A disappointingly poor performance and a very disappointing result.
We started well and had the best of the first five minutes. Benik and Bradshaw looked lively and we looked sharp down the left with good interchange between Benik, Molly and Murray. A clever turn on the left took Benik into space but his cross came to nothing. A similar move down the left saw a good cross which Bradshaw met and the keeper made a decent save by his near post. Then they came into it. Their giant CF was giving Hutch a tough game and Ince, despite being booed every time he touched the ball was linking the play well for them. The ref was on their side too and gave a soft free kick on their right for a nothing tackle and the following free kick from Daddy’s boy lookEd a threat. A couple of minutes later Shack was tackled by two of them but nicked the ball cleanly but the ref gave another soft free kick. Ince hit it low, it was flicked on at the near post and nodded back into goal from the right for 1-0 to them. We struggled to get back into the game. Our play was one tempo and one pattern and try as we did we couldn’t break them down. There were a couple of 50/50 shouts for a pen with fouls on Bradshaw in their box but the ref was having none of it. Their spoiling tactics were having a negative effect on our play and they had their noses in front at the break. We were booed off too!
GR had to work some magic with his team talk and we came out second half looking more determined. We pushed up ten yards to condense the play into their half. There was some quicker play with some variations but they stood firm. It was time for a change after ten minutes. It was clear that changes were afoot as Flem and Vogi were wearing themselves out on the line and if they didn’t get on soon they would be worn out! They both came on with Burey and Honeyman Molly and Bradshaw came off. The latter was shaking his head justifiably as he came off as he had been trying harder than Benik. We got more urgency and they looked rattled. We did manage to get the ball into the back of the net shortly afterwards and it looked a perfectly good goal but the lino said it was offside. It looked good to me. We pressed really hard but an equaliser would just not come. Vogi had a decent chance breaking into the box but couldn’t make it count and likewise Flem who did his best. There were also a couple of blocked chances from Benik. To frustrate us more the keeper took all day to take a free kick or goal kick and a breath of wind on one of their players was enough to bring to trainer on to administer life saving treatment. All in all it was a frustrating afternoon and even pushing Cooper up front for the last five brought no rewards. There were many glum faces leaving the Den at 5.
Bart made one super save from eight yards from Hendricks but could do little about the one he conceded. Danny was lively but his forward play brought little threat. Hutch was solid as was Cooper who may have been concussed early in the second half. Murray was solid but Molly had little impact. Shack was busy, Honeyman was outmuscled but Sav worked his socks off and probably scraped MOM. Benik was firing blanks but Bradshaw was trying really hard and had some impact. Burey had little impact apart from one decent run down the left, Flem had some nice touches, Vogi looked aggressive and probably had the best chance and Evans came on late for Shack but was really only a stop gap.
A frustrating afternoon against the side that is now top of the league. It won’t last!
We started well and had the best of the first five minutes. Benik and Bradshaw looked lively and we looked sharp down the left with good interchange between Benik, Molly and Murray. A clever turn on the left took Benik into space but his cross came to nothing. A similar move down the left saw a good cross which Bradshaw met and the keeper made a decent save by his near post. Then they came into it. Their giant CF was giving Hutch a tough game and Ince, despite being booed every time he touched the ball was linking the play well for them. The ref was on their side too and gave a soft free kick on their right for a nothing tackle and the following free kick from Daddy’s boy lookEd a threat. A couple of minutes later Shack was tackled by two of them but nicked the ball cleanly but the ref gave another soft free kick. Ince hit it low, it was flicked on at the near post and nodded back into goal from the right for 1-0 to them. We struggled to get back into the game. Our play was one tempo and one pattern and try as we did we couldn’t break them down. There were a couple of 50/50 shouts for a pen with fouls on Bradshaw in their box but the ref was having none of it. Their spoiling tactics were having a negative effect on our play and they had their noses in front at the break. We were booed off too!
GR had to work some magic with his team talk and we came out second half looking more determined. We pushed up ten yards to condense the play into their half. There was some quicker play with some variations but they stood firm. It was time for a change after ten minutes. It was clear that changes were afoot as Flem and Vogi were wearing themselves out on the line and if they didn’t get on soon they would be worn out! They both came on with Burey and Honeyman Molly and Bradshaw came off. The latter was shaking his head justifiably as he came off as he had been trying harder than Benik. We got more urgency and they looked rattled. We did manage to get the ball into the back of the net shortly afterwards and it looked a perfectly good goal but the lino said it was offside. It looked good to me. We pressed really hard but an equaliser would just not come. Vogi had a decent chance breaking into the box but couldn’t make it count and likewise Flem who did his best. There were also a couple of blocked chances from Benik. To frustrate us more the keeper took all day to take a free kick or goal kick and a breath of wind on one of their players was enough to bring to trainer on to administer life saving treatment. All in all it was a frustrating afternoon and even pushing Cooper up front for the last five brought no rewards. There were many glum faces leaving the Den at 5.
Bart made one super save from eight yards from Hendricks but could do little about the one he conceded. Danny was lively but his forward play brought little threat. Hutch was solid as was Cooper who may have been concussed early in the second half. Murray was solid but Molly had little impact. Shack was busy, Honeyman was outmuscled but Sav worked his socks off and probably scraped MOM. Benik was firing blanks but Bradshaw was trying really hard and had some impact. Burey had little impact apart from one decent run down the left, Flem had some nice touches, Vogi looked aggressive and probably had the best chance and Evans came on late for Shack but was really only a stop gap.
A frustrating afternoon against the side that is now top of the league. It won’t last!
why are our players frightened to death to take a player on ? And grab 10 yards fucking does my nut in