Looking at the teams just behind us, Notts County might not be our big worry - Exeter and Coventry have - on paper at least, and this league constantly shows us the table means nothing at times - far easier run-ins, and Coventry in particular are on great form.
I cant wait for Friday, though I'm simultaneously dreading it.
Tight margins. Not losing is a positive and some of the struggling teams have given us more trouble than the promotion favourites! County will need more from next week than we will! Amazed that a port vale fan on their forum still questioned the right of our 18 goal, 14 assists striker to be playing football!!
That Notts County result has put a spring in my step after yesterday. Could be an interesting few weeks. I think we are now playing for third as I reckon 1st & 2nd are unrealistic now but I’d settle for that
County can't be that bad again on Friday. Chesterfield were very impressive, especially Andy Kellett, someone needs to do a job on him when we go there. I don't think it will be 5-0 this time.
Hopefully we find it a little easier against County than we did yesterday as they will try and play for the win and thus be more open themselves at the back.
Post Vale primarily played to avoid defeat by nullifying Bayo, which they did very well. Anything beyond that would have been a bonus for them realistically. As it turned out we didn't find a way to get much second ball off Bayo - except the final 5 minutes or so - nor did we manage to get either Freeman or Tyson involved much with balls over the top into the acres of space their high line left.
Maybe taking Bayo off for CMS could have been a good move. It certainly would have given the centre backs something different to contend with. Truth is we will never know and we did nearly score from a Bayo flick down to CMS anyway.
Had we turned the last two home draws into wins we'd be equal top on 74 points now. That's more a compliment to how well we have played so far this season than a wistful look to what might have been.
Heresy though it might sound, I would have taken Bayo off in favour of Kashket at about 60 mins. Their 33 was doing a physical job on him and the referee was seeing nothing wrong and was unlikely to change his perspective. Ok he almost decapitated Scotty with a couple of minutes to go but apart from that the ref thought he was just super.
They didn't look particularly mobile across the back two and normally to nullify Bayo you need two players causing gaps. Not yesterday
Vale also had three very useful players in Montano, Barnett and Whitfield. A horrible ==== Montano is I know but his pushing on kept our width busy.
What a result!
Despite the argument one poster was making the other day of the Notts County game not being a highly important one, if we could beat them, we'd put a real gap between ourselves.
If not though, we'd potentially let Exeter back in with their game in hand, and a whole stacked playoff zone too.
@Malone said:
What a result!
Despite the argument one poster was making the other day of the Notts County game not being a highly important one, if we could beat them, we'd put a real gap between ourselves.
If not though, we'd potentially let Exeter back in with their game in hand, and a whole stacked playoff zone too.
It's going to be a big finish, 7 games to go!
I assume that you’re referring to me but I did not say that the County game was unimportant, I said it will not define our entire season and it still won’t despite their unexpected defeat today. Will a win give us breathing space over them? Yes, of course it will but as you have acknowledged, there are several other teams in the equation and your point about season defining could just as easily be applied to the Accrington game.
It was slightly surreal yesterday, seeing a grand old club like Port Vale coming to Adams Park and just setting out to stop us playing. There was something a little sad about it, like seeing a old actor you used to admire reduced to doing cheesy pantos in Margate.
We've done it ourselves of course, sadly, and Port Vale are down there fighting for their lives so I can't really complain about them doing everything they can to scrap for every point they can get, but based purely on that one showing, for me they were right up there with the old Stevenage and Northampton sides for niggling fouls and gamesmanship. It made me grateful that we've progressed hugely, if perhaps not entirely, from playing like that. The Vale fans will be delighted with the result, but I wonder how many of them are really, truly happy at the way they conducted themselves on the pitch, particularly the appalling kicking the ball out for a throw-in very early on in the game, which as someone else said set the tone for the rest of the game.
The ref started off inconsistent and then his performance and grip of the game suddenly dropped off a cliff. Bayo was booked for persistent fouling, yet Howkins escaped a booking despite being caught a good 3-5 times (of the 20-odd times he did it) tearing Bayo's short off his back. Part of my desperation for us to be promoted is to see us hopefully getting some slightly better match officials next season.
The reaction of their 'keeper at the end said it all, as did the galling sight of a beaming Aspin giving the ref a hug as if he'd just scored their winner. I have no issue with Port Vale and there's no-one at the bottom of League Two who I'd particularly 'like' to see go down, but based on what I saw yesterday, Vale probably deserve to.
On the plus side, not an awful performance, just let ourselves down in the final third a bit and the back still looks a little shaky, although Vale rarely troubled us. Kashket looked lively and I thought Freeman started very well before fading. We played some good stuff on the ground at first before being dragged more and more into a game of hoofball. Great to see Harriman back on the bench, but what I wouldn't give to have Stewart back in the side.
The 500 Club event was good fun, despite the delayed start (due to drugs testers - no fault of the club) meaning I had to leave about halfway through. Had a good chat with Beanie.
Thanks to my new friend Roy for sorting me out with a ticket.
@Jonny_King walk this straight line please. Won't be able to make the game back in the homeland but if we get something from county that would set us up nicely. Hat trick for a lump who should not be playing football?
Not important Jonny. It was simply that I spotted him in the Caledonian Suite before the game and hadn’t seen him since the Trust AGM. Elderly gent. And Reginalds seem to be disappearing faster than Michaels. Not many in the Harriman age group!
Comments
Looking at the teams just behind us, Notts County might not be our big worry - Exeter and Coventry have - on paper at least, and this league constantly shows us the table means nothing at times - far easier run-ins, and Coventry in particular are on great form.
I cant wait for Friday, though I'm simultaneously dreading it.
Tight margins. Not losing is a positive and some of the struggling teams have given us more trouble than the promotion favourites! County will need more from next week than we will! Amazed that a port vale fan on their forum still questioned the right of our 18 goal, 14 assists striker to be playing football!!
Exeter have a difficult game away to Lincoln on Friday.
Why is the dead rubber PNL game on Sky?
Well obviously because they're A Big Club.
(never forget, they won a cup once).
Viewing figures
That Notts County result has put a spring in my step after yesterday. Could be an interesting few weeks. I think we are now playing for third as I reckon 1st & 2nd are unrealistic now but I’d settle for that
The way this is going, we are going to have a last day where we could come anywhere from 3rd to 6th.
County can't be that bad again on Friday. Chesterfield were very impressive, especially Andy Kellett, someone needs to do a job on him when we go there. I don't think it will be 5-0 this time.
I take back what I said, the PNL game has provided great entertainment value - missed pen immediately followed by a red card for them.
Hopefully we find it a little easier against County than we did yesterday as they will try and play for the win and thus be more open themselves at the back.
Post Vale primarily played to avoid defeat by nullifying Bayo, which they did very well. Anything beyond that would have been a bonus for them realistically. As it turned out we didn't find a way to get much second ball off Bayo - except the final 5 minutes or so - nor did we manage to get either Freeman or Tyson involved much with balls over the top into the acres of space their high line left.
Maybe taking Bayo off for CMS could have been a good move. It certainly would have given the centre backs something different to contend with. Truth is we will never know and we did nearly score from a Bayo flick down to CMS anyway.
Had we turned the last two home draws into wins we'd be equal top on 74 points now. That's more a compliment to how well we have played so far this season than a wistful look to what might have been.
Roll on Friday and 3pts at County...
Heresy though it might sound, I would have taken Bayo off in favour of Kashket at about 60 mins. Their 33 was doing a physical job on him and the referee was seeing nothing wrong and was unlikely to change his perspective. Ok he almost decapitated Scotty with a couple of minutes to go but apart from that the ref thought he was just super.
They didn't look particularly mobile across the back two and normally to nullify Bayo you need two players causing gaps. Not yesterday
Vale also had three very useful players in Montano, Barnett and Whitfield. A horrible ==== Montano is I know but his pushing on kept our width busy.
What a result!
Despite the argument one poster was making the other day of the Notts County game not being a highly important one, if we could beat them, we'd put a real gap between ourselves.
If not though, we'd potentially let Exeter back in with their game in hand, and a whole stacked playoff zone too.
It's going to be a big finish, 7 games to go!
I assume that you’re referring to me but I did not say that the County game was unimportant, I said it will not define our entire season and it still won’t despite their unexpected defeat today. Will a win give us breathing space over them? Yes, of course it will but as you have acknowledged, there are several other teams in the equation and your point about season defining could just as easily be applied to the Accrington game.
It was slightly surreal yesterday, seeing a grand old club like Port Vale coming to Adams Park and just setting out to stop us playing. There was something a little sad about it, like seeing a old actor you used to admire reduced to doing cheesy pantos in Margate.
We've done it ourselves of course, sadly, and Port Vale are down there fighting for their lives so I can't really complain about them doing everything they can to scrap for every point they can get, but based purely on that one showing, for me they were right up there with the old Stevenage and Northampton sides for niggling fouls and gamesmanship. It made me grateful that we've progressed hugely, if perhaps not entirely, from playing like that. The Vale fans will be delighted with the result, but I wonder how many of them are really, truly happy at the way they conducted themselves on the pitch, particularly the appalling kicking the ball out for a throw-in very early on in the game, which as someone else said set the tone for the rest of the game.
The ref started off inconsistent and then his performance and grip of the game suddenly dropped off a cliff. Bayo was booked for persistent fouling, yet Howkins escaped a booking despite being caught a good 3-5 times (of the 20-odd times he did it) tearing Bayo's short off his back. Part of my desperation for us to be promoted is to see us hopefully getting some slightly better match officials next season.
The reaction of their 'keeper at the end said it all, as did the galling sight of a beaming Aspin giving the ref a hug as if he'd just scored their winner. I have no issue with Port Vale and there's no-one at the bottom of League Two who I'd particularly 'like' to see go down, but based on what I saw yesterday, Vale probably deserve to.
On the plus side, not an awful performance, just let ourselves down in the final third a bit and the back still looks a little shaky, although Vale rarely troubled us. Kashket looked lively and I thought Freeman started very well before fading. We played some good stuff on the ground at first before being dragged more and more into a game of hoofball. Great to see Harriman back on the bench, but what I wouldn't give to have Stewart back in the side.
The 500 Club event was good fun, despite the delayed start (due to drugs testers - no fault of the club) meaning I had to leave about halfway through. Had a good chat with Beanie.
Thanks to my new friend Roy for sorting me out with a ticket.
*To clarify, I had to leave early to catch a train, not because I was worried about being drugs tested myself.
It was Reg, not Roy. Perhaps I should have been tested...
Reg of Treasurer fame?
@Jonny_King walk this straight line please. Won't be able to make the game back in the homeland but if we get something from county that would set us up nicely. Hat trick for a lump who should not be playing football?
@micra I don't know I'm afraid.
Not important Jonny. It was simply that I spotted him in the Caledonian Suite before the game and hadn’t seen him since the Trust AGM. Elderly gent. And Reginalds seem to be disappearing faster than Michaels. Not many in the Harriman age group!