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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: One Foot in the Grave on February 10, 2020, 08:35:56 AM
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Forecast isn't too bad - minimal chance of rain, temperatures above freezing, but windy (which should help to dry the pitch in the wake of Storm Ciara). I trust that the lessons of our last visit will have been learned, and we don't trek all the way up there on another wild goose chase (fortunately I missed that debacle, but I'm on the coach tomorrow).
We'll need to be better than we were on Saturday. They're unbeaten in four, and held Brackley to a draw on Saturday. Interestingly, the last team to win there were Kettering.
A draw wouldn't be a disaster, but a win would give us a massive boost. Let's do this !
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Drawing away to teams like that, shows that we are on the right track. Will be very very tough though.
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Interesting to see who plays LB. Thought Malarkey did ok on Saturday but Spennymoor are a different kettle of fish. If Richman is fit enough to start wouldn't be surprised to see him at RB and Densmore move to LB. Whatever happens desperately need White back.
Spennymoor 1-1 Alty. Moult
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The issue with the weather may not be the state of the pitch, but the travel.
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https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/Spennymoor
A bit more rain on top of what fell on Sunday. The wind gusts will make it a tough game to pass and play our game.
A nice early pitch inspection.
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Correction. I'm not going tomorrow. I've started with a streaming cold so I'm dosing myself for the trip to Blyth.
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https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/Spennymoor
A bit more rain on top of what fell on Sunday. The wind gusts will make it a tough game to pass and play our game.
A nice early pitch inspection.
Let's hope so on your last point.
Evesham United had told Gloucester City there would be no need for an inspection tonight, then, when King's Lynn Town have travelled and arrived, the match referee calls it off.
Is it me or is this happening more and more often for midweek games?
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https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/Spennymoor
A bit more rain on top of what fell on Sunday. The wind gusts will make it a tough game to pass and play our game.
A nice early pitch inspection.
Let's hope so on your last point.
Evesham United had told Gloucester City there would be no need for an inspection tonight, then, when King's Lynn Town have travelled and arrived, the match referee calls it off.
Is it me or is this happening more and more often for midweek games?
Unacceptable. These instances need bringing up with the league. 270 mile round trip for players, officials and fans wasted. Time off work wasted. Fuel wasted. Money wasted. Time wasted.
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Correction. I'm not going tomorrow. I've started with a streaming cold so I'm dosing myself for the trip to Blyth.
Last I heard you need to be dosed up to go to Blyth!
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The issue with the weather may not be the state of the pitch, but the travel.
Agreed - which was the (correct) approach taken for the City game at the weekend. Doesn't seem to be taken into account as much at this level - maybe because there's less fans?
The weather looks dreadful until at least 6pm - the ref would be well within his rights to call it off early.
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The issue with the weather may not be the state of the pitch, but the travel.
Agreed - which was the (correct) approach taken for the City game at the weekend. Doesn't seem to be taken into account as much at this level - maybe because there's less fans?
The weather looks dreadful until at least 6pm - the ref would be well within his rights to call it off early.
Fully agree. Early is important given the fiasco last time.
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Hulme and Hancock are a given.
How do we work it out with Mahon, Mooney and Durrell?
If we have all the above match fit for back end of the season it will make the difference.
Let's get the 3 points tonight.
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Weather in Spennymoor is not great and wind 45 mph plus tonight. Going to be a lottery if on.
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Hulme and Hancock are a given.
How do we work it out with Mahon, Mooney and Durrell?
If we have all the above match fit for back end of the season it will make the difference.
Let's get the 3 points tonight.
I'd expect Durrell to replace Lundstram.
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Hulme and Hancock are a given.
How do we work it out with Mahon, Mooney and Durrell?
If we have all the above match fit for back end of the season it will make the difference.
Let's get the 3 points tonight.
I'd expect Durrell to replace Lundstram.
I sincerely hope he doesn't
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Hulme and Hancock are a given.
How do we work it out with Mahon, Mooney and Durrell?
If we have all the above match fit for back end of the season it will make the difference.
Let's get the 3 points tonight.
I'd expect Durrell to replace Lundstram.
I sincerely hope he doesn't
It'll be the same starting XI and Durrell will be on the bench.
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It'll be the same starting XI and Durrell will be on the bench.
Is Hampson fit then?
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Yes Hampson is indeed fit and starts
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Hulme and Hancock are a given.
How do we work it out with Mahon, Mooney and Durrell?
If we have all the above match fit for back end of the season it will make the difference.
Let's get the 3 points tonight.
I'd expect Durrell to replace Lundstram.
I sincerely hope he doesn't
It'll be the same starting XI and Durrell will be on the bench.
Good call !
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Amazed that the match is on - won't be for the faint hearted on or off the pitch. Thanks to all who have braved the weather and travelled up for this one.
Come on Alty - I predict 5 4 to The Robins - Burrell to score hattrick in injury time after coming off the bench in the 88th minute - then get sent off.
I'd settle for 1 point though
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Good free kick by Hancock to level up. 1-1
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2 - 1 down and a missed pen from hancock
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3 1 now. We're just not good enough away unfortunately. No point being dominant if you can't take your chances, is there?
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Have we found a penalty taker at last? Come on Alty!
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3 2 ft sounds like a lot of missed chances.
2 from 6 this week. Needs to be better.
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2nd on home form
15th on away form
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The number of goals we concede from corners/set pieces if the most worrying
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The number of goals we concede from corners/set pieces if the most worrying
Totally agree. We are conceding a lot.
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The number of goals we concede from corners/set pieces if the most worrying
Not at the game, but John Laidlar site says conceded when the ball came back in after corners.......We tend to bring all ten players back for corners, hence the ball is very likely to come back as the opposition brings all their big men forward and leave several floating around the 18 yd box and just one player back......never understood this defending strategy
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Nor I Mick. The argument will be 'if it's good enough for Fergie it's good enough'
Good as reason that may be I'd have at least one on the half way
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The GK situation needs to be addressed next. Not saying it’s all TT’s fault but with Stu in his prime behind our current best other 10 players we win this league for me. Shot stopping TT is great but aerially he is poor and I never hear him organise his defence
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The Spennymoor perspective (report and photographs):
https://spennymoortownfc.co.uk/2020/02/11/match-report-moors-3-2-altrincham/ (https://spennymoortownfc.co.uk/2020/02/11/match-report-moors-3-2-altrincham/)
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I listened on RR and the match report seems fair on what I heard. Played OK, but not clinical enough. Penalty save from Josh, was a turning point.
We'll play worse and win no doubt at some point.
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Although we are the second highest scoring team (53) in the division we have conceded the most goals (39) of anyone in the top eight, and averaged 2 against in the last four games. Brackley have only conceded 17 all season.
I'd like to think that "making plan A better" includes shoring up the defence.
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A game we should have taken something from, we let them off the hook in all honesty.
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Although we are the second highest scoring team (53) in the division we have conceded the most goals (39) of anyone in the top eight, and averaged 2 against in the last four games. Brackley have only conceded 17 all season.
I'd like to think that "making plan A better" includes shoring up the defence.
Is this a personnel issue, or a coaching issue? Individually we're all fond of those across our back line, so it'll be good to get people's thoughts on what needs improving.
For example, is it simply a set piece issue?
Would a commanding rock of a goalkeeper be the immediate answer?
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We are clearly more effective defensively when White is in the team. I also think that our approach, as lovely as it is to watch, is a bit gung ho. Brackley have had a solid defence for years, but have scored far less. Consequently I'd fancy their chances of going up more than ours.
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Defo miss White but if everyone faced the reality, and I know he has been OK this season, we need a commanding and confident keeper. We have needed that person since Coburn. It really is that simple.
TT is a good shot stopper ( close range) but crosses and long range shots he is poor.
As I said last season, a decent keeper is the difference in promotion for us.
Our back 4 of Dens, Jones, Hannigan and White with Jake in front should be good enough at this level.
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Anyone know last nights attendance
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Defo miss White but if everyone faced the reality, and I know he has been OK this season, we need a commanding and confident keeper. We have needed that person since Coburn. It really is that simple.
TT is a good shot stopper ( close range) but crosses and long range shots he is poor.
As I said last season, a decent keeper is the difference in promotion for us.
Our back 4 of Dens, Jones, Hannigan and White with Jake in front should be good enough at this level.
I know he's been mentioned numerous times on here, but if Stockport really do dispense with Hinchliffe over the Summer we should move heaven and earth to sign him.
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Agree that the single biggest thing we could do to improve our defensive record is to sign a really top keeper but I would also love to know if we ever work on defending set pieces in training. I get the sense that PP and NS focus more on what we do with the ball and that's reaped its rewards in many ways. But I just don't feel we're going to get promoted until we can find a way to combine our flowing football with a properly miserly defence. It's all so frustrating - we're so close to a league-winning formula but defending balls into our box was our achilles heel last season and it's exactly the same this season. We have to address it.
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For me, its not just a keeper issue, listening to RR last night, for there goals, to much space, no closing down, attackers not marked. Leaves TT very vulnerable. Defence starts from the forwards back, we often don't put enough pressure on the ball to stop the shots, crosses etc. We need to work harder on that in my opinion.
Sounded like Spennymoor did a lot of the above last night, but when we did get through we weren't clinical enough.
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Match highlights:
https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470 (https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470)
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Match highlights:
https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470 (https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470)
Should their 2nd and 3rd be beating a keeper at this level.....? Don't think so.
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There's a possibility Tony Thompson is physically and mentality tired (as a lot of the regular players might be) after the recent punishing schedule. At least now (apart from Easter) it's only one game a week til the end of the season. Perhaps if Steve Drench is now fit it's time for him to have a go.
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I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the grey kit yet
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Match highlights:
https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470 (https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/club-info/630470)
The quality of these official highlights is unbelievably poor. I can't really draw any firm conclusions from them.
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Full highlights here
https://youtu.be/uRSzmeshNAM
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Much better quality.
First, our much-maligned goalkeeper. He had no chance with the first, for which James Jones seemed blissfully unaware of the man behind him. Ramshaw struck the second really well, and if Tony had got that extra six inches of reach we'd be nominating him for Save of the Season. The third wasn't his finest effort, but he may not have had the clearest view of it.
Our overall defending of balls coming into the box is arguably the weakest element of our game. PP's post-match comments indicate that he can see the problem - hopefully he knows how to solve it !
Josh's penalty was awful, but then Durrell's wasn't the best I've ever seen. The whole team should be practicing them regularly, because if we do make the playoffs, we can't afford another shootout debacle like Chorley.
We should certainly not have come away from Co.Durham empty-handed. Three points at Blyth on Saturday are now an essential.
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Have to feel for poor old Tony Thompson. I'm surprised that some contributors to this forum haven't also blamed him for the missed spot kick (Hancock's second successive failure from the penalty spot) or even hold him responsible for the assassination of JFK.
As One Foot in the Grave rightly asserts, Jones was caught napping for Spennymoor's opening goal.
Moult was caught in possession in the build-up to their second goal and the third was a collective abdication of defensive responsibility by the players which allowed Buddle a completely free header.
All I'm saying is that some players' errors are conveniently overlooked in a stampede to vilify one individual.
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Having been at the game nobody there blamed TT at all for any of the goals as none of them were directly his fault.
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Having been at the game nobody there blamed TT at all for any of the goals as none of them were directly his fault.
Done a bit of goalkeeping myself and criticism of keepers can irritate me. Yes, there are absolute blocks dropped from time to time, but those are few and far between. The vast majority of goals against are a team collective thing. Somebody lost the ball, somebody failed to close down, tackle or mark, somebody didn't get the block in...yet the keeper gets the grief.
Rant over.