Last Night

[oafcprozac]

We arrived 15 minutes into the game but apparently we had missed little of note. The goal arrived shortly after, a good cross from Croft and a towering header from Smith who again looked a handful but had little playing off him, which was criminal. Another effort was just wide from Smith and Chesterfield up until half-time a couple of snapshots apart offered very little.

 

Second-Half we immediately set-up to stick with what we had, Simpson dropped into midfield and we were attempting to get Byrne to push on, but his lack of pace was really apparent and rendered Croft pretty ineffective without the link-up from a deep-lying midfield. Smith became more and more isolated. An awful header back let in Whitaker, Winchester in truth had been disappointing and from relative comfort we were on the back foot. Shortly after Grounds was penalised for a blatant push, thankfully Boozy saved Whitaker's pen, and Chesterfield by now were breaking in numbers and getting in behind - both in the middle and out wide time and again and in numbers. The second goal looked inevitable.

 

Dickov, decides to sacrifice the ineffective Simpson, moving Montano inside and bringing Hughes on out wide, the under-performing Winchester made way for Mellor and Croft was swapped for Millar. The changes freshened us up and we at least began to have a go in the final few minutes. M'Changama who looked subdued had a couple of good efforts fro distance which were straight at the keeper and Connor Hughes rattled the bar with a stunning late effort. In truth though we created very little and were hanging on for penalties, cue Matt Smith's own goal, the corner was played in and it skimmed off the back of his head, :censored: happens and tbh we got what we deserved.

 

The issue here again is Dickov's tendency to shut up shop after we score, we were sent out second half to try and kill the game at 1-0. If we can't play with freedom away from home against lower league opposition in a tinpot competition, when are we? Again, we settled for square pegs in round holes. Winchester should have started at RB with the explicit instruction to bomb on. Mellor should have started in midfield and surely young Connor should have had an opportunity to start. Simpson could have been rested for Taylor. After such a good result at the weekend, he's managed to lose the momentum with his reserved tactics and lack of ambition.

 

Bouzanis - Saved a pen and a couple of good stops. Unlike Cisak, came and caught crosses.

Byrne - Steady, but too slow going forward

Tarky - One or two iffy moments, but generally cleared his lines well

JYM - Turned too easily at times probably his worst performance of the season by his standards. But more than adequate

Grounds - Chesterfield got in down his side time and again, a poor night

Croft - Good cross for the goal, but little else in terms of end product

M'Changama - Is he carrying an injury? He looked well off the pace apart from the last 10 minutes

Winchester - A night to forget

Montano - Not his best work, never quite looks in control of the ball or his movements. Need more of an end product

Simpson - Anonymous, his form really is a worry. Doesn't look like scoring

Smith - Again my MOM, won everything in the air (sadly) laid the ball off time and again but needs his partner closer to him and runners from midfield. That's not happening and his work goes unrewarded.

 

Subs:

Mellor - Took him a few minutes to get into the game but looked well in midfield

Hughes - Didn't see enough of the ball apart from his rasper

Millar - At least had a go down the right

 

All in all it was a disappointing night, yes it was only the JPT but as I've said the tactics again were poor, unless Dickov takes off the leash he's a dead man walking imo. No one gave him grief last night but what we're often seeing here and especially at home is no different in terms of ambition to what we saw under Penney. He had options at RB but insisted on reverting back to the non-attacking Byrne, he could have had height and strength in midfield but went for Winchester instead of Mellor and he persevered with the mis-firing Simpson instead of giving Taylor a go. When are you going to trust your squad players Paul?

Edited September 5, 2012 by oafcprozac

[Monty Burns]

Isnt there a rule in the tinpot cup that you cant use too many squad players? We had already made four changes, so might have picked up a fine for making any more.

[lookersgeez]

It might be a tinpot cup, but I was gutted when we blew our day out last year. Now as we stand already this season out of 2 cups and all it we need is a dodgy first round fa cup tie away to Cheltenham and we've got a relegation dogfight to look forward to !

Onward and upward ......reasons to be cheerful......keep the faith ......and any other bollocks you can think of .... should be an exciting last month of the season.......Who needs a tin pot cup ?

[Break The Silence]

It might be a tinpot cup, but I was gutted when we blew our day out last year. Now as we stand already this season out of 2 cups and all it we need is a dodgy first round fa cup tie away to Cheltenham and we've got a relegation dogfight to look forward to !

Onward and upward ......reasons to be cheerful......keep the faith ......and any other bollocks you can think of .... should be an exciting last month of the season.......Who needs a tin pot cup ?

 

Same here, was absolutey gutted when we choked last year. It may be a "tinpot cup" but it's the only one we've actually got a cat in hell's chance of actually winning....