BFTG

[Locky_McLockface]

Since no-one has stepped up, you'll ahve to put up with my musings.

Junior_McLockface and I bought tickets quite last minute for this one, so we ended up in NSU, directly in line with the Milton End goal-line, so not the greatest view, but hey-ho.

We didn't wake up until about 10 minutes in, and of course, by that time, we were already a goal down. Everytime we got the ball it was lumped up to Hawkins, who wasn't winning anything. And then, suddenly, we appeared to realise the crucial relationship between spherical object and foot. And for the rest of the half, we completely dominated. We won a succession of corners, from which the debutant Walkes stabbed home our first equaliser. We would have had another from Clarke, but for a worldy save by their keeper. Further, Hawkins should have buried another cross, but headed back across the goal and wide. Donohue and Kennedy were particularly effective down the left.

The second half picked up where we left off, but we were very wasteful with the final ball. Burgess in particular wasted a few long diagonal balls. And then they attacked, got a corner, and our achilles heel let us down again. We brought Pitman on for Hawkins, and subsequently swapped Evans for Lowe, and Naismith for Kennedy. Pitman scored, although Hawkins would have done had he still been there, and Burgess was less than a yard away too.

Lowe was a waste of space today, he couldn't get going. Naismith well, OK, he assisted the assist for our second equaliser, but not particularly effective.

And then Henderson took a goal kick. And fell over. And stayed down. He was obviously in agony, poor bloke, and I suspect he won't play again this season. So BallsOfSteel Naismith took the gloves, and was very well protected by his defence, only having to make one save. Which he did, in true non-goalie style, with his left foot.

Burgess was sent off for a deliberate handball with around 5 of the added mins still to play, and a nervous time it was. But the atmosphere in the ground was electric, as good as I've ever experienced at the Park. If ever we were the 12th man (or should that be 10th man?), Saturday was it. We came away feeling as though we'd won, and but for some dodgy passing we had a couple of counter attacks that could have seen us snatch a winner.

Hendo 6
Walkes 8 A good signing
Clarke 8 Imperious, as ever
Burgess 7 Wasteful on occasion
Donohue 8 Good relationship with Kennedy
Thompson 7 The grit we need at CDM
Close 6 Solid
Evans 6 Quiet by his standards
Ronan 8 An excellent game, when we weren't hoofing to Hawkins, chased anything and everything
Kennedy 8 Good relationship with Donohue
Hawkins 6 Should have scored

Pitman 6 Ran about, scored a sitter, not much else
Lowe 4 Needn't have bothered
Naismith 6 for being on pitch, 10 for having the balls to go in goal.

[Earl Grey]

Thanks for your musings on Saturday's game, Locky. Agree with most if not all of it. I think your score of 4 for Lowe is harsh given that he had little to work with in turns of decent supply and support from team members due to the circumstances.

Still, a point when you're down to 9 men and no goalie is a decent return.

What worries me more is Jackett's love of hoofball. The silver lining of Burgess getting a red is that Hawkins will play centre half and so we cannot play hoofball.

[pompeygunner]

Thanks for your musings on Saturday's game, Locky. Agree with most if not all of it. I think your score of 4 for Lowe is harsh given that he had little to work with in turns of decent supply and support from team members due to the circumstances.

Still, a point when you're down to 9 men and no goalie is a decent return.

What worries me more is Jackett's love of hoofball. The silver lining of Burgess getting a red is that Hawkins will play centre half and so we cannot play hoofball.

Agree with Locky ref. Lowe. Looked disinterested & needed a kick up the arris