........ Did We Have A Game YesterdAy

[SUSSEX DAGGER]

After hearing what was going on off the pitch would be interested in People's views how we did yesterday.

Did the defence look any better ?

Just be interested in hearing of those who went as I was unable to.

[Northern Redbridgian]

Yes, we did have a game! I found it very entertaining. Having not been able to get to any other games so far this season but having read the reports and watched the highlights, I think it is fair to say this game followed a similar trend to the other ones. Going forward, we looked very good. Ferrier is a constant threat and played well. Cheek surprised me with his dribbling skills - on two occasions he ran with the ball from his own half and was unlucky not to score in the second half with one such run. I can see why he is keeping Hawkins out of the starting 11 at the moment. Whitely was heavily involved in a lot of our attacking play although sometimes tried to do a bit too much IMO. Of the front 4, the one who disappointed me a bit was Okenabirhie, but perhaps it was just an off-day. It was good to see young Joe White get some game time at the end.

Robinson and Boucaud seemed to have a decent understanding in the middle. I thought Pennell had a decent game at left back, as I noted some comments after the midweek game suggesting that he wasn't a left-back. In terms of stature for a left-back, he reminds me a bit of Ashley Vickers when Ash played left-back, but Luke is a bit more adept on the ball going forward than Ash ever was. Ling saved the point for us at the death - no idea what he was doing up there! He is perhaps a bit lightweight for a defender at the moment and can be outmuscled at times, but overall he did okay. Howells was better than I expected when he came on, as all reports on here since he joined seem to have been that he is a bit of a liability.

The main negative will not surprise anybody who has seen us regularly this season. We go into sheer panic when the opposition gets a corner or long-throw near our penalty box. The players tried to organise themselves and there was plenty of shouting to each other at times, it was just that everybody seemed to be scared to attack the ball and clear it. At one point, Cousins punched the ball a distance of about 5 yards when he could easily have caught it. I can't particularly criticise Cousins for either goal but I do wonder how much confidence he gives his defenders at set pieces. If you don't have faith that your keeper is going to come and catch the ball when it is played into the 6 yard box, there is always going to be a degree of panic. The ball should never have been allowed to get to Grand at the back post for their second goal. I don't know who was meant to be picking him up but they didn't do their job.

Whatever was said in the team meeting this past week after the Ebbsfleet game, it hasn't resulted in us being any more solid from set-pieces. Hopefully this will come together sooner rather than later. However, it is great to follow a team that has as much attacking enterprise as we do at the moment and if I still lived down south, I would be making sure I went to plenty of games if they were as entertaining as this one. I was actually a bit surprised at some of the negativity from our fans at the end when I didn't think we were particularly bad overall. Fylde were one of the fancied teams before the season started (about 14-1, I seem to recall) and whilst on this evidence I don't think they will challenge at the top, they won't get easily turned over by too many teams either.

I am not a fan of new grounds as a rule, but I have to say the facilities and stewarding at AFC Fylde were very good. However, they need to tell the sports bar next to the ground that real ale doesn't taste half as good in a plastic glass.

[Dagdale]

Pretty good report above so not too much to add but one thing that wasn't mentioned and I know that works for both sides that wind was extremely strong, the away terrace (which was over three quarters high covered) we were on only had about eight steps (if not that) from top to bottom and anybody on the lower levels brave enough to hang about there needed to hold on for dear life. In that club bar Bradley's before game it could run up there as on par with a top flight club, certainly along with Macclesfield Town's the best I've experienced, but couldn't agree more why like Solihull Moors last season decide at about 1 to throw pretty decent beer into plastic cups and worse still hold on to your glass to order another one to be given back one lightweight , was there really any need for that hardly a high category game?

[SUSSEX DAGGER]

Just seen the highlights which I was dreading given the reports.

Therefore was very pleased with what I saw as we certainly seem to create plenty.

Once again the goals we shipped looked pretty poor and once we get that right then we will be up there with the best I am sure

[A S dagger97]

Why is it that whenever there is a cross into our box no one ever attacks it. We always leave a tap in or allow the ball to bounce (twice in some cases). I can't tell who is the weaker of our defenders at the moment but I'm hopefull that Doey won't be out for too long as he must naturally give the the others a bit of confidence and adds a lot more all round defensive abilities mainly his pace which were missing.
Its a good thing we still have no problem the other end scoring goals and when we go a goal down towards the end of a match, I beleive we can still get back into it because we've managed to so many times. its a credit to the positive attitude and ability to create chances late in games when we're behind.