A hard working and spirited performance and a narrow defeat at the death.
We started well with plenty of chasing and closing down and they really didn’t get into any sort of rhythm until there was five minutes on the clock. Under Russell Martin they are usually a free flowing passing team but in the first half they were restricted to a couple of long shots which Bart dealt with comfortably. We looked good going forward and one move involved some good passing around the middle, a good ball out to BNC and a good attack. The closest we came to a goal was from our current goal machine Harding who nodded one onto the bar. Their wingers both looked very lively. The left winger was looking a constant threat and from one move he twisted Danny inside out and then fell over at the vital moment. He also fell over dramatically and laid on the floor as if he had been shot but after the ball was kicked out he soon recovered and got dogs abuse for the rest of the half. It was all square at the break and that was a fair reflection of the play.
I really did think that we would step up our game in the second 45 but the opposite was the case. We went deeper, allowed them space wide and they tore into us. It was time for fresh legs on the hour mark so off went Honeyman and BNC and on came Emakhu and Longman. The latter gave us some energy on the left and made some good runs forward to boost the attack. Sadly it made little difference in blunting their forward movement and their 22 was the playmaker. He was always in space, found gaps in our defence and forced Bart into a decent save from distance. The big Pole was clearly suffering doing leg stretches and looking uncomfortable after taking goal kicks but he soldiered on. They looked dangerous down their right and kept finding space to hit low and threatening crosses. Cooper cleared a couple and others were hoofed away. A cream crackered Tom was replaced by Rab near the end. Eventually, into added time their pressure told. Another good move down their right looked as if it was going out. Their midfielder kept it in and their 26 scored from close in. We were crestfallen but couldn’t get back into it and they ran out narrow winners.
Bart made some decent saves and kept us in it at times but could do little about their winner at the death. Danny had a feisty and aggressive game and had to be on his toes to keep their lively winger quiet. Cooper and Wes were solid and Murray was Mr Dependable on the left. Casper played well, Honeyman was energetic, BNC had some moments and so did Flem but Sav sweated blood for ninety plus minutes and got my vote for MOM. Bradshaw ran hard but posed little threat. Longman had some moments but poor Emakhu hardly got the ball in thirty minutes. Rab hardly broke sweat in his ten minute cameo.
A disappointing but not unsurprising defeat as they pummelled us for the second 45 and we hardly created an effort. The ref did us little favours as blatant shoves and fouls went unpunished unless you had a red shirt on and then it was an obvious free kick. If AB had any aspirations to be our next boss then that all evaporated in the 92nd minute. It was clear we need a new boss with some new ideas.
We started well with plenty of chasing and closing down and they really didn’t get into any sort of rhythm until there was five minutes on the clock. Under Russell Martin they are usually a free flowing passing team but in the first half they were restricted to a couple of long shots which Bart dealt with comfortably. We looked good going forward and one move involved some good passing around the middle, a good ball out to BNC and a good attack. The closest we came to a goal was from our current goal machine Harding who nodded one onto the bar. Their wingers both looked very lively. The left winger was looking a constant threat and from one move he twisted Danny inside out and then fell over at the vital moment. He also fell over dramatically and laid on the floor as if he had been shot but after the ball was kicked out he soon recovered and got dogs abuse for the rest of the half. It was all square at the break and that was a fair reflection of the play.
I really did think that we would step up our game in the second 45 but the opposite was the case. We went deeper, allowed them space wide and they tore into us. It was time for fresh legs on the hour mark so off went Honeyman and BNC and on came Emakhu and Longman. The latter gave us some energy on the left and made some good runs forward to boost the attack. Sadly it made little difference in blunting their forward movement and their 22 was the playmaker. He was always in space, found gaps in our defence and forced Bart into a decent save from distance. The big Pole was clearly suffering doing leg stretches and looking uncomfortable after taking goal kicks but he soldiered on. They looked dangerous down their right and kept finding space to hit low and threatening crosses. Cooper cleared a couple and others were hoofed away. A cream crackered Tom was replaced by Rab near the end. Eventually, into added time their pressure told. Another good move down their right looked as if it was going out. Their midfielder kept it in and their 26 scored from close in. We were crestfallen but couldn’t get back into it and they ran out narrow winners.
Bart made some decent saves and kept us in it at times but could do little about their winner at the death. Danny had a feisty and aggressive game and had to be on his toes to keep their lively winger quiet. Cooper and Wes were solid and Murray was Mr Dependable on the left. Casper played well, Honeyman was energetic, BNC had some moments and so did Flem but Sav sweated blood for ninety plus minutes and got my vote for MOM. Bradshaw ran hard but posed little threat. Longman had some moments but poor Emakhu hardly got the ball in thirty minutes. Rab hardly broke sweat in his ten minute cameo.
A disappointing but not unsurprising defeat as they pummelled us for the second 45 and we hardly created an effort. The ref did us little favours as blatant shoves and fouls went unpunished unless you had a red shirt on and then it was an obvious free kick. If AB had any aspirations to be our next boss then that all evaporated in the 92nd minute. It was clear we need a new boss with some new ideas.
