JgFc wrote:

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Careful guys, they are getting offended at mentions they are bringing a car load. They did bring 21 fans the last time they came to Welling so we need to not under estimate their travelling numbers. 21 is more than Boreham Wood and Staines bring. Cant see them singing a lot so good chance for our fans to make themselves heard.

I cant wait for Saturday its going to be a knockout day.

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 It certainly turned out to be a 'knockout day'. Trouble is that the 'knockout' came from the opposition! Too much chit chat taking place about who to play in the next round before trying to get the business done in this one. Seen and heard it all before, smacks of 'counting chickens' etc etc. Underestimate at your peril!!!

I thought the ref was pretty good right up to the first penalty. Diablical decision and he went downhill after that and booked just about anything that moved.

Stortford deserved their win though with some good passing.

We just didn't seem to turn up again for a cup match.

We had an injury to our left back, which lead to our right back playing at left back, centre back at right back and the always disastrous centre back pairing of Anthony and Martin in the middle. The defence should be built around having Franks in the middle, as it has been proven time after time that Martin & Anthony doesnt work. Anthony looks a different player when next to Franks/Parkinson.

Good shout Tom and even from my position in the old stand, it was a great tackle. When Ash complained to the lino and fourth official, the 4th said that he hadn't seen it, yet he saw another incident much further away a little later. Also on the subject, why was the 4th always winking at the lino and why did the ref come out in the second half, stand and chat to Stringer, then walk away smiling?

OK, tenuous links I know, but Stringer and his assisstant were always outside their area and mainly standing on the pitch. 4th asked them a few times to get back, then gave up. Their keeper was a piss taker, as were most of their players, surrounding the ref if one of their ' players ' went down on the slightest touch.

Apart from the ref being as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike and our players not beginning to gel together as a team, the afternoon was OK.  Why do we not play to our strengths againgst lower opposition?

Firstly the positives:

Rosscoe - today was further evidence that Jamie's unearthed another gem. He was one of the only starting players to give 100% and seem like he was fully committed to the cause today. Delighted that he's on a contract for the rest of the season. Unlucky not to score. 

Jon Main - once again when he came on proved that he's still the best finisher in non-league football. If (and admittedly that may be a big if) he's anywhere near fully fit he should be starting almost every week

Loui Faz - played out of position yet again but still tried to get up and down and once more put in a consistent performance

Now the (numerous) negatives:

Jake Gallagher - lost count of the number of times he gave the ball away in midfield and looked really out of his depth again

Sam Mott - distribution was really poor today and was to blame for the third goal, forcing Fraser Franks to give away the penalty

Joe Healy & Lee Clarke - totally anonymous today. Been brilliant for us for years though so can't be too harsh on them

KHM - undoubedly a talented player but seems scared to run at players

The referee - shocking all match. Penalty was an unbelievably bad decision and changed the flow of the game completely. Anthony was having a good game before that and his confidence was obviously shook after from it. Having said that our reaction to the goal was terrible. Started feeling sorry for ourselves and we deserved to lose the match overall as Bishop's Stortford wanted it far more than us - their 9 was a brute of a player and MOTM for me

To be honest i've given up on having a decent FA Cup run for a few years yet. We were terrible in the two previous rounds and were fortunate to get through against lower league opposition. I'd be very surprised if Jamie is that bothered about the cup, and his reaction on Kent Radio afterwards along the lines of "we're disappointed but everyone will forget this if we do well in the league for the next month".

I suppose first and foremost he's judged on league form though and he's been the best manager we've had since i've supported us (only 7 years admittedly) and we're very lucky to have him so can't blame him for it too much, disappointing as it is

Overall a grim day but move on to a huge match at Maidenhead next week, fully expecting the lads to bounce back and get 3 points

JgFc wrote:

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They arent lower oppo and it was mentioned in the new stand that the ref was with Stringer before the second half started and it got a few fans questioning it.

Whilst you cant deny on balance they deserved it ..... thats all AFTER the penalty was given so i believe strongly the ref affected the game and Stortford got a huge advantage from a poor decision when it was an even game and 0-0. What went on after i would have thought wouldnt, had we not been 1-0 down and had a defender booked. The fact weve lost one league game in over a season at home and were at least as good as Stortford before the penalty was given would support that.

Nothing wrong with the 2nd goal or the sending off, but we had been snookered by the penalty he awarded.


Refs shouldnt affect games, and especially not big games like today with a game changing incorrect decision that if Stortford get a dream draw could be very costly and had been the catalyst.

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 They are 16th in the Conny North - lower than us

They wanted it, we appeared not to

Would like to see that on video

100% agree

Anyway, let's now concentrate on the League - onwards and upwards

COYW

I hope they get a great draw, non league teams could use all the help they get. Despite having death threats and threats of noncey abuse against my family from one of their fans for months in emails and on his forum ... i couldnt hope their club got crap treatment just for one fan being a complete idiot.

It will be good for non league if some of the smaller clubs get great draws and exposure on tv and money and i hope stortford get a cracker.

It could also motivate our players. How you respond to adversity shapes your future, we are sitting nicely in the league so if we respond well we can have a great season and there is always the fa trophy to have a cup run, weve reached the quarter finals before so lets reach the semis at least?

THE BLONDE KID IN A HOODIE wrote:

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Would have has an amazing chance for 2nd round proper, would have had Hastings at Home

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 What's the point of harping on - we couldn't even beat Stortford. They were up for it, we weren't.

PS - in the fixtures list, it shows that we lost 3 - 0 . I thought that it was 3 - 1

Russ wrote:

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Christian wrote:

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Sam Mott - distribution was really poor today and was to blame for the third goal, forcing Fraser Franks to give away the penalty

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How? Franks made the decision to handle it, nobody else.

 

Ok maybe he didn't literally force him to give away the penalty. He put him in a tough position though by not getting to the ball before their 9 and failing to put it into touch

Seeing we'd have had Hastings at home is gutting, ffs