Town 1 Margate 1

[blue pilgrim]

Having taken an early lead through a Benson Kpaka tap in, we gave a useful Margate side too much respect and paid the price through an equaliser 10 minutes from time.

 

Both teams were guilty of too much aerial stuff and too much giving the ball away. To be fair Town probably created the better chances but the attacking substitutions were far too late in my opinion.

[jl]

Taking the positives, we still managed to get a point and maintain our lofty perch, but for me that was our worst 90 minutes this season.

 

We had two players out of position at full-back with two full-backs warming the bench and two right-footers on the left side with two left-footers warming the bench. Edwards and Halle both have individual qualities but they don't work as a pairing for me - We were second to pretty much every ball in the centre of the park yesterday and desperately missed the mobility that Semakula provided and Jay decided to have an absolute stinker.

 

On the positive side, our centre back pairing again looked strong - Margate's hotshot hardly had a look-in. Junior did well for our goal, but we never gave him the ball after that. Cous showed some nice touches on his return but clearly needs some game time.

 

Our goal was well worked and after that on the rare occasions we weren't playing hoofball or wasting time, we actually played some decent stuff - One great move in the second half springs to mind that ended with their keeper making a decent save.

 

Looking at the big picture though Craig and the team have done fantastically well and there have been far more good performances than duffers. I hope we play better on Tuesday and keep at it for 90 minutes whatever the score is. Margate look a better side than their current league position and we might look back on this as a decent point.

 

Better on Tuesday please lads - Come on you Blues!!

[Bill of Shenfield]

Agree with JL slightly disjointed team which affected our performance, I must assume that some of the bench is not fully fit. Craig has got us in a position which we have not been in for some time, so he is doing things right and may be we are being over critical.

[Rick the Dick]

The tall Centre Backs coming up for the long throw or corner hasn't born much fruit lately. Maybe the likes of Maidenhead, Lowestoft and Margate are too well organised to be caught like that; or maybe words spread that we can be a bit one dimensional at times and over-reliant on that tactic.

 

Definately could do with a bit more flair in the middle. Hopefully one or two of the forthcoming new signings will fill that gap.

 

Margate will be pleased with the point, and it's 4 from 9 for us in our last 3 league games. Still not a poor average but it would be good to get back to winning ways on Tuesday when Hodgey's Avely visit. Next Saturday's looking like a tough away day with Concord getting an unlikely away win at Lewes yesterday.

[The Town Crier]

Not the best day at the office, and we know we're better than that.

 

But...we are 11 points better than we were last season, and we lost the next four games.

 

And if those who scouted us yesterday think that was a typical performance, they are in for a shock!,

[Onthesidelines]

I hope you are right TC. because I was in shock by our performance yesterday.

[New Lodger]

I hope you are right TC. because I was in shock by our performance yesterday.

 

I wondered when you would start posting again.

 

A truly awful game but a hard won point and we are still top. It's a little harsh criticising the midfield when they got by and large missed out and Benson has been playing left midfield all season. I'm glad you have come round to my way of thinking jl and would have Harrison in the team, although you had the opposite view prior to the game.

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[blue pilgrim]

Mustn't forget that our opponents were on a fine run of form and in previous seasons it was the sort of game we would have lost..

 

The longer the second half went on, the more we conceded ground and they were clearly comfortable with Jay May being our target man. Felt it cried out for H to run at them and give our defence some breathing space but bringing him on 5 minutes from time was too late.

 

Hopefully, the Aveley management team ( sat near-by and taking notes) will see a different Billericay approach on Tuesday night.

[jl]

I never said I would have Harrison in the team...

[Brightside Bloke]

What i did notice about saturdays game a quite a few other games was our lads don't scream and shout like they have been run over by Mick Nixon on the lawn mower.

Other teams do it all the time and more often than not they get a reaction from the ref (if he's gullible enough which they normally are at this level) In saying that it must add to our "Fair Play" "Respect" campaign eh.

 

Personally i was pleased with the point and never really saw us having the skill to get a second. Not sure why the subs were made so late when it seemed obvious to some of us that we needed someone down the flanks, But we don't know what the manager has to deal with on the bench and to be fair he's not let us down yet.

 

I agree that the scouts that were in attendance will have got a completely wrong picture of our lads which will be to our advantage. Still that aside Tuesdays game will be a close SHAVE.

 

COYB

[Barry_T]

Does anybody know why the sidelines have been brought in by a yard each side?

[Delboybtfc]

probably because "On" has been wearing them out

[Ryan.c]

We never got going and were unable to dominate, our worst performance for a while. But having played poorly against decent opposition we've managed a point and that should be a positive. We miss Semakula and centre-mid is where IMO, we need to strengthen. Next 3 games are derbies against sides who like nothing better than putting one over on us. And I hear David Knight has signed for Aveley!

[Onthesidelines]

Well Barry T as I am onthesidelines I guess it is because our main attacking threat seems to be from throw ins to our big central defenders. Anyone watching Stoke on the box yesterday will have seen they have done the same.

[New Lodger]

Well Barry T as I am onthesidelines I guess it is because our main attacking threat seems to be from throw ins to our big central defenders. Anyone watching Stoke on the box yesterday will have seen they have done the same.

 

We have scored 44 league goals so I would guess we must have scored 60plus goals in all competitition and I having seen the majority I am struggling to remember a goal scored from a long throw. How then does that make it our main attacking threat onthesidelines?

 

 

 

 

[Onthesidelines]

Does anyone else have a better view on why we moved in the sidelines?

[Barry_T]

I thought it was probably the same as you did, but I do find that bizarre with our potential attacking threat from wide of Junior, H, Sam Berry and even Benson.

This could go some way to the thread being generally that we were as poor as we've been all season.

We do seem effective from the throws, but they're not quite on the same scale as Delap or Hepples.

[Rick the Dick]

It's a little harsh criticising the midfield when they got by and large missed out ...

 

A fair point, but leads to the question of why,more often than not, it was decided to play over the top of them?

 

I am struggling to remember a goal scored from a long throw.

 

I think that's the point exactly! And moving the white lines hasn't helped, and make things a little more congested.

[rich the pipe]

Does anyone else have a better view on why we moved in the sidelines?

Could be to make a larger technical area possibly

[Brightside Bloke]

A chap standing near me overheard an other bloke talking to his Mrs about a decision made by some bloke in the bar about the players not having a good run up for corners.

 

I don't think it's quite a yard more like a meter.