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Tony Kessell

0 (0%)

Tommy Osborne

2 (10%)

Steve Norman

1 (5%)

Brad Potter

0 (0%)

Richard Avery

1 (5%)

Lew Watts

0 (0%)

Ryan Hayes

0 (0%)

Jay May

4 (20%)

Brendon Cass

1 (5%)

Eddie McClements

11 (55%)

Mark Green

0 (0%)

Steve Hafner (sub)

0 (0%)

James Carter (Sub)

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 20

Voting closed: April 10, 2007, 07:07:57 AM

[MrGaz10]

Had the delights of watching the game from the main stand today (hosted by a K's fan). You get a good overall view of the game and hopefully can add some balanced comments.
Lets face it lads we lack the quality on the pitch to be serious playoff contenders. We played a very average side today and we couldn't lift our game. I don't deny the players and management battle and have great spirit but yet again we weren't at the races.
Lets hit the main incidents first (and I'll add in the thoughts of the K's fans sitting around me). Cassie was clearly caught by the defender (headbutt) and if the ref has seen it he cannot give a yellow card it has to be red - we were all in agreement that he wanted to avoid the big decision and took the easy option of booking both players. Jay May - never a yellow and even the K's fans thought it should have been our freekick. When the yellow came out there was laughter in the stand as no-one could quite believe it. The general feeling was the play acting and couple of players surrounding the ref influenced his decision. The penalty - as clear cut as can be. I took the comments in jest as people said it couldn't be our day, was the ref from Kingston etc but the passionate K's fan a row in front summed it up when he said "this guys not got a clue". If he is accusing Cassie of diving then surely that is a yellow card and in his case a second so an automatic red! To be quite honest a penalty and a 2-1 win would have covered a hell of a lot of cracks.
I appreciate concerns about the pitch but we do not play the type of football that fits our players. Ryno sat on the toucline all game but he got 5 passes to feet in the 79 mins he was on - the rest were long balls to chase and throat high cross field balls. The K's players and fans had our game sussed in about 15 minutes as did the Dulwich team last week - bang it long to the big No 8 (or little No 9 if its misplaced) then wait for a flick on or knock down. Any half decent coach at this level tells his players to get tight and pick up the knock down ball. We cut sides apart when we pass and move quickly - Eddie Mc is the best passer in the league but his game now revolves around watching the ball sail over his head and winning the occasional header. When we get it down on the deck to him we play (Chances against Dulwich and goal today). We can all moan at Ryno for not working hard enough but if he got good ball he could destroy teams - what did he have today? This was summed up by the groans when he turned and run into 3 players - why did it happen - chest high pass and no options.
I don't want to knock any of the players or management but it has to be said we got to the top of the league playing football and not by trying to scrap out results. Lets play our style of football and let the oppo worry about us - not the other way round. I'll be back behind the goal again on Monday and a bit more vocal in my support but two games on the side has confirmed my fears about the run in.
Looks like todays results overall were ok for us, now lets really rise to the occassion on Monday and get a result that gives Hastings something to think about!

MOM Jay May - When the games played in the air the tallest guy comes out on top!

[Silverado]

Do I hear the fat lady clearing her throat....?

[MrGaz10]

Perhaps started to sing the first verse!

But were still in there until she finishes the song!!!!!

[DartDan]

Shocking is all we was today ok so i was expecting great things from us , perhaps an unbeaten run to the finish who knows but we didnt look in the game today.
Ok we have no devine right to win any game in this league but am i the only one to be getting fed up with these 80ft balls and air shots which we never seem to win ??
We have the class in Cass & May to finish so why are we playing this long ball hit it and hope game.
Kingstonian were at best a mediocre side today and we flattered them
I for one think we need a bit of height as well to our game our only dominating player is James Carter at the moment lets see him play a bit more.
Heres hoping for a playoff place

Cheers Dan

COYD  

[Martin C]

We huffed and puffed but really we didn't get it going again. Wing play was non-existent, the few times we played it around we looked good but it wasn't often enough.

It takes confidence, composure and ability to play an effective passing game, and at the moment ability is the only one for which we can tick the box. It's no good being able to do something if you don't do it.

At the moment it looks like a bridge too far. It has been a tough season, and difficult effectively playing away for two thirds of the games. I think the pressure and expectation has played a part in the inconsistency shown in the last third of the season. The opposition have been stronger than I expected all season but without sounding too uppety, if our ambitions are to move forward, we really should be beating teams like Kingstonian.

It's not over just yet, but we are going to have to burn the form book if we are to get enough points to finish in the play-off places. It's a question of having the balls - time to answer it.

[roger]

  We started like lions and finished like lambs ,in a game that we had to win the perfomance was well below the level we know that the team are capable of,Jay lead the line well my man of the match and Eddie also played well but we should be beating teams of this standard.I would be heartbroken if we didn,t make the play offs but any more performances like this and we can kiss goodbye to any chances of promotion.All teams need a bit of luck now and then but it seems ours has run out.I hope i.m wrong but it,s getting a bit worrying but a win on monday would ease the fears.UP THE DARTS

[Gilesy]

Gutted is how i feel i don't normally comment on what  xthink does but i have to wonder why we never make a sub till there is 10 minutes to go we have the likes of Jimmy cater on the bench who i for one think deserves a start he has the abilty to get things done.

Eddie, Jay, Cass work rate this season has been non-stop to say the least.

We need to be fired up on Monday and ready for anything if we want to forward to the next level which we can do.

Hold on it's going to a tight ride.

But i believe if any one can take us to the next level its  xcass xeddie

Keep the faith.

Come on you Darts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TREVOR B]

All the players gave 100% commitment for the first 15-20 minutes of the game as we looked really dangerous.

It included Jay chesting the ball down with his back to the goal turning and knocking the ball into Eddie's path, whereby Eddie toe ended the ball past a defender, jumped over the tackle and let fly into the far corner of the net.

Followed later by a strike from a Kingstonian which I thought took a deflection at first but on second thoughts appeared to be a shot that spun off the outside of the boot curving away wickedly to deceive Tony who got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out.

After this first 15-20 minute spell half our players lost their commitment and effort dropped considerably leaving us to lower standards down to Kingstonians level with only Eddie and Jay up front and Richard and Lew in defence looking interested, with Ryan, Greenie and Brad way of form.

The pitch some will say led to us hoofing the ball in the air on numerous occasions but to me it looked as if we had decided to resort to this tactic once they had drawn level and couldn't get back to playing football as in the early part of the game.

Very few shots by us full stop, never mind being on target, as Jay had to resort to winning balls in the air and flicking them on for most of the game, rarely seeing Cassie or Ryno creating anything from the pick ups, but at least Jay and Eddie kept on trying

We are not consistant enough to be able to hang on to a play-off spot or quite honestly even deserve one, so even with a win on Monday we will have to wait and see what Fleet and Dover do with a game in hand and then also pray that we are lucky enough to beat Hastings next week to give us some hope and then that the results of others goes our way till the end of the season.

It's a long old three weeks to go and with too many below par performances so far this season I am not looking forward to this period with any real enthusiasm and will just be going through the motions a bit like the players seem to be in most games of late, perhaps we have all accepted that our fate is in the hands of others and what will be will be.

[rambo]

i have just read your views MrGaz10 and whilst i was not at yesterdays game i firmly believe you are spot on.i have been saying the same things for some time now.when we decide to pass the ball we are as good as anyone in this league but we rarely do it.we also put ryan on the wing then starve him of the ball and when we do give it to him its a chaser.we should be keeping the ball on both wings as much as possible and looking for crosses that can be headers for goal and not lumps upfield that look for knockdowns.
i keep saying that ryan delivers an inswinging corner better than a lot of pro footballers and i simply cannot understand why we do not make it a tactic to win corners,i reckon we score from a ryan inswinger about 1 in 4
we are making the playoffs difficult for ourselves but i still believe we can make them but a home game seems beyond us.
whatever happens it has been an exciting and momentous season but we must improve beyond all recognition next season and somehow deliver the type of football PP desrerves.hopefully tony already knows which players he wants to bring here next season

[The 5th Searcher]

Refering to a comment by Mr Gaz and Rambo, the ball was played out to Ryno on quite a few occasions and not all at head height or long balls down the wing for him to chase but actually to him direct and all he would do is make a slight run but then stop and keep cutting back onto his left foot to then either put in an appaling cross / pass or he would lose the ball.

On quite a few occasions he had the ball yesterday but just couldn't produce the goods that is expected of him and what we all know he can do, im not just getting at Ryan though because Mark Green was just as bad on the other wing yesterday. Neither could really produce what was required and lost the ball on to many occasions, i know the pitch was atroshous especially down both wings but it looked a lot better down Ryans side in the 2nd half than what he had in the 1st. I think Ryan needs to start practicing a bit more with his right foot so at least he doesn't have to keep cutting back onto his left all the time then, it's starting to get that his play is 1 dimentional and it only takes the opposition 5 - 10 minutes to work him out.

This is being said more out of frustration than anything else because we've all seen Ryno at his best and we all know what he can do but isn't.

[rambo]

5th i cant comment on yesterday as i was not there but in the last home we did not feed ryan at all.
you mention ryan cutting the ball back to his left but there is a very easy answer to this,play a left footer on the left,i do not understand why managers at all levels play wide men on their wrong side.look what happens, the winger is flying down the wing and all the defenders are panicking trying to get in position to meet the cross,the winger then cuts back to his good foot and in a split second the defenders can reposition themselves to defend the cross better.
i am not a football coach but i wouldnt mind hearing from a manager what the benefits are of playing people on their wrong side.

[CJ]

i am not a football coach but i wouldnt mind hearing from a manager what the benefits are of playing people on their wrong side.

Well I know a man who is and he said the following:-  "Playing a left footed player on the right and vice versa enables that player to go both sides of his defender and cross with his weak foot or more positively cut in and shoot with his left foot or vice versa.  It is a positive move as it also allows a player to turn back and cross with his good foot having been shown either way by the defender.  The ability of the player makes a big difference but the player in question has more than enough ability to warrant playing on the wrong side. Also if shown inside by the defender around the halfway line being left-footed opens up the whole of the pitch passing".  I bet you wished you'd never asked now!!!

[eagle88]

 
That's almost as bad as the ofside rule explanation

[CJ]

  Yes I know what you mean!!!   He said an example of this was when Ryno scored his 2nd goal of his hatrick.

[eagle88]

Where to begin I really think we missed Guesty today, to me  xeddie was having to sit too deep compared to his normal position. As noted elsewhere in this thread when we played  our normal game they couldn't touch us. But once we resorted to 'route 1' football we gave them the chances. Nice to see  xeddie get the 100th goal (in all comps) for the season - and well taken too. I still think we will make the playoffs - just. But we will definitely have to raise our game if we do.
As to the officials well I don't want Gary to yellow or even red card me so I will refrain from saying what I feel about them. Suffice to say that they were at the usual standard that I have seen in this league this year - totally and utterly out of their depth and couldn't officiate their way out of a soggy paper bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If only we could have last weeks ref every week