I think Danny Potter is starting to think that all there is to this goal keeping lark, is to stand against the post for most of the match and then come and catch the odd ball in the air and take a few goal kicks. The three games he has been in now, he has hardly had anything to do and he never had to make one single save tonight.
Had a good chat with Mark Boyce before the game and asked him how he felt about the Crawley match and the 5th round draw. He was very upbeat when he said if we had won the game and drew Manchester United, we would have been able to greatly accelerate what the club are doing as regards it going forward, now it’s just going to take longer to get where we want to go.
Burton looked nearly as bad as Stockport and it was clear to see why they have only one game of their travels. The game was a very scrappy affair for large parts of and it was a game we should have put to bed well before even the first half ended. While Burton never looked like creating a good chance of their own, throughout the whole match, there was a feeling we were going to hand them something on a plate.
Before I come to the action, a few thoughts on some of our players. Jake Robinson was outstanding in the first half, not to effective in the second one, but close to my man of the match.
Rowe- Tuner, very solid and made three or four very important tackles in our box, not able to beat his man as Nico can and needs to work on taking throw-ins as tonight he mostly threw the ball straight to a Burton player. But he has improved greatly from the player he was at the end of last season.
Stanley was also very solid and hard working, got most things right during the game, but made a few poor passes near the end of the game. Billy Kee worked as hard as Benyon ever did tonight, good control and holding up of the ball and gave the Burton defenders plenty to think about all night.
Zebs not really at his best, he does look clumsily and awkward on the ball at times, but worked hard and can feel happy with his contribution to the match. Not really happening for young Mr O’Kane right now, things just not coming off for him as they were before. But he never gave up and also put in a good shift and I’m sure he will soon get his game back on track.
Branston was at his very best, it was clear he felt we wanted to prove something to the Burton manager. Strong and winning everything and trying his best to score as well. What a surprise to see him in the box doing a scissor kick. Guilty a few times of hitting long balls to no one and nearly cost us with a very poor back pass, but was my man of the match, but the sponsors gave it to Stanley.
We started brightly enough and maybe could have had a penalty very early on. Their number five let the ball bounce over him and Zebs got in behind him and ran into the box. I felt Zebs should have taken a shot with his left foot, but he ended up trying to turn back towards the goal to shoot with his right foot and appeared to go down over the leg of a Burton defender. The ref gave nothing and I will say at this point, the ref had a very good game and was one if the best refs seen at Plainmoor for a very long time.
Our players on a number of occasions kept getting in each others way, it happened on the halfway line and we lost possession of the ball. As the ball went forward Branston clearly committed a foul but as Burton still had the ball the ref waved play-on. One more pass and the ball was in our box and what a great tackle Rowe-Turner made to break up the move and then clear the ball to safety. He followed that one up with another just a few minutes later after Branston had given the ball away very cheaply.
Potter threw the ball out to Robinson who was deep in our half on the left hand side; he got his head down and ran right down the line before cutting in toward the box and hitting a crisp shot with his right foot. He started making a habit of going on good runs and was always cutting in toward the box and firing of shots with his right boot. One was saved by the Burton keeper and another one just went wide of the left hand post.
I started to feel we were just hitting the ball long from the back to many times and wanted to see the ball played more through the midfield. But one long ball played from the back was taken down brilliantly by Zebs out on the right. He ran past the left back and cut inside and played and inch perfect cross for Stanley to go and head the ball at goal. Stanley’s header grazed the top of the crossbar with the Burton keeper beaten.
Zebs really should have done better and scored when he ended up one on one with the Burton keeper. He was played through by a good pass and the Burton keeper came rushing out and got a block on Zebs rather poor shot.
Robinson made one brilliant turn on the halfway line and was off on anther fine run, this time when he turned in he looked up and spotted O’Kane on the edge of the box. He then played the perfect pass to O’Kane to hit first time, but O’Kane skied his shot well over the crossbar.
We really got a let off after Mansell had played a poor ball out from the back straight to a Burton player, one pass and their number 32 had the ball at his feet in our box and fired the ball across Potter to the far post. The shot had no real pace on it and most in the ground must have felt it was going to crepe over the line just inside to post. Somehow it went the other side of the post and behind for a goal kick.
Then came that Guy Branston moment, which may never ever be seen again. The ball came into the Burton box from a corner and Zebs took a swing at it and missed it and it somehow came to Branston who did a wonderful scissor kick that forced the keeper into making a fine save. Chants of Rooney rang around the ground.
That was it for the first half; we were far the better team without ever being that good ourselves.
We made the second half a lot harder for ourselves than we should have and ended up at the end very deep and allowing Burton to put some late pressure on us. The best pass of the night was played by Jake Robinson. On the halfway line close to the touchline, he looked up and saw Billy Kee close the right hand corner of the Burton box. What a pass and Kee tried to go along the edge of the box trying to make space to get a shot away, but the ball was poked off his toe and there was Robinson right in the centre of the goal to fire a good shot at goal only it flew over the crossbar.
Just before he went off Rowe- Turner made another very important saving tackle in our box and then on came Nico to a great reception from the fans. Yes done well tonight Rowe-Turner but Nico in my view does at this time have that bit more to offer and I would expect to see him starting the game on Saturday.
Stanley took a very quick free kick while the Burton players were just standing around, a great idea as he played the ball over the Burton defence to Jake Robinson who was running into the left hand side of the box. For once Robinson’s first touch let him down or else he would have probably scored.
Then I thought he had scored, we had a corner and the ball came into the box and there was an almighty goal mouth scramble. From where I was standing it was impossible to know who had scored for us. It must be our poor PA system or my hearings going as I'm sure it was announced that Robinson had scored, but in was in fact Chris Robertson who poked the ball over the line.
O’Kane took a shot from all of 35 yards that he got plenty of power into, the Burton keeper could only push the ball behind for a corner. We had one very good move that ended in Zebs firing in a good low cross into the Burton box, Billy Kee must have been inches from getting on the end of it and scoring a second goal for us.
As I said we let Burton pen us down in our box right at the end, but their night was summed up well when they won a free kick on the edge of our box. Kee had won the ball and then lost it and went chasing after their forward to win it back. The bloke behind me was shouting out don’t foul him Billy, but it was clear he was going to.
Their number 29 stepped up to take the free kick that was dead centre of our goal. His shot went closer to the corner flag than the goal.
Three more points and another clean sheet, I do feel the last nine points have been easy ones due to the three teams we have played being very poor indeed. Once again I won’t get too carried away with tonight’s result.
Very poor gate indeed, I’m starting to believe it has nothing to do with fans not having the money to go tonight, but more the case more damage was done by losing to Crawley than most of us
Poor atmosphere as well tonight, Ultras you have been doing so much talking, maybe time to start putting that into action.
Robinson then got in on the act and seemed to have a measure of their right back, beating him on numerous occasions with it looking like only a matter of time until a goal or assist came from him but a lack of service meant he was in less of the game as the match progressed. Zebs did get a one on one with their keeper but his shot was well saved.
