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Post by stewart on Apr 17, 2009 22:51:30 GMT
It seems quite unlikely that Cambridge will improve their goal difference by 6, in fact they may encounter the same frustration as us when they go to the Ray Mac "Stadium" and end up short of points rather than goals.
If they do win both of their remaining games, they may not need that many goals if we beat Burton comfortably, and herein lies the key, namely which Burton will turn up.
They may be full of fight as they attempt to re-establish their pre-MacFarland dominance, on the other hand they may be in a very deep rut after winning only one out of six. They will be without Harrad, although Pearson will be back after suspension.
Provided we can take some points from Stevenage and Barrow, this game, I believe, may prove to be ours for the taking. I still think that Kidderminster have the most difficult fixtures left and they will be the ones to miss out.
Predicting the outcome of the next nine days is a bit like saying that solving the rubix cube is a piece of cake.
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Post by aussie on Apr 18, 2009 10:34:37 GMT
No game is ours for the taking, every time we get that confidence and start to think " it`s ours for the taking " we get beat or put in a shocker and just manage a draw, it`s this cock sure attitude that has back fired on us so many times this season that it now actually frightens me!
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merse
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Post by merse on Apr 18, 2009 11:26:27 GMT
No game is ours for the taking, every time we get that confidence and start to think " it`s ours for the taking " we get beat or put in a shocker and just manage a draw, it`s this cock sure attitude that has back fired on us so many times this season that it now actually frightens me!  I hope you are referring to the fans and not the players Oz. I would be very surprised if that attitude was prevalent in the dressing room and I'm sure it's not in the manager's thinking EVER! A game against a team chasing the relegation threat away can be just as hard as one chasing promotion, and as Grays showed us; there can be some quality footballers plying their trade further down the league table than their individual skill deserves. I'm flogging a dead horse with Dave and his "should have been tried in the pre-season" whining over Hargreaves.................you never really know until the serious and competitive stuff starts just how things will pan out and in Hargreaves and Brough's case I believe it was a genuine attempt to improve on the quality of ball coming out of our defence over the rubbish distribution that was often on offer from Woods and Todd the previous season. Their defensive play was OK but their distribution was quite often dreadful leading to the Dave mantra of "hoofball".Finding central defenders who genuinely CAN play their way out of trouble whilst at the same time maintaining the bread and butter trades of defending properly is a thankless task at this level and in all honesty, any player who can do BOTH won't be hanging around in the BSP for long. Yet, these type of defenders are ten a penny in the local youth football I see and indeed have just come home from and one wonders just what crap coaching and football management then goes to destroy that potential as they get older. Just because a defender CAN play the ball out with intelligence it doesn't mean he has to lose the ability to defend properly and when I watch the likes of the Woods' and the Todds I just know they must have presented a much higher standard of footballing culture when they were young for their managers to look at.......................or DID they? Is that why they sunk so low in their careers? In Woods' case we saw with our own eyes his slide down the ladder from League 1 to BSP in double quick time and in all honesty he should be ashamed of himself letting his career go like that, yet some dorks want to then go and vote him "Player of the Season" ~ you couldn't make it up really could you? Had Hargreaves been able to settle into a central defensive roll, I believe we could have been looking at him being here for another two seasons but as it is I would be very surprised if he retains his place in the squad after the end of this season. Right, I'm off to the game now and at least with Stevenage under their current management team I know that I'll see an attempt to play football that combines the "right way" with the "pragmatic way" and I truly hope that we can both match and beat them.....................come on you Gulls! |
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Post by aussie on Apr 18, 2009 12:57:03 GMT
Merse you know I meant the fans mate, have to concur with your theory about central defenders though, and I voted for Captain Chrissy mate so that rules me out for the dork factor!
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Post by stewart on Apr 18, 2009 13:49:19 GMT
Oh no, not that prat Dave Saunders doing the commentary again! I was hoping against hope that it would be Julian Gaunt.
I was also hoping that Hodges and Carayol would be in for Robertson and Dsane.
Here we go then. If we can cope with Cole and Morison, we may have a chance, but it will be a nerve-wracking afternoon.
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Post by aussie on Apr 18, 2009 14:19:10 GMT
Is anyone else having sound quality issues with this broadcast?
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Apr 18, 2009 15:59:15 GMT
Really looking forward to the match reports as it sounded like an excellent match on the radio. Possibly Chris Todd our man of the match?? Good effort, particularly with 10 men!  |
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Mark L
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Post by Mark L on Apr 18, 2009 18:02:24 GMT
Got to pop out in a minute but I can confirm it was a cracking match which either team could have won. Some sort of force-field seemed to be present across both goals. The ball just never got into the net apart from our disallowed goal which seemed pretty ridiculous to me. I certainly didn't notice Scott Laird getting fouled. Frustrating indeed.
We took the match to them after Lee Mansell got sent off for a second foul... nothing malicious, he must be so disappointed to miss the match at Barrow. But nonetheless, we really threw the kitchen sink at them. Despite overhead kicks a few yards out from both Roscoe and Hargreaves, the ball bobbling around the goalmouth and sticking itself to Mr Day and our crowd being utterly relentless with atmosphere, no goal was forthcoming. Indeed they had some very similar moments where a goal seemed inevitable and they produced either appallingly wayward shots or Lee 'the shot magnet' Mansell got a limb in the way or Scott Bevan was performing a superman act!
I don't resent Stevenage getting a point from us, I think they just about deserved it though I'd like to see Morrison get carded occasionally for his general petulance, petty fouls and general ugliness.
Time to lubricate my vocal chords and try and repair my hands!
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petef
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Post by petef on Apr 18, 2009 19:12:20 GMT
A very valuable and by the sounds of it hard earned point which could be the difference to us making or not making the playoffs.
Barrow now is more or less a cup final for both sides and as we always seem to struggle against the lesser sides it could be an inyteresting night. Barrow have had a real mixed bag of a season and have beaten Histon Kidderminster and Oxford on their own patch so a victory up there will not be easy. Can we maintain the energy levels we had today? If we can we have a good chance to win and ease the pressure a little.
If we do happen to fail and it all rests on the final match with Burton who will be trying to prove there worthy winners of the league then it is going to be an extemely tough day for players and supporters alike.
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Post by capitalgull on Apr 18, 2009 19:19:39 GMT
After the surreal clash with Salisbury earlier this week, today's game has to go down as one of the best I have seen this season with both sides able to consider themselves unlucky not to claim all three points.
Stevenage are a decent side at most times, although I thought today was not one of their better days and they seemed to have a few players in there that I didn't recognise. Those I did all played well but somehow as Mark L says neither side could manage to get the ball in the back of the net, at least according to yet another dreadful referee.
First half we played towards the few Stevenage fans who poo-poohed the chance to sit or stand on the side of the pitch and stood behind the goal in seemingly the worst stand of what is a decent ground...the away stand viewing I think is excellent, and to please one of our members, the better the further back you go.
It's tough to pick out all the chances since there were so many, but Chris Day did make one special save to keep out a Sills header, and the big man sadly also missed the target with a couple of easier chances as well, but yet again ran himself into the ground, chasing down lost causes and generally making a nuisance of himself against an excellent centre-back who I personally thought was the man of the match from both sides.
Sturrock had a glancing header saved as well, and sadly missed the best chance in a one-on-one with Day, but there was much more creativity from the midfield with Hargreaves a welcome addition in place of Brough, a return which seemed to spark Wroe back into action with one of his more effort-filled performances - certainly much better than Salisbury.
But Scott Bevan was equally as busy in the opening half, having to deal with a couple of scrambles inside the six yard area and making a hectic dash back towards his own line to keep out a mis-directed Mansell header from creeping inside the post for what would have been an embarrassing own goal, esepcially since I could hear from my vantage point Bevan's call for him to leave it. I was also right in line with the trajectory of the ball and the look on Bevan's face as he rushed back to claw it away was priceless!!!
Boylan and Morrison were lively for Stevenage, but Cole was their main threat as has often been the case when I have seen him play. Such a good player but for the fact his first move when touched is to go down and lie hurt, as Mansell found out to his cost twice later in the game. In fact that seemed to be their mantra in the second half - maybe they got hold of the idea that we had yet another eccentric referee first, managing to get a couple of soft yellow cards out of him when they made more serious fouls and went unpunished.
Second half I thought we had the better of, before and after Mansell's second yellow card. I thought the first yellow was deserved for a 'professional' foul, but not a vicious one...more the sort of obstruction you have to see to stop someone getting into a dangerous position. The second one was a shocker though and all of Mr Cole's making, jumping up in the air as if he had been shot and then getting up straight away after the red had been shown. It's something I really hate in the game, and something they tried again later, but Laird got booked for diving and was mercilessly booed thereafter.
Chances were plentiful again and Torquay had the ball in the back of the net through Todd (I think) but the referee was in the middle of his worst period of the game to get the massed throngs behind the goal more and more upset. There also seemed to be a clear handball in the box that went missed by him and few others, leaving United players chasing after him.
A cross shot, I think from Dsane, was narrowly missed by Wroe sliding in at the far post, while Dsane and Hargraves had bicycle kicks over the bar, Wroe hit the side netting when he should have passed to one of two players calling for the ball in the middle and Nicholson's floated free-kick nearly crept in at the far post after eluding everyone in the area.
At the other end, Stevenage three times got into clear shooting places in the middle of the box and each time they screwed their shots way wide of goal, plus a couple of headers over the bar when they should have done better and a couple of long shots that Bevan dealt with easily.
At the end of the day, I thought it was a fine team performance with no real weak links although I am surprised to hear Todd mentioned positively as, apart from one particularly brilliant block from a golbound header late on, I thought Robertson had a far better game than him and I'd have had him as my TUFC man of the match, narrowly ahead of Wayne Carlisle, who I thought was superb all day down the right, both going forward and helping out when we were down to 10-men.
But the stars of the day for me were the 800 or so (complete guess) TUFC fans at Broadhall Way today. A simply sensational atmosphere from start to finish and you could see from the way Bucks made sure every player came and clapped the fans at length just what it meant to him today. As a well-qualified lip-reader he clearly said we had been 'incredible', and he was spot on. How the fans treat the players so differently at home is beyond me, and you only need to look at the league table to see the results of it. More points than anyone away from home this season and only joint 10th most at home tells an interesting story.
Hopefully now in need of one win (I think) to ensure a play-off berth, we can get it away to Barrow on Tuesday. I wouldn't honestly mind playing Stevenage again, since I think there is a soft underbelly to them if you can get them on what is not a going day. Both sides will think they should have won today, and both will definitely think they should have scored, but sometimes that little white ball just won't go in...today was one of those days but still very enjoyable. Even Merse was smiling at the end, even though someone nicked his 'titfer' in the Stevenage social club before the game. Ring Crimestoppers on 0800 NO-ONE KNOWS if you have any more information about this heinous crime against society (and that's just the hat!!!)
Ratings:
Bevan 7 - couple of fumbles as usual
Mansell 7 - played well and unlucky red card
Nicholson 8 - defended stoutly and dangerous delivery as ever
Todd 7 - solid but did get turned too easily a couple of times
Robertson 9 - excellent. Kept Morison fairly quiet
Wroe 8 - passed it well, linked well but should have scored
Hargreaves 8 - glad to have him back and looked well rested
Carlisle 8 - never stopped running and some good crosses
Dsane 7 - in and out of the game but dangerous at times
Sturrock 7 - got tired and not fit yet, but shows glimpses
Sills 8 - won plenty in the air, would have been MOTM with a goal
Hodges 5 - dodgy return at the back after Mansell's red
Carayol 6 - lacking confidence to beat his man - better defensively!!
Time for a beer I think...and some RSI pads on my wrists!!!
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merse
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Post by merse on Apr 18, 2009 19:34:20 GMT
A strange and hitherto unknown experience for me to come through the front door within an hour of the final whistle, but with a family that MAY need me tonight (still hanging on) and hearing TB1s  usual drivel after the game I decided to head straight back down the A1 rather than hang around. What an atmosphere OUR Yellow Army created and maintained throughout today's game ~ absolutely inspirational and experiencing it from the main stand when they were all in the seats behind the goal, all the more impressive and visual too! The home crowd played their part too and thus the atmosphere was brilliant and fitting of a very good game indeed between two sides of no mean ability, properly managed and correctly attuned to go at one another without forgetting the need to avoid defeat. With Peter Taylor out of the way and Graham Westley in situ, Borough are no longer the push over we found them last season and we had to fight them every inch of the way...............pass for pass, tackle for tackle, aeriel challenge for aeriel challenge and shot for shot. We had a goal chalked off for an offence I could not see from a second half corner, and they made a hash of their finishing and they got more and more nervous in this facet of the game as it wore on. I'd heard that Wayne Carlisle had incurred the wrath of the manager after Monday at Salisbury..................well if that is a fact he certainly responded as every professional should and exactly as his manager would have wished with a quite inspirational and match saving performance (especially after we went down to 10 men) that he can be truly proud of. I thought both he and Wroe played with such poise today and Greavsie put in one of those age defying performances that would condemn most normal human beings to a weekend of hobbling about and long hot thermal baths. The man would throw himself in front of a canon ball if he had to such is his commitment and his commitment to the cause when his own future could well be in question certainly puts that of a recently disposed of former captain in perfect perspective. There was an occasion when the awesome Scott Bevan went crashing head first into the goal post, but in true "Bevanator" style he merely shook himself and got on with the job in hand without recourse to the physio's attention..................great stuff and in a microcosm, truly indicative of the spirit and commitment that ran through the whole team today. To say Lee Mansell was the victim of a mugging today would be an understatement, although he had just been yellow card for a seemingly innocuous trip on Scott Laird, and he WAS stupid to launch himself straight into another one on Mitchell Cole; he was the victim of a crass bit of refereeing from otherwise fully in control ref when the home player decided to con the ref that he had been clattered...................nothing of the sort (I was close enough to see) and that he launched himself into a somersault should be enough for Cole to question his own integrity this evening. Not content with that, Laird then tried exactly the same dirty trick on Carlisle but the ref wasn't buying this one and correctly booked the home defender for blatant cheating. That Boro' had now resorted to this and long range hit and hope shooting told a story and although we had shut up shop and got all but Sills behind the ball, there was still every chance that Caryol or Wroe would waltz through them at the end. Fair result, fair play to both managers for an enterprising and positive approach to a "mustn't lose" game; and we've every chance of going on and cementing our play off place come the end of next weekend!
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merse
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Post by merse on Apr 18, 2009 20:02:04 GMT
Even Merse was smiling at the end, even though someone nicked his 'titfer' in the Stevenage social club before the game. Ring Crimestoppers on 0800 NO-ONE KNOWS if you have any more information about this heinous crime against society (and that's just the hat!!!) Yes, says it all about the intellect of some gobshite doesn't it. When it was swiped off my head from behind I treated the childishness with the contempt it deserved and didn't bother to turn and remonstrate not wanting to give them the pleasure they obviously craved from being so stupid. Whether it was a Torquay fan or a Stevenage one, matters not really. It's just a sad reflection on the type of moron one has to mix with to enjoy the beautiful game and indicative of the narrow mindedness and bigoted nature of the person who did it. I had a Gucci shirt, a five hundred pound watch and a one hundred pound pair of shoes on you could have had too if your so bloody unemployable you need to steal for a living...............arsehole! |
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Post by capitalgull on Apr 18, 2009 20:14:08 GMT
Did you pop back into the club after and ask if someone had handed it in? Goodness knows there were enough scrotes around there - it could have been anyone.
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Post by stuartB on Apr 18, 2009 20:16:48 GMT
Did you pop back into the club after and ask if someone had handed it in? Goodness knows there were enough scrotes around there - it could have been anyone. you're sounding a bit guilty capitalgull. A little joke? gone wrong? |
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Post by capitalgull on Apr 18, 2009 20:20:18 GMT
Guilty? Moi? Nah, I was actually in Merse's little group at the time and must admit I didn't see the incident happen.
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