Tues 11th, Thurs 13th, Sat 15th Match Thread

[Son of Cod]

Frustrating that as I thought Notts were pretty poor and there for the taking. We were probably the better team for most of the match but if you can't take your chances then you aren't gonna win. We looked leggy compared to recently though and desperately missed McEachran once Turi went off who I thought had a solid debut.

Ridiculous goal from McGoldrick to kill the game though. Poor from Rodgers to get done like that but an obscene finish, he's got no right to score that.

 

[クレイグ]

I would certainly have taken them if you had offered me those results before kickoff. Five points ahead of Notts is a decent little buffer.

Bad night for Wimbledon and Vale.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Disappointed in Grimsby having read they beat and deservedly so Doncaster and Walsall away.

We were poor first half created next to nothing like we have in recent games. Not so much hanging on cos our keeper has little to do but needed the half time whistle as it was all played in our half.

Second half was very different. Awful defending on two consecutive corners leaving Notts players free in the area. Once that went in Town seemed to run out of ideas and their passing went to shit.

McGoldrick comes on and he is levels and I mean levels above everybody on the pitch instantly. I'd give him MOTM for his cameo alone. Not a bad hit from the old man.

Finally I've never seen a game where the players have lost their footing so regularly, so many players hit the deck because of a horrific pitch. Not fair on the players and doesn't encourage football to be played. Shouldn't be allowed.

The Baas injury didn't look good cos end our season.

 

[Si Robin]

Honestly can't believe what I've just witnessed. Proper smash and grab from us tonight at Wimbledon.

First half was quite even and I thought 1-1 was fair - second half we've basically been playing them on the counter and that's exactly how we've won it. Wimbledon will be wondering all night how they haven't found a second.

 

[kieran_vale]

Having drawn level that is infuriating to lose like that. Down the other end so might be wrong but felt like Amos was at fault for the second goal. If I’m wrong I’ll put my hands up but that position you can’t afford to carry it. Put massive pressure on us against MK on Saturday but really now it’s just about making sure we can remain in the playoffs.

 

[jacobncfc]

Frustrating that as I thought Notts were pretty poor and there for the taking. We were probably the better team for most of the match but if you can't take your chances then you aren't gonna win. We looked leggy compared to recently though and desperately missed McEachran once Turi went off who I thought had a solid debut.

Ridiculous goal from McGoldrick to kill the game though. Poor from Rodgers to get done like that but an obscene finish, he's got no right to score that.

I thought you were really, really bad. We weren’t much better until McGoldrick came on and looked like he was playing with 21 children, but it wasn’t a great advert for the division if those are two of the better teams in it. State of the pitch doesn’t help obviously, but still.

 

[JJ1990]

Proper wide open promotion race. 11 points from 1st down to 9th, all of them have big flaws. Could make an argument for any of them to finish in the top 3, top 7 or miss out entirely at this point.

 

[Son of Cod]

I thought you were really, really bad. We weren’t much better until McGoldrick came on and looked like he was playing with 21 children, but it wasn’t a great advert for the division if those are two of the better teams in it. State of the pitch doesn’t help obviously, but still.

Yeah it's essentially two bald men fighting over a comb, but I thought we were undeniably the better team and the only team creating anything of note for the whole of the first half. I think your first shot on target (maybe even chance of note?) was the one Wright saved before Jatta bumbled it in. After that we were complete shite though and it felt like us from the start of the season.

And yep, the pitch is embarrassing. Just hope we can sort it out in the summer.

 

[Youpies]

Thought Grimsby were miles better first half and Notts the better team second half

Jatta and McGoldrick were the difference really.

Notts have looked really poor recently. We are too light weight and not creating enough chances. Tonight not much different but we stayed in the game long enough.

What has happened to Whitaker? Looks absolutely garbage post Gills away.

 

[jacobncfc]

Yeah it's essentially two bald men fighting over a comb, but I thought we were undeniably the better team and the only team creating anything of note for the whole of the first half. I think your first shot on target (maybe even chance of note?) was the one Wright saved before Jatta bumbled it in. After that we were complete shite though and it felt like us from the start of the season.

And yep, the pitch is embarrassing. Just hope we can sort it out in the summer.

We were awful first half but I never felt massively worried that we were going to concede, even with our comedy goalkeeper suddenly pressed into action. Second half I thought we took control of territory and chances if not possession and just about deserved it in the end.

Kind of pointless to try and judge game by game though, everyone is clearly wildly inconsistent on a weekly basis. I’m pretty confident in saying that if McGoldrick stays fit, and Jones joins him in the next couple of weeks, we’ll go up. If they don’t then we have no chance.

 

[Gladders]

Don't know how anyone can say they are confident they will go up, not been looking at your results but pretty sure commentator said you had a run of 5 games without a win not long ago, and then another run of 1 win in 6 games before tonight, yet still only a few points of third.

Nobody seems to want to go up in this league except Colchester and wouldn't surprise me if they went up automatically.

As for the game we had the better first half but couldn't finish, Notts had the better second half and could. Pitch is terrible.

 

[jacobncfc]

Don't know how anyone can say they are confident they will go up, not been looking at your results but pretty sure commentator said you had a run of 5 games without a win not long ago, and then another run of 1 win in 6 games before tonight, yet still only a few points of third.

Our results are fairly consistent this season in terms of who we have available. When we have McGoldrick and Jones fit we’re a title winning side. With one of them we’re pretty good. With neither of them we’re a very average bottom half team.

 

[Meadow]

Honestly can't believe what I've just witnessed. Proper smash and grab from us tonight at Wimbledon.

First half was quite even and I thought 1-1 was fair - second half we've basically been playing them on the counter and that's exactly how we've won it. Wimbledon will be wondering all night how they haven't found a second.

Dreadful.

The lively lot on the other side of the segregation zone were partly a bunch of PSV Eindhoven supporters in London for their match against Arsenal tomorrow.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Hugely improved from us after the last 6 or so shitshows, especially with Bass going and Flappy coming on (decent odds on him keeping a clean sheet when he came on). First half was generally poor but we stuck in there, after we scored there looked like there was only going to be one winner. What a peach from Didzy.

Grimsby, wow, fucked up some good positions and then kind of gave up once we got in front. Aside from maybe 15 minutes before halftime I thought you were even worse than you were at our place to be fair.

We’re back with some hope now which is always dangerous when you’re a Notts fan.

 

[spireite]

The red card has changed the game tonight there. I didn't think there was much in it before that, probably they were the better side and our keeper made a few good saves. They didn't deal with the red well at all and we made it count.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Quality up front showed in the end. Thought it was a game of two halves but yeah if you pay the big bucks for McGoldrick then he’s really going to help. Rose had two great chances but wasted both. We’re getting loads of injuries at the wrong time and it showed second half because I genuinely couldn’t figure out what formation we were playing. Combine that with certain players running out of steam and little quality off the bench and we run out of ideas.

Notts fans must have been spoilt with overly wanky football because if they think that was a poor game then you want your heads checking.

Onto Salford and Newport where we really need maximum points.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Having drawn level that is infuriating to lose like that. Down the other end so might be wrong but felt like Amos was at fault for the second goal. If I’m wrong I’ll put my hands up but that position you can’t afford to carry it. Put massive pressure on us against MK on Saturday but really now it’s just about making sure we can remain in the playoffs.

Amos is fucking wank. An absolute liability.

9 out of 9 in our 3 home games on the bounce now or we've fucked it. Won't even finish top 7 unless we take a minimum of 7.

 

[Grimsby Road]

Thought Grimsby were miles better first half and Notts the better team second half

Jatta and McGoldrick were the difference really.

Notts have looked really poor recently. We are too light weight and not creating enough chances. Tonight not much different but we stayed in the game long enough.

What has happened to Whitaker? Looks absolutely garbage post Gills away.

I thought if we scored first half we would have won by a few as Notts looked fragile to me , could have collapsed and it looked obvious confidence was low . Like mentioned pitch isn't fit for purpose and didn't help either team but quality didn't look particularly good from either . Fair play to Notts second half though took your chances and agree you were the better team then I thought

 

[womble76]

Sometimes I hate football. last night was one of those times. In reality played well should never have lost. Created 17 openings of which our strikers hit the target with 2 or 3. For once we let in a couple of sloppy goals and there you go. We have too much to do for automatics now and i dread the playoff loss to a goal from lyle Taylor and colchester.

 

[Flying fan]

Sometimes I hate football. last night was one of those times. In reality played well should never have lost. Created 17 openings of which our strikers hit the target with 2 or 3. For once we let in a couple of sloppy goals and there you go. We have too much to do for automatics now and i dread the playoff loss to a goal from lyle Taylor and colchester.

I know the feeling well mate…..
My lot have caused me suffering for the last 5 years and now we have hope. (Yep, U’s)…

 

[Kauto Star]

Sometimes I hate football. last night was one of those times. In reality played well should never have lost. Created 17 openings of which our strikers hit the target with 2 or 3. For once we let in a couple of sloppy goals and there you go. We have too much to do for automatics now and i dread the playoff loss to a goal from lyle Taylor and colchester.

You are only 2 points off automatics with 10 games to play, how is that too much to do?

I think it's still wide open between top 6 sides for automatics.

 

[womble76]

You are only 2 points off automatics with 10 games to play, how is that too much to do?

I think it's still wide open between top 6 sides for automatics.

We have 6 away games and 4 at home. Our one real striker is out of form. Our away record is a series of draws. We will not get anywhere near automatics now.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Nobody wants automatics except Bratfud. Just when you think a team will kick on they falter.

We look so weak in the centre of the park. Our main aggressor, our enforcer, our get your foot in man is teenager George Abbott. That says it all and is out biggest issue for me.Whitaker and Grant shouldn't be starting but are due to injuries to 3 starters. Gordon (inconsistent) and Tsaroulla (limited) are easily our best wife options at present.

We had to go more direct last night, and I'm glad we did, the pitch didn't allow football to be played although we tried our best at times through Palmer and Abbott.

We really were there for the taking last night so Grimsby will be kicking themselves with that performance.

Looking ahead Sam Slocombe is a top half NL level goalkeeper so that's going to hamstring us massively in the run in. It should also force us to go long more often.
Delighted to see my Gambian Prince get his 20th goal this season fully deserved after being unlucky not to score on Saturday and hitting the woodwork twice recently as well as missing two one on ones.

 

[valefan16]

Frustrating night again, thats 1 win in 25 Tuesday night league games now going back 3 years!

We made the sensible decision to rest Byers as playing him on that pitch would of been a huge risk and a surprise to see young Rhys Walters come in ahead of Harper, felt we dominated much of the first half, got into 3 or 4 good positions and played some decent football on a horrific surface but then an absolute car crash of defending found us 1-0 down, in the reverse the same situation happened and as Tovide ran down the wide area Heneghan cleaned him out and took the yellow, Smudge is experienced enough to do the same but didn't, however as per Saturdays goal we are wide open there, he's ran it out to the flank and come back inside with no cover there at all. Madness.

After that we were rocking until half time but second half we had most of it again, eventually got what I felt was the least we deserved with the equaliser only to do an even worse bit of defending from a set piece gifting a free header from 6 yards! Ronan is unlucky at the end hitting the bar with a great effort but wasted finishing and decisions coupled with two awful pieces of defending cost us.

OVF is in absolute meltdown and the daggers are out for Moore but objectively I thought for 80% of that game it was us the better side but the problems are evident, Colchester were quite off it last night and a top 3 sides gets 3 or 4 there against that performance and we are just not ruthless enough for it.

After Grimsby we ditched all the playing around the back rubbish, got back into winning games and the last 3 or 4 games have gone back to it, only this time with a keeper who can't kick in Amos and on that pitch? I don't get why we've gone back to what wasn't working and it all has that Novemeber/December feel again where we are drawing a lot of games then drop into losing a couple.

Whilst as I said in isolation I don't think last night was too bad the conversation on Moore will need to be had if we fail to get promoted, poor League this year, standard wise, huge budget, good squad and he is wasting it, for all the money we are again reliant on Ben Garrity, now unbeaten in 17 matches with him but have won 2 in 14 without him which is madness.

Three huge games now, last time we lost to Colchester it was this point of the season and we went on a mad run which would get us promoted if repeated but we will need to improve massively, 9 points needed from three home games before Crewe/Bradford/Walsall against sides struggling.

On a side note why is Moore persisting with Umolu? He is miles off being ready for mens football yet he is on ahead of Hackford last night who at least scores a few for us?!

 

[kieran_vale]

It might just be because going there is a bitch of a journey at the best of times so am a bit cranky but that was some serious big-brain stuff to have us thinking we could play it out from the back on that cabbage patch Colchester have for a pitch. The likes of Smith are not footballers on normal surfaces never mind that. Losing Headley to potentially a season ending injury has killed us on the left as now the only left footer we have in that position is Sam Hart and he is at best inconsistent.

The good was Walters did a decent job for us and Rico Richards is often impressive when he’s on the pitch. Nice to see Stockley return also.

 

[valefan16]

It might just be because going there is a bitch of a journey at the best of times so am a bit cranky but that was some serious big-brain stuff to have us thinking we could play it out from the back on that cabbage patch Colchester have for a pitch. The likes of Smith are not footballers on normal surfaces never mind that. Losing Headley to potentially a season ending injury has killed us on the left as now the only left footer we have in that position is Sam Hart and he is at best inconsistent.

The good was Walters did a decent job for us and Rico Richards is often impressive when he’s on the pitch. Nice to see Stockley return also.

Stockley is a massive boost, I thought he was weeks away... if only Garrity randomly turns up on the team sheet next week!

 

[kieran_vale]

Stockley is a massive boost, I thought he was weeks away... if only Garrity randomly turns up on the team sheet next week!

Yeah Garrity coming back is going to be the big one. The results speak for themselves, when he plays we beat everybody. When he doesn't we can't beat anyone. Know Walsall had a bit of a one man team knock on them when they had Lowe but it's every bit as true of us with Garrity.

Not going into Moore out territory like some on our forum are (though quite frankly a few of them obviously have been waiting for the moment to stick the knife in) but his mindset is more about avoiding defeat than winning games. After Fleetwood he said when we were trying to force a goal he was still concerned about keeping it tight at the back and that's as clear an insight into his approach as you can get.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Minimal BEEF on this match day thread but nothing fishy going on, I agree with Big Dave's post match comment that it was a game of moments and the difference was quality finishing.

 

[valefan16]

Yeah Garrity coming back is going to be the big one. The results speak for themselves, when he plays we beat everybody. When he doesn't we can't beat anyone. Know Walsall had a bit of a one man team knock on them when they had Lowe but it's every bit as true of us with Garrity.

Not going into Moore out territory like some on our forum are (though quite frankly a few of them obviously have been waiting for the moment to stick the knife in) but his mindset is more about avoiding defeat than winning games. After Fleetwood he said when we were trying to force a goal he was still concerned about keeping it tight at the back and that's as clear an insight into his approach as you can get.

Its been an issue for three seasons now really that Garrity is critical to us and we haven't sorted that with any back up, when he was out the past two winters we went into dreadful form both times as well, add in early this season when we went 1 win in 10 and now winless in 4 its a real problem.

Not sure exactly why he is so critical as we have many midfielders but he seems to drag everyone through and get 10% out of the rest of the squad with his leadership and sheer work rate even when he's not on it.

He is probably one of the most influential players in the division in regards to his importance to his side.

 

[Cloudy]

Minimal BEEF on this match day thread but nothing fishy going on, I agree with Big Dave's post match comment that it was a game of moments and the difference was quality finishing.

Agree. Thought Notts looked a team lacking in confidence and belief in the 1st half. That, was probably to be expected given their recent form?
However they hung in during the first half, Grimsby were the better team but created few clear opportunities, after half time Notts grew into the game and it looked like the first goal would win it. Jatta scrambled it over the line and that was it.
McGoldrick looked class and despite Grimsby putting on a few 3rd choice players they looked very lightweight and the second goal on the break put it to bed.

Notts probably have expected to be at least in the playoffs from the start, Grimsby have been punching far above their weight in challenging for the top 7. Injuries have hit a lot of teams, Grimsby having a smaller squad than most, are severely depleted and it showed.

If we can get a team out on Saturday we have to stand up physically to Salford. Win and we are back in the race for 7th