable drop to mid table. Exeter deservedly ahead, played the wind so much better than us and outclassed us really. We looked shite.

But second half we got into it, battered Exeter, put some brilliant balls into the box but with no aerial power we were never going to score from it. It took a good free kick and I’d say overall a point was a fair result on the balance of play.

Serious improvements needed though if we’re going to stay in this top 7. Hopefully the likes of Cullen and Thomas will get better with games.

 

[denzel ecfc]

According to Taylor there has been a bug affecting the team, which is why the performance dropped away in the second half.
So happy with the point, hope we can be back to full pelt for Bury at home next week

 

[Devon_Lad]

We outclassed them everywhere in the first half. Carlisle looked woeful. Should've been 2 or 3 up at the break. Not sure how forte didn't put that away and obviously the clear penno we should've got. Carlisle definitely came out fighting second half though. Fingers crossed they play like that for the entire 90 against franchise and they'll get the 3 points.

 

[shoddycollins]

We outclassed them everywhere in the first half. Carlisle looked woeful. Should've been 2 or 3 up at the break. Not sure how forte didn't put that away and obviously the clear penno we should've got. Carlisle definitely came out fighting second half though. Fingers crossed they play like that for the entire 90 against franchise and they'll get the 3 points.

is this miss you speak of the point blank one in the first half? It was a hell of a save.

 

[Devon_Lad]

is this miss you speak of the point blank one in the first half? It was a hell of a save.

Yeah but should've slotted it from that position. Just got home and watched it again on highlights.. gotta be finishing that!

 

[hellogregory]

is this miss you speak of the point blank one in the first half? It was a hell of a save.

It was hit straight at him. A poor finish, should have scored.

 

[shoddycollins]

Yeah but should've slotted it from that position. Just got home and watched it again on highlights.. gotta be finishing that!

Devitt hit a chance from the middle of the box straight at Pym, I felt at the time that was one he should have scored, so could have been 1-1 in the first half. I said before for all Exeters dominance in the first half, they really didn't create many clear chances. Maybe they would have been three or four up had they pressed their advantage better. The Forte chance I felt might have been too close to Collin thus giving him a chance to save it, but would still have gone in but for a superb reaction save. We always hear how difficult it is for goalkeepers to save shots that are too close to their body. Haven't seen the highlights yet but I was standing behind the goal, the GoPro highlights when we post them should show it best.

 

[shoddycollins]

Interesting stats for the match

Possession - CAR 58 - EXE 42
Shots (on target) - CAR 10(4) - EXE 8(3)

Kind of fits with how I saw the match, the xG does at least, I'm surprised we had more possession, we must have made up massively because it seemed like we barely touched the ball during the first half.

Exeter's chances all came really in the first 10 minutes, and very good chances they were too, defensively we were all over the place and needed a couple of good saves and last ditch defending to keep Exeter out. However it was a shot from outside the box off a free-kick rebounding off the wall that put them 1-0 up in the end.

From that point on, despite their continued dominance, they barely created a thing and we started to come into it, particularly in the second half, not creating huge chances, neither team really did in the end but enough to get the equaliser.

I think with MK Dons losing again, and us having a game in hand (on Colchester) to play mid-week before we then play MK, both teams should be pretty satisfied with the point.

MK will visit Newport mid-week, they'll be on a high though after wins against Boro and Mansfield. Will Tisdales job there be at risk should they fail to make the play-offs. I know Winkleman doesn't sack managers often, but it would be a huge failure for Tis, to take over at the pre-season favourites and fail to even make the play-offs.

 

[hellogregory]

Devitt hit a chance from the middle of the box straight at Pym, I felt at the time that was one he should have scored, so could have been 1-1 in the first half.

That the one where slater stepped over the ball leaving it for Devitt?. It was a sitter, a total free shot with the whole goal to aim, but totally scuffed it. Should score that all day long.