Just back

I thought the performance overall was one of our more controlled ones of the season. I know that fans seems to hate the ball being played across the back but equally bemoan the ball going long and get angered when we fail playing Man City-esque football through the thirds. That comes down to whether you understand why we pass the ball.

I thought Emmanual and Glennon were great and by far our most likely provider of any goal that we might have scored. Defensively solid for pretty much the whole game and I can't remember Crocombe ever actually having a shot to save but could be wrong.

The passing generally was good but the problem I thought we had was trying to connect the midfield to forward line through the middle. They had a very good block that kept us going wide and then dealing with the crosses that came in. The few chances we did get through the middle were more half chances from range and nothing that got us through into an area that you'd expect finishes.

Particularly liked in the second half how Maher managed to twice get right to the byline for a cross, not something we've seen yet in this back three but would love that to become a regular thing, having him and Efete (who gets forward a little more regular) offer an overload to give us an advantage.

The score I think was pretty justified, even if I thought the performance was controlled and fairly pleasing in how we played generally, the quality of chances wasn't great and so you'd be asking for something special. The few decent ones were well saved and credit their keeper for that.

Only source of frustration for me is developing in Morris. He has moments where he'll do something really positive and spark a breakaway or a key pass, but then follow that up with a few poor touches or passes. I don't think he's poor by any stretch but if it were me picking the team I'd be considering giving Hunt an extended run in that setup.

Quoted from golfer

Can't remember Morris making a pass to one of our players. The only chance Harrogate had was when Morris had the ball

Yeah, I wasn't necessarily saying he kept hold of the ball particularly well last night but that's why he's in the side as his passing accuracy over the season has been the second best we have after Hunt and he offers more experience and a bit more steel than Hunt.

Quoted from Maringer

Harrogate had a game plan and stuck to it effectively enough to keep us out. They were well-organised with some hard-running and mobile forwards. They put a lot of effort into chasing us down and trying to get the ball forward quickly, in the first half especially. Oddly enough, this was when we played our best stuff and got into some good positions, winning a load of corners which came to nothing. Unfortunately, a really good reaction save from Maher's flick header from one of these and one or two poor crosses into the box meant we couldn't capitalise. They defended the second ball really well, it must be said.

Half-time let them reset and we never really got going properly after that. They ran out of steam for the final quarter of the game but we were lacking in ideas and wasted the chances when we got the ball into the box. On several occasions, Glennon and Maher got the ball in advanced positions, but the final cross either wasn't good enough or the forwards took the wrong option and we didn't test their keeper enough. Taylor made a big difference, I thought, as the ball stopped coming straight back, but unfortunately their keeper made a very good save from his one chance.

Like others, I'm less than convinced by our midfield. Morris wasn't great last night (especially disappointing as he started the season so well), but Hunt didn't do much more when he came on and the defensive part of his game is noticeably weaker than our other midfielders. Holohan did OK, I thought, but no idea why he tried a pass to O'Neill when he broke into the box. There was a defender ahead of him but plenty of room for a shot. As for O'Neill, he buzzed around ineffectively, showed one or two good touches but ultimately had little effect on the game. He's not ready for first team football yet in my opinion, though I realise he is still very young. If Khan had been fit, I think we'd have won last night. The squad is just a couple of players short of being one which could reach the play-offs, but that's where we've been all season.

Will be interesting to see how we do against Orient at the weekend as you'd expect them to come here to try and win, and we tend to better in that sort of a game - providing we defend well enough, that is.

Regarding O'Neill and all the other young loanees from Premier league and Championship clubs we have tried, it's obvious they have a lot of ability but are not ready for league 2. Being in top class acadamies doesn't seem to be the recipe for what we need.

I think we would do better looking at the leagues below, and getting players who are used to scrapping and making their ability count. I hope next season if we go into the loan market we make our priority seasoned pros who have fallen out of favour rather than untried youngsters.

I think you've probably got more chance with 20/21 year olds from Premier/Championship clubs. 18 or 19 feels a bit young to me these days, especially as the Academy teams play Academy teams with few of the grizzled older pros that youngsters used to face in the reserve games in the past. Hurst has been very critical about the fitness levels of the young players who come on loan as well.

Although these youngsters may have more skill than the lower division footballers they face, the physicality is on a different level these days and there are few teenagers who can cope with men's football, though there are obviously exceptions here and there.

Something which I hope Hurst considers during the next transfer window. It's OK having a youngster as the third choice off the bench, but it's difficult if you're relying on them as the first option to try and change the game.

Rubbish game but both Hartlepool and Rochdale lost at home last night so another point further away from them but we do need to learn how to see these teams off.

Having said that I still can't believe that Oxley (I didn't realise their keeper was an ex-player) kept out that Taylor chance at the death.

Quoted from Maringer

I think you've probably got more chance with 20/21 year olds from Premier/Championship clubs. 18 or 19 feels a bit young to me these days, especially as the Academy teams play Academy teams with few of the grizzled older pros that youngsters used to face in the reserve games in the past. Hurst has been very critical about the fitness levels of the young players who come on loan as well.

Although these youngsters may have more skill than the lower division footballers they face, the physicality is on a different level these days and there are few teenagers who can cope with men's football, though there are obviously exceptions here and there.

Something which I hope Hurst considers during the next transfer window. It's OK having a youngster as the third choice off the bench, but it's difficult if you're relying on them as the first option to try and change the game.

That was shown last night when Holohan inexplicably passed to O'Neill instead of shooting and he was just eased off the ball comfortably by their player as if he wasn't there.

Having had a think about last night, we weren't great but the difference was Oxley in their goal. He made quite a few saves when I think back to the game, especially the Taylor header, which was the golden chance to take the three points.

There's no other way of describing that game than as utter turd.  

As others have said, feeling like an endurance going to home games at the minute.  It's not a monster trek for me but an hour travel either side of the game then faffing about with parking etc. for that.  I got in just after 11 last night and thought to myself 'why am I bothering?'  God knows how people feel when they've got a longer journey.

Don't want to bash Morris but he was awful.  I think he's struggled for a few games and could equally have been the one to get the hook a few games when Hunt did, can't imagine he keeps his place on Saturday when Hunt came in and gave us something fresh and different.   In his defence, Holohan is looking equally ineffective but his style of play is more energetic and perhaps more eye catching.  The nature of Morris' game means that he's probably always going to be singled out unless he's absolutely dominating proceedings.  Having someone sitting at the base of a midfield, especially against a side who are so intent on just defending is a hiding to nothing.  That role won't offer anything to the effort of the game.

Few people around me were saying last night that 3-5-2 works away from home but is useless at BP.  I disagree, I think it's just that we have to deploy it differently depending on what's in front of us.  Last night was not a game where you needed a holding midfielder, we could have afford to go with Hunt ahead of Morris, knowing that we would need to switch the play quicker.  Against sides that come to park the bus, the only real way to break them down is to break their two lines of defence, you do that by switching the ball and forcing them out of position.  Hunt is probably the only player, perhaps McAtee at times, in our squad who can do that.  

Few harsh comments regards O'Neill too.  Thought he came on and offered something different, turned his men a few times and ran at them.  Which very few did all night to be fair.  He's not the finished article but has shown far more ability and intent than some of the other loans we've had this season.

Fine margins last night.  Holohan doesn't panic and end up passing or Taylor's effort misses Oxley's legs and we're largely unbothered by the drab display.  But the coin did fall on the wrong side of the line for us and we really need to start developing a ruthless side against teams who come to park the bus.  

The game missed some dynamic moments in the final third of the field.

We controlled the game and never looked troubled. But we just lacked enough inventiveness in and around the box. And on the few occasions we did look like something might come of an attack, it fizzled out.

Harrogate certainly set up to stifle and frustrate, and a point will be good for them. But that aside, they were yet again a poor team that we haven't been able to break down enough, for all of our possession and control.

It is interestingly bizarre that we appear to play better against the better teams, and perhaps that is in no small part because in those games, the contest becomes more open, expansive and end to end.

But hey, it's another point on the board and I now look forward to see how we get on against are really decent Orient

Stats wise Holohan was much better than Morris and Clifton but those two were similarly effective last night...

Morris
Accurate passes: 17/32 (53%)
Touches: 41
Passes into final third: 9
Successful dribbles: 0
Chances created: 0
Accurate crosses 1/1 (100%)
Total shots: 0
Tackles won: 1
Headed clearances: 1
Interceptions: 1
Recoveries: 1
Ground duels won: 0
Aerial duels won : 3/4 (75%)

Clifton
Accurate passes: 24/34 (71%)
Touches: 44
Passes into final third: 1
Successful dribbles: 3
Chances created: 1
Accurate crosses 0/3
Total shots: 0
Tackles won: 0
Headed clearances: 0
Interceptions: 0
Recoveries: 4
Ground duels won: 4/6 (67%)
Aerial duels won : 2/3 (67%)

...but let's not let facts get in the way of berating the latest fall guy.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Yeah, I wasn't necessarily saying he kept hold of the ball particularly well last night but that's why he's in the side as his passing accuracy over the season has been the second best we have after Hunt and he offers more experience and a bit more steel than Hunt.

I have to try to remember where he has offered anything much in his games. For me the poorest of the midfielders we have