Stevenage Game

[jc]

Originally Posted By: DA11

I thought their keeper took the abuse really well. You can't start throwing people out for giving a bit of banter. Think back to Bedford away 2002. Its all part of the game. You can't encourage new people to come to the fleet and then threaten to chuck them out if they are suspected of enjoying themselves.

But what about when people 'enjoying themselves' involves making comments that can cause offence to others in this way? Homophobic abuse should be considered as serious as racial abuse, yet for some reason it isn't.

Agree with you on Hawkins though - he's been a real model of consistency whenever he's played this season. What I love about him most, though, is that he doesn't really look like a footballer. Look at his picture alongside his interview in yesterday's programme, and don't tell me you don't agree.

[DA11]

Like most I'm totally against rascist abuse in any environment but light hearted banter at football matches? We've had it down the fleet for years. The halfway line yesterday were giving stick to the Linesman. To me it's part of the game. But I draw the line at race and creed abuse.

 

No Hawkins doesn't look like a footballer, I agree. Looks like the Barman from Georgies Bar in Malia. Great defender though.

 

Up the fleet

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: jc

An exhilarating game yesterday. All above suggestions for man of the match are good ones, but Charlie just shaded it for me. Fantastic levels of commitment, shown best in his tackling back, and unlucky not to add to his goal tally in the second half. His ability to create half a yard of space for a shot when with his back to goal, so wonderfully evident in the equalizer, is a vital attribute to our side.

Do you think five goals in his last four games counts as goal drought over?

[eufckev]

Originally Posted By: hopeful

who ever you support, THEIR keeper was the man of the match,helped of course by luke moores poor finishing.

Agreed! Julian maded the finest saves I've seen this season, or in the Conference. in fact. Julian is a good sport, he had a laugh with the Plough End during the second half.
Luke Moore should have done better with his clear chance, but bear in mind he is still young, and was under pressure when his clear chance came.

Still, a superb perfromance on Saturday, bring on the Westley and his mob in the Trophy - another performance like today could see us get a decent result against Rushden & Diamonds.

[gaspode]

Originally Posted By: kmj

My one concern was the cavalier way as a team, no one could be bothered to mark Jon Nutter (No.3). On countless occasions in the second half he received a pass and didn't have a Fleet player within 10 or 15 yards of him. His wing play was very worrying for us.

I agree. This was something that I think that we should learn from; the way they caused us problems in wide areas (particularly their left) on the few occassions they attacked in the second half.

I would have liked to have seen our wide men, particularly Slatts pulling wide to give us more room when we attacked. We tend to tuck in tight when we do not have the ball and this is all well and good, but the wide men should be pulling out to give us width as soon as we win it back. This would not only give us more options when going forward, but also allow players like Bollers and Stacey more room to weave their magic through the middle.

However, this is only a minor quibble. That was as good a performance as I have seen from us for a while. There were no long hopeful punts down the middle. We kept the ball down and probed for the openings and we carved out at least half a dozen good chances. How their keeper kept out McCarthy's header late in the second half I do not know. We were all up and celebrating on the half way line.

Agree that George Purcell played very well and also liked the look of Ledgister when he came on. MOM for me was Charlie, he is really on his game at the moment.

[jc]

Originally Posted By: DA11

Like most I'm totally against rascist abuse in any environment but light hearted banter at football matches? We've had it down the fleet for years. The halfway line yesterday were giving stick to the Linesman. To me it's part of the game. But I draw the line at race and creed abuse.

So comments that could cause offence to those of a particular race aren't acceptable, but comments that could cause offence to those of a particular sexual orientation (like one's race, something that one cannot change) are? Interesting.

Originally Posted By: gaspode

I would have liked to have seen our wide men, particularly Slatts pulling wide to give us more room when we attacked. We tend to tuck in tight when we do not have the ball and this is all well and good, but the wide men should be pulling out to give us width as soon as we win it back. This would not only give us more options when going forward, but also allow players like Bollers and Stacey more room to weave their magic through the middle.

Such attacking play was certainly in evidence when Ledgister came on at half-time against Crawley.

[Santa]

"I would have liked to have seen our wide men, particularly Slatts pulling wide to give us more room when we attacked. We tend to tuck in tight when we do not have the ball and this is all well and good, but the wide men should be pulling out to give us width as soon as we win it back. This would not only give us more options when going forward, but also allow players like Bollers and Stacey more room to weave their magic through the middle."

 

I think this is exactly what Purcell did and gave us a good outlet on the left from which to build attacks. With him and Slatter playing it looked an attacking line-up and so it proved. They are not the best defensive pair and were allways likely to get caught upfield by the long ball out wide which, with the exception of their goal, the back three covered effectively.

 

I'd much sooner take our chances with this type of attacking line up especially at home than perhaps using the more defensive Opinel. Be interesting to see the line-up against R&D.

[Bernard]

Alas it is often true that the best players in football get the most abuse. A case of jealousy I presume? Julian always plays a blinder against us and we seem to be sick of it.

[Alan W (GNFC)]

I think Sacha is banned again for Rushden? 1 Match suspension surely for 5 yellows plus 1 match suspension for Red Card?

 

So we're likely to start with the same team, except Sodje will come in for the suspended, Moore & either Keeling or Varney will replace him on the bench.

[David Holden]

Varney was already on the bench. Who knows, he may even start against Rushden.

 

I would expect to see Ricketts back on the bench if he is fit enough

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: Alan W (GNFC)

I think Sacha is banned again for Rushden? 1 Match suspension surely for 5 yellows plus 1 match suspension for Red Card?

So we're likely to start with the same team, except Sodje will come in for the suspended, Moore & either Keeling or Varney will replace him on the bench.

Varney was on the bench on Saturday.