A great result at the end of the day (especially after being behind at half time) but everything in the garden was far from rosy.
Aside from the early goal for the first 20-25 minutes we were appalling. Full backs all at sea, losing second balls all over the pitch and quite frankly we were lucky to be only one behind at that stage. How we managed to concede a goal from our own attacking corner beggars belief (the set pieces were poor all game) When the bloke got the ball on the half way line you shepherd him back towards his own goal or, failing that, just clean him out. To let him turn and run unchallenged from the halfway line and score was naïve at best! After a great start to the game we needed to do the basics properly and keep them out of the game for 10-15 minutes - not let them back into it and nearly take the game away from us in the opening quarter?!
On the positive side we came back well towards the end of the first half and limited them to very little at all in the second half. Goldberg was a constant threat up front - he does have good movement and make a lot of intelligent runs off the ball and their two big centre backs couldn't handle him. He took the winner very well - ball of the match from Johnson and finished with aplomb - he has missed a few one on ones this season but he finished this one really well. I didn't really understand any of the substitutions if I am being honest but to move him back behind the striker when he had already scored twice and was scaring them every time he got the near the ball was especially baffling?! To be behind at half time on that surface and fight back and win the game shows plenty of spirit and character in the team.
I am all for clubs progressing through the pyramid and Poole have gone forward very quickly over the last few years culminating in making the play offs last season. However at some point the facilities have to catch up with the team and this is patently not the case down there. One end of the pitch resembled a ploughed field and the "stadium" itself leaves a lot be desired. It is basically a glorified park pitch with a rail around it and the facilities off the pitch are not a great deal better either. I realise that PVR is not exactly the Camp Nou and clubs don't have money to throw at facilities but I am not quite sure how this place even passes the basic criteria for National South??
So two wins in a row and the play offs still a realistic target. However we have played two poor sides in Eastbourne and Poole and Braintree will be a different test entirely. They are probably still the best team I have seen us play this season and are a young, hungry and fast team (not like the Braintree we know and love!) We need to sort out these slow starts to games and be switched on from the start.
their fans are a bit special , it was like being in a Simon Pegg and Nick Frost film, proper weirdos, just glad we beat them and hope they go down. Their manager is a massive male chicken too, every time we've played them hes gone mad.
Poole Down Ferel Clowns, Royston Veysey meets the wicker man
-- Edited by TheGhostOfJodyBrown on Tuesday 23rd of January 2018 02:46:33 PM