v Hemel

[Reading Rebel]

As tough a game as they come against an in form top of the table side.

We'll need to be at our best to get a result.

[Irishadrian]

Yes If we get point(s) today that will be the first this season against a team in the top half of the table I think we need 10/12 games played to see how things are turning out Its been great to be at the top but we've won against teams 19th 21st 22nd and 24th  Let's hope our home win mentality prevails today

[sdelaney2308]

COYREBELS let's keep the run going👍🙏 ⚽️ 

[Irishadrian]

3 hours ago, sdelaney2308 said:

COYREBELS let's keep the run going👍🙏 ⚽️ 

Slough Town 0. Hemel Hempstead 1

Sadly not to be but nevertheless a great achievement  Will it ever be bettered!

[Reading Rebel]

It was always going to be a game of fine margins with the outcome being decided either by missed chances or by an error and so it proved to be.

Decent first half from us where both sides had chances the best of which falling to John Gilbert who fluffed his effort when put through one on one with their keeper.

Second half was again a tight affair with one poor bit of marking from a corner costing us the game.

Their number 4 Kyle Ajayi was always looking likely to be their danger man from set pieces and corners and so it turned out.

IMO Lexus or Bayliss should have picked up the 4 from the corner but I think it was left to John Gilbert who was beaten to the ball resulting in a free header.

Until we get our strikers back fit from injury I think we'll struggle to get results against any of the better sides in this division.

Overall a decent performance and at least a draw would have been a fairer result. 

Best player for us by a distance imo was Henry Ochieng. 

Edited September 7 by Reading Rebel

[Irishadrian]

Our next two league games are against Eastbourne B and Tonbridge A  2nd and 3rd !

[Reading Rebel]

13 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

Our next two league games are against Eastbourne B and Tonbridge A  2nd and 3rd !

It don't get any easier 😏

[Curtis]

I have a bit of a neck ache this morning from watching all those long balls yesterday.

You can’t argue with the fact our style of football has produced 15 points from the opening eight matches which is fantastic, but our play is a little surprising considering we arguably have a perfect playing surface.

Edited September 8 by Curtis

[G Brown]

It’s just been a bad week, that’s all… Still plenty of games and points to play for.

Yes we did go long yesterday it seemed but you have to take into account the main attribute of our forward line the last 3 games, pace.

If Slav was leading the line we can go short but when it’s Kweks we have to go long more given his pace, it’s a case of needs must. Kweks game isn’t hold up play, it’s turning the opposition defence.

With Sam back and Slav not far away, normal service will resume soon enough I’m sure of it.

COYR

Edited September 8 by G Brown

[Reading Rebel]

When a side has a lot of pace up front there's always the danger of aimlessly over playing the long ball from back to front in the hope that one of your speedsters gets on the end of it.

We definitely need a center forward who wants the ball played to feet and a possession based midfielder who will put his foot on the ball and dictate play. 

Hopefully Sam or Slavi when fit will be the answer up front and obviously Lenchy when he returns should provide the class and guile in the middle.

Hopefully we're still in or around the play-offs when these players return.

 

Edited September 8 by Reading Rebel

[Holyport Rebel]

So our unbeaten home record has gone.
Well, we all knew it would one day.
It has been an incredible run, but given the choice, I'm more content our unbeaten home record went in an evenly matched battle against an expensively assembled team at the very top of the table, than say if we'd played badly and lost to a team at the bottom.
I don't think for a moment  that we are going to win the league, so it's not as though we've lost three points against a title chasing challenger. 
Our run will now be entered into our record books, and be there for evermore for nerds like me to peruse every now and then. 
Scott I thought said in his interview that he felt  that  our unbeaten home record was having an adverse effect on the way we  performed during the game, so the fact that this "pressure" or target on our backs has now gone might not be a bad thing in the scheme of things.
Yes, this morning  feels a bit flat after what happened yesterday, but I probably feel more disappointed to have read in  the match programme that our goalie Charlie Horlock calls himself a Wyscum Wanderers fan than I do losing a tight game to a team at the top of the league who have a much, much greater budget than we do.
That's my take on things anyway, for what they're worth.    

 
   

Edited September 8 by Holyport Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

26 minutes ago, Holyport Rebel said:

So our unbeaten home record has gone.
Well, we all knew it would one day.
It has been an incredible run, but given the choice, I'm more content our unbeaten home record went in an evenly matched battle against an expensively assembled team at the very top of the table, than say if we'd played badly and lost to a team at the bottom.
I don't think for a moment  that we are going to win the league, so it's not as though we've lost three points against a title chasing challenger. 
Our run will now be entered into our record books, and be there for evermore for nerds like me to peruse every now and then. 
Scott I thought said in his interview that he felt  that  our unbeaten home record was having an adverse effect on the way we  performed during the game, so the fact that this "pressure" or target on our backs has now gone might not be a bad thing in the scheme of things.
Yes, this morning  feels a bit flat after what happened yesterday, but I probably feel more disappointed to have read in  the match programme that our goalie Charlie Horlock calls himself a Wyscum Wanderers fan than I do losing a tight game to a team at the top of the league who have a much, much greater budget than we do.
That's my take on things anyway, for what they're worth.    

 
   

The galling thing for me has nothing to do with losing our home record but the way in which we lost the game.

We were the better side in the first half and on the quality of chances created we should have been a goal or two up at half time.

Then to lose the game to a poorly defended set piece is particularly gutting. 

We might not have lost to a title chasing challenger but if we can get all of our squad fit and firing it could be 3 points dropped to a play-off challenger.