144

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Was this really the attendance? <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

 

As what about the game, how was it?

[AFF]

Hi Voice.

 

Yes. 144.

 

For the first 30 minutes, we played the best football seen during

Steve Castle's reign, keeping the ball on the ground etc. although we seemed short of that 'cutting edge/final ball' etc. 'Stoke weren't in it. On the half hour McAllister and Roach combined some back-heel trickery stuff just inside our half and the former broke clear to take a goal well.

 

We missed a golden chance when Clarke or Wraight volleyed high from close range. Just before the break, Basingstoke took their second chance of the half after a ball bounced in their favour out left and the cross came in and Sergio Torres scored. For the love of Jesus I hate losing.

 

Anyway, where was I? Second half, our heads seemed to drop until the last 20 minutes or so when we had 3 or 4 good chances which weren't converted [obviously - look at the score line]. Just before the end, McAllister sprung majestically between two statuesque Saints defenders to meet a cross from the right and, after a few minutes spent in mid-air weighing the options, planted a powerful header in the top right corner. 3-0. Thanks very much.

 

It is getting better. We played some very good football last night but got nothing for it.

 

Saturday at Northwood. It's a good job we have a couple of easy games next week. At home to Grays on Tuesday and the Urchins on Saturday.

[Rob_the_Saint]

Apart from Bognor. every other Premier team had their lowest attendance of the season last night.

 

Harrow - 104 !

Hendon (2nd) - 151.

 

[JKiF]

well for the 1st half hour i thought i was a wastching the reserves, albeit without a goalscorer/poacher, yeah it was clarke who missed the sitter 1st half

 

can only say that AFF's is spot on about his summary

 

oh and the crowd was 145....for what it's worth...

[Webbo MFI]

how many freeloaders were there??!!

[JKiF]

nah, the guy payed his way....

[Midweeksaint]

AFF

 

Like you I don't know much about football, having grown up watching the team where most of Basingstoke's players started their careers (work that one out, but for whoever writes the programme their coach's name is Richardson and not Robinson) for many years. But when I moved to St Albans in 1992 I adopted the City and try to get to Clarence Park as much as possible (which has not been very often this year). But I was there last night and I concur that for the first 30 minutes the football was good. But after the first 'Stoke goal heads dropped visibly. The second goal resulted directly from the defence and midfield (have we got one?) nodding off after the ref awarded a free kick on the half way line. By the time they woke up the ball was in the net. Second half was lots of huff and puff but no cutting edge - I don't think we would have scored if we played to midnight (although we did hit the woodwork near the end). Unless confidence improves dramatically it is difficult to see where the next point comes from! And I certainly can't see us collecting enough to make the Conference 2 next year! But then what do I know about football.

 

 

[JKiF]

so what ure sayin is we didnt have 3 clear cut goal scoring chances that even my old girl could have put away

 

 

basics ...foot over the ball, accuracy not power

 

 

err "treat the ball like a woman" (was that Cloughie?)

[AFF]

Reading then, MWS.

 

A good pal of mine, no names to protect the innocent, but he's Rob's assistant on the the web-site, was at the Billericay game at the beginning of the month [L. 0-2]. As I was arriving home that evening looking for the cat to kick, my mobile phone rang. [Expletives deleted] "That was the biggest load of poo I've ever had the misfortune to watch" said he to me, "We are complete and utter rubbish", he continued, "I've never seen a Saints side so bad" he spluttered before pausing for breath."

 

The only response that I could make was "If you think that was bad, you should have seen us at Hitchin or last week against Bedford".

 

Apart from the obvious 'it's all relative', the moral of that story is just that, after Hitchin and Bedford, both Braintree Town and Bognor Regis were breaths of fresh air, and we did, indeed play some very good football last night.

 

Keep the faith, MWS. A couple of easy games next week. Look at Grays next Tuesday. Where are they in the League? What sort of a run are they on? Simon Martin scored a peach of a free-kick against them at their place in October.

[Midweeksaint]

The point about three easy chances JKF is that we didn't put any of them away. With finishing of that quality I find it difficult to see where the next goal comes from, let alone the next point!

 

Indeed Reading AFF. I do hope things can get better but it is hard to see us collecting sufficient points to make one of the Conference 2 divisions when we lose games like this. I will keep the faith cos I love going to football matches and I plan to be at the Park next Tuesday all things being equal. Trust we won't ship 9 again.

[JKiF]

yeah midweek, that was kind of my point...

 

i ceased to be angry with the present team about 6 months...you could see it then

 

 

try the Ressies, football how it should be played! and sortof know where the olde onion bag is

[Woody]

Quote:

AFF said : For the first 30 minutes, we played the best football seen during Steve Castle's reign, keeping the ball on the ground etc. although we seemed short of that 'cutting edge/final ball' etc.

 

It was ok football for the first 30 minutes, AFF but it wasn't great, which says a lot about the quality of our football over the 20 odd games, and Basingstoke, in my opinion, were a very average, albeit workmanlike side. As for us, some players are clearly not good enough, some did not appear even to want to be there and being generous, some were possibly off the boil on the night. Basingstoke's first and third goals were down to appalling 'schoolboy' defending on our part. Against this, 3 of our players worked their nuts off for most of the game with very little support. I just wonder how long they will be prepared to do that for.

 

I think we all know where the real solution lies.

[Brew 2]

Whilst never wanting to rely on the competence of Ryman league officials and seek excuses for below par team performances, their 3rd goal was a mile offside, and although the old 'play to the whistle' phrase can be wheeled out, when a chap is standing 2 yards behind the defence when the ball is passed to him, you'd hope the flag would go up. Ho hum.

 

I'm intrigued about the 'real solution' though...

[AFF]

I don't know anything about "the real solution" Woody but we can agree that for it to be 'great' there would have to have been a lot more clear cut chances and some of them taken!

 

Basingstoke were fairly ordinary, I thought. In the first half thay had two chances and took both of them. They were well-organised and shut it down in the second half. I think that last night was their 5th or 6th consecutive clean sheet. Their League position is 10th or 11th and is about right, I suggest.

 

Which three of our lads worked their socks off, in your view, I wonder.

 

Hi Brew.

 

Their 3rd was at the 'wrong' end for me to call offside. I was tempted to suggest to George that he should have a word with Miguel and ask him to put his hand up for that one but, on reflection, I thought better of it.

[Woody]

Hi Brew,

 

I would certainly agree with you on the general standard officiating in the Ryman and those last night were dire in the extreme. You may be right about the 3rd goal but, from where I was sitting, it looked like the ball was crossed in from the corner flag back towards the penalty box. On the other hand, the referee pulled up Basingstoke for 2 or 3 offsides earlier on in the 2nd half, where they were clearly onside. As ever, these decisions generally even themselves out.

 

 

 

 

[Brew 2]

Without wishing to nitpick, I was referring to the pass to the man who crossed it, but as you say these things generally even themselves out over a season.

 

Its always the same though - when you are at the top and going well, you get the luck and decisions (the start of last season as an example), when you are at the bottom it seems to go the other way, like this year! I suppose thats the beauty of football!