Weekend National League fixtures

[jacobncfc]

Don’t think I’ve ever started one of these, how exciting. There is some league action for those of us knocked (or quarantined, in our case) out of the FA Cup.

Friday:
Notts County vs Wealdstone

Saturday:
Altrincham vs Maidenhead
Bromley vs Wrexham
Sutton vs Halifax
Weymouth vs Chesterfield

Our first ever meeting with Wealdstone (unless we played them in the cup at some point), under the Friday night lights.

They’ve had a very good start, but one that we need to win if we’re serious about challenging. If your glass is half empty, you’d say we’ve had a disappointing start having failed to really put a strong run together despite an easy run of games. The alternative view would be that we’re still in touch despite a start that’s been massively disrupted by Covid, and that our record is much better against better teams anyway.

Hopefully our absolute burglary in injury time at Chesterfield can be the catalyst for this season, much as a comeback win at Halifax just before Christmas was last year.

Our first home game in ages too - we’ve only lost one at home in a year (and that with half a team out with Covid). The nice, big pitch definitely helps us.

 

[Wooderson]

Don’t think I’ve ever started one of these, how exciting. There is some league action for those of us knocked (or quarantined, in our case) out of the FA Cup.

Friday:
Notts County vs Wealdstone

Saturday:
Altrincham vs Maidenhead
Bromley vs Wrexham
Sutton vs Halifax
Weymouth vs Chesterfield

Our first ever meeting with Wealdstone (unless we played them in the cup at some point), under the Friday night lights.

They’ve had a very good start, but one that we need to win if we’re serious about challenging. If your glass is half empty, you’d say we’ve had a disappointing start having failed to really put a strong run together despite an easy run of games. The alternative view would be that we’re still in touch despite a start that’s been massively disrupted by Covid, and that our record is much better against better teams anyway.

Hopefully our absolute burglary in injury time at Chesterfield can be the catalyst for this season, much as a comeback win at Halifax just before Christmas was last year.

Our first home game in ages too - we’ve only lost one at home in a year (and that with half a team out with Covid). The nice, big pitch definitely helps us.

A win would be great to catch up on those above us that we have games in hand over, especially with so few NL games this weekend.

As ever, a lot depends on Roberts being fit. And surely Rodrigues will get a start. I'd be happy with him, Roberts and Enzio behind Wootton, with Sam starting to look a decent option off the bench.

Won't be easy at all though - Wealdstone seem to have goals in them, and our defence has looked pretty shaky so far. Hopefully we'll take the game to them, and not attempt to sit in.

 

[SuperHans]

Away win. We haven't been a million miles away and we deserved to beat County last week. You'd like to think we will have a new manager bounce and get 3pts tomorrow.

Asante likely to be straight into the starting XI.

 

[EnglishRed]

Four in the row is probably too much to ask for. Bromley are a decent team so I'd be happy with a draw.

 

[jacobncfc]

2-0 Notts already, could be 5. Roberts isn’t even playing! I kind of respect Wealdstone coming to ML and being so open but not sure it’s entirely sensible.

 

[jacobncfc]

We’ve been great to be fair and should be further ahead, but word for Wealdstone’s keeper. Made a double save at 0-0 that was as good as anything you’ll see this season.

 

[Wooderson]

Could do with the next goal and soon otherwise I fear a very Notts-y concession on 65 followed by shitting our pants for 25 mins

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

This Notts team are obviously better than most other teams in this league, what they lack is intensity. I suppose that could be to do with no fans, but it shouldn’t.

 

[jacobncfc]

Wealdstone lose fun points for going damage limitation at half time IMO.

 

[jacobncfc]

This Notts team are obviously better than most other teams in this league, what they lack is intensity. I suppose that could be to do with no fans, but it shouldn’t.

Agreed, only ever happens for brief spells during which we often look brilliant. Even in this, a pretty professional home win, we’ve been so casual and lazy at times.

 

[LongEatonPie]

Not managed to see the stream today working my last day before being made redundant tonight, stupid Rona!

Anyway this 3-0 win has made it a little better for a beer at 1am!

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Agreed, only ever happens for brief spells during which we often look brilliant. Even in this, a pretty professional home win, we’ve been so casual and lazy at times.

Yep, and that must be from the manger. Get a draw against champions Lincoln, beat Mansfield, lose 4-1 to Newport. Beat Harrogate, Barrow Borehamwood, away, lose to Maidenhead, Aldershot and Dagenham. Mind you the playoff final was a big game and we weren’t up for that.

Genuinely no disrespect to the Wealdstone lads on here and I imagine our budget is what, 4 or 5 times bigger than yours, but you were shit tonight. You’re still above us in the table so fair play.

 

[Aberstone]

Not even going to deny it based off that performance, completely abject from us. We do have ready made excuses, part time club so players who would have worked today against a club whose budget is god knows how many times ours. I would love to know DB’s explanation for how a bottlejob, useless winger was given the start tonight after his indiscretion in the FA Cup who then puts in a performance which has even the most optimistic Stones supporters wanting him jettisoned to the moon. My patience has worn thin with him.

Harry Isted was outstanding and kept us remotely in that game at HT, I’m happy for him after some shaky performances earlier on this season.

 

[Stoney Ground]

We will survive in this league, but players have to learn to take individual responsibility. Wooton should have been obstructed for the first, great finish for the second through an eye of a needle, but should be stopped by both defenders. And the third ball should be in row Z.
Totally out played and lost to a better team, if we are in the the same division next year we have had a better season than you.
Gutted we couldn’t be there.

 

[Pinner Stones]

We are hopelessly naive at times and there is an emphasis on Kevin Keegan football, attack at all times, with our full backs playing as wingers. When it works, it great to watch but we will get drubbings as well. We knew we would have runs of games when we would lose and heavily too. Torquay next in midweek, but then we have another run of winnable games.

We haven’t had our best CB all season, been playing a CM at the back or someone who isn’t really up to the standard. We can’t afford to just get someone else in.

Despite our start, our aim is still to finish fourth from bottom and do this all again with fans in. Suspect we would have had around 500 there last night, so hugely gutting to have missed out on, bar Barnet, the game everyone would have wanted to be at. Being on the same pitch as Notts County in a league match is huge for a club that nearly went bust, that lost their ground, grounshared at five different grounds, still doesn’t have security of tenure at their own stadium.

I looked at Notts accounts at CH recently and the last set published had debts of 11m and a loss in the year of 2.5m, we are literally the flotsam and jetsam at the bottom of the financial pile in terms of budget. As the season wears on, the inability to change things due to the lack of money will be crucial.

 

[Optipez]

It all went right for us last night. Ardley picked a more attacking midfield and Wealdstone obliged by letting us play.
Thought Stones even on a bad night looked dangerous in flashes, Mendy and Lafayette caught the eye. Being part time with a small squad is ridiculously difficult over a whole season so good luck.
If we can get Rodriguess fit for ninety minutes rather than fifty five we could have one of the most creative attacking midfielders in the division on our hands.

 

[Optipez]

Not managed to see the stream today working my last day before being made redundant tonight, stupid Rona!

Anyway this 3-0 win has made it a little better for a beer at 1am!

Sorry to hear about your job going down the tubes. Hope you can get fixed up quickly.

 

[jacobncfc]

It all went right for us last night. Ardley picked a more attacking midfield and Wealdstone obliged by letting us play.
Thought Stones even on a bad night looked dangerous in flashes, Mendy and Lafayette caught the eye. Being part time with a small squad is ridiculously difficult over a whole season so good luck.
If we can get Rodriguess fit for ninety minutes rather than fifty five we could have one of the most creative attacking midfielders in the division on our hands.

Things are starting to look promising for the two Football Radar signings. Think both were miles off at the start of the season having had their leagues voided and not played since February or whatever, but getting better with every game now.

Sam looks a real handful suddenly after seeming comical for the first few games. He’s really quick for such a big guy.

 

[chief]

This looks awful for Rob Lainton.

 

[appletablepenny]

Floodlights went out for about 15 minutes. Not much else of interest.

 

[chief]

25 minutes added on.

Lainton been put in an ambulance. Went down after being kneed in the head by Alabi (accidentally) and didn't get up for a long while. Protocols for a spinal injury were taken but hopefully just precautionary. At the best it's a serious concussion. Has supposedly been joking about the incident since but cannot remember it.

 

[appletablepenny]

1-0 penner

 

[appletablepenny]

Flippin heck 2-0

 

[JaredSUFC]

Sutton beat Halifax 1-0 in an awful game. An early Harry Beautyman penalty was the difference. We looked ok in the 1st 45, 2nd half we were quite poor. A better team than Halifax would have taken something if not everything from that

 

[Stocky]

Wrexham players letting Keates down I'm hearing? Still 20 minutes to play.

Big Cock Keates will have been out shagging last night, London away day. Can't blame him. None of this nerdy tactics rubbish that some in this league like to do.

 

[appletablepenny]

Clean sheet, 2 goals, Tom Peers scoring, we've gone above County, obviously only temporarily. All the stars have aligned for that one.

 

[Stocky]

Clean sheet, 2 goals, Tom Peers scoring, we've gone above County, obviously only temporarily. All the stars have aligned for that one.

Only the 5 games played more mate...

 

[appletablepenny]

Only the 5 games played more mate...

Hey, I'd rather have the points on the board...

 

[Alty Pieman]

Hey, I'd rather have the points on the board...

Yes couldnt agree more, we seem to be finding our feet which is especially surprising with so many players injured at present.

 

[EnglishRed]

Happy to take a point at Bromley, especially after the injury to Lainton