Tonbridge Angels A 7th Jan Match Thread

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

Pulled back to 3-3. Full on squeaky bum time.

[3spirit]

It's now 3-3 ! With 5 or so minutes to go. Can we keep them out or grab the winner?

[3spirit]

What a comeback ! Great result for our team, and to score three goals adds 'the icing to the cake'.  Pity about Luca, let's hope the injury isn't too bad.

[Curtis]

This sounded like a strange match, I listened to the first half commentary…. we seemed to be dominating possession and a few minutes before half time we were 1-0 with the commentator saying on balance it was not reflective us being behind. Three minutes later we went in at half-time 3-0 down.

I wasn’t able to listen to the second half, but wouldn’t have been surprised about us getting a goal or two back…. but was shocked we got three & salvaged a point.

Well done to all the team & management, it looks like we have definitely found a fighting spirit.

[Irishadrian]

Brilliant comeback  shame just 1 point imo   What was it the new US Speaker said? Its not how you start Its how you finish! The never say die attitude in recent season is  truly back.

[Stan]

Should have been 2 - 0 up in first half not three nil down . 
great goals seconds half . If we can tighten that defence early on we are on the way to some fun ! 

[3spirit]

1 hour ago, Wycombe Rebel said:

Unless we sign 2 centre backs we are going to struggle to get out of the relegation battle… We need Joe Dandy and 2 other experienced CBs

I can't see why we need 2 centre backs. Besides we haven't the money for that. Just get one experienced left footed centre half to replace Luca Woodhouse and we should be able to cope with the players we have.

Matt Hall doesn't look a bad acquisition. How did he do today?

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

as i have banged on all season our problem is that we concede too many goals and we should be concentrating on finding a decent defence line up today proves it, we are now scoring we just need to stop letting in silly goals lets get the defence sorted.

[Ian g f]

Maybe it's about team spirit and not left footed centre halves !!!

[3spirit]

7 minutes ago, HEAVY TRUCKER said:

as i have banged on all season our problem is that we concede too many goals and we should be concentrating on finding a decent defence line up today proves it, we are now scoring we just need to stop letting in silly goals lets get the defence sorted.

Our defence/defenders have changed through the season, so to me you cannot wave a magic wand and expect it to function well when we keep changing formation and personnel at the back. Scott is doing well with what we have, I would say it will need to be a gradual process to get it as tight as Bakes and Unders had it[ before this season's money restrictions]. This current squad is evolving,we don't need huge changes and currently the club can't afford top players.

[3spirit]

3 minutes ago, Ian g f said:

Maybe it's about team spirit and not left footed centre halves !!!

Strange post. Are you seeking to irk me?

Considering we were 3-0 down in the first half. I would say we have room for improvement in defence. With Luca now injured and his loan expiring at the end of January, I would say a left footed experienced centre half is exactly what this squad needs to progress. No other position in the team looks anywhere near as important.

[Ian g f]

Yes

[Ian g f]

We haven't got a big budget player left to lower league club for more money we may get a left footed CB but how good is he going to be?  It's not fantasy football 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Ian g f
Missed a comment

[Reading Rebel]

5 hours ago, Wycombe Rebel said:

Completely disagree, if they weren’t good enough they wouldn’t be in the team 

I make you about right 3spirit.

Promising but nowhere near the finished articles.

[bonjour]

Just a fantastic comeback, never gave up.

 

Team were brilliant but Lenchy was a different class today just awesome. 

You'll be pleased to hear that Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

Ok, a brilliant comeback from being dead and buried and shows there is nothing wrong with the spirit in the squad. 

But that's two games running now where we've had to pull off a couple of minor miracles to get something from a game.

A first half where we had the chances to score a couple of goals but didn't and a first half where some of our defending was poor to say the least.

We are in this mess because we've not defended well for most of the season and currently we have the worst goals against in the division alongside Cheshunt.

We are two points off the drop zone with most sides having at least 2 games in hand with two more sides below us picking up 3 points today so our position is still very much in the perilous zone.

Nothing wrong with our team spirit and nothing wrong with the effort being put in by the players but we have got to tighten up at the back and stop giving teams easy goals and then try to get back into a game from a 2 or 3 goal deficit because it's just not going to keep happening.

Big game on Tuesday against a very in form Farnborough side who wiped the floor with Dulwich today.

Vast improvement required defensively if we're to get anything from the game.

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

4 hours ago, 3spirit said:

Our defence/defenders have changed through the season, so to me you cannot wave a magic wand and expect it to function well when we keep changing formation and personnel at the back. Scott is doing well with what we have, I would say it will need to be a gradual process to get it as tight as Bakes and Unders had it[ before this season's money restrictions]. This current squad is evolving,we don't need huge changes and currently the club can't afford top players.

No time for gradual progress or for the squad to evolve.

If we want to stay in this division we need instant results.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Stan]

It’s definitely work in progress. We have put out what looks like our best defence in the last two games and conceded 5 goals then changed it by taking off players not at any fault and kept clean sheets ! ( while scoring 5 ourselves) untangle that . 

Goals  2&3 we conceded today should have been cleared by a centre half just standing in the right place ! 

[Footyfan007]

46 minutes ago, Stan said:

It’s definitely work in progress. We have put out what looks like our best defence in the last two games and conceded 5 goals then changed it by taking off players not at any fault and kept clean sheets ! ( while scoring 5 ourselves) untangle that . 

Goals  2&3 we conceded today should have been cleared by a centre half just standing in the right place ! 

I would say today was more about the formation/defending, should have been 1 or 2 nil up, didn’t happen then Tunbridge sussed out how to play against our system to obtain advantages and bossed this half creating decent crosses to score from.  
 

As you said Stan changes where made and we then went with a back 4 and the channels then where locked out for them,  this is where their success was coming from in the first half. 

Second half was mapped out very well early goal and then we bossed the second half, I thought we then looked like winning this 4-3, massive credit to the lads in the second half. 

[3spirit]

6 hours ago, Ian g f said:

We haven't got a big budget player left to lower league club for more money we may get a left footed CB but how good is he going to be?  It's not fantasy football 

There are players out there that wouldn't cost the earth and it's taking a chance on someone, as we have done with a player like Matt Hall from Met Police. To me we haven't replaced Mark Nisbet since he left. Luca Woodhouse looks to have a bright future in the game but he is a loanee[with little time left at Slough]. Gabe George isn't the answer to this position.