v Banbury

[Reading Rebel]

Stating the obvious this is a really tough game and to get a positive result we will have to produce somewhere near our best form.

 

 

 

[GlenSTFC]

I’m sure I’ve read this exact text somewhere a dozen times before? ?

[Reading Rebel]

I’m sure I’ve read this exact text somewhere a dozen times before?

 

 

It's on repeat  

 

Just waiting for Irishadrian's away form analysis  

[Stan]

Stating the obvious this is a really tough game and to get a positive result we will have to produce somewhere near our best form.

Of course it's obvious. Most of our games from now on will be and we will have to be on it from the start. We will be!

[Irishadrian]

RR not necessary this time Unders has already done it in his preview. A win tomorrow though will be a good indication that we are getting back to our early season form

[Sir Rebel1965]

WMS

[Nathan]

A brief point about the football - we can kiss goodbye to the playoffs if we play like that (games in hand or otherwise).

 

Now onto my main point which is the conduct of some of our fans at the end of the match. Rude gestures, effing and blinding, all aimed at their goalkeeper and all for absolutely no reason (there isn't a referee in the country who would have given that goal). It got a bit heated briefly, and many of our younger fans got caught up in the swearing. I'm sorry to say this was more than one or two individuals.

 

Completely uncalled for.

[Russ_Rebel]

Really poor performance today, why did we spend the whole game trying to play long ball for Banbury to clear up every time ? When will we learn ? It hasn’t been paying off why not change things around when the game is not going to plan and play the ball on the floor where we play it best, At this rate all our games in hand are going to count for nothing, we did not look like a team competing for the play offs we had no fight and lacked ideas today and it cost us.

[PaxtonLee]

Agree with the above posts. Really poor, which happens, but it was the constant long balls against probably the biggest back four I've seen this season that was frustrating. I get why we pushed Inns forward, our tallest player to compete with them in the air, but it was all a bit desperate and not how we play. Limited options though, I guess, with the injuries to strikers.

[SloughFlyer]

Got wgat we deserved today. Banbury turned up to do a job on us by disrupting play, sending it long and trying to stop us play, which they did extremely well. We had no answer and yet again a long ball through our defence and a good finish does for us. With 3 tough away games to come i hope that some of these approaches that have been made come off otherwise a season that promised so much may deliver nothing but great cup memories at the end.

[Stan]

Felt OK at half time. They gave us no problems and we just needed to keep it on the floor 2nd half as they had those monsters at the back . Unfortunately we just put too many balls high and late which gave them no surprises.

Again it was a game where we fell away in the 2nd half and did not learn from what we saw in the 1st.

We go again on Tuesday and need a win now as much for morale as the points.

[Rebellier]

A brief point about the football - we can kiss goodbye to the playoffs if we play like that (games in hand or otherwise).

 

Now onto my main point which is the conduct of some of our fans at the end of the match. Rude gestures, effing and blinding, all aimed at their goalkeeper and all for absolutely no reason (there isn't a referee in the country who would have given that goal). It got a bit heated briefly, and many of our younger fans got caught up in the swearing. I'm sorry to say this was more than one or two individuals.

 

Completely uncalled for.

There have been a few games this season where it gets to the point I just walk away from behind the goal as the abuse, swearing and downright twattishness of a handful of "fans" prevents me from enjoying the game. Embarrassing, considering the ages of some of those involved.

[Irishadrian]

And what do our Stewards do As this is ongoing and increasing there are a number of sanctions available in the Ground rules.

[Matt]

Does anyone actually report this to the stewards though? We have a number of them as well as a Safety Officer.

[Rebellier]

And what do our Stewards do As this is ongoing and increasing there are a number of sanctions available in the Ground rules.

Maybe the stewards who police the platform at the top of the main stand could spend some time behind the goal and do something worthwhile...

[Irishadrian]

There was a full match report on the Banbury twitterfeed by 530pm impressive and gives the impression that it was very much an even game with us having more of the first half and them edging the second Their reporter sounded as though they were fortuitous to take all three points

[Irishadrian]

There was a full match report on the Banbury twitterfeed by 530pm impressive and gives the impression that it was very much an even game with us having more of the first half and them edging the second Their reporter sounded as though they were fortuitous to take all three points

[Sir Rebel1965]

Long ball game did not work against a tall and strong defence

 

Not enough shots on target

 

Three/two points lost

 

Beaten on the break to concede a goal.

 

Opposition came with a game plan.

 

Deserved a win/draw but got draw/nothing

 

We go again Tuesday/Saturday

 

Boys played well but did not get the result we deserved.

 

Opposition used game management to see out the game – we did not use game management to hold onto a lead.

 

 

This is turning into a recurring theme and the above are almost copy and paste responses to a large number of league games since the beginning of November, where we have won 5 and picked up either only one or no points in the other 8 games.  That level of performance would put us 11^th.

 

I disagree with Neil and John looking at three players – it should be more.

 

Carry on like this and the likes of Royston or Tiverton will be in the playoffs.

[Mark44]

I came away today so disappointed.

 

It was very frustrating that we kept playing the long ball but the way Banbury defended with quick closing down almost forced our hand to it at times. For me Banbury got their tactics near perfect.

 

Royston now sit 1 point ahead of us with the gap in games down to just 3. With the form they’re in I think we very much have a battle on our hands if we want to make the playoffs this season.

 

On another note I think Ricky Johnson is the first player I have seen get the better of inns in the air. What an asset Banbury have at their disposal there

[Reading Rebel]

In the end it was disappointing to come away with nothing to show for our efforts but TBH today we were just not good enough in vital areas of the pitch.

 

Up front we looked lightweight and toothless against a very big Banbury defence.

 

In central midfield we lacked the creativity and goal scoring ability to unlock and do any telling damage to the Banbury back line.

 

We looked quite solid in defence for a lot of the game but unfortunately all our good work was undone by one really poor defensive mistake which has cost us from coming away with even a point. 

 

There's a big call for some new blood which is understandable but for me just starting the game with Matt Lench and getting Dunny and Floody back to fitness would go a long way to help. 

Edited February 10, 2018 by Reading Rebel