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Quoted from Mikey_345

Game that lacked quality but a game we got through. Happy with a point in the end but we could have easily nicked it.

Sutton are no mugs and play a certain way because it’s effective and has been effective against many teams. Thought first half we struggled to work out how to combat it but in the second half we were much more effective at stopping it, but just couldn’t get going ourselves.

We didn’t play well, but that should never be mistaken for playing badly.

Hurst has made a very strong, well organised and committed team which is demonstrated by having kept three consecutive clean sheets.  However undoubtably we need a bit more in the final third - to keep banging on about it though is abit pointless, Hurst clearly knows as we all do.

Was impressed with Peppel looked very bright and think it’s time to have a look at him up front partnering Taylor.

Nonsense.  We were woeful.  Headless chickens.  We never got hold of the ball.  People keep saying the conditions didn't help.  If you play it on the deck, the wind has little bearing. One example of lack of quality was when Glennon received the ball just inside the box. Loads of time to take a touch and look up.  He just half volleyed it.  Sure, it's better to be safe than sorry but he obviously didn't know who was around him. However, aren't his teammates talking to him. Despite how awful we were, we still should have won.  A disallowed goal that wasn't and two one on ones that pro strikers pushed too far ahead.

Quoted from LH

Now Hurst’s said it it’s ok to say it: That was utter dross from both  sides and 0-0 was fair. Taylor was isolated with no-one behind him and no pace or trickery out wide. It’ll be a long season if we don’t find a replacement for McAtee but it’s a difficult role to fill in the market we’re shopping in. Pepple was MOTM and had what? 30 mins? urine poor.

The refs are now clearly just people who have absolutely nothing better to do at weekends. I didn’t see what was wrong with the disallowed goal. Their player elbowed Waterfall towards the end and should have gone.

Hopefully we can put it down to players wanting an injury free game to have a chance in midweek.

Waterfall got up too quickly.  Bloke elbows Luke and injures himself.- or was he feigning to get off the hook. Should have had an early bath but not sure it would have changed the game at that point.

They were very quick and strong, with plenty of examples of them coming away with the ball from tight situations. One of their centre backs looked like a Samoan rugby player. We have faced some giant sides from down south: maybe it's because they can afford more protein than us scrawny northerners.

Neither side had enough up front to break the deadlock, but as poor as we were, we again had the chances to nick a late win with two glorious chances going begging from poor touches. Taylors first touch was dreadful and I think it was Pepples second touch that took him from having both sides of the keeper to aim at, down to just one side, which made up the keepers mind on positioning. Pepple did liven us up though and along with Harry, we had our best spell of the game with those two on. Wearne was pretty anonymous but I agree with another poster who said the ball wasn't going down the left a lot.

There was a lot of criticism of Taylor going on around me but I think he had a thankless task yesterday as isolated as he was. There was also a lot of fans calling for JMD to be introduced, but he did nothing when he came on. None of our wide men did a great deal yesterday, Kiernan could never seem to get the ball under control. Out of the four wide men tried in the game, only Clifton made anything happen and for me showed what he brings to the team, despite plenty of fans thinking he shouldn't be on the left.

Plenty of effort yesterday and again we got stronger towards the end of the 90, but we need something more in the final third to turn these tight games in our favour.

Another terrible, game spoiling ref, put the final icing on a poor match that will be quickly forgotten.

It was really difficult for Taylor against two large and athletic centre-backs. If he stood his ground and tried to outmuscle them, he was penalised more often than not. If he was waiting for the ball to come to him, he was getting shoved in the back and when he went up early to try and win headers, the referee kept penalising him for players running into him! Definite game plan for their No. 15 to get at the referee claiming Taylor had elbowed somebody in pretty much every challenge.

Another desperately poor referee who seemed to penalise some of our lighter players for the slightest touch on an opponent yet ignored them getting manhandled throughout the game.

A goal disallowed which seemingly nobody is sure why. Two missed sitters, a long effort saved and not followed up.

One team wanting to win, the other desperate not to lose. Shite game.

No point over analysing it. It is what it is, we learn and go again.

Well the game was a total non event wasn't it and it does highlight our need of other options in attacking areas, as Hurst said in his post match interview. No lack of effort but a lack of quality and we couldn't get to grips with Sutton style of play as too many players struggled, and at times couldn't do the basics.

Second half was much better, especially after the introduction of Pepple and Clifton we started to create more but the finishing was profligate, I recall when I think it was Efete who put the ball across the box just shortly after Clifton introduction, all it needs is somebody to get a foot or toe on it to divert it in but sadly Pepple Taylor and Holohan were standing flat footed in the box and didn't react to it. Pepple obviously missed his chance but atleast he made things happen when he came on along with Clifton.

The ref was appalling and once again Taylor is used as a climbing wall and nothing is given in our favour.

For the first 20 we matched them physically after that that out muscled us and stopped us getting any momentum or creativity, not impressed with Green, Holohan and Morris all of whom looked like they where blowing out of their backsides and couldn’t get anything decent to Wearn, Kiernan or the horrendously isolated Taylor.

Thought Peppel did ok when he came on and the missed one on one was more down to lack of experience than anything else, I’d definitely like to see him closer to Taylor from the start of a game. A word for Clifton as well despite the people deriding him on another thread, he added something as well.

We where solid in defence but Sutton in reality looked average in attack, that said Smith was clearly the MOTM if there was actually one.

We had what I think where 2 clear chances to win a tight  game so for me it’s 2 points lost

Final couple of things….

- People moaning about the lack of attacking signings, Hurst is doing his best, why wouldn’t he.

- The ref, who was poor, is just a product of a game that does not attract people into wanting to be a ref. My belief is if more people wanted to do it the standard would be better as the talent pool would be bigger. That said yesterday there was a village somewhere who’s idiot had gone missing, it’s a shame nobody reported him found at BP.

Oddly enough I think we’ll play well against Forest on Tuesday.

I think that’s 5 points from 12 (excluding Carlisle) so probably the start I expected.

UTM!!

This ref was the ref from the play off final. He was garbage then

He also reffed us at home to Halifax in which they manhandled us like nothing ive ever known. Pearson was thrown to the floor in the area and he ignored it time and time again

He got promoted to the EFL…… the standard of these officials is absolutely appalling

Missed the match as committed to helping out at a 100 mile walk in Middlesbrough.  Decent weather forecast. Strong winds then torrential rain for hours forcing some walkers to retire.  Rain worse than last Tuesday.  Driving back not really safe.  I am the wet weather jinx then.

Last season all the cries were for returning to the EFL. Well, the reality is now here, and let's face it fourth division football has always been poor with far too many sides relying on trying to muscle a win -or draw- instead of playing the football we would prefer to see. Unfortunately, we will see far more matches like this unless we can somehow manage to get promoted. I honestly believe that the standard of football itself was better in the National League. As for referees, why do so many seem to be biased against us- is it the journey getting here putting them in a bad frame of mind? There certainly seems to be a pattern emerging i.e. decisions for and against. As most matches are recorded these days there is ample scope to investigate the quality of decision-making by refs- or is there some reason that this does not appear to happen in the lower leagues. Who actually does grade the refs?