Slough 1 Beaconsfield 2 AET

[Irishadrian]

Saints Alive All you say is true but where teams once were is meaningless Once we had an 11 point lead Its where you finish that matters Once we had beaten you for a second time and led on points we just had to do better than you to be champions I dont think your run in was easier than ours but your team really wanted it!

[3spirit]

So what's changed this seasonif he got the best out of them last year? In my opinion we were very defensive this year expecting Sean and Danny to score almost all our goals!

 

We leaked too many goals in Bateman's first 2 seasons Marcus and scored a hatful! This season our defence was the polar opposite to the previous 2 seasons and even the midfield were better defensively but our attacking game suffered as a result, we just didn't strike the right balance!

 

I remember when Dave Russell came in and we played 3-5-2, we scored goals but we conceded a lot too, mainly because Catlin and Sayer played in the middle with Graham Roberts and then Tony Dell, we were too attacking for that formation! McDermott played it too, defensively we were awesome but didn't create a lot and won a lot of games 1-0 or 2-0 or 2-1 but when Stowell or McGinnis didn't play, Hercules and Angus were so out sync it was ridiculous in a 4-4-2!

 

3-5-2 is a pretty alien formation in this day and age, the only team I've ever seen win anything by playing it were Brazil at the 2002 World Cup, for the first time in their footballing history, they had 3 very good centre backs but the wing backs were Cafu and Roberto Carlos, and we all know what they were, attacking full backs who could also defend, their engines were unreal!

 

It's about striking the right balance in any formation, this season we didn't get the attack right but lessons can be learned from that, onwards and upwards!

 

Think it was David Lay and Neil Catlin not Andy Sayer.

 

If you cast your mind back 3spirit, Lay didn't sign until half way through the season, up until that point Sayer played behind West and Bushay, and it was a role Leo absolutely thrived in. When Lay joined, it was he, Sayer and Catlin as the midfield 3! Lay was another play with the Slough Town curse, prolific for Marlow, did nothing for us!

 

I hold my hands up,you've got a far better memory than me,Cookham Rebel.I put that down to me enjoying far too many beers over the years,even though I don't drink at games,so a lot of my memories are either hazy or gone completely.

 

I had a great New Years Eve with my brother and cousin and our three wives many moons ago, in the gone but not forgotten pub The One Pin in Hedgerley,where who should come in,only Dave Russell and Laurie Craker! We had a brilliant night talking football and a few beers to say the least .Not sure our wives had such a good time! Only time I've got to know a manager of Slough.

Does anyone know what happened to Dave Russell.Seemed a nice bloke. I liked his attacking style of football but the team were very open at times defensively.

Just looking at an old programme from 9th Feb,1995 when Slough played the old enemy Wycombe Wanderers.Our side in the programme reads 1.Trevor Bunting,2.Andy Clement,3.Brian Lee,4.Steve Bateman,5.Trevor Baron,6.Tony Dell,7.Neil Catlin,8.Andy Sayer,9.Mark West,10.Brett Smith 11.Ansil Bushay.14.Garfield Blackman 15.Brian Connor. So obviously you're right ,CR.

Also you're right about the curse on David Lay .Like Colin Fielder never lived up to the hype! lol!

[Saints alive]

Saints Alive All you say is true but where teams once were is meaningless Once we had an 11 point lead Its where you finish that matters Once we had beaten you for a second time and led on points we just had to do better than you to be champions I dont think your run in was easier than ours but your team really wanted it!

 

Your right we had to win our 3 games in hand to get 2 points behind, we blew the chance to I would say win the title by loosing to you and you then lost to ngu while we beat a very in form rugby.

Think after that we were never going to let it go.

Also what was very important was that we added a little bit more quality to our squad at christmas in Ben Mackey he scored 20 goals in 21 games. We did the same the season before and it made players fight for their starting place in the team.

We also sacked one very good player and he then asked to come back, for the rest of the season he was outstanding.

Maybe that is something to learn from.

[readingrebel]

Saints Alive All you say is true but where teams once were is meaningless Once we had an 11 point lead Its where you finish that matters Once we had beaten you for a second time and led on points we just had to do better than you to be champions I dont think your run in was easier than ours but your team really wanted it!

Saints Alive All you say is true but where teams once were is meaningless Once we had an 11 point lead Its where you finish that matters Once we had beaten you for a second time and led on points we just had to do better than you to be champions I dont think your run in was easier than ours but your team really wanted it!

 

 

I think we should really get away from this notion that our players were not motivated or were not up for it or never really wanted it.

 

I'ts simply garbage and not true.

[Rebel Kay]

We can also continue to dissect the season until the cows come home, but it is what it is and nothing can now change it.

 

Onwards and upwards for 2012/13

[Bernie Gogan]

Totally agree with that Reading, it's downright unfair on the players who have put in a tremendous shift over the season.

 

Some of us seem to forget our situation, no ground and therefore limited income potential, it's not a good base to progress up the leagues much as we all want to. Falling into the step 4 trap is something to be avoided at all costs, because it's very hard to get promoted. We don't even have the luxury of ply off home and away legs like the Conference and football league.

 

There's a lesson for next season, build for the run in like St. Neots did. Is Ben Mackey available?!!LOL

 

I'm sure the manager will look at what needs to be done.

 

Onwards and upwards, COYR

[coupwotcoup]

I know you guys are still p!ssed with the result but did anybody take note of

the Sycob subs - ie who replaced whom at all?

Times and unused not required.

Thanks in advance.

[staines_rebel_Jr]

Yeboah came on in extra time (I think) not sure about the others.

[Sir Rebel1965]

We are lucky to have a manager of Steve Bateman's quality, he will take us up next season.