v Leamington

[Hammer_rebel]

Strange place to put your ill Mum, in the garden shed? ! Bit cold on a Friday night ! ha ha !

She's lucky she got that

[Reading Rebel]

Don't know what's not to get, RR.

Sean Fraser for me at right back [haven't seen Jhai play yet at right back either, so easy decision].  

 

I would give Jake Parsons 45 minutes first half, and Warren Harris 45minutes in the second half.

 

Had Rummy been available, because of his experience I opted for him but have no qualms with Ryan Hope starting.

 

 

Your choice of Sean Fraser at right back is an understandable decision. For whatever reason, Sean was away for the Cirencester game and if Jhai took his opportunity and did well at right back I'd play him there again, for me it's what having a squad is all about.

 

Putting Jake Parsons in the starting 11 for 45 minutes and then swopping him for Warren Harris at half time is, for me, a strange choice.  

 

If the situation allows it, bringing Jake on for 15 minutes at the end of the game is a bit more logical given that Jake has only played a couple of games for Ascot since his operation.

[Irishadrian]

I note that Leamington get a man red carded every 4/5 games clearly they have some flaky volatile players We need to get in their faces and be fair and forceful ( Something Jon and Neil will both recall from their playing days)

[3spirit]

For some unfathomable reason thought we would lose today and unfortunately we did !

 

Is hard to be critical of the team today, as it was through no lack of effort that we lost. If anything

thought Leamington coped with the conditions better than us and looked a very capable side.

So no shame in losing to them.

We did, however,gift them all their goals and our game management of the conditions were faulty in playing back passes through the mud in the middle of the pitch.

Oh well,one of those days.

 

Thought Wazza, Ryan Hope and Guy Hollis were probably our best players on the day.

 

Believe we can bounce back against Hungerford.

Edited February 20, 2016 by 3spirit

[Sir Rebel1965]

A little disappointed as I thought we had slightly more of the game, but the conditions intervened and Leamington had the luck.

[Graham Cox]

Draw would have been fair but I agree they coped with conditions better than us but they also gave the ball away less often. One or two of the players once again were not eager enough as their effort was less than 100%....no names on here but a consensus of fans would agree on who they were. Good to see Jake back on the pitch...........probably too late to have any effect and maybe replacing the wrong player when he did come on.................unless Hicks was injured of course.

 

MOTM..........Sean Fraser who was working hard throughout and hardly put a pass wrong. Guy also had a strong game for us.

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Stone house had a mare today. Shame as he's quality. Those two mistakes cost us 3 points hey ho...

[Reading Rebel]

On actual play, over the ninety minutes, I don't think we deserved to lose by two clear goals and for me a draw would have been a fair result.

 

Unfortunately Leamington made one mistake to our three which proved decisive in deciding the outcome of the match. 

 

I certainly don't think the effort the players put in could be questioned just some poor decision making in difficult conditions being the only negative on the day.

 

My choice of MOTM would come from any one of Hicks, Hollis, Hope, Warren Harris and Putts.

[staines_rebel_Jr]

Some naivety was our downfall today. We should have come away with a draw but instead shot ourselves in the foot. Several times today we tried passing back to Scott in goal and under hit the pass and put pressure on him and have chances to Leamington and they made one count and changed the game.

 

Leamington had the better of the first half overall and we were better in the second until we gave them the goal then there was only one winner.

 

We played fairly well in the conditions but what was strange is we persisted down the right hand side in the first half forcing us to play through the mud pit rather than going down the left where the pitch was in much better condition.

 

No idea how reading rebel has said Putman could be man it the match as he barely touched the ball during most of the game.

 

For me Ryan Hope was man of the match.

 

Good to see jake parsons back, hopefully he can stay fit and get a run of games.

 

Also good to see the gaffers try a more attacking formation at the end even if it wasn't too effective. We have 14 games left and should use them to try new things as most teams have worked out our tactics.

[Brighton on holiday]

Mud, mud, glorious mud. Deserved a draw, great Leamington support.

[HorshamRebel]

Match Photos

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horshamrebel/albums/72157664839101326

[Reading Rebel]

Some naivety was our downfall today. We should have come away with a draw but instead shot ourselves in the foot. Several times today we tried passing back to Scott in goal and under hit the pass and put pressure on him and have chances to Leamington and they made one count and changed the game.

 

Leamington had the better of the first half overall and we were better in the second until we gave them the goal then there was only one winner.

 

We played fairly well in the conditions but what was strange is we persisted down the right hand side in the first half forcing us to play through the mud pit rather than going down the left where the pitch was in much better condition.

 

No idea how reading rebel has said Putman could be man it the match as he barely touched the ball during most of the game.

 

For me Ryan Hope was man of the match.

 

Good to see jake parsons back, hopefully he can stay fit and get a run of games.

 

Also good to see the gaffers try a more attacking formation at the end even if it wasn't too effective. We have 14 games left and should use them to try new things as most teams have worked out our tactics.

 

 

Have to disagree with you SRJ.

 

For the first 10 minutes Putts was given the ball and looked our most dangerous player with his direct running and crossing.

 

We then, for some reason, starved him of the ball, deciding to play down the right hand side without any success.

 

In the second half we started to give Putts more of the ball and again he was giving their defence all sorts of problems.

 

So for me he was still one of our most effective players when he was given the ball.

[Reading Rebel]

Mud, mud, glorious mud. Deserved a draw, great Leamington support.

 

 

Certainly along with us one of the better supported teams home and away.

 

Good luck to them in there fight for a play-off place but IMO just a step too far.

[Reading Rebel]

Have to say credit to the ref and officials, mud heap of a pitch but well playable and hardly, if any, players booked. Probably best Ref I've seen this season.

[Mark44]

One of those things where an individual mistake swings the pendulum when we were well and truly on top. Unfortunately it happens and I can away feeling positive with our overall play in those conditions.

 

I stood in the middle by the stand trying to not get so wet with the pushchair and I must say it was an eye opener on how good Nathan Webb actually played yesterday, the number of interceptions and spreading of play that he does is something I haven't noticed behind the goal and for me he was motm

 

I though our front two looked very good also and a mention for Sean Fraser and wazza for staying on their feet on that side of the pitch, it's was terrible

[Stuntman Mark]

Yep 3-1 was a little harsh on us I felt. Their first two goals were gifts perhaps caused by the conditions. Their third was a superb counter attack when we were throwing everything forward for the equaliser. I think we may have been guilty of trying to play a bit too much at times but not a poor performance by any stretch. Ed is starting to look sharp and Webb/Hope are starting to look like a decent midfield pairing for us.

 

Leamington fans were excellent, bringing numbers on a horrible day and singing throughout. Seemed a good bunch too - wish them well for the rest of the season. 

[Graham Cox]

Strange how we are divided on Putts...........one of the Leamington supporters said to me at the end of the game how noticeable it was that Putts was the only player with no mud on him as his contribution was so minimal

[3spirit]

Some naivety was our downfall today. We should have come away with a draw but instead shot ourselves in the foot. Several times today we tried passing back to Scott in goal and under hit the pass and put pressure on him and have chances to Leamington and they made one count and changed the game.

 

Leamington had the better of the first half overall and we were better in the second until we gave them the goal then there was only one winner.

 

We played fairly well in the conditions but what was strange is we persisted down the right hand side in the first half forcing us to play through the mud pit rather than going down the left where the pitch was in much better condition.

 

No idea how reading rebel has said Putman could be man it the match as he barely touched the ball during most of the game.

 

For me Ryan Hope was man of the match.

 

Good to see jake parsons back, hopefully he can stay fit and get a run of games.

 

Also good to see the gaffers try a more attacking formation at the end even if it wasn't too effective. We have 14 games left and should use them to try new things as most teams have worked out our tactics.

I think what you say here is a pretty fair assessment.

I thought Leamington had done their homework on Slough's strengths and nullified the threat of Lewis Putman, with their number 2 Richard Taundry, particularly having a good game. That said, in the first half 'Puts' did seem in acres of space at times but we failed to give him the ball, when alone. 

 

To be fair to Leamington they had some very good players in their team but we gave them a good game without getting the result. For us I thought Wazza was the best winger on the day but he also had his work cut out with the conditions and the marking.

In all honesty it wasn't a day for running with the ball although the flanks did appear to be the better parts of the pitch to move the ball on !

Sounds like a contradiction but not meaning to be one.

 

Brave decision to go three at the back in an effort to push up,when 1-2 down, but the managers had to try something to get back in the game.

Didn't think Dan Hicks was at his best yesterday but I would have taken Paul Stonehouse off instead but we might have been beaten by even more, doing that !

Sometimes you just have to take a chance. Sometimes it pays dividends and sometimes it doesn't.

Wasn't our day yesterday. 

 

While I'm all for trying new things/tactics when we get the chance, I don't believe it is necessary at this present time, as it would be better for the players to know the system they're playing in and at the moment 4-4-2 is our best way especially as we're aiming to get higher up the table.

 

For me it's about playing the players on form and knowing when to bring in fresh legs. As Hungerford is Monday night I would bring in Jhai Dhillon for Paul Stonehouse, with Stoney on the bench, and make one or two other

alterations to the team, as some players will be heavy legged after playing on that mud.

I'm not blaming Stoney for the defeat yesterday but it didn't go well for him and with him just getting over an injury, taking a place on subs bench should keep him fresh for possibly the a small cameo appearance as a sub at Hungerford, or full games at the Paulton or Kettering matches.

[RebelDelaney]

Unders look back of the game he did say that Puts was suffering with a hamstring injury so you can understand that he was not fully on his game.

Eddie was unlucky with his two chances in the first half with both squirming either side of the goal.

[RebelJoe1971]

Very disappointed with the result but not the performance. It's a simple fact that 2 massive errors cost us yesterday. I thought we were the better team and more than matched them throughout. Ryan Hope really impressed me and from the match report against cirencester, it sounds like he had a good game there too. I would like to take back any negative comments I have made about him in the past. If he could just add that bit of aggression that I think centre midfielders in this league should have, then we could have a decent player on our hands there.

I agree with Graham on how we are divided on Puts (i actually thought he had an ok game). He seemed to pull up quite early in the match with a hamstring/back problem and it looked like it effected him throughout. A couple of Leamington fans (who were probably the biggest positive on the day) said to me that they thought he has been the best winger they have come up against this season over the 2 games and that they would love to see him in a Leamington shirt. ' a real gem of a player' was a quote. The reality is that if he performed like we know he can every week, then he would be playing in the football league, where I personally think he is good enough to play there anway. They couldn't believe when I told them his natural position is centre forward.

I thought Lee Barney looked very lively yesterday and probably deserved a goal for his efforts. He was just let down with that final and decisive touch a couple of times. A very good signing we have made there and I am looking forward to him scoring a lot of goals in a slough shirt.

I thought Warren Harris didn't have the best of games yesterday. He lost the ball in silly places trying to get round people and I think he only put 1 cross in all game.

Dan hicks also gave the ball away too much, dribbling out on a terrible surface is not what you should be doing and I thought it was the right call in swapping him for a centre forward. I'm being a bit over critical but I think overall, he has been superb this season.

I think we are probably 3 or 4 signings away from putting in a real good challenge for the play-offs next season. Not too much should be changed as I think we have some really talented players.