rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Apr 5, 2009 6:51:59 GMT
I would just like to echo the comments above really. It was one of our best performances of the season where we matched a very physical team, played the better football and left them with no plan B to counter with. What was particular pleasing was that almost everyone had good games! I was very impressed with Sturrock and he throughly deserved his MoM award.  I see from the programme that his loan will cost us nothing unless we gain promotion - a nice bit of business! I think his contract is also up with Swindon at the end of the season. Considering the size of their defence we did well to score from a flick on from a long throw in! The second goal came from pure quality from Wroe and for me was even better than the goal he scored against Histon when he burst clear of the defence from the half way line after a clever pass from Sills. What impresses me about Wroe is that apart from his passing skills, is he is so full of running and time and again see him counter attacking by taking the ball forward and still looks fresh in the 89th minute. I thought that Buckle got it spot on today! Can't please all of the the people all of the time though. The guy behind me was moaning that Buckle had no tactical nous and should have brought Benyon on - this was just before the Sturrock goal and the near miss (a good save) from a Sills glancing header. Sorry, but Sills and Sturrock look like the best combination at the moment. Just a final word - thought that Benyon was unlucky to be flagged for off side in the closing stages after a good diagonal pass from the edge of the penalty area. Did anyone from the pop side see it? |
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Post by chrish on Apr 5, 2009 7:26:43 GMT
Finally, a word about the Kettering number 17. Who is he? Where can we get one. The best player on the park................probably all season. Thank god he never got the ball in a more advance position as we could not get near him. A real waste playing so deep.  That's Andre Boucaud (or "Boo Cow" as the BBC Devon commentator insisted on calling him) and yes, in my opinion; the very best player in the BSP. A product of the Tottenham Hotspur youth development and Academy, he has been "available" for any intelligent manager to pick up for years now and was struggling away in the Peterborough United reserve side when I first cast eyes on him (our FL Members Cup tie at London Road a few years ago) and I have always noted his career moves and changes. If I was building a side for League 2, he would be top of my shopping list! If we're being pedantic if pronouncing it in the French way I would say that "Boo co" would be nearer the mark. I would guess that he pronounces it in a slightly different way now probably something like "Boo cold". |
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Post by chrish on Apr 5, 2009 7:30:17 GMT
Thanks for the match reports everyone. I'm not in the country at the moment and all I could see was the scoreline on my blackberry. 2-0 is a great result. They weren't a bad side when we played them earlier in the season.
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Post by weathergull on Apr 5, 2009 7:40:37 GMT
What? A blind man could see we needed a key to unlock the defences we`ve been up against pretty much all season, due to the market place this is the first one we have had good fortune with. Bloody good bloke in my opinion, had a chat after the game, he will do us proud! Sigh!  |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Apr 5, 2009 17:53:35 GMT
many thanks for all the great match reports and sorry I did not do one myself.I have enjoyed taking a note pad and pen and while using the big clock in the family stand, writing down the action as it happened and then trying to make some sense of it once I got home. Yesterday was my first ever match in the family stand, I wanted to stick with Lewis and his family as it was their first game at Plainmoor. We sat to the left of the goal and from there the view of the pitch was good, just the same old thing about being at one end, trying to see what is going on up the other end. I think I heard the crowd given out as over 2500? I was surprised at this figure as the ends of the popside looked empty.Maybe they are mostly like that, but as I stand in the middle of the popside, I never really see how full it looks. I did not think the noise from the popside is very loud to those in the family stand and that also surprised me a bit, I also feel it made the game just a little bit flatter for me, not being where most of the noise comes from. It also felt just a little strange not having the people who are normally around me, but evertoned sat with me during the whole game and was good company,the only problem was I came home deaf in one ear, boy can he shout  I had forgiven him by then anyway as the dear man bought me a drink in No10's and later in the Gulls Nest, only while at the bar in NO10's he shouted over and asked what I wanted to drink. I shouted back a small coke would be fine, he looked back and asked if it was a diet coke I wanted. Cheeky young man I thought, was he trying to tell Me something. I enjoyed the game and thought we played some good football at times, I was pleased about that as I had wondered how Grahame would view the standard of football on display.I did say in the new Burton match thread I thought Dsane was poor in the first half. I do stick with that and Grahame and I talked about how Dsane failed many times to beat his man and at times his control was not to good. Dsane was much better in the second half and looked even better when he made some really good runs down the middle of the pitch. During the first half and having to look the whole length of the pitch, our efforts on goal looked very weak, but I'm sure they were not, but it was clear Robertson sure thumped the ball in good and hard. I really was glad I was in the family stand for our second goal, to see the way Sturrock placed the ball in the net was a real joy, what a game he had and he can make the difference I feel in our hopes of going back up. After the final whistle I said my thanks to Lewis and Grahame, I was touched by the very warm hug that Lewis's mum gave me as I knew she also was so touched by the whole day and one made that bit more special by the members on the forum. |
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jerry
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Post by jerry on Apr 5, 2009 20:49:30 GMT
I'd have to agree with all the previous posters really, best performance of the season without a doubt. I too had Roscoe as a close second to Sturrock as MOM!
Strangely though, the thing that impressed me the most was due to being second best at the start of the second period. I thought Kettering came out really pumped up after half time with a couple of attacking substitutions and started to look dangerous for about 10 minutes.
However, we took the game by the scruff of the neck and managed to wrest control back from them, going on to dominate the rest of the match. In earlier times we haven't seemed able to "up our game" in this way. This, I think, is testament to the desire in the squad to right last seasons wrongs and underlines the fantastic spirit in the dressing room!
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Apr 5, 2009 21:14:35 GMT
I sensed that Kettering were pumped-up as well Jerry - and I also was very impressed with the way we reacted to this - we didn't sit-back and hump balls up-field for Sills to try and work miracles with, we got in their faces and made it very difficult for them to attack.
The players must be buzzing at the final whistle - perhaps it is fortunate that we are playing Burton after their result yesterday only 48 hours after the last game?
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tufc01
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Post by tufc01 on Apr 5, 2009 23:30:42 GMT
I was meant to have posted this last night, however after the euphoria of the day I forgot to post it, so it's late as usual.
There have been several good match reports already so a couple of observations from me.
I have been a little bit critical of some parts of our performances in the last few games. I felt we were poor in the first half against Mansfield & Northwich and uninspiring against Grays, However, I thought we played very well today, maybe even excellent. For once we played well for all of the 90 minutes, rather than for the first 20 minutes or just after half time. It was a pleasing performance and comes at the perfect time. If we are able to produce performances like this for the rest of the season then automatic promotion is still not out of the question.
I actually thought Robertson had a good game. Just what you want from your centre halves, aggressive in the tackle, clear the danger (mistimed or not, row Z is better than back of our net), don’t let their players settle and a good attacking option when going forward/set plays. To get a goal was an added bonus. For me, his best game of the season. For some reason i was watching him for the goal, he arrived in the mix late, wasn’t picked up and met the ball with power, best described as unstoppable. In the last 2 games Roberston and Todd have had 5 great chances that have required excellent saves or have gone in. Add Toody’s goal at Northwich and it fully vindicates Buckles decision to go with the more attacking options that these 2 posses. I would like to see that back four remain the same for the rest of the season because they all played blinders yesterday.
Nico had his best game for a while. Manse was awesome, as was Toddy. Bevan has such a presence that you come to expect him to gather everything that goes into our box. Mansell & Carlisle have nailed that right hand side, they link up well and cause all sorts of problems going forward.
I also thought that if anyone ran Sturrock close to MoM (not that anyone did), it was Carlisle. As fit as i’ve seen him, looked fresh and worked tirelessly off the ball and in defending. He really did impress me.
With regards Dsane, I would agree with those who say he was disappointing in the first half but pulled it around in the second half. Not to dissimilar to Wroe really, he was quiet in the first half, outstanding in the second. His run for the goal shows what a top quality player he is. It was an aggressive run, at speed, exactly what defenders hate. They backed off and he caught them all flat footed and he still had the composure to lay the ball off to Sturrock as he was being brought down. Incidentally the ref made a great decision there, he was about to blow for a penalty, let play go on and then quietly indicated to the linesman that he had seen the foul but was happy to play the advantage.
One thing I would like to say about Hargreaves is that there is so much hunger in his eyes. At one point yesterday he was going for a 40-60 ball. I was in a position where he was running directly towards ‘me’. The look in his eye was quite scary. I saw in an instance how much he wanted it, almost like a man possessed, now that will do for me, you can’t ask more from a player. So for those that think he is not up for it because of the threat of not having his contract renewed, I say this; look into his eyes the next time you see him go for a ball he has no right to win, there you will see the hunger, the passion and the desire to win that tells you all you need to know about him and why he is the Captain. Hats off to you Chris and that’s why I am so glad he is out there.
Sturrock is just different class, simple as that. In fact he is actually to good for us. By that I mean that several times he controlled the ball with his chest into positions where he was expecting someone to be, but they weren’t quite up to reading it. This is not a criticism of anybody, I just think it’s because he is used to playing at a higher standard. He and Sills are already forming a good understanding. After the Mansfield game I said that he gave a master-class in playing centre forward, today was no different. He could actually be the difference now between us going up, or rather he could be that final piece in the jigsaw.
The team that started yesterday is, IMO, the best starting line up we have with the only question mark about who plays opposite Carlisle. I don’t think Dsane is the answer, but as frustrating as he can be we get more from him than we do Carayol or Stevens.
The crowd was really good today. I know an early’ish goal helps, but it’s the first time this season I have heard the “Paul Buckles Yellow Army” chant. Fickle it may be, but most welcome it certainly is.
To sum it up, what a difference from the last time we played Kettering. I wrote then that we were out thought, outfought and outplayed. Today was the opposite and probably the most complete performance I have seen this season. Up there with the first half at Wrexham, but better in a sense because we kept it up for the whole game. So full credit to Paul Buckle for that, proving that he learnt from his mistake at the away game. He also has the players looking fresh, fit and hungry. Long may it continue. The timing is perfect, now is a great time to run into a spot of good form.
Also, it was even more surreal after the day we had that the results elsewhere went absolutely in our favour. A win on Monday would be perfect and with Histon, Cambridge & Kidderminster all having really tough games on Tuesday, it could look mightily good come Wednesday morning.
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Post by yellowstew on Apr 6, 2009 0:25:54 GMT
It was me that got the Paul Buckles yellow army chant going and the reason for doing it was the following....
weather you like the man or not weather you believe he is the man for the job matters not a jott. In my veiw he HAS to be the man as I cant stand another bl**dy season in this leauge!
Its about trying to educate the younger lads after the chant I followed it up with UNITED and for a reason as this is what we all have to be for the next six maybe nine games.
We got the lad with the drum to hand it over to Hayden (anyone who dosn`t know him he`s the former fat bald guy who nows just bald lol!!) also chairman of the trust and am trying to get him to bring his own drum out of retirement (It was him and hells bells who got Plainmoor rocking when Buckle was a player in 93-94.) but hes not to keen i don`t think so if anyone else knows him pester him !!
stewart
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Fonda
TFF member
Talking absolute football...
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Post by Fonda on Apr 6, 2009 8:00:46 GMT
Well that was a pretty superb weekend! We were excellent and got a great result, and pretty much every other result went for us too. Happy days. Not sure if Kettering just had a bad day, but we made them look decidedly average. Defensively, the re-introduction of a Manse at right-back, and Robbo moving across into the centre had exactly the desired effect, and probably should be our first-choice back-four ongoing. We looked more soild than we have done since Woods’ departure. And Blair Sturrock certainly adds a degree of intelligence to our attacking play. All things considered, very positive, and the signs are good for the run in. If we can find the right occasion to give Greavsie a weekend off at some stage, we’ll be in good shape. I didn't even hear any mindless abuse from our supporters at Roscoe or Carlisle! The performance was such, even i'm looking forward to the Burton game with a degree of optimism...
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Post by romfordkev on Apr 6, 2009 12:45:12 GMT
73 min: 2-0 ~ Sturrock and we have a 100/1 winner of the National ( Mon Mome) I bet no-one got that one and my selection fell at the second!  That's where you are wrong my dear old china - 3 minutes before the race, couple of quid left in my Bet365 account....£1 E/W MON MOME!!! The times are good today....sounds like a good performance as well for the lads on the TFF's big day out. And the afternoon got even better!! Pulled off a tasty little SEVENFOLD footy bet on Saturday. Thanks to the efforts of Southend (8/5), Peterborough (6/5), Rotherham (6/4), Kidderminster (6/5), Inverness CT (6/5), Livingston (13/10) and finally, East Stirlingshire (6/4)............my little £5 note turned into an impressive £1989.85!!  Thats works out at a shade under 398/1 !!  Happy Days!  |
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I see from the programme that his loan will cost us nothing unless we gain promotion - a nice bit of business! I think his contract is also up with Swindon at the end of the season.
