Just Back

Today is probably why I prefer away games. Fans were fantastic and despite an indifferent performance for the best part I think the crowd generally helped to pull the players through. The fans didn't give up and in the end neither did the players. Mirror that with the Hartlepool game at home where the fans did give up ( and quite rightly went home).
This was the teams 64th game in 12 months - with a month turnaround last year and its beginning to show. To many players off there game today but this time the subs and change of formation worked. A team of our size and budget is all about making steady progress on and off field each year. I think we are creating a decent platform for us to do that. We have a big part to play as today showed and I for one will look forward to seeing our recruitment in the summer to push on even further.

Quoted from pontoonlew

First off, our fans have always been good but the past couple of months they’ve been off the charts, everybody there should be proud of the superb support we’ve offered recently.

First half was poor, absolutely no attacking outlet whatsoever, no width & no creativity at all. Donny were just as bad but got a goal from a good finish.

Second half more of the same and the ref decided to spice things up with some alarmingly mental decisions, it was surreal to watch just how bad they were. Both teams poor again.

Then came the game changing moment, Taylor & McAtee were absolutely shite yet again and were eventually replaced by Lloyd & Orsi. The former instantly made a difference with the first bit of hold up play we’d seen all day to force a corner and a goal. Then brilliant play from Orsi set up Clifton whose shot was laid straight onto a plate for Lloyd.

Loads to work on, it was shite for long periods today and we’ve got a rebuild on this summer at the top end of the pitch.

Pretty much how I saw it but credit to the players they did go for it at the end, felt Donny where all about trying to get one of yours sent off as the ref was p1ss poor, unfit and actually quite lazy.

On Saturday I posted that we should give Orsi & Lloyd a start as they’re willing runners into space, I got shot down by one particular poster, well there you go.

When you think of the cost and distance of our away trips this season the numbers that have travelled and made a noise I’m not sure there’s any other fan base like it!

Quoted from chipsandgravy

Today is probably why I prefer away games. Fans were fantastic and despite an indifferent performance for the best part I think the crowd generally helped to pull the players through. The fans didn't give up and in the end neither did the players. Mirror that with the Hartlepool game at home where the fans did give up ( and quite rightly went home).
This was the teams 64th game in 12 months - with a month turnaround last year and it’s beginning to show. To many players off there game today but this time the subs and change of formation worked. A team of our size and budget is all about making steady progress on and off field each year. I think we are creating a decent platform for us to do that. We have a big part to play as today showed and I for one will look forward to seeing our recruitment in the summer to push on even further.

Good to read someone noticing the heavy schedule the squad and manager have been through over the last two seasons.  Far too many people slagging off the squad on social media and saying they are rubbish, not trying etc.  Not only has is been a hell of a year but we have hardly any players with the experience of playing a full season of league football.  Once we went out of the cup and looked safe, it’s no surprise that the players haven’t been able to perform to their best.  Hopefully they’ll be back in August reinvigorated after a decent break and pre season

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

6.5k at most. Another team that announce tickets sold. We’d be above both Mansfield and Donny in the average att. table if they did the same as we do.

I also think 5 at the back has served it’s time. At Luton we couldn’t even fill the bench; we’ve now 6 games left with 4 at home and almost a full squad available. Let’s be entertained please…

At less then £10: a game for full adult season ticket they can afford not to turn up

Watched the game on Mariners TV.

Agree with OP, we looked directionless once we went behind. Subs made a difference. Orsi's first touch was sublime out wide, and his pass inside to Clifton was just as good.

As someone else has already said on this thread, time to ditch McAtee now and play Orsi. It's shocking that he hasn't actually scored a league goal for us this season, but he's shown in patches that he has a good touch and decent vision.

It doesn't feel nice to say, but Taylor is done and McAtee, well... he really does chase people down and battle to win the ball back. I like that energy about him. But on the ball this season he's been very hit and miss. Doesn't look like he can last 90 mins and gives the ball away a bit too easily. No doubting his technical ability, though.

Lloyd's a pest but I'd love to see him play up top where someone else does the donkey work. He's got some ability at holding the ball up but I see him more like a Vardy-type player, being a nuisance, chasing things down, breaking the lines... let's see what Cheltenham want to do with him in the summer.

Listened to Hurst's post-match interview and the heavy schedule and short pre-season is a valid argument (in fact, I don't think many of us will disagree with him on that). Naturally we want to see better football and more entertainment, but we have options up front so please can we ditch the three-at-the-back thing. It was necessary in Jan but not now.

Time to experiment a little. Give Khouri a start, or play Hunt more advanced. Khan looked a bit of a passenger today, maybe he needs a rest. What was the point in signing O'Neill and Dickson-Peters??

Given the players are out on their feet after a long season, loads of travelling and a heavy cup run, I think these are the only types of wins we're going to get — less free-flowing football, more grinding them out through set-pieces and more direct passing.

It'd be lovely to sneak into 12th by the final game of the season.

Agree with the majority opinion that a match between two poor sides on the day and as others have said our passing and inability to keep the ball is the major problem and you are always going to struggle to win games given this ongoing scenario.

Thought their goal was a great strike and a bit surprised some have suggested Max was at fault but our defence was certainly slow to their movement in receiving a throw in and moving it on. Compare this to our throw ins which, unless it’s Maher, go backwards and usually end up with Max or a defender hoofing it forward.

As we said after Fridays game our midfield is bang average and unfortunately our front two today offered nothing so not surprising we struggled to create a chance. As a previous advocate for Orsi to be afforded more game time I smugly enjoyed his and Lloyd’s cameo and I think Orsi has a fantastic first touch and his set up for Clifton’s shot was sublime.

Finally a quick word about their keeper, who I’ve seen make quite a few ricketts on EFL highlights show, who kindly was all at sea for the corner and calmly palmed the ball perfectly to Lloyd for our second.

Poor game great result but a lot of changes required for next season if we are to offer any sort of play off challenge.

Town fans were absolutely stellar today, even more so after the poor performance that was served up last week.

I am surprised at people criticising crocombe, I thought he did well to even get a fingertip to it. For me we should have conceded a penalty just before half time with that green challenge but somehow got away with it.

I have to say I agree with those who say taylors race looks run, just so little mobility left in him now, despite the adroit little flicks, certainly not up to league 2 any more. Mcatee is a shadow of the player he was, not through lack of off the ball effort, he still has that. Not through lack of skill, he jhas the technical ability - its the decision making, so poor now. We improved as soon  as taylor and mcatee made way and I am no orsi fan. Brilliant atmosphere  at the end, loved it! L

Seems like, very uncharacteristically, hurst saved players for this game, it worked out, just, for this match but we were shown up at home to pools. More work than perhaps some thought in the summer, including Hurst? Maybe he learned a lot over the last couple of games though.

We are officially safe from relegation - Pools and Crawley can’t both win when they meet, but not mathematically out of the play-offs; who wouldn’t have settled for the former to happen before the latter, when, not much more than a year ago we were mid-table NL. I think Hurst was alluding a bit at that in the after-match - he said something along the lines of looking at where we are and where we should be and thinking we are doing ok.

Some of the deluded knobheads on social media think different.
I think 2 out of our “big 3” rivals from last season could yet be facing another season of NL, whereas we could yet get our best finish in 16 years.

Quoted from toontown

I am surprised at people criticising crocombe, I thought he did well to even get a fingertip to it. For me we should have conceded a penalty just before half time with that green challenge but somehow got away with it..

I only saw the goal on the EFL highlights show last night but it would have been the save of the season if he`d stopped it. It was just a great strike.

I didn't think the performance level overall was too different to the Hartlepool game but we had a little more luck.

1-4 could've been 2-1 without the bad penalty decision when we were well on top. But Hartlepool end up scoring with every shot on target. Equally the reverse could've happened with Green's reckless challenge yesterday. Fine margins and all that.

Great to see Orsi come on and get into a game.  He reminds me a lot of Kristian Dennis in his ability to find the spaces that the opposition don't want him in.

We are still really bad at getting the ball in front of players like Khan.  Too many balls that are straight at him, and others, that they have to take standing still with their backs to goal. It leads to slow attacks and no chance of taking on isolated defenders one on one.

I got a little emotional when the team were walking off at the end.  Not at the performance, but the feeling that the connection between the fans and the team is so strong at the moment. The sense of togetherness is incredible and i hope we can maintain it because it really helps to drive the club forward.

Any news on their young lad that was stretchered off?