Tue 11th & Thu 13th February

[valefan16]

Was the free header at the end from 5 yards out that hit the bar not a decent chance created?

Vale were lucky to not concede in the first half thanks to Amos and goalline clearance. Palmer should have hit the target but I think that whenever he shoots. I can't remember Vale doing anything in the first half in terms of creating chances maybe I've forgot one.

We had a decent chance right on half time but wasn’t a great performance, probably the worst we’ve played since Christmas but did improve. The tactical tweak changed the game pushing 10 yards further up and it was a real game of two halves, you couldn’t get out second half like we couldn’t first and as with us first didn’t really have a sniff until injury time.

I thought we gave you far far too much respect first half and in fairness Darren battered them in the dressing room and got the response.

Despite our tactical decision to sit off first half there is no excusing how sloppy we played on the ball, especially with the quality individually we had on the pitch in midfield last night.

Luckily we shown that one moment of quality in front of goal when it came, on the night your strikers didn’t and that ended up the difference.

What I will say despite taking six points from County and we should of scored 3 or 4 at Meadow Lane ourselves but they were two mammoth efforts and clashes to get them, not in quality maybe but we won’t work as hard to win a game as them all season in my view. Even Accrington with 10 men for 80 minutes I felt we made lighter work to get the win.

Two very good sides who have rightfully challenged the top end all season and should until the very end.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Last night was a huge win for Vale no doubt about it. Walsall and Vale both taken 6 points off us and both say we will be right up there. I spot a theme sadly.

Happy to be involved near the summit.

 

[Optipez]

With the lineup we had I don't blame him. Seeing that XI I would have snapped your hands off for a draw and certainly didn't think we would boss the first half so much.

I would have liked Jarvis to come on for MacDonald, put Bedeau back into defence and would have had Hinchy on for Edwards sooner and pushed Abbott up. Either Vale have gone backwards since the Autumn or we've improved but I thought they were there for the taking last night.
I really think Maynard needs to be allowed to hire a coach he trusts to bounce things off as he looked a bit of a loner last night and sometimes you need a sounding board.

 

[valefan16]

I would have liked Jarvis to come on for MacDonald, put Bedeau back into defence and would have had Hinchy on for Edwards sooner and pushed Abbott up. Either Vale have gone backwards since the Autumn or we've improved but I thought they were there for the taking last night.
I really think Maynard needs to be allowed to hire a coach he trusts to bounce things off as he looked a bit of a loner last night and sometimes you need a sounding board.

Or we weren’t at our best on the night?

 

[leedsvaliant]

Was the free header at the end from 5 yards out that hit the bar not a decent chance created?

Vale were lucky to not concede in the first half thanks to Amos and goalline clearance. Palmer should have hit the target but I think that whenever he shoots. I can't remember Vale doing anything in the first half in terms of creating chances maybe I've forgot one.

I was talking about the 1st half. There were two very good chances. The shot from quite a way out wasn't a chance but he hit it well.

Vale had nothing 1st half but had 3 or 4 reasonable chances 2nd half along with the goal. It was a game that was always going to be tight. There were very few chances across the whole game really.

 

[leedsvaliant]

We had a decent chance right on half time but wasn’t a great performance, probably the worst we’ve played since Christmas but did improve. The tactical tweak changed the game pushing 10 yards further up and it was a real game of two halves, you couldn’t get out second half like we couldn’t first and as with us first didn’t really have a sniff until injury time.

I thought we gave you far far too much respect first half and in fairness Darren battered them in the dressing room and got the response.

Despite our tactical decision to sit off first half there is no excusing how sloppy we played on the ball, especially with the quality individually we had on the pitch in midfield last night.

Luckily we shown that one moment of quality in front of goal when it came, on the night your strikers didn’t and that ended up the difference.

What I will say despite taking six points from County and we should of scored 3 or 4 at Meadow Lane ourselves but they were two mammoth efforts and clashes to get them, not in quality maybe but we won’t work as hard to win a game as them all season in my view. Even Accrington with 10 men for 80 minutes I felt we made lighter work to get the win.

Two very good sides who have rightfully challenged the top end all season and should until the very end.

Yes, it was an absolutely gargantuan effort just to get a 1-0 win, which shows the quality of the opposition. Didn't really get much change out of their defence...very strong and physically good. We won't have a more difficult game between now and the end of the season which bodes well.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I would have liked Jarvis to come on for MacDonald, put Bedeau back into defence and would have had Hinchy on for Edwards sooner and pushed Abbott up. Either Vale have gone backwards since the Autumn or we've improved but I thought they were there for the taking last night.
I really think Maynard needs to be allowed to hire a coach he trusts to bounce things off as he looked a bit of a loner last night and sometimes you need a sounding board.

We just weren't at the races 1st half. It was probably our poorest half this year and perhaps one of the worst this season. We sat off which clearly wasn't the instruction.
Any team in the league would have outplayed us playing like that.

2nd half I thought we were really tough to play against. Notts found it impossible to get any possession and just couldn't get anywhere. Again, Jatta has probably had 3 touches that 2nd half. The ball barely went near our penalty area. In that scenario, it only takes one move or a defensive mistake and you're behind. That's what happened.

We never look free flowing but we can really stop the opposition playing, which is half the battle. We'll have a lot more comfortable games than last night in the run in. Last night was all about the battle and simply getting over the line.

 

[Optipez]

Or we weren’t at our best on the night?

I meant last night as I've no idea beyond results how you're doing. As I said earlier, you've taken all the points from us and I've no complaints but I thought despite having a weakened team if we'd been a little braver from 70 minutes with substitutions and played a second attacking player we could have won.

 

[Soz]

I would have liked Jarvis to come on for MacDonald, put Bedeau back into defence and would have had Hinchy on for Edwards sooner and pushed Abbott up. Either Vale have gone backwards since the Autumn or we've improved but I thought they were there for the taking last night.
I really think Maynard needs to be allowed to hire a coach he trusts to bounce things off as he looked a bit of a loner last night and sometimes you need a sounding board.

weird as i thought you were there for the taking and that's exactly what happened...again.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

weird as i thought you were there for the taking and that's exactly what happened...again.

Did you think that at half time? Or did you think happy we aren't behind? Did our keeper make a save or have a shot to save in the first 45mins?

In some ways it was similar to our home game against league leaders and red hit Walsall. We were far better than day and no word of a lie could and should have been 3 up. It was men against boys, we only led by 1. Second half role reversal Walsall adapted and were fantastic and got the win.

Both sides more streetwise than us.

Maybe the sides who do the double over the stylish magpies are destined for automatic promotion. NCFC = Gatekeeper

 

[leedsvaliant]

Unfortunately, it's likely that Jatta might get a retrospective ban. He's clearly not done any homework on Smith and has become another victim. It's his fault really if he gets banned.

 

[mozzavale]

Apparently Jatta pulled the cotton bud out of Smith’s nose that was stopping him bleeding just before so he had to go off haha. The one where Jatta slaps him it looks very much like Smith tweaks his nipple or something to provoke it as well. Glad they were both having such a good time.

I watched it back earlier. Didn't see Jatta do that, but saw Smith trying to put the tissue back up his nose...clocked the ref looking at him and turned around trying to hide it down his shorts

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Unfortunately, it's likely that Jatta might get a retrospective ban. He's clearly not done any homework on Smith and has become another victim. It's his fault really if he gets banned.

I'm not surprised he doesn't know Vale legend smith.

Does Smith's action count as shithousery?.

 

[valefan16]

I'm not surprised he doesn't know Vale legend smith.

Does Smith's action count as shithousery?.

Yes, he does it in training apparently too!

There is a gravestone on social media where a name gets etched each time an opponent falls for it and gets a red or a retrospective.

Absolutely top bloke off the pitch but he’s bonkers on it.

 

[valefan16]

Seen the Jatta clip back finally, doesn’t look great so imagine he will have a break soon, recall Rodney getting a similar ban after an incident at Swindon similar.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I'm not surprised he doesn't know Vale legend smith.

Does Smith's action count as shithousery?.

He's pretty well known for it, so someone in the management team or somebody should be telling them not to react. Poor preparation. Even the sky co commentator mentioned playing against Smith and what he's like on the highlights I saw. It's that sort of detail that needs looking at before each game.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets a retrospective ban for it. Stupid when the cameras are everywhere.

By the way, I'm absolutely fine with Smith doing it. I've said previously that we don't do anywhere near enough of the dark arts. We now need to practice throwing ourselves over and flapping about like a fish, as we're not on the same level as some other teams.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

He's pretty well known for it, so someone in the management team or somebody should be telling them not to react. Poor preparation. Even the sky co commentator mentioned playing against Smith and what he's like on the highlights I saw. It's that sort of detail that needs looking at before each game.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets a retrospective ban for it. Stupid when the cameras are everywhere.

Thanks for the advice bit late but will pass it onto the management team. Maybe preparation has been interrupted by losing head of recruitment this week or all those trips to the physio room#nomindgames

Sounds like grade A shithousery to me, which I thought Vale don't do enough of. Or is that just rolling around?

He's a lovely gentle giant so hopefully jo action as first offence.

 

[valefan16]

He's pretty well known for it, so someone in the management team or somebody should be telling them not to react. Poor preparation. Even the sky co commentator mentioned playing against Smith and what he's like on the highlights I saw. It's that sort of detail that needs looking at before each game.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets a retrospective ban for it. Stupid when the cameras are everywhere.

By the way, I'm absolutely fine with Smith doing it. I've said previously that we don't do anywhere near enough of the dark arts. We now need to practice throwing ourselves over and flapping about like a fish, as we're not on the same level as some other teams.

Yeah Tolaj needed to go down when clean through there too. Way too nice we are. Bar scorpion hands!

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Lors of fair comments on here, I think we’re all,for once, pretty much in agreement.
But the big question is, what the hell do we all do today?
Thursday night football is proper shite

 

[valefan16]

Lors of fair comments on here, I think we’re all,for once, pretty much in agreement.
But the big question is, what the hell do we all do today?
Thursday night football is proper shite

It’s quite nice in a way to have our feet up and let everyone else scrap it out! I’m away next week so the wife is happy that I can help with the packing!

Yeah all fair comments, two good battles, very attritional games that could have gone either way on the day, thankfully for us they both fell our way but Notts contributed and could feel they deserved something. Two good sides having a good go and two sides that when we last met before this season seemed to be going the wrong way only and now have bright prospects and have come a long way from those miserable days of the late 10s.

Two clubs who’s fans have been long suffering and need to enjoy the good times whilst they are here as the second club in a relatively small city for two clubs.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Was the free header at the end from 5 yards out that hit the bar not a decent chance created?

Vale were lucky to not concede in the first half thanks to Amos and goalline clearance. Palmer should have hit the target but I think that whenever he shoots. I can't remember Vale doing anything in the first half in terms of creating chances maybe I've forgot one.

I've agreed with an awful lot of what's been said post match by both sets of supporters.

However, I'm not having that it's 'lucky' that our goalkeeper actually did his job and kept the ball out? Or that our defender was 'lucky' for timing his goal line block to perfection? That's not luck. That's players doing what they're paid to do.

You hitting the bar could be classed as lucky as it was a free header. Equally, you're also lucky he was even in a position to get the header away as Nathan Smith should've been on the pitch to head it away. Either that, or the game doesn't continue until he's back onto the field, if the ref is adamant he's to go off.

 

[valefan16]

Interesting to see they interviewed the referee from Thursday on sky sports today about the Tolaj pull back decision.

Refreshing to here the referee explain his decision.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Well that's one way of looking at that first half I suppose.

Ok if you can't view it as being fortunate to be level at the break how about we go for in that first half Vale played so poorly that they had to rely on their goalkeeper did his job and produced an excellent save and your defender timed and performed a fantastic goalline clearance as the the shot looked destined for the back of the net. Whereas our goalkeeper and defenders didn't have to do either. Does that work for you?

 

[Dan Phillips]

Well that's one way of looking at that first half I suppose.

Ok if you can't view it as being fortunate to be level at the break how about we go for in that first half Vale played so poorly that they had to rely on their goalkeeper did his job and produced an excellent save and your defender timed and performed a fantastic goalline clearance as the the shot looked destined for the back of the net. Whereas our goalkeeper and defenders didn't have to do either. Does that work for you?

Yes. Still not about luck though, is it? You can't criticise players for doing their jobs properly, I'm sorry. Class yourselves as poor for not making the most of you dominating possession and controlling the first half, maybe?

It's not our fault you couldn't handle us stepping up ten yards second half and outplaying you. We took our one really big opportunity. Probably should've been 0-0 given the balance of each half and the fact we created zero first half bar the last minute. Likewise, your only noteworthy effort came when we had ten men on the field of play. Let's settle it there.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Yes. Still not about luck though, is it? You can't criticise players for doing their jobs properly, I'm sorry. Class yourselves as poor for not making the most of you dominating possession and controlling the first half, maybe?

It's not our fault you couldn't handle us stepping up ten yards second half and outplaying you. We took our one really big opportunity. Probably should've been 0-0 given the balance of each half and the fact we created zero first half bar the last minute. Likewise, your only noteworthy effort came when we had ten men on the field of play. Let's settle it there.

The vast majority of football fans would just say we are lucky to be level at the break.

I didn't criticise the goalkeeper or defender quite the opposite I praised them. You seem to be the only one missing the collective comments we were poor for not taking our chances as we had more than enough in first half. You created one and didn't hit the target in the first 45. You are going to be doing well to not behind on that basis.

Like you say it's just football, draw fair result as very much a tale of two halves but often someone grabs the big 3 points. Well done.