Folkestone 3 Billericay 2

[extaffyjim]

Well we never have any joy at folkestone so i shouldnt be surprised, but tonight was possibly the most depressing game of football ive ever watched.

 

Too tired to write much about it, but the way weve played in the last 2 games couldnt be much more different to the performances against Hastings and Hornchurch.

 

3 league defeats on the trot is not the form of a team that has play off ambitions, and we need to turn things around pretty sharpish or else well be looking at no better than mid table. Its very hard to pinpoint whats gone wrong, but the back line are suddenly leaking goals at an abysmal rate, and while the strikers are having decent games, theyre getting bugger all service. Need a win in the cup on saturday to get our season going again

[Ryan.c]

The wheels have well and truly fallen off. Folkestone should've had the game wrapped up before half-time but squandered some gilt-edged chances. We had plenty of huff and puff which generally blew the ball upwards! Second-half better, got ourselves back into it and then decided to blow it with some comical defending.

 

All in all we're simply not good enough. We're nearly into October and we don't have a right sided midfielder with the new bloke taking up a centre mid position (and was fairly anonymous). Best player for us on the night by an absolute country mile was Joe Flack.

 

I guess the small turn-out of supporters is already in a way, a verdict of how our season is going to date.

[GazzaBTFC]

It was depressing last night, that I will agree with. I would also agree with with Joe Flack being the best player, followed by Rikki Burbridge...

 

Last night, we lost our bounceability...

 

I'm not going to be drawn on the reasons why our defence has gone from being the tightest to the loosest in a matter of weeks. It's difficult to encourage people to keep the faith but that is what we have to do. I'm not about to throw in towel and lose faith in this team as whatever is required to put us back on track, I'm sure Matt Jones and his team will attempt to put it right.

 

 

 

[Rick the Dick]

I'm sure it's a long time since we've lost 3 on the trot, conceded 12 goals in 4 consecutive league games and only come away with one point from a possible 12.

 

So, we have a problem.

 

One saving grace is that our expected fellow contenders have not "got away" from us, yet. AFCW have also lost 3 and Chelmo 2.

 

A break from league action this weekend will hopefully give us the opportunity to re-group. I suspected that only one days break between our tonking by Boreham Wood and travelling to Folkestone may not have been enough time to "get over it".

 

They need our support on Saturday as I'm sure confidence is low. And I still want that Cup run!!

 

 

[Balmoral Claret]

A long way to go yet lads. Remember the mighty Clarets lost 4 on the trot at a crucial time of the season last year, but still comfortably made the play-offs (not that it did us a lot of good mind!).

I'm sure you'll turn it round, just as I'm sure our lads will eventually start picking up 3 points in away games (well, occasionally anyway).

An exciting season ahead.

[Keith.P]

As you say BC lots of twists n turns to go. Personally (always upbeat me)! I always think the season really gets going from beginning of December, although i would not want to have lost more than won by then of course! The condition of pitches changes, there are some mistakes made and sometimes early pace setters suffer some jitters etc.

 

The beauty of non league is you just know how quickly it can change in terms of results/positions etc etc.

 

We are certainly going through a somewhat sticky patch, but in a funny kind of way folk will now be writing us off again which sometimes (and i could be wrong) take some pressure off.

 

Anyway, we have a break from the league, and it will certainly be a tough game on Saturday in the cup.

 

Anyway, congratulations to Folkstone. Never get anything from there in the league do we !

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dilbert]

Although the result was disappointing last night the team did fight back from being a goal down twice and it could have been worse. I thought Folkestone played extremely well in the first half an hour and we were lucky only to be a goal down. I thought the new guy Ryan Maxwell played well and looks like a good acquisition. In the second half we were the better team and should have at least got a draw but it wasn’t to be. Don’t think BWG is the answer on the right, Ricky did well and Flacky made two goals out of nothing.

[jl]

Confidence is a funny thing in football. Not long ago our back 5 looked the best thing since sliced bread now they keep getting toasted! They need to try and restore their belief. They are good players at this level.

 

I must admit I was one of those who thought it worth trying BWG on the right but in truth it hasn't really worked, especially away from home. As Ryan said, hopefully we can find someone to fill that role adequately and our four strikers will just have to compete for two available spaces.

 

The team and its members have to start believing in themselves and perhaps more importantly in each other again and that's something that we can work on before our very important cup-tie on Saturday.

[The Town Crier]

 

Its very frustrating to have leaked another 3 goals, especially when we know our team can defend so well. I think a subtle subconscious difference has occurred in our games of late. It looks to me that the team play with a priority of scoring, when before our priority was to stop the opposition playing/defending

This slight change has resulted in us conceding a few, which then progressed into nervousness, this then resulted in a greater need to score and win, thus causing a circle of anxiety.

 

This is just my opinion as a supporter, but if the lads can recapture that previous feeling of being a solid unit with an emphasis of stopping the oppo playing and pressing at every opportunity, then we would not concede, confidence and spirit would be lifted, and the goals would come. As Jl said, they are good players at this level.

 

If there was a easy replacement for Whelpdale readily available at our level, then we would be playing in League One or Two. He is a lad that had a choice of Peterborough or Southend, on a four year deal, and has gone straight into the first team.

 

Matt game is a central Midfield player, who can play right side, he, and Ross Warehem, came to us as a teenagers, Matt has progressed Ross didn't.

 

Wayne is a right sided player, I would expect him to progress as the season progresses, and he is looking like a good prospect for the future

 

Replacing good players is very difficult, particularly at this time of year. Good week in week out 7/8 out of 10 players are contracted, and the chances of getting one of those when clubs are at the beginning of cup comps, and no team has a safe league position, with budgets and funds still safe, and it unlikely that personality clashes have yet to result in transfer listings, is very very difficult.

 

Maxie is a right sided central Midfield player, he is a young man with a good pedigree. He signed for us Sunday afternoon, and was introduced to his new team mates on the the coach to Folkstone.

I think Matt and his team have done very well to get him at this early stage of the season.

 

 

 

[Nitetime Neil]

I don't often make comments on our performances as I don't watch them quite as closely or as often as I used to, thanks to "mini me" ! But results don't lie and three defeats on the trot and ten goals conceeded in the process indicates [/i] something is wrong ...

However, when you break it down it's hard to see what. Billy is a decent goalkeeper (though far from a legend - see the Dream Team thread!) Macca, Blewitt, Heffer and Kerrers are generally acknowledged as our best back four and are usually ultra reliable. No one can question Hunter and Dormer's attitude and ability in midfield (or Gamo's either...) whilst in my opinion, both Hodges and Wareham have improved on weaknesses in their play from last season and have undoubted talent, and though the jury is still out on Abbott, he has shown moments of quality. And up front BWG, Flack and Burbridge always work their socks off and are scoring goals (well the first two at least...Rikki couldn't have come any closer without scoring on Saturday!) And Boot is back soon and did fabulously in his brief cameo vs Hastings. So we know we have good players, we know they have the "right" attitude and we all trust in Matt as manager - how come we are losing games and letting in goals? I am sure it will come right just as quickly as it has "gone wrong" - just football being football! "Mini Me" (aka Nathan) knew it was fun watching Billericay and knew we were supposed to sing about it last night, even trying to start "Boing Boing Billericay" (!) and I am sure we will soon all be back to normal joining in with him before long. Chin up lads, keep believing !

[Nitetime Neil]

And just read Town Crier's post too - very interesting ! He obviously watches the game MUCH more closely than me and has probably got it spot on ... Roll on Saturday !

[GazzaBTFC]

I think TC has gone some way to hitting the nail on the head...We've got four quality strikers and maybe the whole team want a slice of the action!!!

 

Last season we we're tight and wore the opposition down by denying them chances...you build from the back. We have got to get back to that mentality and the wins will come...along with the goals.