silverlion
Well-known member
A tired performance and a disappointing defeat.
We started with a little bit of a sparkle as Azeez drove down the left, got it right to the byline but then overran the ball. By contrast they started like a house on fire. We looked as if we had just woken up whereas they were like rabbits on speed. It was clear from the off that they had bottled up all their energy having not played for ten days. We looked as if we had used all our energy and emotion on Saturday in the cup game and were running on empty. They poured forward and we had little answer. We helped them along a bit by playing nervous passes or giving them the ball but they ran harder and harder and we simply had no answer for the first 35 minutes. They had a good cross shot which Jensen did well to push away after half an hour and a few minutes later a decent shot from distance which Jensen saved well. We offered very little and did not trouble their keeper for the first 45. We did get better in the run up to the break and looked as if we were getting back into it but created little threat and the half finished even. They must have had 80% possession and we were lucky to still be in it. Things will have to change.
Azeez clearly had a knock as Emakhu was called in from the half time kick around to prepare to come on. He did start the second half and at times he did look a threat. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the rest of the team. It really did seem just a matter of time and that moment came after 53 minutes. Some decent play down the left ended with a low hard cross from the right angle and their attacker had the simplest of tasks to tap it into an empty net. We tried to get back into it and Coburn came on for Cundle allowing us to play two upfront. We huffed and puffed and Coburn did have a chance with a cross from the right but he headed over. Emakhu had a couple of good runs and a
Crosses but there was no dot in the right place to put the ball into the back of the net. We decided to make further changes with Honeyman and Sav replacing Billy and Casper but that was the beginning of our downfall. We pushed up and fell victim to a fast break from the Robins where they found space in our box for a telling pass and shot and then it was 2-0. The Den emptied quickly and the last few minutes were highlted by a dreadful free kick from Sav which floated over everyone’s head and went off for a goal kick. That summed up a poor evening where we were second best for most of the ninety minutes.
Jensen was OK and made a couple of good saves. Crama was a little bit rusty, Cooper and Tango were solid and Joe was full of energy. Casper ran hard, Billy kept the ball quite well but did little with it when it was at his feet. Bango had his moments but Azeez was insistent on coming inside and was less effective. Cundle was busy but had little threat and the Serb ran hard to little effect. Emakhu had his moments, Sav and Honeyman huffed and puffed and Coburn tried but had little impact. All in all a disappointment and AN will have his work cut out to refresh and energise them all for Vicarage Road.
We started with a little bit of a sparkle as Azeez drove down the left, got it right to the byline but then overran the ball. By contrast they started like a house on fire. We looked as if we had just woken up whereas they were like rabbits on speed. It was clear from the off that they had bottled up all their energy having not played for ten days. We looked as if we had used all our energy and emotion on Saturday in the cup game and were running on empty. They poured forward and we had little answer. We helped them along a bit by playing nervous passes or giving them the ball but they ran harder and harder and we simply had no answer for the first 35 minutes. They had a good cross shot which Jensen did well to push away after half an hour and a few minutes later a decent shot from distance which Jensen saved well. We offered very little and did not trouble their keeper for the first 45. We did get better in the run up to the break and looked as if we were getting back into it but created little threat and the half finished even. They must have had 80% possession and we were lucky to still be in it. Things will have to change.
Azeez clearly had a knock as Emakhu was called in from the half time kick around to prepare to come on. He did start the second half and at times he did look a threat. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the rest of the team. It really did seem just a matter of time and that moment came after 53 minutes. Some decent play down the left ended with a low hard cross from the right angle and their attacker had the simplest of tasks to tap it into an empty net. We tried to get back into it and Coburn came on for Cundle allowing us to play two upfront. We huffed and puffed and Coburn did have a chance with a cross from the right but he headed over. Emakhu had a couple of good runs and a
Crosses but there was no dot in the right place to put the ball into the back of the net. We decided to make further changes with Honeyman and Sav replacing Billy and Casper but that was the beginning of our downfall. We pushed up and fell victim to a fast break from the Robins where they found space in our box for a telling pass and shot and then it was 2-0. The Den emptied quickly and the last few minutes were highlted by a dreadful free kick from Sav which floated over everyone’s head and went off for a goal kick. That summed up a poor evening where we were second best for most of the ninety minutes.
Jensen was OK and made a couple of good saves. Crama was a little bit rusty, Cooper and Tango were solid and Joe was full of energy. Casper ran hard, Billy kept the ball quite well but did little with it when it was at his feet. Bango had his moments but Azeez was insistent on coming inside and was less effective. Cundle was busy but had little threat and the Serb ran hard to little effect. Emakhu had his moments, Sav and Honeyman huffed and puffed and Coburn tried but had little impact. All in all a disappointment and AN will have his work cut out to refresh and energise them all for Vicarage Road.
