FL2: Wycombe Wanderers vs Torquay United - 12th October 2013

Take the lead twice and still lose, really disappointed. That will teach me to be optimistic on a Saturday!

Been giving away soft set piece headed goals now for weeks and weeks who the hell is meant to be organising our back line?
Another three goals conceded and that's a recipe for disaster.
Hopefully signs of better things to come defense apart we must sort that out pronto I thought Knill was a central defender in the past surely he should be able to figure that one out.
I just hope the turn around comes soon and not before its all to late a place in the bottom two is beckoning.

I thought we looked half decent today. We did look suspect on every corner in the second half and, indeed it was from two of them that we conceded the second half goals. (Edit: Their second was a cross after Tonge was skinned, but still a free header as it came over) A dominant centre half in that situation is missed, as Pearce can't mark all of them. I'd probably have Azeez in our box rather than Hawley when defending corners, but really it was the lack of an other centre half that did for us. Cruise is a left back.

Our first goal was after some good link up play between Chapell and the overlapping Nicho, who got to the bye-line nicely, put a decent cross along the floor over, and via a touch from a Wycombe boot found it's way to Azeez who drilled home with aplomb from the right hand side of the box into the left hand bottom corner of the net. Good move.

Their equalizer was almost immediate. A punt for Kuffour, some debatable shoving with Pearce, but Kuffour's hand ultimately guiding the ball in front of Pearce to leave him with a simple finish. Handball not seen. 1-1. FFS

Nice header from Pearce for us to go into half time 2-1 up. He had a nice header in front of us from a corner in the second half which would have put us 3-1 up, but Wycombe's man on the post defended stoutly. Something we couldn't seem to do from corners throughout that second half.

My scores out of 10 and I tend to be generous.

Rice 6.5 Couldn't see if he was at fault for any of the corner goals, but if you never come out, you probably ain't helping at least 5 times out of 10. But a world class tip over early in the second half. Not much he could do for the Kuffour handball goal.

Tonge 6 Solid, but skinned a few times in the second half.

Pearce 8 Love the way he always looks for an option other than punting it forward or out. Quite simply our best defender.

Cruise 5.5 looks to show the ball down the line to attack it side-on rather than attack it from in front of him leaving his centre half partner at times exposed.Why? Cause he's a left back. And he'll be all the better for this experience before slotting back in at left back soon.

Nico 6.5 Good forward running. Poor distribution. Not a bad game, but slow as we know.

Chapell 6 Not one of his better games.

Mansell 5 Headless chicken, with one good defensive block at 2-2. McCourt showed more central midfield nouse in two minutes than Manse did all game.

Lathrope 7 won possession a few times rather well by terrorising his opponent's heels. Had a good game, I thought.

Azeez 8 my man of the match. Constant threat, big lad, bags of pace and well taken goal.
Benyon 5 Poor. Only looked passable in his role toward the end before subbed
Hawley 6 Better than Benyon, but not good enough today.

Subs: McCourt - Looks decent. I'd put him next to Lathrope if a two man centre midfield
Craig - came on to make it four central midfielders (He was sort of in the hole for that period) before Manse taken off. Didn't see too much of him. Greeted like the Messiah from voice that sounded like Steve Breed? just in front of me . 'At last, At last,' they cried.
Cameron - not on long but not very good with what he did do, including not get out of the way for McCourt to shoot from a rebounding corner, and skying his effort over.

Crowd - In good voice. The bloke who shouts 'second ball' all the time is a tad annoying, mind.
Ref - Shit

Well, the three goals were inevitable, the two goals unexpected. As has been said though, our defence looks like the occupants of the forward trenches on the Somme...the day after the big push! Decided to listen to Talk-Sport while masticating in a hot bath, to keep abreast of all the scores. Surprised to see we were one of the two games in league two with highlights. It didn't take long for me to be nauseated by the commentators saying how wonderful it was that the lower divisions were having their time in the spot-light...puke! The first shitty remark about us came after fifteen minutes "Well, nothing has actually happened at this match except that I've seen Helen Chamberlain in the stands!"...prick. The second shitty remark came when Pearce scored, "It brings a tear to my eye when a good player such as this descends to this level!"...arsehole.

Onto the match. So the new midfielder we have doesn't start and we continue with the same midfield that has seen us win so many matches this season! One report I read stated that McCourt did more in two minutes than Mansell did all game...expect Mansell to start the next game! Enough about the match, don't want to sound negative! York and Wycombe are the teams we have to win against to ensure our survival in the league...not concede three goal against each!

I do believe we have the draw for the FA Cup coming up on Monday, which will be a nice distraction from our struggles in the league...albeit a short distraction!

I also believe we have Mansfield coming up next week...so have one God Damn guess what my prediction league score is going to be!



   

Mmmm...maybe I was wrong about the FA Cup draw being today...when is the bloody thing anyway?

Thanks for that...It's a bugger getting old!