Slough Town v Atherstone Town

[Leicester Mike]

Couldn't believe the first 30 minutes or so. I don't think the players could either.

 

However, the Rebels came out raring to go after half time - they usually seem to take a good few minutes to wake up! I really enjoyed the second half, and I think the fans did too. There was good support all round. I just wish it was like that all the time.

 

Unfortunately other results around us didn't help! I will be sponsoring the derby match against Beaconsfield on Easter Saturday. I just hope we are still in the play-offs at that time.

[hotspur]

I agree with most of the comments about yesterday ie officiating was absolutely terrible, crap defending first half from Slough, the brilliant 10-man fightback etc.

What I can't get over is how we got in such a mess in the first place. We seemed to be without belief in those first 35 mins or so.

 

To me,I thought on paper,Slough looked well balanced with threee centre backs but when we conceded two goals straight away,I thought it looked glaringly obvious that Dean Harper was being exposed at the right hand side, by his lack of pace.Not that Deano played at all bad in other ways ie his headed goal and his heart on his sleeve approach.I just thought Steve Bateman got lucky yesterday when Harps got injured because he then brought on the excellent for his age and experience Kyle Jeffery and switched Chris Seeby to the right hand side.This move changed the way Atherstone were getting their breaks.

Paul Edgeworth was very vocal in the 2nd half and was excellent in the 2nd half but where was he as captain in the 1st half. I do think our team play has suffered with all the personel changes.I'm not saying that we don't need different players but throwing new players straight in doesn't help co-hesion or team spirit and this is an area we do lack in.

 

However,at this moment in time,with the games we've got coming up thick and fast,this is where our squad is going to be needed.I concur with those behind the goal

[i watch from the side] that Jamie Jackson should be playing,I thought he should have started yesterday[after B+B cup game].I think both our keepers are as good as anything else in this league but like all goalies everywhere they make the odd mistake.I thought when Steve Bateman started the season by alternating the keepers every four or five games,dependent on performances was a good move but I think he's been unfair with Jacko,of late,given the fact of Ricky Perks erratic performances.Also now NBH is out,Jacko is far more vocal.To which,our current makeshift defence could be more organised.

 

How we never won that game in 2nd half is still beyond me.We had so many chances.Sean Sonner ran his socks off but all the players in that 2nd half deserve a pat on the back for their performances but my question to Steve Bateman is why don't our beloved team do it for 90 minutes when we've got 11 on the field? !!!

 

Have to say that you are correct in suggesting that too many new faces being introduced all the time cannot be good for both cohesion and the moral of those that have been here all season. If you look back we were doing okay until these new guys were signed up thick and fast.Yes you have to have cover and competion for places, but to my eyes it all started going wrong with continually changing the team.

Don't get me wrong I still feel Bateman was a good capture , especially at this level, and compared to Sweetman and Roberts he would be more Arsene Wenger than a Sunday park team manager-boy were they usless or what ?

[HorshamRebel]

Here's the report from the Atherstone point of view.

 

Interesting comment about the handball incident, especially as there is a photo of it happening

[Chris]

Yes, it's a very biased report IMO. Not sure how they thought 'Adders Youngsters Dominate' . They could not deal with our 10-men for much of the match and only had counter attacks in the second-half.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Chris

[michaelSTFC]

Yes, it's a very biased report IMO. Not sure how they thought 'Adders Youngsters Dominate' . They could not deal with our 10-men for much of the match and only had counter attacks in the second-half.

 

 

Wasn't at the game, but the Atherstone report was laughable. Was it written by a 12 year old?

[Rouser Rebel]

Yes, it's a very biased report IMO. Not sure how they thought 'Adders Youngsters Dominate' . They could not deal with our 10-men for much of the match and only had counter attacks in the second-half.

 

 

Wasn't at the game, but the Atherstone report was laughable. Was it written by a 12 year old?

 

 

It doesn't look like the person responsible for the report was at the game as the first penalty was actually a high foot from that very nice no 9(who was very lucky to not be sent off) and only a referee who has to be the worst of all time saw a penalty. It a good to see a very balanced report of the game he clearly wasn't at.

[Rouser Rebel]

I had a feeling Sean would miss the penalty; he had to wait ages to take it after their bloke was down injured. Also he grabbed the ball really quick looking really confident and then with each passing moment he looked more and more nervous. At least he followed it in. I have to agree with Ian, Sean is a fan's favourite because of his work rate and application. There was a 15 minute period at the end of the 1st half when he and Harper looked like the only 2 players for us who still believed they could get back into the game. Harper put in 3 thunderous tackles in a row and Sonner did not give up on any ball, lost cause or not. Sonner was by far MOTM but honourable mentions to Harps until he went off injured, as well as Duncan and Bateman in centre midfield who were phenominal during the second half fightback. All season we've had to put up with, for want of a better word, the 'lightweight' nature of Kean, Edgeworth and Clark, but in the second half these 2 guys showed how to play midfield, holding their positions, getting forward when they could, but snapping into tackle after tackle and not giving Atherstone an inch. While it was totally frustrating to be 3-0 down (which could have been worse btw) and to have had Yads sent off for a moment of utter stupidity, the second half has really renewed my faith that this team can still reach the play-offs. Plus, while it's not great having to come from 3-0, at least it inspired the crowd to be as loud as it has all season, including Tuesday night!!! As mentioned before the officials were dreadful but they actually got all of the major decisions right I think, it was more a case of not stamping down on their blatant time-wasting earlier and giving some dodgy corner and throw in calls that annoyed me. They certainly weren't to blame for our capitulation in the 1st half.

 

To finish off, the Number 9!!! What a nice guy. Ian, I didn't call him a genius, not sure if he may have called me one in amongst all the f'ing and blinding though. All I can say about that is ... Chris Sliski started it, I was merely an innocent bystander caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would like to think he would face some sort of action for the way he treated Pepe and Ted but I wouldn't expect so.

 

Spot on Radders Sonner run his socks off a MOM by a country mile for effort and Harps superb header to drag us back in it and although he lacks pace you can hear him getting at his team mates and geeing them up and as you said Radders he doesn't mind a tackle either hopefully his injury wasn't to bad as we need to 2 for effort alone, but Barton is another game and you never know with the "Tinkerman"

[Martin]

I don't think we should get carried away by the comeback. Yes we battled hard and kept going to get a point but we have to remember that Atherstone were frankly rubbish. Notwithstanding that they could have comfortably had five goals against us!

 

The defending was embarassing first half. I nearly wrote comical but there was nothing funny about it. I don't consider this a point gained but rather two thrown away against a poor side. But still you do have to look at the positives and to come back in that way with ten men was a positive. Sonner's workrate and commitment up front was excellent and I thought Sipps and Martin both looked threatening. Sam Bateman did exceptionally well again considering how little he has featured this season.

 

It is also worrying that the squad is now getting stretched as we reach the most congested period of the season. I hope the half time team talk on Saturday was the metaphorical (or perhaps literal) slap in the face that we needed. This is a huge week with three away games and we have to register some big points. Come on Rebels I know you can do it.

[Reading Rebel]

I don't think we should get carried away by the comeback. Yes we battled hard and kept going to get a point but we have to remember that Atherstone were frankly rubbish. Notwithstanding that they could have comfortably had five goals against us!

 

The defending was embarassing first half. I nearly wrote comical but there was nothing funny about it. I don't consider this a point gained but rather two thrown away against a poor side. But still you do have to look at the positives and to come back in that way with ten men was a positive. Sonner's workrate and commitment up front was excellent and I thought Sipps and Martin both looked threatening. Sam Bateman did exceptionally well again considering how little he has featured this season.

 

It is also worrying that the squad is now getting stretched as we reach the most congested period of the season. I hope the half time team talk on Saturday was the metaphorical (or perhaps literal) slap in the face that we needed. This is a huge week with three away games and we have to register some big points. Come on Rebels I know you can do it.

 

 

I think we need Buchanan and Sweeney back big time. I also think it's no coincidence that performances have dropped due to players carrying niggling injuries i.e. Edgeworth and Sincs. They are soldiering on but their influence on games has dropped.

 

On Saturday Simon Sweeney said he should be back for the Barton game. This would put Seeby in the mix for a place in midfield.

 

IMO these next 3 away games are massive and will determine whether we make a play-off spot or not.