St.Albans City away

[Rebellier]

Predictions anyone?

 

I will go 2-2.

[GlenSTFC]

Tough match tonight, although for reasons unknown St. Albans don’t like starting their top scorer (and highest earner who may well command performance bonuses!). I feel we need a minimum of 3 points from these next 2 if we don’t want to start getting left behind. Defensively we’ve massively improved but unfortunately our attack has gone the opposite way! Just hope we can put in another Ebbsfleet replay 1st half performance!

St. Albans City 0 Slough Town 1

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by GlenSTFC

[DonnyNo6]

Anyone going tonight, remember its a totally cashless venue.

Also if parking in the train station car park its all via App, no cash or card on the machine if I remember rightly from last season. 

I think its the APCOA App not Ringo or Horizon.

[Reading Rebel]

I'll go for 1-1

[Irishadrian]

Yes cries out that it will be a  low score or no score draw but the reason there's been some recent criticism of our strikers isn't because there not good enough far from it very skilled and highly talented players just aren't clicking   St Albans are a low scoring side  just one goal more than us. They haven't had a home league draw  and their home record isn't great  they've lost as many as they've won  If we can get an early goal and with our greatly improved defence we could get the win imo.

[Irishadrian]

Leyton Orient confirming that promising midfielder Emmanuel Harvest has joined St Albans initially on a month's loan

[Reading Rebel]

Unfortunately it looks like no Matt Lench in the squad tonight.

[Reading Rebel]

Back down to earth with a bump tonight.

Big losses with Matt Lench and presumably Scott Davies both being injured.

We've gone from being a tight ship and difficult to score against to shipping goals for fun.

Good comeback from 2-0 down only to get caught on the break.

No goals for our strikers again with both goals coming from defenders.

Now 3 points adrift of the teams above us albeit with a game in hand.

Great to still be in the FA Cup but the league is our top priority and we need to start picking up points. 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Nathan]

A bitterly disappointing result (our first defeat since 2nd September), particularly given the comeback from 2-0 down.

The first half was practically a training session for St. Albans, 2-0 down with them penetrating our static defence almost at will at times and us carrying very little threat.

The second half was for about 20 minutes a complete reversal, with us dictating the pace and carrying the only attacking threat. 2 fine goals from Bayliss and Jackman respectively bought the game back to 2-2, but one more moment of slack defending and St. Albans were back in the lead. Unfortunately this knocked the wind out of our sails. Our heads dropped, and we resorted to hit and hope and sloppy long balls for the final 15 minutes, which of course didn't work.

Rohan Luthra's shot-stopping is fast improving. But he still flaps too much for my liking, and his kicking is a liability which will one day cost us if not rectified (and it nearly cost us a goal tonight).

It's been a month (7 games) since any of our strikers scored a goal. Minhas was very quiet again, but for whatever reason it simply isn't working for George Alexander at the moment.

The quality is there, but needs to show itself far more consistently if we're to dig ourselves out of this hole. We lost tonight primarily because of a very poor first half.

[Reading Rebel]

53 minutes ago, Nathan said:

A bitterly disappointing result (our first defeat since 2nd September), particularly given the comeback from 2-0 down.

The first half was practically a training session for St. Albans, 2-0 down with them penetrating our static defence almost at will at times and us carrying very little threat.

The second half was for about 20 minutes a complete reversal, with us dictating the pace and carrying the only attacking threat. 2 fine goals from Bayliss and Jackman respectively bought the game back to 2-2, but one more moment of slack defending and St. Albans were back in the lead. Unfortunately this knocked the wind out of our sails. Our heads dropped, and we resorted to hit and hope and sloppy long balls for the final 15 minutes, which of course didn't work.

Rohan Luthra's shot-stopping is fast improving. But he still flaps too much for my liking, and his kicking is a liability which will one day cost us if not rectified (and it nearly cost us a goal tonight).

It's been a month (7 games) since any of our strikers scored a goal. Minhas was very quiet again, but for whatever reason it simply isn't working for George Alexander at the moment.

The quality is there, but needs to show itself far more consistently if we're to dig ourselves out of this hole. We lost tonight primarily because of a very poor first half.

By now I think we all know that Rohan's best attribute is his shot stopping which is top draw.

I think we also know that his kicking and handling under pressure from set pieces is not so good.

As for Nathan Minhas imo he's still to prove that he has what it takes to be a goalscorer at this level.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Irishadrian]

Most disappointing tonight  St Albans achieved their highest home league score since the season began.

[Guest Wycombe Rebel]

I don’t quite share the pessimism of others, I have seen enough of this team now to know it won’t be long before we start climbing the table. Compared to how we started the season we are now competitive at the very least!

Last night, the first 20 minutes we have to give St Albans credit, they were excellent and deserved the 2 goal lead but after that we grew into the game and were quite frankly excellent ourselves.

2nd half we played some really good football away from home against a team in the top 5.

Its not all doom and gloom!

Edited October 25, 2023 by Wycombe Rebel

[Holyport Rebel]

What could have, might have, should have been.

That seems to be a recurring theme  I feel walking out of grounds after the 90 minutes play.

I was encouraged to read on St Albans twitter before I left for the coach yesterday, that the regular St Albans goalkeeper was out of that evenings game because of a fractured finger, and I hoped their 19 year old reserve would be in goal for them.

This fact was confirmed when the tannoy announcer eventually read the team line ups out.

Disappointingly for us, I thought this 19 year old stand in played ok.

We started the game alright, getting into the St Albans third of the pitch enough to be hopeful of a good performance, and then ,before you know it. we're 2 nil down.

From memory both were St Albans break aways after we were attacking them.

The first goal.

Was it offside ?

Our static defenders certainly thought so, although  I couldn't tell from my position.

The first goal is always important, and conceding it seemed to knock us back a bit.

St Albans stretched our defence all night by playing with their 2 wide men very wide, playing right on the touchlines on either side of their large pitch.

Again we were attacking trying for an equaliser, when St Albans quickly broke away on their left.

Tyrese at left back had to run all the way over to his opposite wing, ( a long way on that pitch ), as there were no other Slough defenders anywhere near the St Albans man.

That was then 2 nil, and St Albans had most of the play up to half time.

The second half was a completely different story, and we dominated the first 30 minutes and deservedly equalised.

A great spirit to get back into the match like that, and most people in the ground would have thought that if either team was going to score a third, it was going to be us.

Then St Albans have their first attack of the second half and score.

So disappointing. 

Again some brave substitutions by Scotty to try to get an equaliser, but in truth we never were able to get enough pressure on the St Albans goal to get one.

This wasn't help by the constant "injuries" suffered by the St Albans players, breaking up play requiring their physio to come on to attend to them.

Funny how they only got injured when we were attacking and building up a bit of attacking momentum.

At least when I got home I read that Grimsby had lost their crucial near bottom of the table home clash with Colchester, even despite being given the lead by a comical own goal.

Their fans are fuming and mutinous on their fans forum.

I hope Grimsby's manager doesn't get sacked before our cup-tie with them ! 

And I see Maidenhead are rock bottom of the National League.

That cheered me up a bit.

We could have, might have, should have some tasty local derby matches come next years Christmas and New Year.

Oh no, not could have, might have, should have again !

Edited October 25, 2023 by Holyport Rebel

[Sir Rebel1965]

12 minutes ago, Holyport Rebel said:

We could have, might have, should have some tasty local derby matches come next years Christmas and New Year.

Either Bracknell Or Beaconsfield.

[Holyport Rebel]

3 minutes ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

Either Bracknell Or Beaconsfield.

Think positive Sir Rebel !

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Holyport Rebel said:

What could have, might have, should have been.

That seems to be a recurring theme  I feel walking out of grounds after the 90 minutes play.

I was encouraged to read on St Albans twitter before I left for the coach yesterday, that the regular St Albans goalkeeper was out of that evenings game because of a fractured finger, and I hoped their 19 year old reserve would be in goal for them.

This fact was confirmed when the tannoy announcer eventually read the team line ups out.

Disappointingly for us, I thought this 19 year old stand in played ok.

We started the game alright, getting into the St Albans third of the pitch enough to be hopeful of a good performance, and then ,before you know it. we're 2 nil down.

From memory both were St Albans break aways after we were attacking them.

The first goal.

Was it offside ?

Our static defenders certainly thought so, although  I couldn't tell from my position.

The first goal is always important, and conceding it seemed to knock us back a bit.

St Albans stretched our defence all night by playing with their 2 wide men very wide, playing right on the touchlines on either side of their large pitch.

Again we were attacking trying for an equaliser, when St Albans quickly broke away on their left.

Tyrese at left back had to run all the way over to his opposite wing, ( a long way on that pitch ), as there were no other Slough defenders anywhere near the St Albans man.

That was then 2 nil, and St Albans had most of the play up to half time.

The second half was a completely different story, and we dominated the first 30 minutes and deservedly equalised.

A great spirit to get back into the match like that, and most people in the ground would have thought that if either team was going to score a third, it was going to be us.

Then St Albans have their first attack of the second half and score.

So disappointing. 

Again some brave substitutions by Scotty to try to get an equaliser, but in truth we never were able to get enough pressure on the St Albans goal to get one.

This wasn't help by the constant "injuries" suffered by the St Albans players, breaking up play requiring their physio to come on to attend to them.

Funny how they only got injured when we were attacking and building up a bit of attacking momentum.

At least when I got home I read that Grimsby had lost their crucial near bottom of the table home clash with Colchester, even despite being given the lead by a comical own goal.

Their fans are fuming and mutinous on their fans forum.

I hope Grimsby's manager doesn't get sacked before our cup-tie with them ! 

And I see Maidenhead are rock bottom of the National League.

That cheered me up a bit.

We could have, might have, should have some tasty local derby matches come next years Christmas and New Year.

Oh no, not could have, might have, should have again !

So we played well for a good portion of the match but defensively not at the races.

Stale buns only did what other smart teams would do to take the sting out of the game.

Cheating in it's simplest terms but in football it's called game management.

As we all should know by now when it comes to our FA Cup game with Grimsby, league form will mean absolutely nothing.

If it did the game should be very even with both teams struggling towards the bottom of their respective divisions. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Wycombe Rebel said:

I don’t quite share the pessimism of others, I have seen enough of this team now to know it won’t be long before we start climbing the table. Compared to how we started the season we are now competitive at the very least!

Last night, the first 20 minutes we have to give St Albans credit, they were excellent and deserved the 2 goal lead but after that we grew into the game and were quite frankly excellent ourselves.

2nd half we played some really good football away from home against a team in the top 5.

Its not all doom and gloom!

Pessimism or realism?

Lets hope being competitive will be enough to keep us up.

[Guest Wycombe Rebel]

We’ve never been anything more than competitive in this division RR, with our budget that’s a great positive.

33 games to go, yes maybe a tweak or 2 is needed but Scotty will know that.

 

[Reading Rebel]

Frustrating and at the same time concerning that it needed a half time break to get the players fired up and back into the game.

If we're to get ourselves out of a potential relegation dog fight we need to show fight and character from the off not when we are 2-0 down with a rocket up our backsides.

Easier said than done but we need to forget about the Grimsby game because all that matters right now is getting a result on Saturday at Eastbourne.

[Guest Wycombe Rebel]

RR, last night’s opening 20 minutes happens to all teams, take heart in how the team responded. This is one game in how many recently?

To me, last night’s opening 20 minutes is not the norm from this team.

Calm is needed, far too early to worry!