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Post by Dom Lloyd on Aug 29, 2022 15:56:35 GMT
FULL TIME: Havant & Waterlooville 1-0 Farnborough
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Post by Dom Lloyd on Aug 29, 2022 15:57:02 GMT
Att: 1,235
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mickey
1st team regular
Posts: 135
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Post by mickey on Aug 29, 2022 16:19:04 GMT
Darn it! Wanted to go but traffic on M27 impossible. Sounds like a heroic defeat
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abc123
1st team regular
Posts: 51
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Post by abc123 on Aug 29, 2022 17:33:29 GMT
Jack pulled off some class saves once again. Some good football being played and can see some lads growing at this level, I thought page looked pretty decent after the first 10 mins or so, the best I've seen of him I think.
Missing something up top for me though, looked alot better with hish and Liam when they came on, hopefully we can see more from those boys
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Post by Tom Bowen on Aug 29, 2022 17:57:50 GMT
In a game that was pretty much a carbon copy of Bath on Saturday, that result is an extremely bitter pill to swallow. The lads worked their nuts off all game, and full credit to them.
As soon as Havant walked onto the field, it was obvious that their players were stronger and taller than us. But we showed excellent courage in our game to block various chances without any attempts of our own.
The first proper chance for us came on the 12th minute where a cross from Reggie was headed away, only to find JNW and then Ricky, who put it just wide. Tony Lee then had a clash of heads with their no.5, and both came back on with bandages. I hope neither player got too seriously injured by that, because it could have been a lot worse! A head clash in always horrible, no matter how many times you see it or even experience it yourself!
We found our feet throughout the half, and more and more chances came our way. We dug in well and despite their clear aerial advantage, they didn't take their chances with the direct football on display.
Our best chance of the half came when Lokko was fouled on the left of the pitch, about 18 yards from goal. Ricky's effort forced the GK into a decent save.
Jack Turner was quite rightly the talk of the first half by keeping a save out, which rebounded to a Havant player that hit the ball off the post, and then he saved a shot for a second time. The entire stadium was rather understandably bewildered as to how they didn't score.
Throughout the second half each team had a shedload of chances which couldn't be put away, including many attacks where we should've had a shot rather than passing it back, only to find nobody at all.
We had a fair share of corners and free kicks but there was nobody at the back post or edge of the box, as usual, to keep the ball in the danger area. And that resulted in many counter attacks where Havant had a load of chances. Thankfully, they were wasted.
So perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised when their goal came about as a result of a counter attack at our expense. It was a simple cross and a tap-in that gets scored nine times out of ten.
The final ten minutes of regular time was full of fouls and shirt pulls that the linesman nor the referee picked up on - at any point! It seems as if we are talking about the officials in some form every game, and it's draining to see how many goals or points have gone down the pan because of questionable decisions.
It's difficult not to feel hard done by with that result. Both teams wanted it. Both played very well and both deserved at least a goal. But we just didn't get the rub of the green.
Onto Saturday, away again, at Cheshunt.
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Post by borobob on Aug 29, 2022 18:14:55 GMT
Absolutely agree with the above. Every man stood his ground today and, once again, we gave a top team real battle, it is just that final ball in to the box missing for a decent return of the points.
Back four, Saunders, Lokko, Ball and JNW were superb, and what a great return from Alfie.
Full 90 on the plastic from Ricky, which was excellent, and great support from everyone around them.
We dug in, we frustrated the hell out of them, to a degree that yellow cards were flashed around to the whites and, indeed a red for the Havant Manager for voicing his opinions to strongly!! That is how much we rattled them!!!
Great effort all round lads, and we are just that smidgeon off of becoming a really good side.
Let's hope that with the four big clubs out of the way, we can now concentrate on getting a few more points and travel upwards.
Well played all and on to Saturday.
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Post by betweenthesticks on Aug 29, 2022 18:17:08 GMT
My man at the game (Bob!) tells me we fought very hard today and that the players can be proud of their performance against a side that weren't really all that much better than us...
I truly hope that we are learning some hard lessons early season against what are expected to be top 6 sides and that we can capitalise on the experience gained to start chalking up the points from here on in!
Up the Boro!
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Post by borobob on Aug 29, 2022 18:18:03 GMT
Sorry, I forgot about JT in goal!! What a performance from him once again!!, another double save from a shot hit on the post and rebounded. The whole ground was in amazement as to how he did it and kept them out.
What a find we have in him and long may it continue.
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Post by antz27 on Aug 29, 2022 19:18:16 GMT
I was sat in the stand surrounded by Havant fans and they couldn’t believe what they had just seen from JT when he pulled off the double save or how they hadn’t scored.
Regarding the game I thought we played hard but too deep which allowed Havant to pile on the pressure, it also meant when we did push up we were never really in a position to truly hurt them. I also had an issue with the fact we were punting it forward when I swear Havant shortest player was 9 foot something. I was laughing with the Havant fans in the first half when Saunders was destroying their no 22 and they were impressed stating he’s letting them know he’s there.
Other than those points I thought we did okay against a team in 2nd who are beating teams but big margins on a regular basis.
We now must get a result against Cheshunt.
I think it’s been mentioned before but how many teams in our division have plastic pitches as we are yet to win on one.
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Admin
Administrator
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Post by Admin on Aug 29, 2022 21:21:56 GMT
Plastic pitches:
Havant & Waterlooville (one of the bobblier ones I've seen) Oxford City (looks far from great, from what I've seen on YouTube) Worthing (ditto Oxford) Eastbourne Borough (the ball appears to run forever, no "natural" degradation at all) Tonbridge Angels (new this season, so dunno) Slough Town (looks like one of the better ones) Hemel Hempstead Town (the ball runs fine, passes degrade like they should do, so all good)
Given clubs in a division often copycat, it may well be the same supplier has been involved in all of them, but there are definite differences. Perhaps that's down to maintenance, or attention to detail when sorting out the drainage and the all-important sub-surface layers (which can cost many £££ to get right)?
For what it's worth, last season I thought the artificial surfaces at Walton Casuals and Dorchester Town were extremely poor, Hendon's was meh, but passable, and the Beaconsfield one was one of the best I've seen (I didn't see the game at Merthyr).
That said, the poorest pitch of all I saw last season (by a country mile) was Salisbury. Presumably the ground staff had been given the week off, as it was pretty much impossible to play anything resembling football on it. Kings Langley came a close second.
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Post by betweenthesticks on Aug 30, 2022 6:17:26 GMT
From the games I've seen and reports on those I've missed, was it perhaps unfortunate that we let Paul Hodges go...?
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Post by antz27 on Aug 30, 2022 11:35:36 GMT
From the games I've seen and reports on those I've missed, was it perhaps unfortunate that we let Paul Hodges go...? No, Paul needed to go to regain fitness and regain his form. At this level we can’t afford the luxury of playing someone for the sake of it and Paul looked to be struggling at this level for whatever reason and from Spencer’s interview the other day he eluded to a few reasons, Paul did not return this season the player he was last year.
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Post by borobob on Aug 31, 2022 17:11:05 GMT
As much as I would have liked Paul to stay, I'm not sure his silky skills would have made much difference in this League. As we have found out, players are bigger , stronger, and quite a bit more physical at this level, and I feel he would have had a hard time of it!
However we have played four of the very strongest, and highly fancied, title contenders to date, and given every one of them a stern test, which augers well for the rest of the season.
Our biggest problem is that we can't finish a dinner!! No disrespect to our front guys, but they are up against some very good defenders, and two of the Clubs we faced are full timers and very experienced.
Defensively, no problem. Lokko is superb, whether teamed with Robbo or Bally. The additions of Jordan and Alfie has greatly enhanced it, and what can you say about JT, absolutely superb in goal!! Two wonder double saves again on Monday brought the whole stadium to its feet!!
Ricky, on Monday was superb, even on plastic!!, and brings the best out of Sam as ever. Jonathan page, for his size and height, really showed some great skills, ably replaced by Kenny towards the end, another good signing just beginning to show his worth.
Reggie and Michael always give great energy, and their runs and back tracking have improved no end.
Tony has great strength and has been a little unfortunate to come up against some great defenders and struggled on Monday, although the 5 for Havant, seemed to come of worse, both requiring Cherokee bandages after a head clash.
Liam and Hish replacing late on continued the push up front, but to no avail, and could well have got the decisions a couple of times when pulled down in the box. Tony almost having his shirt ripped off at one time.
We gave Havant one hell of a fight, and one single shot and deflection wrong footed Jack. Got a hand to it but it broke for the 10 to bundle in, to the great relief of the home crowd.
So all in all, we are VERY CLOSE to a very good side, and with the change in fortunes of meeting some of the 'less favoured' sides from now on, we will be ok. No need to panic yet.
It will come!! COME ON YOU YELLOWWSSAA!!
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abc123
1st team regular
Posts: 51
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Post by abc123 on Aug 31, 2022 20:05:21 GMT
On another note, absolutely class from one of the H&W straight after the game went straight over to Alfie and looked to be checking in on him, I assume after his recent struggles!
On to the weekend 🟡🔵
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Post by borobob on Aug 31, 2022 22:14:10 GMT
Good, he needs all the support we can give him, and anyone else that has similar problems.
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