The L2 Playoffs

[Moomin]

Can’t call the final. I’ve been impressed with both Vale and Mansfield this season.

I can see this going the distance to penalties to be honest, which is a horrible way to settle the final.

 

[Conker]

Congrats to Vale, think it’s two clubs in the final that whatever happens will continue to stay in a good place.

I found myself backing Vale to get to the final, despite the fact it’s a tougher game than Swindon, glad Charsley and Benning scored, plus Stone another former stag did well and I’m buzzing for Clarke, ladybrook estate massive.

 

[Agombar stool]

Before giving my thoughts on the trip to Burslem last night just wanted to congratulate Vale and their fans on here and hope those that go to Wembley have a better time than we've had there recently. I've had decent craic with them over the last few seasons and given what we've both gone through off the field I think it's only fair they have their time in the sun given their owners seem decent people.

 

[Gassy]

Get in Vale! Missed the game but will watch the highlights later - sounds fiery.

Garner complaining about the moistness of the pitch is truly a new low.

Gonna try get a ticket in the Vale end at Wembley, should be a great final

 

[Uncle Pastuzo]

At least we keep one local-ish fixture, having lost three.

McKirdy doesn't even pass the test for "He might be a cnut, but he's our cnut". We had him on loan and our hugely respected club president took a group of new signings to see the Transporter Bridge to talk a bit about the town. He just stood there, smirking and sneering. I don't know anyone who would touch him.

 

[Gassy]

What a night.

I just felt either us or Northampton would end up going through after losing the first leg.

To a man, we were brilliant. I can’t fault any one of them. They ran their hearts out for this football club and that’s all I’ll ever ask for.

I’ve seen so much shit, misery and depression around this club in my lifetime. When we missed those two penalties I thought ‘typical Vale’. However, the footballing God’s were on our side. Finally some luck and happiness.

We may lose at Wembley but it will be a weekend I’ll never forget. Big day out with my mates and family watching my football club at Wembley. Something I’ve never seen and never thought would happen. Every year I’ve watched the play offs and thought ‘If only that could be us’.

Brilliant!

Enjoy it mate! The first time you walk up to Wembley with your fans is really something special.

When you then get to the seats (if you haven’t been for England) and you just breathe the atmosphere in - it’s truly amazing.

The 2nd time is not as good - you won’t forget the first.

 

[kieran_vale]

Congrats to Vale, think it’s two clubs in the final that whatever happens will continue to stay in a good place.

I found myself backing Vale in final, despite the fact it’s a tougher game than Swindon, glad Charsley and Benning scored, plus Stone another former stag did well and I’m buzzing for Clarke, ladybrook estate massive.

Going to be a great final. On Radio Stoke afterwards DC made the point of how much Mansfield means to him and have seen Crosby’s interview also where he has pretty much said you’ve been our toughest opponent this season.

 

[SELatic]

Congrats Vale. Pleased to see you reach the final and hope you go on to win. Echo the sentiments on McKirdy. There’s being a wind-up and then there’s being a complete tit and he fits in the latter category. Some poetry in him missing a penalty.

 

[Agombar stool]

I do and don’t agree.

Fans should never be allowed on the pitch, irrespective of what players do, he’s a twat but swindon players shouldn’t be subjected to what looked to happen.

Football is going the wrong way

Hellogregory in posting nonsense shocker!

 

[Conker]

What neutrals want Mansfield to win then, gotta be some!

 

[Railway Blue]

Well done Port Vale. Amazing come back after missing 2 of your first three pens. I knew in my heart that you would come back and beat those cretins . Good luck at Wembley

 

[Chief Rocka]

Oh absolutely. But you would think that maybe McKirdy would at least tone down his twatish ways off the back of it.

Nah can't agree, footy is entertainment and players like McKirdy create plenty of it, positive and negative, give him grief absolutely, he deserves it cos he creates plenty of it but there's no justification for last night.

Have Port Vale even made a response yet, I thought they were owned by Mother Teresa?

 

[valefan16]

I'm shattered but working on adrenaline, got in to Leicestershire at 1:30am then couldnt sleep!

Those nights we've heard about but most under 30-35 haven't experienced, the glory nights against Arsenal/Everton/Stoke in the 90's and after years in the doldrums to have that last night was great, to see the club buzzing and the noise, I am just so annoyed a couple of idiots have damaged the reputation of the club that Carol has worked so hard to change and hopefully they are dealt with.

Cant wait for Wembley now, hopefully we can take a good 20-25k and Mansfield can do the same and it be a good game, I have been many times with England and that night against Germany last year was immense but this will be a different level, this is with my club... the first time at the new Wembley and first visit to the home of football since 1996 against Genoa and Vincenzo Montella ripping us a new one!

 

[Agombar stool]

Given where we were 2 weeks before the season started, to be a couple of penalty kicks away from a play-off final is a great achievement. Some even predicted us to go down. Obviously when we could bring in players like Jonny Williams and Louis Reed that was unlikely to happen and then to squeeze into the play-offs was another bonus.

I think you have to give Vale a lot of credit for the way they were setup over the 2 games as they totally stopped us from playing. (particularly last night) From the kick off Vale were miles more up for it and should have scored after 2 minutes. It looked like we should have had a penalty which obviously Mckirdy would have missed, but Wilson scored after 8 and we were on the ropes. Had the shot that hit the post gone in that could have sunk us, but we stuck in and were much better second half. It wasn't one for the purists but I think it was a good contest personally. Both teams were absolutely dead on their feet when the full time whistle. When you consider what both keepers had to do, I think we were fortunate to get to a penalty shoot out, Stone may as well have sat in the stands the amount of saves he had to make. Too many players off colour for us, Reed didn't control the game as he has done previously and our front 3 were pants, very well looked after by the Vale back line.

Obviously we effectively had match point in the shoot out and it was typical that McKirdy missed the bloody target. Once he had done that I felt momentum had swung and c'est la vie so it proved to be. First time I have been to Vale Park and I like it as a ground, when Vale scored it was very loud, and it was interesting to read they couldn't hear us from the opposite end, I was going to post the same about any noise from the Hamill end, but it might have come across as (Tom) Pett(y). Can't really complain too much about how it went, think Vale tactically got it spot on.

Finally, it was a shame not to be able to applaud our players after putting in what was a monumental shift, standing watching grown men goading us reminds me I really must visit Chester Zoo sometime.

 

[valefan16]

Nah can't agree, footy is entertainment and players like McKirdy create plenty of it, positive and negative, give him grief absolutely, he deserves it cos he creates plenty of it but there's no justification for last night.

Have Port Vale even made a response yet, I thought they were owned by Mother Teresa?

Yes on twitter she has.

 

[Agombar stool]

Get in Vale! Missed the game but will watch the highlights later - sounds fiery.

Garner complaining about the moistness of the pitch is truly a new low.

Gonna try get a ticket in the Vale end at Wembley, should be a great final

Garner does come out with some nonsense sometimes. I really wish he would reign in what he says sometimes. Moaning about officials is what he generally does but the home team can do what they like with their pitch/setup, that's what home advantage is all about and as far as I am aware, there are no rules about pitch watering. It just sounds silly. If you are a good enough coach you adapt to these situations.

 

[coronakopite]

At least we keep one local-ish fixture, having lost three.

McKirdy doesn't even pass the test for "He might be a cnut, but he's our cnut". We had him on loan and our hugely respected club president took a group of new signings to see the Transporter Bridge to talk a bit about the town. He just stood there, smirking and sneering. I don't know anyone who would touch him.

Congrats Vale. Pleased to see you reach the final and hope you go on to win. Echo the sentiments on McKirdy. There’s being a wind-up and then there’s being a complete tit and he fits in the latter category. Some poetry in him missing a penalty.

Nah can't agree, footy is entertainment and players like McKirdy create plenty of it, positive and negative, give him grief absolutely, he deserves it cos he creates plenty of it but there's no justification for last night.

Have Port Vale even made a response yet, I thought they were owned by Mother Teresa?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1527409473081462796

 

[Big Bird]

What neutrals want Mansfield to win then, gotta be some!

Certainly me after the actions of a bunch of Vales "fans" i'd like them to suffer a bit at Wembley. No reflection on the fans that post here but hard to stomach watching your players getting mobbed and stories of parents taking their kids away from the stadium with bumps and bruises. Not on.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Final should be good. But I can’t see past Mansfield.
Clough Will go into full shithousery and win 1/0. He did it for us time and time again in big games and it worked. He seems to find a way of getting the most out of average players.

 

[IanPVFC]

Hope a good few of our lot will be getting the early knocks on doors from the local constabulary very soon after last night! What a shit stain on an otherwise wonderful night!

That aside, I thought to a man we were brilliant. Everything we ask for from a Vale side, hard working, passionate, gutsy, and just a general big big fight from within themselves. I thought at times Swindon looked shell-shocked as they didn't know how to handle it and some of their bigger players were simply just not up to fight. That was significantly obviously during ET when McKirdy, who had been unusually quiet, was trying to get a foothold in the game and got absolutely planked on his arse by Smithy who hit very hard, but fairly with a crunching tackle. It typified the spirit amongst the team.

I think that's the first time I've seen us win a penalty shootout, which considering I didn't even know who are penalty taker was (we hadn't had one in well over a year) is even more remarkable that we won.

Swindon will bounce back next season, they're a good side and was assembled with haste last summer. So I'm sure with more prep and time this year they'll recruit well and go again.

Onto Wembley....it's been awhile!

 

[valefan16]

Hope a good few of our lot will be getting the early knocks on doors from the local constabulary very soon after last night! What a shit stain on an otherwise wonderful night!

That aside, I thought to a man we were brilliant. Everything we ask for from a Vale side, hard working, passionate, gutsy, and just a general big big fight from within themselves. I thought at times Swindon looked shell-shocked as they didn't know how to handle it and some of their bigger players were simply just not up to fight. That was significantly obviously during ET when McKirdy, who had been unusually quiet, was trying to get a foothold in the game and got absolutely planked on his arse by Smithy who hit very hard, but fairly with a crunching tackle. It typified the spirit amongst the team.

I think that's the first time I've seen us win a penalty shootout, which considering I didn't even know who are penalty taker was (we hadn't had one in well over a year) is even more remarkable that we won.

Swindon will bounce back next season, they're a good side and was assembled with haste last summer. So I'm sure with more prep and time this year they'll recruit well and go again.

Onto Wembley....it's been awhile!

Tickets on sale from 3pm 25000 initial allocation, seems reasonable £26-£60... whats a singing section though?! Surely we will all be signing!

Was it Connor Hall late in ET with a wonderful hard tackle to prevent them going clean through also? That was a game saver!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Garner does come out with some nonsense sometimes. I really wish he would reign in what he says sometimes. Moaning about officials is what he generally does but the home team can do what they like with their pitch/setup, that's what home advantage is all about and as far as I am aware, there are no rules about pitch watering. It just sounds silly. If you are a good enough coach you adapt to these situations.

Thats why im glad we binned him off, always blamed anything and everything.
Don't get me wrong Barton also likes to moan about refs but 9/10 times we all agree with it.
He pretty much had an extended pre season as he took us down from 4th in L1 before Covid hit, but somehow made us worse the following season.

 

[Conker]

I think considering the current financial climate we may see lower sales than expected, think we took about 15k the only time we’ve been to new Wembley but that was for the FA Trophy.

 

[Agombar stool]

Thats why im glad we binned him off, always blamed anything and everything.
Don't get me wrong Barton also likes to moan about refs but 9/10 times we all agree with it.
He pretty much had an extended pre season as he took us down from 4th in L1 before Covid hit, but somehow made us worse the following season.

I'd like to think he learned a lot from that experience. This season was pretty much a free hit and for us to get to the play-offs was a pretty good return. There are loads of positives and we've seen a vast improvement in players over the season which I think shows how good a coach Garner is.

I'd like to think that given the calibre of players that Ben Chorley has worked on bringing in we can go one better next season. We simply have to be up there next season or Garner is going to be under some serious pressure.

 

[F!RTHY]

Wembley, Wembley we’re the famous Bradford City and we’re bored of Wembley.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1527605104534233090

 

[Conker]

Wrong Fred.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

I'd like to think he learned a lot from that experience. This season was pretty much a free hit and for us to get to the play-offs was a pretty good return. There are loads of positives and we've seen a vast improvement in players over the season which I think shows how good a coach Garner is.

I'd like to think that given the calibre of players that Ben Chorley has worked on bringing in we can go one better next season. We simply have to be up there next season or Garner is going to be under some serious pressure.

I dont think there is any debate about that as he has been a coach at a high level before.
The issue is how good is he as a manager.
You might have got lucky this season as he didnt have much time to think about anything and had to get players quickly on 1 year deals.
On the whole that seems to have worked, although L2 is a bag of shite tbh so it doesnt take much to take one of the 4 promotion places.
We'll see how he does next season with a full pre season to plan

 

[Back in the DHSS]

What neutrals want Mansfield to win then, gotta be some!

Me.

I have to change trains 3 times and it’s shit when you get there. Could do without that next season.

 

[Gassy]

Garner does come out with some nonsense sometimes. I really wish he would reign in what he says sometimes. Moaning about officials is what he generally does but the home team can do what they like with their pitch/setup, that's what home advantage is all about and as far as I am aware, there are no rules about pitch watering. It just sounds silly. If you are a good enough coach you adapt to these situations.

Agreed. I have to say it’s pretty refreshing to see Swindon fans’ comments on here about the game & Garner

 

[Conker]

Me.

I have to change trains 3 times and it’s shit when you get there. Could do without that next season.

Ya doing it wrong then shag