www.altyfans.co.uk

After the controversial PP last Saturday at Southend we will have to make sure we have our house in order for Eastleigh this Saturday. They will quite rightly want a firm steer by Friday afternoon as assume they will be overnighting. Not that much rain forecast between now & then but those pictures from yesterday were brutal so I hope it’s dried out a bit today. Looking ahead those likely 3 home games in 7 days in Feb vs Dorking/Rochdale/Wealdstone are a big concern.

Not sure how we got from a newly laid pitch which cost hundreds of thousands 2 years ago to this but needs sorting properly in the summer. Parky must be very unimpressed.

A Greater Manchester ‘derby’ in front of the TV cameras then & a chance to put right one of our worst displays of the season at Spotland. Which I’m sure Parky will be reminding the players of.

Assume no major changes from the squad at Chesterfield, wonder if James Jones & Donowa are any nearer fitness but other than that possibly same starting XI. Maybe Amaluzor for Mooney the one you might debate. And, of course, if the weekend off has given Ross the chance to regain full fitness or whether Gould will be back in. Fingers crossed.

Rochdale have a reasonable away record with 5 wins, albeit all against bottom half sides. Both sides like to play football so should make for a good game, though the rain forecast all of tomorrow daytime so will be a heavy pitch. With our strong home record I’d back us every time though so I reckon a 3-1 home win. Crowd intriguing with iffy weather & it being on the telly. I reckon a shade below 2k with about 500 of them.

The third time now by my maths that the senior football club in Nuneaton has gone bust since ooh the late 80s. I don’t think they should bother setting up another one.

More to the point when is it we get our pick of this years United youth crop? Was about this time last year that Maxi & Hugill came in. Could be a big boost for the run in.

My first game was the 6-0 (!) win against Dagenham in May 1988, the last game of the 87-88 season. I subsequently became a regular at home games by 89-90, so many of my formative memories date from the glorious 90-91 season. Hopefully this season will give us as many wonderful memories as that season did-but Witt the addition of promotion or a Wembley trip at the end.

Couldn’t make it today, sounds like I missed a cracker. Especially pleasing because we got slapped down at the Hive. We can beat anyone in the league at Moss Lane these days.

Really important win too given who our next 2 league games are against-doesn’t get much tougher than Chessy & Sarfend away. Very pleased to see Mooney makes his second full debut & contribute too. Just missing a goal by Linney-reckon a struggling Kiddy team next Saturday will get him notching again.

Also the attendances are really beginning to take off now. We keep getting results might end the season with a 2.5k average I reckon. It’s up over 2,100 now I think.

I couldn’t make it today for family stuff but seen enough of our games against them in the last year to get the picture. I’d have taken the point at KO as I don’t think we’ve played especially well for the past month now & it’s always a tough place to go.

I think all concerned on both sides will be relieved we aren’t playing each other again now this season (save the awful prospect of a play off tie against them lot). Bigger picture of 40 points by NYD, decent GD & a game in hand on a lot of sides-I’d have taken that in August. We need to strengthen in Jan though as below Chesterfield it’s much of a muchness & we have every chance.

A very poor Bank Holiday attendance today too. Just the 1600 more in at Moss Lane on Boxing Day. That stadium is totally wasted on their meagre fanbase.

Well, that was abject. Easily our worst performance of the season, to my eyes.

We managed merely three shots on target, and the first of those didn't arrive until the 74th minute. The other two came in additional time.

You just got a sense that the players were not comfortable with whatever system we were set up to play. The absence of two key individuals simply served to illustrate that the depth of our squad was found wanting.

Halifax were sharper, better organised and fully warranted their victory.

I do wonder whether Ross' mobility had been hampered by Michael Cheek clattering him in the ribs during that second half at Bromley. That opening goal looked like rather a soft one to concede and was redolent of some of Byrne's mishaps last season.

Amaluzor looked totally off the pace; Kosylo was fortunate not to be sent off for a dreadful challenge; Conn-Clarke and Newby struggled to impose themselves on the game and Dackers failed to impress, once again (he doesn't merit his starting place, in my view, and it looks as if he might have peaked 14 minutes into his debut).

I think that I would have quietly retired that man of the match award today!

The sole consolation was the attendance of in excess of 3,900 (without the massive away following of a Stockport or Wrexham).

An afternoon to banish from the memory.   

Spot on. Collectively we looked off it. I do feel the long & late trip to Bromley on Saturday night & getting back in the early hours of Sunday morning has taken the legs out of us a bit. They were sharper. You could see the effects of Ross injury for their goals too no doubt, he didn’t & perhaps couldn’t get down quick enough. Overall one to forget, with Osbourne & Roscoe both back from suspension on NYD & their much poorer home record I suspect it will be a different game at the Shay.

Off the pitch the attendance magnificent, 3500 home fans against run of the mill opposition a superb turnout. The main plus. We also did hospitality which was very good-food & service spot on. Club keeps growing but days like today when big numbers are in show the absolute imperative to modernise the ground if we are to move from a 2000 average up to 2,500 then 3k.