Not the result we wanted tonight. We have great coaches and will be stronger. Fans were ledge, result hurts but #WeGoAgain and will put it right Saturday
Yeah try not giving away injury time penalties away from home.
'We have great coaches'. Err, what? Goldberg?! We only have one qualified coach and that's Hugo! Or perhaps you mean the bus that takes the team to matches...who knows lol.
Those first 4 points were good returns, Billy a tight match won in the last minute - Bath the horror show. Nothing to worry about. Just aim for 7 from 18 points, then increase that to 9-12 from 18 in the upcoming 6 games which on paper are "easier".
-- Edited by Wingman1963 on Wednesday 14th of August 2019 02:51:44 PM
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WE ARE ON A JOURNEY.....................................via Marbella
Anyone just looking at the result last night would not have realised we came close to winning the match. We had lots of possession and were attacking for large spells in the second half. Final ball let us down a bit though. Penalty was a blow but the performance, after the Bath game, wasnt. McCallum - good and a cracking goal.
We have played some decent teams but I think the results and goals will come when we play others.
I don't expect to go to Billericay and play them off the park but by the end of the first half we were doing very well to still be on level terms, which I don't think we should forget.
We did come more in to the match in the second half although once they were down to 10 I had the nagging doubt we'd go for it more and wind up giving it away. A reasonable performance but we need to learn quickly that sometimes in these circumstances ensuring you come away with at least a point is ultimately better than gambling on getting three against the better sides
Given I have seen two goals scored in a defeat and a draw I must have missed how you can get a win in normal time by scoring nil. That might improve our prospects though
I pretty much agree with Stafford's assessment of the game.
Once again we were terribly slow out of the blocks, the central midfield were far too deep and the spaces between front and back too big (see Bath 10/08/19) To be fair Billericay were popping the ball around very well and moving it quickly and outnumbering us in midfield (as they should in all truth with the amount of money and players they are currently "attracting" to the club) We started to come into a bit towards half time and it was a belter from Mccallum (a big positive on the night after no pre season at all) that got us level although, in truth, we were fortunate not be one or two behind at half time. Whilst they appeared to be no changes in formation in the second half we were infinitely better and grew into the game and started pressing them, passing the ball much better and using the flanks well. The longer the half went on the stronger we looked and the side more likely to win the game. However the set pieces were poor (come back soon Jebby...) and we snatched at a couple of decent opportunities when a bit of composure was needed. Strangely going from 11 v 11 to 11 v 10 actually worked against us. We seem to go all out for the three points, stopped passing the ball and the shape of the team went completely. I suppose we shouldn't criticise the team for trying to win the game but a point would still have been a decent result and we might have got the three had we stuck to what got us on top in the second half. Having seen the highlights it is even more galling to lose when it looks pretty clear that the penalty wasn't actually a penalty as the challenge was outside the box..?!
The second half performance was good and light years away from what was served up against Bath. We now have more of a squad to choose from but the midfield conundrum is still there and needs to be solved sooner rather than later. As hard as the lad Copeland tried he was like a fish out of water on a Tuesday night and might have seen a red card as well. We need to start much much better on Saturday than we have in the last two games and be on the front foot from the start and the results will start to come.
First half looked a bit peaky (but that equaliser... marvellous from the corner I was in!). Second half with that wing play looked lovely - need a bit more of that. Shame to have then lost so close to the end and especially with Billericay a man down. Still happy to have taken the drive over anyway - and very decent tea strangely for £1 a cup in the little kiosk. Cheesy chips need to be microwaved, mind!
