A Year On

[Phil Old Boy]

For the third time only, we are in the FA Cup 1st round proper. For the second year running, we have drawn a team from league division 2 who are in the lower part of the table. During the FA cup runs, we grew in confidence that enabled us to go all the way to win the trophy. To be honest, Port Vale could have been 4 nil up before we scored. Saying that, rather than hoofing the ball up the field as we did in the first half, we came out in the second half and played football which had their defence in trouble. What was noticeable was the speed the game was played at by the vale players, which opened us up on occasions. But we battled away, remained fairly tight at the back and took our chances when we had them. <P>What concerns me this year is that we are scoring more goals but at the expense of conceding more as well. When you look at the results this year, there are not many clean sheets. Although the result was never really in doubt, Stafford opened us up at the back when they would not of done with our best defence last year. There was one moment at 0-0 when their forward was suddenly on his own going towards our goal and Ash done a superb job anticipating and standing up till the last possible moment and saving with his outstretched leg. Who knows how the game would have gone after that with their tails up?<P>Wigan will play similar to Port Vale and come at us fast from the off. We will need to weather the storm, hang in there and take our chances again as we know we can finish. You never know, we could do it again. A big piece of our jigsaw was missing against Stafford. When will Wardy be back as time is running out?

[CANV EFM]

i agree the vale games turned the team from top sixers to potential conf players it did confidence wonders...last year was based on a solid defence .. this year its goal city..i'd like to see a few more clean sheets but the next 2 games will see how we stand this season..duffing up the lower half of the table is one thing, getting a point or points from grays and breaking down braintrees 9 man defence is another matter

[The Great Eckscape]

Wigan are a lot worse than Vale were, and we are a lot better now with players we have signed and improved. We have got a real chance, I'm counting the days.